Her fingers felt so fragile in his, so delicate. And yet he’d seen those same small hands carrying solar panels earlier, and later efficiently chopping their precious store of potatoes into neat cubes for their soup. Kamal knew Sarah was anything but fragile.
Still, he also knew he needed to be careful.
He’d intended to guide her back to his room, but where the hallway branched off, she shook her head and tugged him toward the wing where her suite was located. “I have a fireplace,” she murmured.
Well, he couldn’t argue with that. Although a chilly room wouldn’t bother him, it would make her uncomfortable, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable. Besides, making love with a fire crackling in the background was always a desirable thing.
The suite was larger than he had first thought, with the bedroom and bathroom branching off to the right, and a little sitting area with a couch, desk, and television set to the left. No wonder Sarah had taken up residence here. The parlor room she’d given him to sleep in was certainly comfortable enough, but it couldn’t compare to this suite.
Logs had already been laid in the hearth, so all he had to do was take a long match from the box sitting on the mantel and touch it to one of the kindling twigs to get the fire going. If his element had been fire rather than water, he wouldn’t have needed the match at all — well, except that using djinn talents in such a way would immediately alert Sarah that her companion wasn’t quite as human as he pretended to be.
They would have to have that conversation at some point, but for now, he only wanted to focus on her. On the silky hair that slipped over his hands as he cupped her face and kissed her again, on the smooth white sweetness of her flesh after he’d taken hold of her sweater and pulled it over her head. The bulky clothing she wore had done its best to conceal the graceful curves of her body, but there was no hiding them now. His fingers traced lightly over the swell of her breasts, and she pulled in a little startled gasp of a breath, although he noticed she did nothing to stop him, only moved closer so he could reach behind her and undo the hooks of her bra. Like the rest of her clothes, it was a utilitarian enough garment, plain white, no lace or anything to adorn it.
Not that her beautiful breasts needed anything to enhance them. They fell free, full and rounded, so delicious-looking that he could do nothing but bend his head and take one rosy-brown nipple into his mouth, delighting in its hardness beneath his tongue. She moaned, her fingers catching in his hair as she held him close.
It was good to stand here in front of the fire and taste her, but he thought they would both be more comfortable in the bed, only a few paces off to the right. He slipped his arms under her and lifted her, eliciting another gasp, followed by a delighted smile. With one hand he reached out and tugged down the sheets and blankets, then deposited her on the bed. Right then he wished very much he had already told her he was a djinn, for he could have simply snapped his fingers and made the rest of her clothes disappear.
Since he knew doing so wasn’t feasible, instead he took one of the heavy boots she wore and unlaced it, then did the same with the other before tugging both of them off, along with her thick socks. Next came the jeans, although he left her panties in place for now. They, too, were plain white, but he found them enticing nonetheless, for he knew what they concealed.
“No fair,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself, although Kamal didn’t know whether she did so because she was cold, or because she was suddenly shy now that she was nearly naked while he remained fully clothed. “If I have to freeze, so do you.”
“I can stir up the fire, if you like.”
“You’ve already done that,” she responded, giving him a wicked smile. “What I really want is you in this bed with me.”
Ah, he could definitely indulge her in that request. As she stared up at him, he unzipped the hoodie he wore, then pulled off the T-shirt he had on beneath it, followed by his own boots and socks and jeans. “Better?” he asked.
“Oh, yes,” she said, her gaze taking in his unclothed form. “Much better.”
That was as good an invitation as any. He got into bed next to her, pulled her close so he could feel her naked breasts rubbing against him. A small sigh escaped her lips, and she reached down to touch him, to feel the hardness of his shaft beneath the cotton undergarments he still wore.
This time he was the one who sighed — no, to be fair, that was more of a gasp. He decided to let her know that turnabout was fair play, and took hold of the underpants she wore, pulling them down so he could reveal the small patch of dark hair between her legs, could slip his finger into her, feel how aroused she was, how wet and ready.
Right then, all he wanted was to bury himself in her, but he also knew it would be best to go about this slowly, to make every inch of her respond to him. He wanted to make sure that this experience with him would far surpass any she might have had with a mortal lover. Yes, he could tell she was not a virgin, but at the same time, he did not think she was one to have given her body freely. She had not yet experienced everything that the world of lovemaking had to offer.
His tongue moved over her breast again as he stroked her. Another moan, this one lower, more guttural. He could hear how her breathing began to speed up, how her heart began to pound harder.
