Gemotions

She’d been reading in the hammock, lost in a book, when she heard a gentle tapping at the fence. It was Mr. Garcia, his face etched with a shy smile. "I'm hoping to plant some herbs this year," he said, gesturing towards a sunny patch of her yard. "Would you… mind if I used some of your space?"

She felt a rush of warmth bloom in her chest. Her book slipped from her grasp, landing with a soft thud on the grass. Her gaze drifted over him, lingering on the way the sunlight caught the dark curls on his head.

"No, not at all," she managed, her voice a little breathless. A strange, insistent thrumming began within her, a feeling she couldn't quite place. She wanted to move closer, to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, just as he was.