Bunny Hills and Bikinis

by Heather Thurmeier

  “Oh really? Why’s that?” That wasn’t the answer she’d been expecting.

  “Let’s just say that if you were traveling with me for the first time, I don’t think we’d be leaving our hotel room much, at least for the first week.”

  She burst out laughing. “Well, then we may as well not waste our money going somewhere far away. Better to stay close to home and just get a really nice room.”

  “I’m just being honest. But, after you were ready to leave the room, I suppose it would be a nice change for you to be somewhere warm. I’d love to see the whole world.” He took another swig of his drink and his expression grew more serious than it had been earlier. “I travel a lot for work, but it’s always to places on the west coast. I’m hoping one day soon I’ll get promoted so I can start doing the east coast cities too, then after that, overseas.”

  She could see the dream in his eyes. The glassy sort of expression that said his mind was off strolling through the streets of Brussels while his body was trapped here. It was refreshing to meet someone who actually had dreams of more than going to the local ice cream shop every Friday night for a hot fudge sundae for the rest of his life. Not that there was anything wrong with that life. Heck, she loved that sense of normalcy too, but she wanted it somewhere a little more fun and a little more interesting than simply Minnesota all the time. Somewhere a lot warmer would be good too.

  She’d always wondered what it would be like to live someplace you could wear sandals all year round. That sounded more and more like heaven every time the cold wind whistled outside her window.

  It was nice to meet someone who knew there was more to life than what you found in your own backyard, or front yard, or down the street. She’d always wanted to travel and so often the people around her just didn’t understand the appeal. They all seemed to think it was a pain to go somewhere new and exciting. She didn’t care if other people had the same need to travel as she did, all she wanted was for some of them to understand and support the need she felt. Now here, in stupid Lake Tahoe of all places, she’d met someone else who understood her desires.

  “I wish I could travel like that. Get paid to go to different places all the time. Staying in new hotels, eating at different restaurants every night. That would be the life.”

  “That’s what I think.” He smiled. “You know, it’s amazing how many people I meet who don’t seem to be able to understand at all about how I live. Most people think it would be a hassle to be on the road every weekend or so. But I don’t. I love it. Sure this life can get kind of lonely sometimes, but at least I’m happy with how I spend my time while I make money. How many people can say that, right?”

  “Right. I think it’s pretty great. I’d do it if I could.” She suddenly worried that her life back home was even more boring than she’d originally thought. Would she really have to go back in only a couple more days? What if she wasn’t ready to go back in a few days?

  If she thought she was restless before, she was sure it was going to be a million times worse after this trip. “I wish I loved my job like you love yours. Maybe that would make it easier to go back there when the weekend’s over.”

  “I’m sorry.” Concern clouded his eyes. “I didn’t mean to imply that your job isn’t great.”

  “My job isn’t great. It’s okay. I don’t hate it. But, I guess I don’t love it like you do yours.” She sighed.

  She hadn’t planned on talking about anything deep and emotional during this date and she wasn’t ready to deal with these new feelings about work. It was just that being with Nate gave her a new perspective on things. Where she had been unsure before, things in her life now seemed clear—because of him.

  She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You didn’t make me feel bad, Nate. You make me feel the exact opposite of bad. You’re the first person who doesn’t look at me like I’m an alien when I talk about all the places I wish I could go, or all the things I wish I could see or taste or try. You actually make me feel like anything’s possible.”

  Amelia stared hard into his beautiful dark brown eyes. “I know this is totally corny and you’re probably going to laugh at me when I say this, but you make me feel like I’m finally really living.”

  She held her breath as he stared back at her, bracing herself for the laughter that was sure to follow any second.

  “I guess we have more in common than we thought.”

  Her breath fled her body as her heart swelled to maximum capacity. She couldn’t believe Nate was for real, but just in case he was, she took a little piece of him and tucked it away deep inside of her for safekeeping. She might never let him go again.

  The waiter walked up and placed the two plates of food in front of them, essentially ending the shared moment of confession between them. “Your dinners. Enjoy,” he said simply before walking away.

  The aroma of freshly grilled beef rose from the plate making her mouth water instantly. “Wow. That filet smells awesome. I haven’t had a good steak in a long time. I hate grilling in the winter, although my family doesn’t seem to mind.”

  Nate paused with his hand on the plate of halibut. “You’re family grills in the winter? In Minneapolis? I thought you got snow there?”

  “Oh, we do. But the barbeque is still a well-used appliance, even in the winter.”

  He shook his head. “What? Barbeques are meant for warm weather only.”

  “Oh no, they’re not.” She pulled the filet a little closer to her side of the table. “When you want a steak, it doesn’t matter if it’s fifteen below, you still want a steak. Besides, if we waited until it wasn’t snowy or too cold to grill, we’d only get to have barbeques for about four months out of the year. Seriously, eight months without a steak is too long.”

  “How do you even find a grill under all that snow you get up north?”

  “Easy. It’s rarely buried under snow. We use the penguin fridge all the time.”

  “Okay, I’m confused. What’s a penguin fridge?”

