The Warrior In Me

by Anita Philmar

  He lifted his head and worked his fingers back and forth in a relentless motion, demanding her attention stay entirely on him. “Easy, honey. I’ll take care of you.”

  “But,” she gasped, not wanting anything less than his cock blazing a trail to a wondrous release. She caught his wrist and tugged. “I want to see you naked and have you buried deep inside me.”

  “Now, that’s a request no man can resist.” He leaned back and reached over his shoulder, drawing his shirt up and off in one swift move. Without pausing, he rolled off the bed and stood staring at her. “Look at me. You have to understand how much I need you, too.”

  Her gaze slid over his broad chest, following the line of dark hair arrowing into the waistband of his jeans. She watched as he quickly unhooked the button, grabbed the tab, and unzipped his fly. White cotton briefs were stretched tightly over his engorged erection.

  Without any sign of inhibition, he shoved his jeans and underwear to the floor. After toeing off his shoes, he stepped free of his clothes and drew open the nightstand’s drawer. He pulled out a square foil packet and ripped the condom free from the wrapper.

  The sight of his thick cock drew her up on her elbows to get a better view. The round head disappeared beneath the clear rubber as he rolled the condom down the long, solid length. Moisture gathered in her mouth. She swallowed, hard.

  As if suddenly emerging from a sensual fog, she realized she’d asked this huge, mountain of man, who probably had more muscles in his pinkie than she had in her whole body, to have sex. The idea should have frightened her. Instead, she found herself offering him one last out. After all, most men considered her a nerd, a woman to debate scientific theories with, not someone to—

  She glanced again at his thick cock. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  He stalked to the bed, his powerful body coiled tightly, as if ready to pounce. One knee landed on the bed between her legs, and he leaned forward. The intensity of his brown-eyed gaze made Lily melt.

  “There’s nothing I’ve ever wanted to do more.” He placed his hands next to her elbows and lowered himself, forcing her back onto the mattress. The light stubble on his chin rasped against her skin as he buried his face into her neck.

  Happy to have him so close, she wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him closer until he rested completely over her. The skin on skin contact soothed her anxiety of this possibly being a mistake. Her eyelids drifted closed, and she brushed aside any expectation as to what she wanted to happen next.

  She reminded herself this was merely sex, nothing more. When they were done, she’d get up and head to her room. Then after taking a shower, she’d pack and go to bed.

  Sebastian distracted her by nibbling on her neck. He guided his lips upward and wrapped them around her earlobe. His hot breath seared her, and his kisses along her jawline made her shiver.

  The excitement building in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t allow her to remain still. She shifted her legs farther apart. The steely length of his cock caressed the outer lips of her pussy. She bit her lip, wanting him to stop the teasing and get down to business. “Please don’t tease me.”

  He nuzzled the hollow at the base of her neck, then raised his head and met her gaze. “I take it you want me to dive right in and forgo any foreplay.”

  Confused, she frowned. Wasn’t that what men wanted? “Yes, well, I guess I thought—”

  A shift of his hips, and the blunt tip of his cock nudged her opening. Arousal swelled within her, washing away her doubts. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She needed him.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her hands in his dark hair. “Sebastian, please.”

  Dropping his head, he whispered, “You’re right. It’s time for action.”

  With a mighty thrust, he tunneled his swollen cock deep, stretching her wide to accommodate his dense girth. Bombarded by wild sensations, she couldn’t decide if they involved more pleasure than pain. Of course, at the moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was to have him deep inside her, pounding relentlessly.

  Gasping for breath, she yielded to the sheer magnitude of his penetration, but she had the unsettling feeling he’d taken complete possession of her body, dispersing with her intelligence and permitting her emotions to rule. Her entire being had melted to the pleasure of simply holding him snugly inside her core. Freed by the concept, she struggled to maintain her equilibrium as well as her individuality.

