Wings of the Raven

by Cindy Spencer Pape

  “You wanna go for a walk on the beach?” He leered at my chest.

  If I hadn’t known he was playing a role, I’d have probably slapped him, or at least just walked away. As it was, I batted my eyelashes up at him and sighed. “Sure.” I let him help me off my stool and lead me out to the sand, where I slipped off my sandals and held them with my other hand.

  We moved silently away from the crowd, our arms twined around each others’ waists. When we were a good distance from any other strolling couple, he whispered fiercely in my ear.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Bringing you presents, of course. And nice greeting, by the way. Right up there with, ‘hi honey, I’ve missed you’.”

  I could practically hear him grind his teeth. Will is about a foot taller than me, so my ear was pressed to his chest just above his nipple. I strongly considered nipping him through his thin cotton golf shirt, just because he was being an ass. And it hurt, damn it. I’d hoped he’d at least be glad to see me before I dropped the bomb.

  “Of course I missed you.” His low growl was more vibration than sound. “But I was expecting Yale or Evan or Vaughn. It isn’t exactly safe down here right now.”

  Mollified, at least a little, I relaxed against his chest and looked out over the ocean, shiny black satin against the matte black velvet of the sky above. The sand was warm beneath my feet, the sound of the surf was rhythmically hypnotic, and even though he was grumpy, the man I loved was holding me close. I sighed and rubbed my head against his pec. God, he smelled like heaven. I could feel my nipples pebbled against the lace of my bra and my tiny thong was already soaked, just from sitting next to him at the bar.

  I barely whispered, “Let’s take this upstairs,” but I knew it was loud enough for Will to hear me.

  He turned me to face him, and I felt the heavy press of his erection into my stomach. Thank God he was as turned on as I was. I lifted my face for a kiss, and Will didn’t disappoint me. He took my mouth in a hungry clasp that was both thrilling and a little scary. I knew this side of him—we’d worked together long enough for me to know his moods, but he’d never brought that darkness into the bedroom, and lord help me, it was turning me on even more. I twined my arms around his neck and stood on my tiptoes, returning the kiss for all I was worth.

  “Jesus!” He shuddered as he wrenched his mouth from mine. He pulled me tighter against his chest and leaned his chin on the top of my head. “Your room. Now.”

  “Okay.” I bent down, fumbling in the sand for the shoes I’d dropped when he kissed me.

  Will reached down and scooped up my sandals before I’d even located them. Damn man had the night-vision of an owl. He kept his other arm snugly around me as we walked back up the beach to our hotel, moving a lot more quickly than when we’d left.

  “I still can’t believe they sent you,” he grumbled as I slammed the door to my room shut behind us. “What were they thinking?”

  I was still searching for the right words when he kissed me again, rendering any answer impossible. I forgot about everything—the mission, the danger, even what I’d come down here to tell him. All that mattered right now was getting our clothes off, and maybe making it to the bed before he was inside of me.

  “Gotta have you.” His voice was muffled against the skin of my neck. I have a really sensitive spot right where my neck meets my shoulder, and Will had found it the very first time we’d made love. Even more importantly, he remembered. While he nibbled that spot with lips and teeth, he took hold of the hem of my dress and tugged it up to my waist.

  “Will!” I cried out as his hand slid between my legs, tracing the line of my black lace thong. When his fingers ducked underneath the fabric, dipping into the wetness that coated my swollen lower lips, my knees gave out and I sagged against his chest.

  “Bed.” With no appreciable effort, he lifted me up and strode across the room to the bed in a few swift steps. My jeans and shirt from the flight were still lying on top of the bedspread, but Will just reached down with one hand and yanked the covers aside, sending the other stuff flying. He easily held me with just one arm until he could lower me to the sheet.

  Will took a step back, already tugging off his shirt. Meanwhile, I pulled the dress off over my head and leaned back on my elbows to watch the show. He stared at me just as intently while he worked at his belt and the button-fly of his jeans.

