Different Worlds Ch. 06

Thank you for all your great feedback everyone, it's been fascinating and thank you to North200 for editing.

*****

Ivy opened her eyes, and blinked. She was alone. She had no idea where Richard had gone or when he'd left but the idea of him being awake while she slept unnerved her. She didn't seem to have a hang over, but she hadn't drunk that much, just a bit of wine with her dinner, and then a few glasses of champagne at the ball, they hadn't stayed at the party for long enough to get really sloshed.

Tentatively she sat up and looked around, the room was bright and airy. In the light of day it seemed even bigger than it had the night before, and it was so much bigger and brighter than her dodge.

She looked around, she hadn't taken a lot of notice of her surroundings the night before. The white washed walls were bathed in morning sunlight which was muted and softened by flowing sheer drapes that covered the vast french windows. She swung her feet down and rested them on the wooden floor. Wandering over to the window she looked out and was greeted with a panoramic view of the grounds. She could see the lake and the farm shop, and the copse they were all parked up in. She looked harder and she thought she could make out her van, but she wasn't sure, it was painted a shade of green that meant it was well camouflaged in a woodland. It was still early still, but already there were people on the lawn tidying up.

Turning back towards the bedroom, she was drawn towards a large painting hanging on the nearest wall. She reached out and dragged her finger down the wooden frame. She recognised the style, from the canvases in the summerhouse.

A noise from outside interrupted her reverie, bringing her back to the present. Where had Richard gone? Would he come back? What should she do in this situation? What time was it? There was a mobile phone sitting on the desk. It was Apple and the very latest model. It must have been Richard's. The screen displayed 9:15. She placed the phone carefully back on the desk, and her gaze flickered to the door. He probably hadn't gone far if he hadn't taken his phone. She made a decision, she wasn't going to mill around here, wondering if he was coming back. She was going to get dressed and go back to the truck and carry on with her day.

She had plans anyway, she was having dinner with the others today. They ate together every full moon. They all brought a dish and had a big fire. She'd only lived there long enough to have done it twice before, but it had been a lovely evening both times. They lounged around the fire pit, chatting about nothing in particular, drinking cheap red wine and singing. Alex had played his banjo and her and Ruth tried and failed to sing harmonies. Ivy remembered the text she'd sent to Ruth the night before and she blushed. Knowing Ruth a cross-examination worthy of the Spanish Inquisition was coming up.

Looking around for her clothes she spotted her dress lying forlornly in a heap near the door and she darted over to it. She was relieved to find her underwear underneath it. Gathering everything up she headed for the en suite. She eyed the bath. With its huge brass taps and array of products it seemed to be calling to her. It had been a while since she'd had a bath, a proper long soak in a real bath. It was a big bath too. She cast a longing look at the bubble bath and then her gaze moved over to the shower and she bit her lip. Normally she used the little shower block behind the farm shop but it was better if you got there early and even then the hot water ran out after a few minutes.

The shower was glorious, she was so glad she'd decided to take one there after all. She stood perfectly still for ages as the piping hot water washed over her. As she squeezed a blob shower gel into her palm and soaped herself in its lather she was greeted with a smell she associated with Richard and she was transported back in time; Richard walking her home after the birthday and draping his jacket over her shoulders, hugging him without thinking after he'd popped round to check on her a few days later and lastly memories of the night before came flooding back, filling her head with improper lustful thoughts and a desire that swept through her so powerfully that she had to lean on the tiled wall to steady herself.

Was this thing over between them now? At the thought that she might never know him in this way again, a sense of loss, that bordered on grief rose up from her abdomen and filled her chest with a tightness.

She needed to get away from his room and back to more comforting, familiar surroundings. She wanted to go home. Sighing, she started to rinse the shampoo out of her hair.

*

Balancing the tray with one hand and pushing the door open with the other Richard backed into the room. He had been hoping to return before Ivy woke up, so he could wake her with breakfast in bed. She had looked so peaceful lying there, all curled up with the sheet bunched up against her, her long, dark, hair fanned out across the pillow and her sooty dark eyelashes spread across her delicate cheek. The early morning sun had bathed the room, giving her skin a magical, almost golden hue.

