Instead of giving me the chance to retort, she slithered down my body and settled herself between my legs. She looked up at me and smiled and I’m pretty sure I’d never seen anything so beautiful.
Without further ceremony, she wrapped her perfect lips around my clit. I bucked under her and she stilled, but only for a moment. When she resumed, she stroked me and sucked me in ways that made me feel both masculine and feminine, powerful and utterly helpless. She brought me to the precipice, then backed away, only to coax me up again.
She wound her arms around my thighs, possessive but without restricting my movement. I threaded my fingers into her hair, telling myself to be gentle. But when she hummed her pleasure, I gripped tighter. I felt her smile against me, so she must not have minded.
The orgasm started low in my belly, a quiver of fire that quickly spread. Instead of backing off, she held on, her tongue pressing into me and making it go on and on and on. For someone not used to letting go, I was carried away.
I’d never been at another woman’s mercy in quite the same way. It left me as shaky as it did satisfied.
She kissed her way up my torso and settled herself, half next to me and half draped across me. “I like the way you break the rules,” I said.
She smirked again. God, I could get used to that smirk. “Just a gentle bend, really.”
I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head, not really caring about the semantics. “If you say so.”
She reached overhead and unplugged the lights, plunging the room into relative darkness. It only took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. The full moon, the one that had illuminated my walk and our dip in the lake, cast more than enough light for me to make out the lines of her body and the satisfied smile on her face.
We dozed, but I woke to her hand between my legs. I couldn’t believe I was wet again, but she touched me and I came hard and fast. I flipped her onto her back and pinned her wrists overhead, only letting go so my mouth could wander lower. I lost track of how many times we drifted, only to wake and do it all over again. The last time I remember falling asleep, the sky was beginning to lighten and the first birds were announcing the start of the day.
I woke to bright sunshine. My hands wandered, instinctively seeking her body. All I found next to me were cool sheets. I grudgingly opened my eyes, hoping she’d only gone far enough to make coffee or get a glass of water.
She sat in the chair on the other side of the cabin—close based on the size of the room but also so very far. She was already dressed and lacing up those hiking boots that made her legs somehow seem even longer than they were. She must have felt my stare because she looked up at me and smiled. “Good morning.”
Disappointment at knowing I couldn’t lure her back to bed warred with the bliss of simply seeing her, of knowing what we’d done for the better part of the night. “Good morning.”
“I need to water the flowers, so you have a minute, but I do need to lock up before I go.” She winked at me. “Park rules.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I’m pretty sure skinny dipping in the lake and bringing a camper back to one’s bunk weren’t appropriate park ranger protocol. Not that I was arguing.
Fortunately, I was used to getting up and getting dressed in a hurry. I stepped outside into the cool morning air, wondering if my tent and sleeping bag would have kept me as warm as they promised. I’d have to find out some other time.
“Are you staying another night?” she asked, as though reading my mind.
“Not this time. I’m starting a new job tomorrow and I need to get settled into my place and be ready to impress the boss first thing.” The one I’d heard was seriously miffed they’d brought in someone from the city to consult on the project.
“Here, you mean? You’re moving here?” She turned toward me, the hose momentarily shifting away from the flower bed.
The genuine surprise in her voice made me lift my chin, not in defiance exactly, but maybe a little. “I am.”
She angled her head slightly.
“Well, not here.” I gestured around me. “Town. Pine Ridge.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything.
I decided to try for playful. “So, since I’m a local now, maybe I’ll see you around.”
She lifted a finger in that way that said she was used to people doing what she wanted, then went over to turn off the hose. She took her time with it, winding it up and getting it situated just so. When she finished, she came over to where I stood and looked me up and down. Her gaze held heat, which made me feel better about the arousal thrumming through my own body. But there was something else there, too. Challenge, maybe? That’s what it felt like, but different from the way she’d looked at me at the lake. “Maybe you will.”
My imagination had gotten so far ahead of me, I didn’t understand what she meant at first. Then it registered. The idea of seeing her around town—of seeing more of her—definitely appealed. “I’ll look forward to that.”
“Good luck packing up your site. Don’t worry, the tents come down easier than they go up.” Humor danced in her eyes.
Given my cluelessness the day before, I couldn’t begrudge her teasing me a little. Besides, if I’d known what I was doing, she might never have stopped and talked to me. “I think I’ll manage.”
“Dumpsters are off to the right just before you hit the exit. Be sure not to leave anything behind.”
I couldn’t tell if she was dismissing me or if slipping into ranger mode was that much of a habit for her. “Don’t worry. I’m super responsible.”
She bit her lip and, for a second, I couldn’t tell if she was about to kiss me or laugh at me. Eventually, she said, “I hope you come back before the season ends. It would be a shame for that tent not to get any use.”
The way she said it made me think of doing all sorts of things in it that had nothing to do with sleep. It was a two-person, after all. “Oh, I definitely will.”
“Good. I’ll see you around, then.” She stepped forward and kissed me, softly but full of enough promise that it lit me up from the inside.
