New chapter! Huzzah! Now, I am working on getting up a backlog of these chapters so that I can resume updating on a weekly schedule. We'll see how well that works out (fingers crossed).
That being said, there is some pretty mature content in this chapter. Now, if that's not your cup of tea, you don't have to skip the entire chapter, the smuttiness is reserved for the end. So, as soon as you see the second character break [ )_) ], you can skip the end and head on to the next chapter.
If you are into that sort of thing, enjoy. This has been my first time writing mature content in… a very long time. So hopefully the steamy bits don't disappoint.
As always, thanks to you guys for your support, and unfortunately I still don't own the Ichidian Universe. If I did, I think I would totally go Tavali Pirate though. That sounds awesome.
Adara.
Chapter Fourteen: It's Quite the Party
Samandra Zaidi was not happy. Well, that wasn't entirely true, she was actually very happy. She was safe, her sisters were safe, and she had a wonderful husband and son. Not only that she was a part of an insanely huge, and diverse mix of people that she considered her family, and all of them were willing to die to protect one another. She also had a beautiful house, with more than enough food and money to take care of them. Sometimes, yes, it was lonely with all of the space around them and nobody to fill it, but for the most part she was very happy.
Just not right now.
Here it was, on her eldest sister's birthday—which Elora had forgotten about again—and she was absolutely livid. Her older sister had worried them sick, she had been supposed to arrive over a week ago and hadn't called to explain anything. And then Syn just appeared with everyone else in tow freaking out because Elora had been attacked and had almost died.
Because of Kavan.
Fury darkened Sama's gaze as that name entered her thoughts, hands tightening into fists as she resisted the urge to punch something. She hated that male so much, more so than she had hated anybody except, perhaps, her worthless uncle. Kavan had been Elora's first love, he had been someone she had trusted, someone she had let into her guarded heart and he had gotten closer to her than any of them. For her entire life, Sama remembered her sister as this strong, unbreakable force that always made sure they were taken care of. Elora had done everything to provide for them after their father had died. She had watched her beloved sister sell herself to different doctors for trial tests on pharmaceuticals just to make sure she had enough money just to buy a stupid little birthday cake for when Sama had turned thirteen. Watching her sister break herself, body, and spirit just to make ends meet and still come home with a smile and enough love to tuck them all in and take care of Niki… her sister had been her hero, and still was.
Everything had changed when Cypress had found them. It had been like a fairy tale, she'd gone from dressing in rags and splitting her food five ways to wearing fine gowns and never going hungry. She had been fourteen at the time, and blinded by all of the pretty clothes, the friends, and the fact that she actually got to go to school to notice the truth of what was happening. The way her friends would start whispering whenever she left, the dark, exhausted circles that were constantly under her sisters eyes, the way the teachers watched her… the bruises. She had been a stupid, blind little girl and her younger sisters had been too innocent to know what was really going on. It had lasted for seven years. Seven years of comfort bought at Elora's expense. Seven years to make sure that Cameron was sent off to live with their mother because he was the most pure-blooded of them all.
Sama hated her little brother for the easy life he got to live. He had never truly known about their hardship. He had been barely a year old when father had died, not even five when he had been moved into the royal palace because he was considered pure-blooded. While they'd spent their entire life running from one enemy or another, scraping by to barely survive. They had gone back to the streets after that, until Elora could scrape up enough money to get them smuggled off of the planet. At least, Sama assumed that she had gotten the money, and hated to think of how else she could barter for their passage. But they had been shipwrecked on Sléibhandara alone, bleeding and scared. And it was right back to the same old thing until Elora had saved the life of a boy named Talon. But not just any boy, oh no. Talon was Pai Árbore, the Tree Father, the Sléibhandas oracle that retained stewardship of their ancient groves. Talon had been Elora's first true friend; he had taken them in, sheltered them, with no desire for reparations. For the first time in their lives they had been well and truly safe. There was time for them to lick their wounds, to grieve the loss of their brother... their innocence. Talon had given them a ship to escape when the Folagairí had tracked them down. That had been the second time Kavan had tried to kill her sister. He had been the first one to discover Elora after she had murdered Cypress and she had tried to explain the truth, to tell him what had happened. The bastard had backhanded her so hard she still had the scar on her lip, and had stabbed her in the stomach. His promise to protect them and keep them safe had meant nothing evidently, and Sama still wanted to shake her sister for going back to try and save the bastard.
