by Jody Wallace
He shouldn’t touch her. He should comfort with words. Discuss plans. Repeat his vow that he’d never let them take her. But she’d know what a lie that was. Who was he to stop the curators from doing as they saw fit?
Still, he’d raise hell to protect Maggie. He’d violate his oaths and defy his superiors if he believed it would work. And maybe if he didn’t believe it.
Zeke gave up his own struggle and drew her into his arms. The tangible jolted through him like an electric smack before easing off. Her braless breasts pushed into his chest. God, she was soft. She smelled so good. Her arms, her hands, wrapped around his neck. Her face was close to his face. Her breath warmed his jaw.
“I don’t want this to be happening,” he admitted.
Her fingers curved around his neck. “Then let go of me.”
“Not this. This is excellent.” He spread one hand wide on her back and let the other drift to the swell of her hips. He could feel her panties beneath the fabric of the gown. “Being in Wyoming. Our interrupted training. This fucking awful mess.”
“I did all right with the shield and I survived trance again.” She sighed when he tugged her closer. Side by side the way they were, the hug remained awkward, but it didn’t stop Zeke from imagining her straddling his lap. “I can swing my next sleep alone.”
Their last night. Their last hour. And then, he’d be assigned to Karen and Maggie would be cut loose. “I want to sleep with you.”
“Lill will help me. I know it’s not your fault that our training is being cut short.”
“No, Maggie.” His fingers tangled in her thick hair, and he tilted her face toward his. “I want to sleep with you. Sexually.”
“Yeah, because it’s your last shot if I disappear.” She didn’t sound as angry as she had in the SUV. Her fingers stroked his shoulders and the nape of his neck. He was glad he’d slept shirtless.
“No, it’s because I want you. I always want you.”
“Rules,” she whispered, not drawing away from him.
“To hell with the rules. Everything is crazy. Only this makes sense.” Zeke kissed her softly to see what she’d do. It wasn’t easy. He didn’t feel soft. He felt hard all over, from his cock to his rule-breaking head.
He kissed her lips, and she sighed. He kissed her cheek, her temple, that sweet spot below her ear. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders. He found her mouth again.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to us.” He kissed her, coaxing her lips apart. “I don’t know if I can keep you safe. I know this is against policy.”
“It is. Zeke, we shouldn’t—”
He kissed her to silence her, to keep her from thinking. “I’m not asking for this because I’m afraid I’ll lose you. I want you. Do you understand? I’ve tried, Maggie. I’m the one who’s weak. You think I have no trouble resisting you, but the past two months have been hell.”
“For me too,” she whispered.
“I need you. I have to be inside you. I have to feel you.”
When she parted her lips and stroked his tongue with her own, the tangible surged. His cock surged. He pulled her roughly into his lap, needing her close. Her gown rode up around her hips. They kissed and embraced, hesitant at first but growing bold as they gave in to sensation.
The tangible ebbed and flowed like ocean tides. Drawing them together. Allowing them to part so they could breathe. He couldn’t wait to feel her body without anything between them.
Soon. God, please, let it be soon, before he came in his boxers. He was so erect, his cock ached.
Zeke caught her lower lip between his teeth. He’d try not to hurt her, but he wanted her so bad he felt violent. He caught her ass in his hands and squeezed.
Maggie squirmed. Her hot pussy rubbed his cock.
Too much fabric. He yanked her gown over her head. She squeaked with surprise. Buttons flew. But then she was practically naked, and he had her breasts in his hands.
He’d touched her two months ago and briefly in the SUV. This was different. This—they weren’t stopping. She was his. Her brownish nipples, rigid already, tempted him. He palmed her breasts before catching the tips between his fingers.
When he pinched, she gave a breathy little moan and buried her hands in his hair. He thrust against her heat, simulating intercourse. Her panties were in the way too, but he’d take care of them momentarily. Right now he was all about her breasts.
