Chapter 17
Emmie
Istruggle to open my heavy eyelids. It's as though they're weighed down with lead, however the fight to control them is well worth the reward when I manage to pry them apart. Portarius' face is only centimetres from mine, his brow furrowed in concern.
“You're too close, Portarius, my morning breath will kill you,” I croak.
My throat is a little sore from god knows what.
He quickly rolls over, the soft chime of the glass pipette hitting the edge of the small tincture bottle, the only other sound above our breathing.
The red sun glows through the window, a soft amber as it takes over from the cool tones of the moon flames.
“Open,” he demands, and I feel my grin forming from his dominating tone.
He pushes me gently until I'm lying flat on my back. His large body moving to hover over mine. I tilt my hips, opening my legs for comfort, his eyes widening as he realises how intimately we’re positioned.
My clock is ticking, so I'm not going to waste any more of it than I have to.
The time for playing coy has well and truly passed.
Opening my mouth only slightly, I flatten my tongue as I extend it out.
Three drops of the tincture are placed on the tip, my eyes almost rolling to the back of my skull as the soothing sensation takes hold.
“Do you feel better?” He questions, voice edged with something that feels like lust. But I can see the worry flicker across his face despite the suddenly charged air.
I scared him yesterday, and I feel guilty for not being able to reassure him, to tell him I was okay.
Well, not okay, but you know what I mean.
Exhaustion took me faster than hitting the snooze button after a long weekend.
“I'm better, I promise. Thank you for staying with me. I can barely remember what happened, but I could feel you by my side.” I lift a hand, rubbing my palm against his cheek. His eyes flutter closed on a contented sigh.
“Are you tired still? We will spend the day here for you to rest and travel back at first light tomorrow.”
Thank the gods, because I seriously didn't know how I was going to manage a full day riding.
“I'm tired, but I’m okay. I'm sorry I worried you.” My voice faintly wobbling, but I refuse to give in to the hopelessness of my mortality, or whatever my existence is now. The tincture is working, I have a few more days left, and there is a handsome man… man? Monster thing, who is looking after me. “You’re a Gatekeeper, right?” Wow, Emmie, smooth as ever.
“Sorry, that's rude, but you're not a man, you're a Gatekeeper?
That's the name of your species?” I cringe, not understanding why I had to voice this intrusive thought. Trauma response?
“Yes, I am a Gatekeeper.” He smiles softly, smoothing my hair away from my face. “We have a lot to discuss today, Emmie, but you need to eat and we must bathe.”
I lift my head, softly pressing my lips to his, trying to reassure him.
I know he's a great warrior, and I'm only human, but there's a connection between us I want to explore in what little time I have left.
Letting my head fall back, my body relaxes underneath his, enjoying the comfort and weight of him.
“Press your mouth to mine again. I like it. I want more mouth presses, Emmie.” His mouth hovers just above mine, our breaths merging with each word.
“Mouth presses? You mean kisses?” Raising my brow in question. “We kissed the other night in the bath, and you didn't mention anything. Do you not kiss in your culture?” I ask each question as I place tiny kisses across his face, his grunts of pleasure coming after each one.
“We do not have mouth presses, no. It feels nice against my skin. You feel good to me.” His hips move as he re-adjusts himself on top of me, and I can feel his cock begin to harden.
I don't know if I have the energy to do anything more than lie here right now, so hopefully he doesn't plan on having sex at this very minute.
If and when it happens, I want to give him the ride of his life.
“You feel good to me, too, Portarius.”
There is a lazy energy to us as we explore each other's mouths.
Just kissing for the sheer joy of it. I'm about to graze my hand down his back to encourage his hips closer when there's a knock at the door, and Portarius all but leaps out of the bed.
He holds two daggers in his hands, crouched to attack.
Where the hell was he hiding fucking daggers?
There's some muffled talking through the door, and Portarius relaxes.
Steve. The daggers disappearing somewhere in his hands.
It's the first real chance I have to look at his new body.
There are several blackout tattoos interwoven with lines and intricate details spanning the length of his arms and up his shoulders.
They hold the same darkness as the water of the Gate.
A bottomless pool of obsidian. A connection shared between the two of them. A lifeline.
Opening the door, he pulls several boxes into the room, topped with a large tray piled high with food, my stomach choosing that exact moment to loudly rumble.
“Come and break bread, Emmie. You must gain your strength back for more mouth kisses later.”
He’s so serious with his demand, a laugh bursts out of me at his sincerity.
“Bath, food, and mouth kisses. In no particular order,” I say, waving my hand in the air as I amble toward the food, placing a decent sized chunk of scrambled eggs in my mouth.
“No. We stick to the order. Food, bath, and then mouth kisses,” he grumbles, clearly agitated with his own rules.
“Selene has sent some clothing for you to try, best to do that after the bath as well,” he humphs.
My laughter filling the room as I move to sit in his lap to eat, ignoring the other chair completely.
“Food, bath, clothes, and mouth kisses,” I say, smiling and leaning into his chest. A comfortable silence settles over us as we eat the tray of food, only broken when I whisper, “Thank you for not leaving me,” kissing over where I hope his heart beats in his chest.