Falling for Grace (Four Winds)

by Anne Conley

  But, today she didn’t want to think of the town or its inhabitants. She forced herself to relax again as she studied the bright clear sky. Today, she was going to enjoy her favorite place, the pond, which was in the woods laying between her house and her brother Todd’s house.

  Every once in a while Bernard would swim out to check on her or bark to make sure his presence was still known. She could spend hours out here, lost in thought, which would sometimes make her late for work. She was grateful she wasn’t expected any where today so she could continue floating and relaxing as she pleased.

  Lacey had been born and raised in Pride, and this was home. There had been a time when she’d craved to travel, to expand her horizons, and become a woman of the world. However, after spending over a year traveling around Europe, she had needed to be home again. She missed taking walks along the beach or sitting in front of a fire with her father and brothers. She had made it home only to lose her father. She struggled through her loss; her family needed her close, and she needed them in return.

  She started treading water as she remembered the weeks after she had come home. It had been some of the hardest times for the Jordan family, learning to adjust to the changes after the accident that had claimed their father’s life and left her brother, Iian battered and without his hearing.

  However, the family had conquered a lot together; learning sign language and running the family businesses. They had learned to take care of each other.

  Looking up, she saw Bernard happily running around the shore chasing the ducks that kept trying to land.

  Aaron Stevens was restless, hot, sweaty, and he was horny. His need reminded him it had been over seven months since his break up with Jennifer. He’d spent the last few days hammering away on his house, spending all his pent up anger and hurt on demolition. Now, however, he was still hot, angry, sweaty, and horny.

  When he purchased the old house he knew it needed a lot of work. But, he thought the project would help him keep his mind off the fact that he’d almost made the biggest mistake of his life. He had learned a valuable lesson in love, and it had only cost him his heart.

  When he hit his thumb for the tenth time in the last half hour, he threw the hammer across the room. But, because there were no walls in the place, it flew across the room and hit the floor with a dull thud, giving him no satisfaction.

  The first thing he’d done was rip up the bright orange carpet, which now made the entire house echo. He had plans for hard-wood or tile in the place, but he had yet to decide on which. All he knew was that carpet had to go.

  He stalked from the room fuming and frustrated. And now his thumb was throbbing like a bitch. When he reached the back door he kept on going.

  Soon he found himself on a path in a part of the woods he hadn’t explored yet. There was a fork in the path, one that lead to his closest neighbors, Megan and Todd Jordan. They had been his first patients after taking over his grandfather’s medical practice.

  He paused by the head of the path and remembered walking into the hospital room after Megan had been rescued from her crazy ex-husband.

  Megan had seemed so small and pale, she’d been bruised by the whole ordeal, but her and Todd’s unborn child had survived. Her ex-husband, Derek, was now on trial for the murder of a federal guard. Todd had hovered over her, protecting her, which gained instant respect in Aaron’s book.

  Aaron had done an ultrasound at the hospital, printing as many pictures as Todd had wanted. He felt compassion towards the new family. He could tell they had a rough start, but knew they would turn out okay. The baby and mother had been fine, and he had seen them again just yesterday for another checkup.

  Aaron was almost to a clearing before he heard the dog barking. So deep in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized how far and which direction his wandering had taken him. Was he still on his property?

  Just then, a wet yellow lab came running down the path towards him. Aaron held out his hand for it to smell as it ran up sniffing then licking it. The entire time its’ tail was wagging at full speed. Then it quickly turned and ran off in the opposite direction.

  Smiling after the animal, Aaron continued down the path. He came to a large clearing with a good size pond in the middle of tall grass. The water looked calm and cool so he decided to cool off before heading back to the house and hammers.

  Tossing off his clothing quickly, he dove from a large flat rock that hung over the water’s edge. Cutting deep through the cool crisp water, he was half way across the small pond when his body hit something solid—solid but definitely soft. He reached up and getting a hand full of soft skin, pushed up from the muddy bottom.

  Lacey heard Bernard run off down the path, barking. Thinking he was probably chasing a bird, she dove under the water one last time. She wanted to stop by Megan’s later to see how she and the baby were doing; maybe she would even make them dinner.

  When she was in the middle of the pond, she bumped into something solid. Then she was grabbed and pulled upwards by large warm hands.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she sputtered after surfacing, shaking her head to clear it.

  When Aaron surfaced he was assaulted by the sexiest voice he’d had the pleasure of hearing. His hands were holding the struggling creature; she was soft, small, and naked. Her hair was short, silky black, and it was slicked back from her face—a beautiful face at that. Her eyes were silver and seemed to penetrate into him. She had a cute little nose that sloped up at the end. There was a very small dimple in her chin and her lips were full and puckered ever so slightly. She had a look on her face that told him this was her pond and he was the intruder here.

  “What do we have here?” Aaron said holding the squirming woman. She looked like a drenched pixie as he smiled down at her.

  “You can just take your filthy hands off me.” Lacey pushed against his chest, he didn’t budge. Shaking the water from her eyes, she got her first look at him.

  He looked like a Greek god, with his hair a mess of dripping golden blonde locks; it appeared it was a little longer than her own. She noticed his skin was golden and he had eyes that were a deep rich brown, with a strong firm chin. His body was up tight against her own; and it was warm, firm, and as she noted, naked. She pushed harder against his chest, again he didn’t budge.

  “Hm, I don’t think they’re dirty any longer,” he said with a slow smile. He kicked his legs a few times making sure their heads stayed above the water. He felt her legs against his; they were soft and smooth, making him want to tangle in them. He could see her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. The water lapped lower on the most perfect pair of breast he’d had the pleasure of seeing in his almost thirty years. Then, she tried to push him away again. This time he pulled her closer, so he could feel her cool skin against his burning skin.

  “Let’s just see what happens when I…” He lowered his head intending on tasting.

  Lacey felt his muscular hairy legs against hers. She could see a light coat of blonde hair on his tan chest. A chest, she noted, which was full of tone rippling muscles. She tried again to push free, no luck, his arms were like vices, holding her tight against him.

  This time when she pushed, he returned by pulling her closer. She felt his chest hit hers and held her breath. His arms snaked around her, his hands were on her back, holding her in place. When his head started descending towards her mouth, she panicked.

  “Let me go before I scream,” she whispered in a shaky tone.

  He heard the panic in her voice. Pulling his head away, he looked into her eyes and he could see the panic there.

  Shaking his head to clear it, he pulled away from her just as she reached up and pushed his head under the water. He stayed under for just a moment, allowing his mind to cool.

  In that moment, he saw her duck under the water. She quickly ran her eyes over him, turned her back and swam towards the shore at a speed that impressed him.

  He drifted under the water for another few
seconds, trying to clear his head. When he pushed himself up he shook the water from his eyes and looked towards the shore. He didn’t see anyone. Where had she disappeared to? He glanced around. She was nowhere to be found. How could she have disappeared so quickly? There were some bushes and a rock to the left, but nothing big enough to conceal a woman. Turning in circles he scanned the entire area, taking in any movement. Nothing!

  Was he going crazy? What was he doing? Had she even really existed? Had he imagined her?

  No!

  He could still feel the warmth from her breath on his face; and when he closed his eyes he could smell her.

  Dunking his head under the water again he looked around the pond. From what he could see, he was the only inhabitant. Pushing up again, he scanned one more time and than finally called out.

  “Hello?”

  Nothing!

  He must have been hornier then he’d thought to imagine a sexy water pixie.

  Shaking his head he decided he could use a few laps to cool his libido.

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