Man-Grove

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove Celia Kyle All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2008 Celia Kyle

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is

illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary

gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison

and a fine of $250,000.

ISBN: 978-1-59596-879-1

Formats Available:

HTML, Adobe PDF,

MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader

Publisher:

Changeling Press LLC

PO Box 1046

Martinsburg, WV 25402-1046

www.ChangelingPress.com

Editor: Chrissie Henderson

Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove Celia Kyle Lily Atkins can’t believe she’s been guilt tripped into taking care of her much younger sisters -- again. Nor can she believe they’ve convinced her to take them and fourteen of their closest friends on a canoeing trip down the Loxahatchee River. What sounded like a reasonably bad idea at the time turned into one of the biggest mistakes of her life. The twits have left her in the middle of the wilderness and run off with all of the canoes and her purse! She’s going kill them, just as soon as she figures out how to get back to civilization. Trace Lagun knows something’s up the minute the all-girl group returns. Their curvy, quirky chaperone is nowhere to be seen. After confronting the girls, he heads up river, anxious to “rescue” the damsel in distress. Maybe she’ll be so grateful she’ll open her petals for him. He’s been post-pollisexation for so long, he didn’t think he’d ever find his mate, but now he can’t wait to spend some time alone with the beautiful Lily.

Chapter One Green things were touching her. No, not just green things, brown things too. Icky, slimy, dirty things. Never again. Never again could the little brats charm her with pleas of, “Sissy, we wanna…” Ungrateful, noisy, obnoxious little shits! Lily squatted a little lower, eyes trained on the foliage in front of her as she struggled with holding her khaki shorts out of the way. Thank God she’d gone for the loose fitting, comfortable clothes instead of what she’d look best in. After being dumped in the river more times than she cared to count, her appearance no longer mattered. What mattered was emptying her bladder and getting the damned kids with their evil friends back home without maiming them first. She tugged the material of her shorts further forward and willed her body to relax. Just pee, damn you! For some reason, her bladder didn’t like letting go in the wild any better than her brain did. To top it off, no matter where she moved, things touched her. Just as she’d managed to release a few drops, something slid across her left ass cheek and dipped into her crack. She straightened with a squeal and fell face first into the mud surrounding a nearby mangrove tree. Now, covered from head to toe in mud with a full bladder and surrounded by bushes that couldn’t seem to keep their leaves to themselves, she knew her day couldn’t get any worse. Fuck it. She’d pee when they got back to Can You? Canoe Rental or when another one of Rose and Violet’s friends decided to dump her fat ass in the river. Again. Somehow the sneaky teenaged bastards managed to flip her into the water with ease, while remaining in the canoes, high and dry. Sure. Taking her much younger sisters and a few friends out for a day of canoeing sounded like fun. Sounded -- past tense. Two teenagers who happened to be

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

-6-

sisters, both together? A recipe for trouble. Fifteen teenagers? Fucking disaster. Lily was too old for this shit. It wasn’t her problem good ole dad couldn’t hold on to a wife, and when he landed a new one they seemed to be younger than the last. At least with this one, he’d been with her a while and had fathered two of the fifteen brats on the riverbank. Being one of eight from her father’s four different marriages, Lily had become used to the differences in her siblings’ ages. Only Rose and Violet were born close enough together and from the same mother, which led them to become thick as thieves and just as sneaky. Hoisting herself off the ground, Lily rolled to her knees. Using a nearby tree to help her balance, she stood, wobbling and fighting the constricting hold of her shorts still pooled around her ankles. She bent to tug them up her legs and a cool smooth leaf stroked her lower back and patted her right cheek with a soft slap. She didn’t even bother screaming in outrage or jerking away. She slid her bathing suit bottoms and shorts over her hips to cover her ass and whirled on the offending foliage. She gripped the leaf and attached branch. She was close to snapping the stupid thing in two when suddenly the eerie quiet washed over her. Quiet. Too quiet. There were no screams, giggles or curses floating on the air. Nothing but the soft gurgle of the river sliding by and the wind flitting through the trees reached her ears. Lily dropped the errant branch and took a step toward the river. She couldn’t see the murky waters from her position deep in the trees, but she followed the same path she’d taken before. Gingerly, she stepped around bushes, branches and the weird, gangly roots of the mangrove trees. With every step she took, her heart rate increased. By the time she felt soft, shifting sand beneath her feet, it felt as if her heart would burst from her chest at any moment until… Finally she broke through the last bits of vegetation, eyes wide in shock. The bitches had left her. Fucking left her. She loved them. She truly did. But right now, she didn’t like them all that much. Right now, she wished she’d disobeyed their father when the girls were growing up

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

-7-

and whacked them on the rear end a time or ten. Instead, everyone had bowed to his wife’s wishes and put them in time-out. And where did time-out get Lily? Stranded on a beach in the middle of the Loxahatchee River with no sunscreen, no food, no phone… nothing. She had the clothes she wore and an entire forest of frisky foliage. Lord, not only had she lost her sisters and their thirteen friends, she’d lost her mind too. And to top it all off, she still had to pee. Lily took a deep, cleansing breath. Someone would be by and they’d let her crawl into their canoe, and eventually she’d get back to Can You? Canoe Rental and the girls and she’d kill them. Good thing they were on the river, it would wash the blood away. Then the owner’s words echoed through her mind. “You’re the only group hitting the river today. We’ve got a nasty storm that’s supposed to blow through this afternoon. I know you’ve signed up for the half-day trip, but try to make sure you’re back here by two. It’ll get nasty after that.” Of course, as he’d gone through his spiel about safety and the weather and blah, blah, blah, Lily had been staring at the man like he was the last piece of chocolate cake on Earth. And she was hungry for some chocolate. Then her ears had perked up when she’d heard the word “nasty.” Figured he wasn’t talking about doing “the nasty” but just focusing on the weather. Well, nothing she could do about being stranded now beyond making sure she got out of this on her own. With no one else traveling the river, it was up to Lily to get her own butt back to civilization. She slid out of her flip-flops and threaded them onto one of her arms. She’d need shoes to chase the girls down once she got back to Can You? No sense in leaving them on the little beach to be eaten by some animal. She strode into the water, stopping when the cool fluid lapped her knees. She could do this. Yes, things lived in the water just like they lived in the forest, but she’d never get back if she didn’t take some initiative. The girls would probably high-tail it home, giggling over the newest prank they’d pulled on Sissy and not say a word until later tonight.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

-8-

Decision made, she took another step into the water when a movement twenty feet away caught her eye. Slick as silk, the creature slithered through the current. It didn’t appear to have any true destination in mind, but its eyes… its eyes were on her. No way in fucking hell was she getting in a river with a damned ’gator.

*** Trace checked his watch for the umpteenth time and it didn’t go unnoticed by the other guys. “Just go wait by the damned river. You’re no use to us anyway,” Max grumbled as he heaved a kayak onto the racks. For all of two seconds, Trace got pissed at his employee and was sorely tempted to toss his ass in said river, but he decided against it. He didn’t want anyone else to draw the attention of the woman he had his eye on. Lily. Perfect and as pale as the flower she was named after, Trace wanted to be around when their group came aground. Maybe he could “help” her get her things from the canoe and cop a feel or… fuck. Damn, he had it bad. And all from her licking her lips and bumbling through an apology when the kids she had with her knocked every canoe Can You? owned off the trailers. At first, he thought some of the kids were hers, but she quickly corrected him, a light blush staining her cheeks. He ached to see her flushed from his lovemaking. He just needed her to let him make love to her first. Details. Screams and yells reached his ears as he neared the riverbank and he smiled. His Lily would probably be exhausted from dealing with such a rambunctious group of teenagers all morning. No doubt she’d be appreciative of his offer to help get all of her gear stored. Very appreciative. True, Can You? handled the canoes, kayaks, paddles and life preservers, but getting your own stuff from the riverbank to your car parked up the hill… Now that was all up to you. As hard a time as Lily’d had just getting the kids organized enough to grab their own towels and hop on the bus, he imagined they’d be even less cooperative now.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

-9-

The group trickled around the last bend, and one by one they beached themselves near him. Out of habit, he began counting heads. He could remember the faces of each customer along with which group they belonged to if need be. The guys always teased him about his penchant for keeping track. As he counted the last of the stragglers, he realized that for once he was thankful he did keep a tally of their customers on the river. The group was short one extra-curvy brunette with pale blue eyes, lily-white skin and a smile brighter than the sun. Son of a bitch. Trace snagged one of the girls who resembled Lily. She tried to race past him, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and, using her momentum, swung her around and plopped her on a nearby picnic table. “What the fu-” The teenager shoved her midnight-black hair out of her face and shot daggers at him with her blue eyes. “Now, I doubt your sister would appreciate that kind of language. Speaking of your sister, where is she?” He crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. He wouldn’t budge until he found out what happened to Lily. “Ro! Come on, ya little shit!” another girl, similar in appearance to the one before him, yelled from the parking lot. “Well, Ro?” He arched a brow and stood firm. The girl nibbled her lip as if debating before blurting the truth. “We left her at the first bend.” Stunned, he didn’t stop her when the girl leapt from the table and took off for the parking lot. The first bend? He knew the place well. Hell, he should. Up until he’d gone through pollisexation and gained the ability to shift from tree to man, he’d been planted there. Along with… Bryant! No answer.

Bryant! I will chop you down and burn you for firewood if you don’t answer me.

You can’t do that, Trace, that’s not fair, the young tree’s voice whined through his

mind.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 10 -

I can do whatever the hell I want. I’m the Elder Wood for fuck’s sake. Or have you forgotten? Trace let the words sink into his friend and grovemate’s mind as he jogged back toward the office. Without missing a beat, Max tossed him the keys to their “rescue” truck. Sometimes it paid to have trees you could trust working for you. Even if they could be smart-asses. Lightning split the sky as he peeled from the parking lot, closely followed by thunder loud enough to shake the windows. Well, fuck. Bryant? She’s fine, Trace, I swear. And you didn’t contact me earlier because… He tried to keep the censure and anger from his voice, but knew he failed. Bryant was still a young tree who hadn’t gone through pollisexation yet and was still prone to making poor decisions. This one being the worst. She’s just so adorable. Ain’t she perfect, Trace? Yes, she was. Lily personified all that the Botan sought in their mates; lush curves which covered a hidden strength and a heart that matched her exterior beauty. Her body would nurture a Botan babe while her heart and mind would teach it to love without reservation. Yes, just as you’ll be perfect firewood if anything has happened to her.

Their connection grew quiet and Trace dreaded what Bryant would tell him next.

