Chapter Seventeen:



Claire glanced clandestinely at Leon, her throat dry and hollow. Her mind was a mess too, she didn't think she could say one coherent sentence even if she could think of it. Leon seemed to walk with an assurance in his step as he more or less led her to her room and closed the door. But, then again, Leon didn't have any reason to have the inhibitions Claire was having. He probably didn't need to worry about hearing Steve's voice while kissing her. That was one thing that was going through her mind and making her rather chary as she sat down beside Leon on the bed.
She couldn't believe she was thinking this now. Just seconds before she had been more than ready to jump into bed with Leon, but now that it was about to happen, she lost nearly all the confidence she had gained.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
After a few moments, Claire nodded. "I'm fine." She managed to say and even returned a kiss Leon gave her.
RELAX! she scolded herself. Just BREATHE. And for God's sake LOOK AT HIM!
Following her own orders, she looked up at Leon who was smiling weakly at her. Why am I so afraid of him? she thought. Why can't I do this?
"Claire..." he began, his hands caressing her waist. "Look, we don't need to do this if you don't want to--"
"NO!" she interjected just a little too loudly. "I mean, no..."
Ready or not, she just couldn't stop now. She needed this.
"Are you sure? Because I won't allow you to kiss me unless you really really mean it." Leon said, trying to joke but failing at it.
A light laugh escaped her, loosening her up so she could finally think of something to say.
Leon reached around and pulled her closer so that she was arching against him. Instinctively, Claire's eyes closed and she allowed Leon to part her lips with his tongue. Lying down on her back, she fiddled blindly with Leon's zipper and finally got it down. Parting only temporarily, Leon undid the button of his pants and squirmed out of them so fast that Claire felt compelled to laugh. The impulse lasted all of two seconds until Leon looked back up at her, the arousal in his eyes so intense she almost looked away.
Scootting herself up against her headboard, she watched as Leon unbuttoned her red cotton blouse and then fingered the lace at her bosom. Swiveling her hips slightly, she swing her legs over the side of the bed and kicked off the slippers she had been wearing then returned to her original position beneath Leon.
Holding her gaze, Leon supported her with one hand while he used the other to draw an imaginary line down her bare navel and then tickle her belly button.
"Leon!" she cried, recoiling and doubling over to hide her stomach or any other part of her that was sensitive to tickles.
A deep chuckle emerged from Leon's throat that told her that he enjoyed torturing her so but he apologetically placed his flat palm at the base of her jeans, then unsnapped the button and separated the zipper.
Sitting back, he tugged roughly at the material until he had pulled it from her body, revealing her smooth, shapely legs. Claire threw her blouse over the side of a chair and sat up, pulling her legs together at the same time and coyly pulled her hair aside, silently commanding him to take her bra off.
Wasting no time in obeying orders, Leon nearly ripped the lace way from her skin and Claire turned around, dropping her hair down so that it curved around her shoulders. With a small sigh, Claire surrendered her mouth once again to Leon's, silently reveling in the obvious agony she was putting him in as she stubbornly refused to spread her legs to his wandering hands.
'Disgusting.'
Claire's stomach tightened as she struggled to keep her eyes closed. She willed herself to stop hearing him. She hugged Leon hard and concentrated every fiber of her being on him.
'He isn't there!' she thought desperately. 'He isn't there...'
"Oh, Claire." Leon moaned as she reached into his boxers and stroked him with expert attention.
'What the hell do you think you're doing?' Steve asked coarsely. Even though her eyes were shut tight, she could practically SEE him frowning at her.
'No, no, no!' She thought, herself. She fought against his image and concentrated on happier moments. Riding with Leon on his motorcycle, dancing in the club, taking pictures, visiting with Chris...
'You CAN'T get rid of me, do you hear me?' Steve's voice raked against her back, but she could hear him fading away--slowly, but he was.
'Just fight him.' Claire thought fiercely. 'What ever you do, don't let him win.'
"Leon," she gasped breathlessly. "Take me now."
Too weak from desire, Leon didn't argue, he pulled his boxers down and then Claire's panties. When he pressed himself against her, Claire waited to hear Steve's voice, his bitter tirades--anything. But she heard nothing.
She opened her eyes, Leon was the only one there. A smile suddenly broke over her face.
"Oh, God, I CAN love you!" she blurted out without thinking.
Leon seemed surprised and he stopped what he was doing to look at her strangely. "Uh, I guess...you can..."
Claire grabbed him and kissed him repeatedly until he could hardly breathe.
