“Later,” he repeated. “Now find a bed before I take you here on the floor.”
He pulled his cravat open and reached for the buttons on his shirt. Her eyes widened in shock. He almost laughed. Did she think he was kidding? He was beyond caring if anyone saw them. He reached the bottom buttons and pulled the tails loose from his pants. The shirt hung open at his sides, and her gaze raked him, appreciation glittering in her eyes. She didn’t say a word, but turned and hurried up the stairs. Never a fool, he didn’t hesitate to follow.
He entered her room and kicked the door shut behind them. She waited by the bed, and when he approached she gave him her back. Tiny buttons stretched in a long row down the dress. He started at the top, but was soon frustrated. It was taking forever, and his body was screaming now. He gripped the edges of what he had opened, prepared to tear the rest open.
“Don’t you dare,” she ordered.
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
“I can buy my own clothes.” She huffed. “And this one was expensive. Don’t ruin it.”
He growled and went back to the buttons. She needed to be out of the damned dress, and arguing about it wasn’t accomplishing anything. At least he told himself that; refused to admit to himself it had nothing to do with his desire to please her in ways other than just physical.
When the dress finally dropped to the floor, she stood before him wearing only the corset. He groaned at the sight of all her exposed skin, at her breasts bound tight and pushed up so high. He might just leave it on. Hooking a finger into the top of the corset, he pulled her close, his mouth going dry in appreciation when he looked down at the cleavage it created. And to think he’d always considered himself more a leg man. He’d have to reevaluate that belief. She reached down and pulled the ties, quickly unlacing the tight material and letting it slide to the floor.
“I was enjoying that view,” he complained.
She smiled, a slow sultry spread of her lips. “Well, enjoy this one instead.”
Next, she lifted her hands and pulled the pins from her hair. It fell free, and she sat on the bed, slipping off her shoes and scooting back until she lay sprawled across the mattress. She arched her eyebrows, invitation clear in her eyes, in her body language. He experienced a moment of fierce satisfaction. My woman.
He stripped off his clothes, moving fast and dropping them to the floor then climbed on the bed with her. He wanted to plunge into her right away, wanted to assuage the terrible need he felt, but he reigned in the desire. He was going to be rough and demanding later, and he needed her to be just as needy.
Propping himself up on one elbow, he leaned over to the breasts that had been enticing him for so much of the night. He circled one rosy areola with a fingertip, replacing it with his tongue when she gasped. He moved his hand down her belly, found the folds of her sex and spread them, thrusting one finger inside. Then his mouth closed over her nipple, sucking greedily. She moaned, a long, low torment he thought he could drown in. He wanted more of it and shifted, trailing kisses down her body, spreading her legs wide and settling between them.
He nipped the inside of her thigh, soothed the sting with his tongue then repeated it on the other leg. He smelled the rush of her arousal and knew she liked a little pain with her pleasure. He’d never really indulged her need because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself and would inadvertently bond with her before either of them was ready. But his decision was already made. Tonight all bets were off.
He gripped her thighs and pushed them high, wide, exposing her cunt to his gaze. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Her scent drove him wild. Sweet. Hot. Following the direction of his senses, he leaned in, his tongue making a long slow swipe from her ass to her clit. And her taste…he could get lost in it. Spicy. Tangy. The promise of paradise.
She writhed under him, struggled to push her hips closer, and he tightened his grip on her thighs, growling softly until she settled down. Returning to his exploration, he circled her clit with his tongue, drawing a long groan from her. He smiled and repeated the action, knowing his careful avoidance of the small nub was making her crazy. That was good. He wanted her wild with desire, under his control. He wanted her to submit, and she would.
Calista ached, unfulfilled desire raging through her. She considered trying to take charge but hesitated. There was something different about Kane tonight. She got the impression she was seeing the real him for the first time, and she didn’t know what to make of it. She’d always known he’d be bossy given half a chance, but this was different. Like he had a need to command, a natural inclination to lead. That she found it so attractive worried her. That she wanted to give into it scared her, and that she thought it might be inevitable that she would terrified her.
Before she could form another rational thought, he thrust his tongue inside her. In and out. Slow, then fast, mimicking the action she needed from his cock, enough to push her spiraling into orgasm. She cried out as shudders wracked her body.
When she started to come down from the high, he sucked her clit between his teeth and sent her back up. He pushed her to the edge over and over, shoved her over it so often she cried for relief. When he finally slid up her body, positioned himself over her, she saw stark need on his face. He wiped away the tears on her cheeks and whispered everything was all right. She was confused; he’d never acted like this before and she’d never responded like this.
“Why?” she whispered.
“So you’d know,” he answered, thrusting into her in one smooth move. “So you’d know who you belong to and how things are going to change.”
