by A. C. James
“Love,” Cyn whispers. “Lay back.”
She gently pushes him back into the heaps of pillows. The sight of his naked torso never fails to fill her with a sense of lust and love. He can’t take his eyes away from Cyn as she kneels between his legs and lowers her head to his chest, planting kisses along the chiselled plane. She can barely keep from moaning as she climbs between his legs and rubs her stiff nipples against her mate’s chest. Pleasure swirls through her body. She wraps her arms around Fallon’s neck and lifts herself up so that she’s straddling him. With her legs hugging his hips, she realizes how much she needs him, wants him. This is what coming home feels like.
Fallon groans. His voice sends a shiver down her spine. “Love, I can feel the heat coming off of you... I need you, love. I need you now.”
Cyn sinks down. His cock penetrates her, filling her to the hilt. She’s so wet—it’s like she’s wetter than she’s ever been in her life—and she can feel every inch of his hardness filling her. The sensation is delicious. For a moment, Cyn stays rigidly in place. Then she rocks her hips, sinking up and down on his length. Light filtering in from the window falls across his face. She loves the way he looks up at her, with adoration, love, and a bit of disbelief. The emotions, the sensations, are almost too much, but she keeps going, grinding against his cock.
Cyn arches and throws her head back. The ends of her hair tickle her lower back, and his hands find their way to her breasts. She gasps as he tweaks her nipples. Cyn moans when he rolls them between his fingers. She’s so close to the edge. As she strains against his body, she can barely breathe. Her orgasm is gripping her tightly between her legs. Cyn lets out a volley of cries as her body bounces against his...
A loud noise made Cyn’s head snap up. She blinked, then sniffled as her eyes pooled with tears. It was nothing more than a bloody dream. She wiped her eyes with one hand—the one that wasn’t cuffed to the chair. It had been so real. She could almost feel his lips on hers. She shifted uncomfortably. Her leg had fallen asleep, and Cyn rubbed it with her free hand, gritting her teeth against the discomfort.
Her cheeks pinked when she realised that she was wet between her legs. A sharp longing for Fallon came over her, and she shivered. Nathan could kidnap her and lock her in a basement all he wanted. A trace of smugness flickered across her face. There was no denying what she felt for her mate. The mate bond and the erotic dreams that came with it made her shift in the chair, her panties sliding against her crotch. The sensations made her gasp.
Suddenly, there was a cramp in her lower belly. Cyn frowned, then gently prodded her stomach. She hadn’t been in pain earlier—was it because she hadn’t eaten in so long? As she was thinking, another sharp cramp took hold. It was so intense she gasped, and for a moment struggled to breathe.
That’s not a regular cramp. A flicker of unease passed through her mind, and she dipped her free hand between her legs. It came back sticky and wet. Oh, bother this mating arousal. It never comes at a good time. She frowned—her moisture felt different than usual. Thinner, stickier. The room was way too dark to see. Lifting her fingers to her nose, Cyn wrinkled her face and cautiously sniffed.
Cyn closed her eyes, her chest seizing in horror. “Blood. I’m bleeding.”
The tears came back in earnest. Lowering her head to the side, she cried. It must be a miscarriage. The cramping in her belly, the wetness in her panties, had nothing to do with her dream. Cyn shifted in the chair, feeling alarmingly sticky and wet from the waist down. The sobs taking hold of her chest made it hard to breathe, and the air in the stuffy dark room felt hot and crowded. She longed to break free and be outside in the open air. Her pulse raced. Suddenly, there were footsteps above her, and then the sound of the doorknob turning at the top of the basement steps.
Chapter Six
Nathan paced back and forth across the tiled floor. Eventually, one of the men glared at him.
“D’you mind?”
“Sorry,” Nathan muttered. He walked closer to the table, where two of the men and the Master were playing a game of cards. “Look, mates, can we chat about something?”
“What?” Master looked up at Nathan with a cold stare. “What d’you want? Worried your little princess down there isn’t getting the right treatment?”
Well, the way you’re treating her is a bit rum. But he thought the better of saying anything. He tried to sound unattached and casual. “Just, tell me you’re going to let her go. Can you tell me that?”
