Chapter 14 - Joshua #2
“I have to check your bruises,” he said, all seriousness.
Kira wrinkled her nose. “Why do you—” She cut herself off, going red again. She bit her lip. “Oh, yes. Yes, you had better check them.”
Joshua traced his fingers over the neckline of her shirt, tugging it down to the top of her bra.
He leaned forward, peering into her cleavage.
Her skin was still slightly discolored in places, but nowhere near that terrifying black-purple it had been the first night.
He let her neckline spring back into place and ran his hands over her fingers, pausing only once to swipe his thumb over the wet spot above her nipple.
Joshua pulled her shirt over her head and reached around her to unfasten her bra clasp. Kira’s eyes tracked his movements, her own hands moving over his body with a passion and desperation that made him want to weep. She touched him as though her life depended on it.
“Hmmmm.” He cupped her breasts in his hands, enjoying the sensation of her soft skin. “It looks like you’re healing up nicely.”
“Maybe you should get a closer look,” Kira rasped as she dropped her hands to the buckle of his belt. She pulled him toward her and worked at loosening his belt.
Joshua bent over her, kissing one of her breasts, pursing her lips over the same nipple he’d tasted through her shirt.
It pebbled in response, hardening as he flicked his tongue over it.
He moved to her other breast, repeating the motion on that nipple.
As he did so, Kira pushed her hand into his pants and started to massage him.
He groaned into her skin, peppering her skin with his kisses.
He moved up, his tongue sliding against her clavicle as his hands slid down.
He hiked her skirt to her waist and pulled her underwear to one side.
Kira’s grip tightened on him, making him gasp. She moved her hand slowly, smirking at his reaction. When she looked up at him, it was as though she was seeing someone else. Someone divine. And yet, she was also looking at him. Really looking. Deeply. She saw him. There was no doubt at that.
So it wasn’t like she was looking at someone else at all. She was looking at him as though he were divine.
Joshua kissed her, unable to keep himself from her lips any longer.
He pushed two fingers into her as he thrust his tongue into her mouth.
She was hot and tight around his fingers, already wet.
Good. She wasn’t just putting on a performance.
She wanted him. He pushed in knuckle-deep, curling his fingers upward at the same time as swiping his thumb over her clit.
She jerked toward him, gasping.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” Joshua groaned, kissing her again. He moved his thumb and fingers together, eliciting another groan. Her eyes slid half-shut, her hands moving over his arms as she opened her legs further for him.
“Shouldn’t you wait to say that until after you’re inside of me?” Kira panted.
“I’m already inside of you.” He scissored his fingers to prove it.
Kira gasped, her free hand reaching up to curl into his pale hair.
She pulled his mouth back to hers, noises of affirmation and protest mingling together.
Joshua was too busy soaking in every sensation she was giving him to sort out why she had to be so damn contrarian.
She was moving with him, kissing him, her tongue eager against his.
He thrust his hand, finding the place inside of her that worked with her clit to make her gasp and squirm.
When she tried to close her legs, he leveraged one knee between her thighs, keeping her open.
Kira moaned into his mouth, and he slowed his actions, pulling back from the kiss to look down at her.
Her face was twisted with exquisite pleasure, eyes bright.
“Do you like it?” he whispered.
Kira shuddered and nodded. “Don’t stop.”
The words sent heat through him so powerful that he had to bite his lip to stop from adjusting them to enter her right then.
Patience, he told himself. She needed time.
He wanted to get a better idea of what her pleasure looked like.
He wanted to know how to touch her, how to elicit the response he was looking for.
It had been so fucking long. It was as though he’d never had sex before; the need was so strong. Kira was so receptive to him, so animated, that it was nothing less than amazing.
She continued to stroke him expertly, the heat building in his core.
He moved his fingers faster, rewarded by Kira’s whimpers.
Her eyes were at half-mast, desire filling them.
Joshua pulled back, just far enough to look at her more fully.
She was naked from the waist up, her skirt rucked between them as he continued to work his fingers inside of her.
“Goddess, you’re beautiful,” he breathed.
Kira’s head fell back against the tree, pressing her breasts against him.
Too many clothes. There was too much between them.
Joshua fumbled one-handed, trying to undress them both at the same time.
Kira flung her leg over his hip, guiding his cock to her entrance.
His hand with his fingers still buried deep inside of her was in the way as she jerked toward him, trying to get him into position.
“Move your hand,” she ordered, but when he started to do just that, her hips followed him, as though unwilling to give up the pleasure he brought. It made his chest swell with pride.
“Kira,” he ground out in warning. “I’m not going to last long. We need to take our time. I want to make sure you’re ready.”
Kira mewled impatiently. “I am ready.”
“Five more minutes,” Joshua urged. He moved his hand harder, testing to see how deeply she could take him. She panted and writhed, seemingly unable to remain still.
“Now, she demanded.”
Joshua grunted as she reached for his cock again, gripping him firmly as she moved her thumb over the tip.
Gods! How long had it been since he’d been this impatient for sex?
Normally, he liked to make his partner orgasm at least once before he entered.
He could do it. For her. The need burned so strong that he knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold on.
“I won’t last long,” he repeated.
“I’m not going to last long, either.” She shook her head, using her free hand to tug on his hand, pulling him away from her even though her hips kept moving forward, seeking out more friction.
“Please, Joshua. I can’t take this anymore.
The push and pull, wanting you, hating you, needing you.
I can’t do this anymore. I need you right now. ”
Joshua groaned. “If I take you now, it won’t be as good as if—"
Kira touched his lips, stopping him. Her clear eyes bored into his as she panted, staring at him. “Please, Joshua. I need you inside of me. Please.”
