Strange Love

Arei chuckled as he watched Jos dart around the tiny cave. "You really don't have to go through all this, I'll be fine right here by the fire. I promise." He had given up fighting against the urge to spend time with her, to touch her... but he still held strong to one thing. The one thing that was proving to be the hardest to resist. He caught her hand carefully as she scampered past him again. "This is fine. Trust me, I've slept in worse."

She frowned up at him. "I don't understand why you can't just share my bed." Her gaze fell away to the makeshift bed she'd tried to make on the hard floor of the cave. "It wouldn't be the first time."

He laughed at the irritation in her words as she reminded him yet again of the first night he had met her. He gave her hand a light squeeze, not wanting to release it. "We have an early morning. Get some rest, Kitten."

"I don't understand why I should learn to sail when I could simply swim anywhere I may ever need to go..." She mumbled as she kicked around and invisible speck of dust on the floor.

Arei chuckled as he brought her eyes up to meet his. "Because one day you will leave this island and require a means of travel that doesn't involve sinking other vessels." He teased. His eyes glistened with mischief as he lifted her hand above her head and twirled her completely around only stopping when she was facing her own bed. He released her hand and gave her a firm smack on the backside. "Now get to bed." He laughed as she let out an indignant squeal as both her hands flew to her butt, and she scurried to her bed. She tried hiding her embarrassment behind the blankets, but he could still see the flush of her cheeks in the faint glow of the fire. Shaking his head with a wide grin, he lowered himself to the fur mats Ry had left behind. tomorrow he would begin to teach her to sail, just as he'd taught her to fire a bow over the past week, and how to fish with a rod the week before that. Any skill that gave him a reason to stay close to her, to provide excuses to touch her. His smile faded as he stared into the fire. His resolve of the first week had only lasted a hand full of days, by the forth day he had began coming up with every reason, every hairbrained excuse possible to spend more time with her... to have even the slightest physical contact. And now he was laying on the hard floor of her damp cave instead of the soft bed of Ry's tiny cottage. He drifted off into a restless sleep as he let the flicker of flames and soft rhythm of her breathing lull his troubled mind.

He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until her fingers slid past his identifying brand to the bar running through his nipple. His breath released on a guttural sound of shock and arousal as he quickly captured her tantalizing, roaming fingers and snapped his head toward hers. "Enough of that, kitten." He couldn't help the chuckled that rumbled deep in his chest as her face colored with the embarrassment of being caught.

Her gaze fell on his hand that still held hers, now rested against the center of his chest. "There are so many, and they are so pretty..." Her eyes met his. "Will you ever tell me what they all mean?" She asked sweetly.

He smiled up at her as he brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear with his free hand. "Some day, kitten, some day."

She frowned, "Why not now?" she asked.

He let out a heavy sigh he as guided more fallen strands of silver hair behind her ears. "There's far too many, and we need to be on the water before the crest of the tide if we're to have enough time." He released her hand that rested on his chest and pushed himself up into a seated position. "I know of a place you'll love not far from here. If we leave now, we'll have plenty of time to explore once we get there." He smiled down into her still frowning face and tilted her chin upward with his fingers. "Sound good?"

She let out a reluctant sigh and nodded as she set back on her tucked legs.

He pushed himself up to standing before lowering his hand down to her. His eyes scanned over her for a long moment. "You may want to consider a cover of some sort. The breeze from the sea can be a bit chilled this time of year." He watched as she nodded again and made her way toward the old drawers in the corner of the room. Shaking his head at the moping slump of her shoulders, he began gathering the supplies he'd carried over last night.

***

Jos yelled out gleefully as the small boat sped across the beautiful water's of the Mediterranean. "Faster! Faster!" She cried out as Arei struggled to maintain their heading and grip her squirming body at the same time. She held her arms out wide against the steady winds. "This must be what it's like to fly!" She shouted in raptor as she pressed even farther against his grip.

"Kitten, you must calm down!" He begged. "The seas are rougher than expected. It's taking a bit more effort to keep her on track." He pulled one rope loose before retying it to the other side of the small vessel still bracing her between his large arms. "Here hold this." He handed her one of the other ropes as he worked to adjust another. "Hold her tight... Yes, just like that." He coached as land finally came into view across the horizon. "It's a good thing we brought plenty of provisions. If this sea doesn't calm, we may be spending a night or two." He shouted over the low roar of the wind.

"Oh wow!" Jos yelled, releasing the rope and causing the small boat to jerk to one side. "Look the dolphins are following!" She flipped her gaze around to meet the eyes of a very irritated Arei.

He grabbed the rope as the sail caught a wild wind and threatened to spin them around. His angry eyes softened as he took in her joy at seeing the world for the first time from above the waters. Just then the boat hit another bumpy wave that hurled the vessel airborne nearly tossing Jos into the seas. He found himself stretched tightly between his regained grip on Jos and the rope still pulling against the other hand. He clung to her pressing her tightly against his massive chest as he continued to fight the sails.

