Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series)

by Burgess, Marisette

  “Is that a refractor telescope?” I asked as he looked through the lens. Raised with a mother whose hobby is to watch the constellations and planetary movements through the houses and signs of Astrology, I knew something about telescopes.

  He popped up shocked and looked at me. “Why yes, yes it is. Oh Kasey,” he said excited, “you are most certain the woman for me.”

  Laughing, I looked down the beautiful pool deck, all lit up. I stared out into the dark ocean in all its vastness. I reflected on my near death experience. I exhaled in mere gratitude that I was still breathing. If my human existence ended today, I’d be stuck as an unfinished ghost. The thought of spending an eternity regretting something I should have done a long time ago disrupted the pit of my stomach. It is time.

  “Are you ready?” Dion looked through the lens of the telescope and fidgeted with the knobs and focus.

  “Sure,” I walked towards him. “What are we looking at?”

  He stepped aside and let me look through the lens. I felt his warm embrace cuddle up behind me as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled his body close to mine.

  “It is Jupiter’s four moons, the Galilean moons.” His voice took on a childlike enthusiasm.

  The planet looked like one of those bottles layered with colored sand. “I see the red spot!” I said, elated.

  He laughed amused.

  “What would you like to look at next?” he asked.

  “What would you say to the sun?” I asked subtlety.

  “Are you sure?” He replied.

  I moved my head back and rested it on his chest. He leaned his head down to look through the lens. Our cheeks grazed and I could feel his warmth so close to me.

  “Dion,” I said, looking up, “I love you. With every breath I take, I love you.”

  He didn’t look up from his telescope. He slyly smiled.

  “You knew it was coming didn’t you?” I accused.

  He looked down and chuckled, then he looked at me, “It did not make the moment any less special to me.” He kissed my cold cheek with his cold lips.

  I laughed.

  “Kasey,” his face grew tight his eyes avoided mine, “would you like to spend the night?”

  I couldn’t believe he asked this of me.

  “After everything that happened today I wish to hold you forever. Since forever is an unreasonable request. I would settle for at least until tomorrow.” He gave me his sweet, alluring smile.

  “There is nothing more I would love tonight, than to fall asleep in your arms.” I replied.

  He smiled and leaned in for an affectionate kiss. After a moment, he backed up.

  “I promise to be a complete gentleman, but you must behave yourself.”

  “Of course I will behave myself. I’m not a hussy or anything like that.”

  “No, no, of course not. I did not mean it like that. It is that, well, you are more liberal on the matter.”

  “Dion, you don’t have to worry. I got the message loud and clear. We will not be having sex any time soon.”

  “Kasey!” I didn’t need the sun’s light to know he blushed. The subject made him uncomfortable.

  “What? I’m not going to seduce you. I’m okay with you just holding me.”

  He shook his head. “Here, look at the moon.”

  I smiled and looked through the lens.

  After I could no longer stand the cold weather, we went back inside. As we headed up the stairs, John ran in from the kitchen.

  “Brother, a quick minute…” He stopped, surprised to see me, “Oh Kasey, you are still here. No bother then. I shall leave you two alone.”

  Dion smiled at me, “What did you want?”

  “Only if you are not occupied, could you go to Italy for some ice cream?” John batted his eyes in a pleading effort.

  “I swear you are worse than a pregnant woman,” Dion said annoyed.

  “Why, Italy?” I asked.

  “Ohhh,” they both said.

  “There is a small ice cream shop in the hills of Tuscany. Best ice cream in the world,” Dion said.

  “John, isn’t it too cold for ice cream?” I asked.

  “Ice cream is year round, it has no season,” he replied.

  “Okay, I will go.” Dion gave in.

  “Thanks brother.” John ran off.

  “It will take me twenty minutes at most,” Dion gave me a peck on the nose.

  “You are welcome to go on and make yourself at home in my room.” He said as he headed downstairs.

  “Would you mind if I took a shower? I could use one. Plus it would be nice to warm up.”

