She’d never put much stock in intuition. Good reporters dealt in cold hard facts. “My mind doesn’t work that way. I’m too analytical.”
“Everyone’s mind works that way, if you let it. It’s just a matter of trusting the signals.”
With a frustrated sigh, she closed her eyes and turned her attention inward. She was close with both of her sisters, but she’d always felt responsible for Libby. There were times when Libby was somewhere she shouldn’t have been and Lexie just instinctively knew. She used that sensation as a pattern and searched her mind for a similar uneasiness, but all she felt was guilt and frustration.
“I honestly think she’s still alive, but the rest…” She shrugged helplessly. “I can’t sense anything but my desperate need to find her.”
He tilted her face up and looked into her eyes. “Focus on that. As long as she’s alive, the rest doesn’t matter. We’ll find her and help her deal with whatever happened during her captivity.”
She nodded, too choked up to speak. He must think she was a sniveling weakling. She’d cried more in the past couple of days than in the ten years that came before.
“It’s getting late.” He slid both hands up to her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll visit Rachel in the morning.”
Her spirit returned in an instant. “It’s not that late,” she cried. “And why do we need to go down there? Can’t you just call her or something?”
He thought for a second then shook his head. “We’re going to accuse the leader of her tribe, who is also a blood relative, of kidnapping a human female in an attempt to cause trouble for the battle born. This requires a face-to-face conversation.”
“So do one of those holographic calls,” she urged.
“Rachel doesn’t have holo-com capabilities.”
“So Skype her. This can’t wait until morning!” Her intensity escalated until her voice sounded shrill.
He stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers. She turned her face away. “Sweetheart, if she—”
“Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me!” She twisted out of his embrace and crossed her arms over her chest. “There’s no reason to delay.”
“Even if Rachel told us where to look, it would be dark before we got there. Mountain settings are almost impossible to search at night.”
She scoffed, not caring if she sounded irrational. “The Phantoms can turn invisible, but they can’t find a heat signature?”
“Heat signatures only reveal so much. We’ll need visual confirmation that Libby is present before Raylon will approve an offensive against the leader of Tandori Tribe.”
“I can’t spend another night not knowing.” She covered her face with her hands, desperately fighting back tears. “I just can’t.”
His arms closed around her and this time she didn’t resist. Who was she kidding? She needed his strength, longed to be comforted—by her mate? She shivered, frustrated that the thought kept reoccurring. It didn’t seem to matter how determined she was to keep the subject at bay. Her being hungered for the soul-deep connection only found with a bonded mate.
With one arm still wrapped around her waist, he tipped her head back with his other hand. “We’ll find her.” She started to object, but he silenced her with a quick, intense kiss. “Maybe I can’t promise you the outcome, but I can promise you this. I won’t stop looking until Libby is found.”
* * * * *
Kage Razel strode across the noisy bar with such overt menace that people scrambled to get out of his way. Even in jeans and a T-shirt, with sunglasses hiding his eyes, he didn’t look quite human.
“Wonderful,” Ulrik muttered under his breath as he quickly stood beside the booth he’d been sharing with two of his cousins. Kage was clearly furious. Ulrik had no idea what had set Kage off, but he wasn’t facing an enraged technomage sitting down.
“Who’s that?” his younger cousin asked, scooting closer to the edge of the booth.
Before Ulrik could explain, Kage fisted the front of Ulrik’s shirt and dragged him to his toes. “Did you know about the attack when you promised me the Relentless?”
“What attack? What are you talking about?” And did the conversation have to take place in such a public location? The success of Tandori Tribe depended on their ability to blend with humans. Another reason he resented the battle born.
“The battle born attacked the Relentless. Fyran and his crew are in custody and the ship is now under guard at Lunar Nine. Rumor has it Zilor will be the new commander.”
Dumbfounded, Ulrik just stared at Kage.
“You honestly didn’t know?” The technomage shoved him backward. “This is a disaster. You have no idea how badly I need that ship.”
“The battle born have been trying to find the Relentless for months. I have no idea how they finally did it.”
“Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought,” Kage sneered. “Clearly, the bitch you wanted me to kill told them how—”
“Keep your voice down,” Ulrik urged, looking around the crowded barroom. As he feared, everyone was watching the tense exchange. The bartender had even come out from behind the bar and had his cell phone in his hand. Probably ready to call the police if the argument turned physical again.
Rather than comply with the command, Kage switched to Rodyte. “Our deal is off. If you want Milanni dead, you’ll have to kill her yourself.” He pivoted on the ball of his foot and prepared to leave.
“Wait!” Ulrik almost grabbed his arm, but remembering the stinging pain allowed him to jerk his hand back just in time.
Kage stopped, but didn’t turn around.
“If our deal is off,” Ulrik stuck out his chest, refusing to back down in front of his cousins. “Then get the hell off my property.” The Telluride location was perfect for an Outcast hideout and they both knew it. Ulrik would not be outmaneuvered again. He simply wouldn’t allow it.
Tension bunched the muscles in Kage’s shoulders and his fists opened and closed. “I paid for six months in advance. If you want me off your land, come evict me.”
