Chapter 1: Off to a Rocky Start
September 29
?I?m sorry, love,? Jaycy winced, ?but??
?? I have a headache,? he finished for her, stifling a sigh as he too-gently disengaged from his half-dressed wife. It wasn?t even a lie, he knew. An echo of the throb tickled at his consciousness, mounting his increasing need to punch something and his overall frustration. The woman he?d made love to thousands of times was acting like a skittish virgin, shrinking each time they became remotely in danger of being intimate. Working herself into a frenzied mass of terror was the cause of the pain, his need for a child the underlying reason.
He did sigh, then, and chastely pulled her close yet again, sweetly stroking her silver-streaked red hair. Her eyes slowly shut as she relaxed in his comforting embrace, inhaling the metallic musk that was him, dragon and man all mixed into one. The slick cool sheets swathed them in rich violets, whispering across patches of bare flesh. ?It?s okay,? he soothed quietly. Even though it really wasn?t. ?Get some sleep.? Gently he eased her head up long enough to slide a pillow underneath her.
He had been patient.
But something had to give.
He fell asleep to the soft music of her content snuggling murrs, fingers of one hand tangled in the loose waves of her hair while the other curled tight around her midsection, scarred bottom and back pressed hard into him.
He woke first to early rays streaking through the partly-opened drapery hung from the sliding door leading to their balcony, sprawled half atop the smaller woman. Shifting slightly to ease the pressure on his wife, he exhaled a surprised huff as he found that while she was still asleep, her hands seemed to have a mind of their own. Tiny fingers trailed over thigh and rear end and back, light drifting touches shooting delicious shivers down his spine and bringing him to swift harsh excitement.
?Jaycy,? he breathed, rasping. ?Wake up. We need to talk.? Actions suited to words when he pushed himself from her unconsciously teasing fingers, scooting from the bed to stand at the foot and out of the redhead?s reach. ?Jaycy,? he repeated, tone sonorous in the command. ?Wake up.?
Her head slowly lifted from his pillow, blinking owlishly as she sought to find the source of intrusion on her slumber. ?Wha huh?? Shoulders followed, rising as she pulled herself into a seated position, chemise hung low on her shoulders and dangerously close to revealing breast. The backs of her knuckle dug into eye socket and she blinked again, finally spying Pslyder. ?Wha? Psly? What?s wrong??
?Love,? he said a tad gentler, ?? we need to talk.? He drew in a breath, releasing it slowly as he sought the proper way to commence the discussion. Finally, he continued, not moving from his set stance at the bottom of the bed. ?I know about the dream.? He kept his voice soft, sympathetic. ?Do you want to talk about it?? While he knew a more subtle approach might make Jaycy more amenable on the surface, inside it wouldn?t solve the underlying concerns.
She winced, visibly twitching in pain at the mention of the dream; she knew exactly which nightmare he meant. ?Erm? ummm?? she stammered briefly. ?I don?t know,? she finally exhaled, deflating, green-gold eyes shifting to the luxuriously sleek bedcoverings and hanging there, not daring to peer back at her husband. ?I? he? Arlen? he?s right.? Her gaze flicked up for a moment and then shot down again. ?I?m?? Trailing off, she shrugged helplessly.
?Jaycy,? he murmured, rounding the edge of the bed to settle next to her finally, reaching out to fold arms around her and draw her close to his chest. ?Jaycy, you knew Arlen for years; much longer than I did. But I know he loved you, and he loved your boys as much. I think he would have had no greater joy than to be remembered by a child ? new life ? being named for him. Boy or girl.?
?But?? she began, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.
?Jaycy,? he softly chided, ?? Arlen would be mighty unhappy if you let yourself dwell and fall to pieces over it. He would be one of the first to say that while you shouldn?t forget, you should forgive.? He paused a beat before emphasizing the next word, turning his head slightly to press a kiss to the woman?s temple. ?Yourself. And learn from what happened. And never let something ? someone ? get the best of you again. Mourn him, but don?t cling so tightly to his perfect memory and your guilt over it that you die yourself by inaction.?
She breathed a soft, warm sigh upon his neck, moistening the flesh with salted drops. ?I? you?re right. It?ll take time, but you?re right. I?m sorry, Psly.? Withdrawing from the close embrace, she offered him a tremulous, shattered smile. ?He?d want me to do it. He?d be the first to beat me for curling into his horrid ball of fear.? She gave a rueful chuckle, shaking her head slightly and bringing a hand up to wipe at damp cheeks. ?He?d be able to do it, too!?
He chuckled with her, pulling back and peering at her with a gentle half-smile. ?He would,? he agreed. ?He once threatened me, you know. He said he?d personally skin me alive if I ever hurt you and showed me his knives, as well as his ? proficiency.?
Blinking at him, her mouth dropped before snapping shut. ?He did! That bastard.? She grinned faintly. ?He knew I had first rights to that if it ever became an issue.? After wrinkling her nose at him she laughed softly. ?You?re right,? she stated again, then peered down. ?Mayhap we should start trying to make that baby now, love? To name after him?? The question was shy, nervous, and she snuck another glance up at him only after asking it.
?Ah, love,? he smiled. ?Who cares about making a baby? Right now I plan to fuck you so long and well that by the end you won?t even remember your own name.?
?Oh, Psly,? she whispered, laying down once more and drawing him with her. ?Please do.?
