by Dena Christy
He didn't look like he was going to be receptive to what she had to say but she went ahead as if he was going to be open minded.
"It's not that I don't believe you when you say that Landis is a capable man, I just think we should have some sort of backup plan. I'm suggesting that we give Landis a few days to find the information we need and to come up with some way to get the information off the chip."
"And what do you think we should do after these few days have passed with no results?"
Cheria licked her lips. She had a feeling that this was the part that would be the hardest sell for him.
"We should go to Tusko M'Kedi and arrange to meet with Remy."
He stood up, drawing himself up to his full height. "Absolutely not."
"Why not?"
"You know very well that it is too dangerous for you to go there. There is every possibility that whoever is hunting you is heading there now, and could be waiting for you there. Landis will come through for us, I am certain."
"But how can you be sure?" She knew the dangers of going to Tusko M'Kedi but she trusted Remy, who she'd known for years and knew that if anyone could help her it was him. She knew nothing about Landis, knew nothing about his capabilities and she was putting her life in his hands. She didn't know if she could do it.
"Because I know him. I trust him."
"But don't you see, I don't. He's a stranger to me, and I don't have the faith in him that you have." That was the crux of her problem. She'd been burned in the past, putting her trust in people who’d let her down. Xander was the most recent example of that. She'd trusted him with her career and his incompetence was a big part of the reason she was in this hotel room with the man standing in front of her.
"You do not have to trust him." He stepped closer to her and she tipped her head back to look up at him. He reached up and put his hand on her cheek, cupping her face. "You only need to trust me."
She looked into his silver eyes, and she knew that while he was a stranger to her too, she found that she did trust him. She wasn't sure why. It could be that when he'd been hunting her, he could have been brutal with her in his attempt to capture her and hadn't been. It could be the fact that he was now as deeply embroiled in all this as she was, and it was in his best interests to find who was after them in the event that he was a target too. And it could also be something as simple as the gentleness of his hand on her cheek.
From the second he'd shown up at her apartment, despite her sense of self-preservation that had caused her to flee from him, there was something about him that drew her. It could be his differentness from anyone she'd known before, it could be the instinct inside her that told her if anyone could keep her safe from harm it was him. Or it could be plain old attraction.
"I do trust you."
"Then trust me when I say that Landis is our best chance. Tusko M'Kedi is too dangerous and is the last place we should go. That might change once we know what we are facing, but right now there is too much we do not know."
He was right, she knew he was, but that didn't change that she wanted a back up plan. But she knew by the way his face was set that he was not prepared to listen to any more arguments about why he should willingly take her into danger. And it made her wonder why he seemed so set on protecting her when she'd done nothing to deserve it. She'd caused him one headache after another from the second they'd met, and he now found himself in a situation where he was likely a target of the man who hunted her.
"Why are you doing this? Why not just leave me to solve this on my own?"
"My honor would never allow me to do that."
Was his honor the only reason he was here with her in this hotel? She looked up at him, wanting to ask him if that was the only reason but she was afraid of what his answer would be. She was afraid that he didn't feel the same pull to her that she felt toward him.
He leaned closer to her, and she was caught by the silver of his eyes. Her pulse picked up speed as her eyes darted down to his lips. Was he going to kiss her? Did he want to? Did she want him to?
Right now was the worst time in her life for this sort of complication, but her body wasn't in the mood to listen. It longed to feel the touch of his mouth on hers and something about what was going on inside her must have communicated on her face because his eyes darkened.
He moved back slightly, and she didn't know what possessed her to clasp her hand around his wrist but she did. He froze, his eyes going to hers with a question in them.
"Cheria?"
"I want to know what your kiss is like." For a moment she couldn't believe that she'd come right out and said it. But while she wanted to kiss him, to feel his lips on hers and to feel his strong arms around her, she wasn't certain that going further than kisses was something she wanted. "I don't know if I'm ready for anything else, but I want to know what it's like to kiss you. Don't you want to know what it's like to kiss me?"
In answer he brought his other hand up to cup the other side of her face. He bent his face close to her and fused his mouth with hers. Her eyes fluttered shut as he moved his mouth tentatively on hers, his touch gentle. Her body's reaction to his kiss was electric.
Her heart beat picked up its pace, and she moved closer to him, her hands moving up to rest against his chest. He was so much bigger than her but the touch of his lips on hers and the slow gentleness of his hands as they moved from her face down to clasp her waist told her that he would not use his size and strength against her. She felt safe with him, and she knew that should scare her.
His hands tightened on her waist as a rumble started in his chest. Still holding on to her, he straightened and she made a startled noise as he lifted her off the floor and her feet dangled above it. He pulled back for a moment, and she gave a little laugh as he held her in midair and she had never felt safer.
She slipped her arms around his neck and smiled at him. He smiled back at her and she moved forward so she could kiss him again. His lips were full and soft, and she could not resist running her tongue along his bottom lip. She looked into his eyes, which had darkened so much that they were almost black.