Elora had been enslaved three times after they had escaped, four now. And this one she had brought back. Sama narrowed her eyes on the Trisani male who was currently responding to something Jayne had said. Nykyrian had warned her about him as soon as he had arrived, but it still hadn't prepared her for the sight of the bhóna an imithe on her sister once more. Even though Elora had claimed that the man had saved her life, that he didn't treat her badly, Sama still didn't trust him. She didn't trust anyone that watched Elora the way he did.
"You're glaring rather intensely." Nykyrian noted, coming to stand beside her. Sama cut a look to the assassin, lips quirking into a mirthless smile as she noticed his long blonde hair was plastered to his face from where he had been pushed off of the dock and into the lake by Syn.
"I don't trust him." She hissed bitterly, arms crossed and a bottle of water in her hand.
"You don't know him." Came the gentle, understanding answer. Ever since they had fished him out of that wrecked ship, Nykyrian had been like her big brother. He always seemed to know what was really bothering her… Sama wondered if her sister had told him all of her tells.
"I don't want to know him either! I want him to get away from my sister, and stop looking at her like that." Came the venomous growl… Sama wondered what would happen if she set his shirt on fire. She wanted to hurt him, but couldn't. If she did it would hurt Elora as well, and her older sister had suffered enough because of selfish men.
"Sama." The stress on her name, followed by the hand that he placed on her shoulder made the young female freeze, teeth grinding together as she turned to face him. Sama knew the look in his green eyes, knew what it meant. He wanted to talk about what was really bothering her, and she wasn't entirely certain she was up for that conversation. Because if she talked about it, it would make things real.
"You know that's not what's bothering you. Nero isn't like the others Sama, he was in the same boat as Elora was. He understands, perhaps better than any of us, what it feels like to have a collar around his neck. And he's not going to treat her like the others did. I've known him for a long time, Syn's known him even longer, and we can both tell you, he's a good man. He's not going to hurt her." Sama could sense the truth in his words but…
"I'm scared Nyk. I don't want her to go through this again. You know what she was like after the last one… she didn't talk to anyone she just disappeared in her ship for two years. I love my sister, I don't want to lose her another time. Why can't people just leave us alone?" She whimpered, hiding her face and angrily brushing away the tears that threatened her to spill out over her eyes. She had hated the way Elora had always flinched away from every attempt at physical contact. Hearing her sob herself to sleep at night, the way Nikiah had avoided her like the plague for fear of sharing memories with her. It had been one of the hardest moments on her entire family. And now it could happen again… or something much, much worse.
Elora could fall in love with this male and he could destroy her worse than Kavan ever had.
"I know you are. I am too. I almost killed him, one of my close friends, when I found out. But we have to accept the fact that your sister is capable of taking care of herself." It was odd when the large assassin pulled her into a hug. Even being taller than most people, Sama still felt absolutely tiny compared to Nykyrian. And he wasn't a touchy, huggy person most days. Not for the first time in her life, Sama blessed Kiara Zamir for the effect the woman had on the assassin.
"I know she will… she always has. But I will rip him a part if he hurts her." Sama promised, a savage gleam in her blue eyes.
)_)
"Dude," Jayne whispered not so quietly to Darling, "he's been staring at Mama Bear for a while now. Should we be concerned?"
"Maybe… I'm pretty sure she's like the sun; if you stare too long you'll go blind." Darling answered conspiratorially, blue eyes twinkling in amusement. Nero felt his eye twitching as he considered turning both of their brains into jelly. But, Darling was technically his cousin and that would be… bad. Still, it would be nice to shut them up.
