Cold Night, Warming Hearts

She licked her lips. "Why would you read those?" she asked inquisitively.

"I read romances because I find the stories fascinating, the power play between the characters, the energy building between them and the joy at its final release. Don't you agree? Surely that building tension and desire in the characters resonates in you on some level?" I paused to let this sink in, as she continued staring at me with that same intensity.

"Of course, there is a certain fun in imagining the hot, naked bodies of the characters acting out scenes of passion," I said in a deeper voice as I stood up. Her eyes slid down to stare at absently at the table and her tongue was beginning to stick out again as if she was concentrating on something.

I took a step forward, intending to move to a chair closer to her, but my injured knee, unaccustomed to supporting my weight, buckled and I stumbled, knocking a chair to the floor with my already pained knee. "Fuck!" I exclaimed.

"Hunter, be careful!" Sophia admonished, concern flowing into her voice as she got up. She knelt in front of me where I had collapsed into a chair, her hands going immediately to my knee, feeling it for further injury. I could smell the sweet citrus of her hair as her head bowed, her full attention on my swollen knee.

"You're going to make a wonderful doctor, Sophia," I said tenderly into her ear as she worked. She looked up into my eyes. I saw a mix of emotions in those eyes – concern and desire, but greater than that was relief. I bent forward, heeding that call I'd been hearing all night, and kissed her full lips.

She leaned into the kiss. I slowly ran my hand up her back until it was caressing her neck. I felt the tension leaving her shoulders as she gave herself into the kiss. But only a moment after it started, she broke off the kiss. She took a step back and just stood there, the only sound between us our breathing, quick with the desire to finish what had been started, but there was something holding her back.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to cover my disappointment with concern.

"It's just that I've never done anything like this, Hunter. This quickly, I mean," she said hesitantly.

"Come over here, and we can talk about it. Give me your hand," I said, the concern for her winning out over my own stifled desire.

"Why my hand?" she asked.

"I'm going to give you a hand job," I said with a chuckle. Her eyes widened and the color in her cheeks darkened. "Hand massage, I mean. You seem really tense, maybe that will help."

"Oh. Okay, I can do that," she said, relieved. She sat in the seat next to me and held her right hand in front of me. I took her warm hand in mine and began to work the muscles in her palm. I could feel the tension of every muscle under my thumbs as I methodically worked them loose. As I did, a small sigh escaped her lips, and her eyes closed.

"Feeling a little better now?" I inquired.

"Yes," she said with an element of her confidence regained. I finished working on her right hand and moved on to the left. "Where did you learn this?"

"Not sure, really. I just use my basic understanding of muscle groups and press where the tension is. The real secret is my hands. I've always been told I have skilled hands," I said. "Would you like to see more of their skills?" I lightly slid the tip of my index finger down her arm. I felt a slight shudder run through her. "I could give you a shoulder rub as well. Would you like that, Sophia?"

"I would, very much," she breathed. She turned her chair around so her back was to me. I smoothly placed my hands on her delicate shoulders and began to work the tension out of them. As I worked my thumbs into her muscles, her breath slowly became deeper.

"You are a very beautiful woman, Sophia, and you were a passionate kisser until you broke it off. Why did you?" I asked gently. I felt the muscles in her shoulders tighten again, but I continued them until they relaxed again.

"I don't have the time to get distracted by stuff like that," she said, finally.

"Distracted by what, exactly, Sophia? A simple kiss? Or are you afraid of what might come from a kiss? Or what?" I asked as I massaged her shoulders, wanting to be able to move under her sweater, to work on them bare skin on skin.

"All of the above. I just don't have the time to waste on fooling around with a guy, let alone a relationship," she said matter-of-factly. She pulled away, turning around to face me.

"I don't think that's it. Because if it were, you wouldn't be afraid right now. We're stuck in a blizzard, nothing but time on our hands, and I can tell you want to. So what are you afraid of?" I asked, stroking her cheek lightly.

