Imago, page 13
I smiled victoriously. “You like that?”
“Yes, please more.”
Thunder rolled far off and lightning lit up the sky through the window. His arse was perfect, illuminated by the storm outside. Pale and round cheeks and a perfect, tight hole. He wanted more, so I gave him exactly that. I fucked him with my tongue and he grunted with every pass. But it soon wasn’t enough.
“More.”
I flipped the lid on the lube and poured a decent drop down his crack, and slipped my finger inside him.
“Mmm,” he hummed, rocking his hips for me.
“You love it, don’t you?”
“God yes. More.”
I added a second finger and curled them, searching for his prostate.
“Oh fuck,” he growled.
There was another curse word. I’m sure he had more in him. So I played with him a bit, stretching him, testing his patience while turning him on. He slipped his hand under his hips, no doubt to grab his cock. “I need more,” he said with a tortured groan. “I need your cock inside me.”
There was nothing like hearing him beg.
I pulled out my fingers and he responded by raising his hips off the mattress so he could jerk himself. God, he was so hard and so desperate for it.
I rolled a condom down my length and slicked myself up with lube, then added more to his arse. He hummed an impatient sound. “Jack, I need you now.”
I knelt behind him and swiped the head of my cock up and down his crack. He rocked back and forth, wanting, needing. “This what you want?”
“Fuck yes.”
I did it again, this time pressing in a fraction, only to pull away again, giving him another swipe.
Lawson pushed up so he knelt on the bed and turned his head. An angry, frustrated flush covered his cheeks. “I need you to fuck me. So quit playing with my arse and bury your cock in it.”
And there it was.
That filthy fucking mouth.
I put one hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down on the bed, leaving his arse raised. With my other hand, I lined my cockhead to his hole and pushed in.
There was no filthy mouth now, just short gasping breaths that became a long keening sound the deeper I pushed in. “That what you wanted?”
He cried out underneath me. “Yes, yes. Fuck yes.”
I pulled out a little, only to push back in deeper, beginning to slowly thrust into him. He gasped and grunted with each breath, the most wonderful sounds. When I was buried to my balls inside him, I stayed there. I ran my hands over his shoulders, down his back, massaging him as I gave him time to adjust. He responded by rocking his hips, wordlessly asking for more.
“Oh God,” he murmured. “You’re so big.”
“And you can take every inch,” I said, thrusting into him sharply.
He let out a long low groan, but raised his arse. “I can feel your pulse inside me.”
Oh fucking hell. His dirty mouth would be the end of me.
“Jack,” he moaned. “Fuck me.”
I thrust into him again and again, listening to his whimpers and moans, his whispered pleas for more. I was so close to coming. He felt so damn good, his arse was so warm and slick, but I needed to feel his mouth as well.
“I want to see you.” I slowly pulled out. “Roll over.”
He quickly did as I told him to and lifted his knees to his chest. I pushed into his welcoming heat in one thrust, watching his eyes flutter closed. His mouth gaped open at the intrusion.
I crushed my mouth to his, tangling my tongue against his. Lawson’s hands went to my hair and then my jaw, and he held my face right where he wanted me.
He kissed me deeply until he needed air. “God, you’re so far inside me.”
Lawson’s words made my balls ache. I slammed into him, and his neck corded with strain. I grunted as I spoke. “If you keep talking like that, you’ll make me come.”
“Fuck yes.” Lawson’s arms tightened around me. “So good, Jack. This is what I need.”
“You need to come first,” I said, pushing up to lean on my left hand. I took his cock into my right hand and pumped him. Precome pulsed from his tip, so I ran my thumb through it, slicking his shaft.
“Oh fuck,” Lawson cried out. His hands fisted the sheets at his side. I drilled into him, fucking his arse as I pumped his cock. Then his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. His whole body went taut, and his cock throbbed in my hand before shooting stripes of come across his belly as lightning struck somewhere close.
I pushed every inch into him, spreading his legs wider and fucking his mouth with my tongue while he rode out his orgasm on my cock.
But the need, the urgency was gone, and I could take my time now. When he sagged, sated and smiling, I let go of his cock and leaned over him. I thrust slower, deeper now his body was pliable and relaxed. He put his hand to my face and we kissed as I made love to him. Rocking slowly, savouring every second of being inside him. My climax built, slow and steady, and Lawson held my face as I came.
He gasped as I filled the condom deep within him. “I can feel every pulse,” he whispered, his eyes wide with wonder. Then he kissed me as my orgasm rocketed through me.
I collapsed on top of him and he held me tight as my breathing returned to normal. What I experienced wasn’t just a physical release. Something inside me shifted as well. I was pretty sure my heart had fallen for him.
I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, and I wondered if―I hoped―he felt the same.
Lawson’s fingers traced patterns across my back, and I slowly pulled out of him. I rolled out of bed to discard of the condom, and he pulled up the blanket. When I came back, he smiled at my naked form and held the blanket open for me. I climbed in and he settled himself into the crook of my arm. I kissed the side of his head. “Want a shower?”
“No. Just want to lie here. Fall asleep with you.”
