Second Chance

chapter 16




Carrick woke before dawn. Ava was spooned up against him and his left arm had been holding her tightly. If his erection had anything to say about it, Carrick would love nothing more than to wake Ava by sinking inside her. But he thought about what they shared last night. It was beyond incredible. Opening themselves up to that again would be nothing but trouble. Carrick was convinced they could never have a future together. He was confident his heart would stay hardened and he would be able to walk away when all was said and done. And he knew Ava’s heart would be broken, particularly if they continued to give in to their desire for each other.

It would never just be sex for Ava. It would always be a reflection of love. Every time they shared any type of intimacy, Ava would translate that into love. And Carrick was afraid she would be hurt all the more. It was best, Carrick was sure, to resume a more distant relationship with her so she could begin to understand there was no future for them together.

Needing to prepare for their visit to Hephastus, Carrick gently shook Ava’s shoulder until she opened her eyes. She smiled at him with those sleepy, sexy eyes of hers, and raised her arms above her head to stretch.

“Good morning.”

Carrick ignored the way her stretch pulled her breasts up high. Well, tried to ignore it. “Come. We need to get ready to leave for the Rosethorn Mountains.” Carrick climbed over Ava and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

***

Well, so much for having a morning round of Carrick, Ava pouted to herself. Rising out of bed, Ava cleansed herself and dressed. By the time she was done, Carrick was out of the bathroom, fully dressed as well.

There was an awkward moment where Ava looked at Carrick, trying to gage how he was feeling, but he pushed past her and walked into the kitchen. Aaahhh… we are back to being distant, are we?

Over a quick breakfast, Carrick outlined their travel arrangements. Ava assumed they would cast evanesce recreo to Avery, which was a town that sat in the middle of the Rosethorn Mountains. Both of them had been to Avery before. From there, they would be able find Hephastus. But Carrick didn’t like that idea because they would not be able to carry anything with them. Carrick didn’t trust Hephastus and wanted to be loaded with weapons and other magical supplies if the need arose.

Carrick assured Ava he wasn’t too worried about Ralina’s troops attacking since they were moving farther away from Kestevayne as they traveled toward the Rosethorn Mountains. As such, Carrick felt comfortable in traveling alone. Well, somewhat alone. He was commanding a small regiment of fifty soldiers to follow them at a distance. He figured if his men left at least a half a day after he and Ava, then they would be in close enough proximity to help if they ran into any trouble. He also didn’t want to show up at Hephastus’ door with what looked like an army. He didn’t think it could be conducive to open talks.

The journey to the Rosethorn Mountains would only take two days by horse, so it was fairly easy to pack provisions they would need. Ava made arrangements for Bing to stay with Sam and his aunt so she didn’t have to worry about him while she was gone. Finally, Carrick asked Kieran to travel to Croyden and make arrangements with Sorin to bring his troops under Kestevayne command. He wanted to set into motion the means by which they could congregate their entire army. This was particularly so if they were able to learn something useful from Hephastus that would allow them to lead an attack on Ralina.

Vyronas’ pink sun was just tipping over the horizon when Carrick and Ava headed out of Clairmont. Greta and King were loaded with food and spell casting materials, and Carrick was dressed in full battle gear. Ava thought he looked beyond amazing. Ava decided to dress practically and had on her standard western wear, minus her Stetson hat. She had not thought to bring that to Vyronas with her, but the rays of the Vyronasian sun weren’t harsh on either the eyes or the skin.

The morning wore on and most of it was spent with a heavy silence hanging between Carrick and Ava. Ava was not having any regrets, nor was she feeling any insecurity about last night. Carrick had told her before that he had nothing to offer but a casual f*ck. What a dumbass!

Last night may have been considered a great f*ck, but it was filled with love and desire. Ava could feel it pouring off Carrick. He just wouldn’t admit it. Ava was hoping with two days together, and alone, she might be able to talk some sense into him.

Rather than hit him with love talk so early, she tried to get conversation going for more details on what had been happening for the last four years. Carrick filled her in on various plans and strategies they had tried.

