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AFTER DROPPING MIA AT school Monday morning, Skylar headed to the shop. A cooler full of food and drinks sat on the back seat. She thrummed with excitement at the idea of spending most of a day with Enrique away from her apartment and his shop. She parked and knocked on the back door.
Enrique opened it, looking ridiculously handsome in his best jeans and a new patterned button-down shirt with the cuffs turned up once. “Mi tesoro.” Without waiting for her to respond, he pulled her inside and kissed her as though he were starved.
“What does that mean?” she asked as his lips moved softly over her neck.
“My treasure. I feel like a kid at Christmas. I woke up two hours early and couldn’t get back to sleep,” he whispered. The way his hands moved over her confirmed his longing and fanned her own.
Skylar moaned. “We have to go.”
“Okay.” But he cupped her face and kissed her one last time. Merciless.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Skylar opened the door and sucked in a breath of cool morning air while he locked up. “Do you have somewhere in mind? I think I packed enough food for two days.”
“I have a plan. Do you mind if I drive?”
She passed him the keys. He drove to I-70 and headed west. “So where should we start?” She figured, the sooner they worked out the details of combining their lives, the sooner they could focus on enjoying each other. A clock in her head ticked down the minutes until Mia got out of school.
“Where we’re going isn’t far. How about we leave the serious talking for later?”
Disappointment weighed heavily, but she didn’t complain. At least they were alone. She plugged her phone into the stereo and played some music. Soon after they got to the mountains, he slowed and took an exit. “Are we going to see the buffalo?” The city of Denver kept a herd nearby.
“Nope.” He took a frontage road, then turned on a dirt driveway that wound up a hill. It was rutted and full of potholes.
“You’re not gonna screw up my car are you?” Skylar braced on the armrest.
“I’ve been here before.” He deftly avoided the potholes and ruts. Trees closed around them and the road ascended steeply. Finally, it leveled off and he parked in front of a small white cottage with blue shutters.
Skylar made a small gasp when she saw it.
“I’ll get your door.” He went around and opened it, helping her out.
Her hand went to her throat as she stared at the quaint structure. “It’s beautiful.” Three wide steps led to a porch supported by a stone foundation. An array of flowerpots graced the left side and two red lanterns stood sentry on either side at the top of the steps. A white wooden bench with ornate carvings on the back perched beneath a window that was flanked by blue shutters. Above the front door, the roofline formed an A. In the middle was a small balcony with blue railings.
“Would you like to see the inside?” He had a comical look on his face.
“Sorry. I’m stunned. I thought we were going to be outside.” A nervous laugh escaped. “Yes. Show me.” Skylar’s heart turned to liquid. During their hours at the shop, she’d talked of her love of the mountains. “How did you get this on such short notice?”
“The owner’s a friend.” Enrique smiled and unlocked the door, waving her in with a flourish. Suddenly feeling shy, she tucked her hands in her pockets and moved through the small entry. A floral sofa and an area rug sat atop a knotty pine floor in front of a large stone fireplace. A small built-in bookshelf was home to a plethora of books. He came behind her and molded her to him. “We’re going to save the planning for the ride home. Until then, this is about us. You and me.” Warm kisses trailed her neck. She tried to turn so she could get to him, but he held her fast. “I’m not done yet. Be patient.”
A hot thrill shot through her. “I don’t want to be patient.”
Ignoring her complaint, his lips worked their way to the other side of her neck, setting her on fire.
“This isn’t fair.” She struggled and he quickly contained her again, binding her arms to her body while he pillaged every inch of exposed skin with his mouth. Desperate with yearning, she heard herself beg, “Enrique, please.” Finally, he released her and she spun toward him. After several minutes of fervent kisses, she said, “Don’t ever do that again.”
Enrique flashed a grin. “Okay. But it was fun. You’ve got that whole control thing going on.”
Skylar smacked his arm.
“Come with me.” He took her hand and led her to ... the kitchen? Then they kept going. Right out the back door.
Skylar glanced over to see a smug smile lighting his face. Her irritation mingled with curiosity. “What are we doing?”
“You told me you love to hike. And there’s a trail right over there.”
“After what you just started?” She skidded to a stop, both hands parked on her hips. “You are evil.”
“Skylar, come.” Laughter rumbled from his traitorous chest as he strode toward the base of a trail that appeared to go straight up the mountainside.
“Very funny.” Nevertheless, she obeyed, unable to resist this new facet of him. But if he told her to heel, she might just strangle him. No, she definitely would.
He grabbed her hand and towed her along the trail at a good clip, letting go and preceding her when it narrowed. It zig-zagged up a steep hill that rendered her breathless. Which was good, because some of the things she considered saying to him about this cruel torment would not make fond memories.
