Warning: this chapter is highly explicit. If you can't stomach the M rating for sexuality then I suggest you skim at best or avoid altogether.
A knock pierced the silence that surrounded the house. Hope had gone out to the tavern with Devlin for the evening; some sort of program was being sponsored by the mission that required her attendance and Devlin had gone as companion. As far as Ashlynne knew, Parlan was still at the party. Thus there would be no one else who could come up to the house at this hour. She growled to herself, she'd only barely returned home a half hour before and was still in the process of conjuring up some real food after having stripped down to her chemise and pantaloons. She moved across the room and jerked open the door, not caring about her lack of clothing.
With the door open all previous thoughts escaped her mind and she became frozen to the spot. James stood alone in the darkness, looking rumpled and wild, breathing quickly as if he had just run the few miles up the hill from town. Ashlynne could not find the words to speak, even if she had wanted to. They stood there silently, both breathing through their mouths, their rapid heart rate making it impossible to do otherwise, staring intently at one another.
"I had to come." He whispered. She nodded, still unable to speak or move.
Thus James was the first to move, his movements fluid as he slid into the house, his eyes never wavering from hers. With every step forward she found herself moving backwards, not out of fear but most definitely out of expectation. He'd said hours before that there would be a continuation of their rekindled intimacy and from the looks of things he had every intention of seeing that statement through. From the way her body was already heated and thrumming with pleasure, she was just as keen as he.
Ashlynne felt warmth flood her belly as James stalked closer, slowly backing her across the room without having to utter a word or reach for her to do so. The door still stood open, the heady evening breeze wafting in through the opening. The candle that had been lit on the table blew out and they moved as one with only the trickling moonlight to distinguish each other from amongst the shadows. Each step they took was calculated and direct, an unstoppable force that overwhelmed their thoughts. He hadn't even reached out towards her and shivers were already licking up and down her spin. All she could think of was the here and now. Her body began quivering with excitement, needing something that she could not name nor knew exactly, other than the image and presence of the man before her.
Their footsteps echoed in the room, the only other sound their breathing. She had not realized they were moving quickly until her back was suddenly pressed against a wall, making her breath catch in her throat. They stood there silently, their hands at their sides, no contact between their awakened bodies. Ashlynne felt that she could melt into a puddle of liquid happiness under James's flaming gaze.
James was again the first to move, his movements slow again but just as soundless. He moved forward just a hint of a step, bringing him that much closer, but still that much out of reach. Their body warmth mingled together, the air between them charged with powerful awareness. With each deep breath, the lapels of his jacket brushed against her chemise. That hint of a touch had Ashlynne closing her eyes and licking her lips, yearning for more but unsure of how to ask for it. Her eyes flew open when James's warm hand lightly cupped her chin, stroking the pad of his thumb back and forth over her hypersensitive skin.
Ashlynne felt the warmth low in her belly spread, tendrils snaking out and pooling between her legs. Had she been an instrument at that moment then he was in the process of tuning her. She was thankful then, for the wall, as it kept her from sinking to the floor. She felt light headed and realized that she was panting and it was most definitely not from physical exertion, at least not yet. She clenched her hands at her sides to keep from reaching out for him. Somehow she knew that he had to be the one to break the barrier between them; instinctively she knew that this was his atoning moment. He wanted this to be about her and not him.
As if to further clarify this assumption she heard his voice, low and rumbling roughly from his chest, "What do you want Ashlynne?" He held up both of his hands in front of her, palms up, but kept his gaze strong and steady with her own. "Show me what you want from me."
His eyes momentarily swept lower, and she knew he would be able to see how thin the chemise was, how obvious his effect was having on her. Ashlynne sucked in her lower lip in thought momentarily then, with faltering hands, she reached up and tugged at the thin ties that held the chemise together. As the ties loosened and the chemise began to gape further and further open, she saw that James' fingers, his hands having moved back to his sides, were clenching and unclenching, perhaps fighting the urge to reach out and take from her what he wanted.
With only the thin sleeves holding the chemise up but with the gap near down to her belly button, Ashlynne was made vulnerable to his sight. Even in the moonlight he would be able to see the scars that marred her skin. His gaze softened when he looked at them, but the desire didn't diminish. She reached out and took hold of one of his hands and brought it up to her face. His fingers immediately traced her jaw line then down her neck to her collar bone before they rested on her shoulder. She took his other hand and placed it on her face as well and this time his fingers traced the outline of her lips before he lowered them to her shoulders as well.
She leaned her head back to rest against the wall and in turn James stepped closer, one of his legs coming to rest between hers. With a sigh Ashlynne lowered herself down more firmly against his leg and they both shivered from the contact. James bent his head and kissed her neck, and she tipped her head to the side to allow him better access. He placed hot, lingering kisses all the way down her neck to her shoulder where he gently bit the cord of muscle that connected the two. As he did this, his hands slowly moved outward, pushing the thin material of the chemise over the edge of her shoulders, then down the length of her arms. Only once the chemise was caught at the width of her hips, and she'd pulled her arms free again, did James cease his kisses to her neck and lean back to look down at her.
