“How are you two doing?” Elin’s soft voice pulled their attention over their shoulders, to where she stood leaning against a tree with her arms folded over her chest.
“Damn, baby,” Kael drawled, “you’re too good at being sneaky. I’m sure glad you’re on my side.”
“You’re going to have to teach me your tricks,” Anna said. She hadn’t heard Elin’s approach, which should have unnerved her. Instead, it sent a deep rush of warmth through her body. She’s amazing. “I’ve never seen someone so light on her feet before.”
Kael released Anna and stood. “Well, I’ve always told her that her head is in the clouds.”
“Smart-ass,” Elin said. “Are you two ready for dinner?”
“Starving.” Anna allowed Kael to pull her to her feet.
“Perfect.” Elin stepped between them, taking Kael’s left hand and Anna’s right. “Then let’s sit down and have a nice family dinner.”
“Lead the way,” Anna said. I could get used to this.
Chapter Five
Anna woke up disoriented, burrowed deep within her sleeping bag, and stared at a wood ceiling high overhead. Right. We’re in farmland now. The best part about farmland was the barns. Despite the hay smell, that was one of the most comfortable nights of sleep she’d had in a long time.
Turning her head, she confirmed that Kael and Elin’s double sleeping bag was empty. She looked past the dark canvas material and an abandoned sweatshirt to the door of the run-down barn. It was ajar, letting bright sunshine through to paint the floor with light. Anna crept out of the barn and squinted into the sunlight before gazing around at the overgrown fields that stretched as far as she could see. There was no sign of her companions, so she walked to the farmhouse. The water pump was where she remembered it, and she spent a peaceful ten minutes going to the bathroom, brushing her teeth, and washing up before she felt human enough to start the day.
As she returned to the barn, a muffled noise from the rear of the building drew a hesitant smirk from her.
Behind the barn. Great. She stopped at the corner and listened to soft, indistinct voices. They’re probably making love. God knows, having me around hasn’t allowed for much privacy. Her heart swelled with emotion as she went indoors. Just once. I hope I can feel the way they do just one time before I die. She plodded to her sleeping bag. Yeah, no problem. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for me to meet women.
Not knowing what else to do, she lay back down on the blankets and stared at the ceiling, counting the wooden planks from left to right. She had only counted twenty-three when the barn door opened, casting a rectangle of warm light over the abandoned double sleeping bag. Anna sat up and gave Elin a shy smile.
“Damn,” Elin said. “So I’m not going to get the pleasure of waking you up, I guess.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. I’ve been awake for a little while.
Visited the water pump and everything.”
“I didn’t even hear you.” Elin shut the barn door. “Kael’s off practicing with his bow. I decided I wanted to be lazy with you, if you’re in the mood.”
“I’m always in the mood to be with you.”
Elin beamed as she crossed the floor to offer Anna a hand. Pulling Anna to her feet, she said, “I’ve got an idea. Grab your sleeping bag, okay?”
“Okay.” Anna did as she was told. Elin gestured over to an old ladder that leaned against a loft at the far end of the barn. “Does that thing look sturdy to you?”
“The ladder or the hayloft?”
“Either. Both.”
“I’m game if you are.”
“Then come on.” Elin scampered to the loft, taking the first three steps of the ladder before Anna had a chance to blink. “Race you to the top.”
“I think you had an unfair advantage,” Anna said as she walked to the bottom of the ladder. “Knowing the idea in advance and all.” She lifted her eyes and admired the view as Elin climbed up ahead of her. Then again, I’m not complaining.
Elin disappeared into the loft, then peeked her head over the edge. “You’re just a sore loser. Now hand me the sleeping bag. I’m setting us up a proper lazy spot.”
Anna hefted the sleeping bag up to Elin. “It’s a good thing I’m not afraid of heights.”
“I was eyeing this place when I woke up this morning. I’ve always liked exploring.” Elin spread the sleeping bag out and lay on her side, gesturing to Anna. “Now come here. Let’s cuddle.”
