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Lara Bradford yawned, waking to the sound of a steady rain keeping time on her window. She rolled over, drawing the blankets around her to keep the chill of the early fall morning at bay. She had been on Blackberry Hill Farm for two seasons now, and with the bulk of the work of planting and transitioning between summer and fall crops done, she relished the opportunity to spend a few extra moments in bed, deciding how to spend her day. Her thoughts quickly turned to a certain gentleman she knew, a writer who lived in a seaside cabin not far from town. Elliott had been making frequent appearances lately in her daydreams and even visited her in her sleep once or twice, dreams from which she’d wake up gasping, the sheets drenched in sweat. She groaned and forced herself to sit up in bed.
Lara Bradford had always been attracted to older men, even more so if they had status or power, a fact that had gotten her in trouble in her Zuzu City days. She was twenty-six and a beauty with waist-length, jet black hair, lithe body, and a smile that was often taken to be devious, regardless of her true intentions. When it came to men she was flirtatious but also direct, and could hold her own in conversation. She knew what she wanted and what she didn't. Older men found Lara irresistible as well, and she enjoyed the attention as well as the confidence and experience that came with an extra 10-15 years.
Elliott was 37 and dashing, with a wide grin and long, copper hair. He had been a college professor who taught creative writing and had published a handful of short stories. Since moving to Stardew Valley about a year before Lara did to focus on writing his novel, he took up residence in a seaside cabin on the outskirts of town near the docks. He was friendly, quick with words, and could command a room with his presence. He checked all of Lara's boxes. Since their first meeting one night at the village's only restaurant, the Stardrop Saloon, she had tried to find excuses to talk to him when she saw him around town. He was friendly and would flatter her with his flowery prose, but she was unsure if his words were sincere, or if that was how he spoke to all women. The two had chanced to run into each other a few times at the library on an occasional lazy afternoon, conversing about their favorite books or Gunther’s latest archaeological finds. When Elliott came to the farm for produce or fresh eggs, he always stayed to chat, and he had even asked her on a single date to the saloon for drinks together, which Lara thought had gone quite well. However, that was a few weeks ago, and they had not made plans since then. Lara knew some of it could be attributed to his work and her busy farm schedule with the changing seasons, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were heading into the friend zone.
Lara tried to focus on work instead, but Elliott continued to stick in her mind as she made breakfast, got dressed, and made sure her animals had food and water. Since there wasn’t much else to do, and since she couldn’t quite rid her brain of its handsome intruder, she decided to gear up for a day of fishing. She had recently unearthed an old fishing rod and some crab pots among her grandfather’s old supplies at the farm, and Willy, the old mariner who owned the fish store on the boardwalk, was all too happy to share his tips and expertise. As her fishing skills grew, she was also able to sell some of what she caught to supplement her farming income. Not to mention, the boardwalk was mere steps from Elliott’s cabin. Willy does always say that certain fish only come out when it rains, Lara thought to herself. It was a win-win.
———
A few hours later, Lara had managed to land two decent-sized tuna. The rain showed no signs of letting up, and she had basically given up hope of accidentally-on-purpose bumping into Elliott. He had told her that rain was the best writing weather, and would rarely go out on days like today, preferring instead to hole up in his cabin, where Lara imagined he must write with an old-fashioned quill pen. She chuckled to herself with the thought, and reaching into her small, white cooler she realized she had run out of bait. Not much else is going to fit in here anyway with these tuna inside. Better go talk to Willy.
“Mornin’ Skipper,” Willy greeted her in his gravelly voice as she opened the door of the fish shop. “What you got for me today?”
Grinning with pride, Lara opened the cooler to reveal the tuna.
“Well, well!” Willy chuckled. “I do believe these are your best yet!”
Lara flashed Willy another smile. “I had a good teacher,” she said playfully. As much as she liked older men, Willy was old enough to be her father, and indeed, he had taken on that type of role in her life as he taught her about fishing, slipping in insights about life and work, and Pelican Town in general. Unlike her own parents, however, his advice came without judgment or expectations, and she was able to open up to him about her past in Zuzu City, and about her wishes for the future. There were no walls between the two of them.
Willy waved off her compliment with a smile and shake of the head. “You want me to fillet these bad boys so you can take ‘em home, or can I buy ‘em off you for the shop?”
“Please take them for the shop. My fridge and freezer are both stocked, and I don’t know what I’d do with all of this.”
