He didn’t wear his kutte here, but he was still a huge, brawny guy with long hair and a full beard. Only the bottom half of the ink on his upper arms showed under the sleeves of his t-shirt, but he did not look like someone with whom to fuck. Normally, people who didn’t know him—and quite a few who did—looked on him with fear and respect. Not here, though. Here, he smiled almost constantly, and his smile was a thing of wonder. It made Lilli’s heart swell to see it. His aura was warm and approachable, and people approached him.
She really liked his friends, too, the other artists and vendors. They had a true community together. They were a lot like Isaac, the way he was here. They came as they were, without artifice or façade. Lilli’s kind of people. She had very little patience for most people, who seemed consumed by shit that didn’t matter, and who spent a great deal of energy trying to pretend they were different from their true selves. Lilli liked people who cut the crap. She’d learned that she could find those people on the edges. They were those who lived close to the bone, their lives, for one reason or another, not giving them room for pettiness and triviality. Soldiers. Outlaws. Artisans. Wanderers.
She’d spent some time talking to several people here, especially Duncan and Mindy, who had the booth next to Isaac’s, and with whom Isaac seemed especially close. Duncan did beautiful leatherwork. Like Isaac, he did art pieces and also more accessible, and cheaper, craft things, like leather-bound journals, for which Mindy made the paper. She, too, did both art and craft. Lilli was sorely tempted to buy a sensational art piece that at first glance looked like an elaborate quilt. It was lovely at that first glance, but when Lilli examined it more closely and understood the intricacies of the work, done all in handmade paper and natural dyes, she was nearly brought to tears. But she was not in a position to be collecting possessions. She needed to be able to shove everything she owned into her military-issue duffels and take off, on very short notice.
The show wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows, though. Lilli was surprised to learn that Isaac had himself a girl here. The violent jolt of jealousy that charged up her spine when she saw said girl—well, woman, more like; older than Isaac, and almost a generation older than Lilli—surprised her even more. She didn’t think she’d ever been jealous before, but seeing some flouncy blonde with her arms around Isaac’s neck—yep; that did it.
Though the previous night at the bonfire was a haze of beer and weed, parts of her memory had cleared throughout the day. At first, she remembered being cozy with Isaac by the fire, then there was a big blank space. She vaguely remembered being in the lake. But as the day advanced, she’d feel a piece of memory fall into place here and there. She remembered getting bored when she and Isaac had become encircled by artists cackling like washerwomen over what the fuck ever, and she’d headed to the bathroom to pee and then maybe wander around a bit.
When another piece of the puzzle fell into place, it was skinny dipping. Well, that was totally like her. Dropping trou in public while wasted. There was probably a plaque in her honor commemorating it hanging somewhere at her college. It’s why she never drank with her unit. When she was drunk, she followed whatever impulse came on her. Isaac had told her she’d almost drowned, though, and she couldn’t remember why she was out there without him. Probably just because she came across a lake.
But then, toward the late afternoon, when she was bringing a late lunch back from one of the food vendors, she passed the booth of Miss Lucinda Old News, and they made eye contact. Her fancy blonde hair was pushed back with a pair of sunglasses. She had a nasty black eye. Lilli had a sore right hand, which she’d figured was a consequence of banging it against something last night. Apparently, that something had been Miss Lucinda’s left eye.
And then Lilli remembered. She’d come out of the bathroom and met Lucinda on her way in. When Lilli had tried to sidestep her, Lucinda stepped over, too, staying in her way. She’d smiled up at Lilli, who had three or four inches on her, and said, “You’re pretty, no doubt. You think you have him now, but don’t get comfy, sugarpie. I’ve had years to figure him out. I know what he needs. You’re just a cute young thing caught his eye. What do you say we wager on who lands him?”
Feeling wasted and mellow, and totally secure, Lilli had just smiled and sidestepped her, but the bitch grabbed her when she passed and tried to yank her back, hissing, “Don’t dismiss me, little whore.”
Lilli didn’t remember thinking anything then. She’d just wheeled around, instinct taking over, and busted Lucinda in the face. Lucinda had dropped to the ground, and Lilli remembered standing over her, snarling, “You lose, bitch.”
