Defiant (Battle Born Book 13)

by Cyndi Friberg

  “Then why are you blushing?”

  Averting her gaze from his handsome face, she focused on the importance of their search. If they could identify Abaddon, they would be one giant step closer to stopping any more attacks. “One of my Tandori instructors had some unusual, even scandalous, techniques, but they were very effective.”

  Drex stood as well. He pushed in his chair, but didn’t approach her. “Do tell. Scandalous always catches my attention.”

  “He believed that strong emotions could be used to transcend the physical and access the metaphysical. Some of his students required pain, others fear or anger. What worked best with me was…” She couldn’t bring herself to admit what she’d done all those years ago. It had been forbidden.

  He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her hips. “Which emotion worked best with you? I bet I can guess.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against one corner of her mouth. “How intense do the emotions need to be?” He whispered the words against her lips, his warm breath as sensual as his tone.

  “How intense can you make them?” He hadn’t mentioned her inappropriate behavior, so she gladly let the subject drop.

  “Let’s find out.” He swept her into his arms, his mouth taking control as his lips slanted over hers.

  She wrapped her arms around his back, touching him boldly as she’d longed to do ever since she walked into the conference room. His back was broad and tightly muscled, but she was frustrated by the material separating her fingers from his skin. She tugged on the offending shirt, desperately wanting it gone. He flipped open the first few buttons with one hand, then drew the shirt off over his head. Their mouths separated only long enough for him to toss the shirt aside.

  They kissed and kissed, his hands moving over her back, hips and behind. She lost herself in his taste and the feel of his muscular body, but all she could think about was how badly she wanted him. Breathless, and restless as hell, she tore her mouth away. “I don’t think this will work with us.”

  “Why? We’ve barely begun.”

  She looked into his eyes and admitted, “I want you so badly. I can’t think of anything else.”

  He kissed her again, a slow, evocative kiss. “So let me put out that fire, then we’ll try again.”

  With a frustrated cry, she tried to pull away, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into his arms. Instead of kissing her, he tucked her head under his chin and just held her, inhaling her scent. “I’ll behave. Tell me what you need.”

  What she needed was so damn selfish she couldn’t speak the words. If she had no intention of having sex with him, this wasn’t fair. Besides, the only way she would know it worked was if she’d done it before. She really didn’t want him to realize that embarrassing fact.

  “Do you want me to touch you while you concentrate on the vision?”

  She nodded, but kept her face pressed against his chest.

  “Do I need to do more than touch you?” She nodded again and he laughed, then brought her face up until she looked at him. “Sweetheart, I’ve dreamed about tasting you for weeks. This is no sacrifice.”

  A shiver passed along her spine and heat suffused her face. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I’ll return the favor if you want me to.”

  “Let’s see if we can trigger a vision before we worry about anything else.” He took her by the hand and led her into his bedroom.

  Her heart beat faster with each step she took. Could she honestly keep herself from wanting more if Drex went down on her? She’d dreamed about him too, every night since the tribunal had been filled with his image. She’d imagined all the things they’d do together.

  He turned her around and reached for the zipper on her dress. She kicked off her shoes and quickly pulled the pins from her hair. He started to lower the zipper, then stopped. “Is this how—never mind. It’s none of my business.”

  She tensed, but didn’t speak. Clearly, he’d connected the dots. She finger combed her hair, dreading what he’d do next. Would he reject her? Berate her for allowing such improper conduct?

  “Were you willing or did he use his authority to coerce you?”

  “I was willing,” she stressed. “His ideas were controversial, but he never hurt me in any way.”

  “All right.” He finished unzipping her dress then turned her back around. “I’ve had lovers too, so I have no reason to judge you, but thinking of you with anyone else makes me crazy.”

  She smiled. “I’m bothered by the idea of you with anyone else too.”

  One of his brows arched and he pushed his fingers into her loosened hair, the heel of his hand resting against her cheek. “Why would it bother you if you have no interest in bonding with me?”

