Ross Lynch was stinky; and not a normal type of stinky. This was the kind of stinky that he wasn't sure just one shower would get out. It was the smell of rotten pork mixed with bananas and peppers and he was sure he even saw one of the elephants turn up their nose and start walking in the other direction from where he came from. While Laura had opted to head into the local town, along with his camera, to soak up more culture, as she told him earlier, he had headed to a private cooking lesson where he had prepared most of the perfect meal for him and Laura later tonight. Sajja, the chef that was way too fun in the kitchen, had showed him all the basics, plus more on how to make almost everything.
They had blessed the knives and the butcher block and all the other instruments they were about to use, and he had washed his hands up to his elbows - something that never ever happened with a Lynch. He had sliced and brushed, cut and sorted, mashed and squeezed and in the end, had three main dishes that not only he couldn't wait to eat, but he couldn't wait to see how she liked them. There were mushrooms and bamboo and vegetables galore in all of the dishes and Sajja had promised a surprise dessert that he was really excited about. Sajja had also gave him a heads up about the wines they had in stock, recommending the white shiraz and the reserve chenin blanc for the meals they had prepared. While Laura wasn't the biggest fan of white wine, he was going to have to make her try it.
Turning on the shower as soon as he stepped inside the tent, Ross stripped of the clothes he was wearing and dunked himself in the falling water. He didn't care if it was still ice cold, he needed the stink to be gone. He wasn't sure that Laura would even want to be around him for more than two minutes if this stink was going to stick with him. He certainly wouldn't. He could smell the peppers and the bananas and the pork...don't even get him started on the pork. He could eat it, but cooking with it like that for more than a half hour was probably not worth it. But then again, he had made the switch for the cooking class so he could make the same thing when they were back home instead of going to a Thai restaurant. Sighing, he silently smacked himself about that and continued to wash up again.
He wasn't sure when she would be back, but he did remind her before he left and she left that their time for the massages was at two...which looking at the clock on the bedside table just now, was only an hour away. He considered himself a guy's guy in every sense of the definition, however, he wouldn't pass up a chance for a massage. After traveling the world with his brothers, they were always traveling and some times when there was only one night between having a concert in two cities hundreds of miles apart, stress was inevitable. It was actually in Asia when Rydel had dragged him and Rocky to the spa in one of their hotels and made them get a massage with her and after that, he was hooked. Not only because of the gorgeous masseuse who had her hands all over his body, but mostly because of how good it actually felt. He remembered playing his guitar better than ever in the concerts that had followed and don't get him started on how many encores followed.
When Ross had made the reservations for everything, he kept the exact massage open, so she could chose what she wanted. He, on the other hand, he knew exactly what he wanted and he was counting down the minutes until he'd be on a flat table and letting all the stress disappear from his body. Pulling the bathrobe hanging on the hook, Ross covered his wet body and turned off the shower head, and just in time too as he heard a few knocks on the post outside. Dragging his fingers through his still wet hair, he tied it shut and was just a little surprised to see Dara and the masseuses standing behind her.
"Hi, Mr. Lynch. Sorry to disturb. Just wanted to introduce you to Anna and Kalaya, the masseuses for you and Ms. Marano."
Ross made his pleasantries with the two women before they started to set up and as they were doing that, he finished cleaning himself up, still praying that the smell was off his body now.
"Quick question," he turned at Laura's voice and was surprised at just how many bags she had in her hand. Who went to a small village and came back with five bags full of things? Laura wasn't a notorious retail shopper, so seeing her with all those in her tiny hands was a bit of a surprise. "We have extra room in both of our suitcases for these, right?"
"What the hell did you buy?"
"Things," Laura bit her tongue over her lip as he started to peek into the bags now taking residence on the bed. "I couldn't resist. The village was adorable and I want to come here every year now. All the locals were telling me stories and then showing me things and Ross," Laura placed a hand on his robe covered arm, "I might have a sap story problem."
"Oh, I know you do. What is this?" he picked up one of the trinkets that fell out.
"It's for your mom. The girl who made it had this big story about it being part of this bigger relic and she had made a ton of pieces of out it. You don't think your mom would like them?"
"What are they?"
"They're earrings, Ross," Laura pointed out, turning them around in his hands. "You don't like them?"
"I didn't even know what they were two seconds ago," he pointed out, although that was already obvious to her. "I don't actually pay attention to what my mom wears in her ears either."
