Indomitable Will, Tender Heart - 17
Author: Taryn
Email: Write
Me!
Rating: NC-17 (language and sexual situations - this chapter)
Disclaimer: Don't own them, yadda yadda. See Chapter 1...
Author's Notes: YES, believe it or not, we've
finally gotten to the good stuff (SMUT)!
Sorry about making you wait 17 chapters, but I hope you'll think it was
worth it! Oh, and thanks to Karen
for the super-speedy (and most excellent) beta!
------------------------------------------
Something was tickling her ribs and Marie reluctantly opened her
eyes. She was warm and very comfortable, and the pillow under her
head even seemed to be
rumbling with contentment. ..Huh? Blinking owlishly,
she gave herself a moment to regain her bearings….suddenly realizing
that the 'pillow' she was laying on was Logan. Turning her head
slowly, she could see that he was reclining at an angle with his
back against the end of the couch and he appeared to be asleep.
His arms were wrapped
loosely around her and she was on her side, her head resting on his
abdomen. As a
final touch, the throw from the back of the couch had been casually
spread over them both.
Oh, geez....I must've fallen asleep on him! A quick
glance at the clock indicated it was 11:52PM. The
countdown....we almost missed it! God, you're pathetic,
Marie. Obviously you're doing
something
wrong when you can't even stay awake til midnight on New Year's
Eve!
The tickling that had awakened her drew her attention again. She
quickly became aware that the fingers of Logan's left hand were resting
across her ribcage. As she let her breath out slowly, the
movement resulted in a feathery caress against the underside of her
breast. Her cheeks flushing, she swallowed and tried to calm her
racing heart. At first the sensation had merely tickled but - now
that she knew the cause of it - the blood coursing through her veins
was turning into liquid fire and all of her nerve endings felt like
they'd been singed. His deep, even breathing soothed her while
at the same time a languid warmth spread throughout her body and she
inhaled
deeply of Logan's earthy, masculine scent. Her entire being was
now
sharply aware of - and longing for - him. Down, girl.
Right
now
you've gotta wake him up for the countdown and the champagne
toast. Your libido is just gonna have to take a raincheck!
She sighed and stretched in an exaggerated show of waking up - Yeah,
right, like falling asleep on top of a gorgeous, sexy guy happens to me
all the time! - trying to casually work her way out from
under the hand
across her midriff and finally feeling Logan beginning to stir beneath
her.
He yawned, blinking sleepy eyes - Mmm...bedroom eyes -
at
her - Down, girl! - and she gave in to the urge to ruffle his
hair, making it stand even more on end. "Wake up,
sleepyhead. It's almost
time for the countdown."
Leaving him to regain his bearings, Marie quickly used the bathroom and
then hurried into the kitchen. Swiftly grabbing the chilled
bottle
of Cristobal and both wine goblets, she rejoined Logan in the living
room.
He stretched with a lithe grace and smiled at her. "Don't get me
wrong,
darlin'....I ain't complainin', but is fallin' asleep before midnight
one
of your traditions too?"
"Definitely not," She made a face, handing him the champagne to
open. "And it's not one I intend to start, either!"
The bottle gave a resounding hiss and a pop as Logan removed the cork
with ease, not spilling a drop as he deftly filled both goblets with
the pale, sparkling liquid. Handing one to Marie, he grinned.
"Only the best for
your professor, huh? This stuff'll put a serious hurtin' on ya,
if ya ain't used to it."
"Don't I know it," she groaned. "Jubilee - you know, my former
roommate? - well, she snuck some into our dorm after the graduation
ceremony." Marie rolled her eyes. "The Professor knew about
it, of course......you can't hide much from a telepath, and I'm sure
Jubes was projecting like crazy anyway....but he decided that we'd
learn our lesson more thoroughly if he just sat back and let us make
the mistake." She chuckled. "Charles is a very wise man."
Logan smirked. "So....I take it ya learned your lesson?"
"Oh, yeah." Marie nodded emphatically. "That's why I'm only having one
glass, just enough for our toast!"
On the television screen, Times Square was ablaze with lights and Dick
Clark could barely be heard above the raucous noise from the
crowd. Logan shook his
head. "I seriously gotta wonder if that guy don't have a healin'
factor too. Ya ever notice how he always looks the same, year
after
year?"
Marie giggled. "You may be onto something there..." It
amused and also saddened her that the only constants in her gruff
companion's life were suffering and despair....and Dick Clark on New
Year's Eve. As the crowd began chanting "10! 9!
