Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
The soft moss carpets nature’s floor, leading to a set of dead dry pines. The way they're situated, it’s like the forest itself was inviting people to come and have a seat, and enjoy the absolute serenity that this place provided.
“Wow,” he says, walking in, spinning in place to truly take everything around him in. “Did you... did you make this?”
Hands on my hips, I glare at him. “How would I make something like this?”
“I don’t know. Planned growing of trees? Trimming all the hedges right so they grow a certain way?”
I consider his words. I guess you could do all that. It would take years of meticulous planning, far beyond what I think I could personally manage. “Nope. This is all nature’s doing. Think of it as a wonderful roll of the dice that created something beautiful.”
We walked through the site, part of me wondering if it really could be turned into something more. “How long have you known about this?”
“My grandma used to live not far from here. Every few weekends I’d come up here with my parents and they were very bohemian and hands-off. They’d let me roam the forests as long as I wanted as long as I was back by supper time.”
“Was that back before everyone had a mandatory cell phone?”
“It wasn’t. I had a flip phone for emergencies, but it doesn’t matter out here anyway. Check your phone now.”
Fox pulls his out and shrugs. “I forgot that the service out here is absolutely terrible.”
“Yeah, and it was even worse fifteen years ago.”
He slides the phone back into his pocket. “So it’s just you and me out here. All alone.”
“Just us and nature.”
There’s part of me that realized how crazy all of this was. I shouldn’t be out in the middle of nowhere with a guy I barely know, especially when I can’t even get help in a hurry. This is inviting myself to be featured on some horrible true crime show not too far into the future.
It’s all absurd though. I have faith in my friends, and I have faith in the men they chose as lovers and husbands. They’ve never led me astray before and I doubted they were going to start now.
“When I was a teenager and having those teenage problems where I wanted to scream at the world,” I say, taking a seat on one of the logs. “I’d just come out here. Take it all in. Realize how little it mattered in the grand scheme of things, and come back to civilization stronger.”
He takes a seat on the log opposite of mine. “And you’ve been doing so ever since, I’d imagine.”
I nod. “It’s eye opening. And reminds me of what really matters.”
He leans in, face to face with me. “What really matters to you, Tabitha?”
“My happiness. My joy. And my desire to spread it through the world.”
“That is what matters. I should make that matter to me, too.”
Our faces are lingering closer to one another. Too close. I’ve never been one to go right for a man like this, but Fox is different in so many ways.
He goes for it. I do nothing to stop him. I let his lips meet mine, and let the blissful hormones rush through me.
One tiny peck becomes more than that. Our lips explore one another, and I can’t get enough of him. His hand pushes my hair out of my ace, running that light yet manly touch of his over my head, and my heart kicks up, beating rapidly, letting the adrenaline flow through my body.
All of my being pounds with need for him. A need stronger than I’ve ever felt for any man before in my life. I pull him closer, damn near stumbling off my stump, but Fox is there to catch me and hold me closer. I touch him, I feel his form through his clothes, every bit of lean muscle he has. I want to see it, and not just feel it, I want to enjoy him so completely.
Our embrace only grows more electric as my tongue meets his, and they quickly entwine with one another as we move to enjoy one another more completely. His touch roams my form, and I remove the straps of my dress, wanting there to be no doubt on what I want from all of this. He accepts my offer, letting it slide down to my waist and I feel more of the delightful forest air against my skin.
In turn, I’m pulling at the buttons of his shirt, letting me see the masculine chest that’s beneath it all. Nothing about how he felt is lying, he’s as much of a man as I thought he would be to my eyes as much as he was to my fingers. And it’s absolutely glorious.
“This is going to make a mess out of both of us if we’re doing what I think we want to do out here,” he whispers. This close, even the simple caress of the sound waves of his voice vibrating against my ear excites me.