Fantasyland: Midnight Soul Part 55

Suddenly it occurred to me that Noc was no longer pulled away and the temperature of the room was no longer chilled by his mood, this making me focus on his shadowed face again.

It was as if he felt my focus, for the instant I did he asked, "You done?"

"With what?" I queried.

"Telling me off."

"Yes," I answered.

"And while you were seething after you did that, did you plot my murder, visualize beating the c.r.a.p outta me or make your plan to contact Valentine and have her come and get you?"

This question made me recall a conversation I'd had with Cora months ago where she was describing, at some length, the investigative prowess of the "police" in her old world. I knew nothing of the skills or duties of the city guard and had never had any interest (though, when Cora was speaking, I was all ears).

What Cora said about this was impressive, and not simply because I knew Noc engaged in these activities and I thought everything about him was impressive.

However, having a naked man in bed with you and being in the middle of an argument with said man who also had what appeared to be significant powers of insight, was vexing.

"I'll be contacting Valentine," I shared.

"No you won't."

G.o.ds.

How very Noc.

I sighed and looked to the dark ceiling.

"Midnight soul?" This question came not with the nuance of humor that had been threading his tone but with something solemn.

I looked back at him.

"You are aware you're in bed with Franka Drakkar, not my twin of this world, aren't you?"

It was then I wondered about my twin in this world, something I'd never thought to do.

G.o.ds, I hoped she didn't live in this very city. How awkward would that be, running into her?

"Babe, you wanna focus on me, or are you dialing up Valentine?"

I did as he not-exactly asked and focused on him.

"I'm not 'dialing up' Valentine."

"So you wanna focus on me? Seein' as we're havin' a kinda important conversation."

He was right.

Drat.

"I'm focused on you, Noc," I a.s.sured.

"Midnight soul?" he pressed.

"Yes?"

Abruptly, all I could see was a shadow, that shadow being his face, which was a breath from mine.

"Is that what you think you've got?"

I felt my brows draw together, but since he likely didn't have night vision along with his awesome powers of deduction, I stated my confusion.

"You find this surprising?"

"Frannie, you took your brother's beatings since you knew that was an option."

To that, it was me who had no reply.

"That's the most selfless thing I've ever known," he declared.

Why, oh why did we have to get into this?

However, in all fairness to Noc, we needed to do just that. If he didn't already know from things the others told him, he needed to know who he had naked and lying abed with him.

"You know I've done terrible things, Noc," I said quietly.

"I know you've acted like a complete b.i.t.c.h to keep people from getting close, Frannie. But that doesn't mean d.i.c.k."

"I'm of my parents, and even midnight has a hue. Their souls are void."

"Your dad is an arrogant p.r.i.c.k," he returned. "Your mom, I don't know, but the minute she lost her power she lost herself, so the only thing I can think about that, is that her power was her, that and the position her husband gave her. He's an a.s.shole. She's worse, because in the end she's actually just nothing and really always has been."

This was all very true.

Which made me wonder why he would question my a.s.sertion.

"They made me," I reiterated.

"They did and that's the miracle of life, babe. Some people get good from good. Some people are good and make bad. And some people are like your folks. They're wastes of s.p.a.ce and they created you and your brother, who are absolutely not."

I adored that he thought that way.

It was just that it simply wasn't true.

"You don't know the person I was."

"I know what you said to Maddie, right to her face. Lo told me. He knows your story now, Frannie. Like everyone else, he's changed his tune about you. That said, he's still p.i.s.sed about that and he'll never forgive you for it because that's the guy he is. He loves his wife, you wounded her, he's never gonna let that go. And I get that, what you said to her was not nice. It was nasty."

To be honest, though I wouldn't share this verbally at that juncture (or maybe ever), his example was a poor one.

I did not know Maddie very well. She'd gone before all had happened at the Winter Palace with me. But I still did not quite understand her and Apollo's relations.h.i.+p.

It was none of my business, this was true. And it was without doubt I shouldn't have spoken my mind to Madeleine.

However, the circ.u.mstances were dire, my lover was being tortured by malevolent witches, I was in the middle of being caught committing treason against my country, and, at least in that instance, I felt I should have some leeway.

