by Mona Moore
She was dazed. Floating slowly back down to earth, she found herself gazing into Charles' eyes. There was a light in them, and Scarlett found herself smiling with him. He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. They were a sweaty, hot mess and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to wear her sports bra ever again, but it didn’t matter. Giving in, Scarlett laughed with him. In that shared moment of happiness, the world could have fallen away, and it wouldn’t have mattered one little bit.
They spent the rest of the day on the beach, frolicking like teenagers in the sand. Scarlett let Charles carry her out into the ocean where she wrapped her legs around his hips, and he slipped quietly inside of her. They made love in the water, surrounded by people and not caring one bit if anyone saw them or noticed. They fucked all day relentlessly like two horny teenagers unable to get enough of one another, finding secret spots to grope one another so that they were hidden away. By the time they were ready for bed, they’d made love five separate occasions in every way possible.
Scarlett slid into bed next to Charles quietly. He pulled her into his body with one hand possessively on her naked breast and his cock nestled comfortably against her ass. It wasn’t long before he was swollen and hard with need for her again and Scarlett gladly welcomed it. Their lovemaking was slow and lazy and perfect in ever way. They fell asleep before either of them could finish, and that was okay.
But even in a place as beautiful and serene as Thailand, there was room for trial and error, back and forth. When Scarlett woke up the following morning, that was exactly what found her. Charles was getting dressed in a hurry. They were supposed to go on a full-day excursion to Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park, a marine reserve, but something in her gut told her that it would have to be canceled. Feigning ignorance, she stretched naked among the sheets and smiled at her complicated doctor.
“A little far away from home to skip out on me like a one-night stand, no?” She said with a small laugh.
When Charles wouldn’t meet her eyes, she sat up in bed and held out her hand to him. “Charles? What is it?”
“I’m sorry,” Charles breathed, running a hand through his hair, still sticking up in every direction from their wild sexual marathon the day before. He closed his eyes and sighed. “Yesterday was incredible. You’re incredible, Red. Every molecule of you seems to have been made for me.”
Scarlett felt her heart flip, but she could hear the hesitation in his voice before he continued.
“But, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things since we got here, and I feel like I need a little time to myself today to reflect.” He turned his aqua eyes to hers, and she melted. “Would that be okay with you?”
Scarlett fought the urge to hang her mouth open in shock. Had Charles just asked something of her instead of demanding it? How could she say no? Clutching his hand in her own, she squeezed it and nodded her answer, afraid that if she spoke, he would hear the hope and longing in her voice. If this was what Charles needed, she wouldn’t stand in his way.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” He said, standing and slinging his backpack over his shoulders. “Go and enjoy the excursion on your own. I’d feel terrible if you missed it because of me.”
“I’ll reschedule it,” Scarlett said with an encouraging smile. “Go do what you have to do. I’ll be around the hotel.”
Without any more explanations, Charles leaned over on the bed and hugged Scarlett, pressing his lips to hers before he straightened up quickly and left. Scarlett found herself scratching her head at the odd turn of events. It wasn’t as though anything negative had happened. Charles only needed some time and space to breathe. Quite frankly Scarlett could do with a little of that herself. She’d gotten used to not having someone around after Frank left and this was still unfamiliar territory to her. She decided that if Charles was going to take some time to work on himself, then she would do a little work of her own. Though Scarlett wasn’t entirely sure where to begin, she figured some morning yoga in the open yoga room facing the ocean would be a great place to start. Then, she would spend some time sunning herself on the beach with her Kindle in tow.
Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after yoga, breakfast was a cleansing green smoothie that she practically inhaled and then as an afterthought, she piled a plate high with papaya, mango, and pineapple. Her appetite was through the roof after all the – exercise – she and Charles got yesterday. When her plate was empty, she scooped some of that delightful coconut jam onto a fresh bagel and decided to go for a walk among the grounds.