"She was injured, I'm just making certain that she doesn't over tax herself." He answered calmly, taking a sip of the beer that had been dug out of a cooler.
"Oh! Do you smell that Darling?" Jayne exclaimed excitedly, taking an overly dramatic whiff.
"I think I do… it smells a lot like… bullshit." The pair dissolved into childish snickers at that, causing Nero to lazily swing his gaze away from where Elora was playing with Valin in the water to pin the two with the most intimidating glare that he could.
They were not impressed.
"Oh come on Nero. Admit it, you've been watching her like a hawk. Especially ever since she came out in that bathing suit." Jayne purred, a knowing smile on her face. As much as he hated to admit it, the Hyshian had a point. He had been watching Elora closely ever since she came limping out of the back patio door, chasing after a very excited Valin. But then, the sight of those shapely long legs, the way the suit clung to her curves and the red offset her skin… Augh. He was in deep shit. Between his watching Elora and the death glares that her sister was throwing his way, it was truly a wonder that this light teasing was all that he was getting.
"Remind me again why I haven't killed you?" He drawled lazily, stiffening at the outraged outburst from Hauk as Maris wiped his ass at some game or another.
"Because you love us?" Darling grinned, watching as his best friend began dancing around happily, the tall Andarion swearing angrily as his brother laughed. Across the patio Edessa was working tirelessly at the grill and chatting with Chayden, Caillen hovering nearby as he watched the cooking food. It was… not uncommon to a vulture waiting near a dying animal.
"I have admitted to no such thing." He scoffed, rolling his grey eyes.
"Caillen! Boy if you don't back away from my food I will beat you with this spatula!" Edessa growled playfully, brandishing the utensil as though it were a sword. Caillen jumped back with a dramatic gasp, hand over his heart as though he had been injured. Nero watched as he snatched up the tongs, pantomiming an epic sword battle the likes of which had never been seen. Nero watched in abstract amusement as the two interacted and it was… strangely adorable. As though he was watching two large, man-sized children playing.
"Excuse me." Nero looked down as there was a tugging on his pant leg, surprised to find that there was a small child peering up at him with large grey eyes.
"Can I help you?" He asked lightly, straightening in his seat. Both Jayne and Darling shared a mildly surprised look as the small child pursed his lips thoughtfully, studying the Trisani with an intense gaze. It was… a little disturbing to say the least.
"My aunt Ella says your name is Nero and you arrest bad people."
"That would be correct, I'm a tracer." He nodded, watching the skinny kid that was being engulfed by a thick green towel.
"Do you have a blaster? Cuz momma won't let auntie or daddy or uncle Nyk, or uncle Syn or auntie Jaynie, or… or anyone show me theirs! But you don't look like you'd be scared of my momma, so can I see it please? Please?" Valin pleaded, eyes wide. It made him… want to say yes, and he didn't know why. Nero didn't like it.
"I… ah… am actually off duty right now, so I don't have my blaster with me." Which was not exactly a lie; all of his weapons were upstairs.
"Awwwww! But you have fought bad guys right? What's it like?" Without preamble, Valin climbed up onto his lap, still dripping wet with lake water. The male stiffened, a look of wild panic crossing his features as the two across from him dissolved into another fit of laughter. But not before Darling snapped a quick picture.
"Oh… that is wonderful. I'm saving that for later. I might make it my new background." Nero wanted to growl threateningly at his cousin, but he couldn't. He didn't want to upset the small, dripping thing that was soaking his pants and shirt.
"It's… nothing special really, just doing my job. Making sure good people don't get hurt in the crossfire." He shrugged, narrowing his own eyes on the two idiots across from them.
Just think… you could turn them into pudding and it would all be over. Ah, the thought was tempting, but then Maris would pout at him.
And that would be worse than kicking a puppy.
"My momma doesn't like you, Mr. Nero. But I think you're alright." Valin whispered, leaning in close enough that Nero could see the freckles all along the kid's shoulders. He… didn't know how to respond to that. It was weird.
