by Kim Baldwin
Also, Karla had been in a long-term relationship until only a month or two ago. She hadn’t seen the end coming and had been deeply hurt. Karla probably wouldn’t be able to fully trust anyone again enough to commit to them for a long time. She knew as well as Bryson did that what was happening between them would end in a few weeks. Maybe that was one reason she found it appealing. Maybe Bryson was just a way for her to move on and feel better about herself and her situation.
The thought depressed her. She wanted to mean more to Karla than that. But she would happily take what she could get, regardless of Karla’s motivations. For many years, she had followed her pop’s advice to live life in the moment and seize happiness wherever possible. She’d continue to do so.
The vague snowmobile track she’d been following ended at the large boulder where she’d left Karla. The remnants of her footprints beyond were much less distinct, disappearing entirely in the open places and visible only as faint impressions where she’d passed beneath thick clusters of trees. But she had a keen sense of direction and well-developed tracking skills, and was able to follow the footprints along the riverbank to the entrance into the deeper woods, where she’d found Karla.
It was a long shot, but she had to try to find the necklace. Carefully and patiently she picked her way along, circling when she lost the tracks until she found them again, until at last she came upon the downed tree where she’d first discovered Karla. She said a prayer as she got on her hands and knees to sweep the snow aside, and soon the sight of a gold chain peeking out of the white powder rewarded her.
Elated, she angled back toward the river and continued upstream, barely noticing the ache in her legs and back from carrying Karla the night before. But her brief euphoria dissipated when she spotted the skiff and realized what she was up against.
The rise in the water level would help her get the skiff off the gravel bar and back down the river. But crossing to it would be a bitch, even with neoprene on. She’d be punching through ice for the first and last few steps, and she’d have to go slow over the rocky bottom when she reached the fast, deep current in the middle or it would sweep her away.
Karla had been damn lucky. Just thinking of what could have happened chilled her, but she admired Karla even more. It had taken a lot of courage to face that crossing and make it as far as she had.
Bryson quickly shed her jeans and pulled her neoprene kayak pants on over her lightweight long underwear, then her neoprene socks and waterproof boots, laced as tight as they would go. Shortening her backpack so it rode high on her shoulders, she took a few deep breaths and stomped through the thick ice at the edge. She moved as quickly as she dared, but had to slow when she got in over her knees and began to feel the impact of the current. The middle was wicked deep, up to the top of her thighs, and she struggled to keep her footing.
The thought that Karla was depending on her to get back in one piece kept her from making stupid mistakes out of haste. She reached the other side and darted into the cabin of the skiff, out of the wind, and quickly changed back into her jeans and warm, dry footwear.
The clouds above her were thickening, and the wind began to pick up as she checked the exterior of the skiff for damage. The dent in the bow that Karla warned her about wasn’t too bad; the boat was still watertight. The engine was balky but she managed to get it going on the fourth try. Things had probably happened so fast that Karla had flooded it.
Her final obstacle was getting the boat back in the water and to her place without further problems. The water already lapped against the bow and was only a few inches from the starboard side, so she didn’t have to move the skiff much to get it afloat. Fortunately, Lars had a winch on board that should do the job nicely. She hooked it up and was headed downriver a half hour later.
*
“Miss me?”
The nearly four hours Bryson was gone had seemed an eternity. “Talk about understatement,” Karla replied. “Any problems? Did you get the skiff? How do you feel?” Everything rushed out.
Bryson laughed as she hung her coat and backpack on the pegs by the door and shed her boots. “No, yes, and don’t take it personally if I suddenly fall asleep on you mid-sentence. Kinda beat.”
“I’m amazed you’re still standing. I was getting worried. I expected you a lot sooner.”
“Took a little detour.” Bryson’s eyes twinkled as she approached the couch. “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”
Puzzled, Karla complied. Her heart filled with joy as she closed her palm over the familiar cold metal and smooth stone. But she still couldn’t quite believe it until she opened her eyes and saw it was true. “Oh, my God! You found it! How in the world—”
“I knew how much it meant to you. I was lucky.”
