Stroke Of Fear

   Tanner clears his throat. “Okay.” Then he turns the radio up and hums along to a Jason Aldean song until we reach the city.

* * *

   I point to the latest 4G phone sitting on the display shelf. “You have to get this one.”

   He crinkles his nose and picks it up to examine it. “I doubt I’ll be able to work it. You know I am from the south; we don’t even wear shoes.”

   I bark out a laugh. “I’ll teach you how to use it. You won’t regret it.”

   He grabs the phone and takes it up to the counter to check out. “You hungry? I think we missed supper.”

   My stomach growls in protest. “I am. Want some Chick-Fil-A?”

   “Sure.”

Tanner pays for our food and insists we get it to go. I don’t ask any questions, I’m just glad to eat. I pig out while Tanner drives. When we pull into a vacant field, I sit up in my seat.

   “Is this where you kill me and we end up on the ID channel?”

   Tanner shifts the truck into park and grabs his chicken sandwich from the sack. “No, I want to get in your pants before I kill you.”

   Heat rushes toward my cheeks. He just put an image in my head that will never leave. I’ve been avoiding thinking about him on top of me. But, now all I can think about is his naked ass. “Ha. Ha.”

   He winks. “This is just a place I like to go sometimes. You want to leave?”

   I step out into the field, shaking my head. “No,” I say over my shoulder. Tanner basically inhales his sandwich, and I feel his presence behind me only a few minutes later. “It’s so peaceful. I think it’s better than the woods.”

   Tanner’s breath is hot on my neck, causing all of my nerves to stand on end. “Want to see something amazin’?”

   “Yes.”

   Tanner interlaces his fingers with mine. That sense of safety and comfort rushes over my body, leaving me shivering.

“Are you cold?” he whispers.

   No, I’m fucking burning up. Everywhere. “No,” I say. He pulls us toward the trees to the left, maneuvering our way through the thick branches. He gives me a gentle squeeze.

   “We’re almost there, hold on.”

   Tanner holds each branch back for me, so they don’t slap me in the face. When the trees thin, I can see the sun glistening off the water. My throat starts to burn, my chest feels heavy.

   Tanner moves the last branch, and I see the lake in front of me. It has a dock, a fishing boat and is in the middle of nowhere.

   “My brother showed me this last month. He said it helped his homesickness when he first moved out here. It’s like a paradise no one has found yet.”

   “It’s really beautiful.”

   He gives my hand another squeeze. “Do you miss it?”

   My eyes avert toward the ground, but I feel Tanner’s calloused finger lift my chin up to meet his eyes. “Do you miss it?” he repeats, his lips forming the words so smoothly. I watch his face, the thin coat of hair covering his strong jaw. His dark, heavy eyebrows hang so perfectly right over his gray eyes. How can he be this gorgeous and normal? No scars? No emotional damage. I must look like a train wreck in comparison.

   “No,” I lie. “I can’t make myself miss it. I don’t even think about it. That was a part of the old me. I’m new. Fresh. The water isn’t part of my life anymore.”

   Why is it so hard to breathe now? I take a few large inhales to show myself I can breathe normally. I can’t. It hurts.

   Pressing my free hand against my chest, I bend at my knees. Breathe, Aubrey. Just fucking breathe.

“Lay down,” Tanner says. I do it, because I desperately want something that’s right in front of me. Air. He grabs my hands like he did when he pulled me from the water and brings them above my head. “Breathe, darlin’. You’re fine. Just breathe.”

   Time slows down; all I can see is two gray eyes staring down at me. The blue specks look great against the sky behind him. Slowly my focus starts to come back. Tanner runs his fingers against my arm. The sensation sends chills against me again. “You there, Aubrey?”

   I nod, running my tongue over my teeth. “I think I can stand now,” I say. Tanner wraps me in his arms and pulls me from the ground. The minute my feet touch I feel my weight carrying me back toward the soggy soil.

   Then I’m in Tanner’s arms. The hardness of his muscles mesh into my softness. One arm is underneath my thighs, burning all the way up between my legs. The other is keeping my back straight, my head lying in the crook of his neck.

   Somehow he gets the passenger side door open, and he slides me onto the leather. I let my head fall against the seat while something cool rests against my lips. “Take a drink of my water,” he urges.

   Swallowing the cool liquid, I think about this touching his lips. Now it’s touching mine. I know it’s childish, but the feeling between my legs is anything but childish.

   I don’t remember closing my eyes, but everything goes black.

* * *

   “Aubrey, wake up. We’re back at the camp.”

   A deep, rough voice travels along my skin, sparking all of my nerves. Slightly opening one eye, I glance up at Tanner.

   “Hmmm…” I moan softly. Tanner lets out a deep exhale before grabbing the back of my neck and slowly moving my head back and forth.

   “You have to wake up. I don’t think it’s a good idea to carry you into your cabin. They’ll think you passed out just by looking at my sexy as hell face.”

   Sighing, I lift my head and look around. We’re in the employee lot. “I’m up, I think.”

   “Can you walk?”

   “I think so. My body feels normal now.” I press my toes into the ground and slide to a standing position. Tanner’s arm won’t leave my waist.

I flick my eyes to his. “I’m fine.”

   Tanner keeps hold of me, anyway. When we get close to my cabin, I stop in my tracks. Jake is sitting on the steps, head in his hands.

   “Fuck,” Tanner says beneath his breath. “Come on, we need to lay you down.” Tanner starts walking, and I’m not sure how I’m moving, because I’d rather by anywhere than near Jake at this moment.

   Our feet crunching the rock under us makes Jake look up. His eyes widen at first, then I watch as his eyes follow Tanner’s arm around my waist. “What the fuck is going on?” he snaps, jumping to his feet.

   “I was about to ask you the same damn question,” I snap back. “Why are you in front of my cabin? I told you to stay away from me.”

  Jake runs one hand through his blond hair and the other one clenches at his side. “Why are you walking so slowly? What did you do to her?” Jake is screaming now. A few campers have stopped on their paths to their cabins to stare at us.

   “She went with me into town. Not that it’s any of your damn business.”

   Jake takes a step toward us. “Let her go. I’m going to beat your ass.”

   “No,” I screech out. “Do you not see the kids standing around? Go to your room and don’t come back over here.”

   He isn’t listening; he hasn’t since he saw Tanner’s arm around my waist. “Let her go.”

   Tanner’s chest vibrates with a growl, he and steadies me. “Go sit down. This won’t take long.”