When her enthusiasm died down, Leon grinned.
"May I continue?"
Claire smiled and pulled him back on top of her.
"Just to let you know, I love you." she told him.
"I noticed." he said. "But I love you, too."
In the next few minutes a stream of 'yes's poured from Claire's mouth as Leon kissed and nipped at her skin, caressing her curves and driving her insane with lust.
"Leon!" she cried, yanking him back up, unable to take it anymore. "Take me, take me now."
In response, Leon just grinned, fully intending to hold out longer, but Claire wasn't going to have it.
"I'm not joking, Leon." she spat, sounding forceful but feeling desperate. "If you don't take me now I'm just going to die!"
Leon just chuckled at her vehemence and stroked her hair tenderly as he moved between her and pressed against her entrance. Claire cried out as she felt his throbbing manhood against her inner thigh and she hooked her arms under his own, gripping his shoulders with her hands. A groan of either pleasure or pain escaped Leon then and he slipped inside her with tender, but excruciating slowness. Claire's head fell back against her pillows and she gasped every time Leon slid deeper.
Her hands went to the nape of Leon's neck, which was taut with corded muscle from all the restraint.
"Ugh." he groaned, taking a deep breath. "God, you're a so tight."
Claire sobbed in prostration as she struggled to stretch in order to accommodate his size. "Well...you're a little...bigger than I'm used to..."
Leon snapped his head up so quickly that he could have broken his neck. "Are you serious?"
Claire shrugged. Was it absolutely necessary to confess this right now? At this moment?
"Yes." she replied.
Then Leon did the last thing she expected him to do. He laughed. Really roared. So much that he was shaking.
"What's so funny?" she demanded.
"Nothing." he replied breathlessly.
His laughter was contagious and she burst into giggles just as he was subsiding from his. In mock frustration Leon dropped his head to her chest. "What's wrong with YOU, now?"
Claire shook her head vigorously. "Nothing."
It took awhile, but eventually she calmed down and found it easier to fit him inside her and soon they were fixed on their lovemaking. The room was silent except for the sound of the rain outside and their heavy, ragged breathing and the occasional creak of the bed beneath them.
"Oh, Claire...oh Claire..." Leon whispered into her ear in between strokes.
Claire murmured back some other incoherent reply but but couldn't think to save her life. Her right hand was clasped in Leon's, his fingers all but crushing hers as their pleasure mounted. Claire's eyes snapped shut and her legs tightened around Leon's waist that it was impossible that she couldn't be hurting him.
"I'm coming." she told him.
As if that were his cue, Leon sped up his tempo and Claire's moans grew louder and more frequent before she let out a loud scream. She felt herself orgasm and Leon pumped even faster before coming a minute later. Claire finally felt her body collapse with exhaustion and Leon's did the same. He rolled off of her and laid beside her on the bed while she snuggled next to him. The world became still and quiet then, even the rain outside seemed to come to a halt.
She must have drifted into a light sleep because she awoke about thirty minutes later. Leon was sitting up, facing away from her, fiddling with something in his hands.
"Hey, Big Guy." she said, giggling and slipping her arms around him. "You could have just woken me up."
Leon jerked around and looked surprised, but then he smiled softly. "Nah, you looked too tired."
Claire rolled her eyes. "What are you doing?"
Leon hesitated before laying down beside her and holding up a large gold ring with an emerald and cross on it. Claire frowned and started to say something but Leon stopped her. "It's an heirloom. An Irish Celtic Ring." he explained. "My father gave it to me, it's been passed down through nearly ten generations." He twisted it between his thumb and forefinger. "I...well, I was wondering...will you wear it?"
Claire opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. Then she shook her head. "No, no. I can't. You already gave me too much jewelry--I can't."
Leon's brows dipped into a puzzled frown. "Claire, please? I want you to wear it...it's a sign of my..." He paused and took a deep breath. "I want you to wear it forever. Because that's how long I'll love you. No matter what." He took her hand and kissed it. "It would be an honor if you would wear it."
Claire looked down and laughed softly through filmy eyes. "I don't think it will fit."
Leon looked down also and switched the ring to her thumb. Then he looked back up at her and puckered his lips. Claire tried to refuse but Leon insisted.
"It's an heirloom. It should stay in the family." she declared as he slipped it onto her thumb.
"So? Maybe...maybe someday...WE'LL be family." he said, his voice breaking.
Claire blushed a deep red. "You mean... you have a brother?"
Leon laughed and shook his head. "No. I'm the only boy in a long line of girls."
"Shoot." Claire said, disappointed.