Yes. She cried out, her body spasming around his fingers. Good. He was somewhat surprised by how quickly she had responded, but then, she had gone without for several months…at least. Although she had said nothing yet of her past lovers, Kamal had the impression that she was alone when the Heat descended.
Some men might have left off there, but he was not yet done. He grazed kisses all down her flat stomach, pausing so he could dip his tongue into her. At once she cried out, her back arching, but he held on to her, tongue moving slowly up and down, circling, savoring her sweetness, until he felt her spasm once again, her juices flooding his mouth.
Only then did he lift his head from her, reach down so he could get rid of the tight human-made underwear that constrained him so. His tip touched her — and then she startled and backed away, scooting up toward the pillows.
He frowned, wondering what on earth was wrong. Surely she was not the kind of woman to tease him into giving her pleasure, only to back away when he wished to complete the act.
“Protection?” she said in a near-whisper, her big blue eyes meeting his, imploring.
Of course. Sarah thought he was human, and therefore could get her with child. She had no way of knowing that a djinn had to consciously decide to get a woman pregnant, that there were no “accidents” among his kind.
“Sure,” he replied, then made a show of reaching over the side of the bed so he could retrieve his discarded jeans. He didn’t have any condoms actually hidden within his pants pockets, but she did not have to know that. A flick of his fingers, and a foil-wrapped packet appeared within them. This would not be quite as pleasurable with the prophylactic in place, but he knew he needed it if things were to progress any further.
Moving quickly, he slid the condom over his shaft, then tossed the empty wrapper onto the nightstand, so Sarah might see it and be reassured.
“Better?” he murmured as he went to position himself between her legs again.
“Yes,” she said. As if to atone for stopping him mid-flow, so to speak, she reached down and wrapped her fingers around him, moving her hand up and down slowly.
Ah, yes. The condom didn’t muffle the sensations as much as he’d feared it might, and he went even harder as she stroked him — but carefully, as though she knew to be careful so he wouldn’t spill his seed prematurely. After a few moments, he realized he couldn’t hold off for much longer, and pulled away, needing to enter her, to feel her surround him.
That was it. He had, of course, made love to other women over the long centuries of his life, and yet there was something different about the way Sarah felt, about how the familiar act suddenly became new again. Her body began to move with his as they fell into a rhythm together, with a delicious slowness at first, and then more and more frenzied until the blessed moment when he let go, the release exquisite, perfect. He held on to her, watched her eyes shut as another climax rippled its way through her as well.
Even when it was over, he did not want to let go. Not yet. He clung to her, listened as her breathing began to slow, then became calm and sure. Her eyes opened, wondering, yet filled with a sort of astonished affection.
“That was….” she began, then stopped, as though she didn’t quite know which adjective she wished to use.
“Perfect,” he said. He kissed her gently on the forehead, then on her cheek, marveling at the delicate texture of her skin.
“You’re perfect,” she replied.
“Mr. Perfect.”
That comment made her chuckle. Kamal kissed her again, then pulled out slowly, eliciting another gasp from her. Luckily, the bathroom was only a few paces away; he climbed off the bed and discarded the condom, then cleaned himself up as best he could. At least now he didn’t have to worry about Sarah questioning the running water.
When he returned, he was slightly disappointed to see that she’d already gotten dressed again. Or rather, she’d pulled on a tank top, along with her underpants. The ensemble still showed enough of her form that he decided it was probably better not to protest. Instead, he reclaimed his own briefs from where they lay on the floor and put them back on. Afterward, he climbed under the covers and snuggled next to her, experiencing another stir of desire when she wrapped her arms around him.
Her head resting on his shoulder, she said, “I’m glad you’re here, Cam.”
In that moment, he wanted more than anything to hear her say his true name, even though the one he had taken was not so very different. Soon, he told himself. You still have to think of the best way to break the news to her. He knew now that Sarah was the woman for him, that she must be his Chosen. They had time, though. He didn’t want this wintry idyll to end. Once he had told her the truth, he would have to take her with him to Taos, and they would no longer be alone with one another.
Right now, however, he only had to tell her the truth. “I’m glad I found you, Sarah.”
Cameron slept next to her, the steady rise and fall of his breath more comforting than she could have imagined. It should have felt strange to have someone here, after sleeping alone in this room for the past two months, and yet Sarah thought it seemed more as if he had always been there. Even after this short time together, she knew she’d never fit with anyone like she did with him.