"I'll change that," Laura plucked the earrings from his hand and placed them back in the bag, and Ross hoped she was making a mental note to pack all of her purchases in her own suitcase and not his own. They only brought two suitcases for a purpose - so they wouldn't buy the whole village, which she apparently had done. "Are those the masseuses out there?"
Ross nodded, going to pull the other robe from inside the water closet for her while she stuffed the bags beside the bed instead of leaving them on it. He stopped just short of her and smirked, watching her try to fling her boots off with just her toes instead of sitting down and taking them off properly. He wanted to make a smart comment about Cinderella and being careful with her glass slippers, but that would earn him a smack. Instead, he snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and placed his chin on her shoulder.
"You know it's a sauna in here, right?"
"And it's only going to get hotter tonight." Her hands softly covered his and she turned around in his embrace. "Besides buying out everyone, did you have fun in the village?"
"Yea," she pecked his lips, "I did. It was fun being a tourist for a little bit."
"Well, we are tourists. Ready for our massages?"
"God, yes," Laura tipped her head back just a bit and unlocked herself from his frame, grabbing the robe and making a quick change into it. "And then we get dinner..."
"That I made," he slipped in as they both left the inside of the tent and ventured out to where the tables were, sliding onto them.
"I can't wait." And he could hear it in her voice. She really couldn't.
Do you remember that time when you were young and you snuck out of the house really late at night to go late night swimming in your best friend's pool two blocks over and her hot neighbor had turned it around into a skinny dipping party instead? No? Well, that was kind of the feeling that Laura was having right now. She and Ross may had left their teenage years behind, however, the thrill of getting caught like a pair of teenagers in the resort's pool at two thirty in the morning with absolutely nothing on topped acting their age. They were teenagers. They were so teenagers right now.
Water was splashed in her face and it only want to make her splash right back, so she did. She splashed and splashed and splashed until he was dripping from the top of his head until the tip of his chin. Laura bit her lip as soon as she met his eyes, trying to outrun him and knowing she wouldn't make it very far since they were in the water and all. Trying to be quiet while playing a game of Marco Polo with him all naked and sparkling in the moonlight was not an easy game at all. In fact, it was taking all of her being not to use her strength to push him back against the side of the cemented wall and have her way with him. Just like he almost did with her in his parents' pool months ago. Only difference was that there were no other people around and what the hell, why was she resisting this?
She caught the glint in his eyes just as he pushed his hair back on his head, the wetness holding it in place. The flash had turned away from the playfulness and into something more hunger filled. She tapped her fingers against his chest, her own wet skin slithering up against his and loving the feeling when he ran his hands down her sides and over her back, pulling her closer to him as his back hit the wall. "Did I thank you for dinner yet?" she asked in a low and hushed tone.
"I don't want to say yes," he flirted back with her, his own fingertails raking over her bare legs under the water.
"I think I should thank you again," she brushed her lips lightly on his mouth, before moving to his cheeks and his chin. She felt the water soak into her own skin, going lower and lower with each kiss. She thought she saw the surprise all over his face when she submerged her entire body underneath the water. It was dark above the water and even darker beneath since the resort had shut down for the night, with guests all nestled up in their tents surrounding the river, except for them. They were the rule breakers here and thankfully, she was good at finding treasure and even better at holding her breathe her long periods of time. She would've made an excellent deep sea diver in another life.
Laura watched as his right leg started to twitch as her mouth covered his entire shaft and when she started with her tongue swirls around it, that was when his left leg couldn't stop moving. It raised up and down and up and down again. Trying to make it even more pleasurable for him, and for her too, she brushed over his upper thigh and tapped his member lightly, letting it go for just a moment to smile at his actions. Her hands still on his thighs, she rubbed them all over his skin, only lifting her head momentarily for a deep breath and she was back under the water, kissing down to his tip again. There were more jerks of his leg before she found herself being pulled up and twirled around, her back pressing to the edge of the pool now. "Hey, not fair..."
