Sanctuary
Part 12
Suddenly Micarah understood Zach's hesitation when she asked about who escaped with him. Without thinking, she moved closer and dropped a hand on his arm. "It was Max wasn't it? She started getting sick"
He felt her touch but, except for a slight narrowing of his eyes, he gave no indication of it as he nodded.
She lifted her face to him, "Is she safe?"
They were mere inches apart, so close that he could feel the warmth of her breath on his cheek. Her hand rested on his arm, and his muscles suddenly tensed beneath her touch. It was all he could do to keep from dragging her against him. "Yes," he ground out, "She's safe. For now."
Sensing his tension, she paused and ran her tongue over lips that had gone dry. He studied the movement, feeling a tightening deep inside. At once he became aware of the way she was watching him. His heartbeat, always so sure and steady, suddenly became erratic, skipping several beats before starting an unsteady rhythm.
Feeling suddenly shy, she lifted her hand from his arm.
He could still feel the warmth of her touch through his sleeve. To keep from reaching out to her, he curled his hands into fists at his sides.
"I never thanked you properly..." she started.
"Thanks aren't necessary. I'm just glad I could help you."
"You did more than just help. You saved me from wallowing in self-pity. I was just about to give in to feelings of despair. I thought there was no hope."
"Hope. I never believed in hope. But somehow I knew you were alive somewhere. I just had to find you," he said as he smoothed a strand of hair from her cheek, "We just lost each other for a while. I won't let you go again."
Without a thought to the consequences, he pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.
She gave a little gasp of surprise as his hands moved up her spine, igniting little fires as they pressed against her skin.
She thought she could go on like this forever, having him holding her, caressing her. With each touch of his hands, she felt the heat increase, until her flesh was on fire.
He lifted his head to press butterfly kisses to her temple, her cheek, the tip of her nose.
"Zach.. we shouldn't..."
"I know," he said as his hands made slow, lazy circles around her upper arms and shoulders, "At least my head knows but the rest of me isn't listening."
For long moments, neither of them moved. Neither spoke. Then, almost against his will, Zach pressed her closer. His mouth moved slowly, lazily over hers, nibbling, tasting, until her lips parted.
His lips feathered over her face, pressing light kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her closed eyelids.
"Micarah," he whispered her name and suddenly she knew what it felt like to be cherished.
With his tongue, he traced the curve of her ear, pausing to nibble and tug before darting inside, sending her heartbeat climbing.
She sighed as he dropped kisses along her throat and across her shoulder. Suddenly her sigh turned to a moan of pleasure as his lips moved lower, to the soft swell of her breast. The thin fabric of her blouse was no barrier to as his mouth, his tongue, worked their magic.
He lowered her to the sofa, and she twined her arms around his neck, drawing his head down for another kiss.
Outside, a breeze scattered snow across the walls of the cabin, making a sound like sand pebbles. But inside there was only the hiss and snap of the fire in the fireplace. And the muted sound of breathing as two people lost themselves in the wonders of love.
Zach ran soft kisses over her face, her neck, her shoulders. His fingers followed suit, tracing every line and curve of her body. And with each touch he felt her grow more tense, her breathing grow more shallow.
He wouldn't allow himself to think about the future and what would happen if Lydecker found them. Nor would he brood over the past and the years they'd lost. Instead, he would think only about now. This moment. This woman. And the love he felt for her.
As her body pulsed with need, Micarah, shut out all fears, all uncertainties. The world beyond this cabin no longer mattered. There was only this man. And the love she felt for him. She wouldn't think about this momentous thing that were sharing it was enough to know that she trusted Zach to lead her.
Trust. There has been so little in her life. But she knew that Zach would never betray her trust.
He felt the gradual change in her. Before, there had been fear. And so he had moved slowly, easing her fears, leading her, with tender kisses and whispered words of endearment.
His touch unlocked all her inhibitions, allowing her to explore all the passion that had been lying dormant, awaiting this moment. He could see it in her eyes, taste it on her lips.
He kept his eyes on her as she pulled her shirt over her head. As the fabric left her body, he allowed his gaze to roam.
"Micarah, you're even more beautiful than I dreamed."
