Crash Into You (27 page)

             
“Likewise,” she said and disappeared into the kitchen with May.  A few minutes later, she heard the front door shut and Mark came into the kitchen.  

             
“How are you feeling?” she asked. 

             
Mark shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Actually… I take that back.  I feel pretty good.  I just bought a resort.”

             
“Well congratulations,” she said and hugged him.

“You still in the mood for kayaking?”

              “Sure.”

             
“Let’s get dressed.”

             
She scrounged in her room for paddling clothes that she’d bought at John Jenkins’ store.   When she walked into Mark’s room in her light blue Capri pants and long-sleeve white shirt, his eyes raked her body in a way that made her feel incredibly appreciated. 

             
“You know, I agree that this is a very positive development,” Aimee said and flopped on the bed.

             
“How’s that?”

             
“It is permission to live your dream, to go forward without any reservations.”

             
“I’m not sure it’s a dream,” he said with a little smile.  “But it certainly is what I wanted.   I just worry about Josh’s focus on money.”

             
No doubt Mark would worry about her obsession with money too, if he ever found out about it.   The guilt was heavy today.  She tried to push it away to focus on Mark.

             
“I’ll need to talk to some bankers,” he said.   “I’ll need loans.  And an architect, unless you want to design the resort.”

             
She laughed softly.  “I’d be happy to give you my opinions.”  She lifted her face to his and kissed his lips gently.  “I rather like the thought of you building some fabulous resort. But if you’re interested in my opinions, in the long-term, you should focus on your medical career.  As a doctor, you are a miracle worker.”

             
He didn’t answer but gently fingered a lock of hair out of her face.    “You’re the miracle worker.”

             
She laughed.  “You’re crazy.”

             
“No,” he shook his head.  His magnetic eyes were suddenly serious.    “I mean it.”

             
She stepped back, putting space between them.   The air whooshed from her lungs.    “Um… th…thanks.”  Before he could say anything more, she wiggled out of his arms and walked into the bathroom to brush her hair.   

That was close.   She felt like Mark was trying to tell her something about his feelings and she wasn’t in a place to hear it.   She knew the attraction between them-  she was in the nerve and heat and belly of it– she certainly didn’t need to hear it voiced.  And if Mark did need to voice it, she couldn’t bear to break his heart.  

              Mark appeared in the mirror behind her.   “I’ve packed up some dry clothes, socks and shoes.  The kayaks are in the truck and I’ve packed some snacks.”

             
“Sounds like you have it all worked out,” she said lightly, returning the brush to the drawer.

             
“I’m ready when you are.”

             
“Let’s go.”

“May looked so sad to be left home alone,” Aimee said as they were cruising toward the mountains, back to the Resort at Starlight Lake.

             
“She’ll be okay,” Mark said.  “I left out a lot of food and water for her.”

             
Aimee looked at his profile as he drove.   “So why did you adopt May if you didn’t know if you were staying in Spanner?”

             
He shrugged.  “Lochlan McKinsey, Dr. McKinsey’s son, was selling his bitch’s pups and… well, she chose me.”

             
He is kind.
   A big man unable to resist to cute puppy.  

             
“Now that you’ve bought the property from your brother, you’re really stuck here, aren’t you?”

             
“No.  I chose it.  I’ve been choosing it. And I’m enjoying life in Spanner.”

             
As they passed the inn, Aimee craned her neck, looking for her first glimpse of the lake.  When she saw the placid, crystal blue expanse rimmed  in tall conifers and the mountains bursting away behind it, she gasped.   “Oh my gosh.”

             
“Pretty isn’t it?”

             
“Gorgeous!  I love it.  Those cabins have seen better days though.”

             
“No kidding,” Mark grumbled.  He parked in the drive of the one by the boat launch.   

Mark carried the colorful kayaks to the edge of Starlight Lake, and placed Aimee’s on the water.   The water was only ankle deep, but it was icy cold, and he was glad she wore an anorak under her water vest.   He held the boat still while she climbed inside.     She was a petite woman and managed to slip in pretty easily.   He handed her the paddle.  “How does it feel?”

             
“Peachy keen.”

             
“Good.  We’re going to take it easy since you’re just learning.”

             
“No white water, nothing crazy,” she said with a smile.

             
“It’s a lake, not a river,” he said with a smile.   Mark set his own kayak on the water and paddled over to her.   “Paddling should be pretty instinctive,” he said.  “Just dip it left, then right.  Try it.”

             
She timidly began to row, and the kayak floated out a few feet.

             
“Excellent.”

He gave her instructions on turning, which she demonstrated quite ably,  and then they set off.   

Aimee sighed happily.   “This truly is a special place.”

It was, he agreed.   He was especially pleased that she saw the same beauty and potential in this wild property that he did.   She looked happy, her green eyes dazzled by the water and mountains and her hair was auburn in the direct sunlight, occasionally flying about in a breeze.  Lovely.   When she smiled, she made him want to smile.   She was naturally athletic – a testament, he supposed, to her yoga and pilates training.    There was something so natural about her.  Something free.    She wanted to live.  That was it – she just embraced life, whatever it was.

And she was free to go at any time.   Yet she didn’t.  Despite her talk about Portland, she was still here.    And he liked it that way.  It was nice spending his days with her.

