Up in Flames (7 page)

Her skin was soft and warm, and her hair smelled of jasmine. The clothes she’d been wearing were outfits he’d sent Beena to town to buy. The shampoo was Miya’s—some she’d left the last time she was here.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. With her so close to him, her naked body so sweetly curled against his own, he was so fucking screwed. He could feel himself getting hard, imagining her lying on her back and spreading her legs so he could sink deep inside her.

She was so damn pretty. He couldn’t stop staring at her or touching her as she slept with her head on his shoulder. She fit so perfectly against him. She was turned slightly so one of her breasts pressed against his chest, her nipple rubbing against him with every breath she took. Hayden gritted his teeth against the desire to cup one of those breasts. They were the perfect size and would fill his hand just right.

Taking a deep breath of his own, he reached up and grasped her wrist. He pulled her arm down and feathered his finger over the swirl design of the tattoo that covered her forearm.

It was such an unusual piece of artwork but at the same time so beautiful. Would she want to remove it? It marked her for who and what she was. A Mundi. An assassin.

She hadn’t mentioned it, but then she’d had it for so long, she probably didn’t even notice it anymore.

While sleeping, she drew in a long, shaky breath. Hayden hugged her to him. “Shhh. You’re safe, Cara,” he whispered.

She settled down, and he lifted her slightly, turning them so that they could lie on the bed facing each other. She curled her body close to his as he draped his arm over her side. With a sigh and a glance toward the ceiling for a little divine intervention that he would be able to control himself, he drifted off to sleep with her safely cocooned in his embrace.

* * * *

Cara woke slowly and squinted at the sunlight pouring through the curtains. She snuggled closer to Hayden’s warm body, dipping her head slightly beneath his shoulder so the sunlight didn’t hit her in the eyes.

She couldn’t believe he’d stayed with her the entire night.

She pulled her head back so she could see him better. His hair was down, cascading around his shoulders in soft white waves. She slid her fingers gently through the strands, enjoying the feel of it as it slid from her touch to fall back to his shoulder.

Moving from his hair, she placed her fingertips against one of his strong upper arms. His skin was warm, the muscles hard beneath her hand. She’d never touched a man like this, never lain in bed with a man like this.

She feathered her hand lower, letting the pads of her fingers stroke over one of his bulging pecs. She brushed the tip of her middle finger over one tan nipple but froze at his sudden intake of breath.

She glanced up and waited. Had she woken him? Would he be angry with her for touching him like this? His eyes remained closed, and his breathing returned to the slow cadence of sleep.

She’d done so many things in her life. Seen so many things. Intimacy wasn’t one of them. Curiosity was getting the better of her, though. Especially where Hayden was concerned.

All she could think about was how his body would feel on top of hers. Would her body feel as hot to him as it did to her? Thinking about him touching her made her feel as though flames licked at her flesh. Was this really normal? Was she supposed to burst into flames at the mere thought of a man?

She touched his lips with the pad of her finger. How would his lips feel against hers? What did he taste like?

She knew what he smelled like. His scent reminded her of a spring rain—clean and fresh with just a hint of spice. Could she kiss him without waking him up?

Leaning forward, she placed her lips against his. When he didn’t move, she touched her lips to his again. This time, his fingers tightened on her hip, his breathing changed just a little, and his lips parted beneath hers.

Cara mimicked his actions, matching him move for move. She wasn’t sure what to do. All she knew was she liked this very much. She liked the way it made her stomach tingle and her muscles quiver. She liked how his fingers tightened against her skin, digging into the muscles—the way his whiskers scratched at her cheeks.

She buried her hand in his hair at the base of his neck and instinctively pressed her lips a little tighter to his. A sexy rumble sounded in his throat just before Hayden pushed his tongue into her mouth. Cara gasped at the unusual sensation of his tongue touching hers. She jerked away just a bit, but Hayden followed. The way his lips moved against hers made her insides melt like butter.

Tentatively, she began to kiss him back, sliding her tongue along his until she heard him moan deep in his chest. He lifted up slightly, forcing her to her back. His body moved over hers. The weight of his chest against her breasts felt heavenly.