The rest of the night was still a fog, except for a memory of being in the water. But standing in the grassy aisle between booths, staring at Lucinda and her black eye, Lilli remembered enough to know she needed to be careful at this night’s bonfire. Finally, bestowing on Lucinda a confident little smile, she turned and continued down the aisle with falafel and sodas for her and Isaac. She was not thrilled to discover that she could be jealous and catty.
Back at their booth, she uncovered Isaac’s plate and handed it to him. He stared down at it for a few seconds. “Um, Sport? What’s this?”
“Falafel. Never had it?”
He shook his head. “I ask again: what is it?”
“It’s fried chickpea balls in pita bread, with greens and a spicy sauce. It’s good.” She took a bite of hers. It was delicious, in fact, and the spice in the sauce made her tongue tingle.
“None of the words you just said is a meat.” He set his plate aside and opened his Mountain Dew.
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Dude. You’re not even going to try it? I asked what you wanted, and you told me to surprise you. Well, surprise!”
“I thought you’d be picking between a steak sandwich and a bratwurst! Who even came up with a stupid word like falafel? Sounds like a frog with tonsillitis.”
“It’s Middle Eastern, and you are being a big baby. At least try it. I promise you won’t turn into a vegetarian if one meal you eat in your life doesn’t have an animal in it.”
He pulled his plate back. “Yeah, something tells me this is a gateway sandwich.” With an attitude of reluctant experimentation, he took a bite. Lilli watched him consider what was in his mouth and on his tongue. He smiled as he took a second bite and said around his mouthful, “I draw the line at tofu. No way that’s food.”
She laughed and handed him a napkin. He had sauce in his beard, and she pointed where he needed to wipe. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
~oOo~
When Lilli and Isaac went to the bonfire the second night, with their blanket and cooler of beer, Lilli did so with the resolve to stay in better control of herself. Like the night before, there were people playing music and singing, weed and ‘shrooms were going around, people were talking and laughing. The log they’d settled at was taken by the musicians this time, so they found another spot on a grassy patch a little farther back from the fire. They weren’t mobbed this time by fellow artisans. It was almost as if they were being left alone on purpose. Lilli wondered if Isaac had said something.
There was nothing to lean back against, so Isaac stretched out on his side and pulled Lilli to lean back against him. He pulled the band from her hair and combed his fingers gently through it, and she closed her eyes and relaxed.
Feeling soothed, she let her senses reach out. The big fire cast a dancing, golden glow over everything around it; patterns swirled through Lilli’s closed eyelids. The warm, woodsy smell of burning pine was almost a potpourri. The sound of sap crackling in the flames seemed to harmonize with the music being played—right now it was “There but for Fortune.” And then there were Isaac’s hands—one playing softly in her hair, the other around her arm, his thumb tracing patterns on her bicep. She loved those hands, big and calloused, rough and strong. Tender and loving.
“Baby, you goin’ to sleep?” His voice was gruff, little more than a rasp over his tongue. He brushed her hai
r off her shoulder and ran the backs of his fingers against her cheek. Jesus, what his touch did to her. Everything from her shoulders to her knees constricted in a powerful spasm of desire. Because he’d touched her cheek.
“Nope.” She shifted to lie down next to him, on her back so that he loomed over her. He pulled her in more snugly and looked down at her, his ponytail falling over his shoulder. Lilli reached up and took it in her hand, coiling it through her fingers.
“You look good enough to eat, Sport,” Isaac growled. “I’m more than half tempted to get you screaming right here by the fire.”
She smiled and pulled on his ponytail, bringing him down for a kiss. She’d only had a couple of beers, but she was so overwhelmed by the powerful need she felt for him that she was more than half tempted to let him get her screaming right here. Instead, though, she turned her head away from the kiss, just a bit, and whispered, “I really love you, Isaac. I love seeing you this way.”
He smiled, his brow wrinkling a little. “What way?”
“Relaxed. Easy. Getting a chance to set your burden down for a minute.”
