Page 49 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

48

GIDEON

I wasn’t sure how long I was passed out amidst the stale smell of terrible wine and aged barrels. My eyes slowly cracked open, grateful for the profound darkness. I groaned, sitting up off the wilted grass. My fingers ruffled my hair as I fought grogginess accompanied by a terrible headache. I welcomed the light buzz of alcohol still in my veins, though quickly dwindling. Orest was long gone as I made my way out, strolling through the sleeping camp, back to my tent. There was a certain serenity outside, as the chilled, night air filled my lungs. The cloudless sky was covered in stars, caught in between the late night and early morning glow. The miniscule Destroyer fires scattered across the camp were nothing but embers now, the little streaks of smoke stretching out in lazy ribbons. I sauntered, taking the long way back, attempting to organize my jumbled thoughts.

Yet, my thoughts all crashed into one, and I almost tripped, abruptly stopping in my tracks, my eyes freezing at the recognition of the one person I was supposed to avoid today.

Finnleah closed the tall, log-like door behind her, stepping away from the shadow-covered walls of the shower house. I had to blink a few times, unsure if it was truly her. I had to have been dreaming, because she was standing there in nothing but a small gray towel, wrapped around her body. Her unbound, wet hair dropped to her bare shoulders as she hopped on one leg, putting on her slippers while holding the top of the towel with her other hand.

Whatever lingering effects of alcohol were there before, disappeared in a single blink. My body immediately filled with such burning need that my skin felt as though it was going to melt. I’d never experienced this kind of desire before. All consuming.

I fucking wanted her more than air. In fact, I didn’t think I knew how to breathe anymore. Finnleah glanced around, scanning the surrounding area as if she was looking for someone. Without a second thought, I sent my fire, pushing her flush against the wooden wall, hidden in the shadows.

“Hello, General,” she purred, not fighting my fiery restraints. “You are just the man I was looking for,” she sweetly cooed, her eyes darkening with dangerous craving. I stepped out of the shadows, closing the distance between us. She tilted her head a bit as her lips stretched in a wickedly seductive smile.

She looked like a goddess. No, better than that. Divine. Celestial.

“Finnleah…” I whispered. Her body was just a breath away from mine, my arm stretched out, hand gripping the moss-covered wall next to her head as I pinned her between my body and the wall. If reason was screaming at me, I couldn't hear it against my loudly beating heart. “It’s dangerous for someone like you to walk around in the middle of the night like this.”

She stretched her neck up, reaching my ear as I hovered over her, her sultry murmur sending shivers across my skin. “And why is it dangerous, General?”

The muscle in my jaw tensed as I felt her hot breath on my skin. “Because there are a lot of men that would want to pin you against the wall and take you,” I replied between shallow breaths.

“Oh, on the contrary, General, I think there is only one man, and he is already pinning me against the wall.” She bit her lip as her eyes hungrily lowered to mine, tempting me.

“What do you want me to do, Finnleah?” I asked, my voice less than a whisper as I lowered my face to hers. “I fucking crave you and here you are, standing in nothing but a towel.”

“You. Want. Me ?” her husky voice teased, as if surprised. Her fingers traced up my thigh, closer and closer to the tie of my pants.

“I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my entire life.” I swallowed hard, trailing my nose against her exposed neck as she leaned into my touch, my lungs filling up with her smell, clouding the last drops of sober judgment like a heavy fog.

“ Clearly ,” she stated in a lustful whisper, her eyes flooding with female satisfaction when her fingers made their way down my hardened cock.

Fuck.

The gesture itself almost sent me over the edge. I scraped my teeth against her neck, landing a kiss, then another one and another. Her skin was the softest silk against my lips. I moved a strand of wet hair away, exposing more of her shoulder, as my mouth greedily ran down her collar bone.

She gently grabbed the back of my hand, putting it on her waist.

“What is it that you want, General?” she asked, but I couldn’t think. I couldn’t say a word, only kiss, as I covered her shoulder, her neck, her jaw in yearning kisses. “You want this?” she murmured with pleasure, placing my hand on her luscious breast. My throat bobbed and my cock twitched against that touch. I groaned through the kiss, my mind forgetting how to speak, while frantically trying to remember every detail, every feel, every touch.