He feathered his palm over her hip, then down the outside of her thigh. Everywhere he touched, her flesh burned. She began to squirm, unable to keep still as his kiss became more demanding. Cara moaned and bent her knee, seeking his touch at her core. She ached so badly there. When he pushed his leg between hers and pressed his thigh into her mound, she groaned and wiggled, seeking firmer pressure.

Hayden gripped her ass, helping her to move in a slow, sensual rhythm that had her purring. His cock hardened against her thigh, and the very thought she could do that to him made her even more breathless.

Suddenly he froze. Cara panted as she stared into his confused gaze; then his eyes widened. His hand was still gripping her ass, his leg still pressed enticingly against her pussy. He was going to pull away. She could see it in his stunned expression, and she didn’t want him to. She didn’t want him to stop. What he was doing felt too good. Just as he started to move, she gripped his upper arms. “Don’t.”

“Cara—”

“Hayden, if you stop now, I’ll fall to pieces. I don’t know what’s going on or what this is I’m feeling, but please don’t stop.”

“That’s why I need to stop. I’m your doctor. I have no business doing this, no matter how much I want to.”

“Don’t.”

She lifted up and put her hand at the back of his neck. She slowly slanted her lips over his. She heard as well as felt his sharp intake of breath as she flicked her tongue over his bottom lip. He pushed her back and thrust his tongue into her mouth.

This kiss was different. It wasn’t gentle like when he was sleeping. It was hot and intense. Very aggressive. It made her whole body burst into flames, sending her entire world off its axis. Part of it scared her. All of it excited her. She couldn’t get enough.

He moved his thigh away from her pussy, and Cara whined in protest. She wanted that touch back. She needed it back.

“Shh,” he whispered against her lips.

He slid his hand between her legs and touched her gently. Cara moaned and jerked her hips toward his fingers, seeking even more. Hayden growled as he separated her labia. The sound he made sent Cara’s heart skipping wildly. When he slid his fingers through the cream that coated her, she almost screamed in a mixture of pleasure and frustration.

She knew why that moisture was there. She knew what it was for, and she’d never wanted anything so bad in her life.

Chapter Eight

“Hayden, please,” she groaned, desperate for him to ease this ache that had suddenly grown from mildly aggravating to overwhelming. She didn’t know what to do—what would make the ache go away—but she could feel her body building toward something.

“I’m not going to take you, Cara.”

“Hayden,” she growled.

She was so out of control, so desperately in need of something, anything to relieve this burning need that held her in its grip. How could he not take her? Why would he leave her like this? How was he so damn calm?

He pushed one finger inside her channel. She screamed and lifted her hips toward his touch. Hayden covered her mouth with his to still her cries, but it didn’t stop her. She just moaned, completely out of control. She couldn’t stop herself from moving and making noise now even if she tried.

He added a second finger, gently stroking her walls. She wanted him to go deeper, but he kept his thrusts shallow. Too shallow for Cara.

She put her hand over his and tried to force him to give her what she wanted.

“No, baby,” he cooed as he pushed her hand away. “Trust me.”

He returned his fingers to her pussy, and she screamed, “Oh, God.”

HAYDEN WAS ABOUT to lose his mind. She was so wet and so damn responsive. Her hips bucked against his hand, and it took everything he had not to tear her hymen. He wouldn’t do that to her, but God, he wanted to. She would be tight. Hell, just thinking about how good her walls would feel squeezing his cock had him growling.

He wanted her so bad right now his whole body hurt.

She lowered her hands from his shoulders and let them fall over her head. She dug her fingers into the pillow, squeezing it as she wiggled and bucked beneath him.

Damn, she was magnificent. She was wild and uninhibited. And loud. He smiled. Cara was definitely a screamer. He liked that. He enjoyed a woman who wasn’t afraid of her own sexuality. A woman who was aggressive and knew what she wanted, and Cara knew what she wanted. Sort of. She knew she wanted something, but he doubted she knew what.

He rubbed his thumb over her swollen clit, and she threw her head back, screaming loudly. As much as he wanted to watch her, he had to quiet her down before Beena came back up here.

