Bella had taken a much needed bath after what seemed like weeks and made her way toward the church as she dried her hair off. She was always doing things. When she wasn’t planning nearly everything for the church services she was teaching the kids or running the Whip. She’d do all of this and more for Kristoph since he essentially saved her life but it was beginning to grow tiresome. She got to the church tent and sighed, throwing in the wet towel before making her way toward the front of the carnival where security was usually posted up. The red in her hair was beginning to grow out and fade but she’d take care of that the next time she got around to taking a bath.
When she finally made it, her hair was dry and her boredom was eating away at her. There he was, he wasn’t the Reverend by any means but he was fun when the monotony started to weigh down on her. “Hey there, what are you up to on this fine winter day?” she asked, leaning against the wall of the security station with her arms crossed over her chest. “What do you say we play hooky and drink one of the sacrament wines I just bought for the Reverend?” She didn’t actually steal it for him, merely purchased another bottle herself while she was still in town. Or two. She wasn’t a fan of the hard liquors like men were and she knew she only had so much time left to drink it before she had to stop but why not enjoy it while she still could?
The Carnival seemed quiet. Nearly too quiet for his liking. He wasn’t a fan of disrupting brawls, separating people who were beginning to gnaw at each other for skipping in line or the overall wait, but he did it. Every person he helped saved was a pebble on a scale which was tipped out of his favor. Maybe things would start evening out the less trouble he made. The turn of events in his life recently had him curious as to why God had put this on his shoulders. This curse, which he now was paying for over and over. The various sounds of the Carnival were predictable by now; he could hear every high pitched squeal, every kernel of popcorn transforming. Bottom line was he was growing bored.
Bella was nearly a revelation in her own. Paul turned to peer at her, at first from the corner of an eye before he would turn those icy blues upon her fully. The corners of his lips would pull into a charming smirk and a shoulder would rise only to fall again casually. “How could I say no to you?” She promised fun and a better time than he was having standing there watching nothing, waiting.
He wasn’t always one to shirk duties. Like everyone else here he felt indebted for being allowed to assist. But what was life if you couldn’t have a bit of fun now and then at someone else’s expense?
“Reverend won’t mind if we put it to good use, right?” What was the harm? Paul left his post without a second thought, approaching Bella. He paused nearby and waited for her lead. “What’s on your mind, beautiful? I know you don’t miss me that much.”
A quick glance around, out of habit mostly, and then his gaze would fall upon his friend again.
She caught up with him in a skip and started to walk him toward the communal tents where she had the extra bottles of wine stashed. “What he doesn’t know won’t harm him.” She mused with a smirk, hand dangling lightly by her side as she walked. The part of about missing him was amusing as best and her chuckle was loud as he said no. “No I don’t miss you but seeing as everyone else is busy and you are the best looking of the ones who aren’t, I figured it be best to kill my boredom with you.”
Bella wasn’t exactly coy when it came to talking to men, she learned a long time ago that most of them just wanted to be told what to do anyway. She did have a lot on her mind but that conversation could wait and besides she hadn’t drank any of the wine yet.
Reaching their destination she kneeled beneath her bed, pulled a bottle of wine out and unwrapped it. “Why? You got something on your mind?” Pray to Jesus it wasn’t that he wanted a bigger commitment. If Bella couldn’t be with Willis then she was married to God.
A soft laugh was expelled. Paul shook his head, “At least there was one compliment in there.” He certainly was good looking. Appearance was a thing he took literally, setting the expectation everywhere he went and with everything he did. Who better to pioneer the way to elite men’s fashion? “I’ve been known to be entertaining when I want to be.”
Paul knew how the game worked; with women like Bella it was easier on both of them to let her have most of the lead as to what happened or took place. It was good that neither of them wanted anything more than whatever this was - this strange friendship. If she needed someone to listen, he’d do it. Someone to distract her, he could do that too.
“Me? Something other than you? Not possible.” The wine looked promising, though. He didn’t want commitment with anyone. It was the reason he found a girl or two in each town they stopped at - the ability to just up and vanish come month’s end was what he looked forward to.
The wine was surveyed. It would be an item to not squander as soon stuff like that would be taxing to come by without knowing someone who knew someone.
Bella rolled her eyes at Paul. “Spare me the romance Romeo, you don’t have to treat me like one of your townie flings.” A chuckle came from her lips as she used her telekinesis to pop the cork out of the wine bottle. “You’re entertaining enough without all the romantic presence.” Paul was easy, always ready and honestly not a bad man. She was sure some girl somewhere would fall in love with him, as she was sure many already had, she just wasn’t one of them.
