Chapter 10 Precious
SOUNDTRACK: On the Run by Katie Garfield
~ DIADRE ~
Jann shocked me, and startled Caelan, when he tore into the suite so fast the door flew back and banged on the wall.
By the time he had me naked on the bed, some of my alarm had passed—especially when he met my eyes with such love and warmth shining in his.
As if this mask he’d been wearing the past few days was discarded.
My heart leaped to meet that expression.
And when he lowered himself between my thighs, buried his hands in my hair, and devoured my mouth, it was such a relief.
My mate. My love. He was back. The wall he’d erected between us the past few days was suddenly gone…
and he’d erected something else. I would have laughed at my own joke, but relief made tears of joy prick my throat as I felt him, his heart, open to me again.
But then he pressed me to the mattress with his weight, and his lips and tongue pressed and slid.
My skin prickled, starting under the scrape of his nails on my scalp and washing down my body, raising every thrill of pleasure as he followed the wave of goosebumps down my neck, my arm, my side, my thigh…
I gasped and arched, opening my knees wider because I could feel him, hard and long, nudging and sliding against me, and I ached for him.
He’d been so attentive, so clear with his instructions in the past few days.
Leaving no room for me to misunderstand what we were doing, or what role I played in it.
Yet, it had seemed at most times that I took instruction from a superior officer—one who cared for my safety.
But who evaluated my needs with cold detachment.
I’d found myself staring at the ceiling of the bed each night, fighting the kind of insecure questions and doubts I’d always despised.
Did he really love me?
What was he hiding?
What did he do when I wasn’t there to witness it?
I’d swung desperately between fear and certainty. I could feel Jann, deep in the hollow around my heart. He held us together tightly and didn’t waver.
He also played a very dangerous game. His mind was closed to me more often than not—his thoughts obscured by a shroud unless he sent orders, or asked questions.
I knew it was necessary. He had to hold himself so tightly, to make certain he gave no hint of his true allegiance in these maneuverings.
He’d done such a good job of painting himself as the strong, self-serving Nephilim Captain, the one who followed power, heedless of the implications, the one unconcerned to deal directly with the Fallen, that even I’d started to believe him.
And in recent days, while I could feel his fear increasing, I also sensed his determination. The cold, ruthless side of a warrior that fought to the death. For me.
The question was… against who?
“Jann—” I gasped.
He dove for my throat, and his lips and tongue danced up the side of my neck, and his breath rushed against my skin, fluttering in my hair.
Jann trembled, writhing as he groaned against my lips. A jolt of fear sang through me—what was wrong? Why was he so frantic?
“Jann,” I breathed, reaching for him, intending to push him back and make him meet my eyes, but one of those impossibly quick hands caught mine and pressed it back down on the pillow above my head, as his hips rolled and he slid against me.
“I need you, Diadre. Every day—all of you,” he said hoarsely, then opened his mouth on the sensitive skin under my ear and sucked.
I arched, and his hard length slid against my most sensitive flesh. Both of us groaned.
I lifted my hips, bumping at him, pleading in the bond for him to join with me.
With a low, shuddering moan, still kissing and sucking at my neck, he let one hand play down the length of my body, curling his calloused palm under my thigh to catch the back of my knee and raise my leg, hooking it over his hip.
Holding me like that, legs stretched wide, he came off my neck with a biting suck that would leave a mark, then braced himself over me.
A rush of need washed through me at the sight of him—hair mussed and tangled, the tendons on his neck standing proud.
His shoulders and arms carved from marble as he bridged his weight over me, jaw tight as he fought for control.
He stared at me through eyes hooded with need, and glittering with admiration. As if I were a prize.
Then he thrust his hips forward, and we both cried out as he filled me in a single stroke, lighting my body up with electric pleasure from the soles of my feet to the crown of my scalp.
“Jann!”
A low, puttering growl eased between his teeth, as he kept my knee bent high and drew out of me slowly so I felt every inch, then slammed home again with a desperate cry, his eyes dragging closed and body trembling.
I grabbed for his shoulder, my hand slapping on his already damp skin, fingers digging divots into his muscles as I gripped hard, bracing against his strength.
He fought—I could feel it. Fought to slow himself—but I’d missed him. This sudden, desperate need ignited a fire in my chest.
“Don’t hold back,” I whispered, arching my back to urge him on as he drew out of me again, his eyes opening to find mine.
“But… the babe—”
Hissing a warning, I laced fingers behind his thick neck and pulled myself up until we were almost nose to nose.
