Falling For Him1-

This book was given to JOANNA Rączkowska on Instafreebie. www.instafreebie.com

Also by Jessica Gray Falling for Him Contemporary Romance Series Falling for Him 1 Love in Sandy Beach Momentous Kisses The Armstrongs Contemporary Romance Power of Love Standalone Entangled Love Crêpes Cookbook: Simple. Scrumptious. Stylish. Watch for more at Jessica Gray’s site.

Falling for Him Book 1 Jessica Gray

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, and places in this book exist only within the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons or locations is purely coincidental.

Falling For Him 1 All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2014 Jessica Gray This book is copyrighted and protected by copyright laws. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from the author. All characters, names, and places in this book exist only within the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons or locations is purely coincidental. Cover Design by http://www.StunningBookCovers.com

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Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15

Chapter 1 I opened my eyes and had no idea where I was. It was cold and my hips hurt from lying on the hard ground. Think. What happened yesterday? It was dark, but the dim light of the moon filtered through the mesh screen. A tent? Oh yes, the camping trip. But just as my muscles relaxed and I was about to fall asleep again, I noticed it wasn’t my tent. The darkness made it difficult to distinguish details, but it definitely wasn’t my tent. A strange noise from my right shook me right out of my sleepy state. Snoring? I turned my head and looked upon the sleeping form of a stranger. I struggled from the sleeping bag, which wasn’t mine either, sitting up and holding my pounding head. Where in the hell was I? Two more people slept in the tent, and again, I didn’t recognize either of them. What have I gotten myself into? My head was killing me and my mouth felt like I had crossed the Sahara Desert. I dropped my head into my hands and struggled to remember what had happened. Calm down, Rachel, there might be a perfectly sensible explanation for this. I remembered my name. Score one for me. Oh yes, I’d been drinking too much last night, not that I remembered any of it, but why else would I have that horrible hangover? I tried to get up. “Ouch.” Why did my arms hurt? And my neck and shoulders, heck, even my legs were stiff. Had I been in an accident? I rolled my shoulders and

rotated my neck several times, easing the stiffness, but the muscles in my arms still felt like they had been taxed. The stranger next to me stirred and opened her eyes. ”Hey, are you feeling better?” “Uhm…I guess so. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but who are you and where am I?” The girl giggled. “You don’t normally drink, do you?” “No, I don’t usually drink…” Suddenly it all came rushing back to me. I’m a stupid idiot. *** Yesterday morning… I arrived back at the apartment after taking my roommate and best friend Karen to the airport, to find Michael sitting in his car. “Hey, what are you doing here?” “Nothing much. Where’s Karen?” “I just got back from dropping her off at the airport. She’s visiting her parents.” “Darn it. I forgot about that. “ “Why, what’s up?” I kinda liked Michael, he was always fun when he came over. He was Karen’s buddy and lived over in Oakland. “I hoped to convince her to go to Yosemite Valley with me,” Michael said with a dejected voice. “What’s up in Yosemite?” “I was heading up to spend a couple of days. Karen and I have wanted to go climbing there for ages. It just never fit into the schedule. You know, stressful semester, long hours of studying, and all the other obligations on the calendar.” I could relate. That was exactly how I felt. Always juggling all my responsibilities and never with enough

time to do the fun things. Worn out and happy to have a few weeks off after the final exams. “Climbing?” I had started a climbing course at the college and loved it. So far I’d practiced only indoors, but I’d always wanted to try my abilities in the real world. Hello, Yosemite, here I am. Michael didn’t know yet, but he was about to embark on the trip with a new climbing partner – me. “Oh, yes, Karen mentioned that you two had that plan.” “Yeah. I don’t like going out by myself, though. Too many things can happen.” I nodded. How in the world could I convince Michael to take me instead? I definitely needed down time and had nothing going for the next week. And what could happen? Michael was a nice guy, and he was my best friend’s buddy. He and I had been getting along quite well and he seemed to like me. OK, Rachel, now’s the time to be bold, if you want to take that trip. Before I could think about the consequences, I heard myself asking, “Would you consider letting me tag along?” Shit. I had said it. My cheeks blushed with excitement and shame. What would he think? Did I sound desperate? “You?” “I just started a climbing class. I’m not very good yet, but…” “You’re taking a course here at the college?” Michael asked, intrigued. “Are you free for the next several days?” “I am. I just finished my last exams yesterday. I don’t have anything planned for the next week.” Michael considered it for all of two seconds, and I caught a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. One that almost

made me back out. “Sure. Why not? Do you have your own gear?” I shook my head. “Sorry, no. I just started, and apart from the shoes I always used the gear from the college. I do have my own sleeping bag and tent, though.” “Okay, I’ve got plenty of gear for what we’ll be doing. I’ve already bought the food and other things we might need. How about I go gas up the truck while you pack your stuff? I’ll be back in fifteen.” “That’ll work. See ya in a few.” I hurried inside the apartment, still surprised at how suddenly my plans for the coming week had changed. What if this is a mistake? I brushed aside the nagging voice in my head and gathered items as I went, throwing them into a large duffel bag. Clothes, toiletries, climbing shoes, everything went in the bag. Where were the sleeping bag and the tent? Oh yes, in the hall closet. Anything else I’d need? I rushed through the apartment, in the hope I wouldn’t forget an important thing. Michael came back and we headed out. I’d never been alone with him, only together with Karen. The little voice in my head kept nagging. Do you think this is a good idea? You don’t know him that well. What if… I didn’t want to listen, and just hoped that Michael and I would find a topic to talk about on the long drive. It was several hours’ drive. He spent the first two hours quizzing me about my life. Every time I tried to change the subject, he’d make an outrageous comment and turn the conversation back to me. How awkward. I started to think it might have been a mistake to tag along. Now I’d be trapped with him for the next few days, and if we didn’t find another topic to talk about, I’d go nuts pretty soon.

Thank God, we finally settled into a conversation about climbing; I was amazed at his vast knowledge. But the more he got into details and told me stories about stuff that’d happened to him or friends of his, the more nervous I got about my first outdoors climb. Maybe this was a mistake, after all? “Michael, are you sure this isn’t too dangerous for a beginner like me?” “Nothing to worry about. We’ll take it slow and leave the harder climbs for another day. And after all, I’m here to protect you.” His enamored face hit me like a thunderbolt. Oh no. No way. Now I understood why he was so eager to take me with him, and why all he wanted to talk about was me. Why didn’t I notice that earlier? Michael was a nice guy, but I’d never felt the slightest romantic attraction towards him. I still pondered how to let him know that he couldn’t hope for even so much as a fling between the two of us, without hurting his feelings, when he stopped the car. “Is this the campground?” I asked. Michael said, “No, it’s too far away from the climbing routes and too many people. We’ll make camp outside.” “Isn’t that too dangerous? I saw a sign saying the fire danger is in the ‘red zone.’” He looked at me, a bit annoyed, and said, “They just put those signs to scare you so you won’t make fire. But it’s not dangerous at all. Look, we don’t use open fire, so there’s nothing to worry about.” I wasn’t so sure he was right, but I resigned myself to it. It was his trip, after all. And what did I know? He wasn’t satisfied with this place and drove about a half mile further up the dirt road. He pulled off where the

ground was level and inspected the place. “That’s perfect. We make camp here and set up the tents.” While driving up I’d watched several groups of college kids unload their vehicles further down at the campground, and I thought it might be nice to join them to have some company. Especially since Michael was so much interested in me. Much more than I liked. After unpacking everything, Michael suggested we do a small hike and climb before dinner, to see how I managed. Based on my abilities he’d decide which route to tackle tomorrow. Even though I was tired, I was excited to get out and explore my surroundings. I agreed and Michael led us up into the valley. Two hours later, I was ready to let myself fall to the ground – and that ground was more than thirty yards down. Never before in my life had I been so exhausted. My fingers were sore and could barely move, my neck hurt, and my arms wouldn’t obey my commands anymore. Michael didn’t show any signs of fatigue; in fact he seemed to get more energetic by the minute. After a slow start, where he constantly looked around to help me if I needed it, he quickly picked up the pace. The further into our climb, the faster he went – and the less often he looked back to me. I was a burden to him. But I couldn’t do one single step forward. Not if I wanted to stay alive. As he made no sign of slowing down to wait for me, I finally called a halt to it. “Michael, hey, can we stop, please?” He looked up the rock face, the top almost in reach from his position. “Can’t you go another fifteen minutes? We’re almost done.” I shook my head. “I can’t go any further. I’ll be lucky to make it back to camp.”

Michael gave me an annoyed look. “Fine. Let’s head back and rest for the night. We’ll get up early tomorrow morning and tackle something a little longer.” “Sure. But please, let’s finish for today.” Oh boy. The man was a machine and didn’t know when to stop. I felt like an intruder and didn’t want to spoil his fun with the exercise, but I had to get back to camp before I collapsed. When I reached safe ground again, I heard noises behind us. A group of college kids approached us. Apparently they were on their way back to the campground. Several of them wore t-shirts from the same college I attended. That was a lucky break. “Hey, are you guys from Santa Clara?” “Yeah. You?” “Yeah. It’s kind of weird meeting people from your town up here in the middle of nowhere.” “Sure is. We finished exams and came up to relax and have fun for a few days.” Then I saw him, the most gorgeous man ever. I lost my breath and my jaw just about dropped to the ground. Oh God, I hope I’m not drooling. He was the tallest man in the group and too old to be a college student; probably in his early thirties. His dark hair was short, but not short enough to hide a few unruly curls – the kind that made me want to run my hands through his hair, and further down to his strong and lean shoulders. His intense steel-blue eyes locked with mine and suddenly the air around me seemed to heat up. My cheeks blushed when I noticed not only his attraction, but also the obvious concern in his eyes. That is so sweet. Was it that obvious that I was worn out and exhausted beyond imagination?

He eyed me a few more seconds and then looked at Michael. Nodding his head towards Michael he asked me, “You with him?” “Yeah. He’s my roommate’s buddy.“ Gorgeous Guy didn’t like my answer and turned his head to talk to some other person in the group. Michael busied himself with arranging our gear; he clearly didn’t want to introduce himself to the group. Who cares? I was here to have fun. After I spent a few more minutes talking to them, they invited me down to their campsite later on that evening. It seemed like a great idea; first I could avoid being alone with Michael, second I’d sure have some fun with them, and third I longed to see Gorgeous Guy again. After they left, Michael had finished gathering our gear and was in a sour mood. In silence we trotted back to our tents. Finally he asked, “So you know those guys?” Did he sound jealous, or was that only my imagination? “No, but the two girls go to my college.” “Huh. They look like they’re up here to party.” I laughed. “They sure are. Remember, final exams finished a few days ago. Every college kid wants to party right now.” Michael eyed me before asking, “Even you?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I can take the drinking or leave it. I’m not a very big drinker and it takes almost nothing to get me buzzed. ” Michael grinned. “Sounds like Karen. She can’t even handle a single wine cooler. I took her drinking with me one time and she fell asleep at the table. I haven’t taken her with me since unless she’s the designated driver.” “Yeah. That’s one of the reasons Karen and I get along so well. Anyway, they invited us down to the campground to join them after dinner. It might be fun.”

He shook his head. “That’s not a good idea. We need to wake up at sunrise. I want to be up on the mountain before the crowds start flocking to the trails.” “Not even for a few minutes? Please.” I cajoled. Would he really make me stay here instead of having fun with them? I put on my “sad puppy” face to soften his determination “Okay. But only for a few minutes, then we’ll leave. We have a lot of talking to do.” Talking? We’d been talking for six hours in the car. I was done with him inquiring about my person. “Great.” I gave him a big smile. The puppy face had worked, and I hoped it’d work again to change his mind once we arrived at the campground. *** “Hey, are you alright?” the girl sitting next to me asked. Her voice pulled me out of my memories and I shook my head to clear it. “Sorry, do you know what time it is?” “No, probably about 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning.“ Great. “Do you know where my friend is – Michael? We should probably head back to our own campsite.” “He left several hours ago,” the girl offered. “What.?” I exclaimed. The other occupant of the tent started to stir. Well done, Rachel. Now you’re waking everyone. I lowered my voice. “He left without me?” I untangled my legs from the sleeping bag until the girl put a hand on my arm. “Whoa. What do you think you’re doing?” “I’m leaving. Have to go back.” “It’s the middle of the night. Do you even remember where your campsite is?”

Dumbly I shook my head. “Well, I guess. I mean, how difficult can that be? It’s not very far though, we drove maybe five minutes down the dirt road.” She laughed. “And now you want to go out by yourself in the dark to find it?” She did have a point. I would never be able to find our camp at night. Michael, that rat, had a lot of explaining to do when I found him. As I got more agitated, the girl told me, “Look, we had an extra sleeping bag – which you’re already using. Why don’t you bunk down here for the rest of the night and we’ll help you find your campsite first thing in the morning?” “Are you sure?” I asked, still fuming at Michael for leaving me. “Yeah. Get some sleep, it will all work out in the morning.”

Chapter 2 When I woke up the next morning I was cooking in my sleeping bag, and a sun ray tickled my nose. Atchoo. Judging by the sounds I heard, the other campers were already up and getting ready for their day. I stepped out of the borrowed tent, and observed everyone for a minute in silence, wondering what I was supposed to do now. The scenery was breathtaking: the campground lay just below the majestic ring of mountains, the sky a dark blue with a blinding sun. It would be a perfect day to spend in nature to… Before I could finish my pleasant thought, my anger at Michael came rushing back and my only objective was to find him and tell him off. One of the girls noticed me and waved me over. “You look a little worse for wear.” I shrugged; I didn’t want to talk to a complete stranger. I was embarrassed that I had gotten drunk and fallen asleep on them. How stupid could I get? Something really bad could have happened last night. “Hey, we saved you breakfast, if you’re interested.” Now that she mentioned it, I smelled the freshly brewed coffee. Exactly what I needed. “Thanks,” I said. “You don’t happen to have any coffee?” She laughed. “Sure. I’m Marilee, by the way. Hey, Peter, Sleeping Beauty’s awake.”

