side of the house.
Probably another perimeter check or something. She finished with her sister and her own sandwich, then went out to her car to grab her suitcase. She’d been so tired yesterday, she hadn’t bothered fighting the rain to bring it in. But now it was morning and she needed to take a shower, not to mention setting up her stuff here. If Dad was discharged today, he’d be coming to this cabin—he’d insisted—so there was no point in her going back to the hospital. She’d do more good stocking his refrigerator and doing his laundry. God only knew when he’d last washed his sheets.
She’d just pulled on shorts and a tee when she heard Mark come into the cabin. She couldn’t deny the tightening in her gut at the sound of his heavy footfalls, but was it excitement or fear? What was the prudent course of action?
Annoyed with the whirling in her thoughts, she headed for her bathroom to brush her teeth and delay seeing him for another few minutes. But it didn’t help. All she did was churn through the same questions while her anxiety climbed another notch. Was she safe? Was he right, and there was really something dangerous out there? Why was she so attracted to him? Would he flip out on her?
She rinsed. Spit. Grabbed a dry towel and cleaned off. Then looked in the mirror and choked on her scream.
He stood right behind her. Large. His eyes intense and a little wild. And his whole body dwarfed her by many inches on all sides.
“Mark?” she managed in a quavering voice.
“You’re trying to make yourself afraid of me,” he said, his voice low and dark.
It was on her lips to deny it, but the way he was looking at her made her hold back the words. He wasn’t angry. He was hurt. “You confuse me,” she said honestly.
“I’d never hurt you.”
She swallowed. The way he said it, she believed him. But what was happening here was beyond weird. “I don’t know what you’re thinking. I can’t read you and—”
He stepped closer, blocking her in on all sides. Her words ended on a squeak of alarm, but the rest of her heated at his nearness. She didn’t even have room to turn to face him. Then he leaned forward, his hands gripping the counter on either side of her. And his head bent down slowly to press lightly against the side of her head while the heat of his body seeped into her backside.
“I thought about you,” he said softly. “All night, I thought about when we were teens. About what we did and how I wanted you.” He swallowed. “And how I blew it.” He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. “I’m sorry, Julie. I was an ass.”
“I already forgave you yesterday. And long ago.”
She felt his body pressing against her, hot and hard. Not just his muscles, but the thickness between her butt cheeks. Their clothes did not mask his erection, and she was both terrified and aroused by the feel of him right there.
“I know I’m crazy,” he said against her temple. “I know I frighten you.”
She wanted to deny it, but couldn’t.
His eyes remained closed as he spoke, and so she watched the tight muscles of his face and felt the slow, steady pressure of his body against hers. “I’m dying, Julie. Literally. I won’t see the New Year. Probably won’t make it to October.”
She jolted. “What?” The idea that this vital man would be gone in a few months was completely alien to her. He was too strong, too much here for him to ever be gone. It made no sense. She started to twist to look at him, but his hands shifted to grip her hips and hold her in place.
“Don’t move. Let me explain.”
She stilled and waited, but he didn’t speak. Eventually, she huffed out a breath.
“You’re supposed to be explaining.”
He chuckled, sounding so casual that she felt whiplash again. He was laughing off his death as if it were a minor technicality. “Turns out there isn’t much to explain. The…disease doesn’t matter. We’ve tried everything.”
“Like…chemo and
Probably another perimeter check or something. She finished with her sister and her own sandwich, then went out to her car to grab her suitcase. She’d been so tired yesterday, she hadn’t bothered fighting the rain to bring it in. But now it was morning and she needed to take a shower, not to mention setting up her stuff here. If Dad was discharged today, he’d be coming to this cabin—he’d insisted—so there was no point in her going back to the hospital. She’d do more good stocking his refrigerator and doing his laundry. God only knew when he’d last washed his sheets.
She’d just pulled on shorts and a tee when she heard Mark come into the cabin. She couldn’t deny the tightening in her gut at the sound of his heavy footfalls, but was it excitement or fear? What was the prudent course of action?
Annoyed with the whirling in her thoughts, she headed for her bathroom to brush her teeth and delay seeing him for another few minutes. But it didn’t help. All she did was churn through the same questions while her anxiety climbed another notch. Was she safe? Was he right, and there was really something dangerous out there? Why was she so attracted to him? Would he flip out on her?
She rinsed. Spit. Grabbed a dry towel and cleaned off. Then looked in the mirror and choked on her scream.
He stood right behind her. Large. His eyes intense and a little wild. And his whole body dwarfed her by many inches on all sides.
“Mark?” she managed in a quavering voice.
“You’re trying to make yourself afraid of me,” he said, his voice low and dark.
It was on her lips to deny it, but the way he was looking at her made her hold back the words. He wasn’t angry. He was hurt. “You confuse me,” she said honestly.
“I’d never hurt you.”
She swallowed. The way he said it, she believed him. But what was happening here was beyond weird. “I don’t know what you’re thinking. I can’t read you and—”
He stepped closer, blocking her in on all sides. Her words ended on a squeak of alarm, but the rest of her heated at his nearness. She didn’t even have room to turn to face him. Then he leaned forward, his hands gripping the counter on either side of her. And his head bent down slowly to press lightly against the side of her head while the heat of his body seeped into her backside.
“I thought about you,” he said softly. “All night, I thought about when we were teens. About what we did and how I wanted you.” He swallowed. “And how I blew it.” He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. “I’m sorry, Julie. I was an ass.”
“I already forgave you yesterday. And long ago.”
She felt his body pressing against her, hot and hard. Not just his muscles, but the thickness between her butt cheeks. Their clothes did not mask his erection, and she was both terrified and aroused by the feel of him right there.
“I know I’m crazy,” he said against her temple. “I know I frighten you.”
She wanted to deny it, but couldn’t.
His eyes remained closed as he spoke, and so she watched the tight muscles of his face and felt the slow, steady pressure of his body against hers. “I’m dying, Julie. Literally. I won’t see the New Year. Probably won’t make it to October.”
She jolted. “What?” The idea that this vital man would be gone in a few months was completely alien to her. He was too strong, too much here for him to ever be gone. It made no sense. She started to twist to look at him, but his hands shifted to grip her hips and hold her in place.
“Don’t move. Let me explain.”
She stilled and waited, but he didn’t speak. Eventually, she huffed out a breath.
“You’re supposed to be explaining.”
He chuckled, sounding so casual that she felt whiplash again. He was laughing off his death as if it were a minor technicality. “Turns out there isn’t much to explain. The…disease doesn’t matter. We’ve tried everything.”
“Like…chemo and
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