Page 14

14

Jinn

I t had to be a dream.

I was still in a daze from coming so hard. It really did have to be a dream. I had to be still downstairs in the guest room while my infatuation with my rescuer had gotten the better of me and entered into my sleep.

Lyric had washed me so thoroughly he'd made me come.

Now, strong arms wrapped around my naked body, hugging me tight and carrying me to a big bed with a pale blue cover that looked like it was made of clouds. He bent down, still holding me, and snatched the cover back. I was still dripping but he didn't seem to care. He laid me down on the fresh sheets, then brought over a towel that was sitting on the bedstand and started to dry my chest and arms.

My hands still clutched at his shirt. I didn't want to let him go because I was sure if I did he'd vanish. I wanted to keep this moment going, absorb it, let it sink into me forever.

The towel was soft. Lyric was gentle and firm. Irresistible.

I kept my eyes closed except for brief moments when I dared to look at him, to see the expression on his face, in his eyes. I feared to see, but I needed to know.

I wasn't disappointed. He was rapt. Eyes shining a golden tone brighter than I'd ever seen. His lips were dark pink and slightly parted. He didn't look at me in the face. But he looked at my body, intent and absorbed.

This alpha wanted me. This beautiful, handsome, famous, rich, athlete wanted me. He could have anyone, but right now it was me.

He'd offered me his home, and to take care of me. Well, he was taking care of me all right. No doubts about that. I could handle that. But to have any more feelings than I was already having, that was more difficult. Because when it came time for me to leave, I knew myself very well. I was an omega who fell in love easily, who latched on. Nesting instincts were high in me. Which was why I’d avoided dating for so long. I wasn’t ready to settle down.

I needed to hold back from this one until I got myself clear-headed again. It wasn't like with Coltan. I'd been drunk, then. I’d never had feelings for him.

This was different. We'd met out of necessity, and I couldn't help but be grateful and affectionate toward my savior. But there was still that extended, temporary energy of being rescued, and being in a daze, that made me hold back and question. Was this real?

Lyric dried me all the way down to my feet, then brought the towel up to my head and ruffled my hair dry. When he was done, he tossed the towel to the floor and stretched out next to me on the edge of the mattress. His clothing was damp and felt good against my hot skin. He pulled the cloud-soft cover over me and placed his arm over my chest, then gripped my shoulder and pulled me toward him.

This means we are his.

Jinnan floated about inside me as if completely accepting. I wanted to be like him, but my thoughts were all over the place. Still, I leaned my forehead into Lyric’s chest and let him hold me in his protective embrace.

Maybe it was all my fault. Maybe I should have stepped away from him when he brought the cloth to my groin and began to rub so deliciously. But I didn't because I wanted it. I wanted him. It started the moment his dragon picked me up and brought me to their secret roost.

The room was climate controlled. Despite that, the sun beat through the windowpanes with its unrelenting warmth. Resting against Lyric’s damp clothed body cooled me, soothed me. I no longer felt any of the pain from my injuries.

Before the shower I'd been hungry. That was gone now, too, and all that was left was more exhaustion. I closed my eyes and trusted he would hold me. Maybe he'd nap himself. He had to be exhausted, too.

My body felt light, as if it had partially disintegrated during this entire scene between us. The sheets were so soft. His heartbeat drummed through me until all I knew was safety and care.

I woke in a dimness of light. For a moment I forgot where I was. It seemed like the room took a long time to create itself into something recognizable. Then, from one moment to the next, I remembered.

I'd fallen asleep with Lyric holding on to me. In Lyric’s bed. In his bedroom.

But now I was alone.

I sat up. The lightweight comforter covered me. It slid down my chest as I took in my surroundings. Everything smelled fresh and clean with an underlying scent of alpha spice. I pulled the pillow from behind me and held it up to my face inhaling Lyric’s scent. It made me dizzy.

My stomach growled. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand, forgetting for a moment about my bad ankle. I fell back on my butt, looking around for my crutches. There they were, leaning against the bed stand. Lyric had thought of everything, for in front of me I saw a robe laid out at the foot of the bed ready to be worn.

I reached out and put the robe on first, tying it tightly around the waist, then stood on my good foot and grabbed the crutches. At least now I was mobile. But navigating the stairs would be its own challenge.

Slowly, I made my way to the door. It was half ajar. From the end of the hallway, I saw the stairs and thought I could get that far at least, and then maybe call for help.

The house was big, but not too big to hear noises coming from the downstairs area. It sounded like Lyric might be in his kitchen.

