by Dena Christy
“Why would you need to hold yourself in check,” she asked breathlessly as he switched his attention to her other breast. He paused for a moment before pulling back to look at her.
“You make me feel things I’ve never felt for any other, and I don’t want things to get too intense for you if I lose control,” he said. He slipped her bottoms off and they slid down her legs, and as soon as they hit the floor she stood before him naked.
She was intrigued by the notion that things could get more intense with him then they had been before. She didn’t want him to hold himself back from her, she wanted him to feel everything that he experienced when he was with her without fear that she couldn’t handle it.
“I don’t want you to hold back this time,” she said as she tugged at the bottom of his shirt, and he pulled it up over his head. She was momentarily distracted by the sight of his naked torso. He was so hard and strong, and his body looked like it could have been sculpted from marble, except his flesh was warm under her hand when she touched him. He grasped her hand to still her movements, and he looked at her seriously.
“If I let myself go, there is a possibility that I will look different from what you’re used to, I don’t want to frighten you,” he said, and she could see that he feared that seeing him change might put her off. Nothing could be further from the truth since she didn’t think there was anything about him that could repulse her.
“Miranda has shared what happens to Synn when he lets go, and I promise there is nothing about you that might frighten me. I am with you because I want to be with you, and if that means seeing the real you, then that’s what I want,” she said as she put her arms around his neck, raised up on her toes and kissed him with everything she felt churning inside her.
If she wanted him to let go with her, then she needed to let go with him, and she communicated with her lips and her body everything that he made her feel. A growl rumbled low in his throat as he pulled his head away and looked at her.
His eyes were an electric blue, his features had sharpened, with his cheekbones more prominent, and hard ridges had sprung up on either side of his forehead. His skin shown with the grey luminousness of an opal. While he looked harder and bigger, she could still see that he was Ryce, the man she was growing to care so deeply about.
“Get on the bed,” he said, his voice a deep, dark growl, and she obeyed the command in his voice instantly as his tone sent a thrill through her that went straight to her groin. She couldn’t resist reaching down to touch herself, to stroke her moist flesh to tease both herself and him.
He undid his pants with swift, sure moments as his eyes were riveted to her fingers. His breath came in harsh pants, and she could see the excitement rising in him as he watched her pleasure herself.
In a matter of moments he was nude, and her eyes drifted down to his erection, which jutted out from his body. She shifted as he joined her on the bed, and she reached for him, her hand encircling his thick girth. His groans came out of his chest, harsh and guttural as she pleasured him with her hand as she’d done to herself only moments before.
“No more,” he growled as he shoved her hand away and rolled her flat on her back. She opened her legs wide for him, and he didn’t hesitate to plunge inside her. He was so big and hard that she cried out at how full he made her feel. He hesitated for a moment as if was afraid he’d hurt her. He stretched her wide, but it didn’t hurt. She wanted him to pound inside her, to drive out every thought that dared come into her head, so that the only thing left was the two of them.
She rubbed her hips against him, and bit him on the shoulder. A deep, dark growl escaped him, and he pulled out of her, flipping her over onto her stomach and up on her knees facing away from him. He drove into her, deeper than he had before, and she loved every second. He pounded into her, slamming his cock in and out and she had to bury her face in the pillow to muffle the cries of pleasure he was wringing from her.
It went on for what felt like forever, but as soon as his hand snaked around to touch her clit she exploded in an orgasm more intense than anything she’d ever experienced. She cried out his name over and over as he rung every bit of pleasure possible out of her body.
She knelt limp in front of him, with his hands at her hips the only thing keeping her from pressing flat against the mattress. He pumped into her a few more times before a guttural grown was torn from him. He held her still as he shuddered behind him, and his cock pulsed inside her as every ounce of pleasure was milked from him into her.
She groaned when he eased out of her and lay down beside her on the bed. As soon as he let her go her body melted face down on the mattress, and she wasn’t sure she could move again. With gentle hands he rolled her over so he could hold her close as their racing hearts slowed their pace.
They lay in silence for several moments, with neither of them speaking. Their experience together held such an intensity that she could hardly gather the strength to articulate what she was thinking.
“Did I hurt you,” he asked quietly as he ran his hand up and down her back. She looked up at him, and he’d returned to the way she was used to seeing him. His eyes, now a warm mossy green, looked at her as if he wanted to commit this moment to memory.
“No,” she said. He had been rougher with her then he had before, but she’d loved it. “Your lovemaking could never hurt me. I’m glad you shared so much of yourself with me.”
They shifted on the bed so that they were cocooned under the covers. There was no question about his not spending the night in her bed, holding her close throughout the night. There was so much she wanted to say to him, to share with him. She bit her tongue, knowing now was not the time to spill what was going on inside her. He would need all his focus to rescue his friend tomorrow night, and once Cynric was saved, they could discuss the future. As she closed her eyes to drift off to sleep she hoped that his future would include a place for her in it.
Chapter Fourteen
Ryce blew out his breath to calm the heavy beat of his heart as he stood in the shadows of the military compound. This was the most important mission he’d ever been on and too much was at stake to screw it up.
