Zaxe's Rule (Assassins of Gravas Book 4)

by N. J. Walters

  “Why don’t I believe you?” One of them had to stay strong. Or did she? Gods, the lack of food and sleep was making it almost impossible to think straight.

  “You can trust me.” All humor had fled. He was deadly serious.

  “I know.” Needing the connection, she held out her hand. He took it and pulled her to her feet.

  “Let me take care of you.”

  She swallowed heavily. It wasn’t fair. This was all she’d ever wanted out of life—someone to care for her, to put her first. Why now? Why under these circumstances? Was she going to let it pass her by because she was afraid to take a chance?

  When she tugged, he released her and took a step back. Zaxe wasn’t like most men. He wouldn’t push, wouldn’t try to get her to change her mind. If she told him to, he’d turn his back and stare at a corner until she was done.

  I trust him.

  It went all the way to her bones. Physically, he’d never harm her. Emotionally? There were no guarantees. But she, more than most, knew life didn’t come with any.

  She unclasped her cloak, swinging it off and draping it over the back of her chair. A muscle in his jaw tightened. The pulse in his neck pounded. His cloak covered most of his body, but there was no doubt he was hard beneath.

  His eyes held hers captive as she unbuttoned her top by feel. When she slipped the fabric down her arms, he let his gaze wander over her torso and arms before returning to the band around her breasts.

  “It’s easier,” she explained.

  “I imagine it is.” He stroked his fingers down the curve of her jaw and over her neck, coming to rest at the top of the wrapping. Beneath it, her breasts swelled, her nipples hardened. “Men’s clothes or women’s. It doesn’t matter.”

  “No?” Her breath hitched as his finger stroked down the center and back up again. If she didn’t remove the band soon, it might snap.

  “No, you’re beautiful.” He teased the delicate skin beneath her arm, raising goose bumps. When the room spun around her, she locked her knees. No way was she going to pass out and miss this.

  “Only you think so.” All her life she’d fallen short of the standards of beauty on her world. Her skin was too pale. Her hair was such an odd coloring with the red and black. And her eyes were unlike anyone else’s, except for her brother. And somehow it was more acceptable for a male to have green eyes.

  “Then they are fools.” He leaned down, his breath a warm puff against her mouth. “I may be many things, Jamaeh, but I am no fool.”

  ****

  Her lips tasted sweet like honey, warm and welcoming. He sank into them, savoring the moment. It astonished him that she doubted her beauty. Did prejudice run that deep here or was she oblivious to the signals men sent out when they wanted a woman? He’d lay odds it was a bit of both. While some would look down on her, others would covet her for her uniqueness.

  “You’re tired.” He ran his tongue over her bottom lip before nipping at it. She gave a short gasp and grabbed his shoulders. Gods, how he loved her hands on him.

  “Not that tired.”

  In the midst of a mission, she made him smile, made him feel. It should be impossible. He was too well trained, too focused and determined.

  Only for the first time, something else, someone else, was more important. His sisters’ lives weren’t on the line, only his.

  And Jamaeh’s.

  This wasn’t fair of him. He was taking advantage of her exhaustion. He started to pull away, but she yanked him back and thrust her tongue into his mouth. All his good intentions flew out the window.

  Window! He pulled back long enough to check the two openings. They were situated high on the walls to allow air to circulate and let in light while keeping the worst of the sun’s rays out. And the grass blinds were down. No one could see them.

  “What’s wrong?” She ran her fingers through his hair, the tips grazing his scalp. He felt the caress all the way to his feet.

  “Nothing. Wanted to make sure we were secure.”

  “This probably isn’t the time or place.” She glanced at the windows and then the door, likely assessing their safety.

  Did she want to stop? “It could be worse.” Her slender throat tempted him, so he nibbled a path from her jaw to the top of her shoulder. She tilted her head to the side to give him access and moaned.

