Chapter 9Harbor
Chapter 9
HARBOR
L ooking in the mirror as I apply the finishing touches to my makeup, my heart flutters thinking about tonight. I’m so excited about my “date” with Talon. He’s been a little more aggressive with his displays of affection, so I’m excited to see where tonight takes us. The kiss this morning, fuck me. That kiss was innocent at first, and then he practically went feral. His fierceness stirred something inside me, and I was moments from dragging him somewhere private when that student bumped him and startled me.
And holy fuck, the way he held me so close, I could feel him. He is packing some serious equipment, enough that I’m kind of scared if things do go further tonight. I’ve never been with someone that big. I’m not going to avoid him because of it, but holy hells. We’ll have to work up to that, but I have a feeling Talon won’t take things too far before I’m ready. He’s held back the entire time we’ve been talking .
That right there means so much to me. The fact that he isn’t rushing to hook up with me. The fact that he’s taken the time to get to know me. It means so much more, deep in my heart.
With minutes to spare, I set down my lipstick and go find the strappy sandals I want to wear. He didn’t give a dress code, so I just chose a light, flowy dress. I love dresses, and I can’t help but appreciate fabric that isn’t too form-fitting. Dresses fit my body better than any cut of pants, so I feel more comfortable in the material that isn’t restricting. It makes me feel so attractive, knowing it’s showing off my best assets while hiding the parts I’m not wanting to advertise. Kane appreciated the dress I wore when we had our adventure in town…
No, I can’t think of him, not when I’m about to go on a date with Talon. Pushing thoughts of my stepbrother out of my mind, I grab my small bag and lock my apartment door. I practically float down the stairs, and when I exit the newly renovated lobby and lounge on the first floor, I find Talon waiting for me, standing in the waning sunslight. Gods, he is so gorgeous. His platinum blond hair hangs to his shoulders in soft waves, sparkling in the remaining light of the day. When he hears the door open, he turns, and damn, the look of awe on his face sends a quiver through my spine.
Smiling softly, I descend the steps to greet my date. When I finally approach him, I reach up to circle my arms around his shoulders and lean in to give him a gentle kiss. He refrains from letting it get too hot, though. He kisses me back before looping an arm around my waist and turning to escort me.
“Where are we going?” I ask, excited about the dinner he has planned.
“I thought I’d take you to the observation platform at the top of Azure Tower,” he says stoically.
“There is an observation platform? I thought it was just the combat training room.”
“Yes, it’s for tactical practice. Sometimes, the astrology department uses it for observations, but mostly it’s for training with war tactics and air combat.”
My eyebrows jump at the surprise. I never knew something so expansive was at the top of the tower. As we arrive and climb the stairs, I’m watching every detail, so I can remember to come back. The open space of the ocean is home, but being propped up on top of a building, with so much open air surrounding, is bound to be a comforting feeling.
Boy, was I right. As I exit the secret staircase onto the rooftop guided by Talon, I am taken aback by the breathtaking beauty in front of me. The roof itself is mostly flat, with a seating area for lounging off to one corner, and that’s where he directs us. It’s when I step closer to the edge, and I can see the campus below me, that the similarities hit home. The open sky is changing colors with the setting suns, from a bright yellow surrounding the sun that sets last, to a watercolor mix of oranges, pinks, purples, and dark blue. The beauty painted in the sky captures my attention until Talon wraps his arm around me once more.
“Hey,” he says as he looks out across the sky.
Turning to face him, I smile up at him, welcoming his embrace. “Hi.”
“Before we sit down to eat, I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Okay,” I reply, unsure of where he is going with this.
“I wanted to check in with you regarding us. I know we haven’t had much time to get to know each other, but I’m wanting to be clear. I’m very much interested in dating you. I want to take those steps to claim you as mine, and vice versa. If that’s not what you want, please say that now, so I know what to expect. If you are interested in me like that, then I want you to know I plan on pursuing you romantically and to be prepared.”
My eyes fly wide at his confession and mission statement. I don’t know if I’ve ever had someone so forward with their feelings for me, and I can’t help but giggle.
“That’s understandable,” I say with a smile. “I fully agree, and I’m on the same wavelength, Talon. I’d love to date and get to know you.”
“Great,” he says with a smile. “Are you hungry?”
As he turns to sort out the food across the small patios set before us, I can’t help raking my eyes up and down his body since his back is turned. Damn, his back is corded with muscle, taut against the stretched material of his shirt. His ass is firm and round in his jeans, too. The sight gives me the urge to grab and squeeze.
When he turns to look and catches me ogling his body, I realize I never answered him. Oops.
“ Are you hungry?” he asks with a smile.
Oh, I sure am. I want to say that, but I simply reply as I walk over and take a seat, “Yes, I’m famished.”
