CHAPTER 22

Kasey finally decided to try Mrs. Ross' venison roast, and as she took a hesitant bite, Ashwin smiled at her reaction. Her eyes widened in surprise at the delicious, tender meat, and after wiping her mouth she glanced at Ashwin's mother and said, “This is delicious, Mrs. Ross. Now I'm sorry that I didn't eat all of the stew!”

Mrs. Ross simply smiled at Kasey's statement and said, “Thank you, dear.”

The chief chuckled as he took a bite of the roast, and afterwards he turned to Ashwin and inquired, “So when are you two heading back home?”

“Probably tomorrow, Chief.”

The chief nodded and took another bite of his dinner, and Goga suddenly spoke up.

“You're coming back in January, aren't you?”

Ashwin nodded and smiled. “Of course, A-lu-li.”

Goga returned his smile. “Very well.”

Kasey shot Ashwin a puzzled look and inquired, “What's happening in January?”

Ashwin gave her a mysterious smile and replied, “You'll see.”

Kasey simply shrugged and took a long swallow of the delicious muscadine wine that the chief had brought again, and after dinner Goga and the chief retired to the living room while Kasey and Ashwin cleaned the kitchen. As Kasey handed him a soapy plate, she casually stated, “I think that muscadine wine has gone straight to my head.”

Ashwin chuckled and said, “It tends to do that, sweetheart.”

Kasey smiled up at him and flicked bubbles onto his nose, then giggled when an all-out bubble fight ensued. By the time it was over, the kitchen was covered in soap and bubbles, and Kasey was laughing so hard that her sides ached as she gasped, “We haven't even finished the dishes yet...”

Ashwin swallowed hard when he noticed that her shirt was soaking wet, and he could see the perfect outline of her bare breasts beneath it as her chest heaved with laughter. He groaned when he felt himself growing hard, and Kasey's laughter turned into a surprised gasp when he suddenly pulled her against his chest and roughly murmured, “To hell with the dishes,” right before he grabbed her ass and sank his tongue into her mouth. She slid her fingers through his damp hair and wrapped them around his ponytail as he kissed her hard and deep, and by the time he released her she was breathing hard and intoxicated from more than the wine. She gripped the edge of the counter for support as the room spun crazily, and after giving her head a firm shake she weakly inquired, “Well? Are we going to finish the dishes?”

Ashwin shook his head and grinned as he said, “You finish the dishes while I mop up this mess.”

“Then what?” Kasey demurely inquired as she stood there with her hands in the now-lukewarm dishwater. Ashwin gently pulled her so close that she could feel his raging erection as he murmured, “Then this.”

Kasey was left speechless as he suddenly released her and walked across the kitchen to get the mop, and she swallowed hard as she watched his ponytail swinging down his back. Five minutes later all of the dishes had been washed and placed in the wooden dish rack on the counter, and she smiled brightly at Ashwin as she announced, “There! All done!”

Ashwin gave her an amused smile and shook his head. “They have to be dried and put away too, sweetheart.”

Kasey's face fell at his words. “Oh. I see.”

Ashwin leaned against the counter and folded his arms across his chest, that amused smile still on his face as he dangled a dish towel in front of her. “You might need this.”

Kasey nodded and snatched the towel from his fingers. “Yes, I just might.”

Ashwin laughed at her flushed cheeks and gently slapped her ass before he said, “My mother would be SO thrilled to see your enthusiasm at ensuring that her kitchen is properly restored to order.”

“Ashwin?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

Kasey sighed as she began drying the dishes. “Shut up.”

“Are you two calling it a night?” Goga inquired as Kasey and Ashwin briefly appeared in the living room to bid the chief goodbye and his mother goodnight. Ashwin hoped that neither could see the telling bulge in the front of his pants as he smiled and nodded.

“Yes, A-lu-li. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow.”

Kasey smiled and piped up, “Thank you for dinner! It was delicious!” She turned her attention to the chief and added, “That wine is excellent, Chief Whitefeather. I will be looking forward to more of it when we come back in January.”

