Eternal Nights

by Patti O'Shea

  The instant he saw her, he put aside the papers he’d been reading, and stood. “You’re ready to go to dinner?” he asked.

  Stacey narrowed her eyes. “If you think you’re accompanying me, you better think again, Sullivan.”

  “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, it doesn’t matter to me. You want me to question you here about the night Cam was injured, that’s fine. Although as late as it is, the mess hall will probably be closed by the time we’re finished.”

  “Talk about a bunch of cow manure,” Stacey accused. “You don’t need to talk to me; I didn’t even pick up the noise Ravyn heard. You’re maneuvering so that I have to eat with you.”

  Alex’s lips quirked up. “Now you can hardly blame me for this turn of events. If you’d come out of your room earlier, I could have questioned you, and there still would have been time for you to go to dinner. This is your own fault.”

  That smirk ignited her temper, and Stacey struggled to rein it in. If she’d appeared at the very start of the dinner hour, he’d simply have come up with something else. She’d lived with him for three years and knew how fast he thought on his feet.

  Right now, he’d narrowed her choices to two: eat dinner with him or face his version of the inquisition and miss the meal. If she tried to push back, he’d counter with something like, didn’t she want to help find who’d attacked Cam? Stacey would end up on the defensive and Alex—damn him—would move in slick as spit. Her stomach growled again, loud enough for him to hear. His smirk deepened, and Stacey saw red. “You think this is funny?”

  “No, ma’am,” he said, looking as serious as if he were at a funeral. Too bad the gleam in his brown eyes gave him away.

  She took a deep breath, and counted to ten. It didn’t help, but she did reach a decision. “Okay, you want to eat with me, fine, but you better not utter one word that doesn’t have to do with Cam, do you understand me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Stacey wanted to hurt him. No one had ever been able to make her mad faster than Alexander Sullivan, and there were times she knew he relished that ability. But if they fought now, he’d realize how deeply she still loved him and she was darned if she’d give him that satisfaction. Without saying a word, she pivoted and headed for the door. If he wanted to eat with her, he was going to have to keep up.

  As they walked across the plaza, Alex said, “I hear you received approval to return to Earth.”

  “Yes.” She left it at that. No doubt he’d seen the entire message, and knew that while CAT Command had granted her request, they weren’t thrilled with it. They had, in fact, actually left it up to her whether to come back. If your professional assessment indicates that the Colonization Assessment Team has no need of representation on Jarved Nine during the military study of the planet, you have permission to return to Earth on the next available transport.

  Obviously, the new director of CAT had a different view of the situation than the previous head. When Alex had first pulled some strings to get her here, Command hadn’t been happy because they didn’t want ties to the military or their operation. Now, apparently, the new head wanted someone from CAT here and knew the army would never give the okay for Stacey to be replaced. It was clear to her that if she returned to Earth her career would go nowhere fast. It was something she’d have to live with.

  Alex held the door of the mess hall for her. As his hand rested on the small of her back, Stacey felt a shiver course through her and sighed silently. Would he always have the power to affect her so strongly? Despite knowing better, she didn’t move away from his touch.

  “So,” Alex said, his voice low, almost seductive, “you didn’t hear anything the night Cam was hurt?”

  Dazed, she shook her head. Then realizing she was falling under his spell, she cleared her throat. “Ravyn heard something and asked me what that noise was. I told her that I didn’t hear anything, but she looked troubled. Then she decided to go check on Cam, just to make sure everything was okay. Which you know since Ravyn told you all this.”

  “Go on.” His face didn’t give anything away.

  “I stayed in the room, reading, until I heard Ravyn yell. Then I ran to check on what was wrong. That’s when I saw Cam on the floor, his head covered with blood.”

  The line inched forward and Stacey wished it would move faster. She wanted something to do other than stand so close to Alex that she could feel his body heat seeping into her. Stacey edged away from him, but he shifted, and she was right back in the same position she’d been in before.

  “What happened next?”

