Chapter 4
MEL CROSSED THE TOP OF THE CLIFF THAT overlooked the water, and paused for a second as his eyes caught a flash of motion about two hundred yards from the shore. He was about to retrace his steps, thinking he had come upon Val or Scott; but a second look told him that the figure swimming slowly toward the center of the lake wasn't either of them. It was a woman; there was no mistaking that, but the long blonde hair could not be Val's.
He watched for a few seconds out of curiosity more than anything; then a cold shiver moved up his back. There was no pinpointing what brought the thought to him mind ... maybe it was the way the swimmer was obviously tiring ... maybe the articles of clothing strewn hastily around the beach, but something told him the woman had no intention of coming out of the lake.
He dropped the towel and ran down the short stretch to the water. He realized that he had no time to get out of his clothes, and only took enough time to kick off his shoes before he plunged into the water and began closing the gap between them with powerful strokes. He gave it everything he had, but it seemed useless. He saw the blonde hair go out of sight a good forty yards in front of him, but he couldn't give up; instead he pushed himself harder than he had ever dreamed he could.
Everything happened quickly from that point on. He didn't remember any one part of the frantic dive, the lung-bursting pull to the surface; the next thing he knew he was giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the calm lake surface.
He had a few panicky seconds, and then he heaved a sigh of relief as she began to breathe again. It was ragged at first; but as he began to pull her toward shore, he saw her magnificent breasts begin to rise and fall regularly. When his feet reached bottom, he picked her up and began carrying her toward the beach. She opened her eyes for a split second and uttered enough to confirm that he had been right about her intention.
"Oh god, why couldn't you just let me drown...."
She collapsed again in his arms, and he carried her effortlessly back up the path to his cabin. Once inside, he went directly to the bedroom and pulled back the covers of his big bed and laid her down gently in the center. He paused, the covers clutched in his left hand; and for the first time he realized just how beautiful she was.
He put her at about twenty-three, five-three or-four. A quick look at her lush body brought 37-22-35 to his mind and confirmed that her long blonde tresses were natural; then he pulled the covers over her and tucked them around her to keep her warm. He looked down at her for a few seconds; then he walked over to the dresser and pulled out clean shorts and a pair of jeans. He was about to close the bedroom door as he left the room, but thought better of it, sensing that she might try to finish herself again when she woke up. This way he could keep an eye on her.
He went into the bathroom and stripped off his wet clothes; then he got into the dry ones and walked back into the living room. From the bar he could keep an eye on her, and he settled into one of the big chairs beside it when he had fixed himself a drink.
Scott looked up from his drink as Val and Ron entered the cabin. He grinned and tipped his glass back, emptying it.
"I was beginning to think you two had drowned."
Val laughed; then she crossed over to the bar and began to pour herself a drink. Ron managed a weak smile, a little unsure of where Scott stood on how free Val was with her standard equipment. Scott saw that Ron was uneasy, and his grin widened.
"Stop worrying, Ron; Val and I believe in enjoying life to the full, so I know exactly what you were doing down on the beach."
Ron's weak smile spread into a grin, and he relaxed. Val looked over at him, a bottle of Scotch poised in her hand.
"Scotch?"
Ron nodded as he crossed the room toward the couch. "Sounds great."
Scott's eyes moved over Ron's body slowly and deliberately as Ron dropped down pnto the couch; then he looked up and their eyes met.
"I'm afraid your wife doesn't share our outlook on free sex ... she took off like a scared rabbit when I tried to put the make on her."
Ron's smile faded as he reached for the glass Val was holding out to him. He raised it to his lips and took a deep slug; then he looked over at Scott.
"Yeah, she ran into us on the beach ... I'm afraid she's the old-fashioned type."
Scott hesitated for a second; then he grinned. "Maybe she's just a slow starter." Val walked across the room and poured a good portion of Scotch into Scott's glass; then she walked over to where Ron was sitting and dropped down beside him. She let one hip rest against his, and Ron felt a surge of desire the instant he felt the warmth of her flesh through his pants.
Val looked across at Scott and smiled. "Personally, I think we've got the makings of a pretty wild night right here."
Scott looked from Val to Ron, and then he stood up. His stiff, throbbing cock was clearly outlined in his tight pants as he stood before them; and he kept his eyes on Ron, watching for the other man's reaction before he spoke.