  “Not a problem at all. We each have our own bathrooms in our rooms. Help yourself to anything there.” He put his coat on and walked out the door.

  His room, surprisingly, didn’t have a pile of cloths in sight. He painted his ceiling black with some type of specialized effect. Tiny twinkling stars shimmered throughout. It resembled a star lit sky. There were two doors side by side, the first one turned out to be an enormous walk in closet. It now housed all his piles of clothes.

  In search of some clean sweat pants, I rummaged through his dresser drawers. The first drawer came up to the top of my chest. Pulling it out I found papers, notebooks, and a pile of fake passports. The second drawer held socks all in complete order. The third drawer was practically empty except for three pieces of clothing. I figured he never used these, so I helped myself to a pair of black, pull string, sweat pants.

  Grabbing it, I headed for the second wooden door figuring it was the bathroom. It was a simple man’s bathroom no décor, simply towels and rugs. The scorching water trickled down my body. At that moment, I realized how desperate I needed the prickly pressure of the water on my muscles. Stretching my neck and my back, I tried to work out my soreness. I was certain I spent more than the twenty minutes he took to go get the ice cream. Tying the pull string pants as tight as they could go I rolled the cuffs up. They were still baggy. I pulled John’s burgundy shirt over my soaked hair. Before exiting the bathroom, I plucked the tee out a few times so that my braless breasts didn’t protrude through as much.

  When I opened the door all the steam from the shower exploded into his bedroom. He sat in his black loveseat with his feet up. The only light in the room came from his reading lamp in the corner.

  “Feel better?” he asked.

  I blushed. “Much, I needed that.”

  I folded my arms across my chest; I sat on the far corner of his king sized bed. With a brown bag in hand, he sat next to me. Feeling light headed, I tried to regulate my breathing. The only boy I’d ever spent the night with was Teal. My emotions confused me, how could I love Dion, yet feel agitated here in his room. He opened the bag and took out a small Styrofoam cup.

  “Here see if you like it.” He dipped a spoon into the ice cream and fed me. I smiled.

  “Mmmmm, rich.” The vibrant espresso flavor woke my senses.

  He took a spoonful himself, “I was not sure if you liked espresso. It is one of my favorite.”

  “Good choice.”

  He fed me another spoonful.

  “Finish up. I am going to get in a quick shower myself,” he said and headed for his closet. He pulled out an item of clothing then entered the bathroom.

  The view outside his window was remarkable. The land slanted downward, allowing a blanket of forest with the ocean in the distance. Looking around the room, I noticed a small stack of books next to his loveseat, I read the titles: Astronomy Today textbook, Leopardi’s Canti: poems the bilingual edition, Galileo in Rome, and Seven things you need to know before you date. I snorted at the last one.

  He showers like he runs, fast. The door to the bathroom opened, I faced him and inhaled forgetting to let it go. The steam around him dispersed as he stood there in a pair of cream sleeping pants. His chest glistened with the dew of the steam. His wheat colored flesh tightened perfectly muscular. He brushed back his wet dark hair. His beauty, so striking it washed away my ner
vousness and replaced it with desire. He smirked and I blushed. I felt sinful looking at him. I lowered my eyes and tried to avoid contact, “So,” I sat on the bed.

  He came to the bed and lay across it resting his head on his pillow. His chest raised and lowered gently with every breath he took. He placed his arms behind his head.

  “Are you still stiff?” he asked.

  If I say yes, would he give me a massage? “No.”

  “Good, that is good.” We were both uneasy.

  “So, Dion this is quite an astronomical room. When did you become such a fan of the stars?” Small talk was a better alternative to the awkwardness.

  “It was Galileo who really sparked my interest in the skies. Before him, I never paid too much attention. His passion for it and fascination rubbed off.”

  “You mean you knew the real Galileo?”

  He nodded.

  I let out a long breath. “Wow,” I whispered. “What I would give to have met some of the historical figures you have.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I am not star struck by it. Most of them were regular people. Galileo though, was special to me. He became somewhat of a grandfather figure the little time we spent together.”

