Redwood Bend

consider how sweet it could be, in the soft grass, under the warm sun… If being inside her mouth felt this good, he couldn’t imagine the thrill of getting inside her body.
She tilted her pelvis against him; now she knew. She didn’t seem to mind, either. He ran a hand down her spine to her little butt and fanned his fingers, pulling her more firmly against him, pressing into her. Yeah. Bliss. He could start with the buttons on her blouse and in less than ten minutes, which was a very unhurried projection, he could turn bliss into rapture.
He lifted his head. “Is this a date?”
She shook her head. “This is making out,” she whispered back. “Very good making out, I admit.”
“How much food do I have to buy you to qualify for a date?” he asked. And she only giggled and pulled his mouth back to hers.
After a few more minutes of awesome kissing, he relaxed the hand against her perfect ass and pulled reluctantly away from her mouth. “Let’s get undressed. A little undressed, at least. Enough undressed…”
“Enough undressed for what?” she asked him, aiming her lips toward his for more.
“I want you,” he said. “Really, really want you. I promise, I’ll make it worth your while…”
“Hmm. While that just sweeps me away, I’m not prepared.”
“I’m prepared. I have protection,” he said.
“No, Dylan—I’m not prepared to get that involved with you.”
“Why not?”
“Besides the fact that you’re leaving in two days?” she asked him.
“Okay. I’ll stay the rest of the week…”
She laughed lightly. “If it matters, it is very hard to say no to you. You have fantastic lips…and stuff.”
He groaned in misery. “Katie, I’m hard as a hammer here…”
“I know,” she said. “It’s very nice. I’m sure if I were ready, it would do the trick.”
He rolled onto his back, lacing his fingers behind his head. He closed his eyes and said nothing, but his lips were tight.
“Maybe we should just go,” she suggested.
“I can’t go yet,” he muttered, not opening his eyes.
“Because…?”
“Because I’m sporting a rod,” he said.
She shook her head and tsked. “Wow, you remind me more of Charlie all the time. But don’t misunderstand, that’s not why I like you.” She flopped down beside him, lying on her back. “We’ll wait till you’re ready.”
“I’d like it better if we could get you ready,” he grumbled.
“Remind me to hold back on the making out next time. I think it makes you a little cranky.”
“Seriously,” he admitted. “Give me a little time. I’ll be fine.”
So she lay quietly beside him.
It wasn’t hard to relax, even though she had as much frustration as he. But the day was so perfect—the sun was warm, the grass soft beneath her, the cooling breeze just right. It was a perfect time to think about a few things—like was she among the first to tell the once famous Dylan Childress no? The fact was, “yes” had been on her lips. Oh, she wanted him right back. She hadn’t wanted that much or been that ready in more than five years. But she’d been through a lot and didn’t feel like piling regret on top of it all. She didn’t feel like being the girl he could turn and walk away from without a thought.
It wasn’t as though Katie had unrealistic expectations. All that she’d been through had also taught her that. She could make love to a wonderful, thrilling man without a marriage proposal in the works. She could have a fling, of course she could. But really, the idea that he could take his pleasure and move on easily, without looking back, without longing, without wanting, without even missing her a little bit, that would be very hard to take. And she knew this guy—he was a playboy born and bred. He would go and he wouldn’t lose any sleep over her.
All she wanted was to matter. To be more than an opportunity. That’s all. She didn’t expect to be the love of his life or even one of the memorable ones. But she had to be more than a day on a hilltop in the sun…
“You about ready?” he asked.
She opened her eyes and saw that he was sitting up, looking down at her. “Are you? ” she asked.
“Ready when you are.”
“Are you feeling all right?” she asked.
“Much better. I needed a little meditation, so to speak.” He leaned over and put a little kiss on her forehead. “We should go north now. There’s a lot to see.”
She sat up. “Are you going to be grumpy?”
“No, of course not. Look, I know you understand this…