by Liza James
I step up to her, bringing my chest flush against hers as she drops her head against the wall. I lift a hand, gently turning her face to the side so that I can look at how badly she was hurt.
"Ruby," I say quietly, grazing my thumb along the bruise that shadows her face.
"Don't," she replies, shutting her eyes as I continue feeling her, examining her, wanting to fucking take care of her. I step away as I quickly look out of the room for her bathroom, spotting it just one door over. I rush over, grabbing a small washcloth hanging on the wall and wetting it in warm water in the sink. When I step back into her room, she's lifting her hair and tying it into a messy knot on the top of her head, but her hands are shaking, small trembles shifting through her body while she tries to remain calm.
"Let me," I say as I step up to her again, lifting the cloth and slowly brushing it along her temples where her blood has stained her skin. She flinches and pulls away at first, bracing her hand on my chest in order to push me back. But I stand firmly against her, refusing to let her block this out. "We need each other. Especially now, Ruby. You don't get to act like you can just brush this off. You can't, I can't."
"You're safer without me," she says again. Repeating the same bullshit that doesn't make any fucking sense. I can feel the anger begin resurfacing in my stomach, the frustration at the complete denial of realizing that simply isn't true.
"How long are you going to keep fucking lying?" I bite out, pushing the cloth a bit harder against her skin as I clean her injuries. She hisses, and her black eyes fly to me in a stinging glare before she responds.
"I have to do something, anything to fix this, Aura. You staying away from me is the only thing I can think of that might keep Dom away for a while longer. Maybe he'll focus on me again while trying to find you. I can distract him," she finally answers truthfully, revealing the only way she thinks she might impact our situation.
"Fuck that, it's not happening," I say roughly. "I need to keep my eyes on you in case Malin shows up as well. We're in this together. How the fuck do you not see that?" I drop my hands, letting the cloth fall to the floor as I meet her gaze head on. I'm fucking angry now, I didn't just go through everything I did to break up with Ruby at the end of it.
She scoffs, frustration clear in her tense frame as well. But suddenly her hands shoot forward and she shoves me away from her. I stumble back, bracing myself on the edge of her bed when I stand and stalk towards her again. "What the fuck, Ruby?" I shout, but she's already on me, shoving me back again as I fall to the floor.
"Stay the fuck down, Aura. I'm going to take a shower, leave me the hell alone." She turns on her heels and stalks out of the room. Fuck that. I immediately launch to my feet and race after her, as soon as she moves to slam the bathroom door in my face, I crash my hand against the wood and shove it back open.
"Jesus, Aura. Are you that fucking desperate? Got a taste of the pussy and now you can't stay the fuck away?" Ruby is leaning into the small shower, twisting the knob until it turns on and begins flooding the space in steam.
"Fuck you," I say angrily, my hands flying out ahead of me as I shove her underneath the water fully dressed. She hits the floor and turns over so that she can face me as rage flashes across her face.
"You're a fucking bitch," she grinds out as she stands and grips my wrist tightly, yanking me into the shower and drenching my own clothes in the hot spray of water. I groan out, both fury and annoyance spiraling through me as she shoves me back and against the wall.
Everything is overflowing, my emotions, my thoughts, the reality of what we just went through together. The bullshit reasoning she has behind us breaking up, all of it. It's a rushing ocean of colliding waves that drown me. I'm losing control, feeling it slip through my fingers as I'm overwhelmed by the past twenty-four hours.
"Yeah? Am I? Say it again," I yell, stepping forward and shoving her as well. Her back slams against the far wall and I come up against her, gripping her jaw with my hand as I force her to look at me. "Say it again."
"You're a fucking bitch," she snaps as her hands come up to the hem of my sweater and she yanks me forward. I'm completely soaked, we both are. The fabric of our clothes clinging tightly to our frames while we fight. My breaths pick up speed, my chest rubbing against hers while we struggle against each other. "A fucking slut who spreads her legs or anyone she can get attention from."
Arousal pools in my lower stomach. I don't even know why, but all of this toxic energy is coursing between us and infecting the air, slithering along our bodies and making me wet. I push forward, crashing my lips against hers as I bite her bottom lip and pull back harshly. She shoves me away, breaking our kiss but comes forward as well, pushing me back until we're both breathing heavily under the steady stream of scorching hot water.
"Say it, you're a slut, aren't you?" she growls as she rips my sweater up and over my head, dropping the sopping wet mess to the floor below us. She wraps her fingers around my throat and twists my head to the side as her teeth drag across the edge of my jaw. "Say it, Aura."
Her fingers tighten, pulling me against her as my pussy throbs in need of her touch. I shouldn't love this, it's wrong and derogatory, and cruel.
But I do. I can't get enough of it.
"Yeah," I whimper as her hand comes up to massage my breast. Her finger slides against my nipple, pulling it and tugging until I'm arching my back and begging for more.
"For who? Who do you belong to?" Ruby demands, her hand continues moving and playing with my tits, my nipples, sliding down and then gripping my ass as she rolls her hips against my own.
"You," I say as I lean to the side and pull away from her lips, only to turn slightly so that I can claim her mouth with my own. "Always you. Only you."
