Page 125 of The Garnet Daughter
“Say it,” he gently commands in my ear then kisses the lobe.
“I love you,” I gasp. “So much. Love the way you take me, August.”
His whole body shudders, and when he thrusts into me next, he slaps with such force against the soft parts of my skin, the sound echoes off the metal walls.
“Spin again.” His hand falls away from my throat, the warmth of his body pressed against my back not nearly as crushing as the sensation of him sliding out of my core. “I need to see your face.”
I turn quickly and reach for him, only to be picked up and positioned exactly how he wants me. He watches me with hooded, dark eyes as he enters me again, so slow I try to pull him in to fill me faster.
“You are right, Callia. You do belong with me,” he hisses, filling me completely. “And now that I finally have you, I will never let you go.”
I lock my legs around his hips and brace my palms on his shoulder. “Never, I’m yours.”
He pulls back and plunges into my depths again, taking my ability to breathe with him.
With the next thrust, he begins another pounding rhythm until we are both pushed over the edge, clawing and gasping through our pleasure before it transforms into sated, huffing breaths.
Eventually, I reposition myself in the small bed when he flops to the side, spent and exhausted. I snuggle into the crook of his side, lying on his bicep and wrapping my arm across his trim waist. He absently strokes his fingertips around a messy curl of my hair and then tucks it behind my ear.
“After the conjunction, we can fly back to Viathan and have the ship modified however you like, build a greenhouse and larger pilot suite.” His voice is sleepy.
“Mm, I’d like that. Can we visit Allister and Leema too?”
“Of course. Should probably see my family, if that doesn’t scare you.”
I smile up at him. “No, it doesn’t scare me at all. I’d love to spend time with them.”
He smiles back, but his lids have fallen closed, barely holding onto consciousness after spending an entire night and half a day working on the perimeter defenses.
“And after that?” he asks through a yawn.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter if we are together.”
He holds me tighter, and just as I think he’s going to say something else, his breathing deepens and his chest rises in long, slow successions. I listen to each one, savoring the calmness they spread within myself until I am so relaxed I drift off as well.
I sneak out of our warm room a couple hours later, throat dry and craving soothing tea so badly, I will take any Viathan blend available. The pads of my bare feet thump as I walk into the mess hall and am greeted by Ferren standing at the food machines.
She turns, almost dropping the sweet dessert in her hand. “You scared me,” she says on an exhale.
“Looks like we had the same idea.” I press the tea-making machine and take a little corner of the treat she offers me. “99 sleeping?”
“For now. I imagine he will be up soon to check the reports from the perimeter. August?”
“Passed out.”
We both giggle.
“This is nice,” Ferren whispers after a long silence while we chewed.
I nod timidly for some reason, knowing both men are sleeping deeply in our rooms. “You and August said the same thing, you know, about being together despite the chaos.”
“It is liberating allowing yourself to have more than one emotion. Pockets of joy while the world is falling apart. Sometimes it’s all we have. A hard lesson I had to learn myself.”
“I have made so many mistakes, I convinced myself I did not deserve it.”
“We all have, Calliape. I have made plenty of mistakes. Some I don’t even regret, which should scare me more than it does.” Her words trail off like she isn’t quite committed to the confession.
“Your sister and so many others are alive because of you.”