  God, he was built. Even though this was far from the first time I’d seen him strip, I couldn’t have looked away for anything. When he lowered his jeans and boxers, that long, cock of his stood straight out from its sparse nest of crisp dark curls. The plum-shaped head was already a dark purple, and a tiny pearl of pre-cum beaded at the tip.

  My pussy clenched at the visible proof of his arousal. No matter how unresolved things were between us emotionally, my body couldn’t help responding to the knowledge that I turned him on almost as much as he did me.

  He knelt between my legs on the bed and pulled the strings of my thong down my thighs. By the time it was off my ankles, his patience was gone. Burying his face in my wet curls, he licked my slit in one slow, hungry slurp and groaned.

  “You taste like fucking heaven.” He used one hand to separate my labia, then slid two fingers of the other up inside my waiting sheath.

  “Will!” I cried out his name as he suckled my clit. “Please, Will, it’s been too long. I need you inside me.”

  “God, yes,” he agreed. “As soon as you come for me, beautiful. I want to see your cream all over my hand and face.” With that, he went back to fucking me with his hand and tugging on my clit with his lips.

  It didn’t take long. I’d been primed since the moment I saw him in the bar. My body had recognised its mate from our very first time together. Sexually, we were a perfect fit. I dug my fingers into the sheets and lifted my hips to bring me closer to that talented mouth, pulsing them in time to the thrusts from his hand. Moments later, my body convulsed and I screamed his name as the tremors quivered through me. Before I was even done coming, he moved, sliding up my body and piercing me with his erection in one smooth motion.

  “Yes,” I moaned. The penetration of his thick, hot cock evoked another series of spasms in my pussy, and for just a moment, my vision almost faded to black at the intensity of the orgasm. I dug my nails into the skin of his back and held on while he pounded into me. His jaw was clenched tightly and his eyes blazed as he stared into mine, forcing me to maintain eye contact while he fucked me.

  “Carys,” he gritted out between his teeth, in a voice that was almost a moan. After just a few more strokes, I felt his whole body go taut. He licked his lips and growled, “Mine!” then crashed his lips down on mine, kissing me breathless and dragging another orgasm from my overloaded system. I did black out then, just for a few seconds as I felt the hot splash of his seed filling my core.

  “Welcome back.”

  Will climbed back into bed just as I was opening my eyes. He’d picked up our clothes and dimmed the lights. He stretched out beside me, propped up on one elbow, gazing down into my face.

  “You okay?”

  I nodded, and somehow dredged up enough energy to pull myself into a seated position with my back against the pillows. Will must have sensed that I wanted to talk seriously, because he sat up beside me and smoothed the covers over both of our laps.

  “I’m sorry, Carys,” he said, reaching out a hand to toy with the end of one of my curls. “That was—unforgivably irresponsible of me.”

  “Took two,” I managed. My throat was as dry as a Santa Ana wind. “And—it doesn’t matter.”

  He tilted his head, those intense eyes scrutinised me cautiously. “Did you start taking something?” We’d talked about it after the first time we’d slept together. He knew I wasn’t on the pill.

  I shook my head. This wasn’t how I’d imagined having this conversation. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to lift my chin and look into his eyes. “But, Will, this wasn’t the first time w
e forgot protection.”

  He nodded. The skin around his mouth was taut and his jaw was clenched again. “The night before I left San Francisco.”

  “Yeah. In the shower.” We’d been careful the first time that night, but the second round, in the shower, had been fast and furious and reckless. And the third… “And again when you woke up after that nightmare.” It had been a bad one; he’d woken me with what could only be described as a scream. Comfort had quickly dissolved into mindless passion.

  “Oh, hell, that’s right.” He tunnelled the fingers of one hand through his short black hair, and I could see the gears turning in his head as he counted and added up the timing. Finally, with a miniscule tip of his chin, he reached down and took both of my hands in his. “Are you sure?” His gaze bored into mine, fierce, but not threatening.

  I nodded, willing away the tears I could feel welling in my eyes.

