by the edge of the water.
She rarely drank this much, and her head was swimming. Her mind was filled with thoughts of the past and present, and she wondered what she would do with her future.
“It's a beautiful night, isn't it?” said a soft, masculine voice from beside her.
She gasped and turned as the face emerged from the inky darkness under the dim light of the moon. She took a step back, thinking that maybe she was dreaming.
“I knew it was you,” he said. “Fate really does work in mysterious ways.”
“Am I dreaming?” she asked.
“I asked myself that same question. I'm Dylan.” He reached out his hand to her.
“I'm Annie,” she said, taking his hand. As their skin touched, electricity vibrated through her, exciting every part of her being. She felt more awake, aware, and alive than she ever had.
“I was worried you would never respond to my message,” he said, still holding her hand. “But now you're here. In the flesh.”
She drew back her hand, her heart vibrating like a thin thread. “I probably wouldn't have. I think it was a mistake.”
“But you're here now. We might as well get to know each other. Would you like to walk with me?”
“All right.”
They began to walk down the path around the lake. He was silent for long moments as the only sounds were the distant music from the wedding party and their shoes on the pavement.
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“I'm from Denver. I've lived there all my life.”
“I've lived in Fate Rock my whole life. I've always been a rancher. Things are good. There's only one thing missing.”
“What's that?”
“You.”
They looked at each other under the dim porch light from one of the cabins. She felt her body vibrate with an open question. He reached out and cupped her cheek, his palm warm and soft. She let out a deep sigh of contentment at his touch. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them again as they simultaneously leaned into each other. Their lips met, and the energy between them exploded in a rush of desire. Hot need, like nothing she'd ever felt, gripped her senses.
She threw her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, parting her lips to welcome his tongue deep into her mouth. They shared the taste of each other. Their bodies pressed together, hard and hot. The planes of his muscles felt firm and secure against her softness. A hot flood of need dripped from her core.
His hands wrapped around her waist, stroking her back. He pushed against her, and she felt his cock rise hard on her stomach as he pressed his thigh between her legs. It had been so long since she'd been with anyone, so long since she'd had any real release.
She gasped and quivered with arousal. His hands ran over the globes of her ass and pulled her even more firmly against his manhood. She slipped her palms down his broad, muscled shoulders, feeling the firmness of his body, his thick biceps, and his hard ass. She slid her fingers into the waist of his jeans and felt the warmth of his skin. She wanted more. She needed more of this.
They broke away from each other and looked into each other's eyes. He seemed as shocked as she felt. But he took her hand and started down the trail.
“Come with me,” she said in a low voice. They walked up the trail, deeper into the forest, until they came up to her tiny cabin at the edge of the property.
She slipped a key into the door and pulled him into the room. When the door was closed, she pushed him up against it, unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled it over his head. A single lamp glowed on his muscled chest, and her mouth watered. She bent down and licked his nipple, running her fingers over the rise and fall of his rippled abs. Her fingers caught in his waistband, and she began to unbuckle his belt. He groaned with desire and started to unbutton the back of her dress.
His belt unbuckled, she snapped open his button and pulled down his zipper. He pulled her dress down over her shoulders, revealing her bra. She pulled out of the sleeves, and the dress fell down around her hips then slid to the floor. She reached inside his pants and stroked his length.
He looked into her eyes. His were wide with shock, pleasure, and excitement all rolled into one.