Maybe this was the time to ponder the strangeness of the universe, to wonder what she could have possibly done to deserve survival at all, let alone with someone like Cam at her side. She wasn’t so starry-eyed by awesome sex to think they still wouldn’t have plenty of challenges to face in the months and years ahead, but she also wasn’t quite so frightened, now that she didn’t have to face the winter and the empty years all by herself.
She shifted slightly to find a more comfortable position, but as gently as she could so she wouldn’t disturb the man sleeping next to her. It wasn’t completely dark, because the glow from the hearth in the next room made its way in here, just enough for her to see his fine profile, the scatter of dark hair on the white pillowcase. Right then, she wanted to lean down and kiss him awake so they might make love again…but she didn’t. They had plenty of time ahead of them, and it was important that they get their rest. The next day — if the weather cooperated — they’d venture out and gather those pine boughs, then come back and get warm, and work on decorating the Lodge. Christmas wouldn’t be empty and dark, but full of light and laughter.
And, though she didn’t want to even think the word, because that might jinx things…love.
They both slept in, long enough that a pale wintry light peeking through the curtains woke them. Cameron leaned over and kissed her, pulled her into his arms. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to find warmth in one another’s bodies, to join once again — although she made sure to have him pause and put on another condom. Should she have been concerned that he was wandering around in a post-apocalyptic landscape, armed with a bunch of rubbers?
He probably just had them in his wallet, she told herself afterward. Lord knows Seth always had a bunch on hand. It was second nature for a lot of guys, like carrying a pack of gum. Cam hadn’t mentioned a girlfriend, and Sarah hadn’t asked. If he’d been with someone, then she was gone now, just like the rest of the world’s population. A day might come when he’d feel comfortable talking about his past, about all the people he had lost, but she wouldn’t push him. After all, they had plenty of time.
They both squeezed into the shower together to try out the new hot water. As Cameron soaped her back, Sarah had a hard time deciding what she’d missed more — hot showers, or good sex. She really couldn’t say, and it didn’t matter now. She had both.
Breakfast was quick, coffee and oatmeal and dried fruit. After they were done getting the pine boughs, they’d need to swing by the henhouse and see what the chickens had come up with overnight.
At least she and Cam wouldn’t have to worry about the weather keeping them indoors. The sky overhead was almost painfully blue, like the world’s most perfect sapphire. A few puffy white clouds floated in that blue expanse, and far off to the west, Sarah could see the familiar glint of White Sands, stark and pale against the San Andres mountain range.
It was cold, though. They bundled up and trudged through the fresh-fallen snow, their breath rising like smoke in the still air. Cameron carried a folded-up tarp for transporting the pine branches, and Sarah had a Thermos of extra coffee to keep them going.
“Did you say something about snowmobiles?” he asked after they’d gone about a hundred yards.
“There are some, but the lot where people used to rent them is at the far end of town,” she replied. “Where we’re going to get the pine branches is actually a lot closer.”
His face fell so much that she wanted to laugh, but didn’t. “Oh.”
“We’re almost there. It’s not like I’m taking you all the way out to the forest proper.”
Which she wasn’t. Pine trees crowded most of the lots in Cloudcroft, and it wasn’t as if they had to worry about taking foliage from someone’s private property, so she’d decided all they really needed to do was go down the hill a little bit, then jog over on Wren Place, where there were some particularly nice specimens. All told, the walk was really not much more than a half-mile round trip.
Then again, trudging through freshly fallen snow was not exactly the same thing as walking blithely along a dry road. Sarah could feel her toes starting to get numb, despite the thick wool socks she wore. Well, this wasn’t going to take all that long. They’d be back inside the Lodge within an hour at the most, and then they could put their feet up in front of the hearth in the lobby, and warm their toes and dry their socks.
“Over there,” she told Cameron, pointing toward the property she had in mind. Pine and fir trees crowded thickly there, in varying sizes and heights. No worries about having to reach low-hanging branches here, that was for sure.
“Got it,” he said, then stopped so he could take the tarp he held and unfold it on the snowy ground. From inside his jacket, he produced the clipping shears they’d taken from the maintenance shed. Shears in hand, he walked over toward the trees she’d indicated. “About how much do you think we’ll need?”
