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He sat with his back against the headboard. She was cradled in his lap, her cheek pressed against his chest. When she’d finally fallen asleep he let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He cleaned her face and placed a kiss on her forehead, not knowing if she felt his presence as she slumbered. If he had to sit up the rest of the night, he decided he would sit vigil over her like an avenging angel ready to defeat any more bad dreams that came along.
Her hold on him had eased some, but he was afraid to let go of her, afraid she would wake up frightened if he wasn’t nearby. A few times she whimpered, but he would stroke her hair or rub the backs of his fingers across her cheek and she would relax and burrow into him. After a while, he couldn’t fight his sleepiness anymore and he dozed off.
The light from the window stung his eyes. He winced and pried his tired eyes open. When he looked down at her, he found her staring back. “You’re awake?”
She nodded.
He looked around for a clock. “What time is it? How long have you been awake?”
“Not long.”
They stared into each other eyes. Her fingers lightly stroked his chest. After a long silence he spoke. “Are you okay?” He didn’t want her to feel like she had to talk about it if she didn’t want to.
“You made it better... I’m really glad you were here.” She kept her eyes pinned to his chest as she spoke.
“You didn’t answer my question. I asked if you were okay?”
“I’m getting there.” She gave him the barest smile.
It would do for now. She was trying to be courageous, but he wished she knew she didn’t have to be, not with him.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead and for a while they just held each other. Twenty minutes later, the mood in the room shifted from one of a comforting need to a carnal need. Last night she clung to him in fear, now all he could feel was her need for him. Her tongue darted out and licked his nipple. His cock became hard when her soft, warm lips sucked his nipple into her mouth and she gave him a love bite before releasing it with a pop. He pulled back and stared at her as his desire awakened. She did it again. The effect she had on him was drugging.
Sitting up, he kept his eyes locked on hers. His fingers slid down her stomach and underneath the waistband of her panties. His fingers were on a quest. When they reached their destination he could see her eyes get drowsy with lust. She was aching for him to touch her. The closer he got the harder her little cunt throbbed. He toyed with her. Using the wetness he found between her legs, he rubbed his wet finger in circles around her tight little bud. Never once actually touching the sensitive area he knew she wanted him to touch.
After he’d completed his eighth, slow circuit, her head was thrown back, her eyes closed and a small sheet of perspiration covered her. He knew she needed friction, the rough texture of his finger giving her enjoyment.
‘ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK.’
She opened her eyes and peered at him. He dragged out another circle around her clit without giving her what she wanted. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. A tenth circle.
‘PLEASE.’
‘I WANT YOU TO SAY IT. I WANT TO HEAR THE MAGIC WORD FALL FROM YOUR PRETTY LIPS.’ He rubbed around it again. She was so wet. When he was ready to shove his cock inside her he wouldn’t be met with any resistance.
“Please.” She said on a ragged breath.
‘YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND.’ He gave her a wicked, lecherous grin before his finger rubbed her clit. She put her hand over his, trying to urge him on.
“UH UH.” He admonished her. She hesitated and then her hand fell away. He slid one finger inside of her and stroked in and out slowly. Her pussy was so greedy for him it suctioned his finger in further each time. He added another finger and she moaned. The whole time he watched her face. Her lip curled in ecstasy. She began moving her hips. He curled his fingers so they hit her G-spot. That move had her moaning repeatedly. Soon, she was grinding her hips on his fingers. Any minute she would come. ‘DOES THAT FEELS GOOD?’ He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it.
“So good.”
He increased his pace and before he knew it she exploded on his fingers. He pumped them twice more into her before he pulled them out and sucked off her juices. She watched him beneath her lashes.
Once her legs stopped quivering he laid her on the bed and stripped off her panties. He removed his boxer briefs and nudged her thighs farther apart so he was on his knees between her thighs. As he reached for a condom in his bedside drawer she sat up and took his dick in her hands and stroked him. She put the tip within a centimeter of her lips and looked up at him. He held his breath, waiting to see what she would do. An involuntary movement had him pressing the tip against her lips. They held each other’s gaze.
Clearly, now it was her turn to toy with him because she gave him an impish grin and let him stay pressed against her lips not doing anything. His balls ached. He could feel her breath on his dick and it had him throbbing. After another second she slowly ran her tongue around the tip before she swiped it like it was an ice cream cone. He bucked against her and let out the breath he’d been holding.
Damn! That felt good. That was just her tongue. What is her mouth going to feel like?
He willed her to go further, wrap her lips around him and suck. A broad grin broke out on his face when she gave his dick little licks with her tongue, teasing him much the way he’d teased her. ‘WHAT’S THE MAGIC WORD?’
