Page 9

9

The sounds of birds crept through the hazy fog of Annalissa’s sleep. The early morning sun’s rays were filtering through the leaves above, giving the woods an enchanted feel. Shifting stiffly to the side, she felt Vinny’s hard body next to hers. Smiling, she looked up at his face, his eyes on hers.

“I’ve never slept in a tree before,” she said with a smile. Wincing as she moved, she sat up adding, “But then there’s something to be said for having a mattress.”

“Babe, when we get out of this, I promise you the softest mattress we can find.”

Hearing the innuendo in his voice, she smiled, wondering if he planned on sharing that soft mattress with her.

Seeing her shy smile, he grinned back as he rose to a seated position alongside her. “You think there would be any room in that bed for me, darlin’?”

“Yeah,” she said softly, her gaze lifting to his. “I hope so. ”

Leaning down to kiss her gently, he added, “Then that’s all the motivation I need, babe.”

He assisted her down and discreetly turned his back as she wandered a little way through the trees to take care of her morning business. As she returned, he handed her a protein bar. “I know it’s not scrambled eggs but it’ll do you good for now.”

Nodding her acquiescence, she dutifully ate the whole bar greedily and drank from the canteen.

Soon they were on their way after a quick call to Tony. The group was assembled again and she was beginning to feel as though she knew all of Vinny’s friends.

Lily and BJ gave them the coordinates for a small country store off the beaten path, mostly serving the farming community in the area.

The pace was slightly slower this morning and she found that she was better able to keep up. The sleep and power bar definitely helped. Hiking in the daylight was easier for her to see not only where she was stepping, but gave her the opportunity to look around as well.

“The woods are kind of pretty, aren’t they?” she said.

He glanced over his shoulder, glad for the smile on her face. “Yeah, I guess they are.”

“You guess? Vinny, it’s beautiful out here. Like a fairy forest,” she exclaimed, looking at the thick copse of trees around, ferns and moss on the forest floor.

Chuckling out loud, Vinny thought, Out here, running for her life and she sees beauty. His eyes, used to scanning for Intel and danger, actually began to look around. She was right. The sunlight filtered down through the thick foliage and now that they could see where they were going, the ground was covered in lush green. Once again, he reached back and gave her hand a squeeze as he handed her the canteen.

Walking for about another hour through the woods, they came to a small river. Vinny assessed the shallowest place for them to cross and hoisted his backpack high on his back. “Follow right behind me and stay close, okay?” he ordered.

Annalissa stared into the slow moving waters. Knowing that it was not deep, she was still terrified.

He saw her stop behind him and he looked up in question. “What’s wrong, babe?

“I’m…um…well…it looks…”

Walking back over, he put his hands on her shoulders and bent down to peer into her eyes. “Annalissa, look at me.” Holding her green-eyed gaze, he continued, “This is just me. What’s wrong?”

Lifting her chin, she stood to her full height, her gaze snapping. “Nothing. I can do this. Just walk right in front of me so I’ll know where to go.”

He hesitated. “Are you sure?” Getting her agreement, he pulled out a thin rope from his pack and tied it around her slender waist. He left his hands on her for a moment, relishing the feel of her underneath his fingertips.

Moving into the river, they stepped carefully. The current swirled around their legs, terrifying her, but she refused to be a burden. The water was cold and she found her legs freezing as the depth was up to her hips. Suddenly slipping, she floundered before going under the water. Strong arms quickly lifted her out and tried to still her flailing arms. Screaming, she clawed out, trying to grasp, not realizing that he was holding her above the water.

“Babe, stop,” he ordered. “I’ve got you.”

The panic continued as he half-carried, half-dragged her to the other side as she tried to climb her way up his body. Once out of the water he set her down on the ground watching in frustration as she gasped for air. Their clothes were soaked as well as the backpacks.

Kneeling down, he growled, “You wanna tell me what the hell that was back there?”

Peering up at him through a layer of wet hair, she said, “Oh Vinny, please don’t be mad. I was scared.”

“Scared of what, babe? The water barely came to your hips. The only danger of drowning was you having a fit and trying to climb up on top of me.”

Huge tears fell, mingling with the water droplets still falling from her hair. “I…I’m…scared…of…I don’t know how to…”

Rubbing his hand over his hair and to the back of his neck, he sighed. “Are you telling me you don’t know how to swim? And you’re afraid of the water?”

