Dawn Again

Twenty

"Do you want to get some rest while I go get stuff for our stay from the town?" Richard asked Sophie.

"No. I am fine. How will you get to town?" she asked.

Richard told her about Ben, who took care of the cottage and the jeep. Richard had spoken to him early last evening, as soon as he was certain that he'd bring Sophie to the cottage. Sophie took to inspecting the kitchen while Richard was talking and exclaimed, "Oh! He has stocked the fridge and the pantry too. I can make us some breakfast and then we can both go into the town..." she trailed off and then quickly added, "That is...if you don't mind?"

"I'd love that."

For Sophie, cooking was a way to relax. It gave her an opportunity to gather her thoughts and in most cases her courage. She needed to get some clothes for herself and needed to plan how best to broach the subject with Richard. She did not have much cash on her as she had not got the chance to go home and get her stash. Now that her cover was blown, she could not even use her credit cards. So she was going to have to borrow money from Richard. She busied herself in planning out how she'd ask him for money while putting together a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and coffee. Richard was again on the phone, checking with Chad about his ETA and with Nathan about the precise whereabouts of John. After finishing his calls, Richard disappeared into the house. As she was setting the table for breakfast, she noted that he'd had a shower when he came back out.

He was wearing a pair of track pants, slung low on his hips, and nothing else other than a towel around his neck. The man had a stunning body, all hard planes and packed with muscle. He had a sprinkling of dark blond hair on his chest which increased in density leading into his pants. Unconsciously, she licked her lips at the expanse of golden skin gliding over the hard muscle. She wanted to touch his bulging biceps. She remembered how hard his forearms were from the times he had them around her waist. No wonder he is able to pick me up like I am nothing more than a sack of flour...she mused.

Richard took in her reaction and when he saw the tiny tip of her tongue dart out to moisten her lips, he growled, "You need to stop looking at me like that Sophie. I am barely holding on as it is." Sophie's eyes snapped up to his and her face turned the most enticing shade of pink. "S...sorry," she mumbled and hurriedly moved away to collect the eggs and toast. Richard helped with the rest and they were soon having their breakfast and an easy conversation. Richard could see that something was bothering her although she tried hard to look relaxed. Finally, he lost his patience, put his spoon down, and demanded, "All right! Out with it. What is bothering you?" She looked like deer caught in headlights, but swallowed and said, "I am going to have to buy a few clothes. I did not..." Richard cut her off and said, "That is one of the reasons we are going into town after the breakfast. What is bothering you?" "I haven't got much cash at all," she blurted. Richard threw his head back and laughed. "Is that what you were worried about? Good God Woman!"

"I will return the money as soon as I can..." she hurried to say but Richard put his hand up, quieting her with the gesture and said "Sophie, we are in this together. Stop stressing about little things."

"Thank you," Sophie murmured and soon finished their breakfast. He helped her clean up and then went inside to put on a black tee. "Let's go." With that, he strode out of the house and into the jeep parked in the garage next door. Kettle Falls was a tiny town and they had to go to the next town over to find a*****e where she could buy some clothes. Richard noted that she was quick about her shopping and bought a couple of loose-fitting shorts and shirts. While Sophie was trying on the stuff she had selected, he noticed a crimson dress in a silky fabric and asked the girl at the counter to add that dress in Sophie's size to their shopping. With the clothes buying ticked off their list, they bought other essentials, had lunch at a quaint little cafe and returned back to their cottage.

Richard found that Sophie was a bright and lively when she was relaxed and he enjoyed her company. But there was nothing platonic about his enjoyment of her company! He was incredibly attracted to the woman. He knew she was scared of any kind of physical contact and was sure that it came from the physical, s****l and mental abuse she had suffered at Quinn's hands. Richard was sure that her shrink would stress the fact that he should go slow with her, be gentle, and coax her out of her fear of physical contact and intimacy. But he could not do gentle. Caring...yes, absolutely. Loyal definitely. But he was an aggressive and take-charge kind of man, and unfortunately for Sophie, he believed in taking the bull by the horns. He was sure Sophie could handle that. From what he could see, she had plenty of experience dealing with such men.

