9781618857835FrozenFuryBeckNC (6 page)

“No. I have a bottle of
water over here already.” It was a good sign that she spoke to him, but there
was no intonation to her voice. Angry, she was definitely still angry. Well,
dammit, so was he.

“
You
going
to keep up this attitude? It’s a bit like being with my sister
when she was a teenager,” Gage teased.

Amelia said nothing.

“Or just the silent
treatment, I suppose.” Gage shrugged into the chair across from her, turned on
the television, and settled in to wait her out.

Amelia sighed which
made him grin. “I had to destroy years of work. Do I not get to be upset about
that?”

“You do.”

“I do?
Then why the complaints about my attitude?”

“Because, sweetheart,
we’re mates. That means you talk to me about what troubles you. It also most
certainly means you talk to me when I talk to you.”

“And if I just needed
time to work through it on my own?”

“You mean, time to let
your anger fester?” Gage corrected.

“No. I’m not letting it
fester. I’m upset. I need time alone.”

“Nope.”

“Nope?”
Amelia still raised her voice every time at being told she was wrong. Goddess,
did he adore how her tiny little backbone stood straight when she was
challenged.

“You don’t need time
alone. You need help getting over it.”

“And you’re the one to
help me?”

Gage grinned at how
quickly she came to the same conclusion he had drawn himself. “Actually, I am.
As your mate, it’s my responsibility to see to your well-being.”

Amelia watched him,
uncertain. Clearly, she was surprised by his take-charge attitude.

“I’ll give you a bit to
work this out. I’ll finish watching this game and if when it’s done, you’re up
to dinner with me then I’ll know you’re set. If not, we’ll try another way.”

“Another
way?”
Amelia asked, her voice still shaking.

Gage nodded and turned
his head back to the game on the television. His mind, however, was firmly on
his mate’s behind. Donovan had made a lot of sense the other evening and Gage
planned to take his advice.

* * * *

Amelia couldn’t believe
the cockiness Gage walked around with. Goddess, she wasn’t even sure she liked
this man. Frustrated and knowing that if she didn’t calm down, something
unpleasant was going to happen, she got up from the sofa and walked out.

Amelia wandered the
house, inspecting the large, modern kitchen, and finding a sunroom along the
back bright with sunlight overlooking the vineyard. She could also smell the light
fragrance of lavender that would work in her favor to find calm. She sat in the
silence and tried to clear her mind, but images of her lab, the shooting, her
mate, and the end of her experiment flashed through her mind. She was angry with
herself for bringing this danger so close to home, but couldn’t help but feel
cheated not to finish her compound. It had the potential to help—she honestly believed
that despite now understanding the dangers. How was she expected to have known
though? Amelia had no idea there were humans who knew the Breed existed. She
knew about the US government relations, but that was top secret. She’d believed
them hidden and safe. Now everything she believed had blown up in her face.

She twisted as she
paced the room and felt the twinge of her bullet wound pull. Tears welled up in
her eyes as she felt everything brim up and an overwhelming pit filled her.
Amelia wanted to scream. She flung herself onto one of the little cushioned
chairs and stomped her feet.

“You did not just stomp
your feet,” Gage’s voice came from behind her. She hadn’t realized he had come
into the room.

“Maybe,” Amelia
answered, embarrassed to be caught in a rage she couldn’t control. “I can’t
help it, Gage. I can’t stop being frustrated and mad at all of this.” Amelia
flung her hands, looking exasperated.

Gage kneeled in front
of her on one knee and took her hand. “Let me help.” His words were simple but
immediately unloaded the burden she carried. Amelia was awed by this large
Valendite Breed kneeling before her. His dark brown hair was cropped short and
his handsome face defined with deep ridges along his cheekbones. Gage was pure
masculine beauty, but she wouldn’t tell him that.

Amelia simply nodded.
Maybe he actually could help her. He kissed her knuckles and raised himself to
sit beside her. She didn’t give it a second thought when he patted his knee,
but simply moved to sit on his lap and seek comfort. Then, to her surprise, she
screeched when he tugged her across his lap as if she were a child to be disciplined.

With a giggle, Amelia
asked, “What are you doing?” She kicked out her feet and held onto Gage for
balance. He must be playing with her, trying to help her to relax away from her
anger.

“You see, I’ve been
told a spanking is cathartic, a means for releasing pent up energy. In your
case, that’s anger. So I thought we’d give it a try.” Gage was very
matter-of-fact about what he was doing, but since he wasn’t playful, Amelia’s
anxiety soared.

“Give it a try? You
intend to spank me?”

“Yep.”

“Yep?
How about ‘nope’?”
Now Amelia was enraged. “How dare
you think to do this to me? You have no right!”

“Oh, there’s where
you’re wrong. I have every right. I’m your mate.” Amelia couldn’t see his grin,
but she knew it was there. The grin he wore to say he owned the moment. And
damn him, she knew he was right but she most certainly didn’t have to like it.

With her torso and legs
dangling down from either side of his lap, Amelia was held firmly in place with
no way to escape. She was truly at his mercy and that just made her angrier.
How dare he do this?

A flush stole over her
skin as Gage tugged up the ruffles of her maxi skirt. She pinched her eyes
closed, waiting for his reaction when he found her tiny thong underneath.
Amelia wasn’t disappointed by the inhalation of breath she heard from her mate.
His hand ran over her naked ass under her skirt as the cool air nipped at her
skin. She felt obscene with her skirt now around her waist and her ass
bared
with only her tiny scrap of a thong.

