Bucked

She stares ahead for a moment. “I have to catch my breath,” she says, leaning back in her seat. “And then we have a picnic to go on.”

“We do. Buckle up,” I say, and we head down the road to a special, top-secret spot.

Fifteen

Chastity

After the kiss, I’m not so sure about anything anymore. All I want is for Kanen to take me in his arms, lay me down on the grass, and... and... do that thing that makes babies. I look at the window, trying to catch my breath and let my blood settle. It feels like it’s burning through my veins, after that incredible, earth-stopping kiss.

He stops the car again and I look at him, wondering if he wants to kiss me again, but he reaches across me this time and opens my door.

“All right, Canada, here’s the spot,” he grins. “Come on out and see.”

He jumps out to the side of the truck and pulls a basket and an old but clean-looking blanket out of the truck bed, and beckons me down a little path that’s almost indiscernible from the road.

“Don’t worry, it’s safe,” he smiles, taking my hand. “Come on now, don’t be bashful,” he grins.

“I’m not!” I protest, knowing full well I can be shy as anything around someone so gorgeous and confident as he is. He’s just charming enough that I’m able to make conversation with him, but he’s the kind of guy I would hope would notice me, not the kind that usually does. And that still makes me nervous. He pushes the branches out of my way, until we get to a little clearing, and I realize that a small lake opens up in front of us, glowing in the warm, evening light. He spreads the blanket and we sit and look out, the sunset dancing purple and red on the calm water.

“You sure nobody’s going to kick us out of here?” I say. “It’s a gorgeous place. “It’s not public land, is it?”

“Nope, I know the owner,” he smiles. “He doesn’t mind me kicking around here from time to time. Nobody else ever really comes around here.”

“Wow. Cool. I love it,” I say, smiling at him. “Thanks for showing this to me. It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you think so,” he says, and softly kisses my cheek again. I’m almost overwhelmed with the desire to pull him closer, to pull him on top of me. To pull him out of his jeans and... Get a hold of yourself, Chastity, I tell myself.

“How did you find this place?” I ask, standing up and looking out at the water. I can feel his eyes roam over my body, over my rear end.

“I’ve been coming here almost ever since I could drive,” he says. “I needed a place to get away from all my hassles, and I stumbled across this lake, and have been returning ever since.”

“I can see why,” I say, turning around and sitting beside him. “It’s just beautiful. It’s breathtaking.” I can see that my words truly please him, but I’m not sure why they do so much. It must be a very important place for him.

“You hungry, Chastity?” he asks me, after a moment of staring out at the water.

“Well, yeah, I guess I am.” I wonder what he’s brought. Something tells me it might be just as incredible as this sunset view.

“I’m not sure exactly what it is, but he usually does a pretty good job at making some pretty tasty things.” The smile that flashes across his face is mischievous. “I’m not so great in the kitchen myself. I think my biggest achievement was learning how to boil water.” We giggle, and he opens the basket. There’s champagne, Dom Perignon. Two glass flutes. Some silverware, and heavy linen napkins. But when the food comes out, Kanen exclaims, “Steak and potato salad! All right.”

“Those are some fancy drinks to be having with potato salad,” I say, and he smiles as he pours me some.

“You ever had it? Dom Perignon?” The French sounds extra charming with his Texas drawl.

“Nope,” I say.

“You’re gonna love it. I don’t go out for too many expensive things, but this is something that tickled my fancy. It’s almost like drinking air. See what you think.”

I bring the glass up, and the little bubbles that spring from it tickle the insides of my nose. When I sip, the bubbles dance over my tongue in a delicious flash of flavor and sensation.

“What do you think?” Kanen asks, looking me in the eye. His face has softened a bit now, and I feel like he’s relaxing with me.

“It’s almost as good as that kiss you gave me,” I find the courage to say.

“Well I’m going to have to give that champagne some more competition.” He takes my glass and sets it down, and before long I’m in his arms, breathing him in, our lips finding each other quickly and we kiss. His mouth is soft, his tongue tantalizing me, and the taste of expensive champagne suffuses the kiss.

It amazes me how different the experience of being with Kanen is to being with Jeffrey. Not that I’m comparing them, because that would be crazy. How could I compare someone who I met when I was a teenager to someone who is a full-grown man? But there’s more than just the age difference. Kanen is a different kind of man—not just than my husband was—but he’s a dif

ferent man altogether than anyone I’ve ever come across. The way he holds me tightly, protectively, his arms strong, no-nonsense, his kisses confident, aware, responsive. It’s a sensation I’ve never experienced, and one that I am afraid I was a little too overconfident about resisting.