  “I have no interest in bonding with anyone, but you are the most desirable man I’ve ever met.”

  He raised his other hand to her face as well. “I can work with that.” His lips sealed over hers again, his tongue gently stroking.

  She raised her hands to his chest and groaned at the heat of his skin and the hardness of the muscles beneath. His entire body felt like velvet-covered steel, and she was anxious to explore.

  He eased the dress off her shoulders and she lowered her arms, allowing the garment to slide down her body. Their mouths continued to mesh while he rid her of her bra and panties, but he made no move to remove his pants.

  She touched his waistband, slipping her fingers just inside the stiff material. “Aren’t you going to undress?”

  He shook his head. “If I get naked, this will end with me inside you.”

  She quickly moved her hand to the middle of his chest, but her resistance was starting to feel dishonest. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her, so why was she still fighting their attraction?

  Taking her with him, he moved to the bed and pulled down the covers. “In you go.” When she didn’t move fast enough, he picked her up and placed her in the middle of the bed. “Now raise your arms over your head. You’re not allowed to touch me.”

  “But I want to touch you.”

  “Not right now. You have a job to do.” He put one knee on the edge of the bed and leaned over her, guiding her arms into place above her head. “Close your eyes and concentrate on the image. I’m just the fuel to get you there.”

  She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, but he didn’t join her immediately. Cool air played over her bare skin, making her nipples tingle. What was he doing? She heard a distinct thunk and had her answer. He’d stopped to pull off his boots.

  The bed dipped as he joined her, and then his warm hand glided from her neck to navel. He skimmed over her breasts, not allowing the exploration for which she desperately longed. He eased her legs apart then moved between her thighs, his body arching over rather than resting on top of hers.

  His lips settled over hers again and she opened for him, needing the warm intimacy of his tongue sliding against hers. It was a pale foreshadowing of the penetration they both craved, but it would have to do for now. They lost themselves in the intoxicating mixture of their breaths and tastes. His mouth grew aggressive, then gradually backed off, soothing and teasing her.

  But kissing was interactive. It distracted her from her objective. She reluctantly turned her face aside, panting harshly. Without hesitation, he kissed his way down her neck, lingering over her collarbones before finally paying attention to her breasts. He caressed one side, while he kissed the other. His lips sucked and his teeth gently nipped. She let the sensations wash over her without thinking about what he was doing or where the pleasure led.

  His lips focused on her nipples, while his hand explored lower. She licked her lips, absorbing each sensation with greedy relish. This was an exercise, a highly pleasurable technique with a specific purpose. She sank deeper into her own mind, pouring energy into her Sensitivity. She wasn’t actually touching Drex, but he was touching her. The connection flooded her mind with unexpected images. She saw him as a child, felt his need for acceptance an
d his aching loneliness. Each time his father paid attention to him, young Drex came alive, his heart filling with hope and longing for more of the same. It broke her heart to feel how acutely he had experienced each emotion. Was that part of being an empath? Did they feel emotions differently than those without empathic abilities?

  As if to answer the question, Drex’s image aged, he was an adolescent now and hope had been replaced with resentment, yet the loneliness remained.

  He tore his mouth away from her breast and growled, “Stop it. You’re supposed to be searching Thea’s memories not mine.”

  She opened her eyes with a gasp, not realizing he was seeing the images too. “I’m not doing it intentionally. I’m not sure I can unless you stop touching me.”

  He stared down at her for a long, tense moment, but she couldn’t read the emotions in his eyes. “I guess I’m not trying hard enough.” He caught the backs of her knees and spread her legs, boldly looking at her sex.

  She tried not to move, but her hands closed into fists. His head lowered between her thighs and she quickly closed her eyes. She needed to be overwhelmed, to experience sensations powerful enough to propel her beyond conscious thought. He was clearly annoyed, but his touch remained gentle, careful, evocative.

