Chapter 23
CHAPTER 23
A driel awoke to a cool bed, followed by a jolt of disappointment. Had she misinterpreted last night? Perhaps she was harboring unrealistic expectations. These emotions were unprecedented and the last thing she expected to feel, yet there seemed no drawing them back now—which led her right into regret.
What had she been thinking? She had no understanding of modern relationships and even less about relationships with females. A female hybrid witch, for that matter.
But she thought she knew Juniper. She felt so connected to her last night—truly understood for the first time in her existence. Juniper made her feel…
She inwardly cringed knowing there was no place in her life or heart for such a word, but she couldn’t escape its inflated presence in her head.
She felt loved .
Her eyes shut and she winced. What was wrong with her? Juniper wasn’t even there. What they did obviously didn’t mean as much to her as it did to Adriel.
A bitter ache formed in her heart. Abandoned not even six hours later. She should have known better.
And why was she taking it so personally? It wasn’t as though they were mated or married. There should be no ache in her chest or hurt in her belly. It was one night. Nothing. They only lived together out of necessity. They were friends. This must be what casual meant. Perfectly acceptable, no strings attached, don’t ask, don’t tell…
The logic continued, but the disappointment never eased. Last night had been iconic.
She covered her face with a pillow and groaned, hating the wishy-washy neediness ransacking her common sense. But the truth was, she didn’t want it to end. She wanted to wake up beside her and?—
“Morning.”
Adriel’s heart stilled. All debasing thoughts slammed to a halt as the weight in her stomach lifted like bubbles of air. Sliding the pillow from her face, she turned her gaze to the door and found Juniper staring at her.
“You okay?”
An embarrassed smile curved her mouth and her cheeks heated. She was losing her mind for this female—far from okay. “I’m great. How are you?”
Juniper closed the distance, her unique scent softening the air. A thousand butterflies took flight in Adriel’s belly.
“I’m fantastic.” She laughed, almost to herself. “Better even.” Wrapped in only a towel, she bent to press a kiss to Adriel’s mouth, lingering for a moment to caress her jaw before slowly pulling away. “You sure you’re okay?”
Again, she blushed. “I…thought you left.”
She chuckled and tossed the towel aside, sliding under the covers to pull Adriel close. Her body was warm and soft—safe and welcoming. “I’m not going anywhere, babe.”
Adriel closed her eyes, breathing in the perfumed scent of the soap on Juniper’s skin. Relief melted the knots of tension inside of her like butter left out on a hot day. Her entire being became soft and malleable just from having her arms around her.
Should she confess she was having such an extreme reaction to the intimacy they shared? Was this normal? She honestly didn’t know if people discussed such things. She never knew anything could feel so incredibly…right.
Juniper’s lips pressed to her shoulder. Time slowed as she simply held her like that. No one had ever—that Adriel could recall—nurtured her so affectionately. The more she thought about the absence of touch in her life the more her insides ached.
Her aimless touch teased lower, and tension unraveled, swelling and waning like waves along the coast that built and then faded into softness. Her gentleness disarmed her as much as it unnerved her. Each little stroke was a lesson in trust and kindness. Like oxygen, Adriel breathed the comfort in, holding the intangible sensations for the briefest moment, then letting go and surrendering to the delicious pleasure.
“You have the softest skin,” Juniper whispered, trailing her fingertips down Adriel’s side. Tender caresses skated over her hip, swirling low on her stomach, and glided upward to trace her ribs.
Adriel laughed.
“Ticklish?”
Was she? No one had ever touched her so softly before, so she didn’t know. “I suppose I am.”
“Hmm, I wonder where else you’re ticklish.” She shifted between her legs, tugging Adriel closer as she grinned. “Let’s find out.”
A sharp, delightful whisp of pleasure chased up her spine as Juniper nuzzled her neck. Adriel’s shoulders reflexively lifted as they both laughed. Soft lips teased the wing of her collarbone. Juniper watched her through thick lashes and violet eyes that hid dark promise in the depths.
Adriel stilled, the sole purpose of her entire existence now invested in seeing what she might do next.
“What about here?” Juniper whispered, kissing the slope of her shoulder. As she moved above her, the tips of her breasts dragged against Adriel’s chest, teasing and titillating. “Or here?” Her fingers trailed low, past her hip, and lightly grazed her inner thigh. “Or maybe here.”
She rolled her hips and their eyes met. Juniper held her stare, her knuckle dragging upward between her legs at a glacial pace. Time stood still.
The precipice of curiosity needled with excruciating wanting until she could take no more. “June…”
Juniper’s mouth hooked into a playful grin, perfectly aware she was tormenting her. “Yes…?”
Adriel’s throat tightened at her teasing tone. Emotion rolled through her like a landside, pushing words out of her mouth before she could call them back. “I never knew it could be like this. So soft and pleasant yet so…intense. I heard whispers, but I always assumed they were embellished.”
Noting the tears in her eyes and the way her voice strained, Juniper sat up. “Hey, don’t cry.”
Embarrassed, Adriel wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me. It’s as if you’ve loosened something that’s been lodged in my chest for hundreds of years.” She rubbed a hand over her heart where it hurt. “This is nothing like I imagined. Nothing like I remember.”
“I’m as surprised as you are.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Before you… I mean, I was a kid. Th en…” Her stare skated away as if she didn’t want to see those memories. “Last night wasn’t planned, but it also wasn’t a mistake. When I’m with you, I feel…safe, like everything is going to be all right.” She laughed. “I sound like a Bob Marley song.”
Adriel shook her head, not understanding the reference to modern music. “I never know what you mean when you reference music.”
Juniper wiped away her tears and laid beside her, pulling her close and whispered, “Don’t worry… about a thing… ‘cause every little thing’s gonna be all right.”
