The Haven

Time did not exist for Kat. Gabe, who was pushing all his energy into the girl, forgot about the hour, as well, until his out-of-practice wrists began to ache. He wound down his massage with a gentle stroke up her spine, and dismounted the girl in ecstasy.

It took her several minutes to recover from her daze. By the time she rolled over to thank him, he was fast asleep.

He slept late the next morning. When he rose, she had a surprise for him. "It's the first page of my novel," she said, handing him a sheet of paper. "Whenever you're ready."

They had a cup of tea and some oatmeal, and then Gabe took the page from her, excited, not knowing what to expect.

"All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl." The sentence was repeated a hundred times, and filled up the page. Kat tried to hide her smile.

"What do you think?" she asked seriously, as he burst out laughing.

"You're a nut, but you're sure no Jack Nicholson," he said, tossing the page aside.

Later that night, she opened the chapter one file and pushed the laptop his was. She chewed her fingers as she waited.

He took his time, digesting the flavor and tone of each word. By the end of the chapter, he was hooked, and told her so. "More!" He demanded.

Pleased, she shook her head.

"I'll trade you chapter two for another massage."

It was hard to deny that one. She had been feeling like butter all day from his touch. Nothing had ever felt so good before.

He praised the second chapter highly, as well. Gabe gave her his sense of the voice, the characters, and the plot. He let her know what questions the book had thus prompted, and the things he was eager to find out. That way, without criticizing, he let her know where her story needed work.

Then, again, she melted into his touch. It was like feeling jolts of electricity pass from his skin to hers, all her muscles stretched, loosened, and relaxed. Gratefully, face down, he couldn't see the drool from her open mouth.

She sighed when he slid off her and into his side of the bed. "See, it's not so bad having me around, is it?" he asked.

"Mmm mmn," she mumbled, still lost in her dreamy haze. "I'll have to kidnap you for next winter," she said with a sly smile.

He laughed and examined her satisfied, sleepy face. She was quite pretty, he knew already, but with this dream-like glow she looked almost angelic. Maybe it was the tightness of her body he felt through her shirt, or the rosy glow on her cheeks, but something stirred in him. Grunting inaudibly, he settled into his half of the bed, and tried to put the thoughts out of his mind.

He dreamed he was a character in her novel, but in his dream, Kat herself was the main character. Fact, fiction and fantasy blended together as he found himself protecting the girl from the jeers of insensitive others. He held her tight to keep her safe.

When he woke, he found his dream had become something real. Her back was to him, but he was nestled up against it, his arm thrown around her body. He lay, contented, for a moment, then remembered her threat. She wouldn't. Would she?

Uncertainty made him shift away, and, in doing so, stirred the girl half out of sleep. Her arm lifted to draw his back to her. Then, she dozed off again.

Gabe nestled his head into the crook of her neck and breathed in the cinnamon-sweet smell of her long auburn hair. The smell followed him into his dreams.

This time Kat awoke first, slowly. First dawn came upon her with a warm ease. Then she realized how so, and jolted, waking Gabe.

He mumbled something about a dream and apologized. He sat upright, fully awake now. "You're not going to kick me out into the snow, are you?"

Kat looked at him quizzically. His blond hair had gotten shaggy, and he wore beard now. Much more to her liking that the clean cut man she'd first met, she realized how sexy he was. And how confused she was.

Kat shook her head. "I guess I don't mind...being held," she said. It was a big step for her.

In high school, she'd had the romantic dreams of any girl her age. When she met Peter, he seemed at first to be the gallant knight of fairy tales. He later proved to be quite the opposite. Only interested in one thing, he didn't technically rape her, for she never protested verbally. But still, it was forceful and against her will. She only kicked herself harder for not having spoken the word "No."

Since then, she'd built a wall around her so thick no man could penetrate. Those few that tried were quickly thwarted the second they attempted anything physical. She could trust no one.

But Gabe, well, she wasn't afraid around him anymore. In fact, she felt so open with him that she shared the story of Peter, her only male encounter. "I didn't know if I could ever let a man touch me again," she said. "and, with the massages, and this morning, I've felt...safe. So thank you," she said, rolling out of bed, denying him comment.

