Chapter 90

Pulling Elain to her feet, Lucien pressed a kiss to her cheek. He bent to pick up their books, tucking them under his arm before taking her hand and smiling at her. "Let's go down to the shore." He suggested, "The rockpools are quite interesting."

"What's in them?" She asked, and his smile widened.

"Something different each time…"

It didn't escape his notice that Elain stuck close to him, her hand holding firmly to his own, as they walked down to the shore. He could tell that she had felt horrible about what she had asked him the night before, and he felt horrible that he hadn't immediately banished her fear by telling her that she was his only choice. Dismissing the question immediately, he had thought, wouldn't have helped her to feel better as she may have just thought he was telling her what she wanted to hear. Lucien had figured that if he gave the question proper thought, she would get more satisfaction from his answer.

By the time they got down onto the sand, he was sweating under the hot Summer sun, and he was eyeing the water with interest. "Here…" he slipped his jacket off, and set it down on the sand, their books atop it before he looked to Elain with a smile. "Come up here…" he led her toward the low flat rocks nearby where he'd found some rock pools the last time he had visited the court. Elain followed him quickly, having taken her shoes off and set them beside his jacket.

They wandered around the rocks for about half an hour, bending to look at shells and small creatures here and there, and Lucien had wondered if Elain wasn't mere seconds from going to fetch her little book to begin drawing what they had found. By the time they got to a little outcropping of rock, Lucien was pleased to find a deeper pool that he remembered and, as he stood watching the larger of the waves approaching wash over the edge to add more water to the pool, he began pulling his shirt up and over his head.

"What are you doing?" Elain asked, and he could hear a laugh in her voice.

"Got to get into the water." He grinned, "I am so hot." He began stripping off the rest of his clothes and he glanced at Elain when he heard her gasp.

"Lucien!"

"Yes?"

"… anyone could see…" She moved toward him and he grinned at her before slipping into the pool, his eyes closing in pleasure at the cool water sliding over his skin.

"There's nobody anywhere near us." He looked up at her standing at the edge of the rock. "Join me…" He watched as Elain glanced around them, squinting into the distance, before looking back at him uncertainly and biting her lip. It was clear that she wanted to. "Come on, Petal…"

Lucien's grin widened the moment he saw her give in. Elain's hands began undoing her dress before she sank down beside the pool as she pulled it off and he reached a hand out to her to help her in. "You sure nobody…" Her dark eyes moved up and down the beach again, and Lucien nodded.

"There's nobody here but us."

When she slipped into the water Lucien caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to himself. "It's deeper than I thought…" she murmured and he smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he held her.

"I've got you."

The way she clung to him made his heart swell, and he couldn't believe he had ever allowed her to wonder if he would have chosen to be with her or not. "I know." She breathed, and Lucien turned, swirling her around in the water.

"I love you." He told her, lifting his head to press his lips to hers gently. Her smile made his heart quicken its pace and he tightened his hold on her. "I will always choose you." He breathed, and he knew that it was true. There was no way he would ever not choose Elain. It was impossible for him to not want her. The look in her dark eyes then told Lucien that she knew precisely what he was telling her, and he kissed her again, groaning when she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck in response.

He had told her last night that he didn't know what he would have done if Jesminda had still been alive. It was clear to him now what his choice would have been. He had loved Jesminda. At the time he had thought she was his mate, and that he would never love anyone more than he had loved her. He hadn't known what the bond felt like, however. The way that he loved Elain was more in every way.

He met her gaze again and knew that she was aware of his nature of his thoughts. Tears filled her dark eyes and the relief he felt down the bond from her just about took Lucien's breath away. "Petal…" he said softly, lifting a hand to her cheek as he turned them again and moved to the edge of the pool. The rock was smooth here, and Lucien pressed Elain back against it, his hands sliding down to her waist to hold her there as he pressed his lips to hers once more. "Elain…"

Her hands skimmed his shoulders an instant before she kissed him back and he let it all wash over him. As the waves continued to roll in, creating little ripples across their pool as the largest of them crossed the flat rock, Lucien tightened his hold on Elain. Slowly, ever so slowly, he kissed her. His hands held her gently back against the smooth rock, and he pinned her hips with his own, as he licked carefully at her lower lip. When she opened to him, he grinned, not increasing his pace in the slightest, despite Elain's frustrated growl as her own hands tightened on his shoulders. He knew that he was hard, but he wanted to just enjoy this a little before they did anything further.