Her tongue dives into my mouth and her hands become desperate as she releases my throat. She shoves down my sweatpants and I kick them to the side as I reach for her shorts and fishnets and do the same. I lift the wet crop top she was wearing and yank it over her head, savoring in the feeling of her naked body against mine while we move under the water.
Her hand slides behind my knee as she yanks it up and over her hip, grinding her pussy against my own while she kisses me. Her lips fall to my neck as she trails her tongue along my flesh, tasting me, licking the water as it cascades over my skin.
I glance down, watching her body move against my own when I realize the base of the shower is washed in red. The blood she had staining her body, both hers and Dom's rinses off of her and mixes in a sinister shade of victory below us.
Because I do consider what happened tonight a victory.
She stabbed Dom, she fucking hurt him. She stood up to him and took a piece of his pain for herself. That's fucking beautiful.
And we discovered a truth about Dom that we didn't know. That he is a major part of The Nation, associated with Malin and my past in a way I had no idea of.
Those make this worth it, all of it. The pain, the injuries, the danger. I'll take all of it again and again if it means gaining those victories.
She feels good, like she's on fire. Even after what she just went through, the break down we both experienced in that room. She's coming alive again, reviving my own touch with her heated demands and words.
How is it that I've fallen so hard for her, so quickly? I was perfectly content doing my own thing, being alone for the rest of my life while I found a way to fight against Dom myself.
But she's changed everything. She's taken her tragedy and transformed it into a masterpiece of redeeming strokes. Paint splashed in red and green and blue and pink. That's how I see her, a mix of countless shades coloring her energy in beauty.
I've been a mess tonight. I'll admit it. I thought she needed strength, a rock to lean on while she shattered but I should have known that isn't her anymore. No, she's so much stronger than that now.
Then I thought she'd be safer without me. I could distract Dom with my own problems, my own fights in order to keep him away from her. But she's
right, Dom has been a piece of her life far longer than I realized. He isn't going to stop looking for her any time soon.
Now? I think I'm finally realizing what it is she actually needs from me. And it's the only thing I'm dying to get from her as well.
Connection.
Energy.
Vibes.
All of the things that I felt when I first met her, the way she drained my attention from anyone else in the room while I fell for her.
Because I did, the moment I fucking saw her sitting in front of my stage. The second her body was pressed against mine while I danced on her. The instant her energy filled the space and suffocated me in everything that felt like her. I fell, hard and fast and without any second thought as to what I was doing.
"I need this," she whimpers as her fingers bite into my waist and she pulls my hips even harder against hers. "You. Us. Whatever this is between us. Give it to me."
Our bodies move together, grinding and rolling as my pussy slides against hers. The friction is addicting, my pussy so wet and aching for release while my hard nipples brush against hers. "I'm sorry," I say again, because I have to. She has to know I never meant for her to be hurt by Dom.
"Stop saying you're sorry and fuck me. I don't need a reminder of what happened, I need to release everything with you." Her lips crash against mine and I shift her leg even higher on my hip as I roll into her again and again and again.
My pussy rubs against hers while her moans slip from her mouth and coat the air in her voice. I fucking love the way our bodies feel designed for each other. Her nipples hard and tight as they slip against my chest through the hot water, her tiny waist and thick thighs while they wrap around me and I fuck her against the wall of my shower. It's too fucking good, too right.
"Aura," I moan, seeking her attention for a moment while her hands wrap around my neck and she brings my forehead to rest against hers. Her breath is rapid and heavy against my lips while I slam against her, my hand sliding down between us while I press my thumb against her swollen clit. "I'm always going to want you. Always dream of you. You've ruined me for anyone else. Do you know that? I can't fucking think straight when you're around, can't imagine being with anyone else that isn't you."
She moans, her head falls back while I continue speaking against the soft skin under her jaw. My finger slips inside of her while I continue fucking her, thrusting in and out in sync with my own my hips. "Even when you think I don't, I want you. The second you stepped into my club, you were mine."
"Tell me again," she cries while I feel her pussy tighten against my finger, I slip in another one, stretching her out while she begins losing herself completely.
"You're mine. Do you understand? You belong to me." I can't help the moans that are falling from my own mouth, I bite her ear and suck on it, letting my tongue trail across her soft skin before releasing. "Fuck, Aura." I breathe out, readying myself to say what I'm aching to when she opens her bright green eyes and meets my gaze steadily with her own. It's like she feels it coming, realizing she wants to be completely present for this as her thumb trails across my lower lip and her own mouth falls open just barely.
"I love you," she whispers, shattering through the tension and saying it before the words tumble from my own lips. I can't help the smile that pulls at my face, lighting me up while her orgasm pulls and breaks around me. My own follows suit, that tight rope snapping in one quick motion as we continue riding against each other.
"I love you," I say back, crashing my lips to hers while I savor in the taste of her against me. I slide my tongue up the side of her mouth before tangling with hers again. I suck on her, and release, flicking her upper lip and then biting her lower one until she whimpers against my mouth.
Fuck, it's perfect. All of it. In everything we are, every mess we've made, every obstacle we've overcome.
