DISCLAIMER: The Hollows and its characters/inhabitants are the property of Kim Harrison. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't know what feverish state of mind brought this on, but whatever the initial cause, my heat-oppressed brain wouldn't let me rest until I wrote it. So here it is (whether you want it or not ;) ).
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Tense/Release
By Janine

 

I watched Ivy carefully as she moved into the room and dropped her gear by the front legs of the expensive wooden kitchen table she had pilfered from her parents. Her body moved easily, and her features were relaxed. The run had gone well. It didn't look like the mark had managed to get one hand on her before she took them down. I smiled a little. That was no surprise. Ivy was very good at what she did.

As if sensing my eyes on her, Ivy kicked her black bag under the table and then turned around to look at me, her lips curving up slightly as her eyes landed on me and took me in, where I was leaning against the counter by the sink.

"Hey," she said softly, her voice warm and inviting even though her body was a bit tense.

She wasn't hurt, I could tell. It was a tension that had been running through her for the whole week, although I only figured out exactly what was causing it a few days before. Unfortunately it had been a busy few days, and we hadn't seen much of each other so there was nothing that I could do about relieving her tension … until now.

My heart pounded as I lifted my splat-gun and trained it on Ivy. The weight of the tiny red gun told me that it was loaded, and I was comforted by that bit of familiarity as I set my sites on the living-vampire.

"Stay where you are," I said lowly, not blinking as I kept my eyes trained on Ivy. She was fast, and if I got distracted she would easily be able to rush me and disarm me. A second would be enough for her to turn the tables, and I liked the tables right where they were.

Ivy stared at the splat-gun for a moment, and I could practically see her thinking, assessing the situation and what my actions could mean. Understanding dawned in her eyes a few moments later, and I was able to visibly see some of the tension she had been carrying around drain from her as the tight set of her shoulder loosened.

"Is that supposed to make me?" Ivy asked, bracing her hands on the back of her wooden table. She leaned back on the sturdy wood casually, her hip jutting to the side cockily. She looked like a drowsy jungle cat, and anyone looking at her wouldn't have thought that less than five meters away a gun was pointed at her.

"Yes," I responded a little snippily, not liking how lightly she was treating the situation. I may not have been a living-vampire but I was not a woman to take lightly. "I'm in charge," I told her, holding her eyes.

Ivy gaze dropped from my eyes to look at the splat gun in my hand, and then her gaze dropped lower, taking in the length of me. Her eyes paused at my pelvis, lingering there for a few seconds, and then she drew her eyes back up to meet mine. When they did they were darker than they had been before, and I felt a rush of desire pass over me.

"Yes," she said, the exhalation punctuated by a smile. "I can see that now," she continued, a hint of fang showing in her smile before she wiped the expression off of her face and pushed away from the table so that she was standing in front of it. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, deliberately dropping her gaze.

"Take off your belt," I said, the splat gun still trained on her. My arms were beginning to burn from holding it steady for so long, but I wasn't ready to take it off of her yet. "Then turn around and brace your hands on the edge of the table."

Ivy kept her eyes trained on me as she pressed her hands against her thighs and then slowly trailed her fingers up the leather. Her fingers paused at the juncture of her thighs, holding my attention there for a moment, and then she continued up until her delicate piano players fingers were playing against the metal clasp that was securing her belt in place. With her eyes still trained on me, she deftly undid the belt and slowly pulled it through the tabs of her pants, before she flicked her wrist and allowed the belt to fall artfully from her fingers.

As her belt settled on the floor, Ivy slowly turned until her back was to me, and then she bent over, her shirt riding up to expose her lower back to me, as she bent over and braced her hands on the kitchen table.

She dipped her head forward, and the golden tips of her hair shimmered in the light of the kitchen.

I walked towards her. A few seconds later I came to a stop just behind her and placed one of my hands on her hip, while the other pushed the splat gun against her back forcefully.

"Don't try anything, or you'll get it," I threatened.

