Suddenly, a huge decline sloped before them. Jade looked down and let out a little squeal.
Jesse laughed. “It’s okay. I’ve got a diggin’ vehicle.”
“Diggin’? You might be Jesse James after all.”
He eased down the crazy steep road, and the rough cement finish on it helped their tires grip. They hit some shallow puddles in the bottom; then they came up the equally steep other side of the ravine, and the tires spun a bit.
“These tires are pathetic,” he muttered.
Jade clutched the bar on the door until the Lexus gained traction and spit them out at the top of the cement. They pulled into a large dirt parking lot that was about half full, and the rain was drizzling more steadily now. A man gestured for them to park next to a small car.
Jade glanced around, selfishly wishing that the spot wasn’t so busy. She wanted to be alone with Jesse like they’d been in the small waterfall yesterday. Popping out of the door, she turned her face to the heavens and let the soft rain kiss her skin.
Jesse came around and put a hand on her lower back. “Ready?”
“For sure!”
He paid the parking attendant, and they grabbed their backpacks and headed to the trail. The rain increased as they hit the first set of stone steps. Jade’s foot slid, and she grasped the railing. Jesse was right there to wrap his arm around her, and Jade forgot all about the rain, the slick steps, and the anticipation of swimming in a waterfall. Her body felt a zip of awareness with his strong arm surrounding her waist, and she found her gaze drawn to those intriguing lips. It took all her self-restraint to not kiss him, or rip off his hat and sunglasses.
“You okay?” he murmured. Maybe she was nuts, but she thought his voice was husky and slightly breathless.
“Yeah.”
The rain suddenly became a deluge. Jade let out a gasp and put her hands above her head, wishing she was wearing her own hat. Jesse took her hand firmly with his own, and they carefully navigated the steps down through the deluge of rain. They made it down the first few flights of steps and came to a landing of sorts where numerous trees gave them some shelter. Walking to a wooden platform, they caught their first glimpse of the lower waterfall through the sheets of rain. Jesse took his backpack off and held it above her head.
“Thanks.” Jade glanced up at him. “Teach me to not wear my own hat and sunglasses.”
His lips curved in a smile. “They do come in handy.”
He looked really good, even though she couldn’t see his eyes. His shirt was drenched and his muscles bulged as he held the backpack over her. She edged in closer and was rewarded with his chest muscles brushing against her shoulder. Feeling protected by his backpack and his body close by, she gazed out over the waterfall. Some people were swimming, but others were getting out and scrambling for their clothes, hurrying to get out of the rain.
This waterfall was much taller than yesterday’s, probably over sixty feet, and it was certainly wider. Water cascaded down over gray rock, and the edges were framed with greenery. The pool below was a deep, inviting green, and Jade could hardly wait to swim in it.
The rain gradually slowed, and when it was a drizzle, Jesse lowered the backpack and strapped it back on. “You ready?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
The rain had scared a few people away, so there were only about a dozen milling around and a few swimming as they made their way down the slick stairs and finally to the waterfall. Jade’s clothes were already soaked, so she didn’t care much as she dropped her backpack and slipped out of her tank top, shorts, and Keens.
Jesse was grinning at her as he offered his hand. “The coolest thing about this one is you can also jump.” He pointed to a spot to the right, where some teenage boys were making their way along the rocks and then jumping about twenty feet into the water.
“Oh my goodness!” Jade cried out. She was terrified of heights, but she would never admit that. She’d fallen out of a forty-foot treehouse at ten and broken her arm. Since then, she froze when she was on top of anything too high, but she could handle twenty feet. She’d forced herself to do that a few times, and it wasn’t awful. “This is a dream come true, baby,” she lied.
Jesse chuckled and helped her over the uneven rocks until they both plunged into the cool water. They swam around for a little bit, getting close to the waterfall and enjoying the spray on their faces as the rain drizzled to next to nothing. “It’s running a lot higher than last time I was here,” Jesse said. “Maybe because of the rain.”
“Are you trying to wimp out of jumping?” she asked, actually hoping he would.
He grinned. “No, ma’am. You ready?”
Her gut tightened with apprehension, but Jade had never been one to back down from a challenge or destroy her image as a chill chick. “Let’s do this!”
They swam to the rocks, and Jade scrambled up out of the water. It was slick, but she could do it without any assistance.
Jesse climbed up next to her. “Do you want to follow me?”
“Yes, please.”
She matched his steps as he climbed higher and then shimmied along the rocks to the right side of the falls. It was slippery, and her stomach clenched a few times as she almost lost her footing. She probably would’ve just ended up in the pool, but there were some jagged rocks she might’ve hit. What was shedoing? Dang her pride.