  “More.” He ground harder against her, setting into motion a driving rhythm. Pounding hard and fast, he introduced her to an insatiable passion she’d never known existed. Sex for her didn’t include this consuming heat or the ruthless desire to scream, cry, and beg for him to impale her repeatedly with his thrusting length.

  “Sebastian!” His name bursting through her lips surprised her. She’d rarely said anything during sex. This time, with him, she struggled to remain silent and contain her emotions. His hot, slick cock sliding into her demanded a response. She tilted her pelvis a little higher, accepting another inch of the silk-covered steel that rammed into every dark corner.

  Heat poured through her, around her, intensifying each thrust. The hard beat had her muscles tightening with each plunge, squeezing his cock with welcome, then breaking down with a painful ache at each withdrawal. She enjoyed the powerful action of his hips, the uncompromising grind of his pelvis between her legs.

  Air sawed in and out of her lungs as the tension built inside her. So close to a heavenly release, she sobbed, “Please.”

  The message for what she needed must have telegraphed its meaning to him because he answered by increasing his pace, shoving her mercilessly into a pulsing climax. Lightheaded, she rode the waves of her clamping muscles, milking his erection for an answering fall into nirvana. The hot, heavy spurts of his release extended hers, drawing out her pleasure and setting her adrift on a peaceful cloud.

  Moments later, he whispered in her ear, and she couldn’t respond. Forty-eight hours with very little sleep had weakened her ability to move. Add in mind-blowing sex to stave off heart-numbing grief, and she was completely wiped.

  Gentle fingers brushed through her hair and words fluttered around her. She paid no attention and tumbled into a blissful unconscious state with only one question on her mind.

  How could she convince him to make love to her again?

  Chapter Seven

  A sweet scent teased Sebastian, his nose twitched. The alluring fragrance pulled him from a blissful dream. He shifted restlessly. Silky skin slid invitingly against him. His normal hard-on when waking stiffened painfully, nudging his memory with the events from earlier.

  He guided his hand along her spine, enjoying the dips and curves. Only stopping when his fingertips dipped between the crevice of her ass. With her lying half on top of him, one leg between his, he judged the close proximity of her soft pussy to his needy cock.

  Would he be considered a greedy bastard if he rolled them over and dove back into her moist heat again? He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and let out a low groan. They had only been asleep for a few hours.

  If he wasn’t mistaken, Rex had said he’d be calling soon with their travel plans for tomorrow.

  Unexcited by the prospect of leaving her, he lightly stroked her ass, rocking her gently against him. The ache in his groin intensified, and he tugged her farther up over his body. Her soft hair teased his cheek. He brushed it aside to study her beautiful face. The light makeup she’d worn had disappeared, revealing faultless skin. Long eyelashes brushed her cheek and pointed the way to her soft, pink lips.

  He recalled the taste of them and her tight nipples, and the salty flavor of her skin. His mouth watered at the memory of the sweet cream dripping from her pussy.

  Cupping a hand around her thigh, he draped her leg over his hip. With her body spread across his, he couldn’t resist temptation. He slid his aching cock into her sleep-soft warmth.

  Aware he hadn’t bothered with a condom, he con
vinced himself he had no intentions of making love to her. Nor, as she referred to it earlier, were they simply having sex. He could have corrected her assumptions at the time, but he didn’t think it mattered.

  She had something he found very inviting. It wasn’t simply the way she responded as if she were made solely for him. She evoked feelings he had a hard time identifying, but he’d never bought into the soul mate theory or the one true love mumbo jumbo.

  Hell, he’d enjoyed a number of women. How could he not?

  They tempted and teased driving him crazy with their alluring seduction. He, however, had learned at a young age not to take them seriously. But Lily fascinated him, and he found her as sexy outside of bed as in. She didn’t seem to possess the skill of hiding her thoughts and emotions. They flashed across her face with speedy regularity. He found the trait rather refreshing.

  She moaned and rocked her hips. The slight movement caused energy to surge through his groin.

