A Familiar Star (Romance Mystery)

by Waters, JesseAnne

  Max looked her up and down. She seemed different, somehow. He thought about all the times she’d huffed and puffed about things, and would die stubborn rather than give in. But this Kylie was more submissive. She was letting her guard down.

  Moving in closer to the fire to warm herself she noticed the pan of fresh fish cooking. “Is that trout?”

  Max looked quite proud of himself. “Do you like trout?”

  “I love it!” She smiled, disregarding her shyness, she helped him with dinner.

  River trout on an open fire was just as delicious as she remembered it to be. The fresh fish melted in her mouth with every bite. It’d been years since she’d gone camping. She thought about how excited she’d been, watching her parents cook up the trout when she was young. Lucy preferred a can of beans and Kylie would tease her all night about what she’d missed out on.

  She thought about Lucy for a second, and wondered what she would think about her flip-flopping back and forth between Max and Paul. It was so out of character for her to do something like this, but everyone had their moments of indecision, hers simply took more twists and turns. Anyhow, Lucy would be so furious at Paul for the way he treated her that she’d totally understand. But perhaps it was best if she didn’t tell her sister what happened. She’d rather forget about it then bring it up again.

  She concentrated blindly on the flames, her thoughts trailing off to last night’s party. She’d tried to block Max from her mind at the party but she couldn’t. She wished she’d just gone to the party with him and never looked back. A spark from the fire made her jump. She needed to forget about everything and everyone and let the peaceful surroundings and the man that brought her here wash it all away. She let out a deep breath and took her last couple of bites.

  “I have a special treat for us!” Max had been watching her and figured it was time to break her trance.

  “What’s that?” Kylie felt like a child again.

  “Marshmallows!” Max pulled a bag out of the packsack.

  “Oh my God, I haven’t had marshmallows in years!”

  The expression on her face made him laugh loudly. “You’re great you know that!”

  She giggled then popped one in her mouth.

  “What are you doing? You’re supposed to roast them first.”

  “Can’t wait,” she said with a mouthful of marshmallow squishing out the sides.

  They enjoyed a good laugh until their surroundings silenced them once more. Then Max got some sticks and began to widdle the ends.

  “It’s so quite here,” Kylie whispered.

  “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

  “Thanks for bringing me with you. I kind of needed to get away too.”

  “Oh yeah, from who?” He asked seriously.

  Kylie placed her chin on her knees and stared at the fire. “No one really, just everything.”

  “I see,” Max said unconvinced.

  “Why did you want to get away?” she countered.

  “A lot of things. Leslie of course,” they both smiled. “And I also came to a decision.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That I won’t fight you for the house, it’s yours if you want it.”

  Kylie looked shocked. “I thought it wasn’t me you wanted to get away from?” She said crisply, the old spark coming back.

  “It’s not, but I can’t live there with you anymore.” He put down the stick and brushed his fingers through his hair.

  She waited a second then raised her brows so he would continue.

  Max took a few steps then stared out into the distance. He believed that this might be his last chance so he needed to be honest. He turned to face her and gazed at the beauty in front of him then stopped. What if she was really in love with Paul, and it was merely a lover’s spat that they had? Something inside him, told him this wasn’t the case. But he’d been wrong before.

  He knew she was attracted to him, but he didn’t want the relationship to be about sex and neither did she. He knew that she was a keeper, and he wanted this to work on all levels, but the sexual tension between them wasn’t imagined, it was real on both sides and that was a start.

  He turned back to her. She was as beautiful as the firelight that danced across her face. She seemed almost ethereal.

  “I need to be with you Kylie, just you and me. I’m crazy about you and I can’t, God damn, stand seeing you with that guy anymore!” His confession was too emotional; he shook his head at his loss of control.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  “I’ve been trying to tell you everyday, I just don’t know what you think I want.”

  “I know you want to sleep with me,” she accused then felt foolish thinking about what Paul did.

  “Look I just told you how I feel. I don’t expect you to run into my arms, I just wanted to set things straight.” He looked at her staring at him and winced. She wasn’t even blinking.

  “Why did you come up here with me anyway?” He murmured.

  “Because I like being with you…I think… I mean, I know I’m attracted to you,” she admitted then smiled with her eyes.

  Max took his first real breath of the day. “Well that’s a start, so maybe I’ve rubbed off on you then?” He grinned, releasing the tension inside him.

  “Yeah, I guess a little,” Kylie rolled her eyes playfully.

  “Well great!” He said, bending down and picking her off her feet. He was too overjoyed to think about what he was doing.

  Kylie felt like a bubble of air being lifted off the ground. A sweet, tender sensation lodged in her chest.

  Her feet gently touched the ground as he let go of her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go but he backed up a step instead, still knowing that she needed to come to him.

  Kylie let out a laugh, then said, “wait a minute, I said I liked being with you, I didn’t say I trusted you.”

  “What do you mean?” He frowned.

  “You’re quite the playboy Max Shepard, and I’m not sure if I can handle that.”

