by Bianca D'Arc
His touch also fired her empathic sense. For some reason she was able to read Jim better than most people she’d just met. Sure, she’d known him before but only from afar. The stark truth of their relationship—such as it was—was that they were reacquainted strangers with a shared memory of the past but little intimate knowledge of each other. God willing, they’d have time to really get to know each other on this journey. They’d already started, sharing long hours talking about their past, their hopes for the present and their dreams for the future. She hungered for that knowledge. She wanted to know him—really know him—and to understand what made him tick.
She sensed an answering need in him. He yearned for something from her as he searched her eyes. She couldn’t put it into words but she felt the emotion coming from him in waves as he rocked them both toward the pinnacle they’d visited together before. The pleasure was addictive. Given a few more rounds of this, she’d readily agree to anything he proposed. He’d made her his slave.
That was saying a lot for a woman who prided herself on her independence and ability to handle almost anything life threw at her. He was a strong man who didn’t throw his strength around. He led by making people want to follow him, not by fear or intimidation. She’d seen that back at his base. He was so strong, so powerful, so steadfast, the men who followed his lead did so out of deference to the force of his personality, the strength of his convictions and the fairness in his heart.
She’d follow his lead for all those reasons, but also because her body had gained an intrinsic understanding of his dominance over the past hours. It was instinctive in humans, as in many animals, to stand back and allow the alpha male to lead. Gina was quickly learning how easy it would be to give over all control to an alpha male like Jim.
“You’re killing me, baby, with that look on your face.”
His words penetrated directly into her mind. It was the first time he had initiated telepathic communication during an intimate moment. The rumble of his thoughts through her mind brought an even deeper level of intensity to what they were doing.
“What look is that?” She strained against him as he drove deeper, higher.
“It has heartbreak written all over it, Gina.”
Gina blinked, knowing instantly she’d been too unguarded. She, who’d been taught since early childhood to never telegraph her next move or allow her thoughts to show on her face, had crossed that line with him. Only with him. Jim Brown was the only man to ever make her forget her training—to make her forget herself.
The plateau of pleasure they’d reached stretched on as he looked into her eyes. She was shocked by how easily she’d forgotten everything she’d been taught. It was time to regroup, but first, it was time to make him come.
Turnabout was fair play, and her new goal was to make him as crazy as he’d made her. Wresting control from him would be difficult and had an added flavor of danger, but ultimately she thought it could be a lot of fun.
“I love the sound of your thoughts in my head.” She sent her thoughts into his mind, lowering her eyelashes so she regarded him through pleasure-soaked slits. “Almost as much as I love the feel of you in my pussy.”
Jim growled at her changed tone and moved more decisively within her.
“I can feel your excitement, you know. This close, my empathic senses are nearly drowning in your need for completion, your need to come.”
“Two can play this game, baby.” The growl in his tone made her shiver all the way down to her toes. “Your body is like warm velvet fisting around me, slick and hot. I know you can feel how much I want to shoot into you. Almost as much as you want to shimmy in climax around me. Don’t you, honey?”
She sent him a wicked smile. “You must be a mindreader.”
“Not quite, but I do recognize when a woman wants to come. Do it now, baby. Come on me, and I’ll come in you.”
His words were accompanied by yet another increase in pace and a slight shifting that brought him into her on a slightly different angle. That slight change was enough to send her to the moon. She cried out both vocally and telepathically as she orgasmed hard in his arms. The peak was so high, she was only dimly aware of him following right behind her, spurting in warm waves that prolonged her pleasure.
They were both sweaty and breathing hard as they came down from the highest peak they’d yet achieved together—and that was saying something. Gina had never had a better lover. He’d shown her things about her own body that she never would have imagined just a few days ago. She could read his satisfaction with what they did together—a sort of masculine pride and something that felt almost like a claim of ownership, or perhaps a desire to command and dominate.
Rather than objecting, the taste of his thoughts and emotions made her yearn for something that could never be. The two of them together was just a temporary thing. Both of them knew it was highly unlikely it could ever be more. They were resigned to it. Or so she believed. But it was clear from what she could read of his emotions that he wished for more.
Just like she did.
Chapter Twelve
Gina took watch on the next leg of their journey while Jim slept. She watched the rails carefully, taking notes for Wally in short bursts. Her handwriting suffered because she wasn’t looking down most of the time as she wrote, but she figured Wally would just have to deal with it. There was too much at stake. One moment of inattention could cause them to crash into something obstructing their path. And although the maps looked as if the rail system extended all the way to the Canadian base, no one had been able to explore this far yet, so no one was really one hundred percent sure.
This section of track was a little different than the straight lines they’d encountered on the previous sections. This one curved slightly in a westerly direction, but the curve wasn’t steep. It was just enough to make watching the track ahead interesting. Gina was glad of the need to pay strict attention to her task. It kept her from thinking too deeply about the new relationship between herself and Jim.