As Willy handed her the money, he added, “How about those crab pots of yours out there? Catch anything good?”
“Oh man, I completely forgot about those! Be right back!”
Lara rushed outside and ran down to the end dock. She had been so excited to show Willy the old crab pots when she found them, and after deeming them serviceable, Willy showed her how to load them with bait, and so she had lowered them into the ocean, securely tied to the end of the dock with a long rope, to wait. That was several days ago, though, and she had forgotten about them in the rush of transitioning her farm to the fall season. She hoped her hard work had not gone to waste. The first trap revealed nothing but seaweed and some crumpled up newspaper. In the second, she had somehow managed to catch a broken pair of glasses. They look like they could belong to Harvey, Lara chuckled to herself. Harvey was the doctor in town, another attractive bachelor in his thirties, though not as dreamy as Elliott with his long, flowing hair and his strong jawline and those lips that looked like they knew how to please a woman...
Caught in another daydream, Lara was startled when she opened the third crab pot to reveal a large, wriggling lobster. Its shell was brown, and it looked to be about the size of Lara’s entire forearm. Gleefully, she picked up the lobster by its back with one hand, tossed the rope and traps back into the ocean with the other, and ran back up the dock to Willy’s.
“Look, Willy! A lobster!”
Willy let out a low whistle. “That’s a real beauty! Almost big enough for two!”
“I’ve never had lobster before! Do you know how to cook it? It’s nearly noon—we could have it for lunch!”
“Nah, I’ve never enjoyed lobster m’self,” he said with a mischievous grin, “but you know who does is that writer of yours." Willy knew Elliott and the two men had also friends, due to their shared love of the ocean as well as the proximity of the fish store to Elliott’s home. "Why don't you go over there and ask him if he'd cook it for you?"
Lara reddened. “What? Elliott? He’s not— I mean, who knows if he’s even home?”
“You know as well as I do he never leaves that cabin when it’s raining like this. Come on!”
“I don’t want to bother him if he’s working.”
“A visit from the likes o’ you would hardly be a bother. Go! Give the town something to gossip about,” he winked.
“Ugh, fine!” Lara complained, “but you’re hanging onto my rod and tackle while I go over there. And don’t even think about making a ‘rod and tackle’ joke now that I’ve said it.” She turned and winked back to Willy as she left with the lobster safety inside her cooler.
— — —
As she walked slowly across the beach, Lara began to lose her nerve. She had never been to Elliott’s home before, and although she was not at all shy or reserved, she did wonder if it was appropriate to show up uninvited. As the word “appropriate” crossed her mind, she thought of how many times she had heard that word in her last relationship, the one that had gotten her in trouble, setting the events in motion that would make her leave her job and apartment Zuzu City for a new life on the farm. She could hear his voice in her head: Not now, Lara. It’s not appropriate! What would people think if they saw us together? She shook her head. This was different. For one thing, Elliott was not her boss; and for another, he wasn’t married. You're just dropping in on a friend, she said to herself and took a deep breath.
Drawing nearer to the cabin Lara heard a few strains of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata playing on a radio or maybe some sort of old record player, she assumed. He’s definitely home. I guess we’re doing this. The music stopped suddenly as she knocked on the door, and she heard a scrape of a chair or bench and the approach of footsteps.
“Lara! What an unexpected delight!” Elliott exuded as he opened the door. “Please come in and dry off.”
Lara stepped out of her rain boots and shed her poncho, hoping her clothing wasn’t too wet underneath, but her flannel shirt and leggings tucked into thick woolen socks had held up surprisingly well, protected by her rain gear. Her hair, on the other hand, was damp and disheveled, but Elliott had already swooped in with a towel, so she tried her best not to feel self conscious as she dried her hair and looked around.
Elliott’s wooden cabin consisted of one room with an efficiency kitchen on one end, and a bed on the other. In between there was very little in the way of furniture or decor, but he did have a writing desk with a mess of papers nearly covering a typewriter that had to have been at least a few decades old. Not quite a quill pen, but still very fitting. Most surprising to Lara was the piano opposite the door, which occupied a disproportionately large amount of space for such a small home.
“Was that you playing the piano when I knocked? It was wonderful!” Lara exclaimed, with genuine admiration.
