She wondered what it was like to lead such a simple life. To never have to run, or kill or know what it was like to be chained and treated like a weapon. She wondered what it was like to trust. To know those around you would never abandon or betray you.
She looked over her shoulder at the man lying so still and quiet. She extinguished the lantern and moved back to his side. She settled down next to him and exhaustion tugged at her. Lying down, she tucked her head against his uninjured shoulder. The steady beat of his heart was better than a lullaby. It soothed something deep inside her.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered into the dark.
The silence of the room was her reply.
Chapter Seven
Something tickled across Mara’s lips.
She blinked off the last remnants of sleep and lifted a hand. Encountered warm flesh. Her eyes popped open.
Cal’s hawkish face stared down at her, a slight smile playing on his mouth . “Didn’t think you were going to wake up.”
She sat up, brushing her hair back. “It was a long night.” She’d woken every few hours to on check him. Wipe him down and give him water to drink.
“You aren’t a bad nurse.”
She smiled. “Maybe I should consider a career change.”
“No, you make an even better kick-butt mind raider.”
No one had ever accepted her ability and strength the way this man did. Her family considered her an abomination. Her ex had called her far worse. She cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
Cal rubbed a strand of her hair between his fingers then tucked it back behind her ear. “I’ve often wondered what you’d look like first thing in the morning.”
Mara’s heart gave a good, solid thump to her ribs. She couldn’t look away from his midnight eyes. She opened her mouth to reply but for the first time, she couldn’t find any words.
He slid a hand into her hair, gently tugged to pull her toward him. His mouth hovered over hers. “I told myself I’d stay away from you.”
She licked her lips, praying he wouldn’t pull away. “Why?”
“To protect you.” His lips brushed hers. “But you can protect yourself and almost dying made me realize I can’t die without having you.” His mouth captured hers.
Her eyes fluttered closed and her insides jumped. The kiss started off gentle, but as their lips and tongues moved against each other, long-simmering desire rose up.
Cal changed the angle of the kiss and pulled her closer until they were pressed together. His skin still felt hot, but now it was the heat of a healthy male. She let her hands tangle in his dark hair and held on as the sensations pouring through her drowned out all her thoughts.
Minutes—long, pleasurable minutes—later she broke the kiss. “You’re hurt.”
“Nope.” He tugged her closer until she straddled his lap. “I’m all healed.”
She looked down at his bare chest. Shock made her body tense. “Oh my God.”
His burns were healed.
The fresh skin was still pink but the wounds were gone.
“You should be dead.” He was healed! She wanted to laugh, shout her thanks to the sky.
“I’ll prove I’m not.” He cupped the back of her head in firm grip. “I need you, Mara.”
His dark eyes weren’t emotionless now. She was entranced by the desire burning there. Beneath her, she felt the full jut of his erection.
She slid her hands up his arms and moved her hips in the tiniest circle. She’d wanted this man a long time and wouldn’t be denied any longer.
He groaned and took her mouth again.
Tingles ran across her skin. Where her breasts pushed against his chest, just the thin fabric of her tank and bra separating them, her nipples were hard, aching nubs.
His hand skimmed up her rib cage, cupped her breasts. As his thumbs chaffed her nipples, she arched back. Then his hands were yanking her tank over her head, undoing her bra.
He growled and lifted her enough to press one full mound to his mouth.
“Yes.” Her breaths turned to pants. His mouth was electric and she felt a sizzle all the way down to where she was becoming damp.
He moved to the other peak and her hands tangled roughly in his dark hair.
“You’re beautiful.” His mouth travelled over the lower slope of her breasts and he looked up, his eyes for once more blue than black. “So damned beautiful.”
He made her feel beautiful. She pressed a finger to his lips and he sucked it into his mouth in a move so carnal her belly spasmed.
“I’ve got to have you.” His hands tore at her borrowed sarong. Then he was dipping a hand between her thighs.
She jerked against him. The touch of his hot fingers against her swollen flesh was mind-blowing. “Cal…”
“Yes, say my name.” He slid a thick finger inside her.
Mara rose up on her knees, then plunged back down. She rode his hand, desperate for much more. Everything this man could give her.
He thrust another finger inside her, stretching delicate flesh. His thumb found her clit and heat spread over her skin. The air in the room was already warm and humid but now she felt hot.
She ran her palms over his chest, careful as she moved over new, smooth skin. She loved touching him, feeling the power in his big body.
He worked her hard, driving her toward a peak she craved, a peak she didn’t want to reach too soon. She grabbed his hand. “Not yet…I want you inside me.”
“And I will be. Soon.” His other fingers circled her wrist and forced her arm behind her back, holding her trapped and at his mercy. “But let me watch you come first.”
She moaned, her hips moving against her will. She always controlled sex. She liked being on top and dictating the speed. The select men she deigned to spend a night with were usually only too pleased to let her ride them into oblivion.
But Cal was different. He would never cede her full control. He could wring emotions from her she’d never let loose before. Pleasurable pressure grew low in her belly, spearing upward in tiny shocks. Her climax was tantalizingly close.
