“Are you trying to turn me on?”
She laughs and covers her face. “Oh God…”
“Mmm.” I kiss the slight swell of her stomach, then down over her silky, smooth skin. I felt the small strip of hair there last night, but I didn’t see it, and of course it’s white. How fascinating. I slide my tongue down it, then say, “Open your legs.”
She pauses, then slowly obeys. Smugly, I lower down, hook my left arm beneath her thigh, and then use the fingers of my right to open her ready for my tongue. Gently, I blow across her sensitive skin, and she shudders and sighs. Smiling, I lower my head and slip my tongue down into her.
“Fuck,” she says.
I give a short laugh, press either side of her clit to make it protrude, and swirl the tip of my tongue over the bud. She moans and, feeling gleeful that I can make her feel good, I continue to lick, suck, and tease her with my fingers, drawing her ever closer to the edge.
It doesn’t take long. Soon, she’s slick and creamy, and I groan with pleasure as I taste her, enjoying her moans and the way she moves her hips with the rhythm of my tongue. I know she might be tender down there, so I don’t insert my fingers, but I do tease her entrance a little, and before long her breaths are coming in ragged gasps, and her hands are tightening in my hair.
I cover her clit with my mouth and suck, and she comes then, pulsing on my tongue and crying out my name. Oh, I like that.
When she finally flops back onto the pillows, I kiss back up her body and stretch out beside her. “Morning.” I kiss her mouth.
“Gross,” she says, but she doesn’t push me away when I kiss her again.
“Mm.” I kiss her for a bit, then eventually lift my head and look at the window. The glow in the sky is brighter. “Sun’s coming up.”
“Fuck the sun.”
“Now, now,” I scold. “We’ve got work to do.”
She blinks. “Seriously?”
“That’s what we came here for.”
“But you haven’t…”
“I’ll cope.”
“Why don’t you just let me—” she ducks under the covers.
“No, no, no, no.” I roll over and get up.
She pulls the covers off, ruffled and breathless, and stares at my erection. “But the Captain’s interested.”
“He’ll survive.” I grab my boxers. “We can take a shower after our morning walk.”
That makes her eyes light up. “Ooh, yes. In that case, let’s go!”
Chuckling, we pull on our clothes, then go into the living room to find our rubber boots and jackets. When we’re all dressed, Maddie picks up a clipboard and attaches the map and a sheaf of notes, then pockets her phone. She goes to unlock the front door, but I stop her and pull her into my arms.
“Thank you for last night,” I murmur before I kiss her. Part of me wondered whether, when we got up, she’d announce she has to leave, so I’m relieved she seems happy to stay today.
She lifts her arms around my neck and returns the kiss with enthusiasm. “Thank you, too. It was amazing. And sort of magical, in the storm.”
“Only because you couldn’t see me,” I joke.
She smiles, but she lowers her arms and turns away, and I curse under my breath. While we’re here, I mustn’t keep referring to our families and the barrier between us. Here, we’re just two people who are attracted to one another, and fuck everyone else.
We go out into the cool morning and stand there for a moment, breathing in the dawn air. The sun’s not quite up, but it’s close, and the trees behind the cottage are full of birds engaged in a full serenade. The ground is damp and squelchy in places, but the soil appears to be draining well. The air smells of earth, grass, and freedom.
I glance at Maddie. She’s retrieved her bag of soil-testing equipment from the car, and she’s looking out toward Lake Wanaka, her gaze distant, lost in thought. Her hair is taking on the color of the sunrise, as if she’s a chameleon reflecting the world around her. I think that’s how she sees herself, in many ways. It seems to be only here that she’s truly herself, in thepeace and quiet where she doesn’t have to perform for other people.
I think maybe she’s herself with me, too. I guess it started with the masquerade ball, where I didn’t know her identity. Disguised, she let the real Maddie out, and now she can’t put her back in her box when I’m around.
