Setting a knee on the bed, he laid her flat, kissing between her breasts and down her stomach. She dug her hands into his hair, pulling with just enough bite to make him frantic. He took a deep breath and stood, shedding his boots and jeans with no thought.
There was no thought.
Only need and hunger and lust. Maybe something deeper he couldn’t name but felt in places he’d thought were long killed. Long gone. Penny began to fill them.
The rain punished the earth outside, its wildness enhancing his. He hooked his fingers in her shorts and drew them down her smooth legs, tossing the garment uselessly to the floor. She watched him, her dark eyes wide, her hands reaching for him.
For him.
Keeping his weight on his knees, he moved over her, seeking her mouth again. This was a mistake. Too late to worry about that fact. He kissed her again, going deep, letting his body settle against hers. The sound he made upon the contact, deep and rough, came from his soul.
Or where his soul had once been.
Adrenaline rushed through him and his heart began to beat faster, while his lungs expanded but couldn’t get enough air. His cock hurt like he’d been kicked, and he needed inside her. Now.
Every pain, every ache, every hesitation faded into nothingness. There was nothing but Penelope Kim. The nightmare of earlier, every nightmare he’d had, were gone. For now.
She tore her mouth free and licked along his jawline, her nails scratching down his flanks. “Marcus,” she whispered, widening her legs so he could fit easier. “Please.”
Please. The softest and best word left in this shitty world. He couldn’t deny either one of them. His body vibrating with need, he caressed down her front to her core, tangling his fingers at her entrance. She was wet and ready, so sweet he needed to lose himself with her just once. “Don’t let me hurt you,” he whispered, shifting to the side and pressing inside her.
Her body fought him, and he paused. “Penny?”
The breath panted through Penny’s chest and she spread her legs wider. Marcus took up a lot of space, and his raw strength spurred her desire even higher. “I’m okay. Don’t stop,” she implored, scratching down his incredible chest to dig her fingers into his hips. “Please, don’t stop.” She was empty and only he could fill her.
He leaned down and nipped her ear, his damp hair caressing the side of her face. “Okay.”
Pain and pleasure mingled into an erotic blend as he pushed inside her, inch by inch, no longer trying to hold himself back. Even so, his deliberation and slow speed showed the ultimate control and determination not to harm her. The pace was tortuous, but her body adjusted and rippled around him, slowly accepting his invasion.
“You’re so tight,” he said, his lips against her forehead, his weight held off her by his elbows.
It had been a while. A long while. Plus, Marcus was endowed—very. “I’m good,” she reassured him, reaching around to feel his tight butt. Even his buttocks were muscular. She dug her nails in, and he groaned, pushing the final inch inside her.
She gasped and arched against him, her heart beating against her ribcage with a near-painful cadence.
He levered up to look at her, fully imbedded inside her. “Are you okay?”
The sweetness, the very kindness in that statement, robbed her of any distance. Any that she’d tried to keep inside herself to protect them both. “Yes. Are you?” She reached up to brush a damp lock of hair away from his face.
“Yes.” The intensity in which he studied her only made her wetter around his shaft.
He leaned down and kissed her, going deep, possessing even her mouth with a ferocity she could’ve only imagined. “You taste better than I could ever dream.” His lips moved erotically against hers with his words.
“I found a little more bourbon,” she admitted.
“No. The taste is all you.” He concentrated on her, seeing right through to her soul. So intense and complete. His penis jerked inside her, and the veins in his upper arms stood out with his obvious effort to exert control over himself.
She leaned up and bit into his bottom lip.
His gaze narrowed.
Excitement fluttered through her, and she pulled back, keeping her teeth sunk into his firm mouth. Then she released him and licked along the wound. “Time to move, Marcus. I’m ready.”
He didn’t argue. Instead, he manacled one hand around her hip—her entire hip—and pulled out, only to shove back in, hard and fast.
