Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“ T here’s a windstorm coming. A big one,” Bitty blurts out, their violet eyes wide.
“What?” I screech. Oh, Divine fuck, of course there is. Because nothing else could possibly go wrong on this stupid mission.It’s been less than a week since we took on the skin traders. I hate Erdu. Except for Jundamara.
“Okay everyone, start looking for windcaves. Go,” Beans says, pointing toward a set of underground gorges while Riley grabs my arm and starts running.
“This is me. Don’t die. Bye!” Tovi yells over the increasing wind and disappears into what looks like a crack in the earth.
“You guys can take that one, it looks empty. We’ll grab the next one!” Riley drags me along, not waiting to see what Beans or Bitty say.
As the wind starts to really scream and the sand scrapes at my skin, Riley pulls me into him. “There’s a cave entrance above us, but I’m going to have to lift you in. I’m going to kneel, and then you climb onto my shoulders, and I’ll stand so you can reach. Okay? ”
He looks at me in concern, maybe because I’m concerned. This windstorm is no joke, and I’m already finding it hard to breathe.He kneels and I climb. “Hold on!” he yells, and up he goes with me perched on his shoulders.
I see the entrance to the cave and scramble in, wondering how Riley is going to fit into the small opening. I crawl through the short tunnel, up and over a short wall, and then have to wiggle my way around another narrow passage to the left. Already, it sounds quieter; I can hear myself breathe.
I wait…and wait…and wait. Where the fuck is he?
Then I hear him grunting and dragging our bags. I had completely forgotten about the bags containing our food and supplies when Bitty announced the storm.
Now that he is inside and safe, I explore our cave.
The main area I crawled into has a chimney, airflow going up and out, and a little bit of light through various cracks. A tiny bit of wind and sand float in, but it’s nothing compared to the torrent outside. I can just stand in this room, but there’s no chance Riley will be able to.
An alcove to the left only looks wide enough for a couple of bedrolls—it’s almost complete darkness in there and barely tall enough for Riley to even crouch in.
Off to the right is a thin passage with a higher ceiling, and at the end, a privy has been dug out. There is a deep hole to squat over, and when you’re finished, a pile of loose earth to throw on top. It doesn’t smell half as bad as I imagined it would. Thankfully, there is good airflow in there too.
I come back to the main area where Riley is lighting a small fire. “This is amazing!” I say, plopping myself down heavily.
Riley chuckles. “I’m just happy we found a good one that was left stocked with firewood. The ones lower to the ground are usually first to go, and they don’t get treated with the same respect as the ones that are more difficult to get to, like this.
“We actually went past a couple of lower ones, but I was looking for one up high. Didn’t want to put you through a week in a cave with me that was just one room for sleeping, eating, and shitting.”
“A week?” I splutter. “We’re going to be here for a week?”
“It’s possible. Bitty’s face said it all. They were scared, so it must have sounded like a big one. We have enough food and supplies, and the rest of the team are safe. We’ll be fine.”
We have a quick meal of dried meat—nondescript, perhaps donkey—with a few dried fruits and nuts, and swordmint tea. Riley digs through his pack and pulls out a clear bottle with a golden-colored liquid. After a long stare at the bottle, he gives it a jiggle in my direction and asks if I want a drink.
“No thanks,” I reply. That is definitely not a good idea.
“I don’t think I’ve ever really seen you drink— do you drink?”
He’s taking a swig as I say, “I like being in control, and drinking leads to being…out of control. Do you like letting alcohol be in control so often?”
He wipes his mouth on the back of his hand and contemplates my face, before answering. “Not really, no,” he says with a self-deprecating chuckle. “But sometimes it would be nice if I could get a break from the chaos.” He points meaningfully toward his head with the bottle.
He tries to hand me the bottle again. “Come on, we’re stuck in here. What’s the worst that could happen?” I take the bottle. I can think of plenty.
After taking a mouthful of the Divine-awful liquid that burns its entire way down to my stomach, I hand the bottle back with a grimace, and Riley tips it back to his mouth. “Just promise me, no drunken sex. I don’t want to fuck you,” I say, which causes him to choke.
“I told you, Firecat. I have no intention of forcing you to do anything that you don’t want to do.”
“Uh-huh,” I murmur as I take the bottle for another swig.“Would Tovi be annoyed?” I query, hoping it sounds casual.
Riley lets out a half laugh. “Oh, absolutely not.”
“What? I thought you were…together,” I ask, not hiding my confusion and not wanting to say the word fucking , when it’s clear they’re not in any kind of monogamous relationship.
Riley’s eyebrows couldn’t be higher. “Where did you pick that up? No, we’re definitely not together. And Tovi constantly tells me I should fuck other people.” It’s my turn to choke on the drink and Riley chuckles again. “We have been friends for seven revs. A friendship that came with some physical benefits—mutually, of course. Neither of us have wanted anything more than that. We care a lot about each other, but there’s nothing there.”
“I see.” I don’t know what else to say to that, so I focus on taking another drink. It doesn’t taste so bad now or burn as much. “So, you guys, what? Scratch each other’s itch and then fuck other people?” I query, as casually as possible, while I hand the bottle back.
“Pretty much. Though, we haven’t for many revs. I hoped she’d find someone to care for her the way I can’t. But younger me wasn’t above getting what they needed—my itch scratched as you put it.” He has a smirk on his face as he takes another sip, watching me.
