Author's note: Hey, an update! Man, what being on vacation can do to a person! And a request from Biowolf! What an honor! Let's see...a Hiltz fic...oh! I think I might have an inkling of an idea! But we'll see! And Ryan, I hope you have Naomi on a leash after this chapter! Hee-hee! And thanks so much to everyone else who reviewed! Luv ya!
Wishing For Snow by Shelly
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
They soon arrived at their destination, and she steeled herself against the flood of memories that assaulted her when she stepped inside and looked around. Brad saw this as well and busied himself with looking around at the place as he was impressed with its beauty. "This is a nice place you've got here," he commented.
She smiled. "Thanks, but it's not mine. It's Stoeller's."
His eyebrows raised a notch as he whistled appreciatively. "Man, this guy must be rolling in money if he can afford a place like this."
"Actually, I think it's been in his family for some time. He's just done some remodeling to it. If you like I can take you out back and show you the view of the mountains and the lake."
"Okay," he replied, not wanting to show his further surprise, but after seeing the beauty of the scenery he couldn't help but be amazed at it. "This is the type of place I'd like to live in someday," he breathed. "This is wonderful!"
She laughed. "I'm glad you like it."
He walked up so that he was standing next to her with both of them looking out across the lake. "So, how did things go between you and Leon?" he asked. "I noticed you both stayed in the room until this morning."
"We did," she agreed. "We both decided it would best to take a break from one another for a while and let our wounds heal. We still love each other so much, but if we were to try and make things work when he couldn't trust me it would just make things worse. I guess this is his way of testing me to see if I wanted to have a chance at a relationship with someone else."
Brad glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "He wouldn't have been talking about me, would he?"
She sighed. "He did mention you. He asked me if I was interested in having a relationship with you, and I told him I wasn't. That he was the only one I wanted to share my heart with."
"So what was that kiss all about then?" he demanded, becoming a little angry that she had kissed him in such a provocative manner without even being the least bit affected by it.
"Brad, that's all it was. A kiss," she answered, wondering where this was coming from. "Did you think that there was something else there that led me to do it?"
He was silent a moment as he didn't really want to answer that. If he did then it would mean examining emotions he didn't want to right now. "Just forget I said anything," he said as he started to walk away.
But she grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Brad, please, answer me," she pleaded, wanting to hear it as his silence had told her more clearly than words that he had thought there was something there.
He looked into her eyes and lost all resistance as he looked into their hazel depths, and for perhaps the first time she saw him lose some of his calm and collected demeanor. "What do you want me to tell you, Morgan? That after you kissed me I could think of nothing else for the rest of the night? That deep down I hoped that Leon would find out and that maybe I might have a chance with you? Dammit, Morgan, I'm just a man! I'm not made of stone, and I have feelings, too!"
She was taken aback at his outburst, even more surprised to learn that he had wanted her and Leon to break up. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "I guess I didn't think of what effect it might have on you. But we barely knew each other and I thought you would think nothing of it since it was apparent from what you told me that you were interested in someone else."
He sighed heavily. "I don't know anymore," he admitted. "You could be her twin, Morgan. You both have the same color hair and build. The only difference is the color of your eyes and your personality." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Maybe I'm just acting this way because you do look so much like her. Hell, I don't know."
She stepped closer to him and laid her hand on his arm. "Brad, I don't know what to say. I'm flattered that you would think so much of me, but I love Leon."
"I know," he answered, clearly frustrated with the current situation. For some totally insane reason, he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she forgot about him, but he had no right as he considered Leon to be a good friend and didn't want to do anything to betray him either. And he would only be causing himself more heartache as nothing could ever grow between them as long as she loved Leon. But, oh, to feel her lips underneath his again....
Before he knew what he was doing, he had taken her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers, brushing them across hers softly at first then more demandingly when her hands clutched at his shirt, bunching the fabric in her hands as she pulled him closer.