  Max stared at her for a second then took her by the hand and walked towards the stream.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.” He said.

  Silently they walked down the slope, stopping in front of the telescope. Max pointed it at the campers across the meadow then adjusted it for her.

  “Take a look.”

  Kylie leaned down and peered through the lens.

  Beside a campfire, was a family of four; the children were laughing and playing while the parent’s roasted marshmallows. They looked like they were having a wonderful time. Kylie felt like a warm blanket had been placed over her heart. She looked up at Max questioningly.

  “That’s it Kylie, that’s all I want in life. I’m actually a pretty simple guy. You think I’m a playboy because I joke around but it’s only with you. Only with you.” He repeated slowly.

  Yes, Kylie thought to herself, as she watched him walk back to the campfire, he was telling the truth and she knew it. He would take care of her heart. He would never let her down.

  The stars were lighting up the night’s sky and the forest swayed magically in the breeze. Kylie walked back to the fire and sat down, placing herself as close to Max as possible, without being obvious.

  “I guess you want to know what happened with Paul.” She whispered.

  “Only if it’s good news.” He joked, but he could see she was getting that lost puppy dog look again.

  She considered telling him a lie or candy coating the truth, but then he wouldn’t know how over it was between her and Paul. So she gave it to him straight.

  “It was awful actually,” she said, barely whispering. She didn’t want to lose control but it was hard not getting emotional.

  “What the hell did he do?” He turned serious.

  “It’s nothing that bad. I just realized he wasn’t what I wanted. Wasn’t even close to who I thought he was.” She admitted.

>   “All right.” He placed his hand over hers.

  She looked at him from under lowered lashes; her throat tightened up as feelings from last night came flooding back.

  “After the party he took me back to his place. I was weak from being sick and needed a shower, so he helped me in the tub. I guess I should have gotten in myself. Anyway, he helped me in and when I got out, he grabbed the towel from me and brought me into his bedroom. He threw me onto the bed but I climbed off onto the other side then went to the bathroom and climbed out the window.” She said quickly then felt the tears that came without an invitation.

  Max dropped his hand and tensed up.

  “I’m sorry… shit, I shouldn’t have told you. I just wanted to be honest.” She cringed.

  Max jumped up and paced around the fire.

  “Look it wasn’t his fault. It was my fault. But now you know nothing happened.”

  “God dam right it was his fault!” He growled loudly. “I’m going to kill the son of a bitch!”

  Kylie got up and walked over to him.

  “His fault for doing what, the same thing you did?” She shook her head at her own foolishness. How could she have thought he would take this casually?

  Max moved away from her and took out a bottle of Jack Daniels. He took a swig violently. “I’m still going to kill him.” He said again, swallowing hard.

  “You can’t kill him, but you can forget about it and we can move on.” She pleaded. Wishing she had never opened her mouth. “Nothing happened! I swear to you on my grandmother’s grave, nothing happened!”

  A moment passed before they both looked at each other. Their eyes locked. The pain was crushing her now. All she could feel was his anger.

  Max kept his gaze glued to hers. He saw the sheen of tears covering her face. But he still couldn’t see her. His teeth were gritted and every muscle in his body was strained in fury.

  “Max, please,” she spoke in a whisper, crossed over to him and took the bottle of alcohol from him and took a sip. She looked down into the bottle before she spoke. “What’s crazy is, it’s always been you….always. I couldn’t stop thinking about you last night. Even the first night I went out with him, I couldn’t get you off my mind. That’s why I say it’s my fault. I should’ve never been with him in the first place. But nothing happened, believe me.”

  “I do believe you.”

  “Then why are you so mad?”

  Releasing as much tension as he could, he faced her and then he saw her. She was clutching the bottle with both hands; the sadness she wore was too much for him to bear. He looked at her lovingly then pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. She softened beneath him and the tension seemed to drain out of him but his anger held like a knot of hatred in his gut.

  “Because he knew exactly what he was doing. He brought you to his house for one reason and one reason only. He should’ve taken you home or brought you to Lucy’s. I told him that if he didn’t trust me, that I’d call your sister. That’s when he had me arrested.”

  A kind of knowing registered on her face. Max was right. Paul asked her to leave with him before the party. His intentions were clear from that moment on. But who’d put the drug in her drink. She wouldn’t tell Max about that, or the fact that Paul had thought it was him.

  They sat cuddled up by the fire. Max had told her if she needed to forget about it, he could forget about it too. But he was painfully aware that it was the first lie he’d told her. Then again, it was one of those innocent lies to protect the other person. Still it didn’t sit well with him. Deliberately, he changed the subject.

  “I was thinking we should hire a gardener for the front of the house.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Kylie was so thankful they were acting normal again, even if there was still a little tension in the air, they could get over this, she was sure.

  “I was thinking that maybe the cedars could be moved back away from the door because the mosquitoes like to hide in them.”

  “That’s true,” Max smiled then pulled her closer.

