Chapter Twelve

 

 

Tempest woke up to a warm cloth stroking her abdomen. She opened her eyes to find Lucca taking care of her.

“Hi.” Her voice was soft and hesitant.

“Hi.”

Her heart clenched she needed him to say more. To believe her but how could he believe she was innocent when she no longer believed it.

“I’m dying.”

“I know.” His voice was so matter of fact that she wanted to hang her head and cry, but that wasn’t who she was. Instead, she would run and die by herself.

His hand clutched her side not giving her enough room to move.

“No more running Tempest.”

He used her name; he was pissed off. This probably wasn’t good for her.

“No more going into bars alone to die by yourself. No more!” His voice never raised but the emphasis on no more ran through her body. Her desire to run was sitting on her chest, but the desire to stay was caging it.

“Lucca…”

“I’m asking the questions. Why did you go in there? It’s not the mall.”

“I had to. I felt like I was summoned, and I had to go. I knew he was going to kill me, and I didn’t want to die. It felt like my time was up, that someone was cutting the ribbon of my life, and I didn’t have a choice.

“What I don’t understand was why he didn’t kill me. There is no way that you should have gotten there in time. Lucca, I’m evil you’re going to have to kill me.”

“You’re not evil, and you’re not dying. I won’t allow it.” He lifted the cloth, and she saw small trickles of blood on it.

“It’s not a lot of blood, but before you went into that bar, it wasn’t bleeding at all.” He took a large bandage and placed it over the wound.

“I went back to the bar after I put you to bed, and I knew you would be protected from any entity coming after you. I had a long talk with the bartender.”

“Why? He’s evil too.”

“Never judge a person by where’s he’s standing. It’s not always what it looks like. In his opinion, Ram was scared to kill you. Whatever is coming after you scared him, and he was afraid if you were dead he would be next.”

“Then why was he trying to kill me?”

“If he were trying, you’d be dead menace. You weren’t in any shape to protect yourself.”

She nodded he was right. She used her strength to make sure her new friends were out of harms why.

“I’m sorry, Lucca. It feels so unfair to meet you only to know I have to leave you.”

“I need to know what happened to you.”

“I told you.” Her words came to a halt as he shook his head.

“Do you remember entering my memories?”

Her eyes shined bright as her lips curled upward. “I remember. I wish we could do that again.”

“We will.” His hand went up to cup her face. Her head turned into the heat of his palm as his thumb caressed her. “I used the path and moved backward so I could slip into your mind.”

She closed her eyes even as she brought her hand up to clutch his. If this was the last time she had to enjoy the warmth and comfort of him, she was going to make him break the connection. She tried to think about what he found but shut the thoughts down. She didn’t want to know how evil she really was.

“I told you everything the day we met.”

“I know. That’s what didn’t make sense. I can’t find any deception in you. So, what did Ram mean? I went to look for the memory you told me about, but I found something else.”

She stiffened her thoughts of a happy life or even a happy right now were going up in smoke. There was no way she would feel sorry for herself.

“What did you find?”

“A black wall.”

“What?”

“There’s a wall blocking your memories, and it doesn’t have your fingerprints on it.”

“What does that mean?”

“Someone manipulated your memories without you knowing. That’s why you remember meeting someone who stuck his hand in your abdomen.”

“This is worse, isn’t it?”

He laid down next to her pulling her into his arms. “If it weren’t, your memories wouldn’t have been messed with.”

She shivered in his arms. He pulled the cover up as he pulled her to lay across his chest.

“I have to leave; you understand, right?”

He was running his hand slowly up and down her back, making her feel a little better.

“I don’t understand. Why do you want to leave?”

“Come on Lucca, the closer I am to you the easier it is for you to get hurt.”

“You’re right, but I don’t understand what makes you think if you run, that I won’t come after you.”

“You’re making my life hard.” She whispered before she snuggled against his chest and closed her eyes.

No menace you're making my life hard. He closed his eyes and mentally went through the different entities that make up who he was until he came to Bruiser. Don’t hurt her, I won’t be able to survive it.

He closed his eyes protecting the one person who was capturing his heart.

 

 

 

“Why are you staring at me?” Her voice was thick with sleep as she snuggled deeper into his arms.

“What makes you think I’m staring? You haven’t even opened your eyes.”

“I can feel your eyes on me.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“Un-huh there’s a pic of me in the dictionary beside beautiful.”

“Your pic gets around. Be careful I may be a jealous male.”

“That would be nice.”