She turned her face away, and my hand dropped to my side, but she made no further move to get away.

"Relax, Sophia. I'm not trying to force you into anything, but you said yourself, it's been years since you've had a guy, and I think if you were honest with yourself, you'd admit that it isn't because you don't have the time. You're afraid because you think this doesn't fit with this persona you've created, but that's not true. It's not true at all. I want you, Sophia, so let me give you this night as a trial run. If you never want more than tonight, that's fine, but," I leaned in to whisper in her ear, "if you say the word, I will try to fulfill those desires you're so afraid to admit to."

She was silent for a long moment, perfectly still as my hands rested against her shoulders. After a few seconds, I bent down and breathed the words against her neck, "I need an answer, Sophia." I slowly began to kiss her neck.

She didn't move away, but inhaled deeply and let out a slow breath. "Please, Hunter..." I paused, glancing up, sure she was going to tell me to stop.

"Kiss me," she said, turning her head to meet my lips.

Our lips met, the desire filled me again, and from the passion she showed, I knew she felt the same. Her lips slowly parted and I could feel that small, warm tongue tentatively exploring the edge of my lip. My hands slowly moved up her shoulders, tangling in her straight dark hair, feeling its silkiness against my fingers, and I poured more passion into my kiss.

After a moment, I broke off the kiss. She opened her eyes and looked at me, the longing obvious in them, begging me to continue.

"Are you sure?" I breathed.

"No. Just kiss me," she ordered.

I didn't hesitate, but pressed my lips to hers tenderly as I cupped her face in both hands. But as her lips parted expectantly for my tongue I pulled away again, and moved to kiss her cheek. She made a sound of protest, but as I continued leaving a trail of kisses on the soft, warm skin leading down her neck, those complaints turned into sighs of longing. My hands moved softly down from her face, following the curve of her shoulders and coming to rest against those inviting breasts that I longed to see firsthand. She began to move her hands up to grab her sweater but I moved my hands down to stop her. "No, just relax. Let me do all the work. Just enjoy it, and tell me if you want anything different, okay?"

She looked directly into my eyes, and nodded. I placed her hands on my back and then continued moving my own hands down to her slender waist. I pulled her sweater over her head, exposing the pale smooth skin of her stomach and cleavage. The only thing between her firm, creamy breasts and my skin was her simple white bra. I wanted to rip it off, to expose the erect pink nipples that it concealed, to suck on them, but I restrained myself. I began kissing and softly nibbling on her neck and slowly worked my way down, taking my time, enjoying the feel of her skin under my lips. Once I was past her collarbone, I felt her place her hands on my head as she began to move her strong yet gentle fingers through my hair. As my lips descended from her collarbone towards her cleavage, her breathing increased, and when I began to slide my tongue against the edge of her breast, she moaned delicately.

"Please, Hunter," she gasped with an urgency in her voice that made me want her all the more. I slid my hands up her sides and unclasped her bra, removing the last barrier between her breasts and my sight. She slowly slid the bra over her arms, and then she was there with her beautiful breasts exposed in front of me. Her pink nipples were fully erect, reflecting both the cold of the air and her arousal. Each was surrounded by a small areola.

I continued to lick around the edge of her breasts, slowly working my way around them while moving toward the center. Once I reached her hard nipples, I lightly ran my tongue around it, teasing her. She inhaled sharply as I did, and grabbed my head, forcing my mouth over her waiting nipple. I swirled my tongue around it as I sucked on it gently. Sophia let out a sigh of both relief and arousal. After a few moments, I moved on to her other breast. As I slowly licked her nipple, I moved my hand down to press carefully against the crotch of her pants. I could feel the heat and dampness of her, even through her jeans. I began to press my palm against her and she responded by rocking her hips in the chair. Again, that soft intoxicating moan slipped past her lips.

"Stand up," I said, pulling my mouth away from her perfect breasts. She stood and I reached for her pants, undoing the button and zipper. I slowly pulled them, along with her panties, over her hips, exposing a well-maintained landing strip of hair above the swollen and very wet lips of her pussy. I looked up into her eyes, eyes that begged me to continue.