“Thanks,” Elliott replied, smiling and stepping towards the piano. “I’m not very good, but it’s fun to play. It helps to take a break from writing every now and again, and when I focus on playing a certain piece of music, it helps me take my mind off a paragraph or chapter that’s been giving me a hard time. It’s like a reset button.” He turned his gaze back towards Lara, who thought she detected a flash of sadness or frustration in his eyes before he smiled again and continued, “Enough about me! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?”
“I caught a lobster in one of my traps, and Willy mentioned that you like them.” Lara began, opening the cooler. “I would have no idea what to do with it myself, so I thought you might like to have it.”
“A gift from Neptune! How marvelous!” Elliott exclaimed, peering inside. “These are truly delicious creatures, don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Lara said, pushing a damp strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve never tried one.”
Elliott took Lara’s hands excitedly and she felt like electricity was running through them. “But you must! Please stay! I’ll cook this one up for lunch. It’ll go perfectly with the salad I was planning to prepare.”
Lara couldn’t hide her pleasure at the invitation. “So long as I’m not preventing you from writing.”
“Nonsense! I got a lot done this morning, and I needed a break anyway. Rain really is the best weather for writing," he mused. "Now please, make yourself comfortable.” Lara looked around, and feeling like sitting on the bed wouldn’t be appropriate she opted instead for the chair at Elliott’s writing desk. She swiveled it around to face him as he filled a large pot with water and set it on the stove, lighting the burner.
“Can you tell me about your novel, or do I have to wait until it’s finished like everyone else?”
Elliott kept his back to her, and she thought he sounded uncomfortable when he said, “It’s new territory for me. I’ve been working so hard for months to finish it, but there are certain pieces I can’t get exactly right. It’s beginning to drive me mad.” He sighed, and Lara thought it best not to press him further. There was silence between them for a moment and all Lara could hear was the rain outside as Elliott gathered some salad greens and a cutting board. She mentally cursed herself for saying the wrong thing, and was just about to change the subject when Elliott spoke again.
“I’m sorry I haven’t invited you out again after the night at the saloon. I wanted to, but there’s so much work to do, and if I’m honest, my bank account is running dry. Sometimes I wish I could throw it all away and be a farmer like you.”
Lara shook her head, trying to give him grace. His comment was innocent and she could understand the sentiment behind it, but he had no idea what she had thrown away in coming here and how difficult it had been. When she first arrived at Blackberry Hill Farm, she put in some 14-hour days at first, clearing the land and preparing it for planting. Until the first season’s crops came in, she had had nothing to show for it. She had spend a lot of nights home alone in those days, with a package of noodles for dinner, watching reruns on her obsolete TV. Through the kindness of the villagers of Pelican Town, especially Willy, she was able to start mining and fishing on the side, on days like today when her farm schedule would allow, and she had finally started to build real friendships that helped her feel like she could thrive in this town. She took a deep breath.
“It’s just as hard to be a farmer, you know,” she began. Elliott immediately turned to her to say sorry, but she waved it off kindly. “Stop. Don't apologize. This is the first season I feel like I might be okay, like maybe I WON’T fail at this. Some things just take time, and I’m sure you have it in you to write a great novel. In the meantime, if you need money to tide you over, there’s lots of ways to earn a buck in this town. I wouldn't be able to hack it without Willy and Robin--it's okay to ask around if you need a side project. I’m sure I could find some work for you on the farm, if you were interested.”
Elliott met her eyes, making her heart ache, his frown relaxing into a small smile. “Thank you, Lara. That means a lot. I’ll be fine for now. I just need to get this novel finished.” Elliott turned back to the stove, lifting the pot off the burner and carefully pouring the hot water out into the sink.
“You’re going to love this,” he said, lifting out the lobster, now red in color and steaming hot, and placing it on the cutting board. He reached into the fridge, then his expression soured.
“Shit, I forgot I was out of butter,” he muttered.
“That’s okay--” Lara started to say, but Elliott cut her off.
“Nonsense! This is your first time having lobster—you need to have the full experience.” He explained that he was going to buy butter yesterday but hadn’t realized it was Wednesday, the one day each week that the town grocery store was closed. “I can get it now. It’ll take ten, fifteen minutes tops which should be enough time for this creature over here to cool off so we can eat him.”
“At least let me be the one to go out,” she protested. "I’ve already been out today, and it’s raining buckets!”
“All the more reason for you to stay inside and warm up. Please. I’ll be back before you know it.” Lara knew this was a battle she was not going to win, so she watched him put on his raincoat and boots, heading out into the roar of the ocean and the steady march of the rain.