"Well… I, ah, thank… you?" He stammered, a slight tingling going down his back when he felt someone watching him. And this time it wasn't Sama and her death glares.
"Auntie Ella!" Valin cheered happily, spinning around and bouncing uncomfortably on the Trisani.
"I brought food! Since it looks like you two are over here whispering as thick as thieves. A hamburger for Valin!" Of course the hamburger wasn't the only thing on the bright blue plastic plate, there was also potato salad, beans and an ear of corn. "Now, why don't you go sit in your chair to eat?"
"But auntie! I like Mr. Nero! He was telling me about being a tracer!" Blue eyes met his then, one eyebrow climbing dangerously high to Elora's hairline.
"I'm sure he was, V, but you've made him all wet. And it's hard to eat with someone sitting on your lap." Elora chided gently, a loving smile on her face. It made her seem even more beautiful, if that were possible, and Nero was very quickly hoping that the child would move off of him.
"Momma and dad do it all the time." Valin grumbled, before hopping down and taking the plate to the other side of the table. Coughing to clear his throat, Nero set the beer down to adjust his seat, pulling his lap safely under the table.
"I wasn't entirely sure what you wanted, so I hope a hamburger is alright. If not, there are hotdogs over there too." Shrugging her shoulders, Elora set a similarly stacked plate down in front of him, adjusting the third one that was precariously balanced on her arm.
"What, no service for us?" Darling gasped, looking as though he was about to cry.
"Nope. Honestly, since it's my birthday I really think you should be serving me. But since I'm so nice, I'll let you get away with your lip. It being a national holiday and all." Her words were followed by a bout of childish bickering that, once more, made Nero think of fully grown children.
"Wait, I'm sorry, did you just call me a man-child?" Darling growled, blue eyes narrowing on the Trisani.
Shit. Did he say that out loud?
"Well, he wouldn't be wrong about that Dar." Maris snorted, his plate easily piled higher than anyone else's. Not far down the table, Sama sat with her sister and husband, who was bouncing a giggling baby on his lap.
"Ooh! Give her to me! I wanna snuggle my niece!" Edessa cooed, stealing the baby from her father. Elara giggled happily, more than content to be passed around like a ball between all of the adults as they chattered good-naturedly. Darling was teasing Hauk about explosives again, Jae and Chayden talking about ships while Ava and Syn were in a deep conversation where the words more calibrations and prototype phases were thrown around a lot.
In retrospect, Nero didn't exactly want to know what the two were talking about, so he turned his attention to the conversation going on beside him.
"I know, I know, I'll see if I can get it done tomorrow. If I can get at least half of these guys to stay and help it shouldn't take very long. And, with you helping as well Amin, we shouldn't take long at all." Nero watched the look cross the male's face and it seemed that Gralamin had just eaten something entirely unpleasant.
"But I—" He was interrupted by Sama whispering something to him in their native language, something which made his expression jump from vaguely nauseous to… eugh. He didn't want to think about it.
"Are you trying to conscript us into doing manual labor? Because I did not sign up for this. I could break a nail!" Maris scoffed, though there was no seriousness in his words. Maris was a Phrixian, which meant that no matter how delicate he acted, he was far from inexperienced when it came to hard work.
"You can just wear those nice shorts of yours, and bring me lemonade on demand then." Elora purred, giving him a fanged smile.
"Oh honey, you know you couldn't handle my bare calves." Maris snapped back playfully, taking extra care to fix his already impeccable hair. Nero felt a smile curving his lips at that; despite his rapidly cooling and soggy clothes, today had been fun. And if the hand that was slowly rubbing up and down his thigh was any indication, tonight was going to be a lot more fun.
)_)
Elora was pacing her bedroom nervously, chewing on her thumbnail in a disgusting habit that she had developed when she was seven. It had always driven her father insane when she'd done it, and he'd even tried to deter her by sticking her thumb in hot pepper juice. What he hadn't anticipated was the fact that his eldest daughter actually enjoyed really spicy food. But now was not the time to be thinking about her father.
