29. Unraveling.
Unraveling.
HARLOW
W e stay in the ocean until the sun disappears, swallowed by the red horizon. We scrubbed the blood and grime from our skins with white sand, washing away the last remnants of misery and exhaustion from the last days.
Kuroki’s good humor in the face of his missing hand has lifted most of the weight from our shoulders, and we finally let ourselves celebrate our reunion.
Alara and Gia try to take down Freddy in a two-versus-one playful fight.
They fail miserably until Jayce sneaks up on the giant to tackle him from behind, allowing the girls to get a hold of one of his legs each and pull him under.
He comes back up with a smile and a murderous intent toward Jayce, who swims away as fast as only a Mandinkan can manage.
On the beach, Kuroki finally quieted down since a wet Wilbur sat by his side. They still appear to be learning the steps of their personal dance, both eager to follow the tune but unsure of where to put their feet.
Jayce and I… we’ve been dancing for weeks.
Now all I want to do is let the music fade as I tear his clothes off and gobble him up.
I’ve never felt such raw desire for a person.
It would scare me, but my multiple brushes with death have put everything in perspective, and it’s the kind of torment I welcome gladly.
Jayce swims to hide behind me as Freddy still gives chase before being intercepted by his wife, who climbs him like a tree.
“Show me your swimming skills, Your Royal Highness,” he says, brushing the wet hair from my forehead.
“It’s not very impressive.”
“Why is that?”
“My teacher was more interested in fondling me than actually teaching me how to swim.”
Jayce makes an outraged expression. “Was he? Appalling! But I must admit…” he whispers in my ear, lighting my skin on fire, “I understand the impulse…” His hand traces a path along my stomach in the water before finishing its course over the growing bulge in my underpants.
I gasp and bite my bottom lip as he grins.
We swim for a time until the sky turns deep purple and the darkness forces us to go back to the Blunder . As we all emerge from the water, Kuroki and Wilbur are kissing on the sand—clumsily—and I feel so damn happy for them.
Wilbur carries Kuroki back on the upper deck, where we have decided to eat under the stars and read one of the romance books I have in my cabin—I’m elated they survived the crash and the attack.
I help Gia prepare a stew with whatever’s left in our stores and fresh bread, and a few hours later we’re all settled on carpets and pillows under the night sky.
I feel… incredibly content as I listen to Gia read the first chapters, my belly full and my heart about to explode. My head is on Jayce’s lap, and his fingers are in my hair.
This… I wouldn’t mind doing this forever , I realize.
But Jayce asked for time and not forever .
A sudden urgency takes hold of me, even as the others fall asleep and Gia reads on.
What if I lose this? This happiness. For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong.
Like I’m something more than just my obsession with dragons and my quest. This quest has finally come to completion, and yet I don’t feel empty.
I’m filled to the brim with memories, joy, and purpose.
And love , I realize with overwhelming clarity. I love my captain . How could I not, after everything we’ve been through together and how far he went for me?
I turn my head on his lap and look up at him. Jayce’s back is against the mast, relaxed with his hand caressing my hair.
“ What? ” he mouths as our eyes meet. The light of the liquid-fire lamp dances on his beautiful face. The burn scar on his cheek where he erased the tattoo takes away nothing of his appeal.
I say nothing, at a loss for words but unable to stop looking at him. His eyes darken with desire, and he smiles wickedly.
“Harlow is falling asleep, so we’re going to bed,” he whispers to Gia to not interrupt her reading.
She nods with a knowing look before going back to her chapter. Jayce pulls me to my feet, grabs our pillows, and leads me back to his cabin with a firm hand. He locks the door behind us with a flourish, throws the pillows through his cabin before carrying me to the bed.
My heart is in my throat as I hang on to his neck, and even as he drops me on the bed, I refuse to let go.
“What is it, love?” he asks as my hands tighten around him.
“I just… I just want to keep you close.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay as close as you need. Closer even, if you want to.” His breath tickles my neck, warming my skin.
I chuckle. “Closer than this? What do you have in mind, Captain?”
I certainly wouldn’t say no if he wanted to fuck me all night, now that we’re clean-ish after our dip in the ocean and—
“I was thinking you could fuck me tonight.”
My train of thought comes to an abrupt halt, my heart skipping a beat. I pull away to stare at him. “Wh—what?”
Jayce smiles. “You. Inside me. Tonight. Is that a thing you want?”
I nod so fast it must look like I’m shaking, and he laughs. “Yes, please…”
My cock is rock hard between our bodies, and he arches his body along mine for a moment. I groan.
“Let me turn on the lights,” he says. “I want to see your face as you fuck me.”
“Oh… gods…”
He makes quick work of lighting the liquid-fire lamps and candles, before grabbing the bottle of oil we used previously from one of his drawers.
And then he’s standing in front of me, taking his clothes off and revealing the expanse of his chest and abs, and I don’t know what to do with my hands.
I’ve never really… I’ve only ever fucked a man once, my roommate at university, and only because I insisted we switched. We were clumsy and bothered.
As if reading my mind, Jayce asks, “Have you done it before?”
I nod. “With my roommate, once. It wasn’t very… He wasn’t into it, so I didn’t get to finish. And we were drunk.”
He smiles and strokes his cock with a lazy gesture, setting my body on fire with one look. “Don’t worry, Your Royal Highness. You’ll get to finish with me.”
