He suddenly says, “Aw, fuck it.” Then he grabs my wrist and I fly back into the rigid wall of his chest. “I should be doing anything but this, except I can’t seem to help myself.”
“I don’t want you to help yourself.”
“You say that now, but you may regret it later.”
“I doubt that.”
“You said yourself I was an ass.”
“You are, but that doesn’t negate the fact I want to kiss you. And lick you. Everywhere.”
“You want to lick me?”
My eyes narrow. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know that. I’m sure you’ve been listening to my thoughts.”
The corner of his mouth curls. “Yeah. I have, even though I shouldn’t. My teeth. I thought that strange.”
“That’s not the only thing I want to lick.” Damn, did I have to blurt that out?
He looks at me under half-closed lids. “Care to enlighten me?”
“Kiss me first.”
He bends his head until his lips brush over mine. “Bossy, aren’t you?”
“Only when I’m not getting what I want. Now kiss me.”
And he does. But this time, it’s more sensuous. More tantalizing. He takes his time, pulling my lower lip into his mouth as he nibbles, licks, and sucks. When he releases me, it’s a shock to find I’m wet for him.
“Do you always kiss like that?”
The corner of his mouth curls. “Why?”
“Because I like it,” I tell him.
“So do I. I think, Ms. Callahan, that you’re going to be trouble.”
“I want you, Sabin.” His eyes widen. The statement surprises him, but it surprises me more.
“I’m flattered, but that’s not possible. I have to go back to work.” He nuzzles my face and then sets me free. “This is a very bad idea,” he says.
“Agreed, but the attraction can’t be denied.”
“No, it can’t. But I must go. There’s still work to be done and the others need me.”
I nod. He touches my cheek with the back of his finger and then tells me to join him in the sec center if I choose. I watch him leave, thinking how far-fetched and pure crazy this whole thing is. Did I just kiss an alien? My fingers trace the outline of my lips and I imagine I can still feel him kissing me. Get a grip, Serena. I pack all the little devices away and put the medical kit where I found it. Then I go to the sec center to find Sabin.
He’s in the middle of a conversation with Rafe, who is inside Tara’s apartment.
“And you’ve turned it upside down?” Sabin asks.
“Yes. Tara claims it’s with another friend and that she never wore it.”
“Do you know who?” Sabin asks.
“A girl named Charity. Charity McKessen.”
“Oh, no. Not Charity!” I cry. Sabin’s head swivels to me.
“Why do you say that?” he asks.
“Charity has been known to sell things on eBay.”
“eBay? What the devil is eBay?”
“It’s an online shopping site where you can either buy or bid for items,” I explain.
“Great. Excellent. You humans and your shopping addictions.” Sabin is not happy.
“What? Don’t aliens like to shop? I mean non-humanoids.”
Sabin huffs, “Non-hominid.” The emphasis is unmistakable.
“Oops. Sorry.”
Edge looks at me and I can tell he’s holding back a laugh. The corners of his mouth are turned up and then he winks at me.
“Serena, where does Charity live? Fast!” It’s Rafe talking now. I give him her address, which is not far from Tara’s. Sabin instructs Rafe and Verus to go and tells the others to scrub Tara.
“Scrub her?” I ask. “Is she dirty?”
Sabin ignores me. I observe the men as they move around Tara’s apartment, and not much later, they leave.
“What did they do to her?” I need to know.
“They erased her memory of them,” Sabin tells me.
How did they do that? Then another thought strikes me. “Is that what you’ll do to me when all of this is over?”
He doesn’t answer but instead asks, “Serena, do you know how long Tara had the necklace?”
“Not long. Why?”
“Do you know if she wore it?”
“I don’t think so. I think she only kept it to piss me off. Why?”
“She told Rafe she never wore it, but we need to make sure. The necklace will leave a trace of it behind. If she wore it, the Shaurok may still come back for her.”
