The Lion's Love Child (3 page)

They settled in then to a comfortable conversation over the beef stew.  They discussed the weather and the beauty of the landscape.  They covered her research and what had brought her to the preserve.  He even covered his multiple trips to the preserve.  When dinner ended, he seemed as reluctant to leave as she was to see him go. 

She stood with her back to him, taking a bucket of water to the cooking fire.  The steam swirled around her as the other fire died.  Before she could turn back around, she felt him standing behind her, his strong hand coming to rest on her hip.
“Do you want me to go?” he whispered in her ear.
“No,” she answered, her voice as shaky as her knees. 
She leaned back into him then, feeling his lean muscles surrounding her.  He let out a growl of approval, gently worked his hand past the hem of her kimono, and softly caressed her thigh.  The other wove skillfully between the kimonos sides and rested against her stomach, sending goosebumps across her skin.  He pressed his lips against her neck and she couldn't suppress her moan of desire.
He buried his hands in her hair, sending the pins flying and her hair falling around her shoulders.  He buried his face in it then, inhaling her scent.  She could no longer stand the torment of not being able to see him.  She spun around and was greeted by his hungry eyes.  His hands never ceased roaming her body as his mouth swooped down to capture hers.
She could no longer keep her hands off him.  Greedily, she slid her hands under his shirt, running her fingers slowly over his core muscles.  She felt him shiver under her touch and she sighed with the satisfaction of knowing that he was as turned on as she was.
He seemed to be frustrated by the silk of her kimono.  The thin fabric was more of a barrier than he could stand.  He took his hands from her just long enough to undo the belt that held it closed. As the sides of her robe fell open, she thought vaguely that she should be embarrassed to be standing before him in only her white lace bra and underwear, but all she felt was a hunger to have his hands on her again.  He paused before touching her again, though.  He ran his eyes over every inch of her and she felt it as intimately as she had any physical contact.  It was then that she decided that she wanted him to make love to her.
She felt bold as she reached out and wordlessly took his hand, leading him in to the cabin. He followed her gently, though she could feel that he was using all of his effort to keep from swooping her up in his arms and devouring her right there.  She led him to the pillow-filled corner of the room.  Gently, she nudged him towards the piles of pillows and he sat down slowly, never taking his eyes from her as he settled in amongst the vibrant fabrics.
She stood in front of him and slowly allowed her kimono to fall to the floor.  He gasped at her sensual movement.  Spurred by his desire, she went to him and lowered herself to the pillows beside him.  His hands wove around her then and he pulled her to his chest.  Still fully clothed, the fabric of his tee shirt and jeans rubbed against her exposed skin. 

She was consumed then by the desire to feel his skin against hers.  She gently rose to her knees and maneuvered herself above him until she could guide his shirt over his head.  His chest was magnificent, with rippling muscles and broader shoulders than she had ever seen.  Still, there was a lean quality to his form that turned her on even more.
He seemed to be spurred on by her appreciation.  He reached out to pull her to him again and she found herself straddling him.  He wound his hands through her hair and pulled her down to him, kissing her with bruising force.  His hands wound behind her and she soon felt her bra fall away, revealing her breasts to him.  He ran his hands over them lovingly, as though he were holding the most fragile of treasures. She leaned in to his hands, craving more.  It was then that something seemed to snap within him. His mouth latched on to her nipple and she gasped at the sweetness of his tongue working her tender bud.  He continued to ravage her breasts as she wound her hands through his hair.  With each burst of pleasure, she pulled harder on his locks.  Instead of being startled by the pain, it seemed to feed his desire.  He licked his way across her chest and gave the same attention to her other breast.
Then, both of his hands settled on her hips, looping around the hem of her panties.  He began to slide her panties down, causing her to quiver with anticipation.  His eyes darkened and he gripped the thin fabric and tore them from her body in one quick motion.  His fingers soon reached to her core, circling her most sensitive place.  She gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin as she rode out the waves of passion he brought her.  At every moment that she thought she had reached the peak of pleasure, he continued to bring her higher. 