  I lay facing him on my own pillow.

  “I guess if you’re going to have someone to look up to Galileo isn’t a shabby pick,” I smirked.

  He turned on his side to face me. He took his hand and rubbed my cheek with the back of his finger. My heart thumped with anticipation. He lifted his head and leaned in to kiss me. He was gentle and passionate, perfectly soft and intense at the right times. He placed his hand on my back and brought me close into him. My breasts pressed up against his firm bare chest. Then he reached up and held the back of my neck under my hair.

  He slid his hand down gradually from the back of my neck, to my spine, and finished on my hip. He kept his hand in place for a second then proceeded to slide his hand under my tee shirt. He massaged my back running his fingers down my side almost nearly touching the sides of my breasts.

  I backed up, flushed. “If you’re going to touch me like that, we will end up in trouble,” I took a deep breath.

  He jerked away. “I am sorry Kasey…I never meant to take it as far as I did… it has been so long since…” he trailed off bothered by his actions.

  I nuzzled into his body, “It’s okay, I like your touch, but if we are going to keep doing this, you need to put on a shirt.” My fingers skimmed down his torso.

  “Seriously?” he asked with an air of innocence, signifying he had no clue how gorgeous he was.

  I chuckled, “No I’m kidding. Sorry…” I let out a big nervous sigh and looked away from him.

  “Are you okay Kasey?”

  “Yes… it’s so stupid. We aren’t even going to do it tonight. I’ve just…I’m just…” I let out another a big sigh. I sounded like an incoherent buffoon.

  He tilted my head up by my chin. “Is it the expectations thing again?”

  “Yeah, I guess you can say it’s that. You are some sort of great immortal and I’m…I’m just human.”

  He grinned. “I feel the same way. I might keep composure, but am quite nervous.”

  “Really?” I couldn’t imagine him nervous about anything. Was he saying that to make me feel better?

  “Kasey you have no idea that you are this beauty of a woman. You make Aphrodite look like a common girl.”

  “Dion…you’re exaggerating.”

  “Maybe…I might be biased. I do not know what you are worried about. It has been a long time since I have done this sort of thing. I hope that I do not let you down.”

  “Dion you could never do that! You kiss so well you made me uncomfortable.” I reassured him.

  He placed his hand under my ear and caressed his thumb on my cheek. He leaned in and kissed me. “Let me know when it is too much,” he whispered. Dion laid me down on my back, propped himself up over me, and slowly pressed his solid chest onto my perked up breasts. We locked lips with heated passion. How far would he take this? How far would I let him go?

  16. Kasey and the Fire Jumping

  The beam of light from the sun made it hard to keep my eyes closed for more sleep. My eyes fluttered open and tried to focus on the brightness. The pillow was soft, and I buried my cheek into it. My body squirmed under the covers. He spooned behind me. Remembering where I was, I relaxed in his arms.

  “Good morning,” he whispered and kissed my cheek.

  Rotating, I faced him, “Good morning.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Heavenly,” I replied.

  He smiled. “Always good to hear.”

  “Your bed is comfortable and spacious,” I snuggled into it.

  “I am glad you like it. You are welcome to it anytime.” He playfully raised one eyebrow.

  “Hmmm…thank you.” I reciprocated.

  He propped himself on his elbow then ran his fingers through my hair, leaned in and kissed me. I ran my hand up his chest and down his shoulders caressing his back. We heard a quick knock, then his door opened.

  “Dion, for breakfast we were thinking French…” Martin stopped in mid-sentence upon seeing me. “Kasey!” he squeaked like a girl. He looked embarrassed and horrified at what he thought he walked into. He turned and left slamming the door behind him. Dion sunk down into his pillow. “Bugger.”

  “Are you in trouble? Will they think you did something immoral?” I worried that my spending the night caused problems.

  He turned his head. “No, no. They are my brothers, they know who I am, but you know how brothers can be about teasing.” He sighed and sat.

  “We better get up for the day. It seems my family is ready for breakfast.”

