Hidden Impact

by Piper J. Drake

  The last finished on a sweet note. He did not miss these dramatic outbursts from her. A person could deliver a message without the melodrama.

  “I think we’re getting too close to knowing more than we should.” He let his own arrogance shine through. She did bring out the asshole in him. “This isn’t about one woman looking for her runaway sister anymore. That’s not news. We’re about to expose something sensitive to your employers. What will you do?”

  Silence.

  * * *

  “While I’m glad I’m not blown to pieces, most of my readily available wardrobe is. The duffel had most of my clothes in it. I’m going to need to go back to my apartment again to get more.”

  Maylin ignored Gabe’s scowl in response to her statement and crossed her arms, leaning back against the kitchen counter. The guest cabin at Centurion Corporation was familiar compared to the hotel the previous night, and felt a little like coming home.

  She was being perfectly reasonable, but having gotten her safely back to Centurion Corporation grounds, Gabe seemed less than thrilled with the idea of taking her someplace unsecured again anytime soon. Especially a place the enemy already knew about, like her apartment.

  He might have a point. Another one of Jewel’s little presents was likely waiting for her. A shudder ran through her. Gabe lived with these kinds of possibilities every day. Would she ever go back to her own way of walking through life, not worrying about intruders and bombs?

  Not for a long time.

  Still, she wouldn’t live in fear of the possibilities. Practicality had to have a place in there too. “I need clothes and I can’t afford to buy new ones. Plus, there’s really no time to go through all that.”

  “You need rest. Real sleep.” He might’ve tried to keep the growl out of his voice. Maybe.

  Probably not.

  She kept her mouth shut. Obviously he was set to be as stubborn as she was. His dark glower was incredibly sexy, if she wanted to admit it.

  “Clothes are a necessity, whatever steps we’re taking next.” Keep the words measured. Go for patience. Bumping heads was one thing, but she didn’t want to pick an actual fight.

  Instead of getting more obstinate, he grinned. “Well, I can think of a few activities for the immediate future in which clothes are superfluous.”

  “Using a big word or two there. Maybe you’ve gotten practice in your recent conversations.” She clamped her hands over her mouth as soon as she said it. Gah, it sounded obnoxious. She was angry he hadn’t let her have choice words with Jewel. But the level-headed part of her brain acknowledged there would have been little constructive to come out of it.

  In a way, Jewel had been baiting her again.

  Gabe shrugged, not bothered. “You are a good influence on me. To be honest, it’s fun talking with you. It stretches my vocabulary some.”

  “Really?” Not what she’d expected. Every person on his team was intelligent. Their level of skill was obvious and their confidence in each other only reinforced the impression.

  “On missions, conversational skills tend to be reduced to the shortest sentences required to get a message across. Sometimes we don’t even use words if a motion is enough.” Gabe made a few hand signs. “No one in a combat situation has time for in-depth discussion. It washes over into our day-to-day life, and we get to be frugal about our word counts.”

  “I don’t mind.” He had been short with her in the beginning. Concise. Some people might’ve considered him rude. She’d figured it was about expediency. But she liked this, learning more about why he was the way he was. It filled her with warmth.

  “Anyway,” he continued, watching her. The heat in his gaze made her breath catch. “It’s worth remembering words are meant for more than decisive action once in a while, for special people.”

  She huffed out a laugh. “And what about the majority of the populace?”

  He shrugged and stepped toward her, close. “Not worth the syllables.”

  Another laugh bubbled up and got lost as she locked gazes with him, and her heart started to pound in her chest. Thoughts scampered away and all she had left was...wow. He was intense, and suddenly a very potent sexual being. “I thought you wanted to hold off on...exploring what’s between us until we’ve rescued An-mei.”

  It’d been a struggle to remember what phrase he’d used. Actually, her own vocabulary was quickly evaporating.

  “What’s between us is a whole lot more than physical. At least, for me.” His voice had gone darker, roughened with honest emotion. “Not to say it isn’t a significant part of it. And right now I’ve got a serious need to make sure every part of you is safe and sound.”

  His hands came up and gripped her upper arms with a light, firm pressure. She placed her own palms on his waist and leaned her forehead against his chest.

  “The car.” He paused and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. “When we couldn’t get you out of it. I just about died inside.”

  She’d been frightened. Very. But thinking more about what Gabe might’ve seen in the past, she wondered what nightmare possibilities had gone through his head when her seat belt jammed?

  “I’m here. I’m okay.” She rubbed her face into his shirt, breathed in the earthy smell of him. He was her safety.

  “I just...” His heart rate was picking up, the beat of it a strong rhythm against her ear. “I need to know you’re here.”

  She nodded. Not sure she understood.

  His hands started to roam, rubbing and massaging up and down her back and arms. Everywhere he touched came alive under his palms. He was checking for injuries, she realized, but this was so much more intimate. Careful.

  In a sudden movement, he had her by the waist and boosted her up to sit on the kitchen counter. It surprised a gasp out of her and he stilled, looked into her face. She bit her lip and gave him a small smile.

  This was okay. “Caught me by surprise, that’s all. Nothing hurt.”

