Mature Content Warning
Katie
We're up before the sun. Our tents have long been torn down, our makeshift breakfast eaten so long ago I'm starting to get hungry again.
It's crazy what you can learn about people when you're in nature like this, when there's no distractions of technology or careers or school.
Kenny? Not a morning person. We've been hiking for three solid hours now, and his communication consisted solely of grunts and head shakes until about twenty minutes ago.
His sister Paige, on the other hand, has been loudly discussing her favorite and least favorite airlines for international travel for the last hour. (And while she's "not saying that United is a bad airline, they did run out of water with five hours of flight time left.")
The seven of us are in a solid line on the trail. Kenny leads the way – he probably picked it because there's less talking involved up there – and is followed closely by Paige, Sierra, Reed, Seth, me, and Joey.
This hike to God's Bath is going to take every bit of twelve hours, maybe more. It's the farthest Seth and I will have gone on a single day, almost thirty miles. I've never been so lean in my life. My calves and thighs are tight and muscular, and I stopped needing to apply sunscreen religiously a few days ago. I'm actually tan.
I'm sure if Seth weren't already built like a Greek god, he would be toning up, too.
I love it here. Yosemite is the most amazing place I've been to. Better than Montana and Olympia, and maybe even La Push.
"So Joey," I say once we reach a relatively flat section of trail and I'm able to catch my breath. "What's your story?"
Behind me, Joey chuckles. "S'pretty boring."
I huff a breath, gaze focused on the tightly packed soil beneath our feet. This portion of trail is mostly shaded and is almost too dark under the rim of Seth's baseball cap. "Tell me anyway."
"Well," Joey says, "I work for a big publishing firm in D.C. Even outside of work, everything's high stress. Everywhere you look, there's a protest or a campaign. Even the fuckin' public transportation gives me hives."
I let out a dry laugh, reaching for the water canteen clipped to my hip as Joey continues.
"It's just a lot. So, once a year, I take a week or two of vacation and just… go. Like I said, I met Paige and Kenny here, like, three years ago?" His voice has gone thick.
I remember what he said last night about Paige. He'd tried to play it off jokingly then, but part of me wonders.
I slow my stride, breaking away slightly from Seth and the rest of the group. "Did you mean what you said about her?" Hopefully my voice is low enough that it won't carry to the front of the group over the crunching of our boots on the path.
Facing forward, I don't get the facial expression that accompanies Joey's intake of breath. "She's…"
He's quiet for a full minute, and I actually glance back to make sure he's still following me.
"I'm worried that if I bring it out of the park, it won't… this place is magical, you know?" He scoffs a laugh, and his voice drops lower again. "She lives in Australia."
"Seth and I did long distance at the beginning," I remind him.
Joey laughs lightly. "Do you want to guess how many miles are between D.C. and Bunbury?"
The path widens out, and up ahead Seth is settling in with Reed, and Paige slots in next to Sierra. Joey closes the gap, and we're side by side, too.
"Five thousand?" I guess weakly.
"Eleven thousand, six hundred and twenty-five miles."
He lets the enormity of that number hang in the air, and up ahead, we watch Paige throw a vine that looks suspiciously like a snake at Kenny.
"They're twelve hours ahead of D.C.," Joey continues. "The flights alone are upwards of five thousand dollars, not to mention almost two full days of travel time either way you're going. You can't do every other weekend like that."
And I thought three hours was bad. At least Seth and I were in the same time zone.
"But you've thought about it," I say softly. "Did the research, at least."
"Obviously. I mean, look at her." When I glance at him, the tops of his cheekbones are glowing pink.
I recall the early days of my relationship with Seth. How quicky he went from a stranger to the person I wanted to share even the most mundane details of my day with.
There were nights we'd stay up until one, two in the morning, texting or talking even when we had early starts the next day. We fell asleep on each other more times than I can remember, and the next morning, when I was still half-asleep and begging Ashley not to make me get out of bed, I'd still be eerily happy.
Like I'd do it all over again the next night if it meant I got to talk to Seth for any amount of time.
"I know it's different," I start, "but for what it's worth, I don't regret any part of my relationship with Seth. When you want…"
Up ahead, Seth laughs loudly at something, and my heart does a little flip inside my throat.
Flashbacks of last night flutter behind my eyelids, and my skin heats at the memory. If we weren't surrounded by other tents, I think I would have let him have me right there. Or tried, at least.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts. "When you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, any amount of time apart isn't easy, and any amount of time together isn't enough."