Finally the boat hit shore with a thud. Arei's heart thudded hard against his chest at their near boat wreck, but Jos simply pulled from his grip and skipped to land in girly excitement. "It's so perfect here!" Jos called to him from farther up the coastline.

He shook his head trying to clear the remaining fragments of anxiety and quickly caught up with her. "You have to be more careful in a vessel. If it goes down, supplies will be lost and more than likely; humans will become suspicious." He lectured as he slowed beside her. She was bent over studying a beautiful tropical flower and didn't even bother nodding to indicate she was listening. He knelt beside her and gently guided her face around to him with a large finger under her chin. "I know it's all new and exciting for you, kitten, but you have to be careful. There are bad people in the world who will try taking advantage of you... who may try to hurt you."

She frowned as she took his large hand into both her tiny ones and pressed it to her cheek, "But you'll be here with me, won't you? You wouldn't let them hurt me or take advantage... right?"

She nodded and followed as he turned back to the boat. He rolled the sails up and laid over the small mast. He handed her one of the smaller sacks he'd packed and flung a huge saddlebag over his shoulder. Then he pulled the boat into the overgrowth of the surrounding tropical plants lining the beach. "That should do for now." He said, taking her hand and heading toward a well worn trail leading through the vegetation. "If questions arise, just go along with what I say. You are my young bride and we are visiting the surrounding lands in search of an ideal spot to build. That will allow us to share a room and come and go freely together."

Jos nodded but asked, "What is a bride?" Her eyes trailed down to their joined hands. "Is it like lovers?" She asked stumbling over her words a bit.

Arei kept his focus on the path as his face flushed from memories of just yesterday. She'd asked him what it meant to be lovers and as the fool he was, still overly stimulated from their bow and arrow practice, he had stupidly answered. "Yes... but with more commitment to one another. It is what a man calls his lover that he has chosen to spend his life with." He regretted glancing back at her the second their eyes met. There was wonder and curiosity there, not surprising, but the heat and desire that rested right past the first two was enough to bring him to his knees. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the path. She didn't push him farther until they neared the busy town and walked through the doors of a quaint inn. He hadn't released her hand as he'd asked the elderly barmaid for a room, or when he was forced to retail the lie of them being married, or when she'd pressed into him resting her head against his chest. Instead he'd simply brought their connected hands around to the small of her back and continued holding her tightly.

It wasn't until heated, shy eyes met his that he was forced to release her and take an uneasy step back. "Does... this mean we will be sharing a bed tonight?" She asked.

Heavy male laugher sounded from a near by table. "If ye afraid to bed the lass, they be other here who will. Ye be sure of that, lad." The boisterous Irish sailor called out as his other mates called out nasty remarks to Jos.

Arei pulled her back into his arms, this time wrapping both protectively around her and glared at the table of men. "Rest ashore, your services won't be needed in our room tonight or any other." He bit out.

The old lady chuckled, "Follow me." She said, stepping out from behind the bar. She stopped in front of a door at the end of the upper hall. Shaking her head as she turned the key and held the door open. "You must be freshly wed, indeed." Her knowing eyes trailed over Arei's massive body before settling on Jos's much smaller one. "I'll send you up dinner and a bath." Her lively eyes smiled up at Arei. "If you can wait that long of course."

Arei cleared his throat, no doubt of what was going through the old woman's head. "Yes, that would be great. Thank you." He didn't wait for the woman's smiling eyes to leave him and Jos. Instead, he guided her inside and shut the door. Placing the saddlebags to the side, he let out a heavy sigh. It was a small but comfortable room with a fireplace, a small double bed, and table with two wooden chairs. He ran his hands through his hair as he looked from their shared room to the window as heavy droplets of rain began pelting against it. "Looks like there will be no exploring today." He walked over to the bed she stood beside and flopped down, only slightly surprised when she did the same falling back onto her back beside him. He turned his head to meet her curious gaze. "If you'd like I can take a pillow and an extra quilt and sleep by the fire. I don't mind it."

Jos pushed up on her elbow. "I don't mind it. I like sleeping beside you." Her brows furrowed as she searched for the right words. "It doesn't feel lonely beside you."

Her words pulled at his heart. He pulled her into his arms, bringing her head down to rest on his broad chest. "You feel lonely often?" He asked staring up at the ceiling. When he felt her head nod against his chest, he replied. "Me too, lil one, me too..."

She pushed against him, resting one hand on his chest and propping herself up on the other against the mattress. She didn't say anything only studied his expression. Arei smiled up at her, bringing one large palm to cup her face. His smile widened as she nuzzled into his palm. He pealed his back from the mattress until their lips were nearly touching. "Kitten..."