“DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS NOW?” Eve asked. She dipped her spoon into the pint of ice cream she was eating and took a bite, savoring the creamy taste. After the sundaes that afternoon, Charlie had insisted she bring home a variety of the homemade ice creams she served in the restaurant. He’d finished the chocolate truffle after dinner and she was working on the butter pecan. “Thinking about redesigning your kitchen is too much like work.”
They’d spent the past four hours in bed and it was now nearly three in the morning. Eve sat on the counter next to the sink in Charlie’s kitchen and Charlie was sprawled in a kitchen chair dressed only in his boxer shorts, eating a bowl of cereal. “I was just thinking since you like to cook so much, I’d make this kitchen a bit nicer.”
“Oh,” she said, feigning shock. “It’s not enough that you use me for sex. Now you want me to cook for you as well?”
Though her words were meant to tease, she felt a certain sense of pride that she could satisfy both his stomach and his libido. Men were so simple. Sex and food. That’s all they really required to be happy.
“No!” Charlie said. “I just want you to be comfort able here. And I know decent appliances are what you’re used to.” He stood up and crossed to where she was perched, setting his bowl in the sink. “I have a surprise for you.” He pulled the drawer open next to her legs and withdrew a kitchen knife, still resting in its store package.
Eve stared at it for a moment. First, the hiking boots and now this. It was an odd gift, but she knew the brand and the price tag that came along with it. “You bought this for me?”
“Yeah. It’s kind of like keeping your toothbrush in my bathroom. Now you have a knife you can keep in my kitchen.”
“These knives are expensive,” she said, taking the package from his hand. Her gaze met his and she smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, dropping a kiss on her lips. Charlie stepped between her legs and slid his palms up along her thighs, letting them come to rest on her hips. She was naked beneath his t-shirt and though they’d just spent hours in bed, his touch still had the capacity to send a thrill racing through her body.
“Are you going to share that ice cream or are you going to eat it all yourself?” he asked.
She held out a spoonful of the butter pecan and then fed it to him.
“So what do you think?” he continued. “What should I do with this kitchen? Should I tear every thing out and start from scratch?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “The cabinets are gorgeous. They’re original to the house. The leaded glass in them would cost a fortune to reproduce. I’d have them stripped and refinished. And then maybe hire a cabinet maker to replicate them so that you could put a few more on that wall.” She pointed to the spot beneath her. “Take this one out and put in a dishwasher.”
“What else?” he asked.
Eve sighed. He seemed to be obsessed with his kitchen. This was the third time he’d brought it up today—once at the restaurant after Jack and his family had left, once more when they were making dinner and now again. “The sink and countertops need to be replaced. There’s probably a hardwood floor under the linoleum. If it’s in good shape, you could strip it. I’d put granite in for the countertops. Although concrete might look really cool. Then you need to upgrade the appliances.”
“After all that, would this be a kitchen you could cook in?” he asked.
She frowned. “Sure.”
“Good,” he said. “I’ll get started on it next week.”
“Why? Hire someone to do it after you leave,” she suggested. “Then you don’t have to put up with the mess.”
“I’m not planning on going anywhere, so there’s no reason not to start now,” he said.
Eve stifled a gasp. Though they hadn’t talked about the future, she’d just assumed that he’d be off on another adventure within the month. Actually, she was counting on it. Too much time with Charlie Templeton was not a good thing. “What do you mean?” she asked, the spoon frozen halfway to her mouth.
“I’m going to stick around for a while.”
“How long is ‘a while’?”
“I don’t know,” Charlie said. “Longer than a few weeks. Longer than a month. Maybe even longer than a year.”
“When did you decide this?” she asked. “And why didn’t you tell me?”
“What difference does it make?”
She slid off the counter and shoved the ice cream into his hands. “It makes a lot of difference. I thought you were going to leave like you did last time. That’s what I was prepared for.”
“You want me to leave?”
“Yes!” She cursed softly. “No. I just—” Eve drew a deep breath. “I want to be prepared.”
“For what? I don’t understand.”
