“Hey, I uh, saw you have a visitor; anything I can get for you?” he asks me, and I nod as he stares at my attire with a cocked eyebrow.
“Anything you need?” I ask Xion, shooting a glance back over my shoulder. He looks nervous but then sighs.
“You know I’d bloody love a drink,” he admits with a guilty glint in his eye.
“Yes! Bring out the Bolinger, Jules. We have something to celebrate. I just hired me a luggage boy slash security guard.” I gesture back to Xion with my thumb, and Jules looks surprised but happy.
“Oh, that’s great!” He nods at Xion. “Congratulations, young man.” Xion laughs.
“You know I’m old enough to be your father, Jules. Just call me Xion,” he reminds him, and Jules looks perplexed at this.
“Can you make up a room for Xion too? He’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future,” I request, and Jules’ eyebrows rise even further on his forehead, so much so that I wonder if they might not in fact go into orbit around his moon-ish head.
“Very well! I’ll be back with champagne!” he calls and totters off down the hall toward the wine cellars in the basement.
“You sure you can handle champagne?” I ask him, trying not to laugh. “After all, I am a billionaire; I’m sure we can special order you a great vintage bottle of water if you’d prefer to be totally boring.” I tease him even still, unable to stop my happiness spilling from my lips in its usual sarcastic charm.
“No. I think I can manage, thanks. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen?”
Three bottles of Bolinger later, Xion and I are strewn out on the floor of my suite, relaxing together as Marvin Gaye continues to croon out into the room.
“This is really good champagne,” Xion expresses, and I look at him with a confused frown.
“How come you aren’t drunk, then?” I ask him, and he shrugs.
“I don’t know, maybe because I’m half demon and weigh more than you?” He is stoic still as he lifts a bottle to his lips, gulping the contents.
“You know I would’ve brought out the cheap stuff if I’d have known it wouldn’t get you hammered,” I snort, brushing my red hair behind my ear and looking at him with interest. I pucker my lips, giving him some smoulder as we sit across from each other, surrounded by the empty bottles.
“Hey Xion, can I ask you a question?” I enquire, and he nods.
“Shoot.”
“Did you really quit, over me?” I ask him, and he nods.
“Yeah, I did.” He replies, scratching his stubble in that way he does when he’s thoughtful.
“But… doesn’t that mean you’ll… you know, die?” I ask him, and he nods.
“Yup. I mean, not like tomorrow. But yes. As a half demon, I’ll die. Not all of us got lucky with the immortality thing. It’s the bodies of demons which are so sturdy, not so much the souls I guess,” he replies. He doesn’t sound particularly upset about this.
“That’s gotta be a tough pill to swallow,” I comment, and he smiles.
“Yeah, I’m just restless. Want to get on with the living now. If I’ve only got so much time left, you know?” he asks me, and I nod.
“I do. I feel like before the whole Demon Lord thing, I was just… waiting to join my parents. I felt like this life was a punishment for what I did to them. It all made sense. Now, I realise that this life itself is their gift to me. I don’t want to waste it,” I express, my guard down as the alcohol causes my mind to become buoyant and calm.
“Me neither. But, I don’t know where to even start… I mean, what makes someone’s life worthwhile?” he asks me, and I shrug.
“You are asking the wrong girl. I still don’t know. All I know is that if you’re willing to sacrifice anything for it, you’re probably heading in the right direction.” I shrug again, blinking once, then twice.
“This is a very personal conversation. Perhaps the most personal you and I have ever had,” Xion observes, and I nod.
“Yes, well, I trust you. Besides, I feel different,” I admit, and his eyes become glassy.
“I can tell…you smell different too,” This comment makes me smile.
“That would be my new intense moisturiser conditioner. Having flaming hair is a bitch for hair care, I’m telling you now,” I complain, smiling at him.
“I can imagine,” he laughs, swallowing hard before crossing his legs in front of him and staring at me intensely. “Can I ask you something now?” he requests, and I nod.
