by Kira Blakely
I nodded like I knew what he meant and took one of the other armchairs across from him.
“I didn’t think that coffee could be this important to someone,” I said.
“You should meet my cousin, Martin. He carries bars of this particular Swiss dark chocolate with him everywhere he goes. He has to have one square with a glass of wine every night after dinner.” Luke laughed and took a huge gulp of his coffee.
I smiled, and when he saw my face, we both laughed.
“I’m sure this sounds ridiculous to you. My family is strange,” Luke said when we both stopped laughing.
“Not ridiculous, just funny. Tell me more,” I said, finally relaxing a little. Luke’s laugh had that effect on me, it could put me at ease in an instant.
“Let me think,” he said, drumming his fingers on the mug. “My mother has a fur coat that she has owned since she was fourteen years old. And nobody else knows this, but I’ve seen her cuddling up to it in bed at night,” he said and we both burst out laughing together.
“Are you serious?” I said, my coffee nearly spilling out of my hands. “And what about your father? What does he think of the fur coat in their bed?”
Luke’s smile became slightly weaker, although he still tried to portray a look of nonchalance. “I don’t think my parents have slept in the same bed since I was born,” he said and took a quick gulp of his coffee.
My laughter died immediately, and I looked away from him. I hadn’t meant to pry, and I detected a soft nerve there. But why was he telling me this? I didn’t need to know that intimate detail about his family. I could sense Luke’s eyes on me.
“I suppose your parents are happily married?” he asked and I met his eyes again. He looked genuinely curious; he wasn’t being sarcastic.
“Yes, very happily married,” I replied, nodding my head. “Married for over thirty years and can’t spend one waking moment without each other.”
I hadn’t necessarily thought about it like this before, but I had probably never felt the need to leave home because of how happy the three of us were as a family when I was growing up. Before Dad got sick and had to quit his job at the bar. Before Mom spent all her days worrying about his health. Before it became my responsibility to take care of them, a duty I would never be able to give up.
“That’s good to hear; you don’t see much of that these days. My parents would probably have been happier if they divorced. But they wouldn’t do such a thing to the family wealth,” Luke said, passing me a sarcastic wink. I could see that this was difficult for him to talk about, and I hadn’t really asked him about all this either. It was confusing that he was telling me this about his family, when I knew so little about anything else. We had just met.
I could feel my hands twitching with discomfort; my limbs were freezing up again. What did he expect me to say? I didn’t know how to comfort people. So, I looked away from him.
“Is that glass?” I asked, pointing to a figurine on the mantelpiece. I knew that was a silly thing to say but I wanted desperately to change the subject, before he started to ask me anything else.
“Crystal,” he replied, in a heavy voice. When our eyes met, I could see that he was confused by what I had said. He wasn’t quite sure why I decided to change the subject so suddenly. I felt even more ashamed by his answer. I couldn’t even tell the difference between glass and crystal. I could sense his deep piercing eyes on me, and I stood up.
“Can I use the toilet?” I said, losing even more of my composure with each passing second.
“The restroom is at the end of the hall there,” he said, pointing at a hallway. Toilet, restroom, glass, crystal… I felt humiliated, and I could sense my face turning a bright red. What had I gotten myself into? Why did I assume that I could pull off being natural in a place like this? What was Luke thinking of me?
I made a dash for it down the hall. I saw the open door of the toilet and ran toward it. But instead of going in, I caught sight of a different door to the side. Through the glass pane on top, I could see that it led outside. I just needed to catch a breath. I just needed some fresh air. As noiselessly as possible, I got the door open and I stepped out. And the moment the fresh air hit my face, I felt free. Like being in that cabin with Luke, trying to pretend to be someone I was not, had imprisoned me.
Chapter 11
Vincent
I remained sitting in the armchair, staring at the fireplace with my mug of coffee in hand for several minutes. My mind was racing. Why had I brought her here? What had happened in the car earlier had felt natural. I had felt this itching urge to possess her, to make her mine. I couldn’t get enough of those unpredictable hazel eyes. When I kissed her, I did it because I couldn’t stop myself. She tasted delicious in my mouth. Her nipples were hard and yearning for my touch. I could see that she wanted me just as much as I wanted her.