Grabbing a couple of glasses from a nearby table she poured herself a glass and poured him one as well. They weren’t wine glasses by any means but they’d hold the liquid just fine. She handed him a glass took one herself, raising it in the air. “To curing boredom.” She toasted.
“Woah, woah,” Paul replied, amused. Hands would lift, palms out in a defensive gesture. “You can’t say the R word around here, people will start talking.” Shaking his head at Bella, he lowered his hands to his sides. “And those townie flings are with classy girls, okay? Don’t tell me you’re jealous.” He was teasing her, of course. “Just calling things how I see them. Good old American honesty, nothing more than that.” What was it with women and romance, anyway?
“I mean, I could just not be nice to you. Is that what you want? Me to be mean? Talk down to you? Beat up on you?” An eyebrow would quirk. He wasn’t serious. Paul would ever lay his hands on a woman, even if she wasn’t extending the same courtesy though he did know some guys that would hit a woman.
The glass was taken and he offered a smile, leaning the vessel forward to clink lightly upon her own. “To curing boredom.” A sip was taken. His amusement was back.
This back and forth amused her and if she was totally honest, it got her in the mood. Paul was just like his namesake, a god sculpted from absolute perfection, and she sure as hell didn’t mind taking advantage of that. A generous gulp would be taken from her glass and she sat down on her cot. Patting the seat beside her to indicate he should sit as well. “Me? Jealous? Maybe but those classy ladies you’re going on about can’t please a man like I can.” Perhaps she was promiscuous but Willis had told her long ago that god didn’t see her as a sinner.
“And don’t you start with this not nice business. You don't have a bad bone in your body.” That probably wasn’t true but she liked to tease him that way anyhow. “I was hoping there might be...other ways of entertaining each other.” If Bella wasn’t forward than she was acting like herself.
The invitation was accepted. Paul took a sip from the wine and found that it was pleasing to many senses. Or maybe he picked up on more than usual due to the curse. Whatever the circumstance was, he rolled with it and had no complaints. Free drinks, a beautiful woman. What was there to fuss about?
“Now that’s an argument I can’t win,” he agreed. She was quite good, better than a lot of the town girls he’d run around with.
At her comment on his demeanor Paul would laugh, “You don’t think I can be bad? Is that what I’m hearing? Get ready to be proven wrong.” Another sip was taken, deep, and then the glass would be set aside casually as better things came into play.
An arm would come to slide around Bella and Paul drew her closer.
Her eyes flicked up to look at his, all bright and shiny it was no wonder she liked hanging around him. There was something so sexy about those eyes that made her tingle all over. “Proven wrong?” She asked in a low voice, her eyes feeling heavy and lidded. “How exactly do you intend to prove me wrong?” She prodded, a wide smirk across her face. She liked playing this game, acting innocent even though she clearly wasn’t.
She liked feeling strong arms around her and sometimes she dreamed it was the Reverends, squeezing her like there was no tomorrow. Only in her dreams did he want to be with her. “Just so you know, I fight back.” She added with a small giggle.
There was no doubt he was attracted to Bella. On some deep, primal level she satisfied every basic need a man could ever have. He felt no romantic feelings for her at all, but there was a lingering bit of respect for her. While this was more commonplace, this little dance, he would’ve ripped anyone apart limb from limb if they laid a finger on her in a way that shouldn’t be. Was it wrong to want to protect your friends? He didn’t think so. And he wanted her to keep coming back again and again.
“You just wait and see,” Paul replied. Words left lips in a purr, a heated whisper shared between them like a secret. His eyes twinkled with amusement and danger, “If you didn’t fight back I’d be disappointed.”
Leaning over, Paul pressed his mouth against the curve of her neck. Her hair tickled across the bridge of his nose and he shivered a bit. The fingers of the hand pressed against her side began to clutch at the fabric of her clothes, drawing them away from her frame. He could tear the fabric, split it at the seam, but he wouldn’t do that. The outfit looked nice on her, why ruin it?
A soft moan escaped her lips as she felt him go for her neck. She always appreciated a man who could take control instead of making her do all the dirty work. They couldn’t do this here, not with the chance of someone walking in, and she pushed on his shoulders to set him right. “I know of a wagon that’s going to be unoccupied for at least another hour.” She said, desperate already to get there and let off some steam. Doing everything for the church got tiring and she needed relaxation just like anyone else.