The group has stopped up ahead by a stream, refilling canteens and dropping in water purification tablets. I have to stifle a sigh; I do love it here, but I also miss ice water.
"Did you just horribly misquote When Harry Met Sally?" Paige chimes in a cheerful Australian lilt.
I see Joey bristle out of the corner of my eye.
Seth comes over, unclipping my canteen and beginning to fill it for me. "Katie thinks rom coms are stupid," he says, looking up at me from underneath his lashes. He winks. "But probably. We've watched that one about five times."
I gasp. "Have not! That's the worst one!"
Seth's eyes twinkle, and I know before he opens his mouth I'm going to be extremely embarrassed by whatever comes out next. "Oh, Katie Kat, I beg to differ."
After a rousing chorus of agreement that my name for the remainder of this trip will strictly be Katie Kat, we start up on the path again. Seth settles closer to us, and I realize with a little flutter that Paige does, too.
Maybe the attraction Joey feels isn't a one-way street.
According to Sierra, we make good time, and reach God's Bath just as the sun starts to think about dipping below the horizon. I'm glad we have a few usable hours of light left, because this place is just… wow.
I don't know what I thought a swimming basin would look like, but this place sums it up perfectly. A small cascade of water cuts through the landscape of the basin we hiked down to, nestled directly into the river.
The sides of the basin are smooth near the water's surface and jagged up higher, where the water hasn't worn down the limestone yet. The cascades are bright white and spill into clear pools of blue green.
I'm still taking everything in when Reed lets out a whoop, dropping his pack and sliding out of his shoes and shirt. I can only watch, still frozen in awe, as he makes his way to the edge. I'm not even sure he has both socks off before he's cannonballing into the deepest part of the water.
Sierra sighs heavily and turns to us. "Don't be that stupid, please."
Seth and I, as "God's Bath Virgins", get a full safety briefing as the others strip down. Don't jump too close to the edges, make sure if we're attempting the tunnel between the smaller hole and the larger basin that we're actually capable of it, et cetera.
It's most of the same rules as cliff jumping in La Push. But at a much more palatable height for someone like me.
As everyone else drops their discarded clothes and packs into a pile, I stiffen. Blood rushes to my face so fast I get a little dizzy.
Seth picks up on it right away. "Katie? Are you okay?" His voice drops lower. "Did she say something upsetting?"
I can't even think about my residual trauma right now. The obstacle currently in front of me feels much more insurmountable.
"I don't have a bathing suit," I mumble, looking at the rocks underneath us.
The guys are in their underwear, and Paige and Sierra stripped to their undergarments, which is great for them. But I'm not that kind of girl. I'm a strict one-piece wearer for life.
"Aw, Katie," Seth croons. He's not doing a good job of hiding the amusement in his tone, and I shoot him a death glare. His features straighten themselves out quickly. "I don't think anybody will notice. I can go first?"
I shift my gaze from the ground to the sky. There are a few hours left until sunset, but with the trees behind us and the rock wall in front of us, it's likely less than that, and we need to leave time to set up camp.
"I've never…" I feel eyes on me, from our new friends and other miscellaneous travelers.
Seth steps in front of me, blocking me from everyone's view. "Talk to me, baby. Tell me what you're thinking."
Hot tears sting at my eyes unexpectedly, and I blink them away. "My body is… I have tattoos in private places, Seth. That only you and I were ever supposed to see."
I balance on the sides of my hiking boots, but the ankle support digs in too harshly, and I correct my stance.
Seth studies my face with a look of concern that makes me ache – in my chest and below the belt. "What happens in Yosemite stays in Yosemite?" He grins. "If it helps, your legs are looking killer right now."
A surprised laugh escapes my lips, and the tension in my body breaks. "Will you make everybody close their eyes? I know that's probably juvenile and I'm twenty years old, but—"
"Of course I will," he says, his palm cupping my cheek. "Now let's get almost naked."
As promised, Seth makes everyone avert their eyes as I quickly undress. He's describing the way the river has cut through the basin after so many thousands of years, pointing out a fossil of a fish high on the side that they won't be able to see with human eyes.
The distraction works, and I'm able to scurry to the ledge, jumping in unsupervised.
The rush.
