The sun slanted low near the dense tree line surrounding the lake. The night air was warm and still, the crickets picking up as the last rays of light combusted in the western sky. I paddled my legs in the silky soft lake water, submerged to my shoulders as I dangled off the back deck of the boat from my …
On our way out of our bed and breakfast that afternoon, I grabbed a quilt from our room and we picked up a prepared picnic basket from the kitchen. Our hosts had included freshly baked bread, a trio of local cheeses, fruit, homemade jam, nut spread, miniature sweet cakes, and, of course, a bottle of wine – a product of …
I rang the call box and waited for the buzz before stepping into the softly lit lobby. Across from the wall of mailboxes, the elevator delivered me swiftly to his floor, leaving barely enough time to check my face and outfit in the mirror. As I approached, he opened the door to his apartment, wielding a spatula and dressed only …
“Are you coming in?” he asked from the pool. “I’m getting there.” I stepped up to the edge. “Don’t be pushy.” He raised his palms and bowed his head. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” The evening was warm and the resort quiet – we’d chosen a weekday to get away and only half of the dozen or so rooms were …
He sidled up to me in the line to enter the botanical garden with a cup of hot chocolate in each hand. I accepted a cup and cradled its warmth in my palms, feeling the same heat spreading through me as I took a sip of the sweet, rich drink. The park grounds darkened as the autumn sun lowered behind …
The lights turned extra warm and soft as the reception settled into full swing, the guests buzzed on food, drinks, music, and love. I met his gaze from the other side of the dance floor and held it, watching as desire darkened his features and set him on a path straight to me. He trailed a path along the edge …
The doorbell rang just as I managed to pull my dress halfway up my body. I shuffled to the front door, clutching the bodice to my chest. “I’m coming!” I swung open the door, trying not to sweat off the makeup I’d so meticulously applied. He stood under the light of the front stoop in a dark suit, crisp shirt, …
Our headlights extended over the dusty flats, a dry, cracked plain where even shrubbery refused to grow. A soft breeze filled the car as he stopped the engine and rolled down the windows. Darkness poured into the cabin as the air settled around us, the desert quickly forgetting our intrusion. “Do you have any more questions?” he asked. I ran …
The day was waning by the time I reached the cabin in the woods, about a mile’s hike from where the trees got too thick to drive any farther. I’d come prepared, climbing the hill and trekking down around the lip of the valley with my trusty worn boots and my pack bundled high on my back. The effort got …
“You really come prepared,” he said as I stabbed a tent stake into the sand. He loitered in his flip-flops, looking unsure of what to do with himself despite nailing the beach day look. Over his trunks, he wore a crisp white shirt that fluttered in the wind, allowing peekaboo glimpses of his skin, glistening with a hint of sweat …