Water's Threshold

by Jillian Jacobs

  “You want to vacation in Italy and spend the entire time in a lab.” Maya sighed deeply. “What am I going to do with you? You want to do research, study what happens when particles collide? How about you start a collision with me?” She ran her hand over his semi-hard flesh covered by sweatpants. “Mmm, almost ready, but this time you’ll have to catch me.”

  As she misted, her clothes fell to the floor. Her misty form swirled around his body. Reforming by the fireplace, she smiled and crooked a finger.

  “No cheating by switching forms.” His luscious lily never failed to entice. Light shined through from the patio door’s tilted blinds and highlighted her silky, blonde strands. He entered the game by making the first advance.

  She stepped to the side.

  He vaulted over the couch.

  Shrieking with laughter, she ran down the hall toward their bedroom.

  He followed and found her standing on their king size bed. His feral nature now provoked, like a savage lion stalking a golden gazelle. He slammed shut the door and leaned against it. “Come here.”

  “No. Catch me.”

  “There’s nowhere for you to run.” Voice calm, he waved a hand before him. “I’d say you’re caught.”

  His tricky siren misted again and disappeared through the crack under the door.

  As he whipped open the door, it bounced against the wall. He trekked back down the hall, rearranging his very swollen cock in his sweatpants. “Cheaters never prosper. Haven’t you ever heard that, Ms. Conway.”

  When he came around the corner, he spotted her standing behind his recliner. She wouldn’t get away this time.

  He rushed her.

  A crazed squeal erupted before she burst into an almost hysteric laughter.

  They raced around the couch then circled the kitchen block, like two cars around an oval track.

  He reached out and grabbed her elbow. “Don’t you dare mist again.” He drew her closer, hefted her in his arms, and carried her to the bedroom.

  They both were breathing heavily when he lowered her to her feet by the bed. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck and kissed him, a lingering, tender caress warming his mouth. He returned every brush of her lips then took over, gripping the back of her head to hold her steady for his show of conquest. “I caught you. What have I won?”

  She pulled back, her mass of hair swaying gently around her face and shoulders. Her full breasts peaked, a clear sign of her arousal. Her eyes turned sapphire blue as she ran her hands over her body and up through her hair. Lifting the golden tendrils away from her shoulders cascaded a heady sea scent through the air.

  Impatience to claim every inch of her coursed through him, gaze still locked with hers, he started to shove down his pants. Her lips formed a playful pout.

  “Stop.” She knocked his grip from his pants. “You, sir, have won a trip to my laboratory. We do extensive research here. Our test subjects are subjected to many, many trials.”

  Another playful tease of her hands over her breasts had him reaching for her, ready to take over that caress, ready to repay her teasing with some play of his own.

  But she redirected his hands to his sides. “No, the subject must remain still.” Maya relieved his straining erection from the elastic band of his sweatpants. She molded her hands around his heated flesh. A teasing play of her fingers mixed with hard strokes.

  He allowed her control over the experiment, enjoying her thorough study.

  She squeezed his tight sacs. “I have you in my hands. What tests shall I run? Checks for weight and length are above average.” She laughed and tightened her grip, stroking harder and faster.

  The effort required to remain still as she ministered to him was medal worthy.

  “The feel of you in my hand and knowing it’s my touch creating such a hard and heavy reaction results in my stimulation as well.” She ran her thumb over his erect head.

  He jerked in response and hitched out a breath. Body primed to claim his captured prey. But he’d let her experiment or whatever game she wanted to play, because he knew satisfaction was the only result of this study.

  Maya dropped to her knees and licked the beaded tip on his erect head before drawing him deep in her mouth, over and over.

  He tightened his hand in her hair as he edged toward release. No longer able to wait, he gripped her under her arms and lifted her. “My turn to experiment. Let’s see how you taste.” He seized a rosy tipped breast between his lips then laved each peak with his tongue until her whispered pleas brought them back on even ground.

