Until Time Stands Still

by Scott, Lona

  “It tastes like gritty chalk! They are worse than those icky health food bars!” She sputtered, gagging.

  He laughed. “Yeah, it’s pretty terrible. But you get used to it.”

  “I’d rather not.” She muttered, “I’m not even sure my dog would eat this.”

  “If you’re not going to eat it, give it back.” He said.

  She shook her head and bit into the food block. “No…no…I’ll eat it.”

  “Good.” He said, seriously. He stood and rustled through his pack for a small axe. “Don’t move from this spot. I’ll be right back. I doubt whoever is after you will be searching for you in the dark, so you’re probably safe. I’ll be within hearing distance, even if you can’t see me. If you need help, holler.”

  He went in search of the right kind of trees to make a suitable shelter for the night. He had seen a good tree for the base of his shelter, but needed several long strong branches to build the sides with. He found a small grove of sapling trees and began to cut. It took longer than he had planned, but once he had enough, he lashed the poles together with a rope and dragged them back to their camp.

  She sat at the water’s edge and worked on massaging the cramps out of her calves. She wasn’t used to walking around in the woods, and every muscle ached. Her feet felt like they were on fire, pinched in her shoes. She unbuckled the straps, and slid one shoe off and then the other, gasping in pain. Her feet were swollen, and blistered. Carefully, she sank one, then the other of her feet into the cool water, biting back the urge to curse at how cold the water was. In minutes her feet were blissfully numb. She took her shirt off and used it as a washrag and began to clean some of the day’s grime off her. After the day she had she felt gross. She wanted a hot shower, and soap, but a cold sponge bath would have to do. She took off her pants and washed from head to toe, until she was chilled and shivering.

  It was actually quite peaceful outdoors, now that she wasn’t stumbling along behind Mykel. She sat against a tree and closed her eyes, utterly exhausted, and dosed off.

  “What the FUCK!” Mykel dropped the branches he had dragged back to their makeshift camp. He was shocked to see her passed out on the ground topless when he got back. He ran to her side. “Get your feet out of that freezing water woman!”

  She jumped, startled and sat up, stunned. “What’s wrong?” She asked, pulling her feet out of the water quickly.

  “What’s wrong is, you’re feet are blistered and wet, which makes the skin of your feet thinner and more vulnerable to infection from parasites in the water, and to top it off, you could die of hypothermia if your body temperature gets too cold! Your lips are already blue! Don’t you have any sense at all?” He hollered. Seeing her all helpless like that was terrifying.

  She stared at him dumbfounded, and promptly burst into tears, covering her face with her hands.

  Oh shit! He sighed and went to sit by her. He tried to put his arm around her. She shoved him away. “Go away!” She cried. “Leave me alone!”

  “Look…I didn’t mean to yell like that.” He said. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a long day. For both of us.” He sighed. “Please don’t cry.” He put his arm around her and rubbed her back. Women crying made him uncomfortable. He never knew what to do to make it stop.

  She only cried harder. Her day started sucking at breakfast and got exponentially worse as the day wore on. She had been at her limit when she crawled across the floor getting shot at. Spending hours tromping through the woods in the most uncomfortable shoes ever was torture and pushed her to the breaking point. She was scared, and exhausted. Worst of all, today, she killed a man. Isabelle sobbed harder, her whole body shaking, mostly from the cold. She gasped for air, and gagged in between sobs. She was going to make herself sick panicking like that.

  “Okay…shh…” He wrapped her in his arms and held her like a baby, rocking her gently. “It’s okay. You’re safe with me. Don’t cry. You’re ok.” He crooned softly in her ear, rubbing her arms and legs trying to warm her. Honestly, he had expected her to completely melt down sooner than she had. She had trampled through the woods without asking to stop even once, trusting him to lead them. She had been silent most of the time, and even kept pace with him, despite her footwear. Most women would have whined after twenty minutes. But the shock of the day was finally hitting her. She was a lot tougher than most women would be, but at the core, she was still a woman who had been through hell today, and she needed comforting.

  He held her, crooning nonsense until she took a final deep breath and sighed, her tears dried on her face. She melted in his warmth, and for the first time in months, felt cherished, cared for. She could feel his heartbeat through his shirt, strong and steady and breathed with him, until she felt the last of the shaking stop.

  “I’m sorry.” She muttered. “I must be a total mess.”

  “Don’t be.” He said, simply not wanting to let her go. “You’ve been through hell. No one expects you to look perfect.”

  She pulled away from him, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, effectively smearing dirt across her cheek. She had leaves in her hair. To him it only made her more beautiful. Before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her lip up to his mouth and kissed her. It was a brief brush of his lips against hers, but it was enough of a spark to send fire racing through his veins, and everything below his belt to wake up.

  “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” She said, shoving him back.

  “It’s called kissing, darlin’.”

  She glared at him. “I’m married, doofus.”

