"Fair Game" Part III
NCDavis
Disclaimer: See Part I
AN: Thanks to those who've reviewed so far. I'm glad the "G-cake" folks are happy. ^_^ Housekeeping note: words in double colons ( ::) represent thought.
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Higher thought ceased in that moment. He devoured her mouth with his kisses not knowing how they managed to fall to the ground. She'd pulled up her skirt; he shoved down his pants. A soft breeze, a section of her dress, something whispered across his erection. It took him a moment to realize the guttural sound that followed was his own.
Her legs drew him to her as he plunged inside her. She gasped. Somewhere in the far recesses of his higher mind he knew she'd been a virgin. He should've given her time to adjust, but his primal mind was too long in control, too far gone in pursuit of his own pleasure. He'd found their rhythm, pulsing, pumping, pumping, pumping--
::Sweet gods:: Heat erupted from him, shuddering in waves for what seemed an eternity. He collapsed exhausted, awareness coming back to him as his body calmed to small aftershocks, intermittent thrusts of a waning lust.
His throat was raspy from his cries. Something bit into his palm. He opened his hand to see he'd crushed a small stone, the jagged edges of violently formed pebbles stuck in his skin. That concerned him. Even in passion he usually had better control of his strength.
He became aware that he was still resting the bulk of his weight on his partner. He shifted to one elbow. "T-Tira?"
She looked up at him, an unreadable look in her eyes. He frowned. As he thought back over the past few minutes, he'd heard not one sound from her, felt not one spasm of pleasure from her body.
She interrupted his introspection. "Hey, why so glum? Isn't this what you wanted?"
His head snapped up. There had been no anger in her words. No bitterness. It was as if she'd pacified a child.
"Me??" His temper flared. "YOU cozied . . .You think THAT'S what I wanted?!"
She sat up. "You've been watching me for weeks now. You've wanted to sleep with me for as long as I can remember. I . . . I decided I wanted that too. So we did. I don't understand why you're angry, Gateau. You've left a string of lovers in one-night stands. This is no different."
He jumped to his feet, pulling up his pants and trying to maintain what dignity he had left. His anger boiled until he stormed over to a nearby tree and slammed his fist into the trunk.
A smaller tree would've been felled by the punch, but this was an old soldier with a huge, thick body. Splinters of bark and pulp exploded at the point of impact. His arm went almost all the way through to the other side. That didn't satisfy him. He pulled back to deliver another blow.
"Stop!" Tira grabbed his bent arm. "Why are you so angry?"
He spun around, grabbing her by her arms. "Even my one-night stands share in more pleasure than a school boy's rutting. And you are far more than a one-nighter to me."
"More?" She sounded stunned.
She wasn't the only one. He hadn't expected the admission, and yet, he knew it to be the truth. He wanted more of her in, well, more ways than one.
What he didn't want was to keep playing catch-up in this game. She'd just put his mind and body in a tailspin. Time to regain control.
"Tell me one thing angel. Why did you sleep with me."
It took her a moment to respond. "I just . . . I just did."
"Sorry, wrong answer." He crossed his arms, feet planted wide. "If I'm gonna get used, I have a right to know why."
She flinched. Good. Right now, pricking her conscience salved his bruised pride. "I'm waiting."
Closing her eyes, she said, "After Tsu-chin, "she took a deep breath, "I started thinking."
Tsu-chin. The sorcerer Fungi had been turning the young men into a mind-controlled army that was sweeping across the province of Emah. With each battle, their exertion created a dark energy that fed Fungi's powers. The hunters had made their stand at the town of Tsu-chin with the aid of Pesto, a young parsoner who'd been learning magic. It was obvious he'd fallen for Tira. She'd seemed intrigued, but Gateau'd guessed her feelings for Carrot made her discourage Pesto's advances.
One night Pesto slipped away from their base to try to weaken the army before it reached the town. He'd been killed before they could reach him.
He knew Tira hadn't loved the boy, but had his feelings for her, and his death, made her examine her blind devotion to Carrot?
