“And where would we go?”
“Remember I promised you a day with the top off the Jeep?”
“Yeah,” she murmured.
“Well I still want to take you. So what do you say?”
She seemed to think on that for several moments while I anxiously awaited her answer. This was the perfect opportunity to manipulate the situation so that we got to spend time together—alone. I wanted nothing more than to take her up to my favorite place and watch the sunset with her. I hoped she would be as enthralled by it as I was.
“Strictly platonic?” It was more a question than a statement.
“Of course,” I said in my most innocent voice. If given the chance to be alone with her, I wasn’t going to limit our interaction. If it got intimate, so be it.
“What time are we talking?”
Mentally calculating what the best time would be, I asked, “How about four o’clock?”
“Fine,” she said with an aggrieved sigh, but I could swear I heard a smile in her voice.
“It’s Radcliff.”
“For real?” She sounded as if she didn’t believe me, so I assured her, “Trust me. I wish I was kidding.”
“Where did that name come from?”
“It was my maternal great-grandfather’s name. I guess it was a last minute change my mother made on my birth certificate. Pissed my dad off something fierce because he was adamant about his son not having to deal with a name that would get him picked on.” I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me. At this point in my life, I was over it for the most part but as a young kid it was pure torture.
“Well I think it sounds scholarly. Benjamin Radcliff Harris.” Just then a yawn escaped her.
“You better get to bed, old lady,” I teased her trying to avoid visions of her sleeping next to Scott.
“I know. It was a long week. I’m looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.”
“All right. I’ll see you tomorrow at four.”
“Right. Goodnight, Ben.” Her voice was soft and sweet making me wish I was there so she could snuggle into my embrace.
“Night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams.”
Hanging up the phone, I let out a loud whoop. Tomorrow was going to be amazing.
TWELVE
It was four o’clock on the dot when I pulled up to Clarissa’s house. I got out of the Jeep and walked up her front walkway. Hoping to get a glimpse of Scott, I knocked on the door and waited.
I had to admit as I stood there I was a little nervous about our date or non-date as it was. My palms were a little clammy and I shuffled from foot to foot, willing the door to open.
When it did, my heart just about stopped beating. She was wearing a pair of khaki shorts that showcased her toned legs and a tight tank top that had just enough cleavage to have my mouth watering. She was absolutely beautiful.
“You look great,” I choked out.
“Thanks. I was afraid I’d be underdressed.” She shut the door behind her and we walked side by side to the car.
“Sorry. I didn’t think about that when I said it was a surprise.”
“It’s no biggie. Are you still not going to tell me where we’re going?” I opened the door for her and she got in.
“Nope. Still a surprise.” I flicked the tip of her nose, shut the door and rounded the hood.
Climbing in, I started the car and pulled away from the curb. With the radio playing in the background, we headed north out of town.
The sun was shining and the wind whipped her hair around as it blew through the windows. She laughed as we talked about Meredith and Tanner’s recent hookup, and we both sang along when Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen came on the radio.
Even if she was slightly tone deaf, I could have listened to her belt out the lyrics to “Born to Run” and never tire of it. Whenever she missed a certain note she would crack up, which in turn made me laugh. Her passion was infectious.
Our whole drive out to the bluff, where I loved to go to think, was light-hearted and everything I had come to be used to whenever I was with her. Things between us came so easily, like we had been together for years rather than knowing each other for a few short months. The only way I could explain it was that instant connection I felt the first time I had seen her. Something in me knew she was that piece I needed in my life. I wasn’t taking that knowledge lightly. I was going to do everything in my power to keep her with me where she belonged.
About an hour after we started our adventure, I pulled the Jeep from the main road and we climbed a rocky trail leading up the side of a mountain. Rissa grabbed the handle hanging from her door and leaned forward to watch the scenery as it passed by.
“Aren’t you just a little freaked out driving up this steep incline?” she asked with a slight tinge of trepidation in her voice.
“Not really. I’ve been off-roading for a few years now.” I smirked and shifted gears. “Although I can tell you that the first time I went out on a trail in a Jeep with this guy I met when I was still in the Army, I almost shit my pants. A few minutes into it though I was ready to try it for myself. It’s like an adrenaline rush.”
“I could see that,” she murmured right before she gasped at a rather deep dip in the landscape that sent her forward in her seat.
Rounding a bend, the terrain leveled out and I pulled the Jeep into a flat area to the side of the trail. Turning the car off, I took the keys from the ignition and started to open my door.
Rissa looked around at the trees and sparse forest surrounding us. “You aren’t going to take me in the woods and kill me are you?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.
“As tempting as it is, I think I’ll keep you around for a little while longer,” I teased. “Come on. We still have about a quarter mile or so to go.”
Grabbing a blanket and basket from the trunk, I met Rissa on the trail. With a hand on her lower back, I guided her up the incline.
“What’s in the basket?” She peeked around my body to where the wicker hung from my hand.
