"Are you ready to head out for the evening, Erin?" She looked up into the smiling face of her partner and nodded. "Good, I have movie tickets for us. Since it's so close to Halloween, I thought we'd see something suitably atmospheric." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"And then you think you'll get me in your arms from fright."
"That was the plan, bella."
She sighed and signed off on one final report. "Well, if I have a nightmare, you are going to be the one to comfort me." He chuckled a little as he held out his hand. Rolling her eyes, she placed her hand in his, letting him help her up. She picked up her purse and cuddled into his side, knowing he loved when she did that. "I'm not kidding, David. I don't do scary movies."
They walked out to the elevators, and he tightened his arm around her waist. "If it gets to be too much, we can leave. I don't want you to be too scared."
She shouldered him a little. "So I like reading scary books more than I like seeing scary movies. So what? I can control the book. I can't control the screen." She bit her lip, nuzzling her cheek against his jacket.
"If it's going to bother you that much, we can just go home and spend a quiet night together. I'd be fine with that." She felt him kiss the side of her head and she sighed as she shrugged.
"As long as I can be in your arms, I'll be fine. I think." Dave rubbed her back gently as the doors opened and they stepped inside. Looking up, she saw Blake looking at them oddly, and she smiled a little at the woman. She wasn't about to give up on offering the olive branch of peace to her, even if she was consistently rejected. "Would you work on her, honey?"
"All you had to do was ask. I was hoping that you two could work things out, but she doesn't seem to want to meet you halfway. I'm glad you're trying, though." Once more, he kissed the side of her head, waggling his fingers at Blake as the doors closed.
She'd let him drive that morning, so it was easy to let him lead her over to his Cadillac. Settling back into the seat, she fastened her belt and smiled a little as the radio began to play. She recognized a familiar Frank Sinatra song and began to sing along softly. Dave joined her moments later, and she felt that familiar thrill of desire pass through her. These were the moments she lived for, when they could just let themselves go and be.
The drive to the movie theater didn't take long, which surprised her for a Friday night. While Dave got the physical tickets, she stood in line for snacks. She wasn't really hungry, but decided to get a large popcorn and a soda for them to split. "And we'll take a box of Junior Mints, too," Dave said as he joined her, his arm resting around her waist.
"So what are we seeing?" she asked as they walked down the hall.
"Sinister. I've heard some good things about it." They stepped into the theater and he led her up to the almost the top of the room, dead center. The previews started shortly after they had sat, and she lifted the arm rest, snuggling in close to her lover.
And then the movie started and she felt the familiar terror claw its way up from the pit of her stomach as she took in what was happening on the screen. A slight whimper tore from her throat as she watched the branch snap, hanging the family. Unable to watch anymore, she turned her head into Dave's chest, trying not to listen and breathe in the sounds of horror. "Davie," she whined lowly and he rubbed her back gently.
"Do we need to go, Erin?" he whispered in her ear, sounding concerned.
"I don't know. Hold me close." He nodded against her head, his arm pulling her closer to him. As she shuddered and cried softly, his hand slowly closed around her ear, closing out the noise. Erin was grateful for the buffer and rubbed her face in his shirt. His smell, his presence was enough to calm her, and she slowly began to breathe normally.
By the time the end credits rolled, she was mostly okay, and they sat there while the others filed out. "We could have gone at any time, beloved. I didn't mean to traumatize you."
"I know, I know. I wish I had known what was coming beforehand, then I could have handled it a little better. That's my worst fear, my children dying." She drew in a deep breath and looked up at him. "But I love you. You didn't let go of me."
"Wasn't that what I promised you when we started this affair of ours? I will never let you go as long as you want to be in my arms. Are you ready to head home now?" She nodded and they stood, carrying out their leftover popcorn. His arm never left her waist until they were at the car and she missed its comforting weight the entire ride home.
Dave pulled in the drive and she smiled. "Home."
"Just say the word and we can move your things here, permanently." She looked at him from the corner of her eye, shrugging a little. "I'm wearing you down."
"Maybe. You have proven yourself quite loyal." She leaned over and kissed him. "This is the real test, though. I don't want to make love tonight, I just want to lay in your arms, skin on skin."
He nodded. "That sounds wonderful." They got out of the car and she let herself in with the key he'd given her weeks ago. While he took Mudgie out, she hurried upstairs and stripped before crawling into bed, resting on her side to watch the door for him.
Dave entered minutes later and smiled gently at her. "I've been waiting for you, David." He nodded and pulled off his clothes, letting them fall onto the pile she had created, before joining her in the bed. His body stretched out along hers, and she relished the warmth he threw off, snuggling in close to him. "Hold me, please."
"Until the end of time," he said lowly in her ear, closing his arm around her waist. "Do you really love me?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "Alan would never have comforted me like you did in the movie theater. He would have made fun of me, or told me to grow up. You took it in stride and held me close, blocking out the world. Oh, how I love you."
He kissed her then, and she smiled against his lips before opening her mouth to his tongue. As they kissed, she felt a sense of peace settle over her soul and she sighed. Breaking the kiss, Dave pulled back a little to look into her eyes. "I love you, too, Erin. I will never make fun of you, or make light of your true terror. I promise."
Erin nodded, splaying her hand out on his back as a deep yawn tore through her body. "I'm going to sleep now, my love. Maybe we can have good morning sex?"
Dave chuckled lowly. "That sounds like something to look forward to. Until the morning." He kissed her forehead as she yawned once more, then cradled her head on his arm. Erin found herself asleep in minutes.