Anna blushed, but obeyed the command without hesitation. She sank down to her knees, then stretched out on her back beside Elin. The ceiling was less than ten feet above them. She stared up at it, unsure of what to do next.
“Is it all right if I hold you?” Elin touched Anna’s arm with her fingers, stroking up and down in a lazy pattern. “I’d really like to hold you. I’ve been wanting to since I woke up this morning.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Elin tugged her into an embrace, wrapping both arms around her.
Anna reciprocated by resting her arm across Elin’s stomach. Then she curled her fingers and caressed the skin that was exposed where Elin’s T-shirt had ridden up above her belly button. Elin released a soft moan that raised the hair on the back of Anna’s neck. She pressed her face into Elin’s T-shirt, inhaling the sweet scent of her. “Well, I’d really like to be held,” she murmured.
Elin pressed her lips to Anna’s forehead and drew her closer. “I had a wonderful dream last night. It’s put me in the most incredible mood today.”
Anna snorted. “I dreamt that I was climbing this enormous tree to get to these big, red apples that were growing at the very top. But no matter how much I climbed, I never got any higher off the ground. I’m not sure what that’s done for my mood.”
“That’s not a very fun dream.”
“It was better than some I’ve had.”
“I guess it probably was. But I’m telling you, mine was a lot better.”
Anna took the bait. “What did you dream?”
Elin shifted onto her back. “It was about you. I was kissing you.”
Anna’s heartbeat stuttered at the soft words, then continued on in a crazy staccato that beat in accompaniment with her ragged breathing. She couldn’t have meant that like it sounded.
“Kissing me?” Anna squeaked.
“Yeah. And I mean really kissing you. Making out, really. I woke up so aroused, I had to touch myself. Then I practically attacked Kael before he went out with his bow and arrows. Kissed him until he couldn’t see straight. Still, I’ve spent all morning wondering how it would feel, kissing you.” Elin twisted a strand of Anna’s hair around her fingers.
Thoughts of Kael shocked Anna back to reality. “What do you think Kael would say about your dream?”
Elin gave her a wicked grin. “He thought it sounded pretty sexy, actually. I think he got just as worked up as I did, when I told him.”
“You told him?” Anna’s face flooded with heat. “He doesn’t care?”
Elin became serious and took Anna’s hand between both of her own. “Anna, listen. Kael knows exactly how I feel about you. There is complete honesty between us. He isn’t threatened by the fact that I care about you. That I love you. He cares about you, too.” She squeezed Anna’s hand. “Kael knows I’ll never leave him. I love him. I belong with him.”
Anna bit her lip as tears filled her eyes. “What about me? Where do I belong?”
“I hope—I mean, I think, and I hope you think, too—well, that you belong with me.” Elin actually blushed.
“At least it feels like you do. I’m…very attracted to you.”
“Why?”
Elin frowned. “What kind of question is that?”
“You’re not just saying this because you feel sorry for me, are you?” Anna was too ashamed to even look at Elin. “Because I’m all alone.”
A firm pinch on her hip startled her. “How can you even think that?” Elin said.
“I worry.” It was
as simple as that.
“Well, I love your stubborn streak, for one thing. You aren’t about to let anyone tell you what to do. You’re independent. I find that very attractive.”
Anna said nothing. One corner of her mouth twitched into a reluctant smile.
“I love your fierce loyalty. I hear it in your voice when you talk about Garrett. I see it every time you look at me. And I see it when you look at Kael, too. You’ve been a part of this family since that first day when you risked your life for me.”
“Elin—”
“And I love your shyness. I love your innocence.” When Anna cast an ashamed look to the barn wall, Elin reclaimed her attention with a gentle hand on her chin. “You are innocent. I see so much love and passion in you, just waiting to come out. You excite me.”
“You excite me, too.”
“I love your brown skin.” Elin rested a careful hand on Anna’s stomach. “I love your dark, curly hair. Your big, brown eyes. Your body…God, you’re gorgeous.”
“Elin?”
“Yes, Anna?” Elin stroked Anna’s belly, then traced over the hem of her T-shirt. “Do you need to hear more reasons why I’m so attracted to you?”
