SEVENTEEN – ASH
The first thing I think about when I wake up is that I am blissfully sore. The second thing is that I am alone in bed. How disappointing. After he was so tender last night, I expected Gregory to be holding me as I awoke.
I perk up a little remembering his promise, to turn things up as soon as I get a little more used to sex. It already felt so good, I can’t imagine what turning it up is going to feel like. The second time around only solidified that I still have much to learn. That time, Gregory stayed on top of me the entire time and devoured me with his attention. He did not hold back on his affections, either, which is why I am baffled by his lack of presence.
Decided to go looking, I peel back the curtains and suddenly, the lack of Gregory makes perfect sense. The room is a lit with afternoon sun, it must be well past noon. I notice him sitting near the fireplace, reading a book and drinking some tea. He didn’t look up when I moved the curtains, so I assume it is a thrilling read.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Can I have some of that?” He looks up, and seeing me awake, he sets down his mug and says, “Of course. Would you also like a bath? You must be sore and a long soak will help.”
My eyes light up with the memory of his glorious bathtub. “Yes, please. Can you warm some of those stones too, I want to be in for a long, long time.”
Walking towards me, he sits next to me on the bed, “They already are, I anticipated this. Do you want to hide when Rose comes in?”
“Maybe. I don’t want her to think any less of me, especially since I’ve never met her before.”
He reaches out to cup my face, “I will bring you a cup of tea, to help pass the time. Though it shouldn’t take too long, she always has water ready.”
“Okay,” Reaching out to stop him as he gets up, “Thank you, Gregory.” I haven’t been this taken care of since I left home.
When he gets to the door, he does that ear-splitting yell again, “ROSE, BATH WATER PLEASE!” I pipe up, “My god Gregory, do you need to yell that loud every time?”
“I do, actually.” He heads to fill up a mug of tea for me, “She is getting old and her hearing gets worse each day. You will see when you meet her.” Handing me my mug, he reaches down and gives me a quick peck on the lips, then shuts the curtains.
I hear him settle back in his chair, no doubt picking up the book again and trying to look natural. Rose comes in a second later and he greets her, “Good afternoon, Rose.”
“Afternoon Greg. You’ve been takin’ plenty o’ baths lately.”
“I know, I’m still trying to wash the dirt of the road away.”
“Sure, the dirt o’ the road.” She mutters, and she has an interesting accent. She draws elongates the vowel sounds, I’ll have to ask Gregory where she is from. I hear the splash of water being poured into the basin. “I need three more o’ these, want to help?”
“I can do that. Though we might only need two more, I don’t want to risk it overflowing.”
“You ain’t that big, boy.” Their voices are getting farther away, they must have already left the room. The last thing I hear is Gregory’s reply, “You never know, I am still growing.” And I catch myself thinking of him growing, indeed.
With his help, the bath should be filled in minutes. I am eager to sink in. Taking my first sip of the tea, I find it’s much more floral than I would have thought Gregory liking. It has hints of sunflower, and maybe chamomile. So much better than the tea I tried to make last night.
I am torn on what to do. I don’t want to put him in danger, but I don’t want to leave. It all changed when I saw him shift from the owl. Before he was just a normal person I could not burden with my powers, now he is in the same situation as me. I know how lonely he must be and I embrace the chance to not be alone anymore either. After what Gregory said last night, about never having known another shifter, I can’t imagine leaving him to fend for himself again. I know from my past that it is a difficult burden to bear alone, that’s why I ended up with a clan.
I hear them enter back in the room, “Rose, you can just set the bucket down, I’ll fill the tubs.”
“Thanks, they are starting to get heavier.” Then I hear water splash again.
Gregory and I are going to have to talk, but it can wait until after the bath. He knows the danger I am, so he must see that I cannot stay in town. It would put everyone at risk. It would put him at risk. We need to find a plan. And we need to figure out what is going on between us.
The splashing stops, “Here you go, thanks for the bathwater.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t have another one today.”
“I won’t.”
With that, I hear the door close. I crawl off the bed and walk straight towards the chamber room, I need to relieve myself before climbing into the bathtub. I holler to Gregory, “I will be right back.”
When I get back in the room, Gregory is already in the tub. He looks up at me with a sheepish grin, “You didn’t think I was going to let you bathe alone?”
“I didn’t think one way or another. The tub is certainly big enough to fit us both.” I dip my fingers in and find the temperature blessedly hot. “Make room.” He separates his legs, leaving me space cradled between them. I climb in and sink back, using his chest as a backrest. The tub is deep enough that the water covers past my breasts, causing them to float in the water. He wraps his arms around my chest, cradling me against him and I let out a sigh of contentment. Not sure what to do with my arms, I rest one across my stomach and grab his knee with the other.
“I love this bathtub.”
