Too much time had passed since Maleek last saw Zara. And she was wondering what had gone so wrong with him to necessitate his “disappearance”. She had been to the hospital a couple of days after he’d dropped her off, to at least talk and understand a bit of what was going on. That visit and three other consecutive visits within that same month had yielded the same result – he was unavailable.
Apparently Maleek had called in with an emergency out of town and no one had any idea when he’d return. Neither the stand-in physician nor the matron who were supposedly his closest colleagues had an inkling of his whereabouts; they agreed it was very much unlike him but at the same time admitted that Maleek had been acting a bit strange days before his absence.
Zara was now worried. Could my reaction from that night have pushed him away this much, she wondered. Over at the cabin she had gotten excited at the thought of getting to know him in all sorts of ways. It had been so long since a man looked at her the way he did, too long since a simple touch of a man’s fingers brushing lightly against her skin lit a spark in the deepest parts of her. So she knew she had to explore that fire.
She was very curious about what haunted him albeit at the same time felt quite scared to know any details. All she knew was despite her reservations about letting any man in again, Maleek was someone she yearned to know; even the deepest and darkest parts of him.
If he called in saying he had an emergency out of town, there’s only one place he could be, Zara mused as she packed Amira’s sleepover bag and got her ready for the weekend at her mother’s. Thankfully she’d have some time alone to plan the trip to Maleek’s cabin. She only needed to remember how to find the right path that would lead her to him, and more importantly, his heart.
Maleek stared blankly into the forage, with his fourth glass of bourbon in hand. This place was supposed to be his sanctuary for Christ’s sake. Yet for weeks all he could think of was the smoothness of her skin, the floral scent of her body, and the innocent yet pain-laced eyes of yet another woman who had somehow gotten under his own skin. A woman who would probably be able to understand him like no other and also have the power to burn out all that held him captive with her irresistible fire, yet he was too afraid to dare reign her in to his cursed life.
I would give anything to have you here Zee, he muttered under his breath with closed lids. God, I can even smell you! Maleek shook his head as though that was enough to clear his head of any more thoughts of her; her smile, her stride, the feel of her hair against his cheek when they hugged, the taste of her lips that night at her doorstep…
It’s better this way, Maleek convinced himself as he walked back to the cabin, slightly inebriated, and occasionally knocking his foot against loose stones along the darkened path. Inside the cabin, he couldn’t help but remember how she looked as she stood by the fireplace, bathed in the warm embers of light. “I need you Zara, I miss you…but I’m so afraid to let you in…” he muttered as he sank onto the leather armchair, oblivious to the cold night air seeping in through the slight crack of the open front door. With thoughts of Zara torturing his senses, he dozed off.
Zara had been watching him from the side window, contemplating her entrance or departure, her small overnight bag in hand. Maleek was clearly anything but himself and she was not sure what to do about that. Should she stay, not utter a word and just be there for him till whatever was wrong passed? Or should she just turn back and keep to her word to never let any man close ever again?
As though they had a mind of their own, her feet led her to the front door while her hand reached for the knob. Realizing he had left the door open, she pushed it in slowly, walked in and quietly dropped her bag at the entrance. Zara strode over to the armchair and stood over him, staring at his sleeping countenance, locs unraveled and spilling over the side of his face. She knelt before him and gently brushed them aside, touching his cheek gently in the process and lightly brushing her finger tips across his bottom lip. She lowered her gaze and caught a glimpse of his chest through the unbuttoned shirt. She allowed her fingers to travel down his chest, causing the shirt to open wider. Zara knew she wanted him. But did he…? And most especially would he regret anything after he’d regained sobriety, Zara wondered as she noticed the spilled drink by the chair and caught a whiff of it on his breath each time he exhaled.
She leaned in regardless and planted soft kisses on his forehead, his lips and finally along his neck.
Maleek jolted up out of his daze and grabbed her, startling Zara out of her own daze of desire. He blinked at her a number of times as if he couldn’t believe she was really there and said nothing. She stared back, heart beating hard against her chest as she held her breath waiting for his next move. He cupped her face and drew her in closer. He nuzzled her neck and drew in a deep breath, causing her to shiver slightly. He moved away just enough so he could look at her once again, still without uttering a word.
“Maleek…”, Zara started but was silenced with a soft kiss.
She responded with every part of her being, wishing for more. Tugging his shirt open further, she placed her hands on his chest and stroked the area around his nipples in circular motions. She was rewarded with a throaty groan from him and a deeper thrust of his tongue in her mouth, as he tasted more of her and bit on her lower lip intermittently.
He tasted of bourbon and she loved it. Deepening the kiss, he shifted forward in the chair and held her close to him as he lowered them both on to the parquet floor; now slightly cold from the absence of the usual warmth that emanated from the fireplace. But Zara felt none of it. The heat from his lips, his body and touch was more than enough to mask any other feeling.
His fingers moved expertly over her body, with feather-light touches, until she felt him diving beneath her dress and tugging her panties to the side. Anticipating their entrance, Zara held her breath waiting to feel his fingers inside her. Yet all he did was cup her mound.
“So warm…so wet…so ready… Zee…” Maleek breathed against her lips as he stared into her eyes.
Zara looked back into his and stroked his face gently. “I AM ready Maleek. Now I know I am. Trust this moment and let’s just let go of all others. Just this moment Dr. Mason…let’s take this moment”, she whispered back.
Not taking her eyes off his, she reached down and guided his fingers to the entrance of her body. She continued to hold his gaze as he slid two in, back and forth, then a third, until she felt the pressure building up inside her. She let go of his hand and clawed at the floor as she closed her eyes and moaned softly and writhed against his movements.
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