by E. L Friel
Glancing at Ariel out the corner of his eye, he wondered if she felt anything akin to what she had stirred in him.
Chapter 15
‘So,’ Ariel purred as she pulled up beside Jax’s bike. They were outside her apartment building and the sun was just starting to rise. The dealers on the corner were starting to make their way home and at this hour the streets were deserted. It was that magical witching hour that Ariel loved best. The time between the demons and darkness-lovers going to bed and the day dwellers, those who lived for light, waking. Ariel wondered if for the first time in a decade she might become one who lived for the light. Once she’d found Rikon and avenged Saul then perhaps she’d give it a go. She couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed a day in the sun.
She turned to look at Jax who was sitting in the front seat of the van, staring at the door to her apartment building and frowning.
He turned slowly to look at her. ‘So…’ he said.
Ariel’s’ stomach folded over as she took him in, the roughness of his stubble, his blood soaked T-shirt from where he’d held the girl in his arms, the dark shadows beneath his eyes. She didn’t miss the look of hunger in his eyes, that low level burn that made those damn butterflies flutter in her chest. She could feel the magnetic draw of his body, the way her blood seemed to electrify under his watchful gaze.
She suddenly leaned forward. ‘Take me back to yours,’ she whispered, brushing her lips against his.
She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, trying to fix the scent of him in her memory, the feel of his lips beneath hers. His arms wrapped instantly around her, one hand cupping her cheek. He was so tender with her. He treated her as though she were breakable and Ariel loved the contrast of the tenderness, his gentleness, combined with the roughness of his other hand, which was gripping her tightly and possessively around the waist, as though scared she was about to fade.
Ariel tipped back her head and let the kiss deepen. Unlike all their previous kisses this one was gentle, slow, seductive, their mouths gradually opening, their tongues testing, teasing, tasting. The heat built slowly, a gentle buzz that warmed Ariel’s body. She stroked his jaw, laid her hands on his solid shoulders, feeling the quiet strength in his body and feeling suddenly overcome with a desire to know Jax Sayer intimately in every way, to explore him slowly and carefully, to understand everything there was to know about him.
But she couldn’t. The voice in her head was harsh and angry when it piped up, reminding her she had unfinished business to attend to. But didn’t she deserve some peace? Some happiness? After everything she had been through? She sighed and pushed Jax gently away, disentangling herself and running a hand through her disheveled hair.
‘Let’s go,’ she said, without looking at him. It was his eyes, she thought to herself. They were just too soulful by half, too searching. If she let herself look into them for too long she would be damned….
They took off on his bike, Ariel wrapping her arms around his waist and knotting her hands tight against his stomach. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and Jax felt her body soften and lean into his. He felt not so much desire as he drove them through the dawn towards his house, but rather a sense of rightness and purpose, like the dawn signaled the start of not just a new day, but a new life with possibility in it. And hope. For a long time he’d lived without hope.
With the warmth of her body pressed to his Jax felt like he could drive forever, could speed past his house and keep heading north, along the coast. Perhaps they could keep driving until they found somewhere away from the darkness that saturated this city, away from the demons and the drug dealers and the death, away from this life that held them captive. Ariel had money now. He knew she would have been too proud to accept any of his, but that gave her freedom and choice.
But even as he thought it he knew he couldn’t just abandon his post, his sector. There weren’t enough Blades to take over if he left. They needed to recruit and train more before he could even think about leaving for longer than a few days at most.
He shook the thought aside and decided to focus only on every moment as it arose, to stay in the present, enjoying the feeling of Ariel holding onto him, sheltering behind him, and feeling the buzz of anticipation spreading throughout his body at what lay ahead.
By the time Jax pulled up in front of his house the sun was stroking its fingers across the city’s rooftops, the smog was rising like smoke, and the air was warm as a bath. Without a word Jax led Ariel inside. Tossing his keys and his blade onto a side table he turned to her and pulled her into his arms. He heard her sigh, her arms looping around his neck, drawing him nearer.
