Chapter Seven

Aligning Hearts

"What do you mean, you had your chance?" Jeremy asked Sean Jr. while Michael took in the vision aiding her grandfather and best friend.

"Exactly as my old man said," the redhead grumbled. "She wasn't interested in me when I tried asking her out. I didn't take it well at the time, but no use crying over spilled milk."

Michael would have paid attention more to the conversation, but let himself be transfixed by the sight of Mason's granddaughter. Damn it, and he'd seen her in scrubs almost every day during his hospital stint. Her honeyed skin was lushly complimented by the teal blue of her one-piece suit beneath those faded blue jeans ripped at both knees, hourglass curves sculpted by sheer sides. Her hair well down to the middle of her back despite today's temperatures. She was off-limits THAT way, but maybe he could just admire her safely from afar.

"Mike, there you are!" Her voice snapped him back to awareness, and she was right in front of him, some hair over both shoulders. Good God, she threw her arms around his shoulders after setting the cooler in her hands down, hugging him tightly around the shoulders. That was all it took.

~o~

They were all here together, so would there ever be a moment she'd wind up alone with Michael Afton? No, he was Michael Schmidt, she reminded herself, but still.

She caught the way he couldn't take his eyes off her, but as much as it excited and embarrassed her at the same time because Grandpa and Melinda were here - and the guy among Mason's team who tried making moves on her before she rejected him gently - she didn't want to get heartbroken in case it wasn't what she thought it was. She thought about Mike too many times she couldn't count. The heat didn't do much to help other than make her lady parts throb a little, her heart pulse pound, and her heart clench.

Two days out here and camping until the fourth ended. That meant she and Melinda would have a tent, Grandpa with old Sean, and that left Mike, Jeremy, and Sean Jr. She somehow needed to meet with Michael during the night, but there were also black bears and moose that came out at night. They'd have to be careful, though thank the old men for having rifles just in case.

Was this an opportunity? Maybe, maybe not, but one thing didn't come around every day, so she was gonna see where things between her and Mike could go, and after this trip.

It might just be lust, fleeting after the fun was had, but if they were on the same page if it could just be something better off in fantasies, then so be it. She might be happier with the images of his naked body wet and dripping from the water of any source, or dried and shining in light, lean and strong or thin and pretty depending on what she'd see, pressed against hers and permanently etched in her psyche like amber.

Everyone behind them was getting their site set up, starting the trek down the little road towards the lake from here, but the two of them were stuck looking at each other after she called to him.

"How about it? Been a while," Mike told her with a slight smile. His t-shirt was light gray, fitted to his torso which was lean and showed off his arms muscled from vehicle repairs and heavy lifting. Damn it, she wanted to run her fingers over those lines and feel what texture his skin was, see if he had pecs and abs or not. "Small world, huh?"

"Yeah, Captain Obvious," Kaleia said, laughing. Small town, small world. "So, I never thought I'd ask, but is it okay if we hugged real quick?" And she got it, being short and to the point, and the softness and heat left her wanting more, but the others had to call for them to come on. Specifically, Grandpa.

"Kids, if you're done fraternizing, get a move on!" he yelled playfully.

There, down below, the men and Melinda had already set up shop. The coolers were all within the enclosed circle facing the water, which would make everyone happy. Melinda discarded her blouse and remained in her green swimsuit top and black skirt, taking out the sunscreen she'd brought with her and applying it on herself, then asking someone else to do her back for her. Before Kaleia could step up like usual, there was Jeremy Fitzgerald stepping up.

Melinda had a plan, at some point, to drop her skirt when it was just her and Jeremy, and be in her bathing suit, but there was talk to do, and Kaleia stayed a bit away in case a conversation didn't involve her. While helping Grandpa with his sunscreen, she looked over and tightened her lips to prevent a smirk at the slight irritation Melinda gave Jeremy when he moved halfway down her back, flushing his face. Then that little scowl changed to a light smirk. There was hope yet, Kaleia thought.

She and Grandpa were done helping each other, and that left the other one left. Her throat went dry at the removal of his shirt so that she could take in his shoulders, firm and gently toned, while he ran the lotion over those arms and the front of his torso. "Want - want me to help?" Kaleia cleared her throat, getting his attention.