“You’re quite the inquisitive little creature today.” I bumped her shoulder with mine.
“And you’re being very unforthcoming today,” she huffed.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Besides it’s a lot of fun for me to drive you crazy.”
When we crested the hill, Rissa stopped moving and murmured in awe, “Oh my God.”
Her words mirrored my initial thoughts the first time I saw this place. From the bluff we stood on, you could see hundreds of miles in three directions. The greenery dotting the hills and mountains that made up the landscape of New York State was simply breathtaking.
“How did you find this place?” She took several steps forward and spun around taking in the view. While she studied our surroundings, I studied her.
She really was everything I could have asked for in a woman. She was sweet, loving, funny, smart and sexy as sin. The way her face lit up with each new piece of scenery she discovered made me want to fall at her feet and give her anything her heart desired. I longed to pull her in my arms and kiss her again. I missed the feel of her and the head rush that came from breathing her in deeply.
Jesus. Just a few stolen moments with her had turned me to complete mush. This woman owned me and she didn’t even know it. I was so screwed.
“Ben?” she asked, drawing my attention to her.
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
“I asked how you found this place.” Her body pivoted so her back was to me, but she peeked over her shoulder when I didn’t answer immediately.
“Sheer luck,” I told her. “I was scoping out new trails and just happened upon it.”
“When was that?”
“A couple of years ago. I’ve been coming up here ever since. It’s something, isn’t it?”
“It really is. It’s absolutely perfect.”
We stood in silence, her watching the world as it went on around us and me watching her. I loved seeing this through her eyes for the first time.
As the sun slowly continued its descent, I laid out the blanket on a small patch of grass. Rissa joined me there. She rested on her hip with her legs out to the side, propped up by her arm.
“It’s just so peaceful out here.” She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the last of the sun’s rays wash over her.
“That’s why I brought you here. You hungry?”
“I could eat.” She sat up and twisted to face me as I opened up the basket. I laughed a little at that. She was such curious girl. When she reached her hand out to see what was inside, I quickly shut the lid down on her hand, making her yelp.
“This isn’t Pretty Woman, Ben.” She gave me an irritated look and stuck her bottom lip out into a little pout.
“No it’s not. I’m definitely no Richard Gere. Although you might pass for Julia Roberts if I do this.” I squinted my eyes and tipped my head from side to side. It was hard to keep a straight face when she looked offended and pushed my shoulder.
“You are such an ass!”
“I know.” I couldn’t hold back any more and started chuckling. “You are so damn easy to tease. I love the way your nose scrunches up in annoyance whenever you get all fired up.”
“Yeah well keep pushing my buttons and I’ll just stop talking to you,” she threatened.
“Oh I’d love to push all your... buttons.” I let the innuendo slip from my lips and hang between us. She visibly swallowed, and her body shivered under my scrutiny. Instead of pushing the situation, I turned my attention back to our dinner and began pulling the containers out.
“Did you make all this?” Rissa took the bottle of wine from the basket and fished around for the corkscrew.
“No,” I admitted. “My mom did.”
She sat back on her haunches and paused in her efforts to uncork the bottle. “Your mom made food for you? Did you tell her where you were going?”
I smiled at her unspoken question, did she know who you were going with?
“Sure. She wants to meet you by the way.” I shrugged like it was no big deal, wanting to see what her reaction to this news would be.
“Why does she want to meet me?” Rissa asked carefully.
“I don’t know. Probably because you’re a new woman that I mentioned and she wants grandchildren.” God I loved teasing her. Although a small part of me was a little offended when all the color drained from her face and she looked like she was going to bolt down the trail to get as far away from me as possible.
“What?” she finally shouted in a high pitched voice.
Deciding to have mercy on her, I took her hands in mine and rubbed soothing circles on her palms. “I’m kidding, sweetheart. You can calm down.”
“Don’t do that to me. I was beginning to think you were seriously crazy.” She gave me a light smirk.
“Well, I’d like to think of myself as a sane person, but you never know. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
We both dug in to the smorgasbord my mother prepared of barbecue chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans. The wine she put in the basket was cool and crisp and tasted delicious. By the time we were done eating, I was stuffed and could barely move.
“Your mom can cook for me any day of the week.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her.” My mom would love to hear the compliment especially coming from her.
“So what’s next?” She finished packing everything back into the basket and set it off to the side. I grabbed her waist and pulled her between my legs. Leaning against a tree trunk, I positioned her so her back was to my chest and let my hands rest partially on my legs, partially on hers.
“What are you doing?” she asked with skepticism.
“Getting comfortable. You should too.” The fading sun was making room for the darkened sky, moon and stars. They painted such a stunning picture and were the reason why I wanted her to come up here.
Her spine was rigid as she tried to hold herself a respectable distance from my body. “Ben, I told you things needed to stay platonic.”
“And we are,” I assured her.
“Friends don’t sit like this,” she argued instead of listening to me.
“Sure they do. Well some friends anyways. Just get comfortable or you’re going to miss the show and that, sweetheart, would be a damn shame.”
