Rick couldn’t breathe. He didn’t dare move. He was walking along the narrow beach when he saw her drop into the sand.  He ducked behind a tree so she wouldn’t see him. Then he watched and waited.

The wind whipped around his face, tearing through his thin jacket. The sun was being pushed out of the sky, taking the warmth with it. Still, Tara sat. Rick didn’t know how long he could stay still, but he knew better than to move.

Tara made a move to get up and Rick breathed a sigh of relief. He straightened, letting his aching back stretch as he moved for the first time in far too long. He fought the urge to moan with the tension easing from his body, but he didn’t want to alert her to his presence. When Tara stood and walked off, Rick followed her, keeping his distance, but staying close enough to watch her.

Tara paused when she reached the sand near the parking area. She turned back to the lake and stared off over the water. Rick silently surveilled her. When she reached up to wipe tears from her lashes he sucked in a breath, his heart pounding in his chest at the sight of her crying.

Rick was closer to her than he realized. Close enough that she heard his intake of breath. Close enough that she turned to him when he made a noise. Close enough that he saw her eyes widen when she realized, even in the darkening sky, exactly who he was.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. Rick wanted to know if the words were a prayer or a curse, but he didn’t dare ask. He froze, staying still, as he wished he’d done moments before.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, finding her voice, as strong and fierce as it had been the last time he’d heard it.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” he said instead of answering her question. He couldn’t lie to her, but he also couldn’t tell her the truth.

“I, um… you weren’t. I was just leaving.” She turned to go and Rick thought his heart would shred right then and there.

“Tara, wait,” he asked, hating the harshness of his voice. “Please,” he added, hoping it would soften the demand he’d unintentionally issued.

With her back to him she said, “Why, Rick? Why are you here?”

The pain in her voice tore him apart. He wanted to tell her everything, but her emotions were as raw as his. He could tell by the slump in her shoulders, the way she wrapped her arms around herself when she faced him, the softness of her voice. She wasn’t ready to hear the truth, not the whole truth. So he told her a version. “I’m here because I had to see if you were okay. God, Tara I’ve missed you.”

He stepped up behind her, his cock stirring to life when he pressed his front against her back. The shiver that raced through her body shook him, making him want more, but he didn’t know how far he could push her.