The sky was overcast, as always, but the weather was cooperative, offering just the right temperature for what Reyes had planned. He arrived at the hot pool first, as his small airship made better time than Sara's land rover.
Pulling off his gloves, he left them in the pilot's chair as he stood, flipping switches to power the skiff down. His footsteps rang with metallic reverberations as he took the small walkway to the back of the ship, retrieving the towels he'd had the foresight to bring along for them. Pulling a flask out of his jacket, he took a long pull of the fiery liquid, allowing it to blaze a trail across his tongue and down his throat. He'd brought something strong from his private reserves with every intention of sharing it, so replacing the cap, he added it to the pile. He made his way back to the front of the ship with the bundle tucked under one arm, and opening the door, he jumped out. He hit the ground with a satisfying bounce as he bent his knees. As anticipation rushed through him, he felt his muscles coil with unspent energy and his blood race with excitement. He'd been planning this date for weeks, biding his time until his busy Pathfinder was available and planetside. Conditions were just right, allowing him the required time alone, free from his own obligations for a few precious hours of uninterrupted time, to do whatever he wanted with the one person he wanted to spend it with most.
The unmistakable sound of the nomad announced Ryder's arrival, preceding visual confirmation by more than a minute before the vehicle turned a corner in the rocky terrain and rolled into view. She parked dangerously close to where he stood, hopping out the moment the rumbling engine cut off.
Her hair was disheveled and she wore a wide grin as she ran to him, arms shooting out at her sides to wrap Reyes in an embrace when she reached him. Holding on tight, she looked up into his face. "Hey, you."
He placed a quick kiss on her lips in answer. "Hey, there."
He led the way to the pool's edge, one arm around the bundle of towels and the other around the woman he needed like she was oxygen.
The hot pool was a deep blue color, with a thick curtain of steam rising from its calm surface. "I've checked and re-checked the water. It's perfectly safe, thanks to you."
"Mr. Vidal is correct," SAM confirmed. "With the activation of the underground vault, and the subsequent time that has passed since its implementation, this water is suitable for bathing."
Sara gave a quick nod of agreement. She stopped as her boots reached the point where the rocky ground just started to drop down toward the water, looking over at him with a smile as she freed herself from his hold before slowly reaching up to touch her chestplate. She was in full armor, and the idea of helping her remove each and every piece was a painful but tantalizing compulsion.
He carefully set his bundle down, well enough away that stray water wouldn't render the towels useless, retrieving the flask and offering it up to Sara. "Liquid courage?" he asked with a lopsided grin. They were familiar enough with each other by now that the notion should have been laughable, but having her naked out in the open was a new and exhilarating prospect.
She reached toward the alcohol with an eager hand, just as he knew she would, and taking advantage of her momentary distraction, he stepped up close behind her, pulling her back against his chest. The disparity in their heights became glaringly apparent whenever they stood in such close proximity. Her head was bent back as she swallowed, and tilted as it was, it didn't even reach his shoulder.
She gave a satisfied "Ah," as she finished, and the sound pulled at his groin, making the fit of his clothing feel just a bit tighter.
When she straightened, he caught her on either side of her hips. He dipped his head, placing a soft kiss on the back of her neck, just above the collar of her combat suit. He moved so he could speak against her ear. "Pull off your gloves," he said softly.
She hummed in approval, whether of his order or his closeness, he wasn't quite sure, but fumbling with her gloves, she dropped them on the ground, continuing to face the hot pool of water before them.
He brought his hands up, sliding past her belly to run over the metal plate at her chest. He found the seals, slowly popping them free, catching the plate in front with one hand and tossing it the way of her gloves. He moved back just enough to pull the corresponding piece from between them, dropping it onto its mate on the ground. He spanned the thick band that wrapped her waist, unbuckling it slowly and letting it drop. His hands encountered hers as he pressed against the leg guard on her upper right thigh. "Now, these," he rumbled, bending to help as she complied.