"How about it, Ron? You interested in a little fun?" Ron's cock had begun swelling the second he felt Val against him. For a split second he wondered about the consequences he would have to face with Penny; but he dismissed the thought, knowing full well that she had already seen enough. Val moved her hand to his crotch and cupped his nearly erect shaft, and his decision was made. He let out a gasp of need and reached for her.
Penny opened her eyes and stretched her lush body. It took her a second to get her bearings; then she closed her eyes again and tried to straighten out her thoughts. All she could remember was sinking into the dark water, and then the sight of a man's face for a split second.
"You feel okay now?"
The voice startled her, and she bolted upright on the bod. Mol reached for her shoulder and pushed her gently hack down onto the bed.
"Easv ... that was quite a swim...."
The feel of Mel's strong hands eased the panic in Penny's body, and she sighed as she let him push her back down onto the bed. She tried to see him, but the room was dark, and she could only make out his outline. She hesitated for a second, taking a few deeo breaths; then as he lifted his hands, she spoke.
"I don't know whether to thank you or not ... I guess that was a pretty stupid thing I did."
Mel sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at her. His eyes had become used to the dark during the two hours she had been sleeping, and he could sec her quite clearly. He reached across to the small table beside the bed and picked up a rumpled pack of smokes. Penny took one when he offered it, and Mel lit his lighter and held it out to her.
Their eyes met in the light of the flame as he lit their cigarettes, and Penny felt a strange stirring of excitement and attraction as she studied his handsome, chisled features for the split second that he held the light. She found understanding in his brown eyes where she had expected pity, and it surprised her.
Mol dropped his lighter onto the table and dragged deeply on his cigarette; then he stood up.
"I'm Mel Russell ... I was going for a swim when I saw you out there."
Penny filled her lungs with smoke and let it drift out slowly.
"Penny Fisher ... I'm glad you happened along."
Mel grinned and flicked his ash into the ashtray on the table. He looked back at her as he took another drag.
"That's not what you said on the beach."
Penny found herself suddenly at ease when she saw the flash of even white teeth. She managed a smile of her own as she looked up at him.
"I guess I wasn't thinking too sensibly then."
Mel nodded. He had expected to find her a lot harder to handle and thinking a lot less clearly, and he hadn't been looking forward to playing nursemaid to a potential suicide. It was obvious that the blonde was over whatever had caused her to try killing herself, at least for the moment.
"I didn't take the time to pick up your clothes before I carried you up here. I'll go down and get them now, if you're sure you're okay."
Penny's eyes were used to the dark now, and she found herself studying Mel's muscular chest and shoulders. It took her a second to realize that he had spoken to her; then she looked up at him and smiled.
"Sure, I'm okay now ... I was just a little confused. You go ahead."
Mel nodded and started for the bedroom door. Penny's eyes followed him until he was out of sight, and then she sat up. A strange feeling had come over her, something new and different; and it frightened her a little. She had never met a man who had attracted her so instantly ... and yet she didn't even know him. There was something about him that made her feel safe and secure, and there was more ... a sexual attraction that she had never felt before.
She dropped her head onto her hands and closed her eyes. The tears came, and she didn't try to stop them. She sobbed softly, a picture of Ron locked in Val's arms filled her mind. The years of trying so hard ... the hopes ... all gone. She knew now that Ron was not going to change, and that meant she would have to leave him. The thought scared her more than anything else; she had no one now; she was on her own. For a split second she considered suicide again; then she dismissed it. It wasn't a time for weakness; it was a time for strength, and she was going to need all she could get in order to find a way to make it on her own.
She let herself drop back down onto the big comfortable bed and slowly moved her eyes around the room as she sucked in deep breaths of air. There was something about the strong, masculine furniture that seemed to make her feel more secure than she had felt in years. She forced herself to concentrate on the feeling, wanting to pin it down and make it easier to understand; but it remained an anonymous sensation that she couldn't really understand.
Scott's grin widened as Val led Ron up onto the sundeck. One look at them told him Val had managed to swing another convert. He let his eyes meet Val's, and the meaningful glimmer in her eyes confirmed his thoughts. He felt his cock begin to harden as he moved his glance to Ron and began to appraise his well-built guest's standard equipment.
Ron had taken part in enough wife-swapping, anything goes, free love sessions to recognize Scott's look for exactly what it was, and he felt a glimmer of interest before his conscience began to put a damper on things. He looked away from Scott's growing organ and looked over at Val.
