Chapter 1
Chapter One starts out like a Mary Sue story, but it just sets the scene for a later thread. If you absolutely hate those stories you can probably skip Chapter One and still get the gist of the storyline later, but it does set up the background.
E
Johnny looked up as he finished pounding the tent stake in to the hard ground and saw black smoke billowing up into the air. He jumped up and began running toward the smoke. There had been very little rain in this area the last few weeks and it wouldn't take much to get an out of control brush fire. It might already be too late.
He hurried down the dirt path and stopped briefly in his tracks as he rounded the curve. The flames were close to four feet in height and had started to spread beyond the rock boundary of a so called fire ring. A young woman was hitting at them with a towel, actually causing the flames to jump toward the dry brush nearby.
"Stop! Are you crazy, stop!" Johnny moved forward and started kicking dirt onto the small fires near the brush. He saw a large pan nearby and used it to start scooping dirt onto the growing flames. The woman watched what he was doing and found a cup to start dumping dirt on the smaller fires that had spread from the jumping embers.
It took a few minutes but they finally put out all the flames. Johnny turned to look at the young woman, "What were you thinking? How did you let the fire get that out of control?"
"I, I, I'm sorry. I am so sorry," The young woman stammered. "I have no idea what I'm doing. I am so sorry. My friend was supposed to come with me, but her son got sick. S-she told me that this was ea-easy. I've never been camping before. I just wanted a chance to get away from all the chaos. But, this is horrible! First, I couldn't get the tent up, now, now, I, I almost burnt down…" she paused looking around her and throwing her arms wide open, "nature."
She brushed at the tears that started to stream down her cheeks. Johnny noticed the reddening on her right arm. "Hey, let me see your arm," he said reaching for her.
She briefly looked at her arm and shrugged, "It's nothing."
"It's a first degree burn, you should put antibiotic cream on it and a bandage," Johnny said catching her wrist and looking closer at the arm. He looked back at the young woman, "Let me guess, you don't have a first aid kit?"
She gave him a sheepish look, "I probably have a Band-Aid in my purse."
Johnny shook his head, "C'mon, I have a first aid kit at my campsite."
She looked over at the pile of dirt where the fire was once burning, "Don't worry, it's definitely out," Johnny said.
"You're sure?"
"I'm a fireman, I'm sure," Johnny said moving toward his campsite.
"You're a fireman? How'd I get that lucky?" she asked.
"I'm also a paramedic, so I can treat your arm," Johnny waited for her to catch up to him.
"Seriously? That's really incredible." She caught up to Johnny and gave him an admiring look.
Johnny paused to take in her long legs, blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a great figure and a gorgeous smile. She blushed under Johnny's gaze. He gave her a full crooked grin and her blush deepened.
They walked the ½ mile to Johnny's campsite in silence. Johnny pointed out a chair near his fire pit for her to sit. He went over to the Rover and pulled out his first aid kit. He knelt down next to her and gently applied the antibiotic cream and bandaged her arm with gauze. "You should probably change that tomorrow," he said looking up at her.
She smiled, but said nothing.
"I guess since you don't have any supplies, I'll have to change that for you tomorrow."
She bit her lower lip. "I am sorry to be such an inconvenience. I really shouldn't have tried to do this by myself."
"You've never been camping before?" Johnny asked.
"No, never. And after today, I seriously doubt I ever will again," she shook her head thinking of what a disaster today had been. Up until she met, her train of thought paused, who had she just met?
"I'm sorry, in all the excitement, I never got your name?" she asked.
"John, but everyone calls me Johnny."
"Hi, Johnny. My name is Ainsley."
"Aimsley?"
"Ainsley, with an 'n'," Ainsley clarified.
"That is an unusual name," Johnny said.
"It's Irish, my dad was from Ireland and it was the name of a poet he admired as a child," Ainsley explained.
"You don't look Irish," Johnny said taking in the blonde hair.
"My mom was from Finland. I look like her," Ainsley smiled at him.
"So how did you end up here?" Johnny sat down on the ground, in no hurry to end their conversation.
Ainsley slid out of the chair to sit next to Johnny on the ground so they could be eye level. "My dad worked for the Finnish company Nokia whose headquarters were in New Jersey. About ten years ago he came out to California to start working with the Cal Tech. I liked it so much here when they relocated to northern California last year, I stayed here."