Well, Trace… She is a bit pinker than she was before…

Chapter Two Lily curled into a tighter ball, eyes trained on the ’gator as it slid by once again. Damned thing seemed to be watching her. The sun heated her skin, but she didn’t dare take shelter beneath the trees. The way the leaves always managed to find a way to touch her reminded her of her last date, and that guy seemed to have eight hands. Nope, she wasn’t budging from the spot. Regardless of how red her skin would get or how much she managed to sweat. The water and the forest held dangers she didn’t feel like braving. Lightning colored the sky, immediately followed by thunder, and she rested her forehead on her knees. Could the day get worse? “Lily!” She groaned. Even after their brief conversation as she paid for the canoe trip and apologized profusely for the kids’ behavior, she’d always remember that voice. Apparently, the day could get worse since it just had. Damn it, she’d have to face the gorgeous man while soaked to the bone in river water and stinking to high heaven. “Lily!” She raised her head and her breath caught in her throat. He urged the canoe through the river with ease, the paddle slicing into the water like a hot knife through butter. She watched in awe as his shirtless muscles flexed and shifted, bringing him closer to her with each stroke. Sweat glistened on his deeply tanned chest and the sun reflected off his dirty blond hair. Their gazes met across the expanse separating them and he smiled, seeming to redouble his efforts. Just as the canoe touched the bank, the sky opened up, pouring cool water down on them.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 12 -

Lily rose to her feet, thankful that Trace had arrived to rescue her. Even if she didn’t have a chance with the perfectly built man, she’d savor the moments they spent together. The cool rain eased the building throb on her skin and she delighted in the relief it offered. She didn’t hurry to the canoe, but relished the soothing rain. As she arrived at Trace’s side, she flushed when he gifted her with another smile. The blush quickly fled when she realized he was taking things out of the canoe. “Aren’t you here to rescue me?” He pulled a backpack from the center of the canoe and tossed it on his shoulder. “Yup.” “Then let’s get with the rescuing. Should I take the front or the back?” Lily froze, conscious of the double entendre. She prayed he’d let it pass. He didn’t. “Well,” he eyed her and she wished the ’gator had come and made her lunch before Trace did, “with you, I’m thinking I’ll take the back.” He handed her a small duffel bag and then turned back to the canoe. “Whatever,” she grumbled. Lily jumped out of the way when Trace grabbed the bow and towed the large hunk of aluminum onto the bank near the tree line. He tied one end to a tree and then turned to her. “I’m not being rescued?” Her voice sounded small, even to her. She brushed a soaked strand of hair from her eyes and wiped her palm over her face, wincing when her hand connected with a particularly tender spot. “You are, just not quite yet.” He held his hand out for her and she hesitated. “I’m going to need you to trust me, Lily. We can’t stay on the river in this weather. It’s too much of a risk and I won’t put you in danger. There’s a cabin a fair hike from here that we can stay in overnight and then tomorrow we’ll paddle back to the office.” Yeah, what he said made sense, but she really wanted to get to her dad and stepmom’s house and tear into her sisters. Maybe this time would give her a chance to calm

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 13 -

down. Besides, she’d be spending the evening with Mr. Hottie. Maybe even more than one evening. How sweet was that? Lily slung the long strap of the duffle bag over her shoulder and nodded. She trudged through the soaked sand toward him and took his hand. He smiled at her and her heart quickened. She needed to squash those feelings here and now before they reached the cabin. Being nice to a stranded customer was probably standard fare for this guy. He didn’t seem the type to go for gals that had a bit, or a lot, of extra cushion. With his trim body and dark tan, she was surprised he operated a canoe rental business instead of being in Hollywood. They remained silent as they hiked through the woods. The errant touches she’d been subjected to before didn’t occur now and she wondered if they had been in her imagination. Trace kept hold of her hand as they moved through the forest. He helped her over fallen trees and carried her through the muddier patches. The first time he swung her into his arms, she squealed like a pig, but by the time an hour had passed and he’d lifted her at least five more times, she became accustomed to his hold. The man had muscles, that was for sure. Hell, his muscles had muscles. He didn’t grunt or appear strained each time he lifted her, so she relaxed and let him do as he would. It kept her feet clean and gave her a chance to get her hands on the man. Win-win. After what seemed like hours, but couldn’t have been more than one, they entered a clearing. The rain still pelted them from head to toe, but relief was in sight. They crossed the mud-filled yard and she jogged up the front steps to the porch, thankful for the overhang. While at first the rain had eased her throbbing skin, it had become bothersome. Instead of dissipating her anger, each splatter pricked her temper even more. She wouldn’t be burned if it wasn’t for Ro and Vi. She also wouldn’t be tired and achy. Or exhausted. Or soaked to the skin. Or covered in mud from the knees down. Or, or, or, or…

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 14 -

She also wouldn’t be locked in a cabin, alone, for an entire night with a walking wet dream. Okay, Trace’s presence did cancel out quite a few of her complaints, but she’d still be having a conversation with her sisters and their parents as soon as she got back to civilization. Lily wiped the rainwater from her arms as she waited for Trace to open the door. She followed him through the doorway once he stepped inside and kicked off her flipflops. “If you’ll hunt up a wet towel, I’ll wipe my feet…” “No need.” And there wasn’t. He scooped her into his arms after kicking off his shoes and padded through the darkened cabin. He squeezed through the bathroom door, and deposited her on the counter. She sat there stunned. The man seemed to have endless energy. Sitting on the counter as she was, she couldn’t help but stare at Trace as he dug through the linen closet. Chiseled muscle on top of chiseled muscle covered his chest. As her gaze drifted lower she was rewarded with… Oh hellooooooo, Sir! The man had a raging hard-on. Like -- Hard. On. While cold rainwater would diminish desire in most men, it definitely didn’t do that to Trace. His cock, hard, long and thick, strained against the soaked fabric of his khaki shorts. When he turned his attention back to her she swung her gaze to the opposite wall, pretending to be interested in the wallpaper. “See something you like?” She swallowed past the lump in her throat and squeezed her legs together. It’s getting a little hot in here. “Uh, yeah. I really need the name of your decorator. I love the wallpaper.” She squeaked the last word as Trace reached around her to lay the towels on the toilet. “Wallpaper, huh?” She nodded. “Well, damn, and here I thought you might be staring at me. I guess I’ll just have to try a little harder if I can’t compete with thirtyyear-old wallpaper.” He nudged her thigh with his erection and she squeaked again. Men did not get that way around Lily. Smiley, happy, and laughing at her jokes? Yes. Hard? No. She

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 15 -

wouldn’t say it had never happened, she wasn’t a virgin, but it definitely hadn’t ever happened with a man built like Trace. He left her with a parting smile and brief instructions on how to use the shower since the taps were backward. Hot was cold and cold was hot. She remained on her perch until the door closed, muscles tense as she waited for any other innuendo. He didn’t say anything else suggestive, but his dick remained hard and at attention the entire time. Well, what the hell was she going to do now? Duh, shower, idiot. Lily peeled her rain-soaked clothing from her body and dumped the dripping pile of mud-stained cloth into the sink. She’d worry about what to wear after she was clean. After tweaking the temperature of the water to a nice soothing warmth, she stepped beneath the spray and froze, pain singeing her nerve endings. The pain radiated from the burnt surface of her skin outward and she quickly twisted the knobs of the shower, cooling the water substantially. As the chilled water sluiced over her abused skin, it seemed to ease the aching pain. She soaked her entire body, luxuriating in the soothing effects as she washed herself from head to toe. Before today, she never would have thought a cold shower could be soothing. But as hot as her skin felt to the touch, the cool water did just that. Clean, Lily took stock of her body’s condition. Burns covered her shoulders, chest and arms as well as her legs, but everywhere else remained blessedly pale. At least only parts of her would be in serious pain come morning. She weighed her breasts in her hands. The plump flesh more than filled her palms and she tweaked her nipples. More than once she’d thought she caught Trace staring, but had shaken the feeling off. Now that she’d seen evidence of his arousal, maybe he had been staring. Mmm… Lily abandoned her right breast and trailed her fingers over the roundness of her stomach to pet the juncture of her thighs. She stroked the tiny patch of hair gently

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 16 -

before sifting through her labia. With unerring accuracy, she found her clit. Years of masturbating made it easy for a gal. Pinching her left nipple between her thumb and forefinger of her left hand, Lily circled her clit with the forefinger on her right. Round and round she goes… Round and round she did go. Over and again she circled the tiny nubbin until it stood hard beneath her teasing finger. The entire time she imagined Trace’s hands on her, teasing and tormenting her as she lay before him. Lily widened her stance, exposing more of her aching pussy as she traced tiny circles around her clit. Her cunt clenched and spasmed as her climax approached. She pinched and tugged on her nipple harder, enjoying the tiny bite of pain that accompanied her arousal. Breathing heavily, she continued her climb. So close… Any second now she’d come, hard and fast, and she prayed it would take the edge off and allow her to relax a little. Any… Second… A banging on the bathroom door broke her rhythm and her orgasm danced out of reach. “You okay, Lily? Didn’t pass out on me, did you?” “Fuck,” she cursed under her breath. “Nope, I’m just fine. I’ll be out in two seconds.” Lily rinsed her hands in the cool water and willed her racing heart to calm. There goes any chance of the big “O” tonight.

Chapter Three Oh, the joys of being a tree. Trace bid his pores to open and absorbed the moisture in the air. He inhaled the sweet scent and musky taste of Lily’s arousal that permeated the air. It seeped into his very essence. The moisture proved to quench his physical thirst while the tiny taste of Lily managed to increase his appetite for her. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this hard and aching. No, actually, he could. When he’d first gone through pollisexation and shifted from tree to man, he’d been nearly insatiable. Utilizing the knowledge he’d garnered while in tree form, Trace insinuated himself into society. At first, he hadn’t been able to think past his next fuck. The urge to hunt the perfect woman and mate her rode him hard. His inner tree longed to procreate and further the Botan race. Everything Seq Viren had told them on their inter-galaxy quest came to pass. Seq. The name brought strange feelings to Trace’s heart. The man had been like a father to them all. During the long journey from the failing planet of Botanea, Seq had spoken to each and every pod as if it were his own. He explained their new social structure, taught them all about the planet they were about to be planted on, and most importantly, imbued them with the knowledge they’d need to survive. True, they all had to acclimate themselves once they went through pollisexation, but the base wisdom had been implanted in their minds. Now, after using that knowledge to create a growing grove with a successful business to support the newly post-pollisexation trees, Trace had to put all his efforts into wooing and winning the woman on the other side of the door. He’d heard her muffled curse and he grinned. Good. He didn’t want sweet Lily coming from anything other than his hand… or mouth. When the water ceased, Trace

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 18 -

made himself scarce. No sense frightening the woman by looming outside the bathroom door as if he was ready to pounce. Even though that’s exactly what he wanted to do. Trace gripped his hardened shaft and shifted it within his jeans as he padded through the cabin. The cold shower he’d endured on the back porch using the outdoor shower hadn’t done anything to lessen his arousal and need for Lily. Though it did serve to get him clean, at least. Entering the kitchen, Trace pulled a few items from the fridge and freezer. He’d cook up a couple of nice steaks for their dinner. Even with the wet weather, he could grill out on the covered back patio. Setting the steaks to thaw on the counter, he went back out to the living room to await Lily’s emergence. As he slumped into the couch and reached for the remote, a movement outside caught his eye. Trace focused on the clearing, which wasn’t quite so clear anymore, and called out to his grove. No one comes closer. Understood? He waited, and slowly grumbled agreements came from the mangroves crowding the cabin’s front lawn. Like a melting mist, the trees crawled back into the forest, leaving the front yard once again empty. Bryant? I didn’t do it this time, Trace, I swear. Trace noted the “this time” and issued a few orders to the young tree. No one comes closer than the clearing, Bryant. Let the grove know. Okay. It’s just… she tastes so sweet, Trace. I caught a hint of her on the breeze… Bryant! It wasn’t me. By the trees, the sapling had a guilty conscience. Just make sure no one else tastes her scent on the wind. Now, Trace, you can’t expect… I can and I do. Trace broke the connection to the young tree as the bathroom door opened. Bryant was a good tree and was soon to come into his time of pollisexation. That was

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 19 -

the only reason Trace leaned on the sapling now. He needed to prepare the boy for life and responsibility. The soft flop of Lily’s damp feet connecting with the wood floors drifted to him moments before she came around the corner. His mouth went dry and his heart stopped. His tiny Lily wore nothing but a large bath towel wrapped around her. Her copper and brown hair hung in wet tendrils across her shoulders and the stark white towel seemed to shine in contrast to her sunburnt skin. Her face, neck, shoulders and chest showed evidence of spending hours in the sun, unprotected. Trace glanced at her full, shapely legs and noticed the same bright red hue marred the skin there as well. He imagined the only parts of her not burnt were those covered by the towel and he wondered if she’d let him check to make sure. Whether she would or not, one thing was certain, he needed to care for her before any other activities commenced. She nibbled her lip and tightened her hold on the towel and he realized he’d been staring. Jumping to his feet, he winced as his jeans pinched his hardened cock. He tugged at the material, freeing his erection from the cloth’s hold, which, of course, drew her attention to his crotch. Smooth, real smooth, Trace. She didn’t flinch or blush, then again she was so red she could be blushing and he wouldn’t know. But she definitely didn’t look away. Instead her eyes seemed transfixed on his aching bulge while she licked her lips. Score one for Trace! Trace cleared his throat, drawing her attention, and he gestured behind her, toward the bedroom. “If you want to lie down in there, you can. I’ve got some soothing gel we can rub on your sunburn and then I’ll see if I can find something you can wear.” She appeared uncertain and arched one eyebrow. “Soothing gel? You wouldn’t be willing to personally apply it, now would you?” Oh. Oh. Now this was territory Trace was familiar with. “I’m always willing to help a lady in need. I rescued you, didn’t I?”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 20 -

She snorted and nearly lost her grip on the towel. Why couldn’t the damned thing drop already? “I don’t know if ‘rescued’ is the term I’d use, Trace. How about kidnapped?” “Better kidnapped than abandoned.” The words left his mouth in a stream before he could call them back. Just as quickly as the flirtatious banter started, it ended. Lily shrugged and he felt like a newly sprouted seed when she turned her back on him. “Right, well. If you’ll just grab the gel, I’ll settle in the bedroom.” She turned on her heel and padded down the hall and out of Trace’s vision. Smooth, Elder Wood. Real smooth. Bryant! Get out of my head!

