Tapestries 03 - Woven Dreams by N. J. Walters

Totally naked with the water lapping at her waist, Genny raised her arm and absently ran a small piece of soap over her skin. The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, giving her an otherworldly appearance. Like a water nymph from myth and legend, he expected her to disappear beneath the surface of the river any moment.
    He must have made some sound because her head whipped around, sending a shower of water droplets from her wet hair arching through the air. Her arms folded protectively across her chest and she shrank back into the water.
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    He felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. He’d been right. She could not bear him in the light of day. The beat of his heart was painful against his chest and he raised his hand to absently rub the ache.
    Then she smiled at him.
    It was if the sun had come out at the end of a storm, brightening the entire world.
    Genny smiled shyly and slowly unwound her arms, baring her breasts. “You frightened me. With the sunlight shining on the shoreline, for a moment I couldn’t see who was there.”
    He swallowed the lump in his throat. She’d given him something he’d never expected. Acceptance. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” His voice was harsh, but there was no help for it. The last year had changed him, made him tougher both physically and mentally. His emotions had been closed off in order for him to survive. He yearned for the young man he’d been and reached back to find some of the gentleness he’d once possessed.
    Lust flowed through his veins and fired his blood. He wanted Genny with every fiber of his being. All his muscles flexed and tightened until he felt as if his entire body was forged of stone. His cock jerked inside his pants, demanding release. Craving satisfaction.
    His continued silence was making her nervous. He could tell by the way her smile slowly faded and her fingers clenched the soap tight. “How is the water?” The corners of her mouth lifted again. “It’s wonderful. Cool and refreshing.” She laughed as she sank into the water and leisurely swam toward the small waterfall that cascaded over a twelve foot drop of rocks. “You didn’t tell me about the falls.” She paddled back to toward him and stood, lurching a bit as she found her footing on the rocky bottom.
    “I wanted it to be a surprise.” Her pleasure filled him, becoming his own. “Genny,” he began, knowing he had to ask her. “Do you want to leave here and go to Bakra Castle? We can be there by tonight and you could spend your night in a soft bed. We would have tomorrow at the castle.”
    “No!” She stepped backward and stumbled slightly. “No,” she repeated, this time more calmly. “I’d rather stay here. If I’m only going to be here for two more days, then what’s the point of wasting time?”
    Her continued assertion that she was leaving angered him, but he didn’t let any of that anger show as he nodded. “As you wish.” There would be plenty of time to take her home once he and Garrik convinced her to stay with them. Besides, until he discovered what she was hiding from them, he preferred that they keep her to themselves.
    Genny smiled, her good mood restored. “That’s settled then.” Jarmon removed his vest, tossing it to the ground. His sword was next. Unbuckling his belt, he carefully propped his sword against a rock. He could feel her eyes on him as he bent over and yanked first one boot and then the other off his feet. With his hands on 46
    the laces of his pants, he paused. “Genny?” Both of them knew what would happen if he stepped into that water with her.
    Gliding though the water, she returned to the center of the small pool. Resting her hand against a large, flat boulder that sat in the middle of the slow-flowing river, she stood. The water cascaded down her body. Her wet hair clung to her arms and chest.
    One of her breasts was almost completely draped in thick, brown tresses, but he could see the hard point of her nipple poking