Chapter 178

Lucien's fingers pushed into Elain's hair as the afternoon sun blazed in through the window and across the bed. She just watched his face as he lay beside her, his eyes focused on her as his fingers caressed her. "How do you feel?" he asked her, and Elain paused to consider.

"… content?" she murmured and he smiled.

"So the need is gone?" he asked and Elain pushed herself up on her elbow to better look at him. She thought about it for a second, and figured that he was right.

"I…" she blinked, looking at him, "What about you?"

He nodded, his fingers sliding down the back of her neck as his eyes remained on her face. "I think it's abated…"

A strange sense of loss flowed through Elain. "Oh…" she murmured and, a moment later, Lucien pulled her carefully down to him, kissing her gently.

"It's okay, Petal." He told her, releasing her just a little, "Don't be sad."

"Mmm…" She ran her eyes over his face as he looked at her. "But that means its over." She watched him think for a moment, that thoughtful expression that she loved crossing his face before he replied.

"It means it's just beginning." He rose a little until he was sitting beside her, his hand still at the back of her neck. "Our life together…" he smiled widely, "It starts now. Mate." Elain smiled back at him, nodding her agreement. "Don't think that just because the frenzy has eased that I don't want you." A mischievous smirk worked its way onto Lucien's face and he winked at her, "All the time." He slid his other arm around Elain's waist and she let him draw her closer.

"I suppose we will have to let them know." She said softly, "That the frenzy has passed…"

"Not yet." Lucien's smirk grew and he pulled Elain down and settled himself over her. "We can afford just a little more time just for us…"

"Ah…" Wrapping her arms around Lucien's neck, Elain relaxed beneath him as she held his eyes. "I think I rather like the sound of that."

"I am pleased, Lady." He made a show of getting comfortable, resting his weight over her, one of his hands coming up to her cheek, his fingers sliding back into her hair again, "Because I am not ready to let you go just yet. I'm not ready to share."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready to share." She replied, smiling up at him, and then humming her approval when Lucien bent to kiss her. His kiss was gentle and tender, and Elain found herself melting beneath him, tingles rising on her skin wherever he touched her. Even without the mating frenzy driving them, every moment of this was fantastic. Elain reminded herself that it had been before as well, and that there was no reason that it should change.

"What do you think?" he murmured, his lips moving to brush Elain's ear, "Once more before we let Helion know that we're now safe to approach…?" Elain could hear the smirk in Lucien's voice and she nodded as she resisted a chuckle.

Almost immediately, Lucien's hands slid down to her thighs, and Elain let her eyes flutter closed as he caressed her gently before slowly lifting the light dress she wore. She was barely aware of what he was doing but, somehow, he'd gotten it off of her and pushed it away across the bed before she felt his lips on her skin. Letting out a soft sigh, Elain slid one of her own hands into Lucien's hair as he made his way down her body, his lips tracing her collarbones as he moved down her chest, over her breasts and down past her ribs. She felt him lick gently at her stomach before he began making his way higher once more. "Shirt…" Elain barely got the word out, her mind was fogging so quickly, but she tugged at the shirt he wore and an instant later, Lucien had pulled it off and tossed it away.

"So articulate." He chuckled, his lips now caressing her throat.

"You're the one with the clever mouth." She replied, pleased that she could feel him ridding himself of his pants next.

"And I do know how much you like my clever mouth." His words were hot against her ear, and Elain felt herself blush even as a hot pulse of desire went straight between her legs. She did like his clever mouth, for a variety of reasons. "Shall I remind you of what I can do with it?" An image of the first time Lucien had come to her room in the Night Court with the intent to show her what he could do with his mouth flashed before Elain's eyes. She saw herself laying back on her bed with her legs spread wide and Lucien kneeling between them. She remembered how she had reacted when she had first felt his hot mouth on her, his tongue lapping at her, and she gave a gasp. Lucien's soft laugh told her that he had pushed those images to her down the bond, and she clutched at him.

"How about you remind me what else you can do…"

"As you wish, Lady." He lifted his head to meet her eyes before his hands had taken hers and he'd brought them up over her head. She blinked as he directed her to take hold of the headboard, his smile growing as he looked at her, and then his hands were moving down her body again. When they reached her thighs, Elain spread her legs for him, expecting those hands to move between her thighs, but they didn't. They slid down to catch behind her knees, and Lucien lifted them higher.

Elain gripped the headboard as Lucien lifted her legs, shifting himself down until he could bring her ankles up and over his shoulders, and then he moved higher. She was growing more and more wet by the moment, and Elain bit her lip as a steady throbbing need built between her legs. "Lucien…"

"I know…" he all but purred, and she watched him reach a hand up over her to grip the headboard himself. Elain's breath caught in her throat when she felt him push gently against her, and then he looked down at her, meeting her eyes before pushing again, his hips pressing forward and she felt him slide slowly into her inch by inch. She gasped then, her hands tightening on the headboard as Lucien's free hand slid down her leg from ankle to thigh. "Does that hurt?" he asked, and she could hear the restraint in his voice as he held himself still. Shaking her head, Elain tried to make herself draw breath. Her heart was pounding, and she could hear Lucien's as well. She knew that if she could force herself to breathe steadily, that they would align and she gripped more tightly to the headboard as she draw air into herself.

Lucien must have been waiting for her to breathe, because he moved then, hips slow and steady as he withdrew before pressing forward once more. Elain felt his free hand move up her side, and then it was at her cheek, holding her still so that he could watch her face as he thrust again. She made a small sound at that, knowing that it would please him, and she felt his reaction down the bond. He began to move more quickly then, keeping her ankles high over his shoulders as he just about bent her in half, seeking a higher new angle, and Elain's eyes closed as she began to lose herself in the sensations flooding her body. Her grip on the headboard tightened further, and she heard the thing creak as Lucien evidently did the same. That creak grew rhythmic as he was clearly using the headboard to give himself more leverage and to lend power to his thrusts, pulling himself up harder, and Elain groaned in response.

She had told him to remind her of what he could do, and she rather thought he was doing an excellent job of that. Her entire body felt as if she had swallowed liquid fire, and she was so very thankful that she had the rest of eternity during which to look forward to this. Her blood was singing, her heart was singing, and Elain began to let out cry after cry with every movement Lucien made. She could hear his own grunting with his efforts, and his breath was panted and heavy against her ear and throat. The creaking of the headboard seemed to be in tune with each sound he made, and Elain tried shifting her hips to meet him in his efforts. Lucien let out a string of expletives in response, and then Elain couldn't hear him any more as he pushed her quickly to her peak and she let out a scream that she was sure half the palace must have heard. At least nobody would be guessing that the frenzy would be over and come looking for them. Not yet, anyway.