Chapter 3: Beneath the Cascade

The lake stretched before them like a mirror made of liquid sapphire, so perfectly still it seemed to hold the sky captive in its depths. Granite cliffs rose on three sides, creating a natural amphitheater that made even their whispered words echo softly across the water. But it was the waterfall that stole Evelyn's breath—a ribbon of silver cascading fifty feet down the far wall, sending up clouds of mist that caught the afternoon sun and transformed it into dancing rainbows.

"My God," she breathed, dropping her pack at the water's edge. "It's like something out of a fairy tale."

Dan moved beside her, his camera already in his hands, but for once he seemed more interested in watching her reaction than capturing the perfect shot. "Worth the climb?"

"Worth everything." The words slipped out before she could think about their double meaning, and when she caught the heat that flared in his eyes, she felt her cheeks burn.

They stood there for a moment, the only sounds the distant thunder of falling water and their own breathing, still slightly labored from the final push up the mountain. The air was thin at this altitude, but it felt electric, charged with possibility and the kind of wild freedom that only came from being completely alone in the wilderness.

"We should..." Dan started, then stopped, his gaze dropping to where her hiking shirt clung to her curves, damp with perspiration from the climb.

"Should what?" Her voice came out huskier than intended.

"Document this. For Rachel." But he was already setting his camera aside, and the way he said his sister's name sounded almost like an afterthought.

Evelyn nodded, though she was thinking less about their absent friend and more about the way Dan's t-shirt outlined the solid muscle of his chest, how the afternoon light caught the gold in his hair and made his blue eyes look almost luminous.

"It's so hot," she said, and wasn't entirely talking about the temperature. The sun was indeed warm on their exposed skin, but that wasn't what was making her feel like she might combust at any moment.

"The water looks incredible," Dan said, his voice rougher than usual. "Crystal clear. Probably freezing, but..."

"But perfect for cooling off." She caught his meaning, felt her pulse skip at the implication.

They stared at each other across three feet of space that might as well have been three inches for all the electricity crackling between them. This was it—the moment where they either stepped back from the precipice or dove headfirst into something that would change everything.

"I didn't bring a swimsuit," Evelyn said softly.

Dan's eyes darkened. "Neither did I."

The admission hung between them like a dare. Behind them, the waterfall roared its encouragement, and the isolated lake seemed to whisper promises of secrecy, of things that happened in wild places and stayed there.

"We're completely alone up here," Dan said, echoing her thoughts.

"Completely."

"No one would know."

"No one," she agreed, though her heart was hammering so hard she was sure he could hear it over the cascade.

Dan took a step toward her, then another, until she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. This close, she could see the way his pupils had dilated, could feel the heat radiating from his body despite the mountain air.

"Evelyn." Her name on his lips sounded like a prayer and a question all at once.

"Yes," she whispered, answering both.

When he kissed her this time, there was nothing tentative about it. His hands slid into her hair, tilting her face up to his as his mouth claimed hers with a hunger that made her knees weak. She responded with equal fervor, two years of suppressed desire finally breaking free like a dam bursting after a long winter.

His hands moved to the hem of her hiking shirt, fingertips grazing the strip of skin above her shorts, and she gasped against his mouth at the contact. Every nerve ending felt hypersensitive, every touch electric.

"Are you sure?" he asked, pulling back just enough to search her eyes.

Instead of answering with words, she reached for the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head in one fluid motion. The afternoon air kissed her bare skin, and Dan's sharp intake of breath was like a physical caress.

"Beautiful," he murmured, his gaze traveling over the curves of her body with an appreciation that made her feel powerful and desired in a way she'd never experienced. "So damn beautiful."

Her practical sports bra and hiking shorts weren't exactly seductive lingerie, but the way Dan was looking at her made her feel like the most desirable woman alive. When his hands skimmed up her sides, thumbs brushing the underside of her breasts through the stretchy fabric, she arched into his touch with a soft moan.

"Your turn," she said, tugging at his shirt.

He obliged, pulling it off and tossing it aside without ceremony. The sight of his bare chest—broad shoulders tapering to a lean waist, muscle defined by years of outdoor activity—made her mouth go dry with want.

She'd imagined this moment more times than she cared to admit, usually in the guilty privacy of her own bed when thoughts of Rachel's forbidden brother invaded her dreams. But reality was so much better than fantasy. He was real and warm and solid under her exploring hands, his skin slightly salty from the hike.

"The water," she said, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own racing pulse.

"The water," he agreed, but neither of them moved toward the lake. Instead, Dan's hands found the clasp of her sports bra, his fingers working with surprising dexterity for someone whose hands were trembling slightly.

When the garment fell away, the cool mountain air on her bare breasts made her nipples tighten instantly. Dan's low groan of appreciation sent heat pooling between her thighs.

