Her body feels perfect under my hands. My hands sizzle as they reach up under her shirt, feeling her smooth, soft skin under my touch. My cock grows bigger than I’ve ever felt it, straining against my pants until it’s almost painful. Her hips grind and buck up towards me and I groan in response. I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anyone, more than I thought was even possible. She grips my neck and runs her hands across my shoulders. I can feel every fibre of my being leaning down towards her, pressing me into her. My lips find hers and I can’t believe how exquisite she tastes. It’s like every memory of her over the past decade, every time she crossed my mind – it was all just a faded version of reality. She tastes sweeter, feels softer, smells better than I could ever imagine. She lifts her legs up and wraps them around my hips and I grind myself down onto her. And most of all – she loves me. She loves me! Everything that was wrong in the world is suddenly right. The hole in my chest feels full to the brim as I tangle my hands into her hair and pull her in for a deeper kiss. Her hands claw at my shirt, at my waistband, at my underwear. She’s panting and gasping, grinding her hips towards me as I press myself down on top of her. The passion between us is an inferno, exploding in frantic energy. “I want you,” she pants, and I feel my cock get even harder. Her voice is low and filled with desire. I find the waistband of her loose-fitting pants and rip them downwards. She lift her hips and helps me take them off. My hand reaches up under her shirt and I feel her breast, squeezing it gently as she moans. Her fingers are hooked in my waistband, pushing my pants down. I unbutton my pants and my cock springs free. I hear Ellie gasp and it’s the most beautiful sound in the world. She wraps her fingers around my girth and I feel the breath leave her lips. My cock looks huge in her delicate hand. It’s pulsing with every heartbeat, and all I want to do is split her in half when I drive it into her. Ellie starts stroking my shaft up and down and I dip my head down to meet her lips. Our kiss is crushing, overwhelming, and the heat radiating from our bodies is intoxicating. I slip my hand between her legs and feel her wet folds, already dripping with her desire. I groan, slipping my fingers up and down her slit. The moan that she lets out is exhilarating. She grips my cock tighter as I slide my fingers up and down, finally twirling them around her bud. I feel her body quiver under mine and she starts stroking me faster. Her legs fall open and she tilts her hips. I know she wants me. I close my eyes and moan as her hand pumps up and down the length of my cock. I want to explode right now, but her pussy is so close and I can’t come before I feel my cock inside it. “Ellie, I don’t have a condom,” I say softly. She brings her other hand up to my cheek and tangles her fingers into my hair. “I’m on the pill,” she responds. “Just fuck me, Derek.” Her words send a thrill through my entire body. I can feel the electricity coursing through my veins as I position my cock at her opening. This is what I’ve dreamed of for ten years, this is the moment I’ve imagined over and over ever since I lost her. I can feel her wetness cover the tip of my cock as I slide it up and down her folds. Her head falls back and she moans loudly, grinding her hips up towards me. I can’t take it anymore. I plunge my cock into her. Inch by inch, it slides in smoothly as her walls stretch to accommodate me. It’s ecstasy. It’s pure, unadulterated pleasure. The feeling of her skin on my skin, of my cock pushed deeper and deeper inside her is the most indescribable feeling I’ve ever experienced. The blood rushes down between my legs and the breath leaves my body as my cock drives deeper and deeper inside her. Ellie moans and digs her nails into my neck and into my back. She bites my shoulder as her hips grind up in sync with my cock. She’s sopping wet, and my cock fits perfectly inside her. I push it all the way in to the hilt and pause for a moment, basking in the feeling of absolute pleasure that crashes through my entire body. “Fuck, Derek,” she groans, fluttering her eyes towards mine. Hearing those foul words come out of her pretty little mouth makes my cock throb again. Her eyes are cloudy and bright at the same time. She looks drunk with lust and it turns me on like never before. Chapter 32 – Ellie
My mind is somewhere outside my body. Shockwaves of pleasure are flowing through my veins as Derek starts to move his hips back and forth. I close my eyes and gasp for every breath. I can’t get enough of him. I want him deeper, faster, harder. I want him all. My nails claw into his skin and I feel the smooth hardness of his muscles as he clenches and thrusts into me harder. He splits me in two. His cock is so big, so hard, I’ve never seen or felt anything like it. My head falls back and my eyes close as he drives his cock into me faster and faster. I can hear my wetness with every thrust and the sound, which would normally distract me, is driving me wild. Derek shifts his weight and slides his hand down my stomach, finding my clit with his thumb. The second he touches it I feel my body react. I’m tense, wound up, excited. My heartbeat is out of control. Waves of heat start pulsing through my body as he moves his thumb around my clit and his cock in and out of me. I open my eyes and look up at him, seeing his bright blue eyes shining with animalistic desire. He moves his thumb a bit faster, putting ever so slightly more pressure on my clit. I can’t take it anymore. It’s like every ounce of stress and worry gets released in the same instant and the tidal wave of pleasure crashes through my body. My back arches and Derek drives his cock into me deeper, making sure I’m completely full with him. I realise I’m screaming and I don’t care. My orgasm rips through me and I succumb to it. I let the pleasure pass through my body without