by Coralee June
"I've been thinking about this moment," I whispered before looking into his eyes. If he wanted me to stop, now was the time. I leaned forward to kiss him, pressing my soft lips to his with a moan. I took my time, trailing my tongue along his jaw, sucking on his collarbone, nipping at his abs.
I placed my lips on his thigh, smiling to myself when his cock, proud and assuming, brushed against my cheek. Slowly, I traveled back up and settled right above him, teasing him as I rubbed our bodies against one another. “I want you, Maverick Black. I want all of you. Forever. No matter the cost, no matter the dangers. I want you.” When he didn't move, I lowered, making sure to stare into his deep eyes as I slid down and hissed in pain when he stretched past my barrier of innocence. Maverick grabbed my shoulders, guiding and squeezing as he tried not to buck beneath me. I needed him to be still as I broke apart. It hurt, but it was a good hurt. An earned hurt, amplified by my control and the five months we spent apart. "I'm glad you've finally stopped pretending to have everything together," I gritted out as he stretched me. His head rocked back against the pillow, the first moan escaping his lips. Watching him let go of his burdens was my focal point. I didn't feel pain or anger. I saw each emotion as it crossed his face and stored it in my memory, savoring the look of his joy.
"But you're gonna save me, Maverick. You're gonna save everyone." Once I was sure I could handle it, I began slowly moving up and down, feeling each painful pulse disappear and turn into a throbbing need. I needed Maverick to take control. I needed Maverick and Cyler to succeed. I needed my guys all back together.
Maverick bucked forward, and I fell upon his chest, laying there for a moment and enjoying how he felt inside of me. I pulled off of him and rolled over on my back, urging him with a whimper to take over. "I love you, Maverick," I whispered.
He rolled on top of me and positioned himself at my entrance. I bit my lip as he slowly slid inside once more. Every pretense fell away at that moment. I had no expectations of Maverick, no expectations of what would happen next. He moved with deliberate intention, our skin softly rubbed against one another like silk. My moans were in time with his thrusts, and he kept his steady gaze on me, drinking in my blissful expression.
I wanted to absorb each sensation, each glance, each touch and cling to it, knowing that I'd only have a memory to hold onto once I left here. There were no guarantees. "You're so beautiful. So strong, Ash. I carry the world on my shoulders, and you carry me." His voice was dark, but he tenderly stroked my cheek, pushing my hair behind my ear as he thrust once more. His steady movements pressed against that sweet spot deep within me, and it was so hard to hold back and make this moment last.
It seemed like hours that we moved, slowly rocking to the beat of our hearts. Each loving thrust was slow and intentional. I wrapped my legs around his back, arching up and claiming the intense, electric zap of pleasure each time he moved within me. “I love you so much,” he murmured into my hair over and over and over. Each whispered affectionate declaration like a war cry. I whimpered my replies while clenching tightly around him. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
The slow building orgasm tore through us. I let it wash over me in waves and crawl through my veins. I clung to my intoxicating climax, begging it not to end. Begging this moment not to stop. After having Maverick torn from me for five months, I didn’t want to lose having him as close as physically possible. He was in my soul just then, settling deep in my heart and branding himself to me in a way that no one else ever had.
"Was this okay?" Maverick asked while settling beside me. I rolled over to cling to him, not worrying about the mess we made of my clothes and my shattered innocence. There was blood between my thighs, but I liked the evidence of it. I loved knowing that I finally dived into the physical relationships with my men.
"It was more than okay," I whispered while squeezing my eyes shut and absorbing every last piece of this moment. His smell. The rhythm of his heart. The love on his lips and the passion in his thrusts. "Now I've really got to get you out of here. I want a lifetime of that," I said with a small smile.
Maverick chuckled while stroking my hair. He didn't say anything for a while, and we lay there, basking in the post-sex bliss. "You remember our first kiss?" Maverick finally asked. I smiled at the memory.
“Of course,” I replied. “We were in Lackley’s lab. It was the first time you told me you wanted forever together.” I snuggled into Maverick’s chest and listened to his steady heart as he spoke.
