Inside, I walked the length of the house, took the stairs two at a time and came back down as fast as I could. William kept pace. I repeated the pattern, my thoughts zinging from Gabe to my dreams and back again but couldn’t shake the nervous restlessness and decided to go the gym for a real workout followed by a cold shower. As I gathered my things, William began barking just as there came a knock at the back door followed by more barking from the other side of it.
Good God. What now? William bounded to the door and jumped against it, pushing aside the curtain and peering through the paned glass in the upper half. He bristled and let out a huge woof but his tail wagged, leaving me unsure how to interpret his response. My eyes connected with Gabe’s and my tummy did its happy dance. The outside barking subsided to a low growl. I was pretty sure dear Mr. Fagen wasn’t making this noise and glanced through the window before opening the door.
On the other side, a smaller dog, brown, short-haired, probably a chocolate Lab, sat on the deck and wriggled and made what I’d thought was a growly sound, but her body language said otherwise, kind of like William’s.
“This is Lucy,” Gabe said. “I thought William might like a playmate.”
Oh, good, one for William, one for me. I wouldn’t need the gym after all.
“I doubt I can hold him,” I said loudly enough to be heard through the heavy door. “You think it’s safe?”
Gabe shrugged. “She’s well socialized. They can usually work it out.”
“Okay,” I said. “Stand aside.”
Gabe unhooked Lucy’s leash as I opened the door and stepped back, unsure whether the doggie games would be inside or out. I shouldn’t have wondered. William rushed forward, jumped over the other dog, down the steps into the yard, spun and turned. Lucy ducked, rolled, and came to her feet at the top of the steps, on her toes, tail up. They stared at each other.
Lucy made the first move. She boldly sauntered down the steps and sidled up to William, offering her backside while she sniffed at him. I admired her style. During my restless pacing, the dream of the man and the woman in the woods had been the most vivid, the most provoking. Remembering it elicited the same unsatisfied longing I’d felt upon awakening. What I wanted was a good, long workout with Gabe, not an exercise machine at the gym. And I didn’t think he would mind. I’d figure out the feelings part later.
William whipped around and went for Lucy’s throat. I gasped, but she dropped and went belly up, gracefully submitting to the larger dog. This was his territory, after all. She took off around the yard and William watched. She stopped and put her paws out, chest down, butt up and tail wagging. Universal dog language for “let’s play!” William sat and looked at me.
“Go on,” I urged. But he didn’t.
Maybe it was too hot. He’d already been for a run. I brought them a big pot of water and they both drank. Lucy licked William’s face. He tolerated the attention.
Gabe leaned against a porch support, not watching the dogs, but keeping his eyes on me. I’d grown hot under the close scrutiny, but if he had something to say, he could just spit it out. I was in no mood for beating around the bush.
“She’s great,” I said. “Wish I could be so bold.”
He shifted. I realized he’d been waiting for a cue from me. He pushed away from the post, took my hand, and led me inside, shutting the door and turning the lock.
At first, I wanted only his heart. Doesn’t sound like much, but I wanted to hear it, needed to feel it. To put my ear to his chest and nothing more. But the moment I pressed against him and he folded me in his arms, it wasn’t nearly enough. With the ripple of muscle beneath my cheek as he breathed, I wanted more. My hands explored his sides, his back, his shoulders. Solid and real and substantial. He smelled of soap and expectation. His heart pounded, and his stomach—his whole body—was taut with the same anticipation and deep longing as mine.
We had been flying through life side by side but never touching. I had wanted him always. We had wanted each other. My heart pounded too. Against his. With his. I was finally in Gabe’s arms where I’d always wanted to be. It had been a dream for so long. The reality was hard to take in.
He waited, and he would wait a little longer while I got used to this grand new idea that was Gabe, that was flesh and blood and bone and breath.
He took my hand again, kissed the palm, sending a jolt of pleasure through me. Oh Lord, too much, too soon. The idea was still too new. I pressed my hands into his chest to separate us and headed up the stairs. He followed.
In my bedroom, I stopped at the foot of my bed, a hand on the high footboard. He shut the door. I flipped the sandals off my feet. He kicked out of his topsiders. His legs were long and strong, glazed with fine hair.
Ideas and images collided in my mind. Those legs rubbing mine. A man and a woman entwined together on the ground in a deep wood. I would take all he had to offer and more, but my own legs were suddenly wobbly with want. In a blurry moment, we tumbled into the sheets.
They crackled like a thousand years of dry leaves. It was right to take his lips in silence, the stubbled skin along his jaw, his smooth collarbone. He swallowed and sound rumbled through him, a manly purr of pure hunger.
I didn’t know who I was or whom he was, only the slide of our bodies, which knew all that was needed. The sheets were cool. We had forever. I arched to meet him.
He was mine.
Chapter 8