Harder Than Steel

by Jacey Ward

  There’s no escaping this time.

  “Well?” she demanded when they were inside the vehicle.

  “Well what?”

  “How did you find me?”

  “I already told you. GPS to here and then I had to do a little digging. You told me you were in foster care, I guessed your age and did a little research. You used to live in that apartment with Cleo until a few months ago.”

  He didn’t need to look at her to know her eyes were as wide as saucers.

  “H-how could you come upon all that information?”

  “I have my sources. Your turn to answer questions,” Roan replied smoothly, pulling away from the curb. “How did you poison me?”

  “Who said I did?”

  Without warning, Roan slammed on the brakes and whipped his head around, his eyes narrowing into slits.

  “You’re trying my patience now, Kimberly, make no mistake. Just because I haven’t started smashing things does not mean I’m happy about what you did. You and I are going to have a little talk one way or another so I suggest you tell me what I want to know and things won’t get any messier than they already are. Am I clear?”

  All he could see were the whites of her eyes in the dark but the smell of her fear lingered in his nostril.

  “Yeah,” she whispered. “You’re clear.”

  He turned back toward the road and continued to drive.

  Am I being too harsh with her? Did she really only go after me because she heard me on the phone with Coy?

  He wracked his mind to remember what he and his cousin had discussed. There had been so much scotch in his system and he’d been on such a high from his evening with the witty and enchanting Kimberly.

  What the hell could I have possibly said that would make her believe I was going to kill her?

  “So,” he continued. “How did you do it? I thought it might have been the drinks at first but that didn’t make any sense because you were drinking it too.”

  She didn’t answer and Roan felt his jaw tensing.

  “Do you work for Oculus?” he asked, his eyes trained on her through the rear-view mirror. Kimberly still said nothing but she met his gaze in the glass defiantly.

  He sighed deeply. This was pointless. If she was an operative, she would be too highly trained to tell him anything but nothing about her fit the profile of a skilled agent.

  “Where are you taking me?” Kimberly asked after several minutes of silence. She craned her neck to look outside the windshield and gasped.

  “Home,” he replied, even though he was sure she already knew that. His GPS dictated that they were less than two blocks away.

  “Home?” she echoed. “Y-you’re letting me go?”

  The hope in her voice was plaintive and heartbreaking.

  What the hell am I going to do with her?

  “Letting you go? No,” Roan said, stopping the Range Rover outside the two-storey house on Arthur Avenue, near the University. “Let’s go.”

  He grabbed his keys from the console and turned off the starter to yank Kimberly from the backseat. When looked down at her face, he was impressed at the stoicism on her face, even though her eyes were rife with terror.

  She didn’t struggle, as if she’d resigned herself to her fate, but she walked stiffly, like a man on the the Green Mile.

  “Wait,” she breathed, suddenly pulling away from him and Roan instinctively reached for her again. “Let’s make a deal.”

  Roan raised an eyebrow in question.

  “A deal?”

  “Yes,” she rushed on. “I-I’ll tell you exactly what you want to know and you walk away.”

  It was a desperate plea, one which told Roan that she really believed she was about to die but he decided to use it to his advantage anyway.

  “That depends on what you tell me,” he told her, unflinching.

  “I’ll tell you how I poisoned you,” she breathed, her face almost opaque. “But you won’t believe me.”

  Roan snickered but a peculiar sense of excitement mounted in his gut.

  “You’d be surprised what I would believe.”

  She stared at him with wide eyes and nodded toward the door of her main floor apartment as a couple walked past them, arm-in-arm.

  They moved closer to the porch, slowly climbing the stairs and Kimberly seemed to be composing her thoughts.

  “I…I’m not like other people,” she whispered. “I was born…different.”

  I was right about her, he thought, his excitement mounting.

  “How’s that?” he asked nonchalantly. He wasn’t ready to betray anything about himself before he knew what Kimberly was hiding first.

  “My blood…” she sighed. “It’s poison. A hundred times more lethal than arsenic.”

  He peered at her in surprise. That was not an ability he’d ever heard of someone having.

  “How are you not poisoned?” he asked and she cocked her head to stare at him strangely.

  “I…” she cleared her throat. “It has to do with the oxygenation process. My blood is not deadly unless it’s been exposed to air. Then, a single drop will kill anything living that comes into contact with it.”

  “Interesting,” Roan said, nodding and she gaped at him.

  “Interesting? That’s what you have to say about this?”

  “It is,” he replied. “What do you want me to say?”

  “Uh…I would expect any normal person to have a reaction like disbelief or anger or maybe a glimmer of fear would be nice.”

  Roan grinned at her, shaking his head.

  “I get it now,” he laughed, reaching for her hand.

  “Get what?” she snapped. “What do you get?”

  “You were in that warehouse looking for answers. You have no idea what you’re up against.”

  She didn’t pull her hand back but she continued to stare at him dubiously.

  “What the hell are you talking about, Roan?”

  “You’re not alone, Kimberly,” he told her softly, tugging on her palm.

  “What do you mean, I’m not—holy shit!”

