Chapter 16
She sat on the stairs leading down to the cargo hold, maybe two or three steps from the bottom, just staring across the large room to watch small drops of water fall from the air conditioner to a growing puddle on the floor. Judging from the sounds above her and to the left, Riddick was pacing in the kitchen. Neither had bothered to take a shower, and neither had spoken in the two hours that had passed since the kiss they shared. The look overriding the silver shadow of his eyes was transfixed in her memory, the glint of light off the water droplets falling slowly and sporadically mirroring that emotion she'd seen and hadn't quite figured out. A combination of satisfaction, relief, and lust, maybe. Is that a good thing? Her brow furled as she tried to sort things out.
A heavy sigh, a shake of the head, a rub of the eyes. Nothing helped. She kept wondering if things would be easier for her – if it would be easier for her to make the move instead of making him – if she'd not kept up the disguise and learned the essentials sooner. She'd overheard conversations about what was supposed to be done in certain situations, what to say, what not to say, what to do, what not to do. But hearing from someone and knowing first hand were two completely different and irreconcilable things. She hated not knowing her role in all of this, hated not knowing what he expected or wanted from her. She glanced up the stairs at the half-open door leading to the main deck and sighed. Her eyes closed as her head dropped to her knees, pulled tightly to her chest.
He stopped rubbing his shoulder, hand still cupping the muscle loosely, when he smelled her walk into the room. He didn't turn to the doorway, didn't say anything. His skin prickled more intensely the closer she ventured toward him, but he still didn't move, as though he were letting his prey come to him before attacking. The attack would never come, though. Not from him. He'd put the ball in her court – this was her play. He'd stopped pacing when he heard her stand and start up the steps, deciding to sit in one of the chairs facing away from the door. He hadn't meant to indulge his tension with a slight rub – it was more of an instinctual response to the growing numbness. She was just behind him, and he still didn't move, even his breaths silent.
The world went dark as his eyes closed at her touch, slipping almost unnoticed under his hand, replacing his light massage with hers, fingers exploring an uncharted territory. Her contact became more confident gradually, the tension finally starting to melt away. He let out a contented sigh as her fingers worked a trail down the length of his spine, stopping at the top of the chair. Breath became gasp as her lips touched the side of his neck, but he still didn't reach for her.
"I don't know what I'm doing," she whispered, apologetically, pulling away and walking toward the door. The room was suddenly too cold to him, and he turned. She paused a few steps into the hallway and turned, eyes sad, as though he'd rejected her, but the look on his face seemed to contradict – he felt as though she'd rejected him instead. She managed a small smile and looked away.
"You were doing fine," he finally said. She flushed, but didn't say anything – didn't look up at him.
"You didn't say anything," she finally commented. He sighed.
"Too distracted." Her eyes met his, a smile touching the slightest corners of her lips, but it fell quickly. He nodded for her to return, and she complied after a fleeting moment's hesitation. As soon as she was within reach, his hand settled on her hip, pulling her to straddle his chair, facing him. Even with her above him, he looked down at her, her eyes betraying her nervousness. His face was gentle as he shook his head, his free hand sliding up an arm to rest at the back of her neck. He didn't have to guide her to him – just the slightest bit of pressure was all she needed to let her lips attack his, the air between them suddenly expelled. Her fingers roved over his head, the day's stubble tingling nerves. She pulled away first, gasping, forehead resting against his chin.
"I've never done this before," she said quietly. His eyes opened, and he pulled away to search her eyes. It was an admission that obviously terrified her. She flushed crimson and let her eyes close, her fingers tightening on his shoulders as though she were trying to keep herself from falling backward, but she didn't waver. "Show me." It was just a whisper, but it was all the encouragement he needed. His lips worked a hint of a trail from the hollow of her throat to the crook of her jaw, hands sliding down her arms and settling on her thighs, tightening at the sharp intake of breath she granted him. His fingers slid behind her knees as he stood, walking to his room, his lips slowly conquering hers.
Her eyes never opened, even as he lowered her to the bed and lingered above her, smoothing her hair as his kiss continued its assault. Her hands never strayed from his shoulders, though they explored the terrain she'd already discovered. The stirring in his groin was growing more insistent, and he barely confined the urge to grind against her. No, he had to do this slowly. He settled for relaxing against her, lips returning to the soft skin of her neck, smiling against her as her breath grew more erratic.
