MILD MATURE SCENES

Samuel.

Omar stood in front of the cell. Samuel sat on his cot with his head hung and his elbows on his knees. "Samuel," Omar called. "How are you today?" While he waited for an answer Omar thought about the next steps that needed to be taken. The man had to be bathed, have his hair cut, his face shaven and be clothed. Still no answer. At least he was sitting quietly.

"Samu...."

"The girl." Samuel lifted his head slowly, and peered through hair that hung in his face. "I want. The girl."

"Yes. And you shall have her. First, I have to trust that you won't hurt her."

Samuel charged at the gate and slammed his body against it. He gripped the bars. "You. Lied!"

"No." Omar remained calm with his legs apart and his hands behind his back. "I have not lied. I have brought her to you every day as I said I would." He sighed and watched Samuel glare at him through the rails. "Do you think she wants you as you are?" No answer so he continued, "You do not let anyone touch you willingly. Your cell is disgusting because you won't allow my men to clean it without restraining you. What will happen if Farah touches more of you than your cock? Will you hurt her?" Omar held Samuel's stare. "Will you break her neck as you have tried to do to others?" A flicker of something flashed through the man's eyes. He looked away, and then back at Omar.

"I. Don't. Know."

"Neither do I, Samuel." Omar tilted his head, stepped forward and put his hand gently on Samuel's."

Samuel jerked his arm away and stepped back from the bars. He stared at where fingers had touched him, and then back at Omar.

"We have to teach you contact, Samuel. Having Farah touch only your manhood is not enough. I will not let you near her until you allow yourself to be touched completely. Do you understand this?"

An ache throbbed like a slow burning pain throughout Samuel's whole body. It started in his feet and worked its way up his legs. His knees quivered sending vibrations to his hips, stomach and arms. The ached turned cold. Samuel wrapped his arms around his torso and shivered. He had no idea what was happening to him. For all the agony and torture, he had suffered, he had never crumbled. He had willed his body to take the torment, but this. This was something he had no power over. It was cold and hot. Sharp and dull. He stepped back and slid down the wall, his body shaking and jerking out of control. A lump formed in his throat. He gasped in air, trying to breathe, and then he howled. A deep mournful sound which carried to the ceiling and echoed off the walls. Tears ran down his face. The bridge of his nose burnt. His throat constricted. Samuel gripped his body tighter and rocked backwards and forwards to try and ease the pain.

"This is good, Samuel." Omar crouched at the bars and watched the man lose control of his emotions. "This is healing, Samuel. You are like a seed, splitting opened, so your soul can grow and flourish in the sun. You will have periods of great sorrow. However, there will come a time when only optimism is in front of you."

*

Four days had passed since Samuel's break down. He had remained subdued since then. No more yelling or beating on the bars. No more roaring like a maimed beast or throwing shit at the sentries. Omar looked at him through the bars, and then turned to the guards. "I want the bathes in this wing cleared of people. Tell them to use the Hammam in the centre of the barracks. Have the halaq there ready to cut his hair and shave him. And clothes. Get him a djellaba and balghas. Put a guard on the door. When this is done, come back to me, so we can take him to wash."

He turned back to look at the man in the cage. "It is time for your life to begin again. I am going to open the gate, Samuel. We will not touch you. I do not want to chain you. I ask that you follow me, however, if you lose control, I will have you collared. Do you understand me?"

"Where?" Suspicion ran through Sam's mind. "Are you... taking me?"

"To the Hammam. The bore water bathes.  They run hot, and service our people, but for you, I have had them cleared." Omar tilted his head and smiled. "I am afraid your smell is ah... not very pleasant and hasn't been for a long time." He chuckled. "You shall be given clothes and shoes." Omar studied Samuel. "I want to have your hair cut a little, neatened up, and your face shaven so we can see the real you. Do you think this is possible? The halaq will have to touch you." Omar used his hands to indicate someone shaving him and said, "To do this." He smiled again. "Do you think this is possible?"

