by Lauren Wood
Derrick smiled as he watched her eat. “It’s an old family recipe, but my grandma used to make it for about 10 of us at a time. Thus the reason we have so many of them! “
He sat down with a plate that had a ton of food on it as well. He had poured them both coffees; it was some of his favorite coffee. “I hope you like the coffee, I order this online and this is my last bit until I find a new location to stay for a bit.”
She took a sip of the hot warm liquid and was surprised at the complexity of flavors she tasted. “Oh my, it goes with the pancakes perfectly. I love the slight hint of chocolate to it.”
“I know it is Peet’s coffee, the best in the states!” Derrick answered.
Mac kept eating until she knew that no more food could fit into her body. She looked at her plate shocked to see she had actually finished almost all of it. “I can’t eat like that every day I’ll weigh 300 pounds!” She laughed.
Derrick looked at her, and smiled. “But you wouldn’t look bad with some extra weight on you either, you are pretty skinny.”
Mac turned red, and looked down at the floor. Really he had complimented her so many times in the little amount of time they knew each other; she wasn’t sure what to say. Thank you was all she could finally come up with.
“So after I do the dishes, we’ll go for that hike, okay?” Derrick asked.
“I can do the dishes if you want.” Mac offered.
“You can help me if you want. We’ll get it done quicker if both of us do them.”
“Sure.” Mac agreed.
They went to cleaning the kitchen up in a peaceful silence. Not a silence that either of them felt was awkward, but it was normal. To both of them it felt as if they had known each other for years. This seemed so natural to be with the other person, the kitchen was done before they realized and they went to get ready for their hike.
“Do you remember how long it was? I’ll get some water to take along with us.” Derrick asked.
“Maybe a couple of miles, really not too far, I just happened to sit around and enjoy the scenery for most of the day!” Mac stated.
Derrick did a few things, packed a backpack and told Mac he was ready. She hadn’t seemed him pack the bag, so she didn’t know why he needed it. She would have carried water it was no big deal!
They headed out to the trial and Mac led the way, using the markers she had left the day before. It was about 2 and a half miles and Derrick saw one of the most beautiful sites in the world he had ever seen. The waterfall was amazing, but seeing Mac next to the site was even more wonderful. He saw a huge smile on her face, and could see the peace in her eyes as she viewed this site.
Derrick had always loved the outdoors too, and had wanted for the longest time to live in a cabin away from the world. If he could he would find a location where he could just block himself off from the world. But he looked at Mac and wondered if she would go with him. Really she lit up the area. Even when she had been quiet when he first picked her up on the side of the road Derrick felt better with her by him. She hadn’t held on tightly but enough that he felt the touch of another person. He liked her touch, and had to wonder what a more intimate touch from her would feel like.
Was it the beauty of the area? The loneliness that covered his life, or maybe it was just Mac, there was something about her. He looked at her and knew that she was special. It had been forever since he had any of the thoughts he had when he was around her. He felt like there might actually be some kind of future for him in this world, if Mac was with him. He didn’t even know her well, but he could tell she was unique.
“This is really beautiful isn’t it?” Mac turned to Derrick and asked.
“Yes you are, and so is the waterfall.” Derrick stated.
Mac looked at him, wondering if he was just messing with her, was she just hearing what she wished to hear, or had he actually said that? Mac looked back at the water, and had an idea. “Hey you want to go to the bottom, maybe there is a nice little spot where we can sit and enjoy the day.”
“Let’s go.” Derrick said pointing to the trial and letting her lead the way. “Let me know if you want some water by the way.”
“Sure let me get a little sip really quick.” Mac said, as she waited for him to hand her the drink.
Taking a sip, she felt the wetness of the water, it tasted great. She hadn’t realized she had been quite so thirsty, or maybe it was nerves.
Derrick watched her as she led the way once they started down the trail again. She was fantastic. A bit of a tomboy, now that he saw her outside, but when they were in the cabin, and when he first met her, he would never guess her to be like this. Hell he would never had guessed she grew up in the woods. He smiled; she was the type of girl he had always fantasized about. One who wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty, but cleaned up like a model.
The trail to the bottom twisted and turned quite a bit, and there were a few spots where the trail was dangerously narrow. But Mac kept leading the way, sometimes she would stop to check out the different ways they could go, and see which looked safer.
Finally, they got to the bottom and the pool the waterfall landed in was amazingly blue. It was clear and they could see the bottom of the pool. Before he knew what was going on she had snuck up beside him and pushed him into the water.
“What the?” Was all he got out before he was in the water. He laughed hard, and told her. “You have a choice, you can come in the easy way or we can do it the hard way!”
Mac looked at his face, and laughed. “You would have to catch me first, and I’m out here, not in the water where I might move slower!” She stuck her tongue out as to say come and get me.
Before she realized it he was on top of her. “What? How did you move so quickly?”
He held her above him, she didn’t struggle, and she knew it wasn’t worth it. He was a monster compared to her. The fact that he had caught her before she could even move had shocked her. But in his arms she felt no fear, only security, she knew that Derrick would not hurt her. She laid back into his arms a bit more.