He kisses the top of my head, “I love this bath, with you in it.” And since I am mildly embarrassed and seem to enjoy stirring up trouble, I respond, “You probably say that to every woman.”
Squeezing me, ever so slightly, “I’ve never bothered to bathe with anyone in the past.” Trying not to feel stung, after all, I knew he had to have past lovers based on all we did last night, but the irrational part of myself finds being one of many irritating. When I don’t respond, he adds, “Ash, I haven’t had many past lovers. I have courted other women, but I never felt anything for them. I wasn’t drawn to care for them like I am with you.”
I stay silent, still thinking. That lessens the sting, at least a little. I sat up, forcing him to release his hold on me. I turned to face him and placed my hands on his toned stomach, “I know it’s crazy, but the idea of you holding someone else as you are holding me, immediately irritated me.” He brushes some hair from the side of my face, then holding my head, he says, “I have never held anyone as I am holding you.” Moving his hand behind me, he strokes my back then pushes me towards laying on his chest. I follow his lead and lay my head down, “Now, just relax. Enjoy the bath my sweet-eagle.”
So, I do. I stay curled into his chest and he begins massaging his hands all over me. I hadn’t noticed how tight I was until he starts working the tension out of my back. He uses the ideal pressure, pushing just hard enough to work out the kinks. He started low in my back, where I was the held the most pain from our night of love-making. He alternated between kneading and rubbing, and I don’t know how he could tell, but he stayed working on my lower back until it felt completely rejuvenated. Only then did he work his way up the rest of my back. His hands were magic on my skin. When he made it up to my shoulders, I made an audible moan and moved my arms, untucking them from under me, to grasp him around the waist.
Gregory broke the silence, “Were you planning on going to Westhaven?” My head did a lazy nod against his chest, “Bigger villages are better. They are easier to hide in and they tend to get news before any of their smaller neighbors.”
“What are you hoping to hear?” he asks, then starts massaging my ears.
“Mmm, that feels good. I hope to hear of people being afraid because a bunch of shifters evaded capture. I would settle to hear anything though, even if it was bad and I find out no one made it out alive.”
“What would you do with the news?”
I hug him, tighter, “I don’t know. I am sure our safehouses are compromised, so I wouldn’t be able to find anyone. If anyone made it out, they are bound to be in hiding, as I am. If they are dead, I will just have to move on.”
“You won’t have to do either of those things alone.” He stops his massage then wraps his arms around me and pulls me in closer to him. I feel crushed, but I don’t fight it.
“I will have to, it’s not going to be safe for me to stay.” At this, he crushes me more. “I didn’t make myself clear, my love. I will not let you handle this on your own. I am going to be here for you.” He said it again, my love…that phrase buried him deeper in my heart. His affection is overwhelming, and I gasp out, “I can’t breathe.” It’s less from the squeezing and more from his words.
He releases me and I sit up. His eyes are twinkling with laughter, “Sorry, I got carried away. Stay right here, I am going to change out the hot stones.” His departure from the bath was the least graceful thing I have ever seen. Somehow, he managed to both kick me and step on me. When he finally got his feet under him outside the bath, he was standing in a puddle of water and I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe. Trying, but failing to hide his embarrassment, I hear him let out a low laugh, joining my voice in a chorus.
I felt lighter after laughing and he busied himself with changing the hot stones. As soon as the first new one was placed in, the felt the water temperature rising. We must have been in for a long time, allowing it to get that cold in the first place. He places in three more rocks, and the bathtub is close the sauna it originally was. Instead of fully joining me back in the tub, he sits on the ledge and says, “Lean against my legs, I am going to wash your hair.”
Yes, please. I do as asked, and I am rewarded by his hands in my hair a second later. Using his skilled massaging, he works the pine soap into a lather on my scalp.
“So, where do you come from,” he starts our conversation back up.
“Naven, it’s south of here. Have you heard of it?”
“Yes. That’s weeks away on horseback. No wonder you haven’t heard any news yet.”
“I know, it’s been a frustrating time. On one hand, it’s good, since they won’t have found any trace of me yet, or even know which direction I went. On the other, it’s challenging not knowing anything.”
Keeping his fingers working, “That explains why you collapsed when you landed that night. How long did it take you?”
“Three nights, I didn’t stop at all.”
“That’s remarkable. I have never tried to cover that much distance, I almost can’t believe you did it.” He pauses his message, “Lean forward, so I can get my legs out.” I obey, and he steps out of the tub and grabs a pitcher. “Now back, so I can rinse the soap.” I do, and he starts to pour the water over my head. It’s cold, but thankfully, it doesn’t take long and he is done before I have a chance to shiver. I sink back, letting the water wash over me and my hair, instantly warming me back up.
“Thank you, Gregory. I feel so much better.”
Setting down the pitcher, “Can I get back in, I have one more remedy for you?”
