by Aliyah Burke
“No chance, baby. I’m too ornery to die, plus, I’m not finished with you yet.”
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned.
“Too late. Are you sure you don’t want to join the mile high club?”
“No.”
Her laughter warmed him. He backed off and stared at her face. “Don’t know what you’re missing.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “So you’re a member?”
He clucked his tongue. “This isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
“Uh huh.”
“Listen to me, Frost. I get what I’m against here. Let me help. When we get there, teach me what I need to know to kill and identify them. We’re a team, you and I. Let me pull my share of the weight and responsibility.”
“And Taggart?”
“I have to get my strength back, but if I can train, I have no problems going out when I’m called.”
“We have a training facility. That won’t be a problem.”
“Is there anything you don’t have?”
She ticked off her fingers. “Mansion, check. Training area, check. Giant demon who makes our weapons, check. Amazing tech guru, check.” She shook her head. “Nope, I think we pretty much cover it all.”
“I want to know more about this demon. Apparently then, they’re not all bad.”
“I told you about Inaki.” She touched the side of his face. “You’re pale. You need to sit down?”
“Yes.”
She reached around him and opened the door. They walked out and returned to their seats. Frost snorted and he looked at her. “What?”
“Just Roz letting me know she didn’t want to go in there and smell sex.”
“Tell her if that’s what we had been doing in there, we’d still be in there.”
Moments later, feminine laughter filtered back to them. Dex held her in his arms as they waited for the remainder of the flight to finish up. She’d been truthful about the length of the flight. They touched down and he followed her to the door, Roz and Altair bringing up the rear.
On the top step of the plane, he looked around him. A light dusting of snow—a few inches—covered a landscape that reminded him a lot of where he had been. It was beautiful. A waiting Suburban idled. Leaning against it was a severe-looking woman dressed entirely in black.
As they neared it, he slowed and stopped. “You,” he said.
The black woman turned her cold gaze to him. “Me?”
“I saw you in my room. Killing that man. And in the ambulance.” He looked to Frost. “Who is she?”
“The one who saved your life because I couldn’t.” She walked off leaving him alone with the unknown woman, Roz and Altair.
He finally knew what else was bothering her.
* * * *
“Are you going to be out here all day pouting? Or had you intended on helping your mate settle in?”
“Go away, Dracen,” Aminta said, sitting on the cold bench in the gardens.
“No.”
“Why not?” She drew symbols in the snow.
“Because you’re acting like a baby. You knew I was going to be watching him. Would you have preferred I let him suffer until you got there?” Sharp reprimand tinged the words.
“No, of course not, but… Oh forget it.” She rose to her feet and scowled. “I’m going in.”
She got two steps before Dracen blocked her way. Even though she stood wasn’t nearly as tall as Inaki, Dracen had this way of appearing as tall as Inaki to her. For once, the expression had softened.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Aminta. It was never my intent to do such a thing. My only thought was to protect your mate. Do not make him suffer because you are upset with me.” She pivoted on her boots and walked off toward the forest, which swallowed her up like one welcoming someone with open arms.
Making her way through the gardens to the house, she slowed when two figures stepped from the shadows to her path. Cale and Billy.
She hugged them both and waited for one of them to say something.
“So, he’s a man who does rescues?” Cale crossed his arms.
“Please tell me you two aren’t going to be like Tiarnán and welcome him with open arms instead of the cold shoulder. Yes, that’s what he does.”
“So he knows how to repel?” Cale again.
“Yes.”
“Think he’d teach me?”
She punched him in the shoulder. “I could have taught you how.”
“Like I want my little sister to teach me.” He shook his head.
“You do remember I’m older than you, right Cale?”
He patted her on the head. “But you’re so little.” His grin was full of evil amusement.
She looked to Billy, who nodded agreeably with Cale. “You too, traitor?”
“You are little,” he said conspiratorially.
“You’re little compared to Cale as well.”
“Still bigger than you.”
She threw her arms up. “Oh, you two.”
“Good thing you love us,” they said.
“No. Right now, I’m sure I love Tiarnán more.”
“Speak of the devil,” Cale said.
Tiarnán appeared in her view. His attire was the same. He’d just added a leather jacket to help combat the chill. “Don’t you two have a class to teach?”
Billy and Cale gave her a kiss and left.
Tiarnán waited for her to reach him. His hazel eyes missed nothing. “Why don’t you get some sleep? You’re safe here.”
She hugged him. “Are you sure about that? Look what happened to Shelly. And the other attacks here around the house. Even Taylor. She was taken from the front yard. How can any of us afford to drop our guard?”
“Because we’re no good to anyone, least of all ourselves, if we’re exhausted. Get some rest, Aminta. Dex is under Mal’s watchful eye and you know no one is getting down into that place. You have six Guardians to watch out for him, plus Lian. Rest.”
She sagged into him, nodding. She’d averaged maybe two hours every night as she’d sat beside Dex’s hospital bed. She was tapped and had nothing else to give.
