Blood Debts (The Blood Book 3)

by Donnelly, Alianne

  Amelia stilled, opening her eyes.

  “That’s really what you’re fighting, isn’t it?”

  She met his gaze before her own darted away. She made herself look at him again.

  “Why is that?” he asked, almost gently as his hands settled on either side of her face. Close, but not touching. “What is it you’re afraid I’ll discover?”

  Too much. Her body tensed, arousal quickly draining out of her until all she wanted was to get away. She couldn’t answer him.

  *

  Gabriel knew when he’d pushed too far. Her gaze became bleak, almost afraid, and he could feel the fight return to her body. Whatever progress he’d made, he was losing it, and fast. Clearly, that had been the wrong thing to say. Amelia wasn’t a woman who let others in easily. And he knew that, so why the hell had he pushed?

  “Let’s put a pin in that for the moment,” he said, trying to somehow salvage the situation. Gabriel had had his fair share of women. Probably more than his fair share. Sex was nothing new to him. It was an enjoyable pastime, a release from all the fucking blood of the arena. He liked it. Sought it out whenever he could. Rarely turned a woman away when she came to him, or summoned him to her. There wasn’t much he hadn’t done or tried at least once. He’d learned the games Romans played, even learned to enjoy some of them.

  As far as experience went, Gabriel’s was wide and varied. He had a knack for learning what a woman told herself she liked, and what she really needed, and he could deliver both. It was almost a game where his partners set the rules, and he got to enjoy getting around them.

  But last night, being awakened like that, watching Amelia masturbate on him and feeling her body quiver when she came, so completely guileless and innocent in her sleep, had been the most erotic experience of his life. That hadn’t been a game. And he didn’t want it to be one with her ever. For once, he wanted something for its own sake. Not because it was fun, or an escape, but because…

  Christ. Gabriel just wanted her so bad he’d do anything to have her. “Forget about all the scientific variables. Pretend the past never happened.” If only. “Pretend nothing else exists. Focus on the constants. Just you and me. Here and now.” The way it should be. “Can you do that?”

  Her tongue darted out briefly to wet her lips and he gritted his teeth to keep from diving after it. “By definition, the variables will always alter—”

  “Goddamn it, Amelia.” If he let her, she’d slip right back into scientist mode. “Stop thinking like a machine. Life is not an equation. I’m not asking you to change the rules of the universe here.” He took her hand and placed it against his cheek. “I’m asking you to feel.”

  Her hand was cool against his face, hesitant, but she didn’t pull away.

  “What do you feel?”

  Chapter 11

  Amelia’s throat worked and her eyes darted as if she couldn’t decide what to say. Finally she met his gaze again and there was a fragile acceptance on her face. “I can’t get emotionally attached to my subjects,” she said.

  Battle lost.

  “But.”

  Gabriel held his breath while she searched for words. “But…?” he prompted.

  Her hand left him to cover her eyes. “God, I can’t believe I’m going to say this.”

  Hope. “Say what?”

  She made a frustrated sound that reminded him of when she’d stomped her foot last night. Gabriel wanted to smile. He pulled her hand away and coaxed her to look at him. “Come on, angel, talk to me.”

  Amelia took a deep breath for courage and, without looking at him said, “As two consenting adults, we could make some sort of temporary arrangement.”

  He groaned. “We need to work on your communication skills.” Right. Because her formally delivered, cool and controlled proposition hadn’t just made him hard enough to hammer nails.

  “I-is that a yes?”

  Sex without emotional attachment. With Amelia. For however long he had here. Without emotional attachment. He could kiss her whenever he wanted to, take her wherever and however he could. He could strip her down to her skin and taste everything she hid beneath that lab coat. And with no emotional attachment. The thought of getting her naked made his heart beat double time.

  No emotional attachment.

  Why the hell did he keep coming back to that?

