“It’s a lot more than I thought I’d have, too,” Nica said. “Since coming here, to Apedra, and meeting you, I’ve started to feel again, even with the ring. I feel a little guilty about it, to be honest. But not so guilty that I’m willing to give up what looks a lot like a chance at happiness.”
Ian reached out to cup her jaw in his hand, surprised by how large his hand was compared to her face. “I don’t know anything about…what were their names?”
“They were the Dracon-Bats, Quenton, Samson, and Karlson.”
“Dracon bats?” Ian asked, frowning. “I read a list of the clans and I remember the Dracons, but I don’t recall any bats.”
“There aren’t any bats, Ian,” Nica said, smiling. “The heads of Clan Dracon are the Princes. The next highest ranked members of the clan are called Dracon-Bat because bat means one in their ancient language.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense then,” Ian said, returning her smile. Then his smile faded and he looked into her eyes again. “Like I said, I don’t know anything about them, the Dracon-Bats. But, since they were meant to be your soul-mates, I know they had to have been good men.”
“They were,” Nica said, nodding. “They were really good men, in every way.”
“Then there is no possibility that they’d ever begrudge you happiness, Nica. Wherever they are, I can’t believe they’re anything but overjoyed at the idea of you loving, and being loved in return. I know that’s how I’d feel.”
Something deep inside of Nica eased at his words, like a knot suddenly unraveled. She smiled and squeezed his hands. “You’re right, Ian. I know you are. They would be happy for me. Thank you.”
“I love you, Nica,” he said, looking deep into her dark blue eyes. The emotion he saw there made his heart leap in his chest.
“I love you too, Ian,” Nica said, returning his gaze steadily. “Very much.”
He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. When he started to draw back, she followed him, an invitation he could not ignore. He placed his palms on the side of her face and deepened the kiss, plunging his tongue into her mouth over and over, savoring the hot, sweet flavor of her. When she ran the tip of her tongue along his, returning his caress, he moaned helplessly, then shivered when she moaned in response.
“We need to stop this,” he said, panting heavily.
“We do?” Nica asked, as breathless as he was.
“Well, we at least have to make a decision,” he said, summoning every scrap of will he possessed.
“What kind of decision?”
“I know this is old fashioned, Nica, but you have to know that, if we do this, if we join our bodies together in the most intimate of acts, it’s forever. I’ll never willingly let you go.”
“You want me to decide my entire future right this moment?” Nica asked.
It was on the tip of Ian’s tongue to say yes, but he saw the withdrawal in her eyes, and reconsidered. He hadn’t lied. She was his soul-mate. He didn’t care how it had happened, or why. It just was, and he knew it. He also knew that if they made love, he would forever consider her his. And if they didn’t make love? He smiled to himself. He would consider Nica his to love and honor from this moment on, no matter what, and sex had nothing to do with it. But if he tried to press her into a commitment right now, he might very well lose her.
“No, love,” he said. “I’m just telling you how I feel, that’s all. You don’t have to decide anything except what you want to do next, and that only because I don’t want you to have any regrets.” The relief in her eyes told him that he’d said the right thing.
“Have you ever…?” she asked hesitantly.
“No, I haven’t. You?”
Nica’s eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head. “No.”
“Good, then neither of us has to be embarrassed for not knowing what we’re doing.”
Nica laughed softly, then leaned in to kiss him again. “Do you, or don’t you?” he asked when they came up for air again. “Keep in mind that we only have about six hours before we hit the road.”
“Okay,” Nica said, leaning all the way back against the couch now. “I’m sorry, Ian. I didn’t mean to push.”
“No no no,” Ian said, taking her chin gently in his hand. He urged her to turn her head back toward him and waited for her to look up. “Don’t think for a moment that I’m rejecting you, Nica. Or that I don’t want you, because I do. Very much. But there’s only one first time. I want ours to be perfect.”
Nica smiled and relaxed again. “It will be perfect no matter what happens, because it’ll be the two of us together. That alone will make it perfect.”
“Yes, you’re right about that,” Ian said, then kissed her again. Nica wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull herself closer to him, but the way they were sitting on the sofa prevented it. Then Ian placed his hands at her waist and lifted her up. “Wrap her legs around me,” he whispered against her lips. Nica immediately complied, moaning softly when the center of her body pressed against the hard length of his erection. Ian pulled her closer still, his mouth claiming hers with growing urgency.
Nica ran her hands over the hard muscle of Ian’s shoulders and arms, letting herself get lost in the heat and passion of his kiss. She felt like she couldn’t get close enough so she wrapped her legs more tightly around him, the need to be connected to him growing so quickly it made her a little dizzy. When Ian slid his hands beneath her shirt and ran his hot hands against her back she shuddered uncontrollably and strained more tightly against him.