I turned to see whom she talked to and cringed. Gorgeous Guy looked over at us and dismissed me with a shake of his head and a disdainful look. So his name was Peter. By the way he looked at me, I had made an enormous fool of myself yesterday night. And my stupid cheeks blushed again. Still looking at Peter, I asked, “What’s his problem?” Marilee giggled. “You two had quite an argument last night.” We did? My blurred memory didn’t bring up any clues. As far as I remembered, he’d resisted all my attempts to start a conversation with him. He had completely ignored me. I figured I might as well ask her, because how much more could I embarrass myself? “About what?” I asked. “Women in general, and his opinion that they’re all bad, just waiting for an opportunity to cheat on their boyfriends. He went through a bad breakup a while back and has basically decided he’s had enough of women.” I looked at Peter and my knees went weak. How could he have such a strong effect on me? I didn’t fall for good-looking guys; they came with too much baggage. He probably had women throwing themselves at him all the time. Apart from his lean and muscular body, his dark and soft voice, it was his steel-blue eyes that would make most women melt – myself included. Well, if he didn’t use them to give me that disdainful look. A look that cut right through my weak shield of self-defense and shattered me to the ground. Why did I even care? The girl next to me was still talking and I tried to catch up. “…he has room on the back of his bike. He’ll help you to find your campsite this morning and then meet the rest

of us at the trailhead. We’re headed up Half Dome today.” “Great. I’m ready to go whenever he is.” Oh my God. Me, alone with him? And I don’t even remember what we argued about yesterday. “Hey, Peter, she’s ready to head out.” Peter glanced over one more time, raking me from head to foot before shaking his head and finishing his conversation. I had never felt so dismissed. What is wrong with this guy? He came over to me several minutes later, walking past with a muttered, “Let’s go.” I followed behind meekly, knowing that I should be grateful, but not liking his attitude one bit. “Do you even have a clue as to where you made camp yesterday?” he asked, derision evident in his voice. I pointed up the road. “About half a mile up that way.” He climbed on the bike and steadied it while I did the same. I placed my hands behind me, holding onto the seat. I didn’t want to hold onto him if I didn’t have to. We headed up the road at a gentle pace and I kept my eyes open, looking for the large rocks that had marked the dirt path leading to our campsite. Why had Michael left last night without me? It didn’t make any sense. When I spotted the rocks up ahead, I got excited. Pointing over Peter’s shoulder, I yelled, “That’s it right there.” Peter navigated the bike around the ruts in the road. When I saw the top of my tent, I was so relieved, I forgot myself and hugged the man in front of me. He didn’t return my enthusiasm, but he did stop the bike. I scrambled off, anxious to change into clean clothes and have it out with Michael. Maybe he would take me home and we could forget about what had happened?

I turned to thank Peter, taken aback by the look on his face. “Uhm…thanks for the ride.” “You’re not very bright, are you?” “What? Who do you think you are? You don’t even know me.” “Evidence speaks for itself. An inexperienced climber comes up here and expects everyone to help watch over her. Did you even think about the burden you were putting on your boyfriend when you started drinking last night? His face clearly showed he was one pissed-off dude. And I don’t blame him, with the way you were acting.” I was so furious I couldn’t think straight. Who did this guy think he was and what gave him the right to pass judgment on me? Michael and I were just friends, he didn’t have any claim on my time or affections. “Hey, I don’t have to listen to this. Thanks for the ride.” I turned and had the pleasure of dismissing him. Peter was arrogant and opinionated. Two things I didn’t need to deal with right now. I had enough problems to solve with Michael. The mere thought of having to spend some more days with that rat made me almost puke. What kind of guy dumps a girl in the middle of nowhere? I mean, he’s a friend of Karen, so he should be a decent person, right? Peter gunned the bike and left, no doubt headed to the ranger station to get his group’s passes to hike Half Dome. I rounded the bushes that concealed our camp and stopped short. What.? There stood only one tent. My tent. My knees were shaking. What could have happened? I rushed to unzip my tent; maybe I’d find an explanation. Inside, all of my stuff was neatly stacked in the middle of the tent, along with half of the groceries we had bought

for the week. No note. Nothing. He’s abandoned me in the middle of nowhere. Oh my God. I panicked for all of two minutes. My hands were trembling and I had difficulties breathing. Images of myself meandering helplessly in the dark forest, starving to death, attacked by wild animals, formed in my head. Before I could develop a full-blown panic attack, I shook off those thoughts and took a few deep breaths. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Okay, I felt much better and my brain was able to work again. I needed to find help. Now. Peter had ridden off on his motorbike, headed for the ranger station. Where was the ranger station? Oh yes, I saw it yesterday when we drove in. It probably was about half a mile up the main street. Half a mile. I can do that. Without any further thought I changed out of my sandals into my tennis shoes and headed out, running as fast as possible with my pounding head and dehydrated body. I promised myself to never ever drink so much as one drop of alcohol again. The view of the rooftop of the ranger station quickened my pace even more. I sent a quick prayer to heaven, begging that Peter was still in there. He was. His bike was still parked out front. What a relief. I took a few seconds to catch my breath. What would I tell him? It wasn’t that he was very fond of helping me earlier. But he just had to. When I explained him my predicament, he’d take me back to their camp, right? Marilee would help me. All of them lived in Santa Clara; they’d give me a ride to town with them. At that very moment, Peter came sauntering out and stopped short when he saw me. “Didn’t I leave you up the

road? Am I never getting rid of you again?” I nodded. “I need to talk to you for a minute.“ “I don’t have a minute. The others are waiting on these permits.” I swallowed hard and whispered, “Please. I…” I tried to contain the tears that threatened to spill over as the reality of my situation hit home. “Michael left. He dumped my stuff in my tent and is gone. No trace of him or his things. He didn’t even leave a note and I don’t think he’s coming back.” Peter looked puzzled at me and started laughing. He’s laughing at my misery. What a jerk. By the look of his face he was silently applauding Michael for his actions. “Guess he really was pissed off last night. You should do a lot less drinking and flirting when your boyfriend’s around. That’ll keep you out of trouble.” That was enough. I screamed in frustration, “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s buddies with my roommate Karen. He wanted to take her on this trip, but she went to visit her parents. I offered to go to get some climbing experience in, and he said yes. And now he’s abandoned me in the middle of nowhere and I have no idea what to do or how I’m supposed to get home and…” I finally ran out of breath and the tears started welling up again. But I wouldn’t give this jerk the satisfaction of seeing me crying; I quickly turned away. Peter had stopped laughing by now and looked at me sternly. “He’s not your boyfriend? That’s pretty convenient, isn’t it?” I shook my head, leaning my hands on my thighs to catch my breath and hold back my tears. “He’s not. I don’t have a boyfriend. I’ve hardly even dated the last year, I’ve been so busy…” My voice trailed off. Why the

hell did I even defend myself? This Peter had no business with my relationship status. *** Peter tried to tamp down on the urge to offer comfort to Rachel. She looked so fragile and vulnerable. Despite himself, he was immensely attracted to her. Her slim body, her long legs, the way she moved and swung her head to put that stubborn little strand of hair back in place. He’d love to take her into his arms and kiss the tears, the angst, and the sorrow away. He wanted to murmur “Shh, everything will be fine” into her ear and touch those luscious lips with his. No. He shook his head to banish those inappropriate thoughts. As a man of principles he didn’t allow himself to be attracted to another man’s girl. And he couldn’t stand flirts like her. His ex-girlfriend, Lara, had been exactly like this Rachel. Flirting with guy she met, standing him up whenever the mood suited her – he should have dumped her sorry ass months before he actually did. A little doubt nagged at him, though. Had he misjudged Rachel? Michael had sure acted like a boyfriend. Well, evidence spoke against her, and this was probably a convenient lie of hers to make him help. He knew how those manipulative women worked. “Do you make it a habit of going camping with men you barely know?” She looked at him like a wounded fawn “No. I told you…” I’m not gonna fall for her. She’s exactly like Lara. She just wants to manipulate me. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard

what you told me,” he muttered under his breath. “So, will you help me, please? Perhaps you could get my stuff back to where you guys are camping and I could hitch a ride home in someone’s car?” Peter shook his head. “I don’t think they have room in one of the cars. They are all packed up to the roof.” When he saw her face fall, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her and offered a small glimmer of hope: “But, hey, I might be wrong.” He got on the bike and gestured with his head. “Hop on. I have to get these permits back to the group.” ***** My stuff was never going to fit on the back of the bike. Peter grew impatient after a few minutes and made no pretense otherwise. Finally, he’d had enough. “Leave your stuff here. We’ll head down and send somebody up here with a vehicle to haul it back to our campsite.” I nodded, not wanting to rock the boat. It was evident that Peter reckoned he was babysitting me and we were starting to get on each other’s nerves. “Fine. Let’s go.” I walked to the bike and waited for him to mount up before I climbed on. Even though I tried to dislike Peter, the physical attraction got me when I sat close to him. His woodsy masculine smell put me on cloud nine. A strange excitement spread across my body and all I wanted was for him to touch me. Everywhere. The tremble of the motorbike did its part, and it took all my willpower not to throw myself upon him. At the campsite, everyone was ready to tackle Half Dome. Peter explained briefly what had occurred. At least the rest of the group didn’t think it was my fault.

They had some choice words for Michael – nothing I hadn’t already called him a million times in my head. Marilee offered to help me retrieve my stuff and we made short work of that. After returning to their camp, I proposed to stay at the campsite for the day, while they went out on their hike, but they would hear nothing of it. Ten minutes later I found myself, equipped with backpack and water bottle, headed towards Half Dome with a bunch of strangers I had met less than twelve hours ago. It was the weirdest feeling, knowing that I was dependent upon this group of strangers for my very survival. This trip to Yosemite with Michael had been one of my most outrageous adventures yet. If I had known what would happen, I’d still be on my sofa and reading a good book. It had felt safe to go with him, because he was the buddy of my roommate. What a mistake. I was horrified with the possibilities of what else could go wrong, but tried not to show any trace of anxiety. Instead I put on the most reassuring smile I was capable of. I quickly learned everyone’s names and realized that this eclectic bunch of people all lived in Santa Clara, but not all of them were college students. There were two married couples along, Seth and Barbara and Seth’s sister – Anne – and her husband Tom. They had met at college and made this a yearly trip to kick off summer. What a fun tradition. Peter was friends with Seth and had been climbing and hiking with him since high school. All of these people were nearing thirty, but they didn’t seem old to me. No, they were fun and easy-going, and I was lucky I’d found them. Maybe this trip would indeed end well? The three single girls, the ones whose tent I had slept in last night, were Marilee, Jamie, and Sarah. All three of them students at the same college I attended, and

roommates. Marilee was Seth’s younger sister, and her fiancé, a Marine, was on a training mission for the next three weeks. The other two single guys, Mark and Brad, were also college students who had just graduated. Both planned to head off to graduate school in the fall. Overall, the group was a good mixture of people who liked nature and having fun. They made me feel welcome – well, most of them did. Peter didn’t seem to be too happy that I now formed part of their group. I tried to stay out of his way, and observed him doing exactly the same. That was fine by me. Once we returned home, our paths would likely never cross again. We climbed and hiked for two days and enjoyed the evenings around the campfire. I learned quite a bit about climbing during the second day, and it was a lot more fun than I had anticipated. I loved the challenge of pitting my strength and knowledge against nature. It was exhilarating. Even though the trip had started out horribly, I soon was thankful it had turned out that way. Thinking back on Michael and the awkward conversation in his car on the way here, I was sure that I had ended up having much more fun with this group. On the third morning, I awoke to find everyone breaking camp and packing up for the long drive home. Yosemite Valley is approximately four and a half hours’ drive from Santa Clara, and everyone in the group was anxious to get started early. I finished packing up my tent and noticed that Marilee, Peter, and Seth were having a heated argument off to the side of everyone else. I tried not to pay attention, but

Peter looked upset with whatever they were discussing. After several minutes, he stormed off. Marilee looked at Seth and suggested something. Afterwards she came over to where I stood. “Everything alright?” I asked. “It will be. Look, we can take your stuff back in the cars, but both vehicles are completely packed with people driving up here. We don’t have any room for you.” I stood there not knowing what to say or do. “Uhm…” “Wait, I’m not finished. Peter rode his bike up here. He has an extra helmet and everything…” “…but he doesn’t want to be saddled with me. That’s what has him so upset, right?” Marilee nodded her head. “Yeah. Sorry. Don’t take it personal, he’s had it tough lately.” I didn’t want to give him that much of a break. The man was rude and evidently very self-centered. I mean, it wasn’t like I asked to be stranded in the middle of the wilderness, hundreds of miles from home. “Perhaps you guys could drop me off at one of the lodges and I’d hitch a ride home with somebody else.” Marilee shook her head, “No way. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. I mean, what if you hitched a ride with a crazy or something? No, Peter will take you home, he just has to quit having a temper tantrum.” “Should I go and talk to him?…” “Better not. Seth’s already doing that. Leave him alone and finish packing up your stuff. He’ll do the right thing.” I wasn’t as confident as she seemed to be, but I did finish packing up my stuff. He wouldn’t get the opportunity to turn me down for being late. Then I helped Marilee secure it in the luggage rack on top of her vehicle. Peter returned to camp several minutes later

with Seth in tow. Stalking by me, he said, “I’m leaving in ten minutes. I only have room for you, so everything that doesn’t fit in your backpack has to go with the car. Understood?” I briefly considered saluting, but didn’t. Tensions were already running high and I didn’t want to exacerbate them anymore. Just in case, I had placed my necessities and a quick change of clothes in my backpack. With what had happened during this trip I didn’t want to take any chances. Grabbing my backpack, I walked over to his bike and waited. I didn’t want to give him any more reasons to be upset. I would be a model travel companion. Maybe he would even forget about me. It was about four and a half hours back home. It would be noisy on the bike; we didn’t even have to make polite conversation. I would simply accept the ride and say “Thank you” once we reached Santa Clara. Simple. Easy.

