Chapter sixteen, Sunday:27thoctober2013, the boy
“There's more to my story if you want to hear it, or will you interrupt me again with your pouting Tharie?” He asks me amused, “why can’t we get anything done like a normal couple.” Couple? What? Really? Definitely need tea now. “Why can’t we share time without jumping on each other? He asks me and I simply shrug in mock apology, “I can’t keep my hands off you.” He admits like a chess player who's lost his Queen.
“And I don’t want you to.” I whisper breathily in his ear.
“I want you to be safe.” Then put the kettle on, or someone’s getting hurt!
“Where did that come from?” I can take care of myself, “I don’t need a sitter, just a good f*ck Daniel.” It sounds so crude, but that’s what we both want isn’t it? He looks hurt, my attempt at mild humour is ill timed clearly, he tries telling me something and my defensive brain heads it off at the pass. But he battles past me in a classic ‘pincer manoeuvre’.
“You mean a lot to me Tharie,” he strokes my hair, “the story may get crazy, but I want you to hear it all, it's nothing we can’t handle.” Speak for yourself.
“Then, I’m going to need tea, very soon Daniel.”
Slightly worried about the final draft of his tale, I remember I do feel safe with him, like I never have before, safe and satisfied. And with that warm muzzy feeling deep inside, I kiss him tenderly. “I love you Daniel” I tell him, he moans a sound of pleasure into my mouth that turns me on again. I kiss him harder, and he returns with a deep tongue stroking passionate kiss, flipping me on my back again onto the floor.
And I’m thinking all along, still no bloody tea!
I want him again, my body insatiable for him, longing even. My senses missing his touch on me, yearning for the slightest promise, a gentle hand and low warm breath. “Baby, are you wet for me again?” His greyed green eyes harden with dilation, burning into my brain, telling me everything I need to know. “You want me inside you?” His fingers tease around my breasts, yes, yes I want it, my whole body bucks to his gentlest touch. His hands move down agonisingly slowly, my mind is insane with the need for him, its calling him, willing him. His fingers pinch my nipples, hard, I wine with pleasure, I never thought pain could be so delightful. More, and harder, moving from one breast to the other. He takes his lips off mine and flicks it rapidly over my nipples, teasing them, then blowing over the sensitive tips sending a shiver of delight rushing through me, stopping at my groin. Me sex is throbbing, my nerves fragile, the slightest touch could send my body pulsating and crashing in a warm honey coated pleasure, sweet but hard.
He caresses me slowly, and I him, his toned and muscular body all mine. His abdominal muscles tight, his core strength clear and defined. Every sensual curve of this beautiful body traced with intricate fine works of ink. Moving and caressing his lines, every pleasing curve, each lascivious toned and tight muscle, he is a work of art, and exciting and breath-taking and mine in this moment. Each libidinous exhilaration of intense feelings hits me one after the other spiralling, I am lost, my body for once has taken control and my mind is playing away from home. His fingers are inside me, faster and deeper, then light and slow, teasing me, torturing me. “Daniel, come inside me I beg you.” I belong to him at that moment, “pierce me.” Only, in my head it's spelled Pearce.
“Baby, you must wait for me.” He climbs over me and lifts my left leg over his shoulder, his hard cock slides easily inside and plunges deep, for agonising moments I think he's going to linger, make me wait , the angle of our bodies allows for very deep penetration, my breathing is laboured, my skin slippery with a film of damp sweat. In and out very slowly in beautiful succession, we have missed this, we want to feel every single movement, every slide, every single deep thrust. He bites my nipple sucking it into his mouth and my climax begins its journey through my body. “Baby, cum for me,” and he thrusts into me in a hard rhythm, and we both climax together, leaving ourselves in an exhausted heap of naked flesh, quiet and satisfied.
“Daniel?” Yes baby, “can I have some tea?” We both laugh, and getting into his jeans on the way goes into the kitchen and I hear china clinking, handles all facing the same way I’d guess, and the click of the kettle. About bloody time too. I look around the room as I dress, noticing for the first time how intricate some of the workmanship in the tapestry is. Such detail, looks almost like the lines of a river and a map maybe?
