Men of Mercy: The Complete Story

by Cross, Lindsay

  Mack circled her hips and pulled her against his chest, closing his eyes the moment her hard nipples brushed against his flesh. He was a monster; he was a man without any remaining humanity, but Marley made him feel like he had hope for the first time. Unable to resist her goodness, he dipped his head to hers and gently took her lips, pleasure racking his body when she opened to him willingly, moaning into his mouth. She didn’t hide or shy away from the fact that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her—and that left him reeling.

  His mouth slid over hers, desperate with the need to dominate and take every ounce of her possible. Marley’s nails dug into his shoulders and she pulled herself up on her toes, meeting him in passion.

  He broke away and raked his teeth down the side of her neck, savoring the rash of chill bumps left by his rough touch. There was an edge of violence to his movements as he bit down at the hollow between her shoulders, drawing a cry from her lips. The monster inside him savored her cries. His fingers dug into her ass and jammed her hard against his cock, straining to get inside her.

  Fuck! He needed to be inside, hammering into her tight pussy so he could forget the pain. Marley rose to him and he let go of her shoulder, seeking out those tight buds. His control was a thousand miles away as his lips closed over her hard nipple. He needed to take over and dominate her; he needed to pound into her. Marley raked her nails on his skin, going from his shoulders to his scalp. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. He let go of her nipple, the animal side of him admiring the rosy red flesh and the mark of the forceful kiss he had just given her.

  Aching, he took her other nipple, his spine tingling from the intense cries and whimpers that echoed through the cave. But he still couldn’t get his emotions to quell or quiet. Desperately, he bit his way up to her neck, pulling on her tender skin with enough force to leave a bruise. He needed to mark her inside and out. He needed to take her so he could forget. His hands encircled her hips, and when he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Needing her now, Mack got to his knees and lowered her to the ground. He shoved her legs apart and her knees fell open without any resistance. He lined his cock up with her entrance and was ready to shove inside, to do anything to ease this burning intensity . . .

  “Mack.” Her softly whispered word licked around him, drawing him out of the abyss of darkness that had taken hold. Mack blinked, coming back to reality as he stared down at her, seeing hickeys already forming along her neck and on her breasts, where he had taken her so roughly with his mouth.

  He was a monster.

  Mack shoved himself backward and speared his fingers through his hair. “Christ, Marley, there’s no excuse. I’m sorry.” He stumbled to his feet, blind and lost. He’d never lost it like that before; he felt like he was tumbling out of control. What the fuck was wrong with him?

  “Mack, don’t leave me.” Marley shot to her feet and grabbed his arm, but he flinched away, avoiding her gaze. He couldn’t bear to see the judgment there.

  “Marley, I need some distance. I lost it and you don’t deserve that.”

  “You didn’t hurt me. I wouldn’t have let you. Can’t you see how much I want you, too?” She circled to stand in front of him and gently pressed her lips directly over his heart.

  Mack searched her gaze for any hint of a lie, but the sincerity shining up at him stole his breath. So did the red and purple bruise in the hollow of her neck. Mack’s hands fisted at his sides and he stared straight over her head into the blackness of the cave. “I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, so I won’t ask for it.”

  Marley kissed his chest again and it took every ounce of willpower inside him not to move. Her lips spread fire through him.

  “You didn’t hurt me Mack, not even close. The only one hurting in here is you. Let me soothe you.”

  Marley peppered kisses across his torso, her lips whispering over his skin like a thousand butterflies. She kissed her way down to his navel and then went down on her knees in front of him. Mack drew in a ragged breath, fighting for even an ounce of control. He refused to look at her, instead focusing on how close he had come to harming her.

  But Marley would not be ignored. He felt her hot breath a second before her tongue snaked up his length and then her soft lips wrapped around the head of his cock. He bucked involuntarily and hissed in pleasure.

  Mack finally allowed himself to look down at her and the sight before him stole his ability to think.