But that wasn’t enough. I wanted more. I wanted to keep talking to her, and I wanted to see if I could make her laugh again. The thought of her getting out of my car and disappearing made me anxious. I had invited her back to the cabin because I wanted her to stay with me.
And now that I had a couple of minutes alone, I couldn’t quite understand why I was behaving this way. Normally, it was the women who chased me. I had my pick of who I wanted. It was easy for me to charm women and get my way with them. But I still hadn’t figured Gemma out; she still confused me.
I thought we were having a cozy chat by the fireplace. I thought she was having fun, but I had noticed the sudden change that overtook her face. What had I said to push her away? And now it had been several minutes, and she still hadn’t returned from the restroom. I drained the coffee from the mug and stood up.
“Gemma?” I called out to her as I walked down the hall toward the restroom door. She didn’t answer.
“Hey, Gemma,” I called out again and now lightly knocked on the door. A sudden gust of breeze sent a chill down my spine, and I turned to notice the back door flapping in the wind. She had gone out.
I ran back to the living room and found her sweater on the couch. Had she run away? Was she taking a walk outside? Either way, she’d be freezing out there without warm clothing. I found a blanket on the back of one of the armchairs, and I picked that up, too, and ran back to the back door.
“Gemma!” I called out to her when I burst through the door. Whatever had happened, whatever I’d said, I didn’t want her to leave like this. I wanted to see her again. I wanted to apologize if I had done something wrong.
I couldn’t hear her, not even a rustle of leaves. I ran across the bridge and into the woods. Not that I knew the trails well, I had only been here for two days. But I wasn’t just going to give up. Something told me that she had gone into the woods; she hadn’t left.
“Gemma! Where are you?” I called for her again, recognizing the strain in my voice. It was approaching nightfall now and the sun was beginning to set. Not only that, but the hard rain from the afternoon had shrouded the woods in thick mist. Soon it would become very difficult to see. She could get lost in this place. I knew I could.
“Gemma! Tell me where you are!” I yelled out, and this time I heard something. I stopped, standing stock still.
“Here,” she called softly. I whipped around and followed the voice, running through the thick forest cover. I could feel thorns scratching me through my shirt, but I wasn’t about to let them slow me down.
I was panting by the time I found her. She was sitting at the edge of the creek, on a smooth flat rock, her pale skin exposed to the cool breeze. I could see the goose bumps on her arms. She was sitting with her knees pressed tightly to her chin, with her arms holding them in place. She looked up at me, her thick dark curls forming a curtain on either side of her face.
She must have noticed the look of panic on my face because she smiled suddenly.
“I followed the sound of the creek and got distracted,” she said as I walked up to her.
“I was worried that you’d be cold,” I sa
id, trying to sound less panicked than I actually was. How was I supposed to explain to her that my heart had given way at the thought of never seeing her again?
Gemma smiled as I placed her sweater over her shoulders; she tugged it closer around her and mouthed a silent “thank you” to me.
“You found a good spot,” I said, looking around. The sound of the trickling creek was soothing. There wasn’t a soul in sight or earshot. We were totally and truly alone.
I laid the blanket on the ground and sat down cross-legged beside her and our gaze met again.
“I’m sorry for running out like that,” she said softly.
“Don’t worry about it. I understand if it was all a little overwhelming for you. I know we’re still strangers to each other.” I placed a hand on her knee. She felt soft in my hands, and I gave her knee a squeeze. She had caught my gaze and was holding it boldly. Her lips were pink, just like her cheeks, and she looked like a porcelain figurine in the silvery moonlight that was now beginning to filter in through the leaves.
“Yes, we are strangers still,” she whispered and I leaned in to kiss her.
