by Anna Hackett
The cable moved again, and jerked her off her feet. A scream caught in her throat, and she found herself being waved around in the air.
“Marin!” Ash shouted.
There were more shouts and carbine fire. Suddenly, the cable tightened, starting to squeeze her in its grip. Pain grew in her chest. “Stop.” The word came out as a whisper.
“It’s crushing her.” Ash’s deep voice reverberated off the walls.
Tears welled in Marin’s eyes. The pain was horrible. All she wanted was Ash. His arms around her, his big body against hers. She did not want to die when she’d only just found him.
Dammit, she wanted to live.
Marin struggled, fighting through the pain. The cable tightened more and her vision wavered.
Then the cable jerked. She opened her eyes, fighting to focus. She saw Ash leap up on the cable, climbing toward her. He was holding a huge combat knife.
He ran up the cable and when he reached her, he crouched down.
“You came for me,” she said.
“I told you I was your own personal super soldier. Hold on, I’m getting you out of there.” He lifted the knife and stabbed at the cable.
The cable started waving wildly through the air. Ash stabbed again, using the knife to hold onto the cable. Behind him, Marin saw more of the cables rising up and waving around. They were starting to look like the tentacles of some giant octopus.
The cables shifted, and beneath them, she glimpsed a jagged hole in the concrete floor, as though acid had eaten through it.
All of a sudden, the cable around her loosened and she felt herself falling. She heard Ash’s curse and saw him falling with her.
They were plummeting toward the hole in the floor.
Marin screamed. As they shot downward, Ash’s arms wrapped around her.
Ash crashed into a spongy cable, Marin landing on top of him. Shit.
He wrapped his body around Marin’s, as they rolled and finally hit concrete. Ash shifted and sat up.
“Marin?”
“I’m okay.” She sat up, looking a little dazed.
Ash touched her cheek, needing to feel her skin. “Anything hurting?” The damn alien cable had squeezed her hard. She could have broken bones or internal bleeding. He patted down her armor, checking for any cracks.
“Everything’s hurting. But it isn’t so bad now.”
Her armor was intact, so it had protected her from the worst of it. He pulled out his flashlight, and clicked it on. He shone it around. There were cables everywhere—down the walls, across the floor. Thankfully, these fuckers weren’t moving.
He aimed the light up, and his jaw tightened. The cables had moved again, and completely covered over the hole they’d fallen through. They were cut off from the others. He touched his ear. “Tane? You there?”
Nothing.
“Tane? Squad Three?” Ash shook his head. “Comms are cut off.”
“Look at that.” Marin scrambled up and moved across the space.
That’s when Ash spied a glowing box. It was made of a tough, black substance, and covered with red lights.
“That what you’ve been looking for?”
She nodded. “It’s an access point to the hub. And look. Hello, little guy.”
Ash spotted the spider bot, its body pressed flat against the base of the box. Marin pulled out her portable comp screen, and pressed something against the box.
Moving closer, Ash gripped his carbine—which he thankfully hadn’t lost in the fall. He kept a close eye on the nearby cables. He wasn’t taking any chances.
He watched Marin totally lose herself in her work. She tapped at the screen, the light illuminating her face. As she worked, her muscles relaxed. She was completely in the zone.
He loved watching her use that big brain of hers.
“If the aliens hadn’t invaded, what would you be doing?” he asked.
She looked up. “I had my own startup company. We were making cutting-edge, experimental tech.” A distant look crept into her eyes, a smile on her face. “It was a fun, creative place to work. I was set to be a millionaire.”
He could see it. And it reminded him that she was way out of his league.
“But I don’t dwell,” she said. “Wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, I know we have to find the good, enjoy it, protect it. We still have good here, right?”
He stared at her face. “Right.”
“And you? What would you be doing?”
Ash shrugged. “I’ve no idea. I tried a lot of things, and most of them didn’t work out, except for the Iron Kings.” He thought of the brothers who hadn’t made it. “I don’t dwell, either.”