“This is supposed to be a short affair and nothing more. After a week or two, it will end and we’ll both get on with our lives. That’s all I want. That’s all I can handle right now.”
He stared at her in utter confusion, his brow knit into a frown and his eyes filled with suspicion. “So you want me to leave? What if I don’t?”
Eve stiffened her spine at the challenge in his voice. “You’re free to do whatever you want. I’m just saying that what’s happening between us won’t necessarily continue.”
“Fine,” he said. “But now I feel like I’m the one being used.”
“I just think it would be better if we kept things simple between us.”
“Right.” He shrugged. “I’m cool with that. Simple is better.”
Eve could hear the anger in his voice. They’d never argued before, though she knew Charlie could be stubborn when he didn’t get his own way. Though they’d only been together for a short time, already this was beginning to feel like a real relationship. And though Eve wanted to believe that there might be a future for them, she couldn’t indulge in a fantasy that might never come true.
Charlie was a drifter, unable to settle down in one place, unable to commit to one woman. She knew it and so did he. And this silly attempt to pretend differently was a delusion that would hurt them both. He’d been spending time with his friend Jack and no doubt had developed a case of envy.
“Don’t be angry. I’m just not that anxious to get involved again. The divorce made me rethink what I wanted out of life. The only person who can make me happy is me.”
“Well, that’s a pretty cold way to look at things,” he said.
“Charlie, you’re the living, breathing epitome of that philosophy. Don’t deny it. Your life, up until now, has been all about you.”
“So you don’t think a person can change? Maybe I want to adjust my priorities.”
Eve shook her head. In all her experience with men, the one thing she knew was that they didn’t change. Either you learned to live with what they were or you moved on. “Of course,” she lied. “People change all the time.” She glanced at the clock above the sink. “I should really get home.”
“It’s three in the morning,” he said.
“I know. But if we go back in that bedroom, we’re not going to sleep. And I have a big group coming in for lunch tomorrow. I can’t afford to sleep in.”
“I thought we were going camping tomorrow?”
“That’s going to have to wait.”
He reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her body against his. Charlie nuzzled her neck. “Don’t go. I’ll let you sleep. I promise.”
“No. I think it would be good to spend the night apart.” She walked toward the bedroom, collecting her clothes along the way. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She could tell he wasn’t happy about her decision, but for her own self-preservation, Eve had to practice a bit of common sense. If she spent every night with him, then their relationship would be much more than she ever intended. A night in her own bed would do them both a world of good. Eve tugged on her jeans, then slipped her bare feet into her clogs.
“Come on, Eve. Don’t do this,” Charlie said. “This isn’t some game we’re playing. It’s all right to admit that you enjoy sleeping with me.”
“We don’t do a whole lot of sleeping,” she reminded him.
CHARLIE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING was risky. Hell, he’d spent a good portion of his lecture fee on new camping equipment and Eve hadn’t really agreed to the trip. Not definitely.
He jumped out of his SUV and jogged up the front walk, then rapped on the door. A few seconds later, Lily appeared, her hair wet, a robe wrapped around her slender body. “Hi,” she said.
“Is Eve here?”
“Yeah. She’s in the shower. Come on in.” He followed her inside. “Do you want some coffee?”
“Sure,” Charlie said. He waited, pacing back and forth along the length of the living room while she fetched a mug for him.
When she returned, she gave him a wry smile. “So you gave in first. That’s good. I like that. Sometimes Eve can be so stubborn. She needs a man who is willing to compromise.”
“Where is the bathroom?” he asked.
“Top of the stairs on your left,” Lily said.
Charlie grinned. “Thanks.” He took the stairs two at a time, then slowly opened the bathroom door. The shower curtain was translucent and he watched the silhouette of Eve’s naked body as she rinsed her hair.
“Do you need help washing your back?” he asked.
He saw her jump, then the shower curtain flew back and she poked her head out. Water dripped off her hair and clung to her dark lashes. “Hi,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
Charlie held out the mug. “Coffee. Hurry up. We have to pack your clothes and get on the road. We’re burning daylight.”