Gabe sat dumbfounded while she attended to herself in the bathroom. The protective feeling of the dream carried over into real life. He'd thought this smart, independent woman was a picture of fortitude. Now, he saw the truth behind the walls.

They went about their business as usual that day, but Gabe couldn't keep his mind from analyzing the situation. Suddenly, their roles had flipped, and he felt like the provider and protector. He cooked that day and went out to split some wood so they could have blazing fires. He fetched her tea and rubbed her shoulders as she typed.

Kat was a swirl of emotion, too. She forced herself to focus on the novel at hand, but when he came to massage her neck and shoulders, she pushed the laptop away and closed her eyes, sinking into the warmth of his hands.

The next month was good to them. The sun shone, the wind blew and the fish bit. The snow descended lightly. Gabe made a regular habit of chopping wood, and the cabin stayed very warm.

The chapters were pouring out of Kat, with Gabe's eager eyes soon to follow. She never told him what she was planning next, to better gauge the reactions of her written word. He remarked on the delicacy of her language, her startling images, and her multi-dimensional characters. He hoped the love story that was building beneath the plot would surface soon, but he did not press her.

At night, they held each other close. Nothing more.

Without warning, a blizzard hit hard. Overnight, the sky dumped nearly a foot of snow on them, and blocked the sun for days.

Frigid days of heavy snow ran side by side, a marathon of the snow gods. Soon they had dwindled their stores of firewood into nearly nothing. With Gabe doing the gathering, Kat had become careless about saving that small luxury. The world was too wet and blustery for Gabe to find wood that was not soaked to the core. Still, he chopped, hoping it would dry in time.

The last logs were dying in the fire pit. Gabe and Kat huddled over it, shivering and warming their hands. The dampness penetrated the cabin, they had felt nothing but bone-chilling cold for a week now. Even Kat's writing slowed.

They sipped tea numbly and dreamed of tropical climes. "You know what would feel really good right now? A bath," Gabe dreamed.

Kat nodded, imagining warm water enveloping her skin. "You know, we probably have enough from the wind today for you to take one."

Gabe smiled at her willingness to give. "Then you should have it," he said.

Kat shook her head. "It was you're idea."

"It's your cabin."

"Let's flip a coin."

"We can share." The words came out of Gabe's mouth before he could sensor them. But he didn't regret them. "I'll be--

Kat smiled and hushed him. "It's okay. I trust you."

Gabe smiled, and followed her silently into the bathroom. She turned the faucet of the old claw foot tub before she could change her mind.

She poured in a heavy dose of liquid soap to make bubbles.

They stripped with their backs turned, without saying a word. "You go in first," Gabe offered, to spare her modesty.

When it was clear from the splashing in the tub that she was in, he turned around. Kat's breath caught as she laid sight to his strong, muscular tone. She tried not to let her eyes stray, but she caught sight of it all, and compared him, favorably, to Peter.

He lowered himself into the warm water across from her. They both sank down, cross legged, so that their knees touched and nothing else. He could see nothing under the foamy, apple-smelling bubbles.

They lay silent for a long time, just enjoying the steam and the warmth. After some time Kat began to shift, her legs wanting to stretch. "It's okay," Gabe said, reading her thoughts. "Turn around, and lean into me," he said.

Shyly, she rose squatted up and turned around. Gabe couldn't help but look, and caught a glimpse of her breast. He could never make out the shape before under her baggy layers. He now saw them to be small, firm grapefruits.

He spread his legs so she could settle between them and she leaned back into his chest. He put his arms around her loosely. "Comfortable?" he asked.

She nodded slightly, biting her lip. She looked so irresistible just then, with her dew-damp face and pouty lips. He cursed when his member rose to the occasion.

She stiffened, too. But she did not move. "I'm sorry," Gabe said, "couldn't help it."

Kat nodded. "I guess it's ...just natural."

Gabe nearly whispered, his mouth so close to her ear. "Yes, it is." He watched her relax slightly, so he asked, "would you like me to wash your hair?"

She nodded, and he took a dollop of shampoo, working it into a lather with his hands. He massaged it into her scalp tenderly. When she leaned back to rinse off, the peaks of her breasts rose above the suds. Her nipples were stiff, despite the warmth of the water.

