Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
SAMARA
After my shower, my mind was still reeling about my brother being alive and the story Kage had shared. And about the kiss.
Maybe there was something to my thoughts about turning into a succubus. It wasn’t unheard of for a null to develop their abilities later. I already absorbed light, what was a little desire added to the mix?
I didn’t feel like I was feeding off anyone, so that hypothesis didn’t quite make sense. My men calmed me when they were near. There was the possibility I was siphoning something from them, though.
I finished brushing my hair and let it hang loose to dry. I’d been hoping Nico would come back, even though he’d told me to lock the door behind him. He should have been done checking the perimeter by now.
I tightened the sash of the robe that had been hanging in the bathroom before I opened the bedroom door.
Two neat piles of clothes sat on the floor, along with two covered plates and a carafe of wine.
I moved the items into the room before going across the hall, where the water was running in the bathroom.
I knocked lightly, but there was no answer. There was a click as the door unlocked, and then someone brushed past me.
Kage.
I slipped inside and found Nico sitting naked on the floor against the cabinets with his head in his hands.
“Hey.” I shut the door and flipped the lock. I wanted to blurt out everything Kage had shared but stopped myself. “Are you okay?”
“Fucking Kage.” He didn’t look up as I sank to the floor next to him and pulled on his arms. He was crying.
“Nico…”
“Why did it have to be her?” I didn’t need to ask him who he was referring to. I pulled him into my arms and smoothed his hair.
“I don’t know, hon.” He hooked one of his arms around my leg, pulling me closer. “She wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
He made a noise that was part laugh, part cry. “She would have kicked my ass.”
“Then told you to pull your head out of it.” I sighed and let my hand settle on the side of his head. “She wouldn’t want you to wake up one day and realize your entire life passed you by while it was stuck up there.”
“I know she wouldn’t. It’s so fucking hard, Peanut.” His voice cracked, raw and broken in a way I’d only heard a few times before. “Valentino told me you were dead. Do you have any idea…”
The words dissolved into something between a sob and a gasp. He shifted closer, pressing his face harder against my chest like he was trying to hide from the memory. His shoulders trembled, and I felt his unsteady breath through the thin fabric of my robe.
My throat tightened. “I’m still here.”
His arm tightened around my leg, fingers digging in like I might evaporate if he loosened his grip. He put his head on my shoulder, and we sat on the floor in silence. As much as I wanted more with him, I wouldn’t trade moments where we enjoyed each other’s presence for anything.
That was difficult to find with another person.
“I’ve pulled it out,” he whispered.
“What?” Confusion washed over me.
“My head. I pulled it out of my ass.” He lifted his head and cupped my cheek, searching my eyes.
“If you’re—”
He didn’t let me finish, and his lips met mine in a hungry kiss.
Was it actually happening? Was he finally letting himself live again? I pushed at his chest and broke the kiss before I let myself fall into it.
“I don’t want you to do this because you feel you have to.” My thumb danced across his bottom lip. “I want you to be sure. There’s no going back from this, Nico.”
“I want to.” He put his hand over mine. “No going back, Sammy.”
I took one more second to look at him, and then I grabbed a handful of his hair and brought our lips back together. Kissing him was everything I had imagined. We melted into each other as if we had been kissing for years.
He ran his fingers through my hair, the gentle scrape of his nails against my scalp sending sparks down my spine.
Then he angled my head and deepened the kiss.
His tongue broke through my lips, sliding against mine with an urgency that made my entire body hum.
I met him halfway, swirling my tongue around his before drawing it into my mouth and sucking gently.
The low and desperate sound he made vibrated through me, settling somewhere deep in my chest. His fingers dug into the fabric of the robe as he pulled me forward. I went willingly, letting him guide me until I was straddling him, my knees bracketing his hips.
Each kiss bled into the next until I couldn’t tell where one ended and another began. After what felt like an eternity, his lips slid across my neck to the spot under my ear.
I moved against him, his erection pressing between my legs as he grabbed onto my ass and squeezed.
“Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long. Why didn’t you tell me to get my head out of my ass sooner?”
“You weren’t ready to hear it.” I stood and held out my hand. “I want to run my tongue and lips over every inch of your body, but you kind of ripped out a lot of throats today.”
“Are you disgusted?” He didn’t take my hand as he looked up at me.
I untied my robe, letting it fall open. His eyes darkened as he watched it drop to the floor. His hand went to his cock, and he began stroking himself in long, firm pulls. I bit my lip as his thumb flicked at the piercing at the head.
“Do I look disgusted with you?”
“Fuck, Peanut. Come here.” When I didn’t move, he let out a growl. “I don’t need a shower to eat your pussy.”
I backed up toward the shower, a smile playing at the corner of my lips. He moved to his knees and crawled toward me, grabbing me around the back of my thighs and pulling me to him.
He buried his face between my legs, his beard scratching my sensitive skin, making every nerve ending sing.
His lips closed over my clit, and the heat of his mouth was instant and overwhelming.
He sucked hard, drawing it between his teeth with just enough pressure to make my knees buckle, and then swirled his tongue around it in slow, deliberate circles that left me gasping.
He lifted one of my legs over his shoulder without breaking contact, adjusting the angle so he could get closer. The shift opened me up to him completely, leaving me exposed in the best possible way.
I leaned against the glass door of the shower, the cool surface a stark contrast to the fire building inside me. My fingers tangled in his hair, gripping tight as I let him do what I had only fantasized about.
One of his fingers ran along my slit, gathering the wetness there, and I groaned at the teasing touch. “Fuck, Nico. Don’t tease.”
He didn’t answer with words, just pushed two fingers inside me. The stretch was perfect and made my toes curl against the floor.
“Sweet hell serpents, yes.”
I moved my hips, rolling them against his face, and he made low, growling noises against my clit that vibrated through me.
The sound was primal and hungry, like he couldn’t get enough and wanted to devour every part of me.
His fingers worked in and out of me, curling to hit that spot that made stars explode behind my eyelids.
I wasn’t going to last long at the rate he was going. My body was humming with my impending release, every muscle tensing in anticipation. The pleasure coiled tighter and tighter in my core.
I didn’t want to fight it or hold back.
Not with him. Not anymore.
“I’m going to come.” I gasped as he added a third finger, the stretch making my eyes roll back. “Nico!”
I shattered into a thousand pieces as he sucked my clit between his lips and growled against me, the vibration rolling through my core like thunder.
My vision went white at the edges, everything narrowing down to the hot pulse of pleasure radiating outward from where his mouth and fingers worked me through it.
I grabbed his hair with both hands, pulling him harder against me as I rode the waves of my orgasm. I was probably being too rough and demanding, but he seemed more than happy to let me use him however I needed.
Finally, when it became too much, I had to push his head away with shaking hands. My leg was still draped over his shoulder, and I wasn’t entirely sure I could stand on my own if he let go.
He pulled back slowly, pressing one last soft kiss to my inner thigh before looking up at me. His beard was wet, his lips swollen and red, and his expression was pure male satisfaction.
He grinned up at me. “Get your ass in that shower.”
I opened the door and got in on wobbly legs. My fingers felt tingly as I stepped under the warm spray.
Nico stepped in behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and bringing his mouth to my ear. “I can’t wait to be buried inside you.”
I shivered and tilted my head to the side so he could kiss along my neck. “Let me wash you first.”
He groaned and nipped my neck before stepping away. I turned and did a slow sweep of his magnificent body. I could spend all day exploring his tattoos with my fingers and mouth.
But that would have to wait until we weren’t fighting for our lives.
I grabbed the bar of soap and brought it to my nose. It had no smell, and I was tempted to go grab a bar from my bag. I lathered up my hands and began with his pecs, circling my fingers over his nipples.
His head fell back, and he shut his eyes. “Fuck.”
I moved to his arms, then I dropped to my knees and cleaned his legs. His eyes were open now, watching me as I avoided his cock.
