A Familiar Star (Romance Mystery) (16 page)

“Good.
I don’t want you to be.” He curled his hand behind her neck and felt her breathing become more rapid. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers.

She slipped one hand deep into his hair at the nape of his neck and the other slid up under his t-shirt.
Softly their lips and breath mingled as they explored each other affectionately.

He wondered if she was feeling any pressure
, but as he moved back to look at her, she pulled him tight against her body, her lips parting, sensually wanting more.

At last, h
is hot lips came down on hers; he passionately parted them with his tongue, lingering inside, until her body began to wiggle underneath him. Her hands explored the muscles of his back, his arms and she marveled at never being kissed like this before, with such intensity. It made her pulse accelerate.

The slow penetration of her tongue began to drive him wild.
His hands held her face as he came down harder on her lips. She was so willing to love that he felt his heart and body ache with affection and lust. The kisses went lower still, he veered down her neck towards her breasts and she arched forward, moaning intensely.

Max raised his eyebrows and grinned.
“Are you sure you’re as innocent as you say?”

“Did I say that?”  Her breathing was hard as she lay under him.
She held on to him tight as he explored her cleavage.  “Make love to me Max.”

“What?”
He said coming back up.

“Make love to me,” she said breathing against his lips.

Max leaned back and stared at her then roared with laughter.

“What?”  She half whispered.

“Ah. No way! I’m not touching you,” he said then laughed some more.

“You can’t mean that!”
Kylie said shocked.

“Your dam right I mean it.  T
hat got me in a whole load of trouble last time. This time I’m going to court you for a good long time.”

“Oh really!”
She laughed.

Max pulled her back into his arms and chuckled.
“I’ll tell you what, there’s a time for everything but not tonight. Tonight is for getting to know each other, to slowly get to know each other. Sound good?”

“Yes, actually, that sounds good.”
Kylie relaxed and smiled. She had just learned something very important about Max Shepard. The man has patience.

The wilderness air was the best sleeping pill imaginable. By the time they woke up it was half past noon. Kylie opened her eyes first and felt Max spooning her body from behind. She snuggled in closer, enjoying the warmth and security he offered. It was nice knowing that for once Kylie hadn’t planned this. It happened all on its own. Max took charge and all Kylie had to do was go along for the ride. She didn’t contemplate about what to do next but simply enjoyed the freedom from resistance.  This was the most relaxed she’d been in a long time.

Best of all, they’
d spent the night talking and kissing and even though they’d zipped the sleeping bags together, and she was only wearing a t-shirt and undies, Max had stayed true to his word. The man certainly was blessed with a control that she did not have.

The passion between them last night had made her want.
The wanting grew, consuming her until she ached, but then he’d pull away just as she thought he would touch her more intimately. She wondered if he was merely exercising extreme control because he wanted to prove to her he wasn’t like Paul, or did he mean to drive her mad with lust. Once they were home she would see how strong that self-control was. A man willing to delay gratification was very rare, but he was still a man.

“Good morning.”
He kissed her ear and wrapped his arms around her.

“Good morning, how did you sleep?”

“I slept like I was the luckiest man alive.”

Kylie laughed then rolled over and jumped on top of him, feeling his hardened manhood under her.
“You are the luckiest man alive!”

“Oh, conceited one
, you’re asking for trouble up there!” He pulled her down and began to tickle and rustle with her until she finally gave up laughing.

“I’ll go make breakfast.”

“I’ll help you.”  She scooped her body down and slid to his side.

“What do you want?  I have cereal or cereal.”  He teased.

“Cereal will be fine.”  She laughed, snuggling in closer.

“You’re making it impossible to get up you know.”

“I’m having the same problem.”  She smiled.

Max rolled her onto her back, and his lips swept up and down her delicate skin.  If heaven were a place on earth this would be it, she thought.  Lying in this little tent with this gorgeous man was absolute perfection.

By mid afternoon the sky was growing increasingly dark and storm clouds rolled in, one after the other. In spite of that, Kylie and Max played in the stream like they had all the time in the world.

“What is that?”

“A salamander, we used to call them mud puppies when I was little.” Max held it out and Kylie examined it thoroughly then he put the creature back in the water.

