His hands circled her waist while her arms flung around his shoulders. When their lips met, a vibration, starting in his spine, took hold of him. With awkward steps, they landed against a wall in the cabin, and he maneuvered them until they were inside the supply closet.
He pressed her against the door, and her hand settled behind his head, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Her tongue, soft and hot, fueled him, and he palmed her lush thighs and ass over the light material of her dress.
Any hope he had of stopping the progression of the kiss ended the moment Raven started moving her hips in a circle. When a moan left her mouth, it filtered through him straight to his dick.
He pressed his lips against her chin, working his way to the hollow of her neck, feeling the tiny shivers pulsing off her body.
“You smell so fucking good,” he whispered while peppering kisses across the swell of her breasts that her outfit exposed.
Finding the hem of her dress, Silas dragged his hand up her bare leg. He’d made it to Raven’s upper thigh when in a breathy, faraway voice, she said, “Silas.”
A responding sound emerged from his throat, hearing her say his name like that.
“No, Silas,” she said, slapping his shoulder. “Someone’s in the office.”
He stilled and listened past their heavy breathing. And just like she said, they were no longer alone in the cabin.
Stepping away from Raven felt like being thrown into frigid water. He wanted her heat back. While she fixed her dress and her makeup, he halfheartedly straightened the shirt she’d rumpled.
“Who leaves first?” he asked, his voice like sandpaper even to his own ears.
“Me,” she said, then pointed to the obvious bulge at the front of his pants. “You need to wait that out.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said before she left him alone in the closet.
He leaned over one of the shelves, knowing he’d just tossed himself into the deep end with that kiss.
* * *
Raven spent her weekends in Cedar Lake as leisurely as possible. She went to the small farmers’ market in town and did long beauty routines inside her motel room. But today, she couldn’t stand to be in her own company and sought out Linda to ask her what she could do in Cedar for fun.
“You could go to Blue’s,” the older woman had said. “Or Crestwood Park. You can go hiking or biking. Oh, we have a few boutiques that might interest you.”
No doubt, her less-than-enthused expression prompted Linda to say, “I have a book club meeting today if you want to join us.”
That’s how Raven ended up sitting on a foldable chair in front of the motel’s outdoor pool with a group of eight women that called themselves the Beach Readers. It was the sort of collection of people Raven imagined a small town’s website would love to feature to combat stereotypes. Ethnically diverse people congregate here, see!
Raven thought she’d have to nod and listen as the women discussed an unfamiliar novel, but while there were books present, Raven discovered the Beach Readers was more of a group therapy session where advice was dispensed.
For instance, Mellie shared her anxieties about leaving a job she’d held since she was in her twenties, nervous about breaking the news to her long-time boss. The Readers helped her write out and practice her resignation speech.
Jan fretted about her son not wanting to go to college, positive stand-up comedy was not the path for him.
The group helped her reason with her fears.
“Look at what’s-his-face, the bald comedian on that sketch show. He grew up in a small town in the States,” Hannah said.
“Isn’t he the one who was charged recently for fraud?” Chioma asked.
“Oh, yeah, that was him,” Hannah said pensively. “I think it was a crypto phishing scam.”
Before Jan’s face could completely drop in defeat, Raven offered, “But your son, Jan, could be funny and successful without committing federal offenses.”
The group agreed.
The meeting turned out to be the perfect distraction for Raven and her bustling mind. That is, until Kriti asked her, “Okay, what’s your dilemma?”
“What?” Raven asked, looking around to find the Readers were now focused on her. “Oh, I have nothing.”
