Unforgettable Embrace Read online

  "Here we are," Batt broke into her reverie, "Keel beach."

  "It's mesmerising," Rachel sighed.

  "It sure is," Batt agreed, "fancy an ice cream and a walk on the beach?"

  "That would be lovely, the ice creams are my treat."

  They spent a very enjoyable afternoon walking and chatting. Rachel wondered if they would ever run out of conversation, but they could talk about anything, it seemed. Any silences were companionable, not remotely awkward.

  "This is bin heaven," Rachel said.

  "Sorry?" Batt looked bemused.

  "I've already counted eight public rubbish bins, in less than a few kilometres," Rachel explained, "and they are wide open, no bars blocking them. It can be so difficult sometimes to find a place to get rid of my rubbish, living in the campervan. You'd be amazed at how few public rubbish bins there are in some parts of the country. It's like all the bins have died and come to Keel beach."

  "Cheers to bin heaven then," Batt raised his Coke in a toast.

  "Cheers," Rachel laughed.

  Chapter 29

  "I'm starving," Rachel said, her stomach grumbling loudly, as if to prove her point.

  "Me too, actually," Batt said, "fancy Indian for dinner? There's a fantastic Indian restaurant on the way back to my place. Well, it's a few kilometres from my house, in Belmullet, but it's the best Indian food I've had anywhere."

  "Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing?" Rachel asked, "I feel like I've been monopolising all your time over the past few days."

  "Not at all, you can monopolise my time any time you want," Batt winked cheekily at her. "Well in that case, Indian sounds perfect," Rachel agreed.

  They sped along the road at a much faster pace than earlier. Clearly, their hunger was driving them along. They arrived at the Indian just after it opened at half past five. Batt seemed to be well-known and well-liked at the restaurant as he was greeted with big smiles and shown immediately to a window table. He knew the waitresses and manager by their first names, as they knew him. The restaurant was almost full already. It was small, but cosy, with candles on each table and a real flower in each vase, which Rachel thought was a nice touch. A little Christmas tree stood in the reception area and twinkling fairy lights hung from the window.

  Batt ordered a chicken curry and Rachel ordered the vindaloo.

  Batt looked at her in surprise "vindaloo? Do you realise how hot it is?"

  "I learned the hard way, loo was the operative word for me the day after my first vindaloo." Batt laughed, "I couldn't eat anything that spicy hot. Medium hot chicken curry is about as spicy as I can take."

  "Vindaloo's an acquired taste, not for the faint-hearted but I enjoy it very much now. The hotter and spicier the better. An ex-colleague of mine used to eat raw chillies and she said she could taste their sweetness, not their heat. Yogurt is great afterwards, helps to cool the mouth." "Good tip," Batt said, "I'll remember that if anyone tries to force feed me vindaloo."

  Rachel and Batt spent the evening laughing and eating and talking. Their food was delicious. The vindaloo was even spicier than Rachel was accustomed.

  "Sweating again," Batt laughed, handing her a napkin to wipe her damp forehead.

  "I know, it's the story of me and the men I date."

  "Are we on a date?" Batt teased, his eyes dancing.

  "Well, um, there are many different types of dates," Rachel was desperately trying to cover the fact that she'd blurted the "date" word, "there are romantic dates, of course, then are platonic dates like the dates my friends and I have together when we go out to dinner or to a pub."

  "And how would you define this evening?" Batt grinned.

  Rachel was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable now. "I dunno," she shrugged, sipping her water, "excuse me, I need to use the ladies."

  She dashed away from the table and almost ran to the loo. She suddenly felt very tired, drained even. She looked at herself in the mirror.

  "What are you doing?" she asked herself. She was filled with the urge to run away. She knew Batt was only joking with her, but she wished she could just magic herself back to her campervan and drive away. Instead she sat on the toilet for a very long time, safe inside the small cubicle. Twenty minutes passed before she finally decided she'd better make her way back to Batt before he sent in a search party to rescue her. She got up unwillingly, washed her hands and splashed water on her face. She made her way slowly back to the table.

  Batt was the picture of concern.

  "Hey, Rach, are you ok?" he asked, looking worried, "I didn't mean to upset you earlier. I was only teasing. Maybe I went too far, I'm sorry."

  "No, you didn't upset me, I just feel tired. Do you mind if we head away?"

  "Course not, I've already paid the bill, so we can go now, if you'd like."

  They left the restaurant in silence and Batt helped her onto the motorbike. It was dark now, and the night air was frosty. The stars were twinkling in the sky and it was almost a full moon. The fresh air made Rachel feel a little better. She clung closer to Batt for warmth and he gently patted her knee.

  Batt's house was warm and toasty when they arrived back. Sheba greeted them raucously, as usual, before curling herself up beside the hot Aga. Rachel disentangled herself from her motorbike gear and pulled a chair up beside the Aga, patting Sheba on the head, who happily wagged her tail.

  "She likes you, " Batt said.

  "I like her too," Rachel replied.

  "Cuppa tea?" "Yes please, that'd be lovely."