  “That’s what my dad calls the grill when we store stuff in it if the real fridge in the house gets too full. No room for beer because mom put a gigantic lasagna in the fridge? Put it in the penguin fridge. No room for the turkey because dad put too much beer in the fridge? Penguin fridge time.”

  He laughed. Hard. It wasn’t that funny. “You actually put a turkey in the barbeque, outside, in the wilderness?”

  “It’s my back yard, not the wilderness. Besides it’s safe in there with the lid down. It’s not that uncommon you know. Everyone does it.” She laughed with him. “But now you can see why I would desire to be somewhere warm, right?”

  “I’m going to have to meet this family of yours one day and see what this penguin fridge business is all about with my own eyes. Now let’s dig in before the food gets cold,” Nate replied, motioning toward the steak and pulling the halibut toward himself. “I don’t mind eating this.”

  “No we’re sharing, remember? Besides, we both might want the protein.” She winked, wondering if he’d understand her meaning.

  “All the more reason for you to eat the whole thing then. I plan on keeping you up well past your bedtime.” He took a big bite of the fish in front of him and nudged his fork at her like she should hurry up and eat.

  She cut off a bite and ate it, enjoying the rich, meaty flavor. She could already feel the energy from the protein in the meat. “Well, if you’re planning on keeping me up late, then you should definitely have some of this.” She cut off another bite and held it out to him.

  When he opened his mouth, she couldn’t help but study his tongue as she placed the chunk of steak on it. She briefly imagined the sensation of it licking long strokes along her neck. Little flickers across the delicate skin of her breast. Thinking of it made beads of sweat dampen her skin. His lips closed around the fork and she pulled it back, the silver fork sliding seductively from between his lips.

  Best lips ever.

  “You’re going to need your energy for t
hat kind of marathon. And, I plan on making you do all the work,” she said matter-of-factly, spearing off a corner of the halibut and placing it in her mouth with a nonchalant gesture.

  When she glanced at his face, she had to laugh at his amused expression. She was joking about that last part. She already had plenty of things in mind and she looked forward to doing each one of them later that night. She was sure he’d enjoy them too, but he didn’t know that.

  “Nice,” he joked back. “You’re just going to lay there and do nothing all night while I do all the work, huh?”

  “Yep. Still game?”

  He dropped his hand below the table and found her thigh. That was one definite benefit to these horseshoe shaped booths; they got to sit very close together—almost too close to allow them time to satisfy their nutritional needs.

  A single fingertip danced in circles along the hem of her dress, caressing her bare skin—a million little electrons fired all at once, teasing her. She sparked to life under the electricity of his touch.

  Oh god. What will those hands do to me?

  “I have no problem doing all the work. That way I get to do things my way.”

  His way sounds good, whatever it is.

  “Good, so we have a plan then. I guess we should finish our dinner so you can get started on all that work you have to do tonight.”

  They ate quietly for a few minutes, his hand never straying from her thigh. Sexual tension hung between them like an invisible cloud of lust-filled thoughts. She couldn’t stop her mind from drifting to what was yet to come and if his hand still lingering on her thigh was any indication of his thoughts, he was doing the exact same thing.

  When they’d finished their meals, the waiter came with a dessert menu and cleared their dishes. He returned again. “Can I get you anything else this evening?”

  Nate shrugged. “Dessert?”

  “To go.” Amelia smiled.

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  Ten agonizingly long minutes later, Nate had paid their bill and they left the restaurant sated in one way and starving in another. Their desserts were safely wrapped and ready to eat later when their energy needed replenishing. Now it was time to head back to Evergreen Lodge and to the pleasure awaiting them in the privacy of Nate’s room.

  * * *

  Nate held Amelia’s hand as she ducked into the limo once again. The back hem of her dress rode up slightly as she bent forward, revealing another inch of her thigh. Thoughts of her silky, bikini-clad body flooded his mind. Hopefully tonight he’d find out what hid under that skimpy bikini of hers.

  Amelia settled herself along the backseat that faced the front of the limo and patted the spot beside her as Nate followed her in. Instead of sitting down next to her like she expected, he moved deeper into the limo and settled himself on one of the benches that ran sideways along the length of the space. Her eyes seemed to question the distance he’d chosen to put between them.

  “It’s safer with me over here,” he answered her unasked question.

  “Safer how?”

  “I think I can make it all the way back to the lodge without ravishing you if I sit over here by myself and you stay over there. I’d love to sit with you, but if I did that, there’s no telling what would happen on the long, long ride back. I can’t guarantee I could control myself long enough to make it the entire way there.”

  “I’m sure there must be some way we can be together back here while still resisting actually being together. Something that might temporarily satisfy us, or at least keep us occupied for a while.”

  She crept closer to him, perching on the front edge of her seat—still a safe distance. He wanted to go to her, but he had to refrain from temptation. He didn’t want to be with her in that way until they were safely in his room where he knew they’d get the freedom to explore each other fully without being interrupted. The last thing he wanted to do after this long wait through dinner was start something with her that he wouldn’t be able to finish. Again. The next time he started, he wasn’t going to stop. God help the person who didn’t let that happen for them.

