The Eyes Have It
Chapter Nine - The Lake
On Saturday morning, Marlena was ready at 9am on the dot just as John had asked. She was dressed comfortably in jeans and a tee shirt and had packed an overnight bag. She was a little nervous, but incredibly excited about the prospect of spending two whole days getting to know John. She couldn't remember the last time she had looked forward to something so much.
She hadn't seen John the day before, he was finishing up with the problems at work, but he had called her several times and even sent her some new flowers to replace the ones that had had the "accident". Marlena felt like a teenager embarking on her very first romance. Everything in the world seemed new and exciting…and it was all because of John Black.
John knocked on the door right on time and Marlena quickly swung the door open with a big smile on her face.
"Are you ready, Baby?" John asked, admiring how she looked in her tight jeans and tee shirt.
"All ready," Marlena replied eagerly. John picked up her bag that was sitting on the floor, took her arm in his and away they headed on their weekend adventure.
John wouldn't tell Marlena where they were going, but she didn't care. They had left the city an hour ago and were now driving on a winding mountain road surrounded by trees on both sides. The windows were open and the air was crisp and clean. Marlena leaned her head back and relaxed. She was enjoying just being in the car with John, sitting close to him, listening to his stories, watching his profile as he drove. She felt totally at ease and like she didn't have a care in the world.
They stopped for lunch at a cute little diner on the side of the road. They ate juicy burgers and french fries and Marlena let herself just enjoy it without thinking of the calories for a change. They just sat, telling stories and laughing, enjoying their food and each other. John had ordered milk shakes with whipped cream for dessert and when Marlena went to take a sip, she ended up with whipped cream all over her upper lip. John laughed and reached over to wipe it off with his index finger. As soon as his finger touched her lip, John froze for a moment. He stared at her luscious lips and then slowly wiped the cream off and brought his finger to his mouth and licked it off. He couldn't stop thinking about kissing her and making love to her. He wanted her so badly, he couldn't see straight. But he had sworn to himself that he would wait, he wouldn't pressure her, not until she was ready. He didn't want to scare her off. She was too important to him now.
Marlena could feel the heat building in her stomach and spreading to every inch of her body as she watched John lick the whipped cream off his finger. She felt her cheeks get warm and suddenly felt very anxious about tonight. She was scared but excited at the same time thinking about what was going to happen when she and John reached their destination.
There was a little, dusty antique store right next to the diner. Marlena dragged John into it and began to explore. She let out a little shout of excitement from behind a shelf and when she came around the corner, John laughed at her. She was covered in dust, but had a huge smile on her face. She was holding an old, dusty book. "Look John!" she said, very excited. "….a first edition!" John purchased the book for her, which turned out to be a book of poetry, and they headed back on the road.
As they were driving, Marlena began to read some of the poems to John. She was very excited and animated and John just loved to see her like this and listen to the sound of her voice. They stopped a few more times along the way, whenever they saw something that looked interesting…a little shop, a duck pond, even an old swing set in a small children's park. John pushed Marlena so high that she thought for sure she was going to flip over and she was laughing so hard that her sides ached.
It was already getting dark when they finally reached their destination…a rustic mountain lodge with several small buildings all next to a beautiful little lake. Marlena got out of the car and twirled around, admiring the scenery and breathing in the glorious mountain air. As John came around to her side of the car, she grabbed him in a big bear hug. "It's absolutely beautiful, John. I love it."
"I'm glad, Marlena. That's all I wanted to hear." He kissed her and led her into the lobby. While John checked in, Marlena went to freshen up in the ladies room. When she came out, John had already gotten them a table in the small hotel restaurant. They sat and had a nice quiet dinner. As their dishes were being cleared away, Marlena stretched and opened her mouth in a nice big yawn. She caught herself and began to apologize.
"I'm sorry, John. I guess I'm not used to being out in this mountain air all day…"
John smiled and got up, coming around to move her chair back for her. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you to bed."
John led Marlena to their building which was right next to the lake. He opened the door to the room and let her walk in ahead of him. The first thing she saw was the large queen sized bed and her stomach immediately started to do flip flops. As John set down their bags and pointed out the features of the room, Marlena just stood and stared at the bed. John walked up to her and took her in his arms. He kissed her and said, "Good night, Marlena. If you need anything, I'll be right next door."
Marlena wasn't sure that she heard right. "What?" she asked.
"I'm right next door, these are connecting cabins. But if that makes you uncomfortable…I'm sure I can change mine." John answered, misunderstanding her question.
"No, I just thought that you….that we….," Marlena began motioning towards the bed.
John could sense how nervous Marlena was. He held her close and lifted her face to look into his. "I meant what I said Marlena…" he began, "I want you more than anything in this world, but not until I know that you are ready, with no doubts, no reservations. I know that you've been very hurt in the past and I will never pressure you into something that you're not ready for. I can wait for you Marlena….you're worth it."
Marlena felt her body start to relax. She hadn't even realized how nervous and tense she was. She wasn't even sure if she was relieved or disappointed. She wrapped her arms around John's neck and hugged him close. "Thank you, John," she whispered in his ear. She lifted her face and kissed him softly and sensuously, slowly licking and sucking on his bottom lip. John kissed her back for just a moment before gently pushing her away.
"I have to go now Marlena before I forget everything that I just said. Good night. I'll be thinking about you," and with that John walked through the door into the adjoining room and closed it behind him.
