Chapter Four

Abby’s head felt full and fuzzy after a day of travel. Her butt was still numb, though it was better than it had been with riding in that thin dress. The bra was digging uncomfortably into her skin, and she was sick of it. Having heard it wasn’t a necessary component, she started unbuttoning her shirt as the men set up their tents around a circle ringed with stone. It had almost a ceremonial feel about it, but she wasn’t certain where that thought had come from, or even what it meant. She stripped off her flannel shirt and laid it over a tree branch, reaching behind her to take off her bra.

“What the hell are you doing?” asked Mal, sounding angry.

She froze in the process of stripping it off, with the cups still held in front of her. “Dante said I didn’t have to wear it.” She frowned. “Would you prefer if I do, Mal?”

He looked uncomfortable for a moment, and then he cleared his throat. “I don’t care what you do with the bra, Abby, but you can’t just strip in front of us.”

She frowned. “Why not?”

“Because you’ll be naked.”

She shrugged. “And?”

He groaned as he turned away. “Never fucking mind.”

She frowned after him as he stomped away before meeting Brax’s gaze. He seemed mostly amused, and she tilted her head. “Why is he angry but you are entertained? I do not understand you.”

Brax grinned. “That’s all right. Mal is just grumpy. There’s no one else but us, so if you want to take it off, now’s the time.” As he said that, he firmly turned away from her. He seemed to be making it obvious he wasn’t looking, just as Dante had made a pointed effort not to stare at her earlier in the dressing room.

She was confused by their efforts to avoid seeing her skin. It seemed like a small thing to her, but she shrugged as she tossed the bra into the bush and put the shirt back on. When she was buttoned, she said, “I am now hiding my skin again. You may feel free to look.”

Brax made a choking sound, and it could’ve been laughter or something else, but he just nodded without turning to her as he continued whatever he was doing with his tent.

Still perplexed by his behavior, she turned to Dante, who had his back to her as well. “How may I help with setting up camp?”

“You just observe for now,” said Dante as he turned to face her. His tone was gentle, and he didn’t seem annoyed with her at all. She smiled at him in reward, glad he seemed to be her ally. She wasn’t even certain if she needed allies, but it was good to have someone on her side, and she couldn’t tell yet if Brax and Mal had any true regard for her.

Mal seemed like he could barely stand having her around, and Brax was difficult to read. Perhaps if she had any other alternative, she would’ve fled from the two of them, but where would she go? She didn’t even know why she was in this place, or with these men, save for them having rescued her. Was there some divine design to it, or was it all random? For some reason, she was certain she had spent time, perhaps even a great deal of time, contemplating such questions in the past, but never with such personal stakes involved.

With a sigh, she sat down on a folding camp chair Brax retrieved from the small trailer he towed behind his motorcycle, watching them finish setting up as Mal returned and dropped an armful of wood into the stone circle. Her eyes widened slightly when he snapped his fingers, and a blazing fire appeared without any preparation or buildup. She smiled at him tentatively. “That seems like a handy skill.”

For a moment, he looked like he might respond in a mean fashion, but his tone was surprisingly nice when he said, “It can certainly come in handy at times.”

She leaned back, watching the men bustle around her, suddenly aware of how exhausted she was. Her stomach still hurt, though it was far less painful than it had been after her earlier binge, so when Brax started setting up equipment to look like he was ready to cook, she said, “I’m too tired to eat. If no one minds, I think I’ll go to sleep.”

“Of course not,” said Dante before the others could. He stood up and moved over to the tent he’d offered to share. He unzipped it and lifted a flap. “You have to crawl in, but there’s a bedroll waiting for you. It’s not the most comfortable thing, but we can try to get you a sleeping bag with an inflatable mattress if you’re going to be with us for long.”

She frowned, wondering that herself. She had no idea what she would do or where she was headed, but she sensed Mal and Brax at least didn’t like having her with them. It was an uncomfortable and unsettling feeling, and her lips wobbled in response. She couldn’t make herself look at the other two, and she barely glanced at Dante as she nodded at him and said, “Good night.”