Mike turned his face halfway to her. "Would appreciate it." That single eye looked her up and down before snapping back to the other way. That mean what she thought it did when he quickly turned his attention from her, that he desired what she desired?

Too bad she couldn't be Miss Obvious and lean further in his direction so he could see the swelling tops of her breasts in her bathing suit.

Oooh, damn, his skin! So firm and soft, those muscles hard and healthy, the flesh like - man, I can't think of a good description.

"Okay, now we girls go for a swim while you men have a cold beer or whatever, and then we catch fish!" Melinda announced for them. She'd done the job of yanking off her skirt for show, and rushing down to the water and plunging headfirst in after going as far out as she would.

Kaleia's jeans found their way on the grass, allowing Mike to see her thighs. Just torture that brain of his...

~o~

Nope, nope, don't think about the rich thighs. Think about the Lord's words and all that's unholy to kill the mood - goddamn it, all I can think of is kissing every inch of them until I get to the north center.

Michael was in immense trouble, but hey, knowing her grandfather, his boss, was here, was enough to help shove it back to where it belonged. Thankfully, it was helped by another party. "Alright!" Sean Sr. passed him a good old Miller's Light. "Let's get the party started."

Yeah, before things got ruined. Michael popped that top at the same time as the other men, the women's splashing and girlish squeals background music. "You know what?" Sr. then announced, jumping back up from his chair and going to the minivan. "This calls for some good old times!" And what perfect timing that the Beach Boys' Catch a Wave had to play at this time?

"Been waiting long enough for this," Mason concurred, raising his bottle for the toast. "To good times!" And the younger generation did salute to this, but for one of them, the pleasantness didn't last too long because a certain feeling HAD to come back and with a vengeance beneath his shorts that Michael had to forcibly excuse himself to take care of it since there was only one way to do it. There was a place for cold showers, but it was too early and would just raise suspicions.

He went as far away as he could until he came across a great tree hiding him from the rest of the group, and more than enough shrubbery to conceal him from the wild and any other campers to arrive. Last thing he wanted to do was be accused of public indecency. Hopefully, the heat would help speed things up.

No time to bother with taking his sweet time to indulge in what he'd loved to do to her, his fingers going right to his aching member he yanked out into the open and into the bushes in front of him, keeping his eyes opened to make sure one of the guys or more didn't sneak up on him and so he'd see them coming. Or, God forbid, Kaleia and Melinda. Michael forced himself back to concentrating on the nurse babe herself, on her ripe lips, smile that permanently etched into your memory, lush hair shining like oil while messily tied behind her head, full thighs and breasts he could only see in his tortured cranium, and -

He didn't last, shit, for he saw and heard his spunk hitting the bushes in front of him. He came close to falling on his knees but latched onto the trees, letting himself hang out for a bit before catching his breath and standing up once his muscles were strong again. He shoved his softening meat back into his shorts and fast. Now it was over with.

When he got back to the site, the girls were done with their brief swim and announced they were energized and ready for a trail walk.

Yeah, a walk sounded nice. Maybe if he walked it off, the feeling would fade. A glimpse of the wildlife would be a welcome - oh, shit. Kaleia and Melinda were walking towards them, picking up their towels and drying off their bodies and hair the best they could, and not only would the skirt and jeans be back on them, but they both suggested more sunscreen for the walk through the woods. Less sunburn, the better.

Kaleia's magic hands reignited the feeling when Michael found himself unable to refuse her. Just as he couldn't refuse his turn to run the silken cream over her innocent bare shoulders and the small expanse of her back that ended just above the end of her spine. I'm trying and I'm trying to ignore this invisible magnet, but looks like I'm stuck around her no matter what.

The trek around the camp was relaxing and invigorating, which Mason commented on and whooped to the trees, the sound echoing, and he did it without shame and maturity. Sean Sr. had brought his camera which had been in his family for over a decade now and was still in excellent condition, and intended to take doubles for everyone's scrapbooks of memories. They saw a bear or two either up in the trees at a distance or in the open field, hunting for something in the ground and bushes, and at one point, Kaleia cooed and pointed out a mama with her three little cubs playing around. Her reaction was one of the cutest things Michael ever witnessed from her.

