by Tina Martin
“That makes me feel a little better.”
Trevor took her gloved hand into his as they hiked deeper and deeper into the woods, stepping in what had to be at least six inches of snow on the ground.
When they were further along, Elsie said, “Oh, look at that,” pointing to a hut that looked like a small shed people kept behind their houses for storage. From what she could see, it had a window and a little porch.
“That’s where we’re going,” he told her. “Are you ready to take a break?”
“Yes. My hands are starting to get a little cold. I should’ve put on two pairs of gloves, but I only packed one pair.
“We’ll warm up there before hiking back to the house.”
After a few more steps, Trevor took off his backpack, then used a key to unlock the padlock that secured the hut. He pushed the door opened, surveyed the place and walked over to the small fire pit encased in stones and bricks. He removed a lighter and a piece of paper from his backpack. After gathering the old wood together, he lit the paper and lowered it to the wood.
“Look at you being all resourceful.”
“Like I said, I’ve done this a million times. Don’t let the fire go out. I’ll be right back.”
“Um, where are you going?”
“I need to get a couple of sticks.”
“For what?”
“You’ll see.”
While Elsie waited for him to return, she stirred the logs with a piece of wood that hadn’t yet caught fire, then looked around the hut. It was empty with the exception of the fire pit. And she was surprised at how clean and spacious it was. She didn’t mind sitting on the floor, tending to the fire.
Moments later, Trevor was back with sticks.
He took a bag of marshmallows, graham crackers and a Hershey bar from his backpack.
A smile glowed on Elsie’s face. “You’re making s’mores.”
“Correction—we’re making s’mores.” He handed her the bag of marshmallows after he secured one on a stick.
She did the same, made sure it was sturdy, then held it over the fire. “I’ve never done this before.”
“No?”
“Nope.”
“They’re delicious,” he told her.
“With as much food as you ate this morning, I’m surprised you have the room for it.”
“Don’t be. I burned most of that off hiking back here. Besides, the sugar rush will give us enough energy to hike back.”
When the marshmallows were toasted to perfection, they smashed it and the chocolate between two graham crackers.
“Take a bite,” he told her when it looked like she was just sitting there staring, contemplating if she wanted to try it.
She watched him take a chunk out of his and that gave her motivation to try it. She took a small bite at first, but then quickly followed up with a bigger one.
“Good, right?” Trevor mumbled.
Elsie nodded.
They finished eating them, then enjoyed the warm fire as they sat on the unpolished, wooden floor.
Trevor broke the silence when he looked over at her and said, “I have to tell you something, Elsie.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, detecting the tone shift of his voice.
He broke his gaze with her to stare into the fire. How could he tell her that their meeting each other was no coincidence? That Priscilla had been behind it all and the only reason he went for it was to land a job? And now, all that aside, he liked her – genuinely liked her as a person, as a woman – but he could foresee how she’d find that hard to believe had he told her the truth.
“Trevor?” Elsie said, beckoning his attention. When he looked at her, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
He couldn’t tell her. Not now, anyway. His urge to kiss her was far greater than anything else at that moment, so he scooted closer to her and only a breath away, he whispered, “I’ve been wanting to do this again since earlier this morning,” and left no time for questions as he captured her lips like they were a bounty he’d found and claimed. Her mouth was as tender, juicy and sweet as it was when he kissed her this morning, and in order to get a better serving, he rose to his knees while she remained sitting. With his arms around her, he deepened the kiss, intent on allowing the sensations that coursed through him to fully take over his body like Elsie had taken over his mind. The kinds of desires, the shudders running up his spine was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. His groans were deeper, more pronounced and desperate and he felt his hands quiver against her quivering body while he held on to her.
He had not expected this to happen out of the presence of his parents. Their kissing was only supposed to be a pretense, but now it was solely for him – to fill the natural, instinctive hunger he’d acquired for Elsie in such a small window of time. He knew she already viewed him as the man of her dreams and he was happy to be a fulfiller of her fantasies. So with his hot, heated direct kiss, he made it his goal to show her that dreams – some of them – really do come true.
Her moans filled the shed and when the small space around them couldn’t contain those intimate sounds he caused her to make, they echoed out into the forest. His hands floated down her back to catch and hold on to her backside. Her moans increased, so did the quivering of her body, but that didn’t stop her from placing her hands on both sides of his face and getting a good grip on him. Clinging to him. When he felt her need match his, he lifted her from the floor and brought her body needfully against his. Her legs automatically wrapped around his torso like they’d practiced this routine countless times before, and his hands gripped her backside while they mated uncontrollably.
And so there they were making out next to the crackling fire with him holding her effortlessly while on his knees and her holding on tight to him like he was her lifeline. If anything, he was taking her life. She could hardly breathe with his tongue right at the opening of her throat. She didn’t know this, but he was seconds away from allowing her to use his backpack as a pillow and his body as a blanket as he peeled off layers of her clothes.
“Ahem. Your mother told me you two were out here somewhere.” They both jumped, startled by Dexter’s voice.
