A Winter’s Tale by Carrie Elks (18)

Kitty watched the early morning sunshine creeping across her carpet. It was only six o’clock when she stumbled out of bed, her messy hair framing her face like an off-centre helmet. She stood under the lukewarm shower for a long ten minutes; her eyes squeezed shut as water poured down her face.

The house still hadn’t stirred when she walked into the kitchen. The usual aroma of coffee was absent, so she poured heaped scoops of ground beans into the filter, filling up the reservoir and turning it on. Flicking the switch on the old radio that Annie kept plugged in near the stove, she curled up into the easy chair, cupping her hands around her warm mug.

Taking a sip of coffee, she wondered when she should head down to the cabin. Adam had been insistent she come, but hadn’t said a time. Was it too early? she wondered. Would he still be out on that morning run? Even worse, would she wake him up, making him answer the door with his hair still mussed and his eyes all heavy?

Or what if he’d changed his mind altogether and asked her to turn around and go back to the house?

One thing was for sure; she’d drive herself crazy if she sat here too much longer.

Grabbing a large Tupperware box, she filled it with vegan dog food, trying not to wrinkle her nose as the thick, dried granules landed in the transparent plastic tub. It had a smell she couldn’t quite place – leafy, earthy, and more than a little pungent – and it was hard to imagine anybody could find that appetising.

Even a puppy. The poor thing.

Wrapped warmly in her thick winter coat and scarf, she followed her usual path through the trees. She’d learned the way by heart – turning left at the half-dead pine, then right at the three fallen logs – her legs following the path without her really having to think about it. The same route Jonas had taken her on their first few days here, when the snow was new and sparkling, and she hadn’t realised what lay on the other side of those trees.

Or who lay there.

Coming to the clearing at the top of the hill, she stopped for a moment, staring into the valley below. The lake was still, the winter sun reflecting in its mirror-like surface, the cloudless December sky lending it a blue tint. Last night before she’d gone to bed Annie had said something about another storm brewing, but the stillness of the air belied that thought. The sky was too clear, the air too static. There was no sign of a blizzard to be seen.

Set back from the lake, Adam’s cabin stood proud within the clearing of the meadow. A plume of grey-blue smoke curled up from his chimney, the only sign of life in a scene otherwise dominated by nature.

Was he waiting for her? Kitty’s breath sped up as she stared at the lodge, her heart banging against her chest. She wasn’t sure when she started walking again, leaving a trail of footprints behind her, but before she’d begun to clear her thoughts, she’d already covered half the distance between herself and the building.

That’s when she spotted him standing silently in the open doorway, his eyes trained on her as she walked. His scrutiny lent her an air of self-consciousness, making her stumble a couple of times before she reached his steps. Unlike the last time she was here, the wooden slats that enclosed the porch and held the roof up were decorated with boughs of pine and holly. Laced between the greenery were twinkling lights, lending a grotto-like air to a cabin which had previously been so plain.

It looked like something from a fairy tale.

There was a lump in her throat when she spoke. ‘You decorated.’ She recognised the lights from the box she’d brought down two days ago. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought he’d do anything with them.

Adam leaned against the doorway. Though the air was freezing, he was only wearing jeans and a thin black sweater, the wool doing nothing to hide the definition of his chest. His hair was still wet, brushed back from his face, his beard recently trimmed. She could almost smell the pine scent of his cologne – an aroma that already had the ability to make her weak at the knees. ‘The box was in the way. I figured I better do something with it before the puppy decided to eat it for breakfast.’

Kitty was still overcome by the wild, primitive wonder of the scene. ‘It’s beautiful.’

His eyes didn’t leave her face. ‘Yes it is.’

All those fears and doubts that had been her companion since leaving the big house seemed to evaporate into the winter air. The way he was staring at her with dark, hungry eyes was enough to melt her inside.

‘I wasn’t sure you’d be back from your run.’

‘I was out before six.’ The smile he flashed her was brief. ‘I don’t sleep a whole lot. I’ve already got the logs in for the day, too.’

She reached the top of the steps. Adam hadn’t moved, his large body still blocking the door. Kitty came to a halt a few feet from the entrance, her rapid pulse making her breathless.

‘I’m glad you’re here.’ Her voice was soft.

‘So am I.’ For the first time he took a step towards her, sending every cell in her body into high alert. A shiver worked its way down her spine, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind it. Adam reached out and took the dog food from her hands.