"Look, I think I'd better go after Penny ... "
Val felt disappointed, but she could sense that there was no use trying to make Ron change his mind. His sexual appetite had been at least partially satisfied by the session on the beach, and he was obviously suffering from pangs of conscience.
Val moved her eyes over toward Scott, and one look told her that he was extremely disappointed. She knew she would have to speak quickly if she wanted to save the situation. Scott was obviously just about to try to pressure Ron. She gave him a sharp look and turned to face Ron.
"Maybe you're right. There will be plenty of opportunity for us to have a ball later on...."
Ron barely acknowledged her statement before he turned and started down the stairs that led off the sun-deck. His thoughts were on Penny; for the first time since they'd married, he was afraid. It wasn't because she had never fled from him before; that had happened several times. It was the fact that she had actually caught him in the act for the first time. He had always been able to justify his actions before-after all, Penny had never really caught him cheating; she could only guess at what he had been doing, but now she had something solid to go on.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it; maybe it was the look on her face when she stumbled over them. Maybe it was the sight of tears glistening on her face ... he wasn't sure; but whatever it was, it worried him, and for the first time he was afraid of the outcome.
Scott stood poised by the railing of the sundeck. He waited until Ron had disappeared from sight; then he turned around and looked over at Val, who was in the midst of mixing herself a drink.
"What the hell are you trying to pull?"
Val set the half-empty bottle of Scotch down on the small table and looked up at him. She was a little surprised by his tone. She had been expecting him to complain about missing a session with Ron, but it was obvious that he was a lot more unhappy about it than she'd thought. She looked at him for a second, trying to gauge his anger, trying to understand what had prompted it; then she spoke.
"What's eating you?"
Scott glanced down at the bulge made by his now fully erect cock.
"What the hell do you think? One look at him and I knew he'd go both ways, and you let him go. I get the feeling that this little show of ours is turning one-sided, baby. You got your jollies down on the beach, so you don't give a damn...."
Val felt her anger building, but she fought to control it. She tried to put herself in Scott's shoes and look at it from his point of view.
"It's not like that at all ... I knew damn well that I couldn't talk him out of leaving, and I thought it was better to let him go now so we could get him back."
Scott slammed his empty glass down on the table beside him, cutting her off.
"You thought it was better? Who the hell are you trying to kid; this is a partnership, baby, remember? You screw them first, and then bring them back so we can both have the benefit of those hot, pulsing cocks ... that's the way it's supposed to work, baby."
Val forced herself to take a sip of her drink, holding back the words she wanted to say; but Scott had no intention of letting up on his attack.
"You're getting pretty selfish, baby; you want it all for yourself. Well, I don't work that way."
Val's eyes flashed; and she lashed out with her right hand, emptying the contents of her glass into Scott's face. The words poured forth before she could stop them.
"Did it ever occur to you that I might be getting fed up with bringing you toys to play with? Why the hell don't you go out and bring them back for me, for a change."
Scott raised his hands to his face to brush aside the liquor that ran down his cheeks. When he could see again, Val had already slammed the glass doors that led from the sundeck to the cabin behind her. Scott stood staring at the doors, his fists clenched, for a few seconds; then he crossed over to the table and poured himself another drink.
His hand shook as he poured from the bottle; and as he raised it to his lips and drank, he felt the anger begin to seep from his body slowly. He regretted the scene, knowing full well that it would have to be him that apologized, as always; and he drank again, because that knowledge sickened him and made him feel even less of a man than usual.
Mel closed the cabin door behind him and started toward the bedroom. Halfway across the living room his ears picked up the sound of the running shower, and he turned and dropped Penny's clothing into the chair beside him. He looked down at them for a second, letting his fingers run over the full cups of her bra; then he walked across toward the big fireplace and reached into his pocket for his lighter. He bent over and placed the flame to the previously prepared kindling and logs; then he stood up and watched as the wood began to catch fire.
He felt the warmth from the growing blaze on the front of his body and looked downward at the bulge in the front of his pants. For a second he stared at it, a little surprised; then he flushed and turned away, doing his best to force the picture of Penny's nude body out of his mind. He silently cursed Val for reawakening his desires; then he chastised himself for not being able to control his need.
