Born of Ice

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  And Devyn ....

  Now she knew the full extent of his abilities, and they were truly frightening. He'd torn through those men single-handedly.

  Oh, my God...

  What would he do to her if he ever learned her secret? An image of him stomping Irn went through her mind so clearly that it made her chest tight.

  "I can't believe you didn't even get laid after all that. Damn, Dev, you're an idiot."

  She froze as she heard Sway and Devyn walking past her room. "Don't go there, Sway. I'm pissed enough."

  "You don't smell pissed, you smell drunk. Are you?"

  "Wouldn't be if I'd gotten laid, but I needed something to take the edge off--not that it helped even a little. I swear to the gods I'm about to burst my seams."

  Sway laughed. "No wonder you tore them up the way you did."

  "They're lucky I didn't rip their arms off for touching her."

  Sway tsked. "You know there are ways of relieving that pain on your own."

  "It's not the same, and you of all people know that. Gah, I don't know how you stand it. I have a whole new respect for you. Actually, that's not true. I still think you're an idiot, but I'm too drunk to care right now."

  They continued talking, but she could no longer discern their words.

  She stood in her room, floored by that revelation. So Devyn hadn't slept with anyone while he'd been gone... For some reason, that thrilled her.

  Don't go there.

  But she couldn't help it. No man had ever defended her before. No man had ever cared who hurt her or slept with her.

  Not even her own father.

  Devyn had protected her from Irn and his fetid friends. That knowledge shattered something deep inside her. She tried to tell herself that he'd have done the same for any member of his crew. That it meant nothing to him, and yet.

  "They're lucky I didn't rip their arms off for touching her."

  It was the kindest thing anyone had ever said about her. Holding those words close, she pushed herself away from the door and went to put ice on her swollen cheek. She'd barely reached her new cooling unit when she heard a light knock on her door.

  She went to open it and found Devyn standing in the hallway, looking contrite.

  Why? What did he have to apologize for?

  "You need something, Captain?"

  Devyn savored the deep contralto of her voice that made him even harder and more desperate for her. Damn, I am drunk. He held up his med kit. "I wanted to take a look at your cheek. Make sure they didn't crack the bone."

  "It'll be okay."

  "I'm a doctor, Alix. I want to see it and there's no arguing with me."

  Alix blinked in confusion at his words, not sure she'd heard him correctly. "What?"

  He gave an arrogant nod. "Certified and schooled in human, Andarion, Hyshian and Trisani medicine and surgery. I can go get the degree if you really want to see it. Now let me in."

  She stepped back, awed by yet another discovery where he was concerned. "Why would a doctor be a runner?"

  He didn't answer as he moved her to sit down on the chair beside her bed. Pulling a scanner from his bag, he ran it over the throbbing side of her face. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, but unlike with her father, she couldn't tell he was drunk. He seemed completely sober.

  Devyn tried not to think about how soft her skin was under his fingers as he gently tested the swelling on her cheek. It wasn't broken, but they'd given her one hell of a bruise. He ground his teeth against the burst of anger that wanted him to tear them apart over it. "I should have killed those bastards."

  "I don't think they'll forget their encounter with you anytime soon."

  He didn't respond as he ran his hand over her split lip. "Did they knock any teeth loose?"

  "I don't think so. I don't have that much blood in my mouth."

  His rage darkened. The fact that she knew what to look for and that she wasn't sobbing over what had been done to her made him wonder how many times she'd been hurt like this in her past. Obviously it was nothing new.

  "If you want, I will go back and kill them."

  One brow shot up. "I don't..." Alix caught herself before she finished that sentence. She'd started to say that she didn't want him to go to jail because of her and yet, that was what she was about to do to him.

  The hypocrisy stung her.

  "You don't need that trouble," she finished weakly.

  "All right. But if you change your mind, let me know and we'll get 'em."

  "Just how drunk are you?"

  He flashed a devilish grin at her. "Enough that Vik wouldn't let me launch the ship."

  She was completely amazed by that. "You really can't tell you've had any drinks at all."

  "Yeah, I know. I get that from my dad. At least that's what my mom tells me. I've actually never seen my father take a drink. But my entire family swears he was raging alcoholic for many, many years."

  Like her father... only his father had been kind to his child. "What made him stop drinking?"

  Devyn returned the scanner to his bag. "He loved my mother more than the bottle and he told me once that he never wanted to take the chance on doing something stupid while drunk that might cause him to lose her."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. My parents have the kind of marriage that everyone dreams about. Even after all these years, they're still like two teenagers stealing kisses and holding hands."

  "And they love you."

  "Yeah, I'm really lucky and I know it. Both of my parents had a hard upbringing and I cut my teeth on the horror stories of their pasts."

  He paused to look at her. "It's difficult sometimes to reconcile the stories I hear from others about them and their reputations with the reality of the parents I know and love." He smiled. "I've seen grown men wet themselves at the mere mention of my mother's name and all I can think is this is the woman who wiped my nose and played cuddles with me as a kid. You know? And then my dad..." He let out a long breath. "I've heard the stories, but I've never seen him lose his temper with me, not even when I set the house on fire as a kid and burned up a significant portion of his ungodly expensive art collection."