Ulrik glared at the back of Kage’s head, but he could feel the deal disintegrating. “There might be another way.”
“There is,” Kage growled out the words, “but it has nothing to do with you.”
Chapter Eleven
Kaden’s lips brushed against Lexie’s cheek. His breath warmed her skin, awakening her senses, offering a retreat from the tumultuous events of the day. It was selfish to accept the invitation, to hide from her grief and fear. But she needed the break, a temporary pause to regroup and garner strength.
“There’s nothing more we can do tonight,” he whispered. “We’ll be sharper and more focused if we’re well rested and relaxed.”
His words so closely mirrored her thoughts that Lexie smiled. “That might be the most creative come-on I’ve ever heard.”
He narrowed his gaze and sighed. “Yes, I want you. You’re my mate. I will always want you. But if sharing pleasure is the farthest thing from your mind, I understand.”
She raised both hands to his chest and inhaled his unique scent, letting the soothing rush wash over her. “If I think about Libby any more tonight, I’ll go insane.” She laughed and shook her head. “If I think about anything else tonight, I’ll go insane. I want to feel, to know that there’s more to life than frustration and fear.”
His lips settled over hers as he pulled her closer. She opened for the gentle invasion of his tongue, needing his taste. Their lips pressed and their tongues slid as their breaths mingled and their heartbeats synchronized. Kissing him was familiar, comforting, but she needed more, needed excitement and intensity.
Apparently sensing her restlessness, Kaden picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. She wrapped her arms around his neck and admired his strong profile, content to go wherever he took her. He was confident and loving, so she let his strength surround her. She’d spent half her life focused on others. This night would be her reward.
He set her down on the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her. His phitons began to glow as he lifted each of her feet and removed her boots. He was silent and focused, but his gaze and their link communicated his thoughts clearly. She was special to him, precious, more important than anything else. She’d heard about such devotion, but never dared to dream that someone would feel that way about her.
Briefly sitting down, he tugged off his boots and removed his uniform top, then knelt again and kissed her some more. She took full advantage of his partial nudity, exploring his chest and arms, his shoulders and back with hungry touches and firm squeezes. His shape thrilled her, the obvious strength comforting. She had always been the strong one, the one others ran to for assistance. It felt wonderful to depend on someone else for a change.
His mouth lingered against hers, but his attention shifted as he deftly unbuttoned her blouse. He took his time, caressing each inch of skin he uncovered before moving on to the next. Slow and steady, each sensation built upon the one that had gone before until her entire body seemed to glow.
He guided her hands to the bed behind her and quickly lowered her blouse, creating a loose restriction for her arms. She was his captive, at the mercy of whatever he chose to do next. The thought excited her more than it should have, more than she cared to admit.
His gaze locked with hers as one of his hands cupped her breast. “Your breast perfectly fits my hand.” A challenging smile slowly spread across his lips. “Why is that?”
“You know why.” She’d accepted the fact in her heart, but she’d yet to speak the words out loud.
“Say it, love.” He bent and tasted her nipple, while his hand moved to her other breast. “Why does this feel so right?”
I’m yours. The thought escaped, though she still denied him the words. And you are mine.
He looked up, his gaze full of wicked satisfaction. She wasn’t sure if he’d heard her admission, or if he just sensed the rush of tenderness that accompanied the words, but it didn’t matter. He’d won the battle for her heart and they both knew it.
He lavished attention on her breasts for a few minutes longer then quickly removed her blouse and urged her over onto her back. Locating the side closure in her skirt, he loosened the garment then pulled it off as she lifted her hips for him. There was no awkwardness in her responses now. They were beyond inhibitions. She needed the passion her mate could unleash and she needed it now. He removed her panties next, then stroked her legs from ankle to inner thigh several times before turning his attention to the delicate cleft between.
Rather than drape her legs over his shoulders, he bent her knees and opened her thighs. Her heels rested on the edge of the bed and her sex was even more on display than it had been before. She watched his face, reveled in the ravenous desire she inspired in him. Emotions surged across their link, echoing the need she saw in his expression.
He touched her with his fingertips first, tracing her slit and teasing her already damp folds. All he had to do was look at her and she moistened. Kissing her made her so wet he could join their bodies without any other foreplay. But he liked foreplay, and so did she.
Two of his fingers slowly sank into her core and he lowered his head between her thighs. She closed her eyes, already teetering on the brink of orgasm. He touched her once with the tip of his tongue then slid his fingers in and out. His touch was too light, too unfocused to push her over the edge, which was exactly what he intended.
She groaned and lifted her hips, trying to increase the pressure of his tongue against her clit. He allowed the urgent rocking for only a moment, then grabbed her hips and held her still, depriving her of the fullness his fingers had provided. She panted harshly, having no choice but to focus on the rhythmic stroking of his tongue.
Tension gathered low in her abdomen, drawn tighter and tighter by the circular motion of his tongue. Her thighs shook and her core clenched, needing to be filled, needing him deep inside her. His lips encircled her clit and sent her soaring with a careful suck. She cried out and arched helplessly as sensations blasted through her body.