  He roared with laughter. “Your so called husband doesn’t give a rip about what happens to you. He’s the only one with a motive to want you dead and he hired a hit man to make it happen. I’d say you haven’t been married for a long time.”

  “That’s beside the point.” She said hotly.

  “Hardly. That IS the point.” He countered. “You like me. Admit it.”

  “I trust you with my life Mykel, I thought that much is obvious."

  "But you can't trust me with your heart.” He said.

  She pressed her lips together. It says something when your first date is spent hiding from the hit man trying to kill you, and it says even more when you find yourself enjoying it, simply because of who is with you. If she was totally honest with herself, she was really starting to like him. Maybe it was a bit of hero worship, but then again…it could be more. Finally, she nodded. “I trust you.”

  “Good.” He whispered. “Because I loved kissing you.” She thought he was going to kiss her again, but instead he stood up. “We need to get this shelter built before it gets any darker.”

  “Oh.” She was slightly disappointed there wouldn’t be any more kissing. His lips on hers were soft, gentle and made her ache for more. The simple touch sent fire through her, waking up the passion she had never felt for her husband. Or anyone else ever.

  They worked together to build their shelter. There was long heavy branch that Mykel leaned into a fork in a nearby tree, so that one end was taller than the other. They leaned the other narrow logs along both sides of it, to build walls. Together they weaved long cedar branches through it and layered even more on top of the makeshift frame. Mykel crawled into the tiny shelter and made a bed of the remaining cedar branches. Then he opened his bag and pulled out a large rolled up tarp. He laid it down on top of the makeshift bed and spread it out so they could cover themselves with the half of it they weren’t laying on. She was pushing leaves and other debris up against the bottom edges of their shelter, to help block the cold like he taught her.

  “Well, I’ve slept in worse.” He said, pronouncing it liveable. “Get in here before you freeze.”

  She crawled in next to him, backing into the shelter on her hands and knees. “There’s not much room in here.” She said, apologetically. She nearly kicked him in the face. He caught her foot and chuckled.

  “That’s so that our body heat will warm our shelter and we won’t have to
build a fire.”

  “Oh.” She hunkered down next to him.

  “Gods woman! Your feet are freezing!” He howled.

  “Sorry.” She was freezing.

  “Here, take my extra socks and put them on.” He dug around in his pack and pulled out a pair of wool socks. They shifted around so that she could sit up and pull them on.

  “Get over here and let me warm you up.” He said.

  She eyed him suspiciously.

  “You’re still cold; we need to warm up your body temperature. The best way to do that is to cuddle up and let my body heat warm you.” He explained with a big grin.

  “Where did you learn all this stuff?” She asked. “The military right?” She sat next to him.

  “Something like that.” He said, lying back down. He pulled her into his arms and began to rub her arms and back briskly.

  “Tell me about your life.” She said. “Do you live in the city?” She asked shyly. He threw the tarp blanket over them both, and pressed her into his chest.

  “No. I don’t.” He said. He cringed, cursing at himself. For some reasons, he found that he couldn’t seem to lie to her as easily as he could to other people. What the hell was that about?

  “Well, where do you live?” She asked.

  “I’ve lived everywhere.” He finally said. In every time.

  “Which place is your favorite place?” She asked.

  “Right here, with you.” He confessed. He found himself surprised that it was so true. He really didn’t want to be anywhere, in any time, but he wanted her. Every instinct called to him to stay with her, and protect her, and to make her his forever. He frowned in the dark. Forever wasn’t very likely, unless he could convince her to go back with him.

  “Oh.” She breathed.

  “Here is pretty damn awesome.” He kissed her again, softly, gently, gauging her reaction. When she leaned in for another, it was as if a dam broke between them. The kiss turned passionate, almost frantic as their tongues duelled. He couldn’t stop kissing her.

  Damn, the man can kiss. He tasted like musk and cedar. His kisses made her feel lightheaded, dizzy almost. In an instant her whole body was alive with electricity, every nerve on fire. He kissed down her neck to a hollow at her collarbone and she hissed in pleasure as he licked it, arching her whole body into him. He rolled them, so that he was on top of her. He stared down at her, both of them gasping.

  “Do you want this?” He asked, hoarsely.

  She nodded slowly. God help her, she wanted him.

  “Say the words.” He said, lowering his head down to her lips, so he breathed the words into her. “Be sure. Tell me you want me. Here, now, in this moment. No matter what else happens.”

  “This…us…I need you more than I've ever needed anyone before. It scares the hell out of me. I’ve never done anything like this, because no one has ever made me feel…anything…the way you do.” She confessed.

  He stared down at her, stunned. It was as if she was looking back into his soul, searing him with her eyes, capturing his heart with her words. “I think you’re perfect for me.” He whispered, and then lost himself in her kiss. Just the touch of her hand on his shoulder and her fingers at the nape of his neck made him burn for her. He settled down on top of her, sinking into the kiss and letting it take them both away, lost in the moment.

