It also felt sort of delicious.
She knew it was conniving of her to not reveal the truth, especially after the horrid morning she’d had. She certainly didn’t want Garrett to think she was two-timing some other guy. But, it swelled her self-confidence to know he even cared.
“Thanks so much,” Trish replied when Jordan said she would be fine handling the shop until Monday. “You’re the best, girl. Okay, talk to you later. Bye.”
Trish purposefully didn’t look over at Garrett. “Sorry. That was my assistant, Jordan. I can’t believe I forgot to get a hold of her today. Guess I just had some other things on my mind.”
“Understandable,” he returned.
She continued to look straight ahead as they walked on until his hand seemed to naturally find its way to hers. When she did look over to him, he was staring back at her with a look she couldn’t discern.
They walked the rest of the way back to the hotel in a companionable silence. Although, with every step down the hallway to their door, Trish’s body began to tense more and more.
She expected him to ask her about her freak out at the theater once they got back into the privacy of the room. How was she to explain what had overcome her when she wasn’t even sure why it had happened?
So, as soon as Garrett opened the door, Trish began to make a big show of stretching and yawning.
“Tired?”
His voice directly behind her nearly made her jump out of her skin. He was far too close for her brain to function rationally.
She quickly put a few more feet between them by grabbing her bag and dashing into the bathroom. “Yeah, I think I’ll get changed and head to bed.”
She knew it was a cop-out to run away. Although she felt fairly certain Garrett wouldn’t laugh off her feelings, she didn’t want to risk it, just then. It could make for a seriously awkward weekend.
And, if he did have some feelings for her, as it seemed, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to find out just how strong those feelings were, just then, either.
Although they had the largest suite in the hotel, there was only one bed, albeit king-sized. Thankfully, Garrett wasn’t already in it when she snuck out of the bathroom.
“Goodnight,” she threw out quickly as she slipped into the bed and faced the wall.
“Goodnight,” she heard him answer but didn’t dare look back at him.
Mercifully, sleep came over her in a matter of seconds so she didn’t have to contemplate his feelings or her feelings or anything else any more that night.
12
Trish awoke feeling as though she were wrapped up in a warm cloud. For a small-town hotel, she thought, they sure did the suite up nice.
It was several long, luxurious minutes of slowly meandering her way to consciousness before she realized what was truly so cozy about the bed.
Garrett had crawled in next to her and pulled her tight against him during the night. He was still sound asleep so she felt safe in indulging in the moment for a few more minutes, even once fully awake.
Finally, she decided she would rather face him out of bed, dressed and ready for the day than curled up in his muscular arms, no matter how preferable that sounded just then.
With considerable care not to wake him, Trish slowly peeled herself away from that comfortable spot and tip-toed her way to the bathroom. A long, hot shower sounded divine and would hopefully give her some clarity with which to start her day.
If not, that’s what cold showers were for.
A long sigh escaped past her lips as she closed the bathroom door softly behind her and let go of the tension which she hadn’t realized she’d held, shoulders up by her ears. She turned on the faucet and then the showerhead, pulling the curtain shut before turning to the mirror.
It wasn’t her usual habit to look in the mirror while she undressed, but she couldn’t help herself this morning. She examined her body while she pulled off her shirt. Her mind whirled back to high school and she tried to remember what her body had looked like then.
She was still relatively the same size, although she’d gone through a womanly growth spurt in her early twenties, adding a luscious curve to her hips which hadn’t been there in her teens. And her breasts, though not huge, she felt fit her frame and were just ample enough to push tight against the fabric restraint of her bra.
She also couldn’t help the blush that spread like wildfire from her cheeks down through her chest as she recalled the one and only time Garrett had seen her without her shirt. She’d still had her bra on but, for the conservative teenage Trish, revealing the details of her lacy, bright pink undergarment had been a thrill of the highest caliber at the time.
Garrett hadn’t seemed to mind, either.
In fact, she remembered as she slipped off her bottoms and flung them to the corner of the bathroom, he’d been quite thrilled, as well. They’d been in her room, door closed, pushing the boundaries of their young, sexual inquisitiveness and what they’d dare attempt with her parents in the kitchen downstairs.
He’d backed her up against the door and then nimbly picked her up. Her legs had locked naturally around his waist and then he’d walked them over to the bed where he sat on the edge. His hands were able, then, to roam up the back of her shirt and the sensation of his fingertips on her skin had made her yearn to give him more.
Now, a rush of gooseflesh broke out across Trish’s torso as she stepped under the hot water into the shower. She remembered vividly how sexy she’d felt as she’d leaned slightly back and deftly pulled her shirt up over her head in one fluid motion and then stopped, allowing him to take in the full image of her chest, propped up so conveniently in front of his face in a push-up bra.
She let out an involuntary groan at the memory of his dawning arousal. It had boosted her confidence to no end to realize how attracted he was to her, how the sight of her exposed skin could cause such a reaction in him. She remembered how his eyelids had dimmed and he took on an almost dopey, half-sleepy look, as if her padded bosom had locked him instantly into a trance.
