“Once in Atlanta, I drew on the bond again and decided to travel south-east. I flew to Dallas. Once there, I felt you directly south. I knew you were at our little house in Alice. I hopped the next plane to the Corpus Christi airport—that’s the one we always used to fly home out of.
“By the time I got to the house in Alice you were gone. I still had a bag of blood, so I drank and took a nap and showered. I saw the money and weapons were gone from the safe.”
“Wait.” Anthony spoke. “You didn’t go to the house before us?”
“No, you’d definitely been there recently. Anyway, once I’d eaten and slept, I focused on the bond again. I felt Riley moving south away from me at a rapid pace. I assumed you were on an airplane, and the only reason you’d go south was to go to Peru. So I went to Corpus Christi and got on another plane. This one took me to Houston, then Lima, then finally Peru. With the layovers, it was sixteen hours, but I still made it here before you three. I waited for you to settle in one spot, then started using the bond to find you.
“It’s much easier to use the bond on a large scale. Finding you here in the city was a nightmare. But, that’s where I’ve been and that’s how I’m here.”
Chapter Ten
We stared at each other, at a loss for words. The silence grew until it was uncomfortable. My gaze shifted from the love of my life to the pair that had the potential to unlock more passion—and potentially more love—than I ever imagined. I would give that up, of course, to continue life with Michael, but I couldn’t pretend it wouldn’t hurt to see them walk out of my love life. Michael sat down beside me on the bed. He held my hand and looked from me to Elias.
“I missed you so much.” His voice broke. “Where do we go from here?” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Any problems we face are inconsequential in the light of what we’ve been through.”
Relief washed over me like a warm shower on a freezing day. We’re going to get through this. We would find our way out of this insanity and home to our children. I would accept whatever fate threw my way, whether it be as a Supay or a human. Nothing else mattered! My family was alive and healthy.
Elias put his arms around me, and whispered into my hair. “Do you want Anthony and me to give you two some privacy tonight?” I nodded. “All right. But after tonight I need you, Riles. I love you.”
I grabbed his arms and squeezed, nodding my head again. They headed downstairs to book another room for the night. The click of the door created a feeling of loss in me. They’d been a constant presence over the past week, and Elias had been my best friend for four years. Confronting Michael alone was overwhelming.
Try as I might, I couldn’t think of what I should say to him. I was also distracted by how much I missed Elias and Anthony and how fast affections could develop and change.
“Riley,” Michael murmured behind me. Turning, I found him standing beside the bed with his arms open. “Come hug me, Baby. I’ve craved your touch.”
Tears threatened to spill again as I walked to him. He placed his hands gently on my waist and my hands went to his neck. His cheekbones were more pronounced above the unfamiliar hair on his jaw. I traced his lips and nose with the tips of my fingers, graced over his forehead. My heart swelled with joy, but my mind still resisted the fact that he stood in front of me.
“Michael, I was so broken. I had to change to survive. If I didn’t train, fight…I would’ve given up.” I slipped my arms around him and hugged him, relishing the press of his strong chest and lean waist. “If I hadn’t met Elias, there’s no telling what might have happened to me. I wouldn’t be here now, hugging you.” His hands flexed at my belly, squeezing me.
“Then I’m glad you met him. I don’t know what’s going on or has happened between the three of you, but if it kept you safe, I’ll thank them for whatever it was, be it friendship or sex. I love you, Riley. And I love them. I might need a little time to wrap my mind around our relationship maybe being a little different than it was before, but I’ll get there.”
“Michael, I’m not totally sure I want to start some polyamorous thing between the four of us, but I care deeply for them both. We’ll have to get through our time in Peru and see what our next steps are.”
He bent his body and placed soft kisses on my neck. At only five and a half feet tall, his six-foot height towered over me. I’d always hopped onto the bottom step at home so we could hug more comfortably.
My hands drifted up his back, inside his shirt, and skimmed his muscles there. Moisture gathered between my legs. A newly rediscovered warm tingle spread across my abdomen. I wiggled my butt a little, fighting against the desire.
