Ebony Slumbers

by Nova Blake

  "Oh god, that feels so good."

  He smiled against my skin, moving back up to my mouth to kiss me again.

  "Yeah? It's been a while but it's nice to know my moves still work." He licked my earlobe then teased it between his teeth. "You want more?" he murmured into my ear.

  "Yes, god yes. Please." I gripped his hair, pressed him against my neck and he bit there too, just hard enough to sting, hard enough to make me moan. He walked me backwards, and then I hit the wall, groaning as his full weight moved against me, allowing that delicious pressure to build. Friction, so sweet. He slid his hands up beneath my tee, they were firm and strong, long and lean, and all of a sudden I didn't want them there, I wanted them inside me.

  "You're killing me here," I whispered.

  "I'm just getting started." He cupped my breasts, his thumbs sliding into the cups of my bra, grazing my hardened nipples.

  I pushed him away, just enough to strip my shirt off, I needed more and I needed it now. I grabbed the hem of his, tugging it up and over his head, biting my lip at the bulge of his arm muscles, his impeccable abs, his gorgeous dark skin beaded ever so slightly with sweat from our workout.

  Well, I wanted a different kind of work out now.

  He pushed back against me, the feel of his skin amazing against mine. I dragged my nails down his back, slipping one hand down his pants to feel his tight ass. He bent his head, flicking back the cup of my bra and taking a nipple in his mouth. I arched into him, the sensations threatening to drown me.

  "Oh my god," I whimpered. "That feels amazing."

  He didn't respond, just flicked my nipple with his tongue before sucking it into his hot, wet mouth, making my insides clench. I was going to cum with no penetration at this point. I'd be a mess on the floor and my pants would still be on.

  "More?" he murmured, his mouth still full.

  "Mmmm," I groaned, unable to form a real word. His hands, his skin, his mouth... It was all I could do to stay upright, and that was only happening because of him and the wall.

  He adjusted his position slightly, coming back to my mouth, kissing me hard, our tongues dancing. I could feel his hand tracing down my body and I froze, breaths of desire, of anticipation belting out of me. My heart beat so hard that I thought it might explode as he slid his hand into my pants, his fingers soft against my belly, slipping, down, down until they slid through my pubic hair, into my folds, finding my clit with expert precision.

  His mouth lowered to my neck and he took the skin between his teeth, achingly slow as he rubbed me, biting down harder when he felt me tense against him. Oh my god. It was too much, and I was too ready and it was going to be all over. My insides clenched as the orgasm flooded through me, a high pitched groan escaping my mouth as I came.

  Relief made my limbs loose and I sagged against him, trying to catch my breath. He traced his way back out of my pants, his hand moving behind me, the other one coming up to cup my cheek as he smiled.

  "Better?"

  "How? How did you do that? You didn't even-"

  His smile deepened. "I didn't need to, besides, I figured the first time I take you to bed it should be somewhere a little nicer than our home gym." He kissed me again, slower, softer, the perfect endnote to our encounter.

  I cupped his cheek with my hand, fingers scraping against his smooth skin, our foreheads pressing together. I could taste his breath in the air between us, could smell my release on his fingers. "Soon?"

  "Soon."

  A loud jangle of noise jolted us apart. It took a second for me to realize it must be his phone, but I'd never heard that ringtone before.

  "Crap." He pulled away, long strides taking him to the other side of the room where he grabbed the phone. "What happened?" And then, "Where do you need me?" after a pause. "I'll be right there. I’ll lock down the house before I go. Sheehan can protect Ebony."

  Protect?

  He slid the phone into his pocket and crossed back to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the garage and back into the house, bolting the door behind him.

  "What's going on, Arien?"

  He blew out a breath, shaking his head. "The informant got away and Rafe is worried he was able to discern our location. It seems he never had any intention of turning on his mistress."

  I didn't know what to say, half formed sentences popped into my mind but didn't make it out my mouth. I followed him around the house as he closed and locked the windows, hoping he'd say more - all the while unsure I wanted to know the details.

