Page 24 of Ulf's Destiny
“No.” She reddened. “I don’t mind if you see me. I trust you. If you don’t want me to see you, however, I can close my eyes until we are in the water.”
“No, I don’t mind you seeing me, as long as you know I…”
“You what?” she asked when his voice trailed. He didn’t want to be crude but he had to warn her, because he knew what would happen. What he could already feel happening.
“I might get aroused.”
No might about it. Faced with a naked Ylva, his body would respond like any man’s would respond in such a situation. He would get hard.
“Oh.” A delicious color invaded her cheeks, causing him to stiffen further. Damnation, as soon as he heard her dress fall at her feet, he would be fully erect. “Well. I promise I won’t look.”
No. But even so, she would be very aware that he was naked and aroused. As for him, he would feel the blood pumping in his shaft all the while. Still, if she was ready to be bold, so would he be.
“I promise I won’t look either. We will go in together, hand in hand in case you waver, looking straight ahead.”
“Very well. Thank you.”
They turned around and, after checking one last time that no one was coming, started to undress. Even with his back to Ylva, just as he’d predicted, Ulf was hard by the time he dropped his braies on the sand.
“Ready?” he called out, his voice slightly hoarse.
“Ready.” He felt Ylva’s hand slip inside his. His cock gave a jerk despite the rather chaste contact.
“The water might be quite cold, I’m afraid.” He thought it best to warn her, but in truth he was glad of the fact. It might help restore some sense to his body and order to his thoughts. “The best way is to just go in without thinking, without hesitating. Tell me when you feel you’re deep enough and you want to stop. You do know the water is salty, by the way?”
He didn’t mean to make her feel inadequate but he had to keep talking to distract himself, and besides, she might genuinely not know that, having never been to the sea.
“Yes. Judith told me. It is hard to imagine, though.”
“You don’t have to imagine, you can try it for yourself in a moment.”
Suddenly, Ulf wished that he, too, could experience his first dip in the sea again. He did not remember what he had thought the first time he had gone into the salty water as a child. He had no idea if he’d been afraid or excited the first time he’dslept outside under the stars. And it had quickly become normal. How had he felt the first time he’d sat on a horse? What had he thought of the big animal, even? He had the impression that he had always known how to ride. He had done so many things, been to so many places that sometimes he forgot to appreciate the wealth of knowledge he had, and he rarely experienced the thrill of a new discovery.
Being with someone like Ylva, who had so many wonders left to discover, gave his own life a different flavor. There was no doubt she would remember her first night out in the open, she would not forget that she had once been daunted in front of horses, there would be a before and after her rescue.
And he would be part of those memories.
The idea pleased him. And if she stayed a while in the village, perhaps he could experience new things through her eyes. Now,thiswould be thrilling.
They entered the water. It was cool, as he’d predicted, but Ylva didn’t hesitate; she led him forward. He followed, refusing to be a hindrance in any way. Soon, their legs were submerged, then their waists. Ulf let out a sigh of relief. With his pulsing shaft hidden from view, he could relax somewhat. After taking another few steps, he felt a tug on his hand and Ylva called out.
“Stop.”
Without looking, he estimated that the water would have reached up her shoulders. Ulf was amazed she had not wavered until she was almost completely submerged. She really was a fearless little thing. It was a miracle she had not found the will to stab him more decisively the other day, because he didn’t doubt she would be capable of killing someone who deserved it.
Now that her body was hidden from view, it was safe to look at her, so he turned to the side. “How does it feel, then?”
Though cool, the water was not as cold as it would be in just a few weeks, once summer was over.
“Odd. Wonderful.” She smiled. “Scary. Delicious. I don’t know.”
He smiled back at her fumbling answer. “It’s odd because it’s new. But you will get used to it. And there’s no need to be scared. I’m here. Just enjoy the delicious and wonderful parts.”
She looked into the distance a long moment, as if trying to adjust to the oddness while making the most of the pleasurable sensations.
“Judith, who grew up in a village by the sea, told me that swimming felt like floating,” she said after a while. “I wish I could see what she means but, for that, I guess I would need to learn to swim first.”
Not necessarily. With him helping her, she would be able to get a feel of it. “You are shorter than me.”