The water bites at my skin, shocking and then soothing my aching muscles. It's lukewarm at best, but it eases me into a state of relaxation that's hard to describe. I want to commemorate this moment, these people, capture it and store it up forever. Tap into this feeling when I've had a hard day or am feeling anything less than this alive.
I paddle over to Seth and the others, who are taking turns hauling themselves up the side of the basin to jump in again.
"You did it," Seth murmurs into my ear. His arm brushes against mine, warmer than the water we're treading, and for some reason it makes me shiver. "I'm proud of you."
I find his hand underwater, tangling our fingers together even though it makes it harder to stay afloat. "Thank you. For everything. For this idea, for this trip. For forcing me outside my comfort zone."
He paddles backward and drags me along, finding an underwater rock that acts as a bench. Suddenly, his hands are on my thighs, and he's pulling me to straddle his lap.
"Seth," I gasp. "What are you—"
"I just need to hold you for a second," he says, his voice almost anguished as his grip floats away from my legs. "Is that okay?"
My heart thuds behind my ribs, and when I look down, I realize my nipples are clearly visible through this bra. And clearly very hard.
Seth looks down too. He lets out a soft groan.
Goosebumps break out over my skin, and although I feel eyes on us, I don't turn around to confirm. Instead, I scrabble for Seth's hands under the water and guide them around my waist. I loop my own around his neck and pull myself in for a tight hug.
Somehow, eventually the hug morphs into us taking turns pecking each other on the neck and jaw, and then, whoops, we're making out. His hands are low, so low on my hips they might as well be on my butt, and mine trail the contours of his shoulders. I swear the water is ten degrees warmer around us.
A loud whistle eventually breaks us from our spell. "Atta boy, Seth!" Joey hollers.
The others laugh as I blush furiously, hauling myself off Seth's lap.
"Katie?" Sierra calls. "Wanna jump?"
"I'm sort of almost naked," I call back.
I tear my gaze off Seth to look at the others, and my insides do a little flip.
This moment, the one right here in front of me, is that feeling I was trying to put into words earlier. Our new friends. Joey up on the land bridge between the two basins, looking at Paige, who's down below him and paddling toward the edge. Kenny and Reed on their backs, floating and nursing beers. Sierra, hauling herself up on the edge. Seth, beside me.
It's golden hour.
I should have known Yosemite would make that extra magical, too. It has everything else.
"Oh, my God! Nobody move!" I yell, pushing up on the underwater bench and slushing through the water toward our gear.
"Why?" Joey calls. "It's cold up here."
"Can I drink my beer?" Kenny yells next.
"If there's a fuckin' snake…" Reed interjects.
I haul myself up the side of the bank, sopping wet clothes and all. My underwear sag from the weight of the water, and my bra clings to every inch of me, but I. Don't. Care.
I get to my bag, and freeze. Where is it? I brought it, right? I throw open the zip on my backpack, shuffling through the items. It's not here. The last place I remember seeing it is in the floorboard of the rental. Which is almost forty miles southeast.
My heart sinks.
"It's in my bag, Katie!"
Seth's voice, warm and golden and delighted, makes me feel all those same things. If hope had a sound, it'd be his voice.
I wrench open his zipper, and there it is, sitting delicately on top. My camera bag.
My camera.
I dry my hands quickly on my discarded t-shirt, throwing my hair over my shoulder so it won't drip down onto the equipment.
Please have battery please have battery please have – yes! Working on muscle memory, I throw the lens cap in Seth's backpack, my fingers dancing over my options before choosing the proper lens. Finally satisfied, I slide the neck strap over my skin and clutch the camera tightly as I move back toward the water.
"Fuck yeah, Katie!" Sierra yells, and a smile breaks through my determined expression. "Seriously, nobody fuckin' move."
I hold the camera up high, well above the water, until I reach Seth.
I don't think about anything.
Not the fact that I'm standing in my undergarments in front of virtual strangers, people I met less than twenty-four hours ago. I don't think about the fact that we're in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone reception, and if one of us got hurt we'd be screwed.
Not even that I'm holding a camera worth several thousand dollars above a literal pool of water.
Or, maybe I do. Think about it, that is.
Maybe I am thinking of all those things and acting in spite of them. Despite the obstacles in front of me, I'm stepping into fear. I want to chase this feeling. Want to commemorate it. And, oh, would you look at that. I have this little nifty thing in my hands that does just that.
I lift the camera to my face, line up the shot, and click the button.