But save for the rumpled sheets the bed was empty. He frowned as he searched the room. Her clothes were gone too. Disappointment and confusion warred within him, until the sound of the shower seeped into his consciousness and then he smiled and a fuzzy warm feeling swept the disappointment away. She was still there.

Behind the noise of the shower there was something else. She was singing. Its hard to make out the tune but she was definitely singing. He strained to make sense of the sound, which was being partially drowned out by the water. A mental image of Ivy naked, covered in soapsuds flashed up in his mind. He wanted to go in there and push her up against the tiles and have her again, to give her pleasure until she was a quivering mess. He remembered her voice and the way she had spoken his name, all breathy as she came and the strength of his desire shocked him. He clenched his fists. He must stop behaving like a neanderthal around her. It was probably best if they didn't have sex for a while, at least not penetrative sex, she might be a bit tender.

The shower stopped, she would be out soon. To distract himself he rested the tray gently on a low table and pulled the bed into shape. She emerged a moment later, rosy cheeked, wrapped in a towel, filling the room with a clean fresh smell. She stilled and her eyes widened when she saw him.

"There you are," he smiled, "I made us some coffee."

"Thanks," She mumbled as her gaze skittered around the room, taking in the tray and the newly made bed. When it finally returned to him her expression was cautious.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, whipping off the towel. For all his good intentions, now that he had her in the flesh he didn't want to take things slowly. He knew he should have spent more time figuring out what her intentions where and how she felt, but he couldn't help himself and before he knew it she was beneath him on the bed and his arms were braced on either side of her head and he was covering her face with kisses.

*

Ivy was giggling and trying to catch her breath at the same time and it wasn't working. Suddenly Richard stopped kissing her and lifted himself up on his elbows and looked down.

"God you're beautiful."

She stopped laughing and opened her mouth to reply but then she closed it. The feeling that this wasn't really happening returned again, settling over her like a dream. But Richard hadn't been expecting her to reply, he was kissing her again, discovering every part of her with his lips, licking away errant droplets of water left on her skin and his tongue was sending tantalising thrills skittering over her body.

"What shall we do today?" he asked, as his lips trailed down her stomach.

And as Ivy stared up at the ceiling, which was an awful lot further away than the one in her truck, she found that she was pleased at his assumption that they would be spending the day together.

*

It was hours later, and the sun was starting to set/light was starting to fade when they got to/arrived at the copse where Ivy's van was parked. She was greeted noisily with laughter and jeers of 'dirty stop out' and 'where did you sleep last night.' Richard noticed that she was blushing furiously but she gave as good as she got.

Thankfully the conversation quickly moved on to other things like what was going to be for lunch and who was going to be doing what. As they talked about what to make for dinner everyone was assigned different jobs, it was all very efficient. It was decided that Ivy and Richard would make coleslaw. Ivy's coleslaw seemed to be held in very high esteem by the others.

When dinner plans had been decided Ivy slipped a hand into his and caught his eye. "I should change out of this dress," she told him quietly, "I won't be a sec."

He didn't want her to change out of the dress, he liked it too much and she would change into something less revealing, but it wasn't the most practical thing to be wearing when you were sitting on the ground by the fireside in a wood.

She walked away and he admired her hips as they swayed. He turned back to the fire and noticed that Ruth was getting up and following Ivy. He sat down on a log, grateful to have the flames of the camp fire to lose himself in after finding himself alone with Roger and Alex.

"Cup of tea?" asked Roger.

"Please," he replied. He didn't really want a cup but it seemed impolite to refuse.

It was Alex that handed him a large red enamel mug. The tea was strong and there was a cloying aftertaste which he assumed must be soya milk.

*

Ivy was dragging a brush through her hair when there was a quiet knock on the door and Ruth's face appeared. "Can I come in?" she said with a grin.

Ivy took a fortifying breath. "Of course."

"So, how was it last night?

Ivy blushed so hard she could feel her scalp prickle.

