Last Ascension Read online

  “Now, now, Lael. You"re from good Guardian stock. Somehow I think you"re going to keep it together.”

  She tugged at his shirt, so he took it off, sighing loudly in mock anger. Margot giggled, and he wished he had more time. She should get to laugh like that for ten minutes at least. If he lived a different life, one where everything wasn"t in such constant upheaval, he"d make it his personal goal to make sure she had so much joy, she never felt sadness for very long.

  Finally, they were both naked together. She reached out to stroke his already throbbing cock.

  “Careful. All joking aside, I want you so much, I don"t want to come until I"m inside of you.”

  “Do I really make you that turned on? I"m sure you"ve had lots of women.”

  He silenced her by placing his index finger on top of her red, moist lips. “No one for either of us, remember? And fewer than you might think in any case.”

  Had there ever been anyone else? He couldn"t really remember. Margot consumed every inch of his mind, every ounce of his soul. Lael reached into his pocket from his discarded pants and pulled a condom out of his wallet. Powers had developed specially made rubbers for Guardians sometime in the last since five years, since the regular ones had a nasty habit of breaking on Guardians at the worst possible moments.

  He slipped it on to avoid any trouble later. With his hands already shaking, he didn"t want to risk not being able to affix the contraceptive when he needed it. Slipping down a bit, he took a deep breath, loving the warm smell of Margot"s pussy. He hadn"t even touched her there yet, and she was already hot for him.

  Lael gently pushed her knees apart. “Open for me, baby. I want to see your sweet sex in front of me.”

  Her cheeks turned a delicate shade of red, but she did as told. Good girl. She couldn"t be shy. Not when they had so little time. He needed her to want him the way he did her. It made him feel warm where he"d been cold for so long.

  Lael bent over and licked her pussy. She gasped, but he had his hand on her knees so he didn"t let her close herself off from him.

  He raised his head to look at her. “Like that?”

  She nodded. “I thought it would be too much. Too intimate. Sex can be distanced. I get that sounds awful, but it"s true. Oral stimulation…I never wanted it before.”

  “Well, short of you absolutely insisting you didn"t want me to do this, you"re not getting out of this tonight before I get a chance to play with your pussy.”

  “Can I do the same to you? Take you in my mouth?”

  He wanted to say no. His control had slipped away, if he"d ever really had to begin with.

  “Next time. I"m already covered. I want your mouth on my skin, not on the sheath.”

  Hell, if he lived through the next day, he"d let her suck him off anytime she wanted to. For now, he needed to find release between her thighs.

  He refocused on his task, easily finding her clit and stroking it with a circle using first one finger and then adding two. Her stomach muscles clenched, and he knew he was getting her hot.

  “Oh, Lael…wow.”

  Her words fueled him forward. “You can trust me, Margot. Come around my fingers first.

  Then I"m taking you to new heights with my cock.”

  She would come over and over again. Margot never had to know he held back. It didn"t matter. This was heaven to Lael. With or without the ability to let go. Nothing would be better.

  “Touch me more.”

  He"d always been a guy who knew how to take instruction.

  “As you say.”

  ****

  Sex used to seem so overrated, but now Margot could hardly breathe from wanting Lael so much. She told him what she needed—things she"d never imagined wanting before—and he did as she asked.

  He sunk two fingers deep inside of her before he pulled them out to lick his hand. She shuddered from the sight. Had there ever been something so erotic? He genuinely seemed to like the taste of her.

  “You"re so sweet, baby. I can"t stand it. I want to lick you up as if you"re an ice cream cone.”

  Lael had never called her baby as a term of endearment before but now she couldn"t get enough of it. Sex talk with Lael Hudson. Could anything ever be better?

  “Are you ready for me?” He touched her pussy again, using his thumb to torment her clit. “I don"t think you are. You still haven"t done what I told you to do. You haven"t come yet.”

