Lucy sat in a glass box attached to the side of a 1000-foot sheer cliff watching the last vestiges of the sunset over some unknown Andes peaks. Next to her on an oversized lounge chair was a guy who was becoming the image of the Man of her Dreams. Blue was as strong and solid as the mountain to which they were anchored.

After eating dinner together in the glass box, his guys had hung out for a while, but once the sun had begun setting, they’d gone off to their individual rooms. Lucy and Blue each had a room of their own, but by unspoken arrangement, they’d stayed together in the dining/lookout area. The adventure of scaling a mountainside using handholds and anchors was edgy enough for one day. She didn’t need to get herself or Blue any closer to any sort of precipice—even figurative ones.

“Look!” said Lucy, pointing up at a sliver of moon that was rising over the northern horizon.

“Wow!” Blue’s mouth gaped as his head went back for a clear view. “I’ve never seen it so big and bright. Ever.”

“Me neither.”

“Looks like it’ll be a full moon tonight,” he said.

“Uh oh,” said Lucy. “You know what that does to us Lobos.” She craned forward, lifting her mouth toward the moon and let out a howl.

Blue laughed. “I don’t know if I’ll ever tame that Lobo out of you.”

She howled again, then fell back to where his arm encircled her on the seat.

He said, “Don’t tell any of my Aggie brothers, but I don’t think I want to tame that Lobo out.”

“I can’t believe how wild and free I feel with you. I haven’t howled like that since college. It’s the same spicy, brave feeling I had when I used to put on the Lobo Lucy suit.”

Blue brought his arm down to take her hand in his. He looked over at her, his strong features barely visible in the low light. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone.”

That was such an understatement of how Lucy felt. “Watch out,” she told him, settling back into him. “When I go full Lobo I lose all restraint. I do more stupid things. And being with you is the same as I felt back when I was Lobo Lucy. Well, the same but different. It was safe back then because I could hide behind a mask. With you, I guess I feel safe enough to just let it out even though I don’t have a mask to hide behind.”

“Weird,” said Blue. “The Aggie brings out the Lobo in you. That I get. But if the Lobo is out because it got provoked and riled, how can you feel safe?”

“Must be the big, strong protective fireman makes me feel that way.” She reached her left hand out and gave his bicep a squeeze. Wow. She wanted to sample every single one of his other muscles. “See? Right there for example. I do some stupid things.”

“Is this stupid?” he asked, and suddenly he’d gotten them turned toward each other and staring into each other’s eyes, moving together.

And he kissed her. Slowly, lingering. As confident as their first spicy kiss at Questival, but different in every other way except in the pure pleasure that it shot through every part of her body.

The memory of the brief kiss lingered as he pulled away. Without realizing what she was doing, Lucy howled again, then said, “I don’t know if that was a stupid idea or not. Poor judge, remember? Senses have fled. You better try it again and see.”

Blue hesitated, smiling down at her as if trying to figure her out. Instead of kissing her again, he pulled them together side-by-side, leaning against the back of the chair. “I’m not the type to take advantage.”

Lucy really wanted another kiss, but in her spicy, brave mood, maybe it wasn’t the best idea since she didn’t know if she could stop herself once they got going. So she nestled into his arms and leaned back against the mountain that was Blue Reed. “Are you sure you’re really an Aggie? Because in every story I’ve heard, an Aggie is the first person to take advantage of a poor, defenseless girl.”

“Sorry to destroy the stereotype,” said Blue. “It’s another case of Romeo and Juliet. If only the families sat down to talk we wouldn’t have had a tragedy, right?”

“Abuelita will wear a Cienciano jersey before our families come together with civility.”

The moon was fully in view and it reflected more light into the glass house than the dim lights provided. Lucy couldn’t see Blue’s face, but she could see his thick forearms and strong hands around her.

“Thanks for staying out here with me,” she told him. “I’m sure your bed would be a much more comfortable observation point.”

“There you go, trying to get me to take advantage of you again.”

“No I wasn’t!” Lucy started to push up so she could turn and show him the sincerity on her face, but he chuckled and held her tightly.

“As comfortable, and exciting, as it would be in either one of our beds, I’m pretty much in heaven right now and that’s good enough for me.”

For the next four hours they sat together and watched the moon rise. They talked about the best vacations they’d ever been on and future dream vacations. College days and goals for their lives. They told stories from their pasts as if they could fill in the decades they’d been apart, and talked of the future in a way that made Lucy think there was a very good chance it would be spent together.

The moon eventually reached the end of its path in Lucy and Blue’s sky. “Looks like my night is over,” said Lucy.

“What happened to the untamed and uninhibited Lobo from earlier?”

“I think I finally got a leash on her.”

In his deep, close voice, he asked, “So you’re of sound mind?”

“Yeah,” said Lucy. “No more crazy stunts for me tonight.”

Blue pulled his arm free and faced her. “So it’s safe for me to do this?” He came forward and took charge of her lips, holding her captive in the ecstasy of the connection they’d been building over their hours together. Lucy gave in to him willingly, allowing him to take her to a place even more thrilling than the mountainside lodging where their bodies were. As their mouths explored the connection, her hands played over his firm, rounded shoulders. It was exhilarating yet safe. The danger had somehow passed with the moon’s disappearance and a few minutes passed with Lucy finally doing what she’d been waiting for all night.

“Wow,” said Blue, as he released her and they both caught their breath. “That was worth the wait.”

“Yeah, thanks for waiting until it was safe.”

“Safe?” said Blue. “I was scared for my life, of course I waited.” They stood and turned to each other. Blue surrounded her with his arms. “There may be a lot of waiting for us in the future, since we live in different states. But I’ll wait. I won’t let you get away from me.”

Lucy wanted to climb up into his arms and let him carry her wherever he wanted. But they had a flight to catch in a few hours, and how could she say she slept in a Skylodge if she never actually slept.

“Thanks for an amazing five days,” she told him.

“Stick with me,” said Blue, “and I’ll do everything I can to give you many more amazing days.”

She answered him with a kiss, then pulled herself away before it was too late.

Not bad, thought Lucy as she climbed into bed. Not bad for a quiet little office worker.