Chapter 20
With the exception of near suffocating levels of tension in the SUV, the drive to Vancouver was relatively painless. I ended up sleeping most of the way, curled up next to Darius, as my body tried to replenish my energy stores. I wasn’t kidding when I told Darius that I was drawing on more of its power. What he didn’t know was how badly it was draining me. Not just my physical body either. There wasn’t just a hole in the well of my power, the whole damn thing was getting weak. Soon, there would be nothing keeping the Morrigan out and it would poison my entire well.
When they extract it, how much of my own abilities will go with it?
The thought made my chest ache along with my head. I was starving and grouchy when we arrived at the hotel, which didn’t help anything. To say Darius was on high alert was a laughable understatement. He was snapping at everyone, causing people to scurry past us if anyone dared to stop and give me even a friendly smile.
“Can you calm down, please? No one is going stab me in the lobby of the freaking Auberge.”
He crossed his arms and looked away, jaw tense.
I would bet he was also hungry, considering how much food he usually ate. I’d had a sandwich late in the morning before the fucking in the room and fighting in the backyard, but I hadn’t seen him eat at all.
“Look,” I said, rubbing his bicep, “let’s get checked in and get some room service, okay? Maybe take a dip in the tub?”
That had him relaxing a bit and he arched an eyebrow as he looked down at me.
“Trying to bribe me into good behavior with food and pussy?”
“Yes.”
He was trying desperately not to smile and looked away to grab the key cards from the concierge. I threaded my arm through his while we followed the bellhop with our luggage into the elevator. The rest of the crew had already checked in; we were the last ones because, for some reason, that’s how Darius wanted it. My little nap had reinvigorated me and I didn’t feel like I’d been beaten with a baseball bat anymore, though the headache remained. I caught Darius rubbing the back of his neck and wincing a lot since I’d been rescued.
“You want me to give you a neck massage?” I asked.
“Among other things, yes.” His grin was subtle but it still managed to shoo straight to my clit.
I had always loved the way his full lips curled up when he smiled but now I also knew the other wonderful things that mouth could do and I loved it even more.
Actually, I loved all his parts, but especially the thick green rod between his legs.
Damn…prepare me indeed, that thing nearly stretched me wide open. I hope he’s not going to be all protective in the room tonight. I want to see how far I can get it in my mouth.
I was starting to think that being horny was my body and minds way of handling epic levels of fear and stress because I should’ve been unable to think of anything except tomorrow. Yet here I was, plotting all the different ways I could get Darius’ dick in my mouth.
Darius tipped the bellhop and then ordered me to wait in the open doorway while he checked the room. I knew there was no talking him out of it, so I didn’t argue, even though all I wanted was that bath and food.
Finally, he came back and snagged me around the waist, crushing me to him before closing the door with his foot.
The way this Orc kissed me!
It was desperate, all consuming, like he thought it would be the last time. But I was determined that, no matter his fears, this was just the beginning for us. I knew he didn’t want me using my powers, and I wanted to agree to it, to give him comfort if nothing else, because I hated seeing him so afraid.
But I also knew that if it was a choice between having our future and not, I would do anything, even risk losing pieces of my soul to the Morrigan. There was nothing in this world that would keep me from having that dream with Darius. We both deserved to finally be happy.
“Now,” he murmured against my throat, “what was that about food and other things?”
“No idea,” I breathed, ready to test the flexibility of my jaw when my stomach rumbled.
“Uh-huh, you don’t get fucking until you’ve had food.”
I stuck my bottom lip out in mock pouting.
“Aw, I wanted dick for dinner.”
He chuffed out a laugh, and set me on the bed.
“How about cum for dessert?”
“I could be talked into that.”
He kissed the tip of my nose and then grabbed the room service menu off the coffee table. I hadn’t really noticed, since Darius had made me wait in the doorway, but we had a very nice suite. Now that I was further in, I wanted to explore. There was the bedroom with a giant bathroom and tub that I couldn’t wait to try. Then a comfy but elegantly decorated living room with a flat screen and what I assumed were large windows that Darius had already covered with the thick drapes. Then finally, a small eating area with a fully stocked bar.
“What do you want?” he asked handing me the menu, although I didn’t need to even look at it.
“Cheeseburger and fries with barbecue sauce not ketchup, and a very large bottle of sparkling water with lemon.”
“You got it.”
It didn’t take long to get the food and we both dove in. Darius had ordered the same thing I did, but with a side of roasted broccoli and what looked like some kind of herb rubbed chicken breast. In the time it took me to decimate my burger and fries, he’d finished all of it. I could feel the pull of a food coma coming on but I also really wanted that bath.
