She closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind, tried to calm her body. Tension coiled through her chest and lodged in her stomach. She was in control? What a joke. She was restrained and at his mercy, and worst of all a dull ache had already erupted in her core. Her logical mind might scream against the injustice, but her body was more than willing to play.
Pull it together, Director Hoyt. You can resist him. You must.
Her only alternative was to release him from the collar and that would restore his abilities. He’d be able to read minds, teleport and who knew what else. No one seemed to have an accurate list of his abilities. They just knew he was more powerful than the other Shadow Assassins, which meant he was much too dangerous to unleash on Earth. She couldn’t endanger others because she was afraid of the things he’d make her feel.
His warm hand covered her breast, squeezed gently, then shifted so her nipple was framed by his thumb and forefinger. As before, her body responded immediately to his simplest touch. Her nipple tingled as it hardened. His thumb circled the bud, encouraging the reaction. She concentrated on breathing, trying in vain not to feel the firm support of his fingers or the tentative brush of his lips.
“Your body is fashioned for pleasure.” He paused to draw on her nipple before he added, “You’re wasted in the military.” Then he sucked in earnest, pulling heat into her breast and launching tingles lower. He switched his mouth to the other side, but kept the sensations swirling with the firm pressure of his fingers.
And it felt good. Why did everything this bastard did feel so damn good?
Each ragged breath made her beasts quiver and he seemed fascinated by the subtle motion. He stroked her skin, exploring her curves with one hand while he aroused her with his lips, tongue, and teeth. She clenched her hands and turned her head to the side, fighting every tingle, every unwanted burst of sensation.
“So lovely.” He murmured the words in between slow, deep sucks and her back arched helplessly.
She felt as if he were drawing her soul to the surface so he could feed on her energy. Some species could take energy directly from other beings. But even if such a thing were among his abilities, he was collared, unable to access that part of his nature.
He scooted down her body, straddling her knees and then her calves. His lips released her nipple and she opened her eyes, curious to see what he’d do next. She wasn’t foolish enough to think he was finished. So why was he moving away? She hadn’t begged for mercy. Perhaps his hunter’s spirit couldn’t stay excited when there was no struggle, no chase. The hopeful thought lasted only a moment and then he caught the sides of her panties and pulled them to her knees.
She instinctively drew up her legs and tried to kick him. The impulse only made it easier for him to rid her of her final garment. He pushed her legs apart and knelt between them, opening her body to his heated gaze.
“I want to be inside you so badly I can hardly breathe.” His voice was so tight he sounded strangled by the confession. “But release me now and I’ll return your clothes instead.”
The power struggle was already lost. He’d issued an ultimatum to which she could never surrender. Each of his skillful caresses only compounded her shame, her failure. She wanted it over as quickly as possible. “I’m not a cringing virgin. You’re not going to terrify me with threats of sex. Do your worst or leave me alone. I want to get some sleep.”
He arched over her, supporting himself on one forearm as he pressed his other hand to the side of her face. “You misunderstand my intention. This won’t be over quickly. I will arouse you with my fingers and my mouth. I will know your taste as well as the softness of every part of your delightful body. It will take hours before I am finally ready to thrust inside you and do my worst.”
Her heart fluttered in her chest, but she honestly couldn’t tell if it was fear or anticipation. “But you need to build your lust not mine.”
His thumb traced her lower lip as his penetrating gaze stared into hers. “There is nothing more arousing than watching a woman come and knowing I’m responsible for her pleasure.”
Dread washed over her, momentarily cooling her wayward body. It was easy to justify simple surrender. Fighting him had accomplished nothing. Her goal now had to be survival and escape, which meant she had to make it through tonight without physical damage. A sprained ankle or broken wrist would greatly hinder her escape. But how did she justify wanting him, craving each and every pleasure he’d mentioned?