*** Lily found the bedroom with ease seeing as it was behind the only other door in the hallway. Slipping through the doorway, she tugged the towel tighter around her chest. Real fucking smooth, Lily. I throw myself at the guy and he has to remind me that I’m cared for so little that I was abandoned. No way was that bulge for me. He must be excited about some hidden porn in this place or something. She stared at the bed in the middle of the room and realized she had a problem. A big one. About, oh, a three and a half foot high problem. The fucking bed was huge. It wasn’t just the fact that it was easily king-sized, but it also stood at least a foot off the ground. Couple the height with the box spring and super thick mattress and there was no way Lily was crawling onto that thing. It looked like a bed out of a historical romance novel. Maybe she could find steps somewhere… Glancing around the room, she couldn’t find anything suitable to help her get her fat rear end on the bed. Damn. It couldn’t be avoided now. It was get on there by herself or suffer the embarrassment of having Mr. Hard-on Hottie lift her onto the thing.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 21 -

She turned her back to the bed and scooted toward it until her lower back met the mattress. Yup, jumping would be the only way. She tightened her hold on the towel, said a little prayer that she wouldn’t drop it, and took the plunge… And didn’t make it. “Damn it.” Undaunted, she tried again. Obviously her technique was off the first time around and hands would be needed. Jumping and praying her ass would miraculously stick to the bed was pointless. Her ass was cottage cheese, not a glue stick. After she tucked the end of the towel beneath her arm, she gripped the bed and tried again. This time her ass made it all the way up and onto the bed. Her towel… did not. Of course, that’s when Trace waltzed through the door, all tan and gorgeous with his chiseled abs, perfect pecs and sculpted biceps. And there she sat like a fucking beached red and white whale, rolling around on the bed to get on the damned thing. She rolled over in an attempt to get more settled and rubbed her sunburned skin all over the handmade quilt beneath her, abrading the sensitive skin. “Fuck-a-duck!” Lily yelled and whipped over onto her back. She clutched her bare breasts with one arm and covered her pink bits with her other hand. All the while she prayed for the floor to open and swallow her, and the cursed bed, whole. Trace didn’t make it any better by laughing like a loon in the doorway. She shot him daggers with her eyes, curled into a ball to hide her nakedness and she reached for the towel. Tears of pain and embarrassment pricked her eyes. In one day she’d been abandoned, burnt to a crisp, and now embarrassed in front of the hottest thing since sliced bread and she’d about reached her endurance. The laughing loon must have seen her tears because his laughter ended as quickly as it had begun and he rushed to her side. He snatched the towel from the ground and laid it over her. She moaned and took a deep breath when the towel slid over burnt skin. “Hey, you okay?” Stupid man even sounded concerned.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 22 -

“Yeah, just peachy. Haven’t you ever seen a beached, sunburnt, midget whale rolling around on your bed before?” She eased to her back and tucked the towel around her. She made sure the important parts were covered before she relaxed. “You’re not a beached midget whale. Sunburnt, yes. But you’re not a whale and I think you missed the midget mark by a few inches. Besides, they prefer the term little person.” She narrowed her eyes at him and she could see him fighting back a smile. “Asshole. You know what I mean.” “Asshole? Are you offering some ass play?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I take that back, you’re an incorrigible asshole.” She tucked the towel more firmly around her and stared at the ceiling. She would not look at Trace. Especially not when he seemed to be trying so hard to ruin her pout. And she had a good one going too. “Maybe. But I’m an incorrigible asshole with aloe gel. Now how many of those are around here, huh?” He waved said aloe gel in her line of vision and she relented. No good pout was worth holding onto when the chance of a pain-free evening was in sight. She just needed to get over her embarrassment at being found like a floundering marine mammal in the middle of his bed. She reached for the aloe and he held it out of her reach. No way would she move now that all of her pink, but not red, bits were covered. She crossed her arms over her breasts and glared at him. “Aww, come on. I was laughing at you being so cute and tiny while you tried to get on the bed. I swear. Let me rub some of this gel on you to apologize and then you can take a nap. I’ve got steaks defrosting in the kitchen. We’ll have a filling dinner, watch some TV later, and I’ll be the perfect gentleman.” The perfect gentleman had an eight-inch erection that looked like it was ready to bust through his jeans. What could it hurt to let the man rub a little gel on her? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been fantasizing about getting it on with him moments ago. “Fine,” she grumbled.

Chapter Four I’m lying naked and a stranger is touching me… doo dah. La di dah. Lily tried to relax. She really did. But having Trace’s hands all over her did not bode well for relaxation of any kind. It did just the opposite. He traced the lines of her leg, skimming and coating the skin with the cool gel as promised, but it seemed like… more. He started at her feet, rubbing the aloe into her skin in tiny circles as he moved along her left calf. His massage included her entire leg, even though she was only burnt along her shins. But after a few minutes, she didn’t care. The trek from the riverbank to the cabin hadn’t been too long, but it had been across overgrown terrain and already her underused muscles ached with the strain. His fingers seemed to chase the building pain away. Trace worked her muscles and skin slowly, not making any sudden moves. His unhurried pace lulled her into utter relaxation. She dozed as he worked the gel into her legs. Inch by inch he moved up toward her thighs and the barrier of her towel. She tensed as he approached her upper thigh, but he didn’t deviate from his massage. Just as she was sure he was going to dip beneath the towel, he slid back down her thigh. As the tension ebbed, she began to wonder if she’d tensed in preparation of scolding him. Or was it anticipation? Lily let her eyes drift closed when he shifted to her right leg. He hadn’t progressed higher than the edge of the towel. But would he? Part of her wanted him to, desperately. The part of her that had been unfulfilled in the shower wanted him to nudge the terry cloth above her sex and skim her labia with his skillful hands. She ached to have him stroke and pet her pussy until she came on his fingers. Or even better, his mouth.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 24 -

Thoughts of opening herself to Trace brought a now familiar ache to her pussy. An ache built within, unrelated to her trudge through the forest, and spread to her cunt. Without touching herself, she knew moisture lined her labia, increasing as each second passed. Trace continued with his massage, seemingly unaware of Lily’s need. His soothing strokes lengthened and wandered higher on her thigh and the question flitted through her mind. Should she? Would she? Could she? Before she could second-guess herself or wonder if sex with a stranger was a good idea, Lily let her thighs drift open when he neared the edge of the towel. Thank God Trace wasn’t a stupid man and she didn’t have to give him an engraved invitation. She’d left her calligraphy supplies in her other shorts. Trace edged his fingers beneath the towel and rubbed the cool gel into her upper thigh. His fingertips grazed the juncture of her thighs, tickling the cropped hairs protecting her pussy. Lily fought the shudder that wormed through her body. She didn’t want him to take her movements for an objection because she did not object. He would probably be using her as much as she was using him for a hot fuck, but she didn’t care. He kneaded the muscles of her right thigh, stroking up and back, each time he edged closer to her pussy. He teased and tormented her with each pass of his tender fingers. Soon he placed one hand on each leg, hands working in tandem as he slid his palms over her skin. His thumbs grazed her inner thighs, hands splayed over the top of her leg as he eased higher. Trace inched between her legs and she let them fall open to rest on either side of him. She didn’t dare open her eyes, afraid of what she would, or wouldn’t, see in Trace’s eyes. His hands left their position tantalizing her pussy and slid over her hips and along her waist. Lily tightened her hold on her towel, but he wasn’t having it. “Let go of the towel, Lily,” he whispered. His voice was rough and low. It seeped into her skin

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 25 -

with its deep timbre and she did shiver then. “Cold? I’ll warm you up if you’ll release that death grip you’ve got on the towel.” She peeked at him out of one eye. “I don’t think…” He placed a hand on either side of her head and leaned in close until his lips hovered above hers. The move was so quick she didn’t have a chance to react. “That’s just it. Don’t think.” Trace lowered his mouth and Lily felt like she was melting beneath him. Not from her burns, but from the heat his kiss seemed to imbue into her. When he traced her lips with his tongue, she opened for him. Cool and fresh, he invaded her mouth with his tongue. It wasn’t a harsh and forceful entrance, but a soft coaxing. She responded in turn, stroking his agile tongue with her own for a moment before venturing into his mouth. More of the fresh taste, Trace’s taste, spread over her taste buds. Like the fresh water pouring from a mountain, Trace’s essence seemed clean and natural. Lily arched against Trace when he pressed the bulge hidden in his pants against her pussy, rubbing the full length of himself along her slit. She rocked her hips in time with his movements and they settled into a smooth rhythm. Trace pulled away from their kissing, panting against her mouth. “Up for a bit of sparking, Lils?” Did sparking mean fucking? Whatever, just make me come! “Yes, please…” She tried to hide her whine, but failed. It had been too damned long since she’d come from something other than her own hand or a toy produced in a factory. Trace captured her lips again for a soft kiss. Tongues stayed within their mouths as he peppered her with open-mouthed kisses. Those special, soft, sensual kisses that women love and men seldom give. He kept her lips imprisoned as he rocked his lower body against her. Time and again he pressed his jean-clad erection against her pussy, sometimes skimming and

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 26 -

other times grinding hard. The material was rough against her tender skin, but the added bite of pain heightened her pleasure. Soft and slow, hard and fast, he varied his tempo as their kisses deepened and intensified. Finally, he released her lips and trailed kisses down her neck, nipping and licking her skin as if he were starved. “Yes, please, Trace. Enough teasing. Fuck me.” God, could she be any clearer? “We’re sparking. No condoms,” he groaned against her neck and shuddered against her. She felt his tiny shivers all over her exposed skin. Mmm… skin. His words drifted to her, but she was lost to the arousal his varied grinding had caused. With each stroke of cloth against skin, her pussy clenched. With each pass of the ridge of his cock against her clit, she shuddered and groaned. Soon, they were a humping mass of moans, groans and pants as they fought for their own climax. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t in her because he was with her. Each step she took closer to orgasm, Trace’s tension increased as well. She stroked and clawed his back as she planted her feet on the bed. More leverage, more contact, just more. “Fuck, I’m close.” Lily arched against him, loving the feeling of his sweat-slicked skin sliding against hers. He trailed kisses down her neck and captured a nipple in his mouth, sucking hard. Lily screamed his name and pressed her breast further into his mouth. Oh, how she loved to have her nipples toyed with. He sucked harder with each of her moans and groans, seeming to take his cues from her. Shit, he seemed perfect in bed. If only he’d truly fuck her. Then… then she didn’t care if he fucked her or sparked her to death. The tiny shivers and shudders she’d been feeling, culminated in a series of soul wrenching spasms as her climax rose and swept her away. She rode the ridge of Trace’s cock when he stiffened above her. He moaned her name with his own release while she screamed through hers.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 27 -

Never -- as in never -- had she ever had an orgasm so powerful. She felt fully sated and boneless as she hugged Trace to her. He rocked against her pussy a few more times and she gasped with each rough thrust. Her pussy was overly sensitive now that she’d come and if he kept it up, she’d come again. Finally, he seemed to realize he was slumped over her and he rolled to the side and tried to tug her with him. Of course, it seemed like a good idea until her burnt skin again came into contact with the quilt. She froze. “No,” she squeaked. “Lily? You okay? I thought you were into what we were doing. It was just a bit of sparking. Did you not? I thought you did. Oh, I’m sorry, let me…” Stupid man kept babbling, but she got lost in the searing pain in her arms and chest while he tugged her this way and that. When he reached between her legs, she snapped them shut. “I did, Trace. I swear.” He looked like a worried little kid who thought he was in trouble. “I swear. But my chest is still tender and someone never made it that far with the aloe gel.” She smiled, feeling like doing some teasing of her own. “Though you could have explained sparking a bit better, I definitely did.” She winked at him and the sexy man blushed. Blushed! After everything they’d just done, he blushed. Wonders would never cease. “Yeah, I thought you did.” Then he smiled, full of himself. Fucker. He was back to looking smug. “Hmm… seems to me I could have done that myself and managed to get the gel above my waist. Why don’t you see about dinner while I take care of myself.” She let the innuendo sink in for a second before plucking the discarded bottle of aloe gel from the bed. Just as quickly as she snatched it up, he took it away from her. “Nah, I think while I’m around I’ll be taking care of you.” His heated gaze raked her from head to toe. “All of you.” He poured a dollop of the gel into his palm and rubbed it between his hands before he reached for her. With the same attention he lavished on her legs, he now