“Oh, Bryson!” She clutched the necklace to her heart. “I’d given up hope of ever seeing it again. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Not necessary.” Bryson looked down at her with a very pleased expression, but had dark circles under her eyes. “Seeing your face right now is ample reward.”
“Come sit and relax. You look like you’re ready to collapse.”
Bryson nodded wearily but headed toward the kitchen. “Soon as I get some cocoa poured, you’re on. Join me?”
“Please.”
“How’re you doing? Feet hurting much?”
“Just took a couple more ibuprofen. They’re doing okay.”
“Don’t think there’s much Lars will need to do to the boat,” Bryson informed her. “Seems to run fine. The engine was probably flooded.”
“That’s good news. I want to pay for the repairs.”
“Lars may fight you on that. And he’s got a friend who’ll probably do the work in exchange for a favor. Bartering is really popular up here.” Bryson carried their cocoa over and sank onto the futon next to her. “Oh, yeah. Feels good to sit.” She laid her head back and closed her eyes with a sigh. “In a minute, we’ll see to those feet.”
When she didn’t move or speak for another couple of minutes, Karla reached over and gently urged Bryson’s head into her lap. Bryson never opened her eyes and was quickly sound asleep.
Karla lightly stroked Bryson’s hair and listened to her soft, steady breathing. It’s so easy to be with you.
*
“You sure about this?” Bryson sounded skeptical. She’d had urged her not to rush things, but after four days of depending on Bryson for absolutely everything, Karla was more than ready to get back on her feet. Not that she minded being carried around, nestled against Bryson’s chest, but her swelling had disappeared long ago, and she had only a few blisters around her toes that were responding well to antibiotic ointment. It was time. The sooner she convinced Bryson she was back to normal, the sooner they might take their budding relationship to the next level. Bryson’s soreness had faded, but she’d refused to consider being intimate with Karla until she was healed, too.
They’d spent their days and evenings getting to know each other, sharing stories of their lives and exchanging likes and dislikes. Bryson made her laugh until her sides hurt, and they had ample opportunities for long, lingering kisses that left her anxious for more.
“Stop being so protective. I’m a nurse, remember?” She eased off the futon and gingerly put her weight on her feet. “Feels okay.” Bryson was standing beside her uncertainly, ready to support her if needed. “Just a little sore.”
“Guess you know best. But I’m happy to keep toting you around.”
Karla put her arms around Bryson’s neck. “I know. But I hate being an invalid. I love how you’ve pampered me, but I don’t need you to be my nursemaid any more.” She pulled Bryson’s head down and kissed her passionately. “I have other plans for your seemingly endless energy.”
Bryson’s arms encircled her waist. “That so?” she asked with a smile.
“Yup. And if you insist on sleeping in the loft again, I’m going to crawl up there with you. I’m tired of sleeping alone.”
“Told you, I toss and turn a lot. I thought you’d be more comfortable—”
“That’s not the real reason. You didn’t want to succumb to temptation, that’s all. You’re not fooling me.” She poked Bryson playfully in the chest. “No more delays, huh? If I don’t get my hands on you soon, I’ll spontaneously combust.”
“Hmm. Well, we can’t have that.” Bryson initiated the next kiss, another heated exchange that left them both breathless. “I want you too, Karla. So much. So damn much.”
“Hold that thought.” If Bryson kept looking at her like that she wouldn’t be able to keep to her plan. “First things first. Can you do something for me?”
“Anything.”
“Mind drawing me a bath?”
Bryson grinned wickedly. “Definitely my pleasure. Damn shame the tub isn’t big enough for two.”
“I had the same thought. But we can take turns soaping each other.”
“Mmm. Sounds like a very nice alternative.” Bryson kissed her on the forehead and moved out of their embrace. “I’ll put some water on and get things set up.”
