Fire: Chapter Seven

The crackling fire had raised the temperature inside the croft quite considerably. Michael shrugged off the heavy blanket and wiped the sweat
from his eyes. "That's better, now I can see you." Their bodies, bathed in sweat, glowed in the soft, flickering firelight. The interior of the cottage was dark and cave-like, with the heavy window shutters closed tight and the dark oak beams casting long, brown shadows across the low ceiling. Michael traced a line with his tongue from one of Shannon's nipples to the other, and began to lick slowly, tantalizingly, in tiny circles until her nipple peaked under his mouth. "You are so beautiful," he murmured.

"So are you," she sighed, stroking his back and marvelling at his perfect, lean body.

His nimble fingers caressed her breasts and stroked down the midline of her stomach, followed closely by his lips, which landed in her bellybutton with a stealthy kiss. The sensations that had been shooting through her body since that first kiss, now intensified, and she gave a low moan as the feeling travelled deep into her centre, soaked with desire as she was, and Shannon raked her fingernails across Michael's shoulders as his lips reached their destination.

Opening her legs for his mouth was the single sweetest sensation Shannon had ever known. His breath felt cool against her heat. How had she found this man? Was it possible to fall in love like this? Because she was falling...

His tongue traced delicate circles around her outer petals. She cried out as he found his way in, tasting her nectar and moving in, deeper... kissing and gently, carefully testing her reactions, until he found the place which made her growl like a wild animal and thrash her arms. "Mmmmmmm...." he mumbled. She could feel him smiling. She grasped handfuls of his hair as he worked magic. "Ohhh....yes...!" she cried out loud, only to find him suddenly over top of her, grinning, his hair wild and tumbled into his eyes.

"Oh no you don't, not yet," he whispered. "Taste yourself..." he possessed her mouth with his tongue, taking her breath away with the passion of his kiss, feeding her desire back to her... as she gazed into his dark, hungry eyes, everything suddenly became crystal clear. So simple...why did it have to be any more complicated? Why did humans have to set it all about with traps?

As if in answer to her unspoken thought, Michael fixed her eyes with his and murmured "Shannon...do you mind if I say something incredibly stupid to you?"

She shook her head, momentarily confused. Then she realized the truth, and smiled. "If you mean it, it's not stupid. But no, I don't mind. Just say it, Michael."

He rolled his eyes, sighed, and traced the outline of her lips with his finger. "I love you." He frowned slightly, expecting a slap, or
worse.

Shannon ran her palm down the side of his cheek. "I know," she replied, smiling. "I love you too." The vague trace of uncertainty that had
been in Michael's face evaporated, and the sun came out in his smile. She was soon lost once again in his kiss.