A/N: Sorry again about the wait. I actually ended up accidently deleting half of this. And rewrites are a bitch. They never sound quite the same. At some point I may rewrite this because it isnt quite as awesome as the original. But I am ready to move on to the next chapter right now. Thanks again to everyone and to the new readers who were kind enough to fav me or drop me a review. I always enjoy those. I also enjoy that some of you have guessed where I am going in some places. Like a scene in this chapter. And surprises in the next chapter!

Chapter 21: Dreams and Nightmares

In my head I have dreams
I have visions of many things
Questions, longings in my mind

Pictures fill my head
I feel so trapped instead, but
Trapped doesn't seem so bad
'Cause you are here

It doesn't mean anything
Without you here with me
And I can try to justify
But I still need you here with me
In my heart I had hope
Built on dreams I'll never know
Answers to love left behind

Visions filled my head
I feel so trapped instead but
Trapped doesn't seem so bad
'Cause you were near

I can't do anything without you
You give me strength to do anything
I can't be everything I try to
You saved me from the everything
I couldn't be

Need you here with me
I need you here with me

Plumb-"Here With Me"

The trip to the mall hadn't turned out to be as horrible as Urahara had warned them it would be. They had even stopped by a grocery and each picked out various foods that looked good to them. Grimmjow had mainly returned with what the girl had excitedly referred to as candy. The woman was all smiles as she skipped along before them, a shopping bag in each hand. The guys trudged along slowly behind her each weighed down with the rest of their purchases. It was strange. People glanced at them. People smiled at them. People frowned at them. They walked around them rather than accidentally brushing their shoulders and looking into the seemingly empty space wondering where the sensation of being touched had come from. Grimmjow would laugh every time he caught Ulquiorra staring at the woman's ass and she would turn to them demanding to know what was so funny.

It felt so right.

It felt so wrong. They were monsters. Nightmares made for killing. The only pleasures allotted to them were the heat of the blood that sprayed across their bodies as they slaughtered and the dominion over another. Ulquiorra had no memories of his own to compare his new physical relationship with, but in his observations there had been no warmth between the Arrancars as they took their lusts out on one another. The other individual was merely a tool to try and satiated the gnawing hunger inside each one of them. The hole in their rotted blackened souls. He might be as inexperienced as the girl but he felt no embarrassment in their actions. Arrancar took their pleasure where they could find it. Men. Women. It mattered not, as long as you could find even a moment of peace. But the blood was vital even as the crimson substance of life reminded them of all they could never be. So it was not uncommon for the sex to deviate into the affliction of torture. Submit. Your body. Your blood. Your life. Just so the victor could feel alive even if only for a moment.

Ulquiorra shook his head trying to dispel the images these thoughts were bringing to his mind. The girl on her knees, her face pressed to the floor. Her hands bound so tightly behind her that the coarse ropes dug into her skin. His nails digging deeply into the flesh of her hips as he pounded mercilessly into her and she whimpered below him. Her tied to the bed, bared and spread before him. The fear in her eyes as he towered over her, the sharp knife gleaming in his hand. Her cries of pain as he sliced her delicate skin and licked the blood that flowed from the wounds while he fucked her. He felt light headed as his stomach lurched. These were not new sick fantasies he had just dreamed up. He would never hurt the girl. Now. These were memories of his past plans for her. Especially after she had uttered the shinigami's name.

How could even think he deserved her? She smiled as she ran along, occasionally pausing in her merriment to cast him looks of desire. Not the twisted desire of an Arrancar to dominate and cause pain, but the innocent desire to be with him simply because she cared for him. Or did she really? Where had she gone earlier? He couldn't help the sliver of doubt that permeated his thoughts. He didn't know how to handle any of this. By opening himself up to her fully, if he placed all his trust in her, she could shred him. Why would anyone do that?

Why would she trust him either? She thought she knew. But did she really understand what a sick bastard he was? Was her heart really so pure that she could forgive him his trespasses? He may have never fucked someone before, but he knew a great many things about torture. It hadn't been in his nature to play with his food. He had fed because he had to. He had been quick but not because he had mercy for his prey. He simply did not care about the pain therefore why should he inflict more of it? But when he had joined Aizen his prerogatives had become his master's. And Aizen had enjoyed pain in others. As each of his victims had cried out he had scorned them in their weakness. His pleasure had been found in knowing that he was better than them all. And if she ever found out that his greatest joy had come when he had plunged his hand into that boy's chest….surely she could never forgive that.