resistance, intensifying as Derek’s cock hardens even more. I’m trembling and convulsing underneath him and I feel his hands grip my waist, his own body tensing up and contracting all at once. My eyes flutter open and I see the look of complete satisfaction and bliss that passes over his face. His cock pumps his seed into me and I squeeze my legs around his waist, loving the feeling of having him inside me. He collapses on top of me and I close my eyes, panting. Our bodies are sticky and sweaty, intertwined with each other on top of the grassy hill. My heart is pounding against my ribcage. It’s the first time in weeks my heart has beat this hard for any reason other than fear. I can feel Derek’s pulse as well, almost in sync with mine. He shifts his weight and sits up on his forearms, his face inches from mine. He rests his forehead on top of mine and we close our eyes. The moment is perfect, serene, peaceful. We stay still, with our bodies entwined and our hearts beating as one for a few minutes. His breath slows down and my chest stops heaving. Derek shifts his weight and slides to the side, letting his arm drape over me. He brushes a strand of hair off my face and cups my cheek with his hand. His eyes are bright and there’s a soft smile playing on his lips. “I love you, Ellie.” I smile. It feels like my heart is trying to burst out of my chest and I reach my hand up to place it over his. “I love you too Derek.” My heart flutters as the words leave my lips and I know for certain I never want to let him go. On this grassy hill, under the moonlight in North Korea, I know that even if my future is uncertain, I’m sure that I belong right here with Derek Hart. Chapter 33 – Derek
We walk back down the hill towards the village and my whole body feels light. I haven’t experienced anything that intense since… I don’t even know. Maybe ever. My body is still tingling from the earth-shattering orgasm I just had. Ellie’s hand is in mine and I give it a light squeeze, still not quite believing that we’re here together, and that she said the three little words I never thought I would hear. She loves me. Even just thinking about it makes the smile creep onto my face. In this moment, I don’t care that we’re still in North Korea. I don’t care if we’re being pursued by Kim Jong-un himself, or how much danger we’re in. I don’t care that there’s a rebellion happening around us and that we’ve somehow become wrapped up in intrigue and violence. Nothing could make me care about anything except the fact that the woman I love told me she loves me back. We walk slowly, breathing in the night air and letting our feet take us down the hillside. The beaten dirt path winds down and our steps fall in together, dodging tree roots and dips in the road as we make our way back t
o the village. I never thought any moment of our escape could be this peaceful. When we re-enter the house, two small cots have been made up for us on the floor. They’re made of two old straw mattresses, and I imagine the family living in this house will be sleeping without their beds tonight. A wave of gratitude washes over me as we walk towards the beds. Ellie slips her hand out of mine and lays down on one of them, me on the other. Even though there are only inches separating us, it’s too far for me. I want her near me, on top of me, with her arms and legs intertwined with mine. I want to feel her heartbeat and feel her breath on my skin. I lie down on my back and I feel Ellie shift beside me. Her arm creeps towards me, and I place my hand on top of hers. Our fingers slip together gently, and I relish the softness of her skin against mine, this small connection that binds us together in the dark of the night. I didn’t expect to sleep at all but I wake up when a rooster crows at dawn. I shift on my mattress, feeling my back and legs ache with stiffness after sleeping on the floor. I groan as I stretch, turning my head to see Ellie still asleep. I stop moving for a moment, watching the way her chest rises and falls slightly with every breath, the way her face is completely relaxed and peaceful as she sleeps. She’s beautiful. I watch her for a few moments until her eyes flutter open slowly and she sees me, smiling gently. She turns over and reaches up slowly with her hand, stroking my cheek with a finger. I can feel the rough stubble of my beard against her touch, feeling the way her fingers drift across my jaw. I close my eyes and relish the warmth of her touch, drinking in every moment I can with her. In a few moments, Jang-mi appears with a small tray, with boiled eggs and rice on it. “Breakfast,” she says simply. We sit up and take the food gratefully. She’s made a pot of tea for us and places everything down on the low table. We get up and fold our blankets before sitting on the floor with Jang-mi, Lee and our hosts. I can’t help looking over at Ellie as she eats. She chews her food thoughtfully, staring out the window at the front of the house. I want to ask her what she’s thinking but I can’t bring myself to break the silent spell that’s over us. As if she senses me watching, her eyes flick to me and she smiles slightly. My chest swells and I feel like the luckiest man in the world, even on the run in North Korea. Once we’re done eating, Jang-mi and Lee pack us back into the Jeep. We say goodbye to our hosts and I slip them a few American dollars. I’m not sure if they’ll have any use for them up here, but I’m all too aware that they’ve endangered themselves by helping us. Once the car rumbles to life, Lee turns his head and speaks. “We will reach the Chinese border in six hours. Once we cross, we will drive to Shenyang. From there we will go to the American Embassy and you will be protected.” Ellie and I exchange a glance and Lee speaks again. Sounds simple enough. “The border crossing is dangerous. You will need to hide, we have a friend in a border town who will help us. Once we’re through, we will all breathe a sigh of relief, but until then we must be careful.” The two of us nod in understanding and Lee turns towards the open road. Jang-mi is steel-faced, staring straight ahead. The air hangs heavy between us all and the car lurches forward, towards the border and towards freedom. Chapter 34 – Ellie
