The Stranger's Wife | Rewritten

13 ⁓ Take a Hike

« Willem »

Amelia was a woman, unaware of her elegance, power, and sensuality. I held the car door open for her, devouring her with my eyes as she approached.

The curves of her hips and ass in her leggings were enough to drive me mad with need. She was desirable in every way.

From her elegant neck, her kind eyes, down to her long brown legs. I would kiss every inch of her if she'd let me.

The thought of seducing her got me excited in a way that was new to me. I craved the chase, and I hope she knew that I was a marathon runner, not a sprinter.

I wasn't getting tired anytime soon.

If I wanted something, I went after it. When I needed more money, I invested smarter, harder, daring to take higher risks.

And right now, I had nothing to lose by making Amelia mine indefinitely. Only to gain.

It was a hot summer day but I barely noticed, because I was already burning in her heat, in the wicked fire she created just by existing.

"I am so confused right now," she said once she was seated. "Let me make one thing clear. This is not a date. I'm only accompanying you because I don't have many options and I don't like doing things by myself."

I nodded once. "The ball is in your court, schatje. You decide how this will play out."

She sent me a look that said that she didn't believe me. Or maybe it wasn't me that she had no faith in, it was herself.

With Francois's picnic basket in the backseat and a backpack filled with hiking necessities such as water and a flashlight in case shit went down, I headed to the West side of the island.

"The hiking trail is about twenty minutes from here and then it's about three hours walking at a steady pace," I informed her.

Amelia wiped her hands on her laps and smiled at me. "The last time I went hiking, I was a kid. My babysitter bailed last minute and my parents decided to take me along for the hike. It was fun. I even got stung by a bee."

"I can hear the joy in your voice. I guess you weren't allergic?"

"Nope. It was a hot day, just like today too."

I stole a quick glance in her direction, finding it hard to believe that we were having a decent conversation that didn't involve her threatening to divorce me.

"I don't know, there's just something about hiking that connects us with nature in a profound way, " I said.

"Yeah, that bee connected, alright. Hopefully, the universe isn't as keen to connect with me this time around." She chuckled and it was the cutest fucking sound I'd heard all year.

She was causing me to smile again, something I realized I didn't do enough of. I guess before her, I didn't have much to smile about.

All I did was work and take care of my son. Bradley and I had had some good bonding moments, but those moments were few and far between.

I drove down a dirt road and parked the Range Rover at the end of the road. Up ahead the ocean waved at us, inviting us to come and splash around in her body of water.

"This place is paradise," Amelia gushed as she jumped out of the car. "If it wasn't for your invitation, I would have never seen how truly magnificent this island is."

"I'm glad something good came out of your trip here." I lifted the backpack from the backseat and slung it over my shoulders. "You ready?"

"You should apply sunscreen before we take off. I did mine at the house before we left. Something tells me you didn't."