Ivy wiggled her leather clad ass against me where my front pressed into her and purred. A shock of electric heat pulsed through me at the sound, and I wrapped my arm around her waist more securely, pulling her against me as I pressed my pelvis against her while the tip of my splat gun dug into her back.

"Are you going to be good?" I asked her, twisting the tip of the gun a little, making sure she could feel it.

"Yes," she drawled, her voice was gray silk perfection. "I'll behave."

"There's a good little vampire," I whispered, pulling the splat gun away from her back. Now that I had her word, I knew that she wouldn't try to take control of the situation. It would be her natural instinct to, and I was sure that I would have to remind her of her promise at some point, but she would try to remain submissive.

With my hand free of the splat gun, I turn both of my hands around to Ivy's front and quickly undid the button to her pants, and pulled down her zipper. My fingers were so close to the center of her, that I couldn't resist and I slipped my hand between her legs, my eyes closing as I felt the damp heat that resided there.

She was ready for me already, and I knew that it was a good decision to play things this way tonight.

Ivy needed this, it had been a while and though she didn't say anything I knew that she was getting antsy. Ivy was attracted to power, she needed to be with someone strong, as strong as her mentally, someone who could control her and dominate her will with their own. I couldn't control Ivy physically. Besting her in a contest of strength wasn't something that I could do. But I could dominate her. I could convince her to strip, and bend, and beg because she gave me that power over her; and every once in a while I exercised that gift and allowed her the submission that she sometimes needed. It was tough work being Ivy Tamwood, I knew that, and I was happy to help her let go, if only for a little a while.

I pulled my hand out of her pants, satisfied with what I had felt there, and moved my hands to the waistband of her pants. I tugged hard, rocking her body as I yanked her pants and panties downward, and continued to pull the pants down unnecessarily forcefully until they were pooled at her feet where she could set up of them and kick them away.

Ivy settled back against the table once her pants were off, and I pressed myself against her ass and wiggled suggestively.

"You can feel it, can't you?" I asked, and she moaned softly before nodding. "Use your words … dear heart," I chastised, sounding like a strict teacher. It was a tone I had discovered had a wonderful effect on Ivy at times like this, and when she moaned softly and shifted against me again, I smiled.

"Yes," Ivy sighed, her voice no more than a rush of air. "I can feel it."

"Do you want it?" I asked, my hand slipping between her legs again, feeling her answer before she gave it to me.

"Yes," Ivy breathed out, a soft hiss escaping from her lips a moment later as I began in move my fingers through the wet, dark curls at the apex of her thighs. "Rachel," she breathed out a few seconds later, a fresh rush of moisture coating my fingers as I teased her.

I pulled my hand away from her and she whimpered, her body sagging and almost collapsing against the table in response to the loss of my fingers, but she controlled herself before that happened. I left Ivy to right herself and tighten her grip on the table as I brought my hands to my own waist, and undid the button to my jeans and then my zipper before I tugged the denim over my slim hips.

The dildo sprang to life once free of the confines of my pants, the warm silicone smacking against Ivy's thigh. A soft sound emerged from her and her head dipped forward. She breathed in audibly, and then her back curled as one of her hands slipped from the edge of the table and fell between her legs.

A moment later, I felt a tug against the harness strapped to me as she pulled the dildo between her legs and slowly slipped the thick pipe of silicone inside of her. That's my Ivy, I thought with a small smile, as she breathed out roughly and returned her hand to the table once I was in side of her. She always needed to exert a little control, even from the bottom.

My hands moved to her hips and gripped them, holding her possessively as I began to move inside of her. I wasn't gentle. I knew she didn't want me to be. This was about possession and she needed me to take her, as forcefully as I could. So I did.

One of my hands slipped from her waist, my fingers trailing up taut, straining arms until my fingers were threading through the soft, silken, onyx strands of hair at the back of her head. Ivy released a soft mewling sound, and I pressed on the back of her head, forcing it down. A moan escaped her at the feel of that, and she pushed back against me, forcing me to increase the pressure with which I was pushing her.

