The Lowlander

Jem said nothing. Instead, she asked, "Are you done?"

"Almost," Hanna replied, helping herself to more grapes. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Are you always this invasive?"

"Yes."

Jem set the bowl aside with a sigh of exhaustion. "I haven't found someone I can trust. What about you?"

"What about me?" Hanna asked, finishing the last of the grapes.

"Why aren't you married?"

"I can't be married. I devoted myself to the Coven for years. Although now that we've been dissolved, I suppose I'm free of that vow."

Jem didn't meet her eyes. Instead, she busied herself with getting a clean cloth to wipe Hanna's hands.

"So, what now?" Hanna asked.

"Sleep. It's been a long day."

"Oh." Hanna didn't have to say more to convey her disappointment. "Could I maybe have a kiss goodnight?"

Jem stared at her for the longest time before her gaze drifted to her lips. Hanna ran her tongue over them, hoping they were as swollen and enticing as they felt.

When Jem didn't move, Hanna simply said, "Please."

Jem felt her control unraveling. Goddamn but she wanted this girl, with her smart mouth and quick reflexes. She was a skilled warrior in her own right and that made Jem want her even more. But those lips... people should be warned about them. They glistened in the low lamplight and Jem was powerless to resist them.

She tasted unbelievably sweet, her lips deliciously thick under Jem's tongue. Her whimpers -- dear God -- Jem was only a woman, how could she resist deepening the kiss, sliding her tongue against Hanna's. Jem's fingers cupped the nape of Hanna's neck, holding her in place as their tongues dueled.

When she pulled back, they were both breathless. Hanna's eyes were glazed over, her lips more swollen than before. She was panting, her shoulders trembling.

"Please," she said again, and Jem didn't have the will to deny her.

Hanna struggled against the chains, her hands itching to delve into Jem's hair and hold her in place. As she was pushed back on the bed, she felt consumed by Jem, her very being focused on the one person that overruled everything.

Jem grasped the curve of Hanna's hips and pulled her closer, sliding a knee between her legs. Hanna whimpered deep in her throat upon the light contact, her hands straining against the chains yet again.

Jem took her time, her fingers roving down the exposed vee of Hanna's shirt, stopping just short of her navel before moving back up again. All the while, she got closer and closer to Hanna's breasts but didn't touch them, merely outlined their shape through the cloth.

Not again, Hanna thought. No more teasing. Please!

Hanna raised her free leg and entwined it around Jem's waist, pulling her closer so they were chest to chest.

"Touch me," she begged, her voice low.

Jem slid her lips against Jem's, her fingers tracing the bare leg around her waist and marveling at the soft skin. When she got to the soft swell of Hanna's bottom, she gave it a sharp slap, making Hanna gasp in surprise.

"What was that for?" she asked, eyes wide.

"For trying to rush me. I mean to take my time." Jem's voice was low. She dug her fingers into the soft roundness of Hanna's bottom.

Hanna took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of desire swirling inside her. She tugged at the chains again subconsciously, feeling the need to control something, anything about her own pleasure.

"Everything about you intoxicates me," Jem whispered against Hanna's breasts, her fingers now caressing the crease between Hanna's thigh and womanhood. "Why is that?"

"I- I don't know." Something in Hanna's brain had lapsed at the contact so close to her needy core. She wiggled under Jem's weight, trying to get those fingers closer to where she needed them most.

"If you move even a little bit more, you're going back to the floor."

Hanna stilled under Jem's unwavering gaze, aching with need.

"That's a good girl," Jem praised as she took Hanna's nipple into her mouth.

Hanna gasped, pulling on the chains reflexively, as Jem began to suckle. She didn't know how long she laid there, feeling the tug and pull of Jem's lips lighting a fire in her belly. She lost track of time, of how many times she'd said 'please'.

When she finally felt fingers at her core, her eyes closed as she shuddered. Jem's fingers traced the shape of her nether lips, dipping into the well of moisture gathered there. With two wet fingers, Jem flicked upward, tracing the outline of Hanna's sensitive pink button.

"Oh goddess, yes," Hanna whimpered, throwing her head back. "Please, yes."

Her words, repeated on a loop, made little sense, but she couldn't stop them as Jem's fingers worked over the same spot repeatedly. Her breath coming out in harsh, quick pants, Hanna spiraled towards the peak.

"Please, Jem. I want to ride you."

She hadn't even been aware that those words had been queued on the tip of her tongue. But her eyes popped open when she heard the telltale snick of chains unlocking. When she lifted her hands, she found herself free.

Her eyes drifted down to Jem's, their dark, raw intensity shocking her. She reached up and sank her hands into Jem's short locks, sighing in contentment at finally being able to feel the soft blonde hair between her fingers.

"Kiss me again, Jem," she whispered, pulling her lover close.

Hanna kissed Jem hungrily, whimpering when Jem's fingers began moving across her wetness.

In a quick move, she pushed Jem against the headboard and straddled her waist.

"Now, fuck me."

Two fingers entered her swiftly, making her cry out and shudder. She held on to Jem's shoulders, leaning back to get the full thrust of her fingers.

Jem was a very talented woman with exquisite fingers. Hanna could barely breathe with every thrust, every curl, every flick. She rocked her hips in time with Jem's fingers, feeling the edge coming closer.

"Mark me," Hanna breathed. "Mark me, Jem. Make me yours."

She felt Jem's teeth sink deep into her shoulder, marking her, owning her, drawing blood. The sharp pain pushed Hanna over the edge, and she fell into the waiting pool of release in Jem's arms.

She was resting on the warmth of Jem's chest when she awoke. Callused fingers slowly threaded through her long curls in an action so soothing that it nearly pulled Hanna back into a sleepy stupor.

Instead, she fought it and looked up at the beautiful face of her lover.

"Hello," she said, her voice a little rusty. "I believe it's time I gave you pleasure."

Jem smiled as Hanna pulled her lips down for a thorough kiss.

*

Just before dawn, Hanna stood in front of the open window, her hair once again in a tight braid. Jem's mark on her shoulder stung fiercely, but she wouldn't think about that now. The mark had been key. She knew if Jem claimed her, she'd never be in chains again. It was law, even here in the Lowlands, to respect the ones you claim as your own.

Hanna studied the horizon. She would have twenty minutes to free her sisters and head towards the coast before the Lowlanders started their day and realized the captives were missing.

She turned back to the bed, her heart heavier than she could imagine.

Jem.

Her resting form was beautiful. Her face had lost most of its tension. One hand was stretched out to Hanna's side of the bed, as though her sleeping form still sought Hanna's warmth.

Just as Hanna was about to turn away, Jem stirred. Hanna held her breath as Jem's eyes blinked open, seeking.

Make the jump. Do it now.

But Hanna couldn't. Instead, she stood by the window and watched Jem's eyes focus on Hanna's still form. Their eyes caught and held in the dim light. Hanna's throat thickened with words she couldn't -- or wouldn't -- say.

Then, as she watched, Jem turned over, away from Hanna, away from the beauty of what they'd shared mere hours before. An ache like none other settled in her heart as Hanna took in Jem's token of defeat.

I haven't found someone I can trust. Jem's words echoed in Hanna's head. Well, Hanna thought. She really shouldn't have trusted me.

Before she could waste any more time, Hanna hurled herself through the open window and landed softly on the grass below. She was still on a mission and her sisters depended on her.

*