by TL Schaefer
And you know, as long as I had a real, no-kidding choice about where my life was going, I’d think about it when I was sitting on my couch, a glass of wine in my hand, Xena on my lap.
Brian and I were finally allowed some privacy. We retreated to our room and held each other for what seemed like hours, no words between us, just the simple affirmation of life through touch. Simple strokes of comfort soon turned hungry with want, and I allowed myself to fall into him, into the warmth and heat and truth.
I melted into his kiss, the melding of our mouths complete in a way that eclipsed every embrace we’d shared. My breath caught in my chest as his hands coasted down my sides with slow, sure caresses, as his lips left mine and moved to my collarbone. He lingered there, tasting me as I arched, desperate for contact with his body. I felt his smile against my skin, then he moved lower, tiny, biting kisses fluttering across my breasts. I growled in frustration as he avoided the aching points of my nipples, and felt the rumble of his laugh roll through my body as he latched on with a strong suction that had me gasping in delight. He tugged and suckled, setting up a continuous loop of sensation that traveled from my breasts to my center, an agonizing symphony of pleasure I thought I might die from.
He shifted again, sliding down my body until he crouched between my legs, his breath hot on my mons, the burn of his gaze incinerating me even further. And when he settled his mouth against my clit, I came unglued, threading my fingers through his hair, holding him in place as I bucked and writhed against his clever lips and tongue.
My orgasm rocketed through me, leaving me shaking and replete, barely feeling him as he moved back up my body, his hand feathering against my ribs, the space between my breasts, before brushing the hair off my forehead.
I rolled and clung to his body, slowly descending from euphoria. His hands framed my face, thumbs tracing my cheekbones gently. I raised my lips to his, and his kiss was a dichotomy...tenderness and hunger, bound into one complicated, heartwrenching embrace.
He devoured my mouth, setting me afire all over again. His long, hard body moved over mine, settling against the vee of my thighs. He hesitated, and I knew what he was thinking: condom. After what we’d faced today, I wanted, needed to feel him inside me, naked, as it was meant to be. I clasped his face in my hands and met his eyes as I arched against him, communicating my desire without words.
His gaze went supernova, need tightening his face into harsh lines. His body thrust involuntarily against me, as if the concept overruled rational thought, and then he slid into me, groaning in surrender as skin truly met skin for the first time. Each thrust was an epiphany, every withdrawal a revelation. Our bodies moved in perfect synch, deep soul-rending kisses perfectly matching the point-counterpoint of our rhythm. A solar-system of light and color erupted behind my eyelids as I began to splinter. As I climaxed, I felt Brian begin to convulse, and distantly heard his roar of completion, and our dual orgasm shattered me, wringing every last bit of sensation from me.
“I love you,” I breathed, knowing that for the first time in a very, very long time, I was trusting someone with more than my life. I was trusting him with my heart.
The next morning we sipped our in-room coffee and watched the sun rise from our balcony. At least Farrell knew how to do things in style.
“Are you coming back to Texas?” I heard the concern in Brian’s voice and knew it was why he hadn’t repeated my words of love last night...if he’d even heard them, but I suspected he had. I wasn’t the only one who was gun shy when it came to that end of life. Until Brian knew I was really his, making such an admission would cost too much. I understood it, and him, all too well.
I nudged him with my hip, looked him square in the eye. “Of course I am. I might have to make flights to CASI on occasion, but Dallas is home.”
“Good,” he whispered, his breath fluttering against my hair. “My mom is coming out next month, and I’d like you to meet her.”
I held back a smile. The words might be slow in coming, but I had no doubt what was in Brian’s mind, his heart. And hell, I didn’t even need my Sight because it was plain as the nose on his face. I could definitely live with that.
“I’d like that,” I replied, and meant every word of it. Brian pulled me close, and I inhaled the good, strong scent of him.
I’d lied, just a little bit, before. Dallas wasn’t home... Home was where Brian was.
I wondered, even as I snuggled into Brian’s arms, where the rest of the kids from Wes’s and my class had disappeared to. There were a lot of potential CASI kids out there...if they were still alive. If they were anything like me—survivors of the finest sense—the world had a whole new set of variables to deal with.
And deal with them we would. Tomorrow.
Also by TL Schaefer... visit www.tlschaefer.com/all-books/
The CASI Series
Behind Blue Eyes
Crossfire (Book 1.5, free novella to newsletter subscribers)
Shoot to Thrill
Bad Company (Book 2.5, free novella to newsletter subscribers, coming summer 2020)
Lunatic Fringe (coming Fall 2020)
The Mariposa Series
The Summerland
The Brotherhood
The Paladin (coming 25 February 2020)
The Fated Fae Series
Baptism by Fire
Ends of the Earth
Sea of Dreams
Breath of Heaven
Fated Fae box set
Stand Alone Titles
Something Witchy This Way Comes
Redemption (coming summer 2020)
About the Author
I’m a great believer in Fate. Yeah, with a capital “F”. And I write in those terms. Why? Probably because my beloved husband said he fell in love with me the first time he saw me. You might ask if it was a two-way gig… In a word, uh-uh. Not that he wasn’t fine to the extreme, but I wasn’t looking for forever…more of a fun vacation experience. Yeah, so now we’ve muddled our way through almost 30 years of marriage, and I have to admit to his superior intuition on that one!!
So, if you’re looking for an Alpha hero who just happens to “know” his life-mate when he sees them, don’t be overly surprised.
If you like your heroes in uniform (be they cops, firefighters, or military) and your heroines with a bit of quirk, then wing by my website www.tlschaefer.com and check out an excerpt or two to wet your whistle! Don't forget to check out my Facebook, and Twitter pages as well!
Read more at TL Schaefer’s site.