8!...," their excitement quickly rising to a fever-pitch, Marie
turned
to Logan and raised her glass. "Here's to new memories." And,
if luck is on our side, maybe we'll even get to
make a few more.....together?
"7! 6! 5! 4!...," Logan tapped her glass with
his,
blinking hard as he felt his eyes grow hot. The only
memories I'm interested in....hell,
the only ones worth hangin' onto....are the ones I've made here, with
you,
darlin'.... "To new memories," he echoed. "And...." Dare
he say it? "...to Hope."
"3! 2! 1!....HAPPY NEW YEAR!" The glittery
ball
reached the platform and the TV screen erupted with screams and blaring
horns amidst the familiar strains of Auld Lang Syne. Marie smiled
to disguise her own rapid blinking as she clinked her glass against
Logan's and they both drank. The champagne tickled her nose and
slid down her throat with a feathery caress. She noticed, then,
that Logan had drained his in one gulp and she grinned. While the
revelry began in earnest -
on the TV and all around the world - she whispered "Happy New Year,
Logan." Something tells me this year is going to be an
especially good one....for both of us.
"Happy New Year, Marie." He was wearing an odd expression that
she couldn't quite place, bowing his head in a deep nod and adding in a
murmur "Thanks for, uh, makin' it special."
It was hard to get the words out around the lump in her throat, but
somehow she managed. "It was really special for me, too....you
know, um, having you here to share it with."
Unable to respond - Jesus, darlin'...- he picked up
the bottle of champagne and topped off his glass again, grateful for
the ready distraction and failing to notice that Marie had taken a deep
breath and squared her shoulders, as if finally deciding
something.
"Logan - w-would you....kiss me?"
" ...What?" The look on his face would've been comical if her own
emotions weren't so far-gone. She glanced down, suddenly unable
to meet his eyes, but her voice was surprisingly steady. Full-speed
ahead, Marie....no use pretending he heard you wrong...
"Well....it's, uh, kind of a tradition to kiss someone at midnight and
ring in the New Year, so...." she took a deep breath. "....I was
just wondering if you could...um....kiss me?"
When no reply was forthcoming, Marie snuck a glance over at him.
His fists were clenched around the goblet he held and he was scowling
into the fire. Oh, shit....I totally blew it.
He's
obviously uncomfortable with that idea. Now I've ruined
everything! She shrugged, striving for a casual tone
that
she certainly didn't feel.
"That's okay....you don't have to. I always thought it was kind
of a silly tradition anyway...." The smile plastered to her face felt
abnormally bright, but she didn't have the energy to make it more
real. "Just forget
I said anything."
She stood up abruptly and began clearing away the Fondue
leftovers. Don't mind me....I'm just gonna clean this stuff
up and then go find a rock to crawl under. As she made her
way around the couch, hands full and heading toward the
kitchen,
Logan finally spoke.
"Why, Marie?"
She froze in mid-step, the expression on her face a cross between
embarrassment and confusion.
"Why...what?"
He leaned forward, the goblet now set aside and his hands looking
deceptively casual resting on his knees, except for the tell-tale white
knuckles. "Why do ya want me to kiss ya?"
Marie felt her cheeks burning. Standing there with an armful of
leftover food and feeling more like an idiot - or a child...-
by the minute, she managed to stammer, "Well, um....like I said,
there's this stupid tradition, and --"
He stood up, jamming his hands into his pockets and taking a step
toward her. "Is that the only reason?" He wasn't scowling
any longer, but the look on his face was deadly serious.
Her jaw dropped open in shock before she could stop it. Busted...
It seemed as though he was impaling her with his gaze and she couldn't
look away, even though she desperately wanted to. "I...um, I --"
She swallowed hard. Dammit, get a grip!
"Well,
er....actually, no. That's, uh, not the only reason. I just
--" No stopping now, girl. He asked you....just lay it
on
him. "....I'd just really, really like you to." There
- I said it and the world didn't come to a screeching halt. What
the hell....if I'm gonna humiliate myself,
there's no sense in doing it half-assed, is there?
Before she could blink, Logan had closed the distance between
them. Marie vaguely registered that he had taken the dishes out
of her hands, setting them down with a 'clink' on the end table next to
the couch. After that,
she was only aware of one large hand cupping her face, the other
entangled in her hair, and the gentle pressure of
his lips on hers....lightly at first, at the corner of her mouth.
