Page 40 of Backdraft
His lips found that spot on my neck he'd discovered before. It was magic. The slight stubble on his chin blended with the softness of his lips and his tongue, and I was done. His stubble rasped over my skin, and I didn't care if I was left with evidence showing on my neck and cheek.
Only with him had I ever been able to fully let myself feel. No barriers, no obstacles, no outside thoughts intruded into our inner world.
It was happening again, and I loved it.
"Oh my God, Taylor," I moaned and turned my face to his.
"Drea. Drea. I never thought we'd see each other again." His breath was warm on my flesh, and he worked his way to my mouth.
We fell into the kiss. Deep and tantalizing. I was lost in him. Absorbed in the moment, all sense of space and time, everything, faded except his touch.
He lifted his head and stared down at me, his chest heaving, and I blinked. His stormy-blue eyes were half closed, full of passion, and they made me gasp. I cupped his cheek.
"I k-know." I panted, trying to catch my breath. "That weekend. We said we'd always have Denver."
He nodded and pulled me into his arms. I wrapped mine around him. Desperation took hold of me and I held him tight. I couldn’t get close enough to him.
How could we be here, was this going to be a complication we'd have to face?
"What are we going to do? I thought of you over the years, but we made the agreement," I whispered into his shoulder, not really expecting an answer.
"We kept our agreement. A weekend together with no strings, but damn, it was hard to forget you. You have no idea how seeing you that first day at the fire affected me."
The one thing I remember about him was his succinct way of speaking.
Even though we were strangers in Denver and still are now, we weren't strangers when it came to sex. We didn't talk about our lives, likes, or dreams for the future. I knew my demons and was pretty sure he had some of his own. Like the reason he’d switched to be a medical examiner instead of a doctor. What had brought him to Oak Creek? What twist of fate had brought us back together?
Was great sex a solid enough foundation on which to build a relationship?
I was shocked that the idea of a relationship even crossed my mind. I was happy with my solitary life. At least, that's what I told myself. I was responsible only for me. Not reliant on anyone else, which was something I just couldn't bring myself to do. It was dangerous. People let you down.
When he stepped back, I grudgingly let him go, his shirt slipping through my fingers.
"Maybe we can simply enjoy each other," he suggested.
And there it was. The solution.
I nodded. "Yes, yes. I suppose."
It really wasn't an answer, but I didn't know what else to say. My phone buzzed in my bag on the bed I would soon be sleeping in. Would it work out, this cohabitation arrangement? Would we battle this sexual tension every day and night?
Was it sustainable?
Or would we succumb to it?
Could we become friends with benefits?
Who knew?
I fished my phone out of the bag and held it up. Taylor was standing in the doorway, his face unreadable. I mouthed work.
He nodded. I answered the call and then looked back at the door, but he was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
A lovely breeze blew in the bedroom windows. The curtains lifted and fluttered lazily. I snuggled into the soft sheets and watched them, mesmerized by their delicate dance. The pillows were perfectly plump and I couldn’t be any more cozy. I could stay here all day.
My phone pinged and I picked it up, to see there was a storm advisory for later in the day.
