Waiting for You (19 page)

“Where are we going?” she shouted over the roar of the engine.

He turned back to give her a pointed stare. “I told you, it’s a surprise.”

He heard her frustrated harrumph which caused him to smile to himself. He loved to ruffle her. The wind pushing against them and the rumble beneath him was just what he needed to shake off his morning. Or maybe that should be attributed to the gorgeous female plastered to his back; her arms wrapped tightly around his abs. The combination of all three had the desired effect to calm his soul. The nightmares were quickly fading away and Adam began to relax and look forward to the day out with Audrey.

He rode out for about twenty minutes before stopping at the popular Roadside Diner. They served the best breakfast this side of town and it was a well-kept secret from the locals of Crystal Valley. Not many people knew about the place unless they travelled between towns and Adam wanted to share the slice of heaven with Audrey.

He grabbed her hand as he helped her off the bike and held on as he led her into the Diner.

Adam didn’t even question why it felt so natural.

*****

Audrey followed behind Adam with excitement in each step. She felt like she was sixteen again and on her first date. Not that this was a date or anything but it was something new and she was embracing new with a vengeance.

They stepped into the diner and a round, older woman greeted Adam warmly. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

Adam grinned broadly at the waitress who reached out to embrace him. “Hi Louise, how ya doing?”

“I’m just fine and dandy now that you walked in.”

“How’s that hip replacement treating you?”

“Awh how sweet that you remembered. I’m just loose as a goose now. Marty takes me dancing now and we even learned a few
la bamba
moves.” She shimmied her plump hips and waist showing Adam just how loose she was.

Audrey couldn’t help but smile in raptured attention. Adam was usually so quiet around others, preferring to take people in rather than engage directly. It was a nice change of pace to see him interact with a stranger so personally.

“And who is this beautiful creature?” Louise turned to appraise Audrey, an open friendly gaze in her brown eyes.

“This is my friend Audrey,” Adam introduced her, his large hand still holding hers.

“Nice to meet ya darling. You make sure to take care of this one,” she nodded her head towards Adam. “Stubborn as a damn ox and soft as a marshmallow on the inside.” She poked his belly and he Oompfed.

“Louise, come on, you’re emasculating me here. You’re taking away my street cred.”

She ignored him as she led the way to a table in the corner by the window.

They slid into the booth opposite each other as Louise handed them menus.

“Can I get you coffees in the mean time?” she asked.

“Make them cappuccinos, Lou,” Adam piped before Audrey had a chance to speak. He winked at her and Audrey couldn’t get mad, she actually wanted a cappuccino anyways.

She perused the menu, taking in all the delicious options. When she glanced up Adam was observing her with bemusement.

“Something funny, Sailor?” she asked, slitting her eyes to intimidate him.

“It’s just a breakfast menu Aud, not a college essay.”

She sighed. “I know, but everything sounds so good but I tend to eat with my eyes and my stomach doesn’t catch up.”

His green eyes sparkled as he considered her and Audrey experienced the gaze like a caress throughout her body. How could the man possibly seduce her with just his eyes?

“How about this, you get whatever you want and whatever you don’t finish, I’ll eat it for you.”

Her heart jumped in her chest. “You’d do that?”

He smiled and nodded. “Not for any chivalrous reason though. Only because I love everything on their menu and this way I get to eat more than what I order.” He leaned back and spread his arms out on the back of his seat, emphasizing his toned forearms and solid chest. Audrey felt the drool start to leak out the side of her mouth. Dammit.

“I wouldn’t want you to start believing Louise that I’m soft or anything.” The boyish grin on his pink lips was enough to melt her panties and damn if she didn’t want to reach across and devour him right on the table.

Louise returned with their drinks and took their breakfast order before making herself scarce again.

Audrey found herself studying Adam’s face as he looked out the window at the scenery beyond. He was ridiculously gorgeous, more than should be allowed on any man. Even with a day’s worth of stubble on his cheeks and upper lip, if anything, it made him even more appealing. She noticed something more than his usual easy going charm. The lines around his mouth were a giveaway.

