Work Text:
Cullen cannot get over how close he was to losing Olivia. Again. He tells himself it is the risk for everyone in the Inquisition, that, indeed, Olivia has been in constant danger everytime she goes on missions. But this. This. Hearing that the Inquisitor and her companions had fallen into the Fade, physically fallen, it makes Cullen's stomach lurch, the worry is almost choking, the terror from his own experience of the Fade lingering, taunting.
Their stand at Adamant is victorious, gaining the alliance of Grey Wardens despite the losses. It's still a toss up if that's a worthy bargain or not but Cullen is single-mindedly looking for the Inquisitor to bother with the debate it will cause. She's just finish tending to the others and now she's also examining their surroundings but she looks tired, pale, almost ready for collapse.
He had fought to not lose himself to the assault from the Fade years before but just the possibility of losing Olivia to it instead without being able to do anything— Cullen resists the urge to dry heave.
She came back after all. Safe and alive if a little worse for wear.
Cullen heads over to her but forces himself to stop an arm's length away, conscious of all the people around them. When Olivia sees him, her face breaks into a smile— it's small on her lips, a tiny tilt of the corners upwards but her eyes are bright with various emotions; they're shining silver, round and wide like the full moon now watching over them.
"Cullen." She breathes, it's a soft sound like a sigh, almost lost in the clink of armor and the thud of feet moving around them. She visibly relaxes, hand reaching towards him and Cullen cannot be more grateful at his effect on her. Too many times he's seen her with tense shoulders, pressed smile, the anxiety flitting through her eyes, blood on her clothes, too many duties still waiting for her attention. But she relaxes around him and even if it's a little thing, if it's something that eases her worries, he wants it for her.
"Inquisitor." He says more from habit now but that makes Olivia jolt, her hand stilling in a frozen mid-reach and Cullen almost curses out loud. She looks around and withdraws her hand, holding it to her chest like it will disobey her and reach for him again. She smiles ruefully at him and he wants to kiss her. Wants to hold her close, company be damned.
But he refrains from giving into his desires. It had been his idea, after all, to keep their relationship from attention. Oh, Cullen knows that his soldiers know thanks to that one scout— Jim , Cullen thinks— who had spread it around but it wouldn't do to be unprofessional about it. Olivia had readily agreed, deferring to his reasoning. And honestly most of the time, it's not hard. They both had duties that keep them busy enough that they don't exactly have enough time except for some stolen moments and the occasional chess game at a secluded part of the garden or in his office.
Right now is different though. Right now, it's a struggle when a part of him just wants to hie off with Olivia, keep her safe somewhere, far away from too ambitious abominations, crazy cultists, and everything else that's trying to kill them.
"Commander?" Her voice brings him out of his thoughts and he realizes he's been staring at her without actually seeing. He coughs off his embarrassment at his gaffe and rubs the back of his neck.
"Uh. Yes. Is there something you need, Inquisitor?"
Olivia's face crinkles into repressed amusement but Cullen still notes the dark shadows beneath her eyes and her paleness. "We're ready to depart for Skyhold."
Oh.
Cullen clears his throat and gives a sharp nod. "Of course." He huffs out a laugh as he walks beside Olivia and they make their way out of the fortress, following the file of soldiers. "Maker's breath, I can't wait to get back."
Olivia agrees with a wordless noise.
It should have been a sign to Cullen that something was wrong.
He hadn't picked up on it and he figures the near failure of his heart when Olivia pitches forward as she steps down from the stairs is his punishment. Thankfully, he had been fast enough to catch her but the question of worry dries on his tongue when he sees Olivia unconscious.
Olivia comes to slowly. First she feels a familiar rocking, then a warmth surrounding her, then the tickle of fur against her cheek and nose. She snorts and tries to shift away, a solid pressure around her waist tightens and she hears a sharp inhale.
"Olivia?"
Cullen.
Olivia forces her eyes to open and first sees moving landscape, then realizes the rocking is from the horse they're on. She cranes her head to look at Cullen, blinking as her eyes adjust.
She murmurs his name, sighing as she settles her back closer to him, still feeling a tad sleepy. She feels his body tremble a moment later, his face tilting down so he can press his nose to her temple. He mouths something— she feels his lips moving but hears no words— his arm around her squeezes for a brief moment. "How do you feel?" He whispers so close to her skin that it makes her shiver.
