Setting the last heavy shopping bag down on her kitchen table, she took a step back, placed her hands on her hips, and looked it all over with a proud smile. "I think we did good."
He rolled his eyes and gestured outward, in what she thought to be an overly dramatic fashion, toward the littered table. "You've spent an ungodly amount of money on clothes and shoes I'll likely never even wear."
"Admit it," she said, eyebrows lifting knowingly. "You enjoyed every minute of it."
He immediately glanced away from her and mumbled something under his breath that she couldn't quite make out. Although, she was sure whatever it had been was rather rude judging from his irritated expression and fidgety body language.
They'd spent an hour trying on different clothing options, much to Ichabod's chagrin, before moving onto shoes. Ichabod had, of course, complained that he didn't need more than one pair because he was well... Ichabod, but she'd ignored him and went on to buy him a variety of dress shoes and even a pair of converse, despite his moaning and groaning about the gray shoes. However, she'd promptly held up a hand to silence him, claiming everyone on the planet needed at least one pair of converse and how it would be an unforgivable sin if he refused. To be honest, she still wasn't sure if he'd relented because he agreed, or if he'd just given up in exasperation, instead deciding to pick his battle more wisely rather than have it out with her right in the middle of the store. All she really knew was that one of the bags littered over her kitchen table held the prized gray shoes.
In the end, in spite of how fun the shoe shopping had been, her favorite moment of their shopping experience had been the boxers vs. briefs conversation they'd had as they'd looked over the wall of various underwear for men. She was pretty sure she hadn't ever seen Ichabod quite that shade of red before as his gaze had darted over the selections with a profound sense of embarrassment, his skin steadily turning to look like that of a ripe tomato; one which looked like it would burst at any moment. When she'd finally gotten them to come to an agreement on boxer briefs, like a giddy teenager full of rushing hormones, her first thought had been that now all she wanted to do was get him to dress up solely so she could undress him herself. The only problem with that would be the challenge of getting him to actually put them on in the first place. As he was accustomed to sleeping either completely nude, or in his loose breeches, she wasn't sure how well the tight fitting material would go over with her temperamental love, but she was bound and determined to get them on him at least once.
With an amused chuckle at his sourness, she picked her phone up from the table and checked the time. "Well, it's seven o'clock."
He lifted a questioning eyebrow. "And?"
She shrugged her shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant as she carefully suggested, "Why don't you go see how Abigail and Jenny are doing?"
Now, he was full on frowning, his brow knitted and his eyes narrowed, as he stared at her as though she'd completely lost her mind. "You want me to leave? Now?"
"Just for like... half an hour?" Knowing she'd need more of a prompt to get him out of the house for what she had in mind, she stepped close to him and ran her hands over his chest in an attempt to ease him into her idea. "I just need a little time to... get a surprise ready for you."
At that, he cleared his throat, his eyes darting down to her hands as he stuttered, "A-a surprise?"
Grin creeping over her face at how adorable he looked at the prospect of such a thing, she slid her hands up into his hair, twisting her fingers in his brown locks. "Mhm, and I need a little privacy to prepare it."
He stared at her a moment longer before his hands settled flat against her back, pulling her flush into his chest, so he could lean down to slide his cheek along hers, his beard tickling her skin, as he descended to her neck where he started placing chaste kisses along her skin. "I don't want to leave."
This unexpected turn had her control slipping due to the wonderful sensations he was creating within her and it was about to ruin her entire agenda for the evening. Mentally telling herself to calm down, she whispered, "Please. We have to wait."
He lifted his head back up to catch her eyes, his confusion obvious in his blue gaze as it darted over her face. "You don't want to be with me? I thought-"
"No!" she quickly said, laying a reassuring hand to his cheek. "I mean..." She shook her head in exasperation at the hole she was digging herself into. "Yes. It's just that... There's something I want to do first."
Hesitation was still written all over his features, but he thankfully nodded slowly. "Half an hour?"
"Yes," she replied with a quick nod. "Jenny was cooking, so just make sure they haven't died of smoke inhalation and then be back here at seven thirty."
He chuckled, his doubts evaporating as amusement replaced it. "Alright."
"Right," she said, stepping back a good solid foot so as not to just grab him and drag him to her bedroom. "I'll see you then."
With a deep breath, he shook his head and smiled before walking toward the door. The moment it clicked shut behind him, she shakily ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, then."
Making her way into her living room, she whispered the spell which opened the secret compartment in front of her fireplace before pulling out her family spell book. It in hand, she ventured to the kitchen and began picking up various herbs she knew she would need. When she couldn't carry anything else and felt secure she had everything, she steadied it all and brought it to her room which was, of course, now missing the one thing she needed most. "Wonderful, Katrina," she muttered to herself in irritation. "That's just brilliant, you freaking idiot."
Of course, she would freak out and get rid of her bed on the very day she most needed one.
Placing all of the things she'd carried in on her dresser, she ran her hand through her hair again and considered her options. "Ok, I can make this work. Actually," she said, her excitement returning. "This is much better than a bed."
Quickly walking over to the blankets she'd thrown into the corner earlier in the morning, she picked up the sheets and threw them in the closet before running to her spare bedroom and yanking the blanket from the bed and another from the closet. Bunching them up in her arms, she dragged them both to the place her bed had once resided and dropped them to the floor. Picking one up, she carefully spread it out before neatly laying the other one over it into a pallet. After accomplishing the task of forming a makeshift bed, she placed all the pillows she could find on top of it. Once finished, she stepped back and looked over her work with a satisfied grin. "Perfect."
Next, she ran around, placing candles all about the room, being sure to leave herself a spot to make a circle at the foot of the pallet. Finished with that, she went to her dresser to begin sorting out the herbs before placing them in the circle of candles along with her spell book.
When she was done, she looked over the room again and nodded. "Ok. We're halfway there."
With a glance to her wall clock, she saw she had about twelve minutes left causing her to hop over the candles and dash to her bathroom where she proceeded to strip off every stitch of clothing she had and wash herself, making sure to thoroughly clean her skin. Then, while shaving, she, of course, sliced one of her shins because that's exactly what tended to happen when she rushed and turned what should have been a slow process into a speedy one. Releasing a curse over her continuous misfortune, she quickly wiped at the small trail of blood oozing down her leg before returning to her room and picking up his old shirt with a content smile. She couldn't wait to have him peeling this off of her. How many times had she fantasized about it? Too many to count.