The chief chuckled at her words and said, “I'm glad you like it so much, child.” He smiled up at Ashwin and said, “Goodnight, son. It was great to see you.”

Ashwin smiled back at his long-time friend and mentor. “Same here, Chief. You take care of yourself.”

The chief nodded and gently squeezed Goga's shoulder. “Will do, son.”

Ashwin left Kasey's side long enough to walk over to his mother. He bent down to give her a hug, and after dropping a gentle kiss to her cheek he murmured, “Goodnight, A-lu-li. Thank you for everything. We'll see you in the morning, before we head out.”

Goga nodded and gently stroked Ashwin's face before he straightened and pinned Kasey with that look that made her breath catch in her throat. “Are you ready for bed, sweetheart?”

Kasey swallowed hard and nodded at his provocative inquiry, and there was no mistaking the fire in his eyes that only she could see as he put his arm around her shoulders and turned her toward the hallway. “I think bed is exactly what you need.”

Kasey managed to find her voice long enough to brightly say, “Goodnight, everyone!” before she followed Ashwin down the hall, eager for him to fulfill his promise of pleasure.

“First, a bath,” Ashwin announced as he shut the bedroom door and led Kasey into the bathroom. She watched as Ashwin started the water, and she smiled up at him when he deftly grabbed the hem of her shirt and smoothly pulled it up and over her head. He dropped it onto the floor and grimaced at the unchanged bandage on her chest, then shook his head and sighed before he stated, “What am I going to do with you?”

Kasey glanced down at the forgotten bandage and muttered, “Oh, yeah. That.”

Ashwin tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him as he said, “I'll make an exception in this case. I can understand how you'd forget something as mundane as changing a bandage. But next time...”

“Hopefully there won't BE a next time,” Kasey breathed as she gazed up at Ashwin, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest as steam began to surround them. Ashwin leaned down and dropped a gentle kiss to her lips before he straightened and gently removed the bandage from her chest. Despite the ugly yellow stain in the center of the bandage, the small wound looked surprisingly well, and he nodded in satisfaction when he saw no signs of infection. He dropped the bandage into the trash and slowly unzipped Kasey's jeans, then slid them down her legs and stopped long enough to press his mouth against the scrap of fabric at the junction of her thighs. Kasey gasped and pressed her hands against his shoulders to steady herself at his unexpected kiss, and his soft chuckle sent a shudder of delight through her as his warm breath tickled the sensitive flesh that was hidden beneath the material. He slowly stood to his full height and smiled down at her, then made a sweeping gesture with his hand and murmured, “Ladies first.”

Kasey shyly slid her panties down her legs and demurely stepped out of them, then turned and carefully got into the tub as Ashwin quickly undressed. Moments later he joined her in the tub, and he sighed as he leaned back against the cool porcelain as the steaming water swirled around them. Kasey leaned back against the opposite end of the tub and closed her eyes, finally allowing herself to relax after the hellish week she'd endured. Ashwin was watching her as he gently inquired, “Before I came back, what was the last thing you ate?”

Kasey opened her eyes and sighed. “The peyote.”

Ashwin frowned at her answer, but he said nothing more about her eating habits as he pushed away from the porcelain wall of the tub and smoothly slid over to her. He situated himself behind Kasey and leaned against the tub, then pulled Kasey between his thighs and wrapped his arms around her damp, warm body and said, “I am SO sorry at what you went through, Kasey. And I don't mean just what happened this week alone. I never want to see you suffer like that again.”

“I'm fine, Ashwin. Now that you're here, everything is right with the world, and I'm fine.”

Ashwin sighed as he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. “You still have a long way to go before I deem you 'fine', sweetheart.”

Kasey chuckled softly and teased, “I didn't hear any complaints from you this morning...”

Ashwin smiled and leaned down so close that his warm breath tickled her ear before he murmured, “That's because I didn't have any...”

