One Week in Maine

by Shayna Ryan

  “Oh! Well, now you know.” A million questions flew through my mind as he held open the front door for me but I forced myself to let it go. Now he knew that I didn’t have a boyfriend, and I knew that he had some sort of romantic past that was still a touchy subject.

  “Dottie?” Will called loudly as he headed for the kitchen with the last of the venison.

  I stood in the front entryway for a moment and listened to him showing his aunt the venison he had brought home. Dottie was very pleased with it, and I heard the sounds of Will packing it into the freezer. Feeling rude for eavesdropping, I headed upstairs to my room.

  There wasn’t much to do up there. Giving my novel another go seemed pointless and my friends were all at Sarah’s wedding, so I tidied up what little possessions I had with me at the Inn and then sat on the bed, staring off at the impending night approaching.

  My instincts had been right after all. Will was interested in me, and he was a free man. The idea of having a short term, crazy love affair with him during my stay at the Inn was extremely tempting. But I had never done anything like that before. The men in my past that I had slept with had all been stable, long term relationships. Some of my friends slept around, and while they pretended it was easy and there were no repercussions, it seemed to me like more often than not one side or the other always wanted more in the end. Then it turned into a whole big mess, and I didn’t need that in my life.

  But I wanted Will in the worst way, and the idea of having a torrid love affair where no one got hurt was more and more appealing with each moment I spent with him. I would be out of there in a week, so it’s not like there would be time for us to get emotionally attached to one another. We’d never see each other again. So could I really give into temptation and step outside of my comfort zone to be with him during my stay at the Inn?

  It would all depend on how he proceeded, I decided. If he wanted me, he could make the first move. The thought of throwing myself at him made my stomach churn. I wouldn’t even know where to begin or how to attempt to seduce this almost-stranger without making a possible fool of myself. If he rejected me, it would make the rest of my stay at the Inn unbearably uncomfortable. Better to let him set the pace for whatever might unfold between us. My mind shifted to ideas out what that might entail and my body flushed with the mere idea of it all.

  I shifted my position and lay back on the bed so I was staring at the ceiling. I let my thoughts continue to wander as the memories of Will’s naked body intertwined with my fantasies of what we’d do together if we ever had sex. At some point I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, someone was gently shaking me awake.

  I opened my eyes and found Will leaned over my bed, just inches from my face. He had turned on one of the lights in the room when he came in, and I smiled sleepily when I saw his face in the dim light.

  “Hey. Sorry to come in here, but you weren’t waking up when I called you.”

  “S’no problem,” I muttered.

  “Listen. I’ve got some wings cooking in the oven, and Dottie made up some of her famous coleslaw and biscuits. I know it’s not exactly barbeque weather, but I thought you shouldn’t miss Dottie’s coleslaw. You want to join us for dinner?”

  “You bet.” Will backed off a bit as I slowly sat up and blinked to clear my head.

  “I also have a DVD I picked up after work yesterday to watch this weekend.” He named the movie and it was one I hadn’t seen yet but was interested in. “I’m gonna watch it after dinner. You’re welcome to join me, if you feel like it.”

  “You’re staying in on a Saturday night?”

  “Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

  “Well, if you don’t mind the company, I’ll join you then.”

  “I’d like that.” His sharp eyes held mine for a moment, and suddenly I was wide awake. “I wouldn’t mind your company at all, Calista.” Delicious anticipation bloomed in my stomach as the words reached my ears.

  There was something different in the way he said my name, though he’d said it before. There was something unsaid between us in that one word, something full of promise and hope.

  “I need to go check the wings. Dinner’s in ten, so come on down when you’re ready and we’ll eat.”

  “Okay.” I remained sitting on my bed as I watched him exit the room.

  As soon as he was out of sight, I threw myself back on my bed and sighed loudly. A new adventure was unfolding for me, and if it developed as I suspected it might, sometime soon I would find myself in the bed of one highly eligible game warden. Excitement raced through me as I considered my hands and lips all over that marvelous body of his, and his hands and lips on mine.

  I didn’t want to be late for dinner, so I pulled myself together and ran a brush through my hair before touching up my makeup. Even though we planned to spend the night hanging around the Inn, our plans felt a bit like a date. A date that might end with some serious skin to skin contact. Better look my best.

  -6-

  Dottie was bustling about plating the food when I went down to the kitchen, but Will was nowhere in sight.

  “Here, let me help you, Dottie.”

  “Aren’t you a sweet thing? I’ve got this, but you could pour the drinks for dinner if you like. I’d like some milk, please.”

  Just as I opened the fridge to get the drinks together, Will came up from the basement below.

  “I didn’t know if you’d want a glass of wine later.” He held up a dusty bottle of red wine. “I thought I’d bring this up, just in case.”

  “I always forget about the little wine cellar down there!” Dottie confessed. “Years ago, when this place was busy, we always had wine for our guests.”

  “I’d love some later,” I replied to Will. Maybe a glass during the movie would help calm my nerves about things to come between us. I felt like a young girl discovering romance for the first time all over again anytime I thought about our developing affair.

