THE WATER from the hot springs soothed my aching muscles, and I closed my eyes, relaxing in the secret pond tucked on the south side of the waterfall.

“This is nice,” Nikolai said as he let his head fall back. Steam rose off the water like a screen. It was a nice little deterrent against the passions swirling around inside of me.

“Do you remember the last time we were here?” he asked.

The memory crashed through me like a freight train, arousing all the feels. My stomach fluttered as I glanced at him. “No.”

“You do you know you’re a bad liar. right?”

I laughed with him as he...