by Kim Faulks
"There is nothing wrong with you, Helaine. You know and I know what’s happening here and it isn't inside your damn head." Creed's voice tore her out of the downward spiral. "You can leave if you want. There's no one forcing you to stay. But leave because you want to leave, not because someone is pressuring you."
Creed was giving her a choice. He was giving her a way out and also offering safety. The doubt fractured. Creed believed her. He believed in her enough to set her free if she wished.
"I'm staying, Mark. But you? You can leave."
"You heard the lady." Creed stepped forward, herding Mark backward through the door.
"You don't know who you're dealing with, Sutton. I'm going to shut you down, take your whole life apart." Mark spat.
Creed never stopped moving. "Sure you are. Like I've never heard that before. You detectives are all the damn same. You need to get yourself some new material. That shit's getting old."
She couldn’t see past Creed’s broad shoulders, but caught the scuffle of shoes, a snarl, and then the slam of the door. The walls reverberated, spiking the throb inside her head. Helaine broke out in a shiver. She wrapped her arms around her body, gripping tight.
"You okay?"
Helaine jerked her head up and was caught by the intensity in his blue eyes. "I thought they found Claire."
"I'm sorry, but no. They found a man's body in the dumpster outside. Now it seems like your... boyfriend has a hard-on to pin a murder rap on someone one in here and I’ve just given him one very good reason to take a look at me."
"Ex."
Creed cocked his head to the side. "I'm sorry?"
"Mark is my ex-fiancé.” Her voice cracked as the hurt broke through. “He left me after I miscarried our son."
The intense flame in his eyes softened, still he held her gaze. "Jesus. I'm sorry." The silence lingered until he spoke again. "Piece of fucking shit."
Helaine jolted. She lifted her gaze to his. "What?"
"He’s a piece of fucking shit, Helaine. No man should ever leave his woman in a time of need. I would've never left you."
Her body trembled, something was happening here. Something she desperately needed to happen. Creed took a step, and then another, closing the distance between them. "I'd let you weep on my chest. I'd take every hurt, every blow from your fist in pain, in anger. I’d take it all and I'd never, ever leave you." Gravity pulled them together. He inched closer until she felt the touch of his hand on hers, his breath on her face. "All you have to do is say the word. Tell me to stop and I will."
She tried to search for the word inside her while her body shuddered with need. But stop wasn’t the word ringing inside her mind.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Denying her was tearing him apart. Creed felt shackled, wanting to do the right thing when he ached to pull her close and give in to her. He searched her lips, tracing the outline with his gaze. So fragile. She was so damn fragile and yet underneath there was a strength not even she knew. Her call was stronger than anything he'd felt before, controlling him like the moon commands the tide. He could only obey.
"Last chance, Helaine."
She never moved. He caught the slight motion when she trembled. Is she trembling for me? The thought sped his heart. Did she want him like he wanted her? He lowered his head, capturing the hitch in her breath—he'd remember it forever. "I'm not a knight in shining armor, Helaine. I'm dangerous. You don't want to give yourself to me." There was that hitch again and he couldn’t stop the guttural growl. "Last chance. Say no, Helaine."
Her lips parted. Here was the moment he'd been waiting for. The moment where he pulled himself away and left her alone, for good. To leave her like this would surely kill him, but he’d never force himself on her. He’d never make her want him, even if he wanted her.
Her whisper was hot against his lips. "Yes."
Creed gave into the need, pushing her backward until the brick wall stopped her from going further. Her body was so smooth and yielding. He kissed her, tasting her, taking her breath. The scent of jasmine heightened his ache. He growled, needing more, and yet something stopped him, some desire to be more than an act to her. He wanted her pain and her problems—he wanted her to share part of herself with him. And if he wanted all of this from her, then he must be able to give her the same in return.
She made a sound when he broke the kiss, half-growl, half whimper. He smiled. "Before we take this any farther, there are some things I think you should see."