I pulled away, and with my fingers under his chin, I tilted his face so I could look into his eyes. “Are you staying the night?”
He smiled at me. “Is that a problem?”
I tucked him back into my arms and snuggled in. “No problem at all.”
He was quiet a minute, but I could tell by his breathing he was awake. “So um, sex with you is amazing.”
I barked out a laugh. “I could say the same to you.”
“Yes, you could.”
I was still grinning. “Sex with you is amazing.”
He sighed happily. “Thanks.”
I kissed his forehead again as the rain fell outside. “It was better than amazing. You’re better than amazing.”
He froze before he lifted his head to look at me. “So are you.”
His face was ethereal in the silver of the darkened room. I swallowed hard. “Tell me I’m not alone in what I feel.”
He studied my face, searching for what, I don’t know. “What do you feel?”
“That this is something special. That whatever this is shouldn’t end when you go back to Melbourne.”
His eyes bore into mine. “I don’t want this to end.”
“Me either.”
“Promise me we’ll work something out.”
Thunder boomed outside, lightning split the sky as the storm raged. Outside, a frenzy whipped around us. Yet I’d never felt more calm, more peace than I did in that moment. “I promise.” I fluttered my eyelashes on his cheek, making him smile.
“You’re the first person to ever give me butterfly kisses.”
“Really? But you’re a butterfly expert.”
He kissed me softly, lingering, but pulled away with a sigh as he settled his head on my chest. “I came to Tasmania in search of an elusive species. And I found it. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find you. And I believe I found a type of butterfly that exists only in my belly which only makes itself known when I think of you. Though sometimes they lodge in my throat when I see you and they make breathing somewhat difficult.”
I smiled at his way with words, tightened my hold on him and grinned at the ceiling. “Me too.”
With Lawson in my arms and the storm raging outside, my body sated and feeling more content than I could ever remember, I fell asleep with a happy heart and what could possibly be a permanent smile.
* * *
I woke to a panic. My phone was ringing, my pager was beeping, and Rosemary was barking. I sat up, grabbed my phone to see it wasn’t even five a.m. Lawson was now awake, sitting up beside me, looking confused and disoriented. I answered my phone.
It was my rural fire inspector, Tony Wells. His voice was loud and brusque.
“Jack! We’ve got a Category Three bushfire. She’s in Oxberry. 10k northeast of Scottsdale, but mate, she’s heading straight for you.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lawson
Jack shot out of bed. “Lawson, you need to get up. Get dressed. We need to leave.”
“Why? What’s happening?” I asked, getting out of bed. I rummaged through my bag and found some briefs and my jeans. I pulled on a shirt and found some socks.
Jack quickly dressed in long pants and a T-shirt. He pulled on his work boots. “There’s a bushfire. I have to go.”
“Where to?”
“RFS headquarters. In town.”
He was starting to scare me. “Where’s the fire?”
“Ten kilometres northeast of town. Oxberry Forest Reserve. Must have been a lightning strike.”
I stopped and stared at him. “Jack, the butterflies…”
He let his hands fall to his sides and gave me a sad smile. “Hopefully we’ll have it under control by the time it gets that close.”
I shook my head. “But Jack―”
“I need you to go into town. Scottsdale has a fire exclusion zone surrounded by kilometres of cultivated farmland. You’ll be safe there. Head straight for the community hall. It’s the town’s evacuation centre. That’s where everyone will be. I need you to go there. Take Rosemary. I don’t want her to freak out here by herself.”
All I could do was stare.
Jack came over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Can you do that?”
I nodded. “I’m scared.”
He gave me a quick hug and kissed the side of my head. “I know. But we’ll have it all sorted soon. You’ll be fine. Just stay in town with the others. The evac centre gets all the newest updates, so you’ll know everything as it happens. But if you want to leave for Launceston, go now.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll go to the evacuation centre.” I knew his house was on the opposite side of town to the forest reserves, but I had to ask. “What about your house?”
“The house’ll be fine. Well, if the fires reach here, it means all of Scottsdale is gone, and if that happens, my house will be the least of my worries.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve done this a hundred times before.”
“Jack…”
He lifted my chin and kissed my lips. “I need to go.”
He gave me a butterfly kiss that stole my breath. His lip quirked in a smile before he went for the door, but I stopped him. “Jack. Be safe.”
He smiled at me. “Always.” Then he stopped and gave Rosemary a pat. “You stay with Lawson, okay sweetheart?” He gave me a final look. “Go find Remmy. She’ll be at the evac centre feeding people. It’s what she does.”
And with that, he was gone.
I stood there until I couldn’t hear his ute in the distance anymore, frozen to the spot. Rosemary whined at me and it kicked me into gear. I pulled on my boots, grabbed my jacket and my phone, waited for Rosemary to join me, and pulled the front door shut behind me.
“Come on, girl,” I said, calling for her to get into the Defender. I didn’t bother with the harness. I let her sit in the front passenger seat. I needed to keep her close. I threw the Defender into first gear and roared my way into town.
Scottsdale was well and truly up and awake, even though it was barely five thirty in the morning. Cars, trucks, and people were all out, and already there was a line of cars at the community centre. I slowed down, someone was directing traffic, but I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t.