“We should bring the wine there so we don’t put on some kind of show for all the carnies.” She didn’t know why she called her coworkers carnies, she was as much of one if not more. She bit her lip and raised her brow, her hand coming up to caress his cheek. God damn it if he wasn’t pretty.
Screwing around was fun but only with equal participation. He was willing to give as much as she was, if not a little bit more, in an effort to ensure that they both left satisfied. While he knew both of them enjoyed this particular dance, it wasn’t one they participated in often. Who knew how long it would be before Bella came to find him again? She always did taste sweet, he could give her that much. Risk, chance, he was taking it just then, the carelessness. But she wasn’t wrong, they needed to relocate. That was the problem with the public tents, anyone was bound to walk in at the wrong moment. He’d done that before, himself, unbeknownst.
Letting her push him, Paul pulled back and sat up. A moment was taken to adjust his hair and then he nodded, some of the sense coming back to him. “Good. Let’s go before we get stopped for some reason.” He was security, there was bound to be a reason to be dragged away from this type of an event.
“That’s what the people pay to see, though,” he quipped, nipping at her neck again playfully before pulling away. He grasped onto the glass still partially full, moved to stand and waited for her to do the same. Paul readjusted, too. That silly bit of stirring down there could get obnoxious until it was satisfied.
Grabbing both her glass and the bottle of wine in one hand she grabbed his hand in her other, leading him from the tents around the outside so they could stay backstage out of the way of everyone else. She was quiet when she snuck with him so as not to alert any suspicion. When they finally made it to the wagons she stopped him as one performer walked through to get back out to the carnival. “Ok come on.” She ran with him hand and hand until they made it to the empty wagon.
Opening the door she walked in to an empty wagon and from the schedule posted on a small table inside it looked like they’d have plenty of time to do what they’d do and clean up too. Pulling him inside with her she placed the bottle down and emptied the remainder of her glass. “Now where were we?” She asked, throwing her arms around his shoulders to bring him into a heated kiss. She liked Paul, there was no messing around with him, she could just use him for what she wanted and he was happy to do the same.
Fingers curled around hers, Paul carefully slipped out of the tent. He let her lead, confidant that she knew what she was doing and curious to see what she was up to. With all of the fast paced motion he managed not to spill a single drop of that precious, coveted brew and even stole a sip along the way. It was delightful, the taste. He would be sorry to see it go with the prohibition. But there always were ways around the rules.
Finally they reached the wagon sought. Paul cast a glance around and then he disappeared into the darkness of the shelter, door easing closed behind them. Glass would be emptied and then set aside for better things.
“About there,” would be mumbled into her lips. Strong hands would settle at her sides, fingers digging into the bones of her hips to draw her as close as possible. Blue eyes would close and he let her take what she wanted, willing to give until she was done.
Another moment and he would draw back from the kiss and lift her up easily, whisking her to a surface that could accommodate them without challenge.
She gasped as she felt him lift her but smiled against his lips. It had been a while since they last did this, Bella tended to try to stay true to her unrequited love for Willie. He’d never return the favor as far as she could see but at least she could pretend like he loved her when someone else gave her that kind of attention. Her legs wrapped around his body and as their kiss deepened she began working on the buttons of his shirt.
And she wasn’t too kind to them either, tearing them open aggressively as her tongue slid into his mouth. The ties on her blouse would be easy to undo for when he wanted to lift it over her head and the pants even quicker. “Fuck me.” She begged, lips ghosting over his as they parted.
He carried her carefully albeit swiftly to the bed there. In his time with women he had seen many a surface destroyed by this momentum, and this would be no different. The attention at her mouth never ceased or skipped a beat. Setting her down gently, fingers would find the ties of her blouse and tug hard at them as if for show. He slipped out of his own shirt once it was able to be cast aside, suspenders would follow suit.
Up and over her head would go her shirt once Paul managed to sever the kiss and pull back. The garment went over a shoulder, forgotten, and he was moving her backward only to slip forward and over her.
“Oh, I’m gonna,” he assured her, finding her mouth again. He made short work of any remaining clothing between them in an effort to get to the point. There wasn’t toying around here, he wanted her the way he had so many times before.
