CHAPTER TWENTY NINE-THE LAKE

As Ben stood by the window, he looked out over the lake at an old man with a floppy hat fishing off the shore on the other side. Hearing Imara walk into the room, he said, “This place is like paradise, I wish we could just stay here forever.”

A familiar electricity radiated through his back as Imara put her hand on him. He lifted his arm and slid it around her, drawing her close beside him. “I know it’s just beautiful, isn’t it?” asked Imara.

Seeing the old man finally reel in a fish, Ben fisted his hand in victory and smiled. “I could teach you how to fish. We could rock on the porch swing every night. You know what? I bet it snows here. I’ve never even seen snow before.” 

Imara grinned at him in the reflection of the glass. “Me fish? Well, I could watch you but I’m not touching those stinky old things.”

Ben looked down into Imara’s face. “You know, Thorin said there’s a boat tied up to the dock. You want to go for a ride?”

Putting her head against his warm chest, Imara said, “Why sure, but I don’t know how to swim.”

Ben scoffed through his nose. “Baby, you really think I’d let you drown. Damn, I don’t even know if we can drown.”

Imara turned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Well, no, I don’t expect you would. I just don’t want to get all that dirty lake water all over my nice new clothes.”

He knitted his brows together as another plan came into his mind. “Well, we could just stay here, and you could shimmy yourself out of them, then you won’t have to worry about them being dirty. We could just go crawl up in bed and cuddle.”

Imara pushed her lips together as she slowly shook her head. “Oh, no, Ben. You and me are going to go have some fun. Have you ever been to the movies? I mean you lived in Savannah for a while before I got there. Did you ever?”

“No.”

“I was thinking that we could go. We could have a proper evening like normal people. Go to the show, to dinner. Just us,” said Imara.

Ben sighed as the thought of doing something in public plucked his nerves. “I don’t know baby. Are you sure? I think we might be out of place in town.”

“I’m sure I want to show off my handsome man. Besides, Thorin said during the week the movie house and restaurants are nearly empty because all the humans have to work.”

Ben wrapped his arms around her shoulders, crossing them behind her head as he looked into her eyes. “We should be training. Planning.”

“There’s time for that Ben. But I need you now.” She poked his chest lightly a few times. “Right now. We know that time is short, I don’t want to waste a minute of it. Not one.”

A lingering pain rose from Ben’s chest then spilled out from his mouth. “Imara, when we, when we’re together again, you know what’s going to happen. Don’t you?”

“I know, Ben. There’s nothing we can do to stop that. Fate will just figure out some way to make it happen whether we want it or not.” Imara thought about what Daniel told her. “I won’t have my actions dictated to me by that wretched old warlock. I won’t let him steal my happiness while I’m still able to have some. Now...what about that boat ride, sweetheart?”

As Imara walked out of the bedroom in her t-shirt, jeans and boots, Ben crossed his arms and shook his head. “Un-un, nope. You just get back in there and change.”

Imara looked down over herself and then to him, “What’s wrong with it?”

Ben twisted his lips to the side and scrunched up his nose. “I don’t like this at all, it’s too tight. I can see your tits right through that shirt, baby.”

Imara smiled and put her arms around his neck. “Don’t be silly. Besides, who’s going to see them out here. The squirrels?”

“Well, at least put on a jacket or something.”

Imara rolled her eyes. “Oh, Ben! Do you want me to go with you or not? There’s not much daylight left.”

Ben inhaled sharply through his nose and pushed out his lips as he shook his head in disapproval. “Fine! Let’s go.”

“Watch your step, baby.” Ben held onto Imara’s hand as they carefully walked down the hillside to the dock. 

As they floated out in the middle of the lake in the late afternoon shade, Imara swayed back and forth with the motion of the boat. “So, what’s in that bag, sweetheart?”

Ben glanced down to the bag and smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

While he popped the cork on the bottle of wine, Imara took in a deep breath of the clean mountain air. “Oh, Ben, this is so nice. Thank you for bringing me.”

Ben watched Imara’s face as she closed her eyes when the sense of peace finally washed over her. “Here you go, baby.” As she took a sip and licked her lips clean, Ben thought back about their wedding night. “When we first got married, this is the kind of stuff I wanted to do for you, but I, I had so much work to do. I’m sorry I couldn’t make more time for you and Eliza. I regret a lot of things I did and didn’t do, but that’s the biggest one, Imara. You did everything you could every day to show me how much you loved me, and I couldn’t even take you on a proper date just once.”

Imara frowned at Ben’s pain, she knew it ate him up inside. “Ben, there was no better husband or father in the universe. You were the best. Don’t you feel guilty. Those were the best days of my life. I’d give anything to go back to our life on the farm, sweetheart. Anything. Keeping house and being Eliza’s Momma and waiting for you to get home so you could love all over me, that was everything I ever wanted. It still is.”

Ben looked her in the eyes. “You think they got all that in the Realm? We could just get a little house out in the country somewhere and be alone?”

“Yes, I think they do. You know that Daniel man, he said that my parents and Anna were waiting on us, Ben. That when I got back, he’d take me to them right away. I know you’re scared for what’s going to happen, but don’t you be. What’s waiting over there is good, sweetheart. Don’t you be afraid for me. Don’t let it cloud your thinking. You have to beat him. You have to rid the world of that kind of evil and find your way to me again. Do you understand? No matter what he does to provoke you, you keep your wits and you kill him.”

Taking Imara’s hand, he rubbed his thumb over her branded finger. “I will, baby. I swear to you.”

Imara squeezed his hand. “I know you will. You’re the only one who can. It was meant to be this way.”

When they returned to the guest house, Ben opened the door and flipped on the lights as Imara went inside. “I am going to get a nice, hot shower and wash all this nature off of me? You feel like joining me?”

Ben closed the door behind him and locked the door. “Oh, yes ma’am.”

While Imara turned on the taps and adjusted the temperature, Ben looked over her naked body and his mouth watered. Watching her standing under the warm downpour, Ben slid down his pants and kicked them off his feet.

As he closed the shower door behind him, he grabbed the bar of soap from the dish then rubbed it between his hands to a lather. He started by rubbing deep circles on her back as she tilted her head side to side and the water flowed down her chest. His fingers found their way to the curve of her buttocks and slid up and down her crack making her thighs squeeze together. 

Ben lathered his hands again then gently kneaded her breasts. As the warm water fell from her nipples, it dripped from the dark curls between her legs. The warm humid air carried the sweet smell of her juices through it making Ben inhale deep and close his eyes as it took him back to those hot summer nights on the farm when they would make love all night long.

As he carefully fell to his knees, Ben began his adoration of the only goddess he ever knew, the only one that mattered at all. He kissed the curve of her lower belly as it met her navel then parted her folds with his two middle fingers. When Ben’s tongue found her fleshy bundle, he pulled it into his mouth as he flicked and sucked. Imara fisted his hair in her hands on each side of his head as she looked down to watch Ben work his magic on her.

Imara trusted Ben with her very soul so when her knees buckled and she lost complete control, she knew Ben would hold her steady so she could enjoy every last moment of his mouth against her body.