Page 58 of Collide (The Rhapsody of Heartbeats #1)

Hypnotizing

I stand at the edge of the tarmac, my fingers gripping Alex’s hand as I stare up at the sleek private jet.

The weight of my decision presses against my chest, but when Alex turns to look at me—his eyes deep like the ocean glinting under the floodlights—a slow thrill coils through my veins. There’s no turning back now.

I’ve left nothing but a hastily scribbled note for Riley, telling her I’ll be away for a few days. She won’t worry.

He reaches for my hand, his warmth anchoring me as we board the jet.

The flight to Stockholm is smooth, the hum of the engines a low, steady backdrop.

Alex stretches out beside me, at ease in the plush leather seats.

He pours us both a glass of wine, and as I sip, I find myself watching him—how the golden light casts soft shadows across his sharp cheekbones, how the corner of his lips tilts up every time he catches me staring.

There’s something exhilarating about sneaking away, just the two of us.

We land in Stockholm under a sky streaked with soft pinks and oranges.

The air is crisp for early August, warm enough not to need heavy coats, but cool enough that I shiver when a breeze slips past. Alex notices, shrugs off his leather jacket, and drapes it over my shoulders before leading me toward our next stop.

The city buzzes with late-summer energy. We pick up everything we need—groceries, wine, warm sweaters, extra blankets. At one point, I get lost in the charm of a small bookstore, running my fingers along the spines of poetry books.

Alex finds me there, watching with that same unreadable expression he always wears when he thinks I’m not paying attention.

“You always get that look when you’re thinking,” he murmurs, stepping closer.

“What look?” I ask, arching a brow.

Alex traces a fingertip along my jawline, his touch gentle and slow. “Like you’re carrying too much weight on your shoulders.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, the intimacy of the moment catching me off guard. He never lets me hide—not from him, not from myself.

After packing up our car, we start the drive north, leaving the bustle of the city behind as the roads narrow, flanked by towering pines. F?rnebofj?rden National Park sprawls before us, the scent of damp earth and lake water filling the car as we pull up to his family’s cabin.

It is beautiful in its simplicity. A deep red wooden and stone structure nestled among the trees, its large windows reflecting the soft ripples of the lake beyond. A small wooden dock stretches out over the water, the sun casting golden light across the still surface.

Inside, the cabin is warm and rustic, the scent of aged wood and pine lingering in the air.

A stone fireplace dominates one side of the room.

In front of it, a huge fur rug spreads across the floor.

I run my fingers over the textured fabric, a small smile playing on my lips as I take it all in.

There really is no cell service out here, just the crackling of the fire, the distant rustle of trees outside, and Alex moving around the space with the ease of someone who fits into this life, his confidence so sexy and addictive.

He sets down the bags and turns to me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “We have a family tradition,” he starts, crossing his arms as he leans against the kitchen counter. “Every summer, first night at the cabin, we strip down to our underwear and dive straight into the lake.”

“You can’t be serious.”

His grin widens, slow and teasing. “Dead serious.”

I roll my eyes.

“Scared you can’t handle a little cold?”

I shake my head. “That water is probably freezing.”

“That’s the whole point,” he says, stepping closer. “It’s exhilarating. A cleanse. And, you know, maybe I can warm you up after.”

I narrow my eyes at him, crossing my arms. “Oh, I see. This is your sneaky way of getting me to strip down.”

He smirks, running his tongue over his bottom lip. “I mean, I won’t complain. But I also think you’re bluffing. I don’t see you actually doing it.”

I scoff, heat curling low in my stomach. His challenge is like fuel to a fire. “You think I won’t?”

He tilts his head, gaze raking over me. “I think you talk a big game.”

I shove him playfully, my pulse racing. “Fine.”

Alex arches a brow. “Fine?”

I kick off my shoes, pulling my sweater over my head. “You’re not the only one who can handle a little cold.”

His eyes darken with amusement—and something else—as he quickly follows suit.

Within seconds, we’re both standing on the dock in nothing but our underwear, and I have to take a second to appreciate the sheer perfection of him.

His abs look like they’re chiseled from marble, every muscle taut and defined, a masterpiece of strength and control.

My gaze traces the sharp cut of his V-line, disappearing beneath the waistband of his boxers, and my mouth goes dry.

