Living on the Edge

by Shannon K. Butcher

  “Can you open it?”

  “Yeah. I checked the knob. It’s not locked.”

  Sloane looked up, scanning the side of the mountain. It went up farther than she could see through the thick blanket of clouds above. “Why the hell would someone build a bunker here in the side of a mountain?”

  “From the look of it, it’s been here for a long time.”

  “Like that clinic in the middle of nowhere?” The one that still gave her the willies to think about.

  Lucas nodded, frowning at the door as if he didn’t want to open it. “Yeah. Just like that, as a matter of fact. Stand back while I go check it out.”

  “Really? You really think I’m just going to hang back and let you take the risk? This is my mission. My risk. If anyone should be standing back, it’s you.”

  He shot her a disarming smile and a wink. “Maybe, but I’m the one who trusts your father. If I get blown to hell, you’ll be able to say you told me so.”

  “And while I do love to say that, I’d feel better if you didn’t get blown up.”

  “That makes two of us.” With that he opened the door and stepped inside.

  Sloane held her breath, but stayed back. If anything happened to him, one of them had to get them down off the side of this mountain.

  Seconds passed with no kaboom. Sloane inched closer to the door, anxious to see that he was okay. “Lucas?”

  “I’m here.” His voice had a metallic kind of echo to it. “I’m fine. We’re clear.”

  She stepped through the doorway into the gloomy confines of the space, giving her eyes a moment to adjust. A second doorway stood in front of her, the door wide-open. Beyond that was a room. It was an odd mix of cement and natural rock. Thick metal poles supported the ceiling of rock overhead. Water seeped down one of the walls, leaving dark streaks. The air smelled musty and damp, but was much cooler than the stifling heat outside.

  Twin metal desks sat against one wall. A calendar on the wall displayed a picture of sailboats and the month of June, 1979. At one end of the room were two closed doors. At the other was what appeared to be a bare-bones kitchen with a sink and a two-burner stove, but no oven. A small section of countertop held an ancient percolator. Through an open doorway she could see a bathroom.

  Lucas went to the first closed door and opened it. “Bunks. Two of them,” he said, then opened the second door. “Storage. There’s a generator in here, vented to the outside.”

  She peered over his shoulder. “Do you see any gas to run it?”

  He stripped out of his pack and propped it against the wall. “No, but we’re only going to be here for a few hours.”

  “I need to let Bella know how to find us. She’s probably already landed by now.”

  She reached for the phone sticking out of his pack and he covered her hands with his.

  “Be careful what you say over an open line,” he said. “I don’t know what this place is, but chances are the general isn’t keen on anyone finding out about it.”

  Sloane nodded. “At least there’s no freaky medical equipment here.”

  His hand settled against her face, his thumb stroking along her cheekbone. “That really creeped you out, didn’t it?”

  “There was something about that place. It was like I’d been there before when I was a kid even though I know I hadn’t.”

  “Maybe it sparked a memory of when you had to get shots or something. That can be traumatic when you’re little.”

  “Maybe,” she hedged, but she wasn’t convinced. That image had been too real and unexpected. If it was something so mundane then why hadn’t she remembered it before? Why hadn’t a doctor’s office visit triggered the memory? “Whatever it was, I’m glad we’re out of there now.”

  He tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Sloane had been working very hard not to think about yesterday’s romp in the leaves, but the harder she tried not to think about it, the more she thought about it. Especially when he touched her. With his hand on her like this, her whole body perked up, craving more of his touch.

  She still wanted to know what it felt like to have his big, callused hands on her breasts. Or his mouth. She’d take that, too.

  “You’re blushing,” he said with a smile lighting his eyes. “I think I like that.”

  “Yeah? Well, don’t get used to it,” she warned. And to give her an excuse to run away, she said, “I’m going out to contact Bella and get my gear. Be back in a few.”

  “Okay. I’ll see if we have water. It would be nice to get cleaned up.”

  Sloane left, sent Bella the clearest message she could without fear of bringing the wrath of her father down on them, and then fetched her pack. By the time she got back, she heard the sound of water running.

  He peeked out of the bathroom. “It’s freezing. I think it comes straight in from a stream above us. I wouldn’t drink it, but if you don’t mind the cold, you could wash up.”

  As sweaty as she was, cold water would be a blessing. She went into the bathroom with her one change of underclothes and her small bottle of liquid soap, and shut the door. The water was cold enough it took her breath away, but by the time she was done, her hair was clean, her skin was tingling, and she felt better than she had since stepping off the plane.

  She washed out her dirty clothes and hung them to dry.

  “All yours,” she told Lucas.

  “I did a quick inventory of the storeroom. Most of the stuff is expired, but it looks like there were a few recent additions. Some water and freeze-dried rations.”

  The idea of cold, soggy, rehydrated food didn’t sit well, but it would conserve their food—which she was sharing and had not planned on needing much of before getting Gina out of here. Their rations were dwindling. Neither one of them would starve, but they were getting low.

  She took the insulating cover off her steel canteen and used a pair of kitchen tongs to hold it while she warmed some water with a cigarette lighter she found in a desk drawer. By the time Lucas came out of the bathroom scrubbed clean, she had enough hot water for a couple of bags of chicken and noodles.

