The Cabin on The Blue Ch. 03

"Not hard, but it does take some time and practice. There's plenty of good materials around here for me to show you how to make a starter trap - the kind you use to catch bait," John began, then corrected himself. "But you would have to ask your grandmother, of course."

Gabriel whirled at once. "Can I?"

"Perhaps," Lenore replied. She turned to meet John's eyes. "I need a minute to talk to Rachel first."

"Of course," John said, understanding her intentions at once. The older woman made her way to the kitchen area. He watched from across the one room house as Rachel spoke with Lenore, answering questions and giving generous assurances of his character and trustworthiness.

"John," Verre waved a hand to get his attention. "There's an old wagon out back - can you take a light and look it over while you're out, please? It'd be nice to have it looked over by someone who knows the terrain."

"Will do," he said amiably.

"Alright," Lenore began as she approached. "It's fine with me if you want to take him out for a bit."

The boy cheered, jumping up and down.

"I'll take good care of him," John assured her.

Gabriel calmed himself down enough to face his grandmother with solemnity. "And I'll be really good, and listen," he promised, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You had better," she replied sternly. "Make sure you take your knives."

"I'll give Clark his dinner while I'm out there. Do you want to help me feed him?" John asked.

Gabriel nodded with enthusiasm, a huge grin spreading across his tanned face. "What do you feed a dog?"

"I make him a mix of meat, veggies, a little grain."

"So he eats...regular, human food?"

John chuckled. "I use organs in the meat, but otherwise...I suppose so, yes." Feed Clark, check the wagon, show Gabriel how to make a trap... That would give Rachel plenty of time to catch up with her friends. At least enough to take the edge off, John thought. He would have time to set up the tent before it got dark as well.

When John and Gabriel returned, the three women were chatting - and laughing so loudly they could be heard from the gate.

"I wonder what's so funny?" Gabriel asked, wrinkling his nose as he looked up at John.

He sighed, frowning to himself. "Watch this." John unlatched the gate, giving it a shake that rattled, and the laughter inside quieted at once.

"Wow," Gabriel breathed. "How did you know that was going to happen?"

John shook his head. "Just had a feeling," he replied, heading towards the door. Three pairs of eyes awaited as they opened the door. The women were working on packing, and the tables and bed were strewn with things in various stages of preparation.

"Evening, ladies," John greeted them, flashing a wry smile. Rachel beamed at him, and the others shot him quiet, speculative glances as they murmured their hellos.

"Turns out we've collected a good deal more valuable stuff than we thought, so it's good we started early," Verre confessed, wiping her sleeve across her brow. "But we will be ready to go in the morning," she added with a reassuring nod.

"And we prepped for breakfast," Rachel chimed in. She gestured to a portion of uncooked rice that was soaking in a pot of water. There was also a pile of vegetables that had been washed and set aside.

"Grandma, look!" Gabriel rushed to show her the fishing trap he had made under John's tutelage.

"I know the perfect place to put it. It'd be ten, maybe fifteen minutes from the house for you," John said, inclining his head at Gabe before addressing his next words to the room. "The wagon is in good condition, we shouldn't have any issues with transporting you and your things." He rubbed his hand across his jawline, highlighting the dark stubble that was coming in.

He began to explain his plan for hitching the horses and wagon, then paused when he realized that Rachel was the only one nodding in understanding. The others just looked lost. "Sorry. Let me rephrase that. We'll probably make the best time if we hitch all four of them. It's mostly flat ground - one horse could do it, but with all of them it'll be a breeze, and we won't need to stop as often. Our horses are used to following Lillian; they'll likely pressure your mare - Star? - into minding along. She seems agreeable." The others nodded, taking in his words as they continued folding and sorting. "If that doesn't work out, someone can ride her alongside and the other three will handle the wagon." John rummaged through one of the bags in his pack, pulling the strings over his shoulder. "Rachel? Are you ready?" He tried to keep the impatience out of his voice.

Rachel paused and looked at Verre. John gritted his teeth, sure that she was going to decline, when Verre murmured something to her; Rachel nodded instead, and her friend gave her an approving look. "Alright, here." Rachel pushed the wooden crate she had been carefully packing vegetables into across the table into Verre's arms. She then donned her jacket and joined John.