A small nod was her only response.

“Don’t you think that maybe you could have told me that before we got in?”

Another small nod.

Reaching over he slid his arms under hers and stood, lifting her with him. Holding her close, he pushed her sopping wet hair from her face. “Don’t cry. I’ve got you.”

Her next nod was against his chest and he felt that one go straight to his heart. Lifting her chin with his fingers, he held her gaze. “But babe? As soon as we get out of this mess, I’m teaching you how to swim.”

A small smile curved her lips as she pulled back out of his arms. Looking down at their soaking clothes, she exclaimed, “Oh, no. The backpacks got wet. All your stuff is in there.”

“It’s all good,” he said calmly. Kneeling at the packs, he unzipped them showing her that everything was sealed in plastic bags. Looking up at her he winked, saying, “Always keep your gear safe.”

His gaze drug down her wet form, her light sweater molded to her perfect breasts. Chilled, her nipples had hardened to points, tantalizing through her bra. Desire flooded him and all he could think about was latching his mouth over those nipples, first while she was still dressed and then as he peeled her wet clothes off.

Willing his dick to behave once again, he closed his eyes and counted to ten. Feeling a small hand on his arm, he looked down at her concerned face.

“Are you okay? Are you still mad at me?”she asked, unshed tears hanging on her lashes.

“No, I’m not mad. But we’ve got to get out of these wet clothes,” he replied. And my case of blue balls may kill me, he thought, not remembering the last time he was hard and could not pound into a willing woman.

A blush rose from the top of her breasts. “Oh,” she said softly. Turning, she dug through the plastic bag to see what clothes he had managed to pack. Pulling out a dry pair of panties, yoga pants, and a t-shirt she stood, looking around nervously .

“Where do we change?”

Chuckling, he looked at her clutching her dry clothes in front of her like a shield. “Babe, there’s no dressing room here so it looks like we’ve gotta do what we need to right here,” he said yanking his tight t-shirt over his head.

Oh my God. She just stared at his naked muscular chest. I always thought those pictures in magazines were photo-shopped. Jesus, Lord have mercy. His arms were huge with a Celtic tattoo around his bicep. His broad shoulders and chest tapered to washboard abs with a smattering of chest hair. That led a trail to his…

“See something you like?” he rumbled, knowing that if she kept staring at him like that, he would not be able to hide the bulge in his jeans.

Her face flamed even redder as she whirled around, presenting her back to him. Her hand shook as she pulled her wet shirt over her head and reached for her dry t-shirt.

Vinny’s voice came from right behind her. “Babe, you’ve got to ditch the bra.”

Clutching her t-shirt to her chest, she said, “But I don’t have another one to put on.”

She heard a sigh before he continued, “Believe me, I know that. And swear to God, no one wants you covered up more than me. But a wet bra is going to chafe and you’ve got to let it dry before you put it back on.”

“Oh,” she murmured. She reached behind her and unclasped her bra, letting it slide to the ground as she put on her clean t-shirt. Glancing behind her to make sure he was turned away, she jerked off her wet jeans and panties, replacing them with dry ones.

Looking down, she saw that the shirt hid very little, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Hearing noises behind her, she kept her back to him assuming he was changing his pants. She had seen the impressive bulge in his crotch and in spite of the embarrassing situation, she could not help but smile. I don’t think I’ve ever had that effect on a man.

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Annalissa. I assure you, I’ll be a gentleman,” came his deep voice.

She turned around and saw his eyes drop to her nipples, protruding prominently through the t-shirt.

“Fuck,” he growled. “I just lied.” Stalking over, he pulled her in, lowering his face to hers once again a whisper apart.

Come on, babe. Please let me in.

Lifting on her toes, she pulled him close, touching her lips to his. Tentatively at first, she moved her mouth over his. His lips are hard. Soft. And everything in between. Growing bolder, she licked his lips before sliding her tongue into his mouth, swallowing his groan.

That was all it took. Vinny picked her up, crushingher body tightly to his, feeling her breasts touching his chest, knowing his swollen cock was nestled into her. Walking her backward, he pushed her up against a thick tree trunk sliding his knee between her legs.