After pulling it on, she acquired the pair of panties she'd already decided on in the car when she had been planning the rest of the night while doing her best not to floor the gas and speed home. As Ichabod had been holding her hand and fiddling with the various bracelets on her arm, she'd been mentally contemplating just what to wear and had come to the conclusion that when in doubt or lacking time, black lace was the way to go. Though, it honestly didn't even matter because anything was better than the huge gowns he was accustomed to tearing from her body.
All set, she took in her appearance in the mirror, twisting the hem of the shirt in her fingers as she searched for flaws. To say she was on the edge of whatever nerves she had left would be an understatement. The first time she and Ichabod had made love hadn't been planned. It was something that had happened naturally. They'd just done it. This, though... it was pure torture. She knew it was going to happen, but the waiting and thinking was surely going to drive her crazy before it actually did.
The front door opening and closing nearly made her jump out of her skin. Was it time already?
Blowing a heavy breath out through her nose, she looked herself over one last time before nodding and telling herself, "Relax, Katrina."
"Katrina?"
His voice carried down the hall, sending a bout of jittery tingles down her spine. "In the bedroom," she called as she moved to stand in the circle of unlit candles before waving her hands, summoning all of the other candles to burst to life, illuminating the room with their gentle glow.
Every new footfall that brought him closer set her body to fidgeting even more. When had her hallway gotten so long? Then, he was stepping through the door, making every nerve in her body stand on end.
"Hi," she whispered, nervously twisting her hands together in front of her, noticing her sweaty palms which prompted her to wipe them down the front of her shirt.
The way his eyes danced about the room in slight astonishment before finally settling on her with that same caliber look filled her with a great deal of anticipation and surprisingly also settled her into a sort of calm she hadn't expected. Just knowing he was pleased somehow pleased her and calmed her nerves as confidence grew within her.
"You, uh- You must be wondering what all of this is," she said, gesturing to the circle of candles and herbs surrounding her.
His gaze met hers as he wordlessly nodded, his blue eyes glinting in the candlelight.
"Well," she began explaining as she shrugged her shoulders. "If you recall, I did make you a promise a few days ago."
A puzzled look crossed his face as he stepped further into the room. "You did?"
With a smile, she waved her hand over the circle of candles, each one bursting to life one after the other. "I did." Kneeling in the midst of the glowing candles, she laid her hand over the specific page she'd opened her spell book to and went on. "As you know, I've waited a very long time for you to return to me. While the world has changed around me, everyone living out their lives and growing old, I've..." She pushed her hair back as emotion bubbled in her throat. "I knew I had to wait because a life lived without you wasn't the life I wanted, the one where I was happy. So, now, I'm ready to begin again." She smiled at him through blurry eyes. "I'm going to grow old with you, Ichabod Crane."
Ever tall and beautiful, he stepped to the very outer edge of the circle and knelt in front of her, his expression giving way to concern. "Katrina... I don't want you to give up your life for me."
She laughed lightly. "I've lived multiple lives, Ichabod; seen things very few ever have or ever will. My last life lived is going to be with you."
Shaking his head, he chuckled as his eyes took in the scene before him. "I feel like I'm in some sort of dream. I'm a Witness. You're a witch. We're two centuries old and only just now beginning to understand one another."
Eyes on her spell book, she nodded in understanding. "I know. We're definitely one of those stories for the books."
"Alright, does this take a long time?" he asked, his voice giving way to his anticipation and causing her to smirk as she returned her gaze to him.
His eyes were fixed on the place her shirt stopped covering her thighs. "Eager?"
"Very," he whispered, the blue in his eyes bright as he shed his coat and laid it behind him before settling down in a cross legged position.
With a deep breath, she calmed herself, eyes falling closed for a moment before opening again and concentrating on the book in front of her. As she chanted the words which seemed to be floating right off the page toward her, she felt pulsing energy surround her. A blue glow began illuminating the circle, rising up out of the candles and caressing along her skin with its warmth, the tickling feeling from it prompting goose bumps to form along her arms. As the last words on the page fell from her lips, the blue glow snapped back down into the candles, returning them to their former yellowish tint.
"Is it finished?" he asked, voice full of curiosity.
Without speaking and eyes on his, she held her hand out in front of her and slowly parted them to the sides of her body, the candles simultaneously sliding away from her across the floor to rest with the others spread out around the room. He clearly understood it was indeed over as he began crawling toward her on hands and knees, giving him the look of some sort of animal with its prey in sight. Remaining completely still as she watched him while resting on her haunches, she waited for him to pounce. However, when he reached her still form, he remained in his position on all fours as he leaned forward. As she was upright and he wasn't, it placed her above him, leaving him to stretch his neck at an angle as he gently brushed his lips to her cheek. It was a light kiss, barely there; the kind that left her more breathless than an actual one on the lips.
Then, another touched her a bit lower, just as chaste. Mentally restraining herself from reaching out and touching him, her eyes fell closed as yet another kiss was presented to her skin, this time on the underside of her jaw, prompting her to tilt her chin up so he could switch to the other side more easily. He did so, placing three kisses in the exact same places on the opposite side of her face.
Next, came those same chaste kisses to her neck, a downward journey clearly in his mind as he ultimately hit her shirt. At the impediment, he maneuvered closer to her, resting on his own haunches as his hand came up to pull the shirt to the side so he could continue along her shoulder.
Attempting to keep her breathing even, she lifted a hand to rest along his upper arm, gripping his shirt tightly to prevent herself from falling over backwards while his mouth made a return journey up the side of her neck, his lips caressing her in such a way that had her tilting her head to give him more access to her skin, which he took full advantage of. The light kisses he was lathering her with were sending her into a realm of contentedness she was falling completely in love with. She felt like she could sit there forever in her own little bubble with simply his tender kisses to keep her company.
