by Eve Langlais
“They might be healing, but in doing so, they’re changing us in ways that nature never meant.”
“How? What have they done to you that’s so horrible, Luke? From what you told me you could barely walk before. The pain was intense. Now, you’re whole, healthy. What do you have to complain about?”
“I’m not a man anymore.”
“There are pills for erectile dysfunction.”
That caused him to blink before blurting, “Fuck me, I’m not limp dicked. Which you should know by now.”
She did. “So what do you mean then when you say you’re not a man?”
“I’m a beast.”
“I’ll admit you can be crude, but you’re hardly an animal. I thought we already discussed this.”
He rubbed his face. “And you still don’t grasp the truth. There’s a monster inside me, Flo. A dangerous one, like the thing you met in the woods.”
“That thing in the woods was an aberration.”
“So am I.” He said the words low. Serious.
It hurt her inside. She reached up to cup his cheek. “You’re not a monster.” Then before he could say anything more, she leaned up on tiptoe and kissed him.
Chapter Thirteen
Luke froze for a moment as she initiated the kiss. Her lips soft against his. Their touch tantalizing. Which made him wonder how he could feel in a dream. He didn’t understand why this happened. How had this crazy connection between them formed?
What was it about Flo that drew him? That brought them together as if they belonged with one another?
Fate.
The word whispered at him, the rightness of it, of her, the only real thing in his life at the moment.
A life that was no life.
He broke the embrace and spun away rather than gaze upon her and give in to the temptation.
The light touch of her fingers on his back made him tremble.
“Don’t,” he said, his voice tight and low.
“I thought this was what you wanted.”
He sighed. “What I want I can’t have. We can’t be together, Flo. It’s dangerous.”
“Not in here it’s not. No one will know what we do.”
She thought he feared discovery? He shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Why would you hurt me?” She moved around to stand in front of him, once again confronting him, her hair loose in soft waves around her shoulders. For once she didn’t wear that stupid cap. She did, however, wear clothes. Damnable things.
“Being with me could have an adverse effect. I don’t think I’m contagious, but there’s much about what they did that’s still new.”
“What did they do? You keep talking about it. Like they changed you. Changed who you are. But no one can do that.” She pressed her hand to his chest. “Inside. Here. That’s you. Only you.”
“That’s just it, though. They did find a way to pervert what I am. Their treatments pulled something primitive into the light. Some days it’s a struggle to not let it take over.”
“But you’re fighting it. And winning. Let me help you.” She cupped his face. “I want to help you.”
He couldn’t push her away. Couldn’t say no the sweetness of her embrace. Couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight to him.
He lay her down on the grass that filled the field of his dreams.
Their clothing melted without need for fumbling. Their naked skin pressed together.
Luke let his lips brush hers, a soft rub of sensual exploration. As if the explosive passion between them could ever be so tame. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.
Part of him knew he should push her away. This had gone too far. She refused to listen when he tried to warn her; however, he couldn’t resist the pleasure.
Couldn’t resist the touch of her. The feel of skin on skin. The acceptance.
Their lips meshed, devouring and nipping eagerly. The slip of her tongue into his mouth wrought a groan.
Beneath him, her body undulated, moving against him, her hips pressing upwards, seeking the friction he could provide. But he kept his cock tucked between them. He had to remind himself to go slow, lest he lose control.
This might be a dream world, and yet, it felt real. Real enough he had to be careful.
Luke let his lips trail from hers, and she made a noise of disappointment. Only to sigh in pleasure as he licked his way down the smooth column of her neck to her collarbone.
So fragile. The pulse of her racing heart a flutter below the skin. He pressed his lips on it and closed his eyes against the urge to bite.
Bite.
Mark.
The need proved hard to resist. Yet he was a man, not a beast to bite a woman.
He kissed her and moved on as her fingers tangled in his hair. He moved lower, drawn by the vision of her perfect nipple. The rounded breasts jutted proudly for him, the taut peaks begging for a taste.
He drew a nipple into his mouth, sucked it, and Margaret moaned loudly as she arched her back, asking him for more. He sucked. Swirled his tongue around the tip. Delighted in the way her buds peaked. Luke turned his attention to the other one, biting it gently, lavishing it with the same sensual tease. A slow seduction at odds with the grinding need in his loins. He wanted to slide between her soft nether lips, fill her with his cock, and fuck her until she screamed his name and raked nails down his back.
But what he wanted even more was to bring her pleasure. To prove he could remain in control, even as her every sigh and moan sought to destroy it.
As he continued to kiss and suckle at her breasts, Luke reached down, letting his fingers stroke their way up her thigh until he reached her soft curls.
The sound she made drew his eye, and he stared, transfixed by the beauty of her. The perfect image of a woman aroused with her eyes closed in rapture, her lips parted, and her skin flushed.
He dragged his fingers through her curls and cupped her mound. Her hips rolled, thrust against his hand, and she whispered, “Taste me.”
With pleasure. He moved himself that he might lie between her legs, his head at the apex of her thighs. His view incredible. Her pink lips glistened with honey. He kept watching as he used a finger to touch her, sliding a finger in.