I know we're so far from the nightmare being over, but if we're together, we can destroy it all.
I drop her leg and let her catch her breath, resting my lips against the crook in her neck as I continue slowly kissing her. My hands are still moving, languidly lifting up her stomach and kneading her breasts while we both fall from the euphoric high of our releases. Her hands are draped across my shoulders, her fingers tangling through my hair while she holds me against her.
After a few moments, I pull away and take her hand in mine, stepping out of the shower and reaching for two clean towels so that we can dry off. I leave her in the bathroom alone for a few minutes while I head back to my room and find clothes for us. I leave them on the bed, reaching for my own set of panties when she quietly steps into the room and drops her towel to the floor.
"Don't," she whispers as she steps up to me and pulls the thin fabric from my hands. "Don't get dressed tonight. I just want to keep feeling you. I love your body against mine, feeling your breath on my skin. I don't want anything between us tonight."
I lean forward and press my lips to hers as I grip her waist tightly and pull her to me. She's fucking perfect, and soon enough we're another bout of tangled limbs as we climb into my bed and under my covers.
"What are you doing now?" I ask as Aura hurries back into the bedroom and climbs on top of the bed. "It's like three in the morning. Do you ever fucking sleep?" I rub my palms against my eyes, exhausted from everything that's happened. But mostly tired from every moment Aura wants to fuck, or lick, or taste and I can't help but give in. Because I can't get enough of her.
"I want to remember tonight," she says playfully as she lifts her hands in front of her face and I realize she's holding something large and black. I narrow my eyes in the darkness, realizing she's holding her camera and aiming it down at me.
I laugh, dropping my hands in front of my face as I hear her snap the trigger and a flash lights up the dark room. She pulls away from the eyepiece, staring into the back of the camera with a genuinely wide smile stretching her lips. She’s happy. So fucking happy, even after everything that’s happened.
“Look at me,” she whispers, that easy smile shifting into something a little darker.
“I can’t look, that flash is bright as fuck.” I laugh, my eyebrows cocking up at the clear demand she’s giving me.
“Fine, then keep them closed. But don’t cover your face, I want to see you.”
I shut my eyes, feeling the weight of her shift as she climbs up my waist over the covers and straddles my stomach. I drop my hands to her bare thighs, letting my fingers slowly slide up and across her heated skin. I can already feel the goosebumps breaking through under my touch and I can hear the slight intake of her breath while I touch her.
Suddenly, I feel the blanket shift, and I realize her hand is resting against my stomach while she drags the comforter slowly down my chest, exposing myself for her.
“What pictures are you trying to take, Vibe Girl?” I taunt, arching my back as I pretend to stretch underneath her. My nipples tighten at both the cold air and the idea of her camera on me.
“The ones I want to keep forever.” Her voice is barely audible, but it screams through my blood as if she’s shouting. I open my eyes, daring to meet the wide lens of her camera while she watches me through another perspective.
She leans down and I watch as her free hand lifts to my mouth. Her thumb traces my lip before sliding inside and I open up for her, trailing my tongue along her skin until I close my lips around it and suck.
Snap.
She catches me off guard, the flash illuminating the room and blinding me for a brief moment while she takes a picture of the action. She slides down a bit, grazing her spread fingers across my chest, catching my nipple between two of them while she feels me.
Snap.
Another one. But this time I have my eyes shut and avoid the flash. She moves even lower, but she tilts her camera back up to my face as she speaks again. “Lift your hands over your head.” Her voice is dark and husky while she commands me. A wave of flames light under my skin at her authority. She does this sometimes, diving d
eeper into her own demons and letting them out to take charge.
I decide to tease her though, so I slowly drag my fingers up my own stomach, tracing languid patterns across my flesh until I reach my breast. I play with myself, squeezing and massaging while her camera stays trained on the movement. I brush my thumb across my beaded nipple, pinching and pulling the piercing there while I arch my back at my own touch.
Snap.
I laugh, a quiet and quick sound as I trail higher, drawing them up my neck and into my hair before finally entwining them together above my head.
Without a word, she snaps another picture. Her chest is rising and falling with quickened breaths and my heart is pounding my chest while she watches me in the thick silence. Her camera falls down my body, tilting lower and lower until I feel Aura drag the blanket all the way down my legs.
The cold air brushes along my pussy, I’m already wet again and we’ve been going at it all fucking night. Her fingers slip under my knee as she lifts my leg and spreads them, letting the camera fall to the apex of my thighs.
Her fingers shift, slowly sliding up my leg until she’s brushing her finger along my pussy. I watch her hand the entire time, anticipating the idea of her filling me again. Suddenly, she surprises me by pushing three fingers inside at once, stretching and catching me off guard while my legs fall open even wider and a loud moan falls from my mouth.
Snap.
Another picture, but just when I think it’s of her fingering my pussy, I glance up to find the camera trained on my face.
“That moment, right there. When you belong to me completely. When you’re at my mercy and you’re begging for my touch. That’s the moment I want to keep forever,” she says quietly, but confidently. She knows what she wants and she’s taking it. Her idea of what she intends to keep forever washes through me and I ache to claim her all over again.