Chapter 3 Stupid me. I should have remembered that nothing in this life is as simple as it seems. I said “Goodbye” to the rest of the group and climbed on the bike; not before exchanging phone numbers with Marilee to get back all my stuff from her tonight or tomorrow. Peter stopped at the first gas station to fuel up the bike, and that was when the simple began to get complicated. “I have to run up to my uncle’s cabin before we head home,” he informed me. “Sure. Is it on the way?” Peter nodded; pointing to a tall peak outside the park’s boundaries, he said, “It’s up there.” I looked up to where he was pointing and then back at him. “At the top?” “Not quite, but close enough. The ride’s pretty steep, so even though it pains you to touch me, you’re going to have to hold on when we start climbing.” I blushed. “It’s not that I don’t want to touch you, I thought you wouldn’t want me to. You don’t seem to like me very much.” Peter looked me over from head to toe. “I like you just fine, but I don’t think you were very smart in coming up here with your un-boyfriend.” I narrowed my eyes. “You still assume I’m lying about Michael and me not being a couple?” Peter shrugged. “Should I?”

“I already told you who Michael is. If you choose not to accept this, that’s on you.” This man just didn’t get it. If he weren’t so immensely attractive, I wouldn’t bother. But just the outlook of putting my arms around his waist and leaning myself into his strong back sent shivers through my body and lustful thoughts springing to my mind. No. No. No. He’s rude. And so not my type. Peter didn’t reply, just mounted his bike. When I climbed back on, he gunned it and headed off. Thirty minutes later, he pulled off the main road onto what seemed more like a trail than a road. As we moved off into the timber, I lost the last token of orientation. Where we were heading? Would this guy also leave me in the middle of nowhere? Did he hate me so much as to dump me somewhere in the forest? To be devoured by the bears and wolves and whatever other dangerous animals lived there? I tried my best not to panic, and clung to the fact that Marilee and Seth knew I was with him. He wouldn’t do any harm to me as long as I was under their protection; at least that was what I told myself. The thunderclouds had been gathering all day, and as we came out of the thick timber, the skies opened up in a downpour. Within seconds we were both drenched. Peter turned the bike around and headed back into the trees. Parking the bike, he helped me off and pulled me with him to take shelter beneath the branches of a large pine tree. It didn’t stop all the rain but did the majority of it. I stood there, water dripping off my bangs, shivering with the cold and my teeth chattering. When Peter stuck a hand in front of me, holding a rain jacket, I took it with frozen fingers and pulled it on. “Thanks,” I mumbled through my chattering teeth.

Finally the rain subsided. Peter spoke up, “Come on. My uncle’s cabin is a couple of more miles. Let’s go.” We headed back up the mountain, going a little slower now as the road had become slick and muddy. I ducked my head against his back, trying to keep as much warmth in my body as possible. I considered pressing up against the warm body in front of me, but realized that would be way too forward. I would have to be a lot colder than I was now for that to be okay. When Peter stopped the bike, I looked up; I had never been so thankful to see a building in my life. I climbed off the bike on stiff legs, shivering so badly I barely managed to walk the few steps leading to the front door. Peter retrieved the key and opened the door. “Stay there for a minute and let me get the generator started so we have light.” It had started to rain again, and the dark thunderheads made it seem much later than it actually was. Peter disappeared around the side of the cabin, and moments later the diesel generator started up. He returned and flipped the light switch on, bathing the interior of the cabin in a warm glow. I shed my muddy tennis shoes at the door and stood on the tile near the front door, not wanting to drip water everywhere. Peter didn’t seem to mind and quickly disappeared through the cabin, returning moments later with an armful of towels. He tossed me a couple and gestured towards a closed door. “You can change in there.” I opened the door and was astonished to see the rustic interior. The hand-carved lodgepole bed with its quilted covering looked homey and inviting, something I hadn’t been expecting in a cabin. Still shivering, I rummaged in my backpack for the change of clothes, and retrieved my t-shirt and jean shorts. My underwear

was soaked through, so I left it off, thankful the dark color of the t-shirt would help protect my modesty somewhat. I dried my hair as best as possible and returned into the main room. Peter had changed into dry clothing as well and started a fire in the hearth. Puzzled, I asked him, “Do we need a fire? I thought you were only going to fetch a few things?” “I’m not driving down in this weather. That road is treacherous when it’s wet like this.” He sounded as if he were trying to explain things to a kindergartner. “You aren’t suggesting we stay here overnight?” Peter shrugged. “I do. It’s clean and dry. We’ve got instant soup, plenty of water and fire. What more do you want?” “Home? I want to go home. Unless you’ve forgotten, this has been a rather crappy couple of days for me and all I want is to go home.” “And you’ll get home tomorrow. Now, I have chicken noodle, beef vegetable, or tomato.” “What?” “Instant soup,” he said, holding up several packages. “We have hot water, and instant soup. Dinner. What’s your preference?” “Anything but tomato,” I replied with a shiver. He was serious about staying here. Peter gave me a look, tossed me one of the packages, and nodded towards the kitchen. “There’s cups in the cupboard above the sink and spoons in the drawer. Bring me one of each, too.” How could he behave that laid-back about being stranded high in the mountains? I located the utensils and cups and returned to sit near the fire. The warmth of the fire enhanced my mood – much better than the cold outside. My body warmed up and soon I even started to

feel my icy toes again. I almost enjoyed the situation. If I only had a more friendly companion. Peter looked so hot, and even though his behavior was less than charming I couldn’t help being attracted to him. I stirred my soup, waiting the requisite three minutes for the vegetables and noodles to rehydrate. Nobody said another word. The only sound was the raindrops on the roof. We both ate in silence and I once again felt the tension starting to build – at least on my part. Finally, when I was contemplating screaming just to hear something besides my own breathing, he asked, “You want some tea?” “Yeah. Thanks.” He made the tea and brought me a mug. “Be careful, it’s very hot.” I nodded, murmuring “Thanks” as he retreated to his side of the fire. I took a sip. The hot and sweet beverage ran down my throat. It was good. I couldn’t handle the silence any longer. “This is your uncle’s cabin?” “Yeah. We used to come up here a lot when I was younger. Now, I’m lucky if I make it three or four times a year.” “Too busy?” I asked. Peter nodded, leaning back against a pillow he had placed against the couch. “Yeah. I work at least seventy hours a week. A buddy and I started our own company a few years back. It’s doing very well, but since it’s only the two of us, we put in a lot of hours.” “What kind of company?” “Computer stuff mainly. Programming and security.” “Sounds boring.” It was actually right up my alley, but I didn’t want him to know that. Peter chuckled. “To most people it is. It’s been a good career move for us, though. It just doesn’t leave a lot of

time for anything else.” “That’s how I feel about college. This last semester has been tough. I’m glad I’m almost through.” “Junior?” Peter asked. I shook my head. “No, senior but I still have a six-week internship to finish before I officially graduate. I didn’t care about walking the line, so I put it off until this summer.” Peter nodded. “So, what made you decide to tackle Yosemite?” “I didn’t really plan that. I needed to unwind and when Michael said he’d be driving up here, I came along. I started a climbing course at college in January and love it.” “Climbing in the wild is a lot different than climbing in a gym, isn’t it?” “Yeah. I noticed that in the last few days. In fact, on our first evening here I was almost dead of exhaustion after two hours on an easy climb. And I consider myself in reasonable shape.” “Being outdoors can be very exhausting, but also lots of fun. I love being up here in the mountains, seeing nature and becoming part of it for a little while. There’s nothing like taking on a steep granite wall, knowing it’s going to require all of your strength and mental acuity to conquer. When you finally reach the summit, that’s the best feeling in the world.” He continued to talk about some of the climbs he had completed. His eyes radiated and he suddenly seemed much friendlier. The whole grumpy attitude was blown away as he excitedly recounted some of his adventures. He even told me about his dream to tackle one day the famous free-climber routes in the European Alps. That man became hotter by the minute. Not that I would ever

attempt such a demanding climb, but the sheer thought of him exercising his muscles while going up…to die for. When I yawned, trying to hide behind my hand, Peter stood up and threw a few more logs on the fire. “We should get some sleep. There’s only the one bedroom, but it’s a king-sized bed. I think we could share it and not cause any lasting harm to each other, don’t you?” I wanted to protest, but was too tired. And sleeping on the hard wooden floor wasn’t appealing at all. Therefore I shrugged. If he could handle it, so could I. I didn’t want to upset our fragile harmony by complaining. “I’m going to check the generator and make sure there’s enough fuel to get us through the night. Go ahead and get ready for bed.” He grabbed his rain jacket and headed out the front door. Back in the bedroom, I looked at the bed and chose the side farthest away from the door. I climbed under the covers and rolled onto my side, facing the wall. Peter came in a few minutes later and moved around the room, taking his shoes off and dropping them on the floor. I heard him remove the rain jacket and then what sounded like his pants. Don’t even think about it. I told myself, feeling the arousal in my body. How can this man have so much effect on me? I don’t even like him. I held myself still, trying to even my breathing out and pretend sleep. My muscles were so tight, I knew sleep would be a long time coming if I didn’t relax. He climbed into the bed and doused the bedside lamp, moving around for a few minutes before he finally settled. I tried to relax, but knowing this gorgeous guy was lying a few feet away from me clouded my mind. And his smell – a woodsy odor, masculine and one that I would always associate with him. I wasn’t sure what

cologne he wore, but I’d be making a trip to the local department store to figure it out. After what seemed like hours, I heard him snoring softly and finally gave up the struggle to maintain my distance. I managed to relax and fell into a deep sleep, Peter’s unique smell and his gorgeous body fueling my dreams.

Chapter 4 The next morning I awoke to sunny skies and the smell of fresh, clean earth. The sound of Peter getting dressed was what woke me, and I opened my eyes to see him pulling on his pants, his back towards me. He hadn’t put his shirt on yet, and again, seeing his naked back instantly sent electric shocks through my body. His soft tan, with well-defined muscles that tapered to a lean waist… My hands itched to slide down his back, softly moving down to squeeze his tight butt. Oh gosh. Stop it, hormones. As he pulled the shirt over his head, he turned towards me and I caught a glimpse of his abs – the guy had more than a six-pack. I wanted to touch all the smooth, hard flesh my eyes had encountered. But Peter was arrogant, and just because we had managed to not kill each other last night, didn’t mean he was the type of guy I could get along with long-term. He just isn’t my type. I continued to tell myself that, even after he left the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him. I quickly made myself presentable, including putting back on my underwear, which had dried out overnight. After entering the main room, I saw that he had prepared two bowls of oatmeal and two more cups of tea. “Thanks,” I told him as I sat down to eat. “I want to get on the road pretty quick.” “Great. I’m anxious to get home, myself.”

Peter said nothing else, but continued eating. I did the same. Soon we mounted the motorbike, heading back down the mountain. In my mind I went through the list of things I needed to do once we got back to Santa Clara, lost in my thoughts and not paying attention to my surroundings. Suddenly the bike pulled to a stop and I needed a short second to return to reality. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Mud avalanche.” I looked over Peter’s shoulder and gasped at the debris field. Broken trees and boulders, mixed with tons of mud, covered where earlier the road had been. “Can we go around?” “Probably not. See if your cell has any service; mine doesn’t.” I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, disheartened to see no bars. “Nothing.” “Hang on.” Peter turned the bike around and headed back towards the cabin. “What are you doing?” “We have to get back to the cabin and call the ranger station.” “Our phones are dead, how do you propose we do that? Smoke signals?” I asked, sarcasm in every syllable. I want to go home. I’m tired of this wilderness stuff. Peter thinned his lips and bit his tongue. He didn’t appreciate my sarcastic comment; he ignored it. “The rangers probably don’t even know the road is out. We’ll radio it in and hopefully they can come get us out.” “Oh, good. Let’s call the rangers.” Anything that helped us get home was a good idea. Once back at the cabin, Peter used the two-way radio to contact the closest ranger station. They did know about the mud avalanche. It wasn’t the only one.

Apparently there had been quite a few instances of damage from the thunderstorm yesterday. Unfortunately, our dirt road wasn’t high priority. They first had to take care of the more frequented roads, and estimated two or three days before the road would be passable. “Are you all going to be okay up there until then?” the ranger asked. “Sure. We’ll be fine. We have enough food and water, even diesel for the generator.“ Peter signed off and turned to me. “Well, you heard him. We’re not going anywhere for a couple of days.” I couldn’t believe it. Stay up in the mountains with him for several days? No way. “This is sooooo not happening,” I told him. “No?” he asked, a wry smile on his face. What is he so amused about. This isn’t funny. “No. I’m not staying up here another day, let alone two or three. I need to get home.” Peter gestured towards the front door. “Be my guest. It’s only ten miles to the main road. If you leave now I’m sure you’ll figure out how to get down there before it’s dark.” The laughter in his eyes fueled my anger even more. I’ll show him. I’m in good shape and I can hike ten miles. No sweat. He continued in the same vein, “I’ll be sure and let everyone back home know you won’t be arriving for a few days.” I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door, Peter’s laughter following me all the way. “Hey. Remember to make some noise if you get in the timber. I wouldn’t want you to become lunch for a hungry bear.” I didn’t even bother to respond. Me afraid of bears? No way. And I was going to show him. I’d make it down this mountain in record time.