‘It’s for the dog.’ She was aware of how stupid she sounded. ‘It’s vegan. Organic, as well. Apparently he’ll love it.’ She looked over in the corner, where the puppy was curled up in his makeshift bed. He looked out for the count.

Adam didn’t reply. Placing the box on the rustic bench just inside the front door, he reached out again, this time wrapping his hands around Kitty’s waist.

It was as if a spotlight had been trained on the two of them, flooding the outside world with darkness. They were actors on a stage, with an audience of two, and every movement was a gesture meant for their private performance. She felt his hands tighten around her through the layer of her coat, as he lifted her easily into his house. Disappointment flooded her chest when he released his hold.

That sensation was short-lived, as he tugged at the zipper of her jacket and slipped it off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor in a heap. Then his fingers were on her neck, unbuttoning her sweater, warming her skin as he pushed down inside.

She looked up, connecting with his hot stare. His face was flushed, his lips swollen, a mirror of her own arousal. He lifted her sweater over her head, revealing her cotton tank and bra, his hands sliding the straps from her shoulders until they were bare.

‘I thought you wanted to talk to me.’ She tried to inhale, her mouth dry. Fearing he might take that as a rejection, she quickly added, ‘Not that it matters right now.’

Adam dipped his head, pressing his face into the curve between her neck and shoulder. She felt his lips move against her aroused skin, his voice little more than a whisper, its volume muffled by her body.

‘We’ll talk later.’

 

He hadn’t meant to pounce on her the moment she’d walked into the house. He’d filled the coffee pot and whisked some eggs, intending to have everything on the table for her arrival. He’d spent most of the night thinking about her, about the questions he wanted to ask, the apologies he wanted to say. But then he’d spied her from the kitchen window, emerging from the forest and onto the hill. With her silhouette illuminated by the burgeoning sun, she’d looked like something otherworldly. The need to touch her had flickered back to life until it was an inferno burning inside his belly.

Adam had lingered in the doorway as she’d walked down the hill, his fingers grasping the wood in an effort not to run to her. What had Martin told him? That he could choose a middle ground, it didn’t have to be all or nothing. He could just be her friend.

She didn’t feel like a friend right now, though, as he brushed his lips up her neck, feeling her shiver at his kisses. Then he reached the corner of her mouth – could feel the warmth of her breath against his lips, and he paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers to check it was OK.

He was half afraid she’d change her mind and walk away. Even more afraid that she wouldn’t. His mouth was aching with the need to kiss her, to taste her, to consume her.

He didn’t want to be her friend.

He wanted to be her lover. Fuck blowing hot and cold, the heat was all he needed.

‘Is this OK?’ He wasn’t sure why he was asking now.

She blinked at him, her lips parting slightly as he continued to stare. She swallowed, as though she was tasting the moment as much as he was. ‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘It’s more than OK.’

Slowly, torturously, he slid his mouth to hers. At first it was little more than the softest feather of lips against lips, as he reached up to cup her jaw, angling her face to his. Then he deepened the kiss, his need to taste her overwhelming every other sense. She moulded her body against his, soft chest against his hard planes, warm thighs against his. Christ, she was delicious.

It only took a moment of them kissing for him to get hard, his dick throbbing in the confines of his jeans. Her lips were so soft, her mouth wet and warm as he slid his tongue inside her.

Adam moved his hands down, sliding them from her chest to her waist. Her skin was warm, smooth, and so very tantalising, but nothing compared to the heat flooding through his body.

She’d said yes. To him. He wanted to shout it out to the world. In this godforsaken corner of a snow-covered mountain, a beautiful, funny girl who he’d spent the past week consumed by, had walked over to give herself to him.

It felt like little short of a miracle.

‘Can I take you to the bedroom?’ As hormone-ridden as they were, having her against the wall of his cabin wasn’t what he had in mind. She had a body to savour, not rush. If he was going to make it good for her, a knee-trembling quickie wasn’t going to cut it.

‘Is it far?’

He let his head fall back as he laughed. ‘No, baby, not far at all.’ He lifted her up until her legs circled his hips. Their relative heights made her face level with his. Kitty cupped his jaw, angling her head until their brows touched.

‘I can’t believe I’m doing this. I swear I only came down for breakfast.’ She didn’t look too unhappy about it, though. Her smile lit up her face.

