6. Lucy
6
LUCY
M y ankle throbs, I’m wrapped in a foil blanket, and I’m going to get a crick in my neck from the position I have to be in to read by the light of my phone.
Open on my lap is the paperback I brought in my backpack. I always carry a book around with me, and I’m glad of it tonight.
Spending Valentine’s Day reading is not new to me, which is why I thought this year would be different. This year I found myself a date, and it was supposed to be special. Instead I’m holed up here with my foot propped up and a hot mountain man prowling restlessly around the cabin.
The rain stopped a little while ago and Ethan went out to check out the area and prep dinner. I offered to help, but he insists I rest my ankle.
I’m not sure what prep is needed for a meal in a packet, which is what he showed me is in his backpack.
My backpack is full of books, a picnic blanket, and my empty lunch box. His has a survival kit and all sorts of useful things like a fire starter and food and spare bottles of water.
There’s even a spare blanket which he dropped around my shoulders.
To be honest, it’s not such a bad place to be. I’m warm and I have a book, what else do I need?
My mind snags on the one thing I’m lacking and the opportunity I’ve missed not going on my date tonight.
I messaged Rob and let him know I wasn’t going to make it. He sent a terse reply which makes me think it might have been an awkward night, although it was bound to be awkward anyway.
Ethan comes back into the cabin, bringing a gust of cool air with him. He’s got a smile on his face and seems relaxed for the first time since I met him.
He carries an axe. God knows where he got that from or what he used it for, but the sight of the burly mountain man wielding an axe starts a flutter deep in my belly.
My gaze wanders over him, from the tight thermal top that hugs a muscular chest down to the thermal pants that show off every lump of his generous package.
The flutter turns into a tug, and a damp heat floods my panties.
Maybe this night isn’t wasted after all.
“You hungry?”
At the thought of food my belly lets out a low rumble, reminding me it’s been hours since I last ate.
“I’m starving.”
He smiles and holds out his arm for me. “Come on. We’re dining al fresco.”
I frown at him. “Does this place have a secret porch I don’t know about?”
He chuckles. “Come see.”
I’m skeptical, but I let him help me up, and I lean on him as I hobble to the door. My foot hurts less after having rested it for the last hour. But when we get to the threshold, Ethan scoops me up into his arms.
“Hey!” My protest is feeble, because when he presses me to his hard chest I want to snuggle into his solid warmth.
“We can’t get your bandage wet.”
He pushes open the door and carries me around to the side of the hut.
There’s a clearing on some rocks, and Ethan has laid out the picnic blanket from my backpack. Candles from the hut flicker at the edge of the blanket where he’s dripped wax onto the rocks and stuck them down.
In the middle of the blanket are pouches of food and two bamboo forks.
“What’s this for?” It’s not what I was expecting from the no-nonsense ex-military man.
“I can’t make up for the Valentine’s dinner you’re missing, but I thought I could try to make it a little bit special for you.”
My chest squeezes. I’m not used to acts of kindness from a man, let alone a complete stranger.
“You didn’t need to do this.”
He sets me down gently on the blanket then slides a cushion under my foot.
“Don’t get too excited. It’s only cold pouches of chicken stew for dinner. I couldn’t find any wood dry enough to make a fire, and there’s no gas for the cooker.”
He hands me a pouch and a fork, and despite the gloopy consistency, it’s gone within moments.
The candles flicker, casting golden light dancing over our picnic. I wonder how a man as thoughtful and good-looking as Ethan can still be single.
“Why doesn’t a man like you have a Valentine’s date?”
Ethan shakes his head. “Nah, love’s not for me. Been there, got the t-shirt. Or the divorce papers, I should say.”
“You’re divorced?” It surprises me. The man is obviously a catch, and if he does all this for a complete stranger, what would he do for the person he loved?
“It was a long time ago.” He holds out another pouch. “You want to try the beef?”
I take it the subject is closed and accept the pouch of mushy food. “Sure.”
“So how about you? Was it a first date?”
His voice has an edge to it that I don’t understand. I look down at my food and wonder if I should attempt to explain the strange situation.
“Yes,” I say honestly.
“I’m sorry. He was probably taking you somewhere really nice, and you got this instead.”
I pull the blanket around my shoulders and look out at the dark night. The trees rustle in the breeze, and insects hum in the forest.
“This isn’t so bad.” He smiles, and I want to keep making him smile. “If only the stars were out.”
He chuckles. “And we had decent food.”
I nod in agreement. “It would be perfect if only we had lobster and champagne and a big chocolate cake for dessert.”
He raises his eyebrows at me. “You don’t strike me as a lobster and champagne kind of girl.”
I look mock offended, but he’s right. “You got me. I like simple things. To tell you the truth, sitting on a picnic blanket outside is pretty near perfect.”