"That good huh?" laughed Ruth.

"Uh huh," Ivy said as she concentrated on brushing her teeth.

"You like him don't you?"

Finally she met Ruth's inquisitive gaze "So much it's scaring me," she admitted quietly.

They were far enough away from the fire that there was no way anyone could hear their conversation but it seemed like speaking the words any louder might make it more real and sabotage the situation.

"Wow." Ruth looked surprised for a moment but then she smiled again and squeezed Ivy's hand. "D'you think you guys going to keep..."

"Oh, I don't think so," Ivy said quickly, "I mean we —we don't have much in common and he lives in London and —It would never work in the long term."

"That's weird," Ruth replied, "The way he was looking at you earlier, I thought it seemed more serious than a one time thing."

"You did?" Ivy tried to ignore the warm feeling that flickered in her chest. "We didn't really —well we haven't talked about it exactly."

Ivy had invited Richard back for the full moon dinner as they'd drunk their coffee. She was worried about mixing the two worlds before she'd really worked out what was going on between them, but he had suggested that they spend the day together and she didn't want to miss out on the meal.

"I hope he's okay out there, on his own with Roger and Alex," Ivy said as she pulled on her jeans. Alex was never very talkative with anyone and although Roger was friendlier, he tended to be awkward with people who he didn't know or weren't travellers like him.

"I'm sure he is," Ruth hopped down off the bed, "but I'll go and keep him company."

"Thanks, I'll be there in a minute."

He looked relieved to see her as she returned to the fire pit and it wasn't very long before they went back to her truck to make coleslaw.

*

It occurred to Richard as he watched Ivy moving around gathering up ingredients that they really didn't know each other. Most of their time had been spent having weird interactions, or incredible sex. Now that they were simply together, hanging out, with all the miscommunications cleared up, it was strangely awkward.

He was sitting on the sofa as Ivy stood at the counter, pulling down jars and utensils from the shelf above the cooker. Now she had changed into jeans and a t-shirt he kept catching brief glimpses of her abdomen every time she reached up to take something down from the shelf over the sink. He wanted to creep up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist so he could press himself against her and drag his lips along the flesh on her neck. After a moment he remembered that he could. Leaning forward, he grabbed her wrist. She didn't resist, she put the grater down and allowed him to pull her towards him, her expression confessing that she wanted what he wanted. Contact.

With a final tug he pulled her onto his lap and she straddled him.

"Hello there," he said, releasing her wrist and sliding both his hands around her waist so he was holding her in place

"Hi," she grinned down at him.

She pushed her hands into his hair and fisted them, pulling his face towards hers. He groaned as she captured his bottom lip between her teeth and tugged gently. And they were kissing, their tongues dancing to some silent song, their bodies pressed together. The evidence of his arousal was obvious as he ground his hips against hers. Lust descended, covering him, like warm, summer rain and he never wanted this to end. He pulled back and lifted her t-shirt out of the way. His hands travelled up, searching for her breasts. Sliding into her bra, he flicked his thumbs across her nipples and she arched towards him, mashing her pelvis against his again.

Filling his lungs with a shuddering breath he spoke. "We're supposed to be making coleslaw." It was more of a reminder to himself than anything else.

The gentle sighing sound that escaped her lips as he pulled away from her shot through him like a hot brand, electrifying him. He groaned, trying to muster up the restraint he needed to stop this now before it went any further, before he completely lost his grasp on his self control, and started taking off her clothes.

He lifted her off his lap and stood her on her feet. She looked disorientated and flushed and he stood up too, so he wouldn't be tempted to pull her back onto his lap again.

"What can I do to help? Tell me what to do."

She didn't answer straight away. He brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. At the contact, she blinked and glanced up and him and he could see the brazen desire he was feeling was reflected in her eyes too. He smiled to himself, relieved he wasn't the only one feeling completely undone by the strength of this attraction.

"I was going to make a start on the mayonnaise. You can grate the carrots."

And she was back over by the counter again, all focus and determination. She handed him a grater and a bowl. "The carrots are in that basket, under the table."

