by Sophie Stern
“It was wonderful,” he says.
“And what did you and Todd talk about?” I ask.
That little detour of theirs didn’t escape my notice, but I fully expect Acacius to play the “bro” card and not tell me what was said.
“We talked about you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. He said he was worried about you because you seemed very lonely before we met.”
Acacius looks at me carefully when he says this, as though he’s gauging my reaction. I’m honestly very surprised that he was bold enough to tell me all of this.
“You’re being honest,” I say.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“A lot of men wouldn’t. You didn’t have to tell me all of that.”
“Do you think he’s right?”
“What?”
“Do you think you’re happier?”
We’ve only known each other about a week. About a week and it’s been roses and wonder and happiness and...yes. Yes, I do think I’m happier when I’m with him. There’s something about him that makes me feel like I can do absolutely anything I want to, and that’s just such a great feeling.
“Being with you is freeing.”
“What do you mean?”
How can I put this into words?
“Before I met you, my life was a series of tasks. I had to get revenge. Check. I had to find my sister. Check. I had to find a place to live. Check. I had to...you get the idea.”
“So I do.”
“Now,” I shrug. “Now I feel like I have more options. I can spend a day with you and just suck your cock and play with you.”
“That does sound like a fun day,” he laughs and looks at me.
“I like this.”
“What? Me touching you?” He strokes one of my legs gently.
“I like just being with you. I can be honest with you.”
“Scarlett, there are a lot of bad things in the world. There are a lot of bad people and bad experiences and just...bad stuff. Having someone you can be honest with even when things get hard and tricky is important.”
“What about you?” I have to ask him. “Do you ever feel lonely?”
“I’m a single dad,” he chuckles. “All the time.”
“You know, most people wouldn’t have done what you did.”
“What’s that?”
“Taking in someone else’s child.”
He considers this for a second, and then he nods slowly.
“You might be right. When my sister died, a lot of people were upset. We were all devastated. The two of us were close, and I miss her so much, but most people weren’t upset because she died. They were upset because they didn’t think a single dad should be raising her son.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think nobody in the world knows Jillian quite like me,” he smiles. “She was my best friend. Losing her was like being stabbed in the heart over and over, but him...Jason’s like seeing a little part of her every day. Sometimes when he laughs or smiles, I look at him and I just...I see her.”
“That’s kind of wonderful, if you think about it.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“You’re a good dad, Acacius.”
“I don’t have a lot of experience, and it’s probably too early to actually make that assessment, but I’m definitely trying my best.”
“Your parents...are they supportive?”
“Absolutely. They’d have taken him in, Scarlett, but they’re getting older and it’s hard for them to get around sometimes. This way they can still be grandparents.”
“And he gets to have you,” I cup his face. “He’s really lucky, you know.”
“I don’t know if I’m doing a good job,” he whispers.
“Nobody does. Not really. The thing about raising a kid, even if you have more than one, is that it’s never easy, and you can’t tell if you’re doing a good job until it’s too late.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“I think your parents did a good job,” he whispers. “You’re incredible. You’ve been through so much, and you’re still so brave.” He looks over toward Jason’s room, where the pod door is closed. The baby is fast asleep and apparently, kids on Chaos tend to sleep really well because Acacius doesn’t seem to think he’s going to wake up anytime soon.
“I don’t know if I’m brave, but I’ve been told that I’m a bit scrappy,” I laugh.
“I want that for my son,” he whispers. “I want all of that.”
“And you’ll have it,” I tell him. “Jason is going to grow up knowing that he is totally and completely loved, Acacius. Isn’t that the best gift of all?”
“Speaking of gifts,” he kisses me gently on the forehead. “What do you want for Christmas?”
Me?
I suppose I hadn’t really thought of it.
Oh, I’ve been busy trying to find the perfect gifts for my friends, and I know Sasha has been beyond stressed trying to find something for Bri, but me?
I haven’t really figured out what the best gift for me would be.
But suddenly, it hits me, and I lean close to Acacius because it’s I don’t want to say this out loud. It’s too naughty and it’s a little bit crazy and oh, what if he says yes?
“I believe I was offered a spanking last week. I’d like to take you up on that.”
“As your Christmas gift?” He looks surprised.
“Well,” I shrug. “Maybe you can give me an orgasm after.”
“Take off your clothes,” he says. “I don’t want to ask you twice.”
Chapter 12
Acacius
SHE STANDS UP AND SHE pulls off her clothing quickly. She’s wearing a communications unit today – I guess Anna convinced her to finally start wearing one more regularly – and she takes that off, too. Then Scarlett stands before me with a beautiful and slightly-silly grin on her face. She gestures to herself.
“Not half bad, huh?” She smiles.
I have to bite back a laugh because if I don’t, I’m going to end up having a tickle fight with her instead of giving her a “punishment.”
She’s so damn cute that it drives me crazy.
“Now, ayren,” I say sternly, but then I do break character and I laugh. I can’t help myself. “You know I think you’re perfect,” I say, and I stand up. I grab her and pull her to my chest. I hug her close, and then I start rubbing her back.
