Chapter Twelve

 

Micah

 

I should have told her. I should have fucking told her.

No, I should have insisted that the police come and get her.

I should have brought her down the mountain myself and left her at the nearest ranger station.

There was an intensity of anger in me that I didn't know was possible. I had been angry before. I had been infuriated before. But I never felt anything like this. The anger that I was feeling was only a thin cover for the pain that was deeper inside of me. Even as I tried to convince myself that I shouldn't have done what I had for Charlotte, that I should have gotten her off of my hands as soon as I could, I knew that that wasn't practical. It wasn't reality. I had been telling the truth when I told her that I went down to the car when I saw it smashed against the tree because I was worried about anybody who might be inside. But I had also been telling the truth when I told her that the instant I saw her face, I was far more worried and knew that I would do anything that I needed to do to protect her. That meant protecting her from the snow and from the possible effects of her injuries, but it also meant protecting her from herself and from the world around her.

I did remember her family. I remembered them as arrogant and pretentious. I had never interacted with either of her sisters, but I had heard from a few guys who had just how miserable it was to try to get in with their parents. It wasn't that they were protective of their daughters. They weren't trying to guard their hearts or defend their honor. Instead, they were trying to craft and defend their own reputation. They looked down on anyone who didn't have money and whose name didn't appear on at least one building downtown. It didn't matter who you were as a person or what you had accomplished. All that mattered was who had bred you. Even if I had tried to approach Charlotte during those high school years, it would have been futile. Even if I had been able to get beyond the judgement and expectations of my friends and the people who acted like my friends but who never actually were. I never would have been able to be close to her. Her parents never would have accepted a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. We didn't have a name that anybody would recognize. We didn't have money.  What we did have was secrets. And those were enough to keep me well outside of the realm of any man who the Dabneys would consider acceptable for one of their daughters. I couldn't give them a good reputation. I couldn't give them higher social standing. I couldn't give them more power or more money. That was nothing that I could offer them, so they didn't care what I might be able to offer Charlotte.

They really weren't all that different from my family. The only difference was a couple of generations and a tremendous amount of luck. Of course, that didn't matter to them. In their eyes, they were as important and privileged as any of the founding families of the country, and they were loathed to even acknowledge those who might not agree with them. They didn't hear the whispers. They didn't hear the people who knew exactly where they had come from and who they still were, or the rumors that were still spread about them by those who weren't impressed by the newness of their success and prevalence. If they did hear it, they didn't acknowledge it.

I paced through my bedroom until I felt like I calmed down enough to talk to her again. I hated the way that she had looked at me when she accused me of taking advantage of her. I didn't want her to think that I would ever do anything to hurt her, especially knowing the hurt that she had already suffered. I didn't know the full extent of what she had gone through, but I knew that it was enough to have shaped the way that she looked at me. I headed back down the stairs and found Scout circling in the great room. He was whimpering, his tail pointing straight out the way that it did when he wanted to chase something.

"I can't play with you right now," I told him.

He circled a few more times and then ran for the door. He looked back, noticing that I wasn't following him, and ran toward me again.

"I can't play with you right now," I said again. "I need to go talk to Charlotte."

I made my way through the house and toward the guest bedroom. I expected to find the door closed again and intended to knock on it this time, but instead the door was standing open. I looked inside and found the room empty. My heart immediately sank. I turned and looked at Scout who was standing in the hall behind me looking at me as if to suggest that he knew something I didn't. I walked out into the lodge and began to run from room to room, calling for her. I checked the library, but the chair where she sat to read beside the fireplace was empty. I looked in each of the bathrooms. I checked the living room. I even went to the memorabilia room, thinking that maybe I had left the door unlocked and she was in there again going through the mementos from high school. The house was empty and quiet. She was gone.

I looked at Scout.

"Where is she, boy? Where did she go?"