"We've got to stop doing these things right before I know you have to leave."
I glanced at the clock in the room. As a rule, Companions had to leave by two in the morning. "Do you remember what you said to me?" I asked. "Your kiss tastes like the rest of my life.” I smiled before continuing, “I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with you, Maverick." There was no fear that I was speaking too soon or assuming things. I didn't worry that I would scare him away with talk of my feelings. He wasn't Josiah, there was no status lingering between us. We were pure love. I felt safe diving off this cliff because I knew he would catch me.
"I'm trying to build a world we can spend forever in, Ash," Maverick said, and our moment started to dissolve into our reality. It was like I could feel each brick of responsibility being piled onto his chest. The cure. Cavil. Escaping. Dormas. The empire. His family.
Me.
"I know, Maverick. I know."
Chapter Fifteen
Bells were ringing, reminding us that our time was up. Madam B warned me that once I heard the sirens, I’d only have thirty minutes to make it to the transport. My heart sank at the harsh reminder that our time was coming to an end. “I don’t want to go,” I whispered into his chest while breathing in Maverick’s scent and committing it to memory. “We still have so much to discuss. What all has happened these last five months?”
Maverick slowly eased us both to a seated position and smoothed out my hair. Grabbing a cloth from nearby, he began cleaning me with gentle movements. I wasn’t embarrassed by his care, but I winced when he washed the sensitive parts of me. I prayed that my ache stayed with me long after I’d left this tower. I wanted to walk around the next few days remembering tonight. “Without the cure, Cavil has to cling to the rejection, his fetters, and his weapons to maintain control. He’s keeping me here to find the last puzzle piece to the cure.”
I’d figured as much. Cavil wouldn’t be happy until he had it all. “He’s keeping the system in place with fear,” I replied mostly to myself. “Louis is working on a way to disable Heat. He and Kemper think that an electromagnetic pulse could disrupt their frequencies.”
Maverick went still for a moment, and I watched his eyes flash as he disappeared into that place of his mind where he calculated different odds and outcomes. “It could work,” he finally said. “I’ll research some and send my findings back with Blythe.
At the mention of her, bile rose in my throat, and I forced myself not to become anxious about their arrangement. I knew that Maverick loved me. I was confident in our connection. Nevertheless, Maverick must have seen something in my gaze because he then said, “It’s only you for me, Ash. Always you. Besides, she's a bit annoying.” I smiled a little. “Is Jules okay?” Maverick asked. “And the others?”
“They’re okay,” I replied, unsure if I should tell him about Jacob. “Jacob is struggling, but I think he’s finally getting the hang of his mindspeak.”
Maverick’s face twisted up in confusion and concern, and I immediately regretted saying something. The bells rang once more, reminding us that we only had twenty-five minutes left.
“I promise he’s okay, but I don’t have time to explain.” I stood then stared at my torn dress on the bed and floor. Seemingly satisfied by my words, Maverick joined me and tossed me one of his shirts that hit well past my thighs. Putting it on, I then looked longingly at the bed, wishing I could jump back in and snuggle Maverick some more. Here, I could almost forget that we were in Cavil’s domain.
<
br /> A knock on the door made us both pause. “Mav, open up,” Cyler’s gruff voice said. We both slumped in relief, and Maverick hurriedly opened the door for Cyler to walk inside.
“Wanted to make sure you didn’t miss the bells,” Cyler said before looking at me. The way his dark eyes took in my long legs and Maverick’s white shirt falling off my shoulders made my breath hitch. “Lucky bastard,” Cyler whispered under his breath before moving towards me and crashing his lips to mine once more. Somewhere, the bells were ringing the twenty-minute warning bell, but I didn’t care. His kisses were devastating, tearing down my awareness and making it so I could only feel him. “Fuck, you look so good, Babe. You’re practically glowing, and I’m going to be hard all month thinking about this.” I smiled as he nibbled my ear, my eyes rolling back as I trailed my fingers along his shoulders. There wasn’t enough time.
