The camera took a few seconds, and when it popped up on the back screen, the people were blurry with movement, but the pond eerily still.
“Whoa,” Alex whispered in my ear. “How do you do that?”
I explained the setting I used, keeping the shutter open as long as possible without letting the photo overexpose. I was a bit nervous telling him this, but my excitement took over for me.
“You are very good at that,” he said, kissing my hair.
“Thank you.” I blushed, taking a sip of my cocktail.
“I’m going to, uh, socialize. Have fun.”
I released the breath I was holding. Alex didn’t seem to be too interested in the details. Maybe I’d found a skill he had no interest in gaining for himself?
Or maybe his days of crashing my hobbies were over. Perhaps, with us forming a real relationship, we could move on from our rivalry.
I fiddled with my camera more, adjusting settings as the sky got darker. Thomas had lit a few lanterns around, and the contrasting light added more drama to the photos.
It was almost time to get going; daylight was fading, and we were due back to the lodge before true dark. Rex was packing up the seats, and I was about to put my camera away when I heard a gasp from the other guests.
I looked up and followed the direction of Ernst’s finger pointing out toward the lake. In the very last glow of daylight, an elephant walked out of the brush. We’d seen plenty of the gentle giants on our drives over the previous days, but we still all hummed and chattered appreciatively as we watched the animal come to the edge of the water and sway its trunk back and forth, investigating.
But then I noticed a bit of movement past the hindquarters, and out came a baby elephant, trotting to catch up and nearly stumbling into the water. We all gasped—the little one was truly the cutest animal I’d ever seen in real life. The mother flapped her ears as the baby splashed around.
I quickly changed a few settings and took a shot, but I knew the light was fading too much. Maybe I’d be able to work up something in processing, but this moment would have to be enjoyed out from behind the camera, being in the moment, something I couldn’t share with anyone else. A moment just for our group.
And that made it all the more special.
12
We all wantedto linger and watch the two elephants, but Thomas had to hustle us along so we’d be out of the park when it closed and back at the lodge for dinner. Climbing back into the Jeep, I tucked my gear away, and Alex accepted a blanket to throw over our laps. I shivered. The temperature had dropped quickly while we’d stood and watched the elephants.
Thomas started the car up, and Alex lifted an arm so I could snuggle in next to him.
“Did you get any shots of the elephants?” he asked.
I stifled a yawn. “Probably not. Too dark.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I don’t think we’ve been out this late. That must be a hard part of the job for Thomas and Rex, having to rope the guests back in when it’s time to go, no matter what’s out there.”
“True. It’s a balance of the experience versus responsibility.”
“It is rather dark back here,” Alex noted, shifting around. He turned his head slightly to whisper in my ear. “And we’ve got this nice blanket covering us up.”
Fingers slipped over my knee, trailing a slow path up my inner thigh. I hummed in approval and shifted my knees further apart.
Alex kissed my temple and kept his lips there. Warm puffs of air disturbed the wisps of hair around my temple. Fingers slowly trailed up and up and up…
He traced the band of my underwear, just barely grazing my lips. Surely he could feel the heat and dampness already, and I squirmed in anticipation. In response, he brought the rest of his fingers around my upper thigh.
“I like the way your skin feels.” He rotated his hand, running all his fingers along the edge now. Then, so slowly, a finger slid from the side, over my panties and to my center. Alex inhaled sharply, letting his finger press against me. “I like the way that feels even better.”
He began to draw small circles, feeling his way around to find just the right spot. When I gasped in response, I felt him smile against my temple.
“Right there,” he said, sounding smug.
My hand trailed across to his lap where I fumbled for a minute, and he shifted to give me some room. I brushed his erection with the back of my hand and then attempted to wrap my hand around him. I giggled when the leggings he wore under the shorts provided little give and my hand slipped off.
He laughed, too, but then pulled me close. Quietly, we kissed, his finger still running in slow circles in just the right spot. I had to pull back, needing more air, but he kept me pressed against him. I could barely make out his face in the dark anymore.
