Tropical Balm

by Franny Armstrong

  “Poppy doesn’t have your hands, or…you’re lovely bottom. Can’t you stay here for a while?” he pleaded.

  Snickering, Teal said, “Not unless we move the outhouse in here. Now behave yourself.” Lightly swatting his butt, she climbed off him, surprised at the sense of loss she felt.

  Quickly leaving the room, she practically ran outside to gulp in some air. He was like an addiction to her. She couldn’t get enough of being with him. Shaking her head, she went off to take care of her needs.

  CHAPTER 6

  Monster Of Desire

  A feathery touch brushed over her lip, disturbing her slumber. Brushing it away, she started sinking back into sleep, but it came again. Annoyance brought a frown to her face, and she smacked it away again. The third time, her eyes flew open, and she froze in stunned surprise. Cam lay beside her, a cheeky grin on his face.

  “Good morning, love.”

  Rolling her eyes, she took a deep breath and stretched. “How are you feeling this morning, brat?” she asked, hiding her smile.

  Instead of answering, he cupped her head in his hand, pulling her closer for a tender, morning kiss. “Better now.”

  The smile escaped, followed by a giggle. “I meant how is your shoulder, Cam, and you know it!”

  “Well, it’s not my shoulder that requires attention right now.” His eyes were full of mirth.

  “Oh, no! That is not on my list of nursing chores buddy!” she quipped.

  “No, love…I need to…go.”

  A furious blush rose in her cheeks. “Oh, I see. Can you get up?”

  “Of that I have no doubt. Sitting up is a whole other matter.” His twinkling eyes teased her.

  Catching his intended meaning, she nearly leapt off the bed. “I’ll get Delon.” She ran from the room as though wild dogs were chasing her, and ran outside, calling for Delon.

  ***

  Later that afternoon, after massaging his shoulder again, Teal stood outside by the shower curtain while Delon helped Cam step into the large tub. Poppy and Zola had boiled water to fill it so he could soak his muscles.

  Today, Teal wore another new dress. This one was the same colour as her eyes with a palm leaf pattern and pink flowers. Again, the only thing holding it closed was a tie at her hip. She’d even put her shoulder length hair up in a becoming style.

  The one concession she allowed herself from the modern world was her hair dye. She had brought a dozen boxes of her favorite auburn colour with her, and had only begun using them since meeting Cam.

  Delon opened the curtain, and stepped out. “He’s okay. Call me if you need me.” Smiling, he went back to work.

  Teal sat on a small chair outside the curtained area, and pulled out her flute. She began playing a soft, lilting Scottish song for him. Even the workers stopped to listen.

  When silence reigned once again, Teal put her flute away and asked if he was okay, since it was so quiet behind the curtain.

  “Aye lass. You play beautifully. I felt like I was back in Scotland, standing on the cliffs overlooking the wild sea.” He was silent for a minute. Teal was touched by his words, and one more tiny piece of ice was chipped away from her heart.

  “Ah…damn!” Cam’s muttered curse had her flying through the curtain.

  “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Teal stopped in her tracks, and her face burned with heat. Cam lay back in the steaming water with his eyes closed. His chest was sprinkled with fine curly red hairs, while his knees were bent, showing the same hairs on his legs.

  When his eyes popped open in surprise at her presence, they soon changed to burning embers as he looked at her new dress, and how it clung to her curves.

  “If anything was wrong love, it’s fixed now. You are a sight for sore eyes! That dress makes your eyes even more green, like the ocean around Jamaica. Damn, but you get more beautiful each time I see you.”

  “Stop saying that. You know it isn’t true.” Her face was flushed with heat.

  “But they are like the ocean love.” His confusion at her protest annoyed her.

  “I meant how you keep saying I’m beautiful. I’m forty-four years old, I have to hide my gray hair, I’m getting wrinkles, I’m overweight, and I have so many stretch marks, that if I coloured them in with a black marker, I’d look like a freakin’ zebra! So stop lying to me.” Tears filled her eyes, and she turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist, and winced.