“You make me feel like a kid again!”
Kylie splashed around the pool of water, her toes poking out above the surface.

“That’s a good thing,” he smiled, “but you don’t look like a kid to me.”
He jumped at her, grabbing her slippery wet body and sliding his hands up over her breasts.

“Next time we come here, no bathing suits allowed.”

“Oh really!” Kylie giggled hysterically and wrapped her legs around him. 

Why don’t we just take them off right now!”

“Are you sure you’re the same girl I live with?” His eyes were glowing but he tried to appear shocked.

“No…
I don’t know. You know, I feel different.”

“You don’t feel
any different to me.” He gathered her close and held her against him for another minute, until thunder rumbled threateningly not so far away.

“Time to go.”
Max looked up at the sky.

“No!
I don’t want to go back!” Kylie shrilled. “I’m staying here in the park, naked, for the rest of my life. I’ll be like the sasquatch only better!”

“Well you’d be a very sexy female sasquatch
, until you had to grow hair all over you to keep you warm.” He kissed her then got out of the water.

“Can’t you call in sick tonight?”
She blurted out.

“I can’t
, there’s already somebody missing. I’m sorry.”

Kylie frown
ed then sank deep into the cool, clear water, letting out her air. She hit the rocky bottom and lay there like a ship wreck until her lungs protested.

When they arrived back home it was raining cats and dogs.
Kylie ran into the house and shook herself off.

“I’m
kind of glad we’re home.” She placed her pack sack on the floor.

“I told you.” He said, preoccupied with the fact that he was leaving to go to work in a few hours and didn’t want to.

“Actually, sleeping in a wet tent with you would be better than not having you here at all.” She tried to cheer him up when she saw the sad look on his face. “But there will be tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that.”

He dropped
some of the camping gear on the counter and came over to see her. He wrapped her in his arms and saw the desire that was written all over her face.  He wanted to take her into his room and make mad, passionate love to her. But after everything he’d said, he needed her to trust him, so he kissed her deeply then let her go.

“Why don’t you go and stay with Lucy tonight.
I’ll take a few days off after that.”

“I’m going to go soak in the tub.”
She wasn’t going to commit to anything, but she’d think about it.

Max shook his head, he knew how
unbelievably stubborn she was.

“Alright, I’m going to take a shower.”
There was no point in arguing with her. “I’ll come and see you before I leave.”

Kylie went upstairs and unpacked some things.
Then she ran the tub and dialed her sister.  The phone rang only once before someone picked up.

“Where in the hell have you been!
We’ve been worried sick!”

It was not uncommon for Lucy to sound hysterical
, but this time it gave Kylie a knot in her stomach.

“I was camping.”

“Camping! With who?”

Kylie waited a moment then reminding herself
that she didn’t need to feel any guilt. “With Max.”

“Max?  Have you lost your mind!
Paul has been by several times looking for you, and all I had for him was some disjunctive message you left me about some business you needed to take care of.”

Kylie was
too impatient to talk about Paul. She felt like blurting out, that asshole can go to hell, but knew better. If Lucy had any knowledge of what had happened between them it would get extremely messy, and she didn’t want that. She tried to find the right words to deliver the news about her and Max but didn’t know quite how to put it, so she said it plain and simple.

“Lucy…I think I’m in love with Max.”

There was silence on the other end.  Then finally she spoke.  “You hate Max. What’s wrong with you?”

“Look Lucy I’m tired of being pushed.
Things didn’t work out between Paul and I and that’s it.”

“Did you give it a chance?
I don’t think so! You barely made it through two dates and your abandoning ship because Max flashed his pearly whites at you again and said let’s go camping Kylie?”

“Look why don’t you come over tonight.
Max is going to work and I’ll explain everything to you then.”  She tried to keep calm.

“All right but I think you should call Paul.
He’s been worried sick.”

Kylie got off the phone and walked to the window.
The lake looked bleak and desolate.  Max was right, the rain had stopped but a fine drizzle had taken its place. She shivered softly, the strange secret fear that gripped her now and then, crept across her skin. Maybe she could convince Lucy to spend the night. Even though, she wasn’t looking forward to the half-truth she would tell her, she’d rather lie and live with it then be alone tonight.”