She resisted the touch again, and I allowed my fingers to tangle in her hair and curled my fingers around the silky strands of hair and tugged. Ivy hissed in pleasure, and I tugged again, her soft content sigh settling between my thighs, making me throb.

"So disobedient," I rasped, holding Ivy's head back by her hair. "I'm beginning to think that you want me to punish you," I continued smirking, bending forward to take her earlobe into my mouth. I bit down on the soft flesh, and then sucked and licked at it, and Ivy squirmed beneath me.

I released her ear, and she stilled beneath me for a moment, thinking. She only thought for a moment and then she acted, yanking it forward, trying to break my grip once more. I smirked. I knew she was going to do that.

I arched my hips back, pulling almost all of the way out of her, and then I pulled hard on her hair, drawing a pleased exhalation of breath from her. I held still for a few moments, building up the anticipation, and then I leaned forward and parted my lips, my tongue peaking out to taste the skin at Ivy's neck. She shivered beneath me, knowing what was coming and wanting it with a passion that twisted me up inside with love, and made me dampen the strap tucked between my legs.

My teeth clamped down on Ivy's skin and I bit, hard, as I pushed forcefully back inside of her. My regular teeth weren't enough to break Ivy's skin, but we had discovered that she didn't need to bleed to get pleasure from being bitten. Simply having me at her neck, feeling the sharpness of my teeth pinching at her skin, having my warm breath against her neck as I gnawed at her was enough.

"Rachel," she moaned, her sweat slicked skin glistening in the light of the kitchen as her hips moved in time with mine.

"I know, baby," I said softly before clamping down her neck again, sucking fiercely on her skin as I moved my hips faster, entering her with a forcefulness that would have made me wince, but made her whimper and pant and beg me to be harder.

I gripped her harder, where my hand was holding her hips, and allowed my fingernails to begin to dig into her skin. I couldn't go any harder, but I could do this for her.

Her body stiffened as my nails dug into her, and then it sagged as she began to pant. I tugged on her hair again and she moaned. I let my fingers move from clawing at her hip, and slipped them in front of her and between her legs, brushing the tips of my index finger lightly against her clit.

Her body twisted in my arms, and my name fell from her lips in a pleased hiss.

"My god," I breathed out against her neck, swirling my fingers around in the wetness between her legs. "Jesus," I continued, marveling at the feel of her desire. I was tempted to move my hand down to see how wet her thighs were, but I didn't want to stop touching her. "Ivy," I sighed, moving my fingers in tight circles as I continued to pump inside of her.

"Rachel," she answered, my name almost swallowed up by her breath.

"I love you," I told her, kissing her neck gently in the same spot that I had ravaged minutes before, pressing myself against her back, pushing by breasts against her, trying to get us as close together as we could possibly be. "I love you so much," I whispered, kissing her again, the touch light, and gentle. "My Ivy," I said kissing her jaw. "All mine."

Ivy's body stiffened again, and I loosened the hold I had on her hair, allowing her head to fall forward as orgasm washed over her. Her fingers tightened in a death grip on the edge of the table, and her body shook and spasmed, as powerful inner-muscles tugged at what I had buried inside of her, forcing the strap between my legs to stimulate me until I felt myself falling into an unexpected orgasm shortly after her. My hips continued to move, lengthening both of our pleasure even though my hand moved from between her legs to wrap around her waist to support myself as I trembled against her back.

Breathing heavily, my arms still wrapped around Ivy, I began to cant my hips backwards to draw out of her, but she reached back and pressed the palm of her hand against my thigh, motioning for me to stop. I acquiesced to her request and stayed buried inside of her for a few moments longer. We were in an awkward position, and even though it was my idea to start this in the kitchen, I was beginning to feel a little exposed now that I didn't have a moaning Ivy beneath me to distract me. But, she liked the contact, and needed it in that deep, instinctual way that defied words, so I stayed, and held her.

"It's okay," Ivy breathed out, I don't know how many minutes later and slowly, reluctantly, I released her and pulled out.

