The fourth time Tristan Lee ran into Hildy Willow was when she was twenty-two years old and he was thirty-seven. He was happily married to Karah, and finally putting his guilt behind him for that night in the car with Hildy. Yet, he never told Karah about what happened, fearing that she might leave him, because he knew he had a good thing going with her.

       Tristan was exploring a furniture store while looking for the right fixtures to purchase. He and Karah had just bought a house with lots of old charm. It was an architects dream with crown molding, tray ceilings, built in storage, a double-sided brick fireplace, and even original tile work in the bathrooms that they didn't mind, even though one was teal blue and the other looked like a Chess board. Karah, being the go with the flow person that she was with an artist's eye, was able to work with it by adding bathroom decor that complimented the colors.

       In fact, she was quite the decorator, and took two weeks off of work just to clean and paint the entire house. She even insisted on refinishing the kitchen cabinets and hardwood floors on her own, but Tristan knew she was getting in over her head. Karah was five months pregnant after all and taking on too many responsibilities for her own good. So he called a company instead, despite her protests. The flooring company ended up doing a beautiful job staining the wood to a darker color, so Karah was happy with the result in the end. She felt that the dark floors appeared lux against her cream couches and white area rugs.

       So there Tristan was, browsing for new fixtures becaused the originals were rusty. A particular chandelier caught his eye, it was industrial but at the same time looked vintage since the glass on it was hand-blown. The more he inspected it, he could see that every piece was carefully hand-crafted and be just knew Karah would love it for the baby's nursery room. Then the blood drained from his limbs, because through the chandelier he saw a very familiar face and it caused him to stop breathing for a moment. Outside of the store was Hildy and she was pointing to the items in the window display while holding a guy's hand. He appeared older than her but not by much, maybe he was twenty-five or twenty-seven? They continued walking on until they were out of Tristan's sight where he stood, frozen.

       His heart began pounding again while sweat surged to the surface of his skin and he finally breathed. A deep breath in fact. He knew he shouldn't go after her but he felt his legs making their way towards the outside of the store anyway. They were only a block down, waiting for traffic to clear so they could cross the street. Tristan shouted for Hildy but his voice needed clearing so only a hoarse sound came out. Then he tried again.

"HILDY!"

      She turned, looking all around her for who could be shouting her name but when she didn't see anyone she looked to the guy on her arm, shrugged her shoulders and they laughed to each other.

"Hildy!" Tristan shouted again.

       This time when she looked around, her eyes found the source of the shout and her expression dropped. It was hard to read exactly what her face was revealing as Tristan approached them, but he kept the smile on his face, nevertheless. Was she surprised? Upset? Angry?

"Hi! How are you?" Tristan said as he reached them.

       Just as Tristan had experienced feeling frozen in time, Hildy was also feeling the same as she saw him in the flesh for the first time in three years.

"Umm," Hildy managed to say and placed her hand on her chest as if catching her breath. "Hi. It's been a while. My mom says you got married."

"Yeah to Karah."

"I know." She brought her slightly trembling hand down and motioned to the guy on her arm. "This is my boyfriend, Austin. Austin this is Tristan. He's known me since I was a little girl."

"Good to meet you." Tristan extended his hand and Austin shook it. "We just bought a house so I'm looking for new fixtures. We're expecting our first child too."

Hildy's eyes widened. "Oh... C-C-Congratulations," she stuttered and then looked past Tristan. "Where's Karah? I would love to congratulate her too."

"Oh, she went to Paris to visit her parents. They moved there a few years ago. She needed a little vacation with all the hard work we've put into the house. Plus, she thinks she'll find cool Parisian decor there." Tristan found himself rambling. "You guys should really come over and check it out. Karah has worked so hard on it and the backyard is amazing. Perfect for barbecues."

      Hildy was confused by Tristan's offer and looked to Austin instinctively for support but without him knowing their history, he simply replied that it sounded like a great idea.

"Excellent. Here's my number." Tristan quickly flipped through his wallet for one of his business cards. All the while his mind was doing somersaults, thinking to himself about how reckless his offer was. In fact, he wasn't even sure why he was doing it. Temporary insanity maybe? Hildy took the card from him and shoved it into her pocket and for a moment she and Tristan just stared at each other. However, the moment flew right passed Austin.