Originally, they had tried storming Kestevayne once they had the other four Royal families’ allegiance. It was a failure as Ralina’s use of dark magic had driven them back. They found that Ralina didn’t have enough human bodies to outnumber the Kestevayne loyalists, so she used blood magic to create her own troops in the form of evil abominations. The Erchras that had been sent to The First Dimension to capture Ava had been only one example of these creations.

In addition, the sacrificed blood she used created sorcery of the likes no one had seen before. She could create fire, which when aimed at a human target, would not burn out until the target was incinerated. That spell alone had cost hundreds of lives in one of their battles.

Hearing this made Ava sick to her stomach, but it also bolstered her decision to go to Hephastus for information. It appeared the only way to battle Ralina was to meet her on equal footing. They simply needed to know more about blood magic. How to defend against it, and how to use it themselves.

***

Around lunchtime, Carrick decided they would stop to rest. He found a shaded glen with a tiny brook running through that the horses could drink from. The trees were spaced enough apart that dappled light filtered through but they were still relatively well hidden from anyone who might be approaching.

“I’ll cast a Cloaking spell around us,” Ava said as she dismounted.

Just those words sent Carrick back in time.

It had been almost three months since Ava’s eighteenth birthday and Carrick was still reveling in amazement that he had secured the love of this wondrous creature. They spent as much time together as they could and their bond grew stronger and stronger.

Carrick was regularly invited to dine with Ava and her parents in their private apartments and he got to know Jaron and Selena quite well. Her parents’ approval had meant the world to Carrick, and they had given their blessing for Ava and Carrick to marry. Carrick had to do a military tour in a foreign region within the next year, so they decided to wait until he finished that before they would wed.

Carrick could not wait to marry Ava. He didn’t know how he was going to last the long months until his wedding to finally be able to make love to her. And the crazy thing was, he was the one who was holding out. Ava had wanted to get down to brass tacks as soon as they admitted their love to each other, but Carrick was the one who romanticized the need for Ava to be a virgin on their wedding day.

Ava, however, was not making it easy on him. It didn’t take long for their kissing to turn into fondling, and Ava was growing bolder and bolder every time they were alone. Carrick felt as if he was constantly walking around with a hard-on.

On one of his rare days off, he surprised Ava with a picnic. They loaded up their horses and headed out from Kestevayne. After about an hour, Carrick led them to a sunny meadow with one large tree in the middle. It was an ordinary oak tree but it was massive. Carrick always thought it looked noble standing in the meadow all by itself, as if it were keeping watch. They spread a blanket under the shade of the tree, and ate their picnic lunch.

After they finished eating, Carrick leaned back against the oak tree and Ava laid her head on his lap. Carrick ran his fingers through her silky hair as they talked of the future. After a while, Ava fell silent and Carrick assumed she had drifted off to sleep. He had assumed wrong. Ava lifted her head up and pushed to her knees.

“I can’t stand this anymore, Carrick.”

He gave her a lazy smile. “What can’t you stand?”

Rising to her feet, Ava stood with her arms out and chanted a cloaking spell. And this was no ordinary cloaking spell. Carrick saw a shimmery dome form around them, about a hundred feet in diameter. It was large enough to enclose them and the tree they lay under. The dome sparkled with multi-colored lights, which reflected down on Ava’s face. Carrick was curious as to what she was doing. Then he suddenly became alarmed.

He watched as Ava reached to her thighs and grabbed hold of her dress. Carrick’s stomach dropped as she slowly raised it over her head and took it off. She had not bothered with underclothes and now stood before him completely and utterly naked. Carrick was absolutely mesmerized. He knew he shouldn’t, but his eyes roamed all over her body, trying to memorize every line and curve. He hardened fast.

“I want you to make love to me,” Ava said softly. Carrick’s eyes snapped up to hers. “And we aren’t leaving here today until the deed is done.”

Carrick tried to form words to discourage what she was saying. Nothing came out.

“As you can see,” she said seductively, “I’ve had to take a little bit of a stronger approach with you.”

Ava dropped to her knees in front of Carrick and nudged his legs apart. They willingly went to do her bidding, no struggle or fight. Ava then put her hands on the ground and crawled her way in between Carrick’s legs. Her glossy hair hung forward over her shoulders and she was looking Carrick directly in the eye as she came toward him. He tried to hold eye contact with her, but he was distracted by her breasts softly swaying back and forth as she crawled.

