Hollis and Nova spent the majority of more than a week in the cabin in the woods. Surrounded by snowfall and a crackling fire, they fucked each other with more ferocity than they could have ever thought possible. Granted, both had been deprived of affection for so long that it was like quenching a drought. With each earth-shattering moment in time, Nova felt more comfortable being touched, and Hollis gained more confidence in touching her.
No one bothered them.
When she'd mentioned she'd need to return to Velaris soon to continue gathering for Rita, Bran, Kyra, and Finch took it upon themselves to take over for her—giving her time to be with Hollis undisturbed. Words couldn't describe how grateful she was. To be given the time to process her emotions and new status with Hollis
It was the morning of the ninth day since the Solstice, and despite the vigorous cardio they'd been getting, Nova went to train in the arena while Hollis went to tend the horses. In his absence, Ansel had taken it upon himself to care for them and even keep an eye on Ruby and her bulging belly.
Standing on a stool, Hollis used a careful amount of pressure around Winter's hindquarters, cleaning her off to ready her for a quick dust bath. He heard the footsteps before he realized who it was, and Kole peered into the stall with a sly smirk.
"So? How's your week been?" He asked, leaning against the wall.
Hollis grinned over at him, a warm glow tinting his skin with more life than his friend had ever seen. He'd never seen him look so undeniably happy. "I…" Hollis shook his head and chewed his lip. "I don't know how I lived life without her." While he hated even comparing her to Reign, he couldn't help it. The sex was incredible, but it wasn't just sex.
When he spoke to her, she listened. She didn't pretend to care about what he said. Nova genuinely was interested in his childhood stories and why he disliked the color red.
Turning a raised brow on Kole, Hollis smirked, "What about you? You and Kyra looked cozy on the dance floor. I had no idea you had feelings for her. I thought you were flirting to flirt."
Kole shrugged and smiled sheepishly, "She's a force to be reckoned with. I suppose I didn't realize just how afraid I was to miss the opportunity. I'm just glad she said yes." He rubbed the back of his neck and asked, "Did you know about Finch and Bran?"
Nodding, he said, "We knew." He was just glad they'd taken the plunge and didn't have to hide anymore. The other Illyrians didn't even seem too surprised.
"You ready for the meeting?"
Hollis nodded and took a breath, "I feel a little better about his one. At least they'll have less fuel directed at Nova."
They'd be traveling to the Summer Court tomorrow, and Hollis didn't want to see Tamlin again…nor did he like the idea of him around Nova. Not that she couldn't kick his ass, but he didn't want his eyes in her direction at all. On the bright side, the High Lord's had opened the invitation so that those who were close to the Star and the Snowflake could attend. It was with the hope that someone, anyone, might have a perspective that differed from another. From the way his father relayed the information Helion had given him during the Winter Ball, there were often patterns to problems that, while invisible to one set of eyes, were obvious to another.
It didn't make sense to Hollis, and he wondered if the intention wasn't to find patterns, but to interrogate for information. What did they think they'd find? He supposed he and Nova hadn't been outright truthful about their union in the beginning, but things had changed. They had changed.
Finishing off Winter's dust bath, he eagerly began cleaning up. He and Nova had made plans to meet in the parlor after their tasks.
"Wow," Kole smirked, "you really are in love, aren't you. I've never seen you try to leave the stables quickly."
Shoving him on his way out, he shook his head, grinning. He winnowed to the kitchen first, smiling to himself as he removed a silver tray from one of the cabinets below. Loading it with ornate silver mugs and a matching kettle, which he filled with chocolate and cream, he supplied a cup of marshmallows and thick whipped cream before making his way to the parlor.
Pushing himself backward through the door, he glanced around to see that he was the first to arrive. She was probably bathing as she always did after training, he thought as he set the kettle on the already roaring fire and placed the tray on the coffee table.
Sure enough, it was only a few minutes later that Nova stepped in with damp hair in a braid down her back. A flurry erupted in Nova's belly as she saw him standing by the fire. How could she have missed someone after only a few hours? Unable to hold back her excitement, she rushed him.
