"Fair Game" Part II
NCDavis
Disclaimer: See Part I
____________
Gateau stumbled upon a small lake in a clearing, still partially blocked from his full view by the low branches of trees. The moon, full and high, bathed the scene in silver-blue light. He stopped to savor the sight.
A soft splash caught his attention. He scanned the area, his eyes stopping to rest upon a puddle of cloth near a rock. He moved towards it, kneeling to examine it further. Tira's dress. He trembled as he lifted it to his face, a pang of arousal gripping his loins as he inhaled her scent.
He took a steady breath of the cool night air and let the garment fall from his fingers. Another swish of water drew his attention to the lake itself.
Thank the gods he was already on his knees. She was submerged to the waist, the dark water lapping at her belly. Her torso glistened, her nipples swollen by caresses of cool wind and water. Tendrils that had escaped her upswept hair clung to her dampened shoulders, taunting him that they could lay against her body while he could not.
He gulped air now, praying for it to calm the fever of desire that burned through him. Blood roared hot lust in his ears and pressed his cock into the strained crotch of his jeans. Control. He must keep control. If he was to have her, it was key.
A shadow fell across him as hands touched his shoulders. He glanced up. Tira. He'd been so focused on bringing his senses back to normal he hadn't heard her approach.
She put an arm around him. "Are you all right?"
No, he wasn't all right. She had wrapped herself in a towel, but her nearness, as well as the concern in her gentle voice, assaulted his senses all over again. He needed to lighten the mood.
"Fine. Just tired. Voyeurism's hard work angel. I guess I'm out of practice."
"You seemed to be quite adapt at it this afternoon."
He smiled. She had noticed. "That was different. Merely scouting." He wanted to see where honesty would lead them.
She didn't take the bait. Instead she started to rise, but he caught her wrist. "You want to tell me what you're doing way out here?"
"Wasn't it obvious?" Amusement laced her reply.
"I'd expect that baka to freeze his ass off by getting soaked on a night like this, but you've always had more sense."
She tensed briefly. Despite the punishment she and Chocolat dished out on Carrot and his skirt-chasing ways, she'd been in love with Marron's older brother as long as he had known them. She only tolerated him call the boy an idiot since, in a way, he used it as a nickname.
"Sorry, Tira. I know how you feel about him."
This time the tension Gateau sense came from deep within her. Odd. Come to think of it, she'd been more withdrawn lately. He'd assumed she was worried about Onion, or Carrot and the others, but now he began to wonder.
"Answer me. Are you okay?"
"Fine," came the terse reply. She tried to pull her wrist away.
Gateau released her, but only long enough to take hold of her upper arms. "No you're not. For starters, you're shivering."
Much as he hated how her shroud hid her from him, he picked up the garment and draped it around her. "Get the rest of your things. I'll take you back to camp. The fire's still--"
"No Gateau."
Her words were soft, but he could hear the determination in them. Her stubborn streak rarely showed itself, but once in place, it was unshakable. Even if he forcibly carried her back, she'd only leave the second her feet touched ground.
"Then I'll build a fire here."
"No. I want the darkness. That's why I left camp."
Gateau felt his frustration rise. "Dammit, Tira, you'll catch cold if you don't get in a warm place. That towel is damp, and that dress of yours won't be enough."
Without a word, she pulled a blanket from the other side of the rock. They each carried one in their packs for nights like these.
She stood, buttoning up her dress. The towel slid from underneath her skirt. She laid it out on the rock, then settled herself down, wrapping the blanket snugly about her. She'd come to stay here for a while.
She never looked toward him the entire time. She seemed lost in her own mind, focused on some unseen point in the distance. He wanted to stay. His need for her still hummed in his body. But he didn't completely know this Tira. Seduction was best saved for another night.
He sighed. "We need to reach Samaru by tomorrow evening. We break camp at dawn. You need to be back by then."
He turned to leave her in peace.
"Don't go."
That stopped him dead in his tracks. He waited.
"You want me, don't you Gateau." It was more question than statement. "I know you want Marron, but you want me a little as well."
Gateau felt like the ground had just tilted. He didn't know this Tira at all. It was all he could do to answer her. "Yeah, I mean, Marron and I have an understanding."
"I don't want to hurt him."
Confused, Gateau slowly turned to face her. "Marron? It's not like that. He and I have . . . enjoyed each other. There's a bond, but no `us.' Right now, he's pining for a guy in Urahi. A sculptor."
"So he's not in love with you." That news seemed to reassure her.
Moments passed. She stood up, leaving the blanket behind. She walked to him and pressed her body into his.
He felt her smile. "I can feel your desire against me." With hesitation, she traced his finger along his pec. It flexed involuntarily at her touch. She lifted her gaze so their eyes met.
Gateau's head reeled. Where had this come from?? She still had feelings for Carrot, didn't she?? "Damn, woman, what game is this?!"
"No game."
None of this made sense to him, and all the while his body was caring less and less about sense.
"Tira--"
She took a breath, tensing as if to steady herself. Her voice was a whisper. "C-Come inside me Gateau."