“Ava,” Carrick croaked. “We shouldn’t…”

“We should and you know it.”

Ava’s head had reached Carrick’s torso and he thought she would lift herself up to kiss him. Instead, she leaned her head down over his lap and nuzzled his erection with her cheek, causing he to let out a large gasp of breath he had been holding in. Carrick didn’t think he ever had anything in his life shock him more. Her unpredictability was one of the things he loved about her, and maybe that quality should move to the top of the list now that he thought about it. He knew he was a goner.

Lifting her head up to meet his gaze, Ava reached for the buttons to Carrick’s pants and started working them undone. Still, she made no move to kiss him and Carrick was literally hypnotized by what she was doing. Sparkling lights gleamed over her skin from the cloaking dome and her eyes were stormy.

Finishing with the last button, Ava reached into Carrick’s pants and freed his erection. She boldly placed her hand around it and squeezed. Carrick groaned from the pleasure. He gently reached with one hand to cup her face and they just stared at each other. Ava was biting her lower lip and looking at him with such heat, he was surprised he didn’t burst into flame.

Then Ava lowered her head down and took him in her mouth. Carrick thought he might pass out the pleasure was so intense. Ava was inexperienced, no doubt, but she was learning very fast what felt good to him. As she worked his length up and down with her mouth, she alternated sucking and licking that had his hips bucking off the ground. He was close to losing himself in her mouth.

Grabbing her head and pulling her softly up, Carrick ordered her stop. “Our first time is not going to be with you swallowing me whole.”

Ava smiled at him. “I would love to do that but I really wanted to just get you going enough so you would make love to me.”

Holding Ava’s face, Carrick pulled her forward for a scorching kiss. This one was hotter than any they had ever shared before and he felt his cock grow even harder. Carrick sat up and pushed Ava back down on the blanket. He knew there was no going back now from what she started. He wanted her too much and all the reasons why he had wanted to wait for marriage seemed silly now.

Ava looked up at him with such love, and such passion, his hands shook as he took his shirt off. This was where their love would be completed and sealed forever. Carrick leaned forward over Ava…

***

“Carrick. Are you listening to me?” Ava called for the third time.

Carrick was beside Greta with his back to her. He had been unloading supplies from his saddlebag while Ava had put up the cloaking spell. She asked him if he liked it, as she had added multi-colored sparks to the inside of the shimmery dome, hoping it would prompt a warm memory for him. But he didn’t answer her after she called twice. After the third time, Carrick turned to look at her. Whoa mama! His eyes were burning with lust and passion. Ava’s gut tightened and her legs went wobbly. All from one that one look.

Without saying a word, Carrick crossed the distance to her in three huge steps and yanked her into his arms. His mouth landed on hers for a brutal and possessive kiss. He grabbed the back of her hair with a slightly painful yank and pulled her head back so that her neck was exposed. Carrick moved from her mouth, to her jaw and then kissed his way down the side of her neck. He pulled back her shirt when he reached her collarbone and gave her a light nip that caused her to shudder and her groin to tighten.

Ava had grabbed Carrick’s shirt on either side of his breastplates and was fisting the material tightly in her hands. Her head was spinning from the intensity of his attack and she was afraid she would fall down if she didn’t hold onto him. And an attack is exactly what it was but an attack she welcomed.

He roughly pulled her shirt out of her jeans and pushed a hand up to grab one of her breasts. He softly squeezed it and pinched her nipple between his fingers. Ava groaned and then reached down to the front of his pants. She placed her palm over the front and found his erection straining at the material. She rubbed and stroked him through his pants, causing Carrick to hiss through his teeth.

“I can’t help myself but I want you too much,” Carrick whispered against her neck.

“Me too, Carrick. Me too.”

Carrick fumbled for the button to her jeans while bringing his mouth back to hers. After a few unsuccessful tries, Ava swatted his hands away and undid the button and zipper in one smooth move. Carrick’s hand dove down the front of her pants, burrowing into her underwear and inserting a finger right into her slick core. Ava’s hips pushed forward against him reflexively. Carrick’s eagerness to have her fueled her desire to a burning inferno. She already felt her orgasm building and wanted Carrick inside her when it came.

