The Storm by Dreamer

Casey’s nerves were on edge as terrible memories could not be forgotten. As the clouds in the sky grew darker and grew more menacing so did her fear. She continued to ride beside Chris Larabee as he escorted her home. Casey urged her horse faster wanting to get indoors as soon as possible.

Casey knew from experience that even the shelter of her home wouldn’t be enough to protect her from the storm. The terrible nightmares she had kept her from forgetting that terrible storm.

It had just began to rain when she could see the cabin she shared with her aunt. Smoke was coming out of the chimney to be swept violently away by the wind.

The wind was howling around them as the rode towards the cabin. Suddenly lightning flashed near by and Casey was gripped with terror. How she stayed on the horse was a mystery but Chris had to pull her to a stop.

“Casey!” Chris yelled as he helped her of the horse. “What’s the matter with you?”

Normally Casey would cringe at Chris’s harsh words but she couldn’t hear him. All she could hear was the thunder and rain echoing her nightmares.

“Damn!” Chris swore as he noticed how white she become and the far away look in her eyes.

Knowing he had to get her out of the rain he led her to the cabin. When she nearly stumbled twice he picked her up and hurried to the door.

“Mrs. Wells?” Chris called to Casey’s Aunt.

Chris place Casey down on her feet but she just stood there without moving.

“I’ll be right back.” Chris went to go see to the horses. He swore when he noticed that Mrs. Wells mare wasn’t in her stall.

He had been hoping to find the elderly woman so she could deal with her niece. Chris had seen many shell shocked men during the war but never had he seen it in a woman. He really didn’t want to be here right now. He almost wished he never offered to escort her home.

When he returned to the cabin Casey was still standing where he placed her. A pool of water was forming at her feet.

“Casey!” Chris tried to get her attention. “You need to go change.”

When she continued to stand there Chris grabbed her arms and gave her a gentle shake.

Chris swore under his breath as he removed her hat and coat. She was completely soaked to the skin. He sat her down on a chair and took off her boots.

“Casey? Come on you need to snap out of this,” Chris’s voice was gentle. He pushed back her wet hair out of her face.

“Look at me,” he coaxed soothingly.

Thankfully the storm seemed to be quieting down and Casey looked at Chris. She blinked confused at first then she heard the wind outside.

“I need to go change.” Casey said realizing she was soaked.

“Thank you,” Chris muttered sarcastically under his breath when she closed her bedroom door. The last thing he wanted to do was play nurse maid to a young girl.

Chris pulled out his spare clothes from his saddle bag he brought in and changed as quickly as he could. He then went to the small cooking area and noticed the note.

Casey,

Nathan needed me to help with Mrs. O’learys baby. Looks like were in for a terrible storm. Whiskey is in the pantry behind the rice. It will be OK.

Love N

Chris looked at the note and twisted his mouth in a lopsided grin. He could use a drink.

He had just finished pouring himself some whiskey when Casey came out.

“You OK?” Chris asked.

Casey was nervous. Much more nervous then she tended to be around him. It was the same nervousness that you get when you sense danger nearby. She sensed that Chris was dangerous but not to her. If anything his presence radiated safety.

He didn’t particularly like storms but he didn’t know why Casey seemed so afraid of them.

“Fine,” Casey looked Chris in the eye and lied. “I’ll be fine if you want to go.”

“Not going anywhere for a while,” Chris said knowing it was suicide to be on horseback while the sky was lightning up.

“Oh. I’ll make some coffee.” Casey put the kettle on then noticed the bottle. She relaxed a little seeing it was there. Her hands only shook a little.

“Are...Are you hungry?” At Chris’s nod she dished them both some stew her aunt had left cooking.

They ate in silence but Chris continued to watch Casey. He knew the storm would get worse before the night was through.

“What’s wrong?” Chris asked after a while.

“What do you mean?” Casey shrugged not wanting to talk about it.

“Casey,” Chris said in a menacing tone that could not be evaded.

“I...I am scared of storms.”

“I could of guessed that. Why?”

Casey looked at Chris silently begging him to not make her say it.

“Casey, I need to know if your going to be...”

Suddenly a flash of lightning lit up the night sky and a second later thunder seemed to shake the small cabin.

Chris watched as Casey struggled to control the terror before reaching for the bottle of whiskey. He expected her to take a delicate swig and recoil from the taste. Instead she started to gulp it down. She had taken at least four large swallows before he took it away from her.

“Feel better?”

“No,” Casey said as she could feel the whiskey burn her throat but did nothing for her fears.

“What happened?”

“Twister took my parents. My father had just tied me to a tree.” She told how she survived only to endure the storm alone. Later she went to live with her aunt.

“How old were you?”

“Seven,” Casey told him.

Chris got up and finished making the coffee. Somehow he found himself softening towards her. He had spent many nights alone on the trail during some of the most horrific storms he had ever witnessed. As a grown man he knew he could do little to protect himself to the will of mother nature. He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like as a child.

They went to go sit on the sofa as the storm began to build.

