Chapter 16 - Alexei

I've been lying beneath the blankets, completely naked, next to this gorgeous girl for far too long. My body is screaming at me.

I've been holding myself back, and actually really enjoying talking to her, laughing and sharing stories, but now the sky has turned purple, and the stars are beginning to show. Now, all I can think about is her skin against mine and how warm she feels. How smooth and soft and delightful her body is. I want to play with her, touch her and make her shudder with pleasure.

She is smiling as she stares up at the stars above us, glittering across the sky.

"I can't believe I have never done this."

"Not even with clothes on?" I tease her.

"Not even with clothes on." She laughs, a musical sound that moves between the trees and makes the place feel even more magical.

I shift slightly away from her.

I can't ignore these urges anymore, and now that the stars are shining in full force, I want to make this night even more enjoyable and memorable for her.

As I pull my arm out from under her, she turns to look at me. "Are you uncomfortable? Is your arm falling asleep?" She moves as though she wants to sit up.

"Stay right where you are, baby girl. Don't move a muscle."

I know my smile is mischievous. I can feel it inside me.

She tilts her head as she looks up at me, her eyes glittering.

I run my hand over her stomach and lean down to kiss her, pressing my mouth against hers. I hear her breath catch in her throat as a little squeal of pleasure escapes her. Perhaps she has been waiting for the same thing.

Wanting me to touch her.

Trying to be patient.

I kiss over her neck, leaving a trail of warmth on her skin.

Moving lower, I let my tongue glide over her stomach, and she rocks her hips upwards, arching her back.

Taking her thighs in my hands, I pull her legs apart, gliding my tongue up her inner thigh, and finally over her clit.

She moans loudly and then clasps her hand over her mouth.

I look up at her, smile, and grab her hand off her mouth.

"Make as much noise as you want. I want to hear it."

I start slowly, teasing her a little, moving my tongue around the places she most wants me to go. I brush my fingers over her, too. She moans a little louder, frustrated to be so teased.

But I am teasing myself, too, and my cock is hard and throbbing.

I can't hold back anymore.

I bury my face in her pussy, letting my tongue dance over her most sensitive parts, gliding over her soft skin, like pink petals of a rare flower.

She threads her fingers through my hair and pushes my face harder against her pussy, which makes my cock rigid with lust for her.

I pull her lips apart and push my tongue inside her, sliding it in and out, fucking her with my tongue and making her cry out with pleasure.

Dipping my fingers inside her, I gently massage her, swirling my tongue in circles over her clit as her movements against my face become more urgent, more desperate as she rocks her hips up towards me.

I move faster, pressing harder and tasting her in every way possible.

She tastes as good as she feels, and right now, all I want is to hear those beautiful sounds she is making.

In the dark forest, lit by a bright full moon and a sky full of stars, her legs start to shake, her body shivering as her thighs clamp over my head, and the moans that fall from her lips sound like an angel's song.

Her fingers knot tighter in my hair as she rides my face.

Exploding in pleasure, she comes all over my tongue, and I lick up every last drop of her.

I'm so turned on by her, I kneel over her and grab my cock, thrusting my hand back and forth. It only takes a few strokes before I come all over her beautiful stomach. She giggles, a grin that spreads across her entire face and makes her eyes shine brighter than the moon.

I take a few deep breaths, my heart racing wildy.

Then I look down at her beautiful face.

A woman has never turned me on like this. I don't know what secret powers she has, but she has definitely cast a spell on me.

I chuckle, seeing her smile.

"Did you enjoy that?"

"I've decided that stargazing is my new favorite thing."

Her skin is flushed from our session under the stars.

I hand her a napkin from our picnic basket, and we clean up the mess we made while grinning at each other like two people who have just experienced everything for the very first time.

It is kind of crazy, but because of how different it feels with her, everything does feel like the first time. I am not used to things feeling this heated; this intense connection we have fuels the fire in new ways for me. The way she turns me on and drives me crazy—it's so completely different.

I lie back down on the blanket next to her, pulling her right up against me again, and letting my body warms hers as I pull the other blanket over us.

She snuggles against my chest, still smiling, neither of us is in a rush to go anywhere right now.

We both look up towards the stars,

The waterfall creating a soothing melody in the background.

It's picture-perfect. And I am so happy I get to experience this moment with her.

"I feel so relaxed. I don't really want to leave this place," she whispers against my chest.

"We can stay here all night if you want to. A night under the stars can be part of our adventure."

Her fingers trace patterns over my skin and she sighs contentedly.

I close my eyes and feel myself drifting toward sleep. Happy. Comfortable and warm with her by my side.