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 28 -

treated her breasts. Of course, her breasts weren’t burnt, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

Chapter Five Their parting was… meh. There weren’t any tears or promises of anything beyond a “thanks for saving me” from Lily. Trace drove her home, where they found her SUV parked crookedly in a handicap parking spot, several tickets littering the windshield. “Fucking bitches.” By now, Trace knew who Lily was talking about when she went there. Overall she seemed sweet and loving -- unless the topic of her family came up. Then she had a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush. “The shits! Do you see these?” She waved several tickets in the air as he unfolded from his truck and then approached her. He followed her ranting, but the entire time he was thinking about where he and Lily stood. A night of sparking could mean nothing to her or it could mean everything and they hadn’t quite figured that much out just yet. Hell, they hadn’t even discussed them. “Yup. Seems they had a time of it, didn’t they?” “A time of it? Fuckers. There are three tickets here and a note from my landlady,” she whined. His poor Lily looked so sad and dejected. He couldn’t hold himself back from opening his arms to her. She walked right into his embrace without hesitating. He held her close, careful of her burns and tender spots. He’d rubbed more aloe on that morning during another round of sparking, but he knew she was still very sore. Probably would be for days. “I’m sorry, Lils. I wish I could have brought you back last night. Maybe it would have saved you a few of these tickets.” He brushed his lips against her temple and she didn’t pull back. Well, that was a good sign.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 30 -

Lily shook her head against his chest. “No, I wouldn’t have traded last night or this morning for a few measly tickets.” “What about the tickets and the sunburn?” She was quiet and he mentally kicked himself in the ass for fucking up. At least, he thought he’d fucked up. He never knew where he stood with Lily. The woman changed with the wind and like the wind, he loved everything about her. She raised her head and propped her chin on his chest. “Nah, not for the tickets or the sunburn. Now, throw in the bug bites and I’m starting to waver a bit.” “Imp.” He closed the distance between them and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. The type of kiss that made her moan and grind against him. His favorite type of kiss. The sweet sounds she made in the back of her throat when he got her aroused had him rock-hard in seconds. Combine her sounds with the sweet taste of her arousal when absorbed through his skin and he was ready to burst. Like now. She pulled away from the kiss a second, or hours, before he was ready and laid her cheek against his chest. Damn, he hadn’t been this randy in forever. Lily burrowed beneath his skin and had him wanting to tear her clothes off and fuck her to oblivion with just a kiss. “Want to go inside? Maybe do a bit more than sparking?” She froze in his arms and now he knew he’d fucked up. Making out with a stranger probably seemed harmless to her when they were stranded in the woods, but now she was through with him and ready to toss him aside. Like a kid who’d eaten an icicle and was ready to throw the wooden stick away. “I really… I really need to get things sorted with my sisters and my parents. Can I call you?” Lily didn’t look at him while she spoke and all hopes of exploring more with her were dashed on the riverbank. He felt like a seedling that’d been stepped on by an elephant. Trace reached into his back pocket and pulled his wallet out. He pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “My cell number’s on there. Give me a call when you get everything figured out, okay? I really enjoyed our time together.” He brushed a

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 31 -

stray hair out of her face and paused to rub his thumb across her lower lip. “Give me a call in the next few days?” Table for one for the whining loser of the year, please. Fuck, could he sound any more like a needy idiot? He figured dropping to his knees and pledging his undying devotion and love would be taking it too far. Regardless of whether he wanted to do just that. His tree was dancing a jig at the prospect of finding a woman so well suited to him, but he was kicking himself in the ass for obviously fucking the whole thing up. Lily, with her shining smile and stinging tongue probably had guys lined around the block waiting for her.

Why was he asking her to call him? Just so he could reject her later? Yeah, they’d had fun “sparking” all night in between their conversations about life, love and the existence of little green men. He believed with a passion and she’d agreed so he wouldn’t seem like such a freak. But sparking with a chick when you’ve got a hard-on in the middle of nowhere, and taking her out into the real world, were two different things. Lily was not delusional enough to think Trace really wanted her to call him. Not really. If he did, why hadn’t he asked for her number? Easy. If she called him, he could screen her calls. No muss, no fuss and he’d be rid of her as easy as that. Instead of stating the obvious and causing a scene in the middle of the parking lot, she took his card with a smile and stepped out of his embrace. “Of course. I’ll get everything sorted with my family and call you tomorrow?” Lie. Trace smiled and nodded, releasing her from the circle of his arms. He seemed sincere, but Lily just couldn’t believe him. Her mother always told her that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was. Lily said her goodbye and watched Trace drive out of the parking lot of her apartment complex. Now she just had to face all the trouble Rose and Violet had caused.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 32 -

Approaching her front door, everything appeared normal. Of course, her keys were shoved under the welcome mat, causing a big lump. That wasn’t obvious or anything. Idiots. She took a deep cleansing breath before she opened her apartment door. Yes, her sisters were idiots, but they were the product of their parents. Her father probably never should have been a father to begin with and her stepmother… Her stepmother was the reason Lily tried to stay involved in her sisters’ lives. Lily’s own mom had been active in everything and her mom’s second husband, her step-dad, held firm control over her and her step-siblings. Growing up, rules, regulations and love surrounded her from sunup to sundown. Their family was filled with step-this and half-that, but her mom had shared love like it was going out of style and her step-dad had made sure that discipline and solid values were ingrained in her from day one of their relationship. Lily unlocked the front door and pushed it open. A scream froze in her throat. Her apartment -- her perfectly put together home -- had been destroyed by two teens and their friends in one night. Without another glance, she turned on her heel and went back to her SUV. For now, she’d move the SUV to a spot that wasn’t marked handicapped. Maybe by the time she got it moved, she’d have calmed down. She didn’t. Her heart rate slowed a bit when she re-parked the car, but the moment she saw the empty beer cans, the empty bottle of vodka, several empty bottles of wine (ew, mixing) and… used condoms strewn across her floor, she lost it. They were teens for fuck’s sake. Drinking, she could almost understand, but the condoms? She shook her head. Enough was enough. Obviously her dad and stepmother weren’t aware of what their kids were doing, so Lily decided to enlighten them a bit. Every piece of damning evidence was thrown into a trash bag, including the condoms. After donning latex gloves she usually used for scrubbing the bathroom, Lily cleaned the apartment from top to bottom. If the piece of garbage was the result of an activity no sister of hers should have been engaged in, Lily threw it in her “special” bag -- the bag reserved for her trip to her dad and stepmother’s house.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 33 -

Lily could deal with disrespect. She could allow kids to spread their wings and push boundaries. She could even see how tempting a drink or two could be to someone coming into their own. What she could and would never understand was the need to destroy the property of someone who loved you. Ever. It took her the rest of the day, and by the time she was done, her home looked normal again. Looked being the operative word. It smelled like a brewery that had hosted an orgy, but at least it was clean. She opened the windows to air out the apartment while she showered to help get rid of the stink of teen sex. Yuck! She just hoped her display at her dad’s house wouldn’t end with her being banned from the place. Sure, it sounded twisted, but her stepmother wasn’t the most stable person in the world. House clean and back in order, Lily pushed all thoughts of her night with Trace out of her mind, until it came time to rub more gel on her burns. Just before he’d driven away, he’d handed her a bottle of the homemade burn treatment he’d used the night before. Now, standing nude before her mirror in the bathroom, her thoughts drifted back to him. She looked at her body in the mirror. Her boobs sagged. No arguing it. They weren’t small and cute with perky nipples like the braless wonders in most magazines. Nope, they were big with a D cup and saggy. And her belly wasn’t flat and perfect either. No piercing of the belly button to flash at men for Lily. Plus her hips were wide. Ugh. She should just get “Wide Load” tattooed on her ass and be done with it all. What had Trace managed to find attractive about her when even she couldn’t think of herself as attractive? They’d laughed a lot, sure, but… Okay, they had a few of the same interests too. And somehow, she was able to relax around him even when she was only wearing a pair of boxer shorts and an oversized T-shirt. No bra, no panties, and still she felt at home snuggled on the couch with him in the cabin after dinner.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 34 -

Shaking her head, confused by her own thoughts and feelings, she turned her attention to getting ready to start her own version of World War III.

Chapter Six Five days. Five days of waiting and wondering if he’d made the right decision by putting everything in Lily’s hands. Five days of answering the phone with her name on his lips and five days of being disappointed with every ring of his cell phone. “Dude, you’ve got it bad.” Trace glared at Max as he took another pull from his beer. Fucker. He wouldn’t feel so pissed if it wasn’t the truth. “I’m just saying, Trace, maybe you should go out and get her out of your system.” Max’s gaze met his for a split second before it dropped to the counter between them. “Uh huh.” Max toyed with his bottle, rolling it back and forth between his palms. “Maybe she’s meant for a Botan, but not you, per se.” “Mother…” Trace’s curse was cut off by the ringing of his cell. Damn. Max wanted his Lily and if Lily didn’t call him soon, he wouldn’t be able to keep the other trees from darkening her door. “What?” he barked into the phone. There was silence for a moment and he almost hung up, thinking it was a prank caller. “Trace?” “Lils.” He sighed and glared at Max while speaking into his friend’s mind. She’s mine, Max. I swear I’ll make firewood of anyone who gives me trouble. She called, which means we’ll make it work. He turned his back on Max and padded toward the bedroom. The soft click of the front door closing signaled his grovemate’s departure. Good. Now he could concentrate on Lily.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 36 -

“I was starting to wonder if I’d hear from you. I’m glad you called.” Glad being an understatement, of course. Thrilled, rock-hard and ready to fuck would have been a more apt description. Just the soft tinkling of her voice brought his cock to attention. It strained against his soft cotton shorts and, without questioning his motives, he stripped himself bare before crawling into bed, phone cradled against his ear. Lily laughed. “You are, are you? Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I should.” “Why not? I told you to call.” Her response puzzled him. “I know, it’s just…” “It doesn’t matter. I’m happy you picked up the phone. Whatcha been doin’ without me this week?” Good. Steer clear of whatever makes her uncomfortable. Be cool. “Ahh. This week has been interesting. I’m so glad I didn’t let you in the apartment, for one.” “I’m hurt. Was my sparking that bad?” She chuckled and Trace caught himself smiling. “You know that’s not it. Quit it, I’m telling a story. You would not believe the disaster the shits left my place. There were things that no one should have to touch. Hell, I didn’t even touch them. I wore gloves.” Lily went on to tell him of the mess she’d cleaned and her voice caught when she got to the point in the story when she ventured to her father and stepmother’s house. “The girls hate me now.” She sighed and continued her story. “Hate isn’t even strong enough of a word. I don’t think there’s a word in the English language that would be strong enough for the two of them. Dad took Vi’s license and grounded them both for the next six months. The only way they can leave the house is to go to school or with an adult in the family. No friends, no phone, no TV. Nothing. I almost feel bad for them. Note, I said almost.” Trace barked out a laugh. “God, I’ve missed you.” “Yeah?” She sounded so hopeful and he couldn’t figure out why the woman still doubted him. Or why she sounded like a lost little girl. “Yeah, I really have. Cheesy as it sounds.”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 37 -

