I stare over at Hayden intuitively, who is wearing a red zipper sweater and a black pair of cargo pants, with large, deep pockets on the outside of either knee, secured at the bottom with the drawstring, and neatly tucked into his black heavy hiking boots.
“May I help you with something, Miss Kennedy?” he taunts, sensing my stare, concentrating on his Eggs Benedict and Canadian bacon.
I snigger, feeling a little embarrassed that I have been caught watching him.
“I love watching you eat.”
Still chewing, a fresh forkful of food is halted in mid-air as he meets my scrutiny. He smiles and shifts a fraction toward to me, allowing me to revel in the scent of his fresh, masculine cologne.
“That’s the reason why you do it then.”
“Do what?”
He grins, and looks at me indulgently, still not saying a word.
“What do I do, Hayden? Come on…you’re making me paranoid here,” I urge, but still nothing. He stares at me, the left corner of his mouth curling as though waiting for something to happen.
Clicking my tongue once in disapproval, I shake my head, and flash him an exaggerated, bogus scowl and resume eating my three cheese omelette.
Hayden places his elbow on the table, his chin propped up onto the heel of his hand. He studies me with exactness, and I swear I can hear him silently counting down like a space in his head.
Raising the fork to my mouth, I get halfway before the bite size piece of egg falls from my fork and splatters back onto the white china below.
“That,” he beams. I focus on him, eyes wide with embarrassment. “It’s okay, I find it sweet that you are so engrossed in watching me eat, you can’t concentrate on your own meal.”
My mouth falls open, and I feel the flaming heat of my growing blush under my skin.
“It’s our secret,” he smirks.
“Pointing out my lack of etiquette? You are no gentleman, Hayden Wentworth,” I giggle, before concentrating profusely on not dropping the remainder of my breakfast.
It’s crazy how exploring the outside can bring you closer to someone.
Hayden and I hired two mountain bikes from The Village bike stand, and cycle all the way to some Isle named after an emotion, I can’t fully remember. He laughed at my expense after a very wobbly start. Well, in all fairness, I haven’t ridden a bike in nearly ten years, so I don’t think I did, too badly, regardless of what he says.
“Come on, beautiful, we’re nearly there.” He boosts my moral, seeing how physically drained I am after what seems like a six or seven mile ride.
“Where are you taking me, Hayden?” I pant.
“I don’t want to ruin the element of surprise…”
“You have surprised me immensely the last two days, Hayden. I think you have driven me to become a firm non-lover of them from this point forward.”
We finally reach a raging river with rocks scattered through it. It reminds me of White Water Rafting, but doesn’t look anywhere near as deep. But then again…appearances can be deceiving. The water is thick, and the light mist rising from its surface gives a foam-like appearance.
“Are you feeling okay, beautiful?”
“I’m trying to absorb all of the views, but…they just seem so…surreal,” I yell over the gushing of the raging water as Hayden dismounts the black and silver mountain bike.
Really, how on earth can he make something that simple look so fucking sexy? I growl as the lust I have for this man manifests in my southern, clenching muscles and for a fleeting moment, I am thankful for the level of noise around us.
“We can leave the bikes here. We need to hike the rest of the way.”
There is no-way on this planet could I possibly make a proper hike. We’ve done a few miles on a bike and muscles I never knew I had already feel like Jell-O.
“It’s okay, it’s not that far,” he reassures, emphasizing his statement by shaking his head.
I dismount my cycle with caution. He takes possession of the handlebars and parks it next to his at the rack, before sauntering back to me.
He tenderly brushes my lips with his.
“If you are lying to me, Mr. Wentworth––”
“If you find it too strenuous, then I will just have to carry you.” He smiles and crosses his arms across his chest.
“You wouldn’t!”
He nods earnestly while unfolding his arms and cradling the side of my face. “It is a view that is so…inconceivable, paralyzing, stunning. I want to witness that beauty with you.” He binds his arms around my waist. The ground moves away from my feet as he lifts me up to meld our lips, his tongue soft, moist and warm as we coil, lock and knead at each other.
He places me back down gently and grins, his eyes glowing as he proffers his hand, and I accept it without an ounce of reluctance.