  “Are you the designated food runner?” I asked, amused.

  “Yes, guess it is French this morning.” He got out of bed and went to his closet.

  “Dion, about last night…” I blushed.

  “Yes, is everything all right?” He popped his head from the closet.

  I wasn’t sure how to put into words what I wanted to say. “I’m surprised you asked me to spend the night. You don’t seem like the people in this town. Beatriz would be horrified, you seem okay with it, and I was shocked how…how close you allowed us to go last night.”

  He sat at the edge of the bed. “Me too,” he shook his head. “I never intended for it to go as far as we did. Do you feel we did something wrong?” he worried.

  “Not me, but I’m not the one who’s Catholic.”

  “Kasey, are you questioning my faith?”

  “No, I’m curious. Personally, I don’t know about this stuff, other than what I have studied in a book. I guess I want to know what your thoughts are.”

  “Realize this. I gave my life for my God at the age of twenty. And for unexplainable reasons I was bestowed a great grace, the gift of speed. If there is anything I have learned from this lifetime, it is that everything has a reason. We have a purpose on this earth, that has not come to pass yet.” He gripped my hand. “I know exactly where my faith lies, it lies with Him. I died once for Him and I would do it again. We know the world through very different eyes. We experience religion through time. It must mold to fit the customs of current society. I stayed up in the mountains of Tibet. I lived in Israel and China. I was a monk, and visited with the Mayans. As far as the rules and regulations that humans place on themselves, well that has also changed with the times. I can remember an era, where if I spoke a word to you without permission, society would punish me. We understand that customs change, and we have adapted ourselves to change with it. As far as doing what is right. I feel that you must do what your heart and soul tell you are right.”

  “But you still wouldn’t take a girl unless you were married to her?” I asked.

  “That does not feel right to me. Something so intimate so private I would never do without a marriage vow.”

  I squeezed his hand, understanding more about his pious world. After we
both freshened up, we headed down stairs to face what felt like a panel of judges. I hid behind Dion and let him walk into the kitchen first. Antony, John, Martin, and James sat at the kitchen table attempting to keep composure. Dion sat me in one of the chairs.

  “So,” he said nervously, “French pastries for breakfast today. A round of cappuccinos for everyone, I presume?” His brothers nodded. He kissed my head then left for France.

  “John spoke up, “Sleep well last night, Kasey?” He asked it in a comic way. His brothers sneered. He reminded me of Nolan. I knew this teasing territory came from having brothers.

  “Extremely well, John thanks for asking.” I played to his game. All their eyes went big with surprise. I blushed.

  “Where’s Max?” He was the one brother I didn’t want to see. I wasn’t sure if he’d like my spending the night.

  Antony understood the root of my question. He gave me a smile and said, “He had a medical emergency this morning.”

  Relieved, I sighed. His brothers stared at me as if I were some sort of oddity. Uncomfortable, I squirmed in my seat. I think Antony noticed my uneasiness.

  “So Kasey, has Dion taken you up to the telescope yet?” Antony asked.

  “Yes, last night.” I answered.

  “That is where he takes all the girls.” John gave me a pitied expression.

  “Do not pay any attention to him,” Antony shook his head.

  “Dion has never had a girl,” Martin chimed in.

  I smiled. “Except his wife.”

  Martin, John, and Antony’s shocked expressions were priceless.

  “He told you about his wife!” John asked.

  “Not by choice.” I gave James a hard look. He avoided my stare and looked away. The others looked at each other bewildered.

  “She never loved him. I do not know what Max was thinking back then, arranging that marriage. We all did a dance of celebration the day you arrived in Deia,” John said.

  “Why’s that?” I asked.

  “Oh, Dion drove us bonkers everyday about you,” Martin said.

  A slight giggle slipped.

  “We were at that restaurant hours before you arrived. We knew you were going to get there for lunchtime. But we were not sure of the time,” Martin continued. “I am surprised he did not run to St. Cloud to get a glimpse of you beforehand.”