Shattered Essence (5 page)

Looking up to see his eyes I asked.
“Where is Orion?”

“Orion is only fully visible to us
in the winter.” Pointing to the sky he asked, “See that bright red star near
the horizon?”

“You mean the one clear over there?”
Pointing toward the west.

“That’s the one. It’s called Betelgeuse.”
I felt him chuckle underneath me. “The red star is actually part of Orion’s
armpit.” He was twirling my hair through his fingers. “Do you know how Orion the
Hunter ended up in the sky?”

I shook my head back and forth.

“According to Greek mythology Orion
was a great hunter. He hunted with a bow and arrow. There wasn’t another hunter
in all the land more skilled than him.

Through his hunting excursions Orion
met and fell madly in love with the princess of Chios, Merope. She is one of
the seven sisters who form the Pleiades. But Merope wasn’t interested and would
have nothing to do with him. Orion, desperate for her love, even pleaded with
her father to force her to marry him. The king would do no such thing. He only
wanted the best for his daughter. Even though Orion had rid the king’s land of
all wild beasts he was still only a hunter. The king would never consent to
giving his daughter’s hand in marriage to Orion.

Never being able to be with the one
he loved, anger consumed Orion. He even thought about taking Merope with
violence. Before Orion could act on his plan, his life ended tragically when he
stepped on Scorpius, the scorpion.

After his death the gods felt sorry
for him, so they put Orion in the sky as a constellation. They also put his
dogs in the sky with him: Canis Major and Canis Minor. In addition the gods put
all the animals he hunted near him in the sky. Scorpius, however, was placed on
the opposite side of the sky so Orion would never be hurt by him again.”

Replying, “I knew Orion was
The
Great Hunter
, but I never knew the rest of the story.” I sat up half way,
leaned down, briefly covering his lips with mine. “Now I know he will always be
my favorite constellation.”

“Ever since I was a kid I loved
looking at the stars.” I pulled my head back just enough to look him in the
eyes. “I had no idea the city lights blocked out so many stars,” I said.

Drew placed his hands on my waist.
In one quick move he placed his left leg between my thighs flipping me on my
back. Resting on his elbows he kissed me. My chest was touching his chest. I
could feel him breathing. A shudder of electricity ran down my spine. His mouth
moved smoothly, his tongue teased, petted and sucked. My belly was filled with
butterflies. I savored the feel of his tongue on mine. I wanted more and at the
same time I couldn’t take another second.

Aye Dios mio.

As if reading my mind he came up for
air. His hair was moving slightly from the breeze coming off the lake. Giving
me the most alluring smile I had ever seen, he leaned back down and kissed my
check where the branch I didn’t remember running into had left a mark that mirrored
his.

Inhaling his scent of lavender and
spice, I closed my eyes and rested my hands on his biceps. Memorizing this
moment, my body, mind, and spirit were one. I have never felt more peaceful. My
soul was home.

His breathing was heavy and rapid.
“As much as I want to stay in this moment, we better head back to the ranch.”
He whispered in my ear. “I can’t control myself around you. Besides, I’d hate
for your dad to think I was taking advantage of you.”

Espe

The next few days flew by. The end
of the week was looming and the time we had left was limited.

Drew and I were sitting on the porch
of my cabin watching the stars. I held his hand in my lap. He was rubbing the
back of my hand with his thumb.

“It’s been a great night and an
amazing week, Espe.” Bringing my hand to his lips for a soft kiss he said, “I’m
not near ready for it to end.”

I replied, “It has been amazing.”
Smiling at him. “I can’t think about our time ending.”

Looking up at the stars I recalled
the past week. Ever since we met we’ve been inseparable. The only time we went
our separate ways was when we went to our cabins to sleep and shower. In a way
I felt guilty for not spending time with my parents. Drew and I did everything
together. I was living in the moment. I refused to think about the day we would
part.

“Tonight you look so pretty,” Drew
said breaking up my thoughts.

“Thank you,” I said as I squeezed
his hand. I could feel the blood rushing to my checks. I’ve never been good at
accepting compliments.

