by Godiva Glenn
“No one’s ever looked at me like that before,” she said carefully, not wanting to disturb his concentration.
He nuzzled her breast and released a pleasured sigh. “Maybe you simply haven’t noticed.”
“No. I would have known.”
“One of your former lovers?” He let the question trail off.
Closing her eyes, she gave the question thought, but she knew she wasn’t mistaken. “What do you think of my body, honestly?”
“It’s perfection. Paired with an amazing spirit.” The bed dipped with movement and she opened her eyes and found him hovering near her face. Concern creased his brow. “This has taken a strange turn. Are you sad?”
She traced the wrinkle across his forehead. “I’m human. Which means that at random, for reasons I can’t understand or control, I occasionally give in to insecurity.”
Processing her words, his gaze flicked up and down her vulnerable form. “It’s a good thing you’re here with me, then. By the time I’m done appreciating you, perhaps any doubts will have lifted. And if not, I’ll just start again.” On his knees, he moved back down and positioned himself between her legs. “I shouldn’t give you time to think. That was my mistake.”
“You—”
Whatever she’d planned on saying vanished, replaced by the sensation of his tongue pressing through the thin satin of her underwear. Licking firmly and holding her hips in his strong grasp, he thoroughly wiped her thoughts clean. She covered her face with her hands, not because she was embarrassed, but because she didn’t know what to do with them—she was simply that overwhelmed.
A moan escaped her lips and she bit her tongue to remain discrete before she thought better of it. Just because her previous boyfriend, dick incarnate, had made her muffle herself, didn’t mean she had to do so forever.
Blair hooked a finger through her soaked panties and pulled them to the side. In an instant, the cool air of the room shocked her exposed flesh. Then heat engulfed her as he descended and wrapped his mouth around her completely. She squirmed but he held her lower body still. She didn’t want to escape, but his tongue exploring her felt so decadent it was almost too much. Amazed by how talented he was, how responsive her own body was, she didn’t want it to end so soon. Her fingers tugged through her hair as she panted moans and all but thrashed, combatting her imminent climax.
“I love the sounds you make,” Blair whispered against her thigh and kissed it before returning to torturing her clit.
His velvety voice was enough to tip the scales. Her breath staggered as the pleasure flowing through her flesh culminated and swept her over an invisible ledge. The sound of her thumping, frantic heartbeat filled her ears, accompanied with the sensation of falling. But it was over too soon. The tingling tickle of residual ecstasy danced along her skin but was quickly fading. Blair drew his tongue in long laps through her folds, spreading her slick juices from top to bottom. His tongue carefully circled her clit, sending a jolt through her.
“I finished,” she murmured drowsily.
“Mmmhmm.” He kept licking. “And you taste even sweeter now.”
One hand on her chest, she felt her heart returning to a normal, steady beat. And still, he continued. His tongue drove deep into her, making her shake and flinch, her body still sensitive. He released the grip he had on one side of her, unwrapping his arm from around her thigh. She thought to move but two fingers speared her, halting her action and making her gasp.
“We aren’t done,” he said with a tone of amusement.
“I can’t… I’ve never…” She couldn’t even think to form a sentence. His fingers thrusting into her sank her focus.
He sucked her clit into his mouth and shoved a third finger into her, pumping hard and quick. Her senses went from drifting to sleep straight to electrified. This time there was no steady build-up, only instant gratification. She cried out, hands tearing at the blanket for stability as a second orgasm crashed through her, riding her body in a delicious hot wave. The room became too bright for her, even through closed lids. She called out his name, but she didn’t remember saying it, only registered hearing it in her voice, hoarse and needy.
The coarse hair of his beard scratched her inner thighs as she quivered and calmed, and even that sensation was magical and pleasurable. His hands stroked up and down on her legs. “You’re easy to please,” he commented. “But then again, I am very good at this.”
She didn’t have the energy to retort or even roll her eyes. She could barely lift her head to see him, lounging between her thighs and teasing her folds with his slick fingertips. There was no hint that he was done. What have I gotten myself into?
The steady sound of water falling against tile and flesh carried through the bathroom door to echo in Blair’s ears. Alethea had been insistent on showering alone, even though she could barely stand. The taste of her still lingered when he swallowed, and he wondered how many times she’d fallen apart at his hands. The knob squeaked and there was wet rustling. He wanted to barge in and make sure she was okay, but certainly, that would be uncalled for. She was shaky, but she wasn’t fragile.
He waited patiently, aware of the clock ticking as he stared at the door. Perhaps it would have made sense for him to have found a way to keep busy while she’d gotten clean, but this was a first for him. An important first. The first time Alethea would be recovering under his watch. The first time Alethea had showered at his place. Even Vevina thought his attention to such markers in time was ridiculous, but Vevina wasn’t a dryad. Humans and fae alike thought that trees only tracked the passage of events in rings that could only be seen at the very end. Count them, measure the distance between. That wasn’t so for him.
There were more important moments to be experienced than could ever be conveyed in a simple system hidden in bark. Sure, every other dryad only cared about good seasons or bad. Blair cared about everything else. And if he were to keep Alethea, these moments, these firsts that he shared with her, would be the key to it all. Life was about patterns and memories. Just as he knew every branch and leaf and bud on his tree, he would know everything about her.