"Oh goddess." Elora gagged, shaking her head and trying to clear her thoughts. Everyone had gone to bed for the night, the full house settled even though Darling and Maris had already left… his uncle would be wanting him back and she didn't want her friend to get in trouble. Jayne had also been called away, and Nykyrian had left to go home and return to his wife and sons. Which only left her with Syn, Caillen, Gralamin, Chayden, Hauk, Fain her sisters and her crew. Which would still be more than enough than she needed to get the siding repaired on the house. A nasty windstorm had knocked some of it loose years ago, and she had been putting off repairing it for too long. And since she would be gone for the better part of a year yet, it would be better to get it taken care of now, rather than later. Which meant she should really be sleeping because they would have an early start in the morning but…
"Captain, Nero Scalera is requesting permission to enter your room." AADI informed her softly, moments before the soft knock on her door.
"Let him in AADI, and then I need you to kill all surveillance in my room, lock the door and engage the soundproofing protocol." Elora responded, placing one hand on her stomach in the hopes of quelling the nervous fluttering that just wouldn't stop.
"Affirmative Captain. Logging you out." The click of the lock was the only noise as the door opened, and even in the dark Elora could perfectly make out the figure that was silently slipping into her room. For a moment she didn't say anything as he closed the door, letting her eyes feast on the broad form of his back and shoulders, still covered by a loose t-shirt.
Dang. And she was so hoping he would come without any clothes on. Though, in retrospect she supposed that would be awkward if someone were to have gotten up in the middle of the night…
"So, residing the house?" What? Where the hell had that come from? Of all things to say, that was what he planned to open the conversation with?
Seriously?
"Yeeeeah, I promised I would ages ago. And with all of us here, it shouldn't take more than a couple days at the most. It's pre-colored as well, so we won't have to paint it." Thrown for a loop, Elora turned to face him fully, reaching out to turn the light on. A gentle hand on her wrist stopped her, and she looked up sharply at the male.
"Wait... I can see fine in the dark. I'd rather not turn on the light." He murmured, making her bite her lip. He could see perfectly fine… did he not realize that she could too? Did he not want her to see him? "And while there are a lot of us, I think a couple of days is being a little generous."
Again, seriously? This was what he wanted to talk about?
"Nero… do you really want to discuss with me my plans for siding my house?" Elora tsked, unable to keep the humor out of her words. She watched him stiffen beside her, felt the tension in his body and in his grip.
"I…" The fact that he was being so shy, so bashful with her right now made her heart warm, and with a loving smile that she was certain he would be able to see she reached up to cup his face.
"I understand. It's… been awhile for me as well." She whispered, stepping closer to him and making sure that his eyes were on hers. Moving oh so very slowly, Elora gently pressed her lips against his in a very chaste kiss. It didn't remain that way for long as, with a savage growl he pulled her against him, crushing her into his body as his mouth attacked hers. Elora fought back a whimper as she was hotly, ruthlessly kissed, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him closer.
This. This was what she had been craving since that first teasing taste in the med-bay. And those hot kisses in between had done nothing to satisfy that craving, only make it stronger so that now that she had him, Elora didn't ever want to let him go. She almost cried when his lips left hers, pulling back to gasp hungrily for air before he turned his attention to her cheek, brushing soft kisses across the planes before encountering the hard edge of her jaw. He nipped at her then, his teeth teasing up to her earlobe and making her knees weak. His hot breath against her pulse, his teeth pressing down on her lobe… he was going to make her come undone with no effort at all.
Even as he attacked her with his mouth, his hands were busy. Nero reached for the hem of her shirt, fingers brushing over the soft cotton and seeking the hot, burning flesh beneath it. Once more he slid his palms upward, this time without the barrier of her shirt and was delighted when he encountered the soft mound of her breast. His little Captain had decided to forgo a bra, and she gave a sexy little yip as his finger teased at her nipple. The way she had relaxed completely against him made Nero grin in a slight victory as he quickly stepped back to pull her shirt off. Her skin was that same tawny color all over, though there was a liberal smattering of freckles across her chest and shoulders that indicated more than a small amount of time out in the sun.