I turned off the main street onto North Scottsdale Road and drove like a bat out of hell in the direction of the bushfire.
* * *
I drove by cars who flashed their lights at me, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. I’d finally found a species of butterfly never seen before, and I couldn’t allow it to be wiped off the face of the planet. Not without trying.
I barely slowed down to take the dirt road turn off, and I put my left hand out to brace Rosemary as she tried to keep her balance on the seat. “Almost there,” I told her.
As day broke, the clouds were still dark and heavy but the rain had stopped. I could see now why Jack was concerned about the roads after the deluge we got yesterday because they were in pretty bad shape.
The ride was bumpy and we jostled around a bit and slid in the mud, but I could handle it, and the Defender was made for this. I sped past the areas I’d searched the day before, took one corner too fast and slid across the slick muddy road. Instead of hitting the brakes, I accelerated and overcorrected through the turn and we fishtailed out of what could have been a hairy situation.
“It’s okay, we’re good,” I told Rosemary. Or myself. I wasn’t sure at this point. My heart was in my throat.
I went past the spot we’d had lunch yesterday and took the Defender onto the road where Jack had taken me. The trees were rain-heavy and scraped up the sides of the Defender, and when I came to the gate, I didn’t stop.
I simply ploughed right through it.
“Sorry,” I told no one. I’d be up for a new gate. If Jack forgives me. If I make it out of here alive.
Bloody hell, Lawson. You get yourself into some crazy predicaments.
I pulled the Defender up to a stop at the end of the trail, and leaving my door open, I raced to the back and opened the rear door. All my plastic tubs filled with files and papers and equipment were there, somewhat tossed about. I picked up the closest one, pulled the lid off, and upended the contents onto the floor of the Defender.
I grabbed the now-empty container, Jack’s shovel, which he’d left with me, and ran for the Bursaria bush. Rosemary ran along with me, and I wasted no time. I dug the shovel into the ants’ nest, putting my foot on the shoulder of the blade and dug it into the nest as far as I could. I levered out a chunk of the nest and dumped it, mostly intact, into the tub.
Ants scurried en masse, but I picked up the tub and ran back to the Defender. I slid it into the back and quickly got the lid closed and locked it. I took another tub, upended the barometric equipment into the back of the Defender. Then I did a second tub, which had pruning gear in it, snatched up a pair of secateurs, and ran back to the Bursaria bush.
I searched the underside of the shrub and carefully snipped some branches off where butterflies were seeking protection from the weather underneath. I gently placed them in one tub and secured the lid.
I looked up at the sky then, and in that one moment I took to think, I heard it.
It was distant, far off but frightening all the same.
It was a quiet roar, like a background noise. Rumbling and angry. It wasn’t thunder.
It was fire.
I had no clue how close it was. But there was something missing too. There were no birds. Yesterday they’d been so loud, but now there was nothing. I looked up at the sky again. I couldn’t see smoke yet, but I guessed if I could see smoke this close, it would be too late.
Realising I was out of time, I picked up the shovel and edged it into the soil around the circumference of the shrub. I needed to try and be gentle, but the urgency didn’t permit it. With as much force as I could muster, I pushed the shovel in, as careful of the roots as I could be, trying to get underneath the bulk of root growth. When I’d levered it the best I could, I reached into the stalk of the shrub and pulled.
I ended up on my arse, but the shrub had dislodged and a kaleidoscope of butterflies took to the wing. Some resettled, some fluttered away. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I told them. “I’m trying to save you.”
Picking up the empty tub, I plonked the roots of the shrub into it and carried it back to the Defender. I slid it onto the floor of the backseat, trying to do as little damage as possible. I raced back to where the first tub and shovel were still lying on the ground, and Rosemary leapt along beside me.
“Your father’s going to kill me,” I told her.
I collected the tub with the butterflies in it, then everything else I could carry and hauled them back to the Defender. I loaded it all in and shut the back door. I closed the rear passenger door, cringing as some of the Bursaria got caught in the door.
I turned to call for Rosemary, but she wasn’t at my feet. I scanned the clearing and found her at the edge of the gully.
“Rosemary, come!” I yelled. She didn’t move. I patted my thighs and whistled. “Rosemary!” She looked at me, so I knew she’d heard, but she wasn’t coming. “Goddammit, we don’t have time for this.”
Ignoring the huge plume of black smoke billowing into the sky, I ran over to her, fully intending to grab her by her collar or the scruff of her neck if I had to. But as I got closer, she disappeared down into the gully.
“Rosemary!” I yelled, anger and impatience in my tone.
As I got to the embankment, I saw where she’d gone. She was standing near the Tasmanian devil den. “Rosemary, come on.”
She barked at me.
“Are you Lassie?”
She wagged her tail.
No one was ever going to believe me.
I ran down the embankment, and as I got closer to her, she started to dig at the den. Then she barked in it.
Something hissed back at her, which couldn’t ever be a good thing, and she backed up. One of the little devil joeys came out, gnashing its teeth in a half ounce of might and fury.
“Oh, Jesus.”