The weather was warm, and though there was a slight breeze, the humidity felt like a gentle mist clinging to her skin. Her unruly red hair had grown accustomed quite quickly to the weather and fell in soft ringlets around her face. There was an incredible Zen Garden to discover beyond the hotel complex, and she found herself toying idly with the wooden rake and sand that was there.
Her mind drifted absently to Frank, and she wondered how she had contributed to the downfall of their marriage. Had she been too easy? Had she been too soft when it came to his indiscretions? When she dug deep, Scarlett realized that perhaps she hadn’t been as fully committed to the relationship as she’d once thought. If she had actually loved Frank, she would have fought a little harder for his attentions. The fact of the matter was, Frank had been comfortable; comfortable because there was so little effort involved. With Charles, she wanted to work at it. She wanted to fight for him. Scarlett feared that perhaps, Charles was now where she had been – comfortable and effortlessly floating through their relationship.
Scarlett had accepted her part in the breakdown of her marriage to Frank. She had been blinded and taken the easier, less complicated path with her ex-husband. Now, she was divorced and attached to a man who was as emotionally unavailable as she had been. Buddha would have called it Karma: What you put out into the world comes back to you. How you live your life determines what kind of life you will have. It suddenly hit her that perhaps she needed to find a way to please herself first, to love herself in the messy ruins of her life, before she could place all her energy into Charles. Perhaps Charles needed to do the very same thing.
CHAPTER FOUR
Scarlett was dreaming. She was standing in the middle of a far stretch of shallow water in one of the most beautiful, crystal clear lagoons she had ever seen. The fish were swimming around her legs and brushing against the soft skin of her belly. Off in the distance, she could see Charles. He was waving to her and wadding in her direction. Her heart swelled, and she began to wade toward him.
Suddenly, Charles dove under the water and Scarlett followed suit. With her eyes open, there was nothing murky about the water at all. She smiled beneath the water as she watched Charles swim toward her, his strong arms opening and then closing against his sides powerfully propelling him forward. As he got closer, something changed. Charles transformed into a great white shark, his massive body approaching her fluidly. Scarlett was transfixed by the graceful, dangerous dance it made and the closer it got to her, the less frightened she felt. The shark paused for a moment, one glossy black eyes searching her soul. Scarlett felt no fear. Reaching out her hand, she touched the smooth surface of the shark’s skin as he swam away from her only to transform back into Charles who wrapped her tightly in his arms and kissed her.
Scarlett’s eyes shot open to the sound of frantic banging. Glancing over, she noticed that Charles’ side of the bed hadn’t been slept in at all. Sighing, she looked down at her watch and noted that it was far too early for the maid service to be doing their rounds. Quickly, gathering the sheet close to her body, she slipped out of bed and went to open the door. It was Charles. He paused in the doorway momentarily to take her in with his eyes before slipping quietly past her and into the room. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
“Charles?” Scarlett whispered, reaching out a hand to touch his roughly stubbled cheek.
Quickly and efficiently, he stripped the sheet from her body and ran his hands down h
er neck and lower until he was cupping her breasts in his hands. Scarlett never took her eyes from his. The intensity there held her captivated.
“You’re perfection.” He whispered.
Scarlett could feel an electricity, a kind of current of energy that seemed to vibrate through his touch and into her skin causing her nipples to pique. She didn’t bother to ask where he had been. Now wasn’t the time. Instead, she reached urgently for his clothing and began to strip them from his body. Charles grunted in response, moving to help her with hot hands until he was standing gloriously naked before her. Scarlett dropped to her knees and slurped him hungry between her eager lips.
Something was happening to Scarlett. There was an unbelievable ache that had centered on her sex and was making every inch of skin crawl as if she was trying to break free of its confines. The sensation of Charles’ thick cock sliding in and out of her wet mouth had her breasts swelling and tightening almost painfully. Her breathing was erratic, and there was a wave of frenzied passion coursing through her body. She wanted to be one with Charles in any way she could. Raking her nails down the tops of his muscular thighs, she swallowed Charles between her lips over and over again until finally, she released him. She stood and pushed him possessively down onto the top of the mussed bed and climbed over his waiting flesh.
