Page 47 of Nocere

"Sam." I braced myself against her as the beginnings of another orgasm built readily in my core. "I'm…"

"I'm well-aware." She brushed her lips against mine and a deep moan left me when I came. My hips rolled toward her and she continued to stroke me from behind, now more obviously than before. "Delicious," she whispered against my mouth before kissing me.

"My God," I declared when we parted, heavy pants leaving me. Samirah gripped my ass again, holding me against her while she squeezed me. My lashes fluttered and she nipped my chin.

"Watching you come is my new favorite thing," she said, a smile melting across her painted lips. "You're so beautiful."

"Not like you. You're breathtaking." I reached up with my shaking hands to caress her face. "I want to watch you come."

"Not yet, my sweet." She turned and kissed my wrist. "Soon. I have a more serious question to ask you. Two actually."

"Okay." I let out a slow breath to calm myself down.

"What are your triggers? What makes you upset?" she asked, her hands falling to my waist now, holding me securely.

That question struck something familiar and I settled against her, meeting her gaze again. "The smell of scotch on someone. Seeing drugs like needles or paraphernalia. Being choked or feeling like I can't breathe. Crowded places where I feel like I can't escape."

"What about small spaces like elevators?"

"That doesn't bother me." I shook my head. "Men in general sometimes. Not like when they're just existing, but being hit on by men. I don't remember a lot of what happened to me, but like smells and certain sounds can set me off."

"What happens when you're set off or triggered?" She tucked my hair behind my ears and I let her dote on me. Nothing felt better than Samirah's touches. Now or ever.

"Panic attacks sometimes. Most of the time I'll just start to cry and feel frozen. Like I can't talk or do anything. I just freeze up." I gulped as I geared up for the next disclosure. "Once, I peed myself when a smelly drunk man hit on me when I was leaving Wildrose a few years ago. I don't ever want that to happen again so I just—"

"Avoid being triggered or upset?" Her brow furrowed and I nodded.

"Yeah. I'm always alone when I get upset so it makes it worse. I feel frozen."

"I understand that." Sam stroked my cheeks and her gaze softened.

"What are your triggers?" I asked, while caressing the soft curve of her neck.

"Guns," she answered right away. "Having my arms pinned or restrained. Gunshots. White men approaching me in groups." Her words came out in short bursts until she pursed her lips and gazed over my shoulder for a moment.

"What happens to you when you're triggered or upset?" I asked questions right back at her and she returned her focus to me.

"I get angry. Sometimes I will abruptly walk away or leave where I'm at. It's earned me a bitch label every so often," she said, her voice softer.

"Protecting yourself isn't bitchy. Is there anything you don't like with sex?"

"Other than my arms being held down, no. Nothing I've come by yet." She returned to stroking my sides before taking my hands in hers. "One more question for you."

"Okay." I brushed my thumbs over her knuckles.

"I know we haven't known each other long, but I would love it if you would be my girlfriend, Rosie." She held up a single finger when I made to answer right away. "But you should know that I'm highly monogamous and extremely territorial before you agree. It's scared people off in the past. I can be intense."

"I know and I like that." I caressed her forearms when her nerves began to show in the way her gaze flickered away every so often and how her shoulders tensed. "I feel like I've known you for a really long time. I'm drawn to you for some reason, Sam. And I don't know why. I'd be happy to be your girlfriend."

"I'd be happy to be yours." She smiled and we shared a sweet kiss. "Will you stay over tonight?"

"If you feed me, because I'm starving now." I laughed and she joined me in it, her bright spirits returned.

"How about heaps of pizza and wings? I could go heavy carb right about now." She kissed me all over my face and I laughed, squealing when she tackled me into the pillows of the sofa.

"Yes!" I wrapped my legs around her waist, cracking up at the way she wiggled and nipped me all over.

We cooled our antics to order food from the delivery app on her phone, before we returned to poking and teasing each other.

---