Chapter 5 Never ever am I going to get down this mountain. Never.. I realized that about thirty minutes into my hike. When I reached the mud avalanche, I soon discovered there was no way to go through it or around it. Up was a disaster, and down led to a sheer cliff wall. Even an experienced climber would think twice about attempting to descend that wall of granite. My eyes filled with tears when I sat down on a fallen tree and analyzed my situation. I didn’t want to return to the cabin and have Peter laugh at me again. But I couldn’t stay here until help arrived. It wasn’t due for another two or three days. My only option was to return to the cabin. I headed back up the mountain; I loathed going in and facing Peter’s humor at my expense. I would simply ignore him. “Back so soon?” he asked, as I entered the cabin. “You were right, okay?” I all but shouted at him. The grin on his face pushed me right over the edge of sanity. Advancing upon him, I yelled at him, “Stop laughing at me. I want to go home. I hate it here.” The last words were muttered through my tears as they finally burst free. Peter reached for me but I slapped his hands away. “Don’t touch me. Get away from me.” But he wouldn’t let go of me. Instead, when I lost control, he reached for me again, ignoring my hands as they slapped at his and then fisted to beat upon his

chest. I was in full rage and not aware of what I was doing. He didn’t shout back or move out of my reach, but just pulled me against him only to stop when I looked up and our eyes clashed. I was acting irrational, but I couldn’t gain control. Too much frustration had built up. Frustration with the situation and with him. Or more likely with my attraction to him. I beat my fists upon his chest, again and again, frustrated, confused, and scared. When our eyes met, I couldn’t look away. His smell swamped my senses, sending my hormones into a frenzy, and the touch of his calloused hands on my arms had my stomach doing flipflops. The deep blue of his eyes and the small creases at their outer edges mesmerized me. I bowed towards him as his head drew nearer to my own and then I blinked. That was enough to make Peter drop my arms. Turning, he left the cabin without a word. I stood there for several moments, catching my breath and trying to regain control of the situation. What’s happened? Did we almost kiss? Why has he left? Doesn’t he want to kiss me? I want to kiss him. When Peter didn’t return, I busied myself checking out the supplies in the kitchen. The cabin held a nice supply of rations; evidently the owners considered military rations standard survival fare, and had fully stocked the cabin for an extended survival adventure. At least we won’t starve to death. I found a crossword puzzle book and sat down near the fire. But I couldn’t concentrate on the puzzles. Too many thoughts whirled around in my head. Thoughts and emotions. Every five minutes I checked the front door for Peter’s return, in the hope his appearance would give me some clarity.

When he finally returned, I held my tongue, not sure what to say. Peter glanced at me before throwing more wood on the fire. “Tell me about your boyfriend.” The demand in his voice took me by surprise and angered me at the same time. “I already told you, Michael is not my boyfriend.” Peter said nothing for a minute, finally barking at me, “Tell me the story again.” “What story?” I asked, exasperated beyond belief. “Why did you come up here with a guy who you say is not your boyfriend?” “Do I appear stupid enough to date someone who would dump me in the middle of nowhere? Wait…don’t answer that. I’m not. Michael is friends with my roommate, Karen. She went to visit her parents and Michael forgot. He wanted her to come up here with him like they have done quite a few times in the past. They’re both avid campers and love to stay out in nature. I volunteered to take her place so he would have some company and I could get climbing experience. By the way, I needed a break.” “Why?” “Why what?” “Why did you need a break?” I looked at him and shook my head. “Have you not been listening to a thing I’ve said the last three days?” “Tell me again,” he demanded. “Okay, one more time. I recently finished my exams. I’ve been doing nothing but studying for months. Soon I need to complete a six-week internship before graduating with my Master’s Degree.“ “In what?” “Computer technology.”

Peter looked at me quizzically. “Why didn’t you say anything last night? I believe you said computer stuff was ‘boring,’ didn’t you?” I nodded, blushing. He had caught my lie. I needed to come up with a believable excuse immediately. “It’s just that most guys are afraid of girls who study computer technology. I like computers and I’m good at it. In fact, I’m waiting to hear back from a couple of companies in Silicon Valley. I sent in my resume before I left and really hope at least one of them offers me an interview.” Peter nodded. “Silicon Valley is great. That’s where our company is based.” It was time to change the topic. “What about you? What do you do for fun?” “I try to get away like this a couple of times a year. Our company has rocketed to the top of its market and I already told you I’m kind of a workaholic. Between work and keeping up with the social atmosphere in Silicon Valley, it gets to be a little too much sometimes. That’s when I come up here. To get away from everything and everyone.” “No girlfriend back home?” I asked, curious and hoping for a negative answer. “Not anymore. The last woman I dated proved that I’m not cut out for a committed relationship.” “Why do you say that?” “Lara was a high-maintenance nightmare. She had to have all of my attention focused on her, both when I was with her and when she went off with her friends. It always had to be about her. She was used to a certain lifestyle and expected me to keep it up.” “So she’s rich?” “Very. It was very demanding and tiring to keep up with her country club friends and all her other social

obligations. She liked to be a social butterfly, the VIP-girl in town, and never understood why I spent so much time at work. I should have ended things a lot sooner than I did.” “What finally made you break up with her?” “I realized that my dreams would never be important if I stayed with her. We would live the life of her dreams and never bother about mine. That and the fact that she flirted with every guy she met. She didn’t even have to like them. She flirted because it was a sport for her, to see how far she could go.” I watched him for a moment. This explained a lot. “So what are your dreams?” “I want to travel and see the world. I don’t want to have to ask permission to plan a vacation, or do something spontaneous. I just want to do it. I guess the truth hit me when I told her that we had won a big contract with a company over in Spain. My partner got married a few months ago and doesn’t want to leave his wife for more than a few days. So I will be going over to supervise the installation of our new software.” “Wow. Spain sounds fun. How long will you be there?” “Three months. I’m pretty excited. I’m hoping to do some climbing over there and travel to a few other countries in Europe. I always wanted to take a sabbatical to travel the world, but things just moved so fast after college. I never had the chance to take some time off.” His excitement made me grin. I loved guys with goals and enthusiasm. Not the most daring person myself, I admired the people who took their lives in their hands and did something extraordinary with it. Something adventurous and exciting. Like a long-term trip to Europe. He was quickly moving up in my appreciation.

Noticing that it had started raining once again, and getting dark, I asked, “Do we need to bring in some more firewood?” Peter looked at me in surprise; he still appeared to be somewhere in his dreams, and in the first moment didn’t quite get my question. Once he realized what I was talking about, he grinned. “Are you sure you want to step outside again? The last time it didn’t go so well.” His eyes revealed that he was just teasing me. But the memory of my earlier melt-down still embarrassed me, “I’m sorry about before. I …” At the mention of the incident, the sexual tension immediately came back tenfold. It filled the room and almost threw me off. Wow. That guy sure made my body react. He squirmed. “Forget about it.” In a rush he stood up, trying to get away from me and the growing tension. His first move was towards the door, but seeing the heavy rain outside, he opted to simply walk to the other side of the room. I tried to find other things to busy myself, but the cabin wasn’t that big and his presence was overwhelming. Even though I tried not to look in his direction, I was drawn to him with such a force that I couldn’t resist for long. Apparently he was experiencing the same. Sometimes I caught him observing me before he could look away. Other times I was able to admire his physique and good looks before he glanced up and I turned my head. The situation was unbearable. This continued throughout the afternoon. Dinner was a tense affair with almost no communication between us. As he stoked the fire later that night, I watched the muscles of his back move beneath his t-shirt and once again fought the urge to run my hands over his torso.

He turned and caught me staring at him. His eyes locked with mine and we stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. I almost jumped right across the room and on top of him. But before I could make a fool of myself, a crashing log in the fire saved me. The sound made him jerk his head. He grabbed his rain jacket and left the cabin again. I decided to take advantage of his absence and retired to bed, falling quickly into a sleep filled with dreams of cerulean blue eyes, and hard-muscled arms wrapped around me. Keeping me safe. Protecting me. When Peter came to bed later, I didn’t bother to wake up. I slept on, peaceful in the knowledge that with him I was safe.

Chapter 6 Peter’s voice woke me the next morning. He was talking with the rangers on the radio and I lay in bed, listening to the conversation. I glanced out the window. A bright sunny day. The view was breathtaking. The high mountains rose majestic against a deep-blue sky without clouds. No traces from the thunderstorm of the last days. The scenery made me want to leave the cabin and explore the beauty of nature. I quickly dressed and joined Peter in the front room. He appeared calm, even happy. When he informed me the rangers were confident of having the road cleared sometime late in the afternoon, he showed me his heart-melting smile. Oh my. We were off to a great start today. For some reason I felt melancholy. Suddenly the idea of staying here in the cabin with him was a lot more attractive than heading home. He smiled at me. “Would you like me to show you some of the spectacular landscapes around here? We can do some easy hiking around the cabin today. Are you up for getting out of this box?” I nodded, “That sounds good. Such a refreshing sight to see the sun shining this morning.” Peter added, “There’s a lake about a mile from here complete with a waterfall. We can go for a swim.” “Won’t it be cold?” I didn’t tell him I had no intention of skinny-dipping with him. I didn’t need any more temptation. It was hard enough to keep my hands off him

in a dressed state. I couldn’t guarantee anything if he undressed in front of me. Wow. Just the imagination of seeing him in his underwear – or without – gasp. The heat rushed to my groin, almost making me moan. Peter gave me a smile filled with some hidden secret. “You won’t have any complaints.” I was sure I wouldn’t have complaints looking at his gorgeous muscular body. But I still wasn’t sure about the dip in a cold mountain lake. “I found some granola bars and dried fruit. We can take it with us for a snack.” “Okay, I’m game.” “Good. Let’s go.” ***** The hike to the lake didn’t take more than thirty minutes. As we got our first glimpse of the lake and waterfall, I wished I had remembered to pack my camera in my backpack. I’d never seen such gorgeous scenery before. The majestic snow-capped mountains made the perfect background for the dark blue lake beneath us. Spray from the waterfall glimmered in the air, forming little dancing rainbows everywhere. I stood still for a few moments to take in that exhilarating sight. Peter dropped his pack near the water and immediately began stripping off his clothes. I watched and drooled. The man was gorgeous everywhere. Even the sight of his calves sent shivers down my spine. Much to my dismay he caught me staring at him, and when he had nothing left to remove but his boxers, he placed his hands on the waistband and slowly inspected me from top to bottom and back until my eyes locked

with his. A mischievous grin appeared on his face with the words, “Were you expecting a show?” I slammed my eyes shut, placing my hands over them for extra help. I didn’t remove them again until I heard the water splash. Peeking from between my fingers, I saw him in the middle of the lake, waving at me. “Come on. The water’s nice.” How on earth could he consider high-mountain lake water to be “nice?” It had to be freezing in there, but Peter acted like he was bathing in a tub of warm water. I shook my head and replied, “I better stay right here where I’m warm.” “Don’t be such a chicken, the water’s warm. I promise. Check it out if you don’t believe me.” I gingerly stepped down to the water’s edge and dipped my hand in. The water was deliciously warm. “How is that possible?” “The lake is fed by a mountain spring which runs next to a lava tube. It stays warm year-round. So warm it doesn’t even freeze in the winter.” “How did you know?” I asked, amazed. I wondered if I dared strip down to my underwear and get in the water with him watching me. “My uncle. He always brought me up here to swim during our visits to the cabin. Come on in, I’ll turn my back to preserve your maidenly modesty.” Peter proceeded to turn his back towards me while speaking. I stripped down to my underwear and quickly entered the water with a sigh. What an awesome sensation. “Okay, you can turn around now,” I told him. Peter swam towards me, an admiring glimmer in his eyes as he let them track below the water’s surface. “Nice.”

