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Warning: This chapter contains a lovely long lemon. Skip ahead if you want or enjoy reading it as many times as you like!

24. Connected

(Sonya POV)

I woke up around 4:00pm feeling disoriented. Wondering why I was so uncomfortable, I realised that I was still wearing my evening gown, and the memories of the banquet and the altercation with Avery Lazar afterwards came crashing back.

Why did life always do this to me? I'd finally opened up to Mikhail – declared myself to him – and then I'd gone and ruined everything. He said he'd be back but somehow I didn't believe him.

I felt like crying but there were no tears left. Rising slowly from bed, I undid the clasp at my waist to remove the beautiful dress and threw it over the arm of the couch, not even bothering to hang it in the wardrobe. Pulling on some fresh underwear, my pyjama pants and a long sleeved T-shirt I returned to bed and replayed the disaster over and over, unable to fall back to sleep.

It must have been at least an hour later when I heard a quiet tap at the door, followed by the sound of a key turning in the lock.

So he decided to come after all, I thought morbidly. He's probably just stopping in to tell me it's over and to have a nice life.

I swung my legs out of bed and made an attempt to straighten up the crumpled blanket and cushions before moving into the kitchen to face the truth.

'Sonya,' the dhampir greeted me softly as he entered the room. He had changed into a fresh shirt and long casual pants but the faint shadows under his eyes showed how exhausted he was from the long day. Closing the door, he moved quickly towards me, only pausing when he sensed my strange mood. There was an awkward silence as he tried to read the situation, and my embarrassment doubled when I realised I was standing there in my pyjamas. I hadn't even gotten the chance to check the state of my makeup after hours of crying – I probably looked like a zombie.

'I didn't think you would come back,' I said, my voice tight as the tears threatened to fall once more.

'Of course I came back, Sonechka. I'm sorry I had to leave in the first place,' he assured me gently, reaching out to touch my arm.

I shrugged it away and stepped out of his reach – what was the point of getting close to him again if this could never work.

'I don't know why you bothered coming. You've seen what I am. I won't ever be normal. I can't be like those other women at the banquet – so graceful and easy to talk to, so together. I've had time to think about it and I can't let you waste your life on a mess like me.' It hurt to say the words aloud but I knew it was the truth.

He shook his head slowly and I expected him to turn and leave, but instead he gripped both of my shoulders and forced me to look at him.

'I love you Sonya Karp,' he said, his voice low and strange, 'and there is nothing you can say to make me change my mind. Life with you would never be a waste, and you don't have to change for me or be a certain way to please me. If I wanted someone uncomplicated and soulless I'd have plenty of choices around here, but I don't want that.' His voice had dropped to a whisper and he had gotten so close I could smell the sweet muskiness of his hair. 'I want a real woman Sonechka. I want you.'

'But… my magic,' I resisted weakly, wanting to give in to him but not trusting myself.

'Your magic is a part of you,' he ran a thumb over my cheek. 'We can learn about it together – find out how to reduce the effects of the darkness. I can protect you and make sure nobody ever takes advantage of your powers. I will support you no matter what.'

When I looked up at him his aura was pulsing a deep purple, and I knew beyond a doubt that there was no ulterior motive, no deception in his words. It was time to stop living in fear and accept the truth. He loved me and he was never going to leave me. And I loved him.

Keeping the rest of my body perfectly still I slowly raised up onto my toes until our lips met, never letting my eyes stray from his. The kiss was soft and lingering, our lips the only part of our bodies that were touching. I let down any last defences, closing my eyes in a demonstration of trust, taking half a step forwards until our bodies aligned and I could feel the warmth of his chest radiating into mine.

Two strong arms wrapped around me and Misha rested his hands briefly on my lower back before tracing up and down my spine as the kiss deepened. My own arms moved on instinct, my hands sliding tentatively up his muscular chest until they linked behind his neck, clinging to him so he couldn't disappear.

