“Sofia was right about you,” she said after a moment.

  “Oh? What did she say?”

  “She said she likes the way you talk to her…and look at her.”

  “She did?” I watched Caroline’s face. She gazed dreamily into the pot, her cheeks still red.

  “Uh huh, she did. She was telling me all about you two flirting at the dock... She thinks you’re handsome.”

  I chewed my cheek. “Actually, you know, she was kind of flirting with me today, too. I had lunch at her restaurant—”

  Caroline grinned at me, leaning close. “Oh, is that right? She was doing all the flirting, huh? And you were totally innocent?”

  “Well…I guess I was flirting back a little. I wasn’t sure if—”

  She interrupted my sentence by throwing a hand around the back of my neck and kissing my lips. “You can flirt with Sofia. I don’t mind.”

  “You don’t?” It seemed almost too good to be true.

  As my mind swirled, trying to process this information, Caroline’s hands slid up my chest. She kissed me again, more deeply this time.

  Her tongue touched mine, and I dissolved into the passion of the moment, giving up trying to make sense of what it all meant.

  Caroline checked her watch, taking up the spoon again.

  “You have to go soon?” I asked.

  “Pretty soon. But I’ve got some time.”

  I kissed her cheek again, squeezing her waist. “Do you like wine?”

  She looked at me. “Of course. Why?”

  “Red or white?” My hand moved down onto her ass.

  She breathed, “Are you getting some tomorrow for…”

  “For our date.” I caressed the lovely shape of her bottom, squeezing it gently.

  “I…I love both. Get whatever you want.”

  “Okay.” My voice was hoarse.

  I was achingly hard now, and Caroline must have felt it because she shifted her hips, pressing back against me.

  She kept stirring the pasta sauce, but her breathing had gotten heavier. “Um, I should plate this up for you before I go.”

  “Alright,” I said, reluctantly letting go of her ass. “I’ll go wash up.”

  As I returned from the bathroom, Caroline was moving around the kitchen, putting salt and pepper near my spot at the counter.

  There was a new energy to her movements, a mixture of nervous excitement and arousal.

  “Here you go,” she said, setting my dinner on the counter. Then she glanced at her watch again and bit her lip with an apologetic look. “I need to get going.”

  “That’s okay,” I said. “Really. It’s your girls’ night.”

  She tilted her head, smiling. “Thank you.”

  “Go have fun with your friends.”

  She leaned forward over the counter, giving me a view of her breasts. “Try not to eat all my cookies while I’m gone.”

  She said it teasingly, but the way she bit her lip told me she was already thinking about tomorrow night.

  “Can’t make any promises,” I said. “Your cookies are impossible to resist.”

  When the front door closed, I almost didn’t even notice—I was so engrossed in my food. The pasta was simple and delicious, with plenty of meat in the sauce.

  Returning to the porch with Henry VIII, I tried to focus on reading, but my mind kept wandering to Caroline. The way she’d melted into my arms, her soft gasps against my neck.

  Through the trees, I watched the pink sunset fading behind the mountains, my leg bouncing with pent-up energy. Tomorrow night couldn’t come fast enough.

  I needed to calm down, so I settled in the den and looked up some documentaries of historic naval battles. For some strange reason they always settled my mind.

  Eventually, I dozed off on the couch.

  When I woke up, I saw that Caroline had sent me a message at 10:58 PM.

  Hey! Having fun without me?

  You might be in bed already but just thought I’d tell you, I’ll be pretty late getting back.

  A warm feeling swelled in my chest. My fingers tingling, I typed:

  Okay. Thanks for letting me know.

  She responded immediately with a heart emoji, followed by a kiss.

  Climbing into bed a few minutes later, I remembered the feel of her lips against mine.

  I fell asleep thinking about tomorrow, longing to have her soft body pressed against me again.

  Chapter twelve

  Caroline was long gone when I came down the next morning a little before eight. I made myself a coffee and strolled out to the backyard barefoot.