Karla sat back on the futon and removed the bandages from her feet while Bryson set the oval galvanized tub in front of the woodstove. It took a while to heat the water and fill it, and all the while, Bryson kept glancing her way with a goofy grin on her face. As a finishing touch, Bryson poured fragrant bath salts into the tub and stirred the water, then hung a couple of large towels and a terry-cloth robe from a chair near the stove.
“Ready for me?”
Bryson chuckled. “That’s a loaded question. But, yes.”
As Karla walked slowly toward the tub, she reached with trembling hands to undo the buttons on her emerald cardigan. Nervous excitement jangled her nerves and sent her pulse racing.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Bryson quickly closed the distance and took Karla’s hands in hers. “I’ve been undressing you in my mind too long to miss out on the real thing.” She led Karla the rest of the way and stood facing her. “I’d like to take all day doing this,” she added as she slowly unbuttoned Karla’s sweater, “but I don’t want you to get cold.” She kissed the hollow at the base of Karla’s throat while she slipped the cardigan off her shoulders.
“The way you get my blood boiling, that seems like a long shot.”
Bryson’s hands slipped beneath her turtleneck and paused there, cool fingertips grazing the warm flesh of Karla’s rib cage. Her skin was so hypersensitive the light caress was electrifying, the unvarnished desire in Bryson’s eyes amplifying the sensation.
“Trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you?” she asked, when Bryson’s hands skimmed over her sides to her back, then dipped beneath the waistband of her sweats.
“Can’t help myself.” Bryson’s voice was husky as she squeezed Karla’s ass.
“You know, the sooner you get me into this water, the sooner I can get out of it and into a bed.”
“There is that,” Bryson readily agreed. She pulled the turtleneck over Karla’s head, then slowly removed the sweatpants, her fingernails etching light trails down her thighs and calves as she stooped to slip them down and off. Beneath, Karla wore only a sheer beige bra and panties, so transparent they left nothing to the imagination.
As Bryson’s gaze drifted over her body, Karla heard her soft gasp of appreciation and noted the swift rise and fall of her chest. “Beautiful,” Bryson murmured, as she reached behind Karla to unhook the clasp of her bra. The panties soon followed, and Bryson’s pupils dilated as she withdrew a step to admire Karla’s naked body. “You take my breath away.”
“I’m awfully glad you approve.” She shuddered, uncertain whether the cool air or the almost predatory look in Bryson’s eyes caused her reaction. Bryson started to reach for her, but she tapped the outstretched hand and stepped into the tub. It was so small she had to bend her knees to fit, and the water barely covered her breasts, but it was gloriously warm, and the enticing aroma of the bath salts made the experience almost luxurious.
Bryson knelt beside the tub and rolled up her sleeves. “Where would you like me to start?” she asked mischievously as she dipped a washcloth into the water and lathered it with scented gel.
“Here.” Karla stretched out her legs and rested them on the edge of the tub. Bryson ran the washcloth over them in circles, but kept her gaze fixed hungrily on Karla’s breasts. Karla looked down, not surprised to find her nipples erect. “Guess I don’t have to tell you what your touch is doing to me.”
“Very hot.” Bryson directed the washcloth up Karla’s thigh, over her stomach, and then into the valley between her breasts. She leaned forward to kiss Karla, and as her tongue pushed insistently into her mouth, she played the washcloth over Karla’s breasts, then descended between her legs.
When it skimmed over her clit, Karla’s pelvis rose involuntarily to meet it. A moan escaped into their enjoined mouths, and Bryson answered it with another teasing pass across her sex. Karla broke the kiss and wrestled the cloth from Bryson’s hand. “Dangerous,” she gasped. “Maybe I better finish this. Will you do my hair?”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Bryson’s face, but she smiled knowingly and nodded. “Of course.” While she wet Karla’s hair from a pitcher of warm water and rubbed shampoo into her scalp, Karla shakily ran the washcloth over the rest of her body, avoiding further stimulation to her already oversensitized breasts and groin.
“Is this torturing you as much as it is me?” Bryson asked as she rinsed Karla’s hair with more warm water.