Smiling back at me, “Would you like
to take a walk around the lake?”

“No,” I said. “I’m happy right here,
just the two of us.”

I slid out of the Adirondack chair I
was sitting in. Still holding Drew’s hand I sat on his lap, sharing his chair.
I bent down, kissing his temple. His cheek. His nose. Slowly moving south till
I reached his lips.

I didn’t kiss him when my lips
touched his. I spoke on top of them, “My parents went to Durango to have dinner
with one of my dad’s cousin. I doubt they’ll be back anytime soon.”

Smirking he asked, “What are you
saying?”

I leaned back enough to look him in
the eye. Smiling, I said nothing.

He started laying kisses on my neck
and said, “That will work.”

Drew and I were kissing on the porch
when John Harris, the ranch manager, cleared his throat.

“Ahem.”

Walking toward us he said, “Hello
Esperanza, Drew, it’s a beautiful night isn’t it?”

“That it is,” I said. “I love it
here. It is so quiet and peaceful.”

“Yes, nature has a way of calming
the spirit.” John Harris inhaled the night air. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting
anything.”

“Not at all, we were just star
watching.” I responded quickly.

“Wonderful. Wonderful. Listen I won’t
keep you. I stopped by to let Esperanza know her parents called. They hit a
deer just outside of Durango.”

“Are they okay?” I asked standing in
alarm.

“Sure kiddo. The tow truck driver
was kind enough to take them back into town. It’s too late for them to get a
rental car.” Mr. Harris put his hand on my shoulder. “Your parents wanted me to
let you know they would be back before noon tomorrow.”

He looked at Drew then back at me.
“Will you be okay staying here
alone
?”

“I’ll be fine Mr. Harris. I
promise.” I gave him the biggest smile I could summon, hoping it would assure
him I’d be fine spending the night alone.

“All righty.” He smiled back, “Drew,
can I walk you to your cabin?”

I knew Drew was caught off guard by
Mr. Harris’s fatherly comment. I bit the inside of my lower lip trying to keep
from laughing out loud.

Drew stood up from the chair he was
sitting on and said, “That would be nice.”

Before walking away with Mr. Harris
he turned to face me and mouthed “I’ll be back.”

Good thing too, because I had no
intention of my night ending early.

Drew kissed me on my check, winked
and said, “See you tomorrow. Have a good night.”

He turned to face Mr. Harris. “Is
the kitchen open? Pie sounds good. Will you join me for a piece?”

I watched the two of them walk
toward the dining hall.

Espe

One hour and fifteen minutes later I
opened the door to a knocking Drew. I pulled him in, shut the door behind me,
and jumped into his arms.

“What took you so long?” I asked.

“After pie Mr. Harris walked me back
to my cabin and started talking to my parents.” Laughing, he said, “I think he
wanted to make sure I didn’t come back here.”

“What did you do?”

“I said I was going to take a shower
then head to bed.” Pecking my lips, he added, “He left once I got out of the
shower.”

“You’re a sneaky devil, aren’t you?”

He brushed his lips on mine and
said, “Sounds like tonight it’s only you and me, baby.”

“Then let’s not waste it,” I said.

I kissed him slowly, making sure to
linger. I had this burning need to give myself to Drew completely. Nothing else
mattered. I pulled myself closer to him, taking in his strength. I let his
scent numb my senses in a sea of pleasure. If tonight was going to be the only
night spent together, I wanted all of him. I didn’t care if it meant losing my
virginity. All I knew was if I didn’t have him this aching in my gut would
drive me crazy.

Placing my feet on the floor, Drew
swirled his tongue around mine making our kiss deeper, stronger. My heart
pounded as he ran his hands over my body. He unbuttoned my blouse kissing my
neck, my collarbone. Slowly he kissed his way down my chest. His touch had my
body aching. His hands moved down my belly and my back arched in response. He
claimed my mouth while unfastening my bra. He turned me around, my back leaning
against his chest for support. He ran his hands down the curves of my hips. I
arched my spine, pulling on his neck trying to bring him closer to me. My
nipples were hard. My body was shaking when he moved his hands over my rib cage.
He continued moving his hands until they were covering my breasts. I was dizzy.
I was putty in his hands. My head fell back, allowing him to nibble on my lower
lip. His touch had me experiencing a rush of adrenaline I could never imagine. I
barely noticed when he scooped me in his arms and carried me to the bedroom.