And it was also great to jog as a group but slow down when the elders needed to catch their breath because even they had limits. When some of them were tired - especially Sean Jr. who wore out very easily unlike at work - stomachs were now growling, and it was time to hit the picnic tables. It was there that they could enjoy the feast Akela Kai prepped for them with her granddaughter's help, stories of the past that were embarrassing, exciting, and without too much drama were exchanged - but when it came to Jeremy talking about how he and Michael knew each other, after all this time, all bets were now off.

Michael's blood and heart froze at Jeremy's answer. An honest mistake, but now the hackles were up.

"We've known each other since Hurricane, just as we started middle school."

~o~

She caught the look of horror on his face when Jeremy mentioned Hurricane in front of her and Melinda. Looking at Sean Sr. and Jr., they didn't seem surprised in the slightest, which meant they knew this tidbit already. No, Mike was more worried about the girls knowing this, for some reason.

"From Hurricane? So is my family, originally," Kaleia said, trying to divert the uncomfortable feeling that permeated the air. "But I told you that, right, Mike?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered, straightening up and looking down at the half-eaten turkey sandwich. "Yeah, you did."

Grandpa Mason butted in. "Used to flit our time back and forth here and in that godforsaken town until those two incidents happened, and my daughter and her husband - Kaleia's parents - were killed," he said through his teeth, clearing his throat. "But enough of that for now." Kaleia could only hope that did the trick, but she could see it in Mike's eyes even though he relaxed.

Lighter as it got, Melinda did get asked about her family. "The Kais have been my family since I lost my folks. My dad was a firefighter, Mom a chef in a soup kitchen. One day, there was a fire when oil was spilled, and it was a freak thing that could have been prevented. Dad at first followed protocol when he and his team went in there for the survivors, but when it came to his wife, he broke and it cost both of their lives." She halted; it was still a fresh wound for her.

"I miss them still, but I also have a family." She looked at Kaleia and Mason, smiling with gratitude.

Everyone else missed the somber look on Mike's face but Kaleia. Grandpa noted, too, but chose to say nothing in front of everyone. She slowly averted further eye contact and instead chose to zone out, thinking about tonight and when to get him alone to talk about a meet-up...

She got her chance when they were heading back to the camp to chill out and then go to one of the fire rings for some s'mores. "Tonight," she whispered up in his ear.

Later, when night fell, the crickets came out to chirp their music, and Kaleia slipped out of her tent at the same time as Mike as soon as they were both aware everyone was out like logs.

"Mike," Kaleia breathed upon seeing him, taking in just the simplicity of him in the gray t-shirt and dark shorts; in this limited light, it was hard to tell if it was dark blue or black, but what the hell? "You came?"

"What is this, a romance scene where the one-sided lovers meet in a secret spot to profess their love?"

His blank tone was a slight downer, or was she downplaying it? Was she so distracted by the sensational thrill in her body and her heart that she ignored anything that could go wrong while they were out here in the woods, at a safe distance from the camp but not far enough that no one would hear them call for help, should anything go wrong? "What's wrong? Was it earlier?" Kaleia asked.

They were right up against a big tree by the time they walked away from camp, keeping far away enough so the others wouldn't hear their talk and whatever else that could happen, but close to run back in case a bear came by. They sat down, side by side, at the trunk base. "No," Mike mumbled, leaning his head against the trunk, "but I hate talking about my past for my own reasons."

"You don't have to talk about that right now if you don't want, because that's not why I asked you here. I'm gonna regret it one of two ways, but I don't give a shit. Mike, I know we're just acquaintances, but I'm really attracted to you. I've seen the way your eyes moved, which tells me you must feel the same, but tell me if I was just imagining it. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to piece stuff like that together. So...if you don't feel the same way, we'll just be friends."

No, she didn't want just friendship, but if that was the way it had to be...