Too soon. She pulled on my hand too soon, and I hesitantly followed her direction. I wanted more. More of that, with that fucking towel out of the way. To grab her perfect breasts in my hands, to lick every inch of her body.

“Or…” she continued, slowly trailing my hand from her breast past her waist, down to her ass. I moved my other hand until both of my hands squeezed her tightly, my fingers sinking into her flesh. And gods, it was otherworldly. A half moan escaped my lips as she pulled me closer and kissed me on my lips, just a teasing peck.

That was not enough. I wanted more. No, I needed more, or else I would die.

I surely would.

“Or maybe, this is what you truly desire…” She deliberately moved my hand lower until it was on her thigh, but this time, she didn’t let it linger there, moving it up. My eyes widened and my heart stopped as she trailed under the towel, down her bare hip, down to her stomach, lower, until…

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

“Is this what you want, Gideon ?” she whispered my name, as she held on to my hand, just enough for my fingers to gently caress her warm and soaking core.

“ Fuck…Finnleah ,” I groaned, my hand moving up and down her drenched pussy with gentle strokes. The euphoric feeling accompanied by my almost painful, throbbing cock, eager to feel her.

“Yes, Gideon...” A tiny moan, filled with need and pleasure, escaped her pretty little mouth, and it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. My hardened body leaned into hers.

My whole soul trembled at her feel, her touch, her utmost desire. Desire for me. She was soaked because of me. For me. I had to stop thinking about that, otherwise I’d come right now.

But just before I was about to slip my finger inside her, devastating realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

No. No. No. My whole body protested, ached. My tongue refused to move, yet I still found myself asking, “How much did you have to drink today?” I murmured against her neck, unable to stop my lips from caressing her, addicted to the feeling of her trembling against my touch as she arched her back, leaning into me. “ How much , Finnleah?” My jaw tensed.

Please, tell me none, my mind silently begged.

Just say none. Please. Please. Please.

I would sell myself to the fucking demons right now, for her to say none. Yet, the overwhelming physical hurt, almost bringing me to my knees, rolled through my body as I pulled my hand away from her.

“Enough to know that I want you right now. All of you, deep inside me. Don’t you want to take me? To fill me up until I remember nothing but your name as I moan it in your ear, until we both find release?” she murmured, trying to pull my hand back to her.

“For the love of all things holy. Do not say that ,” I implored, not even caring that for once in my life, my voice trembled. My whole mind was deeply aware that with one more sentence from her luscious lips, whatever sheer threads of self-control I was holding on to would be gone.

“My love, my little wildfire…” I wasn’t sure if it was the shallow, heated panting or the fact that I was about to say the things I was about to say, but I stood there, so fucking lightheaded. I would probably pass out if it wasn’t for the sheer demand of my body to stay with her, to take in her flickering eyelashes, her gleaming eyes.

Though not a cloud in the sky, I wished for lightning to strike me right now, to kill me before I’d let her go. “You, Finnleah, are absolutely divine…” I couldn’t resist as I kissed her pursed lips again. “And I want you more than these useless words could ever describe…It’s not even a want. I need you more than I need air itself.” I was trying to come up with the right words, but my mind was preoccupied, remembering how wet she was for me. “But I can’t have you right now.”

There, I said it.

Now take it back , my mind screamed. Take it back and take her right now . “I can’t do this...” Yes, yes you could, and you’d make sure she would enjoy every second of it. I attempted to shut out my traitorous thoughts, but they swirled in protest. She moaned in frustration, sending shivers down my spine, still dragging my hand to her core.

“Not like this, my love. Not when you are drunk…” My jaw was going to snap. I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to take her right now, to thrust deep within her warmth. As if reading my thoughts, she grabbed my cock, this time tighter, possessively, demanding. My balls jerked at her touch, and I frantically scrambled for the vanishing control as my hips pushed against her hand harder. She smiled wickedly; her eyes sparkled with undeniable want.

Fuck . Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

I yanked her hand away from me, holding her wrists tight above her head. “No, not like this.”

I hated myself right now, more than I ever had before, seeing angry frustration cover her face as I rejected her. I landed another kiss, distracting her, until her eyes were back on mine. “When I take you. When I have all of you, I want to know with absolute surety that you’d wake in my bed without a single doubt or regret. And that you want me too. Not just wine-driven sex, but that you want all of me, because I, my goddess, my queen, my little wildfire, I want all of you . ”