Chapter XI
Angelo greeted them with happy barks and whines when they returned, and Rinoa said, "I need to take her out for a minute. Just to make sure she's okay for the rest of the night."
"All right," Squall said, watching as Rinoa got a leash and some plastic bags, hooking the leash to the dog's collar. The dog meanwhile was wiggling and dancing in such a manner that Squall was hard put not to laugh at her antics. She was obviously happy at the prospect of a walk, brief though it might be.
Squall joined them of course, seeing no point to simply waiting alone in Rinoa's apartment for her. They wandered briefly around an apparently familiar route, as the dog paused here and there to sniff and leave her calling card. Rinoa had her hands occupied with Angelo's leash and the bags, which Squall discovered to his consternation, were brought along to deal with the dog's waste.
Jamming his hands deep into his pockets to warm them, he kept pace with Rinoa and her dog, wondering why the hell he suddenly felt so damn tired. Sitting on a plane for hours, crossing through who knew how many time zones, and then a substantial dinner with wine on top of it…. he supposed that would definitely have something to do with it. He'd traveled to and from Esthar before though, and had thought himself hardier than that.
"You're awfully quiet. Hard to tell sometimes what's in your mind." Rinoa commented.
Squall smiled slightly at this, replying, "Tired."
Rinoa smiled sympathetically, "I know how you feel. When I got home I was exhausted, and all I did was sit on a plane for six hours. I finally crashed for half a day and that sort of straightened everything out." then she sighed dramatically and gave him a mischievous look, adding, "Well, just because you're crashing at my place, don't feel like you have to put out or anything like that. I promise I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."
Squall couldn't help but laugh at that, replying with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile, "I believe I've heard that somewhere before." then his expression turned smoldering as he added, "It'll take a lot more than jet-lag to put me off my game. I can certainly rise to the occasion if the situation requires me to."
"Is that an offer?" Rinoa asked archly, while her heart fluttered and a rush of heat under her skin turned her cheeks pink.
"If you want," Squall answered her, finding her pink cheeks and almost flirtatious manner incredibly endearing. And so damned attractive it just about drove him mad.
Her next question however, hit his heart like a blow: "What do you want, Squall?"
He swallowed and stared at her, momentarily unable to reply. You. I want you. I want to hold you, make love with you, wake up with you…I want everything. I want to know how it feels to have… He couldn't finish the thought. He found it difficult, even in his own mind, to articulate what his heart and soul were clamoring for, craving.
But that was why he'd taken the time off from work and flown halfway across the world. So he could learn what it was that he'd been missing, and maybe…maybe finally find that missing piece of himself that he'd never realized before even existed.
Finally he answered her softly, "I want you." For as long as you'll have me…
Rinoa smiled gently at this, while her heart pounded a mile a minute, and said, "Come on."
They made their way back the way they'd come, with Rinoa pausing briefly to pitch one of her waste bags into the garbage. Instead of reaching for his hand, Rinoa instead stuck it in her pocket, an action that relieved Squall somewhat.
Upon returning to her apartment, Rinoa immediately headed toward the kitchen and washed her hands. Returning to where Squall stood waiting for her, she finally reached for his hands. Squall obligingly pulled his hands out of his pockets and threaded his fingers through hers.
"Let's go to bed," Rinoa invited, leaving it open as to whether or not it be just for sleep. Squall nodded, agreeing silently to her invitation and followed her as she tugged on his hands, leading him toward her bedroom.
It was odd; he'd been with more than a few women sexually, and could in no way be considered a novice at that activity. Yet he here he was actually feeling a little nervous. Perhaps it was because he was far outside of his comfort zone; in a different country, in Rinoa's home instead of his, in a situation that involved feelings that he'd never experienced before. Feelings that grew stronger by the moment.
Then Rinoa reached up and kissed him, and all he could think of from that instant was the feel, the taste of her lips on his. The only thing that mattered was the scent of her skin; how it felt under his fingertips when he let go of her hands and ran them up her arms to her face, cradling it. The warmth of her body as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled close, pressing against him, seeped into him.
He lingered on her lips, pressing his closer, sliding them over hers and teasing until they opened slightly and allowed him full access. He wanted to devour their warm, silken succulence then but he held off, wanting to take his time with her. So he employed his tongue to taste and tantalize while spearing his hands through Rinoa's hair and tangling his fingers through the silken strands.
Rinoa meanwhile had slipped her hands beneath his shirt and was caressing his back, wanting to see, and feel, and taste more of his smooth skin. Knowing now what kind of lover he was, and being with him in this moment, had ignited a hunger within her to experience that again. This time, without the initial pain, Rinoa had little doubt that it would be…. fantastic. Amazing. Awesome.
They separated briefly, both breathless, for Rinoa to stroke her hands up his chest beneath his shirt, pulling it off, before pressing close again to kiss and nip gently at his neck and down to his nipples. It thrilled her to hear him gasp and moan softly as she teased and nibbled at them, gradually working her way downward. Intent upon something that would come as a complete surprise to him.