The image of a knife ran through Samuel's mind. He could take it. Ideas flashed like lightening in his eyes. Yes, he could take it. Then what? Cut the man's throat. Yes. His eyes darted from Omar and at the four guards with him. What was he thinking? Too many men. Too many innocent men had died by his hands. Samuel focused on his palms and long fingers. He didn't want to be that man. He gripped his forehead as a pain hammered his skull. This man, Omar, was trying to help him. This man had not hurt him. Yet. Samuel found his voice. "Why. Are. You. Doing. This?"

"Ah... good question." Omar smiled again. This was a good question. Not one he'd ever been asked before by others he had taken under his wing. "I am the sultan's Mudarib. A warrior of some importance.  I train his soldiers. We are all slaves. Even me. You are not the first I have brought back from death, but you are the first I will bring back from purgatory."  Omar tilted his head and added,  "I have never seen a man like you. A man with no soul, who exists in limbo. Now..." Omar held out his palms. "I see a flicker. You are on the edge of life, teetering at the abyss. When I pull you back and set you firmly on your feet, you will join our army." He shrugged and smiled. "Then we will see what the future holds." Omar put the key in the lock, and then looked back at Samuel. "Please do not do anything stupid. This is your chance, Samuel. If we fail today, on the sultan's orders, General Dehbi will put you to death. Do you understand this?"

"Yes." Samuel clenched his fists, and then folded his arms across his chest, tucking each hand under his armpits. He needed to take control.

*

As a gentle wind strokes a field of flowers, the water caressed Samuel. It stilled when he sat, and embraced his body like a warm blanket, on a cold winter's night. Samuel closed his eyes and took in a lungful of air. He felt more tears roll down his face. What was happening to him? He needed to stay strong. He needed to lock himself away so nothing could hurt him. 

He couldn't.

Something else had taken over his mind. Something soft. Samuel scooped up a handful of water and stared at it. This was life. He was alive. He felt the liquid against his skin like the fingers of a woman. Touch. He needed contact. Omar said he must learn touch. To be and to do. Samuel lifted the water to his face. As the droplets flushed his eyes and ran down his cheeks he smiled.

 Contact. 

 Water teasing him like blades of grass. He could feel. Yes. Samuel ran his hands over his body and sank deeper into the pool. He took a breath, submerged his head, and then pushed off the wall. As his body speared through the water he smiled into the cloudy depths. Samuel resurfaced, stood, wiped his hands down his face and looked at the people watching him. He was Samuel. He could be touched. He could feel. He walked to the edge of the pool. "I want the girl. Farah."

Omar couldn't believe the change in the man's eyes. He nodded. "First you will be shaved, and then you can have her." Omar looked over his shoulder and clicked his fingers. "Issam. Come. Cut his hair. Not too short. He needs to be able to tie it back. Then his face. I want it clean."

"But..." The old barber frowned as he stood. "He..."

"Is not going to hurt you." Omar looked back at Samuel. "Out of the water, so Issam can do his job."

By the time Farah was brought to the bathes Samuel had been shaven. Issam was tying his hair in a knot at the back of his head. As she was escorted towards him every muscle in Samuel's body tensed. He closed his eyes for a second, and drew air in through his nose. Burning desire pushed blood through his veins. He could do this. He needed to do this. Samuel rose from his seat, and stepped back into the bath water. Six men stood watching. He was not going to take the girl in full view, but he needed to have her.

"Master?" Farah stared up at Omar, and then watched the man waist deep in water turn to face her.

"All is good, Farah. He has asked for you."

"Master, you said it would be weeks." She looked from Samuel and back up at Omar.

Omar shrugged and held his palms to her. "He is stronger than I realised. Is able to control his demons better than I thought he could." Omar took hold of her cloak and drew it off her shoulders. "He needs touch. He wants touch.  I promise he is not going to hurt you." Omar took her cloak and swept her hair behind her shoulders. "Go. In the pool. Let him take you." He urged her to move forward with his hand in the small of her back, and then stepped away. "We will be watching to make sure he does not hurt you."