“My cock needs some attention.” His voice was raspy, and one of his hands swept my wet hair out of my eyes.
I smirked and ran my hands up the back of his thighs and over his ass as I got to my feet. “Oh? Like this?”
I wrapped my hand around his cock, and his head lolled to the side. I had waited so long to touch him like this. I knew I was never going to want to stop.
He groaned as I ran my thumb over the cockhead and piercing. “Your hands are so much better than mine.”
I stepped closer to him, and the water ran over us both. “Nico, I want you inside me.”
He picked me up, turning to press me against the tiled wall. I wrapped my legs around him and threaded my fingers through his hair, bringing his lips back to mine.
The kiss was slower and more deliberate this time. He took his time exploring my mouth as he rubbed his cock against my slit, the head and piercing brushing my clit with each stroke.
The sensation sent sparks through my nerve endings, and I whimpered into his mouth, my hips rolling against him in search of more.
He pulled back to look at me, bringing his hand to my cheek with such tenderness that it made my chest ache. His thumb ran across my cheekbone, his eyes searching mine as his expression shifted into something raw and vulnerable.
In one smooth thrust, he filled me completely, causing me to gasp. Our eyes were locked, neither of us willing to look away as he began moving, slowly at first, letting me adjust to his size.
My tears fell freely, overwhelmed that this was actually happening after so long of wanting, waiting, and convincing myself it never would.
“Sammy,” he whispered, his voice breaking on my name.
He buried his face in my neck, his breath hot against my skin as he increased his pace. His hands gripped my ass now, fingers digging into the flesh as he pistoned in and out of me.
“Fuck, Sammy. You feel so good.” His teeth scraped along my neck, sending goosebumps racing across my skin before he sucked the sensitive spot below my ear.
I tightened my thighs around him, needing him deeper, needing more of everything he was giving me. With each thrust, my core coiled tighter. The piercing dragged against spots inside me I didn’t even know existed, and I couldn’t form coherent thoughts anymore.
“Nico, please.”
His thrusts grew more erratic, losing the controlled rhythm as his fingers tightened on my ass. His cock swelled, and I clenched around him as another orgasm rolled through me without warning, stealing the air from my lungs and taking him with me.
“Nico!” I cried out, the sound echoing off the tiles as I dug my nails into his back, probably leaving marks.
He groaned into my neck, his body shuddering as he poured into me. He continued to thrust slowly, milking every drop of our orgasms until we were both trembling and gasping for air.
He lifted his head. “Fuck. You’re glowing.”
“Mm-hmm, so good.” I held onto him and then saw my arm. “I’m glowing.”
It was faint, but the purple hue slithered over my skin as if finding a place to store itself. I met Nico’s concerned eyes, and we both watched my arm as the glow slowly faded.
He lowered me but kept me pressed against him, his arm around my waist. “Do you feel okay?”
Did I? My entire body was still tingling from the orgasm. “Yes. Are you okay?”
He nodded, concern in his eyes. I didn’t want to entertain the thought that his cum had infused me with light magic. My mind went there, though, and a giggle came from my lips.
It was not the time to giggle, but I couldn’t stop once I started. I was exhausted, scared, and happy all at the same time, and my mind couldn’t reconcile all those things at once.
“What do you think happened?” He turned off the water and grabbed a towel. “You’re giggling like a five-year-old.”
“Maybe your jizz gave me light magic. My family are essence feeders. I could be a new classification.”
He snorted at my theory and wrapped the towel around me, running his hands over my arms. “I think we both need to sleep.”
I nodded against his chest, suddenly aware of how heavy my limbs felt. The adrenaline that had been coursing through me was finally easing.
Nothing about my life looked the same anymore. The realization settled over me as Nico held me steady when my legs wanted to give out.
What had happened over the past several days had changed everything. Changed me. I wasn’t the same woman who had walked into those council chambers, hair hidden, wanting to belong. That version of myself felt like a stranger now.
The faint purple afterglow that had danced across my skin felt like a marker separating before from after. It didn’t scare me.
It made me feel powerful.