They had gradually been moving toward the bed as they'd kissed, with Squall now standing with his back to it while Rinoa continued to explore his torso with her lips and fingers. The first time she brushed her hands across the front of his jeans, where his excitement was plain, he thought it was just an inadvertent touch. The second time however, had more purpose as her fingers trailed upward to the waistband, unbuttoning the top and pulling the zipper down.
Then she was pressing close again and kissing him as her hands were smoothing up and down his back and over the curve of his butt, pushing his impeding clothing out of the way. When Rinoa started trailing her lips down Squall's chest and abdomen, he found it difficult to breathe; when she took hold of him and started to stroke and caress him, he thought he'd explode. When she sank down gracefully and took him into her mouth, his knees went weak and he nearly lost his mind.
"Rinoa…Oh my G-…" he whispered, closing his eyes and moaning, beyond the ability to form coherent thought. He was lost, completely lost in the sensations he was awash in, unable and unwilling to stop Rinoa's gentle assault upon his person.
Squall was wholly at her mercy. It was up to her to decide if she wanted to continue and let things come to their natural conclusion or hold off and take it in another direction. The only thing Squall was able to do was tangle his fingers through her hair and try to remember how to breathe. She continued her efforts, taking him deep, cradling and caressing him gently before sliding her hands up over his hips and around to his backside. She held on, using her grip for leverage as she continued to slide her mouth, lips and tongue all over him, bent upon drinking in his essence. When he looked down at her and saw her brown eyes sparkling as they met his, encouraging him to let go, he couldn't stand the aching tension any longer and did what her mouth and hands had urged him to do.
He came so hard it was all he could do to stay on his feet. A ragged moan was dragged from him as he clutched at Rinoa's hair while his knees went to water. He stayed upright as long as he could, but it wasn't very long until he simply had to sit down onto the edge of the bed. Then he flopped backward and lay still, staring at the ceiling while waiting for his brain to start working again.
Light kisses and feathery caresses trailed upward toward his chest as Rinoa worked her way up to cuddle next to him, planting a lingering kiss on his shoulder. Squall glanced over and laughed breathlessly at the expression of smug mischief that Rinoa wore.
"So…?" Rinoa began, laughing with him.
"That was…" he let out a breath, "Unexpected." Then he looked over at Rinoa again, noticing that she was still mostly dressed while he hadn't managed to get entirely out of his clothes either.
Rinoa frowned in confusion as he sat up, took off his shoes and pulled his pants off the rest of the way.
"Wait, aren't you…. done?" she asked, biting her lip.
"Yes," he answered her, lying back down onto the bed and pulling her into his arms. Kissing her deeply, he breathed, "but you aren't." Rinoa's breath left her as he began nibbling at her ears and down her neck while deftly pulling off her shirt and bra.
"But I thought guys couldn't…uh…go again once they'd…um…" Rinoa said awkwardly, finding it hard to string words into a coherent sentence. Certainly not while Squall was occupied with teasing and fondling her breasts and nipples.
He paused and grinned down at her, then leaned forward to brush his lips teasingly against hers, saying, "I'll need a few minutes to…. reboot…. if you will, but trust me, I can do this all night if I want to." Then his grin turned wicked as he added, "Meanwhile, turnabout is fair play…" He returned his attention to Rinoa's body, kissing his way down to the waistband of her jeans, then undoing and pulling them off along with her underwear.
"Turna…wha…ooooooh!" Rinoa gasped, and then moaned as Squall began nibbling his way up her inner thigh. She very quickly lost the power of speech, finding that simply drawing breath was the best she could do, and that was only in gasps and moans.
He had her writhing in moments, and he hadn't even touched her center yet. The gentle nips, kisses and caresses that Squall was lavishing on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh was enough to make her burn and ache for more. When he touched and caressed her, the ache intensified and Rinoa responded with another low moan. When he replaced his teasing, manipulating fingers with his lips and tongue, she grasped the bedding for dear life and arched her back, aching, straining, and waiting for the tension to break free. A final flick of his tongue just as he slid two of his fingers inside of her was more than enough to do the trick.
Rinoa cried out and shuddered as pleasure flooded her body and left her gasping for air.
She went limp, her heart still thudding, body still throbbing, and simply tried to breathe. While she was still caught in the throes of her orgasm, Squall's fingers trailed lightly up her side, with his lips planting soft kisses all over her belly and chest.
She came back to herself with Squall nuzzling her neck and then kissing her cheek gently.
"Wow," She managed breathlessly.
"Mmmm." He responded. Then he caressed her cheek and smiled, asking, "Need a minute?"
Rinoa nodded, "Please."
He pulled her close against him and placed a whisper soft kiss on her lips and murmured, "No hurry. We've got all night."
"All night? What about the jetlag?" Rinoa asked him.
