Mostly Dark - Miranda Kate (popular ebook readers .TXT) 📗

them and they enjoyed it, their own personal deal.
High

 

She inhaled the smoke deeply and held it while he desperately tried to make her laugh, prancing about the room like a nude nymph. It didn’t suit him, he didn’t have the physique for it; he was too skinny. Her mind drifted into thoughts about the perfect figure and how it could be possible, how it was only a matter of refining certain things in your life. She looked down at herself and smiled. No matter how much ‘munchie food’ she ate she didn’t seem to gain a thing. She watched her chest deflate as she exhaled and marvelled at how amazing the body was.

Then he touched her and she felt it shiver along her skin. Every hair felt the touch of his finger as it ran up her bare thigh. She watched as he reached the top, hovering as though debating direction, then travelling on up her rib cage, faltering at a couple of moles and circling them.

She inhaled air, watching her ribcage expand and his finger going up and down. She giggled and he giggled too, and then they couldn’t stop.

The bed they lay on was messy, as though they had been there for days … and it might have been, neither of them knew anymore.

The doorbell rang and they froze looking at each other with dawning horror that there was a person out there, potentially a non-stoned person that they’d have to interact with. Paranoia crept at the edges of their thoughts. He rushed into some loose trousers, half falling in his attempt to look respectable, and running his fingers repeatedly through his hair as he left the room, shaking his head, trying to clear it and not look quite so out of it.

She heard laughter at the front door and then footsteps coming back. Two heads popped round the door and she grinned; it was play time. His two friends started stripping between drags of the joint they’d been working on and crawled onto the bed next to her.

Now she had three fingers to watch and they just made her giggle more and more. She slipped into the fuzzy delight of pure sensation and went with it.

The next morning she came to and found herself entangled in three other sleeping bodies. She tried to remember what had happened, but could only remember the smoking, giggling and lots of touching. She smiled to herself; they’d fallen asleep and nothing had happened. She knew it; this wasn’t the first time. So she just lay there and waited. It wouldn’t be long, and then the party would start again, but this time with some follow through.

    Full Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Into The Light
Hidden Desire

 

Lily ignored his physical rejection of her attempt at a hug; at least he’d allowed the peck on the cheek. She watched him walk away hurriedly to the other side of the busy train station, a sudden heaviness on her chest and sickness in her stomach. By the time she’d reached the train there were tears in her eyes. She missed him already.

The day had been perfect, their nervousness diminishing after the first hour. He was friendly, attentive, and interested. It made her feel renewed. It made her feel there was a chance. But now he was gone again, with no idea of anything further.

She stared at her reflection in the train window. He had no idea how closely she’d been watching him, how much she knew about his movements: the places he’d been to, the parties he’d gone to, how many times she’d resisted a comment on social media that would give it all away. But she couldn’t help herself, not where he was concerned. Not since they’d met at Joleen’s party.

Lily stared at pictures of him on social media all the time. She imagined conversations with him, drinking with him … sex with him. She bit her lower lip. What would that be like?

Her mobile phone beeped, and her heart leapt when she saw it was from him. “Good to see you,” he said. “You free next week?” A rush of adrenaline ran through her, banishing all the sadness. She sent a text back with a simple “Yes”. A few seconds later he responded with “I’ll call you. We’ll set something up.”

She waited, but he clearly didn’t mean now. She had no idea when it might be, but she was happy that it might be at all.

Lily tucked the phone back in her pocket.

 

***

 

Roger looked at his phone, his heart thumping. He’d done it. He’d asked for the second date. Had he been too casual? He didn’t want to seem too keen. He still shook slightly after her attempt to hug him. He couldn’t let her do that – that was too much – that would give it all away. He had to keep the cool exterior. He couldn’t risk her seeing what she did to him. If they embraced he’d struggle to let her go, he knew he would.

After all this time they had finally met up. He’d scanned the social media timelines for months, for any mention of her going to any of the parties he was attending. He’d waited avidly for her to ‘like’ any of the events, but she’d always been absent. And then finally he’d managed to bring about a meeting – coincidentally been where she was. She always tagged the place where she went shopping, so it wasn’t hard.

But he’d thought about it for weeks. Would she see through it? Would she know? Would he be able to do it? Could he approach her and pretend to be relaxed and surprised to see her? Would she respond? Be interested? He thought she might, but until that moment he hadn’t known. It had taken a lot to get the nerve up.