What the hell was she doing?! Her mind screamed for her to stop this madness right now, but the feel of his lips on hers proved to be her undoing as she had forgotten how his kiss had felt. It felt different from Leon's, more passionate and uncontrolled as was Brad's nature if he would only let it show, and she became lost when his tongue swept through her mouth, drawing forth a tortured moan from her.
It was then she realized what she had held back the first time they had kissed. His kisses drove her wild with wanting, and she knew it was only desire that prompted her to allow him to kiss her. She loved Leon with all her heart, but there was something about Brad that drew her to him. She didn't know what it was, but it awakened something within her that urged her to throw caution to the wind and just run with it.
She pulled him closer to her, so close she could feel the furious pounding of his heart against her chest, gasping for breath when he broke away to kiss along her neck, and she dug her fingers into his hair to hold him close. "Brad..." she breathed. "Please...we can't do this."
"God, Morgan, I want you so much," he panted huskily against her ear, his lips caressing the outer edge, and she closed her eyes tightly to try and keep her desires under control. It drove her insane to hear in his voice how much he wanted her, and she wanted him just as badly, but she couldn't do this to Leon. Not now. Not ever.
"Brad," she repeated a little more firmly, and he released her so that they could put some distance between them, and as a result her thinking became a little clearer. "You can't imagine how much I want you, too. But it would only cause more harm for us to give in to each other. I can't betray Leon like that when I have done so much already."
He stood there trying his best to control his breathing as it was out of control from his raging desires, and he knew that she spoke the truth even though he wished that they could throw all caution to the wind and see what could be between them. But she had more to lose than he did, although he had just as much to gain if anything ever developed between them.
But he nodded his head instead, not trusting himself to say anything more as his resistance was slowly wearing thin, and turned and walked away, leaving her there shaking like a leaf in the wind as she lowered herself to the ground and pulled her knees close to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Why did things have to be so complicated? Since when did desire become stronger than love?
Since she had no answers to these questions, she sat there for a time staring at the mountain's reflection on the water until the sun's setting light tinted them a golden orange. Only then did she rise and walk back inside to an empty house that once had held such love for her.
*********************
Well, I guess I don't have much to say after this chapter. It seems the first kiss they had shared meant something to them both after all. But don't worry, she'll stay with the one she truly loves. And guess who makes an appearance next chapter? Thanks for reading! C-ya!
Wishing For Snow by Shelly
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
They soon arrived at their destination, and she steeled herself against the flood of memories that assaulted her when she stepped inside and looked around. Brad saw this as well and busied himself with looking around at the place as he was impressed with its beauty. "This is a nice place you've got here," he commented.
She smiled. "Thanks, but it's not mine. It's Stoeller's."
His eyebrows raised a notch as he whistled appreciatively. "Man, this guy must be rolling in money if he can afford a place like this."
"Actually, I think it's been in his family for some time. He's just done some remodeling to it. If you like I can take you out back and show you the view of the mountains and the lake."
"Okay," he replied, not wanting to show his further surprise, but after seeing the beauty of the scenery he couldn't help but be amazed at it. "This is the type of place I'd like to live in someday," he breathed. "This is wonderful!"
She laughed. "I'm glad you like it."
He walked up so that he was standing next to her with both of them looking out across the lake. "So, how did things go between you and Leon?" he asked. "I noticed you both stayed in the room until this morning."
"We did," she agreed. "We both decided it would best to take a break from one another for a while and let our wounds heal. We still love each other so much, but if we were to try and make things work when he couldn't trust me it would just make things worse. I guess this is his way of testing me to see if I wanted to have a chance at a relationship with someone else."
Brad glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "He wouldn't have been talking about me, would he?"
She sighed. "He did mention you. He asked me if I was interested in having a relationship with you, and I told him I wasn't. That he was the only one I wanted to share my heart with."
"So what was that kiss all about then?" he demanded, becoming a little angry that she had kissed him in such a provocative manner without even being the least bit affected by it.
"Brad, that's all it was. A kiss," she answered, wondering where this was coming from. "Did you think that there was something else there that led me to do it?"
He was silent a moment as he didn't really want to answer that. If he did then it would mean examining emotions he didn't want to right now. "Just forget I said anything," he said as he started to walk away.
