Guardians: The Last Elder

Chapter 22: A kiss to remember

"Because everyone deserves a great love story."
~ Cassandra Clare (The Red Scrolls of Magic)

                                                                  ________________________

(A/N -  Just a heads-up: Things are going to be HOTTTTTT in this chapter! *winks*)

"Y-you knew?" I stuttered.

"No, I didn't actually. But when we met the Elfin King and he gifted you Miss Feathers, I didn't miss that he whispered happy birthday to you," he answered. "You should've told me, you know."

"I didn't think it was important," I said softly.

"Of course it's important. It's your birthday. Birthdays are special. And also, everyone deserves to get a gift on their birthday. So, are you going to take your gift or not? Because if you don't, I'd have to give it Vanessa, or dear god, help me, to Cuckoo boy-"

I quickly snatched the sapphire from him. He chuckled but I just stared at the gem, astounded with its beauty. "Thank you, Josh," I whispered, breathless.

"Maybe I should keep it for now," Josh suggested when he saw me trying to fit it delicately into my jeans pocket but failing, of course. I gladly handed it over to me, afraid such a beautiful thing would break in my clumsy hands. That would be a sin.

He pocketed it inside his leather jacket, safely tucking it in. I took that moment to swing a full circle and admire the enchanting feel of the place.

"Now, are you just going to stand there and gawk or will you come in the pool?" Josh asked. I saw that he was already zipping open his jacket and placing it on a rock. "Because I'm certainly going in."

I stared at him in shock as he pulled off his black shirt, exposing his defined abs to my oh-so-innocent-and-vulnerable eyes that were saucer-sized. He smirked at me and pulled off his pants as well! Thankfully, he was wearing boxers. But before I could stare some more, he quickly climbed over a rock that jutted out from the cavern's walls like a mountain goat, shot me a two-fingered salute accompanied by a sexy wink and jumped into the pool, spinning perfectly. Huh, show-off.

"Are you going to come in or not?" he demanded, surfacing back. But all I could do was stare slack-jawed, at the way the water droplets ran through the ridges of his muscles and the way he pulled back his hair from his blue eyes. Goddamn, I may not have allowed myself to think anything remotely sexual before, especially when it came to Josh Bradford, but now my thoughts were running rampant and I wasn't even trying to control them. Worse, I didn't want to control them. "If you're worried about the precious gems, don't be. It's fairly sandy here."

"It's, um, not that. I-I, uh, can't get my clothes wet," I said the first thing that came to me as an excuse to cover up my shameless ogling.

He rolled his eyes. "Aren't you wearing any underwear? Or have you been going commando?"

"What? No! I'm not getting in the pool in my underwear!"

He sighed. "Well then, why don't you just wear my shirt and come in?"

I considered that. "Fine," I relented. "Turn around then."

He did. I quickly pulled off my jeans and top off, still keeping a keen eye on Josh's back. I pulled on his black shirt that, fortunately, reached almost till my knees and said, "All right, I'm done."

He turned back around and for a second, I thought I caught the faintest pink colour his cheeks before he adjusted his expression to nonchalance. I skimmed the water with my toes and almost drew it back. "It's icy!"