The Heart of Andros

by Jade Oliver

  “What the bloody hell was that?” I’m not sure what happened but something stung me on the inside of my thigh. I grit out, “Adair, fuck. Do you see anything?”

  Adair looks flustered but searches the floor. “Shit, Toby. It was one of the doctor flies the villagers warned us about. We need to clean and dress it quickly to reduce your reaction.” She grabs my hand and leads me to the bathroom.

  I follow her into the bathroom and imagine how she felt against me tonight when we danced. How her small curves glided over me. How her soft skin rubbed against me. How I imagined my hands and mouth on her. The sound of the shower breaks into my thoughts. For fuck’s sake. This woman enchants me with just her mere presence.

  I’ve forgotten about the sting until her voice breaks through and says, “Take your shirt and pants off and let’s see exactly where the sting is, then you can hop in the shower, and afterwards we’ll dress it.”

  I remove my shirt and drop my pants. It’s my turn to become flushed because I know my boxer briefs do little to hide my very apparent erection. I finally look at her when she involuntarily moans seeing it. Before she can say anything, I choke out, “Love—I’m sorry. Why didn’t you… Um. I didn't mean to—Fuck!” I finally notice she’s covered in the red wine. I must have done some creative moves to cover her like that. I point to the shower, knowing the hot water does not last long, and tell her to go first and there will be no arguing.

  But Adair doesn’t seem to notice that both her body and her dress are covered in wine. Instead, her eyes are dilated with lust, shining through the rising steam. She turns and gathers her hair to the side so her zipper is on display and begins to pull it down. I twist her to look into my eyes. Her dark sapphire to my light powder blue.

  Even though I’m not sure I am ready to know this answer if she says no, I ask anyway, “Adair?” Her eyes flash and she nods, breathing out a yes.

  My lips crash into hers before she can change her mind and everything stills. Her mouth is soft and plump. Her lips move hard on mine ushering me along. I part my lips and her tongue is there, ready to explore and draw me into her. I am lost in her and completely forget about the sting. This woman is… I do not know that there are words to describe the perfection of this beautiful mess of a woman. I want her. All of her. Every single bit — the good, the bad, the messy, and the broken.

  She groans as I pull away. I flip Adair back around and gather her hair as I slowly unzip her dress. My mouth follows the line of her spine as I expose the silky soft flesh, and my warm breath and wet kisses cause shivers and goosebumps to prickle on her skin.

  Once her dress is unzipped, I push it down fully and trail my hands back up her slender body to the underside of her bra. I unclasp the nude lace bra before pushing her forward a few steps to lean against the cold tile of the wall. Right before I press her into it, I drop her bra and feel her moan as my rigid cock finds its way against her almost pantyless ass.

  I trail kisses over her shoulder blade and up her neck as one hand skims her side and the other spreads her thighs. She giggles and tries to swat my hand tickling her side as I continue to lightly tease. Adair lets out a sudden groan as the hand I used to spread her thighs reaches up and cups her pussy. I can feel how wet she is through the lace of her panties.

  I alternate between gentle teases and rougher, rubbing circles. Until Adair finally moans in frustration, “Toby please. I need you to touch me. Please. I need to come.” What little self control I have left breaks and I rip the dainty g-string from her body.

  Reaching down, I spread the wetness from her tight hole to her clit and rub back and forth. I press more firmly against her ass, moving my hips. My other hand reaches around to pinch her clit before rubbing and teasing to the rhythm of our bodies. I thrust two fingers into her and glide them in and out, building my speed until I am thoroughly fucking her with my fingers.

  “Oh bloody hell, that’s good. You are so nice and tight, Adair. It feels so good on my fingers, love. I can not wait to taste your sweetness on my fingers after you come all over my hand.” With those words Adair bucks like a wild animal against me and the friction makes me lose control. Adair loudly moans with her release. I lean into her, groaning, “Fuck, Adair.”

  She slumps and barely whispers, “Shit, Toby. What did we do?”

