Come Find Me (2 page)
Authors: Natalie Dae
At the bottom of the hill, she waited only moments for the
bus, which trundled toward her, an old-fashioned silver beast from the fifties.
Once aboard, she sat close to a window and willed the other passengers to hurry
up and get on. The bus sighed as the doors closed and the engine clattered
before settling into a loud hum. Kat stared out the window but didn’t fully
appreciate the scenery. Visions of Dan filled her mind and warmed her cunt. She
squirmed in her seat, giving the other passengers sidelong glances, telling
herself there was no way they knew what she was thinking. God, just to have him
touch her, even if he only held her hand…
“Last stop!” the driver called out. “Pick-up is at five.”
Kat sprang out of her seat and moved to the aisle. Other
passengers dragged their heels as they disembarked and impatience nipped at
her. She fought the urge to push into the aisle and race off the bus, wanting
nothing more than to reach that damn tree! At last a space between people
presented itself and she lunged into it, antsy to be on her way. A woman
stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to the driver, striking up a
conversation about which trail was best to take.
Come on, come on!
Her smile rigid, her mind screaming, Kat took a brochure
from a transparent holder attached to the dash and handed it to the woman, who
nodded her thanks and stepped off the bus. Relief spread through Kat and she
jumped the last two steps, landing on the path with a thud. Moving away from
the bus, she spotted the tree-lined trail and sped across the road. As she
neared the third tree, disappointment soughed through her. No envelope flapped
in the breeze. She rushed on, overtaking others on the trail. Had someone else
found it, discarded it?
At the tree she rounded the trunk, tripping on an exposed
root in her haste. She stumbled, hands splayed out in front of her as she
readied herself for a fall. The ground rose to meet her, but strong hands
gripped her upper arms from behind, hauling her upright. Annoyed with herself
for almost falling, Kat shrugged off the hands and turned to face whoever had
rescued her, hoping it was Dan.
It wasn’t.
Despondent, she stared at the man, his weathered skin adding
years to his face. Wispy white hair like cotton wool was jostled in the gentle
wind and eyes crinkled as he smiled.
“Nearly did yourself some damage there,” he said, nodding to
the tree root.
“I…I did, yes. Thank you for helping me. I—”
“Here.” He thrust out a white envelope held in a hand
gnarled by arthritis, liver spots dotting the skin. “Been asked to give you
this.”
Kat stared from the envelope to his face. “Oh I… Thanks!”
She took it, itching to open it there and then, but instead held it by her
side. “Did you see the person who gave it to you? I mean, is he here?” She
gazed around, the path empty now except for them.
“Oh yes, but that was last night.” The old man winked.
“Quite the charade, eh? Wish I’d thought of something like this when I was
wooing my wife. She’d have appreciated this.” He sighed. “Well, you have fun
now.”
He turned and walked toward the bus stop, leaving Kat
mulling over what he’d said. Wooing? Was that what Dan was doing? She hugged
herself, reveling in that thought, only for reality to snatch it away.
Don’t be stupid. He doesn’t want you. He’s made that very
clear.
Pushing away negative thoughts—any time spent with Dan was
better than none—she opened the envelope and stared down at the paper. A series
of instructions and a crudely drawn map showed her how to get to her next
destination. Dan had signed his name in the bottom right-hand corner, a smiley
face beside it, a kiss beneath. She fought off a smile, but it spread her lips
all the same. That kiss was just something people did, wasn’t it? As much as
she hoped for more, that it meant something other than the usual everyday
thing, she told herself not to keep analyzing everything. She’d only end up
disappointed in the end.
With a sigh she followed the trail, taking a meandering path
to the right. It led up the mountain to a flat ridge that held three log
cabins, each surrounded by well-tended gardens and picket fences. She headed
for the one in the middle, as instructed, and paused at the white gate. Her
heart beat painfully fast and she struggled to steady her breathing.
For god’s sake! It isn’t as if you’ve never met him
before!
She pushed the gate open and stepped onto the path.
But this is
different. I’ve never met him outside of work. Like this, with notes and the
invitation to come find him
.
Releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, Kat
approached the door and knocked. Seconds passed with no response. Had she come
to the right one? She scanned the instructions then looked at the garden. Yes,
there was the yellow rosebush mentioned in the note. Definitely the right
place. Something fluttered between the stems, partially obscured by the leaves,
and she stepped across the grass for a closer look. Another envelope nestled
there and, stomach rolling as she anticipated the note’s contents, Kat picked
it up and began to read.
Chapter Two
Kat,
I may have got this completely wrong, and if I have then
I’ll just swallow my pride and keep out of your way at work in the future.
Okay, deep breath… I’ve liked you for the longest time. Sorry if that freaks
you out, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. When you said you didn’t want me
to come here with you, I can’t tell you how disappointed I was. I should have
said something then, let you know how I feel. Anyway, I’d already taken the
week off work, sure you felt something for me and, well, let’s just say I just
had to try.
All this, me following you here and sending notes, could
come across as damn creepy, but I’d like to think it’s romantic and shows you
I’m not just some jerk wanting to get into your pants. Or your skirt. I should
have told you. I feel stupid writing this now. I mean, what if this comes as a
massive shock? Or even worse, what if the idea of me caring for you makes you
want to run a mile? Shit. Sorry for the language there.
Okay, I’ll get on with it. If you’re interested, you’ll
find a key where you found this envelope. I’m inside the cabin, probably
nervous once I see you turn up, and if you want to come inside, even if it’s
only to talk, to tell me I’m way off base, that’s fine. And if you don’t, well,
feel free to walk away. No hard feelings.
I’m hoping you’ll use the key. Really hoping. But I
understand if you don’t.
Best,
Dan
Had she read that right? Had he admitted to having feelings
for her? God, this had been all she’d wanted for so long, and to have it within
her grasp, to know Dan was in that cabin, had come all this way to show her how
he felt…
Oh my god. Oh. My. God!
She held back an excited squeal and stooped to retrieve the
key. The metal cold on her palm, she walked toward the door, the urge to dance
gripping her. Was he watching her? Did his heart beat triple-time like hers?
Hand shaking, she inserted the key in the lock and opened the door. Her stomach
rolled over again and she stepped inside, her breath taken away by a darkened
living room lit by many candles on various surfaces. Yellow rose petals
littered the carpet and surrounded the white china candleholders on a coffee
table. She gasped and shut the door, noting the closed drapes. Maybe he had
watched her arrival from upstairs?
A wrapped, flat oblong box sat on the center cushion of a
blue sofa, the silver paper reflecting the candlelight. She dropped her bag to
the floor and walked toward the box, eager to know what it contained. Knowing
Dan occupied the cabin thrilled her, gave her senses a keener edge, and she
stood still, listening for sounds of him, taking a deep breath to detect his
scent.
There.
She smelled it and smiled. Butterflies danced in her belly
and she sat, placing the box on her lap. The paper crackled as she peeled it
off to reveal a lid, which she removed. Inside the box lay a garment in cream
fabric, silk if she wasn’t mistaken. She lifted it out and eyed the basque,
heat rising to her cheeks. It had no bra. Her eyes widened and she resisted the
urge to run, to go back to her hotel and pretend she’d never come. How had he
read her mind? She’d never told him about her love for such lingerie—and the
fact she’d never had the guts to wear it.
She looked at the basque again. Pinned to the back was a tag
with the words “wear me” in Dan’s handwriting. Could she? Unused to wearing
such things, she contemplated shoving it back into the box. What if he didn’t
like what he saw with her dressed like that? What if it didn’t fit? Undecided,
she bit her bottom lip, holding the basque to her chest. God, she’d dreamed of
being the kind of woman who thought nothing of wearing pretty underwear beneath
her staid work clothes, but to actually do it?
I’ll try, for him.
She toed off her boots and placed them beside the coffee
table. Next she shrugged off her jacket and clothes, laying them across the
sofa arm, trepidation spiraling through her. This was crazy, wasn’t it? Dan
could walk in at any moment, catching her naked and vulnerable.
