“But with me it would be different.”
“You aren't the only one who's been obsessing. I mentioned that.”
“Then let's make one more deal. Tonight you hold me and then tomorrow, after I've gotten some sleep and a chance to stretch, you dominate me.”
She's almost laughing when she says it. I know she's trying to make light of the situation. I just dropped something heavy on her plate, but that's the reason why I say, “No. No deal,” immediately. “Me holding you and you submitting to me are two completely different things.” I sit up and reach for my remotes.
“Why? We’re both trying to work our way through some complex shit,” she says as I move Titus to the floor.
“Come here before he tries to climb up again,” I say.
She starts to move, then stops. “You’re going to hold me.”
“Yes.”
“Fine, whatever.” She's glaring at me again, but she slides across the couch and does the wiggling she needs to do to get comfortable against my chest. I wrap my arm around her, force myself to ignore how soft her arm is against my fingers, force myself to ignore the way her hair smells fresher than the roses she's given me. I ignore the way the simple weight of her body already makes me feel more grounded. I pull her closer and then I hand her the remotes.
“No cable, but I have every streaming app. Watch whatever you want.”
“Thanks.” She goes right for Netflix. “Not a complete mountain man, are you? I thought you were gonna teach me how to whittle wood into the shape of a deer while we stared at the fire and you told me about the old days before indoor plumbing.” She freezes then looks up at me. “Shit. You do have indoor plumbing right?”
“Yes. And I don't know how to whittle.”
“Shame.”
She can't see me, but I shake my head. I settle in for what I know is going to be a long night.
* * *
It's been a while, but I consider beating off in the woods while I'm out waiting for the sun to rise. I've been hard for almost ten hours. Claudia doesn’t want me to hold her. She wants our bodies to meld together through our clothes. At one point I give in and slide down the length of the couch so she can lie on top of me while she watches the originalParent Trap.
My cock is up the entire time, wedged against her stomach. I know she feels it but she doesn't say thing. She's asleep before the movie’s over. I stay up and see how these shitty parents decide to resolve this situation with their children, and then I pick her up and start to carry her to bed. Leaving her on the couch would defeat the purpose of her cross-country quest.
She wakes up when I’m halfway across the room and tells me she's fine to walk. She follows me into my bedroom. She peels off her skin tight jeans and does that under the shirt maneuver to remove her bra and then she's between my sheets like she belongs there.
I watch her for a few moments before she tells me to hurry up. I go brush my teeth and change into my thermals. She’s still awake when I come back, petting Titus. He’s made himself comfortable on the open side of the bed. I wrestle him to the foot and slide under the covers.
Claudia moves back into my arms. I sleep better than I have in months. I spoon her the whole night, but still I’m fucking hard the whole time. She doesn’t seem to mind that my cock is pressed up against her ass when I move to spoon her on my side.
In the morning I detach myself from her and head out to shoot. I take my shotgun and leave Titus behind to look over Claudia and the house. I get what I need, but the whole time I’m thinking about her. The simple grey panties she had on. The way her thighs feel against my legs. Fuck, the way she smells. I need to come up with a plan. I might have to kick her out of my house.
She’s awake when I walk through the door. She’s sitting on a kitchen stool having a conversation with Titus. She's wrapped herself in some patterned poncho, but she's still not wearing pants.
“Morning.”
“Good morning,” she says. I can’t read her tone. She doesn't smile when she sees me. I realize she's looking at my gun. I put it away before I join her.
“Don’t believe a word he’s saying. I fed him before I left.”
“I saw your note. Have you eaten yet?” she asks.
“A bit before I went out, but I usually eat again in an hour or so. I can cook or we can go down to the diner.”
“Can we talk first?”
“Sure.” I put my gear down on the table and join her at the island.
“I have a proposal for you and I think it might answer some questions we both have. If I’m correct, it will help us both.”