Born of Shadows

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  Oh yeah, baby...

  This was what he'd been craving since the moment he first saw her. Every hormone inside him was salivating, dying for a taste of her body. When she pulled back to stare up at him, he felt his cock harden even more. He waited for her to speak, but she didn't. Instead, she opened his shirt and splayed her hands over his chest, brushing against his bruised flesh. Her caress sent chills down the entire length of his body.

  In that moment he was undone and he knew there was no going back.

  "Don't start this fire, Desideria. Not unless you intend to see it through."

  She leaned in to nip his chin. "I'm willing to see it through."

  He kissed her quickly, then moved toward the shower so that he could start the water.

  She frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

  "In the event Fain is right for the first time in his life, I don't want to offend you with my body odor."

  Laughing, she shook her head. "As you would say, I think I resemble that remark. It's been a few days for me too."

  "Yes, but you smell a lot better than I do. Believe me, my sisters tutored me well on the fact that men stink more than womeneve me, ont>

  "I don't know. I'd run my sisters up against the smelliest beasts in the universe. In fact, Cissy is always complaining that if we could bottle Gwen's sweat we'd have an entirely new biological weapon capable of dropping entire armies after one sniff. And I have to say, it's pretty potent."

  Desideria sobered as Caillen undressed and he exposed more and more of that delectable flesh for her hungry gaze. Okay, her sisters weren't crazy. There was definitely something to be said for a man's naked body and Caillen's was exquisite. From his broad, muscled shoulders to the flat, tight stomach she could do laundry on, down his long, hairy legs all the way to his feet. Yes, he was bruised and wounded, but it didn't detract from the beauty of him at all.

  She reversed her gaze and heat exploded across her face as she saw the part of him that was uniquely male. God love him, he was totally unabashed by his nudity. What she wouldn't give to be so secure in her own looks. And she was both fascinated and terrified by that stiff male part of him. It was alien and strange, and at the same time beautiful and beguiling.

  His gentle laughter teased her as he reached out and pulled her closer to him. "It won't bite you, sweet, and neither will I... at least not without an invitation."

  She shivered as he started opening her shirt and her old insecurities slammed into her. Would he find her unappealing? "You know I've never been with a man before."

  He froze before those sharp eyes narrowed on her. "How is that possible?"

  "I haven't earned the right yet."

  He scowled at her. "Then why would you--"

  She cut his words off by placing the tip of her finger against his lips. "We're not on Qilla now. I think I want to try your customs for a while."

  He nibbled her fingertip, savoring the salty taste of her skin. "Are you sure about this? Sex is the one thing you can't undo. The last thing I want to be is a mistake that eats on your conscience."

  She stared at him in awe. "Are you always so concerned about your lovers and their feelings?"

  Caillen swallowed as those words took him back to the day he'd found his sister after her rape. She'd been so shattered and hurt. So damaged both mentally and physically. That one moment in time was forever branded into his heart and mind. The way Shahara had clung to him, then cursed him for being male. The way she'd cut her hair and then refused to be touched by anyone for years afterward. All the times she'd been afraid to leave their apartment. Even now, after all this time and her extensive combat training, she'd cringe if he came up behind her when she wasn't paying attention. And she still rarely hugged or touched him.

  He would never do that to another human being. Never tear a woman down to that level, especially not one who meant as much to him as Desideria did. "I don't want to be something you regret. Ever."

  Desideria's eyes teared up. In that oment, she made a horrifying discovery.

  She was falling in love with a lunatic rogue who lived with a death wish. One who had an amazing smile and an irritating ego. That realization floored her.

  Love. Such a stupid emotion. She'd never understood it. Not until right now as she stared into the dark eyes of the only person she'd ever trusted with her safety. The only person she'd ever taken care of even though she didn't know how. This man who was grating, arrogant and annoying.

  And perfectly wonderful.

  She wanted to cry from the fierce emotions that swelled inside her. A part of her wanted to devour him. Another part just wanted to hold him until everything was good again.

