Wilderness Borne

by Mikayla Gabby-Green

  “Oh.” Daphne let out a disappointed noise as she held her glass back from just hitting his.

  James rolled his eyes, getting a laugh from her as she crossed her legs and bit her lip a bit.

  “I’m Portuguese and Italian though.”

  “Explains the tan.” Daphne took a sip of her drink.

  “So you were looking?”

  “Hard not to,” Daphne said, using some of the building liquid courage.

  James seemed a bit stunned and paused from drinking as his eyes flicked to her face, his eyes filled with mischief. “Yeah, it is hard to keep my eyes off you,” he admitted.

  Daphne bit her lip harder to stop herself from squirming as he stepped forward.

  “So, what do you do?”

  “I am an engineer by trade,” James said.

  “Engineer? What school?”

  “McMaster,” James said.

  “Ouch.” She shook her head.

  “Shut up, Western,” James said.

  “So you were paying attention!”

  “Well, I had to be awake for the both of us—you definitely weren’t,” James teased.

  Daphne pursed her lips and refrained from saying anything. It felt as if they only needed to look at each other to tell them what they were feeling.

  “So, what do you do?” James asked, not pushing too far too fast.

  She could see the genuine interest in his eyes. “I was a lawyer.” Daphne sighed.

  “Doesn’t seem like you had all that much fun.” James lowered his glass, giving her his attention.

  “I worked my ass off for them but they kept on shortchanging me. I was due to be made partner and I was bringing in this massive client but as soon as the client was in, they didn’t let me push to be a partner. I think they were threatened or something.” Daphne let out a sigh. “So I got out of that and I went traveling. Now I’m here!” she said with false joy as she drank from her glass deeply.

  James smiled sadly and put his hand on her elbow briefly. “It’s never nice being betrayed—sorry to hear that. Though I will say I’m happy that you made it out here.”

  Daphne looked down to his hand that rested on the counter and traced her fingers over it. “It’s not so bad so far.” Daphne looked at him sideways.

  “So, what do you like to do?” James asked.

  “Good food, so be warned!” Daphne waved her wine glass and extended four fingers. “Gym, movies, books, and a coffee in the morning.”

  “I can attest to the coffee in the morning and if you don’t think that this is good food, then I can only say that Toronto has ruined your taste buds!”

  Daphne laughed as they both drank from their wine.

  The door squeaked open as Paul reappeared. “Meat looks like it’s almost done.”

  “All right!” James and Daphne separated as the two of them started on the last bits of the feast.

  Daphne couldn’t help but laugh and smile with Cathy bringing up all kinds of embarrassing stories of her cousin.

  James could only plead with Paul, who made it clear that he wasn’t stepping into the line of fire as he continued through dinner.

  “Well, seeing as you guys made the dinner, we’ll clean up.” Cathy stood and started to corral plates.

  “Sorry, Paul,” James said.

  “It’s a hard life.” Paul sighed as Cathy elbowed him in the side.

  “You love it,” Cathy said.

  “You’re scrubbing then!”

  Cathy gave Paul a dirty look before she looked at James. “See—you’re a bad influence!” She tutted, taking her gathered dishes.

  “Want to go for a walk?” James asked.

  “Trying to escape your cousin?” Daphne asked, feeling genuinely accepted and welcomed by the group.

  “Yes,” James agreed, holding out a hand.

  She held it and he helped her out of the chair. They walked away from the outside dining areas near the side of the house and along the little paths that went down to the water’s edge.

  “This has been a lovely night,” Daphne said, truly feeling it.

  “What’s to say it’s not over?” James asked.

  Daphne laughed. James’s banter was well timed and good fun.

  “I’m not pushing anything,” James said, clearly assuring her.

  “Maybe on the next date.” Daphne moved closer to him as they came to the water’s edge.

  He turned to face her and the two of them looked into the other’s eyes.

  James kissed her. It was light and a part of her thought she had imagined it as she felt it on her lips.

  She pulled him in again and kissed him, deeply, slowly, taking some time.

  Their lips parted but they could see the other wanted nothing more than to continue.

  “So, Toronto, huh?” James asked.

  “That was a horrible way to change the conversation,” Daphne said.

  The two of them took a seat on the rock, looking out over the water and the moon, the noises of wildlife in the background.

  “I really like the city, the way it moves, the things that are going on all the time, and the food.” Daphne couldn’t help but close her eyes. She turned to James and placed her hand on her heart. “That said, that dinner was amazing. Coming from a true foodie.”

  “Why, thank you.” James took the praise well, before his interest returned. “So, what brought you out here if you love the city?”

  “I wanted to get away from it all. I have been working for the same firm since I graduated. Everything and everyone I knew there was directly or indirectly linked to where I worked. I just needed some time away from it and to find out who I am and what I want to do,” Daphne said softly. It was something that she hadn’t admitted to a lot of people.

  “We all need a break sometimes, a change of pace.” James sighed.

  The two of them looked out over the lake and took in the beauty around them. James and Daphne started smacking themselves in increasing frequency.