"Yeah, Kaleia...you're right about all of that." A dark wash of color came to his cheeks. He averted his eyes to the ground for a second before quickly returning them to hers, a tight, nervous smile stretching across his features. "I like you, too."

~o~

She said it first, and the pull got him where he was wanted, and where he wanted to be. She made him lose control. He could never hate her for that.

"Impulse decision, but wanna know how much I'm attracted to you?" Michael rasped, looking over her and taking in the simple black tank and the matching shorts which were pattered all over with two swans butting heads to form the heart shape of their necks. "To the point where I want to see all of you, and after this, see where we go."

Oh, he was going to hell, and he didn't mean the sinners' afterlife.

Kaleia then reached and pulled her tank top over her head, from the bottom up, and there were her gorgeous breasts fulfilling his deepest forbidden fantasies. His throat immediately went dry. The gooseflesh of his arms rose in reaction, the wind picking up to make her hair ripple, some locks coming out from her ponytail. "Just like this?" she breathed, eyelids blinking hungrily.

"Oh, yes," Michael hissed, now wanting actions instead of words. He scooched closer to her, shifting his entire front to face her, his knee bumping against her thigh. "God, I wanna touch every inch of you, if that's what you want."

"What about you?"

"Yeah, eventually." He set about bringing his hands up, starting at her soft hips and traveling up, igniting the sparks of her nerves before he arrived at her breasts' destination. The dark skin around her nipples creased with tight excitement. They weren't even close to having sex, yet simple contact was all it took to arouse her and Michael, the electricity switched on. Jesus Christ, her magnificent globes in his palms shut off the term "forbidden fruit" from his brain. His shorts tightened at the crotch of the thoughts of giving into the passion where they were now. They were out here with nature, and the tents were out of the question. She loved nature and wasn't going to complain, she'd said without words. We shouldn't be doing this. If her grandfather or his friend catches us, if not Jeremy, Melinda, or Junior, God forbid -

"Come on, Mike." She stood up then, still in her shorts. "Your turn."

By his turn, she meant him taking off his shirt so she, too, could explore his body. Michael did as she asked, yanking off his shirt and tossing it to the ground to join hers. Her smoldering gaze took in his slim frame, the soft four-pack and pectorals he'd worked hard enough to get, and the firm muscles of his arms. "Oh, you - come here, you," Kaleia hissed. She then broke the spatial barrier between them, her breasts inches away, nipples shy from his as her hands roamed and took in the look and feel of his skin and outlines. Michael had never been touched this way before, and never in a way he'd felt so - well, different from his mom. Enjoy it all while it lasts, he reminded himself. Her palms spun around to his back, caressing him and ending just above his ass, hesitating before deciding to end it there and pull his body against hers. As her way of telling him she wanted every inch of him as he'd said to her.

He decided to be chivalrous and pick her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. The lower halves of their bodies were still covered by their shorts. He was sure she was wet, but there was only one way to find out, by the time he took her around the other side of the tree. Hopefully, no one who worked in the park would come their way, aside from the wildlife. Michael put that out of his mind, excited he was here with this woman and about to pleasure and be pleasured in return. There had been too much building up to ignore it at this point; it might never happen again, this sinfully desirable moment with the irresistibly exotic Kaleia Kai. Their mouths hungrily lapped at each other as he set her down and they set about removing the last of each other's clothes. He broke off the contact first, the both of them needing oxygen, but also because he needed to GROAN at the sudden grasp of his manhood, right after she felt the entire gathering of pubic hair. Michael squeezed his eyes shut, torn between getting lost in the throes of the ending orgasm, but also ending it before he could even think of sliding himself between her legs. Maybe he could avoid going that far, but give her enough without disappointing her.

"Lie back."

Her sumptuous self was in front of him, stretched out like a feline, and her hair now out of its tie and spread in random directions, all of it his to receive and demonstrating how much she trusted him. Goddamn it all, how had he gotten to be one lucky son of a bitch? He ran his fingers over the bent arches of her knees and femurs, down to the heels of her feet. She shivered but didn't complain. Flushed, Michael wondered if she was a virgin or not, but decided it didn't matter. He wasn't old-fashioned and didn't think of her as his property. Just because you had your first time with someone didn't mean that person owned you.