“We’re what?” Eve stepped out of the shower, her body glistening in the light coming through the bathroom window. Charlie bit back a groan, fighting the temptation to reach out and smooth his hand over her damp skin. In a matter of seconds, he could have his clothes off and they could get back in the shower and see what warm water and naked bodies might do.
He cleared his throat. Though he thought about sex a lot, and Eve even more, he had something different in mind for the day. “We’re going camping today, remember?”
She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. “I—I didn’t think we’d finalized those plans,” Eve said, reaching for a towel. “I told you we had a big group for—”
He grabbed the towel from her hands and began to dry her face. “We have to go today,” Charlie said, bending down to run the towel over her legs. “I have to be back Thursday for my lecture on Friday night.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “All right,” she said. “Go down and tell Lily that I’m taking a few days off. I’ll be ready in a half hour.”
Charlie grinned. That was a lot easier than he thought it would be. He’d anticipated a series of not-so-valid excuses followed by an outright refusal to accompany him. Obviously, after their argument last night, Eve wanted to put their relationship back on track. And what better way than a night or two in the wild?
On schedule, Eve appeared a half hour later, bundled in warm clothes and carrying an overnight bag. She wore the hiking boots he’d purchased for her, along with the wool socks. “What’s in the bag?” he asked.
“My stuff,” she said.
“You don’t need anything more that what you’re wearing,” he said, taking the bag from her shoulder. “In fact, you don’t even need everything you’re wearing.”
“I at least need clean underwear,” she said, bending down to rummage through the bag. She stuffed panties and a lacy bra into her jacket pocket.
“We’re hiking at mid-day. It will be warm. You’d be better off in shorts and a t-shirt. Just bring a light jacket. And a pair of pants. And dry socks.”
“This is exactly why we shouldn’t be going,” she said. “I don’t even know what to wear.” She began to strip off the sweater she wore. “What about pajamas?”
“We’ve never needed them before,” he teased.
“We’ve never slept in the freezing cold before. I know enough to know that it’s cold at night in the mountains. There’s still snow up there.”
“We’re sticking to the foothills. The weather will be chilly, but there won’t be any snow.”
When she’d finally decided what to bring, Charlie gathered it up and carried it out to his SUV. He shoved it into the top compartment of his pack, then helped her into the front seat.
He headed the truck southwest, toward the Nederland area. There were plenty of places to hike and camp in the national forest and they were close enough to home in case Eve was completely miserable.
As they passed the Hotel Boulderado, a famous old Victorian-era hotel that featured luxurious rooms, Eve pointed out the window. “I’ll treat,” she said. “A night at the Boulderado. A soft bed, a big bathtub.”
“I’ve spent hours in the kitchen with you,” Charlie said. “Now it’s time for you to see a bit more of my world.”
“To what end?” she asked. “When you spend time in the kitchen with me, at least you get a meal out of it. What do I get out of this?”
“Time alone with me. In a sleeping bag. Fresh air. Exercise. Maybe we’ll even see a bear.”
“Except for the bear, I could get all that at the Hotel Boulderado,” she said. “And I’d have a real bed.”
They stopped for coffee and to Charlie’s surprise, after a jolt of caffeine, Eve’s mood brightened considerably. By the time they reached Nederland, she was interrogating him about the food he’d brought along and the cooking utensils she’d have available for the evening meal.
Charlie had planned the trip carefully, knowing that if he threw too much at her all at once, she’d never want to hike with him again. He’d chosen to trek along a familiar forest service road for three or four miles, then cut off on a trail that led to a flat and spacious campsite.
He wanted Eve to like this, to enjoy an outdoor adventure with him. He wanted to share the things he loved about the outdoors in the same way she shared her love of cooking with him. It was what couples were supposed to do. And more than any thing, Charlie was starting to look at the two of them as a couple.
There were so many places he imagined showing her, so many cultures to eat their way through. Some of the best food he’d ever eaten was in little out-of the-way places in exotic locations. He was beginning to imagine a life for them, all laid out in front of him. And in the same way he used to get excited about a new adventure, he was anticipating the challenges of loving Eve.