“Something on your mind?” she asked tentatively, not wanting to push him. They weren’t exactly a couple for her to come right out and show concern but they were some level of friends.

He brought his gaze back to her and she noticed that he managed to wipe the fatigue off his face. “Just tired, I haven’t been getting much sleep. There’s this brunette who keeps warming my bed and keeping me up till odd hours of the night.”

She laughed and let the comment slide. If something was up then she would wait for him to open up to her.

Their food arrived and Audrey dug into her chocolate and blueberry flap jacks and on first bite she closed her eyes, leaned back and moaned out loud to savor the deliciousness exploding in her mouth.

When she opened them again, Adam was staring at her, slack jawed, like he wanted to hear the sound out of her again and this time from his own doing.

“That’s amazing,” she said, side stepping the sexual tension between them. She heaped in another mouthful and made a conscious effort to swallow her moan. “I think this is better than an orgasm.”

She snuck a peak at him and as expected, his green eyes flashed. “I will prove to you that it’s not better than an orgasm.”

“It’s erotically decadent,” she feigned ignorance.

“So are my fingers.”

She loaded herself with more grub to hide the smile creeping onto her lips.

Swallowing some cappuccino, she peered at him across the small table. “So, how did you find this place anyway? I haven’t ever heard of it from the locals.”

Adam shrugged as he swallowed his bacon and eggs. “My dad’s treatment used to be out of town so we had to pass by here every time we headed out so it quickly became our stop off before heading out. It made my dad just a little less uneasy about seeing the doctors.”

“That’s really special,” she voiced sincerely. “So, that’s how Louise knows you?”

Adam nodded.

The thought warmed Audrey up. At least Adam had a sliver of human support during the tough times with his dad. She couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for him, doing it all alone.

A little while later Adam paid the bill and they were back on the road. The bike was a beast on the road, eating up the highway quicker than she could take in the sights. The scenery changed from vast dessert-like terrain to lush bushy hills and valleys. Her arms were wrapped around his body and she laid her head against his back and the contentment was beyond words. She felt like she fit.

Slow down there Sally
, she chastised herself. No jumping to conclusions here. This was just fun with Adam. No expectations, no disappointments. So why did her smile fondly when thinking of him?

He turned onto a small road which led to a parking lot in a secluded beach, hidden out of sight by large cliffs on either side, creating a hidden cove. They dismounted and Adam grabbed her hand again and led her onto the beach toward a fleet of small row boats in every color.

The sand was fine, white and beyond clean, leading into crystal clear water of the cove.

“Hi Lionel,” Adam greeted the slight boy before him.

“Mr. Parker,” the boy smiled at Adam in acknowledgement. “It’s good to see you.”

Adam shook the boy’s hand and they exchanged a quick man hug, with the ensuing three taps on the back.

“This is Audrey,” he introduced and Audrey waved to the boy as she noticed his tongue hanging out when he caught sight of her.

“Keep it together man,” he heard Adam whisper to the teen. “You’re drooling. Be cool.”

The kid pulled himself together as he smiled at Audrey.

Adam chatted to him about the boats and some navigations and then they were in one of the small crafts as Adam used the oars to row them into the cove.

The weather was beautiful with the warm sun beating down on her skin and a cool breeze simultaneously cooling it off. She settled in as she watched Adam row with ease, the muscles of his biceps and chests bunching beneath the effort. The sight of the man had her hormones running wild as she leaned back and dipped her fingers into the cool water to temper down her sizzling thoughts.

Audrey let her head fall back and take in the beautiful clear blue sky above them. The cliffs surrounding the cove were high and covered with lush greenery and large trees overlapping to form a canopy high above. The water was still and peaceful and Audrey knew she could fall asleep if she allowed herself to. She didn’t want to miss a moment of this.