However, she became distracted from such thoughts when his hand fell to her thigh where he began sliding it up, taking the shirt with it. Gaze falling to his wandering hand, she watched as he rubbed his thumb back and forth over her skin while he continued pressing lingering kisses to her neck. The onslaught of pleasurable feelings now coursing through her was strange. He was barely doing anything at all and yet she felt as though she were already on the precipice of release. How was he doing that? Her stomach was in knots, making her toes curl beneath her and her fingers twist in his shirt sleeve. It was surely going to kill her, but in the most exquisite way.
"That feels really good," she encouraged, hoping he knew how much she was enjoying his ministrations.
She felt him smile against her skin as his fingers played with the hem of the shirt which was pushed as far up her thighs as it would go. The decision on what to do next was clearly circling in his mind and, after a moment, he found it as his hand began sliding up and over her hip, the shirt caught on his wrist and rising with it as he continued teasing his fingers up her side. When his fingertips met the underside of her bare breast, he moaned into her skin, the vibrations of the sound sending a pulse through her that had her tightening her grip on his arm as she clenched the muscles in her thighs to keep from jerking right off the floor. There was no way her patience was going to last long enough to keep her from doing something rash like just pushing him back against the blankets and taking him for herself. There was little more she loved than the way Ichabod took his time to love her, but at the present moment, he really needed to hurry things along before she imploded.
As if reading her mind, he moved on; his fingers ghosting teasingly around the edge of her breast before ascending along the ample flesh, stroking it almost as lightly as he was kissing her. Unable to stop herself any longer, she turned her face into his, dragging her lips up along his beard covered jaw until she met his ear.
"My love," she whispered, lifting her hand to tangle in his long hair, wanting him closer.
At her voice, he finally lifted his head from her neck, his warm breath washing over her face as he leaned his forehead to hers and smiled. "My love."
His playfulness pulled her own smile out as she said, "Perhaps, we should move this back a little bit?"
He laughed and regarded her with an amused look. "Now, who's eager?"
When she could do nothing but shrug, he nodded and followed her to the pallet she'd made earlier. As she scooted back to the center of the blankets, she ran a hand through her hair and looked him over as he situated himself beside her. Biting her lip, she said, "You're a little over dressed for bed."
He gave an exasperated sigh and roll of his eyes as he slipped his boots off, tossing them a few feet away before moving on to his socks. When he turned back to her with a slightly cheeky look, she pointed at his shirt. "You may as well lose that, too."
He stared at her a moment in a thoughtful way she couldn't properly discern before pushing himself to his feet and un-tucking his shirt from his pants. Head tilted back, she watched him pull the shirt over his head, leaving his chest exposed for her viewing pleasure. His lean, upper torso was taut and very statuesque and the sinewy arms that she so loved holding her were toned and looking just ready to do that. Leaning back on her hands, she smiled up at him appreciatively. "You're looking pretty good for two hundred and sixty-five, Mr. Crane."
He gave a grunt she took to be his thanks, but it honestly didn't matter because the moment he dropped his shirt to the floor, her eyes fell to the dark hair that thickened just below his naval, making her lose all train of thought. "Crap," she whispered to herself, knowing she was done for. Her mind was now a complete mush that left her with little other function than the ability to swallow her building saliva. "You're so pretty."
"For the love of God, Katrina," he groaned, making her half expect him to stomp his foot and place his hands on his hips to display his discontent. "Can you not think of something more appropriate than adorable and pretty when speaking in reference to me?"
Cocking an amused eyebrow, she waved her hand at him dramatically. "Forgive me, my tall, dashing, Captain. Please, do continue to enchant me with your overwhelmingly, mouth watering figure."
He shook his head as though disappointed, but she could see his grin fighting for release. "You've ruined the mood I labored to set."
"Oh, you mean all those teasing kisses you laid on me?" She gestured to the glowing room. "I assure you lover, the mood I set is still intact. Now," she said, pointing at his trousers. "Do continue."
He gave another annoyed grunt as his hands fell to the top of his trousers, slipping the buttons through their respective holes and parting the material to expose more of the short brown hair that extended down and out of her immediate sight. Anticipation spread over her, making her flush in want, as he started pushing the trousers, along with his underclothes, down and over his hips. When the brown hair began getting thicker, she practically held her breath as she waited for what felt like minutes until his manhood finally sprung free from its restraints. Unconsciously wetting her lips at the sight of him already semi-aroused, she felt her body twitching as he bent over and pushed his trousers down his long legs, leaving him to step out of them and kneel back in front of her.
For some reason, she found herself rooted to the spot as he once again leaned into her. Though, this time, he met her mouth, his chapped lips brushing against her softer ones tenderly. Finally deciding to actually participate, she lifted her hands to cup his cheeks and softly returned his kiss as he grasped the back of her neck with one hand and began leaning her back.
Now lying amidst the numerous blankets and pillows she'd so carefully laid out earlier, she tugged him to rest over her, enjoying the hard press of his body into her own as he settled into position. It was a wonderful pressure, one she never wanted to go without again.
Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled up at him in happiness. "I can't tell you how many nights I've dreamed of this."
The wisp of a smile tugged at his mouth as he rested on an elbow and lovingly stroked her cheek. "No more dreaming."
"Every night," she said, high on his warmth. "I want you every night for the rest of my life."
His smile stretched his face as his body shook with a laugh that built deep in his throat. "That's quite a bit of love to be expressed."
Hands sliding down his sides, bumping over his ribs and resting on his waist, she took in the various scars, particularly the one running across his upper chest and just over his left nipple; the one that had torn them apart. "We have two hundred and thirty one years to make up for in what...? A handful of decades?"
His fingers slid under her chin, lifting her gaze back to his. "A day spent with you is worth a lifetime of decades, my love. I will cherish every touch, every look, and even every temper filled, heated argument that leaves us both so angry that we can barely stand to look at one another."
With a chuckle at his rather odd choice of a description, she asked, "What will we argue about?"
"Oh, I don't know," he said, returning to chastely kissing her neck as his hand found its way beneath her shirt to rest flat on her belly. "I'm sure we'll think of something." He brushed a kiss to her collarbone. "We always have." Yet another kiss met the valley between her breasts as his hand moved further upward. "We argue as fiercely as we love."