Although her bra had stayed on, there hadn’t been a centimeter of exposed skin which his hands and mouth hadn’t explored that afternoon. When he’d lain her back on her bed and moved to cover her body with his, she’d managed to tug the bottom of his shirt up. He’d readily complied and taken it off, revealing the well-toned body she’d always enjoyed so much through his clothes. That day, though, with his flushed skin alternately pressed against or grazing over hers, Trish had learnt a new worship for the male body.
Her bedtime fantasies were never the same after that.
Twenty-eight year old Trish shook her head. She was glad these intense memories were only just hitting her while she was alone. She didn’t know how well she could hide it if her mind wandered like this around Garrett.
She let out another heavy sigh as she contemplated her current situation. Snowed in for another two full days and nights with her high school boyfriend. He still looked as good as ever—better, even, if she were to be honest. He’d filled out his frame nicely, too. There were more layers of muscle under his clothes, now. He had a little bit of scruff going from a few days of not shaving, furthering the fact he was no longer the boy with which she’d fallen into puppy love as teenagers.
And, what of that puppy love still remained between them? Obviously, from the open flirting between them the previous day and that kiss…
That kiss!
Trish bit her lip against the sudden, surprising shot of arousal which flared between her legs. It was still as exciting kissing him now as it had always been. Only now, she wasn’t a shy, un-knowing girl just barely on the precipice of adult sexuality. She knew a thing or two, and she’d had her fair share of quick romances, running the bases faster than a pro hitting a searing line-drive to deep center field.
But, was “going all the way” what she really wanted to do with Garrett?
Moreover, was it what he wanted?
Her hands slid down her bell
y and dipped below her waist as she thought about her wonderful, dreamy wake up that morning. His breath on her neck, his arms wrapped around her so securely, her ass backed up into the crook of his waist, her body molded so perfectly—so naturally—against his.
Perhaps, she could sneak back into the bed without waking him and reposition herself just the same. Then, she could start to shimmy her hips ever so slightly, pressing herself harder against him. She could take his hand and trace it down her side and across her hipbone, sinking slowly down to her warmest spot. She could let escape an audible note of delight, just a little louder than necessary, to fully nudge him from his sleep.
He’d awaken to find himself already in the beginning throes of a heated encounter with the naked woman in his embrace. He’d be unsure how his hand had travelled to its current spot or for how long she’d been writhing in mounting pleasure beside him, but would he care to stop to sort that out? Doubtful. If he awoke to find himself exploring her naked body and her reveling in his task, she was sure he would not only carry on but with vigor and enthusiasm.
“Oh!” she gasped, biting down on her lip to keep from shouting as her fingers and fantasy worked together to culminate in a most satisfying way.
As her body slowly came down from this high, she leaned her back against the shower wall and shut her eyes. Obviously, she wasn’t over her attraction for Garrett. Whether there was anything else underlying, she decided then not to worry about it for the weekend.
This was truly a serendipitous circumstance in which she found herself. That one afternoon in her bedroom all those years ago had been all the further they’d pursued their attraction to one another. Now, they could discover all they’d never allowed themselves before with no worry of parents walking in.
And, Trish realized with glee, no other attachments. That dickhead, Devin, turning out to be married may have been a blessing in disguise, although she still could’ve done without being pulled out of bed by her hair.
Trish turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed and, oddly, just as turned on as she had minutes before. She turned to her reflection in the mirror and cocked a playful eyebrow at herself.
“Why not have some fun?” she asked her mirror image.
With no response in opposition, Trish allowed a wide, semi-wicked smile to curl across her lips.
“Time for a little wake-up call!”
With care not to make a sound, she lightly turned the knob to the bathroom door and slid it open. She stepped on tip-toes the few feet out of the bathroom and along the wall which separated the vanity sink/closet area from the rest of the hotel room. She was just about to peek her head around the corner to confirm he was still asleep when she realized he was talking.
But, not to her.
She listened, concluding he must be having a conversation on his phone.
“Yeah, I miss you, too. Don’t worry. I’ll be home on Monday. We can spend all next weekend together, I promise. Yeah. Whatever you want. Okay. I’ll talk to you later. Yup. I love you, too. Okay, bye.”
Trish’s heart sank.
I miss you, too. We can spend all next weekend together.
I love you, too.
He had a girlfriend?! But, he hadn’t mentioned anything about seeing anyone.
But, she hadn’t asked, she realized with horror. She’d only asked if he was married. So, she’d just assumed from his flirty attitude with her, he was unattached. And, that kiss…
That kiss! God!
She balled her hands into fists and knocked them against her temple. What a fool she’d been!
So what if he’d kissed her? So what if he’d flirted with her and held her hand? So what if he’d curled up beside her in bed overnight?
Hadn’t Devin done all the same things? And, he was married. How could she have been so naïve, so stupid to believe Garrett doing those same things meant he wasn’t, also?
Wife, girlfriend, frequent booty-call, it didn’t matter who she was to him. He was obviously involved with another woman. There was no denying the truth in the emotion behind his voice.
