“Okay, now ask me something.”
“What was your childhood like? I’d like to know more about your family.”
She went from relaxed to rigid in a heartbeat. He instinctively moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to his side.
“I already told you that I was adopted. My parents were unable to have children of their own. By the time they adopted me, they were already in their early forties. I know they did their best to love me, but I don’t think they realized how much energy raising a child takes. They were so wrapped up in each other, they didn’t have a lot left over for me. It didn’t help that I wasn’t cuddly, like little kids are supposed to be.”
That hadn’t been her fault. Kyth children raised by normal humans had a hard time because of their energy needs. “I bet you were adorable.”
“If you like skinny kids with braces and perpetually skinned knees from doing everything at a dead run, I guess I was.”
“So leaping without looking first isn’t a new development in your life.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’d love to have seen you back then.”
His words brought a soft smile to her face. “I’ve got pictures, if you want to see them sometime. And I bet you drove your poor mother crazy with all the mischief you got into.”
He stared off into the trees, searching back across the years for a story to share with her. “My father was a bear of a man, probably outweighing my mother by almost double, but there was no doubt which of them was in charge. She was tough, but what I remember is her laugh. She’d play chase games with me but let me win. Then she’d grab me and we’d tumble to the ground in a fit of giggles and watch the stars in the sky. I miss them both still.”
“Is losing people the worst part of living so long?”
There were no words to describe it, so he merely nodded.
“And what’s the best part about being around this long?” She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a quick hug.
It was a time for honesty. “Meeting you.”
Feeling a bit crowded by his own admission, without warning he swung her up in his arms, then stepped onto a large rock in the stream. Kerry squealed but then settled trustingly against his chest as he stepped from stone to stone. Once they reached the safety of the other side, he was reluctant to put her down. To delay that as long as possible, he shifted her around so that he could kiss her.
He loved the way she melted into his arms. Her mouth softened and then opened, enticing him to deepen the kiss as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
The scent of the surrounding firs mixed with the perfume that was uniquely Kerry. If the day had been only a few degrees warmer, he would have lain her down in the grass and taken her right there. Instead he did an about-face and headed right back across the stream. In his haste he almost slipped, barely keeping them from landing in the water.
Kerry giggled as he headed straight for his house.
“What’s your hurry?”
“I want to get back inside…you.”
Her eyes widened, then she kissed him long and hard. He moaned and gently pushed her back against a nearby tree to free up his hands to remind himself of all his favorite places on her body. “Damn, woman. Keep kissing me like that, and we’re not going to make it to the house.”
The little tease nipped his ear. “Would that be a bad thing?”
“Sorry, babe, but I’m not into bouncing around on this rocky slope, not even with you. It’s hard on the knees, not to mention your sweet little ass. I wouldn’t want it all bruised up.” He gave her bottom a gentle squeeze.
She kissed her way along his jaw. “That wouldn’t be a problem since it’s my turn to be on top.”
“That makes it even more important to use my bed. I spent too many nights sleeping on the cold, hard ground when I was a young man to find it romantic.”
“I bet I could make you forget about those nasty rocks.” She rocked back and forth, putting pressure right where he’d get the most pleasure out of it.
“Maybe, but we’ll save that little adventure for another day.” He slowly lowered her to the ground, loving each second their bodies rubbed against each other. “The house is just over the next rise.”
“I’ll race you!” She broke free and took off running.
He could have easily caught her, but it was more fun to let her win. She stopped on the porch to make sure he was right behind her before she bolted through the door and went straight for his bedroom, shedding her clothing as she ran. He caught a glimpse of a bare breast and a shapely leg before she disappeared around the corner.
She stole his breath away. Not just with her beauty, but with the way she made him laugh and with the warmth of her touch. There was heaven waiting for him in his bed and he didn’t know what he’d done for the gods to grant him such a blessing, but he was boundlessly grateful.
“Are you coming?” She sounded a little exasperated.
“Not yet, but we both will be soon enough,” he promised and reached for the top button of his shirt.
* * *
When he finally entered the room, he’d stripped off his clothes. She loved the sight of his warrior’s body, with all its scars and the jutting arrogance of his thick, powerful arousal making it clear that he was there to claim her in the most elemental way. She wanted it hard and fast and right now.
“I need you over here.” Her voice was husky and demanding. She scooted to one side, making room for him to join her.
He prowled over to her side of the bed. With blue heat lighting his eyes, he smiled. “What? No rope?”
She swallowed hard at the image that flashed through her head. “Not this time. Lie down.”
“Make me.” He braced his feet apart, an unspoken warning that he wouldn’t make it easy for her.
Crawling across the king-sized bed, she slipped down onto the floor right in front of him, then ran her hands up the outside of his legs, keeping her eyes firmly on his face. When she repeated the maneuver up the inside of his legs, he closed his eyes and moaned. She cupped his sac in one hand, slowly grasped the hard length of him with the other, then gently squeezed.
He shuddered.
She smiled and did it again, only this time she added her tongue into the mix. Over and over again, she tasted and teased him until she couldn’t wait anymore, then parted her lips and took him into her mouth.