  Mykel was breathing heavily, eager to have this woman in the most intimate way but refusing to rush the moments of the first exploration. She was gorgeous, and he wanted to savour every inch of her skin as they kissed and she undressed him. He knew this was the woman he had been looking for and he would do anything to make sure they had every night after this first moment. Finally naked, he drank her in, as she did him. She didn’t blush or try to hide her body from him, but smiled gently up at him. That was all the encouragement he needed. He wrapped her in his arms, kissing her deeply and passionately as he ground against her, "You are so beautiful," he murmured into the kisses.

  “You’re pretty studly yourself.” She gasped, when his mouth lowered to her breast to tease her. Desperate to touch him, she moved her hand down between their bodies. The simple movement of her exploring him, her soft hand against him nearly made him burst. He groaned and nipped at her shoulder.

  “You’re playing with fire, baby.” He gasped, grabbing her hand. He would lose his last shred of gentlemanly self-control if she kept that up. She pouted and he laughed and bit her lower lip. “You little minx.” He growled, pinning her wrist above her head.

  She gasped when he lowered his head to suckle her nipple. Sparks flew when he scraped his teeth over it. Everything low in her belly tightened and she burned. Ached for more. She had never felt so alive, so wanting in her life. She could hear her heart skip a beat when his wicked mouth moved lower, teasing her bellybutton. She moaned when he licked all around it. Need pooled at her core and she couldn’t resist opening herself to him. Offering herself.

  He chuckled and took the hint, kissing slowly downward, teasing her, nipping at her tender skin, licking away the sting of it. His mouth hovered over her, breathing in her special scent. Gently he blew on her, and she arched up to him, like an offering to the gods. He lowered his mouth to her hot core and partook, teasing and tasting, while her body shook and she writhed in pleasure, the soft purring sounds she made quickly turning to passionate cries for more. He growled softly when he felt her hands come down to his head, her fingers in his hair, holding him to her. “Don’t stop.” She whispered. “It feels so good.” He lifted her hips and ate from her like a starving man, driving her up higher, and higher, suckling and swirling his tongue, until she arched her back and screamed her pleasure into the night, her whole body shaking and trembling. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.

  She was still trembling, gasping for air when he moved up between her legs. “Open your eyes, sweetheart.” He whispered. She struggled to do as he asked, still quaking, trying to remember how to breathe.

  “I need you now. Are you ready for me?” His voice shook with need.

  She nodded, and gasped when he slid inside her for the very first time. He took her slowly, letting her adjust. “Oh, you feel amazing!” He gasped, sliding a bit farther into her tight channel. “Give me all of you.” He sank slowly into her, feeling her tighten rhythmically around him, pulling him into her, until he could go no farther. For a split second, he thought he would burst right then and there.

  He was like hot steel inside her, burning her. No. Branding her, from the inside out. In that moment, she knew…she belonged to him. Liquid fire raced through her as he began to move, slowly at first, then faster and harder, each movement sending her higher and higher, the dance between them as ancient as time itself. They stared into each other’s eyes, lost in the moment, in each other. The intensity of his eyes only made her ache for more, burn hotter for him. She could feel the wave building, taking her over the edge again and again while she clung to him, desperately trying to hold onto something, anything. He held her tightly as she shook around him.

  Mykel was in heaven as her body writhed beneath him, the pressure on his cock milking his own orgasm from him. He growled low in contrast to her howl as they both came and he collapsed on top of her, trying not to crush her as he held her close, both their hearts beating frantically. He laid his head on her breasts as she held him, both of them shaken to the core at what they just shared. After a few minutes, he rolled off her and he pulled her with him to half lie on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her, and trailed his fingers gently over her shoulders and back as he held her.

  “Please tell me this isn't a dream.” She whispered. “It can't be a dream. My dreams are never that beautiful.” He said, hugging her to him. He was never, ever going to let her go.

  "Mykel " Her voice trembled.

  "Yes," He answered in the stillness. “I don't have to be alone anymore, do I?" She asked.

  "No, sweetheart," he said softly. "You’re mine now. No matter where I am,
or where you are. Always know you belong with me. You are mine. I’ll always be yours.” He vowed.

  He’d had other women before her, sure, but it had never been like what he had just shared with her. No one had ever made him lose himself, his monsters, and just be. She rocked him to his very core, crawled inside his blackened heart, and lit a fire in it. She took a part of him that he didn’t even know he had, and that terrified him. He was pretty content with who he was, the bad things he’d been forced to do. The choices he made. But there in that moment, holding her in his arms, as she slept, he found himself wanting to be a better man. Not because she didn’t accept him for exactly who he was, but because she deserved better. Needed better from him. For the first time in his existence, his heart did more than just pump blood. For the first time, his heart was fully alive, and he was terrified.