Chapter 18

Caleb glanced over at the glamorously dressed woman beside him and wondered again what he'd done to be so lucky. She looked out of place in the functional interior of his forestry truck. That red dress, it was...distracting, to say the least.

It hugged her curves in ways that made a man sweat. Her skin was almost translucent in the moonlight. Her lips...he didn't even want to think about her lips. It did things to him, thinking about her lips. It also made his pants feel tighter in a certain vulnerable spot.

Take me home, she'd said. Oh, how he'd longed to hear those words. As they drove through the night towards her apartment, he replayed those words over and over again in his head.

He considered her reaction on the rainy balcony. She'd disgorged all of her anger and now was strangely quiet. The car ride was a silent one as both parties were lost in their own thoughts.

The miles passed in a blur of raindrops on a windowpane. Before long he was pulling into the small complex in which she lived, and they were at her door.

Dani turned to face him, her keys in her hand but the door still locked. Caleb inhaled, anxiety crashing over him, an avalanche of cold fear overwhelming him. She could turn him away, here, now.

He looked into her eyes and realized that she was thinking the same thing. It would be for the best to do so, actually.

His heart was crumbling, like snowfall under warm rain in spring. Although the thought actually made him physically sick, he prayed silently for Dani to be strong, to push him away, to keep him from risking everything and going inside.

She sighed suddenly, and her shoulders seemed to sag. Dani turned and unlocked the door, then stepped inside. "Come on in," she said as she walked into the entryway and began shrugging out of her coat.

Caleb entered and shut the door behind himself. He pulled off his coat and hung it on the closet door handle, then took off his shoes. Following her down the hall, he watched her heels as they hit the floor with short tap-tap-taps.

The bell of her skirt stopped at her knees and beneath he saw the twin lines of the dark seams on her silk stockings. The sight made him so hard he got dizzy. He'd always heard the old joke about all the blood rushing out of one's head and into one's dick, but he never thought it could actually happen.

"Drink?" Dani asked, her back to him. She uncorked a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass.

He stood behind her, silent. He didn't feel like drinking. There was only one thing he was thirsty for, and it was the woman poured into a seductive red dress. She turned, and he noticed the hint of red lipstick left behind on her wine glass. He wanted red traces left all over his own body instead.

Caleb realized the dangerous direction his thoughts were headed in, but he did nothing to slow them. Instead, he drank her in, his gaze sweeping her from the pointed toes of her red heels, up her stocking clad legs, past her sexy hips, trim waistline, and generous breasts. It finally settled on her dark eyes, after a long pause on her ruby red lips.

He saw her blush, right before she looked away. "You're quiet tonight," she said, attempting to ease the tension between them. He gave her a small smile and crept closer. "I thought you were the one who wanted to talk earlier."

She was right, but he didn't feel like talking now. He continued his advance, and he saw her swallow nervously. "Now's your chance," she said, attempting to sound casual but her true emotions betrayed by the slight tremor in her voice.

He pulled her close, looking down into her beautiful face. She stared up, blinking. He could smell her, an alluring mixture of jasmine and winter rain, and it aroused him to such heights he nearly groaned.

"Say something." He knew she couldn't stand the tension, felt her trembling in his arms.

"Kiss me," he said, and she moaned. No longer restraining himself, he crushed her lips beneath his.

His hands cupped her face, angling her head to allow his tongue deeper penetration. She surrendered beneath his assault, opening herself to him completely.

Caleb reveled in her submission, wondrous that after all the trouble he'd caused her, all the heartache, she could still give herself wholly to him. It was unexpected.

It was magical.

Caleb nibbled her full bottom lip and then slipped his mouth to her neck. He sucked at the sensitive spot where it joined her shoulder. She shivered, and he groaned at her reaction.

He unfastened the halter, pushing the red dress from her shoulders to pool at her feet. His hands slid to her shapely shoulders, then down her arms to her hips. She moaned against him as he gathered her into his arms, picking her up to lay her down on a nearby sofa.

He stood there, looking down on her. She was beyond beautiful, beyond sexy. Her pale skin created an incredible contrast against the fire engine red strapless bra and matching bikini-cut panties. His cock was so hard he was amazed that it hadn't busted through his pants already. His gaze traveled over the swell of her large breasts, past her navel, and over the dark triangle that lay beneath the scrap of red satin between her thighs. He was astonished that she didn't catch fire under the heat of his stare.

He yanked off his suit jacket and his offending tie, then started to unbutton his dress shirt. The progress was too slow, so he ripped the shirt open, buttons flying off in all directions and making Dani laugh.

