Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  “Thank you Jasper, my name is Lucy.” This time when he stuck out his free hand she took it, and they shook. Together they walked up the stairs of the porch as Lucy complimented him on how well he took care of the grounds.

  “Oh it’s my pleasure, Lucy. I love being out in the wilderness. How about you?”

  “Me too,” Lucy agreed. Unlocking the door, she invited him in and began setting out glasses for lemonade. Though she had come to her cabin for alone time, she didn’t realize how alone she could actually be out in the wilderness, and she craved the company.

  “I just wish I could get out here a lot more often than I do. I bought this place a while ago, and this is really the first time I have been able to enjoy it.”

  “What do you do that keeps you so busy?” Jasper asked after he thanked her for the lemonade.

  “Me? Oh, well, I help people decide what they want to do with their money. In most cases I help them take what they have and make it more, but unfortunately sometimes it goes the other way. It can be a draining life, but I enjoy it for the most part,” Lucy explained.

  For a moment the conversation fell flat, and Lucy laughed nervously. “You’ll have to forgive me, Jasper. I spend most of my days talking to people. It’s not often that there’s silence, and when there is it usually means something bad is about to happen. I’m trying to get used to the silence of the country.”

  Jasper smiled and shook his head. “But there’s noise all around,” he explained, taking her hand. “Come on, I’ll show you.” He led her back outside to the porch and had her stand on the edge of it.

  “Now listen. Tell me what you hear.”

  At first, Lucy didn’t hear anything. It was all quiet to her. But then, just like she did in the mornings with her bear, she began to hear the stirrings of the forest. The leaves rustling in the warm wind; the squirrels chattering in the trees. Through the woods, she heard the call of an animal, which Jasper explained was a moose call. She heard the chirping of insects and the songs of birds, and, to her surprise, she heard water.

  “What is that?” Lucy asked, suddenly feeling excited.

  Taking her hand, Jasper led her off of the porch and into the woods. “I’ve been all over your property ma’am, back and forth to take care of it. And I have to say, out of all the land that was for sale up here, you really lucked out on your plot.” Jasper led almost a quarter of a mile into the woods where the sound of water began to pick up. When she saw the rock outcroppings, she knew that was where it was coming from, and she couldn’t help but smile excitedly as she walked towards it.

  “Is this a creek?” she asked, looking down into the small four-foot wide natural pool. It was tight, but it looked deep. A minor waterfall poured into it from above, and a small amount of water trickled out, leading into another even smaller pool down the steep hill.

  “Close,” Jasper said, dipping his hand into the water. “It’s a hot spring. And a really good one too. I come to check it out every day and for the most part it stays pretty regulated. You’re very luck ma’am.”

  “Please,” Lucy smiled, dipping her fingers into the warm water. “Call me Lucy.”

  ~

  Jasper pulled the tray of bubbling lasagna out of the oven, filling the large space with the delicious aroma of tomatoes, oregano, meat, and cheese. It was done to perfection, and ready to woo young women. Lucy leaned over the bar and took a long inhale of the delicious smelling entrée and sighed in relief. Her stomach growled in anticipation and she and Jasper both laughed.

  “I can’t believe you cook,” Lucy said, watching from her seated position as Jasper pulled down two plates and two wine glasses. When he had offered to cook her dinner the night before, she hadn’t thought he’d be so thorough with it. The only thing she was allowed to do was sit at the bar and watch in enjoyment as the man prepared her dinner. She couldn’t lie though; she actually really enjoyed it.

  Jasper chuckled at her words, and pulled the perfectly toasted garlic bread out of the oven. “I can do a lot of things,” Jasper answered, piling the slices onto a serving plate. With his other hand he grabbed the bottle of red wine and walked over to the dining room table, where a hand tossed Caesar salad already sat for them. Lucy grabbed the wine glasses and plates and together they brought the spread to the table.