Of their own accord, her
arms crept around
his shoulders, her fingers tracing slow circles on his upper
back. Oh,
God....he's
more on-board with this whole kissing thing than I am, if that's even
possible! Her lips parted and he took that as
permission to kiss her
deeply,
their tongues dancing, her intensity quickly matching his. Damn.
If he stops, I swear I'll kill him!
He drank her in, tasting her mouth and finding it to be even sweeter
than he'd imagined. Mmm, she tastes just like she
smells....so damned good. Still, he held back, staying
in control only through sheer force of will. She only asked
for a
kiss, bub....don't get any other ideas -- Shit, well....too late for
that. Still, ya gotta slow down, ya gotta....
Marie
nibbled on his lower lip,
taking it between her teeth and running her tongue along the inner
edge. He groaned - his groin throbbing with a dull ache that
matched the heartbeat pulsing in his ears - and all coherent, rational
thought was suddenly abandoned. Her explorations were becoming
bolder, more urgent, and he cupped the back of her head, his fingers
threaded into her hair, opening her mouth with his and seeking more of
her sweet goodness. She moaned, stroking his tongue with hers,
completely intoxicated by the trace of chocolate and the tang of the
champagne on his lips. He lowered his head then and she felt his
tongue blaze a trail across her throat, the touch so delicate and yet
so intense it made her gasp. Goosebumps surfaced in the wake of
his passage and he could almost feel the steam rising from their pores
as their passions flared.
Logan was suddenly, acutely aware of his hardness, pressing firmly into
her thigh. Fuck. This ain't right. I'm a
real
bastard for takin' advantage of her like this. Drawing a
ragged breath, he forced himself away from her, taking a step
back. She stood there in a daze, her face flushed and her lips
swollen from his kisses, seemingly staring into his very soul with
heated,
passion-glazed eyes. Christ....if she keeps lookin' at me
like that, there ain't no fuckin' way I'm gonna be able to keep it
together, here....
Marie stared at him in confusion, wondering if she'd done something
wrong. She had him in her head and she knew that he wanted
this....that he wanted
her. The wild expression in his eyes confirmed it, but the
distinctly uncomfortable look on his
face and his guarded posture were broadcasting something
else. Desire was clouding her mind and she couldn't think
straight.
Glancing down, she tried to come up with something to say, consulting
with her
inner-Logan for help. Immediately, she was made aware of what was
bothering
him. Oh, I think I get it! He wants this, but he
thinks he's taking
advantage of me! She smiled to herself. I
guess maybe I should clue him in that it's not taking advantage when
the other person is perfectly willing....
Logan grimaced as her eyes skimmed below his belt and her expression
changed. Shit... "I'm sorry, Marie. Uh, I don't...."
"It's okay....you don't need to apologize." She glanced up at him
shyly. "I kinda like knowing that I'm affecting you that
way.
It really makes me feel wanted....you know?"
"...Ya do?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, hardly daring to
hope. "It does...?"
She nodded, biting her lip and savoring the taste of him there.
"Yeah. I mean, after spending so many years not being able to
touch or be touched, I kinda just assumed I'd probably never have
that with someone....that maybe I wasn't meant to...?"
Jesus, baby...you're breakin' my heart here. If anyone was
ever made to be touched, it's you. He grunted. "But
what
about after ya figured out how to touch people again? Haven't ya
- I mean, didn't ya ever...." he broke off, a sheepish look on his
face. Marie shook her head.
"I've only had one boyfriend....that was Bryan. Things never
got that, um, far between us. Yeah, we kissed and stuff, but I
sorta wanted to take it slow. Being able to touch after living
without it for so long was a really big deal for me, you know? I
had to get used to it all over again." She looked back down,
embarrassed. "When I finally felt like I was ready to,
well...take things a little further, that's when he -- " Her
throat grew tight and she broke off.
A low growl was emanating from Logan's chest. "...That's when the
little prick dumped ya for bein' a mutie." Not very eloquent, but
undeniably true.
She gave him a miserable nod.
"Yeah." Oh, God, I basically just told him I'm a
twenty-one
year old virgin. He's gotta think I'm the biggest loser on the
planet!
She looked down at her restless fingers, tears beading on her
lashes. "Anyway, I'm the one who should be apologizing....I
practically threw myself at you! God, I'm really, really
sorry." Glancing back up at him, the look of self-doubt in her
eyes tugged at his heart. "I was untouchable for so long, and I
don't really know how to be with someone, and --" She swallowed
hard. "I mean....you could have any woman you want and I
shouldn't have assumed that you might want me --"
He held up a hand to cut her off. "Oh, darlin'....ya didn't do
anythin' wrong. You're so beautiful and pure and, hell....you're
the only good thing that's ever happened to me in my entire godforsaken
life." He leaned forward then, his breath caressing the delicate
outer shell of her ear and making her shiver. "You're everythin'
I
ain't, Marie.....how could I not want ya?"