Unable to disagree and honestly not caring to as her shirt was once again pushed up as high as it would go, she placed a hand on the back of his head and scratched along his scalp. "I can't wait."
He chuckled as he began kissing along the swell of her breast, trailing his lips in various spots around its center, but never making contact with her erect nipple, which was desperately pleading for attention. Threading her fingers through his hair, she took to massaging his scalp as she watched him lather her skin with his intimate touch.
Her body was tingling with the rush of her blood, preparing itself for him in ways it hadn't in centuries. This wasn't like the previous night they'd spent touching each other. This was a night that was going to end very differently. Part of her wanted to be patient, allowing them to take their sweet time relearning every part of each other, but another, more impatient, part of her just wanted him inside her already.
"Let me take it off."
He paused to glance up at her and, for a moment, she thought he might object, but then his own hands were reaching for the hem as he sat up to straddle her thighs. When the shirt cleared her head, he let it fall to the blankets beside her and she suddenly found herself holding her breath, waiting for his eyes to settle on her entirely exposed upper body. The moment they did, however, she wasn't disappointed.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, his fingers starting at her throat and trailing down her chest to the sapphire that resided between her breasts. A smile came to his face as he rolled the treasured jewel between his fingers. "I love that you're still wearing this necklace."
It wasn't the words as much as the way he said the words that had her heart feeling as though it were in her throat. There was such reverence there, such appreciation; like she'd given him a precious gift by just thinking to wear it. "It's never leaving my neck."
The corner of his mouth twitched up as he replaced it back between her breasts and returned to his reacquainting with her body. He allowed his fingers to slide against her skin, his eyes eagerly following. While he did so, she contented herself with just watching him. Ichabod had always loved touching her skin. It was as if he drew some sort of energy from her. At times, it didn't even seem to be a sexual act, but more so like he was tracing his fingers over a piece of artwork he wanted to memorize every detail of, cherish every aspect of. It was something he did that made her feel so completely loved as to have no proper words for its description.
When his hands ventured down to her belly, her muscles clenched from the tickling sensation, a reaction that brought a smile to his face and remained as he reached the edge of her panties.
"This is different," he whispered, his fingers playing with the top of the lace.
With a grin, she asked, "Do you like it?"
He crooked his finger just below the material to touch the hidden skin beneath. "It took all of my willpower not to rip the red one's off of you the other night at the cabin."
Her grin became a full on smile. "Is that what you want to do with these?"
His eyes slid to hers, the not so hidden desire in them shining up at her, as he removed his hand from her panties and placed it against the pallet to support himself as he leaned back over her on all fours, prompting her to rest her hands on his arms as he held himself directly over her body. A quick glance between them had her eyes feasting on his cock, hard and extended, resting just high enough above her to brush her lower belly. However, her view was blocked when he dropped his head just over hers, his lips meeting the corner of her mouth. She attempted to turn her head into his in order to catch his kiss, but he robbed her of it as he pulled back with a grin and pressed another kiss to the opposite corner of her mouth.
Groaning in frustration at his unending teasing, she lifted a hand to his neck to stop him. "You've barely kissed me at all."
He chuckled while staring down into her eyes with an incredulous look. "I've been kissing you the whole time. I should be the one complaining."
"Ichabod," she whined, writhing her body beneath him for more skin to skin contact. "Kiss me."
"My impatient love," he whispered, breathing just centimeters from her lips. "You kiss me."
Needing no further encouragement, she returned her fingers to threading into the back of his hair and pulled herself up to him. He remained stiff above her, giving her the leverage she needed to hold herself up as she latched onto his mouth in a possessive kiss, one she was determined to own and lay claim over. It was high time she had a smidge of the control he was hogging. After a moment, she managed to part his lips just enough to slip her tongue through to brush his own. The slick heat inside his mouth enticed a moan out of her as he brought a hand behind her shoulders to hold her close, her bare breasts now flush and heaving against his chest. When he gently lowered her back down to the blankets, he pressed his lower body into her, his cock catching between their bellies, causing him to growl into their kiss. In response, she lifted a knee up, tilting her hips at an angle that had every movement between them sliding it back and forth against their warm skin.
His breathing deepened considerably as his hand slid out from under her to rest over her breast, where he began applying pressure to it as he pressed her nipple down with his thumb. Thankful he was finally paying that particular part of her attention, her hand in his hair tightened as she teasingly dragged her teeth over his bottom lip, but it was when he maneuvered one of his thighs between her legs and pressed it into her panties that she sucked in a sharp breath at the pleasure that shot through her. However, it wasn't her pleasure, but his moan that pulled her eyes open in time to see him duck his head to begin trailing a path of kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, and pausing at her breasts where he ran his tongue over her nipple. Apparently, she wasn't the only one being overwhelmed with wanton need. Her love seemed just as eager to love her as she was to receive it.
"Oh God," she whispered at his teeth scraping over her nipple as he left her breast to begin scattering open mouthed kisses over her abdomen.
When his lips met her belly button, his tongue dipping in momentarily and swirling, she curled her toes into the blankets along with her fingers as those tingles grew into full on jerks of her body. Lifting her hand to push another pillow under her head, she watched with building anticipation as his lips met the top of her panties. If he was about to do what she thought he was about to do, she was definitely going to need to be prepared. If there was one thing Ichabod Crane had ever shown a want to learn more of, it was this. It was one of the very few areas his stubborn, know it all self had ever taken instructions on.
Arms weaving under her thighs, he pulled them to where they were resting over his shoulders as he breathed into the lace, sending sensations up her that had her body pulsing, something that only intensified when he pressed a chaste kiss to the material just over that sensitive bundle of nerves that had the power to knock her right out of reality. As his hot breath seeped through the material to warm her skin, a whimper escaped her, prompting his eyes to find hers right before he crooked his fingers inside each side of her panties and began tugging them off her hips.
Heart beating wildly, she clutched the blankets beneath her in a death grip that would surely have left bruises had they been on his arms. That is, until a frown came to his face when he'd tugged them down to her parted thighs. Sucking in a shaky breath, she, too, frowned. "What's wrong?" When he failed to answer, she wondered aloud, "Please, God, don't tell me I started my period."