Master threw his head back and laughed. “We’ll do whatever we bloody well please with the girl, mate. You knew that going in!”
“You did,” echoed one of the Only Human henchmen. “What’s it to you, mate? She shags those bloody beasts. She’s nothing.”
Nathan tried not to panic. Had he made a terrible mistake trusting these men? He’d agreed with their agenda when it didn’t include innocent bystanders like Cyn. If anything happened to her because of him, he’d never forgive himself.
Nathan swallowed. “She needs water and fo—”
“Shut it,” Master snapped. “Why not go down there and take her some nosh?” He gestured towards the stove—a pot of oatmeal had been cooked earlier, but now only the dregs remained. “Maybe she’ll warm up to you and you can have a bit of fun with her.”
Nathan grimaced. He took a greasy bowl out of the sink and looked around for a rag and soap. There was none to be seen. Gritting his teeth, he rinsed out the bowl under the feeble tap with his fingers, trying to get rid of the worst of it. When he’d finished, he scooped some cold porridge inside and stirred it around, trying to make it look more appetizing.
“Lover boy’s got it bad,” one of the henchmen cracked.
The Master started sniggering, and the other two men joined in.
“Why not bring her some roses, while you’re at it?” the other OH mercenary chimed in.
He ignored all of them even when the sniggers grew louder. Finally, he stomped out of the kitchen and yanked open the door to the basement. The sound of Cyn sobbing in the darkened basement tugged at his heart. He’d never meant for her to get mixed up in this—or at least he’d pictured it turning out differently when he’d concocted the plan in his head. He didn’t think they’d lock her down there. He’d thought she’d be tucked away in the bedroom upstairs where he might be able to reason with her.
“I’ll be back. Just going to feed this cow,” Nathan lied.
“Sure, lover boy,” Master called. He cracked a grin and the two henchmen burst into nefarious laughter. Nathan rolled his eyes and began descending the stairs, keeping one hand gripped on the bannister.
Being with Only Human wasn’t exactly like he’d expected. For one thing, they were an odd lot. And Master was a simple man. His goal was to kill Fallon once he arrived and post pictures, or a video or whatever, on the Internet. Nathan had envisioned the group being much more put together. He’d figured teaming with them would be better than anything he could have come up with on his own. They’re a bunch of arseholes who don’t even know what they’re doing. He gripped the railing and continued his descent into the basement. Master didn’t seem to have a diabolical plot for taking down the púca, beyond taking out their leader.
Cyn was sitting in the chair where he’d left her. That wasn’t a surprise—after all, she was handcuffed by one wrist—but there was an odd, tangy smell in the air. Nathan sniffed, then frowned.
He cleared his throat and tried to make his voice hard and cold. “I’ve brought you some nosh.”
As he set the bowl down in her lap, he stared. Something wasn’t right. It wasn’t that she’d been crying, it was the deadened look in her eyes. Nathan had never seen anything like it—all of her fire and spirit had drained from her body.
“Cyn?” Nathan leaned in close. She didn’t move or flinch. “Cyn, what’s the matter?”
Her face remained blank. “Nothing. And I’m not hungry.”
“Oh, come now,” Nathan said. He made his voice friendly and gen
ial, the tone that his mother had used to use on him when he wasn’t eating his vegetables. “I know you’ve got to be starving by now, you’ve not eaten in hours, Cyn!”
“Fine,” Cyn said curtly. “Thank you.”
She glanced down at the bowl, tears welling up in her eyes again. Cyn sniffled, then wiped her face with one hand. Underneath her eyes were dark circles, and her skin was oily. He swallowed. Nathan hated to see her this way.
He sat down on the floor. “You’re welcome. Sorry it’s not much. At least, not by your standards. You still fancy yourself a bit of a gourmand?”
Cyn didn’t reply, wouldn’t even look at him. It was heart-wrenching. She dipped a finger into the grey porridge and then reluctantly sucked the tip in her mouth. “This is horrid. I don’t want it.”