Looking up at Ross as he smushed her lips together, his finger over his own lips like he was reminding her to be quiet. She didn't need the reminder at all really...well, maybe she did, since he was the one ducking under the water now. She had to get better with her outbursts during sex, she really did...but the things he always did to her and was doing to her right now, they deserved and beckoned to be screamed about. Laura bit down hard on her lip, trying to be quiet as his tongue was making tiny swirls inside her. It really made her want to scream and moan and pull on his head to go deeper. Then she remembered he was under the water and drowning him in both her and the pool wouldn't do anyone any good. She held tight onto the edge of the pool, her chest rising up and down, exposing her breasts to the coolness in the air and the cool water all at the same time. Her nipples were pert and sighs escaped her body as his lips covered one and his thumb caressed the other. "You are really not fair," she managed to get out of her lips when he cut her off, biting at her bottom lip.
"Want to talk about not fair? Not fair is you just looking at me."
He didn't even give her a chance to answer before his lips were on his own again. Her hands reached up to his neck, and the wet strands of his hair weaved through her fingers. She could still feel his hands rubbing over her breasts and down the front of her body. He twirled them around again, and pulled them out into the middle of the pool where she wrapped herself around him.
"Ross," she murmured in between kisses.
"Hmm?"
"If we don't want to get caught, we need to go back to our tent."
"But I want to get caught."
"And I want to get loud," Laura pressed her nose down on his, opening her eyes just a little to see his. "Of course, you are more than welcome to do me right here and I promise you that even the elephants will wake up to my screams."
Laura watched Ross's eyes light up with mischeviousness and if she was a little bit braver, would've said the hell with it and done that all right then. But she was Laura Marano, who, while she liked the thrill of being on the verge of getting caught not only skinny dipping past the allotted hours that the pool was open, but also screwing the man she loved, would prefer if they were inside their quarters where she could get as loud as she wanted throughout the night and most of the next day. Watching him think this all over in his mind, Laura kissed him again, her tongue drawing on his lips slowly as she shimmied her way out of his grip and towards the edge of the lagoon.
As seductively as she could, she curled her finger for him to follow her. Laura wasn't going to wait to watch him jump out of the pool himself, because if she did, they certainly would not make it back to their room at all and she would have to have him right there. Her feet padded softly on the pathway leading away, water dripping from her body on the grassy areas surrounding it all and she started to walk back to their private space in the middle of the jungle...but just as she was going to pass a few other buildings on her way there, she was pushed against one of the bamboo poles and his hands pulled her arms up, pining them over her head as he kissed her again.
Laura's arms hovered in the air before his grip loosened and she crawled her way over his muscles that engulfed her. Rubbing her nose lightly across his own, she shook her head. "Not here."
"Now who's not being fair..."
Holding back a giggle, she grabbed his hands and pulled him along the path again. She jumped as one of them escaped her hold and rounded the skin on her bum. It really didn't take long for them to get back to their own tent and in between the five other tents they passed, there were kisses exchanged and low moans from both of them. There was him and his wandering hands feeling her up and her own wandering hands making him shiver in every corner of his body. They were just steps from the open deck of their tent when he pulled her flush against his body, and she felt all of his arousal on her; all the arousal that she wanted inside her.
It was still dark and the only thing she could see was the white of his eyes and the way the stars were actually twinkling above her as he laid her down on the white lounge that they'd been using to enjoy the sunsets all week long. Tonight, however, they'd be using it for another reason all together. She felt his lips being pressed against her neck and his hand moving her legs apart so his fingers had better access. His blond hair disappeared down her body and as she grasped for his lower arms for something other than the cushion to hold on to, she let her screams go and her moans, and all the other cries she had been holding in while they were at the pool.
Ross kissed her at her center and she watched him lick his fingers clean. He pulled at her arms again, his fingers interlocking with hers and holding them above her head once again. He stared down at her with an unreadable expression and just as she leaned up to get closer to him, he entered her and what could only be described as a yelp escaped her mouth.
It was slow at first, like he was trying to savor every moment, and they wouldn't get this opportunity again for a long time. She'd definitely have something to say about that thought later on. His thrusts were as slow as they could be, and she was itching for them to be fast. Definitely faster...like they were bunnies, but he had other plans...and they involved slow, and sweet and proving that they could really go all night long. They could. They've done it before. But this time around, it was a little bit more. The night after they said their first 'I love yous' was like this too; and the night in Cape Town when they both realized this was truly more than just a movie romance.
This had 'thinking about the future' and 'what do we do next' written all over it and while she kind of would love to know the answers to both of those right now, she was enjoying his hands all over her and really enjoying the tingles going from the top of her finger tips to the edges of her toes, making them curl up. Wriggling her wrists free, Laura let her hands roam over his drying hair, pushing it back from his face while he entered her over and over again. She lifted her body slightly, kissing his cheeks, his chin, his nose and met his thrusts as they started to become more urgent.
