by Anna Hackett
“I didn’t mention it earlier, but I should have. I have a contraceptive implant.”
She licked her lips. “That’s good to know. Mine is just about at the end of its useful life.”
He rubbed his cock against her. Then he thrust inside.
She made a sound that echoed in the confines of the shower. His hands curled around her hips and then he started thrusting.
“You are so tight around me.” He pressed a palm into her lower back, shifting her a little so she felt every hard push of him. “God, Laura, this is a view a man would kill for. I can see my cock splitting you apart, see the way you’re wrapped around me.”
His words made her gasp, made something hot and tight spark between her legs. She wished she could see it.
“Yeah, you like the words, don’t you, honey?” His hand slid up her spine. “They make you wetter.”
“Yes,” she hissed.
“I’ll make love to you in front of a mirror some time, and let you see. But unlike me, who loves the view, I bet you’d like it best if I tell you. Describe every naughty little detail. About how your tight body clasps my cock, how warm and wet you are. And damn, I can still taste your sweet honey on my lips.”
She shoved back against him, his words inflaming her.
His thrusts got harder. “I know. I’ll take care of you, my captain.”
“Harder, damn you.”
Now he made a noise, a low groan. His hand slipped around her front, sliding down her stomach and between her legs. When he touched her clit, she jerked hard against him. Then he found his rhythm, between thrusting inside her and moving his finger in a tight circle on her clit.
It didn’t take long. Her release had already been on a low simmer deep in her belly. Now it exploded out, flowing over her, making her arch her back.
He leaned down and clamped his mouth on hers in a hard kiss. She shuddered, the pleasure so intense she thought she might pass out.
Then he reared back, his hands clamped hard on her hips and he focused on hammering inside her. Her head fell forward, her hands pressed hard against the tiles. A second later, his fingers bit deep and he thrust into her and held himself there. He roared as he came and Laura smiled.
Then he grabbed her and pulled her to the floor. She sat in his lap, the water falling over both of them as they found their breath.
She leaned her head back against his shoulder. “We might never be able to get up.”
“I’ll get us to the bed…eventually.”
His voice sounded a little husky. She liked that. Liked knowing she made it that way.
Finally, he flicked off the shower and got them both on their feet. He wrapped her in a surprisingly fluffy towel. She scowled at it. “How’d you get such a great towel? Most of them are half worn out.”
He finished wrapping another fluffy towel around his waist and winked at her. “I control all the important systems in the base. People like to…give me nice things.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Bribe you, you mean.”
“Bribe is a harsh word, Captain.”
She sidled up to him, sliding her palms up his chest. “And what’s the most interesting thing you’ve been…offered?”
He swallowed. “Baked goods?”
“Really?”
“Nothing nearly as interesting as what I see burning in your eyes right now.”
Now she smiled, enjoying the game. “Oh…and if I do what I’m thinking about, what are you going to give me?”
“Extra hot water.”
She shook her head. “You already gave us hot water all day and night. Besides, I don’t take long showers. Usually.”
“Whatever entertainment you want on your comp.”
She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the bed. “Hmm. You’ll have to up the ante, because I’m thinking I’ve got a hankering to have that long cock of yours in my mouth.”
He stumbled and it made her warm inside.
“Shit,” he muttered.
“No, thanks,” she said with a laugh. She got onto the bed, kneeling there, fiddling with the edge of his towel for a second before she whipped it off. “But I’m sure we’ll come up with something.” She yanked him onto the bed.
***
Noah lounged in his bed, thinking he could get used to this. He had the sheet pooled in his lap and the remnants of their midnight snack on a plate in the middle of the bed. Across from him, a naked Laura was scribbling furiously on one of his notepads.
She was worrying her lip between her teeth as she sketched.
“You really enjoy your art.”
She looked up. Her hair was a snarled, sexy mass falling over her shoulders. Desire was like a punch to the gut. How he could even feel a thing when he’d gorged himself on her, again and again, was beyond him. But right now, she looked like some luscious, sensual nymph out to drag some mortal man back into her world.
“I do. It relaxes me.” She scribbled again, paused and frowned, then scribbled some more.
“And you’ve really only been doing it since the invasion?”
She nodded. “I’ve always loved looking at art, but I didn’t think I had the talent to do it myself.”
He remembered those striking paintings in her quarters. “From what I’ve seen you’ve got the talent and the passion.”
Her eyelids fluttered a little. “Thanks. In the first chaotic days here in the base…I was adrift. I couldn’t sit still, I couldn’t go outside. I had to do something. I picked up a pad and pencil and started drawing.”
Yeah, he understood. Anything to keep you busy enough not to think, to keep the frenzied thoughts at bay. He’d started fixing electronics, something he hadn’t done since he was a kid. Running his tech company, he’d been too busy to fiddle with a broken comp or tablet. He’d had employees who’d taken care of stuff like that. Doing that again here at the base had reminded him how much he’d enjoyed it. The simplicity of taking something broken and making it whole and useful again.