“Baby, can we? Can I, I mean, I’ve missed you so much.” Michael pulled me tight against his body, clearly showing me how much he’d missed me. I was nervous, I’d slept with someone else—um, two someones, Miss Slutty Pants—while he was being tortured.
“I feel guilty, Michael.” I buried my face in his hard chest.
“Don’t, Riley. Did you sleep with them?” I nodded. “Did you sleep with both of them?” Another nod. He took in a deep breath. “Did you sleep with both of them together?” One more nod.
Michael let out the breath. “It’s okay, Baby. When did this happen?
“Three days ago,” I whispered.
“Did you sleep with anyone when you thought I might be alive?” His voice was hopeful. Hopeful I’d been loyal to him.
“No. Until I had a definite answer, I couldn't let go. When I was told you were dead, I was also told about the Supay, the Unseen, and our children, and I was given no time to grieve. Since I was told you were definitely dead, it’s been a scary whirlwind.” I took a deep breath and steadied myself for the next part. “I got overwhelmed the other night, and…I asked to forget. I’ve not handled this well. I wanted to lose myself for a little while.”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Did you lose yourself?”
“Oh.” I nodded. “Yes, I did. And I slept well for the first time in a long time.”
“Riley, it’s okay. If I were human and the FBI turned up at your door and told you I was dead after a five year search, you would’ve grieved differently. You would've taken a few years to heal, then found someone else. But in this case, the circumstances were so extreme. Your emotions were confused. I’m not upset with you.” He grabbed my ass and lifted me up his body. “I’m just glad to be here with you now.”
I grabbed his shoulders, relieved that he was so understanding. Thankful for my strong new body, I wrapped my legs around his waist without any assistance from him. He turned us to the bed and laid me down. “You’ve always been beautiful, Baby. But I'm so proud of how fit you are now. How healthy you are.” His eyes traveled down my body.
As he studied me, it dawned on me that I’d last bathed in Mexico City, over thirty-six hours earlier. “Michael, I was so nervous and excited about being with you again, I didn’t think. I definitely need a shower.” I wrinkled up my nose, imagining how I must smell. “I wish I’d known you were coming, I would’ve put on makeup, and maybe done my hair.” I touched the top of my head. Gross. It was oily. Great.
“Baby, you could be covered in mud, and I’d pray to be able to be with you. Remember, I’ve seen you at your absolute worst.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled at me.
“And exactly what would you consider my absolute worst, Michael Effler?” I put my hands on my hips and gave him my best cocked eyebrow.
“I was actually remembering that last stomach bug.” He belly laughed before continuing. “The smell, oh, man. The three of you were sick and it was all I could do to stay inside and take care of you. With my heightened senses, I kept having to run outside and take deep breaths.”
I laughed with him. “I had no idea! If I’d known I would’ve sent you away. I could’ve muddled through, caring for the three of us.”
“Baby, wild horses couldn’t have pulled me away.” His eyes softened on mine, and he gripped my butt
. “Hold on,” he said.
I tightened my hold around his waist with my legs, and he lifted me up and carried me into the bathroom. Setting me on the counter, he turned on the shower. It was just big enough for two. Hmmm. If the four of us do end up together, we'll have to build a tub we can get all naughty in.
Michael came to stand between my legs. I tugged on the hem of his shirt, and he raised his arms accommodatingly. I lifted his shirt to find his abdomen covered in scars. “Michael, my God. Is this from the torture?” I asked, even though I really didn’t want to hear the answer.
“Actually, those are from the sorceress. Or maybe the witches, I’m not sure. They didn’t use any magic when they tortured me. An injury with no supernatural aspect to it will heal with ease. These scars and the ones on my face are from small cuts being made, then some potion or another being poured into them.”
I peppered kisses along the small white lines. When I finished kissing them, I used the tip of my tongue to trace them. After I’d given attention to each scar on his front, I asked him to turn. His back was clear of scars.
“Why none on your back?”