  She wanted to so badly. Pain and pleasure surged up and down her spine, but she had never been able to let go, not really. How was she to surrender to the need? Why didn"t she know how?

  “Margot open your eyes.” She hadn"t realized she closed them, but she opened her lids as he told her to. “I"ve got you. You can trust me. You won"t fall apart; I"m here with you. Let me see you shatter, baby. I need it so bad.”

  He pressed deeper inside of her, and it seemed the only stimulation she needed. Margot"s whole body spasmed, and she saw stars before her eyes. Yes, she could let go. Yes, she needed it, too. Her pussy wept, and she wasn"t above thinking it was because Lael had told her to. She"d do anything for him, and she didn"t think it made her weak to feel that way. No, finally finding a person who she could be herself with made her stronger.

  Finally, her body slowed, and she stared up at Lael"s blue eyes. His perfect sky-blue gaze.

  “I knew you"d be incredible.”

  Margot lowered her gaze to see his long cock straining beneath him. “We have to do

  something about you now.”

  He winked at her. “Oh, I intend to. Don"t worry about it.”

  Lael moved above her, and she had one second to wonder if he was too big to fit inside of her. She bit down on her lip. This was a fear thing, and she couldn"t let her terror at life invade the bedroom right then. Guardians had sex all the time. They must. Wendy and Alice had multiple children. They"d clearly not been impaled by the sheer size of their husbands.

  He"d never hurt her.

  Lael touched the outside of her core with his cock, pressing forward inch by delicious inch.

  “Relax for me.”

  She nodded. Her body remained languid, so relaxing was no trouble whatsoever. Particularly when his every motion forward made surges of pleasure spread throughout her whole body. Even her toes were tingling.

  “That"s it.”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper inside, and Lael groaned, his eyes closing for a second. “You"re sweet torture.”

  “No torture. Come all the way in.”

  His eyes narrowed, but seconds later she felt him all the way inside. She reached up to bite down on his shoulder, and he gasped. She had no idea why she had done that, but he didn"t complain. On the contrary, he pulled out and pressed into her quickly.

  She moaned. Yes, more.

  Every time he moved, she lifted her hips to meet him part way. Lael"s neck muscles strained, and a vein appeared in his forehead. Why was he holding back? She didn"t need him to.

  Margot clenched her thigh muscles, holding him to her, drawing him further inside. Lael cursed but pushed deep within her, just what she wanted.

  “Yes, Lael. More.”

  Time ceased to matter. It might have been minutes, it might have been hours or days. Their rhythmic sexual dance continued. Lael"s eyes had darkened, and he said the sweetest things in her ears. Half of them didn"t make sense, but she loved it anyway.

  “More. All of me. Wow.” He was as lost as she was, and she gave herself over to the heady sensation that she was bringing her Guardian as much pleasure as he was bringing her.

  The power of her orgasm shocked her. She didn"t see it coming. One second, she felt a slight pressure, and the next she exploded around him. The room blackened and then lightened again.

  She dug her hands into his back and knew she"d leave marks. He pushed in and pulled out of her faster than she thought possible. How had she ever lived without Lael inside her? How had she survived alone?

  He called out her name in a loud sho
ut, and she held him to her while he came. “Give me all of you.” She whispered. “Please.”

  Sometime later, he tugged her against him, rolling them both over until she lay in the crook of his arm.

  “Margot.”

  He spoke her name quietly, and she opened her eyes. Had she fallen asleep?

  “Sorry, I drifted.”

  “Are you okay?” His voice sounded so strained she lifted her gaze to stare at him. Was something the matter? “Do you need a doctor?”

  She snorted before she could remember to be ladylike. “Why would I want medical

  intervention?”

  “Because I hurt you.”

  Margot shook her head. “Are you going to lose your mind every time we have sex? I hurt you not the other way around.”

  “What?”

  “My nails. Your back. Me biting. Any of this ringing a bell?” Lael really needed to work on his post-coital bliss bed talk. They could practice. She was hardly an expert, but she didn"t think it was supposed to be this.