“That’s it.” His gaze burned into hers. “Come for me, Mara. Just for me.”
She couldn’t deny him or her own needs.
Another firm caress of his fingers and all her muscles tensed. She burst apart, shudders running up her spine. Cal held her firm in his strong arms.
She sagged against his chest, her lungs heaving. She felt his lips in her hair and smiled. She felt good. So good.
But she needed more. She needed all of him.
Without looking at him, she shifted, so the juncture of the thighs rubbed over his hard erection. A groan rumbled through his chest and she dropped a kiss against his skin.
“Witch,” he said.
She lifted her head. “In the past, many redheads were burned at the stake for their magical powers. Especially when they ensorcelled a man.”
His hand twisted in her hair and tugged her head up and back, exposing her throat to him. “Is that why I feel so drawn to you? So obsessed with your alabaster skin, your wine-red hair and your decadent curves?”
You brainwashed me, you crazy bitch. You messed with my mind to make me want you. The past sent a cold shiver passing over her.
“Hey.” Cal pulled her closer. “Where’d you go?”
Looking at the sharp planes of his face, the stark desire still stamped on his features, her memories melted away. She moved her hips against him again and watched the heat flicker in his eyes. “I’m right here.”
He frowned. “Mara.” Command underscored her name.
She huffed out a breath. “A moron from my past once thought I used my raiding power to make him want me.”
“That’s not possible.”
She shrugged. Hated that the past could still hurt. “We both know that.”
“Your ex-fiancé was a spineless idiot.” Cal stood, holding her in his arms. Three strides and he crossed the room, setting her on the edge of a table. “
I’ll show you how real my desire for you is.”
He shucked off his jeans and then he was gloriously naked.
Her heart tripped. The man was built like every woman’s fantasy. Trim, defined muscles on his chest and a hard, ridged stomach. Long, lean legs and a thick cock jutting upward.
He grabbed her thighs, his hands smoothing over her skin and pushing her open. Then he stepped into the V of her legs.
His gaze never left her face. She pressed her tongue to her top lip. She was so hungry for him, wanted him inside her, his hands on her. She wanted the intimacy she’d always feared.
He fit the broad head of his erection between her damp folds. She sucked in a breath, a hot curl of anticipation winding through her.
But he just stayed there, his big body shaking.
“Cal?”
“I can’t be gentle.”
She wrapped her legs around his hips. “I’m not a gentle kind of gal.”
With a growl, he surged forward, filling her to the hilt. A strangled cry caught in her throat. He was big, stretching her to the point of pain. Pleasurable pain.
Sensations thundered through her and her head fell back. On a choked moan, she opened herself up to Cal and for the first time ever, gave everything she was to another person.
***
Cal fought to control the near animal instinct urging him to slam into Mara as hard and fast as he could.
Her legs gripped him hard and the warm heat of her surrounded him. He stared down, entranced by the flush covering her full breasts and the patch between her legs that she obviously waxed bare.
He pulled back and slid into her again, letting her get used to his size. His fingers dug into her hips and he fought the urge to take her the way he wanted.
“Cal.” A throaty purr.
He stared blindly into hypnotic green eyes.
“Move.” Demand. Pure and simple.
For once, he let her give the orders. He slammed forward and she arched off the table. He continued with long, hard thrusts, burying himself inside her. Over and over, their hips slammed together.
Her throaty moans and his grunts filled the air. He leaned down and pressed his open mouth to her neck. He bit down on the sensitive tendon in her throat and she writhed beneath him.
He wanted to slow down, to revel in the pleasure of loving her, but his iron-clad control was in tatters. Next time, he promised. He’d slowly explore every inch of her.
For now, he’d claim her.
He increased his pace and slid a hand down to her clit. He felt where they were joined, swollen flesh accepting the hard thrust of his cock. Then he rubbed the small nub above and she jerked, chanting his name.
Pounding into her at a punishing speed, he felt the growing agony-ecstasy start at the base of his spine. She let out a desperate keen, her body clamping down on him. He watched the pleasure wash over her face and then his own intense orgasm rocketed through him.
He froze, gripping her hips as he poured himself inside her.
Then he collapsed forward, the sheen of sweat on their bodies gluing the two of them together. He was shaking, the force of feeling inside him so strong.
“Cal?” Her hand smoothed over his shoulder.
“Just give me a minute.” He’d been worried being with her would leave his control on shaky ground.
“Hey?” She urged his face up. A teasing smile played on her lips.
And the raging storm inside him cooled. He smiled back. Felt lighter than he ever remembered feeling. “I’m fine.”
“Yes, you are.” She laughed. “But we’re both hot and sweaty.”
“How about a bath and then we find some food?” He was starving from the healing and the loving. “After that, we need to find a way out of here.”
“Bath?” She looked around dubiously.
“Come on.” He stood up and helped her slide off the table. He grabbed the sarong and wrapped it around her body, securing it around her neck. It accentuated rather than concealed her generous curves. He quickly pulled on his jeans before he got sidetracked. His shirt was ruined, but nothing he could do about that.