“Oh, Cyn.” He felt something tighten, then snap in his chest. “I hate seeing you like this! Please try to eat. What’s the matter? Won’t you talk to me? We were friends once...”
Tears dripped down her cheeks, but this time Cyn didn’t wipe them away.
“Cyn, please,” Nathan begged. He reached out for her but drew back at the last second. “Please tell me why you’re crying. Please tell me what’s wrong. If you tell me, I’ll try to help you.”
Cyn shifted in the chair. She handed Nathan the bowl and crossed her shapely legs at the knee. She was still so beautiful, despite her dark, puffy eyes. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed her delectable lips. Chrissakes, even with a bloodied face, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He winced at the bloody crack down the bottom of her full lower lip.
“Please, talk to me.”
Cyn sighed, then shifted in the chair. “Nathan...”
Nathan’s heart leapt at the way she said his name—it wasn’t angry or spiteful like it had been before, but kind of sad and pleading. His heart warmed.
“Yes? What is it, Cyn? I can’t help you if you won’t tell me what you need.”
“I’m just so uncomfortable...” She swallowed, then coughed a little. “Being in this chair.”
Nathan was entranced as she licked her swollen, plump lip.
“I’ve been sitting for hours... Could you maybe let me out, just for a while? Just to give my wrist some time?” She pointed toward her hand, which was cuffed to the chair. “I think I’m losing circulation.”
Nathan bit his lip. He wanted to free her—hell, he wanted to do more than that. Take her home to his flat, draw her a nice bath, and then take her to Thai Thai for a reunion dinner. How had this spun so out of control? All he’d wanted was Fallon out of the picture.
“I don’t know,” Nathan said. “Those blokes upstairs, well, they’re pretty keen on you staying put, I’d say.”
“Please, Nathan?” Cyn met his eyes, pleading. “Please, can’t you just uncuff me for a few minutes?”
He was transfixed by her face. It was like the day he’d first seen her. His skin was hot, and he found it hard to say no to her, but he really had no other choice. Master wouldn’t like it if he uncuffed her. He was wracked with guilt, but he was weak. There was no telling what those crazy arseholes would do if she tried to escape on his watch.
“I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m under orders from those Only Human blokes, and they want you to stay put.”
Cyn licked her lips again. Nathan sucked in a sharp breath. The way her pink kitten tongue flicked across her swollen lips was appetizing in a way that made him feel even guiltier. He couldn’t tear himself away from her curves when she crossed her legs again. Was she doing this on purpose? Trying to seduce him? An erection tightened his trousers. Bloody hell, what was she doing?
“Well,” Cyn said softly. “Can you at least get me some water? And maybe something better to eat? Please, anything but that. I’d really like some fruit, or a piece of bread with butter. Please, Nathan?”
Nathan sighed. “I’ll try. I hate that you’re not eating. I want to take care of you, Cyn. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Cyn looked like she might start crying all over again. It broke his heart. Her lashes rested on her round cheeks and Nathan fought the urge to stroke her face and kiss her.
“I’ll go speak to that lot now.” His eyes lit up. “Hey, here’s a thought! What d’you say if I run out to the kebab place around the corner and bring you back a sandwich? You’d like that, right?”
He desperately wanted to please her. Make her smile. Anything was better than a woman’s tears.
“Sure,” Cyn said.
Her voice sounded weak. Nathan cringed—listening to her made his insides feel like they were being wrung through a cheese grater.
“I’ll be right back, love.”
“Thanks,” Cyn said softly.
In a sudden burst of inspiration, Nathan turned around as soon as he was at the foot of the steps.
“Everything’s going to be better. I’m sorry things are so rough right now, but I promise it won’t be like that for too much longer.”
Cyn blinked.
“When this is all over, and you move on and get back to your old life, here where you belong, you’re going to see what a big mistake you made.”
She frowned. “What’re you saying?”
Nathan laughed. Of course Cyn’s confusion could be forgiven—after all, she’d been kidnapped and held with little food or water. She’s probably not thinking straight.
“I mean, you’ll see what a mistake you made by mating with a púca,” Nathan said slowly as if explaining to a child. “I hope one day you’ll forgive me, and then we can finally be together.”
