GraceinMoonlight

by Stephane Julian

  “No, don’t take your hand away. Wrap your hand around my cock, baby. I want you to stroke me.”

  She latched on to his raspy demands like a lifeline and lowered one hand to follow his command.

  Goddess, he was hot. Hard, silky, burning hot. And thick. Beautiful.

  She wrapped one hand around him and he groaned, low and deep as she started to stroke him. Tentatively at first then with more surety as he responded to her touch.

  He lowered his head to kiss her again, his tongue slipping between her lips to tangle with hers as his fingers slipped into her body.

  Her body went liquid as her hand tightened around him. His cock swelled, throbbing in her hand and she stroked him faster. She wanted him closer, wanted him to take her.

  She was ready. Gods, she didn’t think she could be any more ready. She’d pushed all the other stuff away as his thumb pressed against her clit, tormenting the little nub while he slipped a second finger into her sheath and began to fuck her with them.

  “That’s it, kareta. Fuck, the look on your face…”

  She had no idea what she looked like and didn’t care as long as he continued to make her feel like this. Fizzy and tight and on the edge of something wonderful.

  A haze of pleasure settled over her. Even though she hadn’t found her release yet, she could be content with just this feeling of tension. With his fingers gliding inside her.

  But Kaisie wouldn’t be content. She had to make him come, had to satisfy him.

  With one hand on his shoulder and the other wrapped around his cock, she tried to urge him closer. Instead, he leaned back, his hand slipping from between her legs.

  She took a breath, getting ready to protest but he startled her by falling onto his back then motioning for her to—what?

  “Come here, Grace. On top.”

  She blinked. She’d never done it this way. “I don’t—”

  “On your knees, kareta, then straddle my hips. Trust me. Come here.”

  He smiled at her—grinned, actually. And her heart stuttered at the beauty of it. At the ease and the grace of it.

  Blessed Goddess, she wanted to be worthy of it.

  His smile never faltered as he either didn’t notice or conveniently ignored her hesitation. And it turned downright sinful when she got to her knees and did as he’d told her.

  Straddling his thighs, she awkwardly moved into the position he wanted her. She understood the basic concept but this position left her completely exposed, naked with her legs spread. Yes, she was on top but—

  “Grace, honey, come up here. Closer.”

  That voice wiped away her fears with its husky growl and, when he put his hands on her hips to help her along, she nearly melted from the heat.

  “Just a little farther… Now take me, babe.”

  She swallowed as he took her hand and guided it once again to his cock. “Pull me back, kinda like putting a car in gear.”

  Her lips curved in a smile and laughter bubbled in her chest even as her legs quaked with lust. He was so hard, she had to use a little force to align him with her entrance.

  But when she did, she groaned as the silky, fat tip slid through her folds.

  “Fuck, woman, you’re so fucking hot. Come on, babe. Take me.”

  With one hand braced in his, she used the other to hold him straight before she began to lower onto him.

  The thick tip lodged at the entrance to her sex and she shuddered at the intimacy of the sensation. Her gaze locked with his, her hand tightening on his until she was sure she’d leave bruises. He didn’t seem to mind, just held her steady as she let gravity work to take him into her body.

  He felt enormous, splitting her open, filling her with heat and making her skin feel too tight for her body.

  For a brief second, she thought she wouldn’t be able to take all of him and she froze. The pleasure scared her, the overwhelming sense that she was losing control of herself.

  She fought against it, even as she knew it was a losing battle. Kaisie wasn’t going to let her retain any semblance of control.

  He lifted his hips to close those few remaining centimeters and she drew in a deep breath as overpowering emotion swept through her. She couldn’t get enough air, couldn’t move or think. Couldn’t do anything but feel.

  And that was one subject where she had no experience.

  She wanted to experience the high of a great release without an emotional attachment.

  But as much as she’d tried not to build any relationships, this man had blown through her defenses and carved a space for himself in her heart.