But she grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Brad, please, answer me," she pleaded, wanting to hear it as his silence had told her more clearly than words that he had thought there was something there.
He looked into her eyes and lost all resistance as he looked into their hazel depths, and for perhaps the first time she saw him lose some of his calm and collected demeanor. "What do you want me to tell you, Morgan? That after you kissed me I could think of nothing else for the rest of the night? That deep down I hoped that Leon would find out and that maybe I might have a chance with you? Dammit, Morgan, I'm just a man! I'm not made of stone, and I have feelings, too!"
She was taken aback at his outburst, even more surprised to learn that he had wanted her and Leon to break up. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "I guess I didn't think of what effect it might have on you. But we barely knew each other and I thought you would think nothing of it since it was apparent from what you told me that you were interested in someone else."
He sighed heavily. "I don't know anymore," he admitted. "You could be her twin, Morgan. You both have the same color hair and build. The only difference is the color of your eyes and your personality." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Maybe I'm just acting this way because you do look so much like her. Hell, I don't know."
She stepped closer to him and laid her hand on his arm. "Brad, I don't know what to say. I'm flattered that you would think so much of me, but I love Leon."
"I know," he answered, clearly frustrated with the current situation. For some totally insane reason, he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she forgot about him, but he had no right as he considered Leon to be a good friend and didn't want to do anything to betray him either. And he would only be causing himself more heartache as nothing could ever grow between them as long as she loved Leon. But, oh, to feel her lips underneath his again....
Before he knew what he was doing, he had taken her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers, brushing them across hers softly at first then more demandingly when her hands clutched at his shirt, bunching the fabric in her hands as she pulled him closer.
What the hell was she doing?! Her mind screamed for her to stop this madness right now, but the feel of his lips on hers proved to be her undoing as she had forgotten how his kiss had felt. It felt different from Leon's, more passionate and uncontrolled as was Brad's nature if he would only let it show, and she became lost when his tongue swept through her mouth, drawing forth a tortured moan from her.
It was then she realized what she had held back the first time they had kissed. His kisses drove her wild with wanting, and she knew it was only desire that prompted her to allow him to kiss her. She loved Leon with all her heart, but there was something about Brad that drew her to him. She didn't know what it was, but it awakened something within her that urged her to throw caution to the wind and just run with it.
She pulled him closer to her, so close she could feel the furious pounding of his heart against her chest, gasping for breath when he broke away to kiss along her neck, and she dug her fingers into his hair to hold him close. "Brad..." she breathed. "Please...we can't do this."
"God, Morgan, I want you so much," he panted huskily against her ear, his lips caressing the outer edge, and she closed her eyes tightly to try and keep her desires under control. It drove her insane to hear in his voice how much he wanted her, and she wanted him just as badly, but she couldn't do this to Leon. Not now. Not ever.
"Brad," she repeated a little more firmly, and he released her so that they could put some distance between them, and as a result her thinking became a little clearer. "You can't imagine how much I want you, too. But it would only cause more harm for us to give in to each other. I can't betray Leon like that when I have done so much already."
He stood there trying his best to control his breathing as it was out of control from his raging desires, and he knew that she spoke the truth even though he wished that they could throw all caution to the wind and see what could be between them. But she had more to lose than he did, although he had just as much to gain if anything ever developed between them.
But he nodded his head instead, not trusting himself to say anything more as his resistance was slowly wearing thin, and turned and walked away, leaving her there shaking like a leaf in the wind as she lowered herself to the ground and pulled her knees close to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Why did things have to be so complicated? Since when did desire become stronger than love?
Since she had no answers to these questions, she sat there for a time staring at the mountain's reflection on the water until the sun's setting light tinted them a golden orange. Only then did she rise and walk back inside to an empty house that once had held such love for her.
*********************
Well, I guess I don't have much to say after this chapter. It seems the first kiss they had shared meant something to them both after all. But don't worry, she'll stay with the one she truly loves. And guess who makes an appearance next chapter? Thanks for reading! C-ya!