Chapter 58 Playtime and passion
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When Malachi at last broke the kiss, Tamar was out of breath, the heat generated by her body more than enough to combat the coolness of the water.
"Is this so bad?" Malachi asked, his breath hot on her cheek.
"You can be seriously devious when you want to be, can't you?" It wasn't a question, more a statement.
"You have no idea." He told her with a twinkle of gentle amusement in his eyes.
"Okay, so now what? I don't know how to swim."
"I think it's enough that you're in the water at all. We should take it one step at a time." Malachi took a palm full of water and lifted it close to her face. "May I?"
Tamar shied away from it for a second, fear once again coming to her eyes. With effort she calmed. "What are you going to do with that?" She shifted her gaze to the water in his hand, then back to his face.
"I was going to wash your face, if you'll let me."
Tamar had never let water anywhere near her face, especially her face. Sometimes it was hard to drink except from a glass, and she'd never seen very many of those in her life time. But there he was, wanting to put water on her face, to wash her face. Then it hit her. He didn't want to just touch her with water, he wanted to wash her clean. Malachi wanted to wash away everything that covered her. Wanted to clean her as a person, not like an animal.
Nervously, she shook her head that it was okay. With great care, he brought his palm to her cheek and just held it there. Tamar shivered as she felt the water run through her hair, down her cheek, then back into the lake. Looking down, she saw a small eddy of brownish red disperse along with it.
After that first touch, she felt something break inside her. It felt like a door within her that had been shut for far too long had all at once been flung wide open. Much to Malachi's surprise, she let go of him and slid beneath the water. Half a second later, she burst out again, sputtering and gasping.
"I've never done that before. Forgot you can't breathe under water." Once the fit of coughing was finished, she took an over sized breath and sank from view once more. Shaking her head back and forth until the surrounding water was cloudy, she at last came up for air.
Tamar felt like a lifetime of darkness was coming off her. Something she swore she would never do now felt so cleansing, so invigorating. She no longer felt apprehension or fear of the water she was in. He had done this for her, had helped to get to a place she could not get by herself. How could he know just what she needed? He never pushed, never threatened, he was just what she needed when she needed it.
So many thoughts swirled inside her head as she began to become more adventurous. She kicked off from him and glided a few feet away before realizing that the water was over her head, she could touch bottom. Dread closed in around her, blotting out everything else. In that instant, she felt two strong arms encircle her, lifting her back to the air above. Gasping, she turned, pushing her head under his chin.
"Thanks, guess I got a bit too adventurous for my own good."
"I think you're doing great. But I think we've had enough boundary pushing for one day. Besides, I'm starving." Malachi cradled her in his arms, turned and walked back out of the water, both of them dripping water, Tamar, more than Malachi. Her hair gushed gallons. Setting her on her feet, Malachi could at last tell how long her hair was. With it wet and soaked, it hung straight down her back until it came to the back of her knees.
Malachi watched her shiver and realized how cold she had to be.
"We need a fire. Wait here." Before he could move, Tamar reached out and grabbed him.
"There are other ways I can think of to warm up." The back of her shirt was pressed against her body, revealing every curve. Malachi gulped.
"I'm sure you can." A split second later and Tamar was left shivering in a whirl of dust and leaves.
"You're the weirdest man I've even heard of. You know that, right?" She shouted at his retreating form.
Two minutes later, he returned carrying an oversized load of firewood in both hands. The fact that his suit was back up didn't escape Tamar's notice.
"There, all the wood we're gonna need for the night, and if we need more, I can always get more. This place is seventy miles long and almost sixty wide."
In short order, Tamar was huddled around a small fire. She was amazed by how small the blaze was but at the same time by how much heat it produced. Within minutes her face and chest were dry, then she began taking handfuls of her hair, pulling them over her shoulders and holding them over it until they too were dry. Comfortable and dry at last, she noticed she had lost track of Malachi. All at once every sense she had come to full alert. Spinning away from the fire, she was a fraction of an instant too late. Warm hands caught her by the back of the head. One slid to the small of her back, the other pressed fingers deep into her hair where they began to massage her scalp.
"That's not, f f fair," she managed to stammer before falling backwards towards his chest."
"I know."
"How did you sneak up on me this time?" Tamar asked, snuggling closer to him while his fingers began to work through the tangles in her hair.
"You were distracted. I simply took advantage." He replied, scooting closer until he could rest her shoulders on his crossed legs.
"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" Tamar shuttered again, a fire building inside her that only had one way of being put out.
"Nope, no clue." He responded, a sly smile spreading across his face.
With a roar of frustration, she jerked her head free and bounded to her feet. Diving into his chest, she pushed him onto his back. Holding him down by his shoulders, she slid her lower half down and ground her pelvis down hard onto his.
"If this doesn't answer my question," she pressed her cloth covered chest into his bare one. "Then you're less human than I thought. So, if you're going to keep starting me burning like this but aren't willing to put me out." Tamar jumped to her feet. "Then stop lighting this fire until you are." She spun on her heels and strode around the fire to its far side, where she flung herself onto the ground.
Malachi sat up. Staring through the flames, he realized with a start that he was as far out of his element as he'd ever been. Give him a dangerous mission entailing massive risk with a slim chance of success and he was in said element. But this, with this, he had no idea what he was doing. With Tamar, he always did what felt right. It was like he was groping in the dark, but for some reason everything he did worked. Now he guessed it sometimes worked a little too well. But what was he going to do? He wanted his hands on her, to comb his fingers through her hair. His arms belonged around her. He knew they did. His training gave him the needed control to keep his actions strictly above the clothing level.
He glanced again at Tamar.
That fact was that she had no such training. Tamar did almost everything by instinct, so when he started to do something that she really liked, of course, she'd want to carry it to its logical conclusion. So, he'd have to tone it down until the time was right.
Rising, he walked over to where she was sprawled on the ground. For the first time in what felt like months, she flinched away when he went to touch her. Dropping to his knees, he wrapped both arms around her and drew her towards him. Her struggles stopped when she pushed against him.
"I'm so sorry. I should have known how what I was doing could affect you. From now on, I'll keep my hands more to myself." He whispered in her ear.
"That would be best, I think," she sniffled. "It's not what I want, but I think I can wait until I can get you naked and have my way with you." Malachi saw the smile her words brought to her lips. It was the smile of a predator, and he shivered.
"And why exactly do you think you'll be the one having their way?" Malachi asked.
"Because you've never attempted anything with me. You're the manliest man I've ever met, yet it's as if you have no idea that I'm even a woman.
"Oh Tamar," he lifted her in his arms until she was cradled against his chest. "I've wanted you from the first instant I saw you. Do you have any idea how difficult it's been for me to keep my hands from going where they shouldn't? I massage your head so I can keep my mind off other more alluring places for them to be."
"Yeah, but how do you do it? I mean, you start touching me and I can think of just one thing. When you slide fingers through my hair, I think about other places I want them sliding. I've never felt like this before, and it's driving me nuts. I want your hands on me. I love your touch, but then when you do, my hormones take over and I want everything." Tamar shuttered involuntarily, the memories of his touch still sizzling.
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