Nero could spend eternity tracing each individual freckle and learning their specific spot on her body, but his gaze was instead drawn to the scar on her shoulder. It was a nasty burn, where it looked like someone had simultaneously stabbed her through and cauterized the wound at the same time. Elora shifted slightly as she noticed where his attention had drifted, face turning away from the ugly mark she had received long ago. He noticed her sudden bashfulness and a smile crossed his features briefly before he pressed a tender kiss to the area. He had seen the scar before, and there was something strangely beautiful about it… it showed that she was a survivor. And yet she was still embarrassed by the marks on her body, even though they simply proved that she was stronger than all of her enemies.
But then Elora was pressing her chest back into his hands and whimpering needfully, and Nero found himself completely distracted by the mounds of flesh that had entranced him the first time they had ever spoken to each other. Where his fingers teased her flesh, his mouth laved her breasts and drove her into a frenzy of hunger. She let out a soft gasp as she drowned in euphoria, her fingers sinking into soft, feathery blonde hair.
Nero made her feel beautiful, desirable, and when he dipped his hands lower to the part of her that burned hottest for him, she thought she was going to die happy. Elora cried out as his fingers entered her, the nimble digits curving and tuning her body as it sang with pleasure. Those ministrations combined with the wonderfully wicked things he was doing with his tongue sent her over the edge in one swift, shuddering climax that made her knees weak.
Nero caught the redhead as she collapsed against him, his name little more than a hoarse cry on her lips as he wrung every last spasm out of her. Damn him, but she was just so sexy, the way her body seemed to warm at his touch, the dark glow of her sapphire eyes as she watched him. He was hard as a rock and desperately wanted to feel the slick folds of her body that his fingers had just vacated.
"Why… am I the only one naked here?" Elora growled suddenly, hooded eyes snapping open and pinning him with a searing gaze. Nero's throat went dry at the way her eyes licked every inch of his body, as though he were a piece of meat that she wanted to sink her teeth into.
And damn, why did that excite him?
There is definitely something wrong with me. The redhead banished all thoughts from his mind as a sexy, lazy smirk curved her lips, her hand reaching down between them to cup him. Nero ground his teeth together so hard that he worried for a moment that they were going to break as he resisted the urge to come right then and there. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been touched by a woman like that… let alone one who affected him like she did.
Elora purred happily as she stroked him, biting her lip at the low, hot moan she pulled out of him. Nero leaned back against her old desk, knuckles whitening as he gripped the edge and bucked into her hand. He was close, she knew it, and she wanted to return the favor he had just done her.
The shirt, she decided as she slowly sank to her knees, could be removed later. At the moment her biggest concern were the light pajama pants and what was hidden underneath them. A wicked smile curving her lips, Elora made sure she was looking up at Nero when she reached out to take him into her mouth.
He was in heaven. That was the only logical explanation as he watched her spin her tongue along his shaft. He had to have died at some point and gone to heaven.
Prying his fingers off of the desk before he splintered the wood, Nero gently ran them through her bouncing curls. They were soft, softer than anything that he had ever felt before and as he moved her hair away from her face he smelled it… juniper and mint. That scent almost drove him to his knees, combined with her hot mouth around him and he could die happy right now.
"Fuck!" Nero swore at the sudden chill against his manhood, coupled with the heat of the rest of her mouth and it drove him over the edge. Letting out a barely muffled curse, his body went ramrod stiff as he climaxed after only a few minutes.
"Mmm… that was… nice." Elora blinked up at him lustfully, licking her lips as she slowly stood. Nero couldn't meet her gaze, hating himself.
Gah, it was embarrassing. It had been so long, he was absolutely useless. He couldn't even properly pleasure a woman without losing control of his own passions. This is why he didn't deal with women, he shouldn't have— the sensation of cool hands tugging at his shirt interrupted his thoughts with a jolt, and he realized that while he had been mentally berating himself, Elora was nuzzling up against him and trying to peel his shirt off.