Looking down at my watch, I see it is 1:05 p.m. That means we have been walking for at least an hour. My legs ache and my back aches––actually, the aching and numbness I suffered as a result of being cramped up in the car for the four hour drive it took for us to get here, seems like luxury in comparison.
The funny thing about nature is, when you think you have seen the most beautiful and unique view…another one pops right out around the next corner. I remember on our first date, Hayden told me about his love for hiking and nature…now I understand why; it’s so free and naturally beautiful.
The sense of insignificance is overpowering as I chase the narrow, haphazard steps of the cliff with my eyes. It really puts into perspective how tiny we are when you are surrounded by cliffs and mountain faces which have been forming for millions of years.
I discern a loud gushing––it’s near deafening, and I can sense Hayden’s ever-growing excitement as he struggles to control his face-splitting grin. But his eyes and body language express the words that his mouth does not.
I glance from Hayden, to the steps and back again. My brow arches cynically as he answers my unspoken question with an approving, enthusiastic nod of his head. I roll my eyes and exhale noisily.
With Hayden’s hand locked in mine, we begin the ascent.
“Remind me never to take elevators for granted again,” I gasp as we continue our trek up the cliff. There are rocks and boulders scattered upon the lush green grass to the left of the steep mountain side. The steps are all cracked and chipped, betraying their age, and the upsurge of the torrential din is not doing anything for my bladder.
Hayden points around the corner to the right. “Look over there.”
“Hayden, all I see is another cliff.” I sound a little more vexed than I intend.
“We’ll go up a little farther; you should begin to see it then.”
And as promised, as we follow a few more steps around the curvature of the cliff, I can see the clear blue sky being met by white foam. Motivated by my inquisitiveness, I cautiously dart up the rock. The gushing is louder than I ever deemed possible.
I stand immobilized. My jaw drops open in awe as I witness the magnificent, gigantic waterfall before me. I have seen waterfalls on the Geographic channels, but I have never
actually
seen one personally. I am awash with emotions…no pun intended.
Hayden was right, it is paralyzing.
“It’s beautiful…”
“We are probably three-thousand feet above the valley floor, yet, we are only about half way from the top of this fall.”
“Does it have a name?” I ask, powerless to remove my focus away from the picturesque vista at my feet.
“Yes…Vernal Falls,” he answers, still gaping at the spectacle.
Sensing his scrutiny, I will myself to draw my gaze away and face him, but it is as though my head is in a vice, forcing me to watch the beauty of the misting residue emit from the fall.
“What are you thinking?”
I shake my head not knowing exactly what I am thinking…it’s more of a feeling. This has been here for thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of people have gazed upon its beauty within that time, and I feel a part of it…spiritually.
“I could quite happily stand here, and watch this for the rest of my life, Hayden. I am captivated by its beauty, its freedom…I…”
“How you feel watching this…how you want to freeze time and just witness it for an eternity…” placing his thumb and index finger of his left hand under my chin, Hayden coaxes my head around to face him. His eyes smouldering with an emotion, to which, I have become a target of since we pulled up in the parking lot yesterday afternoon. He rolls his tongue over his lips, his body pressed against mine. I breathe him in deeply, the combination of the fresh air and his sweat, tainted with the mild scent of Dior. I close my eyes briefly, savoring the smells and sounds around me.
I peek up as his right hand cradles the side of my face, his thumb tracing the seam of my mouth. Dropping forward, he rests his brow against mine.
“That is how I feel…every time I look at you.”
“Hayden…what are you doing to me?” A lone tear escapes passed the barrage I had no idea was set in place.
“I hope…I’m doing the same to you, as what you are doing to me,” he whispers. “Are you okay, beautiful?”
Sniffling back my tears, I mutter, “My legs are killing me actually. Do you mind if we sit for a while?” and I shift my weight from leg to leg.
“Sure.”
I lower my aching, throbbing body to the cracked rock of the steps when Hayden startles me. He points to a smallish boulder to the right of us.
“Be quiet…” he snaps. “Look over there.”
“I have seen numerous rocks on this journey, Hayden, they all look the same.”
“Not the rock…beside it.” I squint, and vaguely discern something black hopping its way across, to be met by another.
“What is that?”
“Ravens,” he whispers.