  She gaped at that. "He didn't kill you?"

  Devyn shook his head. "I was sitting with the firefighters, terrified of the ass-whipping I knew was due me. When I finally saw my dad arrive and come running, I just knew he was going to bust me wide open, right? I know you remember that feeling of 'Oh, shit, I'm screwed' from childhood whenever you did something really stupid and believe me, nothing was dumber than setting our house on fire. I wanted to run so bad, but I was too scared to even move. Then he grabbed me up and held me against him until I couldn't breathe. I didn't think he was ever going to let me go. He was so grateful I hadn't been hurt that he never even mentioned what I'd done to the house or his art. It was an accident on my part, but to this day, I feel like shit over it."

  "How old were you?"

  "Eleven. As punishment for cutting school with a friend, I'd been left at home with my nannies to do homework. I was messing around with my chemistry set when I ignited my dad's desk and the chemicals spread like nothing I'd ever seen."

  A muscle worked in his jaw as he shook his head sadly. "It's the only time I ever saw my mom cry. Not because of the house, but because she thought at first when she arrived that I was still inside it. When she found out I was safe, she held me and wept like a baby. Gah, I can still feel her shaking. I think that scared me more than anything else."

  Alix tried to imagine her parents being that protective. But honestly, her parents would have killed her dead for something like that. "My parents both had a temper. My dad a lot more so than my mom. But she's always loved me and I know it. It's why I've lway been so protective of her."

  He scowled at her. "You mean until she ran off when you were little?"

  Alix cringed as she realized her slip. I better be more careful before he kills me. "It doesn't mean you don't love your mother, Captain. When cr

uelty is all you know, you make allowances for people's shortcomings. Even bad parents are better than no parents."

  He snorted. "My father would definitely argue about that and given what my grandfather did to him, I don't blame him. But I won't pry. I know from my parents how much those memories sting even decades after they've passed. You never really get over a bad childhood."

  He pulled a cold pack from the bag and activated it, then pressed it against her cheek. "Keep your cheek iced. I'm going to bed before I pass out." He placed three more packs on her table, then took his leave.

  It was only after he was gone that she realized the blood on the packs was from his injuries.

  Injuries he'd gotten because of her...

  She wanted to cry as she thought about the pain she was going to inflict on him and the terror of what his parents might do to her over it. If what he said was true, they wouldn't just lie back and let her get away with hurting their only child.

  They would come after her with everything they had and then some.

  What am I going to do?

  She would save her family. She had no choice. But first, she wanted to thank the man who'd kept her from being raped.

  Devyn hissed as he poured an antiseptic over his bleeding knuckles. That one bastard had had a jaw like ragged steel.

  "It's what you get for being stupid."

  And he was still so hard, he could drive a nail with his erection.

  Wasn't alcohol supposed to dull pain? The fight probably sobered you.

  Oh, goodie. Grabbing a bottle of Tondarion whisky, he went to sit at his desk. He started to get a glass, then decided it wasn't worth the effort. He clicked back the lid and drank straight from the bottle while visions of Alix in his bed tormented him.

  Why didn't you take the redhead up on her offer? It would have at least sated you for a few.

  Because I'm a fucking idiot.

  Yeah, that would be it. He took another swig.

  Suddenly there was a hesitant knock on his door. His cock jerked because there was no way it was Sway or Vik being timid or even knocking.

  Just what I need. More torture.

  "Come in," he called, unwilling to get up and move at this point.

  The door opened to show him the beautiful face of his worst tormentor. Damn, I need to be drunker.

  "Did I forget something?" he asked her.

  Alix hesitated as she saw him with the bottle in his hand. If he's still drinking, you should run. Her father had always been so mean when he drank that it made her skittish around any man who imbibed. But she couldn't. She owed him and, more than that, she wanted to do this. To have one moment with a man who didn't make her skin crawl when he touched her.

  What would it be like to sleep with a man she actually desired?

  Just once.

  Gathering her courage, she crossed the room and knelt in front of his chair.

  Devyn frowned as he watched her. She looked up at him from between his knees and his breath caught. He wanted to ask her what she was doing, but the hungry look in her eyes squelched all rational thought.

  And when she reached for his fly, he thought this might be another fantasy brought on by his drunken stupor. His heart pounded as he watched her slowly unzip his pants until his cock was free.

  Without a word, she lowered her lips to take him deep into her mouth.

  He dropped the bottle and ground his teeth as pleasure ripped through his entire body. Cupping her face, he reveled in the sensation of her hot mouth caressing him while he watched her taste him. It was the hottest thing he'd ever seen and it set fire to every molecule of his body.

  Alix groaned at the salty taste of him, but it was the gentleness of his hands on her face that surprised her. He was actually caressing her while she pleased him. No one had ever done that to her before. Normally they pulled her hair and thrust against her, not caring if they hurt her or not.

  But he brushed her hair back from her face while his fingers played against her scalp, sending chills over her. She looked up to see him watching her. The tenderness in his eyes scorched her.

  Smiling, she licked her way down to the base so that she could tease the rest of him.