“Guys, you have to go. I’m sorry,” Maverick said, making Cyler growl and spin around to face him.
“Next time, I get her. Understand?”
Maverick simply nodded and moved forward, bypassing his brother to kiss me on the forehead, whispering, “Bye, I love you,” before Cyler picked me up to cradle me in his arms. Without a second glance, he started pounding his feet on the wood floor and out the door. The hallways were a blur as Cyler ran. Drunk guards and men in white suits with lipstick stains on the collar were passed out in the halls.
Cyler bypassed the gathering room and carried me to a hidden Walker elevator, putting me down once the doors closed and wrapping me up in another soul-shattering kiss once more.
Nine floors. On the ninth, his hand was up my shirt, caressing my breast. There was an urgency in his touch that made shooting tingles travel up and down my spine. As we passed the eighth floor, he grasped the cheek of my ass, crushing him to me. It felt like several lifetimes had passed in his hold. I was found and claimed again and again. The seventh floor, he bit my lip and tugged. The sixth, he traced the edge of his fingers between my thighs. He thrilled me, hinting at eternity but filling each last second together with his touch. By the fifth floor, he was stroking me. He kissed me like he’d never see me again as he teased. He inhaled my sighs as I gasped for air at the fourth and third floors, moaning into this mouth as he reawakened my sensitive nub with his fingers.
At the second floor, he slammed his palm on the stop button, rubbing more, bringing me closer to the cliff of oblivion as he kissed me. Claimed me.
“Come for me, Ash. We don’t have time, but I need to feel your release on my palm. So later, when I stroke myself thinking of this moment, I’ll have this memory to keep me going.”
He felt so good. He moved like a man determined to be on my mind until I saw him again, and I knew I’d be thinking of this trip in the elevator until my dying day.
His words broke me apart, and I let go of the crushing tidal wave of sensations then. Biting down on his shoulder to stop the screams, the embers within me that had been silent from our distance ignited in a blaze of relief. I burned bright in that elevator. He breathed life back into my soul and made the lingering numbness I’d been clinging to completely disappear.
And when Cyler straightened my shirt, kissing me once more as the doors opened, I let out a hiss of air. The pristine lobby was full of Companions loading onto transports, but I wanted to stay in the elevator.
“Fuck, Cy,” I whispered under my breath. My legs were shaky as he guided me to my transport, where the other Companions were grinning mischievously at us.
“Fuck is right,” he groaned while adjusting himself.
We had almost made it. I had nearly sat down in the transport headed for the Zone, forgetting that I was in Cavil’s home and that we were in danger. Almost. But a slurred voice stopped us in our tracks.
“Cyler Black, is that you?” Cavil’s voice said as he slapped a woman on the ass and stumbled forward. Drool gathered at his lip, and he took another gulp from his flask. Maybe my initial reaction should have been anger or even fear.
But my first thought at seeing Cavil was disgust and wonder. How on earth had this drunk idiot stayed alive? He’d made enough enemies as it was, and in this state, he was incredibly vulnerable. He must have been here escorting Jade to the transport.
“Hello, Commodore,” Cyler growled out. I felt Cy’s hand on my shoulder, pushing me into the transport and out of view.
“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s Emperor, now? Don’t let her go too far. I need to see what pretty little Companion caught your eye. I’ve been throwing girls at you for months!” I stood up, knowing that I had no other option. All I could do now was pray that my disguise was enough.
I looked at Cavil then to the ground. I filtered through what I knew of Companions, and one rule stuck out firmly in my mind: “When all else fails, be submissive.”
“Ah, pretty little thing,” he cooed, lifting my chin with his greasy finger and smiling at me in awe. “I’m so happy to see you’ve moved on, Master Black. You must enjoy life, not spend it pining.”
Cavil rubbed his thumb along my lip where my red lipstick was rubbed off. “It appears as if you enjoyed her company very much.” I breathed in his whiskey scent, coughing when I choked on the strong smell of alcohol and smoke.
