Sweet Charity

by N. J. Walters

  “No big deal?” he repeated. He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and put enough pressure on it until she raised her head and looked at him. She blinked, caught by the intensity in his blue eyes. “It’s a very big deal to me.” He closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them again, they were filled with a sense of purpose.

  Adrian brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. Her body, which she’d thought totally exhausted, shimmered to life. That tiny caress had her motor revved and ready to go again. It was embarrassing how swiftly she responded to this man. Then she felt his cock nudging her belly. He, too, was aroused. Again.

  “I don’t know what love is,” he began. She really didn’t want to hear his brush-off speech, but she didn’t have much choice. She knew Adrian and there was no way she was getting away from him until he’d had his say.

  “I know.” She wanted to tell him that she had more than enough love for both of them, but held her tongue. She wanted to make up for all the hard years of loneliness he’d lived through. Everyone depended on him. Where did he go when he was tired? When he needed someone to talk to? She tightened her jaw to keep from blurting out her thoughts.

  His fingers traced the curve of her jaw, her nose and her forehead, as though he was committing every inch of it to memory. “Then a woman stepped into my office and changed my life. At first glance, there didn’t seem to be anything special about her.”

  Charity refused to look away even though she could feel her cheeks heating. She knew she wasn’t anything special.

  “But there’s a fire in her eyes that drew me. I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  She shrugged. “Chemistry. Pheromones. Call it whatever you want. It’s sexual attraction. Biology at its most basic.”

  He inclined his head. “It was that. But it was so much more.” He drew a lock of hair between his fingers and played with it. “Your scent intoxicates me. Your courage makes me proud, yet drives me crazy at the same time. You became more important than anyone else. Than anything else.”

  The intensity of his tone made her really look at him. He was deadly serious. “I don’t understand.”

  “I know you don’t, sweet Charity.” He touched her cheekbone, running his finger over the edge of her scar. “You meant too much to me, too fast. When I thought you’d betrayed me, it was like a knife in my heart. For the first time in my life, I was unable to move, unable to function. That should be impossible. I’m an Alpha, more machine than man, the perfect killer.”

  She flinched as he tossed the words she’d said to her father back at her.

  “But you destroyed me.” He sighed and shook his head. “By the time I realized what you were doing, it was too late to save you. When the bomb went off.” He closed his arms around her, pulling her into his arms. She could barely breath, he held her so tight. “Then you stepped in front of a bullet meant for me.”

  He pushed her away as suddenly as he’d pulled her close. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again.” The expression on his face was fierce. “I’m an Alpha. I make split-second decisions and I knew from the second I met you that you’d change my life. You fill my soul and complete me in a way I didn’t think was possible.”

  Her stomach jumped as butterflies filled her. Did he mean what she thought he did? “Adrian,” she began, but he put his fingers over her lips.

  “Let me finish.” He didn’t remove his hand until she nodded. “I’m controlling. I’m hardheaded. I’m domineering.” He gave a rough chuckle. “I don’t have much to recommend me.” An inner fire lighted the pale blue of his eyes as he continued. He cupped her face and leaned closer. “But you’ll never find another man who will love you like I do.” He tensed, his lips twisting into a deep scowl. “You don’t need to go looking for any other man.”

  She started to laugh. She couldn’t help herself. He looked so fierce, practically demanding she love him. His frown deepened. Charity threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I love you, Adrian.”

  He buried his face in the curve of her neck and breathed deep. “You’re my life.”

  They held each other for a long time. Finally, Adrian pulled back. He kissed her, his lips barely touching hers in a gentle caress. “Let’s get cleaned up.” He rolled from bed and then plucked her into his arms, carrying her to the bathroom. “Then I have some more ideas of how we can pass the rest of the night.”

  Charity laughed as she wrapped her arms around him.

  Hours later, Adrian lay in bed, still unable to quite believe that Charity loved him and had agreed to stay with him. He smiled as he recalled how he’d wrung that promise from her. His cock jerked as he remembered the wild ride Charity had given him while they were in the bathtub. He’d had no idea bathing could be quite so pleasurable. He wanted to find a large shower to try out at some point.

  “You still awake.” Charity’s sleepy voice made his balls pull up tight to his body. This woman only had to speak and he was instantly hard and ready. He rolled, taking her flat to the mattress with him looming over her. “You’re insatiable.”

  “You have a problem with that?” He nibbled on the curve of her neck, working his way up to her ear. He’d discovered just how sensitive the delicate lobes were earlier. He swirled his tongue around the whorl and was rewarded with a moan.

  “No.” Her voice was breathy and he could feel her aroused nipples poking him in the chest.

  “Good.” He started to kiss her, then paused. “It’s not going to be easy.”

  She tensed beneath him. “What’s not going to be easy?”

  “Building a new world on the remains of the old. There will be dangers and problems in the days ahead.”

  Charity wrapped her arms around him. “As long as we’re together, nothing else matters.”

  Adrian closed his eyes as everything inside him settled. They could get through anything together. He leaned down to kiss her and paused. He cocked his head to one side and listened.

