Minutes had turned to hours, and hours had turned to what seemed like days.
Ayla knew that she had to face reality, eventually.
Plus, she couldn't keep Alexander hostage for eternity, or could she?
Then it crossed her mind.
'Why is he not in a hurry to get out of here? Is this a plan to trap me? What if he is waiting for someone?' she thought to herself.
Either he was going to stick around, trick her, trap her, or he was going to leave her when they finally emerged from their shelter.
There was only one way to figure out what he was truly up to.
She was unsure how much time had actually passed during her period of insatiable hunger.
While they had been unable to pull themselves away from each other, it was as if time stood still.
It wasn't that they couldn't stop themselves.
They didn't want to.
Sex with each other felt amazing, and they didn't have anything better to do while waiting out potential danger.
Time just happened to slip away from them in the process.
How does the saying go, 'time flies when you're having fun', and Ayla was finally learning that concept firsthand.
Even though she loved every minute they hid inside their oasis, she knew it was coming to an end, soon.
It would be for their need to either eat or return to the real world that pulled them out of their sex cave.
While they lay on the makeshift bed of sin, Alexander could tell something was off about her mood.
It was different than what he had been experiencing the last few hours of so.
Light from the sun wasn't shining brightly anymore at the entrance, so Alexander knew it was probably nighttime again.
Somehow, they had managed to hide away for a whole day in the cave without leaving it.
How far into the night was a question still, but night had returned.
In his mind, he had gotten to spend a whole day with this amazing woman, hidden away from the world.
He, too, knew it would end soon, and he had no idea what to expect.
All he wanted to do was hold her close and feel her warm body in his embrace.
His mind couldn't help but be uneasy at the fact that something was bothering her.
"Ayla, is it time that we talk? I know something is bothering you. I can tell because you aren't as relaxed all of a sudden".
When he felt her tense up just a little more, it told him everything he needed to know.
He knew he was right, and the time in the cave was coming to an end.
Was he ready to leave her and go home?
No.
The last thing he wanted to do was leave her, and she needed to know that.
He didn't get the chance to say it before her voice caught his ear.
"Maybe it is time to talk. That doesn't mean that I want to. I'm scared of what might happen when we do. What if we have to go our separate ways? We probably won't see each other after that. Do you have someone waiting for you? I know nothing about you" she said with genuine concern in her voice.
The words felt like blades crossing his skin as they reached him.
How could she even think about never seeing him again?
Is that what she wanted?
"Is that what you want? To never see me again"? he asked.
Her response was quick.
"No, that isn't what I said. I only meant, out there, beyond this cave, we probably won't see each other again".
He took a second to calm his emotions before speaking.
"I didn't want to talk either with similar fears as you. The unknown scares everyone. Don't think you are alone in that. To answer some of your doubts right away, I don't have anyone waiting for me, so there is one answer".
He seems to feel a sense of warmth come through him, as a small smile tried to hide itself on her face as he said that part.
Seeing as that made her happy, he continued.
"Whether we have to go our separate ways, I have no clue. That's what the talk is for. I really hope not. The talk goes for knowing nothing about each other, also, I'm hoping to remedy that slightly just by simply talking".
As he finished talking, she was starting to pull herself to sit while turning her gaze to look into his eyes.
They were both sleep-deprived, starving, and exhausted from a night/day sex marathon, but she thought he his were glowing again, without the fire.
Was she insane?
Clearly, she had to have been.
Ayla just met him, trusted him with her life, had sex with him, and was contemplating leaving with him.
He was being one hundred percent serious as she stared into his eyes that seemed to glow, too.
There was no way she was thinking logically.
She had to be delirious.
Looking at her, he realized the female before him was a strong and fierce one, yes, but also a lonely, frightened one.
He looked forward to getting to know who she was and what caused such a mysteriously wonderful creature.
"Where are you from" she asked.
"Well, that's a hard one, but I like to say I'm from wherever I lay my head at night. Elaborate more about your question".
Alexander wasn't sure what she was looking for when she asked, so he wanted to know how to give her what she wanted.
"No, your answer is perfect. It means more than you think. So, if I wanted to stay with you, would anyone object"?
This was a roundabout way of her asking again if anyone was waiting, and she hoped he didn't pick up on it.
He wasn't as clueless as she thought, though.
