She licked her lips. “While I’m free, I want to make my own choices. Do what I want to do.”
“We aren’t going back there,” he muttered. He lifted a hand, his fingers grazing her cheek.
Then pain ripped through him doubling him over. He groaned.
“John? What’s wrong?”
“Don’t know. Fire. Inside.”
“It’s from doing two time steals so close to each other. It wipes you out. Here, lean back.” She helped him maneuver until his back was pressed against a rock.
“They turned me into an anomaly.” He shook his head, finally facing the truth. He knew Gage had been involved in some work on determining how to create anomalies. Supposedly they’d buried the information. It was just too dangerous for anyone to get ahold of.
She sank down beside him. “In the place I was before, a few years back, they were obsessed with creating anomalies. The dude wanted an army of them. They say power corrupts but I think it rots people from the inside out.”
He knew all about that. From what he’d been told of his previous life. “I don’t want to be an anomaly.”
“We aren’t diseased, you know.” Her voice was sharp.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What then? Explain it to me.”
He lifted his hands. “I don’t want power in these hands.”
She took her time studying his tough, scarred palms. Working in the gardens had roughened his once soft, manicured hands.
“They look strong and capable enough to me.” She stroked a finger over his calluses. “I wonder what else you can do with these.”
A shot of desire pulsed through him again. Until a bolt of pain shattered his need. His head dropped forward.
A soothing hand touched his shoulder. “It’ll pass shortly. Once I—”
When she broke off, he speared her with his gaze. “Once what?”
“Nothing.” She brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, not looking at him.
Something clicked inside him, like gears ratcheting into place. “You can steal time.”
Her head snapped up. “That’s ridiculous. You saw me raid minds.”
“And you stole that guy’s soul. I saw his face. I know what it looks like.”
Eve was silent now, looking up at the stars.
“You have all three abilities,” John said in awe.
She turned her attention back to him. “Guess I’m a freak science experiment, then. Just like you.”
She was right. Human turned time thief. But still nowhere as powerful as this woman. All three abilities…imagine what he could do this that. His vision blurred and he had the sense of being…different. Of commanding an army, of taking control, of being the strongest.
He shot to his feet. His stomach still burned and he thought he might throw up. But he needed air. Space.
He walked away from her. From the temptation of the man he’d once been. And from the temptation of the man he was now.
Chapter Three
Eve stared into the darkness where John had disappeared.
She shouldn’t have snapped at him, but his words had hit some of her hot buttons. She could call herself a freak but she hated when that was all other people saw. The people in all the labs where she’d been caged had only seen her power—a freak of nature.
She wanted John to see more than that.
With a shake of her head, she decided to wash up. Memories of her last shower or long, hot bubble bath were faint. Her captors only ever tossed in a cake of soap and a bucket of water for her.
Eve cast one more glance into the shadows then stripped off her jeans and underwear. She stretched, the cool night air brushing over her naked skin.
It felt good. Almost as good as touching hard male flesh.
She cupped her hands in the water and splashed it over herself. Then she dipped her shirt in and scrubbed the best she could. There wasn’t enough water to wash her clothes but she did what she could with the blood on her vest and splashed some more water over her body.
A noise behind her.
She spun.
John stood a few meters away, watching her.
She didn’t flinch or cover herself. She’d had the last of her modesty knocked out of her a long time ago. And the hunger burning in his dark eyes didn’t make her want to hide.
“I don’t think you’re a freak.” He took a step forward. “From what I can tell, you’re a tough, strong and slightly mouthy survivor.”
Eve felt an uncharacteristic flush in her cheeks. “Thank you.”
His hot gaze trailed down her body, lingering on her breasts, and her nipples tightened to points. “You’re gorgeous.”
She quivered. She could count how many times someone had called her gorgeous on one finger. “John.” Could he hear the desire in her voice?
He stalked to her and with one arm swept her against his chest. His mouth took hers in a rough and raw kiss filled with urgent hunger. She clung to him, her body vibrating with need.
He pulled back, chest heaving and pressed his forehead to hers. “I shouldn’t touch you.”
“I beg to differ.” For the first time in ages, she had the chance to take what she wanted. And she wanted John Brown. On her, touching her, inside her.
“It wasn’t that long ago that I wasn’t a nice person. I hurt people.”
“You said you don’t remember.”
“People have told me the things I did. Terrible things. I’m no good for anyone.”
She slid her hands up and splayed them over his chest. She didn’t want to listen to words at that moment. “I don’t want good. I want very, very bad.”
Something in him snapped. He dragged her up against him until she balanced on her toes. His mouth commanded hers—hard, and oh-so-good.
Then he was backing her up and pushing her back onto a waist-level boulder. The rock had the barest hint of warmth left in it from the hot day and her body arched back over its smooth surface. Her breasts were thrust upward and John used that to his advantage.
He loomed over her, a hard, hungry male. His mouth burned across her throat, lapping at her pulse. She squirmed beneath him, wanting, needing.