“I don’t see why not,” I lean forward, giving him enough space to step in behind me. Once he is settled, he reaches forward and grabs a breast in each hand. “Lean on me.” As soon as I do, he starts massaging my mounds with the same skill he had been showing all day. Where he was patient earlier, he is excited now. As soon as he starts in on my breasts, I feel him grow against my back. I start to grind against him, and he mutters a quick yes, encouraging me.
He slides one hand down from my chest and starts to pleasure my clit. He starts slow, applying a slight pressure and circling over it. I am torn between grinding against his erection and his hand. Needing more, I plead, “Gregory, please, you’re teasing me.”
“That I am. Don’t try and rush me, but keep grinding your sweet ass against my cock and I promise I will make it all worth it.” And he continues his slow assault on my pussy and breasts. It’s so frustrating, all I can think about is needing more of him, right now. I whimper out, “More,” and he blessedly obliges. Keeping the same slow pace, he slides the first finger in my slit. I move my hips up to meet him, but he growls out, “Keep that ass pressed up against my cock.” I slam my hips back down. As a reward, he starts rubbing the palm of his hand on my already sensitive clit. At the same time, he starts moving his finger in and out of me, still slow, but god, it is more than enough. I moan and grind harder over his raging appendage.
He increases pressure on my clit while adding a second finger inside me. He starts to move faster and harder, bringing me closer to a sweet release. I am moaning loudly now. He grasps my nipple hard in his fingers and twists, causing a pleasurable twinge, and I almost come then, but he pulled his fingers out of my pussy. Before I have a chance to complain, he is back in, but with a third finger. He twists my nipple again. I grind against his cock, which only seems to have gotten bigger.
Gregory meets my moans with his own and starts to increase the speed of his fingers. As soon as he presses against my clit, I explode. In the middle of my ecstasy, he extracts his fingers, lets go of my breasts and groans out, “Grab the other end of the bath and raise that plump ass in the air.” I do as I am told. I am a quick learner and when Gregory asks for something during sex, I am better off after listening.
The second my hips are in the air, he positions himself behind me and plunges his entire length inside me. It happened so fast that I am still coming and I clench around him. Holding on tight to my hips, he brings his cock out, then slams it back in. Much rougher than anything that happened last night and I can’t get enough. I move with him, meeting each thrust with one of my own. Our moans are mingling together. Water is sloshing everywhere, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is each thrust. I feel my orgasm building again and I cry out, “Harder.” That was all Gregory needed to hear and he increased everything, pushing harder and deeper. Pounding faster. His grunts get louder and closer together. I can tell he is close to finding his release, which gets me ever closer to mine.
He reaches towards my pussy and starts rubbing my clit. That is all it takes and my pussy starts clenching around his length. Any sound I made was drowned by his yell, “Ash, oh god, yes.” He gives one final pump and empties himself inside me. At that moment, I didn’t have a care in the world that he had came inside me three times already. I was addicted to his pleasure and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Gregory all but collapse out of me and back into the tub. He half lifts me, to lay on him again and my stomach chooses that moment to grumble loudly, effectively ruining the moment. Gregory chuckles, “You’re probably half-starved from all of this action. In a second, I will go get you some food.”
“No, you won’t. I will eat as soon as I get back to Nash’s. I need to find him and explain why I have been missing all day, anyway.”
“I forgot to tell you, he already knows. He was worried sick when he discovered you were missing, especially after finding your note. He came by, enlisting our help to track you down when I stopped him. I told him the attack freaked out so much, you ran, but I intercepted you on your way out of town. Told him I brought you back here because you were too scared to be alone and that you were still sleeping.”
“Great, now he is going to think I am fragile. But, at least he won’t start questioning me.”
He squeezed me, “He shouldn’t. You aren’t in this alone anymore.”
“Right,” brushing that comment off, “I am starving though, I should be going.” I push off him, rising. I really have been here too long, I need some time alone to process everything.
“You can stay here.”
“No, my home is at Nash’s and I miss it. Besides, I am working the afternoon shift.”
“And I won’t be able to convince you that he will manage without you tonight?”
“You won’t,” I say as I climb out of the tub, “Working will be a good distraction. Besides, I don’t want to miss any possible news.”
Grabbing a towel, I start to dry off. I am ringing out my hair as Gregory climbs out. Oh my, he is still hard as a pole. How distracting. I hand him the towel and busy myself getting dressed, trying not to think about his insatiable stamina. We dress silently. When he sees me struggling, he helps me lace up the back, without my asking. A girl could get used to this treatment. After I tie up my boots and stuff my cloak in the travel bag, I turn to find Gregory watching me. I walk over and give him a quick kiss on the lips, “I will see you later?”
“Yes, my love.” My stomach clenches, and I turn to leave. Pausing at the door just long enough to say a quick goodbye. I head out of the house as fast as possible, hoping no one sees me leaving his room.