September 29
?I?m sorry, love,? Jaycy winced, ?but??
?? I have a headache,? he finished for her, stifling a sigh as he too-gently disengaged from his half-dressed wife. It wasn?t even a lie, he knew. An echo of the throb tickled at his consciousness, mounting his increasing need to punch something and his overall frustration. The woman he?d made love to thousands of times was acting like a skittish virgin, shrinking each time they became remotely in danger of being intimate. Working herself into a frenzied mass of terror was the cause of the pain, his need for a child the underlying reason.
He did sigh, then, and chastely pulled her close yet again, sweetly stroking her silver-streaked red hair. Her eyes slowly shut as she relaxed in his comforting embrace, inhaling the metallic musk that was him, dragon and man all mixed into one. The slick cool sheets swathed them in rich violets, whispering across patches of bare flesh. ?It?s okay,? he soothed quietly. Even though it really wasn?t. ?Get some sleep.? Gently he eased her head up long enough to slide a pillow underneath her.
He had been patient.
But something had to give.
He fell asleep to the soft music of her content snuggling murrs, fingers of one hand tangled in the loose waves of her hair while the other curled tight around her midsection, scarred bottom and back pressed hard into him.
He woke first to early rays streaking through the partly-opened drapery hung from the sliding door leading to their balcony, sprawled half atop the smaller woman. Shifting slightly to ease the pressure on his wife, he exhaled a surprised huff as he found that while she was still asleep, her hands seemed to have a mind of their own. Tiny fingers trailed over thigh and rear end and back, light drifting touches shooting delicious shivers down his spine and bringing him to swift harsh excitement.
?Jaycy,? he breathed, rasping. ?Wake up. We need to talk.? Actions suited to words when he pushed himself from her unconsciously teasing fingers, scooting from the bed to stand at the foot and out of the redhead?s reach. ?Jaycy,? he repeated, tone sonorous in the command. ?Wake up.?
Her head slowly lifted from his pillow, blinking owlishly as she sought to find the source of intrusion on her slumber. ?Wha huh?? Shoulders followed, rising as she pulled herself into a seated position, chemise hung low on her shoulders and dangerously close to revealing breast. The backs of her knuckle dug into eye socket and she blinked again, finally spying Pslyder. ?Wha? Psly? What?s wrong??
?Love,? he said a tad gentler, ?? we need to talk.? He drew in a breath, releasing it slowly as he sought the proper way to commence the discussion. Finally, he continued, not moving from his set stance at the bottom of the bed. ?I know about the dream.? He kept his voice soft, sympathetic. ?Do you want to talk about it?? While he knew a more subtle approach might make Jaycy more amenable on the surface, inside it wouldn?t solve the underlying concerns.
She winced, visibly twitching in pain at the mention of the dream; she knew exactly which nightmare he meant. ?Erm? ummm?? she stammered briefly. ?I don?t know,? she finally exhaled, deflating, green-gold eyes shifting to the luxuriously sleek bedcoverings and hanging there, not daring to peer back at her husband. ?I? he? Arlen? he?s right.? Her gaze flicked up for a moment and then shot down again. ?I?m?? Trailing off, she shrugged helplessly.
?Jaycy,? he murmured, rounding the edge of the bed to settle next to her finally, reaching out to fold arms around her and draw her close to his chest. ?Jaycy, you knew Arlen for years; much longer than I did. But I know he loved you, and he loved your boys as much. I think he would have had no greater joy than to be remembered by a child ? new life ? being named for him. Boy or girl.?
?But?? she began, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.
?Jaycy,? he softly chided, ?? Arlen would be mighty unhappy if you let yourself dwell and fall to pieces over it. He would be one of the first to say that while you shouldn?t forget, you should forgive.? He paused a beat before emphasizing the next word, turning his head slightly to press a kiss to the woman?s temple. ?Yourself. And learn from what happened. And never let something ? someone ? get the best of you again. Mourn him, but don?t cling so tightly to his perfect memory and your guilt over it that you die yourself by inaction.?
She breathed a soft, warm sigh upon his neck, moistening the flesh with salted drops. ?I? you?re right. It?ll take time, but you?re right. I?m sorry, Psly.? Withdrawing from the close embrace, she offered him a tremulous, shattered smile. ?He?d want me to do it. He?d be the first to beat me for curling into his horrid ball of fear.? She gave a rueful chuckle, shaking her head slightly and bringing a hand up to wipe at damp cheeks. ?He?d be able to do it, too!?
He chuckled with her, pulling back and peering at her with a gentle half-smile. ?He would,? he agreed. ?He once threatened me, you know. He said he?d personally skin me alive if I ever hurt you and showed me his knives, as well as his ? proficiency.?
Blinking at him, her mouth dropped before snapping shut. ?He did! That bastard.? She grinned faintly. ?He knew I had first rights to that if it ever became an issue.? After wrinkling her nose at him she laughed softly. ?You?re right,? she stated again, then peered down. ?Mayhap we should start trying to make that baby now, love? To name after him?? The question was shy, nervous, and she snuck another glance up at him only after asking it.
?Ah, love,? he smiled. ?Who cares about making a baby? Right now I plan to fuck you so long and well that by the end you won?t even remember your own name.?
?Oh, Psly,? she whispered, laying down once more and drawing him with her. ?Please do.?