Page 130 of The Rogue and His Flower

“I’d love to. This is perfect.”

He nods, and we drop our bags, stripping down to our swimsuits. I glance over at him, at the way the sunlight shines through his reddish-brown strands, the colour vibrant against the dark stone and green moss clinging to the surface of the cliff face behind him.

Taking my hand in his, Dalton leads me to a slab of rock that seems to act as a natural jetty. My gaze falls to the deep pool of water, and the way the sun seems to dance all the way downto the bottom, fracturing light into shades of turquoise, and crystalline blue. It must be at least thirty-feet deep.

“It goes down a long way,” I comment.

“It does. Are you scared?”

“A little,” I reply, wrinkling my nose, wondering if there are any creatures swimming in the depths that I should be aware of. I can’t see any, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

“Don’t be. I’ve got you,” he replies, squeezing my fingers. “We jump together, okay?”

“Together,” I murmur, looking up at him as he gives me a soft, tentative smile. Somehow those words feel loaded, but I don’t have time to question them as he tugs on my hand.

“After three. One, two, three!” he yells, and then we’re both leaping into the pool and are under the surface in seconds.

We break the surface together, our laughter mingling with the sound of the waterfall behind us as we tread water for a moment, taking in the beauty of our surroundings. Then Dalton releases my hand and dives beneath the surface, appearing a few metres away.

“Come,” he says, disappearing behind the spray of the waterfall.

I follow him, blinking my eyes free of water as I pass through the waterfall to find him standing on a submerged rock, the lower half of his body hidden beneath the water, glistening droplets sliding over his beautiful, suntanned skin.

When I reach him, he helps me to stand on the rock, and with his hair slicked back and an intense look on his face, he takes me in his arms, his cool skin pressed against mine.

“This has been the best ten days of my life,” he confesses as I wrap my arms around his neck, the cool mist from the waterfall kissing our skin.

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” I joke, but his eyes flicker with hurt, and I instantly regret my words. “Dalton, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“I’ve never felt like this before, Daisy.Never. Please believe me,” he urges, gripping me tighter, his expression serious.

“I do believe you,” I reply as my gaze meets his. There’s a mixture of desire and tenderness swirling in his deep blue eyes that makes my breath hitch. “You know I feel the same way.”

He nods, thoughtful.

“It’s so beautiful here. Thank you for bringing me.”

“You’re welcome,” he says, then leans in slowly and presses a soft, whispering kiss against my lips that soon deepens, igniting the connection between us once again, setting my skin ablaze.

Eventually we pull apart, breathless, smiling,happy.

“You know…” he starts, hesitating a little as he brushes his lips across my cheek.

“What?” I whisper.

He pulls back slightly, staring into my eyes once more. “I have something I want to say,” he says, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

“Okay,” I reply, waiting, my heart swelling, my breath hitching. Time stands still, and I can see how he fights with himself. I can barely breathe as he struggles to form words.

“I’m… I think…Fuck,” he mutters, smiling ruefully.

“It’s okay,” I reply.

His smile falls. “Why is this so hard for me?”

“It’s okay,” I repeat, meaning it. “I can do this for the both of us.”

“Do what?”

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