The entire meal was absolutely amazing. Talon made us bowls of his favorite childhood meal. It was nothing I’d ever tasted before, yet I can understand just why it would be something he’s loved for a while. The explosion of flavor only made me hungrier, but at one point, I knew I’d be too full if I kept eating. Pushing away from the delicious food was incredibly hard to do, but I know my limits.
After we ate, Talon and I sat together in one seat, me sideways in his lap, and we talked about school as we watched the stars appear. He is studying to learn more about magic wielding, in order to learn more about his parents’ death. He’s always had suspicions, but it was written off as accidental, something Talon never accepted.
When he had asked me about what I was going to do after school, I admitted I didn’t know. I knew I wanted to do something to connect my home with the rest of the world, since we are isolated in the ocean. At that point, he looked confused, and I realized I hadn’t told him my nature. I admitted I was a syren, but I promised I hadn’t tried anything to manipulate him. I was relieved when he readily believed me that I never attempted to try to lure him in any way.
As Talon walked me home, I revealed my family history of how Mom and I left when I was fourteen to return to my mother’s home in Thalassia. I also disclosed that I had to stay for four years, and that my enrollment in Terranea was my first time on land in that same amount of time. Learning this culture again was quite the shock, but I think I’ve done a good job growing accustomed to being in Naesala again.
When we finally get back to Bromberg House, I hesitate at the stairs to the entrance. I don’t want the date to end, but is inviting him up too forward? Fuck it.
“Talon, do you want to come upstairs with me? I’m not sure if I’m ready to let go of you for the evening.”
A small smile spreads across his face before he responds. “Yes, please.”
Climbing the stairs, I’m feeling slightly nervous. I’m about to invite someone into my private space. It’s the first time since Bethany that I’ve been able to open myself up like that. I’m shaking so badly that it takes three times for me to successfully unlock my door.
“Come on in,” I say with a laugh when I do finally get it open. “Would you like something to drink?” I walk toward the kitchen and set my bag down on the table. I brace myself against one chair, reaching down to unstrap one shoe. When I unhook it and set it aside, I bend to unstrap the other.
As soon as I’m back on both feet and upright, a low rumble at my back has chills running down my arms. Talon settles both hands on my waist, slowly pushing me forward until my front is pressed up against the floor to ceiling cabinets.
“Rogue,” he says slowly, “are you trying to push my limits of self-control?” Both hands squeeze before roaming down over my round hips. “I’ve nearly lost control several times recently, and I’d always stop if you asked. A man can only resist so much temptation before he becomes feral for the meal he’s been starving for.”
A whimper escapes me, because what the fuck? When did this quiet and demure man develop such a fierce, predatory nature? It’s hot as hells, and I’m ready for it.
“Wasn’t on purpose, but I’m not complaining,” I breathe. I arch back, pushing my ass back into him. When he growls, I smirk that I could tease him. He turns the tables on me, though. Using one hand to hold my shoulders to the cabinets, the other hand skims over my ass and dips beneath my dress. With absolute accuracy, he somehow finds the wet spot my dripping pussy has left on my panties.
“Oh, you won’t be. Not when I’m through with you.” He reaches up, grabbing the waist of my underwear and yanking them down, baring my cunt to the cool air. “I think you’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you? Are you still hungry, Rogue?” His fingers find my entrance, dancing and teasing me until I throw my head back and moan with want. “I know I’m still hungry. I wonder what I can eat…”
Biting my lip, I have a few ideas running through my head. He slowly backs away, and when my dress falls down my hips, I pout in the absence of his warmth. It’s then that he snags my hand, spinning and yanking me into his body before he bends down and lifts me onto the counter. His hands roam up my thighs as he leans in, tracing his tongue up the side of my neck.
“Talon,” I purr as he stops and sucks on the tender spot on my ear. “I need you.”
When he pulls back, I’m not sure what to expect. It’s surely not to have him gently push me back onto the counter. I can’t think, confused about the position he’s put me in even as he lifts my legs, bending them and then setting my heels firmly on the counter. It’s when he drops to his knees, quickly burying his face in my soaking core, that I am finally on the same page.
I cry out, because fuck, his tongue is talented. The open mouth kisses and sucks he applies to my pussy drive me wild, doing things to my body I’ve never felt before. It feels amazing, it’s just not what I need. I need his dick to fill me, but I have a suspicion he’s going to draw as much from my body as he can before he relents. He seems determined like that.
“Talon, please, I want you inside me!” I reach out, running my fingers through his platinum locks and gripping him and tugging him closer. The strokes of his tongue push me further, and the little flicks and swipes to my clit are bringing me closer to a release. My song builds inside of me; a crescendo rising that I can’t resist.
