Wild Poppy

by Victoria Johns

  “Here, let me help you before you break something.” Penny was balancing precariously on one leg trying to undress. She was one stuck leg away from taking a header.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I was talking about the furniture; these corporate hotel fuckers will clobber me for breakages.”

  She giggled.

  I’d never heard her giggle like that before.

  Finally, she huffed. “Well, help me, then.”

  I bent down and she placed a hand on top of my head to give her some balance, and that felt good. I was also close to her pussy, and I could smell her. The scent was divine. I thought back to all the times I’d knelt in worship, and this was a very different kind of altar. Penny wobbled and fell against me. My lips touched her thighs accidentally, but when I touched the top of my tongue to them, that was very much on purpose. The tiny hairs on her thighs bobbled immediately, and the smallest of shivers accompanied the barely audible groan she couldn’t take back.

  “You like that?” I whispered, my throat thick and my dick so hard it hurt as I chanced looking up at her face.

  “Maybe.” Her voice was a velvet murmur. “I... I don’t know.”

  I ran my fingers up the backs of her thighs, working really hard to ignore the bumps across them.

  Welts. I felt welts that I had to fucking ignore, even though I knew she’d suffered terribly to get them. “How does that feel?”

  “Gentle,” she admitted. “I’m not used to that.”

  It finally felt like we were getting somewhere. I didn’t want to abuse the trust she had in me when she was close to being as drunk as a skunk, but something inside me told me it was necessary, vital even, and to proceed with caution.

  “I can be gentle. Do you trust me?” The question held us both on a precipice. It was a game changer.

  “You haven’t given me a reason not to.”

  “Yes or no, babe?”

  “Yes.”

  I kissed her thigh again so gently, just making sure that the scruff of my beard wasn’t too much. Judging by the scars on her legs, she’d already suffered enough. Every so often, I looked back at her making sure she was still here with me, not off somewhere stuck inside her head. “Sit down.”

  When Penny’s knees bent, I saw that she was a little unsteady and I didn’t know whether it was from the booze or nerves. I gently pushed her thighs apart and feathered my fingers over the gusset of her panties. I held my breath, worried about her reaction and only released it when I heard her mewl. It spurred me on. “Lie back, baby.”

  Her eyes locked onto mine, conveying a thousand words.

  Be gentle.

  Don’t break me.

  I trust you.

  Sliding her panty gusset aside, I touched and feathered some more, and her arousal attacked my senses. I could smell it, feel it, hear it in her soft gentle moans, and if I had my way, I’d taste it, too. But this was a journey, a marathon, not a sprint. “I want to feel you so bad right now,” I told her.

  Penny didn’t argue; she lay there, her head tilted to the side so she could watch. Her hands were clenched, her fingers tussled in the bed sheets. Carefully, I kept her panty gusset hooked by my little finger and ran a finger up and down her pussy.

  Hot.

  Swollen.

  Needy.

  I eased a finger into her center and was fucking thrilled to find her sensitively throbbing. “That feel okay?”

  “You... you usually check all the time? You going to do that all the way through?”

  No. I didn’t, but she mattered. Her past mattered, and not only did I not want to fuck this up; I didn’t want to mess her up anymore either. “You mean something to me.”

  Penny sighed, or maybe it was relief at hearing my words. My compassion meant something to her.

  Slowly, I finger fucked Penny, desperate to go faster, but not doing it. As I took my time, I heard her call for more, plead for me to move faster, but I resisted. I didn’t want this to be one step forward and two steps back. I wanted us to go forward together.

  Stepping carefully together.

  Side by side together.

  “Ah... Ah... Yes!”

  My finger was knuckle deep and soaked. It was taking everything I had not to pull down my pants and fist myself along with her. “That’s it, baby.”

  Her body tensed and vibrated as I felt her hand reach for my head. “Lick! Please!” She panted, and there was no way I was turning that down.

  I only got maybe half a minute of tasting her before she exploded on my face, all over my tongue.

  It was sensational.

  “Climb into bed, baby.” I waited and watched as she shuffled back, hesitated before pulling off her top and bra, and climbed under the bed sheets. Her breathing hadn’t really recovered from the emotion that had taken over her body, but she glanced around the room, her look tinged with something I wasn’t sure how to deal with. If she was embarrassed, I could help remove that, but if she regretted what we’d just done, that was a bigger mountain to climb.

  “Be back in a minute.”

  In the bathroom, I washed up, praying my dick would calm the fuck down and behave. She needed to deal with what we’d already done and facing her with a stiff dick was exactly the sort of pressure she didn’t need.

  Slowly, slowly.

  Back in the room, Penny had the sheets up to her cheeks. It looked like she was okay, but still calling on some elements of bravery. I didn’t want it to be that way, so I bent to the bag at my feet and found the T-shirt she’d commandeered and had been sleeping in. When I handed it to her, she looked confused, so I smiled. “We can take it slow.”

  “Why?” The confused look didn’t leave her face.

  “You’ve had a lot to drink, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  I stripped down to my boxers and climbed in bed beside her. When she snuggled back, I let her spoon against me. It was sexy as fuck and torturous as hell.