  With that realization, her body tightened around him, making his eyes narrow and forcing a groan from deep in his throat.

  “Grace.” His voice made her swallow convulsively. “Move.”

  She obeyed without thought, lifting her body in breath-stealing increments. Her sheath clung to his cock, reluctant to release him. The tension built as she rose and continued to increase when she sank back down.

  Her eyes closed as they found a rhythm that sent sharp bolts of pleasure spearing between her thighs. He moved with her, easing back as she lifted up then sliding home, faster each second.

  Her other hand reached out, seeking an anchor and Kaisie’s was there to grab it, to twine their fingers together and hold her upright as her body began to quiver.

  “There, Gracie. That’s— Fuck.”

  She opened her eyes and saw that his were closed, his features taut with lust. She knew the expression well.

  But then he opened his eyes and she realized she’d never seen that depth of emotion on any man’s face.

  She came without warning, like a lightning strike that lit her up from the inside out. Her sheath gripped him like a fist as sensation shot from her womb up her back to her brain.

  With a cry, she arched her back, her hips grinding down on his, trying to prolong the sensation that threatened her sanity. Her pussy milked him until his hips slammed into hers and she felt his cock twitch and spill heat inside her.

  Unable to hold herself upright, she sagged and fell against his chest. She didn’t fall far. He lifted his upper body off the bed to meet her.

  Her overheated skin met his burning-hot flesh and she melted into him, her lungs gasping for air, tears welling in her eyes.

  His breath warmed her cheek as he panted, clearly as out of breath as she was.

  She liked that. A lot.

  She wanted to wrap him in her arms but she couldn’t get them to move. Exhaustion hit her like a sledgehammer and she couldn’t keep her eyes open.

  “It’s okay, Grace.” His voice sank into her head and lulled her into a sense of security she couldn’t fight. “Go ahead. Sleep. I’m not leaving.”

  She didn’t remember anything after that.

  Chapter Three

  Kaisie woke just before the sun rose, like he always did, even though he’d only gotten a few hours of sleep.

  It was a few hours more than he’d had in the past couple of weeks and he’d woken feeling completely rested.

  The fact that he’d practically fucked the woman in his arms into unconsciousness last night made his jaw lock but he’d be damned if he’d second-guess it now.

  She’d needed the rest and he knew she wouldn’t have slept without a distraction.

  He just hadn’t counted on her being one hell of a distraction for him.

  And he couldn’t afford any distractions today. Not if he wanted to keep her alive.

  He let his gaze trace her sharp features, relaxed now in sleep. He’d have to wake her soon. Kyle planned to leave at eight a.m. for the Reading airport, where they’d chartered a plane to Florida for the group storming Marrucini’s compound. They had an alternate means of egress. Actually, they had two but this woman didn’t know that.

  She hadn’t asked. She’d only made Cole promise that the team would get Alex out.

  With a soft sigh, she turned, her face pressing into his chest, eyes still closed. His arms tightene
d, pulling her even closer, as he willed his body to behave. They didn’t have time for anything more than showers and breakfast. He planned to make sure she ate. She’d probably fight him about it. She fought him about everything, which, he had to say, he kinda liked.

  Fucked up? Yeah. He didn’t care.

  He knew he should get up, get in the shower and start breakfast. And bring his clothes in off the porch. They’d be ice cold and need to thaw before he put them on.

  Screw it.

  He lowered his head and buried his nose in her hair. She smelled amazing. Spicy and sweet and his.

  And he really needed to feed her before they went to take back her son.

  Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he eased out of bed, making sure she was covered so she didn’t get cold.

  After a quick shower, he raided the small fridge and started cooking.

  She woke just as he was about to set the scrambled eggs and bacon on the breakfast bar. She literally hadn’t had anything else in the house, which pissed him off.

  What the hell had she been eating?

  Apparently not much.