While he grated he watched as she mixed the ingredients, and started to whisk.

"You make your own mayonnaise?" he said, impressed, "how do you know how to do that?"

"My mum showed me." She looked at him quizzically, as though it had never occurred to her that somebody might not have learned how to make mayonnaise from their mother. He found himself trying to imagine what her mother was like and he was about to ask when she handed him the whisk, and the bottle of oil.

"Here, if you've finished with the carrots you can take over now. I'm going to slice the cabbage."

"But I don't know how."

Her lips were twitching with a suppressed smile and he felt slightly foolish, but he didn't want to mess up. Ivy's opinion mattered to him. "I could slice the cabbage."

"Don't be silly, it's easy, it's started to thicken now, just add the oil slowly. I'm very particular about my coleslaw, so I want to slice the cabbage."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying men can't chop vegetables as well as woman?"

"No, I'm saying I think men are best suited to making mayonnaise." Ivy's eyes were glittering with some private joke.

He still looked, so she continued. "You have stronger wrist muscles, more—" she waved her hand, "stamina in that area."

As the implication of her words dawned on him she couldn't contain her laughter. He dropped the whisk and oil, pulled her towards him again, lifted her shirt and buried his face in her stomach, then shoved his tongue into her navel. She squealed his name, begging him to stop.

"No, no stop, it's ticklish Richard," she said, grabbing him by the hair and using it to pull him away.

He pushed her shirt over her bra, it was fitted enough that her bust was holding it up, then he grabbed her wrists and pinned them behinds her back so he could have unencumbered access to her torso.

*

When they emerged from the truck an hour later, Richard was sure everyone must have known what they'd been up to. A brief glance at Ivy told him she was thinking the same thing.

They joined the others around the fire and the different dishes were arranged on a makeshift table, so Richard placed the bowl of coleslaw among them. Ruth and Alex had made a nut roast, and Roger appeared shortly after them with a large tray of roasted sweet potatoes. The food was simple but tasty. They ate it around the fire, balancing their plates on their laps. Richard was nervous at first, but when he spotted Sally sitting on the other side of the fire he immediately felt more at ease. He caught her watching him curiously a few times, but she smiled at him when he met her gaze and though the curiosity was still there it was a warm smile.

After they'd finished eating, a large saucepan full of water was lifted on to the fire. When it had finally heated, he helped Roger wash up.

When they returned to the fire Richard sat behind Ivy with his legs on either side of hers and pulled her against his chest. He whispered a greeting into her neck and smiled when he felt her shiver in response. She felt warm and soft. She smelled of blackcurrants and wood smoke and he could get used to this.

Alex played banjo and sang folk songs. He had a powerful voice, which came as a surprise to Richard; he couldn't recall ever hearing Alex speak before. Ivy and Ruth joined in with choruses. Ivy had a beautiful voice, it was rich and melodic like her laugh and he was enjoying hearing it properly after catching the drift of it from the shower earlier. It was funny discovering this little world, which was so close to his own and yet so different. It was one that until now he hadn't really given much thought to.

~

Neither of them spoke, there was no need. They both knew they wanted to be alone together, to make the best of their time before he had to go back to London and normal life resumed. Ivy just slipped her hand quietly into his and they snuck back to the truck leaving the others in full flow around the fire.

It was starting to get dark and she moved around the small living space lighting candles and tidying up. Suddenly Ivy's movements became short and jerky. It seemed like some kind of displacement activity - was she trying to put off the inevitable moment when things were going be intimate between them again? Was it because he had to leave in a few hours? It was like she had checked out emotionally and Richard wasn't sure how to respond, they'd been getting on so well only moments ago and now it had all changed again. The feeling of frustration he had learned to associate with Ivy rose up in him again.

He wasn't ready for their time together to end, he didn't like that she was withdrawing from him. He didn't want to walk out of here and for them to return to being awkward, distant colleagues that only saw each other intermittently. He wanted more of this passionate, reckless woman he had come to know in the last twenty-four hours.