Complicated Matters (26 page)

   He kissed her neck. Her sweet perfume made his mouth water. He felt like he was going to explode if he couldn’t make love to her. “Do you want to see the inside of the cabin?” 

   “I-I don’t--

   He released her and took a few steps back. If she didn’t share his feelings, he wasn’t going to push the issue. The elections couldn’t happen fast enough for him. If asked, he’d lie and say they were just friends. But he couldn’t see her every day, wanting her, knowing there was no chance of that happening. “It’s okay, Farrah.”

   “Is it really?”

   “Of course it is,” he lied. Nothing was okay.

   “I don’t believe you.  Most guys don’t take no for an answer that easily.”

   “I’m not most guys. But I am human.” He pointed to an opening in the bushes. “This trail leads to a little swimming hole. I’m going down there to cool off. Join me, if you want.”

   “And if I don’t?” 

   “No hard feelings. I’ll take you home when you’re ready.” 

   Chapter 30

   Farrah wandered down the trail. Like he said, he was human. So was she. Her body reacted every time he came near her. How many belly aches had she nursed because she wanted him inside her? They cared about each other. Were these feelings wrong? Heath said they’d make it work. She believed him. “Time to grow up, Farrah.” 

   “Join me.” Taylor called from the center of the hole. “The water’s just right.”

   She stood on a huge flat limestone rock that formed the edge of the swimming hole. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.” 

   “That’s okay.” He dove under water and came back up near the lime rock ledge. “Neither did I.” 

   Farrah stared at his clothes dangling from a low hanging tree limb. “What are you swimming in?”

   A devilish grin crossed his handsome face. “The water.” He propped his elbows on the ledge. “Are you coming?” 

   She could feel him staring as her fingers fumbled the buttons of her blouse. She felt like a stripper. “Don’t watch.”

   He got out of the water. “I can help, if you’d like.”   

   Her heart skipped a beat as she watched him climb onto the rock wearing only his boxer briefs. “For a minute I thought you were swimming naked.”

   “I will, if you will.” He fondled her buttons. “I promise, you’ll have fun.”

   Of that, there was no doubt. If she could just get past the first-time jitters. It’s just swimming, she reminded herself.

   “I’ll wait for you in the water.” Water splashed on the lime rock as he dove back in. 

   Once she was sure he was no longer watching her, she stepped out of her shoes and removed her blouse and jeans.

  
Oh, God.
She looked down at her body.
I can’t do this. He’ll think I’m too skinny. My boobs are too small.

   “What’s wrong?” He threw some water at her. “Don’t you know how to swim?”

   She backed up, but not before a few droplets of water hit her toes. “Of course I do.”

   “Then show me.” He disappeared under the water.

   Dusk was starting to settle in, but there enough light in which to see. She scanned the water, but couldn’t find Heath.

   “Farrah, help me,” he called from the far side of the waterhole.

   He sounded distressed. Had he caught a cramp from the cold water? She dove in and started swimming toward the direction of his voice. When she came up for air, he wasn’t around. “Heath, where are you?”

   “Help me!”

   Now he sounded like he was closer to where she had dove in.  “Heath,” she called again.

   “Tag, you’re it.” He touched her back. “You are so definitely it.” 

   She slapped him on the arm. “You scared the hell out of me.”

   “So? Spank me.” He swam away from her. “That is, if you can catch me.”

   She chased after him, but every time she got close, he’d dive back under the water. She was just about to give up when something touched her legs.  “What the f--?”

   His head bobbed just above the water’s surface. “Language, Miss Mathews. Shit.”

   “Now who needs to watch their language?”

   He went back under the water and came back up coughing and gagging. “My legs are cramping up.”

   She wrapped her right arm around his chest making sure his face was pointing up. “I’ll get you back to shore.” It was hard, but both of them made it back.

   “Damn, that hurts.” Taylor dragged himself out of the water.

   Farrah climbed out after him. “Where does it hurt?”

   “My thigh.”

   “Hold still.” She massaged his thigh, but couldn’t find any knots. “I can’t feel it.”

   He ran his hand along her hip. “I can.”

   Her skin sizzled under his touch. “Jerk.” She pulled a few hairs out of his leg.

   “Ouch.” He rubbed his leg. “Why did you work so hard getting me to want you, only to back away now that I’m allowed to want you?”

   She turned her back on him and hugged herself. “You’re not going to feel the same when you know the truth.”

   He pulled her hair to one side and kissed her shoulder. “Unless you’re about to tell me you’re a man, I doubt it.” 

   She trembled under his hands and lips. “I feel so stupid.”

   “I promise to understand.”

   “Do you remember when you had that night terror?” She realized he probably had them often. “The night you thought I was Lianna?”

   He kissed her again. “How could I forget?” 

   “I was terrified.”

   “I’m sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

   “Not of you.” She swallowed, only feeling a dry throat. “Of the way you made me feel. You triggered something. I don’t know what it is. I keep telling myself you did all that for her. I was just a body in the room.”

   “Do you really believe that?” His voice faded.

   “It’s true.” She held onto his arms. “Isn’t it?”

   “Turn around and look at me.”

   She lowered her head fearing he was about to tell her to get dressed, he was taking her home.

   “Please, Farrah. Look at me. I need you to understand.”

   Fearing the worse, she turned around.

   He lifted her chin and caressed the side of her face. “On some level I knew it was you.”

