Her hands moved down, over the cloth of her boxers, and she rubbed, soft and slow. She bit her lip as she tried to stop from moaning. She couldn’t make any noise and give away what she was doing—she would never survive the embarrassment if he caught her. Her fingers swirled faster at the danger of being discovered.
Jasper shifted in the bed and she stopped. His breathing grew more rapid. “Don’t stop,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “I don’t want you to stop.”
“What?” she asked, trying to sound innocent, but her breathlessness had to speak of her guilt.
Jasper reached over and put his hand atop hers. He started to swirl. It was impossible to stop the rich moan that escaped her throat. Even her toes tingled with the euphoria of his touch, but she didn’t want to be alone in her ecstasy, so she slipped her fingers out from beneath his. Reaching over, she slid her hand under the elastic of his boxers. He was hot and rock hard as she worked his length.
“I thought we were going to be smart,” she said, her tone heavy with lust.
“Smart be damned.” Jasper leaned over, brushing his lips over her. His breath poured over her lips, making her taste his sweet desire.
“Oh my God,” he said in almost a whimper. “Starling … ”
She moved away from his fingers, pulled off her underwear with her free hand, and threw them on the floor. Moving between his thighs, she kissed the soft curves of the muscles on his stomach, inching down until she reached the hard arch of his hips. She eased down his underwear, revealing every inch of him in the faint light. Bruises lined his torso, and there was a scrape on his shoulder.
“Are you sure you are up to this?” She traced her finger lightly over a bruise that had risen near the top of right hip.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine as long as I’m here with you.”
She drew in a breath. He was even better than she had imagined.
“Come here,” Jasper whispered, his voice soft and sexy. She moved on top of his muscular body. Reaching up, he lifted the edge of her tank top and drew it over her head. It met the heap of clothing on the floor.
“Here I thought you were a nice guy,” she said with a sexy smile.
“I am nice.” He reached up and cupped her breasts, running his callused thumb over her nub, making twinges of lust flash through her. “You know the best thing about nice guys?”
“Hmmm?”
“Nice guys always finish last.” He smiled up at her, a diamond-like sparkle in his eyes. Sitting up, he licked the pink, erect tip of her nipple. He surrounded her flesh with his lips and gently sucked, driving pangs of want straight to the intersection of her thighs.
Dropping her head back, she moaned, deep and long, lavishing in the suction of his mouth.
Dipping her hips, she rolled her body against his; the action made his soft kiss harden. She leaned into his ear as she rocked her body over his. “I want you.”
He answered with a sharp inhale, the cool air pulling over her hot, wet nipple.
He took hold of her panties and ripped the sides.
“That’s not something a nice guy would do … ” she said, breathlessly.
Her body ached with desire as he pulled the moist fabric from between her thighs.
He tossed her torn panties to the floor. “Too nice isn’t what you want.”
She chuckled, but the sound was cut off by him running his warm, moist kiss down the side of her neck. Breathing into his hair, she took in a long draw of his scent, hot and manly, the rich odors of lust and sweat.
“No, it’s not.” Reaching down, she took him in her hand and led him to her body’s folds. Instead of being gentle, she drove him deep inside. His body tensed beneath her and he lifted his hips, sliding deeper.
Her body tingled as she rode him, faster and faster, dipping and twisting her hips in motion to the sounds of his breathing. Stars formed at the edges of her vision as a bubble of euphoria threatened to explode inside of her.
She slowed the movement of her hips, but as she did, he flipped her on her back. Her toes curled, and her fingers dug into his skin as he drove deep and broke the fragile bubble, throwing her into the throes of orgasmic pulsation.
There was something to be said for nice guys.
Chapter Seventeen
The bedroom door opened. “Get up,” Devon ordered. His face was locked into a tight scowl as Jasper moved his arm from under Starling’s head. She had fallen asleep on his bicep and he clenched his numb hand, trying to regain feeling. “We have to meet Virginia.”
Devon glanced at Starling and his scowl deepened. “You have two minutes. Make yourselves presentable.” He threw a clean set of black dress pants and a white, button-up shirt for Jasper and a white dress for Starling.
“Thanks,” she said. Sitting up, she pulled up the sheet, covering her naked chest, and grabbed the dress from the end of the bed.
Devon grumbled under his breath. He slammed the door shut.
“Do you think he knows what we did?” Starling asked.
“I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but you are not what I would call quiet in the bedroom.”
Starling’s cheeks reddened. She pulled the white dress over her head, covering her face.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining,” he said as he recalled the way her body pitched and writhed in the throes of her ecstasy. He hardened at the thought of her soft skin and her little, pink nipples.
He reached over and brushed a strand of wayward hair from her face. “When we get out of here, I fully intend on letting you be as loud as you want to be.”
“Are you saying you want this to be more than a one night thing?”
“Don’t you?”
“It’s just not like you. The last time you and I spent time together, you left the next day.”
“I did what I thought was right, Starling. You have to know that.”
“All I know was that for the first time I really cared about someone, and then you left me.”