She paused. He thought he’d scared her off until she snapped. "Okay, tell me, but whatever it is, I won’t care."
"After this, you might." He stepped away and held out his hand. The sensation of her flesh against his made him re-think this noble shit. He wasn’t worthy of her. But, dammit, he’d given her the chance to run. He’d done all he could to warn her. A slight tug on her hand had her following him as he headed toward the back room.
"Creed, what are you doing?" He heard Heath’s warning call, but never stopped. She had to know everything. By the love of Ares, she might wake up and re-think getting involved with them… with me. He swept the beaded curtain aside and towed her through the doorway.
The lounge was dark and seedy, just what a person should expect from a place like this and people like him. He hit the lights. Half-filled bottles sparkled from the bars. He watched Helaine take it all in. The stripper’s pole, the tightly-huddled couches. She left him, wandering around the sofas until she stopped at one near the corner. He heard the hiss of her breath from where he stood.
"So Mark was right?” Her voice shot two octaves higher. “Is that why you came to my rescue? You think I'm going to, what, perform for you?"
Her words were like a slap to his face. He remained still, but he couldn’t stop the hurt from seeping into his voice. "No. You needed me and I came. Everything you see here isn't real. It isn’t the real us…."
She bent and picked up a collar. The chain unraveled from her grip, falling toward the floor. "It seems real enough to me."
"I'm not making myself clear. All of this." He pointed across the floor. "Gives us two things we need, money and protection."
She jolted upright, her gaze focused on the choker in her hand. Her voice was so soft he had to strain to hear. "This why you pulled away from me before? Are you trying to tell me this is the kind of thing you like?"
His breath sliced his chest like shards of ice. This was the heart of the matter, wasn't it? He tried to keep from running. If he was going to drop his guard with this woman, she had to know. He shook his head. "Whips and chains? No, that isn't what I like."
Say it. Tell her you don't want to be gentle. Tell her you want to take her here with the stench of sex in the air. Tell her the soft sounds of her pain would only excite you. Do it now, Creed. Tell her while she still has a chance to escape.
"Okay. So this is, what? A supply and demand situation?"
He stalked her, weaving in and out of the black-clad settees, closing the distance before she realized he’d even moved. The damn smell of jasmine was all around him, inside his clothes, under his skin. He didn't want to hurt her, but he wanted to spread her wide and lose himself in owning her body. Creed was beyond all control.
She wrenched her head around at the last moment. Her eyes widened, brown eyes sparkled with fear and surprise. Ares rose to the surface, fear and pleasure for his taking—not this time—Helaine is mine. Creed pushed his god into the back of his mind and focused on her. He ran his hands through her dark hair and down her back. The silky strands gave away to the feel of her skin and he moved harder against her. Her head snapped back, her body bowed. The sensation of her underneath him put his desire on edge. The darkness was there, her darkness, calling him. Creed closed his eyes and hissed. "I can't be gentle, Helaine. Tell me to stop now and I'll stop, but the decision to stop has to be made now or never."
She whimpered against his ear. Her fingers raked his back. "I want this."
He pulled away from her, leavi
ng her hands to flail in the empty air, until he gripped her shoulders and spun. She sprawled forward, face-first into the lounge. He was on top of her, sliding his hands around her waist, moving inside her bra to cup her breast. Her power summoned his need to possess. Each stroke of her skin, the touch of her beaded nipple against his palm only increased the urgency. I can't stop this... but I don't want to hurt her.
"Yes." Helaine hissed, urging him on.
Creed stopped fighting the power of her call.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Creed’s hands were everywhere and so were her thoughts. She was desperate to let go and give into his touch, focusing on his fingers sliding over her stomach and gripping her breasts. But each time her mind relaxed, Mark's face came back to haunt her. What am I doing? This isn't me... Maybe I should've left with Mark, maybe I should just....