He veered to the left, his mouth trailing over her shoulder and then down her arm. With a start, she realized he was tracing her tattoos.
“I love these,” he murmured against her skin. “Beautiful but tough.”
He lavished attention on her designs and soon moved to the other arm. Her skin was so sensitized every inch tingled.
“Do they cover your back?”
It took her a few seconds to get her mouth to work. “Yes.”
He nuzzled between her breasts and she felt the rough scrape of his stubble. She loved it.
“I look forward to seeing them. Soon.” Then he nipped at one nipple before lapping at it roughly with his tongue.
“John, yes.” She arched into the incredible sensations.
He switched to the other breast lavishing it with attention. Then his mouth was trailing lower. Over her belly, making her muscles jump.
Strong hands gripped her thighs, his calluses scraping deliciously over her skin. He wrenched her legs apart. She knew he probably couldn’t see too much in the silver moonlight but she felt exposed. In a good way. Nothing like in the lab being examined under bright lights. This was a man exploring the woman he was going to claim.
His dark head descended and before she could think, his mouth pressed between her thighs.
“Oh, God.” She arched up, sensation crashing through her.
He tasted her like a starving man. His tongue circled her clit and plunged inside her. She heard the sounds she was making—husky cries she’d never uttered before—but she couldn’t stop.
“More, please, John.” Feelings swirled inside her, growing, mixing and catching fire. She was on the verge of coming and she let her eyes close and gave herself up to it.
One more lick of his clever tongue and she plunged over t
he edge and splinted apart.
John surged up, his big body covering hers. He caught her scream with his mouth and Eve tasted herself on his lips.
At that moment, she didn’t care about the future. All she wanted was to stay lost in the pleasure forever.
***
John was on fire.
Flames licked at his nerve endings. He stared at Eve’s pale skin glowing in the moonlight. She was draped over the rock like an offering.
To him.
But a flash hit him and for a second the world wavered and he was back in a lab. Bodies stretched out on tables, bare skin under spotlights.
“John, I need you inside me.” She shifted her legs restlessly, snapping him from the past.
She reared up, her hand hooking in the waist of his jeans. Then she palmed the bulge behind the zipper. His eyes drifted closed and he thrust into her hand.
“Please, fuck me.” A husky whisper.
The coarse language drove straight to his straining cock. Yes. Yes.
He ripped open the fly of his jeans, then reached for her. He pulled her up into his arms, his palms cupping her bottom. She gave a little laugh, wrapping her legs around his waist. His cock brushed against the damp heat of her and he thought he was going to lose it.
John boosted her higher and then with a shimmy of her hips, the head of his cock slipped inside her. They both stilled and Eve let out a slow moan.
Then he forced her down on his cock, inch by slow inch, sliding inside. The roar in John’s head was deafening.
Then she was moving, riding him up and down. The drag was mind-blowing and he felt a mass of sensation building at the base of his spine.
No, he wanted this to last. Just a little longer.
He pulled out of her. She protested, but then he spun her around and she gasped. He pushed her against the rock again, this time on her belly.
In the glow of the moon, he saw her tattoo. The roses made a wild tangle between her shoulder blades and followed her spine to the top of her toned bottom. He traced his fingers down her delicate vertebrae and she shivered under his touch. When he reached the end, he let his hand slide between the globes of her ass, down to where she was wet and wanting.
She pushed back against him and he couldn’t deny her.
He covered her and in one hard thrust, was seated back inside her. She moaned again, her palms pressed hard against the stone.
As John thrust inside her warmth, he pushed his palm between her shoulder blades. His rhythm quickened, his body taking over. Something hot and bright beckoned. So close.
She came again, her body clamping down on his cock. She cried out, her scream echoing off the rocks around them. Eve was not a quiet lover.
One last thrust and he exploded. He filled her, gripping her hips as he emptied himself inside her.
He slumped down on top of her, desperate for air and desperate not to he lose the feel of her warm skin.
Haven was his home, but he was acutely aware that everyone there looked at him and saw Leven—the crime lord who wanted to control and use anomalies. He was always alone. Every day.
But one special anomaly now made him feel welcomed and wanted. And that scared him more than any gun or knife or experiment.
Finally he stood, yanked up his jeans and lifted her into his arms. He sat down and nestled her in his lap. She snuggled into him.
“I’m not usually the cuddling type,” she said.
“Me neither. At least, I’m pretty certain I’m not.”
“You…ah, haven’t been with anyone since you lost your memory.”
“Nope.”
“So, I’m kind of like your first.” She laughed. “Not that you needed any help.”
He tugged on her hair. “Glad you enjoyed it.”
She gave a gusty sigh. “Damn straight.”
“We should rest for a bit and then get moving. We probably won’t be able to travel through the heat of the day.”
She nodded against him.
“So, you have all three powers?”
“Yeah. I always have but my mind raider skills were strongest. I was kidnapped about three years ago in the States. The experiments the Frankensteins did then triggered the other two skills to full strength.”