“This feels nice,” she murmurs.
“Are you ready?”
“For a spanking?”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” she nods, and she tries to move away, but I hold her firmly where she’s at. She’s pressed completely against my front, so I’m going to be able to feel every wiggle and her every groan perfectly. Nothing is going to get by me like this, and I bring my hand down on her bottom for the first time.
She’s surprised, and she jumps into me.
“Ouch!” She murmurs. There’s just the tiniest sliver of frustration in her voice, or is it betrayal? She didn’t know I was going to spank her like this. She was probably waiting for me to move so we could sit down.
Not today.
Today is all about keeping my beautiful girl on her toes, so this is how she’s getting her Christmas gift.
I rub my hand up and down her back a few more times as she calms down, relaxing into my touch. Then I let my nails scratch over her bottom again, teasing her. She pushes forward into me.
“You’re hard,” she murmurs.
“Of course I am,” I tell her. “I’m spanking a beautiful girl. Anyone who doesn’t get hard from something like this is absolutely crazy.”
She laughs brightly, and the sound fills me with joy and happiness.
“Tell me you’re ready for more,” I whisper.
“Please spank me.”
I swat her over and over. They’re sharp, playful smacks, but each one still holds a sting, and I can tell she�
��s enjoying herself because with each spank, she grips me tighter and groans into me.
Being with Scarlett in this way is so fucking hot that I can’t take it anymore. I reach down, grabbing her tender bottom, and I pull her up. I lift her so she wraps her legs around my waist, and then I fucking kiss her. I move, shoving her up against the wall, and she groans as we start making out like that.
Her hands are on my chest and in my hair and just...everywhere.
I lick her neck up to her ear and nip her there, biting her just a little, and she seems to like this because it only makes her wiggle more.
“Fuck,” she groans. “Acacius, you’re so turned on and I can just...smell you.”
I laugh a little. Sometimes I forget that Chaotics have higher and stronger levels of sensory abilities than I do. Of course she can smell my emotions and my arousal. That doesn’t make me embarrassed, though. I want her to know how this is affecting me.
I want her to know exactly what she’s doing to me over and over when she plays with me like this.
I slide my hand further up her thigh. I want to be inside of her so badly. I want to feel her coming and exploding around my cock and I want to fuck her until she’s tired and sated. Lowering my mouth, I take a breast between my lips and start sucking.
“Fuck, you know I love that,” she groans.
“You have the most perfect tits I’ve ever seen.”
“Bite me.”
“Somebody’s feeling naughty.”
“Please, Acacius, I’m so close. I need more. More.”
I bite her breasts: one and then the other. I tease her nipples just a little bit more, but she’s right. She’s so fucking close. I don’t need to be from her planet to know what it looks like when a woman is about to come. Holding her in place against the wall, I drop down to my knees and hook her legs over my shoulders. I’m on the floor and she’s balanced between the wall and my shoulders, and this position gives me perfect access to her beautiful pussy.
“What are you-“
But then I start licking her fast and hard and wild and she comes just like that.
There’s no lengthy build up. She just comes for me. She looks perfect as she groans, pulsing her body against my face, and I lick and lick until I’ve managed to wring every last ounce of pleasure from her body.
She’s completely worn out and tired, and I grab her and carefully lower her down from the wall. I hold her against myself. Moving both of us, I lie down on the carpet in the middle of the floor and hold her on top of me. She lies there, worn out, and says nothing for a long time.
Finally, she looks up at me.
“Wow,” she whispers.
“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“It was good,” she says. She kisses my chin and then smiles at me. Scarlett traces a finger down my chest. “But you didn’t get to come yet.”
“Oh no,” I feign surprise. “Whatever are we going to do about that?”
“I can think of a few ideas,” she says.
“I’d love to hear them. Which idea is your favorite?”
“Oh, you know,” she whispers.
“No, I don’t know. Show me.”
Scarlett starts kissing me over and over, and then she starts to slide down my body. She moves carefully, gracefully, like some sort of Chaotic angel.
It’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen or felt. I didn’t even know I was missing this beautiful girl until she walked into my life. Now? Now I can’t imagine my world without her because I need her so very much.
Oh, I need her so much.
“Close your eyes, Acacius,” she says, and I’m completely at her mercy now. I can’t do anything but just...listen.
I close my eyes, but it doesn’t matter. She’s still here, surrounding me. I can feel her. I can smell her. Scarlett kisses down my body. She moves down my chest, down my belly, and over to my hip. Then she nips at me, biting me.
“Hey,” I protest, but she just laughs.
“Do you like that?”
“A little.”
Probably, I shouldn’t, but I’m so turned on that I’d let her do just about anything she wants to me right now and I wouldn’t even protest. She reaches up and scratches her nails down my chest all the way to my cock, and when she reaches it, she slides her tongue over the tip of my dick.
“Fuck.”
“That’s what I was going for,” she murmurs, and she licks me.