"It was also the way you had to be because of what those parents of yours did to you," Noc concluded.

Suddenly afraid to touch him, but needing to do so, I lifted my hand and wrapped it around his jaw before I said quietly, "Noc, I fear you're making excuses because you hold feelings for me and this allows you not to see me for me. Or the me I used to be before all that occurred."

"Franka," he replied instantly, s.h.i.+fting so he was completely on top of me, his hands gliding all the way up my back so he could use both to cup my head, "no offense, baby, but that's complete bulls.h.i.+t."

Noc.

b.l.o.o.d.y annoying.

Even in moments like these.

My hand still at his jaw moved to his shoulder and shoved as I snapped, "It is not."

"It's what you tell yourself so you don't lose hold on everything you know, and I get that, sweetheart. The way your reality has s.h.i.+fted the last months, all you've known gone in a blink, that's gotta be pretty f.u.c.kin' scary. But everyone knows it was all an act. It was always an act. They know the real you. The only one who doesn't is you."

This was a refrain I'd heard before.

He was right about the new Franka.

But he was also very wrong for the new Franka was just that.

New.

"It's impossible for people, including you, Noc, to know me better than me."

One of his thumbs started drawing soothing circles on the skin under my ear (which felt nice) while his other hand s.h.i.+fted and he started stroking my jaw with that thumb (which arguably felt nicer).

He did this while he murmured, "See I got more work to do to get you out of that bad place." His thumb at my jaw s.h.i.+fted further and he rubbed it across my lips before he dropped his head and did the same with his own lips. Once he'd done that, against mine, he stated, "But I'll get to that later. That's too heavy for now. And anyway, it's time for number four."

Number four?

Had he gone mad?

"Just to say, after arguing with you and all the rest, I'm really not in the mood for another o.r.g.a.s.m," I shared waspishly, saying words I never thought I'd ever say.

Especially about o.r.g.a.s.ms delivered by Noc.

He nipped my lower lip with his teeth.

I couldn't stop it...

I s.h.i.+vered.

"Bulls.h.i.+t," he whispered, his amus.e.m.e.nt in that one word abundantly clear.

"You do know you're b.l.o.o.d.y annoying," I declared. "And that part of you I do not cherish, Noctorno Hawthorne. That part of you I also did not miss. Not even slightly."

That was all a lie. I missed every part of him. Including him being irksome.

"Mm," he hummed against my lips, and, drat it all!

I s.h.i.+vered again.

"You don't care that at times I find you annoying, do you?" I asked.

"Baby, you cherish me. Don't give a f.u.c.k there's some parts you don't. That s.h.i.+t's gonna happen." He slid his mouth to my ear and whispered, "Just f.u.c.kin' thrilled there are parts you do."

"I see," I told the ceiling, "that I should learn when to shut my mouth."

He slid his lips back to mine and stated, "Now is not that time."

I started to say something and didn't finish because Noc was kissing my open mouth and doing it deeply.

And then he set about proving that it was, indeed, bulls.h.i.+t that I was not in the mood for another o.r.g.a.s.m.

Apparently, I was.

In fact, apparently, I was in the mood for two.

Noc's hands insistent on my hips, he murmured, "Faster, sweetheart."

I did not move faster.

Sitting astride him, I gazed down at him lying on his back before me in the faint early morning light and took my time moving up and down on his shaft, s.h.i.+fting my hips or torso minutely to change the angle, give him a surprise, offer him more, all while I watched his enjoyment.

As did he, watching me do my work.

His fingers dug into my flesh.

"Frannie, baby, faster."

I again didn't go faster.

That night, I'd had eight o.r.g.a.s.ms. He'd had one. I could take all the time I needed to give him the depth of pleasure I was right then intent to give him.

Moving at the same speed, I bent over him, trailing a hand lazily down his chest. My hair falling over my shoulder and brus.h.i.+ng his pectoral, I squeezed my walls around his c.o.c.k, filled myself with him and started undulating.

"f.u.c.k, Frannie," he gritted, his eyes aflame, his fingers now biting into me.

"Allow me to give you something, darling."