He leant down and kissed her, feasting on her lips and, though he’d intended to keep things at a slow pace, to be gentle and savor every moment, desire soon got the better of him.
Jax scooped her up easily and Ariel wrapped her legs around his waist. Cupping her ass he kissed her, his tongue teasing hers, probing, demanding, giving her no reprieve, not even to come up for air.
As her head swirled and thoughts scattered Ariel fought to keep control of the situation. This time she was determined Jax wasn’t going to get the upper hand. He was going to be hers completely. When he came, it would be when she let him.
She sucked on his bottom lip then ran her tongue up his neck towards his ear. His arms tightened around her, forcing her breasts against his chest. Her nipples were already hard and when Jax ran his hand over them through the fabric of her sweater Ariel arched her back and threw back her neck. His touch was electric. Jax kissed up her throat, his hand holding her jaw firmly in place, and at the touch of his lips, the scrape of his stubble against her cheek, her breath started to come in short, sharp gasps. Shit, she needed to rein it in before she ended up surrendering to him again. If this was the last time she ever slept with Jax Sayer she wanted it to be on her terms.
‘I’m going to take you upstairs,’ he suddenly whispered in her ear, driving all thoughts of regaining control completely out of her mind. ‘And then I’m going to strip you naked,’ he murmured, ‘and I’m going to fuck you so hard. Do you hear?’
Anger surged thick and fast in her veins but his voice, the huskiness of it in her ear, the firmness of his unrelenting grip on her, and the feeling of his cock pressing against her stomach, all worked to evaporate every feeling and every thought except for desire. It descended like red veil, sending blood coursing through Ariel’s veins, rushing to her core, swelling her lips and her clit in hungry anticipation.
Jax carried Ariel up the stairs. Her legs were knotted around his waist, her arms flung around his neck and her breasts were pressing against his lips. Kicking open the door to his bedroom Jax threw her down onto the bed. He saw her eyes fly open in surprise, the flash of desire mingled with excitement lighting her eyes brilliantly, but then he saw her start to struggle to sitting. Before she could, Jax moved, easing himself down on top of her, trapping her delicious body with the full weight of his chest. He threw his leg over her thighs and pinned her arms at her sides. Her breasts rose and fell in time with her breathing.
She was already panting, her lips softly parted. Jax paused, letting his gaze fall the length of her, marveling at her beauty, and at the desire he seemed to be able to evoke in her. She turned her head ever so slightly away, avoiding his gaze as though shy, and Jax slid his hand between her legs. Even through the denim of her jeans he felt her quiver at his touch and she let out a gentle moan, her teeth biting on her full bottom lip, holding herself back. His cock jolted in response, as though it had its own mind and was as desperate as he was to part her soft lips and bury itself in the warm wetness of her shaft.
Jax took a long, slow breath in. He intended to be patient this time, take his fill of her; make her cry his name this time, not just beg for him.
‘First, I’m going to make you come with my hands,’ he whispered in her ear, leaning over her to nuzzle her jaw and her ear.
She made a whimpering sound in response that sen
t blood coursing into his already swelling cock. His hand cupped her sex, feeling the scorching heat of her through her jeans. ‘Then,’ he continued, his lips grazing her ear, ‘I’m going to make you come with my tongue.’ Ariel whimpered again, pushing her breasts up to rub against his chest. Jax brushed her hair aside and took her earlobe between his teeth. Ariel gasped beneath him. ‘And then,’ he whispered, his throat hoarse with desire, ‘when you don’t even have the words left to beg me to, I’m finally going to make you come one more time with my cock.’
Even as she whimpered in response and her traitorous body responded to his words Ariel felt rage engulf her. How could he have this much control over her still? How had this happened? How could just the feel of his weight pressing her down and his husky, rough voice in her ear bring her this close to surrender?
