by Sydney Croft
Except, he wouldn’t be servicing her now. Maybe she should take someone else. Use this opportunity to force the separation between her and Tom that would come any moment anyway. At least this way it would be her choice. Her terms.
“God, you’re beautiful,” Zach whispered, and she flushed and turned away because she knew he didn’t mean it. Her pheromones had turned his brain to mush.
Her own brain was rapidly growing fuzzy, and her body had come alive with a terrible itch. A burning, gnawing sensation ate at her insides until it felt like only the tightening of her skin kept it all in.
She was strung out, and by all rights should pounce on the male touching her, the one who wanted her even if it was only because her heat had influenced him. But as desperate as she was for a fix, she craved the attentions of another man, with a ferocity that hurt.
Suddenly, she found herself on her feet and hauled up against a hard chest. Tommy.
Relief flooded her. The explosion of harsh words between Tom and Zach didn’t register; she was too busy rubbing her face on Tom’s shoulder, his arm, his chest. She wanted his scent all over her, wanted her scent on him so he couldn’t easily walk out of her life.
Her hands slipped beneath his T-shirt of their own accord, and if he didn’t find someplace private, she was going to take him right there.
“Please, Tommy,” she murmured, and he swept her up. She doubted, though, that he knew what she was begging for. Not for sex.
For him.
THEY NEEDED PRIVACY, and fast.
Kira was rubbing herself against him like one of the big cats she liked so much, and he didn’t need her to slam him to the ground and take him in front of Zach and the rest of the crew. Because, Christ, he hadn’t had enough protein and probably would be pretty damned ineffective trying to fight her off and this was all embarrassing enough already.
Embarrassing, but hot.
“Keep your fucking paws off of her,” he told Zach, who just held up his hands and backed away slowly.
Ender’s entire body tensed, with anger and with desire as Kira continued to use her body to give him one big caress—marking him over and over again, and God, he could smell her pheromones rising. And even though Zach had backed off, he could still see the lust for Kira in the man’s eyes. It did not make him happy at all.
With a final growl at Zach, he grabbed Kira around the waist and started to walk. The bathroom was the closest place. She’d already wrapped herself around him, arms and legs holding her tightly in place, and he wondered what it would be like to make the first move with her.
Not that he needed to worry about that anymore.
He kicked the bathroom door closed behind them, didn’t have time to lock it before she was tugging frantically at his fly.
“Kira, it’s all right—I’m here. Hang on.” He sat her on the edge of the sink as he worked down her BDUs.
They’d both given up on underwear hours ago.
“Please, hurry,” she whispered while she slid her shirt off over her head and he unbuttoned his own BDUs and let them pool around his ankles. Her nipples were already taut, a deep rose color that made his mouth water, and he put his mouth on one, then the other, rolling the hard buds in his mouth. She moaned above him and he sucked harder, knowing they didn’t have the time for this. But he loved to make her moan.
He waited to hear her call him Tommy. When she didn’t, a vague sense of disappointment washed over him, one he couldn’t shake even as he entered her fast and hard enough to make him forget his own goddamned name.
Pleasure wracked his body, his legs shook as his cock danced in her heat and she was still so tight, so freaking perfect, that he saw stars.
She clawed at his back through his shirt as if she were trying to make sure there wasn’t an ounce of space between them as she bucked her hips against his. He heard his shirt rip, and yanked what was left of it over his head.
“Mmmmm, skin on skin,” she murmured. “Love the way that feels.”
Yeah, he did too, but still, no Tommy, dammit.
He held her hips firm so he could get a better angle to thrust into her, watched as she began to lose control. The sink creaked from the effort, the mirror on the wall shook and he didn’t give a shit if the whole place came tumbling down.
She threw her head back, her mouth opened soundlessly as her orgasm overtook her.
He came in short, hot spurts, while her sex contracted around him, as if demanding every last drop. His knees were weak and he wondered if he’d have time to eat something before he took her over to meet the rest of the ACRO team.
He needed meat, but after what she’d told him, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stomach it well.
She was still nuzzling his neck—he could’ve sworn she was actually giving him small licks with her tongue, and it felt good. But he pulled back anyway.
“Why didn’t you say my name?” he asked, before he could stop himself. Fuck.
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s just…you always say my name when you come.”
She blinked, and it was obvious she was still in her post-orgasmic state. And then she smiled at him. “I was trying to stay quiet. I mean, you work here—I didn’t think you’d want to have people talking about the time there was a woman screaming your name in the bathroom.”
He nodded, like it didn’t matter. He bent down to retrieve her bottoms and T-shirt, handed them to her before he buttoned his own pants. “Hurry up and get dressed. We’re late.”
“Was this it, Tommy?” she asked, and fuck—now she had to say his name?
“End of the line,” he said. He turned away as she washed up, checked his watch and forced himself not to reset the alarm he’d had at the ready every four hours.
Someone else would have to set their alarm for Kira now.
CHAPTER
Eighteen
Squinting in the bright morning sunlight, Kira grabbed Tom’s elbow and pulled him to a halt as they exited the dog kennels. “How far is it?”