Squall raised an eyebrow at this, "I've still got fuel in the tank. Enough for another go round or two. Oh, it'll catch up to me eventually; but not any time soon." He moved his hand from her cheek to her thigh, marveling anew at its velvety smoothness. He let his hand travel upward to her hip and over to her backside, palming and caressing the smooth, firm flesh. He enjoyed a moment of pure male appreciation as he did; her ass was truly gorgeous.
"That's…. good to know," Rinoa managed. She was still trying to catch her breath; Squall had turned the tables on her quite handily. And pressed so close to his body, she couldn't help but feel him awakening again, his ardor returning far sooner than she'd thought possible. Obviously, it was far more than his physical proportions that were considered impressive, at least according to those who'd heard so from his former clients.
A thought struck her then and she asked him, "You held back for me, didn't you? The first time we…."
"Made love?" He finished.
Rinoa frowned slightly at this and said, "I was going to say had sex. I remember you being rather clear in establishing that distinction."
"I know. That first night, before I learned you were a virgin, that's how I would have viewed it." He shifted, slowly moving his hand up from her butt to her waist, to finally reach and caress her breast, saying softly, "But that was before."
Rinoa's heart, only just starting to calm, started to pound again. Her skin, still sensitized, seemed to tingle at his light caresses.
Finding it difficult to draw in a full breath, Rinoa asked, "What changed?"
"Everything." He whispered, pressing his lips against hers in a gentle, lingering kiss. "To answer your earlier question, yes, I did hold back for you. I didn't want to frighten or hurt you. It's bad enough you had to endure that first bit of pain, but adding fear on top of it? I didn't want that to be your first experience. So I did my best to see that you enjoyed it in spite of that. I'm glad that I managed to be successful."
"You were. It was far better than I could have possibly imagined." Rinoa whispered, caressing his cheek. "And if your intention was to have me coming back for more then you were successful in that aim as well."
Squall smiled slowly, "Thank you. I'm glad to hear it. Are you ready for more then?"
"Oh, yes…very much so." Rinoa breathed.
"Good." Squall said, covering her lips with his, branding them with a searing kiss.
Rinoa's eyes drifted closed as she speared her hands through his hair, drowning in the sensation of his kiss, the texture and flavor of his mouth on hers. She fought for breath even as he stole it with every kiss and caress, moaning as his lips traveled from hers and down her neck to her breasts. He suckled, teased and tantalized her nipples to hardened nubs, sending molten fire to her loins and making her shift and writhe at the aching hunger it raised.
At the same time, she let her hands roam where they would as well, discovering and flexing her awakening sensuality and feeling smug at the effect it had on Squall. Running her fingers through his hair and letting her nails scrape lightly along his scalp drew an appreciative growl from him. Doing the same with his smoothly muscled back made him gasp, while letting her lips follow her fingers over the hard planes of his chest and abdomen toward his groin, after he'd shifted onto his back, made him moan again.
When she took him in hand and began caressing him, fascinated by how quickly he was restored to readiness, he grasped her wrist, stopping her.
"Not this time." He murmured, making Rinoa smile at how she affected him. He smiled back and moved away for a moment to retrieve a condom from his pants pocket.
As he put it on, Rinoa commented, "You're very conscientious about that."
"Safer for both of us," He responded, returning to settle his body on top of hers, kissing her and threading his fingers through her hair. "Less to worry about afterward. I'd rather the only thing I left behind was a pleasant memory."
Rinoa couldn't reply; her voice was driven from her in a long gasp as he entered her in that moment, smoothly sheathing himself fully within her body, this time without any resistance. There was a brief instant of initial discomfort; a faint echo of the pain from their first encounter, but it quickly faded as her body adapted to Squall's intimate invasion. He paused then, trailing his lips along her cheek, leaving a tickling, tingling sensation behind as his lips made their way to hers.
"Okay?" he asked her, lips just brushing hers.
She nodded slightly, answering on a breath, "yes…"And it was. Her sensitized nerve endings, only just recovering from her earlier climax, sent shockwaves of pleasure at his every movement. When a slight shift of his body elicited another gasp from her, his purely male smile of smug, sensual satisfaction at her response made her want to melt.
Pressing his lips against hers, making her want to weep at the combination of sweetness and pure, unadulterated lust that even that light contact could transmit, Squall finally whispered, "Good. I promise you, this will be much better than our first time."
With that statement, he began moving, gently at first, with long, smooth strokes. As he did he paid strict attention to Rinoa's responses; he tried to anyway. The way she felt under and around him, the way she responded to his every kiss and touch, was enough to make him lose his mind. As she was still new to the activity however, he did his best not to get too carried away. But with her legs wrapped around his hips and her hands sliding up and down his back, coupled with the fact that she fit him like a glove, he was fighting a losing battle.