Laura shrugged. “Besides, I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t survive, so if there was anything I hadn’t done that I’d always wanted to try, now was the time.” Her pencil stopped. “Ja…my fiancé would have been happy to see it.”
“You can say his name, Laura.”
She nodded. “Jake. He was a Navy SEAL. He died on the night of the invasion.”
“A hero.”
“Yes. Yes, he was.” She sighed. “There were so many things I should have done or tried while I had the chance. There are so many things I’d change if I could go back.”
“We can’t go back,” Noah said quietly.
She nodded and leaned over the pad.
Noah realized his words were for himself, as well. The past was gone, and while the future wasn’t certain, there was still a lot of hope. Hell, the hope was necessary to survival. He let his gaze take in the beautiful, compelling woman in his bed.
It was time for him to leave the past in the past as well.
“You gonna let me see?” he asked.
“Almost finished.” Finally she looked up. She had that cool look on her face that he’d learned meant she was hiding what she really felt. “Here you go.” She tipped the pad toward him.
Noah stared at the picture and blinked.
Is that really how she saw him? The picture was definitely him, his modesty preserved by the sheet, but the picture made him think of an arrogant, lazy cat draped out and considering a nap.
“Well?” she prompted. “You don’t like it, do you?”
“You’re damn good, Laura, but I don’t look that…pretty.”
Her tense shoulders relaxed and she laughed. “Sorry, but you do.”
He scowled. No one had ever called him pretty before, and he was surrounded in the base by big, strong military types… No, he didn’t really want to be seen as pretty.
Laura tossed the pad aside and crawled up toward him. “Let me tell you what I see when I look at you.”
“Ah—”
She laug
hed again, a full out, deep laugh that he’d never heard from her before. He liked it. He wanted to hear it again.
“Sexy.” She nipped his ear. “Intelligent.” She kissed his jaw. “A handsome, hawkish face.” Her mouth moved down to his chest.
God, she was going to kill him.
“Mine.”
Noah almost missed the quiet whisper, but as her mouth moved lower, he lost all ability to think.
Chapter Ten
In the Swift Wind storage facility, Noah strode between the parked vehicles, frowning as he mentally checked things off his To-Do list.
Sparks flew into the air as the maintenance teams worked on the last of the new vehicles, cutting out pieces and welding on protective plating.
“Noah?”
He turned and saw one of his tech team members walking toward him, holding a tablet. “Danny? What’s the problem?”
“We’re working on the comp system for the medical trucks. Can’t seem to integrate the medical scanners with the system.” The slim man held out his tablet.
Noah looked at it, studied the schematics. “There.” He pointed to the problem. “Change that, and try the secondary circuit.”
Danny nodded, the stress clearing off his face. “God, I should have seen that. Thanks, mate.”
As the man hurried off, Noah crossed his arms and just stared at all the work going on around him. The vehicles were almost ready. That was a minor miracle in itself.
They were running another evac simulation right now, so he knew Blue Mountain’s residents were busy running down corridors and trying to get to the exits as fast as they could.
But he still only had the alien cubes partially working.
The intel they’d gleaned had got him part of the way there…but he’d since hit a frustrating brick wall.
He passed the truck loaded with the convoy illusion system on the back of it. The system wasn’t huge, didn’t even take up the entire vehicle. They’d added laser autocannons to the top and protective plating.
With a scowl, he strode to the corner where his makeshift desk was set up. His papers, a comp and those damn alien cubes were spread across it.
Now he just had to get the damn illusion system powered.
His chair scraped on the concrete and he dropped into it and got to work.
A few times, he got the alien cubes linked to his system and saw them flare to life, glowing a deep red. Come on, you little beauties. He read the power output on his comp, his heart kicking into gear.
So much power. More than enough for the illusion system.
Then the power shorted out and died away.
Dammit. He slammed his palms against the table, sending papers flying off the side.
“Looks like you’re having a bad evening.”
Laura’s voice made his head shoot up. And in that second, all his problems eased a little.
She was wearing dark, fitted jeans and a deep-green shirt that looked great with her red hair. But his brain took no time remembering what she looked like with no clothes on. And how those long legs wrapped around his hips.
“You missed dinner.” She eased a hip onto his desk and set a takeout box down.
He glanced around and realized the facility was empty. Everyone was gone. He ran a hand through his hair. Shit. They’d probably told him they were finished for the day, and he hadn’t even noticed. He’d been known to have entire conversations while he was lost in his work that he didn’t recall later. The rest of the storage area was in shadows, just the lamp from his desk leaving a small halo of light. “You brought me dinner?”
“I did. Soft tofu stew.”
He stared at her. His favorite dish. A Korean dish his grandmother always made. One that wasn’t on the menu at base. “How’d you get your hands on soondubu-jiggae?”
That mysterious little smile he loved played over her face. “I’m an interrogation expert. I have my ways.”
“Thank you.” He took the lid off, drew in the delicious scent. “I’m not really hungry, though.”
She was watching him with that look of hers.
“Don’t try and read me.” He shoved his chair back.
“I don’t have to work very hard to see you’re frustrated, tired and headed for burnout.”
