“Thalia, breathe, baby. We don’t have to talk about this right now, but I wanted you to know that I have been thinking about it since Katherine brought it up at dinner.” He tilted her chin up, his green eyes like sea glass, “And I know you said you don’t ever want to be without me, but I want you to know that I feel the same way. I don’t see a life without you in it either.”
“I love you,” she said quietly. That was safe enough to say, and it was true. In response he gave her that radiant smile that seemed to fill her to the brim with light.
“I love you too, Thalia. Now...” James’ smile shifted into a mischievous grin as he leaned down suddenly and threw her over his shoulder. She squealed and he squeezed her ass as he walked into the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. Thalia landed in a fit of laughter and he wasted no time in grabbing her pajama pants and tugging them off her hips to sweep them down her legs. James lifted her foot after he’d dropped her pants to the floor placing a kiss on her arch, and she squirmed when it tickled. He grinned and began to trail soft kisses up her ankle, and her calf, speaking between each one, “I. Plan. To. Kiss. Every. Inch. Of. You.”
“I like this plan...” she purred as his hands pushed her thighs apart and he kissed up the inside of her thigh, stopping just short of her panties, which made her groan and lift her hips. He chuckled and picked up her other foot, repeating the trail of kisses on the other side. For a moment his mouth hovered over her mound, and he looked up at her with a wicked grin – and placed a kiss just above her panties. Her stomach tightened and she whimpered as she grew wet, but his mouth trailed kisses over the curve of her waist, her rib cage, pushing up the thin top as he moved up her body. “James...” she groaned as his mouth grazed the underside of her breast before diverting back to the center of her chest. His soft laugh against her skin made her squirm under him, his weight making her want to feel him against her more firmly. His lips traced her collarbone, her shoulder, before gliding down her arm. He kissed the tender skin of her wrist, her palm, and then the pad of each finger. James ran his hand back up that arm as his mouth repeated the trail on her other arm. Her nerves were lighting up, sending quiet shivers through her, which made her hyper aware of how taut her nipples were in the cool air. Her top bunched above her bared breasts, her panties soaked with how wet she was and there was no relief in pressing her thighs together, arching her back or lifting her hips against the air. Soft moans slipped out of her as he kissed up each side of her neck, his lips against the pulse at her throat, gliding along her jaw line, her cheeks, her eyes, her forehead.
“You are absolutely beautiful.” His voice was a warm whisper and then his lips met hers. Softly, even as he opened her mouth, his tongue delving in to meet hers. Her fingers moved into his hair to hold him there but he took her hands, interlacing their fingers to press her hands back to the bed. It was a delirious, slow kiss. Each time he grazed her lip with his teeth he soothed it with a flick of his tongue, before kissing her again. She was moaning against his mouth, pulling gently at the pressure of his hands on hers, wanting to touch him, to pull his body down on hers. He continued anyway, ignoring her soft pleading moans against his lips, building the heat inside her slowly.
When he finally pulled back he slid his hands down her arms and carefully pulled her top over her head, he smiled and rolled her onto her front by her shoulders. She submitted, resting her head on the duvet as he brushed her hair out of the way to place a kiss on the back of her neck, and then he traced her spine with warm kisses. His tongue dancing out against her skin to make her writhe under him in delirious tension. Every touch was too soft, too gentle and she was winding up to a catastrophic crescendo where she would break apart if he didn’t –
James slid his fingers beneath the edge of her underwear and started to drag them down her legs, his lips tracing over the round of her ass. She wanted to feel his touch between her thighs but instead he just dragged her panties off and rolled her back over. He straddled her thighs and she lifted her hips, but he ignored her completely. Thalia knew this version of James, he had a plan, and any attempt at begging or cajoling or trying to touch him would be met with gentle restraint to keep her exactly where he wanted her. The only thing to do was submit and wait for what he would give her.
With a grin he leaned over her, hovering his mouth above her breast, his warm breath brushing her nipple until she was biting her lip with the effort of staying still. “Please...” The word came out on a whimper, and he relented. He drew her nipple into his mouth, warm and wet with a delicious tugging that had her back arching and her eyes shutting tight. James cupped her other breast, his thumb rolling over the hard nub until she was gasping and shifting under him. Inching closer to that precipice that would shatter all of the tension he was playing with so carefully. His teeth grazed her and she moaned louder, encouraging, begging wordlessly for more. Instead of giving more he just switched sides, teasing the other nipple into an urgent bundle of nerves that plied small cries from her with every movement of his tongue.
With a low rumble in his chest he shifted back and pushed her legs apart, dropping his knees between them. The tops of the insides of her thighs were soaked, her body tense as his thumbs spread her pussy open. The softest graze over her clit had her shivering. He repeated the movement with his tongue, hot and wet and impossibly perfect as she arched off the bed sharply, her fists clenching in the bedding as he delved deeper with his tongue, setting off a buzzing in her ears. “I love the way you taste...” he growled the words before returning his mouth to her pussy, his thumb rolling her clit until she was shaking, rising up and falling in a burst of pleasure that filled her with a fizzy euphoria – and every lick, every movement of his thumb over her clit dragged it out impossibly long. Shivers took her over, her hips twitching, her body rolling as the waves washed over her again and again. It felt like forever when he finally looked up at her, his mouth wet and his eyes dark with arousal.