The day went by quickly and it was late afternoon by the time they got back. Sophie loved the cottage and its surroundings. And she loved Richard's company. He was...not exactly fun...he was too intense and short-tempered for that...just comfortable and perhaps stable was the word she was looking for. Yes, she decided he was comfortable and stable to be around. "I think I am going to take a long shower," she said as she headed towards her room. Richard said, "My room has a bath, you are welcome to use it if you feel like a soak." "Oh that would be lovely, thank you!" she squealed. Sophie took the stuff she would need after the bath into his room, and then stepped into the bathroom. When Richard was sure that she was in the bath, he replaced the outfit she had selected with the dress that he had chosen for her and got back to the kitchen to start the dinner. He was going to surprise Sophie with a dinner date!

Richard already had the chicken roasting in the oven with the potatoes and was making a dressing for the salad when he heard her soft footsteps. He turned around and sucked in a breath. She looked stunning in the crimson dress...the lucky bugger got to hug her in all the right places! She had a killer body, which she obviously took great care to hide. He had been wondering how she would take his switching of her clothes, but she seemed to have taken it in her stride. She had, in fact, gone with the spirit, and seemed to have taken extra care with her hair which fell in glossy waves around her face, and down her back. She smiled shyly, looked at the place settings that Richard had set up, and said, "Thank you for the lovely dress...and the dinner. I would have put some makeup on...but I don't have any here."

Richard smiled and said, "You look stunning, honey!" He pulled out a chair for her to sit. He was wearing a white button-down shirt and grey dress pants, and Sophie was positive he was the most handsome man in the country!

"So do you!" she exclaimed and continued, I could not have imagined you cooking!"

"I don't, normally. But tonight, I want you to forget everything, the past, the future and simply enjoy."

And that is exactly what they did. They enjoyed the food, the wine, the company, and managed to forget all their troubles for some time. After clearing away their dinner, Richard picked out a couple of ice cream bars for them and led her out on the patio. It was beginning to darken, but it was a warm evening. Sophie settled down on the top step of the patio and waited for him to join her. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Richard," she looked up at him and said. "Pleasure was entirely mine, love," he replied. The ice cream was soon gone and they were still sitting on the patio in comfortable silence. Not entirely comfortable because Sophie had noticed the heat in his eyes every time he looked at her and she was scared and excited and nervous all the same time thinking what he was going to do about it before the night was through.

Finally, she couldn't stand it any more and walked down the few steps. "Oh!" she gasped looking up at the sky, "Look at the sky, Richard! It looks perfectly magical." Richard walked up behind her. With his hands on her shoulders, he turned her around and said, "Yes. Perfectly magical." It was also perfectly clear that he was not talking about the night or the sky. His voice was deep and raspy with the effort of holding his passion at bay, but Sophie stood her ground. His hands moved from her shoulders to gently cup her jaw. He tilted her head up and said, "Sophie, I am going to make to love to you tonight. I want you to stay in the moment, stay with me, keep looking at me and know that I will stop the moment you say no. It will always be your choice."

Sophie's heart was hammering away. She recognised this for exactly what it was. Richard had dumped the elephant in her lap. Did she dare face her fears? Did she dare face them with Richard by her side? She chuckled nervously and to buy some time said, "Don't beat around the bush, do you?" "Yes or no, Sophie," Richard warned. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment and finally nodded her head. Richard bent, placed an arm under her knees and the other behind her back and lifted her up. "That's it, love. I will take care of you. You are incredibly brave to take this step. Just know that it will be me all the time and you can say no at any time." Sophie nodded again. She could not have spoken even had she tried. Her throat was too dry and her heart was in the way.

Richard strode into his room and kicked the door shut. Gently, he put Sophie down on her feet and as she looked around, started unbuttoned his shirt. He desperately wanted to see her bared but wanted to give her as much sense of control as possible. Undressing himself before her was a big step. Oh yes, her body was attracted to him. The delicious flush that had crept up her neck and face was proof enough of that. As was the sparkle in her raven eyes. He took off his pants and saw her tongue dart out to moisten her lips. Like a teenager, he felt like he could come just by stripping for her. He decided to keep his boxers on. He was already hard and ready, but Sophie was not.