“You taste so fucking good; I could eat from you daily and never tire,” he murmurs when he takes a breath. Then he adds a finger and curls it inside me, my walls constricting for relief. It’s not enough, even though I feel myself flowing around his finger. Talon only hums in satisfaction at the response he’s dragging from me, chuckling when I scream in frustration and I tug on his hair once more.
“Alright, are you going to be a good girl and come for me? I want to feel you flutter around my fingers, Rogue.” Fuck, as soon as he says this, he inserts another finger. He pumps and curls those digits twice before stretching me with a third, finally dragging an orgasm from my body. My cry when I come is loud, but I don’t care. My song explodes out of me, a wave that physically crests over Talon. His responding groan is so sexy, my orgasm takes control of my body and I gush all over his face.
The pleasure that echoes through my bones threatens to elevate me off this plane of existence, and I cling to Talon with my entire being. My legs extend over his shoulders and pull him close, as I claw at the arm hooked around my thigh.
As my body finally begins to relax, I pant from the exertion that climax took from me. Talon takes one last lick through my folds before he withdraws his fingers and sucks them clean.
“Damn, you are so responsive. I’m going to have some fun learning what makes you twitch,” he says, his voice husky and full of desire.
Rising to his feet, he slowly begins undressing. He reaches one arm over his head and grabs the collar of his shirt, and my eyes descend over the sprawling, jagged, dark marks across his chest. I’ve never seen them on full display before, and they look both impressive and dangerous, hinting at the power that flows through his body.
My eyes drift further down to the taut muscles over his stomach. When my core clenches at the sight, I can’t think of how greedy she is. Fuck, yes, more, please.
As he throws his shirt to the floor nearby, he turns to gaze down at me, eyes hooded with hunger for something else he wants from me. I watch as he kicks off his shoes, one by one. As he begins to unbutton his pants, I sit up, sucking my bottom lip between my teeth and pulling my dress up and over my head.
When he’s got his pants and socks off, and he’s left in his boxer briefs, I curl my fingers to beg him to come closer. As he approaches, his eyes drop from my lip, to my tits, and finally to the apex of my thighs. His lip curls, his desire barely restrained. I can’t help but smirk, but as he steps within reach, I lower my hand to the obvious bulge he’s flaunting. Fucking hells, he’s huge. I can’t help but think to myself as I stroke him through the thin cloth.
“Rogue,” he breathes, voice ragged and deep, “we don’t have to. I won’t ever push you to do something you don’t want.”
“Talon,” I say with a confident grin, “I need you to fuck me. Now.”
With a quick jerk, he strips off his underwear and releases the weapon he was concealing. My eyes bulge at how big he is, wondering if I’ll ever be able to take all of him.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he says, noticing my look of shock. He reaches a hand up, cupping my cheek. “I will do everything I can to listen to your body and your words.”
I smile as I reach and stroke him again. A moan pours from his throat, and he drops his head back. When Talon glances back at me, he extends his other arm to guide me softly back onto the counter. His tongue sweeps his bottom lip as he steps close in between my legs. He takes my knee in his hand, lifting to rest on his shoulder, before repeating with the other leg. Finally, he grips his length, stroking twice before setting the blunt tip against my entrance.
“I can’t wait to feel your pussy squeeze my cock, so I apologize for not waiting till we could get more comfortable.” I feel the stretch as Talon leans his body into mine. The burn of his thickness takes my breath away, and I reach for his arms to grab hold. At my touch, he pauses and waits for me. Taking a few deep breaths, I nod when I’m ready, and he pulls back before thrusting deeper.
Fuck, the burn fades away the further he goes, transforming into pleasure I have never felt. Maybe I didn’t know what sex was really like, because this…wave of euphoria passes through my body, and I arch into him.
When he reaches around my leg and strokes my clit with his thumb, everything starts ringing. “Yes, just like that,” I moan, my body vibrating with the desire to sing. I buck my hips to meet his rhythm, reaching behind me to brace myself. It’s mere minutes before my body detonates, and I crash over the edge.
Ecstasy flows through me as I lie weightless at Talon’s mercy. My head is fuzzy, and I want to ask him…something. I can’t think of what, though. I unexpectedly find myself floating, gently rocking until I find myself on a soft cloud. When the cloud shifts, and a soft mouth trails kisses up my leg to my hip, clarity quickly returns.
“Wh-what? What happened?” My brows dip in confusion as I blink through the fog.
“I think you blacked out for a second. I carried you to bed to be more comfortable.”
My heart melts at the gesture. Also, he carried me? Damn.
Sitting up, I glance toward him, sitting on the edge of the bed. His dick is still rigid, so I guess I stole a second orgasm. That, or he has the self-control and stamina of a Fallodoran monk. I bite my lip, eyeing his erection, more than ready to go for a ride.
“Ah, so you’re revived? Are you still hungry, Rogue?”
I nod, swinging my legs around to kneel in front of him on my bed. Ah, that was the cloud.