"Y-you do?" Her eyes were wide and her heart was hammering in her
chest. "You want me?"
"Hell, yes, darlin'." His voice was thick with emotion. "I
may not remember much, but I know I've never felt like this about
anybody before..."
Yesss! Her arousal flared to life again and she
smiled, embarrassment quickly being overtaken by desire...and renewed
confidence Heh. Since we're baring our souls here...
"You know, I think I've wanted you since the moment we first met."
His reaction was surprise combined with a healthy dose of
skepticism. Marie couldn't help giggling.
"Well, okay....maybe not since the exact moment that we
met. After all, you were standing there looking pretty pissed
when I almost knocked you down!" She took a deep breath. "...But
I think it's safe to say that I've wanted you since shortly after
I met you."
His mind reeled at the force of her words. How could someone as
good and as innocent as her want someone as rough and used up as
him? He couldn't possibly have heard her right. It wasn't
enough, and yet it was almost too much. His senses were on
overload. He drew back and stared at her, his hazel eyes bright
as if lit from within. "Do ya really mean that, Marie?"
Her voice was barely a whisper. "Oh, yes...." Even when
you
were just Growly Guy, you were like hot sex in jeans...I'd have to be
ninety years
old and blind not to want you!
He clenched his fists to keep himself focused. Christ.
She has no fuckin' idea what she's offerin' - or askin' - and I sure as
hell don't deserve the faith
she's got in me. But deserved or not, I swear I ain't gonna let
her down. Somehow, she only sees the good in me, and
I'm gonna try my damndest to live up to that and not disappoint her....
For her part, even with the Logan in her head, Marie could hardly
believe it was true - that he could feel the same way about her that
she did about him - and it
took every ounce of strength she possessed to meet his gaze.
"So....you really
want to be with me, Logan?"
In response, he wrapped strong arms around her, clinging to her as if
this was a fever-dream in some lab-induced alternate reality, fearful
he would wake up to find that she was only an illusion. When he
was able to answer,
his tone was hoarse. "Yeah...I wanna be with ya, baby. In
every way. More than
anythin'."
Pulling back a little, her fingers stroked his temples, gently
smoothing the fine lines that feathered out from the corners of his
eyes. In the
flickering firelight, the hazel seemed luminescent within his shadowed
face.
Glowing, like the eyes of a wolf. Marie shivered as she raised
her
arms to envelop him again and he willingly surrendered to her embrace
with a low moan, breathing her in while his arms tightened around
her.
The warmth of his hard body, the feel of his strong legs pressed
intimately
against hers, was almost more than she could bear.
Clasping her face between his hands and lifting her chin, he captured
her mouth with his. This kiss was also gentle, even tentative, as
if he still feared the power building inside him. But Marie's
awakened passion for him was no less than the passion with which she
approached everything in life, and he soon found himself following her
lead as her lips opened under
his and she drank him in....a fiery heat that consumed her entire
body. Logan's arms crushed her to him and his mouth invaded hers
with a sensual thoroughness. One strong hand slid around to cup
the back of her head while he greedily devoured her - their mouths
merging, their sighs mingling into one breath.
Though it took a great deal of effort, he managed to pull away again,
his ragged breathing echoing the thunder of his heartbeat. "Are
you sure about this, Marie? Cuz, ya know - it ain't a
casual thing..."
Mistaking his hesitance for reluctance, she was quick to reassure him
while pressing another kiss to his jaw. God, if he
changes
his mind now,
I'll definitely have to kill him! "Oh, yes, I'm very
sure, Logan." Her tongue flickered down his neck and across the
warm and slightly salty skin of his throat just above his collar.
"This isn't a casual thing for me either, but....you know, it's not
like I'm expecting you to marry me
or anything..." There, that should make him feel less like
he's
taking advantage of or obligated to me...
"Well, no...unhh --" He groaned as she pressed herself against him and
her hands roamed over his upper body, moving behind his back and
slipping under his shirt. Her increasing boldness was making it
difficult to stay focused.
"But, uh....would that be so bad? I mean, if....mmph....if
maybe some
day I kinda thought about....ya know -- askin' ya?" For the first
time, the whole 'married with kids' thing didn't seem like such a pipe
dream...
