I had few other furnishings, a long sleek couch in brushed suede, a steel coffee table, and a black suede chair. The dining table was in the same metal as the coffee table and I had an 82” flat screen television, my only indulgence. It made me feel as if something was happening around me, thus mitigating the ever-present loneliness.
“As I said, I’m not much of a cook,” I warned, placing the meal before her.
“This looks wonderful.” Her eyes brightened as she reached for the plate.
I sat in the chair and set my own meal to the side for a moment. I wasn’t going to be able to eat until I’d addressed the elephant in the room.
“I’m sure you’re curious about why I live out here all alone,” I had to remain calm, she couldn’t ever know my past.
“Yes, very curious,” she smiled a large and awkward grin, which did little to hide her concern.
There was more behind the expression, it was something resembling worry. What a strange situation, here I was hiding out from the most dangerous criminals in our country and the woman I rescued seemed leery of me, that was quite ironic. I almost laughed.
She paused while she finished chewing a bite of food she’d placed in her mouth to look more natural, but I could see she was shaking. She regarded her plate before she spoke. “I am curious, yes.” She took a deep breath, “I’ve been wondering why you’ve locked yourself away in this high tech, post-apocalyptic zombie shelter?
She had a fun sense of humor, it was refreshing. She used humor, it seemed, to alleviate her fears.
“I’m not here because I’m running from the law, or lying in wait for a victim if that is your worry. I’m a scientist,” I started, it wasn’t entirely a lie. “I am experimenting with a range of off-grid technologies that might be used in places with little traditional electricity. My company is working on a project which tests the bounds of unconventional energy sources.” I sounded so convincing, I actually considered adding this specialization to my workload.
Imagine outfitting rural hospitals and villages in underserved areas with off-grid power sources; it was an exciting prospect. I was living very successfully off-grid in a nearly hostile environment. The trees made solar energy difficult; there was a wind turbine which collected energy at the top of the mountain when there was wind. Water catchment and well-water were more difficult and yet, I’d managed to live here for a year using all of these methods rather successfully. I made do because I was able to use multiple power and water resources.
I made a mental note to explore my time here in a more scientific sense if I ever left this cabin. The thought filled me with anxiety and dread. What was I going to do? I most likely was never going to leave my solitude and this cabin, but unbeknownst to Imogen, she’d just made both intolerable. Having had interaction with another person, especially one I was so attracted to, made living alone again a hard thought to consider.
“That’s exciting,” she said as her body relaxed, and her eyes perked up. “But don’t you find your work lonely?”
Ah, the million-dollar question.
“At times,” I said, hoping she’d move on from this line of questioning as I picked up my plate of food and took a bite.
“I’d be a mess if I had to live alone, my imagination is my own worst enemy.” Again she flashed her glorious smile.
“You never know, having an imagination is important when you find yourself alone as I am.” I hated the fact that I sounded pathetic.
“That’s unfortunate,” she said with her eyes smoldering, boring into mine.
It was clear, looking at her thick pouting lips and the glossy haze of her stare, that she was imagining many of the same things I was at that moment. All I wanted to do was get her naked and make love to every inch of her body. It was hard to think of anything else, actually. I decided I’d refocus my attention on making sure she didn’t give me away in the end, because as much as I wanted to fuck her, keeping my family safe was more important.
“It’s imperative that no one knows I’m here. If our competitors knew what I was working on, it would ruin years of research,” I warned her as a means of derailing my train of thought back to the station.
I couldn’t risk getting close to her.
“I promise, I won’t say anything. To the rest of the world, you’re a nice man who owns an Airbnb somewhere up on the mountain,” she said as choked a little on her bite.
I stood up and walked wordlessly to the kitchen to get her a glass of water, and pour us both a cup of strong coffee. “It’s best you not say much about your stay, please. I don’t want anything to jeopardize my work. And what about you? Do you have a profession?” I didn’t mean for the question to sound pretentious, but it did. I’d seen her card and knew what she did, but she didn’t know that, and I was desperate for light conversation.
“I’m a child psychologist,” she threw out nonchalantly as I returned with her water and our coffee.
I thought about the years my children had been seeing a child psychologist after losing their parents. I hit me harder than I thought it would. My heart constricted; I tried to brush past it, but panic gripped me. I’d already told her my real name. She was smart, she could discover who I was if she made the effort. I closed my eyes for a moment.
This morning as I was working, I did Google a Dashell who was a scientist in Europe. It was a stretch, but once she was gone, maybe she’d forget about me. It was doubtful, however, as I stared at her, handing her the beverages. Her eyes were magnificent and even wearing my oversized clothing, she was beautiful, more so because there was nothing to enhance her allure but her natural assets.
“Do you enjoy your work?” I asked as I stared straight into her soul.
“I love it, but there are days when I love it less than others,” she smiled, shying a bit from the intensity of my gaze.
Is it possible she was innocent? I couldn’t believe that a woman of such rare beauty could be naive to the art of loving a man, but she seemed timid and flustered by my nearness.
