afflicted

25: 8 months before...

A/N: Who ordered the pre-depression smut?

Callie kicked off her heels with a sigh of relief, laying back on their huge bed and releasing a long exhale. She and Azriel had just returned from dinner and a walk along the Sidra, a date night he'd planned for them both.

"Need help with your hair?" Az asked, toeing off his own shoes and moving to sit by Callie on their bed. Callie nodded with a shy smile.

"Please," she whispered. She sat up, turning her back to him and allowing him to gently pull out all of the pins and ties that held it up. She closed her eyes, feeling the bliss of finally letting her hair down. Once he was finished, she mussed it around, hoping that it looked more messy-chic than hurricane-survived.

Her stomach was in knots. She turned to Azriel, giving him a quick kiss before letting him know she'd be back and just needed a second. She entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She scampered into their closet and grabbed the hidden shopping bag from behind her rack of shoes. She'd been planning this for weeks now and had luckily had the Archerons' help with finding a shop that sold such things.

She pulled the garment from the bag, wincing at the slinky, tiny slip of fabric that was made to cover her entire body. She blew out a breath as she pulled off her dress and previous undergarments in exchange for the new.

The lingerie was a deep blue that neared black. The fabric was opalescent and silky and hugged her curves in a way that made her jaw drop when she looked in the mirror. The plunging neckline showed most of her chest and the bottom of the body suit hugged her ass wonderfully. She pulled on the garters and thigh-high stockings. She took one last look at herself in the mirror.

Her dark hair cascaded over her tanned skin in waves. She looked fucking phenomenal, even if she felt like she was going to be sick. She smeared on more chapstick and gave herself a silent pep talk in the mirror before she convinced herself to unlock and open the door to the bathroom.

She stood in the doorway sensually, looking across the room to where her mate lay in bed, book in his hand. The light was erotically dim and he was naked save for his boxer briefs. He typically slept that way, so she wasn't sure why it made her stomach flip in excitement. He hadn't looked up at her yet. She bit her lip.

"Az?"

"What, ba-" the words were cut off by his shock when he looked up to see her. She loved the way his pupils dilated when he saw her, and the way she could notice him growing hard at the sight of her.

"You...," he began, but had to start again with a shake of his head. "You are divine." Callie blushed at his words, slinking over to stand next to him on the bed. She smirked as she plucked the book from his hands and sat it on the nightstand next to them.

He looked positively ravenous. It made her shiver.

"I want you," she murmured, running a hand up his thigh but stopping before she got too close. "I want every last piece of you. I want my hands and mouth and body to worship you as much as my mind does." His lips parted and his eyes searched her face like he couldn't believe she'd just said what she had.

They'd waited quite a while to be intimate together. That's not to say they hadn't had their fun, but this moment felt important. It simultaneously felt like it changed both everything and nothing. He'd told her to let him know once she was ready, and that was precisely what she was doing.

"Baby," Az groaned under his breath, his voice full of need. He pulled on her arm to situate her on top of himself so that she was straddling his hips. He looked at her like she was on the verge of disappearing and he needed to commit her every feature to memory. His gaze was hot and heavy on her skin. She felt wetness blooming between her thighs as his hands found her hips and began exploring. "Are you sure?"