"Sleepy. What happened?"
"You fainted. You've been asleep the whole day."
"Oh. Well, that's embarrassing." Olivia chuckles and closes her eyes, reveling in the feel of Cullen's arm around her, his chest a firm support behind her.
"It's not." Something in Cullen's voice makes her open her eyes. It sounded serious, the worry evident. There's also a touch of anger there that makes her reflexively apologize. Cullen mutters a curse and presses a quick kiss to the crown of her head. "It's not your fault. I'm just...I'm still shaken. You just fainted while you were going down the stairs...I'm." Cullen's breathing ruffles her hair, a puff of air she feels on her scalp. "I was scared. For you. I thought the Fade had done something to you. It took...a while before I was reassured that you were only sleeping."
"I see." Olivia worries her lip, her hand lacing with the one curved around her waist. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"It's alright."
"Where are we?"
"Near Velun. We'll be stopping there for a couple of day for supplies and rest before we continue on to Skyhold. You can go back to sleep."
Olivia offers a protest but it’s overlapped with a yawn so she admits defeat and agrees, snuggling into the warm circle of his arms.
They arrive at Velun just a little after daybreak and the innkeeper is happy enough to provide rooms for the Inquisition despite their rather overwhelming numbers. Plenty of the soldiers have ended up camping outside, using the inn mostly for meals and drinks as there isn’t enough rooms.
She manages to get a room next to Cullen’s; Hawke, Iron Bull and Varric’s are over at the other end of the hallway and Cole’s, actually Olivia isn’t quite sure where Cole’s room is so she makes a mental note to ask the innkeeper about it.
Velun is a quaint village, picturesque in a way that the Western Approach can never be. The people are nice and Olivia ends up regaling them with Inquisition stories along with Varric’s help, they tacitly do not mention Adamant Fortress, the wounds for it too raw. Instead they talk of silly missions, that one time Olivia had to judge an Aavar that threw a goat at Skyhold’s walls as revenge, and of the companions they’ve left back home. The townspeople happily listen, looking at her with awe in their eyes that make her uneasy but she tamps that down.
She is the Inquisition’s symbol, the hope of the people of Thedas. It doesn’t matter what the truth is at this point, the public knowing about it would do more harm than good so she smiles at them, entertains their questions and doesn’t break down.
He's woken up by a sound at his door. It sounds like feet shuffling, the little gap between the door and floor showing a moving shadow. Cullen is on his feet, hand gripping the handle of his sword in a second.
The other side off his door is still but the shadow doesn't leave so Cullen walks to it silently, keeping to the side in case the door is kicked in. Once there, he tilts his head to listen for any telling noise. He hears an undercurrent of murmurs, too muffled to understand the words. There doesn't seem to be any response from a different voice so Cullen concludes that there's probably only one person outside though. If that's the case, Cullen could definitely take them.
Grasping the handle of the door, Cullen yanks it open without warning, sword at the ready but freezes when he sees Olivia standing outside, looking as stiff as a board, her eyes wide, flicking from his face to his sword.
"Um." Olivia squeaks, hands in fists against her chest. "Sorry. I. Did I wake you?"
"Yes. I mean no..." Cullen exhales hard. "Maker's breath... You did but it's alright." Then he gets a good look at the woman standing outside his room and sees something concerning. A fear in her eyes that's not normally there. He feels his face shift into a more serious expression as he reaches for her. "What's wrong?" He touches her shoulder, tentative and unsure of what she wants but that's all it takes before Olivia is in his arms, her hands curving around his sides, trying to hold on as she presses her face to his shoulder.
"I had a nightmare." She murmurs quietly to his shoulder, sounding ashamed. "It was about the Fade. I hear its words again...and I see Stroud before...before we got out. It was horrible. I can't stop it."
Cullen's heart squeezes at the thought, drawing on his own nightmares courtesy of the Fade. He holds her close, a hand cupping the back of her head and the other rubbing gentle circles on her back. They stand there for long moments, the soft sounds from downstairs coming through the open door to his room.
"Can I stay?"
The words are so quiet in their uncertainty that he almost doesn't hear it but he feels her lips move against his bare skin clearly, her breath warm and it pricks the interest of a certain part of his anatomy. Horrified at his inappropriate reaction, he scolds himself mentally, trying to summon his long held control. But the more he tries to fight it the worse it becomes. He's suddenly too aware of how thin Olivia's shift is, rubbing against his naked chest, her own breasts flat against him, her hands low on his waist and how the only thing covering him are his loose linen trousers. He forgets to answer her, too busy trying to reign in his rising libido.