That one-word compliment had the color rushing to my cheeks. “You’re supposed to be a gentleman and not stare.” “I never said I was a gentleman. Come on, I’ll race you to the waterfall.” We cavorted in the water for several hours, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the water. I had started out very awkward, but by the time we had finished our swim, I felt comfortable and had almost forgotten that I was in my underwear instead of a swimsuit. When he suggested we lie in the sun for a few minutes to dry off, I headed towards the shore. I exited the water, completely unaware that my wet underwear hid nothing from the imagination. Peter had stopped at the water’s edge and was staring at me when I glanced in his direction. “Is something wrong?” He gathered himself together and continued out of the lake, shaking his head. “Nothing.” Clearing his throat, he added, “I saw something in the woods.” Turning around, I darted a glimpse into the bushes around the lake. I heard Peter approach behind me but my mind was focused on the supposed threat in the bushes. When a twig snapped seconds later, I didn’t even hesitate, but jumped into Peter’s arms, wrapping my arms and legs around him as I screamed in terror. “Rachel. Whoa. I was kidding. I didn’t see anything…” “There is a bear. Over there,” I said, gesturing over my shoulder with my head without removing my arms or legs from around him. Peter pushed me away from him enough to see my face, “There is no bear. Promised.” I opened my eyes and looked into his. Time appeared to slow down as his eyes widened and his head

descended to take my lips in a devouring kiss. He slanted his lips against mine, using his tongue to claim possession of every part of my mouth. Little shocks ran down my body, right to my core. I gave in to his kiss, pouring every ounce of restrained emotions into my response. His hands molded to my backside, pulling me closer against him while his lips staked their claim, imitating what his body wanted to do in a ritual as old as time itself. My hands threaded through his hair – something I had wanted to do since the first time I had set my eyes on him. It was still wet from the water, but oh so soft. His presence set me on fire and I needed more. Never wanting to part our bodies again, I let a feeble moan of pleasure escape my throat. His possession of my mouth was one of the most intense experiences; it shook me to the bottom of my soul and left me defenseless, surrendering to whatever would come next. Things were raging out of control and I didn’t care one bit. Wrong. I cared. A lot. I was lost in a maelstrom of emotions and wanted this kiss to never end. In a sudden move he pushed back from me, pulled my hands from his hair and my legs from around his waist. Breathless, he muttered, “Rachel, we have to stop.” My senses were still so heightened I wasn’t ready to let him go. “Why?” “Rachel, stop it.” he insisted, with a pained expression on his face, pulling my hands free and pushing me away from him. His words finally registered in my lust-fogged brain and the blush stained my cheeks as I realized how thoroughly I had embarrassed myself. I didn’t dare look

in his direction as I straightened my underwear and quickly donned my clothes. Peter got dressed as quickly and silently. Without a word to each other, we walked back to the cabin. As we got ready to enter the cabin, he stopped and turned to me. “Rachel, I’m sorry for what happened back there. I should have never kissed you.” I tried to hide my disappointment. “I…” “No, let me finish. It’s not because we don’t have chemistry between us. We do. But I’m leaving for Spain and am going to be gone for three months.” “And I’m looking for a job. There’s no guarantee that I’ll even get to stay in California.” Peter nodded. “You agree. Whatever this is between us can’t go anywhere.” No, I didn’t agree to anything. I wanted to tackle him to the floor and finish what we had started in the woods. I’ve never been so turned on in my life and he’s throwing common sense at me. I decided I needed to walk off my lust before I attacked him. As I turned to head back down the stairs, my heel caught on one of the boards and I started to fall forward. Peter’s quick reflexes prevented me from tumbling down the stairs, head first. It also brought him back into intimate contact with me as his right hand ended up half encircling my breast. Neither one of us moved or breathed for several seconds. Everything that had happened at the lake came rushing back. Instantly we were in each other’s arms, giving in to the intense desire rushing through our bodies and minds. Peter kicked open the front door and dragged me inside with him. Pressing me up against the door, he folded his hands under my ass to lift me up. I wrapped

my legs around his waist, arching to press myself against his hardness. He braced himself against the wall with one hand and used the other to learn the curves of my body as I writhed against him. “More, please.” I was demanding, but didn’t care. I was in the middle of a whirlwind of emotions that only had one logical conclusion. Peter lifted me up and carried me to the bedroom, where he gently laid me down upon the quilt. He drew back and admired my shivering body, while he started to undress me painfully slowly. I was on the verge of exasperation and needed to appreciate his full weight on me, but he wouldn’t let me off the hook yet. Instead he worshipped each revealed patch of skin with his mouth, sending more shivers across my body. I was cold and hot at the same time, longing for him to touch me. His caresses intensified my desire with every second until I could barely breathe anymore. My skin burnt under his hands and lips, and my nipples grew hard and erect even without him touching them. I arched my back when he finally reached my breasts, loving the way he used both his teeth and his tongue to torture the turgid peaks. “Peter, hurry,” I urged him on. “I want to take my time,” he informed me with a smile. “Later. Please hurry, I need you.” But he didn’t give in to my pleas. Instead he took pleasure in slowing down his progress even more and making me painfully aware that I was at his mercy. He was the only one who could put out the burning fire, and he had decided to take it as slow as possible. Just when I thought he’d never relieve my craving, he pulled my jean shorts from my body, taking my underwear with them. As I was lying on the bed naked to his gaze, he retreated a step to take in the sight. Barely

containing his own arousal he groaned, “You are so beautiful.” I reached for him and started moving my hands over his torso. His defined abs, his strong back, the soft skin, every touch made me hotter and hotter. Now it was my turn to take off his clothes and show him how much the yearning could build up. Stroking slowly his manhood I reveled in giving back that intense burning lust, and let him suffer the same delicious arousal as he had given me before. When I couldn’t take it any longer I pulled him on top of me with all my force. He shifted backwards, digging in his pants pocket for protection before rejoining me on the bed. After slipping on the condom he lowered himself over me carefully as I spread my legs to make room for his hips. “You’re absolutely breathtaking,” he whispered, dropping light kisses across the bridge of my nose and eyelids. “Please, I need to feel you inside me or I will go up in flames,” I whispered back. Peter chuckled softly and then, reaching down, joined us in a smooth move that had my eyes rolling back in my head and my breath rushing from between my lips. My mind stopped thinking and my carnal instincts took over. He was everything I wanted. I needed him, needed to sense his body on mine and have him make us one. I wrapped my legs around him as he started a steady rhythm that took us both straight to the edge of the cliff and toppled us off. I remembered hearing someone screaming and later realized it had been me screaming in ecstasy. For a long time, we lay in each other’s arms, reluctant to end the moment. Making love with Peter had been the

most extraordinary experience of my life – strong and powerful, yet loving and tender. Our souls had connected on a deep level and the surrounding reality had disappeared. When he pulled me to his chest, I snuggled up to him. He dropped a kiss on my hair that made me close my eyes and let my mind drift away. In his arms I was safe and warm. Right now, he was all I needed, and I refused to think about the future. Before long, we were both asleep in each other’s arms, keeping reality at bay a little longer.

Chapter 7 My overused muscles protested when I stretched, and a smile crossed my face as I remembered the activities that had made them sore. Peter and I had made love. Fantastic mind-numbing love. I rolled over, searching for him, my hand coming up empty. At the same time I opened my eyes to find myself alone in the bed and in the room. Flashbacks of several days ago came rushing back and I panicked, grabbing the sheets against my naked body, almost afraid to call out to him. Had he left me too? I climbed out of bed and had just finished putting my underwear and shirt on when the bedroom door opened and Peter stood there, looking at me. The relief upon seeing him was overwhelming and I quickly sat down on the edge of the bed. He hadn’t left. “Road’s clear. As soon as you can get yourself packed up, I want to head home.” “Okay, give me a few minutes to make sure I have everything.” Peter nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him. I sat on the bed for a few minutes, reliving the night before and sad that our time together was over. When I joined Peter in the front room moments later, he was silent and I began to feel uncomfortable. Did he regret having slept with me? Why didn’t he say anything?

We spoke very few words as we shut up the cabin and prepared to leave. We mounted his motorbike and headed down the mountain. Even if we had wanted to, there was no way to maintain a conversation. The bike was noisy, and the headsets in the helmets didn’t seem to be working. The trip took about four hours, until we reached the outskirts of Santa Clara. At a red light, Peter turned around and asked me for directions to my apartment. I told him and a grimace crossed his face. “Where do you live?” I asked, wondering why my address had caused such a response. When he answered it was obvious. Peter lived in the upscale neighborhood a couple of blocks from the country club. I lived across town in student housing. The drive would take no less than twenty minutes, one way. I asked him to drop me off somewhere along the main road and I’d take a cab, but he insisted on driving me home. “Rachel, with all the complications you’ve attracted the last week I can’t risk dropping you off somewhere. Who knows what else will happen?” he teased me while heading in the direction of the college. “It’s not a problem. Remember that I can’t just drop you off and make you walk home. You already tried that. And… Marilee would kill me if something happened to you.” Oh my God, I had completely forgotten about Marilee and my stuff. She must be frantic by now. Peter noticed the worry on my face and said assuringly, “Don’t worry. I asked the rangers to call her and explain the situation. You can pick up your stuff tomorrow.” Relieved, I decided to enjoy the last minutes with him. During our ride I pressed myself against his warm back and pondered whether his bringing me all the way home

was a sign that he had fallen for me. Or was it just because of Marilee and her wrath if he got me into a dangerous situation? Still, I was getting more nervous the closer we got to my part of town. Should I invite him in? Should I offer him my phone number? Will he ask for my number? All of these thoughts were crowding my brain, making normal conversation scarce. “You still with me back there?” he asked. “Yes. I was just thinking.” “Ah, that was the sound of wheels grinding away. What were you thinking about so hard?” I shrugged and then answered, “Nothing much. Just a bunch of stuff I need to get done. Now that I’m home, that is.” Peter nodded. “Yeah. I have a ton of stuff to get done as well.” I lapsed into silence once again as he pulled onto the freeway. The traffic noise, combined with the bike noise, made holding a conversation impossible. That didn’t bother me, as I wasn’t in the mood for mindless chatter anyway. The last few days had been full of new experiences, most of which I would always treasure. Who would have thought that my much-needed break, that started out so bad, would turn into one of the most exhilarating experiences in my life? Coming to terms with the fact that most of them were one-time things and would never be repeated was not something I was willing to consider. At least not yet.

Chapter 8 I was so caught up in trying to remember the last few days that when Peter stopped the bike in front of my apartment complex, he had to call my name twice to get my attention. Should I invite him upstairs, or would that seem too forward? Would he take it the wrong way if I did invite him up? These thoughts ran through my brain as I stood there on the sidewalk looking at him. Peter seemed to be enjoying my discomfiture, and a knowing grin spread across his face. I finally got up the courage to ask him upstairs. “So, would you like to come up for a few minutes?” The smile left his face as he shook his head. “I don’t think that would be the best idea.” “Oh,” I said, not knowing how else to respond. “I enjoyed being with you, and last night was amazing. But I leave for Spain in two weeks. It wouldn’t be fair to either one of us to try and start something that has no hope of lasting.” I nodded even though my heart wasn’t in agreement. “I understand. I…uhm…” “Rachel, would you give me your number? I’d love to get together for dinner or something, after my return.” I nodded and, grabbing a pen from my backpack, I took his palm and scribbled my number on it. He looked at the number before saying, “Thanks. I hope that wasn’t permanent ink.”

I shook my head, “No. It will wash off.” “I’ll be sure to write the number on a piece of paper before I shower or wash my hands.” “You do that.” I looked at him, and he stared back at me before he cleared his throat. “I should probably head home, myself.” “Yeah. Thanks for the ride home.” I took a few backward steps towards my apartment. “Take care of yourself. No more trips to the wilderness, just to be dumped there, okay?” He tried to tease me, but his voice was soft, caring, and even a bit worried. Without another word, Peter got on his bike and rode off. I watched him until he disappeared from view, and then I entered my apartment. After showering and checking my messages, I sat down to watch some TV, hoping to take my mind off Peter. But it didn’t work. Everything I changed the channel to reminded me of our time together. The Stallone movie about the climbers was one. The motorcycle building show was on another channel. A military channel was showing how to properly prepare rations. Every channel I turned to reminded me in some way of Peter and the last few days. Finally I turned the TV off and went to bed, where I dreamed of Peter making love to me again. In my dreams, he didn’t wait until he returned from Spain to call me. He called me immediately and we spent every night together. I awoke in the morning, grouchy, frustrated, and confused. My dream had been so real, every time the phone rang I found myself hoping it was Peter. By mid-morning I had tortured myself enough and decided that today would be an excellent day to clean the house from top to bottom. Cleaning was something I

detested, but today I felt like I could brush off any memories of him. When dusting the furniture. I threw myself into the task, straightening drawers, and reorganizing closets – all in an attempt to put thoughts of Peter behind me. It didn’t help. At all. Even checking online for more job openings, sending out a few electronic resumes, and reading my emails didn’t do the trick. When evening rolled around, I had managed to clean the entire apartment, but still fell asleep with thoughts of Peter uppermost in my mind.

Chapter 9 The next few days dragged by in slow motion. I busied myself with arranging to complete my internship and applying for additional jobs – even ones outside of the Santa Clara area. Four days after returning from Yosemite, Michael called to speak with Karen. I was still furious with him. “What kind of person are you?” I yelled into the phone. “Hey, don’t blame me. You were more interested in hanging out with that group of college kids than me so I arranged for you to do just that.” I couldn’t believe he was trying to justify his behavior. He wasn’t even decent enough to apologize or show some guilt. “You know what, Michael, do us both a favor, and don’t call here again. You have Karen’s cell phone, use it from now on.” I hung up on him, not waiting for a reply. The only bright spot to his call – I wasn’t thinking about Peter for a few minutes. Instead I thought of cruel ways to torture Michael. The man just didn’t get it. I was still fuming when the phone rang again. Not looking at the caller ID, I grabbed the phone and growled, “You just don’t get it, do you?” There was a slight pause on the other end and then a voice replied, “I don’t know. Would you explain it to me, please?” Peter’s voice, and I had made a complete fool of myself. “Sorry.” I hurried to cover up my mistake. “I thought you were someone else. Hi.”