Isn’t that what I want? Him to see me naked? Haven’t I
thought about it for too damn long now?
An image of him waiting in bed upstairs sped through her
mind, and she donned the basque, securing the hooks over her midsection, a
blush growing as she looked down at her exposed breasts. Although alien, the
garment gave her a sense of wantonness, of acting out her fantasies, ones where
she called the shots in the bedroom and dominated her mate. She could do it,
couldn’t she? Act out her dreams for today and hope Dan enjoyed himself?
But I’ve never told anyone my desires. Could I act them out?
I mean, really act them out? It’s one thing imagining, but
doing
…
Kat nodded, finger-combing her hair. A thought struck her
then, and she looked back inside the box, relieved to find a matching thong.
Oh Lord…this guy is something else.
She stepped into them. Dan only had to push the strip
between her legs aside to—
Stop it. You’ll get flustered before you even see
him.
Taking a deep breath and telling herself she could do this, Kat headed
for the bare wood stairs to the left, wincing at the way they creaked, giving
her position away. She wanted to find a mirror in the bathroom to check whether
she looked ridiculous with her breasts on show before seeing him. Now he might
meet her on the landing.
At the top of the stairs she peered through two open doors,
one a single bedroom, the other a bathroom. A third door stood closed and she
imagined Dan behind it, fully dressed in his work suit, frown in place as she
entered, her bouncing boobs reaching him before she did.
Look, he bought the
damn basque, wants you to wear it. Stop worrying. Just go with it.
Easier said than done when a muffled cough filtered from
somewhere in the cabin. Her knees weakened and she padded into the bathroom,
gripping the sink edge and staring down at the ceramic. Her nerves were so taut
she grew nauseous and turned on the cold tap, sluicing her wrists with water.
Feeling a little better, she dried her hands and turned in a circle. Relieved
to find a full-length mirror behind the door, she studied herself, surprised
she didn’t look too bad. Sexy, in fact. With a burst of confidence, she left
the bathroom and headed for the closed door.
I can do this. I’m sexy. I’m dominant. Oh yeah! Dan wants
me. I want him. Do it!
She lifted her hand and knocked. After getting no response,
she turned the handle and pushed the door open, shocked to find the room empty
except for a king-sized bed and a pine chest of drawers on either side. Thick,
dusky pink drapes shut out the sunlight and flames flickered atop candles in
wall sconces, the glow giving the room a warm appearance. Looking around, Kat
spied another envelope on the bed and reached for it eagerly, her fingers
brushing the soft pink comforter. She ripped it open, nerves tightly coiled,
and read the contents.
Get on the bed.
So much for her fantasy of taking charge. She dropped the
note to the floor and climbed on the bed, conscious of her ass jutting out in
full view, of her breasts swinging with each movement. Oh, if only he was
watching her now… The thought of him spying turned her on and erased any
lingering doubts. She
could
do this.
She positioned herself, back against the headboard, knees
bent, legs splayed. Her nipples perked and she resisted fondling them, wanting
Dan’s hands there instead, Dan’s fingers on her clit and in her cunt. Desire
burned, spreading through her folds and forming a knot in her belly, the
familiar onset of orgasm sharper than when she indulged alone.
A stair creaked and she stared at the doorway, anxious for
him to hurry, to cover her body with his. Another creak, then another, and her
heart sped up, pulse thudding in her neck, loud in her ears. Kat swallowed and
licked her lips, bunching the comforter in her fists. Her need for him deepened
and her clit ached for his touch, juices wetting her folds, the scent surrounding
her. Would he smell her? Know how much she craved him?
A shadow flitted across the landing then disappeared, as
though Dan had gone into the bathroom. Kat swallowed again, excitement so high
she had to stop herself getting off the bed to find him. A rustle
sounded—clothes being removed?—and she groaned at the thought of his naked
body. She’d imagined it so many times, and wondered if the reality would match
the dream. Flat stomach dusted with dark hairs, broad muscled shoulders, thick
thighs tapering to strong calves, and a stout cock standing proud from a thatch
of black curls.