“What brothel do you belong to, my dear?” he asked.
Thankfully, it was Jade that answered for me. From within the transport, the Companions were watching, each holding their breath as he gazed at me. “Madam B’s brothel in the Zone, Emperor. She’s with me,” she said. Could he hear how her voice shook?
“Yes, yes. Well, as you can tell, I like my guests to be happy. I’m an honorable man. A good leader. Please tell your madam that I’d like you to attend each event I host until we leave at the end of the week.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Cyler’s mouth drop open in shock. “End of the week? I thought we were staying through the month,” he asked.
Cavil finally retracted his hand from my chin and swayed a little before staring at Cyler. I took advantage of his distractedness and settled into the transport with a shaky exhale.
“Yes, well, that was the original plan. But I find myself feeling homesick.”
Cyler nodded his head and flashed his eyes to me. This meant that we didn’t have a month, we only had a week.
“Who knows, Cyler. If you’re a good little boy, maybe I’ll let you take her back with us,” Cavil cackled while stumbling away.
Cyler wasted no time. “Go, I love you,” he said with a frantic intensity that looked eerily like fear. I’d never known Cyler Black to be afraid of anything, but the fire in his shifty eyes had me worried. He shut the transport door, and we were immediately off, but my heart stayed behind at Cavil’s tower.
Chapter Sixteen
As I stared out the window, watching the glimmering buildings fade into the disastrous Zone, I calmed my racing heart. "Well, ladies, it looks like our naïve little Walker isn't so innocent anymore. She practically reeks of sex,” Blythe said with a smirk.
The other girls didn't seem remotely interested in what she had to say. Kaye was drunk and struggling to stay awake, and Lowe was scratching herself, streaks of her rubbed-raw red skin were glaring at us in the dim light of the transport.
I didn't bother denying it; I wasn't embarrassed. I was too shocked at seeing Cavil. If anything, I felt sorry for Blythe. "You going to say anything?" she asked.
"I don't feel like I have anything to say."
Blythe looked around the transport, waiting for someone to speak up, but Jade just coughed and got more comfortable. "It must be nice," Blythe said. "First you're immune, you grew up in the Stonewell Manor. Dormas leaders are eating out of the palm of your hand. And while the rest of us worked, you got to enjoy a little rendezvous with your man."
Once again, I looked out the window, smiling once I saw the brothel in the distance. I was tired, sore, and eager to see Jacob, Patrick, Huxley, and Kemper.
"I'm not going to apologize for having a g
ood life or for things I cannot control," I said to Blythe. "I don't know what I've done to upset you, or if you're just too jealous to see past your prejudice of me, but I'm not one to play games. I'm here to save the men I love, so you can either get on board with that or get out of my way."
Lowe, with her smeared lipstick and crooked smile, started clapping for me. "Well hot damn," she began with a whistle. "Ash loses her virginity and, within the hour, becomes a badass. That must've been some great cock."
I laughed as the transport came to a stop, and when the doors opened, I wasn't surprised to find Huxley standing outside with his arms crossed. The moment my feet hit the ground, he strolled forward and helped me up and out of the transport.
"How did it go?" he asked while placing a hand on my lower back and guiding me up the steps. Behind us, Jade struggled to carry a drunk Kaye inside.
"It went seamlessly," I lied. No use telling Huxley about Cavil catching us until he had calmed down. The brothel door opened, and we flooded into the lit entryway, but once Huxley took in my appearance, all hell broke loose.
At first, I was confused by his ferocious face and shaking hands. I inched closer, a concerned dip in my brow as I reached for him.
"What happened to your dress?" Huxley asked. The rest of the girls filed in, and once Blythe heard his question, she started laughing hysterically.
"Your innocent little Walker had her cherry popped," she said while throwing her head back with another laugh.
I immediately realized what Huxley was thinking, and I threw my hands up to capture his face in my hands. Staring in his green eyes, I assured him, "This is Maverick’s shirt. I spent my evening with Maverick."
