Seduced by Innocence (14 page)

Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.

— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Dear Diary,

I laid myself bare before him tonight, in the most intimate way I could without crossing those dangerous lines drawn in blood and flesh. My pulse quickens each time I reflect on the memory of his fingers probing, rubbing, caressing my body. I surprised myself tonight with my boldness, offering him all of me, if only from a distance.

I'm not ashamed, though. We witnessed each other, and isn't that what a relationship is about? Bearing witness to one another, witnessing and being witnessed so that our acts of love, passion, kindness, adventure… all the moments that make us human, so that these acts have meaning and memory beyond ourselves?

Whatever else happens, he will forever know me, and I will forever know him.

WRAPPED IN HIS
arms, covered by a thick comforter, I'd never felt so safe. We'd reluctantly donned clothes after our Jacuzzi encounter, but neither of us wanted to sleep separately, so we joined each other in the master suite, like newlyweds forbidden their night's pleasure but holding on to the companionship left to them.

Sleep pulled me into the dark world of dreams after hours of whispering harmless secrets to each other and stealing kisses that could never lead to more. When the sun scared my dreams away and brought me back to him, I found that we hadn't moved much in the night. His arms still wrapped around me, my head cupped in his arm as his chest and body curved around mine, pressing into me.

He kissed my head and mumbled good morning, and against my ass, his cock twitched awake, hard and needy as it poked into me. Feeling more than a little naughty, I pressed myself harder against him, reveling in the feel of that hardness digging into me, desperate to escape his pajama bottoms.

He groaned and brought his lips to my neck, nipping at me. "Don't get me started. I need to use the bathroom and you have rules, as I recall."

Yes, my damn rules. I wished I could throw them out the window and impale myself on his incredible cock.

Instead, we both got up and did our morning routine, and I took Sandy out for a short walk.

Derek caught up to us at the door. "Can I join you, or do you need some alone time?"

I held out my gloved hand. "Please, come."

He winked at me. "I did. Last night. But I much preferred watching you come."

Despite my scarlet face, spreading my legs and coming for him was the most erotic moment of my life. I couldn't wait to fulfill other fantasies with him, and I had more confidence that I might someday be able to control my powers after last night. Maybe it was the water, or maybe it was me, but I'd caught myself before my power took over, and I'd been able to pull away. I hadn't hurt him, hadn't even come close. True, I hadn't been able to keep touching him after that, but it was more restraint than I'd previously had, and it gave me hope.

Morning dew had turned to ice, leaving the world encased in crystal. A brave squirrel ran up a tree, perhaps looking for his storage of nuts. In the layers beyond sight, the forest teemed with life. Bugs scurrying about their day, small animals looking for shelter, plants and trees stretching their roots deeper into the hard soil. I breathed in the stillness of the morning, only to find myself reflecting on how very much alive it all was, even if I couldn't see it.

Sandy sniffed around, then found a spot to do her business.

Derek pulled me against his chest. "What are you thinking about? It looks serious."

I kissed the cleft in his chin and smiled. "Not really. It's remarkable how much is going on around us that we never see or notice. We think we're at the center of things, but we're oblivious to so much."

"Would you want to be more aware of all that? To hear and see and smell the things humans can't?"

His question felt weighty and important, but I couldn't fathom why. "I really would. Maybe it would be distracting or overwhelming, I don't know, but I'd risk it to be more connected to life."

My stomach chose that moment to growl, and Derek laughed. "We need to get you back to the cabin for some breakfast. I've been told I make a mean omelet."

Walking hand in hand, Derek told me about his adventures growing up with his sister and brother, and the holiday trips they would take here at Christmas and summer. "We'd build tree forts and play hide and seek. Down the trail there's a lake. It would be frozen now, but in the summer we'd swing from a tree and dive into it, seeing who could splash the highest."

"Sounds like you and your siblings are close."

His face darkened. "We are."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad thoughts. How's your brother doing?"

"The same. My parents are looking for ways to help him, but the doctors are stumped."

"May I ask what happened?"

He hesitated, and somehow I knew that what he was about to say wouldn't be the whole truth. "He was in an accident while out hiking and is in some kind of coma."

"I'm so sorry." I squeezed his hand. "I hope he recovers quickly."

