Free Ember by Kristen Callihan Page B
Authors: Kristen Callihan
i s h i ps lift ed i n littl e t h r us t s, he l p i ng he r as she wo r ked h i s cock. He r hand c l u t ched h i s t h i gh as she moaned.
“ Ha r de r . ”
T h e pr e ssur e incr ea s e d .
W ith a tr em bling h a nd , h e cupp e d th e b a ck of h e r n e ck a nd st ea di e d h e r as h e pu m p e d hi m s e lf into h e r cl e v e r m outh . He wouldn’t l a st . H is b a lls dr ew tight , th e h ea t w ithin hi m b e co m ing too m uch . He w a nt e d m or e.
“ C o me h e r e, ” h e ma n a g e d , ea sing h e r awa y w ith sh a king h a nds , th e n pulling h e r up . “ C o me h e r e. I n ee d to be i n you. ”
She su r ged up as t hough ri d i ng a wave. Long li mbs se ttl ed a r ound h i m, t he s tiff ti ps of he r b r eas t s g r az i ng h i s ches t as he pu ll ed he r c l ose. And t hen he was t unne li ng i n t o he r ti gh t , we t hea t . Heaven.
He r r e d - gold h a ir surround e d th em lik e a curt a in . He shudd e r e d , a nd his a r m s w r a pp e d a round h e r as h e thrust in w ith a grunt . “ M ir a nd a. ” He r n e ck wa s w a r m, fr a gr a nt w ith th e sc e nt of ros e s . He nu zz l e d it , a nd sh e sigh e d .
“ Arch e r . ” He r sl e nd e r a r m s surround e d hi m, holding hi m clos e as sh e m ov e d on hi m.
H i s t h r oa t convu l sed. A ho t p ri ck l e beh i nd h i s li ds d i sa r med h i m. “ I don ’t wan t t o wake up. I don ’t wan t t o be a l one aga i n. ”
S h e undul a t e d , riding hi m, driving hi m ma d . “ T h e n co me b a ck to me, Arch e r . ”
“ I c a nnot . I am not whol e. ” S h e d e s e rv e d hi m whol e, cur e d .
S oft l y , sh e touch e d his ch ee k , bringing his h ea d up . T h e ir e y e s me t , a nd h e forgot to br ea th e, forgot to m ov e. “ I lov e you , B e nj am in Arch e r . M or e th a n m y lif e. ”
He c ame w ith a shout of pl ea sur e, a nd th e world w e nt whit e.
Chapter 6
London , Ma y 15,1879
M ir a nd a w ok e f ee ling as if sh e ’d been pluck e d fro m h e r dr eam s , a h a rd forc e ful r em ov a l th a t h a d h e r body j e rking in th e bed as h e r e y e s op e n e d . He r h ea rt pound e d as sh e blink e d up at a cr a ck e d c e iling , try i ng to pl a c e just wh e r e sh e wa s for s e v e r a l p a in e d m o me nts . R ight , in th e sp a r e roo m. He r gu e st , on e Billy F ing e r , wa s occupying h e r roo m. He h a d rous e d th e m orning a ft e r sh e brought hi m h e r e, a nd sinc e th e n , h a d curs e d h e r a nd this hous e s e v e n w a ys to S und a y .
“ H ow do you think I bloody f ee l , you stupid co w ! I ’ v e been ro a st e d lik e a ma rk e t pig . I ’ v e got p a in on top of p a in!” He ’d thrown th e wa t e r ewe r at h e r wh e n sh e tri e d to get n ea r . “ Ge t out . ”
M ir anda had i gno r ed h i m, and i gno r ed t he t emp t a ti on t o t e ll h i m t ha t it was he r house and he was fr ee t o l eave it . Wh il e t he r o tt en b li gh t e r had no qua l ms abou t i nsu lti ng he r , he seemed con t en t t o s t ay j us t whe r e he was, o r de ri ng he r abou t wheneve r she v i s it ed.
S h e sigh e d , wishing sh e h a dn’t co me fu ll y awa k e. O n th e h ee ls of fu ll w a k e fuln e ss c ame a bon ed ee p s e ns e of loss . He r h a nds curl e d into th e sh ee ts , as if sh e could so me ho w hold on to th e dr eam. T o H im .
For it h a d been hi m a g a in , th e d a rk str a ng e r . He r br ea sts f e lt h ea vy , h e r nippl e s tight a nd t e nd e r . A blush of h ea t stol e ov e r h e r f a c e as sh e r emem b e r e d th e f ee l of his m outh , so hot a nd w e t , pulling on h e r nippl e s . S uch a thing . Ma rtin h a d n e v e r don e th a t . I nd ee d , h e ’d n e v e r been giv e n a ch a nc e. T h e ir coupling wa s a furt i v e thing , not a llowing for h e r to undr e ss . S ur e l y , Ma rtin h a d c a r e ss e d h e r br ea sts ,
touching h e r nippl e s through th e
“ Ha r de r . ”
T h e pr e ssur e incr ea s e d .
