Running From Eden

by T. Cobbin

  “Kinda creepy, huh?”

  “At first,” he agreed with a gentle smile.

  “Sorry. Sometimes it’s natural to do it with you. I like hearing what you think, especially when you have your hands on me.”

  “Go get changed. We don’t have long, and if I have my hands on you much longer, we might be discovered.”

  “You mean...”

  “Go,” he ordered with a smirk on his face.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter 5

  Eve didn’t take long to shower and dress. Everything still felt surreal. It was such a novelty to put on something other than the white underwear and scrubs, even to use flowery-scented shower gel and shampoo in the shower. At Eden she’d always used a simple bar of white soap and a bottle of non-scented shampoo. The lather from the shower gel had felt so decadent she wanted to keep using it just to feel the softness but knew she couldn’t.

  The dress she had chosen was light blue with tiny pink spots on it. She twirled, looking at herself in the dusty, full-length mirror. The top had long sleeves to her wrists, and the neckline was circular, which again was a novelty, because all the scrubs she had worn were v-necked. The bodice pulled in at the waist then the material flared out, ending just past her knees. She had picked out white, flat sandals to go with it.

  She smirked back at her reflection, feeling a little saucy at not wearing the standard pair of underwear; the tiny panties she had found at the bottom of the backpack were very different from the plain white ones she had worn all her life. They had lace on them, and she had giggled when putting them on.

  “Hey, Eve, you ready, honey?” Charlie’s voice drifted up the stairs.

  Was she ready? Hell yes!

  * * * *

  As they rode in an old, rusty truck that had been sitting in the barn for a while Eve took in everything. She rolled down her window so she could smell the fresh, clean air. She marveled at the summer trees blowing in the wind, the fields filled with rows of different colors of the rainbow, and birds that flew alongside the road. It was wonderful. She held her hand outside of the truck, letting the wind blow through her fingers. She felt so free.

  “Thank you, Charlie.”

  “For what, sweetheart?” he asked.

  “This.” She motioned at everything with her hands. “It’s awesome. The colors are fantastic, and the wind... If I could sing, I’d be doing it from the top of my lungs.”

  A while later he parked the truck in a car park outside of a little train station. Charlie had explained the train only stopped there twice a day, and there were no cameras as it was out in the sticks. Pulling a baseball cap on her head with her hair tucked up inside, he grabbed her hand. “One stop, that’s all we have to go. It’s about a ten minute ride, and when we get there I have an SUV waiting. We can drive the rest of the way. It will take about five hours.”

  Nodding, she squeezed his hand.

  “Try not to look like it’s the first time you’ve seen everything,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her body close to his.

  “I can’t help it.” She smiled.

  The smell of oil, grease, and all kinds of new scents hit her as the train pulled into the station. The brakes made a high-pitched squeal when the train came to a stop. Charlie pressed a button on the side of the carriage and a pair of doors whooshed open, revealing long rows of seats on either side of an aisle. With another hiss of air the doors closed. After a tiny jerk the train was moving.

  She found the ride exciting, staring out the window as houses and cars and again all the things she had never seen before flew past. When the train slowed to a stop at the next station nerves hit her and her heart pounded. She looked up at Charlie, and he smiled and kissed her. I like this kissing business. If only he could read my mind.

  She walked along the platform by the side of her man with her heart nearly thumping out of her chest. Thoughts of being caught, of all this being a dream or some kind of mind trick ran through her head.

  “Breathe, sweetheart. We’re nearly there. Just one more car trip and a boat ride, and we’ll be safe.”

  They walked out of the station and headed for a black SUV parked in the car park. Eve was getting tired, hungry, and it was becoming dark. She stopped, remembering something. “Charlie, my freckles...they light up.”

  “Yes, they do, don’t they? And I can’t wait to explore them,” he replied rather cheekily.

  Her cheeks heated at the thought of his hands roaming over her body. “No, silly, people might see!”

