Chapter 32:

  In the darkness, Nereida leaned into her beloved. She hasn’t said those words to anyone but her family in so long. She knew it was fast, that she was letting herself be carried by the tide of her feelings, but she no longer cared. Gently, she pulled Ael onto the bed so they could y down together. She curled around Ael, feeling her warmth. With the windows covered, it was too dark to see.

  Gently, Ael pulled her in closer, and pced a kiss on her head.

  “Will you say it again?” Ael asked softly. Nereida leaned in and kissed her ear, whispering the words.

  “I love you.” She felt Ael shiver, and, pleased with the response she got, she kissed her again, this time on her lover’s jaw, repeating the words. Then, after kissing her again, this time on her colrbone, Nereida leaned back closer to Ael’s ear.

  “Do you want me to stop, or do you want to pull the curtain closed? If we’re quiet, we won’t wake them.” Ael hesitated, making a soft, encouraging little noise. “Because I’d very much like to undo your hair.” She grinned mischievously, knowing that Ael couldn’t see her. Ael made a sound between a whimper and gasp. Nereida waited, gently rubbing her nose along Ael’s ear. She’d do no more without Ael’s express consent.

  “You’ll be my undoing,” Ael whispered, shivering again. There was a moment where she paused as if she was at war with herself, and so Nereida pulled back. She had no desire to pressure Ael.

  “Slowly,” Ael said after a long moment. “Nothing below my belt… I’m not…” she sounded small and nervous. It was a strange way to think of the normally impressive Admiral. “No one’s ever…”

  “No farther than you are ready for,” Nereida promised. She sealed the promise with a gentle kiss on her beloved's cheek. “If I do something you don’t like or want love, tell me. If you say stop, I will.” She paused for a moment. “Or say “winter.” A word to let me know you need to stop now. Alright?”

  “Winter,” Ael repeated, sounding amused. “Why that?”

  “Because it won’t come up by accident like “stop” might. You could say “don’t stop” by accident.”

  “Winter then,” Ael still sounded amused.

  Nereida leaned in once again, touching her lips ever so softly to Ael’s ear.

  “Permission to come aboard?” Her pyful tone made Ael chuckle softly.

  “Granted,” the woman replied, her voice husky. Slowly, almost painfully slowly, Nereida began to undo the buttons on Ael’s sleep shirt. She climbed onto her lover, looking down at her in the darkness. Ael whimpered, a lovely sound of desire and anticipation. Part of Nereida wanted to light a candle so she could better see, but she wasn’t ready to risk drawing attention. Gently, she pushed the shirt apart. Ael was trembling.

  “I’ve got you,” Nereida whispered, stroking Ael’s cheek. Slowly, she moved her hand to the end of Ael’s braid. “May I?”

  “Please!”

  Ael’s hair came undone in long, crimped waves. Nereida spread the hair out, petting it. It was longer than she had realized. Then, slowly, she lowered herself and pced a gentle kiss on Ael’s soft, small breast. Ael moaned at the touch.

  “Sh, now,” Nereida counseled softly, bringing her hand around the other breast to cup it. She pced a few more gentle kisses, before licking her lover’s nipple. Ael’s reaction was to reach up, pulling her up for desperate kisses, her whole body trembling in need. “Do you want me to stop, my love, or do you want more?” Nereida asked softly after the desperate kisses left them both without much air.

  “More, please,” Ael breathlessly begged.

  She trailed soft, gentle kisses down Ael’s neck. Once she reached her breasts, Nereida stopped and blew gently across the nipple. Ael gasped and arched her back.

  “Do you want to take out my hair now,” Nereida asked, her voice teasing, “or should we see where I can discover next?” Ael’s hands found her hair, undid her braid slowly, even as she trembled. Nereida’s long hair fell across her lover’s body.

  “Take the wheel, Admiral,” Nereida encouraged, bringing Ael’s hands to the buttons on her own nightgown.

  Without much warning, Ael pushed Nereida onto the bed. Her shirt still open and flowing, Ael began to undo each button. Her hands trembled, and she muttered curses when one button was particurly stubborn. Ael straddled the siren, still clothed, and she began to slip the night gown off Nereida’s shoulders. Tentatively, she reached down, one hand cupping each breast.