With great tenderness, he bent to her, feasting on her breast until the nipple hardened. Her sigh of pleasure became a moan as he moved from one breast to the other.
She longed to touch him as he was touching her. She brought her arms around his waist and felt his muscles contract violently at the first touch of her fingertips.
At his moan of pleasure, she grew bolder, tracing her fingers along his body as he had touched her.
His fingers tangled in her hair as he drew her head back covered her mouth with his.
Oh the things he wanted to teach her. Not just freedom from the life that had held her prisoner for a lifetime. It was so much more. He wanted her to experience the wild, free flight of a bird, soaring high across the mountain peaks. To taste passion, in all its delights. To give into the madness, the insanity, of following wherever he led, not out of fear, or a sense of duty, but out of love.
Love. That was what he wanted for her. For himself. A banquet of love.
With exquisite tenderness, he feasted on her lips, her throat, her breast, moving his tongue across the nipple. With great care, he moved to the other, until she moaned with pleasure, her toes curling in the blanket draped on the edge of the sofa. Her back arched as he pulled her jeans away and tossed them on the floor. His soon followed.
She trembled as he slid along her body, flesh to flesh. He felt her stiffen as his lips moved over her. And then she cried out his name as she reached the first crest. He gave her no time to recover as he moved upward, tracing his lips along her body.
It didn't seem possible that she could want more, but as he entered her, she wrapped herself around him, clinging to him as if to life itself.
He filled himself with her, breathing in the fragrance of apricots and knew that in times to come, he would always think of her and be warmed by the memory.
She began to move with him, matching his strength, his rhythm, with an incredible strength of her own.
For Micarah, time seemed suspended. Zach's heartbeat became her own. His sighs, his moans, became her own voice.
He murmured her name, or thought he did, as they reached the crest. Their bodies shuddered convulsively and they seemed to break free of the bonds of the earth and found themselves soaring. It was a journey like none they had ever taken before.
He was part of her now. And she was part of him. Together they had shared something special, something wondrous. Something they could never take back. And from this moment on, their lives would be forever altered.
Part 12
Suddenly Micarah understood Zach's hesitation when she asked about who escaped with him. Without thinking, she moved closer and dropped a hand on his arm. "It was Max wasn't it? She started getting sick"
He felt her touch but, except for a slight narrowing of his eyes, he gave no indication of it as he nodded.
She lifted her face to him, "Is she safe?"
They were mere inches apart, so close that he could feel the warmth of her breath on his cheek. Her hand rested on his arm, and his muscles suddenly tensed beneath her touch. It was all he could do to keep from dragging her against him. "Yes," he ground out, "She's safe. For now."
Sensing his tension, she paused and ran her tongue over lips that had gone dry. He studied the movement, feeling a tightening deep inside. At once he became aware of the way she was watching him. His heartbeat, always so sure and steady, suddenly became erratic, skipping several beats before starting an unsteady rhythm.
Feeling suddenly shy, she lifted her hand from his arm.
He could still feel the warmth of her touch through his sleeve. To keep from reaching out to her, he curled his hands into fists at his sides.
"I never thanked you properly..." she started.
"Thanks aren't necessary. I'm just glad I could help you."
"You did more than just help. You saved me from wallowing in self-pity. I was just about to give in to feelings of despair. I thought there was no hope."
"Hope. I never believed in hope. But somehow I knew you were alive somewhere. I just had to find you," he said as he smoothed a strand of hair from her cheek, "We just lost each other for a while. I won't let you go again."
Without a thought to the consequences, he pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.
She gave a little gasp of surprise as his hands moved up her spine, igniting little fires as they pressed against her skin.
She thought she could go on like this forever, having him holding her, caressing her. With each touch of his hands, she felt the heat increase, until her flesh was on fire.
He lifted his head to press butterfly kisses to her temple, her cheek, the tip of her nose.
"Zach.. we shouldn't..."
"I know," he said as his hands made slow, lazy circles around her upper arms and shoulders, "At least my head knows but the rest of me isn't listening."