At his silence, she pushes away, face anxious and pleading. "I know...it's childish. And I don't wish to press but... I just don't want to go to sleep alone. Not tonight. Please ." There are tears in her eyes and her breathing becomes shallow, a slight tremble coming from her hands.
"No, no, no." At those words, Olivia stiffens, expression blanching. Cullen cups her cheek and presses kisses to her forehead, her temple, to the corners of her eyes. "Don't cry." He whispers. "Of course you can stay. You didn't even have to ask." She relaxes at his words and melts against him again.
He shuts the door and locks it before he guides Olivia to the bed, she keeps herself pressed to him, placing tiny close mouthed kisses against skin she can reach. Cullen eases her to the bed, marvelling at how her short hair fans out on the pillow. Her hand cups his cheek and he's urged down, lets her pull him to her. He holds himself over her as they kiss, keeping his weight on his elbows as he fits their bodies together.
Their kiss starts out soft, gentle, like the quiet of the night but as Olivia loops her arms around his neck, he feels himself pushing down, the need to feel more overwhelming him.
"Liv." He says her name like it's a prayer, then says it again like a question. He sighs it when she answers with her lips, kissing him deeper, opening her lips against his, letting him dip his tongue in, tasting more of her. He takes what she gives him and hopes he returns something to her, the same sense of belonging and pleasure being so near her that he gets. He moves from her lips to her cheek, trailing down to the edge of her jaw then to her neck, lingering at her pulse point as she tilts her head to the side, giving him more access.
He sucks a mark on her neck, the red a sharp contrast to the fair skin it's on. She arches her back, pressing the length of her front even closer to his. She moans his name, fingers twining with his hair, then tugging. He grunts at the sensation. He palms a breast, thumbing at her nipple over the shift she wears and is rewarded by her hips bucking upwards, pressing against his hardening cock.
He hisses at the slight friction that action creates. Capturing her mouth again, he slips a knee between her legs, parting them and settling his own hips at the cradle of hers. Her shift bunches up around her stomach, leaving her legs bare and her sex open to him save for her smalls. Still the barriers of her undergarment and his trousers are flimsy ones. He can feel the heat of her against his length, grinds against it in desperation.
Olivia gasps at his movement, stills for a moment before she does the same, pushing her hips up to meet his. Cullen growls, hands moving to hold her hips as he thrusts forward, the roughness of the linen trousers a pleasurable burn. Olivia shifts restlessly under him, her hands now grasping at his back, fingernails digging in.
"Cullen." She whimpers as her legs wrap around his hips, each push of his hips eliciting a breathy ' ah ' from her. His hand slides up her side, brushing against her breast and curves around her jaw as he captures her noises into his mouth. He tries to move faster, the friction not enough, not right, presses closer, almost mindless until Olivia cries out, turns her face away from his and pants, "Wait, wait ...".
It's almost like someone has dumped cold water over him, the way the pain in Olivia's voice skitters over his skin, smacking some sense into him. He pulls away, regret and shame descending on him. He listens to Olivia's breathing, it's hard and erratic, and he wants to hit himself. She'd gone to him for comfort, thinking he could offer her safety and what does he do? He mauls her like a beast. Damnation. He should be quartered and hung. "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He holds his hands, palms up, in apology.
"Cullen?" Olivia looks at him with glazed bewildered eyes, her lips are swollen and red, a rash blooming on her skin where his stubble had scratched. She looks ravished—her shift's hem around her waist, the thin cloth stretched against her breasts, her nipples making tiny tents. He avoids letting his gaze wander down, definitely doesn't glance at her splayed legs, the space between them inviting.
Cullen bites back a curse. "I wasn't thinking...you...you can have the bed. I'll just stay on the floor." He scrubs a hand over his hair, ruffling it. He moves to the edge of the bed, self-hatred building at him. He had wanted to take things slow, to let themselves have time to adjust to the thought of them. Clearly a part of him did not agree.
"Wait!" Olivia scrambles to her knees and grabs at his arm. "Why? Did...did I do something wrong?"