  Unable to stand it, she pulled him into her arms and just let the sensation of his body soothe hers. It felt so good to be so close to him.

  Caillen sensed something different about the way she held him this time. She clung to him with her face buried against his neck. Not moving, just holding on for dear life like she feared he'd shove her away.

  Had she snapped a wheel? Had all the bullshit of the last few days finally broken her?

  He didn't know why, but that thought actually angered him. He couldn't stand the thought of anything bad happening to her. "Are you all right?"

  She nodded, then stepped back to shrug out of her top.

  His throat went dry at the sight of her bared breasts. He'd known she was beautiful, but the bounty in front of him was more than he'd expected. Oh yeah, those would overfill his hands and leave him completely satisfied. Growling, he dipped his head down to taste a piece of heaven.

  Desideria shivered at the warmth of his breath on her naked flesh. And each stroke of his tongue sent a wave of heat through her. Never in her life had she felt anything like it. Her embarrassment fled under the assault of her desire and her need to please him.

  Before she even realized his hands had moved, he had her completely naked. For the merest instant, she was bashful, but Caillen didn't leave her any time for that as he pulled her into the shower. He pressed her up against the wall while the hot water pelted them.

  Only he could be that gorgeous with this long black hair plastered against his skin. Biting her lip, she brushed it back from his face and smiled as she remembered what he'd told her when he took the medicine to grow it. "Is this going to get in the way?"

  He flashed that playful grin that made her stomach contract and a part of her throb. "Yeah, but you're worth the pain." He caressed her cheek with his, allowing his stubble to raise chills along her body.

  She sucked her breath in sharply as she touched the scars on his back and the deeper one on his abdomen. His scrolling bird tattoo blended with them in a way that made her curious. "Did you get the tattoo to cover your scars?"

  Caillen froze at an astute question no one had ever asked him before. He started to lie, but he didn't want a relationship with her that was built on that. "Yeah. I've always been self-conscious about them."

  "Why?"

  He brushed his hand down the worst one on his left side where it appeared someone had carved him open. "Women like perfect bodies and I've been around enough of them to know that the number and depth of scars I have can be a turnoff."

  She ran her hand along the one he'd traced. "I don't mind it at all. It just proves you're insane."

  The warmth in his eyes scorched her. "That I am."

  Biting her lip, she saw the new scar that was forming where he'd been shot. And it made her wonder about the others. "How did you get them?"

  "Shahara has always said that I can only learn by screwing up first. Each scar serves as a permanent reminder to me that that which doesn't kill you will just require many stitches."

  Caillen tried to keep his tone light, but the truth was, he hated the damage he'd done to himself. The toll his stunts had taken on his body. But that being said, he didn't see even the faintest trace of disgust in her beautiful dark eyes.

  A deep frown creased her brow as she touched the scar on his forehea
d. "I can't believe your sister hit you with a pry bar."

  "You said I deserved it."

  "I didn't mean it."

  Those words warmed him as he kissed the tip of her nose and took her hand into his. With his gaze locked firmly on hers, he led her hand until she cupped him where he was most desperate to feel her touch.

  Desideria held her breath as she allowed Caillen to show her how to stroke his body. She was amazed at how soft his skin was over the hardness. But what thrilled her most was the look in his eyes as she explored him. There was so much passion and desire. Such tenderness for her. He traced circles over breasts, teasing them until she feared she'd melt. No one had ever looked at her like he did--like he could devour her. It made her feel powerful and strong in a way nothing ever had.

  His murmured sounds of pleasure filled her ears, making her even bolder with her caresses. She reached down and squeezed him tight.

  He jumped back with a hiss. "Careful, love. Too hard and we'll both be disappointed."

  She clenched her hand into a tight fist. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

  He kissed her hand before he led it back to his cock. "It's all right. You'll just have to rub the pain away. Kiss it and make it better."

