Balefire

by Barrett

  “You look almost too comfortable to disturb.”

  Kirin sat up, startled and blinked at Silke, who was wearing a tank top and boxers. “Busted. I guess I was caught daydreaming.”

  “About anything in particular?” Silke sat beside her.

  The fluttering in her chest burst into flame. “Actually, yes. You. My parents adore you . . . and so do I. Every time we’re together, I see a new facet of the amazing Silke Dyson. It’s growing harder to be respectful.”

  Silke looked away but not before Kirin saw a flash of what? Fear? Apprehension? “You’ve been so wonderful to me, and I think you know that I share the attraction. It’s just that . . . I don’t think I have words to explain. I don’t want to risk losing you . . .”

  Kirin took her hand. “You won’t. Why do you think you’d lose me?”

  “I’m not sure.” Silke sighed as she looked down at their hands. “I don’t know if I can ever be what you’re expecting. Sorry, I’m just feeling a little bruised.”

  Kirin swallowed hard and thought about what she wanted to say. “I think it’s safe to say that we’ve developed a deep affection for each other. And that won’t change, but I have to say that my physical attraction is getting the better of me. When you’re close to me, I . . .”

  “I feel the same.” Silke squeezed Kirin’s hand and brought her face within millimeters.

  The pain in Kirin’s chest burned and her heart pounded. It took every bit of restraint to rein in her need. “Please.”

  Silke’s lips were even softer than Kirin remembered. Her first brush was light, the second was sweet, and the third tender. Behind her closed eyelids, Kirin saw stars. They kissed again, and the dizziness subsided. With great effort, she let Silke take the lead and succumbed to the sweetest connection she had ever experienced. She reeled from a soft floral scent layered with pungent pine, discreet warm skin, and tastes of blueberry and wine.

  “We’ve waited so long for this moment.” Kirin’s voice caught.

  With their hands still clasped Silke used only her lips and tongue to artfully communicate her desire. The kiss deepened as their tongues touched, and Kirin’s breathing became ragged. Kirin lightly stroked Silke’s arm and shoulder. She slipped her trembling fingers beneath the soft hair to the back of Silke’s neck.

  Silke gasped and pulled away, breathing hard. “No, no . . . I can’t.” She jumped up.

  “What’s wrong? My God did I hurt you?” Kirin trembled. What could possibly have gone wrong? Had she misread something?

  Silke quickly huddled at the head of the other bed and tucked her knees close to her chest.

  Afraid to touch her, Kirin stayed where she was. “I’m so sorry. Please tell me what’s happening.”

  “It wasn’t you. My God. Kissing you is something I desperately wanted. I need you to love me . . . It’s just that, oh fuck.” She looked up with tears in her eyes. “When you put your hand on my neck, I had this horrible flashback—It was terrifying. I’ve never had anything like that before.”

  Kirin covered her mouth and shook her head. Of course. Rachel had choked her. “I never thought . . . please forgive me.”

  “I’m not angry. It just scared me so badly.” Silke closed her eyes and slipped under the covers. “Do you think you could do me a favor?”

  “Whatever you need.” Kirin leaned forward. Please God, let her not be afraid of me.

  Silke turned her head and took a deep breath. “I’m okay, but do you think you could, would you be willing to just hold me until we go to sleep?”

  Kirin switched off the small table lamp and slipped into the twin bed behind Silke. She carefully wrapped her arm around Silke’s waist and was relieved when Silke put her hand on top of hers. They fit together perfectly, and Silke moved her bare legs until they were flush against Kirin’s. Silke’s tense body began to relax.

  The sounds of the nightlife from around the lake drifted through the window—crickets, frogs, and the occasional loon.

  Silke’s breathing slowed and she whispered, “I hope you know how much I care for you and want to be able to show you.”

  Kirin kissed her shoulder softly. “We have all the time in the world, and I treasure every minute we have together.”

  The fatigue and the long day clouded her brain until the only thing she was conscious of was the soft warm body against her. She inhaled deeply and allowed Silke’s now familiar scent to fill her with a pleasant peace. The ache in her belly slowly subsided.

  Chapter Forty-five

  SILKE PULLED THE wool blanket a little tighter around her shoulders as she nestled on the top step of the cabin porch. Through the tall pines, they had a good view of the lake and the ragged shoreline jutting out a short distance from the front steps. The reflected glare from the morning sun on the surface of the water made it difficult for her to see. She needed her sunglasses but didn’t want to disturb Kirin.

  Sometime in the night, Kirin had changed beds. Surprisingly, Silke, remembering the kiss, found it difficult to get back to sleep. It hadn’t been the first time she had wanted to kiss Kirin. She’d allowed her distractions with Rachel and the project to keep her wayward thoughts about Kirin at bay. She touched her lips and smiled at the remembered taste. The nights had belonged to Kirin and she had allowed herself to indulge of dreams of them together. Now that they had cracked the door open, she was having a difficult time not wrenching it off the hinges. Even hours later, the memory of Kirin’s tenderness excited her. Was it too soon? Was she ready and able to consider a relationship? Would Kirin understand her abrupt halt?

