Forsaken (The Found Book 2) (16 page)

They shared stories, and she explained how she just finished her master’s degree in archeology, and was planning on pursuing her doctorate. When he expressed his surprise about how young she was, she became uncomfortable. She finally admitted she graduated from high school early, and completed her undergraduate degree in three years.

“So I’m on a date with a genius?”

“Nothing like that. More like you’re on a date with a very driven woman. I’m warning you now, I’m not much fun.” He could see she meant it, and he took her hand.

“Let me be the judge. So far I find you fascinating and I’m enjoying myself immensely.”

“What about you? I can’t imagine your job with the DEA being so flexible they let you take five months off to pursue continuing education.” Now it was his turn to feel uncomfortable, and somehow she knew it too.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.”

“No, it’s okay. I was injured in the line of duty, so I had to take some time off. I always wanted to clock more time in these classes, and the bonus is I’m close to my family.”

“It must have been a bad injury.”

“It was.” She was assessing him but she read him correctly and changed the subject.

At eleven p.m. they were asked to leave. Seth didn’t offer to drive Annie to her apartment, instead he said he would walk her back.

“I trust you to drive me, after all you’re in law enforcement.”

“We’ll walk. It’s a pretty night. You’ll hand me your key, allow me to unlock your door. You’ll then let me go into your apartment and make sure it is safe. Then you’ll let me give you a good night kiss. If I do it right you’ll ask for another. Then you will go into your safe apartment, lock your door, and dream of me.”

****

Seth was waiting with donuts and coffee on her front porch the following morning. He’d had a restless night, plagued by dreams of Annie. She came out dressed for another day at the tire store, and she looked adorable.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Long enough for the coffee to get cold.” He handed her the white sack, and she peered inside.

“Come in, there is still some hot coffee in the kitchen, perfect to go with donuts. How’d you know custard was my favorite?” She was already taking a bite as she pulled out a plate and motioned to the coffee pot.

“Oh my God, this is wonderful.” There was a spot of custard on the side of her mouth, and he pulled her close, and licked it off. “Oh this is wonderful too,” she said as she pulled him closer. The coffee forgotten as they indulged themselves in the flavors of custard and each other. He finally broke off the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

“I dreamt of you Annie.”

“I had vivid dreams too, unlike any others. I didn’t want to wake up.” She looked at him through her lashes.

“What did you dream?”

“I’m not telling.” Seth laughed. He bent and started whispering his dreams in her ear, until she finally pushed him away. “Enough.”

“Sound familiar?” Seth saw her look of disbelief, and then she gave a shaky laugh.

“I think we both have overactive libidos, that’s what I think. Now do you want your coffee or not?”

“Annie?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Are there anymore donuts?” Just how alike had their dreams been he wondered.

Between his school schedule and her work schedules, he only saw her in the mornings. Every day he would tell himself not to show up the next day, it would be best to slow things down, but then he would dream of her. As dawn broke he would find himself on her doorstep with bagels or breakfast sandwiches.

On Saturday morning Annie flung open the door dressed in a sundress with her hair down and a bright smile on her face. “I made breakfast.”

“You don’t have time for a sit down breakfast.”

“I took today off.”

“Annie Newman, may I take you out to lunch, and then take you out to dinner?”

“Seth Natani, I would love that.” God, she looked wonderful. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “But first breakfast, I made enough for an army, or a hungry DEA agent.”

She grabbed his hand, and led him into her tiny dining room. “Now sit down while I bring in the food.”

He watched as she brought in everything like she was an experienced waitress, he raised an eyebrow. “Yep, I worked in a diner one summer.” She wasn’t kidding the plates she put in front of him were loaded with food.

“My God, are these real scones?”

“Yep, made from scratch, no package mix for my man.” His head jerked up as her hand clamped over her mouth.

“There’s no way I’m letting you take it back.” He pulled her towards him. “You’ve been my woman since our first cup of coffee.” He settled her down onto his lap.

Annie looked into his eyes, and he lost himself in the emerald depths. “Really?”

“Really. Now let’s get your energy up for a fun filled day.” He picked up a piece of pineapple and put it up against her lips, groaning as she wrapped her lips around the juicy piece of fruit and delicately took a bite. When she was done he licked her shiny lips. Then fed himself a chunk of pineapple delighting when she kissed him.

Breakfast was a long affair and left him breathless, especially as she squirmed in his lap. He saw both her embarrassment and excitement as she felt his erection against her delectable ass. He pressed upwards just a bit and she gasped.

“Uhmm. I need to tell you something.”

“Anything sweets. Do you want some more scone?”

He loved the deep kisses flavored with raspberry and cream. She pushed at his chest and looked at him, her eyes suddenly serious. “I’m not experienced.” Seth stopped reaching for the pastry, seeing her nervousness, and his stomach clenched in empathy.

“You’re a virgin?”

She hesitated and then nodded. “I didn’t mean to be, it just happened.”

He laughed. “Honey, it doesn’t just happen for women, you’re too beautiful not to have had plenty of opportunities.”

“Yes, well, none that,” her voice trailed off as she buried her face in his chest. He couldn’t hear her last words. Seth stroked her silken curls.

“Sweetheart, what did you say?”

She looked back up at him and whispered. “None of them were you.”

“What are you saying?”

“I really don’t want to go out to lunch, I would prefer to stay here today.”

“That’s an awfully big step, we have time.” Seth’s mouth was suddenly dry, and he clutched Annie closer to him, and felt a tremble in her slight body.

“I know what I want.”

“I’m not prepared. I didn’t bring anything to protect you.”