He sat up on the bed with her in his arms. He stood and walked over to the mirror before placing her on her feet.

“What do you see?”

“You and me,” she whispered. The room had the first touches of light seeping in through the window.

The pinks and the yellows flowing through the room seemed to give her courage as if they were indeed magic.

“You're big compared to me.”

“I am.”

“You don’t hold it against me. I never feel less when I’m around you. Truthfully, I feel like I’m an equal.”

“You are an equal. What you and I are developing is a relationship. We each have an important part to play for it to be healthy and whole.”

She turned around to lift his tee up. Leaning in close, she placed a kiss in the center of his chest.

“Tempest, you're starting something you might not be able to finish.”

“The one you need to worry about not finishing is yourself. I’m good thanks.” She took his hand and led him back to the bed. She grabbed the hem of the cami she had on and pulled it over her head. Then she took off her bra and shimmied out of the panties she was wearing.

Turning around she placed a knee on the bed showing off her ass before she crawled on it and snuggled down.

“You’re a temptress, menace.” He pulled her to him and tickled her. Her laughter was high-pitched and sparkled in the air.

“I’m your temptress.” She smiled as she rolled back over the large bed.

“Yes, you are.”

His fate was sealed, and he knew it. She wasn’t going anywhere without him. Tomorrow, next year or a hundred years from now he would be glued to her side. If for some reason, any reason they couldn’t defeat what was coming after her, he would follow her on her next journey, but leaving her was out of the question.

“Anywhere you go Tempest; I will be there.”

“Good thing I know you’re not a stalker.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he came closer to kiss her.

“I like how your lips feel against mine.” She breathed out before opening her mouth to allow his tongue to invade.

He stroked her tongue making her sigh in relief. She needed his touch, it felt like she had been slowly dying while she waited for a chance to get closer. This is okay she assured herself as she pressed herself against him. The voices of the enemy kept going through her head telling her she had allowed herself to be violated.

She froze in his arms and dropped her head. What if she had done that allowed someone to violate her body or been violated without her consent? There was a sense of shame, the thought that she should have done more. Fought harder, screamed more.

“Tempest?”

“What if I allowed someone to violate me willingly or unwillingly?”

“Baby, your body is your own. You could have made a bad decision, given someone access that wasn’t worthy of you. That happens its part of being human. Could someone bigger than you, stronger than you or someone who simply manipulated you have taken advantage of you? Yes, but you survived. There are situations in life that start by surviving and then moving forward.”

She pushed away from him. It would be so easy to condemn herself, to make everything that happened her fault, even though she wasn’t sure of what happened. It could all be a lie, but that didn’t help the sudden feelings of shame she had.

It was also easy to make Lucca the scapegoat, to take every new emotion and thought out on him, something he didn’t deserve. She watched his blue eyes as they swirled with emotions matching the ones she felt. He opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head. There was nothing to say.

Turning over she crawled over to him on the bed. She leaned over and kissed his forehead and thought of him catching her just when her strength failed her. She kissed his cheek as she thought of what she said to protect herself in those vulnerable moments and his answers that left her with a smile even as she tried to explain the mystery that was him.

Her lips settled over his. There was so much in her past that needed to be settled, but this, this feeling she had for Lucca. The way he made her heart beat and her lips smile, and her feet run towards him; this feeling was now. It was new and special, and there was no way she was going to drag it through the dirt of her past. Just this once she would enjoy the miracle she had been given.

His arms snaked around her body holding her close as she sucked on his tongue bringing her body closer to his.

“Menace, you unarm me.”

A tear fell from both eyes at his sincere words. He licked each of them taking them deep within himself to keep them safe.

“I want to make love to you, Lucca. I want to feel you deep inside of me as I try to keep you close forever.”

A deep grumble of desire came from him making her stomach jump with butterflies that spread their wings taking flight. The smile on her lips and the brightness of her eyes told him she meant every word.

He stared at her, his heart beating fast as he tried to lick his lips for a bit of moisture. His body tried to tremble, but he wrestled for control even as a deep emotion penetrated his brain screaming at him. He ignored it the only thing that meant anything to him at the moment was Tempest. She laid there looking so fragile, but he knew the strength she hid underneath that look. He was filled with awe that she could be so gentle and powerful at the same time.

She reached up and pulled him down to her.

He growled menace in her neck before his tongue came out to lick her pulling a moan of desire from her. His teeth skimmed her throat making her place her hands on his head to hold him there. The sensations went through her body stopping at her nipples to make them hard and needy.