He pulled and tweaked as he kissed her, letting her angle his head the way she wanted. She took control of the kiss, her tongue in his mouth. After a tight pinch on her nipples that made her moan—and made his cock jump against her—she pressed his head down.
He was only too happy to turn his attention to her breasts. He licked one tight bud, sampling her skin, before drawing it into his mouth. She held his head and gasped. Sucking and tasting, he thoroughly loved her breasts. Bit her nipples. She quivered against him. She was everything he’d imagined—sweet and desperate and demanding, all at the same time.
He would happily lick every inch of her delectable body, but their rest period would be over soon. He had to complete this connection and drive himself deep, deep enough that she’d understand how he felt. Swiftly, he flipped her onto her back.
Maggie’s cheeks were rosy in the dim glow of the night lighting. Her body curved lushly, in and out in so many delicious ways.
“I want to see you,” she said. “Take off your underwear.”
He shucked his boxers without ceremony. Her gaze dropped to his cock and she raised an eyebrow. Her hand found him. “You’re kind of curved. It’s cute.”
“You did not just call my dick cute,” he said.
She pumped him confidently. Oh, God. So good. Her touch nearly sent him through the roof. He caught her wrist. “Stop.”
She tightened her grip on the sensitive head. “I’ve imagined you so many times.” Her thumb rubbed across the moisture at the tip of his cock. “Imagined sucking you. Come up here.”
She tugged on him. Her eyes gleamed. He almost gave in, but if her tongue came within an inch of his cock, he’d blow. That wasn’t the experience he wanted them to share right now.
“Maggie, I mean it. I can’t—I want you too much.” Had he ever turned down head before? He dragged her arm away from him and pinned her wrist to the bed. “Let’s get you ready.”
She licked her lips. “I am ready.”
He rolled halfway off her so he could reach between her legs. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
He trailed his hand down the center of her body. Her skin flowed beneath his touch like satin until he reached her underwear. Instead of taking them off, he slid beneath to caress her soft curls. This time, there was nothing between him and his goal.
She was hot. Wet. He ran a finger through her slick folds, and she parted her thighs to give him better access. Her eyes fluttered shut. Her hands caressed his chest and belly, brushing closer to his cock than he wished she would. He’d masturbated to orgasm while thinking of her plenty of times, but her physical presence, her touch, raised the bar.
This was Maggie. He had her. And he never wanted to let her go. He stroked her clit, testing her swollen flesh. Testing her. He pulled it like he had her nipples, and she moaned. He slipped two fingers into her softness and felt her inner muscles squeeze him.
God, he’d like to eat her until she screamed, but then she’d want to do the same to him, and…
She grasped the head of his cock with her fist. He loved her hands. Her mouth. He’d really love her mouth on his cock. Instead, he kissed her. With his fingers, he worked her. She worked him. Soon they were kissing and panting and, he hoped, close to the thrill. He bent over and bit her nipple.
Her hand stilled on him, like she had frozen. He licked the sweet pebble trapped between his teeth, giving her pain—and pleasure. At the same time, he sank his fingers deep into he
r body and teased her clit with his thumb.
“Oh, God. Zeke.” Her body tensed. He could sense her rising desire in her breathing. In the fist holding his cock.
The tangible thrummed through his whole body. They touched one another in so many intimate places. He could only imagine how her pussy felt with his fingers inside her and the tangible tugging her core.
The next time she massaged his cock, he stopped her. He had to. “I need to get a condom.”
“No, you don’t. Come inside me.” Her free hand skated down her body. She caught the elastic of her panties and wriggled them past her hips, revealing her pussy, covered with damp, dark curls.
Zeke helped her slide the underwear from her legs. He realized his hands were shaking. Her scent filled him, spicy and vanilla-sweet at the same time. The dampness on his fingers was her longing. “I oughta get a condom anyway.”
“I’m on the pill, and I know we’re both clean.” The Somnium’s physicals made sure of that.