  “I hate mosquitoes,” James complained.

  “Who likes them?”

  “Maybe frogs?” James asked. “Want me to walk you back?”

  “Thanks,” Daphne said in a soft voice. She would usually say no, but after what she’d admitted, she was feeling a bit vulnerable and her emotions were stirred up.

  They walked along the water’s edge, leaving the cabin behind and making it to where the other campers were. A few campfires were lit and people were out, looking at the beauty that surrounded them.

  James seemed to sense Daphne’s mind wasn’t there as they walked to her camper.

  “Thank you for tonight,” Daphne said. It felt as though she had finally taken a big step forward.

  “Thank you for agreeing,” James said, with that infectious smile of his.

  “See you tomorrow?” Daphne asked.

  “You like paddleboarding?”

  “Yes, if it’s after midday,” Daphne said.

  “Very well, if you’re interested?”

  “I would be.” Daphne pulled him down. His hand rested on the small of her back, pulling her close; his other hand reached up in her hair. They kissed slowly, searching out each other’s mouths lightly, seeing what the reactions were.

  Goose bumps ran down her spine before they pulled apart again.

  “Night.” She looked up at him, wanting to pull him inside the camper but holding back.

  “Night.” He released her.

  She quickly opened the door and hopped up in her camper. As the door shut behind her, her body seemed to tingle and shake.

  She looked through the door window, seeing James walking back to the cabin. He cocked his arm a bit, in victory and happiness.

  Daphne let out a snort at his antics before she moved to have a shower. She’d need some time to calm down from James.

  Chapter Paddle Boats and Path

  Daphne woke up slowly. There was no noise this morning. She smiled to herself, getting washed, dressed, and flipping the coffee ma
ker on.

  She had time before they would meet up. It wasn’t midday yet.

  Taking the finished cup of coffee, she curled up on the camper couch, looking out the window at the lake and the mountains beyond.

  She thought back to what she had been feeling last night, not only her growing interest toward James, but her thoughts about her future.

  She pulled out a small book. Putting her coffee down, she pulled out a pen and started writing down thoughts and ideas. Finally, with all of her meandering thoughts, she flipped to a clean page.

  What are your goals and the things you want to be/do?!?!?!

  She underlined and circled this at the top of the page.

  It sounded like a simple thing. She liked hockey, food, Toronto—those kinds of things. She wasn’t asking this kind of small talk surface question. She wanted to look at what drove her, what made her feel alive, what kept her looking forward to the days ahead. Without thinking too deeply, she wrote what came to mind.

  Have a family.

  This scared her. Her thoughts turned to James and their…whatever it was: summer romance, fling, sex-escape. They’d just met, after all. She was thirty-three years old and she needed to start thinking about these things. It was scary, but she didn’t want to force it and come up with a rigid plan.

  A sour feeling filled her. She liked James, but it wasn’t anything serious. A part of her hoped it was but she fought it back down, quickly turning to write something next and distract her thoughts.

  Being a lawyer.

  She dug in her pen with the period. She had been burned badly, working for Dockers and Fitzgerald. Even if it hurt, she was passionate about it, spending those long nights, fighting the cases that needed to be fought and coming to conclusions.

  She made a sub-point: Start-ups.

  She thought over her cases, the cases that had brought her the greatest joy and those that had been a chore.

  She had enjoyed the jobs dealing with an ever-changing situation. It could be incredibly frustrating at times, but there was a sort of energy that people working on their own projects brought to the table. It was infectious and something she wanted to be surrounded by.

  “Okay, I don’t have a firm and there aren’t going to be many people who want to touch me after I left Docker and Fitzgerald. I’m going to need to build this myself if I want to, or I have to wait a year before any other firm will touch me. Then I’ll need to fight to get back into practice, to be up to date and in all the right spheres with the right contacts.” She shook her head. That wasn’t acceptable. She didn’t want to be just sitting there, twiddling her fingers.

  Thinking on her last point, she could only laugh at herself and write in big, bold letters, feeling an excited buzz in her stomach: Build it yourself.

  This scared the hell out of her.

  That was a lot of responsibility, building something from the ground up. Something that didn’t have a reputation, didn’t have clients. That wasn’t going to be easy.

  She put her pen down and closed her eyes. She picked up her coffee and opened her eyes, a light in them.

  It wouldn’t be easy, but a number of start-ups were being built in Toronto and the surrounding area. She was comfortable and financially stable for at least some time if she didn’t go out and start splurging.

  She could get in on some of those start-ups, offer them advice, help them to make sure that they were growing in the right direction and according to the law. Then she could build her client base; she could get involved in green start-ups.

  Growing with the start-ups, or pushing into larger companies: both were options.

  She started to make more notes, ideas and possibilities. It felt as if for the first time in a long time her brain had been turned back on. Connections were being made as she noted down people she might ask to assist her in different ways.

  She pulled up her computer and fired off a few quick emails to test the waters.

  Time seemed to have disappeared. Before she knew it, there was a knock at her door.

