He turned to face me, and my breath caught at the raw honesty in his eyes. “I met a really amazing woman, and I learned that I kissed her, and I don’t even remember. I got into bed with her and held her all night, and I didn’t savour the moment because I didn’t know, and now I know that my shot is long gone.” He turned back to look out. “And then I came for a walk, and I saw this, and…” Mark stared all around. “It’s just so breathtaking, and I had to stop, because how can I have all my shit in my head when this is in front of me?”
“Nature kicking your ass,” I teased him lightly.
“Yes! Just—” He exhaled. “Look. It just puts all the petty shit into perspective.”
“I see it every day; that’s why I’m here.” I nudged him with my shoulder. “Beats your city, right?”
“Blows it away like Janice and her shotgun.”
I giggled and moved towards him. I just wanted to be closer to him. When he draped his arm over me, I smiled. “I’m really sorry you’ve had a hard time,” I told him as I lay my head on his shoulder.
“I like pressure, but I think I also need to remember, it doesn’t need to be constant.”
“Wise words.”
We sat enjoying the morning in silence. My head on his shoulder and his arm loosely around me. It was intimate, but it wasn’t sexual. Mark needed closeness, and I was happy to give him that support.
“Janice gave me double pancakes for you,” I told him after a long while. “Caused quite the stir in town. She never lets anyone have doubles.”
“Pancakes?” Mark straightened and looked down at me. “Like yesterday?”
“Fresh made this morning.” I watched him chew his lip as he returned his attention to the scenery.
“D’ya wanna know a secret?” I whispered conspiratorially to him. With his eyes on mine, I felt the familiar swoop in my belly. “This will still be here, but…” Pushing him away, I jumped to my feet. “The pancakes won’t!” I sprinted away from him, and hearing his bellow, I ran faster. “Race ya!” I called over my shoulder.
With laughter causing my lungs not to expand properly, I wasn’t as fast as I should have been, and soon he caught me. Arms grabbed me around the middle, and Mark swung me around.
“My pancakes!” he yelled as he dropped me behind him and took off.
“Dammit!” I ran after him. “My kitchen!” I yelled. Why was he so damn fast? He lived in the city, for God’s sake.
He skidded on the road, and I saw my advantage as I sped past him. I felt his fingertips brush against my hoodie as I ran, and laughing at not being caught, I pushed faster, determined to beat him. At the door to the house, he caught me, and together we both half fell through the door, landing in a tangle of limbs, both breathless, both grinning.
“You cheated,” I told him as I tried to get up.
Mark rolled me over until I was under him, and I was suddenly no longer laughing. “You cheated first,” he said with amusement. He stared down at me, and he became serious. “Iris…”
“Mark,” I whispered. “I don’t think you lost your shot.” Staring up at him, all I wanted was him to kiss me.
“You sure?” He adjusted his hips, and I felt him against me.
“I kinda want the chance to prove I’m better than a puppy,” I teased.
He laughed and he turned his head away from me. “Yeah, well, I kinda want to kiss you while I’m awake.” Looking back down at me, he brushed a curl off my face.
“You should press the advantage,” I whispered. “Unless you don’t want—”
His lips were firm but soft, the kiss gentle. I didn’t want gentle. My hands slipped up over his shoulders and around the back of his neck, my fingers moving into his hair. He licked the seam of my mouth, and I opened, and then we were matching stroke for stroke. A warm hand slipped under my shirt, and as Mark moved above me, I opened my legs to give him more room. With a groan, he pressed into me, and I tugged his head up as I ran small kisses along his jaw and heard a small moan from him.
“Still think I’m Josie?” I teased as I nibbled his ear.
Mark pulled back and looked at me and then down my body. “Fuck no, I want more.” The question was in his eyes, and I nodded.
“You know where my bedroom is.”
Pulling me to my feet, he kissed me again, and then taking my hand, he led me upstairs. At the doorway, he hesitated. “You sure?” he asked.
“Yes.”