"Interesting, but I meant camping. What made you decide to try camping on your own?"
A look he couldn't decipher crossed Ainsley face and she looked down at her hands. She shook her head, "I just wanted a chance to get away. My friend, Cindy, was supposed to come with me, but her son got strep throat. She convinced me that I could do this by myself, so I picked up all her camping stuff this morning and followed her directions out here. Sorry to bore you with my family background."
Johnny had a feeling there was more to the story, but he chose not to press her. "I find the family history interesting. No apologizes. Have you had dinner?"
"It was in the fire," Ainsley said keeping her gaze averted.
"I caught some great trout this morning, why don't you join me for dinner?"
"You know how to do that?" Ainsley asked looking skeptical.
"What, clean and cook trout?" Johnny asked.
She nodded. Johnny laughed, "Of course."
"Is there anything you can't do Johnny? You put out fires, perform medical care, catch, clean and cook dinner," Ainsley looked up at him and Johnny felt himself blush at her admiring glance.
"I can even put up tents, which I'll help you do after dinner," Johnny moved over to where he was storing the fish waiting to be cooked.
"Maybe I should just go home," Ainsley shook her head. "I'm definitely in over my head."
"You just need someone to show you the ropes," Johnny said as he moved to start the fire. "I'm happy to show you a few things you need to get by. Right now, you can watch the proper way to start a fire."
Ainsley bit her lower lip, "Johnny, I really appreciate everything you've done, but it looks like you came out here to get some time to yourself and I really don't want to interrupt your plans."
"The company of a beautiful woman is never an interruption," Johnny smiled at her. He enjoyed the way she blushed at his comment. Something about her made him feel very manly.
"I camp all the time. I can teach you everything you need to know," Johnny said.
As he began cooking the fish he started telling Ainsley several stories about the rescues he had done as a paramedic and adventures he had during some of his previous camping outings. The stories were definitely intended to impress her with his skills and accomplishments. Normally she would have found this type of bragging off-putting, but something about Johnny was different. Even as he talked about all the lives he had saved she picked up on a hint of shyness and maybe even a touch of insecurity that she found quite endearing. She found herself not only listening intently to his stories, but wanting to help stroke his ego a little.
As they finished dinner she mentioned that she had marshmallows at her campsite and that she could go get them if he was interested in roasting some marshmallows for dessert. He agreed and suggested she go ahead and get them while he cleaned up dinner. "I would walk you, but I can't leave the fire burning unattended."
She smiled, "One of us nearly burning everything down is enough. I can go on my own."
Johnny watched as she walked away. He had never had a woman that beautiful seem so interested in him. He cleaned up the pan and the plates they had used and burned up the rest of the food in the fire so it wouldn't attract wildlife. He found long sticks to use to roast the marshmallows. He was whittling the ends down to sharp points when Ainsley returned with a package of marshmallows. They settled in as the sun disappeared and the stars started to fill the sky.
Johnny pulled a charred marshmallow from his stick. He had gotten so engrossed in his conversation with Ainsley he had let the marshmallow get too close to the flames and it had caught on fire. Oh well, he figured, he ate enough smoke at work a little charred marshmallow wouldn't hurt him. Ainsley giggled as stringy marshmallow stuck to his chin. She leaned over and brushed at the sticky substance, her fingers gently brushing against his lower lip. Johnny felt a jolt of electricity through his body at her soft touch.
Ainsley leaned back admiring the view. "I don't think I have ever seen this many stars," she whispered looking at the sky.
"It's one of the reasons I like to come out here," Johnny said. "It gives me a chance to get away from all the craziness. This is the birthday gift I give myself."
"It's your birthday?" Ainsley looked over at him.
"Tomorrow," Johnny said leaning back against a rock, looking at Ainsley.
"Happy early birthday," she said looking back at him.
"Want to spend the day with me? I'm gonna go hiking; there's a lake about 5 miles from here. I was gonna hike over to it and do some swimming. I've never seen another soul there any time I've gone. It's one of the most peaceful places I've ever found."