Marlena quickly showered and changed for bed. She couldn't stop thinking about John. She had never known such a thoughtful man in her entire life. Even as she let out another big yawn, she couldn't help wondering if he was already asleep in the next room. She was tempted to knock on the door, just to say good night again, but decided against it. She was absolutely exhausted after their busy day and he must have been too, especially since he had done all the driving. She didn't want to wake him if he was sleeping. She crawled into the large, overstuffed bed and curled up under the covers. She was so tired and it felt so wonderful, she knew that she would have no trouble going right to sleep. She was wrong.
Marlena drifted in and out of sleep. She tossed and turned. She couldn't shut her mind off. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop thinking about John in the next room. She imagined him lying in his bed with the sheet down to his waist, exposing his wide, tanned chest. She imagined lying next to him, her fingers tracing his warm, muscular arms up to his chest and playing with the dark hairs they found there. She imagined him rolling over to face her, exquisite passion burning in his eyes as he caressed every part of her body. Marlena sat up in bed, breathing heavy with her heart pounding in her chest. She was so hot, she was burning up. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She got up and walked over to the window, breathing in the cool air. It wasn't helping. She was stifling…she had to get out of this room…and away from that door that led to John.
Marlena left her room, wearing nothing but her silk nightgown. She walked down the short path to the lake. There were no lights on in the neighboring cabins, everything was dark and quiet. The only light came from the moon and it sparkled on the calm water. Marlena was still burning up. She quickly removed her nightgown and set it down on a large rock next to the lake. She waded in until the water was up to her chest, letting the cool water calm the fire that was burning inside her. She splashed water on her neck and face, concentrating on taking long, slow deep breaths and trying not to think of John.
John couldn't sleep either. He had been tossing and turning in his bed for the last hour. And now, after his second cold shower of the day, he had gone to the window to get some air. He thought he saw someone by the edge of the lake, but it was too dark to make out who it was. The person was walking into the lake. The protective side of John kicked in and he decided that he better walk down to the lake to make sure the person was okay.
When John got to the edge of the lake, he saw the nightgown sitting on the rock. He picked it up and brought it to his nose. He knew right away that it was Marlena's…he recognized her scent. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. But then he remembered that he had seen her walk into the lake. He became concerned that she was out here by herself in the dark. He began to scan the lake for her. He saw her, just as she was turning around and beginning to walk back to the shore. She was standing just waist deep in the water when she saw John standing on the shore watching her. Their eyes met and they both froze. John could see that Marlena was naked from the waist up. The water and the moonlight were glistening on her body. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He had never seen anything so exquisite. She looked like a goddess rising from the sea.
John removed his robe and began to wade into the water towards her. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame and there was no power on Earth that could stop him from approaching her right now. Marlena didn't move an inch as John approached her except for her chest rising and falling as her breathing became labored. It didn't even occur to her to cover herself up. She was frozen in place…waiting….wanting….yearning.
As John approached her, he had no conscious thoughts, just the overwhelming desire to touch her, to possess her, to make her his own. He reached out his hand as he closed the distance between them, unable to control the desire coursing through his body. When he reached her, his hand immediately went to her breast, holding it softly and caressing it. Marlena let out a deep, guttural moan as she closed her eyes and let her head fall back, exposing her soft, white neck to John. He attacked her neck with his mouth, licking and sucking like his life depended on it. Marlena's body was going insane with sensations. The fire that was already burning inside her had become an inferno. She was trying hard to breathe, to get some air into her lungs and her body began to quiver uncontrollably. John felt Marlena begin to shiver and he felt goose bumps appearing on her flesh.
"We've got to get you out of this water," he said, his voice filled with desire. He took her hand and led her out of the lake. He picked up his robe and wrapped it around her, rubbing her arms and back to dry her off. She picked up her nightgown and they walked together back to her room, neither one of them saying a word.
When they got in the room, John placed Marlena on the foot of the bed. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and began to dry her feet and her legs. As he worked his way up, his hand brushed against her inner thigh. An electric shock coursed through Marlena's entire body and she trembled. John moved to sit next to her and placed his hand along the side of her face. He brought her mouth to his and kissed her passionately, devouring her mouth with his own. When he heard a soft cry from deep in her throat, he pulled his mouth away, breathing heavily.
"Marlena, are you all right? Do you want me to stop?" he asked, fighting every urge in his body.
"No," she whispered. "I'm just….scared."
John lifted her head and looked into her eyes. "I'm scared too, Marlena. I have never wanted anyone as much as I want you. I have never needed anyone like I need you. I'm falling in love with you Marlena and that scares the hell out of me."
Marlena was stunned by his confession. "John, …I…." Marlena began, not really knowing what to say. John stopped her.
"You don't have to say anything, Marlena. Just let me love you."
Marlena stared into those incredible, intense blue eyes. She had never seen such love and desire. She knew that she wanted this man more than she'd ever wanted anything in her entire life. She had no more doubts. She had no more fears.
"Make love to me, John," she whispered as she grabbed his head and pulled him down on top of her. John's hand quickly found its way inside the robe she was still wearing as his mouth took possession of hers. He feasted on her lips and then moved on to her chin and her neck. He wanted to taste every square inch of her. His hand traveled down her narrow hip and caressed her thigh, tracing a path to his ultimate destination.
He licked and touched and caressed until Marlena thought she was going to drown in ecstasy. It had been a long time since Marlena had been intimate with anyone, but she never experienced anything like this. She had never felt this kind of passion. It didn't take long for either of them to reach that moment of passion when there is no turning back. They held on to each other very tightly, not wanting the moment to ever end. When John finally rolled over onto his back, he pulled Marlena over to rest on his chest. They fell asleep like that, both incredibly content and extremely satisfied.