“Uh-huh.” I wanted to kick myself fur such a doofus response, but she’d once again managed to tie my tongue and addle my brain.
“You want a lift to your site? I’m heading that way.” She tipped her head toward the golf cart parked off to the left.
“Sure.” I didn’t mind the walk, to be honest, but the prospect of a few more minutes with her was impossible to resist.
The ride took us past the lake, making the fantasy part of my brain roar back to life. It also took us past several dozen other campsites. People emerged from tents; a few had their fires going already. The whole thing was serene and completely unlike mornings—even a Sunday morning—in the city.
She pulled up to my site and offered me a smile. Friendly, but clear there was no more kissing to be had. I didn’t mind, really. I was already thinking about the next time I’d see her. Another night in her cabin, perhaps. Or maybe she’d agree to go out with me on a night she had off and I could bring her to my house.
I climbed off the bench seat. She offered me a wave and a look I couldn’t decipher and then she was gone. I broke down my site in a pleasant daze, somewhat desperate for coffee but not wanting to bother starting a fire just to make a cup. I packed up my gear and spent a moment looking at the site. Not exactly how I’d planned to spend my first night camping, but I had no complaints.
I stopped at the dumpsters to pitch my trash and recycle my beer bottles. It must have been on the early side for checkout because there wasn’t another soul around. I paused long enough to appreciate the birds singing and the chipmunk that scurried not ten feet from me. And, of course, to chuckle at the tenth or so very stern sign about not feeding bears. Not that I didn’t take it seriously.
The drive to town took only twenty minutes. My mind considered what a twenty-minute drive in the city would get me. Some days, I would be lucky to cover twenty blocks. Out here, I lite
rally went from campground in a national forest to bustling hamlet, complete with restaurants, gift shops, and the amazing little bakery I’d discovered the day before.
I pulled into that bakery and got myself a large coffee and half a dozen donuts. I didn’t need half a dozen, mind you, but I could toast them up all week. I was a bit of an old man like that. I took my spoils home and enjoyed my coffee and two of the donuts in the Adirondack chair on my tiny front porch.
I spent the day unpacking and settling in. I went out for groceries, got my clothes ironed and ready, and grilled a steak for dinner. After considering a movie on my laptop, I opted to return to the porch. Fireflies winked to life in the yard and eased some of the nerves I had about the next day.
The thing was, I wasn’t nervous about the job itself. I knew what I was doing and I had the experience to back it up. This project would be my fourth national park. Yes, this was the most remote as well as my first time in the project manager role, but still. My firm had been chosen for its track record and I’d been part of that record for close to a decade.
No, what got me was knowing I’d be the outsider. Other than a couple of scouting trips, I’d spent virtually no time in the northern half of the state. Regardless of my credentials, that would raise the ire of at least a few of the people I’d have to work with. Including the prickly Director of Park Services I’d heard about but not met.
I tipped back the last of my beer and smiled. I’d just have to win them over with good ideas and charm. My specialty.
Setting thoughts of work aside, I allowed my mind to wander to more pleasant things. Like Brianna. What were the chances I’d see her again? Pretty good, since I obviously knew where she worked. Maybe the better question was: what were my chances of spending another night in her bed?
I alternated between fantasies of doing just that and telling myself to simply appreciate it for what it was—a one-time thing—and focus on work. Unable to settle on one side of that fence or the other, I headed to bed early. Given my lack of sleep the night before, my body overruled my brain and I passed out until my alarm went off at seven.
The meeting wasn’t until nine, but I got to the park office a little after eight. I wandered the small garden out front and studied the signs detailing the history of the park, the geological features, and the trails that could be picked up from the parking areas nearby. I liked the vintage feel of them and made a mental note to try to preserve that aesthetic in the design of new ones.
“You’re not here to file a complaint, are you?”
The sound of Brianna’s voice—low and sultry, but with an air of teasing—caught me by surprise. It also sent a ripple of pleasure through me. I turned and offered her a smile. “What could I possibly have to complain about?”
She lifted a shoulder, but her smile was all flirtation. “Just checking. I want to make sure the campers in my park have a good experience.”
Something about the way she said “my park” gave me pause, but I brushed it off. It wouldn’t be unheard of for a seasonal park ranger to feel a sense of responsibility—ownership, even—in her park. It was that kind of pride, that personal connection, that made the parks inviting. Maybe not quite as essential as the natural beauty or the amenities, but important nonetheless. “My experience exceeded my expectations.”
She smirked then, a sort of slow and sexy smile that reminded me of all the different ways she turned my first night of camping into a night I’d never forget. “But you’ve only just begun to appreciate all we have to offer.”
It could have been a proposition. It could just as easily have been a dig at my staying only the one night. I really, really wanted it to be a proposition. I lifted my chin slightly. “I was just getting started.”
She mimicked the gesture. “That’s what I like to hear.”
“Perhaps you’d be willing to be my personal guide.” She’d probably be a perfect candidate to show me around the park, beyond the campground. It wasn’t hard to imagine spending days hiking and picnicking with her, making out in the shade of hundred-year-old pines or with our feet in icy creeks. And going back to her little cabin or my cottage in town.