Kasey smiled and shuddered in delight, and Ashwin was smiling as he grabbed the shampoo off the edge of the tub. Kasey squealed when she felt the cold shampoo on the top of her head, but soon she was moaning softly as Ashwin gave her a thorough scalp massage with his long, gentle fingers. As he finally began rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, he leaned down and murmured, “If you enjoyed that, then you're going to love what I have planned for later.”

“Oh?” Was Kasey's only response as she moved enticingly against him, savoring the feel of Ashwin's fingers in her hair as warm water coursed down her back. When all of the shampoo had been rinsed out, he grabbed the soap and worked up a rich lather between his hands before he began gently soaping her warm, wet body. He washed her back first, then turned her so that she was facing him before he began washing her front. She jumped slightly when his fingers brushed across the almost invisible wound on her chest, the one he had personally tended to, and Ashwin frowned as he gently inquired, “Did that hurt?”

Kasey quickly shook her head. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure.”

“Alright, then. If you say so.”

“I say so.”

Ashwin smiled at her answer, then continued soaping her with slow, gentle strokes as he trailed his fingers between her breasts and then down to her belly. She gasped softly when he slid his fingers through the curls at the apex of her thighs, but Ashwin refused to do anything more erotic than that while they were in the tub. As he carefully rinsed all of the soap away, Kasey found herself longing to do to him what he'd just done to her, and as if he'd read her mind, he smiled and handed her the soap. Her hands shook slightly as she soaped his muscled arms, and there was no mistaking the firm perfection of his abdomen as she traced each ridge of his enviable six-pack with warm, soapy fingers. She gave him a knowing smile as her fingers moved lower, and Ashwin groaned softly as she carefully stroked his rapidly growing member. He sucked in his breath as she gently slid her fingers across the sensitive flesh directly below his penis, and her soft laugh let him know that she was well aware of the effect she was having on him as her fingers suddenly moved to his thighs. She slowly soaped his muscular thighs and calves, and her eyebrows rose in surprise when she discovered that he seemed to be turned on when she paid special attention to each one of his toes. He moaned softly and sank back against the porcelain wall of the tub as she carefully rubbed each toe before she slid her fingers through the spaces between them, and she just couldn't resist sliding up the length of his body to whisper, “You like that, do you?”

Ashwin swallowed hard and nodded, and Kasey laughed softly when she felt his raging erection pressing urgently between her thighs. The feel of her warm, wet, pliant body pressed against him was driving him mad, and before he could stop himself, Ashwin wrapped his arm around her back and held her prisoner as he hungrily kissed her. Kasey kissed him back with a fierce hunger that surprised them both, and when she finally raised her head, she wasn't surprised to see that intense fire burning in his eyes. He slowly sat up and gave her that enigmatic smile before he said, “I think we should get out before the water gets cold.”

Kasey nodded. “I agree.”

Ashwin slowly stood up, and Kasey couldn't help the way her mouth dropped in unabashed adoration as water streamed down Ashwin's body. He smiled down at her and extended his hand, and moments later he wrapped a warm towel around her and murmured, “Did you enjoy your bath?”

Kasey gave an emphatic nod. “Yes, very much.”

Ashwin chuckled softly as he dried her off, and after securing the towel around his waist he casually stated, “Go get in bed and get comfortable. I'll be there in a few.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

Ashwin smiled at her reflection in the mirror and said, “I have to shave, sweetheart.”

“Can I watch?”

Ashwin laughed and replied, “I don't mind. I never knew you had a thing for watching men shave.”

“Not just any men.”

“Ah, I see.” He smiled at her reflection again before he smoothed shaving cream over his face, and Kasey sighed in utter contentment as she watched him carefully shave. When he was finished, he wiped the shaving cream off his face and casually inquired, “Now are you ready for bed?”

Kasey smiled at him in the mirror and nodded. “As ready as I'll ever be.”

