by Karen Kelley
They would find each other somehow. Fate wouldn't be this cruel. She pushed off the bed and went to the window, looking out at the sun as it began to rise above the horizon, painting the sky a soft orange and blue.
Did Jade and Rena see the same sunrise? She had to believe they’d survived whatever happened to them, and someday they would be reunited.
She removed her gown and pulled on underclothes, then a pair of white shorts and a yellow and white striped T-shirt.
She slipped out of her room on her way to the bathroom. She listened but didn't hear any noise coming from Breaker’s room. She figured he was still asleep.
After she used the facilities and washed, she ran a brush through her hair and pulled it back with a tie. A couple of days ago, she’d tried a cup of coffee and quickly came to the conclusion that it must be an acquired taste. One that she didn't have, but she knew Breaker always woke early, so she started the coffee pot before going to the refrigerator and grabbing the orange juice.
When she was sitting at the table, she realized how quickly she was adapting to this new way of living. She didn't have to ask permission to go to the restroom. She just did. She didn't have to check a list anymore. She didn't have to eat or drink what Marco told her to eat or drink. She was learning to make decisions on her own, and she was becoming more independent with each day.
The door to Breaker’s bedroom suddenly opened. He stumbled out, but then came to a stop when he saw her sitting at the table. "You're up early," he said.
She usually didn't get up until after he was already moving around. Now she saw what she'd been missing. He only wore the bottoms to his pajamas. His chest was bare, and the man had serious six-pack abs and some very nice pecs.
She swallowed hard. "I started the coffee for you." She was amazed she’d gotten the words out.
There was that sideways grin again. Not good! His tousled hair fell to his forehead, all those muscles on display, and his pajamas riding low on his hips were sending her hormones into overdrive. She quickly looked away.
"Thanks," he said before disappearing inside the bathroom.
She took a quick drink of her orange juice, but it did nothing to cool her down. She'd never felt the fluttering in her stomach or the trembles all over her body until Breaker walked into her life.
She went to the sink and splashed cool water on her face, then patted it dry. She felt a little more in control when she sat back in her chair at the table.
The door to the bathroom opened again. "I'll just grab a shirt."
He turned, and she got a glimpse of the scars on his back. She sucked in air as she stared at the crisscrossed stripes. She'd seen stripes like this before when Marco had taken a whip to someone. He’d made her watch as a warning if she ever crossed him. He reminded her he could do the same to her. He made her watch a lot of his punishments.
The man had screamed and screamed, blood running down his back. Thankfully, the man had passed out not long after the whipping started. Marco soon lost pleasure in inflicting pain. It had taken her weeks to stop having nightmares about it, though.
Breaker turned back to her with a grimace. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you were up, so I didn't bother with a shirt. My back grosses people out. I'll make sure I grab a shirt from now on."
She came to her feet and walked over to him. She moved behind him until she was looking at his back. Her fingers traced one of the slash marks. She felt him shiver beneath her touch. She wasn't sure why she did it. She couldn't explain it. She knew nothing that she could ever say or do would take away the nightmare of what had been done to him. But she leaned forward and touched her lips to one of his scars.
He sucked in a breath and faced her, running his fingers down the side of her face. "Most women are turned off by my back. They’re disgusted by the scars."
She slowly shook her head. "They represent the pain that you suffered, but lived through. It tells of your strength, your courage. But they don't tell the whole story. They don’t say who you are. The marks on your back don't tell people about the kindness inside you or how you help other, less fortunate, people." She smiled softly. “Or how you collect strays and heal them.”
He lightly touched her shoulder. "I guess we all have our scars."
She looked down. But her scar was different. It told people that she belonged to Marco. It wasn't a badge of honor for her. It was a weight that Marco forced her to carry. As long as she had his brand on her, she would never truly be free.
He raised her chin until they were looking at each other again. "He never owned you."
That's what she kept trying to tell herself. As long as she had the scar, though, she was still reminded of what Marco had been telling her every day that she'd been with him.
Rather than try to explain what she felt, she reached up and caressed the side of Breaker’s face. She meant it as a gentle caress, but as soon as her fingers touched his face, a fire ignited inside her.
Their gazes collided. She saw the passion flare in his eyes. He grabbed her hand and held it close.
"Maybe it would be better if I got dressed," he said.
She shook her head. "Before the brand had even healed, Marco raped me. I'd never been with a man before. I cringed every time he touched me and I tried to block out what he was doing."
It took her a moment to regain her composure and continue. He waited patiently for her to say what she needed to say. Savannah was glad because if he’d said anything at all, she wouldn’t have been able to finish.
She raised her face again. "I've never made love with a man before, only a monster." Her eyes searched his. “Will you make love to me?”
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
She nodded, unable to say anything else. She knew what she was asking of him. What if he scorned her? She was used goods—poor white trash.
Except, instead of turning her away, he picked her up and carried her into his bedroom. Once there, he set her on her feet. He pulled the band from her hair and ran his fingers through it.
"You don't know how long I've dreamed of running my fingers through the silky strands of your hair." He studied her. "Are you sure?" he asked again.