“The other side of the park.” He gestured across the street at a large expanse of grass and flowers dotted with picnic tables. “We’ll be there in a minute.”
Through the trees scattered around the park, she could see buildings, all too close, and her stomach bottomed out.
“Can we take the long way?” His long pause prompted her to add a quiet “Please?”
Several agonizing heartbeats later, he relented with a brisk nod. They crossed the street and walked in silence along a trail that appeared to circle the park. A half-dozen people greeted them in passing, some in the black military-style uniforms, others in civilian clothing and ACRO badges, and none gave her more than a curious glance. She hadn’t known what to expect, but normal, seemingly cheerful people wasn’t it.
“Do ACRO employees use the park much?”
“The MWR department puts on a lot of functions here. Picnics, concerts…not my thing, but everyone else seems to have fun.”
“MWR?”
“Morale, Welfare and Recreation. I think there’s all of one person in that department.”
“So you never attend?”
“Nope.”
“Do you ever socialize with these people?”
“Nope.”
She’d guessed he maintained a lonely existence, but she figured he at least hung out with people who understood him. Heck, that seemed like one of the greatest perks to working in a place like this. She’d spent her entire life watching the world have fun while she stood on the sidelines for fear of getting hurt.
“So I guess I won’t see you at the company Christmas party, huh?”
“Does that mean you’ve decided to sign on?”
“Not even close.” She stopped to sniff some purple flowers growing along the trail. “It was a joke, Mr. Talkative.”
He kept walking as though he hadn’t heard her. His odd mood bothered her. Was he as upset about leaving her as she was about leaving him?
Yeah, right. No doubt he’d be thrilled to have his life to himself again, to not have to babysit her and tend to her needs every four hours.
She, on the other hand, would miss how he tended her. How he smelled of sun-warmed skin and grass, how his gaze heated when he looked in her direction. She’d miss the way he acted all tough and gruff but would take the time to scratch a cat behind the ears. Most of all, though, she’d miss the way he made her feel when he was inside her, like she was the most important person in his life, if just for a few moments.
They rounded a bend, and when they emerged from behind a small group of trees and bushes, she grinned at the sight of a gazebo overlooking a football field–sized pond.
“Ducks!”
She ignored Tom’s tolerant sigh and hurried to the edge of the water. Tiny waves lapped at her pink boots as she reached out mentally to the mallards. Their contentment wrapped around her, lessening her anxiety about the facility. Granted, ducks were pretty happy as long as they had food, water and freedom, but here no one hunted them, they didn’t worry about predators and they had more than enough people feeding them bread crusts on a regular basis.
“You’re stalling.”
Tom’s voice shattered her inner peace, leaving her stomach in turmoil once more. “I guess I am.” She looked up at him, hoping he’d see what she didn’t want to admit, and pull her into his arms. When he didn’t, she whispered, “I’m scared.”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Yeah, he’d said as much a hundred times, but he wasn’t the one facing God-knew-what. “I don’t trust them.”
“And they don’t trust you.” He jammed his hands in his pockets and looked out over the pond, his handsome, angular profile giving away none of his thoughts. “They aren’t going to torture you, or cut you open to see how you work. I won’t lie to you, though. They will push you to the limit. Past your breaking point. They want to know what you’re capable of, and their goal is to develop your gift as far as it will go. But you’ll be treated well.”
“Great.”
He started walking again, and she followed, noted that his pace slowed as they approached a squat brick building ahead. Her gut rolled, and a wave of dizziness washed over her as he reached for the door handle.
“Tom…”
“It’s okay. Come on.”
They stepped inside some sort of small lobby, and instantly, the air-conditioned breeze eased some of her nausea, but did nothing for her nerves. Her knees trembled, her teeth chattered and her mouth had gone so dry she could hardly swallow.
Two men in black BDUs entered the room from a side hallway that sloped downward. As they approached, she inched closer to Tom, so close she could smell her scent on his skin.
“You must be Kira.” The speaker’s badge identified him as a trainer named Brad.
Tom stepped forward, to get away from her or to intimidate the other men with his greater height, she didn’t know. “I spoke with the training supervisor. She was to have female trainers. It’s not a good idea to have males near her right now.”
Not a good idea at all, as evidenced by the fact that her pheromones were already affecting the two trainers. Their arousal permeated the air, and she didn’t need to look to know they sported erections.
“We’re only here to help Kira settle in and get started with some paperwork. Janice and Annika are on the way.”
“Annika? Fuck.”
“Is that bad?” Kira shot panicked glances at Tom and the trainers. “Tom?”
He didn’t take his eyes off Brad, as though the other man was responsible for whatever had pissed Tom off. “Annika can scent weakness a mile off. Don’t let her catch wind of yours.”
“We can take it from here, Ender.” Brad’s smile was probably meant to soothe her, but it only made her once again inch toward Tom—or Ender, as Brad had called him. “When did you last have intercourse?”