“Shoot.” I reply, curious to what he’ll say next.
“Why do you trust me?” he asks, and I shrug.
“I don’t know. You’ve never lied to me. I mean, other than obviously lying to me when we first met, which I get was sort of for my protection looking back. You just tell me the truth when I ask. That’s rare for me. When you have money, everyone just tells you what you want to hear to further their own agenda,” I explain, and he looks guilty.
“What?” I ask him, leaning up, worried that I’ve misplaced my trust after all.
“I did lie to you. Once,” he admits, eyes burning into mine as the mood between us becomes suddenly intense.
“When?” I ask, scared of the answer.
“Back in the pyramid. You asked me if I wanted to sleep with you,” his gaze drops to the floor, guilty.
“… you said no,” I remember, heart rate heightening.
“I know. I lied. Since the moment I first saw you, I’ve felt this protective urge. I thought it was a sense of duty… but I think now it’s something different. I think… I think I’m attracted to you.” He looks so ashamed of himself.
“How long has it been since you were last with a woman?” I ask him, unapologetic in my question.
“Since the first time… I… since I lost my virginity.” My heart palpitates at his innocence, and I wonder why it is I’ve been restraining myself when it comes to him.
“You know… I am on birth control. Bet the prophecy didn’t include that little detail, did it?” I inform him, and one of his beautiful eyebrows arches.
“Sephy, that’s… I can’t,” he says this, but his actions tell a different story. He’s flushed, his breathing has slightly deepened, and he can’t help but bite down ever so slightly on his bottom lip. I know the signs; I know he wants this. Needs this.
I kneel up, crawling across the floor towards him and place a finger upon his lips.
“But… Sephy… the prophecy. I’m not the right… I’m wrong for you.” He looks terrified as I climb into his lap, brushing my hair back behind my ear yet again as I watch his pupils dilate, taking me in.
I feel him stiffen beneath me, his arousal only too evident despite his claim otherwise.
“Fuck the prophecy. No one gets to say who’s right for me but me,” I whisper, leaning in and placing a hand on the rough, stubble-clad skin of his jawline. I rise on my knees, bending down and kissing him, like I know it’s his first kiss, and I want to make it unforgettable.
The scent of pomegranates fills my head, and my heart flutters in my chest as the rough skin of his lips begins to move against mine. A small groan emits from his throat as I run my fingertips down through the stubble, which fades to smooth pale skin, tracing the length of his neck.
I end the kiss, both our breathing becoming ragged as he buries his face in my hair and pulls me to him. I wrap my legs around his waist, the feel of his warmth addictive. He lets out another feral, guttural moan, almost as though in trying to restrain himself, he’s becoming physically pained.
I kiss him again, this time slowly, teasing him with my tongue, feeling his erection continue to press against me as I let my fingers wander through the dark lusciousness of his hair.
“Sephy… I… I…” he’s desperate, confused, not knowing what to do with the feelings that are moving between us in such a physical manifestation, and I hush him.
“Shhh. You’re safe. If you get too carried away, I can calm the demon… remember?” I whisper, reminding him. Kissing him once
more, I try to stop his hesitancy and dissolve his fear.
He moans again, getting to his feet as I remain wrapped around him. His hands come up and cup my ass, fingers digging into the plump flesh and causing me to cry out. This is more intense than any one-night stand, and it hasn’t even started yet.
I get excited, anticipation pooling in my stomach in a heated torrent as he continues to French kiss me, walking around to the edge of the bed and laying me down before climbing on top of me. I take off my bra, as he wriggles out of his black t-shirt, the heat coming off his chest bathing my pale skin as I lay beneath him, exposed. I continue to breathe deeply, slowly, running a hand down from my collarbone, past my cleavage and then my navel as Xion’s eyes trace me hungrily.
“Let go,” I command, exploring myself with expert fingers. He does as I ask, his face finally becoming determined rather than afraid.
