Searching Hearts Read Online Free

sisters, both older. She moans when she
eats potatoes. Her smile: Sara who?
    ______________________
     
    With all the shops explored, we’re walking
back to the Sea Rock Inn. We’re alone – just the way I want it. I
feel like I should take her hand. I’m walking with my hand swinging
by hers, so close and yet so far away. Every so often they touch
and I wish she’d just grab mine and let me off the hook. It was so
easy to sit and talk to her in the restaurant – c’mon Bren. Get
some balls.
    We’re walking on the right hand shoulder of
the two-lane road that leads out of the small town. Waves crash
below the cliffs to our left, rhythmically soothing as the water
methodically cuts boulders into sand. I tell her about how it does
that, and the other things I learned in Geology – although I act
like I just know about this stuff. Which I guess, now I do. That’s
what school’s for, isn’t it? But still, I don’t want to remind her
in any way that I just finished college, so my speech is
careful.
    Rebecca listens, nodding and asking a good
question now and then. After a bit of silence, she says simply,
“It’s beautiful up here.”
    “It is. And to think I almost didn’t come.”
I look down at her swinging hand. Here I am, easily a foot taller
and I’m scared of her. What a pussy.
    Her chin raises and her eyes glide over my
face, making my blood pump harder. “Really? I almost didn’t,
either.”
    “I’ll tell you why I didn’t, if you tell
me.”
    Her smile fades. “That’s okay.” She looks
away, subject closed.
    I replay my words and can’t find a reason
for the look on her face. “Okay.”
    We walk in silence. Once again our fingers
brush by accident. I can’t wait anymore. I take the leap and touch
her on purpose, weave mine into hers, watching her face for
reaction. Her breasts rise with surprise. She looks at our hands.
With breath held, and heart hammering in my chest, I wait for her
to pull away.
    We stop walking. A truck honks as it passes,
but we don’t look at it. Her lashes rise to mine and for the first
time I see it - she is as nervous as I am. Adrenaline roars into my
veins with the speed of a launched missile as I realize she wants
me, too.
    “Come on.” I lead her across the road to a
large cluster of trees grown perilously cliff-side. The sound of
the waves gets louder, calling to us. We’re walking fast. She jogs
to keep up and her freshly blushing cheeks say everything.
    I pull her to me in the secret privacy of
the trees. Hooded and sexy, her smoky brown eyes close as I stare
at her lips. She whispers, “Oh my God.”
    That kiss in the bookstore only gave me a
taste of what I need. I want more. I slip my hands around her back,
pulling up, lifting her onto her toes. Our lips tentatively touch.
My eyes close as my need for her pulls at my jeans. I touch my
tongue to hers and taste its sweetness. I love the smell of her
breath, natural and unfettered. Her arms slide around my neck and
her fingers weave into my hair as our tongues slowly explore. She
moans into me as I push my hips on hers, feel her leg opening to
wrap around my thigh. We grind a little – just a little – and the
heat on our skin builds. Her fingers travel down my shoulders, my
arms – resting there like she’s enjoying touching my muscles.
    “Stop,” she breathes. She pulls back enough
for me to see her face. “Brendan, stop… I can’t. I’m sorry. I
can’t.”
    I release her waist and step back. With the
newfound space to move, she breaks free and quickly walks away in
the direction we came.
    What did I do wrong?
    “Rebecca!”
     

14
    Rebecca
     
    This shoulder of road has never been so
guiltily trudged up.
    ______________________
     
    We’re walking in silence with me a couple
safe paces ahead. Even with the distance, I can feel him. I can
still feel his hands on my thighs, on my lower back, pressing into
my skin. His breath on my lips. His heat enflaming my everything. I
can’t handle