“No. I believe you.”
“Are you attracted to me?”
“You know I am. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Elin bent so their mouths nearly touched. “May I kiss you?”
Anna blinked, then choked out, “Yes.”
Elin moved even closer, and her breath blew warm across Anna’s lips. “Have you ever kissed anyone?”
Anna shook her head, hardly able to breathe with Elin so near. “No. Well, Garrett once. Kinda. A peck on the lips.”
Elin closed her eyes. “I want to give you more than a peck on the lips, sweetheart. I want to taste you. I want you to taste me.”
Gasping, Anna arched her back and brought her face up the scant distance that separated them. She brushed her mouth over Elin’s, barely applying pressure to warm, full lips. Elin surged forward and pressed Anna down against the blankets, dropping a string of gentle kisses over her mouth.
“Is this okay?” she murmured.
Is she kidding me? “Yes.”
Elin’s tongue traced over Anna’s top lip, then the bottom, teasing until Anna felt dizzy with need. She threaded her fingers in Elin’s auburn hair and pulled her close, opening her mouth to let Elin inside, sucking hard on her tongue. A jolt of arousal shot through her body, hitting her right between the legs. When Elin retreated, Anna pushed forward. She slipped her tongue into Elin’s mouth, stroking her, moaning in pleasure at the taste and feel of her. Elin whimpered, and Anna realized that her pale arms were trembling as she struggled to hold herself above Anna’s body.
She broke the kiss with a shaky sigh against Elin’s lips. “Wow.”
Elin collapsed onto the blankets and threw the back of her hand against her forehead. “Wow,” she echoed.
“You’re a great kisser already. I can’t imagine how you’ll be with a little practice.”
“Does that mean you’re volunteering to practice with me?”
“Whenever you want. For as long as you want. That was…amazing. Just as good as I hoped it would be.”
“It was even better than I hoped it would be,” Anna whispered.
Elin’s hazel eyes twinkled with happiness. “So you’ve thought about it?”
“Only all the time. I’ve…never felt anything like this before.”
“I’d like to do a lot more with you than kiss. But I don’t want to push you into anything. I don’t want to move you too fast.”
Anna shook her head eagerly. “You’re not pushing.” Blushing, she calmed her excited tone. “I mean, you’re not moving me too fast. As long as—you know, Kael—”
“Kael knows that I’m hoping to do more than just kiss you. He’s attracted to you, too, Anna. He doesn’t have any expectations, and he’d probably be upset with me for even telling you that, but I want you to know. But he’ll understand if you only want to share this kind of thing with me. Nobody is going to try to pressure you to do anything you don’t want to do.” She stared deep into Anna’s eyes. “No matter what, we’re family.”
Anna felt strangely reassured. “Thank you.”
Elin traced her fingertips down Anna’s face, sliding them across her skin and over her throat. She smiled when Anna’s breathing hitched at the caress. “I think you’re going to be very responsive. Do you ever touch yourself?”
Anna went bright red at the frank question. “Uh—”
Elin giggled and tickled Anna’s upper chest with blunt fingernails. “I already told you that I do. Don’t be embarrassed.”
Anna shook her head. “No. Not really. I tried a few times, but…I don’t think it worked.”
Elin gave her a kind smile. “Have you ever had an orgasm?”
“I don’t think so.”
“If you have to think about it, you haven’t.”
“Then I guess I haven’t.”
“I’d like to give you your first,” Elin murmured. “I want to make you feel good, sweetheart.”
Her trust in Elin was unthinking, immediate, and it eased any nervousness about her inexperience. “Tell me what to do,” Anna said. “I want to learn how to make you feel good, too.”
Elin sat up on the sleeping bag with a beaming smile, then grasped the hem of her shirt. “How about we start by taking off our shirts?”
I’m almost used to this by now. Anna sat up as Elin pulled off her T-shirt, then tugged her own over her head. Elin reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, giving a playful smile when Anna stared hungrily at her bare breasts.
“Let me get yours.” Elin gave Anna a slow, wet kiss as she unhooked the silky green bra they’d found in a clothing store back in Sullivan.
