“Hey.” Kenton grabs my chin and makes me look up at him. “Just in case, I know you don’t like me very much, but I promise to take care of you. Okay? I won’t let anything happen to you, Madeline. I swear it on my life.”
His words shouldn’t soothe me, but they do. Somehow knowing he’s here and he will keep me safe pushes the panic away again, and the fear recedes. I don’t know what I’d do if he wasn’t here.
“Stay by my side.”
He takes my hand in his large one, and warmth spreads through me. It’s the feeling I got when he had his hands all over me before. I shouldn’t be getting turned on right now, but my body is thinking otherwise.
I follow behind Kenton, gripping his palm, as he leads me from the edge of the water and away from the lagoon. There’s a line of trees just beyond the white sand, and I look into them, trying to see beyond the jungle of leaves. Gripping his hand tighter, I start to think of what could be lurking past that.
“I’ve got you, sweets.”
He looks back over his shoulder, winking at me, and the nickname does the job of annoying me, making me forget about what we’re doing.
We walk to the edge, and Kenton leads us in. He pushes big leaves and vines out of my way and holds them up for me as I pass through in places. It’s cool in the shade, but without the wind from the beach, it’s still a little hot and muggy. I have my hair piled on top of my head, but the strands that have escaped instantly stick to my neck and I feel a sheen of sweat break out all over.
I think we’ve gone about fifty yards in when I hear water again. Thinking that the island must be tiny and we’re reaching the other side, I’m shocked when we step through the jungle and see a waterfall. It’s like something out of a movie, and I stand there, holding Kenton’s hand in shock.
Crystal-blue water streams down off a rock ledge, creating a pool of water below. There are large smooth rocks around the edge, and the sun streams down onto them. The sand is white, and I can see to the bottom of the pond. It looks to be about waist deep, and I lick my lips in thirst.
“Think it’s fresh water?” I ask, wondering if we can drink it.
“Probably brackish. A little salt and a little fresh. But I brought plenty of water,” Kenton says, giving my hand a squeeze, so I look up at him. “I used to be a boy scout.”
I roll my eyes and try not to think about how good it feels to hold his hand. And how good his bare chest looks with the tan he got today. His olive skin is a deep brown already just from an afternoon in the sun.
There’s sweat trickling down his chest, and I watch a drop roll down and across his thick waist. Jesus, he could play football with how big he is. My eyes roam back up his body to find him smirking down at me. He’s caught me staring, and I look away so he can’t see my embarrassment.
“You look like you could stand to cool off, too. Let’s take a quick dip.”
He pulls me towards the edge of the water, and we slip off our shoes. I drop his hand and walk in, hating that I’m not holding his hand anymore but needing the small distance. I’m beginning to like him touching me far too much.
I’m surprised by how cool the water is, but it feels amazing after stomping around in the jungle. When I walk out and get to just above my waist, I feel Kenton coming up behind me. I sink down the rest of way, cooling off my hot body and trying to hide it as well. I don’t know why, but I’m suddenly shy, as if coming to this secret part of the island has made this much more intimate.
I watch as he dips off, and then he smiles at me. He looks like he’s about to say something, when I cry out.
“Ouch!” I shout, nearly leaping out of the water.
Kenton is beside me in a heartbeat pulling me into his arms. I climb up his body, fear pounding in my chest as I look down at the water and all around us.
“I think you just stepped on a shell,” Kenton says, looking at my foot.
He’s got me cradled in his arms, and I see just a tiny scrape on the side of my foot. I feel ridiculous looking at the red mark and feel dumb for overreacting. But then I realize that I’m in Kenton’s arms again, and I can’t bring myself to regret it. I like being here.
“Just a little nervous,” I say, looking at him through my lashes.
“You’re safe with me.”
He doesn’t release me. Instead he walks us to where the water is deeper and the waterfall comes down. We near the spray of the water, and the sound is loud but somehow soothing. I keep my arms around Kenton’s neck, and he adjusts my body. The water is deeper here, up to his chest, so I probably couldn’t touch the bottom. He moves my legs so they’re around his waist, and his hands go to my thighs to hold me up. My center is pressed against his stomach, and I can’t help but wonder what I would feel if I slipped a little lower.