She chuckled at that and leaned into his kiss, drawing her legs back around his waist to get a little bit of a bearing. Her hands found purchase at his pants and began to unbuckle them feverishly. If only Will gave her this kind of attention, took control and just ravaged her like she’d always wanted. But he didn’t and he wouldn’t and Paul was ready and willing to satisfy at least part of that urge. Once they were undone she reached her hand inside to feel what he had going on down there.
“Well looks like you’re a tough guy after all.” She purred, a tease and a jest that just seemed right in that moment. She gave it a light squeeze before moving her hands beneath them to slip them off his waist. Paul never disappointed in that department and she was thankful for him in so many ways.
His frame rocked gently into her fingers. The soft sound of metal against metal met his ears and then he was freed from the burden. Her hand was welcomed against that stiffness, it felt exponentially better than anything he could do for himself. His own hands began to explore, palm would cup a breast, grasp it for a moment as if being rough.
Out of the pants he kicked them away and left them to pool beside the little bed. “You like tough guys,” he murmured, laughing against her skin. Kisses would press against the side of her mouth, across her jaw. Paul nibbled at her earlobe, sucking at the tender skin as he moved to settle between those long, beautiful legs.
She moaned as he hit and nibbled his way to her earlobe and pushed her hips up toward his body to let him know that she was ready. “If what you’re doing makes you a tough guy…” a moan escaped her and she anxiously grabbed a hold of him to guide her inside of her. “...then yeah,” she whispered “I like them tough.” Her own mouth found his shoulder where she sucked his skin into her mouth.
“You intend on keeping me wanting?” She teased, licking the skin where she’d clearly just made a mark. Her hand pulled his erection and the man attached to it closer to her until it came into contact with her. She was soft and wet, waiting desperately for that friction.
Those sounds were driving him wild, and having them erupt on cue, for him, made him feel a sense of pride. Bella was right about her earlier statement, she was nothing like the other women he entertained and that was what he liked most about her. They worked in sync together every time they met up as if they’d merely set down pieces to pick them back up again later.
“All you can handle,” he murmured, breathing into the shell of her ear. Sounds of his own would be offered in response to her touch. His heart fluttered a bit and with her guidance Paul was lined up and ready.
He smiled against her skin. “Makes you want it more.” The markings she left he would wear until they were gone. Nobody would see them anyway. Leaning in close as beckoned, Paul began to push into her. God she was beautiful writhing there beneath him with need.
Her eyes shut right as she felt him breach and a full body shiver wracked her. It had been far too long since the two of them had done this and it felt like relief to feel him inside of her. She let him push in slowly so that she could adjust to his size and then a low moan came from her. Maybe in another life her and Paul could have been good for each other but the moment she set her eyes on Willis, she knew she would be useless for any other man. So, she stuck to what she was good at, what she enjoyed and was glad that he was happy to do the same.
Her hips lifted to meet his and she helped to establish a rhythm with her hips. “Don’t hold out on me tough guy, give me all you got.” She purred into his ear. If he wanted someone silent as a bed partner he could find a nun because Bella wasn’t about to shut up. The fullness inside of her felt familiar and her heart rate raced with the feeling.
The initial breach was almost the best part; that sinking, that diving into the depths of someone. That feeling settling into him was one of completeness. So many empty spaces would be left as such in his heart and mind, but filling someone like this temporarily brought him a bit of comfort and fullness that was challenging to find anywhere else.
Being what he was, the innate fear of bringing harm to someone unexpectedly always loomed overhead. It was one of the reasons why he didn’t commit to any one person. What if something happened? What if he was responsible for their demise during the change? That was not something he could bear any more of.
Paul worked his way into Bella, pushing in deep and firm. He knew he couldn’t break her so being a little rough was natural. “You just keep talking, baby,” he groaned. Finding a pace to suit them both was easy. Drawing out only to thrust forward again, he made sure to be as tough as she expected. A hand would find flat surface near her hip, the other slipped across her frame admiring every inch of her skin as should be done regularly.
She loved this, loved how hard he went and she only wished any of the other men she’d been with had listened to her like Paul did. Each thrust brought more and more pleasure to her body and without meaning to she found little things were beginning to shake in the wagon. She didn’t much care though, they could right everything before they left. “You’ve got no idea how much I..” as gasp as a wave of pleasure rolled through her “...I needed this.”
Eventually she’d have to stop talking because her body wouldn’t let her anymore but for now she continued, coaxing him on as best as she could. “Big tough man like you.” The words weren’t actually making much sense at this point, lost in it as she was. Finally her lips found his, desperate to swallow his sounds of pleasure.
