Return to Celio (10 page)

I walked back into the kitchen to find Darrios cooking something. He looked up and did a double take. “Wow,” he said, “You look...beautiful.”

I smiled, trying not to be self-conscience about my clearly noticeable nipples. “Thanks, being clean does make a difference.”

I inhaled deeply. The aroma alone exemplified delicious. I couldn’t wait to taste whatever he was preparing.

“Oh my God, what are you making?” I asked. “It smells fantastic.”

Darrios laughed. “It’s a little something I throw together now and then. You’ve probably never heard of the ingredients, but I think you’ll like it,” he said, smiling.

Dinner turned out to be spectacular. Darrios had prepared a chicken-ish, pasta-ish dish that tasted every bit as delicious as it smelled. I didn’t speak throughout the entire meal because I was so busy snarfing down food.

“I’m glad you like it,” Darrios said, chuckling.

I laughed, embarrassed, and swallowed. “It's really good, Darrios.”

I felt...relaxed...for the first time since I’d arrived here.

We finished our meal and cleaned up together, laughing and joking the whole time. We sat down after finishing and just enjoyed the calm for a few minutes.

“Do you ever miss it?” I asked.

“Miss what?”

“Television, radio, electricity...any of it?”

“I do miss my music...but the rest of it? Naw, not really. You get used to not having electricity and TV, among other things.”

I smiled at him. “Like what?” I asked.

Darrios chuckled, shaking his head. “Hey, how about tomorrow, I take you out and show you around? Then you can see how easy it is to live without technology,” he offered.

“What about Avascon?” I reminded him.

His smile faded. “Right...Avascon...and then back to Gregg. I guess I just thought...now that you were safe, maybe you weren’t in such a hurry.”

I could see that I had disappointed him. I felt bad considering all he had done for me. “It’s not that. It’s just that...I know Gregg has probably called my brother, who’ll be sick with worry by now. And I can’t even imagine what my poor aunt must be thinking. You said time is different here, so I don’t know how much time has passed at home. How can I go sight-seeing with you and enjoy myself with a clear conscience when I know my brother and my aunt are sitting home wondering where I am and what’s happened to me?”

Darrios nodded. “No, I understand. I get it.” He stood up, stretching. “Look, it’s getting late,” he said. “I really need to get cleaned up.”

I stood up, agreeing with him. He took two glasses and an oddly-shaped, brown bottle from the cupboard. “Mulsket?” he offered, pouring what appeared to be two shots.

I looked at him blankly. I had no idea what Mulsket was.

“It’s alcohol, like moonshine. It’ll take the edge off,” he answered, downing his.

“The edge?” I asked, still confused.

Darrios took a step closer to me, pushing my hair off of my face, tucking it behind my ear. I wrinkled my brow as he looked past me toward the bedroom. Obviously I was missing something.

“You said you wanted me to get you to Avascon,” he whispered huskily. “We could start tonight.”

“What? Wait...Are you suggesting we have sex?”

“Well...yes,” he said.

I gasped, finally realizing what he expected. “Oh, I get it,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “You’ll get me to Avascon if I have sex with you!”

“That’s usually how it’s done,” he pointed out.

I blew out a breath. “So much for chivalry,” I muttered.

Darrios chuckled. It really annoyed me that he thought this was funny. He kissed me on the forehead. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to take a shower and then I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

I was too angry to speak. I didn’t answer him, but glared at him as he walked away. I couldn’t believe how stupid I was. To think that he helped me just because he was a good guy. Of course he’d want something in return.

But sex? Really? As far as he knew, I had a boyfriend, and he didn’t know the depth of Gregg’s betrayal. Actually, neither did I, but obviously it didn’t matter. In order to go home I had to sleep with him. I was in an impossible position.

I had to do it. If I was going to get home I had no choice. Besides, it wasn’t like I was going to enjoy it. Sex with that Neanderthal was
not
my idea of a good time. I grabbed the Mulsket, downing it.

I stomped back to the bedroom, hesitating at the doorway. I took a deep breath and walked in. I lit a couple of candles, not for ambiance, but for light...no electricity. Naturally, they had to be scented. I recognized cloves and cinnamon right away, laced with vanilla and a few other spices I couldn’t pick up on, but the aroma definitely pleased the senses. Perfect...just what I needed.

