Once they were sure that the family had left the area, they rose from their hiding place. It was only then that Elise realised just how tired she was. She swayed, slightly unsteadily on her feet. She'd forgotten just how draining such a long photo shoot could be, particularly when confined in such a small place and trying so hard not to make any noise to startle the subject matter at hand.
"Hey." Max placed a steadying hand on Elise's shoulder, turning her to him and gazing down at her with a look of worry on his face. "Are you okay? You seem a bit wobbly."
She nodded, but leaned into his body, grateful for the physical support as well as his obvious concern. "I'll be fine, really. It's just that photography can be a lot more physical than it looks, as you have to concentrate so much, as well as keep so still. My muscles always end up aching, but it's nearly impossible to get up and stretch out when it's a situation like this."
"Sit down for a few minutes and let me massage your legs. It'll help get the blood flow back into them after so many hours being cramped up."
She laughed, still full of adrenaline after such an exciting afternoon. "No, really it's okay. I'm much better; I'll just stretch them out as we walk back. Although," she added mischievously, "if they still ache when we get back to the cabin, I'd gladly take you up on the offer then."
"Hmm..." He was clearly sceptical, but willing to trust her judgement for the time being, and in any case, he didn't want to rain on her excitement – she was obviously so happy about the work she had completed that afternoon. "Come on then." He took her cameras from her so that she wouldn't have to carry them and, grasping her hand, they made their way slowly back to the cabin.
* * *
"That's so good," she sighed blissfully. She was back lying on the soft rug in front of the fire with one leg propped on his shoulder, letting him massage the aches out of her calf muscle.
After they'd returned to the cabin, he'd insisted that she relax while he cooked dinner for them. But even a few hours later he'd been able to tell that her body was still stiff and sore; so he'd ordered her to sit down on the rug and let him help her. Not that he'd expected her to resist much, as he knew from the past two weeks how much she loved the massages he gave. Although she didn't seem to recognise it, he could tell that she spent most of her time tense in some shape or form, whether because she was planning a project, or in the middle of one, or recovering from one. He was more than happy to help work out those stresses and tensions, especially given the depth of the intimacy that had now developed between them.
"Mmm..." Subtly, she shifted her hips so that his hands, which had been working their way up the muscles of her thigh, brushed against the inner line of her panties.
"I'm not sure that's going to help those sore muscles," he teased, a smile tugging at his lips.
Blushing, she turned her head slightly to one side, away from his gaze.
"Don't be shy. I thought we were way past that by now."
"Probably," she sighed, turning her head back to him, just as he lowered her leg from his shoulder and raised the other one. "But that doesn't mean I'm used to being quite so, well... blatant, I guess, around a man, you know?"
He chuckled. "I didn't think you were, sweetheart. Besides," his hands delved under the line of her panties, "even if you were, you wouldn't be the only one of us to be guilty."
She jumped as the fingers of one hand lightly circled her opening, feeling for the tell tale moisture that had gathered there and gently spreading it over her swollen folds as she sighed blissfully, knowing that despite her protests, Max always put her pleasure first and would happily spend hours ensuring her comfort and, ultimately, satisfaction.
Slowly, he continued his now intimate massage, sliding his fingers through her folds and over her plump clitoris.
"Mmm... Max..." she moaned, her hips lifting upwards and her arms reaching out for him, wanting to tug him down to the rug so that she could feel him against her.
"Shh...." He caught her arms in his free hand and gently brought them back down to her sides. "No need to rush, we've got all night."
Expertly, he tugged her panties down over her hips, moving her legs so that he could guide them down and discard them to one side. Quickly, he raised both legs back to his shoulders and lowered his chest further towards her so that both her knees were caught over his shoulders and she was, literally, exposed to his gaze and touch.
"Max," she moaned, "what are you doing... oh!" She broke off suddenly, as his intentions became apparent and he lowered his head.
