Hey guys! I'm so super sorry I'm behind on my posting schedule with this. If you're reading my other story that's posting right now, you know that my life got crazy around the holidays for a minute and it put me back a little ways. But I'm back in the saddle and I hope this extra long (extra steamy) chapter will make up for my absence! We are coming to a close, unfortunately, only one more chapter and the epilogue left! A huge humongous ginormous thank you to @kmomof4 who is the absolute best and has been the most wonderful beta for this fic I could have asked for. Another gigantic thank you to @courtorderedcake who made the beautiful artwork that accompanies each chapter that I still love so freaking much. Go give that talented lady some love. And thank you so much to everyone still with me reading this crazy thing! I love and appreciate each and every one of you. You guys are really the best and I hope you like the new chapter!
Chapter 21
The moment their lips separated is when it began to sink in. They weren't touching but it was like there was an electric charge in the thin space between them. Emma could feel Killian's breath wafting out over her cheeks and she was surprised her heart wasn't brushing against his chest with the way it was trying to beat out of hers. Neither of them spoke or moved, they only stared at each other in the dim light coming from the bathroom in silence, both seemingly trying to work out if the other knew that what had happened was real.
Seconds ticked by.
Maybe minutes.
And then Killian moved with the speed, force, and precision of a lightning bolt. He consumed every drop of sanity Emma had left with his hungry kiss, his thumb finding the dimple in her chin and nudging her mouth open so his eager tongue could delve inside. His hand slid along her jaw and into her hair, careful to avoid the tender area, as he kissed her with a passion she'd never experienced before.
It was like her body knew exactly what to do, reaching up to fist her hand in his t-shirt and pull him closer as she responded just as fervently. They moved in perfect sync with one another until Emma felt like she was spinning from the lack of oxygen. Killian's own need for air became too great as well and he wrenched his lips from hers, sucking in precious oxygen as soon as they parted.
He couldn't stop, though, the stubble on his jaw burning against her skin as he kissed a blazing trail from her mouth up to her ear, shifting so he was half hovering over her. His hand still cradled the back of her neck, his fingers twisting and winding through the strands at her nape, sending sparks shooting over every nerve in her body.
"Tell me you want this, love," he whispered huskily into the flesh beneath her ear. "Tell me I can have you. Tell me you want me like I want you." His voice was desperate, strained, like it would cause him physical harm to be rejected now. Luckily for him, Emma had no such intention.
"Killian, you have no idea how much I want you," she panted, trying to wriggle a leg underneath him to encourage him to cover her completely with his body. A shudder went through his body and he dipped his head down to press against the side of her neck, fingers tightening in her hair. Whether it was from her words or the brush of her thigh, she didn't care; she was completely addicted to the way he reacted to her already. He growled and sat up, seizing her by the wrist and pulling her with him. His blunted arm wrapped around her waist to hold her steady as he practically ripped the shirt from over her head.
Emma's nipples pebbled in the cool air of the room and his hand crept up over her belly to fit a soft globe in his hand. The second his calloused palm touched bare flesh he flinched back like he'd been burned, making Emma feel a little self conscious. But his hand was back with a vengeance in the next moment, wiping all thoughts of deprecation from her mind as he squeezed firmly.
"God, love, you're trying to kill me," he murmured against her ear as his hand stroked over her flesh, teasing a nipple, skimming over her side, tracing her collarbone and then going over it all again. "Had I known you weren't wearing a bra, I would have been far less gentlemanly than I prefer." So that was the reason for his reaction. Emma smirked. Killian nipped at her earlobe, then kissed his way down the side of her neck, stopping at the hollow of her throat so that he could suck a dark mark there.