  We went upstairs and he knocked on the door to one of the rooms before pushing it open. "Sheehan, code black, man. Get your ass up and ready."

  Sheehan tossed his book on the nightstand and rolled out of bed, shoving his feet into boots and reaching for his jacket.

  "Nah, man, you're on protection detail. We know you've got this covered." He nodded towards me. The switch in his personality from passionate lover to professional was jarring, but as he turned back to the door his gaze softened and he gave me a slight smile. "It's going to be okay, Ebony. Just stay here with Sheehan, and we'll text him updates as soon as we know anything. He'll look after you." He kissed me on the cheek as he passed, his feet pounding down the stairs, keys jangling as he grabbed them from the bowl on the bench, the door slamming behind him as he left.

  I turned back to Sheehan, who gave me a shrug.

  "I guess it's just the two of us then," I said.

  Which was weird, because I don't think I'd ever been home with just one other person before.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  After the release Arien had given me, I thought I'd feel more relaxed. And I was, sexually. Just a shame that the sudden tension that had filled him as he exited the house had infected me. I spent far too long twitching the curtains to look outside, with no idea what I was looking for.

  Sheehan tapped me on the shoulder, again, and nodded his head towards the lounge before forcibly removing my fingers from the curtain, grasping my hand and leading me away.

  "What is going on?" I asked, even though I knew he couldn't answer. Hell, that was probably why he was here and Arien was gone. They could manage to keep me out of the loop yet again.

  He held his phone up, shook it in front of me and I reached for it, going straight to the messages.

  Nothing.

  He was as in the dark as I was. Well, great.

  "What are we going to do?" I asked. I turned back to the window, but he grabbed me again, this time taking me into the kitchen. Even here the blinds were closed. He twitched his fingers, asking for his phone back, and then typed in. Time to learn how to bake cookies.

  "Hang on, you know how to bake? How do you know and I don't?"

  He shrugged, a smile spreading across his face. He took a hair tie off his wrist and drew back his long, dark blond hair. It was so luscious that even I was envious, and my hair game was pretty solid. He indicated I do the same, and then grabbed a recipe book from the cupboard above the microwave, flicking through until he came to the right page.

  He placed it on the bench, and beckoned me over. This book was full of hand written recipes, whoever had written it had beautiful, curly hand writing. Sheehan reached for the pad of paper we kept on the bench and scrawled, my mother's recipe.

  "Really? That's so cool," I said.

  Mother. The word evoked a tinge of sadness in the pit of my stomach. Mine was gone, I knew that, even as I had no idea how that had happened. Or when. Father too. Both, gone. Did the same woman kill them who'd tried to take me from this world? I knew with a fierce certainty that had been the case, but what could we possibly have done to make her hate us that much?

  Sheehan tapped my shoulder, bringing me back to the now. He pointed at a few ingredients on the list, indicating that I get those, and he pulled out the mixing bowl and measuring cups and spoons. Soon we had everything gathered on the bench and fell into a silent dance, pointing and measuring and mixing. It was nice, peaceful. There were no other sounds in the house and for tha
t brief space of time the only thing filling my mind was the smell of sugar and butter and a hint of chocolate, and Sheehan's quiet, solid presence at my side, guiding me through each action, the precise nature of the recipe calming.

  It wasn't long before they were in the oven. We set to cleaning the kitchen and my stomach growled. Almost dinner time and no one was home.

  I guess we were having cookies.

  The sweet smell of them filled the kitchen and I went to open the oven door. Sheehan grabbed my hand, shaking his head.

  "Okay then," I said. "Guess I'll wait. Do you want some noodles? I'm ravenous."

  He grabbed a pot and started filling it with water in response, so I got the noodles out and we made those too. Sheehan had a quiet efficiency about him. Well, everything he did was quiet, though the deep brown of his eyes managed to convey a thousand words sometimes, and they weren't passive by any means.

  He pulled the cookies from the oven as I dished up the noodles, and then trailed me into the lounge. We sat next to each other watching one of those crime scene investigation shows in companionable silence while we ate.

