Dusk Til Dawn (13 page)

She turned to him, cursing loudly as she stared at him. “Holy shit! What the hell happened to your neck?”

He waved her off, wanting to stand, but too tired to do more than fall onto his ass. “It’s nothing. That damn ghost grabbed me from behind while I was leaning against the bars. I guess I was just beyond the salt or something. Maybe in that spot where there’s a gap to pass food through. Hell, at this point, I don’t even know.” He nodded at the bars. “What the hell did you hit it with?”

“Silver shavings. I found a couple vials of them in Avery’s bag. I thought that maybe it’d have more of an effect on our creepy friend than just more salt or holy water.”

“Looks like it worked. For now.” He tried to get his feet under him, but only succeeded in landing on his ass again when the world spun sideways.

Annie huffed and grabbed his shoulder. “Just stay put. I’ll fix that line of salt and get the first-aid kit. You’ve got what looks like burn marks on your skin. They need to be cleaned.”

“Annie, that’s not necessary. Really.”

“Would you stop being so damn stubborn for one minute! Have you taken a look around this place? Infection is the least of your worries if we don’t bandage that raw skin. Now just sit still and let me do something I’m actually trained for.”

Dylan sighed. “Fine.”

He muttered some thanks when she placed the bag behind his back, giving him something to lean against as she took the salt and ran a thick line along the bars where he’d been attacked. Then she disappeared behind him, only to kneel at his side, his medical kit tight to her chest. She gave him a look that dared him to challenge her as she opened it, placing a few supplies on the lid. She didn’t speak, just dabbed at his skin with some of the water, her mouth pulled tight, her brow slightly furrowed.

He resisted the chuckle bubbling in his chest. Weren’t they a pair? “I thought you said you weren’t this kind of doctor?”

She shrugged, spreading some sort of cream across his skin. “I’m not, but with the nature of my job, I took extra training on the side, just in case. And this way, if I ever decide dealing with people’s minds is too much, I can fall back on being a paramedic.”

“You trained as a paramedic in your spare time? Shit, honey, is there anything you can’t do?”

She chuckled this time, unwrapping some bandages. “Trust me. I have more than my fair share of shortcomings.” She laid the gauze across his neck. “So why didn’t you throw more of the salt at it?”

“Didn’t want to risk breaking the line and giving it a path inside.”

“So you opted for letting it burn you?”

“Letting it get to you wasn’t an option. Period.”

Her hands faltered slightly, and her gaze drifted over to his before she snapped it back to his neck, mumbling something under her breath. He sighed inwardly. They’d just spent the better part of an hour naked together. Surely, they could get past one argument, even if it had touched far too close to the truth for his liking.

That’s when it hit him. When he realized he’d never had an argument with a lover before, probably because he hadn’t hung around long enough to piss the girl off. Or maybe because he just hadn’t felt anything at all.

He mulled the thought over, trying to find another explanation only to come up empty. He gave her a quick glance, noting the dark circles under her eyes and the way her hair hung in tousled strands around her face. She was more than beautiful, and he couldn’t deny the heat that flared in his chest. Hell, he’d just discovered ghosts were real. How far of a stretch was it to believe in love at first sight?

A chuckle broke free.

She gave him a sideways look. “Care to share what you think’s so funny?”

“You. You’re an enigma.”

“You’re not exactly a crystal ball, sweetie.”

“You don’t seem to have too much trouble puzzling me out.”

She just shrugged, her fingers trembling against him again. He waited until she’d finished and knelt down to package the supplies before gently taking her hands in his. Her breath caught in an audible rasp as she finally met his gaze. He could tell she was wary by the way her lips pursed together as her breathing quickened.

“We need to talk.”

Some of the uneasiness lifted from her eyes, replaced with the devious sparkle he’d admired from the start. “That didn’t go over so well last time.”

“Only because you have an incredibly annoying habit of being right.” He silenced her with a finger across her lips, wishing he could use his mouth instead. “Four months.”