“I like cheese.” “Good. It’s my middle name.” “Trace Cheese…” “Lagun.” The sound of his last name rolling from his lips had Trace thinking of how good Lily’s name would sound linked to his. It was way too early in the human world for him to be thinking that way about her, but damn if he could help it. “Lagun,” Lily echoed his last name and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing. Lily Lagun. A bit of alliteration, but he liked it. Hell, who was he kidding? He loved the way their names sounded together. His cock liked the way their names sounded together, too. Using the pillow and his shoulder to hold the phone, Trace wrapped a hand around the base of his cock and squeezed. Yeah, he really liked the sound of their names together. Their conversation had grown quiet and Trace was ready to spice it up a bit. “Hey, Lils?” “Yeah?” “What’re you wearing?” She squeaked, an honest-to-God squeak before she responded. “We are not… You did not… Trace.” “Come on. Tell me what you’re wearing. Are you nekkid? I am.” He dropped his voice low, the way she liked. “My cock’s hard for you, Lily.” “Lils. I like it when you call me Lils. No one else does.” She sounded breathless. Her shallow panting drifted over the phone lines and Trace knew he had her. “Lils. What’re you wearing? Is your pussy wet for me? I bet it is. I bet it’s crying for a bit of my sparking, isn’t it?” She moaned, “More.” “More? What’s it want if it wants more than sparking?” Trace stroked his cock from root to tip and gathered the drops of pre-cum that dribbled from the head of his dick. He smeared the fluid along his shaft before returning to collect more. She groaned in response and didn’t say a word. “Does it want my cock?”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 38 -

She whimpered. “Trace.” “Come on. Pet that pussy for me and tell me how wet it is.” Trace imagined her following his instructions. She’d dip her trembling hand beneath the covers -- she’d be in bed in his mind -- and separate her pussy lips to slip through the moisture gathered there. “Oh God, Trace.” “You’re wet, aren’t you? So wet for my cock. Tell me what you want.” She remained silent, but her shallow pants hummed across the phone lines. “Should I tell you what I want?” “Please.” “Promise you’ll pet that little flower for me while I talk and I’ll take over from here. You gonna stroke your flower for me, Lils?” She didn’t respond. “Honey, you have to talk. We’re on the phone. You stroking your flower?” “Yessss…” “Mmm. Good girl.” Trace closed his eyes and relaxed into the mattress. The phone stayed put against his ear and he tugged on his cock while he let his mind wander. He shifted his other hand to toy with his balls while he plucked the perfect fantasy from his mind. “We’re back at the cabin, soaked from running through the rain. My cock’s hard for you even though the rain’s cold. I shuck my clothes as soon as we get through the door and you do the same. We’re running through the cabin to the bedroom. Your sweet ass is swaying with each step. And damn that’s a tempting ass. All perfect and heart-shaped. Just enough cushion for me not to be afraid of hurting you.” The visualization of her ass had Trace panting. He ached to nibble on the full flesh of her rear end. Bite, lick and fuck the tempting area. But not today. Today was about Lily’s sweet flower. “What comes next? Am I gonna make love to your pussy? What do you want?”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 39 -

She moaned and he pictured her with her fingers buried in her pussy, dipping and swirling in and around her cunt. “Yes. Please, Trace. I’m so wet for you. I ache, Trace.” “Aw, now, we can’t have that.” Trace pumped his cock, tightening his grip on the upstroke and loosening it as he traveled back down, adding a twist at the top to get him close. His Lily panted and moaned on the other end of the line and he didn’t want her coming without him. “I’m gonna crawl between your thighs. My cock’s so hard for you. I’m leaking pre-come from the tip. You want a taste, don’t you, baby?” She whimpered in response. Yeah, his woman liked the sound of tasting him. Just as much as he liked the idea of tasting her. “You’ll get a taste, don’t worry. But not until I’ve come inside you. I’ll put my cock against your pussy, it’ll kiss me with your cream and try to tug me inside, but I’m gonna tease you first.” “No! No teasing. Want it in me.” It was Trace’s turn to groan. “Oh, baby, I will. Your flower’s kissing my cock so nice, I won’t be able to stop myself. I’m coming inside, Lils. Want you to put your fingers in your pussy, pretend it’s me there with you, stretching you with my dick.” Trace moaned deep and low, echoing Lily’s groan. Oh yeah, his gentle flower had a wicked streak a mile wide. He tugged on his cock, tightening his grip as he imagined Lily surrounding him. “I’m inside you. Buried so deep and hard, I’m never gonna leave.” “Fuck. Need you to fuck me.” “Yeah, I’m fucking you, Lils. How do you want it, hard and fast? Slow and sweet?” Her panting increased. “Hard and fast, Trace.” “I’m pumping my cock into your pussy. Feel it? Feel me deep inside you. I’m not gonna stop until you come, baby. You like it? Like what my cock does to you?” He paused and moaned as his orgasm neared. It gathered near the base of his spine. Pure

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 40 -

pleasure formed in a knot and skittered along his nerve endings. It ignited each nerve it touched before coming to rest in his balls. “Gonna come so hard in your pussy, Lils. You coming with me?” “Yes, oh God, yes, Trace. Coming. Coming soon…” “Come with me, baby. I’m stroking my cock for you. It’s hard and aching just for you, just from the thought of your tight pussy around me.” He upped his pace. Tugging harder and faster, in time with the beat of his racing heart, Trace’s climax neared. “I’m close, Trace.” “That’s it, baby, let me take care of you. I’m gonna rub your little clit while I fuck you. Gonna suck on those pretty pink nipples and your flower’s gonna tighten around me. You’re so close to coming for me. Come on, baby, I’m coming. Come for me.” Trace’s hips arched off the bed and he nearly lost the phone as his orgasm tore through him. Thick streams of come erupted from the tip of his cock, coating his hand and abdomen. He groaned Lily’s name as he came, the word torn from his chest as every muscle in his body contracted and he focused his pleasure on his cock. Spurt after spurt flowed from the head of his dick. He continued to tug on his shaft, milking the softening flesh for every drop. Shudders slid along his spine with each subsequent release of his seed, as if each droplet were another mini-orgasm. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, Trace’s mind cleared from the drunken post-orgasmic haze. “Lils?” “Mm-hm?” “You still with me?” “Nu-uh. You killed me. God, think about what it’ll be like when we’re toget -Never mind.” “Nope.” He wasn’t letting her go, how could she not see that? “Can’t never mind when it’s what’s gotten me through these last few days. Thoughts of you are always at the front of my mind. I’ve been useless at work.” He took a deep breath. “There, now you know. I’m a cheesy idiot who can’t wait to see you again.”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 41 -

“I told you, I like cheese.” When she giggled, he prayed he’d finally gotten through to her. “Good. How about this big ball of cheese taking you out for dinner this weekend? Nothing fancy, just spending time together.” When she didn’t answer immediately, he went on to reassure her. “And no pressure. Whatever we do on the phone doesn’t mean I expect anything from you, Lils.” “Not even sparking?” She laughed again and he caught himself smiling. His after-orgasm glow making him, and it seemed her as well, giddy. “Now, sugar, sparking is non-negotiable.” “Listen to you going all Texan on me. I thought you were from around here.” “How about I tell you that over dinner?” Please say yes, please say yes. She sighed. Not a good sign. “I’ve got to go out of town for work for the next two weeks. I leave in the morning and won’t be back…” “Then we’ll have dinner when you get back in town.” Trace nibbled his lower lip. “Okay. Let me give you my number and if you want, you can call me while I’m gone and we can make plans closer to when I’ll be back.” Lily didn’t sound convinced he’d be calling. He decided then and there that it was his mission to make her realize how perfect she was to him. “I hope you’ve got a lot of minutes, ’cause we’ll be burning up the phone lines while you’re gone.” He guaranteed it.

Chapter Seven Lily brushed her hands over her skirt and smoothed the silky fabric over her hips. She double-checked her appearance in the mirror and blushed. This time it was a honest-to-goodness blush and not the remnants of her sunburn. Her skin had peeled and given way to the wall-white complexion buried beneath while she’d been away. Tonight was the first time she’d see Trace since he’d “rescued” her from the riverbank. Three weeks. One week of no contact because she was a chicken-shit and then two weeks of constant phone calls, emails and instant messages. Every moment they weren’t busy, they were communicating in some way. Hell, even if she was busy giving a presentation, Trace would text message her with something sweet… or naughty. Lily’s blush deepened. The man definitely had a way with words. In their few weeks of knowing one another, he’d shown her through words and actions just how much he really did like her. Her. Lily Atkins. Wow. She shook her head in disbelief and turned away from the mirror. Trace would be here any minute to pick her up and she still had some tidying to do. If all went well, she’d invite him into her apartment after dinner and they’d get to know one another, intimately. A knock on her front door signaled Trace’s arrival. Lily jumped and slid into her shoes before hurrying to answer the door. She flung the door wide and stared. The man exuded sex. It seemed to seep from his pores and permeate the very air she breathed. What he wore was simple. A pair of khaki slacks and a polo shirt. Nothing fancy, but the way the material hugged his chest left her panting. She wasn’t sure dinner would be on the menu this evening. She had steaks in the freezer. Trace was a man with a love of protein, and she could cook them up on the charcoal grill on her patio. At some point anyway. “Hey, baby.”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 43 -

Lily nearly melted. His voice held that deep timbre that only crept into his voice when he was aroused. And his smile. She’d forgotten about how sexy he looked when he cocked his head to the side, bits of his dirty blond hair falling over his forehead, while he flashed her a half smile. “Hey.” Trace held his arms open and took a step forward. Lily didn’t hesitate; she walked into his embrace and tilted her head up for his kiss. His mouth descended at the same time to brush across her lips. The need that had been bubbling beneath the surface blossomed. Her pussy clenched, growing heavy with arousal and want as he deepened the kiss. Clean and fresh. Those words popped to mind as they had when they shared their first kiss. Trace delved into her mouth with his tongue and she did the same to him. Lily welcomed this chance to relearn him. Trace softened the kiss, turning it into those sweet open-mouthed kisses that made her knees go weak. Finally, she pulled away, unable to stand being this close to him and not doing more. “Missed you.” “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that, Lils.” Lils. He’d called her that from the start and she loved it. No one had ever given her a nickname while she was growing up. No one except Trace. Lily had never realized she felt outside the other members of her family by not having something so innocuous as a nickname, until he’d gifted her with one. Lily rubbed and rocked against the erection she felt pressing against her belly. “I think I might have an idea.” “Imp. Quit it or we’ll never have dinner.” He pulled his hands from around her shoulders and moved to step back, but she wouldn’t let him. She propped her chin on his chest and stared into the depths of his hazel eyes. “I’ve got steaks in the freezer and a jumbo pack of condoms in the bedroom.” “I’ve got reservations at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse, Lils. I was gonna woo you and everything.” He dropped a tender kiss to her lips. The man looked so sincere. The cock

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 44 -

straining against her stomach seemed to twitch against her, but she saw his uncertainty in his eyes and heard it in his voice. She’d given him a chase at first. No matter what he’d said, she didn’t believe that a man as good looking as Trace would want to be with her. But over the last few days as their reunion grew closer, she realized that a man like him wouldn’t be spending every spare moment talking with her if he wasn’t interested. Really interested. “You’ve wooed me for two weeks. Now come inside and make love to me before my you know what explodes.” Trace leaned down to her and she thought they’d share another sweet kiss before running to her bedroom, but he surprised her. He nuzzled her neck and his nose tickled the sweet spot just below her ear before he spoke. “You talking about your sweet flower? Is it gonna part for my tongue and my cock?” She whimpered. Lord, she did a lot of that with this man. “Please,” she whispered in his ear. “You sure, baby?” He nuzzled her again and her knees nearly buckled. She licked her lips and sent up a silent prayer that her next words would get him moving. “My pussy’s wet for you, Trace, and I ache.” His hands drifted over her back and settled on the top of her ass. He moaned against her neck and nipped the tender spot beneath her ear. Lily opened her mouth to beg him to fuck her, but his smack on her ass stopped her. “Well, can’t have that, can we?” Lily wiggled free of his grasp and grabbed onto his hand. She tugged him toward her bedroom, thrilled to finally get her hands on him. All over him. They’d both been tested during the weeks they spent apart. While they both agreed that if she felt comfortable enough they’d take everything to the next level, they also agreed Trace would wear condoms when they had sex. Right now, she wanted the sex. Tasting him could wait. The moment they crossed the threshold, she whirled on him. She wasted no time fumbling with his belt buckle. The leather slid through the belt-loops of his slacks with