  And then his phone vibrated in his pocket. I could feel it through the couch.

  I gripped my bowl harder, waiting for him to get his phone out and check the message. His eyes scanned the screen and then he turned the phone so I could read the message.

  We're okay. Got him. Won't be home until late. Make sure she stays inside, don't let her out of your sight.

  I sank back into the couch in relief. Thank goodness they were all okay. Everyone was safe, and they'd caught the guy. The tension that had filled me all evening fled and I could finally focus on the show in front of us. And on my noodles. They tasted a bit like cardboard. Nothing could really compare to Rafe's cooking, but it filled the hole in my stomach.

  With a yawn, I stretched, careful not to let the noodle water slop out of the bowl. "I'm shattered," I said. "All that weeding and cleaning and fighting and worrying has totally worn me out." I stood up, surprised when he followed. "Where are you going?"

  He shook his head, grabbing his phone and pointing to the last words of the message.

  Don't let her out of your sight.

  "You're not serious right? What if I need to pee? It's a thing people say. They just want us to be careful."

  Sheehan shrugged.

  "No," I said and walked into the kitchen, depositing my bowl in the sink and heading up the stairs. He followed not far behind and I stopped outside my bedroom door, my arm across the frame so he couldn't enter.

  He folded his arms, giving me his 'really' look.

  "I'm not a child, and we're totally safe. Right? This house is safe."

  He got his phone and typed in, I'm just following orders.

  I groaned and threw my hands in the air. "Fine! But I'm going to have a shower and you are NOT coming in."

  I'm going to get my book, and if your door is locked when I come back I can and will break it down.

  "Well, that's sure going to help when some evil villain comes to kidnap me," I said snarkily. I didn't want to test him though, so I left the door wide open, grabbed my PJ's and headed for my bathroom, closing but not locking the door behind me.

  That should keep him happy.

  The water felt divine on my skin, washing away the dirt from the garden and the sweat from my workout. The streaming water vaguely reminded me of the feel of Arien's tongue on my body, but I turned the water cold and shivered through the rest of my shower, trying desperately not to think any of those thoughts. I dried off, wrapped my hair in the towel and was almost out the door before I remembered Sheehan would be on the other side.

  "Crap!" I closed the door again and quickly pulled on my PJs - sleeping nude was so much better, but there was no way I would risk wandering outside stark naked again. I'd been lucky to wake before I left the property the night before. I couldn't risk that happening again.

  Maybe it was a good thing Sheehan was staying guard in my room.

  Dressed, I exited the bathroom to find him lying on my bed in only his PJ bottoms. His hair was unbound and cascaded over his shoulder like he was some model for hair products.

  "What are you doing?" I squeaked out.

  He raised his eyebrows as though I was a total dummy and pointed at his book.

  Reading. He was reading. I'd totally missed that object, because it was the least appealing thing about the scene before me.

  "I can see that you're settling in to read your book, but why are you on my bed?" I busied myself with drying my hair, rubbing the towel over it to get most of the water out before hanging it on its hook.

  Sheehan spread his hands, indicating the room around us. He was right, there wasn't really anywhere comfortable to sit. Just the bed.

  Dammit.

  "Fine. If you hog the blankets I'm going to push you on the floor though." I switched off the light, plunging the room into darkness before feeling my way into bed. The screen of his phone lit up and he flashed a grin at me before turning his attention back to his book.

  I slipped into bed and pulled the covers over my head doing my very best to ignore him.

  I COULD TASTE FEAR on the back of my tongue, like bile rising from my belly. Tendrils of darkness curled out from the forest, licking at my bare feet as I ran along a jagged path. I could feel the stones cutting into my skin but I couldn't stop, I had to keep going, just a little bit further. A little bit more.

  Light flared ahead of me and I skittered to a stop, crashing to my knees.

  "Fitting that you kneel." A woman emerged from the light, her skin glowing strangely. She had a regal stature, her nose turning up at me, lips curled in a sneer. "If you don't toe the line, you'll be next."

