nightrise

by Nell Stark

  “And you are still the hottest woman I’ve ever seen.” I pushed her legs apart so I could stand between them. “You’re also mine. I’m going to remind you of that.”

  When she cupped my waist, I reached down and firmly moved her hands back onto the bed. “What part of ‘no touching’ don’t you understand?”

  “Please.” Her eyes were feverish. “Please let me.”

  “No. Keep your hands on the mattress, or I’ll stop.”

  I leaned in to kiss her, then, and took my time of it—a whisper-soft brush of my lips against hers, over and over until she lost control and her tongue flicked out to tease me. I allowed it, allowed her in, and paid her back in kind. Clutching her head between my palms, I feasted on her mouth, then trailed my lips across her jaw and down the column of her neck.

  I bit her where she’d bitten me this morning, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to leave a mark. When she cried out, I did it again. And then I stepped back.

  “No, please,” she breathed. “Where are you—”

  I cut her off by grasping one rose-colored nipple between my thumb and forefinger. “I’m not going anywhere, Val. Not without you, not ever again. I promise.”

  I twisted lightly and her eyes fluttered shut. When I brought my other hand into play, she groaned. I teased her for minutes, alternating the pressure of my fingers until her lips were parted and her face was flushed and her hips were rocking against the comforter.

  I dropped to my knees and replaced my fingers with my mouth, swirling my tongue around her while stroking the taut skin of her stomach. As I moved closer to the juncture of her thighs, she began to beg.

  “I love how you want me,” I said, massaging the tight ridge of muscle framing her abdomen.

  “Need you,” she corrected me, panting. “So bad. You’re the only one I need.”

  “That’s right.”

  I slid my fingers home to find her hot and wet and tight. She cried out as I entered her and collapsed back on her elbows. When I dipped my head to taste her, she screamed my name.

  Another time, I would tease her. We would go slowly and gently with each other. I would cherish her for hours and we would slip effortlessly between laughing and kissing, claiming and cuddling. Another time. Not now, when I so desperately had to prove to her that we belonged together despite all of the many obstacles that had come between us. The politics, the distance, her descent into darkness—none of it mattered. None of it would ever matter. I reminded her of our truth as I murmured my love against her most sensitive skin.

  When I finally allowed the ecstasy to find her, she whispered my name over and over, trembling. Her body clenched around me, pulling me even deeper inside, and tears spilled down her face to anoint the bed covers.

  After her body quieted, I stretched out next to her and tenderly wiped away the tear tracks from her cheeks. She opened her eyes and her smile was brilliant, without any hint of guilt.

  “I love you, Valentine,” I said, claiming a gentle kiss.

  “And I love you. More than anything.” She propped herself up on one arm and traced the skin just above my breasts. “Do I get to touch you now?”

  I rolled onto my back, urging her on top of me. “As much as you want, for as long as you want.”

  Her smile turned dangerous. “Good. Because I want.”

  Despite the ferocity of her expression, she made love to me in a slow, reverent exploration that set my every nerve aflame. Her mouth and her hands moved in counterpoint across the planes of my skin, rekindling the passion at the very heart of us. She teased me with soft strokes of her hands and mouth for what felt like hours, until I was incandescent with the need for her to fill me. And when she did, her teeth and her touch conspired to finally make me whole again.

  Afterward, we lounged like cats on a sun-warmed rock. Eventually, she turned me over and gave me a long massage, working the knots out of my back and shoulders with practiced hands. When she began to pepper my back with kisses, I purred, feeling content for the first time in months.

  “I love that sound,” she said. And then, after a beat, “I love you.”

  Her fingers wandered down the slope of my back until I felt myself go liquid beneath her teasing touch. “I love you. And I want you again.”

  “That’s good,” she said, shifting my left knee up on the bed to grant herself better access. “Because I’m going to take you again, right now.”

  With excruciating slowness, she pushed two fingers into my body. By the time she was buried as deep as she could go, I was keening into her pillow.