“Hi yourself. You sure everything’s alright?” “Yeah. It’s great now.” I didn’t continue, not sure what to say. “Rachel, I know I said that we should move on with our lives since I was going away for a while, but I can’t stop thinking about you.” I did a little happy dance around my phone. He missed me, he missed me. Yes. I tried to sound as cool as possible. “Same here.” Was it just my imagination or did I hear as sigh of relief over the phone? “Would you go to dinner with me tonight? I know it’s short notice, but I would love to meet you.” I nodded my head, grinning like a fool, and then realized he couldn’t see me through the phone, “Yes. I’d love to.” “Great.” he said, the relief now evident in his voice. “I’ll pick you up around 6:30 if that’s okay?” “That’s perfect.” I started to hang up only to hear him call me back to the phone. “Yes?” “Wear something nice that shows off those gorgeous legs of yours, okay?” I blushed but agreed. After hanging up the phone, I did another little happy dance and then rushed to my closet. Peter would be there in seven hours and I had to find something to wear. Something that would knock his socks off. I went through my closet first, trying on dress after dress, and ended up with a pile of maybes. Then I went through Karen’s closet; I loved having a roommate who wore the same size clothing and shoes as myself. After several hours, I had narrowed down my choices to three dresses. I nibbled on some crackers and cheese as I tried the dresses on one more time. I was too

nervous to eat, but I also didn’t want my stomach talking to me when Peter arrived. What would be the one dress that made him drool over me? My grandmother always said, “You have to impress the guys. Make them come back begging for more.” And this was exactly what I intended to achieve. If I could only decide which dress to wear. This was nerve-racking. My first choice was a little black dress than ended several inches above my knees and hugged my figure like a glove. It had a sweetheart neckline and an open back. It screamed sexuality and as I looked at it with a critical eye, I discarded it, thinking it made me look too much like an overpriced hooker. That was not the appearance I was going for. The next dress was in a neutral pattern with a full skirt that ended just above my knees and a form-fitting strapless top. It did a good job of showing off my neck and shoulders, but the coloring seemed to be too bland for my purpose. I tried it on with different jewelry options, hoping to jazz it up just a bit, but nothing seemed to work. I discarded that one as well. I looked at my last choice and grinned. The emeraldgreen coloring contrasted spectacular against my honey skin tone, it brought out the blonde highlights in my hair, and the fit was perfect. The silky material clung in all the right places, but the gathered fabric was draped in such a way that it still left the observer wondering if their eyes were seeing the real me. The dress draped over one shoulder and then the material fell in a soft wave down the back. As I turned to watch the effect in the mirror, I knew this was the perfect dress to impress. He wasn’t going to concentrate on his dinner, that was for sure. Gleeful that I had found an outfit, I screamed when I noticed that it was already 4 o’clock. I hurried through a

shower and painted my toes and nails a deep purple color. I curled my hair and swept up the sides, leaving the rest to fall in gentle waves down my back. When the doorbell rang, I had just finished putting on the diamond stud earrings my parents had given me for my high school graduation. I grabbed the small clutch I had placed the essentials in and hurried to answer the door in my most sexy black three-inch killer heels. Peter was 6ʹ4 tall to my 5ʹ7 and I loved the fact that I could wear whatever shoes I wanted to and he would still be taller than I was. When I opened the door, my mouth dropped open. Peter stood on the other side, holding a handful of daisies and looking good enough to eat. His crisp white shirt, layered with a black suit and green silk tie, made him look like he had just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. My eyes travelled down and then back up to his eyes, which were doing their own appraisal. When he whistled low under his breath, I blushed and stepped back to let him enter the apartment. Peter shook his head. “You are gorgeous, but I think we should avoid the temptation and head to dinner.” His rueful smile indicated that he would rather stay in. I loved the self-control he was exhibiting and quickly nodded my head, stepping outside the apartment and closing the door. He placed his hand on my lower back, just above where the material ended, as he guided me to his vehicle. I stopped and gawked at the sleek Porsche 911 sports car waiting for us. I had always considered cars a means of transport, no more. But the sight and sound of a real Porsche was different. The sheer elegance of the

epitome of German cars impressed even someone like me. The silver vehicle spoke of wealth, power, and success. I briefly thought that I should have done some research on Peter; but then he opened the door for me and I decided I didn’t care who he was. He had invited me to dinner, and this was just the beginning. The restaurant he took me to was one I would never have chosen for myself. It was very high-end, and as the valet assisted me from the car, I swallowed nervously. I wanted to make a good impression and show Peter that I could fit into his lifestyle. Peter noticed I was nervous and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Relax, or I’ll be forced to do something to help you out.” When I raised my eyebrow in question, he elaborated on what exactly was on his mind. As he pulled his head away, I my face burned and my breathing hitched. His suggestion, although scandalous, would definitely help me relax; I just wasn’t sure what he had suggested was legal in a public place. I was caught up in those thoughts as the maître d’ led us to a secluded table near a window. I barely noticed the other diners, and the calculating looks he and I received as we made our way through the restaurant. Peter helped me into my seat and took the chair closest to me, even though the waiter was standing at the opposite seat. “I’ll just sit here,” he told the man, who nodded his head and quickly moved the place setting. I smiled at Peter. “This place is nice.” “I’m glad you approve. Do you want some wine?” Remembering the outcome the last time I drank alcohol in Peter’s presence, I replied, “No. I guess I better shouldn’t.”

Peter chuckled. “Sure? I promise to make you stop at one glass.” Before I could reply, a shadow fell over our table. A stunning woman with perfectly coifed red hair and an expensive designer dress that would do a supermodel justice stood on Peter’s opposite side. “I’ll have a glass,” she told the waiter, preparing to take the seat next to Peter. I looked at Peter in confusion and was alarmed to see the fury in his eyes as he looked at the newcomer. “Lara. What in the hell are you doing?” “Joining you for dinner, silly. I know I told you I might not make it, but,” she raised her shoulders and gave him a coquettish smile, “here I am.“ Not waiting for a proper introduction, she reached across the slight expanse of table. “I’m Lara Bishop. I’m sorry, Peter seems to have lost his tongue. You are?” I couldn’t believe what was happening. Peter had made it sound like he and Lara were finished; yet here she was acting like she belonged. I was furious. I ignored her hand, saying tightly, “I’m just leaving.” Peter spoke up, “Don’t. Lara is leaving. Now.” He stood up and, taking her arm, pulled her to her feet. “Now, Peter, we don’t have to hurry off. I’m sure we could sit with your guest until she’s had some dinner.” Lara lowered her voice seductively. “I’m not going anywhere tonight.” “Knock it off, Lara.” Peter turned to me and said with assurance, “I’ll be right back.” He escorted Lara towards a private alcove. I watched as he talked to her and she ran her hands down his chest, caring not in the least that they were the focus of most of the diners in the restaurant.

Peter shook his head vehemently and pointed back to me several times before rubbing his hand over his jaw in frustration. I stood up, almost knocking my chair over, noticing several other diners were observing my part in this scene with much interest. Fine. Let them look. Walking over, I addressed Peter, quietly telling him, “And you were upset that I might have a boyfriend? I’ll see myself home.” “Leaving so soon? But I was hoping to get to know you. It’s not often I get to meet Peter’s little charity cases.” Lara was vile, but the smile she directed at me was sugary sweet and gloating. “Shut up, Lara.” Peter said tightly. Turning towards me, he began, “Rachel, I don’t know why she’s here, but…” “Save it. I don’t want to hear your excuses.” Peter was frustrated, but so was I. “Look, let me walk her outside and then we can enjoy the rest of our dinner. I’ll be right back.” Peter grabbed Lara’s wrist and pulled her, not gently, towards the restaurant’s exit. I quickly made up my mind, watching them leave together. Whatever was going on, I wasn’t waiting around to be part of the ending. I made my way to the front of the restaurant, avoiding both Lara and Peter, and held the tears of frustration and disappointment at bay until I was seated in the back of the cab. Once the tears started flowing, I couldn’t stop them. At home, I paid the driver and let myself into my apartment, where I scrambled out of the dress, leaving it lying in a heap on the floor. I crawled into bed and cried myself to sleep, cursing Michael, Peter, and men in general.

Chapter 10 At 9 o’clock the next morning my phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, I grimaced and just let it ring. I had no interest in talking to Peter, now or ever. When he started to leave a message, I turned on the kitchen faucet to drown out his voice. Throughout the day, I kept ignoring several more of his calls and messages. At 4 o’clock, he called for the sixth time and I couldn’t take it anymore. Grabbing my keys, I decided a walk in the park was in order. I meandered through the neighborhood park, trying to find some sense of happiness with my life. I was embarking on a new adventure, having almost graduated from college, and I didn’t need the complications of a relationship right now. I gave myself a mental lecture as I walked, and by the time I headed home, I was resolved to complete my internship and find a job. No men. After I got settled, then I could look for a relationship. One that wasn’t toxic and didn’t involve guys who cheated on their girlfriends. This resolution made me feel much better. With the newly acquired strength I decided that the next time Peter called, I would answer and tell him straight up to quit calling me. He was leaving in a week for Spain, and part of me hoped he would just give up. We had a definite chemistry, I wouldn’t even try to deny that, but honesty and trust were paramount in a lasting relationship. We didn’t appear to have either.

As I walked up the stairwell, I went through the fridge in my mind, planning dinner for myself. I was so lost in contemplation that I didn’t see Peter standing in the shadows until I heard his voice: “Rachel?” I looked up in shock, almost toppling backwards down the stairs. He jumped forward to stop me from falling, grabbing me by the upper arms and hauling me onto the landing as I scrambled to find my footing. Once I was sure I wasn’t going to fall, I looked him straight in the eyes and lost my nerve. He really was gorgeous, and even after the fiasco the night before, my body yearned for his. Oh well, so much for my resolve. “What are you doing here?” “Rachel, you haven’t answered my calls, so I came here to talk to you in person. I need to explain about last night.” I shook my head as I opened the door to my apartment. “I don’t want to hear it.” Peter remained silent and when I turned around, he still stood outside my door, waiting for my permission to enter. He looked like a wounded puppy with the plea in his eyes, so I shrugged my shoulders, “Come on in.” “Thanks.” Peter entered and closed the door. “Rachel, I can’t blame you for being furious. But can we talk for a few minutes, please? If, after I explain things, you still want me to leave – I will. No questions asked. I just need for you to hear me out.” “Fine. Have a seat.” I sat in the armchair, not wanting to sit on the couch in case he chose to sit there as well. The way my body was humming along, I didn’t trust myself not to jump on him with all my passion. “Lara and I have a pretty sketchy past. When we first started dating, it was a casual thing – at least on my part.

The problem is, Lara doesn’t do casual. She’s very possessive and, frankly, a little neurotic in my opinion.” I nodded, not commenting, but agreeing with his assessment of her personality. Psycho would have been my word of choice, but neurotic works just as well. “Anyway, when I first tried to break things off with her, it got intense. She made some statements and created some issues that I didn’t want to deal with at the time. It was easier to go along with her idea of us being in a relationship for the time being. Especially because her father is one of my firm’s largest clients, and I was in dire need of finishing some contractual negotiations with him. I was afraid breaking up with her could ruin my company and career.” Peter got up, unable to sit still. “I did finally break it off with her for good about six months ago after she tried to trap me into marrying her. We were at a party in her parents’ house, and out of nowhere she started showing off this ring. I’d never seen it before, and when her friends asked if it was an engagement ring, she said ‘Yes.’” I gasped. “She really did that?” Peter nodded. “The worst part was when she showed it to her parents. I pulled her father aside and explained that the ring wasn’t mine and I didn’t know what she was up to. Her father jokingly said that she sometimes was a bit forward, and insinuated that she had wanted a more formal relationship for quite a while now. Seeing my shocked face, he promised to take care of the matter himself. He made sure anyone willing to listen knew that he had purchased the ring for his daughter as a gift. “The next morning, I told her I didn’t want to date her anymore and that we were through. She laughed at me

and informed me we weren’t through until she decided we were.” I felt sorry for him; this woman was harassing him, and he was trying to be nice to her on account of doing business with her father. “She’s been following me around town, showing up at the same places I am and hanging on me every chance she gets. I haven’t dated anyone since I broke up with her because I was afraid something like last night would happen.” “So what happened after I left last night? Did you go home with her?” I hated to ask, but I needed to know. Peter looked at me sadly. “Do you believe I would do that?” I shook my head. “No. Sorry. That was unfair of me.” Peter looked slightly mollified and replied, “Thanks. To answer your question, I put her in a cab, called her father, and told him I was sending her home.” “It sounds like she needs some professional help. I hope she gets it.” “I don’t care. What I do care about is that she destroyed our evening – and I was so much looking forward to spending the evening with you.” Peter walked over to where I was sitting and squatted down next to my chair, taking my hands in his. “I want to find out where a relationship between us can go.” “Peter, you leave next week. How is that supposed to work?” I asked, wanting to explore our relationship, but afraid of being hurt. Peter grinned at me. “That’s what I wanted to tell you last night. The company I’m going over to train in Spain isn’t ready. I don’t leave for almost a month.” I smiled at him. “Really?” I bit my lip as I looked into his eyes, already sensing myself giving in.

“Yes.” Peter rubbed his thumbs against the back of my hands and then gently pulled me out of the chair so I was straddling his lap as he sat on the floor. He reached up, ran his hands beneath my hair and around my neck before leaning in and nuzzling behind my ear. I moaned in delight as he found a trigger spot and sent shivers racing up and down my spine. With my arms tightly wrapped around him, I pressed myself closer to him, inhaling his unique scent and wanting more. “So are you willing to give us a chance?” he asked, placing little nipping kisses along my jawline. How coud I say no to that man? I nodded my head before capturing his mouth with my own. He was playing a game and I was ready for more. “Kiss me,” I told him when he didn’t seem inclined to take over the kiss. “With pleasure. Mind if we take this somewhere a little more comfortable? No offense, but your floor isn’t very accommodating.” I chuckled and scrambled off his lap, pulling him to his feet in the process. “Follow me,” I said as I led him down the hallway to my bedroom. He removed his clothes at the same time as I removed mine. We both fell to the bed, rolling into each other’s arms, reveling in skinupon-skin contact. Peter smoothed his hands up and down my body, fueling my desire and his to an inferno. When he finally leaned over me, I made room for him between my legs, wrapping them around his hips and arching to meet his touch. He carefully joined us together, having taken time to don protection before climbing onto the bed. I loved how he took care of the important things. When he found a ticklish spot on my side, I giggled and he smiled against my neck. Pushing his hand away, I let my hands roam across his shoulders and down his

sides. I admired his muscled body and was in heaven. Everything about him made me feel safe and protected. After taking us both the heights of pleasure, we lay in each other’s arms for a long while. Peter told me about his childhood and his love for nature, and I shared some things about myself. At some point, I got up and made some sandwiches, which we ate in bed. I enjoyed the easy camaraderie we settled into, and before long we were snuggled in each other’s arms again. Peter woke me twice more during the night and together we climbed the mountain of passion. I slept, encased in his strong arms, and dreamt about a future together.