She pulled back slightly, the furrow deepening. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

His mouth quirked at the edges. This was it. The point of no return. “That’s how long we were held, though it felt like an eternity.” He looked down. “They tried beating us for information at first, but when that didn’t work, they tossed us in some prison and pretended we didn’t exist. I think they were trying to vie for an exchange. Get the government to make some concessions in order to get us released. Days just melded together until it started again…the questions, the beatings. Then they just changed tactics one day. Started cutting me, reasoning Colin would give in if it was my life on the line instead of his. Funny thing is, I think he would have, but during this really bad episode, a bunch of flashbangs went off and Colin managed to overtake the two guards. I was bleeding pretty bad, barely conscious. I don’t even remember him carrying me out, just woke up a few days later in a hospital in Europe. That’s when they told me he’d been killed during the escape.”

He raised his gaze to hers. “He had a wife. People who depended on him. I was just some spoiled rich kid who didn’t deserve that kind of loyalty. I guess I thought I had to prove myself worthy, but you were right. Nothing ever made me feel good enough.” He reached up, palming her jaw. “Until you.”

Tears gathered in her eyes, making them look glassy in the flickering light as she smiled, leaning in to rest her forehead on his. She didn’t talk, just stayed there, her breath mixing with his, her hands cupping his face. He closed his eyes, the moment more intimate than the time they’d spent naked, as the empty feeling inside him eased.

When he finally dared to look, she was staring at him, eyes wide, those pouty lips turned up into a sexy smile. She moved forward and brushed her lips over his, her touch so soft his chest constricted around the heart he’d thought he’d lost.

He slid his hand back, tangling his fingers through her hair, holding her face inches away from his. He breathed deep, drinking in the sweet scent of her skin and the warm essence that ensured him his actions were welcomed. He waited two agonizing heartbeats before closing the scant distance and taking her mouth. Her tongue parried with his as he deepened the kiss, expending some of the nervous tension clenching his muscles. He’d never felt so vulnerable, more than aware she held his soul in her hands.

Annie sighed when he finally pulled back, her hands still cupping his face. She gave him another stunning smile then stood, holding his gaze as she slipped off her shirt and dropped the sweats, letting both fall into a heap at her feet. She stepped out of them, gloriously naked as she held out her hand, motioning him to join her.

He pushed to his feet, swaying slightly though he suspected it had nothing to do with the after-effects from the ghost. His heart thrashed beneath his chest, and he knew, once he’d loved her, he’d never be the same. Never look at life with the same gray filter.

Annie’s fingers wove through his as she led him back to the blanket. He stopped in front of it, allowing her to unzip his jeans and push them over his hips. The dull thud of them hitting the floor sounded loud in the quiet room as he stepped clear of his pants, following her down on the blanket. Her hands rose to his shoulders, grounding him as her thighs cradled his. His cock brushed over her mound, the soft silky glide of her arousal coating his skin. She tilted her hips, lining his shaft up with her sex as the crown inched inside her. A breathless moan passed her lips as she pressed her head back, exposing the sleek line of her neck. He lowered his body, licking her skin as he slowly thrust his hips, easing his shaft through her grasping channel, feeling every inch of her sex give as his body joined with hers. Another throaty whisper broke from her chest, the raw sound fueling his need.

He pushed harder, finally hilting himself inside her. Rippling contractions assaulted his cock as he paused, savoring the feel of her wrapped around him. Her fingers traced over his shoulders, squeezing his muscles as she worked down his back. She grazed a line across his scars, but for the first time, he didn’t feel the crushing emptiness that followed. The nagging guilt that tightened his chest when he caught his reflection in the mirror.

“God. Annie.”

She lifted her head, nipping at his earlobe, whispering his name as she clenched around him.

He drew his cock back, her channel quivering at his retreat. He exhaled a harsh breath then slid forward again, groaning as her body accepted him. “So good. It’s like you were made just for me.”

