Chapter Three

Elena

I huddle close to the flickering campfire, the flames dancing in my eyes, but barely able to illuminate the surrounding darkness. The crackling logs are a weak protection from the encroaching night, and the rhythmic snaps resonate with the unseen rustling in the wilderness that I'm not used to. A cool breeze rustles the leaves overhead, yet another unfamiliar sound, sending shivers down my spine.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. The thought occurs to me again, but I try to banish it.

The shadows cast by the fire seem to twist and elongate, creating an eerie landscape around me. The once familiar sounds of nature I can easily recognize in the daytime, have taken on an unfamiliar symphony that is setting my nerves on edge. Rustling in the underbrush and the occasional hoot of an owl just keep making things even worse.

Then, a sudden crunch of leaves is heard behind me, and my breath catches in my throat. I grab a nearby branch, long and thick, which I've been keeping by my side for protection, and I whirl around to face the approaching figure. Panic grips me and my eyes widen with terror.

It's that bear again. He's come back to finish what he started…

As the silhouette steps into the meager light of the campfire, relief washes over me like a tidal wave. Rock's tall and sturdy frame, along with his rugged features, become visible, as the flickering firelight casts a warm hue on his face.

"Oh…" I say, my body still trembling as I grip the branch in my hand. "It's you."

His eyes, intense and piercing, immediately soften as he senses my fear.

"Didn't mean to startle you," he tells me, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace, his movements slow and deliberate. The sound of his voice immediately unravels the knot of tension in my chest, and I can breathe easily once again.

"You… you scared the life out of me," I admit, as my initial fear gives way to a mix of embarrassment and relief. "I thought it was that bear again."

His lips part, as if he wants to say something, but he changes his mind in the last minute. Instead, he walks over to me and takes a seat next to me. Wordlessly, I do the same. Our shoulders touch, but neither of us moves. The intimacy of the moment is palpable, as if the wilderness itself has brought two unlikely allies together. I know it is silly to think of us that way, but I can't help but wonder why he came back. We both gaze at the flickering flames for a while, then he breaks the silence.

"I told you to leave," he tells me, not very politely. Strangely, I know he doesn't mean it as an insult.

"I know," I nod, not taking my eyes off the fire. "I guess sometimes we have to do things we are afraid of… in order to grow, you know?"

He turns to me, and I can feel his gaze burning a hole in my cheek. I dare not turn to meet his eyes.

"Is that why you are here?" he asks me, his voice a low, soothing rumble.

"Honestly?" I ask in return, this time glancing at him. "I don't know why I'm here."

He chuckles, the sound resonating through the quiet night. "You people never know why you do anything."

"Us people?" I pull away from him a little, but I'm not really offended. "Are you saying you're not people?"

He looks at me in a way I'm not able to resist, as if the proximity between us created a subtle tension, a magnetic pull that keeps drawing us to each other.

"I'm just saying that these woods are a mysterious place," he says without answering my initial question. "Especially when the darkness sets in."

"Speaking of which," I suddenly remember that he is out roaming the woods, too. "You are out here as well, in the middle of freakin' nowhere all alone. You are in as much danger as I am… theoretically."

This only seems to amuse him even more. "I've lived here all my life.. And you? City girl? You're afraid of your own shadow here."

"I…" I start, but we both know he's right. "I am. There is no denying it." I wonder if I should say it.

No. Don't. That little voice is usually wiser than me, but I rarely listen to wise advice, especially when I like someone this much.

"And also… I am glad you're here… I mean, I'm glad I'm not alone, that's what I wanted to say," I stumble over my own words, but when I lift my gaze to meet his, I see he's smiling.

I still don't know what he is doing here, but I told him the truth. I'm grateful for his presence here. Even more than grateful, intrigued, curious. I want to know more about this mysterious man, and also, his friend… would he be coming as well?

Before I have more time to consider and think clearly about the fact that I'm all alone in the woods, with a stranger, I feel that same stranger's hand on my cheek. His presence is suddenly overwhelming. He locks his gaze with mine. His touch is electric. I know I should pull away, but I can't. A part of me wonders if I caused this with my words, by admitting that I welcomed him here, into my private space.

But none of that matters. Slowly, his face nears mine. I get lost in his eyes. Not only lost, but I drown in them. My mind refuses to acknowledge anything beyond the confines of the flickering fire that crackles softly around us, as if offering protection and safety from anything it does not illuminate with its light.

Our lips are so close that they are almost touching. I can feel his hot breath. I inhale deeply, slowly.

