Secret Garden

[Lovely]

October 23, 2008
11pm
Veinna Estate - Gardens/Grounds
Follows Marc's exit from: Whatever it takes


He was in no hurry to have another run-in with Rory and his new little guest any time soon. The b*tch had made his skin crawl and not the way he liked it. He steered clear of the rooms completely for that, but partly other reasons. He needed his head clear, his thoughts focused on something... else. He stepped out for some fresh air, welcoming the autumn breeze. Though it was barely there, it was enough to carry the scents that had Marc's thoughts scrambled already.. her deliciously light perfume with a hint more ripeness in it. He'd have to have a chat with her about that, making him think what he was while on duty though it made him smile more than he had for some time.

Before coming outside, she'd been up in her room pacing and feeling restless, Lily wasn't sure what the cause was but her room felt too warm and closed up. Maybe it was her thoughts, ones that often turned to a certain family member.. her guard and protector. Regardless of how the others saw Marc, she thought of him as family and maybe moreso now that she knew she wanted to be with him. Troubled by the situation and being too aroused to stay still, she'd snuck out into the garden for some fresh air and a cool breeze. It didn't seem to be working, maybe she had a fever? She wasn't burning up but felt unusually warm, she hadn't even put a robe on. She wore only the short silk nightgown with it's thin straps against her slender shoulders. She cleared her throat softly, but it sounded more like a moan or whimper of need, her hands rubbed over her neck and just at the top of her chest, then pushed back up to lift her hair off her neck. Hoping for a breeze to kick up and cool her down, though it did little to ease the ache and desire that slowly built inside her for a man who was forbidden.

Not intending to be any more silent than his usually stealthy and quiet steps took him, he wandered closer toward her into the depths of the blooming garden and away from the main house. A tiny gasp, sounding delightfully frustrated, perked his sensitive ears and made him nearly chuckle out loud. Startling her wasn't his intention. He purposely strode over the gravel and even coughed quietly to alert her he was there in the shadows this time.

She turned partway, hearing the sound behind her and peering to see who was there, with her fingers still tangled in her hair and her locks held off her neck she smiled sweetly at him. "Marcus..?" She called softly, her voice low and hushed and tinted with a huskiness that wasn't usually there. Her soft pink lips remained gently parted as she cast a glance over him.

He was distracted enough by her already, he wasn't sure at first who else might be watching, listening, though he glanced around the fronds and branches to catch any sense of movement from his packmates or other restless denizens of the expansive estate. "Young miss Veinna... hope I didn't scare you," he said, steeping himself as much in his role as he could without gagging on the ruse. He found it far easier to blurt the truth and avoid pretense then apologize for the bruises left behind. It made him ill to hide in plain sight, but he had to or risk losing far too much. "I didn't scare you, I hope. The boys didn't mention you were out here. I thought you might be a rabbit. Glad to find you're not."

"Since when did you stop calling me Lily?" She asked, more bothered by that at the moment and her pout wasn't for show, she was hurt by the distance and his official manner. Did this mean that they couldn't even be friends now? That thought pained and worried her though she tried not to show it, turning her attention to what else he'd said. She laughed a little, though it didn't quite sound like her normal cheery self. "No, not a rabbit.. I didn't tell anyone I was coming out. I couldn't sleep and my room was so warm.. I needed air.. I came down the wall off my balcony." She admitted softly, her green eyes reflecting the more distant lights of the grounds.

Marcus looked back to the house to see how she might have tumbled over that ledge so gracefully to be down here without a scratch or a second thought... apparently with practice. He approved though he wasn't supposed to. "Unconventional methods... you know I'll have to log that in the book tonight," he said, somewhat as a challenge. She could sweettalk him out of it quite easily. "...Eventually. It's a nice night, hm? Cooling down?" He had his suspicions she definitely wasn't with the way the light hit her eyes, how distracted she seemed as well.

[Lovely]

The look of hurt crossed her face again and she actually looked away for a moment so she could compose herself. Why did she have to like him so much? and why did he have to be so damn attractive? Even when he was being .. less friendly she still adored him and felt pulled toward him. Maybe if she tried a little harder he'd soften up a little and be the Marc he usually was when they were away from the others. She turned back to him, stepping closer. "Aww do you really have to log it? Can't you just let it slide..?" She batted her lashes at him and gave a slight pleading look, pouting a bit, but this time in a more cute manner. "Marc.. please.. you don't understand.. I -had- to get out of that room.. don't rat me out.. please.. for me?"

"Hmm... I don't know," he said, seeming further to play his guardian role void of feeling or compassion. He raised his hand to brush a knuckle gently down her cheek. His touch would tell her the truth of how glad he was to have her near. "Two exceptions in a month. You're sure to be the death of me. But...," he leaned closer, his fingertips resting on her pulse on her neck. "Since you're here and no one knows besides me, I'll make another exception."