“Here baby.” he kisses my head and hands me a steaming hot cup of dark tea, my brain shuts up at once, and now it's completely satisfied too. The cups are white and chip less, unlike mine, perfection it’s what Daniel is all about. I feel slightly self-conscious as I look at my reflection.
“That was fun,” I tell him dragging my fingers through his thick black hair.
“Mm mm,” he hums with a casual pleasure, and places his hand on my face, “you're very special to me Tharie.” He looks all around my face, “please give me time, I don’t know how to say it, but I will.”
“I know.” I drink my tea, “are you OK?” I ask.
“I can’t help myself, I’m happy” he says smiling. “This is new to me, and I don’t want to mess it up.” He looks at me, his face asking me a question, I’d answer but I’m not sure what it is. “Please, when you hear all this you might want to leave, it’s a long story.” how long can it be? I innocently look at my watch, it's getting late.
“You can tell me anything Daniel” I whisper, a little nervous at what I’m inviting him to say. “You’re being quite dramatic Daniel, usually I’d have a cone of popcorn if I’m to sit through a story.”
“OK” he tells me, “please tell me if it's too much, I’ll drop it and there'll just be you and me.” He looks at me so sincere, loving, there’s slight anguish there too, he's worried about me leaving, I don’t want to leave him, I have fallen quickly for him, He is like oxygen to me now.
“I’m not going anywhere Daniel,” and smiling I graze his lips softly and gently with mine, with deliberate care and intimacy, telling him we'll take care of each other.
Thank goodness for dark hot tea.
“Tell me the rest Daniel, if I don’t like it, then we can deal with that, I’m tougher than I look,” and weaker than I appear I was going to add, but he rises to his feet again, and stands exposed and vulnerable to continue his story. Takes a deep breath.
“Where was I before I was rudely interrupted?” He winks at me, rude indeed, and all’s well in the world, I sip my tea and my head is quiet for the story too, thank goodness.
“Shall I order a pizza, or is this an Indian type story?” I ask him. Daniel smiles at me grabbing his phone, speed dial pizza, I love this man!
Recharged in more ways than one, I glance at the screen on my phone, I wonder in the future, with this little device be able to make the tea.
HC: “We’ve had to extend our tour, we’re booked out solid” so proud of him
TC: “And what does this mean, really?” I know the answer already.
HC: “More girls!” So predictable, will you ever grow up? Hope not.
TC: “Henry, be safe” you know what I mean, you filthy dog.
HC: “Aren’t I supposed to say that to you?” He means the fall off George
TC: “Call Mum” it’s only fair he has to too.
HC: “Roger, roger and out team leader” he thinks he’s funny too, must be genetic.
Daniel waits patiently for me to complete my texts, “my Brother” I explain, though he hasn’t asked.
“OK, I knew it was important”. He says quietly.
“You knew, how?” Spooky.
“Because your face screws up tight in a very cute expression, and the top of your tongue pokes out between your lips, with dribble” I laugh. “No, no, it’s adorable.” He looks at me sweetly, he’s not making fun of me.
“OK, Sherlock, let’s hear it” I throw a cushion at him laughing.
“And I lied about the dribble”! I throw another one hard, he catches it playfully. He gets an awkward expression and places it down neatly on the sofa, does he know how to have fun I wonder? OK, deep breath. Wait until he plays the Charles version of 'charades', we do pies, and if you get it wrong, you get squirted with a water pistol!
Note to self, buy Daniel a water pistol, he’ll learn fun quickly with that.
“OK, 1579, a freak storm blew in from the sea and the new sailors who'd pirated the ship but were not suitably skilled to operate it. They freed the crew from the hold in an attempt to save 'The Eagle.’ Under guard the original sailors tried but failed to control the craft in what local people called the worst storm and heavy winds anyone living had ever known about. The Eagle was gone, and sank to the bottom of the sea, all hands lost. Or so it was believed.”
Daniel pauses for effect, and the “pizza is on its way”.
“Yum.”
Later in chapter sixteen, Sunday:27thoctober2013, pizza on the way
“Two seamen from the eagle had abandoned the ship during the confusion and swam to a nearby rocky outcrop its tip just visible above the waterline. The journal which went with them, goes on to say they hugged this rock for nearly two days whilst the weather passed and they were able to swim to the shore with a few items saved from the sinking ship.”