The thought of him branding her as his sent a thrill through her. She should have been petrified; she never let anyone get this close and have it actually mean something. She should definitely be a little more questioning of this whole thing because holy shit this was her soulmate and that was a pretty big deal on a cosmic scale. Emma should be running in the opposite direction, but she was doing none of those things. Right now, she was lost. Lost in sensation, emotion, hunger, desire, lost entirely in Killian's all encompassing presence. Lost in every press of his lips, lost in every growl that ripped from his throat, lost in every brush of his hand, lost, lost, lost.
And there was no turning back now.
Especially when Killian leaned down and sucked a pert nipple into the heat of his mouth. Her fingers threaded through his thick, messy locks as he kissed and sucked and nipped his way from one breast to the other, her head thrown back so she could just feel. His other arm snaked around her waist and slid down her spine, sending explosions of goosebumps skittering across her skin in its wake. He didn't stop there, slipping beyond the waistband of her borrowed sweats and taking a firm cheek in his broad palm. He grasped her tightly, rolling his hips against hers.
"No knickers either? Definitely trying to kill me, Swan," he groaned and rolled his hips against her again, making her gasp. His lips were slamming back into hers in an instant, his tongue plunging past them to taste every inch of her, pushing her back down to the mattress and settling between her thighs like that was exactly where he belonged. "I've got to see you," he breathed against her lips, wrenching himself away and diving for the bedside light. He shrugged his own t-shirt off in haste as Emma's eyes adjusted to the light and he rose up on his knees before her in all of his erotically charged glory.
Her eyes roamed over him shamelessly, following the expanse of dark curls over his toned chest where they tapered down over his stomach and disappeared into the obvious tent of his sleep pants. His entire torso expanded and contracted with each lungful of air he drew, his eyes alight with a desire and need for her that took her breath away.
"You're bloody perfect. Like something from a dream come to life," he choked out and Emma felt herself flush at the compliment. She'd been called many things in her life, but the sincerity and depth of his words touched her down to the very fiber of her being. It threw her completely off kilter and she decided to take back the reins before this got a lot more involved than it already was.
(As if it wasn't already too late for that.)
"Not dreaming this time," she said as she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her sweats and shimmied them down her legs, leaving her completely bare before him. His pupils blew wide as he simply tried to take all of her in, his jaw going slack and Emma saw the bulge in his pants give a violent twitch.
"I'm even less convinced than before," he returned, the path of his gaze searing into her as it travelled every inch of her exposed body. He reached out for her with both arms automatically, but stilled when they were almost touching her, instead changing trajectory and flopping down above her, his weight supported by his left arm as he tried to slip it under the blanket, attempting to distract her from the motion by running his hand down her side and leaning in for a kiss.
Emma was having none of it, placing her palms flat on the front of his shoulders and pushing up slightly. He looked confused, a little concerned, and a lot wrecked for her. She only smiled at him softly, leaning up to place a gentle kiss to his lips, more chaste than anything else had been so far that night. When she reached for his left arm it all clicked into place for him, his eyes going as wide as saucers and his Adam's apple bobbing spasmodically.
Encouraging him to shift his weight onto his other arm, she pulled his left from under the blankets towards her and got her first unobstructed view of his amputation site. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, considering Killian's insistent concealment of the limb every time it was uncovered around her. There was some surgical scarring at the end of his wrist, but the skin was soft and unblemished, just a little paler than the rest of him. Killian stared hellfire at the stunted site.
"Gold took this from you, too," she murmured. It was intended as a question but it was too resolute for that. She knew. And he knew that she knew. There was no point in hiding it.
"Aye," he said through his teeth. "For trying to 'steal' back my mother's ring." A flicker of him telling her the one time he tried to retrieve the ring not going well passed through her mind. Emma's heart felt like it was being ripped in two at the pain and shame rolling darkly across his handsome face. She needed to bring him back to her, to stoke the fire of want again. She needed to show him that she didn't find him lacking in the least.
Her fingertips were light against his flesh and he refused to meet her eyes as she began to massage the area. His lower lip was starting to tremble, a choked sound escaping his throat when she leaned forward and placed a feather light kiss against his skin. She did it again and he tried to pull from her grip, but Emma only held tighter to him.