Memorizing her dips and curves was a pastime by now yet he found pleasure in that, too. A woman needed to be worshiped, this was about as close to church and God as he could and so prayers mumbled in the heat of the moment were for Bella only. “Me too,” he murmured, voice heavy and heated. His body shook with the pleasure coursing through him. She was tight and wet, everything he expected.
“Just for you,” he promised. Maybe her version of being tough and his differed slightly but in the context of the moment he didn’t care about the logistics. It was probable, too, that he wasn’t making much sense either.
Leaning into her kiss Paul closed his eyes. His stomach fluttered and his muscles began to tighten. She was going to get him close before too much longer.
As she felt the pleasure roll through her she seized the opportunity to push him only slightly off of her so she could reposition herself on top. Once he was laying she rolled her hips into his, her pink nipples exposed to the air inside of the wagon. She was close, she knew it and so she had to take control to get off in the best way she could. Being on top allowed him to push deeper inside of her to hit that spot that always made her feel crazy.
All around them items began falling off of surfaces in the wagon. “That’s it, so close.” She whined grinding her hips at a faster pace above him. Her hand went into her hair as she let her arms come off of the bed and she felt the ultimate climb into her climax.
The roll of their bodies was taken in stride. Paul looked up at Bella, beholding the devil of a woman currently grinding down against him. Hands would find thighs, hips, and he took the opportunity to drive up into her finding more depth at that angle. Every thrust would bring him closer and closer to that peak and he was glad to share it with someone so beautiful.
He ignored the clatter of objects as the wagon visibly shook. All he kept on the forefront of his mind was the way their bodies moved, the racing of her heart, those little sounds. And when she hit her climax he felt her muscles tighten around him, clamping down in a way that enhanced the friction.
“Oh yeah,” he moaned, eyes wide and jaw falling. Moments after he would find his own climax, erupting into the deepest parts of Bella the way she knew he would.
All motion stopped as she came down from her climax, feeling the relief that came with getting off. She looked down at him her hair a mess and offered him a wicked smile. Finally she climbed off of him, grabbing a garment nearby to wipe herself down and found that a pack of smokes had fallen during her telekinetic orgasm. After she wiped herself down she grabbed the pack and took out a cigarette, offering one to Paul. As she lit it with a match she laid back down on the bed next to him and exhaled. “Playing hooky was definitely the best idea I’ve had all day.” Possibly all week if she was going to be honest.
The nice thing about it all was that they didn’t have to pretend at the end that there was some kind of love. Friendship of course but not an expectation of more. Even better was that he treated her like a goddess when they made love and not a lot of men were willing to make sure she orgasmed. “You ever think you got any kids running around out there?” God knew that she was a product of teenagers getting frisky too young.
The last bit of orgasm was ridden out as the pace slowed to a grinding halt. Breathlessly he lay there in an effort to regain some semblance of himself as she climbed down and proceeded to clean up. A hand came to rest upon his bare chest and he coasted on the daydream come reality.
Finally he managed to sit up a bit. One of the cigarettes was accepted, and after lighting it up he took a soft drag from the end, exhaling clouds of smoke through nostrils as if he were a bull and not a wolf in humans clothing.
“You should have more bright ideas like that one,” he murmured, cigarette bobbing as he spoke. An arm would wind around Bella to keep her warm, the other making the move to tend to the smoke in his mouth.
When the question about children arose, Paul shrugged and tried not to shudder. “Hope not, but maybe.” He had slept with a lot of women, most of whom he couldn’t recall their names. If there were any little Paul’s out there he hoped they were getting the life and care they deserved. It wasn’t that he didn’t want a family - it was something he thought about more than he let on, but that fear of destroying what he built resurfaced again and again.
“You think you’d ever want any?” It was a general question, not one asked in the context of them.
She stared at the other end of the wagon as she listened, taking a long drag off of her cigarette. When she pulled it away from her mouth and exhaled she looked over at him, arm around her frame like he was protecting her. She didn’t mind that idea so much since there was a lot out there she needed protecting from. “Definitely. I want a huge litter of them.” And she was serious. She loved kids and always knew deep down in her heart she’d be a good mother.
“If you’re going to ask why I don’t have any yet is because the one person I want to start a family with doesn’t even want me.” He didn’t ask but she thought she’d put it out there anyway. It was a sad existence, her desperate adoration of the Reverend but it wasn’t exactly like it was a secret.