“Yes, I can imagine,” I remarked as I returned to my meal with my coffee. “Would you like to see some of what I’m working on?” I asked, genuinely interested in showing her what I’d built here.
“If you wouldn’t feel it an imposition on your work, I’d love to see what you’ve invented,” a smile brightened her face. “I love nature and I’d give anything to live out in the wild.”
No, she wouldn’t. Not this way.
“Finish your breakfast and I’ll show you some of what I’ve created,” I said, with far less enthusiasm than she offered.
I wanted to be kind and inviting, the way I was when I wooed Michelle, but I couldn’t risk getting attached, so I was somber.
She finished eating quickly as I did I, both of us not aware of our hunger until we started eating.
“That was delicious,” she offered as she tried to get up from her chair, I assumed to put her plate in the sink.
“Please,” I halted her. “Let me get your plate.” I stood and took her dishes. When I returned from the kitchen I lifted her gently by the elbow.
“I can do it, my leg is much better today,” she lightly protested.
“Not better enough.” I put my arm around her to support her weight.
The nearness was almost too much. I heard a breath catch in her throat and I did my best to ignore it, but the chemistry between us was electric. I’d never felt so attracted to someone so instantly. I guess being alone was a factor, but Imogen was a spirited, beautiful soul who was wrenching out the beast in me.
I walked her into my lab where I held the surveillance equipment, she was lightly impressed by my Fort Knox level of security. From there I moved on to show her the sustainable elements of my living, including the composting toilet, various energy systems, and water catchment from rainwater and snow runoff. She was mildly interested in all of it, but her expression didn’t show much of a change until she saw a picture of Michelle, me, and the kids in my office. I could only
bear to have one of all of us together; too many reminders made my living insufferable.
“Is this your family?” she asked, rightly curious.
“It is,” I cleared my throat, “That’s Lisa, my sister in law and her two kids, William and Samantha.” I boldfaced lied. I had to.
“It’s uncanny how much your niece and nephew look just like you,” she seemed to buy the lie fairly well, however, I caught a note of suspicion.
“We have strong features,” I said, brushing off the comment.
“You do,” she smiled, flirting.
“And, that’s the tour,” I announced, at a loss to discover what else may be of interest in the tiny cabin.
She looked at the locked door to the upstairs attic where the kid’s room had sat untouched.
“Does this door lead anywhere?” The question was innocent and yet was so dangerous.
“Just an old scary attic,” I said as I took her arm and lead her back to the living room again, unsure of what I’d do with her since all I could think of was getting her naked.
When I sat her back down on the couch, her eyes roved the room. With her curiosity spiked, it was clear she was looking for evidence as the brief and fairly uninspired tour of my toys didn’t give her much insight into my existence. She must have found something of interest as her eyes widened and twinkled.
“You have an X-box?” her voice was shrill with delight. I’d forgotten about my son’s X-box. He had every game imaginable up here.
“Do you play?” she laughed then corrected herself, “I mean, you must. You want to play a game?” her voice lowered slightly at the question.
I hadn’t played it since my son was up here, however, a game did sound good, something light to take my mind off wanting to fuck her so badly my dick was about to jump out of my pants. I wore briefs this morning in an attempt to tame the beast, but sadly it’d been semi-hard all morning, with every intention of growing more impertinent as the day progressed.
“We,” shit! “I, have almost every X box game on the market, is there one you’d prefer?” My nerves were grating on me, where was my command of the English language and myself?
“Do you have the newest Resident Evil?” Really? Resident Evil? This girl was wonderfully insane.
“I’m pretty sure I do.” I walked over to the console I hadn’t touched in over a year. Despite not really using the game console, I still ordered some games every once in a while, in my monthly delivery. I figured one day, if I was missing my children too much or needed an escape, I’d play the damn thing.
“Cool, I’ve heard it’s wicked, but I’ve never played it.” She flashed a devilish smile.
“I’ve actually never played it either. My company sends me games, thinking I need to be entertained.” Another well placed, lie.
We started the game, which was scary and gruesome, but made us laugh. Imogen cuddled close as I navigated our character, giving out a parade of shrieks and yelps and uncontrollable laughter as we found ourselves enjoying the horrifying yet, surprisingly funny experience until we had to draw a truce, not with the zombies who attacked us from every angle, but with each other. We weren’t going to be able to fight our attraction to one another much longer. I let her try her hand at navigating our guy and we lost all our lives pretty quickly until she got the hang of it. When she did, the look of triumph on her face was magic.
When we survived the first level, she kissed my cheek with a quick innocence that opened the floodgates of passion. I wasn’t going to be able to resist her any longer, I had to claim this woman. Then maybe the thought of having her wouldn’t haunt me so entirely.
Chapter 12
Jeni
I don’t know why I kissed him just then, but I’d been biting my lip trying not to for so long, I impulsively gave in without thinking. We’d just won a harrowing first level of the game. I was on edge. It was fun, terrifying, and exhilarating. I knew playing a game would draw us closer and it did. It broke down the thick wall he’d erected between us.