"Are you sure you want company? It sounds like you were planning on getting away from people," Ainsley looked uncomfortable as she looked at Johnny. She loved the idea of spending tomorrow with him, but she didn't want to intrude on his plans.
"I'd like your company," Johnny flirted with her.
She blushed and bit her bottom lip. "If you're sure," she said hesitantly.
"I'm sure," Johnny said with a grin. "I'd better walk you back to your campsite and help you get your tent set up. I want to get an early start tomorrow." Johnny stood and held out his hand to help her up.
He continued to hold her hand as they walked back to her campsite. She held a flashlight as he quickly set up her tent. "Wow," Ainsley said appreciatively as Johnny finished setting up the tent. "I worked on that thing for over an hour and never could get it right."
"It takes a bit of muscle," Johnny said standing up and moving over toward her. "You should be all set for tonight, but I'll check on reinforcing it tomorrow. We are supposed to get some storms tomorrow night and I'll want to make sure it will hold up in the wind."
Ainsley found it difficult to breathe as Johnny moved in close to her, invading her personal space. Something about him was intoxicating. Just his nearness made her feel a bit lightheaded. Johnny looked at her intently as he reached to take the flashlight from her. The moon and the stars provided plenty of light for him to see her when he was standing this close. Ainsley dropped her head to look at the ground, suddenly feeling very shy.
Johnny reached up and put his hand under her chin and lifted her head. His eyes searched hers for a few seconds before he lowered his head, and slowly kissed her. He felt her sway slightly as he kissed her and moved to put his arms around her waist, the flashlight resting against her back. He pulled her in closer and deepened the kiss. She had expected to feel nervous and unsure, she didn't have a lot of experience kissing. But, with Johnny it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She wasn't wondering if she was doing it right, or if he thought she was a good kisser; she was just lost in the sensation of his kiss and his touch. Her body craved his touch and she let herself lean into him. He tightened his hold and dropped his lips to her neck, "mmm," she moaned softly as she leaned her head back giving him better access.
Johnny dropped the flashlight so both hands could start exploring her body. He caught her mouth back in a deep kiss as he moved his hand under the fabric of her shirt. Her skin was soft and warm to his touch. She stepped back quickly as his hand moved to her breast.
"I'm sorry," Johnny said realizing he had been moving too fast.
Ainsley felt the heat rising in her cheeks and felt silly for her abrupt reaction. "No, I-I'm s-s-orry. You, j-just surprised me," Ainsley stammered. "I, I, it's been a long time," she looked down at the ground again.
Johnny reached over to lift her head again so she could look in his eyes. "Don't ever apologize for stopping something that makes you uncomfortable. You did nothing wrong. I'm sorry for moving so fast. Kissing you just felt so amazing, I kinda forgot we just met," Johnny said feeling a bit dazed himself.
Ainsley moved back close to him, his words making her want to resume their embrace. Johnny saw the desire in her eyes as she moved near him. He desperately wanted her back in his arms, his hands ached to touch her. He knew he needed to leave before his desire overruled his brain. He gave her a light kiss on the lips, resisting the urge to pull her against him. "I'll see you in the morning," Johnny said. He bent down to retrieve the flashlight and made his way back to his campsite.
Ainsley watched him walk away with mixed emotions. Part of her was glad he had stopped because things had been moving way too fast for her comfort level, but her body ached for his touch and she felt very alone as he walked away.
E
"Mornin', Mornin', Mornin'," Johnny called out as he approached Ainsley's campsite.
She turned after zipping her tent flap closed and smiled shyly at him. In the bright light of the morning, she was feeling a bit insecure about last night.
Johnny noticed she didn't move toward him and was twisting her hands nervously in front of her. He gave her a big grin as he approached. He put his hand on her waist and paused just for a second to make sure she didn't move away. When she didn't, he drew her close and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. He went to step back, but pulled her close one more time for a deeper kiss, she tasted like toothpaste and he held the kiss a bit longer enjoying her.
"Ready to go hiking," he stepped back and looked over her clothing choices. A tank top and shorts showed off her amazing body, but weren't going to do much to protect her from sharp brush. At least she was wearing hiking boots. "Do you have any long pants. Not that I don't enjoy looking at your legs, but there are some areas where the brush can get a bit thick."