He wagged his tail and I immediately went to the mudroom to put on my layers of heavy clothes. She had gone out into the snow and I knew by the trek that we had made to the car that she wasn't prepared to be in the woods by herself, particularly as the afternoon grew later. As soon as I zipped up my coat, I burst out into the snow. The light snowfall that had begun earlier was still only letting a soft, gentle amount of snow drift down and I was thankful at least for that. But the cold was incredibly bitter as the wind picked up around me. I worried that she was going to have very little time. I looked around at the snow, trying to find her tracks so that I could follow them. I could see our footsteps from earlier and I wondered if she might have followed them. I started into the woods, moving as quickly as I could through the deep snow. I pulled my scarf up over my mouth and nose, so that I could breathe the warm air rather than filling my lungs with a sharp chill. This helped me to move faster and I kept my head moving back and forth so I could scan as much of the trees and expanse of snow as I possibly could. My voice was muffled by the scarf, and occasionally I took it away so that I could scream her name. My voice echoed back to me, as if reminding me how alone I was on the mountain.

Fear had started to fill me as soon as I realized that she had left the house and it was only intensifying with every step that I took. I had hoped that she would follow the path of our footsteps directly back down the road, not into the woods when I noticed her footsteps veering away from our tracks. I couldn't understand why she would have turned away from the path or where she could think that she was going, and the worry spiked up even higher. I step to the side so that I wouldn't obliterate her footsteps and begin to follow them. Scout followed my lead and began to tromp through the snow to my side. It was so deep that there were times when he sank down to his neck and I had to pause to dig him back out. Each time this happened I felt like more and more time was slipping away. I was desperate. I had to find her.

I continued on, moving as fast as I could and screaming her name with every breath that I pulled in. The sun was beginning to set, and the light was getting dusky around me. Finally, several yards in front of me, I saw a shape in the snow. I ran toward it and dropped to my knees at Charlotte's side. She was lying on the ground, curled onto one hip with her face up towards the sky. I tucked one hand under her head and lifted it.

"Charlotte," I said. "Charlotte, open your eyes."

Her eyes fluttered, but didn't open. She was only wearing a sweatshirt over a long-sleeved shirt and I realized that she had left her coat in my bedroom. I couldn't believe that she would do something so stupid as to go out in this weather without the layers that she needed, and the guilt clamped down on me like a vice. I knew that I hadn't handled the confrontation the way that I should have. I shouldn't have been so aggressive with her. I shouldn't have walked away from her. I gently laid her back down into the snow and stood, unzipping my coat. I took off my layers down to the thermal shirt that I wore closest to my skin and wrapped them around her. I scooped her up into my arms and cradled her close to my chest as I started back toward the house. I knew that the temperature around me was bitter and that exposing my skin this way was dangerous, but I didn't care. All that mattered was getting Charlotte safe again.

It at once felt like the walk back to the lodge took hours and was over in moments. I stomped my feet on the mat to shake off the snow and ran into the great room to lay Charlotte out on the rug in front of the fire. She was moaning softly, and her eyelids lifted slowly to look at me.

"Micah," she whispered.

"Shhhhh," I soothed her. "It's alright. I'm here. You're safe now." I drew in a breath. "You're home."

I peeled away all of her wet clothes and wrapped her body in blankets. She was shaking, but soon her body calmed.  I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek, wanting the reassurance of the feeling of her skin as much as I wanted to reassure her. I wanted her to know that it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore but the fact that she was here with me and that I was determined not to let anything happen to her again.

 

********

 

Charlotte

 

The next day I finally felt like myself again.  Micah and I hadn't talked about what had happened yet. He had been giving me the space and the quiet that I needed to process everything, and I was trying to put myself back into a normal rhythm of life. I missed him and as if that was enough to draw him to me, I heard him coming up the stairs as I was making the bed. I was finishing piling the comforter up when Micah walked into the bedroom. Without a word, he crossed the room to me and took me by the hips. He captured my mouth and held me close, sucking on my bottom lip. Micah guided me back and tipped me onto the mattress, positioning me so that I lay with my head on the pillow. I was wearing only thin lounge pants and a shirt, and Micah peeled away the shirt, tossing it aside unceremoniously. He ran his palm down the center of my chest before dipping his head down to indulge a craving with a long lick across my skin.

