Deep Woods

“God, Bethany…” he said it in a low growl and what I heard in his voice, that mix of disbelief and victory and sheer joy, made that silver wire inside me draw tight, vibrating and singing right down into my soul. I panted for breath, almost slipping over the edge—

And then he grabbed my ass with both hands, drawing me down hard as he thrust up hard, his thumbs stroking along the crease of my hips, and that did send me over the edge, the orgasm corkscrewing up through my body, rippling along my spine and making me lift my face to the ceiling and cry out. My hips twisted and bucked against him as I felt him shudder and shoot jet after hot jet deep inside me.

Then I was slowing, wilting, collapsing forward onto his chest to lie panting atop him. And he brushed the hair back from my face and kissed me long and deep and tender.

When we eventually disentangled and stretched out, I found that, lying on his back, Cal’s big body took up most of the bed. But I discovered a perfect, Bethany-sized space between him and the wall where I could lie on my side and cuddle up against him, his arm around me and my cheek on his chest. Outside, the storm still howled but with the wall behind me and Cal between me and any danger, I felt utterly protected.

There was a whump as Rufus jumped up onto the bed. He padded all around and over our legs in excitement: he’d never had two warm humans to cuddle up to at once before. He found a spot where he could wedge himself, turned around three times and then cuddled in, sighing contentedly.

For a while, I just basked in the afterglow, tired and happy. And then, with his pec as my pillow, I dozed off to sleep.

41

Cal

I LAY STARING UP at the ceiling as Bethany slept, her long dark hair spilling down my torso. As my body cooled and my breathing slowed, reality was setting in.

What have I done?

I’d known from the start that I couldn’t have her. I’d told myself I had to keep my distance. Then I’d broken every rule. And now….

Now all I wanted to do was take Rufus and go to Canada with her.

For six years, I’d been existing, not living. Serving my sentence in my self-imposed exile. These last few weeks, she’d given me a taste of another life.

But I couldn’t have it.

Bethany thought she knew me, but she didn’t. I couldn’t let it go on like that. I couldn’t be close to her and not tell her what I’d done. And if I did tell her….

I looked down at her, peacefully asleep with her head on my chest. I imagined those big brown eyes going wide: shock, then disbelief. Then finally horror.

I couldn’t take that. Not when I felt like this about her. Anything was better than that.

Even saying goodbye to her forever.

42

Ralavich

I SNATCHED UP the satellite phone on the third ring. “Alik?”

Alik is not an emotional creature but for once, he sounded happy. “Got something,” he told me. “I’m with a local smuggler. I thought she might try and get out of the country and I was right, she was here, arranging for passage to Canada.”

A scream. A woman’s scream can be a beautiful thing, a sound that gets me hard. But this was a man’s scream, raw and agonized. I winced and held the phone away from my ear. “What are you doing to him?”

“I make little slit in his balls,” said Alik. “And then with fork, pull out—”

“I understand,” I said quickly. “Ask him when she’ll be there.”

Another scream. It went on and on. Then a man’s voice, cultured and refined but ragged with pain. “Tomorrow! They’ll be here tomorrow!”

43

Bethany

NEXT MORNING, we had to leave early to be at Jacques’ boat for noon. The wind had stripped every last leaf from the trees and blown them like snow into huge drifts. The ground was littered with branches and some trees had been felled completely, ripped out of the ground to lie on their sides with their roots dripping dirt, or snapped completely in two, exposing creamy, pale wood. It was awe-inspiring and scary, a reminder of how powerful nature was. Any other time, I would have been fascinated. But today, I crunched through the leaves head down, miserably brooding.

I’d hoped. I’d thought that after last night, he might have changed his mind. But when I woke, he was sitting next to the bed, already dressed. Next to him was my backpack, already packed for me with all my clothes and supplies for the journey. But there was no bag for him. I’d looked into his eyes, my own eyes filling with tears, and when I saw the sadness there, I knew I wouldn’t be able to change his mind.