Page 45 of Our Vicious Descent
“Unbelievable,” Elise huffed. “I hope you know I have a bad back now because of you and Jamie.”
“You’re eighteen. It can’t possibly be that bad.” Layla almost laughed.
Elise glowered at her and touched her lower back as if in defense. “I’m almost nineteen. And trust me, it is quite bad.”
Layla moved even closer. Her knees were dangerously close to touching the couch and, by extension, Elise’s legs. Layla lowered her arms and leaned against the edge of the cushion. “Would you like a massage?”
“No.” Elise barely got the word out past her constricting throat. It was silly just how strongly she was reacting to Layla’s presence. Despite having lived in the city of love for several years and met other incredible people, her heart’s yearning somehow always came back to Layla. Most days now it went beyond yearning. That part of her was still difficult to admit to herself. Though Layla showedher desires plainly on her face and in every way she allowed them to touch, Elise still found caution in their interactions, if only because of what the world had to say about reapers and humans being together.
“No?” Layla feigned hurt. She pouted and opened her hands before herself. “I’ve been told I have very skilled hands.”
“I’m sure you do.” Elise’s face flushed with heat. She didn’t have to look at Layla to know she smirked after having sensed the rush of blood in her reaction.
Finally, Layla seemed to understand her hesitation, and she backed away toward her room, sighing. “I hope you don’t break your back tonight…”
“Like you wouldn’t love to hear me scream,” Elise called after her.
A stunned laugh was all she heard in response.
***
Screams of pure terror tore Elise from her sleep. She sat up immediately, blinking against the dark while trying to place the whimpers nearby. The moment the sleep-riddled fog cleared her mind and she realized what was going on, Elise rushed down the hallway and into Layla’s room.
The reaper sat with disheveled hair, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Elise had never seen her so undone. Even her sleep shirt was a mess, with the hem torn and wet marks from what Elise could only assume were tears. They still streaked hercheeks now, glittering rivulets along her brown skin in the pale moonlight.
Elise shut the door behind her but remained by it. “Nightmares?” she asked.
Layla’s hand shook as she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling some curls out of her eyes. Nodding, she wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “My nightly routine,” Layla muttered.
Elise’s fingers clenched the end of her nightgown. Every part of her wanted to rush forward and comfort Layla. She had never been the affectionate type, even when they were little. Layla had always been the one to comfort her, not vice versa. Elise remembered trying to on multiple occasions. Whether it had been after a particularly brutal rehearsal that Layla could not stop beating herself up over or a tense conversation with her parents, Layla had always turned away from Elise’s affections. For so long, Elise wanted to understand why and make herself easier for Layla to accept, but eventually it just became normal. Layla welcomed her affection in other ways, and Elise tried not to put too much pressure on herself to be enough. But when it came to Layla, it wasn’t just about being enough. She wanted to be everything for her.
“You know your screaming sounds like someone is trying to murder you, so I just had to check,” Elise said.
Layla leaned back on her hands and looked up at her. “The fear really brings out the beast in me.”
Elise nodded, holding back a smile. “I’ll let you get back to sleep.” She started turning for the door, but Layla’s voice stopped her.
“Elise. Please stay.”
If words could be adrenaline, these would be it. Elise felt her heart skip, and heat flooded her chest as she faced Layla again.
Layla moved over on the bed and pulled the blankets back, making room for Elise. It was far from the first time they had shared a bed, but the formal invitation made Elise buzz with anticipation. She climbed under the covers beside Layla and propped herself up on her elbow to watch her. Every part of Layla intrigued Elise. From the honey-gold curls mixing with the brown ones, to the sharp line of her jaw and the slope of her collarbones leading down to her breasts. Just hours ago there had been blood soaking her chest and face. While Layla was clean now, all blood scrubbed from her body, Elise remembered how she had looked at her, made of devotion while covered in blood.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she murmured.
Layla settled onto her side, leaning so close that their faces were mere inches apart. “I’d rather have a distraction.”
“I think I know just the one.” Elise’s eyes dropped to her lips. The moment she saw them curving into a knowing smile, Elise kissed her. Layla was hesitant at first, her lips soft and slow on Elise’s. But as Elise started to move away, worried, she was pulled back in. Layla’s hand curved over the back of her head, deepening the kiss. The moment her tongue swept into Elise’s mouth, Elise groaned. She dropped her hand to Layla’s waist and felt bare skin. The shirt had ridden up in their frenzy. Elise smoothed her hand over Layla’s waist, feeling the soft warmth of her. She drew her fingers upward and tensed as Layla shuddered.
“Is this okay?” Elise asked, breathless from their kiss.
“Yes.” Layla nodded. Her eyes traveled over Elise’s body, slowing where the hem of her nightgown had ridden up on her thighs. The dazed look in her eyes turned ravenous at once. “Lise…if we keep going, I’m not going to want to stop.”
Elise laughed softly. “I don’t want to stop.”
“Good.” Layla could barely get the word out before they were kissing again. This time Elise’s hands strayed to other parts of her. One curved over her waist, while the other cupped her jaw. Layla kissed her harder, and Elise moaned into her mouth. Heat built up in her core as Layla moved her hand down to her thigh. Her fingers slipped beneath the hem of her nightgown, stroking up the tender skin on her inner thigh. Elise arched against the pillows, fisting Layla’s shirt. Layla dropped several kisses along her throat while it was still bared to her. She kissed the pulse points in her neck, seemingly savoring the proximity to Elise’s most precious arsenal.
Elise dragged a hand down her spine and exhaled. “You’ve done this before.”
