Just a teaser: excerpt from a new book I'm working on. (MFE)
Lauren
woke with a start, wondering where she was.
Then she heard the deep breathing beside her and glanced over at the
lanky form sleeping there. His arm was
lying underneath her. White sheets were
wadded all around them, and she suddenly saw she was naked.
Then a rippling shock flowed through
her, What have I done? Now there’s no turning back.
Here she was in the silence of a hotel
room, feeling a parade of emotions.
First there was fear and regret. Have
I compromised all I thought I believed?
But Dave seems to really care for me--I hope.
As she rolled and turned her face
toward his, a slight smile played at the corners of his mouth, sending a
throbbing thrill through her, echoing the warmth and pleasure of his
intimate embrace. For the first time in
a long time she felt loved and safe.
Now his eyelids fluttered open, and
his smile grew larger and warmer. “Awake
now?” he murmured. “Are you alright?”
She nodded and drew closer to
him. “I’m fine, for the first time in
years.”
“I’m glad,” he smiled, and then kissed
her lips gently.
She flowed into him, their bodies no
longer two separate entities. There was
nothing left to do but let the heat burn on between them.
***
They couldn’t be together every night,
even though she ached for it. He needed
to find ways to keep his wife from getting suspicious, so she had to be ready
to change plans at a moment’s notice. At
first, this didn’t bother her. After
all, it wasn’t as though she had much of a social life. Just transporting her kids to and from their
activities. Ginna had her driver’s
license now, but they couldn’t afford a second car. This wasn’t a huge problem, since Lauren had
few other obligations outside of her job.
Soon, she was willing to drop anything
to be with Dave, at whatever secret rendezvous he found. Her needs began to outweigh her thoughts of
her children, dear as they were to her. Hunger
for Dave kept growing within her.
Sometimes it caught her in an unexpected rush. Her lower abdomen would
get an urgent contraction, then warmth, followed by quickened breathing, and
often tears in her eyes. She’d never
realized hormones could do such powerful things to her body.
Some days she’d get angry for reacting
this way, telling herself she shouldn’t feel this intense attraction to someone
else’s husband. But her body was unable
to listen.
As the weeks went by, she stopped
counting their encounters. Whether this
grew out of guilty feelings or not, she told herself not to care. Things began to blur. All she could focus on was when they could be
together again.
One Friday after work, he drove much
farther than usual, west toward Denver.
“Where are we going?”
“Someplace special,” he grinned.
It was late fall and the days were
growing shorter, so everything was dark, and stars were appearing by the time
he pulled into a lane with a sign reading Palisade Estates. The road was unpaved and rough, so he took it
slowly. Evergreen trees loomed high
overhead, blocking the stars. Then just
as he rounded a corner, a mountain vista opened with a small log cabin in the
foreground.
“Well, what do you think?”
“Oh, Dave, it’s really romantic out
here in the wilderness with only the stars to see by.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he
smiled. “It’s been one of my favorite
places for a long time.” He gathered her
into his long arms.
For an instant, she wondered if he and
his wife had come here often but dared not ask. Instead, she took a deep breath to clear her
mind as they got out of his car.
“Why didn’t you tell me we were coming
so far?” she asked, an edge in her
voice.
“I’m sorry. Is there a problem?”
“Well--I guess not. My kids are both sleeping over at friends’
places since it’s Friday. But I need to
know if I’m going to be gone more than one night.”
He covered her hand with his large
warm one. “Your hands are cold,” he
whispered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t forewarn
you. I guess I’m only thinking of my
needs.”
My kids are old enough to manage. She wanted to believe this—to stop
the feeling of guilt growing in her chest. Then her physical need for him began to
override these thoughts.
By this time, he’d pulled her closer
and was gently moving his thumb across her cheek. “You are so wonderful for me,” he murmured.
Even though she wanted to reply, her
voice caught somewhere in her throat.
Gazing over his shoulder, she could see the full moon rising behind
him. Soon his hair was outlined in a
halo of moonlight.
As they stood on the small cabin’s
porch, his hands moved to her shoulders before she realized he’d even lifted
them. In the next instant, her sweater was
being pulled over her head and his hands were working their way into her
blouse. One of his arms was behind her
shoulders, pulling her toward him in a fierce embrace. She’d never felt such urgency and power in
him. His lips pressed hard and hot
against hers. Gradually he moved his
lips down her neck, and she moaned in pleasure.
Then he carried her in his arms
through the cabin’s door, both of them pulling off clothing and tossing it aside
as they made their way to the tiny room’s bed.