Michael took his sweet time with her, giving her the attention to the very place he'd patiently waited to get to. He used his fingers to first probe and tease the petals beneath the dark tangles, then part them open to show her pink pearl, reminiscent of the inside of a clam and its hidden treasure. He made damn sure she would take the pleasure until she writhed, unable to take much more but begging him not to stop. Her sweet and tangy aroma reached his nostrils and touched his curious lips, and just like that, Michael was hooked on Kaleia's natural resource.

He got her going in five waves of ecstasy, the fluttering of her insides around his tongue and fingers proof he gave her one hell of an oral examination and high. "Didn't do that before?" Kaleia asked, running her fingers through his hair. "Seems like you were holding out for the right girl and instinctually knew what you were doing."

"Nope, not until now," Michael agreed sheepishly, looking up at her and then scooting his body up to lie next to hers. "Just heard some stuff from the guys, never dated." Already he wanted to go to sleep next to her, then wake up with the dawn light in their faces...

...before reality crashed right onto him.

"I'm - I, uh -" Shit, he couldn't bring himself to speak. He should just bite the bullet and ignore the strain in his balls. That would go away after the outbursts he knew were coming. "Kaleia, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but we...we can't go further."

~o~

Kaleia blinked in shock. One moment, things were still euphoric after the first orgasm she'd ever gotten from a guy, but now Mike was... "What the - what are you saying?" she asked, sitting upright just as he got to his feet and reached for his clothes.

"I'm sorry," Mike said again, avoiding looking at her out of shame.

"But I thought we were on a good level!"

"We are," he insisted by the time his pants were on. "But I don't want to hurt your grandfather if he found out about this."

She was still completely naked and vulnerable compared to him, so when the rejection and fear of her grandpa punched her in its own way, she all but snapped with rage. To hell with it being so late in the night. Why did this have to happen?! "Michael Schmidt, you freaking serious?" Kaleia demanded. She jumped to her feet then, letting him see all of her and what he was missing. "You're deciding to leave things as they are and braking them."

He let out a noise of dismay. "Why are you mad at me? You said if things weren't going that far, we could still be friends, and -"

"I know what I said! But that's not the point." She shook her hips, back and butt facing him so he could see the jiggling temptation he was losing, and then reached for her top. "I wanted you, Mike! Not just for mind-blowing orgasms, but more than that! I secretly wanted it, knew you weren't a mind-reader, but you could have known it through what we were having! You're scared of Grandpa? Who's gonna tell him?" Actually, she knew nothing bad would happen, except Mason would make sure she wouldn't get her heart broken as her dad would have done if he were alive.

Mike's eyes widened before they narrowed. His shirt now covered his naked skin. "Guess it's an honor thing. Also because, as much as I do want this with you, I don't wanna hurt you. All my life, I've never had this kind of happiness, so I'm afraid of it being taken. That happened to me back in Hurricane, and because I'm all kinds of screwed up. You deserve better than someone like me."

She was so close to starting something between them, something he'd just as easily admitted to, and now it was over. Because he said he was full of baggage he couldn't bring himself to confide to her in, like a coward would do. Well, she did say she wouldn't force him to talk, but it didn't lessen her anger and hurt.

She needed Melinda because Melinda always knew what to say. Kaleia wrapped the rubber band around her hair and stalked past him.

"Go do whatever you want, Michael. I'm gonna just cry myself to sleep."

Goddamn it, Michael! You chicken out after tasting a fine-ass woman?! (demon rage)

Inspiration for this chapter came from one of my new fave Harlequin romance books, "Seven Sins: Forbidden Lust" by Karen Booth.

Love me some Beach Boys. :D My favorite songs of theirs are the following: Fun, Fun, Fun; Catch a Wave; Surfin' Safari; God Only Knows; Kokomo.

Light note: I just saw the FNAF movie yesterday with my boyfriend and my aunt, and it was different than I ever would have expected, but I ain't complaining. It's now on Peacock, and I plan to indulge often. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!