Chapter 2

The smell of chicken soup caused his mouth to water and his stomach growled restlessly and desperately to receive such a longed-for broth that, according to the aroma, promised to be a delight.

Three days had passed and his wound looked better and he could stand up, albeit with difficulty, but at least he could stand on his feet for a few seconds. Despite the squalor of the place, he did not complain about the treatment he received, which, although his hostess was not much to speak of, kept him well-fed, changed his sheets often, and helped him bathe. He was anxious to recover or, failing that, to be found by his men so that he would no longer be a burden for that woman who, besides looking after him and feeding him, had to sleep on the floor, since the bed was too small for both of them.

 “It was delicious, thank you very much,” he thanked her with that beautiful smile that made her tremble. She took the plate and put it in the improvised sink that threatened to collapse at any moment. She then approached him with her work tools and unbuttoned his shirt. The girl had bought some clothes for him, but she had not gotten the size right and they were all too big for him. Her brown eyes scrutinized the silent woman's every move with curiosity, and the tremors of her hands, even though she tried to control them, were very obvious. They were so close that she could hear his agitated heartbeat, the accelerated way he was breathing made her more nervous than she already was.

 “Your wound looks much better, in a few days he will be out of pain and will be able to get up,” she commented without looking him in the eyes, as she felt exposed to him when she did so.

 “That's thanks to your care, you are very good with plants, you should work for a drugstore,” he praised looking at her with an intensity that tightened her stomach. By accident, she looked into his eyes and instantly regretted it, since it was inevitable not to get lost in that beautiful brown gaze that expressed sweetness and honesty. Unlike her who hid hers for fear of being discovered.

He took her chin delicately over the veil that covered her face as if protecting it from the outside, he wanted to admire her hazel orbs a little more since he did not have the privilege of delighting with such exotic and beautiful eyes because their owner kept avoiding his gaze. She began to feel uncomfortable and naked before him, but she did not want to break the contact for some strange reason.

 “Your gaze is beautiful, I should not deprive myself of this delight that your eyes provoke in mine,” he examined her with intensity and a special gleam in his brown orbs. She felt her heart combine with her stomach to torture her, while her breath hitched and her hands began to sweat. They were so close she could smell his fresh breath, all of him was loveliness and delicious scent, not like the men she encountered in the market who didn't care about their hygiene.

 “I must…” she tried not to stutter as she was cornered by that look that was taking away her peace, “I must go out to town, will you need me to bring you something?” she stopped abruptly, breaking eye contact suddenly and violently, he gave a half-smile when he noticed how nervous his proximity made her and then denied with head movements.

A week later…

 “Not that it's the best of the best, but at least it won't fall on your feet," he said amusedly as he put the hardware away in a box. She was thrilled to see the sink fixed the right way and looked at the young man gratefully. He had recovered from his wound, not that it was completely healed, but it was closing.

 “Thank you very much, Arthur, I appreciate it,” she almost jumped with emotion while he smiled with satisfaction. It was rare to see her cheerful and to be able to give her even a moment of happiness made him happy. That girl was very mysterious and reserved. She did not show her face even once and did not give him her name either.

Several days passed. Although he must have been desperate to be found or finding his way home, the truth was that he didn't even think about it. The strange woman opened up a little more with Arthur and they had small banal conversations, although none of them had talked about his life.

Two weeks had passed since she had found him and his wound had completely recovered and apparently would not leave a scar, something that surprised him, since that wound was very deep. He was amazed at the woman's skill since not even the most renowned doctors in his town could have achieved that.

The night was cool and the dark blue sky shone with all the stars that could be seen in it, adding the majestic full moon that decorated the firmament worthy of appreciation.

 “You are very skilled, you should go with me and put your knowledge into practice. You would help many people and have a life without scarcity,” he sat down beside her. She was on a log that lay on the grass and served as a seat for him.

 “No," she said flatly and hugged herself, "I could never live that way, I prefer solitude and tranquility.”

 “I would like to understand you, but I can't. Why live in such a poor and lonely condition? You are a young woman with great ability, it makes no sense for you to hide at the end of the world, could it be that you are running away from something or someone?”

There was a great silence. He took her right hand and squeezed it gently; its warmth and softness sent electric currents throughout her body. She didn't understand what she was feeling for that stranger, but no matter what kind of feeling it was, it would only stay in her fantasies, a man like him would never notice someone like her.

 “Sam," she broke the silence capturing his attention, "my name is Sam,” it was the only thing she said, and she did it with her gaze lost somewhere outside his. Arthur couldn't hide the smile on his lips. He lifted the cold hand he still held and left a chaste kiss on it. Sam felt all the skin that his beautiful lips touched burn, her heart was pounding and her breathing was erratic from the sensations that simple gesture provoked in her.

 “Thank you for letting me know, at least I will have a name to remember, because Sam, it will be hard to forget you.”

He shortened the distance between them, slowly, he stepped in front of her and caressed the edge of the veil that covered her face. 

