"You were shot, Veyda?"
I nodded and stroked the underside of her chin with my knuckle. "Happens sometimes, but it heals up in a few hours if it's just one or two rounds."
"I don't like the idea of that. So many Protectors have bulletproof outfits they wear. I thought you would, too…"
"I could or should, but guns aren't usually the biggest threat. Those suits don't protect against sonic attacks and that's what takes me out most." I stroked her hair, pulling it forward so that it fell against her chest.
Her gaze dropped to my breasts, though the contemplative expression she wore remained. Her heart rate kicked up and I nudged her chin up so she'd look at me.
"Say what you're holding back, please."
"I want to be demanding and say you need a bulletproof vest. The material is so thin now and won't hinder your movements. And your hat should be, too." She inhaled deeply. "Sorry. I needed to say that."
"No…I get it." I rubbed her thighs and puffed up my cheeks for a moment. "Nalea says the same."
"I don't think I could handle knowing you're out there unprotected. I'm a gun owner and there are times when I wear my own protective vest when I'm doing certain things, and I'm absolutely upside down over thinking about you getting hurt." Her hands fell to rest on my chest, her respiratory rate kicking up with it. "Let me help you… I know where to go to get what you need and who to trust."
"I'm beginning to think your interest in Hybridians, Offlanders, and Protectors has stretched much further than you let on, Harlow…" I cupped her hands in mine, pulling them to my lips.
"It does. Will you let me help?"
"Okay. Yes." I nodded and she laced her fingers with mine. "I didn't mean to worry you…"
"I didn't consider being worried until…now." She noticeably gulped, then cupped my face in her palms. "Your poor friends. They must worry."
"Sometimes… Nalea is usually with me so I think that helps."
"Probably more than sometimes. We can go talk to the people that sold me my gear."
"And just why does an archeologist-slash-museum curator have gear?" I cocked a brow at her and she chuckled.
"When you have a father like mine, you never know who could come after you," she said, a scornful chuckle leaving her. "They have before."
"Have they?" My brows narrowed as a lurch of anger rushed me. "When?"
"It's been many many years, but once is enough. But I make sure I'm protected for next time anyway."
"I'll tear their heads off their bodies if anyone comes near you ever again." I gripped her hips, yanking her closer to me a little forcefully. Our bellies collided and her body broke into a sensual roll as her eyes glazed over.
"Veyda." She let out a heavy breath. "Why does everything you do make my body burn with want? I've never been like this in my life. You just told me you'd tear someone's head off. Being aroused is not an appropriate reaction."
I laughed softly, her words calming me down a fraction. "Probably how I yanked you around, rather than what I said."
"Probably." She dropped her head back for a moment as if attempting to control her breathing. Her nipples hardened again under her shirt, and I leaned forward to nibble them. Goosebumps coated her flesh and she smiled at me, her gaze meeting mine again. "Distracting me. We're still going to get you protective equipment tomorrow before dinner."
"Yes, ma'am." I grinned and nipped her chin.
She snickered and palmed my breasts as if they belonged to only her…which they did. "That's right. Submit yourself to my will."
"It kind of looks like…" I flicked my tongue over her lips and her entire body jolted in my lap. "You're actually surrendering to mine."
"All I have done for the past twelve hours is think about your mouth on me last night," she admitted, her cheeks burning bright red. "And then waking up to you…" She shook her head. "I've never woken up feeling like that before, and in the bed of someone else at the same time."
"What did it feel like?" I urged her shirt up, and she let me pull it over her head. The sight of her before me—her perfect breasts, tight abs, and curved hips—drove me to distraction. I needed to see all of her, yearned for it even. My thoughts belonged to her all day just the same, and the ache of parting from her accompanied it.
"Like…everything. Like everything that mattered in the universe was in the bed with us." She sucked in her breath when I flicked my tongue over her nipples one after the other. Her stomach visibly quivered and her thighs squeezed mine. "God, Veyda."
"I'm not a god." I smiled while kissing between her breasts. "But you're a goddess. That's for sure."