— — —
Alone in Elliott’s cabin. This is not how I expected my day to go when I left home this morning, though I can’t say I’m upset about it.
Lara found the bathroom easily, as it was one of only two doors in the cabin that didn’t lead outside, the other revealing a small closet stuffed full of clothes. Looking in the mirror, she tried combing her hair and smoothing it as best as she could with her fingers, though she had to smirk at the amount of hair products Elliott had stocked in the tiny bathroom. She scrutinized her reflection. Not bad. Could be worse, given the circumstances. She then returned to the main room of the cabin and looked around, but there wasn’t much to see, so she allowed herself to indulge in the guilty pleasure of lying on his bed, taking a moment to bury her head in his pillow, trying to memorize his scent. She sat up.
So now I know why we haven’t seen each other, Lara thought, her brow furrowed. Although if he really was interested in me I’m sure he would have at least made some kind of effort! He must know money isn’t important to me, Yoba knows if that was the case I'd still be in Zuzu City, hopefully cashing a nice settlement check.
Lara crossed the room, stopping at the piano to plunk out a few notes, but since she didn’t know how to play, she returned to her original seat at Elliott’s desk. Her eyes fell on the mess of papers, all written on the old fashioned typewriter. She picked up one of the pages on top and, though she knew she probably shouldn’t, she began reading.
Horatio clasped Aurelia’s hand tightly as she led him through the field of sunflowers, laughing with their secret and the anticipation of what was to come. The sunflowers grew tall and thick, closing around them to conceal them from the farm behind. After a few minutes of running, they came to a small clearing in the field. Aurelia stopped and turned around to face him, dropping his hand.
“Here!” She said, and flashed him a smile that made him weak at the knees. Horatio thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, with her long, black hair flowing to her waist, full lips, and a body that was taut and tanned from her work on the farm, its curves and muscles peeking through her white strapless sundress.
“Whaaaat,” Lara said aloud. The last time Elliott had visited her farm was during an open house she had to showcase her field of sunflowers. She had sold bouquets of them along with some of her late summer produce and animal products. The event hadn’t made as much money as she would have liked, but the majority of the townsfolk showed up, including Elliott. Since it was a special day, Lara wanted to look nice and just so happened to put on a strapless white sundress. The rest of the description of Aurelia’s character seemed quite familiar as well. Did this mean what she thought it meant? She had to keep reading.
He took her by the waist and pulled her close to him, kissing her gently. Her passion surprised and aroused him as she threw her arms around his neck, kissing back greedily, their tongues intertwined. He had waited for this moment for so long, and as he realized that she must have as well, the revelation coupled with the sensation of her tongue on the roof of his mouth sent a shiver down his spine. Aurelia smiled and sighed as he moved his lips down her neck and around her collarbone, covering her with soft kisses, caressing every curve with his hands as she ran her fingers through his hair. He slowly moved one hand up her thigh past the hemline of her dress, waiting to see how she would react. She continued smiling and let out a soft moan, her eyes fluttering closed, so he continued, squeezing her firm thigh, brushing his hand across the front of her panties, which were damp with her desire for him.
“Holy shit,” Lara breathed, pulling on the neckline of her shirt. She felt her heart racing, pumping blood and electricity to every part of her body. She continued reading. He grabbed the elastic of her panties and pulled them down to the ground. Aurelia stepped out of them and kicked them to the side without missing a beat as she turned her attention to Horatio, undoing his belt. He drew a sharp breath as she reached for his throbbing—
“Ahhelliott!” Lara squeaked as he opened the door, carrying a paper bag in one arm. She tried to shove the risqué page of the novel back onto the pile of papers, but it was too late.
“You were reading my novel?” He bristled.
“Elliott, I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “My curiosity got the better of me. I only saw one page.”
“Which one?” He asked flatly.
“S-sunflowers.” She stammered, still flustered from what she had just read and the shock of being interrupted.
“Oh!” Elliott’s eyes widened and he walked over to the kitchen counter to place his grocery bag down.
“I shouldn’t have read it without asking first, Elliott,” Lara tried again. “I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?”
Elliott paused for a moment and Lara held her breath, afraid that he would tell her to leave. He turned back to face her, straightening up as though to give himself the courage to kick her out, but then he exhaled loudly, rubbing his temples. He gave her a kindly, but somewhat troubled look, then attempting a return to his usual bravado, said,
“‘‘Tis but a minor transgression, sweet Lara, but if you’d like to atone, tell me honestly: how was it?”
