Sacha
We walked through the parking lot and stopped when we reached my car. Gib set the painting down by his knee and crossed his arms over his chest. "Before we go, I have some questions."
"What would you like to know?"
"Do you live near here? Do you plan to stay?"
He was throwing my own questions back at me. I almost told him about Alabama but the words wouldn't come. I still hoped to get out of it somehow, and if I told him, then it would seem inevitable.
"Yes, I have a nice apartment. It's close to everything I need."
"Can I see it today? Or is it too soon?"
It was silly to worry about letting him into my life now. My earlier fears had dissipated in light of our conversations. He didn't seem to be a freak or anything, so why not?
Just to be safe, I'd text Melanie when I got in the car. "Sure, you can follow me. It's not far."
He took the painting with him, promising to hang it for me. When we arrived at my apartment, I had a strange sense of déjà vu, fumbling for my key with him escorting me to my door. I had desperately wanted him to come into my room that night, drunk as I was from tequila and desire. This time I was sober, but the desire had returned with a vengeance.
He entered behind me, carrying the painting. I wished I had tidied up more-I hadn't expected him to come back to my place.
"Sorry for the mess."
He shrugged. "I live alone too."
I put on a pot to boil for tea and set out a box of cookies. Gib was standing near the fireplace with the painting, holding it up.
"How about here?"
He held it in front of the mantle, which was covered in photos and mementoes. The painting would fit, but I'd have to move the clutter somewhere else.
"Maybe. But I think the colors would match the décor in my bedroom better." The thought of Gib in my bedroom made my heart thump. Why did I say that? He must have felt something too, judging from his silent stare. I cleared my suddenly dry throat. "Please, set it down and we'll figure it out after the tea is ready."
He set the painting against the wall. He gestured at the framed photos on the nearby shelf and smiled. "Is that you?"
He nodded toward the one on the end, of me at graduation from high school. Mom was at my side, beaming with pride.
"Yes, and that's my mom. She was over the moon because she'd never finished high school."
"Because she had you?"
I wasn't sure if he was being impertinent or just curious. "What makes you think that?"
"She looks so young there, your mom. You two look more like sisters."
That made me laugh. "We get that a lot. She was eighteen when I was born. My dad was a few years older." I paused, weighing whether to tell him the rest of that story. I settled for the abridged version. "He skipped out on us when I was nine. On my birthday, in fact."
The teakettle was whistling, so I went to the kitchen to make the tea. Over my shoulder, I heard his response.
"That's not cool. How could anyone do that?"
When I returned with the mugs of steaming herbal tea, I answered, "I have no idea. You'd have to ask him. But Mom's remarried now, living in Jersey again. That's where her friends and family are, so she's happy."
His eyes met mine. "Have you told her about the baby yet?"
"No. I'm waiting for the right time. But I have to soon."
We chatted about random topics and sipped tea. He told me about his grouchy neighbor, an old man no one else could stand but who seemed to have adopted Gib as a surrogate son. He described the view from his cabin, and how it changed throughout the seasons.
"You should see it. Plus, there's plenty of wildlife-deer, raccoons, 'possums…"
I wrinkled my nose. "Eww. No thank you to 'possums."
He grinned. "Aww, c'mon. They're mean but they are cute. Well, ugly-cute."
I felt much more relaxed now but wondered how long he would stay. I couldn't keep my eyes off his forearms since he'd rolled up the sleeves of his denim shirt. In the past few days, I had spikes of horniness for no apparent reason. Well, except for my hormones going wild.
But sleeping with him again was definitely not a good idea. It could seriously complicate things. I was wondering how to get him to leave when he stood up.
"So, should we hang that painting? May as well while I'm here. I can reach places you can't."
There was something about the way he said the last few words that made my stomach drop. It sounded like innuendo, but maybe my hormones really were affecting my judgment. It was safer to get the task done so he could leave.
"Sure. This way."
I walked to the bedroom, hoping I hadn't left bras laying anywhere. A quick look around relieved my fear-only an errant towel lay across the bed. My bedroom furniture was cream colored, and the comforter and pillows were various shades of burgundy, green, and gold.
"Yeah, this will go great with your colors in here," Gib observed as he held the painting up over the bed.