Quickly, carefully, Nero backpedalled away from her, dodging out of her reach. It made no sense but… he didn't want her to see the scars. Didn't want to watch the horror and rejection he would see in those beautiful blue eyes. It would kill him. Try as he might to harden himself to Elora, this beautiful creature, with her humor, and kindness, and giving nature had him wrapped tightly around her finger. With a simple word, nothing more than a look she could shatter him and he didn't want that to happen. He just wanted a single night of her holding him before she saw how hideous he really was. Before she saw the beaten, broken animal that was his truth.
Elora watched as a profound pain filled Nero's eyes, her heart breaking as he backed away from her. His entire posture had shifted from a strong, sexy man that oozed confidence and power to someone shy, skittish. It shredded her heart to see that, and made her want to pull him close to soothe the pain that he was going through.
"Baby, what's wrong?" She murmured softly, navigating efficiently around the bedroom in spite of the pitch black, which only served to cement his suspicion that she had excellent night vision. Which meant that she would be able to see his body in every flawed detail.
"You don't want to see that." Came the murmured answer, so quiet that she almost couldn't hear it. "It's disgusting."
"Nero," Elora chided gently, "there is nothing about you that I find disgusting. Absolutely nothing. After you've seen my body, my past, how can you think I would judge you on those same merits? You don't find my scars ugly do you?"
"Well, no. It's different though, you're—"
Men. Men and their double standards.
Cyan orbs smiled up at him as Elora came closer, silencing his words as she tenderly pressed her lips against his. In that single kiss she tried to convey the way he made her heart swell with love so that she thought it would explode, the way he made her laugh, how she could be somebody more than she was whenever he looked at her. All of the emotions that she couldn't—wouldn't dare—to put into words, she attempted to convey with that kiss.
And with that kiss she broke him. He would do anything, even walk naked through a crowded city with his scars on full display if it meant she would kiss him like that again.
This time when she reached for his shirt he didn't resist, even though he wanted to flee. Which was absolutely ridiculous; he didn't run from anything and yet one woman made him feel more unsure about himself than he had since he was a kid.
He braced himself for the look of pity and disgust to fill her eyes, but it never came. Instead, while never breaking eye contact, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling her chest flush against his. Her arms wound around his back, hands splayed across the flesh as her fingers lightly ran over the ridges and textures of his scars. And just from the slight feel she got she knew that there were a lot of them. And she also knew how self-conscious he was about them, so instead of satisfying the curiosity that burned inside of her, she continued to hug him tightly. She wanted to soothe the ache she felt in his soul, wanted to offer him some small comfort in the solitary life he had led.
Agony, sharp and sweet, ripped through Nero as she snuggled against him, naked flesh rubbing against his own as she nuzzled against his neck, lips gently pressing against his throat. There was no disgust, no rejection even though he was still expecting it. All she did was embrace him.
"You are perfect to me. Even with all of your imperfections." She murmured softly, and it was like a damn bursting open inside of him. With a feral growl he pulled her into his arms, lifting her body clean off of the ground as he laid her gently on the bed. Eyes drifting over her body with a predatory look, he could feel her heart jumping beneath her ribs. Elora noticed the change instantly—and not just because she now had roughly two hundred pounds of passionate, lusty man on top of her where as previously they were standing in the middle of the room. It had been a small quake that had gone through him, as though he had released something that had been pent up inside of him.
The previous air of the bedroom had shifted, the passion and emotion shifting to something darker… but no less wonderful.
Her hands groped at his body, travelling up and down the long, rippling muscle as his lips attacked her own, her ear, her neck. And then they drifted farther down. Elora moaned happily as she felt his hot breath travelling down her chest, stopping to pay ample attention to each breast as his fingers returned to her center. There was something more savage about it this time, and she fed off of the licentious energy. Her body warmed and it felt like fire was curling throughout her entire frame, from her stomach all the way out to the tips of her toes.