In one swift movement, he lifted her and laid her back on the pillows.  He stood to divest himself of his pants before crawling back towards her.  He braced himself above her, lowering his mouth to hers once again.  She spread her legs instinctively to give him better access.  Still, he was in no rush, kissing her as though they had all the time in the world to explore each other.  She wiggled in anticipation and that seemed to get his attention, eliciting something near a growl.  He kissed his way across her cheek, and down her neck, settling at her collarbone and she felt as though she would go absolutely mad if he did not enter her soon.

“Please,” she begged.  Her eyes were heavy with passion as she stared up at him.

“What?” he asking innocently, lowering his head then and licking her nipple.

“You know,” she moaned, writhing under him.

“Tell me what you want,” he ordered.  Though his words were gentle, his tone was commanding and exhilarating. 

“I want you,” she said as she wrapped her hands around his neck and tried to pull his mouth back down to hers.  He captured her wrists with one hand and pinned then above her head, depriving her of even the pleasure of touching him.

“You want me to what?” he purred as he nuzzled her neck gently.

“Don’t tease me,” she begged.  Her skin was on fire then and she was lost in her need for him.  She couldn’t believe the moans and groans that she was emitting.  She would usually have been embarrassed at seeming like such a wanton woman, but she needed him to know the effect he was having on her. 

“I’m not,” he whispered, gently blowing in her ear.  “I want to hear you say it.”

It took all of her effort to find her voice.  “Make love to me,” she whimpered with all that she had.  Her voice was so full of desire that it clearly affected Dylan. 

He returned his mouth to her neck then, playfully taking her skin between his teeth and driving her absolutely wild before he murmured, “With pleasure!”

He thrust into her then.  He wasn’t gentle and she didn’t mind.  His hands gripped her hips so tightly that she was sure it would bruise.  He pinned her down and pumped in and out of her with wild abandon.  With his hands settled on her hips, he released her wrists.  With her new-found freedom, she explored every inch of his body.  She lingered on the strong muscles of his back, his lean stomach, and his toned ass.  When she gave it a playful squeeze, he let out what could only be described as a roar. 

Just as she felt that she was nearing her completion, he slowed his pace, teasing her with agonizing desire.  She arched up, trying to bring him deeper within her, but he held himself back, enjoying her display of sultry desire.  He stared down at her with clear appreciation for the beautiful, writhing woman beneath him.

“I need you,” she moaned.

“You have no idea what you are doing to me,” he groaned.

“Then finish.  I need to feel you come inside me.”  She was shocked herself as the words came out, but he seemed even more surprised.  Though he was still buried deep within her core, he did not move.

“Oh believe me,” he crowed, “you will. Still, I plan to take my time.  I am going to savor every moment that I am inside of you.  I plan to be able to recall every moment of our time together for years to come.  I want your screams of pleasure to ring in my ears every time I am surrounded by silence.  I want your eyes, full of desire, to be the thing I see when I close my eyes.  I will take my time, my dear.”

His words were so erotic that she couldn’t help but whimper as her desire rose even higher.  He ran his hand gently across her cheek and he began to move within her again, though now each motion was steady and controlled.  She felt utterly helpless, lost completely to her desire.  She had never experienced anything like making love to Dylan.  It felt as though he had six hands, as though he were touching every part of her simultaneously.  His eyes stared down in to hers and with each thrust, she felt their connection growing.  She did all that she could to keep from blinking, not wanting to miss a moment of this, with him staring down at her so sensually.  She had never felt more beautiful or sexual than she did with him inside of her.

She arched herself up to meet each of his thrusts, rolling her hips as he moved within her.  She lifted herself and licked a bead of sweat from his neck.  It was then that he seemed to let himself go. He seemed to lose control, bucking wildly.  All that she could do was hold tightly to his shoulders and ride out the waves of passion.  It was not long before her pleasure erupted, shaking her both mentally and physically. 

He continued to pump in and out of her, so taken with his biological urge to plant his seed inside of her.  Soon he came himself, filling her.  She could not remember a more erotic experience than the feeling of him coming inside of her.  Knowing that this big and powerful man was rendered senseless by her body was a powerful moment. 

When he finished, he lay on top of her, both of them too exhausted to move.  After a few moments, he lifted his head just enough to kiss her soundly before they both slipped off to sleep. 

She awoke hours later.  When she awoke, he was looking down at her and running his hands through her hair.  There was something unreadable about his expression. It was a cross between desire and sadness that puzzled her.

