Chapter 88: Touch

Slowly, my mind came back down to settle in my body. Liam's head hung resting next to my head on the pillow. He still held his massive form up above me to keep from crushing me. He was breathing hard. I ran my hand over his cheek. He was hot and sweating. Was that normal? He'd always been cold to the touch, but now he almost seemed a human temperature. I pressed a kiss onto his other cheek.
He tiled his head to look at me. "Thank you for using your power. I thought I was going to hurt you."
I smirked. "I didn't. And you didn't hurt me."
He leaned on one elbow as his other hand came up to the bite on my neck. "I did." His hands came away bloody.
I shook my head. "You didn't."
He rolled to the side. My body tightened in pleasure as he moved out of me. I could see him squeeze his eyes shut with the same satisfaction. He settled in next to me.
"What do orc girls do now?"
His hands traced my skin across my stomach.
"Orc females would punch me in the face to show dominance and then walk away. Anything less is a sign of weakness."
"So, I am showing all the signs of weakness right now?"
"You are not an orc." His fingers trailed to my forearm, where the Aurora Sword hid beneath my skin.
"This must have been a painful tattoo. I know humans have low pain tolerances."
"Reveal," I commanded with power. The tattoo slid down my arm and solidified in my hand.
Liam snatched his hand back. The white dagger glimmered iridescent against the lamp lit room.
"What?" He whispered.
"Hide," I commanded. The sword sank into my skin and slid back up my arm as a tattoo again.
Liam lowered his hand slowly. He ran his finger across the smooth skin. I looked at him. He looked at me with a questioning eyebrow.
"You are full of surprises," he said.
I smiled.
"You didn't use your power on me?"
I shook my head. "Only in the beginning, to test it."
"And what did you find with your tests?"
"That I can control my power during sex. I'm just not sure if we had sex because of it or not. You're not doing a good job of telling me what you are feeling. That would be helpful right about now. For science."
He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I feel warm."
"Is that normal?"
He nodded once.
"Anything else?"
"No."
I frowned.
"What's wrong? Is that bad?" He asked.
"I'm not really sure what that means."
"Does it have to mean something?"
"I mean, its data. I'll just have to try again. See if I get the same results."
He frowned.
"What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "Nothing."
"Come on. Something's wrong. I can tell."
"It's nothing." He reached over and flipped off the lamp. "Go to sleep. You're tired."
He pulled a blanket over me then turned me, so my back was against his chest. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me against him.
I lay silent for a time. My body still tingled, but my mind was starting to come alive again. I was beginning to remember all those scary things I had been afraid of before. This had been a nice little retreat while it lasted, but Mr. Kline was still out there. The darkness was still out there wearing Mila. And they had plans for me.
I snuggled in closer to Liam. I didn't feel too scared with him here at my back, but I wasn't sure how I would hold up on my own.
I woke to the morning light streaming in from behind my window. I must have been late in the day because the sun was high in the sky shining down on my shoulders. I was wrapped in the comforter with my head leaning against Liam's shoulder. He was sitting mostly upright with me cradled in his arms. The blanket was between my face and his shoulder.
I ran my fingers over the cold skin of his shoulder. He slept with his head leaning back against the headrest, snoring softly. His naked blue-grey legs stuck out beneath the blankets across my small bed. I smiled. I wonder what had happened for him to change positions so drastically.
I slid my hand up to the side of his face. He still didn't wake. I pecked a kiss on his cheek and then carefully removed myself from the iron grip. I ended up leaving the blankets. They were pinned to the bed by his form. I tiptoed across the room. I turned back for one last look. I saw one of Liam's eyes shut quickly. I pretended not to notice and closed the bathroom door.
I looked at myself in the mirror. My long dark blonde hair was a chaotic mess. I had bruises on my thighs that lined up with Liam's fingertips. The bite on my neck was marked with four holes and eight little marks in between. Did orcs really have to have sharp teeth? More like, did I really have to have such soft skin?
The problem wasn't that he was an orc. The problem was I wasn't. If I was an orc, I could be strong like he was. I could have iron skin. I could not give a fuck about feelings and run around smashing things. I could just stop thinking. I could... stop being afraid of Mr. Kline, of the darkness, of all the other things out there that went bump in the night.
I wetted a towel and washed away the damp blood. The area got larger as I realized I was covered in dry sweat. I gave that up and took a shower. I brushed my teeth and then lotioned my stupid soft skin. At least Liam seemed to like it.
When I opened up the bathroom door, Liam was gone. He had taken all his clothes and his boots. My heart sank a little, but I remembered how he said they didn't get attached. It was just sex. Well, who was to say that couldn't happen again?
I looked around the empty room and realized I was alone. My lungs tightened. I tried to breathe normally, but my heart beat faster. I was okay. Everything was fine. Liam was probably just getting cleaned up. I'm sure he wasn't very far. And Anton was probably just in his room. And there were probably a bunch of people downstairs. It was going to be okay. I wasn't alone. I was safe.
My hands shook as I reached for my underwear. I closed my fingers against the tremor. The sooner I got dressed, the sooner I could find someone to annoy. Maybe Cole was working. Even Anton, that good for nothing lump, might bring me some solace. It wasn't like he could protect me from anything, but he was a person.
I reached for my smock. Wait, no. I didn't have to work. I couldn't even fathom going back there. I threw the smock in the trash can. No. I would find a different job. Maybe they would let me be a bartender. I had to find something to earn my keep. I decided to dress the part. I didn't have much in the way of clothes, but I found a pair of jeans and a fitted quarter sleeve shirt. I dabbed a bit of makeup on and went heavy on the eyeliner. I blow-dried my hair. It hung straight down my back when I was finished.
I looked in the mirror. I felt too normal. I felt like a normal boring person. There was no pizazz, no drama. I was just plain. I'd have to work on that. I'd have to save up and buy new clothes and get a haircut. I needed to revamp my life instead of just surviving. I had all this new power and a new place. I needed to figure out who I was without a soul-crushing job.