She wanted to scream when his tongue swept across her for the first time, burying her face in the pillow in the hopes of muffling the sound. She gave another little yip as he nipped down on her bud gently, fingers thrusting in and out of her with torturous speed. Her fingers buried themselves in his hair once more, clutching his head and bringing it closer as raw ecstasy rolled through her in waves, promising to drag her under and drown her in bliss.
Nero grinned as he felt her legs wrapping around his head, pleased at the way she was bucking and writhing beneath him. Already he felt himself hardening again, but this time he wanted to make sure that she was completely sated before he allowed himself that release. And judging by the way her body was quivering with pent up tension, he had a feeling it wouldn't be long now. It felt like there was electricity sparking between their bodies wherever flesh came into contact with flesh, and his name on her lips was like the perfect symphony to his ears.
When she came again, she was unable to stop the startled cry of joy as a small chain of explosions began inside of her nerves, blossoming and building until she was shaking, screaming into the pillow. When it finally subsided, she found mesmerizing grey eyes watching her as Nero climbed up her body slowly. It was a delightful torture to watch him, to feel his fingertips applying gentle, teasing pressure to her body.
"Oh goddess. More." She whimpered, reaching out to grasp his rock hard cock and guide it to her core. The feeling of him sliding into her, filling her entirely was enough to send her off on another, small orgasm that left her breathless. The pace he set was quick, and hard, and Elora matched him stroke for stroke as their lips latched onto skin, licking and biting. At some point, she was almost certain that she had broken skin—or perhaps he did—but in their frenzy there was nothing but lust, and pleasure.
Nero thrust into his little Captain harder, groaning as her body reached up to draw him in more. She clung to him as though she never wanted to let him go and the way she ground her hips against his… it was enough to fracture what little self-control he had managed to scrape together. She began to thrust against him harder, her nails biting into his arms as he felt the end coming. Soon but… he needed to last just a bit… longer.
"Nero," she whimpered, legs coming up to clamp around him as her body exploded in pleasure so intense it sent stars blooming across her vision. He let out a heavy breath that he hadn't known he'd been holding as his own release came. It pulsed through him like a storm, leaving him exhausted and completely spent.
Nero collapsed onto the bed, his body covering hers as they lie there panting from the exertion of their activities. Neither of them moved, neither spoke for what seemed like hours until Elora shifted slightly underneath him.
"Baby, as much as I love having my own, muscly, blanket, you're kinda squishing me." She chuckled, reaching up to cup his face gently.
"Don't wanna move…" He grumbled, nuzzling into her soft hand.
"Oh sweets, I kinda need you to though. Not far! Just enough so that I can breathe again." With a pouting sigh he rolled off of her, reluctantly sliding out of her welcoming heat as he repositioned himself on the bed. A lazy smile curved Elora's lips as she was easily pulled up the bed, body tucked into Nero's side as he nestled his face in the crook of her neck, arm pulling the blanket up around them before settling around her waist. As he curled against her, she noticed the soft golden glint of the slaver cuff around his wrist. It was strange how easy she forgot about that thing, about the circumstances that brought them together now.
True to his word, Nero had never actually used it against her which was a first. She hoped he would never be tempted to do so in the future as well.
Pushing those uncomfortable thoughts out of her mind, Elora allowed the exhaustion that had been lurking at the back of her mind to finally over take her. Lying there, snuggled up against the first man she had allowed herself to truly love in over thirty years, she was truly happy.
And there was a twisting in her stomach that made her fear that this newfound happiness wouldn't last.
Take moments of levity when and where you can because in the coming months they will be few and far between.
A/N: I do believe that this is the longest chapter I have ever written for this story. Or perhaps for any story now that I think of it. Like I said, I hope you guys enjoyed this.
Reviews:
whitetiger9953: Would it be bad if I said I had forgotten about the promise for sibling conversations as I was working on this chapter? However, in light of Sama's less than stellar opinion of Nero when she finds out what they did… yeah, it will not be a pleasant conversation. One that they will be having in the next chapter so, there's that to look forward to. Whether there are actual explosions remains to be seen. I feel like Sama wouldn't want to pick a fight with someone carrying a nail gun.