"Hardly." She let out a soft moan, her fingers lost in my hair after she tugged it from the messy ponytail. "Even your hair touching me is like snaps of electricity."
Everything she described mirrored my own experience of her. My body ached, throbbing at the apex of my thighs, and my skin languished under her touch. She overwhelmed me in the best way, breaking through whatever barrier of discomfort my senses often brought me. Harlow conquered all of that, taming me in a way I wasn't sure she understood.
I gripped the waist of her pants, urging her out of them while cautious of her balance. She wore no panties, and the second I found her naked in my lap, I shuddered under the shaky climax that broke me. My fingers dug into her back, and she braced herself against my shoulders.
"Did you just…" Her eyes widened as she cupped my face in her palms.
"Yes." I bit my lip as my eyes wandered over her. "You're so beautiful. So incredible."
"You should talk, my sweet ginger girl." She grabbed handfuls of my hair, before sliding them down to urge me from my bra. I let her pull it over my head, then relaxed back into the cushions. "Look at you…perfect."
I grabbed her ass, yanking her toward me again and a moan escaped her. I gazed down at her bare pussy, soaked under the intensity we shared. Her thighs glistened and I ached to devour her. She gasped when I licked my lips and palmed her breasts again, this time pinching her nipples between my thumb and forefinger. She tossed her head back, heavy moans accompanying her abandon.
"Harlow…I could look at you all day like this." I sucked her nipples one after the other then continued, "I've never felt like this about anyone ever. Why am I starved for you?"
"I-I don't know. Why do I need you so bad? My mouth waters at the thought of you and yet you haven't let me…" Glassy eyes met mine, her expression woozy with lust.
"I will, but you first. I need you first." I lifted her suddenly, lowering her down into the cushions of the sofa. Her hair spread across the pillows and her hands dropped beside her head. The gesture of full surrender left her writhing as I held myself above her. "I need you first."
"Y-yes." She nodded, whimpering under me as her feet dug into my calves. "Okay."
I couldn't wait, couldn't even begin to intervene on myself as I dropped down between her legs like I'd done the night before. Without the worry of my roommates hearing us or of the critical reception our performance would receive, I let myself go with her.
I wasn't gentle, and she didn't need me to be. The shouts that left her rattled the walls in unrestrained wails of delight. Sweat beaded her abdomen as it did across my brow as I buried my mouth between her luscious folds and demanded release after release. My body met her there, celebrating in a climax of its own, but I wasn't ready to let her go yet. She soaked my face in between her cries, and it still wasn't enough. I wanted and demanded so much more.
She gave it to me, everything I claimed and marked as mine. I took her the way I craved in hope of satisfying my hunger for her. Harlow let me. She just…let me.
When she finally collapsed, a quaking mess in the cushions, she gasped for breath as if finishing a marathon sprint. I licked her neck all the way to her ear, but I didn't get to nibble it. She bent her knee, planting her foot against my hip and pushing me back.
"My turn," she said breathlessly as I hit the pillows. She rolled up to her knees, pinning me do
wn as her fingers laced with mine.
I gazed up at her with all of me shaking as she stole back control of the moment. I let her, just the same, and gulped down the strangled moan the anticipation brought to me. She unfastened my pants and pulled them down along with my boxers. She didn't keep me waiting long, and her mouth moved down my body in a trail of licks and kisses. Her hands pressed my thighs wide as she gazed down at me, her eyes half-lidded with lust. I quaked under her when her gaze flickered to mine, and she ran her thumb over me.
"Perfect landing strip just for me," she said, a grin curving her lips.
"Don't you dare make a carpet matching the drapes joke, Harlow Misner," I threatened, feebly at best, then grabbed a handful of her hair.
A heavy laugh escaped her, and she pressed a kiss to my mons. "I wouldn't dare."
"Yes, you would." I writhed under her, gnawing the inside of my cheek to try and keep ahold of myself.
"You're right." She flicked her tongue over my clit, and I nearly died on the spot. "I would."
"Fuck, Harlow. Oh my God." My fingers wrapped a fistful of her hair and held her to me.
