"Thanks for delivering the apples." Elliot's thick, blonde hair was pulled into a messy top-knot. He flashed a grin at me as we balanced the crate between us. "I didn't expect you to come all the way to the beach to drop them off."
It wasn't exactly that the beach was out of the way, but my little farm and apple orchard were across the town. I blew a strand of hair that had escaped my bun away from my face.
"What are friends for?" I asked. I was slightly out of breath, but Elliot was taking most of the weight, and had barely even broken a sweat. I hadn't expected a writer to pack so much muscle.
"Exactly," Elliot agreed. "And I'm so glad we were able to continue being friends. I told you it would work out."
After my marriage, he meant. My husband and I were newlyweds, but sometimes it was hard to forget that Elliott had caught my eye before my spouse ever did. We'd flirted... Built our relationship slowly over time. I'd even taken special care to learn how to cook his favourite meal. We'd dated, for a little while, while I was still weighing my options. It was a whirlwind romance--sometimes we didnt even speak. It was just raw. Primal. Sometimes the sight of that old canoe anchored by the dock, where he'd first tasted me, still curled my toes.
And it wasn't that I didn't love my husband--but it was becoming more and more obvious that we weren't compatible. He was a loner who'd rather spend his time indoors, and I was a farmer who had taken over my family's land. At least Elliot had a cabin and enjoyed spending time in nature.
The salty air kissed my face as we cradled the apples across the sand. I was in a tank-top and shorts, and I could already feel the sun colouring my shoulders.
"Almost there," Elliot grunted, the sound all too familiar.
By the time we got into his cabin, we were both breathing heavily--but I don't think it was because of the apples. It was because of all the memories the little cabin held. Of hot moments spent being pressed into the wall, and of screaming his name.
It was because Elliot and I were alone, completely alone, with my husband back home on his computer and none the wiser.
Elliot reached up and undid the knot in his hair. It tangled down over his shoulders, and he fixed me with a knowing smile.
I knew I shouldn't--but I closed the door anyway. The wood creaked as it shut behind me. I pressed my back into it and looked him up and down. He watched me, too, with a hungry gleam in his eyes. I could already feel tension building in my stomach and between my legs. I ran my tongue over my teeth.
"I'm married now." I said--but I was out of breath again, for some reason. Elliot nodded. I could see his pecs rising inside his shirt from his own rushed breathing.
"The past is in the past."
"Definitely."
We nodded in silence. After a second, he took a step forward. I didn't move, but I could feel my chest heaving. He took another step, close enough that I could smell his shampoo. I inhaled deeply, and moaned softly as my eyes flickered closed.
"Good memories, though," I whispered, opening my eyes.
"The best," He nodded, and took another step. He was right in front of me now.
"I wonder... Do you think--" I breathed, dragging my eyes down his tall, powerful form. My stomach tightened. "Do you think we should... for old time's sake?" He growled and leaned in, pressing me against the door with his chest. "Just kissing," I added. He nodded hungrily, then planted his hands against the door on either side of my head.
He claimed my mouth with his own, and he tasted so good I nearly wrapped my legs around him right there. Chest to chest, he pressed against my mouth forcefully. I could hear the wood groaning under his grip.
