Chasing Sunrise

“Let’s go back to my room. A hot shower will help.” Keith stood and offered her his hand. She slid her fingers into his waiting palm; heat from his skin contrasted with her cold touch. Fire and ice.

“Keith, I’m okay. Really. I want to stay and see the sunrise. Please.”

He hesitated, but she entwined her fingers with his and took a step back, tugging against his strength. “It’ll be beautiful. Please.”

He sighed, and she suppressed a smile of triumph. Pink hues mixed with orange highlights stretched across the horizon, turning the dark sea from pitch black to plum purple. They stood at the water’s edge, inches from where the water lapped the sand. She tried to control a tremble from the cold.

“You are cold.” Keith’s husky words weren’t a question, but a statement.

Two warm arms encircled her and drew her into his embrace. Warmth from his body soaked through the damp material separating them. She sighed and inclined her back against the solid muscle of his chest.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

They stood still in the silence, soaking in the beginning of a new day. He didn’t make an effort to speak, and she was happy to become lost in a fantasy she knew she shouldn’t have. He was engaged. Maybe not happily, but he was still off limits.

Fuchsia pinks, flaming reds, and blazing oranges seeped across the horizon. The dull grey sky welcomed morning and slowly faded away. The sun crowned the surface of the water, peeking out from its nighttime slumber.

“It’s beautiful.” Keith’s voice woke her from a trance, and she wanted to melt against him, aware of every inch of her skin that touched his.