The smooth sand squished slightly under Marlena’s feet as she paced back and forth between the island palm trees. John’s actions of the past half hour had turned her mind into a mush of ideas and questions. What could possibly change him so much, unless it was the mercenary speaking? That wasn’t even a question to her now…that much had become obvious. Now the only thing to do was make him admit the truth to her. If only he would talk to her, they could fight this.
Moving to sit at the edge of the small pond she had found, she took a moment to take in the surroundings. A waterfall cascaded down the rocks that bordered the pond, and the banks were covered in bright tropical flowers. If it hadn’t been for the situation they were in, it could have been paradise. However, John’s Rambo-like behavior and their current predicament had clouded her eyes to the view…all she could think of was a way to get him to open up.
The sounds of the water lapping against the rocks surrounded her as she sat deep in thought—so distant from her surroundings, she never heard the rustle of the trees as John approached. As he moved behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, smoothing the strands of hair that were grazing the skin of her neck, she instinctively knew who it was without even turning around. The touch of his hands, and the scent of his skin calmed her mind slightly as she turned to face him. After all, it was a good sign that even in his altered state he was gentle and caring with her. That thought made her smile as she realized that nothing could erase her from his mind.
“Doc, baby, what has you so lost in thought out here? You didn’t even notice me here until I touched you. Are you still dwelling on the conversation we had earlier?” he asked as he moved both hands to caress the lengths of her arms, attempting to soothe away some of the tension that had seized her body in the past half hour.
“John, I just don’t understand why you feel you can’t talk to me. I am your wife for heaven’s sake! I have seen you through more crisie than I can name…and you still shut me out. I just don’t get it. You know that I wouldn’t leave, and you know that I would be willing to help you through anything. Don’t you remember all those years ago—you drug me all over that damn West Virginia wilderness, you tied me and all but tried to kill me, and I was still there. I even stuck by you when I thought you could be Stephano! So please, explain to me where I lost your trust!” she flung the words at him in an angry tone, as she slid away from him slightly, needing to place the distance between them.
Moving his hands to grasp her chin, he turned her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. When he was sure he has captured her attention once more, he released his grasp, muttering words she was surprised to hear him utter. “You never lost my trust Doc…I am afraid! Do you know how that makes me feel? I am supposed to be the one that protects you and takes care of you. Hell, I just saved a whole plane full of people. Yet, I am sitting here in front of you, afraid to face these images that are flashing in my head—these familiar voices from the past. I don’t know how to face it. I don’t know where it’s going to go… and I don’t want to lose you. That possibility scares the Hell out of me. Don’t you understand…I trust you with my life…but the risk of scaring you away, of living without you by my side is more frightening than anything that Stefano’s mercenary could possibly ever have done!” he finished in a growl as he attempted to keep the fear and anguish from driving him over the edge.
As the truth of his words sank in, she felt the warmth as tears began to form in her eyes. Trying to fight them, she moved her hands to wipe away the few that had escaped and moved to clench his fingers in hers. “John, I’m not going anywhere. Haven’t you learned by now, that there is no me without you! No matter what we have to face, I’m not going to go anywhere. It took us far too long to get here to turn around and walk away now. So, I am going to ask you again…Has Stefano’s mercenary returned?” she pressed again, needing to hear him admit it to her, not just his fear.
“Yes!” he hissed at her quietly. “You already knew that! Why do you insist on pushing me to say it time after time! I have already admitted that I am scared of losing you to it! Wasn’t that enough!” he continued, as he realized the harshness of his tone. “Doc, this is exactly what I was talking about. I try so hard not to let it come through, but it always seems to win. I don’t know how to fight this.” he finished moving to carress, her cheek as he tried calm his emotions. “I’m sorry baby, I don’t ever want to do anything to jeopardize you, and I sure as Hell don’t want you living afraid of me…Are you sure you can handle this? It’s not going to be an easy road I can assure you.” he finished as he stared straight into her soul. Even in this state he could feel their connection as he prayed that her response would be one he could live with.
“John, how many times do I have to tell you that nothing is going to push me away from you. As long as you are by my side, I am not afraid of anything we face. I just need to know that you love me and that you want me. That hasn’t changed in the face of all this has it?” the need for reassurance causing a fresh flow of tears, as she felt his hand tense beneath hers.
“Doc! That is something that will never change! The need for you in my life is embedded in my brain. I love you more that my own life, and I don’t ever want to have to face anything without you. Your love is what will save me in the end…I know it! You are all I need.” he finished as he pulled her towards him, capturing her mouth forcefully beneath his—the need to push the memories out of his mind, almost as strong as the need to prove his love to her. Moving to deepen the kiss, his hands tangling in the soft curls that had formed in the tropical humidity. He was caught off guard by a sudden shift in the rocks they were seated on. Moving to avoid falling, he realized too late that he had over-compensated as they fell backwards into the water of the pond.
Their giggles echoed through the air as they resurfaced from the depths of the water. Still clenching onto each other, they noticed what a mess they had made of themselves. Moving her hands to push the hair back from her face she caught the sudden seductive look that flashed across his face. Following his gaze, she realized his eyes had become fixated on her chest and the white material of her turtleneck plastered to her body–leaving little to his imagination. Following his mind’s path, she couldn’t resist teasing him. After all it couldn’t hurt to remove some of that tension they had been dealing with. “John, this wasn’t some trick of ours to see if I’d make a worthy contestant in a wet t-shirt contest was it? Because, Honey, there is no way you are dragging me to that sleazy bar in Salem to enter me into one, if it was.” she managed to get out between giggles. The look on his face at the mere mention of someone else seeing her in an obvious state of undress caused the grin to spread across her face.