She answered him with another clench of her muscles as her nails bit into his skin, adding another layer of sensation. He dropped his head, remembering how he wanted to savor the moment. Make it last a lifetime. But she was too hot, too wet. Too damn right.

He licked her neck again, murmuring his intentions as he settled his hands under her shoulders, determined to touch every inch of her skin as he claimed her. She pulled him closer, pressing her head into his shoulder as he increased his thrusts, plunging deep then shifting back, leaving only the tip inside her. She matched his motion, using her legs to meet each stroke. He kept moving, taking her to the edge before stopping, gritting his teeth against the flaring heat scorching a path down his spine.

She groaned in desperation, biting at his muscle when he dropped one shoulder and rolled onto his back. Her hands fell to his chest as she straddled him, his cock pulsing inside her. He slid his fingers to her waist, cupping each side as he watched her steady herself. The new position pushed him deeper, and he had to stave off the release tingling at the base of his cock. He couldn’t come. Not yet. Not until she knew how much he cared. Not until he’d driven every lingering doubt from her mind.

Annie gazed down at him, her breasts swaying as she eased her hips up, slowly dragging his shaft through her slick folds. She hovered above him, circling her hips, before sinking back down, driving him deep again.

“You feel so good. Damn, you’re large. I’m surprised you even fit inside me.” She repeated the motion, raising up then easing back down. “I could do this for hours.”

“I love the sentiment, honey, but I’m afraid I’m too far gone. I wanted this to last, but you’re just too damn sexy. So I suggest you find a rhythm, or I’ll find one for us.”

The smile she flashed him was pure sin. “Is that a promise?”

“Naughty girl. You’ll get a spanking for that.”

Her eyes glazed over, and he lost it.

Dylan raised his hips, holding her tight as he eased out then slammed back in, loving her raw cry as his balls slapped her ass. He did it again, faster than before, only pausing a moment between thrusts. All thoughts of prolonging the act vanished as his body surged toward a climax, the sheer beauty of her pushing him over. He released her hip, finding her clit with his thumb as his orgasm pulsed down his cock, the muscles in his stomach clenching in an effort to hold it at bay. He flicked the tiny nub and was rewarded with her harsh cry as her body spasmed around him. Her head lolled back as her release washed over her, flushing her skin a deep pink as her nipples hardened into tight peaks. Endless contractions rippled along his shaft, stealing the last of his resolve. He pumped once, groaning as his cock jerked inside her, spilling his seed into her channel. She trembled, another wave coursing through her, drawing two more spurts before she collapsed on top of him, her body limp.

Darkness edged his vision as he slowly caught his breath, wrapping his arms around her back, feeling her shuddering breath coast over his damp skin. He smiled, content for the first time in years as he drew his fingers along her back, making patterns along her flesh. Her weight settled on him, and he knew she was already drifting toward sleep.

“It’s okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. Promise.”

Her mouth twitched against his shoulder, and she moved her head just enough to stare up at him. She nodded, kissing his chest before closing her eyes. He swore she was sleeping before he could do more than give her a squeeze.

Dylan stared at the ceiling, the constant thrum of her heart playing in his head. She’d been right earlier. Now that he’d found his one thing, he knew he’d go to Hell and back to keep her safe. And no damn ghost was going to take her away, even if it meant he had to show the bastard the way.

* * * *

Annie hummed, prying her eyelids apart as she drew a deep breath, smiling at the spicy scent of Dylan’s skin. She didn’t remember falling asleep, her strength literally fucked out of her. She’d been lying on his chest, listening to the steady strum of his heart then had simply faded. But at some point in the night, he’d shuffled her to his side, wrapping one arm around her shoulders as the other held her hand. He’d taken the time to toss the other half of the blanket over them, the warm feel of the cotton soft against her skin.

She glanced up at him, admiring the strong angles of his face and the way his long lashes rested against his skin. He looked happy, and her heart quickened at the thought that she’d played a part in that.