Ainsley bit her lip, "I only packed shorts, I was thinking more about the temperature than anything else."
"We'll just take our time and I'll try to keep us on a clear path the best I can," Johnny said reaching for her hand. "Before we head out, let me take a look at that arm," he lifted her arm and started undoing the gauze. He was pleased at how well the arm looked and decided it didn't need to be re-wrapped.
Johnny kept a hold of her hand as he started walking them toward the trail he wanted to take. He had a backpack filled with water and food for a picnic lunch. He noticed she carried nothing with her. He couldn't help but smile and shake his head at her lack of forethought. From their conversations yesterday he knew she was a very smart lady, but she knew nothing about surviving in the wilderness. It really was a good thing she had run into him; she probably would have had to leave yesterday.
Johnny kept their pace steady, Ainsley seemed to be in good physical shape and was holding up well under the conditions that could be physically taxing at times. He stopped them every so often to drink water and rest in some shade. The day was even warmer than he had anticipated and he was looking forward to reaching the lake, knowing from past visits the water would be on the cold side.
Johnny stopped as he reached the clearing for the lake taking in the view. The lake seemingly appeared out of nowhere in an area that was primarily dirt and rocks. The lake was fed by an underground stream and the water was crystal clear. It wasn't very deep, Johnny could touch in most areas, but the water reached almost to his chin, it would be over Ainsley's head after a few feet into the water.
"It's beautiful," she said standing by his side.
Johnny looked down at her, "Can you swim?"
"Much better than I camp," she laughed.
He pulled her with him as he made his way toward the water. He took his shirt off and dropped it onto a rock. She let her eyes roam over his bare chest and felt the heat rise in her cheeks as he caught her looking. Rather than comment he just reached down and pulled off his hiking boots and then undid his pants pulling them down to reveal a set of swim trunks.
Johnny let his gaze wander over her body. "Did you wear a swimsuit under that, or has this day just gotten a whole lot better," he teased.
Ainsley's blushed deepened, but she pulled off her tank top revealing a white bikini top with little pink polka dots. She leaned against a rock while she took off her hiking boots and then slipped off her shorts.
Johnny looked at her body in the tiny bikini and decided he definitely needed to get into the cold water. He said nothing as he took her hand and led her to the lake. The cold water was a shock against his warm skin, but he kept trudging forward, knowing he would adjust to the temperature change soon.
"Oh my goodness," Ainsley sucked in a breath as she stepped into the cold water. Johnny didn't release her hand as she tried to stop, he kept pulling her forward.
"You'll get used to it pretty quickly, you just have to get all the way in," Johnny insisted as he kept tugging her forward.
Ainsley pulled her hand free and dropped down into the water, she began taking quick strokes toward the middle of the lake and then stopped to tread water when she realized she could not touch the bottom. "Still feels pretty cold to me," she said as her teeth chattered.
Johnny swam the last few feet to join her. "Why don't we swim a few laps around the lake, that will help you warm up."
They began to move side by side effortlessly through the water. Johnny let himself hang back a little bit admiring her form. She was a very graceful swimmer, her strokes long and powerful. They lapped the lake twice before swimming back to the middle and stopping. Johnny stood, but Ainsley had to tread water. She didn't appear to be tired, but Johnny reached for her pulling her in close to his body so she didn't need to continue keeping herself afloat. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms going around his neck.
Ainsley ran her hands through his hair. "Happy Birthday," she whispered as dropped a soft kiss onto his lips.
"This is a very nice way to spend a birthday," Johnny said huskily. He waded them closer to shore so Ainsley could stand comfortably. He dropped his head to resume their kiss. After a few minutes of kissing Johnny forced himself to pull back. He was getting very turned on and his brain was having a very difficult time remembering that this was a woman he had known less than 24 hours.
"Are you hungry? I brought stuff for lunch," Johnny forced himself to remove his hands from Ainsley's body.
She took a deep breath, feeling her body shiver at the sudden loss of his warmth. "I have no idea," Ainsley blinked and tried to get her brain to focus.
Johnny smiled, he enjoyed the way she reacted to his touch, it was very flattering. He led her to the shore and took his time setting up the blanket and lunch. She leaned against a rock watching him work.