When I got to the top of the staircase, I hesitated. Not wanting to look like a total weakling, I dropped one of my crutches and grabbed the banister, then with the other crutch I tested the first step down. That seemed easy enough. I felt completely balanced.

Leaving the other crutch behind me, I started to make my way down the stairs.

About halfway down, I heard footsteps coming toward me. Lyric appeared and glanced up at me.

“Jinn! Hold on. Hold on. You should have called me.”

“But I'm doing it on my own.”

“I see that you are, but still you need to get used to those crutches a little more first.” He came up the stairs two at a time.

“Show off,” I murmured under my breath.

He took my crutch from me and put his arm around my back and under my shoulders. He helped me down the rest of the way, basically lifting me with his muscles so my good foot barely touched each step. He handed me my one crutch and said, “Stay here. I'll get your other crutch.”

I watched him fly up the stairs, grab my crutch and come back down in two seconds flat.

Now that I had both crutches, I was independent again, yet he still hovered over me.

Normally, if anyone else did this to me, I would laugh and push them away. But Lyric brought out different feelings, pleasurable feelings. As if I were a treasure to hoard and guard. Maybe it was a dragon thing for me to think this way. I hadn't yet started my hoard. I hadn't yet figured out what I wanted to collect and save. Many dragons didn't ever have one. But I had always dreamed of one. Special things of my own to admire and keep.

“I made us an early dinner since we basically missed lunch,” Lyric said.

I remembered he’d brought food to the guest room, but I had only drank the juice.

“Good. I'm hungry.”

I looked around at the living room. It had a fireplace and two couches and two EZ chairs, and looked really comfy.

“How long did I sleep?” I asked.

“We both slept. About half an hour for me and an hour for you.”

Lyric walked slowly so I could follow him at my own pace. He led me to the dining room where he'd set out plates and glasses and silverware. In the center of the table was a big bowl of spaghetti topped with lots of meatballs. Immediately, the scent of the pasta hit me and my stomach gave a loud roar.

“That looks so good.”

“Sit and dig in.”

There was garlic bread in a basket under a towel, hot and dripping with butter. A tossed salad gleamed in a blue ceramic bowl. To drink, Lyric had set out water and wine.

By my plate was a pill. I looked up at him.

“Your prescription for pain.”

I nodded and took it with gulps of cool water.

Soon our plates were full, and so was my mouth. Everything tasted so good.

I wanted to talk to him about what had happened earlier. I wanted to tell him all my feelings, or at least some of them. But I didn't know how and now was not the time.

My insides felt like they were on the outside for all to see. And yet a deep instinct wanted Lyric to see it all. Unless I was completely mistaken, Lyric felt a lot of the same emotions I did. The rescue had done a lot to bond us.

After dinner, Lyric settled me in a comfy chair in the living room while he cleaned up, saying, “You're not mobile enough to help.”

He brought me water in a fancy square cut glass and sat on the part of the couch closest to my chair.

I wanted to talk so badly, but the thought of it had my cheeks hot.

“You're very quiet,” he said. “Still tired?”

“You’re quiet, too.”

He nodded in agreement. “This afternoon I did what I wanted to do. I take full responsibility.”

Okay, so now we were talking about it. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my nerves under control. “I wanted it.” My voice went hoarse.

“I know the timing is all wrong, but I can't deny a connection. Lyrican has been babbling nonstop about it.”

It took a few seconds to order my thoughts. “Maybe the timing isn't wrong. It's only Coltan's interference that makes us think so. Maybe it's right.”

“A lot of powerful and traumatic emotions have taken over in the last twenty-four hours,” he pointed out.

“I know. That's why I've been asking myself over and over again if this is real.” Why did it hurt to say that? I didn't want that possibility to exist at all.

“Lyrican says I think too much. He's pure instinct and I'm more of a rational mind. I plan out our races and the timing we need. He provides the instinctive love of the game plus speed and strength. He runs on pure emotion. When he went to rescue you the very first time he heard your scream, he moved like a dragon on the most important mission of his life. Of course, he didn't want to see you hurt, but his was not pure altruism. It was selfish. He heard you, and your cry had already spoken to his heart.”

I'd never heard such words. Like poetry. Tears burned my cheeks.

“I--I don't know what to say. I'm shaking.”

“I didn't mean to overwhelm you, but I've been thinking all day that I needed to tell you the honest truth, my thoughts, my feelings.”

“And I'm shaking because I wanted to hear exactly what you said and I still don't believe it. How can this be? Jinnan is nudging me to stop questioning you. I want to. But I'm terrified.”

