Page 15 of Origins

She nodded twice. “That one.”

My lips pressed into a thin line as I weighed the pros and cons of unprotected sex. I didn’t have any STDs—I was careful about that, and I knew Callie was probably clean too. But that wasn’t my biggest concern.

I had a heroing career to focus on, and Callie had her own plans. If I got her pregnant, not only would it fuck our futures up, but we barely knew each other, which was a terrible start to having a child.

That being said… How many people get pregnant from a one-night stand?

Probably next to none. Also, if she’s sleeping around with other heroes, she’s probably on birth control. And that meant this was safe. I used that line of thought to spur myself forward.

With her panties out of the way, I placed the tip of my cock on her cunt. She was so unbelievably wet that her arousal could be seen in the moonlight. I gripped the metal bars of my headboard as I slipped into her. She was tight and warm, and I’d almost forgotten just how good pussy could feel.

My knees weakened at the thought, and my chest heaved. Normally, I had pretty good stamina when it came to sex, but the feeling of her wrapped around my shaft was almost overwhelming.

I grit my teeth as I languidly thrust in and out of her. Each time I pushed back in, it felt like her body beckoned me closer, like she was taking me deeper each time. Her back arched as she let out a low moan, and I buried my face in her neck.

My canines sunk into the space between her neck and shoulder, and she let out a sharp gasp.

I gripped the headboard tighter, using it as leverage to thrust harder, faster. Callie’s nails dug into my back as she wrapped her legs around me, pulling me even closer. The heat between us was unbearable. It was like a spring coiling around my body: every muscle, every nerve, every thought.

“Sulien.” She panted as she twined her fingers into my hair.

My name rolled off her tongue like a prayer, and every ounce of restraint I had vanished. I plunged into her one last time, completely losing myself in the nirvana that was Callie.

Her body jerked as she eased into an orgasm, and the tension in my body snapped. A wave of pleasure crashed over me, leaving me to white knuckle my headboard, the metal beneath my fingers growing dangerously malleable as I lost control of the fire flaring just below my surface. For a second, I was afraid I’d melt it, but I was able to reign myself in.

My body shuddered as a few more pulses of ecstasy rushed from me, leaving me to pant. Once I finished, I rolled off of Callie, planting myself beside her in bed. Myforehead pressed to hers as we both struggled to catch our breaths.

Someday, there would probably be consequences for this, but right now? The future didn't matter. Instead, I allowed myself to stop worrying about what tomorrow might bring. Instead, I lived in the moment between us.

Chapter 5

Sulien

It had been about a week since I’d slept with Callie, and the only consequence of that night seemed to be acquiring a girlfriend.

Whether it was because I was the only person she could hang out with outside of school or because she actually liked me that much, I wasn’t sure. But every night I wasn’t working, she was with me. She never spent the night, but that was fine, especially because Callie liked to cook before she left.

Every night we spent together, she’d bring ingredients and whip up dinner in my tiny, barely functional kitchen. It felt like a routine for her, but I couldn’t even find the words to tell her how much it meant to me. Since starting at Vanguard, I’d only eaten lunch—thanks to the singular daily meal credit included in my scholarship.

Most days, I skipped breakfast and dinner to make sure my bills were paid and that I had enough to send to my dad for his medications. My dad never asked for the money, but I knew he couldn’t afford his medicine on his own.

The meals Callie made weren’t fancy—just something she could quickly throw together—but they were real food, and they tastedwaybetter than anything I was used to. Plus, I wasn’t eating alone–which was new.

I’d never had company at mealtimes, even as a kid.Before things got bad with my dad’s health, he and I never sat down for meals together. There was always something else going on, a reason to eat alone in front of the TV or not at all. But with Callie, it felt…different. This was how normal people operated, how people who didn’t grow up around villains lived. And while I loved the normalcy she gave me, it scared the hell out of me.

No one in my life ever stayed, aside from Jace and Kane. My dad was in and out of jail, doing his best to make ends meet. The homes that took me in would vanish the moment he was free. And while I liked to think Callie was with me because she genuinely liked me, she was also doing a job.

She was supposed to clean up my image so I could get a placement. But once her mission was accomplished, would she leave like everyone else?

The thought constantly lingered, threatening to obscure the unexpected happiness I’d found with Callie. I wouldn’t say I loved her—I hadn’t known her long enough for that. But being beside her felt right. I stared down at the red plastic tray in front of me, trying not to let my thoughts ruin our lunch.

“You’re thinking too much,” Callie whispered, nudging me with her elbow.

“I’m starting to think you lied about not being able to consistently read minds,” I warned, snagging a soggy fry off her tray.

She gave me a shy smile and shrugged. “I didn’t. You’re just an open book.”

I arched a brow, popping the fry into my mouth. It squished between my teeth, and I found myself a little pickier than I’d been a week ago. It wasn’t fair that Callie could poke around in my mind when I didn’t even know herfull name.

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