by Laurie Roma
Just last week, Emma had cut herself badly enough to warrant a visit to the closest med-center. He hadn’t been able to make it out for a visit that day, but the next morning he’d seen the bandage wrapped around her delicate hand. Seeing her injured had twisted something inside of him, and he’d wanted to demand she go home and rest.
Actually, what he’d really wanted to do was carry her back home to his place, so he could take care of her himself.
His shoulders slumped as he stopped denying it. “Something is wrong with me. She has this hold on me. I can’t seem to get her out of my head.”
“It’s called infatuation for a reason. Joking aside, it’s time for you to do something about this, Trip. Ask her out. Get it done, brother. Whatever her answer is, it’s better to know before you fall even deeper. If she says no, we’ll get roaring drunk later tonight.”
“I could use a freaking drink right now,” he muttered as he stepped out into the rain. Normally, having someone else there to witness his humiliation would have burned his ass, but he could use the moral support and a kick in the ass if he didn’t follow through with what he was supposed to do.
It wasn’t like Trip hadn’t considered asking Emma out before now. In fact, that was his intention every time he walked into the donut shop. His plan was to charm her with flattery and wit until she agreed to go with him on some elaborate date that showed her how romantic he could be.
That was the plan, but that wasn’t what happened.
Every time he was around her, Trip’s brain stopped working. Her mere presence had the ability to shut his intellect off like a light switch, sending all the blood in his body straight down to his cock instead. He became tongue-tied and trying to hold a coherent conversation took enormous effort on his part.
Emma, on the other hand, was sweet and funny. She was always kind to her customers and took the time to remember names and orders. Her sunny disposition affected Trip like the sunrise, calming the anger inside of him. And when she baked him something new to try, it made him feel special in a way he had never experienced before.
They jogged across the street, coming to a stop under the silver awning. Trip’s black leather pants were sticking to his legs uncomfortably, and he tried to wring some of the water out of his blue tunic, so he wouldn’t drip all over the floor of the shop. It was no use. He looked like...well, the drenched cat that he was.
“My boots are soaked,” Jais bitched. Since he was wearing all dark-brown leather, there wasn’t much he could do to get dry.
“Mine, too. I’ll send them down to get them treated once we’re home,” Trip promised.
The digital sign stated that the shop was closed, but the door opened when he pushed on the handle. The interior of the shop was white, with silver and chrome accents and stools. He breathed the sugar-scented air deep into his lungs and tried to relax, but he couldn’t help thinking about all of the bad things that could happen to her while she was alone in the store. She could be hurt, or worse.
“Ask her to come by the bar tonight. Keep it casual—”
Trip cut him off by holding up a hand as he heard the faint murmur of voices coming from the kitchen area in the back. Jealousy surged to life as he listened to the low tones of a male speaking, but it quickly shifted to anger as he caught some of the conversation. They silently stalked around the counter toward the double doors leading to the back.
“Doug, you approved my vacation weeks ago. This is the second time I’ve had to reschedule. I can’t do it again.”
“I don’t want to hear excuses,” the male snapped. “You either work the rest of the week, or you’re going to find yourself out on your ass. Good luck finding another job after my father and mother tell everyone you were stealing from us.”
Emma gasped. “You can’t do that. I’ve never stolen anything from you!”
“If we lose these catering orders because you don’t show up, it’s the same as stealing. We gave you this job, we even offered to take care of you, and this is the way you repay us? I’m really losing my patience here, Emma.”
“We’re trying to help you, but you need to rethink your priorities. I’d hate to see what could happen to you if you couldn’t pay your rent,” another male said.
“Don’t kill them,” Jais whispered urgently as he grabbed hold of Trip’s arm. “Or maim them too badly. Not in front of your female. I’ve heard that can give them nightmares.”
Trip jerked his arm away from his friend, then slammed the double swinging doors open so hard, they cracked against the wall. Two male humans dressed in Alliance uniforms jumped in surprise. Emma spun around with a gasp, and the look of fear on her face made Trip want to throw the males straight through the fucking wall.
She’d kept the large kitchen island between her and the soldiers, but they were still way too close to her. When her gaze met his, her relief was easy to see, and the smile she gifted him with almost made his heart stop.
Stars, she was so damn beautiful.
“We’re not open yet,” the male who had threatened her stated.
Ignoring him, Trip held out a hand. “Emma, come here.”
He’d tried to keep his voice gentle, but the rage he felt had the words coming out in a low growl. Thankfully, she didn’t argue with him, or smack him over the head with the cylindrical wooden tool she was holding. She tossed the tool onto the island, then wiped her hands on her apron as she hurried over to his side.
When she was close enough, Trip took hold of her arm and gently moved her behind him. Once he knew she was safe, he slowly started backing her out of the room. What he really wanted to do was jump over the kitchen island, so he could rip the males to shreds, but Emma’s small hand had gripped onto the back of his tunic.
That simple touch was enough to hold him by her side.
He bared his fangs at the elites, and his rumbling snarl made both men flinch. “How dare you accuse her? Emma would never steal anything. If you lie to anyone about her or follow through on any of your threats, I will shove my fist down your throats and rip your spines out. Then, I will beat you with your own bones.”