Adam flexed his muscles. ‘I think you’ll find I’m doing all of the work here. You’re just coming along for the ride.’

Her laugh blinded him. ‘I mean this. Going to bed with you. It’s hardly even morning. I’m honestly not the sort of girl who throws herself at strangers.’

‘We’re not strangers.’ They were anything but. Right then he felt connected to her on every level. It was as though his heart was in tune with his brain for once. ‘But if you’re having second thoughts, we can stop now. No hard feelings.’

‘Don’t you dare stop.’

That settled it. They made it to the bedroom. Adam laid her gently on his bed, standing back to admire her for a moment. Her hair fanned out across the patchwork quilt, her skin soft in the morning light. Her top half was bare save for the half-open bra she was wearing. From the waist down, on the other hand, she needed some work.

Adam bent down and pulled off her boots, then tugged at the woollen socks keeping her feet warm. Her toenails were painted a vivid orange, shiny and bright. Something about that made him want to kiss them, so he did. One by one he pressed his lips to her toes, holding them hard when she tried to pull them away. She started to giggle at the sensation.

‘Can I take my jeans off?’ she asked him.

‘That’s my job.’ He didn’t want to be hurried. Adam planned on savouring every moment of that morning, burning each touch and sensation into his memory. He wasn’t sure what would happen after today. For now, he just wanted to live in the moment.

With her.

Maybe that’s what Martin meant after all.

She started to wriggle on the bed, responding to his touch. With a grin on his face, Adam climbed onto the mattress, leaning over her as he stared into her eyes, his hands resting on either side of her head.

‘Adam, I need you.’

‘Say my name again.’

Her lips turned up. ‘Adam. Adam, Adam. Do it to me, Adam.’

He laughed and shook his head.

Slowly he unbuttoned her jeans. They were tight against her skin, enough to make her have to lift up her body as he tugged the denim down, watching it slide along her legs until finally he brought them over her feet. That just left her underwear. No, not underwear – lingerie. It was delicate and white, the intricate design on her panties matching those on her bra. It made him hard as a rock to know she’d worn this just for him.

Kneeling over her, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her stomach. Her body was warm and silky beneath his lips. As he slid his mouth to her breastbone, Kitty gasped, her chest rising with the effort.

‘Take my bra off.’

The way she kept trying to boss him around amused him. She didn’t realise that he was planning to do it anyway. But knowing how needy she was, he took his time, making her gasp and squirm as his fingers brushed against the underside of her breast.

She was panting by the time he unhooked her bra.

Man, her breasts were magnificent. Pale and full with pink-tipped nipples, he couldn’t stop himself from staring at them. Imagining how they’d feel in his mouth, his tongue rolling around until her tips were stiff.

Kitty’s hands fluttered to her chest, as if to cover them. Firmly he grabbed her wrists and put her arms by her sides. Right now her breasts were his. Every part of her was his. But what he planned to do was for Kitty alone.

‘You’re beautiful.’ His voice cracked.

‘Really?’ She sounded surprised.

‘Like you don’t know it.’ He placed the pad of his index finger in the dip beneath her neck, tracing a line that intersected her breasts. ‘Look at you lying here, like some kind of goddess. You must hear this shit all the time.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Then you should. Every fucking day.’

He couldn’t wait any longer. The need to taste her, to give her pleasure, was too strong to ignore. He brought his head to her breast, stopping half an inch away from her nipple. Close enough to make her pucker with his warm breath. Pausing, he tasted the anticipation before wrapping his lips around her nipple.

She groaned loudly, making him pulse in his jeans. It was taking everything he had not to grind himself into her, to ease that throbbing ache between his thighs. To distract himself he reached out for her other breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Kitty’s gasps told him how much she liked it. So did the way she was circling her hips, dancing to a rhythm as old as time.

‘Touch me. Please touch me.’

‘Soon,’ he promised, caressing her breast again. ‘When you’re ready.’

‘I am ready.’ She pouted. Fuck, he wanted to kiss her again.

He had to bury his head to hide his smirk. ‘Yeah, you’re probably right about that.’

She reached down to tug at his sweater. ‘You’re not though. You’ve still got all your clothes on.’

‘I can solve that problem in about thirty seconds.’

Kitty tried to sit up, but the cage of his arms prevented her. ‘What if I want to solve it?’