She worked her way down one leg, and then up the other, leaving her in only the combat suit and her boots.
He felt like he was unwrapping a present, a rare treat to savor and discover and treasure. Moving from his crouched position back up to his feet, he towered over her, fingers toying with the zipper on her suit.
The sound of her zip was like a shot in the stillness of the air, breaking the quiet and firing his blood.
The gap in her suit widened, revealing more and more of her as it travel the length of her torso. She pulled her arms free before pushing the slick fabric over her hips and down her legs. She wore only a bra and panties beneath, something functional and soft to the touch. After her boots and the suit made their way to the growing pile beside them, she stood, looking at him as his eyes slid all over her body. He drank in the sight of her, desperate to memorize every inch, to lock it all away for retrieval when he needed it.
His lips found their way to one softly rounded shoulder, brushing his mouth along to her collar bone. She smelled as incredibly sweet as she tasted, clean and fresh, and absolutely too good for him.
There were times when he found himself wondering if he hadn't just imagined the entirety of their interactions since they'd met, whenever he was away from her for extended periods of time. She felt almost like a figment, something he'd dreamed up to keep him warm and centered.
She felt real enough under his hands, her hot skin moving into him, trembling under his touch as he brushed against her bare arms.
He reached around her for the closure on her bra, deftly undoing the clasp before allowing gravity to take the garment from her in an agonizingly slow slide. She encouraged its removal by tilting her narrow shoulders inward, watching the straps fall from her arms.
Her nipples tightened at their exposure to the air, calling out to his lips and fingers, but ignoring the draw, Reyes set his thumbs into the waistband of her panties.
Her hands rested on his shoulders as he knelt before her, pulling the fabric down her legs so she could step out of first one side then the other.
She stood naked, a rush of gooseflesh covering her skin under his intense regard. Arms crossing over her chest protectively, she moved around him.
He rolled up from his crouch, eyes moving to her slender back as she advanced into the water.
She still held the flask. He pulled it from her hands and tossed it in the direction of the towels, watching as she entered the water with a soft sigh. The blue liquid rose with every step she took and she gasped as it hit her breasts, giving a full-bodied shiver.
Sara swam forward, moving to float on her stomach as the depth of the water exceeded her height.
Reyes waited for her to turn back toward him before he reached for the zipper that ran the length of his chest. Sliding it down, he shrugged out of the top part of his armored flight suit, revealing the white shirt he wore beneath. He leisurely worked his belt buckle, dropping the thick leather to his feet. Ducking his head, he pulled the shirt up and off, baring his chest and the trail of dark hair that marched down his lower belly. He toed off his boots, bunching the pants of the flight suit down his legs before stepping free of them.
He stood like that a moment, feeling his belly muscles flex, wearing only his boxer briefs.
Her expression had his cock pushing against the front of his underwear, hard and eager for her attention. Unabashedly, he slid the garment down his legs, stepping out of it and into the warm water. He walked to her, watching her, watching him.
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, her eyes were bright but heavy lidded as he joined her, one hand shooting out to close around her upper arm.
She turned over onto her side, strong legs kicking underwater and she propelled herself forward, free from his grip and away from him, swimming with powerful strokes. He gave chase, keeping up with her but just slightly behind so he could watch her swim. Her body was graceful and fluid under the pool's surface, offering him tantalizing flashes of pale skin and lean muscles.
They swam together like a pair of otters, keeping pace as they moved across the pool, legs kicking to keep them above the surface at unknown depths, before she headed back toward shore. She stopped when her feet could touch bottom, turning to splash him. He dove under, coming at her from beneath the water. She shrieked with surprise and exaggerated fear as he caught her by one slender ankle and pulled her under with him, hands sliding over her body to tickle her sensitive ribs.
They broke the surface together laughing and gasping for air.
He grinned down at her as she swept her wet hair back from her face, her other hand holding onto the back of his neck.