"Are you teasing me, woman?"
"I wouldn't think of it." And she moved so her mouth was fully on his and her tongue slipped between the seam in his lips. His arms banded tight around her and he moved, walking across the room until he came to the sofa and sat down on it.
He never broke contact with her lips, and he settled on the sofa with her on his lap facing him with her legs folded on either side of his thighs. For a second she was afraid that he would push for more than she was ready to give him, but he seemed content to hold her and kiss her.
After several long moments, she pulled back and caressed his face and looked at him closely for the first time. His features were strong, masculine and bold, and while he wasn't conventionally handsome like the men on this planet, there was something striking about him.
She moved so that her head rested against him with her forehead tucked against his neck. His hold was loose around her, and she knew that she could move away and break his hold on her anytime she wanted. She was utterly safe with him, and it was a foreign feeling for her. She'd never experienced it before, and she relaxed against him knowing that she didn't have to calculate every word she said, every move she made. She could simply be Cheria, the woman she was when she was on her own.
She gave a soft sigh and closed her eyes. Her body relaxed and after the excitement of the day she knew that she should get off him as sleep called to her. But she stayed where she was, and soon her body drifted into sleep with his arms around her.
Chapter 13
Rone opened his eyes, and blinked to focus them. He felt disoriented for a moment because the bed he was in was not his and the room looked nothing like his home. A scent came to him, the scent of the woman in the bed beside him and it all came rushing back.
Angis was dead and he and Cheria were being hunted by an unknown killer. He was in an unfamiliar city, and while he did no
t regret his decision to forgo the bounty on Cheria, the consequences of doing so might be harsh. The bounty payment had meant that there had finally been some hope for his brother. And he might be able to put an end to the current life he was living and go home.
His mouth turned down for a moment. There was no guarantee that he would get out of this current situation alive, although he would fight with the fierceness of his ancestors to ensure that he and Cheria survived this.
He rolled over and looked at Cheria sleeping beside him in the bed. When she slept her face was relaxed and she didn't hold that guarded, troubled look on her face. He wondered at the life she'd lived that had made it so difficult for her to trust. He felt privileged that she put her trust in him and he promised himself that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
His eyes went to her lips and he longed to taste them again. She'd surprised him yesterday when she'd asked him to kiss her. He knew he wanted to taste her lips, had wanted to know what her body felt like against his from almost the first moment that he'd met her. It had not occurred to him that she might want to kiss him until she'd asked him.
He could not resist reaching out to run his index finger down her cheek. Her skin was so soft. Until this moment he hadn't realized just how much he longed to be with someone who wanted him, not because he was paying for her affections, but because there was a genuine desire for him inside her.
She gave a soft sigh and opened her eyes. She smiled sleepily beside him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to wake up in a bed beside him with his index finger caressing her cheek. And it triggered something inside him, a need he wasn't aware he had until it got him in his grip and wouldn't let him go. It was a need for her, a hunger to know her in the most intimate way.
He clamped down on it with an iron will. Unless it was something she wanted too, he would keep his hunger to himself.
"Good morning. Did I fall asleep on you last night?"
"Yes. I carried you to bed." And he could not resist laying beside her and sleeping next to her. He told himself that it would be easier to guard her if she was next to him, but he knew that wasn't the whole truth.
"I don't think I've ever slept as well as I did last night." She sighed and the smile fell from her face. "It's not a bad dream, is it? We really are in this mess, aren't we?"
He hated seeing the fear in her eyes, and moved closer to her. "It is not a bad dream. But do not be afraid. I will do whatever it takes to protect you."
The troubled look did not leave her eyes and he wondered what he could do or say to take that look away. He hated seeing it there.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was a regretful whisper, and he knew that he had to stop the direction of her thoughts. She was blaming herself for what was happening to them, for what had happened to her friends and his boss, and thinking like that would get them nowhere.
"You are not to blame."
"You would not be in this mess if it were not for me. You would be living your life the way you want if you hadn't gotten tangled up with me."
"It was my choice to take the bounty assignment. It was my choice to hunt you after you eluded me the first time. And it is my choice now to stay with you, to protect you and keep you safe." She was so close, her blue eyes so big when he looked at her that he thought he would happily drown in them. He moved even closer so that their bodies were against each other as they lay side by side under the covers. "And it is my choice to kiss you and hold you."
He moved his face slowly toward hers, giving her plenty of time to pull away and tell him that kissing him was not her choice. But she didn't. Her eyes drifted shut and he captured her mouth with his. The scent of her wrapped around him like a cocoon and he could think of nothing he wanted to do more than lay in this bed with her, touching her and kissing her.
Her scent was already imprinted in his brain, and now his lips memorized the feel of hers. She sighed softly as he slipped his tongue in her mouth so he could taste her. Something settled inside his chest, a feeling of rightness that he'd never felt before.