His gaze jerked up to her, his frown deepening. "Your... what?"
"My period," she said in confusion before mentally slapping herself when she realized he didn't understand. "My uhm... menstrual cycle." When his expression considerably dropped, she rolled her eyes in annoyance. She supposed it didn't matter what century she was in, men were always going to be weird about periods. "Ichabod, what's wrong?"
"I was just..." His eyes fell back to her sex, his brow knitting in a puzzled fashion that she knew meant he was contemplating the scene before him. "Surprised."
More than confused, she leaned up on her elbows and asked, "By what? You've been down there a thousand times and then some." This was not how this was supposed to be going. Her fantasies had never included his head between her legs while staring at her like she was birthing some sort of alien life form.
"Well, you're..." He reached around her thigh to scratch at the side of his nose. "What I mean is, it's... different."
Squinting her eyes at him, she looked down at herself attempting to understand what on earth he was talking about when the realization suddenly washed over her. Of course. Tossing her head back with a laugh, she said, "Oh, my love."
"Don't laugh at me," he muttered, clearly embarrassed as he rested his face against her thigh in an attempt to hide his eyes from her.
"No, no," she said, doing her best to stop herself from dissolving into a fit of giggles right then and there. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you, just the situation." Running her fingers through his hair, she explained, "I trimmed and shaved."
"Obviously," he grunted into her skin, still not looking at her, but she could see just enough to be aware of the blush creeping over him. Pretty soon his whole body would be pink with more than just desire.
Biting her bottom lip while calming herself, she said, "It's not a new thing. Women did it in our time."
"You didn't," he replied, his blue eyes finally peeking up at her. "And you're the only one I ever cared about."
Well, that was just entirely too sweet. Not really knowing what to say, she nodded her head side to side. "I know, but it's a more common practice now... to make you look better. You know, for like... swimsuits and shorts and stuff."
His face contorted into another frown as his eyes narrowed. "You don't mean to say you dress half naked now? Like all of those other women?"
"I-" Well, what could she say to that? Yes. She owned a drawer full of shorts that surely had her father rolling in his grave. She also had various tank tops as well as bikinis, but how could she make him understand why? "Can we please not do this right now? It's entirely too soon for our first argument. We're supposed to be making love right now, not talking about periods and shavi-Oh God."
His lips had connected directly with the bundle of nerves that she just knew would take moments to send her right over the edge if he stayed there. Despite their little detour in conversation, she was soaked and not in the figurative sense, but literally; very literally. Dropping her head back to the pillows, she sucked in a shuddered breath and practically moaned her, "Thank you."
However, her thanks was short lived as he trailed his lips to the side and along her inner thigh, sliding one hand beneath her and using the other to pull her thigh closer to his head where he began sucking at her skin. Groaning at the loss of immediate pleasure, she adjusted her pillow behind her head and stared down at him. "So, you're going to drag this out, huh?"
While she received no verbal answer, she felt his smile as he pressed his mouth more firmly to her and began working his way up to her knee, occasionally nipping at her skin before running his tongue over the same places to soothe them.
"I like that," she whispered, slowly sliding her hands down her body, gliding over her belly, and continuing until she reached the side of his face.
His eyes flickered up to her; the blue dark and wanting. Weaving her fingers through his hair, she laughed when he stuck his tongue out and licked over her knee and back down her thigh, never taking his eyes from hers. Too often, Ichabod had the bad habit of taking things entirely too seriously. She was so very thankful he let himself relax in these moments and just play with her.
When he finally reached the folds of her sex again, he continued dragging his tongue, now pressed in a firm point, up until he reached her pubic bone. Now, needing a new position, he momentarily pulled back, sitting up on his knees and setting her ankle on top of his shoulder. This gave him the advantage to suck at the back of her calf while he tugged her panties the remaining way off, his fingers teasingly trailing with the material along her thigh and under her calf.
"You're such a tease," she said with a grin at how slowly and sinuously he was moving. If he had it his way, they'd probably stay like this all night.
He glanced up at her through heavily lidded eyes as a reciprocating grin crossed his face. "You enjoy every moment of it."
Not about to disagree, she bit her bottom lip and watched him trail his lips back down her leg until he had returned to the wonderland that created all of the pleasures she'd so been missing. He'd already created a steady simmer, the pleasure not too overwhelming, but just enough to keep her pulse throbbing in anticipation. Now, she wanted the rest; the end that would leave her body hot and sticky and sensitive to all external stimuli.
As he began giving her entire sex much needed attention with varying licks around and between her folds, even at times sinking low into the crevice of her buttocks, she found herself gripping at the blankets in an effort not to rush him. However, with every second that passed, she found that effort considerably waning. Writhing against the blankets, she felt herself give over to a few breathless gasps as she tried to keep her eyes open long enough to watch him, but they kept snapping shut of their own volition from the intensity of her body acting of its own accord. Arching off the blankets, her thighs took to falling open and closed around his head as she lost all control of her rational movements. He must have noticed her at the edge because he reached up and threaded his fingers through hers, locking them so their palms were clutched together.
"Please..." she breathed, tightening her fingers around his, knuckles going white. "Ichabod, please."
Then, with his tongue returning to pressing into her clit, her muscles began to tighten all over her body while her thighs quivered with his head in their grasp. A swarm of black dots consumed her vision as wave after wave of pleasure washed through her; her sex throbbing under his open mouth where his tongue was now laying flat over her clit and pressing hard into her with the occasional roll. Toes curling and twisting, she tried to keep the orgasm's end at bay in an attempt to extend the pleasure, but her body betrayed her and went over the edge, hips lifting and back arching, leaving her in the midst of the blankets with small, jerking motions, swimming vision, and a sweaty sheen over her skin.
Breathing now erratically moving her chest up and down, she settled against the blankets as her body continued to tingle, her sex pulsing like some sort of vibrator all on its own. She could feel her heartbeat not only throbbing in her chest, but also in her neck, sex, and ears; the last of which had all other sounds momentarily blocked. For lack of a poetic description, she just felt really, freaking fantastic.