  Lowering his head down to her ear, he whispered softly. “Someone is coming through the tunnels.” He eased off her, drawing her with him. He reached for his knife, even as he shoved Charity behind him. She dragged the sheet with her, wrapping it around her body.

  Uncaring of his nakedness, he pushed her behind a heavy dresser. “Stay here.” He could sense her unwillingness to hide while he fought. “Please,” he added.

  She grabbed his hair on either side of his head and pulled him down to her. “Be careful.” She kissed him hard on the lips and then pushed him away.

  He didn’t tell her he’d do whatever it took to protect her, even if that meant his life. Taking a minute, he pulled the blankets up, shoving some of the pillows beneath them. It wasn’t much, but it would hopefully fool whoever was sneaking up the secret staircase. Only an Alpha, with superior vision, would know immediately that it was a ruse.

  Keeping to the shadows, he flowed to the other side of the room, flattening himself against the wall just as a portion of it began to move. He’d known the secret passage was there. The only other people who knew about it were Tienan and Logan. And, of course, the original owner of the house.

  A dark shape appeared in the entranceway. Adrian could smell his fear, along with the odor of sweat and his distinctive cologne. Obviously, the man hadn’t showered in days as the scent of his cologne still clung to his skin.

  He waited, wanting to see what Smithson Piedmont would do. Like the General, this was another man who’d haunted his dreams all his life. Piedmont had created Adrian and the rest of the Alphas in his lab. He’d tested them, supervised their training. And it was Piedmont who’d culled him and others from the group and scheduled them for termination.

  Piedmont raised his hand and Adrian could see the outline of a gun. He crept deeper into the room, his weapon trained on the bed. He fired two rapid shots, neither of them loud as the weapon had a silencing device. Unlike the weapons carried by most members of the Resistance, the General, Piedmont and the members
of the Ruling Council had the best technology available. The pillows and mattress muffled the sound and the sheets rippled before settling back down on the bed.

  Adrian sensed Piedmont relax as he strode to the closet. The man passed right in front of Adrian and didn’t even sense him. Piedmont opened the door of the closet and began rummaging around. A panel slid away, revealing a secret room behind it.

  It was time for Adrian to make his move. His senses had already picked up two other intruders, but these ones were on his side. He could almost feel Charity’s fear and it ate at him. He knew it wasn’t for herself but for him.

  He prowled forward, not making a sound. He wrapped one arm around Piedmont’s neck and grabbed the gun hand with his free hand.

  Piedmont shouted and began to struggle. A light flicked on and Tienan was there with Logan beside him. Tienan plucked the gun from Piedmont’s hand and tossed it to Logan, who caught it and leveled it at the man.

  The acrid stench of fear surrounded Piedmont as Adrian shoved the man toward Tienan. Knowing the other men would watch their prisoner, he turned to the secret room. Piles of files were stacked everywhere, along with boxes that contained who knew what.

  “Adrian.” Charity’s scream had him whirling around. A tall, muscular man came through the tunnel. His hair was cropped short to his head and he wore a black jumpsuit. There was no expression on his face.

  Adrian looked closer, narrowing his gaze as the man moved. He caught a flash of metal as the man raised his hands. Not a man, but a machine, built to resemble a man. This had to be the prototype of the new breed of super soldier that the Piedmont Corporation had been developing. Tienan and Logan had told him about it. Thankfully, he wasn’t holding a weapon. Not that it mattered. He was the weapon.

  “Attack them,” Piedmont yelled. “Save me.”

  Tienan released Piedmont and whirled him around, punching him hard. The man crumpled to the floor. The three of them ranged out around the machine. “Any thoughts?” Adrian asked.

  Logan fired at the machine, hitting him in strategic spots. One in the head, two in the chest and one in the groin. Three of the shots ricocheted off the metal body. “Shit,” Logan yelled as he dodged one of the bouncing bullets.

  Adrian worked his way around to the back of the machine and drove his knife into the back of its neck. Air whooshed next to his face as he barely avoided being hit by a roundhouse kick. The android was fast and flexible.

  Rolling to one side, Adrian gained his feet swiftly. Tienan lashed out at the machine, kicking it. The super soldier fell back a step but kept coming.

  Adrian’s mind was firing on all circuits. He had to find a way to stop this creature. Right now, he wished he had a sledgehammer. He’d take that metal man down a notch or two. An idea came to him in a flash. “Get him into the bathroom,” Adrian ordered.

  As Logan and Tienan worked to herd the metal man toward the bathroom, doing their best to avoid the creature’s powerful arms and legs as it struck out at them, Adrian raced to the dresser. Pulling out the lower drawer, he pulled out two explosive devices. He didn’t pause to look at Charity as he hurried back in time to watch Logan go flying. This machine was incredibly strong. He wouldn’t stop until either he was destroyed or all of them were dead.

  Charity had to be protected at all costs. Adrian roared and raced at the machine, ramming his shoulder into its body and prayed the explosives wouldn’t go off yet. Pain ripped through him as he hit solid metal. He shoved the pain aside. He’d had years of practice doing just that.