He lowered his head and kissed one corner of her mouth and then the other. His breath warmed her cool skin and rekindled sensations she thought she’d banished. Her lips trembled as her pulse ramped up to an even faster rhythm. She felt restless and needy, almost drugged.
His body shifted, his hips pressing into hers as his chest lightly grazed her beaded nipples. He rested on both forearms now, his hands framing her face. His image filled her vision and his scent drifted through her nose, sinking deeper with each anxious breath. He brushed his lips back and forth over hers, teasing her, awakening her responses.
“I know this isn’t what you want,” he whispered against her lips. “But I also know you’re wet and this isn’t the first time my touch has aroused you.”
Before she could protest or argue, he sealed his mouth over hers. His lips pressed then slid, caressing as he urged her mouth open. She clenched her hands and remained perfectly still. Allowing this because she had no other choice was a legitimate strategy. Losing herself in these sensations was…weak.
She jerked her head to the side, panting harshly. “I can’t stop you from touching me, but I don’t want to kiss you.”
He turned her head back around as challenge hardened his expression. “Why? You enjoyed kissing me before.”
“This is war.” She stared past him, refusing to meet his gaze. “It’s a twisted sort of battle. I can’t enjoy anything about it.”
A warm chuckle rumbled through his chest. “You keep telling yourself that, morautu.”
Then his mouth was on hers again and his tongue swept back and forth, easing farther inward with each pass. Bite him. Prove that you mean what you say. Make him listen.
He advanced slowly, completely focused on the kiss. His fingers stroked the side of her face as his sensual assault on her mouth progressed. She couldn’t bring herself to bite him, so she tried to remain passive, utterly uninvolved in what he was doing. But his tongue stroked over hers then curled around it, the invitation unmistakable. She was already defeated. Why couldn’t that be enough?
“Kiss me, Morgan,” he whispered. “I want your tongue in my mouth.”
Temptation shivered down her spine, making her skin feel hot and her nipples tingle. Her social life was nonexistent. Most of the men she met were her subordinates and she worked too hard at earning their respect to muck things up with sex. This was going to happen, one way or the other. Why shouldn’t she scratch a long-neglected itch?
She’d never met anyone who aroused her as effortlessly as Nazerel. He’d barely begun and already her body was wet and pulsing. “I shouldn’t.”
“You will.” He kissed her with fierce determination for one overwhelming moment then eased back, obviously waiting for her to obey his tantalizing command.
Cursing herself for a coward, she tentatively touched his tongue with hers. She couldn’t explain why she wanted him, why she needed the pleasures he offered, but she was tired of fighting, tired of always being alone.
She eased her tongue into his mouth then groaned as his lips closed around her and gently sucked. Desire cascaded through her body then coalesced between her thighs. She wanted him inside her. She wanted to feel his strong, hard body moving over and into hers. The thought made her wilder, more demanding. She dueled with his tongue and breathed in his breath, drunk on his scent and ravenous for more of his taste.
Always she was expected to be strong, detached and in control. Everyone looked to her for the tough decisions. If she hesitated, people died. She’d been isolate
d by her authority for the past fifteen years. She deserved this moment of madness, a few hours of pleasure that no one needed to know about. She would revel in the forbidden and then concentrate all her energy on escape.
His mouth tore away from hers and his passion-muddled gaze searched her face. “You feel it too, don’t you? The pull, the connection?”
She shook her head. She wasn’t sure what he meant, but she didn’t like the sound of those words. A pull toward what? And what sort of connection? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But she did. Despite her denials, her body understood. Nazerel was different than any man who’d ever touched her. Maybe it was just his alien DNA, but she didn’t think so. This felt familiar, somehow preordained.
He didn’t argue with her. Instead he kissed his way down her body, lingering over her breasts again before continuing his descent. She braced for the next phase in his seduction. He’d warned her of what he intended to do. Touch her and taste her. She waited for bitter dread to wash over her, clearing her head and cooling her ardor, but all she felt was the persistent ache of anticipation.