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 45 -

a whoosh and she went to work on the button of his pants. She left his shirt for him to remove. She had the parts of him she was craving the most. “Lils, wait. There’s something I wanted to talk…” She didn’t relinquish her possession of his pants, but glared at him. “Are you saying you don’t want this?” “No, that’s not it. I just wanted to tell…” “You’ve been tested. I saw the results. What? Does your cock curve to the left or right or something?” She shook her head. Stupid man. They’d exchanged test results while she was on the road. What was the problem? “That doesn’t matter. Everyone’s made differently. One of my boobs is bigger than the other. Does that make you feel better?” Lily didn’t wait for him to respond. He hadn’t moved to stop her, and if anything, his cock seemed to be urging her on with its twitches and jerks as she fought with the material. Finally, the button slipped through the hole and she tugged the zipper down. The moment she released the zipper, his slacks fell to pool around his ankles and revealed… Lily bit her lip and tried to stifle her giggle, but failed. Her man was wearing the cutest pair of smiley-face boxers she’d ever seen. The presence of the multicolored drawings all over his boxers were a stark contrast to the chiseled muscle and gruff demeanor he adopted when aroused. “Are you laughing at me, Lils?” Oh. Shit. She shook her head. “Huh. I think you are.” Trace toed off his shoes and then kicked his pants aside. Now he simply wore his hideously hilarious boxers and pale blue polo shirt. He tugged his shirt over his head and her mouth went dry. Damn, somehow he seemed to have become even more cut in their time apart. She didn’t have much time to enjoy the scenery though. Trace urged her to her feet and backed her toward the bed. She still wore every stitch of clothing she’d put on moments

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 46 -

ago and he was nearly naked. Things weren’t exactly going according to plan. “Uh, Trace?” He pushed her onto the bed and dropped to his knees. “Yeah, baby?” Trace’s work-roughened hands skimmed her calves and she jumped. Okay, maybe things weren’t going according to her plan, but she could adjust. Lily didn’t object when he slid her shoes from her feet, and she gasped when Trace flicked his tongue in the crease behind her knee. Nobody had ever told her of that special spot before. Again his callused palms slid over the skin on her legs and ventured farther up her body, bringing the fabric of her skirt with them until the cool air caressed her bare, completely bare, pussy. “Lils.” Lily relaxed into the bed with a sigh, anticipation churning low in her belly, but tensing wouldn’t do her any good. And damn, she wanted this to be good. Now, with no threat of disease floating between them, she opened her legs willingly for Trace and she prayed he hadn’t suddenly grown dense in their time apart. When he pressed his lips against her labia, she knew he hadn’t. “Oh, baby,” he whispered against her pussy lips. “You shaved your pretty petals for me and I think I’m going to be down here a while.” He laved the left side of her pussy from ass to the top of her slit before sucking the aroused flesh into his mouth and tugging lightly. She arched her back and rocked her hips forward, begging for more. “Please,” she whined. Trace didn’t seem to hear or care. He repeated the caress on the other side, licking and flicking his way from her ass to just near her clit, nibbling every inch of skin he could. Lily placed her heels on the edge of the bed, spreading herself wide and gaining an added bit of leverage. With every swipe of his tongue and bite of his teeth, she rocked and rolled her hips. More. More tongue, more suction, more teeth. Just more.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 47 -

His own moans of approval mingled with hers as she rode his face, following the movements of his agile tongue as he fucked her. Up and down she flexed her hips, trying to keep the rhythm that would get her there. Her pussy clenched and ached, growing heavier with every passing second as he worked his magic. Seemed her detailed descriptions had done some good in teaching him how she liked to be touched. When she thought she couldn’t become any more aroused, Trace thrust a finger into her pussy and she froze, then her back arched off the bed and a scream caught in her throat. She tightened around the invasion, thankful for something other than her own hand between her legs. Before she could take her next breath, Trace sucked on her clit and flicked it with rapid beats of his tongue, taking her by surprise. Before she could stop her body’s response, her orgasm tore through her. Bolts of lightning felt as if they raced over every nerve while her cunt milked his finger, tightening and releasing him with each and every shudder. Trace continued to fuck her with his finger, sliding in and out of her pussy as the convulsions eased and her breathing returned to normal. When she could finally speak, only one word came to mind. “Wow.” He chuckled against her clit, sending a new round of shudders through her as his warm breath danced along her heated skin. “Oh, wow.” He slipped his finger free and she whimpered. Still boneless, she expanded a great deal of effort to prop herself up on her elbows. She stared wide-eyed as Trace stuck his finger in his mouth, eyes closed, and moaned as he licked her juices. Her own moan echoed his when he opened his eyes and their gazes bored into one another. He slid his finger free with a soft pop. “Delicious.” “You’re going to kill me.” She flopped back onto the bed. A man who couldn’t seem to get enough of her pussy and liked that she had extra curves and bounce everywhere? He still seemed too good to be true. Lily closed her eyes and waited for Trace’s next move. Now that he’d taken charge, she liked him being in control. The bed dipped on either side of her and she tensed when his silk-covered erection nudged her tender pussy. His lips brushed hers in the barest hint of a kiss

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 48 -

before he spoke. “You ready for me? Is your sweet, oh so sweet, flower ready for my cock?” She raised her legs and wrapped them around Trace’s waist, pulling him harder against her. “If you don’t fuck me now, I’ll… Shit, I don’t know. I’ll do something really bad. Later. Just please fuck me…” She ended her plea with a moan when he kissed the side of her neck, teeth scraping just below her ear. He eased away from her and she tightened her hold until she felt him tug on her dress. Oh, right. She should probably be naked for this. Realizing his intentions, she squirmed and wiggled to help him, keeping her legs wrapped around him the entire time. “Lils?”

She flung the dress over her head.

“Lils?”

She arched her back and reached for the clasp of her bra. One more hook…

“Lils?”

She plopped onto the bed as she threw her bra aside. “What? You’re fucking me

now, right?” He smiled and her breath caught in her throat. “Yeah, baby, but I have to get a condom first. Think you can let me go long enough to snag one and shed my boxers?” She blushed, the rush of blood heating her cheeks as she dropped her feet back to the bed. “They’re in the top drawer of the bedside table.” While he rummaged for the condoms, she snuck beneath the covers and settled herself in the middle of the bed. By the time she’d readied herself, Trace had donned the condom and was crawling toward her. “Blue?” Lily giggled. “Out of all the colors, you picked blue?” She’d bought the multi-colored large pack of condoms on a lark, but since they were flavored as well, she figured having a variety was a good thing. “You bought the damned things.” He growled just before capturing her lips in a bruising kiss. “Want to explain to me why the hell there’s so much fabric between us?”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 49 -

He didn’t wait for her to answer and since she didn’t have one that wouldn’t make her seem like an idiot, she kept her mouth shut. Before she could blink, he tugged the sheets and comforter from her body, leaving her naked to his gaze. She resisted the urge to cover herself, barely. “Gorgeous.” He crawled between her thighs and brushed a kiss across her lips before traveling south to her breasts. “You.” Kiss. “Are.” Lick. “Gorgeous.” He sucked her nipple into his mouth and she felt the pull all the way to her pussy. With his whispered words and peppered kisses, she almost believed him, but getting over the stigma of being a fluffy gal in a skinny world would take time. Time he’d promised to give her over the past few weeks. “Trace.” She whispered his name, afraid to break the sweet spell he’d weaved while she angled her hips to press against his erection. With the rapidly setting sun peeking through the blinds, she could barely see him, but she felt every shift of his muscles beneath her palms. “Please, Trace, love me.” He maneuvered his cock until it nestled in the heat of her core. “You sure?” Lord, men could be dense. “Yes, please.” Trace didn’t wait for another affirmation. He thrust his cock into her until fully seated, stretching her pussy like no other. She moaned, half in stinging pain and half in pleasure, when he froze. He buried his face in her neck, his panting breath danced over the sweat slicked skin. She figured he was giving her time to adjust. Good. “Okay?” She could do nothing but nod. Okay? More than okay. Lily had never been filled so completely in her life. It was as if his cock had been made to slide right into her cunt and fill every empty space. Trace levered himself above her and stared into her eyes. His face could be read like a book at that moment and all she could see was love shining in his gaze. She felt tears prick her eyes and she hurried to blink them away. No man wanted to have sex with a crying whale. He leaned down and kissed away her tears. “You sure you’re okay?”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 50 -

“Perfect. But I’d be better if you did something with the tree between your legs.” She smiled and waited for him to move, but he seemed frozen for a moment. Finally. Finally he flexed his hips and pulled his cock from her pussy, only to shove it home once again. She moaned with his re-entry and braced her hands on the headboard. With Trace’s strength, she knew he could fuck her into the wall if they weren’t careful. Trace set a slow, sinuous pace of thrust and retreat as he made love to Lily. He slid his cock in and out of her pussy and she raised her hips to meet him with every advance. Over and again he slid in and out of her cunt, the ridges and veins of his cock stimulating the sensitive walls of her pussy. With each meeting of their hips, her clit rubbed against his pelvic bone, arousing her even further. After the last orgasm, Lily didn’t think she’d be ready for another, but Trace was quickly proving her wrong. Frissons of pleasure danced along every nerve, starting from her clit and emanating through her body. Her toes curled into the sheet-covered mattress while her back arched and tensed. Trace increased his pace as her pussy convulsed around his cock. Close. So close. With his increased force, Lily tightened her hold on the wrought iron headboard, the creak of the springs echoing their moans and groans. Between one breath and the next her orgasm washed over her in a wave of pure pleasure. Every muscle tensed in that one blissful moment before pulsating throughout her body from head to toe. She screamed Trace’s name as she came, drawn tight as a bow beneath him. Within seconds he tensed above her, moaning her name. His thrusts became shallow and jerky and Lily wrapped her legs around his waist as she tightened her cunt around him. She wanted to draw his orgasm out as long as she could. With two final thrusts he slumped and rested his weight on her. Their breaths mingled as their hearts calmed. Just when Lily was ready to push Trace off her, he rolled away and stood next to the bed, one hand clutching his cock. “What --”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 51 -

He brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “Gotta get rid of the condom, love.” Love. She nodded, unable to trust her own voice. Trace flicked the bathroom light on and she watched his easy movements as he tugged the semen-filled piece of blue latex from his cock, tied it off and tossed it in the trash. As he padded toward her, she drank her fill of his body. From head to toe and back again, she eyed him. Her gaze stopped on his rapidly rising cock as he stood in the bathroom doorway, and when it stood erect she saw… “It’s striped.” She cocked her head to the side and stared at Trace’s erection. “It’s ringed. That’s what I was trying to tell you before.” She rose from the bed and closed the distance between them. Lily ran a finger over one of the “rings” and his cock twitched. “Are they tattoos?” “No.” “You were born this way?” She traced another ring. The sight of the darker circles wrapping around Trace’s cock entranced her. They varied in width and covered his shaft from base to just below the tip. Some were paler than others, but they were unmistakable against the lighter skin of his dick. “Yes. I had hoped to explain this after you’d had a glass of wine or two.” He stepped around her and sat on the bed. Lily didn’t like the look on his face and chose to lean against the wall near the door. “Explain what? You’ve been tested for STDs and you’re clean. Don’t tell me now that you lied.” “No, I’m clean. This is sort of a genetic thing, actually.” He stared at his hands while he spoke and Lily’s heart softened. Poor guy’s worried about some stupid genetic “thing.” Lily approached him and crouched between his knees. “Trace, unless you tell me my pussy’s going to suddenly grow stripes, I don’t think this is a big deal.” He looked her in the eyes and gave her a rueful smile. “No, you won’t get stripes on your pretty flower, but this may push you away from me for good.” “That’s not gonna happen.” Trace leaned down and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. “I hope not.”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 52 -

He stood and she followed, allowing him to press her down onto the bed. He took a few steps back and then inhaled a deep breath. “Remember that first night? I asked you about life on other planets.” She nodded. “I wanted to know what you thought because I am from another planet. Botanea to be exact.” “You’re an alien?” He nodded and she broke into a fit of giggles. “Wait. You’re doing this to fuck with me, aren’t you? Ah, baby. You didn’t have to paint your cock to get my attention.” She rose from the bed and took a step forward, but he held out his hand, gesturing for her to not come any closer. “I am. The planet Botanea was dying. With air and soil pollution, my people couldn’t reproduce. My parents entrusted me to a man named Seq Viren. He brought us here to Earth in 1947, and made sure we were all settled in safe locations. After he planted the last grove, his ship crashed… in Roswell.” She stared at him. No wonder such a hottie wanted her. He was fucking crazy. “You should leave.” “I can prove it,” he rushed out. “How? By whipping out your ringed dick? Thanks, but no thanks. I’m done being the center of some psycho-perv’s fantasies for the day, thank you very much.” Tears stung her eyes and slid down her cheeks, but she didn’t move a muscle. “No. I can shift. My people are trees when in our natural form. Here, watch.” Lily didn’t move. Do not antagonize the crazies. That’s what her mother always said. Until now, she’d never had any use for that bit of wisdom. She resolved to pay more attention to what her mother said from now on. Trace held out his hand, palm up and she stared at him. Slowly, in tiny increments, his hand and arm lengthened. The skin darkened as his fingers elongated even further. Within seconds, leaves sprouted from the tips a mere foot from her face. She gasped and inched backwards. “You should go. Now.” He’d slipped her something. It was the only explanation for her hallucination. He’d had acid in his mouth when they kissed and he must have slipped it to her then.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 53 -

His hand and arm shifted back, more quickly than they’d formed, and he stepped toward her. “No, let me explain.” She shook her head. “You did explain. Now I’m asking you to leave.” She turned her head, unwilling to look at him as she sent him away. Other than being a lunatic, he was perfect in every way. “Please.”