Chapter 12
Gemma
Luke’s kiss was soft and gentle this time, and I breathed in his musky scent as I kissed him back. I wanted to be in his arms, and I slowly slid down from the rock and right into his lap. We continued to kiss as I threw my arms around his neck and he drew me close. I wasn’t cold anymore. The sweater had slid off my shoulders and I was hotter now, burning up for him. Our bodies were pressed together as we kissed.
This time, I wanted more than just his fingers. This time, I was going to have all of Luke. My fingers found his shirt and I started unbuttoning him. When his chest was revealed to me, I ran my hand over the smooth rock-hard texture of his body. His abs were chiseled, like a sculpture, and I pressed myself to him.
Luke’s hands found my back, and he started tugging at the thin straps of my top, stretching them to the point of tearing. When they finally gave way, I realized that he had ripped my top apart and it went sliding down my torso.
He smiled and then pulled his lips away from mine. I was sitting on his lap, my legs were encircled around his waist, and he was staring down at my breasts. I could hear my heart racing. What was he going to do next? I wanted him to touch me. I wanted his mouth on my skin.
Luke reached out for my nipples, those hardened pink peaks. He pinched them lightly between his fingers, and I winced, arching away from him. He caught my waist and pulled me back.
“I want you to stay still for as long as you can,” he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He was going to torture me again.
Slowly, keeping his eyes on me, he bent his head. I couldn’t look. I wanted to close my eyes tightly shut, but his magnetic gaze kept me hooked. I didn’t want to look away. He licked the peaks of my breasts. His tongue looked long and velvety, and I moaned again. I could feel myself growing wet. His throbbing cock pressed against my stomach. He was torturing us both with this.
With his eyes still on me, he slipped a nipple into his mouth. I felt the sharp tug of his mouth, and I moaned out loud.
Keeping his hands on my waist to hold me in place, Luke began to suck hungrily on my breast. I couldn’t move, I was transfixed and my body was flooded with feelings of pleasure. With every pull of his mouth on my nipple, I wanted him deeper inside me.
“I can’t! I can’t stay still!” I cried and grabbed his wavy long dark hair. Luke looked up from my breast, pulling his mouth away from my nipple, and smiled. That was what he wanted to hear. My utter desperation.
His hands flew to his jeans and he unzipped himself. Oh, my God! That was the biggest cock I had ever seen. It was long and strong, throbbing in his hands as he held it, sheathed it in a condom, and pointed it at me.
“Is this what you want?” he asked hoarsely.
I nodded, meeting his eyes, begging him to be inside me. He undid my jeans as well, sliding them down my butt, then removing my panties. He could reach my wet core if he wanted to now, where I was inviting him in with my spread legs.
He grabbed my shoulders with both his hands and pulled me close to him, and then thrust into me. I gasped as I felt him pushing in. The condom separated us, barely, and only made him feel tighter inside me. Deep inside me, where I never thought anybody could reach. It felt better than I had imagined it when he stroked me with his fingers earlier. Luke, inside me, was the most liberating feeling I had ever felt in my life. He was setting me ablaze, and there was only one way to douse it.
He started pumping into me, and my body bounced on his lap. I threw an arm over his shoulder for support as he thrust himself in and out of me. My breasts were level with his face while I arched myself. I could feel myself soaring, my nerves releasing… I was going to come very soon.
He took a nipple in his mouth as he pumped into me, and I moaned again. With his tongue on my sensitive hardened peak and his cock sliding in and out of me, there was very little I could do now to stop myself from coming.
“Are you going to come, Gemma?” His voice sounded low and harsh, like he was commanding me to come. I didn’t have time to reply; instead, I just had an orgasm. I could feel myself gushing out, and I screamed out loud, digging my nails into the flesh of his back. I felt him shoot inside me at the same time.
It was like our bodies were fused together at our cores. We were both vibrating and shaking together. Luke groaned and grunted as he came, and I screamed with pleasure. If I thought that first orgasm in the car was good, this was a whole other story!