But there was one thing he worried over. Would there come a time when the excitement of being with her faded? Or would he always feel as if there was much more to explore?
They parked the truck about a mile in. Charlie handed Eve a small daypack with bottled water, protein bars and a map. Then he hauled his large pack out of the back and slipped his arms through the shoulder straps. He’d packed light and they weren’t at altitude, so the hike wouldn’t be difficult compared to some he’d done.
“What do you have in there?” she asked.
“Two down sleeping bags, a tent, cooking supplies, food, your clothes, my clothes, stuff to make a fire. And two bottles of wine.”
Eve shook her head in disbelief. “You’re a really good packer,” she said. “I have to give you that.”
He slammed the cargo door on the SUV and shoved his keys in the pocket of his hiking shorts. “All right. Let’s go. We’re heading that way,” Charlie said, pointing to the north.
It was an absolutely perfect spring day. The sun was warm and the breeze cool. They hiked at a moderate pace, chatting as they walked. For the first time since they’d met, they had a chance to really get to know each other. Without the option of jumping into bed, they could enjoy each other’s company. She told him about the moment she decided to become a chef, about cooking school and about buying the Garden Gate.
They laughed and teased, falling into an easy camaraderie that Charlie had rarely found on any of his adventures. When they reached the head of the hiking trail, he asked if Eve wanted to rest, but she was willing to go on.
They reached the campsite about a half hour later, a beautiful spot set at the edge of a high meadow with the Rockies providing a perfect backdrop. Not far from the site was a river, fed from the snowmelt.
Charlie shrugged out of his pack and set it against a tree, then helped Eve out of hers. “You did well,” he said.
“I’m exhausted and my feet hurt,” Eve replied.
“Take off your boots and lay your socks out to dry.”
She sat down on a nearby log and did as she was told. But as she pulled her socks off, she winced in pain. Charlie walked over and examined her foot, startled by the angry red blisters on her big toe and the back of her heel. He helped her out of her other boot and he found another blister on her little toe.
“Why didn’t you tell me your feet hurt?” he asked.
“I really didn’t notice until now. They’re just blisters.”
“They’re going to be even more painful on the walk out,” he said.
She laughed. “I’m a lot tougher than you think I am.”
Charlie gave her a wary look. “You sit. I’m going to set up the tent. Then I’ll go get some water. You can soak your feet and they’ll feel much better.”
As he pulled the poles for the tent out of the pack, Charlie glanced over at Eve. He’d always had just one person to worry about on his adventures—himself. But now that Eve was with him, he needed to be more careful.
Hell, there were a million and one things that could hurt you in the woods—bears, mountain lions, rattle snakes. A simple fall could kill you. He felt uneasy about the responsibility. Yet there was no one else he’d rather have looking after Eve than himself.
When he finished setting up the tent, he stepped back and pointed to it with a flourish. “Home, sweet home,” he said.
Eve laughed. “That barely looks big enough for one person, let alone two.”
“We don’t need much room,” he said. “It’s not that much smaller than my bed and we get along fine there.” He held out his hand. “Come on. Let me give you a tour.”
She stood up and gingerly walked across the hard-packed ground. They both crawled inside and Charlie leaned back, bracing his elbows behind him. “This is the bedroom,” he said. “And the living room. The kitchen is out there. As is the bathroom. The bathtub is down by the river.”
“It’s a lovely home,” Eve said, turning to him and placing a soft kiss on his lips. “And you built it just for me.”
“Some day I’ll build you a bigger and better one, I promise.”
Eve looked around. “I kind of like this one,” she said. She pushed him back then crawled on top of him, tossing her jacket aside. “Maybe we ought to break it in?”
Charlie growled playfully as he pulled her into a long deep kiss. “We are in the bedroom, after all.”
EVE SAT NEXT TO THE FIRE, wrapped in Charlie’s sleeping bag, her chin resting on her knees. Sparks drifted upward on the night breeze, disappearing over heard into the starry sky. “I love this,” Eve murmured.