“Nightmares, buddy,” Jais muttered. “You’re going to give her nightmares.”
“We—that was just a joke,” one of the males swore.
“Not fucking funny, asshole,” Trip growled. “Don’t come near her again. Don’t speak to her, don’t even look at her, or you’ll deal with me.”
“Trip?” Emma whispered, gripping the back of his shirt tighter. “Did I just quit?”
“Yes, sweetheart. You just did,” Trip claimed as he pushed her through the doorway.
Still eying the two elites, Jais reached out and grabbed a large white box filled with iced donuts off of the counter. “I’m just going to take this with me.”
With that, he closed the box and sauntered out of the room.
CHAPTER TWO
Emma Rage lived a quiet, peaceful life...usually.
In fact, many people would say that she was the epitome of boring. Every morning, she woke up around the time most people were heading to bed. She started her day out in the kitchen of the shop, making the same monotonous thing that basically consisted of throwing a few synthetic items into a machine. Once the dough was fried, she was able to use a little creativity in the way she decorated the donuts, but a droid could handle most of what her job entailed.
Obviously far from her dream career, she worked at The Donut Stop because she needed the credits. Sure, she had revamped the old recipe to make the dough lighter and a little more tasty. She’d done just enough to prove her value to the people she worked for, but she hadn’t given away all of her secrets.
It was difficult to find a position when one was a rebel or a citizen. For many, those two terms practically meant the same thing, because anyone who wasn’t an Alliance elite was considered inferior. At least citizens and rebels were allowed to live in peace in Zion. It made her feel less like an outsider to be in a city that was known for its inclusive a
tmosphere. That still didn’t mean she was safe from the elites.
Her gender was enough to make that impossible.
Since most citizens were individuals who were tested and found lacking, the Alliance left them alone. On the other hand, rebels were hunted, persecuted for their decisions to live their lives on their own terms. It didn’t matter to those in charge if families didn’t want their children taken away when they turned ten, and no one cared if someone didn’t want trainers deciding what they would do with their lives.
And they certainly didn’t care if a fertile woman wanted to choose who to bond with or decide if and when she wanted to have children. Those rights were taken away as soon as she was marked with a scroll tattoo.
The star tattoo on Emma’s face saved her from that kind of attention. Still, men like Doug and his partner, Edwin, thought she should have been flattered by their interest. She’d realized that they had been backing her into a corner literally and figuratively for weeks, but she didn’t understand why. She wasn’t the type of woman that men fought over. Definitely not someone a powerful Helios male would threaten anyone over.
However, that was exactly what Trip had just done.
From the moment he’d come into her shop, she had been drawn to him. At first, he had scared her. It wasn’t often that a Helios took notice of her for anything besides a potential temporary plaything, yet he had been nothing but respectful and kind to her. She didn’t trust people easily, but there was something about him that made her want to get closer to him despite her fear.
To her surprise, they had developed a friendship of sorts over the last few months, and she’d begun to look forward to his visits with breathless anticipation. Lately, she noticed that several people from the sanctuary had started visiting the shop, especially on days when Trip didn’t make it in for his sweet fix. She appreciated him referring business her way, but she missed him when he didn’t stop by.
She was fascinated by the way he immediately owned a room just by walking into it. Other customers had been quick to talk about his reputation, some going as far as to warn her to stay away from him. They spoke about him with a mixture of fear and respect, calling him a brutal fighter with a quick temper. He was a dangerous male, that much was obvious. She didn’t doubt that some of the rumors about him were true, but she had never seen it for herself...until today.
Emma silently followed him down the empty street, though, he really wasn’t giving her much of a choice. He had let go of her arm once they’d left the shop, but he kept hold of her hand as he pulled her along with him. She was secretly thrilled at feeling his rough palm against hers, but she wasn’t sure he even knew he was doing it.
The relentless downpour had shifted to a light misting that saturated her clothing. Looking up at the sky, she saw that it was only a small break. Darker storm clouds would soon be overhead. It didn’t worry her, though. She had a feeling that Trip could even fight off mother nature if he wanted to.
That fanciful thought made her smile as she increased her speed to keep up with his long strides. Since she wasn’t enhanced, Emma didn’t have the perfect body that most of the female elites had. She struggled to keep her weight down by forcing herself to the gym a few times a week, but she loved food too much to ever really turn her softness into muscle.
Trip wasn’t as tall as Jais, but he still towered over her. He was made of pure, solid muscle, and standing next to him always made her feel so small and feminine. Even for a Helios, his hair was a unique mix of colors, with small streaks of brown woven throughout a wealth of gold and red. He kept the strands at a length well above his shoulders, but long enough for the top portion to be pulled back if he wanted.
He had the harsh beauty of a shifter, with strong features and intense amber eyes. Whenever he looked at her, it was as if he were staring straight into her soul. She felt exposed, like he could see what she was thinking, and she dreaded that more than having an actual D’Aire seeker invade her thoughts.
The truth was Trip was every fantasy she’d ever had come to life.
She couldn’t stand the embarrassment of having him know exactly how she felt about him if her feelings weren’t reciprocated.