“I took care of that.” She started pressing a string of languid kisses along his neck, and his cock got impossibly harder. He needed to be sure she was with him. Seth smoothed his hand under the hem of her coral dress, relishing the silken skin of her legs. Annie parted her thighs in welcome, and he felt the heat and moisture of her satin panties. She jumped as he pushed aside the gusset and slowly swept his middle finger through her wet folds.

“Easy.” She felt like the warmed cream they just indulged in. What would she taste like?

He slid his finger up and down her slit relishing her trembling sighs and awkward movements as she tried to get closer. Finally she clamped her thighs shut capturing his hand.

“I need more.”

Seth pulled his hand out from between her legs and sucked his finger into his mouth, loving her transfixed expression. He picked her up and carried her the short way to the bedroom. When he stood her next to the bed she untied the halter at the back of her neck.

“Let me.” He wanted to undress her, touch all of her, and make her feel cherished. He brushed back her hair, caressed the nape of her neck as he undid the bow, and drew the fabric of her dress down, baring her breasts.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, as he traced the back of his fingers down the slope of her breast until he reached her puckered tip. She lifted up towards his touch.

Seth saw the slight tremor in his hand, and knew he needed to lie down with her in his arms. He moved his hands downwards, and slipped the dress over her hips, taking her panties with it. He took a brief moment to pull the covers back on the freshly made bed, then he lifted her once again and placed against the mint colored sheets.

“Uhm, the,” she waved her hand towards the nightstand. He smiled down at her.

“It’ll be awhile before we need the uhms.” Annie gave him a look of confusion.

“But?”

“Sweets, I intend to savor our time together. You said we had all day.” He brushed his thumb over the plump lip she was biting, drawing it out, and then swooped in for a kiss. He could taste her honey, and the flavor that was all Annie. His head swam with the heady mixture.

Slim hands pushed at his T-Shirt, trying to shove it up. He held her hands.

“Annie, wait.”

“It’s all right,” she soothed. It was odd he should be self-conscious, but he was. In slow, small increments she inched the T-Shirt over the angry bullet wound and surgical scars on his chest. Her kisses a balm as they grazed lightly over his abused skin.

Finally his shirt was off, and she gasped. “Annie?”

“You’re gorgeous!” She gripped his biceps, and ground her breasts against him, Seth grinned. “Now your jeans.”

“Oh no, we’re doing this on my schedule.”

She pulled harder on him, and he broke out in a sweat. He pulled her hands away, and spread them on either side, so he could finally taste the gentle swells of her breasts. “You’re the one who is gorgeous Annie.” He licked around the tip of one nipple reveling in her breathy moans, then he moved to the other side.

“Please, don’t make me wait.”

He heard the need, and tugged the swollen nub into his mouth, and flew even higher. Every new intimacy with Annie took him to somewhere he had never been. He laved the warm texture of her flesh. She arched into his caresses and spread her legs so she could cradle him, and he shuddered. This untried woman was going to drive him out of his mind.

He brought her hands down so they were parallel to her waist, and trailed kisses down her silken tummy. When he reached the soft curls protecting her sex, he let go of her hands, and gradually parted her thighs wider until the puffy lips of her pussy flowered open and he could clearly see his glistening pink welcome. “Beautiful, you’re just beautiful, Annie.” He saw her propped up on her elbows looking at him with fascinated eyes.

“Are you ready?”

“I think so.”

He touched, he tasted, and he took her to the stars.

He was trembling as hard as she was by the time he reached for the condoms. “Please hurry,” Annie begged as she trailed her hand over his bare ass. Hurrying was the last thing he intended to do. He tested her, and she was far too delicate to rush. He intended to ease into lovemaking. As if she knew his intention, when he turned she floated her hand over his sheathed erection and grasped him.

“I said hurry.”

“And I told you, we were working on my schedule.” He nuzzled her neck at the same time tickling her ribs. Annie shrieked with laughter. “My way, or no nookie for you.”

He swooped in and tweaked her nipple, and just like that her eyes got slumberous, and he found himself struggling for control.

“I need this, I’ve waited all my life to find you.”

“You’re mine. You’ve been mine since before we met.” Bit by bit he made his way into her snug sheath until he reached her body’s slight barrier. He knew he would hurt her, and he didn’t want to. Before he could push forward she arched upwards and he was enveloped in the heat that was Annie.

“Baby.”

“It’s all right.” She looked so blissful, he could only smile in return. “Now move.” He did, slowly at first, and after a few moments she caught the rhythm and they began climbing ever higher until they reached heaven.

Chapter Thirteen

“She hasn’t stopped screaming for the last hour and a half. I took her temperature and it is only one hundred degrees. I think she’s so hot because she’s worked herself up, not because of any real illness.”

Sarah looked at Nell as she squirmed in Shilah’s arms. She knew why the older woman called her to come and look at the baby, and it wasn’t because she was a pediatrician. It was because she was
found
and had healing abilities. It used to be she needed to have another
found
person to work with her in order to use her abilities but as the months passed, she learned to use them without another
found
person to amplify them.

“Can I hold her?”

“Please do.” Shilah looked at her with grateful black eyes.

Shilah had the little girl dressed in just a white T-Shirt, diaper and little white socks. The shirt was damp with perspiration. Sarah brought her to her chest and rocked her for long minutes, softly singing a lullaby her mother sang when she was sick as a child. But the shrieking never stopped.

“I don’t feel anything wrong with her. Let me get my medical bag.” She handed Nell back to Shilah and left the apartment, chastising herself for not bringing the bag in the first place. She’d been getting too cocky, relying on her
found
senses, and not her medical training. She’d worked in the ER, there was no excuse.