“Fuck,” Charles hissed between gritted teeth as Scarlett sank her swollen, aching pussy down over his cock in one swift, downward plunge.
A ragged moan exploded from her lips as Charles’ hands went immediately to grab handfuls of her round ass, urging her forward. But this wasn’t about Charles. This was about Scarlett. Gripping his hands beneath hers, she pried them from her body and pushed them down into the mattress on either side of his head, her breasts swinging dangerously close to his eager lips. Charles stared up at her in awe, his aqua eyes searching hers questioningly. A smile crept over her face, and Scarlett began to move her hips in slow, maddening circles.
“Do you like this?” Scarlett whispered as she rolled her hips over him, bending down to lick his lips.
Charles arched upward to capture her tongue, but she quickly pulled her head back, pushing down harder on his hands to keep him still. She shook her head at him with wide, glassy eyes. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. None of that now.”
“Scarlett,” Charles groaned, pushing his cock up into her with every undulation of her hips. “What are you doing to me?”
She arched her back like a cat and began a series of quick, little downward plunges on his swollen cock. “I’m making you mine.”
The strength and passion Charles had been holding back took over and quickly, he flipped her onto her back and began to thrust into her wildly. Scarlett’s head tossed back and forth on the mattress, her breasts jiggling with each animalistic thrust and she could feel herself about to lose control.
“I’m yours,” Charles groaned out, one steady hand moving to circle her delicate neck. He squeezed only slightly, and she gasped. He smiled down into her face, his thrusts coming faster and faster. “And you’re mine.”
“I’m cumming,” Scarlett choked out, feeling all the blood rushing to her face as he fucked her relentlessly while choking her until her pussy clenched down around his cock like a wicked vice.
“I’m cumming!” She keened, arching her back and feeling her pussy pulse wildly around him.
Her body began to convulse and shake out of control, every nerve ending on fire as she came harder than he had ever made her cum before. Her body gave a final shudder as he collapsed on top of her, his hips twitching in the cradle of her thighs. Scarlett flung her arms out against the mattress and tried desperately to catch her breath. Was it possible that the sex with Charles just got better? Would there ever be a plateau? Charles looked up just then, an expression in his eyes that brought her back on alert. Something about his demeanor made her sit up and take notice.
Charles sat back on his calves, his hands resting on his thighs palms up as he gazed down at her still trembling body. His eyes were bright, but guarded and his mouth was quivering.
“Charles, what’s wrong?” Scarlett whined. “Please, talk to me.”
He shook his head at her and stood up, running a rough hand through his disheveled hair. “Get dressed.”
“What?” She watched in confusion as he began digging through her luggage.
Finding an outfit he deemed appropriate for her, he flung it on the bed at her. Scarlett couldn’t hide the confusion from her face as she watched him shuffle around and start pulling his clothing from the day before back on his body.
“What’s going on?” Scarlett asked, unsure what to make of his behavior.
They had just had some of the most incredible, mind-numbing sex ever and suddenly he was back to bossing her around. Scarlett hooked her bra from behind and waited for him to speak before even attempting to put on the rest of her clothes.
“We’re going for a hike.” He said in a matter of fact tone.
Her jaw dropped. He wanted to go hiking?
“There’s just – something we need to do together,” Charles spat out impatiently. “Just trust me.”
Scarlett stared at him mutely for a moment before shaking her head and pulling on the rest of her clothing. The man was like a ping-pong ball, bouncing all over the place. First, he’s up, then he’s down. One minute he’s on fire and the next, cold as ice. Was he just playing games? She knew the only way she was going to be able to figure it out, was if she followed his direction.
Once dressed, she stood there with her arms wide and shrugged. “Now what? I mean, shouldn’t you get some rest before you go hiking? You didn’t exactly come back to the hotel room and take a nap.”
