Chapter 31

The sound of the deadbolt locking was thunder in her ears, echoing despite the cozy surroundings of Cain's room. His aura reached her before he did, caressing her skin and enveloping her in its soft hum. As she watched him advance, the purposeful way he moved, the intent expression on his face, she wondered what it really meant to be loved by Wyatt Cain.

He kissed her soundly, an undercurrent of something slightly unhinged swirling in his aura, and he buried one hand in her mass of curls while his other pressed her against him. He held her firmly, his fingers tense from the effort. It wasn't gentle but it was perfect.

He's been holding back this entire time.

The hand at her hair released the large pins holding it in place, letting her curls tumble down past her shoulders. She arched against him, sliding her hands under his shirt, nails digging in as she gripped his sides. When she broke away for a breath, the hand at her back moved to reach for the knot in her robe, pulling the flimsy thing undone easily.

He took in a sharp breath as he pulled it open, his hand bunching the dark blue fabric at her hip before sliding up to follow the curve of her waist.

"You're even more beautiful than I imagined," he said, his voice deep and gravely as his thumb grazed the covered underside of her breast.

"You imagine me a lot then?" she asked. She meant to sound playful but instead it came out breathless and shaky. She dragged her eyes up to his face, feeling her chest and neck flush with warmth. His eyes were hooded, shadows flickering across his face in the firelight of his room.

"DG," he sighed, his fingers tracing down her temple, "You have no idea what that sketch did to me...what you do to me."

She shivered as the deep rumble of his voice passed through her and she found herself incapable of speaking, surprised she affected him so; that he was as overwhelmed by her as she by him. He leaned in again, pausing when his lips were a hair's breadth from hers.

"I love you," he said before closing the gap. She could feel the bittersweetness of it, the final act of moving on for him. She brushed her tongue against his softly, her hands cupping the sides of his neck and thumbs passing over his cheeks. She never wished for him to forget his old life but together they will forge new memories, and tonight she would love him enough to push the sadness away, if only for a while.

She pulled back, letting her robe slide from her shoulders down into her arms before tossing it on the floor. Taking his hand, she stepped back towards his bed and climbed onto it, looking back just as he pulled his shirt over his head.

Cain was a broad man with thick muscles, cultivated from of years of physical labor, the very definition of sturdy. The firelight caught the scars that danced across his body, some she recognized, some she did not. His shadow fell over her as he join her on the bed, his body covering hers with one of his knees between her legs. She ran her hands down his chest, bringing them to rest on his lower back as he ducked his head and started to kiss her collar bone. Her skin buzzed in the swirl of his aura and she eagerly pressed herself into him as his hand slid down her thigh. It paused at her knee and pulled it up to hook around his waist before skimming back up her side. She could feel the hard length of him pressed into her hip through his thin sleep pants and she gently rolled herself against him. The hand at her side spasmed as she moved, his fingers digging briefly into her flesh and she felt him breathe heavily into the side of her neck. He drew back to kiss her deeply and pulled at the hem of her gown, dragging it upward.

"Off," he murmured against her lips and moved to the side to allow her to sit up and pull the gown over her head. He went to move back over her as the garment hit the floor but hesitated when she hooked her thumbs into the sides of her underwear, sliding them down her hips as she laid back on the bed. He stared, his eyes roaming over her as he breathed heavily through his nose and swallowed thickly. DG slid her hand up the back of his neck pulling him to her, a soft sigh escaping her lips as he settled between her thighs. His mouth left hers to cover her breasts and her eyes closed involuntarily at the swirling warmth. It was replaced by the cold night air as he moved between them and she could feel her nipple drawing tight in response. Heat pulled in her belly and she unconsciously moved her lower half against him in small, mind numbing circles; he surged against her in response, stars erupting behind her lids. She wanted more, she needed more.

Her hands found his jaw and tugged him firmly back up to her mouth, silencing his barely vocalized protest.

"Off," she commanded, reaching down to pluck the waistband of his pants. He rolled to the side, barely breaking the kiss to kick them off, immediately moving back to between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist adjusting her hips to feel his cock slide against her, hot, thick, and hard. His hips jerked at the contact and he he broke off the kiss, drawing in a serrated breath at her ear.

"Fuck," she heard him mutter to himself and she smiled as the thrill that went through her at effecting him so. He moved his hips again to repeat the motion, this time pausing as he rested against her entrance. He brought his eyes to meet hers, one last reassurance that this is what she wanted.

Her heart felt like it would shatter with the sweetness of it and she leaned up on her elbows to press a soft kiss at the hallow of his throat in consent. His hips pushed forward, slowly sinking into her, a deep groan vibrating against her lips. His arms wrapped around her and she clung to him as they moved together, slowly becoming more and more frantic in their movements. Cain suddenly sat up, his hands gripping her hips holding her to him, his thumb starting to massage her clit as he moved within her. His breathing was heavy and his eyes trailed over her body as she started to moan, her hands fisting the sheets at her side. She could feel his entire length slide in her and she clenched around him tighter with every stroke. She pushed the building pressure down for as long as she could, trying to drawn out the sensation but it finally could not be contained any longer and she let out a cry, her thighs pulling tight around him. Quickly, he leaned over, wrapped his arms around her before pulling her up to straddle his lap as he drove up, deep as he could within her, muffling her cry with his mouth. One hand dove into her hair, holding her lips to his while the other cupped her ass, still moving her against him as he spilled himself within her.

As his grip on her became less ferocious, so too did the kiss. He broke it off to rest his forehead against hers, their breathing eventually resuming a normal pattern. They stayed that way until sweat on their bodies made them chilled and they had to retreat under the covers for warmth. She rested her head on his shoulder as his arm banded around her. Sleep claimed them easily, both their restless souls calm for the first time in years.