“Torture is sure the word for it. And now it’s your turn, I believe.” As she boosted herself from the tub, Bryson enveloped her in a warm towel, drying her thoroughly before wrapping the towel around her head like a turban. Then she helped her into the robe, kissing her lightly on the forehead as she tied the sash.
“Drawing a fresh bath for me will take a few minutes,” Bryson said, looking down at her. “You may get chilled. Sure you don’t want to warm up the bed while I bathe? I’ll be very fast.”
Much as she’d looked forward to giving Bryson a little payback, her bare legs were already raising gooseflesh, and the idea of watching Bryson bathe from beneath the thick down comforter held even greater appeal at the moment. They would have ample time for touching soon. “Maybe you’re right.”
While she converted the couch back into a bed, Bryson emptied the tub with a large bucket, ferrying the tepid water outdoors in several trips. By the time she had the tub refilled, Karla was ensconced comfortably between the sheets, pillows propped up so she could get an unobstructed view of Bryson stripping for her bath.
Bryson ran a hand through the water to test the temperature. Satisfied, she hurriedly pulled off her socks and her sweatshirt, then reached for the fly on her jeans. She’d been so busy with her preparations that she hadn’t looked directly at Karla until that instant. From the way Bryson suddenly froze, it was clear she could see in Karla’s eyes how stirred up she was.
Bryson returned the intense stare as she resumed undressing, sliding the jeans down her legs and shedding her long-sleeved T-shirt to reveal black panties and a matching bra. Bryson also quickly tossed these aside, but hesitated before she stepped into the tub, her wide grin acknowledging how much she was enjoying the way she’d mesmerized her audience.
Karla realized her mouth was hanging open and quickly closed it as a blush warmed her cheeks. She was awestruck at the perfection of Bryson’s naked body. Though well aware that Bryson was in superior shape—no other woman she knew could have carried her like that—she was still not fully prepared for the exquisitely toned lean physique. Not an ounce of fat anywhere. Her thighs looked hard as rocks, the muscles of her shoulders and upper arms were finely sculpted, and the flat plain of her stomach provided the perfect contrast to the curves of her high, round breasts. The neatly trimmed triangle of dark hair at the apex of her thighs made Karla’s mouth water. “Hurry,” she urged, when she regained her wits enough to speak.
Bryson chuckled as she low
ered herself into the water, but Karla could tell she was just as eager as she was. She washed up and dried herself in record time, then jogged toward the bed.
Karla pulled the comforter back in anticipation, but before Bryson could dive in next to her, the shrill ring of Bryson’s satellite phone broke the quiet.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Now?” Bryson glared at the phone as it continued to ring. She snatched up her robe and shrugged it on, glancing at Karla, whose face registered the same frustration at the interruption that she felt. “This can’t be happening,” she muttered as she picked up the receiver. “Yes?”
“Hey, Bryson. Please tell me Karla is staying with you.” The connection wasn’t very good; Lars’s voice kept cutting in and out. She’d actually heard only the first syllable of her name, and she’d had to fill in the with. If he’d said anything after that, she’d missed it.
She turned toward Karla. “Yes, Lars. Karla is with me. We’re fine.” She spoke slowly and distinctly, figuring Lars would likely have the same problematic reception on his end.
Karla smiled playfully. She was lying on her side, propped up on one elbow. The comforter barely covered her breasts. Bryson’s stomach fluttered.
“Great, I—” Static cut off Lars’s voice, then she caught the words “days, so got a little worried when she didn’t answer.”
“Bad reception. Karla’s been here several days.” Bryson put her hand over the mouthpiece. “Do you want me to tell him about your frostbite?”
“Not now. I’m over the worst of it. They’d just worry.”
After several more seconds of static, so long she wondered if they’d been disconnected, Lars’s voice cut through, “for two days.”
“I lost you,” she said. “Repeat that.”
“The baby’s doing great, and we just got word they’re ready to discharge Maggie too because her BP’s been good for two days.”