Chapter 11 We spent the next day together, shopping for food and then cooking dinner. Peter announced that he had to attend a big fundraising dinner the next evening and asked me to be his date. It was a black-tie affair, at $1,000 a plate. I had never been to such a lavish event, but promised Peter that I would come up with a suitable dress and be ready by 5 o’clock. He left early and I made a phone call to my friend Clara. Clara was an aspiring fashion designer and had contacts with all the premier clothing outlets in the area. I explained what I needed and she promised to help me out the next morning. I met her downtown and she took over. By the time I returned home, I had a new dress – borrowed, but it was gorgeous and I didn’t mind – new shoes, and a can-do attitude. I had expressed my hesitation at fitting in to Clara and she had laughed at me. She reminded me that everyone who would be in attendance put his or her pants on one leg at a time, just like me. We had shared a laugh and I realized that she was right. The sole difference between the high-society people and myself was money, and money couldn’t buy one a personality. I dressed and looked at myself in the mirror with a critical eye. Fabulous. Peter agreed when he arrived thirty minutes later to pick me up. His low whistle had me blushing and when he circled his finger, I did a little pirouette, pleased at the

expression in his eyes. “The dress is lovely, but shall I tell you what I’m looking forward to most about this evening?” “What?” “To get you out of that dress after the party,” he informed me with a leer and a waggle of his eyebrows. I giggled and he escorted me out to his Porsche. The fundraiser took place in the ballroom of the Santa Clara’s most prestigious hotel. As we walked around, I was shocked to see how many famous people were in attendance, many of whom acknowledged Peter by name. I was going to have to get used to this. When we took our seats for dinner, I was aghast to see that we were sitting at the table with the Bishops. “You didn’t tell me we were going to be eating with Lara’s parents,” I whispered nervously. Peter whispered back, “Sorry. I tried to get our seating arrangements changed, but her father’s the organizer of the event. It’ll be okay. He and his wife are very nice people. Lara never attends this particular event, because there are too many business-related speeches. Not enough excitement for her.” My tension started to ease until I looked up and saw Lara sauntering across the ballroom in a gorgeous black evening gown that hugged her figure. It contrasted perfectly with her red hair and the diamond earrings she was wearing. Her Louboutin high heels were also black with the signature red sole. Everything about her exuded style, elegance, and richness. Every eye in the room tracked her progress, including Peter’s. Nudging him, I said, “I thought she didn’t come to this event?” “She doesn’t.” As Lara approached the table, I realized the only vacant chair at the table must be for her. She glared daggers at me, which melted away as she turned her

gaze on Peter. Giving both her parents air kisses, she then turned and did the same to Peter, completing ignoring me in the process. Peter grabbed my hand beneath the table and squeezed it in encouragement. “Stay strong. I’ll get us out of here as fast as I can after dinner.” I nodded and decided to enjoy the evening and pretend she wasn’t there. As dinner progressed, the conversation turned to the upcoming project in Spain, which was being done for the merger Lara’s father had negotiated. Another fact I was not aware of. It seemed there had been some problems, which was part of the reason for the delay. Everyone talked about the changes until Lara spoke up, “Father, did you tell Peter the good news?” Her father smiled at her indulgently. “Why, no. I don’t believe I’ve had a chance to.” Lara threw a triumphant look at Peter as she broadcast her news to one and all: “I’m going to Barcelona as well. Father wants someone from his company to oversee the merger and thought I would be the perfect fit, since I speak the language so well.“ Peter’s mouth dropped open but no sound came out. He didn’t know about this till right now. “Mr. Bishop, I assure you we can handle things just fine. There’s no reason for Lara to give up a month of her life here in the States to watch over things in Spain.” “A month?” she trilled, laughing and shaking her head. “It’s going to be at least three months before I’m satisfied that everything is working well. In fact, Father and I discussed this, and it could take closer to a year before everything is up and running smoothly.” Peter shook his head; “I can’t be in Spain for a year. We planned for three months and…”

Lara lowered her voice to a vile whisper. “You will stay as long as I deem necessary. It’s in the contract. Check it out with your partner if you don’t believe me.” Peter looked shell-shocked and excused himself from the table, pulling me with him. Once outside, he fumed, “That conniving little witch.” I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind that would make the situation any better. “Rachel, I promise you I didn’t know this was happening.” “I believe you. It’s obvious that she wants you back and is willing to go to any lengths to make that happen.” “Look, let’s just get through this evening. I have to give a small speech and then we can leave, okay?” I nodded and follow him back to the table, where Lara was in full command of the conversation. She seemed to enjoy the attention she was getting, and captivated everyone with her vivid narration of delightful society events. When Peter excused himself to go prepare for his speech, I took the opportunity to slip away to the ladies’ room. After taking care of business, I left the stall and was alarmed to see Lara waiting for me. “You know he’s never coming back from Spain without me wearing his ring on my finger,” she declared. I was about to grab her throat and shake some sense into that vile mind of hers, but managed to behave. “So you say. I believe Peter has a choice in the matter.” “No, he doesn’t. He wants me. I want him. End of story. Why don’t you just leave now? I’ll make your excuses to everyone.” I turned around, tossing the used paper in the waste receptacle, imagining it was her pretty face I was tossing

against the wall. “Not on your life. Peter’s told me all about you. He doesn’t want you.” “Is that why he spent the night with me after you ran out of the restaurant? Didn’t feel like he didn’t want me. He’s spectacular in bed, but you know that, don’t you? Don’t worry, I have nothing against his escapades as long as he comes back to me. And he always does. He never stays with his little mistresses.” Did I hear right? My heart wanted to not believe her, but her poisoned arrows stuck. Did Peter lie to me about that night? I shook my head. “I need to get back. Peter’s about to give his speech and I want to hear it.” I left the ladies’ room, sensing her glaring at my back as she followed me to our table. That bitch chose to sit in Peter’s seat, and there was nothing I could do about it. I turned my back on her, determined to ignore her attempts to ruin the evening, and pasted a smile upon my face. Peter began his speech, seeking out my eyes and smiling when I nodded at him in encouragement. He was about halfway through his speech when my shoulder suddenly got warm and I turned to see Lara holding a lighter to the ends of my hair. Horrified, I jerked away from her. She was an evil witch. The ends of my hair had already started to burn. She jumped up from her seat, grabbing the huge floral arrangement in the center of the table, and dumped the entire thing on my head. “Oh dear. Please, somebody help her.” The commotion was instantaneous, and I found myself surrounded by people wanting to know what had happened. Lara sat silently by, enjoying the commotion,

and I saw her tuck the lighter back in the bust of her dress. Peter reached me, his speech forgotten, and I tried to tell him what had happened, but he just looked at me like I had gone crazy. That was enough for the evening. I excused myself on the pretense of cleaning up. Peter reluctantly watched me head towards the ladies’ room. Once out of his sight, I made a beeline for the front doors of the hotel and hailed a cab to take me home. So much for enjoying the evening. Since when had dating become hazardous to your health?.

Chapter 12 I entered my apartment, sobbing and not caring one bit. Lara Bishop should be locked away. I stripped out of the borrowed and now soggy dress – leaving it lying in a heap on the floor. Clara would probably kill me tomorrow, but she couldn’t make me feel any worse than I already did. I collapsed on the bed, my eyes red and swollen from my tears, and crying so loudly that I didn’t hear Karen until she touched my shoulder. “Rachel?” Karen asked, alarmed at finding me so distraught. “Honey, what’s wrong?” “Karen?” I tried to stop my tears, but they just kept on coming. “When did you get home?” “I took an earlier flight and Michael picked me up at the airport.” Upon hearing Michael’s name, I sneered, “That useless rat.” “What are you talking about?” she asked, confused. “Didn’t Michael tell you about our trip to Yosemite?” Karen shook her head. “When did you and Michael go to Yosemite? Why didn’t he tell me about that?” She smiled knowingly. “Did Michael finally ask you out?” I looked at her aghast. “Not if he was the last man on earth.” I assured her. Karen looked even more confused, “Calm down and tell me everything from the beginning.” She handed me some tissues and I blew my nose, trying to gain control of my tears.

“Okay. It all started…” I proceeded to tell Karen everything about the trip to Yosemite: Michael abandoning me, my meeting Peter and then getting stuck at his uncle’s cabin. I was just launching into a play-by-play of tonight’s disaster when she stopped me. “Did you say Lara Bishop?” When I nodded, she continued, “What’s Peter’s last name?” “Shaw. Why?” Karen looked stunned. “You’ve been dating Peter Shaw? Girl, do you have any idea who he is?” I shook my head, once again reminded that I should have done some checking up on him. “Should I?” “Oh, you just wait right there.” Karen ran from the room, returning moments later with several tabloids upon each of which was Peter’s picture with a lovely Lara plastered against his side. I grabbed the magazines, looking at the dates, relieved to see that they were several months old. “That’s old news.” “Peter Shaw is one of the most eligible bachelors in Silicon Valley society. You honestly didn’t know who he was?” I shook my head. She continued to lecture me about him; “He’s considered a great catch amongst the up-and-coming population of Silicon Valley. When he got engaged to Lara Bishop, daughter of Stephen Bishop - bank president, city council member, and politician, this was already touted as the next big society wedding. Lara attends all the important society events and loves to have her picture taken. That meant that he made the tabloids and papers on a routine basis as well. They were the in-couple making the headlines almost weekly.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I embarrassed him in front of said society.” Karen waved that away. “According to rumor, it won’t matter to him. He’s never been one for conforming to rules and has no problem making a scene if the need arises. But isn’t he engaged to Lara…” “Peter explained that.” I proceeded to share with Karen everything he had told me about Lara Bishop, and her eyes got wider and wider. “What a bitch.” she exclaimed. I went on about her setting my hair on fire and showed Karen the evidence. The ends of my hair were all shriveled up and melted together. Karen looked at the damage and left, coming back with her hair scissors and urging me to turn around so she could take care of it. My phone rang, and when I ignored it, Karen reached over and answered it, before I could keep her from doing that. It was Peter checking to see if I had made it home all right. Karen assured him I was fine, just upset. He offered to come over, and she suggested he give me some space and contact me tomorrow. Evidently that was acceptable to Peter and he promised to call me in the morning. Karen then resumed working on my hair. By the time she had finished, she’d removed a full two inches of my hair and I was furious once again. How dare that woman try to set me on fire? What on earth was she thinking? “You need to go see Peter.” Scooping up the evidence of my burnt hair, she slipped it into a small plastic bag and handed it to me. “Show him the evidence.” “I don’t know, Karen. Maybe I should let it go and concentrate on finishing my internship. I have just a few weeks to go…”

“You’ll always wonder ‘what might have been’ if you don’t talk to him. What can it hurt?” I finally agreed. What could it hurt? I would visit Peter tomorrow morning in the office and find out if there was anything left worth saving.

Chapter 13 The next morning, Karen made me breakfast and gave me a pep talk before sending me out the door. I was nervous and anxious about the outcome, and the longer it took me to drive to Peter’s office, the more my nervousness gave way to anger at his ex. By the time I had reached the office building I was ready to tackle the world and get revenge for Lara’s attack. After parking my car, I retrieved the bag of my singed hair and headed towards the building. A security guard asked me whom I was there to see and instructed me politely to wait in the chairs he indicated. While he spoke on the phone, I skirted around the security desk and helped myself to the elevator. Peter was going to cope with my anger, whether he wanted to or not. I needed a fight, and didn’t care one bit whom it was with. When I stepped off the elevator, another security guard showed up who wanted to escort me back downstairs. “Ma’am, please come back downstairs. When Mr. Shaw is available we’ll let you know.” “I’m not waiting. I need to talk to Peter now. Peter.” I shouted to the empty reception area with exasperation. The guard apparently wasn’t used to treating hysterical women and attempted to grab my arm to calm me down. This gesture made me only more furious and I pulled away with all my strength. My mind held only one thought: Someone will pay for what she did to me

yesterday. I want revenge. I headed towards the only closed door. “Peter.” “Ma’am, Mr. Shaw is very busy right now. Please come back downstairs with me.” “I’m not going anywhere until I speak with Peter.” I reached for the door at the same time that the security guard grabbed me. Thrusting the door open, we both stumbled into a conference room where Peter sat at a table with his business partner as well as Mr. Bishop and several other gentlemen. All eyes turned towards us with raised eyebrows. Mr. Bishop was the first to recover. “Aren’t you the young lady whose hair caught on fire last night? I’m so glad my daughter was able to offer her assistance.” That comment was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back, and I lost control. I started laughing uncontrollably as tears rolled down my cheeks. Turning, I exited the room, shrugging off the hands of the security guard in the process. I muttered to no one in particular, “This is crazy.” I pushed the button for the elevator and wrapped my arms around myself. I was losing it. “Rachel?” Peter asked from behind me. I didn’t turn around, too embarrassed at my behavior to look at him. “It’s okay, go back to your meeting. I shouldn’t have come here.” “Rachel, look, I have to finish this meeting. I understand that you’re very upset and we need to talk about last night. I’ll be done in about an hour and I’ll come by your place then. Promise you’ll be there?” I shrugged my shoulders, not willing to promise him anything at the moment. “Rachel?” he said, turning me around and looking at my distraught face. “Promise me. Go home and I’ll be

there as soon as I can.” I stared at him and reluctantly nodded my agreement. “Good. I’ll see you soon.” The elevator door opened and I stepped inside with the security guard, staring at Peter as the doors closed. This had been a horrible idea. Where’s the mouse hole I can hide in? *** Later that afternoon, Peter arrived at the apartment and Karen let him in. After introducing herself, she stated she was going to run some errands and later stop by Michael’s for dinner. Neither of us offered a response as she left. I wandered over to the couch, where Peter joined me. “Rachel, I was worried about you when you disappeared last night.” I looked at him, and all the anger and frustration came back. Finally, I spoke up: “Did you actually believe I would come back to the party? After what your ex did?” Peter looked so confused. “What did Lara do? She saved you.” I shook my head with vehemence. “No. She made it look like she did. I saw her holding a golden lighter to my hair, Peter. She’s the reason it caught on fire in the first place.” “Oh, come on. Rachel, she’s a little neurotic, but that’s just plain crazy. People don’t set other people’s hair on fire.” The urge to strangle someone came back with strength, and before I might react to it, I surged to my feet. With enough space between us I retrieved the evidence of my singed hair, tossing it in his face.

