Broken Wings (Cruel and Beautiful World, Book One 1) (37 page)

"Nothing, I just ... I get it now."

"Get what?"

Bronson laughed and said, "The fact that you don't know only makes it better!"

"What are you -"

"Don't you see, Ruby?"

Now it was Xander's turn to blink.

"Holy crap, you really don't!" He laughed louder. "You
like
her!"

Xander's eyes widened.

"You like Deryn! Ah, shit, I'm sorry, mate! If I'd known, I wouldn't have reacted that way earlier. I seriously just thought you were looking for a convenient fuck, but this ... this is alright! I can definitely get onboard with this!"

Xander's jaw dropped slightly. He really had no idea what to say. "I wouldn't ... I mean, I would never ... to her ..."

"It's alright, mate. I know," said Bronson, stepping forward and putting his hand on Xander's shoulder. "I mean, I still think this is going to fuck with both of your heads in the long run but, hey, who am I to judge? You know how many straight men I've been involved with? Big mistake. Mistakes, really. One right after another. Hmm ..."

As Bronson pondered his own life, Xander fidgeted from foot to foot, looking around uncomfortably as the words finally started to sink in. Bronson thought he
liked
her. That he, Xander Ruby, actually liked Deryn Leon. The girl who had suffered horribly because of something he had done. Who was in the shower now ... soaking wet and lathered in the sweet smelling soap he had purchased for her. And alone. So, so alone.
Fuck
, he wanted to be in that shower with her. But not because he liked her. Because he liked fucking her. There had to be a difference.

"Well, I suppose I should probably get out of your hair. I obviously
was
interrupting something before. Here." Bronson handed him the box he was still holding. "The dessert's all yours. They say chocolate is an aphrodisiac." He winked and went back inside.

Xander followed.

"Have fun," said Bronson, heading out the front door.

Xander went to the kitchen and put the box on the counter. He opened it and took a good look at the piece of chocolate cake. Picking it up, he took a big bite before putting it back and closing the box.

His eyes drifted over to the bathroom door. The shower was still running strong. His efforts earlier didn't have to be wasted.

Without another thought, Xander entered the bathroom, not even bothering to knock. He stripped off his clothes until he was wearing nothing but the black cloth over his wristband.

"Xander?" called Deryn from behind the steamy shower door. "Is that you?"

"Yes," he answered, walking over and standing so his silhouette was just out of view. "I was hoping we could finish what we started earlier."

"Oh, umm ... that sure ended quickly. Bronson isn't dead, is he?"

Unfortunately, "No. He got over it pretty quickly. So can I come in?"

"Uh ... how did you convince him to -"

"Quit stalling, Leon. I have a large scar on my ass from when a Resistance member sent me skidding across the ground that I would just love to show you."

She giggled. "I suppose it would be alright. If you came in, that is."

Xander reached for the door.

"Just don't ask for stories on mine. Not yet."

"Deal," he said before slowly opening the door, a large gust of steam seeping out and obstructing his vision.

When it started to clear, he could just make out Deryn's silhouette in the back corner. He stepped closer. Her hands moved so they were covering her body, so he kept his eyes upward, catching hers as she gazed at him nervously while sucking in her lips.

Xander smirked and took another step forward. "Ease up, Leon. The point of this is so I can see you. Remember?"

Deryn looked away.

"Alright then. I'm not looking yet." He kept his eyes focused on her face as he continued to step forward. When Xander reached her, he rubbed her arms, easing them to her sides before taking her hands in his. "But you should look now."

Deryn glanced up and kept her eyes on Xander's as he took a step back. She bit her bottom lip.

"Go on. I'm not embarrassed."

Her eyes slowly trailed downward, taking a moment to stare at each and every part of him. His neck. His shoulders. His chest. Abs. Hips. Her breath sucked in when she finally reached his cock, growing hard as she gazed at it. She instinctually let go of Xander's hand and reached out to touch it.

He let out a throaty moan. "You like that?" he asked.

Deryn said nothing, but when she looked up at him there was no mistaking the lust in her eyes. Xander pressed forward and crashed his lips into hers, using his free hand to push her wet hair out of her face. Then he moved it downwards, not stopping until he reached her wet core, massaging it gently.

"Lift your legs around me," he instructed.

Deryn nodded nervously and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, lifting her legs as he raised her up against the shower wall. She linked them around his waist, her body trembling as he continued to kiss her, his lips moving to her neck as he guided his cock inside of her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. "You can move."

Xander nodded, plunging his hungry lips back on her neck as he thrust inside of her. There would be no going slow tonight. There was too much buildup. Too much anticipation. Too much time wasted with Bronson. And Xander needed to prove something. He needed to prove that this was just sex. A matter of convenience with someone he just happened to desire. Someone he cared for. Nothing more. You could care for someone without liking them, you could have sex with them every morning and every night and fall asleep with them in your arms but still keep those feelings separate. It was not impossible.

Deryn's nails dug into his back as his thrusting became more vigorous. He tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her head back, staring into her sea-green eyes for a moment before heading in for those lips. Those divinely delicious lips he simply couldn't get enough of.

"You taste like chocolate," she said with a breathy giggle.

It was not long before her head fell back and she quickly began to fall apart. He moved even faster, his hips nothing but a blur as her eyes closed and her moans grew louder.

Xander buried his head in her neck as he continued to thrust through his release, not wanting this incredible feeling to end just yet.
Closer
. Every time was so much closer to that complete satisfaction he craved.