He had to hear it for himself. "What do you mean?"
"You're going to make me spell it out, aren't you."
"After what happened here? Definitely."
She heaved a deep sigh. "Pesto asked me questions. Why was I hiding myself. Why was I saving myself, hoping the someday Carrot would fall in love me. He told me what I never wanted to hear, that Carrot already loved me, just not in the way I wanted. He never would. I'm a beloved, sometimes pesky younger sister to him. Nothing more.
"He asked me how many chances at love had I missed because I'd never looked to see them. The last thing he told me before he left was that he hoped," her voice broke, "even if I couldn't love him, I'd one day open my eyes to see another man I could. Someone who could give that love in return."
Gateau could see the tears streaming down her face. He reached out to wipe them away, trying to process what all this meant. "So, you saying you think I'm that guy?"
She sniffled. "I, You're the only other one I can think of in that way."
"In other words, after Carrot, I'm the convenient default."
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
He shrugged. "I know nothing of the sort."
Wrapping her arms around her body, she went on. "There's a part of me," her words trembled, "that's been drawn to you since the day we met. I loved Carrot, but never. . . . That night you couldn't sleep, when I found you sitting by the window?"
He remembered. Another moonlit night. Her beauty, one that shone from deep inside her, had been a beacon to a man still grappling with the destruction of his family. He hadn't been able to help himself then either. In search of comfort, he'd stolen a kiss.
"Go on."
"The intensity in your touch, in your kiss spoke to a need in me I thought only my other self possessed."
He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "So you've just stopped loving Carrot, just like that." He snapped his fingers.
She shook her head. "I just know I can't love him the same way anymore."
He couldn't help but laugh, even though he didn't feel one trace of mirth. "Looks like neither one of got what we wanted." It wasn't simply because the sex had gone wrong. He could fix that. There she was, wanting him. All he had to do was take his time in obliging her. Not wanting to surprised him, but he could not, would not be just her rebound.
Huh. He was asking her to be honest, but was he being honest with himself. He'd played the rebound times before without a second thought. Hell, he didn't mind easing Marron's wounds. He raked his fingers through his hair. He knew. Deep down he knew. "Angel" wasn't some pet name. It's exactly what she'd been to him from the day they met. The day her serenity flooded his grief-torn soul.
A brush of wind shook him from his reverie. She inched closer to him, fumbling with the folds of her dress. "I want to move forward, to try to move forward with you. I just didn't tell you in a very good way."
"You got that right." Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. Damn. He really couldn't stand to see a woman cry. But he felt the tension slipping away. He could grasp what had brought them to this point, and he could see a future.
"Just understand this," he said, cupping her face in his hands. "No more making promises with that body of yours you aren't ready to keep. We'll take this at our own pace, because the next time we make love, there will be zero room in our bed for ghosts of bakas past. I intend to do everything in my power to make sure you won't want anyone else. Got it?"
She nodded. "You know something? When you're not using the world as your pose-down mirror--"
"Ouch."
She chuckled. "You can be pretty special."
He leaned close, their noses almost touching. "You don't know the half of it."
He brushed her mouth with his, just breaking contact as his tongue stole a taste from the tender inner skin of her lip. A soft whimper escaped her, beckoning him to deepen their kiss. A familiar, welcome hum streamed through his hunter's blood. He reached for her, gathering her skirt to expose the length of her thigh. Gathering . . . and gathering. . . .
Birdsong shrilled through the air, shattering the silence.
Tira pulled back, removing the bolt of skirt from his hand. "It'll be light soon. We should get back before Marron wakes up."
He felt dazed as they headed back to camp. He'd been denied even that minimal foreplay. "Damn birds." Damn skirt. He'd finally met a piece of clothing he couldn't whip from a lover's body in the blink of an eye.
Tira smiled. "So much for patient. Some things really are worth the wait you know."
True. However. "There is one thing I intend to do as soon as possible."
"What's that?"