It was a windless night with no clouds, and temperatures well above freezing. "I think you could do without a lantern," John said, gesturing at the bright moon.

"I know. But I like to have one." She slid the strap onto her wrist, though she didn't light it.

John nodded in understanding. After all, she had told him several unpleasant accounts of meandering, fleeing, and hiding in dark, unfamiliar areas.

Rachel was pleased when he showed her the tent, remarking on how spacious it was internally. She was in a buoyant mood, he thought, listening to her happy chatter. Her joyful enthusiasm was contagious - even if he was feeling sulky. John opened the gate carefully, letting her through before latching it behind them.

"...and Verre and I have had so much to catch up on, you know?" Rachel giggled, and John looked over at her as they strolled along. She was walking along the remains of an old, partially hidden half-wall that ran for several dozen yards through the grass and other vegetation. The stone had crumbled over time, leaving a base that stood only several inches off the ground in most places. Rachel made a picturesque image as she walked along the narrow stone, her arms held out at her sides for balance, her expression a mix of concentration and calm contentment.

"What were you saying about me?" John asked suddenly, and she stared at him, open-mouthed.

"Wh- I, well-" she sputtered for a moment, caught off guard, then narrowed her amber eyes at him.

"I had no idea, Rachel," John began, his voice gently mocking. "You were like a pair of high school cheerleaders. I kept waiting for one of you to make fun of my hair or my shoes or something," he told her. "You were practically pointing and laughing."

"We were not, silly," she replied. Despite her amusement, her eyes were narrowed - a clear sign that she was at least mildly offended. She pursed her lips at him, tilting her head to the side. "If I did say anything about you, it would only be good things. Not that I did say anything about you. And besides - it's none of your business what we talk about," she added with a saucy flounce of her hair, giving him a challenging look. I dare you.

"Yeah, okay," he scoffed. "You keep sassing me if you want to," John told her, looking down on her from his full height. Even with the additional height she had gained from the wall he was still several inches taller. "I have half a mind to take you across my knee," he smirked, his blue eyes twinkling.

Rachel leered at him. Being able to look John in the eyes without craning her neck was heady - and the fact that he still had her by a significant height only made it better. "You are not the boss of me," she drawled, mimicking him. Her tone was playful despite her bold words, and she sashayed along the wall, taunting him further.

"Really? I'm pretty sure I was the boss of you this morning," he replied, feigning speculation. "That's why you were screaming out my name, right?" He grinned, cocking his head to the side. "Hell, I guess you were the boss, now that I think about it. I was following your orders, after all. 'Mmmm, yes, John, yes, like that-'"

"John!" Rachel hissed, glancing back towards the house involuntarily. "You're loud-" He goosed her before she even realized he was close enough to do so. She looked around, skipping down the wall away from him. "We're around other people- There's a kid in there, you know!"

"I know," John replied. He closed the distance between them faster than she had expected, startling her as she looked back to see him looming over her. Rachel jumped, and he placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. "That's why I didn't try to ravish you in the house. You'd have been in for it if the place had more than one room." He stepped forward, pressing his body against hers before kissing her. Once he moved onto kissing her neck and nibbling his way into her clothing, Rachel realized that he was after more than a makeout session.

"What- what are you-? John. We're right in front of the house! What if someone's looking?"

"Then they're looking for a show and we ought to give them one," he responded, moving her jacket aside and unbuttoning her sweater. John ground himself against her, one arm around her waist to keep her stable. She could feel his cock hardening through his pants and suddenly it seemed like a lifetime since she had last him inside of her.

"J-John," Rachel struggled to speak, distracted by the feel of his erection rubbing between their hips. Before she knew what was happening, John had deftly undone her buttons, his hand was inside of her bra and he was drawing her nipple into his mouth. She moaned, putting an arm around his shoulder.

"My original plan was to take you out into the woods and find some place to put down a blanket," he murmured when he came up for air, "but you made me wait and wait and wait while you teased me." John had left her chest almost bare, and her skin tingled in the cold air along the places he had kissed and licked.

"I wasn't- I wasn't teasing you," Rachel protested, her voice soft.