With a smile, he finished removing his shirt, followed by his undershirt. He then slid off his belt and unbuttoned his slacks. If it was possible, he grew even harder when he saw the hungry look in her eyes as he removed his pants. She wanted him, and she wasn't going to hide her desire.

He bent over her face, joining his lips to hers with savage longing. She tasted sweet, like a ripe apple, but with a tartness that made the experience all the more sublime. She was so soft on the outside, but with a molten core, a whirlwind of contradictions that created the most delightful storm in his senses.

His lips traveled down her face, down her neck, and finally down to her breasts.

After disposing of her bra, he licked the soft skin of her cleavage before moving over to paint each breast with his willing tongue. She cried out at the sensation and shivered below him as he slid his mouth over a stiffening nipple.

Caleb ran his teeth over her nipple before sucking it. She cried out, and he increased the pressure. He then switched to the other nipple, giving it similar treatment. His hands squeezed and caressed her gently. Her breasts were so supple, so soft, like flower petals. He crushed his face between them, inhaling her scent, generously covering each one inch by inch with his rough tongue.

Finally, he abandoned her breasts to kiss his way down her stomach, past her navel, and towards the little red valley nestled between her thighs.

Caleb grabbed her hips and slid her around so that her back was against the back of the couch, and her body was angled towards him. Running his warm hands along her legs, he spread her thighs open and moved between them.

"Have to taste you again." Caleb bent down, burying his face between her thighs and rubbing his nose against her mound through the panties. He inhaled her arousal, and it was the sweetest thing he'd ever smelled. His tongue seemed to move of its own accord when it licked her slit through the cloth.

She cried out, and her panties became a nuisance. Taking the thin bikini fabric riding on her left hip between his teeth he slowly pulled her panties down her legs. At last, with the exception of her sexy silk thigh-highs, she was bare before him. He sighed with contentment and moved his head back down to paradise.

His tongue probed her innermost depths, seeking to send to her to the peak of pleasure. He licked and sucked, sometimes giving her wide laps of his tongue, sometimes using it to stab into her fragrant womanhood in practice strokes.

She trembled below him, moaning out her satisfaction. Again and again, he plunged his tongue into her honeyed center, and again and again she cried out. When he moved his lips to her hypersensitive little nub, she began to shake all around him.

"Caleb!" she shouted, running her fingers through his hair then pulling on it as he sucked harder on her clit. "Oh please!"

She begged so prettily as he continued his torture, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. Finally, she was pushed over it when he gently inserted two fingers into her wet cavern. With a cry that was sure to wake the neighbors, she climaxed, filling his eager mouth with her heavenly nectar.

Her body still shook with the aftershocks of the intense climax as he laid her back on the sofa and joined her on it, crouching on his knees between her legs. His eyes met hers, and he saw only acceptance and love in them, and it made his heart constrict in his chest.

He rubbed his hard cock along her pussy lips, spreading her moisture around to ease his entry. Settling the head of his shaft at her entrance, he slid ever so slowly into her. She sighed and closed her eyes in pleasure as he pressed forward, inch by gradual inch.

Finally, he was settled deep inside her, and he paused, just to enjoy the feel of the gentle pressure of her walls hugging him in their yielding grip.

Dani squirmed below him, writhing with need. "Please, Caleb," she pleaded in a breathy voice, opening her dark eyes to beseech him.

With a knowing smile, he began to move inside her. She felt so hot, so tight, he gritted his teeth at the power of the sensation. She moaned, her eyes screwed up tight under the onslaught of passion.

"Open your eyes, Dani," he commanded, gripping her chin and turning her face to his. She shook her head, and he plunged in harder, rubbing his thumb against her lips. His other hand squeezed a breast, stroking the nipple with his thumb.

He leaned over her, moving quicker, thrusting deeper, to whisper in her ear. "Let me see you. Open your eyes."

She cried out in pleasure and opened her eyes. He brought his face to hers and rained kisses upon it. He then rested his forehead against hers so that they could look directly into each other's eyes.

He increased his pace and force, shoving his cock so deep within her willing center that he never wanted to come back out again. But he did, again and again, driving into her over and over.

They were panting, staring into each other's eyes, and his tongue darted out to lick her lips.

He could see her orgasm approaching by watching her expression. It was like watching a winter storm roll over the ocean towards land. Her eyes filled with emotion, then glazed over. She bit her lip but kept her eyes on his.

He couldn't hold back, not when he saw her about to go over the edge again. He fucked her harder, deeper, wanting to follow her into the abyss.

