“I like you too much.” He continued to tease her with short, shallow kisses that never went quite deep enough.
Losing the battle to keep herself emotionally distant, she twined her arms around his neck, went up on her toes, and kissed him hard.
His arms came around her. For the first time, a man’s grip wasn’t threatening or confining, but comforting. It was as if every cell in her body sighed and relaxed with the contact.
This man was more dangerous than anyone she’d ever been sent to kill. He’d gotten under her skin, challenged her, aroused her. And he wasn’t anywhere near at full strength.
He could consume me whole.
A chill raced down her spine. She released him and took a step back, chest heaving as she struggled for breath. “That can’t happen again.” Her breath caught when he licked his lips.
“Why not?” When he took a step toward her, she took one back, even though it went against everything in her to retreat. But he’d already proven she lost all sense of self-protection when he touched her.
“You think I’m working for Balthazar.” And that had hurt more than it should. He was nothing more than a job. His opinion shouldn’t matter.
He released a huff of frustration and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “What am I supposed to think? You won’t tell me anything.”
Sympathy welled up inside her. How did it feel to not know anything about your past? She’d forgotten much from her younger years, but her memories were her own.
“I was told not to. It’s the best medical advice I have. You could believe whatever I say, even a lie, and build false memories.”
A frown marred his handsome face. “Is such a thing possible?”
“I’m no expert.” She shrugged and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “But the way it was explained to me was that the mind naturally wants to make connections. If I tell you something, you could conceivably create a memory to suit it.”
“So all we can rely on is what I remember?”
“Yes.” She touched his arm but quickly yanked her hand away. Best not to push her luck. “Look, I know you’re finding it hard to trust me. I get it.” It stung, but she understood. Delphi stuffed her hand into her pocket and withdrew the metal disc. “This is a tracking device. I smuggled it onto Tortuga under my skin. It was the only way to avoid detection.” It was a precautionary measure in case she was taken prisoner. And it was a good thing, too, considering no tech was allowed outside the docking bay.
“I’m on Tortuga?” He began to pace, walking in and out of the streaks of sunlight pouring in through the slits in the ceiling.
“You didn’t know?” She’d assumed he did. Something she shouldn’t have done.
He shook his head, his pacing increasing speed. “I woke in the cell. I have no idea where I came from or how I got there.” Coming to an abrupt halt, he put his hands on his hips and stared upward. “Tortuga is a planet of outlaws, named for an ancient Terran community of the same name. It’s a haven for the undesirables, the criminals and the violent.”
She stayed quiet as he resumed pacing, still talking.
“Security is tight. It’s impossible to get tech of any kind past the strict security at the docking bay. But you managed.”
“What can I say? I’m that good.”
“Let me see that disc.” Ivar held out his hand, his posture, his tone commanding. This was a man used to being obeyed. Even in rough clothing with bruises and scars on his body, he was every inch a prince and a warrior.
Since it would do no harm to either of them or the mission, she dropped it into his palm. He raised it to the light and examined it.
“What’s it made of?”
“Titansteel.” Would he know what that was?
His fingers curled around the disc. “A Gravasian metal. It’s lightweight, virtually indestructible, and unable to be detected by current scanners because no one has ever been able to get a sample of it for testing.”
“That’s right.”
“And you had this under your skin.” This time, when he came toward her, she held her ground.
“That’s also right. It was given to me for this mission.”
He stroked his fingers along the curve of her jaw. “And I’m your mission?”
“Yes, finding and rescuing you.” Her toes curled in her shoes as he feathered his knuckles over her skin.
“For the Gravasians. You’re rescuing me so you can hand me over to them so they can torture and kill me.”
“What? No. How did you come to that conclusion?” The heat his touched generated turned to ice.
“What other conclusion is there? They want information about the Gravasian weapons I supposedly had. Information I don’t remember.” He squeezed his hand so hard, the edges of the disc dug into his skin, and blood seeped out from his clenched fist.
She wrapped her hands around his. “Stop it. You’re hurting yourself.”
“What do you care?” His accusation made her flinch.
Torn between telling him the truth and allowing him to discover it on his own, she sought a compromise. “Is that the only reason you can come up with?”
“Gravasians don’t stray far from home except onboard military vessels. The only exception is their assassins. Those bastards are tough and relentless. They’re also ghosts. If I was one, I’d never have been captured.” He opened his hand and stared at the bloody disc. “You’re not one of them because you’re not Gravasian. And they’d never allow a woman to become one.”
Delphi snorted. “Yeah, and that’s a drawback for them right now. They couldn’t send one of their own in to look for you. No way to sneak onto Tortuga.”
Understanding slowly lit his eyes. “That’s why they sent you. How much are they paying?”
Insulted, she shoved his shoulders, pushing him back. “Nothing. I’m risking my life for my sister and her new husband.”
“Why? Why would you do that?” He was in her face now, so close their noses were almost touching.
“Because I’m an idiot. Because I owe the Gravasians my life and that of my brother and sister.” She wasn’t yelling but it was close. No one had ever made her lose her cool as much as Ivar.