  “Well tell me,” Lucy implored teasingly as she uncorked the wine bottle. “What is it that you can do?” She watched his hands, strong and tan, in an almost fascination as he cut into the lasagna and scooped it onto the plates. His movements were so concise and careful, as if he spoke to the concoction of noodles and sauce and seduced them into coming out of the pan in a beautiful perfect square. Her mind went back to the last time she’d had sex and she shook her head, hardly believing that it had already been over a year.

  “For starters, I can make an amazing lasagna,” Jasper replied, smiling at her as he handed her the plate of pasta, bread and salad. “I can also build houses, landscape gardens, grow vegetables, and am very, very handy around the house.” His eyes sparkled as he said the last sentence, and something about the way he looked at her had Lucy blushing and looking down at the plate.

  To busy herself she cut into the lasagna and popped a forkful of it into her mouth. It was way too hot to eat, but even through the scorching layers of cheese and tomato sauce she could taste how delicious it was. Though it burned all the way down, Lucy refused to spit it out and embarrass herself. When she finally had it swallowed she took a sip of water and smiled over at Jasper.

  “Hot?” He asked, his eyebrow rising in amusement.

  “Very,” Lucy agreed. “But also very delicious. Job well done.”

  As they continued to eat they easily fell into conversation. Lucy told him about her life in Malibu and how draining it could be as a CEO of several companies. She also told him about how much she disliked having to spend all of her free time at the office and now how much she enjoyed not even having the option to do so.

  “Being out here forces me to think about other things besides work, and I love it. Like, how could I convince my building to let me put a garden on the roof? Or even about selling off one or two of my companies. I haven’t had space like this to breathe in a long time.”

  “Well it sounds like you needed it,” Jasper stated, clearing away their plates. They had talked all the way through dinner, and he was really enjoying himself. The beautiful redhead had a few neuroses, but who didn’t anymore? As he rinsed off the plates and put them in the dishwasher he decided that he would love to help her out with all of her stress.

  Turning around, he leaned his backside on the counter and dried his hands with the red dishtowel. He liked the way her eyes roamed from the top of his head all the way down to his toes, and he decided to return the favor. She had worn a pale yellow sundress and hadn’t bothered to put shoes on. Her beautiful red hair had been swept up into a messy bun, and from what he could tell, since he could clearly see her freckles, she didn’t have much makeup on. She may be from the city. But in that moment, in that dress, and standing in a log cabin, she was pure country.

  “Why don’t you pour us another glass of wine and take them into the living room?” Jasper asked, picking up the cooled lasagna plate and the salad. “I’ll clean up in here.”

  “Are you sure?” Lucy asked, already pouring the glasses of wine. “I could help.”

  Jasper smiled at her as he pulled the plastic wrap from its box. “I’m positive.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Lucy’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as she felt Jasper’s strong hands work at the knots in her back. She hadn’t realized how tense she had been until he had started massaging her, and now she hoped he would never stop. His touch felt amazing, and she was pretty sure that he was loosening more than the just the knots in her shoulder blades.

  “You’re so good at this,” she said, her voice barely an octave away from a sensual moan. “Your wife must be very lucky to have you.”

  Jasper bit back the ch
uckle that tried to break free from his lips, and he kept working at the knots at Lucy’s neck and shoulders. “I’m single,” he clarified. “Do you have a husband back in California?”

  Lucy did laugh, and shook her head. “No. I intimidate most men. They’ll beg to be in board room but never in my bed room.”

  Jasper stopped massaging her shoulders and leaned down until his chiseled lips were at her ear lobe. “I would crawl to your bedroom if I had the opportunity,” he whispered.

  The words shot from Lucy’s ear straight to her pelvis. Heat bloomed and spread through her veins as she heard the invitation she had been craving for days. She wanted to say yes but couldn’t find her words. Instead, she nodded her head as she turned to look up at her handsome lumberjack. His eyes met hers only for a moment before his lips came down and swooped her mouth into a kiss. Lucy leaned into him heavily and gasped in pleasure as his strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her from the couch.