“Steamy,” Lara said breathlessly, her face burning and somehow growing redder. Elliott stared at her incredulously.
“Really?”
“Really!” Lara mustered up some courage of her own. “Elliott, it was HOT!”
He smiled and looked at the floor, blushing, and though he seemed to relax his stance somewhat, Lara thought he seemed taller and more confident. His smile grew as he met her eyes again, and she couldn’t tell if he was bolstered by her compliments, or if he was taking pleasure in the fact that his writing had obviously gotten her hot and bothered. Either way, she was glad she hadn’t completely ruined their afternoon, although she was still embarrassed for having crossed the line.
“That’s what I meant when I said it was new territory,” Elliott confessed. “I’ve never written a scene like that one before, but I wanted to mix the romance genre in with the mystery. You’re actually the one who gave me that idea when we were talking in the library.”
Lara grinned, regaining composure, as she remembered the conversation to which he was referring. He had been explaining to her that all of his previously published short stories had been mysteries, and when he asked her what her favorite genre of fiction was, she had a hard time giving one answer, citing books that had elements of mystery, romance, and even fantasy. He must have given the idea some thought and decided to try it out.
“Well, as someone who has read many romance novels I can tell you that scene fits perfectly with the genre.”
— — —
After that, Elliott’s demeanor continued to soften, and the two of them fell back into the witty, easy conversation they had enjoyed on their date at the saloon. Since Elliott had no dining table, the two of them sat on throw pillows on the floor to eat their lunch with their plates of food set atop the piano bench. Elliott had also brought a bottle of hard cider when he was out, so he poured them each a glass and toasted.
“To trying something new,” Elliott proposed, and Lara thought it very fitting of both his foray into erotic writing and her still-new farming life. She even dared to hope that a third meaning was hidden in the toast, a new beginning for the two of them.
Together they feasted on the juicy meat of the lobster, which was indeed as delicious as Elliott had promised, especially when dipped in the hot, melted butter. The intimate nature of sharing such a small table and the sensuous meal of the lobster made the air feel charged with electricity, at least to Lara, and as they ate and drank, their conversation grew even more fun and familiar, as if they were old friends catching up. As they cleared the table and set to washing the dishes, Elliott began to explain a little more about his novel and the main characters. Lara listened as he described Horatio, an orphan with a penchant for poetry who mysteriously appears in town as a child, and Aurelia, the whip smart, young daughter of the local farmers. In the book the two children grow up together, fall in love, and attempt to unlock the secrets of Horatio’s past.
“I can’t wait to read it when it’s ready,” Lara encouraged, sitting back down at the piano bench with another glass of cider.
“And I can’t wait to finish it!” Elliott smiled, moving the second cushion so that it was beside her, and placing his glass of cider on the piano bench. “There’s only one thing I can’t seem to get past.” He brushed a length of his reddish hair behind his ears. “The more I write Aurelia’s character the more formidable she becomes to me.” He met Lara’s eyes, and Lara could tell he wasn’t only talking about Aurelia in this moment. “She’s a smart, beautiful, independent woman.” He looked down again. “I’m not sure what she would see in a boy like Horatio, a penniless orphan. What could he possibly give her?”
Lara smiled. There it is. Even though he won’t say it directly, he’s putting all his cards on the table. Although she was typically attracted to the boldness she found in older men, in that moment she was taken in by Elliott’s vulnerability. She felt there was strength in him taking a risk.
Shifting her body slightly closer to his on her cushion, Lara looked up at Elliott and smiled. “I love that you’re writing a strong female lead. Maybe Aurelia doesn’t need anything from Horatio, but that doesn’t stop the heart from wanting what it wants. Maybe he just makes her happy.” Lara searched her thoughts. “Maybe she wants someone to want her, someone who can keep up with her, to be a friend, a companion, or maybe a lover,” she continued, trying to keep things light by giving an intentionally cheesy tone to that last word. “It is a romance after all.”
Elliott had not taken his eyes off of her the entire time. Lara was acutely aware of how close they were sitting, how their faces had come to be mere inches apart and seemed to be growing ever closer. She felt her heartbeat quicken. “And what about you, Lara? You’re powerful, capable, and incredibly sexy. What do you want?”
