Ella Awakened (20 page)

“He looked
directly at us.  When the guy selling concessions asked the Demon to plug the
cord back in, he looked at us, reached for the plug, looked at us again, and then
scurried away.  Why?  Why didn’t he just plug it back in?  Did he know there
was a short in the wire?  He must have.  There’s no other explanation.  What
would it have done to him?  He didn’t look scared.  He looked like he was
thinking about it for a second.  Why?”

“Are you
asking me or just thinking out loud?”  Burke asked when Ella finally paused to
take a breath.

“I’m asking
you.”

“Well, I
have no idea why he didn’t just plug it in.  You’re right, though.  It was very
weird.”

“It must
mean something.  What about hysterical girl – Julie?  Is she gonna take the
fall for this?”

“Not if I
can help it.  She was nowhere around when it happened.  He stormed off; surely
someone who was there noticed him get up and walk away while Julie was still
sitting there.  There won’t be bruising from the Demon grabbing him, or at
least there never has been before.  He doesn’t have to be forceful at all; it’s
like his gaze is hypnotic.”

“Yeah, I got
that from the vision.  I was so enthralled I couldn’t even scream... or he
couldn’t even scream.  It’s so weird the way you’re there and it’s happening to
you, but you’re not you and you have no control.  You literally are that other
person.”  Burke let Ella ramble; she was on a roll. 

“I was
completely mesmerized by his eyes changing,” she continued.  “The red billowed
out from the pupil like smoke.  Have his eyes always been green before turning
red?”

“I can’t be
sure.  I’d hate to even guess.”  Burke shrugged.

“That’s
exactly why I wanted to see.”  Ella reached across the seat, took his hand and
squeezed it.  “There
has
to be some consistent aspect to him.”

They pulled
to a stop in front of Burke’s house.  He grabbed her bag from the back and they
went inside.

“Come on,
Hutsool, we’ve had a rough night.  Let’s sit in the bathtub together until we
dissolve.”  Burke smiled at her and even though she was a ball of frustrated emotions,
her heart rate picked up a little.  

~~

Ella sat on
the bathroom bench in her bra and panties while Burke filled the tub with
water.  He opened the medicine cabinet and took out a jar full of dried herbs.

“What’s
that?” she asked as he sprinkled a generous amount into the water.

“Just some herbs
from the greenhouse that will help us relax.  Let’s face it - we’ve had one
hell of a day.”

Ella took a
deep breath.  She’d never been exposed to these particular herbs, and their
effect on her was both powerful and rapid.  Almost immediately a sense of calm
washed over her.  She knew it was the herbs, but she didn’t care.  “I know
something else that will help us relax,” she purred as she rose and started to
unbutton Burke’s shirt.

Burke didn’t
want to steer the evening away from where it was currently heading, but he
couldn’t help but be a little worried about Ella.  Living through someone
else’s death could be a very traumatic experience.  He was pleasantly surprised
that she seemed to be handling it even better than most healers did.  Of course
she’d had a strong personality before, and the awakening process merely
amplified what was already there.  He took her face in his hands.  “Are you
sure you’re okay, Hutsool?”

“I’m fine,
now shhhhh” Ella kissed his face and neck as she pushed his shirt down his
shoulders.  Burke unfastened his pants and kicked them and his boxers into the
corner.  Within seconds Ella’s bra and panties had joined the pile. 

“Come,
Hutsool, let me wash you,” he said as he stepped into the deep tub.  He took
Ella’s hand as she climbed in front of him and sat between his legs with her
back against his chest.  Burke ran his hands up her arms, over her breasts,
down her flat stomach, and between her legs.  Ella let her knees fall to either
side of the tub, giving him full access to what they both knew belonged to him
and him alone.  Burke growled with pleasure.  She could feel him hardening
against her back.