  “There’s food in the truck, and if we need the bathroom we’ll find a quiet place where no one is around. We’ll work through it.” Picking her up by the waist, he placed her in the passenger seat and stood between her legs. “Sweetheart, I have managed to get you this far, I’ve gone through things a thousand times. Take a deep breath. I won’t lose you now.”

  His mouth crashed down on hers, and his tongue slipped between her parted lips. They groaned together as the taste of each other entwined. Her hands roamed underneath his t-shirt, finally being able to feel his skin next to hers. Her pussy clenched, and she wiggled her hips as the tiny nub between her legs made quivers go through her. She could feel his erection through the lacy panties she had on. When he moved away, she wanted to pull him back to her.

  He had a massive grin on his face, his eyes shone, and his cheeks seemed to be a little flushed. He looked happy as his eyes danced, then his expression changed to the serious guard she saw every day. “We have to go.”

  She looked around and panicked, thinking he had seen something, and slipped into his mind.

  “Shouldn’t have kissed her like that. Not here. Fucking hard-on now. Driving with one is bad enough. I wish we could teleport there—five fucking hours is too long!”

  She pulled out, shut her door, and relaxed.

  “Were you just in my head?” he asked, climbing in and shutting his door.

  “Maybe.” She breathed his scent in when he leaned over her and pulled a belt over her waist and shoulder. Her heartbeat began to race. “You’re tying me down?” she squeaked out.

  He looked confused at first then released the belt in his hand. “Oh God, baby, no, I forgot. Hey, calm down.” He brushed his hand over her hair, then her cheek, going down her skin until he held her hand. “It’s a seatbelt. When you’re in a car you have to wear one.”

  “We didn’t in the other truck.”

  “That truck was so old it didn’t have one.”

  She let her head drop onto the headrest behind her, breathing deeply. She suddenly felt overwhelmed and emotional. Tears that she couldn’t keep in began to leak from her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  “Look at me, honey.”

  She could hear his deep, enticing voice held nothing but worry in it. Turning her head, she looked at him.

  “I’m not one of the Coats. I promise I won’t hurt you. I know it will take a while for you to believe that and to trust me fully, but I’m here, okay?”

  She just nodded.

  “Umm, did you know your tears light up in the dark too?” he asked, rather amused.

  “Yes.” She giggled.

  Eve spent most of the trip sleeping. At first she had panicked each time she heard a siren, but gradually, as time went past, the day caught up with her. The long, hard climb out of the shaft, the emotional strain of being out of routine, and the worry of being caught and sent back drew on her.

  Chapter 6

  Eve was woken to the car coming to a stop. Rubbing the sleep from her bleary eyes, she noticed the dashboard clock. 4:30 AM. Everything came flooding back in seconds. Taking a look around her, she saw open water as far as the eye could see. Just before the car was a small dock surrounded by sand. A powerboat was tied to the dock. She rolled down the window and breathed in the night air, bringing the scents with it.

  “It’s so good to see a huge smile on your face.”

  She turned, looking at Charlie, surprised to find she was indeed
smiling. Planting a kiss on his lips, she opened her door and jumped from the vehicle. She had seen sand in books and always wondered what it would feel like to bury her toes in it. Now that she had the chance it was something she didn’t want to miss.

  It wasn’t as soft as it looked. In fact, it was cold, wet, and stuck to her feet.

  “What are you doing?” Charlie laughed at her.

  “It’s not how it looks in the books. It’s...grainy and sticks to my feet.” She found herself lifted up in the air and tightly held against his chest. “Oh, Charlie, I can’t thank you enough. It’s so strange seeing things I’ve only seen in books.” She could feel his laugh as it rumbled through him. Leaning her head more into his chest, she sighed.

  “It’s not far now, little miss. I can’t wait to hit the sack, I’m knackered.” Carrying her to the dock, he placed her down on a seat in the boat. “Wait here, I need to get our bags and stuff.”

