Black and Blue

by Gena Showalter

  *

  Blue awoke suddenly.

  His body burned with desire, and he wasn't sure why. At first. Then he realized he was in bed with Evie. Her back was pressed into his bare chest, his hand was under her shirt, his fingers splayed over her belly. Her ass was nestled against his throbbing erection.

  He remembered how they'd gotten here. Pagan had shot him, and Evie had doctored him.

  He remembered she'd confessed to not having had sex in three years. How she'd kissed his brow in a show of comfort. Twice.

  Now he thought, Screw trying to earn her trust. Screw everything. I'm taking what's mine.

  Blue nuzzled the back of her neck and slid his hand to her breast, cupping the perfect little mound, kneading--and hissing as her nipple beaded for him. "Evie. Wake up for me, baby."

  A breathy moan left her, and she arched her back to stretch, pressing harder against his shaft. The pleasure . . . he groaned. Supplication for more.

  "Evie. Now."

  She stiffened. Then she rolled to her back and peered up at him, those velvety brown eyes clearing, becoming more alert--and finally heating.

  "Blue." Not a question. A demand.

  One he heeded. "We do this," he said. And that was the one and only warning he would offer. He grabbed her shirt by the collar and ripped the material down the center. Her bra received the same treatment.

  She uttered no protests. Even helped him discard the ruined fabric.

  He practically dove on her, slamming his mouth against hers, thrusting his tongue deep, taking, taking everything. She met him with a thrust of her own, her delicious taste sending him into a maddened frenzy. But then, she always had that effect on him.

  Have to have all of her. Finally.

  He sucked on her bottom lip, holding on to it as long as possible as he drew away, then lowered his head to suckle and nip at her nipples, to flick his tongue back and forth, back and forth, and even to bite. Her nails dug into his scalp, as if to hold him where he was.

  Oh, baby, nothing can pull me away.

  Her knees rubbed against his hips, as if she couldn't decide what to do with her legs. Then she planted her feet on the mattress and arched up, pressing her core against his erection. The increase of pleasure was almost too much, and yet, it wasn't even close to being enough. His sense of urgency deepened.

  Despising their clothing, but not wanting to take his hands from her breasts, he used his power to remove his jeans and underwear, then hers, jerking the garments away with only a thought and tossing them to the side. The cool air electrified him, washing over him and sensitizing every inch of him, all the more erotic as heated skin met heated skin . . . as his shaft met liquid fire.

  He nearly lost what little control he had left.

  Evie groaned. "Blue. Now."

  "Soon." This time, he was going to learn all of her. Do everything. Play.

  He cupped her between her legs and purred his approval. "So wet, baby." He loved how aroused she became--and how quickly.

  He teased her with a finger, and when she was riding it, trying to grind down on it, he fed her another one. All the while, her head thrashed from side to side. Her eyes were closed, her red lips moist and parted. He knew she was as lost in sensation as he was when he brought her close to the edge . . . then backed off . . . brought her close again . . . backed off.

  "Blue!"

  "Desperate?" He was. Sweat trickled from his temples. Never been strung this taut. But it was worth it to hear her moan and groan and beg. To watch her thrash.

  "Ready."

  "Not yet." He gave her a third finger, stretching her, this time preparing her for what was to come, and she gasped an unintelligible word. Her nails found their way to his back and scraped, drawing blood.

  He'd wear the wounds with pride.

  "Hurt?" he asked.

  "A bit. But, ohhh. I need it."

  A beautiful plea from the indomitable Evie Black. "You're going to give me everything."

  "Whatever you want."

  "Everything. You asked for it once. Now I'm demanding it." Unable to hold back any longer, he slid his fingers out of her. They both moaned at the loss. He wiped the wet across her lips and, as he bent down to lick it off, to kiss her deep and sure, he hooked her knees under his arms and positioned his shaft for entry.

  "Yes! Please!"

  He wanted to shove, hard and fast. He pushed in an inch. Then two.

  So tight. So damn tight.

  He gained another inch.

  Then another, and another.

  Panting, she stilled.

  "Okay?"

  "Feels so good. You're so big."