  Her heart was beating faster now as she snuggled into him. She was thinking about the future and it was making her nervous. Maybe Max should know a little more about her before they get too serious.

  “I’m not sure if I’m any good at relationships.” She blurted out of the blue. “I think I never really give them a chance. I just wanted you to know.”

  A grin flashed across his lips. “Are you apologizing in advance?”

  “No actually, I’m just saying I haven’t had much experience being involved with someone but I’m ready now.” She smiled up at him.

  “So why is it you’re this way?”

  “Well,” she tried to choose the right words but there was only one way to put it. “I’m a bit of a control freak.”

  “No, you don’t say!” Max answered sarcastically.

  “Max!” She hit him playfully on the arm.

  “No really, I’ve never noticed. You’ve never been that way with me.”

  “Actually I have,” She played along, “but you’ve made me realize that giving up control means you care.”

  “You’re very caring and I’m sure you’ve always been that way. I don’t think it’s that at all. I think you’re so afraid to be hurt, you think it’s just safer not to try.”

  Kylie let out a deep breath and lay back on the blanket. The fire cracked furiously and she was too warm. She pulled off her sweater and looked up at the stars. “Aren’t you afraid of anything?”

  Max leaned back on his elbow and stared at her. He moved her thick, auburn hair off of her shoulders, and with the back of his hand, he drew a line up her shoulder, then up her neck, then around her face.

  Her breath caught as she stared back at him.

  “You are so beautiful, I’m afraid you’re just a dream.” He whispered, mesmerized.

  Kylie took his hand and brought it to her lips. Then she laid it back, along the side her face. “I’m not afraid anymore, Max.”

  “Good. I don’t want you to be.” He curled his hand behind her neck and felt her breathing become more rapid. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers.

  She slipped one hand deep into his hair at the nape of his neck and the other slid up under his t-shirt. Softly their lips and breath mingled as they explored each other affectionately.

  He wondered if she was feeling any pressure, but as he moved back to look at her, she pulled him tight against her body, her lips parting, sensually wanting more.

  At last, his hot lips came down on hers; he passionately parted them with his tongue, lingering inside, until her body began to wiggle underneath him. Her hands explored the muscles of his back, his arms and she marveled at never being kissed like this before, with such intensity. It made her pulse accelerate.

  The slow penetration of her tongue began to drive him wild. His hands held her face as he came down harder on her lips. She was so willing to love that he felt his heart and body ache with affection and lust. The kisses went lower still, he veered down her neck towards her breasts and she arched forward, moaning intensely.

  Max raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Are you sure you’re as innocent as you say?”

  “Did I say that?” Her breathing was hard as she lay under him. She held on to him tight as he explored her cleavage. “Make love to me Max.”

  “What?” He said coming back up.

  “Make love to me,” she said breathing against his lips.

  Max leaned back and stared at her then roared with laughter.

  “What?” She half whispered.

  “Ah. No way! I’m not touching you,” he said then laughed some more.

  “You can’t mean that!” Kylie said shocked.

  “Your dam right I mean it. That got me in a whole load of trouble last time. This time I’m going to court you for a good long time.”

  “Oh really!” She laughed.

  Max pulled her back into his arms and chuckled. “I’ll tell you what, there’s a tim
e for everything but not tonight. Tonight is for getting to know each other, to slowly get to know each other. Sound good?”

  “Yes, actually, that sounds good.” Kylie relaxed and smiled. She had just learned something very important about Max Shepard. The man has patience.

  Chapter 11

  The wilderness air was the best sleeping pill imaginable. By the time they woke up it was half past noon. Kylie opened her eyes first and felt Max spooning her body from behind. She snuggled in closer, enjoying the warmth and security he offered. It was nice knowing that for once Kylie hadn’t planned this. It happened all on its own. Max took charge and all Kylie had to do was go along for the ride. She didn’t contemplate about what to do next but simply enjoyed the freedom from resistance. This was the most relaxed she’d been in a long time.

  Best of all, they’d spent the night talking and kissing and even though they’d zipped the sleeping bags together, and she was only wearing a t-shirt and undies, Max had stayed true to his word. The man certainly was blessed with a control that she did not have.

  The passion between them last night had made her want. The wanting grew, consuming her until she ached, but then he’d pull away just as she thought he would touch her more intimately. She wondered if he was merely exercising extreme control because he wanted to prove to her he wasn’t like Paul, or did he mean to drive her mad with lust. Once they were home she would see how strong that self-control was. A man willing to delay gratification was very rare, but he was still a man.

  “Good morning.” He kissed her ear and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Good morning, how did you sleep?”

  “I slept like I was the luckiest man alive.”

  Kylie laughed then rolled over and jumped on top of him, feeling his hardened manhood under her. “You are the luckiest man alive!”

  “Oh, conceited one, you’re asking for trouble up there!” He pulled her down and began to tickle and rustle with her until she finally gave up laughing.

  “I’ll go make breakfast.”

  “I’ll help you.” She scooped her body down and slid to his side.