When they stepped out onto the sundrenched deck, a young Indonesian woman came over. He remembered enough of the night before to recognize her.
Mara smiled at the woman. “Cal, this is Lia.”
“Thank you,” he said in Indonesian. “For caring for me.”
She smiled. “You did the work.”
“Without your help and hospitality, I wouldn’t have made it. Thank you for taking us in.”
She inclined her head. “You’re welcome.”
“Do you have somewhere we can bathe?”
She pointed into the trees. “The river is about fifty meters that way.” There was amusement in her brown eyes. “You won’t be disturbed. And this is for you.” She held out a simply made man’s shirt.
He smiled back and took the shirt. “Terima kasi.” He slung an arm around Mara. “This way.”
They dodged the smiling children who surrounded them, all entranced by Mara’s hair. Small hands shyly grabbed at her locks making her laugh. When they reached the trees, Cal shooed them away. A short walk through the jungle and they came to a shallow river.
Vegetation hung low over the water. A stony bank led down into the slow-moving currents.
Cal dropped the shirt and shucked off his jeans. Naked, he waded out then dropped low into the cool water. It was fresh, invigorating. He dipped his head under, stood and slicked his wet hair back.
Mara watched him from the shore. Even from a distance, he saw the flush along her cheekbones. That familiar spark in her eyes.
It didn’t matter that he was barely recovered and deep in cold water. Or that he’d just had her. Desire flared, his cock becoming rigid.
She untied the knot at her neck and the sarong fell away.
Jesus. The hit was like a punch to his solar plexus. If he could have created the perfect vision of a woman, she’d be it. Breasts full and firm and topped with pink nipples. A nipped in waist that flared out to full hips and down to long, toned legs.
She walked toward him, a slow saunter women had to know turned a man’s blood molten. His gaze was drawn to the bare patch between her legs. She entered the water, didn’t even flinch at the cool temperature. He watched the water lap her ankles, slim calves, then caress her thighs.
He wanted to touch her there.
“It’s crazy how much I want you,” she said.
He heard a hint of something under her words. A flash of the tender part of her she never showed the world. “I’m in the same place, Mara.”
She stopped with only inches of water between their bare bodies. “I’m glad.” She went up on her toes to slant her mouth across his. One of her hands dipped into the water, slid down his belly and closed around his erection.
He groaned into her mouth. The feel of her hands shaping him, cupping him, was enough to drive him out of his mind. He thrust into her palm.
She hummed in the back of the throat and then her slim hand was sliding up and down his cock.
He closed his eyes, loving the feel of her, the warm wind over his skin and the cool water lapping at him.
When she tugged him toward the bank, he followed, would have followed her anywhere. But when she stopped short of the edge, in shallower water, he frowned. Until she dropped to her knees.
“Sweetheart—” When she sucked him into her mouth, the endearment morphed into a strangled groan.
She wasn’t hesitant or gentle. She knew just what to do to drive him wild. Her tongue laved him, the hint of teeth causing pleasure to shoot through him.
His hand speared into the strands of her red hair. Not to control her, but to anchor himself.
“Enough.” He pushed her back and slid his hands under her arms. He yanked her up.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and he surged inside her before she could say anything. Her nails clawed at his back. His hands slid beneath her, cupping the cur
ves of her bottom.
He pressed his mouth to her throat. “Hold on to me. Don’t let go.”
Her nails dug further into his skin. “I won’t.”
He wanted her to hold him for more than just this loving in the river. He wanted her to hold him long into the darkest nights.
Foolish hopes. She would never hold him once she saw the depth of his nightmares.
Chapter Eight
Mara wrapped the sarong around her damp body, her skin tingling.
She glanced over to where Cal was tugging his jeans up those tanned, muscular legs. Her hands stilled and she drank him in. He pulled on the shirt he’d been given. It was a little small, so he left the top few buttons open, showing off his hard chest.
Okay, more than just her skin tingled. When he glanced up at her, smiled, she quickly finished tying the sarong. She suddenly felt very exposed.
She cleared her throat. “We need to find a phone and track down Bay and Sean. And Cate’s still in there.” If Leven hadn’t moved her again.
“We’ll find them.” Cal wrapped one arm around Mara and gripped her chin with his other hand.
She fought his hold for a second before she let him lift her face to his. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
“I’ve seen all of you now.” He brushed a thumb over her cheek. “And I don’t just mean every inch of your milky skin. I like you. All of you.”
A huge rush of emotion lodged in her chest. When had anyone ever fully accepted every part of her? She wasn’t sure she fully accepted herself, even after a lifetime of trying.
“Come on.” He took her hand and tugged her back along the path.
The sticky humidity closed in around them. And so did the real world. Cate needed rescuing. Their private little interlude was over and Mara had questions she needed answered.
She looked up at him. “How’d you heal the burns?”
The open, relaxed look on his face vanished. The granite was back and a part of her mourned the loss.
He stared ahead. “It’s a long story.”
“It’s time you tell me, Cal.”
He squeezed her hand. “You’re beautiful with your hair wet.”
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