3
“Where do you think they’re headed?”
Bright green eyes turned toward the Sheriff with contempt. “Your mother’s place.”
Cole wasn’t sure that a few slaps and threats had been enough to keep his mother from telling what she knew, but said the opposite. He couldn’t let Ethan infect her, too. “She won’t help them.”
“She already did,” Ethan growled in frustration. He’d expected to have Luke locked up by now and Kendle in his private care. “She was supposed to send them off on a wild goose chase, not give them clues!”
Cole hadn’t understood what she was doing either and he let out a quick sigh. Since he’d been attacked at the shack, he was always impatient. “You know she isn’t right, Ethan. You shouldn’t have picked her to help frame him.”
Faced with the truth, the deteriorating playboy spun toward the cave. “They didn’t have contact with anyone else. He’s too slick.”
“Where are you going? The Mayor said to wait.”
Ethan spun around suddenly, grabbing the Sheriff by his shirt. “My dad is almost dead. I’m next. Before that, them.”
“But the plan…”
Ethan shoved him away in revulsion. “The plan! My father wants to leave our family in charge. If I’m dead, what the hell do I care?”
Cole watched carefully, sensing he was on the edge. If Ethan went nuts, Cole would have to be the one to deal with it. What would calm him down? It came easily enough after considering his own new, violent urges.
“But if we don’t get rid of them other girls first, LJ can’t be blamed. They’ll figure it out and know it was you.”
Ethan had stopped and Cole pushed, but carefully. “Awful way to be remembered, but if you think we should do it now, I’m with you.”
“I need to fill it again.”
The Sheriff felt a chill at the words, picturing the last mess, and then the future that waited for his own infected soul, but he seized the opportunity. “Why don’t you go ahead? I’ll report back or keep following them, whichever you want.”
“Get the rest of them over to Jenna’s and shut her up,” Ethan ordered, moving away from the cave. “If you don’t, I will.”
4
Kendle had been awake for a while, listening to the creaks of the cave and night falling outside. Only seeking his warmth at first, she’d crawled onto Luke’s bare chest and pressed tightly, trying not to shiver. Once his heat had begun to seep into her bones, the feel of his naked skin under her cheek had sent delicious thoughts into her mind.
When he’d pulled her closer in his sleep, it was easy to get carried away and she pressed her mouth fiercely to his.
Kendle knew he wasn’t totally alert yet, knew she should stop after the one good morning embrace, but when he deepened the kiss, claiming her mouth like he owned it, thoughts of stopping were pushed back by desire.
Luke was struggling with himself, still in that hazy area between sleep and awake. Her body was hot against him, inviting, and he let his hand drift down to capture her jean-covered cheek. He shifted beneath her as that familiar iron bar returned and his hips tilted upward instinctively.
“Oohhh...” Kendle melted against him at the intimate contact, swept into a vivid river of stunning light.
Luke tensed under her.
“Don’t stop yet.” She gasped against his mouth. “In a minute or two. Maybe.”
Luke answered with a sharp jerk that had her arching against him in stunned pleasure. He pressed his lips to hers, swallowing a growl of need when she spread her legs over his hips and shoved back eagerly. He let the kiss linger, their bodies rubbing, breath mingling.
When he pulled back, her face was flushed with want. "Any farther and I won’t want to stop, Darlin’. We should get up now."
Swallowing a flip remark that was sure to ruin the mood, Kendle shook her head. "I don't want you to stop. I want to be yours," she confessed in a tight whisper and saw his nostrils flare, like he was scenting prey.
Luke’s head rose back to hers and this time, his mouth was demanding, insisting. He cradled her close as he rolled them over and they both arched at the feel of him lying on top of her.
This kiss was hotter, and she shuddered when his hand slid inside her shirt to touch bare skin.
"Easy," Luke breathed against her cheek and Kendle's heart thumped as he lightly rubbed a taunt nipple. His grip tightened, almost to pinching before letting up and Kendle moaned at the sensation.
Luke slid his head to her neck, nose full of her exotic smell, and he pressed a kiss to her throat, feeling the hunger wake. They’d necked a lot since his promise to love her, but none of those sexy moments had gone far before she pulled back. That wasn’t going to happen this time, he guessed. Heat flashed out, nearly consuming.
“Kendle, are you…” Her mouth covered his, tongue tasting, and his hands slid around her bare back. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss as her silken breasts touched his hard chest.
Kendle moaned lowly at the feel of their skin touching, stunned by the waves of need and Luke held her tighter, trying to memorize it. He wouldn’t be able to go as slow with her as he wanted to, but it would be incredible.
Luke shifted back and the heat in his gaze was enough to burn. “So beautiful…” he murmured, sliding a hand down her hip.
Kendle jerked as his hand brushed the button of her jeans and his eyes held her while his fingers slid the zipper down. Instead of stripping her like he wanted to do, Luke only lowered himself back against that silken skin.
Kendle shivered when his rough cheek slid across her bare breast and her hands tangled in his hair.
Luke pressed soft, slow kisses to her pert little breasts, her taunt, rosy nipples and finally allowed himself to taste her. His tongue flicked over a tip and Kendle arched against him.