They enjoyed lunch while talking about everything under the sun. They had read many of the same books and seen a lot of the same movies. They both enjoyed sailing and discovered they had gone to many of the same areas. Johnny often went to Santa Barbara on his days off and she was familiar with the area, they had been to many of the same restaurants.
"We may have seen each other multiple times," Ainsley said as they talked about a little diner where they both got breakfast when they were in Santa Barbara that had the best omelets.
"No," Johnny said shaking his head. "I would have noticed you and I would have definitely introduced myself."
Ainsley laughed, her cheeks blushing pink. Johnny leaned over her, placing his hand on her waist and rubbing his thumb up and down her side. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"
Her blush deepened and she again felt herself short of breath due to his nearness. She looked into his eyes and felt like she could get lost in them forever. Johnny leaned down and slowly began to kiss her, working his way over her body.
"Johnny," Ainsley slowly moaned his name. His need for her flamed hot and he caught her mouth in a passionate kiss; his weight pressing against her. Her body and brain wared with each other. Her brain was screaming at her to stop; she barely knew this man. Her body ached for him. Johnny must has sensed her internal struggle because he broke their embrace, laying down on the blanket facing the warm sun. He was breathing ragged.
Ainsley dared turn her head to look at him, his eyes were closed, he seemed to be fighting for control. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Ainsley," Johnny said quietly.
"I know, don't apologize," she said. She reached over and stroked his arm with her fingers. "I feel like I am leading you on because I'm fighting with myself. We're moving so fast it scares me, but part of me doesn't want to stop," Ainsley confessed.
"In case you didn't notice, I'm the one who pulled back just now," Johnny said rolling to his side so he could look at her. "I don't want to push you where you aren't ready to go."
Ainsley reached out and brushed his hair back from his forehead. "You are such an amazing man," she whispered. Johnny felt himself fill with pride at her praise.
"C'mon, let's get in a few more laps in the lake before we head back," Johnny said knowing the cold water would be good for him.
Ainsley smiled a knowing smile, "Sure," she said getting up and heading to the lake.
E
There were no stars out that night, the clouds had rolled in before they had finished making dinner and the night was very dark. Johnny and Ainsley lay on a blanket near the fire that flickered softly as it started to die down.
Ainsley had her head resting on Johnny's shoulder as she lazily ran her fingers over his bare chest. "Did you grow up in Southern California, Johnny?"
Johnny was quiet for a moment, "No, I grew up on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma."
"Really?" Ainsley turned and propped herself up on her elbow so she could look at his face.
"Yeah," he said turning his head to face her. "Is that a problem?"
"No, I think it is incredibly interesting. What was it like?"
Johnny touched her head so she would rest back on his shoulder. He was enjoying just laying there together. She resumed her gentle caress of his chest. "I would imagine it wasn't much different than other kids growing up. We had chores we had to do, if you stepped out of line you got punished. We played and fought, just like any other kids. I would imagine the biggest difference was if you stepped out of line, anyone on the reservation would punish you. They really did feel like the kids belong to everyone in the tribe. It was like having a huge family. That is probably what I miss the most. There it seemed like everyone cared about you."
Ainsley rolled so she could kiss his cheek, the tone of his voice at the end of his statement sounded so sad to her. "Are you alone now?"
"Not right now," Johnny said, turning and softly kissing her lips.
Ainsley smiled and snuggled closer. "I meant…,"
Johnny cut her off, "I know. I have an Aunt that I go see every now and then. My parents were killed in a fire when I was 15. I could have stayed on the reservation, anyone would have gladly taken me in. But, my dad's sister was alone, my dad had been her last living relative outside of me. I just felt like I needed to go be there for her. She lives here, which is how I ended up here."
"Is that why you became a fire fighter?" Ainsley asked quietly. Her heart broke for the kid Johnny had been; to lose his parents so young. She couldn't imagine not having her parents even now at 23.
"I wanted to do what I could to prevent any other kid from losing their family," Johnny said quietly.
Ainsley rolled over and leaned her forearms on his chest, her face hovering just inches above his. "You're a hero," she whispered.
Johnny looked away from her intense gaze, "I'm just doin' my job."
