The Guardian

by Donna Grant

  And Eden is?

  He couldn’t say for certain, nor would he even try. They weren’t in a relationship. But he wanted her. Damn, did he want her. It wasn’t just about desire and lust. It went deeper, to a place he didn’t want to look at, a part of himself he’d thought long dead.

  Eden chose that moment to inhale deeply and slowly release the breath as she snuggled against him. She threw one leg over his, pressing her body against his. Maks closed his eyes, the temptation too much to resist. His balls tightened as his cock hardened. Only her bra and panties separated them. He’d left them on because he hadn’t had the strength to remove them.

  It had been sheer torture to see her full breasts covered in red lace and the black cotton panties with the red lace at her waist. His hands had actually shook when he’d taken off her clothes to discover her underwear. Just thinking about it now made his mouth go dry.

  He lay there in exquisite torment with the woman he desired above all others draped over him as his body throbbed with a craving only she could quench. Maks didn’t dare move. He barely breathed. His control was holding on by only a thin thread and even that was unraveling by the second. There were hours left before dawn, and he wasn’t sure he could last that long.

  All the times he’d been tortured, all the training he’d undergone to withstand the cruelest types of punishment, and all it took to break him was Eden half-naked in his arms. The irony didn’t go unnoticed by him. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to know the hold she had on him. But that was little comfort at the moment.

  It was going to be a very, very long night. The fact that he was conflicted, torn between wanting it to hurry and end and never end, was almost laughable.

  Never in his life did he think a mere slip of a woman would be what felled him.

  23

  Eden was floating on a cloud of heat. Something firm was beneath her cheek, but she didn’t care. She never wanted to wake. She was finally warm again. Her fingers and toes no longer hurt, and the snow had stopped stinging her face as it fell.

  She just hoped that Maks found somewhere to get out of the weather.

  The moment that went through her head, her thoughts came to a halt. Maks. In that instant, she knew the firmness she was against, the heat that permeated every inch of her, was none other than Maks. She tried to think back to the last thing she remembered, but there was nothing but cold and snow. Obviously, he’d found her, but she couldn’t remember locating the cave.

  She opened her eyes and found herself looking at a cave wall doused in an orangish light. Behind her was the crackle and pop of a fire, and beneath her ear, the steady rhythm of his breathing. The fact that she was the most comfortable she’d been in her entire life certainly said something about using Maks as a pillow.

  That made her grin.

  “What are you smiling about?” he asked in a smooth voice.

  Her heart dropped to her feet. She’d thought he was asleep. “I was thinking that you make an excellent pillow.”

  “Good.” He drew in a deep breath and released it. “How do you feel?”

  “Warm. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever feel that way again.”

  She shifted her head to look up at him. She knew it was a mistake as soon as she did it, because she found herself staring into his bright blue eyes. Did he have any idea how gorgeous he was? She could get lost in those orbs, forget there was anyone other than the two of them in the entire world. They were in the middle of nowhere in Romania in a cave. Who would look for them here?

  It was foolish for her heart to even think of going down the bumpy, dangerous road of love. She’d been down it enough times to know that it rarely worked out. Her heart had been broken so many times, that she’d given up on ever finding someone to spend her life with. She’d made up her mind to be done with relationships, and yet…none of that mattered with Maks. Because he was different.

  She would gladly walk down that road with him, no matter how bumpy and dangerous it got. Which seemed odd since she hadn’t known him for that long. Then again, it felt as if she’d known him her entire life. How was that even possible? She was comfortable with him, and she’d never felt safer in her life.

  Even if she was running from the Saints.

  Eden blinked, realizing that they’d been staring at each other this entire time. She swallowed and looked away, unsure of what to say now that all of that had gone through her head.

  “Besides warm, how do you feel?” he asked.

  About to answer, she suddenly realized that her clothes were gone. She was under a blanket, her body intertwined with Maks’, and she was naked. Or almost naked at any rate. And she thought he might be fully naked. If this wasn’t a prime opportunity for her to get a look at the front of him, she didn’t know what was.

  “Eden?” There was concern in his eyes as his brow began to furrow.

  “I—” She started to answer, and then realized she hadn’t fully taken stock of her body since comprehending who she was pressed up against. She mentally took note of things, feeling for anything that hurt or didn’t seem right. Her fingers moved well, as did her toes. “I think I’m all right.”

  He glanced at the fire behind her. “I need to look at your fingers and toes again.”

  “For frostbite?” she murmured.

  Maks nodded once. “You should be okay, but I’d rather be safe.”

  “Do you want to check now?”

  “No.”

  The word was clipped, his tone harsh. Eden was taken aback by the brusqueness of it. She shifted her leg to move away from him when she felt his arousal against her thigh. Instantly, she stilled.

  Neither said a word as the silence stretched between them. Eden couldn’t decide if she should try to ignore it—which became a bigger issue the longer she didn’t move or say anything. Or if she should just play it off and laugh.

  There’s another option.