Slipping into the bubbly warm bath tub
, she lay back and examined the length of the lake through the half fogged up window. The water, like the window, held a fine mist on its surface and a thin haze that rose up in certain places.  There was only one person standing on their dock some ways down. Kylie sat up, and focused her eyes, unblinking.  She squinting then counted the docks that led to Jeffery’s house.  It looked like it was either his place or Leslies. It was a good quarter mile and the light was fading but it appeared as if the person was holding binoculars and looking in her direction. Yes, they were definitely looking in her direction. Kylie splashed back into the tub sending the water up and over the sides.

“
Shit!” She crouched down, slid forward and pulled the drapes closed without getting out, then peered through the crack.

Whoever it was
, decided to leave. They were walking back up toward their house.

Creepy, just creepy, she thought.
Did he see her getting into the tub? Was it Jeffery, Leslie or someone else? She wished she was back at the camp ground with Max.

With a sigh
she sank deeper into the water, wondered about the connection between Paul and Leslie. There were pieces of conversation that didn’t add up. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on but sensed wasn’t right. Paul had a very personnel conversation with Leslie about Max yet they were almost an item before Max came along or…before she came along? Why exactly weren’t they together, anyway? Did Leslie dump Paul because of Max or was it something else? Anyway, the whole affair with Paul would soon be over and she wouldn’t have to think about it anymore. She would call him tonight. She owed him a brief explanation and that would be it.

Trying to relax
, she lazily closed her eyelids and her hands moved softly over her skin. Memories of Max swept over her like the mist on the lake. She could feel his tender kisses and hear his contagious laughter. Suddenly she wanted to get out of the tub and go see him but she heard the doorbell ring and stopped short.

“Now what.
”  She had a bad feeling.

It rang four times but she didn’t hear any voices.
Then there was a knock on the patio door. She slipped across the tub to the window and peeked through the curtain once more.

“Jesus,
it’s Paul.”

There was barely any light left but she could make out his silhouette as he backed off the porch onto the grass.
Then the voices came quick and loud. She fumbled for the crank and opened the window a crack to hear what they were saying. Max was using words like asshole. His anger was clearly audible. Kylie ducked down, took a deep breath and peered back out again. This time the two had calmed down and it looked like Paul was trying to explain himself.

She concentrated on what t
hey were saying but could only make out a word here and there.  That’s when Paul looked up at the window and Kylie vaulted back impulsively, causing the water to surge out of the tub for the second time.

“Look, I don’t know what you
’re playing at but Kylie and I had a good time the other night. She knows what happened and who’s responsible for it.”

“You must be kidding?  Y
ou had every intention of bringing her back to your house. What were you going to do if she hadn’t climbed out the window?”

Max wanted to beat the man to a pulp but held on to his reserve for Kylies sake.

“Just what are you implying? You think if you turn her against me she’ll go running into your arms but your wrong!”

“To
o late asshole! Now hit the road!”

Paul wasn’t going to let this man ruin his chance with Kylie.
“How are you going stop me from seeing her? Your nothing to her!”

“You don’t get it do you?
She doesn’t want anything to do with you!” Max turned to leave but saw the sharp corners of Paul’s angular face tighten and twist in the twilight. “Just leave her alone Paul, go home and don’t ever step foot on this property again.”

“Or what?”
  Paul coaxed.  “What is it you’re going to do?

Max glanced questioningly in Paul’s direction.
“What?”

“What are you going to do… murder me?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Max said mildly even though his instincts told him otherwise.

“You know what I’m talking about!”
Paul sneered, turned, then walked around the house and disappeared.

Max locked the patio doors and pushed the dining room chair out of his way.
He felt his pulse pounding in his head. He was enraged from the minute he saw Paul’s face at the door, and he couldn’t have held back even if he’d tried. His hatred for him was now tenfold. But despite that, he knew now that he’d gone about it in the wrong way. This was a cop, with connections. What Paul said was either an unconscious question or a malicious threat and he believed the later to be true.