   “You did?”
Surely, he wouldn’t be so cruel as to lie about this
.

   “In my mind, I kept seeing Lianna. But when I kissed you--I love you.”

   “Love? You love me?”

   “That’s not a word I use easily. When they showed me your picture and told me what I’d be doing here, I balked at the idea. I didn’t want to hurt you. They didn’t give me a choice.”

   A few tears escaped her eyes as she remembered the day Sheriff Taylor, Heath, told her about the death of her parents. She hated him. She hated him even more for being so kind and understanding.

   “Part of my duties were to keep an eye on you. To keep you safe. After that horseback ride, I couldn’t wait to see you again. I went crazy when they told me Daniels escaped. I couldn’t let him near you. The job had nothing to do with it. Knowing I could be sent back to Miami this January kills me. But Gainesville isn’t so far away from Miami. Only a little over three hundred and thirty miles. If you want, we could still see each other.”

   She believed him. Her body trembled and there was nothing she could do about it.

   He ran his hands up and down her arms. “You’re shaking. Let’s get dressed and go back to the campsite. I’ll build a fire so you can warm up.

   “The cold isn’t the reason I’m shaking.”

   “What is it then?”

   She stared into his eyes seeking something. She wanted him to look at her like a man does when he wants a woman. “Teach me how to love you.”

   He cupped her face in his hand. Intense dark eyes held her gaze. “I think you already know.”

   Conflicted feelings started making sense. She wanted to know him on every level. “Not the physical.”

   He brushed his lips against hers. “Let’s go back to the cabin.”

   She put his hand on her bra strap. “Teach me here.”

   He pulled her into his lap. “It may hurt.”

   “I trust you to be gentle.”

   Chapter 31

   He leaned her back in the bend of his elbow. His pulse raced.

   Her long, slender neck and curvy lips beckoned him. Like a sailor to a mythical Siren, he felt helpless to do anything but come to her
.

   She fluttered her long eyelashes. “You do want me, don’t you?”

   “More than anything.” He kissed her lips. His hunger grew. It had been so long. She was so beautiful. He feared losing self-control. “Tell me to stop.” He kissed her jaw.

   She pressed the palms of her hands flat against his back. “I love you, Heath.”

   He kissed her collarbone and unfastened her bra. “Don’t let me hurt you.”

   “You won’t.”

   He laid her down of the cold, flat surface. How he wished he could take her without hurting her.

   She lay there, big blue eyes looking up at him. Her thin body, long with small curves in all the right places. In the right town, she could have any man she wanted. But she chose him. He had to make sure she found pleasure in his actions.

   He slid her pink bikini panties off. Light brown pubic hair, still wet from swimming, glistened in the moonlight. His mouth watered.

   He set her down on the rock. “I need to get something.” How he wished they had gone back to the cabin. It would have been so much cleaner and more comfortable. He got up and grabbed his jeans and retrieved a condom from his pocket. He hesitated to use it. Would getting her pregnant be so bad? He remembered her dreams of playing pro-ball. He couldn’t sabotage that. “I want you to promise not to look away, when I take off my underwear.”

   “Is it so important?” Her voice seemed small. Almost childlike.

   “I want you to see all of me. Promise.”

   She got on her knees and slid his red boxer briefs down his hips.

   He nearly went off when she kissed the side of his penis.

   “I promise.”

   He sat down and pulled her into his lap.

   She opened her mouth.

   He covered her mouth with his. His fingers slipped through her pubic hair.

   She wrapped her hands around his shoulders. “Heath.”

   He could feel her heartbeat getting faster. “Do you feel the excitement building?”

   She raised up and straddled his lap. She pressed her breasts against his chest. “Show me what it’s like to have you inside me.”

   He felt himself hardening even more. “I won’t be able to stop until I’m satisfied.”

   She brushed the tip of his penis against the outside of her vagina. “I won’t ask you to.” 

   Her legs were open. 

   His dick was hard and throbbing. He rolled his condom over it and tried to get inside her.

   She groaned.

   Something blocked him.

   She made whimpering sounds.

   He lay her down on the cold, hard surface. “Wrap your legs around my waist. It’ll be easier on you.” Thankful for extra lubricated condoms, he plunged into her as hard as he could.

   “Heath,” she cried.

   “I’m sorry, Farrah.” He was helpless to do anything but work himself into a sweaty lather.

   She was so tight and perfect. Tears streamed from her eyes.

   He reveled in her perfection. His dick had a mind of its own. If anything it got harder inside of her. She felt so good on him.

   “Heath.”

   “Please don’t ask me to stop.” Against his will he became rougher. He didn’t want to hurt her. He hoped for a quick release. A few more thrusts and he found it.

   He kissed away her tears. “I wish it could have been better for you.”

   She caressed the side of his face. “It was perfect.”

   Knowing there was a shower with hot and cold running water, he carried her the short distance to the cabin. 

   He stood her on the floor and adjusted the water. “Let me wash you.”

   She looked down. “I’ll be okay by myself.”

   He pulled back the shower curtain. “This isn’t only for you.”

   She stepped inside the stall and held out her hand.

   Taylor swallowed hard as the shower rained down upon her beautiful body. He stepped under the water and grabbed the shower gel. “Let me wash you.”

   She wrapped her long fingers around his wrist. “Heath.”

   He touched her lips with his finger tips. “You asked me to teach you how to love. This is all part of it.”