A chuckle sounded deep in his throat and then ceased when her tongue licked around the tip once more. He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, enjoying the pleasurable sensations her mouth evoked. Then her mouth disappeared. His eyes flew open.
‘YOU DON’T FIGHT FAIR.’
With deft fingers she stroked his cock and played with his balls.
‘NEITHER DO YOU. WHAT’S IT GONNA BE?’ She licked around the tip once more before she placed a kiss on the head and looked up at him innocently.
‘PLEASE.’
‘UH UH. I WANT YOU TO SAY IT. I WANT TO HEAR THE MAGIC WORD FALL FROM YOUR PRETTY LIPS.’
His head fell back as he laughed at hearing his earlier command given back to him verbatim. When he looked at her again, he could see the amusement written all over her face. She smiled up at him while her fingers applied the right amount of pressure. His dick was throbbing and pulsing with need. “Please.”
The minute he said the word, she swallowed him. He groaned at how amazing her mouth felt. She stroked him and sucked him. The more he watched his dick slide in and out of her mouth the harder he became. One of his hands was buried in her hair. Her mouth felt so good he was reluctant to pull her off, but he wanted to be inside of her. Gently, he eased her off. She licked her lips and reached for him again.
“No, baby.” His fingers caressed her cheek. “I don’t want to cum like that. I want to cum buried inside of you.” He tore open the wrapper and rolled the condom on hastily. When he pushed her back on the bed, she didn’t resist. He positioned his cock at the entrance to her glistening pussy and kissed her before he slid deep inside. He heard her swift intake of breath as he filled her completely. It always felt like coming home to be connected to her in this way, their flesh one.
They were pressed chest to chest. Her thighs cradled him. He was in no hurry to move. Resting on his forearms, his eyes roamed her face. Her arms went around his neck and she lifted her head and kissed him. The hint of a smile peeked out before he nipped her lips and placed light kisses on and around her mouth, never taking his eyes from hers. Staring into her eyes heightened every sensation he was feeling. “You’re so beautiful.” He murmured into her lips.
Soon his tongue swiped inside her mouth and slowly he dominated and devoured her as he deepened the kiss.
After he finished his exploration of her mouth, he nuzzled her neck and delivered deep, slow strokes. Her tight, wet pussy was squeezing him. A grunt fell from his lips and he lightly bit her shoulder. He hooked her left leg over his forearm, opening her up even further. Their heavy breathing mixed with the slapping of sweaty skin upon sweaty skin. He could stay here all morning like this.
She was close. He made it a point to thrust hard and deep and rub the tip against her G-spot. In no time flat, she was thrashing her head back and forth beneath him as she came. Feeling her tighten around him sent him over the edge. He flooded the condom with his semen and buried his face in the crook of her neck as his body spasmed after his climax.
She still couldn’t get enough of him. Although they’d both cum, her pussy continued to milk his cock dry. He jerked against her. The lingering tremors of his orgasm flowed through his body. He knew he needed to take off the condom, but the thought of pulling out of her right now was not possible. He kissed her sweat damp skin and inhaled the heady scent of her body. When she wrapped her hands around him, he held her tighter.
After a few more minutes, he pushed himself up on his hands and looked down in between their joined bodies. He didn’t think that sight would ever get old. When he looked back up at her face, she gave him a lazy smile. He kissed her nose and her chin and then looked back down to watch as he slowly pulled his cock from her body.
Once he disposed of the condom in the bathroom, he came back into the room. Somehow they’d kicked the blankets and sheets to the edge of the mattress. Willow lay on her stomach, her arm folded beneath her head on the pillow, still naked. “I was right.” He smirked and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. His fingers stroked between her shoulder blades.
“Hmm?”
“You do have the better ass.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on each of her ass cheeks. When she giggled, he stroked his hand over her backside and smiled at her. “I’m gonna go see if I can find someone to spar with. Why don’t you get some more sleep?”
“I think I will. You wore me out.” She opened an eye and peeked at him. The way she looked right now he wanted to remember always: bee stung lips, mussed hair, damp, dewy skin, flushed cheeks and that love drunk look in her eyes. He was tempted to grab his cell phone and snap a shot. She turned on her side and reached for him. Without hesitation he bent over and she twined her arms around his neck. Even though they’d just enjoyed each other’s bodies, the lingering kiss she gave him made him want to crawl back into bed with her.
She released him. “Go spar. I’m going to sleep.” She shut her eyes again. He couldn’t help himself. He leaned over and kissed her shoulder before he left.
***
“EASY MAN, EASY.” MAX used his staff to repeatedly block Eli’s moves that were intent on destruction. “We’re just sparring.”