Charlie glanced up from tending the fire. “What?”
“I love that you brought me here. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I do. It’s so peaceful. I haven’t thought about the restaurant since we left Boulder. How is that possible? I think about the restaurant all the time.”
“What were you thinking about?” he asked.
“You.” Eve didn’t think it was wrong to admit the truth. “How strange it is that you came back into my life. How it seems like only yesterday that you left. And how funny it is that we picked up right where we left off.”
“Things are different,” he said. “We’re both a little older and a little wiser.”
“I guess so,” Eve replied. Was that a good thing? Somehow, Eve didn’t think that her divorce had improved her attitude about love and commitment.
“Do you want to talk about what happened last night? Why you got so angry with me?” Charlie asked.
“I just don’t think we should talk about the future,” Eve said. “I want to enjoy the present, this moment, right now. And I want you to know that when you leave again, I’ll be all right.”
“You’d be all right if I left next week?”
Eve nodded. She would. But there was one caveat. “As long you as you promised that you’d come back.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. Whenever.”
Charlie shook his head. “You’d be fine with that. If I just wandered off for a year and then came back.”
Eve nodded. “I would. It’s who you are, Charlie. And I think I need to accept that. You’ll drift in and out of my life and we’ll be together when we can. It wouldn’t be so bad.”
He gave her an odd look, as if he didn’t find the idea all that appealing. What wasn’t to like? He could have his cake and eat it, too. She was giving him permission to be exactly who he was. And in turn, she’d have the freedom to do what she wanted.
He walked over to his pack, which he’d braced against a tree, then withdrew a plastic bag and tossed it her way. “Dessert,” he said, indicating the bag of marshmallows. “But don’t drop any around the campsite. Bears love them.”
“I haven’t had roasted marshmallows since I was a kid. God, I’d kill for some chocolate bars and graham crackers.”
“I have those, too,” Charlie said, walking back to where she sat with another plastic bag. He reached behind her and grabbed a green branch he’d stripped earlier. “There are some nice embers in the fire.”
“Tell me about your next adventure,” Eve said as she stuck a pair of marshmallows on the stick.
“It’s going to be something completely different,” Charlie said. “Something I’ve never tried before.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not sure yet. But you’ll be the first to know.”
Well, at least she’d get fair warning and be able to prepare herself, she thought. “We really shouldn’t eat dessert before we have dinner,” Eve said, quickly changing the subject.
“You ate an entire bag of granola,” he said. “And you’re still hungry?”
Eve laughed. “All this fresh air does make me think about eating.” She watched as Charlie pulled the marshmallows out of the fire. They were perfectly brown and gooey. She held out a graham cracker topped with a piece of chocolate, then put the hot marshmallows on top. Sandwiched between another graham cracker, it made the perfect treat.
“Here,” she said, holding it out to him. “Try it.”
“You first,” Charlie said.
Eve took a bite and the marshmallow dripped down her chin. Charlie leaned close and licked the sticky mess away, then let his mouth drift over her lips. He kissed her softly. “Take your clothes off,” he murmured. “I want to make love to you under the stars.”
“It’s cold,” she whispered.
“I’ll keep you warm.” He pulled the sleeping bag down over her shoulder, then exposed a tiny bit of skin. His lips and tongue were warm and she felt a rush of desire course through her body. He took her hand and drew her to her feet, then spread the sleeping bag out on a spot near the fire.
Slowly, Charlie undressed her. Her skin prickled with goose bumps, but she didn’t feel the cold. Instead, the cold seemed to heighten the sensation of his touch and she found herself craving the warmth of his hands as she never had before.
When she was naked, Charlie stripped out of his own clothes, then pulled her down onto the sleeping bag. This all felt so strange, Eve thought. She felt all the baggage of her past just disappear in the dark. This was simple and primal, lust and longing in its most basic form.
She pressed him back against the ground, then straddled his hips. His erection, already fully aroused, rested against the damp spot between her legs. She moved against him, tipped her head back and closed her eyes.