"What? No!" His voice startles her and Cullen turns to face her, sees the confusion on her face. He gentles his tone. "No. You didn't do anything wrong." He sighs. "I did though. Maker's breath. I basically molested you." He runs a hand over his face, lingering at his jaw and rubbing against the bristles there.
"I...I don't mind." Olivia stutters out, ears reddening, hands clenched into fists and resting on her thighs.
He gives her a lopsided, rueful smile. "I hurt you, Olivia. I didn't mean to but that doesn't excuse my actions."
Her brows furrow before it shoots up and her eyes widen, she shakes her head, hands reaching out towards him. "Oh no! No, no! You didn't!" She pauses, head tilting to the side, considering her words. "Well you did but it's not... it's not because, you know, that. I...I liked it." She shoots him a quick glance before looking away, cheeks stained red. "It's just your trousers."
"My trousers?"
"Yes!" She looks back to him so earnestly that it makes him want to kiss her. "Your trousers! Maker, Cullen, your trousers are so rough! How do you even endure them? They were painful when they rubbed against me too hard. I just wanted you to take them off, not stop completely..." Her voice trails off when she realizes what she's saying; she closes her eyes with a groan.
The absurdity of it hits him hard and a laugh bubbles up his throat. He breathes out a thanks to the Maker and Andraste before he leans towards Olivia. "Wanted me to take them off, do you?" Olivia gives him a pouty glare and he kisses her nose, then her lips, smiles against them, before pulling back. He smiles at her and she blushes harder. She puts her hands on her cheeks and bows her head.
"I wanted..." She shifts then takes a peek at him. He remains silent, tilts his head to signal for her to continue. She mutters something under her breath before takes a big inhale and a noisy exhale, then straightens her posture to meet his gaze, determined.
"I wanted to— to make love ." Her voice pitches higher at the last two words, her eyes breaking contact.
His humor vanishes quickly, trampled by his roaring arousal.
Andraste's mercy, what is she saying ?
Olivia wants to dig a hole and bury herself now. Her whole body feels like it's on fire, a raging fire of embarrassment.
She opens her mouth to say something, anything but before she can Cullen is kissing her, devouring her mouth in a way that takes her breath away. She catches herself on an arm from falling back at Cullen's weight. She takes a deep breath, filling in her lungs, when he pulls back, cursing as he unlaces his trousers, the knot seemingly too difficult for his impatience.
Olivia watches with fascination. She's read about it, this. She's not so innocent after all but there's a world of difference from reading it in a book and actually seeing it in real life. She holds her breath when Cullen finally works the knot out, then with a rough shove, his trousers are off, and he's right there in front of her, completely nude.
She feels her breath whoosh out of her, mind stopping as she takes in the vision in front of her.
Illustrations definitely did not do justice to a real male body. Especially Cullen's body. It's huge. She knows this. Cullen is huge. She definitely knows this objectively. But. He's just huge all over. Olivia swallows, still blinking rather dumbly.
At least until Cullen clears his throat. Olivia snaps out of her stupor and moves her gaze to a more respectable location. Like his face. Cullen is looking at her straight but he's flushed and he's rubbing the back of his neck, the position making the muscles on his upper arm bulge and making Olivia catch her breath again. Andraste help her.
"You're huge." She blurts out because she's the soul of eloquence apparently.
Cullen snorts a cut off laugh, the flush on his face spreading downward—Olivia wonders how far down it will go— before he covers the upper half of his face with a hand. "Thank you, I suppose." He says in a strained voice.
"Sorry." Olivia says in embarrassment. "I mean, I didn't mean to. I mean you are huge. Just I didn't mean to say it. I mean. I don't know. Sorry. I just—I've never seen a man naked before. I'm— Do you want me to take off my shift too?" She says the last sentence rather desperately, hoping to distract him from her embarrassing rambling.
Cullen audibly chokes on something— Olivia doesn't know what— but his hand falls away from his face and when she meets his eyes, there's a thrilling glint of hunger there that Olivia's seen earlier.
"I want to do it." Cullen says as he grasps the end of the ribbon that holds the left strap together, he tugs once and it comes undone. He does the same to the right one before pushing it down, revealing her breasts to him.
She resists the urge to cover herself, holds herself still as Cullen bends over, moves his lips closer to her breasts, one hand going behind her and pressing at the small of her back, making her arch forward towards him.