  And that is when I realize two things. First, I can’t handle it if she regrets this moment. It was too perfect. And second— No. No. No. This is just not possible. I pull away and turn from her so she does not see the wet spot on my boxer briefs where I came all over myself like an inexperienced teenage boy.

  I manage to tell her to get in the shower before the warm water is gone. When Adair steps into the shower, I leave the bathroom feeling more unsure of myself than I ever have. This is going to be a very long couple of weeks.

  Nine

  June 3rd, 2018

  Adair

  Holy hell! My legs burn from using muscles I forgot I had as we climb the rocky terrain. This is supposed to be a freaking tourist attraction not an outdoor adventure sport. It’s mid-morning and we’ve been walking for what feels like several hours instead of only one.

  How am I going to make it in the wild?

  All of a sudden I slightly lose my footing that proves my point. Strong arms wrap around me to steady me before I fall. Once again Toby is there, just as he said he would be, but I can’t help but think of the day my heart will be destroyed when he’s not. When he’s finally had enough of my shit and decides to walk away.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” I shiver despite the heat of the sun reflecting down on me as he whispers in my ear. “I am not going to let you fall.”

  Damn backpack. I wish I could feel him against me with his hot, sexy breaths against my ear that make me tingle.

  “Fuck. Me,” I say before looking at Toby with a smirk. “Don’t say a word, Tobias Clark Kent.” As I say it, it’s my turn to giggle. I haven't teased him about it in weeks and it feels good to do so. The giggle is still in my voice as I tease, “I cannot believe your parents named you that. British Superman yet again. Aren’t you?” Our faces are so close that if we move a mere sliver his lips will be where they belong, on mine, but I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about what happened last night.

  Toby moves his fingers in a slow stroke down my cheek to the underside of my chin, which forces me to look up to him. His husky voice turns gruff, unable to hide his frustration as he says, “I will keep telling you, until you realize what I already know. You. Do. Not. Need. Saving. For fuck’s sake, love. You are the strongest, most capable woman I know.” He slowly gives me his crooked smile. “The joke’s getting old, Adair. The only place you need me to be the so called British Superman is when I finally get you in my bed.”

  Fuck me backwards.

  “Yeah. That can definitely be arranged, love.” His blue eyes shine with mirth now and his grin is a full blown smirk.

  Ugh! When am I going to stop saying stuff meant only for my head out loud? Over the last few weeks, I’ve come to realize that Toby loves it when I accidentally say my private thoughts out loud, especially when they pertain to him.

  I pull away and grab my water trying to cool myself down from the sexual tension and defuse it at the same time. I chug it greedily while I gather the ability to look at Toby again. But instead, like the coward I’m when it comes to him, I choose not to address anything and turn around to begin our venture again.

  “Come on, let’s go so we’ll still have daylight in the cave.” I shout to him as I’m already back to climbing. I hear him let out a sigh, but he just follows me. Maybe he’ll let it be until — well I don’t know, but later. Much later.

  I’m so focused on ignoring Toby the rest of the way up the embankment I almost miss the brilliance around me. It’s lush and green with pine trees, with orchids of purples and pinks scattered to one side. The rocky cliffs give a breathtaking view of the ocean on the other. The water is darker here, more churned and volatile than gentle
waves. It’s the tongue of the ocean where the depths know no bounds. Ironically, the ocean physically shows what my insides feel currently. At the top of what I’m going to call a mountain, but is more realistically a high bluff, I sit with a huff and stare out over the churning waves.

  With his long legs, Toby is right behind me already and comes to stand beside my sitting form. “Imagine all the shipwrecks and artifacts buried in those rocks.” Toby’s voice is in awe of his surroundings, but also light and hesitant, telling me he doesn’t plan to push me anymore, at least not right now.

  “It’s beautiful. I wish we had more time to explore. Maybe after this camping trip we can come back and scuba here. With its remoteness, even for small boats, we have a chance of finding something no one else has, especially with it being so close to Morgan’s Cave. What do you think?” My focus moves from the ocean to him.