  She swallowed, thinking about reaching for his cock beneath the covers. She’d nearly died a few hours ago. Well, that might be a bit extreme, but she knew that the Saints were after them, which could mean death for her. Why shouldn’t she throw caution to the wind and give in to the desire within her? Maks was a stunning specimen, and he hadn’t once made a move on her. Some might think that was because he wasn’t interested.

  There could be an argument for that, but she didn’t think so. Not after the way he’d watched over her and taken care of her. Not after the stories they’d shared with each other about their families and lives. The more she thought about it, the more she began to suspect that Maks hadn’t done or said anything so she wouldn’t be put in an awkward situation.

  Eden drew in a breath and shifted her head to look at him. Bright blue eyes met hers, searching. She smiled at him and returned her leg to where it had been. Some of the tension left his body. Without a word to him, Eden reached between them and slid her hand along the hard length of his arousal.

  Her heart was pounding, her blood running like fire through her veins and pooling between her legs to throb with need. At her touch, he sucked in a mouthful of air, his body going taut. They never broke eye contact. She slowly wrapped her fingers around him, stroking up and down firmly.

  In the next instant, Maks had her on her back, his hands on either side of her head as he leaned over her. Her heart missed a beat at the sight of the blatant need that he allowed her to see. He must have hidden it before because there was no way she could’ve missed that. It made her knees weak and caused her entire body to shiver in excitement of what was to come.

  He slowly lowered himself atop her until their lips were breaths apart. She looked down at his lips as hers parted. Then his mouth was pressed against hers. The kiss was soft but insistent, gentle but firm. Indulgent but unwavering.

  The moment her arms wound around his neck, he released a moan. He settled between her legs, his cock pressed against her stomach as his tongue swept into her mouth. She ran her hands over the firm sinew of his shoulders, arms, and back
to his tight ass while her feet moved up and down his legs.

  She felt every movement of his body. He didn’t just kiss with his mouth but with every part of him. And could the man kiss! She was beginning to think there wasn’t anything Maks couldn’t do to perfection.

  Eden’s thoughts came to a halt when the kiss deepened. He rocked her to her very soul. He was fire and passion, hunger and fierceness. It awoke something primal, something elemental within her. All that mattered was having him against her, in her. She’d never craved anyone as much as she did Maks. When he finally lowered his full weight atop her, Eden groaned. It felt right that he was there, that they were together. As if Fate had chosen this moment for them.

  One of his hands tangled in her hair, holding her head in place as he plundered her lips again and again. She grasped his hips, needing to feel him against her. Then he ground his cock into her, and her sex throbbed in response.

  She shoved at his shoulder until he was on his back and then she straddled him. Eden sat up slowly, using her hands against his chest as his hands settled on her hips. Then she reached behind her and unclasped her bra. She tossed it aside, her gaze never leaving his.

  “Damn, woman,” he murmured. “You’re…stunning.”

  She smiled and started to lean down for another kiss, but his hands moved up her hips to her stomach and then cupped her breasts. Eden gasped, her eyes rolling back in her head as he teased her already aching nipples. His fingers knew just what to do to send her spiraling out of control straight toward an orgasm.

  Just as she was getting comfortable, Maks flipped her onto her back once again. This time, he removed her panties. His eyes were hungry as they followed his hands from her ankles up the outside of her legs and back down again. The next time his hands slid upward, he parted her legs, running his fingers inside her thighs to her sex.

  He laid on his stomach, his mouth so close she could feel his warm breath on her skin. His gaze lifted, briefly meeting hers before his tongue lightly swirled around her clit. Eden clenched the blanket beneath her as her eyes rolled back in her head. The need he’d fanned with his kisses and touch roared to life.

  He was thorough, tasting every part of her. He was soft, he was hard. He was relentless. Every lick of his tongue pushed her closer to climaxing. As if he knew, he doubled his efforts, gripping her hips with his big hands when she tried to get away from the pleasurable onslaught. Need spiraled within her, tightening with each heartbeat. She sought out the orgasm she knew would be amazing, but also wasn’t ready for the pleasure to be over. Everything felt so…right.

  With one flick of his tongue, Maks sent her tipping over the edge and into ecstasy like she’d never experienced before. The blissful waves wracked her body over and over. Time stopped. The world disappeared.

  Leaving only her, the pleasure, and…Maks.

  The climax went on for eternity. Or perhaps it only lasted a moment. When she finally came back to herself, she could barely remember her own name, much less anything else. All she knew was that she had felt something she hadn’t known existed. And she wanted it again. In fact, she wanted it for the rest of her life.

  It took Eden a moment to realize that Maks had moved. She opened her eyes and found him lying beside her, watching her with a curious expression on his face. Her lips curved into a smile when she met his gaze.

  “That was…wow,” she said in a hoarse voice.

  One side of his mouth tilted in a sexy grin. “It was certainly beautiful to watch.”

  Eden looked away, a little embarrassed. “Was it?”

  “It was.”

