Tides of deception ✺ Outlander/Stephen Bonnet Fanfic

♤34. Pricked by the thorns 🌶

Julie sat on the edge of her bed, her heart still restless as she brushed out her hair. The quiet of the room around her only seemed to amplify the sensations that lingered from her encounter with Stephen in the gardens. She could still feel the warmth of his fingertips against her cheek, a delicate yet charged touch that had sent a thrill through her that she hadn’t felt in years. His rough, sea-worn hands had surprised her with their tenderness, and those fiery blue eyes, softened just for her in that moment, felt seared into her memory.

With a quiet sigh, she extinguished the candle, slipping beneath the cool, silken sheets. She let her head rest against the pillow, but her mind refused to quiet. The weight of her feelings—those complex, unresolved remnants of a time when Stephen had once been hers—stirred an ache in her chest. She tried to resist them, pushing the memories down, but his voice, his touch, lingered just beneath the surface, impossible to ignore.

As her eyelids grew heavy and sleep began to take over, her thoughts drifted, blending seamlessly into dreams. The room around her faded, and there, in the depths of her slumber, she found herself in the moonlit gardens, the sweet fragrance of blooming roses enveloped Julie as she strolled along the winding path, lost in thought. Memories of Stephen, her pirate lover, flooded her mind, transporting her back to their passionate affair fifteen years prior. The ache in her heart, the longing that never truly faded, seemed to materialize before her.

A chill ran down her spine as she sensed a presence looming behind her. Her breath caught in her throat when strong hands gently gripped her hair, pulling it away from her neck to expose the delicate column of her throat. No words were spoken, yet the intent was clear – a silent command to submit to his desires once more.

Julie's pulse raced as she felt his warm breath caress her skin, followed by the gentle press of his lips in the curve on the side of her neck.

His lips trailed lower, nuzzling into the hollow of her throat where her pulse fluttered wildly. Julie's head fell back, granting him better access as she savored the sensations coursing through her body. His mouth was a brand, searing her skin with each touch, each lingering kiss.

As his lips danced across her sensitive flesh, Julie's resolve crumbled. The memories came rushing back - the way he used to make her feel, the all-consuming passion that burned between them. It was as if no time had passed at all, and she found herself craving his touch with a desperate intensity.

Unable to resist any longer, Julie turned to face him, her eyes locking with Stephen's in a fiery embrace. Their mouths met in a clash of lips and tongues, the years of pent-up desire exploding between them.

Just as the intense pleasure threatened to consume her, Julie jolted awake, her body trembling beneath the sheets. She gasped for air, her heart pounding wildly against her ribcage as the remnants of the vivid dream clung to her like a gossamer veil.

The darkness of her bedroom chamber enveloped her, yet the phantom sensations lingered - the feeling of Stephen's hands upon her skin, the ghost of his touch still burning her flesh. Julie's fingers shook as she reached out, grasping at the emptiness beside her, yearning for something that could never be.

Slowly, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her feet finding purchase on the cool wooden floor. The aching emptiness within her remained, a bittersweet reminder of what she had once shared with Stephen, and what she had lost.

She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to steady her breath as she moved swiftly, driven by a need to escape the enclosed walls of her room. Her overcoat hung loosely over her shoulders as she slipped out of her chamber, her footsteps light but quick along the dark hallway. Shadows clung to the walls, and the only sound was the quiet padding of her slippers against the floor as she moved, heart still racing.