Ashwin gave her a slow smile and murmured, “So am I.” He turned away from the sink and dropped the towel onto the floor, and Kasey swallowed hard when she was reminded of just how virile and well-endowed he was. His smile widened at her awe-struck expression, but he said nothing else as he turned the bathroom light off and led her to the bed. He lit a candle on the night stand and carefully turned the covers down, then gave her that enigmatic smile as he said, “Ladies first.”

Kasey slowly climbed onto the bed and settled herself on her pillow, and she couldn't stop the butterflies from rioting in her belly as she wondered just what he had planned for them. He stretched out beside her and linked his hands behind his head, then glanced over at her and smiled. “Comfortable?”

Kasey nodded but said nothing as she gazed into his fiery eyes and handsome face. He suddenly rolled onto his side and propped his head in his palm, then leaned down and captured her mouth in a slow, sweet kiss that soon had her wanting much more. Kasey moaned softly and wrapped her arm around his neck as his fingers found and teased one pert, attentive nipple, and Kasey moaned again as Ashwin leisurely rolled her nipple between his fingers. She was moving restlessly beneath him as he teased and stroked each nipple, and his mouth never left hers as he finally slid his fingers between her breasts and down across her belly before coming to rest just above the soft curls between her legs. He finally raised his head and gave her that enigmatic smile again, but he said nothing as he slowly moved to the foot of the bed and slid his arms beneath her knees. Kasey weakly raised her head from the pillow, but before she could say anything, Ashwin's mouth closed over the pink little bud that was nestled among her curls. Kasey sank back against her pillow with a soft moan as Ashwin's tongue gently circled the most sensitive part of her, and her sharp gasp seemed unnaturally loud in the dark, quiet bedroom when she felt him gently slide two fingers into her. The way he was moving his tongue in perfect rhythm with his fingers was driving her mad, and she couldn't stop herself as she grabbed two handfuls of the sheet and began moving helplessly against him. She alternated between gasps and moans as Ashwin continued to stroke deeper and deeper into her with his fingers, and soon Kasey was moaning non-stop as Ashwin continued his slow, gentle assault on her sensitized body. He alternated between licking and sucking her aching, swollen little bud as his fingers finally stroked that exquisitely sensitive spot deep inside her, and Kasey couldn't stop the loud moan that exploded from her when he simultaneously slid his finger into her most private of places, the place where no one had ever ventured before. Her entire body began to shake violently as her mind seemed to implode upon itself, but before she had time to make another sound, Ashwin was looming above her, his hands braced on the bed as he prepared to take what she so willingly offered, what he rightfully considered his. Kasey's low, ragged moan was cut short as Ashwin covered her mouth with his, and he swallowed her next moan as he buried himself deep within her. She was so hot and wet and silky smooth, and Ashwin groaned as her body enveloped him like a tailored glove. He slowly withdrew and sank into her again, never taking his mouth from hers as Kasey rose to meet his every stroke. She was caught up in a whirlwind of pleasure as she and Ashwin moved perfectly together, and she began to moan non-stop when she felt that delicious tension building deep within her. Ashwin finally raised his head right before he stroked particularly deep into her, and Kasey's scream of pleasure was suddenly muffled as Ashwin gently clamped his hand over her mouth. Her surprised gaze locked with his as the dam finally burst, and she felt raw and exposed as Ashwin gazed into the very depths of her soul. Her mind became an array of exploding stars as white-hot pleasure consumed her, and she was only vaguely aware of Ashwin's low, ragged moan as he experienced his own earth-shattering release. She was still breathing hard as Ashwin collapsed beside her, his own breathing ragged and harsh in the stillness of the bedroom. Long moments later he glanced over at her, and his voice was full of concern as he softly inquired, “Kasey? Are you alright, sweetheart?”

Kasey gave a weak nod and replied, “Oh, I'm better than alright.”

Ashwin laughed softly and teased, “Define better than alright.”

Kasey smiled as she said, “That was...other-worldly.”

Ashwin's laugh was quick and deep as he finally rolled onto his side and murmured, “Yes, I'd have to agree with you.”

Kasey simply smiled and snuggled against his warm, solid body, and moments later she drifted off to sleep.