Tainted Innocence

Chapter 3

Riddick was restless tonight…not sure if restless is the right word.  He tossed and turned almost violently but it wasn't really that that had woken me up.  A deep rumbling growl yanked me out of sleep so fast that when my eyes opened I was already sitting up in my bed, scanning the room for the animal I swear had gotten in.

Movement to my right drew my attention and I looked over at Riddick who, although was still asleep, was fighting his nightmares as if they were right there.  That deep growl disrupted the air around me again, vibrating my insides and I realized it was coming from Riddick.  If he could make a sound like that, I couldn't help but wonder what he sounded like when he talked.

He must have been having one hell of a nightmare; his muscles were tense and flexing, the grip he had on the sheets was so tight that the veins in his forearms became prominent, and he was soaked in sweat.

I calmed myself down as fast as I could because there would be no way to calm him down if I was panicked.  Staying on my side of the bed in case he lashed out, I reached for him and put my hand on his arm right at the curve of his bicep near the inside of his elbow.  The thick muscle jumped beneath my fingers and then settled, but not quite; I could still feel a slight quiver as I ran my hand down his arm to his fist, which was still holding tightly to the sheet.  I covered it with mine and squeezed.  His death-like grip eased and I was able to slip my hand underneath his to hold it, hoping he wouldn't break my fingers.

As his breathing slowed, I forced myself to move closer as a sudden want to comfort him overcame my fear.  I slipped my right hand under his neck and moved the hand I was holding onto his stomach, then reached for his shoulder.  With less effort than I was expecting, I pulled on him and he easily rolled into my arms, his body becoming slack against mine.

Without really thinking about it, I started lightly kissing him on the forehead as my hand stroked his back, attempting to soothe him, take away all the pain.  He can feel safe with me because he is safe with me.  I knew then that I would protect him with everything I had…no one would find him and no one would hurt him.  Not on my watch.

Riddick warmed quickly to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, snuggling closer to my neck.  I could feel his lips graze my skin and did my best to remain neutral…but who am I kidding, it wasn't possible.  It felt so good to be like this, share my bed, hold someone in my arms.  I have to admit the men I have had in my bed certainly wouldn't be lying in my arms.  That was by my choice.  I just didn't feel enough for them to want to hold them like this.

But with Riddick it came naturally, the want, the need, and I welcomed it; closed my eyes and relaxed into the feel of his arms around me, his warm breath on my neck, his soft skin under my hands.  God, I could stay like this forever, it was so comfortable, so calm; no menace or hate filled his tired muscles.

I could tell when he was back to sleep because his breathing became almost hypnotic to me but I was far from sleep.  This was something I wanted to enjoy.

I ran my hand over his arm, tracing the deep contours of muscle with my fingers then moved back up to his shoulder.  When I got to his neck he squeezed me and draped a leg over mine, nestling his knee right between my thighs…and I was on fire.  Calm down, calm down.  I had to repeat it over and over until the blood in my veins cooled a little bit.  This was going to be a long night if I kept this up.

And it proved to be a very long night but it was relaxing.  My mind was far away from my life; I didn't think about work and the boring routine I had slipped into, the endless nights alone, not very many friends to hang out with, and no interests, and no Ned.  The weight of Riddick's arm across my waist is what I was thinking about, the heat between my legs every time he shifted and rubbed against me.  It allowed me to get away from reality, be someone different, do something different, forget all the shit I had gone through and just enjoy the moment.  I might not get another chance.

Ned managed to ruin any kind of excitement in out relationship the first time he referred to me as a fairly decent fuck.  I was seriously offended; I always thought I was better than 'fairly decent'.  But…I kind of felt like I was stuck, I couldn't break free of him and to this day I have no idea why.  Things were pretty hot in the beginning and it blinded me to what he was really like, what he really did when he went out, and what he told his friends about me. 

Something Ned never knew about me was how much I liked the little things in life.  A simple caress, a sweet smile, a kind word but that was way beyond what he was capable of.  After a while our sexual encounters amounted to 'suck 'em and fuck 'em' kind of deals.  From that point on I never got any satisfaction from him in bed.  I didn't even get off by myself because his face would pop up in my mind and it would ruin the whole damn thing.

The tiny yet satisfying waves of stimulation I was experiencing with the feel of Riddick's body pressed so close to mine was something I haven't felt in ages and it was soooo good.  I could feel my body climbing that steep, rough pleasure mountain, nearing the peak with every slight movement of my hips.  But I couldn't reach the top.  I guess it had been too long since I've made it that high that I couldn't get any farther on my own.  Fear was also keeping my release at bay.  The man in my arms was still a wanted criminal and that's not what I really wanted to get deeply involved in…right?