"Burn that dress."
NCDavis
Disclaimer: See Part I
AN: Thanks to those who've reviewed so far. I'm glad the "G-cake" folks are happy. ^_^ Housekeeping note: words in double colons ( ::) represent thought.
__________________
Higher thought ceased in that moment. He devoured her mouth with his kisses not knowing how they managed to fall to the ground. She'd pulled up her skirt; he shoved down his pants. A soft breeze, a section of her dress, something whispered across his erection. It took him a moment to realize the guttural sound that followed was his own.
Her legs drew him to her as he plunged inside her. She gasped. Somewhere in the far recesses of his higher mind he knew she'd been a virgin. He should've given her time to adjust, but his primal mind was too long in control, too far gone in pursuit of his own pleasure. He'd found their rhythm, pulsing, pumping, pumping, pumping--
::Sweet gods:: Heat erupted from him, shuddering in waves for what seemed an eternity. He collapsed exhausted, awareness coming back to him as his body calmed to small aftershocks, intermittent thrusts of a waning lust.
His throat was raspy from his cries. Something bit into his palm. He opened his hand to see he'd crushed a small stone, the jagged edges of violently formed pebbles stuck in his skin. That concerned him. Even in passion he usually had better control of his strength.
He became aware that he was still resting the bulk of his weight on his partner. He shifted to one elbow. "T-Tira?"
She looked up at him, an unreadable look in her eyes. He frowned. As he thought back over the past few minutes, he'd heard not one sound from her, felt not one spasm of pleasure from her body.
She interrupted his introspection. "Hey, why so glum? Isn't this what you wanted?"
His head snapped up. There had been no anger in her words. No bitterness. It was as if she'd pacified a child.
"Me??" His temper flared. "YOU cozied . . .You think THAT'S what I wanted?!"
She sat up. "You've been watching me for weeks now. You've wanted to sleep with me for as long as I can remember. I . . . I decided I wanted that too. So we did. I don't understand why you're angry, Gateau. You've left a string of lovers in one-night stands. This is no different."
He jumped to his feet, pulling up his pants and trying to maintain what dignity he had left. His anger boiled until he stormed over to a nearby tree and slammed his fist into the trunk.
A smaller tree would've been felled by the punch, but this was an old soldier with a huge, thick body. Splinters of bark and pulp exploded at the point of impact. His arm went almost all the way through to the other side. That didn't satisfy him. He pulled back to deliver another blow.
"Stop!" Tira grabbed his bent arm. "Why are you so angry?"
He spun around, grabbing her by her arms. "Even my one-night stands share in more pleasure than a school boy's rutting. And you are far more than a one-nighter to me."
"More?" She sounded stunned.
She wasn't the only one. He hadn't expected the admission, and yet, he knew it to be the truth. He wanted more of her in, well, more ways than one.
What he didn't want was to keep playing catch-up in this game. She'd just put his mind and body in a tailspin. Time to regain control.
"Tell me one thing angel. Why did you sleep with me."
It took her a moment to respond. "I just . . . I just did."
"Sorry, wrong answer." He crossed his arms, feet planted wide. "If I'm gonna get used, I have a right to know why."
She flinched. Good. Right now, pricking her conscience salved his bruised pride. "I'm waiting."
Closing her eyes, she said, "After Tsu-chin, "she took a deep breath, "I started thinking."
Tsu-chin. The sorcerer Fungi had been turning the young men into a mind-controlled army that was sweeping across the province of Emah. With each battle, their exertion created a dark energy that fed Fungi's powers. The hunters had made their stand at the town of Tsu-chin with the aid of Pesto, a young parsoner who'd been learning magic. It was obvious he'd fallen for Tira. She'd seemed intrigued, but Gateau'd guessed her feelings for Carrot made her discourage Pesto's advances.
One night Pesto slipped away from their base to try to weaken the army before it reached the town. He'd been killed before they could reach him.
He knew Tira hadn't loved the boy, but had his feelings for her, and his death, made her examine her blind devotion to Carrot?