I reached for the hem of his shirt.
He raised his arms while I slid it over his head. The sight of his bronze chest
had my lower body throbbing so hard I was sure he could hear it. I ran my hands
over his rippling hairless chest.
Splendid.
His skin was soft his body
was hard and I couldn’t resist licking his pectorals.

“You taste lightly salted with a
touch of clean,” I teased.

Laughing, he embraced me, kissing the
top of my head. Eliminating some of the nervous tension I was experiencing.

I looked up at him, raised my
eyebrows while sliding my hands down his chest. I traced his abs stopping only
to unbutton his jeans. Before sliding them off his legs he retrieved a condom
from his wallet. I squeezed his ass through his boxers. He groaned before possessing
my mouth. I could feel his hardness on my belly. I slid my fingers under his
boxers and he helped me take them off.

His erection was massive, almost
reaching his belly button. I had no idea how his large thick shaft was going to
fit inside of me. For the first time I was actually afraid of losing my
virginity. I was either going to be split in half or not be able to walk for a
month.

This is going to hurt!

He must have sensed my anxiety,
saying, “I know it’s a little bit frightening. Just you and me like this. If
you want to stop we can. I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to.”

My heart was overflowing with the
love I felt for this man.

“Drew, there isn’t anything I want
more in this world than you right now. I’ve been addicted to you since the
first moment I saw you. If I don’t have you now I am going to implode.”

He held my hands in his. “It is our
first time.” Smiling at me he said, “We are doing this together.”

I cupped his face in my hands. Kissing
him, hoping he needed this as much as I did. Hoping my kiss told him how much
he meant to me. It was a kiss full of hunger, desire, and need.

Drew moved his hands down my back
sending goose bumps over every inch of my body. He gently licked one nipple
then the other. I was turning into an overcooked noodle.

He slid his right hand down my
stomach and between my legs. Slowly his finger glided into my core.

“Jesus, Espe you are going to kill
me. You’re slick, hot, and tight.”

I couldn’t speak. My body was
throbbing with need. All I could do was groan and move my hips against his
hand. I was on the verge of falling over the edge when Drew quickly covered
himself with the condom and positioned himself between my legs.

“I’m going to go slow.” His mushroom
tip was near my center. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said as he kissed my
temple.

All I could do was nod. He gradually
slid into me one slow inch at a time. The pain was intense, yet pleasant. Once he
was in as far as he could go he paused, allowing me time to adjust to his
presence. I ran my hands along his spine, moving under him. We found a rhythm together.
It was growing into a need to devour each other. Becoming faster and harder. I
was experiencing a burning pleasure throughout my entire body. I tightened my
grip on his buttocks. My vision blurred. A feeling so intense was building,
stimulating every nerve ending I had, that I couldn’t breathe. My body was
throbbing. When I thought I couldn’t take any more a sensation like a sneeze
swept through me. My body contracted and pulsed repeatedly around Drew’s shaft.
I felt his body stiffen as he gave one final thrust. His body shivered just
before he collapsed on top of me.

We clung to each other until our
breathing and pounding hearts slowed. Drew rolled to his side, spooning me into
his chest. I liked how I fit into his body. I felt like I belonged there. I was
home. I didn’t want him to let me go.

“Did I hurt you?” Drew asked.

“It hurt and first, but it was well
worth it.” I turned my head just enough for him to see me smiling at him.

He kissed the top of my head saying,
“There’s something about you that makes my insides hum. I am so peaceful right
now.”

“I know what you mean. I’ve never
felt as safe as I do here in your arms.” I pulled his arm tighter around me. “Don’t
let go, okay?”

“Never,” he said.

It wasn’t long before he fell into a
blissful sleep. The whole world faded. All I heard was the beating of his
heart. At the same time my heart was breaking. In less than thirty hours we
were going to be separated.