“Yeah.”
“And what is Bonnie without you? She doesn’t have a career. She doesn’t have a business. She’s the mother of your children, and those children are growing up.”
“So what should I do? Help her start a business?”
“Beats me. Ask her.” Suzi stopped. The water rushed around her calves. She swept her hair up and twisted it into a bun on top of her head. “The road up to the house is not this long.”
“It isn’t?” Brian wiped his arm across his forehead. How long had they been walking? Half an hour? An hour? His jeans had started drying, but his shirt was soaked with sweat. He was filthy and hungry, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy.
“No. I’ve jogged down the mountain to the main road, and it’s not this far.” She turned to him. “We are lost.”
“How can we be lost? We’ve been following the same stream, and it’s been going downhill the whole time.”
Suzi cocked an eyebrow at him. The expression was far too cute for being lost and alone with her in the forest. “You might have noticed that mountains are wider on the bottom than they are on the top.”
“Ha ha. We haven’t crossed a road, so we’ve got to be between the driveway and the road that leads over the mountain past the campground. We’ll just keep going down and eventually we’ll find civilization.” He walked past her.
“You sound so confident.” She splashed behind them. “I thought you didn’t know anything about the great outdoors.”
“I don’t.”
“So what makes you so sure?”
“You were sure when we started this little adventure.” Brian lifted a branch and held it for her to duck under.
“And you’re relying on me?”
“Yup.”
She took the lead again, which he preferred. It gave him more time to consider what she’d said. Had he been assuming the marriage was over when all he needed to do was have a talk with his wife? Their last conversation hadn’t gone well. He had said he was going to spend some time working with Jason and Savitar. She had told him he could fucking well spend the rest of his life out here. It went downhill from there. Before, when they fought, it had turned into passion. Now, it turned into ice. Passion he could understand, but ice drove him away. He could try waiting her out. See Bonnie through the lens Suzi gave him. Suzi had helped him see his kids for the wonders they were and shown him prehistoric West Virginia, so maybe she could help him see the Bonnie he had fallen in love with again. He could send the kids to spend a couple of weeks with his parents while he tried to rescue things. Maybe it was a little old fashioned, but he didn’t want Tess and Bub to grow up in a broken home.
If he and Suzi ever found their way out of this endless forest.
“Are you going to write a book about this?” he asked.
“Stephen King already did.”
“That doesn’t mean you couldn’t write one, too.”
She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. “You just want me to write a book with you in it.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea. I think I make a dashing hero.”
“If you don’t say so yourself.”
“I rescued you from all the horrible bugs.”
She shuddered. “I was trying to forget about those.” She stopped. “I hear something.”
Brian listened. It sounded like the hum of car tires on asphalt. The bushes hung lower to the stream, and he had to lift them up so they could duck under. Ahead, a deep shadow covered the path. He pulled away the last branch over a three-foot high concrete drainage pipe under the road.
“Hallelujah!” Suzi scrambled up the embankment with Brian right behind her. Across the road was the pasture of the riding stable, and beyond, the first houses at the edge of town. “Now all we have to do is follow the road back to the driveway and walk back up.”
“Or.” Brian grinned at her. “We could walk into town, go to Ida’s, and get some food while we wait for somebody to come pick us up.”
“I don’t have any money on me.”
Brian put his arm over her shoulders. “I can get us a line of credit.”
* * * *
Suzi stared at the rocks in the bottom of the stream. The rose quartz assembled on a section of black slate spelled out a word. Yes. She didn’t remember seeing rose quartz in the stream. Yes to what?
“He must be nuts,” Brian said.
“Who?” Suzi asked.
“Logan. He left you alone with me.” Brian started kissing her neck.
“But he’s worried about Jason, not you.”
“He should be worried about me.”
“You?”
“I love you. I want you. You belong to me.” Brian pulled her down into the stream. The water was warm and his lips were hot.
“What about your wife?”
“She doesn’t mind. We do this all the time. Didn’t you know? The invitation said orgy, not dinner.” He stripped off her clothes in one motion. “Jason’s coming later. And he’s bringing Cassie.”
Something started beeping. “We’re lost in the woods,” she said. His hands felt glorious caressing her overheated skin.
“Are you excitable?” Brian asked, thrusting into her.
* * * *
Logan could hear Suzi laughing upstairs and a fire alarm beeping. He was standing at the bottom of a sweeping staircase that wasn’t in Jason’s house, but in the logic of dreams was, and Suzi was somewhere at the top of it with Jason. “Come on, we’ve got work to do,” Logan shouted.
“Fuck off, buddy. I’ve got my work right here,” Jason shouted back.
Suzi laughed. It was the high joyful laugh Logan loved to hear, but not with another man.
“We’re going to go over budget.” Logan cringed at the whine in his voice.
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“Yes, you do,” Suzi said laughing.
“Oh, yes I do,” Jason answered. His tone was heavy with desire. Logan heard Suzi moaning in response. The bedsprings started squeaking.
He wanted to scream her name, but it bottled up in his throat as if there were a cork stuck in there. He reached for the banister.