“I couldn’t stay, sweetheart. I had to go back to the Sisterhood and report what had happened. I had to protect you the only way I could—even if it meant leaving you behind.”
“I get it, but please don’t do that to me again, promise?”
He gave her a long look. The pain in her eyes made him want to promise he would never leave her alone. But right now, in the precarious situation in which they found themselves, making a promise like that would be easy—keeping it could prove to be impossible, since he was unlikely to make it out of these headquarters alive. Then again, she most likely needed some kind of reassurance, something that would let her know everything would be okay.
“I promise I’ll try to stay with you, no matter what it takes.”
She gave him a sideways glance, as if she knew how empty those words were.
There was a knock on the door. “Hurry up!” Devon yelled.
“What are we going to do about him?” Starling whispered.
“Are you still willing to seduce him? It may be our only chance to figure out what the hell is going on.”
“You won’t be jealous if I touch him?”
Just the thought made a fire roil up in his belly, but he tried to extinguish the feeling. “As long as you don’t try any of your defensive maneuvers that you used on me, we should be okay,” he said with a gentle wink.
Starling’s laughter was brittle. “Don’t worry. I only use those types of moves on the men I … care about.”
Jasper couldn’t help but notice her long pause. Had she wanted to say love?
He should have never let things get as far as they had last night. He’d once again failed in keeping her safe—he had put her heart and life in danger.
Goddamn it.
“We need to go.” He stood up and dressed quickly. “Devon is waiting. The sooner you deal with him, the faster we may get out of this hellhole.”
She followed his lead, but her smile disappeared. “Jasper, you okay?”
“Yea
h.”
“Look, I don’t have to seduce Devon if you don’t want me to.”
“What?” Jasper jerked. “No, seduce him. You need to. You have to.”
“If you’re going to be upset about it, we can find another way.”
“I’m not upset because of Devon. I don’t give a shit about that asshat.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Let’s go,” Jasper said, trying not be too gruff. She couldn’t worry about him. She needed to concentrate on getting out. “Just find out where you can get the books and then how you can get out of here.”
“You mean how we can get out of here.”
“Right.” Jasper said, walking to the door and turning the handle. “We.”
Starling stepped beside him and stopped. She laid her hand on his stubble-ridden cheek. “Don’t forget that you made me a promise … I expect you to keep it.” She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him. He put his arm around her waist and put his other hand over hers on his cheek and then sank into the depths of her kiss.
She stepped back, out of his arms. “Let’s go.”
He pulled the door open. Devon waited for them in the hall.
“Here,” Devon said, handing them both black cloaks. “Put these on.” Devon slipped one over his clothes, tied a bow with the string under his chin, and drew the hood over his head. The hood dipped low, covering the man’s eyes and nose so that only his mouth showed. Devon slipped it back slightly on his head so he could look at them. “Make sure to wear your hood.”
He was trying to hide them once again. Jasper glanced at Starling and motioned toward Jasper, urging her to begin before someone had the chance to run interference. She nodded and stepped next to Devon.
“Where are you taking us?” she asked.
Devon sneered. “Wherever I want. Now shut up and put on your cloak.”
Starling slipped on the hooded cloak. Holding the edges, she eyed Devon. “Can you help me?” she asked, her voice syrupy sweet.
He frowned. “Why don’t you ask your lover? From what I heard, he seemed more than happy to give you a hand last night.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Devon,” she said, repeating his name, this time her voice even sweeter. She laid her hand on the man’s arm and stroked the black fabric of his cloak with her thumb.
“I know what you are doing, so you can stop,” Devon grumbled. His face was harsh and cold. He drew back from her touch.
“What? I’m not doing anything. I just need a little help with my cloak. Please?” She lifted her chin, making room for Devon to tie her cloak’s strings.
“You can’t seduce me. I’m above that,” Devon said. He took the ties under her neck and started to tie.
Jasper cringed at the sight of Devon’s hands so close to Starling’s exposed neck. One little move, one grab of the hair, and she would be gone. He inched closer, but stopped. He had to trust Starling and her ability. Even if that meant she was temporarily in harm’s way.
Starling reached up and touched the bare skin of Devon’s hand. “Thank you.” A strange energy whipped through the air, lashing against Jasper like a wave, strong and weak in its ebb and flow. His mind turned fuzzy, and for a moment, he was back in her arms the night before, his tongue flicking over the hard nubs on the tips of her breasts, kissing her bare skin as he worked his way down her stomach toward her hidden pleasures.
No. No. He had to concentrate. She didn’t love him. This energy wasn’t for him. He had to keep his wits. He couldn’t think about pressing his naked body against hers, or how warm she had felt against him, how wet …
He glanced over at Devon. The asshat’s face was slack as he stared guppy-mouthed at Starling. Above seduction, his ass.
“Devon,” Starling cooed, reaching up and running her fingers down the edge of their captor’s right ear and tugging on his ear lobe. “How can we get out of here?”
“You don’t want to leave me, do you?”
“No … But I need to know how to get out in case we are separated.”
“All the exits are being watched by Virginia’s men. You can’t get out without me.”
“Where are we going?”