"So do I. But enough of that. Let's get some food in you."

I sat at the bar watching him cook. The frying bacon made my mouth water, and my stomach rumbled. "Can't I just eat a small bowl of cereal while you finish? I promise it won't ruin my appetite. You have my favorite, Captain Crunch."

He looked up from chopping bell peppers. "I only bought that because you begged me to. I don't know how you can eat that stuff, it's like eating children's toys."

"Eating Captain Crunch is a valid life choice, don't knock it."

The pan on the stove sizzled with butter. "You can bask in that life choice another time. This will only take a few minutes. I don't think you'll starve."

Hopping down from the stool, I joined him in the kitchen. "You never know. At least let me help. It'll keep my hands busy and my mind off my impending starvation."

"I can think of better ways to keep your hands busy." He trailed his finger over my collarbone.

I shivered from the heat between us.

Then he pulled back and handed me a bowl. "You can get the eggs ready."

Our morning progressed in companionable banter. After a delicious breakfast that was well worth the wait, we took Sandy for another walk as he regaled me of stories from his childhood.

Ocean texted, asking how it was going. I gave her a quick run-down of our Jacuzzi escapades, and I could practically hear her screaming in excitement.

That afternoon we cuddled in front of the fire, and Derek read me passages from his favorite books. The cabin had a fully stocked library with all of the classics, books of poetry and many contemporary favorites. His deep voice soothed me as he read bits of Shakespeare and sections from Milan Kundera.

During a particularly long passage, my eyes fluttered closed, and I laid my head on his lap as he stroked my hair while he read.

Time passed in gusts of words, and when I opened my eyes again, the sun had set and the fire had died down. I sat up and stretched. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes. I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful."

I shivered. "It got cold."

He stood. "I'll get the fire going again."

When he bent over to add more wood, he stiffened.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a crick in my neck." He stoked the fire until it burned bright then came to sit next to me.

I reached for his neck and kneaded it with my fingers. "You're tense. Would you like a massage? I've been told I'm pretty good."

He reached for my fingers and kissed them through the gloves. "I'd love one, but only if you're sure."

A chance to touch his body from head to toe? Yeah, I was sure. "Yes. But, for it to be effective, you should probably strip down. And do we have any massage oil or grapeseed oil?"

My voice sounded professional and matter-of-fact, like I did nude massages all the time, but inside I quivered with nerves. I'd be fully clothed and he'd be naked. The thought aroused me.

I found a sheet in one of the pantries and laid it over the thick bearskin rug in front of the fire. "You can lay down here to stay warm."

He handed me a bottle of grapeseed oil, then pulled off his clothes, one piece at a time.

My eyes took in the sight of him. Though I'd seen him naked in the water, this was different. His cock had already stiffened and pushed against his ripped stomach when he freed it from his boxers. I sat on my knees in front of him, oil in hand, frozen. It would have been so easy to reach forward with my mouth and lick the tip of his cock, but I
did
want to give him a massage.

I cleared my throat. "Okay, lay down on your stomach."

He did as told, and I admired his backside, which I hadn't gotten a clear view of the night before. His perfectly muscled body and the curve of his ass begged for skin on skin contact. Since I wouldn't be getting too sexually aroused—I hoped—I pulled off my gloves and dripped the oil into my hands, then rubbed the length of his back.

Following the direction of his muscles, I used different techniques to work out his knots and relax his muscles. When I reached his ass, I worked on his hips, then used my thumbs to massage the pressure points at the base of his back.

Moving lower, I deliberately dipped my hands between his thighs, allowing my fingers to lightly stroke his exposed balls.

A growl started in his chest as I cupped them and massaged them.

Before he could get too distracted, I worked my way down his legs and feet. "Okay, time to turn over so I can do your front."

I knew how I wanted to end this massage, but first I needed to build up the anticipation.

"Close your eyes."

Once they were closed, I rubbed along his forehead, and eyebrows, massaging the pressure points on each, then gently stroking his eyelids with my thumbs. Down his jawline I moved, using my longer fingers to rub at his neck while I did.

To each part of his body, I gave my complete attention, memorizing the feel of him. I skipped his groin area, but still stared at his growing cock as I massaged the front of his legs and feet, then worked myself back up to his hips.