Creed shoved her forward. Her ass was in the air, draped over the armrest, while her face pressed into the cushions. The velvet fabric swallowed each breath, filling her nose with a musky scent. Sex, it smells like sex. His hands shoved her shirt higher, tracing the line of her spine. The cool air lapped at her body like greedy fingers, increasing the sensation of his touch. She shuddered and clenched her fists. Metal injured her palm. The chain was still in her hand, clinking louder with each jerk.
The cushions made her breath hotter. Her body responded in kind. She moved her hips against his and arched her back. Creed's hands were there to meet her, cupping, sliding. He yanked her shirt over her head, unsnapping the clasp on her bra. She dropped the chain. The collar fell to the floor with a dull thud. Her shirt landed on top of the chain. She reached for his thighs, wanting desperately to turn around. His bulging muscles tensed. Her palms skirted the fabric, touching the juncture of his thighs. She moaned. He was hard and big. Her hand stilled. Dear god.
His fingers were at her abdomen. Her hips were jerked backward. Her jeans and panties fell with one powerful yank. There was nothing nice and soft about this. No tender moment between two lovers, and yet, as brutal as this was, she wanted more. He used his boots to shove her legs wider, still the space she made for him didn’t seem to be enough for him. With a growl her shoes were yanked free of her feet.
Helaine waited for him to touch her, eager for his fingers to ease the way into the crease between her thighs. But there was no foreplay. He impaled her with a force that stole her mind. Creed grunted and forced himself in harder. Each breath was a whimper. She stretched until she could give no more. Her eager body eased his way, growing wetter with each forceful touch, yet the moisture seemed insufficient to help her take all of him.
"Oh, god." Creed hissed behind her.
The sound of his voice was her anchor. I'm not a knight in shining armor, Helaine. I'm dangerous. You won't want to give yourself to me. Those words echoed inside her mind. His warning slammed home with each brutal thrust. His body demanded more of her. More flesh, more soul, more everything and she felt overwhelmed. The voice inside grew louder, screaming with the smacking sound of flesh on flesh. The brutal rhythm was too much, too hot—too... fuck... me....
Each long stroke stoked her fire until a spark shot through her. Her body yielded to his. He worked his cock in deep and then slid out, only to plunge deep once more. The movement grew easier as her flesh responded, becoming slicker. Helaine hissed, welcoming the pain, welcoming each blow of his body. The voice inside her head was replaced with something else now. Something demanding, something dangerous—something familiar.
She rocked back, meeting his body as the darkness inside her rose. I need this... I want Creed. As the first jolt rocked her core, she knew this was more than mere sex. Creed grunted behind her, slowing each powerful stroke until she cried out. She felt him shudder and linger inside her until his breaths slowed and the silence returned.
When he pulled out she felt the loss. Helaine shoved herself off the sofa arm. Her legs trembled. Creed's breath danced in gusts across her back. She waited for him to say something. Was this a mistake? A heat-of-the-moment thing that would only turn things awkward?
She gripped the armrest and slowly turned. His gaze trapped hers. In his eyes she saw no hesitancy, no fear or regret, only the sharp sting of determination. "I didn't want you to get caught up in any this."
Her voice was husky, her throat burned. "Any of what?"
His gaze never shifted. "Me."
This answer wasn't what she expected. None of what had just happened was. In this moment, everything seemed to click into place. She understood him now. The cold shoulder he gave her, the fight with Nile in the hallway. Creed was trying to push her away. Did he actually care deeply for her?
The blood rush to her head made her giddy. "What the hell is happening?"
Creed worked the button of his jeans closed and slid his zipper home. He crouched, grabbing her clothes from the floor. "You’re changing, Helaine, feeling things you've never felt before, seeing thing that were once unseen. Surely you understand by now that you're not like everyone else. There’s something different inside you, a calling that only we can understand."
She remained silent. He held out her clothes. She stepped into her underwear and jeans while she listened.
"I've never felt a power like yours. It's dangerous and it's only going to become more dangerous as time goes on. If you let her, she will consume you, but you have to let her inside. You have to use her and find the balance."