  “It’s okay, love,” Nereida whispered. “I won’t break, and I’ll stop you if it is too much. Explore me, conquer me.” Ael’s breathing became more ragged, and she seemed to finally get her bearings. She began kissing Nereida’s neck, softly at first and then the barest nibble. Nereida felt a shudder tear through her. “More,” she managed. Ael obliged, touching and kissing her colrbone, her neck, her breasts. Nereida murmured encouragements, and moaned when Ael finally worked up the courage to lick her nipples.

  The two women continued to explore each other, Ael still perched on top. Her movements became more sure, though the trembling did not cease.

  “Tell me,” Ael said in Nereida’s ear, taking a break and just stroking Nereida’s cheek softly. “When did you know you wanted me?” She kissed Nereida’s shoulder, trailing kisses closer to her breasts again. All the fine hairs on Nereida’s body stood at attention.

  “When we fought,” she managed. “When you told me to surrender.” Her fierce Admiral was suddenly face to face with her, so close they shared each other's breath. Nereida lifted her arms above her head. “I wanted you to pin me in your bed, I wanted you to make me surrender in another way. I…” she trailed off, swallowed, and looked up again. “I still want that.”

  Ael wasted no time. She captured Nereida’s hands, pushing them firmly against the bed. The siren mewled, her back arching. She wanted so much more. The pace of it would drive her mad. Ael kissed her roughly, capturing her lip between her teeth, holding it gently a moment before she moved her attention down Nereida’s neck.

  “Surrender, siren,” she said huskily, “and be mine.”

  “I’m yours,” Nereida panted as Ael continued deep, possessive kisses down her body. “Ael…” she was drowning in touch, and need. “I surrender! Ael, please.”

  “Please what, love?” Ael sounded amused, a cat with a canary. “Please more? Please less? Please be more gentle?” She brought her face close enough that Nereida could feel the fine hairs of her face touch Ael.

  “Please, harder,” Nereida managed. “Pinch a little, bite even. Please . I can’t … I can’t wait much longer.”

  “I think I like it when you beg, Princess.” Ael brought her mouth to Nereida’s breast, biting gently. Nereida shuddered apart, gasping. Ael moved to her other breast. “Beg for me again?”

  “Please,” she whimpered, her body crying for more. “Again, please love!” Ael bit again, still tentative, pying her tongue across the captured nipple. Nereida managed to keep her scream inside, and let the sensation tear her apart.

  Once she could think again, Nereida reached up, winding her fingers in Ael’s wavy hair.

  “Can I do the same to you?” She asked softly. Ael nearly lost her bance, a surprised squeak coming from her mouth.

  “Yes… just… I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “Oh love, if I wanted you to stop, I would have stopped you.” She kissed Ael deeply then, carefully controlling her bite so her fangs would not pierce Ael’s lips. She rolled in the bed, switching pces with Ael so that she straddled the Admiral. “Tell me you want me,” she whispered to Ael. “Tell me you want me to make you come apart.”

  “Yes,” her words were far more enthusiastic now, and so Nereida set to exploring Ael once more. She teased her, gently, oh so gently, let her cws run down Ael’s chest. She was rewarded with Ael’s little moan, a gasp, a plea for more. She kissed Ael’s breasts, capturing one nipple softly in her teeth, her tongue dancing across it, while her hand pyed with the other. Ael wove her hands into Nereida’s hair, holding her there and gasping. She shuddered hard, making a tiny sound that Nereida could not identify. She pulled Nereida’s hair as she did so, causing Nereida to fall apart as well.

  After a long moment of being entwined, Nereida gently rolled off her lover and moved up to cuddle her.

  “Is it always like that?” Ael asked, sounding stunned. Nereida chuckled softly.

  “Sometimes it’s better. Sometimes it’s worse. But that was glorious.” She gave Ael a chaste kiss on the cheek, her movements no longer demanding. She pushed some of Ael’s gorgeous hair out of the way so she could get comfortable. “As we get to know each other better, love, we can get better at touching just the right away, saying just the right thing…. Making it st longer.” Ael kissed her head.

  “I look forward to it.” They y in bed, cuddled and half naked, until the cool night air forced them to get dressed and slip under the covers.