“Okay,” she said.
Tiarnán escorted her to her room, and she kissed his cheek before taking a hot shower and climbing into bed.
* * * *
The hard, warm body beneath her hadn’t been there when she’d gone to sleep. Opening her eyes, Aminta found relief in the verification of her belief of being back in her room at the vineyard. She no longer had tension. In fact, she was remarkably relaxed.
The man lying beneath her helped with that. She lifted her head and stared at him. Thick lashes rested on cheekbones that could have been sculpted by an artist’s hands. A perfect blend of ruggedness and masculine beauty created Dex.
She touched the healing wound, lightly tracking the jagged edges held together by even stitching. Anger at herself for allowing this to happen and not being there to save him swelled within her. He lifted his lids, exposing his green eyes and taking away her self-loathing.
“Hey,” he rumbled.
“Hi.” She remained where she was. “Sleep well?”
“Of course.” He encouraged her head closer to his. “How about you?”
“I could go for some more, but I definitely feel better.”
He slid his right hand below the waistband of her cotton pants to smooth over her ass. “Right now?”
She wriggled on him, smiling at the hard length pressing against her. “Well, since I’m awake now, perhaps I could expend some more energy first.” She ducked her head and took his mouth.
His tongue slid in and tangled with hers. Her moans rose up from her throat to be swallowed by him. A grip that had been comforting morphed into a possessive one.
Aminta didn’t mind. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, loving the rippled muscles. He yanked on her pants and drew them down partway. As one, they rose and ripped off their lingering clothing.
He drew her do
wn on top of him, his hands skimming along her skin. She purred—his touch did so much to her. Her blood boiled as he stroked her to a higher state of arousal.
Sitting her up, he wriggled down until his warm breath spread over her pussy. She whimpered when his tongue ran up between her lips.
“Hold on,” he said, voice the richest of decadent treats.
She gripped the slots of her headboard as his fingers dug into her hips. “Fuck,” she uttered.
“Later.” The single word was more than just a word from his lips. It was a promise.
He lapped at her, long, teasing strokes that had her gripping the slats and grinding on his face. His hunger was insatiable as he kept her on edge. Her skin was aflame and she had a bone-deep craving for release.
She closed her eyes and rode him. Her cries filled the air as he sent her over the precipice more than once. Wrung out, she followed him as he guided her to move back. She rose up and stared at Dex as she sank on his shaft.
“Ohhh.”
“It’s been too long,” he muttered.
She took his hands, laced their fingers, and began undulating. The green of his eyes darkened. His cock pulsed inside her. She captured her lower lip in her teeth and worked her hips.
Aminta set the speed, her hair cascading around them. Eyes locked on his, she took what she wanted—what they both wanted. Up and down. Circles. She allowed herself to enjoy the passion engulfing her.
Dipping her head, she claimed possession of his mouth, tasting herself on him. His tongue mimicked the action of his cock, the thrusting pace.
Her body shattered and he filled her with his seed soon after. It hadn’t been a desperate fuck, wild and crazy. No, it had been a joining, a twining of their souls. He remained inside her and rolled them to their sides.
“Now we rest, Frost.”
She concurred and closed her eyes. He still slept when she woke. A quick look at the clock told her she’d been out for nearly an hour. Without waking him, she took a shower and headed to the room where they gathered and planned.
Chapter Sixteen
She left while I was sleeping. Dex stood in the shower, head down and hands braced along the tile wall, wondering where Frost had gone and why she’d not woken him to go with. After he rinsed out the rest of the conditioner and insured no soap lingered on him, he shut off the water then stepped out onto the pale blue bath mat.
He gazed around her bathroom. It was warm in a cool way—her touch added the warmth while the color was the coolness. Light blues and silvers. Tasteful, much like her bedroom, as it had been up in Alaska. Not cluttered, but neat.
Scrubbing the towel over his head, he stepped back into the main part of her bedroom and walked to his bag. He dressed in jeans and a burgundy Henley. Dex made the bed after he’d sat there and tied on his boots. Once everything was back in order and the towels hung in the bathroom, he walked to the door and stepped out into the place he was going to live.
Childish laughter was the first thing he heard, followed by pounding feet. He angled his head and watched some children run into view and disappear down the stairs.
“You’ll get used to them.”
He turned to find a woman beside him with short red hair. “I will?”
She grinned, her smile brilliant against her darker skin. “Yes. I’m Taylor.”
He took the offered hand. “Dex.”
“I am well aware of who you are. Roz told me all about you when she got back from Alaska.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Absolutely.” Another large grin. “I’m hooked to Cale. If you’re looking for Aminta, they’re all in the Danger Room talking.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Danger Room?”
“My term for where they gather. See, I liken all this to the X-Men.”
He nodded, fully understanding. “Am I allowed to go to this room?”
“Sure. I’ll take you. Unless you’re hungry, I can take you to the kitchen first. I know you haven’t had a tour yet and this place is kind of large.”
More kids ran down the stairs.
“How many are here?”