  Her gasp filled his ears as he disassembled himself and entered her house through the wall next to the door, releasing her hand in the process.

  Once inside, he moved toward the door and unlocked it to let her in but she remained in place, her face paling.

  “H-h-how…how did you do that?” she choked. “P-people can’t do that.”

  He shrugged and gestured for her to get inside.

  “That’s nothing,” he told her unabashedly as she ambled inside. “You should see what else I can do.”

  She turned in a daze to look at him, awe coloring her face.

  “There are more like us?” she breathed. “We’re not alone?”

  He shook his head and cast her a grin.

  “Not by a long shot,” he assured her.

  Chapter 9

  The blend of confusion and excitement brewing inside Kimberly was like nothing she’d ever known before. She had a hard time believing that Roan had forgiven her for trying to kill him but as she pattered around the kitchen, trying to busy her shaking hands, she couldn’t stop casting him looks over the breakfast bar.

  Roan had made himself comfortable, his long legs up against the couch, head on the armrest with his eyes closed. She knew he wasn’t sleeping but he looked at peace.

  Certainly not plotting to get his revenge on me.

  “Do you want a beer?” she asked and he parted one lid to look at her, the blue of his eye startling her.

  Were they always that clear? Or am I looking at him differently now that I know he’s not a threat to me?

  “A beer? No. I think I’m off alcohol for a while.”

  The memory of the time they’d spent in the cabin hit her like a slap in the face, accompanied by a flood of shame.

  He’s already got bad associations because of me.

  He stood up suddenly and ambled into the kitchen, his unexpected nearness causing gooseflesh to e
rupt over her skin.

  “Need some help?” he asked. The question surprised her. She hadn’t pegged him for the domestic type.

  “No,” she answered quickly but she nodded toward the small bar table in the corner. “But you can keep me company. Why don’t you tell me what you know about Oculus?”

  Roan eyed her speculatively but didn’t protest as he sank onto one of the high stools, his gaze fixed on her.

  “I think it would be easier if you tell me first,” he replied evasively and she felt a rush of annoyance fill her.

  “Are we still doing this?” Kimberly demanded in exasperation. “I thought we were past the point of dancing around.”

  They held each other’s stare and a newly-familiar rush of heat flooded through her. Beads of sweat formed under her arms as though his mere look was enough to set her body on fire.

  “I’m not dancing,” he said. “I’m asking you directly. What do you know?”

  She looked away, gnawing on her lower lip. He had already unveiled his secret to her, his ability to walk through walls or whatever the hell it was he had done to let himself into the house.

  Her curiosity was beyond piqued to know what else Roan could do but she also realized that their relationship was going to have to be a two-way street.

  “I don’t know anything,” she confessed in a rush of breath, turning her attention back toward the cutting board. She didn’t want to look at him while she told him what she knew.

  “You must know something!” The irritation in his voice was tangible. “Or you wouldn’t have been there.”

  “You didn’t let me finish,” she sighed, putting the knife back down on the counter to look at him again. “I don’t know anything about Oculus.”

  She inhaled before starting again.

  “I was four when I was orphaned. My dad wasn’t in the picture and I was raised by a single mother. Her name was Marnie.”

  She paused and collected herself, feeling the swell of emotion building inside her as she remembered the little that she did when she thought of her mother.

  “She was a good mom by all accounts,” Kimberly continued. “She worked really hard and I know now that she must have been aware of whatever is wrong with me. We moved around a lot.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you,” Roan growled with surprising compassion. He was on his feet and staring down at her, his eyes blazing with earnestness.

  “Having blood that poisons people, is not a superpower, Roan,” she muttered. “It’s a curse. I can’t get close to anyone because I might kill them.”

  “You didn’t kill me,” he reminded her, reaching forward to touch her shoulders, his eyes still fixed on her face. She shook her head, heat coloring her cheeks. She knew she should pull away but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She relished the feeling of being touched, being stared at like she was a woman.

  He knows I’m dangerous but he’s not afraid to touch me.

  “Look at me,” he urged and she raised her head, unshed tears filling her eyes.

  “I’m not afraid of you.”

  Her lower lip quivered as he slowly lowered his head. He was worried she would resist but Kimberly couldn’t. Her desire to feel his lips on hers far outweighed her concern for his welfare.

  “You should be,” she whispered but the words barely made their way out of her mouth before Roan’s lips crashed onto hers.

  A thousand sparks of pleasure shot down Kimberly’s spine and she reached up to snare his curls against her fingers, drawing his head lower.

  Their tongues jutted out to meet and more electricity bolted through her. To her shock, he gnashed gently down on her lower lip. Instinctively, she pulled back, fear coloring her face.

  “Don’t—” she started to say but she was again pulled back into a deep kiss which stole her breath.

  “I’m not afraid,” he rasped again, his lips falling along the lines of her cheek to graze at her ear.

  The words sent a thrill coursing through her slender frame and she realized that he meant it. There wasn’t any fear in him, even though he knew exactly what she could do with a single drop of blood.

  But what can he do to me?