“They always had me facing up.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe they thought the spells would be more effective if I saw them doing it? I’m not sure.”
I licked around his shoulder blades. When I reached his neck, I gave him a sharp bite. He jumped and whirled around, faster than I could've dreamed of moving.
The t-shirt I’d worn since we left the fancy hotel in Mexico City was ripped off of me in one quick motion. Since I’d removed my bra the night before, my breasts were exposed to the rapidly warming bathroom air, my nipples tight under Michael’s intense gaze. His hands moved to cover them leisurely, almost reverently.
I moaned when his rough palms made contact. Closing my eyes, my hands traveled up his chest and neck. I paused when I reached his hair. I’d forgotten he’d grown it long and pulled up in a bun. He’d always kept it high and tight before, much like Elias, and my muscle memory expected to find his old haircut.
I pulled the hair tie out and he shook his hair out around his face. He pinched both of my nipples and I pressed my crotch more firmly against his in response. I grabbed his hair in both hands and pulled his face to mine.
Our first kiss in five years was perfection. He pressed his lips against mine and tucked his top lip between mine. Then he paused and inhaled. I hadn’t showered yet. It wasn’t the time to use his preternatural sense of smell. He didn’t seem to mind my odor too much, because after taking in a deep breath, he attacked my mouth with fervor.
My lips surrendered to his attention. He sucked and rubbed, licked and bit. It was a kiss to rival even my first kiss with Elias, which was phenomenal. The first time Michael kissed me was G rated in comparison. He really did miss me. By the time he moved from my lips to my neck, my body was plastered against his, and the bathroom was warm and full of steam.
I grabbed his belt and unbuckled it as he nibbled his way down my neck. “Michael,” I moaned, “bite me, please.”
He hummed against my skin instead of answering, but he didn't bite me. I unbuckled his pants as he belatedly put his mouth around my nipple. A keening sound erupted from my throat and my crotch exploded in tingles while my clit swelled as all my blood rushed south.
I jerked his pants down as low as I could, and he sprang out of them, hard and ready. "You're not wearing underwear! You always wear underwear."
He gave my nipple one more swirl with his tongue before answering me. "They didn't give me any, and I got used to it. I like the way it feels now." I was far too turned on to ask him why in the world they wouldn't let him have undies. I grabbed his hard dick and squeezed behind the head, as I remembered how much he liked it. His hips thrust, stroking himself in my hand.
He unbuttoned my pants, and I was embarrassed as his fingers brushed the loose skin hanging over my jeans. I sucked in my stomach as he pressed against me to get a grip on the button.
"What's wrong, Baby?" he asked with concern.
"I'm sorry, I'm still a little self conscious about my body," I said, ashamed of myself. I'd worked so hard, I shouldn’t feel shame. I tried to stamp it down. Although, I went through all that hard work to be able to protect myself, not so I would look better, my enhanced body image was a nice byproduct of my training regime.
"Riley, it took me the better part of a year to get you to trust me when I first told you I loved your body. Then your beautiful body gave me two perfect sons. I've always worshipped you." Michael’s eyes soaked in my naked body.
I reluctantly let go of him. "Yes, Michael, I had finally convinced myself that you were one of those guys that got off on being with a big girl. I never lost the sense of amazement that came with being with a man that was far, far out of my league. But now, I look different. In clothes I look a lot better, but out of my clothes, my once plump curves are saggy. I had a stray insecure thought. Those kinds of thoughts are going to happen to someone like me."
Michael grabbed my hips and slipped me off the counter. I stood in front of him and watched as he slid my jeans down my legs. He kissed my stomach, caressing the marks left from bearing his children. He rubbed my hips, and slipped his hands between my legs to caress my inner thighs. He simply loved me, and he showed me by giving attention to the parts of my body that made me self conscious.
"Michael, I appreciate what you're doing so much, but if you don't touch me where I want you to touch me soon, I'm going to combust. Get me in that shower, now," I said with authority.
