Isla

 

Pushing my hair out of my eyes, I once again wished I’d thought to bring a second hair-tie. The first one had snapped and the humidity of the day was turning my hair into a sponge.

Ahead of me, Kai easily scrambled up a steep outcropping and glanced back. “Come on!”

Instead of a workout, we’d gotten up early and headed into the jungle. At first, it had been easy walking, but abruptly it had gotten very steep, the path zigging and zagging up the side of the long-dormant volcanic ridge. The forest was thick and alive around us, the air heavy on my skin and I was starting to die a little more with each step. However, Kai kept insisting the hike was worth it and that there was a surprise for me at the end.

So, I was hanging in there, but I didn’t know how much longer I could. My calves and lungs burned as I climbed towards Kai. And I was starting to feel faint.

His grip was slippery as he helped me and he wiped his hands on his shorts. “Damn, it’s soggy,” he said.

Catching my breath, I took a swig of water and squinted at him. “Are we almost there?”

“Yes,” he said, eyes twinkling. Then his hands landed on my shoulders and he gently turned me around. “Now, check that out. Look at how far we’ve come.”

My jaw dropped as I gazed out across the swaying tops of trees, dipping down sharply to a distant white beach and curve of the ocean. It felt like we were on top of the world.

“How high up are we?” I asked.

“Not that high. But it’s a pretty good view, huh? Now, come on,” Kai gripped my hand and tugged me along. “I can’t wait to show you your surprise.”

Clambering along, I brushed my other hand along my forehead and made a face. I was dripping in sweat. If I’d thought I was getting in good shape, this hike had shown me I still had a long way to go.

Unfairly, Kai seemed unfazed by it. Not even winded.

But at the same time, it was a little strange. I understood the guy was in good shape, but right now he didn’t even seem human. Maybe superhuman.

I repressed a little sigh. Either way, it was a little humiliating.

“No sighing this early in the morning,” Kai said over his shoulder. “Now, slow down here.”

I gaped as we came to a sheer drop and clutched at Kai. Heights didn't bother me, but a thirty-foot drop straight into the jungle did. "Please tell me we're not climbing down there."

“We are, but not right here. Just stick close,” Kai said.

The drop seemed to deepen as we went on and then faintly, I heard something in the distance. It sounded like a river, maybe. Then I gasped as the trees fell away and revealed a series of pools. One was massive, with a tall waterfall from somewhere high up in the mountains falling into it. But the others were smaller, with gentle cascades of water tumbling into them.

Trees and looping vines of leaves made a kind of canopy around it, giving the whole place a sense of intimacy and remoteness from the rest of the world.

“It’s magical,” I breathed, clutching Kai’s arm.

“Worth the hike?” he teased.

“Absolutely!” I enthused. “I wish we could go down there.”

“We are,” Kai said and laughed. “Geez, we didn’t come all this way only to have a quick look. Come on, there’s a kind of a trail over here and it’s less steep.”

Making our way along the edge, Kai held onto me until we reached a spot where there was a sort of natural walkway winding down. At points, though, it opened onto sheer drops straight down to the rocky ground. But finally, we’d made it to the bottom and I gazed around.

At the far end was a tangled copse of trees, overgrowing into the pools of water and flowers trailed down along the walls. We headed there, dropping our stuff onto a large rock and I eagerly peeled off my socks and shoes. Dipping my feet in the water, I watched the rivulets and streams of water cascading over the rocks. They were freezing cold to the touch, but the pool, even though it was deep, was a comfortable temperature.

Everything smelled fresh, both the water and the flowers fragrant to my nose.

“I can’t believe this exists. Or that no one else is here,” I exclaimed, kicking my feet.

There was a splash and I looked over to see Kai grinning at me, stretching his hands overhead. Wading over, he grabbed my feet and tugged at me.

“I didn’t bring a suit, I… Oh.” Heat rose in my cheeks. Kai was not wearing anything and the look in his eyes challenged me to do the same. “What if someone sees us?” I hissed, even as I slowly dragged off my tank top.

“No one is around for miles. This place is a pain in the ass to get to, trust me. And besides, we’ll hear them coming.” Kai’s eyes danced wickedly. “Now, are you gonna join your ol’ man or what?”

Getting to my feet, I peeled off my clothes, conscious of Kai’s eyes on me. I was still flushing, but a grin had spread itself across my face as I hastened to join him. Quickly I waded in and gasped, hugging myself. The water was a lot colder on the rest of my body. Kai moved over, wrapping me in his arms and my skin instantly heated up. He then pulled me towards the far edge of the pool, where the sun was beating on it and the water became more tepid.

“This was more than worth it,” I told him, shivering a little as our skin slid together under the water. My arms were loosely clasped around his neck and he grinned at me. “What?”

“I always wanted to skinny-dip here with a beautiful woman,” Kai said. “Hell, if I’m not the luckiest guy alive.” Leaning in, he kissed me and I could feel his length stiffening against me.

“Is that all you wanted to do?” I asked with a teasing smile when we broke apart.

“Well, with you here, that changes everything.” Kai suddenly pulled us across to the other side of the pool, where it was colder and I gasped at the contrast. His skin now felt hot as a coal against me. “Still feels like a dream, though.”

“I know what you mean,” I said.

Kai pushed me back against the wall. “Do you?” he asked, his gaze gentle and his words solemn. “Do you know that I’m so happy I’m actually terrified? Do you know what it’s like when you look at me like you are right now? When you say things like that?” He paused and my heart fluttered. “I’m still trying to figure out how that happened, by the way.”

“How what happened?” I asked, biting my lip as he moved closer.

