Why did he feel so anxious to see her now?
Done with dinner and family. Meet me at the bench by the volleyball court.
Her text came through at ten o’clock. Outside was very cold, with temperatures dropping below freezing. He tugged on the puffy, Gore-Tex coat, gloves, and hat that matched his boots.
They wanted to meet far away from everyone else.
Why? Because it was special.
Private.
Theirs alone.
Asher couldn’t stop thinking about her. Despite dating a girl who lived on the other side of the country, he didn’t know when the actual moment clicked and changed. But it did.
There were many benches all over her family’s ranch, not just the one near the volleyball court. Crunchy ice covered it. It stood at the far end, overlooking the beach and the icy-crusted water, along with the mountain range that ran the length of the ranch. The bench was on an elevated spit of land that provided a lovely view as the river turned the corner. Tucked inside that corner turn was their most popular sandy, swimming beach, almost invisible behind the pine trees and cottonwoods that hid the spot.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. There was no way to soften his approach.
His heart lurched when he sensed she was there. Already.
The full moon was out, and the sky was completely clear. Stars glittered, like silver flashes and the moon seemed ghostly, pearlescent and glowing white. The river surface reflected the magical colors, swaying through the ripples that swooshed on its surface. The snow made everything white and bright, despite the darkness, but the irrepressible moon spotlighted the surroundings. Moon shadows of trees shone on the flat, ice-covered snow. Asher’s silhouette also made a shadow. Such a cool phenomenon, he doubted New York could manage to create such an ambient evening, not with all those city lights.
He spotted her sitting there, waiting. A hat covered her hair. She turned when the crunching of his feet on the snow caught her attention. She jumped up at the same moment, wearing a full snowsuit: pants, coat, boots and gloves. She was insulated and poofy, yet slim and shapely. Her curves filled out the fluffy suit in an attractive manner.
The moonlight allowed Asher to see her facial expression. Weariness. Joy. Excitement. Nerves.
She must have felt the same as he did.
He stopped short a few feet away from her.
She stared at him and so did he. Then a small smile slipped over her face.
“This is so strange. I still don’t know how to feel about you,” she finally admitted.
“I don’t know how to feel about you either.”
“In person, you seem like a stranger, but if I shut my eyes, or call you, I have no problem telling you my most intimate thoughts and feelings. In fact, I already have.”
“I didn’t know I had intimate feelings or thoughts until I started calling you every day. I’ve told you all I have to say in the last hundred days.”
She nodded, her expression both solemn and hungry for more. She still had a crush on him, of that he was sure. “Asher…”
He jumped at her. Screw it all. Whatever happened during the last few months, while being apart, still happened. He couldn’t explain it and did not feel obligated to. Fuck it. He wanted her. His heart beat louder and faster, all but thudding inside his chest with so much excitement in anticipation of seeing her.
She read his reaction and jumped towards him. Their arms wrapped around each other and their mouths opened, meshing their tongues together and releasing sighs and groans. Both of them were wearing many layers, so it was hard to grab any skin, but that didn’t hamper their kissing. On and on, like love-starved victims, they consumed each other with their kisses. When the urgency was finally sated enough for Asher to lean back and stare down into her bright eyes, he said, “Hi” at last.
Daisy laughed, smiled and blushed all at once. In a husky tone, she answered, “Hi.”
“I wish it were swimsuit weather, instead of snowsuit weather.”
“Just think about all the unwrapping you’ll have to do,” she teased.
“Will I?” His tone with her was usually flirting and kidding, but now it came across as serious and intense. He was analyzing his feelings about Daisy. Little Daisy. Cousin Daisy. Friend Daisy. Confidante Daisy. And now, God help him, sexy Daisy.
“Yes.” She stared right at him. No smiles. No flirting. Just bold and sure. She nodded slowly, and he nodded his understanding silently.
“I will give you date number four and five… all the way to ten. You can say how many and we’ll do whatever you want. I promise to be fun and charming, never weird or mean, if that’s what you need and want. But—”
“But?” Her tone was breathless.
“It’s not what I want. I just need to be near you. I’ve been dreaming of it. Longing for it. When you left here, I never knew I’d feel this way. It developed after I wasn’t near you, surprising me more than anyone. I never expected to feel like I do now. Our relationship was supposed to be casual and free. Instead, it’s…”
Her gaze got huge and she looked anxious. “It’s… are we way past casual dating?”
“Yeah,” he whispered. They both stared at each other.
“Take me to your place, Asher.”
He shut his eyes with relief. Then he opened them, holding onto her stare. “Daisy, what does this mean? Do you know what you’re saying?”
“Us. It means us. It means something is happening between us and it’s not anyone’s dream or imagination anymore. It’s become real now. There is no one else. Whether I’m here or not doesn’t matter anymore. It means that we have a bond.”
“As a couple?” He could not shake the need to fully articulate what he felt.
“Yes.” She set her hand out to his.
He responded by putting his hand on hers and agreeing.
“Okay. Let’s go back to my place, Daisy.”
With those words, Asher knew for a fact that everything was about to change dramatically between them. Would he realize his desire for her? All the limitations and hurdles that once stood between them seemed to vanish. His attraction was so deep and strong, he could not resist Daisy any longer.
Chapter 9
DAISY WONDERED IF THIS would ever happen. This moment right now. Gripping his hand through her puffy, Gore-Tex-lined gloves, she followed Asher Reed to his place. The obvious decision they agreed upon was to venture beyond friendship. It was finally becoming real and meaningful. The thought of sex was exciting, yes, but for her, it was so much more than that. She’d waited years for him to cast his eyes in her direction. Now that he finally was, the radiant heat produced by her body could have melted all the snow around her. She didn’t feel an urgent, rabid need to have him sexually. She was more eager to have her soul meet his, and to meld her laughter, fun, smiles and joy into his. She would be making love for the first time, not just experiencing sexual gratification.
Breathless, her cheeks on fire, Daisy found it hard to believe Asher finally saw her the same way she did him for as long as she could remember. The icy cold outside contrasted with the searing pleasure when they entered the warm blast of his insulated room. It was so welcoming after the frigid, brittle world they all but ran through.
Releasing her hand, Asher walked over and clicked a small lamp on, illuminating the room with the dimmest halo of light. Romantic too, hiding the harsh details and setting. Bed, nightstand, chair and a TV in the opposite corner, along with a small kitchen unit. The cabins were neat, orderly, and private, but very small spaces. Daisy was just glad it was warm, and they were alone.