Penny reached for the taps and turned off the shower. She stepped out of the stall and looked at herself in the full-length mirror as she slowly dried herself with the towel. Her eyes drifted down over her proud, full breasts to the damp tuft of blonde curls between her well-shaped thighs, and she flushed slightly. She tingled everywhere, and she knew she could only partially blame the spray for the feeling.
It was as if she had been reborn, given a new lease on life ... as if the shower had washed away all the un-happiness, all the worry. It made her happy and frightened her all at the same time.
The silence left by the finish of Penny's shower brought Mel out of his reverie, and he crossed over to the chair and picked up her clothes. He looked down at the front of his pants to be sure that the unwanted bulge had disappeared; then he crossed over to the bathroom door and knocked lightly.
"I've got your clothes."
The door opened a crack, and he caught a glimpse of a full, hard-tipped breast as he pushed her clothes inside. He had a strong impulse to push the door all the way open and see her again, but he forced himself to dismiss it and walked back over to the front of the big fireplace.
Ron wheeled the big Chrysler into the area in front of his cabin, and one look at the darkened building sent a shiver of panic through him. Deep down he had known that she wouldn't be at the cabin, but he had been telling himself there was a possibility. He turned the car off and walked up to the door, still harboring a slight hope that he would find her in bed; but it only took him a few seconds to dispel that hope.
For a second he stood staring at the empty bed; then he flipped on the light and crossed over to the dresser. He picked up the bottle sitting on the top and screwed the cap off; then he lifted it to his lips and drank deeply. For the first time in his life, he knew what it was like to wonder where his spouse was; and he didn't like it one bit.
Scott opened the bedroom door cautiously and stepped inside. Val didn't bother to look up from the novel she was reading as he crossed the room and sat down on the bed beside her. She knew from experience that he would crawl to her now, and she felt a shiver of delight at the thought.
Scott held back, hoping that Val would somehow make it easier for him; but it didn't take long for him to realize that she had no intention of doing so. Finally he turned toward her.
"Look, honey ... I'm sorry. I just blew up, I guess...."
Val hesitated before looking up at him, making him suffer until she was satisfied; then she closed the book and tossed it onto the night table beside the bed. Her cold eyes met his as she waited for him to continue.
Scott's shoulders dropped slightly as he tried to weather her stare; then he began to speak again.
"I said I was sorry, baby."
Val's lips formed a cruel smile.
"You're going to have to do a lot better than that...." Scott closed his eyes. A shudder of revulsion moved through him.
"Oh god, Val ... please ... you know how I feel about it."
Val reached down and tossed the sheet off her bronzed body. She spread her legs slowly and let her hands snake down over her slightly rounded belly and drop between her thighs; then she let her fingers slip through the triangle of dark, curly hair and part her moist lips.
"Only a man would like it ... so of course you wouldn't...."
Scott winced.
"Down, Scott ... get down there and lap until I tell you to stop."
For a split second Scott didn't move; then he slowly bent over the bed and dropped his head between her open thighs. His tongue slipped between his lips and dove into the hot, moist flesh she held open to him. He fought back the revulsion, and did as he was told, not because he wanted to, but knowing it was his punishment for challenging her.
Penny walked out of the bathroom and crossed over the darkened living room to the big couch where Mel was sitting, absorbed in the flickering light given off by the blazing fire. He looked up at her as she moved into the light; then he smiled.
"You look great."
Penny smiled and arched her full breasts forward automatically. She immediately hated herself for doing it, but it was as though she was compelled to. The sight of him sitting in front of her, his animal magnetism, the sound of his deep, husky voice....
Mel's eyes dropped to the lush mounds straining at the front of Penny's dress, and the reaction in his body was immediate. He felt his cock beginning to grow again, and he tore his eyes away in an attempt to halt its surging expansion.
At any other time, Penny wouldn't have noticed any reaction in any man, but she was so conscious of Mel's maleness that her senses immediately picked up the biological reaction in his body. She could smell his need; she could almost taste it.
The same strange feeling that had come over her earlier surged through her body again, this time amplified a hundred-fold, and she moved forward automatically and fell to her knees in front of him. She managed to utter only one word. "Please ... "
Mel felt a surge of desire rip through his body. There could be no misunderstanding-no denying the need that radiated from her. It surprised him; it pleased him; yet he couldn't help but feel that he was taking advantage of her. She was obviously going through some kind of emotional upheaval; and although he wanted her so badly he could taste it, he couldn't take her under these conditions.
