Chapter 7 - Trish
It’s a long ride to get to the cabin. Pepys Island isn’t huge, but reaching the mountains still takes time with the winding roads and uneven terrain.
We’re quiet all the way and nothing can erase the smile on my face.
My mind is whirling with excitement, I’ve never had a kiss like that.
I’ve never felt anything like that. It’s only when I stop on the road by Lana’s cabin that I hesitate.
What now? This was good, incredible even, but does he want more?
“Let me walk you home,” he says before slamming his door and opening mine, helping me out.
We walk side by side, a sinking feeling starts to grow in my stomach. Is he going to let me down easy? Why is he not saying something?
I stop and turn to him. I need to see his face. His eyes lock on mine immediately, his eyes turn a shade darker.
“I’ve been wracking my brain about how to say this so I’ll just say it.” He seems so desperate now than just a moment ago. “I really want you, princess. I want to kiss you again without being interrupted. I’ve never—” He shakes his head. “I really want to see you tomorrow, is that okay?”
My left eyebrow shoots up.
“Why not today?” I glance at my bare wrist as if I’m checking the time. “There’s still a whole afternoon left in the day.”
“I want you to be sure. I don’t want you to regret being involved with me.”
“Do I look like I regret anything?”
“No. I’m just not great at restraining myself. I really want you. I want you to be sure before we move forward, I don’t think I’ll bear it if you change your mind tomorrow.”
I open my mouth to speak, but he holds my hand.
“Please,” he says, almost in pain. Then he continues, “meet me by the lake tomorrow if you want to be with me.”
“Clothes or no clothes?”
He laughs! He actually laughs; it’s my first time hearing it. It’s a soft laugh, deep and rich, mellowed out just like ice cream under the sun.
“Your choice,” he finally replies before leaving me all alone.
***
There was not a single reason for me not to go meet him at the lake, so here I am back to the place we first met.
Since he’s not here when I arrive, I take off my clothes and start swimming.
It’s only 11am, but it’s absolutely scorching, so I think I’m just going to stay here swimming until the end of the day.
Swimming like this is more liberating than I initially thought.
A swimsuit doesn’t have much fabric to begin with, but it feels different somehow.
Allied with what happened yesterday, perhaps the kiss, perhaps allowing myself to tell Archer what’s been going on with my career, I feel absolutely free.
Bold is not my middle name, but I’m eager with the prospect of Archer coming here and seeing me naked again.
At twenty-five, I thought I’d have scratched out the virgin box, but it never felt right.
Not until now. Deep in my core, I know he’ll take care of me, I want him to be the one.
I’ve held on to my virginity because I was waiting for this feeling, a feeling I wasn’t sure existed but now seems so ridiculous I thought otherwise.
I hear footsteps crunching the branches and turn. Archer.
“You came,” he says like he almost can’t believe it.
“Been here for a while. Is Pepys Island this hot in the summer?”
“Not usually, no. Are you sticking around to see for yourself?”
“Maybe.” I wave my hand. “Let’s not talk about the future now. What about you join me?” I tease.
There’s a hint of sadness in his face, or maybe I just imagined it because in a blink, it’s no longer there.
I swim closer to the shore until I can stand. My whole body is immersed safe from my head and shoulders, I take another step. This time, my nipples are halfway in the water, halfway out.
“What are you doing?” Archer growls as he removes his clothes.
“You said the other day you’ve already seen it all.”
“It’s different now,” he enters the lake and quickly wraps his arms around my waist.
“Why are you wearing boxer briefs? I thought it was obvious we were skinny-dipping.”
“Later. Now let me look at you.”
His eyes could kill me with pure intensity.
“I can’t find a single thing I don’t find beautiful about you, princess. I really want to make you feel good.”
I don’t reply because he quickly moves his mouth to my neck, gentle yet strong.
A moan escapes me when he ventures deeper, closer to my chest than my shoulder, but not quite there yet.
He continues to trail kisses all the way to my hard pebbles.
He cups my breasts, his unbelievably large hands somehow able to hold them fully and sucks on my right nipple.
I stop breathing, not sure what to do, but when he goes for the other one, the sensation is so much more violent that I arch towards him as I moan louder now.
I need to tell him.
“Archer, there’s something I need to tell you.”
He stops immediately, his gaze focused on my face.
“I’ve never done this before, any of it. I don’t know what I’ll do wrong.”
“Fuck.” That pain again seeps through his eyes. “There’s nothing you could do wrong, princess. Absolutely nothing. I’m here, you’re safe and we can stop any time you want.”
I nod.
“Are you sure? I really need to know.”
“I’m here, aren’t I? Naked, if you haven’t noticed. Let’s never talk about my age, your age, or any of those ridiculous reasons you have, okay? I don’t care about any of that, and the fact I’m a virgin doesn’t mean anything. You’re not going to break me. I’ve never wanted to. Until you.”
“Fuck. Do you know how hot it is when you’re this bossy?”
He kisses the side of my face. Gentle.
“So demanding?”
His teeth on my throat.
“I’ll have to do what my princess says before she gets mad.”
“You don’t want her mad.”
“No, I don’t.”
The water is cold, just not enough to cool me down, which is preposterous since he’s practically not touching me.
Almost as if he can hear me, his fingers trace my breasts, my belly, until he’s right where it’s aching.
“So wet,” he growls in my ear. “Such a greedy princess.”
With care, he slips one finger in that slides right through.
He doesn’t move for a beat, it’s unnerving. I need more. There’s a glint in his eyes, he knows exactly what I need. Then his other hand finds my clit and I scream out in surprise.
I blush with embarrassment, afraid someone might hear me, looking from side to side.
“No one will hear you, just me. There’s no one for miles and none of the locals dare to set a foot in here.
Just a princess would.” He smirks, the taunt is clear, but there’s so much gentleness in his eyes.
Like he’ll fight the whole world to keep me safe.
“You don’t need to bottle anything up , just do what you want to do.
Don’t think about me or anyone, just enjoy yourself. Let yourself go. I’ll be here.”
Even with the other men I kissed, I’ve always felt the need not to be too much, wearing my more muted dresses or skirts.
Even after a couple of dates, wearing my neon green dress wouldn’t even cross my mind.
With Archer, my body feels at ease and here again, it’s telling me to just do whatever I please, almost as if he’s telling me I can show him all of me and he still won’t leave.
I like this man. Like like. This is not about popping my cherry, I know that.
His knowing touch, combined with realizing deep in my soul that I want to spend the rest of my life with this man, amps up the pleasure quickly. It only takes Archer’s fingers circling my clit a few times to come with a force I never felt before.
“Archer!” I cry out, then I’m immediately silent for a couple of minutes as I savor the pleasure. Archer holds me tight, not breaking the silence, peppering chaste kisses on my hair.