  “Last night was the wrong time.” She ran her hands over his shoulders, making him curse his clothing. “We could have died.”

  A growl rose up from his throat. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Shit, he had to stop making promises he might not be able to keep.

  “We’ll do our best, but there are no guarantees. I want you.” The last was said in a whisper, as if she feared someone outside would hear.

  “I want you, too.” That was an understatement. His heart pounded and his balls were trying to crawl into his body. “We can take it slowly and stop whenever you want.” It might kill him, but he’d do it. It would destroy him to see fear for him reflected in her eyes.

  This woman was special.

  Mine! It echoed in his brain as he found the ends of the band binding her breasts and began to unwind it, exposing her smooth, light-brown skin. Mine! It echoed in his heart as he exposed the perfectly shaped mounds, tipped with dark nipples. Mine! It echoed in his soul as he leaned forward and dragged his tongue over one tight nub.

  “Yes.” The breathy moan was all the answer he needed. He cupped one firm breast, using his thumb to caress the tip, while he pleasured the other. She swayed, coming dangerously close to toppling over. He caught her and eased her down onto the chair, kneeling beside her.

  She blinked several times, the sensual haze clearing from her eyes. When she wrapped her arms over her chest and glanced away, he wanted to howl with fury. He caught her chin in his hand. “Let me take care of you.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. Gods, he loved her mouth. It was made for kissing.

  “Why did you stop?” The uncertainty in her voice almost broke him.

  “I want you.” When she looked doubtful, he took her hand and laid it over the front of his cloak, pressing it against his erection. When her fingers closed around it and squeezed, stars exploded behind his eyes.

  “Then why?”

  “I don’t want you to have regrets.” This was too important to him.

  “The only regret I’ll have is if we don’t do this.” Her green eyes were steady and calm. The dark circles beneath them were a testament to the sleepless nights they’d endured and the battle they’d fought.

  She pressed a hand against his cheek. The pads of her fingers were rough, not smooth, hands used to hard work. He turned his head and pressed a kiss in her palm.

  “I’ve never wanted a man the way I do you. Nothing in life is promised. None of us know the moment of our death. It could be an hour from now or seventy years in the future. I want this time for us. I need it.” She looked over at the basin of water and wrinkled her nose. “I should clean up first. I probably don’t smell very good.”

  “Let me.” He rose and collected one of the basins, bringing it back to the table. It was crowded, so he moved the basket with food to the floor. He’d feed her after they were clean.

  “Let you what?” The suspicion in her tone made him grin.

  “Take care of you.” He set the rest of his supplies on the table. “Let me wash you.”

  “You’re a little overdressed.”

  “That’s easily taken care of.” In record time, he had his cloak and shirt off and his battlesuit peeled down around his waist. “Now we match.”

  Her smile was slow and sweet and made his cock ache. She dropped her hands into her lap. “Now we do.”

  His laugh surprised him. He’d thought he’d forgotten how until he’d met her. She was a breath of fresh air, a reminder that life should be about more than simply survival. He wet and soaped a washcloth and made quick work of her face and neck. The goggles and headscarf had kept the worst of the dust from her.

&nb
sp; “Hmm, the feels good.” With her eyes closed and lips parted, she looked more like a woman being sexually pleasured instead of being bathed. It was all one and the same—foreplay for the main event. If he didn’t explode before then.

  “It will get even better,” he promised.

  Her pulse fluttered in her throat. He blew gently on it and goose bumps rose on her damp flesh.

  “I’m not sure I’ll survive,” she joked.

  “You will.” Her arms were next. The muscles were sleek and feminine and rippled beneath his fingers as he washed them. Her fingers were slender and long, the nails short and unpolished. She wore no makeup, at least not that he’d ever seen. She didn’t need the embellishments. Her natural beauty was like a morning sunrise—spectacular.

  After rinsing the cloth, he moved on to her breasts. They moved up and down with each breath she took. He carefully washed the mounds, avoiding the tips. Her breathing grew more erratic. “Stop teasing,” she protested.