  His tongue and lips tasted just like their wine, and she was thirsty for more. Lucy’s arms wrapped tight around Jasper’s neck as he carried them up the wooden staircase to the loft bedroom. She couldn’t believe how strong he was and how little his breathing changed as he took them up the stairs. If his eyes were open she didn’t know, but his lips never left hers until he tossed her gently onto the bed. With their shoes already off they both crawled backwards until they were in the pillows, and Lucy began to hungrily unbutton the front of Jasper’s shirt.

  A moan escaped her lips as she took in the rugged, hairy chest that was full of muscle. Pulling the shirt away, she tossed it aside, hoping he would never wear one again. As their lips united in another kiss, Jasper’s hands went to the back of her dress and unzipped it all the way down. The fabric parted readily, and in one even tug Jasper had her dress off and on the floor right next to his shirt.

  “You are so beautiful,” he groaned, taking in the sight of her bare breasts and small waist. She was a woman who liked to keep herself in shape, and he respected her for that.

  “Thanks,” Lucy panted, resisting the urge to cover her breasts. “Now pants.”

  Jasper couldn’t help but chuckle at the way she commanded him, and he obeyed. In one swift motion he pulled down his pants and his briefs and crawled back on to the bed. He was hungry to taste her, had been for days, and now here was his chance.

  Not even bothering to work his way down, Jasper went straight for the apex of her legs and burrowed himself there. His hands cupped her delicious backside and lifted her up just enough so that he would have perfect access to her with his tongue. He loved the way she gasped and squirmed when his tongue slid along her clitoris and down to her wet, parting lips.

  “Oh, yes!” Lucy moaned her hands delving into the thick mass of Jasper’s curls. “Please don’t stop baby, oh please don’t stop!”

  Jasper had no will or desire to either, not for a long time. He quickly became addicted to the way Lucy tasted and he was far from getting his fill. Like a man dying from thirst he drank from her, catching each river of come and juices as it flowed towards him, careful not to miss a single drop. Her first orgasm rolled out to him in less than a minute, and he moaned in joy. He loved the way her sculpted legs tightened around his temples and her whole body trembled as she came.

  “More,” he moaned, sliding his middle finger deep inside of her. “Give me one more,” he begged, using both his tongue and his finger this time to bring her to her ecstasy.

  Above, Lucy was in a fit of trembles. She hadn’t been touched in so long and even then, no one had touched her the way Jasper was. It was so deep, spiritual even, the way he made her body respond and heighten so easily. Barely five minutes later she felt her second orgasm welling up, even stronger than the last. It rose up in her like a giant wave that she couldn’t run from, and she didn’t want to either. She wanted him, and she wanted him to have all of her in return.

  Her second orgasm gushed forward in a stream of juices and soaked the sheets beneath them. It pleased Jasper to no end to see her proof of arousal laid out before him, and he knew then that he was ready to make love to her. In one swift motion his mouth landed over hers as his cock thrust hard and deep inside of her, making her scream. Jasper grit his teeth at the tight clenching of her inner walls. She was wet and ready for him, but unbelievably tight.

  Lucy’s fingernails dug into Jasper’s shoulder blades as she began to rock her hips in time with his. He was so much bigger than she had thought, but just as amazing. As they moved together as one, she felt as if she would never want to stop. All day, every day for the rest of her life she just wanted Jasper buried deep inside of her, bringing each other orgasm after delicious orgasm until they collapsed. When she thought that she was just about scream for more, Jasper suddenly pushed himself up and grabbed her ankles. He held her legs straight up and over his left shoulder as he continued to pound into her relentlessly.

  “Tell me what you want,” he growled, raking his fingers over her exposed ass cheek.

  “You,” she gasped, balling the sheets into her fists as she came once more. “I want you…over the bed.” A blush of red filled her cheeks as she admitted to what she wanted but the look that Jasper gave her was pure satisfaction. In a rough but gentle motion he had her on her knees on the bed and after a quick slap to her ass, he thrust himself in.

