“Oh, little dove, you have no idea how things work here.That’s okay, we’ll learn each other in time but first things first.We take claiming a woman very seriously.It’s part of why so few men here have an old lady.”
“Old lady?”Delilah crinkled her nose at the term.
“You’ve met both Taylynn and Andy, it’s just what we call the women who are ours, who we would all die to protect.When she’s annoyed, Taylynn calls Raven her old man as revenge.He growls, says something under his breath then hauls her off to their room.”Hawkeye tilted his head and stared up at the ceiling for a moment.“Thinking about it that way, maybe it’s not when she’s annoyed.”He blinked a couple of times then looked back down at her.“Anyway, a property patch is the same as a ring, at least to us.But if you want a ring and a legal marriage, I’ll make sure you have it.We can even do the whole big wedding thing if you want.Either way, once we take an old lady, we’re faithful.I won’t be sleeping with any of the mamas, or anyone else for that matter.And I won’t be getting tired of you.”
“It’s pretty to think so.”She couldn’t help the ache in her chest.She’d thought she’d had forever before, and while she hadn’t loved Warren, in fact, she’d been miserable with him, his setting her aside had hurt.
“I guess I’ll just have to show you.”Hawkeye leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips.Delilah didn’t plan it but she found herself leaning into him, as if her body was begging for more and it didn’t care what her mind said.But in this, they were both in accord.She wanted his kiss, his touch, as much as her body did.
“Does this mean you’ll show me what sex is supposed to feel like?”she whispered when he finally pulled away.“What you did this morning was amazing, but I felt empty, almost hollow and now I’m all achy.I don’t know what it is, but something tells me you can fix it.You know how to make the strange hot and not feeling go away.”
“Fuck me,” Hawkeye muttered as he dropped his head so his forehead rested against hers.“How is it that after less than twenty-four hours, you already know how to tear me to shreds?”He still held her hugged against him.“I didn’t bring you in here for this, but I guess we could call it resting.”He tilted her head back and covered her lips in another kiss, this time it wasn’t sweet and gentle, like before.This time Hawkeye’s kiss overwhelmed her.She found herself unable to think, only feel the press of his lips against hers, the sweep of his tongue as he tasted her.
Delilah was so overwhelmed by the kiss that she barely noticed when his arms loosened around her.It wasn’t until he broke the kiss so he could tug her hoodie over her head that she realized what they were doing.She pulled her arms from the sweater then shoved the pants down off her hips..
“You’re so perfect,” he whispered as he covered her mouth once more, but this time it didn’t last.He kissed her long enough to make her dizzy.She wrapped her arms around his middle, holding onto him so her spinning head didn’t make her fall.She let her head fall back as he trailed gentle nips and kissed down the column of her neck, then across one shoulder.
Hawkeye swept her into his arms, making her squeak and cling to him until she realized he was just moving them a few feet to the bed.When he laid her down and stood, she reached for him, trailing her fingertips across the shoulder of his vest—no, he’d called it a cut—as he pulled away.
Delilah rolled up onto her side and watched as he shrugged out of his cut.He folded it and laid it over the back of the chair he used when he was on the computer.Then he shed the rest of his clothes, dropping it on the floor or wherever it fell.In moments, he’d shed everything but his boxer briefs.His hands went to the waistband, and he hesitated for a moment then looked at her and shoved them off.His gaze never left her face as he moved back to the bed and lay down beside her.
Delilah thought maybe he was watching her face, looking for her reactions, in case he scared her.But she felt no fear, only the flutter in her belly of anticipation.If this was anything like what he’d shown her this morning, then she couldn’t wait.
“You’re sure you want this?”he smoothed a few stray strands of hair away from her face, his own face inches away, resting on his folded elbow.She watched him, trying to find the right words.
“I don’t know how to say it more plainly.I want to know.”She laid one hand on his bare chest.“You showed me this morning what I never knew was possible.You are the first man to touch me, in any way, who hasn’t hurt me.I trust you.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Okay, but if you want to stop at any time, just say so, okay?”He met her gaze and waited.
“I can do that.”She said it only because he obviously wasn’t going to touch her without her answer.She would agree, but only because she had no intention of telling him to stop.
“Second thing,” Hawkeye said, his gaze still on her.“I don’t want anything between us.”
“I’m sorry?”She didn’t follow.Between them?That’s what this was, this was between them and he didn’t want it.Her chest ached.How could he undress her, and himself, lay them both down like this and then tell her he didn’t want it?
“Delilah?”Something in Hawkeye’s tone told her that wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get her attention.“Delilah, are you with me?”
She blinked a couple of times, bringing him back into focus.
“Yeah, I’m here.What’s wrong?”she tried to keep her voice from cracking with how much her chest ached but wasn’t sure she managed it.
“I’m not sure where you went there, but I meant I don’t want a barrier between us, little dove.I’ve wrapped it every time since my first time when I was sixteen, but I don’t want to with you.I’m clean.I get tested regularly, and I haven’t been with anyone since my last test.”
She frowned.Tested?Clean?She shook her head.He said he was clean.She trusted him.That was what mattered.He wasn’t saying he didn’t want her.He was saying he did, and he wanted something different between them.
“Okay.”She didn’t see why this was such a big deal.
“I know you were trying to get pregnant in Jericho, so you’re not on any kind of birth control.If I take you bare, then we risk you getting pregnant.Are you ready for that?”
Her chest ached again, this time with longing.“I would be thrilled.I don’t think it can happen, but if it did?I’d be over the moon.”
A small smile curved his lips.“That’s what I’d hoped.”He trailed a single finger along her shoulder then down to her breast, then circled her nipple, his finger scraping over the fabric setting her nerves on fire.Her body moved of its own volition.Delilah arched her back, pressing her breasts more firmly into his hand.
Hawkeye used his hands and mouth to set her body on fire.Delilah didn’t know where her bra and panties went, or when they disappeared.She lost track of everything but the sensations that made her head spin.She ran her hands up and down his torso, over his shoulders and even through his hair as he worked his way down her body.