We were both in quite a state of disarray, but only for a moment. Ivy's vampire quickness startled me sometimes, and had frightened me in the past, but it also had its uses. Almost as soon as I realized that we were terribly disheveled, Ivy was in motion and within a matter of seconds we looked almost presentable again.

Ivy had simply tucked the strap-on back into my pants before doing them up, and I averted my gaze from hers for a moment as I tried not to smile. I knew for a fact that leaving it on meant that she wanted me to use it again later, more than once if I knew her.

"Welcome home," I murmured sheepishly, flashing a warm smile at her before I leaned forward and pressed my lips gently against hers. I hadn't properly greeted her when she arrived.

"A very nice one," Ivy whispered against my lips.

Her body was loose and relaxed. There wasn't a hint of tension in her and her contentment compelled me to wrap my arms around her and bury my face in her neck as we hugged.

"Thank you," Ivy said softly as she held me in her arms.

"You don't have to thank me for that," I murmured pressing a kiss to her neck. "That was my pleasure," I continued smiling against the column of her throat, knowing that she'd be able to feel it. "You can ask," I went on a bit more seriously, my hand slipping under her shirt to play against her taut stomach. "I want to take care of you," I told her.

"I know," she sighed, before pressing a kiss to my temple. "It's hard … for me to talk about. To ask you to …" she continued before sighing deeply again and trailing off. I remained silent, knowing that she was just working through what she wanted to say in her head. Unlike me, Ivy often took the time to think before she spoke. "I don't like the urges," she finally breathed out.

"I know," I said, squeezing her slightly. "But there's nothing wrong with them, Ivy. Not with us," I continued softly, stroking the back of her hand with my thumb. "It's okay to need things from me. God know, I need things from you," I sighed a bit more wantonly than I had intended.

Ivy smiled at that, and I blushed faintly and averted my eyes. We both knew that I wasn't at all shy about asking her to bite me when an urge struck.

"Tell me next time," I told her, pulling back from the warmth of her body slightly so that I could see her face. "It hurts me when you're unhappy."

"I wasn't un …"

"Ivy," I interjected before she could deliberately misconstrue what I was trying to say.

Ivy sighed deeply and focused her gaze past me on some unimportant part of the kitchen. She was silent for a few seconds, and I waited patiently for her to speak – even though it was always difficult for me to keep my mouth shut. After a few moments she sighed again, and focused her attention on me once again.

"Okay," she breathed out softly, nodding her head as she spoke. "Okay," she repeated, her shoulders slumping with relief from a tension she didn't even know she was carrying.

I smiled, probably too widely, but neither Ivy nor I cared about that. I pushed up onto my toes and pressed my lips against hers, my lips curving against hers a moment later as she wrapped her arms around me and sweetly kissed me back.

"Come on," I said taking her hand.

"Where?" Ivy asked as I began to drag her towards the door.

"Bed," I responded, looking back at her over my shoulder. "Puppy gets a reward for being a good girl."

"Puppy?" Ivy arched, a delicate onyx eyebrow arching far on her forehead. Her tone was a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "Why puppy?" Her eyebrows scrunched up in thought, and it took all of my self-control not to stop, turn into her and kiss her, before taking her right there in the hallway.

"Because," I continued, nudging the door to our bedroom – which had formerly been Ivy's bedroom – open with my foot. "In a few minutes," I said, yanking her towards the bed, "you're going to have," I went on nudging her until she lowered herself onto the floor at the edge of the bed, "a wet nose," I finished reaching for the button of my jeans.

Ivy's lips and sharp canines flashed for a second before they clamped down on her bottom lip which she gnawed on for a moment.

"Oh," she finally breathed out, sitting back on her legs as I pulled my zipper. "Ruff," she added dryly a second later, a positively sinful smile settling across her lips.

I winked at her, and then bent over, pulling my jeans down my long, trim legs.

It was going to be a long night, and I couldn't have been happier about that.

The End

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