She obliged, and dove in to take me like I devoured her. Harlow spared not a moment as her tongue lashed and lips sucked, working me toward the deepest release I'd ever experienced. My body raged as snaps of pleasure coursed from head to toe. I cried out, my legs quaking hard enough to vibrate the cushions around us. I shouted her name, tugged her hair, and came so hard that stars flickered behind my eyelids. My body lifted from the cushions, and the rush that left me only enhanced my cries. Her lips sucked, tongue lapped, and she moaned into me through it all.
Again, and again after that, I lost myself to her, to her mouth, and to the encompassing pleasure that stole me away from the world. I felt weightless under her, as if nothing existed save for the perpetual bliss she held me in. Rich, deep, and as delicious as she was to me, she treated me just the same.
I covered my face, moaning into my palms when she finally let up on me, what seemed like hours later. In all my time racing criminals in the streets or soaring through the air with every last ounce of energy, I rarely, if ever, lost my breath. Tonight, I couldn't catch it, and I found myself gasping as she crawled up my body.
She nudged my hands away, and her twinkling eyes and mischievous smile fell into view. I chuckled when she kissed me and ran my fingers through her hair.
"That was the most delicious gush I've ever seen." She grinned, nipping at my chin and lips. "You soaked me."
"Oh my God." I groaned and tugged her down to me to hide against her neck. "Harlow."
She giggled, wrapping me in a hug while kissing my ear. "You're delicious. Like the sweetest candy in the universe."
"Nope. That's you." I caressed her back as we calmed down together and brushed my lips over her neck. Soft kisses followed and I left a tiny mark just below her ear.
"Maybe both of us then." Her belly fluttered against mine when I nipped the spot with the tiny blemish. "Did you give me a hickey?"
"Yup. Marked you as mine." I leaned back to meet her gaze, both of us wearing goofy smiles. I tucked her hair behind her ears, and she licked the palm of my hand. "Only mine."
"Only yours." Her expression fell from playful to mildly serious with her declaration, and she rested her chin on my chest while gazing up at me. "Stay?"
I nodded and traced the curve of her nose. "I will. I don't think I'm done with you yet."
Shivers raced up her, rolling over her shoulders and leaving a trail of goosebumps over her arms. I smiled when I saw it and reveled in the thrumming of her excited heart.
"Tell me what else you like? I mean…we both clearly adore each other's mouths. What else do you like?" I stroked her cheeks, watching as the heavy, cuddly afterglow melted her on top of me. Her overheated skin against mine made it feel as if we'd melded together in some sort of supernatural process. It soothed me, feeling the heat and weight of her on top of me, as it calmed down the ache that I carried with me all day.
"With you? Probably everything…" She drew circles around my nipple, keeping it a firm bud. "Do you like a strap-on?"
"The few times in the past I've tried it, yeah, sometimes. Do you?"
She nodded then kissed my chest. "Very much. Do you like toys?"
"Um…maybe? I've never really tried any. You?"
"Oh yeah." She chuckled and met my gaze again. "Open the bottom drawer in my nightstand sometime. You'll meet all my exes at once."
"Oh my God." I laughed and gave her hair a tug. "To be honest…I never really had a libido like this before. I mean, I always had one, but it seemed kind of normal? What I feel now is way beyond normal…"
"Similar for me, I think. But I agree on the latter…" She bit her bottom lip and drew in a deep breath. "At work today, I was in my office working on a project and thought of you and what we did last night…." She shook her head. "I soaked my own panties. Again. If I was home, I would've—"
"Phoned an ex who lives in the drawer?" I snickered and she tweaked my nipple. "Eek."
"Yes." She laughed and raked her teeth over it afterward. "I would've. Why do we feel this way?"
"I don't know… Does it bother you?"
She shook her head then ran her fingers through my hair. "No. It feels…like it's supposed to be this way. Can I be honest about something?"
"Always." I brushed her bangs from her face when they tickled her eyelashes. "What is it?"