  Killing me. "Gonna make it feel even better." He reached between their bodies, found her little bundle of nerves, pressed and rubbed until her hips began to rock.

  "Yes!" she cried. "Oh, yes."

  He thrust the rest of the way in, as hard and fast as he'd wanted, and she came instantly, arching her back and screaming his name.

  He'd never felt anything as rapturous as her inner walls clenching on him. So perfect. "Tell me you can take a rough ride, baby."

  "Yes. Please, yes."

  Never get tired of hearing her say that word. He grabbed the headboard, pulled most of the way out of her, then slammed in with so much force the entire bed rattled. A picture crashed to the floor. And maybe his Arcadian powers had caused the furniture to levitate, because a lamp tumbled from the nightstand and shattered.

  He would pay for the damage. Gladly.

  He kept moving. In, out. In, out. The pressure must have mounted inside her, because she clutched at him, urging him to give it to her harder, faster. He couldn't have stopped or slowed to save his life. Never had he been so overwhelmed, so overcome. So taken over, where only pleasure mattered.

  Here. Now. This woman. Mine.

  His rhythm became brutal and punishing. Exquisite. Evie grabbed him by the hair and tugged him down for another kiss. The moment their tongues met, she climaxed again, and as her inner walls squeezed him this second time, he joined her, coming, coming so hard. He roared, giving one last thrust, feeding her that last bit of his release, until finally he collapsed on top of her, utterly spent.

  He wasn't sure how much time passed before he realized he hadn't moved, that he could be suffocating her with his heavy weight. Gathering her close, he rolled to his side. Sweat formed a slippery layer over both of their bodies, and neither of them could catch their breath.

  Thing was, he only wanted more.

  *

  Evie reeled. Sex had never been that good for her. Sex had probably never been that good for anyone, and she almost wished she hadn't experienced it. Almost. How was she supposed to let Blue go now?

  For the first time in years, she felt no sense of dissatisfaction. Only peace. As though all of the pieces of her life had finally lined up correctly.

  But that couldn't be right. Ultimately, no matter how wonderful Blue was as a person, he was bad for her. They would never want the same things.

  Have to put some space between us. "I feel foolish for bringing this up now, considering my profession and my past, but in all the excitement I honestly never gave it a single thought. Although, that's not really an excuse, is it? I should be totally ashamed." And even panicked.

  But she wasn't panicked.

  His eyes twinkled merrily, as if he were fighting a laugh. "I think that's the closest you've ever come to rambling, sugar puff."

  "Well, what I was trying to say," she continued, forging ahead, "is that I'm not on any kind of birth control."

  "No probs. I can't get you pregnant."

  Ever? "First, no probs? Seriously? Second, what about disease?"

  "First, yes. That is what I said. No probs. I think we should abbreviate more. It's sexy. Second, I don't have an Arcadian disease, and even if I did, I couldn't pass it to you. Also, I'm immune to human disease."

  "Well, just for your peace of mind, I don't have one. I checked."

  He kissed th
e tip of her nose. "Thank you for telling me."

  She sat up, pushed her damp hair from her face. "So . . ."

  He arched a brow. "Is this the part where you try to kick me out of your bed? Sorry, hotcakes, because that's just not happening. We're snuggling."

  Wait. What? Peering down at him, she said firmly, "We are not snuggling."

  His bottom lip stuck out in the most adorable pout.

  Was he teasing her?

  He had to be teasing her.

  Stupid, adorable man!

  "So now that you've used me," he said, "you're going to abandon me?"

  Gah! Guilt trip. "I don't really have a desire to snugs. With anyone. Ever."

  He barked out a laugh. "Did you just say 'snugs'?"

  Her cheeks flamed as she realized that yes, yes she had. "What. I was giving the abbreviation thing a try."

  "You did good." Grinning, he said, "Have you ever tried to 'snugs'?"

  Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "No."

  There was a softening around his eyes and mouth, as if he'd just spotted a kitten in need of help out of a tree. He cupped the back of her neck and massaged. "Let's try it, then. You and me. We might like it."