He found her breasts, her nipples hard from the cold, and he teased until she ached with desire. Eve wanted him inside her without anything between them. After her divorce, she continued to take her birth control pills, thinking that any day, she’d need them again. That day had finally come.
She reached down and guided him into the depths of her warmth. At first, he seemed to resist, but then Charlie accepted her silent invitation. Slowly, she came down on top of him, until there was nowhere left to move.
Eve sighed, a smile curling the corners of her mouth. Had this ever felt so good? So perfect? She couldn’t imagine anyone else in the world affecting her the way Charlie did. When he moved inside her, she was completely free to feel, to experience every shade and hue of her desire.
The light from the fire cast his profile in soft relief and she watched the interplay of pleasure and anticipation on his features. His eyes were closed, his jaw set, as if he was trying to delay the inevitable.
Eve knew there wasn’t much in this relationship that she could control. He would come and go as he pleased. But she could make him wait, make him beg for his release. She slowed her pace, rising up on her knees until he was nearly free of her warmth before plunging back down again.
He opened his eyes and looked at her, surprised by what she was doing. Eve smiled, then bent down and kissed him. Charlie was right. There was a something beautiful about making love outdoors. She felt completely exposed, her emotions laid bare for him to see.
If she didn’t love him now, Eve knew it was only a matter of time. How could she resist a man who made her believe in the possibilities of a future? She wasn’t sure she could save herself from another round of heartache and disappointment. But there were moments, like this one, when all the heartache would be worth it.
When he moved to touch her at the spot where they were joined, Eve grabbed his hands and pinned them on either side of his head. She was going to control this one small thing. She was going to make him want her as much as she wanted him.
And in the end, he gave in to the pleasure she offered. But to Eve’s surprise, the seduction was more than she could handle. His soft whispers sent her over the edge and she collapsed against his chest in a string of delicious spasms.
He wrapped them both in the sleeping bag, drawing her tight against his warm body. Eve sighed softly, snuggling into the curve of his arm. “You were right,” she whispered.
“About what?”
“I need to get outside more and get some exercise,” she said. “I feel so much better already.”
Charlie chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “This isn’t exactly what I was thinking about. And it’s not something you can do in Boulder.”
“It might be kind of fun,” she said. “Sneaking around looking for places we can be alone.”
He drew back and looked into her eyes. “Really? ’Cause I know a few spots.”
She reached down and smoothed her hand over his belly. “We wouldn’t have to stay in town. I think I should take a bit more time for myself. I work hard. I deserve a break every now and then.” She smiled. “So where should we go next?”
“You know where I’d love to take you? India. No, Turkey. And then Nepal. And China.”
“I was thinking about Estes Park,” Eve said. “But I’ve always wanted to see the Great Wall. And there’s a lot of vegetarian cooking in China. I do a lot of Asian-influenced cooking. I’d love to go to Thailand.”
“We’ll go there first,” Charlie said. “You’ll love it.”
“Hmm,” she said. It was a nice diversion to dream about such things. But Eve knew that the chances of them traveling to Thailand were slim at best. She had a restaurant to run, he had his work.
“I’m not just blowing smoke here,” Charlie said. “I’m serious. I think we should travel.”
“I thought we discussed this,” Eve said. “It really isn’t good to make promises we can’t keep.”
“I’m not making a promise. We get along well and I’m tired of traveling alone. I think you’d make a good companion.”
“I’d want to spend all my time in restaurants,” she said.
“I have to eat. And I’d want to spend my time seeing the countryside.”
“I need exercise,” she countered.
“See? We’d make the perfect pair.”
Eve closed her eyes and curled more deeply into his embrace. They did make a good pair. But as nice as that felt now, Eve knew this infatuation would fade over time. Sooner or later, they’d have to deal with the realities of their relationship. The impossibilities would overwhelm the potential.
She sighed, her breath clouding in the chilly air. There was no predicting when the end would come or how it would happen. But Eve already knew how she’d feel. He’d always be the one that got away, the one she could have loved.