Chapter Four
Energy sizzled through Nazerel as he kissed his way across Morgan’s silken belly. Her body was a feast for the senses. He’d never encountered a female more pleasing to the eyes, or hands, or mouth. His torso worked like a wedge, pushing her legs wider as he neared his destination.
He caught the back of her knees and spread her thighs even wider. She tensed and her thighs trembled. She didn’t want to want this, but she obviously did. He understood the contradiction all too well. He’d hoped to use lust to burn through the barriers created by the suppression collar. That was still his goal. However, touching her, kissing her, had unleashed so much more than physical desire. He felt protective and possessive, ravenous and restless, almost as if— No, he would not complicate this with useless speculation. She was an enjoyable means to a desperately needed end.
His body ached for the soft heat of hers and he had to build on that hunger, intensify the need until it consumed everything around it.
Shifting one of her legs to his shoulder, he spread out on his stomach so he could use his hands as well as his mouth. His chest was on the sleeping bags, but his legs rested on the cold tent floor. It didn’t matter. He had to touch her as well as taste her and he couldn’t do so if he was holding himself up.
He pushed one hand beneath her, pleased at how well her firm ass cheek fit the palm of his hand. She squirmed away from the intimate touch, which only brought her sex closer to his face. Her scent was intoxicating, clean, yet faintly musky, clearly excited. Rather than hold her open with his fingers, he gently parted her with his tongue. She moaned, tensed for a moment, then melted into the kiss.
Her folds were slick with arousal, so he ventured deeper, pushing right into the core of her desire. Soft, wet heat enveloped his tongue, and he never wanted to leave. He closed his eyes and imagined this same snug passage grasping his cock, caressing him with firm ripples as he drove them both toward completion.
The temptation was nearly more than he could bear. He had never been with a female who belonged to him and him alone. He’d just been granted permission to hunt for his own mate when Varrik kidnapped the royal twins, leading to the chain of events that had ended their way of life. Another injustice for which Varrik must pay.
Forcing the memories aside, he raised his head and looked at his lovely captive. Her back was slightly arched, breasts thrust out, and the uncertainty in her eyes was unmistakable. “You don’t like that?” He’d be shocked if that were true. Most women couldn’t get enough of this particular pleasure.
“What will you do if you succeed in freeing yourself from the collar?”
The collar. He’d all but forgotten why he was doing this. “If your mind is clear enough to worry about the future, I’m not trying hard enough.” He draped her other leg over his shoulder as well and lowered his mouth to her creamy slit. She gasped as his tongue stabbed into her again and again. They both knew what he simulated and that it only foreshadowed the joining they both craved. Still, she was right. This wasn’t about sex, wasn’t about pleasure.
With both her legs resting on his back, he slid his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts. Silky-soft yet wonderfully firm, the abundant mounds more than filled his palms. He couldn’t seem to stop touching them. Even so, he needed to focus inward, so he licked his way to her clit and began a slow orbit.
Energy arced between them, sizzling with potency and promise. He could clearly sense the metaphysical barrier blocking his access to his Mystic energy. Being able to sense the barrier was an improvement over half an hour ago. So he carefully sucked on Morgan’s clit, bringing her to a sudden, intense orgasm. She cried out and rocked her hips, pressing herself against him.
Capturing the rush of energy in his mouth, he carefully absorbed the molecules, not quite ready to use them. He reluctantly abandoned one of her breasts and eased his hand between her legs. She seemed dazed by the powerful release. Her eyes were still unfocused.
Part of him wanted to hold her, bring her back to reality slowly then give her what she really wanted, what they both wanted. But there was so much more at stake than their pleasure. If his men were in custody, and he had little doubt they were, he had very little time to intervene on their behalf and even fewer resources at his disposal. And the only way to change that was to rid himself of the collar.
Her eyelashes fluttered and she looked at him, all flushed and rosy. “Ready for more?” Before she could reply, he pushed two of his fingers into her wet passage.