Helaine reached around to fasten her bra while she thought about what he was saying. "The balance?"
"Between being human and a goddess."
Her mundane world seemed far from reach. He spoke utter nonsense, and yet, his words reverberated in her bones. Innocuous words, except the soles of her feet tingled as though the earth moved, sending shock waves up her calves and thighs. The same harsh voice in her head that warned her to run had something else to say.
He speaks the truth. There’s no going back now. Open to me.
Conviction blazed in his eyes, despite the dim room. As everything she thought she knew fell away like motes of dust, Helaine held his gaze, taking comfort from the gas-jet color. Fear clogged her throat, but at the same time, something hotter than their sex flickered in her core. The seductive whisper had no words, but blew over her like a heated desert wind. The insubstantial, un-namable sensation gripped her like a fist.
“Will you help me?”
“I can try, but each deity is different. What works for me may not work for you.”
“I’m scared.”
To her relief, Creed pulled her close. “I know you are. But you’re strong enough to endure this, Helaine, or you would’ve never heard her call.”
The awkwardness between them evaporated. Her body felt rubbery and ached with a passion she wanted to feel again. How would this work between them? Was this a one-off thing? His arms tightened around her. She had a feeling it wasn’t meant to be once and done.
“Besides, it might be best if one of the others can help you. With these cops sniffing around, you never know. I could be in jail by the end of the day.”
That idea filled her with dread. Mark wouldn’t give up. If he was anything, he was relentless. Now that he knew she was here, she had a hunch he’d live up to his reputation. A sense of responsibility overwhelmed her. Maybe if she could talk to Mark, make him see reason?
“I don’t want to do this, but I have to leave you for a while, Helaine. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Where are you going?” She sounded needy and controlling, but after the day she’d had, she could hardly help herself.
“What we do every day. Look for leads. Try to find the nest.”
“Of the Corrupt, right?”
Creed nodded. “Right. They’re hard to track down. We cornered a couple in an alley on the other side of the city two weeks ago. They were able to give us some intel before we… ah, neutralized them.”
He tried to soften the blow, but she understood all too well. Those soulless vessels had her best fr
iend. She was happy for Creed to neutralize as many as he could. “Good.” She lifted her chin and met his hard stare. “Kill them all.”
Creed held her gaze. “That’s the plan.”
Desire flooded her. This man, these people felt so real. She lifted her hand to his face and traced the hard outline of his jaw before running her thumb across his lips. “People don’t know, do they?”
His mouth moved under her hand as he murmured. “No.”
“They don’t know how much you sacrifice, how hard you fight. Why do you do it? Why do you care so much?”
The spark in his gaze seemed to dull and lose focus as he answered. “I had a mother and sister once. I swore I’d look after them, and I failed. Their faces still haunt me. I see them in every dead woman I find, every dead human the Corrupt use for their own sick purposes….” Creed focused on her now and there was pain in his eyes he’d not shown her before. “I see them in you.”
Someone cleared their throat behind him. “Creed, you ready to roll?”
Helaine yelped and shifted behind Creed. Heath looked away, shifting his stance as he shoved a gun in the band of his jeans and bloused his shirt over the gleaming blued steel. Helaine caught the taut muscles of his abdomen, before weapon and flesh disappeared from view. “Sorry, but we gotta go.”
Creed nodded, not taking his eyes off her. “We’ll continue this later, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Stay inside, lock the door. Your hound will protect you until we get back. You’re going to be okay, Helaine. I promise.”
His words were comforting, but underneath the sense of safety, a sense of obligation formed. Picturing him behind bars—recalling the look in Mark’s eyes—made her shudder. She had to fix this somehow.
Creed followed Heath from the room, leaving her alone surrounded by the chaise leather lounges and stripper poles. The place felt empty without the constant chatter and laughter. The big hound lay on the ground, his head on his paws, staring at her with a wretched expression that probably mirrored her own. “Well, looks like it’s just you and me, boy.”