We spend every possible bit of daylight at God's Bath. I know now why Seth raves about the cliffs in La Push so much. I even consider jumping there once we get back.
Dinner is a rush of peanut butter sandwiches and apples as tents are resurrected and a fire is made.
Tomorrow we'll part ways with these people, these friends we've made in the most unlikely of places.
Reed and Sierra are heading south to Joshua Tree on their way back to San Diego.
Paige and Kenny start their journey back to Australia in two days, so they'll check into a hotel tomorrow night. From there, they'll fly from Sacramento to LA to Sydney to Perth. And I thought one layover between Seattle and Great Falls was bad.
Joey's heading north, also swinging through Sacramento. I give him an eyebrow and a pointed look when he mentions this, and the grown man blushes.
Our tent is set farther away from the others tonight. By the time Seth leads me to it after the fire's extinguished, I can hardly hear the dying laughter of the others.
Despite my dip in the water earlier, my skin is sticky with sweat again, and I have to peel my shorts and shirt off.
A low rumbling sound breaks through the still night air. It takes me a minute to realize it's coming from inside the tent. Another minute to realize it's Seth.
"What?" I ask, looking over at him.
I didn't need to ask. His eyes make it obvious exactly what he's thinking. And the tent in his boxers.
Slowly, like he's a wild animal who might scatter in an instant, I lay back.
The rumbling gets louder, deeper.
"Come here," I say. "Kiss me. Touch me."
He doesn't move with the same tact I did. He fumbles, tripping over his own limbs in his haste. It would be funny, except his eyes are black.
"Touch you where?" he gruffs. His knees bracket mine. I can just barely feel his body hovering over me.
I grab his hand, limp at his side, and pull it to my chest. "Here."
He sucks in a sharp breath, lowering his head to kiss me deep and slow. "Katie," he groans. "You were driving me crazy earlier, you know that?" His other hand tentatively finds my waist, and I give a soft sound of encouragement, so he knows I'm okay. "You're so sexy." His mouth moves to the base of my jaw, nipping at the skin there. "Okay?"
I mutter something that I hope sounds like mmhmm, and he grins into my skin, weighing my breast in his hand. My eyes slide shut as I try not to panic.
It's not that I'm freaking out, really – I'm just so full of lust that every touch, every slide of his palm on my skin, sends white hot electricity through my body. It's been too long; I have to remember how to breathe through wanting him this much.
But still, doubt starts to creep in as I reach behind me and unclip my bra. Memories prick at my subconscious.
It's not that I don't want Seth to do this, touch me here. I'm mostly afraid my brain won't draw a distinction, that it will mix pleasure and trauma and ruin this for me forever if given the chance.
And despite myself, despite us having already done this once, it is uncomfortable at first. My body start to shut down, flashbacks coming to life in vivid color behind my eyelids. The rough way Jordan grabbed my breast, squeezed too hard to be remotely pleasurable.
My name on Jordan's lips, off-key. Like he was trying it on for size and wouldn't accept that it wasn't the right fit. His grip told me he was going to make it fit.
It sucks the air from the tent, until I'm suffocating in the nylon paneling. It's all around me. Metal. Glass. That stupid song, ringing in my ears. Hands.
Jordan.
I don't realize I'm stiff until my skin goes cold abruptly.
"Come back to me, baby," Seth says gently. "You're safe."
"Safe," I gasp, wrenching my eyes open. "I'm safe."
His gaze has cooled in the dim moonlight. He nods gently, his grip loose around my waist. "So, eyes have to stay open."
I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it takes a few tries. "Yeah. Eyes open for now."
He nods. "Do you want to keep going?"
His words relight the fire inside, and I nod enthusiastically, in the style of Seth himself.
Seth's mouth is trailing my stomach now, his hands dragging down my sides. "God, you smell…" he growls instead of answering, and for a second the only sound is my heavy panting and his rumbling breath.
All he's doing is staring at me, and all I'm doing is staring down at him, his breath hot and heavy on the skin below my belly button.
I bite my bottom lip and lift my hips off the floor. "Take my panties off."
"I'd be honored." His deep chuckle vibrates the skin of my thigh as he peels them off, laying back down between my legs.
He doesn't move further, just stares up at me. "I want you to try something, okay? Be as vocal as you can. Tell me exactly what you want, and where. More pressure or less. Whatever."
I nod. "Okay." It comes out as a squeak, and I clear my throat to say it again. "Okay. I'll try."