He nipped and licked making her giggle between her moans. His hand began to caress down her throat going to her shoulders. She shivered at the tingles that his fingers were setting off in her body. Raising her head, she licked at his jaw before her fingers walked down his spine stopping to caress and draw random patterns before going further down.

His inhalation of breath combined with the glow in his eyes told her what she needed to know. She played with his back, drawing patterns that were making him sensitive to her touch.

He tugged on her ear with his teeth as his breath caressed the side of her face. She reached over and pulled on him bringing him over her body.

“Hi, baby.” He reached down and licked between her breasts. “I love the way your eyes light up. They are so violet and they capture me, making me incapable of running.”

“No more running, remember?” Her voice was so thick with so many emotions trying to climb out at once.

“I remember.” He brought his nose down and snuggled in the warmth by her breasts before he took one of her nipples into his mouth.

A high-pitched sound left her as he sucked. Her eyes closed as her hands caught the side of his arms with the tips of her nails digging in. Her body arched giving him greater access to her nipple.

He was taking her on a trip she couldn’t remember; nothing had ever felt as good as his mouth on her nipple. Her nipple popped out with a small sound before the next one was in his mouth. Her body thrust up even as she shook.

He stroked her calming her down. “We’ve got all the time we need.”

He kissed her taking her tongue deep inside his body allowing her flavor to seep into him.

“I can taste your emotions; they're wild and happy. Some are bittersweet. There is even fear. I’m not leaving you.”

He began to kiss down her body, stopping to explore all the sweet spots he found along the way as she moved against the bed in pleasure.

She wanted to jump him to feel him deep inside of her right now. Was that more important than what she was presently feeling? He was treating her like a queen as he touched her. She didn’t want to give up this slow drive to madness that he was on.

Every time he nipped her with those teeth her heart beat faster. Then when he licked her to take the sting away her body melted. Even now she could feel herself pulsing while her pussy was trying to cling onto something that wasn’t there yet. She would yell get to the good part, but it was all good. Behind her eyes was a symphony of color. It would make her laugh, but she swore each color was a musical note she could see with her eyes and hear with her ears.

“I need to taste you.” It was growled out before his tongue licked at the seam of her pussy.

Her head flew backward as a scream was ripped from her throat. Her body clenched wanting to feel him again. His mouth sucked on her clit taking the taste if her deep inside of him, and she let go. She was a rush of sensations as her body trembled.

“Want more need more.” She pushed the words out even as her hands were gripping his hair holding him tighter.

Please, she added to herself. Her body was demanding his inside of hers.

One of his hands was clutching to the sheet even as his tongue delved deep within her. His shoulders were tight straining as if he were to loosen his hold, he would be on her.

Carefully he placed a finger inside of her stroking her until she was letting out one keening cry after another.

“I need to be in you. Trying to go slow, to hold on.”

She looked at his hand and would have laughed if she weren’t so hot that she was about to burn up. He had shredded the sheet he was holding onto.

All for me. He’s holding back for me. He wants me. How could she deny herself the male she wanted desperately?

“I want you, Lucca, please.”

She turned everything she was and wanted over to him with that one statement. She made herself vulnerable. He now had the power to hurt her more than any ancient enemy trying to kill her body. Lucca had the power to kill her soul.

Both of his hands grabbed her legs spreading them wide before he dived into her with his tongue exploring as deeply as he could. How could he be licking her pussy making her beg him for more and still be getting closer to her heart with every lick between her legs?

He raised up giving her one hell of a look at his thick cock. Yes, please.

He stroked himself. Her tongue licked her lips as she watched her eyes glued to his hand. He moved over her and thrust his hips against her. She could feel his thighs and pelvis as his cock sank deep within her.

“Yes, again.”

He rocked her world thrusting in and out as she gasped for breath and tried to slow her heartbeat. It wouldn’t slow; she wrapped her legs around him and met him thrust for thrust. This is what she wanted this feeling of oneness with him. The eternal bliss that he seemed to be able to give her.

She had found the one male that made her feel so complete, she knew she’d never want anyone else. Just Lucca. It repeated in her mind.

“Lucca?” She was about to split in half. He had to know. Was he coming with her?

One look in his eyes told her. He was right where she was. Without thinking about it, she grasped a hold of him, screaming as her body went over the raging rapids throwing her from place to place. The only sanity in this world was holding onto him. She held tight even as she drowned in the music of the colors.

His name was on her lips as his eyes closed and her body finally slowed enough for her to know she was adrift on top of him.