He chuckles before standing. “I’d love to see this gorgeous ass of yours up in the air. Will you roll over and crawl up a little further for me?”
I grin, because of course I will. As I roll, I make sure he sees everything he’s done, including just how wet my pussy is. Gods damned, the adoration in his eyes as I crawl up the bed only makes me wetter. When I think it’s far enough, I wiggle my ass just to make sure he knows I’m ready.
“Bend over,” he whispers as he climbs onto the bed. I bend all the way down, my chest lying flat on the bed, as he moves in behind me on his knees. “Such a good girl for me. I’m going to take care of you, ok?”
“Mm-hmm,” I say, shaking my ass at him again. Once more, he notches his dick at my entrance, but this time, when he slips inside, it’s pure pleasure. I groan at the sensation, my fists already gripping the sheets. I can’t help the moan that escapes my throat as he sinks into me.
“Fuck, Harbor.” The reverence in his voice brings goosebumps to my arms, but I don’t dare move. I don’t want to break this moment. Instead, he reaches a hand down, slowly caressing my back from my shoulder to my ass. So gentle, I swear something changed. We aren’t fucking anymore. This is truly sensual love making. It’s not what I expected tonight, but I’m here for it. My heart swells with how tender Talon is being with me, and warmth radiates from my chest in pulses.
“Fuck, Rogue. Go ahead, lie down flat. I want you to be comfortable.” He braces his hands on the bed, and we move as one, so he doesn’t have to withdraw. The feeling of moving with his cock inside me is so strange. I’m completely filled, but it’s almost a comfort. Like a part of me that I’ve missed for so long, and now that it’s here, it’s just…different.
“I’m going to move now. Think you can relax for me? I know you have one more in you, and I’m going to coax it from your body.” With those sweet words, he leans over, nipping and kissing my back. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I whisper, my eyes shut tight. And fuck me, does he move. The gentle, determined pace he sets as he slides deep inside me from behind is intoxicating. The feel of his thick, long cock filling me up immediately tunes in with my body. I can hear as he breathes heavier, but he remains silent, as if he needs to focus.
The connection between us is exquisite, almost as if this is something the stars wrote for us. I can’t help but think this must be the best sex I’ll ever have, because it is everything .
As I’m dwelling on the fact that he is still kissing my spine, his hand wraps around my hip, sliding in between me and the sheet to dip into my center. His fingers feather over my sensitive clit as he leans down, nuzzling the back of my head. I grasp the sheets tighter as his ministrations stir my song once more.
“Oh, gods, yes! Talon, fuck!” I’m powerless to fight the effect he has on my body. Electricity zips through my veins and my muscles seize up as my song finally explodes once more.
“Rogue, yes, you are so fucking delectable. Perfection. I am never letting you go.”
“Yes, please. Fuck, Talon!” I cry out as my body crests through my third orgasm and my song releases in an enchanting, undulating wave. Talon’s thrusts become irregular as he stiffens even more before he cries out with the surge of his own release.
Something is different about this time, though. A warmth radiates from my side and moves up over my ribs and down my hip. I bask in the warmth and glow as I feel a tingle against my back.
“Fuck,” Talon grunts before gently slipping free from my core and climbing from on top of me. “Wha…”
He sits up, suddenly silent. Glancing back at him, I’m curious as to what caused him to become speechless. Immediately, I see the marks along his chest multiply. Not only are there now double the amount of black marks crossing his skin like lightning, but all the new marks glow in a cascading effect, starting from the center near his heart. The new marks even seem to shimmer in the light from the other room
“What does that mean?” I ask, trying to hide a slightly worried tone in the back of my throat. When I meet Talon’s gaze, though, his eyes shift down to my side. When his eyebrows raise in surprise, I look down at myself to see what’s wrong.
As I take in the golden swirls now scattered across my skin, I recognize that this was the area I felt turn warm when I came the last time. My heart thuds with understanding of what just occurred, and I peer up at Talon to see his eyes alight with the same sentiment. These are our fated mate marks. As soon as I think this, I remember when he told me about how his mage marks would grow when he found his mate.
“Fuck, Rogue, I didn’t mean for that to happen that way,” he said, disheartened. My heart pangs with a spike of guilt, and I realize I’m now connected to him on a deeper level. That both exhilarates and comforts me, so I know I want to help him feel the same. “I know that finding a mate is never guaranteed, and to be attracted to that person, enough to build that connection, it’s a gift. But I never thought that would happen, otherwise I would have made this more special.”
“Talon, I am not sorry. I knew I had a connection with you, and I’m glad it happened. It was perfect, and I regret nothing.” Smiling, I lie back against him, basking in this moment. I didn’t expect to find my forever tonight, but forever looks brighter, now that I know he’ll be with me to the end.