by Sierra Rose
Jake brought out a blanket and laid it down.
“Just like old times,” I said with a smile.
He grinned as I snuggled up to him.
“Remember our Prom?” I asked.
“You looked so hot in that white and gold dress.”
“I knew you’d love strapless.”
“I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you all night.”
I smiled. “That was the plan.”
“Remember when Jimmy Hatcher put that wad of gum on Mrs. Tolar’s shoe?”
“Yeah! And she walked around with it all day long.”
“We shoulda told her.”
“But she was so mean to me. Hey, remember when that hypnotist came to our school and you told him you didn’t believe in that crap, so he made you volunteer?”
“I shouldn’t have butted in.”
“You’re right. He made you think you were Arnold Schwarzenegger, and you kept saying, ‘I’ll be back.’”
He hid his face with his hands and chuckled. “I did it all day long. How embarrassing.”
We both laughed.
“Remember our school trip to Washington DC?”
“How could I forget? We almost got suspended when you talked me into sneaking out of our hotel room.”
“It’s not like we left the hotel.”
“No, we just sneaked a swim in the pool.”
“If I remember correctly, we had one of our best make-out sessions there.”
I laughed and touched his arm lightly. “Hotter than when we made out under the bleachers during a football game?”
“Can you believe all the crazy stuff we did?”
“Hey, we graduated, right?”
“Yeah, but I still feel bad about getting you in all that trouble. Your mom grounded you for a month and—”
“Jake, that was a lifetime ago. Mom always said you were a bad influence, but I didn’t care. I loved you unconditionally.”
“I don’t know what your mom had against me anyway. I think I turned out okay. I’ve never done any drugs or prison time or hung out with a street gang.”
“It wasn’t you. She just always figured I’d date someone else, like a surgeon or the President or something.”
“I think she really got pissed when I told her we were going to the movies and we instead went to that party that got way outta control.”
“Yeah, it really freaked her out when I came home in a cop car. Worst of all, it tarnished her perfect reputation with our neighbors.”
“I’ve grown up a lot since then. I don’t look for trouble anymore.”
A streak of light flashed across the sky. “Look! A shooting star. Quick…make a wish!”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I took in his perfect profile for a while before doing the same.
My eyes were still closed when his voice jolted me out of my thoughts. “What did you wish for?” he said.
I playfully slugged him. “If I tell you, it won’t come true!”
He smiled, his eyes glinting.
“Maybe I should ask what you wished for,” I said.
“I’ll never tell,” he chuckled.
Blue, white, yellow, orange, and red shooting stars streaked across the black velvet sky, leaving long, flaming tails in their wake, like a silent fireworks display.
I leaned back on both elbows. “We’re in the middle of some kind of meteor shower. Isn’t it awesome? I’ve gotta get some pictures.” I ran in and grabbed my camera and snapped as many shots as I could.
When I set the camera down, he stood. “Dance with me?”
He grabbed my hand and twirled me around quickly, causing me to giggle. A firestorm of shooting stars soared across the heavens, as if applauding our efforts on the makeshift dance floor. Jake’s arm wrapped around my waist, and he dipped me backward, until my long hair brushed against the patio floor. He pulled me out of the dip and back onto my feet. Again, he twirled me around. Then we laughed and danced—under the sparkling light of a million stars.
The meteor storm blazed; colors continued to swirl above us. Stars glittered like diamonds. Finally, we danced close and slow. My heart pounded as I realized how nice it was to be held by Jake. Our eyes connected, and silence filled the air. There was something more between us, something that sizzled as brightly as the stars on the horizon.
