November Reign (Northarbor Coven #3)

17. Healing

Healing

Thyme

Soft lips pressed to mine roused me from sleep. Coming in for another kiss, I felt the smirk Oak was giving me.

“Awake?” he whispered against my mouth. He drew back a little to let me answer. Immediately, I missed his warmth, his closeness.

“It’d be odd if I wasn’t. Do you just go around kissing sleeping people?” I arched an eyebrow at him. His expression was so open, amused. I loved it.

“Only you.”

I leaned up to capture his mouth in a long, drugging kiss. Morning breath be damned.

“Right answer,” I said as we broke apart briefly. I kissed along his smooth jaw. “I think I should be the only person you kiss from now on.” Once again, my lips returned to his. I loved having the freedom to be with him like this.

He pressed our foreheads together. “As long as I’m the only person you kiss. ”

“I’m on board with that.” A grin stretched across my face. An answer to the one on Oak’s. We lay there, on our sides, just smiling at each other like fools.

The moment was so perfect; I wanted it to stretch on forever.

Reality burst the bubble when Oak winced. He’d stretched to get even closer to me, clearly pulling on one of his many injuries. Those witches and shifters had really done a number on him.

The thought that we might not have made it on time to save him haunted me. A minute later even and he could have died.

“Are you okay?”

“Feeling sore. I think the pain tonics have worn off. You’ve healed me really well, I’m just…”

“It’s the bruising.” I sighed, frustrated with myself. Instead of getting lost in the feeling of his lips on mine once again, I should have been checking his pain level. “Somehow, the magic never touches the bruises. I’ll get you another tonic.” I attempted to slip out of the bed.

Oak snagged my hand. “No, stay. I can deal with a little pain if there are more kisses.” He tried to smile. The pain had made him paler, with a pinch around his mouth and eyes he couldn’t smooth away.

“As tempting as you are, I’d be too worried I was hurting you to enjoy it. ”

“Well, if you’re going to bring logic into things, maybe I do need that tonic.” Oak struggled into a seated position, his back against the headboard of the bed. A fine sweat broke out on his brow.

I’d left some pain tonics and more healing potions than I’d needed on the dresser just in case Oak was in pain through the night. A decent sleep was the best for healing, and it seemed like we had slept the night away. The shadows outside the window were gone, leaving a weak morning light.

Hela was gone. Having satisfied herself that Oak was okay, and I wasn’t about to harm him, she stalked off after a quick nap. Her concern was really touching. She’d made her opinion known about Oak leaving the mansion. She was not amused, and even hacked something up in Damon’s shoe. How she had known when she hadn’t been there, I didn’t know.

During the night, I’d awoken to check on Oak, and removed most of our clothes. Toth helped me get the larger man under the covers after hearing me swearing up a storm. I’d expended a lot of magic during the fight, then the healing that followed, so I didn’t have any to spare by moving Oak using my power.

The demon had been monitoring the earpiece I hadn’t switched off. He’d come running, concerned something was wrong. He really was the sweetest .

With Toth keeping an eye on Oak, I’d showered, then cleaned Oak up as best I could. Somehow he looked worse with the blood and grime from the attack washed away. Bruises littered his golden skin. The deep blues, purples, and greens made me wince in sympathy for the pain he had to be in.

Once he was content we were alright, Toth had left, taking the earpiece with him since he believed we didn’t need them listening in anymore. In the cold, hard light of day, I was glad for that. I didn’t need the whole house listening to me making out with Oak!

I watched him take the potions, drinking every drop. From experience, they weren’t pleasant. I’d been working with Damon to make them more palatable, especially because we knew battles were ramping up and injuries were natural. Anything we could do for our people to make them better was a plus.

“Hmm, this has a weird flavor?” Oak smacked his lips with a ponderous expression. “Mint and lemon?”

“Yeah, just something Damon has been playing around with.”

“Speaking of your brother, what’s he thinking about all this?”

“His exact words were: ‘when he wakes up, can you tell him he can come back? I should have trusted him and never made him leave.’ So, it’s safe to say you’re welcome here.” I sighed. “We had some words after you left.”

“Yeah? Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really. We sorted it out, came to an understanding. I’m just not proud of what I said.” With a shrug, I reached out to take the empty bottles. I’d clean them then sterilize them of magic. “We’re okay now.”

“Good. I don’t want to come between you.”

“Can we not think or talk about anything outside this room for a while?”

He reached out for me. I went to him easily, careful not to aggravate his injuries. There wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to be.

I lay on the bed facing him, trailing my fingers up and down his corded arm. The man really liked the gym and I wholeheartedly approved.

“Want to help me take a shower? I feel gross.”

“Sure. We tried to wash you—“

“We?”

“Toth,” I explained.

“Ah. I’m not sure…” Oak seemed to think about it. “Actually, the demon only has eyes for Cody, I’m okay with him seeing me in my underwear.”

“I wasn’t!”

“Jealous?” I was pretty sure he was teasing .

“No! You were just so vulnerable and wounded. Toth was incredibly gentle and patient but he shouldn’t get to see you like that.”

Oak laughed then winced. “How about that shower?”

