Beyond the Stars (9 page)

“Yes, I’m game. I could use an adventure,” I said playfully.

“Good. I have to go off-site for the rest of the week. I won’t get home until late Friday night. I’m going to be dying to see you by then,” he moaned.

“You make it sound so far away,” I said, pretending not to mind.

“Can I call you later?” asked Jack, raising his eyebrows, looking like an adorable child.

“Of course. I’ll talk to you after work.” I waved and turn down the opposite hallway and strode briskly back to my desk.

The week went by quickly. I spoke to Jack every night on the phone. I loved that he was so easy to talk to and never seemed to judge me when I spoke. I admired the way he held himself. His motivation was contagious and made me want to be a better person. He was extremely optimistic about life. It appeared that he controlled any negative emotion he felt and easily dispelled it, instead of the other way around. I couldn’t help notice how he managed to maintain his full attention in the present moment. He was thirty-one, eight years older than me, and seemed so composed and mature. The fact that he acted like a true adult was a complete turn-on.

***

Saturday morning had arrived. I got up and ate an abnormally large breakfast in hopes of building my stamina. The last thing I wanted was to have my stomach growling or develop low blood sugar while I was stuck on the raft. I knew how hungry I tended to get when I exercised. Jack and I arrived at the park to find Josh, Noah, and an attractive blonde-haired girl I had never met before standing near the shore of the river bed. The day was crystal clear. Sunlight sparkled across the water and made the surrounding pine trees appear a brilliant emerald green. I couldn’t believe how loud the rapids were. I nervously looked at the fast-flowing water splashing up on the large rocks that jutted up intrusively in its path. I questioned my decision in participating. Had I completely
lost
my mind?

“Guys, this is Sarah. She wanted to join in the fun. Sami, I didn’t want you to be the only girl.”

“Thanks, Noah, that’s very considerate of you. Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I replied as I shook the girl’s hand.

“And you.” She smiled back at me.

“Looks pretty good today,” said Jack while he and the others checked out the rushing river.

“Whoa!” I yelped when I accidently slipped after losing my footing on the rocky ground. Luckily, I was able to reach out and clutch hold of Noah’s shirt before I landed on my butt.

“
Careful
,” he said with widened eyes. He grabbed hold of my arm and lifted me back to my feet. I quickly glanced over at Jack to see if he had noticed my clumsiness. Fortunately, he seemed preoccupied with checking the height of the water.

“Thanks,” I muttered.

Noah turned to me. “So, Sami, what do you think?” he asked, knowing we were out of earshot from the others.

“About what?”

“About Sarah,” he said, tilting his head in her direction.

“I don’t know. She’s pretty.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Yeah, she is, isn’t she?” he said, looking back at her with ogling eyes.

“Why are you asking me? Do you really like her or something?” I asked. Noah was always a little strange when he talked about the girls he dated.

“I don’t know yet.” He scratched his head.

“Well, when did you meet her?”

“Last night,” he said smugly.

“
Oh
, I don’t even want to know.”

“Sure you do. She does this thing with her legs. Incredible!”

“
Ahh
, too much information.”

“But it was fun. You should try it,” he jested.

“Please, would you stop?”

“Look, I’m trying to help you out. You need to quit ignoring your sex life. It’s such a waste to not use that tight body of yours.”

“You’re a slut,” I teased, raising my eyebrows in disapproval.

“
Virgin.
”

“Humph!” I huffed quietly. Noah’s appetite for sex never ceased to amaze me. I couldn’t help but make fun of his promiscuity when he teased me about my inexperience. We both chuckled as the others approached. Jack gave me a peculiar grin but didn’t ask what we were talking about. Curiously, I looked at Sarah, trying to figure out what she did with her legs.

I listened to the group while they shared in their excitement for the day. Then, as if by accident, I spotted Noah slip Jack a folded twenty dollar bill into the palm of his hand.

Noah spoke quietly to Jack, “I can’t believe you got her here. Maybe you do know her better than I do.”

“You highly underestimate her,” Jack retorted.

I pretended I hadn’t noticed and turned my face away from them to look at the water. I felt a wave of anger surge through me. Although I was happy to hear Jack’s defense, those jerks had made a wager on whether I would show up or not! First, Noah poked fun at my lack of a sex life, and now this. I couldn’t help wondering if he
wanted
me to see his bet, since he wasn’t exactly inconspicuous in handing Jack the bill. Did he say those things to challenge me because he was so competitive? Either way, he knew just how to provoke me. That’s it! I’d show those boys how to manage a raft. Now, with my adrenaline pumped, I could easily take on a few splashes of water.
Let the games begin!

We all got dressed in our life jackets and helmets and boarded the raft. Jack realized that he and Noah were busted after I blatantly denied his offer to help me get ready. He slapped Noah across his life vest with the back of his hand and frowned.

“You’re a jerk, Peterson, trying to get me in trouble,” he muttered under his breath. I hid my smile.

Noah smirked. “Yeah, but it’s all in good fun, right?” Jack gave him an irritated glare. Minutes later, I had all but forgotten about their bet when our raft surged through the rapids, bumping off rocks from both sides of the creek. It was exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time.

“There, push off there,” Jack instructed Josh.

“I’m on it,” he said with enthusiasm, using his paddle to push off the river’s bottom.

Noah shouted at me, “
Sami, hang on
,” when our boat went crashing into a foreboding jagged rock beside me. The jolt from its impact lifted my body up from the raft and threw me airborne. A forceful wave of water furiously gushed up on my side of the boat immediately after. I would have fallen out if it weren’t for Jack’s super-human reflexes.