His hand found her naked shoulder. He pulled her onto her back and climbed on top of her, thrusting inside her before he opened his eyes. “Suzi. My Suzi. I love you,” he gasped, riding her.
“Logan, yes. Oh, God, yes.” Her fingernails tore his back. “Harder, harder.”
The headboard banged against the wall. “Tell me, Suzi. Tell me you want me.”
“I want you, Logan. Only you.”
She closed around him, dragging him under. Her hot mouth on his neck. Her legs tight around his hips. Her fingernails digging into his back. The world went black.
The beeping was still going, and now there was a knock at the door.
“Shit,” Suzi hissed. “Shit, Logan baby, I’m sorry. We overslept.” She started to pull away from him, but he held her tight. “Logan, we have to get up. Everyone else is up.” Twisting, she slipped out of his grasp.
“What?” Logan lifted his head enough to see the clock. Nine thirty-five and still beeping.
Suzi had pulled on a T-shirt. “I have to get breakfast. You guys are all going to be late, and you’ve got a five minute commute across the lawn so you can’t blame traffic.”
Logan crawled out of bed. He located some clothes, and by the time he left the bedroom, he could smell smoke and hear Suzi in the kitchen scolding Toby for starting a minor kitchen fire. He had to stop having these fucked-up dreams. She wasn’t even with Jason yesterday. Most of the day she’d been roaming the woods with Brian. Nobody had noticed they were missing until they climbed out of the backseat of Cassie’s parents’ car not long before dinner.
“Randy Mirandy strikes again, huh?” John said.
“Logan, yes. Oh, God, yes. Harder, harder.” Greg snickered.
Logan punched Greg’s shoulder
and went into the kitchen. Suzi was frying eggs, and the toaster was dripping in the sink.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I overslept.” She kept her eyes on the eggs, and her face was red. They must have been needling her, too.
“It’s not a big deal.” The shirt she’d grabbed wasn’t quite long enough. Her smooth, white ass peeked out. He stepped behind her and slid his hands over that pale flesh. He wanted her again, now. “Let’s go back to bed.”
“You have work to do.”
“They’ll be fine without me for a couple of hours. Let’s go back to bed.” He kissed her neck.
“I have to finish breakfast first.”
Something about her voice was strange. Tight and too high. “What’s the matter?”
Her breath hitched. “I love you.”
“I know, sugar. I love you, too.”
She nodded, still focused on the eggs. “I’m sorry.”
“About what? Waking up late? It’s nothing. Even people who wear suits are late to work sometimes.”
“About yesterday.”
“Oh, that. That’s no big deal, either.” He slipped his hands around her thighs. She was still hot and slick. “It’s a lot easier if you leave a note rather than a pair of shoes and a coffee cup.”
“Logan, don’t.” Suzi twisted.
“Don’t what?” Logan slid his fingers between her legs.
“They’re in the other room.”
“So?”
“Please stop.”
Logan moved his hands back to her waist. “Okay. What’s wrong?”
“Everyone is in the next room.”
“Yeah, and they were this morning when you were screaming my name, too.” He bit her shoulder.
“I know.” She scooped the eggs out of the pan and put them on a plate. “Please, just go eat your breakfast.”
He picked up the plate. “Sure, whatever.” Fifteen minutes ago, she was all over him. Zero to passion in ten seconds. Now she wanted him to just go eat his breakfast? What the hell? At the table, he got plenty of ribbing. She didn’t come out of the kitchen.
“You comin’?” Greg asked. “I mean coming with us, not coming with Suzi.”
Logan glanced at his plate and then at them. He had two untouched eggs. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Round two!” John stuffed the last bite of egg into his mouth as he jumped up from the table. “We’ll see you in about five minutes.”
Greg and Toby followed John out, arguing over how long they would take.
Suzi was scrubbing the sink.
“Hey Suz?”
“I thought you guys all left.” She didn’t turn around.
“You’re being funny this morning.” Logan wasn’t sure if his stomach hurt because he hadn’t eaten or because of the way she was acting. “Everything okay?”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s probably PMS.”
Logan wasn’t the brightest guy in the world, but he could count. She’d just had a period two weeks ago. Unless her cycle was speeding up, she wasn’t having PMS. So she was lying. Why? “Is there anything I can do? Chocolate? Jewelry? Massage?”
“I just need to get some sleep. I’m kinda tired, and I’ve been having weird dreams.”
“Yeah, me too. I warned you recording was stressful.”
“I know.” She rinsed off her hands and turned around smiling. “I wish I could help.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbing her lovely body against him.
“This is helping.” He kissed her. She’d woken from a nightmare to having sex with him. And she was always kind of embarrassed when somebody heard them having sex. That’s all it was.
“You should go,” she whispered, teasing her lips across his. “You’re already late. I promise tonight will be wonderful.”
“Tall promise.”
“You know I can deliver. Now get going so I can clean up.” She swatted him on the ass.
Logan was out of the house and halfway across the lawn before he remembered what she’d said that morning.
I want you, Logan. Only you.
Why only? Did he need to ask who else she might be wanting? Or who might be wanting her?