  A small rowboat drifted into a small bay off to her right. The silhouette of a lone angler was visible through the trees. The boat rocked gently in the almost still lake as the fisherman cast close to the shore. His solitary endeavor caused a wave of sadness—a metaphor for a lonely future.

  She loosened the blanket as the morning air warmed around the porch. She remembered the conversation over last night’s dinner. Kirin had explained the recent conversation she had with her publisher to her parents. She had sounded disappointed that he had passed her article on to another publisher. Her parents said it could be a promising opportunity, but Kirin looked defeated.

  Sadness burned in her chest as she wished she’d been more comforting.

  The creak of the screen door startled her.

  “Good morning, early bird. You crept out quietly.” Kirin sat down beside her, put an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her cheek.

  Silke leaned into the warm embrace. “I didn’t want a wake you, and I thought it might be nice to enjoy the sunrise.”

  “Are you game to do some exploring?”

  “Sure, what did you have in mind?”

  “Since dad gave me the boat keys, I thought we could take a tour around the lake after breakfast. I don’t want you to miss the blueberry pancakes.” Kirin waggled her eyebrows. “But this may be our only chance to use the boat. Once my brother gets here, he may commandeer it.”

  Silke laughed. “I don’t remember the last time I saw you this excited. I gather you don’t get to take the boat very often.”

  Kirin shook her head in mock dejection.

  Silke took Kirin’s hand and squeezed it. “I guess I’d better get ready. Are we going to be swimming?”

  “I’d like to. I have my suit on under my shorts and shirt. I thought I’d ask Marie, one of the staff, if we could get a couple of sandwiches to take along.”

  “Now I’m excited, spending several uninterrupted hours together with nothing to do.” Silke ruffled Kirin’s hair as she stood up and kissed her.

  OTTO, THE BOAT master for the resort, provided a map, good instructions, and his cell number. He cast off the bowline, and Kirin steered the nineteen-foot Stingray and its rumbling motor away from the dock toward open water.

  Silke donned a broad-brimmed safari hat and sat in the navigator seat with the map in her hands. Kirin gave her a thumbs-up and pulled back on the throttle slightly. The big Merc engi
ne rumbled to life, causing them both to laugh.

  After studying Otto’s map, they chose to follow the shoreline to the west and then circle around clockwise. The lake was larger than Kirin remembered, but her last visit had been several years ago. She made sure Silke had a good view of the shoreline as they skipped over some choppiness caused by the wind. She couldn’t decide whether she felt excited about being back on the big lake or being alone with Silke. She hoped the warm morning greeting meant that Silke’s startled reaction to last night’s kiss was a one-time event. God, she hoped so.

  Sleeping had been very difficult with Silke in her arms. She had finally given up and returned to her own bed. But her desire made her restless and uncomfortable. Even now, their proximity caused a yearning ache in her belly.

  As they rounded the point on the south shore, Kirin steered closer to shore and the wind dissipated. She sat down and pointed out a protected cove. “My dad claims that cove is a great fishing spot.”

  “It’s so peaceful in here,” Silke said. “Can we just hang out for a little while?”

  They’d only been out about an hour, but Kirin sensed that the rapidly moving scenery might be difficult for Silke’s focus. “Good idea. I’m thirsty anyway.”

  Kirin shut off the engine and went to the stern where she tossed the anchor over, which pulled a long section of the rope with it.

  “Must be pretty deep. Do you want to sit back here? There’s a little more room.” From the wide bench seat, she could reach the built in cooler and withdrew two water bottles.

  Silke stood in the center of the boat, stretched her arms wide, and grinned. “This is glorious. The sun feels so good. It’s kind of like hiding in a secret cove.” She spun around with a wicked grin. “Wouldn’t it be fun to go skinny dipping?”

  Kirin swallowed hard as she watched Silke strip off her shorts and unbutton her shirt. She’s gorgeous. The dark blue two-piece suit flattered her figure. “Yeah, I suppose it would, although I can’t vouch for the privacy.”

  Silke cocked her head and put her hands on her hips. “Modest are we?”

  Kirin nodded. “I’m afraid so, although you make it very tempting.”

  Silke moved closer. “I don’t make this easy for you, do I? It seems like I’m always sending mixed signals, and I don’t mean to.” She sat next to Kirin and took her hand. “You are so incredibly attractive, it’s hard for me to stop touching you. But I don’t want to jump into a rebound relationship just to avoid bad feelings.”

  Kirin ached to touch her, to feel the softness of her skin, and to taste her lips again. “Sweet Jesus. No. It’s really not easy.” She clasped both of Silke’s hands and brought them to her lips. “I understand you’re in a very difficult position, and I promised we’d go as slow as you need to, but . . . I need to tell you that at this moment . . . I’m having a really hard time.”