Adriel turned to face her fully, her need growing as Juniper’s soft breath fanned over her damp cheeks. Her confidence and self-assured autonomy was simply stunning. Combing a strand of hair away from her eyes, she smiled. “I think you’re one of God’s prettiest creations.”
Her lashes lowered and she silently laughed. The spattering of freckles across her nose darkened as she blushed. “I’ve never been what anyone considers traditionally beautiful.”
“You’re not. That’s what makes you so uniquely stunning, so…Juniper. You’re strong yet fragile, brave yet cautious. When you want something, you go after it, and there’s no telling you otherwi?—”
Her words cut off as Juniper’s mouth smashed to hers in a hard kiss. The pressure softened, and heat flooded her veins. It was such a passionate, life-affirming kiss, there was no mistaking her feelings and all of Adriel’s were then validated.
The mind-melting kiss turned playful, awakening parts of Adriel that felt young and safe. That’s what Juniper did when she touched her. She rewrote the cold, jaded parts with a sense of security that was new and delicate, bursting with hope.
There was no fear when Juniper pushed into her personal space. No pressure or demands. On the contrary, she seemed to bring a breath of fresh air and a burst of excitement. Adriel wanted to give her everything she asked for and more.
When Juniper kissed her, the world disappeared. It was only the two of them and loneliness seemed an impossible idea.
“I never want to leave this bed,” Adriel confessed between long, drugging caresses.
Juniper’s smile pressed against her skin. “Then we won’t. We’ll hire servants to bring us food and wait on our every need and never have to see anyone else ever again.”
“Sounds perfect.” She giggled—actually giggled as Juniper pressed a kiss to the sensitive curve of her neck. Adriel stretched out beneath her, surrendering to her desires.
She only ever touched her in ways that felt good. There was never any pain or adjustment. Just…decadence. Sometimes, the pleasure was so intense that her mind didn’t know how to process all she felt .
Soft moans of delight whispered across her stomach as Juniper kissed lower. On a sigh, Adriel opened for her, still amazed that anything could feel so good.
“You’re sweet, like a peach down here,” Juniper said, stroking her finger slowly as she pressed an open-mouthed kiss between her thighs. “Warm on the inside, like you’ve been baking in the sun. Soft. Wet. Pink in the center.” She licked. “Mmm. I could eat you forever and never get tired of the taste.”
Adriel inhaled as her gentle touch slid slowly deeper. She closed her eyes as the pleasure carried her away. Every caress, every kiss, and every glance pulled her further under a potent spell only Juniper could weave.
Colors burst behind her eyes as emotion swirled inside of her. Waves of sensations spilled forward as muscles tightened and breathy cries broke the silence. When it ended and her body shivered, Juniper was there, holding her tight and kissing her once more.
A territorial thought crossed her mind, and possessiveness sharpened inside of her like a knife. “I don’t want to share you.”
Juniper laughed and kissed her shoulder. “I’m glad. I don’t really like other people.”
“I mean it, June. The thought of anyone else seeing you this way?—”
“Hey.” She caught her chin and made her look into her eyes. “This is only for you. Just you. Us.”
Adriel grinned. Us. She liked the sound of that. “What’s going to happen to us when he comes back?”
Cerberus was always in the back of her mind and he wasn’t going to go away. Juniper sighed and rolled onto her back. The intrusion shattering the beautiful moment so quickly Adriel regretted asking the question.
“When he comes back, we’ll be prepared.”
When, not if. At least they were on the same page. “He won’t stay away for long, especially now that he’s found us. I feel guilty lying here where there’s so much we could be doing.”
Juniper laced her fingers with hers and kissed her knuckle. “I think we needed this more.”
Adriel agreed, but now the guilt and fear were seeping in. “What do you think our next move should be? We could keep moving?—”
“I don’t want to live a life in fear. And neither should you, Ade.”
Cerberus had always been an indomitable force in her life. Mates were meant to be together. Escaping her fate was no easy task. She’d spent a lifetime evading him and avoiding punishment, but it wasn’t natural for an immortal to fight their destiny. “I’m used to living in fear.”
“Things are different now. You have me. I’ll protect you.”
Her devotion was sweet, but Juniper was still so young. She hadn’t fully come into her powers. And she’d only just started feeding. Who knew what her immortal bloodlines would reveal?
“I could never live with myself if he hurt you. ”
“I feel the same.”
If anything, life had taught Adriel just how resilient she could be. “He might hurt me, but he can’t break me.”
“We’re all breakable, Ade, no matter how much we pretend or tell ourselves otherwise. There’s only one way to ensure he doesn’t hurt you again.”
“We cannot try anything too dangerous. The thought of anything happening to you?—”
“Hey.” She caught her chin and forced her to meet her stare. “I’m strong. He might have gotten into my head for a moment, but as soon as I realized what he was doing, I forced him out. We got away.”
“Hardly.”
“So we got a few scratches. We’re fine now. See?” She thumbed her chest and grinned. “Still here.” She tapped a finger to her forehead. “Next time, I’ll be more prepared. He has no idea how far I’d go to protect those I love. And love, is always more powerful than hate.”
Her heart sputtered and she gasped. Did she realize what she said.
Juniper grinned. “What? You think we could get this close and stay dethatched? I can be just as territorial as you.”
Adriel framed her face and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You know I love you too.”
“I hope so. I nearly died for you.”
They laughed, their new found happiness diluting the fear enough to forget that their lives were in danger for a moment. One kiss turned into another, and soon they found euphoria again.
The head and the heart were the holders of the soul and that was where Adriel felt Juniper’s presence most when she touched her. She made her want things she never dreamed of having—made her believe happiness might be possible afterall.