  Tienan slipped beneath the robot’s arm and pushed. The creature fell back.

  “Harder.” Sweat dripped down Adrian’s face as he set the timers on the explosive. They had ten seconds to do this. Giving it everything he had, he kicked out, striking the machine in the stomach. It fell back, caught its legs on the edge of the tub and it tipped over, landing hard against the porcelain. Adrian dropped the two explosives into the tub with the robot. “Run!”

  Tienan tore through the door just ahead of him. Both of them jumped. Tienan hit the floor and rolled behind the bed. Adrian landed by the dresser, pulling Charity to the ground and covering her with his body. He had no idea where Logan was and really didn’t care about Piedmont.

  The explosion rocked the foundation of the building. Shards of wood and brick blew through the air. Plaster exploded and dust filled the air. Several pieces of flying debris hit Adrian in the back. He grunted as a particularly heavy section landed on him. He glanced behind him and saw what looked like a metal arm roll beneath the bed.

  Tienan coughed. “Everyone okay?”

  Adrian lifted his body off Charity. “Are you okay?” He lifted her into his arms, swiping at the dust and dirt with his hand, stopping only when he realized he was making it worse.

  “I’m fine.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “What about you?” She ran her hand over his shoulders and down his body.

  Behind him, he could hear the other men moving about. “Casualties?”

  “Only Piedmont,” Logan replied. “He took a piece of wood through his chest. He’s dead.”

  Adrian stood and helped Charity to her feet. “What about the machine?”

  Tienan made his way to the bathroom door. “In about a hundred pieces.” He turned away. “You’re going to need a new bathtub.”

  Charity began to laugh. She sat down on the side of the bed, stared at the three of them and laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. The door burst open and Derrik rushed in, followed by an entire squadron of Resistance fighters.

  Adrian turned and started issuing orders. “Piedmont is dead. His robotic soldier is in pieces in the bathroom. Make sure every last piece is gathered for destruction. This place has a furnace in the basement. Let’s put it to work.”

  Derrik nodded and set the men to the task of cleanup.

  Adrian turned back to Charity, who had her face buried in her hands. He crouched in front of her and carefully peeled her hands away so he could see her. Tears were still running down her face but she was chuckling as well.

  “Charity?”

  She raised her gaze and stared at him. “You realize you’re stark naked, don’t you?”

  He’d honestly forgotten. With the fight and the aftermath he hadn’t given any thought to his attire, or lack of it. He felt a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He rubbed his hand over his jaw to try to hide it.

  “Starting a new fashion trend, are you?” Tienan tossed a pair of pants at him. “Fighting in the buff. Would certainly throw off the opposition.”

  Logan snickered and Adrian couldn’t hold it back any longer. He burst into laughter. The adrenaline of the fight was still racing through his body and he could think of a very pleasurable way to take care of it. Hauling on the pants, he buttoned them and reached for Charity. Gathering her into his arms, he headed for the open doorway. The door was askew and would need to be fixed before it would close again.

  “You’re in charge, Derrik. I’ll be getting cleaned up down the hall.” He strode down the corridor and found an empty room. He went straight into the bathroom, grinning when he saw the large shower stall.

  “It’s time to get cleaned up.”

  Charity pulled his head toward her. “It certainly is.” She kissed him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tight. “I love you,” she whispered when she broke away.

  He knew what she was thinking even though she never spoke the words aloud. “I’m okay. You’re okay. And so is everyone else. That’s all that matters.” He dropped a hard kiss on her lips. “I love you, sweet Charity. Now and always.”

  He walked into the shower stall with her still in her arms. It was a very long time later when he finally carried her to bed.

  About the Author

  N.J. Walters worked at a bookstore for several years and one day had the idea that she would like to quit her job, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And
she did. Two years later, she went back to the same bookstore and settled in for another seven years.

  Although she was still fairly young, that was when the mid-life crisis set in. Happily married to the love of her life, with his encouragement (more like, “For God’s sake, quit the job and just write!”) she gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first erotic romance novel, Annabelle Lee, and life would never be the same.

  N.J. has always been a voracious reader of romance novels, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks all vie for her attention. And she doesn’t mind a bit. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

  N.J. welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

  Tell Us What You Think

  We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at Comments@EllorasCave.com.

  Also by N.J. Walters

  Amethyst Dreams

  Amethyst Moon

  Anastasia’s Style

  Awakening Desires: Capturing Carly

  Awakening Desires: Craving Candy

  Awakening Desires: Erin’s Fancy

  Awakening Desires: Jackson’s Jewel

  Awakening Desires: Katie’s Art of Seduction

  Beyond Shadows

  Dalakis Passion 1: Harker’s Journey

  Dalakis Passion 2: Lucian’s Delight

  Dalakis Passion 3: Stefan’s Salvation

  Dalakis Passion 4: Eternal Brothers

  Dalakis Passion 5: Endless Chase

  Drakon’s Treasure

  Ellora’s Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis IV anthology

  Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile IV anthology