"It's okay, Killian," she soothed. "I'm right here. Not going anywhere."
His eyes snapped to hers when she pulled his blunt wrist against the flesh of her stomach and slowly began to drag it upwards. He wasn't breathing, his eyes flicking between her eyes and where she was slowly dragging his skin against hers.
"Touch me, Killian," she breathed, tugging his arm until he was brushing the underside of her breast, arching into him and letting her eyelids flutter. His lips parted and he sucked in a ragged breath as he took in the motion. Her face held no judgement, only patience, simmering arousal, and something deeper that burned into his very soul that finally broke him.
His lips met hers hard and fast, an audible sob clawing its way from his throat, what little control he'd had left evaporating into thin air. His wrist pressed into her skin, touching everything, everywhere, soon joining his explorations with his mouth. His good hand reached for the waistband of his pants, her hands meeting his to help pull the last barrier away from their bodies. She wanted nothing more than to feel him with her, against her, inside her and she wasn't in the mood to wait.
Killian kept the flesh of his left arm pressed tightly into Emma's side, even as he shifted to move his hand over her body, his lips, teeth, and tongue pressing and pulling on hers as he went. When he dipped between her parted thighs to stroke over her center, Emma was sure she was going to explode into a thousand tiny pieces, especially when he groaned a cracked and desperate sound into the curve of her neck.
"Bloody hell, Emma, you're so ready for me," he rasped out, dipping two fingers into her core and stroking them slowly in and out of her, his thumb circling her clit in time with them. Emma could only manage a whine in response, her hips lifting and rolling with the rhythm he set as he pulled her higher. Suddenly, his fingers left her and she groaned in complaint, the sound soon gobbled up by Killian descending on her for another kiss. "I'm sorry, darling, I have to be inside you right now. I don't think I'll be able to keep my wits about me if I wait any longer. We'll take our time next time, aye?" he said against her lips.
Emma nodded furiously as his hand and, more hesitantly, his blunted wrist settled on her hips and he lined himself up, sliding home in one steady thrust.
"Oh god, yes, Killian, please move," she begged shamelessly, arching up into him, her entire body aching for more. He obliged her immediately, dragging out of her in that same slow, steady pace, but he thrust forward again with a sharp snap of his hips that had them both crying out and clinging to each other.
It was pure bliss, the sensations that washed over Emma. Sparks shot across the back of her eyelids when she blinked. The only sound in the room was that of flesh on flesh, interspersed with sighs and moans from each of them. Emma's eyes fluttered open and immediately locked on to Killian's. He was staring at her with such a burning desire, so deeply connected to her in this moment that she could feel his imprint on every cell in her body. It took her breath away and she couldn't help but reach up and cup his scruffed cheeks in her palms and pull him into another kiss.
Killian's pace picked up and Emma tried to keep up with him, still attaching herself to his mouth as he supported his weight on his elbows on either side of her, his chest hair brushing over her sensitive nipples with every roll of his body, sending electric sparks pulsing through her. Clumsily, she reached down and grasped his hand, locking their fingers together and he squeezed tightly, like he never intended to let her go.
"Come for me, agrà," he growled into her ear and her mind may not have known what that word meant, but her soul did, recognized it on another plane of existence. It was no secret that Killian was a verbose man, and terms of endearment fell freely and often from his lips, but this was something on a profound level, something he associated with the deepest parts of him. He was calling her his love. A title only bestowed upon one woman before her and now it was hers. Her healing his heart, he reaching hers past the iron walls she had constructed around it. It was her. And he needed his own explosive relief with her, his love. His soulmate. She shattered beneath him in compliant ecstasy.