"What were you saying about me?" He cupped her tits, giving them gentle, warming squeezes.

She inhaled, steadying herself. "I'm not going to tell you, John," she replied, planting a kiss on his cheek. She unzipped his jacket partway.

"But I want to know," John said, kissing along her collarbone, "it's only fair."

"You're very nosy," Rachel declared just before he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply.

"Tell me," he murmured when he finally broke free.

Rachel took a few breaths. "No! It's embarrassing." She buried her head in his neck, twining her arms around him.

"How?"

"I don't know. What I said is private. Intimate..."

John frowned into her hair. "We've seen each other naked. I cum in you...very regularly. We've tasted each other-"

"Okay! You've made your point," Rachel interrupted. She sighed, moving her hands up John's shirt, calming herself. There was nothing like the feel of his warm, firm muscles beneath her hands. "I told her that we've been sleeping together for a while...." She trailed off.

"That's all?" John asked eventually. He ran his hands underneath the layers of her clothing, up her shapely, supple waistline, but she heard the skepticism in his voice despite the distraction.

"I...probably mentioned that it was something I enjoyed..." His laugh was so loud and sudden that Rachel jumped, startled. "Okay," she said, rolling her eyes and tapping her fingers on his chest as he guffawed. When John continued, literally slapping his leg, she gritted her teeth in irritation and shoved him away from her. "What the fuck is so funny, John?" Rachel crossed her arms over her torso, completely uncaring that she was mostly exposed.

John rubbed his brow, still quaking with mirth, then shook his head when he was finally able to speak again. "'I probably mentioned that it was something I enjoyed'? Are you fucking kidding me right now? What, do you think you're at a survey office, filling out a questionnaire?"

When he finally looked back at her, he was immediately distracted - all he could think about was taking one luscious handful of her bare chest into each hand. John reached out to do just that, swiping fingertips acrossher nipple s as she squirmed out of his grasp. She glared at him, aroused and annoyed all at once. "She wasn't looking at me like that because you were giving her some vague, boring story, and you and I both know just how much you enjoy it. Hell, if the horses could talk they'd vouch for me. I know they can hear you." John looked down at her chest, her full, bouncy tits exposed and glowing in the moonlight. He shook his head to clear it. "If you're going to stand like that you should at least close your shirt."

She stared at him. "You were moments away from fucking me on top of this very wall, and now your sensibilities are offended by a harmless pair of soft tits?" Rachel retorted. She bounced lightly on her toes, making them jiggle.

John was having a difficult time maintaining eye contact. "No, it's not that. I can't argue with you when you're....undressed like that. Not that I really want to argue with you."

"You started it." Rachel narrowed her eyes, trying to remember what they had been arguing about in the first place.

"Hardly. I found your understatement to be...droll," John replied, eyes twinkling, "and that enraged you for some reason."

Her face flushed as she recalled. "You were mocking me! For sex noises!"

"I most certainly was not," John said, an indignant look creasing his handsome face. He looked into her eyes, his voice deep and earnest. "I happen to enjoy those noises very, very much. Having you underneath me, moaning and crying out is the best part of my day."

He reached for her, and Rachel's expression softened. She did make a point of pouting, but John was quick to kiss that away. She was surprised when he moved to cover her chest, tugging her shirt closed and then her jacket.

"Come on," he told her. "There's a spot I think you'll like." He offered her his arm with the flourish of a medieval knight, and she took it as she stepped off the wall. "This way," John said, leading her through the trees. They walked in near silence, enjoying their surroundings and each other's nearness.

John led her past a copse of trees, and Rachel paused, delighted.

This part of the forest had dense patches of foliage, and the small clearing just ahead of them was easy to miss through the trees. In the midst of it sat the ruins of a small stone building, well lit by the night's moon. It was similar in color and style to the half wall she had walked along, with the same whitish-grey stones, although most of the ruins were overgrown with ivy and jasmine. The ground was covered in a carpet of rich, fragrant clover.

"It's beautiful. Ethereal, really," Rachel murmured, enchanted. "Did you already know about this place?"