  Devyn growled at the sensation of her tongue licking him. He felt like his entire body was on fire. Unable to stand it, he pulled her up so that he could kiss her.

  Alix's head swam at the sensation of his lips on hers. Fierce, yet tender, he explored every inch of her mouth. And it left her breathless. She'd been absolutely right. His kiss was electric as he lifted her up and set her down on his desk.

  He pushed her shirt up with a slow, gentle hand. His dark eyes burning, he left her lips to taste her breasts. She cupped his head to her chest as he licked and teased her nipple. She shivered as waves of pleasure racked her body in a way she'd never expected. Each lick sent a tremor through her.

  Oh my God, he's incredible...

  Her blood felt thick as he dipped his hand under her waistband until he was touching the part of her that was white-hot with need.

  Devyn growled at how wet she was and at how bad he wanted inside her.

  She's your engineer. You shouldn't be doing this.

  He knew that deep inside, but she'd come to him. Had he been sober, he might have been able to send her away. But right now ...

  There was no way.

  And as he sank his fingers deep inside her, she hissed in his ear. That sound resonated through him.

  "Tell me what you want, Alix."

  She rubbed herself against him. "I want you, Devyn."

  He smiled as she finally used his name. He kissed her before he spoke again. "I want to savor you, but I can't right now. I want you too badly. If you bear with me, I swear I'll make it up to you."

  Alix didn't understand that as he stepped back to pull her pants off. Before she could ask him what he meant, he buried himself deep inside her body. Biting her lip, she groaned at how good he felt there. She looked up to see him watching her.

  He took her hand in his and tenderly kissed her palm as he thrust against her hips.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her back to draw him even deeper inside her. He lowered his head to taste her breasts as he quickened his strokes.

  Devyn's head was spinning at the warmth of her body under his. He had no idea why he wanted her the way he did, why she called out to him, but right now, he was lost to her. He brushed his fingers over her lips, admiring the small Cupid's bow. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

  And for some reason he couldn't fathom, her embrace soothed a part of him he hadn't even realized was hurting. Her arms made him feel ...

  He wasn't even sure he could explain it.

  Closing his eyes, he savored that sensation. His body was pitched on the verge of release. He bit his lip, trying to keep it under control. He'd slighted her enough with the foreplay. He wasn't about to disappoint her in this, too.

  He slid his hand down between them until he found her cleft. She jerked the instant he touched her. His breathing ragged, he listened to her body until he found the right rhythm for her.

  Alix shivered as Devyn's hand played in time to his strokes. It heightened her pleasure to a level she'd never known before.

  "That's it, baby," he breathed in her ear. "Come for me." He drove himself in deep to punctuate those words.

  She wasn't sure what he was asking for. All she knew was that she'd never felt anything like this. Her body was completely molten. In the past, she'd been watching the clock, doing any-and everything she could to speed things along so that they'd finish and she could get back to whatever she'd been doing before.

  But with Devyn ...

  She never wanted this to end. She loved the way he felt inside her. And then she felt something inside her explode. It came from somewhere deep and shook her entire body. Before she could stop herself, she screamed out.

  Devyn laughed in her ear as he moved even faster, increasing the pleasure. Each one of his strong, deep strokes took her even higher.

  And then she felt his release. He gasped an instant before he shook around her. He took her hand into his and laced their fingers together in an act so sweet it branded her heart.

  With their bodies still joined, he pulled back to kiss the tip of her nose. He trailed his kisses to her lips, her neck, and then her breasts while she lay there in wonder.

  "What was that?"

  He frowned. "What was what?"

  "What you did to me. I've never felt anything like it... It was incredible."

  It took Devyn a full minute to understand what she was saying. "You've never had an orgasm before?"

  Her scowl matched his. "A woman can have an orgasm?"

  Had it not been for the deep sincerity in her eyes, he would have thought she was kidding. He knew he wasn't the first to make love to her, but... "You really didn't know a woman could do that?"

  She shook her head. "I knew men did. But no. I've never had one before."

  His heart broke for her. What kind of selfish bastards had she been with that they hadn't even thought about her needs? Damn it. Had he known that, he'd have taken a lot more time with her.

  In the end, he'd been as selfish as all the others who'd used her for nothing more than their own needs. I am such an asshole.

  "How sheltered have you been?"

  "I don't understand the question."

  He winced as he realized how insensitive he'd been again. Without her mother and with what was obviously an all-male crew on her father's ship, how would she know anything about female sexuality?

  He knew firsthand the kind of morally questionable men poor freighters took on as employees. And that made him wonder if any of them had ever raped her.

  Damn it. He was an idiot and he should have sobered up before he touched her.

  Well, I'm sober now.

  He leaned his forehead against hers and shook his head. "Why did you come to me?"

  "I felt guilty."

  "For what?"

  "For causing your condition and then interrupting your chance ... take care of it. Had you not gotten into a fight, you could have stayed until you found someone you wanted to sleep with."

  That left him all but speechless.

  And insulted.

  "You slept with me because you felt obligated?"

  "Not entirely." Heat exploded across her face an instant before anger darkened her gaze. "I'm not a whore!" She pushed him back, but he held her fast.

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