  Still looking out over the fast churning water, Toby replies. “Maybe. It will be difficult to access and dangerous, and I don’t want to put either of us in physical danger for something that may not be there.”

  His tone is weary, like he is expecting an argument from me. Normally I would, but he’s right. While I want to do it, and badly, safety first. I hadn’t known how badly I would want to explore this part of the coast side until we got here and I was able to imagine all the possibilities.

  “Yeah, I know.” I heave out a sigh. “It’s something to be tabled and discussed later. We better check the cave before we lose too much light. I want to get as far inside as we can and check out all the hidden caverns.” Standing, I allow him to lead this time for a purely selfish reason. Although I am hesitant to start more with Toby, I still like to look at his ass when I can get away with it.

  When we finally reach the cave about thirty minutes later I take a moment to admire the beauty of the entrance. Random vines of green grow throughout the outside of the cave and the entrance, which has a slight smoothness to the edge of it despite the look of the jagged rock. Although it’s remote, you can tell over time that weather and human activity has changed it.

  I enter the cave first, while Toby provides extra light from behind. We make our way deep into the cave, past the tourist safety signs to the far back right side corner. I move into a cavern, which is small but seems to have just enough room for Toby and me to stand together.

  Motioning to Toby to follow me further inside, I head to see the back where it looks to have a hole and small shallow pond. He walks over, pressing into my side. It’s a tight fit with Toby now standing slightly in front of me, but we manage to squeeze into a space no one has touched for who knows how long.

  The locals had told us that no one from the village dares enter the cave, especially into its depths, because of a great myth. They believe once you enter you don’t return. Although they contradicted themselves when they also told us some people come and go. They think it is up to some mythical creature I have never heard of before despite studying all of those documented. But they refuse to tempt fate. Good thing for us that I’m not superstitious.

  Toby attempts to reach into his pack but can’t seem to get to it in the tight space.

  “What do you need?” I have no clue as to what he would need right now.

  “I need my headband flashlight for more light and to free my hands,” he tells me as he continues to fumble trying to reach it.

  But with the tight space there is just no way to get to it. “Toby, just reach over my shoulder and into my pack. Mine is on top.” Toby reaches over my shoulder, pressing his chest into my breasts, and rubs across them. Get your mind out of the gutter, Adair. Toby doesn’t even seem to notice as he pulls out my headband flashlight, zips my pack back up, and begins the tasks of putting it on in the limited space. The extra light helps our fading solar flashlights and allows us to see further back where there is no light.

  Toby looks around and jokingly states, “Maybe we’ll find gold and we can fund our own expeditions.”

  “If only,” I say with a laugh. I look around and see something shining against the reflection of the flashlight’s beam, but it’s farther back in the cave.

  “What’s that over there? It’s hidden a bit by that one rock,” I ask as I lean over Toby, impatient to see what we might have found. Toby grunts as I slightly push him, trying to see over and around his broad shoulders, but it’s me that starts to fall. But instead of the hard, rocky ground, I feel a different hardness over me at the same time. Toby whooshes out his breath in a pained groan. His back is against the jagged rock wall and he is holding me pressed tightly into him.

  “You okay, love?” he asks.

  “Damn Toby, I should be asking you that. You could have really hurt yourself. I can take a hit, I promise you. I’m not going to break. You told me that less than a few hours ago!” I try to sound confident but it comes out more flustered.

  He growls and slowly flips me under him with his lean, sleek but hard and strong muscles pinning me to the wall. “For fucks sake love, how many times have I told you it’s not that you can’t but that you shouldn't have to.”

  My breath hitches as I look into those powdery blue eyes. They’re like a bright sky on a cloudless day, but I can see the turmoil in them. The lingering pain of his want and care. I hate myself for being the one making him feel anything but happiness and joy. I can’t help my need for self preservation; it’s just woven into the fiber of me, and my last attempt to take a chance was a bit of a clusterfuck.