"Well it was good meeting you," Austin said. "We've got to get going though. We're meeting up with friends at Posseidon's Bar and Grill to watch the ballgame." Austin paused as if the lights in his head were illuminating with an idea. "Hey, why don't you join us? Then you and Hildy can catch up."

"Austin, I'm sure he has other things to do," Hildy replied and looked to Tristan with a face that begged him to decline.

"Well, when you're done shopping, then?" Austin replied.

"You know what?" Tristan wagged his finger with a snap. "I haven't been there since my college days. I'd love to go!"

       Tristan could tell that Hildy was tense as the three of them walked together to the bar and grill. He also noticed that she put on some weight. Not in a bad way. Her physyc just appeared more filled out on the curves that he liked best on a woman, like the hips, butt and breasts. She had outgrow her small and delicate teenaged body. It now resembled her mother's figure more or less. The other thing Tristan realized was that Hildy was no longer a teenager, she was officially a twenty-something, adult. For some reason this revelation made him feel less guilty to be wondering what she looked like in the flesh, underneath her clothing.

      Not that he didn't enjoy Karah's body. He liked hers very much. She had a bubble butt and breasts that were small but just enough for him to play with and despite Karah's disdain for her thick thighs, Tristan loved wrapping them around him. Yet, even with Karah being the best lover he'd ever had, he was still selfishly curious about Hildy. He could shamefully still remember kissing her and touching her. The soft, smoothness of her skin and her little aching gasps as he stroked her. The memory pulled at his stomach, so he quickly shoved it away. He knew the whole situation was all very wrong, but he couldn't walk away from it. Tristan was certain that Hildy remembered too, because every time his arm grazed hers, he could see that her ribcage stopped expanding and contracting. Which meant that for a moment he had taken her breath away and he liked that thought a little too much.

       Even as they sat at the bar and grill, he made sure to bump Hildy's foot under the table, just to watch her nostrils flare and her chest stop moving. She was doing a good job of paying little attention to him, but Austin seemed like a nice fellow and chatted with him throughout the game. Their friends also seemed to like Tristan as he charmed them by ordering a round of drinks and some appetizers for the table. Which apparently Hildy did not like since she moved a few seats over to chat with her girlfriends, but Tristan could still see the tenseness in her posture.

      After the game ended Tristan made sure to lean into Hildy and kiss her cheek as he said goodbye. He gave a good handshake to Austin and invited him to play golf, which he just knew boiled Hildy's blood. Then off he went feeling triumphant. He had turned the tables on Hildy, invaded her private life and now the ball was in her court to make the next move.

      Of course, he never expect it to be two days later. As he answered the pounding at his front door, he swung the heavy thing open to reveal Hildy on the other side, and he was definitely surprised.

"I didn't give you my address." He smirked.

"I Googled it!" Hildy growled as she slammed her palm against the door, causing it to slam open. "What is wrong with you? I've been going mad over how angry I am with you. How dare you try to come back into my life! I have a good thing going with Austin."

"Do you want to come in?"

"No!" She stomped her foot. "You broke my heart that night after the art show. For years I fantasized about you, even with Lorraine gushing to me about how great you are in bed and the things you made her feel. AND even when she complained how awful you are, selfish, heartless, how you broke her heart... I still day dreamed about you because I foolishly thought I knew you better than her. Turns out she was right all along. You use girls for the moment that conveniences you and then you throw them away! Just like you used her, and then you had the audacity to make her feel guilty because she's the one that's married!! I NEVER wanted to see again you after that night in the car."

"Hildy, please come in." He took her wrist gently. "It's raining, you're getting all wet."

"Fine!" She shoved past Tristan with her shoulder and then she stood in the living room, half spinning around as she looked about.

"You thirsty?"

"Yeah," she responded, with her anger still very much present in her tone.

"Follow me," Tristan replied, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen.

      His calmness was really chafing her like sandpaper. How could he be so lax over his behavior from the other day? She followed him down a hallway and into a large kitchen which had clearly been refinished. It had grey cabinets with white marble countertops, a large island with bar seating, espresso stained floors, and stainless steel appliances. It looked like a catalogue. Especially with the roustic breakfast table that scooted up to a built-in bench with a Bay window. Hildy was both enchanted and disgusted. Of course Tristan would be blessed with such a lovely home and a lovely wife who had no clue about the night of the art show.

