“I guess so.” Sending him a coy smile, she straddled his waist and slowly began an exploration, her lips trailing from the curve of his neck to his chest and lower still. He shifted beneath her, his fingers tangled in her hair.
He knew exactly what she was doing, and though he prepared himself for it, the moment her lips closed around him, Drew thought he might not be able to hold back. His breath caught in his throat and he gritted his teeth, trying to maintain control.
When he attempted to draw her away, she refused to obey. Her only concession was slowing her tempo a bit. It was as if she knew exactly how far she could go before pulling back.
And when she was ready, she smoothed a condom over his shaft. With delicious determination, Alison sank down on top of him. Drew closed his eyes. This was it. This was what he’d been looking for, the perfect melding of two bodies and souls.
Now that he’d found it, how would he ever let it go?
4
THE MORNING SUN GLINTED off the trees, branches drooping and making the woods around the cabin look like a crystal fairyland. Alison walked with Drew alongside the road, their boots crunching on the icy ground as they headed up the mountain to Ettie’s cabin. All around them, fallen limbs blocked the road, making it difficult to traverse and impossible to drive. But Miss Ettie’s cabin was a short hike and it felt good to be out in the cold, to clear her mind.
She’d woken up that morning, curled into the curve of Drew’s naked body, his face nuzzled into the nape of her neck. It had been a new experience for Alison. She’d never had a one-night stand before, but the morning after wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as she’d anticipated.
Once they’d both recovered from yet another powerful encounter, Drew got up and made them a breakfast of granola and canned peaches and coffee. She smiled at the memory of what they’d shared in such a short time. She’d come to this mountain searching for new music, and instead found something—or someone—totally unexpected.
She liked Drew. And maybe after she was done here, she might just make a return visit—or two. After all, it was a perfect situation. They were both completely focused on their work. An occasional weekend together might be exactly what they needed. She glanced over at him and smiled. This was all so strange, so unexpected.
“How long do you think it will take to clear the roads?” she asked.
“If the weather warms, the ice will be gone in a matter of an hour,” he replied. “But I don’t know if it’s going to get warm enough.”
“What about your practice?”
“I’ll walk down later today and check in. If someone can’t get hold of me, they know to call the doctor in Barnwell. I don’t have office hours today or tomorrow. I can call about the washout on the road from Ettie’s satellite phone.”
“Well, I have to leave tomorrow morning at the latest,” she said. “If I have to cancel my classes, I will. I am technically working here.”
“We’ll find a way to get you off this mountain in time for your classes tomorrow, I promise.”
Tomorrow, Alison mused. She wasn’t really that disappointed. They’d have another night together. Another chance to test the limits of their desire. A shiver of anticipation skittered down her spine as an image of his naked body flashed in her head.
“So what do you usually do on the weekends?”
“I make house calls and do paperwork. Chop wood at the cabin. Run into town and do the grocery shopping.”
“You don’t have a social life?”
He shook his head. “It’s a bit difficult. My patients keep me busy. Sometimes I drive into Knoxville to see friends, maybe catch a movie, but I’m a pretty solitary guy.”
“Why did you decide to come back here to practice? There can’t be much to do here beyond work.”
“I was needed,” he said. “I worked at a hospital in Nashville, in the emergency room. I helped a lot of patients, but I barely knew them. I’d patch them up and send them on their way. I know these people and they know me. And I like that.”
A memory niggled at her brain. “Which hospital in Nashville?”
“Memorial,” he said.
“How long did you work there?”
“For two years. I quit about a year ago.”
“I was in that E.R. last Christmas. I tripped over a stuffed sheep in my parents’ annual nativity scene and sprained my wrist.”
“I didn’t treat you, did I?”
“No, I’m sure I would have remembered you. But, just think, we could have known each other back then. But we passed by, not ever…realizing.”