Dark Grace Read Online Free PDF Page B

soothing. We sat near the fire, he on a boulder and I on a log, and warmed ourselves for a while.
    “I’m sorry about earlier,” he said out of the blue. “I know that wasn't fair.”
    “What wasn’t?” I asked.
    He looked at me with his intense eyes for a moment before answering. “Pulling you close and then pushing you away.”
    I shrugged. “Yes but I know it’s wrong,” I said quietly.
    “It’s just hard because I want to be near you so badly.”
    Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the conversation, I stood. I had planned to make up a chore that needed doing, but as I walked away Gus held a hand out to me. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked at his outstretched arm, considering.
    “Please?” he asked with sadness in his voice. “Just come sit with me for a minute?”
    I hesitantly took his hand and let him guide me to his lap, where I sat.
    “Tell me what I can do, Zoe, to make this right?”
    I looked at him sadly, studying the lines and angles of his face. He was a handsome man. Rugged. He looked tired and had traces of gray highlighting his sideburns that hadn’t been there when we’d first met. Without meaning to, I reached up and touched the side of his head.
    “Your beard’s growing,” I whispered.
    He closed his eyes and nuzzled my hand with the side of his face. “This isn’t helping,” he breathed. “God, it’s not helping things.”
    I went to take my hand away, but he reached up with his own and held mine steady. He lifted his other to the back of my neck and leaned in. He put his cheek against mine and inhaled. I could feel that he was restraining himself, trying to not get lost in the moment. His mouth found mine and we kissed long and hard, passion nearly consuming us.
    “They won’t be back for a while,” I whispered, almost inaudibly.
    “Hours,” he echoed my thought.
    “It’s just you and me,” I said quietly.
    My lips found his neck, just behind his ear, where I kissed him sweetly while breathing him in. I could hear him moaning gently. My hands found his shoulders as I moved my lips to his earlobe, which I drew into my mouth.
    “Oh Lord, girl,” he gasped.
    His hands slid up my shirt and he caressed my back lovingly while I nuzzled his neck with kisses. Our lips eventually met and the resulting kiss was filled with a deep affection of which I can’t claim to have experienced before.
    “I want to make love to you so badly,” he whispered close to my face as we stared into one another’s eyes.
    I rested my forehead against his and gave him a nearly imperceptible nod. Taking my sign, he carefully and expertly unbuttoned my flannel shirt, never taking his eyes off my face. I shrugged out of the shirt with his help and watched in awe when he pulled his own t-shirt over his head. His chest was smooth and absent of hair. His muscles were a work of art that I had admired from afar before, but never this close up. Still sitting on his lap, I traced the contours of his pecs lightly with my fingertips. I felt a sense of peace inside; an inexplicable calm. I leaned down and kissed his bare skin near his left nipple. His flesh felt hot on my lips; almost electric. He sucked his breath in and moved his hips beneath me wantonly. I took his cues and drew his small but erect nipple into my mouth and sucked gently. Eventually I worked one of legs around him so that I was straddling his lap. He placed one if his hands on the back of my head and clenched my hair gently in his fist. This time meeting my eyes with his, I saw fire and desire in his stare. He kissed me hard, making my insides burn with need.
    “Make love to me,” I mumbled against his mouth.
    He stood, lifting me with him, and carried me toward the tree line that surrounded our camp. He lay me down on the forest floor where moss was growing. I pulled my t-shirt over my head while he knelt down. He began pulling my sweatpants down.
    “Are you sure?” he asked between labored breaths.
    I nodded and kicked my shoes