In the flickering golden light, she couldn’t read the look that rolled through his eyes, but then he smiled. “You make me feel easy, baby. You make me feel strong.” He kissed her, and she opened her mouth wide, letting him in, taking him into her. He growled and lay on her; she could feel him thick and hard, pressing against her belly. Suddenly, he pulled away, rising onto his elbows and staring down at her.
“Let’s get out of here. I want to ride with you tonight.”
That came out of nowhere. Lilli loved to ride with him, and that itself was sexy as fuck, but she had a different kind of riding in mind just now. She lifted her hips and squirmed against his cock, making him twitch and groan. “I thought you wanted to make me scream. I want you to make me scream.”
“In good time, baby. Ride with me. I’ll make it worth your while.” He stood and held out his hand. Bemused and frustrated, she let him pull her up. They gathered up the blanket and cooler and headed back to the camper and Isaac’s bike.
~oOo~
He rode them out far into the country, taking winding roads, mostly through farms and fields. Some woodland, but not like it was around Signal Bend. Lilli held on tight and laid her head on his back. She felt Isaac’s gloved hand squeezing her linked fingers, and she kissed his back, breathing in the smell of his leather kutte.
Eventually he turned onto a gravel road in fairly thick woods. They came to a gate, and he dismounted and opened it. Lilli was curious, and gave him a look that said so, but he just got back on the bike and followed the road, leaving the gate open behind them.
He stopped near a small lake and parked the bike. They got off, and he took her hand and led her to the shore. A stand of pines ringed the lake, and there was a narrow, pale rim of sand circling the shore. It was lovely, the bright moon making the water sparkle, but Lilli was confused.
Curiosity overwhelmed her, and she pulled on his hand. When he turned to her, she asked, “Why are we here? Where is here?”
“A friend of mine owns this place. Just a little private lake. Emphasis on private. Since you like skinny dipping so much, thought I’d take you somewhere we can do it together.” As he spoke, he lifted the bottom of her hoodie and pulled it up. Surprised and delighted, she raised her arms and let him pull it off, bringing her t-shirt with it. Then she took over the rest of her undressing, and Isaac stripped, too.
There was a little dock jutting out from the slim sand beach. When they were naked, he got a gleam in his eye. He swept Lilli up in his arms and ran down the dock. Lilli laughed and yelled, “Oh, shit!” when she realized what he was going to do. He jumped, she squealed, and they landed in the water together.
The water was deep and cold, and they both came to the surface gasping. Laughing, Lilli swam away and floated on her back for awhile, reveling in the feel of the water lapping at her bare skin. She spread her legs, and the cool eddied over her tender flesh. Closing her eyes, she let the water take her, her hair loose and swirling softly around her.
Isaac came up from below and wrapped his arms around her, her back against his chest. He swam with her, pulling her into shallower water. When he could stand, the water at chest level for him, he swung her around, pulling her legs around his waist. His cock was there, steely and proud despite the chill of the water, pressing against her entrance. Lilli was completely relaxed and completely aroused, and she moved, starting his slide into her core. With a grunt, he grabbed her ass and pushed all the way in.
“Jesus fuck, you feel good,” he breathed. She didn’t say anything. She was too wrapped up in the amazing feel of this night, of him sliding inside her. Moaning, she tipped her head back, and he latched on, suckling at her throat, then kissing along her shoulder where the surface of the lake lapped at her.
She couldn’t stop moaning. His hand was on her breast, under the water. The cool had tightened her nipples to hard points, and every time his thumb flicked over her, she twitched and gasped, and he grunted. He was moving fast inside her, the hand not exciting her breast clutching her ass. God, she could feel all of him. All of him, so hot and smooth inside her, and—wait.
She stopped, resisting his thrusts. “Isaac,” she gasped, fighting for focus when she wanted to keep moving. She was caught up in the way the water buoyed them and changed their movements, made them nearly effortless. She wanted more. But she made herself focus. “Isaac. Wait. We don’t have a condom. Wait.”
He stopped and met her eyes. He was breathing hard, every exhale coming out in a growl. Releasing her breast, he brought his hand up to hold her head, his thumb on her cheek. “I don’t want to stop, baby. It’s too good to stop.” He flexed, thrusting hard and deep, and she cried out.