The glow of the candles on the ceiling finally came into her sight as she felt him begin moving up her body, his kisses less chaste and much more pressing than before; like he couldn't wait to find his way back to where he was level with her. When his mouth settled over her breast to lightly suck and nip, his hands stroking and caressing her sides, she lifted her hand to his head, weaving her fingers though his hair.
"My love," she whispered, pressing her fingers deep into his scalp, urging him to come to her.
He took her signal, continuing his ascension up her body until he was kissing along her jaw and chin. When he finally reached her mouth, his lips captured hers, giving her a tangy taste of herself as he pressed his tongue between her lips, seemingly desperate to find his way within her again.
Done with feeling his cock so hard and unattended, she reached between them with her free hand and took to lightly running her fingers over the head, circling it with her thumb as her fingers stroked just under the ridge along the area she knew was super sensitive for him. He gave a small groan in response to her touch, but never stopped kissing her; instead delving more intensely into her mouth. Curling her fingers around him as best as she could manage in the tight space between their heated bodies, she began sliding them up and down, occasionally pausing at the tip to run over it and press into the small slit at its center.
His breathing began to turn into pants as he attempted to continue kissing her, but then he pulled from their kiss with a pop to look down at what she was doing to him while she, on the other hand, watched his reactions. His face was flushed, his breathing panted, and with a glance to his hands, she found his fingers were twisted in the blankets beneath them. It was clear that her poor love was doing all he could not to collapse on top of her.
"Lie back," she whispered, laying her free hand to his chest and pushing him back.
He looked ready to protest, but her steady press into his chest had him rolling over until he was resting on his back with her leaning over him, her fingers still wrapped around him, twisting and sliding. Finally having him in a relaxed position, she leaned down and attached her lips to the side of his neck just below his beard where she began sucking in earnest, determined to leave a mark on him. In the meanwhile, his hand lifted to begin sliding along her bare back, occasionally stopping to play with the ends of her hair.
When his skin became slick with her saliva, she nipped at it, causing his lower body to jerk up into her hand, before swiping her tongue over it in a soothing manner. She repeated the process a few more times, enjoying his reactions to her, until she pulled back to see it irritated and red. Smiling at her achievement, she descended to his chest, taking her time to tease his nipples, tugging them out and erect, before continuing down until she met his belly button and that trail of hair that led to her present destination. Swirling her tongue in the deep hole momentarily, she felt his hand rest on her shoulder to begin massaging it; his fingers digging in deeply, making her moan into his skin at the wonderful feeling. "Oh God, that feels good."
It was then that she realized she'd become so involved in kissing him that her hand had nearly stopped moving altogether. Unable to stop her laugh at his gentle prod for her to continue, she shook her head and resumed her hand's motions while glancing up at him. His eyes were locked on her, his chest was heaving, and a goofy smile was plastered on his face. Despite his earlier rant, she was still firm on what she'd said. Ichabod Crane was so very pretty. She certainly wouldn't mind sketching him, a hobby she'd taken to over the years. What she wouldn't give to have him lay out for her as she trailed her eyes over every inch on his nude form with an artist's appreciation. With that thought, she mentally placed that particular idea on her to do list.
"I see that you've figured out where I'm going with this."
His grin wavered between splitting his face and him clearly trying to rid himself of it entirely. "I haven't the slightest idea what you mean."
"Mhm," she mumbled, resuming her attention to his skin as she traced her lips down the trail of hair until she reached the base of his arousal.
Not wanting to reward that grin immediately, she slipped her tongue out and licked around the base until she reached his sack and placed a solid kiss to the side of it. If he could tease her, she could certainly tease him, too.
"Katrina..."
His moan reached her just after his fingers bit more deeply into her shoulder in such a way that she knew would leave a bruise of five large dots. That thought pushed her onward. Dragging her lips down one of his thighs, she maneuvered herself until she was between both of them so she could keep one hand on his cock and the other free to touch wherever she wanted, which was currently scratching along the opposite inner thigh. She nipped at the taunt skin a few times, delighting in his soft moans, before returning to the base of his arousal.
Eyes flickering up, she kept her gaze on his as she began pressing chaste kisses along the underside of his shaft and moving upward, positioning her hand on the opposite side to simultaneously drag the pads of her fingers downward. When she reached the tip, she licked at the cum that was already bubbling out of it, savoring the semi salty taste before closing her mouth around the whole head and sucking lightly all the while enjoying the way his hips lifted slightly of their own accord.
Not that she'd object to whatever he wanted to do, but she had to admit that she always loved how Ichabod never really pressed the issue of timing. He waited for her; trusted her. He had faith in her desire to please him and never did those annoying things like pushing her head down to make her take him further in with impatience. Nick had done that and she'd wanted to slap him for it every time. While she had admittedly enjoyed all of her sexual encounters with Nick, what she really took from them now was how very much she appreciated Ichabod and how sweet and gentle he was. Not in a boring or unimaginative way, as he did have his moments of passionate abandon from reality, but the way he remained more concerned with her than himself. He understood that her doing this for him was a choice and a gift. It wasn't something she had to do, but rather wanted to do for him. She wanted to please him.
With that thought, her hand returned to circling his shaft and shifting up and down while the other pressed into his thigh, her nails digging in to hold it down.
Her saliva had began to slide down him as gravity had taken over, supplying her with the lubrication she needed to slide her fingers more easily over him, giving a slippery feel to the whole act. Ever so slightly, she began taking him further in, making sure to take things slow at first as to not too suddenly affect her gag reflex. They'd been there and done that many times before in the rush of this act and that wasn't particularly something she wanted to happen again tonight.
When she had him halfway consumed, she pulled back up and began a slow rhythm, dragging her tongue flatly along the bottom of him as she sucked hard enough to hollow her cheeks out. On the other end, her hands began twisting back and forth while moving up and down as to not become too predictable. In their past, they'd encountered that problem when they had been just beginning. She'd been entirely green when it came to pleasing a man this way and he had been too red and embarrassed to give any help at all. Eventually, they'd become comfortable enough to talk their way through it, but those had definitely been some growing moments for them both.