She resisted the urge to cover herself when she saw the look of adoration mixed with desire in his eyes as he leaned down and pressed the side of his face against her rapidly beating heart; he made her feel as if she were the most beautiful creature to walk the earth. Only a few panted breaths passed before James was standing up fully again. He brought one of his hands up to first cup her breast then gently knead it, his thumb passing over her nipple. She could feel it harden and barely suppressed a gasp at the sensations the touch sent coursing through her body. He shifted his hips a bit and she felt keenly the evidence of his own desire for her. He bent down then and took the nipple of her other breast into his mouth; they could both clearly hear her sigh his name.
All rational thoughts left her mind as her eyes rolled and her back arched, her hands immediately coming to cradle his head against her chest. His tongue flicked across her nipple while his lips continued to suckle gently. She felt him lightly nip his teeth against her, her hips immediately bucking in response. Her breathing was erratic, as was her heartbeat. She sighed and let her eyes close and her head rest against the wall once more.
When she thought she'd come undone from this attention alone, one of James's hands slowly traveled down her body to rub her belly. She sucked in a breath and gripped his waist, her fingers kneading his muscles in response. He took his time moving further and further down until he finally traced his fingertips across the mound that remained hidden beneath her pantaloons. Ashlynne's hips shifted forward slightly, subconsciously looking for his hand again. James smiled, she felt the movement of his lips against her breast, as he brought his hand down again, his whole hand pressing down over her. She was on fire, the warmth traveling between where his one hand continued to caress her breast and where the other cupped her firmly.
"If you want me to stop," James lifted his head and kissed her neck, "you need to tell me now Ashlynne." She heard a near pleading note in his voice and she felt the tenseness in his body as if he were holding back from truly letting go. He shifted his legs slightly, pulling her closer. "Tell me, Ashlynne." He moved his hand up to toy with the ties of her pantaloons while the other began to stroke up and down her side, coming up and over her breast then down and around to her lower back. "Do you want me to stop?"
She blinked away the haze his ministrations had brought her. She saw the same desire as before, the same adoration, but she also saw hope. It was the hope that had her removing her grip from his hips and tugging on the stays of her pantaloons. Within moments the thin fabric was also on the floor by her feet and she now stood completely naked before him. Instead of feeling that the control was in his hands, that she should cower in vulnerability towards him, she well understood-from the way he sucked in his breath, the way he licked his lips as he drank in the sight of her, and the way she heard her name sighed out from his lips-that she was truly the one in control. Her body may be naked to his eyes but it was his soul that he was laying before her in return.
His hands shook when she took hold of them and placed them over both her breasts and again leaned her head back against the wall. The warmth of his hands was soothing, comforting, reassuring, as they passed from her breasts down her ribcage, and over the swell of her hips. He shifted closer as he moved his hands around to cup her rear, pulling her up and against him just long enough to place a soft and lingering kiss against her lips. He cupped the back of her head with one hand, laving soft kiss across the expanse of her face before settling his forehead against her own, while she reached up and took hold of the other.
With her hand covering his, she trailed it down her body back to the heat where she most wanted his attention. They both shuddered when she settled his hand directly against her, the wet heat immediately covering his fingers. She pressed her hand more firmly over his and he understood the gesture by increasing his own pressure against her folds. His fingers began to stroke a fire alive in her belly and when she thought it couldn't get much better, he pressed a single finger inside her. Ashlynne moaned and immediately bucked her hips against his hold. Ashlynne leaned her head forward against his shoulder and tried to keep her senses about her as he slowly pumped his finger in and out of her, hooking it slightly to rub against her inner walls in a way that she'd never known would drive her wild.
James leaned back up and kissed her deeply, his tongue thrusting inside her mouth in rhythm to the thrusting of his finger as it moved.
"Do you want me inside you?" James pressed his fingers more firmly against Ashlynne, eliciting a moan, "Here, do you want me inside you here?"
When James pressed against her again Ashlynne mewled and cried, "Yes!"
James smiled and pulled away. Ashlynne immediately felt alone and her eyes opened. She watched as he kicked off his shoes and quickly shed his trousers. She reached out and with hurried movements helped him disrobe his jacket and blouse and when they were both naked, James pulled her into his arms in a warm embrace and they shivered together for a moment.
"You're sure?" He was being "noble" by asking her again, now that they were both naked and had had time to take a breather. She felt the pounding of his heart against her chest and knew her own mirrored his. She'd seen herself in his heated gaze before. The need. The want. The hope. Dare she think it: the love. All of it had been there staring back at her.
He pulled back and his eyes darted down to her lips and she realized with a jolt in her stomach that he was going to kiss her again. He moved slowly and she shocked herself when his lips finally met hers. While his kiss started out sweet and soft, something clicked in her brain again and when it did, Ashlynne wrapped her arms around James's neck and pulled him more fully against her, hooking a leg around his waist, near climbing up the length of his body in her enthusiasm.
"Very." She whispered against his lips.
He pulled back enough to look down at her, "What?"
"I'm verra sure."