“You practice that move?” Anna murmured as Elin drew back with the bra in her hands.
“That, lover, was pure improvisation.” Elin dropped her gaze, taking in Anna’s bare skin with intense eyes.
“God, you have beautiful breasts. And your nipples—” She pushed Anna back onto the sleeping bag, moving with her and taking her mouth once more in a sensual kiss.
Anna groaned in astonishment when Elin’s breasts pressed against her own. It was the softest, sexiest, most intoxicating thing she’d ever experienced in her life. She could feel startling wetness between her thighs, and when Elin parted them with one leg, Anna bucked her hips against the pressure.
Elin pulled back with a lick to Anna’s earlobe. “Is it all right that I’m on top of you, baby?”
Anna wrapped her arms around Elin’s shoulders and hugged her tight. “Yeah. It feels amazing. You’re so soft.”
Elin giggled and kissed down the side of Anna’s throat. “So are you. But listen, if you get nervous at any point, or if I do anything you don’t like, I want you to tell me. Okay? Stop me. You won’t hurt my feelings. I want this to be so good for you.”
Anna gasped as Elin’s mouth slid down the slope of her left breast. She stiffened slightly when Elin used her tongue to trace over the ugly white scars that marred her brown skin.
Elin glanced up at her reaction and whispered, “You’re beautiful. Every inch of you.”
Anna gasped again when Elin lowered her mouth to lick around her left nipple. She held Elin’s head to her breast, releasing a harsh cry of pleasure as her nipple was suckled and scraped with gentle teeth. “Oh, Elin, I’m…I’m…”
Elin released her nipple with a coy grin. “Wet, I hope. Are you getting wet, baby?”
“I think so.” Breathing hard, she dropped her gaze to Elin’s breasts, smashed against her body. “I want to—
”
“What do you want to do? You can do anything you want.”
“I want to…to use my mouth on your breasts.”
Elin rolled onto her back and beckoned Anna over with a lazy hand. “Come here.”
Her breasts were pale, slightly smaller than Anna’s, a
nd topped with light pink nipples. They looked delicious, and Anna needed to know how they tasted. She bent to kiss the slope of Elin’s left breast, then took creamy skin into her mouth and sucked hard. Elin cried out and arched her back, and Anna pulled away, concerned.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Oh, no. God. Be rough, I don’t care. I love having my breasts worshiped. Hard, soft, whatever you do will feel good, I promise.”
Shyly, Anna wrapped her lips around a now dark pink nipple, batting at the hard nub with the tip of her tongue. She brought her hand up to Elin’s other breast, squeezing and tugging at her nipple with gentle fingers.
“Oh, yeah,” Elin whimpered. “That’s so perfect. You’re so good at this.”
Anna’s chest swelled with pride. She scraped her teeth over the turgid flesh in her mouth, then made wet circles around it with her tongue. She groaned in pleasure at the feeling of Elin’s hand coming to rest on the back of her head. She spent long moments moving her mouth from one breast to the other, thoroughly loving each until her breathing grew heavy and she felt a powerful craving rise within. Startled by the force of it, she broke off and gasped, “I want more.” She barely knew what she was asking for. She just wanted more.
“How about we take the rest of our clothes off?” Elin suggested.
Anna murmured her agreement and reached down to unzip Elin’s blue jeans. “Lift your hips,” she said, tugging at the waistband.
The first thing that she noticed after tossing the jeans aside was the large wet spot soaking the cotton material between Elin’s legs. Then she smelled the sweet scent of her arousal.
“Oh, God,” she breathed, stripping off her own jeans and throwing them aside. She didn’t spare a thought to her own nudity, instead exploring Elin’s delicious skin. She slid her palm down Elin’s gently rounded belly, over the damp cotton of the light blue panties, then flexed her fingers over the heat of Elin’s center.
Remembering herself, she glanced up in mild alarm. “Is that okay?”
“Wonderful,” Elin choked out. “Don’t you dare stop.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Anna whispered. She’d touched herself for pleasure occasionally, but never someone else.
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