Retrieval (16 page)

He slowly pulled his finger from inside of her, and, just so she’d understand that it wasn’t ending with that, he licked his finger clean.

His own moan was tortured as her taste exploded in his mouth. She did taste of sweet, cinnamon apples. He’d never be able to stop craving that taste after tonight.

Her eyes closed. A tear leaked from them, and he was lost. She swallowed.

“Don’t leave.” It was a plea, pulled from deep inside of her.

“I won’t.” It was a promise, made from his soul.

He placed his hands on hers and stood up, so he could shift himself inside his jeans.

She leaned up on her elbows, and he moved back to his knees at the side of the bed. He gently pushed her back down as his hand moved to her waist.

“You’re so fucking beautiful. Lay back. Let me give you this.”

“What about you?” she asked in confusion.

“There’s time later. Let me have your fire, Skylar. Give me this piece of you.” It was a demand.

Her body softened, and his heart soared. She wouldn’t deny him. Her hips began to move, seeking something more than what he’d given her already, and he moved his hand over her faster, harder. He found her bud and used his middle finger to caress her into a frenzy of need. He slowed as it seemed she was close to coming and then sped up his strokes when she caught her breath.

*

He took his time, plunging slowly inside of her, building her arousal to a level that finally had her body moving in concert with his hand. She received the gift that was his touch, and each loving stroke of his fingers along her lips and inside of her channel made her weep with want.

Her hands sought purchase from him. She felt everything from the tautness of his skin, to the pull of his lips against her nipples. She heard his whispered encouragement, and she responded with her own breathy moans of thanks.

Her hand came to rest against the pulse at his throat, and she felt her heart beat in time with his. She’d connected to him in an elemental way as her body writhed beneath his expert ministrations. She felt everything he felt and knew the depth of his emotions as if they were her own. Her eyes widened as knowledge rushed at her. He was enjoying this as much as she was, and it was just from giving. Those emotions, so transcendent in that moment were what she gave back to him. She merged their desires and forced him to open up to receive what she was sending. Her eyes locked with his as his hand moved in and over her.

She felt a tug in the region of her heart and wondered if she would splinter from the pleasure. His tempo increased, and she moaned. The slow glide had become a running finish. He twisted his hand, pushing into her softly even as he moved against her clit.

She exploded into tiny fragments. Her mind shattered at the pleasure, and his rough roar of her name told her she wasn’t alone in it.

Her womb clenched as she floated on the ecstasy he’d given her. It was long minutes before either of them could breathe, let alone think about what had just happened.

All Sky wanted to do was settle in the glow and sleep. He seemed inclined to let her, and right before she drifted off she felt him ease his hand from her. He muttered an expletive that made her smile. Her flesh had been reluctant to let him go.

He didn’t say anything; he just took her hand and placed it over his hard shaft and groaned.

“Okay. Okay. Just let me—” she muttered, and then she was out like a light.

*

She didn’t hear him chuckle, and she didn’t feel him as he continued to stroke her body, up and down, all night while he thought about what had just happened between them.

She didn’t feel him get up in the early morning hours and cover her, tucking her in to the warm depression he’d just left with his body. She didn’t feel him kiss the faint mark on her side left by the bullet from yesterday’s wild car ride. She didn’t feel his hands clamp into fists as he struggled to control the anger surging like a rogue wave threatening to overtake him at the thought of anyone hurting her.

But he felt it. He’d felt every breath she took and every shuddering sigh she’d breathed all night long.

Before he left the room he also felt his heart crack into a thousand pieces at her feet, and he heard his own sigh as he prayed that she would pick them all up and put him back together again.

Chapter 11

Damn, I’m not a morning person.
That irascible thought was quickly followed by the amazing peace of utter completion that came after remembering what she’d done with Sebastian. Waking up like this every morning for the rest of her life wouldn’t be a hardship at all.

Wow. She was a changed woman. Face hot, she made her way half-naked to the bathroom. She’d just turned the hot water on in the shower when a knock sounded at her door.

“Hold on a second,” she called out as she grabbed a towel, just barely getting it around herself before the door opened, and a grim-faced Sebastian walked in.

