Ember of Hope
Chapter 36

After spending two whole days with Val’s mother, Raegan and Valiance had decided to go to New York and stay at Raegan’s apartment for a couple of days before returning home. Valiance’s father had to go back to Evreux. Tamara had offered them to take her car and even though Raegan didn’t want to be a bother, Tamara had insisted. “That way you’ll have to come back to return my car and I’ll see you again” she’d smiled so big, Raegan knew it was hiding the pain she carried every minute of every day – the pain of being ripped apart from her family without any end of her banishment in sight.

The road trip back to New York was the best experience of her life. Valiance looked at everything like it was his first time. Then again it had been half a century and things in the human world had changed in those fifty years. They talked and talked and she felt a sense of peace she had never felt before. Before him; it felt like she was always chasing the next thing, next adventure, just anything. Now she felt she belonged… finally belonged. He made her feel grounded and calm.

When they reached home she took Valiance’s hand to pull him inside. He took in everything with a faint smile on his face. The dark-academia theme of her décor, the wall adorned with a bookshelf that was floor to ceiling, the cozy couches and bean bags instead of proper furniture; making the room look more like a library than a sitting room - just the way she liked.

“What are you smiling at?”

“This place suits you. I can’t imagine you in anything better than this” he smiled again.

“Do you like it?” she asked, pleased at what he said.

“I love it. It’s very calming and… and… you… it’s you”. He kept his eyes on hers as he walked slowly towards her. She took a step forward as if pulled by some force and met him halfway.

Valiance wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his body. His gaze fixed on her lips so avidly she felt a tingling in them. Not able to wait any longer, she tangled her fingers in the longish hair on the nape of his neck and pulled him down to meet her lips. The kiss that had started slow and sensual soon turned into a frenzy of motion and emotion. He walked backwards with his lips still attached to hers, fell on the couch behind him and pulled her on top. She sat straddling his legs and angled her head to deepen the kiss. He groaned in her mouth making her want even more of him. She couldn’t get close enough and his hands on her hips kept tugging her forward.

Raegan broke the kiss; panting hard, and earned another groan in response – this one disappointed and petulant.

“Let’s order food first, I’m hungry. Aren’t you hungry?” she asked, still playing with his hair.

His eyes darkened, “Very” he growled and tugged her head down again.

……………….

It was half an hour later that they finally came up for air and Raegan managed to extricate herself from her mate’s arms to order some takeout. While waiting for the food, she asked Valiance to look around the rest of the apartment while she took a shower. Of course she was secretly hoping he’d ditch the apartment tour and join her.

She felt him behind her even before his hands replaced hers on the hem of her dress as he helped her pull it over her head. His hands trailed up and down her sides lightly, making her tremble with desire.

“Valiance, the food will be here soon” she said with no real conviction behind her protest – her voice breathy. Food be damned. Who needed food when you could have Val’s lips all to yourself?

Valiance hummed in his throat as his fingers brushed her hair aside and his lips landed a soft kiss behind her ear.

Her hands rose of their own accord to weave in his hair and she tilted her head to give his warm mouth better access to her neck. Valiance showed his appreciation by trailing little nips and kisses all over her neck and shoulder. His fingers traced the outline of her bra before pulling the straps down her arms. Unhooking the clasp, he slid the lace down her body deliberately slow, making her moan at the sensation it caused against her sensitized skin. Goosebumps erupted all over her, her nipples peaked and a shiver passed her body. Valiance’s hands continued their feather light exploration all over her body.

“Val” she moaned his name as his fingers hooked inside her panties and pushed them down her legs.

The bell rang.

He froze.

They groaned in unison.

Valiance dropped his head on her shoulder and banged it lightly – once, twice, he groaned again.

Raegan pulled up her underwear and picked her dress up from the floor; slipping it back over her head; “I’ll go” she grinned at his disappointed look.

“No, I got it” he started to back out of the bathroom when she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Yeah, no… you can’t go out with that” she pointed down to the massive erection tenting the front of his pants. Valiance shrugged shamelessly.

“Don’t move” she ordered, rubbing her fingers over his erection and earning a hiss, she left the bathroom with a Cheshire grin still plastered on her face.

After piling the bags of food on her kitchen island, she stripped out of her clothes on the way to the bathroom and to her delight; Raegan found her mate exactly where she’d left him.

“Why are you still fully clothed”, she pulled on his t-shirt and Valiance helped her by tugging it over his head in one fell swoop. Her eyes twinkled – seeing all that bare golden flesh under her hands and she couldn’t help her lips from following the path her fingers were tracing down his chest.

“I thought you were hungry” he mocked.

“I am” she said in between kisses, “I’m just eating you as an appetizer” her tongue found one of his nipples and her teeth tugged on it while her hands were busy in unzipping his jeans. She pushed it down his legs.

“I like the way your brain works” his breath was hot in her hair, “but enough playing” Valiance growled and kicked his pants off. He wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her close once again, the other hand tangled in her fiery locks as he pulled her head back and claimed her lips. He walked her backwards until her back collided with the cold tiles of the wall behind her. In her urgency to wrap her legs around his waist to get closer, her hand hit the shower knob and water from the overhead shower cascaded down upon them like a misty waterfall. Valiance broke the kiss only for his lips to land where her neck met the shoulder.

“I need you Val” she panted, “Now”.

“Put me in sweetheart” he kept his slow torture on her throat. Her hand snaked down between their water slicked bodies and closed around his shaft. She stroked him from base to head and back again. When she did it again he jerked inside her grip.

“Play later” Valiance growled, thrusting in her hand. If she didn’t need him the way she did, she would’ve enjoyed teasing him a bit longer but at the moment all she wanted was him inside of her. She placed him at her entrance and he thrust; filling her all in one motion… her breath hitched. He groaned deep in his throat and the sexy sound triggered a moan out of Raegan.

For a second Valiance just stood there with his forehead on her shoulder, savoring the sensation of being inside her warmth and then he moved and she forgot anything and everything except him in her world.

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