  She tugged on his hair. “Terran, kiss me.”

  He obliged and locked his mouth over hers. Her tongue grappled with his for supremacy, one test he met her at with full measure. He slid his hands around her back and down over her hips. He boosted her, locked her legs around his hips, and set his aching head at her honeyed core.

  She gripped his shoulders, lifted, and then sank down, taking him deep into her body. Her eyes opened and she directed, “Sit on the bed.”

  They remained joined as he sat on the edge of the bed. She rose up and glided down then repeated the tortuous motion.

  Terran met her second thrust with a hard nudge of his hips, “I thought you wanted to test me. See how many times we could collide before we both exploded into fragments. You’ll have to pick up the pace.”

  “You want a hard ride, Earthman? I’ll give you one.”

  All tenderness was lost as she pushed him back on the bed, readjusted, and rocked against him. Out of control, her wild gallop increased in stride, and his hips rose with hers to jump over each hurdle. Sweat beaded on her body as they leapt through a wall of flame.

  The red-hot glow of her brand seared his body again and again. He bucked out his surrender and left his mark deep in her body. Each strong pulse led her to the edge and pushed her over. Her body went rigid, but he held her tight in the saddle, rolling his hips against her as she called out her triumph and finished the ride. Her throaty cry of his name thundered through his system and kept the onslaught of his release sprinting through his body. Tremors and twitches slowly abated, and he relished the glorious vision mounted between his thighs. He bent his knees and corralled her sweat-slicked body, lowering her against his chest.

  A satisfied sigh passed her lips

  “Well, Ms. Conway, what were the results of the experiment?”

  “I think further study is needed.”

  A chuckle rumbled from his chest as he traced his fingers up and down her spine. “I was very satisfied with the results. You can be my lab partner anytime. Although, sometimes I worry I get carried away. I strive for gentleness, but end up losing all control.”

  She remained quiet for a moment then kissed his shoulder. “The intensity comes from our fear it will end.” Her whispered words touched on a fear he equally shared.

  His defeat will come at your hand.

  No, those fears were not welcome here, in this moment. “Nodin is the wise one, he must be rubbing off on you.” With his forefinger under Maya’s chin, he nudged to study her face.

  They rarely mentioned their fears, choosing instead to focus on actions with immediate solutions. Quint’s next foray into their lives could mean the end of their existence. During these private moments, when they were sealed together, they regained a semblance of control in the barest way possible.

  Maya kept her worries hidden. But as connected as they were, their concerns and fears eddied around them.

  He refused to delve into her mind. Although he wasn’t sure she could say the same—old habits died hard.

  She leaned down and softly kissed him, lingering, playing with his lips.

  At times, this expression of her softer side did more to excite him than anything else.

  She nipped his bottom lip. “You’re right, sometimes I do peek into your mind, and I’m sorry for that. The world gets hazy and unfocused, but when I glean your thoughts, I find reassurance. I still struggle to believe this is all real.”
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  Terran caressed her face and whispered against her lips, “I love you, Maya. What more do you need?”

  “I need and want it all. I was only half alive before, but with you, I see life so much clearer and brighter. I am complete now that I’ve followed destiny’s path to you.” She shifted and lined up their bodies by lying more fully atop him.

  “You are like that yellow flower left on my pillow, back in full bloom. Bright and open after a full dose of Forrester Fertilizer.”

  Her body vibrated against his as they both laughed at his ridiculous reference.

  “Is that what that was?” She placed her elbows on his chest and swirled a finger around the dent in his chin. “I’m not sure. Did you spread it over my entire field, Earthman? Or did that big red tractor miss a few spots?”

  He cocked a brow. “No, I’m sure I hit all the areas needing application, but if you want a double dose, I’ve got a ready supply.”

  “Been storing it up for me, have you?” Apparently, agricultural references turned her on.