The cool afternoon air prickling against my skin doesn’t compare to the heat pooling low in my belly as I force myself to look away before he catches me staring.

“Are you ready?” he asks, taking my hand.

I simply nod, taking a deep breath, my heart hammering.

Alex looks at me, his expression a mixture of challenge and admiration.

Then, without another word, we take off running and leap off the dock together, the icy shock of the lake stealing the breath from my lungs as I’m plunged beneath the surface.

The water hits my skin like a thousand pinpricks, jolting every sense in my body.

I have never felt so alive. It’s such a thrill!

We emerge from under the water, and Alex reaches out and pulls me into him.

Before I can think, before I can fully take a breath, my lips crash into his, carnal, hungry.

I’ve never needed a kiss as much as I need it right now.

We return to the cabin with the utmost haste, our underwear clinging to our damp skin, breathless laughter spilling between us as we burst inside. The lake’s icy shock still lingers in my veins, but the adrenaline, the exhilaration of it, burns hotter. I can’t stop smiling.

Alex shakes his head, water droplets flying from his hair as he grins. “You’re insane.”

“You challenged me,” I remind him, arching a brow. “And I don’t lose.”

His eyes darken, that slow, knowing smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

“I don’t think you have a single idea what you started.

” The flicker of heat in his voice sends a shiver straight through me—not from the cold, but from the way he’s looking at me now, like he’s seconds away from devouring me whole.

He watches me for a moment longer before exhaling sharply. “Go shower before you freeze.” His voice is rougher now, strained.

I should go. I should move. But there’s something intoxicating about the way he’s barely holding himself back, how he’s clenching his fists as if resisting the urge to reach for me.

I bite my lip, savoring that power for a second before turning on my heel, making my way to the bathroom.

By the time I step out of the shower, warmth has seeped back into my skin, but I can still feel the thrilling charge left behind from the lake, from Alex.

The mirror is fogged over, but my reflection is clear in my mind—the flush on my cheeks, the brightness in my eyes. I’ve never looked like this before.

Alive.

When I re-enter the main room, Alex is crouched by the fireplace, coaxing flames to life.

He’s changed into dry sweatpants, but his torso remains bare, muscles flexing as he moves.

The fire casts flickering gold across his skin, accentuating every defined ridge of his abs, the sharp lines of his arms.

For a moment, I can only stand there, watching him, my breath shallow. He turns his head, catching me mid-stare. I don’t look away. His gaze drags over me, over the oversized sweater hugging my frame, and my damp hair curling over my shoulders. Something shifts in his expression.

“Better?” he asks, voice rough, edged with something deeper.

I nod, my throat dry.

He stands slowly, stretching to his full height, and I swear the air thickens between us.

Neither of us speaks as I move toward the sofa, curling into the corner, my legs tucked beneath me.

Alex joins me, pulling a blanket over us, but the warmth of the fire is nothing compared to the heat of his body beside me.

The silence isn’t uncomfortable, it’s charged, vibrating with everything unspoken.

His fingers find my knee beneath the blanket, tracing soft, looping rhythms along my skin with a featherlight touch.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he murmurs.

I exhale, my lips curving slightly. “At this very minute, nothing. My mind is quiet, probably for the first time in my life.”

His hand stills, then slides higher, his palm warm against my thigh. “I like you like this.”

I tilt my head, meeting his gaze. “Like what?”

He shifts closer, his breath fanning across my lips. “Unfiltered. Unrestrained.” His hand drifts higher. “Carefree.”

My pulse hammers.

That’s what this is, isn’t it? That’s what he is. Alex is the first person to ever make me let go, make me stop thinking so much, and just feel.

From the moment we met and every moment since, we’ve been drawn to each other. Undeniably and inevitably.

Kismet. The word echoes in my mind.

I decide, it’s time to let go, give in to what I want, what I’ve long wanted, since the moment I met him.

I want the way his fingers burn against my skin. I want the weight of his body pressing me into the fur rug before the fire. I want his lips on mine, on my throat, lower. I want everything he’s silently offering, everything I’ve been too afraid to take until now.

So, I do.

I reach for him, my fingers threading through his damp hair, pulling him toward me. The moment our lips collide, it’s not soft or tentative. It’s a collision of heat, need, something raw and charged.