  “Are you saying you"re okay? I didn"t harm you in any way?”

  She rolled over, feeling a jolt of pleasure when her breasts touched his skin. He hadn"t spent much time with that part of her body. Since he didn"t seem to mind being told what she liked, she"d have to ask for it in the future. Oh, the possibilities of things they could do….

  “Were you worried about that?”

  He brushed her hair off her forehead. “For Guardians, it"s possible for us to hurt our partners, so we hold ourselves in check. Most of us will never find a bedmate who can withstand it when we lose control. It"s a rare gift, and it seems, at least for the men, to mean they"ve found a woman who could also bear their children. I"ve never been able to let go like that before. When I came to my senses, I thought I might have killed you.”

  “Nope.” She kissed his shoulder, breathing in his earthy scent.

  Children? She was years away from wanting them—if ever. Most of the time, she was too terrified of shadows to think about it. Were kids now a possibility for some day? She smiled up at him.

  “I always knew I was special.”

  His eyes lit up, and a grin crossed his face. “In so many ways.”

  She rested her head down before curling against him. “And you"re planning on leaving me here. I"m not distracted. I"m sated, but I haven"t lost my mind.”

  He ran a hand down her spine. “I can"t let anything happen to you.”

  “Lael, you can"t do this without me.”

  He had to let her join him. She could help. If he left her here, then the whole experience would be one more failure she could stick on her ever-growing list.

  “Margot….”

  “Please.” She didn"t want to beg, but she would.

  “Damn it. Yes, fine. But we have to get moving. I want to lay here with you. I want to make love again. Only that isn"t currently possible.”

  He wanted to make love? She tried not to react to his words. Could it be he was falling for her the way she was for him? Or was he being polite and not wanting to call it fucking to spare her feelings?

  How on Earth was she supposed to play it cool?

  “Well, then let"s get dressed.”

  “Margot.”

  Lael"s tone stopped her short, and she stopped getting up to regard him. “Yes?”

  “Both of my brothers fell in love fast. Well, Draco knew Wendy for years and didn"t admit his feelings or some shit, but there was no one else in his heart after he met her. Ace fell in love watching Alice on television. I think it"s a Guardian thing. You"re mine. I get it"s too soon. I"m not willing to rush you. I need to say it so you know. In case I never get another chance to tell you.”

  Realization dawned on her. How could she be so stupid? “You don"t think you"re coming back from this.”

  He nodded. “If Draco and Ace couldn"t beat them with the help of their entire group, I don"t stand a chance. Remember how I told you I have an innate ability to know how much trouble I"m in? This is a big one. ”

  Fear settled on her shoulders, and for once it wasn"t about her own survival. “Don"t say that, my darling. Please.”

  Because in her experience the things you feared tended to come true.

  Chapter Nine

  They flew through the air at fast speeds. He had to get from New York to the Detroit area where his brothers were being held. Was that just coincidence or had he somehow, somewhere in his screwed-up Guardian brain, known the Organization was housed nearby?

  Someday maybe he"d have the time to figure it out. For now, he had to rescue his brothers and take care of Margot, who trembled in his arms.

  “I"m not going to drop you.” Hell, sex with her had made him feel a new man. He could carry an entire army through the sky if need be and not worry about hurting any of them.

  “Truthfully, that"s not what I"m afraid of.” She sniffed and buried her head deeper into his shoulder.

  “Then what is it?”

  They"d worked the plan over and over again before they"d set out. She"d be as safe as he could make her. Hopefully, the Organization, and his father, would be so worked up over his arrival they"d not care much Margot had reemerged anyway.

  “We"re up so high.” Her voice sounded small.

  “Well, yeah. We"re flying.” When she didn"t reply, he wondered if he"d answered badly.

  “Flying means being in the air.”

  “I"m scared of heights.” She sobbed her answer.