The only sound that came out of her mouth was a strangled squeak.
Tom angled his body just enough to hide her face, and she could have kissed him for that. “Half hour ago. You’ve got about three and a half hours. Don’t go over.”
“With all due respect, this is our field. We’ve got it covered.”
“She’ll die if she doesn’t get what she needs,” Tom snapped. “You know that, right? Have you made arrangements?”
“Assembling volunteers wasn’t difficult. We’ve got three donors on standby.”
Donors? Like sperm donors? The other trainer, James, probably thought his announcement reassured her, but it had done the opposite. Panic reached up like a fist and squeezed until she could barely breathe.
“No.” She stumbled backward. “No. I can’t do this.”
Tom held up his hand to stop the trainers from coming after her. “Give us a minute.” He took her by the elbow and led her to a chair in one corner, but she didn’t sit. “You said you would give this a shot.”
“I changed my mind. I can’t.” He was so close, and it would be so easy to climb up him, wrap herself around him and hold on forever. Or at least until her fever ended. “Take me with you. Just until my heat is over.”
“Kira—”
“Please.” She grasped his hand and held so tight he winced. “You’re the only man who has ever known the truth about me. You don’t judge me. You’ve kept me safe and alive.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked to hold them back. “No one has ever accepted who I am like you have. I finally have someone I don’t have to lie to and hide from. I’m scared and alone and all I have in the whole world is this backpack and you.” She took a deep breath, tried to rid her voice of the tremors. “Tommy, don’t make me beg.”
For a moment, she thought she’d gotten through to him. He stood there, his throat working on a swallow, his gaze soft and sympathetic. He closed his eyes, and her pulse skittered madly as she waited, but when she felt him stiffen, her heart seized.
His eyes opened, and her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach. Gone was the man who had protected her, had held her tenderly, had listened to her like she mattered. In his place was the professional, efficient agent who had killed Derek and hunted down bad guys in the woods. This Tom’s eyes were ice, his expression hard, and she knew in an instant that the man standing before her was capable of things she couldn’t even comprehend.
“You don’t get it, do you, Kira? You aren’t my problem anymore. The second you crossed the threshold to this building, you became theirs, thank God.”
“But…” Problem? She had no idea how to finish the sentence she’d begun. Shock had stolen her thoughts.
He dropped her hand and wheeled away, putting a mile of distance in the three-foot span of tile. “I don’t have time for this. I have other jobs waiting.”
“Other jobs.” Knowing she’d been nothing but an assignment was one thing; hearing it in his own words was another. Pain shot through her, and she nearly doubled over with the hurt that seared her insides. “More people to kill and other women to screw, is that right?”
“Whatever it takes to complete a mission.” He gestured to the two men who had stopped pretending to chat and now watched intently. “Go. It’s best for everyone.”
Damn him. The air grew thick and still as Tom and the trainers waited for her reaction. She had no idea what any of them would do if she told them to go to hell and then ran out the door, but she guessed they wouldn’t let her get far. Tom had warned her that once she stepped foot on ACRO property, she wouldn’t be allowed to leave until her training was completed, whether or not she signed on at the end.
She looked up at him, searched for even a hint of the Tommy she’d fallen for, but he was gone. The stranger in front of her had taken over, and that bastard would not see her cry or beg again.
Lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders, she turned away. The trainers flanked her and guided her down the sloping hallway. A strange pulling sensation tugged at her, like an invisible rope stretched between Tom and her, and as the
distance between them increased, the more uncomfortable the pull became. The man standing in the lobby might not be her Tommy, might be the cold killer people here called Ender, but her body didn’t know the difference, and it wanted him back.
Nothing like that had ever happened before, but she didn’t have time to dwell. Brad and James were leading her underground and into a world that scared the bejeezus out of her.
Tom’s gaze burned her back, and she wondered if he’d watch until she disappeared, which might be a long time. The hallway went on forever, the smooth walls broken by metal doors with tiny windows. She peeked into one and immediately wished she hadn’t.
The rooms were chambers. Full of furniture, decorations, but still too cramped for her comfort. Too cramped and too confining.
Cells.
“Is this—” She swallowed and tried again. “Is this a prison?”
Brad shook his head. “The prison is one level below. These are the trainee quarters.”
“Are we free to come and go?”
James knocked on one of the doors on his way past and then waved at the man reading a book inside. “We’ll explain everything once we get you to your room.”
“No.” She stopped in the middle of the hallway and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ll tell me now.”
“Kira,” Brad began in a soothing, low voice, “let’s not make this difficult.”
“You’re the ones being difficult.” She backed up the hall as they moved toward her like stalking cats. “I just want to know if you’re going to keep me locked up. I can’t be locked up. I need—”
“We’ve been over this. We have all angles covered.”
Idiots. “What if you forget? Or decide to punish me by keeping your damned donors away? Or what if some jackass wants to know how long I can go before it’s too late?”
James cast a hasty glance at Brad, and she knew she’d hit the nail on the head. They planned to test her limits. Tom had told her as much, but now that it was real…