She stroked his chest, following the line of dark golden hair that arrowed toward his cock. Before she could entice him again, he tumbled out of the bed.
“It’ll help me last longer than thirty seconds. You have no idea how much I want this.” His gaze fell on her body, and she parted her legs. Her pink slit had swelled with all the attention he’d given it, and her clit begged to be sucked.
“I want this too. And this.” She touched herself, rubbing more moisture through her folds.
He whirled away and complained over his shoulder. “You keep that up, this is gonna be over before we get started.”
Dumping his shaving kit on the floor, Zeke found the packets. He sheathed himself in a jiffy and climbed back onto the bed, shoving her thighs wide.
Maggie caught his shoulders. Her eyes gazed into his, suddenly uncertain. Her hair splayed on the white pillow. “You’re sure we should?”
He paused with his cock at her entrance. Her heat beckoned to him, and the tangible caught him like her fist. It gripped him. “You feel that?”
“Yes,” she said softly. She ran her hands down his back, coming to rest on his ass. He liked the feel of her fingers there and hoped she’d dig in. “Tingles everywhere.”
“Whether we should or not, we’re going to anyway. I can’t think straight around you, Maggie. Sometimes I get hard-ons when I have to train you in hand to hand, not to mention every night when we go to bed.”
She raised her knees high. Higher. She pulled his ass like he wanted, her fingers insistent. Her feet brushed his thighs. “I didn’t know.”
“I want this.” He pushed forward. The tip of his penis entered her, and she trembled. “I want this all the time.”
“More.”
He obliged her, and himself, until he was seated comfortably. Their connection was complete. Losing her after this would cause twice the pain and he didn’t give a shit.
He had her right where he wanted her. It was so electrifying, he felt like a fucking idiot that he hadn’t been doing her since day one.
“Do you like this?” he asked.
She smiled, slow and happy and completely beautiful. Neither of them had been doing much smiling in the past couple months. It transformed her. “I love this.”
“And this?” He kissed her as he began to move, not giving her a chance to reply.
Her breathing deepened, as did his thrusts. The condom didn’t cut down on much sensation. The glide of her around his cock was going to get him off as quick as a shotgun if he weren’t careful.
She broke off the kiss, gasping. “Harder.”
Her nails dug into his buttocks. Zeke hissed with pleasure and held still. “God, you’re so… Gimme a minute.”
“You can’t have one.” She pulled at his ass, insisting he move. “Need you now.”
Zeke reared back, nearly withdrawing. She moaned. Thrusting hard and deep into her perfect heat brought him to the brink. When she urged him on and tightened around him, he tumbled over it.
Sensation shot through him. The tangible boosted the orgasm like gas on a fire. He shuddered through it, trying to please her too, and knowing he was probably failing.
He fumbled his rhythm. His eyes practically rolled back in his head. Good God. His skin shivered. The angels sang. Fireworks and all kinds of shit went off behind his eyelids.
He remembered a degree of orgasm enhancement from his time with Karen—but not like this. And he sure as hell didn’t remember the feeling that came after it.
He’d do anything for this woman. He wanted to be with her all the time, even when they had their clothes on.
She stroked up and down his back, and he opened his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s been a while.”
She licked her lips and wriggled a little, drawing more sensation out of him. He hadn’t lost the hard-on yet. “If you could just…”
He kissed her flushed cheeks and her soft lips. Their tongues tangled. Somehow he maneuvered a hand between them and find her clit. When he plucked it, she gasped into his mouth.
It still felt good to be inside her. To be on top of her, in charge of her body. He slid deep, withdrew, slid deep again. Her caresses on his back and ass grew more agitated. Her kisses grew more frantic. He kept rubbing her clit and fucking her until she whimpered his name.
He muffled her come-cry with his lips. Slowing his hips but not his fingers, he reveled in the pleasure of Maggie falling apart in his arms. Her pussy squeezed around his cock as she orgasmed.