Through the fog of her high, she heard Killian sob out her name as he spilled into her as well, his fingers so tight around hers that she could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips. Their movements slowed, their bodies stuttering through the last blissful pulls of euphoria. Killian rained kisses all over Emma's face, brushing his lips over her forehead, her temple, her nose and eyelids, before finally settling on her own lips for a final scorching kiss.
Killian groaned as he lifted himself from Emma's body and lifted her hand to kiss her palm before heading into the bathroom. Emma felt exhaustion tugging at the edge of her mind and by the time Killian returned with a washcloth to clean her cooling skin, she was halfway to sleeping already. Discarding the rag, he slipped back into the bed, his body immediately seeking out his lover's, and they drifted off again in each other's arms, not a word needing to be spoken between them.
Emma awoke the next morning to a feather light kiss brushing over her brow. She stirred slightly, a small hum working from her lips as her eyes fluttered open.
"Shh, love, go back to sleep. I'll be back in just a bit to wake you with coffee," Killian said, brushing some of her hair off of her face. Emma nodded and snuggled further down into the pillows surrounding her head. After a few minutes of lying in silence, Emma knew she'd be getting no more sleep so she peeled her eyes open once more and stretched out her limbs. She was pleasantly sore in a way that she hadn't been in some time. Memories of the previous night flashed through her mind and she was surprised at how much comfort she found in just being free with Killian.
The change they had gone through the night prior was huge for Emma, and she knew it was for Killian as well. Soulmates. She could hardly wrap her head around the notion. Everything was so uncertain. This whole thing with Gold was still up in the air, and even when it was over, Killian lived outside the law. It scared her to think of what might happen when this all came to a close. All she knew was she didn't want to lose him. Not when she'd only just found him. Not ever.
Her phone alarm went off from where it was charging next to her bag on the table. She hoisted herself from the bed with only a few grumbles, trudging over to turn it off. And a light bulb went off in her head. She punched the familiar button sequence on her screen with her thumb and pulled the device up to her ear, waiting.
"Check in isn't until two, Swan, what's up?" Jefferson's concerned voice came on the line.
"Well, hello to you, too, sunshine," she quipped back and Jefferson grunted in mock annoyance. "I had an idea, and I wanted to pick your brain on the matter before I had you actually put it into motion."
"Shoot," he said on a yawn, making Emma stifle her own.
"If someone were a known felon, but they became a major asset to a high profile case, what would their chances be on getting a deal in exchange for their cooperation and testimony?" she asked, tugging nervously on the end of one of her long blonde strands of hair. Jefferson hummed, mulling it over.
"Well, it would depend on what kind of deal we're talking about here."
"No jail time. Probation, preferably. House arrest, max," she said, eyeing the door carefully in case Killian came back in.
"Hmm. And this, uh, 'known felon'," he replied indulgently, "wouldn't be Hook by chance, would it?"
Emma was on her guard instantly at the disdain in her colleague's voice. "If it was, would that make any difference?" she snapped back.
"Take it easy, Cujo, I'm just asking. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you I'm not worried about all of this, but I trust your judgement," Jefferson said in a much softer tone.
"Is that why you told Graham what was going on? You gonna go tattle on me to Regina, too?" She couldn't help the bitterness in her voice when she thought of the two men discussing her op like it was a game to her.
"What? What the hell are you talking about? I haven't heard from Graham since he got released from the hospital," Jefferson replied and Emma's blood ran cold in her veins.
"But he said when he called… he told me yesterday that he talked to you and… what do you mean you haven't spoken to him in the last two weeks?" Emma was trying to stay calm but nothing about this made sense. Every sense she possessed was honed to a fine edge as she waited on bated breath for his explanation.
"That's pretty self explanatory, I'd say. I mean turning you into Mills would be career suicide for me. I'm just as deep in this as you are, so why the hell would I do that now? And what do you mean you talked to him yesterday?" Jefferson was clearly just as on edge as she was. Emma could hear him shuffling through papers in the background.