How to make her smile. How to make her laugh. How to cheer her up. How to make her scream and come. He’d never forget.
The door opened, releasing a gentle mist of steam behind Alethea as she walked out. It was almost magical the way it trailed behind her. Donning a fluffy white robe, she smiled crookedly at him but walked past, heading for the kitchen. He followed, noting that her usual scent was now masked by the sweet herbs and vanilla of the hotel’s luxury body wash and shampoo. Regardless, she smelled delicious. Her damp hair hung down in long, messy waves and he reached out and wrapped a wet curl around his finger.
“You look beautiful wet,” he remarked.
She stopped at the fridge. “You would say that.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Starving. I didn’t actually get to have dinner, and a few spoonfuls of ice cream wasn’t enough to fuel that… adventure.”
He pulled a menu from the counter and handed it to her. There was no food in his room, only ice cream since it was the only thing unavailable on call. “Room service.”
She handed the menu back. “I’d like you to order for me.” She grinned at his dumbfounded expression. “It’s a test. To see what you think I’d eat. I’ll give you a hint, though. I’m not allergic to anything and I’m not on a diet.”
Placing the menu down, he trapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her wet head. It stunned him how frequently she said certain things. How she let vulnerabilities slip. He didn’t think she needed to diet, and of course she had a ‘bikini body.’ But he understood why she did such things. The tabloids were harsh and cruel, proclaiming her to be fat when she was simply curvy and gorgeous. Beauty had many shapes. Even as a bark covered male on Prism, he was still regarded as handsome, after all.
“Blair?”
“I may order too much. I’m hungry as well, but I am terrible at judging how m
uch I can eat in a single sitting.”
Her shoulders shook as she giggled against him. “That’s something that may never change, sorry to let you know.” She pulled back and placed a hand on his chest. “But you strike me as the type to work out, so maybe that won’t matter.”
He shrugged. The physics of caring for his human form were still new to him, but that was hardly important right now. He led her to the living room and picked up the phone. “I hope you enjoy lobster rolls.”
An incessant buzzing woke Blair, but once his eyes opened, he had no interested in finding the source. Alethea was curled up against him, naked. She’d brought nothing to sleep in and though he’d originally given her a shirt, his wandering hands had stolen it from her at some point in the night. Her leg was draped over him, and she was still solidly knocked out. He brushed through her wild hair and squinted past her to the light seeping through the blinds. He didn’t know what time it was, but they were on a schedule.
They had to pick up a few things and meet up with Vevina before they made their way to Alethea’s vacation home. Still, Blair was reluctant to move from his position. The buzzing had died away, leaving him to drift back into a light sleep. No more than a few minutes had passed before a new sound rang through the suite, which he recognized as Alethea’s phone ringing. He gently nudged her shoulder until she mumbled nonsense and her eyes peeked open.
“What time is it?” she asked weakly.
“No idea.”
“We need to buy you a watch,” she yawned into the pillow.
“Your phone is going off.”
She sprang to her feet and pattered from the room, returning briefly with her phone against her ear. Rubbing her eyes, she sat at the edge of the bed and agreed with whoever was on the other end. He scooted behind her and reached around, filling his hands with her breasts, which were warm and heavy and absolutely perfect. After a moment she tossed her phone aside and sighed as she leaned back against his chest.
“If you keep that up we’ll never make it to the island.”
He paused at that bit of information. “We’re already on an island.”
“Yes, but we have to take a ferry to get to our destination. Lutheyis is the largest island in this region but there’s a chain of them.”
He nibbled her shoulder and tried to stave the churning in his stomach at the thought of another ride on a boat. Would he have still agreed to go had he known? Probably. Illness or not, it would be more time spent with the exquisite woman in his arms.
“Don’t worry. The movement of a ferry isn’t like the small boat you were on. Besides, we’ll pick up Dramamine and ginger tablets at the store, plus I read that if you look at the horizon, that helps too.”
Dramamine and ginger? He didn’t know what she was talking about, but he was willing to try anything to avoid the horrid sensation he’d experienced previously. It wasn’t just that he’d ruined their first date, but he’d also been looking forward to being on the water that day. It had turned out to be his least pleasant first so far. “How long is it?”
“Less than two hours. And if you feel really bad, you can try to take a nap. I really suspect that you won’t have this problem forever. It would be a cruel joke of fate, given where you’ve chosen to live. I think everything will turn out fine.”
Her optimism was contagious. Perhaps part of the problem he’d had before stemmed from being nervous. The solution, then, was to remain calm and keep his mind on what really mattered. By the end of the day, they’d be far away from Alethea’s stresses and embarking on a new adventure. Vevina had joked that they’d be ‘playing house’ which seemed fine by him. He could imagine this being a normal event, he and Alethea going away together to some romantic getaway.
“We should make a list of what we need. Were you going to return home for your things first?” he asked.
She stood and stretched her arms high in the air, giving him a full view of her back and seductively dimpled round ass. “Marie will grab my travel bag but there should be spare clothing at the house already. We have time to hit the shops to grab the odds and ends, then we head off.” She turned around and looked him over. “You need vacation clothes. I’m assuming Vevina will too.”
