Captured Desire

by Tasha Winters

  “No,” she answered, her voice held a slight tremble declaring her trepidation.

  His quiet laugh rumbled from his chest. “Well, little one, it should. I don’t know if Finn told you, but we expect a lot from our woman. Obedience is a big one along with honesty, respect, commitment. We will give you as much honesty as you can handle, and will respect you as a person, but we will own you, body and soul.”

  “You will?” her voice betrayed her again with its high squeaky response.

  “Oh, yes. But you will own us as well.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’m going to kiss you now, Amara. Tell me if you don’t want that.”

  She couldn’t imagine how she could stop him. His essence of crisp, fresh linen and spicy exotic cologne assailed her senses along with the overpowering rush of his emotions. He desired her at a level that was almost a physical blow. She reached up on her tiptoes to meet his lips with hers. His warm, minty breath mixed with too many coffees flowed over her like warm honey. He shifted his lips against hers, barely touching.

  “Now, little one.”

  Ethan, in all his glorious presence, encompassed her, surrounded and invaded her very being. His kiss wasn’t gentle, like Finn, who tried to restrain his strength, Ethan released his emotions in an avalanche of want. He drew her to him, lifting her from the floor. She could do nothing but wrap her legs around his narrow waist and allow herself to be crushed to his hard body. He forced his tongue into her mouth, ravaging the recesses of her moistness. Groaning, she slid her hands into his hair, holding him to her, anchoring herself in the raging onslaught.

  Finally, she pulled away slightly to inhale. “Breathe,” she rasped.

  Ethan immediately pulled back and leaned his forehead on hers. “I’m not sure I can explain that intensity.”

  “Why would you?” She gasped. “I can feel you, all of you. It’s amazing. A whirlwind.”

  “Not frightening?”

  “No, exhilarating. But Ethan, this thing we all have between us. This overpowering need, it can’t get in the way of my stopping the birth selection program. I can’t let it.”

  “It won’t. We’ll make what adjustments are necessary to do what is right for you and all of us. It isn’t something you have to do alone. It’s something we will do and figure out together. Wilder is already on the committee, so we are in place there. Understood?”

  She was especially vulnerable, legs still wrapped around his middle. His urging was of agreement, not obedience, not submission, but wasn’t it the same thing in this case? Somehow, it wasn’t for him and therefore she accepted it as different. She understood that obedience and submission would be a demand, not a request for consent. It was the difference between telling someone to move now and asking them to please move.

  “I understand. But I better get down now,” she said as she waited for him to release her thighs and bottom.

  He grunted and released her. His calm demeanor descended once again and cloaked them in respectability. He straightened his suit jacket and put her hair to rights just as the door opened. Wilder led the cautious women into the wing. Amara’s sex was awash with slippery arousal and the color flowed hot into her face. She knew they couldn’t look at her and tell but knowing it herself was enough.

  A glance at Wilder showed him sporting a knowing smile. She dipped her head with the intention of leaving the wing to cover her embarrassment but one of the women called her and ran to hug her.

  “I didn’t know what happened to you. I’m so glad you’re here. I feel better knowing you’re with us.”

  Amara was slammed with the strength of the woman’s fear and relief. She had to help them settle in. She was overrun with the emotions being thrown at her and battling that with the newness of the implant, and the residual effects of Ethan, was difficult.

  Wilder seemed to understand she needed a moment to recover. “Women, all the rooms to your right, with the doors open, are bedrooms complete with individual bathrooms and intercoms to us and each other. There are four, one for each of you. The multipurpose room is at the far end of the wing and is quite large. The other rooms on the left are the first-aid room, a public bathroom, linen and supply closets and the therapy room. The door at the end of the hall next to the multipurpose room goes outside to the gardens. The other rooms are occupied, but those women are out on the property at the moment. There is a visitation room, but it is not accessible through this wing. You must go out to the front door and through a dedicated hallway. There is no access for safety reasons.”

  Finn spoke from behind and several women huddled. He had just presented to them and they were still apprehensive. Amara decided that was one of the first things she would work on, their comfort in their new environment starting with their acceptance of Finn. She walked up and stood close to him. If he was shocked, he didn’t show it.

  “Charlotte can hear you from here just like any other place on the property. You are not a prisoner, but Charlotte will alert us to your comings and goings—for your safety,” Finn said before doing a side hug and rubbing Amara’s arm. He turned and left the women’s wing.

  Wilder spoke again. “Find your rooms ladies, settle in. I will have your things brought in now. Please claim your property and make yourselves at home. I’ll be back in a couple of hours to answer any new questions and to redress wounds or begin vitamin regimens. The media tablets in the rooms are yours to use. They are numbered to the rooms in case there is confusion when in a common area. It happens more than you think.”

  As Amara stood in the hallway, Wilder hustled her out of the wing. “Did you have lunch?”