“Come on,” Darius said, holding out his hand.
“Is it dessert time already?” I asked with a grin.
He chuckled.
“Not yet. You said something about a bath and neck massage.”
I let him lead me into the bedroom and he drew a bath while I undressed. When I walked into the bathroom, he was already naked, his cock standing at half-mast. I leaned against the doorway and took a moment just to admire him; this huge, scared male who had such a tender, fierce heart. He was beautiful to me, inside and out. I wanted to protect him, to share the faith I had that, despite the obstacles, everything would be alright.
All I can do is love him. I hope that’s enough.
He turned to look at me and I let him slowly rake his gaze over my body. I’d never had issues with my body, the thickness of my thighs or the roundness of my hips, but I also had never been this comfortable naked with a man before. It was easy with Darius though because he made me feel like the most desirable woman in the world, a rare beauty that he delighted in having as his own.
He approached me slowly, and knelt at my feet. With a reverence that stole my breath, Darius grazed the tops of my feet with his fingertips, then my calves, the back of my knee. Up he went, slow, savoring every inch of me until he was framing my face with his hands. He kissed me slow and I let myself fall into the all-consuming fire of his adoration.
Without stopping the kiss, Darius picked me up and walked to the tub. The scent of lavender and vanilla filled my senses moments before he stepped in with me. We took our time washing one another, letting ourselves forget all else, but this one small pocket of time.
It was as natural as breathing for me to straddle him in the warm water and slide myself onto his hard cock. My hands were wrapped around his neck, eyes locked with his as I rode him slowly.
“You’re everything,” Darius rasped, hands on my ass while his pelvis thrusted up to meet me. “Every dream I never let myself have, everything I could ever want.”
“So are you to me. And I want to keep you…forever.”
“Forever, baby.”
He filled me so perfectly, so completely that I couldn’t think of anything past where our bodies were joined. This was what I had always dreamed of sex being like, more than just pleasure. I wanted to meld my heart to someone else’s, to feel their pleasure wrap around mine. Our sighs and moans rose into the scented air as our bodies moved together, finding a rhythm as if we’d done this hundreds of times before. Soon that bright, overwhelming fire was careening through me. My toes curled, my back arched and I surrendered myself to the flames.
Darius buried his face in the crook of my neck, Orcish pouring from his mouth as he spilled himself inside of me.
“I love you,” he rasped, biting and sucking on my skin. “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” I wrapped my arms and legs tighter around him, wanting to protect him too.
And this time, I would.
We cuddled a while longer, until the water was too cold and I was chilled. In spite of that, I yawned as I stepped out of the tub and reached for the fluffy towel.
Darius plucked it out of my hand and proceeded to dry me off.
“You know, as much as I like the sight of you kneeling naked at my feet, I am capable of doing that.”
He grinned up at me and I swear my pussy spasmed.
“Maybe, but I like taking care of you. And this way, I get to touch you.”
“Well, I can’t complain about that.”
I didn’t bother to wrap myself in the soft robe hanging behind the bathroom door, not when I was going to do more naughty, naked stuff with Darius in the bed. I ran into the bedroom and dove under the Egyptian cotton sheets with a long sigh. This was almost perfect.
“Darius? Where did you go?” I called when I realized he wasn’t in the bedroom or bathroom.
He came back into the room, the robe stretched so tight and awkward across his body that I couldn’t help laughing.
“Why are you wearing that?” I asked.
“I had to step out into the hall, didn’t think this was kind of place that would appreciate me in all my glory.” He gave me an honest, relaxed smile that melted me.
And then he held out a fancy, gold lettered shopping bag to me.
“I thought you’d be more comfortable with a weighted blanket so I asked the concierge to get one from a local shop. I’d been trying to get one for you before now, but we couldn’t afford for anyone to know where we were and so ordering one was out of the question.”
I watched, slack jawed and tears in my eyes as he unfurled the light pink weighted blanket on the bed then proceeded to arrange it on my side.
“Darius,” I gulped tears back and shook my head. “How are you this wonderful?”
“It’s just a blanket,” he said, eyes downcast.
I yanked on his hand and he fell onto the bed next to me.
“No, it’s not. It’s you taking care of me like you always do. Even when you never had a hope in hell of anything more between us. You always knew when I was getting sick, or when I was uncomfortable in a situation. You had my favorite foods in your mini fridge at the house. You have no idea what it means to me.”
“It makes you happy,” he slipped under the covers and pulled me to him. “And so it makes me happy too.”
I snuggled in, the weight of the new blanket calming a part of me that was constantly going, and I found my eyes drifting closed as I laid my head on Darius’ shoulder.