  Afraid she’d hurt him if she pulled her wrist away, she turned away from him to hide her tears.

  Anger simmered in his voice as he said, “First of all, I am no liar, I have no need to lie. I don’t care if you have gray hair and warts, I think you are beautiful. Beauty doesn’t only come from outside you know. I have gray hair too, does that mean I’m ugly?”

  Not waiting for a reply, he continued, his fingers tightening on her wrist. “As for stretch marks, they are nothing to be ashamed of. Carrying a child is the work of a warrior. Not many men could survive the labour itself, let alone all the pains and discomfort of the nine months of service. So don’t you tell me you are not beautiful, because you are, incredibly so.”

  He let her wrist go, and sat there quietly, while she absorbed what he’d said.

  “As for the weight, you’re perfect. That dress makes me want to jump out of this tub, put my arms around you, and take you to the ground to make love to you until you scream. I see no wrinkles, I see marks of wisdom, and as to being forty-four, age doesn’t make a person old, it’s how you think of yourself that does.” His voice was now husky, washing over her in waves of heat.

  Wiping her tears, Teal whispered, “Thank you for that.” She turned to leave him, but the lizard chose that moment to slither out from beneath the tub, crawling over her bare foot.

  Shrieking, Teal jumped backwards, the backs of her knees hit the tub then she fell, landing on Cam’s lap with a splash. She shrieked again as the creature wiggled, escaping under the curtain to freedom. Teal scrambled back until her feet were in the water, her buttocks on his hardening lap.

  Staring at her in open-mouthed shock, Cam cried out, “What the devil is wrong with you woman? If you wanted to bath with me, all you had to do was ask!”

  Suddenly realizing that she had jumped out of the frying pan, right into the fire, she tried to get off him, but was afraid to step on the grass again with the monster waiting for her, so she stared at him helplessly.

  ***

  Hearing a scream, Delon ran toward the shower but Poppy stopped him, grinning. “Wait,” she said.

  Cam’s shocked comment, and the silence afterwards reassured Delon, and he grinned at his mother.

  “Maybe you should drive the men home. I think these two could use a little privacy.” As she watched her son take off for the construction area, she moved inside and turned on the classical music…loud. As she walked up the hill to the cottage, she chuckled. Ms. Teal was coming along nicely.

  ***

  Lying completely still in the tub, Cam stared at her, his hungry gaze roving over her body, lingering on her nipples outlined by the wet cotton. His hand smoothed over her hip, and moved up her arm, circling her bicep then pulling her down to him.

  Trembling, Teal briefly thought about running, but decided that she didn’t want to, letting him pull her close, until her lips were a hairsbreadth away from his.

  “If you are going to run, love, now’s the time,” he said in a husky whisper, waiting for the space of a heartbeat for her to choose before he pulled her closer to meet his lips.

  Her body was on fire as she let herself go, accepting his passion. His hot, wet lips sent shockwaves of need through her. Moaning she pulled his head closer with her hand, her soft lips thirsting for his. Wanting more, she turned her body so that she was lying straight over him, her thighs between his knees, her pelvis pillowing his hard staff, making him groan.

  Classical music suddenly echoed through the air around them. A car started up, the sound of the motor soon fading into the distance. Cam and Teal di
dn’t even notice.

  “Move up more,” Cam murmured.

  Eager to please, she carefully slid her body up higher, gasping when his member rubbed against her. When his lips found her nipple through the material of her dress, Teal nearly screamed, her fingers gripping the rounded edge of the old fashioned tub until her knuckles whitened. The violins vibrated through their bodies, meeting the pace of their fast heartbeats.

  Pushing herself up, Teal yanked at the tie to her dress, desperate to give him access to her breasts. Her wiggling as she tried to get out of the wet dress brought a groan from him, and she froze.

  “Oh, my God! I forgot. Your shoulder, did I—.”