“Can’t wait, Carrick. Now,” Ava panted.

Carrick didn’t respond to her but kept up the brutal assault on her mouth with his finger pumping in and out of her roughly. Ava had to drag his hand out of her pants and push him back. He looked at her, dazed.

“I said I can’t wait. I want you inside me when I come.”

Carrick came out of his daze and practically lunged at her. The look on his face was so ferocious, for a moment, her heart skipped a beat before it resumed its frantic pounding. He spun her around so she faced away from him. Slipping both hands down the inside of her jeans along her hips, he pushed them down until they stopped just below her knees.

Ava whimpered at the restriction, unable to spread her legs apart. Carrick took just a moment to undo his pants, pulling his erection out. Wrapping his right arm around her stomach, he bent her forward slightly, his chest flush against her back. Bending his knees, he positioned himself at her entrance.

Ava was pushing back against him and rotating her hips, frantic for him to get inside her. Carrick was still, making no further move. Ava turned her head to look back at him. His eyes were closed, his brows drawn inward in fierce concentration. She knew that look. He was trying to get back some semblance of sanity but she was having none of that.

“Please, Carrick,” Ava begged while pushing her hips back against him. “I need you.”

Ava heard Carrick release his breath in a loud rush. Tightening his arm around her stomach to hold her still, he drove into her with a hard push. Ava felt her body stretch and form around his hard length. Both of them shouted in welcome at the invasion.

“Are you okay?”

Ava moaned, “Uh-huh.”

Carrick leaned Ava slightly forward and she was able to reach out to a nearby tree and brace her arms. Carrick used the extra leverage gained to pull out and then slam back in. He had never been this worked up in his life and was embarrassed that he might come after only a few pumps of his hips. He had to slow down.

But Ava had different ideas. When Carrick pulled back a second time, Ava slammed her hips back toward him, shoving him into her so hard, she almost passed out from the pleasure.

Carrick hissed. “Ava.”

“More, Carrick. Please.”

Carrick let loose. He pulled out and slammed into her hard, over and over again. She knew he was giving her everything he had. The feeling was so over-whelming, Ava started seeing spots in front of her. Her orgasm built so quickly and she tried to hold it off. But it was like a raging storm and there was no leash for it.

“I’m going to come, Carrick,” Ava moaned.

“I’m close. Hold on just a bit,” Carrick gritted.

Digging his fingers into her hips, Carrick picked up his pace until he was slamming into her with frenzy. The pleasure was so intense, tears started leaking from Ava’s eyes. A warm tingling started at the base of her spine, and when Carrick put his lips near her ear, whispering urgently, “Come Ava, come with me,” a shattering orgasm tore through her body. It sparked and flashed hotly, and Ava let out a long moan of satisfaction. She felt Carrick sink deep inside with one last thrust and he bit down on her neck as he released his hot seed into her.

If Carrick hadn’t been holding her up, she would have fallen face forward into the tree. Both of them were breathing hard and Ava felt a trickle of sweat drip between her breasts. Carrick pulled Ava up against his chest and her head fell back against his shoulder. As he slid out of her, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her right ear.

“That wasn’t too rough, was it?”

Ava just shook her head back and forth. It seemed the power of speech may have left her completely. If Carrick weren’t embracing her right now, her boneless legs would drop right out from underneath her. Carrick eased both of them down to the ground and onto their sides. Their pants still around their legs, they just lay on the mossy ground, in a spooning position.

“That was incredible,” Ava finally managed to rasp out.

“That is an understatement.”

“What got you so worked up?”

“Casting that cloaking spell… reminded me of when you seduced your virginity out of me. The rest is just a blur.”

Ava gave a soft laugh. “That was my plan, Commandant Dunne. My evil, nefarious plan.”

“Well it worked. All too well.” His last remark was said with just a hint of bitterness. Ava didn’t respond. Now that he was down from his sexual high, she knew he was trying to distinguish the lust from love. She knew there was no line between the two. They were both apart of what made Ava and Carrick special. He was just going to have to figure that out himself.