She wanted to argue, even as he began moving, hitting that sweet spot high inside her. What stopped her? The gleam in his eye that told her that’s what he expected? Or the small voice in her head screaming agreement, willing to acknowledge the truth of his words? She didn’t want to belong with anybody, didn’t want to tie her heart to anyone and open herself up for the kind of pain she’d experienced when she and her sisters had lost their parents. She’d never discussed these things with him. They didn’t have that kind of relationship. And she wasn’t about to start now. She’d wail and rant about it later when she was alone.
“Stay with me here, Calista.”
His thrusts had slowed to a gentle glide. Sweat beaded his brow, and the muscles in his neck corded with strain. She focused on his face, surprised he realized her thoughts had been elsewhere. As soon as she did, he alternated his pace, fast, then slow, then somewhere in between and watched her intently all the while. She didn’t have a clue what he was looking for and bit her lip to keep from asking. Pleasure built within her, a tide rising higher and higher that she knew would leave her shaken and exhausted.
The quivering started deep inside, the muscles of her channel clenching around his cock, loath to release him every time he withdrew. It spread outward as she rode another crest up, a fine trembling that started in her hands as she gripped his shoulders. He leaned over, whispering in her ear, commanding.
“That’s it, darlin’. Come for me. One more time.”
She shook her head, wanting to deny that husky voice, wanting to spare her already wrung out body and mind, but he wouldn’t be denied. He knew just how to push her to orgasm, just how to force it out of her, and pivoted his hips, rotating so she felt stroked inside and out. She exploded, screaming his name into the night, in denial or supplication she couldn’t begin to guess.
He cried out too, his entire body tensing as he came with her. She felt the warm jets of his cum shooting inside her, wondered if this was the night she tempted fate and became pregnant, waited for the familiar sense of dread to come over her at the thought. It didn’t, and she refused to speculate why. He collapsed at her side, breathing hard and pulling her across his chest.
She fought the urge to roll to her side and weep. It was an odd desire for her, a weakness she hadn’t indulged in years. She didn’t even know where the unshed tears came from.
*
Footsteps roared up the stairs, and she grabbed her robe, getting it on and belted before Rheana threw the door open. She was a little out of breath, also dressed in a robe and carrying one of Calista’s pistols. She looked at Kane.
“Nico’s downstairs, and he’s hurt.”
He moved in an instant, mindless of his nudity as he rushed out. Calista sighed and picked up his trousers before hurrying after him. Rheana stopped her.
“Should I get Izzy?”
She shook her head. “Let her sleep. How did he get in?”
“He knocked.” Rheana looked sympathetic. “Did you have a rough night? I hoped with Kane here, you’d sleep.”
Frowning, she stepped around her sister. “It was fine. Must have been the knock that woke me up.”
Downstairs she stepped into the parlor and tossed the pants to Kane, who grunted something that may have been thanks. Then she walked to where Nico lay unconscious on the sofa. Rheana followed with a bowl of water and cloth. Blood and dirt coated one side of his head and she started to wash it off.
“He got this far and passed out,” she offered in explanation to Kane, who was pacing now that he was dressed.
The cool water on his skin roused Nico and he lurched to a sitting position, his eyes searching the room. When he saw Kane, he gulped and paled. Calista wondered at the stricken look on his face when he watched Rheana dip the cloth back into the water and lift it to him.
“Kane,” he said, a voice a mere croak. “I’m sorry they got me.” He looked at the ceiling. “Isadora?”
Alarm ran through her and she exchanged a look with Rheana. Why was he asking about Izzy?
“I’ll go,” she told her sister and ran from the room.
After taking the stairs two at a time, she sprinted down the hall and rushed into Isadora’s room, Kane on her heels. It was empty, the bed rumpled, and no sign of her anywhere. Kane cursed under his breath, sounding angry but not surprised.
“Fuck.”
She whirled around to face him. He’d been hiding something from her last evening. She’d assumed it was a job he knew she’d go after, a job that would put them in competition again.
“I asked you earlier what was going on. Later is now.”
“Yeah. Downstairs.”
He turned and left. She stood there another minute, looking around her sister’s room until her stomach knotted. Had her dangerous life finally followed her home? Had her craving for excitement harmed her sister? Grinding her teeth, she spun on her heel and stalked out.
Kane was waiting for her and two more men had joined them. One looked so much like him he had to be a brother or other close relative. She glared at them both. She couldn’t believe she’d been sleeping with him for two years and didn’t know he had a brother. The men hadn’t been standing near Kane when she walked in but as the tension built, they both shifted closer to him as if he needed protection. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Like that was even remotely possible.
“Talk,” she ordered and watched as one of the men cringed at her tone and the other grinned.
She arched her eyebrows. “And you could start with who your friends are.”
Kane’s lips twisted in a rueful grin. “I didn’t want to do it this way.”
“Too late, huh?” She decided to skip over the newcomer’s identities. “Where’s my sister?”
“Best guess?” Kane asked.
She nodded and Rheana looked up sharply from where she was stitching Nico’s cut.
“Ouch.”
“Keep whining and it’ll hurt worse,” Rheana answered. Nico shut up.