  She stared at his butt as he walked back to the car. When Charlie had first started working at Eden it was hard not to see his firm arse through his black combats. She had looked at the butts of the Coats, comparing them to his, but she was yet to see another one like Charlie’s—his was so fine!

  After putting their bags and several others into the boat, Charlie started it up and pulled out onto the water. As the speed picked up she couldn’t contain her excitement. She pulled the elastic band out of her hair and held her hands up in the air, feeling the wind as it whipped through her hair. She laughed and squealed at the sensation. It was unbelievable. By the time the boat slowed to reach land she was jumping up and down with joy.

  Charlie laugh as he watched her, his face the picture of happiness. “Grab your bag. We have about a fifteen minute walk to the house. You up for it?”

  “Hell yeah. This has been the most fun I’ve ever had,” she replied, dancing on the spot.

  With the boat tied up to a wooden dock she followed Charlie up a pebbled path to the cottage where they would be staying, and hopefully be safe.

  She could see Charlie wilting. He had been going for over twelve hours without stopping, and his steps began to get smaller as the house drew nearer. She wished he would let her carry a few more bags, but he kept saying he was okay. In his head, however, he was going on about her being a female and him being a man who should care for her...it was his job to carry the shit.

  Charlie had picked up the house keys from the boat where he’d left them, but the door was already unlocked so he didn’t use them. She watched as he dropped the bags on the floor and slouched down onto a leather settee, throwing his head back.

  “Why don’t you go to sleep?” she asked, sitting beside him and running a hand over his whiskered chin.

  With a begrudging nod he heaved his body from the sofa and walked to the stairs. “Are you coming?” he asked.

  “Umm...”

  “Sleeping.” He raised his eyebrows at her.

  Smiling, she got up and followed him. She had so much energy right now she wasn’t sure she could sleep, but she didn’t want Charlie to feel bad that he was leaving her on her own. At the top of the stairs he turned right into a huge room with a king-size bed in it.

  “OMG, I’ve never seen a bed this huge, only in books.” She ran, taking a leap, and jumped into the center of the bed, jumping up and down. “Wooot,” she screamed, laughing.

  Charlie started laughing so hard he bent over holding his stomach. “Sweetheart, you have so much to see, and it’s wonderful watching you see stuff for the first time, but I need to sleep.”

  Coming to a stop, she stood still on the bed. She had imagined sleeping with him; she knew about sex from books, but this was real. She knew he wanted her, and she wanted him, but to sleep with him... Her heart began to thunder in her chest.

  “Sleep, remember? Stop panicking.” He turned, stripped down to his underwear, and walked to the bathroom.

  She was still standing in the same place when he came back. She couldn’t help but notice the bulge in his boxers. She quickly diverted her eyes up to his.

  “Get under the covers. You can keep your dress on if you feel like it, but you might be more comfortable taking it off.” With that he lifted the cover and climbed underneath it.

  She was going to get in one huge bed with a man!

  She pulled her dress off and quickly climbed in the bed and laid down beside him. Being undressed in front of Charlie was a little awkward. He had seen her naked before, but this was different; she wasn’t being tested on, she wasn’t in Eden. She was on some island off the coast of Scotland with Charlie, the man, not the guard. Just looking at his body made her feel excited and curious to be touched by him—not just to be searched by him, but for him to touch her in a loving, caring way.

  She lay her head on the pillow, never taking her eyes off his. He looked tired, worn out. Guilt washed over her. She’d been so happy to be away from Eden that she hadn’t taken into account just how much Charlie had done. As his eyes flickered shut she whispered, “Thank you will never be enough, Charlie. I love you.”

  For a long time, she lay there watching him. He was so handsome. His short, blond hair was trimmed just enough for her hands to curl in his hair, he also had a cowlick at the front. When his eyes were open they were the brightest green she’d ever seen. His nose was strong and straight. His lips were plump, and she liked feeling them against her own. At the moment his cheeks had long whiskers on them, but she liked it when he was clean-shaven.

