by Susan Hayes
It was time to show Hanna that he meant every word he’d said. She was his, and nothing in the galaxy could make him regret that fact.
Chapter Five
True to his word, Chris brought her several blankets, all of them worn but clean. She thanked him, and then lingered at the door to watch him leave as another pair of guards took his place. The night watch had apparently begun.
“Three blankets. He outdid himself. Maybe I’ll tell Karos not to eat him when that damned dragon finally shows up,” Jet said.
She tossed the blankets onto the end of her bunk, blinking in surprise when something slipped from between them. “He brought dessert.” She held up the candy bar Chris had smuggled her. “Chocolate. Decent chocolate, too. If that doesn’t earn him a reprieve, nothing will.” They had both adopted low speaking voices that wouldn’t carry to the guards outside.
“There’s a difference? I thought chocolate was just chocolate.”
Hanna stared at Jet in disbelief. “How long have you been here? Hasn’t anyone told you about the hierarchy of chocolate, yet?” She held up the Dairy Milk bar. “This is acceptable. Not top of the line, but not bad. Purdy’s is better. Rogers Chocolate is better still, and European chocolate is better than just about anything made in North America.”
“What about Hershey's? I’ve tried that.”
She wrinkled her nose in dismay. “That’s bargain-basement chocolate. It’s one step above carob, but only barely. When we get out of here, we’re going to have to work on your understanding of all things cocoa. This mating thing isn’t going to work out if you don’t learn to appreciate chocolate. It just won’t.”
“If that’s what it takes to keep you, I’m willing to expand my horizons.”
“Your sacrifice is noted.” Despite everything, the banter and flirting made her smile and wrapped her heart in a warm, fuzzy feeling that only got stronger the longer they were together. It should worry her, but somehow, it didn’t. In fact, nothing worried her for long. It had to be the Scorching messing with her head, and a few other spots on her body.
Shaking off another wave of lust, she gathered up two of the blankets and the tray and carried them to their meeting spot by the bars. She handed one of the blankets to him, laid hers on the floor, and settled into the middle of it with the tray on her lap.
“Thank you,” Jet set his blanket out the same way she had and joined her on the floor, his long legs stretching out along his side of the bars.
She divvied up the food as evenly as she could, handing him one of the bottles of water, then splitting the peanut butter sandwich and passing it through the bars like they were having the strangest picnic on the planet. The fruit cup and lukewarm cup of instant ramen were harder to split, but they took turns passing them back and forth, stealing lingering touches every time. There was only one plastic spoon on the tray, making the simple act of sharing a meal into something far more intimate than she could have imagined.
They talked as they ate, mostly about the layout of the warehouse, how many men she’d seen around, their most likely location in the city, and their chances of being rescued before morning.
“If they had our location, they’d have come for us already. There’s no way Megan would wait.”
“Karos wouldn’t either. He’ll show up the second he knows where we are, tear this place apart, and then apologize for letting us get kidnapped.”
“Megan might actually start apologizing before she’s finished shooting people. She has to be losing her mind right now. I should have listened to her. She told me not to let your people handle security. I didn’t listen, and now she might be…” She couldn’t finish the thought. Megan had to be okay. She needed to make this up to both of them. Lily and Megan were her employees, her friends, and she’d put them at risk.
Jet reached over and took her hand. “They’re going to find us, Hanna. Neither of our friends is the kind to give up. We can’t either.”
His words settled her a little, and a few deep breaths helped ground her even more. Well, as grounded as she could be given the steady of stream of X-rated thoughts that filled her head every time they touched. “Thank you. I needed the reminder. Megan would kick my ass if she knew I was wasting time and energy worrying when there’s work to do.”
“Given the day we’ve had, I’d say we’re both entitled to a few minutes of worry.” Jet raised her hand to his lips, brushing a few tender kisses to her fingertips. “You taste like peanut butter. I think that’s officially my favourite food now.”
“That’s because we haven’t had dessert, yet.” She brought out the chocolate bar and offered it to him.
“I think we should save that for later. It’s going to be a long night, and we’re not going to be fed again until morning.” He kissed her hand again. “Besides, I’ve already got dessert right here.”
“How can you go from being sensible to silly in a matter of seconds?” She tugged her hand out of his grasp.
Just then, the lights outside the cell started going out, a bank at a time.
“Stay here.” Jet was on his feet in a heartbeat and moved to look out the door of his cell.
“What’s going on?” When the lights started going out, she had hoped it was the start of a rescue, but the silence made her doubt that’s what was happening.
“Nothing.” Jet sounded as disappointed as she felt. “The guards haven’t moved, and there are still lights on in some of the offices. They’re probably just trying to save on their power bill.”
“Lucky us, we got kidnapped by the low-budget bad guys.” She got to her feet, kicked off her shoes, and gathered them up with the remains of their meal. She set the tray by the cell door, placed her shoes beneath her bunk, and shut off the tap-light on her side. Her heels would make too much noise on the steel floor, and she didn’t want to do anything to draw attention to what they were about to do.
“Smart thinking.” Jet murmured when she slipped back over to the bars. “But your feet must be freezing.”