  Because the hitch in her voice made her seem a whole hell of a lot more vulnerable than she would probably ever let on. There were women who treated their bodies as a tool and took lovers as casually as they chose a new dress to wear in the morning. Gabriel had met plenty of them. But Amelia wasn’t one of them. She liked to pretend she was, and maybe she’d convinced herself she could be, but he could see the little chink of fear in her eyes that told him it was all an act.

  “Just sex,” he clarified. “Nothing else.”

  She nodded. “That’s the deal.”

  He’d love to be inside her head right now and see what she was thinking. “You really want that?”

  Amelia reached up and twined her fingers together at his nape, pulling him down. “It’s a mutually beneficial solution to our situation,” she said a breath away from his lips and pulled him closer for a kiss before he could argue.

  Christ, he’d missed kissing her. Gabriel shifted his weight, freeing her legs and she immediately raised her knees to cradle him. He groaned into her mouth and tugged her top up to fill his hands with her breasts. The little sound she made was muffled, but all the encouragement he needed. He massaged the soft mounds that fit so perfectly in his hands, brushed his palms over her nipples.

  Amelia broke their kiss with a gasp as she arched into his touch. “God, it’s just like my dream.”

  Pure masculine satisfaction made him grin like an idiot. “This is what you dreamed?”

  She moaned and moved beneath him. “Kiss them,” she said.

  Don’t have to ask me twice. Gabriel shifted lower and flicked his tongue over her tight nipple. Amelia cried out and hugged his head to her chest. He sucked the tempting little nub into his mouth, loving the way she writhed against him from just this. So damn responsive. Could he make her come like this?

  Using his tongue and teeth, he teased her while he pinched her other nipple. She went wild, nails scraping his scalp and neck. When he raised his head to look at her, she demanded, “More!”

  Gabriel groaned and speared his hand into her pants. “God, so wet.” Her knees clamped down on his hips and she bucked up into his hand. He turned his attention to her other breast, matching the rhythm of his suckling to his stroking fingers.

  “Yes,” she cried when he dipped a finger inside her. He shuddered at the feel of her so hot, squeezing him. She was close and damn, he wanted to see her come again.

  “Look at me,” he said.

  She didn’t. So he stopped stroking.

  Amelia moaned, nails digging into his shoulders to spur him on. He really wanted to. “Look at me,” he said instead. “I want to see your eyes. I want you to know this isn’t a dream.”

  He felt her shudder, her sex squeezed his finger tight, but she didn’t come yet. And she did look at him. Those beautiful blue eyes looked at him and saw him. “Now,” he said and pulled out of her almost completely before he thrust two fingers into her and ordered, “Come for me.”

  Her orgasm overtook her and her mouth opened on a soundless cry. Oh, but she wasn’t getting off that easily. Gabriel kept thrusting, kept up the steady rhythm, holding her at that peak, rubbing inside her while he massaged her clit with his thumb. She hid her face in his shoulder.

  “Look at me,” he told her.

  Amelia shuddered in his arms. “I c-can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” He picked up the rhythm, making her head fall back on the pillows. She looked at him with dazed, heavy lidded eyes as her second orgasm overtook her, so hard she arched up into him and screamed. “Beautiful.” Christ, he couldn’t wait to feel that with his cock inside her.

  *

&nbs
p; She was panting, her entire body quivering, as he slowly eased his fingers out of her and freed himself from his pants. Amelia could feel his hand shake as he guided the tip of his erection over her wet flesh. She nearly came again, just from that. Whatever he’d done to her had made her hyper sensitive to his touch.

  Her pants between them kept getting in the way and she somehow maneuvered herself to take them off. Gabriel cursed when her hand brushed his cock in the process. When she was free of the pants, she reached for him, curling her fingers around the base of his erection. She squeezed and Gabriel fell over her with a pained groan, catching himself on his hands above her. “Put it inside you,” he rasped.

  Amelia stroked him, up to the head, slick with her moisture, then back down. On her second pass, she swirled her thumb over the top. His chin dropped to his chest and he cursed again. “Amelia,” he said in warning.