I lifted my head and reciprocated the gesture across his bare shoulder. I tasted the primal, salty flavor of sweat and I ran my tongue along his skin. My hands slid up to his waist and I could feel ribs beneath his smooth skin as he murmured in response to the lick. When he was carrying me back through the snow his shirt had lifted, exposing some of his skin to the elements, giving it a hint of color. The subtle contrast between this slightly reddened skin and the skin that had been protected by clothing was unexpectedly arousing. It was as if that skin was emerging solely for the purpose of luring me to it to worship it with my fingertips, my tongue, and my own vulnerable skin.

Micah continued his trail of kisses up my body, occasionally lifting his head to blow a stream of cool air against the dampened trail of skin. I gripped the covers beside me to control myself, enjoying every moment of the attention that he was giving me, but also the luscious way his body was responding to the touch of my mouth and my hands, and the taste of my skin against his lips. I wanted this to last as long as it could, but I also wanted Micah to let go of the control that he was showing. I wanted him to give in to the desire that we were both feeling. I needed him. I needed the connection, the validation of his touch as much as the release of energy, frustration, and pent-up emotion that I was feeling.

As if my very thoughts had urged and compelled him, Micah suddenly lifted up so that his body pinned me down. I could feel the intoxicating pressure of his already hardening erection pressing into my lower belly and Micah stare down at me with fire in his eyes. He licked his lips with anticipation and touched his hand behind my head to pull our mouths together. I complied with the guidance, pressing my hands to his back so that he would stretch across me more fully. The warmth of his chest pressing down on to my own and our mouths playing across each other sent my arousal surging further, and I tightened my grasp around Micah to deepen our kiss. I didn't want to lose the taste of his mouth yet.

Micah's lips parted, and his tongue sought mine. I welcomed it into my mouth, greeting it with my own so that they tangled and explored with greater familiarity. The thought of how close we had come to losing each other and the knowledge that I was now offering myself to him with full understanding, full awareness of who I was and why I was here, made the kiss even more desperate. I nipped at Micah's bottom lip and he pulled back to stare into my eyes. I reached between us and started to push the waistband of Micah's pants down.

“I was worried you wouldn't come for me,” I said.

"I will always come for you."

With those words, Micah positioned himself on his knees between my legs and shucked his pants. He then brought his mouth down to my waistband, running his mouth along the center of my chest and belly as he went. He let the tip of his tongue slip beneath my waistband and ran it back and forth between my hip bones. I whimpered and lifted my hips, inviting him to undress me the rest of the way. He did, slipping them off and letting them fall off the side of the bed, onto the floor. Filled with a sudden compulsion, I pressed my hands to Micah's chest and rolled him so that he was on his back and I was sprawled on top of him. I kissed my way down his body, relishing the feeling of his muscles and the smell of his body. I gripped his hip with one hand and the base of his cock with the other. Micah cried out as I ran my tongue up the underside of his cock to the head. When the progress of my tongue reached the tip, I grasped his shaft harder and used the tip of my tongue along the edge of the head. I completed the outline, taking a few seconds to focus my attention on the bundle of nerves just beneath the tip, then licked the slit, letting the tip of my tongue dip inside slightly. Micah's legs were beginning to shake, but he made no move to stop me.

I opened my mouth and took Micah's cock inside. He groaned, and I felt need rush through my body at the breathtaking sensation of my tongue swirling around his erection. I sucked deeply to draw his cock closer to my throat. Micah buried his hand into my hair with one hand as I felt the other grip my shoulder. He lifted his hips to thrust into my mouth with each suck. I knew that he wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. I had learned the signs of his body and the pitch of the sounds that poured out of him as he lost himself in the ecstasy that we created together. Finally, Micah's head arched back with a deep, animal yell as I felt the pressure in his cock peak and then become a series of fast pulses. Micah gasped for air as I cleaned his cock with my lips and tongue, savoring the taste of him, filling my heart and body with him.