  He wrapped both hands around her ass and sank deeper into her moist core. Every nerve ending tingled with desire. He wanted to pound out a rhythm that would have them both begging for release in a matter of minutes. Instead, he rolled her onto her side and slipped from her luscious heat.

  Another groan escaped between her lips. He glanced at her face and convinced himself it reflected regret. He could relate but also understood she needed her rest more than another orgasm.

  Determined to let her sleep, he slipped out of bed and tucked the covers back around her. He scooped his jeans up off the floor and headed for the door without looking back.

  Once in his office, he slipped on his pants and booted up his computer, hoping Rex had sent an email with their itinerary and would forgo calling. Remembering the unsympathetic tone as he had relayed the news of Mark’s death, Sebastian had wanted to call the man an unfeeling bastard. But with Lily listening, he’d reframed from expressing his opinion of his boss’ cold-hearted attitude.

  Something concerning their prior conversation nudged at Sebastian, inducing a wave of unrest. He analyzed Rex’s exact words.

  “The family believes he died from a heart attack, but we won’t know for sure until after the autopsy.” Rex’s words rang true for Sebastian. Even so, he’d picked up Rex’s doubts.

  Hell, the man could tell the future and probably had more insight into the case than any of them. Or did he?

  Rex had inaccurately predicted the time of her arrival. Was it also his reason for remaining quiet as to Mark’s cause of death? If so, then what had really happened?

  He brought up his email and searched for a message from Rex.

  Nothing.

  “Damn it, I should have turned off the ringer in the bedroom.” Sebastian shoved back his chair.

  The sudden ringing of the phone had him leaning forward to silence the irritating noise. “You could’ve sent an email.”

  “I wanted to talk to you directly.” His grandfather’s voice rang through the receiver.

  Biting back a stinging reply meant for his hot shot boss, Sebastian shifted his focus to his family and imposed a welcoming tone. “I’m glad you called. I was wondering if you could get over to see Cain’s mother in the next day or two. I’m on assignment and will be heading out of town tomorrow.”

  “There’s no reason to worry. Austin arrived a few hours ago and stopped by the council house before heading home. He’s arranged to have someone with her for the next week.” His gruff manner didn’t fool Sebastian. Not a call or conversation passed between them without his grandfather asking if he’d heard from Cain. Hell, the three of them had gone on more than one hunting trip together.

  “I appreciate if you’d still drop by. I, uh…” Emotion clogged his throat, and he had to fight back the unyielding urge to burst into tears. He swallowed and then swallowed again.

  “You’re searching for his killer, aren’t you?” The words held no disapproval or warning, only an understanding on the subject of what had to be done.

  “Yes, I’m guarding the woman he was hired to protect,” Sebastian said roughly.

  “A smart, beautiful woman, correct?”

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “I talked to Cain several days ago. He said he thought you’d really like her. You know his special talent was to introduce people in our tribe to their perfect mate. We even debated how best to introduce the two of you. So…”

  Ignoring his grandfather’s veiled question as to whether or not he found Lily appealing, Sebastian asked, “Did he say anything else?”

  “Only that he sensed an outside force might be interfering with the dynamics of this case. He couldn’t define exactly what it was, but he planned to dig deeper into everyone’s lives.”

  “That’s probably why he asked me to do a background check on them.” Sebastian heard a clicking noise. “Sorry, Pops, I have another call. I’ve gotta go.”

  “Then I’ll talk to you when you get back from California.” His grandfather didn’t bother with goodbye and hung up the phone.

  Waiting for the other call to connect, Sebastian wondered exactly how his grandfather found out about his trip. Did he use his special warrior abilities, or did he simply have a conversation with Rex? Shoving the question aside, he answered, “So what type of arrangements have you made?”

  “Why is it you never answer my calls with a hello? Did your parents not teach you the standard greeting for incoming callers?” Rex grumbled as if he expected better.

  Adding a syrupy element to his reply, Sebastian countered, “Why Rex Ledger, how very honored I am that you took the time out of your busy day to call little old me.”