  “Good.” The tightness around his eyes and mouth relaxed a little.

  Returning to his inspection, he started with her thighs and worked his way down each leg. His touch still firm, massaging and waking up her senses until her awareness of him was at an all-time high. She swallowed hard when he got to her right ankle.

  “Swollen.” He carefully removed her shoe and sock, taking a closer look.

  “I twisted it when we walked away from the car. It doesn’t hurt.” In fact, the swelling had to be minimal. “Honestly, I’ve walked off worse just turning wrong in the kitchen. It’s fine.”

  He bent and kissed the side of her ankle anyway.

  Fire ran up her leg and to her core. Her breath caught. She swallowed hard.

  He straightened then and cupped her face in his hand. “That was closer than it should’ve been. I should’ve taken better care of you.”

  She leaned into his palms. “You saved my life. Kept me safe.”

  The smile he gave her was sad somehow. She wanted to take it away and replace it with a different kind of emotion.

  And right now, she wanted nothing more than for him to touch her more. Her skin was hot all over. She’d never felt so alive than with him in the past couple of days, and need had built up inside her until she was wet. Telling him was an option, but she preferred decisive action.

  Gripping either side of his waist, she spread her knees and pulled him in until his hips were snug against her. He let her, his dark gaze burning into her and his hands sliding to her neck in a slow caress. She wasn’t alone in her desire—that much was obvious in the hard ridge of his erection inside his jeans.

  “Kiss me?” She whispered the request.

  Fire sparked in his eyes and he bent, capturing her mouth in a kiss so deep she decided air was a frivolous requirement. He cupped the back of her head with one big hand
, encouraging her to tilt for even more access. His other hand swept down her side and back up to cup one of her breasts. She let out a needful groan, squeezing her thighs around his hips and running her hands over the hard planes of his chest.

  He shifted his embrace, his arms circling her hips and lifting her. She locked her legs around his waist and grabbed onto his shoulders, still caught up in the hungriest kisses she’d ever experienced. A tiny part of her mind noticed he was carrying her to the bedroom and approved. What they were about to do would’ve broken health codes in a professional kitchen. The newer, wilder part of her mind pointed out that it wasn’t a professional kitchen and wondered if it wouldn’t have been great to stay right where they were.

  Any thoughts scattered as he let her down on the bed. He stepped back and peeled off his shirt. Her mouth went dry, then watered as he unbuttoned his pants and set his erection free of both pants and boxer briefs. Oh, she really didn’t mind the change in location.

  Getting to her hands and knees, she stalked him across the bed. He stilled and watched her approach. Still bold with the wild streak she’d found, she reached out and wrapped her hand around the length of his cock. He groaned, stepped closer for her.

  Stroking the soft skin along his shaft, she parted her lips and took him into her mouth. His hand buried into her hair but didn’t push her, so she took her time swirling her tongue around his tip. The taste of him, the smoothness of his skin. She opened wider, taking as much of his length as she could, and then withdrew, sucking as she did.

  He groaned and his fingers tightened in her hair.

  Peeking up at him, the storm in his eyes warned her things were going to escalate very soon. Her nipples tightened and wetness grew between her thighs in response. But first, she was going to suck him again. And she did. She took as much of him into her mouth as she could, until his head bumped the back of her throat, and she sucked gently as she backed away. If it was at all possible he got harder, bigger. She licked the length of his shaft and turned her hand to cup his balls, running her fingertips over the superthin soft skin there.

  “Maylin.” He was short on breath. “You’re going to make me come.”

  “Mmm.” She ran the tip of her tongue along the underside of his shaft. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “No.” He let go of her hair and started to pull her shirt up. “But I am damn well going to bring you first.”

  She let him pull off her shirt, arching back as he buried his face in her bra. He cupped her breasts in his hands, nibbling at her nipples through the fabric.

  “This needs to go.” He reached around and undid the clasp, freeing her of the undergarment.

  She gasped as the heat of his mouth closed over one nipple, and clutched his shoulders for balance as he sucked. Distracted, she didn’t resist as he pressed her backward onto the bed. He took a moment to give similar attention to her other nipple until she was squirming underneath him.

  “Easy.” He murmured the word against her skin, then kissed his way down her navel. As he unbuttoned her pants and hooked his fingers over the waistband of both pants and panties, he looked up the length of her. “Are you wet for me?”

  She swallowed, caught up in desire and aching. If he didn’t ease the need soon, she’d go insane. “Yes.”

  He grinned, sliding her pants and underwear off in one smooth motion. “Good.”

  His big hands parted her legs and gripped the inside of her thighs, holding her open for his pleasure. He never broke their eye contact, even as he leaned down and blew a puff of hot air over her tortured flesh. He hadn’t even touched her yet and she quivered for him.

  Suddenly, he dragged his tongue through her folds and she cried out, tossing her head back as the sensation shot through her. His hands shifted to cup her bottom, lifting her hips as he feasted on her. All she could do was grab the bedsheets in her fists and writhe as he sucked, licked, even nipped.

  “You taste so good.” He didn’t let up his onslaught, darting his tongue into her opening. “Sweet.”

  Her body tightened and she moaned. His tongue flicked against her clit and she bucked. Couldn’t help it.