More unfortunately, the candlelight was dim and romantic. Things were
not
working in my favor. I sat down on the bed. The butterflies in my stomach flew around on overtime.

Before long, I heard Darrios come out of the bathroom. Jumping up, I gulped. Then my jaw dropped as he entered the room. I almost didn’t recognize the man standing before me. Gone was the caveman. He was no longer covered in dirt and the smudges of mud had been scrubbed clean from his face and arms.

He’d washed and trimmed his hair, which was a light brown with streaks of gold now that it was clean. And he’d shaved, revealing just how gorgeous his face actually was. I was taken aback, forgetting for a minute how furious he’d made me only moments before.

When he looked at me and smiled, wearing only a towel, I couldn’t breathe. I found myself unable to stop staring. His perfectly-sculpted body still glistened with beads of moisture. I couldn’t swallow.

He put his hands on my waist. I looked into his eyes and all my anger melted away. Wait, no! I needed to stay mad.

“Suddenly, I’m thinking this idea of yours was a damn good one,” he breathed.

“Of all the arrogant...my idea? This was not...”

“Maggie, can we please argue about this later?” he asked, just before he covered my mouth with his.

His kiss was tender and gentle, but the fire it created within me was anything but. All of my rage disappeared, replaced by a liquid heat quickly spreading through my body. I heard my own heart beating.

My traitor-body betrayed me, involuntarily responding to his kiss. I leaned into him as he pulled me closer, sending little fireworks exploding through my brain. I clung to him, not wanting him to stop.

He pulled back, staring into my eyes. The look simmered with such intensity, I actually felt it. Pulling me close, he kissed me again, but this time it wasn’t gentle or tender.

This kiss was greedy, and raw, and urgent, and I gave it right back. What the hell was wrong with me? I should’ve been angry with him for coercing me into sex instead of behaving like some sort of love-starved nymphomaniac.

Just as I was telling myself to calm down, Darrios pulled back. His lips against my ear, he softly whispered, “Maggie, you’re so beautiful. I’m looking forward to finding all the ways I can please you.”

I couldn’t find my voice...any voice. He had me. He might as well have been magic. I was helpless under his spell, and despite myself, I couldn’t wait for him to touch me.

He kissed my face then my mouth again, lightly, just grazing my lips with his. It was maddening, how his kiss, along with his obvious arousal pressing into my abdomen, only made me want him more.

He took a step back, leaving me a bit unsteady. We were both breathing harder than normal. His eyes moved over my body, stopping at my breasts. I wasn’t sure, at that moment, if I was happy or unhappy that I was without a bra. Clearly Darrios was pleased, judging by the hungry expression on his face.

He looked back into my eyes, gently cupping my breast. Lightly rubbing his thumb over my nipple, Darrios sighed happily when he got the response he was looking for.

I was done with the pretense. I wanted him...and I was happy that he wanted me. There was no going back. I stepped back, never breaking eye contact, and began unbuttoning the blouse I’d only just put on a short while ago.

Darrios watched, averting his eyes from mine down to my buttons. He licked his lips as I undid the last one. He stepped forward, pushing the soft cotton garment off my shoulders and onto the floor.

The candlelight flickered, giving the room a soft glow. I couldn’t help but notice how it only made Darrios look even more beautiful. He looked at me, smiling seductively.

“How about we get you out of those jeans?” he rumbled.

My knees turned to jelly. I was right up against the bed now. He pulled the button of my jeans open, effortlessly, and slowly unzipped them.

He leaned down, kissing my neck, carefully avoiding my wound. He pushed my jeans down. Heated shivers pulsed through me when his knuckles grazed over my hips and thighs.

I stepped out of them. He moved on to kissing my ear. The way his tongue softly caressed my skin, along with his hot breath, drove me wild with desire. Hooking his fingers in the waistband of my panties, he pushed them down too. I gasped as he pulled his towel off and tossed it away.

He placed one arm around my waist and the other one around my shoulders. He lowered me down onto the bed then pulled back the covers. I leaned back against the pillows, gazing toward him, anticipating his next move.