Lightly, his mouth grazed the tiny mole that sat on the inside of her thigh and he smiled as he felt her natural moisture trickle against his mouth and her thighs open fractionally wider. Gently, his tongue darted out to capture the droplets and laved the soft skin, while his fingers resumed their exploration, eliciting low moans of pleasure from Elise. Deftly, his tongue circled her clitoris, softly pressing over the engorged nub before tracing over her slick folds intent on spreading her wetness and ensuring he didn't leave any spot untouched.
"Oh!" she cried out as his thumb replaced his tongue over her clitoris, gently massaging and coaxing while his tongue dipped inside her, letting wetness meet wetness.
Her fingers threaded through his hair, instinctively gripping and urging him even closer into her body.
He could feel her wetness gathering and trickling around her thighs, could feel the slight tightening of her channel as he pushed into her with his tongue, letting the roughness of his tongue graze her inner walls as his thumb continued to nudge her clitoris, circling and teasing the dewy bud.
As he felt the tension in her grow, felt her begin to climb towards her peak, he deliberately let her legs fall away from his shoulders and reclined backwards, pulling her with him so that she straddled him as he lay back on the rug.
"Ah!" she gasped in surprise as muscled arms wrapped themselves around her, breaking her fall.
Looking down she blushed, seeing that she'd been so lost in the pleasure inflicted by his tongue that she hadn't even noticed that he'd shrugged off his jeans sometime along the way and was now naked under her. She couldn't help but stare. Even though she saw him naked pretty much every night, the sight of his tanned and muscled body still sent an erotic shiver down her spine. It was a body that spoke of years of outdoor physical activity. Max definitely wasn't someone who had retreated to the kindness of a desk job after his years in the armed forces.
Taking advantage of her position, she reached down with her hands and stroked the length of his chest, feeling the ripple of his muscles under her palms. Again and again she stroked her hands up and down his body, eventually coming to rest on the curve of his biceps. It was the strength of his arms that had fascinated her since she had first laid eyes on him. Part of her almost wished that her speciality was portraiture, as her photographer's natural eye knew that he'd make a remarkable subject for any photograph. Actually, she thought to herself, that wasn't a bad idea. There was nothing to stop her taking some personal shots while they were out here, if he'd let her.
"What's that smile for?" he asked with a grin. He'd been quite happy to let her explore his body with her hands, but that smile made him think she'd come up with some new idea while she was exploring.
"Well... I was just wondering..."
"Hmm?" He reached out with one hand to the pocket of his jeans, which he'd left within easy reach, and extracted a small foil packet.
"Just... well... if you'd be okay with it... maybe I could take some photos of you while we're out here?"
"Of me?" He was genuinely surprised.
"Sure. I know that portraits aren't what I'm known for, but I'm still a photographer after all and it might be nice to have some for us..." she broke off, suddenly realising that in her head she had been thinking of the future and wanted to capture on film these early days of their relationship.
He saw her stricken expression and immediately his arms came up around her.
"I think that sounds wonderfu
l, Elise." His warm smile reassured her.
"You do?"
He laughed. "Of course. I don't want to rush you or make assumptions about what you may want in the future, but..." his voice became more serious, "for me this is the start of something very special, and I'd like for you to capture it on film, as long as it won't take you away from your work."
She breathed out a deep sigh of relief that she hadn't even known she'd been holding in. She didn't know what the future held for them, but learning that he was serious about her and their relationship reassured her for reasons she couldn't quite identify.
"But fair's fair, Elise..." he teased.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if you get to take photographs of me, I think that I should be able to do the same, don't you?"
She laughed, "Okay, deal. I'll even show you how to use the cameras!"
"Not to worry. I've got my own with me."
"You have?"
He laughed, "Sure. It's only a basic point and click one for tourist shots, but it does the job."
"Hmm...." she was sceptical.
"But," he added, "if you want to risk your pro cameras with me, I'm always happy to learn."
"You mean you'd take instructions from me?"