  He pushed his tongue between her folds and effortlessly located her clit. She jerked as pleasure pulsed up through her. But the images resumed as well. His lips moved over and against her as his tongue skillfully circled the sensitive bundle of nerves. Her core tightened and her nipples tingled, but she was captivated by the images. Long hours of training and endless medical procedures. His transformation had taken years not weeks as she’d presumed. And each change made him hate his father more. The only person who had ever showed him love was now the enemy.

  The images shifted again. He’d become a young adult, hardened, wary and reserved. He hid behind professionalism and focused entirely on his career. There was nothing in the world but ridicule and pain, so he kept himself apart, protected.

  She wanted to pull him up and kiss him, show him that he wasn’t alone. But he pushed two fingers into her core and she moaned. The teasing fullness only made her want a true joining. She tried to absorb the pleasure without thinking about the specifics, but it was hard to ignore the mechanics. Then she felt his energy slip into her mind. He anchored some sort of link as his fingers began to move between her thighs.

  You’re still thinking. Let me see if I can help.

  His emotions flooded her mind, consuming hunger and the soul-deep longing for a mate. No, not just a mate, he wanted her, yearned for her with every cell in his body. She moaned again then shuddered. She felt his tenderness as he adored her with his mouth and the thrill of having any part of his body inside her. His emotions were so strong they triggered responses his touch alone had failed to unleash.

  She rolled her hips, taking his fingers deeper, but that seemed to frustrate him. He draped her legs over his shoulders and held her hips firmly, keeping her from moving as he focused on the pleasure center of her body. He controlled her pleasure, freeing her to soar.

  An orgasm built deep inside her, rolling toward her like a powerful tide. She arched and cried out as it crested, but he pushed her even higher. Reality shattered, flinging her beyond her body, beyond rational thought.

  The vision unfurled within the pleasure, taking over by degrees. She was no longer Jenna. She relived Thea’s memory as if it were happening live.

  Thea looked around at the adoring faces surrounding her. What was wrong with these people? They sat here like zombies, worshiping a person they couldn’t even see. Why didn’t anyone object to any element of the plan or at least ask questions? They accepted Abaddon’s word as law and didn’t seem to have an individual thought in their heads. Were they drugged? It didn’t make sense.

  “Abaddon.” Big Jim sat closest to the display, as always. With dark hair, a thick mustache and piercing dark eyes, he unnerved Thea almost as much as their leader. Big Jim owned this house and the land surrounding it, which afforded him indulgences not offered to anyone else. One was questioning the supreme leader. Within reason, of course. “Do you want all five of us on this raid or just a few?”

  “Two should be enough. I’ll leave that detail to you.”

  Thea stared at the display, searching for any hint of Abaddon’s appearance. There was nothing. He was a silhouette, a featureless shadow. He could be anyone, anywhere. “He” might even be a woman. His voice was modulated and there was no way of knowing how drastically it was changed.

  “Contact me when it is finished.” As usual, he ended the transmission as soon as he was finished speaking, never waiting for questions or reactions to whatever he’d said.

  “I’ll go,” Big Jim volunteered. “Who wants to come with me?”

  The memory faded and Jenna separated from the image.

  Wait! Look at the table. See the device sticking out of Big Jim’s laptop.

  Jenna tried to recapture the image, but it continued to fade. She brought the device into focus for half a second, and then it was gone. The vison released, returning Jenna to reality. She sprawled naked on Drex’s bed. He now lay beside her. Quickly arranging her body in a less brazen position, she rolled to her side and looked at him. His features were blank, eyes shut, body still as death.

  Fear stabbed through her and she carefully shook his shoulder. “Drex? Drex, wake up.”

  No response.

  Forcing herself not to panic, she shook him again, harder this time. “Drex. This isn’t funny. Open your eyes.”

  He didn’t move.

  She leapt off the bed and frantically pulled on her dress. “Computer, I have a medical emergency.” But the computer didn’t respond either. It must not recognize English commands.