  “Not bad,” said Lucas.

  “Spoken like a very hungry man.”

  “Believe me, I’ve had worse.”

  She checked her watch. It was just after one in the afternoon. “What time do you think my father’s men will show?”

  “A few more hours at the earliest. What about Bella?”

  “Same thing. I hope she makes it in by dark.” In fact, Sloane wished she was here right now. Spending time alone with Lucas in the dark like this wasn’t good for her peace of mind. He made her want things she could never have, dream of things that could never be. But most of all, he kept watching her, his eyes gliding over her in the dim light of the battery-powered lantern, and everywhere his eyes passed, she felt as though she’d been touched.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “Having sex with me.”

  The words made heat explode in her belly as she remembered just how good it had been. And they hadn’t even taken the time to do it right. It had been fast and hard and dirty. And she’d loved every second of it.

  Sloane swallowed. “I’d rather not.”

  “You can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”

  “Sure I can. Watch me.”

  They were only a couple of feet apart, sharing one of the desks while they ate. If she’d been smart she would have put more distance between them, but she hadn’t thought it through, and now he was reaching for her.

  His fingers slid over her ear, brushing back her damp hair. He was so warm, so gentle. She had to clench her jaw to keep from leaning toward his touch.

  “Are you sure about that? Are you sure you can pretend it never happened?”

  She had been until just now. Now she was having serious doubts about how she was ever going to walk away from him. And it wasn’t just the mind-blowing sex, either. He’d been there for her this whole time, taki
ng care of her when she needed it and backing off when she didn’t. No other man had ever held that precarious balance with her before. They either shoved their way into her life, treating her like blown glass, or assumed she could take care of herself and left her to do so. Even though the latter was preferable, there were times when it would have been nice to be able to lean on someone without him making her feel lacking because of it.

  Lucas had done that. She still wasn’t sure how he’d managed the miracle.

  “I don’t know,” she told him, offering him the bald truth. “I want to put it behind us and move on.”

  “I don’t. I want to build on it. See where it leads us.”

  “Nowhere.”

  “Maybe. Probably. But I don’t want to think about that now. I’d much rather enjoy the time we have together. Wouldn’t you?”

  His fingers slid through her hair until he cupped the back of her neck. The roughness of his calluses dragged over her skin, making her shiver. That needy ache flared to life, begging her to give in.

  So what if it went horribly wrong? It was right for now. That was precious enough that she was willing to ignore her internal warnings and forget about what might happen tomorrow. All she had to do was revel in what was happening in this moment.

  She offered him a slow smile. “This time I’m not wearing body armor.”

  Hunger flared in his eyes as he pulled her to her feet. “Whatever you want, honey.”

  As close as he was now, she could feel the heat of his body. His hands were hot on her shoulders; his thumbs feathered over her collarbone. She’d gotten used to his touch somewhere along the way, and now the idea of going without it seemed bleak.

  Maybe if she held on to him, he wouldn’t pull away this time.

  Her hands slid around his lean waist until she could trace the tightly corded muscles running along his spine.

  She could smell the scent of the soap they’d used, and under that, the more elusive scent of his skin. She’d come to recognize it, and was convinced that she’d be able to pick him out of a crowd of men even if she were blindfolded.

  She tipped her head back and looked at him, trying to figure out something she could say that would change reality.

  They’d part ways tomorrow or the next day. Her father would send transport for all of them back to the States, and after that, her time with Lucas was over. She hadn’t wanted to like him, and she sure as hell hadn’t wanted to want him, but there was something about him that pulled her in and made her forget why she’d ever bothered to try to hold herself back.

  He was still inside her embrace; the slow sweep of his thumbs over her skin made her tingle. His navy blue eyes had darkened, but she told herself it was simply the lack of light. Nothing more.

  His gaze moved to her mouth. His hands came up to cradle her head, holding her in place while he bent down and kissed her.

  Sloane’s body let out a rioting cheer, and she went up on tiptoe, trying to get as close to him as she could. Her hands clutched at his back and she opened her mouth, urging him to kiss her deeper.

  Lucas gave her exactly what she wanted and then some. His tongue swept over her bottom lip; then he speared his fingers through her hair and tilted her head to the perfect angle.

  She knew this was madness, but there wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t along for the ride. Her toes curled. She backed him up until they were in the little bunk room and he hit the edge of the bed. She gave him one solid shove to topple him.

  Before he could come to his senses, Sloane straddled his lap and kissed him again, silencing any protests he might think to make. His breathing sped, along with hers, and she kissed her way over his jaw and down to the side of his neck. Her self-control was swiftly spinning away, but while she still had it, she used it to keep the press of her teeth against his skin gentle enough not to hurt him.

  Lucas sucked in a harsh breath and pulled her hips tight against his body. His obvious erection was cradled between her thighs, and although she could feel the heat moving between them, there were too damn many clothes in the way. She needed to get them naked—completely naked this time.

  She went for his belt and despite her shaking fingers, she had no trouble getting his pants undone. She was only seconds away from getting to see every inch of that glorious body.