Her eyes filled with tears and she shouted when her climax hit her. He could feel her muscles clench against his cock and he cried out, spilling his seed deep inside of her. Deep inside he stayed, his manhood twitching as he battled to remain conscious under the power of his orgasm.

She lie beneath him, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, trying to catch her breath. He kissed her then, briefly, and nuzzled her face. He then proceeded to kiss away her tears until she stopped trembling beneath him.

She sighed and closed her eyes, and he slid to her side, pulling her into the crook of his arm and holding her there, against him.

His heart beat like a racehorse's as he held her, and she placed a hand over it and looked up at him, her eyes full of love and compassion. He took a deep breath and looked away, overwhelmed by what he found in her eyes, what she felt in her heart.

Already guilt was settling in, and he angrily pushed the feeling away. He would not feel guilty, not tonight. It was the last night he had with her, and he wouldn't waste it on bad feelings. There was plenty of time for those tomorrow.

* * * * *

Dani couldn't believe what had just happened. In the space of a few hours, she'd gone from never wanting to see this man again to lying sated in his arms.

Talk about a Christmas miracle.

She watched him as he was still, his eyes closed, his heart beat slowing gradually, the heat of his skin warming her despite their nudity and the cool temperatures outside. But as they lie there, she began to sense the return of his reserve. She could feel him throwing up a wall between them, even as they were close enough together to feel one another breath.

"Why did you come here tonight?" she asked suddenly, doubt returning to assail her, like a persistent proselytizer after you've made the mistake of taking their literature once. She could feel him retreating behind his defenses, and it made her angry.

"Answer me," she demanded after he remained silent for over a minute. "Why did you come?"

Caleb sighed. "Because you were here."

Her heart thrilled at the words, but her mind could tell an excuse when she heard one. "You didn't come visit me in the hospital. You haven't called me since we left the park. Not even an email, or hell a text message. I know you said that you didn't do relationships, but after what happened in the cave...I just thought..."

Her words petered out, and when he didn't respond, she blew out a frustrated breath. "Why did you come here tonight?"

Caleb looked at her, his eyes full of emotion, which was efficiently shut away, leaving them as blank as twin marbles. He didn't answer; he just looked at her.

It was unnerving. She couldn't stand the silence. Dani pulled away and stood, gathering her clothing and holding it in front of her like a shield.

"The least you can do is answer me, goddammit! Once again I've let you tumble me into bed without so much as a single promise, barely even a word on your part! Before those miners kidnapped us, you were dead set against me staying with you, even though we made love right before you started pushing me away. So tell me, why did you come here? Was it just to get laid? Another quick fuck to remember me by?"

Caleb sat up, bending down to retrieve his underwear but not yet sliding them back on. He then stood and faced her. His mouth was tight, his eyes lit with an internal fire, and she wasn't sure what had kindled it.

Why couldn't he just talk to her?

"I told you," he said, his voice low, husky, "I came here because you were here. I wanted to spend time with you. I wouldn't have cared if we sat around and twiddled our thumbs. Tonight I just want to be where you are, to feel your presence around me. For one night, I didn't want to be alone. And you're the only person in the world who I want to be around."
"Why?" she asked softly, trying not to cry. "Why didn't you call? Why didn't you come? Why now, after all this time?"

"Shhh..." He dropped his boxer briefs and pulled her into his arms. He took her clothing from her and dropped them on the floor. "I'm here now. Let's not worry about the reasons."

He swung her into his arms and carried her down the hallway towards her bedroom. Since her apartment was small, it was an easy room to locate.

He held her like she was made of glass, and Dani flushed, feeling treasured for the first time in her life.

Gently he set her down on her bed, then got in beside her. "I don't want to hurt you;, I don't want to see you cry."

He kissed her cheeks, her nose, her furrowed brow. "Just let me make you feel good. Let's make the most of our time together."

When his lips covered hers, she let go of her anger, of her frustration and sadness. Dani wanted only to feel this man around her, feel his strong body, feel his erotic kisses, just feel and not worry about tomorrow.

She opened her mouth for him, her tongue darting out to meet his. He groaned against her lips, pulling the bottom one into his mouth to suck and nibble.

His kisses were like oxygen and she needed them to live. Her hands ran over his strong arms to settle around the back of his neck, where she could hold his head to hers.

They kissed for hours.

They kissed for days.

They kissed for centuries.

It wasn't long enough.

After what felt like ages, his lips moved away from hers to suckle her neck. He ran his tongue around her ear, driving her crazy. She squirmed against him, pressing her pelvis against his ever-growing bulge.