She would try her best to protect her heart, but at this point she knew she wouldn’t escape completely unscathed when their interlude was over. She’d carry a piece of him in her heart forever. He was a considerate and adventurous lover. And her small empathic gift told her he felt much the same.
It was an emotional disaster waiting to happen, about which they could do nothing. Their course had been set long before either of them had embarked on this journey. This journey alone was the only time they could count on. More than likely, it would be the only opportunity they ever had. The only course of action that made any sense was to make the most of it while she could.
Hell, she had more of a chance of seeing Grady Prime again than she did of making a relationship with Jim work. Why the Alvian warrior should come to mind now, when she’d done her best to stop thinking about him, she didn’t know. Their one encounter had changed her fundamentally. It had opened her up to new possibilities and probably even made this time with Jim possible.
Before she’d met Grady Prime, Gina had been much more protective of her heart, but Grady had blown all that away. He’d stormed her senses and freed her soul, unknowingly readying her for what came next. Too bad she didn’t see a happy ending in her future with either man. No, Grady had opened her to the possibilities of emotional entanglement without any promise, or even hope, of a happily ever after.
It was depressing really, but by the same token, she wouldn’t trade her time spent with Jim for anything in the world.
They traveled in relative safety for another day or so, switching off every few hours to change drivers. At every station along the way they took the opportunity to walk around, stretch their legs and make love. Jim was nearly insatiable. She wanted his kisses, his gentle touches, the small movements that said she was special to him. And she wanted his cock.
He was a talented and inventive lover. He made love to her like he wanted to fit everything into the few days they had together. Like he had jus
t this one chance to show her everything she meant to him.
It wasn’t that far from the truth and the thought of it—of never being with him again—was unbearable. So she tried not to think about it and focused on the here and now and the amazing things he made her feel.
They christened every platform along their path as they made their way slowly toward Canada and the possibility of another human colony waiting for them there. The trip became less about their goal and more about their relationship, but Gina didn’t mind in the least. It had been years since she’d concentrated on herself and this enforced intimacy was special.
She was free to indulge her senses for this short period, knowing that at the end of their journey, duty awaited them both. She lost track of time as they traveled but she figured that was a good thing. The lack of day or night in the tunnels gave her a false sense of timelessness—an illusion that they could be together forever—as long as they remained in the tunnels.
But every journey must eventually come to an end.
As the pod rounded a long, sweeping curve, Gina slowed the vehicle. It looked like something blocked the way in the distance, and she didn’t want to take a chance. The big pod took time to decelerate.
The slowing motion awakened Jim. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he joined her in the front of the cabin.
“Problem?”
“Possibly.” She pointed into the distance where they could just make out something blocking the rails.
“We packed some shovels in case of rubble. Could be that’s all it is. If we’re lucky.”
“But the rails are still powered up. How do we clear the tracks if they’re electrified?”
“There should be a kill switch every once in awhile along the tunnel wall. Don’t you remember Wally mentioning it? Look.” He pointed out the window at a small box on the tunnel wall as they glided past slowly. “There’s one. I’ll hop out once we come to a stop and jog back here.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She didn’t want to admit she’d been distracted during some of Wally’s briefing. Her head had been filled with questions about the journey ahead and the man she’d be sharing it with.
They cruised to a stop and as promised, Jim jumped out and headed for the emergency kill switch. A few minutes later, the pod dropped slowly to the ground, no longer hovering on the electromagnetic field generated by the electrified track.
Gina jumped down from the hatch, a shovel in one hand and a broom in the other. Jim met her, stealing a kiss as he reached for the shovel.
“It looks safe, but keep your eyes peeled.” His words came telepathically into her mind. She was glad of the warning since all her experience and training seemed to fly right out the window whenever Jim distracted her with one of those devastating kisses. “I’ll shovel the debris out of the way while you stand watch, then we’ll switch and you can sweep off the rails while I stand guard.”
“Do you think we’re getting close?”
“I’d bet we were almost there, but it’s hard to judge distances down here. According to the schematics, we should be on the last set of tracks leading to the facility. Frankly I’m amazed we haven’t run into obstructions before this. With all the upheaval of the cataclysm, these tunnels have remained mostly intact.”
“Well, they were built by the military. Chances are, the old Army Corps of Engineers had a hand in the design. Those guys built things to last.”
“Good point.” Jim shoveled the larger rocks away from the tracks. “I think someone put these here deliberately.”
“What makes you say that?”
“See the way these rocks lay? They form almost a straight line across the tracks. That’s not natural. Someone put these here to stop any vehicles that came this way. This could be an ambush.”
Gina let her telekinetic senses stretch out in the way she perfected over many years of study. She could sense movement—even the tiniest twitch of an opponent’s muscles. This skill was her early warning system, her personal radar, and it had made her an invaluable part of many missions for the Zxerah.