"I-I- I don't know," she stammered, trying to absorb all of this as best as she could.
"This… this is not good, Emma. Tell me everything he told you."
Emma thought back on her conversation with her partner. He had seemed unusually jittery, fumbling over his words, making corrections and amending his statements as he spoke. Emma had been too overwhelmed by the whiplash of joy at hearing from him to anger and fear at his threats to shut down her operation to notice. She just chalked it up to his concern for her. Nevertheless, she told Jefferson everything he said, and brought up her concerns.
"Something ain't right here, Emma," Jefferson said on a sigh when she'd finished.
"No shit," she snorted, rubbing her fingers over her eyes and down her nose. "What now?"
"I'm going to look into this some more. Don't act on Gold until I figure this out. And I'll talk to the DA about a deal for Hook, but, Emma, I'll need a name," he said.
"Can't you just ask about it without a name? And this thing with Gold, it's not going to just wait around for us to get our ducks in a row. I may not have a choice, and I need to know I have backup," she said, thoroughly stressed by the whole situation.
"Fuck!" A bang sounded on the other end of the line, like Jefferson had struck something in frustration, making Emma jump. "I knew something was going to happen if I sent you in there alone. God dammit." He took a deep breath, the line crackling as he exhaled. "If you have to act, then do what you have to do. What's your timeline?"
"Two days. He's got something big going down the day after tomorrow and we think we've nailed it to the missing women," Emma told him.
"Perfect. Just amazing. So we have no time, no options, nothing except your bullheaded ass and six different fires to put out," he replied, sarcasm dripping from every word. "I'll work as fast as I can. But I need that name, Emma. Especially if this is wrapping up. We need to have as much of our shit together as possible on this."
Emma still hesitated. This was a big risk, revealing Killian's identity, but the payoff was too big to ignore and at the end of the day, she did trust Jefferson.
"His name is Killian Jones," she said quietly, knowing she either just sealed his fate or saved him.
"Got it. I won't put it out anywhere, Emma, I swear to you. We'll talk soon," he said and they ended the call.
Emma took a deep breath, letting her phone fall on top of the cushion of her bag and scrubbing the heels of her palms over her eyes. She had to tell Killian about Graham. This whole thing left a bad taste in her mouth and she was just ready to get it over with.
She dressed quickly and left the room, making her way down the short hallway to Killian's office where the door was cracked. Emma slowed her pace when she heard voices coming from inside.
"...not gonna like this, mate." That was Will Scarlett, his distinctive accent coloring his words.
"Sod what she likes, Scarlett. I care only for her safety," Killian answered angrily and Emma felt a fresh wound open on her heart at his words of betrayal. He was cutting her out.
"What's so special about this set o' tits ya took on anyways?" The sentence hadn't fully left Will's mouth when several bumps and bangs rang out that had Emma stepping back from the door slightly.
"Don't you ever talk about Emma that way again," Killian said in a voice so low and dangerous it sent a chill up her own spine.
"A'right, man, gerroff me!" Will replied, his voice muffled slightly. "Bleedin' Christ, Jones, you've completely lost your head over her. I only mean to say that I hope she's worth it."
Silence weighed heavily in the air before Killian spoke again.
"She's worth everything."
"Well, that's good since it's yer everything that's on the line here," Will scoffed and Emma felt the drain of blood from her face. Surely he couldn't mean…
"Emma needn't know that. All I ask is that you keep her safe. Can you do that, yes or no?" Killian asked.
"Well, seein' as ya won't be 'round to do it yer own self, looks like I ain't got much of a choice in the matter, do I?" Will snarked back. Killian chuckled, a clapping sound ringing out as if he slapped Scarlett on the back.
"You say that as if it hasn't been a long time coming. Mate, you and I both know I was never walking away from Gold alive. But the important thing is he won't walk away either. Emma doesn't need to see that, to see me…" he trailed off.