***

Early in the morning, I wake with the sun on my face, piercing through the tree branches. A bird is chirping somewhere nearby, and the waterfall is still playing its soothing song.

I stretch my arms out, expecting to feel her by my side, but the space next to me is empty and cold.

I sit up with a fright.

Fuck.

My heart hammers angrily against my ribs as I curse myself for being so irresponsible and reckless.

I was so stupid. I didn't restrain her last night. There was nothing stopping her from escaping, and now—now she's gone.

In a matter of seconds, I am on my feet and grabbing my clothing, pulling them back onto my body in a hurry. Looking around, I can't see her clothes anywhere. She got dressed while I was sleeping and snuck away. I don't even know when she did it.

It could have been shortly after I fell asleep or first thing this morning.

And because there is no way for me to know, I have no idea what kind of a head start she has on me.

She must have just been waiting for this moment, playing me the entire time. I'm such a fucking idiot.

Once I'm dressed, I glance briefly at the picnic things and the blankets. It can stay here—I will have to sort it out later. Right now, I need to get on the road and start looking for her.

If she makes it back to her uncle and tells him who took her— fuck . My brothers and sister are going to be so fucking pissed off with me.

I am rushing towards the rock wall to climb up it to go back to the house, blindly panicking and caught off guard when I hear my name.

"Alexei?"

Her voice comes from behind me and I spin around to face her.

"Where the hell were you?" I snarl, taking big strides towards her and grabbing her arm.

She jolts with fright and her eyes grow wide with shock as she stares up at me.

"I-I-I found a mulberry tree. I was—picking berries." She holds out a bowl, the one that had crackers in it last night, now filled with dark purple mulberries.

I stare at it in confusion for a long time.

My head is still in a state of panic. I am still ready to rush out and find her, thinking that she escaped. I take a deep breath to try and stop the chaos pulsing through my body.

Calm down. She didn't leave.

"You can't just walk off like that. I was worried sick—I thought—I thought you'd left." I am angry; it's the adrenaline still coursing through me, but now I am taking it out on her, and immediately her eyes swell with tears.

I don't mean to be so nasty to her. The last thing I want to do is hurt her in any way.

I take another deep breath and realize I am still gripping her arm tightly. I let go, flexing my hand open and closed.

"You didn't even tell me you were going."

"You were still asleep. I was just walking around a little bit—I didn't even go far." She is defensive. I don't blame her with the way I am speaking to her. She looks scared of me. I clench my jaw in agitation. My anger often gets the better of me, but I don't want to be that way with her.

I shake my head.

I need to calm down.

Take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes. Count to ten. Do whatever you have to do.

Then suddenly, it hits me.

This is exactly what I did to her.

I left her in the house without waking her up and I went to work that day, and this is the kind of panic she felt, thinking I was never coming back again.

Rubbing my hands over my face, I sigh.

"Clara, I'm sorry—I just—"

"It doesn't matter. I want to go back now, please. I'm done here." She has her arms wrapped around herself, a defensive posture, protecting herself from my anger.

"We can still—" I stammer.

"No, please take me back." She tilts the bowl of berries out onto the forest floor. "I'm sure the birds and insects will eat those."

She wipes the back of her hand across her cheek to brush away the tears, and I feel immense guilt for the way I treated her.

I understand how she felt now, though. And I was gone for hours when I left her. I only had to go through that for a few minutes.

Shit. I am such an asshole.

Clara starts gathering up the blankets and folding them into her arms.

I start quietly helping her, not sure what to say at this point because I have already upset her.

I wish she hadn't left like that.

It also tells me something else, though.

I never want her to go.

I never want to let her go.

Can I really keep her a prisoner forever, though?

But—

She's had the chance to run now, and she didn't take it.

She could have been well out of my reach and on her way home by now.

Why didn't she try and escape?

When I first brought her here it's all she did, constantly and recklessly trying to get away, even putting herself in danger to achieve it.

I watch her closely, my thoughts in a bit of a mess, as we finish packing up.

Then, without speaking, I help her up the small rock face and back to the little cliff that leads us home.

We walk without words, sullen and heavy, guilt and confusion on my mind.

After about fifteen minutes I push open the back gate of the property and let her inside. She walks away from me, into the house, dropping the blankets near the front door, then going straight to the bedroom.

I want to follow her, but I don't know what to say.

Standing outside the bedroom door, I hesitate for a long time.

When I hear the shower turn on, I sigh and walk back downstairs.

I'll shower in the guest bathroom—and then I need to think of something I can do to let her know I didn't mean to be that harsh.

I don't want to ruin everything that has been going so well between us lately—especially after last night.

Which was so perfect.