Page 68 of Wolf's Whisper

Wow...

Realising I was just blatantly creeping on him, I quickly turned around so I could hide my reddening face. Dear heavens, was he hot. Clumsily, I kicked off my other shoe and dropped my coat. It would take ages for that to dry, so I'd have to do with soaking myself and my underclothes.

Even though the water wasn't stone cold, I still shivered as I dipped my big toe in. I immediately felt a refreshing calmness wave over me. I gladly sank the rest of my body into the lake, sighing as it enveloped me. Now that was bliss.

With my clothes heavy from the water, wading towards Aspen was like floating without gravity. I could just imagine the lake washing away all the remnants of the battle and taking my sins with it. Yes, this was just what I needed.

Aspen splashed some water on me. "Feels nice, doesn't it?"

I laughed out loud, feeling much lighter than before. "It's amazing."

"I still think the lake is magical. It always takes my worries away."

I made a cup with my hands and threw a handful of water in his direction, making him duck away. "Yes, I feel the same."

With a lazy smile on his face, he let himself fall on his back, creating his own wave. "I love it here. I'm glad we rerouted."

"It was a good idea," I agreed, glad that he seemed to be back to his old self. More or less.

He turned on his stomach and swam toward the waterfall, his body flexing with every powerful stroke he took, his muscles rippling underneath his golden skin. Swift and agile, he made his way to the wild stream of water falling from the cliffs. Happier than I had seen him in a while, he dove under the loud stream, laughing out loud as the water crashed on his shoulders.

"Woooohoooo!" he howled, embracing the water as it thundered down on him. He made it look far too fun not to try. Hopping through the water, I joined him under the wild shower that was the waterfall and immediately moaned in relief. The stream was like a hard massage, hitting all the right spots and tight knots in my back. Dear spirits, this was heaven on earth.

"It's good, right?!" Aspen shouted, barely topping the loud thunder of the cascade of water.

"It's amazing!" I yelled back, surrendering to the throws of nature. I had been mistaken before, thinking his Alpha was power. No, this was power. Pure, uncut, raw power straight from the source. Now this, this was magic. "I could just stay here forever!"

"We can try!"

"Imagine Danny's face when we tell her we're not leaving!"

Aspen threw his head back in laughter. "She'd hit us both!"

"Hard!"

He let out another laugh, one that seemed to come from deep within his stomach and sank down into the water. With only the top of his head sticking out. It was such an amusing sight, that I got into a fit of giggles.

He waded through the water, diving under every now and then coming back up for air. Without warning, he let himself fall hard on his back and swam under water, his powerful strokes showcasing his strength. "Look, Akira, I'm a salmon!" he screamed, happily swimming against the current, not deterred in the slightest.

I snorted, hiccupping and coughing as water shot into my lugs. "What the hell, Aspen?"

"I'm going against the stream. You know, like a salmon!"

Not able to stay under the waterfall and die from laughing, I left my spot and waded to a calmer part of the lake. "You’re weird."

Aspen jumped up and stretched his strong arms, groaning in delight. Water droplets running down his bare chest. "I'm just enjoying myself."

"I can tell." I smiled, admiring him again. I couldn't help myself. He was just so beautiful. Sure, there were many other words to describe a man. Handsome. Good-looking. Attractive. Sexy. Suave, even. But somehow, none of them were right. With his warm, golden eyes and his chiseled face, his strong jawline and his slightly crooked smile, he was just beautiful.

A large grin burst through on my face. I hadn't been alone with Aspen ever since we first met. At the beginning, he’d been annoying, whiny, spoilt. But I’d taken a shine to him from the very start. And even though I’d become distracted by his beautiful sister, there was no denying it. Aspen was still a handsome devil that could make me grin like an idiot.

I gave him a gentle nudge, reminded again how hard his muscles were.

"Hey, you were all broody. It doesn't suit you."

He pulled up an eyebrow and briefly chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Yes. I like you much better when you’re all happy and annoying."

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