Black and Blue oa-2

by Gena Showalter

  He wasn’t sure how much time passed before he realized he hadn’t moved, that he could be suffocating her with his heavy weight. Gathering her close, he rolled to his side. Sweat formed a slippery layer over both of their bodies, and neither of them could catch their breath.

  Thing was, he only wanted more.

  * * *

  Evie reeled. Sex had never been that good for her. Sex had probably never been that good for anyone, and she almost wished she hadn’t experienced it. Almost. How was she supposed to let Blue go now?

  For the first time in years, she felt no sense of dissatisfaction. Only peace. As though all of the pieces of her life had finally lined up correctly.

  But that couldn’t be right. Ultimately, no matter how wonderful Blue was as a person, he was bad for her. They would never want the same things.

  Have to put some space between us. “I feel foolish for bringing this up now, considering my profession and my past, but in all the excitement I honestly never gave it a single thought. Although, that’s not really an excuse, is it? I should be totally ashamed.” And even panicked.

  But she wasn’t panicked.

  His eyes twinkled merrily, as if he were fighting a laugh. “I think that’s the closest you’ve ever come to rambling, sugar puff.”

  “Well, what I was trying to say,” she continued, forging ahead, “is that I’m not on any kind of birth control.”

  “No probs. I can’t get you pregnant.”

  Ever? “First, no probs? Seriously? Second, what about disease?”

  “First, yes. That is what I said. No probs. I think we should abbreviate more. It’s sexy. Second, I don’t have an Arcadian disease, and even if I did, I couldn’t pass it to you. Also, I’m immune to human disease.”

  “Well, just for your peace of mind, I don’t have one. I checked.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “Thank you for telling me.”

  She sat up, pushed her damp hair from her face. “So . . .”

  He arched a brow. “Is this the part where you try to kick me out of your bed? Sorry, hotcakes, because that’s just not happening. We’re snuggling.”

  Wait. What? Peering down at him, she said firmly, “We are not snuggling.”

  His bottom lip stuck out in the most adorable pout.

  Was he teasing her?

  He had to be teasing her.

  Stupid, adorable man!

  “So now that you’ve used me,” he said, “you’re going to abandon me?”

  Gah! Guilt trip. “I don’t really have a desire to snugs. With anyone. Ever.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Did you just say ‘snugs’?”

  Her cheeks flamed as she realized that yes, yes she had. “What. I was giving the abbreviation thing a try.”

  “You did good.” Grinning, he said, “Have you ever tried to ‘snugs’?”

  Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “No.”

  There was a softening around his eyes and mouth, as if he’d just spotted a kitten in need of help out of a tree. He cupped the back of her neck and massaged. “Let’s try it, then. You and me. We might like it.”

  She closed her eyes in bliss, even as she inwardly cursed him. This was the charming seducer thousands had fallen for, guaranteed. “ ‘We’?”

  “I’ve never done it before, either, and I want to see what it’s like.”

  She would be the first? Bollocks! How was she supposed to resist now? “You’re serious? Never?”

  “Never. I took what I wanted and left . . . or forced the women to leave.”

  “And they put up with you?” she asked, incredulous.

  “Of course. They even tried to come back for seconds and thirds.”

  “Of course,” she mocked. “But . . . why now? Why me?”

  He shrugged, unabashed. “You smell too good, feel too good, and I’m going to want you again very, very soon. Might as well have you nearby and save myself the trouble of having to hunt you down.”

  She should resist. One sexcapade had nearly killed her. No telling what a second go-round would do. And what if she actually enjoyed the whole snuggling thing? She’d start craving it—and when it came to Blue, she couldn’t afford any more cravings.

  Who knows, maybe you’ll get lucky and hate it.

  True.

  Her silence must have provoked him, because he said, “Don’t make me caveman-up and club you over the head to get what I want.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay, all right. Fine. We’ll do a little snuggling.” She draped herself over his chest, and he enfolded her in his arms. His heart pounded against her ear, fast and hard, pleasing her mightily.

