Page 31 of Cedar Edge
My boots step onto the dry grass as lightning crackles overhead and the first drop of rain hits my skin. By the time I’ve taken another three steps the boom of thunder rocks the air around me and the skies open up. The rain pours from the sky as if its only mission is to drown me. I let it wash over me, unhurried and uncaring that I’m soaked to the bone. It feels cleansing. Both the words I purged from my soul and the rain now washing them away. I take a deep breath, the warm summer air filling my lungs with the scent of rain and spruce trees.
Half way to the house a hand wraps around my wrist spinning me around. A wild looking Ace holds onto me, black hair stuck to his face and eyes wide. He pulls me to his body, the impact forcing the air from my lungs.
“You don’t walk away from me Cricket. Not like this. Not now.” My eyes widen, taking in his unhinged form as the lightning flashes around us. His breathing is ragged as he leans in close to my mouth. “And you’re wrong, I’m so much fucking worse than Royce Ripkins.” He says, before slamming his mouth into mine.
Chapter Thirteen
Autumn Crocus: “It is a highly toxic flower infamous for its involvement in the case of the last woman who was publicly hanged in the UK. . . She gave them lethal doses of colchicine… effects are similar to arsenic."
-Fen Inkwright,Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow Lives of Plants-
Ace
Her words had hit me like bullets, each one meant to cause more damage than the last. But the kill shot was her body and the brand that decorated it. The second I saw it I knew that Royce Ripkins III was going to die. I’ll even let her carve his heart out if she wants to, she can hold the beating appendage in her hand while it finishes its last cycle of life. She can watch me while I carve him up and feed him to the pigs.
Thea tastes like the summer rain and her lips feel like a homecoming that I’ve been desperate for. She doesn’t yield to my kiss and I fucking love her for that right now. The fight she has in her fuels the fire raging in my soul. I’ll take her hate and rage, she can pour it into me. I earned them both. I feel her teethpierce my lip forcing me to break the kiss. The coppery taste of blood fills my mouth, but it’s the sight of it on her lips that has my dick painfully hard. “Fuck you look good with my blood on you.”
Her pupils blow wide, and I see the way her chest heaves and nipples press against the wet material. “Let me go Ace, I’m not doing this with you!” She spits towards the ground, her eyes full of heat.
Fuck that.
Dragging her into my body again I hold her steady, even as she fights against, forcing her to look at me. “I claimed you a long time ago, Thea Montgomery. I’m just reminding you of it now.”
I can see the rage and pain and arousal all fight to take up residence in her body. The feelings battling it out to see which one will prevail. Tears fill her eyes as she shakes her head. “You didn’t want me!” Her fist pounds against my chest. “You don’t get to come back now and pretend you didn’t fucking break my god damn heart! Or that you didn’t just fucking break it all over again now!” She unleashes her rage against my body, her fists unleashing against me as tears pour from her beautiful eyes.
“I ALWAYS WANTED YOU!” My voice bellows out, freezing her onslaught of anger. “I always fucking wanted you Thea.”
“No you didn’t.” She says, albeit with less heat.
Frustration and rage drive my body into movement. She screams as I hoist her up and over my shoulder stalking off towards the one place that can communicate my feelings better than words.
“LET ME GO YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!” Thea screeches.
My hand finds her ass and the smack reverberates through my whole body. “Knock it the fuck off Cricket! Hold still.” My legs burn and the rain makes our bodies slick as I near the sacred space.
My skin feels electric as I use my boot to kick through the short, picket fence gate. The scent of roses, lilacs and lilies fill the air, just under the scent of the neighboring woods. If it wasn’t raining the sound of the fountain in the center of the garden would fill the air with twinkling elegance.
Thea slips further down my body and I give up the fight, dropping her to the ground. She lands hard on the soft patch of grass glaring up at me with so much rage that it can only be fueled by one thing, pain. When the wind shifts ever so slightly she catches the same scents that I find comfort in and her attention is drawn to the space I deposited her into.
“What… what is all this?” She asks with disbelief.
“Why would you think that I didn’t want you? Because I hesitated when you told me you were a virgin and wanted me to fuck you?! I had promised Logan and Law that we would be together when we finally claimed you and here you were, fucking perfect, standing right in front of me and I couldn’t decided if I should break my promise to them or say no to you.” I curse as I start to pace back and forth, swiping my wet hair from my face. “And you know exactly what this is Thea, even when I thought you were fucking someone else I couldn’t get enough of you. I needed something to remind me that you were fucking real!” It happens in an instant. Her body pressing upward and into my space before her hands grip my wet shirt and she’s kissing me again. Claiming my lips in the middle of the garden I built for her memory. Her hands grapple with my body as she tries to get as close as she can to me.
I pull back, needing to say all the words still in my mind. Needing to tell her exactly who, and what I am. So many god damn words within my brain and yet the lust that is burning through me won’t relent. Thea must see the struggle because she covers my mouth with her hand. “Don’t.” She commands. “Don’t ruin this with words. If this is my garden I make the rulesand the rules state reality does not exist here.” She waits for confirmation, her hand pressed against my lips. After a breath I give her the nod she seeks, recognizing this probably isn’t smart, but yet unable to say no.
Slowly she drops her hand, freeing my lips once more. My lips find her neck, worshipping her skin with my tongue. “I wonder if I touched your pussy how wet it would be.” I groan before pulling back to look her in the eyes. Her cheeks are flushed, lips full and eyes blown wide with lust. I chuckle, dragging my hand down her body and hiking up the long, soaking wet dress she has on until my fingers find her core.
I groan when I swipe over her pussy and feel the heat and wetness radiating from her. My mouth drops to her neck once more as I start to play with her, slowly pressing down on her clit before dipping one long digit into her.
“Oh fuck.” She groans as I pump in and out. My thumb drags to her clit, pressing and rubbing. Her hips buck forward at the sensation. “Ace! Please don’t stop!”
“Fuckkk my name sounds good coming from your lips.” I huff into her neck. “Wrap your leg around my hip.”
She follows the command, spreading herself to me in the middle of our pasture. All around us the rain beats down, lightning and thunder crackling across the skies. It's a dangerous game we are playing, being out in the field like this during a storm. But the two of us seem to flirt with death like it’s an old lover. I press two fingers into her core now, enjoying the tight feel of it and imagining how my cock will feel when it finally finds it home deep within her. I feel her channel spasm, her breathing hitch. She’s so responsive. So easy to get there.
“That's it baby girl, give me what I want.” I pick up the pace, wishing it was my cock fucking her tight little pussy. Her nails dig into my arms and I feel her tip over the edge, her orgasmslamming into her and soaking my hand. “Good girl.” I purr, continuing to pump my fingers in and out.
Her head drops to my shoulder as I slowly pull my fingers free of her. And for a moment I’m the happiest I’ve ever been but when she pulls back from me the feeling fades.
