Chapter 284

"You're exhausted…" Elain breathed, her breath then catching in her throat when Lucien's hand slid from her ribs down over her stomach.

"Mmm…" his lips ghosted across her cheek, and Elain gasped when his hand slid lower, his long fingers caressing her inner thigh.

"Oh…" she turned a little toward him and Lucien slid his left arm under her shoulders. She lifted her own left hand to take his in hers, pinned by her head, and he held her there as he hooked his right leg through hers and pulled it wider. His fingers went from one thigh to the other and Elain tried to turn toward him a little more, but his hand held hers in place and she couldn't lift herself enough to move. He held her restrained there, she realised. Held her open and in place, where he could do anything he liked with that hand still slowly tracing the sensitive skin of her thighs. "Lucien…"

"Yes, Petal…" his fingers traced up one thigh and then higher, moving across her lower abdomen before going back down to the other thigh. Elain drew a shuddery breath, knowing that he was teasing her deliberately. He met her eyes in the dim light then, and she held his gaze as his fingers began tracing back up once more.

"You… you're exhausted…" she managed to get the words out. "You should be resting…"

His hand moved to cup her and she gasped, taking in his bright flash of a smile. "I can do this." He whispered, "Do you think I would just drift off to sleep and leave my mate all hot an unsatisfied?"

"You… you're the one making me… hot…" Elain could barely pant the words out, her hips lifting from the mattress, trying to increase contact with her mate's hand as he gently caressed her. He smiled again.

"And I'm the one who can do something about it…"

She gave a small whine, the sound being cut off when Lucien kissed her, his hand rubbing at her more rhythmically now. Her right hand slid into his hair, gripping tightly, when his fingers stroked over her, through slick desire, and what seemed like flashes of lightning arched through her body. Elain's hips lifted again, searching for those fingers, wanting more of them and, when Lucien eventually pushed them inside of her, she gave a wanton cry, tugging more tightly on his hair.

Lucien had turned, still holding Elain wrapped in his left arm, but he positioned himself beside her, half leaning over her to give himself better access to what he was doing. Elain's hand left his hair and she clutched instead at his shoulder as he worked those fingers inside of her. She knew that he was watching her, could feel his gaze upon her face, even with her eyes closed. She could feel his delight and his reaction to every expression and accompanying sound she made. "A-Aah…" She couldn't keep her hips still, and they lifted and rolled, and it was hard for her to draw a breath around the sounds coming out of her and gasps her mate was eliciting.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it, my love?" his voice was soft, and Elain knew that he was still watching her face, taking in every movement, every hitch of breath, and she nodded, her hand still clutching at his shoulder.

"I want you…"

"You have me." He replied, "You'll always have me…"

Elain nodded again, the visions of their future she had previously seen flashing through her memory. She knew they hadn't changed, and that what she had seen still awaited them. "Always …" she murmured, unable to help sinking her fingernails into Lucien's skin. She knew that he had felt her body grow taut, and her hips began to move more quickly as if trying to ride his fingers. Lucien gave a low chuckle, continuing exactly what he was doing, and she knew that he was aware that it was exactly right. She gasped again, almost unable to draw any air at all, and then she shrieked her release, her back arching as she clutched at her mate who continued to hold her to himself, and he didn't move until she lay shuddering in his arms trying to catch her breath and breathe more slowly.

When he pressed gently lips to her forehead, Elain smiled, wrapping herself around her mate and settling against him. "Now we can rest…" he murmured, and she looked up at him.

"Don't you want me to…" she slid a hand over his hip, but he shook his head, kissing her forehead again and tightening his arms around her.

"Witnessing that was enough for me." She could hear the smirk in his voice, but also the weariness, "Maybe in the morning…"

"Alright…" Elain settled against him, thinking about all the ways in which she could wake her mate up in the morning. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and began sorting through her options. Lucien usually slept on his back, so she figured it would be easily enough to straddle him before he awoke. She smiled then, trying to decide if she would use her hand or her mouth.