She wanted to say something but didn’t want to interrupt him as Trip grumbled to himself. His low growls should have scared her, but she thought the sounds he was making were cute. Not that she would tell him that. She wished she could think of something witty or clever to say to calm him down, then it struck her. He had every right to be angry. When he’d defended her against Doug and Edwin, he’d threatened two elite officers. He could get in trouble for that, and it was all her fault.
“I’m sorry,” she wheezed, out of breath. “I’m sorry you had to do that. Trip, I—can we slow down, please?”
He stopped so abruptly, she would have bumped into him if he hadn’t reached out to steady her.
“Sorry,” she said again, embarrassed by her awkwardness.
“Why do you keep apologizing?”
“Well, you’re obviously angry.”
“Emma, I just cost you your job. You should be pissed at me, not apologizing.”
“Yeah, that was a little unexpected,” Jais said around a mouthful of donut.
Trip glared at the Krytos, who just grinned as he continued to eat. He tried to push back the rage swirling inside of him as he focused back on Emma. “I am angry, but not with you.”
“They were going to fire me anyway when I didn’t show up for work in a few days.” Gasping, she said, “Oh, no! My things! Trip, my coat and my bag are still in there. I need my bag.”
“I’ll get it for you. I need a refill anyway,” Jais announced as he crumpled up the now empty box. “I’m going to miss your donuts, Emma. Might as well get my fill while I can. Besides, I believe we left some unfinished business back at the store.”
“If I can’t kill them, neither can you,” Trip growled.
“I’m just going to have a little chat with them. Better me than you. Less chance of bloodshed this way.” As Jais turned away, he slapped Trip on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t have gone with kidnapping for a first date, but it’s effective. Good choice.”
With that, he trotted off.
Trip cursed under his breath. One day, he really was going to kill Jais. He quickly glanced at Emma to gauge her reaction and was relieved when he didn’t see fear. Instead, she looked...happy. Okay, maybe that was a stretch. At least, she wasn’t running away from him or screaming for help. Wanting to make sure she wasn’t concealing how she really felt, he inhaled deep, using his senses to seek the truth.
Her scent intoxicated him. The clean smell of the rain clung to her skin, but she was wet in more ways than one. She was aroused. It was faint, but he could smell it, could almost taste her sweet essence on his tongue. The need he felt for her was driving him crazy, but if she wanted him, he couldn’t be fucking up too badly. He inhaled again and couldn’t hold back the deep purr that rumbled in his chest.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “What was that?”
“It was nothing.”
Fuck, he’d never made that particular sound before.
When she shivered, he frowned in concern. Damn it, not only had she just lost her job because of him, he’d also dragged Emma out into the rain wearing nothing but a white apron, gray shirt, and black leggings. He’d been so focused on getting her away from those assholes that he hadn’t thought about her comfort at all.
He really sucked at this kidnapping thing.
She gasped as he swung her up into his arms, and her arms automatically wound around his neck to steady herself. “What are you doing?”
“You’re cold,” he said as he started to run. “I need to get you out of the rain.”
“Trip, put me down,” she protested with a baffled laugh. “You’re going to hurt yourself. I’m too heavy for you to—”
He growled, and this time, his anger was directed at her. “Stop. Don’t ever say that again. You’re perfect exactly as y
ou are.”
When she gaped at him, he wanted to curse. Great, now he was snapping at her. Stars, he really should keep his mouth shut until he could think clearly. He needed to stop fucking up, or she was going to end up never speaking to him again.
“If you could do me a favor, just ignore me for right now. I promise I won’t be such an ass once you give me a chance to redeem myself.”
He slowed to a stop just as the sky opened up again. Rain slashed down like a waterfall, but they were protected under the overhang in front of Exodus. The large, white stone building had once been an art museum, and had several decorative columns guarding the front entrance. The deluge had created a barrier between them and the rest of the world, but the mist still swirled around them.
He blocked most of the spray as he kept her sheltered between his body and one of the thick pillars. He knew he should immediately take her inside, make sure she was warm and comfortable, but he didn’t want to release her. Holding her in his arms, he was exactly where he wanted to be. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck, and he fought the urge to make that strange purring sound again.
“I don’t know whether to be impressed or irritated that you aren’t even breathing hard right now.” There was a beat or two of silence as she looked out at the downpour, then she murmured, “I think you should put me down now.”
“If I must.”
He released her legs but continued to hold onto her waist, so she slowly slid down the length of his body. He wanted to groan as she rubbed against his erection, and he knew by the way her breath hitched that she had felt how hard he was. He wished their clothing would simply melt away, so he could lift her against the pillar and sink into her wet heat, but he would never embarrass her by taking her out in the open.
“So...this is a date?” she whispered shyly.
The skepticism in her voice grated at his nerves. She deserved some sort of explanation, but he wasn’t sure what to say to explain his crazy behavior. Staring down at her beautiful face, he was tempted beyond reason. One taste. Since words didn’t seem to be working for him at the moment, perhaps he could show her how he felt about her. He gave in to his need and brushed his lips against hers in a soft whisper of a kiss.