Page 22 of Fallen Angel
Chapter Ten
Tall pines and lush, green oaks whizzed past as she sped up I-95. After crossing into Maine, the speed limit changed to seventy. She moved with the fastest traffic at eighty-five—a speed her car never would have reached before without exploding an instant later. Big, yellow signs warned her to keep watch for moose. At eighty-five miles per hour, crashing into the top-heavy animal would demolish her car. She would die a virgin, and no doubt the massive beast would walk away with barely a scratch.
She decided to slow down to seventy-five—just in case.
After three hours on the road, she passed a sign for the next rest stop, warning her that she would not have another chance to pee for the next forty-five miles. She pulled off the highway into the packed parking lot, passing numerous cars like hers with Massachusetts plates, but also several from New York and New Jersey. It never ceased to amaze her how many people left behind fast-paced urban living for the tranquility found high in the mountains or alongside the clear lake-waters of Maine. After a quick visit to the ladies’ room, she grabbed a large, black coffee before once more hitting the road.
Following Ethan’s directions, she got off the highway an hour later. She was happy to be on one of the smaller routes with two-way traffic. It was not her usual trek north, and she was excited by the prospect of new views and the thrill of the unknown.
She slowed just a little as the road curved, cutting through a strip of land abutting a shimmering lake on both sides. The blue sky boasted puffy, white clouds that reflected mirror-perfect on the still surface of the water. As with many New England lakes, small islands covered in pines emerged from the crystal depths, and like always, she imagined what it would be like to have a cabin on one of the islands, surrounded by wilderness and water like a fairytale castle with a protective moat. But then she thought of Ethan, and she realized her usual fantasy of solitude no longer held the same appeal.
The truth of the matter could not be denied. She craved solitude because she was afraid of intimacy. She was afraid of being hurt and lied to, but she didn’t want to live life alone. Life would be so much better encircled by strong capable arms. Ethan was like a bear, fierce to those who would endanger what he cared about, strong in his passion for what he loved, but also capable of incredible gentleness.
She shook her head—they had only shared a few kisses, plus the one in her dream. She had no idea what he would be like as a lover. Still, somehow, she felt she knew him. She knew his strength, his fierce protectiveness and possessiveness. His hands could crush bone but also hold her so very close.
Just thinking about his large, calloused hands made her squirm in her seat as an ache began to build between her legs. She gripped the wheel tight as her desire grew. She was aware of her whole body. Reaching beneath the fabric of her bra, she twirled one of her nipples between her fingers imagining it was Ethan who touched her. She lowered her lids slightly, focusing on staying in between the yellow and white lines—everything else disappeared into a blur of green and blue alongside the quiet road while she savored her erotic imaginings. But then a large streak of purple cut through the ubiquity of green. “Oh shit,” she muttered, sitting straight.
Ethan’s directions had said to look for a large, purple house with several adjacent outbuildings on the left. She put her car in reverse and backed up. Her eyes scanned the brightly colored, rustic colonial and the sign in the front yard that read, “Lavender Farm”.
Her stomach flipped as the proximity to her destination invited butterflies into her belly. Slowly, again gripping the wheel, she pulled forward. The next right would bring her to wherever it was she was meeting him. She picked up the paper and quickly scanned the scrawled writing next to the map—after Lavender Farm, turn right onto Pine Summit Road. Stay on Pine Summit for four miles. Last drive at the very end.
She set the paper back down on the passenger seat and took a deep breath. She had four miles to pull herself together.
The unpaved road stretched out in front of her, long and narrow, but well maintained, judging by the fresh gravel and lack of potholes. It started out fairly level, but after a mile it began to climb. The increasing elevation did nothing to calm her nerves or banish her burgeoning desire. Occasionally, she passed a wide, gated driveway, but the natural beauty of the roadside, with its teeming pines and jutting boulders, wasn’t marred by telephone poles or wires of any kind. She assumed the houses must have been off the grid, relying instead on generators for power.
A thrill of excitement shot through her as the incline steepened. The rugged slope would be a hard drive in the winter. Her little car, even with its recent makeover, would never make it. Up ahead, the graded road ended in front of a driveway with two large solar lamps. They stood like sentinels guarding the road that she could only assume would lead her to Ethan.
“Oh God,” she whispered as she continued up the incline. The trees thinned out and grew shorter. She pushed her car up the steepest section yet. Cresting the summit, she gasped as she emerged through the trees. Distant mountains surrounded her, and a log cabin spread across the top of the mountain.
Slowly shaking her head, she got out of the car, completely in awe of her surroundings. Her legs were happy to stretch as she made a panoramic turn, taking it all in. Beneath her feet, white stone gleamed in the waning sunshine. Separating the front yard and parking lot was a line of blueberry shrubs, surrounded by rich, black mulch for a brilliant contrast against the stark white paving stones.
“You made it,” a deep voice said behind her.
She jumped, setting her heart to race. Turning, she locked eyes with Ethan. “I didn’t hear you,” she said breathlessly.
Her gaze traveled the length of his tall frame. Faded, torn jeans hung low on his hips. A crisp, unbuttoned, white shirt gleamed in the sunshine as brightly as the stones beneath her feet, contrasting against his deeply tanned skin. A gust of wind barreled over the mountaintop, lifting her hair off her shoulders and spreading his shirt wide open. Her eyes hungrily took in the thin silver chain resting on his muscular chest, the shifting contours of his washboard stomach, and his chiseled v-line, which disappeared into his jeans. Her arms hung useless at her sides as she wondered whether she should hug him or just shake his hand.
He stepped forward and put his arm around her waist. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said, his voice low and husky. He slowly pulled her against him, holding her close. His icy blue eyes burned through her, warming her from the inside out. He cupped her cheek and gently lowered his lips to hers. His touch was feather-light as his tongue slowly traced her bottom lip. She gasped and parted her lips, inviting, wanting, needing. Raw desire shot through her. His lips molded to hers. She stretched on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her tongue tentatively grazed his. He lifted her feet off the ground, deepening their kiss. A flood of sensation gripped her core, a consuming ache that pleased and punished all at once.
When their lips parted, he smiled down at her. “Like I said, I’m glad you’re here.”
She blushed. Her eyes shifted to the white stones underfoot. “I’m glad to be here.”
“Are you hungry?”
Hungry? Yes, she was hungry. Her body craved so much more than his kiss alone. But that was not all. She was nervous, terrified, really—of so many things. She feared the overwhelming intensity of her attraction to him. She was scared he was not what he seemed. She was afraid of how we would respond if or when he found out she was a virgin. But more than anything, she was scared that she would do something to screw everything up and never know how it felt to lay in his arms again, surrounded by his steel strength.
“I’m sorry, can you repeat the question?” she said, her voice unsteady.
He smiled, and her stomach flipped at the sight. Then he lowered his lips to hers. This time he crushed her close. She could feel the heat of his bare chest through her shirt. Then he set her down and took her by the hand. “Come inside. We have a long night ahead of us, and I want to make sure you eat.” His blue eyes were smoldering. “You’ll need your strength.”
