13. Fantasy Illumi
His arm went around her waist. This was something he had seen coming. She was bent backwards over his arm like some tango dancer, but he could feel that he was all that was holding her up. She was out. Ideally, she would be put to bed to sleep until tomorrow when she would be largely recovered. But this was no ideal world and he was running out of time. He lowered her to the floor and felt her pulse, a little thready, but not too bad. Her face was white as chalk; he needed to get more blood to her brain. He reached down to her feet and slipped off her shoes. Then he grabbed one ankle in each hand and stood up. He put her feet under his arms with his hands under her knees. With her legs elevated like this it shouldn't take too long for her to come around. She was looking better already. "Lucia, Lucia! Wake up Lucia!"
There was that strange swimming feeling. But why did she have to get up? The campaign had ended; she could sleep in. Why was her bed so hard? It was going to give her a headache. And someone was tickling her behind her knees. No. No. Ha, ha. No. "Stop it," she demanded. She opened her eyes and looked up, but then she knew she was still asleep. Illumi Zaoldyeck was standing between her legs holding one of her feet under each arm and tickling the backs of her knees with his fingers. Honestly, her fantasies were getting weirder and weirder. And she could feel the tickling Ha, ha, ha. It was unrelenting. "Stop. Stop, please!" She guessed "please" really was the magic word because Fantasy Illumi stopped. And he spoke.
"Miss Ver…Lucia, are you awake?"
Un Uh! Fantasy Illumi was not supposed to call her by that name that made her sound like a simpering debutante! He had slipped up and she was going to give him a piece of her mind…such as it was. "Illumi Zaoldyeck!" It was always best to use as many names as possible when meting out discipline. She didn't know his middle one so this would have to do. "Why is it whenever I'm with you I wind up without shoes and with my dress hiked up to my waist?" To his credit, Fantasy Illumi blushed and he put her legs down. She liked this new Fantasy Illumi! He slid over to her head and she knew this familiar part of the dream. This was where he kissed her. But the new Fantasy Illumi was taking his time just sitting back on his legs looking at her. Maybe she had scared him with her mean talk. The other part was fun, but she really wanted her kiss from Fantasy Illumi. She held her arms out to him. "Kiss me!"
"Lucia?"
Fantasy Illumi was dumb. This past stupid campaign must have made him stupid too. He had moved to lean over her so he was right over her face, but he was just looking in her eyes with his brows slightly drawn in worry. Don't worry, Fantasy Illumi! I know you can only kiss like Mikey, Karl, that good looking First Lieutenant, and that guy what's-his-name from Summer Camp, but it's not your fault you are limited by my pitiful lack of experience. I love you, anyway! And with that thought, she pulled Fantasy Illumi down on top of her.
Ouch! Fantasy Illumi had hit her ribs with his elbow. That was the first time Fantasy Illumi had hit her, usually she didn't even imagine that he had elbows. His lips had missed too, but he was making up for it now, nibbling on her bottom lip, and soothing it in his mouth. Oh Fantasy Illumi! Her hands flew into his hair, as usual, but it was different too. Usually, it felt like her own hair; but now it felt a lot thicker, heavier, coarser; not nearly as soft, but wonderfully smooth. And her hands could get lost in it. And speaking of hands…
One of Fantasy Illumi's hands was up her dress, between her legs, lightly stroking the inside of her thigh, the other one was behind her head, moving it so he could kiss her deeper and harder. Fantasy Illumi wasn't dumb; he was brilliant! He had learned so many new things! And he smelled different too. Before, he had always smelled like the forest on Kukuru Mountain, but this Fantasy Illumi didn't smell like the forest. He smelled a little bit like soap and sweat, not bad actually, just more like a real person. And, hee, hee, he needed a shave. His face was prickly! Now if he'd just let her breathe. She needed to breathe. Breathe, now!
When she had awoken so quickly, he had suspected something was still not right, but her comment about the dress and shoes was accurate, so he thought she might be coming around…just a little angry with him. Then she'd asked him to kiss her with an expression so completely different than the one she had worn just a few minutes before when he'd held her wrist, or when he'd licked her hand. He still didn't know why he'd done that, now, when time was so important. He wasn't going to repeat that mistake, but she, it seems, had other ideas. He was already aroused from seeing her holding his weapon, so when she pulled him down on top of her and began kissing him, arching and squirming beneath him while running her hands through his hair, how could he not answer her? She was so wild and willing and so very, very innocent. She was new to almost every touch and technique. But she was eager to learn, and he could teach her. If he was to be the one to protect her, he might as well be the one to corrupt her too.
Illumi was no innocent. None of the Zaoldyeck brothers were. They had been trained to use all of their bodies and that was just one more part that could be used to bring pleasure or pain. He knew what he wanted to bring Lucia VerHoffen. Except she did seem to be in some kind of distress now, because…
He had forgotten how short the time was that ordinary people could hold their breath. He broke the lip lock and sat back on his heels; her arms around his neck, she was pulled up with him, coughing and sputtering. He rubbed his hands up and down her back as her breathing began to even out and return to normal.
"Il…huff…lu…huff…mi?"
"Yes."
"Illumi… huff…huff. It's really you…huff… Illumi."
"Yes, it is really I."
At which point she slapped him right across the face.