They came to a natural landing, a small flat spot with a view of peaks to the west. “Isn’t it beautiful?” His face was guileless and she relaxed, reminding herself that Enrique had been slaving indoors at the shop for the entire summer.
“It is. Have you been here before?”
Enrique nodded. “I did some work here. One of the odd jobs I had after my tour.”
She snaked her arm around his waist. “What a great place to work. Did you have to drive up every day?”
He shook his head. “I stayed here. It was during my almost-homeless stint. Right after I filed for divorce. This place helped keep me sane. There was wood to chop when I needed to hit something. I hiked this at sunrise and sunset, no matter how tired I was.” He cast a wistful glance around them.
“Well, if I have anything to say about it, you’ll never be almost-homeless again.” Skylar moved her hand over his back, as much for herself as for him. The thought of Enrique not having a place to call home ate at her. But he didn’t want charity. After weeks of working with him at the shop, knowing he motorcycled to the Y for a shower each morning profoundly affected her. The weather was changing and he often returned shivering, his lips a purplish-blue. One day, she’d offered to drive him or let him borrow her car. He’d thanked her and asked her not to bring it up again.
The same fierce feeling of protectiveness she felt toward Mia manifested just as strongly with him. It wasn’t as though he needed her protection in a physical sense. But she wished there were something more she could do, some way to demonstrate her feelings without making him feel weak or inadequate. Because neither was true.
“Hey.” A soft nudge jarred her from her thoughts.
“Sorry. I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
She kicked a stone and it rolled down the hill. “You.”
Enrique took a small foil-wrapped square from his pocket. “I brought chocolate.” He opened it and popped it in his mouth. “Didn’t you say you like chocolate?”
“No.” She pointedly drew out the word. “I said I love chocolate.” Skylar waited for him to give one to her. But he didn’t.
“Want some?” His husky tone told her he wasn’t only talking about chocolate.
Skylar tilted her head, trying to adjust to this abrupt change in him. It seemed like he’d shed some invisible layer, a weight of some kind. “You know I do.”
Enrique took another one from his pocket and unwrapped it, taking half of it into his mouth. “Come and get it.”
Ignoring her pride, she moved toward him, her hand outstretched. He used her forward momentum to pull her to him. “No ... Like this.” His breath smelled of chocolate. And him. One finger under her chin, he coaxed her lips open and kissed her, tasting and feeling so good that her knees actually went weak. She grabbed for his shoulders and his hands came to the small of her back. They didn’t part until the chocolate was gone. Kissing Enrique was like diving in a pool on a hot summer day. Although, instead of cooling her off, it heated her up. “Come on. It gets better.” He took her by the hand, tugging her up the path.
“What is this?” she groused. “Some new sort of cross-training? Or enhanced interrogation techniques you learned in the army?” Frustration and longing competed inside her.
“Quit whining. This is going to be worth it.” Another laugh wrung from him. She loved the sound of it—pure joy. He’d definitely crossed over some precipice. Probably not unlike the corner she’d turned after being with him. They had hours in front of them, so there was no rush. Gratitude filled her and the frustration dissipated.
After several more minutes of the upward climb, they ascended a set of stone steps that led to a gazebo. Skylar’s breath caught as she took in the panoramic view—mountains to the west and the entire Denver area to the east. She released a long breath.
“Tim calls this the eagle’s nest.” Once more, he wrapped her in a hug from behind and she didn’t fight him this time. She felt treasured, desired, loved. And nothing stole the feelings away. “I thought you’d like it up here.”
Another gasp of pleasure escaped her as he slowly turned them. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sun glinting off the tops of the trees. Only a few lazy clouds floated above. Her whole body calmed as the stress of her world fell away. “There are no words for this, Enrique.” A cool breeze blended perfectly with warm rays of sunlight. She turned and held him. “You have no idea how much I needed to get away.”
“We both did.” He glanced down. “And I want us to do this kind of thing often. Just the two of us, when Mia’s in school.”
“Can you do that?” What she really meant was would he do that.
“I need to. I can’t live like I have been anymore. No matter how busy life gets, we’re going to take care of us. I don’t feel so pressured now.”
Hearing him say that without any prodding buoyed her heart. It was clear he wanted to provide for his family, that he’d continue to work hard to that end even though he didn’t have to. It was a matter of pride for him, self-respect. And she loved him for that. But it lifted her knowing that she could play a role in easing his burden with the money she had. It took the edge off the pain she felt when she thought of it.
They sat on a bench near the railing, arms pretzeled around each other, listening to the subtle forest symphony; wind rustling in the trees, the occasional chattering squirrel, bird calls, and quiet. Blissful quiet.
After a time, Enrique shifted. “I stopped by your dad’s house yesterday.”