“Ugh!” she groaned aloud and then gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut against her mistake.
“Trish?” Garrett called out.
Shit! Quickly, she flew back into the bathroom and shut the door. She got dressed in a flash, worried he would follow her any second. There was just no way to face him right now naked.
She ignored the pang in her gut which questioned whether she worried about her own self-control, should he find her naked and wish to push his cheating behaviors to the next level.
No! she screamed at herself in her head. You’re not so shallow or unwilful to simply go along with him cheating on his…whatever she is just because you’re attracted to him and his kiss made you a little weak in the knees and you just pleasured yourself to the thought of his hands doing the same. You have more dignity than that.
Even if you’re stuck here all weekend with him.
This thought now made her cringe. How was she to spend the rest of the weekend sharing a room with Garrett knowing he was involved with someone else?
You’re going to keep you and him distracted and when it comes time to go to bed, you’ll simply suggest he sleep on the sofa in the other room. If he complains, well, maybe then would be a good time to notify him you’re not the kind of woman who allows herself to be “the other woman.”
“Yeah,” she muttered to her reflection once she was clothed again. “I can do this. No problem.”
Although she knew she shouldn’t care now how she appeared to him, she still took her brush and smoothed back her long, wet, blond locks. Just as she was about to grab for the doorknob, she had a thought and grabbed instead for her lipstick.
Even if she wasn’t going to allow him to involve her in his cheating ways, that didn’t mean she had to make it easy for him.
13
Two hours later, after a quick hotel breakfast, Trish and Garrett found themselves inside the town’s modest civic center for the annual woodworker’s show. Although taking place in a small town, this was a big event and the building was crammed from corner to corner with booths and tables featuring close to a hundred different artisans showcasing their skills.
“This is incredible,” Trish gushed as they began to slowly make their way down the first aisle. “I never knew there was so much you could do with wood.”
“There’s a good euphemistic joke in there somewhere,” Garrett remarked. Trish only quirked an eyebrow at him before returning her gaze to a booth featuring the whittling skills of an elderly man.
He had a distinct gleam in his eye as Trish began asking him questions about his pieces on display, and she was glad to indulge his obvious want to explain his skills as a way to ignore responding to Garrett.
Garrett didn’t seem to notice as he, too, listened to the old man as he took them through a tour of his booth.
“Been doing this for 65 years. One of those things that takes an afternoon to learn and a lifetime to master,” the man was explaining with a smile as he handed her a miniature of a fox.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous! How much?” she asked.
“Oh, for a pretty girl such as you? No charge.”
“I couldn’t just take this!” Trish gasped. “You put so much time into your craft.”
The man waved a dismissive hand. “I do it because I enjoy it and I set up my booth here every year to meet people who share your enthusiasm for good, ‘ole handmade wares. I’m not in it to make money.”
“That’s true,” came a voice from behind them. A burly man in a buffalo plaid flannel shirt, carpenter jeans, and steel-toed boots strode over and threw a heavy arm around the old man’s shoulders. “Percy here gives away more than he ever sells. He’s got a soft spot for any young woman who likes his work.”
“And, if I wanted to buy the fox?” Garrett asked.
“Fifteen bucks,” Percy replied without hesitatio
n and all four cracked up.
“Well, at least let me buy it for you,” Garrett suggested to Trish.
“Oh, no, this is a gift to the young lady,” Percy interjected, folding Trish’s fingers around the small, wooden animal. “But, you’re free to purchase anything else from my booth to try to win her heart.”
Trish noticed a slight blush paint Garrett’s cheeks and he cleared his throat before taking a step forward to examine the rest of the items in Percy’s booth.
The old man gave Trish a soft nudge with his elbow and waggled his bushy eyebrows, darting his eyes back and forth between her and Garrett. Her cheeks flushed, too. She didn’t wish to get into what a complicated mess that situation was with the old man, so she just smiled and shrugged, letting him believe what he would about them.
“Well, I best be off. Got to get ready for the chainsaw carving contest in a bit. You two should stick around for it. It’s always a crowd favorite,” the massive lumberjack mentioned. He winked at Percy and nodded to Trish and Garrett before heading off into the crowd.
“Chainsaw carving contest?” Trish inquired of Percy as Garrett went back to shopping.
“Oh, it’s a hoot!” Percy replied. “It takes place out back, so you’ve got to dress warm. But, it’s sure worth it to watch what those men can do with those machines.”
Trish raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “Why not? Sounds like fun.”
“How about this one,” Garrett called out from the far corner of the booth. He pointed towards a large bird sculpture. Upon closer inspection, Trish realized it was actually a pterodactyl balanced perfectly on the tip of a spire in the middle of its stomach.
“Oh, that?” Percy remarked, tapping the prehistoric bird’s tail so that it bobbed and slowly rotated around but did not fall off its perch, so perfectly was it balanced. “That’s one of the larger pieces, but I like you kids, so I’ll give you the family and friends discount. Seventy-five.”
The Winter Affair Page 4