Chapter 24
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24
The sheets she buried her face in smelled of salt and sex. She tried to push herself up, to move her waist and legs, but she couldn't muster an ounce of strength. Her body had reached its limit long ago.
Her consciousness, already hanging by a thread, had dissolved into a blur after they changed positions for the third time. She had no idea how much time had passed since then.
"Ah, mm..."
As he pulled out of her, the sensation like a tightly wedged plug being released, a mixture of his seed and her own fluids trickled from her still-open entrance. It dripped onto the soaked sheets, adding a fresh stain to the ones already there.
"You can't do that, Vanessa."
After he'd come inside her an untold number of times, Vanessa tried to crawl away. But the moment she moved, he caught her by the ankles, prying them apart and draping them over his shoulders. He was now incredibly adept at rearranging their tangled limbs.
"If you're going to shove something in the mouth of someone who said they've had enough, insisting they taste it, you should see it through to the end."
...Except, no matter how she looked at it, she was the one being stuffed, not him.
"And here I was, working so hard to protect my virtue..."
Vanessa glared at him, her eyelashes trembling involuntarily. She would bet everything she owned that this was not his first time. What kind of virgin could possibly be this skilled?
While she was momentarily dumbfounded, he lifted her hips. His cock, which had only retreated to her entrance, plunged back inside, piercing her to the core in a single, devastating thrust.
"Ah!"
He gripped her twitching buttocks, pulling her flush against him. The rock-hard tip ground relentlessly against her thoroughly soaked, pliant walls. A fresh stream of fluid trickled down her pale thighs, carving a path through the dried, sticky residue.
Letting out a sound that was half-groan, half-chuckle, he gently bit her calf where it rested on his shoulder. When she flinched and tried to pull away, he immediately caught her ankle. His leisurely thrusts, which had been savoring every inch of her, began to accelerate.
"Ah, ah! Ah, mm!"
Her slick walls offered no resistance, eagerly swallowing his length with every thrust. With each deep plunge, the flared ridge of his cock scraped against her sensitive inner walls, driving her to the brink of yet another climax. Moans spilled helplessly from her parted lips, which she could no longer close.
Ah, ah, yes... Ah, ah. As she cried out shrilly, his large hands clamped down on her waist. He pulled out almost completely, then plunged back in, his rigid length piercing her flushed, swollen entrance. With a wet slap, he slammed into her so hard the force of it made her perineum throb. Every time her vision threatened to white out, his thrusts only grew more violent, refusing to even let her pass out.
"Ah, ah... Ah!"
The repeated climaxes had sharpened her senses to a fever pitch. Everything was raw, hot. The air was muggy. Their bellies, pressed together, were slick with sweat. A metallic tang of blood filled her mouth from where she'd bitten her tongue.
"Ah, mm, ah..."
Vanessa whimpered, blinking through tear-wet lashes. Through her hazy vision, the only thing she could see was his handsome, infuriatingly unbothered face. The fact that he hadn't even lost his breath was so infuriating it left her speechless.
She was the one who took care of her body, not River Ross, who abused his with alcohol, cigarettes, and bitter black tea. Yet here he was, an untiring beast...
As another wave of ecstasy crashed over her, Vanessa arched her back and went rigid. Her flickering vision finally faded into complete darkness.
* * *
Vanessa woke to the sensation of someone lifting her. Her eyelids felt heavy, her throat raw and sore. She'd cried so much it felt like every drop of moisture had been wrung from her body. She couldn't even wiggle a finger.
She rubbed her throbbing forehead against the chest of the man holding her. Why couldn't he just let her sleep?
"You can't. If you fall asleep like this, you'll be in terrible pain tomorrow."
His voice drifted down as if he had read her mind. When she let out a weak whine of protest, a large, cool hand stroked her forehead, where her sweat had dried. The soothing touch on her feverish skin made her let out a soft, contented sigh.
Vanessa managed to flutter her eyes open just as they reached a steaming bathtub. Supporting her weight effortlessly with one arm, River dipped his free hand into the water to test the temperature. Then, he slowly lowered her into the large wooden tub, bedsheet and all.
"Ah..."
Vanessa gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. The hot water stung unbearably against her bruised skin, which was covered in bite marks. She tried to sit up, but her hands had no strength to grip the edge of the tub, and she kept slipping back down.
"Be patient."
His indifferent gaze, which seemed to say her pain had nothing to do with him, was infuriating. Vanessa glared at him, resentment simmering. Who else but him was the culprit who had reduced her to this state?
Unlike her, battered and bruised, River looked completely refreshed. He had apparently washed himself while she was unconscious; the clean scent of expensive soap wafted from him with every movement.
"I'm done... Let me out."
Her voice was raspy and hoarse. River raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"I'm so tired I could die. Can't we just sleep and deal with this when we wake up?"
"Just bear with it for ten more minutes. If you still want to get out then, you can."
His voice was gentle, as if coaxing a child throwing a tantrum. Now that she looked closer, his expression seemed softer than usual, too. As she stared at him, dazed, River rubbed her cheek with a wet hand.
He gently wiped away the dried, white stains from her cheeks and neck. He was so tender, as if they were lovers—as if they truly loved each other. But indulging in such illusions would do her no good. Vanessa turned her head away, scooping up water with her own hands to splash over her neck.
At first, the water had only stung and burned. But as she grew accustomed to the heat, her stiff, tense muscles began to melt into a languid relaxation. River's hand, which had been massaging her tight shoulders, slid down and slipped beneath the water.
"Wait..."
He patted her lower back, soothing her reflexive flinch, then stripped the wet sheet from her body. His large hand moved through the water with fluid grace.
He cupped her flat belly with his palm. Vanessa let out a hot breath at the firm pressure. His hand slid lower, moving between her thighs to part her. The moment she relaxed against him, his fingers slipped deep inside her.
"Ah..."
His long, thick fingers curled, gently sweeping her inner walls. The thick fluid pooled inside her slid smoothly down his fingers. With every movement, she could see the evidence of their lovemaking cloud the rippling water.
Out of habit, her muscles clenched around his fingers. She bit her lip as heat rushed through her body with terrifying speed.
"Mnh, ah..."
"Almost done."
"My voice... it keeps... ah, what am I supposed to do..."
As she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, his hand reached up to cup her jaw. Prying her teeth apart with his thumb, he captured her lips to swallow her rising moans. His tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with hers in a deep, practiced kiss. Their hot, feverish breaths mingled.
Her mind went blank. She could do nothing but lean against him and pant while he remained perfectly composed, handling her with practiced ease. He meticulously cleaned her out, sweeping out every last trace of his seed before washing away the fresh wetness that spilled out in its wake.
His palm, slick with her fluids, slid slowly up from her buttocks. It glided over her smooth abdomen, her waist, and up her spine. The way he kneaded her knotted muscles was surprisingly delicate for a soldier. Or perhaps, because he was a soldier, he knew exactly where the tension gathered and how to release it...
Enveloped in a heavy, languid haze, Vanessa surrendered her body and lips to him entirely. River's hands were long and firm, his knuckles solid. He applied just the right amount of pressure as he massaged her aching back and hips. Above all, his body heat was so intense that she could feel it burning even through the warm bathwater.
When he suddenly squeezed her breast, Vanessa let out a sharp cry and gripped the edge of the tub.
"Ah!"
The sudden climax made her muscles contract, clenching tightly around his fingers still inside her. Droplets of sweat—or maybe steam—rolled down her chin and dripped into the water. Panting and trembling, she felt his lips reluctantly leave hers.