Hollis grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, accepting the kiss she gifted him. That golden thread plucked harmoniously between them as they pulled away, looking into each other's eyes.
"I missed you…" They said simultaneously.
Nova snorted, "We're going to be annoying people for a while, aren't we?"
"I can hear Finch gagging already."
With a laugh, they sat on the floor by the coffee table and served themselves hot chocolate concoctions.
"I'm still trying to get used to the ice walk," Nova cringed, "I'll get halfway through, or almost finished, and I'll put my foot in the wrong spot." Since the lake, she didn't find herself as afraid when going underwater. She'd yet to be in anything more intense, but she'd also hadn't had any nightmares of drowning for a long time. Which Az and Cas said was a good sign.
Hollis nodded, brows furrowed as he paused, sipping his mug. "What does Klaus say?"
"He won't tell me the trick to it," Nova grumbled, and Hollis smirked. "Don't smile at that."
He chuckled and shook his head, "You just have a hard time not perfecting something the first time."
"Are you calling me a perfectionist?"
Hollis settled an incredulous look on her. "Yes," he grinned, "But don't worry, I can help with that. I'm really good at fucking up."
Snorting, Nova shook her head and looked over her shoulder at the other seating area by the window. She blinked rapidly and sat up on her knees, staring at the table. "The puzzle?" She asked, sitting back on her heels, and looked at him. "From weeks ago?"
"You asked me to save it for you, remember?"
Nova tilted her head at him, and her lower lip quivered. Why was a half-finished puzzle about to make her cry? She moved around the coffee table, and while on her hands and knees, pressed her lips against his. Hollis made a soft noise in his throat as he let their lips move in synch. His fingers coasted the sharp line of her jaw and down the curves of her throat.
"Thank you…" Nova murmured as she sat back on her heels, but kept her forehead against his.
Hollis smiled fondly and squeezed her hips with light pressure. "Would you like to finish the puzzle?"
Grinning, Nova nodded and grabbed his hands. She hauled him up and, taking their hot chocolate, sat at the table. Previously, they would have sat across from each other. Now they were beside each other on one side.
"Don't forget about separating colors."
"Nova."
"Sorry, sorry. You're right. There's no one right way… except my way."
Hollis reached his hand over, and when she thought he was going to try and steal her puzzle piece, he dug his fingers into the crease between her thigh and her hip, which he'd recently discovered was sensitive, and a place she was too ticklish for her own good.
Lurching to the side, Nova squealed a squawk of laughter. "Okay!" She giggled, taking hold of his wrist.
"Do you need your own puzzle?" Hollis asked.
"No," she patted the puzzle on the table, "I want to do this one with you. I promise."
"That's the cutest shit I've ever seen," Finch said from the doorway, smirking as he stood with the others.
Nova shook her head and smiled, her face, as well as Hollis's, a brilliant shade of pink. "Can we help you?"
"So glad you asked," he said, waltzing forward with Bran and Kyra. They surrounded the table. "We're going to the Summer Court tomorrow."
Hollis set his chin on his hands and smiled, "Yes. For a meeting. With the High Lords."
"In the Summer Court."
"What's your point, Finch?" Nova asked, arching a brow.
"There's going to be a beach… in the sun. We have to go to the beach, Nova. So, we have to have something to wear, because as beautiful as my naked body is, I don't think Tarquin once us frolicking freely up and down the beach."
Kyra sighed, "We're asking if you want to go with us to get swimsuits."
"There's a shop in the village." Hollis provided.
Raising a brow, Finch stared at him. "There's a shop for suits here? Where it is never warm."
He chuckled, "Yes, we use them for the saunas. The healers, especially, are adamant about them, but with the fuel crisis, we haven't been able to heat them."
Nova chewed her lip nervously, and Hollis noticed, squeezing her hand under the table. He didn't voice his thoughts while they had an audience, but he already knew what was on her mind.