Taylor gestured for him to follow. “Right now there are seven children here, ranging from six to seventeen. Since it’s the weekend, it’s a bit nosier around here than normal, although don’t get me wrong… When they’re here during the week, they make just as much noise.”
“I’m sure they do.”
Once on the first floor, they walked to the kitchen. She gestured around with one hand. “Help yourself to anything you’d like.”
“How about beer?”
“There is some in the house but that’s not usually brought out until the kids get to bed. If I know Aminta though, she has some in her room in the fridge there.”
“Didn’t know there was one in there.”
“There are a lot of small things you’ll pick up on. Can I get you something to eat? Duncan, stop hitting Millie. You know better. We have quite a bit. It’s pasta for dinner tonight if you want to wait until then.”
Two kids brushed by him without slowing. “I can wait,” he decided.
“Okay, I’ll take you down there then.” She leveled a finger at the one she’d called Duncan. “Behave.”
The boy gave her an angelic grin—one he didn’t buy for a second, nor did Taylor from the expression on her face. He trailed her from the kitchen and to a carpeted hallway. They walked halfway down before she stopped at a silver door. It slid open silently and she stepped in.
Dex instantly located Frost. She sat leaning back in a chair between someone he didn’t know and Roz. Talk ceased and everyone there turned to look at him. Taylor walked over to the one he didn’t know and kissed him. I am going to guess that’s Cale then. Dex strode to Frost’s side and lowered himself to the chair beside her.
She squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile. “Let me introduce you around. You didn’t meet everyone, I don’t think. This one beside me here is Cale and on the other side of him is Billy. You’ve met Dracen, Tiarnán and Roz.”
Hellos came from everyone but Tiarnán, who just watched him as he blended in with the shadows.
“Then in the corner over there is Edmond.” They exchanged more greetings. “You’ll see Lian later on. He’s in his office right now.”
“And what are you all doing?” he asked.
“Discussing what’s been going on. Activity, chatter, that kind of thing.” She angled her chair toward him. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
Beyond her in another corner he discovered a glass fronted case. He rose and walked over to it. He spied the globe that had announced to him and the world he was to be mated with Frost. Only it no longer looked like a glass world.
“It’s snowflake obsidian. Pretty cool, isn’t it?” Frost stood beside him.
“When did that happen?”
“It began changing once it got here.”
“And the mist coming off it. All the others are releasing something as well.”
“Those are their tells, I guess. The ribbons, the northern light thingy, is Mal and Billy. Rainbow sparks are Taylor and Cale. The lightning jags are Altair and Roz.”
“But what are they doing with each other? I mean, how they are hitting one another and sparking even more. What’s that about?”
“We don’t know. We’re trying to figure it all out. All we know is it’s beautiful and—”
“Feels powerful.”
“Exactly.”
“Aren’t you asking for trouble by keeping them in this glass case? I mean, why don’t they just break in and steal the items?”
“One, it’s not that easy to break in here. Two, it’s not just glass. This is something else that Inaki has whipped up for us, so the demons can’t get into it. What it’s made from is immune to their acidic blood and such.”
He was at a loss for words. This was something he knew nothing about.
“Want to go take a tour?”
“I’d
like that.” He’d really like to be alone with her.
“Come on.”
He pointed over his shoulder. “What about your meeting?”
“They can carry on without me. Let’s go.” She took his hand and together they left.
After a brief stop in her room for their jackets, they walked outside into the crisp snowy world.
“We don’t get snow here every year and this bunch won’t last all that long, but it’s nice to see. Keeps the kids occupied for sure.”
Off in the distance he saw a group of children playing. “This place is huge.”
“Yes. But Lian has had it for a long time.”
“How long?”
“Longer than you’ve been alive,” she said after a pause.
“How old is he?”
She shrugged and made a gesture with her hand. “No clue. None of us do, but he’s been around for a long time.”
“And he’s one of you?”
“Not really? More like he’s our trainer. Mentor. Guide.”
“Professor X.”
She laughed. “You’ve been talking to Taylor.”
“She did mention the X-Men and the Danger Room.”
“I’m sure she did. She calls Tiarnán Wolvie. She’s crazy, which makes her a great fit for Cale.”
“How did they meet?”
She filled him in on how each couple met as they made their way to the stables. Their boots added to the sound of the horses in their stalls. Once back outside, she showed him the vineyard then took him in a completely different direction.
“We have a lake for swimming in when it’s warm out,” she said as they stood overlooking it. “If it’s cold enough, we’ll skate on it this winter. Definitely not thick enough now. Do you skate?”
“I’ve played some ice hockey but I’m no Gretzky, for sure.”
Her smile was ambrosia to him. “Some days I’m not even sure he was, so I’ll try not to hold it against you.”
He bowed. “Well thank you.”
She rolled her eyes. “See, it’s comments like that which may get you attacked by snowballs.” A wide grin. “Then again, it may just be that we’re outside and there’s snow on the ground.”
“You wouldn’t,” he said.
