Caught in the Rain

During the tour, I had put in a lot of little vignettes intended to show Ethan and Allison in a variety of situations. I thought it was a nice way to let the characters and their relationship grow.

Unfortunately, it felt like some of them got a little redundant, and with the final word count ending up much higher than I expected, I went back and tried to trim out any scene that didn’t specifically do something unique for the book. Unfortunately, this one didn’t make the cut.

This was a tough scene to cut, as I really liked Ethan’s ability to use his books for romantic means. And I was a sucker for every time I got to slip in some more of Ethan’s “writing,” even in short bursts like this.

Allison grabbed Ethan’s hand and pulled him under an awning to get out of the pouring rain, “Stop here for a second!”

Ethan let her lead him under the awning, though immediately noticed there really wasn’t enough space for the two of them under there.  Allison said, “I have a poncho and an umbrella in the bag, just hold it for me a second, and I can get them. I was ready for this. The Weather app said this was going to happen, but you insisted we could get back to the hotel in time.” Her tone was more teasing than chastising.

Ethan said, “I really don’t mind the rain, it’s been so hot this week. This kind of feels great.”

Allison gestured for Ethan to hold the bag up so she could reach into it. She realized that his unruly hair was already soaked, curling wildly into his eyes.

Ethan brushed a drop of water that was running down the side of her face, “Hang on a second, Hart.”

"I am not getting pneumonia because you want to play a tragic hero in a wool sweater, Crump."

"Do me a small favor?”

Realizing she wasn’t going to be able to get into the bag until he was finished, she gave a soft sigh and said, “What’s that?”

 "Close your eyes."

Allison scowled at him, her gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "Why?"

"Because you spend twenty-four hours a day trying to outplan the world. Just let it happen for ten seconds. Close your eyes and listen."

She let out a sharp, annoyed breath, but she closed them. Her posture remained rigid, her chest heaving slightly under her jacket.

Ethan leaned in closer, his voice dropping into that low, resonant cadence he usually reserved for dictating his rough drafts. “The sky didn't just break; it surrendered,” he murmured, his breath warm against her wet cheek. “The downpour washed away the borders of the glen, turning the dirt to ancient rivers. Isobel stood at the edge of the cliff, the heavy mist clinging to her skin like a second shroud, masking the heat rising from her chest as Ewan stepped into her space...”

Allison’s breath hitched. She could feel the damp chill of the storm, but where Ethan was standing, entirely too close, his broad chest nearly brushing her shoulders, it was pure, radiating heat.

"Ethan," she whispered, her eyes still closed, her voice losing its tactical edge. Her mind took her in a dozen different directions on what she should say next, but she found it impossible to focus on any one of them. 

He chuckled, a low vibration she could feel in her own ribs. He leaned down, his lips hovering just a fraction of an inch above hers, looking at the tiny droplets of water clinging to her eyelashes.

"See. Condensation can be damn sexy in the right hands. Now get out that umbrella, Hart, we still have two blocks to go!”