It leaves a trace behind. “So what you’re saying is even though I don’t have it anymore, they can still detect it on me? And will come back for me?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It has left its imprint on you so therefore you will be in danger for a long time to come.”
“Nice. Just what I wanted to hear.” I turn around and stomp out of the room. I don’t know why, because I have nowhere to go, other than Sabin’s bedroom or the kitchen. I choose the bedroom. At least I can stretch out on the bed.
Where does this leave me? Those creepy fuckers will be chasing me forever. Or at least for the foreseeable future. My plans to continue with my studies are now crushed. What the hell did I do to deserve this? All I did was grab that rotten necklace from the bottom of the sea. Why didn’t I just leave it down there? Why does my stupid mother have to be right? Out of everything, I think that’s what galls me the most. I can just hear her voice now. “I told you so, Serena. You should have listened to me. Nothing good comes from being under all that nasty water.” Ugh!
Picking up the pillow, I punch the crap out of it. But it’s not enough. I want to put my fist through a wall. Kneeling on the bed, I curl my hands into fists and begin to pummel the mattress. It’s the only thing I can think of that won’t physically damage me. Even so, I can feel my knuckles take a slight beating. I’m grunting and yelling so loud with each hit that I don’t hear the door open and close. Sweat beads on my forehead and upper lip and when I hear, “Is that making you feel any better?” I stop and turn around to see him smirking at me. Then I really get pissed.
She’s beating the shit out of the bed. And it’s … the most amusing thing I’ve ever seen. And I don’t do amusing. But this is priceless. Her ass is up in the air, she’s on her knees, and her fists are going at it like an animal digging in the dirt, searching for food. But the noises she’s making sounds like she’s fucking up a storm and my dick turns to stone as I observe her. But I have to laugh at the whole scene. Only I make one huge mistake and comment about it. She flies off the bed at me like her cute ass is on fire. Now those same fists that were punching the bed turn on me.
Several uppercuts to my jaw are followed by a rapid fire series of jabs to my ribs. It’s not that I can’t handle her. I can. I’m much faster and stronger than she is. But the truth is I’m damned impressed by her abilities. I let her clobber away until she wears herself out. She does very little, if any, damage, and a few minutes later she sags against me.
Fingers fist my shirt, and she starts to mumble something. Her face is smashed into my chest so I can’t understand her. I do what I know I shouldn’t, but I want to know what’s going on in that head of hers. So my mind reaches into hers.
Why the hell did this happen to me? I don’t want to cry. I never cry. Why did I hit him like that?
I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her, and now I want to chuckle a bit. She thinks she may have hurt me.
I pet her hair. Why do I find myself petting her hair a lot? It’s not my nature to do that, but with her, I seem to like it.
“You didn’t hurt me, Serena. I’m fine. And I can’t answer why this happened to you.”
She mumbles again. It has to do with me reading her mind. I don’t care right now. It’s hard to understand her with her sobbing the way she is. I’m not very good at consoling others. I hope she doesn’t cry for long.
Eventually, her sobs taper off and she looks up at me. Her large eyes are rimmed i
n red and she’s rather pitiful. She starts to say something and a giant snot bubble forms on one of her nostrils. I want to laugh again, but I don’t. Her hand cups her nose and she says, “Oh, god.”
Pulling her hand away, I lift my shirt and wipe her nose. The fact is, she’s been sobbing into my chest so long, I’m all wet anyway. I can change later. “It’s not the end of the world, Serena.”
“It’s gross,” she counters.
“No, seeing my bones and guts hanging out is gross. You’re a champ, you know.”
That puts a tentative smile on her face, even if it is a watery one. I pull her over to the bed and we both sit.
“So, you want to tell me what prompted all of this?”
“I’m doomed. My life is doomed. All my plans are ruined. Scrapped. I’ll never get my doctorate in marine biology, will I?”
The time for truths is here. “No. At least not in the time frame you were planning.”