"Hmmm...." Marie pretended to think about it as he trembled under her
fingers. She was in awe of the power she had over his flesh, to
say nothing of her own body's responses to it. "Oh, I think I
could probably be persuaded to spend more time with you....maybe even
an entire lifetime?" She grinned
and her tone had a teasing lilt to it. "..After all, 'Mrs. Wolverine'
has such
a nice ring to it, dontcha think?" He stilled abruptly and,
curious,
she leaned back, taking notice of the look on his face. Oh.
My. God. He's really serious about this! Wow, I --
Wait
a minute....Whoa. Did he just say he'd.....that he would ask me
to
--?!
Her leaning away gave him a much-needed respite and he shakily gathered
the remnants of his control around himself again. Her scent was
one
of intense arousal but the look on her face was one of surprise and
confusion. He cleared his throat and tried again to
explain. Shit. This ain't gonna come out right, but I
gotta at least try...
"Like I said - this ain't a casual thing, Marie. Not for you,
yeah, but especially not for me. I just ain't built that
way." He grasped her arms, gently but firmly, forcing her to look
into his eyes. "I'll be honest with ya, darlin'....it's not just
me you're dealin' with here.
Ya got the Wolverine ta contend with too. There's never been
anybody
special in my life before and that's cuz I never allowed myself to get
close
enough to taste it. The Wolverine....he don't take rejection
easily.
He wants what he wants, ya know?" Logan paused,
not sure exactly how to convey what he meant....how he was truly
feeling.
Would it scare her off? It was a chance he was going to have to
take.
"..If I letcha in now, then there's no turnin' back. Not for me,
anyway,
and especially not for the animal side of me. I ain't gonna hurt
ya or nothin',
and He'd never hurt ya either, but....if I give ya my heart -- ya gotta
know
that this physical stuff, it's....well, it's a real binding thing for
us."
He looked deeply into her eyes and breathed her in, her scent
ultimately
more telling than any verbal response she could give him. "Do ya
understand,
Marie? Cuz ya gotta be sure, baby - ya gotta be completely
sure..."
Marie blinked back hot tears. Now is not the time to lose
it! I've got to make him see that I'm more than willing to accept
every part of
him! "Oh, Logan....yes. Yes! I
understand and...well,
I've never been more sure of anything!" She bit her lip,
wondering
-- how far should she go? Did she dare to tell him how she truly
felt?
"There's nothing casual about this for me, either....even more than you
know."
Swallowing hard, she cupped his cheek with her hand, his whiskers
prickly
and warm against her palm. "I--..I'm falling in love with
you, Logan."
While he'd never been one for idle conversation, neither had he ever
experienced any difficulty thinking of something to say when or if the
situation called for it. Now, however, he found himself
tongue-tied. "You..." His
eyes were wide and he was unaware that his fists were suddenly
clenched. "W-what --?"
Oh, shit....it was too much. I should've just quit while I
was ahead....dammit! Hoping to reassure him, she
shrugged
lightly and went with a humorous tone. "Yeah, I - well, I sorta had a
revelation...in the Steak & Shake parking lot, of all places!
Can you believe it?" A thought occured to her and she
grinned. "Hey...maybe that's why their chilli's so good?
It's probably a secret ingredient and --"
"Say it again."
His expression was intense and anxious - but hopeful - and his request
left no room for argument. Marie grew sober then, her heart thudding
against her breastbone. Like he said....there's no
turning
back now... "Er, I said, uh, that I'm falling in love with
you. No, that isn't right. I mean....I've fallen
in love
with you."
"God, Marie..." The look on his face was one of pure joy, though
tinged with disbelief. Unexpectedly, he chuckled and she cocked
her head, a smile playing on her lips as she searched his eyes.
"What?"
"I was just thinkin' it's kinda funny....you weren't the only one
havin' a *revelation* in the Steak & Shake parkin' lot...and it's
got nothin' to do with the chili, darlin', cuz we hadn't even eaten
yet!" He shook his head, still chuckling, and his arms tightened around
her. "It ain't exactly a sign from God, but if that don't mean we
were meant ta be together, then I don't know what does!"
She stared at him in shock. Could she really be hearing him
correctly? "Logan...do you - are you saying...you're in love with
me, too?"
He glanced away from wondering eyes, feeling the familiar urge to run
and quickly tamping it down. No! That part of me
is
dead. I can't
go back to that, and I don't even want to. Not anymore.