  Instead of using the cloth, he ran his tongue across one hard bud before closing his lips over it and sucking. Her groan was music to his ears. She held nothing back, giving him her response freely and openly.

  He was greedy and wanted more, wanted everything.

  When he was satisfied, he did the same to the other. She clutched his head, pulling him closer. It almost killed him to stop, but she was still half-dressed. They were both panting hard when he pulled back. “Stand up.”

  “What?”

  “Stand up,” he repeated. Not waiting, he caught her hands and pulled her to her feet. As soon as she was steady, he went to work on her pants. His hands actually shook as he released the last fastener and shoved them down.

  Her stomach was flat, her curves subtle. She’d lost weight these past several days, and she’d been slender to begin with. Too much hard work and not always enough food. Her underwear was plain, unadorned white. He’d never seen anything so sexy.

  Falling to his knees, he buried his face against her stomach and inhaled deeply, catching the slightest hint of her arousal. He wanted to tell her how much he admired her, how deeply she’d snared him, but he kept silent, allowing his hands to do the talking.

  He slid his palms under the leg edging of her panties and cupped her ass. It was firm and full. She was trembling. He pulled back and looked up at her. She was pale again.

  Cursing himself for leaving her standing while he indulged himself, he skimmed her underwear down her legs and pushed her back onto the chair. Keeping his eyes down, he removed her boots, socks, and clothes. “Almost done.” The washcloth was back in his hand and he made fast work of her legs and feet. He sucked in one breath after another, doing his best to avoid looking at her mound, knowing once he did, nothing else would matter.

  His skin was too tight for his body. Animalistic need clawed at him, demanding he claim his mate. For that was what she was. If she understood who and what he truly was, would she still want him? The truth was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back. Some habits were impossible to breach. There were some things better kept silent.

  “You next.” Her fingers were nimble on his pants. She had them open and his battlesuit shoved down enough for his cock to spring forward. The humming sound she made in her throat, the gleam of approval in her eyes, almost ended him. He jerked back just as she reached for him.

  “You do that and it will be over.”

  “Really?” She seemed more delighted than worried.

  Jamaeh Jerman was big trouble. Good thing handling trouble was his specialty.

  Chapter Twelve

  Her entire body was alive and electric with expectation. This was going to happen. It was probably stupid to be doing this in the middle of a mission, but if not now, when? Events were moving swiftly.

  Zaxe was unlike any man she’d ever know. Built like a god, his big body rippled with muscles, his dark skin gleamed with a light sheen of perspiration. Like the war axe he’d been named for, his features were blunt and masculine. Fearless and ruthless when he had to be, he was nonetheless kind and courageous. He had so many layers to him. She’d only scratched the surface.

  Her gaze dropped to his shaft. Like the rest of him, it was big and fierce. The flared head was slightly lighter in color. Her core pulsed with expectation. This might be all new to her, but she knew there would never be another man in her life like Zaxe. He truly was one of a kind.

  “Like what you see?” His voice dropped another level, making her nipples tighten even more. She licked her dry lips and nodded.

  “I want to touch you.” The hard length of his cock pulsed with life, the veins thick and prominent.

  “Be very sure. If we start this, we finish.” He sounded almost angry, but she wasn’t the slightest bit concerned. A haze of sensual need wrapped around her, shoving all else to the background.

  “We’re definitely going to finish.” No way was she letting him walk away.

  A slow smile spread over his face, along with a sensual hunger that left her breathless. “Then come.” He held out his hand. She took it without hesitation. This was the right man, the right place, the right time.

  He pulled her to her feet, then scooped her into his arms and carried her the final few steps to the bed. She could have walked, but oh, how her heart sang at the romantic gesture.