Thalia sat up as the gentle tremors started to subside, and he shifted to sit on the bed. They stared at each other, heavy breaths between them, her head so delirious with pleasure she couldn’t focus enough to form words. James didn’t seem interested in talking though, so she did the only thing she could at the moment to signal her submission to whatever he needed from her. She held her arms out between them, crossed at the wrist, and he bit his lip a moment before he moved toward her. His hand was in her hair, twisting her to the side so when he pushed her back she was laid out on the bed properly. His grip tightened and she arched sharply, his mouth taking advantage of her lifted breasts to draw a nipple into her mouth, biting and sucking until a whole new tension was building inside her. James shifted his pants down and pushed her thighs apart with his knees, capturing her mouth as he thrust hard, filling her in an instant.
It wasn’t slow or gentle, but it was a perfect balance. All that delirious, fuzzy pleasure had her head cloudy, but each nip of his teeth, the way his fingers dug into her hip sharply, the pounding thrusts that stretched her – all of it had her rising toward an incredible clarity. James growled against her lips and moved his mouth to her shoulder to bite down. Thalia hissed between her teeth, her hands moving to his hair, but he captured them quickly and pinned them above her head. He felt powerful above her, his grip tight on her skin, his thrusts filling her and pushing her closer and closer towards a new edge. One that wouldn’t let her fall gently, but would toss her over into an electric storm of sensation.
Her body tightened, tensing under him as his next thrust snapped the tension inside her and she screamed a moan, arching against his chest as lights flickered behind her eyes and her body pulsed with pleasure. James pressed her harder into the bed, his final thrusts sharp until his cock jerked inside her, filling her with the warm wetness of his seed and his weight dropped over her to blanket her in heat. She tugged at the grip on her wrists, leaning her head to the side so she could place a kiss against his cheek as he caught his breath. Her hips rolled and he growled, tightening hi
s hand on her waist until she stilled.
“That was fucking amazing.” Thalia moaned quietly as another aftershock shivered through her muscles, sparking up her spine to send a chill over her skin.
“Yes.” He pushed out the word on a short laugh and finally released her wrists, lifting his weight off. James slid from her and rolled to his back, both of them panting harshly, staring up into the dim light of the room. He patted the bed between them until he found her hand and interlocked their fingers again. It was a simple touch after so much contact, but it was powerful. They lay like that for a few minutes, catching their breath, the shivers in her muscles quieting until she yawned. “Come on, baby, under the covers.” Grabbing the sheets, James tugged them up until they were both covered and he reached for her again, pulling her back against his chest.
“Love you...” Thalia murmured as the warm cocoon James had created with the bedding and his arms lulled her exhausted body into sleep.
Just before dreams washed over her, his words mumbled against the top of her head. “I love you more than anything, baby.”
She fell asleep smiling.
“Holy shit! It is positively freezing! We can’t run in this!” Katherine must have been in five layers as they walked down her driveway to the sidewalk that ran through her peaceful, upscale community. Snow crunched under their shoes and Thalia had to admit that the chill in the air was biting, but after the first mile she’d be just fine. Katherine, on the other hand, would be burning up and wanting to strip off layers with nowhere to put them.
“You don’t have to come with me, you know. I’m just going for a few miles, I’ll be back in forty five minutes or so, then we can do yoga.” She smiled at Katherine who bristled like she’d insulted her.
“I’m not backing out, Thalia. I just cannot believe you run in this! It rains in London constantly, you’re telling me you run in the rain too?” Katherine rubbed her hands together, blowing warm air into her gloves.
“Once we’re moving you won’t even feel it, you’ll be grateful for the cool air. Plus, it’s sunny! It’s rarely sunny in London.” She grinned and walked backwards a few steps, taking a deep breath of the cold air as they reached the end of the driveway. “Come on, I’ll keep to whatever pace you want to set.”
“You are insane, you know that? I’m going to tell James just in case he hasn’t noticed. No one likes to run this much.” Katherine grumbled and Thalia shrugged. She would much rather be doing yoga, but cardio was important as well, and even though running was one of her least favorites it was also one of the most effective.
“Up to you, Katherine. I’m not twisting your arm.” Thalia grinned, bouncing on her toes and stretching once more now that her muscles had met the chill. Katherine mimicked her and finally sighed exaggeratedly.
“Alright. Let’s just go.” Katherine bounced on her toes for a second, and then started up the snow-covered sidewalk. The powder crunched under their feet, but it wasn’t very deep closer to the street. Most of the drifts were up on the expansive lawns and so it didn’t slow them down much. For a while they just kept pace and Thalia counted in her head, using the impact of each foot into the snow to meter her breathing. Katherine knew how to run, taking in air slowly through her nose, out through her mouth. It was a beautiful morning. Clear blue sky, an endless expanse of white stretching up the large lawns on the other side of wrought iron fences.