“So what’s the plan,” Synn asked from where he was standing next to Ryce. He was in a soldier’s uniform, and they arrived a few minutes before eight. They could see activity happening as the shift change happened around them. There were more soldiers leaving than coming in. Ryce scanned the men, looking for an ideal target.
For a moment Ryce thought they’d missed their chance, as there was no longer anyone going toward the building. Just when he thought they might have to brazen it out, a harried looking soldier hurried into his eye line.
“We get him,” Ryce said as he stepped forward.
The soldier looked startled to see him, and Ryce supposed that he wasn’t used to seeing his commander skulking around the parking lot. His disguise as Dawson was impenetrable, and it took effort not to allow a sharklike smile to cross his face. He needed to be cool and act exactly as Dawson would.
“I know I’m late sir,” the soldier said as he swallowed hard and looked down at his boots.
“Can you come over here with me please,” Ryce said in a firm, commanding tone. The nervousness on the soldier’s face grew, but he followed him without hesitation. Ryce led him to where Synn was hiding and turned the soldier to face him.
“What’s going on, sir?” The soldier did not take his eyes off him as Synn loomed behind him and placed his fingers in the crook of his neck and shoulder. After a few seconds the soldier’s eyes rolled back in his head and he sagged to the ground.
“That’s was easy.” Synn grinned as he caught the soldier and dragged him further into the show of the trees that stood on one side of the parking lot. Ryce looked down at him and saw the his shirt bore a patch with the soldier’s name on it, which Synn’s didn’t have. His pants were nearly identical so at least they wouldn’t have to waste time stripping them off him.
“Swap shirts w
ith him,” Ryce said once Synn had taken the prone man’s form. They made quick work of stripping the shirt from the soldier, and Synn put it on after he removed the shirt he was wearing.
“Ok, let’s go.” Synn straightened, and Ryce walked alongside him into the building.
The building was quiet, and it ran on a skeleton crew at night. It would make their job much easier since there was less chance of them being observe if there were fewer soldiers around. There was an MP sitting at the front desk, and for a moment Ryce had a sinking feeling that he might have to scan an ID badge that he didn’t have, but to his relief the guard waved him and Synn through.
Once they were out of earshot, Ryce glanced over at Synn.
“The cell he’s being held in is this way,” he said indicating the hallway that veered off to the left.
“Commander Dawson,” a firm, authoritative voice said from behind them.
It took Ryce a moment to realize that it was him the man was speaking to. He paused and imperceptibly nodded his head toward the direction of Cynric’s cell, and Synn kept going in that direction.
Ryce turned on his heel and faced the man who’d spoke. He wore the uniform of a high ranking officer, and the name badge on his uniform said Clancy.
“I’m surprised to see you here sir,” Ryce said as he cursed in his head. This was an unforeseen complication that would need to be dealt with. Perhaps he would have to brazen it out.
“You shouldn’t be,” Clancy said, and in Ryce’s mind the realization of who this man was hit him. It was Commander Clancy, and the information that had been gleaned from Dawson’s mind revealed that he hated the man. “I told you that I would make arrangements for the prisoner. Have you gotten any information out of him?”
“Not yet.” Hopefully Clancy could be stalled. He needed to keep him away from Cynric. His presence here was a complication that they didn’t need. Ryce felt like he should have gotten a hint from Dawson’s mind that there was a possibility that Clancy would show up, but perhaps the commanding officer hadn’t share that bit of information.
“I want to see him,” Clancy said in a tone that brooked no argument. “Take me to him.”
Ryce hesitated for a moment. How the hell was he going to put this off? Clancy got a smug smirk on his face, and held out a piece of paper, which Ryce took out of reflex.
“I’ll think you’ll find that the paperwork, ordering the prison to be placed in my custody has been signed off by General Rogers. We can still do this the hard way, if you insist on it, but perhaps it would be better for your career if you do what that papers says. Face it, Dawson, I’ve won.”
For a moment Ryce wanted to curse his frustration. There was no way he was going to be able to keep Clancy away from Cynric’s cell, but in a flash an idea came to him. They needed to get Cynric out of there without drawing much suspicion, and if they incapacitated Clancy, then Cynric could take his form and walk right out the front door.
“It’s this way sir.” Ryce caught a look of surprise on Clancy’s face. He clenched his jaw for a moment, hoping that his easy agreement hadn’t made Clancy suspicious. He decided not to worry about it, and turned purposefully to stride down the hall. Clancy kept pace with him.
“I’m glad you decided to see reason,” Clancy said, and Ryce made a noise that was neither agreement nor disagreement.
Up ahead he could see Synn standing guard outside a door, and there was no one else in the hall. They’d picked the perfect time to rescue Cynric, since the building was quiet, and it looked like Clancy was prepared to take him away. He made a mental note to thank Collette for coming up with a distraction for Dawson so they could get his friend out of there tonight. If they had waited even one more day, their chances of rescuing Cynric would have been reduced to zero.
As they came abreast of the door, he could see the almost imperceptible widening of Synn’s eyes. There was no way for him to communicate his plan to his friend, but Synn seemed to understand. He inclined his head when Clancy wasn’t looking at him.