  “I...” She stopped and started, just like my heart at the thought that she was either going to open up or tell me that all of that had been a huge fucking mistake. I stayed still and quiet. “I was in an abusive relationship.”

  “I’m sorry, That’s fucking shit.”

  “Not your place to be sorry.”

  “Still, I’d like you to know that I am sorry for what you’ve been through.”

  “The thing is, I could have got out, but by the time I realized that, it was just too late.”

  “You’re out now.” I got the impression that she wasn’t going to tell me anything of real substance and my disappointment flared.

  “I’ll never go back. I only want good in my life.”

  My heart stuttered.

  That wasn’t me.

  I was a murderer, a sinner of the worst kind.

  “Thank you for sensing that I might struggle, and for being a gentleman.”

  I couldn’t answer her. I was already elbow deep in my lies with this girl. It didn’t matter that they were lies of omission. Lying was still something that was a dark check mark on my soul.

  “Just the magic and monsters to go,” she mumbled around a yawn.

  “What, babe?”

  “The trip… I’ve seen beauty, wildlife and history, just the magic and monsters left. Or was the magic just then?”

  “Definitely not.”

  “Oh, you plan to bring more magic.”

  I let her drift off to sleep. “I hope you find the magic, Penny, but right now I think you’ve probably found the monster.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Penny

  When I opened my eyes, I expected two things: the hangover from hell, and the awkwardness.

  There was neither.

  What there was, was a very handsome man wrapped around me, holding onto me like he was worried I might not be real.

  I didn’t wake up feeling hot due to the oppressive heat. I didn’t open my eyes terrified about what I might see, and who might be there to drag me back into s
ervice. I didn’t wake up dreading my life and wishing I was dead. And even better than that, I didn’t wake up and think about the past or what I’d been through. I didn’t have those feelings of regret for the life I’d lost and the awful life I’d lead either.

  Instead, I thought about him.

  Fraser ‘Mac’ McPhee.

  I thought about the amazing orgasm he’d given me and the gentle care he took because he sensed my fragility.

  And I smiled.

  “Morning.” His voice, all sleepy and gruff, sent warm air past my ear and I shivered.

  “Hey.”

  Silence stretched between us for a few seconds before he filled it. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We good?”

  “Yeah.”

  He squeezed me tighter and released me. He liked hearing my answer as much as I liked giving it. “Do I get a morning kiss?”

  “No! Morning breath.”

  “Don’t give a fuck. Kiss me.”

  “No!”

  His hand snaked up my body, and when it held me still at my throat, I froze, enough that he felt it. “Fuck!” he hissed. “I’m an idiot.” He withdrew it before he’d finished his words.

  “It’s just—”

  “You don’t have to explain.”

  I spun around in his arms so I could face him. “I do.” Fraser opened his mouth to stop me. “It was just a bit too close to some awful memories.”

  “Throat’s a no go. I shoulda known.”

  “Why would you know?”

  Fraser didn’t answer straightaway, and when he did, he fumbled. “You told me about your last relationship.”

  “The very best thing is that you felt my discomfort and reacted. Thank you.” I saw him swallow, barely hiding that he was disappointed in himself. “My throat isn’t a total no go.” My voice was an embarrassed whisper. “I love the feel of a gentle kiss there. Feeling someone’s breath gets you all goosebumpy.”

  “I can live with that.” He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the place where his hand had just been. He was kissing it all better.

  Then he did what he wanted to before things got weird; he pecked a chaste kiss against my lips to make sure I was okay. Then I thought about why he wanted it. He’d done things to me last night, gave me a bone-shattering orgasm, yet we hadn’t really kissed. For months I’d been thinking about what that beard would feel like against my skin. Would we get close enough so I could hear it rasp beneath my fingertips as I held him close to me?

  “What’s going through your head?”

  I jerked out of my reverie. “We haven’t really kissed, you know, properly.”

  “Was gonna, but you got all freaky about hygiene shit.”

  Looking at how much he wanted it, something as simple as a kiss, caused more goosebumps. “Kiss me, Fraser.”

  His face, already pretty close, came closer. He started at one corner of my mouth and worked his way across, just the soft feel of his breath one second, then swamped by the prickliness of his facial hair the next. When he licked the seam of my lips, they fell open on a breath and I followed my own need, my own desire, to kiss him back. My mind blanked, and there was nothing but him and me; we were alone in the world, just existing for each other. It could have lasted seconds or it could have been hours, such was the all-consuming entity we became. Fraser’s hand threaded through my hair, taking the kiss to something deeper and more intense than I’d ever dreamed a kiss could possibly be.

  My breathing quickened like I’d just come in from a run. “Wow. I feel like a teenager.”

  Fraser chuckled and kissed me again. As the lip fog and mind meltdown kicked up again, my body heated up. The core flared first, sending fire through the blood in my veins until it singed my skin and I blushed.

  “We should get going.” He reluctantly pulled back and the fire within me felt like someone had doused it with water and it wouldn’t be long until it was put out completely.

  I felt his hardness. “Don’t you want me to take care of you?”