  He chuckled. “Oh, you’re close, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” she gasped. “Yes.”

  Letting her hips back down, he continued to lick and kiss and swirl his tongue while his hands ran up and down the backs of her thighs. She reached down and grasped his head, holding on as the sensations built more and more. He penetrated her with a finger. Each stroke drove her closer to the edge.

  But she wanted more. Something more than one or the other of them finding release.

  “Wait.” She pulled on his head, made him look back up at her. “Wait. I want you inside me.”

  He paused. The storm in his eyes rocked her to the core.

  “Please. Come with me.” This time it was important to her. She didn’t think about why, just that it was.

  He rose up and fished in his discarded pants pockets, coming up with a condom. Without taking his gaze off her, he freed it from its wrapping and rolled it over the length of him. When he climbed back onto the bed, he stopped to kiss her breasts before covering her. She parted her legs, shifting her hips to help him until the head of his cock nudged at her entrance.

  For a long heartbeat he held himself poised over her. Then his mouth came down on hers hard and demanding as he slid inside her, stretching and filling. She moaned into his mouth, reaching up to grasp his shoulders.

  He kept on kissing her as he rocked his hips into her. Every stroke drew a moan or a cry from her and he swallowed all of them as his tongue danced with hers. Wild wasn’t the word for it. She was lost in him.

  “Maylin.” He uttered her name and she tightened hearing it.

  He groaned. Then he leaned back just long enough to hook an arm under her right leg, bringing it up high and opening her wider. Every thrust went deeper, stroking different places inside her until she felt herself climbing back to the edge of climax.

  All she could do was hold on. “Yes, Gabe, this. Please!”

  A guttural sound rolled up out of him, something between a growl and a sound even more primal. He drove into her and they both went over the edge together. Her orgasm gripping her entire body as pleasure rushed over her mind in a tidal wave.

  Awareness came back to her slowly. He’d let himself down on top of her and she savored the weight of him, reaching to run her hands over his back and shoulders.

  He nuzzled her neck. “I can’t resist you when you ask all nice like that.”

  “Nice?” She squirmed under him until she could angle her head to look into his face. “More like begging.”

  And wasn’t that embarrassing?

  He must have seen the flush rise up on her cheeks. Concern in his eyes, he propped himself up on his elbows so they could look at each other without craning necks. “Hey. It was nice. And I like when you tell me what you want. Please keep telling me. Okay?”

  He was so earnest, so sincere, she couldn’t help but absorb his words. Biting her lip, she nodded. The embarrassment receded gradually.

  He kissed the bridge of her nose. “Good.”

  Since he was leaning over her she indulged herself, running her hands over his chest and torso.

  “Aw, you are too tempting.” He lowered himself down on her for a long kiss with a fair amount of caressing and hip grinding. She might have been guilty of some groping. Okay, a lot of groping. “Minx.”

  “What?” She nipped at his earlobe. “I can’t help it. You’re I don’t know how many pounds of delicious muscular ubergorgeousness.”

  Now she was making up words.

  He chuffed out a laugh. “And you are definitely starting to fall asleep. You just don’t know it yet. Wait right here.”

  She almost protested when he rolled off her, but he was
back in record time with a damp washcloth. Cleaning up a little was a good idea, and then he climbed back into bed and tucked her against his side. “Nap.”

  “Is that an order?” She said it lightly but she had to admit, it was a good idea. Exhaustion had snuck up on her and sleep was dragging her under faster than she’d anticipated.

  He nuzzled her hair. “I’m here. You’re safe. Rest. Then we’ll take on whatever comes next.”

  Snuggling in the circle of his arms, she let go and fell into sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “So. Your car is still on the side of the road.” Lizzy was sitting at the breakfast counter when they returned to the main house.

  The dark-haired woman lifted her chin at Gabe in welcome and gave Maylin a smile.

  Warmed, Maylin returned it with one of her own. “Hungry? I was about to make up dinner for us.”

  Lizzy peered down into her plastic cup. A metal ball inside clunked against the side. “Normally protein shakes are fine for me around dinner time, but I’m game for real food.”

  “It’ll only take twenty minutes,” Maylin promised as she reached the refrigerator.

  Someone had stocked it with a few more fresh ingredients. Plus the freezer had a few surprises too. She wondered if the Centurions might be hopeful she’d do more cooking to calm her mind.

  Glad to.

  “Need help?” Gabe stood at her shoulder.

  She handed him a box of frozen shrimp, easy peel kind. “Could you dump some of these into a bowl of cold water? It has to be cold to defrost properly. Warm will spoil the shrimp. Figure about four or five for each of us. Oh, and could you start the rice cooker with about one measuring cup of uncooked rice? There should be a cup for the rice cooker, not a standard measuring cup.”

  There was a beat of hesitation and then he took them from her, dropping a kiss on her cheek before turning toward the sinks. “Really glad you’ll let me help.”

  Maylin paused. Blinked. When was the last time she’d let anyone help her cook in a kitchen? She couldn’t remember. Usually if they were catering, she’d assign simple dishes to the staff but did special dishes on her own. Declining help.