“Local people fed the men and their own folklore mentions them having with them a heavy metal box with unusual figures and writings on it. It was never opened and always stayed by the side of one sailor in particular. The men from England made their home amongst the indigenous people, even having several children with them, then one day one of the men, taking the box with him walked into the forest and never returned.”
“That man Tharie, was my ancestor, and the captain of The Eagle.”
Bloody hell.
The pizza arrives and we sit on the floor eating and talking like a regular normal couple.
“So it’s a treasure hunt, your great, great, great......too many years great Grandfather risked his life and abandoned his ship to protect either this box or what it contained?” I added speculatively, with a mouthful of veggie supreme with cheese stuffed crust.
“Yes, and whatever it was, he gave his life to hide it, and it’s an enigma that has been passed down the generations to folklore and mythology.” He passes the potato wedges and dips them in sour cream. “We whisper about it, but it’s passed into shadow now, because the family who have searched for it have either failed or have died trying.” A sad look crosses over his face. I smile at him as he bites the crust of his pizza looking so handsome and relaxed.
“What an incredible story Daniel, such a web of intrigue,” I sit back on the sofa. “Has anyone come close to discovering the hidden meaning behind the artefact that was saved, are there any documents drawings references to what it might be?” I like drawings of course. Cleaning his fingers on a wipe and folding the empty boxes neatly he adds them to the burning logs on the fire, crackling and glowing to life. His phone demands his attention, now I know how annoying it must be when I do that to him, he answers it. Mouthing sorry as he fingers the keys on the screen, really fast, he must do this a lot. It’s a complex message, he looks into clear space to think for a nanosecond, then continues. Once he’s done, he takes a very deep breath, puts the handset away, his expression is one of annoyed? Irritated? Not sure yet, don’t know his face enough yet.
Standing up slowly, he continues.
“My family have spent fortunes trying to locate the final burial spot of this item” he pokes the fire, “we have a house in Chachapoyas which has been used as a base for a few hundred years hoping to locate this box,” he finishes poking the fire, “no one has ever found it.”
I stare at him waiting for the ‘however’ part of his story, but it doesn’t come.
JG: “Have popped some hay out for the boys, but off now” OK, thanks
TC: “Thanks babes” I mean it.
“And your interest Daniel, assuming this tale leads us somewhere?”
“I believe I am supposed to find it Tharie.” I lean back in the seat. “And discover what happened to my Dad.” I rest my arm over the back in a casual way, because I don’t feel casual at all. “And this is what I want to show you.”
“That isn’t it?” I say almost laughing, “that incredible story full of mystery is the cake, and you’re about to tell me the icing?” This would be the exciting incident Agatha writes, the twist.
“Here” he says, passing the last box, “cake?” Chocolate fudge, well I do have to eat.
“Yes.” Daniel watches me intently, as if trying to read me, but he can’t.
“But it’s a look, not a tell.” OK.
He begins to stand, not taking his eyes off me, “I have something to show you.” He grabs the hem of his jersey top and pulls it off his head in one swift motion. God this man is so hot, his lean muscly body drawn over with ink. Perfectly sculpted to fit perfectly to my own lean body, like two pieces of a jigsaw, I snap back to the moment at the sound of his voice. “Since I was a young man I have had tattoos.” He stands before me, naked from the waistband of his black jeans up.
Oh yes. Stop thinking Tharie! I’ve seen him naked and tattooed but never really noticed all the intricately worked ink work all over his beautiful body before. Well with such a gorgeous canvas would you notice the paint? True story. His abdominal muscles tight, his body firm and he's breathing deep and steady, like he’s trying to control his emotions. “I mean Tharie,” he looks at his own torso, running his fingers through his hair to tame it, “I wake up with them,” what! “And I don’t know how they get there.” A deep sigh.
This can only mean one thing, all my years as a crime drama fanatic was about to pay off!
“What?” that's right, the all-important question, because, what else could I say?
“I loose hours, sometimes days, I can’t remember anything except a blinding light, and even then I think I imagine it.” the white room?