"Yes, ma'am," he quipped. He picked me up again, knowing I'd always loved his strength and ability to carry me around, even at my heaviest, swollen with our children. He stepped into the shower and the hot spray hit my hair.
I grabbed the shampoo and motioned for him to turn around so he could lean his head over for me to wash. He took the shampoo from me. "I've dreamed of your body. I had a shower this morning. This is for you," he said. "Turn that fine ass around, Riley Effler."
Yes, sir. I turned and shook my hair. He removed the detachable shower head and soaked my hair thoroughly before washing it. He massaged my scalp as he washed, making my body relax and my clit swell further.
He reached around me and massaged my breasts. His hands, covered in the slippery soap, were silk on my nipples. He pulled and plucked at them teasingly.
Grabbing the shower head again, he rinsed the soap out of my hair and turned me toward him. I plucked the soap from his hands and washed my face, not trusting anyone else around my eyes, not even my Michael. He took the bar when I was done, and ignored the washcloth I offered him.
"I'm going to wash you with my hands," he said, voice raspy. "I want to feel every inch of your body." He soaped up his hands and began at my neck, rubbing and soaping me up. After washing my shoulders, he turned me and rubbed his hands across my back.
He reached around and spent more time lathering my breasts with his front pressed against me. His cock pushed against my ass, barely slipping between my cheeks. I wiggled my hips, giving a little friction that won me the feel of his shaft pressed against my asshole. My knees knocked together, and I threw my head against his chest.
He grabbed the bar again and soaped his hands. Washing my underarms, he massaged his way down both arms, then down to my sides. It tickled, so I jumped and let out squeals. When he reached my hips, he washed my ass. I bent forward slightly as he kneaded my cheeks, eliciting moans from me. He knew I'd always loved attention on my buttocks.
He soaped up again and ran his hand between my cheeks. I bent forward more, grabbing the faucet on the tub to keep my balance, back arched. He cleaned my ass, his fingers teasing me. I screamed out when he slipped one finger inside me, and I pushed back, seating him farther inside.
He slipped his finger out, to my disappointment. His hands glided along my legs, spreading the bubbles up and down my thighs. Every time he reached the apex of my thighs, he squeezed and moved down.
"Michael!" I squealed.
"Please!"
He stood up, and his hand finally went between my legs. He soaped up the stubbly hair around my pussy and the crease in my thighs. His fingers put pressure around my lips and barely into my vagina. "Michael, if you don't get inside me I'm going to hurt you. I could probably do it now. I'm tough, remember?" I looked up at him standing over me, and his cock was so hard it was practically jumping. He wanted to be inside me as much as I needed him.
I watched over my shoulder as he rinsed his hands in the shower stream. After rinsing my body, he put one hand on my hip and one hand guided his cock to me. He plunged into my pussy hard and fast. I wanted to weep. Finally, satisfaction.
I clenched around him, holding him in, loving the fullness he gave me. If his cock was any bigger, the first time I saw it I might've ran screaming. As it was, he always satisfied me. Since my night with Elias and Anthony though, something was missing.
He slid slowly out of me. I shivered as the ridge of his head passed out of my body. "Michael, if you want to bite me, you can. I think I would like for you to."
"Not tonight, Riles. I just want to love you," he replied, voice strained. I looked at him again to see his face a mask of concentration as he watched his dick inch inside me.
I arched farther to give him a better view, wishing for mirrors in the shower so I could watch as well. He must've lost his self control, because with a grunt he pounded into me. My head dropped as I groaned along with his thrusts.
I put my hands on the shower floor, bending my body in half. Spreading my legs a bit more, I was able to watch his thrusts, though I did have to wipe the water out of my face frequently. When his fast, hard rhythm took me over the edge, I wanted more.
"Take me to the bedroom, Michael." I stood and turned off the shower. He stepped out and handed me a towel to wrap my hair. I pumped his cock with my hand while he dried himself. He dried my body in a hurry, without any sexy movements, while I enjoyed the feel of him in my hand. He wanted to get me to the bed.
Hers From The Start: A Collection of First In Series Reverse Harem Page 53