  She closed her eyes in bliss, even as she inwardly cursed him. This was the charming seducer thousands had fallen for, guaranteed. " 'We'?"

  "I've never done it before, either, and I want to see what it's like."

  She would be the first? Bollocks! How was she supposed to resist now? "You're serious? Never?"

  "Never. I took what I wanted and left . . . or forced the women to leave."

  "And they put up with you?" she asked, incredulous.

  "Of course. They even tried to come back for seconds and thirds."

  "Of course," she mocked. "But . . . why now? Why me?"

  He shrugged, unabashed. "You smell too good, feel too good, and I'm going to want you again very, very soon. Might as well have you nearby and save myself the trouble of having to hunt you down."

  She should resist. One sexcapade had nearly killed her. No telling what a second go-round would do. And what if she actually enjoyed the whole snuggling thing? She'd start craving it--and when it came to Blue, she couldn't afford any more cravings.

  Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and hate it.

  True.

  Her silence must have provoked him, because he said, "Don't make me caveman-up and club you over the head to get what I want."

  She rolled her eyes. "Okay, all right. Fine. We'll do a little snuggling." She draped herself over his chest, and he enfolded her in his arms. His heart pounded against her ear, fast and hard, pleasing her mightily.

  She wasn't going to hate it, was she?

  "We can do this for an hour, and maybe, if you're lucky, I'll get a little handsy," she said. "But after that we need to go our separate ways, okay?"

  He combed his fingers through her hair. "Nope. Not okay. I need at least six hours. And definite hand play. No maybe about it."

  They were bargaining about this? Seriously? "Two hours," she said. "And I won't beat you to death."

  "Eight. And you'll caress."

  Bloody hell. "That isn't how you negotiate, Blue."

  "My bad. Ten hours."

  Just to be contrary, she twisted his nipple.

  "Ow!" He pried her fingers loose and kissed her knuckles. "Just for that, I'm not going to tell you how I ranked you."

  She jolted upright and met his gaze. "You do not rank your women." A pause. "Do you?"

  "Not usually. But this time I made an exception."

  "I don't think you know how close you are to having your spine pulled out through your mouth," she said, waving her fist in front of his face.

  He tried to bite it. "Did I ever tell you how sexy it is when you threaten me with bodily harm?"

  "No. Because that would be ridiculous."

  "It's not, and it's true." Expression serious, he said, "Now, back to your ranking. I've decided to tell you, despite the titty-twister."

  She shook her head, dark hair dancing around her. "I don't want to know." After all, she'd lost herself in the pleasure of his mouth and his hands, and then his body; he'd had to do all the work.

  "Too bad. Baby, there is no question, no doubt in my mind, that you are and forever will be . . . number one. Seriously. This," he said, waving a hand to indicate her slender curves, "should be outlawed."

  She tried to maintain a neutral expression--encouraging him was wrong--but she couldn't suppress a smile. "Two compliments from you in one day. You must be losing your edge."

  "Of course I am. I just blew a major load."

  Her eyes widened. Can't believe he just said that.

  He gave another wave, this one imperial. "Go ahead. Laugh. You know you want to."

  She slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Laughter escaped.

  His gaze met hers with a mix of pleasure and awe, his features softening. "I will never get tired of seeing you lit up like this."

  Getting too serious! her mind screamed. And, just like that, her amusement drained.

  He frowned, as if her mood change upset him. "What are you thinking about?"

  "What's going to happen tomorrow? With Tiffany?"

  "Don't want me to make a move on her?"

  "No," she answered honestly. And crap. Too serious again.

  Now he grinned, pleased. "Don't worry. I won't. You have my word. I will flirt with her to make it believable when she leaves with me, but it will never go any further than that. When I get her alone, I will use compulsion to get her to fall asleep."

  "All right," she said with a nod.

  "Wait. No making me promise? Or sign a contract in blood?"

  "No. I believe you. I need no more assurance than your word."

  Something bright bloomed in his eyes as he kissed her temple. "I don't know what to say. Evie . . . thank you."

  If anything, she should be saying those words to him.