Spinning away, she stalked off, needing to get away from him. Not that she could go far, but anything was an improvement. It was a tossup right now whether she wanted to kick his ass or kiss him.
“You’ve contacted them using this?” He was right behind her, disc in hand.
“Yes. They have a ship stationed nearby. I might have tried to sneak you off, still might have to, but they needed to know you’re here. If we don’t make contact after a certain period of time, they’ll land and track us.” Not the best plan in the world as they’d have to blast their way on and off the planet.
“Are they threatening your family? Is that it?”
They weren’t a threat to her and Zaxe. Not really. Now that Sass was married to Spear, and a member of the royal family, they were safe. At least in theory. The reality was that a lot of Gravasians weren’t happy to have outsiders among them. This was her way of cementing the future well-being of her and her brother, to gain the full trust of the Gravasian people so they could leave and begin their lives somewhere new, somewhere no one knew them.
“Answer me.” Ivar’s hand fell on her shoulder. She whipped around, struck under his arm, driving it up. Spinning low, she kicked out, taking his feet out from under him. He hit heavily, but rolled, popping back up onto his feet. His face was pale and sweaty.
“Fuck, I forgot about your ribs. Just don’t come at me from behind.
He tossed the disc onto the ground between them. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
They glared at each other, neither of them giving ground. The heat of anger burned bright, simmering until it became a low hum under her skin. She was hot and frustrated and hated not knowing what she should do with Ivar. He deserved the truth.
She opened her mouth to tell him, at lea
st some of it, when he pounced, catching her off guard once again. Like the last time, his mouth covered hers, taking what he wanted. The fire of her anger morphed into a searing need that nearly consumed her.
His hands roamed over her arms and shoulders, down her back to her behind. He cupped it in his hands and squeezed. “Why do I want you this much?” He sounded more furious than happy. She could relate.
“Damned if I know.” She dove back in, savoring the masculine taste of him combined with the nourishment he’d consumed. Driven to touch him, she stroked her hands over his wide shoulders and down the broad expanse of his back, keeping the pressure light because of his injuries.
Shouldn’t be doing this.
She’d stop. Soon. Just needed a bit more.
Something teased at the back of her brain before an alarm bell went off in her subconscious. She ripped her mouth from his. With her heart pounding and her lungs heaving, she couldn’t hear anything. Holding her breath, she listened.
“Son of a sloth,” she muttered. Delphi dove for their supplies, bundling them together. Before she could ask for his assistance, he was right there beside her. “Back to the hot springs room,” she told him.
Someone was coming. The voices getting closer.
She scanned the space and roughed up the dirt floor in a couple of places to hide their presence. The titansteel disc lay on the ground. She scooped it up, jammed it in her pocket, and fled.
Ivar had already gathered the pack from the hot springs room and had it slung over his shoulder. She grabbed one of the blanket bundles he held and headed to a tunnel off to the left. “Quickly.” She only prayed he followed. Straining her ears, she listened. Ivar’s footsteps were almost silent but they were there. The voices were closer.
A huge boulder was just beyond. Ducking behind it, she crouched and set down her burden. Ivar did the same.
“I take it that’s not who you were expecting?” His toneless whisper wouldn’t carry beyond her ear. His breath was warm on her skin and sent a shiver through her.
It was way too soon for it to be anyone friendly. That meant it was a foe. She shook her head, not speaking as the male voices echoed in the outer chamber.
****
She’d saved his life—again. It was becoming an unfortunate habit.
And after he’d accused her of rescuing him for her own ends. And maybe she was, but she was keeping him alive.
Where there’s life, there is hope.
This voice in his head was different. Older but still male. He caught a glimpse of a man with brown hair streaked with gray, along with a full beard of the same color. The eyes were brown and his bearing was that of a warrior. It winked out of sight, but Ivar could recall it when he tried. He clung to the image, drawing strength from it.
“Told ya there was no point in comin’ ’ere. No one knows about this place.” The man sounded annoyed. “We walked all the way up ’ere for nothin’.”
“Balthazar told us to search everywhere,” a second man said. This voice was a bit more refined. Ivar wished he could observe the men to see if he recognized them. “You willing to tell him you skipped this place because it was too far away?”
“It’s bad business,” the first man continued. “A ghost, it was. All them locked doors, the prisoner gone, and them guards all dead. Bad business,” he muttered.
Delphi was as still as a statue. She’d drawn two knives without him realizing it. Her eyes were locked on the rock in front of her, her head tilted slightly as though she was listening harder.
For footsteps. She was tracking the intruders’ voices. He did the same and soon could tell when they were getting closer or moving farther away.
“I didn’t know there was a hot spring here,” the second man commented.
“Most don’t. Bathing ain’t healthy. Come on. We need to keep searchin’.”
“I still say he and whoever broke him out are gone.”
A loud snort. “Don’t see how. Security be tight at the docking station.”
“You believe a ghost killed the guards and rescued the prisoner,” the second man pointed out. “Why couldn’t they slip away on a ship?”