"What are you doing?" I manage to murmur, fearful that I might break the mystery of the moment, yet I still have a few sober brain cells left in me. I should know better than to stand so close to a stranger, who's obviously on the verge of kissing me. I should know better than that, yet all I can think about is his lips on mine, his hands on my body.

"Nothing you don't want me to," I hear him say.

Gently, his fingers cup my chin and our lips lock tenderly. It isn't the kiss I was expecting. It is so much more, beyond description. He swallows my breath into himself, as our tongues twirl together. He pulls me closer, and my hands seem to find a mind of their own, gripping his neck, raking through his hair as if to keep him in place. It is a kiss I don't wish to end.

Just this one kiss…

You should know better…

That voice emerges from the depths of my consciousness, but the darkness around us swallows it. The only light is the flickering of the fire and the light in our eyes.

I timidly remind myself that I haven't been with a man in ages. I shouldn't do this. There are a million good reasons to push him away and demand him to go. But I can't remember a single one, for the life of me. This man makes me feel safe, protected. I can't remember the last time I felt that way, and I don't want this feeling to end.

"Oh…" I moan into his lips, as his hand slides underneath my t-shirt cupping my braless breast. He squeezes it gently, his fingers finding my pebbled nipple. I can feel him playing with it, teasing me.

Without any warning, he pulls his lips away from mine and his strong, muscular hands lift me into his lap. I can feel his manhood rock hard underneath my buttocks. Instinctively, I start grinding against him, needing to feel him inside of me. He smiles as I do so.

With my back turned to the fire now, he is the one illuminated by its light. His eyes are wild and dark, darker than the obscurity around us. There is danger in them. I can sense it. Yet, somehow, I'm not afraid.

"Should I stop?" he asks, his voice a low rumble that could move mountains.

"No," I shake my head. Anything but that.

He unbuttons his pants without taking his eyes off of me. I've never done anything like this before. Every time I had sex, it wasn't really having sex, but making love. This is… having sex. This is yearning beyond anything I've ever felt before. As if it has been slumbering inside of me since the moment I locked eyes with this man, and I have somehow summoned him here.

"Kiss me," he orders, and I obey willingly.

I cup his face with my hands, kissing him fervently. Our tongues continue that same dance, his hands grabbing my butt as I keep grinding against him, feeling him become even harder. My entire body is on fire, completely electrified by this sudden arousal. I don't need any foreplay. I just want him inside of me, right now.

I pull away, breathless. I see slight confusion in his eyes. I smile at him coyly as I stand up, taking off my pants and allowing them to drop down to my feet. My underwear is dainty, white. Just like me. There is nothing arousing about it, yet the desire in his eyes explodes into a fiery circle of his irises.

"Elena…" he says my name in a way that makes my entire body tremble. My insides are on fire, waiting for his touch.

I step over to him, slowly lowering myself back onto his lap. But my underwear is still preventing me from feeling the scorching hot flesh of his manhood.

I press my nose against him gently, both our lips parted. I can hear his breathing. Heavy and hot. I lick his lips with the tip of my tongue, tasting him. He grins at my doing so.

Slowly, I feel his fingers tracing a line down my stomach, across the fabric of my underwear, and between my thighs. He moves my underwear to the side, grazing my pussy lips as he does so.

"Oh…" I moan softly, biting my lower lip. I couldn't even imagine that his touch against my most sensitive flesh would be so earthshattering.

Seeing my reaction, he does it again, and my entire body shudders. I grip his shoulders, steadying myself. I close my eyes, feeling the tip of his cock pressing against my wet heat. All I want is for him to enter me, to stretch me, to fill me completely.

"Yes…" I murmur against his ear, as I lower myself onto his cock.

Warmth explodes somewhere inside of me, as I start undulating on him, moving like a pendulum, steady and hard.

"Look at me," I hear him say, his hands gripping my buttocks, thrusting into me as I move.

My eyes open wide, locking with his. I fuck him, moving only my hips, as our faces remain close together, our gazes steady on each other, which only seems to intensify the moment.

"I want to feel you cum," he murmurs, and the sound of his voice is enough to send me over the edge.

Ecstasy explodes inside of me, as pleasure unfurls to every hidden corner of my body. My mind is a complete blank, with a million little stars exploding in the silence of the night. Moments later, his strong arms lift me off of himself, and he sprays the side of my thigh, both of us moaning and breathing heavily.

I try to reach for my backpack for the tissues, but instead he pulls me back to him and kisses me for a long time, unwilling to let go. I relish the moment, reminding myself that this will be a secret we won't share with anyone.

Only I forgot one thing. Secrets rarely remain secret.