APOLLO RISING (The Apollo Saga, Book 1)

by Sage Arroway

Trying to laugh off her embarrassment, “Oh yeah—that.”

  “I think it’s your turn to get cleaned up now.” After a long pause, he broke his stare and the tension, and continued, “Besides, we should have some hot water soon.”

  “Oh thank god,” she praised under her breath; although, she wasn’t entirely sure whether she was more relieved by the convenience of warm water, or the conclusion of her momentary lapse in judgment.

  “I could draw you a bath,” he offered, leaning in close enough to whisper in her ear, “unless you think you might still need that cold shower?”

  Allie laughed at that, and felt the redness return to her cheeks. Pushing her hair back from her sweating brow with her forearm, she waved him away with a smile, “Fine,” she agreed, “just go!”

  “Going,” he retorted, raising his hands again in surrender as he stepped backward out of the kitchen. “I’ll get that bath ready. Hot right?”

  Allie regarded him with an arched brow.

  “Just kidding,” he teased, turning to the hallway. “How long do you think you’ll be?”

  The thought of a long, hot bath made her skin tingle, but she forced herself to return focus to the last slow, steady cuts with the blade. “I’m almost done,” she insisted, “I want to make sure we have enough for the next couple of days, plus…” She left her sentence unended, realizing that he had already left the room completely.

  She wrapped up the meat, and set it to one side while listening to the water running in the old tub. Pulling the red-stained apron over her head, she laid it on the edge of the sink and walked towards the bathroom, kicking off her shoes on the way. Tyler was standing in the hallway, looking into the hall cubby.

  “Got towels in here, somewhere?” he asked, seeing her approach.

  Allie shook her head, pointing towards the bedroom. “In there, in the main closet.”

  Following her instructions, he returned a moment later, a pleasantly surprised expression on his face. In one hand, he held a stack of towels, and in the other, an old dusty guitar case. “I couldn’t help myself,” he confessed. “I see a guitar and I can’t not touch it.”

  She was shocked – how could she have forgotten that was back there? “Where’d you find that?”

  “It was in the back of the closet. Is it yours?”

  She shook her head, “No, it was my dad’s, I guess. Moll said he played it all the time for my Mom, and so she held on to it after…”

  “Oh, hey, look,” he interrupted, “if you’d rather I didn’t…”

  She couldn’t help but smile at his expression, like a little boy who’d just broken his best friend’s toy. “It’s fine, really,” she assured him. “I don’t mind. I never saw him play it anyway, so, it’s really only a guitar to me. Feel free, I don’t even know if it works.”

  He handed her the towels, and let his fingers touch hers longer than necessary. “Thank you, Allie.”

  A shiver coursed along her skin, and she hurriedly excused herself, hearing her voice tremble as she did so. She closed the door behind her and stood against it for several moments until she heard him walking away and into the main room.

  The water was only halfway up the tub, but the steam rising up called out to her in a way that felt almost primordial. She stripped off the blood-stained clothes and let them fall into a pile on the floor and stepped into the tub. It was even hotter than she had expected, but she didn’t care. Picking up a nearby bottle of bathsoap, she poured a bit of it under the faucet and let a mound of bubbles build before she sank down into the water. Every inch of her screamed out deliciously as it met the sharp, wet, sting of the bathwater until she was able to lay back with her shoulders and knees rising up from the water’s surface. And she came to rest, watching the blood on her skin dilute into the water, tingeing it pink.

  Beyond the door, she heard Tyler begin to tune the guitar. She nearly laughed out loud at how comically bad it sounded. Each note, one by one, however, shifted and changed until it joined the one before it. And eventually, they began to play in harmony.

  Allie sat up and turned off the water, easing back into her former posture, sliding down until her head and hair were underwater, and then rose back up until the water rippled up beneath her chin. She wanted to be wrapped up in all this heat, letting the warmth seep into her bones, find each last inch of skin and muscle and ease them into sublime relaxation. A slow, lingering sigh slipped past her lips, bordering on a moan as she lifted her hands to her face and slicked back the water from her face.