Trevor carefully lowered Elsie back to a sitting position, then looked at his father. “Why were you looking for us?” he asked, irritated that his father disturbed his alone time with Elsie.
“Well, since you’ll be leaving tomorrow night, I thought maybe you’d like to get a game of chess in.”
I’d much rather be kissing my girl...
“But I see that you’re busy,” Dexter said with a grin. “Pardon my interruption.”
“It’s cool,” Trevor said. “We were just getting ready to head back.”
“You sure about that?” Dexter asked.
Elsie’s already warm face turned a shade of embarrassment red.
“Yeah.” Trevor answered. “Ready, El—Rachel?”
“Yes,” she said. “I can help Lana with dinner while you guys play chess.”
“I’m sure she would like that very much,” Dexter said, watching Trevor put out the fire right before they began the trek back to the house.
Chapter 21
Elsie
At dinner, Trevor and I exchange weird glances but the subject of us kissing in the woods never came up. Surprisingly, Dexter joined us for dinner. Turns out, he’s the most talkative man I know – well, besides Billie – but while he’s yapping it up, I notice how Lana doesn’t seem too interested in anything he has to say. It’s probably all a bunch of nonsense she’s already heard a million times before which makes it easy for her to tune him out and focus on Trevor whose intoxicating gaze has held me captive all evening. He knew he was making me uncomfortable. He just didn’t care. I suppose if I can lose myself and kiss him like the world was ending, I guess he figured I could handle being stared at.
I couldn’t.
So, when dinner was finally over, I don’t hang around for small talk. I need a breather. Quietude. My o
wn space. I find that space in my room and I stay put, behind locked doors. I just need a minute. Or twenty. I had no idea this trip would leave me so confused and crazy about a man I hadn’t known for a full month yet. And I question my decision to come here because old Elsie would’ve declined something so preposterous, but new Elsie went for it. In a way, I’m proud of myself for being adventurous – for throwing caution to the wind and going with the flow. At the same time, I wonder if this is going to be my downfall – if I won’t carefully weigh my decisions in the future because of this shift in my thinking.
And then there’s Trevor…
I’ve never been as thoroughly kissed, touched, gawked upon and held the way Trevor did all those things to me. There’s no telling what would’ve happened if Dexter hadn’t shown up in the woods today. Trevor wasn’t trying to let me go. He held on tighter. Even after Dexter walked up, Trevor’s arms were still tight around me, holding my body to his. Maybe all this pretending to be Rachel made him want me.
When I’ve had enough time to think, I stand up from the bed to return downstairs, but my phone interrupts me. It’s Karsheeda.
“Hello,” I answer.
“Hey, girl. Is everything straight now?”
“Somewhat. Trevor found some common ground with his dad, but his mother is still a little rattled and I totally understand. Trevor was right. She’s a lot like me.”
“Then who best to talk to her?”
“You’re right. I just don’t know what to say. She’s been married to this man for forever and a day and he still cheats on her.”
“There’s not much you can do but talk to her. Ultimately, the decision is hers to make. Some women get so caught up in what people will think that they put up with the disrespect to save face, but I’ma tell you. Life is too short to be worried about what people think of you.”
“That’s true.” I sigh.
“How’s everything else going?”
“Um…”
“Don’t hold back. Tell me.”
“Okay, you remember how you gave me the signs that a guy likes you?”
“Yeah.”
“Karsheeda, Trevor is hitting all of those signs.”
“Umm hmmm…I knew it! The roses were a dead giveaway.”
“And we’ve kissed twice now.”
“Say what?”
“We’ve kissed. He said we needed to be affectionate so his mother would really believe that I was his fiancée so, we kissed. Then we went on a hike, and he kissed me again.”
“You went on a hike where?”
“In the forest behind his parent’s house.”
“So, this man led you into the woods and tried to get freaky with you?”
“Yes, and it was—omg, I can’t even describe it, Sheeda. He kissed me like he wanted me…like he was going to eat my face.”
She cackles. “Did you just say he was going to eat your face?”
“That’s what it felt like.”
She comes down off laughter and says, “I told you he liked you. Do you believe me now?”
“I want to believe he likes me for me, but look at what I’m doing. I’m basically a stand-in for the woman he loved enough to propose to. But she’s nowhere to be found.” I place the call on speaker to massage my temples. “I really like him, Sheeda, but I don’t want to fall in love with a man who’s unavailable. It’s so confusing. He kissed me like I’ve never been kissed before, and it felt so real.”
“It probably was real.”
“Then why do I have to pretend to be his woman? If it’s real, why can’t I just be his woman?”
“Hold up, pump the brakes, Izzle. You did just meet this guy like two weeks ago, hun.”
“I know, but when I’m with him, I feel comfortable to be myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still nervous, but—” I shake my head, trying to wrap my mind around the way I feel. There’s no logical reason why a man like Trevor would be interested in me, although the kisses we share say otherwise. “Karsheeda, I gotta go. I’m going to help his mother clean up. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. Keep your head up, girl.”
I smile, then end the call.