After I planted a kiss on his cheek, we stared at one another for a moment. My heart was beating so fast and so loudly, I thought it would leap out of my chest. It was probably mid-day, but hard to tell because of the dark weather. The cabin was chilly but not terribly cold, however, I was shivering
“Would you like me to get some firewood and start a fire or turn up the heat? We might get a few more days out it?” he asked, his eyes intense and heady.
He’d showed me the heating system. It was impressive and most likely would last a few more days in low sunlight before we felt the chill inside, however, my body was wracked with nerves, not cold.
“Um,” was my oh so elegant reply.
“Let’s get you into a hot bath first, that’ll warm you up,” he suggested.
Oh yes, let’s.
“Ok,” I managed to squeak out.
“Give me a minute,” his deep voice murmured as he let his eyes hold mine for a beat longer than was polite.
He was so crazy sexy. I usually didn’t go for men with an abnormal amount of facial hair, but he made it look amazing. His dark and commanding presence was strangely mixed with kindness and care. He had my head spinning when he returned to lift me off the couch and carry me out of the living room.
He walked with me into the bathroom as steam and the scent of lavender filled the air. Since he’d already geeked out on the high-tech security and sustainable energy the cabin employed, I thought I’d ask a question to ease the tension. “Where does the water for the bath come from?” As soon as I asked, I felt silly.
He set me down on a chair near the sink and tested the water as it filtered out of the tap, billowing with steam.
“I have an underground silo which holds most of the water, and a flash heating system that warms it. I’ve rigged a few catchment systems around the periphery and they catch the water which collects in the silo. Before it becomes drinking water or a bath, it is filtered and treated in an underground system. It’s probably the freshest water you’ll ever find as it’s mostly snow runoff,” he said as he poured salts and oils into the bath.
I marveled at the size of the bathtub, it was perfect for two people to luxuriate comfortably, but why would a mountain man living alone want a swimming pool sized bathtub? “Do you like taking baths?” I didn’t know many men who used bath salts and oils, not without a woman to inspire them to do so.
“Not particularly,” he said, as he turned to me.
For a moment, a shiver scurried up my spine. He didn’t like baths but was pouring expensive smelling oils into one. He didn’t play video games but had the latest Zombie gore-fest in a secluded cabin atop a hill. He wouldn’t let me open the door to the upper level and had pictures of children who were his mirror image. Either he was a liar or a serial killer and again, I was grappling with deciding which it was.
“So, the oils and the zombie game are for guests your work forbids you to have?” Well, if he really was a serial killer, I was dead for being so damn snarky.
“The oils, the zombie game, and the upper floor are for my sister in law and her children when they infrequently visit. My brother, sadly passed away and my sister and her family will join me on occasion, however, this house reminds her too much of him, so she doesn’t often come. I’m allowed family and they are my only family.”
…and I felt like an asshole for asking. “Sorry, I… I,” I stammered and tripped over my words.
“How could you have known,” his eyes were blazing and carnal again. “I don’t think you should be left alone. You won’t be able to navigate the bath without assistance,” his warm blue eyes didn’t break their gaze.
My stomach flipped, and I felt myself moisten between my legs.
“Um…” I was at it again.
He took a step towards me “Shall I help you undress?”
It took my entire will not to lose my mind.
“If you’re worried about your modesty, I’ve already dressed you once,” he said.<
br />
“Did you now?” I swallowed hard.
“I did.” It was then I realized the incredible size of his erect cock, which was hard to miss because it was fighting to get out of his pants, right in front of my face.
He towered over me and seemed massive as he looked down at me sitting on the chair. The menacing bulge in his pants that spoke everything words seemed unable to effectively communicate. He didn’t try to hide his arousal, rather he lightly grazed it with his hand. My mouth went dry.
“I think we should be honest with one another considering we’ll be in close proximity for some time.” He was very matter of fact, definitely a scientist.
He bent down to me, squatting his legs some so that I was eye to eye with the larger of his two heads.
“I agree, we should,” I answered with conviction even though my tongue felt huge and dry.
“I’ve been up here a long time, too long. I can and will be a gentleman if that’s what you want. I can abstain from you with great effort and I’ll make the effort if you wish. However, I’d very much like to be intimate with you. It’s been years since I’ve been with a woman as beautiful as you and with such a personality. I can’t help my attraction and I get the feeling neither can you. Am I right?” He was so blunt, it was fucking sexy as hell.
“Mmm hmm,” was all I was capable of.
“I suspected as much,” he flashed a rare smile. “The situation is awkward at best, but I suggest we pretend we are lost in time. I’ll show your body and spirit such sensuality and passion, you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported to another realm of time and space. It would be my absolute joy to pleasure you, Imogen. However, when the storm lets up and it’s time for you to leave the cabin and return to your own life, you must do so with no looking back and no further contact. I have to have your word. I hope we will explore our passions and be honest with one another to our deepest level, however it will be for now and now only. When it’s over we will move on and forget one another.” His face was somber and earnest, and yet his voice sizzled with passion.
Built for Pleasure Page 30