There was something incredibly intimate about showering with someone else. More so when it was a man you had complicated feelings for.

Oak’s body was a work of art. All the hours in the gym created a muscular physique. Golden skin covered his body. He had very little body hair, just some under his arms and a trail leading to his groin. His cock hung half hard under my gaze.

“Do you like what you see?” He tried for teasing, but fell short, a sort of anxiety falling over him.

“I really do. You’re gorgeous, Oak. Every. Damn. Inch.” Okay, maybe I was leering. Drooling too.

My magic, what little had recovered after sleeping, had conjured up a stool so Oak could sit in the roomy shower stall. The waterfall shower head poured deliciously warm water over us both. Seated, he was at the perfect height for me to wash his hair, getting any grime from the sidewalk out of it .

“I asked Cody to bring us something to eat and some fresh sheets.”

As if hearing my words, Oak’s stomach growled.

“Let me finish and we can go eat.”

He hooked an arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Does this mean you’ll be putting clothes on?”

“Uh,” I found myself lost for words. I was practically in Oak’s lap with nothing between us. “Probably.”

“Then no. I’ve waited so long to have you like this. I’d rather go hungry than miss out on my chance to touch you.”

“Fuck!”

“Yeah, I want to do that too, if you’re up for it.”

“But—“

“I’m fine. Nothing can stop me from fucking you, unless you don’t want it.”

“Oh, I want it. I just don’t want to hurt you.” My cock was hardening, my thighs shaking as I held myself off him. I should have pushed away, he was just so damn tempting.

“Good.” He squeezed my ass. “If you’re so worried, you could ride me. Like this.” He grasped my hips and pulled me down onto him. His length was hot and hard against my ass.

Hastily, I turned off the shower and struggled free of Oak. I found a towel and threw it at him. He laughed but began toweling off as I dried myself .

“Here,” I said, naked but dry. “Let me see to your hair.” I led him to the bedroom and gently pushed him to sit on the stool at the dresser. His amused face met mine in the mirror as I used magic to take out some more of the moisture in his hair before running a comb through the silky strands.

“Can I braid it?” I asked.

“Sure.” His gaze turned fond with underlying heat as I ran my fingers through his hair, dividing it into sections before making the braid and tying it off with a hair tie.

He turned and pulled me close, his warm skin so smooth and soft against me.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. You just… you’re like some sort of beautiful fae prince. I can’t keep my eyes off you. I want to taste you, feel you, get inside you. All my thoughts are of you.”

“Damn.”

I leaned down to kiss him. Our tongues tangled, the kiss turning heated quickly. He held me to him firmly, not treating me like glass like some in my past.

Oak’s hands wandered my body, as his lips traced their way down my throat, chest, abdomen, to my very interested dick. He licked around the head before sucking it into his mouth. His eyes met mine, heat and humor in the dark orbs. He was loving this.

“Bed. Let’s…” I groaned as he took me deeper. “Lube! ”

He sucked the head of my cock again. “You sure?” He blew air over me, making me shudder.

“Yes!” I pushed away from him to rush to the bed. I found the lube before crawling on.

The magic was clearly working as Oak moved quickly, settling once more against the headboard.

“C’mere.”

I went into his lap easily, meeting his lips once more in a deep kiss.

Somehow he found the lube and opened it. He slicked his fingers and worked me open as I writhed in his lap.

“Careful, I might go off before I get inside you,” he teased as he nipped across my shoulder and neck. He was leaving marks for everyone to see, I could tell.

When I thought I was ready, I batted his hand aside and pushed the tip of his cock against my stretched hole. Even with the prep there was a burn. It had been a while.

Slowly, I eased down on him, taking him fully inside me.

The feeling of his arms around me, his length in me, was indescribable. It was everything I’d ever wanted.

Then I began to move.

I rocked and grinded against him, rose and fell. Time had no meaning. All I could think about was the pleasure building between us .

Leaning back, I braced myself on Oak’s body and lifted up and down on his dick.

“Damn, you look good riding me.” His eyes were fixated on where we were joined. “I can’t wait to see my come leaking out of you.” He looked desperate. “Just wait until I’m fully healed. You’re going to wear my come so you smell like me. I’m going to fill you with so much come and plug you.” His hands tightened on my thighs as he guided me up and down.

I moaned, a long filthy sound.

“Like that idea, don’t you? Walking around with a reminder of who you belong to all day.”

“Yes!” I gasped. Damn, the dirty talk was pressing all my buttons.

“Would you let me collar you? Show to the world you belong to me?”

“Oh fuck! Yes!”

He leaned forward, grabbed me around the waist and bit down on my shoulder as he pumped up into me. His movements were frantic, passionate, as he fucked me raw.

Euphoria filled me. All I could feel was the man I loved. His cock kept hitting my prostate perfectly. So close!

Oak thrust harder, gripped me closer and snarled. “Mine.”

It was animalistic. Perfect .

I came on a shout as I felt him pulse inside me.

“You’re mine now. I’m never letting you go.” He nuzzled my neck. More kisses followed his words, like he just couldn’t stop.

I gave a breathless laugh. “I’m okay with that.”