Falling for Rain by Gina Buonaguro, Janice Kirk

western boundary of the property,” he said stopping. “We can run the driveway from the road to here along the fence line.”
    “Makes sense,” Emily said, barely hearing his actual words. Her thoughts had suddenly wandered from the farm to Rain’s back, the easy confidence of his walk, the broad shoulders, the jean-clad legs. She took advantage of the fact that he had stopped to step by him on the path, wanting to get in front of him where she couldn’t be distracted by him.
    She started to follow the fence southward to the lake, listening with over-acute ears to his footsteps on the path behind her. It seemed to her that he was now watching her with all the intensity with which she had watched him only moments before. She imagined his eyes concentrating on her behind and wondered what his thoughts were. If they were anything like hers, they were pretty racy. Fantasizing along these lines made her feel so self-conscious that she lost her footing on some loose stones in the path and stumbled.
    Rain, right behind her, caught her before she hit the path. He picked her up from behind with the ease he would pick up a child. He stood her on her feet and turned her around in his arms until she was facing him, his head bent close to hers. The sense of being a child faded as she looked up into his eyes. Mixed with the concern for her wellbeing, she saw something else. It was deja vu , not only in what she saw in his eyes, but also in her own body’s reaction. It was as if the last ten years had dropped away and she was seventeen again, standing in the strong protecting circle of Rain's arms, their mouths so close she could have reached up ever so slightly and lost herself in his kiss. It was possible. He would kiss her back. She could see it in his eyes, the desire that made his eyes look like blue fire. What would happen if she gave into her own? What would happen if she let herself go? Allowed herself feelings for Rain again?
    She saw his face moving close to her own, felt the soft warmth of his breath as it stirred her hair. A wave of his own hair brushed her cheek.  Emily felt herself relaxing into his arms; she longed to be part of him, to melt into the hardness of his body and drown in the blueness of his eyes. 
    Involuntarily her lips parted to meet his. But just as his mouth touched hers, she panicked, and, yanking herself from his grasp, she turned and ran toward the lake.
    Rain watched her go, his heart pounding in his chest as if it were about to explode. He waited until she had all but disappeared among the trunks of the trees before following. He could have kicked himself for acting so rashly. Just because she had decided not to fight him on his half of the farm didn’t mean she had changed her feelings toward him. Although last night in the kitchen he could have sworn she still felt something, even if it was only physical. And just a few minutes ago, walking along the path, he could have sworn he felt her eyes burning into his back.
    In the stillness of the woods, he could hear the sound of breaking twigs and the crunching of leaves under her boots. Overhead a lone crow cawed, and it came to him then that it wouldn’t matter if Emily did still have feelings for him. Years ago she had resolved to hate him, and she was hanging on to that resolve for dear life. He remembered the feel of her in his arms, the closeness of her face to his, the soft brush of her lips, and he wondered if she’d ever let him get that close again.
    It was too early for the lake to ice over, but there was no sign of warmth in its waters. They had walked in a circle and the log cabin was behind her, only steps from the beach. The lake was as grey as the sky overhead, dull and lifeless. The swing, its ropes frayed and worn, still hung from the oak tree.
    "Do you remember the swing?" Rain said, emerging from the woods onto the pebbly beach. Keeping his distance, he leaned against the trunk of a tree, watching Emily as she stood looking