Suddenly his hands moved lower and I felt myself being lifted up as my lover carried me the few steps it took to settle me down on edge of the kitchen table, bringing my face in line with his. As he felt me relax and give into him, his kisses became deeper and I responded without inhibition, opening my legs slightly to allow him closer. Not needing any further encouragement, he closed the space between us and positioned himself between my knees, his hands massaging slow, deep circles across my back as he claimed my mouth as his own.

Soon his lips began to stray from mine, exploring my jaw-line and neck as I trailed my fingers through the back of his hair and ran my hands across his tight shoulders. The soft touch of his lips and the fine stubble on his chin rubbing gently against the sensitive skin below my ear sent chills through my body that escaped in a deep sigh of pleasure. He stopped for the briefest moment and I felt him smile against my skin as he took a wicked pleasure in my reaction before pressing himself against me to show me the effect I was having on him.

Oh God. This is really happening. Desire built within me, starting low in my belly and quickly spreading to my thighs and chest. Eager to explore more of him, I slid my hands underneath his close-fitted shirt and he raised his arms to pull it up over his head before letting it fall on the floor below us, hardly losing contact with my lips. I pulled back from him then, my breathing shallow and uneven, and he looked at me searchingly, wondering if he had taken things too fast. Until he understood what I was doing.

I had to see him, admire him.

He held himself still as my eyes roved over his bare torso; taking in the way the lamp-light threw shadows to accentuate the muscles in his shoulders, the way his pulse jumped under the skin on his neck, and the tiny goosebumps that marked the line where his stubble faded out into smooth, tanned skin. As my gaze roamed lower I reached out and brushed my hand across the soft, dark hair that covered his chest, grazing one of his nipples experimentally before moving my hand downwards, following the fine trail of hair towards his bellybutton and tracing the smooth muscles of his stomach. His skin twitched under my touch and he swooped down to kiss me hard on the lips, growling with want as his hands found the gap between my shirt and the waistband of my soft, cotton pants.

I shuddered with anticipation as his fingers slipped up underneath my top, working their way higher like they were searching for something. When he realised I wasn't wearing a bra his expression was priceless, and I leaned back as his mouth crept quickly down my neck and chest until his lips were in line with my breasts. He nipped at the hard peaks that stood out clearly through the thin material as he continued to explore my back and ribs with his hands, making me arch under his touch and whimper in pleasure.

The feeling of arousal was becoming unbearable and I knew something had to give soon. He must have felt it too because he suddenly kicked off his shoes and wrapped my legs around his waist, lifting me off the table. I could feel how swollen he was through the fabric of his pants and I felt myself subconsciously grind against him. He let out a long, low groan which he buried into my neck, causing me to writhe against him again.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the sofa-bed and he was kneeling on the floor beside me. He removed my slippers one by one then began to kiss my toes. I instantly squirmed away from him – I'd always had a weird phobia about people touching my feet.

'Hmmm,' he murmured under his breath, 'I wonder if you're ticklish anywhere else,' and he slid his hands up my legs and hips until they reached the hem of my shirt. He pushed it up to expose my stomach and began administering kisses all over my skin, gradually working his way down to the soft hollow below my hip bones. I let out a giggle but quietened down quickly when his mouth reached the top of my pyjama pants. He slipped his fingers under the elastic and gradually slid them over my hips, lower and lower until they passed over my ankles and were discarded on the floor. Then he worked his way back up my legs from the ankles leaving a trail of kisses on my skin, causing me to squirm and twist as he brushed over each sensitive area.

As he moved slowly upwards I became increasingly self-conscious, realising I was wearing a pair of plain grey bikini-cut knickers. It was hardly the underwear I would have chosen for a moment like this but my discomfort was forgotten when I felt his lips brush past the bikini bottoms and return to my stomach.

As much as I enjoyed him worshiping my body I realised that what I really wanted was to touch him, and right now he wasn't close enough for me to play out my desires.

'Your turn,' I managed to whisper through ragged breaths. I pulled him up onto the bed without any resistance and rolled him onto his back so I could kneel over him.