I opened my eyes as my body started to finally relax. Luke had his head on my chest; I could hear him panting. My arms were still thrown around his neck; my legs were still wrapped around his waist as he held me close. Our bodies were slowly but surely coming back to Earth. The best part was that Luke didn’t seem to be in a hurry to let me go. I was warm and satisfied in his arms.
If I had known that I was going to have orgasms like these today, I would have been more excited to get out of bed.
Chapter 13
Gemma
When I woke up the next morning, I found us lying naked under the thick covers of his bed. Luke’s arm was across my breasts, folding me into him, and his breath fell softly on my face. I blinked, staring at his peaceful sleeping face. He looked handsome, even in the morning. His dark long hair was disheveled and messy all over his face, his stubble had grown darker, and I could detect even more strands of gray in the morning light. I smiled as I stared at him. Who would have thought I would ever wake up next to a man who looked like this? Who was vacationing in a cabin like this one?
I was eager not to wake him, but I wanted to get out of bed as well. I felt restless in my happiness. Gently lifting his arm from my breasts, I slid across the massive bed and swung my legs over. Still naked, I stared at Luke’s splayed nude body as I picked up his plaid shirt from the floor.
This wasn’t my first chance to admire his nakedness, but I couldn’t get enough of it. His rugged muscles, the strength in those calves, the slimness of his waist. Even his butt looked delicious enough to eat. Luke was sleeping peacefully; his eyelids hadn’t even flickered with my movements.
I buttoned his shirt down, realizing how large it was on me. It reached the middle of my thighs. The shirt smelled of him, and I felt goose bumps on my arms again. What was wrong with me? I had spent the whole night with this man, and I wanted him again!
I found his master bathroom and walked in to take a look at myself.
My hair was expectedly a mess. My dark curls were tangled and in a jumble, but it didn’t bother me. I imagined Luke hooking his fingers into the knots and pulling my face to his. I couldn’t wait for him to wake up so I could kiss him again. My face was devoid of any makeup but then I couldn’t remember putting any on yesterday in the first place.
A bright red love bite peeked from the top of my cleavage. I remembered Luke’s teeth on that exact spot the previous night when we were fooling around und
er the covers. I was smiling again. God! It seemed like I couldn’t stop beaming today. I was blushing and nervous and excited, all at the same time. I couldn’t remember the last time I had woken up feeling this great.
The previous night was like a dream, but I had woken up next to him. I could still feel him inside me. So, it had to be true.
I splashed a handful of warm water on my face and then shook my head. I wanted Luke to wake up, but then again, this was the perfect time to think things through.
“Oh, shit!” I said aloud, my hand flying to my mouth. I remembered my parents. I hadn’t spoken to them at all. They knew nothing about where I was or what I was doing.
I ran back into the bedroom, Luke was still sleeping, and I rummaged around my discarded clothes for my cellphone. Sixteen missed calls and five text messages. All from my parents. They were worried sick about me. They had gotten word about the scene in the diner and that Big Mike had fired me. They were worried that I was depressed and had done something stupid.
“Mom?” I said, cupping my mouth with my hand as I rushed out of the bedroom.
“Gemma! Thank God. Where are you?” She sounded more worried than I had ever heard her. I immediately felt a pang of guilt for having forgotten about them for so long. I should have remembered to at least send them a text.
“I’m fine, Mom. Sorry, my battery died and I couldn’t text you last night,” I whispered into the phone, pacing around the living room. As Luke had said, someone had killed the fire from the previous night, dusted the rooms and the house was sparkling clean again. I wondered if the housekeeper was still around, but I couldn’t hear a sound anywhere in the cabin.
“I asked you where you are!” Mom said in a harsh tone. She was beginning to sound more angry than worried now, and I breathed in deeply.
“I’m with a friend. I just lost track of time and had to stay over for the night,” I said, walking into the kitchen.
“Which friend? Pat told me that he saw you with some strange tourist at the diner yesterday. What is going on?” Mom said, and her voice had gotten louder.