“When we get out of here, I’m taking a long, hot bath and staying there until I forget what it’s like to be cold.”
“That sounds fantastic. If I bring chocolate, may I join you? I promise to get the good stuff.”
She had every intention of saying no, but that wasn’t what came out of her mouth. “You, me, chocolate, and a bubble bath? You’ve got yourself a date.”
He winked. “Until then, I will do my best to keep you warm, tani. Just as soon as I deal with these damned bars.”
He deftly twisted the blanket into a makeshift rope and secured it to the bar they hoped to pull out. It took a few minutes of experimenting, a couple of whispered suggestions, and another few seconds to wrap one of the original, thinner blankets around the bar in hopes it might dampen any sound should it hit another bar or the floor before they could stop it. Any loud noise would bring the guards over to investigate, and that would be the end of their plan.
Jet planted his feet and wrapped the end of the blanket rope around his hands, then looked upward. “If anyone out there is feeling generous, it would be appreciated.”
Hanna took a step backward and crossed her fingers. “If this works, I’ll have to rethink my stance on the existence of higher beings.”
“You are my true mate, chosen by the Gods themselves. Until you believe that, I’ll just have to keep the faith for both of us.” With that, Jet gripped the blanket in both hands and pulled.
She held her breath, half expecting the blanket to tear or the knots to give. Jet strained, grunted, and then the bar gave way to the pressure with a faint crack as the welding seal snapped.
“It worked!” she whispered in gleeful amazement.
“I told you. It’s destiny.” He retied the knots at the top of the bar and repeated the performance, only this time she had a job of her own. She sat on the floor and held the base of the bar as tight as she could so it didn’t go flying once the top broke free.
At least, that was the pla
n. In reality, the bar gave way with enough force it flew out of her hands and smacked her in the chin.
“Hanna!” Jet set the newly freed bar aside and tried to squeeze through the gap they’d made, but he couldn’t get through.
“You’re too big.” The words came out a little muzzy as she tried to work her aching jaw.
“Flames. How bad is it? Are you bleeding?” Frustrated, he dropped to his knees and reached for her. Still dazed, she managed to catch hold of his hand.
“I think I’m going to need you to kiss it better.”
“If that’s what you need me to do.” He drew her into the gap and kissed her, and just like that she forgot about the pain and the dizziness. All that mattered was him.
One second she was on her side of the bars, the next, his gorgeous mate was in his arms, her soft body pressed against his. That was all it took to hurl him into the middle of a firestorm that incinerated the last of his patience. He had to have her. Now.
The only thing that stopped him from tearing off her clothes was the knowledge she had nothing else to wear. As much as he wanted her naked, he couldn’t bear the thought of another male seeing her that way. “Clothes,” he almost growled the word between kisses.
“We’re wearing too many,” she replied as she started unbuttoning his shirt with shaking fingers.
“Permission?” he couldn’t seem to speak more than a single word at a time, which wasn’t surprising, given most of the blood in his body was currently in his aching cock.
Hanna moved back so she could see his face. Her amber eyes were bright with desire, her cheeks flushed, her lips swollen by his kisses. “You have it. I’m not fighting this anymore. I can’t.”
“Me either.” They kissed again, though it was more than a simple kiss. It was a prelude, a promise of what came next. He savoured the taste of her, the sweetness of her lips, the warmth of her breath, the way she shivered with pleasure as he explored her body.
They undressed each other quickly, craving skin to skin contact, both of them spurred on by the effects of the Scorching. Flames, she was beautiful. Long legs, golden skin, and soft curves that fit his hands perfectly.
He paused in his exploration long enough to remove his shirt, nearly strangling himself on his tie when he forgot he was wearing it. She laughed, the sound wrapping around him like a silken caress. Gods, he loved her laughter. It was a balm to his soul, a comfort he hadn’t even known he’d craved until now.
He sucked her lower lip into his mouth as his hands slid up her flanks to cup her breasts. Her nipples, already hard, pebbled beneath his palms and he shifted his hands so he could tease the taut points with his fingers.
She moaned into his mouth, her hips rolling as she rubbed against him, arching herself into his touch. Somehow, she got her skirt off without losing contact with him, and he changed positions so he was leaning against the wall of their cell, his legs extended so Hanna could straddle them. She reached between them, undoing his belt, and then his pants. When her fingers wrapped around his length he bucked against her hand, nearly unseating her in his urgency. Nothing he’d read, nothing he’d imagined could compare to the pleasure he felt at her touch.
She fisted his cock, stroking it with a firm touch that made his balls tighten and his heart pound. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to come before I’m even inside you. That’s not how I want my first time to end.”
She froze and looked up, stunned. “Your first time. You mean your first time with me, right?” Then her eyes widened. “Oh my god. I forgot. You can’t. I mean, you only ever come with your mate. So you’ve never…”
“Never.”
Doubt dimmed the light in her eyes as her body went tight with sudden tension and she let go of him, pulling her arms in close to her sides. “I’m worse than a cougar. I’m a freaking cradle robber.”