He repeated the action on the other side, and used her distraction to unbutton his own jeans without her noticing. Then he reached back down for hers.
Kendle tensed, but allowed her pants to be pulled off, hands clenching to keep herself from bolting. She wanted Luke, but she had a fear of the pain, too. All of it flew from her mind when he settled back against her. Still wearing his boxers, he pushed against her as he suckled a rocky peak and Kendle shuddered at the sensation.
Her body was damp against his thigh, and Luke slid a gentle finger over her folds, pressing lightly. He did it again, a bit slower, and Kendle’s breath caught at the dizzying wave of chills. When he kept doing it, the fire between her legs spread out until she felt like she was being consumed.
Luke allowed his finger to press harder, sliding further down to glide through the signs of her approval and Kendle’s body trembled, muscles clenching in that telltale sign that sent Luke’s own need from hot to leaping flames. She was ready.
He leaned down to nuzzle her chest again, pushing against the only G-spot he’d ever discovered and she moaned, a low, liquid sound that sent a vicious crack through his control. This was the wire! Any further and he wouldn’t stop.
Kendle was pulled from the river of rainbow colors by his sudden tension. Not sure if she'd done something wrong, she waited for him to move again, heart pounding. She'd never been so aware of her body, or felt need like this!
LJ fought for control, but the flames! Against his will, his hand went to her slender hips, and then moved over her taunt, pink breasts. They both drew in air at the not-as-gentle contact. His fingers brushed a peak, drawing another molten sound that sent heat rolling into his toes, and then he was leaning down to claim her mouth in surrender.
Lightning flashed as they kissed, small gasps and groans of pleasure echoing, and she was unaware of all his clothes being gone until she felt his bare knee between her legs.
She tensed up, scared, and Luke won a last battle for gentleness. He slowed his movements, finishing the torturous slide between her long legs, but stopping without touching his throbbing member to her slick heat. He kept himself under tight constraint, his own
need screaming for him to just take her. He dropped his head to her neck, breathing harsh. “I love you, Kendle,” he whispered.
Simple, it had the desired effect and her body began to relax against his. “I love you, too, Luke. You’re so good to me.”
His hand slid over her leg and upward. “Let me be good to you a little more?”
She nodded, flushing as her body jumped under his light touch and he let his hand continue its journey. He stroked her nub with his thumb, being sure to linger and she shuddered, eyes regaining that dazed, smoky color he loved so much. He did it again, harder, and felt a rush of wetness that told him she was as close as he was.
Leaning down, his hands went subtly to her wrists as he drew her into another soul searching kiss and gently pushed his hard body into hers.
Kendle’s eyes flew open. She flinched back and then tried to roll over.
His grip tightened. "Easy, Darlin’…"
She stilled beneath him and his hips shifted, adjusting angles. Her tension was clear despite her obvious want and he leaned back to lock eyes with her as he pushed forward against the barrier. Her mouth opened to protest and he thrust through it brutally.
Kendle whimpered, hands now fists that tried to hold him back and Luke jerked forward, sinking deeply into her. “Ohh God!”
Release flew toward him at the feel of being inside her tight body. Luke sucked in a determined air that gave him a brief second to regain control that he already knew wouldn’t succeed. Until he saw her face.
Kendle’s lids were shut, tears slowly oozing from the corners and her clenched fists were trembling against his arms. Luke shifted and felt her try to close her legs.
He held his throbbing body in check and dropped his head to her chest, lips brushing, teasing. “You okay?” He asked softly.
“Is impaled okay?” The sting was fading and Kendle opened her eyes, not about to miss out on this view of her first time, no matter how bad it got. “I’m fine.”
Luke chuckled, feeling her body already slowly thawing against his. “That’s it for the pain. It only feels good from here.”
He lowered his head to hers, sending his free hand to roam her curves and she returned his kiss distractedly. Not moving his lower half, LJ used his lips and fingers to remind her of the pleasure and felt her body soften more. When she moaned against his lips, he began to gently push against her.
His head lowered to her chest, drawing a shudder and Luke rocked harder. It was like nothing he'd ever felt when she began to thrust back against him, and watching her become a woman gave him the strength to hold out, to please her. She slid over his member like liquid silk, tight and inviting, and when she reached her pleasure, her female body clamped down on him in a way that had him thrusting remorselessly in response.
It was heat like he’d never felt. "Oohhh… Kendle!"
The stunned cry had her body clenching in another spasm of pain-like pleasure, and Luke thrust frantically. Over the edge, he gave a last deep shove that had him locking their hips in ecstasy.
Despite the lack of flames, they were easy to see through the cave’s entrance and the man spying on them shivered in rage as they made love. Glad to be on duty alone instead of with Ethan, the shadowy figure could hear their noises, could feel their passion. When it was over and almost immediately started again, he still lingered. Ethan would know when he saw them. It wouldn’t be much longer now.
“That was incredible,” Kendle whispered. She’d never felt anything like it. “Is it always that good?”
Luke snorted against her skin, making her jump. “No. That was…magical.” During the end, both of them had been oblivious to their surroundings. Anyone could have walked up on them and been ignored.