  He didn’t turn when he heard her stop in the doorway between the bedroom and the rest of the house. He just went back to the kitchen, which was nothing more than a row of appliances separated from the rest of the living area by the bar.

  After he’d poured orange juice—the milk had gone stale and he’d tossed it—he set that on the bar as well. Then he looked at her.

  She hadn’t moved, her eyes wide and her teeth worrying the hell out of her bottom lip. She’d already dressed in the clothes he’d asked Kaine to drop off yesterday.

  She looked nervous but no longer exhausted. At least the dark circles were gone from beneath her eyes.

  She waved a shaking hand at herself. “I assumed I was supposed to put these on.”

  “You assumed right. Come on and eat. We’ll be leaving soon.”

  “You shouldn’t have bothered. I don’t think I can stomach anything.”

  “You can and you will. You can’t function on an empty stomach.”

  A brief flash of rebellion sparked in her eyes but her stomach growled loudly enough that she blushed. Still, she didn’t give in right away and he hid a smile. Glad to know she still had that backbone he admired so damn much.

  “Maybe just a little.”

  He just nodded.

  She dropped his gaze and walked to the bar as he sat. There were only two chairs so she had to sit next to him.

  “Did you make coffee by any chance?”

  “Didn’t find any in the cupboards, sorry.” A small lie. He hadn’t come across coffee until he’d glanced in the freezer for food but she didn’t need a stimulant to make her more jumpy today.

  She eyed the glass with a wry twist to her lips. “I’d rather have milk. I get the juice for Alex.”

  Which proved his theory that she hadn’t been eating. “The milk went bad a few days ago. Drink the juice.”

  She stiffened and flashed him a quick glare, even as she picked up her fork. “I’m not a child.”

  He grinned at her, letting a little of the heat from last night enter his gaze. “I know that. Firsthand.”

  She sucked in a short, sharp breath and her pale skin flushed bright red. Her mouth opened then closed as she thought better of a response. Or maybe she just couldn’t think of one.

  Then she picked up her fork and they spent the next few minutes eating in silence.

  When she’d finished almost everything, she sighed before taking her plate to the dishwasher.

  He watched as she squared her shoulders before turning back around to face him. “I want you to promise me something.”

  He’d been waiting for this. “Tell me what it is and I’ll let you know if I can.”

  “Promise me you’ll make sure Alex gets out no matter what.”

  He nodded. “I promise to do everything I can to make that happen.”

  Her eyes dipped and her teeth came out to nibble on her bottom lip. “Thank you. And…I have another request.”

  His eyebrows lifted as he waited, having no idea what she was about to ask.

  “If my daughter’s there… I—I want you to help me get her out.”

  He’d heard about the daughter from Dr. Dane Dimitriou, heard about the circumstances of her birth. And he could see the anguish even now in Grace’s eyes. He’d kill Marrucini with his bare hands if he had the chance.

  But… “Will she know who you are? Will she leave with you willingly?”

  He felt like the world’s biggest son of a bitch when tears welled in her eyes again but she held his gaze. “No, I don’t think she’ll know me. And I don’t think she’ll go willingly. I just…need to try. She’s only fifteen, Kaisie. If we get lucky, she won’t have come into her full power yet. It usually hits at puberty. I didn’t hit puberty until I was sixteen and then my power was mostly harmless. I’m hoping…maybe…”

  That maybe the girl who’d been born Mal and reared by the ruthless bastard who was her father hadn’t turned completely evil. That she could be saved.

  But as far as Kaisie knew, no one had ever escaped the Mal’s hold. And how could they? They were literally born evil, cursed to crave power and wealth and lacking any instinct for good.

  “I can’t promise that, Grace. If it comes down to Alex or the girl, we take Alex. But if we get an opportunity, I’ll try.”

  She forced a smile. “That’s all I ask. Thank you.”

  *

  The flight to Florida was shorter than she’d expected and surprisingly quiet, considering there were ten people in the airplane.

