Harmony Cabins (Finding Home 2)

Jack smiled. “Good thinking.”

“It’s good to see you smiling again.” Doreen unlocked

her front door. “I’m curious.”

“About what?”

“What made you change your mind about participating?”

“Not what, who. Darius. He can be a real pain.” Jack crossed the threshold without looking back.

Darius was annoying, but he’d also been right. The Sansbury family had to be represented during Founders Day. Still, Jack couldn’t shake the feeling he’d agreed to something that would change him in a way he wasn’t ready for.

Jack wandered the woods of the rental cabins’ property. It was after midnight, but he couldn’t sleep. He’d tried reading and watching television. He’d even done laps in Pearl Lake. But his mind was too restless to sleep. So he’d left his cabin, seeking solace in the woods. It wasn’t surprising that his steps led him to Audra.

Her porch was empty. He experienced a hot rush of déjà vu as music floated to him from the back of her cabin, a full band—not just a guitarist—accompanied by a familiar singer. Jack followed the sound.

Just as before, the cabin’s light poured through the back door, illuminating the gray-and-white stone patio. Audra’s laptop lay open on the weathered patio bench. Her compact disc drive played another Mary J. Blige song, “Real Love.” Nearby, Audra interpreted the music with sensuous movements of her gently rounded figure.

She wore her summer uniform of brightly colored T-shirt and shorts. Her reactions to the music were fluid and uninhibited. Mesmerizing. His body responded to her, growing warmer. He imagined his hands cupping her slim, undulating hips, her muscles flexing beneath his palms. He envisioned his body pressed to hers. She braced her legs apart and moved her torso from side to side. Jack swallowed. Audra lifted her arms above her head and moved her body. Jack groaned, squeezing his eyes closed briefly as a sweet, sharp ache ricocheted throughout him. Audra spun on her bare heels. Her scream was short, more of a gasp, as she jumped a foot off the ground.

“You. Must. Stop. Doing that.” Audra pressed both palms against her chest. The fright in her eyes ripped at his heart.

“I’m sorry.”

“I accepted your apology the first time. If you were truly sincere, you wouldn’t have done it again.” Audra crossed to her laptop. Her voice shook with the remnants of fear.

Jack followed her. “What are you doing?”

“Turning off the music.”

Panic. “Why?” Was she leaving?

“What are you doing here, Jack?” She silenced the CD, then dropped onto the bench beside it.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Neither could I.”

“Dance with me.” He hadn’t danced in years, but he had the sudden urge to give himself over to the music. Her music.

“I don’t feel like dancing anymore.” She sounded like a sulky child.

Jack smiled. “One dance.” He typed commands into her laptop. He selected Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You,” then offered Audra his hand.

She frowned at him. “That’s a ballad.”

“Perhaps you can’t sleep because you’re dancing to the wrong music. Try slowing down.”

The idea of holding Audra in his arms made the blood rush through his veins. His heart thundered in his chest. His breath hitched in his throat.

Audra hesitated. Her skeptical gaze shifted from his hand to his eyes. Finally she moved into his embrace. In her bare feet, she fit comfortably under his chin. He wrapped his arms loosely around her slender frame and let the music guide his movements. Together they swayed to Mary J. Blige’s achingly romantic song of a woman urging her husband to stay strong with her. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, lavender and powder.

Audra’s arms slid up his shoulders to wrap around his neck. He stepped back to look down into her upturned face. Her champagne eyes had darkened. Their bodies rocked together. With one finger, Jack traced the gentle sweep of Audra’s left cheek, the soft curve of her mouth. Her lips parted. Jack’s body stirred.

He lowered his head until his mouth met hers. Her lips were soft and giving. Her taste was so sweet, like the remnants of a dream before waking. Jack held her tighter. He deepened their kiss, eager for her to nourish his soul. Audra opened beneath his demands, inflaming him even more. He stroked his tongue across hers. Audra pressed her body against him and opened wider.

Her sweetness, softness, heat, and strength nearly overwhelmed him. He ached for her as he’d never ached for anyone before. He needed her more than he’d imagined he’d need anyone ever again. He committed her touch and shape to memory with a long, slow caress from her firm breasts to her rounded derriere. His palms burned.