Sofia: Phoenix Rising - Fire and Water Book 2
Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

“Oh, my stars! I didn’t think it was going to be this cold up here,” I utter as my teeth chatter incessantly. “Do you have any hoodies or jackets strewn somewhere in that Jeep of yours?” I whine to Ash, “soo cold.”

“You are a riot, Sofia. You literally have fire within you. Summon your phoenix, silly. She can help keep you warm. It is only going to get colder as the sun sets after all.” Ash shakes his head at me.

Reaching out to phoenix, I ask her to heat my body up from within to which she willingly obliges me. “What about you? Aren’t you cold?” I look at Ash, eyebrow arched in question.

“Nope, my panther helps me stay warm.” He looks around for a second, trying to figure out where we should begin walking. “Are you ready to have a look around?” I nod my head yes and then slip my hand into his, making sure the heat of my hand isn’t hurting him, we start our journey.

We replace ourselves in the center of the quaint little town and walk the sidewalks, wandering aimlessly about for a bit. Seeing a coffee shop near, I suggest we get a cup and then maybe ask if someone would be able to point us in the right direction. No point wasting any more time than need be, right? The barista gives us directions and with the hot steaming liquid in hand, we get back into Ash’s Jeep and head to an area called Walnut Beach. And just in case you are wondering, it truly is a beach which is part of Lake Erie.

Ash parks his vehicle, and we get out. It feels weird to be on a beach void of all people. The atmosphere feels different, a serene quietness that makes one appreciate the lack of humanity at this exact moment and mother nature at her best. Because of the openness of our surroundings, the wind feels much stronger and colder. Even with my phoenix keeping me warm, the air bites harshly at me cheeks, nose, and ears. Thankfully I have pulled my hair up into a bun otherwise I am sure my hair would be whipping at my face violently too.

At the same time, we spot a walkway of sorts made out of rocks and about a mile or so beyond this rocky embankment path is the lighthouse. “Let’s go!” I say excitedly to Ash as I tug at his hand. He doesn’t budge however, causing me to jerk backwards. “What? Come on, let’s go.”

Ash shakes his head no. “I don’t think we should attempt to walk out there right now. It’s getting dark, and with the wind like it is, and the water crashing against the rocks the way it is, those rocks are bound to be wicked slippery. We need to be smart about this Sofia. The last thing we need is for one of us to get hurt, right?”

“Right...” I stare out at the lighthouse, my heart feeling like it is shattering. I am so close to my parents, but I’ve never felt further away. A few tears fall from my eyes as I continue to stare at the building. Ash’s arms slip around my waist from behind me, wrapping me in a hug. I lean into him, and he nuzzles his lips against my neck.

“Let’s go replace a place to sleep for the night and then tomorrow morning we’ll see how we can get closer to there, maybe another way instead of having to walk across those miles of slippery rocks. I nod my head and Ash takes my hand leading me back towards his Jeep. On the outskirts of the town, we replace a small bed and breakfast and thankfully they require you to be 18 instead of twenty-one otherwise Ash and I would be spending the night in his Jeep in the freezing cold.

“Holy crap! This bed is massive,” I state in awe. “If we both laid on the bed on either side, I don’t think our fingertips would be able to touch.”

Ash grins at me, “I think they call this a California King bed. And, I would rather not be that far away from you,” he adds with a wink. “Hey, here’s my card, order some food if you want. I’m going to go take a quick shower.”

I say okay and pull my phone out of my pocket to see what kinds of restaurants deliver to us. I hear the water start to spray from the shower head and start scrolling through my phone. Suddenly though, flashes of Ash and I naked in the hot, steamy shower runs through my mind. I grin naughtily to myself but then realize these are not my thoughts, they are Ash’s! I debate with myself for an entire minute as to whether or not I should enter that bathroom. Finally, I slowly open the unlocked door and go inside. Shyness takes hold of me for some unexplainable reason as I quietly shut the door behind me, and I hesitate for a second or two before replaceing the courage to undress myself.

Pushing the shower curtain aside I say quietly, “would you care for some company?” Ash jumps a mile causing me to laugh at him. “Oops, I didn’t mean to scare you.” I try to say sorry but I’m laughing way too hard to finish the apology.

“Stars in the sky, Sofia! You frightened me half to death. I think my heart might burst from my chest; it’s beating so hard.” Instead of saying anything in response, I step over the side of the tub and place my hand upon his chest where I feel his heart beating rapidly. He covers his right hand over mine as I keep my hand placed against his body. A moment later he is leaning towards me and then I feel his beautifully warm lips upon mine. I wrap my arms around his neck to draw him closer to me. Our kissing intensifies and with one arm he lifts me, making me automatically wrap my legs around his waist so I won’t accidentally slip from his grasp. Ash then maneuver’s us so that my back is pressed up against the tiled wall of the tub.

Running my hands through his hair, I clench a fist full of his silky strands just as he enters me, and a gasp of ecstasy escapes my lips. This experience is slightly different than before. I can see our souls entwine and even our animals unite as we connect our bodies blissfully.

I have never stayed in a shower long enough to feel the water run cold, until now. As we both begin to shiver, we decide to exit the tub and dry ourselves of, dressing and then climbing into the bed. We are both exhausted and can just barely manage to meet each other in the center of the bedding. Snuggling into the crook of his arm, I place my head upon his chest. The steady rise and fall of his breathing has me drifting off to sleep in mere seconds.

I wake to the scent of bacon and eggs wafting throughout the B&B causing my stomach to grumble loudly. Rolling onto my right side, I look at Ash for all of two seconds before I decide to shake him awake. “Come on, wake up. I’m starving and the food smells absolutely wonderful!” Ash mumbles something incoherent and I laugh at me. “You’re so silly. You’re telling me you are not hungry?” Crawling halfway across the bed so that I can get out of it, I rummage through my ‘just in case’ duffle bag, pull out a pair of jeans and long sleeve shirt. I pull the shirt over my head and then slip into my jeans. Next, I grab a pair of socks, put them on quickly and then slide my feet into my sneakers.

“Seriously Ash, let’s go.” I don’t even wait to see if he’s getting out of the bed, I throw the bedroom door open wide and hurry down the steps. Following the scent, I replace myself in a very large room with a massive dark colored wooden table with bench seating. There can’t be very many people staying here because we are in the off season (winter), but the very cute older couple have made an amazing spread of food as if we were in the height of a summer season. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about it. I am excited to sample everything that is sitting in front of me.

Walking directly up to the buffet of wonderous items, I grab a plate and starting at one end of the tables, begin taking different things. Eggs, bacon, sausage and toast are definite. I spot pastries of all kinds, fruit parfaits, oh yum, pancakes and waffles with strawberries and blue berries and even homemade whipped topping. I think I may be in heaven! Claiming a spot at the dining table, I put my plate down and then go to a table that is adorned with all kinds of beverages. I of course pour myself the biggest mug of coffee, with sugar and cream. Settling on my seat, I have just placed a fork full of eggs in my mouth when Ash strolls in.

“Damn girl!” Ash says as he reaches over my shoulder to steal a piece of my bacon. “Ouch,” he hisses as I slap his hand away. I chuckle as he shakes his hand. “What did you do that for?”

“Seriously? You’re asking why I would hit your hand? Go get your own dang bacon.” Ash scrunches his nose at me and mutters in a squeaky voice but walks over to the buffet table to get his own plate of food anyway.