  His chest was half-hidden under the sheets, but what she could see was huge! Tentatively, she reached out and lightly explored his chest, shoulder, arm. She discovered that it took both hands to go around his bicep. She could now fully see the tribal tattoo that she’d seen peeking from under the t-shirts he always wore. The tattoo covered his whole shoulder. She wanted to run her lips over it to see if it felt any different, to run her tongue along his lips to feel them against hers again.

  He looked so peaceful asleep. If they caught her tomorrow, this would be something to take with her. Just being away from Eden for this short time she had experienced more than she had ever thought possible.

  Before closing her eyes she breathed in his scent one more time then curled up against his chest. His arm automatically went around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. She felt safe and loved, something she had always dreamed of.

  Chapter 7

  Waking up on her own was a novelty for Eve. For a few seconds she had forgotten where she was and couldn’t understand why the bed was soft, warm, and had a heartbeat. As yesterday came back to her she smiled and carried on lying over Charlie’s chest, listening to his heartbeat for a few more minutes.

  She was free, finally free!

  Lifting Charlie’s hand off her waist, Eve crept from the bed. She went to the bathroom and relieved her bladder. Everything delighted her, even the thrill of using the bathroom without being watched. She clenched her fists, screwed up her face in a tight grin, and danced excitedly on tiptoes, letting the excitement run through her.

  Taking a deep breath, she decided to go explore the house. There were three bedrooms upstairs, each smaller than the master room she had slept in the night before. One room was made into a nursery; she ran her fingers over each of the tiny pieces of furniture. The room smelled sweet, and she imagined it was what a baby would smell like.

  Downstairs there was a living room with a black leather couch and two chairs, and a dining room with a circular oak table in the middle. The kitchen was wood; all of the cupboards and countertops were pine. She knew what some of the equipment was from the books she had read but wasn’t sure how to use it. She held a large plate in her hand, examining it; the bone china was heavy. Another novelty! She opened the door to a tall, white fridge and saw a carton of orange juice in it. She found it enthralling just to pour her own juice into a glass.

  Taking her glass, she strode to the front of the house. Still a little wary, she reached out with her mind, searching for any others, befor
e she opened the door. The sight that greeted her was unbelievable. The sky was a mixture of reds, oranges, yellows, and blues, the clouds adding to the picture. She pinched her arm just to make sure it was real.

  “Fantastic, isn’t it?”

  Yelping in shock at hearing Charlie’s voice, she turned, slapping his arm. “Don’t scare me like that, and yes, I can’t believe it. I’ve seen pictures of this in books, but this just seems so surreal.” The vision before her began to blur as tears gathered in her eyes. “Charlie...thanks again,” she whispered.

  Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her body against his, her back to his front. They stood watching the sun rise, feeling the harmony as a new day and new life began.

  * * * *

  After unpacking the bags and putting the stuff away Eve felt a little lost. She was so used to routine that doing nothing only happened just before she slept, and even then she read.

  “Hey, sweetheart, fancy a run?”

  “Are you sure you can’t read my mind?” she asked, looking at the man in front of her.

  “You look so lost I don’t have to. You must feel weird not doing your normal shit. Come on, I’ll race you!”

  Turning swiftly, she opened the front door and ran.

  “Hey, you cheater,” his voice came from behind her, filled with mirth.

  Giggling, she ran faster, feeling the pebbled path beneath her feet and the wind blowing against her skin. She could hear his footsteps behind her, the birds in the air calling out to each other, and the sea rushing up and over the sandy shores.

  “Hey, baby,” he yelled, coming to run beside her, turning to wink with a smile on his face.

  “Hey, handsome.”

  They ran all the way around the island, taking them just over an hour. Sweat dripped from her, but she felt alive! She took in the scenery, the beaches that lined the island, the dense growth of bushes that lined the path in some places. Seagulls overhead dived into the water, coming back up with small fish in their beaks. The only other building was a brick shed that Charlie said contained a generator that supplied the electricity. He said once a month a caretaker came onto the island and filled it up and checked it over.