He couldn’t help but grin. ‘You want to strip me?’

She swallowed visibly. ‘Um, yeah? Is that OK?’

There was something about her reticence that pulled at him. ‘Have at it. I have to warn you, though, it’s a lot harder undressing a man than a woman.’

‘You’ve undressed a man before?’ she asked playfully.

Adam grinned. ‘Only myself. And maybe Ev when he was too drunk to do it himself.’

‘Can we not talk about your brother when I’m about to take your clothes off.’

‘Fair point.’

She took it slow, inching the hem of his sweater up, trailing her fingers over his undershirt. It was his turn to get impatient, putting his arms up to encourage her to take it all the way up. When she did, beginning the torture all over again with his undershirt, Adam thought about taking over himself.

But then he saw the intense expression on her face as she slowly revealed his stomach. The way she stared, licking her dry lips, was enough compensation for the torture.

‘You like what you see?’

She breathed in sharply. ‘It’s OK.’

Adam shook his head. ‘I don’t do OK. That’s something you’ll find out about me. It’s shit or bust all the way.’

Maybe it had been too much bust lately. He’d tried hard for so long and eventually given up. Hiding in this cabin had seemed his only option, the way he could disappear from the world. He wasn’t hiding now, though. He was becoming exposed, and not just physically. With every inch that Kitty pulled up the fabric of his undershirt, she was also opening up something deep inside him. Something he’d hidden for so long.

He wasn’t sure he was ready for that. It felt too raw.

Refusing to think about anything but her body and his, Adam tugged at the buckle of his belt, pulling his jeans down and kicking them onto the floor. That left them both in their underwear – she in her panties, he in his shorts. When he climbed back up over her, his legs between her thighs, he lowered himself until they were grinding against each other.

Adam was done for. Like a kid, he wanted to keep moving until they were both gasping out loud, until they exploded into a blinding light. But he wasn’t a kid, he was a man. If the years had taught him anything, it was that prolonging a moment was everything. Things tasted so much more delicious if you had to wait for them.

Kitty placed her hands on his behind, using the movement to create friction between them. He dipped his head to kiss her again. Their mouths were heated and desperate, their tongues touching and sliding against each other in an effort to consume. She started to rock against him in a steady rhythm, her gasps quicker, faster, harder. She was close to coming, that much he could tell, and he realised he didn’t want to feel it against his body.

He wanted to feel it against his mouth.

Kitty cried out when he pulled back. Her hands dropped to her sides, her eyes glistening with disappointment. That turned to wide-eyed astonishment as he scooted down, hooking his fingers around the elastic of her panties to pull them down her thighs.

Throwing the scrap of fabric behind him, he reached out to grab her legs, spreading them wide so she was open and exposed. Her hands were grasping the bed covers, her head flung back with her eyes closed. He wanted to imprint that image for ever.

Softly, he scraped his beard along her inner leg, taking his time when he got to the soft, plump skin at the top of her thighs. Kitty moaned louder, one of her hands releasing the covers so she could bury her fingers in his hair.

‘Please…’

‘Please what?’ he growled.

‘Adam, stop teasing.’

But he wanted to tease. He wanted to drive her so crazy she’d never leave. He wanted to blow her mind so hard that she’d have to stay with him in the cabin for ever.

‘You want me to touch you?’

‘Yes!’ She tugged at his hair, trying to move his face closer. ‘Please.’

‘Since you asked so nicely…’ He blew, parting the scant hair that covered her. Kitty shivered beneath his touch, her hips bucking.

He touched the most sensitive part of her with the soft tip of his tongue. Kitty rocked beneath him, crying out as he licked her again. She tasted good, enough to make him want more. Enough to encourage him to slide his tongue over and over again until her cries became screams. His body throbbed with every lick, the need to pull off his shorts and take her becoming almost feral. Ignoring the ache, he slid his fingers up, pushing them inside her until her body began to convulse around him.

She continued to buck as he crawled up and over her, pressing his warm, slick lips against hers. Swallowing her cries, he let her wrap her legs around his hips, her body seeking friction as she rode the final wave.

When Kitty finally opened her eyes, they were heavy and dark. She stared up at him, her lips parted. ‘Wow. That was amazing.’

Hearing how good he’d made her feel was like winning an Olympic medal. He smiled, finally allowing himself to grind between her thighs.

‘Babe, that was just the beginning. The best is yet to come.’