* * * *
Suzi smacked a mosquito on her arm and leaned against the deck. So far Logan believed the nightmare-PMS story she’d come up with this morning. Acclimating herself to having kinky dreams about Brian was going to take time. Brian? She liked him. With the exception of those first couple of awkward meetings, she was destined to like him. As a friend. They could never be more than friends. She couldn’t allow it to be more. She had a boyfriend. Logan was hot, famous, and seemed to like her right now. It wouldn’t last. She knew that. She could count on one finger the number of rock stars who had a serious relationship, but the ride would be worth it.
Except now she was losing her mind and imagining she was in love with Brian Ellis of Touchstone. Because Logan Fitzpatrick of Savitar wasn’t good enough anymore. Oh, God!
Suzi hugged herself. Brian had left this morning. Flown home to salvage his marriage based on her brilliant encouragement.
Good. That was good. She’d done a good thing. And once he was out of sight, she wouldn’t be convinced she was falling in love with him anymore. Everything would be fine.
Jason strolled over with a beer in one hand and a Coke in the other. “What are you doing over here in the dark? The party’s over there. You know, where the fire is.” He handed her the Coke.
“I know. I was just standing back and enjoying the view.”
“Observing so you can put it in a book later? Remember, I’m very charming.”
“I know.” Suzi opened the bottle. He’d been so nice remembering her drink preferences, she felt obligated.
Jason draped his arm over her shoulders. “I wanted to thank you. You’ve been a huge help with Andi, and you gave Brian a good pep talk yesterday.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Says you.” He kissed her forehead.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Logan demanded, suddenly right beside them.
Suzi jumped and dropped her pop. She wasted a moment grabbing for it. Logan had Jason by the shirt and was pressing him back against the deck railing. Shock had vanished from Jason’s eyes, replaced by something a bit more dangerous.
“Keep your fucking hands off my girlfriend,” Logan snarled.
“Fuck off. I’m not doing anything to your girlfriend.” Jason tried to shove Logan back, but only managed to gain a few inches. Suzi heard Jason’s shirt rip.
“Logan, stop it. Just stop it,” she said, trying to maintain a calm tone but failing, judging by the squeak. If Brian were here, he’d be able to defuse this situation.
Logan tried to get back in Jason’s face. “You need to stay away from my fucking girlfriend.”
“Why?” Jason demanded.
“Jason, stop it. Both of you, stop it.” Suzi wedged herself between them, facing Logan. It was like a nature show with two rams facing off with her getting crushed between. “Logan, let him go.”
“I know what you’re doing,” Logan snapped, focusing over her head on Jason.
“And what’s that?”
“Jason, stop provoking him,” Suzi pleaded. She worked her arms up in front of her and planted her hands on Logan’s chest. “Can you stop being crazy for a minute, please?”
“You’re not going to take her away from me.”
Suzi forced her arms straight, shoving Logan backward. He tripped and staggered back a step. Losing Logan’s support, she stumbled and Jason caught her arm before she fell. Lunging forward, Logan drew back his arm, preparing to swing. Suzi threw herself forward in time to get clipped on the temple and thrown back into Jason’s arms.
The silence was shattering.
Suzi shook her head, and the whole world swayed around her. Jason had his arms around her, supporting her weight. The fire crackled, but no one spoke for a long time. Suz
i touched her temple, expecting to feel dampness or a lump or a dent, something, but there was nothing. Her motion seemed to spur Jason into action. He stepped in front of her, shielding her from Logan.
“What’s wrong with you, hitting a girl?” Jason demanded.
“Jesus, Suzi—” Logan reached for her. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
Rubbing her face, Suzi jerked away from him and walked toward the steps to the guesthouse. Her head rattled with broken thoughts. She blinked away tears that had sprung to her eyes.
Logan followed her. “Suzi, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.”
“Are you all right?” Jason was half a step behind him, and everyone else was on an intercept course.
She shifted her jaw. “I’m fine.” She just wanted to go inside and hide for a minute.
“Are you sure?” Jason asked. “You want some ice?”
“What happened?” Cassie asked.
“Nothing,” Suzi said before they could speak. “I just want to go to the bathroom.”
Jason stopped at the top of the stairs, but Logan, Greg, and Cassie followed her down.
“Suzi, I’m sorry.” Logan opened the cabin door.
“Let me take a look at it.” Cass reached for her.
Suzi pulled away. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.” She walked through the door and tried to pull it closed behind her, but Logan squeezed in and followed her to the bathroom.
“Suzi, it was an accident.”
“Was it, Logan?” She turned to him. Jason, Cassie, and Greg were now all hovering by the front window where they could see some of the bathroom. “You were planning to hit somebody. Why not me?”
“I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Ya think?”
“I saw you guys and I thought—”
“Jesus, Logan, it’s not like you caught us en flagrante delicto.” She peered into the mirror. There was a red mark on her temple. Grabbing a washcloth, she wiped her face. Good thing he hadn’t seen her in the woods with Brian. She shivered at the memory of sliding into Brian’s arms on the waterfall. But she hadn’t done anything. She hadn’t taken it any further than that moment. That should get her some points. “Don’t you trust me?”
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