“Jann, don’t stop. I need you. Please.”
He shuddered again, his eyes searching mine. Then he groaned and collapsed, flattening me to the bed, as he bellowed my name and took me with every heated ounce of his love, and a body that had been honed to a weapon—now used to worship.
~ JANN ~
I was mindless with need.
I shuddered as I took her, feeling her respond, gripping me, holding me tightly, her fingers in my hair, and her hand clamped on my shoulder.
I groaned, the sound torn from my throat, as I was overwhelmed with the wash of pleasure and joy as I took her again. Hard.
She threw her head back, eyes closed as her body tightened, so I slid both hands under the curve of her neck, lacing my fingers to cup it, letting my palms circle her neck and my thumbs rest on her throat, tracing that delicate vulnerability and watching with wonder as her skin pebbled in response to my touch.
Trembling with sheer need, I held her there as I drew out of her, growling with approval at the sight of her lower lip slack, eyes screwed tightly shut, and drank in the beautiful sound of her broken cries.
She whimpered when I pulled all the way out, but her eyes flew wide and her hands clapped to the backs of my wrists when I thrust into her again.
Our eyes locked, and I shook my damp hair off my forehead.
“God, you’re so fucking beautiful,” I rasped.
I wanted to comfort her—or perhaps myself. To distract us both from the dark fears that haunted every waking moment. I wanted to wring pleasure from her slowly, until she could think of nothing but me.
But when I drew out of her, then slowly but firmly possessed her again, her eyes began to roll back and her mouth fell open.
The sight of her lips, soft and trembling, was so delicious, I struggled for control, debating with myself whether to increase the pace, or dive down and taste her mouth.
But, of course, she chose for me.
“Oh… Jann,” she gasped, tilting her hips to somehow take me deeper, her tiny whimpers urging me on so that I couldn’t resist moving more, faster. Especially when her breasts began to bounce, her nipples taunting me with their rosy peaks.
“Dee…”
“Don’t stop!”
With a growl to swallow back the climax that wanted to punch through this incredible moment, arms trembling, I pounded into her, setting a punishing pace.
For a moment I was worried I might hurt her—or the babe—until she fucking smiled.
Eyes closed, her nails digging into the backs of my shoulders, she braced and held—and then, to my delight, wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself out of my grip and up… to open her mouth on my neck.
When she latched onto me, pleasure washed down my side. I rasped her name. Then she flicked her tongue against that sensitive skin, and I grunted as my blood went up in flames.
Arms still braced, hands fisting the pillow to keep myself over her, I slammed to the hilt again and again, grunting and sweating, praying for the control to hold my body in check until she found her bliss. But the vixen was determined to break me.
“Mine,” she whispered, then nipped at the tendon on my neck.
My entire body jerked and I threw my head back, bellowing to fight for control, but she didn’t let go.
“Mine,” she whispered again, this time letting her teeth graze my Adam’s apple. I groaned. “Only mine,” she gasped, then one of her hands clawed into my scalp and she pulled my head down, taking my mouth and plunging with her tongue as aggressively as I took her body.
My control shredded.
Roaring into her sweet mouth, I slapped one arm to her spine, holding her to my chest as I unleashed, driving into her again and again until she could do nothing but cling and cry in time with my thrusts.
Everything disappeared—the luxurious room, the large bed, even the sunlight seeping in the windows. The world faded to nothing but the sight and scent of her.
I roared my love as I sought her again, and again, and again, my climax looming as I fought to give her time.
Soon I was a mess, pleading with her in ragged cries to come for me, gasping and praying that God wouldn’t steal this moment—then shuddering with joy when her head snapped back and she clenched on me, high keening cries echoing in the room.
Unable to stop it, I tumbled off that cliff with her, bellowing her name and holding her desperately to me, so no space existed between our skins or our souls.
I was thrown into an ocean of pleasure that washed over my head, over my skin, the rush and rumble of ecstasy, then poured through my blood and met her in the bond, sizzling to steam in that bonfire of need and connection right behind my ribs.
I was blind to anything but her body, deaf to anything but her ragged cries, as we twisted and fell together into that impossible place… then she bowed and sucked in, and I shivered, and we collapsed together—a tangle of limbs and sweaty skin, damp hair, and panting breaths.
And deep inside my chest, her soul nestled tightly against mine—just as tightly as our bodies, because I held her to me as if death sought to tear her away.
Because, if we were honest, he did. In that precious moment, I discovered a newfound resolve.
No matter what. No matter who. No matter how… I would not let it happen.