He touched her and she felt like the ground shifted under her feet, the strong effect his gentle touch had on her was clear and he'd feel her pulse quicken beneath his fingers. She bit her lip, her breath a little heavier as the ache built inside, it was becoming a familiar sensation when he was near. She shifted against it slightly, moving closer to him, looking up at his face, longing to kiss him and taste his lips and tongue. "You'll have to think of a way to let me thank you. Or let me think of one.. or several.."

He nodded to the bench behind her for a start. He was still cautiously listening, making sure first they were alone. "Come sit here before you do catch a chill... though I should take you inside," he said, nearly kissing her, but not quite, not until he was certain he could.

"I don't want to go inside." She murmured softly, running her hands over her arms and shifting to curl down onto the bench next to him. "I'm not cold." She stretched her arm out a bit to show him, though elsewhere beneath her slip of a nightgown it might appear she was chilled. After displaying her arm she reached for his hand to bring it to her neck to let him feel how warm she was.

He sat beside her, his arms outstretched along the back of the bench, his gaze walking over her as she showed the smooth pale arm. He hoped perhaps she might enjoy a little chill though not from the October night air. "I'm not going to take you inside, I promise," he said softly, leaning a bit toward her, encouraging her to curl up to him for warmth.

She'd tried and was a little frustrated that he was keeping his distance so well, she'd tried to encourage him by bringing his hand to her neck and he stretched his arms across the back of the bench. Then again he seemed to be leaning toward her like he wanted her closer. Talk about mixed signals! It did not help in the least that his pressence seemed to scramble her brain and all she could think about what that night after the fight with Jaime, the way Marc had touched her, the feel of his tongue sweeping over her skin.. Her mouth parted slightly in a soft sigh at the memory that made her lean toward him and try for a kiss.

He obliged the kiss, encouraging her indulgence. Perhaps she'd understand just how hard it was for him to maintain the slight hold he had on his self control once her lips swept over his and she could taste the desire on his own tongue. He was due to be off duty in a matter of minutes and Mitch would be making his rounds, however. Once he was off his master's clock, his time and his soul returned to him to do as he pleased and what pleased him most was sitting behind him. His arm curled around her shoulder to hold her closer.

She wasn't that warm compared to him, his body heat radiated to her and she found it comforting despite already feeling slightly feverish. The desire she tasted, though he held himself back was sweet and spice and she reached to taste more of it, deepening the kiss.

"Much better, hm?" He murmured with hardly enough volume for a whisper. He didn't dare speak too loudly. "Lily... I know a little place..." He made the suggestion, his gaze full with as many promises as the spice that heated the kiss.

[Lovely]

"Mmm." She smiled, gazing up at him with her own desire burning in her eyes, her head nodded slightly to his suggestion. "Alright.. " The thought of going off someplace with him, just the two of them alone for a little while.. yeah, she definitely liked that idea. "..but only if you kiss me some more." She teased, just a little.

"More than just some. Come take a walk with me," he said, getting a whiff in the air that Mitch wasn't overly far away and likely smelled them both. They needed to be further from the house and he knew just where to take her where he'd retreated to be alone with thoughts at times. "I promise it will help relieve your fever."

"Yes, a walk with you sounds .. like just what I need." As did more kisses, though whether or not walking would be very comfortable with her increasing ache for him was another story. She'd manage if it meant being in his arms for awhile and having him fuel her desire. She started to reach for his hand but only got as far as his leg, running her hand over the top of his thigh.

He half growled and half chuckled as her fingers strayed dangerously. Not here, not yet, he considered, feeling that the eyes of the house watched them even hidden here among the roses and ferns. He laced her fingers a moment. "Or I can just carry you away," he suggested, nodding toward the path that would take them part of the way toward the family's orchards that were already plucked of their fruit and forgetten, ready for winter. "Down there... The breeze through there is perfect nearly always," he promised with another kiss that chased and teased her to follow him.

"Mmmm." She moved with him, tempted and chasing after more, she couldn't get enough of his kisses.. of him in general. She was excited by the quiet sound of his growl and nipped lightly at his lower lip as she rose up off the bench, twisting to keep contact with him. "Carrying me might get us away from here faster, plus I won't touch the ground and leave my scent for anyone to follow."

He stood partway, leaning to scoop her suddenly and effortlessly from the path into the crook of his arms. He could feel how thin the chemise was now and her scent so close from all over her made him growl softly again. "Hold tight," he recommended, offering another kiss.

She kissed him and whimpered softly into it, attracted by the sound of his growl, she curled and clung more closely. The scent of him filling her nostrils as she trailed kisses over his neck made the muscles of her thighs tense as her core reacted to him.