Desperate nerves flared to life inside her, sparking fire between them and throughout her. She arched, her neck elongating. Then he did it again, his watchful gaze as erotic as the power in his body as he took her. Not letting her shield herself or hide her gaze, he trapped her with his greenish eyes, watching her reactions as he increased his speed and the strength of his thrusts.
Hard and fast, deep and intense, he powered into her. The strength and absolute focus were both intimidating and alluring, and she fell into the sensations, not hiding anything from him. He gave her everything, and she was helpless to do anything but give him what she had. Who she was and what she was feeling.
His fingers bruised her hip, and even that pain slid into pleasure.
So much, all over her, all Marcus Knight. She slid her hands up his bulging arms, pressing her fingertips into the deep hollows, marveling at his strength. He kissed her again, powering into her even deeper, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. Planting himself inside her with a certainty, an absolute sense of possession, that she’d never forget. Never be free of.
Spirals wound through her, burning nerves and stealing her breath.
She climbed higher, kissing him back, her body overtaken. Her mind shattered as the need inside her sharpened to the tip of a blade, pinpointed right where he pushed inside her. Her sex convulsed in a prelude of what was to come. It wasn’t enough—not nearly enough.
She needed more. The peak was within reach, and she let go, taking him all of him in and holding nothing back. He wouldn’t let her. The man kept her in this moment, right in this time, and she released the worry about the next day to just feel. To just experience the intense feelings and enjoy the moment, no matter how much it burned.
His touch singed her skin as he lifted her hip off the bed and gained purchase with one knee, driving inside her so hard that only his hold kept her from smashing her head against the wall.
He kept her easily in place, his mouth still on hers. Her breasts bounced with his desperate thrusts, her hardened nipples grazing his broad chest and piling even more sensation on those already bombarding her.
Tremors cascaded through her legs, and she lifted them, clamping her thighs as tightly against his hips as she could.
He growled into her mouth, the sound vibrating down to her breasts and uncoiling live wires through her skin.
She caught her breath. Her eyes widened. The world stopped for a heartbeat.
Then she exploded, crying out his name, her body pulsing with electric waves that took her over, took her under, took everything she had. She shut her eyelids, drilling her fingers into his ribcage in a desperate attempt to stay on the earth. The orgasm seethed through her in unrelenting waves, spiraling out and then back in, stopping any semblance of time. Just as she began to come down, another one took her, forcing her even higher than before.
She could only hold on to him and feel.
So much for so long. She began to relax, and he shifted his weight, pummeling her clit with a ruthlessness that had her shooting up again, this detonation more localized but just as devastating.
Finally, whimpering, she went limp just as he ground hard against her, his body jerking with his own release.
He panted, his mouth against her neck.
She held him, overcome. He jerked twice inside her, and she moaned.
Then he started thrusting again.
16
How can a woman who drives be absolutely crazy also provide me with peace?
—Marcus Knight, Not a
Journal, Damn it
Marcus lay quietly in his bed, Penny curled into his side as the rain splattered noisily outside. Dawn tried to break through the storm and light the world but was having a difficult time of it. Penny slept with her hand over his scarred chest, one leg bent and resting on his, as if she didn’t want him to leave her alone in her dreams.
His body was satiated and his mind clear. If he had any normalcy in him, he’d probably be regretting the night he’d spent with her. At least regretting it for her sake.
But he wasn’t normal, and regret wasn’t in his wheelhouse. Not that he had a wheelhouse, whatever the hell that meant.
She mumbled something and slid her thigh along his.
Desire smashed through him, landing in his groin. They’d gone three times the night before, and she’d finally dropped off, her soft ‘goodnight’ sounding exhausted. He had to let her get some sleep. So he took several deep breaths and forced his body to calm the hell down.
Would she have regrets?
If she did, could he let her go? He’d warned her, and now that they’d taken this step, he felt oddly calm. Well, his mind was calm—his body didn’t really feel much, did it? Physically, he’d felt everything last night, so maybe that was a start.
