by K. C. Crowne
And more than that, I imagined tenderness between us. Even in my fantasy I wasn’t simply on top of her, pounding hard as she screamed for more. I moved inside her gently, paying special attention to the way her body moved under my own, the soft hush of her breath and the way her back arched as I plunged into her again and again.
As I moved in and out of her, we kissed hard, our arms wrapped around one another, our bodies pressed close and our skin warm. Our orgasms rose and fell at the same time, the two of us in perfect synchronicity.
When I finished back in the real word, I paused, a confused expression on my face as I tried to figure out what my little fantasy had meant.
What did I feel for Lola? And why the hell did it scare me?
I woke up the next morning to my phone chiming in my jeans on the far corner of the room. I sprang out of bed and fished my phone out of my pocket. The name on the screen alone was enough to put a smile on my face – my Aunt Roxie.
“Rox!” I exclaimed after swiping to accept, my aunt’s slender face appearing on the screen.
“There’s my second-favorite nephew!” She flashed me a broad smile. Second-favorite nephew was how she referred to Finn, too – part of her wicked sense of humor.
“What’s going on back in our fair Emerald Isle?” I asked as I headed into the kitchen to start my coffee.
“Oh, the usual. Just wanted to check in and see what was happenin’ on the other side of the planet.”
“Well, quite a bit, actually.”
“That right?”
I told her about Lola. It was the damnedest thing – I was normally the kind of man who kept his feelings close to the chest. But with Lola…it was different. I wanted to tell the world about her.
“Now, let me ask you this,” Roxie said, her eyebrows arched in skepticism. “She askin’ to borrow your credit card to pay for a male stripper habit?”
I laughed. Roxie, other than Finn the night before, had been the only other person I’d talked to about Fay.
“So far, no. But we’ll see what the day holds.”
“Your little adventure date is today? Now, that’s some good news.”
“It’s only our second date. And she seemed pretty damn skeptical about it.”
“Well, you’re askin’ a lot of a woman like that. You don’t get to be a successful doctor by throwin’ caution to the wind. Not everyone can hop on a plane and jet across the planet to take some snapshots of turtles.”
“Fair enough. So you’re thinkin’ things are lookin’ good so far?”
“Hard to say – only date number two, after all. But here’s what I’m thinkin’. Don’t push too hard, make her wanna run back to the routine she knows. She’ll get to know you on her own time, and I’m sure she’ll end up bein’ crazy about you.”
“Thanks, Roxie.”
Before she could respond, my phone buzzed with a text from Lola.
What’s the plan for today?
I grinned and said my goodbyes to Aunt Roxie before typing a response.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for an adventure.
Chapter 12
LOLA
An adventure? What the hell did that even mean? Was he planning on taking me out on a horseback ride into the wilderness or something?
That idea didn’t sound half-bad, actually.
I pushed it out of my head as I read the text from Patrick. I scanned the words over and over, as if there might be some clue as to what kind of day he had in mind. And more than that, I realized as I stood in my kitchen holding the phone, that this would be my best chance to back out.
As I considered the idea, another wave of queasiness hit me. I set the phone down on the counter, placing one hand on my belly and the other on the edge of the kitchen island. I winced, letting the strange, sudden nausea flow through me.
For a moment, I felt like I might actually have to run to the bathroom and let it rip. But like before, the nausea faded until it was gone. When I felt normal again, I stood up straight and squared my shoulders.
Fine. Perfectly healthy – nothing wrong with me. I hadn’t taken a sick day since starting at Pitt Medical, and I wasn’t about to start by spending my Sunday in bed with an upset stomach.
I typed the reply to Patrick feeling almost cocky, like I wasn’t about to let my body get the better of me.
Ready. What time?
The reply came seconds later.
Be ready at eleven. Dress warm.
I checked the time on my phone – a little before nine. I replied in the affirmative and set down my phone, taking a second to think about the weird wave of sickness that had just hit me. I’d felt nauseated when I’d woken up that morning. In fact, the nausea was what I’d woken up to. I’d opened my eyes and felt it, the urge to vomit making me feel like I needed to spring out of bed and rush to the toilet.
But like it had a few seconds ago, the nausea faded. I hadn’t eaten anything out of the ordinary the day before, and I’d been so tired at the end of my Saturday that I didn’t even have my usual weekend glass of wine.
I didn’t want to dwell on it. And I didn’t get the chance – the moment I poured myself a cup of coffee, the phone rang with a call from Mom.
“Morning, kid!” she elated, her voice chipper as ever through the speaker phone. “You excited?”
Part of me wanted to tell her about the nausea, but I thought better of it – no need to worry her about something that was most likely nothing.
“I don’t know if excited is the right word. More like…trepidatious.”
“Oh, come on. I swear, you have to be the only woman in the world who could get asked out on an adventure by a handsome Irishman and have doubts about it.” She said the word adventure as if it were a world full of possibility. “You know what I’d do in your position? I’d tell him the only adventure I needed was an expedition to the nearest Motel 6.”