  “Late breakfast,” she answered. She wondered how Finn was doing. Ethan proved he could interpret thinking as well as she could. His assessment of situations was uncanny. “Don’t worry about Finn. He handles things like that pretty well. He wouldn’t handle it well if you were afraid, but you aren’t.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Good. I need to do some work. You should explore your new home on your own as well. See you later.” Ethan dropped a kiss on her head and patted her bottom as he left. Her sex clenched. It was intimate, and she loved it.

  “So, it’s you and me. I’m hungry. Even if you aren’t, come sit with me.” Wilder led her toward the kitchen. His mood was more serious than she was used to in their short acquaintance. A whole new worry creeped into her psyche.

  Chapter 11

  Wilder

  Wilder watched Amara sit nervously, and he curbed his smile. He knew he was confusing her with his serious demeanor, but she needed to know there was more than one side to Dr. Corsini. He was not just fun and games. Life was serious at times and he was equally intent when necessary.

  They had all been living together for several weeks and she was showing signs of being comfortable in her environment and with them. Confused, and yet with a wisdom that one so young could have only gotten through hard experience, she was different even when they met. Now, she was burrowing into his heart in a surprisingly rapid rate.

  Finn, who typically tried hard to stay away from those females who didn’t know him, had an immediate affinity with Amara as she had with him. It was as if they were all chosen for each other. Finn’s gruffness did not frighten her nor did his mountainous build cause her hesitation. Wilder had always hoped the woman they chose would have such an immediate attraction to his friend. Amara bonded with Finn first.

  Ethan was the enigma as he often was. He held his emotions and his thoughts inside. When he had first met the psychiatrist, Wilder thought that he was trained to be that way, but as he spent more time with Ethan socially, it was evident that his colleague was reserved naturally. Karen never got close enough to break through his final barrier to his core, and she was with them a year.

  Amara communicated on a level even Ethan couldn’t protect from: the heart. She could drill through his outer defenses that, through long years of practice, he held so well. Our girl waltzed straight to his heart as though sh
e knew the way. Being an empath, maybe she did. Regardless of the reason, she was filling a need that Ethan never admitted to wanting filled as desperately as the rest of them. Not until Amara came into their lives.

  Wilder himself, had been the eternal optimist, but he was also a realist. He’d begun to contemplate life without a forever mate because between his partners, whom he loved closer than brothers, his patients, whose situations were humanly difficult to deal with at times, and his Ambrose work kept him busy to say the least. He went in multiple directions on some days but never had the time to be bored. He was, however, disheartened at times.

  The Ambrose Society as an entity, was secret, but the results of their work could be seen by anyone. They manipulated the end of the Annihilation War before it truly did destroy everything. Ambrose helped to orchestrate the Universal Language and other things that allowed people to live safer. The recent war was nothing like the apocalypse was thought to do someday, but the war was intense. The devastation penetrated all people and touched, in some manner, all walks of life.

  Amara was an example of its far-reaching effects if they didn’t do something to control the outcome responsibly. He expected to use Amara’s knowledge, his profession, Finn’s research abilities, and Ethan’s understanding of human nature to reach their goal. Being on the steering committee of a project, he knew Ambrose would not go forward without a unanimous vote on each segment of the plan. He was counting on Dr. Massey, the chairman, giving in but he knew it would be a fight. The man seemed to have an ulterior motive, but Wilder couldn’t put his finger on it.

  Wilder’s lunch was assembled. He’d made enough to entice Amara to share it with him.

  “You need protein to heal.”

  He could give her protein supplements, but sharing a meal was more appealing. Sitting down next to her, he slid the larger plate loaded with four half sandwiches, vegetable sticks and orange slices. He put down two luncheon sized plates and pushed one in her direction.

  “Oh, but I don’t need to eat again.”

  “Need or want?” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “You should eat protein to help you heal faster. Roast beef and cheddar sandwich, good for you. I added spinach leaves, cress and sprouts.”

  “In a what?” The look on her face made him laugh. Her face took on a look of concentration. “Oh, right.”

  Odd response but he ignored it.

  “It’s good for you. Eat it.” Wilder set down a bottle of lemon lime flavored water he’d carbonated.

  “What is it?”

  “Flavored water, you know a healthy version of a soda.” Again, he watched her reaction to the information. She made a face and then it was as though she had seen something in her mind’s eye that clarified things.

  He waited and watched her closely as he convinced her to have half a sandwich, and some orange slices. “How is it?”

  “Surprisingly good. We don’t have this type of cheddar cheese, but we do have cheese. And even though my doctor tells me I am pretty much healed, I’m happy to eat it.”

  Wilder nodded in acceptance that she was almost completely healed, physically. “It’s extra sharp, an acquired taste so thin slices are best. Amara, we need to talk about a few things. First, I wanted to make sure you know I’ve been working on the foundation of a plan to increase the male children born but not at such a grand and overarching push that women find themselves as they did in your time. It’s going to take some careful work. The biggest hitch we have right now is the chairman. He is adamant that we make this a worldwide offering. I’m pushing for screened, selected, and vetted groups that we watch closely. They will be allowed only one male through assisted measures. They can go on and have as many natural selection children as they desire. It must be unanimous, and we are short a few votes. But we are getting closer to an agreement.”