"You're saving lives," Ainsley dipped her head to kiss him softly. She let her hands gently stroke his eyebrows. He closed his eyes at her touch. She lightly kissed each eyelid, moving down to the tip of his nose and finally finding his lips again.
She brushed back a piece of hair from his forehead and he opened his eyes. She felt like he could see her soul. Was it possible to fall in love with someone so quickly, she wondered? Then averted her eyes afraid he could read her thoughts.
"That must have been hard, leaving behind everything you knew, starting a new school," Ainsley said moving away from him slightly.
"It wasn't so bad. I joined the track team and ran track the two years I was there. That gave me a group of friends. I enjoyed my time there, even if I did miss the family I had before."
"Had you always enjoyed running?" Ainsley asked.
"No, I did it to impress a girl," Johnny said with a bit of a laugh.
"Did you get the girl?" Ainsley asked.
"No, after all that work, I still struck out," Johnny said and Ainsley laughed.
"I find it hard to believe you ever strike out," Ainsley said after a few minutes. She was so attracted to him, he was such a good kisser and knew just how to touch her that she was beginning to fear he may be a bit of a player.
"You could ask the guys at the station, I get dumped a lot," Johnny said seriously.
"But you date a lot," Ainsley said quietly.
"Are you trying to tell me you don't have guys lining up for a chance to go out with you?" Johnny teased.
"I actually haven't been on a date in over a year," Ainsley said quietly.
"Are you kidding me?" Johnny couldn't imagine she did not get asked out all the time, she was incredibly beautiful, smart, funny and very sexy.
"The guys I meet usually just want to use me to get an introduction to my dad."
"Why would they want to meet your dad?" Johnny said perplexed.
"He is very involved in technology. You'd be amazed if you heard all the stuff they are talking about in research labs and companies when it comes to technology, computers, even phones," Ainsley said. "Dad was pretty high up at Cal Tech and now he is doing work with the private research lab. He makes a lot of money and all the guys currently trying to get into that field want to get to know him. They view me as an easy access point," Ainsley said with a bit of anger in her tone.
"Not everyone is just looking to use people to get ahead," Johnny said stroking her hair.
"My childhood wasn't too different from yours when I was younger, but life changed for me at 15, too. Not as drastically as yours, I didn't lose my parents. But, I learned that some people will do anything to get what they want and they don't have any remorse about using people to get it. It taught me to be very careful who I let near me. Until you," Ainsley said cautiously. She had dropped her guard with Johnny and felt the fear creep into her heart like icy fingers. Was Johnny really who he appeared to be?
"I promise you Ainsley, I have no interest in who your dad is, and with me, what you see is what you get," Johnny rolled on his side and ran a finger over her cheek as he spoke.
They talked quietly for a few more minutes before Johnny reluctantly walked her back to her campsite. He wanted to ask her to stay with him, but felt a bit unsure. He kissed her softly before watching her climb into her tent.
E
Ainsley listened to the crack of thunder and could feel the tent being pushed by the wind. She swallowed hard trying not to let the fear overwhelm her. She wished Johnny was here, she was pretty sure this storm was going to blow the tent away and her with it.
The wind howled and another crack of thunder had her reaching for the zipper of the tent. She was going to go find Johnny. She was just getting out of her tent when she saw headlights. Johnny pulled up in the Rover, "Get in, this is the safest place with the lightening."
Ainsley climbed into the Rover, but did not feel any safer. Johnny pulled her close to him. Thunder cracked and Ainsley jumped at the sound.
"Relax, your safe, I promise," Johnny whispered in her ear. Johnny held her as the storm raged. After a while Ainsley was able to relax and even enjoy watching the power of nature from the safe confines of the Range Rover and Johnny's arms.
Johnny watched as the clouds abated and the stars began to shine in the dark sky. A light drizzle still fell, but the thunder and lightning had stopped for over a half hour now and the winds had died down to a gentle breeze.
"It's safe to go back in your tent now and get some sleep," Johnny said to Ainsley; not really liking the idea of having her leave his arms. He opened the driver's side door and slid out, Ainsley following him.
He walked her over to her tent and unzipped the flap for her. Rather than climb in though Ainsley wrapped her arms around Johnny's neck and drew him in for a passionate kiss. When they broke apart Ainsley took his hand and climbed into her tent pulling him with her. "Stay with me," she whispered.