"Kole and Nieve know where it is, too, if you want to go look. Maybe we'll catch up with you."
Appeased, Finch was out of his seat in an instant. "Warm. I want to be warm." He groaned as they left.
Only when he was sure they were out of earshot did Hollis turn on the bench and inclined his head, "You don't have to wear what you don't want to. You know that, right?"
Nova sighed and managed a small smile, nodding in response. "I know…" It was a friendly reminder, though.
"And whatever you do…if you do…" Hollis pressed a hot kiss against the pulse behind her ear. "There's nothing you could wear I wouldn't worship you in."
A shiver trailed down her spine as she leaned against his side. Oh, he really couldn't say things like that to her.
"Hm…we could always finish the puzzle later…" She murmured, and Hollis snorted.
Nova twirled her ring around her finger while leaning over the center island of the kitchen in the palace. Today was the meeting, and Hollis was finishing up in the stables, trying to steel her nerves for what might happen. It wasn't even the question of the sexual endeavors she was nervous about. What if the numbers they brought to the table were worse?
"Nervous?" Her mother asked gently as she entered and sat on the stool beside her.
"A little."
Feyre nodded with understanding, but smiled as she looked at the ring. "It's beautiful," she furrowed her brows. "Is that…"
"It is," Nova held her hand up. "The same pearl I gave him when we first met."
Feyre's heart swelled and sighed with soft infatuation. Seeing her daughter this happy, practically glowing with joy…she'd never felt happier than she did now. It had been so long since she had seen the sparkle in Nova's eyes. Honestly, the last time she had looked this happy was when she was fifteen, and everything seemed magical to her. It seemed the magic had come back.
"Remember when we were in the kitchen, back in Velaris?" Nova asked. "You were telling me stories and…what love felt like?"
Feyre nodded, "I remember."
"I understand it now."
Smiling, she pressed a kiss to her temple and squeezed her hand. "It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?"
"The best." She couldn't stop the heat from reaching the tips of her ears. Every time he looked at her, he reminded her that in his eyes, she was beautiful. Even if to someone else she was too broad or too toned…she wondered what he'd make of the bathing suit she'd chosen to surprise him with. He'd been true to his word last night and never brought it up again, letting her decide to address it if she wanted to.
And she knew he liked gold.
They gathered in the dining room, Ana being the only one absent as she'd be caring for Eira. While Nova usually would have positioned herself between her parents (as would Hollis) when he entered the room, she left her mother's side without hesitation. Her eyes were only for him, gravitating toward him like a moth as she took his hand, and he squeezed in solidarity in return.
Feyre smiled and took Rhys's, but he looked pointedly at Nova and Hollis's friends, though they all knew he was speaking directly to Finch as he said, "Behave yourselves. We wanted to be invited back."
"You mean…We can't knock over any buildings?" Kyra asked with a sly smirk as she glanced at Cassian, who narrowed his gaze and scrunched his nose as Cyprus looked away with wide eyes.
"Can we get a move on?" Cas grumbled as Az snickered.
Rhys chuckled, and they winnowed to the Summer Court.
A warm breeze kissed Nova's skin, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd forgotten how pleasant warm weather was until that moment. Hollis, however, wasn't so sure how he felt about tasting salt in the air.
The walk to the palace was quick, but Nova wished she could feel the heat on her skin a little longer, but soon, they were covered by shade as they entered. Trailing behind their parents, a flutter of nerves erupted in her belly as she glanced at Hollis. He looked pale, too. She squeezed his hand, and he looked over, offering a small, reassuring smile.
It was a nice change in atmosphere as they entered the sunny room, which looked more like a banquet hall than a conference room. With more than enough seats, everyone began to sit, but Nova paused as she stared out through the pillars where the turquoise ocean lay beyond. Even when she went to see the beach in Velaris or on her Island, the water had never looked so blue.
"It's nice to see you all." Thesan smiled in greeting, his eyes on Nova and Hollis, who sat beside each other. Their forearms touched without thought. His eyes flitted down to her hand, noting the ring. "May I ask…your standing?"