  The heat was already beginning to gather, but there were some big clouds in the sky today, towering like fortresses.

  The grass felt good under my feet as I strolled towards the riverbank. Intricate spider webs glistened with morning dew between the branches.

  I watched a moth caught in one of the webs, languidly flapping his wings. It almost seemed like he didn’t want to escape. I imagined I could hear him sighing with contentment as the spider wrapped her legs around him and gathered him in.

  Sipping my coffee, I peered around at Sofia’s back porch. She was likely already at work too.

  Walking back inside, the memory of what Caroline and I did in the kitchen yesterday gave me a pleasant rush. My lingering sleepiness dissipated, replaced by relentless energy building up in my muscles.

  I made a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs, then headed to the gym.

  Mountain Fitness was quieter this time. Neither Kate nor Amber were there.

  I lost myself in the workout, moving through my sets with practiced intensity. With each rep, I pictured Caroline’s body melting against mine, the way she’d pressed her rear end against me in the kitchen.

  The memory drove me to push harder.

  By the time I finished, my shoulders were on fire and my chest was pumped. Sweat darkened my shirt, and I felt great. My earlier jitters transformed into a satisfied fatigue.

  Pushing through the gym’s door, I looked up at massive clouds rushing across the sky above the central park. Wind tossed my hair.

  The weather app on my phone said it was going to rain.

  Crossing through the square, I passed the courthouse and noticed the town hall, which was pretty uninspiring— a drab box-shaped building, probably from the 1980s.

  After a block of historic buildings retrofitted into offices, I passed some trendy-looking cafes and restaurants before reaching the liquor store.

  It was cool and quiet after the muggy heat outside. I browsed the wine section, looking for something nice but not extravagant.

  I settled on a Cabernet Sauvignon I’d had before— mature and full-bodied like Caroline herself.

  But as I turned towards the counter, my eyes lingered on the whites. On impulse, I grabbed a dry one I knew I’d enjoy.

  “Good choice,” the clerk said, tapping the red as he rang it up. “This is a favorite of mine.”

  His chattiness almost shocked me. Such a refreshing change from the city.

  “Yeah, it’s a good one,” I said with a smile.

  He nodded towards the window. “Gonna be a storm tonight, looks like.”

  “Yeah. We could probably use the rain, actually.”

  “Sure could! Been too long. You have a good evening now.” He waved as I headed out the door.

  As I walked back, dead leaves skittered across the sidewalk, hinting at September right around the corner.

  The afternoon crawled by with no rain, just that electric charge in the air. All that heat building up for so long… It was finally going to break.

  The trees were tossing outside the bedroom window as I got ready for Caroline.

  Fresh from the shower, I put on jeans and a black polo shirt. The bottles of wine sat on my dresser. As I ran fingers through my damp hair, I heard the front door open, and Caroline’s heels clicking on the hardwood.

  My pulse quickened.

  The sounds of her moving around the kitchen floated up the stairs. The domestic comfort of it, knowing she was down there getting things ready for our evening together.

  Taking the wine, I headed downstairs and made my way through the darkening living room towards the kitchen.

  Caroline stood looking into the fridge, wearing her work clothes—another pencil skirt and blouse, her suit jacket draped over her arm.

  “Hi,” I said, pausing in the doorway, holding a wine bottle in each hand.

  She turned, and a slight blush colored her cheeks. “Hi.” Her eyes traveled over me appreciatively. “You look nice.”

  “So do you.” I wandered in, letting my gaze linger.

  She chuckled, giving me a look. “These are just my work clothes.” Her hand smoothed over her blouse, and I noticed she’d had her nails done.

  “Well, they suit you.” I kept my voice casual though my eyes were not.

  “I thought we could grill some steaks,” she said, as I stood near her, close enough to lean forward and kiss her—though I didn’t do it yet.

  She gestured weakly towards the counter, but her eyes remained fixed on me, waiting.