“Are you going to open the door?” Clancy huffed out an impatient sigh as if Ryce was deliberately making him wait.
“Yes sir,” Ryce said as he put his hand up on the panel beside the door. The light above it flashed blue, and the lock disengaged. Ryce took a deep breath and braced himself for what he would see on the other side of the door.
The cell was dim, with only a single, small light over head. He could see well enough to see Cynric unfold himself from where he was sitting against the wall and stand up tall in front of them. His face was haggard and tired, he had a full growth of beard which was in contrast to his normal clean shaven face. Apart from a few bruises on his face, he looked to be in good condition.
His eyes shifted from Ryce to Clancy, and his eyes narrowed as Clancy stepped forward.
“Do you have some kind of restraints to put on him so I can escort him out of here?” Clancy said with his back to Ryce. Synn stepped up behind him and put his hand in the crook of his neck, and the military commander made a brief noise before collapsing to the floor.
“It’s me, Ryce. Get undressed and touch him so we can get you the hell out of here,” Ryce said as he knelt down beside Clancy and shifted him so he could get his jacket off him.
“Thank the gods,” Cynric said as he shrugged out of the filthy shirt he was wearing. “For a moment there I thought that this was it, they were sick of my stonewalling and were going to get rid of me.”
“I think the plan was to take you somewhere else, so it’s a good thing we showed up when we did,” Synn said as he tackled Clancy’s shirt.
“How did you disguise yourselves so effectively,” Cynric asked as he put his hand on Clancy. He closed his eyes, and his body morphed until he looked identical to the man lying on the floor. He took the shirt that Synn handed to him while Ryce worked on Clancy’s boots.
“We’ll explain once we are out of here, we aren’t out of the woods yet.” Ryce tugged the boots off Clancy’s feet and set to work on his pants. Once Clancy was lying on the floor in only his boxer shorts, Ryce stood. Cynric pulled on the rest of the commander's clothing and put the boots on his feet.
“So what’s the plan now?” Cynric straightened his clothes and stood tall. He winced slightly and put his hand on the small of his back. “I hope you have a way to get this thing off my back, they use it to control me.”
“We’ll get it off when we get back to our base of operations,” Synn said. “I know it hurts like a son of a bitch when they turn the juice on.”
“And how do you have experience with it,” Cynric asked as he knelt to tighten the laces on the boots he was wearing.
“We’ll explain everything once we are out of here,” Ryce said. He didn’t want to linger here any longer than necessary.
“Do you have any weapons,” Cynric asked as he stood tall. He was tense and looked braced for a fight.
“No,” Ryce said. “We won’t need them. The plan is to walk right out the front door.”
“Let’s go then,” Cynric said as they trooped out of the door.
The door closed and locked behind them, and they walked down the hall. Tension coiled in Ryce’s gut, as his eyes scanned ahead of them. He didn’t trust that it would be as easy as it seemed for them to walk out of there. Their entire trip down the corridor, and toward the front door of the building he expected them to be halted, that something would blow their cover. They came to the guard sitting at the front desk.
The young man stood at attention and saluted and they walked on by him, and out the front door. The urge to run, to get the hell out of there was so strong that he had to clench his fists at his side to keep his even pace across the pavement.
They walked into the shadows, where the van the Evie had lent them was waiting just outside of the gates, and it was only when they were safe inside it that Ryce blew out a slow breath of relief.
“Let’s get back to Evie’s,” he said to Synn who pushed the van’s ignition button.
/>
“Who’s Evie?” Cynric said, and Ryce turned to him.
“It’s a long story, and we’ll catch you up as soon as we are on the road,” he said as the van pulled away and drove down the road.
“Do you want me to wait out here for you,” Evie asked as the car pulled into the parking lot of Dawson’s building.
“Yes,” Collette said as she opened her purse and took out the small vial the contained the sedative. The glass felt cool as she tucked it away out of sight in her bra. “Can you see it?”
She turned to Evie for inspection, and Evie’s eyes scanned her front.
“No, I can’t see it. Be careful,” Evie said, her face serious.
“I will.” Collette snapped her purse shut and opened the car door. She stepped out of the car, and a balmy breeze caressed her skin as she shut the car door. She walked across the pavement toward the building and pressed one hand against her flat stomach. She drew a deep breath in through her nose and slowly blew it out her mouth. Her nerves quieted, and she walked confidently in the front door of the building.
She walked up to the desk and smiled at the guard who was sitting there.
“I’m here to see Colonel Dawson,” she said. “Can you call him and let him know that I’m here? My name is Collette Beauleau.”
“Colonel Dawson left a message that he’s expecting you,” the guard said and he gave her directions to Dawson’s apartment. She thanked him with a smile and walked toward the elevators.
The press of the vial in her bra burned against her skin, and for a moment it felt like she had a neon sign on her chest, showing that she was up to no good. She pushed the feeling aside. Evie assured her that the vial couldn’t be seen and there was no way that Evie would have let her leave the car if there was any indication that the vial would be easily seen or found.
