Hunting Medusa: The Medusa Trilogy, Book 1 (20 page)

Andi sat, feeling her knees wobble a little. Kallan squeezed her fingers gently, as if he knew. She smiled up at him, shakily.

His own smile was gentle, understanding shining in his green eyes. Along with other things. Desire. Promise.

“How long are you visiting with us, then?”

Andi jumped slightly, blushing.

Kallan sat. “Here or in this beautiful country?”

Gert’s smile was knowing. “Both.”

“We’re taking our first vacation,” he offered, putting their joined hands on his thigh and stroking his thumb along the back of Andi’s. “We were thinking of a night or two here, if we could, before we make our way up the coast.”

“You’ll have been on the overnight flight, then, won’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Tired, too. Should I call you to wake you before supper?”

“That would be great.” He shot a heated glance at Andi, who sucked in a quick breath.

She tuned out the rest of the conversation, unable to focus now. She accepted the cup of hot tea from Gert and sipped at it cautiously. It was delicious, but not as delicious as the feel of his hard muscles beneath her hand. She drank, though, to keep from saying anything she shouldn’t. It occurred to her that it might be difficult to remember to lie.

She hadn’t thought of that when they started this flight from Kallan’s cousin.

Just about the time she’d emptied her cup, Kallan was pulling her to her feet. “I’ll get our bags, sweetheart,” he murmured, “if you want to head to the room.”

She met his gaze. The walk on the shore could definitely wait. “All right.” She stretched up on tiptoe to brush his mouth with hers, feeling a surge of satisfaction when his eyes darkened rapidly with need. He released her hand slowly, then hurried outside.

“So Laura, what do you want to see most?” Gert went back to the counter with the papers she’d had Kallan fill out.

“I’m not sure. I told him I want to see everything.” She smiled self-consciously.

The old woman smiled again. “I like that idea myself. I don’t think I’ve seen it all yet, and I’ve lived here my whole life.” She pulled a key from a hook behind her. “There you are, dear. All the way at the end of the long hallway there, on the left.”

“Thank you.” Andi took the key. “Can I help with the tray?”

Gert waved her off. “You’re nearly asleep on your feet. I’ll get it. You get some sleep so you can properly appreciate all this beauty around you.”

Slowly, Andi walked back down the hallway until she reached the end. The door was glossy, dark wood, and she touched it lightly before putting the key into the lock. It took a little effort to get it to turn, and then she swung the door open onto a big, bright room dominated by an enormous bed.

She blushed.

“Hey.” Kallan’s greeting was soft, but still made her jump. “Nice.”

She stepped aside so he could carry in their suitcase and backpacks.

He dropped them in front of the open closet and pushed the room door shut, then latched it and fastened the chain. “Now, let’s see.” He turned back to her, his eyes bright with intent.

Andi stood on the spot, part of her wanting to run from the overwhelming need rushing through her, and the other part wanting to let him have his way with her.

She’d been reading too many of the older, early romance novels, if she was having thoughts like that, she mused, hearing her pulse pound in her ears. No one said things like “have his way with her”.

But she thought she might like it if he did.

“Are you tired?”

She thought about it. “Yes. And no.”

His lips curved slightly. “Really?”

“Thank you.” Before her brain was useless, she needed to remind herself of one more thing.

He tilted his head. “For what?”

“For reminding me who I am here.”

His expression cleared. “It would have been really hard to explain to that lovely old lady why the name on your passport doesn’t match the name you gave her.” He smiled, squaring his shoulders. “Did you want to take that walk on the shore now?”

She shook her head. “No. Let’s go to bed.” Her tone was husky, even to her own ears, and his eyes darkened in response.

“So you are tired, after all.” He tugged his shirt free of his jeans, whipped it over his head and took a step toward her.

Her gaze slid down over his chest, lingering, then back up to his face. “Not exactly.” She yanked off her own shirt, gratified to see his stunned expression when the garment went flying across the room. She took a step toward him then, and it was his turn to swallow, hard.

She put her hands on his chest, skimmed lightly over the muscles there, before detouring to his sides, then up to his shoulders.

“Andrea.”

She smiled. “Yes, Kallan?”

His throat worked, and she heard his breath catch when she rubbed her palms down over his hard little nipples. “What are you doing?”

“Touching.” She stretched up to drift a kiss on his parted lips, then dragged her open mouth along his stubbled jaw to his throat. Under her hands, his heart pounded faster. “Tasting.” She nipped at his shoulder next, then flicked her tongue over the same spot.

His breathing went ragged.

“Are you tired, Kallan?” She leaned closer to press her aching breasts against his chest, and stifled a sigh of relief.

He captured her waist and lifted her to him, his mouth demanding when it caught hers. Along her belly, she felt his arousal, hard and hot. Her own body echoed the latter, dampening her panties.

She slid one arm around his neck, tangling her fingers in his loose hair while the kiss went on and on.

“
Agaph
,” he rasped against her lips.

In reply, she wrapped her legs around his waist, making him groan when she rocked into him. “Tell me what that means,” she breathed.

“Love.” One of his hands slid down under her, holding her more securely. Temptingly close to where she wanted him to touch, but not near enough.

Andi nipped at his lower lip, which got his attention. He reared back just a little, so she could see the flush riding his cheekbones and how his green eyes looked like rich velvet. “Let’s go to bed,” she whispered. She punctuated that with a roll of her hips that rubbed her clit against his erection, teasing them both.

He apparently didn’t disagree, turning to carry her in that direction.