Suddenly the noise of the busy street was too loud. Everyone was too close to him. All this trash. His thoughts were poisoning him and he dropped to his knees on the sidewalk. Everyone around him stopped and looked at him. There were cries of alarm. And the world suddenly began to move slowly as the thundering of his new heart beat louder and louder until it drowned out everything. How could it beat this loudly? This quickly? Surely he was about to die. Someone was shaking him. He looked up to the sky and the brilliant setting sun blinded him. The sky was lit with the fire of its dying form. A beautiful face peered down at him, her head haloed by the flames. She was speaking to him. She touched his face softly. She was….his. His salvation.

The world suddenly rushed back. He blinked a few times as Orihime's words reached his ears. She was soothing him. He brought his hand up to touch the one of hers that rested on his cheek. Her tense face relaxed as relief set in.

All right people. He's gonna be fine. Just leave us alone. He's been sick lately.

Ulquiorra recognized Grimmjow's voice as he dispersed the crowd that had gathered. And then he was being lifted to his feet.

What…What happened to me?

Dude. Let's just get home and we will deal with it there. For once Ulquiorra didn't argue. Home sounded exactly like the place he wanted to be. Grimmjow shouldered Ulquiorra's share of the bags while Orihime took his hand in hers. The trio walked quickly back to Orihime's apartment. Ulquiorra was so caught up in trying to figure out what had just happened that he missed the worried looks being exchanged between the girl and the blue haired Arrancar.

Grimmjow had seen the look on Ulquiorra's face just before he dropped to the ground. He had seen that same look on the faces of the other Arrancar as they stalked the halls of Hueco Mundo. And he had seen the look stare back at him everyday from his reflection in the mirror. That feral predatory look. But he had never seen it on Ulquiorra's face. Ulquiorra was usually cold to the bone. He didn't hunt. He was only the emptiness of death. While he was thrilled to not be in hell he wondered if Orihime really knew what she had done. She hadn't brought back fluffy bunnies. Instead she was now sharing her home with a brutal and cruel psychopath and her bed with a brilliant and lethal sociopath. She was naïve if she thought a heart would cure the former cuatro.

The woman had insisted he lie down when they returned home. But he knew they just wanted to talk about him without his presence. As he lay in the darkening room he could hear the woman's worried voice coming from the kitchen.

Do you know what happened Grimmjow? For a second there he looked absolutely terrified. I'm not used to seeing any emotion on his face much less that one.

I don't have any idea Princess. You could ask him but don't be surprised if he doesn't tell you. Any perceived weakness is unthinkable to an Arrancar.

I could feel his heart racing. It reminded me of the times when I was younger that I would have panic attacks. But I just can't wrap my brain around the idea of Ulquiorra being panicked.

Grimmjow didn't respond but that last statement had him thinking. If Ulquiorra had recognized that he was eying the princess like prey that definitely might have sent him into a panic. The girl just didn't get how brutal life in Hueco Mundo was. And as surprisingly pleased he was that the two had worked things out, he couldn't deny that he wasn't sure giving the man a heart had been a good idea. Something that evil gaining the ability to feel the pain he had caused? But there wasn't anything he could do about it. So he just shrugged and grabbed a bag of chips before wandering into the living room to watch TV while he eavesdropped on the conversation the woman was about to have with Ulquiorra.

Panic attack? Unfortunately he thought this accurately described the event. Was something wrong with him now? His thoughts were tangled and dark. He couldn't deny the pressing need to possess the woman but mixed in was the realization that she wouldn't like that and he felt like he owed her for all the pain he had already caused her. But a hollow was nothing more than basic needs intensified to an insane degree. Could he actually hold himself back? He had to. Because losing her wasn't an option. He felt her weight settle on the edge of the bed and he rolled over to look at her.

Ulquiorra? Are you feeling better? The concern in her eyes actually made him angry. She was the cause but he couldn't tell her that, so he wished she would just leave it alone. But that wasn't her way. Besides, deep down he knew he was angry because he didn't deserve her concern. Not with the dark twisted thoughts that permeated his consciousness.

I am fine woman. There is no need to concern yourself with this matter.

Stop it! Don't shut me out anymore Ulquiorra.

He was surprised by her own anger. She had turned her face from him but he could see her jaw was clenched and knew she was fighting back tears. He sat up and settled himself behind her wrapping his arms around her from behind. He felt her sag back into his chest. He rested his cheek on her shoulder turning his face into her neck so he could breathe her in. It was strange that the very cause of his trepidation was also his salvation.