“Mom!” I said with a laugh as I set down my coffee mug for fear of spilling it everywhere. “Not when I’m in the middle of taking a sip.”
“Kiddo, you know I wouldn’t be able to see that normally, let alone over the phone. Now, when’s this nice young man picking you up?”
“Lots of words I’d use to describe him, and I don’t know if nice is one of them.”
“Good – nice is bo-ring.”
That got another laugh out of me. “Mom, all I want is a nice guy. I mean—”
“There!” she said, shooting out the word as if she’d caught me in the act. “Got you to admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“That you want a man. I knew you weren’t as single-minded about your career as you like to pretend.”
“It’s not pretending,” I defended as I made my way into the master bedroom. “My career is what’s important to me. What I’m saying is hypothetically, if I were interested in finding someone, I wouldn’t want some guy who takes me on random adventures and doesn’t let me know if he’s coming or going.”
“You’re saying that, but I know deep down you like the excitement.”
“Trust me, I almost wish I were spending the day curled up with a book instead of wondering where I was going to be in two hours.”
“All I’m saying is you should give him a chance.”
I opened my closet and flitted through my clothes, trying to find something appropriate for the day ahead. He’d said to dress warm, but those were pretty vague instructions. So, to err on the side of caution, I went with some dark jeans and a pair of leggings on underneath.
“I am giving him a chance. That’s what the date is all about. But I have to be honest – he’s fighting an uphill battle.” I scanned through my sweaters as I spoke, my eyes settling on a cream-colored cable knit.
“And why’s that?”
“I know you want me to find love, Mom, but I need to get my career sorted out first. I’m getting into the most productive years of my life, and then there’s the whole other thing with the clinic.”
Mom s
ighed as if a little exasperated. “Here’s the thing about love, kiddo. Love and marriage and babies and all the rest – there is no perfect time. If you spend the rest of your life waiting for everything to be lined up just perfectly, it’ll never happen. Hell, if I’d done than then I never would’ve had you.”
“I know, I know. I just need a few more years, that’s all. A few more years and I can turn my attention to love.”
“Maybe. But I’ll tell you this – handsome Irish guys who want to take you on adventures don’t just come around the block every few years. At least be open, okay?”
“Fine, fine.”
I was eager to change the subject, so I switched it to Mom’s love life at the assisted living facility. And she was more than eager to fill me in on all the juicy details – even the ones I might not have wanted to hear.
I changed and got ready, and by the time I finished my coffee, a text arrived from the man himself letting me know he was on the way over – in fact, he was only five minutes away. I said my goodbyes to Mom and hung up, taking one last look in the mirror to make sure my outfit was fine.
I’m checking myself out for seasonal appropriateness, I thought. Not to make sure I look cute for him or anything like that. I just want to be warm if he’s going to take me on some kind of outdoor winter adventure.
I grabbed a camel-colored beanie and pulled it onto my head just in time to hear a chime from my intercom. I buzzed him in, my stomach tensing as he approached.
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was nervous – and not the scared kind of nervous, the excited kind. I couldn’t remember the last time a man had made me feel this way. Actually, I could – the last time I saw Patrick.
A rapid, energetic knock sounded at the door, and after taking one more deep breath, I opened it up and stepped aside. Patrick looked good as ever. He wore a light brown shearling jacket with the big collar pulled up, a pair of dark jeans, and a sweater of thick black wool. On his face was a cocky, self-assured smile, as if he didn’t have the slightest worry if I was pleased to see him or not.
But before saying word, his eyes fell to my chest and he nodded approvingly. “Nice.”
My face reddened. “Excuse me?”
He lifted his eyes to mine and kept smiling. “Your sweater – that’s Aran wool, right?”
“Aran what?”
He grinned. “That’s as Irish as I am. Good to see your taste in sweaters is as good as your taste in men.”
My head was still in a state of shock from thinking he’d started our date by ogling my boobs. But Patrick, in the self-assuredness I’d come to expect from him, wasn’t put off in the slightest.
“You alright?” he asked.
“I just thought you were, uh, never mind.”
As I spoke, I realized I was turned on. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was. The idea of him boldly checking me out was a thrill. Part of me wished he had been doing it. And more than that, part of me wished he’d take it a step further and push me into the apartment, plant his lips on mine, and take me all the way to the bedroom.
“You sure you’re alright?” he asked again.
I shook my head, coming back to the moment. I was fine. My panties were soaked, and my heart was racing, but I was fine.
“So,” I said. “This adventure…”
Back in college, I did well in English. And especially so for a pre-med student. In fact, I liked to take a bit of pride in my verbal abilities. But when Patrick pulled up to the site of the adventure, only three words came to mind.
“What the fuck?”
He grinned, clearly happy to have laid such a surprise on me. “What do you think? Look fun or what?”
I’d been tense earlier with excitement and anticipation. And I’d had a pretty damn good feeling that whatever the surprise adventure was going to be, I’d be in for something unexpected. But I hadn’t expected this.