“What would make it perfect?”
I consider the space. We’re surrounded by trees, and the break where the rocks are allows the night sky to peek through, but it’s too cloudy to see any stars. “Being able to see the stars, but failing that, fairy lights hanging from the trees, a fire pit with smoldering embers to make s’mores, a few more cushions. And I wasn’t joking about the chocolate cake. I’m not fussy about the main course, although I am partial to melted camembert cheese dip, but dessert, that’s different. I like chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate brownies, chocolate cheesecake…”
He raises his eyebrows. “All at once?”
“Why not? I love dessert. It’s the best part of the meal.”
He shakes his head. “And here I was thinking you were a sensible teacher.”
I bite my lower lip, because I am a sensible teacher. But I’m about to do a very un-sensible thing.
“It wasn’t really a first date.” Ethan looks up from where he’s lying on the blanket propped up on one elbow. “It was more of a hook up.”
Ethan’s eyebrows pull down his brow until they meet in the middle. “What do you mean?” he growls.
I play with the fringe of a cushion, my cheeks heating at what I’m about to confess. “I met him on a dating app. It was just going to be for one night. I don’t usually do that,” I add hastily. “Not that women should be judged if they do, but I’ve never done it before.”
“You’ve never met anyone on a dating app?”
“No.” I shake my head, and I can’t meet his eyes, “I’ve never hooked up with anyone. Ever.”
Silence hangs in the air, and I dare a glance at Ethan. He’s studying me intently, his expression unreadable in the dim light. The shadows make his face even more handsome, and I take a deep breath and run on before I lose my nerve.
“I’ve tried dating before and never met anyone I really liked, and I’m twenty-five now and I don’t want to be a virgin my whole life, so I arranged a hook up.”
I trail off and watch Ethan. He hasn’t moved a muscle, and his gaze remains firmly on mine.
“You were going to lose your virginity tonight?”
I nod. “Yeah. It was time.”
“You’ve never been with a man before?” His breathing is ragged, and his eyes shine. He’s attracted to me, and that spurs me on to do what I need to do next.
Rolling onto my hands and knees and keeping my ankle elevated, I crawl over to where he’s lying on the blanket.
“I’d still like to lose my virginity tonight.”
He sucks in a breath and sits up just as I reach him.
“Oh no no no.” He puts his hands in the air. “Whatever you’re thinking, get that thought out of your head. You’re vulnerable and injured and under my care.”
He didn’t say he doesn’t want me, and that makes me bold.
“You’re single and you’re attracted to me, and we’ve got the entire night together on our own. What else are we going to do?”
I edge closer to him and let the blanket fall off my shoulders. His eyes dart to my chest, and I push my breasts out so they strain under my top.
“Lucy...” His voice is croaky. “Your first time should be special. You should save it for someone you love.”
I run a hand down my neck and over my breasts and down my torso, and he follows it with this gaze.
“I don’t want to do that. I want to experience what sex is like. I read about it in books, and I’ve never experienced it myself.”
My hand moves down between my legs. He swallows hard, and the Adam’s apple in his throat bobs up and down.
“If you don’t help me, Ethan, I’ll have to go back on a dating app and find someone else to hook up with.”
“Don’t do that.” His voice is a growl loaded with desire. He wants me. I just need to convince him I’m not a delicate flower that will break from use.
Maybe that’s what he thinks. All people see of me is the prim schoolteacher. They don’t see the passion that burns inside me, the needs I have that need to be fulfilled, the need to be manhandled and thrown about and made love to.
I need to show him the other side of me, the side no one sees but that for some reason I feel comfortable enough to show him.
I reach up behind my head and pull my hair out of the tight bun. It falls down my shoulders and I run my hand through it, letting it settle in place.
Then I discard my glasses. They’re only for long distance, and I can still see every detail of the man before me. I see how his pants stir and the erection in them grows longer and the way he can’t keep his eyes off me.
“I want you to fuck me, Ethan.” His eyes go wide at the coarse language. I don’t usually swear but I feel wild around this man, like I want to do things I’ve never done before.
I inch closer to him and kneel before him, ignoring the pain when my ankle bumps against the ground.
I’m wearing a blouse that’s buttoned all the way to the top. I don’t usually show off my body, but I want to show it to this man.
Carefully, I unbutton the top button and then the next one. Ethan looks pained as I slowly undo all the buttons on my blouse, letting it hang open. His eyes widen as I slide the blouse off my shoulders.
I inch forward and let the foil blanket drop from around my waist. His eyes linger over my body, and there’s hunger in them. I bet he wasn’t expecting the lacey underwear with the tiny bows.
But there’s a lot about me he doesn’t know, and I want to show him.