He pulled her close, feeling the soft slide of her curves against him. He wished he could have brought her there before, when the touch of her beneath the water would have been harder to bear, knowing he couldn't have what he wanted from her because he still kept the truth of the Charlatan from her would have been a painful but wonderful tease. He remembered how hot for him she'd been, before she knew everything, brief but intense kisses, and forcing himself to pull away, laughing off her requests that he do more, that he not be such a gentleman. The memories were sweet and enchanting to look back on. And he knew as he held onto her that at some point, what they did there at that moment would feel the same way.
His mouth burned a path across her cheek, brushing against her lips as they opened beneath him. His hands came up to cradle her face, and he kissed her softly, lips moving over hers before teasing her with his tongue. He slid inside to taste her, licking deep, caressing her mouth with his, deepening the kiss until he felt it all the way to his toes. He felt her nails slide into the skin at his shoulders and he groaned at her enthusiasm, loving that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. His right hand moved, rough palm sliding over her shoulder and down her back, running along her ribcage and down to her waist. He lifted her from the water, his mouth moving down her chest to cover the pointed tip of one breast. His teeth sank into her pebbled nipple, hearing her cry out before he sucked the hardened peak into his mouth, drawing on her with greedy suction.
Her hands pulled his mouth away and back up to hers, holding his head as she kissed him, drawing his tongue into her mouth.
He clutched her to his chest, his grip tightening in appreciation of her responsiveness.
She ran her small hands over his body, her touch everywhere at once, exploring the width of his shoulders, the muscle coving his back and chest, the tight skin at his belly, and over his ass, gripping him as her touches became more insistent.
He captured her hands when he can no longer stand it, brushing against her soft thighs with his cock under the water. She groaned into his kiss, before, surprisingly, she pulled away, both from his kiss and the hold he had on her body. Stepping further into the pool, she took a few long strides before she looked back at him over her shoulder.
Confusion turned to dawning understanding; she wanted him to chase her. Moving toward her with powerful strides, he caught her in short order, grabbing her by her forearms and pulling her beneath him. Overpowering her, he captured her delicate wrists with one hand, kissing his way over the skin at her throat, up below her ear. "Sara," he whispered hotly against her, and pushing his way up between her legs, he pressed hotly against her slit. He freed her wrists, asking silently for permission, and when she wrapped her hands around his ass, he felt she'd given it to him. Forging his way past her soft folds, he pulled her onto his cock, rocking his hips to gain depth. "Sara, let me in," he groaned into her, and she gasped, her passage fluttering around him as he moved past clenching muscles to seat himself deep.
"Ah!" she cried, the sound reaching into his chest to give him a squeeze.
He wanted to take her slow, but his movements were frenzied and fast, pushing her with the strength of the sensations that flooded every nerve ending in his body. He fought to find a steady rhythm, to move her closer to her peak, but he shuddered, holding onto her, unable to find the edge of his control. He knew half a dozen ways to force her over ahead of him, but just this once, he wanted to arrive there simultaneously, for her to take what he gave her and feel everything he did, unguided by strategy or planning.
The force of his movements seemed to be doing just as he wished, and as he felt her tighten around him, he quickly pulled out of her body. She gave a frustrated cry as he turned her away from him. She grappled toward the bank of the pool, and looking down at her ass, he grabbed her by one thigh, pulling her knee up out of the water. Moving up behind her, he entered her with a hard thrust, bringing one arm around her to rest under her breasts and brace her back against him, lifting her off her remaining foot. She screamed as she came apart, and he held her close as he drew out her contractions, pushing and pulling against them, before, finally, following her over, grunting as he flooded her insides with warmth.
He couldn't breathe, or think, or do anything but feel his body go lax, his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest.
She stirred against him, so he slipped gently from inside her, the water hot, but still a cold substitute for her body. Turning her in the circle of his arms he gave her a slow, soul-wrenching kiss.
She looked up at him when it ended. "Reyes, I..."
"I know." Things unsaid were often unnecessary. He wanted to show her how he felt through practice and not just with words, and if he had his way, he'd continue to do so for the rest of his life.