  But I only let my gaze wander over her lips for a second. Then I looked at the counter. A couple of steaks were marinating.

  “I… thought we could do a grill,” she breathed, looking at my jaw.

  Her hand reached for me, but she pulled it back suddenly. A smile flickered on her lips. “Assuming you like steak.”

  “Perfect,” I murmured. “It’ll go well with the wine.” I sat the bottles on the counter.

  A sensual look came into her eyes as she bit her lip, looking at the labels. “Can’t wait to try them.”

  “Should get started on that grill soon," I said, moving closer. “There’s going to be a storm.”

  She nodded, eyes wide. “Yes. It’s gonna start pouring any minute. But we’ll be dry under the porch roof. I’m just going to go get changed first, okay?”

  As she spoke, she gazed into my eyes and came very close, putting her hand on my stomach.

  “Okay.”

  She smiled. “I’ll come back soon.”

  “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

  The kitchen was getting darker. I heard the wind in the trees outside as Caroline leaned in and kissed me softly.

  She pulled back with a shy smile. “Won’t be long.”

  As she turned to go, her fingers trailed across my stomach, slow, deliberate. Claiming me.

  Chapter thirteen

  While Caroline was getting changed, I got the barbecue going.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance. The sky was grey. The wind rushed through the yard, stirring the trees, but it felt refreshing.

  Her footsteps came as I watched the flames lapping under the dripping meat.

  “Oh, you’ve already got them started!”

  Pushing aside the screen door, she stepped out in a form-fitting dress that hugged every curve and showed off her legs.

  “I hope this isn’t too much,” she said, smoothing the dress over her hips. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders.

  “It’s perfect.” My voice came out huskier than I intended.

  She smiled, pleased with my reaction. “You want to open the wine? I think I have an opener here, actually.”

  “Sure.”

  She turned and rummaged in a small wooden box. As she bent over, the fabric stretched over her ass, and I could faintly see the line between her cheeks.

  I was quickly growing hard, but I turned my attention to the meat on the barbecue, trying to temper my excitement.

  She stood beside me with the opener. “Here it is. I’ll go get some glasses.”

  “Sure.” The sky flashed with distant lightning as I picked up the red wine.

  She turned suddenly, her hand on the sliding door. “Hey, would you like to eat out here? We can watch the storm rolling in.” Her eyes shone with excitement, as if she was suggesting something illicit.

  I smiled. “Sounds good to me.” The cork came out with a pop.

  Our steaks turned out perfect, with a nice char on the outside.

  I watched her take her first sip of wine, noticing how she closed her eyes, savoring it.

  The air was darker now. Lightning flickered, illuminating the patio.

  “I love this,” she said, cutting into her steak, the red juice pooling on her plate. “Just sitting here watching the storm get closer.” Her voice was soft, almost dreamy.

  Thunder rumbled, and the wind stirred her hair. She watched me over her wine glass. “I used to do this in college. Sit outside during storms, writing in my journal.”

  “What did you write about?”

  “I’d write poetry. Or I’d just describe what I saw, and how I felt.” She let out a small laugh. “I was a Lit major. What can I say?”

  “But you don’t do that anymore?”

  “No.” She sighed, swirling the wine in her glass. “I haven’t done anything spontaneous in... forever. But having you here... it makes me feel different.”

  Her eyes met mine, glinting in the gathering darkness. “Am I saying too much?”

  “Not at all.” I touched her hand. Her skin was warm and soft. I lifted her fingers lightly. “You did your nails. They look nice.”

  “Thanks.”

  Her fingers rested in my hand. The wind picked up, rustling the trees more urgently now. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating her cleavage displayed by the neckline of her dress.

  She smirked.

  “What’s that smirk about?” I moved my chair closer.

  She ran a finger over my arm. “Nothing. I’m just surprised you have all those muscles hidden under there.”