Gods…you feel so good…so TIGHT…He was on the verge of whispering that hotly into her ear, but what was in his mind remained stuck there, for a number of reasons. One reason was because he didn't know if that would excite her or put her off (some women enjoyed that sort of thing, but not all of them did), another was…. well…he was too focused on what he was doing. It was short-circuiting the conduit between his brain and his mouth (which in retrospect was probably a good thing). It wouldn't have mattered much anyway; Rinoa was vocal enough for the both of them, though it was mainly gasps and moans that she uttered.
Not even if her life had depended upon it could she have formed a coherent sentence. Not while awash and drowning in the sensations assaulting her. It was all she could do to breathe as Squall surged and retreated, his movements becoming more forceful and confident at her obvious enjoyment. And everything, everything, from the heat and weight of his body atop hers, the slide of muscle under sweat-slicked skin, his scent, the taste of his kisses, the feel of him within her…it all combined to transport her to a sensual height that she'd never before experienced.
The slow build to that final crescendo was maddening for her though, making her reach and claw for it, digging her nails into Squall's back as she strove with him, meeting him thrust for thrust…. urging him to step up the intensity. He did so at her silent urging, no longer able to even think; he was as lost in her as she was in him.
When she finally came with a gasping, sobbing cry, pulsing around him and shuddering in his arms, he followed her, gasping and groaning at the intense flood of sensation that left him momentarily deaf, dumb and blind.
He came to himself practically crushing her in his arms, heart still thumping heavily, still fighting to regain his breath. Hearing Rinoa's similarly labored breaths, Squall loosened his hold on her and looked down into her face, studying her in the aftermath of their interlude. Her eyes were closed and her face was flushed, lips moist and slightly parted. He'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life, and was compelled to press his lips against hers so he could taste them once again. Her fingers speared through his hair as he kissed her, lingering over it, savoring it, before he finally pulled back.
"Wow," she said, finally finding her voice, trailing her fingers from the back of his head to caress his cheek. "You were right…it was…you were…much better this time." Then she added awkwardly, "not that you were bad before…"
"I wasn't too rough? I didn't want to get too carried away and hurt you…" Squall asked her softly. Ordinarily he was perfectly confident in his skills, but again, this situation was outside the norm for him. So, while she hadn't given any indication of discomfort at any point, he did worry a little. Particularly as he had in fact gotten carried away, at least to his way of thinking. Certainly any attempt at control had quickly slipped though his fingers like water. That had never happened to him before. With anyone.
Rinoa sighed languorously and smiled up at him, slipping her hands around to his back to hug him tightly, caressing his warm, smooth skin again. There was something soft and nakedly vulnerable in his gaze that went straight to her heart.
"No, you weren't." She reassured him softly. He gave her a relieved, almost shy smile and kissed her again before shifting and withdrawing from her. She sighed again as he got up and headed toward the bathroom, missing his warmth and being held in his arms already. Then she smiled, appreciating his rear view as he walked away from her. She appreciated his frontal view as he returned even more.
He paused, a small grin gracing his expression as he caught her staring, and did a bit of staring of his own before finally asking, "What?"
"I just can't get over how gorgeous you are. So, yeah, I have to stare." Rinoa answered him with a smile.
He shook his head, chuckling softly as he continued toward the bed, replying, "That's twice now that you've stolen my line." He yawned suddenly and covered his mouth, blinking in its aftermath.
Rinoa laughed softly and got up, pulling the bedcovers back, "Looks like the jetlag's finally caught up with you. Get in. I'll be back in a minute."
He came up to her, standing so close that they were nearly touching, and rested his hands lightly on her hips as he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. Rinoa slid her arms around his waist and pulled close, resting against his chest. She smiled contentedly to herself as his embrace tightened in response to hers.
"All right." He finally said and released her, stepping around her to get into the bed and shift over so as to leave room for her. He propped his head on his fist and watched her leave to make use of the facilities as he had.
He blinked his burning eyes as he waited, the fatigue that his errant yawn had hinted at suddenly crashing down upon him. He was a little disappointed in himself. He thought he had more stamina than that. True, he'd just gotten out of the hospital but it was a relatively minor injury and he'd healed from it completely. He thought about the bottle of healing elixir that he'd brought with him and considered using it, then abandoned the thought. There was no real reason for him to do so; it was simple fatigue and nothing more. He had been awake now for nearly twenty hours, if one added the time difference, the time it had taken him to prepare to leave, travel to the airport and the time he'd spent in the airport prior to boarding, to his six-plus hour flight.
Still, he'd wanted nothing more than to make love with Rinoa all night. Sadly, it looked as though that plan would have to be abandoned in favor of sleep. He'd have to content himself with simply holding her in his arms instead. As she returned from the bathroom and approached the bed, Squall looked his fill just as she had.
Even though he was too tired to do exactly everything that he wanted that night, he found that he was more than happy with the alternative.
She turned out the light before crawling under the covers with him and snuggling into his arms. He hugged her close, caressing her smooth skin and sighed quietly.