  “Feel me, Alexa,” she murmured as she thrust. “Feel me inside you. One with you.”

  I turned my head and gasped for air just in time to shout her name as she brought me over the edge into ecstasy.

  Chapter Twenty

  We dozed. We made love again. Finally, as the late afternoon light began to wane, we wandered into the kitchen in search of food. While I scavenged, Val checked her phone messages and placed a few calls.

  Her fridge didn’t yield much, but I was able to find eggs and a small wedge of cheese that could serve as the basis for omelets. In her pantry I scrounged up an onion, then moved on to the fruit bowl where I found an avocado and a tomato. And an extravagant diamond ring. Its large, square-cut diamond was set into a platinum band that was itself partially encrusted with smaller diamonds. When I held it up to the overhead light, it sparkled like a crown jewel. My temper flared and the panther snarled as I realized who this must have come from.

  “What is this?”

  Val looked sheepish. “Sebastian gave it to me. He insisted on taking some pictures while I was wearing it.”

  “Why is it in your fruit bowl?”

  She got up and cautiously slid her arms around my waist. “I don’t know. I remember taking it off as soon as his damn photo op was over, and I guess that’s where it ended up.”

  “Is it real?”

  “I assume so.” She kissed the nape of my neck, then rested her chin on my shoulder. “Want to come with me when I give it back to him?”

  “Oh yes. Yes. When?”

  Val spun me to face her. “Right now.”

  I studied her face, seeing nothing but sincerity. “What will you say to him?”

  “That this so-called marriage is over and he’ll soon be paid a visit from my divorce attorney.”

  My anger began to melt away, and I leaned up to kiss her. “I’ve already asked Olivia for recommendations. Her list is probably in my e-mail.”

  “Good. Let’s pick one out together and see if we can get a meeting tonight.”

  Just as I was about to claim another kiss, the intercom buzzed. Val looked over at the microwave clock and pulled away reluctantly. “Those will be the dogs.”

  “Dogs? You own dogs?”

  She held up one hand as she had a brief conversation with the person at the door—a man whom she referred to as Brandt. “Two Dobermans,” she said after buzzing him in. She turned back to me with a grin. “My head of security at the club suggested them after Brenner’s first assassination attempt. But mostly, I got them because Sebastian hated the idea.”

  “I like them already.”

  The man who stood at the front door holding the leashes of two black and tan Dobermans was tall and lanky with a patchy beard. He handed the dogs over to Val with a promise to be looking out for her call about when he could next pick them up. The dogs entered the apartment eagerly, but halted as soon as they saw me. As one, they began to growl.

  “Edward. Jacob. Settle.” The dogs stopped making noise immediately, but they didn’t relax their wary stances.

  “You named your dogs Edward and Jacob?” I asked, feeling the last remnants of my jealousy fade.

  Val’s smile grew wider. “Well, yeah.”

  I crouched down to be at their level and released my grip on the panther just enough to let them see exactly what was lurking behind my eyes. Immediately, they dove onto their bellies, whimpering softly.
/>
  “That’s right, dogs,” I said conversationally, holding my hand out for them to sniff. “I’m in charge.” As they slunk closer and began to lick my fingers, I looked up at Val. “Ah…you do know that ‘Edward’ is female, right?”

  “Mm. She’s very pretty, isn’t she?”

  Laughing, I stood and threw my arms around her neck. “I think I just fell more in love with you.”

  Val reached down to scratch between the dogs’ ears. “I never thought I’d say this, but, Edward, I am in your debt.”

  She kissed me, then—a series of soft, lingering kisses that made me melt against her. “I love you,” she murmured. “Let’s look through that list of attorneys, and then go pay Sebastian a visit. Afterward, I can show you my bank.”

  Exhilaration rushed through me at the prospect of taking such important steps forward already. This was how things would be from now on: Val and I, rebuilding our life together, creating even stronger foundations than we’d had before. I pressed a kiss to the soft fabric over her heart and nodded my assent.