Lyric dropped off the couch to his knees in front of me. “What terrifies you?”

I shook my head, and more tears spilled.

“Is it Coltan?”

“No. Not anymore.” I took a deep breath. “I want you. So why does it hurt?”

He reached out and took my hands in his. “Are you afraid I don't have the same feelings you have? Because I just spilled them all over this room and on you.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I'm afraid I'm still dreaming. I'm afraid I'm still in shock.”

Lyric leaned his head down and placed a kiss on the top of each of my hands. The touch of his lips against my skin sent tingles throughout my body.

“This is real for me, Jinn. I want to show you that. Maybe it will help?”

The word no didn't exist in my brain right now. “Yes.” I bowed my head down until my forehead touched his. I leaned my weight all the way forward and fell straight into his arms.

He sat back and brought me onto his lap, his arms tight around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck. We were face to face now, staring directly into each other's eyes. I couldn't look away as his palms pressed against my spine and brought me closer to him.

When his lips touched mine for the first time, everything went foggy, dizzy. At first, his mouth gently brushed mine like a tentative greeting. It was as if I'd been swept up in a spring wind, dragon-shifted, my wings stretched out as I glided in golden light. The whole world broke apart and was put back together again over and over.

I pressed my hands against the back of his neck until the kiss grew stronger, harder, deeper. Then I opened my mouth.

A growl escaped him and his mouth opened to mine. Our tongues touched, probed, danced. I'd never been kissed so thoroughly in all my life. But then, I'd never felt this way before.

Careful of my ankle, I wound my legs around his waist. Now I was hugging and kissing him with my entire body. I never wanted to let go.

When we broke away for air, Lyric said my name twice under his breath.

“Yes, it feels right.” It wasn't that I thought he'd asked me that, merely that I wanted to offer my side.

Jinnan was letting out little dragon roars like laughter in the distance of my mind. So happy. Of course it was right.

“Kiss me like that again,” Lyric said.

And here I thought he'd been the one doing the kissing. I leaned in and our mouths opened to each other again. Warmth flooded my body. His kiss went straight to my soul.

We made out like that on the floor of his living room for quite some time before opening our eyes all bleary and dazed as if from a dream.

We smiled at each other. We laughed together. We stroked each other's arms and chests and backs. We pressed our cheeks together. It was like I'd known him forever though we'd only just met.

I wasn't wearing any underwear and my ass felt wet. My cock was as hard as it had been in the shower. I didn't get wet for alphas based purely on physical attraction. I had to have an emotional connection, too. Now I was wetter than wet. I wanted him on every level of my being.

“I have to have you,” Lyric whispered.

“I want you so much. That's the truth. And it is real.”

Lyric’s smile broadened. I grinned back. That giddy energy of falling in love that romance novels and poems talked about was happening between us.

“Will you carry me upstairs?”

“Gladly.”

He got up, stood over me and held out his hand to help me stand. I hopped on one foot, fell against him and he lifted me up, arms under my knees and shoulders. Standing like that, he leaned down and kissed me again.

I let out a cry of ecstasy, a tone I hadn't heard before or known I could make.

Lyric turned and headed for the staircase.

Upstairs, he aimed straight for the bed.

“Bathroom first,” I said quickly.

We made the detour. He let me lean back against him as I peed and strangely it was one of the sexiest things I'd ever done.

When he got me to the bed he arranged me carefully with lots of pillows for comfort after carefully placing towels over the sheets.

“Are you in pain?” he asked.

“No. I don’t feel the cuts or my ankle.”

“Tell me the truth.”

“It is the truth.”

“Well, you took that pill at dinner.”

I shook my head. “It’s you who takes away my pain,” I said firmly.

He patted my head with a smile, then disappeared into the bathroom. He was back within a minute, naked but for tight black briefs which bulged generously.

I'd seen him naked. That was no mystery. But that was also during a time of confusion and necessity, not arousal. Not yet realizing I'd quite possibly met my mate. Now I was desperate. I wanted to see him again in all his glory. To gaze upon him and appreciate him and his need, his want for me.

He stretched out on the bed next to me and took me into his arms. I still had the loaner robe on. It caught my legs so it was hard for me to roll without getting tangled in the material.

He saw my dilemma and helped me untie the waist belt and allow the robe to fall away from my arms and my legs.

I was completely exposed to him now. The shower was one thing, but this time I wanted more. So much more.

And Lyric, my rescuer and soon-to-be alpha lover, looked ready to give it to me.