14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

C ourage

Our kiss the other night seems like a distant memory as the Mega Cavern looms before us, a gaping hole in the earth that promises adventure and excitement. As we step into the cool, damp air, Candy's eyes sparkle with anticipation, her hand finding mine in a gesture that sends a jolt of electricity through my veins.

I'm glad we had a relatively uneventful day yesterday, if you can call putting hundreds of miles on the van uneventful. The driving was tedious, although Candy knows a hundred ways to have fun in a moving vehicle—sadly none of them involved kissing. At least we didn't receive any pressure-filled calls from Eleanor Baker, or any threats from the network.

"Ready to take on the underworld, bodyguard?" Candy's grin is infectious, her enthusiasm palpable.

I squeeze her hand, my excitement building. "Lead the way, rock star."

We descend into the depths, the temperature dropping and humidity rising with each step. The cavern is vast, the ceiling soaring overhead, the walls glistening with moisture. It's like stepping into another world, a hidden realm beneath the surface.

"This is incredible," Candy breathes, her voice echoing off the stone. "I can't believe this was once a mine."

"And now it's an adventure park." I tug her closer, my arm slipping around her waist as though it belongs there. "Looks like we picked the right place to blow off some steam."

She leans into me, her body fitting perfectly against mine as she says one simple word. " Steam ."

How can she do that? With that one word, laced with sexual innuendo, she sent my heart rate skyrocketing and woke up my cock, which is now jerking against my zipper.

"Careful, Candy," I growl playfully. "Keep that up and you might summon a different kind of beast in this cave."

She arches an eyebrow, a wicked smile playing on her lips. "Oh? And here I thought I was with the big bad wolf already."

"Trust me, rock star," I murmur, my voice low and husky, "you haven't seen ‘bad' yet."

Candy's eyes darken with desire. "Is that a promise, wolven?"

I pull her closer, my breath hot against her ear and then clamp my teeth together and use all my self-control not to say what I'm thinking: More like a guarantee.

After a wordless conversation passes between us, I try to be the bigger person by pulling away and announcing, "We're burning daylight."

We make our way deeper into the cavern, following the signs to the zipline course. With each step, the anticipation builds, excitement careening through my body. By the time we reach the launch platform, we're both grinning like kids on a day off from school.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights," I tease, as we strap into our harnesses.

Candy scoffs, tossing her pink hair over her shoulder. "Please. I eat danger for breakfast. This is nothing."

"Impressive." I arch an eyebrow, my gaze raking over her lithe form. "But let's see if you can keep up with a Wolven Warrior."

"Oh, it's on." Her eyes flash with challenge, her lips curving into a smirk. "Prepare to eat my dust, wolven."

We step to the edge of the platform, the cavern yawning below us. My heart is pounding, the rush of the impending flight making my blood sing. I haven't been on An'Wa since I was young, but this calls to me, as though there's something in my blood that knows I was meant for adventure like this. Beside me, Candy bounces on her toes, her energy infectious.

"Ready?" the guide asks, his hand on the release lever.

We nod in unison, our gazes locking in a moment of pure exhilaration.

And then we're flying, soaring through the air at breakneck speed. The cavern walls blur past, the colored lights a kaleidoscope, the breeze whipping at our faces. Adrenaline surges through my veins, a primal roar of pure release tearing from my throat.

Candy's laughter rings out beside me, a sound of unadulterated joy. We race each other from platform to platform, trading quips and challenges, our competitive streaks on full display.

"Not bad for a bodyguard," she teases as we land on a particularly tricky platform, breathless and grinning.

"Not bad for a rock star," I counter, my hand finding the small of her back. "But I think we both know who the real daredevil is here."

She leans into my touch, her smile wide and her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Oh, do we now?"

The tension between us is charged, the air practically crackling with sparks. For a moment, I'm tempted to pull her close, to claim her lips with mine and damn the consequences.

But before I can act on the impulse, the guide ushers us to the next platform, the moment lost in the rush of the next flight.

We spend the next hour exploring the cavern, zipping from one end to the other, our laughter and shouts of exhilaration echoing off the walls. By the time we finally come to a stop, we're both flushed and giddy, high on adrenaline and each other's company.

"That was amazing," Candy gushes as we unclip our harnesses, her smile wide and unguarded. "I know you try to hide your fangs when we're in public, but that was a gigantic fail. You were having so much fun they were on full display. Your smile is handsome by the way. If we lived closer, I'd want to do this again… like tomorrow!"

Handsome? She just called me handsome. And in public, no less.

"If I know you, Candy…" Although my mind is still stuck on her compliment, I try to change the subject. "This Back-to-Basics Tour is going to be full of fun. We're just getting started, after all."

She leans into my touch, her nose almost pressed to my throat as her eyes flutter closed. Is she smelling me? I thought human's senses of smell were shit compared to ours. When she opens her eyes again, there's a heat in their depths that makes my chest tight.

"Courage…" She breathes my name like a prayer, her hand coming to rest over my heart.

But before she can say more, a group of tourists comes barreling onto the platform, their eager chatter shattering the spell. We spring apart, the reality of our situation crashing down around us.

As we make our way to the surface, I can't shake the feeling of missed opportunity, of words left unsaid. But I push it down, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. I'm here to protect Candy. My goal is now less about keeping her from self-destructing and more about keeping her safe from the threats lurking around every corner.

I can't afford to let my feelings interfere with that. No matter how much I might want to.

And yet, as we step out into the sunlight, Candy's hand finding mine once more, I can't help but wonder what might be, if we were free to explore our fiery connection.

But we're not. So instead, I tuck her into the passenger seat of the van, my touch lingering a moment too long. As we pull out onto the highway, the cavern receding in the rearview mirror, I steel myself for the long road ahead.

Because falling for Candy Wood? It's not just a risk.

It's a gamble with my heart. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to roll the dice.