First cats, now cradles. There were definitely some gaps in the cognitive augmentation program because he had no idea what she was talking about. “Why would you steal a child’s bed, and what does that have to do with my lack of experience?”
“Because you’re a virgin, and I’m… not even close to that. I shouldn’t want this. What will people say when they find out I pulled a Mrs. Robinson?”
Again with the strange references, but Jet was starting to grasp the problem. He ignored her stiff-backed resistance, pulled her in close, bowed his head over hers and murmured, “I’m a grown male, Hanna. I’ve never had sex before, but I’m hardly an innocent or a child. I’ve been a soldier, which means I’ve seen hardship and death. Enough of it to know when a good thing comes along, only a fool would walk away. You’re a good thing, Hanna Dewan. The best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Those are lovely words, but will you still mean them when this Scorching thing is over? If we stop now, then maybe…”
“There’s no stopping this. You know that.” He stroked her hair as he spoke, trying to soothe her worries, but it wasn’t easy, not when his control was shredded and his need for her was making it hard to think.
“You’re so sure of yourself. Of this. What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not wrong.” He coaxed her head back so he could look into her eyes. “Trust me, tani.”
She shivered, and then nodded. It was only the barest movement of her head, but it was enough. He dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her, letting her feel the full force of his desire. She groaned, the sound filling his mouth, resonating through him like the thrum of an engine reaching top speed. She belonged to him, and it was time to make his claim.
Hanna gave in to the need coursing through her, a flood of lust that washed away every rational thought in her head. The world started to whirl and spin as he kissed her, his hand stroking down her body until his fingers rested at the apex of her thighs. She bucked her hips in invitation, and after that, the world exploded into a maelstrom of sensations. His fingers found her clit, rubbing it with quick, circular motions that had her quivering in seconds, her breath coming in ragged gasps as he touched and teased her.
It didn’t take him long to learn what she liked best, and soon she was riding the edge of a cresting wave that lifted her to the heights of bliss. When he slipped a finger into her slick channel, her body clamped around him eagerly, and when he added another finger and started fucking her with them, his thumb pressed to her clit, his mouth still mated to hers, she was lost.
She came as quietly as she could, her soft cries of pleasure muffled against his mouth as pleasure coursed through every cell in her body and she rode his fingers in mindless ecstasy.
“You are so beautiful,” Jet’s voice was thick with need as he withdrew his fingers from her body.
She blushed as she stared down at the hard body of her lover. He had the body of an athlete, all muscle and strength. He could have been sculpted from marble by a master artisan, and somehow, he was here, with her. “So are you.”
He smiled as he guided her into position, one hand on her hip, the other on his cock. “I need you, tani.”
“I’m yours.” And in this one, perfect moment, she was.
“Here’s where we find out if my research pays off,” he joked as she settled over him, the impressively thick head of his cock pressing against her entrance.
“This is the easy part.” She found herself smiling back at him as she took control, her eyes locked on his as she eased herself down onto his steel hard shaft.
He groaned her name as they came together, a long, drawn out sound of raw need that didn’t stop until he was buried balls deep inside her. Her inner walls rippled around his length and she gasped as even the smallest movement made her body hum with pleasure.
Jet raised his legs, drawing his knees up to form a cradle for her body. He tangled one hand in her hair, pulling her in so close their breath mingled
“We are one,” he said, his voice hushed but the words achingly clear. “I vow by the Flames of the First One, to protect my mate, Hanna Dewan, from all who would do her har
m. She will be my lover, my treasure, and my most cherished companion from now until we return to the Flame that birthed us.”
She felt the weight of his words but stayed silent. She wasn’t ready to commit to forever. After a handful of heartbeats, he closed the gap and kissed her, hard. She let herself be drawn into it, pushing aside thoughts of forever and embracing this moment. This, she could give him.
She set the pace, hands on his shoulders, holding tight as she rode him like one of the thoroughbred horses from the family stables. Every move he made, his muscles flexed and glided beneath her hands, and soon she was gripping him so tightly she knew she’d leave marks on his skin. She didn’t care. In fact, she revelled in the idea of marking him, even if no one else would see it.
His kisses grew rougher, their pace more frantic as they chased each other towards release, every whisper of pleasure carefully muffled lest they be overheard. That fear added an extra edge to their lovemaking, and it wasn’t long before she shuddered and came, burying her face in the crook of his neck to stifle her cry of pleasure.
He came a few seconds later, the heat of his orgasm filling her. Before he was done, she felt a change as his cock swelled, pressing against the most sensitive parts of her body and sending her tumbling into another orgasm.
When she had breath to speak again, she raised her head and rocked her hips against his still swollen cock. “Something you forgot to mention?”
Jet looked sheepish and smug at the same time. “During orgasm, I uh…swell. It locks us together for a little while.”
“That’s not all it does.” She flexed her body around his cock, making him shudder and groan low in his throat. “This happens every time?”
“It does.” He feathered several soft kisses against her mouth and cheeks. “That was incredible.”
“It was.” There wasn’t any point in denying it. As she looked at him, she finally had enough of her wits about her to notice his eyes. Even in the dim light, she could see they were a brilliant shade of gold.