And it had been perfect. She’d been in no hurry to leave. She’d been happy to join him for something to eat. And she’d lingered – or had it been his imagination? He didn’t think so, not after she attempted to hug him.

He tried not to berate himself for his reaction, but he hadn’t expected her to do that. Not yet. He wasn’t ready for that yet – not in reality. He’d gone over it a hundred times in his mind. How he would hold on to her, embrace her, and then kiss her.

He stood up. He had to break that thought process, save it for later when he wasn’t in public. He looked up at the board to see which platform his train was on, and started heading that way.

So when was he going to call her? How soon was too soon? And what would he say?

His mind buzzed as he boarded his train.

Kindred

 

Ruth pushed open the cabin door, inhaling the scent of the thick foliage and fresh wood that surrounded it. It had been too long. She walked in and found it untouched. Her heart sank.

She traced her finger along the rough wooden kitchen table and thought about the last time they had used it. She climbed the ladder up to the eaves where their bed lay. She looked at it, still pristine, not a crease in it. He hadn’t been here.

She sighed and made her way back down the ladder. She brought in her bag and put it on the table. She unpacked its tiny contents into the single kitchen cupboard. It wouldn’t be long before she would use them.

Ruth busied herself with preparing the hearth and a fire for the evening. Dusk wouldn’t be long, and then she could get to work. There were a million reasons why he might not be back, and he could be on his way. She only allowed the questions to surface at the edge of her thoughts, not letting them in fully. She refused to acknowledge any of her nagging doubts. She would help him soon enough. She refused to chide herself for not having returned sooner. Things had to be arranged. She wanted this to go right; she wouldn’t risk him being taken again.

Dusk fell and she took a stool outside so she could listen. It took a while, but soon she heard it. She smiled to herself. She went inside to fetch her tools.

As she brought out the array of objects she could feel it coming closer, the sound increasing. Her heart was light and totally open, as it should be.

Then more solid sounds were audible, in particular footfalls, or were they hoof falls? She wasn’t quite sure, but it didn’t matter.

The crashing and breaking of foliage moved closer until an outline appeared in the dark.

She was right, she had heard both. He stepped out into the clearing, leading his horse.

He stopped when he saw her, and swept the helmet off his head as though it blocked his view.

“My lady, you have returned!”

Ruth smiled, wanting to step forward, but knowing better. “I have.”

“And you reached me.”

“I did.”

He bowed low. She curtsied in response.

“I will come.”

When he stood there was a new light in his eyes.

“Please.”

“Can you wait?”

“For eternity.”

He smiled. “It won’t be that long I promise.”

“Are you far?”

He looked back over his shoulder, seeing what she could not. “No, my lady, not in distance.”

“I will aid you.”

He remained silent, but his eyes told her all she needed to know. Again she resisted the urge to run to him, knowing he wasn’t really there.

He faltered as he spoke. “I must go.”

“I know.”

He started to turn, heading back into the woods. She watched him go. He glanced at her one last time, his eyes bright and smiling. It wouldn’t be long, they could both feel it.

Ruth remained outside picking up each object and delivering its incantation until the chill bit into her. Then she moved in by the fire and continued until the embers burned so low she could barely see. Eventually she climbed the steps up to the bed and fell into a dreamless sleep, exhausted by her efforts.

She didn’t hear the creak of the cabin door, or the soft footsteps on the ladder. But she knew the arm that fell across her and the body that shuffled up against her. The scent made her smile in her dream. They were well met at long last; there would be no more interference.

Soul Search

 

Lucille stopped in front of the subtly lit signage, knowing it was the place she had seen in her dream. The pull within her was strong; the excitement in her core peaking.

She entered the club and no one at the door batted an eyelid. When shown the card at the cloakrooms she knew she was in the right place; the image on the other side burned in her mind. Her response was met with a quick nod and smile.

When she walked inside, the music made her feel like she had walked into a time warp; its single note filling the room. The people stood around as though waiting for something and for a moment she wondered if it was her. Then the beat started and the dancing resumed.

When she approached the bar, she was handed a drink. She sipped it and delighted in its accuracy. Speech was rendered useless here, allowing the music to permeate.

Her mind was flooded with images and thoughts. The eye contact she made drew her in, engaging her