She’d seen that on a commercial when she woke in the middle of the night at the hotel and turned on the TV. It was a skill she had remembered, though it had felt unfamiliar at the same time, as though she had seen it done before but had never actually done it herself. Yet she had known what would be on the television screen when she turned it on, and she hadn’t been surprised to see people pretending to be other people, along with clips of product enticements. Again, it had that same almost déjà vu feeling, but more like she’d heard of rather than experienced it.

She took time to remove the boots, which were a little stiff, but they weren’t terribly uncomfortable. She much preferred bare feet, but she could see why it would be a risk while riding a motorcycle or camping somewhere like the forest they had picked, though the camping spot was clear and prepared for them. Shoes were something to endure, and she was glad to have them off as she wiggled her toes, but she kept on the striped socks with the funny little smiley faces on them. As soon as her head touched the pillow after she slid into the slightly uncomfortable bedroll, she closed her eyes, and sleep was upon her minutes later.

***

She dreamed of falling. She was plummeting faster than a shooting star, and it felt like she was on fire. Pain consumed her, and as she looked up, she could see ashes floating around her along with something white and feathery burning from the intense heat. Then there was blood, and it poured from everywhere, causing her to hold herself and scream.

“Wake up,” said a firm tone.

She was still caught in the throes of the dream for a moment, so she thrashed and tried to escape. When she finally managed to pry open her eyes, she saw Dante leaning over her with an expression of concern. She realized then she’d been dreaming, and though she knew it hadn’t been real, she still shuddered as the memories followed her into waking. “It was horrible,” she said in a wobbly tone as her lips trembled, and tears streamed from her eyes.

“It’s all right. It was just a dream.”

She shook her head, disagreeing, though she couldn’t really find fault with his statement. True, it had been a dream, but it had felt oddly real at the same time, at least parts of it. Needing comfort, she happily scooted forward to accept his embrace when he opened his arms, and she pressed her face to his chest. The words spilled from her as she shared her dream, and he stiffened as she mentioned the ashes from the white feathers floating around her, but he didn’t interrupt. He just rubbed her back in a soothing fashion before his fingers started to trail gently through her hair.

His touch was soothing, and soon enough, the worst of the terror from the images faded from her mind. She laid against him, just enjoying the solace of his embrace, until she became aware she was feeling more than comfort. She had no name for it, but her body was burning and tingling in a way she’d never experienced before.

She realized wherever he touched her, the heat flared worse, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, it was a gentle, languid warmth that pervaded her, and she wanted more of it. She snuggled closer, lifting her head from his chest to lay it against his neck instead. That brought her mouth close to his neck, and she could breathe in his scent, which she inhaled before exhaling robustly.

He groaned softly, and he seemed like he was on the verge of pushing her away. Abby didn’t want that, so she clung instinctively to the lapels of his leather coat, which he still wore. She wondered if he had yet come to bed when she’d started dreaming, or if he had just come in to check on her. Acting on instinct, as though she was playing a video in her mind, she lifted her head a little more and nuzzled against his neck with her lips.

He moaned, but his body was stiff. “Abby.” There was a note of warning in his tone.

She ignored it as she moved her lips higher up the column of his throat, reaching his jawline, where she bit him lightly. He stiffened again and shuddered, but he didn’t seem to mind her exploratory touch.

For her part, Abby was anxious to feel everything. She had no idea what she was doing, but some sense guided her. Her mouth moved to his, shaping to conform to his lips, and she touched them shyly. It was a moderate kiss, but it still caused heat to flare through her. A second later, when he groaned before his fingers twined in her hair, holding her mouth against his, she felt a strange flush of victory settle over her.

His lips softened and formed to hers, and he was no longer resisting. He kissed her passionately, his tongue sweeping into her mouth and causing heat to spread throughout her. She couldn’t get enough, and she strained closer, wrapping her arms around him as her tongue shyly flirted with his.

Abby couldn’t remember much of anything, but she was certain she’d never been kissed like this before. Yet she knew it was a kiss, and she was certain kissing often led to more intimate things, though that was all sort of a vague notion in her mind, as though she’d seen intimacies before without fully focusing on them. Instinctively, she knew people wouldn’t like to be watched while they were in such a vulnerable moment, so she had no idea what was happening exactly, but it felt entirely right.