“Oh,
no you don’t
. Come here.” He quickly reached out and grabbed hold of my arm, securing me tightly to his side.

“Thanks,” I said after the wall of water finished drenching us.

As we rafted, I watched the men with admiration. They seemed to be devising a strategy on the fly. Seeing Jack in action made the trip worthwhile. He functioned perfectly under pressure. His natural athleticism was impressive. His every move looked effortless. We finished our ride without a hitch. What a rush! I was amazed by my accomplishment. I didn’t fall in, but I was all wet.

I had to sit on my towel during the car ride home. I couldn’t believe that I was the only one who didn’t bring an extra set of clothes.

***

Jack came into my apartment with me. I stopped to glance at myself in the entrance mirror. “I look like a drowned rat,” I said. I pulled out my ponytail holder from my slightly dry hair and laid it on the little table beneath the mirror. “My hair’s a mess.” I tried to fluff it loose with my fingers.

Jack came up behind me and looked in the mirror with me. He smiled. “It looks good to me.”

“Be honest. I’ve looked better.” I looked up at his reflection and then back at my own.

“I like it that you let yourself get all messed up. You look sexy and wild. It’s a turn on.” He laid his hands on my shoulders and kissed the back of my head.

“Hmmm, weird,” I jested. I stepped away to kick off my shoes and peel off my clingy, damp clothes. I stripped down to my red one-piece swimsuit, leaving my clothes in a crumbled up heap on the ceramic tile floor. I walked barefoot into the kitchen, grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, and poured us each some cold water from the refrigerator, knowing that Jack was probably down a few liters. He sat down on the barstool and watched me while I completed the mundane task.

“Nice suit,” Jack complimented.

“Thanks,” I answered. At least it was dry. “Are you hungry?” I asked. I took out a box of cereal and started eating some from the box.

“No,” he muttered with his eyes glued to me. His expression confused me.

“Are you okay?” I finally asked after acknowledging his stare.

“Never better.” He grinned.

“Hmm.” I moaned after I chewed my last bite.

“Ah, Sami—could you make
this
any harder for me?” he asked. He squeezed the corners of his mouth with his hand.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s hard enough that you are the most remarkable woman I have ever met. But how do you expect me to control myself when you look
that
good?” he said softly. He looked up from under his thick, black eyelashes.

“Well then, maybe you shouldn’t,” I said seductively.

I leaned across the narrow kitchen island and looked at him intently. He gave me a smug smile. We gazed at each other without speaking.

“Hmmm,” he moaned. It was all the invite he needed. Instantly he jumped off the stool, walked over to me, and took me by the hand to lead me into the living room. Jack guided me gently down onto the sofa. He leaned over me while keeping his weight on his arms. I sat up and gave him a short kiss. He didn’t move. He stayed there, frozen in his disciplined position, and looked me in the eyes. “Not to complain, but it would be helpful if you could keep
some
clothes on. I’m not a saint after all.”

“Actually, I was thinking that
you
are the one who’s a bit overdressed. It doesn’t seem fair, now does it?”

“No, I guess you’re right.”

“Would you mind taking this shirt off? It would help to even things up,” I encouraged. I tugged at his clothes. He smiled back at me with a crooked grin.

“Sure, maybe that would help make things more even. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable by being overdressed,” he said, repeating my expression. I was happy he didn’t object to my advance.

I helped him slip his T-shirt over his head and tossed it across the room. He seemed to like my carelessness. He smiled before he leaned back and pulled me on top of him.

“There, isn’t that better?”

“You’re amazing, Sami. Where
the hell
have you been hiding?” he said, looking up at my face with bright eyes. I smiled but didn’t answer. He wrapped his arms around me and gently stroked my bare back with his hand. I was completely taken in by the feel of his skin against mine. Before I knew it, he reached out and held my head in his hands and passionately kissed me with a stronger force than I had ever felt him kiss me before. I loved how his fingers intertwined into the back of my hair as though he didn’t want to let me go. I gave in to the sensation and allowed myself to be fully immersed in the moment. His lips were smooth and had the perfect softness. I could stay there kissing him for hours. I felt my body flush with heat after I let myself rest down into the contours of his flawless body. Was this what it felt like to be in love? Maybe it was lust … I couldn’t be sure. It was all too new. I had never felt this way about anyone before. All I knew was that I wasn’t letting him go home anytime soon.

“You’re driving me crazy. I can’t take it anymore,”

I said in between kisses. I carefully explored his body, gliding my hand over his toned arms and abs. I felt confident he wouldn’t stop my hand.

“You …
good Lord
, if you were any hotter, I would melt,” he said. He leaned up and kissed me more slowly before he gently worked his way down my neck while he cradled my head with his hands.

“
Oh
, you know just how to touch me,” I moaned.

“I only want to make you happy.” He kissed me on the lips once more.

“Well, you’re doing a good job at that,” I said, unlocking his lips while I clung to his firm body beneath me.

“Sami, I want you,” he whispered in my ear.

“Good. Stay with me tonight.”

“All you had to do was ask.” He seemed pleased by my offer. I leaned in and kissed his neck and then made my way down to his collarbone before continuing down his chest.

He pulled me up to look me in the eyes before letting out a sigh as though he surrendered his guard. In an instant, he was on his feet and pulling me off the sofa to lead me into the bedroom. He tossed me onto the bed playfully. We made love. He was incredible! That sealed the deal. Let’s just say, if I had to rate what I wanted in a man, he would get a gold star. Why should I be surprised? I already thought he seemed to be good at everything he did. Now I was certain. He was possibly the most talented man I had ever met!

CHAPTER 7