Gage rubbed along the
cheeks of her ass until they felt warmer to the touch. Amelia felt her clit swell
even as her bottom grew sensitive. The blood seemed to center in these two
areas of her body and she couldn’t think straight. Her concentration was solely
focused on her mate.

“I’d like to try this.
I believe you do too but if you truly want me to stop, say so now. Right now,
Amelia,
is your only chance to say ‘stop’. It’s now or it’s never
again,” Gage spoke with a voice of conviction that caused a shudder to pass
down Amelia’s spine.

She didn’t make a
sound.

Gage lifted his hand
from her bottom. She was bereft of his touch for one second before she heard
its descent and felt his palm strike her ass. He hadn’t held back much of his
Breed strength. There was no gentleness. Gage spanked her in steady, heavy
strokes.
Goddess help
her, tears sprung immediately to
her eyes. Still, she held her tongue and refused to cry out. After at least a
dozen, he stopped and softly rubbed her ass cheeks again. This time, his
ministrations brought the sting to the surface in waves of heat and pinpricks
of sensation. It wasn’t pleasant but neither was it unpleasant.

“You’re doing well,
sweetheart, but you don’t need to hold back. Allow all of that emotion you hold
inside to come out.” Gage spoke softly, coaxingly, but still Amelia held her
cries inside.

The next series of slaps
came in a rhythm and Amelia fell into the pattern with ease. It stung, but as
she focused on the stinging, she realized the pain inside—the anger—wasn’t so
strong anymore. She could take deep breaths without feeling weighted down in
fury.

Her body was quivering.
She couldn’t think beyond the constant sting of the spanking. Amelia raised her
bottom towards Gage’s palm, instinctively seeking more. She craved more, needed
the release this was providing her from the constant anger. She opened her
mouth without thought and allowed the first of her cries to leave her. She let
go one after another until her body shook with the sobbing.

“Good girl. Let it all
out. This is what you needed, just this, just to be able to let it all go.”
Gage spoke as he continued the rhythm.

Amelia did just as he
said, crying softly now into his leg even as she began to feel his palm gentle
on her bottom until he was massaging. She wiggled, but a single slap stopped
her movement. She was too limp to move off him anyway. She relaxed into his
hold and floated, not feeling anything.
Content.

“You did so well. How
do you feel?” Gage asked her as if she could actually think or speak. She
honestly wasn’t certain she could do either in the moment.

“I-I don’t know. I feel
relieved.” She also felt exposed and vulnerable but chose not to mention that.
She wasn’t accustomed to any of these emotions and needed to consider them
before she talked about them.

“That’s what I was going
for. You
see,
a catharsis of sorts. I’d say I’ve
successfully spanked the anger right out of you.” Gage chuckled and the
infusion of his humor lightened the moment. Gage was still himself and she was
still Amelia. Nothing had changed and yet, maybe everything had.

“Perhaps we don’t need
to make a habit of this though,” Amelia suggested.

“Oh, I don’t know. I
believe I liked it. And,” Gage paused and ran his hand down along her thong
where it clung between her thighs. She knew he’d feel the wetness and closed
her eyes before he spoke again. “I believe you may have liked it more than
you’re saying.”

“Perhaps.”
Then she realized she was smiling. Oh Goddess, she groaned, what kind of freak
was she that this is what it took to make her feel this way? She couldn’t care
less though. She was happy.

All was silent then as
Gage held Amelia. Her tears had stopped but she felt limp with the exhaustion
of her release. She couldn’t remember a time when she was too tired to be
angry. This was what others called peace. In his arms, she was at peace. Amelia
couldn’t help but wonder how Gage had known.

“Because I’m your mate
and it’s determined that I will know what’s best for you.” Gage’s words shook
Amelia and she looked up in to his face with a question on her own. He grinned.
“I can hear your thoughts.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Be quiet again and
listen. Now that your emotions are calm, you should be able to sense me.”

Amelia still held doubt,
but also
hope
. She did as he said and laid her head
against him, finding comfort in his gentle strokes. Then she heard him inside
her own mind. He was speaking in their native tongue, murmuring endearments
that pinkened her cheeks.

Chapter Four

Amelia
entered the kitchen where Gage was obviously working already. He’d strewn
schematics, maps, and reports all over the large family dining table. Her
entire body tensed. It was barely light out and he was already working which
meant it was important. Important to a TEU agent was never good.

Gage
must’ve sensed her. He looked up from his laptop, aiming his gaze directly at
her and pulling a gasp from somewhere deep inside. His eyes turned from his
warm brown to blazing yellow. Amelia knew what that meant and her body reacted
instantly. He was her mate and he couldn’t hide his desire.

“You
weren’t there when I woke up.” Amelia wanted to kick herself that she said such
a dumb thing. She blushed and added, “I’m sorry. Clearly, you’re busy. I’ll
just go…”

Gage
cut her off by pulling her down onto his lap. “I didn’t want to wake you but I
couldn’t sleep.”

“What
are you working on?”

“The
schematics for your lab.
The plan is to allow whoever it is
skulking around to have access. Then once they’re in, we’ll grab them.”

“That
simple?”

Gage
shrugged.
“Usually not when it comes to Nassir.
It
doesn’t matter though. We’re taking them out and putting an end to this.”

“Can
I help?”

“No!”
Gage shouted, obviously surprising himself with his vehemence as much as he
surprised Amelia. “Sorry. No, we’ve got this.”

Gage
stood up and drew her hand into his. Amelia used her other hand to touch muscles
where they pulled along his shoulders and down back. The rippling of his
movement as he leaned forward towards her showed each defined groove of his
strength. She ached to be with him. She felt the urge to drink from him.