  She wasn’t going to hate it, was she?

  “We can do this for an hour, and maybe, if you’re lucky, I’ll get a little handsy,” she said. “But after that we need to go our separate ways, okay?”

  He combed his fingers through her hair. “Nope. Not okay. I need at least six hours. And definite hand play. No maybe about it.”

  They were bargaining about this? Seriously? “Two hours,” she said. “And I won’t beat you to death.”

  “Eight. And you’ll caress.”

  Bloody hell. “That isn’t how you negotiate, Blue.”

  “My bad. Ten hours.”

  Just to be contrary, she twisted his nipple.

  “Ow!” He pried her fingers loose and kissed her knuckles. “Just for that, I’m not going to tell you how I ranked you.”

  She jolted upright and met his gaze. “You do not rank your women.” A pause. “Do you?”

  “Not usually. But this time I made an exception.”

  “I don’t think you know how close you are to having your spine pulled out through your mouth,” she said, waving her fist in front of his face.

  He tried to bite it. “Did I ever tell you how sexy it is when you threaten me with bodily harm?”

  “No. Because that would be ridiculous.”

  “It’s not, and it’s true.” Expression serious, he said, “Now, back to your ranking. I’ve decided to tell you, despite the titty-twister.”

  She shook her head, dark hair dancing around her. “I don’t want to know.” After all, she’d lost herself in the pleasure of his mouth and his hands, and then his body; he’d had to do all the work.

  “Too bad. Baby, there is no question, no doubt in my mind, that you are and forever will be . . . number one. Seriously. This,” he said, waving a hand to indicate her slender curves, “should be outlawed.”

  She tried to maintain a neutral expression—encouraging him was wrong—but she couldn’t suppress a smile. “Two compliments from you in one day. You must be losing your edge.”

  “Of course I am. I just blew a major load.”

  Her eyes widened. Can’t believe he just said that.

  He gave another wave, this one imperial. “Go ahead. Laugh. You know you want to.”

  She slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Laughter escaped.

  His gaze met hers with a mix of pleasure and awe, his features softening. “I will never get tired of seeing you lit up like this.”

  Getting too serious! her mind screamed. And, just like that, her amusement drained.

  He frowned, as if her mood change upset him. “What are you thinking about?”

  “What’s going to happen tomorrow? With Tiffany?”

  “Don’t want me to make a move on her?”

  “No,” she answered honestly. And crap. Too serious again.

  Now he grinned, pleased. “Don’t worry. I won’t. You have my word. I will flirt with her to make it believable when she leaves with me, but it will never go any further than that. When I get her alone, I will use compulsion to get her to fall asleep.”

  “All right,” she said with a nod.

  “Wait. No making me promise? Or sign a contract in blood?”

  “No. I believe you. I need no more assurance than your word.”

  Something bright bloomed in his eyes as he kissed her temple. “I don’t kn
ow what to say. Evie . . . thank you.”

  If anything, she should be saying those words to him.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, switching topics with a speed that left her floundering. “I’m starved. So why don’t I make us something to eat? Afterward we can shower and clock a few more hours in bed before we go to sleep.” His voice went husky with desire when he added, “Then, come morning, I’ll wake you up in the best possible way. Promise.”

  Wait. He expected to stay the night in her room? The entire night?

  “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Naked, he padded into the hallway, leaving her alone with a growing sense of panic. At last it had arrived.

  Eighteen

  H E HADN’T WORN A condom. To be honest, Blue hadn’t even thought about wearing one. On some level, he must trust Evie more than he trusted any other woman. He knew she would never make claims about a false pregnancy as Pagan had. As countless others had. She was honest to a fault.

  And now that he knew she hadn’t complained about the lack because she had been as caught up in the moment as he had been, he only wanted her more.