“I know what you’d be doing.” Marin paused her tapping. “You’d be riding a sexy motorcycle around, and be surrounded by gorgeous women.”
Ash put a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “There’s only one gorgeous woman I’m interested in.”
She stared at him for a second before she looked back down at her screen. “I might be starting to believe you.”
She kept working, and Ash looked up, wondering what the hell his squad mates were doing. They had to be fighting to find a way in. Ash felt sweat beading on his face. In fact, the temperature had risen, and he felt a trickle of sweat slide down his back.
He looked back at Marin, and saw she was breathing heavily.
Shit. That was it. There was no air down here.
“I’m in!” Marin bounced on the balls of her feet like an excited kid. “All the way in. We can access the data, and have the spider bot relay it back to the Enclave. There are still a few hoops to jump through, but I’ve opened the door.”
He smiled. “I appreciate the non-techspeak. Good work, Marin. I never doubted you.”
Her gaze narrowed on his face. “What’s wrong?”
So much for his poker face. “There’s no air getting down here.”
Her mouth dropped open. “No air?” Her chest heaved and she swiped a hand over her sweaty brow. “God. You mean we’re going to suffocate?”
“My squad will find a way to get us out,” Ash said.
Marin felt panic trickling into her veins. All the elation at accessing the alien data hub evaporated. “I don’t want to die.”
He gripped her arms. “We are not going to die.”
“I…I want to get this data. I want us to beat the aliens. I want…”
He stepped closer. “What do you want, Marin?”
If they were going to die, she may as well be truthful. “You.” She swallowed. “I want you.”
“Princess.” His voice was a slow, sexy drawl.
“I like sex. I wasn’t sure I was very good at it, but with you…it’s so good.”
“Marin—”
“But I don’t just want you for hot sex. You’re smart, and brave, and I just want you, Ash.”
“Feeling’s mutual, Princess. I want you naked in my bed. I want you begging for my cock. I want to sit beside you in the lab and watch you work.”
She licked her lips and his gaze zeroed in on the movement. He groaned.
Her chest felt tight, and she had to fight to drag in a deep breath.
“Hey, relax.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her down to sit on the floor. Then he looked at the cables. “I’ll see if I can find a way out.”
She watched him try to climb up higher, poking at the cables. None of them budged. Then he pulled out his carbine, aimed, and fired.
A cable shot out and slammed into Ash. It sent him flying.
“Ash!”
“I’m okay.” He pushed to his feet. He lifted his weapon, and tried again.
Another cable whipped up and tried to wrap around him. Ash dodged and rolled. The cable settled back to the floor.
“They must be programmed to protect themselves,” she said.
Ash muttered something under his breath, and headed back to her.
“What if we die here?” she said quietly.
“Not gonna hap
pen,” he growled. He tugged her onto his lap and kissed her.
Instantly, all the thoughts rushed out of her head. She pushed into him, kissing him back. Her hands crept up into his hair.
She was completely lost in the kiss. Lost in him.
“You’ll just have to keep kissing me,” she murmured against his lips. “To keep me calm.”
He laughed. Such a good, sexy sound. “I could do that.”
“And I’ll try not to think about sitting among giant, killer alien cables and running out of air.”
“Hey. Good thoughts, remember.” He nipped her lips.
“Good thoughts. Right.” She closed her eyes. “I’ll think about sex, instead. With you.”
He laughed again. “God, you’re something, Marin.”
The minutes ticked by, and soon she found herself blinking. She was so tired. She leaned into Ash, resting her head on his broad shoulder. “You’re sure they’ll come?”
He tugged her close. “Absolutely.”
“I could fall in love with you,” she said.
He jerked. “Princess—”
Her eyelids were too heavy to keep open. She probably shouldn’t have made that confession to a bad-boy biker like Ash, but she was too tired to care. Besides, she was pretty sure she’d already started falling for him.