I know it’s been a long time, longer than I can possibly imagine, since he last slept with someone, so I can’t even grasp how he must be feeling. I unzip my suit trousers, sliding out of them and pulling myself up amongst the white sheets so I’m in the middle of the bed, watching him.
His gaze is enough to burn the house down as he takes his jeans off and releases his pleasing length for me to ogle as I toss my panties to the floor.
My mouth floods with saliva, and he wastes no time taking his hands and running them from the apex of my thighs up to my breasts as he pushes my legs apart. I shudder, needy and greedy for him as he kisses my chest with rough and passionate lips, causing my pale skin to flush as he towers over me.
He bends down, initiating the kiss this time and running his hands back down the sides of my waist, causing me to inhale air in a sudden and desperate gasp. His hands come up fast and into my hair, pulling my neck back and exposing me to him as he kisses my throat roughly, desperately. He’s animalistic in his sounds, in the instinctual way he takes my nipple into his mouth next and bites down, breaking our kiss for only a moment before coming back up to my ear and whispering.
“I’m going to make you sore, Sinclair.” The words surprise and arouse me all at once as he growls, no longer unsure in any sense of the word.
The rough fingers of his spare hand fall to my breasts again as he buries himself into me with a single unrestrained grunt. My eyes widen and my mouth parts in a surprised expression as we meld together like two forms of molten hot metal, melting into one another under little more than the pressure and heat our of untamed animal desire to be close.
I’m already slick with need for him, and soon he’s looking into my eyes with intense and unwavering loss of control. It seems to mount, unstoppable, with every touch that passes between our scorching wanton skin.
His expression is becoming increasingly more desperate with each passing second, the glow of demonic power set loose behind his irises. He doesn’t stop, his muscles overpowering me with every single movement he makes, as I lay splayed out beneath him, helpless. I watch him struggle to stop the darkness from taking over, this battle growing the closer he nears to surrender.
I raise a hand, letting the eternal flame simmer on my palm and caressing his face with the back of my hand. The orange glow that has begun to spark in his irises diminishes within seconds, and I continue to kiss him, running my nails down his back and pulling him into me as deeply as I can.
It’s perhaps the best sex I’ve ever had, if for no other reason than the fact it’s the most intimate I’ve ever been with anyone. Xion kisses my neck as yet another feral groan escapes his lips, causing me to follow in a feminine echo of his pleasure.
His hands never stop exploring me, not for a second, and I let the growing tension between us build naturally as he continues to writhe on top of me, gentle, yet rough in all the right places.
The moment arrives. I feel my muscles clench and the floodgates open as I climax. The act itself, my cries of unrestrained pleasure, tips him over the edge too, and we both meet for a final and mind-blowing kiss, as he grabs my hand, lacing his fingers between mine and calling out my name against my lips.
His mouth continues to possess mine as we still, and his hands come up to caress my face.
He pauses a moment, soaking in my look of pure bliss, before rolling over and then bringing his arms around me. I rest my head on his chest, right over the rapid pounding of his heart, and feel my limbs turn to non-existent ghosts, floating separate from my body.
His touch haunts me before it’s even left my skin as he runs his fingers down the curve of my spine, and I look up at him, trying to process what’s just happened.
We don’t say anything; we don’t talk.
We don’t have to.
Some things are better left unsaid.
I fall asleep in his arms, another rarity for me, but we’ve been unable to stop touching each other for more than a few moments, self-restraint non-existent, and eventually exhaustion takes hold. The three times that followed the first had been just as intense, if not more drawn out, and when I open my eyes again, it’s dark outside my window.
Why aren’t I kicking him out yet? I ponder, knowing that this is not normal behaviour for me. Usually I’m ready to have Jules dispose of my conquests by now, but this is different. It’s Xion.
I can’t just ask him to leave.
Then it occurs to me.
I don’t want to ask him to leave.
I wrap the sheets closer around myself, and he stirs beneath my motion, the heat of his body seeping through the mattress and into my body as he turns to face me. His eyes open, their metallic depths relaxed.