  Marley was on her knees, her hand and mouth circling him, staring up at him wide-eyed and gorgeous. Forgetting everything, Mack watched as she deliberately took him deeper into her mouth, her hot tongue dancing underneath to stroke the sensitive nerves bundled under the tip of his cock. Lightning tingled down his spine, and with a groan, Mack buried his hands in her hair. Marley kept going, taking him in inch by inch until he felt himself butt up against the back of her throat. She swallowed, the pleasure nearly taking him to his knees. Slowly, she dragged her lips back up his length, licked his tip, and then took him fully inside once more—showing him that she was in control.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He’d never seen anything so earth-shatteringly beautiful as this woman on her knees before him. She told him with her mouth and with her gaze that she would take care of him, all he had to do was let her.

  Mack loosened his hold on her head and allowed her to fully take charge. With every lick, he felt a bit of the pain give way as he let himself get lost in Marley. He was too big for her to take all of him, so she worked him with her hand and her mouth, increasing the pace until the base of his spine tingled and his balls drew up. “Marley, I’m close.”

  She hummed, the vibrations carrying straight down his length into his gut. Instead of slowing or stopping, she increased the pressure and pace.

  “Marley, stop.”

  She looked up with defiance and sucked him harder. He erupted, his cum jetting out into her mouth. Marley swallowed every single drop, leaving Mack completely empty himself, unable to think about anything but the pleasure of her mouth and the warmth of her heart. She sucked him softly, licked his length, and then kissed his thigh. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at him with a soft smile.

  “Christ.” Mack went down to his knees so that he could be eye level with her. He didn’t care that his hands were still trembling from the roller coaster ride of emotions as he gently clasped her face in his palms. He didn’t know what to say—there weren’t any words—so he did the only thing he could. He took her lips in a fierce kiss, showing her his utter amazement and passion.

  Marley threw her arms around his neck and their tongues danced. He tasted himself on her, something that made the blood pound in his ears. This time he gently kissed his way down her neck, and he was unable to stop himself—his hand found the juncture between her legs. His nostrils flared when he felt her wetness. Had pleasuring him turned her on?

  Marley took his shoulders and mounted his hand, rocking her hips so that they grazed over his fingers. She was ready for him. With a groan, Mack lowered her to her back and shoved her knees apart. Then he buried his face in her sex, lapping her up. The pleasure of her taste, her soft mewling cries echoing off the walls of the cave, her legs sealed around his ears—it all sent him into a vortex of pleasure. She had taken his uncontrollable lust and tamed the beast. She had soothed a darkness inside him with a gentleness that had left him shaken. Now he would return the pleasure a thousand-fold.

  Mack lapped at her, strong steady strokes, savoring every satiny inch of her skin.

  “Mack, I’m close…” Her breathy cry spurred him to gently shove his fingers inside her. She clenched around him as he pumped her with his fingers and licked her with his tongue, her walls tightening and spasming as she moaned out her orgasm. Mack licked up every single drop as her juices coated his face, his tongue, and his fingers.

  He dropped to his knees and plunged inside. Her orgasm continued and she milked him, her tight walls squeezing him
like a fist. Mack rode her, thrusting into her tight depths, savoring her cries of pleasure as he drove them both to another orgasm.

  When they finished, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his back so that Marley lay on top of them, both of them breathing hard and sweating and absolutely replete with pleasure. He didn’t know why or how, but Marley had cleansed him. She’d offered herself up and taken his pain. Warmth spread from his chest and down his arms and he hugged her tight, tucking her head into the hollow of his neck so she wouldn’t see the depth of his caring. He didn’t think he could feel love anymore—not after everything he’d done, what he’d become—but whatever he felt for Marley right now was the closest thing to it he could imagine. He wrapped one arm around her waist and buried his face in her hair. And until he fell asleep, they were locked together.

  Chapter 15

  When Marley awoke the next morning, the sun had already risen, casting the darkened cave with a fiery pink glow. Mack once more stood at the mouth of the cave with his back to her, only this time he was clothed, a state which she found utterly disappointing, no matter how well he filled out that black T-shirt.