The grasp of his hands on her body became a little tighter as she felt him grow suddenly tense before her. “No. The sight of your body is one that is only meant for me. I’d kill anyone that ever tried.” he forced out as he tried to regain the composure he had obtained moments before. The intensity and possessive nature of his words shocked her. Pulling her towards him again, he moved his mouth to roughly capture hers, shoving his tongue past her lips, devouring her, attempting to possess every inch of her mouth. As he broke the kiss, he met her gaze, catching the golden flecks that peppered the hazel of her eyes. “Doc, I need you! I need you so much right now baby. I need to feel you and know that you are still with me. A skinny dip might be fun after all.” he finished trying to lighten the mood once again—the anger and roughness of his earlier words and attitude now gone.
Noticing the slight nod of agreement she gave him, he moved to push the jacket that she still wore from her shoulders, lifting the heavy water logged garment and throwing it over his head. Allowing him to pull the turtleneck over her head, she moved her hands in urgency against him to help him remove the t-shirt from his body. His eyes never left her body as he moved to unfasten the lacy bra that barely covered her breasts. Throwing the items onto the bank as he removed them, he pulled her to him swiftly—desperate to feel the contact of flesh against flesh. The warmth of her body against his sent him into a tailspin as he felt her nipples harden against him at the contact. Moving his hands to grasp the waistband of her jeans, he worked to remove them beneath the water, feeling her hands working at the zipper of his. The frustrations of removing the clothes beneath the waters surface getting the best of them, they each moved to finish the other’s job.
As the final garments were removed, and tossed aside, they once again levitated towards one another. The contact of their bodies caused a shiver to stir through them. Grasping her hair in his hands, John jerked her head back, once again joining his mouth to hers in a forceful kiss. The warmth of her tongue in his mouth as she met his kiss with the same amount of need sent a warm rush of desire through him yet again. Moving his hands down the span of her back, he grasped at her buttocks, pulling her to him swiftly, allowing her to feel the full effects of his need for her. No one else on this earth could do what she did to him.
Her hands moved across the muscles of his chest, and she allowed her nails to rake over the smooth planes—playing in the hair that covered him. Grazing lower, she moved to caress the flat span of his belly, felt the grooves of the six-pack he always worked so hard to maintain. Her fingers trailed lower between them as she grasping the thick rod of muscle in her hands. Stroking her fingers along the length of him, she was pleased to hear his escaping moan escape as he jerked his mouth free from hers. Breathless from the kiss, he lost himself in her touch. Tangling his fingers in the length of her hair once again, he moved his mouth to caress the exposed skin of her neck just above the water. His fingers danced along the length of her spine, moved to caress the span of her ribs as they began a trail up the center of her chest. Reaching her breasts, John massaged them gently—groaning as he felt the nipples harden beneath his touch. The mixture of her stroking motions, and the excitement her nude form always caused him was about to be his undoing. Noticing the waterfall for the first time, he was suddenly struck with an idea. Removing her hands from their grasp on his cock, he lifted her into his arms and groaned once again as he felt her long legs wrap around his body as he began to make his way towards the slanted rocks that were hidden beneath the waterfall.
Leaning her back against the smooth surface, he leaned into her. Naked bodies meshed together behind the wall of the waterfall, making a scene that was almost picture perfect. Secluded from the rest of the group, there would be no chance they would be found. John knew it had taken him a good fifteen minutes to find her, and he had been running on pure instinct.
Moving his tongue in a path across her breasts, he was overcome by a sudden sense of need and urgency. This was no ordinary encounter, and, as much as he was trying, he knew he wouldn’t be able to be gentle. The need to feel connected to her in every way possible, the need to possess her as only he could, was too strong. As he grazed his teeth across the surface of her nipple, he allowed his hands to travel the span of her flat belly. He could feel her jerk against him as his fingers caressed the most sensitive area of her body. The feeling of pure ecstasy that rushed over her as she felt him begin to enter her with his fingers was enough to make her cum against his hand. Never before had the urge to feel all of him inside her been so great. The affair on the plane had come close, but this time it was born out of a need to shut out the world and prove to one another that they were still joined at the soul.
It wasn’t enough to feel him caress her; she needed to feel him make love to her. Deciding she could handle it no longer, she finally voiced her need, managing to mutter out the few words between gasps and moans. “John, honey… I need you… to… make love to me!”—the words coming out in a husky whisper.
Realizing that her need had reached the same level as his own, he moved atop her and entered her slowly. The moist warmth of her enveloped him tightly as he moved to fully consume her. Determined to please her in every way possible before allowing himself to let go, he began a rhythm of slow steady strokes as he worked her to a frenzy. The feel of her nails raking along his back, her legs wrapped around his waist, her tongue that traced a path down his neck and chest were enough to drive him mad. He plunged into her with more force as he worked to bring her to her peak. His hands supporting her back as he drove her up and down on the slick wet surface of the rocks. Suddenly feeling her push against him, he was struck with a fear that he had hurt her in his savage need to have her. As he moved to meet her gaze, he was struck by the look of fire in her eyes as they fell backwards into the shallow water. Holding his head above water, she moved above him—rose and fell in a motion that pleased them both, driving him fully into her before almost fully lifting off of him and dropping back down again. It took very little to bring her to the brink of orgasm as he watched her head fly back, the look of pleasure evident on her face. He bucked into her madly—felt her give against him, as the rush of warm moisture from her cum flowed around him. He felt the ends of her movements against him and pumped freely into her—erupting against the tight walls that surrounded him, possessing her in every sense of the word. She was his and would always be his until the day he died. Anything else would be the death of him.
The Jarlena Journal 