It was like he was meant to be here with her, meant to hold her. He deepened his kiss and as she rolled slightly on to her back he settled himself partially on top of her, being careful to keep most of his body weight off of her. She was much smaller than the females on his planet, and his awareness of it made him cautious about letting go.
Her frame may be small but she was soft and curvy in a way that pleased him. She pressed her curves against him as she threaded her fingers through his hair. Her touch made him want to purr with pleasure, and he reached between them so his hand could settle on the curve of her breast.
He pulled his mouth away from hers, so he could see if this was something she wanted, to move beyond kissing. He watched her carefully as he gently tested the weight of her breast. Her eyes opened, and she looked at him, her mouth slightly parted as she sighed and arched ever so slightly. It was the encouragement he needed.
He moved so that his mouth could taste the skin of her throat and she shivered against him.
"Rone." His name was a whispered sigh, and it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. It sent his blood pumping through his veins, and he moved his mouth down her neck until he came to the opening of her top.
He lifted his head and looked at her. She tilted her head off the pillow and nodded slightly. It was all the encouragement he needed. While leaning up on one arm, he used his free hand to flick open the buttons holding her top together. The fabric parted and he ran his broad palm over the smooth skin of her belly. She was wearing a smaller undergarment than the one that she'd worn the first time he'd seen her without her top. This one was the same color as her flesh, but only covered her breasts.
There was a clasp at the front, and when he pulled it, it sprang open, freeing her breasts. His eyes darted up to hers again as he slid his hand up her torso, so slowly that it raised tiny bumps on her skin and made her nipples tighten. He could not keep his mouth away from her skin.
He ran his tongue over the flesh of her breast, and she gave a whimper of excitement. It sent desire coursing through his veins. He wanted her, more than he'd wanted anyone before, but he knew that he wanted to take his time, he wanted to be sure that her need for him was just as great as his for her.
He caught her nipple in his mouth, and sucked on her flesh. She tasted sweet to him, and the scent of her was heady. He wanted to pleasure her with his hands and with his mouth. He wanted to use his tongue to explore every inch of her skin. He wanted his mouth on the most intimate parts of her body and more than anything he wanted to bury himself inside her. He wanted to move with her, to bring her release while he found his own.
"Oh, Rone." His name was a whimper of pleasure.
It was going to take all his strength to go slow with her, to drive her out of her mind with need of him.
He moved his mouth over so he could lavish attention on her other breast. Her fingers tunneled in his hair as she arched up against him.
His ear piece chirped from its place on the bedside table and it's shrill tone broke the spell over them with a suddenness of a bucket of ice water. He lifted his head from her breast and looked at the offending piece of equipment. He could ignore it, it would stop eventually, but as he looked back at her he could see the the spell over them had been broken. Reality was intruding into the fantasy world they'd been building in this bed.
"You better answer it. It might be Landis." She pulled away from him, and moved over to the edge of the bed.
He rolled on his back with a groan as she gathered her duffle bag and went into the bathroom. Of all the times for Landis to call, could he not have waited?
The earpiece continued chirping, and whoever was on the line would not go away until he answered.
He put the piece in his ear and tapped the side.
"Took you long enough to answer. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Cheria had been right it was Landis and they needed his help, so Rone refrained fro
m snapping at him that yes, he had interrupted something.
"Do you have information for us?"
"I have a picture of the man who was at my father's office and I need Cheria to come over and identify him. There is something weird about him, something that may have relevance or may not. I need to talk to her to see if there was anything about him that stood out when she saw him."
"We will see you soon."
Rone tapped his earpiece, disconnecting the call before he removed it from his ear and put it on the table beside him. So much for a morning of pleasurable indulgence that he and Cheria had started before Landis' call.
Rone swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached up to stretch. His blood was still hot for her, and it did not go away when she came out of the bathroom. She stood there, uncertain as she looked at him.
He wanted to reach for her, to pretend that they had nothing more important in the world than to please each other. But there were things that were more important, and identifying the killer and keeping Cheria safe took priority over the needs of his body.
"Was it Landis?"
"Yes. He has a surveillance photo of the man who was in his father's office. He wants you to confirm if it is the man you saw in the hotel." He didn't mention that Landis thought there was something weird about the man. He would not be able to answer any questions she had about it. "I am going to shower and then we can leave to go to Landis' home."
She nodded as she moved away from the bathroom door. He paused when he was beside her, and cupped her cheek. She looked at him and he could not resist kissing her.
The contact he made with her mouth was brief. He dropped his hand from her face and went to the bathroom. The heat of his desire for her was slowly receding, but he helped it along by putting the shower on as cold as he could stand.
* * *
Cheria was silent as she rode next to Rone on their way back to Landis' home. For a moment she had a hard time believing what had happened in the bed this morning. It was almost like a wonderful dream in the middle of the nightmare that her life had become.