She felt heavy. As she tried to move, she felt herself choking and reached up to find a thick rope around neck. Swinging her head around wildly, she saw her children similarly bound on her right side while on her left was David and the rest of Alpha team.
"You were supposed to save us, Erin. Instead, you're getting us killed. How could you?" Blake asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I-I don't know what's going on," she began, feeling her nails break as she struggled to remove the rope. "What happened?"
"You happened, Mom. You destroyed us all," her son hissed and she felt each word like a dagger stabbing her heart. And then she heard her ex- husband's laughter. Looking at him, she found Alan holding a machete against the rope that held the branch close to the ground. Knowing what was coming, she shook her head.
"No, Alan. Let them go! They're innocent. If you need to lash out against someone, take me!" She began to sob, which only made him laugh more. Slowly, he began to saw at the thick rope and it was all Erin could focus on. It seemed like she could almost see every individual strand break, and she began to scream…
"Erin, wake up!" She could feel hands shaking her, trying to wake her up from the fog of her nightmare. Suddenly drawing in a deep breath, she sat up and burst into tears. "Oh, Erin, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have made you sit through that movie. We should have left when you became so upset." Dave rubbed her back gently as she sobbed.
"Y-you, you were hanged next to me, along with my children and Alpha. Blake blamed me for everything," she blurted out, holding on to him tightly. "I'm so cold, my love. Hold me closer. Please?"
He nodded, bundling her up in his arms. Somehow, he managed to sit up against the headboard and she crawled into his lap, nestling in his arms. She began to feel warmed by his arms around her, and she sought out his cheek, kissing him gently. "I'm not going anywhere, my love. I'm right here, holding you." He dropped gentle kisses on top of her head, rubbing her arm gently as he rocked them back and forth.
She turned in his arms, straddling him. "Make love to me, Davie. Make me feel better."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." He nodded and gently rolled them so that she was on her back.
"How about I worship you, Erin?" She blushed as she smiled, nodding hesitantly. "All right then, just relax and let me do all the work here." Dave placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose before placing butterfly kisses all along the curves and planes of her face. A flicker of passion flamed to life as he gently nipped at the shell of her ear.
"Yes, right there," she murmured, bending her neck to give him better access. He took the hint and sought out the pulse point on her neck, sucking and licking at it. She felt her breathing hitch as his hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs rubbing against her nipples, tightening them into erect peaks. She loved when he started in on her breasts, knowing that she could orgasm from just those touches alone.
"I know you want to come for me, Erin. But we're going to prolong things tonight, okay?" he said lowly as he removed his hands. She whimpered and he answered her with a soft kiss to the hollow of her throat. "Trust me, this will be good for you." He kissed down the middle of her breastbone, not paying any attention to her aching breasts. And then Dave was nuzzling his nose at the underside of her right breast.
"Oh, um, oh," she said, unable to think coherently as she was overwhelmed by the feeling of pleasure that simple act brought. She felt his tongue snake out and lick that sweet crease and she buried the fingers of one hand in his hair, holding him there. Dave obliged her unspoken request and paid close attention to that erogenous spot. The desire thrummed in her body and she ran her other hand down to her vulva, parting her folds to seek out her clit.
"I thought I was doing all the work here, my love," he said through a chuckle as he gently pulled her hand away from her mound. "I don't want you having all the fun here."
She nodded reluctantly, her hips twisting up to come in contact with him. "More, please, then. More." He nodded before lightly licking one erect peak. "Yes!" she hissed before biting her lip, her back bowing up into him. Dave opened his mouth and engulfed her breast, his teeth scoring her nipple. Erin knew she was close to losing control as her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow, her body arching up even higher as her lover built the pleasure up within her.
And then the first, blinding, orgasm swept over her body. She collapsed back on the mattress, breathing heavily, smiling up at Dave. "I'm not going to stop just yet, okay?" Her head was heavy as she nodded, and he smiled, reaching up to kiss her lips quickly before returning to more pleasant pursuits.
She sighed as she felt the gentle tickle of his goatee slide down her stomach. Knowing what was coming, she opened her legs for him, letting him have access to her. "Davie," she breathed out, letting her hands cup her breasts, pinching and twisting her nipples gently as he ate her out.
"Have I told you how much I love how you taste? Musky and bold, exactly like you are. I can tell when you eat something different, something that changes you. You are absolutely delicious, my love." His words reverberated against her labia and she ground into his face, wanting closer contact. Dave chuckled and placed one more sweet kiss on her clit before rearranging their bodies so that he could enter her in one smooth stroke.
Erin's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down close to her as he thrust in and out of her. She met him with every thrust, loving how he met her every step of the way. This orgasm took her by surprise, and she clenched her muscles around his dick, bringing him over the precipice with her.
Dave collapsed on top of her, the sweaty weight of him comforting and calming her. "Thank you, David. Thank you." She kissed his face, tasting herself on him, relishing the way it filled her senses. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Erin." He kissed her once more and she smiled lazily. "And I love being in your arms, holding you close."
"Funny, that's what I was going to say." She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing deeply. "In your arms tonight, I feel so safe and loved. You chased the nightmare away."
"That's what I'm here for, bella. Forever and always."
"And I am holding you to that," she murmured as her eyes closed heavily. "Good night, once more."
"Good night," he whispered, his hand gently rubbing her back as she slipped back into the comforting bliss of sleep.