By this point, her shoulder was beginning to go numb from his tight grip, something she was sure he would freak out over if he knew. In an attempt to not alert him and simply get him to move his hand to another place on her body, she sat up further on her knees to tilt her body forward. This put his hand in an awkward position, forcing him to move it to the back of her neck where he settled into rubbing it back and forth with a firm pressure.
When she got another generous taste of the salty cum seeping out of him, her tongue pressed into the slit in his tip as she moaned around him.
"Katrina, please," he whispered through panted breath. "Come here."
Lifting her eyes to his deep blue ones, she teasingly pulled her lips from him with a pop and brought a finger up to wipe across her lips before sucking on it, rolling her tongue along the digit for all the taste she could obtain.
Clearly wanting her there sooner rather than later, he sat up slightly to keep his hand on the back of her neck and began pressing more firmly into her as a prod for her to move closer to him. Crawling up his body, she settled her thighs on each side of his waist and leaned down to meet his waiting lips, which attempted to practically devour her on contact. As he pressed his tongue between her lips in search of the warmth within her mouth, she firmly wove her fingers through his mussed hair to pull him tightly in as she rubbed her once more wet folds over his pelvis and moaned at the sensation it created.
At the sounds bubbling out of her as she pleasured herself against his body, his other hand came to her back and promptly began running it up and down her spine; his journey taking him lower and lower until he reached her butt, where he flattened his palm against her ample flesh and squeezed.
"Ichabod," she said, whispering against his lips and moaning as his hot, panted breath went directly into her mouth. "I need you."
His blue eyes met her gaze wantonly as he pulled away with a deep breath before sliding his hand up her spine to support her as he twisted until she was once more on her back with him over her. Just as soon as he was situated between her thighs, she reached down to position him, though, she was having a difficult time doing so with how he was pressed into her.
He must have realized her predicament because he fumbled around until he was placing his hand over hers and pushing his manhood down through the small patch of curls above her sex while twisting it against her slick skin. Then, just as she was about to give herself over to him being inside her again, a thought occurred to her.
"Wait," she whispered, glancing to the side and reaching up to search amidst the pillows.
His face contorted from one of wanton determination to one of confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she assured, finally finding the small package and bringing it between them. "We just need this."
Confusion still clouded his features as he watched her rip it open. "What's that?"
"Uhm... It's a condom." The confusion on his face didn't lessen, prompting her to continue. "It's for you. So we don't make a baby." At his mouth opening, she hurried on to add, "Not that I don't want a baby with you because I do. I want one desperately. It's just that... the timing and the apocalypse and all.."
He nodded, though his frown was still present. "Oh, that's... alright."
Pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, she whispered encouragingly, "If you don't like it, we'll never use one again. It's just a way for you to stay inside me while you..." She shrugged with a smile. "You know."
A lopsided grin finally softened his face. "I do enjoy being inside you."
Chuckling at how quickly he diffused that awkwardness, she placed a lingering kiss to his mouth before making him lean up so she could see to slip the condom over him. Having only done this with Nick, she wasn't exactly an expert on the act, but she did manage to roll it on without too much of an ordeal.
"It's tight," he said as she settled back against the pillows.
"It's alright, though, right?" she asked, worried he wasn't going to go with this, all the while making a mental note to look into birth control. She wished she would have considered that at an earlier time as they really couldn't afford to get pregnant right now. "It's alright if you don't like it. We'll take it off and make love like we always did. You'll just have to pull out when you release."
"No," he assured, shaking his head. "It's fine."
When he resumed kissing her, she felt the need to be sure and mumbled against his lips, "You promise? I don't want you to be uncomfortable the first time we make love."
"Katrina," he groaned, slipping his hand back between them to rub himself against her slick heat, his body shuddering above her at the intimate contact. "I simply wish to be with you."
Feeling relief wash through her, she nodded and let him continue, her sex already clenching in anticipation of him filling her. When he was finally pushing into her entrance, the pressure sending jolts of electricity up her spine, she left him to his own devices and brought her hand up to cup his face, wanting to see every little flicker of emotion across it. She loved watching him. The way his eyes darkened. The way his breathing changed. The way sweat beaded on his brow; at times becoming so thick that it dripped down his face and off his chin to land upon whatever part of her he was hovering over. She loved all of it.
However, she found that she was the one who couldn't keep her eyes open when he began gently pushing inside her; at first, just barely and then more and more, every inch making her breath hitch at the pressure of her body stretching to accommodate him.
"Slow," she whispered, moving her hand to his upper arm and lightly squeezing. "It's been a while."
He nodded and shifted to place his hands against the blankets on either side of her breasts to support himself. Then, he paused to look down between them as he allowed her body to naturally part for him before pushing just a little further into her.
A low curse fell from his lips as his head sagged forward to the same pillow her head was resting on, the amount of restraint he was using overcoming him. Wanting to soothe him, she turned her head to the side and pressed a few quick kisses to his cheek. In response, he slipped one hand beneath her shoulders to pull her up and closer to him. The angle caused his cock to press toward her back, prompting her eyes to fall closed at the new sensation.
"Ichabod," she whispered, desperately clutching at his shoulders as her lower body began to feel full; almost too full. "Please... just..." She didn't even know what she was asking for, only that she needed it.
Blinking rapidly, she sucked in a breath as he began languidly dragging his lips along her cheek, his panted breath making everything hotter, more intense. Her body felt like it was being held in front of a furnace in the middle of summer and she couldn't move away from it even if she'd wanted to.
By the time he was inside her to the hilt, her chest was heaving against his; their sweat mingling.
"Katrina..."
He lifted his gaze back to hers and she felt her breath catch. There it was. That look. The one she'd sobbed and pled to heaven for so many times over the centuries. The one that she'd told him had been missing with Nick.
"You are my air," she whispered, feeling her throat burning from more than just the heat.
His fingers lovingly smoothed her hair back as he added, resting his forehead to hers, "And without you, I'll surely perish."
Tears making an appearance, she nodded while choking on a strangled sob. "I missed you so much."
Tenderly brushing her tears away with his thumbs, he cupped her face, his blue eyes filling with sorrow. "I'm so sorry."
