Shelter from the Storm Chapter 16
All standard disclaimers apply. This story is mine, as are the characters of Leyza Berard, Ray Garcia, Phillippe and Marie Vachon, Francine, Solange Laperrier and Jeremy Cole. Please do not borrow them without asking.
The Highlander concepts and the characters of Duncan MacLeod, Joe Dawson and May Ling Shen are not. They belong to Gregory Widen, Davis/Panzer, Rysher, Gaumont and probably a few others I've forgotten. I've dared to use them without permission, and hope they'll forgive the transgression, because this story is merely a labor of love. I'm not making a cent from it.
He eased her back up again, then spun her out and away from him. As he did, his foot struck the end of the table. "Oops,"he said grinning. "Guess that's got to go."
He held her hand while he nudged the table to the wall with his leg, then he kicked the cushions over to join it. "Instant dance floor," he said waving his hand with a flourish, then he pulled her close again. "Sometimes having no furniture is a definite advantage."
Leyza laughed as she closed her eyes to savor the warm touch of his breath tickling her ear. The moist heat of his hand on her back seeped through the thin fabric of her dress, and the hollow of his throat - mere inches from her mouth - tempted her to kiss it. A swell of intense need filled her until she thought she would burst with wanting him, then he spun her out again and twirled her at the end of his fingers.
In the dead silence between songs, the throbbing of Leyza's heart pounded like a drum beat in her ears. For a flickering moment, she and Duncan stood motionless with just the length of his arm separating them. Neither one moved as they gazed at each other across the narrow space.
Then the plaintive strains of Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade spilled into the silence, and Duncan pulled her back into his arms. Simply swaying back and forth he danced her around in a small circle, then he released her hand so he could hold both hands pressed against her back.
Leyza flexed her fingers over his chest until the warmth of his body bled through the soft silk of his shirt, then she linked her hands behind his neck. Moving her fingers in a slow rhythm, she let them play in his silky hair.
Duncan slid his hands to the small of her back, then he pulled her closer, close enough for her to feel the stirring in his groin, close enough for her to know how much he wanted to make love to her.
To hell with the consequences. It didn't matter if she shattered his precious glass walls, or probed wounds that hadn't yet healed. He wanted to taste life again. He wanted to reach out and grab it with both hands. He wanted to tunnel his hands through her hair, to plunder her mouth with his tongue, to bury himself and a year of anguish deep within her welcoming warmth.
Her lips set little flares along his skin as she brushed light kisses on his neck. He dipped his head to take possession of her mouth. Holding her close with one hand, he slid the other up her back. He caressed her nape with his fingers, then he did what he'd been wanting to do all night - he removed the pins from her hair.
"Duncan," she said, breathless as she pulled away. "You're messing my--"
The words caught in her throat as she caught the look of longing in his eyes. Deep shimmering desire made them glow with a dark amber light, that strummed strings of need deep within her. This was it then - the moment they'd been moving toward all night. Their gazes locked as he raked her hair out of its tight twist.
Strands of it tickled her skin as they fell to her shoulders. He brushed it back with his hand as he trailed kisses down her neck, then across her shoulder. One skinny strap slipped off, then the other as the music reached a crescendo.
Another song came on, one with a loud pulsating beat. "We can do without that," he said in a low growl as he danced her over to the shelf.
Still holding her in a strong embrace, he reached over to turn the music off, then he moved his hands to her arms. He skimmed his thumbs over her skin in a light caress and inched the thin straps of her dress further down her arms. They stood breathlessly gazing deep into each other's eyes, then he eased her back against the low wall of the upper level.
For a long moment, he let the visual impact of her lovely face wash over him. He memorized every detail to save, to savor, to lose himself in, then he focused on her mouth. Her full lips were parted in a clear invitation as she looked up at him. He bent his head to taste their raspberry sweetness, to feel their sun-ripened warmth.
She melted against him and leaned in to deepen the kiss, but he wanted to take his time, to cherish every moment. He tightened his grip on her arms to hold her in place while he danced his tongue over her lower lip.
Her breasts brushed against his chest as she breathed a faint giggle into his mouth. "That tickles," she whispered.
He lifted his head, then gazed deep into her eyes. They were luminescent pools of jade, he could easily drown in. "Shall I stop?" he asked.
