Autumn Carter’s face was pressed to the window, her heart racing in her chest as she watched the cloud cover beneath her finally open up.

“Your first time in Iceland?” the kindly woman next to her asked. She’d been asleep for most of the flight, but seemed to have woken just in time for the pilot’s announcement that they were getting ready to land.

“First time on a plane, actually,” Autumn said. “Isn’t it amazing?”

She felt the loss of altitude as a weird sensation in her stomach as the land beneath them came closer and closer. It was like being on a roller coaster—which so far had been the most excitement in her life. But no longer.

The woman next to her laughed. “My daughter married and moved to the US. So I’m on a plane now twice a year to see the grandchildren. It gets less exciting over the years.”

“Everyone told me that I’d be scared—but I love it.” Autumn couldn’t stop smiling. This was the first real adventure of her life, and she was determined to enjoy every single second of it.

The woman smiled back as she began to stuff her phone and her book into her bag. “Just wait until you see the fjords and geysers. Are you staying in Reykjavik, or are you doing a tour of the whole island?”

“Three days in Reykjavik—I’ve got a full schedule.” Autumn could barely hold back her excitement at her plans. “The Blue Lagoon, the geyser, the Thingvellír national park with the famous waterfall, and then I’m taking a bus into the north. A friend of mine owns a farm there. We haven't seen each other since high school, and then she married and moved to her husband’s farm here in Iceland. We recently reconnected on Facebook and now I’m visiting her for a week so we can catch up.”

“Tell her to cook some real Icelandic lamb for you,” the woman said. “It’s the best lamb in the world, because they run free and graze on all the grass and herbs. And then of course there's our specialties—like fermented shark and pickled ram’s testicles.”

She winked when Autumn giggled.

“I was warned about that,” Autumn said, unable to stop smiling as she imagined the beautiful landscape and exotic foods. She’d be able to talk about this vacation for the rest of her life. She’d bore her grandchildren with it.

If she’d ever have any, because grandchildren meant children, which meant a husband... And after she’d caught her last boyfriend cheating on her the night of their engagement party, she wasn’t so sure anymore whether there were any men left in the world ready for that sort of commitment.

She took a deep breath, brushing those thoughts away as she thought about lambs and ponies running free in the picturesque Icelandic wilderness, guarded by fit, handsome Icelandic farmers in warm sweaters.

Maybe Tilly’s husband has a single brother...

The plane shook as the tires touched the runway. She grasped her armrest tightly as the plane abruptly lost speed. A moment later, they were rolling calmly along the runway.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Keflavík airport. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. Thank you for flying with Aurora Air and enjoy your stay in the land of ice and fire.”

Another jolt of excitement rushed through Autumn at the flight attendant’s announcement.

Her first time in a foreign country. For three days, she’d be all on her own. She’d been assured that everyone in Iceland spoke English, but still... For someone who’d never traveled before, this was a huge step. She’d saved up for this trip ever since she’d finally paid off her car, and she probably wouldn’t be able to afford another trip like this for a few more years.

It’ll be worth it. Whenever things get too stressful, I’ll be able to close my eyes and think about floating in the Blue Lagoon. This will be the best ten days of my life.

“Enjoy your stay in Iceland,” the woman said, reaching out to press her hand. “And take care not to offend the elves. Now I know all of our tourists think those are just silly stories—but you are a nice young girl, and if you remember to always be respectful, the elves have a lot of blessings to bestow.”

Autumn blinked, taken aback. She’d read about the Icelandic legends in her guide book—she’d just not expected to ever meet someone who talked about elves as if they were really real.

But then, the woman seemed so nice, and Autumn didn’t want to offend her. So she just smiled and nodded obediently, her mind already on the stunning pictures of the Blue Lagoon her guidebook had offered.

***

Only an hour later, Autumn was floating in the azure waters of the Blue Lagoon, just as scheduled. The transfer to her hotel had dropped her off together with a handful of other travelers for a two-hour stop at the lagoon, just as planned.

And now that she was floating in the warm water, surrounded by the stunning scenery, she felt overwhelmed by happiness.