  “Dinner’s on!” Dottie announced as she brought a singular plate to the table. “Will, be a dear and bring the other plates, will you?”

  “I’ll take a beer,” he told me as he reached for the other two plates on the counter next the fridge. One finger skimmed expertly down my spine and I let out a small gasp of surprise at this bold move. He gave me a saucy smile and a wink as he retrieved the plates and brought them to the table.

  I poured milk for Dottie and then retrieved a beer out of the fridge for Will. After a moment’s hesitation, I took one for myself as well. Without looking, I could sense Will’s eyes upon me as I took them out of the fridge. A little jolt of excitement passed through me as I realized this was all really happening. Now that it was out in the open that we were both single and he was being openly flirty with me, game on.

  “Here you go,” I smiled sweetly to Will as I set his beer in front of him.

  “Thanks.” There was a hint of amusement in his eyes as I sat down across from him.

  We passed around the food and served ourselves with little conversation between us. Every time I glanced at Will, those deep brown eyes were on me, watching me. He caught my eye and gave me a smoldering look and I almost dropped my fork. The man could set my nether regions on fire with a mere sultry glance.

  I couldn’t let him get away with that, I decided. As I ate my dinner and Dottie chatted on about the past summer’s crop from the Inn’s gardens, I slid one foot across the way under the table to Will’s leg and lightly traced my toes up the length of his calf before resting my foot on his knee.

  To his credit, if my fearless move surprised him, he didn’t show it. Instead he caught my ankle in one deft hand and slid it tantalizing slowly up my calf, as far as he could reach, while looking directly at me. The intense look of lust burning in his eyes as he touched my bare skin made it almost impossible to breathe. He looked at me as if he would devour me whole when he had the chance to, and there was nothing more I wanted in that moment.

  Dinne
r with Dottie seemed to drag on forever. She was a sweet, chatty old thing, and I did my best to try to catch at least half of what she said, but Will was too damn distracting. He kept giving me those smoldering, knowing looks as he caressed my calf under the table, and it was almost more than I could bear to wait to get my hands on him.

  Out of the blue, he dropped his fork and it hit the wooden floor with a loud clang.

  “Sorry,” he apologized lamely as he looked under the table to retrieve it. I heard the fork skitter across the floor, under the table, and I could swear he kicked it towards me on purpose.

  Dottie pushed her chair out to grab him a new one but he waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve got it, you eat your dinner.” And with that, he ducked under the table to retrieve his missing fork.

  What came next shouldn’t have surprised me, but it was such a forward, bold move that I could scarcely believe it had happened. I sensed Will under the table, looking his missing fork, and suddenly his hands were on the top of my thighs. I stifled a gasp as he ran them down the lengths of my thighs, just once. When he gently nipped the top of my right thigh about half way up it I couldn’t contain my surprise and let out an involuntary gasp.

  “Bit my tongue,” I explained with a weak smile to Dottie as I kicked Will under the table.

  He reappeared out from under the table a moment later with a fork in his hand and a twinkle in his eye.

  “You found what you were looking for?” Dottie asked innocently, and I almost choked on my biscuit.

  “Sure did,” Will replied calmly as he grinned at me.

  Where was the mild mannered game warden? The calm, gentle man I’d seen the last two days had been replaced with a sex-crazed maniac who nipped my thigh under the table with his elderly great aunt sitting right there. It was ludicrous, unbelievable, and hot as hell all at once.

  Not one to be outdone, I gave him a demure smile as I once again traced my foot up his calf, but this time I didn’t stop there. It was my turn to watch him try not to squirm as my foot continued onward, ever onward, up the length of his inner thigh. He put his fork down and watched me through hooded eyes as he leaned back and widened his legs so that my foot could travel even further upwards.

  “…and those darn grubs, did Will tell you we had to put down pesticides three times this past summer to keep them from destroying the vegetables?” Dottie prattled on as my foot continued its naughty journey northward.

  I shook my head half-heartedly and unconsciously held my breath when my errant foot found its mark at Will’s crotch. He bit his bottom lip as the ball of my foot wandered over his bulge. I could tell he was a good size even through the rough fabric of his jeans. I marveled at my own confidence as I continued rubbing his girth through the thick denim. It was obvious that he was just as turned on as I was. Any doubts about having a torrid affair with him during my stay fell to the wayside as I watched him struggle to control himself while I massaged him under the table with my foot.

  I wanted this man, and he wanted me. It was all out in the open now, and sparks would fly as soon as we could politely sneak away from Dottie. The anticipation of it all was delicious.

  “You’re in trouble,” he mouthed silently over the table to me. He grabbed my foot firmly and moved it away from his crotch as he shot me a meaningful look. The message was clear–while he welcomed my touch, he couldn’t take much more of it at the moment.

  “I hope so,” I mouthed back to him. Dottie completely missed our silent interaction as she continued on about how Will had managed to keep the rabbits and deer out of the gardens.