“Well,” her words came out soft and slow, “I suppose I want all of those things.”
Elliott closed the rest of the distance between their faces and kissed her, reaching up to put an arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him as she kissed back, the weeks of longing and fantasizing finally coming to fruition. They kissed passionately for a few moments and when they pulled away, both of them were smiling.
Lara felt almost giddy that her affections were returned, but she wanted more. She leaned back towards Elliott, echoing his words with a sultry whisper in his ear. “And what about you, Elliott? What do you want?”
“You, Lara,” he said, kissing her lips. “This.” He kissed her again. “You in my house eating lunch.” He kissed her cheek. “You, on my arm as we walk through town.” He kissed her neck. “You, in my bed.” He kissed her collarbone. “You are what I want.” Lara sighed as he continued brushing his mouth up and down her neck. Yoba, those lips of his were magic. A soft gasp escaped her as she felt his tongue on her earlobe.
He stopped and looked at her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Am I moving too fast?”
Lara stood up, took his hands and pulled him off the ground. “Elliott, I’ve wanted this for so long. Nothing you could do would be too fast.” To prove her point she led him over to the bed and sat down, pulling him in for a kiss.
They kissed harder and more fervently this time as Elliott unbuttoned Lara’s shirt, then grabbed his own, lifting it up over his head. She unhooked her bra and pulled it off as he made short work of her leggings. A few more kisses landed haphazardly as their clothes landed on the floor, mirroring the rain outside. Elliott stood up to retrieve a condom from a shelf in his closet and Lara lay back on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows. For a moment, they looked at each other’s naked bodies hungrily. Lara knew that Elliott took pride in his physical appearance, particularly his hair, but he didn’t neglect the rest of his body either. He had a strong build with broad shoulders and a muscular chest. His skin looked so smooth that she wanted it pressed against hers right away. As she ran her eyes up and down his body not one inch was disappointing.
For her own part, Lara knew she had a body that men found attractive, though she was maybe a little rougher around the edges than the well-groomed Elliott, with callouses on her hands and bruises and scrapes on her legs from working with her heavy farm tools. She blushed as she felt Elliott’s gaze on her naked body and saw him grow harder as he unwrapped the condom and slid it on.
“Yoba, you are perfection itself,” he said, as if reading her mind, and she grinned as he returned to the bed kneeling next to her and lowering his face to hers, on arm on either side of her. He wandered the curves of her body with his lips, stopping every now and then to suck on or lightly bite her nipple or the curve where her hip met her waist. Lara trembled, each sensation building her tension to new heights, when she thought it had already been at its peak. Finally his tongue found her center.
“Oh Yoba, yes,” she moaned. Clearly, Elliott had done this before. She moved her hips into the motion of his tongue, savoring every ounce of pleasure. Elliott slid a finger inside of her, then another, and she arched her back upwards, feeling as though she was being carried further and further away. He continued the dance of his tongue while his fingers felt places shallow and deep, slowly, then quickly, until she could take no more and came hard, unable to control her moans and squeals.
Satisfied, Elliott stopped and flipped her body around so she was on her hands and knees, her back to him on the bed. He brought one leg up and pushed himself into her slowly with a low groan, and she nearly buckled at the feeling of his firmness inside, still riding the aftershock of her orgasm. He cupped her breast with one of his hands and moved inside of her slowly and deliberately. Each noise she made was a road map for him, and he was obviously loving how responsive she was, returning some of her moans and appeals to Yoba. He pulled out for a moment, returning Lara to her original position of lying on her back, and thrust into her again, soon finding a steady pace as he lowered his body to meet her.
He was the ocean, rhythmic and powerful, and with his body pressed against hers she felt as though she were nothing more than a wooden raft, ready to splinter apart with the next strong wave, and when it washed over her she allowed herself to fall underneath completely in a series of moans and gasps that intensified as she realized that Elliott, too, had given into the pleasure and come inside of her, burying his head into her neck and collapsing on top of her in a fit of spasms.
He rolled over next to her, and the two of them lay side by side, catching their breath and listening to the pattering rain and the rolling sounds of the sea.
"That was...wow..." Elliott’s voice trailed off.
"Mmm," Lara responded. He reached an arm up around her, and she rested her head on his chest, his body warm against hers. There would be plenty of time for talking later, but for now, Lara the farmer and Elliott the writer were both at a loss for words.