Chapter Eight “This is so not a good idea, Sissy.” Lily took a deep cleansing breath and narrowed her eyes at Violet. “Yes, it is. It’s the only way to get him back. Now, let’s go over the plan again.” “But I just got my license back from Dad,” Vi whined. True, Vi had just gotten her license back, but only because Lily had gone to bat for her. Five months early, go Lily! She still knew how to wrap dad around her little finger. “Dude, cowboy up already.” “Thank you, Ro, though I wonder where you heard that,” Lily arched a brow at her youngest sibling. “TV,” Ro quipped. “Fine. The plan is that you two will abandon me at the first bend. You will paddle to Can You?, tell whoever what you’ve done, tell them to tell Trace and then go home with my SUV. You’ll give dad my note so you don’t get into trouble this time around and everything should be peachy. Everyone understand?” Impatience tainted her voice, but the kids were giving her a hard time. As if they hadn’t done this before. “Fine,” Vi finally grumbled after Ro heartily agreed with the plan. Ah, the joys of youth. “Perfect. Let’s go get our canoe and get on the road. Um, river.” Lily hopped from the SUV and moved to the back to unload their supplies. Rose and Violet met her at the back. “I packed plenty of food, water, soda -- no beer! -- and sunscreen. Everything you two need is here.” She didn’t tell them that everything she would need was there as well. After she’d kicked Trace out of her apartment and made sure the front door was locked to keep him from re-entering, she’d gone back to her bedroom for a good cry.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 55 -

There, in the middle of her floor, were a handful of mangrove leaves. She collected them, but instead of throwing them away, she carefully put them in the drawer of her bedside table. At the time, she didn’t know what possessed her to do such a thing. Now, three weeks later, she knew why. Freakish tree shifting alien or not, Trace was the only man to ever accept her for herself. He loved her curves and quirks. He hadn’t once cautioned her to drop a few pounds or be quiet when they were on the phone. When she was excited, he was excited. They matched. Sort of. He’d called her every day. She didn’t answer the phone when he called, but he always pretended she had. He spoke to her answering machine as if it were her, filling her in on everything that had been happening in his life. He also told her how sorry he was about not being truthful at first and most of all, that he missed her. It took her a while, but she realized she missed him too. Now, she was back at Can You? Canoe Rental to re-enact their first meeting. Hopefully. The threesome managed to get on the water and paddle to the first bend easy enough without being spotted by anyone Lily recognized. As she unloaded her bags, she gave the girls a few last-minute instructions, making sure they understood what was expected of them. “So, you’ll tell the guy in the office, right?” “Yes, Sissy,” they chorused.

“You won’t get kidnapped by a stranger?”

“No, Sissy.”

“Promise not to get eaten by a ’gator?”

“Sissy!”

“What? It could totally happen.” She laughed with the two teens and pulled them

into a hug. “You know I love you guys, right? No matter what and forever.” She pressed a kiss to their cheeks and released them. “Now, get going so I can win back my guy.” “Ooooohhhh… Sissy’s gonna have seeexxxx,” they sing-songed in response. “Git, you two!” She laughed and plopped onto the sand by her bags. Now all she could do was wait.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 56 -

Before long, the soft splash of a paddle slapping the water met her ears and Lily tensed. Could he be here already? She didn’t think enough time had passed based on the timeline of her last rescue, but maybe the girls had high-tailed it down the river. She stood and shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. The glare on the water made it difficult to see who approached, but she could definitely tell it was a lone paddler in a canoe. He came! Tears sprung to her eyes and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. He’d come. He’d forgiven her for her stupidity and he’d… The paddler drew closer and she realized that the sun wasn’t shining against a mop of dirty blond, but black hair instead. Well, shit. She plopped back onto the sand. It wasn’t Trace. The stranger beached his canoe and she tried to ignore him. Though, being the only other person on the beach made it impossible. “Ma’am.” He tipped his head in greeting and she smiled back. Not a real smile. She was saving that for Trace. The man looked around the beach, a furrow creasing his brow, before he settled his gaze on her. He was going to ask. Damn it. “Mind if I ask where your canoe or kayak is, ma’am?” Lily waved at him. “I don’t exactly have one, though I expect one will be arriving shortly.” “Uh huh.” “I’m being rescued.” She nodded for emphasis. It made sense. “Uh huh.” “Today. Soon even.” “Uh huh.” “Would you stop ‘uh huhing’ me? It’s annoying. Trace will be here soon and I’d really prefer it if you weren’t here when he arrives.” She wasn’t above begging. Not when so much depended on this afternoon. “Trace? Trace Lagun’s coming to rescue you this afternoon?”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 57 -

She nodded. “If you ‘uh huh’ me again, I will throw you to the ’gator.” She saw the smile tickling the corner of the stranger’s mouth and knew she’d won him over. He’d leave any minute now… “Well, why don’t I just settle in here and wait for him with ya?” “What?” “Yup. Trace and I go way back and I’d be a piss-poor excuse for a friend if I let his lady bake out here alone.” He approached and offered his hand, which she took. “Name’s Cody. Cody Duncan. Nice to meet ya, ma’am.” They shook hands and he released his grip to return to his canoe. Before she could voice another protest, he hauled his cooler from the canoe and began setting his belongings out on the beach. The whole time she watched him, she wondered about the strange man with the midnight-black hair, hunter-green eyes and sexy-as-sin drawl. Darker and more rich than any other green she’d ever seen, his eyes weren’t his only interesting feature. She mentally slapped herself. She shouldn’t be thinking about some stranger in any way. She was on the beach to wait for Trace’s rescue. She just wondered when he’d show up. “Ma’am, if you’ll mosey on over here, I’ve set up some grub for us.” Lily stood and brushed off her shorts. “You know, I have a name.” “Seeing as you didn’t share it, I settled on calling you ma’am until Trace made introductions.” Lily blushed and not from the heat of the noon sun. “Lily. Lily Atkins,” she supplied as she sat near his cooler. He tipped his head and she wondered if he wouldn’t tip his hat at her if he’d been wearing one. Then her thoughts wandered to what Trace would look like in a cowboy hat and nothing else. Mmm… cowboys. She sipped from a bottle of water Cody had given her and they sat quietly along the bank, watching the river flow by. “I imagine Trace’ll be along shortly.” Lily shook her head. “No, my sisters probably haven’t gotten back to Can You? yet.”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 58 -

“I’m not sure how much Trace has told you about himself, but he’s got family nearby. They’ll have contacted him to let him know you’re here. It shouldn’t be too long now.” Before she could voice her disagreement, the sound of her name being yelled tore down the river. Trace. She bound from her spot on the bank and rushed to the shore, straining to see him. Within seconds he tore around the bend and paddled toward her as if his life depended on it. She stayed rooted to the spot, anxious to be in his arms again, but not anxious enough to risk the nasty ’gator she’d encountered during her last visit. Cody joined her within moments. “Like I said, Lily, Trace’ll be along shortly.” She couldn’t be bothered with the green-eyed man next to her. Her Trace was coming. Coming for her. Trace’s canoe collided with the bank and he leapt from the aluminum vessel the second it touched sand. Before she could speak or take a breath, he wrapped her in his arms, whirling her around as if she weighed nothing to him. Over and again he spoke her name and said how much he had missed her. The not-so-subtle clearing of a throat brought them both back to the present. “Cody.” The men shook hands. “Max said you were in town. Visiting your brothers?” “Thinking on it, though I imagine you and Lily’ll be heading to the cabin?” Cody’s gaze shifted from her to Trace and back again. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you can’t head over to see them.” Cody arched his brow at Trace and it seemed he finally figured out what Lily was still trying to understand. “Lils knows, Cody. And I’m assuming her presence and the fact that I’m still standing means she accepts us.” Understanding struck her like a two-by-four square in the head. “He’s a tree too?” She stared at Cody with new eyes. He didn’t look like a tree. The more she’d thought about Trace being a mangrove, the more she’d seen similarities in his build, but Cody did not resemble a mangrove at all.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 59 -

“Yes, ma’am, though we’re pecans, not mangy mangroves like your man here.” “Pecans.” She whispered the word as the truth sunk in. “Makes sense. Your eyes…” Cody nodded and Trace hugged her close. “She’s mine, you troublesome Texan,” Trace all but growled. “Stop,” she admonished. “I’m just piecing things together.” Lily brushed a kiss across Trace’s arm and nestled into his embrace. “Well, I’m sure the two of you have a lot of talking to do, so I’ll see you around.” Lily said her goodbye and slipped from Trace’s hug long enough to grab her bag. “What’s all that?” “Supplies.” “Supplies, huh? I thought maybe we’d hop in the canoe and…” “Nope. We’re spending the weekend in the cabin. Only this time, I made sure we were prepared.” She waggled her eyebrows, slung the backpack over her shoulder and took off into the forest. Trace caught her in minutes, but the quick jog burnt off some of her nervous energy. In silence they traveled through the brush and trees only this time… “It seems easier,” she mumbled. “What?”

“It seems easier this time. The hike to the cabin,” she explained.

“Oh, that’s because they moved for you.”

“Moved?”

“Yup, my trees are showing you respect and have shifted to allow you easy

passage.” Trace stopped and placed a palm on a nearby tree. “They sense what you mean to me and don’t want to delay us any longer than necessary.” Tears sprung to her eyes. His trees sensed… “Well, let’s not disappoint your trees then.” Lily took two steps and froze. “Wait. Can they move parts of themselves? Like, I dunno, branches or leaves?” “Sure, they can.”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 60 -

“Huh. Do you think your other trees would hold it against me if I chopped one down for getting a bit too frisky while I was trying to tend to my business?”