  “No love, it wasn’t my shoulder, it was your wiggling. It’s been a very long time for me.”

  Stunned, she asked, “What do you mean by very long?”

  “Five years give or take.” Unashamed, he smiled at her.

  “I thought that men…that they couldn’t go without for so long.” Her face flamed again as she knelt in the lukewarm water, her dress half off, baring her creamy shoulder, but still covering her breast.

  “It’s fairly easy to relieve a man’s needs love. I prefer to make love, not just have sex.”

  Teal circled his staff with her fist, pleased when his eyes closed tight in pleasure and he groaned.

  Shame washed over her when she thought of her attempted sex life with Simeon. Realizing that he might have had unprotected sex with her, and she didn’t remember, had her backing up, pulling her hand away as she stared at Cam with an expression of horror. She could have aids or STD’s or some other disease.

  Concerned about her quick switch from fun to fear, Cam asked, “What’s wrong Teal?”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I just thought of something. That night, when Simeon…I can’t remember if he…the condom…I could have—.”

  “He didn’t. I was in time to stop him, Teal.”

  “Really? I had a monogamous relationship for twenty-six years, and Simeon was just…I was so lonely, and thought that having just sex would be enough. It was so horrible, Cam.”

  The dismay on her face moved him. “Do you think maybe we could get back to taking off the dress now? Unless you’d rather we don’t make love.” His teasing tone and warm eyes had her tears flowing freely, and she laughed as a sob escaped, making a strangled sound.

  “I can’t believe you would still want me. I was so stupid and—.”

  “Teal? Shut up and strip.”

  Grinning, she slowly peeled the dress off, throwing it on the ground beside the tub.

  Cam’s member jerked as he moaned. “Love, you are even more beautiful than I imagined. And believe me, I’ve imagined a lot these past few weeks.” Grinning, he held out his hand to her. “Come closer.”

  Climbing slowly up his body, she resembled a panther stalking her prey, and Cam shuddered with anticipation. Her lips closed over his, and they both moaned. Her hand caressed him while his good arm wrapped tight around her waist, his hand spread wide.

  Shifting, she brought her breast to his mouth, gasping when his lips closed around her nipple, his teeth nibbling as he sucked the aureole. Panting, Teal pulled him closer, her hands holding his head captive. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough, and her fingers grabbed his hair, pulling him away from her.

  Scooting down, Teal climbed over his legs and settled herself over him, sliding down into place, crying out when he slid home, filling her aching channel. Her hips moved, and she found that she could feel again, and it felt right with him.

  Tears fell freely as she rode him, her head thrown back, her eyes closed.

  “Teal?” his deep voice was strangled with passion as his hand stilled her.

  Pain filled her heart as she stared down at him, her need burning through her.

  When she finally met his gaze, he said, “Keep your eyes on mine love. I want you making love to me, not a ghost.”

  Nodding, she began moving again, and though they narrowed, glazed with passion, she kept her eyes focused on his passionate blue orbs. They felt each other’s ardor and Cam watched her. Her eyes nearly closed as she began to pulse around him, tensing while she climbed toward bliss. As she cried out and tipped over the precipice, he followed her, growling as he pumped into her, finding blissful release.

  Collapsing on his chest, Teal tucked her head into the crook of his neck, looking away from him. Tears flowed freely, and she sobbed, clutching at his shoulders. She missed his wince as the muscles pulled.

  “Hush now love. It couldn’t have been that bad now, could it?” he asked, seeming confused as to why she was upset. She’d wanted to make love. Stoking her hair, he whispered endearments to her, trying to calm her.

  Lifting her head, she looked at him. “No. It was wonderful Cam. I just…it felt so good, and I can’t seem to stop crying. But I’m not sad, not at all.” She kissed him then, showing him how right it was for her.

  When she released his lips, he smiled, “Do you think maybe we could continue this inside? I’m starting to look like I just turned one hundred years old.”

