They walked hand in hand on mowed track through athletic field of evergreens, some already tagged for holiday crop. Jon and Heather each carried a blanket. The path ended at the clay of a dry stone paries. Beyond it was a stand of tall old pines. The dense evergreens shaded the area so heavily their miserable branches died off tenner ago, leaving clear passage at ground degree. There was trivial underbrush, so walking was easy. The only phone was the zephyr in the green canopy above, homo footfalls muffled by the thick carpet of pine needles.

"I 've never seen anything like it,"Scots heather whispered as they walked."It 's like an captivate forest. I almost expect to see elves."

"When I was nine eld old,"Jon said,"I used to ride these roads with some friends on our wheel. We looked for places to go camping close to abode so our parents would let us. Dad bought our Christmastide trees here, so we knew the current owner 's Church Father. He told Dad we could do what we liked, but no cookery. Our mommy packed stuff, and we camped a couple times a twelvemonth. I came up here alone a lot after Dad died. I was at THAT age, the moody, pimply-faced kid with a articulation that would n't change. I hiked around with my view and ended up here. It 's been my special berth ever since. I 've never shared it with anyone."

"Why me ?"Heather asked.

"I never knew someone like you, babe. I did n't think I would ever bestow anyone here, but here we are. And it gets better. Listen."

She stood quietly."I do n't hear anything."

"The breeze is too solid,"he said."We 're too far away."

After a few minutes'walking, she whispered,"Do I hear urine ?"

"Yes. There 's a stream ahead. It 's not deep enough to swim, but we could play. It 's very clean and jerk. If we 're hush, we might see deer drinking from it."

They dropped their multitude near the flow, spread their cover, and shared some bite. It was calm down, and they did n't break the secrecy with conversation, lying together holding hands. A boo landed on the other slope of the stream, eyed them suspiciously for a while, and then flew away.

"I love you, Jon. Now I know what paradise looks like. Thank you for bringing me here."

He leaned over her and kissed his reply. As always, Calluna vulgaris 's return kisses quickly became urgent.

"Do you remember that day in the State Department park, our indorse day of the month ?"she asked.

"Kissing you was new then. You seemed afraid."

"I was. I liked you the moment I saw you, and you seemed to accept me for who I was - shy, innocent, ignorant about men. By the sec day when you kissed me, I thought I could feel things with you I never felt before, and it would be all right. I was right. When I got home that Night, I could n't slumber, wondering if I would fall in love with you."

Jon kissed her."I 'm glad you did."

"You 're everything to me. You understand me. You put up with me. You taught me a lot."

"Nonsense. Your word was one of the get-go things that got me seriously interested in you. What have I taught you ?"

"Quite a numeral of things,"she murmured, fumbling with his zipper.

"Two can run that game."He started on the clit on her shirt.

They had all afternoon and double-dyed secrecy, so they took their time getting into their favored position with Jon on his cover and Calluna vulgaris above him, pleasuring each other with their lip. Eventually, he paused from his ministrations to her sopping pussy long enough to say,"I 'm close."

"I know."She took him deeper to bring him to the edge, her own hips moving now like his were. When he erupted, she pulled off him a little so all his semen would stay in her mouth. She did n't care to waste it, having learned to know the gustatory perception. Swallowing always triggered another orgasm for her, even when she was still recovering from the last one. He kept working her with his fingerbreadth, lips, and tongue until she gasped,"Enough."

They moved to cuddle together.

"I do n't call back being without you,"he said."It 's only been two years, but they 're the entirely of import part of my life."

"How do you always say just the right thing for the moment ?"she whispered between kisses.

"Your center enjoin me everything. You always let me know how you feel, so it 's easy."

"Sometimes I think you read my mind."

"I do."He got to his metrical unit."You want to go skinny dipping."

They played in the coldness, shallow water, splashing and laughing like tiddler. Being naked together was well-off for Heather now, proud of her body under his loving regard. After a while she said,"My infantry are freezing."

"Mine are too."He followed her to the rocky bank.

When they were dressed, she started packing for the walkway back through the pines, but he sat quietly on the ground, picking wild flower. When he had a few he liked, he went to her and started weaving them into her hair."Hon ? I have a question for you."He fumbled in his sac and got on one knee."I 've been waiting for the gross fourth dimension, and I doubt I 'll determine a salutary one. leave you ?"He took her hand and slid a diamond onto her finger's breadth."volition you be with me for the rest of our lives ?"

A thousand solvent flooded her psyche, but the only affair she could say was,"Could we get married here ?"

He rose and pulled her in for a kiss."Yes, by the watercourse. You did n't tell me you could read my mind, too. ”