  That chant started up, thrumming like a primordial drumbeat. The ground oozed, seeped something and I lifted my hands, turning them over slowly to see the sticky red of blood coating them.

  Rough hands gripped me, arms locked around my chest and I screamed myself awake.

  Sheehan. It was just Sheehan. I collapsed, letting him support my weight as I sank to the floor. My whole body shook as I recalled the dream. That woman... It had been her, hadn't it, the one who wanted me dead. There was no other explanation for it.

  "Why does she want to kill me?" I sobbed. Of course, he couldn't answer me, but he held me tighter, cradling my body in his lap, his long hair creating a curtain that blocked out the rest of the world. We stayed there like that, me crying, him rocking me as if I were a small child in need of comfort.

  I was, in a way. Maybe not a child, but the slight rocking motion settled me in a way I didn't expect and soon my tears had abated. I nudged him and he unfolded, loosening his grip and giving me some more space.

  "Thank you," I said softly, looking up into his big brown eyes, so soulful, so full of emotion. I could see that he understood my pain, knew my struggle. I'd put money on him having undergone his own kind of trauma. "I'm glad it was you. Here, with me. And not just because you can't tell me off."

  He smiled, and I laughed, sniffing back the last of my tears. I wiped my face dry, and then steeled myself for a little honesty.

  "I want to tell you something, but you can't tell anyone else."

  He made a motion like his lips were sealed, and I shook my head.

  "No, I mean it. You could send a message, write them a note, but I'm asking you not to. Not yet." I held my breath, waiting for his response. When he nodded slowly, eyes filled with concern, I let out my breath and spoke in a rush. "I've been having nightmares, I think you all know that. But last night I woke up and I was outside. On the path. My hand on the gate. Sheehan, I'm terrified something has happened and I'm going to go wandering off into the woods and never come back. I should never have gone out in the first place and now, now I broke something. I just know it. I'm broken." I buried my face in his chest and he rocked me again. I was trying so hard not to cry, it was only the smell of him, so earthy and grounded, that kept me from bawling.

  Af
ter a while I sat up again, looking at him. I wished he could talk, just say something, anything to make me feel better. Instead he tapped a finger against his head, then pointed at me before spiraling his finger around his ear, his eyebrows raised in question. It took me a few seconds to understand.

  "Do I think I'm going crazy?"

  He nodded. I bit my bottom lip, trying to decide if that was what I thought.

  "I don't know. I feel crazy. Do I look crazy? No, don't answer that. Does this have something to do with what happened?"

  Sheehan glanced away, but I pulled his face back, the bristles of his short beard scraping my fingers, holding him with both hands so he had to look me in the eyes.

  "Please. Just nod, or shake your head, anything. It's not like you've given away all the secrets, I just need to know, because if this is all related then I'm not going crazy and I can sleep a little easier. Well, maybe. There's still the whole sleepwalking thing to contend with. And the nightmares. And getting to sleep in the first place."

  I was rambling, but he kept his focus on me, listening to every word. And then he nodded, slowly, just a little, and the relief that flooded me had me collapsing against his chest again.

  "Thank you," I murmured. He stroked my back and right then I was glad I couldn't see his face because I was a mess.

  Whether this was related to the woman trying to kill me or not, I was so worried I was about to crack. A few days ago that would have been fine, but not now. Now I'd committed, I'd resolved myself to toeing the line, to doing everything I could to keep these men - and myself - safe.

  Sheehan nudged me, forcing me to get off his lap. He stretched his legs out and grimaced, pointing at his legs. Pins and needles. He'd been sitting cross-legged with me in his lap for too long.

  "I'm so sorry," I said, reaching a hand down to help him to his feet. "Arien was just telling me how I'm heavier than I look..."

  Sheehan smiled, shaking his head as he stepped towards me, picking me up and tossing me onto the bed easily. He folded his arms and nodded, as if that proved he was strong enough and I was a lightweight. So I threw a pillow at him. He raised an eyebrow as if asking me if that was how I wanted this to go down.