  I flexed my arm, holding it up for her. Her eyes widened, and she draped her fingers over it, caressing my bicep and forearm.

  I moved my chair right beside hers, putting an arm around her waist.

  “Ryan…” she breathed, but whatever she was going to say was lost in a sudden crack of thunder.

  Beyond the river, the mountains had disappeared in dark clouds. Ribbons of rain washed over the fields.

  She stood suddenly and walked to the railing. “Come here,” she said, reaching for me without looking. “Look at the storm coming towards us.”

  I moved behind her, close enough to smell her perfume mixing with the night air. The first few drops of rain began to tap the patio roof above us.

  A drop hit my hair, carried sideways by the wind. Caroline leaned forward over the railing, letting the drops hit her face.

  Her dress pulled tight across her hips as she bent forward. “I love this. The wildness of it.”

  The rain picked up. I moved closer, my hands taking Caroline’s waist.

  She pressed back against me with a soft sound. Through the thin material of her dress, I could feel the twin mounds of her ass pressing against me.

  My manhood stiffened, lengthening out from my boxer shorts and pushing on the leg of my jeans.

  Caroline sucked in a breath of air, grinding her beautiful rump against me. I grabbed her meaty arms, sinking my fingers into her flesh.

  She leaned back against me moaning, her hair wild against my chest. I reached around her, brushing my fingers over her thighs, tracing my hands over her hips and ribs.

  My heart was racing as I groped her breasts through her dress.

  My fingers trembled almost with disbelief. It was actually happening. I had my hands on this much older woman, and she wanted it as badly as I did.

  It felt like I’d entered a forbidden garden, and I was about to push through the door of the sacred temple in its center.

  Thunder cracked directly overhead, making Caroline jump and turn to face me in my arms. Her hair was wet with rain, her eyes wild. Before I could react, she grabbed my shirt and pulled me into a deep kiss.

  The storm raged around us as we kissed. My hands went under her skirt, groping her inner thigh where it was unbelievably hot and inviting.

  I placed my fingers between those thighs, pushing lightly into the fleshy softness behind her panties.

  Caroline gasped, leaning back on the banister, spreading her thighs as rain streamed down her chest.

  The rain on the roof was loud now, and the river was alive with the streaming downpour.

  But Caroline’s moans rose above the storm as her hand fell on my shoulder, gripping me.

  With her passion rising, I took my hand away, gently letting her come down as I kissed her lips and caressed her.

  Then she broke away suddenly, her eyes dancing with laughter. The storm had reawakened something deep inside her. Something long dormant and neglected.

  She moved towards the balcony’s corner where the rain poured down. Beyond, above the fence, the neighbor’s bushes and trees roiled in a dark tumult.

  She curled a hand around the post and leaned over the banister. Lightning flashed again, closer now, illuminating her figure through the wet dress. She looked almost otherworldly, like a siren.

  “I want to feel it,” she said, reaching her hand out past the roof’s edge. The wind caught her hair, whipping it around her face.

  I laughed and stepped towards her, wanting nothing more than to press my body against hers.

  But suddenly, a terrible crack split the air above us— not thunder, this time.

  I looked up to see an enormous dark shape plummeting toward where Caroline stood.

  Chapter fourteen

  Igrabbed Caroline around the waist and yanked her away. The gigantic thing plummeted into the yard, its long arm crashing against the railing where she’d been standing, shaking the entire porch.

  Caroline swooned, almost falling, but I held her firm.

  Below, in the darkness, a monstrous shape lay sprawled across the lawn, leaves and knotted wood glistening in the rain.

  The branch was resting against the railing, its gnarled fingers reaching onto the porch.

  “Oh, my God,” Caroline cried, turning in my arms. She clung to my shirt, her face tilted up to mine as the sideways rain pelted us.

  I wiped her hair away to see her startled eyes. She was gasping for breath, her chest heaving. She pressed against me, and I could feel her heart pounding against me through our wet clothes.