Derrick looked down into her face and eyes. He saw the peace that he felt over her body and his as well. It seemed natural to him to have her in his arms. She was light , so light in his arms. He looked at her lips, he wanted nothing more to kiss them.
Mac could see the telltale look in his eyes, or so she hoped. Because her next move would all depend on if she had read them right or not. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on his lips. It was just a small little kiss, but she hoped it let him know everything he needed to know.
Derrick felt her lips lightly touch his and felt the kiss, it was over before he wanted it to end. He lowered his mouth to hers, and took her over. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, not invading it but exploring it lightly. He didn’t try to overpower her at all, but he wanted her to feel his passion.
Mac could feel it, there was a connection between them, not just her imagination. The kiss he gave her left no doubt. It was a sweet probing of her mouth on his part, and she did the same, pushing her tongue to meet his. Their tongues danced for a few minutes, and they both pulled back.
Derrick looked down at her, afraid but excited. He really was burned by his ex, and she popped up quickly in his mind to torture him. “Really you think she would ever want you? I didn’t and you threw yourself at me for a while. You thought I wanted you, maybe you are just thinking she wants you right now.” Her voice sounded off in his mind.
Mac could see the conflict of emotions going over his face. She touched the side of her face with her fingertips. It worked she grabbed his attention. Instead of saying anything though, she put her mouth on his again, and kissed him intensely. She didn’t want sex, no she just wanted to let him know that he was something special to her. As she pulled her mouth from his, she could see the fire in his eyes.
“I don’t know what I can offer you, I’m broken, and I don’t know how long it will take to fix myself.” Derrick said looking down at her, he had walk
ed into the water, but was still holding her close. He didn’t want to lose the contact of her skin on his, it felt so nice, so odd after so long without a person.
“Everyone is broken in all honesty, in one way or another. Maybe not by someone else, but there could be a part of their past that haunts them through the years, and makes them feel they are unlovable even. But you have to realize that there may be someone who will help you feel better as you fix those broken parts of you.” Mac said.
“You are so beautiful, and such a good person. What if I’m not a nice guy when you get to know me? I don’t want to be hurt again, I can’t take it.”
“Love is always a gamble, you will never find it if you don’t give yourself to another person. You either throw the dice, or you hold them close and never find someone. Me? Well I’m willing to take a chance to find another person who will love me like I love them. If it’s you, this would be great. I think there is a good chance, and you know what? I’m very willing to take that chance. The ball is in your court though, I can’t force you into this. I learned my lesson if you love someone you can’t make them love you no matter what, if they don’t at the start.” Mac said, the whole time thinking of the past mistakes she had made, but willing to try it with Derrick.
Derrick looked at her. “You know I’ve not stayed in a place more than a month for the past 3 years. I don’t want to drag you around and never give you a home. A place where if we want we can grow a family, have memories that will last a lifetime, even have our grandchildren visit there one day.”
“So why can’t we find this? We just have to find a place where we feel is home. I can work, you can get a job. We start together, we help and support each other . That is after all what love is all about.” Mac said.
“Why not, why shouldn’t we try it. Like you said, it may work, but if we really want it we can make it last. We can have it all, everything and we can build it together.” Derrick stated. “Maybe we can even get married, I think I would like that a lot.”
Mac stopped and smiled. “Are you asking me to marry you right now?”
Derrick shrugged his shoulders as if to say why not?
Mac smiled and laughed. “Well one thing is I don’t even know your last name. I mean it can’t be anything to messed up that will make me sound funny. You know if there is a guy out there who has a last name like Roni, well could you imagine that , my name would be Mac Roni.” All I need is the middle initial A and it would be perfect.” Mel laughed hard, so did Derrick.
“You really are something else. I swear you have made me feel so alive, and I barely know you. My last name is Jonas.”
“Oh are you related to the band members?” Mac joked.
“No sorry to say.”
“Okay so Mac Jonas, not bad at all. I could get used to that.” She pulled herself up on his shoulders and kissed him.
“So it’s acceptable to you?” Derrick laughed.
Mac gave him another kiss to show him how acceptable it was to her.
Derrick hugged her closely. “So let’s go find a place to get married. I’ll get you a ring in one of the towns around here, find the justice of the peace office and then it will be done!”
“Seriously, you want to do it now?” Mac asked, shocked, she had thought it was part joking on his side.
“No I’m serious I don’t want to let this go. You really do make me feel great. There is something about you that I want to keep around. We can wait until tomorrow, but I want to tell you I want to wait to make love to you until we are married. I want us to be husband and wife first, then we can do more.”
Mac looked at him, it was like he could see deep inside of her mind, and it was what she had always wanted. A guy who was more about being morally correct instead of one who didn’t want to make a commitment to get her body.
She smiled up to him. “I will be more than happy to be Mrs. Mac Jonas, it will make me very proud.”