  She stroked him again, reaching with her free hand to cup his balls. His back arched and he bucked into her fist, but stopped himself. “Think you can play with me?”

  “Turnabout’s fair play,” she returned saucily and twisted her hand on his cock.

  He growled. “Oh, but I’m not finished with you yet.” He reached between them again and stroked her clit, making her gasp, but she held back. Held out for all she was worth. He spread her with his fingers, trying to maneuver so he could do what she refused.

  “Look at me,” she said, giving him his own words back. She couldn’t believe she was doing this.

  Gabriel’s gaze snapped up to hers again, with a touch of surprise and a swirling inferno of hunger.

  Amelia held his gaze as she brought the head of him to her entrance, but moved slightly when he thrust so that he slipped up over her. Both of them cried out as he slid over her clit and her sex clenched hungrily for him. He never broke their stare. He spread her more and she couldn’t drag this out anymore.

  She brought the tip of him back to where they both wanted it and with a slow push, he impaled her, going as deep as he could possibly go. He pulled almost completely out of her and thrust again, starting another chain reaction that made her shatter into a million pieces. Gabriel swore and let himself drop on top of her, snaking his arms around her to pull her to his chest.

  They rolled until she ended up on top, but Gabriel held her immobile as her spasms went on, as he pumped his hips up, thrusting into her to keep it going. Amelia had no control over what her body did, and Gabriel reveled in the way she bucked and shuddered. With a curse, he rolled them again and drove into her harder, faster, deeper. She felt him come inside her. Felt him tense over her and pull her so close she couldn’t breathe for a moment. His groan of pleasure rumbled through her. She could love that sound.

  As her senses slowly returned to her, she found Gabriel watching her with an almost tender expression. “Beautiful,” he said and when he kissed her, that, too, felt like praise.

  His words brought her down from cloud nine and Amelia started feeling awkward again. She pushed at his shoulder, silently asking for release.

  Gabriel slid out of her as he rolled to his side and Amelia blushed again. He was smiling, watching her like he wanted to get right back to it again. By the looks of him, they could spend all day doing this and she wouldn’t object if that was what he wanted. He’d just given her the best sex of her entire life. She wanted to lick her lips and say, “More.”

  The audio system beeped softly. “Virus database updated,” the computer said and Amelia crashed back to reality.

  Gabriel frowned. “What does that mean?”

  “It means it’s time to get back to work.”

  The lazy contentment drained out of his face. His eyes became hard, determined. Amelia was glad for the change. She needed to get them back on track. For a moment there she’d let herself forget the true nature of their circumstances. This man might die very soon. Most likely at her hands.

  Amelia went to snag a quick shower to compose herself, leaving him to his own devices. She needed a moment to focus. Can’t afford this distraction. The smallest mistake could mean his life.

  When she came out, Gabriel was leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door, arms crossed over his chest. “You locked the door,” he said.

  The four words were spoken in a sullen, grumbling voice still rough enough to make her body clench in memory of what they’d done. And there went her composure again. She’d never had anyone question her personal routines before but she felt unaccountably as if she owed him an explanation. Or an apology?

  Before she could formulate an answer, he slipped past her into the bathroom. He didn’t close the door all the way.

  Puzzled, she left him to it and took her breakfast to the lab. Immersing herself in work would clear her head. And she needed a clear head to do what he’d hired her to do. She couldn’t think about what they’d just done, or about what might happen once they were finished here. Amelia had a job to do.

  A report was already prepared for her to review. The panther DNA was a safe match and Amelia had three triggers ready to test and a prep agent ready to administer.

  Gabriel would be pleased.

  Chapter 12

  Gabriel was pissed.

  Though he really shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t as if Amelia had deceived him. No, she’d spelled out the terms of their liaison quite clearly. Neat little arrangement. Mutually beneficial solution.

  He snorted. Yeah, he should have expected this. All the benefits of sex without the messy complications of emotional attachment.

