Sink With Me

I kiss along her jaw, giving her a moment to calm her heart and relax her body. Once I feel her go limp, I sit back on my heels. She’s covered head to toe in sand.

The sight makes me grin.

“You’re a bloody stubborn thing.” I say hoarsely as I grab her shirt and work to pull it over her head. She shifts until she’s sitting up and pulling her underwear back into place.

I only receive a light shrug, but her eyes shine with a small smile. She reaches for her pants, but I take them in my hand despite the curious tilt of her head. I’m sure she’s already uncomfortable. I’m not about to let her make it worse. Pulling on my boxers and pants I take a mental note that the next time we come out here, at least bring a damn towel. Whether she said it or not she’s staying and that means there will be plenty of time that I take her walking on the beach or watching the sunrise over the ocean. My eyes soften admiring her exhausted state with slouched shoulders, curling her knees to her chest as I grab the remainder of her clothes in one hand.

“Come here.”

She stands, but not for long. Scooping her into my arms, I carry her back towards the base. I’m not dumb enough to stop for my shirt. Especially while she’s so content curled against my chest, looking like she’s in the safest place in the world.

I shiver from the cool contrast of the inside air against my heated skin. A low hum vibrates through the walls and the soldiers stationed at either end of the halls stand in salute until I narrow my gaze and they quickly turn their backs. The base feels calm. The eerie type that has someone wondering what’s about to go wrong. Pausing by Moe’s door, I push my toe against it, seeing him sprawled on top of his sheets, fast asleep. I always call him a kid even though he is almost grown and right now just proves my point. One of his legs dangles off the edge, his blanket tangled around the other like a snake around a tree, and all his pillows are across the floor.

Cordelia buries her head into my chest to stifle a laugh, causing me to roll my eyes. I’m pleasantly surprised she’s allowed me to carry her for this long, but I can tell she’s getting restless. If her head isn’t bobbing from nearly falling asleep, it’s darting around, taking in areas I’m sure she hasn’t recognized before.

A half wall of windows with boards lined with documents behind it has her grasping at my shoulders, trying to get a better view.

“Conference room. For briefings or debriefings.” I mutter quietly but she’s already pushing at my arms trying to break free when the mahogany door with fogged glass passes by. One thing my father let my mother take care of when he built the base was design. She always chose mahogany when it came to his areas. Said it was warm like him. The memory makes me grin. He was her monster that only she could tame. Absolutely horrendous to the outside world but a teddy bear in her arms.

“I want to see that room.”

“It’s not important.”

A groan follows my words as her elbow catches my chin. I tried to be a gentleman, but now she’s just pushing for me to act like an ass. I want to treat her right. Show her what it’s like to properly have someone but some days she makes it so damn difficult. She yelps as I fling her body over my shoulder.

“I’ll show you another day,” I pause, swiping the keycard to our room and pushing open the door. “It’s just my office.” I finish slowly as I set her down and nudge her towards the bathroom with a smack on her ass. It still feels odd, even after all these years, to call it my own.

I focus on the way she leans her body into the doorframe. Stepping behind her, I’m able to make out the small scrunch of her nose and her brows drawn in thought through the mirror. Some days, I wish I knew what was going through her head. Remaining quiet, I step around her. Soft patter fills the room from the water, hitting the tiles, creating a serene environment. I supposed it relaxes her just as well, considering her shoulders aren’t bunched and she willingly steps beside me. It’s a comfortable silence as I do what I do best and peel her damp clothes from her, watching small beads of sand skate across the floor until she’s bare. Absolutely beautiful.

“You must be tired. You’re rarely so quiet.”

“I am.”

My brows pull together as I kick our clothes to the corner. I’d rather deal with her smart-arse mouth rather than curt responses. Clearing my throat, I pull her body back against mine and run my fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp.

“You want me to stay?”

I pause, everything feels still but my mind’s moving so fast that I can’t even process a logical thought. Shaking my head, I let the water fly from my damp hair and ground myself back into the moment. I point over her shoulder for the shampoo, and she obliges.

How can she ask such a ridiculous question? I asked her to say it, didn’t I? Rinsing the wash from her hair, I brush my hands over her shoulders to try and ease the tension that had formed in them surely from my silence. The back of my knuckles run along the scars of her back, my lips follow the bubbled ones on her shoulder. Either way, she’s not leaving. It’d just be easier if she was willing.

“Of course I do.” I murmur against her skin. My hands land on her waist, turning her body towards mine.

“Why?”

“Because I refuse to let you go.”

Her teeth sink into her bottom lip. Using the opportunity, I take her rag and soap and lather her body. She follows the motion as I drop to my knees, dragging the suds across her skin. My heart stutters. Looking up at her, I’m reminded of the first time she held me in such a position. If it takes me being at her feet every day to make her want to be here, then I’ll gladly do it. Or I’ll just get out the rope again and hide the knives. The thought makes me grin against her flesh as I press a kiss to her thigh.

I don’t expect her to reply. I’ve learned she tries to rationalize things before she commits to something. The rest of the shower was filled with comfortable silence. I don’t mind giving her the quiet she needs. She’ll talk when she’s ready.

Thankfully, it was just as easy to get her to lie down. I love it when she fights, but I also love these small moments where it feels like I’m breaking through everything that’s corrupted her. I half expected that I’d have to wrangle her into my arms like usual, but she curled into my side instead. To the point, I worried she’d suffocate herself with my body.

Despite her being the beautiful distraction she is beside me; I text Sam a time frame to delete footage from the cameras. I don’t care if he’s the only one who truly watches them. I don’t mind showing her off, but when she’s in that state, it’s only for my eyes. Shaking my head, I send another message explaining the consequences if he were to watch said footage. I know he won’t question me, and he’ll do as he’s told, but I can never be too sure. He’s already seen enough of her.

“Caspian.” She whispers into my skin like a beacon calling me home. My phone vibrates with a message, but I set my phone on the nightstand and pull her into my arms. She takes a deep inhale, and I do the same.

“I like the way you smell.” She whispers, which only makes me smile. My arms tighten around her. If I could, I’d sew us together, but she already thinks I’m psychotic enough.