Northern Moonlight (9 page)

Gio chuckled under his breath, “Well, I’m glad they didn’t go to waste.  If you’re not about to enter a sugar coma, would you like to go for a sunset stroll?”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“Good.  I’ll pick you up at five thirty, and we’ll go from there.  There’s a park I want to show you.”

After they hung up, Sabrina began to prepare for his arrival, realizing she didn’t have much time.  First, she arranged her hair into a twist and pinned it with a silk lily.  That would keep the wind from mussing her hair.  Then she refreshed her make-up, applying a few dabs of raspberry blush, some velvet black mascara, and tawny lip color.  She decided to stay in her current outfit of sea green button-down sweater with signature snug jeans, so worn that the threads were coming undone.  Sabrina’s object was to look attractive, but not as though she had fussed, and she achieved just that. 

When Gio arrived at her doorstep for the third time in twenty four hours, he was smiling broadly as he drank in her appealing attire.  He tried valiantly to banish any lingering thoughts of her in the towel, but found it impossible, as those images would stay imprinted in his erotic imagination.  Sabrina greeted him warmly with a chaste kiss on the cheek, oblivious of her arousing effect on him.  “Hi Gio, do you want to come in for a moment or should we go?”

“Well, if it’s alright with you, I think we should go.  I’ve got Pal waiting in the truck.  He’s going to accompany us on our walk, if that’s OK with you.”

Sabrina laughed, “Of course!  This should be fun!  Let’s go.”  She grabbed a light spring jacket and locked the door behind them. 

The park was a very short drive from Sabrina’s house and a place that she knew quite well.  Recognizing the verdant landscape, framed by neatly planted tulips and daisies, Sabrina said, “This is one of my favorite places.  The air is pristine and the atmosphere is so peaceful.”  Gio was relieved that he had taken her to a place she approved of.  Thus far, their courtship had been rather unorthodox, with the mystery of the fire looming over them and their interrupted dinner the previous night.

Few people were in the park, so Gio released Pal’s leash and let him roam free.  The loyal pup didn’t stray far, but rather sprawled himself contentedly on a soft pillow of grass for a nap. 

“Sabrina, I want to apologize again for having to cut our dinner short last night.  But it’s the nature of my work to be called to duty at a moment’s notice.  I’ve gotten used to it after all these years, but it can still sometimes be a hassle.”

She waved her hand casually, “You don’t have to explain. I told you before that I admire and respect what you do for a living.”

He smiled appreciatively at her.  “Well, I promise to make it up to you.  Just give me a little time.” Gio’s countenance had changed to an arresting display of restrained passion as Sabrina stood just arm’s length away.  He looked down into her wondrous espresso eyes and caressed the side of her face with his palm.  Feeling her soft skin
against his hand made color seep into his face, transforming it to a hot shade of vermilion. 

The wind undulated around them, rustling the centuries old oak trees and sifting through newborn flowers.  His eyes clouded over as he bent his face to hers and held his lips just a breath away.  She inclined towards him, silently urging him to kiss her.  Moving his hands from her face to the small of her back, he wrapped her in a heady embrace and touched his lips to hers.  The moment his mouth made contact with hers, she perceived a dizzying profusion of colors, bright and blinding, and whole-heartedly reciprocated the kiss. 

Gio could not tame the erotic energy he had let loose, and his breathing become ragged in an instant, as he held her lithe body more tightly against his sinewy one.  His lips were ravenous, and his hands wildly exploratory as they continued to embrace and invade each other’s senses in the slowly disappearing daylight.  As Gio entangled his hands in Sabrina’s mass of silken waves, a splintering sunset, streaming with brilliant hues of burnt sienna and majestic purple, closed in around them.  But when Sabrina felt Gio try to lead her to lie on the grass, she stopped him.

“Wait!” She said breathlessly.  Gio’s eyes were a fog of unfulfilled desire as he looked at her, still entwined in her embrace.  “Gio, let’s stop there for now.”

He forced himself to release her, clenching his hands into fists at his sides.  If she hadn’t stopped him, he certainly would not have been able to.  He would have made love to her on the open pasture, veiled by glistening twilight, despite his prior resolution to remain steadfastly patient.  But the connection between them was irrepressible.  He would have her; it was only a matter of when. 

“Gio?” She waited for him to speak.

“Yes---I didn’t mean for things to get out of hand.”  He shook his head, thirsting for the taste of her lips again and for the intoxicating feel of her body pressed to his.  It had not been wise to start off their escapade like this, as he now had to compose himself and make civilized conversation when all he wanted was to dive into an ocean of sweet pleasure.  Unexpectedly, Pal pranced alongside them, jumping onto his hind legs to greet his master and incite him into play.

Gio groaned, not at all in the mood to roughhouse with the pup.  But he knew that Pal would be a nuisance if he didn’t give him a toy.  “I have a rubber ball in the truck.  I’ll go get it so Pal will run off and stay out of our way.” 