“No, Marin. Stay awake.”
She mumbled something. Then, an annoying buzzing sound reached her ears. She had no idea what it was, but at this point, she was past caring.
The sound grew, and suddenly, something splattered down from above, hitting the floor nearby. Ash jumped to his feet, pulling her with him. Now she realized it was a sharp, buzzing sound.
As the cables shifted again, Ash dived on top of her, covering her with his body. They both looked upward.
Marin watched as a chainsaw cut through the cables above.
“Woo-hoo!” A wild shout. A hunk of cable fell down, flopping on the floor. Other cables pulled away, retreating.
Hemi’s bearded face appeared in the gap above. “Anyone need a rescue?”
Chapter Twelve
When the Hawk landed at the Enclave, Ash scooped Marin into his arms and carried her off the quadcopter.
“Taking her to the infirmary,” he bit out.
Tane nodded. Ash didn’t say anything, just dodged around Holmes, Noah, and Elle, and stalked out. He took the shortest route to the infirmary.
“Ash, I’m okay—”
He ignored her. “Getting you checked out. End of story.”
“Bossy biker,” she huffed.
“That’s right.”
He marched into the infirmary and saw Doc Emerson’s head jerk up, her blonde hair swinging around her pretty face. She was standing near a row of bunks. One was occupied by an older woman with a bandage over her eye.
“Marin needs to be checked,” he said. “She took a fall off a bike, got squeezed by giant alien cables, and she was oxygen deprived for several minutes.”
“Busy day.” The doc’s white lab coat flared out as she hurried over.
“I’m fine,” Marin said again, sounding pissed. “And you fell too, and broke my fall, and had low oxygen, as well.”
Doc Emerson looked from Marin to Ash and back again. She looked like she was fighting a smile. She nodded to one of the beds. “Set her down here.”
Ash obeyed, ignoring Marin’s glare. She subsided, and let the doc check her over. The doc’s face turned focused and she waved a scanner over Marin.
Ash leaned against the wall. Fuck. When Marin had fallen off the bike, he’d never, ever felt the level of fear that had consumed him at that moment.
Then watching her being squeezed to death by the cables… He’d been frantic and helpless, and he hadn’t liked it one fucking bit. He blew out a breath, and ran a hand through his hair. Caring for a woman was hell on a guy.
Emerson stepped back. “She’s in perfect health.”
Thank fuck.
“Told you,” Marin said primly.
“A few bruises and scrapes,” Emerson added. “But that’s it.” Then, the doc tried to run the scanner over Ash, without success.
He sidestepped and snatched Marin off the bed. “Thanks.” He strode out.
“You’re welcome,” Emerson called out after them.
Levi was waiting in the hall. He’d stripped his upper armor off and his T-shirt was lined with sweat. “Everyone okay?”
“I was okay before we went in there,” Marin said. “But no one’s listening to me.”
“Glad you aren’t hurt, Marin,” Levi said. “You fucking held your own out there tonight.”
Marin’s cheeks pinkened. “Thanks.”
Levi looked at Ash. “The general wants a debrief.”
“Later,” Ash said.
“He’s a general, brother. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting. Especially when the fate of the world is on the line.”
“Marin got into the hub. She said the data will start to flow soon.”
Marin nodded. “He’s actually—”
Ash cut her off. “For now, she needs rest.”
Levi grinned. “That what they’re calling it these days?”
“Fuck you, King.”
“No, thanks. You’re not really my type.”
“I can walk,” Marin said with a sniff.
“No,” Ash growled and stalked down the corridor.
Ash realized he was in full caveman mode, but he didn’t care. Marin was his. He’d claimed her. He was going to make sure she was fed, watered, rested, and well fucked.
When he reached the door to her quarters, he waited while she unlocked it. He carried her inside, and set her on her feet.
“Comp, lights on,” she said. “Low level.”