He
knew
that his reluctance to get close to anyone - to get involved - had
served him well, but it was time to lay down the gauntlet and embrace
the future....a future that, with any luck, included Marie. With
his new resolve firmly in place, his voice deepened to a
fierce whisper. "Ai Shite Imasu." A translation
wasn't
necessary, but he quietly supplied it anyway, returning her smile with
a
genuine one of his own. "That's how ya tell someone special that
ya
love 'em in Japanese."
His words brought another warm rush of arousal and a fierce hunger was
gnawing at her consciousness. She shivered, delicious waves of
heat flooding through her, stoking her need and making the flames burn
even brighter. Yes, they were meant for one another. She
knew it - had probably known it all along - and now, more than ever,
she wanted to be with him in the most
primal of ways. Returning the embrace, she felt as well as heard
the
thrum of his heart against her cheek. Man or beast, it made no
difference.
He was what she needed - all of him - and she knew she couldn't wait a
moment
longer for him to claim her....to make her irrevocably his.
Pinning his gaze with her own, she whispered huskily, "Show me,
Logan. Show me how we were meant to be together..."
He hesitated only briefly and then - without a word or even a sound -
his hands were moving over her, hot and insistent, leaving her
trembling in their wake. His mouth returned to devour hers, all
hesitation abandoned, and
with a whimper she succumbed to the kiss. Panting, he raised his
head,
staring into her eyes. "Do ya like that, Marie?" His words
were
a low growl. "Do ya like how I'm makin' ya feel?"
It was a long moment before Marie had regained her wits enough to
answer him, panting. "Mmmm, yes. D-definitely yes." His
head lowered again as he nipped and kissed a path down the smooth lines
of her throat and
across her collarbone before reclaiming her lips with his own.
She
was intoxicating and he was certain that if he drank at her fountain
for
all eternity, his thirst for her could never be slaked.
It descended upon them in a rush: the awakened fire, the hungry
longing, the bittersweet ache of passions long-denied. The warmth
and softness that was Marie set Logan's body and mind aflame. Their
mouths clung together with an impatient urgency. There was a
haste in him to know and touch every part of her, to claim her as his
own. Glowing waves of pleasure spread like quicksilver through
them both as he caressed her generous curves and she arched her back in
response. He swept her up in his arms, his eyes holding hers with
an intensity that took her breath away. She was
only vaguely aware of being lowered to the soft rug in front of the
fire, her body quivering with anticipation as his weight pressed into
her. Controlling the Wolverine's long-suppressed need for her was
becoming increasingly difficult, but Logan forced the animal
back. Acceptance of his bestial side was one thing....an up-close
and personal encounter with it was another thing entirely. NO.
This ain't a hard, quick fuck, and we
ain't gonna be leavin' after, either....hell, not at all, if I can help
it.
Those days are behind us. From now on, we both win - but only if
we
do things my way...
He gently released the buttons on her sweater, parting it with skilled
fingers. The straps of her bra were skimmed down over milky-white
shoulders, exposing the tantalizing fullness of her breasts, and Logan
worshipped her with his eyes as he reverently drank his fill.
Under his heated gaze, Marie fought
against the urge to fold her arms over her nakedness, suddenly feeling
self-conscious
even as she was craving his attentions. He sensed her hesitance
and
his hazel eyes darkened. "God, you're nothin' but beautiful,
baby....please
don't hide yourself from me." Her nerves were on fire as his
mouth
seared a path down one bare shoulder. One hand gently cupped a
breast
as he recaptured her lips with his, and she writhed and gasped at the
dual sensations, suddenly and acutely aware of a sharp, sweet
ache deep inside her.....and of an undeniable longing to be filled.
With trembling fingers, she helped divest him of his t-shirt and jeans,
and then finally his boxers, blushing as his maleness was revealed --
even
more impressive than her vivid memory from only thirteen hours ago
attested
to. Her gaze swept over the wide shoulders and broad furred
chest,
sighing in approval of the bulging biceps with their sinewy forearms
and
strong hands ending in long, graceful fingers. Raking her eyes
across
the hard planes of his abdomen, narrow waist and slim hips, she took in
his
impossibly long legs with their sculpted thighs and firm calves.
When
she finally spoke, her voice was husky whisper.
"Logan, I....can I touch you--?"
Fuck, yeah, darlin'...if ya don't, I'm gonna lose my goddamn mind...