She broke the kiss, panting for air, and looked up at Ian, letting him see her growing frustration and need. Ian smiled and stood up, holding Nica close, her body so petite compared to his that it took little effort on his part. He carried her around the sofa and over to the bed, turned around and sat down on the edge with her in his lap, legs still wrapped around him.
Nica found the hem of his shirt and grasped it, then pulled it up his back. She had to lean away from him in order to free the shirt from his stomach, then raised it higher until it caught beneath his arms. Ian smiled, released his hold on her and finished taking his shirt off himself. He tossed it on the floor, then stilled as Nica pulled her own top off and let it fall to the floor with his, leaving only a white satin bra between his eyes and her breasts.
He raised his hands slowly, cupping her breasts in his palms and running his thumbs lightly over the satin covered nipples, back and forth, teasing them until they grew into stiff nubs poking at the fabric. Nica’s breathing became harsh little pants, her head going back as her back arched toward him, wordlessly seeking more. He leaned forward, placing his teeth gently at the base of one hard nipple and squeezing gently before sucking the fabric covered flesh into his mouth.
Nica’s hands went to the back of his head, her fingers in his hair tightening when he moved to the other nipple and repeated the hot caress. She shuddered, and he pulled back, panting as he fought for control. Nica straightened up, then reach back to unhook her bra, letting it slide down her arms. It fell away but Ian didn’t notice, far too interested in his first sight of her bared breasts.
They were small, firm orbs, perfectly proportioned for her body, with hard coral pink nipples. He leaned forward again, sucked one into his mouth, and ran his tongue slowly across it. Nica’s hands returned to his head, gripping him tightly. He moved to the other nipple and gave it the same treatment, then back to the first, and again, until Nica’s hands were pulling his hair almost hard enough to be painful and she was moaning his name over and over.
He slid his hands down to the fastening of her pants and unbuttoned them, but could do no more with her legs around his waist. He raised his head, placed one hand behind her neck and pulled her mouth down to his. He thrust his tongue between her lips, retreated, thrust again, taking her mouth hard, fast, and deep the way he wanted to take her body. Nica’s hips arched against him in time with his tongue and he responded helplessly, pressing his groin against
hers.
They broke apart, gasping as though they’d both just run a mile. “Ian,” Nica panted when she could speak, “please, I need you.”
Ian responded immediately by standing up and lifting her away from him. She lowered her legs from around his waist and put her feet on the floor, then kicked off her shoes. Ian’s hands went to the waist of her pants and pushed them down over her hips. He paused, looking into her eyes as he slid his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties, then lowered himself to his knees as he lowered her pants and underwear down her body, revealing her inch by slow inch to his gaze. When the bunched clothing reached her ankles she pulled one foot free, then the other, and kicked the clothing aside, but Ian remained where he was, kneeling before her, feasting his eyes on her body.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, running his palms from her tiny ribcage to her tinier waist, then out to the curve of her hips, back in and down her thighs to her calves and ankles. Her body was long, lean muscle covered with silky soft skin, small but perfectly formed and undeniably feminine. She was obviously strong, but at the same time, utterly soft.
“My turn,” she whispered, and he smiled at the unashamed anticipation in her voice. He stood up, unable to keep his hands from running back up her body as he rose, or stopping to give each pert nipple a kiss on the way. She reached for his zipper and lowered it while he kicked off his shoes, then she copied his actions, lowering his pants as she lowered herself to the floor in front of him.
The sight of her kneeling before him, her large dark blue eyes fixed on his erection, her long silky brown hair spilling down her back, was almost more than he could take. When the tip of her tongue emerged from between her pink lips and licked them, he had to clench his fists and lock his knees. When she ran her hands up his legs to the back of his thighs and leaned forward, he held his breath. When that soft pink tongue came out and touched his cock, he threw his head back and released a deep, guttural groan. The feel of her tongue running from the base of his cock to the tip was so intensely pleasurable that it was almost painful. When she swirled her tongue around the head, he knew he couldn’t take any more and took a step back.
He hung his head, eyes closed as he again fought for control. When he opened his eyes and saw Nica still kneeling there, an expression of surprised hurt on her face, he felt tears sting his eyes. He dropped to his knees and placed his palms gently on her cheeks. “I’m sorry, love, it just felt too good, too intense. I needed to stop before I lost control.”
Nica’s eyes widened in sudden understanding, then she smiled. He stood up again, then bent to pick her up, and laid down on the bed with her still in his arms. He rolled over so that she was on her back and released her, then kissed her again, more slowly this time, exploring her mouth with his tongue as he explored her body with his hand. Starting at her neck, he ran his hand slowly down her shoulder, to her chest, over one breast, then the other, pinching her nipples lightly, then down her ribs to her flat, taut stomach, to the silky soft hair between her legs. He groaned deeply when his fingers found the wetness that coated her thighs, and pressed his erection against her hip in response. He left her mouth and placed slow hot kisses along her jaw to her ear, paused to suck the tender lobe into his mouth briefly before moving down to her neck.