  Amara sat obviously deep in thought. “What if I worked a demonstration program that took the existing initiative and extrapolated it to its conclusion to show the effects? I could also do it for the other alternatives, showing the outcomes. This would make sure that not only does the committee have a visual, but we will know that the projected outcome we are asking for is what we want. If we find we need adjustments, then we tweak it. I bet Charlotte and Finn could help.”

  “Excellent idea. Why don’t I give you all four of the proposals? Once you have your program written, we could run all of them through it.”

  “Yes, I like that idea. And I’ll have something that will materially help. I need that.”

  “Right, my next meeting is soon. When can you get it ready?”

  “I can write it in a few days but running it on a practice scenario will take time. Since there will be bugs that I have to eliminate, probably another few days. It might take a total of the rest of this week and weekend.”

  “Wow, that’s incredibly fast.”

  “Because I know more about the codes than people in your time do.”

  “Okay, you do what you can. Accuracy is the important piece here, so we can sacrifice some time to get this done right.”

  “Good. I’ll get going on it right now.”

  “No, wait. Before you get knee-deep in codes, I need to discuss something else with you.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you remember that we all discussed what you could do on the first video conference together? What you could do without talking to us about it first?”

  “You mean, like immunizations and things?”

  “Yes, and we agreed no major alterations to your body or the like unless we all agree. No piercings, tattoos, mutilations, and the like.”

  “Yes.”

  His manner appeared nonchalant, almost blasé, but she was an empath, and he was sure she was feeling the changes inside him.

  “And that there are consequences for disobedience?”

  Now she was showing signs of nervousness. “Of course,” she answered slowly. Her attempt to mimic his offhanded manner did not hit the mark. She licked her lips.

  “And you followed our instructions, right?”

  Now she was silent. He knew she had no doubt that he at least suspected something.

  “And if you hadn’t followed our rules, you will be punished but if you confess now, it will be much easier than if we have to find out.”

  Her breath hitched. “I just wanted to know what you know, so I didn’t slip up anywhere. It would help me work with the women.”

  “You had the implant.”

  She nodded, head down for a split second before she raised it high. She spoke defiantly. “I’m an adult and as such, I have the right to make my own choices. Besides, it is strengthening my empathic abilities.”

  Wilder nodded. “Indeed, you do have the right to make your own decisions. The real issue we are talking about here isn’t that you got the implant, because if we had all discussed it, I’m sure we would have agreed. The crux of it is that the four of us agreed on a course of action, namely, group consent. We agreed to try a relationship together and that part of building a strong bond was communication.”

  He watched the tears slide down her cheeks. “Did Maya agree with you?”

  “Well, not in the way you think. She agreed it would be a good thing but not that I do it without telling you. She said I should let you know.”

  “Because she knew of our agreement.”

  “No, I didn’t tell her about that. Sterling wouldn’t have put it in if he had known we hadn’t discussed it.”

  “So, despite your agreement, and the advice you were given, you still chose to do it.” Silence again. “You will have to tell Finn and Ethan tonight.”

  “Can’t you tell them?”

  Wilder shook his head. “Sorry, that is all your gig.”

  “My what? Oh, got it. See, you talk strange and I wouldn’t have understood. I needed the implant to make me successful here in your time.”

  “Amara, honey, it isn’t the implant, it is the sneaking. Don’t you know that we are drawn to
you on so many levels, our brains and other parts,” he grinned, “are hyperalert around you?”

  “Mine too, but I have so many things going on inside, I have to gain control and focus on the reason I’m here.”

  “See, I understand it this way. You are here because of providence, circumstance, time, and the space continuum. You are with us because we were meant for each other. All of us. You have a project, if you will, that must be completed for you to continue on with your life, here, with us. We can and will help but there needs to be a game plan. We’ll discuss that tonight, after you confess.”

  “But I’m an adult, what do you propose to do, ground me?”

  “Ah, yes, that has worked well in the past. Thank you for reminding me women like their freedom to go where they want. We’ll decide your penalty together just as you should have let us weigh in on the implant.”

  Amara pushed the rest of the half sandwich aside. “Finish it.” Wilder was not playing around.

  “I’m full.”

  He shook his head and reached over to finish his own sandwich. He might have been a doctor, but he worked out hard every day to maintain his stamina and his not inconsequential muscle mass.

  “Don’t start going against us for effect, my love, because I assure you, it will not have the outcome you’re hoping for. Not at all.” He finished the last bite and then spoke as he picked up the plates. “I know that I try to be upbeat because these women I work with need that, but you need to understand that I care about you. When I care about someone, that means I take a deeper interest in everything they do. I try hard to do all I can to make their life better. I play harder, sleep lighter, watch for signs of distress and needs that I can alleviate. And I exact payment when the one I care about does things she knows she shouldn’t. I’m on my way to claiming you not just for the short term but for the long distance.”