The Claiming (Book 3)

Chapter 21

     Cera felt herself being gently awakened with fingertips sliding across her forehead and then down her nose straight to the dip above her lip. Brae's thumb lovingly caressed her bottom lip just before she felt the tender warmth of his strong hand cover the left side of her face and stroke her hair back behind her ear. She smiled and opened her eyes to the familiar deep-sea blue eyes she couldn't live without. Cera couldn't believe there had been a time that she didn't believe they were real, that Brae wasn't real, but there he was with his head laying on the pillow next to hers.

     "I had a dream about you."

     Cera's eyebrows rose in curiosity, "Oh, did you now? And what happened in this dream pray tell?"

     "Well," Brae grabbed Cera's hand and brought it to his lips, brushing them across her wrist and up her arm. Raising his head, he pulled himself up and moved toward her as he kissed her inner arm at the crease where it bends, "I can show you if you like."

     Cera smiled as he moved farther along her arm and stopped at her shoulder, softly biting her before he ran his nose along her skin to her neck, stopping to inhale the scent of her hair when he was at her temple.

     Brae whispered in her ear, "I have something for you."

     Cera smiled and slowly blinked, "Do you now? Is this part of the dream or are you teasing me?"

     Brae chuckled and turned over to grab what he had been waiting to give Cera ever since she came back, "Remember, we're back to no cheating."

     "I remember."

     As Brae was turning back over Cera got up and pushed him back into the bed so she could lay on top of him. Holding her hair back she leaned her head into his and kissed him. She let go of her hair and put her hands on his face, pulling him closer so she could deepen her kiss.

     Cera murmured, her lips still touching Brae's, "I had a dream of my own."

     "Did you?" Brae stared into the copper-colored eyes he would dream of for the rest of his life, "Seems like we should be awake and living out these dreams."

     "Mmm-hmm," Cera smiled, "I completely agree. I suggest we start right now."

     Brae wrapped his arms around Cera and rolled her over onto her back. He was slowly forgetting about what he had wanted to do when she slid her hands through his hair and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lost and utterly distracted, Brae shifted his weight and moved over Cera as she pulled him toward her to kiss him again. Pulling her up, he sat back on his heels as Cera straddled him. Brae grabbed onto one hip and gently dug his fingers into her flesh while his other hand remained closed on her other hip. As Cera took every part of him into her he watched as she closed her eyes, cherishing every sensation as he found the deepest part of her, connecting to her very soul. Sliding his fingers up her side, Brae moved his hand to rest on her neck. Cera opened her eyes as she laid her forehead against his and remained completely still.

     Smiling, their bond took over as they showed each other what they had dreamt about. Brae's eyes closed as their emotions melded them together, creating sensations that threatened to take him to a height he had never known. Not wanting to reach that pinnacle on his own, he opened his eyes and found Cera watching, waiting for him to meet her and follow her there. Brae could feel Cera's heart beating in time with his and felt as if they might burst. He felt their bodies trembling together as the passion between them grew and their breathing quickened. Cera moved with him and an explosion of euphoria blinded him. He could hear Cera call his name as she grabbed on to him as if her life depended on it. Feeling as though the world moved, Brae slipped his hand into her hair and twisted their strands around his fingers as he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer, causing another earth-shattering tremor.