I felt a sudden, strong attraction to the person I’d known most of my life. His brilliant blue eyes echoed the illuminations of the cosmos in a most glorious way. I traced a fingertip across his lips, losing myself in those gorgeous eyes. To top it off, he had the most beautiful smile. Jake tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His soft touch made my heart flutter. Time stood still, as if there was only that moment. An overwhelming urge to kiss Jake struck me. As I leaned in, just a breath’s distance away from him, the entire world seemed to stop and hold its breath, waiting for the sparks. Shivering with emotion, I shut my eyes and pulled him closer. He cupped my face in his warm hands. His lips pressed against my mouth, and that familiar spark shot right through me; it felt so good, so natural, so right. All I’d ever wanted and needed was right there in my arms.
Jake stroked my cheek, and more soft, gentle kisses followed, melting our problems away. He was my friend, but there was more to him than that. I knew we were going to share something so wonderful, so beautiful.
He gazed into my eyes. “I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m so sorry things got screwed up between us, but maybe we can get back on track.” I knew Jake truly loved me with all his heart. I could see it in his eyes.
He lowered his mouth to mine and captured it again in a tender kiss. “I want to make love to you,” he purred in my ear. “I want to feel your body close to mine, like we used to.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his blatant flirtations, and the heat in my blushing cheeks scorched my skin. “I want you badly, Jake, but let’s not rush this.”
His gaze drifted to my lips, then back up to my eyes, and he smiled. “I can wait for you forever if I have to.”
I lingered for a moment before saying another word. When he looked into my eyes, I quickly averted my dumbfounded smile to the ground, and my legs began to shake. When it came to Jake, all those songs I’d heard about people going weak in the knees suddenly made sense.
We lay back down on the blanket Jake had spread out, and we talked for hours and stargazed some more. Talking about old times was actually very healing, and we laughed the night away before we headed off to bed. He wrapped his arms around me, and it felt so familiar and so right. He didn’t make any moves, which took some of the pressure off, and I fell asleep in his strong arms.
* * *
When morning came, Jake was still sleeping. He looked adorable, and I grabbed my camera and took a shot. Smiling, I glanced down at the digital screen; the photo was perfect. I got dressed and threw my hair into a long ponytail.
I kissed Jake on the cheek. “Ready for Mirror Lake?”
“It’s morning already?” he groggily asked.
I opened the curtains as light flooded the room. “You shouldn’t have stayed up so late.”
“Sorry. I was talking to this beautiful woman who has me completely mesmerized.”
I smiled and kissed his lips. “Well, I met this guy who swept me off my feet.”
We both grinned.
“You might want to wear your swimming trunks under your clothes, because this place is one of Yosemite’s most popular swimming holes. It’s supposed to be a real hot day for spring.”
“Any chance of getting a cup of coffee first?” he asked.
I handed him a tall, Styrofoam cup. “Here you go.”
His eyes lit up. “You’re a lifesaver.”
I smiled. Jake had never been able to function without his morning cuppajo.
We got dressed and ate breakfast, then headed off to the walking trail that was flanked with a thick forest of towering evergreen trees.
Birds chirped overhead, while insects hummed in the thickets and grass. I could smell the cleanness of the air; there was no pollution, no cars, no smog—just pure oxygen.
I purchased us some bottled water and waited for Jake out front. It was about ten a.m., and the sun was beating down hard. I knew it was going to be a hot one.
“Ashly…”
Shivers ran up my spine, and goosebumps pimpled my skin. Just hearing him say my name was an adrenaline rush. Jake reached for my hand, and my heart started to race. I had butterflies in my stomach, just like back in high school.
He couldn’t stop staring, and he shook his head when he caught himself. “You are so pretty.”
I smiled at the ground and flipped my hair nervously. We were both wearing hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen, and I had stuffed my backpack with water and sandwiches. We even filled up a thermos with nothing but ice, figuring that when it melted, we’d have ice cold water. We took the shuttle bus and got off at Stop 17, which took us to the correct trail.
As we leisurely strolled along, I enjoyed all the nature around me. I also enjoyed the company. “So…tell me one of your firefighter stories.”
“There are so many. We’ve saved people, of course, and this one time, I almost died.”
“What!? Tell me that one.”