“Your family?”
She glanced away. “I ran away a long time ago. They weren’t prepared to handle what I was. I figured I’d be better off on my own.”
He had no memories of his family. But whenever he dwelled on the subject, his throat closed and chest tightened until he couldn’t breathe. There was a monster in his past and he had no desire to uncover it.
“We need to move.” He forced himself to pull away from her. “The more distance between us and Keene the better.”
Chapter Four
Walking through knee-high spinifex, the moon shining overhead and a man at her side was not how Eve had imagined her night when she’d woken that morning.
Oh, and the hot sex, that hadn’t been on her agenda either.
Eve cast a side glance at John. Damn, the guy gave her shivers. She liked it. Sure beat what she’d been through the last few months.
She sucked in the clean night air. Right now, she didn’t care she was stuck in the desert with the very real risk of dying. Or that Keene and his men would continue searching for her. She was free and that was enough.
“You sure we’re heading in the right direction?” she asked.
“I think so. We keep heading north and I hope we’ll hit some civilization around Uluru or Alice Springs. There really isn’t much out here.”
Except sand. “So, tell me about Haven?”
“It’s a sanctuary. Anomalies make their homes there and live in peace.”
Eve’s gaze settled on the moon. Big and bright like a licked-clean dinner plate in the sky. But it didn’t really look like that. It was a barren, pock-marked rock. Life had taught her that nothing was ever what it looked like at first glance. “I’ve heard of it. Sounded kind of like a voluntary prison.”
John halted. “It’s not. It’s a home. Protection. Callahan makes sure of that.”
“Heard of him too. Sounds like the kind of guy you want to steer clear of.”
“He’s dangerous, no doubt about that. But he’s dedicated his life to protecting the residents of Haven. And he’s mellowed a little of late. I take care of Haven’s gardens. Mostly I grow vegetables the residents use.”
She heard something in his voice. Something she envied. “You love it.”
He shrugged and set off walking again. “They welcomed me. They didn’t have to. I wasn’t one of them.”
“I don’t like being hemmed in. I’ve never been good at being part of a…community.” She shook her head.
“You sound like Mara. She’s a mind raider and Cal’s other half.” John looked down at Eve, his face hidden by the dark. “It’s only a cage if that’s what you make of it.”
“And you’ve made it something different?”
“I’ve made it my second chance.”
“You sure? No woman in two years, just your plants to keep you company.” He didn’t say anything but she knew she’d hit a nerve. Shit, sometimes she needed to think before she blurted stuff out. “So what are your plans now that you’re an anomaly?”
“I’m hoping Gage can reverse it. He’s the head doctor at Haven.” John released a long breath. “If anyone can fix it, it’s him.”
Fix it. Like it was some condition. Her fingers flexed, wanting to curl into fists.
They slowly climbed to the top of a rocky hill. To the east, the sun was lighting the horizon with a blush of pink. Eve sat on a rock, her legs dangling and watched the dawn.
A new day.
“We’re going to get out of here. Somehow.” She tilted her face up to the morning sun. “I’m keeping my freedom.”
His gaze was intense, tracing her face like a caress. “I believe you. And I envy you.”
She tilted her head. “Why?”
“You�
�re fearless.”
Hardly. But what was he afraid of?
He looked away. “We need to find a place to hole up for the day. It’ll be scorching before too long.”
She nodded and as she was about to jump off the rock, he held out a hand to her. “Such a gentleman.”
His hand closed over hers. “I’m not. Never have been.”
Eve wondered if John really knew himself. She had a feeling that he didn’t, but she kept her mouth shut. They continued on, keeping their pace quick. She was hoping for a rocky overhang, somewhere they’d have a little shade. But there was nothing. And they’d need water again before too long.
The sun rose. The air heated.
Soon Eve was wiping beads of sweat off her forehead. The rocky ridge ended and the terrain ahead blurred into a red-orange carpet of sand. Maybe they would die out here.
John was close beside her. She smelled healthy male sweat, heard his quiet breaths. Maybe a part of her didn’t care if they did die…at least she wasn’t alone and she was free.
But a bigger part of her wanted to survive.
Surprisingly, she found she was curious to know more about John, spend more time with him without the looming danger hanging over them.
“I think I see something,” John said.
Swiping her forearm across her head, she stared in the direction he pointed. There was a darker blob against the sand. “What is it?”
“Not sure. But it looks like a house.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Out here?”
“Let’s take a look.”
She cocked a hip. “I have nothing better to do this morning.”
They trudged closer. With every step, Eve’s throat grew drier and drier. Her head felt fuzzy but she gritted her teeth and kept putting one foot in front of the other.
Then her ankle twisted on an unseen rock. She went down with a small cry.
And found herself face-to-face with a writhing mass of scales.
The snake moved its sinuous body rapidly back and forth. Eve’s body turned to stone, her lungs frozen. The damn thing was big and brown and ugly.
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