      Tristan opened the fridge and pulled out cucumbers, limes and fizzy water. He grabbed a muddler and a knife from the drawer, then sliced a few cucumbers, wedged a lime and squeezed the juice into the bottom of a tall glass. He hummed as he bussied himself muddling the cucumber slices with a dash of sugar, then added ice cubes and fizzy water. When it was filled to the top, he gave it all a stir and handed it over to Hildy. She sipped it as if unimpressed while pacing around the kitchen, but truthfully the beverage was perhaps the most refreshing drink she had ever had.

"I want to apologize for that night Hildy," Tristan spoke, interrupting her scuritization of the nook and crannies of his kitchen. "I was out of line. You were still just a teenager and I took advantage. It wasn't right."

"Oh yeah? Did you tell your wife about it?" Hildy stopped pacing.

"No. I can't. She would have broken up with me for sure. Besides, it was a mistake. Should have never happened. I didn't want to risk telling her and losing her over a one time mistake."

Hildy whipped her body in Tristan's direction. "Oh really. Kind of like your affair with Lorraine? One time, right?" she said sarcastically since the affair lasted off and on for nearly two years, along with a pregnancy scare.

Tristan nodded his head. "Touché. That was also a mistake. On both of our parts. I was lonely and Lorraine was unhappy in her marriage but I suppose if we look at the bright side, she was able to work out the differences with her husband. They're still together right?"

"Doesn't mean she's happy." Hildy ran her hand across the kitchen table. Feeling the raw grooves under her fingers. "For whatever reason she's still in love with you. Even though I believe she's not really in love, she just thinks she is. She's just unhappy with her husband, but now she's stuck with the guy cause they have kids together."

"You can sit down you know."

"If I wanted to, I'd sit!" Hildy snapped.

"Ok. Do you want to get out of here?"

"What?" Hildy scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"Looks like the rain stopped. Let's go for a bike ride," Tristan replied.

"What are you, twelve!?"

"No. I'm Thirty-seven. So do you want to or not?"

"I suppose." She shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly.

       They walked out to the shed and Tristan pulled out his bike, along with Karah's. He hopped on his and pointed to Karah's as if saying hop on. Hildy rolled her eyes, but hiked up her dress and climed onto the bike. She followed Tristan as he pedaled out of the driveway and into the neighborhood. The air felt cold but at the same time refreshing as it blew through her garments. Spring was her favorite season and after a while Hildy forgot she was upset and remembered how much fun riding a bike was. Tristan would glance at her now and again, the corners of his mouth practically touching his ears with how happy he looked. After a while, Hildy was smiling too.

       Tristan didn't say a word the entire time, he just kept riding and Hildy followed as they pedaled through neighbors. Then they took a turn and were pedaling through town, where it was busier and full of people. This worried Hildy. If Austin or his friends were roaming around town, what would be thought if Hildy was seen? At the same time, the notion thrilled her. To Austin and their circle of friends, Hildy was a timid and simple person, but that wasn't Hildy at all. She very much loved adventure, and walking on the edges of the wild side.

      Tristan began slowing down and then stopped in front of a deli. Without saying a word he walked inside and Hildy felt her feet following him like a puppy. Trusting him. She followed him as he picked out cheese, a loaf of bread, salami, summer sausage and olive oil. Then they went to the register to pay and as Tristan reached for his wallet, his elbow grazed Hildy's chest. It had been an accident. Right? Either way it sent a tingle through Hildy, reminding her that she was still very much attracted to Tristan, even if she wanted convince herself that she wasn't.

       They left the store and continued on their bikes as if roaring through the town on Harleys. Tristan guided Hildy into a park where they zipped down slopes with leaves kicking up from the bike tires. Then Tristan rode his bike over a fallen tree that covered a creek, like a bridge. He breezed across it as if he had done it hundreds of times, which lead Hildy to believe this was part of his bike riding routine. Trying her best to be fearless, she charged across it too and it would have been impressive if the back tire didn't catch on a tree notch.

