and with that, she ran off to grab the picnic baskets and help lay out the blankets.
Theodore forced himself to look at Jessica, trying to understand what was going on in his chest as he fought a myriad of emotions. She had managed to slip under his guard when he wasn’t looking and was quickly consuming his thoughts. Even now, dressed in white shorts and a small yellow top, she looked fresh and hot. His hands itched to reach out and caress those smooth thighs of hers, to find out if her skin was as silky as it promised to be.
Just then, she grabbed her hair and tied it in a loose careless knot atop her head, exposing the delicate, slender curve of her neck to him. His instincts roared, rearing to be free. He wanted badly to bury himself between her thighs. He wanted to graze his teeth along the ridge of her neck. He wanted to lick her earlobes and bite her lower lip. He wanted her lips to close around his cock and milk him for all he was worth. He wanted to ride her mouth and ride her ass and ride her pussy. He wanted to fuck her so hard until neither of them knew where one began and the other ended.
The almost caveman lust spiraling through him shocked him and he looked away from her, focusing on where the kids where gingerly stepping into the shallow part of the lake just as he had instructed
“Wine?” Jessica said, staring up from the shopping bag lying beside the picnic basket.
He looked back at her now, and shrugged.
Understanding lit her eyes, and she said, “That must have been what you tipped that store attendant to ring up for you then. But I didn’t see you with a bag. Did he also take it to the car?”
He nodded, still silent and completely under her luscious spell.
“Why the cloak and dagger? All you had to do was grab a bottle off the shelf,” she said as she uncorked the wine and poured out some for both of them. He watched her cheeks pinken with delight when she read the non-alcoholic label again. He had been right then; she wouldn’t have thought too highly of him if he had ordered alcoholic wine, knowing he would be driving her kids home. He was starting to read her.
She looked up at him, and he realized he hadn’t responded.
With a sigh, he sank onto the blanket beside her and looked up at her, “I didn’t want you to know I had planned to drink lemonade out of sippy cups with Carla. You would have laughed at me and I couldn’t have that. I have a macho image to preserve, after all.”
He sounded so plaintive and earnest that her heart turned over in her chest and, in that moment, she acknowledged that she actually liked him. Why had she ever thought he was an obnoxious jerk? He was truly caring, sensitive and kind.
Just that moment, Carla bounded up to them, “Dad, can we go see the rest of the area? There’s the guide,” she added, pointing at Derek Cutler.
Theodore lifted his head and waved at the skinny young man. Derek was the Sheriff’s twenty-year-old son, and he sometimes volunteered as a Park Ranger in these parts. He sighed. The kid was responsible, and besides, it would give him and Jessica some much-needed time alone.
He looked at her, “Are you all right with Derek showing the kids around? The tour should take about an hour. They’ll be fine.”
Her eyes widened with worry, “Is it safe?”
He nodded, “The kids will be absolutely safe. The animals are all in enclosures. Also, Derek is very responsible. He has my trust.”
She looked him over again and nodded. As the kids raced off, she turned back to Theodore, feeling the reality of being alone with him for a few minutes.
Casually, he extended his hand to her and said, “Hey, why don’t I show you my favorite little hideaway nearby.” He had a twinkle in his eye that gave her some idea of what might be about to transpire.
As they gathered up their blanket and headed down a secluded path, she felt her skin begin to tingle, even as other areas began to wake up. Soon, they came out into a little grassy clearing.
As he spread out the blanket, once again, she let out a nervous little laugh. “Are you sure the kids will be okay?”
“The kids are fine. I’m afraid it’s