She moaned and wiggled just enough to set her breasts in motion. Gods below, she was beautiful, and responsive. He shuttled his fingers in and out, watching her face closely. She licked her lips and tossed her head. Her restless movements sent her legs sliding down his arms, which forced her to bend her knees and rotate her legs out. She was sprawled before him now, completely open and accessible.
Instinctively he reached for her mind and for half a second he could sense her, the burning desire, threaded through with guilt and frustration. Then the emotions were gone and all he could sense was the steady rise in her energy.
He bent his head and found her clit with the tip of his tongue, then matched his oral caresses to the rhythm of his fingers. He closed his eyes and summoned his nanites. Their response was sluggish but accurate to the command he’d issued. They absorbed the energy he’d siphoned from Morgan a few minutes before.
She came again and he channeled her energy directly into his nanites now that they were awake and responding. Rather than give her time to recover, however, he drove her on toward a higher peak.
“I don’t think I can…” She gasped as he sucked on her clit. “It’s too soon.”
He avoided the over-sensitive nub long enough for her body to reset. Then he went right back to arousing her.
You’re using her. This is cruel. A pang of guilt accompanied the thought, but he couldn’t stop. This was his only chance and lives were literally at stake. He was still relatively certain she owned the collar, but she was too stubborn to free him. So this was the only way, his only hope.
He flicked his tongue over her clit and she cried out, not in pleasure but in pain. Damn it. He was pushing her too hard, expecting too much, too soon.
Rather than abandon his plan entirely, he slowed the motion of his hand and curved his fingers so they dragged the front wall of her passage. She shivered and then whimpered. “That’s not fair. Most of my lovers haven’t been able to—”
With his fingers still buried deep inside her, he lunged upward and silenced her with his mouth. “You have no other lovers.” He kissed her again, less frantic, yet still seriously possessive. Then he hovered over her, his gaze boring into hers. “Look at me, morautu.”
After a moment, she did. Her gaze was cautious, though still passion bright.
“Who is touching you?” He filled her with his fingers as he waited for her response.
/>
“You are.”
“And who am I?”
“Nazerel.” She licked her lips then added in barely a whisper, “My enemy.”
He didn’t correct her. It was a fact. They were on opposite sides of this conflict. He just didn’t give a damn right now.
Her arousal gradually built, so he increased the speed of his fingers. She moaned and started to close her eyes. “No. Look at me. Share your pleasure with me. Hold nothing back.”
Their gazes locked and her energy spiraled around his fingers, sending zings of sensation all through his body. His neglected cock bucked against the floor as if sensing her energy and wanting more. He groaned and struggled to keep his own eyes open. He was so close to release. One firm squeeze would launch him over the edge.
She cried out suddenly and arched her back, her hips coming up off the bedding. Her inner muscles contracted around his fingers in rhythmic pulses. He was so captivated by the beauty of her surrender that he nearly forgot to capture the surge of energy. His nanites were ready however. He pulled the molecules through his skin and they siphoned the power with ravenous intensity until they vibrated with excess energy.
Would it be enough? It had to be. There was no other option.
Destroy the collar. Free me!
His nanites rushed through his bloodstream, ready—and finally able—to do his bidding. He eased his fingers out of Morgan and moved to her side. He felt dizzy and unfocused as nanites from all over his body hurried to assist with the attack. Sharp stings erupted all around his neck as the nanites burst through his skin. He’d expected that, but damn it hurt without their assistance defusing the pain.
“You’re bleeding.” He had no idea how Morgan had accomplished it, but she was sitting at the top of the sleeping bags, her hands still bound to the tent pole.
“Necessary.” Heat sliced through his flesh as the collar seared his skin. He screamed, unable to suppress the reaction. Pain stabbed into his brain and flowed down his back. Were they freeing him or killing him? He gasped then gagged as the stench of burning flesh filled his nose. His burning flesh.
Rebel Heat Page 7
