Page 121 of Chasing Olivia (Trace + Olivia 2)

I toed the ground, kicking a rock and watching it fall into the water. I looked below and wondered aloud, “How far down do you think it is?”

He shrugged. “Twenty feet maybe…but I’m not really sure.”

Before my brain could process what he was doing, he tossed his shirt off and started working on the belt of his pants. I noticed he was wearing swim trunks and it began to click as to why he had told me to wear a swimsuit.

“What are you doing?” I asked, hoping I was wrong.

He looked at me like I was the crazy one. “Jumping.”

“Jumping…as in jumping down there?” I pointed to the water below.

“Yeah,” he kicked his jeans off.

“Is that safe?”

He chuckled. “Olivia, I’ve done this every summer for practically as long as I can remember.”

“That still doesn’t make me feel better about you jumping.”

“You’re jumping too,” he grinned.

“What? No way,” I looked down at the water churning below. “That water looks really rough.”

“I’ll hold your hand.”

I swallowed, gazing at the water uneasily. “I don’t think you holding my hand is going to save me from drowning,” I gulped.

“Olivia,” he took my face in his hands, forcing my stare away from the water, “it’s the things that scare us that are the most worthwhile. Like falling in love,” he rubbed his thumbs over the curves of my cheeks, “it scared the shit out of me, but it’s been the best rush I’ve ever experienced. This is a memory I want us to make together. Please.”

I closed my eyes, repeating his words.

When I first met Trace, I had been desperate to live, make mistakes, be wild and spontaneous. Why did that have to suddenly stop after the list was complete?

I opened my eyes and smiled slowly.

“I’ll do it.”

“I knew you’d see things my way,” he kissed me leisurely, purposely trying to make me forget what I was about to do. He more than succeeded.

I removed my shorts, lifted my shirt off, and kicked off my shoes. Before I could let myself think about it a second longer, I took his outstretched hand.

“One, two, three—” He counted.

With a scream, I jumped.

I hit the water feet first and its cool depths surrounded me, blanketing me. Somewhere along the way I’d lost my hold on his hand. I kicked for the surface and came up gasping for air. The water wasn’t nearly as choppy as it looked from above.

Trace surfaced a few feet away from me and flicked his dark hair out of his eyes.

“You okay?” He asked, his shoulders rising and falling with labored breaths.

“Great,” I smiled as he swam towards me.

He wrapped an arm around me and my legs automatically found his waist. My fingers tangled in his wet hair as I gazed at him with heated eyes.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to have to kiss you,” he confessed as my eyes greedily watched a water droplet that clung to his kissable lips.

“Then do it,” I challenged.

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