Lucien continued to kiss Elain slowly, deliberately, enjoying the feeling of her body tremble against his own as her hands pulled at him. Slowing down even further, he held her in place, trying to breathe thorough his own desire. He wanted her hot and desperate for him before he even thought about entering her. Gasping into the kiss when one of Elain's hands slipped down between them and she took hold of him while hooking one of her legs around his hip, Lucien brought one of his own hands up to take hold of her face. Holding her still, the tip of his nose just about touching hers, Lucien met Elain's dark brown gaze and held it as he so very slowly pushed himself inside of her. Her soft gasp stirred his blood, but he kept hold of her face, his eyes locked on hers as he pushed into her over and over. Watching Elain intently as he moved, Lucien couldn't look away as his desire began to build as he could see her begin to unravel. She whimpered softly, and soon was begging him for more, for everything he had, and Lucien gave it to her, his hand still holding her face so he could watch her, and her hands scratched at his back as she clung to him.

"Lucien…" Elain's voice was a whimper on the gentle breeze, and he only pushed harder, earning another whimper as she clutched at him, her eyes closing for a moment. Lucien let out a soft pant, trying to maintain his rhythm, his eyes still intently upon Elain's face as he thrust again and again, wanting her to feel as if he had claimed her.

"You… are… ahh…" he groaned, nearly losing it when she opened her eyes to meet his again, "Mine." He panted, "You're… all… I could… ever want…"

Elain nodded as best she could with his hand still holding her face, and Lucien released her. Her head tilted back almost instantly as she looked to the sky, and her other leg hooked instantly around his waist as he continued to smoothly thrust into her, taking his now free hand over her shoulder to grip at the rock, pulling himself to meet her more easily. Elain let out a cry, and Lucien began grinding up into her after every thrust. He grinned at her low moan, and an instant later one of her hands was in his hair as the other clutched at his shoulder.

He could only ever want her, he knew that, and he told her so, murmuring into her ear between thrusts. Her hand tightened on his shoulder, her nails pricking at his skin as she moaned again. Slipping one of his own hands around to the back of Elain's neck, he held her where he could watch her face as he moved more quickly. Her eyes closed again and he couldn't look away from her face as he moved. She was hot and tight around him and felt himself approaching his edge an instant before Elain shrieked, tumbling into him down the bond and taking him with her as she fell.

When he could breathe again, Lucien pressed his lips gently to Elain's cheek as he felt her pull her nails from his skin. "You and I belong together." He whispered, shifting his lips to her ear. "We belong to one another…"

"Yes." She breathed, and he smiled, gliding his lips along her jaw, not yet ready to pull away and release her.

"I can hardly wait until the bond is made what it should be…"

She gave a gentle laugh at that and Lucien lifted his head to look at her. "Soon…" she promised and his heart quickened at the thought. He nodded, but then spun around as he felt someone approach. Elain's eyes had widened as she had looked past him, and Lucien knew exactly where Varian would be as he turned.

The dark-skinned faerie looked down at them, one of his eyebrows raised and Lucien felt Elain press herself to his back, sinking in the water to hide herself behind him. He felt her press her face into his shoulder, and he heard her mortified whimper.

"Ah… apologies…" Varian said softly, "Tarquin asked that I let you know that you should return to the city before nightfall… which is in less than an hour."

"Thank you." Lucien said evenly.

"Yes… ah… dinner is, again, during sundown…"

"We shall return with all due haste." Lucien said and Varian nodded once before turning and striding away. Elain as still tucked against Lucien's back and, when he spun to face her, he found her practically scarlet. "It's okay, Petal." He smiled, stroking her cheek with his fingers.

"He had to have seen…"

"I don't think so." Dark eyes met his and Lucien smiled, sliding an arm around her waist once more to draw her in and kiss her gently, "I think we're fine… now, let's get out of here and back up to the city. I'm rather hungry, aren't you?"

"Yes…" Elain let Lucien help her up out of the rockpool where she quickly pulled on her dress before standing up. He followed her, tugging his pants on before they went to retrieve their other things from where they had left them. "Do… you really think he didn't see anything?"

Lucien wasn't sure, but he doubted Varian would have watched if he had have accidentally seen anything. "He's not the perving kind." He said instead, watching Elain as she nodded her acceptance of that assessment. "Come on, Petal…"

Taking her hand in his, Lucien began to lead her back up to the city, hoping they would have the time to bathe quickly before dinner. He would like to get the salt water off of his skin before they had to sit at a table, and he rather liked the idea of getting Elain out of her dress again as soon as possible.