Tight. Hot. Wet.
Eager. Her hips arched against his hand and pumped at his finger. She wanted more.
He could give her more.
He dipped his head and lapped at her while he finger fucked her. Toyed with that button of hers, sucking at it until it swelled, and she sobbed his name. Sliding a second finger into her as he pulled at her clit with his lips. Hearing her cry out as her sex clutched his fingers tight, her orgasm rippling hard enough to almost make him come.
And when the waves in her channel ebbed, he inched his way up her body, kissing her along the way until he found her mouth. He reveled in her soft pleasure cries, swallowed them even as his hand worked to rouse her again.
She undulated against him, her breathing ragged, her skin flushed.
“Now,” she begged.
Which was enough for him. He didn’t have to fumble with a condom, not in a dream. And they were both naked.
Ready.
He braced himself over her, bracketing her with his arms. He caught her gaze, their eyes locked, and he wondered what she saw. Did his eyes glow with passion? Did she feel how tenuous his hold was on his primal side?
But he couldn’t stop. Not with her eyes half-lidded with passion, her lips parted on soft gasps, her hands clutching at his hips, urging him on.
As their lips meshed, the head of his cock nudged the entrance of her sex, and the heat of her brought a groan. He tried to go slow, determined to enjoy every moment, every slick slide of flesh.
But she was tight. So tight.
Hot. Oh, so hot.
And she was impatient. She bit his lower lip, causing him to rear, driving his hips forward, meeting her own thrusting up. The thick length of him sheath
ed inside her body, stretching her, fisting him.
He might have let out a sound that was more beast than man as he gave in to pleasure.
There were no words, no more soft staring, just unbridled passion. His hips thrusting, pushing, driving deep, hard, fast.
And she met him stroke for stroke, her fingers digging into his hips, her body undulating against his.
At the peak of their passion, he opened his eyes and saw her watching him.
Her lips parted, and she whispered, “Your eyes. They’re glowing.”
Here was to hoping his cum didn’t because he came with a howl, his head rearing back, his hips grinding forward.
And she cried out as her own climax hit, and it was his name she yelled.
His. Name.
As his seed spilled into her.
His dream seed and yet he felt a deep satisfaction. A sense of rightness and belonging.
She’s mine.
There was no more room for doubt. No more room for arguing.
What they’d done had cemented it. But he said nothing to her as he collapsed to the side and drew her near. He held her in his arms and watched over her as she fell asleep in the dream. But he remained awake.
Watching.
Thinking.
What now?
Things had just changed. A bond was forged between them. Forget sending her away. He needed her with him. Which meant…
He awoke, suddenly, the bright lights in his room blinking on and Sphinx bellowing, “Rise and shine, buttercup.” Ignoring the man, Luke lay on his concrete bed, made barely tolerable with the foam mattress.
No more did he want to shut down and die.
Nor did he want to do anything that would keep him away from Flo.
Time to play the game. To abide by the rules.
Because only then would their vigilance slack. And he needed that to happen. The time had come to plan an escape.
And he was taking Flo with him.
Chapter Fourteen
Waking with a smile, Margaret started her day with a shower—her hands running over sensitized skin. What a dream last night.
Luke proved to be a firm, yet gentle lover. Taking care of her pleasure before his own. Holding her tenderly in his arms after. Was it any wonder she smiled?
Problem was doubt kept trying to steal her happiness.
Luke remained a patient. One convinced the doctors were out to get him.
What if he’s telling the truth?
Even if he were, what could she do? She was a nurse with no way to contact the outside world. If she did, what would she say? For all that the clinic was remote, there was no possible way Chimera operated without the government knowing.
Which, in turn, meant someone sanctioned his actions. Whatever those actions were.
Truly, how bad could they be given they’d healed Luke? Perhaps in time Luke would accept it instead of casting doubt on the methods.
Thinking of Luke brought a happy tremor to her body. She looked forward to seeing him, despite knowing she couldn’t do or say anything to indicate it. She’d almost been fired for her actions. She couldn’t afford a single misstep.
I need to be a pro. To pretend as if nothing ever happened and hope they kept meeting in their dreams.
And making love.
Was it wrong to wish the day would pass quickly into night?
Leaving her room, she stopped in the cafeteria long enough to pack a large breakfast, enough for four people, before she headed down to level six. The closer her steps brought her, the more she had the urge to grin. Her excitement proved hard to contain. Who knew dream sex could be so satisfying? The best part? No one knew or could accuse of her anything because she’d never actually touched him.
However, she did wonder if he, too, had the same dream. The fact that they knew each other’s code word might have been some weird fluke. Perhaps last night was a one-sided thing.
Entering his room, she bit her lip, especially since the guards covered her back, hands on their weapons.
She found Luke sitting on a stool, dressed in loose scrubs, not tied up as she feared. His expression was serious. No hint of the lover until he winked. “I don’t suppose you brought me some deep-fried octopus?”
“Scrambled eggs and bacon are your treat for today.”
“Any honey?” The query spoken with a naughty curve of his lips.