Peter caught the bag and looked at it in confusion. “What is this?” “It’s the hair that Karen had to cut off last night. Open it up and look at it. It’s melted and smells like singed hair. Your ex did that to me.” Peter shook his head. “Rachel, you must have imagined you saw her. She was putting out the fire with the water from the floral arrangement.” “No. I saw her before that. She had a gold-plated lighter, and was holding it to the ends of my hair. She tucked it back into the bra of her dress. I observed her.” If he didn’t believe me I’d go mad. “There must be some other explanation.” “No.. Think about it. How else would my hair have caught on fire? No one else was within ten feet of me. There were no candles in the ballroom. Nothing.” Peter looked thoughtful and then horrified as what I was saying sunk in. He was pulling me to him, hugging me close. “Sorry, Rachel. I believe you. It’s just so crazy to even think about.” I took comfort in his arms for a few minutes before I pushed away. “So where does this leave us?” He shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. I love spending time with you and don’t want to stop seeing you. And I’m starting to develop some pretty deep emotions for you. But I don’t want to put you into these kind of situations anymore.” I stared at him, not daring to hope that maybe my feelings for him weren’t one-sided. My eyes started to fill with tears again. “Stop crying, darling. Stop, please. Maybe I should tell Mr. Bishop that I won’t go to Spain. There are other IT firms out there that can handle the contract.”

It filled me with joy to listen to his words. Even though this was exactly what I wanted, I couldn’t take him up on his offer. “No. You can’t. What about your business and your career? Not fulfilling the terms of the contract could ruin your company. I won’t let you do something like that.” “We’d survive. If I told my partner everything that’s been going on, he’d support me. It’d take a while but we’d find new clients.” “You can’t do that. There’s got to be another way to handle this. Besides, if you lose this contract and your business tanks, I don’t want you ever to blame me for the loss.“ “I wouldn’t…” “You say that now, but it hasn’t happened yet.” We sat, arms wrapped around each other, leaning against the couch, for several moments. After a while, Peter spoke up. “Well, I don’t leave for another few weeks. Let’s make the best of that time and somehow a solution will present itself. I don’t want to give up on what might turn out to the best thing that’s ever happened in my life.” I blushed. “Me neither. I have to finish my internship, and I got a great job offer at a firm right here in Santa Clara. That means I don’t have to move.” He kissed me on the forehead. “Wonderful news. I’m happy for you. Don’t worry, things will all work out.“ I nodded my head as he kissed me tenderly and with such great promise that I almost started crying all over again. I had become a human watering bucket lately. It needed to stop. “Rachel, I need to take care of a few more things at the office. How about we catch dinner and a movie

tomorrow after work and we’ll just take it a day at a time for now?” “Sounds good. I’m sorry you have to go back to work…” “Don’t be. I’m glad we talked. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll decide what movie to see. Have a good night and get some sleep. I don’t like seeing dark circles beneath your eyes.” He kissed me one more time with sweetness and love, before he let himself out of the apartment. I stayed on the couch thinking about everything that had happened. Life was full of uncertainties. It was full of twists and turns as well. The best one could hope for was to make the most of each moment as it occurred so that there was never any reason to look back and wonder “what if.”

Chapter 14 For the next ten days, Peter and I spent as much time together as our schedules allowed. We went out for dinner, visited museums, attended movies and art exhibits, but we didn’t make love again. As the time grew nearer for him to leave for Barcelona, being together took on a sad quality that neither of us could combat. One evening after returning home, Karen decided to tackle the problem. She asked me to join her in the kitchen and I walked in, apprehensive and sad. “What’s up?” “Well, why don’t you tell me? You walk around the apartment looking like you’re going to a funeral. You’re dating the hottest guy in the city and he walks around with the same hangdog look on his face.” I nodded. “We can’t seem to get past the fact that he leaves in a few days and could be gone for months, or even a year. And what is worse, that viper, Lara, is going with him.” “You need to do something.” Karen informed me. “What?. We’ve thought of everything and the situation’s hopeless.” “Nothing’s hopeless unless you make it so,” she told me. It sounded like good advice, but I was so heartbroken, I had little hope and less imagination. “Do you love him?” I started to cry. ”Yes.”

“Does he love you?” “He says he does.” “Do you believe him?” “What’s with the twenty questions?” I asked. “Just answer the question. Do you believe that Peter loves you?” “Of course I do. But he’s leaving in a few days for another continent.” “Then we need a plan.” Karen was thoughtful for a minute before she asked, “Don’t you have relatives in Spain?” “My grandmother’s youngest sister lives there. Near Barcelona.” Karen clapped her hands together in delight. “Why are you so happy?“ “Don’t you see it? Barcelona is where Peter is going. Why don’t you check if you can visit your great-aunt for a few weeks? Your internship is finished and your new job doesn’t start until September 1st. That’s still nine weeks away.” I looked at Karen in surprise and smiled. Why hadn’t I come up with such a simple solution? My brain must have been fogged by all the problems. “Karen, you’re an angel. That’s the answer. I visit my grandma’s sister and have the chance to be with Peter. We’ll be near enough to see each other, at least on the weekends.” Suddenly a distressing thought crossed my mind. “But what if he has to stay longer than three months, maybe even a year?” “You can worry about that when it happens. Let’s go step by step for now, okay?” I smiled, confident in the future for the first time in weeks. “I need to make some phone calls. What time is it in Spain, anyway?”

“Early morning. Give your great-aunt a call, and tomorrow you can start packing.” I was so excited as I made the requisite phone calls, I could barely speak. My grandmother received the first call, and immediately initiated a three-way call to her sister Sophie. I had never met Grandma’s sister, but if she were anything like my grandma, we’d get along perfectly. The woman sounded nice and was thrilled to hear that I was coming to Spain. She lived in a nice villa surrounded by vineyards about thirty minutes outside of Barcelona with her aging husband, and had plenty of room for me. After we attended to the details, Karen helped me find a plane ticket and apply for a quick passport renewal. I had a passport, but we’d discovered that it would expire while I was out of the country. I went to bed that night gleeful and hardly able to contain my excitement. Karen and I had agreed that it was better not to tell Peter this exiting news until our last night together. I didn’t want to take any chances that his ex would find out and somehow manage to ruin everything. Peter and I spent the next three days together, and I had a hard time containing my joy. He looked sad, and it took everything I had to keep from telling him my good news.

Chapter 15 Karen had helped me plan a romantic farewell dinner on the beach and I wanted everything to be perfect. The evening before Peter was to fly to Spain arrived, and I wandered around the beach cabana nervously, waiting for him to arrive. Thanks to Clara, I had secured the private beach of one of her clients. Karen had pulled some strings with a local catering service to prepare and serve the meal. I had planned and prepared for this night and had asked him to meet me here so I could make sure everything was perfect. The table was set perfectly, and warm candlelight filled the inside of the cabana, accompanied by soft music and the sound of the ocean beyond. I heard Peter arrive and waited for him to enter. I had chosen a soft, flowing yellow dress that ended just above my knees, and had left my hair down, curling softly around my face and shoulders. My eyes were bright with happiness and with hope for securing our future together. Peter arrived, dressed in khakis and a button-down shirt the same color as his eyes. Even from a distance, I could smell him, and I bit my lip as I observed him saunter towards me. He looked around and said, “Wow. You went all out, didn’t you?” I nodded, “I wanted tonight to be special.” “Just being with you makes it special,” he said, melting my heart with his loving words.

“I hope you’re hungry.” “Starving. And not just for food.” I blushed as he had intended and let him lead me to the table and seat me. The wait staff served the meal as we exchanged light conversation and commented on the excellent meal. As we finished dessert, Peter seemed to grow sad once again, as our time together drew to a close. He took my hand into his and suggested a walk upon the beach. I slipped my sandals off while he removed his shoes. “I wish I could take you with me,” he said as we strolled along the wet sand. This was the opening I had been waiting for. I turned to him and asked, “Really? You’d take me with you?” Peter pulled me close, holding me against his chest and resting his chin on the top of my head. ”You know I would. I’m going to miss you so much.” I returned his embrace for a moment before pushing away. “Well then, I guess I should probably go get packing.” Peter smiled at me sadly. “If only it was that easy.” He thought I was joking. Not exactly the response I’d been looking for. I tried again: “What would you say if I told you that I will be in Barcelona a week from tomorrow?” Peter was taken aback. “What are you talking about?” I told him about my grandmother’s sister and how she lived in Spain. Happiness filled his eyes as I told him about buying the plane ticket and when I would be arriving. He grabbed me around the waist and swung me in circles. “That’s fantastic.” Putting me down, he kissed me with a passion that I had never felt before. Wow. I need to surprise him more often.

Later in the evening Peter drove me to his place. I was glad that Karen had dropped me off at the beach and I didn’t have to return my car to Santa Clara. I held his hand all the way and couldn’t believe that things were turning out so well. Peter kept lifting my hand to his lips and kissing me, giving me smoldering looks at each stoplight. By the time we arrived at his condo, I was on fire for his touch. We barely made it inside the front door before he pushed me up against the door and ravaged my mouth, his hands tearing at my clothes, seeking bare flesh. I pulled his shirt from his pants and then unbuttoned his pants, pushing them towards the floor. He stepped out of them and, lifting me in his arms, carried me to the couch. “The bedroom’s too far away. I need you now.” The trip to the top of the cliff was fast and furious, but neither of us minded. This was the culmination of weeks of desperation; it was sadness disappearing. As I toppled off the edge into ecstasy the only thought echoing through my mind was that this was the beginning, not the end. Much later Peter drove me home so he could attend to his preparations. “If you sleep over, not only will we not get any sleep, but I won’t get to finish packing.” I chuckled and agreed to meet him at the airport the next morning. ***** I made sure to leave early enough so I would be able to park in the short-term parking and walk the short distance to the terminal. Peter was just gate-checking his bags when I crossed the street, and he waved to me in

greeting. I ran the last few yards and threw my arms around his neck as he picked me up. His head swept down, capturing my lips, and he didn’t let me up until we were both gasping for breath. Hearing the catcalls coming from passersby, we chuckled and kissed each other again with even more passion. We stayed together inside the terminal until the last moment, knowing that soon we would be together, but hating the thought of a weeklong separation. Peter promised to call me each evening. He’d be very busy the first week, but by the time I arrived, he hoped to have things in a routine so we could spend some quality time together. I kissed and hugged him goodbye and waited until he was out of sight before I returned to my car. That was when I saw her: my personal nightmare, Lara. What the hell is she doing here? She was supposed to travel in two weeks time. I had to find out what she was up to and followed her. Much to my dismay, she checked in to the same flight as Peter. How on earth had she found out which flight he was on? After checking in, Lara turned around, scanning the surroundings, and even though I tried to hide quickly behind a plant, she had discovered me. Oh my God. No way is this happening. She turned towards me with a triumphant smile in her face and walked directly up to me. She stopped a few inches away from me, shoved her ring finger with a huge diamond ring directly into my face, and said: “Back off, bitch, he’s mine. I’m going to Spain with Peter and will make damn sure that he never talks to you again.“ *** End of Book 1 ***

Find out what happens in Spain: Falling for Him 2 For a short time you can get book 2 for FREE if you sign up for my newsletter. Grab the book here. Thank you for taking the time to read Falling for Him 1. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend. Thank you, Jessica Gray.

More Books by Jessica The Falling for Him Series is best read in order. Books 1 through 5 have cliffhangers. The rest of the books don’t. The Armstrong books can all be read as stand alones. For more enjoyment, read them in series order. Characters carry on from one book to the next and from one series to the next. FALLING FOR HIM Book 1: Rachel and Peter Book 2: Rachel and Peter in Spain Book 3: Rachel and Peter back home Book 4: Lara and David Book 5: Rachel and Peter - The Wedding Stubborn Love – (Clara and Nigel) Christmas Miracle – (Rachel and Peter) I Love You Twice – (Melissa and Dean) THE ARMSTRONGS Power of Love - (Trevor and Nicole) Forever my Love - (Ryan and Kendra) Daring to Love (Evan and Charlene) Surprised by Love (Douglas and Toni) Travel, Live, Love (Patrick and Angela) Explosion of Love (Samantha and Grant) More Books by Jessica Entangled Love Destroyed Dreams Compilations with Jessica First Desires: 10 ‘First in a Series’ Romance Book Box Set

Contact Jessica Sign up for Jessica’s newsletter to be the first one to know about a new release. http://www.jessicagraybooks.com/newrelease.html I truly appreciate you taking the time to read (and enjoy) my books. And I’d be thrilled to hear from you. If you’d like to get in touch with me you can do so via Twitter: http://twitter.com/author_jessica Facebook: http://facebook.com/jessicagrayauthor Email: [email protected]

Did you love Falling for Him 1? Then you should read Falling for Him 2 by Jessica Gray!

Rachel and Peter arrive in Spain - happily in love with each other. But not everything is roses, and when they least expect it, disaster strikes and nothing is the same as before. Back in the United States, Rachel is desperate, has she lost Peter forever? Or can they come back together? Does true love really conquer all obstacles? Read more at Jessica Gray’s site.

Also by Jessica Gray Falling for Him Contemporary Romance Series Falling for Him 1 Love in Sandy Beach Momentous Kisses The Armstrongs Contemporary Romance Power of Love Standalone Entangled Love Crêpes Cookbook: Simple. Scrumptious. Stylish. Watch for more at Jessica Gray’s site.