She sighed as he pressed a soft kiss on her neck.

Onna. Everything's fine. Maybe it was something to do with this gigai. I will speak with the shopkeeper if you would like?

His breathe was warm against her skin. She turned at his words and stared deeply into his eyes. She couldn't read anything in the brilliant green depths. But she felt like he was hiding something from her. She sighed again chastising herself. She shouldn't distrust him when she was hiding things from him herself. She nodded and rose to her feet pulling him up from the bed. She shoved all her worries and concerns into the deep recesses of her brain. She wasn't ready to deal with them. She had just gotten him back and she didn't want to start in on the problems just yet.

Grimmjow glanced up as the two walked in and followed them into the kitchen. Although Orihime told them to go watch television while she made dinner the two men hung around as she started pulling out some of the items they had just bought. Their curiosity turned squeamish as an unpleasant odor began to fill the kitchen. Ulquiorra didn't remember serving the woman anything that had smelled like this while they were in Las Noches. They nervously sat down around the table and watched as she placed some sort of gooey and burnt material in front of them that loosely resembled the meat it had once been. She then covered the meat and the rice it was on with some sort of sauce whose smell reminded Grimmjow of decaying bodies.

The girl smiled brightly at them before offering them a bottle of chocolate syrup. When both declined she proceeded to pour a generous helping on her own plate before digging in. The two men watched in fascination as she made quick work of her food. She suddenly glanced up from her plate and frowned when she saw them staring at her, their food untouched.

Is something wrong with the food? You don't like it do you? Both men were quick to disagree and picked up their chopsticks. She smiled as she watched them take their first bites.

So what do you think? It's a special creation of mine. You really should put some chocolate on it.

Grimmjow resisted the urge to spit out the food because the girl looked so hopeful. But he couldn't talk because he couldn't seem to get the meat chewed up enough to swallow. So he just nodded at her and tried to smile. It came out more as a grimace but the girl didn't notice. She beamed at him and turned to Ulquiorra.

As the horrid substance touched his tongue Ulquiorra vowed then and there that he would learn to cook. But this seemed important to the woman so he started recounting in his head the various injuries he had suffered and came to the conclusion he could also survive this, just this one night. He nodded as well as he swallowed the mess whole deciding it wasn't going to be able to be chewed.

That's such a relief. Most of my friends never let me cook for them and I was afraid they didn't like what I make. I mean Rangiku always eats here so I know I am a great chef but sometimes I just have doubts. Because I would love to cook for everyone but they always seem to be busy when I offer. I know it's silly of me to think there is some sort of connection but well I am just so happy you like it!

Both men continued to struggle to eat their servings and relief washed over their features when they were finished. The woman offered them more but they both claimed to be full. In fact Ulquiorra had been starving before but now he wasn't sure he ever wanted to look at food again. Grimmjow felt an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach and excused himself to the restroom saying he wanted to take a shower. Ulquiorra was left to watch the woman continue to eat the concoction she had created. At first he had been fascinated that she could even stomach this stuff but now he couldn't believe how much she was able to eat. She was so slim that he had no idea where it all went. When she was finished he helped her clean up.

Wow! I am so sorry I ate all of it. Now we won't have any left over for tomorrow. I guess I just missed my cooking so much. I hadn't really done any since I got back and the flavor was just right don't you think?

Ulquiorra just nodded thankful that she knew him not to be an overly emotional and talkative person. His blank expression hid the nausea he was experiencing as his stomach felt like rejecting the poison he had just inflicted on it. As soon as Grimmjow exited the bathroom he made a beeline for it. He turned on the water to cover the sounds of his retching. Being an almost human kind of sucked. But he did feel better once he had cleared himself out. The hot shower relaxed his tense muscles and he stayed in till the water began to run cold. The luxury of taking a long hot shower was not lost on him. He now understood why his previous shower had been so cold. Even in this world there must be limitations on the water. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist before stepping out of the room.