He drew in a shaky breath and nodded. Somewhere along the
way, Marie realized she'd lost the fumbling uncertainty of innocence
and was now driven by the licking flames of desire and want. Her
lips brushed his cheek and she boldly traced a path along his ear with
the tip of her tongue, smiling as he shuddered under her inquisitive
touch. Trailing lower, she finally tasted his flesh like one
who'd been long-starved. Her mouth
moved to his throat, then his chest, and finally his nipple. She
suckled
it gently, nestled in its whorl of dark hair, and his fingers tightened
in
her hair with a groan as she nibbled and blew on it gently. He
lay
dazed as Marie's tongue and fingers played over his body, like soft
brushes
tracing the outlines of his muscles, tensing as her hands skimmed over
his
abdomen and moved ever lower, eager to explore the hard, heated shaft
where
his desire throbbed. His entire being felt molten as one too many
fires
were ignited for his crumbling restraint to ignore. Shaking, he
raised
up and grasped her hands, his voice thick with emotion. "Too much
- Jesus....it's too much. I ain't gonna last long if ya keep
doin' that."
She fixed him with dark eyes, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen
from her ministrations. Her tone was breathless but
teasing. "Isn't that the whole point?"
He chuckled, a feral grin tugging at his mouth. "Yeah, but
this'll be a lot better for you if I'm able ta go longer than a coupla
minutes, Marie..."
She flashed a wicked smile. "Come on....where's the legendary
Wolverine stamina? I wanna see for myself just what that healing
factor of yours is capable of..."
With a low growl, Logan seized her in both arms, tickling her neck with
his whiskers until she squealed and bucked against him. "Oh, I'll
show ya how the healin' factor works, darlin'..." his tongue skated
over her jaw below the ear and she shivered. "...but are ya sure you'll
be able ta handle it?"
Her only response was a shiver as his tongue swept across her neck,
lips and teeth nipping at her throat. He continued idly downward,
stopping to lavish a
moist caress on perfect nipples. Marie gripped his hair and
moaned as his mouth moved in slow, precise circles, nuzzling the
underside of each breast in turn. His thumb brushed over one hard
peak, quickening her breath and her heartbeat. His hands stroked
her body in a long caress, then wandered along more intimate ground,
stopping her breath with his boldness. Her thighs quivered and
loosened as her jeans and panties were slid down and
off her legs, her breathing shallow even while her heart thudded a
wild, frantic
rhythm. He felt her tremble, the taste and smell of her sweet
flesh
filling his senses as he nibbled at her stomach and hips, kneading the
skin
of her thighs with his strong hands, parting them with a gentle
urgency.
Slowly grazing his lips down to the dark curls, he breathed in the
heady
fragrance of her desire - all for him. She whimpered softly, her
musky
aroma perfuming the air and driving the Wolverine wild. Her
uninhibited
response ignited Logan's desire even further and he whispered thickly,
"Do ya want me, Marie? I needta hear ya say it..."
It was a struggle to remain coherent, and she moaned, licking dry
lips. "Oh, God, yes...I want you. I want you so much,
Logan. Please..."
"Please what, baby?"
"Make me yours." She lifted smoldering eyes to meet his. "Only
yours. Logan....please don't make me wait any longer!"
His tongue's caress in her most sensitive place made Marie arch her
body and a soft cry escaped her lips. He opened her gently, like
a flower, exploring her depths with expert fingers. She gasped as
he continued to pleasure her, the yearning in her moist center
magnified upon seeing the intensity in his eyes. He teased her
soft folds until she was nearly at the point of release, and she could
barely catch her breath.
Her thighs pressed against the sides of his head and she gasped,
gripping his shoulders as her hips churned.
"Unhhh...I -- " She broke off and he raised his head, his eyes
dark with both tenderness and a naked longing. "Inside me,
Logan.....please. God - I want to feel you inside me."
He was awed and shaken by her unabashed desire for him. Lowering
himself between her thighs, he pressed his entry home, sliding into her
warmth with one sure stroke. Marie gasped and arched her back,
but there was no pain - only the amazing, overwhelming sensation of
being
'filled'....of two halves that had suddenly and irrevocably been made
whole. Inch by exquisite inch, allowing her time to adjust to his
size - his hard body possessed her softer one in the most intimate of
ways. The passion underlying her throaty gasp - passion for him -
nearly drove him over the edge as he was finally buried to the hilt in
her heavenly warmth. Logan fought to control
the Wolverine's urgency, the need to take her and mark her as its
own. Yield... The animal snarled but
retreated....for now.
He was filling her with a velvet heat and Marie's hands grazed his
shoulders, feeling the taut muscles moving beneath the skin. Her
breath caught in her throat as Logan balanced on his knees and palms
above her, embedding himself deep within her, his hips moving in a
slow, sensuous rhythm that made
her shiver. Their bodies entwined, straining together, then drew
apart
and pressed tightly together again.