“I can’t tell you,” he said, his voice as weak as his resolve.
Starling smiled. There was another wave of energy. This time the energy was steady, strong, and full of intention. Jasper slipped back into his thoughts of last night: her sitting on top of him, her long hair slipping down her shoulders, down her back as her hips rolled.
“Devon?” Starling’s voice pulled Jasper out of his lustful stupor. “Where are you taking us, baby?” she asked.
Jealousy bubbled up in Jasper’s core as she ran her hand down Devon’s arm and slipped her fingers between the asshat’s.
“We’re going to sanctuary.” Devon’s voice trembled.
“What is happening there?”
“I don’t know. Ms. Virginia wouldn’t tell me.”
“What do you know?” Starling touched Devon’s cheek with her free hand.
“I just got off the phone with Harper,” he said. “It looks like she’ll be coming down—turns out she has agreed to trade.” He gave Jasper a sickening sneer.
“Harper will be here? When?” Starling asked with a wheeze.
“We sent a man to the airport an hour ago. They should be arriving with the drugs anytime.”
“With the drugs?” Starling paused. “The GX 149?”
“What else?” Devon shrugged. “She’s agreed to exchange the rest of the drugs and the formula for your release.”
“For my release? What about Jasper?”
“There aren’t enough drugs in the world for Virginia to release him. She vowed that I would get my chance to kill him.”
Starling glanced at him. Her eyes were wide. “You can’t hurt him, Devon. Jasper is my bodyguard. You don’t want to upset me, do you?”
Devon didn’t answer. He blinked, almost as if he was trying to fight off Starling’s energy.
She must have noticed because she let go of his hand. Leaning in, she grasped Devon’s face with both of her hands and pressed her lips against his. Jasper tried to subdue his anger, but a grumble rolled through him.
Starling’s face pinched as Devon’s lips parted and his tongue moved over her bottom lip.
He couldn’t handle it. He pushed Devon back, out of Starling’s hands. “Back the fuck off.”
“Jasper! Stop!” Starling moved after Devon.
Guilt poured through him, dousing his rage. Why couldn’t he control himself? He was better than this. He had to be better than this. “I’m sorry, Starling.”
Devon looked dazedly out at Starling. “Are you okay, little bird?” he asked sweetly, still entranced.
Jasper exhaled with relief. “I’ll stop, Starling, but please don’t kiss him again in front of me. I know I agreed to you seducing him, but I can’t handle seeing it. I think your spell is rubbing off on me. I can’t control my anger.”
“Huh?” Devon looked over at him like he was a stranger moving in on his girlfriend. “Who are you?”
“What did you do to him?” Jasper addressed Starling. “He’s even dumber than usual.”
Devon looked at him, doe-eyed. “I take offense to that, man.”
“See what I mean?”
“Did he do something to hurt you, little bird?” Devon said, glancing over at him. “Do you want me to kill him?”
“Devon, who will be in the sanctuary?” he asked.
“What’s sanctuary?”
Starling stared at the stunned lump. “The kiss was too much.”
“Ya think?” Jasper shook his head. “You are going to need a little more practice with your feminine wiles.”
“Okay, old man.”
“As long as I’m your old man.”
“Of course.” She smiled. “In the meantime, what are we going to do with fish-mouth?” she asked, motioning at the slack-jawed Devon, who was staring blankly at her face.
“He isn’t going to be of any use to us unless you can take back some of your energy.”
“I barely know how to send out the energy. I don’t think I can get it back. It’s not like a boomerang.”
Jasper laughed as he opened the door to their room. “Then he is no good to us.” He pointed toward the bed covered in the love-wrinkled sheets.
“Devon, baby?” she asked in a mesmerizing tone.
“Huh?” He blinked as he stared at her. “Yes, little bird?”
“Can you stay here?”
The man nodded like an obedient love slave.
“Don’t leave and don’t tell anyone where we have gone. Okay?”
“Okay, my little bird.” Devon walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’ll stay here forever as long as you come back for me. Promise.”
“We’ll see, baby. Be a good boy.” Starling closed the door. “Now what are we going to do? I have no idea where to find the sanctuary.”
Jasper tugged on the hood of the cloak. “The good news is that now we have a way to move around without drawing too much attention.”
“We need to find Harper,” Starling said.
“If we get lucky, she’ll be in the sanctuary like she’s supposed to be.”
“Harper would never walk into this place without a plan. She’d never put us all in danger if she didn’t have something up her sleeve, especially if my dad knows what’s going on.”
“Who would she be working with?”
“Since you’re already here … that only leaves the Sisterhood.”
Chapter Eighteen
They backtracked through headquarters until Starling caught the rich scent of cooking meats and rice that wafted from the dining hall. She tried to recall the exact route she had taken from the elevators, but after so many rights and lefts, it was hard to remember exactly what direction she had come from. Before she could start formulating their escape, she needed to find Harper.
Virginia had the upper hand. After erasing Edward’s soul, it wasn’t hard to imagine all the vile things Virginia would be willing to do to get what the Catharterians wanted from Harper.
“Do you think she’s okay?” Starling whispered.
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