He had to hear it for himself. "What do you mean?"
"You're going to make me spell it out, aren't you."
"After what happened here? Definitely."
She heaved a deep sigh. "Pesto asked me questions. Why was I hiding myself. Why was I saving myself, hoping the someday Carrot would fall in love me. He told me what I never wanted to hear, that Carrot already loved me, just not in the way I wanted. He never would. I'm a beloved, sometimes pesky younger sister to him. Nothing more.
"He asked me how many chances at love had I missed because I'd never looked to see them. The last thing he told me before he left was that he hoped," her voice broke, "even if I couldn't love him, I'd one day open my eyes to see another man I could. Someone who could give that love in return."
Gateau could see the tears streaming down her face. He reached out to wipe them away, trying to process what all this meant. "So, you saying you think I'm that guy?"
She sniffled. "I, You're the only other one I can think of in that way."
"In other words, after Carrot, I'm the convenient default."
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
He shrugged. "I know nothing of the sort."
Wrapping her arms around her body, she went on. "There's a part of me," her words trembled, "that's been drawn to you since the day we met. I loved Carrot, but never. . . . That night you couldn't sleep, when I found you sitting by the window?"
He remembered. Another moonlit night. Her beauty, one that shone from deep inside her, had been a beacon to a man still grappling with the destruction of his family. He hadn't been able to help himself then either. In search of comfort, he'd stolen a kiss.
"Go on."
"The intensity in your touch, in your kiss spoke to a need in me I thought only my other self possessed."
He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "So you've just stopped loving Carrot, just like that." He snapped his fingers.
She shook her head. "I just know I can't love him the same way anymore."
He couldn't help but laugh, even though he didn't feel one trace of mirth. "Looks like neither one of got what we wanted." It wasn't simply because the sex had gone wrong. He could fix that. There she was, wanting him. All he had to do was take his time in obliging her. Not wanting to surprised him, but he could not, would not be just her rebound.
Huh. He was asking her to be honest, but was he being honest with himself. He'd played the rebound times before without a second thought. Hell, he didn't mind easing Marron's wounds. He raked his fingers through his hair. He knew. Deep down he knew. "Angel" wasn't some pet name. It's exactly what she'd been to him from the day they met. The day her serenity flooded his grief-torn soul.
A brush of wind shook him from his reverie. She inched closer to him, fumbling with the folds of her dress. "I want to move forward, to try to move forward with you. I just didn't tell you in a very good way."
"You got that right." Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. Damn. He really couldn't stand to see a woman cry. But he felt the tension slipping away. He could grasp what had brought them to this point, and he could see a future.
"Just understand this," he said, cupping her face in his hands. "No more making promises with that body of yours you aren't ready to keep. We'll take this at our own pace, because the next time we make love, there will be zero room in our bed for ghosts of bakas past. I intend to do everything in my power to make sure you won't want anyone else. Got it?"
She nodded. "You know something? When you're not using the world as your pose-down mirror--"
"Ouch."
She chuckled. "You can be pretty special."
He leaned close, their noses almost touching. "You don't know the half of it."
He brushed her mouth with his, just breaking contact as his tongue stole a taste from the tender inner skin of her lip. A soft whimper escaped her, beckoning him to deepen their kiss. A familiar, welcome hum streamed through his hunter's blood. He reached for her, gathering her skirt to expose the length of her thigh. Gathering . . . and gathering. . . .
Birdsong shrilled through the air, shattering the silence.
Tira pulled back, removing the bolt of skirt from his hand. "It'll be light soon. We should get back before Marron wakes up."
He felt dazed as they headed back to camp. He'd been denied even that minimal foreplay. "Damn birds." Damn skirt. He'd finally met a piece of clothing he couldn't whip from a lover's body in the blink of an eye.
Tira smiled. "So much for patient. Some things really are worth the wait you know."
True. However. "There is one thing I intend to do as soon as possible."
"What's that?"
"Burn that dress."