He kisses the space between her breast, then moves to the area around her left nipple. She squirms at the feel of his lips, his stubble against her skin prickling. He flicks a tongue against her nipple and Olivia can’t help the noise she makes, a cross between a yelp and a whimper.
His free hand palms her other breast, cups it fully, lets her nipple peek from the spaces between his fingers then squeezes it. Olivia’s arms holding her up buckles at the sharp jolt of pleasure and only Cullen’s hand behind her back keeps her from smacking back into the bed in a graceless heap.
She holds onto his shoulders as his lips and hand exchanges position and he sucks at her other nipple drawing a moaning keen from her. He gently bites the tip before soothing it like he did on the other. It’s too much after a while, the pleasure subsiding to an oversensitive pressure. She buries a hand in his hair and tugs until Cullen lifts his face away from her breasts and looks at her.
Her tongue doesn’t feel like cooperating so she guides his head up and leans in. Cullen seems to understand without her words as he kisses her, easing her down until her she feels the cotton sheets behind her. He slides her shift all the way down, taking her smalls with them as he slips it off past her legs before throwing the whole bundle over his shoulder.
He takes a moment to look at her, eyes dark in the moonlight. “Beautiful.” He whispers, fingers tracing over her now bare skin. He looks as if she’s something to be worshipped and it makes her heart skip and then expand, her feelings for him almost overwhelming her. He kisses her forehead lightly, hand cupping her cheek, thumb stroking the crest of it.
Then they move to her sides, caressing, travelling downwards passing over her breast, his fingers running over her ribs then presses flat his palms on her stomach, continuing down again until they brush against her thighs. He parts her legs further, hands stroking her inner thighs, from the side of her knee and up to the crease next to her sex. Her hips twitch at his ministrations and she feels increasingly thwarted whenever Cullen’s hand move back to towards her knee. When Cullen makes another pass up and down her leg, skipping her sex, Olivia almost growls.
“Cullen.” She huffs, hips raising as Cullen squeezes her thigh, acknowledging that he heard her. “Could you...could you touch— um...” Olivia tries to think of a way to say it but fails miserably. The words she’s read just seemed so...so vulgar that it’s stuck in her throat. She bites her lower lip, the heat of awkwardness burning through her face. “Andraste’s breath...” She mutters, frustrated, before grabbing Cullen’s hand and just shoving it between her thighs, right at the center where she wants it. Cullen’s hand twitches, fingers flicking against her heated flesh and Olivia gasps at the sensation— a starburst of pleasure, the warmth from his hand radiating on her skin, the calluses on his fingers— her hips jerk and she presses Cullen’s hand harder into her flesh, wanting that friction again.
Then to her utter surprise— and pleasure, just so much pleasure, Maker, she’ll die from it— a finger slips inside her. She lets out a keening whine as her hips buck up, pressing against Cullen’s hand, taking his finger in deeper from the change in angle.
“Maker help me...” Cullen grunts, hand now moving in earnest as he place kisses over her chest, brushing one over her collarbone, then to her neck, peppered over the side, to her jaws, nibbling at the line of it. “You make me burn , Olivia. Liv . I can’t wait. I have to— I need to be inside you. Please, can I?”
The desperation in his voice thrills her, a dark part of her marveling at how she can make him so frenzied, like his control is frayed and he will spiral away into a deep hole if he can’t have her. She grabs his head and turns it to face her. She licks corner of his lips then kisses it before pressing her lips fully to his, opening her mouth, letting their tongues play against each other. Then she breathes out, “Yes, yes, yes. I want you too, Cullen. Inside me. Now.”
Cullen needs no further urging after Olivia acquiesces. He takes his place between her legs, lining the tip of his cock at Olivia’s entrance, the heat from it and the slickness makes him groan.
Olivia pushes up to her elbows and watches, it’s embarrassing and he feels a familiar flush blanketing him but it’s also arousing the way her eyes are so focused on the place where they would join.
“Will that fit?” Olivia says suddenly and Cullen stills. She looks at him nervously, the languid haze from her expression just a moment ago seeping away.He forces his muscles to unclench and tries to calm himself.
He leans in, lets his length slip away from her entrance and instead slides along the length of her core, his cockhead bumping against the tiny nub of her quim. He kisses her forehead before pressing his against it. “It will. But if you have any qualms, we do not have to do it.”
