Page 56 of Dissent (The Dissenter Saga #1)

E very nerve inside of me was electrified, and the feeling of want, of need , created a desperation that I felt I would never escape.

My hand traveled up his body, from his abs to his chest, resting where I could feel the beat of his heart.

His hand on my back pulled me closer, his body molded against mine, while his other hand glided toward the nape of my neck, nestling into the locks of my hair.

His lips searched me. They traveled from my mouth, to my jaw, to the sensitive place behind my ear before skimming back to find my lips once more.

I gave in to him. I let him take everything.

Everything he wanted, he could have. I just didn’t want him to stop.

My fingers pulled on his shirt, twisting the fabric, drawing him closer to me.

He groaned then, deep in his throat. Before I knew what was happening, I was off my feet, being carried in the air, his lips never leaving mine.

And then, I was on my back, my hair falling around me with the weight of Matias’s body pinning me to the ground in the most delicious way.

His one arm partially supported his weight while the other glided down my shoulder, over the swell of my chest, down the side of my rib cage, and then rested on my hip as the fingers curled under my bottom, pulling me up against him.

The action caused me to gasp as my nerves danced, electrified by the sensations.

I didn’t know what was happening anymore. The entire experience was new to me, and I was losing myself. I was losing all self-control as something way more primal, way more desperate, was rising within me.

As if in response, my body had a will of its own, and I arched my back involuntarily against him. My head tipped back, giving easier access to the lips that were exploring my body and traveling down the length of my neck to my collarbone.

“I missed you,” he breathed out in between kisses.

I couldn’t even form words. When I tried to respond to him, a moan escaped me instead. He laughed, deep and thick . He gave me a few more kisses, but his movements slowed, the desperation easing. With one last kiss on my lips, he bumped his nose against mine and rolled off me.

Immediately, I was missing the warmth of him against me. And I found myself a little more than annoyed at the sudden stop of it. “Hey, come back here,” I said as I pulled myself onto my elbows.

His face lit up with a smile as he shook his head. “As much as I could do that all day, I want to show you something else.”

I tried to look excited, but I was disappointed.

I doubted there was anything else he could show me that would top what we were just doing.

But I gave in, bringing myself up into a sitting position.

We were on the blanket. I was so lost in the please-give-me-more experience that it never even registered he had carried us over to it.

“Okay, what is it?” He waggled his eyebrows at me, and I burst out into laughter. He had never done that to me before, and he looked absolutely ridiculous doing it. “Very sexy of you.”

Then he laughed as he turned his attention to the bag next to him, rummaging through it, and pulling out a small box. “This is for you. Happy birthday.”

“How did you know? Is there a freaking birthday board posted somewhere that I don’t know about?” I took the box from him.

He tipped his head, arching a brow with a smirk. “Birthday board? No .”

“Then how did you know?”

He chuckled. “How do you think?”

“Edith?”

He nodded and then returned his attention to the box. “Open it.”

It was nothing fancy, just a simple box the size of my palm. I pulled off the lid and inside lied…a waxy rock.

What in the world?

It was dark brown, almost black, and a smell rose to my nose. Sweet, but also slightly bitter.

I was confused. “Um…what is it?” I looked up at him, catching a smile spreading across those delicious lips of his.

“Try it.”

“What?”

He laughed. “It’s food.”

My brows knitted together. “Food?”

“Taste it.”

“Is this a joke?”

He shook his head, the smile growing even bigger. “Just try it. Trust me.”

I looked at him dubiously, but picked up the small chunk with my thumb and forefinger. I took a quick whiff, and the sweet smell invited me in. Placing it on my lips, I opened my mouth and took a small bite.

I was so glad that I did.

The taste was incredible. The substance melted in my mouth, creamy and smooth, sweet with a hint of nutty bitterness. It was good, real good. “Mmm.”

“I know, right?”

I took another small bite, moving my tongue over the waxy smoothness. “What is this?”

His eyes flickered beautifully, like the flame of a candle. “My favorite food I’ve ever tried. Chocolate.”

“ This is chocolate?”

“Yeah. It’s good, isn’t it?”

“Oh hell yeah.” I shook my head as my tongue played with the melting substance.

He watched me, satisfaction in his expression. “Finish it.”

