Nine Shillings

To The Victor The Spoils

'I'm glad you'll adjust because I'm going to bloody burn up.'

He lowered his hand and looked at me. Without the children to try and hide it from I was tattooed with veins of energy, even paler than usual, and my hair threaded with white.

'I have no intention of burning up.' I sat down on the bed. 'Either, I release this energy in the garden and you lay there and wallow in your chivalry, or I give it back to you.'

He stared.

I raised my hand and energy jumped between my blackened fingertips. 'I sucked in a big chunk of two millennia old vampire, and it wasn't the big chunk I was thinking of sucking.'

He chuckled then pushed himself up, groaning. 'I'm trying to think of a polite way to say I forgot you aren't as powerful as me.' He cupped my cheek.

I smiled. 'Flattery.' I leaned in. 'Ready?'

'Yes.'

I caressed his soft beard, touched my lips to his and exhaled. Veins of energy spread through his skin and disappeared. I drew away.

He licked his lips. 'That wasn't enough.'

'Don't you want to make it a little bit fun?' I hovered close to his lips but didn't touch.

He grinned, slid his hand under my dress, and caressed my ankle. 'More, please?'

'As you were polite...'

He smiled and I breathed a little more energy into him. My lips and tongue tingled. I inhaled the cut wood scent of him and exhaled cinnamon magic. The burn beneath my skin lessened, there was too much energy and not enough of him.

He lifted me onto his lap. My hand crept under his shirt and I spread my fingers against his stomach, his wiry hair was rough against my skin. He pressed into my touch. I slipped his shirt off, fingers caressing his chest, and tossed it aside. I lingered close enough for my breath to warm his lips. He leaned in. I shoved him down, he hit the pillows with a thud, grinning.

I moved slowly up his chest, mouth so close to his skin my breath raised goosebumps. I followed his hair up to the base of his throat where it was thinnest, threading energy into him with touch and breath, and kissed the hollow. His excitement was sharp against my tongue.

'Where'd you learn that?' he whispered.

I smiled. 'Same principle as exchanging energy with the earth.' I licked the hollow of his throat and blew gently.

His hands clenched on the pillows.

My lips touched his ear. 'You're not second best.'

His beard scratched my face. 'I know.'

I kissed him softly, then deeper. My hands explored him, he was solid and hot, thrumming with shared energy, his muscles flexed beneath my touch. Our kisses turned fierce, hands all over, bodies grinding together.

Relief flooded me, he was safe, I hadn't let myself feel how tight with worry I'd been, I was good at that.

'I want you, Josef,' I whispered between kisses,

He grinned.

Clothes stood no chance against vampire strength; my fashionable dress was turned to patches and Josef lost his buttons. Hungry hands groped skin hard enough to bruise. Fangs broke lips and skin. We breathed energy between us. With no-one else home to hear, he was loud in his pleasure, grunting and groaning a rhapsody. His body grew taunt with approaching climax and he grabbed my hips to show me what he needed, like I'd encouraged him too. I pressed my hands to his chest and whispered encouragement. He came declaring me his fierce dragon.

I collapsed against him and we lay in a breathless heap.

'Hmmm, now I feel better,' I murmured and caressed my hand across his chest. 'You sound delicious when you're enjoying yourself.'

He kissed me. 'What do I sound like?'

I pretended to consider, drawing absent-minded patterns on his chest with my fingertip. 'A hungry bear?'

He chuckled. 'You've never heard a bear.'

I shrugged and nuzzle his nose.

He laughed, dug his fingers into my hair, and kissed me. His arms wrapped around me and held me close as I dozed, natural weariness replacing magical high.

'Thank you,' Josef murmured.

'It was your energy.' I sighed. 'Frankly, you can keep it.'

He chuckled. 'So... How long do you think we have before they get home?'

I raised my head. 'Long enough.'