“Abby,” he said softly as he pulled back, gently laying her down on the bed roll. “I can’t—”

“Kiss me, Dante.” He seemed to need her consent, and she was sure to put every ounce of need in her tone. “I want you to.”

He hesitated for a moment, as though battling himself. Clearly, he lost that battle, because his head lowered, and he once again kissed her with the same maddening intensity as he had before.

At first, she was so consumed with the kiss that she didn’t realize he was unbuttoning her shirt until her skin was exposed to the slight nip in the air. She shivered, but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it felt nice against her overheated flesh, and even nicer when his hand covered one of her breasts and started gently kneading the globe while lightly tugging on her nipple.

She tossed her head back restlessly as she thrust her chest forward, wanting more. He responded to the unspoken invitation by bending his head and breaking the kiss, moving his mouth to her breast. She had been about to protest the loss of his mouth against hers, but when his tongue touched her nipple, she had nothing to complain about. A second later, his other hand started engaging as well, cupping her neglected breast and pulling at her nipple while he sucked lightly. It was more intense than anything she had ever experienced, and she was certain it couldn’t get any better.

His fingers moved to the zipper of her jeans, first unsnapping them before slipping inside. Her conviction that nothing could be better was suddenly shaken by the stroking of his fingers across her cotton panties before he dipped inside the waistband, moving downward enough to stroke the length of her slit.

She whimpered at the touch, feeling consumed by something she couldn’t name. She moaned and twisted against him, lifting her hips as he stroked her in a manner she’d never experienced before. His touch was light and gentle, dipping between her clit and her opening as he teased and coaxed her to the edge of something. She had no idea what it was, but it was suddenly upon her.

Her world seemed to stop entirely for a moment before shattering in a blinding flash of light, and she swore she forgot how to breathe. Everything was at a standstill as intense pleasure swept over her, and she cried out his name softly. That was how she remembered to breathe again, and with her first inhalation, the light faded, but colors seemed to be fractalized behind her eyes. It was the most amazing, intense thing she’d ever experienced, and she clung to him as she rode the waves of it into a blissful aftermath.

At some point, she became aware of her surroundings again enough to realize he had withdrawn his fingers from her and had snapped and zipped her jeans. He was buttoning her blouse now, and she frowned up at him. “Are we done?”

He looked pained, but he nodded in a jerky fashion. “We can’t do more. We shouldn’t have done this.”

She frowned. “I liked it. Very much. I would like to do it again.”

He swallowed what sounded like a choked groan, and his grimace cut through her. “I can’t. I shouldn’t have…” He trailed off as he finished buttoning her shirt and drew back from her. “You should get more rest when you can.” He sounded gruff, almost like Mal, and he stood up hastily.

As he did so, she caught a glimpse of the bulge in his jeans. He looked quite different than he had earlier in that area, and she suspected it had something to do with him touching her. Instinct propelled her to reach out and touch it, but he jerked away before she could.

“Good night, Abby,” he said in a firm tone as he slipped from the tent. When he zipped it behind him, it seemed to be with an air of finality that left her confused and aching with loss.

As good as it had felt while he was doing it, now she questioned whatever he had done to her. Should it make her feel this miserable afterward? It hardly seemed worth the high to experience such a low, but she couldn’t deny she would welcome him again if he came back and started touching her.

She closed her eyes, reliving the moment his fingers had stroked over her, and she was surprised to find she was imagining more than Dante’s hands on her body. In her mind’s eye, she could picture Mal and Brax touching her as well, along with kissing different parts of her body, and it left her aching and tingly.

She had no idea how to satisfy that, so she did her best to push aside such thoughts and try to sleep, though she was largely unsuccessful. She was awake enough throughout the night to realize Dante never returned to the tent, and she was certain it was because she was there. He seemed upset by what had occurred between them, and though it had been amazing to her, realizing it hurt him for whatever reason made her sorry they had done it. How could something so wonderful leave her feeling so conflicted?