I pushed myself out of the chair, careful not to put too much weight on my knee. I pulled my shirt off, and paused as her eyes started at my face and worked their way down my torso and lingered on the obvious bulge in my jeans. Her tongue slipped out of the corner of her mouth as my hands moved to undo my own button and zipper.

"Let me do that," she said, stepping forward. Her hands slowly moved up my flat stomach, an almost electric tingle of desire followed the path of her fingers. She placed her soft lips tenderly on my shoulder and then bit into my skin, hard enough to startle me but it was not unpleasant. Her lips continued this pattern moving over my skin slowly kissing, then biting. Her hands descended back down to my pants until I could feel them cupping my hardness through the denim. As she pulled down my pants, my eight inch cock stood at attention. A large grin spread across her lips, and I knew she was pleased with what she saw. We took a step towards the table, and I stepped out of my jeans.

I pressed my body against her, feeling all of the soft curves against me as we kissed. She rocked her hips so that her hot, wet pussy rubbed against my hard cock, telling me just what she wanted.

I put my hands at her waist and lifted her as we kissed, taking a step forward to set her on the edge of the table, her legs ending up on either side of me as our torsos pressed together, my hard cock trapped between us. I reached down and slowly slid my cock into her. I felt her slick, tight walls around me, and she gasped, leaning against me. I pulled out slowly as she started to kiss my neck, and when I thrusted into her harder, she bit into my neck.

I increased my pace, driving deep inside her tight wetness with every thrust, and she bit my neck harder and harder. I could feel my breathing increase to a ragged pace as I rammed into her time and again, the tight sensation building in my balls telling me I was on the edge of my own climax. I tightened my muscles to hold back as long as I could.

Her breathing was becoming faster and shallower and suddenly I felt her muscles tighten around me as her nails began to dig into my shoulders. With a soft, breathy moan, that she stifled by biting hard into my neck, I felt her climax as the muscles deep inside her constricted and pulsed around my cock. It intrigued me that she was so quiet while her body tensed and moved with the euphoria of her finish. It was the opposite of her exterior, that calm, collected woman with the sharp tongue and quick wit.

I continued thrusting until her muscles stopped twitching, then I let the ache that had been building in my balls release. I relaxed my muscles, felt the twinge and pulse of them as they pumped my seed deep inside her. I kept penetrating her, feeling our pelvises collide with each thrust. I moaned, loud and quick, with each shot that I put into her, breaking the silence of our heavy breathing. Slowly, the power of my orgasm faded and the pulses I felt began to ebb, my breathing becoming more controlled. I slowed my thrusts until they stopped entirely, and we stayed there, wrapped around each other as I grew soft inside her.

"Thank you," she said in a soft, content voice, breathing still labored.

"Anytime," I laughed, trying to bring that carefree attitude into my voice, but I found it was difficult to do with her. "We probably need to get ready for the night, before we just pass out. I only brought one sleeping bag, though. Are you okay with sharing?" I asked, with a genuine smile.

"I think that would be acceptable, given recent circumstances," she said, grinning.

I broke our embrace with a degree of reluctance and went over to the duffle to pull out the sleeping bag, laying it out on the ground. We both crawled in, still naked and zipped up it up. We lay in a spooning position, her firm, round ass pressed into my now limp cock, my arms wrapped around her. "Sophia," I said tenderly, next to her ear.

"Yes?" she responded.

"If you ever want to do this again, just tell me and we can," I said, still unable to use the relaxed voice I wanted to.

"I'd like that, Hunter, but we'll have to see," she said absently as she drifted into sleep.

"I'd like that too," I mumbled, though she was asleep. I tried to fall asleep, all the while with the knowledge that the woman lying naked and asleep in my arms, that the woman I had hated just hours before, that she was now the woman I loved. And I doubted she even knew that I loved her.