She faces me and asks, “If that necklace leaves its mark forever, then what will happen to me?”
“You’ll come with us and we’ll keep you safe.”
“But I’ll be alone, with none of my friends. And I won’t have the sea anymore. I’m not sure I can live like that. When you brought me here, I thought it would only be for a week or so. I didn’t think …”
“Serena, listen to me. I will keep you safe for as long as I have to.”
“But I have to give up my life and live alone.”
“Would you rather die? Because that is the price you will pay.”
“I think I would.”
She says it so quietly, I’m not sure I hear her initially.
“Repeat that, please.”
“I don’t want to live like this. Here. In this place.”
“I understand these aren’t the best of circumstances. But it won’t always be here like this.”
“You don’t understand.”
And then she tells me about her parents and how they treated her. I’ve never felt empathy like I feel for her now. The sad part is, I can’t do anything about it.
“So you see, Sabin, maybe I would rather die in the sea that I love, than live like this, trapped inside, afraid to leave.”
The hell? “Where is the fiery woman that attacked me a few minutes ago? Would she be saying things like this? I must be in the wrong room.”
“No. She realized that everything she dreamed of and worked toward is now an impossibility.”
“Serena, listen to me. We aren’t going to stay in this place forever. You will go somewhere else and live a full life. It will be different from what you had planned. But did I say you would never be able to go under the sea again? Did I say anything about having to give up everything you ever loved?”
She tilts her head and her brows shoot up. “No, no you didn’t. I only assumed …”
“Stop assuming. It will only lead to trouble.” I reach for her hand so I can kiss it. “I promise to make things as good for you as they can be. It won’t be perfect, but you’ll have a good life. And when things are safe for you again in Durham, or wherever you want to live, you can go there.”
She grasps my hand for a second. “I feel so weak and afraid.”
“Of course you do. Let me fill you in on something. You’re anything but weak. You just knocked the hell out of me.”
“I’m so sorry. I was frustrated.”
“I could tell.” She wrings her hands, so I put mine on top of hers to ease her worries. “It’s going to be okay, Serena.”
She looks up at me and her eyes, deep green with lashes still wet from crying, sear me. My breath jams in my lungs and it has nothing to do with the injuries I sustained earlier. Her lush lips part and the tip of her tongue peeks out as it touches the corner of her mouth. I am paralyzed with need. She stands and crosses her arms in front of her as she grabs the hem of her shirt. What is she doing? My answer comes when she pulls her shirt off. A groan slips out as I take in her smooth alabaster skin. I am not new to naked women—I’ve had more than my share of them. But I am not immune to this type of taunting. My hands shift to make some necessary adjustments to my dick. It’s already extremely uncomfortable.
The sight of her nearly naked torso makes my mouth water. Her silken flesh begs to be tasted and I am famished for her. But if I so much as put one finger on her, there will be no hope of salvaging control. I will have to fuck her. Mercilessly. When her hands reach behind her to unclasp her bra, I’m forced to speak.
“Serena, stop. You do realize what will happen if you take the next step.”
“Sabin. I’m … I need …”
Fuck, I’m done. Who is this woman? Her hands continue their mission and her breasts are exposed as I tense. It stuns me at how much I crave to touch them. She is every bit as magnificent as I recall—soft, curvy, yet defined. I move so fast to get her beneath me, I know her head spins. She doesn’t understand our speed.
Naked, I need her naked. But I shouldn’t do this. It would be a terrible mistake. She lies beneath me and I want her so badly, worse than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. Lips like the most luscious fruit begged to be kissed and her mouth parts as she anticipates my next move. My thumb brushes her cheek and the temptation becomes way more than I can bear. Her scent assails my cells, my molecules, sending my blood scorching through my veins. I lower my head for just a taste. At least that’s the lie I tell myself. Because one taste won’t be enough. I want an entire feast of nothing but Serena. I want to fill myself with her until I’m satiated, if that’s even possible. But I know it’s not. My mind roars, telling me to stop. Doing this here and now isn’t right while the men wait. I wrench myself away from her, fighting for air. “As much as I want you, need you, and as beautiful as you are, this can’t happen now.”