Orihime's eyes widened as Ulquiorra walked into the living room wearing nothing but a towel. She barely heard his explanation about the water turning cold. She remembered she had reassured him the water would get hot again in a little while but she couldn't recall the exact words. As he turned and walked into the spare bedroom her eyes followed his every movement. She wanted to follow him. She wanted to rip that towel from him and gaze at his glorious body. But she kept herself glued to the couch. She wasn't ready. She wanted to be ready. But something was holding her back and she wasn't sure exactly what it was. She kept telling herself that it was just too soon. They had just gotten back together after all. But a pair of warm brown eyes teased at the edge of her consciousness. Rukia was gone now. He could be hers now. But he would never want her if she slept with the Espada. She shook herself free from those thoughts. She wanted Ulquiorra now. Didn't she? She definitely had a connection to the Arrancar. And most of the time it seemed so much deeper than the one she had thought she had with Ichigo. But he had been exactly what she thought she wanted and the past was hard to let go. He was so brave and kind and good. So handsome. Ulquiorra was otherworldly gorgeous. But good? Orihime felt so torn. She wanted him. But she was struggling with the idea of should she want him. She barely noticed when he came back in the room dressed in a pair of green striped flannel pants she had insisted he buy and a t-shirt. And she jumped in surprise when she felt him sit beside her and take her hand in his.

The woman was distracted. She hadn't said a word to him since he sat down. Which for her was quite unusual. She had been startled when he had taken her hand but that was the only acknowledgement she had given him. What was she thinking about? He wished he could just ask her but Grimmjow was sitting in the room with them. And besides, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. They all quietly watched some program for awhile before the girl said she was going to take a shower. Shortly after, both men realized how tired they were. Ulquiorra walked to the hallway where he stopped and stared at both doors, the one to her bedroom and the one to the spare room. They hadn't exactly discussed him permanently moving into her room. He had placed his new purchases in the spare because he didn't want her to feel pressured.

Grimmjow came up behind him and laughed when he realized what Ulquiorra was doing. He gave him a little push towards the woman's room.

It's better than sneaking in in the middle of the night. He said with a grin before walking into the other room and loudly locking the door. Ulquiorra sighed but he was grateful towards the man. He was disturbed to realize that was a growing trend. Him thankful towards the blue haired man. The hot tempered man had always irritated him but he was becoming an ally of sorts. As he entered the room her scent overwhelmed him and he felt his desire flare. He stood for a moment before deciding to rid himself of everything except the tight boxer briefs the woman had picked out for him. She had nervously explained underwear to them. Her stuttering had been adorable as she stood before the packages with half dressed men pictured on them. When both men had just stood there looking at the garments questioningly she had given in and picked some out for both of them. Her face had been scarlet by the end of it. While he preferred to sleep nude he didn't think she would appreciate that since she had made it clear she wouldn't be offering herself to him any time soon. While he planned to work on that he figured surprising her naked in bed probably wouldn't help him out. He settled in between the sheets to wait for her.

She bit her lip as she took in her reflection. While the guys had been busy she had bought herself a little sexier nightwear than her usual underwear and tank top. But she was still full of doubts. Was this sending the wrong message? Although, it was far more covered up than she used to wear when she had lived in Ulquiorra's room in Los Noches. There she had hardly ever worn anything. And neither had he. Her heart sped up as she thought about sleeping next to a naked Ulquiorra. She was being silly. He might not even be in her room. She hadn't exactly told him he could sleep in there again. And she hadn't missed that he had put his stuff in the other room. Maybe he was trying to give her the time she had asked for. But did she really want space between them? True, the proximity to a bed would probably shorten the amount of time she could hold out on him. When she was wrapped up in him she tended to forget all the reasons she shouldn't have sex with him. She eyed her reflection again. The white material of the nightgown was soft cotton, the top fitting tightly over her breasts before flaring out underneath them. It was a modest length hitting her around mid-thigh, but the cups were detailed with lace and a pink ribbon tied in the middle. She had to admit that it fit her quite well making her look like a model in a lingeriemagazine. Before she could lose her confidence she walked out of the bathroom and stood before the closed door of her room. She reached out with a shaking hand and opened the door to reveal Ulquiorra's pale form asleep in her bed. She smiled in relief that he was there even though it complicated her celibacy. She quietly slid into the bed next to him trying not to wake him.

But Ulquiorra was not asleep. The woman was as resplendent as a goddess in the white gown she wore. It shimmered in the soft light that filtered in the blinds from outside. She took his breathe away. But as his lust rose so did his hollow instincts. He forced himself to remain still, concerned that any movement might scare his prey away. His prey? When she had settled next to him he turned to fully face her inhaling her clean scent. He brought his hand up and gently stroked the side of her face.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you Ulquiorra. She began to feel nervous again as he just continued to brush his thumb across her cheek. In the dark his green eyes seem to glow. Rather than appearing black in the dark his eyes seemed even brighter green as he just looked at her. There was something very dangerous in his eyes but rather than frightening her it seemed to only make her heart speed up. But it seemed to stop suddenly when he leaned in and softly brushed his lips against hers before leaning back to look at her again.