"Nope, it's me and my roommate in the apartment" he said.
As he spoke, he noticed her eyebrow start to rise a bit, "and I might have to stop him from hitting on you, but that's about it" he smirked.
Ayla became a bit worried.
"Your roommate would hit on me" she tilted her head in a questioning way.
In her mind, she couldn't fathom why anyone would do such a thing.
There wasn't anything special about her.
She was just a simple, basic girl.
He was amused by her question.
"Oh, absolutely. You have an amazing body, with all the right curves in all the right places. Plus, you have the face of an angel. He wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off of you. That, no matter what, would have to be settled up front. Whether you stay or not, he had to know you're off limits".
His words didn't miss her.
'Stay or not. What does he mean by that' she thought as she shook her head slightly.
Ayla started smiling as the words rounded in her head again.
"So, you want me to stick around, I take it".
Alexander started smiling back toward her.
"More than you know. I don't know much about you, but I know that you need protection. I can protect you. I'm a bodyguard. That's what I do. I protect people. It only makes sense that I stay with you and keep you safe, doesn't it"?
She nodded with a larger smile appearing on her face.
'What am I thinking? Did I just tell him that I want to stay with him' she thought to herself.
'Well, I do' she thought again.
He really could help protect her.
More than that, though, he wanted to do it seemed.
"What about you? Do you live with anyone I should worry about? Is there a pet that is missing you? Do you have a man I need to fight for the right to save as the damsel in distress, because he is clearly failing at his job if so".
The thought of him wanting to fight for her was turning her on.
'How could he ask if a man was waiting on me if he knew I hadn't been with anyone' she thought to herself.
She giggled at his remarks, "No, no. I live alone, if you can call it that. My home is wherever I choose to lay my head at night. Why ask if anyone waits for me if you knew I had never been with anyone"?
His face got curious.
"What does that mean? You think you live alone, but the other person doesn't? And, for the last part, I just knew, unless. He looked down, realizing there had only been blood at the very beginning, I just knew" he said.
Alexander wasn't sure how to take her words, and his came out the wrong way.
Her face froze with fear as she replayed her words back to herself.
"No, no, I've tried to stay under the radar for so long that I never really got a place. I don't have a traditional home. I'm more of a gypsy of sorts. There is no one, swear it" she admitted shamefully.
"Ohhhh" he said, "Got it. I'm sorry for how my words came across. I shouldn't have lost my cool. I don't ever do that".
Ayla realized he didn't appear to be judging her; he was judging himself.
She continued to explain.
"I thought if I had one stable place, in my name, that it would make it easier for people to find me. That, unfortunately, has also meant no friends for as long as I can remember. To answer another of your questions, that also includes pets unless you count the strays in take under my wing".
He was nearly knocked backward with her revelations and unable to hold back his feelings, so she didn't feel bad about how she had been living.
Was pitying her worse than anything she thought he felt?
Ayla was not enjoying the feelings she currently carried in her chest.
It didn't take long for him to respond.
"Do you want to stay with me, or do you have other plans for tonight" he asked in order to give her autonomy.
She was confused and thought maybe he got scared.
"I don't have to stay with you if you don't want me to. I'm fine on my own and always have been" she said as she glared at him.
It wasn't pity he felt, it was disgust.
Ayla realized he was trying to distance himself from her.
He was shaking his head as he grabbed for her, pulling her into him.
"You misunderstand me" he said as he kissed her forehead.
She looked at him with an eyebrow raised, really on able to see the bottom of his chin until he looked down.
He knew he was on a tight rope as he continued to speak.
"I want you to stay with me, but I need you to want to stay with me too. It goes both ways. I never want you to do anything that you feel pressured to do or don't want to. You have been through a lot alone. This will be a big change for you, and I don't want you to think that I pressured you ever. It has to be your choice one hundred percent".
For some reason, this was a big thing with him.
Alexander was making sure she was making the choice herself for a second time, and not taking it from her.
She felt like a boulder had been lifted off her chest for some reason.
How did so few words make her feel so much better?
She was looking at him with adoration and respect.
"I appreciate that. I would also love to try staying with you. I've never had a home. I can't promise it will work. What I can say with certainty is that I want to try" she said with a devilish grin.
Before she could stop herself, she was back in her previous mindset of passion, landing a kiss on his perfect lips.