He slid his fingers up her thigh to the hot moist folds, parting them carefully, using his thumb to stroke the hard nub of her clitoris. Nica’s hips thrust forward, pressing against his hand as a soft whimper escaped her. He knew that neither of them could wait much longer, but he had to make sure she was prepared first, otherwise he might hurt her, and he didn’t think he could live with that.
He pressed one finger carefully into her tight passage, gasping as her muscles instantly tightened around him. He stroked in and out until she relaxed, then added another finger, scissoring them apart, forcing himself to go slowly even as her nails dug into his arm.
“Ian, please,” she gasped harshly. “Please.”
He nodded and withdrew his fingers. He couldn’t wait any longer either. He rolled on top of her, using one arm to hold his weight off of her, glad when she parted her legs for him. He settled between them, the heat at the center of her body urging him on. He placed the tip of his cock at her entrance and arched his hips, entering her as slowly as he could, watching her face for the slightest sign of discomfort.
“Ian, please,” she whispered, arching her hips up to meet him. “I’m not going to break.”
He paused and looked into her eyes, then thrust hard, sinking his entire throbbing length into her hot and welcoming depths. He froze, his heart racing as he fought to remain still until she adjusted to him. After a moment her legs went around his waist, her arms went around his neck and she arched into him, telling him all he needed to know.
He withdrew, then plunged back into her, setting up a long, steady rhythm that she caught and matched. They looked into each other’s eyes as their pleasure grew, their bodies slapping together faster and faster as, together, they raced toward ultimate pleasure. Ian gritted his teeth, fighting back the tidal wave he felt gathering within him, wanting…needing…Nica to come first. He shifted his body, changing the angle of his thrusts just enough that his hot flesh stroked her hard nub. Nica stiffened, her head back and mouth open wide as her orgasm crashed into her. The sight of her coming sent Ian into his own orgasm, his entire body contracting and spasming with intense pleasure unlike anything he’d ever imagined.
How long they laid there, clinging to each other, their bodies joined, hearts racing, neither of them knew, nor cared. After a while Ian came to his senses enough to worry that he was crushing Nica, so he withdrew carefully, then rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him so that she laid on top of him, her hair spread across his chest.
“That was…beautiful,” Nica said softly. “I never imagined it would be like that.”
“No?” Ian asked, rubbing his fingers against the soft skin of her shoulder, knowing somehow that, for the remainder of his life, nothing else would ever feel so soft to him. “What did you imagine?”
“Well, I knew the mechanics, of course, and I knew that it had to be pleasurable, otherwise why would people do it? But I also thought that it would be a little embarrassing, and rather messy.” He felt her smile against his chest.
“And now?” he asked.
“Now, none of that matters in the least,” she said. “It was just beautiful. I feel connected with you now, in a way that goes beyond the physical.” She shrugged, and he felt her face heat. “I guess that sounds silly and romantic.”
“Yes, it does, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s true,” he said. “I feel connected to you too, Nica. I don’t ever want to feel this way with anyone else.”
“Neither do I, Ian,” she said. “Neither do I.”
Chapter 10
Ian was staring out the window of the ground car, trying hard not to think about Bree with Gordon Thomas, but the closer they got to Cidade, the harder it became to think about anything else. He glanced over at Nica, who sat on the other end of the back seat, staring out her window, then down to their hands, joined together on the console between them. He couldn’t see her face, but he could see the long thick braid she always wore hanging over her shoulder, the end resting on the leather seat. He’d spent a good portion of the night running his fingers through the thick silkiness of her unbound hair while she slept, and trying not to imagine what it would feel like wrapped around his body.
He turned back to his own window, wishing there was something new to look at, but it was just the same green fields and blue sky for miles and miles. Nica gasped in surprise, and he immediately turned to look at her again. She was staring at something outside the window and seemed to be beckoning it inside. He frowned, watching her face as she watched…something. Something he couldn’t see.
She pulled her hand from his with a quick smile, then held it next to the glass. A few moments later she moved her hand to the console between the
m and held it there as though something was on her palm and she was waiting for it to move. Then she repeated the exercise; placing the side of her hand against the window, waiting, then moving it to the console.
“Nica?” he asked hesitantly.
“I know how this must look, Ian,” she said, barely glancing up at him. “I promise to explain in just a moment.”
“All right,” he said. She was staring intently at something on the console, and seemed to be listening carefully. She gasped again, her face paling, then looked up at him with worry in her eyes before looking back down at the console.
“Is there anything you can do so that Ian can see you?” she asked. Her brows rose in surprise. “Okay,” she said, sounding doubtful, “I’ll try.”
She looked up at him again, and he knew immediately that whatever she was about to say, she didn’t think he’d believe her. “What is it?”
“First of all, please don’t place anything on the console, or lean on it or anything.”
Nica's Legacy (Hearts of ICARUS Book 1) Page 23