“Have you been awake long?” she asked him sleepily.

“I could have watched you sleep all night,” he whispered, adding to the intimacy of the moment.  His voice seemed to envelop her like the darkness.

“I guess I was a little worn out,” she smiled, suddenly self-conscious about how she must look, lying there naked and ravaged beneath him.  “I must look a mess.”

The desire in his eyes told her that she needn’t worry.  “There is nothing more appealing to a man than looking at a thoroughly ravaged woman and knowing that he is entirely responsible for every wild hair and hooded glaze.”

She felt the blush rising up her cheeks and she wanted nothing more than to melt in to the cushions beneath her.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” he purred in her ear.  “I will carry the memory of how you look in this moment with me always.”

“Are you sure you are a photographer and not a writer?” she teased.  “You certainly have a way with words.”

“Ah, well, it never hurts to be able to accurately tell a beautiful woman how much pleasure she has given you,” he smiled with pride.  “I am just sorry that I won’t be able to have more time with you.”

“You’re leaving the preserve soon?” she asked, highly disappointed to be losing him so quickly. 

“Yes,” he said, looking past her and out in to the darkness.  “I heard from my editor today and he needs me to be in Alaska next week.  I leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” she asked, a bit shocked that it was so soon.

“I should be back in a few months, though, to finish the project I came here to start.  Could I come and see you then?” he asked, looking genuinely nervous that she would say no.

“I would like that very much,” she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder and cuddling closer to him.  His scent and skin were so intoxicating that she wanted to absorb as much as she could before he left for far away shores. 

He seemed to have similar thoughts, because he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her even closer.  She felt his chin rest on the top of her head and she rejoiced in the feeling of being surrounded by him. 

CHAPTER TWO

Grace lounged on the bed of pillows in her cabin as Shannon paced back and forth in disbelief.  Grace had known, of course, that she would be shocked when she told her about the events of the night before. 

“You did what?” Shannon asked for the tenth time.

“I am not going to tell you again,” Grace said, feeling a bit annoyed that Shannon found it so hard to believe. 

“I need to hear it again to believe it.” Shannon stopped pacing then and sat down beside Grace, still in shock at the way things had happened.

“No you don't.” Grace laughed, leaning her head against her friend’s shoulder.

“I cannot believe you really did it,” she said, so proud of her.

“Fine,” she said reluctantly.  “I slept with him.”

“A man you had just met,” she asked as though she did not already know the answer.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Whose last name you don't know?” she pressed.

“Yes,” she said, trying not to smile at Shannon’s look of disbelief. 

“Who you suspect isn't really a photographer,” she said as seriously as she could manage.

“That is correct,” she said, unable to keep the indulgent smile from her face.

“This is too good,” she laughed, wrapping her arms around Grace.

“What are you talking about?” she said, playfully elbowing Shannon.

“You know what I am talking about,” she teased.

“Haven't the foggiest idea,” she smiled innocently, playing coy.

“You did just what you always scold me for doing.”  Her joy at the situation was too infectious. Grace wanted to be annoyed that they were talking about this in such detail, but it was fun to be able to talk about it.  It made the magic of the night before feel real.

“And it was amazing,” she admitted. 

Shannon’s face lit up. “Grace!  You never talk about these kinds of things with me!”

“It was wonderful and thrilling. I felt so free.”  And it had.  She could not remember a time in her life when she had felt so much like herself other than when she was in his arms.  She hadn’t been self-conscious about anything.  She had just reveled in the feeling of his hands on her.  The pure sensory experience of it had been absolutely liberating.

“Ahh! Where has my Grace gone and who is this tart?”  Shannon had spent years telling her that she should let go of her inhibitions and enjoy herself, but it had always seemed so tawdry, but it hadn’t felt that way at all to sleep with Dylan.  It had felt instinctual, impulsive, and so hot.  She couldn’t remember feeling more aroused then when he ran his hands over her body.

“I know!” she gasped.  “I couldn't believe it myself.”

“What have I been telling you for the last decade!”

“It was wrong but it felt so right!”  She didn’t feel embarrassed at all.  All she wanted was to feel him inside of her again.  Knowing that it could be months if not longer, maybe never, was the only shadow over her otherwise joyful mood.

“Your first one-night stand! I am so proud,” Shannon beamed. 