  And then, from the other room, she heard Tyler begin to play. Just a few chords at first, as if he was just getting to know the guitar, and then a soft and beautiful melody ensued. The soothing sounds helped her to drift into daydream, where she imagined him—gratuitously naked, like the morning before—playing her father’s guitar by the fire. It was a good thought.

  Allie suddenly realized she couldn’t keep the genuine smile off her lips. What was he doing to her? She closed her eyes and sunk under the water, taking a moment to clear her mind—all the outside forces of sound and sight disappeared with her, drowned by the warm pressure of submersion—but that quiet second only revealed more powerfully, her growing feelings for Tyler.

  The cool air met her nose first, then her eyes, and finally her ears as she slowly rose again, this time to the sound of Tyler’s voice.

  “Wanna hear me play?” It was coming from the doorway, where he now stood.

  She flinched first, then reached for a nearby towel and quickly pulled it into the tub with her. “Uh…hi,” she stuttered, forcing an awkward smile as she made sure she’d covered any parts that mattered.

  He smiled, holding the guitar up by its neck. “May I?”

  “Uh--sure.” She clambered to sit up, holding the wet towel against her chest, “Come in.”

  Tyler stepped through the threshold and made a seat for himself atop the toilet; almost too close to her for comfort. Allie could feel the warmth rise inside her veins to match the temperature of the water, but that anxiety gradually subsided when his eyes never wandered her way. Instead, he raised the instrument to his lap and began to play her a song.

  She sunk back down into the water, resuming a comfortable position and simply watched him play. It was a beautiful instant with all the trappings of an intimate moment between two near-strangers relaxing into one another’s presence, and she felt solace with him, finally, for the first time.

  Allie couldn’t help but notice him in a different light altogether then; the sun setting through the small window above her. The vigilant rays touched the top of his golden hair, which pulled her eyes to his face. It was good face, she realized, more handsome now than she remembered even from moments ago. She watched him strum the chords, seemingly content in his ability to serenade her—anyone, for that matter—and felt the warm tingle of attraction seep to the surface of her skin.

  As the last note lingered under his fingertips, he raised his eyes from the strings and met her doting gaze. Allie’s breath fell silent, overcome by a sudden awakening within her heart; the only sound between them, the slow drip of the faucet at her toes and the pounding in her breast.

  She didn’t remember seeing Tyler set down the guitar, or even where he had left it, for that matter. It was a blur—happening so fast that the next thing she recalled was the soft touch of his hands sliding around her neck and up underneath her hair, rendering her utterly helpless against his advance. She strained the reach of her lips and took in one last gasp of air before his hungry kiss devoured her face. Finally, they had both given in.

  Gone was the tension in her muscles, the stress in her bones and the towel around her body, as she extended her arms and draped them around his shoulders. Now locked in her passionate embrace, Tyler gently lifted her from the blood-stained bath and carried her into the bedroom.

  Chapter 16

  Allie’s body hit the mattress first, and Tyler’s followed.

  “I’ve been waiting for this,” he whis
pered.

  Her lips pressed against him, hard. “Shut up,” she breathed, seemingly more interested in their physical dialogue. “Just kiss me.”

  Tyler lowered the weight of his body. The warmth of her smoldering skin seeped through his clothes as the steady rise of his desires pushed against his jeans. Her hands wandered from his shoulders, down his back—fingertips digging at his shirt--as he helped her to remove it. Finally, the flesh of both of their bodies rested together and he kissed her again.

  He took it all in—the softness of her skin, the suppleness of her breasts as they pressed against him like her lips. She was more beautiful now than he could have ever imagined, lying beneath him; her hair in dark, wet waves, spreading in all directions, and her smile shining in the center like the sun, as she stared up at him.

  “Hi,” he whispered, staring deeply in return.

  A softness had come over her—a gentleness in her eyes that told him that she had already given in to the tension between them—and he instantly felt he was truly seeing her for the first time.