With a handful of soap, he washed her back, then her arms. When he reached around to her belly, she did not protest. His hand were making smooth, slow circles just under her breasts when he asked, "may I?"

Again, she nodded. He took the plump, ripe fruits into his soapy hands, caressing them gently. Not wanting to push her too fast, he slowly made his way up to her collarbone, and around her neck. He drizzled warm water over her, and she collapsed into his body, sighing.

He nuzzled his nose into her neck, and gave her a little peck of a kiss. He peered over to her face. Her eyes were shut and she was smiling.

Keeping his arousal at bay, he just held her, taking in the scents and the smoothness of her skin. At length, the water cooled, and Kat announced, "I'm getting pruney."

She lifted herself off of him without her earlier modesty, letting his eyes take in her whole body and they rose. She was sumptuous, from her bright green eyes, to her sleek curves, to her cute little toes.

They toweled off wordlessly, watching each other with shy smiles. Kat said nothing when she turned the doorknob and excited, but her eyes invited him to follow.

Gabe found her in the bed, under the covers. He dropped his towel and joined her.

They lay on their sides, so close their noses nearly touched. Watching the corners of her mouth turn up, Gabe smiled, too. He moved his mouth to hers, first a slow, sweet meeting of lips that sent a surge of fire to his loins. He could barely contain himself as he parted his lips to lick and nibble her full, sexy mouth. With a moan she opened up, and returned his favors.

A moment later they were kissing with heat and fervor, holding and stroking each other's bodies. His cock said "fuck!" but his heart said "love"; he was smart enough to listen to the latter as he laid kisses on her down her neck and throat.

She was sighing into him, stroking the muscles in his arms and chest, letting go of all fear. He was so gentle...so sexy. She could feel the moisture from within even before he took her nipple in his mouth, sucking and kissing with such tender heat.

"Mmmmmm," she breathed into his ear, making his passion grow even hotter. He had no doubts about her willingness.

He kissed and teased her nipples with his mouth and fingers until she was shaking with her moans, rocking her hips into his, urging him on.

He moved lower, letting his hand guide him down the curves of her sides, up her thighs and, with a gentle push to open her legs, the tips of his fingers were tracing a pattern up her inner thighs.

He wanted badly to taste her, so he skipped the formality of his fingers meeting her first, and bent down to lick her slowly upwards, from the hidden junctures between her holes, up through the slit of her wet little pussy, his tongue landing on her clit.

One little lick, that was all it took for her heavy panting. A second lick, and she was moaning. God, he loved a loud woman, he relished in her cries as the licks became suckles and combinations of both. He played her little nub like a master musician might pluck a string, the pressure, the speed, all building to her heavy thrashes and sudden devotion to God.

He gave her a moment to recover from her orgasm before he settled upon her and covered her face with deep, passionate kisses. She licked her own juices off of him as their bodies rubbed together, creating enough friction to forget the cold, blustery snow outside, to forget the entrapment, to forget everything but

his solid, thick member rubbing between her little pink lips. He removed his mouth from her full red lips long enough to ask, "are you sure?"

"Yes!" Silly question.

He held the tip of he cock at her entrance. Her legs opened wide for him, he slipped into her tight, wet space, and a flash of white light became his being.

He pushed himself in, deep, deeper, until he could go no further and was reaching the spot. They groaned together, holding each other still for a moment.

But a moment was all it could last. Her hips lifted up into his, and any attempt at sweet, quiet lovemaking was over. She matched his rhythm with her hips and the flexing of inner muscles as he pounded his throbbing penis in and out of her.

He bit her neck and she flooded over him, hurling them both into a climax so deep and long that they were light-headed and out of breath when the movement ceased.

All that was left was his now half-hard member, still inside of her, and his body covering hers, and the sweet tender kisses he lavished, and she returned.

Looking up, he noticed the wetness welling around her eyes. Concerned, he slid off of her. Still holding her tight, "Kat, are you okay?"

She smiled and nodded with such vigor that he had to laugh. "I didn't think I could... I didn't know I would ever... enjoy... so much."

He kissed the tears out of the corner of her eyes. He kissed her forehead, and the tip of her nose. He kissed her earlobe, nibbling for a minute, making her squirm.

Then he whispered those three little words that Kat had never heard before, not even from her parents. He was promptly rewarded.