Chapter 69: Diogo

I give her time to come to the correct conclusion, to release her guilt and then reform her opinion. My Taran is as intelligent as they come, but sometimes her passion gets in the way of her logic. I trust that she'll find her own truth and that it'll be the optimistic, shining opposite of mine.
She finds me in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking over some reports. Her face is pale and drawn, and though she isn't crying there are tear marks down her cheeks. My chest aches at her misery and I can't find it in me to continue my lecture. I set the papers down and beckon her over.
"Diogo" she whispers, walking toward me.
I catch her arm and tug her down into my lap, cradling her against me. I press her head under my chin and wrap my arms securely around her small, quivering body. A sob escapes and, though I can't see her face, I suspect the tears have started again.
"It's my fault  " she begins, but I cut her off.
"It's not your fault, baby. The food shortages would've happened with or without your presence. Yes, you exacerbated already strained resources, but you aren't to blame."
"I helped bring people into the city, lots of people!" she argues, hiccupping and accidentally banging the top of her head against my chin as she twists to look up at me. "I added more people to an already crowded system. I'm the reason for everything, the shortages, the riots. I deserved the Judge's sentence."
I swallow my laughter at her dramatic pronouncement. "You're giving yourself a lot of credit, sweetheart. You didn't do it all by yourself. Many of the illegals would've found their way into the city without your help."
"Maybe, but not nearly as many."
I tip her chin and look into her stormy eyes. "I knew about you for years, and though I had my men chasing after you, had I been serious about capturing the Desert Wren, I would've done it. Yes, you contributed to the problem, but you were doing me a favour by assuaging some of my own guilt for turning these people away."
It's a small lie, meant to appease my upset wife. The truth is, I feel no guilt over turning people away from Sanctuary. It's my job to protect the city and make the hard decisions. I am good at my job.
"What made you finally decide to come after me?" she asks curiously, wiping her tears on my sleeve.
The truth is I wanted her. Wanted to finally meet the woman who had slowly, over the course of years obsessed my thoughts. I wanted to discover how a person could be so selfless in a time where survival is the most important motivator. She has far exceeded my wildest hopes.
"It was time for us to meet," I tell her. "For someone to take care of you instead of you taking care of everyone else."
She laughs and gives me a sceptical look. "That's not really the reason."
"It is now." I kiss her lips, lingering over the salty taste of her tears, trailing them up her cheeks and then kissing each eye, essentially telling her it's time for her moment of sadness to be over.
She sighs happily as I explore her face and then drop my lips to her neck, gently tracing the contours of her healing scar. She accepts the caress, tipping her head back to allow my exploration and wrapping her arms around my shoulders to keep herself steady.
"I want to go see the farm, Diogo," she says firmly.
I smile against her throat. She wants more than to see the farm, she wants to figure out how to stretch the resources within to encompass her whole precious city.
"Of course," I tell her. "I will arrange an escort for you tomorrow if you like."
"Thank you." She takes my face in her hands and presses a kiss to my lips.
"Just keep in mind that the entire production is experimental. That's why we haven't been spreading the produce across the city. We're trying to decide if this farm can be sustainable in the long run and expand to feed more than just a few sectors."
She nods, but I can see her enthusiasm for the idea, the bright hope lighting her eyes. The expression is so lovely that I decide to find a way to join her tomorrow if I can get away from my duties long enough.
She turns on my lap and presses her lips fully against mine, surprising me with the dart of her tongue. I grip her waist in a tight hold and open my mouth to her, allowing her to explore further. At first her licks are shy, hesitant, but gradually she gains confidence, wrapping her arms completely around me, anchoring herself and deepening the kiss.
When she rocks her hips against me, grinding herself on my lap, I lose what little sanity I had left when she started touching me. One day I'll find the self-control to let my woman explore her fill, but today is not that day. My need for her is still too strong, too all-consuming and driving. It outweighs my ability to let her have control.
Without breaking our kiss I turn us around, taking her down to the bed and pinning her beneath me. She moans into my mouth, her arms tight around my neck, anchoring me against her. She's strong for such a small woman. Instead of breaking her hold and our kiss, I lift my hips, reach between us and start tugging clothes away. She lifts her own hips allowing me to tug the soft material of her pants down her thighs. I don't bother with her shirt. There's no time. I need to be in her now. Her scent, the feel of her, it's driving me insane.
I position myself and drive into her warm welcoming heat. She wraps her legs more firmly around me, drawing me deeper into her snug passage. I could die happily in this moment, wrapped up tightly in my wife. She squeezes me from the inside out, holding my cock deep inside while her arms cling as though she'll never let go.
"Diogo," she moans into my ear. "Feels so good."
Her softly spoken words, laced with passion is the catalyst I need to start fucking her in earnest. Her moans increase as my movements get rougher, harder, as I slam into her trying to fuse us together. She moves with me, lifting herself, pressing herself to me. Her nails dig into my back where she clings. The bite of pain is enough to drive me close to the edge.
"Come with me," I demand, leaning back, finally breaking her hold.
I reach between us to rub her clit, rubbing it as gently as I can, knowing I'm probably not as gentle as I should be. My balls are full and tight, ready to release within her. She grabs my hand and guides my finger, slowing down my caresses, controlling the rhythm of my strokes. Her moans are sweet music to my ears. The way she sprawls on the bed, widening her legs, touching me and herself at the same time is a feast for my senses.
Nothing has ever been, or will ever be, as beautiful as my wife lost in the abandon of her impending orgasm. And though I'm close to coming myself, I refuse to take the leap before she does. The need to see her face twisting in the heat of orgasm is worth the agony of delaying my release.
"I'm coming!" she shouts, arching her neck back and frantically rubbing our combined fingers over her smooth, sensitive clit. The sight of her, lost to the world, completely taken by pleasure is enough to drive me to my own orgasm. I slam into her again and again, driving her higher as I bathe her in my semen.
I collapse on top of her, then remember that she's a solid half person less than me and roll to the side, breaking our connection. I tug her arm, trying to get her to roll against my side, but she groans and remains sprawled.
"I think I died," she announces.
"There is no circumstance where I will allow you to die." I grip her arm and haul her against me, sprawling her on top of my chest. I hold her in place, kissing her nose as she tips her face up to me.
"Nothing?" she asks.
"Nothing," I confirm. "If something were to happen to you I would destroy what's left of this miserable planet and follow you into death. Not even the devil himself could prevent me from spending eternity at your side."
She considers me, her long red-brown lashes sweeping down and then up. Her lips part on a sigh that stirs the hair on my chest. "I think I feel the same."
I flip her over, holding her underneath me. Framing her face with my hands, I say, "Tell me, Taran. I need to hear it."
Her solemn eyes hold mine. "I love you."