Rinoa too was caressing his skin, lightly running her fingers up and down his chest, letting her tactile senses tell her of the smooth, hard planes of his chest and abdomen in the intimate darkness. He was quiet, but she could tell by his breathing that he was still awake.
Finally she whispered, "I'm glad you're here. I didn't expect you to be willing to fly all the way out here, but I'm glad you did."
He was silent for a moment, before he said softly, "It was all I could think about. I spent all last week lying in a hospital bed, with nothing but you on my mind. I had to see you again."
Rinoa's breath hitched at this, "You were in a hospital last week? Why? What happened?" She shifted, peering anxiously into his face in the darkness.
"The situation that called me away from you was a dangerous one. I resolved it but not without suffering a bad concussion for my trouble." Squall explained, reaching up to caress her cheek.
"You're okay now, right? You seemed okay…" Rinoa asked, trying and failing to see his expression. With the lights off, all she could see was varying gradients of darkness. Dim ambient light seeped in through the curtains in her bedroom window, reflected from the streetlights outside. But it was only enough to give her the ability to discern his shape; a darker shadow amongst all the others.
That shadow nodded, confirming, "I'm fine. No ill effects. Things would have gone rather differently for us tonight had it been otherwise."
Rinoa felt her cheeks warm at this and she laughed slightly, "Yeah, you're right." She shifted position again and snuggled close, pillowing her head on his chest again. She sighed as she felt his hand gently caressing her hair.
"I'm still kind of surprised you're here though. I mean, I'm not even a blond…" Rinoa began.
Squall's snort interrupted her, "That." Sighing heavily, he continued, "That was a…professional preference. I'm not as strongly attracted to blonds so it was easier to keep things at a …certain level."
"So…" Rinoa began slowly, trying to understand his explanation, "You preferred blonds because you weren't attracted to them?"
"Not as strongly, no. A beautiful woman's a beautiful woman, regardless of hair color, so I could still do the job I was hired to do. But it was easier not to get carried away if the attraction wasn't that strong. I hadn't done that sort of thing for long enough to get jaded, so…" He shrugged in the darkness.
"What type of woman are you attracted to then?" Rinoa asked, wondering if she really wanted to know. What if she still wasn't actually his type and he was there simply to…what? Get laid again? If that were all that he wanted he wouldn't have taken himself off the concierge list or flown halfway around the world. No. He'd said he wanted to see her again, that he was where he wanted to be. That implied something more than physical in his interest.
"Haven't you guessed already?" he asked her in turn, sounding amused. "Petite brunettes of course." His hand gently touched the side of her face, tilting it upward. Brushing his thumb lightly over her lower lip, he replaced it with his lips, kissing her lightly.
"I have to apologize. All night long I couldn't tear my eyes off of you. You're so beautiful I couldn't stop staring. And I never said a word." He whispered.
Rinoa couldn't speak. Her heart had leaped into her throat and stopped any attempt to articulate anything. What could she say to something like that? Thank you? I love you? It wasn't possible to fall in love with a man that she'd known for less than a week and had sex with exactly twice, was it? Was it?
Instead she lightly traced her hand up from his chest to the side of his face, and just as he did, used it to guide her to his lips. She pressed her lips against his, concentrating on their softness and flavor, gradually deepening the kiss. Heat rose as hands began roaming over smooth skin. Gods help her, she wanted him again. She couldn't help but discover his interest had awakened once again as well when her hand had strayed downward to fondle him.
"I thought you were too tired for another go." She whispered.
"I guess I was mistaken," Squall whispered back. He shifted then, trying to remember where he'd stashed his condoms, then lay back down onto the bed with a frustrated growl. They were still packed away. He'd only had the one actually accessible in his pants pocket. Way to be prepared, genius.
"What?" Rinoa asked, fascinated and more than a little excited at how quickly he'd recovered from the last time they'd made love.
"I only had the one condom out, the rest are…out of reach." He sighed, heart pounding and body throbbing with frustrated desire.
"I have some here," Rinoa said, turning away. The sound of a drawer opening and closing sounded in the darkness. "I bought some earlier…before you got here. Just in case."
"I…see…" Squall said, and could say nothing more. He caught his breath and swallowed as he felt Rinoa's hand stroking down his shaft as she covered him. Before he could move, she was straddling him, teasing him with her proximity as she leaned forward, pressing him into the bed and kissing him senseless.
In the darkness, it was all about tactile senses, taste, sound and scent. The hot slide of her tongue over his, the flavor and texture of her kiss. The harsh rasp of labored breaths, the scrape of nails on skin as Rinoa braced herself against his chest. The smooth firmness of her thighs and hips as he slid his hands upward to grasp them. Her sighing moans as he guided her onto him.
Then it was all passion and heat, a waking dream; an erotic fantasy. They explored each other with their lips and their hands, memorizing each other's bodies by feel and by scent. And Rinoa was lost and drifting in those sensations as they strove together toward the peak.