  He was grinning as he carried a tray of sandwiches into the bedroom, nearly let-the-world-crumble eager to see her splayed out, dark hair splashed over the pillows, pale skin flushed with the pleasure he had just given her, lips red and swollen from his kisses.

  He’d never been a possessive guy. Today, that had changed. Evie Black belonged to him, and he wasn’t letting her go. He was already addicted to her taste—the honey she smelled of. But now he knew her warmth, and her inner softness, and the sounds she made as her excitement built. He knew the feel of her nails in his flesh and her body moving against his, surrounding his, knew her smile afterward, the huskiness of her voice.

  She’s a treasure. My treasure.

  Yes, he betrayed Michael.

  Yes, he felt guilt. But he would make his boss understand.

  What about tomorrow? The postgame party? Tiffany?

  Evie understood. She trusted him, no questions asked, and the knowledge floored him. He didn’t think he’d ever been this happy.

  He wouldn’t blow it. For once, Blue had drawn a line and he wouldn’t cross it.

  “Evangeline,” he said, grinning as he stepped into the room.

  She wasn’t in the bed.

  He set the tray on the dresser and strode into the bathroom. But she wasn’t there, either. Frowning, he checked the entire suite. There was no sign of her, and her clothes had been picked up from the floor.

  “Evie,” he called.

  There was no reply.

  He raced through the entire house, checking every corner, every shadow, but she wasn’t hiding anywhere.

  Scowling, he stomped into her office and watched the security feeds, using the codes she’d given him. Within minutes he was seething. The little witch climbed out of her own bedroom window and scaled down the side of the house. As if he were a booty call she regretted.

  Fury rained, a storm of ice and fire. His motions were jerky as he strapped weapons all over his body and dressed. She had a ten-minute head start. He’d have her back in bed in five. Whether he would spank her, lecture her, or seduce her, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he’d do all three.

  Why do this to him?

  She wasn’t the type to run away from her problems.

  Or, hell, what did he know? Maybe she was. She still hadn’t told him about Claire.

  Outside, the moon was high and full, the sky a stretch of diamond-studded ebony, the air cool. The roads were deserted, the entire neighborhood at rest. Evie had gone north, so he took off in that direction, following the lingering trace of her sweet perfume.

  She’d left prints in the ground, and they were deeper than a normal step. She’d been sprinting, her shoes pounding into the dirt. She was that eager to escape him?

  Infuriated all over again, he rounded a corner just in time to watch Evie disappear inside an all-night grocery—and catch a Bree Lian dodging her steps, moving faster and faster, drawing closer to her heels. Blue lurched into super-speed, several yards away one minute, right behind the guy the next.

  He slapped a hand over furry lips—and stabbed, stabbed. Spleen. Kidney. The Bree Lian’s startled, pained howl was muffled as he fell to his knees. Blue dragged him into the darkened alley beside the building and slammed his knee into the guy’s face, propelling him backward. Before he could figure out what was going on, Blue had a pyre-gun unsheathed and aimed.

  “Why are you after the girl?” he demanded. “Who do you work for?”

  Clutching his bleeding side, the otherworlder pressed his lips together in a tight, mulish line.

  Blue picked him up with a single stream of power and kept him suspended in the air. With another stream, he spread the Bree Lian’s arms and legs, hopefully making him feel as if the appendages were going to be ripped away any second. Because they were.

  “I’m not going to ask again.”

  The Bree Lian peered down at Blue with resignation. He had just realized he was going to die. It was only a question of how painfully. “Tyson Star.”

  Tyson? Not Gregory, the father? “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I’m never told why, only what to do.”

  “And what were you to do?”

  “Pick up Miss Black and escort her to Mr. Star.”

  Where she would be beaten? Killed?

  Fury stampeded him. “One last question. Have you seen a Rakan with the Stars, or heard of one’s skin being sold?”

  “No. The Stars are the most secretive family I’ve ever met. They’ll assign different aspects of hired hits to different men, so no one knows the whole of what’s going on.”

  Secretive, and smart.