You are so beautiful Orihime. Her heart quickened again as he softly whispered her name. He so rarely did that. And while she had come to regard the term Onna as a nickname she loved when he spoke her name in that deep tone of his. It was one of the few times she sensed emotion in his words. He said her name with such reverence that it made it worth the fact that he so rarely used it. She searched his eyes again but whatever secrets they hid remained a mystery to her. She wanted to know. She needed to know. As he brushed his thumb across her lips she softly kissed it. He paused and pushed his thumb down on her lower lip parting her lips. As her mouth parted invitingly he slipped his thumb between her lips. She closed her mouth around it gently sucking on it as he slipped it from her mouth, her tongue dragging across it.

Orihime didn't know what was happening. She didn't know how to be sexy. But when she was with Ulquiorra she did things she didn't understand. But she found she didn't care. As his thumb left her mouth she leaned in and found his lips. As they kissed slowly and softly he brought his arm over her shoulders and ran his fingers through her fiery hair. The kiss deepened as he brought her closer to him, their lips parting and his tongue finding hers. What had started soft and sweet became more and more needy as longing overwhelmed them. He rolled her onto her back never breaking their kiss. As his weight settled over her she sighed at the sense of rightness that came over her. All her doubts could be silenced with just one of his drugging kisses. She had never felt so comfortable with another. While she was still shy she never wondered if Ulquiorra would want her as she stumbled through her inexperience. Because he always did. And she for some reason felt sure that he always would.

She moaned as he began to kiss her neck, her fingers digging into the muscled planes of his back. The smooth column of skin was sensitive and his lips there always sent her heart racing. She arched her back and pressed her breasts again the smooth hardness of his chest. He barely resisted the offer of her glorious breasts pushing hard against him. He longed to bare those ample mounds but he was trying to go slow. He knew that the more aroused the woman was the more uninhibited she got. Her desire was the biggest ally he had in persuading her to finally give herself to him. As much as he loved just being able to touch her he longed to claim her as his own. But he would wait until she asked him to. But that didn't mean he wouldn't help encourage her. So he just moved back to her lips and continued to kiss her. But his lips were harder against hers and he was pleased when she kissed him back with just as much passion, her tongue twining with his.

He was lying slightly to the side of her with one of his legs between hers. She began to move underneath him, her hips rocking upwards as she rubbed herself against his thigh. He smiled in the dark as she gave herself over to her lust because he didn't know how much longer he could have held himself back. He rolled them to their sides and gripped the back of her calf bringing her leg up over his hip. He slid his hand up her thigh bunching the material of her nightgown at her waist. He stilled with shock as he realized that she wasn't wearing anything underneath the gown. His desire roared and she moaned as he pushed his thick shaft hard against her. But after that one thrust he stilled his hips for the moment, allowing her to be the one to push against him. He slid his hand further up her side and captured her breast. eHe was rewarded with a sharp gasp as she pushed her flesh firmly against his hand. As he caressed and kneaded the sensitive mounds she moved her hips in closer to his so that every movement brought her core in contact with his erection. Need ripped through him and he was suddenly lost to it. He had intended to drive her crazy but he succumbed to her as much as she did to him.

He pushed her roughly back onto her back and spread her legs. His eyes grew heavy lidded as he stared at the delicate bared flesh before him. He kissed his way up the silky skin of her thigh as her breathing became unsteady. When he reached the top of her leg he pressed his open mouth right on her core causing her to cry out out his name. He growled low before greedily beginning to devour her soft flesh. As he licked slowly at her center he felt her growing wetter. She began to roll her hips against his mouth as his tongue delved deeper inside her. When he flicked his tongue across her throbbing clitoris she thrashed on the bed her legs jerking wildly. He looped his arms underneath her thighs pushing her hips into the bed to hold her steady. She rewarded him by tightening her legs on his shoulder pushing his head closer to her. Each hard thrash of his tongue had her crying out and he ached to replace his mouth with shaft. Her hands were grasped tightly in his hair as she wantonly rubbed her sex against his mouth. He loved when she lost control like this. She cried out loudly as her lithe body shuddered around him. He continued to lathe at her, licking every bit of her orgasm until her moans turned to whimpers.