  I could barely sit still for the rest of dinner. In a short while I would have Will’s glorious body at my disposal and I could hardly wait for it. I ran through a silent checklist in my mind while I interjected little noises and one word comments to Dottie as she talked on, just to be polite. I was suddenly thankful for my penchant for high end lingerie; even though I’d been single for a while, it was my habit to wear sexy underthings all of the time, so I could rest easy knowing the bra and panty set I was currently wearing was appropriate for a tryst. I also always kept up with my shaving everywhere, even once bathing suit season passed, so I didn’t have to worry about being ungroomed anywhere south of the belt line. I was ready for Will, and more than willing.

  Once we had all finished eating, Will and I cleared the table and washed the dishes in record time. I thanked Dottie profusely for the delicious dinner as we worked to clean up the mess and she sat at the table. Once again I washed the dishes and Will dried them. As he moved past me to put away the serving platter, he pressed himself against me and breathed on my neck for just a second.

  I almost dropped the glass I was washing as my whole body roared to life. I thought I was ready for him during our games at the table, but feeling the bulk of him against me and the moist heat of his breath against my skin brought it to a whole new level. I felt his bulge pressed against my ass and I closed my eyes and hissed in a painful breath of longing as I wriggled ever so slightly against him. I heard a soft growl in response as he pulled away and continued on past me.

  Dottie’s continued presence was a good thing, I realized. Luckily she was hard of hearing and didn’t see well, so we could play our little games of seduction and she was none the wiser. If not for her, I was certain that Will have taken me on the kitchen table by now. Her company in the kitchen forced us to wait.

  Finally, the dishes were done and Dottie seemed to be winding down.

  “Well, I best be off to bed now,” she told us as she stood up and pushed her chair in. “You two are going to watch a movie together?”

  “We sure are,” Will told her. “We can watch it upstairs in my room so the noise won’t bother you, if you like.”

  “Oh, you kids watch it wherever you please. I’m so tired I don’t think much will wake me!”

  Will and I bade her goodnight and watched in silence as she shuffled off to her adjoining room.

  As soon as her door closed, Will grabbed me and pulled me close.

  My heart banged wildly in my chest as I took in the heat of his body and his intoxicating scent. I waited breathlessly for him to kiss me, but instead he ran one calloused thumb down the length of my jawline.

  “You wanna watch the movie upstairs?” he murmured, his voice heavy with need.

  I was too wound up to find my voice, so I nodded instead. Without another word, Will released me from his grasp and grabbed my hand instead. He led me through the dining room and up the stairs, pausing at the top only to turn the light on.

  His eyes met mine and my stomach fluttered. This was really happening. I was about to give the innermost part of me to an almost-stranger. I should have been terrified at the thought of it, but instead I welcomed it. I trusted Will, and I desired him more than I could recall ever wanting anyone.

  It was as if he read the want in my eyes, because without warning he shoved me roughly against the wall so that I was pinned with his hands on either side of me. His roughness didn’t scare me as there were no violent undertones in his action, only burning need and desire.

  “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he breathed huskily. His tone was strained with urgency, and I’m not sure I could have said no even if I had wanted to–which I didn’t.

  “I want you,” I whispered honestly.

  He didn’t answer me but instead pressed his lips to mine.

  Everything fell away as our lips met. I didn’t care about my wrecked vehicle, my mounting bills, or the fact that I was stuck in small town Maine for an indefinite amount of time. All my troubles fell away and there was nothing but his soft lips and seeking tongue. There was nothing permissive in his kiss; it was aggressive and unflinching. His mouth took what it sought, and it was not hard to match the passion behind it.

  His hands tangled in my hair as our kiss deepened, but suddenly he let go of my tresses and I felt his strong hands cupping my ass. Without warning, he lifted me up, never breaking our kiss, and I
wound my legs around him so he was supporting my weight and my back was still against the wall.

  “My room.” It wasn’t a question but a demand as he held me and moved me away from the wall and down the hall. His lips broke away from mine long enough to nibble their way down my front to my cleavage, where he ran his expert lips nimbly along the curve of my right breast.

  “I don’t have any protection with me,” I moaned. It’s not like I was on the pill or carried condoms around ‘just in case’. If he didn’t have a condom, this wasn’t going to happen no matter how badly we both wanted it.

  Instead of answering me, he threw open his bedroom door and used one hand to untangle my legs from around his waist while the other flipped on the lights. He gently laid me on his king sized bed.

  “Hang on, I’m sure I’ve got something.” He stayed leaning over me for a moment, his face flush and his eyes alight with burning hot lust. His hands slid swiftly over my clothed breasts for just a second before he pulled away and rooted through his bedside table drawer. I said a silent prayer as he rifled through his belongings before triumphantly pulling out an open box of condoms.

  I had never in my life been so relieved to see a battered cardboard box. It seemed unlikely that we could just run down to the corner drugstore to grab condoms at this hour. I don’t even think there was a drugstore in town.

  Will tossed the box of condoms beside us on the bed and began kissing me again while impatiently pulling at the hem of my sweater. I was happy to oblige, and a moment later my sweater lay forgotten on the floor.

  “The door,” he muttered as he stretched away from me to close it with his foot. Satisfied we had total privacy, he turned back to me and drank in the sight of me on his bed in nothing but my lacy red bra and jeans. “Do you even know how beautiful you are?”