  If either of them wanted a gentler ride neither of them would say. Instead they matched each other’s hunger and challenged it. Lucy had never had her ass slapped before but she quickly found that she loved it. And Jasper had never realized how much he could become addicted to the sway of someone’s ass bouncing up and down on his cock until he had Lucy doing it.

  To him her body was perfection, and just as insatiable as he was. They ravished each other for what felt like hours before Lucy dropped to her knees on the floor and took him into her mouth to suck dry. Jasper had never had such an intense orgasm in his life when he finally exploded. It was as if his entire body all the way down to his toes felt the release of pressure.

  “Fuck,” he moaned, pulling Lucy into his arms as he fell backwards into the bed. “Where the hell have you been all my life?”

  Lucy giggled between gulps of fresh air as she curled her body next to his.

  “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Lucy’s body felt deliciously sore as she stretched the next morning. Beside her she felt Jasper’s chiseled chest moving gently up and down, still in slumber. Last night after they had had some of the best sex of her life, they had passed out hard. She had never been more sexually pleased than she had been last night, and the very thought of that put a smile on Lucy’s face as she opened her eyes and stared affectionately at the handsome, naked lumberjack in her bed.

  Careful not to make any noise, she slipped out of the covers and into the bathroom to grab a quick shower. After she scrubbed down and began to towel off, she noticed that there were five pink circles on her left ass cheek. Taking a closer look, she giggled when she found that they were actually Jasper’s fingerprints. Normally she was a vanilla sex kind of girl, but she had to admit, Jasper brought out the animal in her.

  She picked out a simple white cotton summer dress after she lotioned her legs then as usual she went downstairs to brew some coffee and toasted two bagels; one for her, and one for her bear. When it was all ready she put it on her tray and went to her usual spot on the spot. Lucy was surprised when she didn’t see him through the trees, but she still didn’t think twice about it. Instead she sipped her coffee and scanned the rest of the property, taking in the beautiful day.

  Twenty minutes later though her bear still hadn’t shown up, and she started to worry. She was just about to step off the porch and take a closer look in the woods when she heard the screen door open and bang shut. Turning towards the door, she smiled when she saw Jasper, wearing nothing but his jeans, standing only a few feet from her.

  “Hey 1ampire’,” he smiled, walking over to he
r. His arms wrapped around her in an intimate familiarity, and she leaned willingly into the embrace. Lucy was surprised to taste mint on his lips, but then suddenly felt very thankful that he had been so thoughtful before coming to kiss her.

  “Good morning,” Lucy replied, pulling him towards the two chairs.

  “Did you make us breakfast?” He asked, picking up a slice of the bagel. He’d already poured himself a cup of coffee and had it balanced on his thigh.

  “Well honestly, no,” Lucy admitted truthfully. “Although I was planning on whipping up some eggs and bacon once you were awake. I kind of have this little ritual every morning with a friend of mine. He comes up to the porch, we share a bagel and talk, and then we both go about our day.”

  Jasper raised his eyebrow in amusement. “A ‘he’, huh? Should I be jealous?”

  Lucy laughed and shook her head. “No, not at all. He’s a bear. A grizzly I think, but I’m not too certain.”

  “A bear? That’s really dangerous,” Jasper warned, taking another bite of bagel.

  Lucy shrugged her shoulders, but didn’t argue. “I know, I watch TV. But there’s just this calm between us. He respects my space and I respect his. I know that sounds odd, but it’s the truth.”

  “You’re a very strange woman Lucy,” Jasper said, smiling at her.

  “Does that bother you?”

  He shook his head, and leaned in for another kiss. “No. I happen to love strange women.”

  After they shared another kiss and Jasper finished his breakfast, he told her he had to go get some work done. As he got up to leave Lucy noticed some odd markings on his back. They looked like scars, but she wasn’t sure. She opened her mouth to ask and then closed it again. Maybe she’d ask him another time when he wasn’t in a hurry to be somewhere else.