  Roan’s hands curled around the cheeks of her ass and lifted her onto the counter. Her legs wrapped at his waist as he ripped the t-shirt from her chest.

  She trembled slightly, goosebumps exploding under his hot breath as she closed her eyes.

  How long has it been since I’ve been touched like this?

  It was an inane thought. She’d never been touched quite like this, each one of Roan’s kisses sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body. He knew about her and didn’t care. There was no guilt, no panic in enjoying his increasingly urgent caress.

  When his mouth traced the lines of her erect nipples, she moaned, falling back against the counter to allow his face to continue on the trail it was going.

  Her pants were on the floor, her legs over his shoulders and when his tongue found the sopping center between her creamy thighs, she shuddered.

  His hands still firmly on her ass, Roan propped her upward, lapping at the throbbing button. His face was buried in her depth, her fingers twisted into his hair as she felt the rise of her orgasm building inside her.

  “Oh fuck…” she murmured, the words catching in her throat. Her soft cries only encouraged his licks and with long, even laps, he brought her to the heights she needed to be.

  In a rush of wetness, she covered his stubbly face in her juices, a long, sigh escaping her lips but Roan wasn’t finished yet.

  Without slowing, he continued to circle her clit with his tongue, sliding a finger inside her tight core, a low groan escaping his own lips.

  “You’re so tight,” he murmured against her pussy, the vibrations making her shiver. In and out his index finger slid, his breaths growing ragged over her skin until she came again, her climax spilling over her inner thigh.

  When he raised his head, his eyes seemed ethereal, glowing against the wetness on his face. Kimberly struggled to sit up but he held her down with one hand, like he was a lion and she was a mouse.

  With his free hand, he skilfully undid his own jeans before positioning himself between her legs, his face inches from hers.

  “Oh God!” she gasped, feeling the brush of his huge shaft against her. That couldn’t be all him…could it?

  But as her knees tightened against his waist and his mouth fell to meet hers, she knew it was. He filled her roughly, his massive unit prodding into her but the push of Roan’s tongue against hers stopped her cries from reaching the air. The walls of her pussy fought to expand and constrict simultaneously, wanting him all. She suctioned against him, nails digging into the material of his shirt as Roan again lifted her ass into his hands.

  Long and hard he thrust into her until sweat was pouring from his brow and over her face into a salty stream, mingling with her own.

  The scent of them both filled the kitchen and Kimberly could not get enough, even when she came for the third time, dousing his stiff cock in her cream.

  “That’s right,” he murmured, feeling her spasming against him. “Good girl.”

  Her body was on fire, sensitive to the touch but she didn’t want him to stop, even when he drove himself into her with so much force, she was sure she would snap in half.

  “One…more…” he rasped but Kimberly could feel the slap of his sack against her ass hardening. He was too close to his own climax.

  “Come for me, Kimberly.”

  The sound of her name on his lips in that moment, as he fought off his own orgasm was too much for her to bear and to Kimberly’s utter shock, she felt her body respond to his command.

  In a rush of joint heat, they released, Kimberly for a fourth time and she finally managed to scream out with the effort.

  “Fuck, Roan!” she cried, falling helplessly back into a quivering mass of skin as every last ounce of energy spilled from her body.

  He fell onto her with a grunt, hi
s breaths uneven as his sculpted chest bored down upon her.

  I was right, she thought irrelevantly as she felt the muscles of his body underneath his shirt. He’s got a six pack for sure.

  “Fuck,” he muttered, catching his breath and propping himself up to grin at her. “Well…?”

  She studied his face, the afterglow of what they’d done still embracing her.

  “Well what?” she replied, cocking her head to the side to peer at him with a small smile of her own.

  He leaned forward and gently kissed her lips.

  “Do you believe me now?”

  She pressed her lips together and exhaled.

  “I believe you,” she sighed. “But the fact that you’re unafraid doesn’t change the fact that I can kill you without notice.”

  He shrugged.

  “I guess I’m willing to take that chance,” he replied but Kimberly didn’t miss the slight look of concern which shadowed his eyes.

  “We can’t do this again,” Kimberly muttered, managing to sit up and gently push him away. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Why don’t you let me worry about myself?”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” she sighed. “You’re not the one who will be facing a murder conviction.”

  “Neither will you,” Roan assured her as Kimberly slid off the counter and gazed around for her clothes. “We’ll find an antidote and keep it handy just in case, all right?”

  She eyed him dubiously.

  “An antidote?” she laughed. “How do you propose we do that?”

  “We’ll have your blood analyzed and figure out what the active agent is in the poison. Then, we’ll develop an antidote if there isn’t already one in existence.”

  Kimberly snorted loudly.

  “Oh, I see. We’ll just walk into a lab and order some blood work, will we? And then when the technicians realize that I’m a freak, we just ask them if they have an antidote kicking around? Is that your idea?”

  Slowly, Roan pulled on his pants and sighed.

  “Why don’t you finish telling me what you were saying before I so rudely interrupted you and then I’ll tell you what I think we should do.”

  Apprehension shot through Kimberly, his nonchalance unnerving her.