The burning need in him began to build, and he knew he was losing the battle with his conscience. In a split second he would move toward her, slip his arms around her, draw those lush breasts toward him....
Penny raised her hands to Mel's muscular thighs, wanting to touch the firm flesh of this man; and as she did, the diamond on her left hand picked up the flickering firelight.
Mel froze in mid-motion. His eyes were glued to the wedding and engagement ring. Instantly his nearly erect cock began to shrink, and he stood up and moved away from her. He knew that she was surprised by his move. No woman would offer herself and then like to be rejected, but his own confusion was all he could handle for the time being, and he leaned forward against the mantel of the big fireplace as he fought within his own mind.
Penny leaned forward against the couch and began to sob softly. All the stress within her body seemed to culminate at once, and she couldn't hold it back.
The sound of her crying brought Mel out of his reverie, and he turned around and looked at her. The outline of her lush body, the smell of her need, the closeness and warmth of her flesh sent a renewed surge of desire through him.
Suddenly nothing mattered but this woman; he could no longer rationalize, and he didn't want to. He crossed to her in one quick step; then he lifted her effortlessly in his arms and started across the room to the bedroom.
Penny let out a moan of desire. Her hand slipped down the front of his body and grasped his thick pulsing cock through his pants. The feel of it added to the fire burning in her loins, and she let out an animal cry of need that sent shivers of expectation up Mel's spine.
Mel dropped her gently onto the center of the bed and stepped back. His hands worked frantically on his clothing; and in seconds he was nude, his stiff cock throbbing boldly between his thighs. He heard the sound of her zipper, and he bent forward and let his lips meet hers.
It was a long, passionate kiss, a kiss that made up for the fact that they scarcely knew each other. When it was finished, and they parted, fighting for breath, they knew enough; they knew that they wanted each other with a passion and need that made everything right.
Mel's words were deep, punctuated by labored breathing.
"Do you mind ... I'd like to see you...." Penny could offer no more than a moan of desire, and Mel leaned forward and flicked on the small light over the bed. Penny had already stripped off her dress; and she lay before him, clothed only in her bra and Leer panties. Mel's eyes skimmed over her, and his sigh of pleasure sent Penny into a delirious flash of de-ire. She felt his hands on her, firmly yet gently striping away her panties; then she arched her back as his fingers found the clasp of her bra and peeled it off her round, high breasts.
Penny moaned softly and opened her eyes. The sight f Mel's deeply bronzed body ... broad shoulders, massive chest veeing down to his washboard-hard belly, and the huge swaying cock and heavy balls below sent a shudder of expectant pleasure through her. Her legs flew apart, and she closed her eyes.
"Oh god yes ... please...." Mel didn't need to be asked twice. In seconds he was kneeling between her open thighs. He guided his cock to her open, ready cunt; then she threw herself up to him, and he felt his thick knob drive into her.
Penny felt a flash of pain as the massive head ripped between her cunt lips. For a split second she dropped back to the bed, but losing the throbbing organ was more painful to her than receiving it, and she lunged upward immediately. Mel thrust his hips backward and bent to kiss her. He held his cock just against her quivering, twisting body.
"Easy ... easy ... I don't want to hurt you...."
Penny wrapped her arms around him and let her hands drop to the muscular cheeks of his buttocks. She moaned and lifted her hips as she dug her fingernails into his flesh, and Mel gave up all thoughts of being careful as he groaned and drove his massive cock into her.
It took him four vicious thrusts to drive his cock up to the balls into her hot flesh; and the pain she felt, he shared. Then there was nothing but pleasure as he hammered at her, thrusting his hot organ deeper and deeper into her thrashing form.
It was quick for Penny. Just the feel of such a massive rod digging into the depths of her body thrilled her beyond belief. She shuddered as the first wave of pleasure ripped through her body, and Mel sensed her release. He let the dam burst, wanting to give her the added ecstasy of feeling his hot sperm gushing forth; and as the first stream shot into her, his husky groans of animal pleasure were matched by Penny's cries of ecstatic delight.
Mel leaned forward and added a log to the glowing fire. He sat back down on the couch beside Penny without looking at her, sensing that she wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a little while longer, and wanting to sort out the confusion in his own mind at the same time.