“How you fell in love with me,” he murmured, pushing me back against the cold stone and covering my body with his. The water was up to our waist and I locked my legs around his waist easily as we began to kiss. Each one scorched through me like a lick of flame.

“Kai,” I started to say when we broke apart, but then he was kissing my neck and my eyes fluttered shut. He was gentle, then bruising and then teasing with his teeth. I couldn’t think straight.

“Every day, for the rest of my life, I will be in awe and incredulous of that fact, Isla,” Kai was suddenly saying in my ear, his breathing quick across my skin. “And I’m going to find a way, somehow, to show you how much it means to me. How much you mean to me.”

My eyes swam with tears and I pulled his face to mine, kissing him back with the same unchecked ardor. Over and over in my head ran the words I love you, I love you, I love you.

When we finally broke apart, Kai looked down at me and I tried to memorize this moment. The light reflecting off the drops of water on his tanned skin, the curls dripping against his neck and the open, fearless love in his warm eyes.

Our bodies met and we became whole. Both of us moved slowly. Savored each moment.

I pressed kisses along his jaw and neck, murmuring his name and how much I loved him between each one. The contrast of his hot body and the cold rock made me feel as though we were catching aflame. Tremors ran through our bodies, our skin quivering and tensing together.

And then heat flooded me from head to toe and I gladly gave into the inferno.

 

Sometime later, hours perhaps, I was stretched out like a cat, sunning myself on a rock. Kai’s contagious shamelessness led me to worry less about being found out and to enjoy the sensation of light hitting me from head to toe.

“Wish I had a camera,” Kai suddenly said from above me. He was dressed and his eyes lingered along me. I smiled at him lazily and he swallowed. “Okay, don’t kill me, woman.”

Sitting up, I tossed my hair over my shoulder and pouted. “Do we have to leave?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Look, there’s a storm moving down the mountain.”

I turned and exclaimed at the thick wall of gray cloud looming against the blue sky and shrouding the peaks above. “Oh, shit.”

“Here,” Kai handed me my clothes and I quickly got dressed.

Standing up, I turned in a circle to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything and to take in this place one more time before we left. Then my eyes landed on Kai.

The smile had slipped off his face and he looked pensive, his shoulders hunching over.

“Kai, what’s wrong?” I asked, stepping forward. “Did you eat enough?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, shaking his head and grinning at me. But it seemed forced.

“Kai,” I said in a warning tone.

“Sorry, I was just thinking,” he murmured, running his hands up and down my arms. “Thinking about how brave and selfless you are. How much I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes, it’s true,” I teased, throwing back my head like a queen. When Kai gave me a weak smile, I sighed. “You and I both know that’s not true.”

He nodded, his jaw tight. “Come on, we should go.”

But I caught his arm. “Are you feeling guilty because you haven’t told me everything?”

The question had leaped off my lips before I’d even processed it. But at the look on Kai’s face, a cornered and surprised one, I knew it was true. And my heart sank.

“This isn’t the time, Isla,” he muttered and began to walk.

“Kai, you know whatever it is, it won’t change how I feel,” I said, following him. “I wish you knew that.” The statement made me stop in my tracks and a strange feeling gripped me. “Wait, do you know that?” His shoulders tensed up. “Oh my God. You don’t. You don’t believe me.”

“What?” Kai asked, swinging around. Then he glanced up. “Isla, come on. We don’t have time – let’s do this at home.”

But the pain was now hitting me hard, a mingling of grief and anger at and for Kai. “I can’t believe this,” I said in a broken voice. “What else do I have to do? Is it always going to be like this?”

“What are you talking about?” Kai asked, his jaw clenching.

The bliss of the last few days had blinded me, but now I could see it so clearly, I was getting angry at myself. “Some part of you doesn’t believe that I love you. That I’m going to stay.” I let out a soft laugh as the irony hit me. “I trust you, but you don’t trust me. Not completely, anyway. And it has to do with whatever it is you’re not telling me.” Kai’s face was rapidly draining of color. “You think it will turn me against you.”

Silence.

“Oh my God,” I said, putting a hand to my aching throat and closing my burning eyes. “Kai, that hurts. That really hurts.”

“Isla, no, no.” Kai’s voice was clumsy as he came back and gripped my shoulders. “It’s not a matter of… Well, it is, but it’s so complicated and…”

“I’ll just have to prove it to you,” I said, wiping at my face and trying to smile. But my voice sounded weak to my own ears. Could I? Can I convince Kai to trust that I love him?

What if I couldn’t? Would this nagging little thorn poke and prod, tearing at me till it tore us apart? Involuntarily, I reached out and gripped his arms. No. That won’t happen.

“I’m sorry,” Kai said in a strained voice as he pulled me against him. “I’m…”

I nodded against his chest and said, “Don’t worry about it.” Because I am.

Rain began to fall and we broke apart, glancing up at the sky and trekking across the stones. My mind was whirling with theories and plans, my heart pounding in my throat.

Why won’t you believe me, Kai? I wondered miserably, scrambling up after him. We’d just made love under a freakin’ waterfall. I’d said I loved him at least a hundred times.

Maybe I’m not enough.

My grip slipped and Kai grabbed at me, scowling. “Be careful,” he warned.

We were almost at the top and Kai moved ahead of me, reaching back for my hand. I forced myself to smile at him and extended it, fingers straining to reach him.

But I’d misjudged the distance.

Kai’s eyes went wide and then a look of terror raced across his face. “Isla,” he warned sharply. “Don’t mo–”

It was too late, my other hand had slipped free, throwing my balance off and I teetered on the ledge. Kai lunged for me as I tumbled backward, my fingertips brushing his.

“Isla!”

Never had I heard so much anguish in a human voice before.