“It is the strangest thing, but I felt so connected with him.  We were so much more in sync than I have been with guys I have dated for months.”  None of the men in her past had made her feel the way that he had.  Being so connected to him had made it feel like they had been making love for years. 

“Tell me more,” Shannon said, leaning back on the pillows and looking intently at Grace, eager to hear about her adventure.

“It was like he already knew every inch of my body.  I swear, he could hear my heartbeat, smell my desire.  He was so tuned in to everything I wanted, everything I needed.  I have never had it that good before.”  Just the thought of it made her feel warm all over.

“You didn't develop feelings for him after one night, did you?”  Shannon had real concern on her face.  She actually looked a bit horrified at the thought.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Grace laughed.  Though she was not in love with him, it was fair to say that she felt more for him that she had for any man in a long time.  Still, she was not about to admit that to Shannon.

Shannon didn’t need to be told, though.  She could see that there was something more happening.  She gasped and said, “My god, you did!”

“It is not like that.  I'll probably never even see him again.”  The thought filled her heart with sadness and her loins with want.

“Oh honey, you are doing this one night stand thing all wrong,” she said with sympathy, patting Grace’s shoulder.

“It felt right to me. It just showed me how good sex could be. I feel like I've been doing it wrong my whole life and never knew it.”  She had never prioritized sex.  It was just a pleasant afterthought in her life.  She knew now, though, that it was just because she hadn’t known how earth shattering really great sex could be. 

“I have been telling you that for years,” Shannon cried.

“Well, your words weren't as convincing as his hands, mouth and cock,” she laughed.  In truth though, it was more than the sex that had moved her.  It was the spark she had felt when she looked in his eyes.  It was as if something inside of her had been awakened in that moment.

“Well, he was working with a few assets that I don't have,” Shannon teased.

“Oh dear, if you had half the assets that man had in his pants, I would have married you years ago.”  It was true, of course.  If Shannon were a man, Grace would have married her ages ago.  They had always had such a solid relationship, so much more than she had ever had with any of her boyfriends.  They had been joking for years that life would be so much easier that way.

“Flatterer,” she smiled.

“Can we go back to work now?” Grace said in an attempt to change the subject.  The thought that she was likely never going to get to see Dylan again was too much to think about. She preferred to let herself revel in the afterglow without thinking about what the future might bring.

“Come on, let me live vicariously.  I've told you about every one of my bedroom buddies over the years.” Shannon got up then and started to pace again, still in disbelief.

“I don't know what else there is to say,” she said, laying back. “We had great, great, great mind blowing, earth shattering sex, during which he said some of the most erotic things that man has ever said in the history of fucking and then he held me close to him all night.  If I could have scripted it, it couldn't have gone more perfectly.  It was almost primal.  It was as if my body was made for his.  And now, I get to spend 11 sexless months here on a nature preserve with you.” 

“At least you have the memories to get you through,” she said with real sympathy in her eyes.

“Somehow I think the memories won't feel quite as good as his cock inside of me.”

“I can't believe you are talking like this!” Shannon squealed.

“It was so damn good, Shannon!”

“Well, those elephant researchers would gladly screw you if you get bored,” she teased.

“I don't think jumping into bed with some pencil neck is going to do anything to ease this ache I seem to have now.”

“Ache?” Shannon asked.  Her expression was a mix between interest and concern.

“Yes, I thought that a good lay would satisfy me for a while. It usually does.  Now, I feel like my skin is on fire; like I am going to burn to death from the inside if I don't get my hands on his penis again.”  She felt the heat begin to rise in her again and she stood up and walked outside, eager for a bit of fresh air.  Shannon followed, unwilling to let the conversation end on that note.

“Well, if he has a well-hung brother, send him my way,” she said, leaning against the support beam and smiling her usual cheeky smile.

“I don't have any idea about his family.  That is part of the beauty of it.  The way we connected was purely physical.  I'm a little worried that I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to find someone who does me half that good.”  The thought made her a little queasy.

“Well, that sounds like our next research project.  Work our way across Europe and write a paper on which country has the best lovers,” she joked, trying to make light of their current situation.

“Let's call that our back-up plan.”

“Alright, I'll write up the funding proposal,”   She could just see the research logs and comparison photographs they would accumulate doing such a project.