  He’s going to kiss me. I should move, now, to prevent us both the heartache of eventual rejection. However, in this moment I’m selfish and moan into his lips as they meet mine. I open up to him to allow the slick warmth of his tongue to dance with mine. I bite the softness of his bottom lip before sucking it into my mouth to soothe the sting. Toby presses into me harder and my pack digs into my back. There is just enough of a shot of pain that my senses are restored.

  “Fuck,” I groan loudly and break the spell.

  “Fuck is right. Do you have any idea the things you do to me?” Toby’s lust filled words are combined with him pressing my hand against the fast erratic beat of his heart.

  “No, Toby. I meant ‘Fuck’ as in I’m still not sure I can do this.” I mean to sound strong but even to me my words sound like a broken whisper of lies. I take a breath to tell him the truth. “And I hate myself a little more every time I pull away.”

  I can’t do this. Run Adair. Get away before you hurt him more and he hurts you with goodbye later.

  I let the awful thoughts run through my head over and over. I am physically shaking and now desperate to get away. Harder than I intend, I push Toby away, and we both start to tumble with the weight of our packs pulling us forward. Toby is able to grab my arm to soften the momentum of my crash into the rocks, especially close to the one with the shiny reflection near it. He lands not far from me, still gripping my arm tightly.

  I’m lucky I don’t hit my head. I lie next to a small pool of what I thought was water but now looks too transparent. That’s weird. I slowly reach out to touch it to see what it is.

  Toby sees what I am doing and bellows, “Wait,” but I’m already touching it. Before I know what’s happening, the tunnel turns to complete darkness with the air whipping around me. I find myself clinging tighter to Toby’s arm, trying with every ounce of my strength to pull him into me. After a moment of resistance, I feel something give and he is against me, with our arms wrapped tightly around each other. It feels as if we are sucked into a whirlwind and I lose my breath as we seem to spin faster. The last thing I remember thinking is — At least I’ll have Toby when we land from our fall.

  Ten

  June 4th, 1785

  Adair

  I slowly pick myself up off the cave floor wondering what the hell just happened and I see Toby doing the same. My body slightly aches and I feel dazed, as if I’ve been riding a roller coaster too long. Toby grabs the headband flashlight from the cave’s floor where it must have flown off his head as we l
anded, then we grab each other’s hands and walk through the cave towards the front.

  I look around the cave and it seems different somehow — gloomier. Gone are the pin pricked holes of light seeping through the cave walls, there are fewer green vines winding their way throughout, and the sweet smell from the orchids blooming outside at the cave’s entrance is replaced by a deeper, musty smell. As I look towards the entrance, I notice it is smaller, more jagged along the edges, and there are none of the flowers I should see on the edge of the woods.

  I turn to Toby with rapid breaths as I try to ward off a panic attack. Where’s the Xanax when you need it? Seriously. What. The. Fuck. “Toby,” my voice quavers in a cry. "Where are we?"

  I know I sound scared and a little pissed. I’m upset for not being more careful in an unfamiliar place. But I refuse to be helpless or take my frustrations out on Toby. He’s probably just as stressed as I am. Slowing my breathing, I apologize. “Sorry, Toby. I am freaking out. This place looks the same, but different. Isn’t it creepy?” We need to figure out what the hell happened.

  Toby lets out a deep, weary exhale. “Bloody Hell, Adair. Me too. Sorry, love, I should’ve asked if you were okay. Are you okay? Does anything hurt?” His voice is full of concern now and he walks over and reaches out to rub his hands up and down my arms, then the rest of me to check me over.

  “Toby, I’m fine. My body aches a little but that’s it. Whatever happened, it was like being inside a wind tunnel, a super fast twirly one, but at the same time like I never moved from where we fell. Now I just feel a little dizzy but that’s almost gone. How about you? Are you okay?” My words are rapid but they just spill from me. I can’t quite hold back the worry that is nagging me.