Claiming and owning her mouth, he took charge of the kiss, tasting and sucking until he thought he would go mad with desire. He felt her rub her core against his jean-clad leg, knowing she was trying to quench the need for friction. Sliding his hands slowly under her shirt he hesitated just under the soft mounds, waiting for permission.

She thrust her breasts up in silent invitation and he took it. With her back pressed against the rough bark, he moved both hands to cup her pert breasts rolling each nipple simultaneously. The groan from the kiss was nothing like the groan she heard when his hands felt her nipples. She just had no idea if the groan came from her…or from him.

Rubbing her core on his leg was not alleviating the need for friction that was building…it only increased her need. She felt his erection pressing against her and sliding her hand down, palmed him through his jeans.

This time the groan that resonated through the woods was definitely from him. The urge to drop her to the forest floor, strip her naked, and pound into her waiting flesh overwhelmed him, almost to the point beyond reason. Almost. Pulling his head away from her, hating the loss of contact, he rasped, “Babe, are you…have you ever…?”

She shook her head as she dropped her eyes. Panting, he pulled back farther, gently ordering, “Eyes on me.”

She lifted her gaze to peer into his eyes, seeing anguish, lust, need, and concern. But no anger. She owed him the truth. He knows I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. Sucking in a deep breath, she admitted, “No, I’ve…never.” Then as an afterthought as he lowered her to the ground with his hands still on her waist, she added, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? What the hell do you have to be sorry about? I’m the one who was about to take you against a tree.”

“I know you’re used to…um…a different kind of…woman.”

Sighing, he asked, “Easy, you mean?”

Nodding, she glanced down at her feet.

“Yeah…about that…Listen, I’m not going to lie, Annalissa. I’ve been the kind of man who worked hard and I admit I’ve played hard. Haven’t been too particular about who I fuc…had…um…sex with.” He stammered, realizing how pathetic he sounded. Suddenly the joke from his buddies about being a fuck ‘em and leave ‘em guy did not make him very proud. In fact, he felt rather ashamed.

He peered into her face, seeing a look of misery. Oh Jesus, how do I make this right?

“It was only ever physical. Just two people acting on a physical need. Never, ever did I feel an emotion with any of them.”

“I see,” she said, glancing up at his face that was mirroring the uncertainty she knew was on hers. Sliding from his grasp, she pulled her wet shoes back on saying, “We need to get going if we’re going to find a place with some food.” Shoving her wet clothes into the backpack, she hoisted it on her back before looking at him expectantly…hoping she was fooling him with the expression of ambivalence.

It did not work…he knew she was disappointed…in the situation. And in him.

Moving toward the edge of the woods two hours later, they came across a farmer’s field, freshly plowed. After such a long time in the dark woods, the glare of blue sky and sunlight was blinding. Vinny looked around, assessing the security. Seeing no one around, he turned to the woman trailing behind. He had taken her backpack several miles ago, with no resistance from her. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, held together with two twigs. Her shirt was dirty with sweat and her face was red with exhaustion. And she was limping. Looking down at her almost dry, pink sneakers, he could only imagine the blisters the wet material had caused.

Kicking himself for not noticing sooner, he patted a fallen log, saying, “Have a seat and let me look at your feet. Sliding the sneakers off, exposing the blisters, had him furious. “Goddamn it, Annalissa. Why the hell didn’t you tell me earlier that your feet were this bad?”

“I didn’t know, you big…jerk,” she cried, pulling her foot out of his hand. She looked down and the tears fell faster.

Rubbing his hand over his face, he shook his head in frustration. “Babe, please don’t cry.” Her sobs increased as he lifted her up and sat down on the log with her now in his lap.

She felt his arms around her, rocking her back and forth. She was tired, dirty, hungry, and in pain. “I’m sorry. I’ve…never been hiking,” she hiccupped. “I’ve…never done any of this. Not hike. Not swim. Not camp out.” Hiccupping again, she felt his arms tighten.

“Babe, get ahold of yourself. Honest to God, I’m not mad at you. I’m a goddamn medic for Christ’s sake and I should have seen what was happening.”

Her tears slowed and she felt his lips on the top of her head. Sucking in a halting breath, she nodded, “I’m okay now.”