He nods in return and continues to gaze up at me.
Oh, he really means it. My cheeks are already burning. Seth's so much better at talking like this than I am. He knows me so well; all I usually have to do is say please. But that won't work here.
My throat is dry. "Lick me."
His eyes twinkle with mischief, and his tongue darts out to the skin above my knee.
"That's not what I meant," I say, digging my fingers into the synthetic tent floor. "Please."
"Then tell me what you want, Katie." Seth's voice is honey and sandpaper. His eyes are black with want but lit with hunger as he moves an inch closer to my center.
"Seth," I say, bucking toward him. His eyes go dark again. I can feel his breath against every inch of my skin, and my body vibrates with each heartbeat. "You know what I like."
"Say it." His hands are resting on the fabric by my spread knees, and I want them on me.
So I try it his way, and I tell him that. "Wrap your hands around my thighs," I moan, too hot to be embarrassed.
There's a growl in his throat I can feel all the way down to my toes, and one finger at a time, he does what I ask. Exactly what I ask. No more, no less. It's a subtle way of letting me know I'm the one in charge here.
I'm not sure when the tension from my flashback left my body and was replaced by wild desire, but I'm not complaining.
"Kiss my thighs. Bite them. Give me a hickey there."
I've hardly got the request out before Seth complies, giving me a peck before sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of my inner thigh. He's not treating my requests like requests. He's treating them like… commands.
He sucks at the skin high on my thigh, almost where it meets my pelvis. So close, yet so far. He's got a bit of stubble growing in after a few days of not shaving, and it tickles. Almost burns, but in a good way.
I fight hard to keep my eyes open, because his mouth is warm, and his hands are squeezing me, and it's not enough.
"Higher," I breathe. "Kiss higher."
I swallow down anything about this that isn't okay. I need him like I need air. He's the only thing that's keeping my heart from jumping out of my chest.
He's so close, but so far, so far away.
"Please don't make me say it," I wheeze, out of breath.
His laugh is a warm gust against my core, but his grip tightens. "If you want this, you're going to have to tell me."
I reach down, clenching his hair in fists. I give him a tug, but he's unmoving.
"Tell me," he growls.
I stare down at him. His eyes are set with determination, and I know the point he's making, but I'm over it. I send him one final pleading look, but he doesn't move other than to cock a single eyebrow in a challenge.
I toss my head back to the ground and squeeze my eyes shut. "God, Seth, please just lick my pussy alre—oh!"
My thought process is interrupted, halted, by Seth giving me exactly what I need. Seth is always just what I need.
He moves like he's hungry, and I can't distinguish who's making the sounds in this tent. I think the growls are him, and the whimpers are probably me, but who knows for sure.
Want courses through my muscles, spiraling around where he touches and tastes me. His tongue and lips and – oh God, his teeth move me swiftly toward something that feels like it might destroy me completely.
"Faster," I moan. "Suck my—yes."
I like this feeling. I have absolute control over this situation. It's always supposed to be this way, with Seth and me. He's the only man who will ever love me this well, will ever know my body this intimately.
Seth pulls back with a gasp, like he's been underwater. I mean, maybe he has. In the dim light, his mouth glistens. His nose. His chin. "You're so goddamn delicious."
His dirty language kickstarts a fresh wave of desire. "Yeah?" I try for playful, flirty even. It comes out desperate.
"God, yeah." He returns to me for just a second before pulling back again. "How do you—do you want to come like this?"
I do. I know how amazing it will be. How amazing it already is. But Seth told me last time we should quit while we're ahead. What if we start having sex, and I lock up again? What if something happens that triggers me, and I ruin the moment for both of us?
"I—I don't know," I tell him honestly when I realize he's waiting for an answer. "I want… you. But what if…"
He nods, his nose brushing against my slick center. "All we can do is try, okay?" He looks down, chuckling to himself. "But first, let me just…"
This time when Seth works me, every move is calculating. Driving me just crazy enough so that my muscles tighten, my hips undulate against him.
I'm not prepared for the flash of heat, a telltale sign of an impending climax. But it's there, rushing and swelling up, and I can't feel anything besides full-body warmth.
I gasp, my thoughts coming out clipped, strained. "Yes. Please. Close."
"That's it." The words are pressed into me, and the vibrations add to everything else I've got going on down there. "I love it when you come on my tongue. Will you do that for me now, baby?"