  “Plenty of time for that, but I’m pretty sure I promised you magic on this trip.”

  I smiled. “You did.”

  Fraser left the bed and headed for the bathroom.

  “Maybe you just delivered on that promise,” I whispered and tried not to look at him, but it was just too hard to pass by. He disappeared, but I’d seen, was hard as a rock, and I wondered if he was in there right now taking care of his problem. And it was a big problem.

  I lay back in the bed, thinking of the butterflies in my tummy. Nervous excitement was getting the better of me, desperate to take charge.

  At breakfast he sat next to me this time, corner to corner, both of us smiling like we had a secret from everyone else. I wondered if we looked like a couple who had snuck away from our real lives for a dirty weekend.

  “Never seen this side of you,” he mumbled around toast.

  “Which side?”

  “Cute, friendly, shy, compliant.”

  “Today I feel like smiling, but don’t worry, my inner bitch is always a heartbeat away.”

  “I’m beginning to understand what Bullet gets now, why he wants to be at your place.”

  Leaning closer, I risked placing a kiss on his jaw and he wasn’t expecting it. “I offered you a treat this morning, but you weren’t up for it.”

  “Fuck.”

  I smiled inside when he reached down and adjusted himself. I loved that I had that effect on him. I also loved teasing him. “Too far?”

  “You are the devil.” He shook his head. “Temptation is a motherfucking sin.”

  What on earth was he on about?

  “We should get on the bike before things get out of control here and we never leave.” He stood up and put his hand out for me. When our palms connected, we both felt it and had we been alone, I knew we would definitely have taken things further. It was something I very nearly did when we got back to the room to gather up our things, but then I realized I liked this more. The anticipation, the nervousness, I loved it all. All the dates I’d missed out on while I was serving my country were being made up for right here by this man, and I didn’t want to rush it. It felt perfect already, but I knew I could make it so much more. The best thing was I think he knew my game, but he was just as happy as me to let me play it.

  This time when I climbed on the bike, I sat as close as possible, putting my arms around his middle, and when I looked in his mirrors, I knew he was smiling at me.

  “Ready?” he shouted over the noise of the motorcycle engine.

  “Absolutely.”

  Only a few miles away we pulled to a stop on a small gravel car park that was busy with tourists. A coach full of people was just leaving as we secured our helmets on the motorcycle. “What is this place?”

  “More history. Come.” He held out his hand.

  “You promised magic.” I fake sulked.

  “Patience, Penny.” Fraser smiled and I loved seeing it on his face. “Welcome to Culloden.”

  We walked along, and a lot of people were going in the opposite direction to us. “And what happened to bring us here?” I’d never been so keen to learn about a country’s history. “Hey! I’ve got it, were you a teacher?”

  “No, but you’re getting closer.”

  I jumped up and down on the spot. “Oh... a clue!”

  “Focus. Back to the 1700s”

  “Everything is so old around here.”

  “Around here we call it heritage,” he chided. “You Yanks could only dream of going back so far.”

  “Whatever.” I faked dismissal. “Get on with it.”

  “The Battle of Culloden is one of the bloodiest and shortest in history.”

  Fraser and I were still holding hands as he controlled the speed and direction of our strolling. “How short?”

  “An hour.”

  “That’s not a battle! It’s barely a bar brawl.”

  “Don’t diss the history lesson. This battle is
the last one ever fought on British soil and was between Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Royal Army of Britain.”

  I swung our joined hands like we were kindergarten kids. “Which side would you be on?”

  “Me and my clan are Bonnie Prince Charlie all the way, baby.” Fraser stopped us by a field where lots of stones, like carved boulders, stood amongst the grass. “The Fraser clan fought here.”

  My head snapped quickly between the stones and Fraser. “Are you related?”

  “Who knows for sure? These are memorial stones for all the clans who lost men, slain in the battle. People still come out here and lay wreaths and flowers in remembrance.”

  “I can totally see you as a Highland warrior.” Fraser looked to the heavens, a smirk on his face. “Did they fight in those skirts?”

  He pulled me to him and hugged me close, so close there was no breathing room between us, and I liked it. “Kilts.”

  “Sorry, what?” I breathed, losing all sense of my thoughts, totally focused on him.

  “Kilts. Not skirts.”

  “Whatever, are you going to kiss me?” I felt my legs wobble with anticipation.

  “You like my kilt?”

  “I do. A lot.” Finally, his lips touched mine and I melted, completely at this man’s mercy. I felt his fingers thread through my hair as he titled my head to give him better access to my mouth. His tongue owned mine and I totally forgot where we were. When he pulled away, I chased him down for more.

  “You ready for the magic?”

  I sighed. “Pretty sure I just felt it.” Fraser chuckled and kissed me again. Just like last time he ended the kiss and I protested before he dragged my jello-like body farther into the field.

  “This is the Fraser stone.”

  “You lie!”

  “Not today, Penny.” He smiled, and even though I smiled in return, I had to wonder about his bizarre answer. “A woman wrote a book. It’s now a major TV series, but a lot of people believe she wrote about the real legends of this place.”