He lifted her chin with his fingers, kissing her lips gently. Moving so that he was once again kneeling in front of her, he worked on her feet. He used most of their filtered water, cleaning the blistered skin that had broken and even carefully broke some of the larger ones. He pulled out some bandages from a plastic bag in his pack. Wrapping her feet carefully, he taped off the ends. Sliding her feet back into the pink sneakers, he re-tied them.

She watched him at work, his strong hands handling her feet in such a gentle manner. She saw his face, a study in concentration, as he bent to the task. Wincing occasionally, she noticed that each time, he gentled his touch even more.

Standing, she admitted that her feet felt so much better. Smiling up at him, she placed her hand on his arm, saying, “Thank you, Vinny. And not just for making my feet feel better.” Standing on tiptoe, she added, “But for everything. Taking care of me, as well.”

He leaned forward to kiss her lips, this one soft. Easy. A promise. Suddenly, he pulled back, cocking his head to the side. Seeing her questioning look, he said, “I think I hear a tractor, babe. There may be a farmhouse around here close by. BJ indicated that we would run into some farms before we made it to the road.”

Not willing to have her feet become more injured, he swung her up into his arms and began walking toward the sound. He saw the farmhouse in the distance. “Let’s get to the farmhouse and see if we can get some help,” he said.

Protesting, she cried, “You can’t carry me and the backpacks too.”

He chuckled as he looked down.“Never insult a former Special Forces, woman.You’re light as a feather and I’ve carried around rucksacks, equipment and weapons much heavier.”

She had to admit that it felt good to be in his arms.Well, for her feet. No, she had to admit. It feels amazing to be held by this man. She wanted to lean in and kiss his jaw.See his eyes on her.Feel his touch on her skin.Pressing her lips together, she battled back the thoughts.

The lone farmhouse came closer into sight, a woman in the yard hanging wash. She saw the two strangers coming across the field and called for her husband. An older man ambled out through the screen door, warily watching them approach.

Vinny stopped at a safe distance so as not to make them nervous.“My wife has hurt her feet while we were hiking and we wondered if we could get some help.”

“Oh my goodness,” the woman exclaimed.“Well, bring her into the kitchen.”

The man stepped back allowing them access into the house, pointing to the kitchen table. Vinny set her down carefully, then bent to take off her shoes. The quick treatment he had given her had helped, but he knew she needed her bandages re-done.

The woman took a look at her blistered feet and immediately got a large plastic pan and filled it with cool water.Vinny took the heavy pan from her and set it down on the floor.

“Ya’ll been hiking?” the old man asked.

Annalissa’s eyes stayed on Vinny’s, allowing him to give whatever story he wanted to.

“We wanted to go for a drive in the country and then decided to take a little hike. Next thing we know, we get lost and thankfully ended up at the edge of your farm. We thank you for your hospitality and promise that as soon as I can get her feet cleaned and re-wrapped, we’ll be on our way.”

“Nonsense,” the woman said. “You’re not any trouble.We’re Mable and Alfred Johnson, by the way.”

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” Vinny said with a smile.“I’m Walter and this is my wife, Delores.”

Annalissatried not to grin at the names Vinny had given them, earning her a stern look from him.

“Are your feet ticklish, darlin’?” he asked .

“Y…yes,” she answered, stifling her smile.

Soon, he had her feet soaked and re-bandaged. Standing, he was about to thank them when Mable walked back into the room.

“Here are a pair of thick cotton socks, sweetie. You traipsing around in little canvas shoes with no socks is going to keep wearing blisters on your poor feet.”

Vinny accepted them graciously and slid them over the bandages before placing her feet back into the sneakers. Looking into her eyes, he asked, “Better?”

“Oh my God, yes,” she answered, her eyes less pain-filled. She smiled at him, mouthing, “Thank you.”

Leaning over, he kissed the top of her head, before standing again. Turning to their hosts, he said, “We appreciate this more than you can know. If we could trouble you for some water to put in our canteen, we’d be grateful and will be on our way.”

Alfred nodded toward his wife and she returned his smile. “We’d be happy to have you two share our lunch and then I can drive you to the nearest town, ‘bout fifteen miles down the road.”

Vinny glanced at Annalissa, seeing hunger and fatigue written plainly on her face. Turning back to the kind couple, he agreed. “We’d love to, thank you.”