  “Coming!” She smiled, thinking of James. She really liked him. He might be from Toronto, but she wasn’t expecting that this would go any further than a fling. Honestly, she didn’t mind; he was fun to be around and just looking at him, she couldn’t help but bite her lip. He wasn’t only physically attractive; the way he talked and joked, it made time disappear and made her to crave more. She knew that he felt the same way, but that was for now. She looked down at what she’d written and then back up to the door. Her smile dimmed somewhat.

  It might not last forever, but wouldn’t it be best to enjoy it while you can?

  She put down the pen and closed her laptop. She opened the door, finding James standing there with two paddles.

  “Much better to let you wake up naturally.” James smiled.

  “It learns!” Daphne bounded down the steps, a big smile on her face. She felt as if she could take on the world, excited instead of scared of what was to come.

  “Something’s got you excited,” James said.

  She locked her door and they walked toward the waiting paddleboards.

  “I have to thank you. Last night, you got me thinking—just been brainstorming it up.” Daphne blushed as she realized how ridiculous what she’d just said sounded.

  “Happy to help.” James laughed. “What were you planning?”

  “Just thinking of a few things.” Daphne waved it away, not wanting to get too deep into it. “So, where are we going?”

  “Take a tour of some of the islands and a bit of a hike up to a view.”

  They got down to the water and James helped Daphne onto her paddleboard before he got on his.

  “The balance is a bit weird,” Daphne said, moving her feet around until she was steady.

  “Makes it all the more fun!” James laughed from behind.

  She shot him a look but was quickly getting the hang of it.

  They exited the bay and moved into the actual lake.

  James pointed out the lilies that dotted the shallower water. They talked to each other about their lives and flirted while James guided them to some small islands with barely more than a few trees on them.

  Daphne and James toured around a few.

  “How long until we get to this lookout?” Daphne asked.

  “Another forty minutes, if we take our time?” James guesstimated.

  Daphne pulled off her sundress and kicked off her sandals, standing in just her bikini. Before James said anything, she took a running jump off the low cliff with an excited yell. She dropped into the water below. She looked back and up, seeing James on top of the island.

  “Coming?” She cocked her head back and looked at him.

  James took off his shirt, jumped and dove into the water.

  She looked down, trying to see where he was. Something pulled on her foot. She let out a startled scream as James surfaced. She let out a frustrated noise and splashed water in his face.

  He wiped it out of his eyes as he moved closer. With two powerful strokes, they were face-to-face.

  They let the world just fade away as they kissed. Daphne could feel his body against hers, the lines of muscle pushing against her as they moved their legs back and forth to stay afloat.

  Daphne put her hands around his face, pulling him in, feeling that need pulling at her, that want for him, a pure physical reaction based on how he matched up with her.

  His left hand, coarse from working outside, held her back and pulled her to him.

  They quickly became breathless. They parted again.

  Daphne’s need only grew more as she bit his lip, quickly moving in and nipping at his earlobe and skin there, getting a low groan from James.

  She backed away, needing distance or else she’d lose control of herself.

  “See you at the paddle boards!” With that, she dove under the water and kicked off, swimming around the island for the paddle boats.

  She was almost there when she let out a yelp. Jame
s had grabbed the inside of her legs. Her sex tingled in excitement, a part of her wishing his hands were higher.

  He surfaced, swimming next to her. His hand released her leg, drifting over her ass before he dove and shot forward with a powerful stroke.

  Daphne looked at him and then at the paddleboards that were in sight. “Jackass!” She shot forward, her competitive streak ignited as she raced to beat him.

  They reached the paddleboards, breathing heavily.

  Daphne quickly pushed out of the water and sat on her board.

  “How does it suck to be in second place?” James asked, treading water right next to her board.

  “Huh, suck, hmm?” Daphne tapped her lips in thought.

  James turned his head and kissed inside her leg.

  The feel of his lips and his beard stirred her need even more. She put a finger under his chin, stopping him and pulling him closer to her.

  She kissed him once. “What about that view?” She looked him in the eyes.

  “Mmm, this view is all I need.” James leaned forward and got the prize of a second kiss.

  “Come on, viewpoint.” Daphne ran her finger over his chest and collarbone, knowing that she was killing him on the inside.

  “Okay,” James said in a suffering voice as he swam for the island.

  Daphne jumped back in the water after they grabbed their items on the island. It was only a few meters wide so it didn’t take long before they were back, unhooking the line on Daphne’s board and pushed.

  They continued on their trip, talking about different bars and restaurants that they liked in Toronto, laughing as they talked about the mouth-watering steak at Barberian’s, or catching the game down at Copps Coliseum.

  “Are you into that party scene?” Daphne asked.

  “Not really. I’m too busy for all of that. With organizing everything for work and at home, this is one of the few times that I’ll have off.” James paused and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

  “My daughter Julia keeps me busy enough.” He looked up, gauging her reaction.

  “Daughter?” Daphne asked, her guard coming up as she thought of her next question.

  “Yeah, it’s just me and her, so I try to be there for her as much as possible.”

  His words quelled her fear and her next question about any wife in the picture. It was a big piece of information, but she calmed down.