"I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life."
He lowered his lips to hers, and she tasted the heat of his kiss. His tongue caressed hers, stroking so that the embers inside her began to glow. When the kiss ended, he reached down and caught the hem of her T-shirt. She raised her arms so that it would be easier for him to pull off. He tossed it to the side. Then his fingers brushed across the gentle mounds of her breasts.
She drew in a sharp breath. Her legs trembling so badly she wasn't sure that they would continue to hold her up. She reached in front of her, the palms of her hands landing on his chest. Her gaze jerked up to his. Had she offended Breaker when she’d touched him?
"Making love is all about sharing. It's not about one person taking whatever they want. It should be a give-and-take relationship. Whatever you do is okay with me.”
Heat crawled up her face, but she wasn't about to let this opportunity get away from her. She'd wanted to touch Breaker for a long time. She didn't think she knew how much until this very moment. She lightly caressed his chest, feeling the hard ridges and planes with wonder.
"I think I've wanted you from the moment I first saw you sitting in that diner," Breaker told her. “There’d been something about you that went beyond the fear I saw hidden in your eyes. Something that reached out toward me.” He drew in a deep breath, then expelled it. "I want this to be good for you, but if you keep touching me like this, I'm not sure how long I'll last."
She nibbled on her bottom lip with her teeth, and he groaned. Savannah wondered what she had done, but before she could question him, he reached behind her and unfastened her bra with one snap of his fingers. He slid one strap off her shoulder, then followed with the other, tossing the bra onto his desk.
"God, you're beautiful. So damned beautiful," he whispered. He brushed
his thumbs across the nipples and they peaked.
Any embarrassment she might've been feeling was swept away by his touch. The embers inside had gone far beyond glowing and had become a raging fire. She didn't know how long she could last. She never felt like this before.
He undid the button of her shorts, then tugged the zipper down, pushing her shorts and panties over her hips and down her legs. Then he picked her up and laid her gently on the bed.
He moved beside her, his head lowering to her breast and sucking one tight nipple into his mouth. She gasped, arching her back, silently begging for more. He fondled her other breast then trailed his hand down to lightly caress at the juncture of her legs.
She moaned.
He slowly slid one finger inside her, moving it in, then out, testing her readiness for him. He began to stroke her faster and faster over that perfect spot, making her body writhe with pleasure. She grabbed hold of his shoulders as her breathing became ragged, and the room exploded around her in a splash of vibrant colors. She shot to the stars, then slowly came back to earth, sinking to the bed with a whimper.
He kissed her on the lips, then slipped out of bed and reached in the bedside drawer. She watched through half-closed eyes as he pulled out a foil packet, ripping it open with his teeth.
He rolled the condom on and got back in bed with her. Neither one of them spoke as she opened her legs to invite him closer. He nudged his cock against her before sliding inside.
She gasped at his thickness. He didn't move, waiting for her to adjust to his size.
"More," she whispered.
He eased into her all the way, taking his time moving out, then coming back inside, stroking, letting her adjust to him.
She brought her legs up and wrapped them around his waist. He groaned and sank deeper. He began to move faster, thrusting in and out. Taking her to heights that she'd never been before. The heat started to build inside her once again. And this time when she saw stars, she saw stars with Breaker.
Chapter Sixteen
"Thank you," Savannah spoke softly as they lay in bed next to each other.
Breaker looked down into her face. Even as much as she'd been abused, there was still such an innocence about her. And now she was thanking him for making love to her. He chuckled.
She pulled the sheet closer to her breasts, and her bottom lip trembled. It just made him want to kiss her again. He figured he’d better explain himself first.
"I'm not laughing because we made love or about anything you did. I'm laughing because you thanked me when I should be the one thanking you. That was amazing.”
She relaxed, just the slightest of smiles curving her lips. "You enjoyed it, too?"
"Very much." She was like a delicate flower that had opened up for him. Yeah, he knew she wasn't a virgin. But it was like she said, no man had ever made love to her. Breaker liked knowing he was her first.
He kept his features relaxed even as a thread of anger wound through him. He would definitely kill Marco for stealing her innocence away from her.
He ran his fingers through Savannah’s hair, brushing it to the side. He loved everything about her. The way she felt against him, the way he felt when he was inside her. He brushed his lips across her forehead, then lower for a lingering kiss.
It was as if he couldn't get enough of this moment or of her. If he didn’t get out of bed, he was going to make love to her again. Not a bad idea, but he didn’t want her to think sex was the only reason he wanted to be with her.
"How about I take a quick shower, then make us some breakfast? I'm starved," he said.
She laughed.
"What?"
"You're always hungry."
He grinned. "I'm a growing boy." Then before he was tempted to make love to her all day long, he got out of bed and walked out of the room.
Once he was inside the bathroom, he turned on the water in the shower, then stepped beneath the spray. He hadn't felt this euphoric in a very long time. Not since… He frowned. Why the hell did he have to think about Brianna? Savannah was nothing like her. The only thing they had in common was that they both had baggage.