  She smiled, mirroring his greeting, but without sound. He’d taken her breath away, he decided, and leaned in to breathe it back into her body by engaging her in yet another deeply indulgent kiss.

  Allie responded by pulling him close—closer now, than ever. Her heart beat powerfully against his, and suddenly it filled him with a deep longing to be tender to her, always, and the aching responsibility to protect her, not only from the danger of others, but from the beast crawling beneath his own skin.

  He pulled away.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Allie,” he confessed, his body reacting in ways he wasn’t familiar. His heart hammered against his chest wall and spoke for itself without permission, “I really like you.”

  “I know,” she smiled, ignoring his concern. “Now take these off.”

  She tugged at his belt—slid it off and set it on the bed beside them—then, hungrily pulled his zipper and pawed at his jeans until, together, they managed to peel them off.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Allie nodded. Her hands moved slowly down his body, causing his skin to quiver beneath her touch—every inch she covered kindling the fire inside his loins. Every muscle in his body tensed with expectation and he was sure now, that she could feel his swollen sex pressed firmly against her inner thigh.

  Her eyes shifted, to the window and back.

  Tyler’s gaze followed, but Allie quickly forced him to turn as she rolled with him to the edge of the bed.

  “This is for your own good,” she claimed, holding him down and sliding her legs over him.

  She guided his arms above his head, reached for his belt and, in one swift motion, began tying his hands to one of the iron bars of the headboard. Tyler felt the pinch of the leather as she pulled hard one last time on the loose end of the belt.

  Alas, a hint of satisfaction rushed to her face, “And mine.”

  She was right. Tyler glanced out the window—already, the sun was gone. Fear clawed at him, and he struggled against his bonds. But before the swift panic of his impending change could swallow him whole, he felt Allie’s touch on his chin.

  “Not tonight, Rockstar.” She pulled his focus back to her, and spoke a soft request, “I need you to stay with me.”

  Her eyes narrowed and locked onto his gaze. He wanted to trust her—that it was possible to control it the way she had said—but for her sake he also silently prayed that the belt would hold. That thought alone allowed the beast to rise to the surface momentarily and he shivered under its spell.

  “Right here,” she reiterated, drawing him back to her intense gaze. “It doesn’t control you.”

  “But I can’t—” he began.

  She cut him off.

  “Shhh…” she hushed, placing her finger on his lips. “Tonight, I’m in control.”

  He watched a smile creep across her lips and chose not to put up a fight. Besides, the idea of submission sounded a bit kinky, and it easily convinced him to keep from wrestling with his restraints. He would do as she said, he decided. He was at her mercy now.

  She lowered her soft curves down around his hips.

  Tyler struggled to breathe, a rush of anticipation building in his core; his legs and arms flexed to the point of aching. And the warmth of her body smothered him totally, as he felt the softness between her thighs welcome all of his manly desires.

  A deep and helpless moan rose from his chest and slipped from his mouth. She was closer now than ever before, but still, too immeasurably far for his liking. His hands so desperately wished to hold her—to clinch her hips and hold her right where she rested, right there. His wrists chafed against their restraints with reckless abandon, trying, yearning to touch her in ways that would make her squeal.

  But all he could do was watch, as Allie’s eyes rolled with pleasure and she slowly slid into position atop him. She placed her hands on his chest, sank her fingertips into his skin and settled her body even deeper into him.

  He moaned, and she echoed him with soft whimpers.

  The arch of her back elongated her torso—the lines of her abdomen a reminder of her fit physique—and she flung her hair to one side. It fell gently over her right breast, still left the other exposed. And Tyler watched the dark circle in its center shrink and harden with delight. His fingers, his skin, his tongue, all longed to tease her there, and in other places, too.

  A pleasant giggle escaped her lips and she smiled at him.

  He wanted to smile also, but his hands were growing increasingly numb in their desperate attempt to reach her. His knees were locked and thighs so tense they felt like blocks against her skin. He was in a slow panic, desperate and eager to be every part of this exchange as she was.