I planned to start by exploring his chest but he was determined to distract me. He raised his head and captured my mouth in his, nibbling at my bottom lip and pressing his tongue rhythmically against mine. I dragged myself away from his mouth, pushing him back onto the pillows so I could take a moment to catch my breath. Leaning down from my position above him, I moved my lips slowly and intentionally over his neck and chest while my hands reached down to undo the button at the top of his trousers. He quivered in pleasure at each touch, burying his fingers in my hair as he let me take complete control over his body. By the time my mouth caught up to my hands I had undone his zipper and he lifted his hips to allow me to slide the pants over his muscular thighs to join the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

It had been a long time since I'd been intimate with a man and the sight of the bulge in Mikhail's trunks excited me and frightened me a little bit as well. I experimentally rubbed the palm of my hand against him and he hissed in appreciation, pressing forwards into my touch. Feeling encouraged, I stroked him again and exposed my fangs, lowering my mouth to nip him lightly through the fabric of his underwear.

The primal sound he made sent a shockwave through my body and I was surprised when he pulled me up to lie beside him.

'I want to enjoy you tonight Sonechka,' he whispered, propping himself up on his elbow to look down at me. 'Don't rush to the end - there's so much more to share.'

As he finished speaking his hands travelled back to my breasts, stroking them gently through my shirt until the tips were hard and erect again before ducking his head under the hem of my top to tease me with his mouth. The warmth of his tongue swirling and dancing over my pebbled skin sent ripples of desire through my whole body, and the gentle tug as he captured a nipple between his teeth had me gasping for relief. I was so intoxicated by Misha's touch that I barely noticed him remove my shirt and suddenly I lay before him wearing only my knickers, vulnerable and at his mercy. He sat up, admiring what he saw.

'My God, you're beautiful,' he breathed, running a hand between my breasts and down my stomach. 'Are you comfortable?'

I nodded, shivering with nervous anticipation under his gaze, and drew a sharp breath as his hand crept over the thin material of my panties to stroke lightly between my legs. When the warmth of my arousal became clear he slipped his fingers beneath the fabric, searching for the swollen bud within. When he found it I thrust my hips forward into his touch and he caught the cry on my lips with his mouth, continuing to caress me until my thighs began to shake with pleasure.

I instinctively reached out to touch him, letting my fingers close over his girth. He groaned and deepened our kiss, moving his tongue and rocking his hips to match the speed of my hand.

'Misha,' I gasped as I felt him explore parts of me I hadn't trusted to another man.

And then he was gone. I felt the absence of his lips on mine, his manhood in my hand, his fingers on my sex, and I yearned for him to return to me. I opened my eyes and saw him bend down to remove his trunks. My eyes raked over his naked form, glistening under the lamp-light with a fine layer of sweat. A moment later he crawled back onto the bed and placed his hands on my hips, shifting them gradually lower as he carefully removed the last layer of fabric that separated us.

He lowered himself over me until I could feel his hardness pressing against my core and my breathing accelerated sharply as he teased me with his manhood. I arched my back and tilted my hips, desperate to feel him inside me, but at the last moment he changed his course.

Before I knew what was happening his head was between my legs, and I cried out aloud, clinging to his hair as his tongue traced tiny, intricate patterns that made me writhe under his touch. When I knew I couldn't hold on any longer he sensed the change in my ragged breathing and rolled over onto his back, lifting me up so I was straddling him.

From this angle I could see the eager desire in his eyes, the longing that had been building over weeks and months. I brushed against him so he could feel my wetness and he greedily pushed up against me, using his hands to shift my hips into position.

With one smooth movement we were connected.

Author's Note:

My first sex scene – I hope I've done it justice. (to be continued in the next chapter!)

When I read teen romance novels I always feel cheated by the lack of sexual content… especially when the authors do so much to build up to the final scene then they don't actually deliver on the sex part & it feels like a massive let down. (For example; I seriously can't imagine stopping at a crucial point in the process to have a lengthy conversation!)

On the other hand, lots of sex scenes I've read are so explicit that the emotional side can get lost in favour of describing the mechanics. (Also, I resent the over-use of the words 'pounding/thrusting' in sex scenes - there is so much more variety in real sex that should be represented!)

Seeing as I'm writing for adults, about adults, I've tried to have a balance of the romance & the sex... but what do you think?