“Scarlett...”
“Shh,” she murmurs, sliding her tongue around my cock. “No more talking, Acacius. Just feel.”
So that’s what I do.
I close my eyes, and I just feel.
I let go of everything that’s been bothering me, everything that’s been holding me back. I let go of the loneliness and the fear and the worry that I’m somehow not going to be a good dad. I just forget about it all and soak up this moment with my beautiful mate.
Mate.
That’s what she is, I realize.
An Earthling by blood, I’ve never really understood the mating call that so many Chaotics feel.
Until now.
Now, as I feel the way Scarlett is practically sliding over my cock, I’m beginning to realize that sometimes, things aren’t always as they seem.
Sometimes, the things we need the most are sitting right in front of us.
And suddenly, I realize that I never want to be without Scarlett again.
She slides my cock into her mouth, sucking hard on me. I groan, unable to hold back sounds of pleasure and excitement. I’m so fucking close to coming. I’m literally on the edge of orgasming right in her mouth, but Scarlett doesn’t seem to mind. She just sucks harder, and then she reaches for my balls, rubbing them as she keeps teasing my cock.
“I’m going to come,” I groan, but this just excites her more, and then I can’t hold back anymore. Coming inside of her, I whisper her name as every rational thought flees from my mind and the only thing I’m thinking about is her.
Scarlett.
She sucks and teases me until every ounce of pleasure has been wrung from my body, and then she climbs back up me, smiling. She kisses me right on the mouth, and I smile at her as I stroke her cheek.
“Well, that was hot as fuck,” she giggles.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“I had a great time with you.”
“The pleasure was all mine. Believe me.”
I kiss her again and again. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Scarlett and me. I can’t predict the future, but I can take charge of it. I want to be with her so very much. If a human man can fall in love with a Chaotic woman, well, then, I must truly be the luckiest man on the entire planet.
“I love you,” I whisper, unafraid. I don’t care about the consequences. So it’s soon. It’s early in the relationship, but I don’t care. My mother always says that when you know, you know, and with Scarlett?
Yeah, I know.
She doesn’t freak out or get scared with my admission of admiration. Instead, she squeals in excitement and climbs on me, kissing me over and over.
“I love you, too!” She says, and that’s when I realize that this really is it.
She really is my mate.
She really is my happily-ever-after, now and forever.
Epilogue
Scarlett
“HERE YOU GO,” SASHA hands a carefully wrapped gift to Bri, who is practically jumping up and down with excitement.
“What is it?” Bri takes the gift and shakes it.
“Don’t shake it! Sasha and I both say at the same time. My sister, Anna, only laughs.
“Sorry,” Bri says, ripping off the wrapping paper. “I’m just so excited.”
Jason squeals and claps his hands together with excitement as we all watch Bri pull out the beautiful dress that Sasha carefully selected for her. It’s a handmade holiday gown and it’s covered with glittery sequins and lush fabric.
“Woah,” Bri
looks at the dress and back to Sasha. “This is beautiful.”
“Very beautiful indeed,” Max says, draping an arm around his wife. He kisses Sasha’s forehead. “That’s quite the gift, love.”
“Well,” Sasha says with a sly grin. “A little android told me that Bri has a holiday dance coming up at school.”
Bri grins and jumps to her feet.
“THIS IS GOING TO BE PERFECT FOR THE DANCE!” She yells. Then she takes off down the hall to her bedroom to try it on.
“Good choice,” I say to Sasha. “You really did find the perfect gift.”
“So did you,” Sasha winks, jerking her head toward Acacius and Jason.
“I’m right here,” Acacius says. “I can hear you.”
“Welcome to the family,” Autumn laughs from where she’s sitting with Caleb. She’s in his lap and has an arm draped around his neck. “This is just what they’re like, but it’s all the time, so get used to it.”
Acacius doesn’t seem to mind my crazy wild family at all. In fact, he seems to kind of like the craziness, actually. We all laugh and chat as little Jason opens up some presents. He plays happily with a new toy while we eat cookies, drink cocoa, and just joke around together.
I realize that this is it.
This is what I’ve been missing.
All of those years I spent on Hawk were wildly lonely and hard, but this...
This kind of makes up for all of the pain and the heartache I’ve experienced in my life. Before I met Acacius, I didn’t really think I’d ever be able to make a full recovery from losing my family. I spent years seeking revenge on the man who murdered my parents, only to discover he was just a tool. Then my sister and I, along with her husband, Todd, managed to discover who was really behind the entire plan to kill her family.
Now the world is different.
It’s safer in many ways, and it’s much calmer.
Life on Chaos may be crazy and wild, but in moments like these, it’s easy to find peace and belonging, and no matter how long I live, I’ll always cherish the memory that is today.
Acacius takes my hand in his and squeezes it. I look at him and just smile because he’s wonderful and charming and sweet. He’s a good dad and a gentle lover and oh, if I don’t want to spend every day for the rest of my life just waking up next to him and holding him.