Page 31 of Festive Fugitive
AfewdaysafterCesar agreed to give Christmas decorations a shot, our cabin is filled with paper chains, the smell of fresh pine from the tree he cut down, and a dog house-sized gingerbread house made of cardboard. Did we make a glory hole in one of its walls? Yes. Did Cesar fuck me with half my body inside and half sticking out through the window? That’s for me and Santa to know. We’ll have to see what he categorizes as naughty behavior.
Safe to say, Cesar got into decorating, but it’s the fact that we’re doing it together that’s the real expression of Christmas spirit.
It’s getting warmer, and new snow hasn’t piled up around the cabin for two days now, which makes me hopeful that our food stores might soon be restocked. But not today. Today, I’m minding a stew on the cookerwhile Cesar chops wood into chunks that will easily fit into the burners.
I still can’t believe a man like him is so into me, but despite my protests, he’s trying to do almost every chore, just so I don’t put my healing ankle at risk. It’s so cute I want to kiss him all over.
We’ll have to leave this cabin at some point and risk venturing out, but I already know I’ll miss the coziness of it. After a year in my car, I appreciate the roof over my head, the warmth, the fresh bedding, not worrying where my next meal is coming from, and most of all, the lovely warm body I can cuddle up to at night.
I taste the stew to make sure it’s okay, and turn off the gas. Maybe it’s a bit of an excuse to go see Cesar, but I spotted that he left his bottle of electrolyte water, so I’ll go take it to him. He’s very serious and particular about his food, which is no surprise after one look at his body. Other than doing things around the house, he also has a morning exercise routine that lasts two hours, then an afternoon one, and I saw him using one of the large trunks in the yard for strength training. The man is amachine.
I get dressed and walk out with his bottle, excited to see him as if we didn’t live together. We even shower together“to save hot water”, but we both know it’s to be close all the time. The shower is also a place where I’m least shy about being rimmed, and Cesar never fails to make me sing in the tight space, his face buried between my cheeks until I can’t bear it any longer.
The memory of him then finishing inside me this morning brings a flush to my cheeks. I put on my coat and step outside, heading for my kinky lumberjack.
“Aren’t you thirsty?” I ask, and when he glances over his shoulder, I lift the bottle, prompting him to smile.
I lean over a pile of cut wood and hand him the drink. The snow is melting, the sun is out, and he’s got his jacket open, revealing the tight T-shirt underneath. Damn is he dreamy. I love trailing kisses down his powerful chest and worshiping every inch of him.
Who would have thought this could be the outcome of killing Sullivan? It’s almost as if fate has rewarded me for a job well done.
He grins and takes the bottle from my hand, before spilling the red liquid into his mouth as if he were starring in a commercial and needed to make drinking looksexy.
“Oh, that’s so good. Thank you,” he says and gives me the sweetest of kisses. As if I’m not a fugitive he’s hiding. “Have you eaten?”
I wink at him. “If you keep asking me this often, I might start getting suspicious that youarea cannibal.”
He shrugs, enjoying another gulp of water, and when he turns, the sun shines through his hair in a way so picturesque I wish I had any kind of artistic talent to capture the image forever.
“I’m trying to fatten you up for your own good.”
A nasty feeling curls in my chest. “Oh? You said you’d like me as a worm, but now I’m too skinny?” I try to make a joke out of it, but I’m suddenly self-conscious.
Cesar laughs and places his cool hand on my shoulder. “I would like you in any form. As a worm, without any of your limbs, you name it, but you are underweight. That’s why you get tired so fast, and why you get ill as easily as you said you do. I want you to be in optimal health.”
I frown at him. “No limbs? Here I was, worried you consider me too bony, but now I’m thinking you want to suck the marrow out of my arm or something.” It is reassuring to hear though. That he likes me as I am. Hisenthusiasm for me shows every day, but I’m allowed to be a little needy sometimes.
“No limbs, no tongue, no hair. I don’t think there’s anything that would make me stop wanting you,” he says and cups my face with icy cold fingers.
My heartbeat speeds up, but just as I’m about to speak, he clasps his hand over my mouth and makes a shushing sound while pulling me close.
I knew he was strong, but the way he holds me now offers no give whatsoever, as if he has steel instead of bones.
I trust him so much I have no instinct to try getting away. Maybe he spotted a cop car already headed up our driveway? I’ve noticed his hearing and his sense of smell are incredible. As my eyes search for what he’s seeing, I freeze, not even breathing anymore.
A whole pack of wolves, must be at least a dozen, are passing our cabin on the other side. They move close to the trees, but I can see each one so clearly. As panic settles in my bones, Cesar whispers right into my ear. “Don’t be scared. They can’t smell us from here, because of the direction of the wind. They likely wouldn’t attack two grown adults, and even if that happened, I would protect you. Just watch. Aren’t they beautiful?”
I have never seen so many wild animals from up close, and as his words sink in, I relax, letting myself just enjoy the sense of wonder as the pack trails past us. Minutes feel like hours, but when they’re finally gone, Cesar’s hold on me eases, and he kisses the top of my forehead.
In all my adult life, I’ve never felt so safe, and I let myself enjoy the moment. My stupid doubts whether I’m too skinny forgotten, I indulge in the love I find in his arms. I know it’s too soon to say the L-word, so I settle for ‘like’, but it’s love that I feel so very deeply.Maybe we’ve not known each other that long, but it’s been more intense than any of my relationships.
Cesarwouldstand between me and a pack of wolves. I wholeheartedly believe that.
The table inside is prepared for our evening meal, and while Cesar is still insistent on doing most of the chores, he lets me handle the food tonight and sits in his usual place with a wide smile. He’s about to take the first spoonful in his mouth when he freezes, eyes darting toward the door.
“What is—” I try but he silences me with a gesture. It takes a moment longer, but I too recognize a distant buzz, and my stomach plummets. Someone’s driving toward us.
Cesar grabs my plate and stuffs it inside the nearest cupboard, leaving only his within sight, then dashes toward the trap door leading into the attic. He’s tall enough to grab the foldable ladder attached upstairs and drag it down.