  “You know what happened.” He stared at her, face impassive, until she said, “Fine, whatever. Ravyn must have used her mental link to talk to her husband because Damon showed up with a team from the infirmary. He didn’t want his son moved without being immobilized first. As soon as Cam was secure, they brought him to the doctor to be checked out.”

  “When you were in the room, did you see anything?”

  “Like a fleeing man?” Stacey asked sarcastically, then ditched the attitude, and added, “Sorry. No, I didn’t see anything, but I wasn’t looking either. My focus was on Cam.”

  From outside the mess hall came the sound of running feet. Lots of them. Conversations stopped, and about half the people present tensed as the door burst open. Five young women came in, looked around, and one said, “Good, we made it!”

  Stacey started to relax, until she identified a member of the group. Tami with an i. The young woman had been a patient at the infirmary the day Stacey had found out she was pregnant. Immediately, Stacey faced forward, hoping to go unrecognized, or at least unnoticed, but she and Alex were at the end of the line and the newcomers were directly behind them. Tami’s smile of recognition made Stacey’s heart pound, but it dimmed when the young woman glanced at Alex, and she turned to her friends.

  The door to the mess hall opened again, much more sedately, but Alex’s reaction was every bit as noticeable as when the women had exploded into the building. When the man came up to them, she figured out why. “Excuse me, Colonel, but I need a word with you. Sorry, ma’am,” he apologized.

  “Important?” Alex asked.

  “Not earth-shaking, sir, but important enough to interrupt.”

  Alex nodded. “I’ll be right back,” he told her, and the pair walked about twenty feet away.

  “Hi Stacey,” Tami chirped the instant Alex was gone.

  Stacey nodded, but she didn’t want to encourage her. Although he was carrying on his own quiet dialogue, Stacey didn’t have a doubt in her mind that Sullivan could hear Tami. When he wanted to, he could follow a good half dozen simultaneous conversations. Of course, he could also tune out anything he didn’t want to hear.

  “I’m glad you and the colonel are back together! It’s like I told Gin, here,” Tami pointed to another of the latecomers, “you two just needed to talk in order to work it all out.”

  Stacey cast a quick glance toward Alex, and almost groaned. Not only did he seem more alert than he had a moment ago, he’d half turned to face her. “How’s your burn?” she asked quickly, hoping to change the subject and keep it changed. Tami had bumped into her at the infirmary, scattering the test results she’d been clutching, and Stacey had been slow to react, still in shock from the news. That’s when things had gone south.

  Stacey hadn’t been fast enough to prevent the girl from bending to pick up the papers, or to stop Tami from reading them. Accidentally, she claimed, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was Tami knew something Stacey didn’t want her to know. She’d made the young woman promise not to tell anyone, and Tami had sworn up and down she could keep a secret, but it appeared she’d discussed this with her friends. Great. At least it hadn’t gone any further—yet. If it had, Sullivan would have heard something and he wouldn’t have calmly escorted her to dinner. Nope, he would have shown up breathing fire.

  “Oh, much better. See?” The girl held out her hand palm up and pointed to the red mark on
her inner forearm. “The blister is gone. But to get back to you guys, it’s—”

  Stacey asked the next question that popped into her head. “Did the doctor think it would scar?”

  The woman switched topics without a hitch. “Nah, he said the discoloration would fade in time, but if I wanted, we could do a permanent scar-removal thing. Those can be kind of painful, though, so I’ll wait and see if it goes away on its own.”

  Finally, the line moved forward, and Stacey all but lunged for a tray. If she could just fill the thing and get to a table, she’d be safe.

  Tami, though, didn’t give up easily. “Gin and I were talking after we heard you and the colonel broke up. She thought it was over, but I told her men need a little time to get used—”

  “Vitamin E,” Stacey all but squeaked.

  “What?”

  “Break open a capsule of Vitamin E and rub it on the burn mark. That’s supposed to reduce scarring.”

  Stacey hadn’t realized Alex had finished his discussion with the other man, and she nearly gasped when he came up beside her. He looked suspicious, and she guessed it was because he’d overheard the way she’d continually interrupted Tami.