“Should we head to her room then?”
“If you think she’s up. We can have breakfast together and get started.” She bounced on her feet, making every part of her jiggle in a way that distracted him. “I’m not too hungry but I could go for a sandwich.”
“I know what you mean. Eating that late probably isn’t the best habit. The lobster rolls were in my dreams.” Reaching back, he dug under the covers for the shirt he’d lent to her the night before. “Put this on before I change my mind.”
She smirked and shoved her arms through the sleeves then buttoned only the middle two buttons. “When we get there, and everything is settled, I’m going to take care of you.” She stood between his legs, her hands resting on his shoulders. “You were an absolute… well, I don’t want to say ‘gentleman’ because your behavior was downright wicked, but you were very sweet about it. I’m going to return the favor because I have to assume you’re about ready to explode.”
Explode may have been an understatement. He was in that bothersome stage where discomfort turned into pain, and he’d been in it since about the third time she’d climaxed on his tongue. It would probably be more proper to deny it, but he nodded in agreement of her. “I won’t refuse any treatment.”
“Good. Heroes deserve rewards.”
“Hero?”
Her cheeks blossomed with instant red. “I didn’t think what you did last night was even possible,” she said slowly, her words coming with hesitance. “I’ve never… more than once.”
“I never would’ve settled for anything less.” He dragged a finger across her exposed collarbone. “I’m nowhere near done exploring you, though.”
She swallowed and stepped away. “Yeah… we should get going. The sooner we’re dressed and out of here, the sooner I’ll have you sunbathing.” Her eyes fell to his chest. “And I’ll get to see the rest of that tattoo at long last.”
Reaching out, he took her hand. “And this isn’t too fast?”
Some of the lusty haze cleared from her expression. “If someone had told me that I’d meet a man and fall into his arms within a few weeks, I wouldn’t have believed them,” she admitted. “I can’t lie and say I’ve never been wrong or made a mistake, but this feels right. And if it’s too fast, it’s just going to be too fast until we somehow find a better pace.”
“I don’t want to ruin your reputation.” It was hard to say the words because the concept seemed ludicrous. Prism rarely cared about the sexual conduct of anyone, so long as there was consent. Yet the constant thread through the articles he’d skimmed about Alethea was an obsession for her bedroom activities. Endless speculation of how innocent and proper she could be behind closed doors.
“My reputation is on me, and I’ve gotten used to reading lies. We’re going to have fun, and deal with the consequences when they come up.” She fiddled with the hem of the shirt she wore. “Where we’re going there won’t be cameras. We don’t need to think of whatever toxic stories are brewing here.”
“But they’ll be here when we get back, and I’ll be the cause of them, won’t I?” He wasn’t naïve enough to think that they could keep their excursion a secret.
“I don’t think it’ll be as bad as you think.” She released the shirt and pulled him to stand. “You forget, I’ve been through this before. I’m not worried about me. But I am worried for you. I’m pretty sure you’ve never woken up to a newspaper with your face on the front, or become a hashtag conversation, or seen video clips taken out of context.” As she spoke, realization dawned on her. “Am I doing this to you?”
“What?”
“You’re going to become…” She slowly shook her head. “They will find out everything they can about you. And I’d thought about it before, but it slipped my mind and now… are y
ou sure you want to do this?”
He didn’t know what she was asking. “The trip?”
“It’s the start. From here on out, you’ll be in a spotlight, Blair. I can’t believe I… I just didn’t think.”
“I don’t care,” he laughed. “What dirt could they find on me, except that I used to live in it? If you’re asking if I want to stop seeing you, I won’t. Unless you lose interest, I’m not going anywhere. Let them write stories. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
The look on her face told him that she wasn’t sure.
“Believe me. I probably won’t even notice if the world around me has gone mad. You’re the only thing I’m paying attention to.”
A weak smile broke through her panic and she took a deep breath. “If you change your mind at any time, I’ll understand.”
“I know what I want. I want to find breakfast, and I want to buy you the most scandalous bikini in the history of princesses.”
Alethea smoothed her fingers through Blair’s hair. They’d found a quiet place to sit and watch the horizon, and while the motion sickness was at bay, the pills had made him sleepy.
She’d watched him doze while reading a book on her phone, but now her legs ached. She kissed his temple then stood, hopping in place to ease some of the restlessness. The fresh air swirled through her hair and she headed away from the shaded bench. She checked her phone, scrolling through a dozen updates from Nikki, who was hiding at the bar with Pavel. Marie was with them, but Joseph was patrolling the upper level. Not from any threat, but simply to kill time.
Alethea would rather not go down. The ferry ran trips to the entire island chain, which meant if she left the upper deck it would be a mess for security. The top level was private, off-limits to the rest of the passengers. Something they did just for her.
She could take a boat out and skip the ferry, but she’d made the decision based on the assumption that the ferry would be less of a disturbance to Blair. She’d never had the issue herself, but she’d known a few people who could only handle the open water when on a larger ship. It was a small inconvenience, and worth it.
