Donners of the Dead

Chapter 12

We were too close. It was all too much.

I shook my head and steadied my breath which was coming out hot and ragged. "My innocence is gone. But whatever I do have left, I want you to have it."

"You'll always be innocent to me," he murmured, barely moving his lips, his gaze never leaving mine.

"Then..." I said, my heart thudding in my chest as I traced his rough jaw with my fingers, "you'll have to at least try and take it."

"Oh darlin'," he said huskily. "You have no idea what you're asking of me and I might be not be good enough of a man to say no."

"I have some idea," I whispered, "if you just point the way."

He broke into a wide grin and let out an amused chuckle that lasted a shining second before he suddenly grabbed my face, his large hands taking up both sides of it, and kissed me.

Hard.

And still his lips were soft, covering mine, and I felt the hot, wet pressure of his satiny tongue push into my mouth. I welcomed it and moaned once it touched mine. My cheeks flamed with heat, but I couldn't tell if it was because I was self-conscious or it was the fire that was inside of me, burning up in my chest and belly.

I felt my innocence being charred.

And as he kissed me, I kissed him back. I found myself being dragged into a warm abyss that was just his hands and lips and tongue and us kissing each other like we were afraid to stop, like we'd die if we stopped.

The world outside us stood still and it was just him and I melding together in front of the flames, feeding on each other, because with each kiss it only stoked my hunger, a hunger for him, his body and mind and heart and soul and everything so very brave and strong about him.

"Oh, Eve," he spoke against my lips before he brought his to my neck and started sliding them down to my collar bone. I couldn't help but moan again, my body overloaded with these feelings and sensations I had never felt before. It was an assault and I was both fighting back with my mouth and surrendering at the same time.

He cupped my chin and pulled back a few inches, his eyes shining and his lids heavy, looking almost sleepy if not for the lust that sparked behind them. "This is why I was afraid," he whispered intensely. "I was afraid I would do this to you."

I leaned my forehead against his and tried to catch my breath. I squeezed his hair in my hands. "You're not hurting me," I said.

"But am I hurting me?" he asked. I peered at him. He trailed the soft tip of his nose across the bridge of mine and closed his eyes. "What happens after this? What happens if I lose you?"

"You won't," I said. "We'll be home tomorrow and then we'll go where you said you're going."

"Where was that?" He kissed the corners of my lips, his beard rough on my face. Something inside me ached with yearning, ached for him to continue.

"Wherever your heart desires," I answered.

"And if you're what my heart desires?"

I paused. "Then I'll be safe with you."

"You'll be more than safe," he murmured, and placed his lips back on mine. "I'll keep you more than safe."

Then he got to his feet and pulled me up with him.

"Come," he said, taking me by the arm and leading me to the cave. "I'm getting cold and there's a better way to keep warm."

We both ducked under the lip of the cave and squatted by the animal hides I had been under earlier. He lifted a corner back and gestured for me to get inside.