  "You're devious." She wrinkled her nose at him.

  "Absolutely." Cupping her face, he kissed her agn away. ile she ran her hand down the length of his shaft. It was so strange to her that she was completely unbodyconscious. All her life, she'd been so careful to stay covered up so that her mother and sisters wouldn't belittle her. But with Caillen, she felt beautiful. He didn't seem to mind the fact that she was muscled and larger than other women. If anything, he enjoyed it.

  In fact, he bathed her slowly, his hands sliding over and into her. Every stroke and caress made her tremble. It was like electricity ran through her body. And when he knelt down in front of her and replaced his hand with his mouth she cried out in pleasure. Her senses exploding, she buried her hand in his slick hair as he teased and tasted her.

  Rational thought fled her mind. How could anything feel so incredible? In all her fantasies, she'd never considered this. All of a sudden, she felt her body explode into wave after wave of ecstasy. Her eyes widened as she cried out again.

  Caillen held her close and continued to taste her until her body finally floated down to a semblance of sanity.

  Her breathing still ragged, she stared at him in wonder. "What did you do to me?"

  He nipped gently at her thigh. "That, my sweet, is an orgasm."

  No wonder people risked death for it. She finally understood why people craved sex. It was incredible.

  Caillen's eyes darkened as his expression turned serious as he stood up in front of her. He took her hand into his and lifted one of her legs to wrap around his hip.

  Her body was still quivering and pulsing as he slid himself deep inside her. She sucked her breath in sharply at the foreign sensation of him filling her completely. A piercing pain overrode her pleasure for several seconds until he began stroking her with his hand. The pain fled as he pinned her against the wall and kissed her. She wrapped both of her legs around his lean waist, reveling in the sensation of him pressing against her while he filled her body.

  "You feel so good," he breathed in her ear.

  Her reply ended in a small gasp as he thrust against her hips. More pleasure rippled through her body as he rode her slow and easy. The intimacy of this moment stunned her in a way she'd have never imagined. She was naked with a man inside her. There was no one else in the universe but the two of them. Nothing but the sensation of them sharing their bodies while the hot water showered over them.

  He dipped his head down to nibble her breast as he continued to thrust against her. She cupped his head to her as emotions confused her even more. She was now a woman in every sense of the word. And Caillen, a wanted fugitive, was her lover.

  That one word whispered through her mind and for a moment she felt like she was outside of her body looking down on them as they stood in the small cubicle. Connected. Not just by a physical act, but by something much deeper. Much more profound.

  Caillen buried his head against Desideria's neck as the hot water pelted his back. She raked her nails gently over his skin, raising chills the length of his bthe sen Never in his life had he felt like this. He didn't know what it was about her that had slid past his defenses, but he'd let her into a place where only she could do him harm. It wasn't just that he was her first, there was something more.

  The way she made him feel... Not like a loser or a player. She made him feel heroic.

  How stupid was that?

  She'll betray you. Sooner or later, everyone does. He didn't want to believe that. Not even for an instant. For the first time in his life, he could see past the possibility of a betrayal.

  He could see...

  A lifetime spent like this--lost in her arms.

  Don't be stupid. You're both dead if you're caught. That was a big if. And right now, he wanted to make sure nothing happened to spoil this.

  To hurt her.

  She was the most important thing to him. And with that thought, he felt his body tilting over the edge. Throwing his head back, he let his orgasm take him to the highest level.

  Desideria held him close, her breath tickling him as she tightened her legs around his waist. Yeah, he could definitely stay like this for eternity.

  Two hours later, Caillen lay naked on the cold floor of the crew members' lounge listening to Desideria's quiet snore as she rested on top of his chest. He was every bit as exhausted as she was and for the first time in months he wasn't completely stressed out even though he should be. Her breath tickled his skin as he tried to plot through everything he'd have to do once they landed. He still had no idea how to get the evidence he needed to clear his name and find his father's killer.