  She turned her head back to him, glancing down at his impressive cock. Her hands had felt him, but this was the first time she’d gotten to look at him. Eden turned onto her side and took in his thick length. Even after having such a mind-blowing orgasm, her body still hungered to have him inside her.

  “Why did you stop?” she asked.

  His stomach tightened, sending his many muscles moving and making her hands itch to run over his hard body. “I was too intent on watching you.”

  “You sure you just want to watch?”

  “Hell, no,” he replied with a grin.

  Eden reached for his arousal at the same time he rolled her onto her back. She spread her legs and guided him to her entrance. The moment the blunt head of his cock touched her, he thrust his hips. She moaned at the feel of him sliding inside her, stretching her. Filling her. She wrapped her arms around him and gave in to the flames of desire that had only been tamped down and were now roaring once again.

  He began an easy tempo that soon had them both gasping with pleasure. Sweat covered them both, allowing their bodies to glide against each other easily. Another orgasm began to build. She wrapped her legs around his waist, hooking her ankles together as he thrust deeper, harder. The feel of his muscles moving beneath her hands combined with their ragged breaths caused her senses to riot.

  Her eyes rolled back in her head as his hips moved faster, propelling them both towards pleasure. The thought barely went through her mind before a tremor ran through Maks, right before he pulled out of her, spilling his seed on her stomach.

  As his hips continued to thrust, she found herself having a second orgasm and wishing that she could’ve felt him inside her.

  24

  Nothing had ever felt so good.

  Or so damn right.

  Maks dimly realized that Eden had had another orgasm at the same time as he did. He wished he’d stayed inside her, and it was a miracle that he’d even remembered at the last second that he hadn’t been wearing a condom.

  He looked down to see Eden’s face filled with pleasure. The first time he’d seen it, she had taken his breath away. It had been something utterly beautiful to behold, and now, he was getting to see it again. Instead of taking away from his own pleasure, it added to it.

  A few moments later, she opened her eyes and smiled up at him. He returned the grin. Maks could’ve stayed like that for an eternity, but reality soon set in. He moved off her and used the edge of the blanket to clean his seed from her stomach. Then he reached for her, happy that she eagerly curled against him once more.

  He lightly ran his fingers up and down her back, thinking about how light he felt. As if all the weight he’d been carrying around for years had suddenly vanished. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this…free.

  “Thank you for pulling out,” she said into the silence.

  He turned and kissed her forehead. “Honestly, I barely remembered until the last minute. That’s how much I wanted you.”

  “Same,” she answered with a giggle. “At least one of us was in their right mind.”

  “I’ve never felt what I feel with you,” he confessed. “It’s amazing.”

  Her head shifted so she could look at him. “I’m afraid I have a confession.”

  His gut clenched. He’d opened up and said something he should’ve kept to himself. Was this when it all backfired on him? He really hoped not. Nothing he’d seen with Eden over the past few days alluded to that. “What’s that?”

  “I’m officially addicted to you. You’ll never be rid of me. We’ll have to have sex at least once a day. Maybe more.”

  Maks laughed and tightened his arm around her. “I definitely like the sound of that.”

  She was still smiling when she returned to her original position. “You really are something. If you couldn’t tell by how quickly and easily you brought me to orgasm initially, then the second one should have told you that I’ve not experienced anything like this.”

  Neither had he. There was so much he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure how. For so long, he’d kept his true thoughts to himself, making sure never to get too close to anyone because it could mean his death or theirs. And yet, he’d ignored his rules and done the exact opposite with Eden. He knew better than that. Both of their lives were at stake. It shouldn’t matter how much he craved her.

  But it did.

  “
You got quiet,” she said.

  He blew out a breath. “Just thinking.”

  “Okay.”

  Maks closed his eyes. This was when normal people gave a little insight into what was going through their minds. Or they’d lie, just to make sure their partner didn’t think the worst. What did he do? He didn’t say anything.

  And what was that accomplishing? Most likely putting all kinds of thoughts into Eden’s head. He heard it in her voice. She was worried that he regretted what they’d done, when that wasn’t it at all. He was worried about her and how he was going to get them out of this situation with the Saints.

  “I’m not used to talking or carrying on meaningful conversations with people,” he explained. “I’ve always said very little unless I needed information. I don’t…share…things.”

  “It’s all right. I understand.”

  “But it isn’t fine,” he insisted and opened his eyes to watch the firelight dancing on the ceiling of the cave. “We just shared our bodies and have been on the run from killers. You need more from me.”

  Eden propped herself up on her elbow and met his gaze. “I do, but I’m also cognizant of the fact that you’ve lived a very different life. You’re focused on keeping us alive, and you’ve done an excellent job so far. I don’t want you to change anything just because I want to talk.”

  “I appreciate all of that. However, I think I’m going to need to compromise. For both of us.”

  “Then I will, as well,” she stated.

  Maks smiled up at her. At every turn, she surprised him with her courage, wit, reasoning, and understanding. She tried to hide it, but he saw her terror. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she wanted to complain about it, but she hadn’t. Not once.