When he finally allowed her to push his head away, he rose up over her, his lips still glossy with her arousal. She shocked him by leaning in and kissing him, tasting herself on his tongue. Even though he ached terribly for release he wouldn't push her any further. He knew that she had to come to him. As he collapsed beside her they both lay still for a moment as she struggled to catch her breath. But after a moment she pushed herself up on her arm and looked down at him laying one hand on his chest. He couldn't fathom what she was thinking about as she chewed her lip nervously and drew light circles on his chest with her fingertip.

Ulquiorra? She whispered quietly. Can I… would you like it if I maybe did that to you?

Ulquiorra's heart stopped in his chest. He swallowed quickly willing his voice not to betray the anticipation building inside.

Do what, exactly, Orihime? But his voice came out much deeper than usual cracking slightly as he said her name. The girl blushed but she never took her eyes from his as she slid her hand slowly down the planes of his stomach.

I want to kiss you. Here. She indicated where here was by lightly stroking the hard bulge in his underwear. His cock twitched at the contact and he gulped. He couldn't find the words to say, so he just nodded dumbly at her as she continued to stroke him. He twitched again in her palm and his body went rigid as she continued to look at him unconsciously licking her lower lip. She leaned down and began to plant soft kisses across his chest. She slowly drug her tongue across his nipple before gently nibbling on it. She then began to kiss and lick down his stomach her pace achingly slow. Now that she had offered him what he had fantasized of for so long, her slow descent was maddening. He fisted the sheets tightly trying to restrain himself from pushing her head down. And all the while she kept slowly stroking him, the soft material of his boxer briefs feeling coarse against his sensitive skin. When she reached the waistband she stopped and looked up, a glint in her silvery eyes. He trembled as he felt her reach inside the slit at the front of the underwear and pull his straining erection free. She kept her eyes locked on his as she bent her head slowly downward till he could feel her hot breathe teasing the tip. He couldn't believe that he was about to experience this finally.

She watched his expression raptly as she tentatively licked the head of his shaft. Although he tried to hold himself still, she felt his muscles clench with the effort. She had longed to try this with him before but could never build up the courage. But his reaction to her suggestion made her realize just how badly he had wanted her to do this to him. And she again marveled at the power she had over this magnificent body. He was a deadly killer. And yet with just her touch she could enslave him. That power granted her confidence. As she again licked his swollen head, circling the crown, he lost the battle to keep his hands at his side and brought one up, dragging the hair from her face before knotting his fingers in her hair behind her head. She realized that he liked watching so she moved between his legs and he spread them allowing her to kneel there. As she went down again she kept her eyes on his and slowly parted her lips suckling him between them. He groaned loudly as his back arched and his eyes slid closed.

Just the first slide of her wet mouth had his sack tightening, his seed already threatening to spill. But he needed more of this. And as much as he had dreamed about fucking her mouth, controlling her, he found that he was content just to watch her tentatively work him with her sinful lips. He forced his eyes open and propped himself up on his elbow so he could watch the sight of her taking him in. Each time she went down she went lower and lower on his shaft before tightening her lips around him as she dragged them back up. He couldn't stop himself from pushing her head down lightly urging her to go faster and deeper. She couldn't take all of him in so she fisted her soft hand around the base and stroked him in time with her mouth. The pressure became so intense that the line between pleasure and pain became blurred and Ulquiorra ached for release. And the image of her beautiful face looking up at him as her wicked lips sucked him hungrily finally pushed him over the edge. He tried to warn her that he was about to come, to pull her away in time. But she clamped down harder with her lips and he rocked his hips upward as he spilled across her tongue.

She kept sucking him slowly until his body stopped shuddering and he collapsed back against the pillows. As she released him he pulled her up to his chest where he held her tightly against him. He couldn't believe that she had offered such a thing to him. She never failed to surprise him. He marveled again in the duplicity of her nature. When she was with others she was painfully shy but when they were alone together he had never seen such a dangerous woman. He tilted her head up to him placing a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled at him sleepily before snuggling closer to him. He reached down to grab the blanket and pull it over them. As he held her he couldn't help but remember all the reasons that he didn't deserve this woman. He had no right to expect something so wonderful to belong to him. He knew how high he was reaching to attain one such as her. One that factions had been willing to war over. And of course there were the secrets he kept from her. And the ones he worried that she kept from him. But for now, as they lay together in the dark he found himself pretending that none of that mattered. Besides, contrary to what the woman believed, he would still kill anything that tried to take her from him. His hollow side demanded it.