Page 19 of Sheltered

Instinctively, I reached my hands out to her, one hand going to her hip, the other to her ass. “Whoa. Are you alright?” I asked.

“Oh my God,” she murmured, looking back at me as she held on and readjusted her hands and feet. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright. I’m the one standing here with my hands on you, so I’m not complaining,” I replied. “As long as you’re okay, I’m completely fine.”

Her cheeks flushed. “You do have your hands on my ass.”

“Only one hand,” I corrected her, loving the turn things had taken and seeing this flirtatious side of her. “And if you’re steady, I can let go now.”

“You could,” she said. “Or you could keep it there and give me a boost.”

That response surprised me, but I didn’t let myself get caught up in the shock, because I didn’t want her to think I was against helping. I sent a knowing look her way and gave her a boost. I kept my hands on her until I could no longer reach. Then I followed behind her up to the platform.

And that was the point at which everything changed. For the remainder of our time on the courses, there was a new level of comfort between us. We exchanged a lot of smiles and many laughs. Our eyes connected with one another several times, and it was always more than just a passing glance. My favorite part, though, was the increased frequency of soft touches that passed between us. Harlow’s fingertips would brush up against my bicep, or she’d move her body in a way it was impossible for me not to graze her hip or arm.

It was easily the best day I’d had in a very long time, and it had gone far better than I had anticipated.

That’s why I was so bummed when we noticed the storm clouds rolling in.

Harlow

This was the most magical day of my life.

It didn’t even bother me that it had started to drizzle. From the moment Blaze took me home last night and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, I decided I was going to immerse myself completely in whatever experience he chose to give me today.

On the surface, it was ziplining and a ropes course.

Deep down, it was connection, companionship, smiles, touches, and undeniable looks.

It was everything I could have ever hoped for it to be, and then some.

There wasn’t a time in my life, not even when I was a kid, where I could remember having as much fun as I did today, and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind I wouldn’t forget a single moment of it, especially not him.

It was all thanks to Blaze that I got to do this; I never would have done it on my own.

So, even though we were now making our way back from the courses beneath the dark clouds in the sky so we could return the harnesses, there wasn’t anything that was going to wipe the smile off my face.

“I didn’t think to check the weather,” Blaze declared. “If I would have known, we could have done something else today.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve had the best time with you,” I assured him.

“Really? You’re not disappointed it’s starting to rain?”

“Of course, the rain is a bummer, but it’s not like we haven’t had a few hours of fun. This was wonderful.”

The rain picked up, more droplets landing on my arms and face. Blaze and I increased our pace and made it back to the building to turn the harnesses in just as the skies opened.

Once we dealt with the harnesses, Blaze said, “You wait here, and I’ll go grab the truck.”

As he turned to walk away and out into the bad weather, I reached for his arm. My fingers curled around his wrist, and he stopped, looking back at me with curiosity in his expression.

“I’ll go with you.”

“But you’ll get all wet,” he noted.

I shrugged. “At least we’ll be doing it together.”

Blaze tensed, his body reacting to my words. He eventually turned completely toward me, and for several long moments, he simply stared at me. I didn’t know what was going through his mind, but I was desperate to know.