Page 67 of All I Feel

But it was more than that. It wasn’t simply that Tessa wasn’t ready. It was mostly that Tessa had just rolled out of bed. And I was learning that early morning arrivals at Tessa’s place often resulted in her wearing very little clothing. She was in a nightie again today.

On the bright side, not only could I take in the sight of her the way I’d wanted to the first time she’d answered the door to me like that, but I also didn’t have to refrain from touching her. I stepped forward, kicked the door shutbehind me, and slipped my arm around her waist to pull her close. Then I took her mouth like it had been years since I’d had a taste of her and not mere hours.

It had been a fool’s move to act, though. Because having her close, with only that thin layer of satin between my hand and her skin, and the image of her legs on display as my tongue explored her mouth, was enough to have me unraveling. Coupling that with the moan that escaped her as she dragged her fingers through my hair, and I suddenly had a loose hold on my control.

It had been pure torture to stop what was happening, to not take things where I desperately wanted them to go. Tessa wasn’t ready for that, which was fine. But I suspected she’d have been content to kiss me for hours without doing another thing. I’d done that last night and nearly died for how badly I wanted her. I needed to rein it all in.

So, I’d separated my mouth from hers, urged her to get dressed, and brought her here on a scenic float trip on the Snake River. We’d been out for about an hour and a half already, and not only had we seen our fifth eagle, but Tessa was also proving something else to me in the process.

From the moment we’d decided to try this out between us and make things official, Tessa went all in. There was all the kissing from last night and this morning, both of which I was still reeling from, and there was something new.

I was quickly learning that Tessa liked lots of contact. She touched often, leaning in close, placing her hand on my chest, thigh, or wherever she could reach. There wasn’t anything sexual about it for her. It was affectionate touch that came across as casual. She’d done it while she was talking to me, or even on this tour as she was taking in the scenery and animals.

My observation wasn’t a bad thing. I loved what I was learning about Tessa, and as things progressed in our relationship, I was sure this would be something I’d love even more. For now, it simply required immense restraint on my part not to do all that I wanted to do to her every time she touched me.

Doing my best, once again, to ignore how much I liked her hand on my thigh as she pointed toward the eagle, I said, “I see it. And if you count that one, there’s a sixth.”

I’d pointed to another eagle perched on a branch just a few trees away.

Tessa’s fingers tightened on my thigh as her face lit up. “Oh my gosh. You’re right. I’ve never seen so many in such a short time.”

For all that I was struggling with the longing I felt for her, I couldn’t deny that I was enjoying myself. As recently as yesterday afternoon, before I’d gotten that call from her, I’d been hoping I’d be lucky enough to get just a little bit of her time this weekend. Somehow, it had turned into what last night was and this.

Best of all, Tessa was the happiest I’d seen her in a long while, so I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling like I was floating. It thrilled me to see her like this.

We continued on the float trip along the river, taking in the views of the Teton Mountains and the wildlife.

“Holy crap! It’s a moose crossing the river!” Tessa exclaimed.

“That’s something you don’t see every day.”

I had to laugh. Tessa’s joy and bewilderment were written all over her face. I didn’t know why I chose this activity. Part of me thought that this would be a great way for us to spend some time together, so we could just talk toone another. But Tessa was so caught up in the adventure and sights, I really couldn’t do anything but observe everything about it right along with her.

Another hour and a half later, the scenic trip had ended. I took her hand in mine and led her back to my truck. On the way, I asked, “Did you still want to get your workout in today?”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m not going to subject you to roller skating outside with me.”

“If you want to do it, Tessa, it’s fine.”

“Really? You’ll roller skate with me?”

I shook my head. “No. I’ll grab my BMX bike and ride that while you roller skate, though.”

She bounced on her toes, practically skipping sideways. “Oh, I’d love to do that.”

“Alright. Let’s grab lunch first. Then we’ll pick up your skates, run to my place, and get my bike.”

Tessa threw her arms around me as we came to a stop beside my truck. “You better watch yourself, handsome. If you keep spoiling me like this, I might not ever let you go.”

My lips curved into a smile. “That works for me.”

After giving her a kiss, I opened the door for her, and we took off to get lunch. Tessa gabbed the whole time about how much she loved the scenic trip on the Snake River, so even if I’d had moments I struggled with it, her happiness was all that mattered in the end.

Before I knew it, we’d had lunch, gotten our gear, and spent just over an hour exercising.Exercisedidn’t feel like the right term to use because nothing about what we did felt strenuous or particularly challenging. Then again, maybe it was simply the result of spending time with someone who made me feel so good.

Aside from that, it was crazy to me how quickly time seemed to pass when I was with Tessa. I enjoyed every second I spent with her, and it always felt like our time together was over before we even got started.

Of course, now that we were trying this out between us, I’d get more time with her. And today, we’d have the whole day with one another.