She smiled as she slid her hands up his arms. "Don't you dare," she answered with another giggle, then with her hands pressing against the back of his neck she urged him closer for another kiss.
This time she didn't let him tease. She parted her lips and invited him in. And this time he accepted her invitation. This time he kissed her deeply, letting his tongue explore the sensual pleasures of her mouth.
He moved his hands to her waist, holding her close, yet holding her back at the same time. He wanted this moment to last forever, needed this moment to free him from a year of pain. Without giving much thought to the reason, he lifted her up, then set her down on the wall. She moved her legs apart and let him stand between them.
Time stopped for both of them as they feasted on the heat of their desire, as they fed the flames of their hunger.
Already breathless with need, Leyza gasped when Duncan slid his hands up to tease the underside of her breasts. She longed to feel the texture of his palms, gliding over her bare skin. When he caressed the aching flesh with his thumbs, she answered with a moan of pleasure, then she pulled away from the kiss.
"Now, Duncan," she whispered as he trailed kisses down her neck. "Make love to me now."
His lips left a warm, moist, tingling wake as he moved his mouth over the swelling curves just above the neckline of her dress. With both hands, he lifted her breasts closer to his questing mouth, then using his thumbs he eased the fabric down to expose them.
"It's been a long time," he mumbled with his face buried in the warm valley of her flesh. "I have to practice a little first."
Leyza laughed as she leaned back to slip the straps off her arms. When the top of her dress fell in a soft puddle of crepe at her waist, she wove her fingers through the luxuriant thickness of his hair and urged his head lower.
"It's like riding a bicycle, remember?" she said, then she placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head.
"What if I fall?" he asked, as he surrounded her swollen nipple with a fringe of delicate kisses that nearly sent her over the edge.
She took a long deep breath, then exhaled on a sigh. "I'll catch you," she answered.
When he flicked his tongue over the nub of her nipple, her senses exploded in a neon rainbow of hot burning need. As it coursed over her in relentless waves, she struggled to breathe.
Swirling his tongue around the tip of her breast, Duncan suckled her deeply. She leaned back, then wrapped her legs around him to ease the engulfing hunger that raced down their length from her center.
"You're making me crazy," she whimpered.
He lifted his head just enough to look into her eyes. "Tell me what you want," he whispered.
She seized the opportunity to tear at the buttons of his shirt with trembling fingers. She closed her eyes, then moved her hands over the strong muscular ridges of his chest, and she shivered as the silken texture of his hair tickled her palms.
"I want you," she said, pushing his shirt down over his shoulders. "I want you inside me, here ... now."
"No," he said, slipping his hands into her hair. The lush strands thrilled him as they slid like melted satin through his fingers. "I'm not ready, yet."
Leyza took hold of his belt buckle, then she opened it with a deft touch. Tucking one hand under the waistband of his trousers, she slid the other over the bulge of his erection.
"I think you're more than ready," she said, her voice low as a cat's purr.
Duncan chuckled softly as he grasped Leyza's hand before she could pull down his zipper. "I'll decide when I'm ready," he said, still laughing as he pressed a tender kiss on each one of her curled fingers.
He uncurled her fingers, planted one kiss into her palm, then sowed more kisses up the inside of her arm.
"You know what I really want," she said, with a small sigh while he marched his parade of kisses up the slender column of her neck.
"Tell me," he mumbled, then moved to reclaim the rosy peak of her breast.
He got in one long lick, before she slipped her hands beneath his chin. She lifted his head. "More than anything, I want to give you what you want ... what you need."
For a moment Duncan stared at her while she caressed his jaw with her thumbs. His heart skittered over a beat as he let her words sink into his passion-swamped brain. What he wanted ... what he needed. He hadn't considered ... hadn't thought about what he needed for so long. What did he want from her?
Just mulling over the implications sent white hot nettles streaming into his already swollen shaft. He arched one eyebrow as wickedly erotic images filled his thoughts. "My game?" he asked, grinning as he cocked his head.
Leyza nodded, then she let her tongue glide over her upper lip and she moved her hands to his shoulders. "Your game."
"Okay," he said, letting his grin subside into a lazy smile. "House rules."
Then before she could say another word, he lifted her effortlessly and carried her up the stairs.