  *

  Night had fallen by the time we arrived at Luna, but it was still too early for the club to be open. Val led us to the business entrance, where we were admitted without search or question. After tonight, I imagined, that would change.

  As we rode the elevator up to the second floor, Val squeezed my hand in reassurance. I had expected her to be the anxious one, but she had remained calm—even while selecting a gun from her extensive collection. When I’d asked why she wanted to bring one at all, she had said only, “Insurance.”

  The doors opened and we stepped out into a luxurious waiting area. The ornate wall panels were fashioned out of some kind of dark wood—mahogany, I thought—and the chairs were upholstered in a sapphire-colored fabric. Sebastian’s secretary was a young, blond werewolf who looked like she had just stepped out of a Victoria’s Secret catalogue. She greeted Val with a long-suffering air and informed her that she could see Sebastian whenever she liked.

  “What was that about?” I whispered as we walked down the hall toward his office.

  “Christina has the hots for Sebastian,” Val said. “She doesn’t approve of me.”

  “Today will be a happy one for her, then.”

  When Val halted in front of the door to the corner suite, I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. My panther, already on edge amongst so many unknown Weres, snarled at the scent of Sebastian behind the doors.

  Val bent to kiss me. “I love you,” she said, and the words sounded confident and strong. After knocking and receiving the go-ahead to enter, she pushed open the doors and I followed her inside.

  Sebastian’s office had only one opaque wall. The rest were made of glass to show off his view and, I suspected, to mollify his wolf’s need for space. His profile was masculine and striking: dark, wavy hair; thick eyelashes; strong chin. For a moment, I pictured him as he must have looked at Valentine’s mercy: defiant yet submissive, furious but aroused. Desire for her spiraled down my spine, momentarily displacing my jealousy. Val would be tentative with me for a while as we reestablished our dynamic. But someday soon, I wanted her to take me with the same take-no-prisoners attitude she had shown him.

  As we entered the room, Sebastian looked up from his desk, his mouth thinning in displeasure when he noticed me at Valentine’s side. He pushed his chair back and crossed one leg over the other.

  “Last I heard, you two weren’t speaking. What’s the occasion?”

  “The situation has changed.” Val withdrew the ring from her pocket and tossed it to him. He automatically reached up to catch it. “You and I are getting a divorce.”

  His jaw dropped. “What the fuck?”

  “You heard me.” Her tone was conversational, but steel undergirded her words. “You can keep the half of my money to which you’re entitled. Those were the terms of your business proposition, and those will be my terms to end it. My attorney will bring you the paperwork tomorrow.”

  He leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head. “And if I refuse to sign?”

  My panther hissed and spat, pushing hard for control. She wanted to teach him a lesson—preferably a mortal one. But as much as I wanted my teeth in his throat, I held her back. This was Valentine’s fight. Faster than even my eyes could follow, she had drawn her gun and was pointing it at his crotch.

  “Here’s a curious question. If I shoot them off now, do you think they’ll grow back after you shift?”

  I almost laughed. Sebastian’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”

  Val smiled sweetly as she cocked her pistol. “You sure?”

  I watched Sebastian battle down his wolf as he held Val’s gaze. It didn’t take long for him to end their silent standoff. “Fine. I’ll sign the fucking papers.”

  “A wise decision.” Val put up her gun and pulled out her keychain. She removed one of the keys and tossed that to him as well. “I won’t be needing this either. See you around.”

  She turned to go, but I wasn’t about to leave without saying my piece.

  “Stay away from her, Sebastian. If you personally need to get in touch with her for any reason, you come through me. Are we clear?”

  His lip curled in a silent snarl. “Crystal. Now run along, kitty, and enjoy your ball of string.”

  “Oh, I plan to. You have a good night.”