“Ravens…?” Whipping my head around, I glare at Hayden with palpable alarm. “Aren’t they a bad omen?”
He nods. “They can be.” Oh, great, just what we need, a bad omen at three-thousand feet alongside a waterfall. I look back at the two large birds, hopping around over the rocks and in the grass. “But they also mate for life.”
I crane my head around to a sweaty Hayden. His forearms perched up on his knees, as he steeples his fingers, his mouth curves into a sexy-half smile. The sweat-infused roots of his floppy hair allows his thick mane to stay pushed back when he runs his hand through it.
Touched by the level of feeling and sentiment behind his words, I smile timidly. God, he always knows the perfect things to say. It hasn’t been long, yet I feel as though I’m falling down the rabbit hole hard and fast with this man…with my feelings. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, but in seeing his face and hearing his voice…my fears are soon obliterated.
He squeezes my thigh, and glances down the cliff at more approaching tourists. “I’ve got an idea. Excuse me, sir,” Hayden’s voice echoes deeply as a couple makes their treacherous journey up to the falls. “Would you mind taking our picture?”
The man nods, and Hayden hands him his digital camera. He takes position sitting on the step behind me. His arms are draped protectively over my shoulders, my hands resting on his muscular forearms. I feel the familiar roughness of his stubble upon the left side of my face as he curls around me.
“Ready…? Say Vernal Falls…”
We arrive back at the Ahwahnee at 6:15 p.m. Muscles I never knew I had are burning and throbbing. I know I’m going to pay for this tomorrow. I screw my eyes closed and groan at the thought.
Hayden and I are mirror images, sitting on the sumptuous beige couch in front of the roaring fire with only our complimentary robes wrapped around us.
“I must say, Samantha…you really surprised me today. I never thought you would actually make that hike without me having to carry you at some point.” He sounds ecstatic, while his eyes reveal his pride.
I offer a half-smile back at him as I take a sip of the Dom Pérignon.
“That’s one down, one more to go.”
He cocks his head and regards me with a puzzled expression.
Arching my brow, the left side of my mouth curls, and I absentmindedly trace the rim of my champagne flute with the middle finger of my right hand.
“On our first date, you said that you enjoyed hiking and rock-climbing. Well, we have done the hike and you seemed totally into it…”
He grins as he shifts against the cushions and rests his right arm along the back of the couch. “You want to go rock-climbing?”
“Hayden, it’s what you enjoy doing,”––I shrug my shoulders and shake my head frivolously––“I wouldn’t mind giving it ago.”
His cheekbones rise, showcasing that perfect pearly-white, muscle clenching, blood-surging smile. “Okay. I’ll make the arrangements, shall we go next Saturday?” he takes a sip of his drink.
“Yeah, okay.”
“Are you sure about this now?”
“I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.” I lean in and offer a quick reassuring kiss.
Hayden kneels on the rug and feeds the fire. I stare at him intently, recalling everything that we have done this weekend––how special he has made it; the fun, the laughter, the openness…but most of all, what we have achieved as a couple. And the feelings to which, have been growing stronger and are slowly and painfully becoming harder to remain unspoken.
But the level of vulnerability which could come from it terrifies me.
If I broach the subject, I might as well be handing him the very weapon to take my life should he so desire. My body tingles, my stomach tumbles and knots and my chest and throat swell with the words I
should
want to utter––a perfect end to the perfect break.
Depositing my champagne flute on the floor at the corner of the couch, I slip myself off the seat and crawl up behind him, as he remains kneeling in silence, staring into the dancing flames. I let my hands rest upon his shoulders. The simplicity of my touch draws him from his daze. He turns to face me.
Too terrified to verbally express myself, I stare into the warm depths of his eyes, my right hand pressed softly against the side of his face. Flexing my fingers, I delight in the roughness beneath my fingertips and plead with every fibre of my being that he can read my intentions and the sentiments that lay heavily behind them.
I sweep my tongue across my lips and gently catch the tip of it between my teeth as I retract it unhurriedly. Hayden’s breathing is already spiking, his chest raising and falling rapidly. I want to lean in and kiss him, but the unvoiced conversation that we engaging in, the demeanors and penetrating stares…it’s heady and intense, arousing and so beautiful.