The thought of life without her left him feeling empty.

He watched her stroke confidently over the calm, placid water, admiring her long hair and her face lifted a little bit to the breeze.

The only thing to do was enjoy her until she left.  

Three exhilarating hours later, Mark dragged both kayaks up on the embankment.   Aimee tromped up the overgrown path behind him to the beaten little cabin, where Mark secured the kayaks on the roof of the SUV.

              As soon as his hands were free, she lifted her arms to hug him.    “That was so much fun,” she whispered against his cheek.   “I love this place!”

             
“I’m glad,” he said.

             
She looked toward the cabin.  “Should we check for bears?”

             
Mark walked over to a window and peered inside.  It was a mess, and entirely possible bears had been there at one time, but it looked all clear.

             
“Come on,” he said, and walked around to the door.

             
It was dusty and musty and pretty sorry, but she signed and looked up at the loft and the tall, pitched roof.  “I love this.”  She wandered over to the kitchen, which was filthy, and smiled.  “This is going to be the It Place.  The only place to vacation in Montana.  A place to spend fun family vacations, or just intimate, romantic nights.”

             
“The resort is even better, in my opinion.”

             
“The resort is fabulous,” she said.

             
“Come on,” he said and took her hand.   “It’s getting dark.  I want to get you home.”

Aimee seemed truly happy.  Carefree, even.   He had been worried that she would ruminate about the possibility of pregnancy but it didn’t seem to be a big concern.  However, he thought it best not to slip up like that again.   And it was probably better to buy the condoms out here than in town, where everyone knew him.

             
“We should stop at the bait and convenience store up here,” Mark said.

             
“Mkay,” she said distractedly.  

She waited in the car while he went inside.      When he emerged, she peeked inside the brown paper bag.   “Condoms.  Why Mr. Spanner, it would appear you are planning on engaging in sexual intercourse,” she joked.

              “Oh, I’m planning.   In a big way.  Huge.”

             
She laughed and held his hand.

Mark was reaching for her as soon as they were in the house.   Pushing her up against the kitchen wall, he kissed her mouth and slid his hand into her stretchy pants.

A thick finger began to rub outside her panties, feeling the dampness there, the heat.  Teasing her mound, caressing her with his fingertips.

Aimee’s hands fumbled at the button of his pants.   He placed his hand over hers, then easily unclasped the button.   She made a satisfied growl in her throat, a sound that drove him to madness.   He loved everything about her.   Loved her passion, her tentative touches, even her dark spots.  They were the best part – the privacy, the hidden things that he longed to expose, to share.

Right now, her quiet desperation was driving him mad.  She was still hesitant to make demands, or even say what she wanted, but he was breaking her codes, learning what touches made her melt around him. 

He kneeled down and slid off her shoes and socks, then tugged down her athletic pants.   He looked up at her, still in her microfiber shirt, her breath hitching in her chest.   From this angle, the jut of her tits was just spectacular.  He pressed a kiss to her toned thigh, then slowly teased down her cotton underpants.    The trim curls of her muff hid the folds of her labia.   He pressed his face to her, inhaling the hot, female scent of her.   He softly fluttered his tongue along the wet seam, drawing a little stuttering breath from Aimee.    Sliding his tongue between the tender folds, Aimee gasped.   He felt almost out of control, artless, just trying to taste as much of her as he could.   He licked and sucked as she rocked her hips desperately against him.

He could feel her getting close.   Her thighs were trembling, her cries becoming dramatic and frenzied.  He licked her juicy, swollen clitoris with broad, firm strokes and slid two fingers inside the plushy, soft confines of her pussy.   She cried out, shaking and trembling over him, clutching the short strands of his hair.

She collapsed against the wall, dazed and dazzled.  Mark stood up, pulling her to the kitchen island.  He jerked down his pants, then grabbed the foil, opening it and rolling the condom over his cock.   Thank god for it.  It was the only thing keeping him honest.

“Turn over,” he rasped.

He felt her freeze.   Felt the heat and the playfulness mellow.

“I um… I don’t like that.”  She looked down at his cock.  Even just her stare made him twitch and throb. 

“Please baby.  I want you this way.   You’re so beautiful so…”

“I like to see your face,” she said. 

“Let me show you,” he replied, kissing her.  “Please.  Let me show you how it can be.”

She looked into his eyes, and he saw some weird fear there, but also trust.   “If I don’t like it…”

“I’ll stop.  The absolute last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you.    Just tell me to stop, and I’ll stop, then we can do whatever you want to do.  It’s all good.”

She smiled a little, then nodded.   She turned around and Mark twisted up her thick skeins of hair and pressed his face to her nape, inhaling her, wanting to convey his earnest intention to please her.   He pressed a smooch that sent a melting shiver down her back.  She sighed, and her tailbone arched a bit.    He didn’t want to waste this.  

He lifted off her shirt and freed her bouncing breasts from the cruel smooshing confines of her sportsbra.  He then pulled off his shirt so she could feel his chest against her back while he cupped her breasts, thumbing her peaked nipples.   

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.  

She pressed back against his cock with a little whimper.

Slowly he let her go, caressing her slender back with his big palms.  She leaned forward, catching herself with her hands, and parted her thighs.   Presenting her perfect ass, her gorgeous sex to him, with perfect trust.