Lights clicked on around the room. “Nice.”
“I’ve added some tech I’ve been playing with.”
“Go. Take a shower. I’m going to head to my room to shower, then get some food from the kitchen.”
“Oh.” Her face fell. “Right. Thanks for saving me—”
He gripped her chin. “You held up out there, Marin. You did your job, and you were fucking fierce.”
She blushed prettily. “Thanks.”
“Now, get your sexy butt in the shower. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”
She startled. “You will?”
He stepped closer until the toes of his boots bumped hers. “Yes, Marin. You’re mine. Got it?”
“Got it,” she whispered.
“Good.” He stalked out of her room before he grabbed her, stripped her naked, and tossed her on the bed. Back at his place, he called the kitchen to order food, then started stripping off his armor. He took a quick shower, washing the stains of the mission away. He didn’t want to go to Marin with any of it still on him.
But even after the shower, he felt edgy and energized. Marin. He needed Marin. He wanted to hear her sweet cries, feel her tight body clamp down on his cock, hear her heart beating under his ear.
He pulled on jeans and a well-worn Harley Davidson T-shirt he’d managed to save from before the invasion. After a quick trip to the kitchen to pick up a tray, he headed back to Marin’s.
When he knocked on the door, she answered it, only wearing a towel. Her damp hair looked longer when wet, her curls tamed for the moment. She held the door open. “I didn’t know what to wear. I—”
He slammed the door behind him and set the tray down. “You hungry?”
“Not really.”
“Good.” He spun, picked her up, and slammed his mouth down on hers.
She tasted so good. Fresh, clean, alive. She’d brushed her teeth, and she tasted like mint, and smelled like lemons. Sweet, sweet, Marin.
He angled his head, tongue sliding into her mouth. He knew he was edging on rough, but he couldn’t make himself be gentle. Not this time.
He pushed her so she fell back on the bed, and then he stripped the towel off her. This time, she was watching him with a hungry gaze, and didn’t try to c
over herself.
Ash moved to sit near the head of the bed and tore his shirt over his head. He shoved a pillow behind his back and leaned against the headboard. Marin was watching him curiously.
“Touch yourself,” he growled.
“What?”
“For weeks, I’ve sat in my room, knowing you were stroking yourself. Drove me out of my mind. I want to see it.”
White teeth sank into her bottom lip, but she lifted a hand and slid it down her belly. Ash felt his muscles tense, and watched as her fingers brushed through the curls between her legs.
“Open your legs, Marin. I want to see it all.”
She let them fall open, her mouth parting. Her fingers brushed through her folds. Her touch was tentative at first, but when she saw he was riveted, her desire amped up a notch and she lost her inhibitions. Her hips were shifting and he watched her fingers moving in circles over her clit.
Her moan echoed around them and then she slid a finger inside herself.
Fuck. Ash’s cock was rock-hard, pulsing in his jeans. “You are so fucking gorgeous.”
Her skin was flushed and her fingers went back to rubbing her clit.
“Good girl. Now I want you to come and say my name when you do.”
Marin had never felt so sexy or so alive.
Sensations were burning through her, and with every stroke, she felt her orgasm looming. Ash’s gaze was on her, hot and burning.
This outrageously sexy man had protected her, saved her, helped her do her job, and now was looking at her like she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
Her release hit her and she cried out Ash’s name. She felt her legs shake and her back arched. She rode through the wave of pleasure.
When she could finally see again, she turned on her side and her belly clenched.
Ash had opened his jeans and shoved them down. His beautiful cock was free and he was stroking himself. When he looked up, his face was set in hard lines.
“You want this, Princess?” He stroked his cock again.
She nodded.
“Climb aboard.”
Heat rushed into her cheeks but she crawled up the bed toward him. He pulled her into his lap, clamping his hands on her hips. Then he helped lower her down on his cock.
“Holy fuck,” he bit out.