* * *
Lana is clearing off the table when I walk in, so I fall in line to assist. “Oh, it’s not necessary, Rachel. You’re a guest.”
“I still want to help. Plus, this will give us time to bond.”
She smiles. “In that case, can you grab that rag and wipe the table down for me, hun?”
“Sure.” I do as she instructs. “Where did the menfolk run off to?”
“I believe Dexter took Trevor to the basement to play a round of pool.”
“Oh, I wasn’t aware you had a basement. This house is huge.”
“Yeah. This house is pretty big.”
“Was this Trevor’s childhood home?”
“I guess you can say that. We moved here when he was six years old.”
“Wow. And you didn’t want to fill the bedrooms with kids, huh?”
“I wanted to, but it’s not how things worked out. I had three miscarriages before Trevor. He’s my miracle baby. That’s why it’s so important for me to know that he’s happy and that he’ll be taken care of.”
She smiles.
So do I.
“I watched him at dinner,” Lana says. “He could hardly keep his eyes off of you.”
I know that all too well…
“He’s never brought a girl home—never introduced me to anyone but you, Rachel—and he told me he wouldn’t marry.”
“Is the right?”
“Yes. He said, he had his father’s genes and somewhere inside of him was a man who would claim to love a woman forever, but then break her heart.”
Lana dropped the dish towel and slouched over the counter. I can’t tell if she’s crying, but I do know she’s upset. I walk over to her, drape my arm around her and say. “Lana, there are certain things you don’t have to put up with.”
“I know,” she tells me, “But I’ve been putting up with it for this long. I may as well keep on enduring it.”
“But you’re not happy. Everybody deserves happiness.”
“You’re right, Rachel, but look around. This is all I have. And it’s his. All of it. I’ve never worked a day in my life.”
“Oh, yes you have. Who raised Trevor while your husband was at work? Who kept the house tidy and cooked delicious meals? That was all you.”
“Yeah. I did do all of that,” Lana says in a reflective kind of way.
“It counts. Everything you did and sacrificed counts, Lana. Until Dexter realizes that, he’ll continue to take you for granted.”
Lana nods. “I can’t believe it takes my son’s fiancée to talk some sense into me.”
“Sometimes, it’s hard to see a way out when you’ve been stuck in the box for so long. The decision on what to do is ultimately yours though. Just be strong and pray about it.”
“I will,” Lana says, “But I know the Lord doesn’t like a divorce.”
“The Lord also doesn’t like men committing adultery on their wives either.”
She smiles showing the crinkles around her eyes. “Good point, Rachel.”
“Everything okay in here?” I hear Trevor ask.
I turn to his voice to see him standing near the dividing space that separates the kitchen from the living room. His hands are tucked inside the front pockets of his jeans. He’s wearing a hunter green sweater that makes the color of his eyes pop. I wonder how long he’s been standing there.
“We’re fine,” Lana answers. “Just having a little girl talk.”
“What about you, Trevor?” I ask. “How are you and your dad doing?”
“I’ll put it like this—we’re playing pool and I’ve only used the pool stick to hit balls so far. I say we’re doing pretty good.”
I laugh softly while resuming my cleaning duties.
“How much longer will you be?” he asks.
I glance up to see that he�
�s looking at me which means, he’s directing that question to me. Just to clarify, I ask, “How much longer will I be cleaning?”
“Yes.”
“Um…not too much longer. Maybe about twenty or so more minutes. Why?”
“I need some alone time with you tonight,” he says.
My heartbeat is erratic again. He needs some alone time with me and he’s saying it right in front of Lana like he forgot how conservative he told me his mother was. And what will we do with more alone time? The last time we were alone, we started two fires – one with wood and the other with lips. I have no idea what he has in mind, this time, but judging by the look in his eyes, I’ll say it involves lips.
“Okay,” I respond in a dizzying reply. “I should be done in a lil’ while.”
“You know you can go, Rachel. I can handle the rest of this,” Lana says.
I’m sure she can handle it. My issue is, I’m not sure if I can handle her son. “It’s fine, Lana. Besides, I’m only here with you for a short while. I get to see Trevor all the time.”
“And that’s still not enough time for me,” Trevor comes back with.
Once again, I’m speechless. My pulse is irregular and when he begins taking steps my way, I’m temporarily blinded by the thought of what he’s about to do. What is he doing? Is he going to use this opportunity to kiss me again? To supposedly impress his mother?
He steps behind me, then wraps his arms tight around my body, hugging me so close I feel everything male about him touching everything that’s feminine about me. I give up trying to wipe the table. His touch makes me lose the ability to think straight. And when he whispers in my ear, “Make sure you save some time for me, Ellie,” I feel tingly all over.
I grip the table since my legs feel unstable then reply, “Okay, Trevor.”
“Okay?” he asks, literally turning me around so that I’m facing him.
“Okay,” I respond.
He kisses me on my forehead. “Alright. I’ll let y’all get back to it.”
I watch him walk away from us. Dang it should be a crime to be so fine.
* * *