Logan feathered hot kisses against her neck, his head lowered to her
shoulder, her fingers tangled in his thick, damp hair. The feel
of her breasts grazing against his chest, beads of moisture glistening
between them, was like a brand, searing and hot. She offered them
to his kisses, his mouth
demanding, while her hips continued to move in tight, hard
circles. His strong, sinuous movements were molding Marie's body
like warm clay and she yielded to his skillful ministrations.
His nerves, his flesh and blood, sang with a symphony of aromas and
textures, the lemony scent of her filling his senses. There was a
roaring building in his head, luminous streaks leaping through his
brain like lightening. His muscles were tensed, as though they
were about to rip through the flesh. The lightening danced,
striking his nerves and enflaming them, and he groaned.
Marie's eyes were dreamy, unfocused, seemingly fixed on a point
somewhere over his shoulder. Her legs clasped around his waist,
holding him deep inside as he continued to rock them gently. He
drove his body into hers
and she gripped his shoulders, her nails leaving red crescents on his
skin
that quickly disappeared. He felt scorched, his bones throbbing
with
a molten heat. Moaning a bestial sound which resembled her name,
his
mouth found hers again. Their lips met and melded. Marie
gasped
into his mouth as she clutched his biceps, pressing her body against
his
with a rising urgency. Goosebumps erupted over her skin, a
sensation that made her hiss with pleasure.
"I love you, Logan..." she breathed.
The whispered words were his undoing, dispelling any stubborn shreds of
doubt and reassuring him that what he had with her -- what they were
striving
for together -- was good and beautiful and for all the right
reasons.
He'd made the right decision and the feeling of peace that enveloped
him
caused his breath to hitch in his throat like a sob. His heart
tightened
in his chest as he responded with words he'd never said to anyone
before.
"..'Love you too, Marie."
Their bodies meshed; heat met heat and plunged deep. Her
damp softness gripped him, her fingers clenching his shoulders, his
hips moving in slow circles that rose and fell with a graceful
strength. Marie clung to
him as he eased in and out of her, a ballet of iron and silk.
They moved
in deliberate thrusts and parries, like dancers to their own private
melody.
Their merging flesh trembled and strained, glowing with the moisture of
their
efforts. He plunged into her again and again, and she thought she
might
die from the sheer ecstacy of it.
Marie pressed her face against his throat, biting her lip to stifle a
moan. She arched against him and met his consuming passion
instinctively and with a raging fire of her own. Each thrust
brought her to a new plateau of
pleasure and she was suddenly incapable of thought or reason.
Lips and
bodies were fused in a fiery collision that touched to the very depths
of
their souls. Softness yielded to hard. Wonder became
knowing. Two beings wrapped in the pure bliss of their union,
proceeding in eager uncaring
haste, giving all to the other and - in return - finding everything
that
they'd been searching for and more.
.
Logan felt the beginnings of the hot clenching in his groin but the
surety of his strokes never faltered. He groaned and arched his spine,
forcing himself even more deeply within, her legs tightening around his
waist as she anchored him in place, and then their bodies shuddered in
unison - a sweet, hot pulsing that brought a soft whimper from Marie
and a throaty cry from Logan. He gave up the last of his now
tenuous control, the sensation of being held in her pulsing grip
unraveling him, the pressure and anxiety flooding out of him in several
white-hot bursts that left him dazed and breathless.
Marie felt as though she was drifting, weightless. Gathering his
wits about him, Logan rolled over and drew her close, breathing in
their mingled scents, the feeling of utter peace and well-being nearly
overwhelming him. His heart tightened in his chest as he heard
her sigh. It was the first time ever that he'd given true
pleasure to someone else and exhilaration raced
through his veins.
The world turned lazily around them as they lay together, arms wrapped
around each other, and no words were necessary. Their hearts were
beating as
one. Logan didn't know what tomorrow would bring. What had
just
happened between them didn't change the fact that he had nothing to
offer
her -- no past and an unforseeable, uncertain future. But he also
knew
with complete certainty that once, not so long ago, he'd been lost and
alone
and Marie had saved him from himself. Her love and acceptance
completed
him....made him whole. It was exactly what he needed and he
swallowed
hard against the lump in his throat as the realization hit him
full-force: Maybe, sometimes, ya don't got a clue that
somethin' is missin'
in your
life til ya find it....or it finds you.
----------------------------------------------
Posted May 2002