Derrick kissed and hugged her. He looked around at the scenery. He had never really been in Pennsylvania, but he could see them finding a cabin in this area, having woods surrounding their property. Kids who could learn to play in the woods from their mother. He smiled, she really would and had already changed his life around. He couldn’t wait until they were husband and wife!
THE END
KISS BY THE FORBIDDEN VAMPIRE
The light of the moon rippled on the surface of the black water as Nera kneeled by the river bank and washed her clothes. The water was cool on her white skin, and she enjoyed the sensation and the low bubbling, sloshing noises as she dipped the clothes and took them back out.
When she was finished washing, she beat the garments with loud slapping against a large stone in the riverbank to get the heaviest of the water out of them. She would hang them to dry as much as possible in the night air and then tomorrow she would have to find somewhere that would see the sun but from where they were unlikely to be stolen from. She slapped the clothes down hard once more, but suddenly she was aware within the loud smacking noise there was another noise, something moving nearby. She turned to face the oncoming threat too late, and she was bundled to the ground by two heavy men who carried a net between them. There was nowhere for her to go, and she was quickly wrapped up in the net until she felt so constricted that she could not move.
“Got her,” one of the men laughed triumphantly.
“What are you doing?” Nera demanded angrily.
“Be quiet,” the man said, “You are going to start a new life in the court of His Majesty, Crown Prince Hassan.”
“What are you talking about?” she spat at him. The two men laughed and ignored her.
“Bring up the wagon,” the second one called out to someone unseen.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as they lifted her and bundled her into the bed of a tired looking wooden wagon that was dragged to where she was by an older looking man with sad eyes, whom Nera took for a slave straight away, and in doing so felt she knew the fate these men had in mind for her. They didn’t answer her. She struggled against the ropes and threads of the netting but seemed only to become more entangled and enraged.
They traveled overland and soon met up with some more men with wagons. In each wagon, there was a woman, sometimes more than one, lying or sitting and sad. Some were in netting like her, and some showed the bruises of resistance on their arms or faces. None of the women would return her gaze, and none of the men would answer her questions; they would look at her appreciatively and say something like, “The Prince will be happy with this one!”
It was clear that all of the women were attractive and would be used for the personal pleasure of the Court. This was not a new occurrence, but it had been a while since she had heard about it, and never this far from the Capital.
Nera looked around as they moved into some sort of caravan and saw that they were taking the coast road. No doubt there would be a boat waiting for them at the harbor and then it would be a few days in the crossing of the sea. If she didn’t escape before they put her on the boat she wouldn’t be able to try again until they landed- and over there she would have no idea of the land or how to get back home.
At the ship, they were all loaded on as they had been on the wagon. Nera’s net was torn slightly as she was carried aboard but it was such a small rip, and in a place that made it almost impossible for her to get at that she didn’t get excited about it. They were all put in a large hold with burning lanterns hanging from wooden beams and from hooks hanging from the ceiling. It was so bright in there that it hurt her eyes in contrast to the darkness of the night outside. Some of the women were crying, but no one said anything to their captors.
A stocky man with a whip coiled at his hip came into the hold and looked over them all.
“Very good haul,” he said salaciously, “His Majesty will be pleased.” Then to the assembled women he said, “You should all be very proud of yourselves. You have been deemed to be the most beautiful women in your region. The great
honor or becoming part of Crown Prince Hassan’s harem will now be yours!” He spoke as though he expected a ringing round of applause, and she laughed at the silence that greeted him instead. He looked over them all once more and then left.
One of the men who had captured Nera then came forward and said loudly,
“You now have a few days to reverse your sleeping patterns! You will not sleep tonight but will be permitted a few hours come sun up.”
“What is this?” Nera found her voice say before she had any control over it. The man looked at her and walked over. “Prince Hassan likes to sleep during the day, so from now on you too will like to sleep during the day.” He pointed a dirty stubby finger at her, and she was afraid of saying anything more to him.
“What will he do to us?” another woman called out, the fear evident in her trembling voice.
“Shut up!” the man barked at her, “You are not permitted to speak!”
Nera looked at the woman who had spoken and saw her convulse in tears. Some of the other women looked about to one another in confusion, but Nera knew what she had been so fearful about. She had heard the rumors of the Prince’s appetite for human blood; something that up to this very moment Nera had believed for even a moment. She had always thought this was some propagandist story to scare his rivals and enemies, but, now they were putting these women on a sleeping during the day routine she was not so sure. Could it be that the Vampire of folk tales and stories actually existed?
The crossing took several harsh days, and there were many times when the wind was up, and the boat would toss and tilt in the squall so much that Nera feared she would never see dry land again. When not killing themselves with work to keep the boat afloat the crew used all of their time into adapting us to the reversed routine that we would now be living. It wasn’t hard to stay awake with the level of fearful adrenaline that ran through all of the women’s veins, but there were severe punishments meted out for those who did not sleep when the sun could be seen through the boards above us. One woman was thrown overboard as a lesson to the rest of them, but Nera thought this act had the hallmarks of something planned and staged- that they had brought one extra woman on board just so as to make an example of her to scare the rest of them.