  Which, apparently, meant as soon as she got hers, Amelia rolled out of bed and into her lab coat, to diligently assist him in his soon-to-be very painful suicide. She was nothing if not efficient.

  He felt used.

  Not that he’d expected hours of cuddling, but a quick fuck and then back to the business at hand hadn’t been in his plans, either.

  It should have put his head back in the game that things were moving forward quickly. With any luck, he’d get the treatment and be on his way before the deadline. It was great news. He ought to be happy.

  Instead, he was disappointed as hell he didn’t get to taste her.

  Gabriel stabbed his legs into his last clean pair of pants, aware yet unimpressed that his ribs held. Snatching an apple from the kitchen, he went in search of Amelia.

  Of course, she was in the lab.

  She’d put on classical music and turned the heat up. Her feet were bare and beneath that damn lab coat she wore shorts and a strappy tank top. The woman looked like a sexpot archaeologist, rather than a scientist.

  “What’s with the heat?”

  She hardly looked up from the microscope she was bending over. Damn, she had a sweet ass. He’d had his hands on it minutes ago. The sight of it clad in pants and covered with the back of her lab coat offended him. Nothing should ever cover those curves, except him. “The DNA seems to integrate better in conditions similar to the human body,” she said. “It might get uncomfortable in here for a while.”

  Oh, she had no idea.

  Gabriel came up behind her and caught her around the waist, pulling her against him. Predictably, Amelia straightened, but instead of gaining ground, all she did was lean into him more. He took full advantage; palmed her breast, knowing it would make her melt against him. She could pretend to be the detached scientist all she liked, but it changed nothing about the way she responded to him, so eager for this. Gabriel could play her like a fiddle with his touch; make her sing him a symphony. But right now, all he wanted was to rattle her composure and prove she wasn’t as untouchable as she liked to think she was. The rest would come later.

  “You treated me bad, angel,” he said, nuzzling in the side of her neck. “Cut me deep.” Her head fell back against his shoulder. “I thought we had something.”

  “We had sex,” she said. “Nothing more.”

  Gabriel scowled. He pinched her nipple lightly through her top, gratified to feel her breath hitch. “Would you care to change yo
ur answer?”

  Amelia cleared her throat to disguise her moan, but he wasn’t fooled. “Great sex?” she said.

  In reward, he kissed her neck and trailed his hand over her taut waist beneath her shirt. “I could have helped you shower.”

  Her hands were fisted at her sides. Gabriel felt the tension in her body, her struggle not to respond. It only made him more determined to make her. He nipped her shoulder and angled his hand down, barely brushing inside the waistband of her shorts.

  Amelia caught his hand before he could get any farther. “Yes, you’re very helpful,” she said. “But we never would have made it out again.”

  Most likely true. Something he’d like to put to the test. He sighed and released her. “One of these days,” he said when she turned to face him. He could see her pulse throbbing in her neck, which was miraculously unbruised. Gabriel wanted her again. For hours and days. He’d had a taste of her passion and he wanted more. If he wasn’t careful, Amelia would make him an addict.

  “One of these days, what?” she challenged, back straight, chin high. But her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright with want. God, he could slake her so easily if only she would let him.

  “One of these days, angel, I’ll get you all to myself. Without this lab, without any distractions.” Craving the heat of her, he leaned in close. “And then I’ll keep you out of your head with pleasure for so long you won’t remember how you’ve lived without it before. And you won’t ever want to go back.”

  “Assuming you survive, of course.”

  Gabriel tensed, desire cooling in a hurry. Damn her. He stepped back a respectable distance and speared his hands into his pockets to keep them to himself. “Yes. Assuming I survive.”

  Disappointment flashed through her eyes. Or maybe he imagined that. As the music transitioned from a symphony to a violin solo, Amelia broke their miserable little staring contest and brought up a mess of data on the computer screen. “The serum is being synthesized. I found a match and a trigger that seems to be working. Once everything is ready, it shouldn’t take more than a day to administer. But, of course, I can’t give any guarantee it’ll work.”