Eight
He had never seen any woman look quite so innocent in sleep. He could not recall feeling such a fierce need to protect someone he had known such a limited amount of time. He found the unfamiliar emotions unwelcome and inadvisable. He must show restraint and be patient. He must allow her to signal him when she was ready to proceed with their intimacy. Above all, he had to accept that she could possibly reconsider.
Needing to leave her before he forgot his vow of restraint, Rayad moved his arm from beneath Sunny to gather what he needed to bathe, and afterward, swim. He sought an activity to expend energy and allow his body to calm.
After he retrieved the soap safe enough to use in the reservoir, he set the bar on the edge then dove into the pool. The water was much colder than usual, probably due to the current mountain storms that replenished the spring. Cold would serve him well, or so he thought as he returned to the ledge to begin his morning bath. No amount of frigid water would rid him of his need, he realized, when he glanced up to see Sunny standing on the stone bank, completely nude. The shape of her breasts, the curve of her hip and the slight shading between her thighs brought about another strong erection that he suspected would not disappear in the immediate future without tending.
She removed the band securing the now-misshapen braid, shook out her hair, stepped down into the water and walked toward him. "Good morning, kind sir," she said when she reached him.
He kept his hands fisted at his sides, though he longed to touch her. Everywhere. "Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I have in a long time." She looked up at the opening in the cave's ceiling before returning her gaze to his. "It's barely light outside. You must be an early riser."
She had no idea the accuracy in her assessment, yet she would if she came any closer. "I do not wish to waste the day by sleeping too long."
"I feel the same way, but I really have to take a shower to help me wake up."
"No need. I have everything here to accommodate your bath."
She tapped her chin with a fingertip. "That's right. This is your own personal tub."
"It is."
"You use soap?"
He nodded toward the bar on the bank. "I do. It is all natural and biodegradable. A woman in the village makes it especially for me."
She raised a thin brow. "Is that all she does for you?"
"She's almost eighty years of age."
"Oh. Mind if I inspect this soap?"
He would rather she inspect him. "Be my guest."
After she retrieved the bar, she came back to him and held it to her nose. "This smells fantastic, and it explains why you smelled so good last night."
"Do you wish to try it?"
"Unless you'd like to go first."
"I will wait until you are finished."
She took a few steps back and paused on the incline to where her torso was completely exposed. While he watched, she ran the soap over her arms, then her neck and finally her breasts, where she lingered longer than necessary. He decided she was bent on enticing him, and her ploy happened to be working. By the time she moved the bar down her abdomen, then beneath the water, he perched precariously on the edge of losing control.
"Mind washing my back?" she asked as she offered him the soap.
He did not mind, but he was not certain he would want to stop there. "As you wish."
After she turned away from him, he complied with her request, taking his time lathering her silky flesh while keeping a safe berth between them. Yet carnal urges began to commandeer his common sense as he traveled down to her well-shaped buttocks. And when she moved back and positioned herself flush against him, contacting the evidence of his lack of control, all his determination to resist her floated away with the bar of soap.
Without warning, he turned her around and kissed her with all the passion he experienced at that moment. He wanted to make her yearn more than any man she had ever yearned before. He desired to make her body weep for him with the highest form of intimacy possible, and he would-if she granted him permission. "I want to bring you to climax."
"I'm almost already there," she said, her voice a breathy whisper. "But I need you to finish me."
With that goal in mind, Rayad swept Sunny into his arms, set her on the edge of the bank and took his place between her parted legs. He pressed a line of kisses on her belly, careful to watch her face for any signs of distress before moving lower. Instead of issuing a protest, she leaned back using her elbows for support, closed her eyes and spread her legs wider. That was all the permission he needed to proceed.
He began by divining her flesh with his tongue then used strokes to bring her to completion, softer yet insistent. Even when he heard the increase in her respiration and sensed her impending orgasm, he did not let up. He tried to urge every sensation from her, and give her an experience that she would not soon forget.
After a few more moments, Sunny released a low moan and then bowed over his head, her entire body trembling. "That was incredible," she muttered before straightening to level her gaze on his. "And this is totally unfair to you."
He left the water to sit beside her. "I will manage."
She sent a pointed look at his groin. "All signs to the contrary."
"I have been without relief for extended periods of time."
She rose to her feet. "That ends now. Find me a towel and meet me in bed. And please don't argue. I want this to happen."
He wanted her more than she could ever know. Yet he must remember she might not be able to see their lovemaking through. "We do not need a towel," he said as he stood. "The sheets will dry."
She climbed into bed with a smile then beckoned him with open arms. They kissed for some time before she broke the contact and straightened, hovering above him. "I've decided I need to be on top," she announced, taking him by surprise.
"That would possibly be favorable for you." And undeniable pleasure for him.
"You have to promise me something first, Rayad."
"Anything you ask."
"Keep your eyes open and look at me the whole time. I need to see your face and know it's you."
"That will be my pleasure."
And it was, he determined, the moment she straddled his thighs and guided him inside her. He gritted his teeth against the need for immediate release when she began to move her hips, slowly at first then faster, taking him deeper and deeper. All the while, he kept focused on her eyes though he found that task difficult in light of his imminent climax. He mustered all his strength to hold back yet could no longer when she leaned down and whispered, "I want to feel you let go."
The orgasm arrived with the force of a grenade, binding every muscle in his body. The pulsation went on for longer than he had expected, or experienced to this point in his checkered sexual history. In the time it took for him to catch his breath, Sunny eased off him and curled close to his side.
"You have to feel better."
He frowned. "Better does not appropriately describe how I feel. The question is, how do you feel?"
She rolled onto her back and laughed. "Exhilarated. Free. Like I just won a Pulitzer."
Her joy was contagious, bringing about his smile. "I am glad. I have always been convinced you have the strength of character to overcome this."
She turned her face toward him and formed her hand around his jaw. "I'm not sure I would have, had it not been for you. There is just one more thing I need from you."
He hoped it had nothing to do with his dying devotion or a declaration of love. He was too broken to give her that. "I am listening."
"If at all possible, I want to use the radio."
He experienced a strong sense of relief. "To confirm that I am not holding you here without good cause?"
She whisked a kiss across his chin. "I know you haven't been lying about the storms. I just need to check in with my sister."
He needed to take her features to memory for in a very short time, memories of this special woman would be all he had left. As it had been with the other remarkable woman who had once graced his life. "I will be glad to honor your request to speak with Piper. Perhaps it would be best if you do not tell her too much about our time here. I do not wish to explain to her husband."
Sunny favored him with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll pretend I'm having a terribly boring time."