The driver and the people at the Blue Lagoon had spoken English, just as promised. Everything had gone exactly as planned on her itinerary. What could go wrong now?

She took a deep breath, her eyes on the snow-covered hills and mountains that surrounded the lagoon. It was truly incredible to look out at the snow all around her, when the water she was floating in was so warm that it steamed.

Tilly had promised her natural hot springs close to her farm. She’d offered that Autumn could take one of the ponies and visit the hot springs. Autumn definitely planned on taking her up on that offer, even though she hadn’t sat on a horse since she was a girl visiting her grandfather’s farm every summer.

Still, even though the price for two hours in the Blue Lagoon had been quite steep, it was an experience she hadn’t wanted to miss.

The air smelled of the minerals that made the water so special, and it wasn’t so busy as to be overwhelming. Next to her, two young girls were splashing in the water, giggling loudly, while the obviously jet-lagged parents were floating wearily nearby.

With a happy sigh, Autumn turned in the water, swimming slowly towards the other shore of the lagoon.

Steam rose all around her, until it seemed like she was swimming into a wall of mist. For a moment, she couldn’t see the other shore anymore. Even the sound of the other guests behind her had fallen away.

There was nothing but her and the warm water, imbued with some special magic. It felt as if she was all alone in the world.

Land of fire and ice, she remembered suddenly. That was what they had called it on the plane. No wonder people believed that elves and trolls lived here. There was something primal and powerful to this place—as if the elements of the earth itself still ruled this land.

Then the steam parted, and before her, she saw an incredibly handsome man wade out of the water.

She couldn’t see his face, but what she could see of him made something inside her stomach coil with sudden need.

He had the muscles of a superhero—a broad back with wide shoulders, muscles bunching and shifting as he moved. There was an intricate tattoo on his back. It was hard to make out from the distance, but it looked like a symbolic mountain silhouette. His hair was dark and wet, slicked back, and rivulets of water were still running down his muscular back.

Her mouth dry, Autumn stared at his narrow waist and the firm, shifting muscles of his behind.

And then she blushed and firmly forced herself to turn back.

What is wrong with me? I can’t just stare at a stranger like that!

Even now, her heart was pounding. Something about him had overwhelmed her. It was like watching a mythical figure step out of a lake—a knight from a fairy tale. Or, given that she was in Iceland, perhaps a viking...

He’s probably a model that’s doing a photo shoot here. Or a movie star on a layover. Definitely not a viking, she told herself firmly.

Then, despite herself, she found herself looking back again, hoping for a glimpse of his face. If it was a famous actor, she’d be able to post on Facebook about it—for once in her life with a status update that was more exciting than talking about a movie she’d seen or a book she’d read.

Before her, another cloud of mist wavered. Everything was white. Then, almost reluctantly, the mist moved aside—and the shore before her was empty.

Autumn bit back a deep sigh of disappointment.

She should have known better. It had definitely not been a knight or a viking, and most likely no actor either.

He was probably a tourist like her—maybe a backpacker who was going to climb a glacier or cross a mountain on foot, something daring and adventurous that Autumn wouldn’t even dream of doing.

Most importantly, he didn’t even know that she existed. Guys like him always looked past her.

And even if he did, do you think that’s the sort of guy who’d want to settle down with you, have kids and snuggle on the couch? This is a super hot guy climbing glaciers in Iceland. He’s so out of your league!

Determined, she made herself swim back. Her time was almost up, and she didn’t want to miss the return of her bus. She’d check into her hotel, unpack, have dinner, and maybe go for a short walk through Reykjavik before she’d go to bed.

Tomorrow she had a busy day ahead of her. The Golden Circle tour was waiting with the most famous sights of Iceland. She was going to take hundreds of pictures—and a geyser selfie to share with her coworkers.

She couldn’t afford to miss her bus, not even for the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.

Maybe this is what all Icelandic farmers look like. In which case, there’ll be lots of guys like him waiting on Tilly’s farm.

But for some reason, right now, that was hard to believe.