*

Samuel sank in the water as the girl stood on the edge of the warm pool sized bath. He tried to relax. It was impossible. She was like an apparition inching slowly towards him. Her first foot broke the surface of the water, causing ripples to bounce off the sides of the pool. As she took her second step Samuel stood up and waited for her to come to him.

*

She took a breath and held it. Farah halted in front of him and slowly looked up taking in each muscle and scar. When her eyes looked at his face she dragged in another lungful of air. He was beautiful. She could see his whole face, his full lips that were parted, his nose slightly flared and his black eyes no longer looked like they belonged to an untamed animal. Farah expected him to touch her. Instead, he stood still and rigid, every muscle tense, his chest barely rising and falling. She lifted her hand and put her finger on the scar that marked his cheek bone. He jerked his head back. She held her finger in the air and waited until he relaxed his stance, and then touched him again. This time he closed his eyes and drew in air through his nose, his body flooded with tension. Farah ran her finger along the scar and watched him open his eyes to look back at her. She lifted her other hand and put it on his chest. Again, he jerked backward, then stilled and closed his eyes. His body relaxing as he took another breath.

*

The sensation burnt his skin. Her finger was like a piece of dry ice. scorching, and then cooling the heat in his core. Samuel drew in air, and then looked back at her. He wanted to grab her and ram himself inside of her, but he had to control this urge. If he hurt her, he would never be allowed to have her again. When she put her hand on his chest, he felt the burn of ice once more. He jerked backwards, took a breath, sank into the water, and then put his hands on her waist. Oh... he wanted to grip her tight. Instead, he let his palm run over her flesh. The feeling of his hands on her, was as if he was a blind man who had just caught his first vision of the rising sun.

Samuel ran his hands down and over her backside, then up to her hips and her back. He drew her towards him, put his mouth to her breast, and suckled. He was a man dying from thirst. A man starved of food. He ran his tongue over her hardened nipple, and then he pushed his hand between her thighs. She was slick, wet and supple. Samuel pulled her down to straddle his rigid phallus. She sank lower and took him into her completely.

"Ah..." Farah lifted her head and gasped for breath. She couldn't believe how quickly her body had responded to his touch. "Oh..." she groaned again as he drove himself deeper. He was hurting her. His gentle touch had changed from a child exploring something he had never seen before, to an animal eating its prey. Farah pushed back, dug her knees into his hips and clamped her thighs. She took hold of his face with both of her hands. "No." He tried to push into her again. She held firm. "No." Farah waited until he opened his eyes. She stared into them. Now blank. No longer those of a man but something else. "You are hurting me," she gasped. "I will not let you do that."

"Farah!" Omar stepped to the edge of the pool, unsure of what was happening. The girl flicked her hand at him. She didn't take her eyes from Samuel's face.

"All is good, master." Farah put her hand back on the man in front of her. He had stilled his movement, his breathing rapid, but now his eyes were focused on her. "We will do this together. Not alone," she whispered. "Do you understand this? You are not alone."

"Yes..." Samuel let the word out on his breath. He ran his hand over her backside, closed his eyes and murmured, "Together."

Farah held his face and watched him breathe easier. She ran her thumb over his bottom lip. When he looked at her again his eyes were no longer blank. He had come back to her. "You are not alone," she whispered on his lips as she kissed him. Farah relaxed her body and allowed him to take her once more. They moved together in slow unison. His length stroked her core. The sensation had her gasping for breath. He gripped her tighter. Farah groaned as he held her closer, his hot breath in her ear. Then he roared. With one last thrust this man had her fighting for breath. She clung to him as her body throbbed against his. She felt him shuddering against her. Farah lifted his face and kissed away his tears as she whispered, "You are no longer alone."

Phew!  I was holding my breath, afraid that Samuel might have hurt Farah. ♥

I think Samuel is coming back to us. ♥♥♥ What do you think?

Many thanks goes to @LEGlazebrook for her assistance with the Arabic in this book and for always being there. xoxo  Check out her profile and her amazing High Fantasy/Paranormal trilogy based in The Tweldorian Universe.

Photo copyright - Alex Maxim