“It’s not the same thing. Come on. It’s gonna take us a spell to get down from ’ere.”
Ivar followed their progress as they went from one room of the cave to the other. When their voices finally faded, he relaxed, the tension in his body easing. He sank to the ground, resting his back against the wall.
Delphi glanced at him and scowled. She raised a finger to her lips, the blade still in her hand pointing toward the ceiling, and shook her head.
He was convinced the men were gone, but she crouched still and silent, waiting to strike. Counting in his mind, he gauged a full planetary hour passed before she finally straightened. She didn’t groan, gave no indication she was stiff after being in one position for so long.
The woman was a marvel.
“Stay here,” she whispered before silently sliding around the boulder that had protected them.
Ignoring her directive, he followed in her wake, placing his footsteps carefully so as not to be heard. She still glanced around and frowned. He grinned and waved, knowing it would infuriate her. If her hot glare was any indication, he’d succeeded.
Inch by inch, she crept toward the outer opening, blending with the shadows so well, he lost her several times even though he knew exactly where she was.
The fine hairs on his body stood on end. He’d seen her in action, knew what she was capable of, but memory or no memory, there was no doubt this was the most dangerous woman he’d ever met.
She slipped out the entrance and disappeared down the narrow ledge. Ivar remained just inside, knowing it was foolish to risk going outside. He wasn’t as fleet of foot as her. And it would be easier for someone to spot them both.
Her presence here could be explained away. His could not.
As time passed, he began to pace. Had she been caught? Or hurt?
Why should he care? She planned to hand him over to the Gravasians. Not for profit, but for a debt owed. So be it. She’d given her word and would uphold it. He respected that.
Honor is everything.
Those three words echoed in his soul. They meant something, something important. Before he could grasp what it was, Delphi returned.
“They’re gone. We’re safe.” She sheathed her weapons. “Are you okay?” Lips turned down, concern etched on her pretty face, she came toward him.
It was crazy to want her, but he did. Having her had become vital to his very survival. She might kick his ass for this, but what was life without some adventure? “No, but I will be.”
When he scooped her off her feet, his ribs protested, but he ignored the discomfort. The hot springs and salve had taken the pain down to a manageable level. And this was more important. He carried her through both chambers and back to the large boulder where their supplies were still hidden.
“Ah, what are you doing?” There was no fear in her voice, only an honest questioning.
He knelt with her still in his arms, reached around, and spread out one of the blankets. The items that had been wrapped in it tumbled out. He settled her back on the thin covering and loomed above her, his hands planted on either side of her head.
“I’m going to make love to you.”
Chapter Eight
She didn’t know whether to be amused, eager, or scared to death. Adrenaline pumped through her body and not because they’d almost been discovered. That she could handle. This thing between her and Ivar was something else altogether.
It was beyond her scope of experience.
She knew dozens of ways to kill a man but nothing about making love with one.
They were lying behind the boulder where they’d taken shelter, but there was still enough light flooding in from the hot springs cavern for her to be able to see him. His lips were pulled into a firm line and his jaw was clenched. The furrow between his eyes deepened as he frowned.
; He was above her, the muscles in his arms trembling slightly from exertion, a reminder that he wasn’t anywhere near full-strength. The salve and soak had done him good, but he needed rest.
Like a bubble bursting, she sighed. One of them had to be sensible. “You’re not healed. You have bruises and possibly cracked ribs.” How was he even holding himself up like that? It had to be painful.
He lowered himself until their lips were almost touching. “I’m well enough.”
It was oh so tempting, but she didn’t want to add to his pain. “No, you’re not.”
Expecting him to take offense at her words, she was taken aback when he laughed. The warm, masculine sound seeped into her bones, turning them to liquid.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He pressed his pelvis against hers. She moaned as the weight and heat of him settled on her like a cozy blanket. The hard and thick length of his shaft nestled snugly against her mound.
It was delicious. There was no other word for it. And when he nipped at her bottom lip, she was helpless to do anything but respond. He gave a low groan of approval when she parted her lips and stroked her tongue over his. They sank into each other, the kiss slow and languid. There was no sense of urgency as she tasted and stroked, learning the textures of his mouth, what made his body clench and what made him sigh. And he responded in kind.
It was startling to realize she didn’t know her body nearly as well as she’d thought. He controlled her with nothing more than temptation, a promise of more to come.
Somewhere along the way, she’d speared her fingers into his hair so he couldn’t escape. Her breasts were swollen and her core throbbed.
Just a little longer.
For once in her life, thoughts of her family and the mission faded beneath the power of something greater.
Need to stop.
He left a string of kisses along her jaw, ending at her ear where he caught the lobe between his teeth and gave a sharp nip. “I want you, but it’s your choice. It will hurt me more to leave you than it will to love you.”
Love. The word echoed in her brain. Oh, she knew he didn’t mean it, not in the sense she wanted. Not that she necessarily wanted him to love her. But she’d always longed to be loved by a man, to be important to someone other than her siblings, to come first in someone else’s life.
Ivar's Escape (Assassins of Gravas Book 2) Page 7