As much as she didn’t want to cede control to Jax, as much as she wanted to be the one that made him come a thousand times with her tongue and her lips and her hands and her pussy, she didn’t know if she had it in her to fight against him. The ache inside her was starting to grow, to become all-consuming.
She heard herself start to groan as his hand swept the sweet spot between her legs. He stopped abruptly, just as she was drawing in a juddering breath and slid his hand beneath her sweater, gently stroking his palm across the flat of her stomach.
‘You feel so good,’ he murmured. ‘I want to see you naked.’
His fingers stroked her nipples through her bra, teasing, tweaking, pulling at just the right level to cause pleasure and pain in equal measure. Without warning he eased himself off her and she almost let out a cry, her hands reaching for him, longing to feel his weight crushing her again.
He tugged her by her hand to a sitting position though, and in a desperate hunger Ariel started tearing at his shirt, frantic to see his body, to feel his skin beneath her fingertips, to trace his scars and lay the flat of her hand over his heart and feel it thundering as fast as her own. When Jax was bare chested, Ariel sat back on her haunches and feasted on the sight of him, at the filigree of scars and the smooth tan skin beneath. Slowly she started to run her hands over his taut pecs and the marble-hard planes of his stomach, savoring the curve of his shoulders and the quiet strength in his body.
Jax drew in a breath and held it, letting her fingers trace his scars, then suddenly he gripped hold of the bottom of her sweater and tore it off over her head. Next came her bra. He unclasped it with one hand and tossed it to one side, freeing her breasts. With a guttural sound, he grasped for her breasts, squeezing them roughly. Ariel gasped a little at the pain, then even more at the pleasure as he pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefingers and twisted it, brushing the tip with his tongue.
Ariel pressed backwards, arching her back. Her clit, pressing against the seam of her jeans, was pulsing in time with each circle he made of her nipple. Her breath was coming in little pants and as he lay her down and started to flick his tongue along her ribs and across her stomach she could feel her head start to spin from lack of oxygen. Slowly he picked her up and laid her back on the bed, then peeled off her jeans and her underwear. Ariel was holding her breath with anticipation, gripping the sheets as she tried not to lose herself in the pleasure of just being watched. Jax sat back once she was naked and let his gaze wander over her body, as though laying the most tender of caresses on her bare skin. He didn’t even need to touch her. Ariel’s body responded instinctively to his gaze, shivering and arching and gushing with wetness as she anticipated him filling her.
Jax gently forced apart her legs and kneeled between her thighs. He was still wearing his jeans and Ariel could see the bulge of his erection straining against his fly. She reached for him, wanting to feel how hard he was, wanting to free him and take him in her hand, but he knocked her fingers away and pushed her forcefully back to the bed. His eyes were burning, but his lips were turned up in a soft smile.
With one hand Jax softly parted her lips and with the other he started to gently stroke around her budding clit, not touching it but playing with her, teasing her, making her moan and squirm and suck in sharp breaths with every sweep his finger made around her clitoris. Finally, when she thought she might combust, he thrust a finger inside her and at the same time stroked her clit. Ariel bucked instantly against his hand, wanting to flatten herself against his whole palm.
Fuck. He pushed two fingers inside her next and she opened and surrendered, letting him take his fill, rolling her head back as his fingers pressed and stroked and thrust and slid in and out of her, while his thumb gently circled her clitoris. She ached for his cock but as her orgasm started to build Ariel decided that she would let Jax do as he wanted. She would let him make her come with his hand, let him make her come with this tongue, but she vowed, she would be the one that decided when he could come inside her.
Jax pushed three fingers inside her, feeling her silken wetness, the smooth edges of her shaft that eased open, allowing him in further to explore, and then squeezed shut, clenching him tight as though not wanting him to pull out. But he did. He wanted to tease her and he loved the feeling of her hips pressing towards him, wanting more, wanting him, daring him to plunge back inside her. His cock was pressing so hard against his jeans he had to pause to adjust it.