The rough, almost painful scrape of his teeth against her nipples, the hot slide of his lips up her neck, added to the tension coiling within her with every kiss, caress and thrust. She moved with him, stroke for stroke, heart racing and lungs laboring, wanting more, more…he gave her all that she desired, until the tension was released and every nerve ending seemed to fire at once in a never-ending wave of bliss.
She came with a sobbing, shuddering moan, and Squall tightened his grip on her and redoubled his efforts, reaching his peak hard upon the heels of hers. It rose up and drowned him, smothering him under a flood of sensation. He came to himself with his arms wrapped around her, crushing her to his chest as his racing heart and laboring lungs gradually began to calm. Rinoa too had her arms wrapped around him and her fingers tangled in his hair.
He loosened his hold on her, gently letting his hands slide down her back while Rinoa moved her hands to his face, resting her forehead against his.
"Wow," she whispered.
"Yeah," Squall whispered back. His lips found hers again in a gentle, lingering kiss. They remained joined together for several moments, unwilling to part just yet. Then Rinoa shifted with a quiet sigh and moved back to her side of the bed, smiling to herself at the way Squall's hand trailed down her thigh as she moved away from him.
She snuggled under the blankets, blinking sleepily as Squall's shadowy form exited the bed briefly. The sound of running water came from the bathroom moments later, and shortly after that Squall returned to the bed.
As he shifted and reordered their bedding, Rinoa reached for him, her hand coming into contact with his hip, stroking lightly up his side. This prompted him to roll over onto his side facing her and pull her into his arms. She cuddled close; planting a soft kiss on the notch at the base of his throat while his hand stroked her hair lightly. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sighed deeply. She had never felt so warm, so safe…. so protected… and so wonderful.
A deep sigh from the man holding her ruffled her hair, then he whispered, "Good night, Rinoa."
"Good night, Squall." She whispered back.
Silence closed in on them both, and Rinoa could feel sleep gradually stealing over her. Squall's breathing steadied and deepened, and she could tell by that he'd already fallen asleep, travel fatigue combined with the energy he'd expended that night finally taking their toll.
Part of her still couldn't believe he was actually there, despite the warm comfort she was feeling as he held her in his arms. The bubbly upwelling of joy and excitement that she'd felt earlier that morning as she anticipated his arrival was still there, though tempered by the sensual overload of their lovemaking. She certainly couldn't fault his skills in that area; after all, he'd taken on the daunting task of initiating her into the activity in the first place and managing to actually make it not only pleasant but also wonderful.
Now, enough time had passed that her body had healed from her first time and that had made all the difference this time around. This time the sex had been nothing short of amazing. She smiled smugly to herself at this; recalling how she'd surprised Squall with her skills, something that she'd enjoyed seeing nearly as much as he'd apparently enjoyed experiencing.
She sighed again, drifting gently into sleep, wrapped warmly in the arms of her lover, breathing in the spicy, musky scent of his skin, and feeling true bliss for the first time in her life.
Squall woke to the feel of another body pressed close against his… not an unusual occurrence, given his occupation. Former occupation, he amended mentally. He sighed, shifting, and felt another body, a smaller one, lying next to his legs. Blinking, he craned his head over and saw Rinoa's dog, Angelo, curled up on the end of the bed.
Snorting softly, he returned his attention to the woman whose bed he shared, draping his arm over her slender waist and pulling her close. He simply lay there awhile, allowing himself to luxuriate in the warmth of her body next to his, the silken feel of her skin, and the scent of her hair as he nuzzled the back of her neck. He was normally up and about much earlier than this, but he didn't want to leave. Not yet.
Not when he could, if Rinoa was amenable, repeat last night's lovemaking.
She surprised him, on many different levels, not the least of which was the way she had almost literally blown his mind the previous night. And while he wanted her again with a fierce hunger, what he felt in his heart was equally strong. He didn't want to name it yet however. It was too soon for him to attempt to identify it.
But it had taken root within him virtually the moment he laid his eyes upon her, and it had gown gradually, whether he willed it or no. At the moment, he decided to let it be to do what it would. He would try to anyway; uncertainty was not something he dealt with very well, and this entire visit was fraught with it. He had no guarantee that Rinoa would want anything to do with him again after his visit; nor could he guarantee that his interest would hold beyond this week.
Though if he was to be honest with himself, Squall didn't see his fascination with her waning for a long time to come…. if ever. Not when the mere sight of her smile was enough to set his heart pounding.
He watched her sleep and debated over waking her or not. On the one hand, she looked so beautiful and peaceful, so innocent in slumber the he didn't want to disturb her. On the other hand, he was craving the taste of her lips and the feel of her body beneath and around him once again. Positively aching for it, as a matter of fact.
She sighed and shifted, rubbing against that part of him that was even more awake than he was, prompting him to groan softly at the sensation. Gods, she was killing him.
