The tree house had been a fixture in our family's back yard for at least eight years. Dan built it when our oldest child turned seven. Over the years it had been a hide-out, a fort, a clubhouse--"No Boys Allowed," and the central theme of many sleepovers and late-night campouts. I'd stood at the base of this old oak tree hundreds of times; to toss up an extra flashlight, offer another batch of chocolate chip cookies or to call the troops down for dinner. I ran my finger over the smoothed-out bark around the attached ladder...what memories.
A hand brushed across my shoulder and I instinctively jumped. "Oh, Dan, you scared the life out of me," I laughed as I turned and saw him grinning at me. I was in such deep thought apparently I didn't hear him approach me.
"What cha' doing out here?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing really. I just came out to water my camellia plants and my tiger lilies." I sighed and leaned back against the old tree. "It is so beautiful out here right before sunset, isn't it?"
"Sure is," he replied. Dan pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around my shoulders in a casual embrace. I leaned my head against his shoulder and buried my face in the crook of his elbow. He sighed contentedly and I felt his body relax against mine. Dan gently cupped my chin and pulled my face up to meet his. He smiled. I leaned forward and brushed his lips softly with my own. He tilted his head and kissed me, firmly moving his lips over mine and gently pushing his way into my mouth with his tongue. He slid the tip across the roof of my mouth. He made slow, languorous strokes around my tongue, tickling the underside. His hands held the sides of my face and the ends of his fingers gently moved through my hair, rubbing against the base of the back of my neck. Tiny electric sparks rippled from the base of my neck down to my spine-'sparkles,' I always called them...and the warmth of growing desire flooded through my body.
I felt my nipples harden and press against the gauzy fabric of my sundress. Dan pulled his lips away from mine slowly. We stared into each other's eyes for several seconds and then he took a step behind me and leaned up against the old tree, pulling me back against his body and sliding his arms around my waist. I leaned against him and stared out at the last embers of the sunset as it dipped below the horizon. We both leaned there contentedly, softly talking about the beauty of the sunset, the marbled pattern of the colors of the approaching night sky and the tips of the mountain range in the distance that were swiftly fading to black.