Page 84 of Take No Prisoners
"Five."
Niall could already feel his orgasm building at the base of his spine. One more whisper of breath across his collarbone would send him over the edge.
Efren must have sensed his distress. He turned his head into the pillow. "Four."
Efren said three more words, but Niall was too far gone to know what they were. He could have been reciting the elements instead of counting down and Niall wouldn't have known the difference. Gods, Niall couldn't last, but he didn't want to disappoint Efren, either.
Efren's hot breath in his ear triggered the first tremors of his orgasm. He couldn't stop now if he wanted to. Thank fuck, Efren whispered, "Come with me, love. Let go. Let me see how wonderful I make you feel."
Niall shook with his release, and Efren held him down, soothing him with his weight on his chest as he thrust deep inside Niall and froze, his breath as unsteady as Niall's whole body. They shook and sweated through their mutual orgasms. Deep in his chest, Niall felt an outpouring of bliss and contentedness he didn't recognize as his own. Gods, he'd been trying to ignore the strange addition to his core energy, but his mind-blowing orgasm had also dismantled his emotional shields. If Efren would have told him he had feelings this deep, Niall would have assumed he was lying. Now, he felt like he was spying on Efren by knowing the depth of his feelings before the captain had spoken them.
Niall had those same big feelings of admiration, a desire that would never be completely sated, and curiosity. He wanted to know everything about Efren, and he wanted to stay by his side through storms and calm seas.
"I can feel your heartbeat." Efren tapped his own chest. "Here."
"Is that all you feel?" Niall didn't want to appear even more needy than he already felt. His voice was a weak rattle from pleading with Efren to let him come.
"It's delightful." Efren kissed Niall's cheek. "Can you feel mine?"
Niall felt so much more than Efren's heart beating beside his. He hid his disappointment by flipping Efren onto his back and kissing him until they were both half-hard and leaking again. If he lost control of his water element and a little of it fell from his eyes, so what?
"Want me to clean us up?" Efren asked. "I can't wash the comforter like Hannah could, but I can get us cooled off and clean again."
Niall nodded. He still had a lot to learn about his combined powers, and he didn't want to risk it, not when he could just as easily start the cabin on fire with a bolt of lightning.
"Hey." Efren cupped his cheek. "You've come so far in a short time. When Hannah returns, they can teach you more of their tricks."
Niall kissed Efren's palm. He still didn't trust his voice, and he didn't want Efren to think he was ungrateful for the mind-blowing sex. He only wished Efren would let him in. He worried there was still someone else in Efren's heart, making it impossible for him to love again.
Once they were clean and beneath a new comforter on the bed, Niall lay awake. Despite his long strokes down Efren's arm, the man snored beside him, oblivious to his distress. He wished Efren was awake to allay his worries.
Niall hadn't experienced anything like the ache in his chest before. If this was what love felt like, he wanted no part of it, especially if Efren could never love him back.
Efren said he didn't love Vadim, but Niall couldn't imagine feeling the way he felt about Efren and then losing it. Yes, Vadim had hurt Efren, but Vadim had apologized.
Niall had left them alone while he'd been off learning his fire element. Maybe they'd resolved their differences without him. It wouldn't take long for Efren to realize he was still in love with Vadim, and he would return to him, leaving Niall with these unrequited feelings he didn't know how to handle.
Niall swallowed back the pain lodged in his throat and wiped at the tears falling from his eyes. Though he was new to love, he wasn't a child. He understood what was expected of him as a member of Efren's crew. If Efren kicked him out of his bed, Niall would go without a fight. He wanted the best for Efren, even if it would hurt to see him with Vadim, or anyone else.
As he lay there, his thoughts became more vivid. He couldn't tell reality from dreams, especially when Efren startled him awake with a hand on his cock, already coated with oil. The captain took them both in hand and stroked until Niall was a panting, writhing mess.
The splash of Efren's cum against Niall's chest and the growl he uttered pushed Niall over the edge again. The sharp barb of doubt returned to his chest as he regained his breath.
"Sleep," Efren mumbled. "We need to be up early."
As much as Niall wanted to obey the command, his mind was still reeling with questions about the future. "Why?"
"The trial."
The barb dug deeper. Efren had said he would take Niall around the island on the day of rest, but now he would attend Vadim's trial on Horseshoe Island instead.
Niall buried his head in his pillow and fell into an exhausted sleep.
Moments later, or so he thought, Efren shook him awake. The sun had risen.
"We need to be at the dock in fifteen minutes. We'll skip the bath today, if you'll allow me to freshen us up."
Niall thought he could do the self-cleaning spell himself now, but he still wasn't ready to try it. He reveled in the sensation of Efren's water caress, even if it was a cursory cleaning.