He didn’t doubt she was serious. It wasn’t a secret how well she got along with the kids, especially when it came to the church. The idea of creating a life that might be put into jeopardy was frightening. His time at the carnival might last until the end of his days but there was a chance it wouldn’t; what would he do when there was no box to hold him?
“Better you than me,” he chimed, exhaling another cloud of smoke. “I’m confident you’d be a great mother to any child.” He meant it, too. And he hoped she would get that wish one day in the future, to know the joy of creating a life and rearing it.
The next part caused Paul’s eyebrows to raise slightly. “Is he blind?” It was a tease; he knew better than to insult the Reverend around Bella, but the fact was still the fact. “Anybody that can ignore someone like you….well, I’ll probably get punched if I say it so I won’t.” But that didn’t mean it would change his mind. A woman like Bella deserve the best. Her past didn’t matter to him, the future was what mattered. “It’ll work out. Life is crazy like that.”
Another drag from the cigarette and Paul exhaled smoke slowly. “I’m afraid to start a family,” he confessed quietly. “What would happen to them if I ever got loose, couldn’t control myself.” He rarely talked about the curse but since they were sharing he felt it appropriate to be a bit vulnerable too.
Paul was a catch, there was no doubt about it and if Bella was being completely honest she had even actually tried to hit on Willis since she was a teenager. The rejection frightened her and she wasn’t sure her fragile ego could handle it again. She turned her gaze to look at him as he complimented her, he was always like that and she appreciated the gesture. “Thanks.” Was her response, it was really the only one she could think of at the time.
The confession about family stirred something in her, like maybe that’s why she never had kids because she was too afraid to hurt them, too afraid to love anyone else. She sighed and put out the butt of her cigarette in an ashtray before she turned her entire body toward him. “I think there are a lot of people here who care about you and yours and I wouldn’t mind watching after a kid for you. Truth be told, if you were going to lose control in front of a kid, you’d have done it already.” There were plenty of kids at Zion and he hadn’t hurt a one of them yet.
“You’re welcome,” came the casual reply. He finished up with the cigarette, putting it out carefully. None of the things in the wagon belonged to him so less care was taken but burn holes would be hard to explain. He leaned around Bella to put the butt into the tray next to hers and then settled down again.
His gaze would lift to find hers as she talked about children. “Thanks,” he sighed, shaking his head. It was only a matter of time, he knew it. Something would happen eventually and someone would get hurt. That’s how the world worked. The boxes gave him comfort, at least, to know he wouldn’t hurt any of the Carnival family.
“I’d hope they’d put me down if something like that happened.” The words were offered in a flat tone, his expression hardened at the thought of harming a child, much less anyone else close to him.
Her eyes narrowed at him at that last bit. She didn’t know what it was like for him, if he remembered anything about when he changed. It didn’t seem like her place to ask and so she kept her mouth shut. Wriggling from his arms she stood to grab her clothes and put them back on. “Don’t be an idiot, no one is going to put you down.” She didn’t like the idea of coming to that decision. Paul was her friend and she had too few of those these days.
Pulling her pants on, still shirtless she looked around the wagon before she began to put things back in the places that they were. “I’ll kill them if they try.” Not that she could here or that she ever would but the sentiment was there. Finally she grabbed her blouse off the ground and pulled it over her head.
To him, after a lot of thought about it in the deepest parts of the night, it was worth it. Better than the alternative.
Paul let Bella go, sliding out of the bed after her. He took a moment to wipe away whatever remained from their escapade before pulling his clothes back on. “I know you will,” he said, amused at the mental image of Bella trying to scrap with someone. There was no doubt she couldn’t hold her own, he knew better than that, but it was funny regardless.
Once dressed he finished helping clean up. He didn’t care to put things where they had been as he couldn’t remember where everything went exactly but at least it was tidy. The rumpled sheets were smoothed out.
“I need to get back to work. Don’t forget your wine.”
She picked up the wine and the glasses from the floor and made her way out of the wagon. Quickly she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into a short kiss. “Let’s do this again sometime.” With that she walked off and shouted “sooner rather than later.”
Leaning in to catch her mouth, Paul kissed her but briefly. He offered a grin and a nod, letting her pull away. “You know where to find me when you’re ready,” he called after.
With that, Paul spun on his heel and sauntered back toward his post acting as if he’d never left at all.