“Or don’t,” she followed up. She tried to fight the panicky feeling that seeing him infused her with.

“What?” he asked with a confused look as he practically stomped over the bathroom entryway and stared at her. Hard.

“Never mind. So, um, is this supposed to be awkward? I’m not really used to morning afters you know, so … umm … yeah, well, there ya go,” Sky said miserably as she floundered in the face of all his sexiness.

She wasn’t ashamed of what had happened last night, but the way he was staring at her, like maybe she had a booger on her nose or something, was a little unnerving.

“You know, I see your lips moving, but all I’m getting is ‘wah-wah-wah-wah-wah.’ You know why that is, Sky? No? Well, let me tell you,” Sebastian said, his voice pitched deep as he moved into the tiny bathroom and pulled to within inches of her slight frame.

She tried to meet his gaze, but his hard, diamond-bright stare was like looking into a future she couldn’t comprehend; it was shiny with all the promises she’d never dared dream were for her. It was also difficult to meet his gaze when her heart was in her throat beating to the tune of a conga drum.

He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his. She took note that he lingered over the contours of her jaw and traced her cheek before he made a fist and lowered in to his side.

His jaw clenched, and he took a deep breath before answering his own question.

“I’m not hearing a word you’re saying because you’re standing in front of me wearing the tiniest damn towel I’ve ever seen, and all I can think about is getting it off, so I can bury myself inside of you.”

“Oh.” Relief made her legs weak and gave her courage to go after what she suddenly wanted more than her next breath: him.

Dropping the towel, she stepped up, and their bodies met fully, his clothed, hers completely bare. She lifted her hands and used his shoulders as leverage as she jumped up and straddled his hips. She was rewarded with that hot, scorching flare in his eyes moments before his hands cupped her ass, and he turned, walked from the bathroom into the bedroom and followed her down to the bed.

“So what’s the hold up?” she asked him cheekily as she grabbed his head while lifting her own so their lips could meet.

“I can’t think of anything anymore. I didn’t come in here to molest you, but damn woman. You can’t stand around half-naked in front of me and not expect me to want you.” He groaned as her tongue darted out to taste his lips.

“Well we’re even then. Because you don’t have to stand around even remotely naked for me to be hot for you,” she said huskily.

The man’s hands should be outlawed. He was having his wicked way with her, and she was powerless to stop it. She moved sinuously beneath him as she tried to align their bodies so all his hard places touched all her soft ones.

“You gonna make me beg?” she asked him as he took a nipple in his mouth.

“Never,” he promised her around the distended bud.

Pulling the pink, puckered flesh into mouth, he suckled her until she was panting in need, breathy pleas for satisfaction falling from her lips. Her nipples were tender from all the attention he’d given them last night, but the heat was there just the same.

He pulled up just enough to see her face. His mouth twisted. He closed his eyes even as he pressed himself against her and held there.

She noticed his reticence and smiled shyly.

“Hey, Bastian?” she asked him breathily when her pulse had slowed somewhat.

“Mmm?” He hadn’t moved from his position on top of her, though he was careful of his weight crushing her into the mattress.

“Thanks for not making me beg last night,” she said on a rough chuckle as she stroked his back and kneaded the muscles she found there.

“I live to serve, baby. I live to serve,” he said, using his tongue to stroke his own path along her neck and collarbone.

“And might I say, my good man, you do it well.” A lusty sigh escaped her lips as she chuckled again.

Another sigh, deeper this time, and she said, “I need you to move, Bastian. I was headed to the shower when you stopped me with your grubby, molesting paws, and I really need to get a shower, put on some clothes, hey—watch your hands, buddy! I need to finish my story from last night and give you as much information as I can. I also have things I need to handle for my sisters. Again with the hands, mister; we’ll be here all day. Where’s my dog?”

“First of all, I’ll move when I’m damn good and ready. Second, these ‘grubby, molesting paws’ as you call them brought you enormous pleasure last night if I’m not mistaken, and if you aren’t careful with the name calling, well, I’ll be forced to drastic measures. Besides you love these paws all over your body, it told me so. Third, unh unh unh, let me finish. Third, you smell wonderful. And fourth, your dog’s with Rover, giving him little barking encouragements when he finds something worthwhile in our quest to find your sisters.”

