Edythe parked up under a canopy of trees, my bones were still rattling from the 4-wheel driving course she had just driven. I was sure the Jeep would need a new set of… Everything that was related to the wheels or shocks. The eight-point harness was worth every minute it took me to put it on.
As she turned the vehicle off, Edythe spoke, "There were a few new ruts since the thaw. Guess I could have taken it a bit slower. But it was fun, right?"
I took my hand off the aptly named 'OH SHIT' handle and gave her what I hoped was a convincing smile. "I think I prefer to run through the forest on foot. Vehicles should be going fast on the road, not up and down mountains."
I had been more uncomfortable going down the trails than going up them surprisingly, but either way wasn't going to get added to my 'do again' list. But still, I liked that she enjoyed it. As I started to take my harness off, I looked at a big clearing not far from us. It was easily a 100-yard clearing that was fully illuminated by the sun.
"Is this clearing our destination?"
Edythe glanced at the clearing, "No. This is where my family plays baseball and sometimes football (Soccer) when we have friends over. Emmett managed to make a ball that didn't explode every time we kicked it. He was very proud, and that was what started him looking into different alloys and materials for a hobby. We can get a good game going when there are thunderstorms in the area. You wouldn't believe the noise we can make during a game."
It struck me as funny, the idea of Vampires getting together to play sports. "That is something I would have to see. I wonder if I would be able to compete?"
Edythe chuckled, "Baseball maybe, but the football would probably break your foot if you tried to kick it."
She opened the driver door, so I followed and got out of the passenger door and walked around to where she was standing. I looked at my phone and saw we had about 2 hours of light left. "So, where to then, trail guide?"
There is a spot about 3 miles east of here that I would like to get to. If we had a full day, I would have taken you to some natural hot springs I found in a valley, but that will have to wait for another day."
My mind ran a little wild at the idea of the hot springs, Edythe in a bathing suit… Edythe NOT in a bathing suit… Ahh, the possibilities. I reined in my imagination and was once again glad she couldn't read my mind all the time.
While I was dazed thinking about the springs, Edythe grabbed a picnic basket from the back of the Jeep and rejoined me. "If we take too long, you may have to shift to get there before the sun gets too low."
"You lead and I will follow, dear." God's, I was sounding hen-pecked already.
Edythe started walking away from the Jeep, and I followed. We moved at a good pace for about 45 minutes, and I had already decided that on the way back, it was going to be on all fours for me. My slow tiger walk was twice as fast as this. We could make the trip in minutes at a full run, if not faster. The only thing making this bearable was watching the figure walking in front of me. She wore hiking boots, skintight blue jeans, and a cream-colored button-up shirt that was tucked in. Her hair was in a ponytail, minus the few strands that escaped to flow in the air. A true vision of beauty in my eyes.
Before I knew it, Edythe turned and started straight up a mountainside, "It's just up here."
As I followed her, the climb got a bit rougher, requiring my hands as much as my feet in places. But when we got to the top, it reminded me of standing on a tower. The top was clear of any trees, and you had a view of the surrounding mountains. I looked around and saw clouds hanging in nearby valleys, and the colors of spring were everywhere. It was a wonderful view. I turned to share my excitement with Edythe, but as I was turning, she quickly said, "Don't! Not yet. Please!"
I froze where I was. Forcing my eyes not to turn towards her. I wanted to assure her that nothing the sun could show me would make me think any less of her, but my mind was only coming up with lame assurances. "Edythe, it's okay. You don't have to worry."
I heard some cloth rustle, and my hearing took in the sound of buttons sliding through cloth. I took a deep breath and swallowed.
"Okay, I think I'm ready."
I looked at the ground and turned in her direction fully, intending on looking up slowly. But a sparkle drew my eyes, and before I could stop myself, I looked directly at her, taking it all in. She had taken her shirt off, and all the skin that the light touched glittered like a polished stone. Colors I couldn't immediately recognize sparkled off her skin, jumping out at my eyes and messing with my depth perception. The curves of her face were almost mirror-like as they reflected the sun, but the even spots just sparkled. Every color was a shade of white and yellow at different spectrums.
She held her arms over her chest, though I could see glimpses of what looked like a sports bra beneath them. Her eyes were closed, and she looked like she was about to step back into the shade of a tree. Everything about her right now screamed vulnerable. The closed eye, the trembling chin, the slightly turned head as if waiting to hear words of disappointment or horror.
I moved towards her and put my hands on her shoulders. She almost flinched away. "You are gorgeous, my Sunshine."
Her eyes opened, and I saw hope there and questioning. Her eyes asked if I truly meant it. So, I answered in the best way I knew how to. I leaned towards her, and pulled her towards me, at the same time, and pressed my lips to hers, like I had wanted to do for a long time now. The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the shock in hers. Her lips felt a little stiff but pleasingly cold at the same time. I knew my body temp ran hot now and kissing her was like pressing an ice cube to my lips. It tingled and was a little numbing afterwards.
My hands slid off her shoulder and connected behind the small of her back as I pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. I felt her lips open, and her tongue gently touched my lips, as if asking them to open. My own tongue separated my lips and met hers, slowly they caressed each other. It was a very long time before we separated, her not needing to breathe and me not wanting to, combined with my increased lung capacity, made for a very long first kiss. There was no seeking for dominance with our tongues, just a gentile probing, a need to explore the other. I briefly wondered if the saliva would be poison to me, but nothing felt off yet, so I gave it no more thought.
I don't know how long it was before we separated, but we both had saliva lingering on our lips and faces when we did. When I opened my eyes again, I looked down at her and smiled. That had felt wonderful, I hoped it felt the same to her, but didn't want to break the moment by asking. I also didn't want to move because as I looked down at her, I had a great view of her cleavage in her bra. Her chest was pressed against me, and the squishing was making all sorts of wonderful gaps in her bra. I think I underestimated her at a small C cup, she had to be pushing the next size up.
My wandering eyes had started to make my body react, and not wanting her to notice, I shifted and tried to adjust my midsection so my growing problem wouldn't be pressed against her. Either she noticed or she just took that moment to pull away and reach for her shirt. Again, I wasn't going to ask her.
Giving her a moment to put her shirt on without me watching, I again turned my attention to the view of the mountains. Moments later, Edythe came to my side and wrapped my arm over her shoulder as she wrapped hers around my waist. She leaned her head into the side of my chest and began speaking.
"Under the sun is where I feel the least human. Every other action, including hunting and drinking blood, can be done by humans. But Only Vampires sparkle that way."
"I still found you beautiful, no matter what, you are Edythe to me. My Sunshine! Under the clouds or the sun, I will never not see you as the beautiful woman I am head over heels for." I pulled her closer to my side.