He planted a soft kiss on her shoulder, then transferred his lips to her neck, kissing it lightly, tracking his lips upward toward her cheek. He followed a similar path with his hand, stroking upward along her flat belly toward a breast, cupping, then caressing it. She shifted again, her breathing quickening on a soft moan, betraying the fact that she'd awakened. The movement rubbed against him in a most distracting manner, leading him to believe it was deliberate.
"Good morning," he whispered, lips brushing her ear. He smiled to himself as he saw her shiver. She shifted around to face him, and he pulled her flush against his body.
"Good morning," she murmured in return, slowly smoothing her hand down his back to his firm backside and over his hip.
"Very," he breathed, dropping feathery kisses along her cheek. "So far anyway." His hand traveled down her back to her butt, pressing her into him and leaving no doubt as to how awake he was.
Rinoa's heart started to race and an ache started low in her groin as she managed to ask, "I'm guessing morning dragon-breath isn't a deterrent for you?"
"I don't mind yours if you don't mind mine," he murmured, brushing his lips teasingly over hers.
"mmm..." Rinoa sighed, closing her eyes and leaning into his kiss. "Just kiss me."
Squall needed no further encouragement to meld his lips with hers, molding her body to his as he devoured her lips, the kiss inflaming both of them.
"With pleasure," Squall whispered. Rinoa moaned softly as his hands traveled her body, leaving trails of gooseflesh and making her breath come short. His lips followed where his hands had led, the heat they left behind threatening to melt her from the inside.
"Are…." She gasped, breathless, "Are you always this…." She swallowed. Gods, she couldn't think. "Passionate…. in the mornings?" Squall paused, frowning down at her slightly. Then he leaned away from her for a moment, the cessation of his kisses and caresses leaving her heart pounding and body aching. Oh…please don't stop… Rinoa begged him silently, hoping that she hadn't…. distracted him...with her question.
She needn't have worried. He returned to his former position, twitching a condom between his fingers with one eyebrow raised. Rinoa's mouth went dry and her heart threatened to burst from her chest in anticipation as he prepared himself.
He settled himself against her, his body covering hers, his heat warming her. He gently caressed her cheek then kissed her deeply as he slid home and drew a throaty moan from Rinoa as his body joined with hers.
Finally, as he started to move, he breathed, "No. Not always." Then no more words could be exchanged as she wrapped her arms around him and held him to her, following the surge and retreat of his movements. She couldn't think anymore, just feel, and what she felt…. was overwhelming. She was drowning, lost in the passion that had control of them both. She wrapped her legs around his hips as well, striving with him to reach the peak, heart pounding and lungs fighting for air.
And everything, everything fell away, leaving only the man in her arms and the sensations he evoked with every movement and touch, every kiss and caress. She let it all wash over her and sweep her away, the tension building to an unbearable, almost painful level. Rinoa's nails bit into his back, a sign of that tension, as she silently begged for more. Squall stepped up his pace and intensity, instinct taking over and telling him exactly what was needed to reach that sweet release that they both ached for. And he gave her what she asked for with her moans, cries and movements.
A final thrust, and she arched her back with a shuddering cry, coming apart in his arms as her release flooded her with a wave of pleasure. Squall simply watched her, completely fascinated by the sight of her in the throes of passion. And her moans and sighs, the feel of her trembling and pulsing beneath and around him, drew him with her. He followed her willingly to that peak, achieving his own release hard upon the heels of hers, gasping and groaning himself at its intensity.
It felt like his heart would burst, his lungs falter and fail. His mind went blank for a moment as the pleasure washed over him, and all he could focus upon was what both he and Rinoa were feeling in that moment. A moment that was far too brief; it took but a few heartbeats for the wave to pass and his heart begin to calm.
And he and Rinoa simply stared into each other's eyes, what they were feeling still too new to be articulated, or identified. He'd been telling the truth when he'd admitted that this level of passion first thing in the morning wasn't a common occurrence. He usually got up before his clients did and made them coffee, arranged their itinerary and set off on his morning run before they stirred. Oh, there was a rare few that were early risers like he was, who'd join him in his first cup and even jog with him after they'd had sex. But that wasn't often, and Squall had actually preferred it that way.
But this was different. Everything was different. But….it also felt…right. He knew he had only a limited time to be with her, only a week. He refused to think about that however. He didn't want to think about leaving her. He also didn't want to think about how he might manage to continue to see her, be with her, when half a world would separate them when he returned to Esthar.
It was too soon to be thinking of that anyway. By the time they reached the end of his stay, either she or he might conclude that as pleasant as their interlude had been, it was just a moment out of time. A fling. They would go their separate ways with hopefully good memories of that time, and move on. No one could predict the future.
He bent forward and kissed her again. And whether he wanted it to or not, what he felt was transmitted in that kiss. It held all the tenderness and longing and everything else that had left his heart full to overflowing. The sheer sweetness was enough to make Rinoa's eyes sting with tears.