  This was only sex, at least for him. For her, it was making love. While it was too soon to be in love with the man, given enough time, she likely could love him. They’d packed more life and death drama into the few days they’d known each other than most couples endured in a lifetime. It broke things down to their most basic.

  At his core, he was a decent man. It was strange to say that about someone who killed without hesitation, but he had a code of honor that ran deep.

  Instead of following her down onto the bed, he left her lying there, retrieved his blaster and knives and set them on the floor alongside them. Even now, he didn’t relax. She wondered if he ever truly did.

  “Come to bed.” This time, she held out her hand to him. He needs me. The thought was fleeting, but it rang true. Zaxe seemed removed from the world around him, always watching and calculating his next move. Who looked after him?

  His dark eyes seemed to bore into her very soul as he removed his boots and stripped off the rest of his clothing. His legs were long and muscular. Even his feet were strong. Naked, he was even more imposing than he was dressed, as if all the layers of civility had been stripped away to reveal the primal male beneath.

  He lay down beside her and propped himself up on one hand, seeming in no hurry in spite of his arousal. Using his free hand, he stroked her neck and breasts and over her stomach. The skin on his fingertips was rough, making the caress even more exciting. The contrast between his darker skin and her lighter tone made her breath catch in her throat as he slipped his hand between her legs.

  She arched into his touch as his fingers slid over the slick folds of her sex. Yes! The sensation was indescribable. Heat exploded from where he explored, spreading over her entire body. No other man had ever touched her in this way.

  “Tell me what you like?” His breath was hot on her neck as he whispered into her ear. Shivers raced down her arms when he caught the lobe of her ear between his teeth and lightly tugged.

  “You.” A breathless sigh broke from her lips. “I like you.” The intensity surrounding him was palpable.

  Needing to touch him, she brushed her fingers over his face, down his neck, and across his broad shoulders. His skin was warm and smooth in some places, raised in others. She stroked one long scar that ran across his left pectoral. She wanted to ask what had caused it but didn’t want to break the mood. That was something committed lovers might share, not two people having sex for what might be the one and only time.

  Ignoring the twinge of regret in her heart, she let her fingers continue their journey over his sculpted biceps and thick forearms.

  He probed at her channel, pushing inward. His thumb coasted over the
nub at the apex of her sex. Everything inside her went liquid, seeping out to coat his fingers.

  “Don’t stop,” she ordered. It seemed as though she’d waited her entire life for this man and this moment. Every breath and sigh was magnified, every touch electric. She circled her hips, seeking to deepen his touch, searching for a release that she’d never experienced in the presence of another. It was one thing to pleasure herself at home. This was something entirely different.

  And it wouldn’t be this way with just any man. Zaxe was special.

  Too special for you.

  She shoved the negative voice away, unwilling to listen. All her life she’d felt less than, always falling short. Not this time.

  “I love your skin.” He nibbled on her neck and across her collarbone.

  “It’s not as dark as yours.” The difference had been used to taunt her as a child and kept her out of some places as an adult. Discrimination was officially frowned upon, but it was a reality, especially in the upper social classes. The working class didn’t care what you looked like if you had money to pay for services or had something they needed.

  He stilled and removed his hand, making her whimper. “You are beautiful.” His black gaze bored into her.

  She really wanted to believe him, but the doubts of a lifetime whispered in her ear. When it came to trading and brokering deals, she was confident. She was strong and smart and hardworking, but lingering doubts held over from childhood reared their ugly head from time to time.

  Zaxe skimmed his lips over the tips of her breasts and down her stomach, leaving ripples of desire in his wake. “Do you hear me?” He blew on a damp nub.

  “Yes.” Right now, she’d believe anything he said if he’d keep on touching her.

  “You taste sweet and salty at the same time.” He ran the flat of his tongue across her hip bones before sprawling between her thighs.

  Oh, gods, he was looking at her, his mouth mere inches away from her sex. It was almost impossible to breathe. Her lungs pumped, her breasts swayed as she gasped in air.