  They didn't speak for a while, Batt busied himself with the tea- making while Rachel stroked Sheba, who was enjoying the attention.

  "Is everything ok?" Batt asked eventually.

  They were in the living room now, sitting by the fire, watching the flames dance shadows along the wall.

  "I don't know, I really don't know what's wrong with me," and she suddenly burst into tears. "You're ok, baby, you're ok," he comforted, pulling her into his arms.

  She sank into his chest, crying deep, heaving sobs. He held her close, stroking her hair gently.

  Eventually her sobs subsided, but she stayed in the safety of his arms and he still held her close. She could hear his heart beat in his chest, strong and steady. It was comforting to listen to the rhythm. She sighed loudly and he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. His rough hand stroked her cheek, wiping the tears away. He kept looking into her eyes and she into his. He bent lower and kissed her mouth, so softly, it felt like a whisper. She closed her eyes and he continued kissing her gently. He kissed every part of her face, her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. She could taste the salt of her own tears on his mouth. She slowly started to respond to him, feeling something deep within her stirring. Her kisses became more urgent, more probing.

  She smiled shyly at him, holding herself back for a moment, slightly afraid of what was about to happen next, but still desperately wanting it to happen. It had been so long since she'd been with a man, too long. He leaned in towards her, kissing her slowly on the mouth. He held her lips with his for some time, then gently probed his tongue between her lips. She closed her eyes and met his mouth with hers. He held her face in his hands and softly kissed her neck. He unbuttoned the buttons on her shirt and kneaded her breast with his rough hands. He tweaked her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and playfully bit the pink peak between his teeth. She hoped he couldn't hear how loud and fast her heart was thumping in her chest. His hands were on her buttocks now, caressing her. She wanted to melt. He unzipped her jeans and pulled them down over her hips.

  He was kissing her passionately now. Rachel had never been kissed like that before. His hands caressed her thighs, making teasing circles as his fingers made their way higher and higher. She moaned as he grazed his hand along the top of her thigh. “Open your legs,” he said hoarsely, pushing her legs apart. He pulled her knickers off unceremoniously and started to play with her clitoris. She gasped as he varied the pressure from soft to hard and back to soft again. He stood her in
front of the fire and told her to close her eyes.

  He stood behind her, lifting her hair and kissing her neck. He moved his hands along her body, within millimetres of her skin, but not quite touching her. She could feel goose bumps and the hairs on her body standing on end. He traced the outline of her body, very close, but not touching her. She wanted to scream, she wanted him so much. She never thought that not being touched could be even more tantalising than actually being touched. She thought she was going to explode with her desire for him. He continued playing with her, teasing her. She longed for him, to feel him on top of her, inside her.

  “Please,” she said, wanting him to stop caressing her but at the same time wanting him to continue. His fingers moved in more determined circles, working their way lower, until they were almost at her centre. She could feel the first waves building inside her.

  “I want you, make love to me,” she moaned.

  “Not yet, my darling,” he said, “I want you to cum for me first.”

  She lay back against the cushions, letting the waves of pleasure wash over her.

  “I'm cumming, I'm cumming,” she cried, bucking against his hand, which he suddenly pushed inside her, making her gasp.

  “That's it baby,” he said tenderly, “cum for me.” He gazed into her eyes, watching her intently, as she gazed back at him, each wave shaking her whole body.

  He stood over her, undressing. He had a wonderful body, strong and powerful with broad shoulders and a very hairy chest, which Rachel loved. He had a tight, round ass that she just wanted to squeeze. His erection was huge and throbbing. She wanted to bite him, she wanted him that much. He lowered himself on top of her and Rachel opened her legs wide, wrapping them tight around him. He sank into her, slowly pushing himself up and deep into her centre. “You're so wet baby,” he muttered as he entered her. She'd never wanted anyone more in her life. She groaned with the fullness of him. His mouth pressed against hers urgently. She could feel his stubble burning her face but she didn't care. She'd never felt anything like this before.

  He started to move faster inside her. She could feel him growing even harder. He suddenly varied his pace, and slowed down a little. He rolled and she found herself sitting on top of him. “Ride me,” he ordered. She gyrated her hips, feeling him move even higher inside her. He squeezed her nipples and massaged her breasts. He grabbed her waist and moved her even faster on top of him. His eyes rolled with pleasure.

  He traced his fingers lower on her abdomen, and started playing with her clitoris.

  “Oh God, I want to cum again,” she moaned. He pushed her onto her back again, holding her arms down and started to ride her fast and hard. She gasped. His hands were on her buttocks, pushing himself deeper and deeper into her centre. “I'm cumming,” he yelled, thrusting hard up inside her. Rachel could feel a sudden heat inside, as her own body shook again with her own orgasm and he exploded into her. She clung to him tightly and he clung to her.

  Afterwards, he wrapped her tight in his arms and held her close to his chest, like he never wanted to let her go. He kissed her face gently and brushed her hair from her eyes. She could feel his heartbeat return to normal. It was a strong and solid beat. She felt completely overwhelmed. She had never experienced anything with anyone that even came close to what she had just felt with Batt.

