Page 97 of Cloud Storm

He chuckles while kissing my naked shoulder, pulling the cotton sheet away with his long fingers.

He’s dressed. Dressed! For fuck’s sake, at this hour in the morning, wearing designer brand jeans and a light, white sweater.

How does he manage to look so lickable at this hour? That should be another one of his superpowers.

Damn it!

“You won’t want to miss the show,” he insists.

“What the heck are you talking about?” I open my eyes to check out the window and it’s as expected. “Still dark outside, there’s nothing to miss.”

“You’re wrong, my little hellion. Hurry up, you’re wasting precious time.”

I stretch out my hands and he helps me out of bed. After a quick trip to the bathroom and a rummage in my suitcase, I have everything I need.

After getting dressed in a white cotton dress and a long beige cardigan, we leave the room, walking across the patio and taking a small door on the side.

The first light of the new day is peaking over the horizon, but the extensive garden is covered in a thick, white fog. The result is almost magical, it’s like walking through an enchanted forest.

“This is really nice,” I have to say.

“Wait and see,” he adds happily while walking. “There’s more.”

“More?”

“So much more,” he insists.

He opens another gate and then the real magic is revealed to my eyes.

“Let’s take a walk in the clouds.”

He isn’t exaggerating, it’s like walking in a cloud, a deliciously fragrant one. Hundreds and hundreds of yards extend in front of us. Neat paths of purple flowers at our feet, guiding our steps.

It’s wonderful.

“Lavender.” My voice is barely a sigh, the words stuck in my throat.

Oh my…

I don’t know what to say, or if words are even needed.

“I’m not a bird, nor do I know how to fly,” he says looking into my eyes, straight into my soul. “So I had to find a way to take you for a walk in the clouds.”

This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me, romantic and sweet. Something I’ll never grow tired of.

Another missing piece of my heart puzzle falls into place. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him with everything I have, with everything I am.

“I love you, Lancelot Hills,” I confess in a mad outburst. “Thank you.”

He smiles at me, those gorgeous green eyes full of tenderness and what I can only describe as pure happiness.

“It was about time you admitted it,” he says, taking my face in his hands, preparing my mouth for his.

“I tell you I love you and in return you gloat that I was the first to say it out loud?” I protest. “That is not what I expected, how about the ol’ ‘I love you too’?

“As if you didn’t know it already, Ariel,” he answers and has the nerve to appear indignant. “I’m crazy about you.”

That was what I wanted to hear.

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