It brought a blush and allayed any fear she had that the dream was one-sided. It made her more eager for the night.
They played patient and nurse that day. Both behaving as they should. Holding back from stray touches, overlong looks, and any kind of talk that might be construed as something more.
It was torture. Especially since she couldn’t immediately fall asleep that night. But when she did, he was there. His arms open wide. His touch electrifying.
They did this for days. A week.
Two.
Slowly but surely, she got to know him, not just the places he liked to be touched in their erotic dreams, but the Luke before this happened. The child neglected by his parents. The man who fought for his country.
And in turn, he learned of her. Of her older parents, who died and left her alone in the world. Of her asshole ex, a man Luke growled he’d like to kill—a vow spoken so vehemently she shivered because she believed he would.
It proved a perfect time, and a strange one as well. In public, AKA his room in front of the camera, they were perfectly behaved.
But at night, when she closed her eyes…she became his wanton lover. With a sex life more satisfying than she could have ever imagined.
Problem was this interlude of happiness, this impossible thing between them, couldn’t last forever. It preyed on her sometimes in between her shifts, the time she spent alone. It didn’t help she had no one to talk to. Becky was rarely around with her new duties, and most of the other staff were standoffish. Except for the men, but they wanted only one thing.
The dreams took a toll on her, almost as if her waking time in them counted. She sure as heck felt tired. More and more each day. She blamed the fatigue on her health issues.
For the last week she’d felt bloated, slightly nauseous as well. Her breasts were tender. All symptoms of her period coming and yet she’d just finished it. She wasn’t pregnant. Dream sex had that going for it at least. However, she couldn’t deny feeling run down. Perhaps she needed to spend more time outside. She’d only gone briefly since the incident, and when she did venture forth, she stuck close to the building and kept a wary eye on the woods.
She’d heard of no other incidents. It seemed her encounter was a random, if unlucky, occurrence, and yet, she couldn’t shake the nagging fear.
At the end of the third week, she arrived for her afternoon shift to find twice as many soldiers as usual standing outside Luke’s door.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, recognizing most of them. Derek, who always looked so damned serious. Peter, with his short-cropped blond curls. Martin, with his ebony skin and always-present smile. The fourth soldier was Jett, only seen a few times, his dark looks matching his demeanor. The man had no sense of humor. Then there were two others rounding out the group, their faces familiar, probably seen in the communal area of the habitat level.
“Nothing wrong, ma’am. We’ve got orders to escort you and the patient topside.”
She blinked. “You’re letting him leave the room? Under whose orders?”
“Dr. Chimera said his good behavior has earned him an hour outdoors. Under guard, of course.”
Of course. As if they’d trust him to behave. Did they suspect the sham she and Luke perpetrated each day? Whatever the case, Luke was going to be allowed more freedom. She couldn’t wait to tell him.
When the door opened, she found him reading a book of all things, stretched out on his bed, one arm tucked under his head. He appeared much more relaxed these days, the simmering anger he’d first exhibited mostly gone, although he did keep his sense of sarcasm. As to his di
gs about the clinic and the doctors running it? Those he saved for their time together in dream world. Which meant those watching truly believed him a changed man.
She couldn’t deny a certain pride and pleasure in thinking that she was the reason for that difference.
Hearing her, he put the book aside and sat up, offering her welcoming smile. “Right on time with lunch. I’m starving.”
It had become part of their routine that she brought him more palatable fare from the cafeteria. She waggled the cooler bag packed with their meal. “Right here, but we can’t eat it right yet.”
He groaned. “Why not? I’m wasting away, Flo.” The clasp of his stomach and groan brought a giggle.
“It will be worth the torture, I promise. We’re going to have a picnic.”
He smirked. “Because sitting on the concrete floor is so much more ambient than the concrete stools.”
“I meant a picnic outside.”
The shock didn’t show in his expression, but his body stiffened. “Outside?”
“Yes, outside, as in under the sun and sitting on grass. Dr. Chimera gave permission for you to enjoy some fresh air for an hour. That is, if you want to?”
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
Her nose wrinkled. “I assume that’s a yes.”
“Yes, it’s a yes.”
“It will be under guard.”
He waved a hand as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Please tell me it’s sunny.”
“Very.” She glanced at his feet. His bare feet. She knocked on the door and stood back, waiting for it to open. Derek appeared in the doorway, the other guards ranged behind him. “Ready, ma’am?”
“Not quite. We need shoes for Luke.”
“I’m fine, Flo.”
“No, you’re not fine. You need shoes.” Which took a little maneuvering, especially given his rather large feet, but one of the new guys eventually returned with a pair of plain sneakers that fit.
During it all, the door remained open, Luke sat on his bed patiently, and none of the soldiers were trigger-happy. How things had changed for the better. Hopefully today’s excursion would be the first of many, which, in turn, would help his healing. He still persisted in his insistence something sinister was going on at the clinic. While she didn’t necessarily understand the unconventional methods, she couldn’t deny the results. Level five was at full capacity with patients woken from their comas. As was level six. Not that she had anything to do with the other nurses or patients. Luke remained her sole charge.