  “Asshole.”

  “Yes, well it takes one to know one. Now, cut the crap. We both know you wouldn’t even bother to say my name if you didn’t have an order to give me.”

  “Not true. You’re one of the few people I can count on to not candy-coat the truth. You and…well, Cain.”

  The sudden note of despair in the other man’s voice hit Sebastian like a punch to the chin. He pictured Cain standing in the front yard of his parents’ house after his father’s funeral. The two of them had escaped the horde of people inside and had wanted only a few minutes of peace.

  Not more than a snot nose teenager, Rex had approached, his dark eyes reflecting his concern. He stopped a few feet from Cain and extended his hand. “If you ever need anything call.”

  Sebastian had expected his best friend to laugh or offer a clever comeback. Instead, Cain nodded and shook Rex’s outstretched hand. “Count on it.”

  “Good.” Rex walked away.

  The smile on Cain’s face surfaced in Sebastian’s memory. The two of them had formed a bond that day, one he’d never understood. Cain had tried to explain it a few times over the years, but Sebastian had attributed it to his best friend’s kind heart and not to any true affection between the two. Had Cain been right? Could Rex see them as more than pawns to achieve his objectives?

  Uncertain how to respond, he debated whether he should revise his opinion. After all, his grandfather and Cain had made comments laced with respect about the man.

  Rex continued, bringing Sebastian back to the call. “That’s why I sent Lily to stay with you. Even if you do manage to get her into your bed, you’ll still arrest her if she’s guilty of murder.”

  Biting his tongue to hold back a smart-ass reply, Sebastian instinctively recognized an underlying meaning to his statement. Narrowing his gaze, he stared at the notes lying across his desk. “You said she and Bruce were together when Cain was killed.”

  “Yes, but that’s no guarantee she didn’t poison her ex-husband.”

  “What?” Sebastian reversed his opinion of Rex back to a royal, first-class jerk. “Mark died from a heart attack.”

  “That’s what Bruce was told until he checked in with the coroner. Seems he was poisoned. A detective name Tobias Callahan has been assigned to the case. He’s scheduled to talk to the family tomorrow morning. I have arranged for you to get
there early so you can hear what he has to say. Once you review the itinerary, you’ll see you only have a few hours before you need to leave, so I’ll let you go.”

  After a quick mention that he would send an email, Rex ordered, “Sleep not sex is what you need tonight.”

  “Some of us are willing to sacrifice one for the other,” Sebastian grumbled and replaced the handset on the cradle. He couldn’t help but question the subtle suggestion behind Rex’s not so subtle warning. Had his attraction to Lily clouded his judgment? Was she involved in her ex-husband’s death?

  Or was Rex simply trying to keep him on his toes?

  Sebastian recalled the shock on Lily’s face when he told her Mark was dead. No one could be that good of an actress. She’d looked as if her world had tilted off its axis and would never be the same. He’d shared her sorrow and offered the distraction of sex to ease both of their losses.

  Still, she had secrets. Ones he hoped to explore, like her relationship with her assistant. Why had he kept his illness from her? Also, why hadn’t she moved out of Mark’s house after their divorce? Most people could barely speak to their ex. What made her and Mark’s relationship different?

  Deciding he needed more answers, he gathered the papers on his desk and shoved them back into their folder. Then he clicked on Rex’s email and read the time the seaplane would be arriving.

  Damn, they didn’t have long before they needed to leave. Shutting down his computer, he debated whether he should try to get a few hours of sleep, or spend the extra time reviewing his notes.

  He shoved back his chair and rose. His decision and his cock turned rock-solid as he pictured Lily lying naked across his sheets. With them returning to California, their short-term affair might already be on the road to ending. He wanted to enjoy her while he still could.

  His footsteps faltered. Could he return home without her?

  He shook his head and started again for the door. He had no time to deliberate as to whether or not they’d have a future together. He had a killer to find.