  Unless he found the assassin and could get that bastard to talk. That was much easier said than done. The most unfortunate thing--freelance assassins were more common than grains of sand on a beach. Finding any particular one...

  That was more luck than skill.

  And then there was the matter of Desideria.

  The mere thought of her name made his heartbeat race. The scent of her hung heavy around him and all he wanted was to stay like this with her forever.

  That fact terrified him. He didn't want to be attached to anyone. It brought too much drama and crap into his already screwed up life.

  Yeah, but wouldn't it be great to have a relationship like Shahara's and Syn's? Like Nykyrian's and Kiara's?

  He wanted to tell himself that he didn't care about that at all, but deep inside he knew the truth. He'd love to have a woman whose face would light up the way Desideria's did whenever she looked at him.

  I wonder if she even knows she does it.

  Culd breally mean something to her? He was too used to women telling him he was worthless and a waste. Women who wanted to claw his eyes out over unintentional slights. Such as forgetting a birthday while his entire life fell apart.

  To have one who might love him and be there when he needed her...

  Stop acting like a woman, you moron. You have way too many other things to focus on right now and if you both get killed fat lot of good love will do you when you're dead.

  True, very true.

  My father's gone. That reality kept coming back to him and kicking him hard in the stomach. He hadn't known his real father any time at all really, but the man had come to mean a lot to him. He still couldn't believe he wouldn't see him again. Wouldn't hear the note of exasperation in his father's voice as he said the dreaded words "I've spoken to Bogimir."

  Maybe he should have tried harder to be a prince. To make his father proud. The man had loved him, and in truth, he'd learned to love the old man himself.

  I should have told him that.

  Of all people, he knew how fleeting and fragile life was. Every time his father had told him he loved him, he'd seen the expectation in his fa
ther's eyes, waiting for Caillen to return the sentiment. And he never had.

  I'm such an asshole.

  Why hadn't he said it to his father? Just once? It would have made the man's day and cost him nothing. I can't believe I didn't tell him. Guilt and grief choked him. But there was nothing he could do to rectify it now.

  It was too late.

  Sighing, there were a lot of things in his life he regretted.

  Except for being with Desideria.

  Looking down at her on his bare chest, he smiled. Yeah, he'd never regret her.

  "Hey, Cai?"

  He frowned at Hauk's strained tone that echoed from the intercom. "Yeah?"

  "We got a little situation up here. I think you need to come to the bridge. Fast."

  "Why?"

  It was Fain who answered. "Oh nothing really. We're just about to be attacked, that's all. Thought you might want to see the death blast coming before it turned us into a flaming ball of twisted metal."

  19

  Caillen was still pulling his jacket on as he rejoined Fain and Hauk on the small bridge. "What's going on?"

  Hauk pointed to the monitor. "Loo familiar?"

  Caillen's jaw went slack as the computer brought up the image and schematics of a black fighter and enhanced it. It was one he'd become a little too acquainted with lately. "What the hell? How could he have followed us through a wormhole?"

  Fain shrugged. "Well hell if I know. Why don't you go on out there and ask him? I'm sure he'll be willing to share. We could have a whole group therapy session and talk about all of our negative feelings and deepest-held secrets while we're at it too."

  Hauk rolled his eyes at Fain's sarcasm. "Technology is ever evolving, my friend."

  "Evolving my ass." Caillen switched to the ship's markings just to be sure. And yes, there was no denying the bastard's identity. It was the same assassin who'd been following them since the beginning. "This is ridiculous. No one can trace through a wormhole. There's too much distortion."

  Hauk shrugged. "Ridiculous or not, he's on our tail and our weapons are still down."

  Caillen growled low in his throat as he motioned Hauk out of his seat so that he could take the controls from him. It was time he--

  A blast of orange lit up the space in front of him. His blood pumping, he saw the new addition to their party. Small, sleek and blood red, the fighter shot past their nose so close he could feel the vapor trail. It flew in a familiar erratic pattern...