A broad grin stretched his face. It mingled with the guilt, but he couldn’t push it away.
CYN’S EYES WIDENED as Nathan turned away, climbed the stairs and shut the door behind him.
When she was alone again, Cyn’s heart pounded. She was shaking with fear and anger. Her stomach cramps were still on her mind, but she couldn’t believe Nathan. And then we can finally be together? She shuddered. How could he even think she’d forgive him, let alone want to be with him?
Suddenly, her eyes flew open again. Nathan’s the reason behind all of this. He’s the reason I was kidnapped. He went to Only Human and helped them take me! A sharp wave of nausea crested over her, and she leaned to the side so she wouldn’t be sick. It was no use. As the hot, sour bile poured out of her mouth, she closed her eyes and wept bitterly. Fuck’s sake, he’s lost his mind. Her growing fear and despair were almost overwhelming. And I don’t know how I didn’t see it before!
She remembered how disgusted Fallon had been by Nathan, the book, and his betrayal. All of it was unforgiveable. Even Felicity said there was no redemption, no coming back from that, and he’d never be their friend again. Cyn cursed herself for beating herself up and feeling responsible for his bollocks. It was stupid.
Upstairs there was a loud thump, followed by peals of laughter. The sounds frightened Cyn. They reminded her of where she really was—trapped in a house in God-knows-where, with a bunch of racists and her crazy ex-best mate. She needed to figure out a way to escape. Cyn tried to crush her thumb into her hand and squeeze through the cuff. Even if her efforts were in vain...she had to try.
Chapter Seven
Sage led Maelíosa, Kieran, Niall, and Tomas up to the front door. Maelíosa eyed the old row house, with its darkened windows. It had a gloomy exterior that didn’t really welcome visitors.
“We knew each other, back in the Navy. Hell, we were even on deployment together.”
Kieran grinned. “Your mate is some kind of weapons genius?”
“You could say that,” Sage said, cracking a smile.
Maelíosa was standing next to him as Sage rapped on the door. The sound was so loud that Tomas winced, and Maelíosa struggled to keep from laughing nervously. There was a sensation of energy buzzing in her stomach, and her blood was swarming with excitement. Maelíosa glanced up at her mate as she waited for the front door to open. Sage’s calm, stoic face was enough to calm her, if only f
or an instant. Her mare pranced around the two of them, tossing her mane. A funny thought popped into her head: they’d forgone the recommended courtship period, never even gone on a date, and their first outing was full-on espionage. She bit back a laugh.
The door swung open, admitting a yellow rectangle of light into the narrow foyer. A large man, even bigger than Sage, darkened the doorway. All Maelíosa could make out was his white teeth, and features that were slightly squashed, like a boxer’s.
Sage wrapped the man in a burly hug.
“Looks like two bears wrestling,” Kieran cracked under his breath. He was silenced by a sharp elbow to the gut from Niall.
“Y’all,” Sage said, pulling apart from the man. “This is one of my oldest buddies, Craig.”
Five minutes later, everyone was gathered around a table in Craig’s living room. Maelíosa had a better chance to examine his features in the light. He had close-cropped blond hair, blue eyes, and the tannest skin she’d ever seen on a pale person. He was as muscular, if not more so, than Sage—the cords in his neck bulged every time he talked. But despite his imposing presence, Maelíosa got the feeling that deep down he was a kind man.
“That’s some kind of story.” Craig whistled loudly, then stared at Maelíosa. “So, you’re tellin’ me your wife can turn into a goddamned horse?”
Maelíosa drew herself up in the chair, tilting her chin into the air. He threw his head back and laughed.
Sage chuckled. “I wouldn’t fuck with her.” He glanced at Maelíosa with a smile that warmed some of the frost from her heart. “She’s a tough gal.”
“I can see that,” Craig said. “Well, hell, y’all came to the right place.”
He stood up and stretched—he was so tall that his hands brushed against the ceiling.
“Ever since I moved here, I’ve been stockpiling. Always good to be prepared.”