Chapter 11 #2
Hattie gasped, grabbing it reflexively. Her fingers spread through slightly coarse, short hair. Tuvo’s head. His head was between her thighs. Was he-
He stood, her legs balanced on his shoulders, lifting her straight up out of the water and into the air, sitting on him like a throne. His hands were on her calves, keeping her balanced as she leaned over his head to avoid falling backwards.
A shoulder ride. He was giving her a shoulder ride. The water only came up to his armpits, so her feet were still submerged. But he lifted her up without issue, holding tight like she was some dainty little thing.
“Shall we play?” He asked, running his thumbs along her calves.
“What game did you have in mind?”
“Catch.”
“Catch? We don’t have a ball?”
“Who said anything about a ball?” He said wickedly. “You have ten seconds.”
With that as her only warning, he jumped, throwing her backward into the water with a squeal of delight. He meant to catch her.
She hit the water and turned, splashing wildly as she attempted to swim away. Heart pounding with excitement, a smile across her face, as she fled the beast on the hunt.
Ten seconds went by too fast, and he was suddenly there. Arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her back against his chest and up to the surface. His legs kicked, powerful and strong, to keep his dense body above water.
“Got you,” he whispered, right in her ear, making her tremble. “Try again, vi kyrya.”
Her pet name again. It made her warm and fuzzy all over to hear him refer to her like that – so sweet and tender. She longed desperately to ask him what it meant but was also terrified to hear it was just ancient Domtri for ‘friend’ or something.
And she didn’t want to ruin an otherwise perfect day.
From feeling his desire, to orgasming from his touch, then sharing a meal, and now playing like kids in the surf of the night dark sea. She could just pretend kyrya meant something special.
She completely lost track of time as they played together. Their single sided game of catch and release ended up with her trying to run on shore and immediately being scooped up in his arms and spun around in a circle like a fairy princess.
When he put her down, dizzy and laughing deliriously, she splashed him with a kick.
Naturally, a virile domini male in the prime of his life couldn’t let such a challenge go unmet.
He splashed her back. Catch and release then became a game of dodge and evade – with him doing most of the evading as she attempted to hit him with any of the water.
He occasionally sent a few, playful splashes her way with a flick of his tail, but mostly he ran circles around her, taunting her into trying harder to hit him.
They did that until, exhausted and defeated, Hattie collapsed into the shallows. Tuvo pounded his chest in victory, making her laugh, before he pounced.
Her laugh turned into a squeal as he scooped her up and took off in a dead sprint down the water’s edge, carrying her like a princess as he raced for some docks a short distance away. He jumped the three steps up and tore down the length of it.
She realized what he was about to do and screamed with joy, squeezing his neck as he leapt high into the air. They splashed into the water, and he swam them forward a short distance before breaking the surface again.
Hattie laughed, kicking her legs free of his arms so she could float easier, but keeping her arms around him. He easily adjusted his own grip, taking hold of her waist, as his strong kicks kept them both treading water.
He was actually playing with her.
Tuvo was such a stoic and serious guy, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he considered silly things like this beneath him. Sure, he didn’t laugh as uproariously as she did, but he was playing all the same.
And he was smiling.
Gently. Tenderly. Looking at her like she meant something to him.
“It’s late,” he said softly. “We should probably head back.”
She didn’t want this to end. She wanted to hold onto him forever.
But how could she say that when he had already rejected her once?
She nodded and let him go. He did the same only reluctantly, allowing her to swim away and set the pace back towards their beach. Keith had already gone inside. Hattie didn’t even remember him leaving.
They climbed back up to the house and Hattie wiped the sand off her feet on the mat before going inside – Keith was already snoring on the bed. The house was dark and silent.
Hattie tiptoed past the bed to the bathroom and quickly washed the sand and salt from her body and changed back into her cute little nightgown. The silk of it felt like a caress against her sun kissed skin and she was, once again, hesitant to leave the bathroom.
Not because she was worried about looking good in the nightgown, but because she was nervous about getting into bed with Tuvo again.
What would happen tonight?
Letting out a slow breath, she emerged to find him standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, waiting for her to emerge.
“All yours,” she whispered, stepping out of the way.
He stared at her, coming in almost too close, as he passed by. The moment the door shut behind him, Hattie bit back a moan of longing.
No cuddling tonight. They couldn’t risk a repeat of last night. Just sleep.
She climbed into bed and tried her best to make herself comfortable. Adjusting and moving so much she woke up Keith who snapped at her, in a groggy voice, to hold still and go to sleep already.
She laid out on her back. Blanket pulled up, straight and stiff, to her midriff, hands folded over her belly, fingers tapping restlessly as she listened to the shower run.
She was able to stay still like that until the water cut off. Immediately, nerves burst to life in her stomach, and she rolled over. She hugged the pillow and closed her eyes, trying to pretend that she was asleep.
The muffled sounds of Tuvo’s movement ratcheted up her nerves higher with each passing second. There was brief silence, then the door opened.
Hattie struggled not to pant, not to move, as she heard him walk across the room. There was another pause as he stopped beside the bed and she was acutely aware of him standing there,
No cuddling. No touching this time. Just friends.
The bed sank as he laid into it and, immediately, the dip made her roll over onto her back. Right as he was laying on his side. She found herself staring up at him. Panicked. Unable to move.
Tuvo stared back at her. Neither of them said anything for a long second.
Then, slowly, as if he was checking to make sure it was okay, he put his arm around her midriff, resting his hand on her far hip, as he laid his head on the pillow.
Hattie bit her lip but, after a second, cuddled in closer. Watching his face all the while. Making sure that was okay with him too.
He said nothing, just stared at her with impossibly dark eyes. His thumb began to move, stroking along her hip.
“Good night,” she whispered breathlessly.
“Sleep well,” he returned, his powerful voice rumbling right in her ear through his chest.
Neither of them attempted to close their eyes. To look away.
The skirt of her nightgown was riding up because of the movement of his thumb. Slowly, but surely. She shivered when his pinkie finally touched her bare skin.
He paused. Watching her carefully.
Hattie licked her lips before taking hold of his side and pulling against him, almost tilting him over onto her. One of his legs fell between hers as the heat and weight of his body pressed along her side, encasing her in a wall of his warmth.
He spread his fingers. Taking hold of her hip under her skirt with his whole hand. Warm and calloused and eager as he squeezed.
It was everything.
It wasn’t enough.
Had he changed his mind?
Maybe he had gotten used to her appearance and it wasn’t so reprehensible to him now. Hattie didn’t mind being an acquired taste. Domini females were all muscular and statuesque, like Amazons from ancient stories. Maybe, he just wasn’t used to someone so round and small.
But the hardness poking into her thigh told her that he might not mind it so much now.
Tuvo leaned over her, resting his head above hers. He hesitated only a second before pressing a kiss to her scalp.
“Sleep,” he ordered.
Like he had control over her, Hattie’s eyes drifted closed, and she started to nod off.
Safe and secure and comfortable with Tuvo right beside her.
And she couldn’t help but feel that this was exactly how it was supposed to be.