Limerence II by Claire C Riley

doesn’t touch me or stir, but lets me hold him, lets me be close to him in a way no one else possibly has in a very long time. And even though it is breaking the rules, he lets me do it anyway, his resolve slowly melting away with a rumble of longing coming from deep within his chest, and I press myself to it, feeling the vibrations beneath my skin, feeling the pain that he has been holding inside him for so many years. He may be a warrior of great strength and immeasurable power, but underneath all that he is just a broken man who is carrying a great burden of some sort.
    Slowly, as the minutes tick by, I feel him relax under me, his tense body becoming softer while still feeling full of hard, rigid muscle. A finger slowly brushes across the top of my shoulder, and then gently trails down my back. I try not to move, not wanting to break this spell that we have both been put under, both opening up for the first time, and at the same time finally. Both giving a small piece of ourselves to the other. I sigh as one arm wraps around my back, and I feel instantly warmed from his touch, and as his other arm comes around to hold me tighter I groan, deep from the back of my throat, not being able to contain it any longer. I feel his body abruptly stiffen around me and then soften as his arms squeeze me closer, pressing my body harder against his.
    His nose moves to my hair, his lips pressing a gentle kiss against my temple, and the feeling is as good as anything I’ve felt so far in this life. His hand moves to my legs which are haphazardly thrown over the arm of the chair, and then his hand is strong on my thigh, and I can feel the impulse he has to roam higher, his fingers touching places that he has promised himself he wouldn’t touch.
    I look up to him, unable to stare at my own legs any longer, needing to see his eyes—his expression. He looks from my legs to me, his tongue darting out across his lower lip.
    “Mia, I…” His words trail off, not for the first time in so few minutes. But I know what he is saying, I know what he is imploring of me. That this is all he can do, this is as far as he will allow himself to go. Even my inner vampire looks furious at that fact, and I reach up, wrap my arms around his neck, and bring us nose to nose.
    “Evan, I will only ask you this once, and then I will never ask you again, because I can’t play these games with you. You’re breaking me with your back and forth. I just need to know, for the sake of knowing.”
    His pupils dilate, and it’s like staring into deep abysses. “What?” But the way he says it, the way his body stiffens, makes me aware that he knows exactly what I’m about to ask. As if to prove a point, before I can ask the question he reaches out, takes my face in his hands, and kisses me.
    It starts with my lips.
    A small jolt of electricity shooting from my mouth to his, and back again. I jolt in both shock and the hunger for more, and he reciprocates by kissing me harder. His hands cup my face, holding my mouth to his whilst his tongue separates my lips and pushes inside my mouth. It moves across mine in a slow, seductive dance, and our mouths melt together, our lips fiercely devouring one another’s.
    His hands roam over my body, moving over my hips and squeezing my waist before lifting me up and pulling me onto his lap in one quick movement so that I am straddling him. I can feel him hard beneath me and I move against him in an attempt to find some friction, driving us both crazy with wanting. His mouth moves to my neck, kissing it from one earlobe to the other and leaving me panting and desperate for more. His mouth moves back up to mine and he expertly sucks on my lip before pushing his tongue inside. His mouth is hot and desperate and I grind harder against him, wanting him like I’ve never wanted him before.
    “Evan,” I murmur between urgent kisses, my fingers running through his hair.
    His kiss becomes more urgent as I say his name, his hand