Hollis parted his lips to respond, but Nova quipped, "Yes. We had sex—a lot. Next?"
An instant sweat formed on the entirety of Hollis's body as he stared at the table. He dared not make eye contact with her father or her Illyrian uncles. He may have never experienced a sunburn before, but he was positive he looked like he had.
Helion threw his head back and cackled, which broke at least a little bit of the tension. "Hm," he glanced at the space next to him and sighed fondly before looking around the table, then at Tarquin, "Your meeting?"
Pursing his lips, Tarquin nodded, though the introduction hadn't quite been what he'd anticipated. Patience had been running thin lately, he knew. So he intended to make it short. "We'll keep it brief—another exchange of data collected by all the Courts, followed by questions and concerns, and then we'll look into what Nova provided."
Furrowing her brow, she frowned. What had she provided, she thought to herself as she avoided Tamlin's stare.
"Your vision." Tarquin supplied.
Ah, yes. That.
"Sorry, I'm late." A familiar voice sounded, sending Nova's heart into a galloping panic as she snapped her head to the left.
"Adira?" She blinked wildly. Surely her eyes were playing some trick on her. Even if she wasn't on the Island, why would Adira be here of all places?
"That's Adira?" Hollis whispered in surprise as Adira walked past, as confident as ever in her Advanced battle attire.
"I missed you," she said as Nova stared at her with wide eyes, watching her take the empty seat next to Helion.
Speechless, Nova didn't know which thread to follow.
"My daughter, Adira," Helion addressed the table, and Nova's jaw dropped.
Despite not having spoken a word to Nesta for months, she looked over and caught her eye. She, too, sat in bewilderment.
"Hi, Nova," Adira wiggled her fingers at her before blowing her a kiss.
Had her lips gone blue from not breathing? She shot a wild glance at her parents, but they weren't looking at her. They were staring at Lucien. Nova followed their gaze, and her shock turned to confusion. She thought to herself in a jumble: So, if she were with Adira, and Adira is Helion's daughter, but Lucien is Helion's son, they'd be brother and sister. And if they were brother and sister, Lucien marrying Elain, her aunt, would mean…
"So…" Finch broke the silence, biting his lower lip through a crooked grin, and asked, "When's the family reunion?"
Snorting, Adira grinned at Nova. "You can call me Auntie."
Nova pointed a finger at her and said, "Shut the fuck up." To which Adira released a cackle as her friends at the table tried to hide their laughter in their elbows.
It wasn't easy to focus after that, but at least there wasn't much new to deliver. For once, there was no change to the data collected. Nothing had improved, but nothing had worsened either. They'd call that a win. Still, there wasn't much to say about the riddle Nova had taken off the scroll in her vision. Everyone held a copy of it in their hands.
"Will you be able to access the same state as before?" Thesan asked. "Explore it again?"
Nova nodded, "I can try. It's not always a guarantee I'll reach it. This is the first time I was able to pull memories from it." She held her note up. "I only know this now because of what the paper says. I don't even remember reading it anymore. Not where I was or if I was with anyone."
"Do you remember feeling anything? An emotion, I mean." Adira asked. She knew her meditations well. Of course she did—her first…love, would.
"Happy, then panicked. I don't remember why the emotion changed."
Tarquin nodded, "I believe our next meeting will be in the Day Court. If you have more visions, bring everything you collect. Hollis," he turned his attention on him, "Do you have access to these types of visions?"
Pursing his lips, he shook his head, "I've never tried. I thought it was partial to the Valkyrie."
"It can be performed by many," Nova shook her head, "we adopted a specific method, but I can help you."
Nodding in agreement, he said, "I'll do my best."
Thesan spoke now, "This isn't to say things haven't begun to rectify. With no change to our world, perhaps the next time we meet, we'll see an increase." He smiled, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
With that, the meeting was convened, but Bran, in his cool and calm voice, asked, "Is there an expectation regarding our attendance?"
