He smelled heavenly! With her eyes closed, she was absent two senses allowing the others to fill in the gaps. Her sense of smell was bearing the brunt of the onslaught. His cologne wafted through the breeze, mingling with his natural masculine smell resulting in a pooling in her stomach and a shortness of breath. She snuggled closer trying to breathe in even more the scent that was Jack Hudson.

Her sense of touch wasn't lagging too far behind. She was plastered to his back from shoulder to waist, leaving her tingling and wanting to be closer. Every curve of the road, every change of gears, every move he made was absorbed through his body into hers. Her hands, which had started out primly at his waist, had managed to pull his t-shirt from the waistband of his jeans, allowing her hands smooth skin to explore. Her vivid imagination, as well as her memory, guided her hands over rippled abs and his contoured chest. She alternated between using her nails to lightly scrape the exposed skin, causing him to shift restlessly, and lightly feathering her fingers over the same area which had him leaning back, pressing firmly into her. His movements only heightened her enjoyment.

Jack was being tortured as he maneuvered the twisting roads through the Hudson Highlands. What he'd intended as a relaxing day of sightseeing was turning into a marathon test of his willpower. The feel of her pressed closely into his back was distraction enough, but as her hands became increasingly active, he became increasingly uncomfortable. The roads unfamiliar and narrow, his hands had to remain on the handlebars. He could do nothing short of stopping to impede her wandering hands, and as crazy as they were driving him, he didn't really want her to stop. It was sweet torture.

Sue sighed and opened her eyes, wondering where they were. She really didn't care, more than content to stay on the back of the motorcycle and hang on to Jack for as long as he wanted to drive. Although she'd never really considered a motorcycle as a viable mode of transportation, she had to admit she'd never considered this aspect of it. Looking around, she took in the beautiful countryside. Every now and then she had a glimpse of the Hudson River winding its way through the valley below like a ribbon. Shifting slightly to get a better view, one of her hands slid up Jack's chest and inadvertently grazed a flat nipple. She snatched her hand away at the same time that the bike wobbled. Embarrassment taking a backseat to curiosity, she gingerly slid her hand back up his chest, lightly flitting over the same area. Again, the bike wobbled. Smiling in feminine pleasure she 'accidentally' repeated the same caress several times, each time growing bolder and more confident with each stroke.

Jack could take no more. Seeing an exit for a scenic overview, he whipped the motorcycle toward the exit and groaned in frustration when he saw all the people milling about, taking pictures. Pulling into a parking space, he noticed a hiking trail off to the side of the main viewing area. He swung off the seat, reaching for the storage compartment, and retrieved the blanket he'd packed. He wordlessly removed his helmet and turned to do the same for Sue.

"Did you bring a camera, Jack? We could get someone to take our picture. It's beautiful here," she chatted on, unaware of Jack's plan. When he failed to respond, instead grabbing her hand and pulling her along behind him, she tried getting his attention. "Jack? You're going the wrong way. The overview is back there. Jack?"

He stopped and twirled, bringing her body flush with his. "We aren't going to the overview. You've been driving me out of my mind all morning. I've been driving aimlessly. I have no idea where we are or even how long we've been gone. I'm only aware of you and what your body and hands have been doing to me. You've started a fire, sweetheart, and I'm not going up in flames alone."

With that promise shining from his eyes, he turned and tugged her toward the hiking trail, in search of some privacy. "You are the one that said behaving was no fun," she pointed out.

"And I was right," he agreed, after he turned to face her. "I'm just ready to 'misbehave' and have some fun of my own."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Jack held her hand tightly, his fingers laced with hers, his thumb absently running across the wildly beating pulse at her wrist. His eyes scanned their surroundings searching anxiously for the perfect spot. Looking up and down the path to make sure no one was in sight, he pulled Sue off the trail and into the cover of some bushes, headed toward an open field.

Sue's heart was racing, but whether from excitement or trepidation she wasn't sure. Maybe a little of both! Although relatively inexperienced, she had been with Jack long enough to know that he had not been unaffected by her roving hands during their ride. And while she knew she was in no real danger, that Jack respected her, she also knew she had one keyed up boyfriend on her hands. Boyfriend. There was no stopping the smile that spread across her face as the belated realization sank in. Jack Hudson is my boyfriend. A girlish giggle crossed her lips causing the object of her musings to stop in his tracks.

Jack turned and observed the smile that Sue was trying to hide. Her eyes twinkled with merriment yet there was also a deeper, more confident glow about her. He found her captivating and irresistible. Dropping her hand, he stomped around, flattening wildflowers. He spread the blanket over his makeshift clearing and then turned and strode toward Sue, sweeping her up into his arms. "I'm glad you find this all amusing, Miss Thomas," he said, laying her on the blanket and following her down. "You have anything you want to say before I render you speechless?" he asked, his eyes focused on her lips, his head already beginning to descend.