  “You’ve earned your death. I’ll make it fast.” He sheathed his gun, intending to take the guy out with his bare hands, when a noise caused his ears to twitch. He spun, a stream of bright azure light shooting out and nailing him in the chest. Every muscle in his body turned into stone, though his mind remained utterly aware. He heard the Bree Lian slam into the ground, no longer held by Blue’s power.

  His fury found a new target: himself. Should have suspected the Stars would send more than one.

  A second otherworlder stepped from the shadows. A Cortaz Blue he saw guarding Star’s country estate. The male was a few inches shorter than Blue, with dark hair, green eyes, and skin that looked as if it had been dipped in a honey pot. “I’m not sure how you pegged my partner, Mr. Blue, and I don’t really care.”

  Blue let the worst of his emotions shine in his eyes.

  The man wasn’t impressed. “I only gave you a partial stun, so you’ll be as good as new in a few hours. In the meantime, I’m going into the store and finding your girl. And she is yours, isn’t she? A very surprising development, I have to say. You’ll get to watch me have a little fun with her before I take her to see Mr. Star.”

  “Hmm. I don’t think that’s how this night is actually gonna go down.” Evie’s voice echoed through the alley as a stream of azure light erupted and slammed into the Cortaz.

  Like Blue, he froze in place.

  Then she shot the Bree Lain, freezing him, too, just in case he decided to fight.

  Blue had never been so relieved to see a woman he wanted to strangle.

  Evie, his beautiful, irreverent Evie, flipped the Cortaz off as she passed him, then stopped in front of Blue. “You are so lucky I’m on your side.” She dug in her purse—that glorious, magical purse—and withdrew a ring with a big oval in the center. “This will counter the effects of stun.”

  Before she could stick him, her arms were grabbed, twisted, and pinned behind her back. The ring fell to the dirty ground.

  “Good thing I came as an insurance policy,” a gleeful voice said from behind her.

  Still unable to move, Blue glared at the tall, muscular Arcadian spinning Evie and slamming her against the brickwork. It was like watching a horror movie in slow-mo. Every detail was in Technicolor. From the s
urprise on her face to the dust that sprayed from the building.

  An indignant gasp left her.

  Absolute, utter rage detonated inside of Blue. He drew all of his power into his core, letting it concentrate there, building layer upon layer.

  “I’m giving you one chance to let me go,” she gritted. “And then things are going to get nasty.”

  “I think they already are nasty.” The Arcadian patted her body down, looking for weapons.

  “Yeah? Wait till you see this.” She slammed the back of her skull into his nose.

  Bellowing, the Arcadian released her and stumbled away. She whipped around and punched him in the throat. As he gasped for air, she kicked him between the legs. He collapsed face-first, a writhing puddle of agony.

  Blue released his grip on the power, and as it exploded through him, life twitched into his muscles, allowing him to trip forward. He grabbed Evie by the arm and drew her behind him . . . then whaled the Arcadian.

  He punched, and punched, and punched. “You don’t hurt her. Ever.” Punched, and punched, and punched. Blood sprayed. Teeth flew and skidded across the ground.

  Soon, there was nothing left of the guy’s face.

  “Uh, I think he’s dead now,” Evie said. “You can stop and maybe we can go the hell home.”

  Blue jolted at the sound of her voice. He was panting, and he knew he had to look fearsome. Still, he straightened and jerked her into his arms, needing her close, if only to soothe the bestial rage inside him.

  She offered no resistance. Even curled closer.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry I let him get to you. He’ll never harm you again.”

  “Hey, it wasn’t your fault. I was so primed to get to you, I forgot to scour for a third hit man.” Very gently, she began to pet his chest. “And you killed him real good, Blue. Watching you work was a real pleasure. My review will be glowing. He’s not going to harm anyone ever again. Promise.”

  If anything had happened to her . . .

  He wasn’t sure what he would have done. Right now he was having trouble muting his emotions. Panic. Fear. Relief. Anger.