I shake my head in disbelief, it doesn’t however stop me finishing a huge slice of warm chocolate cake, all gooey and yummy in the middle.
“So all these pieces of artwork,” I ask as I stand beside him fork in hand pointing, then tracing my fingers up his side along the more recent tattoo, “are like guerrilla art?” I can’t really believe what I’m hearing but being a big fan of Agatha Christie and Banksy too, I’m willing to give it a go.
“They are worked onto my body, and recently some of the symbols are recognisable, you can find them around this room.” Waving his arm around to add effect, he’s now a little calmer. “Some are small, like these on my fingers and one on my foot, this one is the largest piece.” He looks down at my fingers as they move over the fine work of both the tattoo and his sculpted body. Tracing his ribs and hipbone I move my hands slowly over the contours of his body.
“You have any idea who's doing this to you?” I look into his eyes and see a softness there I haven’t seen before, it's like he wasn’t expecting me to still be standing here once his story was told, I’m made of tougher stuff, Pony Club remember? He’s not just a great arse.
“I think I do know, yes.” He holds both my wrists in his fists like delicate manacles, and clutches them to him in earnest. “I don’t want you involved in this Tharie, I can't guarantee your safety, my family...well, they are all keen on getting their hands on this box.”
“I take my lumps when it suits me” I tell him, “nobody tells me what’s good for me, I decide that”, I kiss his cheek gently, “besides I event two crazy Trakehners, danger is my life. True bloody story people, and anyone who doesn't believe it, has never ridden a crazy Trakehner. They are clever, and they are fast.
”I kiss his fingers one by one. “I have the broken bones and bruises to prove it.” I sound braver than I feel.
“More tea?” He smiles.
“Certainly, no army can march without it.” Spirit of the blitz ‘n all that jazz.
“We're an army now are we?” He laughs, “We’re not Scooby do you know?”
“Agree, we’d need a kick-arse van.” I’m already picturing it aren't you?
“I have a Range Rover, will that do?” Maybe.
“A Landy? Of course,” I wink.
“So Thelma, what next?” Thelma, really?
“Oh yea of little faith, I know just who to ask for help to find that box.” I head to the kitchen ahead of Daniel and put the kettle on.
He laughs, “You’re incredible.”
“So people tell me, but I remain humble.” I laugh too.
“The cups are in there.” he points.
“I have a college friend Liza,” I find tea bags, “she rides of course, all the best people do,” I wink at him and wonder if he’d know one end of a horse from another. “She works at the British Museum she’s an anthropologist, I’ll call her tomorrow and ask if she'll help us.” Smug and thirsty for tea and Daniel, renewed energy from the cake remember? If you were wondering.
My life interrupts.
HC: “Mum says you don’t eat properly” bloody hell.
TC: “You’re her PA now is that it?” I already know the answer.
HC: “She doesn’t pay me if that’s what you’re asking” stop passing messages onto me, I’m a grown up.
TC: “I’ve just had pizza” there!
HC: “I’ll tell her” see that you do.
He’s watching me.
I order the cups on the work surface haphazardly, the exact opposite to Daniel, he watches me with amused interest as I pour the hot water into the pot. “Her boss, who's about seventy” I swirl the hot water around the pot agitating the leaves, “is an expert on ancient hieroglyphs, lost symbols and writings. He might be able to....” I look him up and down smiling, appraisingly, “decipher you.” I explain with a wide grin. Daniel looks at me lovingly, but of course I’m inventing that since he's never used those words, but right now I feel it. I desperately want to stay with him, to make love to him but my Dad's watch tells me it's time to go home. It would of course tell me all sorts of things if I knew how the damn thing works. Anyway, I have creatures that need my attention.
“You’re leaving?”
“Daniel, I have to get home, I haven’t seen the horses all day and I miss them and Jinni isn’t available tonight, her boyfriend is in a band and they’re playing tonight.”
“Can I come with you?” I pass him a steaming cup of tea, startled. I’m a little surprised at my casual acceptance, I don’t like people in my cottage.
“Just don’t mess with my stuff” I jest, but there is truth in the faux warning, he really better not, his sweet laugh is like medicine.
“Of course.”
We need to buy milk on the way.