He then stepped towards Sophie and took her in his arms. It felt like he had waited years to feel her against his skin. But there was still too much between them. He slid the zipper at the back of her dress down. Her hands, balled into tight fists lay right against his heart. He stepped back again and the dress slid into a crimson pool at Sophie's feet. "What the f**k! The bastard!" he roared. She flinched, stepped back, hit the bed and lowered her eyes. Richard wanted to smash something, preferably Quinn's skull. Sophie's body, what he could see, from just under the band of her bra to the tops of her thighs was marked with long scars. Some were narrow, some wider, clearly from a whip or a belt. "Turn around," he ordered, his voice low and gravelly. She trembled but obeyed. The skin at the back was a reflection of that at the front. "Motherfucker," he muttered and stepped closer. She flinched again and started to say something. He cut her off, "You, Sophie, are truly one of the bravest people I have ever known. I am honored that you have chosen to take this step with me." And with that, he took her in his arms and claimed her mouth. She was trembling wildly now. He stroked her back in gentle circles, while his tongue caressed hers. He lifted his head from the kiss, unsnapped her bra and slid it down her arms. The son of a b***h had whipped her even on her breasts and n*****s.

Richard went down on his knees and holding her securely by her waist placed a feathered kiss on her belly. Her trembling had increased. "You are beautiful, my love. Don't think. Just feel. Keep looking at me," he whispered. Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her panties, he gently rolled them down her legs. Her tiny hands grabbed hold of the short hair on his head. He placed a longer, more languid kiss on her belly and moved south. "Richard..." she murmured as if telling herself that it was indeed him. "Yes, love. It is me. I can't wait to taste you." He pushed her gently on to the bed. He could see the desire in her eyes. But as he rose up over her, he saw something darker flit over the desire. "Look at me, honey. You know you can stop this at any time." She nodded and he bent down to finally closed his warm mouth over a n****e. Her breasts were more than a handful, even for his extra large hands. His hands cupped her breasts on either side, bringing them closer together. He nuzzled the soft skin in the valley between her breasts and moved on to the other n****e. He was finally rewarded with a soft moan.

Richard moved down again, laying small, wet kisses along her belly. He pushed her legs apart to give himself more space. After a brief resistance, she breathed in his name again and parted her thighs. "My brave, beautiful girl. I cannot wait to be inside of you." he whispered and placed a tiny kiss at her entrance. She moaned, he hummed and she felt the sound all over inside her. Richard took his time exploring her. With his lips and tongue and even teeth, he drove to a point where she finally came undone with ecstasy. As she was coming down for her high, he once again covered her with his body, keeping the weight off her by supporting himself on his arms. "Oh Richard," Sophie gasped, wondering for how she been gripping his hair in her hands. She let go, and moved to curl her fingers over his chest. Lightly gliding over his flat n****e. He groaned, so she lifted her head and licked it. His large frame shuddered and Sophie loved it that she had caused this large strong man to tremble. She was about to continue her exploration when suddenly her wrist was caught in a gentle yet unbreakable grip. "Stop. You will end it before we have even begun," he warned.

A tiny smile crept up on her face. It was a smile that Richard wanted to see many, many more times. It was impish and mischievous and completely unlike the subdued Sophie that he had seen so far. "But..." she did not get anywhere with it because he captured her once again in a kiss. She had not realised when he'd taken his boxers off, but her mind went into panic when his hot, hard c**k bumped into her thigh. She twisted her neck to get away from the kissed and squeezed her eyes shut. Richard could see her heart jackhammer in the small of her throat. "Shhh..." he soothed, "Open your eyes, honey. Look at me." "Richard..." she gasped but kept her eyes closed. "Yes. Now let me see your beautiful eyes." Her slender arms went around him. "Give me a new memory Richard. Make it all go away..." she whimpered. That was all he needed to hear to push himself inside her snug heat. It was a very tight fit and he saw a small twinge of pain on her face as she struggled to accommodate him. But it went away as he slowly, but steadily kept pushing in, stretching her, opening her up for him. She looked up at him and gave him a smile which bowled him over. He pulled out and rammed back home again, this time with much more force. They did not look back after that. Richard took her to the stars and back, getting lost in her in the process.

Completely spent, he finally collapsed onto her, but quickly rolled aside pulling her into him. She looked up at him and opened her mouth when the door swung open with a, "Z. They..." the door closed immediately with a thud and Chad called out, "Damn dude! At least lock the bloody door!"