  The taut set to his shoulders was gone. Marley quickly slipped into her bra, choosing to forgo her flight suit for the moment, and padded over to him. Suddenly shy, she pulled back just before she touched his shoulder and instead crossed her arms over her middle and stared out at the gorgeous scene. The sun appeared enormous on the horizon, having risen over the trees in a giant fiery arch that painted the green leaves a glowing gold.

  A wave of shimmering heat and humidity glinted over the canopy, bending the air and the horizon. It was breathtaking. Even so, she couldn’t help but steal a quick peek at Mack out of the corner of her eye. His chiseled expression showed about as much emotion as the stone cave in which they stood. Marley shifted from her left to right foot and tucked her arms more tightly around her body. Had she been too forward last night? Was he disgusted by her actions? She blushed at the thought of how brazen and bold she’d been—she had never ever been that outgoing with her former husband.

  But something about Mac’s raw pain and masculine earthy power had stolen her ability to think. She’d only been able to feel, her emotions bouncing off his and combusting into conflagration that had sparked to life the first moment she laid eyes on him.

  Mack still hadn’t acknowledged her presence. Maybe he really was disgusted with her . . . Maybe he couldn’t stand to look at her. If last night had been no more than an adrenaline-fueled sex session for him, he wouldn’t have any more use for her now that he’d burned off that remaining energy. That thought hurt more than it should. Then again, what could she expect after having a one-night stand with a man she’d met that morning?

  Self-righteous anger followed the hurt. What right did he have to look down on her?

  He was pretending like she wasn’t even there, like their sex had been meaningless. When it had completely changed her.

  Marley parted her lips, ready to tell him exactly what she thought of him and his irritating highhandedness, but Mack beat her to the punch. He turned and stared down at her with such banked intensity, it stole the thoughts straight from her lips.

  “Are you okay?” His gruff voice scraped across her sensitive skin. It was all Marley could do to hold back a shiver of pleasure.

  “I’d be better if you’d quit ignoring me and tell me what you’re thinking.” If it’s that you loved last night and I didn’t disgust you . . .

  He brushed a strand of hair back from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear in a gesture that was one hundred percent comfort. “I’m thinking you must be completely disgusted with how I lost control last night.”

  Disgusted? With him? When he’d given her the best orgasms she’d ever had? “How could I be disgusted with you?”

  He searched her gaze, his rough palms staying near her cheek but not touching. She could feel the heat radiating from his skin to hers. “I was too rough. I took advantage of you.” There was uncertainty dancing in his eyes, something she found completely heart melting and vulnerable.

  “I think I was the one who took advantage of you,” she said with a teasing tone in her voice, hoping to ease some of the turbulence rolling off him in waves.

  Her attempt failed. She could see it in the way his mouth tightened and his granite jaw ticked beneath the thickening shadow of a beard. “I’m not joking, Marley. You’re vulnerable after all you’ve been through. I knew better. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I need to tell you that I really am sorry.”

  Oh, this man took stubborn to a whole new level, and if her heart didn’t feel like it was swelling to near bursting in her chest, she’d let her irritation win the battle over the draw of his mouth. Instead, she pictured his family as he tried to pull away. Then she took his hand and placed a kiss on his palm, closing her eyes briefly when she got a quick inhale of his scent. “It hurts my feelings that you’re apologizing for giving me the best sex of my life.”

  She felt a fresh wave of heat stain her cheeks, having never been so blatant with her words or her actions—at least not in her sex life.

  She heard Mack’s sharp inhale and chanced a look at him. His nostrils flared and some of that cloying guilt had disappeared. He scanned her, his gaze landing on her shoulder and her neck, and then he went all hard again. “I marked you.”

  A shudder of pleasure worked down her spine. Yes, he had marked her on the inside and the outside in the most primal way imaginable. “And I loved every minute.”