Unable to stop weeping, she begged him, "Please, don't ever leave me again."
"Never," he whispered, pressing soft kisses to the corners of her eyes. "I'll never leave you."
And, then, he started gently pulling out of her slowly, almost teasingly, only to press back in just as gently. With one hand in his hair, she slipped the other between his arm and body to rest in the hollow of his back, digging into the smooth skin to pull him closer. Why couldn't she ever get close enough to him? They were one and yet she wanted more, needed more.
His mouth began sliding along her jaw, lingering here and there as he had to pause to regain his bearings down below where he was pushing into her; his hips pulling back just enough to come close to leaving her warmth before pressing back in as deeply as he could manage. Each thrust brought a heavy gasp from her, one she couldn't have stopped had she tried.
The sounds that filled the room were egging that building burn in her belly nearly as much as the feel of his body in and around her. It was the slapping of his body into hers that was doing it, the sound seeming to echo around the room, as well as his panted breath over her, the likes of which was hitting her skin and making her that much hotter. Then, of course, there was the occasional groan from him; the one that sounded like he was slowly dying from the pleasure. With that thought, she had to admit he wasn't the only one who felt that way.
The sweat was building between them, soaking the places their skin met. Just on her own, she was sweating bullets to the point that he was lapping at the pool which had settled in the hollow of her neck. For his part, his hairline was dripping with sweat, which as she leaned back against the pillow to watch him, delighted her. He was even prettier when wet. Lifting a hand to push through his thick, messy hair that was clinging to his forehead and neck, she felt the wet strands stick to her hand. She was doing that to him, causing that reaction in him. Her body, the feel of her, the pleasure he was taking from her; it was all making him fall apart at the seams over her.
He slowly slid his hand down her side to firmly grasp the back of her thigh as his mouth caressed her neck with long, ravenous kisses; his teeth nipping at her collarbone, scraping against her lightly, but just enough that she knew would leave a small mark. She used to love that; the small claims they left on each other. They were always hidden by clothing, of course, but during a long day of wishing he was near, she had loved pressing her fingers against a bruise on her waist, or sliding her fingers just below the top of her dress to feel the indentions of where his teeth had marked her. They were small things that made her feel closer to him in their long absences from one another. Those personal and intimate marks brought a familiar warmth to her body, that sweet pain from his zealous love.
Eyes falling closed, she arched into him as he pulled her leg up to wrap around his hips and began thrusting into her in shorter, faster strokes. His hand remained in the crook of her knee, pulling it tightly against him to hold her in place. Then, he pushed himself up on an elbow as his free hand slid to her neck to pull her into a deep kiss; one that left her starving for air. Breathless and feeling like the rushing blood in her veins was about to burst, she dug her fingers into his back as that familiar sensation began creeping along her again, her inner muscles clutching at him with every pass he made within her.
"Ichabod," she gasped softly as he began pushing into her more erratically.
His eyes were a darker shade now; his breath panted, his muscles tight, his face flushed. He was close. She could feel it in the way he moved and the way he was steadily expanding within her.
"Are you...?" He shook his head, unable to finish his question as he gasped and tightened his hold on her neck, but she understood his meaning well enough.
"Just... touch me," she whispered, sliding her hands down his shoulders to tightly grip his upper arms.
At her prompt, his fingers crept between them, finding that bundle of nerves that were sitting on edge just waiting for that push, which he gave, causing that coiling pleasure boiling in the pit of her belly to bring a reaction out of her in small jerks, shoulders tensing, and eyes slamming shut; the last sight she saw being his eyes watching her. A rush of heat washed up her spine and chest while simultaneously sliding down her legs and straight to her toes, which were clenched tightly against the pads of her feet. Everything felt like it was flashing too fast for her to catch up and comprehend it; twisting and pulling all the strength she had out of her, making her feel weak as her muscles became too tired to hold on from clenching around him. She swore she stopped breathing altogether for a moment; her short, quick gasps disappearing to be replaced by a building burn in her throat that finally rose to her mouth and escaped in a small squeal. As she continued to come undone in his arms, his fingers never ceased rubbing against her while he simultaneously thrust in an offbeat manner; like he couldn't control his own body any more than she could control her own.
It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room as she fought for air, her throat dry as she grasped at him in an attempt to breathe again. However, the moment reality finally began to seep back into her, she blinked her eyes open just in time to feel him begin pulling out of her with his release imminent, forcing her to shake her head and tighten her legs around his body in an attempt to keep him within her.
"Katrina..." he whispered almost soundlessly, clearly trying to hold himself together and not lose whatever control he had left.
"It's ok," she assured softly, bringing a still shaking hand up to stroke his face. "Let go."
A cloud of confusion passed over his features as he attempted to concentrate and she knew he'd clearly forgotten it was safe to remain within her. "I can't-"
"I promise, it's alright," she said, pulling him closer to her and wrapping her arms around his back as his head sagged into her neck. "Trust me, my love."
Another moment's hesitation passed over him before he did as she asked and let go; the rest of his body heavily collapsing against her as he finally stopped jerking inside her.
With a smile, she ran her hand through his tousled hair as she pressed a soft kiss to his sweat-soaked ear, enjoying the way the sticky mess clung to her lips. "I love you."
After a moment, his hand began sliding up her slick body as he leaned back up on his elbow, his flushed face coming into view as he tenderly brushed his lips along her cheek. "I love you, too."
There was no way her grin wasn't escaping as she whispered, "Finally."
He rolled his eyes and chuckled, his hot breath washing over her face. "I said it before."
Smiling in happiness, she shook her head. "Not like this."
Eyes softening, he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "Then, it deserves repeating," he whispered, moving to breathe into her ear before saying, "I love you, Katrina van Tassel; then, now, and always."
Heart overwhelmed with the feeling of being loved, she wrapped her arms around him. "Always."
Holy smoke, that was long and... I just love them. Anywho...
Next up: A bath time conversation. Another big step. A little Luke/Abbie/Jenny. More on that mysterious fella. Someone gets a seriously, magical scolding. And a whopper of a revelation while on a mission.
Oh, and sorry about the longer than usual wait. I'm having serious computer issues.