Could he be normal with Penny? Could he be normal at all?
Footsteps sounded out in the hallway, and he cataloged them, calculating the distance between him and any threat to Penny. The steps receded and awareness filtered in his brain. So. Not normal. Not even close. Well, he’d warned her.
The moment cemented inside him with the scent of raspberries and woman. Peace was not for him, but this was probably as close as he’d ever get.
Footsteps outside, beneath the window, went by in unison. The patrol was a standard one, but their steps were faster than usual, so it was doubtful the Rippers had been found. They must’ve gone out the cut in the fence, but the whole scenario had seemed too simple. Marcus had learned that simple was often a ruse, but Rippers weren’t sophisticated, so it seemed silly to pretend otherwise. They were gone.
Penny stirred again and gently kissed his shoulder. She caressed down to his abs. “Morning.”
“Morning.” He indulged himself by playing with her silky hair now that she was awake. He tugged lightly, and she tilted her face, her brown eyes sleepy. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” A soft peach color spiraled into her face. “I’m sore, but it’s a good sore.”
He breathed out, not wanting her to move away from him.
She blinked. “Did you sleep?”
He nodded. “Longer than usual, and I didn’t have any nightmares.” Perhaps Penny had scared them away. He liked that thought. A lot.
She smiled. “Maybe we should sleep together more.”
He liked that idea even more. “That would make the most sense.” He could protect her much easier if he was right next to her, and he’d like to enjoy her as long as possible. “Want to stay in your place or mine?”
She mulled it over, her lips so close to his skin he could feel them. “We might not want to rush things.”
“Too late for that,” he said gently, kneading her neck. A thought occurred to him, and he stiffened. Where was his brain? “Penny? We didn’t use anything last night.”
She blinked, her eyebrows raising. “Oh. Right.” She took a deep breath. “It’s okay, Marcus. I know your medical records as well as mine, and we’re both clean. Well, except for Scorpius, but we’ve both already survived that.”
He gentled his fingers. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” she said softly, snuggling back into his body. “I can’t have kids. I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was a teenager, and it got really bad. The doctors said I could never get pregnant.”
A residual sadness echoed in her words. “I’m sorry,” Marcus said. She’d make cute babies, but in this world, how could anybody ever find a moment of peace with a child counting on them?
She smiled. “No worries. I dealt with that a long time ago. Figured if I ever found the right guy and settled down, that we’d make decisions then. Before Scorpius, there were tons of options for creating a family if we wanted one.”
The right guy? Was she still looking for him? If so, she wasn’t going to find him with Marcus in her bed. Or her in his bed. But all he could deal with was what he could control, and that was right here and right now. The rest could beat the heck out of him later. “So we’re good.”
“We’re good,” she affirmed, stretching and groaning. “Wow. Did we use new muscles last night or what?” The sheet slipped, revealing one sweet nipple.
He bit his lip to keep from reaching for her again. “What’s your plan today?” It was odd to talk like normal people.
“Go to the clinic and see who’s been infected, scratched, or shot. Maybe somebody will have a cold or something, but I doubt it.” She stretched her arms out of the sheet, reaching for the ceiling. “Most allergies have subsided since summer is finally dying down, and I’m almost out of allergy meds, so that’s a good thing.”
He liked how she used regular words and didn’t try to sound all medical, like Dr. Harrington had.
She looked at him, resting her cheek on her hand. “Are you going to be hypnotized? I don’t want to push you, but if we could find those other Bunkers, I could get to work finding a cure for the pregnant women. I’m really worried about Maureen, because her morning sickness has gotten worse instead of better.”
Had it only been a day since he’d agreed? “Yes. I’ll escort you down to the clinic and see if Vinnie is sane enough to try to get into my head.”
Penny chuckled and slipped from the bed, leaving him feeling empty. “I’m heading for a shower, tough guy. I’ll meet you at the clinic later.”
He sat up, unconcerned when the sheet fell to his waist. “That’s not how this is going to go.”