He slanted his mouth over hers, swallowing her cries of passion and delight. When she finally erupted, there was no keeping her silent. She screamed his name and ground her hips against his hand.

Hayden couldn’t take his eyes off her as she rode the waves of her orgasm. Hayden drew her pleasure out as long as he could, but eventually her release subsided. Her body relaxed against the bed as she continued to breathe heavy and deep. He kept his hand on her pussy, gently stroking, soothing, easing her down.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Definitely,” Hayden agreed.

Even though he hadn’t come himself, it had still been incredible watching her. Without thinking, he brushed his mouth across hers. Cara gasped and kissed him back. When she tried to deepen it, he pulled away, shaking his head at her confused expression.

“I need to get in the shower, Cara, before I do something even more stupid.”

She frowned. “But—”

“Just rest here. I’ll be back shortly, and we’ll go to breakfast. Okay?”

Cara nodded, and Hayden quickly jumped from the bed to head to his own room.

CARA WATCHED HIM go, shocked at the sadness that suddenly filled her heart. She hadn’t wanted him to leave. She’d wanted him to stay and make her feel that incredible sensation again. She frowned as she realized he hadn’t felt what she had. Had he?

Sighing, she covered her face with her hands. This was nuts. The way he’d touched her had made her feel… She groaned and pushed her fingers through her hair, moving it from her face and forehead. He’d made her feel things she’d never felt in her entire life. Ever. Mundi didn’t feel passion and desire. It was forbidden to them, and now she understood why. All she wanted was to feel it again.

Would it be like this with any man? Or was it just him? She bit her lip and tried to imagine kissing Alex. She twisted her lips as the image did nothing for her. Hayden was who she wanted. But how did she get him to do that again?

* * * *

Alex walked back to his apartment, relieved his coming out as chancellor was finally over. Guess he would have to get used to introducing himself as Chancellor Dorn now, although that sounded a bit odd. Despite the fact that Nubel had talked to him about it for months prior to actually making him next in line, Alex never dreamed it would really happen. He believed Nubel would outlive all of them, not be executed by the Mundi. Who would’ve ever thought the Mundi would make a power grab of such magnitude?

Thank God Cara had gotten away. She was safe and sound with Hayden. Seeing her smile for the first time had been a shock. He never dreamed he would see a smile like that on her face. He also never imagined he would see adoration in her eyes. He wasn’t even sure she realized she adored Hayden, but Alex saw it. He also saw the desire that Hayden felt for Cara.

After everything she’d been through, after all the pain she’d suffered, she deserved to be happy.

Just down the hall from his apartment, his computer tablet beeped a warning. He stopped and glanced at the screen. A diagram of his apartment popped up with two blinking red dots—one in the living area, the other moving around his bedroom.

Son of a bitch.

He punched a link to the right of the screen, turning on the cameras hidden in the walls. The man in his living room was a Mundi. The light blue hair was a dead giveaway. Alex switched to the bedroom camera. A Mundi was there as well, digging through a file he’d left lying on the bed this morning.

He frowned, trying to decide the best way to handle this. There was only one reason they would be in his apartment: they were there to kill him. Or at least try to.

Light reflected off the Mundi’s blade. Their preferred weapon. The one in the bedroom had a blaster attached to his belt. If Alex could take out that one, he could get the blaster and hopefully get the other one as well—provided the other one didn’t have a blaster too. To pull this off, he would need the element of surprise.

Although Cara had trained him in fighting techniques, he lacked the strength necessary to actually take out a Mundi in hand to hand without some kind of leverage on his side.

He could call security to handle it, but they would just be slaughtered. The Mundi were that good. No, he needed to handle this himself.

He walked quickly down the small hallway that led to the freight entrances to the apartments. Just a few feet from his freight entrance was another secret entrance that led to his bedroom. Thank God he’d had Sidious Marcone install that new security system. He opened his secret entrance and slipped into the narrow hallway nestled inside the wall.

He studied his screen again, making sure the Mundi were still in their previous positions. Apparently they’d found the dummy system and disarmed it. That was pretty clever of Sidious to hide the main system within a dummy one.