Keeping Pace by Dee Carney Page B

this solitude.
    “It’s so beautiful out,” I whispered to Josh.
    Taking a sip of coffee, I turned to catch his reply, then realized he wasn’t focused on our surroundings but on me. “How do you do that?”
    I blinked. “Do what?”
    “Look so amazing all the time.”
    My hand flew to my flyaway hair, rushing to tuck it into place. His compliment shouldn’t have made me feel so self-conscious, but I was all too aware of my puffy, sleepy-lidded eyes. “Cut it out.”
    “Seriously.” His whispered words held a measure of heat in them. “You’ve got this look… This sultry, seductive, come-hither look.”
    “You’re just horny.”
    His startled chuckle pierced the air until I shushed him. “You make me that way.”
    “Hush.” We were still supposed to be at least miffed at each other. He wasn’t supposed to make me smile and blush so easily, so soon afterward. “You’re harshing my mellow.”
    His lips were still curved in a sexy grin. “I wouldn’t want to do that.”
    My heart tripped at the sight, and I had to turn and face the view to keep from giving in to impulse. “We’re supposed to be watching the sun rise, Josh.”
    “Okay.”
    His simple reply should have sent warnings firing to my brain. Instead I took him at face value, breath held while waiting for the sun. As I stood there, sipping my coffee between deep inhalations of the fresh air, I couldn’t help but think about Josh and where we were headed. This was not a romance between us, even after all this time, but what name to put to it?
    Positioning himself behind me, Josh put his cup beside mine on the railing. I leaned back and, as I expected, came into contact with his body. Resting my head against his shoulder seemed to take the weight of the world away from me. I inhaled the scent of his cologne, the coffee and the morning air, and wanted to capture it to stow away forever.
    “Whose idea was this again?” I murmured.
    “Mine, I think.”
    Eyes closed, I released a sigh. “Thank you.”
    “No, thank you .”
    My brow furrowed at his inflection, but I still blamed the early hour for my lack of understanding. The moment his large hands slid against the skin of my thighs, my morning drowsiness melted into sexual awareness. “What are you doing?”
    “Nothing. Keep watching the horizon.”
    But the way his fingers stroked up and down my thighs could not be considered “nothing”. His touch made my flesh break out in goose bumps and my heart pound harder. He massaged down my legs and back up, not missing the swell of my buttocks or my lower back. My eyes closed of their own volition, while I enjoyed the sensation he elicited.
    “Are you still watching?” he asked, his voice husky.
    I moaned in response.
    My simple cotton nightgown was lifted, Josh’s hands finding the waist of my panties beneath. I did a quick mental recall of their state, thankful I hadn’t chosen to wear one of my more conservative pairs during his absence. These were simple cotton panties, high in the thigh, a soft pink color and, most importantly, flattering.
    “Pretty in pink,” he whispered.
    Suddenly I remembered where we were and the potential consequences of what he was doing. Since the deck was elevated enough to allow me to view into others’ backyards, a person standing at the right height might be able to spy on us.
    I couldn’t get my hands on his fast enough. Trying to wrestle them away, I scanned the neighborhood houses. The sun was only minutes away from peeking over the horizon, its presence casting a hazy orange light. “Josh, someone might see.”
    “No one will see. I promise.”
    “But—”
    “Trust me. I won’t let anyone see.” His fingers curled into the material of my panties. “It’s too early. Barely enough light to see by.” Soon the material peeled away from my body. “Just you and me, out here enjoying the morning.”
    His foot nudged mine, a silent command to widen my stance. Unthinking, I followed his guidance