Before the last ripple passed, Kaden shed his pants and pulled Lexie’s hips to the edge of the bed. He draped her legs over his arms and easily found her entrance, guided in by her body’s wet welcome. Unable to wait a moment longer, he filled her completely with one firm thrust. She gasped, then groaned as her body stretched around his, adjusting to the insistent drive of his hard cock.
He clenched his teeth against the pleasure of being inside his mate. It was bliss and it was torture. He needed to rut like a wild animal, staking his claim in no uncertain terms. Yet she was so close to the final surrender. He would not risk scaring or upsetting her.
Pulling back slowly, he paused with just his tip inside her. “Look at me, Lexie.”
Her lashes fluttered and then she opened her eyes.
“I love you. Now and forever. Nothing can change what I feel.”
Her lips trembled and she whispered, “I love you too. I’m not sure how it happened, but I do.”
Any stronger admission would have been forced, so he gladly accepted her words, letting them sink into his heart and calm his raging desire. He filled her again as he leaned forward to kiss her.
He didn’t try to move, just enjoyed the snug heat of her body wrapped around his. They kissed deeply, her tongue every bit as aggressive as his.
“You taste like me. No, you taste like us,” she whispered against his parted lips when they briefly broke apart for air, then went right back to kissing him.
He explored the softness of her breasts and teased her nipples into hard little points. She was wonderfully responsive, her body more and more in tune with his. She wrapped her legs around his hips, freeing both his hands to enjoy her warm flesh. He stroked her sides and squeezed the resilient cheeks of her amazing ass.
Even joined as they were, or maybe because of it, he quickly grew restless. Her inner wall tightened and her hips rolled. Clearly she shared his need for motion. He braced his forearms against the bed and pulled nearly out before he thrust back in.
“Yes,” she gasped. “More.”
Happy to oblige, he found a strong rhythm that soon had them gasping in unison. Needing more of her mind as she offered more of her body, he gradually expanded their link.
She cried out softly and he felt her shock and a flicker of fear. “What did you do? Everything is so much clearer now.”
“I opened the faucet a little wider.” He kept pace with his hips, unable to deprive himself of the exquisite slide. “Is it too much?”
“No.” She squeezed him with her legs and her inner muscles. “It just took me by surprise.”
Thrilled at her acceptance of something so alien, he bathed in her emotions, allowing each to thread through his own until her thoughts and feelings were indistinguishable from his. She did the same, opening to him, saturating her mind with his energy.
His movements grew stronger, more demanding. This was his mate and everything within him demanded he claim her. He dragged his gaze away from her rapturous face. If he claimed her now, it would force her to decide whether or not she was willing to participate in the transformation program. A mating bond was formed in stages, but once the process began, it had to be completed.
It was too soon. She just confessed her love for him. He couldn’t pressure her for more.
Instead, he focused on the tenderness flowing into his mind. They loved each other. That was enough for now.
Easing his arms beneath her knees, he began to move in earnest. She raised her arms above her head, an instinctive sign of surrender. She was glorious in her passion, flushed and responsive, lost to everything but the pleasure. He filled her again and again, each thrust sharp and distinct.
Her core tightened around him. She was clearly nearing another peak. He thrust faster, wanting to share the sensations with her. Her hips tilted, allowing him to go deeper than he’d gone before. He grabbed her hips and lifted her into
each downward thrust.
She cried out, head thrown back, neck arched, as her orgasm claimed her. The strong rippling spasms of her core shattered what was left of his control. He threw his head back too and yelled as pleasure burst inside him, forcing his seed out in shuddering jets.
His knees weakened as his body surrendered completely to release. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against his chest. One foot remained on the floor, but his other knee rested on the bed. The position was awkward at best, so he shifted her upward, making room for both his knees on the bed.
Miraculously, their bodies were still joined when he finished, so he carefully rolled them to their sides.
She laughed. “Are you done wiggling around?”
“I was trying not to crush you.” He nipped the corner of her mouth. “I won’t bother next time.”
She raised her top leg to his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so relaxed right now, I could close my eyes and fall asleep.”
“Go on. I’ll watch over you.”
The offer made her smile. She closed her eyes but wasn’t quite ready to sleep. “You’re just as tired as I am. I’ll sleep if you sleep.”
“Deal.” He kissed her forehead and brushed her damp hair back from her face. He was content and relaxed, but not sleepy. His mind was a whirl of thoughts and speculation.
Her breathing evened out and slowed just enough to assure him she was sleeping. Their bodies naturally separated as they relaxed, but she didn’t seem to notice. He lingered a moment longer, mesmerized by her beauty, and the reality that she was his.
Finally, he crawled off the bed and pulled the covers up over her peaceful form. She looked so serene and so lovely it was torture to leave her side.
Still, he’d neglected his duties far too much over the past few days. Jakkin, his first officer, had done a splendid job of taking up the slack, but Kaden still commanded the Intrepid. It was time his crew saw his face again. He washed up and donned a clean uniform, then went to the command deck.
Spy (Battle Born Book 8) Page 22