The breath gets knocked out of my lungs, and I feel like praying to gods I’ve never believed in.
I must have stared, unmoving, for too long, because he says, “Harlow. You have too much clothes on.”
I laugh and start tearing my clothes off like a madman, to Jayce’s hilarity.
In a matter of seconds, we’re both naked, panting—craving each other’s touch.
I get on my knees and crawl to the edge of the bed, my tongue finding its way to leave a wet trail along his muscular chest, my fingertips tracing his scars. Jayce hums appreciatively.
“Get on the bed,” I say. “Please?”
He chuckles. “Your wish is my command.”
He pushes me and climbs over me, all predatory intent, and for a moment I don’t care which way this goes.
But Jayce hasn’t forgotten, and after a wet kiss, he lies on the bed by my side and spreads his legs open, offering an incredible view of his taint and erect cock.
His thighs are so much larger than mine, powerful, I can’t help but stare at them all day long.
“What do you think about fucking my face while I get myself ready for you, Your Royal Highness?”
“Ye—yes,” I rasp.
He grabs my arm and pulls me closer until I’m kneeling over him and my cock is in his face. He uncorks the bottle of lube and slathers his hand. I look down, mesmerized, to watch him insert the tip of his finger. Heat rises to my cheeks.
Jayce catches my hand and drags it along his chest before finishing its course over his entrance. His slippery fingers encircle mine and guide me to the ring of muscle, too.
“I feel you want to help me out a little,” he says.
“Yes…”
My fingers follow his, slowly diving into his tight warmth, and I groan. I won’t last long, am I?
Jayce’s breath catches, and I look up to his face. “Are you okay?”
He smiles. “Oh yes. More than okay. I can’t wait to feel you…” He bites his lips, and I lunge to kiss him. Our hands speed up, going deeper.
Jayce breaks the kiss and pulls me by the waist with his free hand, releasing my slippery fingers from his warmth, until my cock is right back in his face. He sucks the tip, drinking the drops of precum.
“Now be a good dragoner and let me taste you,” he says, and I am undone.
I gently grab the back of his head and thrust in as he opens up his mouth. He moans around my cock, almost like a growl. Wet noises echo in the cabin, from his fingers stretching him out and his lips around me.
He looks… incredible as he sucks me off. I didn’t think he would let me do any of that… Jayce is always… on top of every situation. That he would let me…
Tears spring to my eyes from the sheer pleasure and joy I’m feeling. I would face any dragon just for this.
But at this rate… I won’t last long.
I pull out with a gasp, my cock slapping his cheek. “I’m sorry… I’m too close…”
Jayce’s lips are red as berries and wet with spittle. “Then hurry and fuck me, Harlow. I’m ready.”
My chest feels like it’s about to explode as I kneel between his legs and hook his powerful thighs around my slim waist. I look so small compared to him; it’s almost indecent to be in this position, but I’ve never been so horny in my entire life.
Jayce grabs my face, fingers digging into my cheeks, and says against my lips, “Give it to me, baby. Don’t hold back. I want you so much.”
My soul is unraveling as I align my cock to his entrance and slowly push in.
I try to take it slow, just in case, but Jayce will have none of it.
I might be the one fucking him, but he’s still the dominant one in this relationship.
His large hands grab me by the hips and he pulls me to him, making me go deep and fast. I cry out as his ring of muscle tightens around me—just right .
His eyes are boring into mine, and his breath caresses my face as I fuck him. His moans, uttered with such a deep voice, are the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.
Jayce is… is…
The words surge out of me, unbidden.
“I think… I… love you…” I admit between two gasps.
Jayce’s eyes widen, and his breath catches.
That’s it. I have ruined the moment. I might have even ruined us.
Why couldn’t I just be happy with what we have? With time… maybe I could have… but now—
Jayce grabs me by the throat and pulls my face closer to his. “Say that again, Harlow.”
He looks shaken—wounded, even?—his eyes searching mine feverishly.
My chest constricts painfully. “I’m sorry—I love you.”
He kisses me hard, swallowing my gasp of surprise. “Don’t say sorry, you wonderful man. Because I think I fucking love you, too.”
I moan, surprise and delight exploding along my spine. My cock is still inside him, after all, and the combination of his words and his warmth is close to undoing me.
“You do?” I ask.
He smiles against my lips. “How could I not? You’re irresistible. I’ve been obsessed with you since the day you boarded my ship.” He kisses me again.
Obsessed with me? Oh, gods.
My body moves of its own accord, thrusting inside him and taking up speed. His words have taken hold of me, and I need… I need…
With his hand still around my throat and mine around his cock, I focus on our rapture. I chant his name with every hip thrust until my orgasm crashes over me like a wave.
Yes… yes…
Jayce urges me with the dirtiest talk—giving me permission to come inside him—just as his orgasm follows mine seconds later, his semen dripping between my fingers.
My body finally relaxes, and I fall over him, my face buried in the crook of his sweaty neck. I breathe in his heady scent and rejoice in the quick rhythm of his pulse against my lips.
Jayce hums in my hair, appearing as satisfied as I am.
At least, I think so until he says, “A little rest, and I’ll be the one fucking you. The night is still young.”
I laugh, and we spend our “little rest” kissing.