I feel like we’ve been on the run forever. My time in the hotel, the concert at the palace, the gunshots – it all seems like a distant memory. I watch the countryside go by and I think of Greenville. I wonder what my mom is doing right now. I look at the car’s clock and do some mental math to figure out what time it is in Tennessee. It’s about 6pm over there. She’s probably sitting down to dinner with my father. They’re probably saying Grace, praying for my safe return. I wonder how my mother is doing, how she’s coping with me being over here. I’ll never hear the end of it when I get back. I grin to myself at the thought. I haven’t allowed myself to think about home until now, until Derek showed up and I can sense how close we are to making it out. I know that the minute I see my mother I’ll be getting a well-intentioned, never-ending speech about why I never should have left Greenville, and probably why I should have just gone ahead and married Chad Baker. For the first time in my life, I hope I get to hear my mother’s speech. I hope I can go back home and live out my life in peace. I’ll gladly trade an earful of sermons from everyone in the town for Derek and I to get out of here alive. I glance over at Derek, and I can sense his nervousness. As we get closer to the Chinese border, and maybe our most dangerous step in this escape, the air in the car gets thicker. I look back out the window and try to distract myself from the thoughts of what we’re about to face. After a few more hours, we finally turn off the main road onto a bumpy dirt road. Jang-mi and Lee speak to each other in low voices and we drive for about half an hour. Derek takes my hand in his and gives it a squeeze. The afternoon sun feels warm as it streams through the window, and I wonder if we’ll be free by nightfall. The Jeep comes to a stop outside a dilapidated shack. An old man wearing old, worn clothing hobbles out. Jang-mi slides out of the passenger’s seat and greets him warmly. They embrace and I can see the emotion in her face. I’ve never seen her like this. She turns to the car and motions for us to get out. “Miss Walters, this is my father, Suk. He will take you across to China.” I turn to the old man and can immediately see the resemblance. He has the same bright light in his eyes, the same fine nose as Jang-mi. A life of hardship and struggle is etched on his wrinkled face. I bow my head as he takes my hands in his. He says a few words in Korean and all I can do is smile and bow my head again. Derek appears beside me and Jang-mi’s father greets him just as warmly. Somehow in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by nothing except this man and his poverty, we’re able to feel completely at home. Suk turns around and heads behind the shack, reappearing a few minutes later on top of a wagon being pulled by an old grey horse. Derek and I look at each other and I inhale deeply. This isn’t what I imagined when they said he’d take us across the border. He clicks his tongue and flicks the reins expertly and the horse comes to a stop in front of us. Jang-mi caresses the horse’s face familiarly, and I wonder how long she’s known it. She pulls out a small cube of sugar from her pocket and feeds it to the horse and I watch in amazement. She must have stolen the sugar from the palace or the hotel and carried it with her this whole way just to feed this old horse, placing herself at risk once again for that simple kindness. I feel like I’ve just witnessed the depth of human compassion and my eyes start to mist up when she turns towards us. “Please,” she says, motioning to the cart. We walk around to the back and Jang-mi’s father nimbly jumps up onto the wooden cart. His speed and agility is surprising, considering how old and frail he looks. He dislodges a few of the planks of wood in the bottom of the wagon and opens up a hidden compartment. Once again, I exchange a glance with Derek. The blood has drained out of his face. The enclosure is small, cramped, hardly big enough for two people let alone people Derek’s size. I feel uncomfortable looking at the wooden box concealed in the wagon, only realising after a few moments that it looks far too much like a coffin. Derek clears his throat and turns to Lee. “Lee, how long… what… what is the plan here?” Lee inclines his head and speaks. “Mr. Suk will drive the cart across the border, carrying bags of rice. I will follow in the Jeep a few hours later.” He pauses, glancing at Jang-mi and her father. “This has been done many times before. The journey is… not comfortable, but it is the safest way across.” “Jang-mi,” I interject, heart suddenly thumping. “What about you? Where are you going?” “I will be going back to Pyongyang. The resistance movement needs me.” I feel my eyes misting up. I instinctively know I’ll never see Jang-mi again, and probably never speak to her again. Here is the slight, short woman who saved me from the regime and guided me to the border and to safety. The woman who carried a cube of sugar in her pocket for days just to give an old horse a treat. I nod my head and a tear falls out of my eye, rolling quickly down my cheek and falling off my chin. “Goodbye, then,” I tell her. She closes the distance between us and wraps her arms around me. “Goodbye, Miss Walters.” And with that, I take Suk�
��s hand and climb into the back of the wagon. Derek follows, and we lie in the box together. Suk points to a latch near our heads. “Don’t open that,” Jang-mi explains. “Only in emergencies otherwise you will be discovered.” I look at her and nod, saying nothing. Suk closes the lid with a thud, and darkness envelops us. Chapter 35 – Derek
Second Chance: A Rockstar Romance in North Korea Page 9