  “Men need a little time to get used to what?” he asked.

  Tami was reaching for trays and passing them to her friends. The young woman was distracted, and from her relaxed manner, Stacey guessed the girl was completely oblivious to who’d asked the question.

  Without bothering to glance over, Tami said, “The idea of being a daddy, of course.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kendall stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She’d towel-dried her hair, then combed it smooth. Lotions found in a cabinet had a light, spicy scent and made her skin feel silky. In a closet, she’d come upon a skimpy, sexy sapphire-colored nightgown, and it had taken only a second’s worth of consideration to decide to wear it. Because she was taller than the original owner, it was barely decent, just covering the essentials, but she didn’t care.

  It was her eyes, though, that caught and held her attention. Her pupils were dilated, her irises barely more than a ring of green. It didn’t surprise her, not when she felt like she was burning up. Even her skin was hot to the touch.

  Her plan to relieve her sexual frustration had backfired. The quick orgasm she’d given herself in the shower had left her aching in a way she never had before, and longing for more.

  Longing for Wyatt.

  Every inch of her felt hypersensitive. Beneath the shimmery fabric, her nipples were peaked, more physical proof of how aroused she was. Kendall pressed her thighs together, trying to find relief, but instead of helping, the pressure made it worse.

  Wyatt was out there. She wouldn’t have to make the first move; he’d need only a glance to see how fevered she was. All she had to do was walk out of this room, and he’d take over.

  It was an irrevocable step, one that would change things between them forever. And one that put their friendship at risk. The reminder did nothing to cool her need. This was what she wanted. Heart thundering, Kendall opened the door.

  He was across the room, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. As she entered, he looked up from the clothes he was folding, then did a double take. Wyatt met her halfway, and she was mesmerized by the fire in his eyes.

  Uneasy, Kendall dropped her gaze, and gasped. On his side, near his waist, was a big, ugly bruise. It was a deep purple color and it had to be painful. Kidneys, she realized belatedly. One of those bastard thieves had done this to him! “Wyatt?” she asked, and gently brushed the back of her fingers over the spot.

  “I’m okay,” he told her, capturing her hand. “I’m more interested in this.” He indicated the nightgown. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” She held out her arms in invitation and closed the distance between them.

  The feel of his body against hers made her moan. She pulled his head down to hers, and took his mouth. Their kiss was wild, verging on the edge of control, and it wasn’t enough. Kendall writhed against him, seeking relief, but Wyatt tightened his grip on her hips to keep her in place. Frustrated, she muttered a complaint against his lips; he ignored it.

  She explored the warm skin of his back, ran her fingers over his hard muscles. Part of her couldn’t believe she was doing this with her best friend. Another part of her couldn’t believe she’d waited this long. Nothing had ever felt so right in her life. She sighed with pleasure as their tongues dueled.

  No matter how much they touched each other, it wasn’t enough. Desperate for him, Kendall reached for the knot at his waist, undid it, and pushed the towel to the floor.

  Wyatt stiffened in surprise, and much to her dismay, lifted his head from hers. “Kendall?”

  “You’re moving too damn slow.”

  “I wanna make sure you enjoy it too, darlin’,” he said, drawl thicker than she’d ever heard it before.

  “Wy, look at my eyes. Do you see how hot I am?” He nodded, the movement jerky. “I don’t need a lot of foreplay.” Kendall reached out, and curled her hand around his shaft. “I need this. I need you.” She stroked him until his hand covered hers, stopping the movement. “Are you going to stare at me, or are you going to get me naked and make me scream?”

  He smiled, and his hands slid down her hips, under the night slip. When he discovered she wasn’t wearing anything beneath the tiny scrap of material, his grin became feral. He reached for the hem and lifted the garment over her head. As soon as her arms were clear, she took a step forward to close the gap again, but he shook his head. “No, don’t move. I wanna look at you.”

  For the first time, Kendall felt self-conscious. She was athletic, not curvy, and she worried he’d be disappointed. But she didn’t have to wonder long; the expression on Wyatt’s face reassured her. He liked what he saw. A lot.