“I need to go,” he whispers half asleep. I exhale, feeling my heartbeat slow in my chest and my blood chill ever so slightly.
Of course, he does.
“Oh. Uh, okay.” I sit up, feeling a little stupid. What the hell did I think? We’d sleep together once and be instantly in love? That doesn’t sound like something I’d do… ever.
I’ve had too much to drink. Stupid champagne. I determine, rolling my eyes at myself.
Clearing my mind of such ridiculous ideas, I shake my head, feeling my tangled red hair fall down my bare back from my shoulders. It tickles, more than usual as I’m sensitive after Xion’s agonisingly delicious clutch.
Xion sits up, spinning so he is sitting on the edge of the bed, stark nude and accentuated as the crescent moonlight falls across his form from the window. I reach out, placing my fingertips on his trapezius muscles and letting them fall down to his ass as I tease him, trying to tempt him back into bed.
“Sephy… I think…” he begins with a sigh, staring back at me over his shoulder. I withdraw my touch.
“Look, it’s okay. I understand. This doesn’t have to mean anything,” I finish his sentence for him, and he shakes his head.
“Sephy, this means everything to me. More than you know. But I need to run an errand. I wouldn’t leave unless it was important. You understand that, don’t you?” he asks me, and I nod, wrapping the sheets around me and getting to my feet.
I feel beautiful as I step across the plush carpet and over to the door, draped in white silk like a Greek goddess. He appreciates me as he dresses, and I watch as his seductively hard body is covered in layers of black leather. I bite my bottom lip, which is red, raw and plump from his kiss, every single inch of my body humming.
He takes several steps over to me as I lean against the wood of the door, blocking him in. Placing a gentle palm on my cheek, he runs the fingers of his free hand through my hair.
“I’ll be back; I promise,” he whispers against my lips as he kisses me, and I feel my body relax as he holds me like I’ve never let anyone before.
“This better be one hell of an errand.” I look at him, sulking, and he smirks.
“It is. I swear,” he vows, so I blush under the intense intimacy of his stare.
“Alright. I’ll be waiting. Take Cerb with you, too. I haven’t had much time to walk him lately, what with me being a responsible adult and all,” I reply, and
he smiles as I step aside from the door.
“Okay, I will. Leave some candles burning for me,” he requests, and I smile, a wicked thought coming to mind.
“You bet.” I give him a seductive glance, fluttering my lashes as he steps through the door, looking back over his shoulder at me and giving a smile that would melt the heart of a lesser woman. In fact, some might say it would make such a woman swoon.
XION
I walk back through the Exilia Multum, glad to know that this may very well be the last time I’m within these high crystal walls, beneath the bloody weep of the sky. Cerb trots along beside me, sniffing my hand. He knows I’ve been with his mistress. I probably smell of cinnamon.
Tonight has been… well, it has been the best night of my life.
Being with Sephy isn’t like I have imagined; it’s better, raw, like she’s just as scared of everything igniting between us as I am. She’s such a firecracker, and I’ve discovered that the way she laughs and how she kisses is enough to bring any man to his knees.
What would it be like if I could never touch that body again? Kiss those lips, feel her trembling beneath me with need?
It doesn’t bare thinking about, but I suddenly find myself feeling sympathy for the guy I’d punched back at Retropolitan that night.
I realise now she’s enough to make any man go insane, if they can get past the myriad of personal defences she throws up at first meeting and then restrain the undoubted sense of wanting to gag her, of course. She’s a goddess with the temper and demeanour to match, and it’s a wonder nobody had noticed that she is so clearly different from your average woman.
I don’t know what it is about her temper, the way she goes after what she wants no matter what, but it has set alight something in me which I had long thought was dead and buried.
I need her to be mine and mine alone, and that means I need to be able to keep her needs satiated. Hence the reason I am here.
The Opal Blade (The Ashen Touch Trilogy Book 1) Page 45