“Well, say something,” he insisted. “You excited?”
“I don’t know what I am,” I replied.
“Come on.” He gave my hand a squeeze before hopping out. “It’ll be fun!”
He shut the door and hurried off. And I just sat there staring at it.
Right in front of me was something I most definitely had not expected to see.
A hot air balloon.
I stayed in the car, as if I could simply not get out and bypass the whole thing. Patrick turned around and put his hands on his hips, and I knew there was no getting out of it. He came back to the passenger-side door and opened it. After that, he opened one of the back doors and pulled out a shoulder bag, slinging it over his back before turning his attention to me again.
“Let’s go,” he said with a smirk.
“I can’t do it,” I said, my eyes wide and fixed on the balloon. “There’s not a chance in hell I can get up in that thing and—”
“You can do it.” There wasn’t a trace of doubt in his voice. And strangely, it had an effect on me.
“I know I can do it,” I said, shaking my head. “But…no.”
Just looking at the thing was enough to cause flashbacks to appear in my mind of that day in the boat with Josh. But even worse, the images were new and fresh, the context changed from a boat being tossed around in the stormy seas to a hot air balloon being swatted around in the sky by raging winds as if being played with by an enormous cat.
“No?” he asked. “Just like that?”
“Just like that. I can’t do it. I’m sorry. I appreciate the gesture, but I can’t.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to figure something out. “The first second you want it to be over, just make the call.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve got this feelin’ you’re worried about getting up there and not being able to come back down. Well, I promise that the second you want it to be over, it’s over. We go up, and if after two seconds that’s enough, we can come back down. But you can trust me, you’re gonna be glad you did it.”
It was as if he could see my fears and understood them totally. He knew I was scared of going up, high in the sky, and not having any control over whether or not I came down. And there was something about the way he stood there, calm and confident, that made me think it was actually a good idea.
“The second I want to come down,” I said, raising my finger.
“The exact second. Now, let’s get that gorgeous arse into that balloon basket.”
We made our way up the winding pathway that led to an open, snowy field. A trio of balloons were parked, all with wild, gorgeous colors and patterns. Patrick placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me toward the balloon in the center. A middle-aged woman awaited us there, and before I knew what was happening, she began explaining basic safety protocol and all the rest of the info I’d need to know to go up.
“Won’t it be cold?” I asked. “It’s got to be twenty degrees out right now.”
She shook her head, smiling. “Nope. The heat from the balloon’s flame creates a little pocket of warmth. It’ll probably even be warm enough for you to take your coat and hat off.”
I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Years ago, I’d sworn I wouldn’t put myself in a dangerous position with a man again. But Patrick seemed different. I couldn’t put my finger on why, exactly, but I didn’t feel the same way around him that I had around Josh when he’d show some boneheaded disregard for my safety or feelings.
“And she didn’t mention the best part,” Patrick said with a sly smile.
He placed his hand on the edge of the basket’s door and pushed it open. The interior was surprisingly spacious, with plenty of room to move around. And in the basket was a smaller basket – one for packing food.
“We’ve got lunch and wine ready to go,” he said. “Everything we need for an amazing trip.”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I wasn’t sure why, but I found myself opening up more and more to the idea by the second.
“Alright,” I sa
id. “Let’s do this.” My attention snapped over to the employee. “We can come down whenever we want, right?”
“Of course,” she assured me. “And I’ll be there with you, so just leave everything to me.”
That made me feel a bit better. If Patrick did have a reckless side and wanted to pull some stunt, the guide would still be in complete control.
Patrick’s hand still on the small of my back, I stepped into the basket. There was plenty of room for the three of us. Once we were all inside, the guide closed the basket and latched it securely.
“We ready?”
Before he answered her, Patrick turned to me – he wanted to give me the chance to say yes or no. It was a small gesture but appreciated all the same.
“Let’s do this.”
Patrick clasped his hands together in excitement, and the guide prepared the flame. Once it was going, the air around us warmed quickly, enough for me to pull off my gloves and shove them into my coat pocket.
Tension clenched my stomach as the guide worked the flame and the balloon rose higher and higher into the sky. I noted the moment we were high enough that a fall to the ground would almost certainly be fatal – and we kept on rising.
As we rose, I felt Patrick wrap his fingers around mine, giving them a firm and reassuring squeeze. And I felt better.
I felt well enough, in fact, that I could appreciate the incredible view around me. The mountains rose to the north, our height enough that I could clearly make out their snow-capped peaks and the clouds coiled around them. To the east and below us was Denver, the city spreading out forever, the towers of downtown looking tiny.
“Wow.” What else was there to say?
Instead of words, I squeezed Patrick’s hand.
And I couldn’t help but smile.
Chapter 13
PATRICK
Sure, the scenery around us was special, but at that moment, I was more into the beauty standing in front of me. An expression of total wonder was on Lola’s face as she gazed at the surroundings, her gorgeous eyes flicking from one point of interest to the next.