Penelope tugged her shorts on before pulling her cami over her head, keeping her back to Marcus for a modicum of privacy. She turned to face him, the spit in her mouth drying up at a full view. He sat on the bed, the sheet carelessly revealing his powerful torso. His hair was mussed and his eyes clear, mostly green with a hint of brown around the edges. Those broad hands that had brought her so much pleasure the night before rested lightly on the sheet.
Even so, tension cloaked him, at home on his skin.
“What do you mean?” she finally asked.
He cocked his head. “There are two missing Rippers, and you’re nuts if you think you’re going down to shower by yourself.”
Her face heated. “Marcus? With the water rationing, I’m not missing my shower day, especially after last night. We both promised to try here.”
“Considering you’re not tied to the bed, I am trying.” He pushed free of the sheet, his bare feet planting on the floor.
He did not just say that. She tried to be angry, but an intriguing heat spread through her limbs. “Try harder,” she suggested, not surprised when he grasped her arm.
“It’s my shower day, too.” Leaning down, he retrieved his jeans, which now looked dry.
“Fine.” There were several showers outside of headquarters. “I will meet you in the hallway.” After she snuck across, changed her clothes, and brushed her teeth.
He released her but didn’t say anything.
Taking the reprieve, she hustled out of the bedroom to his door, opening it slightly and peeking into the hallway. Whew. Empty. Feeling like a teenager sneaking back into her house in the morning, she leaped for her door and ran inside her apartment, leaning back against it and chuckling. Feeling free and ignoring any warning bells in the back of her head, she ran and brushed her teeth, looking longingly at the now silent toilet. When they’d had water, they could still use the plumbing by just putting more water in the back of the toilet each time, but now water was rationed.
She really disliked the outhouses set away from the showers.
A knock sounded on her door.
He just
couldn’t give her time, could he? She drew on jeans and a T-shirt before tucking her feet in flip flops and opening the door.
“Ready to shower?” Marcus asked, his eyes gleaming.
She smacked him in the abs. “Stop with the innuendo.”
“What innuendo?” He let her precede him down the hallway, making her feel like a movie star at Comicon. Or what used to be Comicon. He’d guarded her like this for weeks, so why did it feel different all of a sudden?
They reached the bottom of the stairs and turned in to the cafeteria, winding through a mish-mash of different tables from wooden barrels to picnic tables and out the back door. A light rain continued to dribble down without much force. Not many people were up at the early hour, thank goodness. She jogged toward the series of showers that had been built with rough wood to the east of headquarters.
Beneath an overhang protecting him from the rain, a man sat on a barrel in front of them next to a basket of fresh towels, his shockingly gray hair matching the stormy day. He saw them and glanced at a piece of notebook paper attached to his clipboard. “Ah. You two are on the list for today.” He grinned.
Penelope smiled back. “Hi, Atticus. I love shower day.” It only came once every three days now, and soon it’d be four days unless they managed to capture a lot more water.
“Ditto,” Atticus said, reaching for two towels. “I already have the rations in the containers above the showers, and it still should be pretty warm. Not cold, anyway.”
Penny accepted the worn pink towel. “Sounds perfect.” The older man had been a Mercenary before they’d joined Vanguard, and he’d been a pivotal figure in getting everyone to mostly get along. He’d always been nice to Marcus, too.
“Here you go, Knight.” Atticus handed over a bigger towel for Marcus.
“Thanks.” Marcus’s lips twitched at seeing the faded figure of Batman on the towel.
Larry Sowers came around the corner, clean clothes in his hands. He smiled at Atticus and then looked from Penny to Marcus. Dirt marred his white shirt and dark jeans along with some blood. Not a new sight in the world, and at least he’d brought clean clothing to wear after his shower. “Last night can’t happen again. No more nightmares in the middle of the fucking hallway. Some of us need sleep.”
Knight Awakening (The Scorpius Syndrome Book 6) Page 11