favors were freely given, that she couldn’t
possibly feel anything for him, hurt so much? After all, she didn’t feel anything for him.
Or did she?
Besides their sizzling attraction, she felt
a certain grudging fondness for him, an admiration for the obstacles he’d
overcome. But that kind of thing was no basis for a relationship. Was it?
She took a deep breath, hoping it would
lift the heavy weight in her chest.
“You’re right,” she surprised both of them
by saying, meeting his eyes again. “You’re not cut out for casual sex, so you
shouldn’t do it. I might be okay with it, but if you’re not, you shouldn’t
force yourself into it.”
Was it her imagination, or did he look a
little hurt now? “And obviously we’re
not relationship material.” She forced a dry laugh out through stiff lips. “Obviously.”
She’d expected him to be glad she saw it his way, but he said nothing, finally
dropping his gaze to stare at the worn-out toe of his canvas sneaker.
“Yeah. So, we better get back, huh.”
“Yeah. I guess.” She set a fast pace all
the way back to the cabin. If she kept ahead of him, he couldn’t see the
shattered look on her face.
#
Carolyn scowled at her laptop. She’d been
working on the text for the story all morning, and it wasn’t going well. When
she could write, she wrote dreck. When she couldn’t write, she stared off into
space, lost in memories of yesterday in the woods.
“Dammit.”
“Problems?” Mason looked up from his
drawing. Seated at the other end of the kitchen table, his papers and pencils
spread around him, he’d been working as long as she had, but had much more to
show for it.
Apparently she was the only one tangled up
in her own memories.
She rose and went to fill the teakettle.
Maybe a hot cup of Earl Grey would sharpen her wits.
“This draft I wrote isn’t working. I can’t
seem to say what I want it to say, not in the length requirements anyway. My
first draft is about twice as long as what we need.”
“It’s easier sometimes to get all your
thoughts down, no matter how they ramble, and then cut them down to size later.”
She looked at a sunny spot on the rug where
Barney curled, basking in the sun. She retrieved a head of lettuce from the
fridge, pulled off an outer leaf, and placed it on the carpet in front of him. “Maybe
we ought to name our main character Barney,” she said. “You know, in honor of
the real thing.”
He paused sketching for a moment and looked
at her. “Okay by me.” He was giving her a funny look.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She tore the leaf to shreds and put it on
the carpet in front of the chameleon. After a moment, he sprang at a piece of
leaf and downed it in a few snaps of his jaw, his unblinking eyes serene.
“I never would have imagined you would like
a reptile.”
“He’s cute.” She nudged the pile of
shredded leaves closer. “Even if he does eat nasty things.” She refused to feed
him his meal worms. Those were gross. If she had her way, she’d make Barney a vegan.
She watched until Barney had had his fill, and
then gathered the leftover scraps of lettuce and tossed them in the kitchen
sink. Sated, Barney lowered his head to resume basking in the warm spot on the
carpet.
She leaned against the stove while she
waited for the water to heat. Mason’s tall frame bent over the table at an
almost awkward angle, yet he looked completely at home. Completely relaxed. He
was doing what he was meant to do and loving it.
His hair was out of order and his clothes
were rumpled. All he paid attention to was his drawing. And it was so weirdly
sexy because it all sprang from his passionate intensity.
What would he be like if he ever turned
that single-minded devotion to a woman?
Not any woman in particular, of course.
Just some woman.
He’d been pretty intensely focused on her
in the woods the other day. The memory of his kiss, his scent, the heat and
pressure of his body against hers swept over her,
possibly feel anything for him, hurt so much? After all, she didn’t feel anything for him.
Or did she?
Besides their sizzling attraction, she felt
a certain grudging fondness for him, an admiration for the obstacles he’d
overcome. But that kind of thing was no basis for a relationship. Was it?
She took a deep breath, hoping it would
lift the heavy weight in her chest.
“You’re right,” she surprised both of them
by saying, meeting his eyes again. “You’re not cut out for casual sex, so you
shouldn’t do it. I might be okay with it, but if you’re not, you shouldn’t
force yourself into it.”
Was it her imagination, or did he look a
little hurt now? “And obviously we’re
not relationship material.” She forced a dry laugh out through stiff lips. “Obviously.”
She’d expected him to be glad she saw it his way, but he said nothing, finally
dropping his gaze to stare at the worn-out toe of his canvas sneaker.
“Yeah. So, we better get back, huh.”
“Yeah. I guess.” She set a fast pace all
the way back to the cabin. If she kept ahead of him, he couldn’t see the
shattered look on her face.
#
Carolyn scowled at her laptop. She’d been
working on the text for the story all morning, and it wasn’t going well. When
she could write, she wrote dreck. When she couldn’t write, she stared off into
space, lost in memories of yesterday in the woods.
“Dammit.”
“Problems?” Mason looked up from his
drawing. Seated at the other end of the kitchen table, his papers and pencils
spread around him, he’d been working as long as she had, but had much more to
show for it.
Apparently she was the only one tangled up
in her own memories.
She rose and went to fill the teakettle.
Maybe a hot cup of Earl Grey would sharpen her wits.
“This draft I wrote isn’t working. I can’t
seem to say what I want it to say, not in the length requirements anyway. My
first draft is about twice as long as what we need.”
“It’s easier sometimes to get all your
thoughts down, no matter how they ramble, and then cut them down to size later.”
She looked at a sunny spot on the rug where
Barney curled, basking in the sun. She retrieved a head of lettuce from the
fridge, pulled off an outer leaf, and placed it on the carpet in front of him. “Maybe
we ought to name our main character Barney,” she said. “You know, in honor of
the real thing.”
He paused sketching for a moment and looked
at her. “Okay by me.” He was giving her a funny look.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She tore the leaf to shreds and put it on
the carpet in front of the chameleon. After a moment, he sprang at a piece of
leaf and downed it in a few snaps of his jaw, his unblinking eyes serene.
“I never would have imagined you would like
a reptile.”
“He’s cute.” She nudged the pile of
shredded leaves closer. “Even if he does eat nasty things.” She refused to feed
him his meal worms. Those were gross. If she had her way, she’d make Barney a vegan.
She watched until Barney had had his fill, and
then gathered the leftover scraps of lettuce and tossed them in the kitchen
sink. Sated, Barney lowered his head to resume basking in the warm spot on the
carpet.
She leaned against the stove while she
waited for the water to heat. Mason’s tall frame bent over the table at an
almost awkward angle, yet he looked completely at home. Completely relaxed. He
was doing what he was meant to do and loving it.
His hair was out of order and his clothes
were rumpled. All he paid attention to was his drawing. And it was so weirdly
sexy because it all sprang from his passionate intensity.
What would he be like if he ever turned
that single-minded devotion to a woman?
Not any woman in particular, of course.
Just some woman.
He’d been pretty intensely focused on her
in the woods the other day. The memory of his kiss, his scent, the heat and
pressure of his body against hers swept over her,
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