“I think we could use crowd funding. Don't you think the women of the world would like to know before planning their next vacation?”  Grace was clearly enjoying the idea of such a project immensely.

“Oh yes, those brothers I took home in Dublin are in my top five lovers of all-time list. I spent the whole night wondering which of them I should pick to sleep with.  Imagine my surprise when one started kissing my neck and the other moved his hand between my legs.”  Shannon got a dreamy look on her face and Grace was sure that her mind had wondered to the past.

“I remember the story,” she said, reflecting on Shannon’s excitement at the time.

“I didn't walk straight for a week.  Those were two huge dicks.”

“And to think I judged you for that.” Grace laughed.  It took a lot to shock her but that story had been one for the record books.

“Right? You didn't even congratulate me on getting them both to beg me to stay in Ireland another night because they were so impressed with the many things I can do with my mouth.”  She stopped pacing and sat on the desk, dreaming of the lovemaking of the past.

“You were so proud.”

“Not as proud as I was of bagging Professor Elser senior year,” she said, jumping up with joy at the memory.

“Until he fell in love with you,” Grace pointed out.

“Well, it was unfortunate that he started confusing lust for love, but with that boring, vanilla wife of his, who could blame him.” She sighed.  The man had been head over heels in love with her after their first time together.  He had the traditional professor’s wife, ambitious and cold.  He had called Shannon his light in a life of darkness. He hadn’t really known her, though.  All he had known was how she made him feel.

“You sucked him off during his office hours.  You gave him hand jobs during tutoring sections; you fucked him on the lecture podium before class!” Grace cried.

“Nothing too out of the ordinary,” she said defensively.

“You printed out every article he ever wrote and checked all of his books out of the library, spread them all out on his office floor and laid naked on top of them.”  It had taken her weeks.  Grace had been impressed.  It was the most time Shannon spent in the library during all of that year.  Plus, it had become a bit of an urban legend on the campus.

“I just wanted to show my appreciation for his work,” she huffed.

“After his lecture on German folktales, you dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and let him play the Big Bad Wolf.”  She had planned it for weeks.  It had taken them ages to find the costumes, considering it had happened in February.

“Oh yeah, all I had to say was 'what a big cock you have,' and he was a goner.  I've never seen a man so horny.  Every time I even wore red after that, he got hard.”  It had become a bit of an inside joke between them.  Grace had lost count by then of the times that they had said “what a big cock you have” to each other over the years.  It had become a bit of a motto, especially when Shannon was in pursuit of a new conquest.

“He was planning to leave his wife for you,” she pointed out.

“I could not talk him out of it,” she said, still shocked that he had been so intent on turning her in to the next Mrs. Elser.

“Letting him catch you with Donovan Murphy's penis in your mouth seemed to do the trick,” she laughed.

“Hey, I didn't do that on purpose but it worked beautifully,” she chuckled.

“And then you drowned your sorrows with him for the next 48 hours.” Grace remembered it vividly because they had been so loud that she had to camp out in the library for most of the weekend to keep from going crazy.

“Mmmm...Donovan Murphy. I think he might be the best I've ever had.  There is a picture of his dick next to the word perfection in the dictionary.  There is no way your mystery lover was as good as Donovan Murphy.” 

She had successfully pushed Dylan out of her mind until that moment.  She wondered to herself if they would be recounting her time with Dylan ten years down the road, just like they did with Donovan Murphy.

“You forget that I was only one room away when you fucked him in our tiny apartment with the thin walls,” she said seriously.

“Are you telling me he did more for you than Donovan did for me?” Shannon said, looking genuinely shocked by the thought.

“I promise you, there's no comparison.  It was so raw, so animalistic.”  She ran her hands through her hair, trying to work through her frustration. 

“Damn,” Shannon gasped.

“Now can we get back to work,” she said, eager to change the topic.

“I guess, but I don't know how you expect me to concentrate on our research after that,” she said, strolling towards the jeep.

Grace decided just then to do what she always did, put her work before romance.  The only way, she knew, to get him out of her head would be to throw herself into the research.  It had always been her priority and that would be the best way to put it behind her.  Eventually, she would be able to look on her night with him as a wonderful memory and if she got the chance to sleep with him a few more times, then all the better.