The feeling of it, the heat of her body, feels right. I know, without a doubt, that she belongs right where she is. We driveby the clubhouse, but I don’t slow down because I have a destination in mind. I’m sure Graycie hasn’t seen the view from the overlook. It’s definitely a sight that can’t be missed.
Time slows down as we take a few turns on the roads leading to our destination. My woman doesn’t hesitate to lean with me. Our bodies move in synch, which gives me a preview of how our bodies will move together in a more intimate way.
I know she’ll come alive under my hands. Everything in me is begging me to find out now, but she’s not ready.
Graycie’s arms loosen slightly as she gets comfortable riding with me and I find myself grinning. When I slow down, her arms tighten again. Then I’m pulling off on the overlook near the top of the ridge.
I offer my woman a hand again and make sure to keep her steady, even after she’s standing. Her knees go a little weak and she dips slightly, but I don’t let her fall.
I’ll never let her fall.
When she’s stable, I climb off my bike to lead her closer to the edge. We turn as one and take in the view. The sunset is just starting to paint the sky with a range of beautiful colors which cast her face in a warm glow.
I can’t tear my eyes off her while her focus is on the view from the ridge. Her lips part as she takes everything in. Even though I’ve seen the view before, many times before because this is where I come when I need to think alone, it’s different looking out and knowing it’s the first time she’s witnessing it.
Her lips part slightly as she takes a deep breath, one that feels like it’s been a long time coming. “It’s beautiful,” she breathes out.
“It is,” I murmur with my eyes still trained on her.
She’s stunning and takes my breath away. There might be people who wouldn’t look twice at Graycie because there’s something quiet about her beauty. Unassuming.
But when you really look, it’s obvious.
It’s the kind of beauty that sneaks up on you but then sustains. Because it’s not just about what she looks like, it’s her, it’s who she is.
“This is what I was looking for,” she says the words more to herself than to me, but I still perk up.
It feels like she gives little crumbs of her past here and there, but none of them are enough to make who she was before she arrived in town come into focus. I want to know everything, but the last thing I’ll do is give her a reason to pull away from me. Not when I’ve barely gotten her where I want her.
“Dogs or cats?”
Graycie giggles and her hazel eyes sparkle as she looks away from the view and up at me. “I like both, honestly.” I groan and roll my eyes, but she just laughs harder. “I know, it sounds like I’m full of shit, but I do like them both. There’s something welcoming when a dog greets you at the door, but there’s also something special about a cat seeking you out for pets and cuddles. Cats might be more aloof, but breaking down their walls and making friends is a victory dogs don’t give you all the time.”
“I’m definitely team dog. Cats don’t like me,” I tell her honestly.
She starts laughing and the pink and orange light from the sunset makes her look otherworldly. Her tone is filled with amusement, “What do you mean cats don’t like you?”
I shrug my shoulders and reach for her hand to lace our fingers together. She doesn’t pull away and I have to stop myself from punching the air with excitement. Does she even realize how open she’s being with me and what it means to me?
“I mean they don’t like me,” I deadpan. While cringing I admit, “They do like to hiss at me and scratch me. I’ve never met a cat who didn’t want to kill me. I swear they all got together and decided I’m the enemy.”
Graycie’s head tips back as she laughs and I commit the moment to memory. Because the way she looks right now is worth remembering.
She eyes me before asking, “What’s your favorite color?”
“Red,” I tell her and she smiles as if she was expecting the answer.
“I’ve always been partial to turquoise,” she whispers the words and I file the information in my mind for later.
“Do you have any family?”
I ask the question I desperately want the answer to. Graycie stiffens, but she still doesn’t pull away from me.
“I do,” she admits, but doesn’t say anything else.
Her words land between us and I give her hand a squeeze. She looks at where we’re connected like she didn’t even realize we were touching.
“They were never really family to me, anyway,” her words are soft and they almost get lost to the wind.