He stopped. He was panting with the exertion of his movements. Despite making love to Willow before he left, he couldn’t stop thinking about the person behind her night terrors.
There was all this aggression and anger inside of him that he didn’t know what to do with. Last night, her broken sobs after the nightmare made him feel helpless and powerless. She was fighting an evil monster that none of them could yet defend against. The fact that he could get into her head like that and had been doing so for years infuriated him beyond anything he’d ever known. How could he fight her dreams?
“I don’t know whose head you want to take off, but I’d like to keep mine on my shoulders.” Max handed him a bottle of water.
“Thanks.” After removing the cap he drank the water down in huge gulps. He wanted to ask Max a question, but he was almost afraid to hear the answer. He swiped the back of his hand over his mouth and watched Max tidy up the room. “When you were acting as Willow’s dog... the dreams she had about Killian... did they often become violent?” He looked down to avoid Max’s gaze.
Silence ensued for so long, for a moment he wondered if Max chose not to answer the question. When he looked back up, Max was eyeing him wearily. It was the most serious he’d seen him look. “She had a nightmare last night?” They held each other’s gaze. Eli nodded.
“There were night’s she’d wake up screaming, thrashing around in the sheets. I believed it was mostly out of fear. Nothing ever indicated he got physical with her...” He looked at the floor for a second before looking back at him. “That first night on the road when she had the bad dream was the first time it appeared he was hurting her.”
Involuntarily, Eli’s hands balled into fists. He wanted to hit something until this anger disappeared from his body.
In a burst of anger, he gave way to the fury he felt and slammed the staff in his hand against the ground repeatedly as he yelled out his frustration. Soon there was nothing left of the piece of wood that had withstood many fights. It was splintered into broken bits that were scattered across the floor. What was left in his hand was a fractured piece of the weapon. A small jagged piece protruded from his palm and blood welled up from the puncture wound. He stood staring at it for long seconds before Max came over.
“Let me get the first aid kit.”
Eli pulled out the jagged piece of wood. “It’s fine. I can just heal it.” He placed his other hand over the wound. “Sana.” A white light glowed from underneath his palm over the puncture wound. When he removed his hand, he was healed.
Max stared at his hand impressed. “That will never get old.”
He was happy for the distraction of Max’s good-natured vibe. It was exactly what he needed. He smiled at him and was about to ask if he wanted to do some boxing when Archie shuffled in. “The Council wants to see you and the Protectors in one hour.” He delivered the curt message and walked out.
Any other day he would have ribbed Archie for not greeting them or teased the old man, but today he was in no mood to be jovial. He was sure The Council wanted a report on what happened in Greece. Now that they knew the book was in Egypt he needed to start making plans. The sooner they got there and found the book the sooner they could end Killian.
He was about to clean up the mess he made when Phaedra walked in. “We need to talk.”
“Okay.” She seemed more serious than usual. “What’s up?”
She glanced over in Max’s direction without saying another word. It was clear whatever she had to say were for his ears only. Max seemed to take the hint. He grabbed his towel and left.
“They know.”
“What?”
“Someone talked.”
“Can you stop being cryptic and assuming I know what your coded messages are about. If you were going to be like that, you could have let Max stay. What are you talking about?” He continued to pick up the broken pieces of the staff.
“Someone from Greece called and spoke to The Council about you and Willow.”
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her.
“They know you’re involved with her.”
For a while he said nothing, then he resumed picking up the bits of wood.
“Aren’t you going to say anything? Aren’t you worried?”
He tried not to be angry with her, she was only the messenger, but he couldn’t help his agitated tone. “What? What do you want me to say? You want me to tell you that I’m going to stop being with her to appease The Council and my father? Well I’m not. I love her and she loves me.”
“You know it’s not that simple, Elias. This goes beyond The Council.”
His jaw ticked. “I guess I’ll just have to face the consequences.” He glared at her for a second before he turned his back on her and continued cleaning up.
“You’re being stubborn... Don’t do this.” For the first time since he’d known her, he heard real fear in her voice. He knew he should be concerned too, but he wouldn’t let his father, The Council or the law dictate to him. When he continued to do what he was doing without acknowledging her last statement, he heard her walk away. She slammed the door open with such force on her way out, it rattled on its hinges. He appreciated that his friend was worried about what price he’d have to pay for choosing love above duty, but he wouldn’t change his mind.
His thoughts went back to that morning, when he’d woken to find her in his arms, staring up at him. If it hadn’t been for the horrible nightmare, it had been the perfect way to wake up: looking at her beautiful face. He’d almost lost her once. He wouldn’t chance it again.