Sarah had been pondering this question on the walk over here. There wasn’t much point to decorating the entire Lodge when it was only the two of them. But a wreath for the front doors, and swags for the fireplace in the lobby and in the bar and dining room, and garlands to wrap around the banisters of the staircase from the main floor to the second level of the hotel, which had a sort of arcade where you could look down toward the lobby. That should be plenty.
“Maybe around twelve yards’ worth, give or take,” she replied. “If it turns out we need more, we can come back. But I don’t think the tarp can carry much more than that anyway.”
“Got it.”
Cameron turned away from her so he could concentrate on cutting the first batch of branches. Sarah began to walk toward him so she could help with laying them on the tarp. It would have been better if they could both cut the boughs at the same time, but they’d only been able to find the one pair of shears. It made sense to have Cam do it since he was taller than she and could reach farther without having to shift his position.
Movement out of the corner of her eye made her pause, however. For a brief second, she had the crazy idea that another survivor had heard them and was now approaching. But then as she turned to look, she realized that their new visitor wasn’t human at all.
It was a large black bear.
Apparently, it hadn’t gotten the memo that it was supposed to be hibernating right about now. The bear shuffled toward her, and Sarah went stock still. She knew that running was the worst thing she could do.
“Cam,” she called out, her voice a desperate whisper.
He looked toward her, smiling…a smile that faded as soon as he caught sight of the enormous animal. Lowering his shears, he murmured, “Don’t move.”
“I won’t.”
A nod, but she could tell he was doing his best to avoid any sudden movements, anything that might put the animal on alert. For herself, Sarah was cursing her carelessness in not bringing her gun along on this little expedition. She’d been so wrapped up in her plans with Cam, she’d completely forgotten the precautions she’d been taking for the past two months.
Well, there wasn’t much she could do about it now, except vow to never be so stupid again. Maybe the pistol wouldn’t have been enough to stop a charging bear, but it certainly would have been better than nothing.
For a long, awful moment, both she and Cameron remained stock still, both of them watching the bear to see what it would do. At first it seemed to take very little notice of either one of them, was intent on snuffling around the base of a tall fir tree. What it might be smelling, Sarah had no idea. All the dogs had disappeared from Cloudcroft months ago, around the same time all the people were dying. However, she got the impression the animals hadn’t been affected by the Heat; it wasn’t as though she’d seen little dog-sized piles of gray dust around town. No, it was more as if something had called them away, although she couldn’t begin to guess who or what it might have been.
But if it wasn’t the scent of dogs that preoccupied the bear, there had to be something else attracting it. Breath held, she watched as the bear gave up its sniffing of the one tree that had fascinated it, then moved on to a stump. However, the stump didn’t appear to hold much interest, because after another minute, the animal stopped smelling around and looked straight at Sarah.
Oh, shit.
She really didn’t know what else she was supposed to do. Already her feet had begun to feel like blocks of ice as she stood there, unmoving, in the snow. She couldn’t hold her breath forever. And Cam was a few yards away, too far to be of much use. Not that she really knew what he could do to help.
Since she’d already been holding her breath, it couldn’t exactly strangle in her throat. Something seemed to choke her, though, as the bear let out a low growl, then went up on its hind legs before dropping back down to a crouch. And then it charged.
A scream was halfway out her throat before she realized that the bear wasn’t the only thing moving. Behind it was a steep incline where the property sloped up to the next street above them. Out of nowhere, the half foot of snow that coated the hillside began to flow, going faster and faster, an avalanche that seemed to coalesce into a moving mountain, headed straight for the bear.
It didn’t have a chance. The enormous mound of snow barreled right into the animal, knocking it off its feet and carrying it along in its relentless path, away from her and down the hill. Hand to her mouth, Sarah looked over at Cam in terror before she realized he wasn’t in any imminent danger, that the snow mountain and its victim had been swept harmlessly past.
And as she looked at Cameron, she noticed something very odd. He had his hands raised, was making strange pushing motions, motions that seemed to echo the path of the mound of snow. The air glowed around him, blue-white, shimmering down his shoulders and arms. It was only after the bear had disappeared from sight that Cam lowered his arms. His chest raised and lowered, as though he had just run a hard mile.
Staring at him, Sarah could think of only one thing. She didn’t know how it was possible, but Cameron had called the snow to protect her from the bear.
“What…?” Her voice came out all scratchy and hoarse, rough with anxiety. She cleared her throat and tried again. “What are you?”