An old black and white artsy photo hung there, totally out of place. It had been a gift from Melanie, and though it wasn't my style, I hadn't wanted to hurt her feelings. I'd have to hang Mel's photo in the living room or maybe the hall.
"Yes, that'll be awesome."
I watched as he pulled off his boots and stepped up onto the bed. He took the old photo down from the wall and handed it to me. I gave him the tree painting, and he quickly had it resting on the same hooks as the photo had been. It was larger but not much heavier since it had no frame.
"How does it look?"
He stood balancing on the bed, with one hand against the wall. I stepped back to admire the view, and the painting too.
"Beautiful. I'll have to get a frame, but it looks perfect there."
He smiled and hopped down, ending up next to me. One hand came up to caress my cheek, and I froze.
"It's nice, but not the most beautiful thing in this room. That would be you."
The panicky thought that kissing him was not a good idea flew through my mind and out the window as his lips touched mine. It was an infinitely gentle kiss, barely a brushing of lips. The effect was electric, igniting sparks all up and down my body. I stood still, not daring to breathe, not trusting myself to move.
He pulled away slightly, still so close my breath mingled with his. I wanted to stop him, to cling to my defenses, to remain in control. But my hormones were ramping up so fiercely I could almost feel my blood heating.
"We…we shouldn't."
It was a whisper, or maybe a whimper. He didn't answer me with words, but his hands slid up my arms then across my back to pull me close. His head tilted and he placed the same feather-light kiss on my neck.
"Maybe not, darlin'. But I can't help but want you. You drive me wild."
His words described how I felt about him too-a little wild. He had been my wild wanton moment, my last fling, but now I couldn't get him out of my life or my mind. Or my blood. It was easy to dismiss him when he was hours away, but in close proximity, something primitive took over and I found myself craving him with every cell in my body.
It was crazy.
Or maybe I was going crazy. The hormones had messed with my mind.
It didn't matter. I was powerless to control it at the moment, so I threw my arms around his neck and went full on into his embrace. The kiss that followed was mind-blowing, fierce. His mouth claimed mine, no longer gentle. His beard tickled my skin then scratched it as he deepened the kiss. I didn't care.
He twisted and took me with him, so we landed on the bed. I lay alongside him, still locked in the kiss. When I pulled back for air, he laughed.
"For two people who think they shouldn't be together, we're not doing so well."
I rested my head on his chest, lacing my fingers with his. "No, we're not." The joke broke the mood, and I felt my head clearing. "I think...I just think we should take it slow, you know?"
"I know."
His other arm was under me, his hand stroking my hair. I lay next to him like that for a few minutes, until my breathing returned to normal. I had to do better at keeping control of myself.
"I didn't mean to lead you on or anything. But I'm afraid if we hook up again, things could get complicated."
"I know. I started it, not you. I guess sometimes I forget the effect I have over women."
I groaned at his sarcasm and smacked his hand. I looked up at him, only to see his smart-ass grin. "Don't kid yourself, sir. I'm at the mercy of my hormones."
"Ouch. And all this time I thought it was my charm."
I sat up and willed myself to leave the warmth of his side. It would be too easy to start kissing him again and that might escalate quickly to a place I wasn't ready to go.
"Thanks again for the painting. I love it."
He hauled himself off the bed with a sigh. "And that's my cue to leave. But you're welcome."
I should have protested out of politeness, but it was past time for him to leave. I'd never intended for him to even see my place this soon. I wondered how it compared to his cabin in the woods.
As he neared the door, he stopped. "Hey, I've seen your place. You should come and see my cabin. Maybe it'll ease your mind. It's not a hovel, and I'm not one step away from being homeless."
Now he was reading my mind? "I never said that. You're the one who said it was remote and small. But maybe that is a good idea."
"Then we'll both have a better understanding of who we are, and how we can make things work. When do you think can you can come back up to Tilly?"
"How about next weekend?" The words were out of my mouth before I'd had a chance to think it through. Damn, was he getting under my skin?
"That'll work. I'll call you later in the week to confirm."
I nodded, holding the front door open. He hesitated a moment, then gave me a quick hug. I thanked him, and he left without another word.