When Alex's sparkling hand touched Rile's face, a jolt of pleasure shot deep within him. His heart raced at the sparkles that cascaded down his neck and shoulder when she trailed her hands along his body. Alex hesitated for a moment as he moaned in appreciation.
"I don't think I can survive this."
Instantly, she stopped. "It's hurting? It shouldn't."
"No, quite the opposite. This beats regular sex a hundredfold."
Alex smiled as she moved her hands slowly over each of his fingers. "Why Rile, you bad boy," she purred. "Or is that bad Dragon Boy?"
He smirked. "You love me for it." His smile grew wider and somewhat malicious. "Gabe will be so upset when he realized what he gave up."
"Are you sure? I don't think he thought so."
Rile snorted. "That honorable jerk was a virgin when we were Called."
"Don't mock him for that." Alex's hand stopped glowing, and she pulled away. "Some of us would have liked that choice."
Rile kissed her fingertips again. "I'm sorry I was so insensitive. The only choice I care about is that you choose me. What I meant was: he will be one disappointed guy on his uniting night."
"That pleases me in a vindictive way." Alex snuggled back against Rile.
"Why, Alex, you bad girl."
"I am evil, but you love me for it."
"For many things." Rile's face grew sober. "But what about you? It isn't right that I get all the fun here."
"That's why I'm going slowly," Alex said, reaching for Rile's shoulder. Her fingers dug into his muscles, causing him to gasp and relax. "It gives my nervous system time to synchronize with yours. By the end, I'll be feeling what you feel...if you survive that long."
Rile chuckled. "Greatest motivation ever." His eyes sparkled with mischief.
"You realize there won't be any regular sex. Ever," Alex warned, her eyes boring into his.
Rile shrugged. "I can live with that."
"Just making sure." Alex began massaging his other shoulder, sending tingles coursing through her own nerves as well. She worked her way down to each fingertip, her touch sparking pleasure in every nerve ending. Skipping to his feet, she continued up his legs until she reached his thighs.
"It's time for my favorite part." With both hands on his chest, Alex's palms glowed bright white as they flared with light. They were both caught in a swirl of light and pleasure that crescendoed until it was almost unbearable.
When it finished, Alex collapsed onto Rile's chest, breathless and sated. Rile rolled to his side, careful to hold Alex close. He extended his top wing toward the ceiling and then lowered it to cover Alex. She felt the soft, leathery surface with sparkling fingers and they both gasped.
"I'm sorry," she said. "You should put your wing away before I hurt it. I'm surprised by the intensity of feeling."
"I'm not afraid." Rile said, his eyes never leaving hers.
She smiled at him and traced her fingers along each spar of the wing membrane. "Guide me. I don't know what to do next."
Rile grinned at her in response and ran his hands through her hair. "Do whatever you want. We're still synchronized. You won't hurt me. I trust you." He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "What do you want to do to my wings?"
Alex blushed so deep she had to look away from him for a moment before gathering her courage again.
"You know how I can make your skin glow slightly?" Alex asked timidly. "I wonder if I could light up your entire wing sail as well?"
"Sounds wondrous," Rile said softly, his breath tickling her cheekbones.
Alex closed her eyes and lit her hand, slowly running it over every inch of Rile's wing membrane until it became luminescent with a shimmering golden-red sheen. Rile moaned throughout the process and halfway through his back arched from pleasure because of the sensation. Finally, they both admired at the beautiful creation.
"I'm the luckiest Agama in the universe."
Rile slowly lowered his large, velvety wings over Alex, and she shivered in anticipation. She knew if she fell asleep like this, he could be injured, so she nervously spoke up. "Please don't let me fall asleep like this. I'm afraid I'll hurt it. You know I sleep like the dead," she said.
Rile gazed down at her with compassion in his eyes. "My brother never covered you with his wings?" he asked gently.
Alex shook her head immediately, her dark hair cascading around her face. "Of course not," she said breathlessly. "He shouldn't have. Even now, you're making me nervous."