The sound of gushing water pulled her attention and when she saw Adam, a broad grin sat across his face. He jerked his head motioning her to look ahead and when she turned around she saw the most beautiful multiple cascading waterfall she had ever seen. The water wasn’t rushing through but rather gracefully falling through the branches of the trees growing in to crevices of the cliff to tumble down like a beautiful natural shower onto the large boulders lining the water’s edge below. It was a sight to behold, the white water against the bright green leaves and the black backdrop of the cliff beyond.

Adam rowed them close to the waterfall and hopped out, anchoring the boat to a nearby rock formation.

“We’re getting out here?” she asked, unable to believe it.

He smiled and offered her his hand to help her out of the boat.

She craned her neck to take in the towering waterfall and sighed. “This is so beautiful Adam.”

“There’s more.”

“How can there be more beauty than this?”

“Have you even been behind a waterfall?”

Her eyes popped out and she smiled broadly. “You’re kidding!”

He shook his head no and led her towards the waterfall, climbing on the large boulders as they moved along. He constantly had his eyes on her, making sure she was able to cross without falling.

As they got closer, Audrey felt the sprays hitting her face and eventually soaking into her clothes.

Adam hopped the last rock and reached for Audrey, helping her do the same as together they walked through the spiraling water and into a cave beyond.

Audrey gasped in surprise at the beauty that lay beyond the curtain of water. “Adam, oh my God, this place is beautiful.”

The cave was illuminated in hues of green and azure, creating a brightness that you’d never have guessed from outside. From the far end of the cave, spring water seeped in like a fountain from a crack in the wall. It was almost like Mother Nature had her thumb on the tip of a hosepipe and sprayed it into the air. The spray fell into a large pool of water that glistened blue and reflected against the light cave walls.

The daylight through the waterfall created enough light in the enclosure to create a subdued, romantic atmosphere. It was more beauty than Audrey had ever seen.

“This place is magnificent.”

****

Adam watched as Audrey took in the cave with rapt adoration. He had no doubt that she’s travelled to more glamorous places he wanted to bring her here and show her natures beauty at its best.

“I bet you bring all the girls here,” she teased as she turned to him, a naughty glint in her coffee eyes.

Adam was amused. She really did think him a bigger Casanova than he ever was. “No sweetheart, you’re the first.”

She seemed taken aback a moment before she recovered and pasted the teasing look back on her face. “You know,” she began, walking slowly towards him. “You didn’t have to impress me to get in my pants. At this point, I’m practically a sure thing.”

He reached for her and melded his lips to hers at that moment, needing to silence any more nonsense out of her mouth. She responded to him with her own open mouth kisses, her tongue greeting his and entangling in a passionate dance. Her arms found the back of his neck and he wound his own behind her back, their bodies molded together.

He pulled back and lamented on her flushed face, the abrasions from his stubble already evident on her olive skin.

“I didn’t bring you here for sex, Honey,” he whispered. “I just wanted to take you on an adventure.”

She smiled at him then, a smile so sweet and innocent, reflecting all the trust she had in him. HIM. Adam Parker. Adam lost himself in Audrey. Of all the years he had kept woman at arm’s length, she was the only one he felt the need to be closer to. He had a sneaky suspicion he was going to get himself in a bucket load of trouble.

He pulled the small bag from his back and pulled out two fully loaded bagels and two sodas. He followed Audrey to the edge of the spring pool and sat on the boulders framing the edge, their feet dipped in the cool water.

“How did you even find this place?” she asked around a mouthful of food.

Adam thought about that and came up blank. “No fun story there I guess. I just like to go exploring, test my limits. I probably tried to rock climb behind the waterfall and fell into this cave.”

“Best accidental discovery ever.”

He smiled a half smile, glad that he was able to impress Audrey with the simple pleasures of nature.

She straightened suddenly and turned to him with large eyes. “There’s no snakes or rats in here right?”

Adam laughed and reassured her. “No, there’s no snakes or rats here. It’s usually too cold.”

She visibly sighed in relief and then started chucking off her clothes.

“What are you doing?” Adam asked incredulously as he finished off his bagel.

“Skinny dipping,” she said simply as her creamy breasts sprang from her bra and then waded into the azure water. “I’ve never done it before, thought I’d give it a try.”