“No movement yet besides you and me,” she reported to Jim.
He stopped shoveling for a moment to look at her. “So Larry was right. You really can use your gifts to detect movement.”
“It’s the only really good skill I have.” She shrugged her shoulders. She’d never been comfortable with having such a paltry ability compared with the rest of her family. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart. We all deserve to keep a secret or two.”
She didn’t like the sound of that but was prevented from commenting by movement in the tunnel ahead.
“Heads up. My spidey-senses are tingling.”
He was instantly alert, she could tell by the tension in his shoulders, but he kept working as if unaware of the approaching danger. Gina shifted her weight subtly into a ready stance. The broom in her hands became a weapon, a bo staff that could be used to fend off an attack.
“What can you tell me?”
“They’re approaching cautiously, and there’s more than one. Two. Men, I think, judging by the displacement of air.”
“Jeez, baby, you can sense air displacement? That’s some sharp skill you have.”
For just a moment, Gina basked in his praise. Her father and brothers had always been complementary and kind about her gifts, but back then she hadn’t been this skilled. She’d always felt second best in the psychic department because the rest of her family was incredibly talented in demonstrable ways. Her meager skills had been weak compared to theirs and mostly untrained. To have Jim’s admiration meant more than she could say.
“They’re getting closer, and they’re good at stealth. There are definitely two of them. Men. Big men. About your size, I’d say. And…” she reached for the information floating in the air currents, “…they’re armed. Long sticks. Could be rifles, could be brooms. I can’t tell you more than the size and shape.”
“That’s more than enough. We’ll let them dictate how this encounter starts out, but if they mean us harm, you and I will finish it.”
She liked the way he included her in his plans. Jim never underestimated her. He had never asked her to take a back seat while he did all the work. She liked having his respect as an equal partner. Hell, she just plain liked him. Perhaps even loved him.
She was in big trouble when the notion of loving him didn’t even faze her. She understood it then, in that moment, with possible enemies stalking them. She was in love with Jim.
A tall man stepped out into the middle of the track a few yards from their position. He held a rifle at the ready.
Jim stopped shoveling and turned to face the newcomer, keeping his hands in sight, leaning on the shovel handle casually.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” the man wanted to know.
“I’m Jim. This is Gina. We just came up in the pod from the Colorado facility to see if anybody lived here. I assume I’m talking to someone who lives in the old NORAD site?”
The man shifted his weight, and Gina read caution in his every move. His companion remained hidden in the shadows near the tunnel wall.
“The tracks are clear and functional all the way to Colorado?” The man sounded surprised to Gina. He was more curious than dangerous at the moment, if she was reading him correctly.
“Yes, though we had to take it slow past the first few sets of tracks since none of our scouts had been able to go much further. We’re an exploration party, if you will.”
“Well, you found us. So how about you tell us what you want?”
“That’s pretty easy. You’re human. We’re human. We both have secure facilities where I assume you’ve got more people living. We want to make an alliance. To share information. If the foreseers are right, the time is coming when we’ll need allies.”
“You’ve got a foreseer?” The man’s gaze turned to Gina speculatively.
She smiled. “Not me. But yes, there�
�s at least one among Jim’s people.”
The man quirked a brow at her phrasing.
“Are you sure about this?” Jim asked in the privacy of her mind.
“Honesty is always the best policy. Better they find out now so they can’t accuse me of hiding anything later.”
“All right.” Jim sounded reconciled to her bold move. “I’ve got your back, baby.”
She could’ve kissed him right then, for his support. God, she loved this man.
“Jim’s people,” the stranger repeated. “But not your people? Why’s that? And what are you wearing?”
Gina stepped closer to the man, her palms open in an unthreatening pose. “Noticed my duds, huh? Very good. I’m an emissary from a secret sect of Alvians called the Zxerah. The Patriarch of my clan doesn’t want humanity to fail. He wants to facilitate us getting in touch with each other so we’ll be stronger when things come to a head. My clan has a few seers in it too, and the Zxerah Patriarch listens to them closely.”
“So he can figure out how best to hoodwink the humans?” the man challenged.
“So he can figure out a way for us all to live together in peace,” she countered.
“Burt, can you hear me?” The stranger spoke seemingly into the air, confusing Gina for a moment until a computerized voice answered in the affirmative. “Could you patch this through to Bill? We need his input.”
“Right away, Michael,” the computer answered. Only then did Gina notice a small speaker placed high on the ceiling of the tunnel. She hadn’t seen those before. Apparently they were much closer to the Canadian facility than she’d thought.
“I’m here, Mike. What do you need?” A new voice came over the speaker. It was a beautiful voice…with that distinctive Alvian trill, though it was well hidden. Still, Gina heard it. She’d lived with Alvians a long time, after all. She knew them well.