For long moments, neither of them moved. Neither spoke. Then, almost against his will, Zach pressed her closer. His mouth moved slowly, lazily over hers, nibbling, tasting, until her lips parted.
His lips feathered over her face, pressing light kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her closed eyelids.
"Micarah," he whispered her name and suddenly she knew what it felt like to be cherished.
With his tongue, he traced the curve of her ear, pausing to nibble and tug before darting inside, sending her heartbeat climbing.
She sighed as he dropped kisses along her throat and across her shoulder. Suddenly her sigh turned to a moan of pleasure as his lips moved lower, to the soft swell of her breast. The thin fabric of her blouse was no barrier to as his mouth, his tongue, worked their magic.
He lowered her to the sofa, and she twined her arms around his neck, drawing his head down for another kiss.
Outside, a breeze scattered snow across the walls of the cabin, making a sound like sand pebbles. But inside there was only the hiss and snap of the fire in the fireplace. And the muted sound of breathing as two people lost themselves in the wonders of love.
Zach ran soft kisses over her face, her neck, her shoulders. His fingers followed suit, tracing every line and curve of her body. And with each touch he felt her grow more tense, her breathing grow more shallow.
He wouldn't allow himself to think about the future and what would happen if Lydecker found them. Nor would he brood over the past and the years they'd lost. Instead, he would think only about now. This moment. This woman. And the love he felt for her.
As her body pulsed with need, Micarah, shut out all fears, all uncertainties. The world beyond this cabin no longer mattered. There was only this man. And the love she felt for him. She wouldn't think about this momentous thing that were sharing it was enough to know that she trusted Zach to lead her.
Trust. There has been so little in her life. But she knew that Zach would never betray her trust.
He felt the gradual change in her. Before, there had been fear. And so he had moved slowly, easing her fears, leading her, with tender kisses and whispered words of endearment.
His touch unlocked all her inhibitions, allowing her to explore all the passion that had been lying dormant, awaiting this moment. He could see it in her eyes, taste it on her lips.
He kept his eyes on her as she pulled her shirt over her head. As the fabric left her body, he allowed his gaze to roam.
"Micarah, you're even more beautiful than I dreamed."
With great tenderness, he bent to her, feasting on her breast until the nipple hardened. Her sigh of pleasure became a moan as he moved from one breast to the other.
She longed to touch him as he was touching her. She brought her arms around his waist and felt his muscles contract violently at the first touch of her fingertips.
At his moan of pleasure, she grew bolder, tracing her fingers along his body as he had touched her.
His fingers tangled in her hair as he drew her head back covered her mouth with his.
Oh the things he wanted to teach her. Not just freedom from the life that had held her prisoner for a lifetime. It was so much more. He wanted her to experience the wild, free flight of a bird, soaring high across the mountain peaks. To taste passion, in all its delights. To give into the madness, the insanity, of following wherever he led, not out of fear, or a sense of duty, but out of love.
Love. That was what he wanted for her. For himself. A banquet of love.
With exquisite tenderness, he feasted on her lips, her throat, her breast, moving his tongue across the nipple. With great care, he moved to the other, until she moaned with pleasure, her toes curling in the blanket draped on the edge of the sofa. Her back arched as he pulled her jeans away and tossed them on the floor. His soon followed.
She trembled as he slid along her body, flesh to flesh. He felt her stiffen as his lips moved over her. And then she cried out his name as she reached the first crest. He gave her no time to recover as he moved upward, tracing his lips along her body.
It didn't seem possible that she could want more, but as he entered her, she wrapped herself around him, clinging to him as if to life itself.
He filled himself with her, breathing in the fragrance of apricots and knew that in times to come, he would always think of her and be warmed by the memory.
She began to move with him, matching his strength, his rhythm, with an incredible strength of her own.
For Micarah, time seemed suspended. Zach's heartbeat became her own. His sighs, his moans, became her own voice.
He murmured her name, or thought he did, as they reached the crest. Their bodies shuddered convulsively and they seemed to break free of the bonds of the earth and found themselves soaring. It was a journey like none they had ever taken before.
He was part of her now. And she was part of him. Together they had shared something special, something wondrous. Something they could never take back. And from this moment on, their lives would be forever altered.