Kate Hoffmann - The Drifter

“I’ll keep you warm.” He pulled the sleeping bag down over her shoulder, then exposed a tiny bit of skin. His lips and tongue were warm and she felt a rush of desire course through her body. He took her hand and drew her to her feet, then spread the sleeping bag out on a spot near the fire.

Slowly, Charlie undressed her. Her skin prickled with goose bumps, but she didn’t feel the cold. Instead, the cold seemed to heighten the sensation of his touch and she found herself craving the warmth of his hands as she never had before.

When she was naked, Charlie stripped out of his own clothes, then pulled her down onto the sleeping bag. This all felt so strange, Eve thought. She felt all the baggage of her past just disappear in the dark. This was simple and primal, lust and longing in its most basic form.

She pressed him back against the ground, then straddled his hips. His erection, already fully aroused, rested against the damp spot between her legs. She moved against him, tipped her head back and closed her eyes.

He found her breasts, her nipples hard from the cold, and he teased until she ached with desire. Eve wanted him inside her without anything between them. After her divorce, she continued to take her birth control pills, thinking that any day, she’d need them again. That day had finally come.

She reached down and guided him into the depths of her warmth. At first, he seemed to resist, but then Charlie accepted her silent invitation. Slowly, she came down on top of him, until there was nowhere left to move.

Eve sighed, a smile curling the corners of her mouth. Had this ever felt so good? So perfect? She couldn’t imagine anyone else in the world affecting her the way Charlie did. When he moved inside her, she was completely free to feel, to experience every shade and hue of her desire.

The light from the fire cast his profile in soft relief and she watched the interplay of pleasure and anticipation on his features. His eyes were closed, his jaw set, as if he was trying to delay the inevitable.

Eve knew there wasn’t much in this relationship that she could control. He would come and go as he pleased. But she could make him wait, make him beg for his release. She slowed her pace, rising up on her knees until he was nearly free of her warmth before plunging back down again.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, surprised by what she was doing. Eve smiled, then bent down and kissed him. Charlie was right. There was a something beautiful about making love outdoors. She felt completely exposed, her emotions laid bare for him to see.

If she didn’t love him now, Eve knew it was only a matter of time. How could she resist a man who made her believe in the possibilities of a future? She wasn’t sure she could save herself from another round of heartache and disappointment. But there were moments, like this one, when all the heartache would be worth it.

When he moved to touch her at the spot where they were joined, Eve grabbed his hands and pinned them on either side of his head. She was going to control this one small thing. She was going to make him want her as much as she wanted him.

And in the end, he gave in to the pleasure she offered. But to Eve’s surprise, the seduction was more than she could handle. His soft whispers sent her over the edge and she collapsed against his chest in a string of delicious spasms.

He wrapped them both in the sleeping bag, drawing her tight against his warm body. Eve sighed softly, snuggling into the curve of his arm. “You were right,” she whispered.

“About what?”

“I need to get outside more and get some exercise,” she said. “I feel so much better already.”

Charlie chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “This isn’t exactly what I was thinking about. And it’s not something you can do in Boulder.”

“It might be kind of fun,” she said. “Sneaking around looking for places we can be alone.”

He drew back and looked into her eyes. “Really? ’Cause I know a few spots.”

She reached down and smoothed her hand over his belly. “We wouldn’t have to stay in town. I think I should take a bit more time for myself. I work hard. I deserve a break every now and then.” She smiled. “So where should we go next?”

“You know where I’d love to take you? India. No, Turkey. And then Nepal. And China.”

“I was thinking about Estes Park,” Eve said. “But I’ve always wanted to see the Great Wall. And there’s a lot of vegetarian cooking in China. I do a lot of Asian-influenced cooking. I’d love to go to Thailand.”

“We’ll go there first,” Charlie said. “You’ll love it.”

“Hmm,” she said. It was a nice diversion to dream about such things. But Eve knew that the chances of them traveling to Thailand were slim at best. She had a restaurant to run, he had his work.

“I’m not just blowing smoke here,” Charlie said. “I’m serious. I think we should travel.”

“I thought we discussed this,” Eve said. “It really isn’t good to make promises we can’t keep.”

“I’m not making a promise. We get along well and I’m tired of traveling alone. I think you’d make a good companion.”

“I’d want to spend all my time in restaurants,” she said.

“I have to eat. And I’d want to spend my time seeing the countryside.”

“I need exercise,” she countered.

“See? We’d make the perfect pair.”

Eve closed her eyes and curled more deeply into his embrace. They did make a good pair. But as nice as that felt now, Eve knew this infatuation would fade over time. Sooner or later, they’d have to deal with the realities of their relationship. The impossibilities would overwhelm the potential.

She sighed, her breath clouding in the chilly air. There was no predicting when the end would come or how it would happen. But Eve already knew how she’d feel. He’d always be the one that got away, the one she could have loved.

“I JUST NEED A LITTLE ADVICE,” Charlie said. “I thought I’d start with the appliances.”

They stood in the kitchen of the Garden Gate, Charlie sitting on the edge of the prep table and Eve moving easily around the kitchen.

After their night in the wild, Charlie had noticed a subtle change in Eve. She was a bit more distant, more introverted. The sex was still incredible, but he felt as though she were pulling away.

He could guess what she was worried about. The more time they spent together, the more it became apparent that he and Eve belonged together. But convincing her to see the possibilities would be difficult. He had a lousy track record with women. And it wasn’t something he was proud of. But a guy could change…if he really wanted to.

“That’s not how you design a new kitchen,” Eve said. “First you figure out the layout and outline the work areas. Then you pick out cabinetry and countertops and flooring. And then, you decide on the appliances.”

Charlie flipped through the catalog. “This is why I need help.” In truth, it was important that Eve like his kitchen. He was renovating it for her. If things continued to go well between them, then she’d be spending all her time at his place. He wanted her to feel at home there.

“Maybe if you told me what you want out of your kitchen, I could give you better advice. Do you plan to do a lot of gourmet cooking or are you more of a thirty-minute meal kind of guy? Are you looking for something that looks fancy or do you want functional?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Yes to what?”

“All of it. I want to make it something a professional, like yourself, would enjoy working in. Why don’t you come home with me and we can discuss all of these points in greater detail?”

She regarded him suspiciously. “I know what you’re doing,” she said, waving a wire whisk at him. “This isn’t about your kitchen. This is about your…” She pointed to his crotch. “Utensil. I have work to do. I’m doing a cooking segment on a morning news show next week and I have to be ready.”