  She ran to the main door and stood in the doorway, not allowing the panel to close. “Hello! Can somebody help me!”

  A soldier paused in an adjacent hallway and looked at her curiously. “Did you just call for help?”

  “Yes.” She motioned him toward her. “Drex is unresponsive. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

  He jogged toward her, calling out in Rodyte as he went. Hopefully, he was summoning help. She took him into the bedroom and showed him Drex. He shot her one salacious glance, then retreated behind an expressionless mask. “A medical team is on their way.”

  It didn’t take long for the medical team to arrive. They shooed her out of the bedroom, insisting that she let them work. She stood in the doorway, helplessly watching as the worked on Drex.

  “What happened?”

  She whipped her head around and found Sedrik behind her. “I don’t know. We were going through the images and…” Did they need to know the details, or would her embarrassment compound the danger for Drex. “He helped me summon a vision and when I came out of it, he was like this.”

  The medics loaded Drex onto a hover cart and maneuvered him out of the cabin.

  “Where are they taking him?” Guilt and fear were tearing apart her composure. It hadn’t been intentional, but she’d done this to him.

  “Clinic seven is closest.” She started for the door, but he blocked her path. “They won’t let you near him until he’s stabilized and they have some idea of what’s wrong. I’ll have someone contact you when that has been accomplished.”

  She nodded, not liking the directive, but understanding the approach. A frantic loved one would just be in the way. “Loved one?” Was she in love with Drex? She cared about him, was intensely attracted to him, but love? He was a Rodyte! She could not love a Rodyte. She would not make the same mistakes as her mother.

  Pushing the disquieting possibility to the back of her mind, she went to the bedroom and gathered her clothing. She needed to be publicly presentable when the doctor called.

  * * * * *

  Calming herself with a deep breath, Thea Cline reached for the driver’s side door release. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest and her mouth was so dry she wasn’t s
ure she could speak. She’d passed a restless night trying to anticipate every obstacle and her response to it. Unfortunately, her options were so limited all the exercise had done was highlight the impossibility of her task. Recruit Jenna Fermont by recruiting her mother. Yeah, right. Abaddon made it sound so simple, just another stroll in the park.

  She forced away the pessimism and plastered on her best friendly neighbor smile. Two burly guards watched her as she approached the wide, stone stairs, but neither spoke nor blocked her path. Hurdle one cleared. Her legs felt rubbery as she started up the stairs, but she only made it halfway. The head goon—she thought his name was Forest or Foster—stepped in front of her, arms crossed over his massive chest.

  “I give you points for persistence, but apparently you’re not too smart,” he spoke in a deep, rumbly voice.

  “I’m not here to bother Jenna. I—”

  “Doctor Fermont,” he corrected. His sunglasses disguised much of his expression, but he didn’t look pleased to see her.

  “I’d like to speak with Ms. Lenore Fermont. Would you please tell her I’m here?”

  “Give it up, lady. Leave now or I’ll call the police.”

  She scrambled for a new strategy, but it was obvious he meant business. If she got arrested, would the RF come bail her out? Doubtful.

  With a frustrated sigh, she retraced her steps and climbed back in her car. One of the goons followed her, intimidating in his silence. He stood on the sidewalk, staring at her from behind dark sunglasses. Did the goon squad buy the shades wholesale and distribute them to each student upon graduation from goon school?

  She started her car and waved with a cheesy smile as she drove away. “See you in a few hours,” she muttered under her breath. If the head goon took a break, maybe she could sneak past the others. Again, doubtful, but she had to try. Abaddon said there would be consequences if she failed and he never made idle threats.

  She was much too agitated for sightseeing, so she drove back to her hotel. The longer she stayed, the shabbier the room seemed to become. Still, housekeeping had been through so the floor was vacuumed and the bed made. She dug out her laptop, but couldn’t make herself check in. Abaddon insisted on an update at least once a day. There were many hours left in this day and she didn’t have anything useful to report, so she decided to wait.