"Even before I knew you were…you, I felt a level of infatuation with you." Her brow furrowed. "I said that wrong. I mean, you as a Protector visiting my museum. It was almost like I knew you were there. Like I felt it or could sense it. And then when I met you as Veyda, I felt the same way, but said to myself that maybe I just feel more strongly than usual. I wrote about your visits to the museum in my journal…going back months."
"It took you months to confront me?" My brows lifted and she nodded. "You were always able to sneak up on me, but I always thought that was just because I was distracted. But…I think subconsciously, I recognized you and that you weren't a threat. You were just…part of what I knew. That doesn't make any sense."
"None of it does…"
I nodded my agreement, and we both fell into quiet while toying with each other's hair. Her words spiraled through my mind as I ran through our experiences together.
"Is that why you looked up Hybridians? To see why you felt this way?" I asked when it came to me.
"Yes…but I haven't returned to researching since we discussed it. Been rather busy with other things." She scrunched her nose up at me and I chuckled.
"And just what were those things?"
"You making me have about thirty orgasms a day. At least." She poked the end of my nose, and I gnashed my teeth at her finger. A playful squeak left her, and I chuckled. "Silly."
I couldn't wipe the smile off my face while watching her. "You're so cute."
She pressed her index finger to my lips and scowled. "Shh. Don't say such terrible things."
I tickled her side and she gasped, swatting at me immediately. "Veyda!"
"Ticklish girl." I laughed and pulled her back into a hug.
Her arms snaked around me, and she let out a contented sigh. I kissed the top of her head, and she squeezed me.
"Your belly is growling," she said, flicking her tongue over my chin. "What are you in the mood for?"
"Maybe pizza? But only from Cosmo's or Valentina's." I pressed my lips to her forehead, and she closed her eyes. "Like those places?"
"Very much. Do you like Nepalese food?"
"A lot, actually. It's my favorite and I almost always like everything. A lot of fresh ingredients."
"Maybe we can go for Nepalese or to Valentina's tomorrow for our date," she suggested, a smile curving her pink lips.
"I'd love that." I kissed her quickly and she shivered.
"Mmm. Okay. Let me go order pizza before you kiss me again and I lose my mind." She grinned while we pried ourselves apart.
>
"'Kay." I smiled while watching her prance across the apartment totally naked. Light pink scratch marks flecked her back and rear. "I scratched you up…"
"Hmm." She smiled while lifting her phone from the counter. "No complaints."
I laughed and dropped my head back into the pillows.
"Veyda…" Nalea's voice shocked me out of my sex stupor. "Turn off your comms, girl. Fuckin' hell," she said with a heavy laugh.
"Oh my God, Nae." I muttered and tapped the off button right away.
I looked over at Harlow who nibbled her thumbnail while staring at her phone. She smiled at me when she caught me watching.
"Just pizza? Anything else?"
"Salad, please." I blew out a heavy breath. "Um…A bucket of truth is about to leave my mouth right now. I left my communicator in my ear and Nalea may have heard us a little."
"She better get used to it then," she responded, casually while tapping her phone. "Things like that are going to keep happening because apparently you and I are unpredictable. Or completely predictable, depending on how you look at it."
I let out a heavy laugh as relief flooded me.
Harlow tossed me a cheeky smile, and said, "I'm in the mood for eggplant."
"Go for it, babe." I snickered and folded my hands behind my head.
She grinned, nibbling her lip when she bounced over to me again and dropped down to kiss my stomach. Her smile never faded, and I held my hand to her.
"Want to watch a movie with me?" she asked, accepting my hand. "Food should be here in fifteen."
"You bet."
"'Kay." She kissed the back of my hand before laying down with me and using the voice commands to turn on her television.
Chapter Twelve
I spent the night at Harlow's, but neither of us got much sleep, as it turned out. The sun broke the darkness while I found myself buried once again between her thighs. Eventually, we passed out, until her alarm went off a few hours later.
We both groaned, and I covered my head with a pillow.
"No," I declared, my voice hoarse. "I'm cancelling my classes."
Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14) Page 19
