Stormbound - pt 3 - by Gun Brooke

Tiffany crawled into bed, the flannel sheets warm and soft against her exposed skin. The bed was made up in an old-fashioned way, with a handmade quilt and a crocheted blanket on top. Watching Izzy go back into the kitchen after grabbing some clothes from the dresser, Tiffany tried to relax. Her body still ached after the crash, but she didn't think she'd injured anything seriously. No doubt I'll be stiff and even more achy tomorrow. Tiffany pushed those thoughts away when Izzy came back from the kitchen. She turned down the kerosene lamps until Tiffany could barely make out the outlines of the objects in the room.

“Too dark?” Izzy stopped by the bed. “I can turn it up a bit if you want.”

“It's all right.” Tiffany smiled nervously. “It sure gets dark around here.”

“Part of the charm, but it can also be a hazard.” Izzy pulled the covers back and crept into bed. The twin size bed felt way too small as Tiffany moved closer to the wall to make room for Izzy.

“Sorry.” Izzy shifted. “Perhaps if we lie sideways?”

“Okay.” Suddenly breathless, Tiffany barely refrained from groaning out loud. She pressed her back against the wall. That ought to make plenty of space for Izzy.

Izzy turned her back to Tiffany. “You can slide closer. It won't be very comfortable pressing against a cold wall like that.”

“I'm fine. Not cold at all. Really.” Tiffany was lying. She could already feel the cold wood permeate the t-shirt. She tried to pull the cover up around her, but she couldn't move it the way she wanted to.

“I still think it's better if you move a little closer. You're quite safe.”

Tiffany hesitated, but then slid forward just a little. Izzy surprised her by reaching back and tucking the sheet and quilt in between Tiffany and the wall. She repeated the maneuver with the quilt. “Better?”

“Oh, yes, much. Thank you.” Tiffany had begun to tremble again, as if the cold only waited for a chance to seep into her blood stream again.

“Hey. It's okay.” Izzy turned quickly, and started rubbing Tiffany's arms. “God, you're cold again. You shouldn't be the one closest to the wall. What was I thinking?”

“I'll be f-fine.”

“You'll catch pneumonia, or something,” Izzy muttered. Before Tiffany realized what she was about to do, she rose on her hands and knees and straddled Tiffany. “Move to your left.”

Completely without oxygen now, Tiffany complied. Izzy moved with much more agility and grace than her tall, lanky body would suggest her capable of, and laid down behind Tiffany. Tiffany tried desperately not to tremble so much, since she suspected the tremors weren't only due to being cold. Izzy arranged the sheets and covers again and then shocked Tiffany again by wrapping a strong arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“Shared bodily warmth,” Izzy whispered huskily. “Most efficient way to stay warm.”

Warm? Tiffany snorted inwardly. Suddenly she felt like she was on fire. “Thank you,” she managed.

“Can you relax enough to fall asleep, do you think?”

“I'm sure I can.” In fact, Tiffany had serious doubts how she would be able to sleep at all. And I need to sleep. Tomorrow I have to arrange for another rental and keep driving. Got to keep moving.

“What were you thinking right now?” Izzy asked in a low voice.

“What? Why do you ask?”

“You tensed up enough to kick my shin.”

“Oh, my.” Mortified, Tiffany rolled over on her back, trying to make out Izzy's features. “Please, tell me I didn't hurt you.”

“With that little foot? Hardly.” Izzy sounded almost tender in the way she spoke. Tiffany squinted. The kerosene lamp shed enough light on the room for her to be able to see Izzy's profile. Stunned by the classical beauty of the elegant features, Tiffany found herself tongue-tied. “Getting any warmer?”

“Oh. Yes. Thank you.” Knowing full well how strange her chopped up sentence sounded, Tiffany turned on her side again, only to realize she'd turned on her right this time, rolling into Izzy's body, chest to chest. “Whoops. Sorry.” She tried to move, but a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“Why don't you just relax where you are?”

Because it feels too intimate to practically have our breasts entangled. Tiffany closed her eyes and pretended this was something she did every day; shared a bed with a stunning woman in the wilderness. Oh, my goodness. Forcing herself to breathe evenly, Tiffany managed to slowly relax. She was so certain she would not be able to sleep, but in fact it only took a few minutes.

***

“It doesn't matter. I honestly don't give a shit what she wants.”

“But what if she refuses to cooperate?”

“That's when you two will finally realize you need to stop chatting and actually do something.”

The third voice was female and so familiar it all its viciousness. Tiffany pressed her back against the wall, her thoughts whirling as she tried to figure out where to hide. The two men and the woman were moving toward her and unless she found a hiding place, they'd stumble upon her any second.

