I was jolted from a dream filled sleep by a clap of thunder and the persistent sound of a tree limb tapping out Morse code on the window nearest the Bradfords' bed. The wind outside was howling like a wounded banshee, and from the racket of the rain on the window and Bradford House's rotted timbers, that screaming gale was sending those hapless droplets in a horizontal trajectory through the rumbling sky smack into Bradford House. The force of it was tremendous, the clatter deafening. . Between the wailing of the wind, the incessant pounding of the rain, and the mysterious message of the tree limb, it seemed as if all of them were competing for the attention of Bradford House...or perhaps of Cheryl and I. In any event, the storm had definitely returned...with a vengeance.
I looked over at my Cheryl to find her already awake. Though her eyes were glowing as they met mine, it was light reflected from the crackling fire, not the green glow of ghostly lust. Those lovely blue eyes had the look of love in them, and she smiled a smile that melted my heart and took away my breath more than any sex act could ever come close to doing. Just seeing her lying there naked and beautiful, warm to the touch, and looking at me that way made me realize how lucky I was, and am. I returned her smile, feeling every bit of the love for her that she felt for me.
Through those smiling lips she spoke a simple, "Wow."
"Wow, yourself," I returned, chuckling softly and rubbing her cheek with my finger.
"How long have we been out?" she continued, barely heard above the din outside.
"Not a clue, hon. I'd have to get nearer the fire to read my watch, but I'd guess a couple of hours at least. I just feel so rested."
Instantly she reached up and encircled my neck with her arms. "You just forget about reading your watch, my studly ghost hunter. You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here in my arms."
We both chuckled, and the light laughter led to a soft kiss, gentle and lingering. There was no lust in it, just intense love and deep affection. After that kiss, we just gazed into each other's eyes. She ran her fingers through my hair and I again stroked her cheek. We continued to gaze, looking deep into each other's eyes, peering behind them to the souls beneath. Then, having found in each other all that we needed to find, we closed our eyes and kissed for a while, lying entwined in warm embrace, kissing, touching, becoming one.
Several bolts of electric fury jagged through the stormy sky and came to earth very near to the house, waking us from our loving trance. We smiled at each other, the crackling fire reflected both in Cheryl's eyes and mine. With a final kiss we pulled free of each other, reluctantly. We lay on our backs for a few minutes, looking up at the cracked ceiling of the Bradfords' master bedroom, the cracks seeming to dance and play in the erratic firelight.
Finally, I sat up, stretching out a few kinks in my muscles. Apparently, I thought, we had indeed been sleeping for quite some time. My bet was that we'd passed out and remained in that same position for the entire time we slept, as it certainly seemed so from the stiffness in my arms and legs. Looking over at Cheryl I saw her rubbing and stretching as well. Now my curiosity was piqued...I had to know how long we'd slept.
As I hopped off the bed and started toward the fireplace, I had it in the back of my mind to not only check the time, but to also stir up the fire, maybe add some more wood to it. However, one quick look assured me that the fire was just fine....still blazing warm and strong. Checking my watch, I was astonished to find that we'd been in this old room for over five hours! How much of that time had been sleep, and how much had been passion, was anyone's guess. Regardless, the fire that I'd put together with food wrappings and small pieces of rotten wood had blazed, undiminished in the slightest, for several hours. It crackled, hissed and popped as if I had just gotten it going. As I scratched my head in awe I thought I might be hallucinating again, for there came from above the fireplace a low, faint chuckle. I shook my head and told myself I was being an idiot, and turned to go back to Cheryl, still sprawled on the bed watching the ceiling cracks dance and play.
With each step back to the bed I was assured that our lovemaking had been quite long in duration, because I was already beginning to feel a slight ache in my groin. The extreme nature of our unbridled sex was such that I must've thrust and heaved with more force than I ever had before, and consequently used a muscle or two more strenuously than they were used to. I would surely be feeling "the burn" in my groin the next day - a burn, I might add, I hadn't felt since a six hour sex marathon with a nymphomaniac named Laura when I had just graduated college. The memory made me wince.....but smile at the same time...for while she was no nymphomaniac, Cheryl can please me like no other woman I've ever known....and sex with her was worth any amount of pain in my overworked groin.
Putting aside my knowledge that I'd be walking like a little old man the following morning, I strutted back to Cheryl like a rooster in a henhouse. Not only had I created a seemingly eternal flame in a musty old fireplace, but I'd apparently done the same for Cheryl. Her sexual hunger in the last few hours was nothing short of sumptuous...and I had the definite feeling that neither one of us was through just yet. Maybe we'd both be walking a bit slower in the morning. The thought both pleased and amused me.
As I approached the bedside I took a quick glance at the now familiar portrait. The Bradfords had again adopted their lecherous grins, and I doubted the glimmer in their eyes was from the fire below them. And was that desire smoldering behind those glimmering eyes? Shaking my head yet again at my own bizarre musings, I turned back to Cheryl and the huge bed we were both becoming so fond of.
My lady love was sitting yoga style on that bed, holding the bag in one hand. She had already opened it, and was holding up one of it's "toys" with her other hand, a curious smile on her luscious lips. I felt a slight twinge of embarrassment and told her it was just an idea....from something she'd mentioned years ago. Then, overcoming my misplaced embarrassment, I said, "Hey, wait a minute....you're not supposed to be looking in there anyway."
"Well, lover," she said with a wry smile, "I thought we might be through for the day, and I was just putting the other things back in the bag, innocent as you please..when, lo and behold, what do I find? This little gem." Inspecting the item with hidden glee, she added, "Well, I suppose I should be flattered. It would appear you do listen to me, after all."