I lower my body onto hers, taking her lips in a hot, carnal kiss. I feed her my tongue at the same time I give her my cock…inch by inch. Making love to her mouth gives me just enough of a distraction that I can enter her slowly without losing my mind. “Oh, baby,” I groan when I’m fully seated. “You feel so damn good.”

Her hips move against mine, almost impatiently. “Ahhh, Luc, please.” She bites my bottom lip and almost kills me when she says urgently, “Harder, I need it harder!”

The tenuous control I’ve been holding onto is shot to Hell with those words. My cock hears nothing but the word, ‘harder,’ and I’m helpless to do anything but obey. The sound of our skin slapping together fills the room as I go balls-deep with every thrust. She is chanting my name in a throaty, high-pitched way that drives me fucking crazy. I pull her hips closer, grinding against her core. This added stimulation sets her off and she’s coming hard on my cock, milking me from the inside. I barely retain my control, letting her come down before I push into her in a couple of rapid-fire thrusts and explode, coming so hard I feel lightheaded for a moment. I hold my full weight from her, just coherent enough to remember her injuries. She strokes my damp hair, raising up enough to meet my descending mouth. We leisurely kiss now, having taken the edge off.

“That was insanely good,” I whisper against her mouth before I drop a kiss on her chin. I move to lie beside her, pulling her into the curve of my body. “Are you okay?” I ask as I stroke her hip. I see the evidence of our love making glistening on her thigh, and know it’s probably twisted, but I lower my hand and rub it against her pubis. Yeah, I’m a bit of a caveman, but I like marking her with my cum.

She remains quiet while I do this but doesn’t seem to mind. Maybe we both need to know it’s my scent and essence on her body. “I’m good,” she answers, “the best I’ve been since…” I’m grateful she doesn’t finish her sentence; I don’t want that bastard here between us. I pull the cover over our rapidly cooling bodies and we drift off, both sated and relaxed.

I awake sometime later to Lia straddling my body. I moan in pleasure as she lifts up then impales herself onto my length. I run my hands over her hips then up her torso. I think it’s odd for a moment that I don’t feel the bandages I put there earlier. Something else feels strange, as well; her stomach feels huge and distended. My pace falters as I try to push her off me. Something is wrong. The voice saying my name sounds like hers but she doesn’t feel like Lia. “Stop!” I shout, trying to move away from her. I can’t understand how my cock is still hard and inside her when I’m so freaked out. She laughs in a way that makes my skin crawl; only it’s not her this time…it’s Cassie. The room, which had been so dark, is suddenly filled with light and Cassie is riding my body with Lia nowhere in sight. One moment she is laughing down at me and in the next, she is screaming as she raises her arm. Too late…again too late, I see the glint of metal before it plunges into me. Blood, so much blood everywhere, I think as I lay choking. Aidan, where is he? I wonder as the familiar scene plays out. Then it hits me. Lia, oh my God, I can’t leave her! “Where is Lia? What have you done to her, Cassie?” I yell frantically as I try to free myself from the woman now slumped on top of me. “Lia…Lia,” I slur, feeling it all slipping away from me once again.

Lia

I try to roll over and block out the sound, but it’s relentless. Who is crying at this hour, I wonder before it hits me. I jerk upright in bed, looking around the darkened room. The mattress moves and I turn to find Lucian flailing around next to me. Oh, no, that sound, I know the choking sound from his nightmares, but he’s crying? As I reach for the lamp on the nightstand, I hear him whimpering my name over and over. I learned the hard way to approach him cautiously when he’s in the middle of a nightmare. The one time I didn’t, I ended up flying through the air and striking my head on a nearby table. I try calling out to him, hoping he’ll hear me. “Luc, wake up! Luc, you’re dreaming, baby. Wake up!” I try a few more times but even though he calls my name, I’m almost positive he’s still asleep.

“Cassie, what have you done?” he sobs, breaking my heart. I want so badly to know what she did to him all those years ago that still torments him to this level today. I get close enough to take his hand and try shaking it.

“Luc, it’s me, Lia. Please, wake up…please,” I call out to him as he begins to choke again. I drop his hand and quickly leave the bed to turn on his lamp. His face is pale and tears leak from the corners of his eyes. I want to launch myself into his arms and hold him to me until whatever haunts him releases its grip. “Lucian!” I call sharply. “Wake up!” His head turns toward me, and I see his eyes moving rapidly behind the still-closed lids. “Luc! Look at me!” I hold my breath as his eyes finally flicker open then blink against the glare of the light.

“Lia?” His voice is scratchy and strained, but I think he sees me. Before I can move to approach him, he springs from the bed and hurls toward the bathroom. I’m still trying to process his sudden movements when I hear the distinctive sounds of him being sick. I want to go and take care of him as he has done for me in the past, but I know how raw he is after one of these dreams, especially when I witness them. I force myself to stay where I am and take my cues from him.

After a few more minutes, I hear the toilet flush and then him brushing his teeth. There is dead silence afterwards until he finally walks back into the bedroom with his eyes carefully averted. I go to him, putting my hand on his arm. He has always worried about hurting me during one of his nightmares so I’m quick to reassure him. “Luc, I’m fine. I stayed back until you awoke. I’m worried about you, though. Do you…want to talk?” I see the shutters click tightly over his beautiful eyes as he moves restlessly on his feet. I’m surprised when he pulls me into his arms instead of walking away immediately.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he murmurs against my temple. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Luc, I’m fine,” I attempt to comfort him. I kiss his throat and nestle into his embrace. “Please talk to me. Maybe it would stop if you told someone about it.”

He’s quiet for so long I think he’s going to ignore my comment before he finally says, “I can’t tonight. I’m too close to the edge. Just…give me some time, and I’ll try—for you.”