As he lowered himself to kiss her again, his naked flesh pressed against her, the world blanked out then and all Ashlynne was aware of was James. His strong arms enclosing around her, crushing her against his firm body; his hand possessively stroking her back and tangling up in her hair as he began to lower them to the floor and rolling over until she was half lying on top of him; his lips blazing a line down her neck to her pulse. Ashlynne sighed and pulled his head closer when he licked the skin above her heartbeat, slowly rubbing his teeth against her skin.
Fueled with a sudden desperation at this thought, Ashlynne buried her hands in his hair and pulled his head back in order to kiss him. She drove her tongue deep into his mouth, mentally smiling when his tongue just as possessively tangled up with hers. Ashlynne moved her legs until she was straddling his waist and gasped when she him press intimately against her. His body shuddered from the contact and she felt his hips give an involuntary jerk, as if seeking more warmth.
She trailed her hands down his chest then back up again, memorizing the feel of his skin, the warmth and texture of it, every bump and scar, every hair and dip and curve. She wanted to remember this moment forever. Her fingers lightly brushed over his nipples and his breath hitched. She smiled and did it again, this time applying more pressure. When he smacked her rear lightly in response she let out a squeal of laughter. James reared up and swallowed the rest of her laugh with a kiss while one of his hands reached between them and stroked over the nub hidden in her folds. Ashlynne rose up in surprise and elation, her mouth dropping open in pleasure. James smiled up at her and did it again. He made her reactions feel so natural and so she held nothing back.
It was when she could handle the building fire no longer that she wrapped her hand around him and began guiding him to her entrance. She met his gaze and somehow managed to keep her eyes open as, with agonizingly slow movements, she lowered herself onto him. She felt robbed of breath the sensations were so great by the time she was settled fully on top of him. His hands came up to grab her hips, to hold her still or urge her on she couldn't tell quite yet. He licked his lips and gave her a smile. She reached down and traced her fingers along the line of his neck as she raised herself up again only to shift downward suddenly, driving him deep into her. They both gasped and his hands tightened on her hips; she'd most likely have marks to remember this moment by. With the same slow-fast movement she raised herself almost completely away from him only to shift down and bury him deep inside her again.
"You will ne'er leave me." Ashlynne rolled her hips and watched as James' eyes momentarily screwed shut with the pleasure. "You will ne'er lie to me." She rolled her hips the opposite direction before rocking forward. "You will ne'er withhold yerself from me." She leaned down as she continued her rocking motions. She kissed him softly and used one of her hands to smooth some of the sweaty hair away from his face. "You will be mine completely." His eyes were open as she spoke and she saw the acceptance in his gaze.
He moved his hands from her hips up to frame her face, "You will never hide yourself from me." He pulled her down to kiss her. "You will never needlessly endanger yourself." At her slight frown he reached down with one of his hands and lightly swatted her rear. She yelped but giggled after. "You will never seek the aid of others before me." She glared at him but when he raised his hand over her rear as if to swat her again she sighed and nodded. "You will also be mine completely."
They sealed this makeshift bonding ceremony with a deep kiss. Leaning up again, Ashlynne increased the rate of her rocking movements, her breaths coming out in hot pants, fanning out against James' chest. Ashlynne felt the burning pool together and start to climb up her torso. She knew this climb. It would reach her throat and make it hard to breathe, it would clench around her heart and make it nearly erupt, it would settle low in her stomach and make her hips buck, it would tingle up her scalp and make her eyes cloud. She wanted this, oh how she wanted this.
Sensing the building desperation within her, James reached up and tweaked both her nipples as he began to lift his lips to meet her movements. Her pants turned to cries and within only a few moments of this attention she was falling over the edge of the mountain she'd climbed and James' name escape her lips on a hearty moan. While she was still in the throes of her climax, James rolled them over and surged in and out of her with grunts of his own. Ashlynne brought her legs up to circle high around his waist, bringing his thrusts deeper. She clutched at his arms for purchase, barely mindful of the cold floor scraping at her back. With a growl of his own, her name a prayer, Ashlynne felt liquid heat throb out of James and fill her womb.
James collapsed on top of her and would've rolled off to spare her the weight had she not kept her arms and legs wrapped around him. Ashylynne couldn't move, save for the continuous shiver coursing through her highly sensitized body. She clung to James as if he'd hold her to reality and he kept his hold of her as well. She did not know how long they might have laid there had she not heard a board of the floor creaking to her right and looked up to find Devlin pointing a sword at James' back. James tensed as well and looked over his shoulder, though not moving from covering her body with his own. Ashlynne heard what sounded to be a barley suppressed giggle from somewhere near the door but couldn't see past the table and chairs. Devlin's face was devoid of all emotion and so Ashlynne hadn't a clue what was going on his mind.
Her curiosity didn't last long, however, as Devlin suddenly sheathed his sword and grinned down at them both. "I hope you realize you'll be marrying her now, Norrington." He reached down and tossed James' jacket at him before turning to face the door, allowing them some semblance of privacy to hastily pull on clothing. "It seems that there will be an addition to the family, Hope. Best get buying new furniture; we'll need a bigger table."