They hadn't spoken since their lovemaking, each satisfied to luxuriate in the warm glow that lasted after their ecstatic climax. Finally Mel turned to her.
"I'm sorry it happened, in a way, but...."
Penny turned toward him, and the understanding in her eyes stopped his flow of words. He realized that he didn't have to apologize for what had happened. It had been a mutual thing, something that either of them could have stopped if they had wanted to.
He was silent for a second, but the gnawing thoughts in the back of his mind forced him to look once again at her rings; and he knew he would have to talk to her.
"Look, I don't want to pry or anything ... you stop me if I get too personal...."
Penny sensed his embarrassment, and she smiled.
"You couldn't get much more personal than you were a little while ago."
Mel returned her smile, and he felt the tension leave the air. He stood up and crossed over to the table where he had left his cigarettes and lighter. As he held one out to her, he became uncomfortably aware that they were both still nude; and it bothered him. Penny looked up at him as he held his lighter for her, and she sensed his discomfort.
"Do you want me to leave?"
Mel snapped the lighter shut and realized that she was feeling his uneasiness. He managed a grin.
"No ... it's just that ... "
Penny's smile broke into a short laugh, and Mel felt even more uncomfortable. She forced herself to stop and looked up at him.
"You're quite a man."
Mel glanced down at the front of his body, and Penny laughed again.
"I didn't mean it that way ... although you're quite a man there too. It's just that you surprise me. I always thought men took advantage of women ... got everything they could get; yet you seem more embarrassed by what happened than I am."
Mel glanced across at her lush body, enticingly outlined by the flickering firelight. Desire began to build in him again, and his cock shuddered slightly and began to grow before her. Penny's eyes immediately dropped to the massive organ and Mel flushed.
"Look, I didn't plan this when I fished you out of the drink. I've got to tell you a few things before I can feel relaxed with you ... would you mind if we got something on?"
A look of surprise filled Penny's face. Mel shrugged and leaned back against the mantel.
"To put it bluntly ... I can't possibly think clearly if we're like this; all I want to do is to make love to you."
Their eyes met, and Penny nodded. Mel turned and walked into the bedroom; and when he returned, he handed her her clothes. Mel had a hell of a time pulling his shorts over his semi-erect cock, but he finally managed to get his pants on.
He stood back for a second, watching her as she dressed; then he sat down beside her and snuffed out his cigarette. When he turned toward her, their eyes met. He had been trying to find the right way to explain his feelings to her, but he gave it up and just let his words fall as they might.
"I want you to understand ... I was just divorced a I few months ago. It was a real surprise to me, and I haven't got over it yet. This bastard was playing around with my wife, and one night I walked in on them. Something snapped inside me, I guess ... I just had to I get away and do some thinking. I trusted her, and right out of the blue found out she was running around on me. I hated her, and I hated the bastard that made love to her. I called him everything in the book, and I would have killed him if he hadn't got away. I figured that's the lowest kind of thing a guy can do ... playing ' around with another guy's wife...."
Penny's head dropped. I "I suppose you think a woman who plays around is just as low?"
Mel had been trying to phrase what he had to say in a way that wouldn't hurt her, and he immediately regretted what he'd said. Before he could make it right, she spoke again.
"You think I'm a slut, don't you?"
Mel reached for her hand, but she pulled it away from him.
"No ... that's not what I think at all. It's just that I don't want to get involyed with a married woman ... I couldn't do to another man what that bastard did to me."
Penny stood up and looked down at him. The tears on her cheek glistened in the soft light of the fire as she spoke.
"Maybe you're right ... maybe I am a slut. I guess I did seduce you, didn't I? That was pretty obvious...." Mel shook his head.
"Don't be silly. What we did was spontaneous; we both wanted it. I'm not talking about that; I'm talking about what we do from here on. I don't know how to explain it; I really want you, but I just can't do it under these circumstances."
Penny raised her hand to her cheek and brushed away the tears that had rolled down.
"No, I guess you couldn't want me again. What man wants a tramp?"
Mel made a move to stand up; but before he could reach his feet, Penny had pushed the door open and was running down the stairs into the darkness. Mel moved quickly to catch her; but when he reached the open door, she had disappeared from sight, and he knew she would be impossible to find.
He stood for a second staring into the night; then he cursed and walked back into the cabin. He had never felt more defeated in his life. He had wanted so badly to explain his feelings to her, and he had blown it completely.