Chapter Nine The previously hour-long trek to the cabin took only fifteen minutes this time around. The trees shifting to make a path definitely made the hike easier. Other than Trace informing her that he’d take care of the frisky tree in his own “Elder Wood” way, they hadn’t talked during the walk. Even as they ventured up the porch steps and deep into the recesses of the cabin, they remained silent. Lily entered the bedroom they’d shared so long ago. She dropped her backpack on a chair near the bed and nearly tripped over a piece of furniture. She eyed it and froze. “You bought me steps? For the bed?” Her attention flew to Trace and she caught the light blush tingeing his cheeks. He ran a hand through his hair before he responded. “Yeah, it was when you went out of town. I knew you weren’t happy about how you had to hop up on the bed, short, sexy thing that you are, so I bought you steps. I spend weekends out here with the grove a lot and I had hoped you would come with me sometimes.” She used the new steps to crawl onto the bed. On her knees, she faced the man she’d come to love and held her arms out to him. With a huge grin splitting his face, he approached her. She sighed as Trace enfolded her in his embrace. When he brushed his lips across hers, she opened for him and the familiar clean taste of him exploded on her tongue. This wasn’t a kiss of immense passion, but of reunion. She stroked his back as their kiss remained tender and exploratory. Finally, she pulled away and gazed into his eyes. “Hey.” “Hey.” The quiet of the cabin engulfed them as they stared at one another. Seconds ticked by, but neither of them budged. There wasn’t a hurry or rush to get to the finish line. Now that she’d accepted Trace for who, and what, he was… they had forever.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 62 -

Lily leaned forward and he met her halfway to share a loving open-mouthed kiss. When she pulled away, she whispered against his lips. “Make love to me, Trace.” “You sure? You don’t want to talk about anything?” She cupped his cheek and slid her palm back and forth over his rough whiskers. “Have you changed your mind about me?” “That’s like asking a tree if it wants to live in darkness for the rest of its life. You’re my sun, Lils.” Tears sprung to her eyes. “Then talking about everything can wait. As long as you’re not going to disappear on a ship or abandon me anytime soon, everything outside the two of us can wait.” “Oh, don’t cry, baby.” Trace kissed away her burgeoning tears. “Then love me, Trace. No sparking, real loving. Though I think I know where you got that term now.” “Always loving you, Lils. Always.” Those were the last words spoken by either of them for a while. Lily fumbled with the buttons on Trace’s shirt while he worked on his belt and slacks. Before long, his entire tanned and lean body was exposed to her. Muscle upon muscle covered Trace from head to toe. She traced the lines of his shoulders, down to his pecs and ventured further south to his abdomen before she came to the part of him that had caused the initial turmoil in their relationship. “So beautiful, Trace.” She slid her finger along one ring after another from root to tip. By the time she reached the head of his cock, a tiny droplet of pre-cum had appeared. Before he could object, or stop her, she gathered it with her finger and licked it clean. Earthy, salty and sweet burst on her tongue. “Oh, you’re killing me, baby.” She smiled at him around her finger and winked before removing it from her mouth. “But what a way to go, huh?”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 63 -

Trace tackled her, pressing her back against the mattress, and held her steady with his weight. Her legs fell open for him automatically and she groaned when the ridge of his cock encountered her cloth-covered pussy. He eased off her just long enough to divest her of her top and shorts before he leaned in to devour one of her breasts. The deep suction shot straight to her clit and Lily arched into Trace’s mouth, begging for more. He growled low in his throat. The sound traveled through her hardened nipple and seemed to reverberate through her aching clit and throbbing pussy. She tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him where she desired his mouth the most. Before long, he abandoned one breast and ventured to the other. He repeated his torture. Trace tongued and flicked the hardened nub before pulling it into his mouth. He nibbled and sucked on her nipple, his moans echoing her own as he made a meal of her breast. His cock nestled between her labia as he suckled her nipples. Lily rocked her hips against the ridge of his erection and he moaned again. Oooh, momma likes. The solid heat of his cock seared her aroused pussy. While he tended to her hardened nipples, Lily continued to rock and writhe against him. With each roll of her hips the head of his dick slid over her clit, shooting frissons of pleasure from her cunt to her breasts and back again. Like erotic Ping-Pong, the building arousal bounced between chest and cunt. Over and over again she shifted against his cock, relishing the pleasure sparking without clothes could bring. Trace tore his mouth from her breast and she whimpered. “Fuck. If you don’t stop I’m gonna come.” “Mmm… no. Inside me, Trace. Need you in me, please?” This time, Trace whimpered. “Condoms?” She shook her head. This, she’d thought long and hard about. She was on the pill so pregnancy wasn’t an issue, but… “If you haven’t been with anyone while we’ve been apart…”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 64 -

“I haven’t.” He brushed the hair from her eyes. “Couldn’t think of anyone but you, let alone go near anyone. Love you. Don’t you see that?” “Love you too. Now make love to me like you mean it.” Trace kissed her, a brief meeting of their lips imbued with the love she felt for him, before he pulled away. He braced his weight on his arms while flexing his hips. Lily spread her legs wider and angled her hips to accept him. More than anything she wanted to be joined to this man. The broad head of his cock probed the entrance to her pussy and a shudder zinged through her. Without hesitation, Trace fed her his cock in slow, agonizing inches. Lily savored this first joining. His cock filled her like no other, venturing into places within her cunt she didn’t know existed. Full didn’t even begin to describe the feeling of having him buried in her pussy. Whole. She felt whole. By the time he had fully embedded his cock in her pussy, he was panting, as was she. “Fuck me, Trace. Make it fast and hard this time.” Trace took her at her word. He withdrew and slammed home again, slowly at first, and in part she was thankful as she wasn’t used to being this stretched. Soon though, he began thrusting with increasing speed. He pushed his upper body off her and brought his knees up to rest just beneath her ass. Spread wide, she cringed when she followed his line of sight as he plunged in and out of her spasming pussy. “So beautiful. Fuck, you’re tight. Won’t last long.” As spread as she was, she could do nothing but feel as he thrust in and out of her pussy. Closer and closer her orgasm approached and she could tell from the tension in Trace’s features that his approached as well. With each plunge of his cock into her cunt, his pelvic bone pressed against her clit, sending a tingling fire through her pussy. She clenched and tightened around him as her release drew nearer. Lily brought a hand to her breast and pinched the still hard nipple. Tugging on the nub caused a tiny orgasm to zing through her. “Fuck yes!” She couldn’t rise to meet his thrusts, but she could roll her hips in time with each forward motion. Lily worked in tandem with Trace, shifting and rocking to meet each

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 65 -

shove of his cock into her pussy. Over and over and over he plunged into her pussy. Each and every thrust brought him in contact with her throbbing clit. So close… “Love my cock in your pussy. Fucking pussy was made for me. My fucking pussy.” He increased his pace and force of his thrusts. “My.” Slam. “Fucking.” Thrust. “Pussy.” Plunge. The last meeting of their bodies pushed Lily’s climax forward and it washed over her. She screamed Trace’s name as she came. Her back arched and her pussy clenched around his cock until finally he stiffened above her. Tiny tremors wracked her body even after he stilled. For minutes they stayed frozen, locked in the joy of their own release until Trace slumped over her, his face buried in her neck. “Love you, Lils, love you so much. Don’t ever do that again.” “What? Come like a freight train? You’re just gonna have to learn how to suck at fucking then.” Trace rolled to the side and tugged her against him. “Imp.” She nuzzled his chest, planting a soft kiss over his heart before drifting to sleep.

*** Trace woke to the most intense heat wrapped around his cock like he’d never known before. It was as if a forest fire burned through his veins and centered on his erection. The liquid molten heat slid up and down his shaft and he tensed, trying to remain still. In the pre-dawn light, Lily’s long, loose curls pooled around him while her summer pink lips slid over the skin of his cock. Up and down she glided along his shaft, her saliva easing the way for her lips as her tongue danced along the underside of his dick. As she reached the tip her suction increased and she flicked her tongue across the slit, pressing it gently against the hole. “Fuck, Lils!” The love of his life didn’t relent in her attentions. She moaned around his dick and amazingly, increased her efforts. She rose and fell over his cock, her small hand following in her mouth’s wake as she sucked him, fucked him, with her mouth.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 66 -

Trace widened his legs, giving Lily more room to work with as she sucked his cock. Finally, the pure pleasure of having her warmth wrapped around him overrode his desire to be gentle. He raised his hips, thrusting into the wet heat as she lowered her mouth along his dick until he felt her nose brush his pubic bone. Fuck! The act of deep throating him alone nearly had him coming in her mouth. Lily cupped his balls, rolling them in her small hand as she licked his dick from root to tip. “Lils, oh God, baby, like that…” Real words were becoming difficult to form and when her tiny slip of a finger ventured back to caress the skin behind his balls, Trace gave up trying to talk. He moaned and groaned, but words were beyond him now. They’d talked about their different fantasies, but never did he imagine… Her mouth abandoned his dick and he raised his hips, fighting to stay within her warmth. “Want to, Trace?” Huh? Talking? She wanted to talk? Lily stroked his cock, twisting on the upstroke, while her other hand played with his balls and stroked perineum. “Want my finger in you?” Oh. Yeah. He didn’t trust anyone more than the woman between his legs. They’d talked about it and now he’d show her just how much he trusted and loved her. “Yeah, do it.” Trace brought his knees up and planted them on the bed on either side of Lily. Her soft giggle was the only warning he received before her magical mouth resumed its place around his cock. Again she set a slow, sweet pace. Just as he began shifting to meet her mouth, a cool, wet finger probed his ass. Relax. He needed to relax if this was to work. After listening to her go on and on about some magazine article describing a man’s “G-spot”, Trace had agreed that when they got back together, she could go exploring. Of course, that was all before she found out about his true form. Since they were back together, now was as good a time as any to get to playing.

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 67 -

Trace willed his muscles to relax as Lily pressed her slim fingertip in. With relative ease and no pain, he felt her slide into him. Wow. One word and it contained so many emotions he didn’t know how to process everything. Lily. His Lily had her finger in his ass and he felt… Fuck! Her fingertip grazed something inside him and stars burst through his body. Fuck yeah, a man’s G-spot existed and it lived in his ass. With each rise and fall of her mouth on his cock, Lily thrust in and out of his ass stroking that special spot. “Fuck yeah, fuck that ass.” She moaned her approval and increased her efforts. Moving faster, sucking harder, thrusting deeper, she continued. Every cell in Trace’s body came to life with her attentions. Places deep within he didn’t know existed tensed and tightened in preparation. Trace’s orgasm traveled and danced along his spine before settling in his balls. It gathered steam, the combined sensations of Lily’s mouth and hand driving him to heights he’d never dreamed of. Tighter and tighter it coiled in his balls. He rocked his hips, aching, dying to stay within her mouth until… “Fuck, I’m coming… coming now!” And then he did. The gathering seed in his balls shot through his cock and straight into Lily’s waiting mouth. She kept the suction constant with each new wave of his climax that washed through him. She sucked, laved and licked until the tiny shudders wracking his body subsided to a dull, continual ache. Only when he lay completely still did she release his cock and pull her finger free. Lily crawled up next to him and snuggled close. He sighed. “Damn, baby, you sucked the sap right out of me.”

*** The next morning Lily woke encircled in Trace’s arms with his chest at her back. She snuggled closer to him, leeching his warmth. Trace’s cock had other ideas and his morning wood strained against her ass. Before long, he was peppering the back of her neck with kisses as they lay together. “Morning.”

Celia Kyle

Big, Blooming & Wild: Man-grove

- 68 -

“Morning.” Neither of them spoke. Sure, they had plenty of otherworldly issues to discuss, but their relationship and what they felt for each other couldn’t be denied. Lily heard the front door open and close and she stiffened. “It’s okay. Just Cody grabbing a cup of coffee. Even trees need a jolt of caffeine to wake up in the morning,” he mumbled against her neck. “Oh. He was a tree last night.” “Mm-hm.” “Because we were here hogging the cabin?” “Yes.” He nuzzled her neck. “Maybe…” Damn her to hell and back, but ever since she’d accepted Trace for what he was, she’d been saving this joke. “Maybe we should make like a tree and leave.”

Celia Kyle Celia would have loved to have written her own biography, but she just didn’t know what to say. In a fit of desperation, she turned to me, her most trusted confidant and friend. I realize you’re asking yourself, “Who is this?” I am Cali, her cat. I also go by a few other names, but those may be too strong for your delicate ears. Suffice it to say my mommy is very creative and not just with writing. My mommy, Celia, began writing in August of 2006. I know this because it was around that time our meals started coming later and later in the day. As months passed, she spent more and more time in front of the boring screen. Though it was fun to chase the little arrow around every once in a while. You should hear her scream! But I digress. She’s worked hard to give readers sexy, quirky heroines they can relate to. And you better damn well appreciate it. All I got was late night feedings. And I didn’t even make it into one of her books by name! That damn kitten, Katie O’Meghan, did. Bitch. Well, enjoy her writings and if you want to praise her for her work… don’t. I’d like to get fed at some point, people. Fine. If you must contact her, her website is at www.celiakyle.com or you can send an email to [email protected]. But when I go hungry, I’ll blame you all!