“What can I do to help?”

“I don’t know. I used to just drink until I passed out. Last few times all it did was make me ill.”

Casey jumped as lightning went off again and again. She wrapped her arms around her legs and tried to hide her head in her lap.

Chris swore and pulled her on to his lap. “Your going to fall.”

“Hold on to me. I’ll keep you safe.” Chris held her protectively half wondering what he got himself into.

Casey buried her face in Chris’s chest. slowly she began to relax. Her pulse stopped racing and her heart left her throat and settled back in her chest. When her panic subsided she started to notice the man.

His body was all hard lean muscle. She could feel his flesh under her hands with only a thin layer of flannel between them. She could feel his heat. The man radiated strength and made Casey feel safe and protected.

Casey relaxed in his arms and closed her eyes. As Casey let Chris soothe her terror Chris had his own problem. Unknowingly Casey kept snuggling closer to him. She would shift as if trying to get as much of her against him as possible. If it were not for the fact that she only accidentally rubbed against him in the ‘right’ way her would have sworn she was doing it on purpose.

Chris tried to tell himself she was only a young girl but he knew for a fact she was twenty- four years old. He had over heard Mary tell Casey she needed to grow up and start acting and dressing her age.

Her bulky boys clothes hid the curves of her female body. Now she wore a plain cotton blouse and a long skirt. Nothing overly erotic about her outfit but it did hug her curves rather nicely. A button was missing at the top allowing a hint of cleavage to be seen from the angle he was in.

He tore his eyes away from her creamy white skin and looked down at her feet. He thought there could be nothing erotic about feet but he was wrong.

Her feet was bare and her skirt was half way up to knee. Her abandoned socks were lying on the sofa beside them.

Almost without thought his hand rested on her foot. He was surprised that they were warm chasing away the lingering chill from his fingers. He was absently massaging her foot and inching higher to her ankle when the storm increased its fury.

Casey let out a pitiful squeak and hid her face in his shirt. He could feel her tense body shake with fear.

“Casey,” Chris said as he forced her to look at him. “I am not going to let anything bad happen. It’s all right. I am here.”

Casey barely heard him but she managed a small nod of her head. She tied to relax but the storm continued releasing its rage on the small cabin.

“Casey,” Chris said tenderly as he kissed her.

He meant it to distract her from the storm. He knew he could. During his carefree days of his youth their wasn’t a women who could resist his kiss. He felt her grow still in his arms as if in shock then slowly melt against him.

Casey barely heard the thunder. Only the most violent caused her to jump in fright but Chris kept up his seductive spell around her and she relaxed. He had one hand in her hair at the back of her neck and the other was on her leg just above her thigh.

The only coherent thought Casey had was this was so much better then whiskey. Chris on the other hand was wishing he drank more. He could use some help to calm the fire inside him. He couldn’t remember when he had enjoyed kissing a woman as much as Casey. Usually the kissing was just a prelude to sex.

He knew that he mustn’t give in to his base desires. His hand kept straying higher until it rested on the curve of her buttocks. It would be so easy to reach around and start stroking her flame to a feverous pitch.

Chris fought his desire to seduce her and relaxed into the kiss. He was sure he was going to embarrass himself at any moment with the way she kept wiggling on his lap.

Chris left her lips for a moment and kissed and nuzzled her neck. his teeth lightly scraped her neck and he felt her shudder. He smiled and caressed her with the stubble on his cheek. He was rewarded when she gasped and held on to him while he teased her.

Then he caught sight of the flesh that the missing button left unprotected. He kissed and nuzzled her until he realized his other hand was so close to her intimate flesh he could feel her heat.

“Damn,” Chris swore.

“What’s wrong?” Casey asked them boldly kissed his neck.

Chris moaned and leaned back as he soft warm lips and delicate tongue was weakening his resolve to not take it any further. His eyes closed in blissful frustration and she straddled his legs to get better reach to his neck and she was kissing that spot behind his ear that made him wild.

Chris used the last of his self control and held her away from him.

“Didn’t you like that?” Casey asked uncertain as he got up off the sofa.

“I loved it. Your about to find out how much if I don’t get some control over myself.”

Casey smiled and held out her arms for him.

Chris groaned as he looked at her. Her hair was a mess, her lips were red and swollen and her neck was covered in love marks. Casey looked like a woman who had been made love to and enjoyed every minute. If he didn’t get control she soon would more then just look like it.

Casey felt his stare of longing and desire burn right through her. Never had she felt so much. She needed him. She needed to feel him, to taste him to experience all that was Chris Larabee.

Chris closed the distance and held her in a fierce protective yet possessive embrace. His lips were gentle yet purposeful. He slipped his tongue between her parted lips to explore and moaned as she did the same to him.

“Casey,” Chris moaned as he pulled away. “I think it would be better if I stayed in the barn.”

“No. Please stay with me,” Casey pleaded.

“The storm is passing. Should be gone soon.” Chris couldn’t help but steal another kiss before he left the small cabin.