  “That was amazing,” he whispered.

  “I know,” she whispered back. It seemed as if neither one of them wanted to speak aloud, in case they broke the spell of what had just happened between them.

  They drifted into a deep sleep, wrapped in each other's arms, their bodies entwined. She awoke to feel him between her legs again. He was kissing her inner thighs. She moaned with pleasure as he flicked his tongue over her clitoris, sucking and kissing her mound. He stuck his tongue inside her, tasting her juices. He kissed her and she could taste herself in his mouth. The taste was surprisingly sweet. He knelt over her, showing her his growing erection. She took him in her mouth, working her tongue along his shaft. She tickled his balls with her hot wet tongue, and slowly made her way up to the head. She teased him with her tongue for a while, before taking him all in her mouth. He gasped with pleasure.

  Then she eased herself on to him, taking all of him deep inside her hot wetness. She had her back to him while she moved herself up and down his shaft, all the while playing with her clit, teasing herself and him. Suddenly, he grabbed her and flung her onto the bed, ramming himself inside her. He spanked her ass and bit her neck. She cried out in pain, but it was a pleasurable pain, like nothing she'd ever felt before. She wanted to wrap her whole body inside his.

  He rode her harder and harder until she thought she was going to split open. He pushed her legs wide apart, pulling himself out of her then ramming himself deep into her again. It was an agonising ecstacy for her. She came and came and still he rode her. When she finally couldn't take him anymore, she begged him to stop and he came long and deep and hard inside her one last time. They quickly fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. They stayed in bed together for days, making love, exploring each other’s bodies, dozing in and out of sleep, their bodies wrapped tightly around each other, whispering secrets together. It was almost as if talking aloud would break the magical spell that encapsulated them.

  Chapter 30

  "I love you," Batt whispered in her ear.

  Rachel flinched slightly, her mind raced. It amazed her how many thoughts sparked through her brain in less than a few seconds.

  I love you, she thought, did he just say "I love you" to me? Do I love him? I don't know. I don't think so. God, how do I respond to that? I really do like him a lot already, but I don't feel right saying I love you yet.

  "Me too," she said quickly, kissing him lightly on the lips.

  Batt looked at her quizzically but didn't say anything. She felt a pang for having upset him.

  "Is my campervan ok, Batt?" she asked.

  "Good to go," he said shortly.

  "Thank you for a wonderful few days," she said, hugging him goodbye.

  "Will I see you again?" he asked abruptly.

  "Of course we'll see each other again, darling. I need to finish my trip. I promised myself I would take this year out to travel, and I've only been on the road a few months. Whenever you have a few days free, jump on the motorbike and come and stay with me in the camper. I'd love to see you anytime."

  "I'm so glad you said that," he said, relief written all over his face.

  He hugged her even closer. Rachel started to feel smothered, and was filled with a huge desire to get away from him. She didn't know why, Batt had been nothing but kind to her, but she wanted to get in her campervan and drive away, fast.

  She clambered into her campervan, waving goodbye to Batt. She drove down the hill, past the glorious lake and on through the town of Bangor. The place was busy with farmers and the locals going about their daily chores. Rachel was relieved to be back on the road. Her mind was racing. Why am I feeling like this? She asked herself. The further she drove, the better she felt. She was starting to realise that she felt trapped and claustrophobic that last day at Batt's house, but she couldn't figure out why. She decided to block it out of her mind for now and just concentrate on driving and the wild scenery around her.

  She was heading towards Castlebar, which was supposedly the shopping capital of Mayo. Another windy, bumpy road to drive on, she thought, holding tight to the steering wheel. The roads in Ireland are notorious for being in poor condition but the roads in Mayo were horrendous. It's not so bad for the people driving in cars, she mused, swerving again to avoid hitting another oncoming vehicle, but they should try driving this thing. The speed limit was a hundred kilometres an hour, but realistically Rachel couldn't do more than sixty in her campervan, which was quite cumbersome to drive on the narrow, twisting roads.

  An hour later she arrived in Castlebar. She spotted a shopping centre with a large parking area, and pulled in and parked the campervan. She made herself a cup of tea and was rel
ieved at being alone again in her little mobile house. Right, she said to herself briskly, time to go shopping, mingle with people again, shake off the cobwebs of the last few days. She grabbed her handbag, locked the campervan and headed off into the crowds. The town looked wonderfully festive. The Christmas lights were already switched on, and the shops had trees and Christmas scenes displayed in their windows. Rachel was starting to perk up already. She spent a very pleasant few hours buying presents for her friends and family. She considered buying something for Batt, but decided to hold off on it for a while. She stocked up on food in the supermarket, and decided to sleep overnight in the car park.

  She texted her friends. She felt bad for neglecting them for a while. Jen called her straight back.

  "Hey stranger, long time no see!" she said.

  "Hi Jen," Rachel said apologetically. “Sorry it's been a while."

  "No worries girl, so what have you been up to and when are we going to see you again? We miss you a lot and I've got a wedding to plan in case you've forgotten."