“Well, we were dispatched to a house fire, and a woman was trapped inside. My buddies and I bolted straight into the flames, but the floor collapsed.”
I clutched my heart at the thought. “Oh my gosh.”
“The fire was roaring all around me, and I was pretty much trapped. I’ll never forget the sound of crackling flames and rumbling echoes and all that smoke swirling around me. My colleagues did everything they could to get me out of there, but I was in that house what felt like forever. I felt this tremendous sadness. I was sure I was going to die without ever seeing you again.”
“You were about to die, and you were thinking about me?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I love you and all the mistakes I’ve made in my life, especially walking away from that beautiful wedding we’d been planning for two years. I was afraid I’d never get the chance to tell you how sorry I am, and that’s the one thing that has always haunted me.”
I wiped a tear from my eye. “That’s so touching, Jake. I’m not sure what to say.”
He took a deep breath and let it out. “Even if you hated me, I had to somehow let you know how sorry I am.”
“I’ve already forgiven you, Jake.”
“I know that now, and it’s such a big burden off my shoulders. I wanted to make amends for my sins, to turn my life around and help people. I’ve risked my life to save other people countless times, and the other firefighters accused me of having a death wish. Maybe in some weird way, I was trying to make up for all the pain I caused you.”
I stopped and cupped his cheeks. “You’re so brave, such a hero.”
He stared deeply into my eyes. “That means everything, coming from you.”
I kissed his lips, and embraced him tightly. “I’m just so glad you survived that house fire.”
“Me too…and I’m even gladder that my buddies got that lady out. She has three little kids. We even rescued the family dog, one of those little yappy Chihuahuas.”
* * *
We hiked up to Mirror Lake, and as soon as I saw it, I realized why it had been called that. The lake truly looked like a mirror, reflecting the huge boulders that surrounded it. It was one of the most photographed spots in this park, and I definitely understood why. A deer drank from the lake and didn’t even seem to mind our presence, and I felt just as at peace and harmony as the creature did.
We spread out a blanket for our lakeside picnic. We hadn’t packed a lot of food for the short hike, so I’d thought to bring a couple of small pillows in my backpack as well. I figured we’d be lounging at the lake for a few hours.
Jake wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me onto the blanket, tickling my sides and belly and under my ribs.
“Wh-what are you doing?” I asked foolishly.
I knew he was flirting with me or torturing me, or maybe both. My mind was fuzzy just from being touched by him. I shrieked, bucked, and squirmed as he tickled me. I even giggled; it’d been so long since I’d made that giddy, little-girl sound that I’d forgotten what it sounded like. Giggling in such a carefree way was nice, something I wasn’t accustomed to. I laughed as I stared up into his eyes and gleaming smile. I was flattered by his attention, but I knew if he didn’t stop tickling me, I was going to start crying from laughing so hard. I grabbed the closest weapon I could find to defend myself, a small, dark pillow, and started hitting him with it.
He laughed, then grabbed my wrists and said in my ear in that sexy voice of his, “I wanna kiss you from head to toe and devour every inch of your body.”
“Ooh. I love the sound of that.”
“I know you want me as much as I want you.” He was so sure of himself, and his self-confidence was yet another turn-on. “We’ve done it in a lot of places, but never in Yosemite.”
I smiled wider. “Then let’s do it.”
He laughed that deep, smoky laugh that I couldn’t get enough of. “Tempting,” he purred in my ear as he kissed my neck, “but there are other people around.”
“I won’t be loud,” I said.
He cocked a brow. “Seriously? I don’t ever remember you being quiet.”
We couldn’t help but laugh, because we both knew he was right.
I stripped down to my black and gold bikini. “C’mon. Let’s go in for a dip.”
His jaw dropped, and his eyes were glued to my body.
Mission accomplished, I thought, then smiled inwardly.
“Talk about hot,” he said. “Your abs are as flat as a washboard.”
