Page 42 of Forbidden River
“I think you already made it. You know it right there, don’t you?” He pressed their hands to her heart. “Just like I do. You just need to go with it. Maybe we both need to stop shutting ourselves away.”
“I can’t...” She shook her head, her brow scrunched.
“While you’re thinking about it...” He leaned in and kissed those shiny, hair-streaked lips. She kissed him back. They’d been doing this for weeks, but every time, he got a buzz like it was the first. He would never get enough of her.
Please, Tia. Say yes.
* * *
TIAGENTLYBROKEthe kiss and rested her head on Cody’s shoulder, looking out over the river. This time tomorrow she’d be back in Wairoimata, alone.
Or maybe not...
There’s only one risk I want to take and it scares the life out of me.
It scaredhim? She was the one who liked playing it safe. And so far that’d got her nowhere but alone. Was she brave enough to do this? It was pretty bloody obvious she was falling in love. She got breathless whenever she looked at him. She felt like she was permanently high on happy pills.
She breathed in the fresh cologne that had become achingly familiar. He was right. Time to take a risk, challenge her instincts. She stepped back, smiled at him and walked to the bungee guide, who was sorting harnesses.
“Can I use his jump?” she asked. “He’s too chicken.”
The guy shrugged. “Yeah, sweet. You’ll have to do the safety briefing, but we can fit you in.” He raised his voice. “That okay with you, mate?”
“Sure,” said Cody, crossing his arms, looking baffled.
Hell, she was a little baffled.
Half an hour later, she stood on the platform, trying not to look at anything. Definitely not down. But straight ahead at the plunging cliffs wasn’t much better. Or the packed viewing platform to her left. Who were those people? What the hell was she doing?
“Ready to fly?” asked the guide.
“I don’t know,” she said, looking at Cody, who was standing in the spot where she should have been. The safe spot. The sensible spot. Now,hewas a view she could look at all day. “Am I?”
“Only you can make that choice.” Cody gave a half smile. “But you can do anything. You’reincreíble.”
Oh yeah, he was good for her.
“Time to leave the safe harbor,” she called. “See if that bungee cord stops me.”
His smile dropped. “Does that mean you’re coming?”
Wind buffeted her jacket. Her throat felt like it was closing. Her stomach ping-ponged. Nervous about the jump, or what lay beyond? The guy counted down, Cody joining in.
Screw it. She jumped, her body clenching in cold panic. She shouted, channeling all the stress and elation of the last three weeks into one word: “Yeeeeeesssss!”
Over the rush of air, over the spectators’ cheers, she heard the voice she was in love with, along with everything else aboutCaparolCody Castillo.
“Estupendo!”
Indeed.
* * * * *