All the High Lords turned their eyes to Bran, then looked to Tarquin as he had sent for their presence. "You are all each other's worlds; you may as well be given the chance to fight together."
Hollis had never experienced a bonfire at the beach, hell, he'd never been to a beach. The only body of water they had was for their port, which was encompassed by towering glaciers. It looked more like a small lake than an ocean. There was no sand, only ice. When he'd been in Velaris, he hadn't visited that beach either, and now with the open ocean in front of him, he couldn't seem to express himself. It was so vast…so endless.
It was terrifying in the best way.
Pausing at the edge of the beach, where the grass still took root, he stared down at the white sand. He wore his trunks, sandals, and a white t-shirt. Beside him, Kole and Nieve stopped at the edge, too, as the others continued forward.
Nova, wrapped in a teal cloth that moved with the breeze, concealed her bathing suit. She pivoted and tilted her head. "Are you alright?"
"It does look soft, doesn't it?" Nieve murmured as the members of the Night Court were already gathering twigs and branches to build the bonfire.
It occurred to Nova then that they'd never touched sand before. "It is," she said with a smile and kicked off her shoes, so her feet sank into the powder. "It feels different up here where it's dry. It's easier to walk closer to the water."
Grinning, Hollis toed his shoes off too and left them next to Nova's as he stepped forward. "Woah…" He smiled at the gritty texture. "That is…so weird."
With a laugh, Nova offered him her hand, and together they started toward the half-built woodpile. The sun was beginning to set below the horizon, tinting the sky a dusty rose with clouds that appeared golden beneath.
"I think I like the Summer Court…" Hollis breathed as he stared, fixated on the view.
Smiling over at him, Nova pressed a soft kiss against his cheek and shook her head as Finch performed a cartwheel over the firm, wet sand. Tugging his arm, she nodded to the fire Bran had sparked, "Let's go sit."
They plopped on the sand, sending bits flying. Nova giggled and leaned back on her elbows, taking a moment to watch Hollis, admiring his entranced state as he gazed out at the tropical setting. Seeing him happy…made her happy.
Hollis grinned over his shoulder at her, "Do you want to go swimming?" He asked. The blue in his eyes held almost a different shade in the summer sun. It wasn't as faint as ice; there were streaks of curulan that leaked toward his iris.
Lost for a moment, Nova almost forgot he'd asked her a question. The Nova from two weeks ago would have declined and said the ocean was for training, not pleasure, but the Nova now, listening to the excitement in his voice and melting in the light of his eyes, nodded eagerly.
Peeling off their covers, they stood to their feet, and Hollis's jaw dropped as his eyes skimmed her body. The bikini she wore was made of golden chain, much like the bits of her armor, but this was light and didn't rustle when she moved.
Nova blushed and shrugged, every sleek muscle on display. "You know how to swim, right?"
"I do," Hollis assured and offered her his hand.
Together, they ventured closer. They stopped where the wet sand began and let the crashing ripples reach their toes. Hollis spoke with surprise, "It's warm…"
Nova smiled, wiggling her toes that were covered by the foamy kisses of the waves. "Hm, I've been to a few beaches, but they were all cold. The sand had more rocks in it than this."
A few steps closer, and Hollis's eyes widened as the sand shifted beneath his feet and he started to lose his balance. Nova instinctively held his shoulder, "It's just the sand. When the tide takes the sand back out, you can feel it pull it away."
Kole fell on his face a few yards away, having lost traction, and small wave crashed over him. The same wave that rushed against their legs.
"Do you want to keep going?" Nova asked, watching his face for any sign that he didn't want to continue. "We could stop here- we could go back."
Hollis smiled, "Let's go a little more. I'm not returning to the snow unless my hair gets wet."
Moving forward with him, careful to make sure she took the brunt of the waves so they didn't knock him back. Finch, off to her right, was doing laps around Bran, who wore a rather unamused face…aside from his tiny, fond smirk.
"You know," Hollis said as they were now waist deep, and he dug his feet firmly into the sand, so Nova stopped too, "There's a lot we've never seen before. I think I could use some adventures."