“You’re kidding me right? The only enormous thing in this room is your ego, Bastian. In fact if I hadn’t seen other parts of you up close and personal, I’d think that was largest thing about you,” she teased him.

He slid off her body making sure to rub all the right places as he left.

“But I didn’t show you the best and um, biggest, parts. That’s still to come. Damn it! You’re one hell of a distraction lady,” he muttered as he turned around and ran a hand over his hair.

“Whatever,” she said right back as she got off the bed and padded softly to the bathroom.

*

The woman played hell on his self-control. In fact, he was starting to worry that when it came to her, his self-control was a thing of the past. He’d spent the entire night beside her.
I listened to her breathe all fucking night. And I
liked
it.

He hadn’t come back in here this morning after his own shower to interrupt hers. But when he’d seen her standing there covered with what amounted to a hand towel, his dick had gone from semi-hard and unrelieved to starving for her wet heat in a split second. Her smell permeated the air; that apples-and-cinnamon-spice scent that always clutched him by the throat and refused to let go.

The way her eyes lit up when she looked at him reminded him of amber backlit by firelight, and he was completely unable to resist her pull. And it was way more than just physical. When he’d had his fingers buried inside of her all he could think or feel was that he was completed in her. And he didn’t think the danger to her was something he could walk around being unprepared for. He needed all his wits about him if he was going to make sure she and her sisters stayed safe.

She made him laugh. She made him want. Hell, she made him
need
, and that was a serious problem for Sebastian. He’d never wanted or needed anyone, and breaking the trend was pissing him off.

She was in serious trouble though. He’d come in here this morning to ask her some questions about her hideout in the southwest. Rover had picked up Smythe-Ward’s location via the tracker they’d implanted on his vehicle the other night, and the sick bastard was on the move—in a beeline path for New Mexico. The sisters were in far greater danger than Sky at the moment, and he needed to give Bleak and Morrissey as much information as he could to keep them safe.

Instead of letting himself get seriously derailed, he needed to tell her what he’d learned and get more information out of her.

“You’ve got five minutes,” he called out and paced as he waited for her to finish her toilet.

Sebastian couldn’t help the smile of contentment that broke over his face when his gaze touched on the mussed bed. She may not know it, but he’d marked her as his last night. Seeing the smile on his face in the bureau mirror, he quickly wiped his face clean and tried to put on his business persona. He needed info, and he needed it before he got down to the business of making her his in the way he really wanted to.

Four tortuous minutes later, after having to listen to the sounds of her shower and imagining his own hands doing to the washing, the door to the bathroom opened, and Sebastian caught his breath as a freshly scrubbed Sky walked out. Her skin glowed, and her beautiful, multihued hair shone brilliantly in the lights he’d turned on. He had to remind himself to stay seated and focused.

She seemed to notice his intent to keep this interlude all about business, because she pulled up a chair in front of his and tucked her legs underneath her before looking him square in the face.

It was like a sucker punch to the gut, her direct gaze out of eyes so burnished brown that it was like staring into a decanter of the finest scotch.

“So I guess it’s time for business, huh?” she asked him, her eyes everywhere but on his.

“Yeah, unfortunately it is. I just got word from Rover that Smythe-Ward is drawing closer to New Mexico, and I need as much information as you can give me as quickly as you can give it.” His voice was firm. It reflected the direness of the circumstances.

“Well then, since play time’s over, let’s talk shall we?” she asked him with resolve.

The feeling of a stone turning over in his gut returned.

“I spoke with my sisters while I was in the shower. I asked them to go completely off line with me, and they refused. Piper is insistent that she can lend help should the need arise, and I just can’t get it through her thick head that I don’t need help. Kinsey is pissed as hell that Morrissey is involved in this, and before you ask, that’s a story for a different time. They need to concentrate on Raina right now. They’re distracted by my weakened condition and the fact that you and your men are unknowns.”