"You're my boyfriend," she stated matter-of-factly.

Her simple statement had him stopping, his eyes finding hers curiously. "Huh?" was the only response he could muster.

Her giggle was infectious. "I didn't quite get what you said, but your face looks puzzled."

He grinned, momentarily distracted from his original intent. "I guess I am a bit confused. Have you just now come to this momentous conclusion? That I'm your boyfriend? Because I've been accused of being slow in the romance department, but I've known you were my girlfriend, Girlfriend, for a week. Now who is the one that's slow?"

She slapped at his shoulder playfully, looking up into his mesmerizing eyes. "I know it sounds dumb and maybe a bit juvenile, but it just hit me, all of the sudden. I've prayed for this for so long but had finally come to the conclusion that it would never be, that God was telling me no. I think I'm afraid I might wake up and this will all be a...Ouch! Jack? Did you just pinch me?" she uttered in slight irritation.

"Yep, I did. And I must say that I found the experience quite enjoyable," he laughed, waggling his eyebrows. Running a finger down her cheek tenderly, he nestled closer to her. "I was simply proving to you that you are not sleeping. That this...that we are real."

"I'm so glad," she breathed on a sigh, lifting her head to press her lips against his, giving herself over to Jack's expert touch.

He willingly obliged, sliding a gentle hand up to support her head before carefully guiding it down against the blanket. His lips were relentless; teasing, then coaxing hers apart, earning him access to the delights of her mouth. His name escaping across her lips had him trailing kisses across her cheek and down her neck. He groaned her name when his actions had her arching against him, pressing as closely as she could. She could turn him inside out with the merest of touches and when she was doing more than simply touching him, as she was now, his control was severely threatened.

Jack's lips were merciless as they traversed her face and neck, demanding a response. She lost the ability to think; her mind shutting down and running on pure instinct. She clung to his shoulders, running her hands over and down his back, grabbing handfuls of his shirt. Her lips yearned for his elusive ones and she whimpered in frustration, pulling on his shirt to gain his attention. She was momentarily flustered when his shirt pulled free from his body and she found herself staring into his blazing brown eyes. "Um," she muttered, desperately trying to think of something to say, her cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement.

Jack lifted his upper body up on shaky arms and brought his face even with hers. "Was my shirt getting in your way?" he asked with a sultry grin.

"No," she whispered breathlessly, looking from his sculpted chest back into his luminous eyes. "Your lips were too far away. I was trying to pull you closer." She was too focused on the feelings swirling through her body to be anything but completely honest with him.

He lowered his head as far as he dared, making sure she could still read him. "Is this better?"

"Closer," she whispered, her eyes trained on his lips.

Dipping his head even further and knowing she couldn't read his lips, he waited.

"Jaaack! Closer," she pleaded. "I want all of you closer."

He gave in to the plea in her voice and the desperation in her eyes and his own raging need, taking fast, hot possession of her mouth. His hands roamed her curves fueling the fire between the two of them. When they had to part for much needed air, Jack's mouth again began a trail of fire down her neck and then skipped to where his hands had exposed an expanse of her flat stomach. He had managed to push her shirt up to just under her bra and his mouth was now familiarizing itself with what his hands had previously explored. "Sue, I want to make love with you," he muttered against her flesh, noting with satisfaction that her hands were kneading his shoulders and not pushing him away.

"Jack, what did you say?" she asked breathlessly. "It felt like you said something. Did you?"

He barely registered her voice, lifting his head to look through the fog of desire at her. He noted the disarray of her hair, the flush of her skin, her swollen, parted lips and the way she fought for breath, and he rolled off of her with a groan. Reaching for her and settling her against his side, he stroked her hair, trying to bring the both of them back under control. Leaning over and kissing the tip of her nose, he told her, "I said I love you."

She snuggled closer, her arm going around his waist. "I love you too. And it's a good thing I do," she added impishly, "Since you are my boyfriend."

He laughed out loud, allowing the tension to flow out of his body. Hugging her closer, he agreed. "That I am, Miss Thomas. And don't you ever forget it."

"I won't," she promised, "But sometimes it won't hurt for you to remind me."

He waggled his brows, causing her to giggle. "It'll be my pleasure." He felt her settle against him and watched as her eyes fluttered closed. "Just don't get too used to it," he murmured when he knew she wasn't looking. "I plan on changing the title soon."