She would have thought he’d been in pain if his big hand hadn’t come down on the back of her head to encourage her to continue. She didn’t have much experience in pleasing a man this way, but Ranulf didn’t seem to have any complaints.
Then he abruptly lifted her to her feet. “You keep that up and it will be over before we really get started. Besides, it’s my turn to play.”
He eased them onto the bed, inflaming her with deep kisses, his tongue raking over hers. She loved the solid feel of him as he lay half sprawled over her, but a promise was a promise.
“On your back, Ranulf.”
He obligingly rolled over, taking her with him. She centered herself over his erection, making both of them sigh with the sweet pleasure of it. Then she cupped her hands under her breasts and offered them up to his attention.
He suckled each in turn, using his teeth and his tongue to drive her crazy. She wanted, needed so much more. She rose up, riding his erection, teasing them both with the possibilities. When she’d driven them both to the edge of insanity, she shifted to take him deep inside her body. She slid down slowly, impaling herself with delicious slowness, savoring each long inch of the journey. Ranulf fisted his hands in the sheets, his head arched back on the pillow as flickers of energy danced over his skin and then over hers as their bodies merged into one.
She wasn’t sure she’d survive the beauty of it, but she’d die happy.
It took her a few tries to settle into the right rhythm, then she was panting his name as she strove to push them both higher and higher, until she l
ost all control and coordination.
“Ranulf, please finish it. Finish me.”
He didn’t hesitate. He withdrew from her body only long enough to flip her over on her stomach. Grasping her waist with his powerful hands, he pulled her hips up to the right angle for him to take her deep and hard. She screamed with pleasure at the power of his thrusts as his belly slapped against her bottom. Over and over and over again, his body pounded into hers, his torso arched over her back, blanketing her with the strength and heat of his body.
This was her Viking lover unleashed, all vestiges of civilization stripped away, leaving behind only the primitive need to mate. Ranulf growled her name, his hand sliding up the center of her back, holding her still when she tried to turn to kiss him. Then he slid his other hand around the curve of her hip to find the damp curls between her legs. He found her small nub and rubbed it in counter rhythm to his thrusts, until the world burst wide open in an explosion of bright colors and the music of her name on her lover’s lips.
Another thrust, and he joined her with a shout. An eternity later he withdrew from her body, rolled to his back, and tucked her next to his side.
He kissed the top of her head as she dozed off. “Sleep, Kerry. I have a feeling we’re both going to need it.”
* * *
Josiah walked into the living room, startling Judith. One minute she’d been lost in the past, and the next he was standing in front of her holding a cup of tea and a plate with a sandwich on it.
“One of these days I’m going to put a bell on you, Josiah. You could kill somebody my age, startling them like that.”
“Yes, ma’am. But while you’re still breathing, perhaps you could eat.” He offered her a crisply ironed napkin, then set the plate on the table beside her. “Eat all of that and you might persuade me to offer you a piece of apple pie.”
“You are a wicked, wicked man, Josiah.”
He backed away a couple of steps. “Do you have everything you need? I could heat some soup to go with the sandwich.”
“I’m fine. Why don’t you see if the ball game is on and join me?”
“I’d like that.”
He turned the game on to find that the Mariners had just scored and were ahead by three runs. The two of them settled into a comfortable silence, broken only occasionally when Judith disagreed with the umpire’s call.
The bases were loaded when a pinch hitter belted one with a loud crack. She was cheering as the bases cleared, only to realize that the noise hadn’t come from the television. Josiah sat slumped over in his chair, a splash of crimson spreading across the front of his white shirt.
Lurching to her feet, she hoped against hope that her ability to heal wouldn’t fail her. She eased her servant, her friend, to the floor, trying to erase his pain.
“Don’t waste energy on me!” he rasped. “Call Sandor…Ranulf. Too late.”
She didn’t know if he meant it was too late to help him or if it was too late to call for help. As she heard the front door swing open, she thought he was probably right on both counts.
She fumbled for her cell phone as she held Josiah’s hand, shoving all the energy she could muster into him, hoping to staunch the bleeding.
“Hold on, Josiah. Don’t leave me, please.”
He smiled up at her. “I love you, you know. Always did, even when Rolf was alive.”
“I know, Josiah.” She’d always known and had found comfort in his unwavering devotion. What she’d felt for him had been warm and good and essential in her life. And now it was almost too late to tell him. “I love you, too, Josiah. I don’t know how I would have survived these past few years without you. I’ve been a lucky, lucky woman to have such good men in my life.”
“Judith…” He whispered her name with his dying breath, breaking her heart.
She punched the speed dial on her phone, hitting Sandor’s number, since he was the closest. He answered on the first ring. Bradan was already in the foyer, so there was no time for niceties.
“Bradan killed Josiah. I don’t know how long I can hold him off. The wards are failing.”
Then she hung up and punched Ranulf’s landline number on the mountain. He was slower to respond, answering as Bradan stepped into the doorway. In all her long life, she hadn’t known that evil could be both handsome and hideous at the same time.