Sabrina watched Gio walk stiffly to retrieve the Golden Retriever’s toy.  She lifted her fingertips to her lips and felt the electricity of Gio’s kiss course along her nerve
endings.  She had been kissed before, by numerous men, but never had she experienced such a shock wave of sensation at a mere meeting of lips.  It was as if their spirits had merged in that instant as well, and she felt as though she had assimilated a precious part of him.  She refused to dwell on the fact that they had only just met, and the circumstances were so bizarre.  Maybe that was a sign of fate.  She had met previous suitors in more traditional venues: school, work, even a bar, she cringed to recall.  But Gio had found her at the waterfront, made her feel hunted, which should have been frightening but instead was riveting. 

Still, she could not let him conquer her so easily.  She had been hurt once before and did not want to repeat the bruising lesson in love.  At twenty-one, Sabrina had fallen in love for the first time.  In her final semester at art school, she had been thoroughly entrenched in projects, portfolios, and job applications.  The last thing she would have expected was to embark on a love affair.  But when she met Kenneth, the attraction had been mutual and immediate.  He worked in the photo lab where she spent so many of her waking hours, and they began to date the same week they met.  For the next year and a half, they were an inseparable couple.  They even vacationed together in the Bahamas and spent weekends at his parents’ beach house in the Hamptons. When Sabrina got the job offer in Burlington, Kenneth agreed to a long distance relationship until he could find work in Vermont.  But that was not to be.

One weekend, Sabrina had decided to surprise Kenneth with a visit to his studio apartment in New York City.  A traveling assignment had just been cancelled, so he was not expecting to see her.  When she arrived to his apartment, he was standing in the doorway, passionately kissing her best friend against the wall.  The memory of the sight still haunted and crushed her.  She had fled that afternoon and never spoke to Kenneth again.  He had called her many times, but she ignored all his attempts at contact.  Years later, she found out that Kenneth and her former friend had married.

Although her heart had long ago ceased to bleed for the man, the experience taught Sabrina not to rush into relationships.  She had to acknowledge that there were similarities between her relationship with Kenneth and whatever was forming between her and Gio.  First of all, there was that instantaneous chemistry, not to mention the hasty whirlwind courtship that they dared to begin.  Still, Sabrina could not recall ever feeling so deliciously dizzy in Kenneth’s arms, even in the early stages of their relationship. 
Well, that just makes
Gio
even more dangerous,
Sabrina thought to herself in dismay.

Interrupting her thoughts, Gio strode over, empty-handed, “I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find Pal’s ball.  I even checked the trunk, but I guess I left the thing at home.”

“Oh, poor Pal.  I guess he’ll have to play by himself.” There was an ironic note in Sabrina’s voice that did not go unnoticed by Gio.  By now, the view of the sun was completely obscured by a shining sliver of moon, and Sabrina broke out into goose bumps.  “It’s getting a little brisk out here,” she said, zipping her jacket up to her neck as Gio’s eyes followed the path upward, “Maybe we should get going.”

“But we’ve barely spent any time here.  I told you Sabrina, give me some time.”

Irritated by his cryptic reply, Sabrina retorted, “Give
me
some time, Gio.”

“Look, if you want me to apologize about how things got a little---heated---before, I’m not going to.  We both enjoyed that moment, and you can’t deny it.  But I certainly respect your limits and wouldn’t try to push beyond them.” 
Unless you let me
, he neglected to add.

“Good.  I’m glad to hear it.  I don’t mean to cut things short.  But I do have to wake up early tomorrow.  I’m photographing Lake Champlain at sunrise for an upcoming theme issue.”

Gio looked intrigued. “That sounds like fun---if you don’t mind getting up before the roosters.  Come on, I’ll drive you home.”  He extended his hand, and she tentatively latched on, noting that was the first time they had held hands.  It felt exquisitely cozy, but also made her maintain her reserve as she fought not to lose her heart just yet. 

While they drove the short distance to Sabrina’s house, Gio brought up the subject of the fire investigation.  He relayed his conversation with Max, explaining the timetable they had established and how the investigation would formally commence upon his return.  “He also agreed to let Cara in on the investigation if necessary.  But for now, we’re just going to hang tight until we can do this as a group.”

“Yes, strength in numbers.  This is good news, Gio.  I really hope the search will be fruitful and the perpetrator will finally be brought to justice.”

“So do I.” Gio spoke gravely as he parked the truck in front of Sabrina’s house.  “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.  In case you’re wondering, I’ll be indulging in being a lazy bum all day since I don’t have to work.  But then I’ll be putting in sixteen hour shifts Tuesday through Friday.”  Sabrina liked the candid, direct way he spoke about his schedule and how he was not trying to make her play guessing games.  At the same time, the grueling schedule made her wince and wonder if he had time for her. 

Before she could slip away from him, he grabbed her and pulled her against him, pressing his lips hard and aggressively to hers, leaving her no choice but to get swept into the ferocity of his desire.  He nipped her plush bottom lip and squeezed her forearms.  Incapable of resisting the volcanic force between them, Sabrina nuzzled her
torso against his slightly trembling one and kissed him with reciprocal ardor.  Her mind was drowning inside of her turbulent emotions and she did not want to stop.  It was unnatural to fight this primitive bond between man and woman, and she was desperate to yield to it.  In the haze of intimacy, Sabrina had a flashback of discovering Kenneth in that compromising position and, suddenly, it was not difficult to pull away.

“Gio, I’m going to have to say good night now,” She breathed, trying to sit up straight and look into his eyes.  He sighed heavily and removed his hands and mouth from her body reluctantly.