Finally beginning to slow, Xander's legs gave out and he collapsed to the shower floor, taking Deryn down with him. She hugged her arms tighter around him and attempted to catch her breath.

"Fucking beautiful," he whispered while she planted lazy kisses along his neck.

She laughed quietly.

"Can I see you now?" asked Xander.

Deryn nodded. She slackened her hold on his shoulders and let him slowly push her back, not stopping until she was, once again, pressed against the shower wall.

The warm water continued to pour down on them as Xander sucked in his breath, taking in Deryn for the first time. All of her.

Yes, there were scars, but he hardly noticed them. How could he when there was so much more here? So much beauty. Milky skin with a few spattered freckles, especially on the shoulders, something he understood came from living under the sun. Her breasts were perfect. Still perky and young with vibrant pink nipples, obviously a side effect of being in the shower. He couldn't help himself, so flicked one.

"Xander!" she shouted, trying to act offended as she smacked his arm.

"Sorry," he said, stretching down to kiss it. "Better?"

"For you, I'm sure."

Xander flashed his crooked grin and pulled back again, his eyes continuing to trail downward. His fingers traced circles around her bellybutton before he finally landed on their crotches, his cock still soft inside of her. She shifted, signifying her discomfort and, incidentally, making it twitch.

"Probably best if I pull this out now," he said, slowly backing away from her. But then he kept going, instinctually leaning downward so his head was level with the lovely haven his cock had just vacated. He couldn't help himself. He wanted to see all of her tonight. So he reached forward and pulled her nether-lips apart. Deryn fidgeted but he held her still.

Xander breathed her in. The aroma was intoxicating. He wanted to taste it. So he did, running his tongue along her slit once before engulfing her in his mouth.

"Xander!" she shouted while fidgeting again.

"Relax, Deryn," he said, moving his hands up to rub her hips. "Let me do this for you. I promise you'll be thanking me later."

"B-but -"

"Shh," he said, continuing to rub her soothingly. "Relax."

Deryn bit her bottom lip, her head falling back against the wall as he continued to pleasure her with his tongue. As a slave, several men had done this to her in an attempt to loosen her up. She had always hated it. But it had definitely never felt like this before.

A soft moan escaped her lips as he circled the tip of his tongue around her clit, her hands softly threading his hair as her hips began to buck. He smirked before bringing one of his hands down and inserting two fingers inside of her, pumping them slowly as her body weakened beneath his touch. He had always been an expert at making women reach that second orgasm in record time, and it was not long before she was pulsating around him.

Xander stayed down there until her writhing body eased. He gave her soaking lips one last kiss before sitting up and going for the other set.

Deryn barely let him make contact before she was pushing him off. "Okay, Xander. You got what you wanted. You've seen all of me. Now, don't you think it's time you let me see all of you?"

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, smiling as he leaned inward once more.

Xander was a bit surprised when Deryn grabbed his left arm and yanked at the wet cloth he wore.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, trying to pull his arm away.

"Unashamed, right?" she said, managing to successfully maneuver the cloth off and tossing it aside, revealing the wristband with the president's crest burrowed deep in his wrist.

Deryn barely got a chance to see it before Xander was pulling his arm away and hiding it against his chest.

"I cover this for
you
," he said.

Deryn frowned. "We both know that isn't entirely true. I promise I'm not going to freak out like I did that first time. I just ... I want to see. I've never really looked at it before."

"Didn't you take Soren's wristband when you first escaped?"

"Yes, but I never studied it. Not even in training. I just never really cared before."

Xander looked down at his arm.

Reaching out, Deryn rubbed it soothingly, moving her head forward so that she could catch Xander's dark, clouded eyes. "Please, Xander. This wristband is your equivalent of my scars. You wear it against your will."

"Not entirely," he said truthfully, ashamedly.

Under her touch, Xander's arm eased. He let it slacken and Deryn took it in her hands, staring carefully at the crest as she traced it with her fingertips, the only sound being that of the water beating down on them as he watched her in fascination.

Her fingers continued downward, feeling the smooth transition from metal to skin. There were no physical signs to indicate how deeply the wristband ran.

Eventually, she looked up at him, her sea-green eyes sparkling as she crinkled her nose and said, "It's not very attractive, is it? I mean, why a dragon? They're folklore. Wouldn't a creature that actually existed be better?"

Xander couldn't help but laugh. "I never really thought about it. I think his great-grandfather came up with it. He was the first of the Saevus family to enter politics."

Deryn smiled and held up his arm. "Well, then maybe you should have a discussion with him about redesigning his logo to something more modern."

Xander laughed harder. He could not stop himself from reaching out and pulling her in for a soft kiss. He clonked his forehead against hers and the two of them gazed at each other, her hand trailing down his arm until it was interlaced with his.

Xander had never felt like this before. Accepted by someone whose opinion greatly mattered to him.

Other women made Xander sick, wanting him for his Guardian status, for his left wristband with the stupid dragon crest, for the part of himself that he hated most. But not Deryn. She wanted him in spite of all that, somehow looking past this small piece of him, a piece that so many thought defined him. But it didn't. Collin Saevus did not define him. He was something long before that man took over his life and now, thanks to Deryn, he was starting to think that maybe he could be something after.

"Thanks, Leon," he said, never breaking their eye contact.

"You know, I wouldn't be totally against you calling me Deryn. Outside of the bedroom. Or shower." She smirked.