“An X-rated slumber party. Yours would be served on my abs, and mine would be served in your cleavage.”
“Mmm.” She glanced over at him. “Hold that thought. You can bring cupcakes to the next picnic on the platform.”
“Damn. I didn’t think of that. We could have—”
“We don’t have to do everything at once. I’ll be out here until the nestlings fly.” And you leave.
“You’re right. Maybe we should pace ourselves. But you’ve given me a challenge. It’ll be fun to think of all the interesting ways we can have sex between now and then.”
“I’ll look forward to your boundless creativity.” She’d just had another insight. By setting a limit on their time together, he’d ramped up the tension. Lovers faced with a ticking clock always cherished the moments more than those who thought they had forever.
She needed to remember that truism as she joined him on this roller coaster. He was an exciting lover, but he was also a bit of an adrenaline junkie. He didn’t know how to relax into a relationship and live it day by day. So she would accept him for the thrill ride that he was and understand that when the ride was over, he’d be gone.
LUKE WASN’T WORRIED that Naomi would let herself get attached to him, but it didn’t hurt for her to say that she wouldn’t. He let her go into the tent first and undress while he smothered the fire and made sure every trace of food was packed in airtight containers and stored in the sack she hung from a tree.
Someday he’d love to devour a cream-filled chocolate cupcake that was resting in the valley between her breasts, but he wasn’t sure when that would be. Even if they met in town, she’d be staying with her parents. There would be no cupcake games under that roof.
But he wasn’t about to complain. He stripped down outside the tent in deference to the cramped quarters. Then, holding the battery-operated lantern he’d used for the last stages of the cleanup operation, he crawled into the tent.
Entering a tent where a naked woman lay waiting was arousing enough. But when the light fell on her lounging like Cleopatra on her barge, he was immediately ready for action. His cock twitched with impatience as he zipped the tent closed.
He turned toward her and pretended shock. “My God! There’s a stark-naked woman in this tent! What shall I do?”
She crooked a finger. “Come closer and let me whisper some suggestions in your ear.”
“Excellent.” He moved within range and set the lantern at the end of the tent before bending down to let her murmur sweet nothings. Except they weren’t sweet. They were inventive and extremely specific. He proceeded to follow those suggestions, which involved Naomi rising to her hands and knees and Luke, once he’d rolled on a condom, taking her from behind.
Judging from her response, she liked that very much, so much that she climaxed in no time. He wasn’t quite there yet, so he proposed the next phase, which involved lying on their sides facing each other with her leg hooked over his thigh. He stroked slowly as he caressed her warm breasts.
How he loved touching her. “I could do this all night.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad way to while away the hours.”
“No, but let’s take it up a notch.” Reaching between her legs, he found her trigger point and began an easy massage as he continued to rock his hips back and forth.
She drew in a breath. “That’s nice.”
“I can tell.” By the light of the lantern he could see her pupils dilate and her cherry-red lips part. His massage became more insistent. “Still nice?”
“You want me to come again.”
“Bingo.”
“I don’t know if I…oh, Luke…Luke.” She bucked against him, and that was all he needed. He climaxed with a grateful moan of release. Good. So good.
They lay there breathing hard, gazing at each other.
Reaching over, he stroked her mouth with his forefinger. “Thank you for today.”
She sighed. “My pleasure.” Her eyes drifted closed.
“Mine, too.” He could tell she was tired and ready to sleep. He managed to ease out of her arms without disturbing her. Once he’d dealt with the condom, he switched off the light. “Good night, Naomi.”
She was already asleep.
He lay in the dark listening to her breathe. In the distance an owl hooted. A small night creature scurried through the bushes somewhere near the tent. He felt at one with the night and the natural world. His heart filled with gratitude that she’d allowed him to share it with her.
He woke up to hear birds chirping and pale sunlight glowing on the sides of the tent. Naomi was gone. In a sudden panic, he sat up and grabbed his briefs and jeans.
Wherever she’d gone, she’d zipped the tent after leaving it. He took a deep breath. She’d probably left to go to the bathroom or put on coffee. Still, he had a strong urge to know where she was.
He crawled out of the tent wearing only his jeans and his briefs. He thought about pulling on his boots, but that would only slow him down. He needed to see her, needed to know she was okay.
She wasn’t within sight. The campfire was still cold. He called her name softly in case she was nearby. No answer. Maybe this was why he’d never gone camping with a woman. You could lose track of them.
Maybe she’d gone to check on the eagles. The soles of his feet weren’t used to pine needles and sharp rocks, and he winced as he made his way down the path to the platform. Climbing quickly, he stuck his head over the edge. Nope, not there.
Only one more place to look. He really should have put on his boots, but it was a little late to think about that now. He took the other trail, the one leading to the stream. The rocks seemed even sharper there.
Swearing under his breath, he gingerly picked his way along until he was in sight of the bubbling water. Then he sighed in relief. His wood nymph sat in the middle of the stream, up to her nipples in cold water.
He couldn’t imagine how she could tolerate it, but she looked blissful with her hair slicked back and the water swirling around her. He started forward and stepped on a particularly sharp rock. He yelped and she turned to face him.
“Luke! What are you doing walking without your boots?”
“You did it.” He saw no evidence of her clothes or her hiking boots on the shore.
“I’m used to being barefoot. Most cowboys aren’t.”
“That’s a fact.” But he was nearly there now. “How’s the water?”
“Icy when you get in, but you get used to it.”
“Really?” He had his doubts.
“After all that sex, I wanted a dip in the stream.”
There was a gauntlet thrown down if he’d ever seen one. He’d had as much sex as Naomi, which meant he could use a dip in the stream, too. Or he could eat breakfast with her in his current unwashed state, which didn’t seem particularly polite, now that he thought about it.
Hobbling to the edge of the stream, he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down his fly. “I’m coming in.”
“It’ll feel really good once you adjust to the temperature.”
He wished like hell he believed that. Vaguely he remembered that women had a different tolerance for heat and cold than men. It had to do with some primitive conditioning because they were the ones who had babies, so they needed protective fat layers. Something like that.
But he’d committed himself to this,