Brianna had been bad news, though. She only wanted what she could get out of him, and in the process, it had almost cost him his life. Carter had tried to warn him, but he hadn’t listened.
He leaned the palms of his hands against the shower wall. It had taken him a long time to get over her. To get over her death. He’d tried to save her and couldn’t.
He drew in a deep, ragged breath as he let the memories wash over him. His team had been on a mission in South America. Brianna had been acting as their guide. Damn, she’d been beautiful with her dark flashing eyes and olive skin. And feisty. When they made love, it was explosive between them.
The government hired Brianna to show them how to get to Matteo's fortress, and she had. Matteo was at the top of the list in an international crime syndicate supplying drugs and human trafficking in America.
In the weeks that they spent together planning how to get Matteo’s captives to safety and still take the man into custody, he and Brianna had become close. Too close. The team wasn't supposed to get involved with anyone when they were on a mission. He couldn't help himself. It had been a long time, if ever, that he’d fallen so hard for someone.
Carter tried to tell him that Brianna was bad news, but he hadn't been able to see it. Carter was wrong about her. At least, that's what he'd told himself. Carter said she was hardcore and out for herself. He said she would always put herself first. Watch your back, or you might find a knife in it. But Breaker hadn't listened to his warnings.
It was early morning, the sun barely beginning to rise above the horizon, and the day was starting out hot and muggy, much like the days before. A fine film of sweat covered him. Just as much from the adrenaline pumping through him as the weather. He, Carter, and Samson had gone around on the backside of the buildings, while the others went around the front, using the jungle as camouflage. Dylan and Ty would already be setting the explosives.
There were three main structures and one smaller building that wasn't much more than a shack. His team knew the captives were being held in the smaller building. One guard sat beside the door, his head slumped forward in sleep. Samson made sure he continued to sleep with one blow to the head.
When Breaker eased the door open after making sure no one else was around, he automatically took a step back as the stench of human waste nearly knocked him down. There were about forty people, half-starved women, children, and men packed into the small space. As soon as they knew they weren't there to harm them, Carter quickly led them toward the safety of the jungle.
They'd just cleared the compound when Matteo stepped onto his verandah. Carter hurried the captives to the cover of trees as Matteo cried an alarm and pulled the gun at his waist. He shot toward them, the bullet hitting a five-gallon, rusty barrel near Breaker. He turned and fired back, hitting Matteo in the arm. He quickly backed into the house as his men began running after them.
The explosion that followed rocked the ground beneath Breaker’s feet. He grinned as he ran into the jungle. Right on time. Samson stayed with the freed captives while he and Carter joined the others.
There was no way Matteo was going to turn himself in, and he'd proven that by yelling out, they would have to come in and get him. Even though he only had a handful of men left he wasn’t going to be taken alive. That was fine by them.
They were ready to blow the rest of his fortress when at the last minute, Brianna went running back toward Matteo's home. Breaker called for her to stop. She looked back once, shaking her head.
"The money," she said. "There's too much to leave behind. I've earned it, and I’m not leaving without it."
As she was running up the steps to his house, Matteo stumbled out, gun aimed at her, and fired. She hit the ground before she could fire a single shot.
Breaker fired six rounds into Matteo as he ran to Brianna. He carried her to safety, even as Mat
teo's men were firing at him. His team fired back. He took a bullet in the shoulder but never slowed. Once they were in the safety of the trees again, Breaker had gently laid her on the ground.
Her eyes fluttered open. She reached up and touched his cheek, then smiled. “It was always about the money for me, but I enjoyed being with you. I’m sorry I used you.” She closed her eyes and took her last breath.
He buried her deep in the jungle that she loved so much. He vowed that he would never lose his heart to anyone like that again. He knew she’d played him just to get to all of Matteo’s millions, but it still took him a long time to let go of her memory.
He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and briskly drying off. Sure, Savannah made him feel good. He enjoyed her company. He would not lose his heart to her, though. Never again.
Breaker slung a towel around his waist and strolled out of the bathroom. Savannah was just coming out of her bedroom with clean clothes in her hands but stopped when she saw him. Her gaze slowly wandered over him. It felt as if she was caressing him with her eyes. It took all of his willpower to go to his room.
"The bathroom is all yours," he gruffly told her.
A moment later, the bathroom door closed. How the hell was he going to be able to live in the same apartment with Savannah and keep his hands to himself? Good question. Except, he didn't have the answer.
He pulled on a pair of briefs, then a pair of jeans. Usually, he would go without a shirt, but he pulled on a black T-shirt for Savannah. She said she wasn't offended, but he knew how his back looked. Even Brianna had cringed when she saw his scars.
He'd had a feeling Savannah was special from the moment he laid eyes on her, when her gaze skittered away from his. He smiled. Even with a baseball cap pulled low on her forehead, she hadn’t been able to hide her beauty. Or her fear.
He padded out of his bedroom and went straight to the kitchen. The coffee pot was still on, so he poured himself a cup. Straight black. No cream, no sugar. There’d been too many mornings when he was lucky that it was even hot.