"Why not?" He laughed, before pausing and adding teasingly, "in certain circumstances..."
"Oh really? Ever thought about expanding your range?"
"What do you mean?" He sounded slightly wary.
"Like now, for instance." She raised an eyebrow at him and shifted her hips slightly, reminding them both of the intimacy of his cock nestled rigid and eager between her legs. Laughing at his blank expression she teased, "Do you ever give up control and take instructions in this sort of situation?"
Although understanding filled his eyes, he was still bemused that she would even think to suggest it, though he was willing to play along for a short while. "You know I don't," he teased back, "though if you're so keen to be the instructor, why don't you tell me how you want to proceed right now?" Wordlessly, he tensed his thighs beneath her, shifting her so that his cock was poised directly at the opening to her wet warmth.
She gasped at the heat that flooded through her body, pooling at the apex of her thighs, and narrowly resisted the urge to try to take him deep within her. She knew he'd purposely distracted her earlier when she would have spiralled out of control, and she, too, wanted to make their lovemaking last.
"What do you mean?" It was now her turn to croak.
"I mean…" He moved his hips, enticing another gasp from her, "tell me what you want me to do."
"But..." Her voice trailed away, suddenly uncertain.
"How about you start by telling me what you want me to do with this?" He helpfully indicated the small foil packet that was clasped in his hand.
"Oh!" She flushed, knowing she'd completely forgotten the protection that he was always so careful to use. She hesitated, feeling off balance and unsure of herself.
Sensing her nervousness, he asked gently, "Why don't you put it on for me? I can help you." Her eyes flickered to his and he held her gaze while he pressed the small packet into her hand. "Here, just take it out... that's right," he reassured her as she did what he said. "Now..." he moved her slightly down away from him so that she would have access to his full length, "just take it in your hand like this," he held her hand in his, showing her what to do as he guided her in sheathing him.
"I'm not sure this is really me giving you instruction." She smiled wryly as he held back a groan at the feel of her hands stroking him.
"Probably not," he admitted, as his hands guided her hips back over his cock so that he was again pressing at her entrance. "But we both knew that it was a limited opportunity, didn't we? You know it's not really in my nature." Slowly, he pressed upwards, penetrating her deliberately so that she could feel every inch of his cock filling her.
"Oh!" she cried out softly, feeling him move, oh so slowly within her, filling her and stretching her.
"Relax, sweetheart, just move." He flexed inside her and she felt herself tighten around him as her hips began to sway softly finding their own rhythm as they moved up and down, rising up so that he almost escaped her sheath before sliding back down his shaft, now wet and lubricated with the evidence of her pleasure.
Gently he eased her thighs even further apart so that with every movement he filled her completely, placing one hand on her lower back to help her balance and encourage her to move with ease. With the other hand he tenderly stroked the point where her body met his, gathering her wetness around his fingers and resuming his intimate massage of her clitoris, spreading her folds around his shaft and teasing her mercilessly, feeling her tiny internal tremors of response.
Again and again he thrust his hips upwards, filling her and then withdrawing, his hardness meeting her softness and drawing gasp after gasp of breathy pleasure from her lips. He felt her tighten and tighten again, knowing that the friction alone would send her over the edge, but wanting to give her more than that, wanting her to fall apart in his arms. Flexing his stomach muscles, he brought his upper body towards her without even flickering from their natural rhythm.
"Max..." she cried out again as, in addition to the fingers fondling her intimate parts, his mouth closed firmly over one breast, his teeth grazing her nipple, not hard enough to hurt but enough for her to feel the rough bite.
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around the bunched muscles of his neck, pressing her breasts closer to his mouth even as she felt the intensity of his caresses build and her body begin to spiral out of control. "More, Max... please..." she pleaded with him, even though she wasn't quite sure what it was that she wanted; she knew her body couldn't take anything more, no matter what Max thought.