Luke felt pride rise up at the thick smells on her naked skin. He’d put those there! He snorted again, making Kendle laugh.
“Share.”
He propped himself up on one arm, their lower bodies still connected. “Just having a man moment.” He used a soft hand to brush the damp black spikes off her forehead so he could place a kiss there.
Kendle arched under him in surprise at the new, wet friction of their entwined bodies. Electric heat shot through her at the flash of how much she’d enjoyed his pleasure and then she was pulling his mouth back down to hers.
5
Jenna’s place had been ransacked.
There was no sight of the shopkeeper and Luke and Kendle stared in surprise at the damage. They’d made it here in two days, but it hadn’t been fast enough. Windows broken, goods scattered, it was clear bad things had happened very recently. The embers in the fire-can were still glowing.
“What should we do now?” Kendle asked lowly, searching the still greenness around them.
“Back to the hole-up, I guess,” he answered reluctantly. He was almost sure that Sheriff Cole knew where it was. They needed a place that no one would think to search.
“Can we go by the cabin first?” Kendle asked, mind suddenly on their first trip here. She’d seen something that day, hadn’t she? Something they needed.
“Why? You leave something behind?”
“Not exactly. I.. I think I know where there’s a clue.”
Luke studied her, hating the flashes of his awful past now slapping at him. She was his now. If he wanted to keep her, he would have to fix whatever the Krafts had done to their island. And she would have to help, because he had nowhere to stash her. Damn it!
“Tell me where. I’ll pick a different path in.”
Sensing his waiting protests, she answered quickly. “The big tree we ate lunch under.”
Luke’s mind flashed immediately to the sense of danger he’d felt going through the area right before that, but he pushed it away to leer at her. “Yeah, I could eat.”
Kendle watched his eyes go over her sore, sated body with a familiarity that made her blush. So that’s what the big deal was. She certainly understood the fuss now.
Half a day had gone by when they made it to the big tree.
“It looks like a name.”
Both aware that they wouldn’t make it back to the hole-up before dawn, Kendle used Luke’s big arm to pull herself up. “That’s what I thought, too, at first, but it’s more like an arrow, you know?”
Now that she’d pointed it out, he could see what she meant.
“There.”
Luke followed her finger to a similar marking on a nearby tree.
“It’s a map,” she exclaimed excitedly. “Can we follow it?”
He glanced up at the quickly lightening sky. “Tonight.”
Kendle’s reluctance was in her tone. “We camping around here?”
“No. We’ll crash in the cabin during the day, using the hatch.”
The hatch was an escape tunnel behind the cabin that he’d told her about last week, but hadn’t shown her yet.
“That’s perfect. We can track it down by night and hide out under their noses during the day. Sounds fun.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Unlikely.” He stepped back, tugging gently on their connecting rope. “Come on, Ms. Roberts. We can follow it for an hour before we’ll have to go underground and inspect each other.”
Kendle’s happy giggle floated through the jungle, where it was heard by another admirer. This one listened to the sound with a blinding rage. The ship was coming soon, in the next week, and when the slaves were off the island, the movie star wouldn’t be laughing anymore. Screams would be the only sound Ethan allowed from her.
Chapter Thirteen
April 19th, 2013
Near Arthur, Nebraska
1
Angela moved inside the tent with no signs her shoulder was throbbing from the quick workout she’d just put in. It had been 4 days since Dean’s attack and while the wound was healing, it was slow and painful.
“Good morning.”
The eighteen men mostly returned her greeting, but the nasty cut across her windpipe and then the bandage over her left shoulder had their attention. It
was still bothering them to know that she’d been hurt. Angela tried not to be annoyed, but they needed to get over seeing her as a helpless female. She couldn’t take much more of it.
“We’ve covered sanitizing and wound reactions, plus a bit on infection signs. Today, we’ll start learning to care for the wound and then get to stitch removal.”
Feeling the tension rise, she got busy laying out the supplies. “Most wounds like this one should be wiped clean once a day, and then medicated and covered lightly. Wounds that leak or develop an infection require more care.”
She gestured at their kits. “Get your journals out and come take a look. Tell me something about the wound, and then keep taking notes. These journals should become a part of your emergency kit so that every injury you learn to handle will be at your fingertips during a mission or emergency.”
Under Marc’s dark glare, Angela slid out of her sweater and hung it over the chair. She carefully pulled the tape back on the scabbing wound and held out the stained gauze for them to see. “Observations?”
It was hard for the protective males to ignore the crusty stitch-line that was ugly black against angry red. They were used to seeing injuries on each other, but to see it on a female felt wrong.
“Nothing green yet.”
“There’s only a little yellow.”
“Which means?”
“There’s no sign of infection on the bandage.”
Jeremy’s answer was curt and Angela flashed a smile. “Good. You come up first.”
Jeremy moved only a little closer, studying the lightly leaking wound. “Seems brighter than yesterday.” he wrote it in his journal, trying to ignore her scent and the stares boring into his back. “It’s still bleeding.”
“Which means?”
“You need more stitches.”
Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) Page 33
