Page 73 of Cougar Chronicles

Stacy’s heart soared! Her mind buzzed. Why had she been so scared? Suddenly, she envied birds their wings. If only she could feel this free, this content, always.

God… Her stomach rolled. Now, the ground was approaching. Why hadn’t she noticed how close they were before?

“It’s okay, baby, we’re doing fine,” Michael assured her.

They landed with a jolt. Stacy’s heart dropped to her feet. Michael steadied her, managed to kiss her neck despite all the gear between them. The chute floated around them in a rippling haze.

Quickly, Michael unbuckled them, and Stacy turned and threw her arms around him. Their safety goggles clinked, their straps scraped, but Stacy didn’t care.

So many words clogged her throat. She wanted to tell him what the jump had meant to her, how it had freed a part of her that had been long imprisoned. How it had broken the rest of the shell around her spirit, the shell that he’d already cracked with his wonderful lovemaking and her first orgasm. She wanted to describe the euphoria she’d felt while free falling, the rush of the forward throw. Mostly she wanted to tell him what he had come to mean to her in so short a time.

Those three scary words formed in her mouth.

But no words emerged. Her emotion was too thick, too buoyant for speech.

She simply wrapped herself as close as she could to the man she’d come to adore.

* * *

“You wouldn’t believe it,” Stacy said to Veronica at dinner. Michael and Dino also sat at their table for four. “You’ve got to try it, Ronnie. I swear, you’ll be hooked!”

“Jump out of a plane?” The younger woman shook her head. “No thanks. I like my feet planted firmly on the ground.”

“You’d love it,” Michael said. “If I could convince Stace to go, I can convince anyone.”

“Sure enough,” Dino agreed. “It’s an amazing experience. I’ve only done it once, but it was a feeling I’ll never forget.”

“Well, maybe I’ll let you convince me sometime,” Veronica laughed. “I’m heading to the moonlight erotic readings. Any of you want to come along?”

Dino grinned. “I’m game. You guys in?”

Michael shook his head. “I want to dance.” He stood and held out his hand to Stacy. “May I?”

She smiled. He looked so regal in his tux. All the cover models were dressed formally for tonight’s dinner. They’d been on duty during the meal itself, but now that dessert was over, they were free for the evening. Michael and Dino had gravitated toward Stacy and Veronica.

Dino shared some of Michael’s sultry Italian features, but though Dino was a handsome man, there was no comparison in Stacy’s mind. Michael was the best looking man at the conference and on the planet.

“I’d love to dance, thanks,” she said. “But will you excuse me for a minute? I need to make a phone call.”

“Sure.” He brushed his lips against her cheek. “Don’t be long.”

Stacy left the ballroom, made a quick phone call to her neighbor to check on her cat, and then headed toward the bathroom to check her makeup.

As she walked through the hallway, Veronica’s voice rang out from one of the workshop rooms. Not one to eavesdrop, Stacy kept walking but stopped when she heard her name.

“…do that to Stacy.”

Do what to Stacy? Stacy stood near enough to hear as best she could through the semi-open door but far enough against the wall of the hallway so as not to be seen.

“His plan…” Dino’s words trailed off.

What plan. Was he talking about Michael? For a moment she wished for one of those ear phone things on late night television that allowed a person to overhear conversations.

“That’s horrible!”

Veronica’s shrill outrage was easy to hear.

“I’m not saying I agree,” Dino said. Then, unintelligible mumblings.

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