As Kade’s hand massaged her hot flesh, tingles ran down her thighs. “You should do it one more time, just so I know exactly what my punishment will be.”
Kade willingly obliged before rolling Honor onto her back, and all thoughts of work disappeared.
Chapter 26
Lincoln
Lincoln watched as the curvy blonde swept past him, shooting a lustful look in his direction. He acknowledged her with a smile and a wink before turning to check through the weapons stash in the cargo bay.
He’d enjoyed Tamara’s curves several times, since she’d joined the base. But in the last few weeks, he hadn’t felt the urge to take her up on those lustful glances and offers of dinner and a nightcap in the nude. Maybe he was coming down with something. Or getting old. Didn’t testosterone decrease after a certain age?
Lincoln shook his head and ran a hand through his wavy, dark hair. He wasn’t even thirty, there were plenty of years left in him yet to enjoy the gorgeous women in this bunker.
Kade strolled into the cargo bay, hand-in-hand with his new woman, Honor. Lincoln smirked as he saw them together. Since they’d made it official, they hadn’t left each other’s side, and even though it was cute, it looked claustrophobic to him. He liked his relationships easy and uncomplicated and over within a week. If you didn’t get involved, then nobody got hurt. That was the motto he lived by now. And it worked well for him, given how crazy the world was.
He counted off the last of the guns and then flipped the container’s lid shut as Kade and Honor reached his side. “How are things in the world of DNA coding? Lots of exciting geeky discoveries to confuse me with?”
“Honor’s new program is making fast work of the latest finds,” said Kade, his adoring gaze lingering on her. “And she’s found something inside one egg.”
“Like what?” asked Lincoln.
Honor’s smile grew. “Writing.”
Lincoln took a step back. “Heath will flip when he finds out.” They’d been searching for over a year for the legendary pieces of egg containing the words to bring back dragons.
“He’s already flipped.” Kade grinned. “Annie had to drag him to bed an hour ago, because he refused to rest.”
“Only she can get him to stop working.” Lincoln grinned. Heath and Annie were as loved up as Kade and Honor. “We’ve found no words before. I get why he’s jazzed about this.”
“They’re only partial,” said Honor.
“But your program shows great promise,” said Kade. “We’re going to check out the latest report, if you want to join us. And do a visual on more fragments.”
“Spend an afternoon staring at dusty fragments and getting a headache from looking down a microscope?” Lincoln shook his head. “An offer I can easily refuse. Besides, Heath’s got me on weapons inventory. The excitement of this is almost killing me. Any more and I’ll be done in for the day.”
“The offer is there, any time you want to drop by the lab,” said Honor.
“I might, if there’s a cold beer in it for me,” said Lincoln.
He spotted a flash of red hair beyond Honor, and his gaze immediately zeroed in on Anastasia, walking along the corridor with her younger sister, Bellatrix. The two of them had been staying at the base, ever since they’d been rescued from the sick and twisted machinations of the State and its perverts. He realized he wasn’t able to look away. There was something about the sexy hybrid he found unsettling. Maybe it was just that gorgeous long hair, or the way Anastasia turned him down when he asked her out. He always liked a challenge. With effort, he forced his attention back to the conversation at hand.
“How’s your sister doing?” Lincoln asked Honor.
Honor grinned. “So well. She’s been improving ever since the last transfusion of dragon serum. I really think this is it, the cure we’ve been searching for.”
Kade brushed a hand down her arm. “Remember, this is an experimental treatment.”
“Isla is recovering, that’s what matters. I even had her walking along the corridor yesterday. It’s amazing.”
Lincoln smiled at her enthusiasm. “Glad to hear it’s going well. I was skeptical about how powerful dragon blood can be, but looks like we’re on to something. Be good to have something to heal the injuries we get out in the field.” He watched as Anastasia laughed at something Bellatrix said, and the way she threw her head back, revealing that smooth, pale column of her throat. Damn.
“And we need it to work. Medical supplies are low, and there are only so many hospitals and pharmacies we can raid.” Kade followed Lincoln’s gaze and grinned. “Making any headway with Anastasia?”
Lincoln glared at him, annoyed that he’d gotten caught staring. “What do you mean?”
“Helping her settle in, that sort of thing.” Kade’s grin broadened.
“She’s too independent to accept any offer of help.” Lincoln shrugged and dragged his gaze away from the redhead.
“You mean, she turned you down when you asked her out?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Go easy on her,” said Honor. “She’s been helping the injured hybrids. Not all of them are doing so well, and I think she’s having a hard time seeing them get weaker.”
“I’m not hassling Anastasia,” said Lincoln. “Besides, every time I speak to her she gives me the brush-off. Could be it’s my aftershave.”
“Someone might think she knows about your reputation,” said Kade.
“I have an excellent reputation,” said Lincoln. “If she knows about it, that will be a good thing.”
“Sure it will.” Kade patted Lincoln’s shoulder. “We need to get to the lab. Those egg fragments won’t sort themselves.”
Lincoln watched Kade and Honor walk away, their heads close together as they talked and laughed with each other. It was great to see his brother happy. Kade had hidden in his work for too long, convinced that was all he needed. Then Honor had arrived in a blaze of computer speak, stubborn behavior, and feistiness, and everything had changed. Kade began to smile and laugh, and Honor had forced him outside to get the sun on his skin, and he had a healthy glow as a result. Of course, that glow might also have to do with the time he spent with Honor in their shared quarters, getting to know each other.
Turning back to the pile of weapons in front of him, Lincoln scanned the grenades. His thoughts returned to Anastasia, and he frowned. He had enough to do without wasting any more time on her and her aloofness. Sure, she intrigued the hell out of him, with her ability to breathe fire and blood that cured illnesses. But she was spiky and difficult, and he didn’t have the time to break down her barriers, just for a one-night stand. There were other options in the base who would help him with that.
Concentrate on the mission, don’t think about the sexy redhead, and enjoy several beers tonight. Everything would be fine. Life wasn’t always easy, but it was good, and Lincoln couldn’t afford any distractions. Especially not ones that breathed fire and had a tendency to ignore him, no matter how charming he was.
Lincoln’s gaze flipped back to the empty corridor, and he sighed. Anastasia was hotter than Hades and he wanted to touch that fire. But getting burned was never fun. Been there, done that. Stick to cheap beer, uncomplicated women, and fighting. That was all he needed.
And if he told himself that enough times, he could almost believe it was true.
Kade (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 2) Page 24