  As we walked back to the elevator, I remained on high alert, but we left the building without incident. The night was warmer than I’d anticipated—merely cool instead of bitingly cold—and the reminder that spring was just around the corner made me smile. Soon, the wintry bonds that had imprisoned the earth would dissolve completely, and the air would be redolent with the green scent of growing things. Now that Val was mine again, I could welcome the spring without resentment.

  Val linked her arm through mine as we made our way back to her car. “That went pretty well, I thought. You?”

  “It could have been much worse,” I acknowledged.

  The buzz of my phone interrupted our conversation, and I looked down at the screen where Karma’s photograph was flashing.

  “Hi, you.”

  “Even your monosyllables sound happy,” she said, sounding bemused. Val, whose keen ears had heard the words, caught my free hand and squeezed gently.

  “Thanks in large part to you,” I said. “What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

  “We’re good. Really good.” I wrapped Val’s arm around me and leaned back against her chest. “I can’t thank you enough for all your help. How are you holding up?”

  “Brenner has Headquarters in chaos.” Tension crackled beneath her words, and I felt a frisson of guilt. I’d been so preoccupied with Val that I’d almost forgotten about Brenner and the hostage Sunrunners.

  “There’s no new word on his movements?”

  “Exactly the opposite. His people haven’t stopped moving. We think they’re trying to mask where they’re taking the prisoners. The security teams are going out of their minds.”

  “You sound exhausted. What can I do to help?”

  “Nothing, short of finding a way to bring Malcolm back,” she said wistfully. “We need him more than ever.”

  “You know, I saw him yesterday.”

  As I told her about my encounter in the arena, Val’s cell rang. She dropped my hand and moved away a few paces. I heard her murmuring into her phone but couldn’t make out the words. After a few moments, she returned, sliding her arms around my waist. Her embrace was at once comforting in its familiarity and exhilarating in its newness. My breath caught and I covered her hands with my own, slipping my fingers between hers.

  “Hey,” she whispered against my ear. The sensation of her lips against my earlobe sent tiny shivers coursing beneath my skin. I knew she could feel them.

  “I need to go, Karma.” Miraculously, my voice remained steady as I told her not to hesitate to call if she needed anything. After disconnecting, I leaned
my head back against Val’s shoulder and smiled as she kissed my neck.

  “How’s Karma?”

  “Burned out. This waiting game is really getting to her. Who were you talking to?”

  “The divorce attorney. She’ll have the paperwork to Sebastian tomorrow.” She guided me into the car and gave the driver an address on the west side. “Ready to see my bank?”

  “Mm.” I leaned into her and exhaled deeply in an effort to ease the knots that had gathered between my shoulders, but I couldn’t quite dispel my anxiety about Sebastian. “How do you feel about getting a divorce?”

  She seemed confused by the question. “I feel great. Relieved. Free.” She pulled away enough to meet my gaze. “Did you think I was going to feel sad?”

  “I don’t know. You were married to him, after all.”

  She grasped my chin gently. “Alexa, I need you to believe me when I tell you that this thing with Sebastian…for me, it really was all business. For him, I guess it wasn’t. But I don’t want him and I never loved him. Marrying him was expedient so I could have access to the kinds of capital I needed to get the bank on its feet.”

  “I understand,” I said. “Really, I do. Thank you for being honest with me.”

  “I will always be honest with you. I swear it.” She pulled me closer, and I watched the city roll by with my head cushioned on her chest.

  “Speaking of money,” she said a few minutes later, “I’d like to hear your thoughts on what we should do with it.”

  “Yours or mine?” When she regarded me quizzically, I told her about Constantine’s generous gift. “I don’t have nearly as much as you do, but I’m no longer in debt and my financial outlook is good.”

  “That’s wonderful, baby.” Val’s mouth suddenly tightened in determination. “Move in with me. Into my apartment in Soho, into our apartment in the Village, into any place you want.”

  I thrilled at the confidence in her request. “Of course I’ll move in with you. And your new place is exquisite.” A sudden thought made my eyes narrow. “Have you ever brought anyone there? Tonya? Giselle?”