  Giggling, Teal sat up. They both groaned when she released him from her sheath, and quickly washed herself before standing. Her look of apprehension had him chuckling.

  “The wee monster is more afraid of you than you are of him. Besides, he’s nearly the colour of your eyes. You could put him on your shoulder as an accessory.”

  “Ha. Shows what you know. The damn thing is out to get me. Now stand up so you can go first.” Teal helped him stand and made him check for the monster before she would get out.

  Since her dress was wet, she looked around for an extra towel but there was only one and it was woefully inadequate. Unless she wore her dress, she’d have to run to the house naked.

  The classical music still crashed through the trees, and Cam’s humour filled eyes mocked her, getting her back up.

  “Chicken,” he said.

  “I am not a chicken. I dare you to run naked to the house!”

  “Okay, but I’ll have to walk. Running is not a good idea for me today.” Rubbing his shoulder, he winked and boldly strolled to the house.

  “Bloody showoff!” she said and pulled back her shoulders before peeking out of the curtain. Seeing that the coast was clear, she took off at a run, squawking when she found the door locked.

  Banging on it, she giggled, calling out as quietly as she could, “Open this door Cam, or you can pack up and go sleep in your car!”

  The door opened quickly, and she found herself held tight to his chest as he chuckled. “Come on in love.”

  “You are such a brat. Shut the damn door, and get to bed.”

  Grinning at her ordering him around, he said, “Yes ma’am. Can I have another massage?”

  A sexy smile graced her face, and she ran her finger down his chest. “Maybe, if you promise to let me ride the wild donkey again.”

  Cam’s eyebrows flew up. “Wild donkey eh? Now that sounds like a whole lot of fun. I better get to bed then.” As he turned to leave, she swatted his butt, leaving a pink handprint. He chuckled as he walked away.

  ***

  Fury simmered in Simeon’s eyes as he watched her run to the door, playful as she banged on it, begging to be let inside. When he saw her kissing the big Scotsman on the lips, he saw red. He had watched the entire time they made love, feeling himself harden, and wanting to pound them with his fists.

  Teal wouldn’t let him kiss her on the lips, become emotionally attached, or sleep over, but she did all that with this man. He didn’t even wear a condom! Him! The man who had beat him up. She was going to pay for that, he would see to it.

  The Don had bailed him out of jail the same day he was arrested, but it had taken a week for his bruised body to heal. The one good thing he had to remember was the feel of her flesh as he had pounded her with his fists. She would be getting a whole lot more of that.

  Disappointed that he couldn’t watch them in the bedroom, he pumped his hand on himself and thought a
bout the lovemaking he’d witnessed. It turned him on to watch them, his anger simmering beneath his need. In no time at all, he came on the leaves, his eyes closing as he thought about Teal’s naked white body. Soon he would have her again, without all her stupid rules. Grinning, he left, slipping into the shadows of the forest.

  CHAPTER 7

  Reeling In Teal

  The wind whipped her face, making her gasp to catch her breath. The whole world had gone crazy around her. She stood near the beach, watching the waves crash onto the shore, fear building, as each minute the waves crashed harder, and higher.

  A voice cried out, calling her name, but it was too far away to know who it was. Suddenly the tree beside her flew back toward land, crashing to the ground. Another soon followed, and the voice cried out again.

  In the blink of an eye, she found herself standing inside a large warehouse, her hands tied to posts on either side of her. Simeon stood before her laughing, his eyes demonic in the dull light. His fist flew, rocking her head back, but she didn’t feel the pain.

  On the ground was a man, a red haired man. Cam! Simeon rolled him onto his back, laughing. With one hand, he picked Cam up off the floor by his hair, and shook him.

  Cam’s eyes opened, love filling them. He smiled gently at her. She looked down. His shirt was covered in blood! She screamed. Cam looked at her calmly as he hung in midair, and said, his hollow voice echoing, “We all leave you in the end, Teal. You should have protected your heart. You are alone again.”