"That's good babe," Ross uttered, his hands finding her breasts again. That was a bit short-lived though, as he spread her legs wider, pulling one leg over his shoulder completely. His mouth covered hers again, kissing her soundly as he drove into her again.
"Oh my God...Ross..." her breath hitched in her throat before his fingers joined his member inside her and her climax was coming sooner than she expected. "There, right there. Yes..." she clutched onto his shoulders, her nails making marks on them. "God, yes."
"Lau..." Ross couldn't even finish her name as she cried out as he drove into the last few times. She let go and felt him pull his fingers out of her, licking his finger before giving her her own taste. His pace slowed again, his lips pulling her into a deep kiss. "God, I love you."
She smiled against him, placing a kiss along his forehead and by his ear as his heart rate slowed against her chest. "I love you too." And she did. So, so much. "And to think I haven't thanked you for letting me have my phone back yet."
Ross lifted his head just a little, and the flirtatiousness in his eyes and in hers...well, she was thankful they still had all night.
They had slept in late and when he said late, he meant late. It was nearly noon when they both emerged from their tent and towards the lobby to see if there was actually any way the chefs would make them breakfast instead of lunch because they had slept so late. He hadn't meant to, but in between their late night skinny dipping fun and the more fun afterwards that had lasted and lasted and lasted...well, it was kind of inevitable. Now just past one, they had returned back to the tent and while he had been done packing within minutes, she was still trying to shove all of her items, plus her purchases into her case; and it was funny to see.
Normally, Laura had a plan with packing. She laid out everything, rolled clothes up and mocked up a plan on paper to how it all would fit. This time, it wasn't that simple. He had told her before she left for the village that there wasn't any room for big purchases, but clearly she had not heard him. Or, she did and just chose to ignore it. Laura was always that type of person that loved to give and always had gifts for everyone, no matter who they were. He actually remembered getting a little stuffed kangaroo from her after a trip to Australia - the one that he was on with her. While he loved her giving side, this time around, he didn't. He was sure that the recipients would love the gifts and everything, but he was betting that none of it would be fitting inside her case and honestly, there was no real need to pick up any gifts.
This trip was a him and her trip, not a him, her, and everyone else trip. In fact, this trip turned out so much better than he expected. From the surprise in her eyes and the pictures he had taken, to that scorpion statue that he really really really wanted to take home and even them telling each other just why they loved each other. In his mind, he was already planning another trip. Maybe this time, somewhere tropical, and still off the map.
Ross smiled as another piece of clothing ended up on his head while he was sitting outside on the lounge. Looking back over his shoulder, he leaned over and was trying to hold in his laughter at her. She was almost fuming because she couldn't get everything he had packed for her plus the gifts inside without making her case pooch out just a little bit. "How you doing there?"
"Fine," she snapped as her shoulders slumped. "Sorry. I'm just frustrated and we leave in a few hours."
"Four hours to be exact," Ross glanced at his watch before standing up from the lounge and coming back inside to at least try and help her. "This is yours," he handed her the shirt that was tossed on his head before looking down at all of the contents of her case spread over the bed.
"Are you sure you don't have any room in your suitcase?" Laura looked up at him with her honey hued eyes, the ones that he would jump over the moon for.
"Don't look at me like that. You know that those eyes, those exact eyes make me do crazy things."
"Like share part of your suitcase for gifts that are meant for your family?"
"Just like I did in Cape Town..." Ross pushed a few of the items towards the center of the bed and let his hands run up her bare legs that had been tempting him since three o'clock the day before.
Laura walked into him, her arms hanging loosely around his shoulders as she leaned down and kissed him softly. "Please," she almost whispered. "I promise it will be worth it."
He smiled into her mouth as his fingers drew circles in the cave of the back of her knees. "It's always worth it. Can you promise me next time that there will be no buying an abundance of gifts?"
"I won't say promise to no gifts...I can say that I'll try," Laura smiled at him, brushing a few hairs of his blonde mane back from his own eyes. "Please..."