Johnny was crouched down on his knees and he leaned back on his heels, he looked deep into her eyes, needing to make sure this was what she really wanted. Ainsley started undoing the buttons on his shirt, watching her hands and not meeting his eyes. "Ainsley," his whispered so she would look at him. He saw desire, but more than that, he saw a depth of emotion that took his breath away. He swore he saw love in her eyes, but instead of scaring him, it invigorated him. He claimed her mouth and slowly laid her back on the sleeping bag letting his desire take over.
E
Johnny stretched as the sound of birds chirping reached his ears. His eyes slowly opened and he looked at the naked figure of the woman laying next to him. She was facing away from him, breathing softly, obviously still asleep. He snuggled up close to her wrapping his arm around her waist and gently caressing the soft skin of her breasts and abdomen. He felt his desire heightening and he began to kiss the back of her shoulder, pressing his body against her.
"Mmm," she stirred against him slowly becoming aware of his touch and then his obvious need for her. She rolled over in his arms, and blinked sleepily at him. He dropped his head kissing her lips and rolling her onto her back. She wrapped her legs around him, granting him the access he desired as her own body quickly responded to his touch.
After, they lay wrapped in each other's arms, catching their breath. "There is this great fishing spot about 10 miles from here. I was planning on driving over there today and doing some fishing, will you come with me?" Johnny asked stroking her arm with his hand.
Ainsley sighed with pleasure at his touch, all of the nerves in her body hyper-sensitive. "I wish I could," she said. "I'm waiting to hear about a couple of job offers. My friend has been staying at my place to take phone messages. I need to drive into town today to call and see if anything came up."
Johnny frowned, "The nearest town is like an hour away."
"I know, but a couple of companies were supposed to make a decision by yesterday," Ainsley propped up on her elbow so she could look at Johnny. "Why don't you go fishing; I'll go check my phone messages and while I am in town I will pick up something for dessert tonight. When you get back we can make dinner together."
Johnny ran a hand through her hair and gave her a crooked grin, "I already know what I want for dessert."
Ainsley felt herself start to blush, but dropped her lips to his, kissing him softly. "You can have your cake and eat it too," she whispered into his ear as she drew back.
"Why don't I just drive into town with you?" Johnny suggested, realizing he didn't want to be away from her all day.
"You came out here to fish, you should fish. I'll be back long before you will, and I'm still planning on being out here until Monday; that gives us tonight, all day tomorrow and tomorrow night before I have to head back," Ainsley assured him.
"Okay," Johnny said reluctantly. He reached for his clothes and Ainsley leaned back to watch him dress. He is a very sexy man, she thought. Johnny felt himself blush at her appreciative look. Stopping to kiss her one more time before climbing out of her tent and heading to his Range Rover.
The fishing was great, but Johnny still packed up at 4:00 PM anxious to get back to Ainsley. He stopped at his campsite to drop off the fish. He decided to change his clothes since he smelled like fish and then head over to get Ainsley for dinner. He stopped suddenly as he opened his tent flap. Inside on his sleeping bag was a birthday cake and a card. "She is so sweet," he said out loud reaching for the card.
Dear Johnny,
I am so sorry you are reading this in a card. I waited as long as I could. I was offered an amazing job, that I did not think I had any chance of getting; but I have to start on Tuesday. I need to get home and get packed as the job requires I relocate.
I want you to know the last day and a half meant so much to me. I think you are an amazing man. I have never met anyone that made me feel as safe and protected as you did. I have never met anyone that I felt so connected to so quickly. Last night was the most amazing night of my entire life. I will never forget you.
Please forgive me for not getting to say good-bye in person. I will always think back on this camping experience as the best thing I ever did.
Ainsley
Johnny raced down to Ainsley's campsite, but found it empty. He stood there for a moment looking at holes in the ground where he had pounded in tent stakes for her. He went back to his campsite and rummaged around through the tent looking to see if a piece of paper had dropped out of the card and he hadn't seen it. Nothing. "You didn't leave me a way to call you," Johnny mumbled out loud. "You didn't even tell me your last name," he looked at the card his voice raising in anger. He felt a familiar ache in his chest, he'd been dumped again.