Olivia’s brows furrow as she stares at him. “But you said—”
He shushes her, pressing his fingers against her lips. “I know but I only want to do it if you’re comfortable to do so.”
He watches as her eyes flutter close and she kisses the pads of his fingers. He inhales deep, tenderness spreading across him. Maker, he loves her so much.
When she opens her eyes, they are a clear silver, the blue in them muted without the sky to reflect in them. “I want to do it.” She says, there’s still a tremor in her voice but her expression remains resolute.
He nods at her and kisses her, a quick peck, before he positions himself again and with a last glance at her, pushes in. He hears Olivia’s quick intake of breath, the tremble in her legs that clench around his hips, his heartbeat is strong against his chest but the center of his focus is at his cock; it’s only the tip that’s inside her and it’s already too much.
Maker’s blood, Olivia is tight .
She’s an innocent, Cullen reminds himself as he keeps his pace slow. He does shallow thrusts, making each push slide in a little deeper than before until finally, finally , he’s fully sheathed. Olivia is holding onto his shoulders, face screwed up into a tight expression and Cullen whispers a jumble of words and phrases at her, alternating between reassurances and apologies. He strokes her skin, leans closer to kiss her, distract her from the pain she’s obviously feeling.
Soon though, he finds his hips rocking back and forth in a nudging rhythm on its own. Olivia tightens her legs around him, pushing upwards to meet his hips and he feels how deep his cock reaches. He quickens his pace and Olivia moans in response, her arms tightening around his neck. The angle shifts and he presses against her inner walls in a way that makes her squirm and whimper.
“Oh Maker, it feels so good. ‘livia, you’re so good. So good. We fit so well.” He slurs against her hair, holding her closer as he feels her inside clenching around him. “Maker, don’t... don’t . It feels too good. Liv. Liv.” He repeats her name as if a chant as his hips press into her, quick for one, two, three thrusts then he slows, sliding almost all the way out before pushing back in one long slide. He wants to build her up, to take her with him to that knife-point edge of pleasure just before the fall, but she’s still too tight despite the slickness she’s produced, and the sensation of it is addling him.
“More. ” Olivia presses the word to his cheek with her lips and it only adds fuel to the roaring inferno inside him. “Cullen, please. More.”
It’s too much. His control snaps, good intentions blown away by his need. His thrusts come in harder, the slap of skin against skin starting to echo along with their panting breaths. His gentle start from earlier is buried as he ruts against her, chasing that building pleasure pooling at the bottom of his belly, the pressure of it spreading downward, heralding the impending end of this act.
Close, close, close —
Olivia’s staccato ‘ah, ah, ah’ in his ear is the sweetest music as he reaches for the promised completion.
“Love you...” Olivia mumbles and Cullen kisses her hard pressing her back into the bed, moves her legs wider, holds them open, does another thrust and then one more before he pulls out, earning a moaning protest from Olivia. He takes his cock into his hands and strokes it, a long hard pull, from base to head, finishes it for him. He spills his seed over Olivia, the white against her skin like a mark of ownership. His breath shakes, his whole body shakes as he winds down from his orgasm.
Olivia is watching him, her eyes half-lidded, tracing his cock then following the string of white still dripping down to her own abdomen. He sighs and lies down next to Olivia, pressing his lips over her lips, her cheeks and her forehead. He settles on his side, a smile taking hold of his lips.
A smile that slips when Olivia asks, “Are we done?”
He doesn’t know if he should be flattered really but he knows he’s spent now and maybe into the next hour considering the force of his orgasm just moments ago. “Well...yes. I suppose so.”
There’s a flash of discontent on Olivia’s face but it smooths over into a smile. “I see. Well. That was nice.”
Nice? Of all the words he would’ve used to describe their coupling— amazing, a revelation, shattering, life-changing— nice doesn’t quite hold up a candle to them. Nice feels bland. The fleeting expression on Olivia’s face niggles at him. Had he done something she didn’t want? She had seemed as much into it as he did but what if he did something wrong?
“Olivia, what’s wrong?” He asks and Olivia tenses before she shakes her head, smile turning a little desperate.
“Nothing is wrong. It was good. I’m fine.”
She is not. Cullen can tell and now it’s his turn to be anxious. He doesn’t want to make her think that making love could only be nice. Not when it could be so much more between them.