Her voice was soft, carrying more emotion than he thought was possible.
Her pleasing pushed him over the edge. He couldn’t hold himself back, and he allowed her to guide him into place.
When he pushed his tip in, Kira’s breathing stuttered.
Her mouth fell open slightly, and their eyes locked.
Joshua panted; the heat between them was too much.
He pushed in deeper, groaning as he moved.
She was so slick that his entry was easy.
“More,” Kira breathed, undulating her body with him.
They moved together, staring into each other’s eyes.
The pleasure was intense, but there was something else as well.
Release, in ways that were more than physical.
Joshua clutched at her, loving the way she felt, the way she clung to him.
He wanted to be closer to her. There were still too many clothes in their way, but he couldn’t pause to undress any further.
He kissed her, feeling the way she tightened around him when his tongue flicked over her lip.
She tangled her hands into his hair, matching his movements as he thrust into her.
Despite his intentions to keep it steady and even, they were soon moving in a reckless tempo, their bodies coming together over and over again.
His legs shook with the effort of holding back. He loved the way she moved, the way her fingers felt digging into his skin. Her hair stuck to the bark of the tree as she writhed, moving her body tighter in him.
Fuck, he had missed this.
He never wanted it to end.
Kira arched her back. “Joshua,” she cried.
Her pussy fluttered around him. Her face turned pink and her eyes went wide with mingled shock and pleasure.
Her mouth fell open, and at first she made no noise.
Her legs tightened around his waist, and Joshua thrust in hard once, twice, his teeth grinding as he fought his release.
He needed to see her come, needed to know if the reality of her cries was as sweet as he remembered.
Her spine arched suddenly, pushing away from the tree.
Her jaw dropped open, and she let out a cry of pleasure.
She sucked in a deep breath and arched further, her breasts crushed against his chest as she screamed.
It echoed off the trees as she clamped around him, shudders rocking her body as her climax took her.
The sound of her orgasm sent him over the edge. His orgasm hit him hard. He gasped into her mouth as he rubbed her clit, wanting to draw out her pleasure for as long as he could. He lost himself to the motions, to their bodies joining as Kira’s voice filled his ears.
The shockwaves washed over them, and they both sagged. They sank to the ground, wrapped around each other, trembling. Joshua buried his face into her neck, his hand winding into her hair.
When he caught his breath, he realized he was still inside of her.
A primal, possessive pleasure washed through him.
He rocked himself, testing the friction so soon after his orgasm.
His cock throbbed lightly, as though it wanted to have the pleasure of her again but was unable to muster up the strength.
“Wow,” Kira breathed. Her hands rested lightly on his lower back. “That was even better than I remember.”
Joshua kissed her neck, enjoying the salty taste of her sweat. “It was. I just wish we had the same stamina we did as teens, right?”
Kira chuckled.
He smiled as he lazily moved his tongue over her collarbone. He felt so much closer to her than he had the first time they’d been together. Was it only his experience, or was it because he knew himself so much better.
He withdrew from her, glancing down at himself as he slid out of her.
His heart froze.
No. No, no, no! He hadn’t used protection. Hadn’t even thought about it. Cold washed through him, his muscles bunching. He lifted himself onto his elbows, putting distance between them. But he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye.
“When was your last period?” he grunted.
She stiffened. “Why?”
Joshua closed his eyes. “Guess it doesn’t matter. You’ll need to take the morning-after pill anyway. It’ll be best if you go on birth control too.”
“Why would I do that?” Kira snapped.
“If we’re going to do this again—” he started.
“What makes you think we’ll do it again?” Kira pushed at his chest. “It was fun, I’ll grant you that. But it’s just sex.”
Joshua eased out of her. “Just sex?”
“Just sex. And I can take care of myself. I’m not taking pills that mess with my hormones just because you don’t want to wear a condom.”
“I can wear a condom.” Joshua rolled off her, confused by her behavior. She knew he didn’t want to father children. Why was she so angry about this? “You said it yourself. We have to stop this push and pull.”
Kira rolled away from him and grabbed her bra.
“I meant the physical desire. That’s all this is, Joshua.
We wanted to fuck, and now we have. If that’s how we make our marriage work, then let’s fuck our brains out.
But you’re the one who has to ensure no babies, since you’re the one who doesn’t want babies.
Don’t act like it’s anything more than that. ”
“Don’t say that. Don’t reduce what we have to just fucking.”
She pulled her shirt over her head, stuffing her bra into a large pocket on her skirt. “What we have? What we have is sexual tension and incompatibility.”
Joshua stuffed himself back into his pants and pulled them into place. “We have more than that. We have something, Kira. Don’t deny it.”
“Why not?” Kira stood, brushing her skirt off. She didn’t look at him. “It’s what you did after you took my virginity.”
The air left his lungs. All the reasons why he had to leave her the way he did seemed so important back then. And they were still important. It was more important than anything else. He’d done it for her safety.
But she didn’t know that.
She didn’t know what had happened. She didn’t know about the curse that hung over him. She didn’t know why he told her they couldn’t have children, at least not ones that he fathered. She wasn’t a mind reader; she knew nothing about why he did what he did.
“Kira. Please. I know I hurt you, and I’m so sorry, but—”
He stopped, a shiver running down his spine. The dark energy from that day on the beach was back. He leapt to his feet, grabbing Kira’s arm. He pushed her behind him, close to the tree again, as he scanned their surroundings.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, shoving at his shoulders. “Get away from—”
She cut off with a gasp. Joshua tensed, twisting to look in the same direction. Shadows slithered above them, weaving in and out of the cedar’s branches. A demon. And this time, Kira saw it too.