“Nadia and I go these ab classes. It’s a pretty hard workout.”
“Well, it’s certainly paying off,” he said, gazing hungrily at me.
When I reached down to put all my clothes together in one pile, I noticed Jake checking out my cleavage. When I met his gaze, he looked away, his cheeks flushed.
“Are you swimming or what?” I asked.
My grin broadened as he stripped off his shirt. Jake’s golden skin glistened, and his chest was thick with muscles. I couldn’t help but feast my eyes on his rippling chest and six-pack abs. Part of me fantasized about running my fingers over his strong chest. I was already picturing him naked and the insane things the two of us would be doing later that night, when things were more private, but I knew I had to stop thinking about him like that. There was so much unresolved sexual tension brewing between us. We had that spark, that intensity and the flirting and seductive glances were happening more and more frequently. In that moment, I wanted Jake more than anything in the world, but I knew I had to be patient.
He leaned closer and looked into my eyes, then to my lips, then back to my eyes, and my gaze locked on his. I loved how the wind ruffled his dark hair and the sunlight danced and sparkled in his blue eyes. He lifted me up into his strong arms and I wrapped my arms around him. Running my hands through his glorious locks, I playfully kissed his earlobe, then traced the outline of his ear with the tip of my tongue.
“All I want to do this very second is get down on my knees for you,” I whispered naughtily into his ear.
His jaw dropped as he gently set me back down. I slowly licked my lips and he shot me a flirty grin. I always loved teasing him like that when we were out in public. I turned and walked toward the water.
“You know the last thing I’m thinking about is swimming, right?”
I glanced over my shoulder and smiled. “Come on, Jake. It’s so hot out here. I just want to cool off.”
“You’re not kidding about the ‘hot’ part.”
I grinned knowing my comment had totally turned him on.
Smiling, he walked over and embraced me in a kiss. His mouth was freezing, and that’s when I noticed he had popped an
ice cube into his mouth. A fun kiss. It was perfect for such a hot day. Jake dove into this passionate kiss, then slowly with his tongue, he passed the ice into my mouth. I felt this sexy chill as a shiver ran down my spine. We passed the cube back and forth holding the ice in our mouths for a few seconds at a time. It was such an erotic, sensual, playful French kiss. I’d never experienced such an exciting kiss. What was so amazing about it was the fact that it cooled me down, yet, kept me hot and steamy at the same time. I knew one thing for sure: Jake was not a boring kisser!
The ice cube melted and I smiled as I cupped his face. “Who said a kiss was just a kiss?”
“Wanna try that again?” he said in the sexiest voice ever.
I ran my hands across his bare chest and shot him a naughty look. “I thought you were never going to ask!”
After our intense and hot ‘ice cube’ make out session, we splashed around, swam, held each other, laughed, and had a blast. We even tried one of those underwater kisses. I hadn’t felt so carefree in years, and the burst of happiness just bubbled over and washed over me like a tidal wave. I just let myself go, as Nadia and Jake had both advised me to do.
Jake grinned, picked me up, and swung me around. I felt dizzy when he put me down, but not only because he’d been spinning me in circles. I could feel his heart racing, but there was also something else, an unmistakable bulge from his groin pressing hard against me, making my body ache for him. He was hot for me, and I could tell he wanted to ravage me right there in Yosemite.
I stared up into his eyes that seemed to absorb everything around them. A stray ray of sun caught in his black pupil, fascinating me until it disappeared again. It knew I could so easily get lost in those pools and be forever caught up in Jake’s world. Jake pulled me close and wrapped his arms around my waist. I raised my hand to touch his cheek, and my fingers danced along his jaw line of their own accord. I knew I shouldn’t allow myself to get attached to him again, but I couldn’t help it. Something deep and strong drew me to him, making me want to touch him and spare him any further disappointment in me. He smiled, and for a moment, he lowered his lips onto mine, pressing gently, without expecting anything in return.