"I'll be right back," Squall said softly, giving her another kiss and caressing her cheek before he withdrew and got out of bed.
Rinoa sighed as he left, staring unabashedly at his body and feeling like she'd won the lottery. She certainly felt as lucky as though she had; nobody she'd dated in the past even came close to being as sexy. Not even Allyn, though he'd certainly been handsome enough for her.
She rolled onto her side and snuggled under the blankets, missing Squall's warmth already as the morning chill started to seep in. Her body still thrummed from their lovemaking, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she recalled the feel of his hands caressing her, lips kissing her, body covering hers… she was very tempted to simply spend the rest of the day in bed with him.
But she had to get up. Her body had other needs that had to be dealt with, and once those were addressed, she needed to walk Angelo.
Squall returned to Rinoa's bed, shivering slightly in the chill, but rather than getting back into the bed, he knelt down beside it and caressed her hair lightly.
"Chilly morning," Rinoa commented, prompting Squall to smile ruefully at her.
"That obvious is it?" he asked.
"I saw you shiver. Didn't notice anything else." She smiled at him.
"Thank you for that." His smile turned gentle, as he suggested, "Why don't you go and take your shower? I'll make some coffee."
"All right. If you want, you can use my robe. It's terrycloth, so it should be warm. It's hanging on the back of the bathroom door." Rinoa suggested.
Squall laughed softly, "Okay, if it fits."
"It should, its a little oversized on me." she replied.
"And fortunately, not pink. Thank you." He said, standing up and reaching down for her hand. She placed her hand in his and he gently gripped it and helped her out of bed, pulling her into his arms.
Rinoa wrapped her arms around him then and leaned into his warmth, sighing happily. Squall tightened his arms around her, caressing her back and enjoying the feel of her in his arms far too much. Finally he pulled back slightly and kissed her forehead softly.
"Come on," he said, shifting to her side and leaving one arm around her, guiding her to the bathroom.
Once they got there, he pulled the robe off of the hook on the back of the door as Rinoa got the shower started. She turned around just as he was putting the robe on. Or attempting to, at any rate.
"Well, oversized for you is obviously still not big enough for me," Squall commented wryly, glancing down at the garment that barely covered him. He could cinch it closed, but only just, and any movement at all would have it gaping open in a very revealing manner. Rinoa couldn't help it, she giggled at the image he presented. He glanced up from studying the way sleeves of the robe stopped more than six inches short of his wrists and rolled his eyes.
"Oh, dear!" she said, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're so slender I thought that it'd fit. I'm sorry!"
He snorted and took the robe off, returning it to the hook, "Don't be. Don't know why I even thought that would fit. You're petite. As in small." Then he approached her with a half smile quirking his lips and added, "and trim, and delicate and gorgeous." He concluded, stopping only when his lips met hers softly.
Rinoa's heart fluttered, then she slapped playfully at his chest as she managed to say breathlessly, "Go! Get out of here and make the coffee or we'll never get out of the bedroom!"
He chuckled as she ducked into the shower and said, "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Go! Coffee! NOW!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Squall retorted teasingly, even going so far as to salute her, despite the fact that she was now in the shower and couldn't see it.
He padded out of the bathroom and through her bedroom into the living room, blinking as he noticed the dog on the couch, and wondering when she'd left the bedroom. He'd been so wrapped up in making love with Rinoa, he hadn't noticed. Well, at least Rinoa's dog didn't appear to be the sort to take offense at the liberties he was taking with her mistress. Either that, or she'd already accepted him as part of her pack. He pondered that for a moment, wondering how significant that was. The dog pricked up her ears and yawned as he passed, watching him as he made his way to the kitchen.
Squall yawned as well, rubbing at the gooseflesh on his arms. Okay, it wasn't that cold, not really, but definitely cooler than was comfortable for strolling around buck-naked. He'd get the coffee started and see if he couldn't duck into Rinoa's shower with her.
He spent the next several minutes poking around Rinoa's cupboards looking for coffee filters, her grinder, the beans…which turned out she'd kept in the freezer properly sealed in an airtight plastic storage bag. He filled the pot with cold water and got the brewer ready, then started grinding the beans.
The noise of the grinder was all he could hear for the next few minutes, certainly long enough to drown out the sound of a key rattling in the lock on Rinoa's front door. So he was caught completely by surprise when he started the coffeemaker and turned around to see an auburn haired young woman staring at him with wide green eyes.
They simply stared at each other, both frozen in place, neither sure of what to do next.
Finally the girl, glancing around, called out, "Rinoa? There's a sexy, naked guy making coffee in your kitchen!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Everybody's dream, right? Sexy naked guy in your kitchen, making coffee? Okay, maybe not everybody has the same dreams that I do...er... TMI. sorry. Soooo...not much to see here. move on.
sorry it took me so long to update. Life has this way of taking precedence whether you want it to or not. it happens to all of us.