Micah was still shuddering and struggling to draw in even breaths when I propped myself up on my elbow beside him and gazed into his face. He rested his hand into the center of my chest and paused, feeling my heartbeat, before guiding me onto my back. He straddled me on his knees and touched his mouth to the underside of my jaw. He moved slowly, but his gradual pace didn't feel timid. Instead, there was a fierce strength behind his movements as if he wanted to display his dominance by ensuring that I fully felt and experienced every purposeful touch and breath. His mouth made its way to one breast and he cupped it, lifting it so that he could trace the edge of my nipple with his tongue. He opened his mouth and took my breast into it, suckling me as he kneaded my other breast with his palm. When the breast in his mouth was heavy and hot, my nipple hardened, he withdrew it from his mouth and repeated the attention on the other. The backs of his fingers touched my belly between us and ran down it with a feathery touch until he reached his cock. He flattened his hand on the top of his shaft to press his erection to my belly and rocked his hips, so I could feel it run along my heated skin.

Droplets of slick fluid were slipping from the tip of his cock, making it glide along my belly and bringing a strong ache between my thighs. His mouth ran up my chest and to my ear. I felt his teeth nip playfully at my skin.

“Roll over,” he whispered into my ear.

I moaned at the eroticism in his voice and rolled onto my belly. Micah's hand slipped under my stomach and lifted it until I was positioned on my hands and knees. I felt Micah lean forward to stretch over me and his tongue touched my spine between my shoulder blades. It ran down my spine, making me tremble. Suddenly his knee pushed between mine, easing my legs apart. Micah's hands cupped my ass, squeezing deeply into the muscles. He drew his hands apart, exposing me to more intimate attention. I felt vulnerable, but also intensely turned on and I pushed back toward him. I gasped at the feeling of Micah's hot breath against my dripping opening and then my throbbing clit, a sensation that made my toes curl and my stomach clench. The tip of Micah's tongue touched my skin and my back arched, my head dropping back as I let out a strangled cry in response to the explosive feeling. He had licked me before, but being in this position and having his mouth capturing me from behind was new and nearly overwhelming. Micah pushed further, his tongue exploring me deeply and without hesitation. His touch coaxed me to relax and open to him, and I felt myself relinquishing to him. I reached around to stroke Micah's cock, encouraging it to harden even more.

I felt moments from a mind-blowing orgasm when Micah's mouth and hand left my body. I had only a few seconds to catch my breath and let myself cool before I heard the sound of a condom packet opening and then felt him behind me again. His hand gripped my shoulder and applied pressure as if to pull me backwards toward him. I felt the tip of his erection touch my opening and I pressed back into it, craving having him inside me again.

“Do you want me?” Micah asked.

My breath caught in my throat and I pushed back harder.

"Yes," I groaned.

Micah tightened his grip on my shoulder and hip and pressed forward to meet my seeking pressure. His engorged cock slipped inside me and eased deeper with each breath. The sensation fulfilled me and soon I felt myself giving into Micah completely. He brought his hand between my thighs and massaged into my clit as he started to pump into me. With each roll of his hips I knew that there was so much more than just my body that I was relinquishing to Micah as each day passed. I was offering my body, my heart, and my soul to him.

The movement of his hips caused Micah's hand to stroke my peak with the same rhythm as his thrusts inside me and I felt myself nearly overwhelmed by the layers of sensation that flowed over me. Within seconds I felt my body starting to tense. The deep, grunting sounds coming from Micah told me that he was on the same rushing path toward orgasm. The thought that we were fully in sync, entrenched in the blissful experience together, drove me toward the brink even faster. I opened my eyes to look down and watch Micah's hand bringing on the waves of a powerful climax. Micah cried out and I felt him thrust as deep within me as he could. He held himself in place as he pulsed frantically, satisfying me completely.

After a few moments, Micah withdrew and we both collapsed down onto the bed. He reached down and pulled the covers up so that we could slip under them, holding his arms open so that I could get under with him and tuck up against the side of his body. I kissed him and then curled onto my side so that Micah could wrap around me, holding me close so that he could kiss along the back of my shoulder. His slow, even breathing made his chest and stomach press against my back, further tightening our connection with each inhale. I nuzzled back into him, wanting his warmth and to touch every inch of him that I could. I never wanted to leave this spot.