Page 28 of You Can't Fight Lightning
We talked of where to go, and she recommended a road that led into the Mule Mountains. It sounded intriguing. I found this land, with its desert, its harsh sun, and rumored cold winters, interesting. There was a beauty here, different from the lush greenery of Seattle, or the pleasant fields and halls of Olympus.
In this, the guidebook had been spot on.
When Roxy finished, she pushed her plate away. “That was more than I planned to eat. But it was delicious. I always eat more after I’m out hiking.”
“I’d love to see the trail.”
“It’s called Youngblood Hill. You can find it online.” Her expression showed me she knew what I was doing.
The waitress came over, setting both checks down on our tables. Before she could pick it up, I put my hand over Roxy’s.
Which brought me into contact with her hand.
Thunder rolled in my ears, in my head, all around me. I blinked, blinded by the lightning that obscured my vision momentarily. Desire raced to my groin, and I felt myself harden, wanting this woman.
Gods.
Everything about her just increased my desire. If this was what touching her hand felt like, what would it feel like to cup her close to me, feel her body mold to mine?
The intensity of desire made me feel dizzy.
I looked away, at anything other than Roxy, so I didn’t lose control of myself entirely, and in doing so, caught the eye of the elderly man sitting with his wife near me.
His smile was understanding, and indulgent. I saw that he held his wife’s hand, I guess never having let it go from the time I saw him pick it up.
I think I managed to smile back at him, but I was so overwhelmed with controlling my desire, my need for the woman beside me, I couldn’t be sure.
“I got it.” I ground out the words like they were gravel between my teeth.
“No.” The one word was firm.
“Please?”
She hesitated, and then withdrew her hand from mine, making my body cry out in protest. Gods, I wanted her.
“If you insist.”
“I do, if that’s all right.”
She stood so fast it caught me off guard. “Thanks for brunch, Z. I’ll be seeing you.” And she pivoted on her heel and walked away.
It all happened so fast that my head was left swimming.
But we’d sat together, right? It had been almost a date, hadn’t it?
I hadn’t totally bombed it, had I?
I hated not having the answers.
Chapter Nine
Roxy
The next two days, the days that I’d assumed were going to be lazy, and easy-going, and full of me relaxing, were anything but.
I kept thinking about Z. He was in my thoughts throughout the day, and in my dreams at night. Which meant I didn’t get any decent sleep. Dreams that started off nice, him looking at me, stroking my face, ended up with me at a gravesite. Both nights.
I woke up more than once both nights.