The thought of anything else, like sleep or food, was washed away by the words of the man holding her close now, almost afraid to let her go.
She was a different kind of hungry now.
As she lay into him, exuding heat and willingness, he didn't dare deny her.
Ayla was warm, wet, and willing, pushing him back until he was lying on the bed of leaves.
Her kisses became deeper, becoming more deep, sensual as she desired him more and more, straddling him.
The heat began to burn her alive as the hand that wasn't stabilizing her upper body began to travel the contours of his requisitely defined body.
It traveled down the V crest of his pelvis, making him grow, even more than the passionate kisses that she was drowning him in.
Before he realized what was even happening, she had grabbed his cock and was stroking him, making sure he was ready for her.
Just as ready to pounce as she was, so was he, as Alexander went to flip them, she used her feet to grab his legs just below the knees and pull him back down.
This was her show, and she was running it.
Ayla's show of control turned him on just a bit more and sent him nearly off the edge, and he lifted her and placed her over the top of him at the perfect angle.
Just as he did, she put him at her entrance and slid her folds open, allowing him to penetrate her, slowly sliding down his shaft.
Heaven, it felt like heaven, as she continued to slowly move up and down, gathering speed little by little with each bounce.
She was intentionally driving him insane as she continued.
Just as they were coming to an end, and the two of them climaxed together, her goddess-like body was beginning to collapse on top of his, and she could hear his stomach growl.
He couldn't recall how many times they had actually had sex since they had sought shelter in the hidden cave of wonders.
To him, it was just a number at that point.
Every time he thought she was done, she was back for more, but he wasn't complaining.
"You could have told me no" she uttered with a playful smile across her face, looking toward him.
"Why on earth would I ever do that" he responded as he grabbed her sides and pulled her the rest of the way into his body to relax, "Apparently, you wanted to go for a ride, and I wasn't going to deny you the pleasure of that".
He was wearing the biggest, proudest grin she had ever seen as she took a hand and drug it down his face, "Stop it, you're embarrassing me".
"Who am I embarrassing you in front of? There is no one here. You are free to be as wild and fun as you want to be. Honestly, I'm glad you are letting go and enjoying yourself, trust me. I couldn't be happier. My stomach, on the other hand, could probably use something in it other than the sweet juices you produce" he said, still holding that larger-than-life smile.
Her shy smile came back as her hand cupped the half of her face that wasn't nestled into his warm, naked body.
Ayla sighed before speaking.
"I can't with you. Are you always like this? Please tell me it's because you are delirious from being food and sleep deprived and stuck in a cave with me".
She was on the fence as to whether she was asking for a real answer or not.
The way he was talking both scared her and turned her on.
He laughed a little.
"I would never intentionally do anything to make you uncomfortable. That being said, I am starving, and you need to eat. I am unaware if it is safe outside the cave, but I don't want to leave you. I haven't left because I haven't decided what to do. Only when I eat and sleep will you know what I'm like afterward" he chuckled.
They both felt the same in regard to food and sleep.
Ayla and Alexander both needed to take care of themselves.
Being stuck in the cave wouldn't allow them to do either of those things, clearly.
"Let's go together" she said, "We can see if it's safe, and either come back here, or return to your home for a shower, food, and sleep".
He looked at her for a moment before speaking.
"Ayla, would you like to leave this sex cave and return with me to live in my apartment? There, I can provide for you and protect you until all those who are trying to find you are gone".
Surprised by his question, she looked back at him.
Alexander had mentioned going to his home, but not living with him.
They had just met.
What was she supposed to do?
Was this one of those blind leaps of faith she was supposed to take again?
"Yes, I would love to have you as my protector, among other things" she said as she smirked and her eyes fell before rising again.
She had to bring herself back to the conversation so she could continue.
"As long as you will have me, I will be your partner in this mess. I only ask that you are honest with me, at all times" she finished.
With that, it was time to leave the cave and face the troubles that awaited them outside the cave.
On the outside, it looked like it had when they entered the cave.
To them, it was almost as if no time had passed at all.
The day they wasted just didn't exist.
They felt like they walked for what seemed like a mile without any disruptions, and then they stopped dead in their tracks as Ayla reached for Alexander's hand on instinct.
Someone was just ahead, out of their view.
Her heart had fallen into her stomach, looming with anticipation for what was coming toward her.