      The bike skidded and slid out from under her, forcing Hildy to abandon it while collapsing onto the tree truck, gripping it for dear life. She watched the bike crash into the creek below with a clang against the rocks and winced. Tristan rushed to her and lifted her into his arms to carry her to safe ground before setting her down again.

"Are you alright?" he finally said as he cupped her face, looking her over.

"I'm fine!" Hildy replied, batting his hands away and got up to dust off her dress.

"I guess you'll just have to hop on my bike."

"And what, you're just going to leave that bike?" Hildy replied with sass as she pointed to the one in the creek.

"Do you plan on going down there to get it? Cause I don't."

"So then what? You're just going to walk beside me?"

"Nonsense. You'll ride on my lap." He smiled. "Didn't you ever do that as a kid with friends?"

"No... how on earth are you supposed to pedal that way?"

"I'll show you."

     Tristan hopped back onto his bike and motioned for Hildy to hop on by patting his lap. She rolled her eyes but figured she had no choice so she lifted her dress and awkwardly swung one leg over and scooted onto Tristan's lap. He grabbed her hips forcefully and pulled her closer into him.

"I can't exactly pedal if you're sitting on my legs. You'll have to sit sideways if we're going to make this work. That way you sit higher on my lap," he explained.

       Using one hand, he lifted her thigh and then spun her sideways. The force he used surprised Hildy, causing her to flash her eyes to Tristan's, but then shift them away just as quickly. Austin was strong but always gentle with her. She often wished he would just grab her, kiss her and rip her clothes off, but he never did. He always treated her like a lady, which she adored but there was that desire to feel as if he was hungry for her. Perhaps it had been brought on by the night in the car with Tristan? He wanted her that night and she could feel his eagerness. An eagerness she never quite felt with Austin.

       Tristan began pedalling as steadily as possible given that the bike had more weight on it. As they rode through the park, Hildy watched the trees whip by them and the wind sift through Tristan's dark wavy hair. He smelled fresh, like body wash and his legs felt powerful under her bottom as he pedaled. Austin seemed like such a boy compared him. As Hildy examined Tristan's face, she saw small wrinkles by his eyes and sparse grey hairs on his sideburns. To Hildy these were signs of maturity and it made him that much more attractive to her. Not like a chest bumping, beer-pong playing, and often loud, Austin.

"What?" Tristan smiled as he stared back at her.

"Nothing..." Hildy smiled, brought her hands up to his face and pulled his mouth to hers. Her heart raced at the familiar feeling of his soft lips. She slipped her fingers through his thick hair and gripped tightly. Tristan moaned, but stopped pedaling which brought the bike to a hault. He broke their kiss and Hildy knew she had crossed the line. "I'm sorry."

"No," he said and then clamped his mouth back onto hers. If he was going to cross a line, then he wanted to really enjoy it. Take it all in, because in the moment, Karah was out of sight, out of mind and Hildy was all he could think about. The dip of her waist as his arms wrapped around her firmly. The curve of her hips as he slid his palms down to cup her bottom...

      When Tristan finay pulled away to catch his breath, he saw Hildy's face beaming back at his. She was far from the ten year old girl with the fluffy giant pink bow on her hip. Although she wasn't anymore woman than Karah, she was still a grown woman, no longer a little girl.

"Lets get going," Tristan said in a breathy rasp. "Before we get into trouble." He kissed her again and then began pedaling home.

       Right as Tristan pulled into the backyard it started raining again. Hildy hopped off of the bike quickly and Tristan grabbed the snacks from the basket. Together they ran to the house and under the covered patio. Tristan fumbled for the keys, while Hildy shivered and then finally opened the French doors. Their shoes squeaked as they tracked wet prints into the kitchen while Tristan set the snacks down onto the counter. Hildy giggled as she pulled her wet dress away from her skin.

"How did I manage to get so wet?"

       Tristan looked her over as her white dress clung to her body from the rain. Her dress was practically transparent now, revealing her every, luscious, curve. Hildy's smile dissolved as she noticed how intensely he was staring at her. They stood in the kitchen with the marble counter between them and stared at each other for what seemed like hours instead of seconds. The only sound in the entire house was that of Hildy's pounding heart in her ears and the pitter of rain on the windows. Then without another thought, Tristan moved toward Hildy and her heart rate spiked as he took her in his arms and kissed her.