  Lael scratched his head with his free hand. “Since when?”

  When she lifted her eyes finally to meet his they were red-rimmed. “Since always.”

  “You loved it on the way to the hideout.”

  “I was half out of my mind from the green light.”

  Lael intended to destroy any trace of the machine the moment he set foot in the

  Organization"s lair.

  “And besides now I remember myself.”

  “What does that have to do with anything? You"re either afraid of heights or you"re not.

  Having your memory return is neither here nor there.”

  “Shows what you know.” She hissed her words, which he preferred to the near weeping with fear. “It has everything to do with it. I told you I have a fear problem. It"s why I"m in this situation to begin with.”

  “Seriously, sweetheart, raise your head and look around. You loved this.”

  She sucked in her breath. “And now I hate it.”

  “I"m not going to drop you. I would die first. You believe me, don"t you?” And he meant what he said. Even if another ray gun attacked him, knocked him out, he wouldn"t let her fall from his arms. He knew this within his soul. This was the woman he"d been born to love. When he died, he"d do so knowing she lived and would be well.

  And those feelings had to be worth something in an otherwise pretty worthless life.

  “I"m not at all concerned with you dropping me. Well, I mean I"m scared of both of us plummeting from the sky onto the ground because of, say, a lightning strike, but I"m not worried about you losing your grip. Unless you suddenly have carpal tunnel? Can Guardians get carpal tunnel?”

  She was rambling, and he didn"t particularly think of her as using that speech pattern, which meant she had to be legitimately terrified. He stopped flying and hovered instead. The movement required an entirely different type of muscle movements. More calf and less arm.

  “This is a bad idea. I"m setting you down somewhere safe. A coffee house, and I"ll come for you after.” Or send someone if there was no after to speak of. He"d tell Draco where she was right off when he rescued him.

  “No.” She dug her fingers into his shoulders. It didn"t hurt, but he felt her seriousness in the grip. “I need to do this. I have to. I"ll never be able to live with myself if I don"t do what only I can do.

  “That"s good and fine, but our plan falls apart if you have a panic attack.”

  “I won"t.” She put her head down on his shoulder. “I promise.”

  He hop
ed she knew what she was talking about. There was a lot riding on his lady"s ability to get this done. But he wouldn"t sacrifice her for anything in the world, even if he had to protect her from herself.

  ****

  Twenty minutes later, they had arrived at the headquarters. If he felt the cold like everyone else, he"d shiver from the wind gusts he did his best to protect Margot from. He"d even given her his jacket. Most of the time he wore it for show. Unless he was in the North Pole sometime in the middle of February, the extra clothing only made him sweat. Of course, he never knew exactly when he was ending up in the North Pole….

  “Ready?”

  Her hands shook, and she put them in his coat pocket. Lael didn"t comment. She really hadn"t been kidding when she said she had fears. If he could, he"d make sure she had nothing around to ever frighten her again. But this wasn"t the time.

  “I"m good.” She smiled, her chin wobbling a bit. Again, he didn"t comment. Making her angry by remarking on her fears threatened to make her sloppy.

  “Then let"s get this party started.”

  She shook her head, but her smile brightened. “You"re a little sick in the head. Did you know that?”

  “Aren"t we all, sweetheart? Who"s sicker? Me for getting a little excited before a battle or you for loving me?”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Who said I love you?”

  “You do. You just haven"t faced it yet. We"ll chalk it up to another thing you"re afraid of.

  For now. Only I intend to hear the words from you. Sooner rather than later. Maybe the next time I"m going down on your pussy.”

  Her face turned the most delightful shade of pink. That was better. He turned from her before she could say anything else. Not scared but maybe turned on. A better emotion.

  “You"re….”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” He pointed downward. “Let"s go.”

  His father expected him to come through the front door. For the most part, Guardians were very in-your-face, don"t-hide-from-the-danger people in everything but their personal lives. This time, Lael would sneak in quietly.