W ith a tr em bling h a nd , h e cupp e d th e b a ck of h e r n e ck a nd st ea di e d h e r as h e pu m p e d hi m s e lf into h e r cl e v e r m outh . He wouldn’t l a st . H is b a lls dr ew tight , th e h ea t w ithin hi m b e co m ing too m uch . He w a nt e d m or e.
“ C o me h e r e, ” h e ma n a g e d , ea sing h e r awa y w ith sh a king h a nds , th e n pulling h e r up . “ C o me h e r e. I n ee d to be i n you. ”
She su r ged up as t hough ri d i ng a wave. Long li mbs se ttl ed a r ound h i m, t he s tiff ti ps of he r b r eas t s g r az i ng h i s ches t as he pu ll ed he r c l ose. And t hen he was t unne li ng i n t o he r ti gh t , we t hea t . Heaven.
He r r e d - gold h a ir surround e d th em lik e a curt a in . He shudd e r e d , a nd his a r m s w r a pp e d a round h e r as h e thrust in w ith a grunt . “ M ir a nd a. ” He r n e ck wa s w a r m, fr a gr a nt w ith th e sc e nt of ros e s . He nu zz l e d it , a nd sh e sigh e d .
“ Arch e r . ” He r sl e nd e r a r m s surround e d hi m, holding hi m clos e as sh e m ov e d on hi m.
H i s t h r oa t convu l sed. A ho t p ri ck l e beh i nd h i s li ds d i sa r med h i m. “ I don ’t wan t t o wake up. I don ’t wan t t o be a l one aga i n. ”
S h e undul a t e d , riding hi m, driving hi m ma d . “ T h e n co me b a ck to me, Arch e r . ”
“ I c a nnot . I am not whol e. ” S h e d e s e rv e d hi m whol e, cur e d .
S oft l y , sh e touch e d his ch ee k , bringing his h ea d up . T h e ir e y e s me t , a nd h e forgot to br ea th e, forgot to m ov e. “ I lov e you , B e nj am in Arch e r . M or e th a n m y lif e. ”
He c ame w ith a shout of pl ea sur e, a nd th e world w e nt whit e.
Chapter 6
London , Ma y 15,1879
M ir a nd a w ok e f ee ling as if sh e ’d been pluck e d fro m h e r dr eam s , a h a rd forc e ful r em ov a l th a t h a d h e r body j e rking in th e bed as h e r e y e s op e n e d . He r h ea rt pound e d as sh e blink e d up at a cr a ck e d c e iling , try i ng to pl a c e just wh e r e sh e wa s for s e v e r a l p a in e d m o me nts . R ight , in th e sp a r e roo m. He r gu e st , on e Billy F ing e r , wa s occupying h e r roo m. He h a d rous e d th e m orning a ft e r sh e brought hi m h e r e, a nd sinc e th e n , h a d curs e d h e r a nd this hous e s e v e n w a ys to S und a y .
“ H ow do you think I bloody f ee l , you stupid co w ! I ’ v e been ro a st e d lik e a ma rk e t pig . I ’ v e got p a in on top of p a in!” He ’d thrown th e wa t e r ewe r at h e r wh e n sh e tri e d to get n ea r . “ Ge t out . ”
M ir anda had i gno r ed h i m, and i gno r ed t he t emp t a ti on t o t e ll h i m t ha t it was he r house and he was fr ee t o l eave it . Wh il e t he r o tt en b li gh t e r had no qua l ms abou t i nsu lti ng he r , he seemed con t en t t o s t ay j us t whe r e he was, o r de ri ng he r abou t wheneve r she v i s it ed.
S h e sigh e d , wishing sh e h a dn’t co me fu ll y awa k e. O n th e h ee ls of fu ll w a k e fuln e ss c ame a bon ed ee p s e ns e of loss . He r h a nds curl e d into th e sh ee ts , as if sh e could so me ho w hold on to th e dr eam. T o H im .
For it h a d been hi m a g a in , th e d a rk str a ng e r . He r br ea sts f e lt h ea vy , h e r nippl e s tight a nd t e nd e r . A blush of h ea t stol e ov e r h e r f a c e as sh e r emem b e r e d th e f ee l of his m outh , so hot a nd w e t , pulling on h e r nippl e s . S uch a thing . Ma rtin h a d n e v e r don e th a t . I nd ee d , h e ’d n e v e r been giv e n a ch a nc e. T h e ir coupling wa s a furt i v e thing , not a llowing for h e r to undr e ss . S ur e l y , Ma rtin h a d c a r e ss e d h e r br ea sts ,
touching h e r nippl e s through th e