“She's just a kid,” the first man said, a comment that made the woman laugh.

“Oh, you men are all alike. Don't let her looks fool you. She's not that young.”

“She's Edgar's daughter.” The second man piped up.

“Edgar's dead. We're in control now.” The woman sounded triumphant.

“Technically, the daughter is.”

“Tiffany?” The woman chuckled. “That's easily taken care of. All we have to do is create a plausible reason why she has to disappear.”

Tiffany heard their footsteps approach now, and knew they'd see her any second. They would realize she'd heard everything. She tried to move backward, but their hands were somehow already around her, holding on to her arms. Tiffany pulled and tried to free herself, sobbing in fear that it was too late to escape. She pleaded with them to let her go, but they didn't. Instead they tugged at her and held her so tight she couldn't breathe. Tiffany gasped, drew as deep a breath as she could and screamed.

***

Izzy woke up when an unfamiliar sound of someone whimpering disturbed her sleep. It had taken her a long time to fall asleep, with Tiffany curled up more or less in her arms. She told herself that Tiffany was merely looking for comfort, subconsciously, and that she was it, by default.

“Oh, God.” Tiffany whispered and moved, pressing both hands against Izzy's chest, just above her breasts.

Izzy froze, uncertain what was going on. “Tiffany?” she murmured.

Small feet kicked at Izzy's legs as Tiffany pressed herself backward in the bed. Izzy managed to catch her just as she was about to topple over the edge. Tiffany fought her, pushing at her hands, moaning “no, no” over and over.

“Tiffany. It's me. Izzy. You're just having a bad dream.” A bad dream seemed to be a major understatement, Izzy thought as she pulled Tiffany closer, trying to keep her from falling backward off the bed. She had to pin Tiffany's left hand down with her own, to keep her from injuring herself against the headboard as the other woman kept swinging. There was enough light in the room from for Izzy to observe the tormented look on Tiffany's face. It was gut-wrenching to see as it was obvious how horrified Tiffany was feeling.

“Please, wake up. Tiffany. Wake up.” Izzy shook her gently, not wanting to add to the terror, but instead, Tiffany fought her harder and screamed.

“What...what's going on?” Suddenly, Tiffany's eyes snapped open, and she gasped as she looked around her with a frantic expression on her face.

“You had a nightmare. You're fine now.”

“They were coming for me. I really should leave.” Despite her words, Tiffany was clinging to Izzy,. “It's not safe.”

“”What are you talking about? You can't go anywhere in the middle of the night.”

“I know, but I should.”

“Listen to the storm. It's gotten worse.” Izzy stroked Tiffany's back, feeling a little awkward at the unfamiliarity of it.

“Yes. I can hear it.” Tiffany still dug her fingers into Izzy's arms.

“And if you can't go anywhere in this weather, neither can anyone else.” Izzy felt Tiffany begin to relax, and she wanted to hug her, but knew that was the last thing Tiffany would want. “You're safe here.”

“I am, aren't I?” Tiffany sounded baffled. “Nobody knows where I am.”

“There you go.” Nobody? Izzy tried to fathom the idea that an apparently well off, beautiful woman like Tiffany could want to go completely off the radar.

“C-can we turn the light up a bit?” Tiffany's voice was still tearful.

“Sure.” Izzy climbed out of the bed and brought one of the kerosene lamps over to the small bedside table. “Here.” She turned the light up, and turning back to sit next to Tiffany, she inhaled sharply at the sight of her tear-stained face. Suddenly furious at whoever, or whatever, had put Tiffany in such a state of fear, Izzy forgot her apprehensions and pulled her into a protective hug.

“Izzy, I'm okay. I just needed the light on.” Despite trying to sound brave, Tiffany clung to Izzy and buried her face against her neck. She smelled familiar, having used Izzy's bath salts, and still there was something about Tiffany's scent that made it entirely distinguishable, something all her own. Izzy inhaled secretly as she held Tiffany. Whatever it was, it was as unique as Tiffany herself was. Rocking her, Izzy hummed quietly, a wordless song that seemed to relax the woman in her arms.

“Thank you,” Tiffany murmured. “I'm so tired, but I'm afraid to go back to sleep.”

“Don't be. I'll be here.”

“You promise?” Tipping her head back, Tiffany gazed up at Izzy, her blue eyes so trusting.

Izzy felt herself split in two. One side of her wanted to protect Tiffany against anything that made her fearful. The others side of Izzy wanted to pull Tiffany even closer and kiss her senseless.

Continued in part 4