“Right here? In the kitchen?” Samuel could practically see her clutching her pearls in shock.
“Why not here?” He’d countered as he worked the length of the dress upwards over her hips, exposing her panty clad derriere. “Mm,” he’d pressed for an answer, as he worked the cotton high rise briefs off.
While Samuel was happy, Hannah didn’t have an objection to being intimate with him. He wanted her to embrace a life with more spontaneity. She spent so much time in her head, working to please others. All her actions couldn’t be based on meeting the expectations of others. He wanted them to have the freedom to truly put each other first. Even if it meant bucking conventions.
In the end, she had to admit, there wasn’t a reason they couldn’t be intimate in the kitchen, with her bent over the table. In fact, not only did she come to enjoy the spontaneity, but Hannah had even started it a time or two. On the third day, when she invited him into the shower to wash her back, their activities had nearly depleted the water tank. The fact that she had become so comfortable in such a short time gave him hope.
It was almost as if she was eager to let go of her inhibitions. She wore her hair down, her curls falling freely. In a sense, it symbolised her being herself without restraint. Even when they were younger, she didn’t allow herself the freedom to let her hair down. Figuratively or literally.
To witness Hannah unfettered was a miraculous, joyful experience. One day, they were taking their daily walk through the woods when the sky had opened up, pouring sun-soaked fat drops of rain all over them. Hannah’s reaction wasn’t at all what he expected. He watched, mesmerized, as she embraced the experience. She had sung, “If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain,” at the top of her lungs. Dancing, carefree as the rain soaked through her clothing. It had been a beautiful moment watching her let go.
It had taken less persuasion than he’d thought to convince her to go skinny dipping with him. Samuel quickly undressed and cannon balled into the lake. She toed off her sneakers, then stripped, finally neatly placing her clothing on a nearby log. He stood in the water, tracking her every movement. The wild abandonment on her face was so very sexy. When she joined him in the water, they embraced. “Oh!” she’d exclaimed as his hardness pressed against her. Then she shrugged.
“Why not here?” Making love in the rain, in the lake with Hannah, had not been on his bucket list. But it should have been. It was quick and passionate. Sliding into her tight core, with the warm water surrounding them, made Samuel feel connected to her in a way he hadn’t felt before. Mother Nature decided the shower should become a storm. Forcing them to hurry through their act of coupling. They laughed as they came together and got the hell out of the water. Their joy was a living, breathing thing. There was no time to bask in postcoital bliss. They’d hurried out of the water, got dressed, and raced back to the cabin. Their laughter bounced off the trees as they made their way back.
The physical connection was beautiful, but Samuel also just enjoyed simply being in her company. Even if they weren’t speaking with each other. One afternoon, they each grabbed a book. With Hannah’s feet in his lap, they sat reading. They had a comfort, which Samuel had never experienced before. It was probably because he had been subconsciously waiting for Hannah.
The nights were chilly, and they would sit by the fireplace. Fresh popcorn, s’mores, and conversations. Their last night at the cabin they took advantage of the fireplace. They sat on the couch cuddling. Mostly, Samuel was an open book. The only topic he actively avoided was why he became a K-pop star. He couldn’t share those feelings with her. It would taint what they were building. He masterfully avoided sharing his feelings. Samuel wouldn’t discuss the why, but when she asked about his experiences being a celebrity, he was transparent.
“What was it like performing in front of all those people?” Hannah had asked.
“It was exhilarating.” He rubbed his jaw. “At first. I’ve always loved singing.”
“That’s because you have an amazing voice. You’re very talented.” Hannah gushed. Obviously, he knew he was talented. However, having her compliment his gift with such adoration made him feel ten feet tall.
“Thank you.” He squeezed her knee.
“You said at first?” She inquired.
“Yeah, the other demands slowly took away from the magic of performing and connecting with the fans. Eventually, the luster of my glamourous life wore off due to rehearsals, an exhausting travel schedule, and living in a fishbowl.”
“But that didn’t happen overnight. You did it for a decade.”
“I was on the fence before I signed my last contract. I shouldn’t have signed it, and the last three years of performing I was pretty miserable.” By then he tired of the groupies. Samuel explained to Hannah how he put one foot in front of the other until his contract expired. Once it had, nothing could convince him to stay in that lifestyle. The calling of his upbringing began to speak to him. He couldn’t deny it any longer.
“So, you just decided to start preaching?”
“No. First, I finished the leftover theology courses I had to complete.”
“Really? I’d assumed you just decided to start preaching.”
Samuel bristled at her assumption. “Why did you think that?”
She shrugged before answering. “Sometimes, you can be impulsive.”
Her assertion was correct. Well, in part. So, the truth wouldn’t offend him.
“I can be. But just because I can be spontaneous doesn’t mean I don’t plan ahead. Going into the ministry was a huge decision for me. Even as I completed my courses, I didn’t know how I could serve. I’m nothing like my father or brother. Then I got assigned a mentor, that showed me I didn’t have to become somebody different to be a minister. In fact, my strength, what would make me truly relatable, was that I wasn’t traditional.”
Hannah had been cuddled against him, but as he spoke, she shifted her position, so she was sitting up.
“There is nothing wrong with tradition.” She sounded defensive.
In an effort not to let things get too far off track, he tried smoothing her ruffled feathers. “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. It’s just not my thing.”
“You’d mentioned your attire. Do you not wear a suit and tie to services? When you are preaching?” Her tone had turned frosty and judgmental. Samuel didn’t appreciate it at all. Did he want them to enjoy the rest of the time away? Very much. Would he back down? Absolutely not.
“Generally, I don’t wear a suit. Unless it’s a special occasion. I’ve never worn a tie.” For good measure, and so she understood it wasn’t negotiable, he added. “Nor will I be wearing one.”