  Silke stroked her face with the backs of her fingers and moved closer. She closed her eyes and parted her lips inviting Kirin’s kiss. As the fluttering in Kirin’s chest increased, her muscles went limp and she accepted the invitation. Silke’s mouth was even softer and sweeter than the night before. And when their tongues touched, Kirin felt an electric jolt surge to the bottoms of her feet.

  They continued their long and luxurious kisses. Silke breasts pressed tightly to Kirin’s chest, and a guttural moan escaped Kirin’s throat.

  Silke pulled away. “I have to stop or I won’t be able to. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” Kirin said in a hoarse squeak.

  “I think the cool water and a little swimming might be in order, what do you think?” Silke gave her an impish smile.

  Kirin laughed then groaned. “Oh, yeah. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  “You’re such a goof, come on.” Silke climbed over the bench seat to the small swimming platform and unfolded the ladder.

  She executed a perfect surface dive that took her several yards from the boat. She bobbed up, shaking her head and laughing. She looked like a beautiful mermaid with her wet hair framing her face in the sunshine.

  “It’s cold, but feels great. C’mon!”

  Kirin awkwardly removed her shorts and tee shirt, mesmerized as she watched Silke swim. Her stroke was almost a perfect freestyle with long powerful strokes. Clearly, her work carving tree trunks was good exercise. Really good exercise.

  Kirin climbed onto the platform just as Silke started her backstroke to the boat. The way her body surged through the water meant she also had a powerful kick. Stop staring. Kirin jumped in just before Silke reached the boat.

  The cold hit her like a sledgehammer, taking her breath away. How was it possible she had forgotten that hot bodies should enter cold water more slowly? She shivered and hung on to the ladder just in case her heart stopped.

  “What’s wrong?” Silke asked. “You look like you’re in shock?”

  “This water is fucking freezing.”

  Silke’s laugh rippled across the surface of the water. “Swim around a little, get the blood moving.”

  “Trust me, the blood was moving around just fine before all my blood vessels collapsed from the cold.”

  “Poor baby. I don’t know if it’ll help or hinder, but I’m going to take my suit off. This just feels too good.” Silke winked.

  She flipped the top of her suit on to the boat and a second later the bottoms. She ducked under the water and popped up with her head back. The sun glistened off the water streaming down her face. Her smile was radiant. Then, she dove under and disappeared.

  Feeling returned to the lower half of Kirin’s body in the form of arousal. She spotted a large tree branch hanging over the water close to the shore and swam for it. She kicked furiously and stroked as hard as her arms allowed. Lake swimming was always harder than in the pool, but it felt good to push her body. As she got closer to the branch she saw a snake—a very large snake—draped comfortably along half of the long limb.

  She turned slowly and, using a slow sidestroke to keep an eye on him, headed back to the boat. Chances were good it was in northern water snake, but she didn’t want to get close enough to find out. Surprisingly, she wasn’t the least bit cold by the time she reached the ladder. There was no sign of Silke.

  “Silke?”

  “I’m up at the bow,” Silke said. “Be right there.”

  Kirin kept an eye on the long gray form basking on the tree limb. Something brushed her leg, and she jumped. She felt arms around her waist and then nuzzling on the back of her neck.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you.” Silke pressed her naked body against Kirin’s back. “You’re back in a hurry, still cold?”

  “Not now.” Kirin chuckled as she tried not to react to Silke’s body. “My lap swimming was curtailed by a surprisingly large snake who occupied my tree limb.”

  Silke’s supple body went rigid. “What kind of snake? Is it poisonous?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s pretty big so I think it’s probably a water snake. Call me crazy, but I don’t like to swim with snakes. You, on the other hand, my slippery friend,” she turned to Silke and wrapped one arm around her waist, “would be wonderful to tangle with.”

  “You think so, huh? Maybe you’d like to get naked with me?” Silke slipped her hands behind Kirin’s neck and pulled the ties loose.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Kirin pressed her lips to the base of Silke’s throat.

  “I love the feeling of skin on skin, especially your skin.”

  The gentle action of the water moved them against each other. Kirin’s exposed breasts reacted to the cold water and the occasional soft pressure from Silke’s breasts. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the exquisite sensation.

  Kirin stroked Silke’s back, pulled her closer, and kissed her. Their bodies floated together as they kissed again.

  Silke put her hand on Kirin’s chest. “I never knew I could feel this way.” She looked up, and her eyes filled with tears.

  “What’s wrong?” Kiri
n’s heart started pounding, and she felt frightened.

  Silke smiled and stroked her face. “Don’t you see? Nothing’s wrong. I just figured it out. This is it. This is the way it’s supposed to be.” She started up the ladder.

  Huh? Kirin followed her.

  Silke handed her a towel as she climbed back into the boat. They both dried off, and Kirin pulled on her clothes, feeling much less comfortable standing naked on a boat. She tied both their suits to the rail and watched as Silke stood with her towel clutched to her chin as she stared out at the big lake.