His fingers found the hem of her shirt, sliding upwards to expose her stomach, thumbs teasing and tickling up to her ribs, then replacing hands with lips. Her back arched as his lips continued their exploration, abs tightening the lower he ventured. A movement caught his eye, and he glanced up to see her reach down and remove the shirt he displaced, revealing the black sport bra underneath. Her eyes opened and she swallowed the lump in her throat as his thumbs hooked in the waistband of her pants. He paused, watching her. They just stared at each other for a moment.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. The nod she returned served a dual purpose – to convince him as much as herself. He didn't continue, but didn't withdraw, either. She nodded again, her hands covering his encouragingly. She forced her eyes to close again as the material slid down her legs, hoping there was a way she could escape his sight, but even the dark couldn't do that. All she could do was not see him seeing her.
His lips settled on hers again, and she was suddenly irritated at his remaining clothing. Her hands searched out the hem of his shirt, and he broke the kiss only long enough for her to wrench it away and toss it somewhere on the floor. A moan escaped her as she unconsciously rolled her hips, making contact, drawing a hiss from him. His breath blasted against her cheek, lips never breaking from hers.
She hooked her toes in the waistband of his sweats, pressing the arches of her feet into his skin as she drew them down. She mentally thanked him for not getting the ones with elastic ankles. That would have made for an awkward moment she didn't think she could have dealt with this time. He gently bit her bottom lip, drawing a whimper as she drew her feet back up to rest in the crooks of his knees, shifting below him. A nervous giggle escaped her as she fought with the sport bra, regretting the choice the instant she tried to discard it. He was too distracted by what she exposed to notice, and her fingers stopped working as his lips closed around an aching nipple, easing the strain with a swirl of his tongue. Her back arched, allowing his hand to span the small of her back. Both crests were treated with equal attention before his hands slipped down her sides, sliding below her panties to draw them down her legs. He kissed the inside of a knee and the opposite thigh before leaning in to taste. Her breath halted, her back arching again before she let out a groan. It was only a taste, and then he moved on, his lips leaving a trail of heat back up her body before he hovered over her.
Her eyes opened to reveal a serious face, lids heavy, eyes focused on her. She reached up and let her hand cup his cheek before sliding around to the back of his neck, drawing him down to kiss her. She'd missed those lips on hers. He allowed her only a short kiss, though, withdrawing to look at her again.
"Last chance to change your mind," he said slowly. A nervous smile, and then a shake of her head. He kissed her slowly, watching her eyes close before guiding himself to her. Slowly, he reminded himself. Her brow twitched downward a bit, and he paused, waiting until her face relaxed. She drew in a sharp breath, and he paused again, waiting. His lips broke away, and he pressed his cheek to hers, pushing forward again, feeling her tense, and then pausing. Another advance, and her fingers dug into his skin. He kissed her shoulder, hand caressing her side, pressing on until she whimpered. He felt the resistance give, but didn't continue. Her fingers still dug into him, and a sniffle caught his attention. He glanced up at her, watching a tear slide down a reddened cheek. "Okay?" She shook her head, covering her eyes with her hand. "Want me to stop?" She shook her head again, rubbing her eyes. "Sure?" A small nod. She removed her hand from her face and opened her eyes, letting another tear break free. He leaned forward to stop it with a kiss, receiving a small smile. She lifted her head to capture his lips, and he continued forward in a long, slow stride, stopping when he could go no further. She trembled under him, fingers still digging. He waited for a while, the stillness maddening, but he wanted this to be right. She clenched and unclenched around him, but he remained unmoving until she ground her hips against his, rewarded with a groan vibrating through both of them. Her back arched as he withdrew and pressed forward again slowly. She whimpered against his lips, not out of pain this time.
Her hands started exploring again, sliding against his skin as she met his thrusts halfway. She tore her lips from his, kissing his face, neck – anywhere within reach. His grunts competed with her small gasps, hips gradually increasing their pace. Her hands tightened on his arms as she drew in a sharp breath and held it, biting down into his shoulder, driving him over the edge. The darkness swirled around her, vision impaired, nothing but sensation. She was vaguely aware of him still moving, a grunt punctuating each push until he stilled completely for a moment, finally sliding against her, a contented sigh fanning across her dampened skin, bringing goose bumps. They just lay there, motionless, sporadic breaths slowing.
She opened her eyes slowly, fighting to focus on his eyes. A lazy grin slid across his lips as he leaned forward, kissing her lightly before lifting a heavy hand to caress her cheek softly, watching her eyes close at the gesture. He slowly rolled onto his back, the arm that had been under her pulling her against his side.
"I'm cold," she whispered. He chuckled and nodded, and they both scuttled under the covers, returning to their embrace. She let a hand slide around his middle and then settle on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. He covered her hand with his, the other hand tickling a light trail up and down the small of her back, smiling as she arched against him. She sighed contentedly as sleep hovered over both of them.