Swiftly, he increased the tempo of his thrusts, and tightened the pull of his mouth on her nipple, biting and then laving, again and again. Within seconds he felt her back begin to arch as her engorged nipple pushed further into his mouth and her channel tightened around his cock, pulling and clenching around him. Again and again his hips pushed upwards into her tight heat relentlessly demanding her pleasure, until he felt her tension and arousal explode in a series of fierce pulsating contractions that sheathed his cock in its own intimate massage and, at last, basking in the glow of her pleasure, he let his body find its own much needed release.
* * *
Cuddled up against Max in the narrow bunk, Elise wasn't asleep. She'd drifted off pretty quickly after their lovemaking but had woken up an hour or so ago thinking about what she was going to do about the job offer in London. She'd talked to Max about it on and off over the last week and she was beginning to believe that she could make it work for her. She'd assumed that a job in London meant living in London, although Max obviously made it work for him on his terms by living outside the city but with easy access. Maybe she could do the same. Wryly she smiled to herself; Max had made it clear that he'd like to see her when they returned to England and the idea of being in a position to see how their fledgling relationship could develop was definitely colouring her view.
Suddenly Elise froze. Although she could hear the cold winds whistling outside, she was sure she'd also heard something else, a mewling sound that she couldn't quite identify. Quickly, she pushed the warm blankets to one side and slipped on the clothing that they'd discarded earlier that evening. From behind her she heard Max mumble softly and reach over to the space she'd left. She hesitated, wondering whether she should wake him, but then shook her head and steeled her shoulders. Max spent all his days looking after her and playing protector, he deserved his sleep. She moved towards the door of the cabin, grabbing her smaller camera and also one of the rifles as she went outside.
It was the early hours of the morning and light outside, although the mists meant that it wasn't as easy as she had expected to see what might have made the strange sound she'd heard. Swiftly she looked around, not wanting to venture too far from the cabin, and kept the rifle in front of her, j
ust in case. She stayed very still, listening hard for the odd mewling noise.
It was probably only a couple of minutes that passed, but it felt like it was a lot longer and Elise was sure she could hear her own heart beating. Then she heard something. It wasn't the mewling noise, but it was more like a scratching sound from somewhere to the left of the cabin. Her pulse quickened. She began to think that this wasn't the best of ideas, but there was no point turning back now. She moved towards the noise, keeping the rifle aimed at all times.
She couldn't see anything. There was nothing there. She frowned; she knew she'd heard something. She began to feel more than a little out of her depth as she realised she was cold – although she'd pulled on some clothes, they weren't the waterproof thermal layers that she usually wore outside with Max – and her basic lesson in rifle safety hadn't involved how to actually hit a target if needed.
Worried, she glanced back towards the cabin and immediately stumbled over her feet in surprise. Max was standing there, obvious displeasure etched over his usually serene features. In his hands he held the other rifle. Relief poured over her as he approached.
"Get back in the cabin, Elise," he ordered.
"But Max, I heard something, a really odd sound..."
"Get back in the cabin," he interrupted her. "Don't argue with me, Elise, not now."
She looked up at him and saw the tension in his face, and realised that he was furious with her. She wilted visibly under his gaze.
"But..."
"I said, do not argue with me, Elise. Is there any part of that you don't understand?"
She shook her head numbly.
"Then go, now."
She fled back to the cabin as he watched and made sure that she was safe from whatever it was she had heard.
Max quickly looked round the perimeter of the cabin. He was angry with Elise for her blatant disregard of all the rules of safety he'd taught her; but he knew that she must genuinely have heard something and he swiftly identified the most likely place any animal might be hiding.
Sure enough, there was a rustling sound in some of the shrubs nearby. From the size of the shrubs he knew it couldn't be a bear or wolf, though he didn't want to take the risk, not with Elise so close. He kept a safe distance and threw some pebbles towards the shrub. A startled mewling sound emanated from the shrubs and, as quick as a flash, a small fox ran out, stopped and looked at him, and then ran off.
Elise's Story: A Bentley Sisters Novel Page 8