She didn’t want to release him when he eased her onto her back, but he muttered along her lips that they needed to lose their shoes. Reluctantly, she unwrapped her legs from around his waist, and he rewarded her by sliding his hand higher, pressing hard just where she most wanted it. She arched up into the caress, a rough sound escaping her with the pleasure coursing along her veins.

He made her forget.

He made her forget he’d brought danger to her home. Made her forget they were on the run so she could stay alive.

Mostly, he made her forget that their families were enemies and she shouldn’t want him. Should never have touched him except in battle.

And right now, she didn’t care about any of that. She just wanted him to keep doing what he was doing.

Kallan finally lifted his head reluctantly, releasing her mouth and dropping to his heels on the floor beside the bed, between her open legs. She didn’t move, her breath coming fast, lifting her breasts. Her lace and silk bra didn’t cover nearly as much as it revealed, which was good and bad for him.

Good because it was a hell of a view.

Bad because it made him even more desperate to get her naked, and he really wanted to slow down.

He took a quick breath, then another, and shifted his focus to the laces on her sneakers. His fingers were clumsy, shaking, and it took him several tries to get the first one undone. The second was easier, and he peeled away her socks next, smiling when she flinched as he hit a ticklish spot. He dropped back onto his ass and ripped his own sneakers off, ignoring the laces, then his socks.

Then he got to his feet, the wood floor cool under his toes, but that was no distraction from the lovely view before him. The pretty, useless scrap of bra revealed her tight, dark nipples, making his mouth water. Lower, her thighs were still parted, tempting him.

He gave in to the temptation, unbuttoning her jeans. “Lift up.” He unzipped them too, and when she lifted her hips, tugged them down, leaving her with only panties that matched the bra, the lacy front revealing crisp black curls and damp silk lower. He dropped to his knees again in front of her and leaned in, inhaling the spicy scent of her arousal.

“Kallan.” She touched the top of his head.

“Right here.” He pushed her thighs wider and licked the inside of one.

A soft puff of breath escaped her, and her belly quivered.

He smiled and slid his fingers higher, stroking her through the panties. “I haven’t got to do this yet,” he murmured. “Have to correct that.” He eased inside the silk to her wet folds, making her hips jerk toward him. “Mm, yes.” He nibbled along her inner thigh, closer. Closer.

Pressed his fingers into her liquid heat and heard her moan.

His cock ached unbearably inside his jeans.

Not yet.

He stroked her until she writhed on the bed, then he tugged the wet silk aside to put his mouth on her, and she cried out.

The release startled him, it rushed through her so quickly, almost before he was ready for it. Certainly before she was ready for it. Her pleas for more, for him to stop, for him to come inside her, made his pulse beat harder in his head—in his groin. But he still teased them both, tasting her desire with his tongue, sliding his fingers deep to stroke over a spot that made her shudder anew.

When she was on the verge of coming again, he took a final lick of her clit, then sat back on his heels. His gaze slid over her, from her wet, flushed sex up to her swollen breasts—the taut peaks he desperately wanted to taste still encased in silk and lace—to her face, pink with pleasure.

She was beautiful.

She was
his
.

He unfastened his jeans and shucked them as he rose so he could step out of them, freeing his erection.

Andrea opened her eyes, dark as night, and smiled up at him, her lower lip trembling.

“You’re not naked yet,” he said unnecessarily, tugging at her panties.

“Don’t rip them. We didn’t bring that many.” Her smile widened.

“You don’t need them.” Still, he didn’t tear them as his first instinct demanded, but eased them off her, then pushed her thighs wider. “Come.” He tugged her upright so he could undo the back clasp of her bra and slide it off her as well. Then he dropped her flat on her back again, making her laugh, and shifted her further onto the bed so he could crawl over her.

He stretched over her, stifling a groan at the feel of her wet sex so close to his cock, hyper-aware of the slide of her silky skin under him—thighs, belly, breasts soft along his muscles—until he’d pressed her into the mattress. “Are you ready for me?”

Her eyes lit with challenge. “Are you ready for me?” Her hands came up to his shoulders, gripping him tightly as her legs rose to wrap around his waist.

The move brought his erection lower, into full contact with her wet folds.

He took a shaky breath.

Her smile turned sly, and she shifted her hips so the tip of him slid into her.

He groaned. She felt so damned good, he needed to sink deep. But he wanted to tease her a little more, to show her how much she meant to him.

Andrea caught his face between her hands. “Come inside me, Kallan. Please.” Her playful smile was gone, replaced by something else. Something he couldn’t identify.

He eased a little deeper, feeling her inner muscles grip him tight before relaxing enough for him to slide further, until he was fully seated. His breath left him in a rush, and he felt her shudder around him.

He bent to kiss her lightly, and her eyes shut for a second before fluttering open. “I love you,
meli
.”

She smiled, and something sparked in her eyes before she closed them, arching beneath him. “You feel so good.” Her fingers slid back into his hair. “Kiss me.”

He obliged her, kissing her over and over, lightly and deeply, until they shared their breath, until he realized their hips were rocking together steadily, until he couldn’t stop the impending explosion of orgasm rushing to meet him. Meet them.

And when it broke, it left them both limp and gasping for breath.

Kallan recovered himself enough after a few minutes to roll to his side, keeping her tight in his arms. He was slick with sweat, and her head was damp too. Sliding his fingers along her nape, he realized her hair was already longer than it had been several days ago after she’d chopped it off.

Andrea kissed his shoulder, still panting for breath. “Wow.”

He smiled at the wall on the other side of the bed, distinctly pleased with himself.

She eased back far enough to look up into his face, and she shook her head.

“What?” He slid his other hand down along her spine, feeling goosebumps dance over her skin.