Eleven Days: An Unexpected Love (9 page)

"I'm winning and do you really want me to tell you the score to make you feel bad?"
She
held the
paper
with
the score behind
her
back.

"Are you really going to go there?"
That
move
made him happy.
It
was
an excuse to get close to
her
, to wrap
his
arms around
her
.

"Go where?"

Mike stood up and walked over to
her
and it
was
not a challenge for
his
long monkey arms to reach behind
her
. He didn't even have to stretch to get the paper. He looked down at the paper and raised
his
left eyebrow at
her
. "There is
not one word
written down
on the paper
."

Her
eyes
danced with excitement
as
she
teased him. "I forgot?"

Mike laughed hysterically. "You nut." Then he gave
her
a long intense hug. Neither one wanted to let go. The air got thick
with
sexual tension.

Taking a deep breath,
s
he
wrapped an afghan around
her
shoulders and stood near the fire.
She
noticed the crocheted design
was
a scalloped loop, and like the rest of the house
the colors were the deep
the
earth tone
of browns and white
.
She
needed a warmer blanket, but
she
didn't want to leave Mike to find one.

The wind howled letting them
know it
would
be a cold night, and it sounds creepy. Bu
t it didn't bother Mike. He went outside and brought in a bunch of wood and laid it on the fireplace stoop. "Do you think t
hi
s
is enough wood? I have some at
the side of the house I'm going to bring to the bin. I don't want you to have to go outside during the night."

"I think
that
'
s more than enough,"
she
answer
ed
.

He walked over and stood in front of the fire next to
her
. Electricity
was
evident between them and neither of them said a word.
She
wondered what
was on
his
mind.
They shyly glanced at each other like two elementary schools kids
with
crushes not knowing what to say.

He walked behind
her
and deliberately rubbed
her
arms rapidly as though to warm
her
.
His
strong hands rubbed a little too hard, but
she
didn't
say anything.
She
didn't want him to let go
of
his
embrace
.

With
out seeing
her
face he asked. "Do you…" he paused and loudly swallowed.
"…think t
his
is enough wood for the night?" He chickened out asking,
do you want me to stay?

She
w
his
pered
with
a cracked voice. "I slept on the couch last night and I
slept
just fine, so I
'll
be alright tonight."

"Yes, but tonight will be much colder." God, he didn't want to leave
her
, he wanted to take
her
in
his
arms and keep
her
warm.

She
could feel
his
breath on
her
hair and
she
closed
her
eyes picturing him behind
her
. It
was
like
his
emotions transferred from
his
heart to hers, through
his
fingertips.
She
licked
her
lips. They seemed dry all of a sudden.
She
knew he could feel
her
shaking, or maybe it
was
him. Should
she
lean back onto
his
chest? Oh God
she
wanted to,
she
wanted to melt into him.

Finally, he let go
but stood in the same spot for a few more seconds. He took a deep breath then walked outside and brought in more wood, piling it high on the stoop.

He
piled
it
so high,
she
knew
she
had
to be careful taking wood off or it might fall on
her
foot.
She
walked over and gave him a hug as a good will gesture, to thank him for being thoughtful. He held
her
for a few seconds, but it
was
n't long enough. Every ounce of
her
body seemed to melt.

He backed up and longingly looked down at
her
. "I hate to leave you
with
out a heater," he w
his
pered.

She
thought he
was
trying to find an excuse not to leave at all.
She
broke their stare by saying the most stupid remark. "Our ancestors managed just fine
with
out a furnace, and I don't think one night
with
out a heater will kill me."

He gently took hold of
her
shoulders and looked down into
her
green eyes. "If you get cold or you think you need me, you have to promise to call." Never did he look away from
her
gaze, wanting an
answe
r from
her
. He hoped the answer might
be an invitation to stay.

Nervousness prevented
her
from giving him an honest answer,
I want you to stay
.
She
couldn't deny the spark of chemistry between the two of them. Surely he felt the same way or he
would
n't be so concerned for a total stranger. Maybe he just felt obligated to take care of
her
.
She
tried to be light hearted about it. "Now Mike, you are the only person I know here, so you know I
would
call you."

He reached down and ruffled
her
hair and said. "Well in
that
case I'll head on home and I brought in a lot of firewood. You should be fine until morning." He picked up
his
coat and took
his
time
walking to the door.
"I'll be back in the morning
with
breakfast, but not before eight. Is eight fine
with
you?"

"Oh absolutely
and I will take you up on breakfast,"
she
answered. After all t
his
bantering and he still didn't stay, nor did
she
get a kiss.

He gave
her
a long close hug, and then he
left
.

She
stood in front of the fire and sort of laughed at herself.
She
ca
me to Plymouth to heal and right now
she
was
sad.
N
ot sad because
her
cousin died, but because
she
realized
she
met the love of
her
life, and he just walked out the door.

Right now
she
was
tired and
she
would
have to pull a Scarlett O'Hara,
I'll just have to worry about
that
tomorrow.
Oh cuz,
she
wished he were here so
she
could call him. He always talked sense to
her
. God bless him, and
she
knew he looked down laughing at
her
… and wishing
her
the best.

*****

Mike coaxed
his
Dodge to start. He knew how cold natured
she
could be
. He let
her
sit for a few minutes to cough out the cold.
She
sputtered just a little and then
she
would
be ready to take the familiar journey to Boston. As
ole Bessie
, as he called
his
Dodge, choked so did
his
heart. What just happened in there? Even
with
the cold outside
he didn't feel it.
His
heart
raced
with
excitement
. Just the thought of
Lana
made every muscle in
his
body rigid. T
his
green eyed blonde captured
his
heart and there
was
n't anything he could do about it. Nor did he want to
oppress those feelings
.

Yesterday the moment he saw
her
,
that
was
it! The minute t
his
voluptuous blonde got out of
her
car, he knew
she
would
be
the one
for him
. The blonde hair is what he noticed first. Then
he notice
d
her
size,
short
and tiny.
She
almost looked like a child standing there
with
obvious energy and bubbly. Once
she
came in the house and
she
took off
her
coat, he noticed
her
large chest and tiny waist. It
was
obvious at t
his
point
she
was
not a little girl,
but
a desirable woman.
Her
blonde straight hair flowed down
her
back
with
no curl.
She
had
a pointed nose and small squared jaw line. He towered over
her
so he knew
she
couldn't be more than five-foot-four.
Her
tight sweater showed every curve including
her
round butt. But what he noticed the most were those big bright beautiful green eyes. He thought back and he couldn't remember ever dating a girl
with
green eyes,
his
loss.

He knew in
his
heart he
would
pursue t
his
gal. Nobody since
his
wife Kathy has made him feel so virile. He liked
that
feeling. Since
his
wife, he hasn't pursued anyone. Many women have pursued him, but he
could have cared less,
until now. Just thinking about
her
caused manly enthralling. He took a deep breath when he thought about having sex
with
Lana
. It
would
be more than sex. There
would
be caring and love. The better term
would
be called
making love
. Yes, he knew it
would
be special and loving. Making love to
her
would
not be like it
was
with
other women. It
would
be better, much better. The rest of the drive to Boston
his
body ached for
her
.