“Liv,” He starts, resting his forehead against her as he cups her cheek. “Tell me what it is that is bothering you and I promise I will make it right.” He has to.
He sees her worrying her lower lip and her gaze flicks down, her lashes like a dark fan against her cheeks.
“It’s just...” She stops, the nervousness from her is so obvious that Cullen wants to simply hold her but this is important. He needs to know what went wrong.
“What is it, Liv?”
Her eyes close and he can feel her steeling herself before she says, “Earlier, I was...close to something. And it was really good before all that, I swear but I was— I was so close to something, Cullen.” Her eyes opens and they had the sheen of frustration. “I was so close and then you pulled out and I lost it. I don’t even know what it was but it’s like...it’s like I’m disappointed by something and it’s not your fault. Really . I just didn’t know what I wanted.” She sighs. “It really was good, Cullen. I’m being silly, I’m sorry.‘
Cullen feels like hitting himself. It was definitely his fault. He had been so concerned about his own pleasure he had forgotten about Olivia.
“You’re not being silly. It is my fault.” He tells her and when she opens her mouth— probably to protest— Cullen cuts her off with a kiss. When he pulls back, he brushes a stray lock behind her ear. “I’ll make it right.”
“What do you mean?” Olivia’s brows furrow in confusion, shooting up when Cullen gives her that smirk of his. Olivia has a love-hate relationship with that smirk. On one hand it completely messes with her thought process, making her no better than a dumbstruck mooning girl but on the other, it makes Cullen look even more attractive and the way that one corner of his lips tip up makes her insides all warm.
“I think it’s better if I show you instead.”
And he, indeed, showed her.
Olivia had felt the embers of her lust fan awake as Cullen trailed kisses down her body, including a nip here and there, wiping at his seed that he encounters on his way. She squeaks when he licks at her navel, the wet tongue making her shiver. He adds a lick to his act as he goes even lower, nipping her at her hip, then kissing her inner thighs.
Olivia yelps when his tongue slides against the junction of her thighs, so close to her entrance.
“Cullen!” She squawks in protest, trying to wriggle away because what is Cullen doing? Why?
Cullen shushes her, hands grabbing hold of her hips and keeping her still.
“Just let me.” He breathes the words against her sex and the vibrations of it shoot tendrils of pleasure through her body.
She lets him.
She’s so glad she did because Cullen’s tongue is a marvel on her sex as it had been in her mouth. He tongues at the tiny bud of nerves and Olivia’s hips thrust up, a high sharp gasp wrung out of her.
He keeps his mouth on the sensitive flesh and she feels that same building pressure from earlier. Her breathing becomes heavier, shallower, as he kisses her very core.
Then he slips in a finger— no, two is inside her and she feels full again. Not as much as earlier though but it’s enough, it’s a delicious feeling and she moves her hips, trying for something, wanting them to move inside her. As if Cullen hears her thoughts, his fingers begin thrusting in and out of her, shallowly at first before burying as deep as they could reach.
“Does it feel good?” Cullen suddenly asks and it takes all of her remaining faculties to make a nod, a noise of agreement. And even those are blown away when Cullen crooks his fingers inside her and hits a spot that makes all her nerves prickle in pure pleasure.
He does another thing with his fingers as he slides them out and Olivia wrangles out Cullen’s name in a broken moan. When he pushes back in she cannot make words and only keens, hips pushing closer, following that insistent pressure. She’s at the peak of pleasure, Cullen’s mouth and hands balancing her there— one moment, two and another stroke and glide of his tongue and she’s falling, shattering as she gasps for breath, eyes squeezing shut.
While she rides through it, she’s vaguely aware of Cullen’s voice, encouraging and soothing, his hand is caressing her thigh and a warm body presses along her side.
When she can finally open her eyes, Cullen is watching her with an affectionate smile.
“That was—” She starts, takes a breath then licks her lips.
“Nice?” He supplies, his smile turning a touch bit wicked. She blushes but shakes her head.
“Better.” She says quickly, the exhilaration still coursing through her. “Amazing. It was so amazing.” She bites her lip then asks, “Was it like that for you?”
Cullen chuckles and kisses her nose. “It was.” Then he smiles ruefully. “Probably better.”
“I can’t imagine it can be better than that.” She says dubiously.
“Oh trust me, with you, it always can.”
Olivia finds out later that it definitely can get better.