“Yes. Now.” Her warm breath caresses my cheek as her fingers dig into my arms.
“We can’t. I need to go. The men. They need me. They’re waiting.”
“Let them wait,” she pants. Her hand moves between us and I feel her trying to unfasten my pants.
“Serena, what are you doing?”
“Sabin. You know I want you.”
Lifting up a bit, I look at her. With hair strewn across the bed, and eyes that beg, she drives a hard bargain. “Tell me how you want it. Fast? Hard? Wild?” My voice is gruff.
“Yes to all, since we’re pressed for time. But since this is our first time together, I want you on top. I need to be able to watch you … to see your face.”
I don’t question her. “Fine, but I need to taste you first.” There’s not a chance in hell I’m going to let this opportunity pass me by. Her skin nearly glows and everything about her is just what I imagined it would be. “If we had more time, I would spend hours tasting every inch of you. As it is, I’ll have to satisfy myself with only this.”
Her hand on my arm stops me. “Why do I need you so much? What is this driving force between us? Do you feel it?”
“Yes and I don’t know.” She’s right. This urgency is new for me, too. But right now, I don’t care to analyze or discuss it. I run my tongue down the center of her belly and feel her muscles tense and tremble as she moans. Her legs drop apart for me, inviting me in. The flesh on her inner thighs is so sweet, it makes me want to rest my head there for hours. But there’s no time. Instead, my hand can only travel up one thigh and then the other before I allow my mouth to seek its pleasure. I can only imagine the honey on my tongue when I taste her.
“Stop being such a tease.”
If that’s what she wants, then I’ll aim to please. My mouth zeros in on its target and I was right. Honey covered strawberries to match her scent. Sweet and slick. Hands grip my hair and she pulls. Hard. Then she orders me around, telling me how many fingers she wants, how fast, and when. Interesting. She’s not one tiny bit shy. I smile against her and blow. When I suck her clit and hook my fingers in her, pressing on the spot, she ’s close. She rocks against me moaning and I groan against her sweetness. It’s im
possible not to tell her how good she tastes.
“Don’t stop with the tongue. Yes, right there. Like that. Ah, damn, you’re good. No, great.”
I would laugh if my mouth weren’t busy. Serena is a handful.
Her hands yank my hair so hard when she comes I think I might end up with a bald spot or two. When her orgasm passes, she actually apologizes for the hair pulling. I don’t want her apology. I loved it.
“Jesus. What was that? Did you go to school for that?”
Now I do laugh. “Ah, no.”
“Well, you need to teach all guys how to perform oral sex on women. You are really something. That tongue swirling thing you do and then when you …”
I finally shut her up with a kiss. I have more important things to do with her than hear about my skilled tongue. While I’m kissing her, I slide my cock around her opening and she instantly moans again. There won’t be any waiting here. I plunge inside of her and freeze, nearly dying of ecstasy. Bloody fucking hell, this is the best I’ve ever had. Then I pull out, until only my tip remains in her and begin slowly thrusting in and out.
“Fuck. You’re every bit as I imagined. This might be a little rough. Put your hands over your head and leave them there.”
“No, I need to hold you.”
“Do it, Serena.”
“Only one hand.”
I take one of her hands and lace our fingers together, and then stretch it above her head. It gives me such a perfect view of her breasts I could drool on the things. Fuuucckk. “God, you’re lovely,” I tell her.
“Yeah?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
My hips rock against hers in a steady rhythm and she catches it. She is so soft and tight around me, I’m not sure how I’ll hold out until she comes.
“Faster, Sabin.” Her hand urges me on by pressing my ass. Her nails dig in and it sexes me up even more. This girl is really un-fucking-real.
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