“Best guess,” Calista prodded, dreading the response.
“General Tobias sent three people after her.”
She ground her back molars, holding in the scream threatening to burst forth. Rheana carefully put down the needle she held and stood.
“Calista,” she cautioned softly.
They ignored everyone else in the room, remembering Tobias, remembering the explosion he’d caused that killed their parents.
“I’m going to kill him. I should have done it years ago,” Calista said.
She expected Rheana to argue, to try to sway her to be cautious. They’d had the argument many times over the years. But she didn’t, she watched her until the seconds stretched into an eternity. The clock ticked them off loudly in the room and finally Rheana nodded.
“We’ll do it together,” Rheana answered.
“No!” Kane and Nico chorused. Nico even lurched to his feet, holding one arm out to steady himself and one to the side of his head.
Calista just shook her head. “Stay here with Nico,” she told her sister. “He’s obviously hurt worse than we thought if he thinks he can order you around. Besides I can move faster alone.”
Her stomach knotted in that now familiar way. Heading into the Old City alone was foolhardy at best. Going after Tobias? Possibly suicide. She turned, planning to go upstairs, dress and get moving. Kane stopped her, catching her elbow before she made the door.
“Not so fast,” he said.
One of the men he’d called in closed the door and stepped in front of it. She snorted and threw her hands up in the air. Captive in her own home. It should have made her angrier, but she was too stunned to care.
“That, by the way,” he nodded at the man blocking the door, “is Sebastian. Be nice to him. He’s one of those advisors I mentioned earlier. And that,” he turned and pointed to the grinning man in front of the fireplace, “is another one. My brother, Mathias.”
She finally found her tongue. “I can’t believe you have a brother I never knew about. Any other secrets? Or are you keeping them all to yourself still?”
He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “If you’re going to be difficult, this is going to take longer.”
Oh, that did it. And to think she’d actually been considering the possibility of a real relationship with him. That bombshell from her own psyche didn’t even slow her down though. She walked up to him and poked a finger in his chest.
“Don’t you dare accuse me of being difficult. You…” Someone snickered behind her, and she made an effort to reign in her temper. She wasn’t opposed to causing a scene on general principle, but she was seriously uninformed in this situation. “Look, I don’t have time for this. I have to find my sister.”
“We’ll find her,” he answered softly. “But there are other things you need to know before you go racing out of here, plans have to be made. And I’d like some answers of my own.”
“Fine. Talk. But hurry, would you?”
“Tell me what your connection to Tobias is first.”
“Not so fast, big boy. You know, I thought you would be good for my sister, but it’s very apparent you’ve kept some pretty major secrets from her. What’s to stop you from sharing yours with us?” Rheana answered and Calista didn’t bother to hide her grin.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “I have the feeling yours will take a lot less time.”
“What’s that expression you like so much?” Calista asked, then smiled sweetly. “Oh yeah. Tough shit.”
Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face. His companions had grown quiet, serious. Curious. “Okay. Fine I’ll go first.”
They nodded assent, waiting for him to begin.
“Have you heard of the Special Branch?”
She met her sister’s gaze, saw it shutter and was sure hers did the same. Did they know Special Branch? Knew it and hated it. It was his work in the Br
anch that had got their father killed.
“Yeah,” Rheana answered for them and Calista knew the level of her upset due to her loss of correct diction. She edged closer and clasped Rheana’s hand. It seemed to give her strength, and she straightened her spine. “We know it.”
Kane frowned, looking back and forth between the two of them. “What am I missing here?”
“You first,” Calista answered.
“Good God. Fine. I work for Special Branch, have for years. I was given intelligence yesterday evening that Tobias was sending someone for Isadora.”
Calista turned her head to meet Rheana’s gaze. She lifted the gun out of the pocket of Rheana’s robe, where she’d hastily tucked it. Her hands trembled in anger and hurt, and she wondered if she could shoot the man who’d made love to her such a short time ago. No. Not made love. That was just sex. She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart and released Rheana’s hand when she opened them.
“Kane first. Then Tobias,” Calista said.
Rheana grabbed her wrist before she could raise the gun. The three men in his pack all shifted nervously, but Kane waved them off and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I know you’ve been tempted, but you’ve never actually tried to kill me before.”
“There’s a first for everything.”
He nodded, like a sage old man agreeing with good advice. It made her want to shoot him twice.
“It might help if I knew why. I’m guessing the Special Branch mention did it?”
She tried to think of all the fun ways she could torture him. Tie him down and throw rocks was looking good. Or tie him down and make use of a nice soft feather. Oh wait, that was the other kind of torture, and she was not going there again. She gave him her meanest smile, the one reserved for ruffians and bounties.
“Let’s see. You come at me with all this mate business a few hours ago and conveniently forget to add you come not only with an entourage, but a brother. You knew several hours ago my sister was in danger and failed to mention it. Now you’re telling me you’re in Special Branch. And let me just settle your mind about the whole mate thing. No. Way. In. Hell.”
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