      The power of the kiss reverberated through her legs, turning them into clumsy things. Her body became completely limp and at Tristan's will to do whatever he wanted with her. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him while burying her face in his neck. He carried her to the stairs and began to climb, but then changed his mind, choosing instead to lay her down on them instead. Too eager to fuss with her dress, he shoved it up to her waist, revealing her underwear. His eyes rolled over the lace fabric hungrily before taking it between his fingers and ripping them completely off. Hildy's eyes remained locked on his as she watched him take in the sight of her very naked lower half. Then with fumbling fingers, she began unzipping his pants, but apparently it wasn't fast enough. Moving her hands away, Tristan shoved his pants down, along with his boxers and flung them somewhere behind him.

"Off. I want this off," Hildy breathed as she tugged on his shirt. "I want to feel your skin against mine."

      Grinning, Tristan reached behind his neck and pulled the shirt up and over his head, taking it off. Hildy did the same by removing her dress.

"Bra, OFF," Tristan growled. Nodding, Hildy reached behind her back and unclasped it, but Tristan pulled it off the rest of the way and tossed it behind them. "Damn you're beautiful. More than I imagined," he mumbled as he crashed his mouth back down onto hers.

      Before she could ask if he had contraception, Tristan burrowed himself deep inside her, causing her to gasp from the suprise of it. Her eyes rolled back and just like that it began as they moved together. Hildy's mind raced, unable to comprehend what was happening. Was it real? Or was she dreaming? Tristan kissed her body as if it were fruit being to be gorged on, and his hands moved all over her skin as if he wanted to touch every inch of her. Hildy was overwhelmed with emotion, digging her fingers into his back and letting her voice reveal the pleasure she felt. All of this time, dreaming of what it would be like to make love to Tristan and now it was finally happening. Except, it didn't feel like they were making love. They were moving against each other as if at any moment it could be stolen from them.

        In between their frantic movements, Tristan brought his face up and brushed Hildy's wet hair out of her eyes. He had wanted this ever since the moment he had tasted her back in the car on that night of the art show. The night he betrayed Karah. She searched his mouth with her lips between moans and he wondered if it would be the last time he would ever  feel her soft lips on his? Of course it would be. It had to be.

       When it was over, he moved off of Hildy and sat next to her on the stairs, panting. A wide smile spread across his face as he let his head fall back. There was sweat at his temples and his skin felt hot against her arm. Hildy caught her breath while thinking about what just happened. It had finally happened. For some reason all she could think about now was Austin and Lorraine. Austin loved her and he would be devastated to know that she became intimate with someone other than him. Then, Lorraine's face full of tears appeared in her mind and it played out like a sequence of each time she cried over Tristan. What betrayal would her older cousin feel to know the truth? Yet at the same time, Hildy was simply... happy. She looked to Tristan, leaned in and kissed him.

"I will never forget this," she said to him with her forehead touching his.

"Hildy..." Tristan began to say.

"Shh." Hildy brought her finger up to his lips. "I'm with Austin and you're married. Let's just let it be."

"You're not going to tell Austin?"

"No. We're not married." Hildy shrugged. "Are you going to tell Karah?"

Tristan looked down, the reality of what he just did, sinking in. "I don't want to... but I know I need to."

"Ok." Hildy nodded her head.

       She got up from the stairs, put her dress back on and picked her torn underwear off of the floor. She placed it in her purse and watched Tristan put his pants back on. He was a vision to be admired with his wavy hair, emerald colored eyes that beamed from his tanned skin due to spending time in the sun. His legs and arms were muscular from bike riding and being part of a summer rowing team. Being fifteen years older never bothered Hildy, he was always handsome and mature for her. When Tristan walked Hildy to the door and planted a kiss on her, she gave everything she had in that kiss. It made her feel weak for him, all over again, so she pulled away.

"I want you to know that after today, you won't see me again."

"What?" Tristan asked, puzzled, but deep down knew exactly why.

"Let's just let things be." Hildy leaned her forehead against Tristan's again and breathed him in. "I love you," she whispered.

       Hildy immediately turned and rushed out of the door before Tristan could even process her words, leaving him with his hand still out trying to reach for her.

        Hildy meant what she said when she said it.

She would never see him again...