"See ya commit suicide? Literally?" Will snapped. Emma felt a panic rise in her like she'd never felt before. Before she could make a move to confront him, Killian spoke again.
"I guess we will find out tonight."
Tonight? The shipment wasn't for two more days! Emma's frantic mind screamed.
"This is absolute madness, and yer a fool. There has to be some reason Gold moved this shipment up." Will sounded like he was at the end of his rope trying to reason with Killian. Emma wanted to strangle him herself at this point.
"Aye. He feels the pressure. Gold is a master manipulator. He has eyes nearly everywhere and ears everywhere else," Killian said, his voice a razor's edge. "I'll go in tonight, take care of Gold. You will keep Emma here, distracted and then tell her to call it in to her contact at 7:00 pm on the dot. It will be over by then."
Emma looked at her watch. Thanks to their midnight interruption, it was already after 1:00. It was about an hour's drive to the docks. It would take another two hours to infiltrate. And Killian just tried to cut out the wrong woman. She was going, whether he liked it or not, and she had to leave now. She could hear Killian and Will still speaking with each other as she spun on the ball of her foot and stalked back to the bedroom.
Her heart was pounding in her chest but she felt an alert calm settle over her. She could not panic now. Not at zero hour. Not when she could still save these girls and Killian Jones.
The hell with the rest.
She shoveled whatever meager belongings she had strewn about the room into her satchel and began fixing her hair in a ponytail. She had to get out of there before…
"Swan?"
Dammit.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking her bag and slinging it over her shoulder before turning to face Killian. He stood there silently, two steaming mugs grasped in his good hand, studying her.
"Where are you going, love?" he asked but the look in his eyes told her he already knew the answer. He set the mugs on the nightstand and crossed his good arm over his prosthesis across his broad chest.
"Out," she replied stiffly and butterflies exploded in her stomach as she made to walk past him out the door. He grabbed her arm firmly and held her back, but only for a moment. She wrenched free from his grip and glared at him.
"It's quite rude to eavesdrop, darling." He held her gaze, inching closer to her until their chests were almost touching. He continued to stare down at hers, blue eyes twinkling with the fire of protective rage.
"It's rude to cut me out of my own fucking operation, Hook," she spat and he flinched at her use of the moniker. It was barely a blink of a flinch but she caught it all the same.
"I'm just keeping you safe. Doing what needs to be done."
"You don't get to make those kinds of decisions for me! And what good is going to come from you getting yourself killed?" She crossed her own arms and squared her shoulders. He had at least a half a foot on her in height and it looked like more when he was standing this close, forcing her to tilt her chin up to look at him.
"Plenty," he replied darkly. "You seem to forget that I'm also a criminal, love."
"And you forget I'm a goddamn cop. You don't have the resources to take this on."
"I don't need resources. Just proximity."
"You don't need to do this. Just let me handle this, we will arrest Gold and-"
"NO!" Killian roared, his hand and hook snapping to his sides. "If he goes to trial, he's going to walk. Just like last time. Just like every bloody time!"
Emma felt her rage blend with her fear, a dangerous combination and she wanted to lash out at Killian, do whatever it took to keep him safe. His eyes set on her from the corner of his lids, his torso expanding with every heavy breath he took. It seemed they were of a similar mind. Hook was faster.
Emma lunged for the door just as he lunged for her, catching her around the waist. Emma kicked and struggled but Hook managed to move them backwards, shoving Emma into the open door of the bathroom and shutting it soundly. The latch clicked into place and Emma raged at it, throwing her body against it with a screech. A horrible squealing sound rang out and Emma realized he was dragging something in front of the door.
Emma panicked. He couldn't just lock her in here and leave to go die. She couldn't lose him, too. She kicked and pounded desperately at the door and it splintered, but held fast thanks to the barricade. As she screamed and kicked, Killian's voice filtered through the gap in the door, farther away now.
"I'm sorry, agrà. I'm so sorry."