“Not yet,”
he said.  He placed both hands on her hips and pushed her slightly forward
before picking up a large cup.  “Lean your head back.”  She did as she was told
and sat hugging her knees to her chest as he wet her hair.  Burke picked up the
shampoo and poured some into his hands.  Ella reveled in the sensuality of his
fingers running through her long tresses and massaging her scalp.  After he
rinsed and conditioned her hair, he picked up a large loofah sponge and lathered
it with a spicy smelling soap.  He ran the sponge over her back and shoulders
then squeezed it over her chest letting the frothy bubbles wash over her
breasts.  Burke leaned forward and kissed her under her ear before whispering,
“Turn around.”

Ella spun around
and stretched out with her back resting against the foot of the tub.  Burke
picked up first one of her legs and then the other.  He let his lips trail
along her flesh preceding the sponge.  He planted feather light kisses first on
each of her toes, then her knee, before lightly nipping the inside of her
thigh. 
This is truly making love,
Ella thought, and she rejoiced in it.

“Your turn,”
she said taking the sponge from him.  She poured more soap over it to increase
the lather.  She washed him with the same assiduousness he had just showed
her.  When he was clean Ella dropped the sponge into the water and climbed onto
Burke’s lap.  She grabbed the shampoo bottle, poured a little into her hands,
and rubbed them together.  She took his head in her hands and kissed him deeply
while running her fingers through his short dark hair.  She pressed her breasts
against him and shifted her hips forward as he continued to swell against her. 
Losing interest in Burke’s hair, Ella reached between them and began to run her
hands up and down his length.

Burke
inhaled sharply.  He slid forward, not caring that water splashed over the side
of the tub and pooled on the floor, then leaned back under the water to rinse
the soap from his hair and body.  In one swift movement he was out of the bath
with Ella in his arms.  He stood her on the soaked bathmat, grabbed a fluffy
towel, and haphazardly ran it over Ella’s body then his own. 

Seconds
later Ella found herself lying across the bed with Burke stretched out beside
her.  “In a hurry?” she teased.

“Not at
all,” he grinned the sexy crooked smile that he reserved just for her.  “I want
to try something, so be still,” he breathed.

Ella’s eyes
widened in anticipation as Burke’s hands began to glow faintly.  He lightly
stroked one of her breasts.  Ella’s nipple obediently stood to attention.  It was
definitely much less intense compared to the way he had touched her the last
day of her awakening.  It felt tingly and an erotic warmth radiated through her
from the point of contact.  “Okay?” he asked. 

Ella was at
a loss for words, so she settled for enthusiastically nodding her head yes. 

Burke was
pleased with her response.  “Turn over,” he instructed.  “I’m going to touch
you
everywhere.
”

Ella
obediently rolled onto her stomach.  Burke slid down to the foot of the bed and
slightly parted Ella’s legs.  Starting with her feet he ran his luminous hands
up each leg and across her buttocks.  He rubbed her back, shoulders, and neck. 
A trail of goose bumps erupted as proof that he had been there.  Ella felt the
tension of the day, the month - hell, her whole life - seep from her body. 
“Now your front,” he whispered as he knelt beside her. 

Ella slid
towards Burke then turned over onto her back.  He again started with her feet
massaging his way up her thighs.  Ella felt the muscles at her center clench
and she was wet with anticipation.  She actually let out a little whimper when
Burke stopped at the top of her leg and picked up one of her hands.

“Patience,”
he whispered in a promising tone.  He caressed her fingers and wrists.  He
tenderly stroked both of her arms before trailing his glimmering hands down her
chest and cupping her breasts.  He paused to tease her nipples, delighting in
the way they elongated and hardened.  He proceeded down her smooth stomach. 
Ella’s legs were already parted, and Burke desperately wanted to put his mouth
on her pink, glistening skin, but she seemed to be enjoying what he was doing
and she’d probably smash him through a wall if he stopped now.  He gently ran
his finger up the apex of her thighs to her core.

“Burke!”
Ella cried out and involuntarily curled into a ball as wave after wave of the
most earth-shattering orgasm she’d ever experienced rolled through her body.