He climbed into bed facing me. Running his fingertips down my face, over my shoulder, and finally resting his hand on my hip, he looked into my eyes again.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been with a woman...I want to do this right,” he whispered.

I placed my hand on his cheek. He turned and kissed it. My arms snaked around his neck as he leaned down, pressing his lips to mine, softly caressing my breasts. I gasped as his fingertips traced down my stomach then down between my legs. I was nearly panting with desire. So was he.

When his fingers reached between the soft, wet folds just inside me, I heard myself moan softly. At that moment, nothing else existed, only him and me.

Enslaved by his touch, I reveled in the waves of pleasure pulsating through me, but at the same time, leaving me aching for more. I pushed into him with my body, reaching down between us to touch him, to feel him.

“Oh God, Maggie...that’s so good.”

“Darrios,” I breathed, “please...I can’t wait.”

Nodding, he kissed me again, feverishly, then positioned himself over me. He moved slowly, at first, but as soon as he was inside me we began to move together like we’d done this a thousand times.

With every incredible thrust, Darrios found places in me that had never been reached, sending me closer and closer to the edge I longed for.

Suddenly I couldn’t take a breath. He’d taken me over. I was falling, into a bliss I’d never known before...I cried out for him, and that’s when I felt him reach that same point that I had.

We lay there, holding onto each other, panting, gazing into each other’s eyes, saying nothing. My mind spun in a flurry of emotion.

A guy I barely knew had awakened a sexual appetite in me that, in my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined. It was terribly exciting, but unsettling as well.

How could he, this man whom I’d just met, know how to do these things to me, to give me the degree of pleasure that the man I’d been with for the last year and a half had never been able to?

I felt completely sated, encased in a warm glow, but part of me still felt confused. How could this have happened? Darrios’ voice brought me out of my thoughts.

“What was that?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean...what
was
that? You can’t tell me you didn’t feel it...the
power
of what we just shared.”

I nodded and whispered, “Yes...I did feel it. It was... amazing.”

Darrios laughed. “That’s an understatement! I’ve never felt anything like that in my life. At the end there, we were together, in a place...well, I’ve certainly never been before. Have you?”

I shook my head. “No, never,” I continued to whisper, like I was giving away some deep, dark secret. “You did things to me...I felt things...I never knew I was capable of feeling.”

Darrios pulled me close to him, being careful of my neck and said softly, “Too bad you’re so anxious to leave. I’d sure like to do it again.”

“Right now, I wish I had a tall glass of ice water,” I said.

Darrios let go of me, staring at me, stricken. It unnerved me, a little.

“What?”

He continued to stare, but sat up. “I can’t believe you just did that,” he breathed.

“Did what?” I asked, dumbfounded.

I hadn’t done anything.

“You wanted me to take you to Avascon. I did that and you...”

“We haven’t gone anywhere. What the hell are you talking about?”

He pointed to the nightstand behind me. There sat a tall glass of ice water. I turned back to him.

“How did you...I didn’t...” I stammered.

“Yes, you did,” he argued.

I was completely mystified. I didn’t have a clue what was happening. Darrios must’ve figured that out because he took my hand and began speaking more softly. “I took you to Avascon. You got there. I
felt
you get there...along with me.”

I cocked my head, wrinkling my brow, still not getting it.

“When you started to moan...I kept whispering your name...”

“Yeah, we already established the sex was phenomenal. What does that have to do with going to Avascon?”

“Maggie, Avascon...it’s not a place. It’s a feeling.”

I hopped to my knees, finally understanding a little bit of this puzzle. “Avascon isn’t a place?” I repeated.

He shook his head. Realization slowly seeped into my head.

“Avascon is...an orgasm?” I asked, my voice getting a bit shrill.

He nodded. “Well, yeah, but it’s more than that. It’s more like...it’s a connection between two people,” he explained. “It’s...I don’t know...I guess you might say spiritual.” He looked right into my eyes. “It kind of...creates a bond with the other person...and it doesn’t happen very often,” he said, lowering his voice, “but when it does, it’s a powerful thing. It’s never happened to me before, but that’s how you could’ve gotten home. Once you reach Avascon, you can wish for something and then you get it.”