NCDavis
Disclaimer: See Part I
____________
Gateau stumbled upon a small lake in a clearing, still partially blocked from his full view by the low branches of trees. The moon, full and high, bathed the scene in silver-blue light. He stopped to savor the sight.
A soft splash caught his attention. He scanned the area, his eyes stopping to rest upon a puddle of cloth near a rock. He moved towards it, kneeling to examine it further. Tira's dress. He trembled as he lifted it to his face, a pang of arousal gripping his loins as he inhaled her scent.
He took a steady breath of the cool night air and let the garment fall from his fingers. Another swish of water drew his attention to the lake itself.
Thank the gods he was already on his knees. She was submerged to the waist, the dark water lapping at her belly. Her torso glistened, her nipples swollen by caresses of cool wind and water. Tendrils that had escaped her upswept hair clung to her dampened shoulders, taunting him that they could lay against her body while he could not.
He gulped air now, praying for it to calm the fever of desire that burned through him. Blood roared hot lust in his ears and pressed his cock into the strained crotch of his jeans. Control. He must keep control. If he was to have her, it was key.
A shadow fell across him as hands touched his shoulders. He glanced up. Tira. He'd been so focused on bringing his senses back to normal he hadn't heard her approach.
She put an arm around him. "Are you all right?"
No, he wasn't all right. She had wrapped herself in a towel, but her nearness, as well as the concern in her gentle voice, assaulted his senses all over again. He needed to lighten the mood.
"Fine. Just tired. Voyeurism's hard work angel. I guess I'm out of practice."
"You seemed to be quite adapt at it this afternoon."
He smiled. She had noticed. "That was different. Merely scouting." He wanted to see where honesty would lead them.
She didn't take the bait. Instead she started to rise, but he caught her wrist. "You want to tell me what you're doing way out here?"
"Wasn't it obvious?" Amusement laced her reply.
"I'd expect that baka to freeze his ass off by getting soaked on a night like this, but you've always had more sense."
She tensed briefly. Despite the punishment she and Chocolat dished out on Carrot and his skirt-chasing ways, she'd been in love with Marron's older brother as long as he had known them. She only tolerated him call the boy an idiot since, in a way, he used it as a nickname.
"Sorry, Tira. I know how you feel about him."
This time the tension Gateau sense came from deep within her. Odd. Come to think of it, she'd been more withdrawn lately. He'd assumed she was worried about Onion, or Carrot and the others, but now he began to wonder.
"Answer me. Are you okay?"
"Fine," came the terse reply. She tried to pull her wrist away.
Gateau released her, but only long enough to take hold of her upper arms. "No you're not. For starters, you're shivering."
Much as he hated how her shroud hid her from him, he picked up the garment and draped it around her. "Get the rest of your things. I'll take you back to camp. The fire's still--"
"No Gateau."
Her words were soft, but he could hear the determination in them. Her stubborn streak rarely showed itself, but once in place, it was unshakable. Even if he forcibly carried her back, she'd only leave the second her feet touched ground.
"Then I'll build a fire here."
"No. I want the darkness. That's why I left camp."
Gateau felt his frustration rise. "Dammit, Tira, you'll catch cold if you don't get in a warm place. That towel is damp, and that dress of yours won't be enough."
Without a word, she pulled a blanket from the other side of the rock. They each carried one in their packs for nights like these.
She stood, buttoning up her dress. The towel slid from underneath her skirt. She laid it out on the rock, then settled herself down, wrapping the blanket snugly about her. She'd come to stay here for a while.
She never looked toward him the entire time. She seemed lost in her own mind, focused on some unseen point in the distance. He wanted to stay. His need for her still hummed in his body. But he didn't completely know this Tira. Seduction was best saved for another night.
He sighed. "We need to reach Samaru by tomorrow evening. We break camp at dawn. You need to be back by then."
He turned to leave her in peace.
"Don't go."
That stopped him dead in his tracks. He waited.
"You want me, don't you Gateau." It was more question than statement. "I know you want Marron, but you want me a little as well."
Gateau felt like the ground had just tilted. He didn't know this Tira at all. It was all he could do to answer her. "Yeah, I mean, Marron and I have an understanding."
"I don't want to hurt him."
Confused, Gateau slowly turned to face her. "Marron? It's not like that. He and I have . . . enjoyed each other. There's a bond, but no `us.' Right now, he's pining for a guy in Urahi. A sculptor."
"So he's not in love with you." That news seemed to reassure her.
Moments passed. She stood up, leaving the blanket behind. She walked to him and pressed her body into his.
He felt her smile. "I can feel your desire against me." With hesitation, she traced his finger along his pec. It flexed involuntarily at her touch. She lifted her gaze so their eyes met.
Gateau's head reeled. Where had this come from?? She still had feelings for Carrot, didn't she?? "Damn, woman, what game is this?!"
"No game."
None of this made sense to him, and all the while his body was caring less and less about sense.
"Tira--"
She took a breath, tensing as if to steady herself. Her voice was a whisper. "C-Come inside me Gateau."