His long-legged pace drew them down the path quickly and quietly, further from the shadows in the garden to the filtered moonlight of the orchard. The slight breeze in the orchard drifted in their favor taking their scents down to the meadows and lake beyond and away from the boys. It would be an hour, maybe more, before Mitch made his way around the perimeter of the grounds. There was an old fell tree that made a barrier from the view of the path, nearly invisible unless it was known to be there. Behind it was a patch of dry earth covered in a canopy of low branches still burdened with leaves that would only hold on until the next snow stripped them down. They provided a delicate screen for the moonlight to peek through. He set her down here for her to tunnel first beneath the branches. "Put this around you and go through there. I'm right behind you," he said, slipping out of his soft flanneled shirt, leaving him bare-chested but giving her delicate skin protection from the scratches.

He set her down and was taking his shirt off as she turned to face him, her breath inhaled sharply and her gaze roamed over him hungrily. She felt warmer than before and wondered if she might be blushing all over, it was too hard to resist reaching her hand out to run over the muscle he revealed, her fingers were soft against his chest. "Thank you." She spoke in barely more than a husky whisper, her tongue drifting across her lips. She didn't want the shirt, she felt more than warm enough but took it anyway and slipped it around her. A deep breath brought his strong masculine scent to her sensitive and already over stimulated senses. His shirt smelled so good, she felt her mouth water, it was difficult to turn and head through the brush to the little hideaway but she forced herself to do so.

[Lovely]

A quiet snarl of anticipation worked wetly through the curl of his lip before following her. He could taste her in the air around him and he was hungry to taste more, too hungry to hold himself back any longer. So many times he'd followed her after dinner, or to her class or offered to be her driver, but now he wanted to close that gap a little more. The sound of the word 'mine' may have made it to her ears as he followed quickly, ignoring the sharp fingers of the branches that reached out to his bare shoulders as if trying to keep him from the girl with no success. The gurgle of a small tributary to the creek nearby accompanied their whispers and shifting in their little wooden cave. The air all around them was crisp and cool and alive. "Better, hm?" He smiled, coming up behind her to slip his arm around her and take the shirt away, using it to cover the ground beneath her.

She was sure she heard him say something as he followed her in and her heart beat rapidly with the excitement she felt in response to one word that could have been the rustle of branches. "Mine' the word echoed in her mind as he slid his arm around her and his touch, warm and gentle over her shoulder as he slid the shirt from her caused a soft sigh. She was trembling, though it was cooler here, it didn't seem to ease the ache and her desire for him only seemed to increase. "Yes.. almost.." She twisted in his arms to face him, her chest against his and her green eyes shone with frustration and a deep seated lust that she had almost no control over.

"You must be... now you're shivering," he teased, settling his hands back on her shoulders to feel her tremble, intent on making her quake even more. His eyes were beyond dark in the barest hint of light that reached them through the branches here as he brushed down her shoulders to her hips, reaching for her fingers as he sank down, slowly kneeling before her. "I'll make it better," he smiled up at her, reassuring, promising, tugging gently for her to take a place on the covered ground beside him.

She started to shake her hed about the shivers but realized she was and chuckled softly. "I'm.. not cold.. I think it's you." She admitted, her fingers tightening around his hands and slowly she eased herself down next to him. She wanted so much more and her eyes ran over his torso again, the longing making her scent that much 'nicer' for him. "You will.. how?" The plea was clear in her expression him to make her better, for his touch and kiss.

"Only because of you," he acknowledged as she blamed him for her shivers he hoped she would have more of soon. He pulled her slowly closer as she came down to him. "Beautiful," he muttered softly, offering her the soft kiss finally that he'd been denying her. Here there were no cameras, no observers, no interruptions and he was completely off duty and completely without walls to hide behind, letting her feel everything he'd only shown her glimpses of a few nights before.

She'd been taught that this was forbidden and wrong, but the feel of his lips softly brushing hers was too sweet to resist. Lily sank a little closer to him and reached to balance herself with her arms wrapping around his shoulders. "Marcus.." She murmured as her own kiss began to tug at his lips more demandingly. She could feel him open up and the doubts in her faded away as she felt the truth of his feelings and how the things they had shared effected him. She felt the pull again, that invisible string from within her that reached to him, and connected her to him in a way that defied every rule.

"Shhh... I promised, didn't I?" The draw of her kiss demanded his silence and he obliged. There was no cut to heal tonight though he ran his tongue lightly over her pout as he ran his palms down past her shoulders, down her sides again to hold her steady so she could explore as she wished. He felt her breath beneath the thin chemise, the rise and fall of her chest revealing more more shivers from his touch.

"Mmmmhmm.." She agreed and that was all the answer she could manage as he encouraged her, her kiss growing more and more insistant. She may have seemed to be the one pushing things further but in truth she was acting on instict and following his lead, encouraged by his actions and responses to hers. Her hands drifted over his shoulders and arms, up over his chest and then down again to find his buckle. She could feel his heat, she wanted to touch it and taste it, her tongue reaching more bodly for his as if showing him how she might use it elsewhere.