This wasn’t fair. She didn’t want to stop either, but somebody needed to be responsible here. She whimpered. “Isaac, come on.”
But he was insistent. “No. We’ll get you something at the drugstore. I want to feel you. So silky and hot on my cock. God, let me feel you.” She was torn. She shouldn’t be torn. She should get loose of him, swim back to shore, and get dressed. And then kick his ass for being a fool. But she loved him, she loved this, and she didn’t want to stop. Still deep inside her, he took several steps into shallower water. When they were just more than waist deep, he unhooked her arms from him and laid her back. She was floating on her back, her legs around his waist, his cock filling her up. He thrust into her with a long grunt, and her decision was made. Or not made. She just let it happen.
She spread her arms out in the water and loosened the grip of her thighs around his hips, letting him move her as he would. She’d always wanted rough sex; sweet and gentle made her feel impatient and unsatisfied. Sometimes her fucks had seemed only a few steps from brawls. That was the case with Isaac, too. They’d literally fought their way to a fuck. But she’d learned something in this time with him. What she really wanted, what turned her on more than anything, was to trust her man enough to give herself over. She wanted his strong hands to move her, demand of her. Sweet and gentle was amazing when she felt tamed by it. Now, floating in the lake, attached so intimately to him, his big hands grasping her, stroking her, making her glide through the cool water as he moved her on his cock, taking this crazy risk with him, she felt something inside her, in her core, in her heart, fold open.
When her orgasm came on, it came like a locomotive. She gasped and lifted out of the water, crashing her body against his, clutching him tight, moving with him now. Isaac crossed his arms on her back and gripped her head, his mouth on hers, devouring her as she devoured him.
He broke from their kiss and tucked her head to his shoulder. She surged on him, driving him into her. Growling in her ear, he urged her on, “Yeah. Yeah, baby, that’s it. That’s it. Go, baby, go.” When he started walking to the shore, his cock shifted in her with every step, and she was done. She cried out, driving her fingernails into his back as the waves of ecstatic release und
ulated through her.
Then she was on the ground, feeling grass, sand and pine needles under her still-thrumming body. Isaac hooked her knees with his arms and pushed her legs to her chest. “Fuck, Lilli,” he groaned, “oh fuck, this feels like nothing I’ve ever known. Like everything.” Their bodies slammed together, the sounds of their joining—their cries and moans, the slap of their slick flesh—driving the night animals to silence. Isaac didn’t even try to be gentle now, and she was glad of it, wanted his hard, heavy need. She could feel another climax coiling hot inside her, and she reached out to claim it.
She felt a sudden swell of him inside her, and, still pounding deep into her, he raised up on his hands, looking down at her as if he were surprised. “Oh God, Lilli! Jesus—jeez—oh FUCK.” He came, his body straining, every muscle flexed and corded with the force of it. She was close, watching him in his throes pushed her closer, and she wrapped tight around him and let her hips free to buck hard on him until she caught it, and she screamed.
Isaac collapsed at Lilli’s side, his breathing rough and irregular. Lilli felt dazed and utterly, utterly full. His hand rested on her belly, lightly stroking. She felt sated. Loved. Happy. Damn. Damn, it felt so good. As soon as she recognized that feeling, dark thoughts of what awaited them stole to the edges. She slammed the gate and kept them at bay. Turning away from those thoughts, she curled into the shelter of his embrace.
“I love you, Lilli. So much I’m dizzy with it.”
Lilli knew she didn’t need to say anything. She simply snuggled closer and let him swallow her up into his arms, wanting to stay exactly like that forever.
But they couldn’t, of course. They finally got up, rinsed off again in the lake, and dressed. Just before Isaac swung his leg over his bike, Lilli said, “Let’s find a drugstore tonight, okay?”
Isaac put his leg down and turned to her. There was a look on his face that she thought she could read—but it scared her. Lifting his hand to her cheek, he asked, “Would it be so bad?”
Move the Sun (Signal Bend Series) Page 22