"Yeah?" Nova asked with a grin. "Me too."
A wave moved toward them, bigger than the others, and Hollis stiffened beside Nova. Threading her arm around his, she locked him into place with her. "You're a buoyant being and meant to float," she said calmly as she listened to his heart quicken and the scent of panic coat his skin. "Relax your body, and move with it."
The wave came, crashing against their chests, and Hollis released a breath as the tide pushed them backward, then pulled them back in. He tried to keep his limbs from seizing, but he gripped Nova's arm like a vice. She didn't even flinch.
"Dunk your head," Nova told him.
"Right now?" He asked, tasting his own fear in the back of his throat.
Nodding, Nova pressed her nose against his jaw and spoke quietly against his ear, "When you're already wet, the sensation of a wave is a little less intense." The same came to how she trained on the field. If it started raining, she immediately ordered everyone to roll in the puddles.
It was less uncomfortable to be in the rain when you were already wet.
"Alright." Hollis nodded, watching the new wave approaching.
Waiting a moment, until the wave was just upon them, Nova began counting. "1..2..3…" Going under, the wave passed above them, and when they broke the surface again, Hollis beamed a big smile.
"Neat trick," he chuckled as he turned to her, "And…thank you." He murmured as Nova reached toward the ball of energy inside him, feeling the panic leave his bones as she pressed against it and offered it her love. Her protection.
The next wave disrupted their kiss, leaving them sputtering with laughter, before returning to shore with the nearly set sun. The breeze was warm, but paired with wet skin, goosebumps covered their bodies as they neared the fire, grateful for the glowing warmth. Dripping, they gratefully took the towels Kyra offered and wrapped them around their shoulders. Everyone else had returned too, sitting around the fire. Smiling and laughing.
It was an infectious atmosphere, bubbling Nova with joy as she sat next to Hollis, who offered her a little spiraled shell. Grinning, she took it and hit it protectively in her palm.
"This will be good…" Finch suddenly said.
Glancing at him, they followed his gaze, and Nova raised her brows as she watched Adira approach them on the beach. She didn't wear her armor from before, but she wasn't in a bathing suit either.
She stopped a few feet away, all eyes on her.
"Hey…" She croaked with a slight grimace, waving a hand awkwardly.
"Hi…" Nova replied, pursing her lips into a thin line.
Thumbs in her pocket, she skimmed the sand with the toe of her boot. "Heard you got married…good job."
Hollis refrained from cringing and exchanged a glance with Kyra before looking at Nova, who narrowed her eyes at Adira, "Why the hell didn't you tell me Helion's your father?"
"Well!" Adira shot her hands up in exasperation. "I didn't know I was fingering the High Lord of the Night Court's daughter!"
"Oh damn…" Kole uttered as Sara nearly choked on her drink.
"Cut me some slack," Adira sighed, "I didn't even know about any of this prophecy shit until he told me you were involved, and yeah, I was worried. You didn't come back…"
Nova's face fell, and her jaw tightened as fresh guilt welled in her chest. Before Hollis could speak to defend her, Adira continued,
"And I don't fault you for that," she sighed, "But I swear I didn't try to hide anything from you. It wasn't something you needed to know. Not then, at least."
Sighing, Nova nodded slowly, "I'm sorry I didn't write to you. I should have told you what had happened. It's just…a lot happened."
"I heard," Adira cringed and rubbed the back of her neck before nodding. Holding her arms out, she said, "So what do you say? Family?"
"I will punch you in the throat."
Adira grinned, "Ah, just like old times." She said, moving forward, she saw the limited space between Nova and Finch. She waved her hands in a shooing motion and said, "Scooch." Like a bird taking her place in a nest, she settled down when there was enough room and smiled at Nova. "I really did miss you."
With a crooked smile, Nova nodded, "I missed you, too."
They enjoyed the crackle of the fire, the crash of the waves, and the blanket of stars. Together.
