Lazy Day Ruminations.

[Jaycy Ashleana]

“Mmmm.”

Jaycy’s eyelids fluttered upward as Psly’s nuzzling tickled her neck and she pushed back, snuggling deeper into his warm – and thankfully masculine – form. A low rumble of approval reverberated from deep within him and the arm across her stomach tightened its grip, keeping her captive and pressed tight against him. She slid her bare arm over his, reveling in the sensation of skin touching. A shiver of pleasure raced up her spine as memories of the previous night passed through her hazy vision. They’d barely made it back before clothes were clawed from her. An impish smile crossed her face at a thought – he owed her a new set of fighting leathers. The humor faded as she was reminded of the reason for wearing those leathers last night. The challenge.

She couldn’t fault Tass for his belief that Pathfinder was at least partly to blame for her recent actions and that she was out of balance. Honestly, she was glad to be rid of the green opal. He was partly to blame for her recent … problem, in her mind. Whether he meant to or not, his lecture had driven her to places that she might not have ordinarily gone on her own. The gypsy sighed faintly. Even with Pathfinder out of the picture – and out of her head – she couldn’t avoid the consequences of what she had done. The link with Psly was indeed a consequence, no matter how … nice it could be. Last night’s challenge for example: she had spent too much time in such a state of arousal that she couldn’t concentrate.

She’d felt Psly most of the day leading up to the challenge even though she had avoided being near him physically. Her “activities” had had an effect on him, of course. That was likely especially because she wasn’t particularly good at shielding yet despite learning from his own swiftly-improving efforts. That she was going home with him was a foregone conclusion, frankly. The intensifying poking in her back seemed to serve as agreement from the slumbering man and she reached a hand between them to make things more comfortable. He buried his face in her neck and squeezed his arm around her, then relaxed and settled down once more. Her pitiful shields had been shredded even before the match – Dris had touched her. Dris had kissed her. She shuddered in remembrance. Between the two of them, she was becoming a slave to sensation – a sensation junkie, you could say. Dris was right – it wasn’t that he could be addicting; he was addicting.

Poor Teagan. Their affair was nearing its end. She’d never expected to form an attachment to the woman but it had happened anyway. Making love with her was great. Amazing, in fact. Unfortunately, though, her attention and thoughts drifted more to the two men where the physical act was made otherworldly, enhanced by the magic of emotion and a mental link. Teagan didn’t need her anymore, anyway. It was strange. This new vulnerable Teag had grown. Maybe Jaycy had been attracted to her because underneath it all the blonde had needed to be taken care of, protected. There was a new, quiet strength to the woman. The gypsy’s lips twitched, amused. Teag had even had to think about whether she was going to take Jaycy home. She didn’t take that personally; in fact, it had amused her a little. Teag was also growing increasingly attached to Neo. It was time to gracefully withdraw and leave the lady alone to sort her life out.

She had more dangerous things to think about, anyway. Her match with Sal was looming. Dris had confirmed that her almost-former squire was likely going to attempt to permanently injure if not kill her in the rings. She had forced him and Skid to fight that first lesson to see what they could do because she was afraid of the very thing happening, albeit unwittingly. Now she had to face the reality that she may have caused the very thing she feared and it could happen to her. The ghost of a smile faded slowly and she sighed. Dris had told her the secret to turning it on Sal. She knew how to kill him. The question was, could she go through with it? She needed advice. She needed it from the man who held her safe right now, protected and snug in his embrace. The man who was so exhausted he hadn’t been roused by her silent musings.

Oh, Psly. That was trouble waiting to happen if it hadn’t already. Being in his arms like this… well. That could become a problem, or even worse, a habit. He made her feel comforted. He made her feel … she wouldn’t go there. Appreciated. That was a better word. She didn’t have to be strong in his arms. She could be soft; she could be a “woman.” She needed to stop that line of thinking right there and perfect her shields. She needed to get up and start the day.

Oh, but being here in his arms was so nice…

… Jaycy drifted off into slumber once more.