  Grace knew most of them. Kaisie, of course, sitting next to her, his eyes closed. His daughter Kaine and her mate John in the row next to them.

  Kyle, Duke and Nic, Kaine’s fellow sicarii, sat in the two rows beyond Kaine. Another two lucani, Seth and Race, sat near the front of the cabin, along with another man Grace had never met. He gave off a steady wave of power that she couldn’t mistake. Or decipher.

  She figured he was a stregone, a male witch, though they typically didn’t have that much power. But this one…

  Sighing, she shook her head. She should try to get some rest but she couldn’t get her brain to shut off.

  Last night…

  She didn’t regret a single minute. She only wished—

  No. No wishing. She needed to stay focused on the task ahead.

  She couldn’t let herself consider failure. They would get Alex back.

  They had to. Alex would be waiting for them, praying for her to come get him.

  And her daughter…

  If her daughter was there, she wasn’t leaving without her.

  “Grace.”

  Kaisie’s voice startled her out of her thoughts and her gaze snapped to his. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity in his eyes and the attraction she felt whenever she looked at him hit her low in her body, right between her legs.

  Damn him. Last night had been amazing. At least for her. She’d almost expected him to be gone this morning when she woke. And to ignore her today as if nothing had happened between them.

  But now he acted as if he actually cared about what happened to her. As if he didn’t care who knew.

  He was confusing the almighty hell out of her so she kept her mouth shut and waited for him to continue.

  “You have the knife?”

  He’d given her a blade in a plain leather sheath she now had strapped around her waist. “You helped me strap it on.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Don’t take it off.”

  She nodded though she knew she’d take it off in a heartbeat. If it came down to her son and daughter or the knife, she’d give up the knife. Knowing that it might cost her her life.

  Kaisie kept staring at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, as if he wanted her to confess.

  But one night of great sex did not give him the right to tell her what to do.

  So she just star
ed back.

  But she couldn’t hold his gaze.

  She heard him sigh as she turned to look out the window, where the ground was fast approaching. The plane had begun its descent and they’d be landing in minutes. It wouldn’t take long to get to the compound and they were counting on the element of surprise to get them in and out with a minimum of bloodshed.

  For the next few minutes, she tried to clear her mind of everything but her goal—get her kids. Even the one who might not want her.

  *

  “Kaine.”

  “What’s up, Dad?”

  Kaisie drew his daughter around to the far side of the idling plane, where no one would hear them over the noise from the engines.

  “Whatever happens, you don’t leave her side.”

  Kaine didn’t look surprised by his demand, just waited for him to continue.

  “I think she’s gonna do something stupid.”

  Kaine’s head cocked to the side. “Like?”

  Like trade herself for Alex. Or do something even more stupid and get herself killed in pursuit of her daughter.

  Even though Kaisie knew he’d do the same thing for his own daughter.

  “Just stick with her. Let the others get the kid.”

  “Okay.”

  Her easy acceptance made him smile.

  But it died a quick death as the group got into the two vans they’d had waiting for them at the private airport only twenty minutes from Marrucini’s compound on the outskirts of Tampa.

  Since everyone knew the plan, there wasn’t a lot of talk during the drive and they drove to the staging area in relative silence.

  He watched Grace without trying to make it obvious that he was watching her, while she kept her gaze carefully trained out the front window. He saw her skin pale with each mile marker, her eyelids flutter when they turned off Interstate 4 to wind through an industrial area to get to their destination.

  Race had somehow found an abandoned warehouse near the border of Marrucini’s property where they could park the vans and change, for those shifting into their pelts.

  Kaisie could see the silence was starting to get to Grace so before he shifted, he asked John to keep her company until they were ready to head out.

  By the time he dropped his black-leather collar by his side, removed his clothes and put them in the backpack John would carry, he felt ready to crawl out of his skin. Because she looked ready to do the same.