Learning Each Other

Hot and turbulent.

That's definitely how you'd describe their relationship.

It went from the first meeting to bed partners in less than an hour – the chemistry was so powerful. The sex was spectacular. She was insatiable. He satisfied her – no one ever had. Three times a day on a slow day – both hungry – both taking – both giving – the pleasure immeasurable. Heat. Sizzle. Undeniable pleasure. Never has either of them ever had anything like the attraction. And yet...

They didn't know each other. Her temper drove his laid back personality insane. His easy-going nature drove her crazy when she wanted to fight. They started to drift. They knew that no great relationship was based on great sex. It ended poorly and both were left empty.

One-year later.....

He saw her first. He saw her walk in to the mall boutique and watched her unnoticed. She was touching the fabrics – almost experiencing the textures against her skin. She was always very sensual. He never knew what about her attracted him at first. She wasn't classically beautiful. She was a bit overweight, had a crooked smile, hair that only looked perfect to him after a good tumble in bed where it was SUPPOSED to look 'just fucked,' and this wide nose with freckles splattering her face. And yet in her eyes he always saw this intelligence, this passion that he never saw before.

It took him a while to stop thinking of her daily after they split. He never remembered what made them split – but also never remembered things about her that he should know. So, answering his own question, he realized that they were never friends. He's had women since – but none that matched her passion. Damn that red hair. He decided that he wasn't going to let this opportunity go by. He waited on the bench in the breezeway of the mall outside the boutique. She came out about twenty minutes later with her purchases.

"More clothes for you to return?" He said.

When she turned to him the whole 6 months they were together flashed through her mind. He was so sexy and she didn't know why. What was it? His sparkling green eyes? No, His well-shaped, large hands? No. His deep sexy voice – God, that voice. She could never put her finger on it – and also couldn't figure out what he saw in her – but damn, they were good together. Never better. But only in one area.

She gave him a sexy once over and then a huge grin. "Well of course! Feeding my habit, ya know." Then she winked and kept walking towards him. She put down the bags to greet him and he welcomed her in a warm embrace.

He looked deep in her eyes and said in his low husky voice that always drove her wild, "Good to see you, Summer."

"Great to see you, Dan."

"How have you been?" "What are you up to?" They simultaneously asked.

They sat on that bench for about an hour just talking, catching up, laughing about what happened to them throughout the year. They laughed at themselves, their kids, people in general, their jobs, what they did when they broke up, other men and women who they saw. They talked and talked and thoroughly enjoyed each other.

"You know, Dan, we never talked this much when we were dating! You're really quite fun! And now I have to go," she said with a bit of regret and a pout.

"How about we do it again soon, then?" he asked.

She looked deep in to his eyes and sadly said, "Don't you think we'll just fall in the same trap as we did last time?"

"No, Summer because we won't have sex this time. We will get to know each other."

"But the sex was the only thing great last time!" She said with that brutal honesty that she was famous for.

"Which is why it's off limits. I'm off limits. You can't have my body for a minimum of 3 months!" He laughed at his own proposition.

"What will we do?" She asked doubtingly.

"We are going to date, get to know each other and find out if fate brought us together one more time for a reason."

And they did. For 3 months, they went shopping, out to dinner, bowling, walking. They laughed and talked and truly had a good time.

Each week they saw each other once or twice. Each time got hotter. The chemistry was always there, like a simmering pot of water just barely boiling. He teased her, touched her, made sure she knew that the attraction was still there. She chose clothes to try to make him change his mind. She was dying for what she knew he could give her – and hadn't had since they split a year before.

The more she thought of starting a relationship back up with him the more mixed emotions she had. She thought then that he was all her fantasies in one man, that she conjured him up from her imagination. But it ended so badly that she was frightened of it starting again. She didn't want to be hurt again. But she realized that she liked him, she liked spending time with him. God, he was funny. And she loved how he talked about his kids. But the heat - the heat was driving her insane. Even her own 'summer time' wasn't as satisfying - she wanted HIM.

It was almost the end of the three months. She was nervous. They were going to this little Mexian place for dinner - only the locals knew of it. It was small and quaint with a Mariachi band playing on the patio. The sun was setting and they were both having margaritas. The heat of the sun added to the heat at their table. She wore an off the shoulders peasant top and a flowing peasant skirt. Her skin glowed with a slight gold and more freckles had appeared due to the sun.

The three months of flirting and teasing also added to the sexual tension. This was not a tension of the unknown but more of the heat that they KNEW was so incredible between them. They shared some nachos when, out of nowhere, he swiped his finger around her mouth and took some cheese that was hanging and some chili on her face and fed it to her, letting his finger pause on her tongue. The heat in her body went from hot to boiling and her face told him what he wanted to know.

"Another week, Summer. Can you wait?" he winked at her.

She gulped and her mouth went dry. "Why do we have to wait, Dan? We've proven that we can get along, fine. We're both adults, unattached, WHY?" Her impatience and arousal brightened her eyes.

"We have to wait because I said I was off limits, darlin." He smirked at her.

Her temper was coming out – she always did really well with a good mad on. "You're being ridiculous – we both want this – what's another damn week? You've been teasing me for 3 months already." She attempted to kiss him and he pulled back.

"Me? Tease you?" the sarcasm was dripping.

"Yes, you, you sexy brat. You always teased so well. But before you CAME THROUGH! Let's put this game behind us and stop the waiting," she pleaded.

"You didn't wait at all last time, Summer. But neither did I. We needed this. We needed to see if there is more to Dan and Summer than just sex. And guess what? There is. In three months this is what I've found. You're a determined obstinant in the face of all that's reasonable. You're a loyal friend. You can be rather funny at times, most often when you are not aware of that fact. You're an intelligent and a most remarkably human. You're genuine, even in your faults – you're very numerous faults. You're endearingly vulnerable and yet courageous and strong. You're totally unaware of how very beautiful you are."

She stared at him - totally unbelieving of his words. Her eyes saw his mouth move, her ears heard them spoken. She never had a hard time forming words, sentences, thoughts - and there she was... speechless and completely off guard. Her heart stopped and pounded all at once - not because she was so taken with his sweet words. Any one can put together the right string of words when it benefitted them. But she finally believed him - finally saw what he was seeing. And also... she realized that he was 'it' and she knew that they'd be just fine.