To Evelyn’s surprise, she saw a few photos discretely place about the room facing her. It was pictures of her in the more romantic periods of their lives. Sure, they hadn’t been together that long in marriage, but their relationship had hit that slump most long term veterans spoke about after decades of arguing. Her heart skipped several beats. Did this mean Alex really still cared? Some days she felt like his job was his primary lover and she was the side piece that came in handy when the main squeeze was out of town.
She was so lost in thoughts that she didn’t hear him come in until she felt his hands wrap themselves around her ankles. She hadn’t taken off her leggings yet. The strength and reassurance in the hold sent lighting bolts of pleasure to her spine. The last time he had held her like that, he had nibbled on her toes. She doubted after that hike he would dare touch her feet at all. Even if that would have felt incredibly good to her at that very moment. Instead, his hands started to work her sore calves and melt away all the tension there while introducing a different type of tension between her legs she had nearly forgotten she could feel.
By the time he was done with her calves, she knew she was in trouble. She was already emotionally captivated by him. While this was overall a good thing, she was so trying to put herself in a head space that they were friends. Weird to think that of a young married couple, but Evelyn needed that head space. That would make any coming breakups easier to deal with. She loved him but doubted his commitment to her. The job just was drawing him too much. But… but… those hands were just roiling her plans and awakening deep yearnings for him. This had the potential of ending pretty badly.
Quite frankly, these feelings of pending doom were pushed deep inside and the fact they were in the cabin must have put her guards down and they had surfaced. She was happy being just a wife but she was not content being just a wife. They were living like roommates who got along well. She felt cheated. She had such a magnificent start on that honeymoon night. But once they got back to reality, and work started, the man had shifted into a docile worker bee. The zest was gone. They had stagnated before they had sizzled. And with all that fizzle going on, it was best they look at each other as just friends. Evelyn could not allow herself to be madly in love with a man who preferred his job first. But this romantic hike was their first joint hike and it was feeling way too perfect. It was messing with her heart too much.
Friends didn’t hike to secluded sex houses in the hills to make passionate love. No, they didn’t do that. So, she had to pull it together. This was just a much needed massage. Alex was a considerate roommate. A kind man. But he was not a very passionate lover. This was just her imagination playing with her and tricking her into thinking Mr. Rough hands was really a beast of sensuality. She had to clear her mind from all the fantasy novels she had read, enjoy the massage for what it was, then get ready to hike back. There was no way this was real. Just had to be something in the air that was messing with her.
Shallows of the Deep 