  “This is just better,” he reassured her. “Trust me. We’ll be back at the lodge soon enough.”

  “I do trust you. But the ride to the restaurant passed by so quickly. Maybe if we replicate our conversation, it will go equally as quickly and not seem so painfully long.”

  He was a little confused at her line of thinking. “We didn’t really talk much on the way down.”

  “Exactly.” She moved from her seat and crossed the small space still separating them. “I’m sure we can find a more productive way to spend our time than sitting here staring at each other. We’re thinking it, why aren’t we doing it?”

  He leaned back into the seat as she straddled his lap, sitting on him like he was a stallion. Hell, feeling her on top of him in that revealing dress and knowing that now the only thing separating them was the material of his slacks and a thin pair of panties made him feel like a stallion. “You’re torturing me, you know that right?”

  She bent her head, hovering over his. “I do know that, but I’m sorry, Nate, I can’t seem to help myself. You’re too irresistible. So really, this is your own fault. I blame you for my inappropriate actions.”

  She kissed him then. Her mouth tasted like apples and liquor and he couldn’t get enough when she plunged her tongue into his mouth. He grabbed the back of her hair gently and pulled her lips from his, forcing her head to tilt back slightly, exposing her neck. He could see her pulse pounding through the delicate skin.

  “You are a devious, cruel woman. You’re making this very difficult for me to resist you.”

  “Then don’t.”

  His lips went to her neck, licking along her pulse point. His hand relaxed in her hair and she tilted her head to the side allowing him better access. Trailing kisses down her neck and back up to her jaw, his pulse quickened as her breathing grew heavier with each one.

  Her hands went to the sides of his face, forcing him to stay still long enough that her mouth could find his again. Then she was on him, demanding that he kiss her back. Her hips twitched slightly as she adjusted her position on him, causing him to stifle a deep groan. He didn’t want her to know how much she affected him at that moment, with that simple action.

  He responded, kissing her fiercely, deeply, hungrily. He couldn’t wait to get her back to his room but he had to. A girl like Amelia deserved something better than the back of a rental limo. Besides, if they did anything here, it would be rushed and that was the furthest deviation from his plans for them. He wanted to take his time with her. Pleasure her. Fully. Until she was so bleary-eyed and completely satiated from their lovemaking that she begged him to let her sleep.

  “Stop. Amelia, please,” he begged between breaths and kisses.

  “Why? Have you suddenly had a change of heart, because if that’s the case I think your heart has some explaining to do to the rest of your body?”

  “No change of heart. Don’t worry about that. I just can’t resist you much longer and you deserve something better than this, here in the back of a limo.”

  She stopped trying to kiss him and pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rested in his lap contentedly, like she’d been there before many times even though she hadn’t. Like sitting on him in such an intimate way was an everyday occurrence for her. “You really are something else. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “Yes, but probably for different reasons.”

  “You might just be the only man in the universe who would tell a woman in a low cut dress and straddling his thighs to stop kissing him and get off his lap. Don’t I do it for you tonight?” She stuck her bottom lip out and batted her eyes at him.

  He kicked himself. That was not what he meant. “You totally do it for me—since the moment I first laid eyes on you, you’ve been doing it for me and without any effort I might add. I think you can tell exactly how much you do it for me.
It should be obvious while you’re sitting there on my lap.”

  He adjusted himself to prove his point. She squirmed on his lap and the feeling of her inner thigh stroking his length was almost enough to send him over the edge.

  Damn she’s good.

  “Oh I can tell alright.” She grinned seductively.

  “Good. I want to continue this more than you could ever know, but I need to take a breather now or I won’t be able to stop myself from having my way with you. Then you’ll end up on the limo floor and your hair will get all messy, and it can’t be very sanitary down there.” He motioned toward the floor, teasing her with a smile.

  “You, Nate, are like a dream come true. You’re every girl’s ideal Prince Charming. Sexy, sensitive, caring, build like a brick house. Oh and did I mention sexy, like, seriously sexy? What did I ever do in life to deserve you?”

  His hands were on her hips and he pulled her forward against the ache raging in his pants. “I’ll show you exactly what you deserve as soon as we get back. For now you’ll have to be content with my charming personality to keep you satisfied.”

  She ran a finger along his jaw and he thought she was going to ignore his request and torture him some more. But she didn’t. Instead she simply gazed into his eyes like she was trying to memorize them. Her fingertips traced the edge of his jaw, then his lips, cheekbones, eyebrows, and finally his neck before stilling and resting on his shoulders.

  “What were you just doing?” he asked softly. It was like the mood had changed subtly. There was still the distinct scent of passion in the air, but now there was something else. Something he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

  “Just trying to remember every little thing about you. I feel like I’m going to wake from the best dream I’ve ever had, and you’ll be gone. All I’ll have left is what I print on my memory now. I don’t want to forget any little thing about this moment. About you.”

  “I wish I could tell you what’s going to happen with us when this weekend is over, but I can’t.”