Page 45 of Edge of Desire

“Good.” I wanted him to think about me as much as I thought about him which was all the freakin’ time. He’d wedged his way into my thoughts, and I had intermittent visions of him. When I wasn’t imagining how he looked, I was thinking about things he’d said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that. I think about you, so it’s only fair that you think about me.” I smiled sweetly at him.

“When you smile like that, it’s deadly, you know.”

“Preston, you give me way too much credit.”

“You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit.”

I spun him around and gave him a gentle shove, forcing him to move along. Smiling, I began to hum a song to myself. A little while later, his hand reached back for mine, his fingers wiggling their silent invitation. I took his hand and his warm fingers heated the rest of me as we laced them together. Neither of us spoke a word as we walked along, and even though my life had taken an unwanted turn, I’d never felt happier in my twenty-eight years.

Fourteen

Preston

We’d been here a month and each day I fell harder and harder for her. Sunshine was the first thing I thought of when Avery came to mind. She reminded me of the shimmering yellow rays on a beautiful day. Seeing her swathed around me that one morning was the most erotic thing I’d ever witnessed in my life. Her golden-streaked caramel-colored hair fanned across my body while her arms surrounded me as if she were protecting me from anything that got in her way. My heart had never felt this grateful for anyone. Her actions spoke volumes and the way she had tenderly touched me was the most emotional experience of my life. Her fingertips had been so soft; it was as though she explored my body with reverence, if such a thing were even possible. The whole scene replayed in my head repeatedly and it wouldn’t stop.

“Preston? Are you in there?”

We were out hiking again. We’d gone into town and purchased better hiking shoes and had taken advantage of the nice weather. She’d asked me something, but I was lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t heard her. Stopping, I turned around and said, “What?”

“I asked you if you were hungry or thirsty yet?”

“Damn. I can be totally insensitive about these things. Yes, let’s find a place to take a break and have a bite to eat.”

“Why do you say you’re insensitive?”

“Because I’m used to going for hours, sometimes days, without stopping to eat.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Days?”

I didn’t want to linger on that, so I grabbed her hand again and steered her to an outcropping of rocks that looked like an excellent place to stop.

“Let’s sit here. This is ideal.”

I took off the pack which contained the food. I’d also thrown in a few bottles of Gatorade, so I pulled those out and handed her one. She unscrewed the cap and guzzled one down. There was something about the way she drank that was over-the-top sexy. My mouth hung open as I stared at her.

“What?”

I shook my head and said, “You look terribly sexy when you drink like that.”

“Really? I always thought I looked like a man. At least that’s what my mom told me. ‘Avery, stop drinking like that. It’s not very ladylike.’ I would get that all the time from her. But sometimes when you’re really thirsty, you just can’t help it.”

“Avery, do me a huge favor, will you?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Don’t ever stop drinking like that.”

She howled out a laugh. I loved it when she laughed like that, and I joined in.

“My mom surely would not approve.”

“Honey, I don’t give a damn about your mother’s approval.”

We sat and ate our lunch. The snowcapped mountains in the distance were the perfect backdrop to our little picnic. I’d put in a couple of chocolate chip cookies for dessert, so I pulled them out and handed her one. She bit into one and some crumbs tumbled onto her chin. She let out a little giggle, but I grabbed her hand, preventing her from wiping them away. Instead, I bent my head and nibbled them off with my lips.

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