His eyes hold entirely too much mischief and heat.
It’s way too warm in here. We finished the bottle of alcohol and were talking about fighting techniques, and then Riley left to use the privy.
I start stripping off my leathers, and my pants. I’m too fucking hot!
“I’ve set up the bed rolls, but…” Riley stops. “What are you doing?” he laughs.
“It’s hot!” That may have come out a little slurred.
“Right,” he chuckles. “I’ve set up the bed rolls, but there’s not a lot of room. We can take shifts if you like.”
“We aren’t taking shifts. Don’t be silly.” I stumble toward the cave, crawling inside. He wasn’t kidding, there really isn’t much space at all.
“Well, come and lie down,” I demand, flopping down with a sigh. Riley only pauses for a second before crawling in to lay next to me, stiff as a board. “Riley. You’re not going to be able to sleep with all of that on,” I say while gesturing vaguely at his entire body.
He lets a slow breath out of his nose and shuffles back out to the room he can stand in, where I hear his leathers dropping to the ground.When he comes back in, he’s wearing some soft linen pants.
And nothing else.
I clear my throat. “Much better.”
I pat the bedroll next to me and lie back.Riley lies on his right side facing me, propped up on his elbow.
After a few moments of silence and letting our eyes adjust to the darkness, I reach up and gently start tracing the lines of his face.He freezes for a moment, then relaxes, and I can see his eyes close in the shadows.
Riley has nice skin, though I wish I could see his freckles in this dim light. I’m alternating between using the tips of my fingers and the side of them to brush and stroke along his face.
I shimmy over so that I’m slightly underneath him. “You should kiss me,” I whisper.His eyes pop open as my hand is mid-stroke around his eyebrow.
“No, I don’t think I should, Firecat,” he whispers back. “Anyway, you made me promise.”
“Kissing isn’t fucking,” I complain, as my fingers move from trailing around his ear to spearing into his hair so I can grip and pull him down onto me.
With his body weight on me, bracing himself on his elbows on either side of me, I release the grip I have on his hair.I move so he’s resting more comfortably between my legs, bringing my left leg up to a knee so the fabric of his pants brushes the inside of my naked thigh.
My arm is hooked under his, reaching up his back so I can drag my nails down his skin.I lift my mouth up and place a tiny, delicate kiss on his jaw below his ear, as I scrape my nails downward.
He shudders. “Is this you or the alcohol in control?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I whisper as I nip a trail along his jaw toward his chin.
“I think you’ll feel differently in the morning.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
I capture his mouth with mine, and he immediately kisses me back with the same fervor.Pausing briefly for a breath, my tongue flicks out to his bottom lip as he grabs my jaw with his hand, using his thumb to open my mouth wider.Then, he fills me, and I can’t tell where my tongue ends, and he begins. Did I bite my own lip, or was that him?
His hand moves from my face and trails down the side of my body, dragging his fingernails along the skin of my bare hip down my right leg.He flattens his palm and grips the bottom of my calf, hooking my leg around him. His calloused skin and the warmth from his hand have the heat between my legs screaming in response.
Riley slides his hand back over my leg and stops as he grips my ass, rocking once into me.I moan a little into his mouth, and I try to arch myself up to press against his hardening length. He grips me harder as he dips his head down to nibble my neck, scraping his teeth across my skin before finishing with a kiss.
I need. I need. I reach down to where his hand is still tightly gripping my ass and slowly try to slide his hand around to where I need him most. Riley must understand because he grabs my hand and moves it to pin my arm above my head, shifting his weight on me.
“That is not kissing, Firecat,” he growls.
“It’s not fucking,” I protest.
“You don’t think I could fuck you with my fingers?” he says, as his teeth close on my earlobe with a satisfying sting.
His hand moves from my pinned arm, sliding back down and giving my breast a small squeeze which has another restrained moan escaping my lips.With my left arm now free, I use both hands to grip his face.
I’m trying to see his eyes, but I don’t know why. I’ve always hated the way it makes me feel to look into another person’s eyes for too long. Like I’m greedy, like I’m trying to take something from them. It’s hard in this fucking dark cave, but I do see them. Part of me expected to see a truth not spoken, or the revelation that he isn’t really here with me. But it’s…Riley, and the relief is staggering.
Relishing in the small intimacy of locking eyes is followed by the pleasure of him gripping my waist and rocking into me once more, his cock pulsing his own need.I consume his mouth again with another kiss, and immediately need his perfectly soft lips touching every inch of my skin.
My left hand is gripping his shoulder while I let the other press against his chest. I swiftly slide my hand down between us, straight into the loosening waistband of his pants. I grip his length, a jolt of shock at the sheer size of him causing me to dig my nails into his shoulder. I let out the tiniest of moans again.
“ Fuck, ” Riley groans softly, breath hot on my lips.
He presses his forehead down onto mine with his eyes squeezed shut, breathing heavily.I stroke his cock fully, a bead of wetness already at the head.
With a hard exhale, Riley extricates my hand and rolls me onto my side with my back to him, then clamps me into a bear hug from behind. “Time to sleep, Firecat,” he says hoarsely into the back of my head.
I’m pretty sure I whimper in protest, but the warmth of him wrapping around me and a sense of pure comfort and safety takes over, and I slip into delicious unconsciousness.