“If it’s okay, I’d like to take a shower.”
“Of course it’s okay,” I told her, trying to strike the image of her naked body under the streaming water. As soon as she was finished, I’d take a shower too, but mine would be an ice-cold one.
When I heard the bathroom door close, followed by water running, I went outside.
Texas was pretty damn dry this time of year, but next to the creek and under the trees, there was enough humidity that if someone had been walking around last night, they might’ve left footprints.
I slowly walked toward where I thought I heard the vehicle’s engine, shining the light from my phone ahead of me. I could see fine, but the added illumination might make it easier to spot indentations in the ground. About ten yards into the woods, something caught my eye. A twig had snapped and, from it, hung a very small piece of fabric. I looked around that particular area and saw what I’d been looking for—footprints. There was only one set, and from the look of them, I’d say the person who left them wore a size twelve, or bigger, shoe.
I heard another noise and turned to find Mila standing on the front porch of the cabin, watching me with a cup of coffee in her hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked when I walked closer.
“Thought I heard something last night.”
“And?”
“There are tracks in the woods, but it’s hard to say how old they are.”
Mila shuddered and then brought the cup to her lips.
I sat down on the steps, and she joined me.
“Do you think someone was here?”
“I’m not certain.”
“But?”
“I know I told you that we could stay here another night or two, but I’d feel more comfortable if we went back to the ranch.”
“Okay,” she murmured, taking another sip of coffee and then looking around. “I really like it here. I hope I can come back someday.”
“I hope so too.”
She set her coffee cup down next to her. “When will we leave?”
“I’ll take a shower and then pack up the food.”
Mila’s cheeks flushed before she turned away. I put my fingers on the side of her face and turned her head back toward me.
“What are you thinking, beautiful?”
She shrugged. “I should’ve asked you to join me. That wasn’t very polite on my part.”
The look on her face set every one of my nerve endings on fire. I grasped the back of her neck and held her as I captured her mouth in a kiss. When her mouth opened to mine, I deepened it. When she moved closer to me, I lifted her onto my lap. I couldn’t kiss her hard enough to quell the urgent need I felt coursing through my veins. She wrapped her arms around me and crushed her breasts into my chest.
I released her lips and kissed down her neck while, at the same time, unfastening the buttons on her blouse. When I felt her tense, I stopped. I moved my hand to her waist and brought my lips back to hers.
“There’s no rush, Mila. We’ll take this as slow as you need to.”
“I’m sorry.”
I pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Don’t ever apologize for putting on the brakes when you don’t feel comfortable. I meant what I said. There’s no hurry. As far as I’m concerned, we have all the time in the world to get to know each other. Intimacy, done right, is more than a physical attraction. It’s what’s in here,” I pointed to her head, then to her heart, “and what’s in here.”
“But I’m the one who…”
“We were both flirting, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Neither of us can deny our attraction, but that doesn’t mean we’re ready to act on our desire.”