“Good?”
Burke asked when Ella had regained control.  She launched herself at him,
knocking him flat across the bed.  She sat on his stomach with her hands on his
biceps.  Burke flexed his arms but couldn’t move them.  “What are you doing?”
he huskily asked.

Ella leaned
forward, rubbing the dampness of her pleasure over his skin.  First she kissed
his chest and neck then along his jaw.  She took his earlobe between her teeth
and gently pulled before whispering in his ear, “I’m fucking you like a
warrior.”

Burke tried
to sit up, but she forcefully pushed him back down.  Her eyes gleamed.  She
rocked back on her heels then lowered herself slowly inch by inch onto his
erection.  When her hips made contact with his she immediately started the
journey back up moving deliberately at an excruciating pace.  “Please Ella,”
Burke moaned.

“Patience,”
she breathed in the same tone he had used earlier.  This time when she
completed the downward journey and he was completely sheathed inside her she
began to rotate her hips.  Back and forth, up and down she tortured him.  Burke
couldn’t stand it anymore.  He reached up behind her with one of his legs and
hooked it around her.  He flipped her onto her back and slammed into her.  He
threw his head back and bellowed as he met his release from her delightful game. 

Burke
collapsed next to her.  “Good?” Ella asked with a cocky grin.

He took her
face in his hands and looked into her eyes.  “Everything about you is better
than anything I could have ever hoped for.”

Burke rolled
her over and spooned her against him.  He buried his face in her hair and
together they fell into a much needed sleep.

~~

Ella was
still wrapped in Burke’s arms when she woke up the next morning. 
I wouldn’t
mind waking up like this every morning,
she thought.  She glanced at the
clock on the nightstand and was surprised at the time.

“Burke,” she
said rubbing his arm.

He smiled
before opening his eyes, “Good morning.”

“Good
morning yourself, but it’s almost nine o’clock.  What time do you need to go to
work?”

“I’d better
get going.  The department will want a report from last night.”  He continued
to lay there holding her, allowing his actions to contradict his words.

“I see I’m
gonna have to make the first move.”  Ella laughed, untangling herself from his
arms.  “Would you like some breakfast?”

“No, I’ll
just grab a granola bar.  Carl’s probably already started and I should be
there.”  He got up, stretched, and pulled on jeans and a t-shirt.

Ella picked
up the bag she had packed the night before and started getting dressed herself. 
“If you drop me off at the apartment on your way to the office you can pick up
the Taser.  I need to run to the grocery store and wash some clothes, then I
can meet you at the M.E. office later if you want.”

Burke, now
fully dressed, stepped towards Ella. “Sounds good.”  He gathered her hair into
his hands and pulled her head back so he could kiss her throat.  “Maybe you
should call sometime today and check on your cousin,” He added, before claiming
her mouth.

Ella leaned
into him and wound her arms around his neck.  “If you keep this up we’ll never
get out of here,” she whispered when he pulled away to look into her eyes.

Burke smiled
and slung her backpack onto his shoulder.  He grabbed his keys and wallet from
the dresser, then took her hand and headed out the door.

~~

“Don’t
bother shutting off the car.  I’ll run up and get the Taser real quick,” Ella
said when they pulled up in front of her apartment.

She got out
of the car, ran up the steps, and disappeared inside.  A few minutes later she
returned.  She handed Burke the Taser, a granola bar, and a bottle of water
through his opened truck window.  “I’ll cook us supper tonight.  Would you like
anything special?” she asked.

“Surprise
me.  Then I’ll have you for dessert,” Burke grinned.

Ella leaned
in the window and kissed him.  “I’ll see you at the office in a couple of
hours.”

“Okay,
Hutsool.  Be safe.”

Ella watched
as Burke drove away, then went upstairs to make a grocery list.

~~

Burke
noticed that Carl’s car wasn’t in the lot when he arrived at the M.E. office. 
Huh,
that’s weird. 
They were supposed to get this autopsy done.  Burke got out
of his car and was about to head into the building just as the transport van
pulled up followed by Carl.  Burke turned and headed over while Carl parked in
his usual spot.