Why was she doing that? Why was she putting that barrier between them? 

He imagined it must be hiding something very horrible, he was afraid to find out what it was, but no matter how dreadful what lay beneath it, he wanted to know what her lips would taste like. He had never met a woman as exceptional and peculiar as she was. All the females his age he knew were spoiled, useless girls who thought only of clothes, makeup, jewelry, and flirting with men promising to be a good marriage match.

He was lifting the veil little by little, but she stopped him by holding her wrist, her hazel orbs begged him not to do it so he nodded sympathetically.

 “I'll close my eyes and I promise I won't open them, just let me uncover your chin, I need…” he looked at her with such intensity that she couldn't refuse. He closed his eyes and she took a deep breath when she felt his bare chin, then his lips were out in the open, but not for long. She was stunned at his boldness, still, she didn't want him to stop. The warmth of his breath on her mouth, the tingle on her lips as they were pressed to his, their breaths mingling; it was too much delight and she felt she would faint at any moment.

He pulled away embarrassed and a little disappointed, he knew he had passed the limit; however, she didn't claim him, so why didn't she reciprocate?

 He still hadn't opened his eyes and held the piece of cloth without moving a muscle. He was afraid to cover her up and have it all remain that way, but he was also afraid to do it again. He was at a crossroads of whether to kiss her again or apologize for his daring when he felt his lips invaded by those of the girl who took away his peace. He could not help but growl at that pleasurable playfulness between their mouths. The kiss was slow and with great delicacy as if both were afraid to break the lines of prudence and modesty. The taste of her mouth and the texture of her lips were delicious and he could not stop tasting them. That woman had never shown him her face and he didn't care, he liked that sensation, he shuddered at her breath and her taste. 

She began to hyperventilate as he licked his tongue and fiddled with bold movements inside her mouth with the slimy organ. It was too good to be true and for the first time, she felt desired. It was strange that a man like him would kiss her like that despite his man-scaring facades. She knew that this was more fantasy than reality, for once he was gone, she would never see him again. Perhaps that was the reason for his outburst, they had become very close in those two weeks, she was sure that if the situation was different and there was a chance of them seeing each other again, he would not have kissed her.

Arthur couldn't hold his breath any longer. He didn't understand why this kiss was provoking so many emotions and enjoyment, but he didn't want it to end. He didn't want to explain or excuse himself because he didn't regret anything; he had never enjoyed a kiss so much and his trembling hands were witness to the excitement that this was causing him; however, he wouldn't pass the line. He licked, sucked, bit, and fiddled with his tongue as if that mouth belonged to him as if nothing could be sweeter and more delicious. He pressed his forehead to hers and broke the contact of their lips slowly, released the veil and the part that had been uncovered was tucked back into the thin fabric. He opened his eyes and connected it with hers so intensely, they were both speechless.

Several minutes passed as they held eye contact in silence, as if afraid to say or do anything that would ruin their earlier action.

 “You won't sleep on the floor anymore,” he broke the silence and she widened her eyes, “I will," he clarified.

 “You don't have to, even if you've recovered, you're not used to sleeping badly. The discomfort of that bed is bad enough without having to put up with the floor.”

 “I refuse. I don't, but you do? I'm a gentleman, I won't let you sleep uncomfortably because of me, this is your house, I'm breaking in and invading your comfort,” he said determinedly.

 “You are my guest, I will not let you sleep on the floor,” she insisted.

 “Then we'll sleep together,” he looked at her amused, but she widened her eyes.

 “No!" she sputtered nervously, “We can't both fit anyway.”

 “Then, don't argue with me anymore," he said, getting up from the trunk and entering the shack. Once inside, he took the quilt she threw on the earthy floor and spread it on the floor, lay down, and tucked it in. She went inside and stood for a while watching him, let out a sigh of resignation, and lay down on the bed. Feeling the softness of it on her back again was very pleasant.

Another week passed and they never mentioned the kiss. The first few days after their outburst they avoided each other's gaze and spoke to each other with embarrassment, but as time went on they became very close and kept talking and laughing. He fixed up the hut as much as he could and helped her with the cleaning, fetching firewood and water from the river while she shopped in town. He had decided that he could not bother her anymore, so Sam investigated how Arthur could get out to the main road and from there find his way back to his village, which was a long way from where they were.

(...)

Sweats bothered his wounds and scratches, but what hurt the most were those offensive and malicious words. The pain was unbearable and the blood stained her clothes.

 “Nooo! Help! Nooo!!!” her desperate screams were not heard and her anguish did not let her think clearly, she only followed her survival instinct.

 “You killed him!!!” her voice was heard as an echo and tears mixed with blood.

 “Nooo!!!” she woke up upset with tears in her eyes.

Arthur was shocked to hear her scream and went over to her holding her hands tightly. She was more upset than the other times she woke up from her recurring nightmares. He covered her with his arms as she poured out her soul with great weeping.