"Why?" Rile asked curiously.
Alex bit her lip and looked away as she thought about it. "One, because I'm not worth it. Two, because you're vulnerable. Your wing could be hurt. That's not right."
Rile smiled and cupped her chin, turning her face to look at him again. "I'll start with the first one," He whispered tenderly. "Your worth is immeasurable. The second – about being vulnerable – only you can be hurt? Our relationship is two way; we can hurt each other. That's how a real relationship works, not just you as the vulnerable one."
Alex traced a finger along one of his spars and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as Rile moaned from pleasure and contentment.
He leaned forward to whisper in her ear: "We're in this together.""
Alex smiled and continued to stroke his wing further down than before as Rile gasped in delight once more. Eventually, they both drifted off to sleep, exhausted by their blissful encounter.
***
Rile awoke to an empty bed and panic fluttered in his heart until he saw Alex sitting in the recliner, knees to chest, watching him with eyes hollow with sadness.
His eye-ridges furrowed as he sat up in bed, confused by the strange atmosphere in the room.
"What are you doing?" he asked hesitantly.
"The morning after reaction. Will you resent me? Be filled with regret? Feel trapped by me?" Her voice trembled slightly and her gaze was wary as she awaited his response.
It hit Rile with sudden clarity that Gabe was an even bigger fool than he had thought. Taking a deep breath, he knelt before the chair where she sat and looked up into her face.
"None of the above," he said firmly. "I'm not Gabe or Morgan. I love you more today than ever before. I thank the Creator of All that Gabe was too much of a snotty, uptight, perfect eldest son to hold onto the most wonderful thing in the universe."
With that, Alex melted from her defensive position and rested her head on his shoulder. After a few moments of peaceful silence, she spoke again: "That was just the beginning - I wanted to take it slow for your first time."
Rile's lips quirked upwards in a faint smile as he chuckled, "Then I am dead, but there's no other way I'd rather go."
***
Alex was as good as her word. Alex moved slowly, increasing the intensity of her energy until she felt Rile's body quiver in response. She could feel him trembling beneath her fingertips and was about to take it to the next level when he suddenly gasped and tensed under her touch.
"Stop," he said in a strangled voice.
Her eyes widened with alarm as she pulled back and looked at him in confusion. "I'm sorry. I would never intentionally hurt you." Tears welled up in her eyes as fear and guilt washed through her.
Rile shook his head and cupped her face gently with both hands. "You didn't hurt me," he whispered, searching her face for understanding. "The power didn't hurt me."
Alex continued to sob softly, not fully comprehending what had just occurred. "The power didn't...but I did?" she asked quietly.
He nodded solemnly and took a deep breath before continuing. "It's like you touched right through to my soul and I was...afraid." His words hung heavy between them as he left out the details of the kind of fear he meant - the complete vulnerability of having his soul involuntarily exposed.
Alex didn't say anything and more tears dropped onto his chest. "Think hard and decide if I'm worth it. I'm used to that kind of fear, but I can't make you go through it. Don't worry about me if you decide to go home to your brothers. You heard the Portal Guardian: she'll find me a team."
Rile cursed his brother again. Alex had grown used to the fear of abandonment. It was always waiting for her in one form or another. She had fought it on the Anolis world, but it had won and now she bent her knee to it.
"I can't let you outdo me in the courage department," he teased.
She didn't respond to his gentle mocking.
"Be patient with me. This is all new to me," Rile said. "I want you more than anything in creation. We'll go through it together."
Alex responded to his humility by stroking his chest with a glowing hand, a soft, reassuring power. He rolled on his side and unfurled his wing to cover Alex. Her glowing hand traced along the spars, coaxing greater bliss. hey both fell asleep wrapped tightly in each other's arms, feeling warm and contented at last.
***
A/N
One of my writing teachers taught us that our readers deserve a party at the end of the book as their reward for reading it. Did I accomplish that?
Dedicated to long-time and faithful readers