Chapter Twenty-Four

Wisps of gray clouds fluttered behind your eyelids. A heavy fog covered you like a heavy quilt. After moments of traversing the dark realm of your mind, the fog begins to lift, as your eyes spring open. A heavy weight draped across your body. With your newfound vision you looked down to see a pair of arms crossing over your body in an embrace. A slow even breathing fanned the nook of your neck.

Twisting your neck you peek over to your side. Helena’s beautiful relaxed face was peacefully sleeping. Her chest pressing against your back with each soft intake of breath. The warmth of her body enveloped you in a bubble, pushing your back into her, burrowing further in the comfort of her arms and body. A pleased sigh slipped past your lips as you found your eyes drifting closed again.

Moments like these are the most treasured. You’ll have to ask Helena if you two were mutual. Right? Or is it implied? Ugh, relationships never were your forte. But another question zipped through your mind, this one was far more alarming than your relationship status. How’d you get here? Where is it even here? You don’t remember how you came to be wrapped up in Helena’s arms. Not that your complaining because nothing could replace the joy that you felt and the way your heart sung a song of desire. Still, not knowing or understanding how you ended up here was a bit disturbing.

Helena’s breathing changed. That was the moment you knew she was awake. Call yourself spoiled, but you didn’t want this little cuddle time to end, so you did what first came to mind. You pretended to be asleep. Which proved more difficult than you thought as her hand that was laying idly on your hips shimmied down to your belly where she drew delicate circles across your abdomen. The feel of her lips on your ear, then the side of your neck. Small butterfly kisses that marked your skin erupted in sparks that grew in heat as your toes curled under the blanket. Your body hummed like a fine tuned particle accelerator. But, you still kept yourself under control, kept feigning your sleep, forcing your hands to remain motionless, even though your body had other ideas.

Her hand danced upwards, agonizingly slow. Her fingers skimming below your bust, with parted lips a moan you though had reigned in broke free. You can feel Helena’s lips morph into a smile on your skin as she continues peppering you with small kisses.

“Knew you were awake you sneaky little devil.” Helena teases nipping the bottom part of your ear between her teeth.

“Mmhmm...but nobody said you had to stop.” You pout as her lips move away and she sits up so she can see you, brushing your hair away to reveal your face.

“Unfortunately I do. I need to make sure you’re ok. Especially after what happened yesterday.” Her baby blues roam over your body back to your face, the blues burn intently into yours as she searches for answers.

“Yesterday? What happened...” Her questions broke something free from your mind. Like a locked cage having it’s bolts blasted off and all the secrets it held came spilling out in a spread of images. A surge of guilt rings your heart. “Oh.” Your quieted voice was as quiet as your memories. No longer were they spreading like a disease, but slow enough for you to pick apart and dissect each memory.

“Ya, ‘oh’.” Squirming in her arms you roll over, noses almost touching as your fingers play with one of her curls that dangled helplessly down her cheek.

“I saw them. Everywhere I went they kept growing and multiplying. I kept seeing them.” Helena’s arms tighten around you, the hitch in your voice wavered. You hated how vulnerable you sounded but you were so scared, the fear was a sickness that kept spreading throughout your body, poisoning your mind.

“I know, sweetie. It’s passed now. You were having a lapse in psychosis. Between the space jumps and your recent escape, slash injuries, your brain merely overloaded as it struggled to keep up. Ultimately your brain fell in the recess of your fears and it swamped logic and distorted reality.” As she speaks to you in a fairy light voice that soothed over your senses, you remember fighting the images of Sandarians. Tearing your eyes away from the center of her chest you look up at her with remorse, afraid you may have hurt somebody.

“Please tell me I didn’t hurt anyone!?” The blonde angel in your arms promised you no such thing happened. Her voice calm your rising panic, eventually she chuckled, sounding sweet like honey.

“Nobody was hurt, though you did break Rudderwicks nose. That was hilarious, though that big giant is somewhat pissed at you.” Burying your face in her chest, her breasts a soft pillow for your heated cheeks, you murmur, “I didn’t mean too. Tell him I’m sorry.”

“Oh, he’ll get over it one way or another. He’s a tough guy but, boy does that man's ego take up the room. I don’t think he’s ever had a female kick his ass before. So, you can imagine how upset he is at the moment.” It was your turn to laugh.

“Hehe, I’m sure he’ll want a duel or something. I don’t think I’m up for that at all. I can’t even imagine getting out of this bed at the moment. There’s something about having a very beautiful, sexy woman sharing your bed. Makes everything else seem unimportantly mundane.”

“I aim to please and you're the only one I plan on pleasing.” Helena bites your bottom lip, her lips smoothing over your in a soft caress before becoming more forceful. You hand rise to her shoulders as they link behind the nape of her neck pulling her closer. You wanted to crawl into her where you’re both one and the same.

Your heart somersaulted in your chest. Helena’s lips turn up at the corners as she gives you a wickedly seductive smile. Your lips moved that separating inch, you nip the corners of her mouth, dragging your tongue down her chin.

“Helena, I’ve been meaning to ask you…” You whisper in between kisses along her glowing skin. A strong need to claim her here and now exploded out from you as you grip the nape of her neck harder, kissing her flesh deeper as you come back to claim her lips.

Helena whispers back in between the light slow kisses and nips, “Nothing stopping you now…” She playfully kisses the tip of your nose, encouraging you to continue.

“I’ve been meaning to----”Helena’s hand slid under your shirt, her palm smoothing across your belly to cover one of your breasts, taking a sensitive peak between her fingers, squeezing lightly.

“Mmmm” Her fingers igniting your senses. Your core throbbed with need as you clench your legs together to stave off the growing ache.

“Nel? You were about to ask me something?” Her moans spurred more than your courage in finding out more about your status, it spurred this unfed monstrous need that has been growing and growing within you like a ravenous beast. You give her an incredulous look.

“I’m trying, but your being a ‘HUGE’ distraction!” Then suddenly everything stopped. Helena’s lips pulled back, leaving your skin begging for more. Her hand slid out from under your shirt and you were a fraction away from saying ‘Fuck it’. You groaned at the loss of her touch, you skin wanting to pull her back.

“Now, no more distractions.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. Her cheeks flushed a rosey red. Her chest rosey red. Her chest pounded rapidly with her heart as she tried to compose herself. Least I’m not the only one struggling. That made you feel somewhat better in knowing you aren’t the only one having a hard time staying in control.