Only Nova and Hollis remained on the sand well into the night. It had to be past midnight, but she couldn't seem to stop tossing more wood onto the flame to keep it burning bright. After poking the logs again, she lay back next to him and looked up at the sky.
"My father says there are infinite possibilities out there. In the stars," Nova murmured, her fingers clasping his.
Smiling, Hollis pressed a soft kiss against her bare shoulder. They'd ditched their coverings when they'd dried, and the night air became a warm kiss against their skin and the breeze the softest caress.
"I'm sorry about Adira," Nova murmured, looking up at him.
Frowning, Hollis shook his head, "There's nothing to be sorry for."
She pursed her lips and scrunched her nose. "I'll talk to her privately about not talking about our past… escapades. It's not right. Maybe you didn't feel uncomfortable, but I did."
Hollis grimaced, "Maybe a little. I know I'm not your first partner, nor are you mine, and I have no problem with that. But yeah, it was a little awkward." He was pretty sure Nova wouldn't want to hear Reign talk about the things she'd done to Hollis during one of their sleepless nights.
"I could always make it up to you," Nova said as she rolled onto her belly and peered up at the palace. The lights were turned off, and no one was about. From a distance, they were with only the firelight, and it wouldn't be easy to see anything anyway.
"Nova…" Hollis frowned. "Her words don't mean you need to do something for me."
Smirking, she settled her violet gaze on his. "Right, sorry. What I meant to say was…I want to suck your cock until you come down my throat."
Mouth dry, Hollis's eyes widened as his trunks suddenly felt a little too small.
"Is that alright?"
"Fuck yes…"
Nova couldn't stop herself from giggling as she rotated her body in such a way that she came to his hips at a diagonal. Hooking her fingers under his waistband, she pulled his trunks to his knees. Taking him in her hand, her soft strokes brought him fully to life. His soft groan urged her forward, and with her mouth open, she wrapped her mouth around his head and unlocked her jaw. Careful not to push herself too far, she took him as far as she could without gagging while her tongue swirled around him.
"Nova…" Hollis moaned as his fingers found her hair, stroking through the soft waves that tickled against his thighs as she bobbed her head.
Nova moaned around him, using her left hand to stroke the rest of his length, her other hand held his thigh to keep herself grounded. She pulled up and dragged the flat of her tongue against his salty slit, sending Hollis's eyes back as he lifted his hips.
The traction of the sand was not the same as a blanket, and Hollis found himself clawing at shifting sand as he neared his release.
"I'm going to come…" He whimpered breathlessly as he pinched his eyes shut, but glanced down to watch her take no heed of his warning. She continued bobbing her head, and he watched her mouth stretch around him as she took half his length down her throat. She didn't stop, she didn't slow. Not even as Hollis's cock thrashed and his head fell back against the sand.
The ocean swallowed his cries of pleasure as he came, releasing himself, hot and salty, down her throat. His eyes crossed, looking rather unnatural as his toes curled while she continued to suck him. Cheeks hollowed, she swallowed every last drop he could give, then proceeded to drag her tongue across the sweat-stained skin of his pelvis.
Nova glanced up at him with hooded eyes, and a slow smile graced her lips as she pulled his trunks back into place and rested her head against his stomach. She loved to hear him moan, and knowing she was the one who caused it made it all the more satisfying.
As Hollis came back down to earth, he shuddered a breath, "You really are amazing at every new thing you try…"
Laughing, Nova crawled to him. Resting her thigh across his belly, she pressed her face against his neck and breathed him in and closed her eyes. "Where will we go for our next adventure?"
"Hm, what's something you've always wanted to see?" He asked as he gently stroked his fingers up and down the length of her back and up into her hairline, which sent pleasant shivers all over her body.
"A whale." She murmured.
Hollis pressed his nose against the top of her head. He chuckled softly. "Yeah?" He waited a moment, and then a minute. With her slow, soft breath against his neck, he realized she'd fallen asleep. He smiled and closed his eyes, and whispered, "I'll take you to see a whole pod."