  With the relief came her own curiosity. She allowed her eyes to roam. His chest and shoulders were broad, muscular, sexy as hell, and so were his arms. He didn’t have much chest hair, but it gave her a better view of his gorgeous pecs. His dog tags rested against his sternum, and Kendall became aware of her own tags hanging between her breasts. Nervously, she started to reach for them, but forced herself to keep her hand at her side. In order to forget she was standing there naked, she focused on him again. Wyatt’s waist was narrow, the muscles of his abs perfectly delineated. Her gaze drifted lower, and she found herself staring at his erection.

  His whole body was beautiful, but that part of him was a work of art. He was big, thick. She lost her breath at the sight, and became even wetter at the realization that she was going to have Wyatt deep within her. Soon.

  “If you want to look at me some more, could you do it later?” Kendall reached for his hand, pulled him toward the bed. He didn’t protest. When the backs of her legs hit the edge, she released him and scooted over to the middle.

  He joined her and the mattress gave slightly under his weight. When they lay torso to torso, she reached for him again, but Wyatt caught her hand. “No. You’re not rushing me. I have things I wanna do.”

  As he kissed her, she could feel his shaft pressing into her belly, feel the moistness at its head. Since he held her wrists captive, she shimmied, caressing him with her body. Groaning, he moved his mouth to her throat, bit the pulse point, and licked at the spot as she gasped. His whiskers were rough against her skin, but she didn’t say anything. He’d stop if she did.

  As she breathed in sharply, her fingers dug into his back. The smell of soap teased her, but beneath it was Wyatt’s scent. Wyatt. Her chest ached from the sheer joy of lying with him. It was so much more than she’d expected.

  “Dang, Kendall, you’re gorgeous. I shoulda told you that.” Wyatt took a nipple into his mouth, teased it with his teeth and tongue until she wriggled, then he moved to the other. He had her moaning before he raised his head and hovered over her, face intense. “I’ll never get enough of you, enough of this.”

  He kissed her mouth, her throat, ran hi
s tongue around her navel, and worked his way lower. His fingers separated her folds, and Kendall raised herself up on her elbows to watch Wyatt stare at her. As if feeling her gaze, he looked up and licked his lips. She moaned softly with arousal before it dawned on her how exposed she was. Immediately, she tried to close her legs, but his shoulders were in the way, keeping her open. Another moan escaped, this one from embarrassment, but it quickly changed as he dropped his head and began to tease her with his mouth.

  Her first orgasm slammed into her. Wyatt held her hips steady, but he didn’t stop. She felt his tongue delve deeper, tasting her, and Kendall whimpered.

  She buried her hands in his hair, holding him to her. The second time she came was every bit as intense as the first. She sobbed his name as she arched, but it wasn’t enough, damn it, no matter how good he was, his mouth wasn’t enough.

  “No more,” she begged.

  He shifted his body over hers, his hips moving between her splayed thighs. The feel of his erection pressing against her brought another whimper.

  As he kissed her, she could taste herself on his lips, his tongue. “No more foreplay, Marsh. I need you now.”

  Wyatt froze, raised his head, and the expression on his face was far from loverlike. “My men call me Marsh,” he told her harshly. “You don’t, especially when we’re in bed. Got it?”

  Kendall nodded.

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “You.”

  “Try again.” He nudged her with his tip, and she sucked in a sharp breath as sensation careened through her.

  “Wyatt. I want you, Wy.”

  Satisfaction eased the tension in his face, and he reached between their bodies, guiding himself to her entrance. Kendall held her breath as his broad crown started to penetrate her. Her head fell back, her eyes slid half shut, but she couldn’t stop looking at Wyatt as he entered her.

  He moved slowly, and Kendall savored every centimeter. When he was about three quarters of the way, she raised her legs, and wrapped them around his waist to let him drive deeper. She wanted all of him, as far as he could go. More than want, it was need, yearning. It was as if he were part of her, a part that had been missing for too long, and at last she was whole again.