  A fierce smile pulled at her mouth.

  “I don’t know what you’re thinking wearing that smile,” he whispered to her, “but I’m dying to find out.”

  His hands slid under her shirt and he swept it off over her head in a single deft move. Her hair flew around her head, landing across her shoulders in a wild, damp mess. Her breasts were bare—her bra hanging with the rest of her dirty clothes. Lucas’s gaze narrowed as he stared at her.

  Sloane moved to take his shirt off, too, but he grabbed her wrists and held them still at her sides. “Let me look at you.”

  Who was she to argue? Besides, the way his cheeks flushed and his nostrils flared as he stared at her made her feel like a goddess. He wasn’t even distracted by the bandage on her arm, or was too much of a gentleman to let on that he was.

  “Take off your shirt,” she ordered, desperate to see what she’d missed last night.

  He reached over his head, grabbed a handful of fabric, and whipped it off, revealing one of the most fabulous male playgrounds Sloane had ever had the pleasure of seeing.

  She pulled her hands from his grip and splayed her fingers over his chest, reveling in the feel of him. His skin was hot, stretched tight over dense muscles. A trail of dark hair ran down the center of his torso, leading her to what she wanted most.

  She scrambled from his lap to crouch on the floor between his knees. From this angle, she had no trouble getting a solid grip on his pants to pull them down. His erection sprang free, jutting up toward her.

  Sloane took him in both hands, sliding her fingers over his smooth skin. He jerked in her grip and hissed out his pleasure.

  She shivered in response, feeling an answering wave of slick heat swell inside her. Taking Lucas was going to be well worth the effort.

  “You should lie down,” he said. “Let me take care of you.”

  “Later,” she told him as she swept her tongue over the end of his erection.

  Lucas clenched his jaw and gripped the covers on the bed. His whole body was shaking, anticipating her next move.

  This was one of her favorite parts of sex—the part where her man was at her mercy and she was in complete control. The feeling of power it gave her knowing she could offer this kind of pleasure was intoxicating. It went to her head, making it spin as she stretched her lips over him and let him slide deep.

  A low groan of satisfaction vibrated the air between them. His fingers slid into her hair and he curled his body around her, holding her tight.

  He let her have her way for a while, before he pulled her mouth free and bent to kiss her. His tongue swept inside, flicking over hers.

  Most men wouldn’t have had the willpower to stop like that, but, as she was swiftly realizing, Lucas was not most men.

  She felt him lift her, and the next thing she knew, she was laid out on the bed. The mattress was bare and dusty, but she didn’t care. His kisses were potent, causing her head to spin. She hadn’t felt like this since she was a teenager, all breathless and tingling and aching for more.

  His hand slid up her ribs, cupping her breast in his palm. Her nipple beaded up against his skin, and it was all she could do not to rub up against him. The slight calluses on his fingers grazed across her nipple and wrung a soft cry of pleasure from her chest.

  He didn’t grope her or squeeze her hard, just stroked and teased until she was burning up inside, silently begging for more.

  Heat built low in Sloane’s belly. The empty, aching need to be filled clamored inside of her, demanding attention. She spread her thighs wide, fitting herself against Lucas as his hips settled in place. Her blasted pants were in the way, stopping her from getting what she wanted, b
ut not for long.

  She shed her clothes in seconds without breaking contact with his mouth. Finally, they were both naked, skin on skin just the way she’d been dying for since that first reckless kiss.

  Sloane opened her body to him, baring herself, needing to feel the hot glide of Lucas’s body as he filled her. She was wet enough to take him easily, even as big as he was. The only thing she couldn’t do was wait.

  Chapter 15

  Lucas was nearly blind with lust. Sloane wriggled beneath him, spreading her thighs wide, telling him without words exactly what she wanted.

  Since the moment her mouth had closed around his cock, he’d been willing to give her anything. He was lost and he knew it. No sense in fighting the inevitable.

  He pulled his mouth away from hers because he had to taste more of her. Her skin was so soft. Everywhere he touched, she was silky smooth. The sleek length of her neck called to him, as did the gentle curve of her shoulders. His mouth traced over skin, and the sudden urge to mark her had him breaking out in a sweat.

  There would be other men around soon. He knew it was barbaric, but he wanted every one of them to know on sight that she was taken.

  He valiantly fought the urge, letting himself nip and lick, but no more. Until she took a firm hold on his cock and slid it along her slick folds.

  She ground her hips toward him, rubbing her clit against the tip of his cock, pleasuring herself. A sweet tremor shook her body and a second later, she guided him to her entrance.

  There was nothing Lucas could have done to stop now. Instinct and need took over, tightening his muscles and thrusting his hips forward. She was so hot, so wet, there was nothing to slow him down. He glided inside until they were as close as two people could get, the fit tight and perfect.

  Sloane panted, clutching his ass, holding him deep. Her head was thrown back, displaying her neck in open invitation.

  Lucas was a goner, his control evaporated.

  He began to move inside her as he bent his head to lick and nibble just below her ear. The first brush of his teeth over her skin had her sighing. The second, harder suckling bite made her whole body quiver, inside and out.