When they took their first turn to start the long curve back towards Katherine’s house, Thalia smiled at her. “I’m glad I got to meet you. I know we’re leaving in a couple of days, but I wanted you to know that.”
“I am as well. I’m sorry I was such a bitch the first night, I really had no idea what to expect. I wish I had believed Maggie when she said you were lovely, because you are.” Katherine was pushing out short sentences while they ran, and she glanced over at her as they ruined the smooth snow with their footprints, “So, do you think you and my brother will get married? Not soon, I’m not being pushy, I was just curious.”
Thalia laughed, drawing in a deeper breath as they passed the intersection that marked the first mile. “I don’t know, Katherine, and that’s the truth. I know neither of us are planning on going anywhere, and that’s all the commitment I’m asking for at the moment.”
Katherine made a noise that expressed her opinion of that comment, “Thalia. Really? Take a note from Beyonce’s playbook – if he likes it, he should put a ring on it.”
They both cackled at that, the cold air making Thalia cough as she glanced over at Katherine who had a flush in her cheeks. “There is plenty of time. Neither of us are in a rush, I swear!”
“He does like it though. I can tell.”
“Katherine!” Thalia felt heat in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the run, “I cannot talk to you about this!”
“Why not? I’ll tell you about Chad, and what he likes to do with his -”
“KATHERINE!” Thalia laughed and stopped running, only bouncing in place to keep her heart rate up. “You’re James’ sister, this is too weird.”
“We’re friends as well now, right?” Katherine tilted her head, grinning at her.
“Yes, of course we’re friends.”
“Well, good girl friends talk about these things. I don’t want details. Please, God, do not give me details, but I want to know that you two are happy.” She was grinning, and Thalia relented with a roll of her eyes.
“I assure you, we are very happy.” Thalia was still laughing softly when Katherine looked past her to watch an SUV slowing and stopping behind them. They both turned to see a light haired guy get out of the driver’s side, waving at them.
“Does he need help?” Katherine shielded her eyes and took a step towards the man. He was smiling at them as he shut the door and called out, leaving the car idling.
“Hi there! Sorry to bother you, do you know where Elmbrook Drive is?” He was in a thick coat, his phone held out in his gloved hands. “I swear the Google maps keeps taking me to the wrong place. You live here, right?”
“I do! Let me see.” Katherine held her hand out and he stepped up to them with an apologetic smile, giving her his phone so she could look at the map. The guy pushed his hands into his coat pockets and glanced back over his shoulder at the SUV.
Thalia cleared her throat aiming to fill the silence, “I’m surprised you’re out in this weather, I’m sure the roads aren’t easy to drive on this early.” Thalia was trying to be friendly, but he seemed distracted. His eyes were glued to the SUV like he was looking for someone, except when Thalia turned she couldn’t see anyone else in it. Was he worried someone was going to steal it? In this area? In all this snow?
“Roads are fine once you hit the highway.” He muttered under his breath and his eyes flicked to hers, shifting from one foot to another like he was anxious to leave. Thalia looked back at the SUV and for second it seemed like there might have been movement in between the front seats but the glare on the windshield made it hard to tell.
“Is someone else in your -” Thalia started to ask, but Katherine made a frustrated noise and talked over her.
“Wait, this isn’t even my neighborhood. I don’t think you’re in the right place.” She shrugged and held the phone back out to the guy, but he didn’t move to take it.
“You weren’t supposed to be here. She was supposed to be running alone.” He mumbled it, but Thalia’s heart stuttered. What the fuck did he just say? “I’m sorry,” he said a bit louder and alarms went off in her head.
Before Thalia could react the guy suddenly turned on her with something in his hand, and she felt a sharp pain in her side as the air crackled with electricity. Her whole body screamed with it, and she was vaguely aware of hitting the snow hard, of Katherine’s shout of her name cut short with an agonized cry. The world was a too bright blur when Thalia tried to force her eyes open a moment later. She couldn’t see anything with the sun reflecting off the snow, and her throat wouldn’t work, her muscles were ignoring her
orders to get up. Get up. Get away. Get help.
What had he hit her with?
She heard the sound of running footsteps in the snow growing closer. Help. Someone was going to help her. Male voices above her, too quiet to understand through the buzzing in her ears. They hadn’t seen a car all morning, there hadn’t been a single fucking car on the road. The roads had been pristine, not even a tire track. Why had she just stood there? Why the fuck had they even talked to him?
Someone touched her, moving her hair aside, but she couldn’t see. The light was too bright, and when she opened her mouth to ask for help no sound came out. A sudden piercing ache in the side of her neck was her answer. No help. This wasn’t help. She managed to make a noise, but all she heard was a shushing against her ear, and then there was nothing as a thick gray fog filled her and dragged her under.
Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3) (The Thalia Series) Page 15