  She brushed his damp hair off his forehead and kissed him. His effect was the same and the hunger in their kiss increased. He could still lose her, but she was hale and whole now, meeting his desire equally. A repeat experiment seemed in order. She lifted and set him at her core, plunging down, erasing all thought, but sprouting heat between them.

  Maya’s eyes remained open, gazing into his, her hands were braced on his shoulders, and she panted out, “That’s right, once more. I’ll never get enough.” She ran her hands over his chest and up to cup his face.

  Their kiss turned flagrant as he met each grind of her hips. A moan erupted from her throat as the tension steadily rose. A slow build, now that their initial heat was satisfied. This ride would be a leisurely climb, leading them to the heights of a firestorm until they thundered through the rain. He set a measured pace until a filmy sheen covered their bodies. Her mouth released his and she breathed heavily against his lips. He allowed no solace in the storm. Once again, he locked his mouth to hers, and his tongue matched the motion of his body’s rise into her dewy heat.

  The torrent continued pouring down and she rose above him. Eyes closed, she bit her lower lip as her body started to shake with the ripples of her release. The hazy heat created between their bodies fogged his mind, and he joined her with a final gust against her flooded core. Every muscle relaxed and his arm flopped over his head as she fell upon his chest.

  Total devotion to this water-girl filled every corner of his heart. “I will never leave you.”

  Her head made a slight nodding motion and a trickle of tears wet his side.

  “Don’t cry. This won’t end. I promise.”

  “You’ve captured me. I can’t lose you now.”

  He trailed his fingers up and down her back. “We’re bound by an Elemental spell. Nothing will break it. Trust me.”

  This Elemental life was something neither had asked for, but they were connected now and tied together forever. Every triumph, every joy, every sorrow shared for an eternity.

  Destiny had dealt them a hand. He dreaded the day he’d play his ace.

  Chapter 43

  Maya finished downing her third supersized glass of water, more thirsty today than usual. Her Earthman had left, sated for a time, and ready to tackle the world’s problems in his makeshift lab in the backyard pole barn. After watching Terran walk away, she headed to the master bath to shower.

  Terran’s phone on the bedside table rang with a warbled ringtone. She checked the caller ID, but the screen was blank. His cell rang and rang, never going to voice mail. A sickening sense of foreboding churned her waterlogged stomach.

  “Hello.”

  “Oh no, dear, this will never do. Playing the part of jealous lover already, are we?” The voice seemed to come from a young girl, but the words were all Quint.

  “How did you get this number?”

  “Who says I’m using a phone? In all this time have you learned nothing of my abilities? I am everywhere. All.”

  No. Not now. She needed more time. She couldn’t lose Terran now. “I won’t let you take him.”

  “As if you have any say.”

  And wasn’t that the ultimate truth. She’d never had any say. Never. How could she respond when she knew he was right? Silence reigned on the line. Silence that defined the moment and highlighted what she’d known all along. The sacrifice she would have to make—was willing to make—for love. For Terran. “Take me instead.”

  “Take you?” A purr came from the girl’s throat and vibrated across the line. “Interesting. I’m listening.”

  “I’ve never understood why you didn’t want me anyway. Or Flint or even Nodin. I’m peri-mortal. I can give you the longevity you crave.”

  “Just give?”

  “No, I’ll play along. Put up a fight. Who knows, maybe I’ll even defeat you. Knock you back until we can re-group. Get Violet on our side.”

  “Them’s fighting words, Water Witch.”

  “Frightened of a mere slip of a girl, Quint?”

  “Why don’t you come out and play? I may even take you up on your offer, although I did have my heart set on Terran. He is the strongest, you know. And the smartest.”

  Maya refused to back down. “Take me.”

  “Just like that? Never as much fun without any suffering. And there will be suffering.”

  “Where?”

  “In the woods, dear. Come join me by the river. I’d like to deliver your demise at the water’s edge. And I’d hurry, or I might get antsy and visit his lab. Oh, what fun explosions we could create.” The call ended with a girlish giggle.

  Should she do this?