"Perfect," he said, cupping her gently, thumbs brushing over the sensitive peaks until she was breathing in short, sharp gasps.

The rest of their clothes disappeared in a tangle of eager hands and whispered endearments. When they were both finally naked, they stood for a moment drinking each other in—two people who had denied themselves this pleasure for far too long.

Dan was magnificent in the dappled sunlight, every line of his body speaking of strength and vitality. The small scar above his eyebrow had its twin on his shoulder, a thin white line that looked like it might have come from a climbing accident. She traced it with her fingertip, fascinated by this glimpse of his history.

"Rock climbing accident when I was twenty," he said, watching her exploration with eyes that had gone almost navy with desire. "Stupid mistake. I was showing off for some girl."

"Did it work?" she asked, surprised by the flash of jealousy that accompanied the question.

"She was impressed by the scar afterward," he admitted with a wry smile. "But I don't think that's quite what I was going for."

"I think it's sexy," Evelyn said, then blushed at her own boldness.

"Do you?" His hands slid down to her hips, pulling her flush against him. The contact of skin against skin was almost overwhelming—his chest hair rough against her breasts, the hard length of him pressing against her belly, the solid warmth of his thighs bracketing hers.

"Yes," she breathed, going up on her toes to kiss him again.

This time when they broke apart, Dan scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. She laughed, startled and delighted by the romantic gesture, her arms winding around his neck as he carried her toward the water's edge.

"The water's going to be freezing," she warned, though she made no move to stop him.

"Then we'll have to find ways to keep each other warm," he said, his voice full of wicked promise.

He stepped into the lake slowly, giving them both time to adjust to the shocking cold. The water was indeed icy, fed by snowmelt from the peaks above, but somehow that only made the heat between them burn brighter by contrast.

When the water reached mid-thigh, Dan stopped and lowered her gently until her feet touched the smooth stones of the lake bottom. The cold made her gasp, but his mouth was on hers again, warm and demanding, and suddenly the temperature was the last thing on her mind.

They made their way deeper, kissing and touching as the water rose around them. By the time it reached their waists, Evelyn's body had adjusted to the cold, every nerve focused instead on the way Dan's hands roamed her curves, the way his mouth trailed fire down her throat to the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder.

The mist from the waterfall drifted across them like a blessing, and she realized they'd worked their way toward the cascade without conscious thought. Here, with the thundering wall of water creating a curtain of privacy, they were in their own world—a secret place where the normal rules didn't apply.

Dan's hands slid lower, and when his fingers found the heat between her thighs, she cried out with pleasure that was swallowed by the roar of falling water. He worked her with skilled patience, building her arousal until she was clinging to his shoulders, her body trembling with need.

"Please," she gasped against his ear, and he needed no further encouragement.

When he lifted her again, her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, and she felt the hard length of him pressing against her entrance. The position was perfect, intimate, allowing her to look into his eyes as he slowly joined them together.

The sensation was exquisite—the stretch and fullness of him inside her, the warm water lapping at their joined bodies, the mist from the waterfall creating a veil of privacy around their passion. Dan held still for a moment, both of them adjusting to the perfect fit, and then he began to move.

Their rhythm was slow at first, almost languid, as if they had all the time in the world. But the desire that had been building between them for two years wouldn't be denied, and soon they were moving together with increasing urgency, lost in sensation and need.

Evelyn had never felt anything like this—the combination of the wild setting, the forbidden nature of their coupling, and the sheer physical perfection of their joining created a storm of pleasure that threatened to consume her entirely. Every thrust brought her closer to the edge, every kiss and caress adding fuel to the fire burning inside her.

When her climax finally claimed her, she cried out Dan's name, her voice echoing off the granite walls as her body convulsed around him. The sight and sound of her pleasure pushed him over his own edge, and he buried his face in her neck as he found his release, his body shuddering with the force of it.

They clung to each other afterward, both breathing hard, letting the waterfall wash away the evidence of their passion while they slowly came back to themselves. The late afternoon sun slanted across the water, turning everything golden, and for a perfect moment, there was nothing in the world but the two of them and this hidden paradise.

"That was..." Evelyn started, then trailed off, unable to find words for what they'd just shared.

"Incredible," Dan finished for her, his arms tightening around her waist. "Perfect."

But even as he said it, she could see reality beginning to creep back into his eyes. They'd crossed a line they could never uncross, and now they'd have to live with the consequences.

For now, though, surrounded by mist and wild beauty, she chose to focus on the wonder of what they'd discovered together. There would be time enough for regrets and complications later.

For now, there was only this—the taste of him on her lips, the feeling of completeness in his arms, and the secret knowledge that she'd finally found the passion she'd been searching for her entire life.

Even if she could never keep it.