Taking a Walk (Anna and Michael)

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Me too," he said, moving his lips against her skin. He moved his hand down her leg and kissed her neck again. "What made you follow me?" he asked, pulling back and looking into her eyes.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle shrugged, thinking back to what motivated her. "I don't really know. I was wandering around the grounds, and I saw you. Next thing I knew, there I was."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael leaned back against the tree and looked out over the lake. He kept an arm around her waist comfortably. He sighed and closed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"I didn't mean to follow, I don't even think I realized what I was doing." Annabelle stopped talking, realizing she was rambling. She noticed Michael's smile and traced the line of his jaw with one finger. "What you thinking?"

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's smile widened and he opened his eyes, looking at her. "I don't have to hide from you. Normally I would have left by now, made up some excuse....but I don't have to." Every single time he had went somewhere with Dru he had left, normally because of some 'homework' he had to do. "And it feels great, I feel..." he paused, thinking of the right word, eyebrows creasing. "Free," was what he finally settled on, looking into her eyes.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle’s eyes sparkled at him. To know that he enjoyed her company when he evaded others delighted her beyond words. "So if you ever have to suddenly go feed a pet dragon, then I should be skeptical?" She laughed, letting her hand wander through the locks near his ear.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael laughed, "If I ever decide to do that, tackle me." He lay down on the ground so that he could look up into the tree's leaves. It looked as though Anna was surrounded by the green leaves and he smiled up at her, taking her hand and kissing the tips of her fingers.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle nibbled on her lower lip with a shy smile. She wondered if his innuendo was intentional: giving her permission to tackle him, and then laying in the perfect position for her to do so. She silently wished she were more daring, and could actually act on the thoughts going through her head. Instead, she leaned back against the tree trunk as he created sparks within her with the light touches of his lips.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael took her hand in both of his, spreading her fingers and examining it with a bit more concentration than he had in the Three Broomsticks. Through her fingers he saw her smile and it made him grin. "Now what's that smile for?" he asked, wondering what was running through her head.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle immediately turned beat red. She leaned her head back all the way against the tree and directed her eyes up as far as they could go toward the canopy of leaves. Her smile widened across her face as she shook her head with a chuckle of embarrassment. There was no way she could answer him, but after her reaction, it was obvious there was a reason. Annabelle's brain wasn't up to working her way out of it at the moment, so she merely continued to shake her head, laugh at herself, and mutter a feeble "nothing."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael laughed at her reaction, "Oh really, seems to be a rather interesting nothing if you ask me." He looked up at her, wondering if she was really thinking along the lines it appeared she was. The idea amused him greatly. Grinning, he kissed the tips of her fingers again, "Care to share?"

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle bit her bottom lip, afraid she might burst with embarrassment. She felt like her eyes might roll back in her head she was trying so hard to look anywhere but at him. She closed her eyes and took a breath. When she felt like she might get the words out, she opened her lashes slightly and released her lower lip. "I'm sure you can imagine on your own."

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's eyes sparkled and he laughed again. He leaned up on an elbow and reached up, taking the back of her head and pulling her in. "I can imagine," he said, nodding and grinning before kissing her. He tangled his fingers into her hair and kept her tight to his lips.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle was greatful that he left it at that. She pushed it to the back of her mind as he distracted her, allowing herself to be pulled down beside him. When she broke free for a moment to catch her breath, she realized she was practically on top of him. She couldn't help grinning again, and returned her lips to his in hopes that he wouldn't notice.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Every bit of Michael's body tingled, especially the areas where Anna was touching him. He pulled her closer, keeping the one hand in her hair and bringing the other down to her waist and around her back, pressing her against him. He wondered faintly if this was anything close to what had been running through her mind, but the thought was pushed away as he opened his lips, deepening the kiss.