Christ. My brain was acting like it was halfway in love with her already. A dangerous possibility, considering my body was already there.
“Perhaps I would. But this morning, I have a meeting in there.” She angled her head toward the building.
I glanced at my watch. “As a matter of fact, I do, too.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly and looked me up and down. There was nothing appreciative about it this time. No, this was all assessment. “You do?”
“That new job I mentioned is here. Well, not here here. The park as a whole.”
Her gaze returned to mine, but her eyes had cooled. “What’s your name again?”
It irritated me that she didn’t remember. “Dean.”
Instead of nodding or apologizing for forgetting, she regarded me with suspicion. But before either of us could say anything more, Chuck Jacobs, the Executive Director of the Park Agency and the guy who’d hired me, appeared in the doorway of the building. “Dean, I see you made it. You find us okay?”
I nodded rather dumbly, still not entirely sure what was happening or why Brianna—in a pleated skirt and pair of sling-back sandals, no less—was there.
“I see you two have met. Fantastic. You’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”
I looked from Brianna to Chuck, then back to Brianna. “I don’t understand.”
She stuck her hand out like we’d just bumped into each other in the parking lot and not like we’d spent an entire night flirting, skinny dipping, and having what was probably the best sex in my entire life. “Brianna West, Director of Park Services.”
Her words made sense, but my brain couldn’t reconcile the casual and carefree woman from the night before with the one standing in front of me. The one with that title, whose reputation I’d heard about but whose name I’d somehow missed. The one who had the power to shape every aspect of the work I’d be doing for the next year of my life. The one who, technically at least, would be my boss.
To save myself from looking like a complete idiot, I shook her hand. “Geraldine Calderone. But most people call me Dean.”
She looked slightly dumbfounded and I took a bit more pleasure in that than I should have. Perhaps I wasn’t who she was expecting, either. She adjusted her posture slightly. It wasn’t meant to be sexy, but it was. “One of our rangers is on maternity leave and I’ve been pitching in to fill holes in the schedule.”
Chuck laughed. “That’s dedication for you, isn’t it Dean?”
I nodded. “It certainly is.”
Brianna shrugged. “I like keeping my hand in every aspect of the park’s operations. It means I don’t lose sight of the important details when I’m looking at the big picture.”
There was more than a trace of defiance in her voice now. I couldn’t decide if I should admire it or be intimidated by it. Either way, so help me, it made me want to kiss her and a whole lot more. “I see.”
“I have a feeling the two of you are going to hit it off like nobody’s business,” Chuck said.
Ha. If he only knew.
He led the way into the building. “We’ll meet in the conference room since there’s a projector to go over the scope report and some of the initial plans, but then I’ll leave you to it.”
“Sure.” I was starting to worry that my credibility was taking a hit with the number of one syllable words I was cranking out, but that was about all my brain was capable of while it cranked out a billion what-ifs and what-nows.
“I set you up in the office next to Brianna’s so you’d have easy access to each other.”
His choice of phrase made me let out one of those unfortunate laugh snorts. I did my best to cover it up with a cough, but not before I caught Brianna smirking again. “Thanks.”
He gestured to a doorway as we walked down the hall—a rather nondescript spa
ce, but with a killer view. Right past it, literally two feet away, was the door to another office. The nameplate announced it belonged to Brianna West, Director.
Chuck stopped at a door on the opposite side of the hall and indicated I should go in. At least a dozen people sat around the table: members of the board, the local government, and all the other stakeholders I’d be leading through a reimagining of strategies for use and conservation of the six million acres under their purview.
For a split-second, my mind froze. All the research I’d done, all my visits to other areas of the park before signing on as lead for this consulting project, threatened to disappear in a cloud of what the hell was I thinking. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them, my gaze landed squarely on Brianna.
Her eyes were cool now. Detached, but the challenge remained. I had no way of knowing if it had to do with her regretting the fact that we’d slept together or resenting my presence more generally. As desperately as I wanted to know, I didn’t have time to entertain theories.
I cleared my throat and plugged my flash drive into the laptop that had been set up for my presentation. I pulled up the charts and graphs, the maps, and the visitor trends I’d spent the last month preparing. I introduced myself and talked about my background and role in the project. And then I launched in.
Because I’m good at what I do, I made eye contact with each and every person sitting around that table. Their nods, with a smile thrown in here and there for good measure, told me I was hitting the mark. I was careful to look at Brianna as much as everyone else, but no more. When I finished, I let my gaze settle squarely on her.
Her eyes held challenge, like they had a moment ago. But they also had a trace of the playfulness I’d seen when she braced herself over me in bed, her hair tumbling over her shoulders and grazing my breasts. I had no idea if we’d get along as colleagues or if she’d fight me every step of the way. I had no idea if we’d share a bed again or if she’d go to her grave pretending that night never happened. But something, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, told me I was going to have a good time finding out.
Summer Loving Page 24