Eventually, she relaxed into my body and I grinned into her hair. One point for me, I thought smugly.
When the sky was finally dark enough for the myriads of stars to shine through, we were cozied up just the way I wanted us to be. Her head was on my chest, her arms were wrapped around my waist and our legs were entwined. I don’t even know when it happened. All I knew was that it was natural progression as we talked and laughed together.
“Thank you for sharing this with me,” she whispered.
When she lifted her head and looked into my eyes, I knew I was falling for her. She was perfect for me in every way and the way she made me feel was addicting. There wasn’t anything I wasn’t going to do to keep her in my life.
“You’re welcome,” I finally answered and pressed my lips softly to her forehead. Being with her like this was bittersweet.
I had faith that she would eventually realize what she meant to me and that we were meant to be together. I had to.
*****
We were standing outside Rissa’s front door after leaving the bluff. When we got back to her house, she tried to say goodnight and jump out of the Jeep. Instead of letting her get away, I insisted that I walk her to her door. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, and even though she said he wasn’t going to be home, I was still hoping to see the elusive Scott.
It concerned me that she didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with the fact that the last two nights he wasn’t around. Or the fact that she was still hanging out with me when she was in a relationship. She said we were just being platonic, but the way she cuddled up to me tonight was anything but.
“I had fun tonight.” Rissa stopped in front of her door and nervously fiddled with her keys.
“Me too.” I reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind her ears. She looked down and toed the concrete of the porch with her foot.
“I was thinking about hiking in the switchbacks out in Ellsworth tomorrow if you’re interested.” The trails the next town over were brutal to hike with their steep, sharp turns. It was great exercise though and a beautiful backdrop to do it in. Plus it would mean spending more time with her.
“I don’t know,” she hedged.
“Do you have something else planned?” I leaned against the house and waited for her answer.
“Well no, but...”
“But what?”
“Well Scott should be home tomorrow and I figured we would spend the day together,” she said meekly.
“Gotcha.” I straightened and stuck my hands in my pocket. I knew I should turn around and leave, but I wanted to prolong our time together as much I could. “Lunch on Monday?”
“Ben.” The word was strained when it came out of her mouth, and I knew I was pushing too hard. She probably thought I was an obsessed freak.
“I’m just trying to be a friend, Rissa. Friends hang out and have lunch. Friends go hiking. We had fun today. I was just trying to keep it going.” I shrugged like it was no big deal even though it was to me.
“Okay. You’re right. I’ll see you at lunch on Monday.” She capitulated so easily that I almost asked her to repeat herself.
“Great.” I kept my voice level so she couldn’t hear the excitement flowing through me.
“Well, have a good night.” She inserted her key into the door and opened it. Turning towards me, she gave me a beautiful smile, which I returned with one of my own. Stepping towards her, I opened my arms and went in for a hug. I could not wait to have her in my arms again. I was becoming greedy when it came to her.
“My friend Abigail wants to go out with you,” she blurted out in a rush, stopping me from getting any closer.
“Come again?” I
couldn’t have heard her right. A month ago I had my hands down her pants and we had another great night together tonight. Now she was trying to set me up on a fucking date with her friend?
“You remember her right? The blonde I ran into at lunch with the other day?” Totally ignoring my question she continued in a rush, “I was thinking we could double date. Scott and me. You and Abigail. What do you say?”
I closed the few feet separating us and cupped her jaw with my hand. Looking into her gorgeous blue eyes, I decided to throw all my cards on the table. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Either she was being deliberately obtuse or she really was clueless about how I felt about her.
“I would do anything for you, sweetheart. Walk to the edge of the earth and back if that’s what you wanted. Anything. Anything at all, all you have to do is ask and it’s yours. But you can’t ask me to do that.”
“Why not?” she breathed.
“Because I’m absolutely crazy about a gorgeous redhead with eyes the color of the ocean, who likes to quote songs and says things like whilst.”
“You are?” Her voice was reed thin and her breath came in quick little pants as my hand slid down her neck, gripping her there and pulling her closer.
Running my nose along hers, I whispered against her lips, “I am.”
“Ben?”
“Yeah, sweetheart.”
“Please don’t kiss me.”
“Why not?” Rubbing my lips against hers I wanted nothing more than to kiss her. Devour her. She had been a craving on my lips for the past four weeks and I was ready for another taste.
“Because I’m with Scott.” She put pressure on my hand but I refused to let her go.
“You don’t love him, Rissa. I see the way you look at me. You can’t deny you want me. Christ, you came on my hand and if I hadn’t stopped we would have fucked right there in the bathroom. Break up with him.”
“I can’t,” she argued weakly.
“You can. Every day you stay with him, you’re wasting time. Life’s too short.”
Placing a gentle kiss on her lips, I forced myself to walk away from her. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but I knew it would be worth it in the long run if it worked out that I never had to leave her again.
Man Candy Page 13