  She hadn’t chosen her death so many years ago. Hadn’t chosen this Elemental life. But she held no regrets. She’d found love, been loved, and in the end, that’s all that mattered.

  Her life for Terrans.

  Choice made.

  # # #

  Under the shower stream, rejuvenation and resignation spilled over Maya’s body. The life-giving liquid didn’t ease the drip of finality pounding through her mind.

  The water turned cold, yet she remained under the flow, frigid and afraid of what would happen when she left its secure presence.

  Quint circled the woods like a wolf roaming closer and closer to their door. The time to face the snarling beast had come.

  Always inevitable—her journey would end.

  The joy she gleaned flowing through Terran every time he helped someone was a feeling she’d forgotten, but he’d helped her remember. Being around him, reopened her heart to the pleasures found in her duties as an Elemental. Integrity. Growth. Sharing. And love, that four-letter word she’d feared so long, would now lead to another four-letter word—dead.

  Determined in her course, she turned off the cold spray, shook dry, and stepped into the bedroom. She refused to look at the rumpled bed.

  This walk to death’s shadow could only be completed with an emotional shutdown. Yet, she paused at the threshold between the bedroom and hallway—aware of the risks upon stepping past. Defeat lay on the other side. She would fight and she would lose.

  Her death. Her choice.

  She stomped on the golden carpet strip, over and over, until the flimsy metal divider dented. Her hands squeezed into fists and water dripped to the floor. Tears poured down her cheeks. Her heart gurgled as she crossed the threshold and headed down the hall, not surprised at finding Mother standing by the patio door. The glass doors behind her framed the old barn where Terran toiled away with chemicals and glass beakers.

  Mother opened her arms in greeting.

  Maya turned away and gripped the back of a chair set alongside the kitchen island. “I can’t, Mother. I’m sorry. If I lean on you now, I’ll break. I must be strong. I can’t cry or hold on too tight, because if I come to you, I’ll drop to my knees and beg you to take it all back.” She faced Mother once more. “Please. Take Terran to a place he’ll be safe. I’ll do anything. Tell
me what I need to do.”

  Mother clasped her fingers together before her. “That is not my purpose here.”

  “Not your purpose, right.” Maya scoffed. “I’ve been fumbling around without any sort of direction. Until Terran, Mother, he gave me purpose. I love him and that serves in everything I do.” She pounded a fist against her chest, where her heart overflowed with love. “He’s my reason in this crazy existence. Without him, I am only a vessel filled with water.”

  “My daughter, the fight with Quint is for Terran alone.”

  “We don’t live alone, Mother. There are four of us and we fight together.” She kicked the bottom of the kitchen chair, knocking it over. “Why would you have him face Quint alone? What kind of game are you playing?”

  “I see with a view beyond your understanding.” As Mother waved her arms out to her sides, amber and emerald streaks shimmered under her arms.

  “Then make me understand, tell me what it is you know. Why make us suffer? If you encompass so much then tell me the answers.” Maya blinked back unwelcome tears.

  “You’ve chosen to take his place then?”

  “Without question. I won’t allow you to take this choice from me.”

  “Quint is close. Impatient. Panting with greed and anticipation. Do not face him alone, Maya. Take Terran with you.”

  “So I can watch the man I love get devoured and turned into a disgusting dark smear on the earth. Never.”

  “Don’t be foolish, girl.”

  “At one time that was true, I was a foolish girl, but then you chose to change me. You forced me to live this Elemental life. Now I will choose when it ends. I get to decide.” She jabbed her finger against the countertop, emphasizing each point. “I choose to exchange my life. I choose to face Quint alone. I choose when I die.”

  “Maya, you have grown from a selfish, vapid human into a compassionate Elemental. Yet, the adventurer in you remains. Come.” Mother spread her arms open.

  “No.” Maya shook her head. Done with this conversation. Ready to move forth with her plan. Mother’s soft embrace would weaken her resolve. “I won’t take your comfort.”