His hair was the most imperfect it had been since she met him, and she could see beads of sweat clinging to his brow. Charles looked completely out of sorts and exhausted, but his eyes – his eyes were kinetic.
“No, I’ll be okay until we get back. There’s just something I know we need to do, and we need to do it now.” He took her hand, insisting they go immediately and she followed him blindly.
CHAPTER FIVE
There were plenty of places to go hiking in Koh Samui, even around the hotel, but apparently, where they were going required a ride in a local taxi without a tour guide. Scarlett would have been lying to say she wasn’t nervous. Everything about Charles right now was screaming at her to jump out of the cab and walk back to the resort, but she had promised herself she would see this through. As they got closer and closer to the Thai jungle, she wondered what had come over him. He seemed out of sorts and yet his mind was fully focused on the task at hand. He was a contradiction in terms, her Dr. Feelgood, and there was nothing she wanted more than to fully understand him.
They reached a large hiking trail on the side of the highway. Scarlett and Charles got out of the taxi and began their arduous trek. When Charles grasped her hand in his, she stopped abruptly, staring down at their joined fingers in surprise before catching herself and following his lead. They traveled up through the rough terrain, hand in hand. The path wound its way up the side of the hill, which could have been classified as more of a mountain. Scarlett was nervously scoping the ground and trees for snakes or other creatures that could have posed a problem for them. All she saw was a Durian tree with it’s hanging, angry fruit and some questionable boulders. Her ears popped a few times on the way up, but she found that she made it without tiring too much. A sense of accomplishment flooded her.
A small temple stood at the top of the hill, surrounded by ancient statues and a small babbling brook amidst the secret garden. It took her breath away. People were washing one another’s feet in the spring. The fresh smell of flowers, so incredibly pungent, assaulted her senses and brought forth an alertness in her she hadn’t thought possible.
“Do you feel that?” Charles’ expression was positively electric when he smiled down at her. “We’re at one with nature here.”
Looking down the mountainside, Scarlett could see the gorg
eous turquoise ocean waving at them in the distance. The view was magnificent. It was hard to believe such beauty existed outside of paintings and photographs.
“It’s beautiful,” She whispered to Charles, a smile tugging at her lips. She turned questioning eyes his way, watching as he admired the scenery as well. “But, what are we doing here? What is it we came up here to do?”
“I needed to experience this with you,” His gaze was intense, locked on her eyes like lasers. “I want us to wash one another’s feet and then meditate with each other.”
This was different. Scarlett nodded her head slowly but said nothing as she waited for him to continue.
“I have some answers I need from the universe,” He whispered, a spark of doubt in his eyes as though she might think he was strange at the request. Charles flushed lightly. “I don’t think I’m going to get them unless you’re here with me.”
Scarlett felt her breath hitch in her throat. This was an unbelievably huge step for such a dominant male like Charles. He was asking for her presence. He told her he needed her there with him. This was Charles opening up to her, and she had never felt so happy about anything before. This was the moment she had been waiting for. The breakthrough Scarlett hoped would come had finally arrived. Nodding her head in acceptance, too afraid to express her joy, she allowed Charles to lead her over to the small brook in the middle of the garden that pumped out water from a man-made plastic pipe.
Sitting on a mossy stone, she let Charles remove her shoes, his eyes never leaving hers as he peeled her socks away. Slowly, he trickled the water over her feet, washing them gently, even between each toe. For a moment, she thought it would be weird to have someone else washing her feet, but found it to be an intimate and selfless act. To wash someone's feet, the part of the body that bore the weight of all things, confined and given the humans most challenging task of carrying them through life’s journeys. It was a beautiful sentiment. It told her that Charles respected her enough to help her take the weight off, if only for a moment in time. Closing her eyes, Scarlett let the hilltop breeze float over her as he massaged the cool water into her feet.