  Allie leaned into him, the ends of her tresses caressing the rigid muscles of his chest. He shuddered, powerlessly. The subtle touches were enough to make him crazy.

  “Stay with me,” she whispered, ever-so-near to his ear. The sound of her voice resonated through his body, surged through his veins and joined the anticipatory chill that already consumed him.

  He’d go mad if anywhere, but there was nowhere else he would rather be than with Allie right there, right then.

  “Oh, I’m not going anywhere,” he promised, tugging on his restraints to remind her of his imprisonment. Though inside, he silently prayed the beast would remain at bay long enough for him to enjoy, at the very least, another minute or so of being inside her.

  “Good boy,” she smiled. “I want you to look into my eyes, Tyler.”

  He did so, reluctant to believe that a single glance, a solitary smile or touch, could hold off the ferocious and vile creature he knew himself to be under the rising moon. Was her beauty enough to keep his attention and ignore it? Maybe, he hoped.

  But then, she began to move—slow at first, like a winding toy. Each inch of his flesh quivered inside her and it took every bit of him not to lose control completely. She knew exactly how to move and seemed content in proving so. Her whole body was in rhythm—lifting her knees, rocking her hips, bouncing her breasts—as she basked in the tease and torment of the moment. In her efforts to tame him, she herself unwound, wildly.

  And still, her eyes never left his.

  There were times as she rode him, violently and uninhibited, when he felt what he thought was the wolf creeping up his throat, struggling to emerge and take over. Panic ensued, and his skin grew moist with perspiration and dread. His blood pressure raised and fell with her body, and the undulating terror within his heart. But somewhere—between apprehension and the perpetual fear of transformation—Tyler realized that change, however unwelcomed, was inevitable.

  Just not the kind he was expecting.

  To be so vulnerable with Allie was to trust her, wholly, and the revolution that was taking place inside his heart while they made love was not that of an awful and fearsome legend, but something more terrifying altogether—love.

  Chapter 17
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br />   A long and tingling sigh rose from deep inside his chest as he laid his head back onto the bed.

  She was deliciously warm against him, and he felt dizzy, intoxicated. For several moments more, his thoughts swam in a blurred and incoherent delirium. Did that just happen?

  Allie nuzzled her lips against his neck, while her fingers grazed the hairs of his chest, and made a soft sound of pleasure. He wanted to stay like this forever and he told her so.

  The nearest window was coated in a thin mosaic of frost, chilled by the cold air outside the cabin. Through the delicate layer of ice, Tyler could see the distorted outline of the moon, full and pale, shining down. For a moment – the barest fragment of time – his breath caught in his throat, but the woman who lay across him stroked her hand across his chest as a faint shhhh escaped her lips.

  “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “You’re fine, now.”

  To his surprise, he felt the rest of his body relax. He sighed again, closing his eyes so he could immerse himself in the moment without the moon’s intrusion. When he opened them, the moon was still there.

  “What’s that smile for?” she asked him.

  He hadn’t realized he was smiling, and shrugged. “I just can’t remember the last time I’ve seen that and wasn’t afraid of it.”

  “The moon?”

  “The full moon, yeah,” he answered her. “It’s either full and I’m changing, or it’s almost full and I’m thinking about where I need to be when it finally is. Even when it’s all dark, I know I’m just halfway between changes and I start counting down the days until the wolf comes back.”

  She kissed his chest, sending a pleasant tingle across his body, “That’s a funny way to live.”

  “It is funny,” he whispered. “I remember reading this story about the first astronauts to land on the moon. They were just there, bathed in this white light, walking around, taking pictures, marveling in the complete weirdness of just being there, you know? And then one of them looked up and saw this bright and shining ball of light in the sky. On the moon, the sky is always black, right - like it's always night. But there, way above them, was the earth, looking just like the moon to them. Bright blue, and so far away...and yet, it was the most important thing to them in the whole sky."