Apparently, yes, I very much will. I don't think I could stop this orgasm if my life depended on it. I can't catch my breath and my muscles are tense and everything is hazy. But this tension, this breaking is good, so good.
By the time I return to earth, Seth has already found his way back up my body and moved between my legs. When he took off his shorts, I'm not sure, but he's not wearing them now.
He's right there, ready, I can feel him. Can see his eyes dancing with hope and lust and adoration and safety.
My heart claws at the cage of my ribs, fighting to escape. Because this is real. And I want it to be.
"You're the boss," he reminds me. "You're safe. Whatever you're feeling, just tell me, okay?"
I nod, chewing my bottom lip.
Seth leans down, bumping our mouths together so I release my hold. He pulls my lip between his own teeth, tugging and sucking at the same time.
"I'm yours," I breathe, reaching between us to wrap my hand around him.
He sucks in a sharp breath at the contact, but then I'm pulling and he's there, and he's—there.
"Wait. No," he says, brow furrowing. "You're yours."
My head is foggy with lust, and I'm having trouble comprehending what he means. "What?"
He chuckles, leaning down to press his forehead to mine. At least he doesn't move otherwise. "Katie, listen to me very closely."
His words are light enough, but there's an underlying roughness to them that makes me go weak. If he talked like this in public, I'd probably fall over.
"Your body is yours, Katie. I'm not entitled to it just because I'm your husband. Nothing happens without your say-so. Not even with me."
It's been too long. I could listen to him read ingredients on a yogurt container and I think it'd get me off right now. I manage a weak nod.
"Now, baby," he whispers, right in my ear so that I shiver. "How do you want to do this?"
I shift my hips toward him, impatient. "Getting all the way inside me would be a good start."
"Feisty," he says, nipping at my earlobe. "I like you feisty."
I feel like I'm swimming, inside and out. My skin is slick, and he moves with ease, slowly, until there's nowhere else to go.
He's all around me, inside me, stretching and filling me.
"Oh Katie," he groans. "God. I—" I hear fabric rustling near my ears, and out of the corner of my eye I can see him balling up the tent floor in his fists. "Let's talk this through. So you know exactly what to expect."
My chest is heaving, so close to his that the heat of his skin nearly singes my nipples. I may or may not breathe faster to feel it more. "What is there to talk about?"
"Lots," Seth says simply, still not really moving besides a gentle rock. "For starters, do you want me to make love to you, slow and deep?"
He moves then, withdrawing almost entirely and plunging back in slowly to demonstrate. I let out a low moan that lasts almost his entire push.
He grunts. "Or I could fuck you, hard and fast." He demonstrates that, too.
It's too much. I'm spiraling again, arousal building deep in my gut and on every inch of my skin. "Stop, wait, no."
He pulls out, cursing. "I'm sorry. You're safe, you're okay. You're the boss. Just you and me."
How the hell does he flip his switch like that? Go from talking to me like some personalized phone sex operator, to the sweet, caring, considerate man I fell in love with?
The juxtaposition emits a laugh from me. "No, no. Come back."
His forehead creases, the low light throwing dark shadows into the grooves. "What's wrong, then?"
My face goes hot, and he reaches up to run a callused fingertip over the color. "I was… I was trying not to come so fast."
"Oh." He blinks down at me, deciding something. Then he pushes forward again, slowly. "So you do want me to fuck you."
I moan, loud enough that the other tents probably heard me. Do I care? Nope. I must nod, because Seth picks up his pace and force, and my eyes roll back in my head.
"If it makes you—feel better," he grunts, reaching to shift my hips so he hits that perfect hidden spot inside me, "I'm—right there with you."
I should probably try to say something flirty or sexy in return, maybe try to touch or kiss him. But lust is weighing down my limbs.
"You okay?" Seth's words are choppy, punctuated by the slaps of his skin on mine. He lets out a loud groan that nearly topples me right over.
"Barely," I gasp. Thank God he knows what I mean this time. My hands are spread wide on the ground, gripping at anything I can find to keep me from flying off the floor. So much tension. So much Seth. Not enough. "More."
"Katie, I—" he chokes off his words with a loud growl. I feel his body rippling, his muscles shimmering above me, hear fabric tearing somewhere close to my head. It reminds me of what happens right before he phases. Also right before he— "Coming."
He is my undoing.
Here, in this tender slice of wilderness, we tear each other apart, and build each other up again. In the best possible ways.