He laughed. "Teenage smoke spot. We spent a lot of summers hiding out here. I took a quick look when Gabriel and I were out earlier." John looked around, appraising the space. "It's much greener. Lusher. The vines weren't so thick before. Anyway. I thought you would appreciate it."

Rachel wrapped her arms around him. "I do. Thanks for showing it to me."

He leaned down, taking advantage of her upturned face to give her a deep, sensuous kiss. "Come on." He tugged on her hand, intending to go deeper into the clearing.

"Is it safe?" Rachel hung back slightly, eyeing the crumbling stone. The area was picturesque, but she wasn't sure she wanted to get that close to the ancient structure.

"You were just walking on part of the wall," he reminded her.

"Sure, but I was..." Rachel gestured into the air, "In motion. Sitting on it is something entirely different."

"I checked it out earlier. There aren't any signs of recent human or animal activity. Someone had a fire here a few months ago; I'd guess that combined with the smoke from your friends has still been keeping most of the animals out of the immediate area."

Rachel bit her lip, still looking suspicious.

"It's safe," John said, extending his hand to her. "I promise." His voice and manner were authoritative yet soothing.

"Alright," she replied after another long hesitation.

A hollowed-out, vaguely circular area in a section of the stone floor held the remnants of numerous fires. John gathered branches and pieces of wood then layered them into the pit along with the leaves, needles and bits of kindling.

To her relief, he spread the blanket in the corner with the lowest walls; there was nothing overheard that could fall upon them while they relaxed. Rachel sat down in the middle, watching as he shifted through the small drawstring bag he'd carried out from the house.

"It's nothing too exciting," John warned her. He produced a few small pouches - large squares of cloth that had been bound to hold nuts, dried berries and other fruits, as well as a large bar of recently made honey brittle. The last thing he pulled out were two warm baked potatoes, snugly wrapped inside of a thermal pouch. "This would be much better with a bottle of wine...."

"Are you kidding? You surprised me with a picnic in a moonlit meadow." Rachel gestured at their surroundings. "This place is gorgeous. It looks like a painting." She opened her potato eagerly, investigating the contents as she mixed them with her fork. "And this is a baked potato with bacon, salt and pepper and butter. I am very happy about this."

John tipped his head at her. "There's also a bit of olive oil and some herbs."

Rachel sighed with joy as she ate. "This is so good, John. I didn't even know I was still hungry." She shook her head, and a frown flitted across her delicate countenance. "I was so happy to see Verre and the others..."

"Yeah, I noticed." He looked proud of himself. "Unfortunately," he gestured at their repast, "I didn't bring enough to share."

Rachel tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Well...sharing is overrated," she joked, licking her fork.

"I did, however, make us a flask." John slipped the metal container out of his jacket.

She took a tentative sip, then cleared her throat. "That's strong," she remarked, eyes wide.

John gave a nod of assent. "So, we were talking about wine," he said, popping a few pieces of dried peaches and blackberries into his mouth, and Rachel glanced his way in amusement. "It would be useful to have."

"Sure," she agreed, swallowing her last huge mouthful of tasty potato and toppings. "I wouldn't say no to a nice cup of wine," Rachel remarked.

"Tell you what - we'll find a nice bottle, and we can drink directly out of it," he smirked, taking a small swig from the flask before returning it to the center of the blanket. "Personally, I'm hoping for something that would go well with fish. Maybe we'll be able to catch some salmon."

"Mmmm, that does sound good." She turned to look at him. "Can we really catch salmon up here?"

He nodded, grinning. "There are a few places where they come to spawn. We could make a trip out of it. Take Clark and the horses, camp underneath the stars..."

She lifted her fork at him in a playful toast. "That would be perfect."

"I had to wait way too long to get you out here tonight. I was moments away from throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you off someplace." John leaned over to kiss her.

"I'm sure that would have gone over well," she murmured when he finally pulled back. Rachel reached behind him to grab the flask, taking a sip.

"You have no idea how turned on I am after watching your little performance this afternoon." John shook his head at her quizzical expression, his body still hovering over hers. "Knowing that you were talking about me, and in such obviously glowing terms was quite possibly the most arousing thing I've experienced. And your moxie...I've never had a woman talk about me so blatantly and then carry on denying it, either."