  "Are you hungry?" he asked, switching topics with a speed that left her floundering. "I'm starved. So why don't I make us something to eat? Afterward we can shower and clock a few more hours in bed before we go to sleep." His voice went husky with desire when he added, "Then, come morning, I'll wake you up in the best possible way. Promise."

  Wait. He expected to stay the night in her room? The entire night?

  "Stay here. I'll be right back." Naked, he padded into the hallway, leaving her alone with a growing sense of panic. At last it had arrived.

  Eighteen

  HE HADN'T WORN A condom. To be honest, Blue hadn't even thought about wearing one. On some level, he must trust Evie more than he trusted any other woman. He knew she would never make claims about a false pregnancy as Pagan had. As countless others had. She was honest to a fault.

  And now that he knew she hadn't complained about the lack because she had been as caught up in the moment as he had been, he only wanted her more.

  He was grinning as he carried a tray of sandwiches into the bedroom, nearly let-the-world-crumble eager to see her splayed out, dark hair splashed over the pillows, pale skin flushed with the pleasure he had just given her, lips red and swollen from his kisses.

  He'd never been a possessive guy. Today, that had changed. Evie Black belonged to him, and he wasn't letting her go. He was already addicted to her taste--the honey she smelled of. But now he knew her warmth, and her inner softness, and the sounds she made as her excitement built. He knew the feel of her nails in his flesh and her body moving against his, surrounding his, knew her smile afterward, the huskiness of her voice.

  She's a treasure. My treasure.

  Yes, he betrayed Michael.

  Yes, he felt guilt. But he would make his boss understand.

  What about tomorrow? The postgame party? Tiffany?

  Evie understood. She trusted him, no questions asked, and the knowledge floored him. He didn't think he'd ever been this happy.

  He wouldn't blow it. For once, Blue had drawn a line and he wouldn
't cross it.

  "Evangeline," he said, grinning as he stepped into the room.

  She wasn't in the bed.

  He set the tray on the dresser and strode into the bathroom. But she wasn't there, either. Frowning, he checked the entire suite. There was no sign of her, and her clothes had been picked up from the floor.

  "Evie," he called.

  There was no reply.

  He raced through the entire house, checking every corner, every shadow, but she wasn't hiding anywhere.

  Scowling, he stomped into her office and watched the security feeds, using the codes she'd given him. Within minutes he was seething. The little witch climbed out of her own bedroom window and scaled down the side of the house. As if he were a booty call she regretted.

  Fury rained, a storm of ice and fire. His motions were jerky as he strapped weapons all over his body and dressed. She had a ten-minute head start. He'd have her back in bed in five. Whether he would spank her, lecture her, or seduce her, he wasn't sure. Maybe he'd do all three.

  Why do this to him?

  She wasn't the type to run away from her problems.

  Or, hell, what did he know? Maybe she was. She still hadn't told him about Claire.

  Outside, the moon was high and full, the sky a stretch of diamond-studded ebony, the air cool. The roads were deserted, the entire neighborhood at rest. Evie had gone north, so he took off in that direction, following the lingering trace of her sweet perfume.

  She'd left prints in the ground, and they were deeper than a normal step. She'd been sprinting, her shoes pounding into the dirt. She was that eager to escape him?

  Infuriated all over again, he rounded a corner just in time to watch Evie disappear inside an all-night grocery--and catch a Bree Lian dodging her steps, moving faster and faster, drawing closer to her heels. Blue lurched into super-speed, several yards away one minute, right behind the guy the next.

  He slapped a hand over furry lips--and stabbed, stabbed. Spleen. Kidney. The Bree Lian's startled, pained howl was muffled as he fell to his knees. Blue dragged him into the darkened alley beside the building and slammed his knee into the guy's face, propelling him backward. Before he could figure out what was going on, Blue had a pyre-gun unsheathed and aimed.

  "Why are you after the girl?" he demanded. "Who do you work for?"

  Clutching his bleeding side, the otherworlder pressed his lips together in a tight, mulish line.

  Blue picked him up with a single stream of power and kept him suspended in the air. With another stream, he spread the Bree Lian's arms and legs, hopefully making him feel as if the appendages were going to be ripped away any second. Because they were.