She set the cell phone down, leaving the connection open as she stood to face her enemy. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a surge of power flashing across toward Bradan. He stumbled back, but only a single step. She’d burned up too much of her reserves trying to save Josiah. Under normal circumstances she could have stripped Bradan’s energy to replenish her own, but whatever Bradan had been doing to prepare for this attack had made him strong—perhaps even stronger than Ranulf.
When Bradan realized he would be attacking from a position of strength, he started forward.
“Why did you kill Josiah? He never hurt you.”
“Neither did the others I’ve killed. I just enjoy doing it.” His eyes were alight with unholy glee.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Bradan.”
He laughed long and loud. “Don’t take up lying for a hobby, because you’re lousy at it. If you weren’t older than dirt I’d be dead right now, fried to a crisp by one of those blasts of yours.”
“Stay back, Bradan.”
“Tsk, tsk. Why don’t you come along peacefully? Even if you’ve called for backup, neither of your little pets will make it back here in time to save you.”
Ranulf had obviously heard every word, because she could hear him bellowing from the small speaker on the cell.
“Where?” she asked, knowing it was unlikely that Bradan would be foolish enough to reveal his hiding place.
He responded by crushing her phone with the heel of his shoe. “Oh, I’m sure Sandor will be able to figure that out. He’s been closing in on my location since yesterday—which has been part of my plan all along.”
Retreating was both futile and undignified. Judith stood her ground, wishing she’d had enough left in her for one last blast—but that wasn’t going to happen. When Bradan grabbed her arm, she made only a token resistance before allowing him to lead her from the house.
It was a shame her life had to end in such a way, but things didn’t always turn out the way you planned. There was so much she could have taught Kerry to ease the young woman’s way in the world of the Kyth, but Ranulf would see that she was taken care of. Sandor would help.
Bradan opened the car door for her, acting like the gentleman he’d always pretended to be. She slid into the front seat, glad that he spared her the indignity of tying her up.
When he joined her in the car, she studied his profile, wondering how they’d missed all that anger and viciousness for so long.
“Why, Bradan?” she asked.
“Because I like the taste of death, old woman. Yours won’t have much spice, but then, you’re just the appetizer. Sandor and Ranulf will be the main course.” Then he reached over to squeeze her shoulder hard enough to hurt. “I’m saving the delicious Kerry Logan for dessert.”
Judith closed her eyes and began to pray.
* * *
Kerry planted herself right in the doorway and prepared to do battle. “I’m coming, and if you don’t get control of yourself, Ranulf Thorsen, I’ll be the one driving!”
He loomed over her. “Like hell you will! I didn’t drag you all the way up here just to have you charging back down the mountain to take on that rat bastard like some kind of tiny avenging angel!”
She ignored the crack about her size. Next to Ranulf, an offensive lineman would look small. “Just because we’ve had mind-blowing sex doesn’t mean you get to make all my decisions for me, Ranulf. I’m going, so deal with it. What if you need my abilities when you face off with Bradan? A fat lot of good I’ll do you parked up here in Valhalla West!”
Flames burned in his eyes as he growled, “I need to concentrate when Bradan and I fight. I ca
n’t do that and worry about keeping you safe.”
“But what if he’s stronger than you are? Can you and Sandor combine energies to fight?” She already knew the answer, but she needed him to face it.
He looked offended. “No, but I’ve never needed anyone’s help to do my job. Now get out of my way. Judith won’t last long once Bradan gets started.”
“He shouldn’t be able to hurt her at all, Ranulf. I may not know much about the Kyth, but she hasn’t ruled for a thousand years unless she’s very strong. If Bradan has her, it’s because she couldn’t stop him.” She hated the pain and grief etched in Ranulf’s face, but she had to make him understand. “What if he’s stronger than he used to be because he’s been feeding nonstop?”
“Even if he has, so what?”
“So, it might take more than one of you to take him down. Especially if he manages to strip Judith of her energy.”
Her arguments were getting through, because he quit trying to intimidate her.
“Damn it, Kerry, I can’t fight and protect you at the same time. Don’t ask me to try.” He stepped through the door, chanting under his breath. When he was done, he turned back to face her one last time. “My duty is to our people—not one person. If you’re there, you’ll only interfere. Now get out of my way. Judith could be dying.”
She marched off the porch, ignoring the strangest sensation of walking through spiderwebs. Skidding to a stop by the passenger door, she jerked it open and climbed in. “You of all people should know I’m stronger than I look. You might need my help. And even if you don’t, Judith will need a healer.”
He didn’t say a word, but the look he gave her spoke volumes. Shoving the car in gear, he tore out, the tires sending up a spray of dirt and gravel behind them.
She let him stew until they reached the narrow forest road they’d taken only hours before. “Maybe I can hold him like I did you and Sandor.” If she could figure out exactly how she’d accomplished that.
Ranulf shot her a look. “I guess it’s time for the rest of that talk.”
“I’m listening.”
“Most of this you’ve heard before. Our people came out of the northern, cold climates. No one knows exactly when or where the gene first showed up that allowed us to use energy differently than other human species, and even among us there were variations.”
Dark Warrior Unleashed Page 19
