Live Like Legends (LIVING LEGEND #3)

Chapter 37

D ani didn’t say anything. She just looked up at me with a few tears streaming down her cheeks and I reached up, swiping them away with my thumb. I saw her chest rise and fall as she let out steady breaths. It was times like this that confirmed I, of course, thought she was beautiful when she was confident and unyielding, but I also thought she carried the same beauty when she was unsure and vulnerable.

I hovered over her, preparing myself to go as slowly as I could. I would spend hours here with her if that’s what she wanted, if that’s what she needed from me. She reached for my shirt, making a motion to try and tug me down. I obliged, feeling her breath against my skin when I was inches from her face.

I caressed her cheek, watching as she leaned into my touch. I kissed her other cheek, trailing those kisses to her jaw. “It’s just you and me.”

I kissed her neck, remembering what it was like seeing that reddened handprint encompassing her throat. My shoulders tensed at the memory and then I blinked, bringing myself back and taking a look at her neck again. The handprint was gone now and she was okay. She was here. She was with me, safe.

If this were a different time, I would have let my kisses travel between her breasts and down her stomach, probably tickling her in between. This time I took a detour. My lips went to the fabric of the shirt at her shoulder. I dipped my head down to kiss just where the shirt sleeve ended and her skin began.

She turned her head to look at me, not stopping me, but something in her eyes told me that she wanted to witness everything I did. I moved my lips down her arm, pressing a light kiss to the scars she had there as well. These ones were deep but they weren’t as bad as the ones on her thigh. Xander had said that the ones on her arm might fade with time, but her thigh scar could be a permanent fixture on her skin.

I peppered kiss after kiss to the raised skin, moving the rest of the way down so that I could place a kiss to the inside of her wrist. I peeked over at her. “Still okay?”

She graced me with a tiny smile. “Yes.”

My hands were a little shaky when I brought them to the hem of her shirt. I had started to kiss her, letting her decide when she wanted to unleash her tongue. She let out a small moan, bringing her hips up to try and meet my own. I dragged the shirt up her body, exposing her stomach and tiny shorts she had on underneath. I pushed the shirt up some more so that it sat above her breasts.

My fingers ran over her miles of brown skin, her stomach hollowing when I splayed my fingers out across her skin. I would never fucking get over it.

Fuck , she was beautiful.

I kissed down her ribs and her stomach. I let my tongue out to lick at her skin. I thought I was hearing things, but I could have sworn her heartbeat was loud enough for it to travel to my ears. I kissed the inside of each of her thighs, mimicking what I did before and kissing the scars at her outer thigh. I would do it over and over again if that’s what she wanted.

After each kiss, the pads of my fingertips would take its place. Her muscles weren’t as tense and each touch of my fingers didn’t feel like it was unwanted. I knew I wasn’t the cure for her pain but if this eased just a fraction of hurt, then…it was worth it.

I had asked myself a while ago if I wanted her enough to fight for us. The answer was so clear now; it probably always was.

I tucked my fingers into the waistband of her shorts, feeling the elastic. She looked from me to where my fingers now were and then back at me, giving me a small nod of approval. I pulled them and her panties down her legs, tossing them to the floor.

I pushed her legs open wider, planting tiny kisses up her inner thighs. I ran my fingers over where she was already wet. She sucked in a breath and I chuckled a little. I spread her open, her arousal heady and inviting. I wanted to put my mouth on her. I wanted to take that perfect clit between my lips and make her come so beautifully that she would have nothing but happy thoughts.

But first…

I locked my eyes with hers catching her off guard. She looked a little stunned that I didn’t just dive right between her thighs already. I softened my expression. “You don’t like something or you’re uncomfortable, tell me to stop.”

“Nick…”

“If you are ever uncomfortable, you tell me to stop,” I repeated, sternly.

She pressed her lips together, but adoration flooded her eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed black wisps coming from her fingers. They coiled around each other as they made their way to me, towards my face. Her shadows landed against my cheek and they felt…comforting.

They swept over my skin as if they enjoyed my company. Her voice sent my eyes flying back to where she was still lying back on my pillows. “Okay, I’ll tell you to stop.”

“Good girl.”

I didn’t waste another minute before my tongue was circling her clit. She cried out, instantly fisting my sheets. I didn’t devour her like I wanted. No, I savored her. I let my tongue create lazy circles and lapped at her entrance like we had all of eternity to be here.

I stuck my tongue inside of her pussy, using my fingers to massage her clit, rubbing it gently. She moved her pelvis up and forward, trying to get closer to my face. I flicked my eyes up her body and saw that her eyes were closed. I liked when she watched me, but I also liked knowing that something made her feel so good that she couldn’t help but lose herself to it.

I slid one of my fingers inside of her, curling it towards that spot that made her legs shake. I kept up my languid movements with my tongue, my cock hardening with every tiny whimper and moan she let out.

“Nick, fuck . Nick.” Her voice was strained and breathy.

She lifted her hand to run it over her breasts as she came. I removed my finger from her, kissing her pussy and leading a trail of kisses up her body.

I nuzzled my face between her breasts, preparing myself to roll over and lie down next to her. Sensing my next movements, she stopped me. “What are you doing?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I was hoping to take a nap with my girlfriend.”

She looked between our bodies. “But…”

I shook my head. “This isn’t about me, Dani. I told you I wanted to make you feel good and I’m pretty sure I’ve done that.” I shrugged. “Unless you’d like me to do it again.”

She pushed up on her elbows, her face closer to mine. “You told me if I asked you to stop, you would. I haven’t asked you to stop anything.”