  “Oh, sweetheart!” He pulled me onto his lap and cradled me against his body. His lips moved softly against my hair as he murmured my name over and over.

  Snuggling into his warmth, I let the tears come. His hands, big and warm, stroked up and down my spine while he clutched me close to his chest. “Shhhh, sweetheart. It’ll be all right. I promise, Carys. Everything’s gonna be all right.”

  When I finally quieted down, I pulled back and looked up into his face, shocked to see that it was tear-streaked, if not as much as my own.

  “I’m s-s-sorry.” A hiccough punctuated the end of the word.

  “Don’t be.” His voice was shaky and he kissed the tip of my nose. “We’ll work it out. But I wish to hell you hadn’t had to come down here to tell me.”

  “I—I wanted you to know first,” I admitted. “I was afraid if I waited, someone would figure it out.”

  “Thank you.” This time he pressed a kiss to my forehead. Then he croaked out a rusty chuckle. “Your brothers are going to fucking kill me.”

  “I’ll defend you,” I said, trying for a laugh of my own, but it came out as a wheezing sniffle. “Hannah will help.”

  “I imagine I’ll survive their wrath.” I snuggled back into his chest and he rested his chin on the top of my head. “As long as the wedding is soon.”

  “W-w-wedding?” I tried to sound blasé, tried not to show the rush of feverish hope that filled me. “Who s-said anything about a wedding?”

  “You do want them to kill me then?” His wry attempt at humour was somehow comforting. If Will could laugh, even half-heartedly, then maybe everything would be all right. “Though it will be a toss up on whether they get to me first, or my grandfather. Granddad’s kind of a stickler when it comes to responsibility.”

  I’d met his grandfather at the wedding. Josiah Lightfoot had been a Wind Talker during World War II, and a Los Angeles cop for decades thereafter. Even in his late eighties, he was fierce and imposing. He’d more or less raised Will and Hannah while their archaeologist parents had travelled all over the world, and I couldn’t help but be glad he was still hale and hearty, so that my baby would have the pleasure of knowing him. But I saw Will’s point. I didn’t think a modern kids-first-marriage-maybe-later relationship was going to go over big with the senior Lightfoots, any more than it would with the aunt and uncle who’d taken me in after my parents died.

  “So do we meet in Vegas as soon as this mission is over, or do you want the whole formal deal?” The wry grin was back, but it didn’t mask the strain that was still in his eyes.

  I searched his face for any trace of resentment, and couldn’t find any. Still, I didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t as if he’d actually proposed, and as much as I wanted to marry Will, I hadn’t wanted it to be for practical reasons. I wanted it to be for love. But that word hadn’t been mentioned. Instead I just shrugged and looked away.

  “Are you feeling okay?” As that idea occurred to him, he held me away from him and raked his gaze up and down my body. “You’re not sick or anything, are you?”

  For some reason, that ticked me off—maybe it was hormones, or maybe it was just the emotional roller-coaster I’d been on for the last few days since I’d begun to suspect. “No. I’m not totally stupid, you know. If I was having morning sickness, I wouldn’t have gotten on a plane. I’m tired, that’s all. For some reason, I haven’t been sleeping real well.”

  “I can imagine.” He let go of me with one hand to rub his temples and the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, Carys. Both for my carelessness and for not being there for you when you first found out. You must have been scared shitless. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

  “You’re doing your job,” I told him, mollified by his apology. “And yeah, I was kind of terrified. But now that I’ve had time to think about it…” I broke off, not sure I should admit to what I’d been about to say next. I really didn’t want him to take it the wrong way.

  “Yes?” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Go on. I think in this situation, we need to know what each other is thinking. I mean, it just occurred to me… You do want to keep the baby, don’t you? Not…”

  “What?” I pulled back from his arms and glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest. “Of course I’m keeping the baby.” I’m pro-choice all the way, but I wasn’t sixteen or poor or uninsured. I was in a perfectly reasonable position to support a child, with or without Will’s help.

  “Thank you.” Will’s shoulders slumped in relief. “So what were you going to say?”