It excited him. His cock twitched. He wished they could have sex again, but a quick glance at the clock assured him they were already pushing it. He didn’t think anybody, least of all Adishakti, would be happy he and Maggie had broken this particular rule, at this particular time. While he’d love to bugle to the world that Maggie was his, they were going to have to keep this off the books.
“Maggie.” He kissed her and hoped she’d understand. “The alarm’s about to go off.”
She grumbled a complaint and held him tighter. Buried her face in his neck. He thought about making a promise or thanking her. It seemed like he should say…something. But he didn’t know how to express what he felt. It wasn’t like teaching a combat training class, where he had a lot of the answers.
He had none of them here. Since she didn’t speak either, they must be in the same boat.
When they separated at last, Zeke experienced a spasm in his throat—a hot ball of sadness. Something glittered in Maggie’s eyelashes. When he reached for it, he realized it was a tear.
“Are you crying?”
She shrugged. “A little.”
The hot ball in his throat got hotter and lumpier. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” She slid off the bed and hunted for her clothes. He’d never seen her naked and let himself enjoy all those curves and secrets until she caught him staring. “I feel emotional.”
She stared back as if daring him to mock her or disagree that she had a right to an emotional reaction. Instead he said, “I know what you mean.”
The challenging expression smoothed off her face. Her shoulders relaxed. She looked like she was about to speak when the alarm went off, and she tensed again.
She turned her back and busied herself with her overnight bag. “You should get dressed. Adi will want you with Karen.”
“Don’t remind me,” he said, glad Maggie wasn’t watching him. He was pretty sure his face had blanched.
Maggie started fixing her hair like she could yank the knots out of her life with her brush. “What do you think they’ll do with me, keep me locked up?”
“Depends on what they think about the carcasses, I guess.” He kept his voice low since there were guards outside. “If it comes up—if they ask you flat out—say you have no idea. If either of us gets a chance for some privacy with Adi, though, I think we can trust her
.”
“Hm,” was all Maggie said. She tugged on her jeans and shoes. “I need coffee and breakfast.” After one long, unreadable glance at him, she let herself out the door and disappeared.
Chapter Eleven
Zeke might have faith in Adi, but Maggie didn’t. The vigil’s unruffled patience was a given, because that was her nature. But there was no way someone who expressed such sympathy toward Karen Kingsbury was completely trustworthy.
Maggie had been instructed to sit quietly in the corner while Zeke, Adi and Karen discussed the events of the past year. Karen had, miraculously, regained enough energy during her first non-coma sleep in a year to wobble out of bed. The four of them plus several units of heavily armed guards had been relocated to an offsite bunker. It wasn’t as secure as zone ten, but any future manifestations—from Karen or Maggie—ought not affect the coma station itself. No matter the strength or intent of the creator, manifestation perimeter was limited.
Moreover, the bunker wasn’t electronically monitored. No cameras and no witnesses, which meant they could speak openly as long as soldiers weren’t listening. So far it hadn’t helped decipher any of Karen’s riddles, and Maggie prayed Zeke wouldn’t bring up the Antipodes scroll.
All Adi and her staff needed was another reason to be skeptical of Maggie. She knew she was part of this particular group not because she was trusted, but because she wasn’t. Everyone except Zeke assumed she was responsible for the code one. Adi hadn’t attributed the accident—she kept calling it the accident—to malice, but Maggie felt the censure nonetheless.
At first, Zeke had muttered disgusted epithets about convicted mass murderers. Karen had crumpled into misery and obsessive apologies. This hindered any forward progress in extracting information about the dream healing and intelligent wraiths who could camouflage people in the sphere and plot to destroy the world.
Adi had taken Zeke aside, practically by the ear. As much as Maggie had often wished to shake the surly out of him, seeing Adi do it raised her hackles. Which was ridiculous. Zeke was a grown man who could take care of himself, which included shouldering the consequences of being an uncooperative ass to his superiors.