I smirked at her. The sassy demon I fell in love with making an appearance. I started to descend back towards that perfect place between her legs, but she pulled me back up.

“No, if this is about me, then as good as you are with your tongue, I don’t want just that. I want you inside of me.” She huffed out a breath. “Please.”

“No need for pleasantries, needy one. You can demand things from me all you want.” I kissed her before she could respond, moving over her so that she was forced to lie back down again.

My mouth was glued to hers as I undid my pants, pushing them down and kicking them and my underwear off. I reached behind me, pulling my shirt over my head. I placed my hands on either side of her head, feeling the heat of her near my pelvis.

“I love you,” she said against my lips as she kissed me, bumping her nose against my own.

“I had a feeling.” I ran my nose along her jaw as I grabbed my cock and slid it between her legs, coating myself in her arousal. “Remember what I said Dani…”

“I’ll tell you to stop, Nick. Now can you please , shut up.”

I could have laughed, but the moment I pressed inside of her was instantly too much. The way she felt around my cock was like pure magic. She gripped my biceps, burrowing her face into my chest as I thrusted forward.

I could have fucked her hard, made her come with ease, but that wasn’t what this was about. I thought back to when she’d had her nightmare in Purgatory, how she had needed me to just let her take her own pleasure and find a way to be okay by doing something she knew made her happy.

She’d said I was her home.

And I never wanted her to leave.

I moved inside of her slowly, feeling the way my cock went all the way in and back out. Her pussy tightened with each thrust of my hips. I hit her deep, eliciting deep moans from her throat.

“Yes, right there.” Her words were muffled into my chest.

“Hey, hey look at me. Look at me, baby,” I coaxed, getting her to lift her head up so I could press my forehead to hers. Her eyes pierced into mine.

She moved her hands to my shoulders, starting to move the lower half of her body with mine. Each time my cock hit her in the right place it had my eyes wanting to roll back but I needed to focus on her. Her mouth dropped open with each drag of my cock.

I circled my hips, causing her to bite her bottom lip. I picked up my pace just a fraction, but I continued to let her feel all of me before pulling out and doing it all over again.

“Fuck, fuck, yes,” she moaned and I felt heat on my shoulder. The burn was intense this time, like maybe it wouldn’t fade like all the other burns she’d left me with.

The heat was gone when she snatched her hand away from my shoulder, attempting to hide it from me. Her hand glowed as she closed her palm. She was panting and her voice was shaky when she spoke, “I-I’m sorry.”

I pushed into her continuously, fighting back the urge to shake my head and scream at her that it didn’t fucking bother me. Her eyes were glassy and I could still feel the remnants from her burning light on my skin.

I quickly moved my hand up her arm and intertwined our fingers, slamming her hand down next to her head. Her light seeped out from between our fingers, but I pushed out mine as well, giving it something to mingle with. The heat thrummed but it was nice, soothing.

“ Don’t . Don’t be sorry,” I spoke against her lips, speaking each word clearly. “I’ve. Got. You.”

Dani didn’t cry very often, but the sharp cry that tore out of her chest nearly broke my heart. She closed her eyes, trying to pull herself together, but to no avail. Her breaths were shallow as I kept moving inside of her, legs sliding higher up my body so that I could go deeper. Her lips pressed together, whimpers leaving her throat.

I held her hand tight. “I’ve got you, baby.”

Tears fell down the side of her face, disappearing into her curls. She nodded, tilting her head up for me to kiss her. Our mouths collided and I wanted to shield her from the entire world, but I knew her well enough to know that wasn’t possible. I could have chastised myself for ever wanting to change her or thinking she would have been better living the way I did. I had wanted her to be mediocre at best when she was something just above extraordinary.

I couldn’t be as slow as I wanted anymore, my pace increasing. My pelvis hit her clit again and again. Her breathing was rapid now and I kept her hand safely within my own.

“Come for me. Let go for me, Dani,” I whispered against her lips.

She dug her nails into my shoulder while her other hand flexed around my fingers, her light pushing out harder. I felt the slither of a shadow wrap around our bodies as if she was trying to keep us as close as possible. She cried out and I followed quickly behind her as I thrusted against her a few more times before finally coming. Her arm went limp and her body shuddered.

She released my shoulder to start clearing the tears from her eyes.

“Stop.”

She ceased her movements, confused.

“I did mention how beautiful you are when you come, right?”

She giggled, sniffing as a small tear escaped from her lower lid. Her shadows retreated when I pushed up, bringing the hand still trapped in mine with me. I kissed her knuckles, eventually letting it go. She placed her hand at my side, wincing a tiny bit when I pulled out of her.

I rustled up the covers, watching as she removed her shirt before she snuggled underneath my sheets. I slid in next to her, laying on my back and she placed her head on my chest as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Her curls tickled my chest, but I wasn’t about to move her anytime soon.

She traced circles on my stomach, sighing. “I know it wasn’t a lot of time, but I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Anytime you’re away from me is too long.”

She hummed, burying her head further into my chest.

“I’m sorry I didn’t let you kill Dimitri.”

She kissed my chest. “Me too.”

“How about you tell me everything you planned to do to him? Every bloody, gruesome moment.”

Dani looked up at me and blinked. “Really?”

“Mhmm.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. I saw shadows swirl in her irises but there was a glimmer of light along with it. “Can I tell you every torturous thing I plan to do to Morgan and Ariel as well?”

I pressed my tongue into my cheek, fighting back a smile. “Go for it.”