“Look,” she said softly.
“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked, and she turned to him with a soft smile and nodded.
He led her across the meadow and into a clutch of trees. The last bit of evening sun filtered into the forest, casting a warm glow on the terrain, and warming the couple, as well. Summer sighed with pleasure, and Jarrod brought her to a halt, looking into her eyes. “It’s so beautiful here,” she told him, turning her eyes from him and taking in the wonder of her surroundings again.
He reached towards her, to smooth back a tendril of hair from her cheek. She turned back to him and gave a questioning look, as he searched her face. “You’re beautiful,” he told her, smiling.
When he suddenly leaned forward, claiming her lips with his own, she found herself drowning in a sea of sensation. The thick, spongy grass beneath her suddenly felt as if it had morphed into ocean waves thanks to her shaky legs.
Finally, she pulled back, watching him through bewildered eyes. A blush spilled across her cheeks as she stepped away from him. “I didn’t…” She shook her head, reaching a hand toward her lips. “I wasn’t trying to…” She glared at him. “That was your fault, not mine,” she accused, finally finding her wits. “Don’t you dare do that again, Jarrod Lawton.”
He grinned and cocked a brow. “Why not?”
She harrumphed in disgust. “If you’ll remember, you falsely accused me of…”
“Yeah. I’m still sorry about that,” he admitted ruefully.
“Well—you should be!”
He chuckled lightly. “Would you be adverse to a change of plans?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Pursue me to your heart’s content,” he suggested with a smile, spreading his hands wide. “You just never know how things might turn out.”
“ What ?” she cried shrilly. “So you know, I haven’t changed my mind, and I’m not … pursuing anyone!” With that declaration, she spun on her heel and hightailed it back to the meadow.
She hurried across, aggravated when he fell into step beside her. She stopped moving, turning on him with a fury. “You,” she said, aiming a finger at him, “should be ashamed of yourself.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly, a growl emanated from the nearby woods. Summer’s eyes widened fearfully and she glanced around.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” he assured her.
“What was that?” she whispered, instinctively moving closer to him, but then pulling back when she realized what she’d done.
He shrugged. “Probably a mountain lion. It’s a ways off, but we should get you back to your cabin.”
She began jogging in the direction they’d come, and he hurried to her side, slowing her down with a gentle hand on her arm. “Take it easy. You’re liable to trip or twist your ankle.”
She slowed some but shrugged away from his grasp. She glanced around fearfully, half-expecting an animal to attack from behind.
“Not so sure of these woods now, are you?” he said with an unsympathetic chuckle, and she shot him an angry glance.
“I’m not so sure of … you!”
***
“Your son is impossible, Gwendolyn,” Summer muttered during a phone conversation to her boss the next morning.
“He can be,” she admitted with a sigh. “What’s he done now?”
Summer paused. “Oh, never mind…”
She realized she couldn’t possibly tell her boss that her son had both kissed her and as good as suggested the two embark upon some sort of exploratory relationship. The nerve!
“How’s the painting coming along?” Gwendolyn asked.
Although Summer was glad for the change of subject, that wasn’t the shift in conversation she’d hoped for. She sighed, deciding honesty was the best policy. “Truthfully, I haven’t started it.”
“Darling,” Gwendolyn said softly, “as much as I want you to
“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked, and she turned to him with a soft smile and nodded.
He led her across the meadow and into a clutch of trees. The last bit of evening sun filtered into the forest, casting a warm glow on the terrain, and warming the couple, as well. Summer sighed with pleasure, and Jarrod brought her to a halt, looking into her eyes. “It’s so beautiful here,” she told him, turning her eyes from him and taking in the wonder of her surroundings again.
He reached towards her, to smooth back a tendril of hair from her cheek. She turned back to him and gave a questioning look, as he searched her face. “You’re beautiful,” he told her, smiling.
When he suddenly leaned forward, claiming her lips with his own, she found herself drowning in a sea of sensation. The thick, spongy grass beneath her suddenly felt as if it had morphed into ocean waves thanks to her shaky legs.
Finally, she pulled back, watching him through bewildered eyes. A blush spilled across her cheeks as she stepped away from him. “I didn’t…” She shook her head, reaching a hand toward her lips. “I wasn’t trying to…” She glared at him. “That was your fault, not mine,” she accused, finally finding her wits. “Don’t you dare do that again, Jarrod Lawton.”
He grinned and cocked a brow. “Why not?”
She harrumphed in disgust. “If you’ll remember, you falsely accused me of…”
“Yeah. I’m still sorry about that,” he admitted ruefully.
“Well—you should be!”
He chuckled lightly. “Would you be adverse to a change of plans?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Pursue me to your heart’s content,” he suggested with a smile, spreading his hands wide. “You just never know how things might turn out.”
“ What ?” she cried shrilly. “So you know, I haven’t changed my mind, and I’m not … pursuing anyone!” With that declaration, she spun on her heel and hightailed it back to the meadow.
She hurried across, aggravated when he fell into step beside her. She stopped moving, turning on him with a fury. “You,” she said, aiming a finger at him, “should be ashamed of yourself.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly, a growl emanated from the nearby woods. Summer’s eyes widened fearfully and she glanced around.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” he assured her.
“What was that?” she whispered, instinctively moving closer to him, but then pulling back when she realized what she’d done.
He shrugged. “Probably a mountain lion. It’s a ways off, but we should get you back to your cabin.”
She began jogging in the direction they’d come, and he hurried to her side, slowing her down with a gentle hand on her arm. “Take it easy. You’re liable to trip or twist your ankle.”
She slowed some but shrugged away from his grasp. She glanced around fearfully, half-expecting an animal to attack from behind.
“Not so sure of these woods now, are you?” he said with an unsympathetic chuckle, and she shot him an angry glance.
“I’m not so sure of … you!”
***
“Your son is impossible, Gwendolyn,” Summer muttered during a phone conversation to her boss the next morning.
“He can be,” she admitted with a sigh. “What’s he done now?”
Summer paused. “Oh, never mind…”
She realized she couldn’t possibly tell her boss that her son had both kissed her and as good as suggested the two embark upon some sort of exploratory relationship. The nerve!
“How’s the painting coming along?” Gwendolyn asked.
Although Summer was glad for the change of subject, that wasn’t the shift in conversation she’d hoped for. She sighed, deciding honesty was the best policy. “Truthfully, I haven’t started it.”
“Darling,” Gwendolyn said softly, “as much as I want you to
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