  I sighed. Might as well tell him now. I’d blurt it our sooner or later anyway. “I was going to say that now that I’ve gotten used to the idea, I’m kind of excited about it. I mean I’m thirty-two. I’ve got to admit, my biological clock is definitely ticking.”

  “I think…” Will said cautiously. “I think mine has been too. And I can’t say I’m entirely thrilled, not just yet, but I don’t think I exactly mind, either. What’s been going on between us—it was probably always just a matter of when, not if, we made things legal.”

  Not exactly a declaration of undying love, but as steps go, it was a good one. I relaxed a little for the first time since I’d seen the pink plus sign. And with that relaxation, the crushing fatigue flooded back into me, making me sag back into his chest, yawning.

  “Poor thing.” He snuggled me close, then reached out a hand to switch off the remaining lamp. “Get some sleep. We’ll figure it all out in the morning. Right before we get you on the first possible plane out of this hellhole.”

  He settled me against his chest, my cheek pillowed on him while his arm wrapped around me. His other hand settled low on my stomach, in a gesture both protective and affectionate that made me sniffle again. It was going to be all right. I drifted off to sleep with that thought running through my mind. Everything was really going to be all right.

  Chapter Three

  I woke the next morning before daylight, feeling warm and safe and contented for the first time in weeks. Will had me wrapped in his arms, which felt so good I thought I never wanted to move. Except I had to go to the bathroom.

  “Good morning,” he whispered when I crawled back into bed a few minutes later. “Everything okay?”

  “Mmm. It is now.” I kissed him, softly at first, then with more and more intensity as we both woke up. His body was hot and hard, his cock ready and prodding against my hip. My own arousal followed quickly. I could feel my pussy swelling and dampening for him, while my nipples were already taut little pebbles rubbing against his smooth chest.

  Will kissed his way down my throat, pausing for a moment to nip the tendons of my neck. Rolling me onto my back, he kept his weight on his hip beside me, while his upper body leaned over mine. With one hand, he cupped my left breast, squeezing it softly.

  “Are these more sensitive yet?” he asked curiously as he lightly rubbed his thumb across the nipple.

  Hell yes. But all I managed out loud was, “Uh-huh.” Wanting more, I arched my spine, pushing against his hand.

  He squeezed just a little harder, still being
exquisitely gentle, while he moved his mouth down to capture the other nipple. I gasped at the thrill of pleasure, then moaned as he began to suck. Wet heat coated the inside of my thighs, and my hips began to move restlessly, seeking more.

  “God, you taste like heaven, Carys.” He switched his mouth to my other breast, which meant he was leaning all the way across my chest, pressing down on the other with his pecs. I moaned again, then cried out as his big hand moved down. He paused to trace the raven-shaped birthmark on my hip, then brought his hand around to cup my mound. His middle finger slid between my slick labia, pressing lightly on my clit and tickling the mouth of my pussy. I wriggled my hips, trying to drive that finger inside, where I wanted him so badly I ached. Will was in the mood to torment me, though. Instead of delving into my slit, he slipped the finger back up and began to massage my distended clit.

  Every part of me was primed that morning. I don’t know if it was the pregnancy, or just the two weeks apart, but my body responded like crazy, amazing even me with the degree of reaction to each little touch. I bucked my hips in time to his fingers on my nub, while I clutched his head to my nipple with one hand and dug into his back with the other. I looked down and in the first light of dawn, I saw that dark head against my pale skin. His inky lashes were closed against his cheeks, which hollowed as he suckled me, and I almost came, just from the sight of it.

  “More,” I gasped out. What he was doing was wonderful, but I still felt empty. He understood and immediately shifted his hand so it was his thumb strumming on my clit, while he penetrated my pussy with one long finger, then two.

  “Yes!” I let my eyes flutter shut as I concentrated on the sensations he evoked with his hands and his mouth. No one had ever touched me like Will did. He wasn’t my first lover, but he’d so quickly become the best—and the only one who’d ever mattered.