too many things to carry and the dark clouds were massing overhead.
He helped me take the bags into the kitchen then drove off. I gave Jane a hug, and she knew right away something was wrong.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I had a fight with my parents."
She sighed. "I suppose it was inevitable." She peered into one of the bags and pulled out the meat. "Your Mom still gave you all of this anyway? That's good of her."
I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd bought them. She liked my parents. In her eyes they were good people, not backward and xenophobic. I didn't have the energy to discuss it with her.
"Is Ben around?" I asked.
"On the roof."
"He should come down. The storm's about to break. I'll go look for him." I left before she could stop me.
It had already begun to rain. The smell of damp earth hung in the hair, an oddly delicious smell that made me pause and draw in a deep breath. The city never smelled like that. I'd forgotten how much I liked it.
I walked around the perimeter of the house until I found Ben. He was standing at the base of a ladder, the harness on the ground at his feet.
He looked up at my approach. "Kate!"
"Hi." I tucked my hands into the back pockets of my shorts. I'd worked out what I wanted to say to him in my head, but I couldn't get any of the words out. I suddenly felt awkward, pathetic. I hated it. I wanted to return to that comfort zone where we could just be together, not speaking, and it felt good. Right.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. His damp hair clung to his forehead, and the shirt stuck to the contours of his body. He looked totally hot. Would he let me dry him if I offered?
"I came out to make sure you were off the roof. It's raining."
His eyes turned smoky and dipped to my breasts. "I noticed."
I looked down. My bra showed through my white T-shirt, and my nipples showed through that. I didn't try to cover them up. I didn't feel the need. He could stare all he wanted.
"I have to take these back to the stables." He picked up the ladder and went to grab the harness.
I got to it first. "I'll take it."
He hoisted the ladder up and ducked his head into the rain. It was coming down harder, the raindrops splashing through the leaves. We walked faster, but by the time we reached the stable block, we were both wet through.
Ben leaned the ladder against the wall inside, and I set the harness down next to it. He shook his hair and droplets sprayed around him in an arc, some landing on me.
"Sorry," he said when he realized.
"It's okay. I'm already wet."
His attention focused on my breasts again, and this time his cheeks colored. He thrust his hands in his pockets and looked out the stable door. The sky had darkened since our dash from the house. Despite being early afternoon, it looked like dusk.
"We should get back." He hadn't even gotten the last word out when the steady rain became a torrent. It crashed onto the stable roof, sounding like a freight train hurtling toward us. It dripped through the gaps between the beams and plopped onto the tools and equipment. A drop splashed my nose.
Ben took my hand, and we moved further back where the smell of old leather was strong.
"It's drier here," he shouted above the rain.
I sat on an upturned crate and indicated he should sit next to me. He pretended not to notice. At least I was pretty sure he was pretending. He'd been staring at me when I patted the crate.
It had grown a little colder and being wet, I shivered. I looked around for a blanket, but there was nothing to throw around my shoulders. Ben sat down and put his arm around me. He may have been damp, but he was warm. I sighed against him.
"Better?" he said. He didn't need to shout now that he was close. I could hear him clearly and feel his voice rumbling through my body, all the way down to my toes.
I closed my eyes and nuzzled into his throat. The pulse of his blood matched mine. My breasts rubbed against his chest, pebbling my nipples. I lifted his damp shirt and
He helped me take the bags into the kitchen then drove off. I gave Jane a hug, and she knew right away something was wrong.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I had a fight with my parents."
She sighed. "I suppose it was inevitable." She peered into one of the bags and pulled out the meat. "Your Mom still gave you all of this anyway? That's good of her."
I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd bought them. She liked my parents. In her eyes they were good people, not backward and xenophobic. I didn't have the energy to discuss it with her.
"Is Ben around?" I asked.
"On the roof."
"He should come down. The storm's about to break. I'll go look for him." I left before she could stop me.
It had already begun to rain. The smell of damp earth hung in the hair, an oddly delicious smell that made me pause and draw in a deep breath. The city never smelled like that. I'd forgotten how much I liked it.
I walked around the perimeter of the house until I found Ben. He was standing at the base of a ladder, the harness on the ground at his feet.
He looked up at my approach. "Kate!"
"Hi." I tucked my hands into the back pockets of my shorts. I'd worked out what I wanted to say to him in my head, but I couldn't get any of the words out. I suddenly felt awkward, pathetic. I hated it. I wanted to return to that comfort zone where we could just be together, not speaking, and it felt good. Right.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. His damp hair clung to his forehead, and the shirt stuck to the contours of his body. He looked totally hot. Would he let me dry him if I offered?
"I came out to make sure you were off the roof. It's raining."
His eyes turned smoky and dipped to my breasts. "I noticed."
I looked down. My bra showed through my white T-shirt, and my nipples showed through that. I didn't try to cover them up. I didn't feel the need. He could stare all he wanted.
"I have to take these back to the stables." He picked up the ladder and went to grab the harness.
I got to it first. "I'll take it."
He hoisted the ladder up and ducked his head into the rain. It was coming down harder, the raindrops splashing through the leaves. We walked faster, but by the time we reached the stable block, we were both wet through.
Ben leaned the ladder against the wall inside, and I set the harness down next to it. He shook his hair and droplets sprayed around him in an arc, some landing on me.
"Sorry," he said when he realized.
"It's okay. I'm already wet."
His attention focused on my breasts again, and this time his cheeks colored. He thrust his hands in his pockets and looked out the stable door. The sky had darkened since our dash from the house. Despite being early afternoon, it looked like dusk.
"We should get back." He hadn't even gotten the last word out when the steady rain became a torrent. It crashed onto the stable roof, sounding like a freight train hurtling toward us. It dripped through the gaps between the beams and plopped onto the tools and equipment. A drop splashed my nose.
Ben took my hand, and we moved further back where the smell of old leather was strong.
"It's drier here," he shouted above the rain.
I sat on an upturned crate and indicated he should sit next to me. He pretended not to notice. At least I was pretty sure he was pretending. He'd been staring at me when I patted the crate.
It had grown a little colder and being wet, I shivered. I looked around for a blanket, but there was nothing to throw around my shoulders. Ben sat down and put his arm around me. He may have been damp, but he was warm. I sighed against him.
"Better?" he said. He didn't need to shout now that he was close. I could hear him clearly and feel his voice rumbling through my body, all the way down to my toes.
I closed my eyes and nuzzled into his throat. The pulse of his blood matched mine. My breasts rubbed against his chest, pebbling my nipples. I lifted his damp shirt and
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