“I still can’t get these cubes working properly. I can get them up and running for a minute at best, then they cut out.” He let out a harsh breath. “The convoy is ready, but I still can’t hide the damn thing.”
She stared at him for a second. “Why don’t you show me around?”
He wanted to tell her to go and let him work, but dammit, he didn’t want her to go. He wavered for a second. He’d felt like this with Kalina, felt this urgent need to be with her, and show off to her.
No. Laura was not Kalina—not in any way, shape or form. And what he felt for her wasn’t the same, either.
He stood. “Come on.” He grabbed Laura’s hand and pulled her into the long rows of vehicles. “We’ve outfitted vehicles to carry everyone in the base. It won’t be the most comfortable way to live for a long period of time, but we’ll have everything we need.” He pointed. “Medical vehicles.”
Laura slowed to look at the large medical truck and the smaller vehicles beside it. “The large one can be used for surgery?”
He nodded. “It’s equipped with scanners and all medical supplies. The smaller ones are ambulances, I guess you could say. They can get somewhere quickly, tend to minor injuries, and bring back the severely wounded.” They kept walking. “This is the main tech vehicle.”
It was a truck as well, but had a long, sleek, black trailer. Noah opened the back doors and waved her in.
“Holy cow.” Her mouth dropped open. As they stepped inside, lights flicked on, illuminating the high-tech setup.
Comp screens lined one wall and the other wall had built-in benches for repairs.
“All the storage is filled with tech tools and parts. We can repair equipment in here, plus monitor all the convoy’s systems.”
She turned slowly, taking it all in. “Incredible.”
“There are some bunks that can be pulled out of the wall. But my quarters are at the back.” He nodded at a small door.
She opened it and peeked inside.
Noah knew it was nothing fancy. There was no room for fancy on the convoy. Its main purpose was to keep people safe as they escaped.
He had a bunk, his own comp, and a tiny all-in-one bathroom. They’d found the warehouse of a supplier who’d made all-in-one units—shower, toilet and tiny sink usually fitted into planes or ships—and managed to salvage some that were undestroyed. The contained units had top-of-the-line water recycling systems.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand again. “More to show you.”
He showed her the supply vehicles. These trucks weren’t changed much and were just packed with food supplies, clothes, and medical supplies. Other trucks were the main transport units, outfitted for families, or with dorm-like bunks for the single residents.
Noah answered all her questions, feeling a deep sense of pride in what he and his team had achieved. They were well set up in case they had to evacuate.
Except for that damn illusion system.
“What about the art and historical artifacts I know we have stored in the base?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No room. We can only take what we need.”
She nodded. “A shame but it makes sense.”
“Holmes has a team hiding a cache of art in places we hope the aliens never find.”
Laura spotted the next vehicles and whistled. “Now these are nice.” She ran a hand over the hood of a black armored vehicle. The personnel carriers had autocannons mounted on top. “Z6-Hunters. I’ve read all about them and heard the squads talk about them.”
“Yep. These are for the squads to use for convoy security.”
“What’s the plan for the quadcopters?”
“Finn is working on that with the general.” Noah took in t
he shadowed convoy. “At the first sign of attack, the quadcopters will leave and rendezvous at a prearranged meeting point. We can’t afford to lose any of them. They’ll meet the convoy and help provide security support once we’re mobile.”
Laura patted the nearest Hunter, then followed his gaze through the storage facility. “This is really impressive, Noah. You’ve done excellent work.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “There was a team of people working overtime to get the convoy put together. My main problem still isn’t solved yet.”
“You’ll work it out.”
“If I can’t camouflage the convoy…the raptor pteros will bomb the hell out of it before we can get away.”
“Hey.” She cupped his cheek. “I know you. You’ll work it out.”
Her quiet confidence made him relax a fraction. “Come on, I have something else to show you.” He dragged her to a bus that had been especially outfitted.
He pulled open a heavy metal door at the back and waved her in.
“What’s this?” With a bemused look on her face, she stepped into the bus. Lights clicked on automatically. “Oh.”
It had been outfitted with four small cells, cordoned off with reinforced steel mesh to hold even the strongest raptor.
“This is amazing.” She strode through, studying the cells, then the work areas toward the front of the bus.
Noah smiled to himself. She was looking at the vehicle like he’d given her a diamond necklace. Hell, he’d showered Kalina in jewels, and she’d never looked like this. “Like it?”
“Love it!” She grinned at him. “It’s perfect.”
“Hey, I forgot to ask how the evac sim went?” he asked.
Laura turned. “Better. The residents are getting faster.”
“But…”
Her lips firmed. “Right now, it’s a bit of a game. In a real attack, some will panic.” Her face turned grim. “Some won’t make it.”
More than ever, Noah understood the need to take a chance and grab onto what mattered. It appeared what mattered to him was a strong, dedicated redhead who was still protecting herself from heartache.
But he no longer just wanted her body, he wanted all of her. Including her heart.
His own knocked against his ribs. He’d had it shredded once, and he never wanted to feel like that again. But Laura Bladon was worth it.