  She could practically smell desire pouring off him, and if it hadn’t already been so hot, that look might’ve melted her on the spot. As if an invisible chain linked them together, Marley found herself drifting toward him.

  “Christ, woman, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to take you again right here and right now.” He let his thumb drift over her cheekbone, and a caress that should’ve been comforting instead sparked the flame inside her. The need rose up inside her—fierce and insistent. Marley licked her lips, savoring the memory of how he’d tasted.

  “I wouldn’t complain.”

  There was a tender soreness between her legs, but she didn’t care. At this moment, she wanted Mack more than she wanted food or water. More than she wanted to find a way out of this godforsaken jungle.

  She sensed the moment Mack changed his mind. The particles in the air shifted outward, physically changed from all that power. He took her mouth and kissed fiercely enough to melt the rising sun. Before she could process that, he had her turned around facing just inside the cave. He grabbed her hands and put them on the wall, unbuttoned her pants and shoved them down, and kneed her legs apart. Within seconds, he was nudging at her entrance from behind, his thick cock plying easily through her soaking wet folds. Mack grabbed her hips and buried himself to the hilt with one hard thrust.

  “Mack!”

  “I’m not going to be gentle, Marley.” He punctuated that bold statement by drawing out of her and slamming back in so hard that she rocked up onto her toes. He stretched her and filled her like nothing else, so she felt every last inch of his hard, satiny length inside her.

  Mack made good on his promise, pounding into her with a hard ferocity so that all she could do was hold onto the wall for support. Her orgasm hit her just as hard and fast, knocking the strength out of her knees. Mack groaned in her ear, planted himself deep inside her one last time and came.

  Marley couldn’t move—it was all she could do to keep standing. Mack fixed his clothes and lifted her pants before turning her to face him.

  The cold shell he’d erected that morning was gone and there was a primitive look of possession in his eyes that made her thighs clench in reaction. She pulled him down to her, taking his lips. She didn’t want to let any distance return. There was a tenuous bond between them, one that made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t felt in years and she knew it was all because of Mack.

  He broke the kiss and rested his forehea
d against hers, both of them sweating from their exertion. Mack said, “If we keep up this pace, I won’t have enough strength to get us down off the cliff.”

  Marley felt something ease in her chest. “If we keep doing that, I don’t mind if we stay up here forever.”

  Their stomachs growled loudly in the silence and Mack chuckled. “I think I better find us both some food to sustain us, or we’re going to pass out.”

  Her stomach rumbled again at the mention of food, acutely reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in well over twenty-four hours. “All my MREs got burned in the explosion.”

  He stood tall and pounded his fists against his chest, an utterly boyish look crossing over his face. “I guess you’re lucky I’m a good hunter, huh?”

  Oh, she was lucky all right, lucky in more ways than she could realize at this moment. “Shelter, sex, food—what’s next? The lottery?”

  Mack’s rich hearty laugh boomed through the cave, sending jolts of happiness through her.

  “Why do I get the feeling you don’t do that often enough?” she asked.

  His eyes met hers, not flat anymore but full of admiration. Wonder, even. “Because up until now, I haven’t had a reason to.”

  Chapter 16

  Mack stood at the top of the cliff, looking out over the vast, seemingly never-ending expanse of Congo. He had scaled the rest of the wall minutes before, leaving Marley in the safety of their cave. He needed to get to a high point to pin down their location, plus the location where his men had agreed to meet in case of a separation. After having to scatter and fight, his men would be working their way back to the pre-set meeting point. Hooking up with them was priority number one.

  But he also needed some distance from Marley.

  He couldn’t think straight when she was within ten feet. Those big brown eyes and perfect lips held his attention more than they should. She completely forgot her flight suit, and the form-fitting tank top and pants she had on underneath did nothing but accentuate every curve, leaving him panting like a randy teenager. Christ, his dick was getting hard again just thinking about her round ass and how wonderfully it filled his palms.