“You don’t want a bite?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy it. That’s good enough for me.”

I took the last bite, relishing how the texture coated the inside of my mouth. “Thank you.”

He beamed. “You’re welcome.”

***

We sat there for hours, talking about the world.

Apparently, some of the other regions could still farm and grow food.

But it was expensive and hard to get. I asked Matias how he got the chocolate, but he refused to tell me, saying he had his ways and wouldn’t budge from there.

We watched the sky change colors as the sun continued to drift closer and closer to the horizon.

He asked about my review. We told jokes and shared stories.

He asked me questions about growing up in Telvia, about what Raúl and Belinda were like. He even asked about Jacob.

“I have a hard time believing he’s one of the good guys,” he said.

I smacked his shoulder. “Well, he is . So get used to it.” I looked back out at the horizon, admiring the colorful hues of reds and oranges beginning to shift to pinks and purples.

“When we were kids, he always stood up for me against Belinda. Twice, he even got in the way when she hit me. I think it was the third time he did that, she started dragging me down into the basement. She could lock him out, do what she was going to do with me, and not worry about him getting in the middle of it.”

Matias was silent, but he placed his hand on my back, as if wanting me to know that he was here and that I was safe now.

“She hated that we were so close. At one point, she even hit him, and she never did that before. She had left me in the basement for days after probably one of the worst beatings I had ever gotten. I was seven.” The memory was drifting in my mind, the sounds of the whip cracking in the air, the smell of iron-rich blood, all so faint now.

“I don’t even remember what I did that made her so angry. ”

“What happened next?” His voice was gentle, laced with a hint of encouragement.

I took a deep breath. “Jacob let me out.” A smile crossed my lips as I visualized the spear of light slicing through the dark from the opened door.

“I thought it was Raúl finally deciding that it was enough and letting me out.” I snorted.

“Silly me to think that my dad would actually try to rescue me. But it was Jacob, just standing in the doorway, telling me to hurry.” My throat stung with unshed tears.

“When she found out, she actually hit him. I don’t think I’d ever seen her wail on him as hard as she did that day.

She was just so angry . I don’t know if it’s because he defied her or because he was helping me or what.

But Raúl had to get involved with that one.

” I shuddered, remembering the sounds of Jacob’s screams. “He never opened the door to the basement for me again, and I didn’t want him to either.

But he’d sneak me nourishment pills and cups of water.

He’d check on me every day, slipping stuff through the door.

” I sighed and shook my head slightly, trying to remove the memory from my mind.

Matias was quiet for a moment, the silence stretching between us. Then he sighed. “Maybe he’s not all bad…” It was a tease, an attempt to help lighten the mood. It worked.

“He’s not.” I bumped his shoulder with my own.

“And I bet he’ll help us once he sees all this and knows the truth.

Jacob’s different…sweet, caring. He’s not cruel like Belinda and Raúl.

He actually cares about the Telvian people.

” I turned to look at him, catching his eyes. “He’s one of the good guys.”

Matias smiled at me. “If you say he’s one of the good guys, then he’s one of the good guys.”

“He is ,” I reaffirmed, “and he’s important to me.”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to convert him into a Dissenter, just like we did with you.”

I smiled. Yes, that was the missing piece. I needed Jacob, and then everything would be perfect. “I like that plan.”

His arm snaked around my waist then, drawing me toward him and then down on our backs. He pulled me close, and I nestled up next to him, my head on his chest while his arm wrapped around me, keeping me safe.

It was so normal feeling. Like everything was right and safe in the world. And I didn’t want any of it to end. But the sun kept drifting down, darkness was creeping in around us, and dusk had arrived.

Bing, bing.

The light on Matias’s tab flashed. He lifted his left arm, bringing his tab into his line of sight.

“It’s Edith.” He unwrapped his arm around me and sat himself up.

“She’s probably wondering when I’m bringing you back.

” He glanced at me with a devilish smirk.

“Maybe I should tell her I have no intention of returning you anytime soon.”

Cheeks aflame, I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands. He turned away, tapping his finger on his mini-tab.

“What does it say?” He didn’t respond. Several seconds passed, and as they did, his body tensed up, back muscles rippling through his shirt. “Matias?”

He dropped his arm and looked at me, expression blank. “Chelsea…she’s back.”