He shifted down the bed so he could get a view of her lips, her blossoming clit which quivered and jerked every time he touched it, the slippery pink slit of her pussy that glistened with wetness. She was so insanely fuckable, this girl with the angry eyes and the fierce tongue, and the body to tempt a man into the depths of hell.
Her nipples were erect and hard as stone. He couldn’t resist pinching them. She let out a cry and curled her back, and he thrust his fingers in further, pressing for her G-spot. She writhed and moaned and another wave of wetness soaked his hand. He wanted to taste her, to suck her dry, to press his cock between her lips and watch her lick the length of him. Most of all he wanted to push his hard shaft against her clitoris and then drive inside her again and again before emptying himself inside her. But there was time for that.
He spread her legs wider and pressed his thumb against her mound, keeping up a rhythm that got faster and faster. She thrashed wildly, her head thrown back in unrestrained abandon. Her mouth was open wide, she was crying out in ecstasy, but not his name, he thought to himself with annoyance. He wanted her to say his name. He could feel the orgasm building in her, her muscles starting to contract hard around his fingers, and his own shaft stiffened, seed rising up it but he kept control and kept on fucking her with his fingers, faster and faster, feeling the deliciousness of her muscles gripping him tight, starting to spasm, and then finally she arched up off the bed, cried out and collapsed back down.
She lay there panting, one arm flung out, her hair fanned across the pillow. Jax smiled at the sight of her, lost in bliss. But he wasn’t finished yet. He let her catch her breath for just a minute, laying soft kisses on the inside of her thighs, which were quaking with little tremors. His hands stroked circles across her tight, smooth belly, tracing the pattern of her scars. She stopped panting and her breath caught in her chest, her legs going rigid as he blew a shot of air across her still quivering, shining clit.
She let out a surprised cry and her hips rose suddenly up off the bed. He was going to fuck her from behind later, just so he could get to hold those hips and control their rhythm. In response to the thought his cock rose hard, straining against his jeans. She was still dripping with juice. Jax draw in a breath, inhaling her scent, and then took his fingers and sucked them dry. The taste of her was enough to drive him crazy. He dipped his hand back into the well and then traced his slick finger along her lips. Her tongue darted out to taste herself. She smiled up at him through half-glazed eyes, looking him like the cat that had got the cream.
‘I’m going to taste you now,’ he told her in a low voice. ‘You ready for more?’
She wriggled a little beneath him, her body shivering, and he smiled down at her. It seemed like
she glowered back at him.
Oh God. Oh God. Ariel was still riding the waves of the last orgasm, the feeling of Jax’s fingers inside her was like a phantom presence. The ache hadn’t gone away, if anything she felt awakened, primed, ready for more. She knew she wouldn’t feel fully satiated until his cock was inside her, all the way inside her, pushing and straining her to her limit. But all thoughts of his cock vanished completely as Jax dipped his head and brushed his tongue over her still swollen, sensitive clit. She gripped hold of his head, needing to hold him there, right there. He couldn’t stop. She wanted more. His tongue slowly circled, achingly slowly, torturing her, sending her straight away into a place where no thought or feeling other than bliss existed. She gushed hot for him. His finger teased her blood-engorged entrance, stroking her but not entering her, while his tongue played with her clit, lapping and circling and sucking until she felt like she was tumbling down a long, dark slide into a void where nothing existed except this heaven.
In and out, in and out, his fingers slid relentlessly, creating a rhythm his tongue matched. She felt her orgasm start to build and willed herself to slow it down. She let go of Jax’s head. It couldn’t be that quick. She didn’t want it to be. She wanted him to lick her forever, to keep her on the edge like he was doing for another hour at least, if not longer, but he knew her body too well, he knew just where to press, how fast to go, how hard. His tongue flicked and licked and he groaned between her legs as though he couldn’t get enough of her taste, Ariel’s breathing giving him a clue as to where she was at, and her nails, raking his back.