He moaned, moving to her breasts, teasing them with little kisses and light nips. Caleb was driving her crazy. He'd paid homage to her body again and again.

Dani thought it was time she returned the favor.

Pushing him back, she positioned herself above him. Taking his lips prisoner, she subjected them to her own form of sweet torment. She then moved to nibble his jaw, licking his stubble and setting them both on fire.

She glided lower, her tongue tracing a path from his neck to his chest. She paused to treat his nipples to little licks with her catlike tongue, and he growled in pleasure. Moving lower, she circled his navel then followed the trail of hair southward until she skirted the edge of his manhood.

She heard him inhale and felt a certain strange power rise up inside of her. Dani rejoiced at the reaction she was getting. She marveled that she could make this strong man come apart with her touch, with her tongue. Seeking to push things further she grasped his shaft in her hand. It was warm and incredibly soft, but within a hard center pulsed out its desire.

Caleb moaned, and she moved her hand up and down, rubbing against the sensitive tip. Leaning forward, she stuck out her tongue and dragged it against the head of his cock.

Caleb gasped as she took him into her hot mouth. Dani licked and sucked her way lower, taking more and more of his huge member into her warm wetness. He was big, very big, and she struggled to fit all of him inside her mouth. She relaxed her throat and swallowed him in deeper.

"Jesus Christ!" he cried out in response to her technique.

Dani smiled around his cock and kept going. She reveled in the smell of him, the taste of him. He was all male, salty but still sweet. She licked him like a Popsicle on a warm day, not wanting to miss a drop of his intriguing flavors.

Beneath her, she could feel him writhing in pleasure and the knowledge that she could drive him as crazy as he drove her warmed her insides. "Dani!" he cried at last, "You've got to stop now, or I'll come before I can get my cock inside your hot pussy again."

She looked up at him hungrily; his shaft buried between her lips. She then slid it out and licked the tip playfully. He groaned and pulled her up.

Caleb moved her so that she straddled him, and Dani eagerly guided his cock into place. "Yes!" she cried when she felt him thrust up inside of her. It felt so good, so right, and she loved the feeling of fullness. She began to move with him, sliding her hips forward, loving the delicious friction.

"You little minx," he admonished as she tried to control the pace. He grasped her hips tightly, plunging in rapidly, but she continued to squirm against him. Finally, his hands moved to cup her bottom, and he took control, holding her above him and thrusting up into her rapidly.

Dani screamed at the force of his thrusts and the pleasure they brought her. He pulled her down, clutching her shoulders, and began to whisper in her ear.

"You feel so good, so hot and wet," he said, biting her earlobe. "Can you feel how hard you make me? Can you feel how deep inside of you I am?"
"Yes!" she cried out. "Oh God, yes! Don't stop!"

"I'll never stop," he promised, driving into her harder, deeper, faster. "I never want to stop. I want to stay buried in your tight pussy until the end of the world."

His words pushed her headlong into her climax, and she screamed and shuddered around him. She rode him like a champion bull rider, holding on for dear life as he pounded into her relentlessly.

Dani collapsed atop him when her orgasm receded, but he wasn't finished with her yet. Caleb lifted her from him and turned her around, positioning his cock to slide back inside her while she was sitting facing away from him. The new angle proved interesting, and she could feel her body stirring around him again, beginning the inexorable climb back up the pleasure peak.

She started out upright on top of him, moving her hips back and forth, grinding against him like a cat against a willing leg, but soon she was leaning backwards as she weakened, the sensation becoming too great to hold herself up.

Caleb pulled her back to lean against his chest and positioned his hands on her thighs so that they held her legs up. She felt curiously exposed, but the angle of his cock inside her hit just the right place. It felt sublime, and she didn't think anything could feel any better than this.

Dani should have known not to underestimate her lover. Just when she thought it was the best she'd ever felt, he took things to another level. His big hand slid around her belly and down to the place where they were joined. Swiftly he uncovered her swollen nub and began to assault it with his skilled fingers.

The sensation was incredible, and she could not control her response to it. Dani screamed as her orgasm hit like a tidal wave. She felt Caleb drive himself deep inside her then groan.

He reached his climax, buried deep inside her, and together they panted and sweated in a heap of fatigued limbs.

Caleb pulled Dani down beside him and wrapped his arms around her. "You're so amazing," he said, pressing exhausted kisses all over her face.

Dani smiled and snuggled closer. She felt her eyes droop, tiredness closing in on her from all sides. Without warning she slid into sleep, warm and secure in Caleb's strong arms.