"Start packing it all up into your case and we'll see what's left over," he relented. There really was not a way he could say no to her. Never would be. He kissed her one more time before she got to work on packing the suitcase up again - and by his count, this would be the sixth time. Clothes were rolled and stacked, bathroom stuff on top, her sandals put into the slots in between before she spread the jacket - the one he had bought, and she only wore once during their trip - over the remaining blank areas. There, she placed all of the gifts inside, providing a sort of cushion and safety net for the items. The ones that were left over, which actually weren't many, Ross slipped into his own case.
"See, that wasn't that hard," she playfully jabbed at him.
"Watch me take them right back out," he joked and placed her own suitcase by his. Turning back to her, he watched her flop on the bed like she was tuckered out and he rolled his eyes. "Not a chance," he grabbed her hands and pulled her right back up.
"But, bed..."
"Nope."
"Where are we going?"
"Roaming."
And that's exactly what they did. They roamed around the jungle resort, walking alongside the low banks of the Kok River, dipping their hands in the cool water before they stumbled upon a few mahouts giving the elephants some baths at the end of the property line. Both of the elephants they had trained when they first arrived were enjoying the water and getting spic and span. Although, Thong Kam still liked to spray the water. Her mahout was absolutely soaking and as soon as she saw Ross, well, let's just say that the elephants never forget saying is absolutely true.
It didn't take a long time at all before Ross was soaking as well. As he stripped of his shirt, he listened to her tiny little chuckle off to his side. "You think this is funny?"
"Yes. It's very funny. She likes you."
"I think she needs to like you as much as me then," Ross shook his hair out and tossed the shirt on the ground. He reached out to her, surprising Laura just a little bit and pulled her into his arms. Walking her towards the elephants, he called out to the elephant. "Come on Thong Kam, you can spray Laura now."
"Ross!"
"I promise you'll like her as much as you like me," Ross teased as Laura tried to wiggle out of his grip.
"Ross," she squealed his name again as the elephant came closer. He was banking on her letting the water in her trunk loose and fall all over both of them. If Laura was getting some of it too, it wouldn't be that bad. Secretly, he wanted her to get soaked, just for some payback. Then, he could laugh at her too. But Thong Kam wasn't spraying Laura. In fact, the gigantic animal was almost feeling her up.
The trunk went all over Laura's face and her arms and was about to reach down to her legs - the legs he had laid claim on years ago - when he turned Laura around and Thong Kam got him instead. The mahouts were laughing at the two and just when Ross was expecting more water over his head, the elephant just softly nudged him aside and he tumbled into the muddy river inside.
"Come on, Thong Kam. Really?" He looked over at Laura, who was trying really hard not to laugh her head off like the mahouts were. But she was failing...miserably. Her face broke out into a wide smile as she treaded over to where he was.
"This is what you get for teasing an elephant."
And this is what you get for laughing at me throughout it all, Ross thought, latching onto her hand that she was extending to help him up. But he just wasn't getting up at all, he was just pulling her towards him and getting her all muddy as well. He wasn't the only one who was going to get dirty here. She screamed and then it was his turn to laugh. There was mud on her legs, on her shorts, on her shirt and on her cheek. There was even mud in her hair and it was hilarious.
"Okay, game on," Laura squinted her eyes at him, and dug into the river to fish out some mud, which she proceeded to spread over his shirtless chest.
"That's all you got?" He teased her, not really thinking it could get any worse.
It did.
It got much worse and by the time they had trudged back to their tent, they were in need of major showers and another outfit all together. He never knew how much smack she could talk until now and he smirked knowing that if ever the occasion came up, she could win a mud wrestling title. Thinking about that and the way she was shoving mud down his pants in the river was turning him on way too much.
"What are you thinking about?" Her question brought him out of his trance and he was sure she could see straight through him about what he was thinking about, especially with that smirk plastered across his face.
"Just how much I don't want to go home; and how much I love mud wrestling with you."
Laura looped her still wet hair back into a ponytail and came to stand in front of him by the bed. Curling her arms around his middle, she placed a kiss to his exposed chest. "Not as much as I love wrestling with you."
"We can do more of that, right? Because that was fun."
"Even the part where I was putting mud in your mouth?"
"I was more thinking of your hands in my pants..."
"Of course you were," she smiled up at him with a twinkle in her eye. "You'll find them back in your pants when we get home."
Author Request: If you review (please do!), also let me know about dream co-stars for Laura. Working on the next few chapters and they involve a new project that I don't know who to cast.