“Is his mate there?”
“No clue. He’s just going to check out the supposed destruction which is going on.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” She began to mix a salad. Her cooking skills weren’t all that good, but she could make a meal.
“I hope so too.” Cale moved to help her in the kitchen.
“So, you’re the healer and carry the sign of the dog. Billy is the monkey and is a thief, what are the others?”
“Tiarnán is the tiger. He’s our best warrior and he can camouflage to just about anything. Roz carries the sign of the horse. Swiftness is her attribute. Aminta has the ram sign. I say it gives her stubbornness. And Dracen is the dragon. We’re not sure what it gives her. She’s got a bit of us all in her and more.”
“She’s quiet.”
“And our second best warrior.”
She chopped some tomatoes. “Better than you?”
His chuckle came swiftly. “Oh definitely. She can kick my ass without really trying. Fights with her and Tiarnán take on a life of their own. One day she’ll beat him but right now, he ends up on top.”
“Are they together?”
“Together? As in mates?”
“Yes. They’re very close.”
“Siblings only. They’ve been here, well at the vineyard, the longest of all who are there now.”
She watched him put the steaks in the pan to sear them. “And you weren’t with anyone there?”
“That’s family there, darling. That’s all.” He moved in close and brushed his lips along the nape of her neck, causing her to shiver. “Those women are my sisters and I have never, ever, nor will I ever want to share with them that which you and I have.”
His words created a warm ball in her belly. There was no way around it—there was proof she was falling for this man, more and more each day. It didn’t make sense, but she couldn’t argue with the facts presented right before her.
“Are we going back to the mansion?”
“Yes. Need to get a bit more information and see what, if anything, is in the bag from your grandmother.”
She nodded, hoping that didn’t mean they had to destroy it. They finished preparing dinner, the talk swinging to something lighter. The mood lasted through the meal and the dessert that followed.
As she rinsed off the last dish, she glanced over her shoulder and watched Cale wipe off the table. Every motion he produced had her mind replaying what it had been like in bed with him back in Oregon.
“You can keep making those cute little noises, Taylor, but I promise you’ll be in a bed on your back naked, if you do so.”
Her hand trembled and she nearly dropped the plate she held. It took her a few attempts to swallow and ensure her legs wouldn’t give out from under her. The flash of teeth she caught from him told her he knew what thoughts had crossed through her mind at his words.
“Promises, promises.”
He’d lowered his head but at her two words, it snapped up and his dark blue eyes flared with a passion that nearly burned her from across the room. His desire and need were so intermixed, she couldn’t tell one from the other.
She fumbled until the water shut off, but that was all the moving she did. She felt like prey. Dampening her lips, she attempted to slide to the right slightly, but his gaze narrowed on her when she did.
The rag fell from his hands to the tabletop and she bolted. No destination in mind, just running. She squealed when he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Gripping the back of his shirt, she avoided staring at his ass—sort of. She jumped when he smacked her on the butt, an act that sent tingles all through her, especially to her clit.
When she bounced on the mattress, she merely looked up at him, a saucy grin on her face. He leaned over her, blocking her in with strong arms and put his face close. “You’re playing with fire, Taylor.”
She dragged her tongue along her lower lip as she reached out to mess with the collar of his shirt. “Am I? How so?”
“I am barely holding on here,” he said.
Wrapping her legs around the backs of his, she jerked him closer. “So let go.”
They must have been the words he had been waiting for. Cale rumbled low in his chest and in a quick moment, her clothes were gone. So were his, for his hot naked body pressed her back into the mattress.
“Wow, that was impressive,” she sighed.
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, babe.”
“And there he goes with the promises again.”
“Ones you can take to the bank.”
He flipped her over, ignored her screech and began kissing his way up her body. Starting from the sole of her foot up to where her hair hung on her neck, he licked, laved and nipped her into a fervour. When he laid her on her back, she reached for him.
“No. You have to stay still.”
She scrunched her fingers in the top covering of the bed—whatever it was, she hadn’t taken the time to notice it. Hard to notice anything other than the man with her. He went back down to her feet and picked one up, placing the sole against his shoulder. Dragging his index finger up and down her calf, he merely stared at her.
“Stop torturing me,” she begged.
“I’ve not even begun to torture you yet.” His words were deep and dark.
Her belly clenched as she tried not to squirm beneath his touch and stare. “Please.”
He kissed her big toe. “Nope.”
Farther and farther up her body he moved. Her gaze locked on his large cock, which stood out from his pelvis. The pre-cum on the head had her wanting to taste him. Feel him slide in and out of her lips as she knelt between his legs. More moisture went to her pussy and she wriggled on the bed.
“Cale,” she gasped.
“Not done yet,” he muttered as he passed up over her sternum to her neck. The rasp of his stubble heightened her pleasure as he continued to keep her on the edge of her orgasm.
His hard length slipped against her slit and she moaned, widening her legs to welcome more of his weight. Rotating her hips, she moved up and down along him. He tensed above her before capturing her earlobe and sucking it in time with her own movements.
Releasing the blanket, she then gripped him. The feel of his flesh beneath her fingers brought her a sense of relief, for being able to touch him, but also skyrocketed her need. She dug her grip into him, hard, as she locked her legs around him.
Cale slipped a hand between them and readjusted his hard cock. She purred as it filled her, one inch at a time. He didn’t rush and when he was fully seated inside her, she cracked her eyes open and stared at him. The misty look he had when he was talking to his brethren covered his entire body, yet at the same time, different. Warmer almost, if she could give it that description. Beneath her fingers, his muscles rippled and moved as he stroked in her.
“Cale,” she whispered.
“Let me,” his response fell.
Let him? Like she wanted anything else. In and out he thrust, not rushing, just leaving her with a long, deep burn for release. Rainbow sparks lit the mist around him and moved to encompass her as well. She closed her eyes again and lost herself in the touch of this man.
It was gentle. Slow. Drugging.
Taylor screamed as she came around his cock, the pleasure washing over her too intense to keep the sounds contained within her. Cale drove into her four more times before he spilled his load deep inside her. She whimpered as mini orgasms cropped up and shot through her entire body.
He nearly collapsed on her, turning at the last minute to ensure he didn’t crush her. Still deep in her pussy, he wrapped his arms around her and repositioned them so she lay on top of him.
He didn’t speak, just stared at her and brushed some more hair off her forehead. She ducked her head and placed it on his chest, listening to the fast beating of his heart. The sparks still danced along their skin.
“Do you see the rainbow of colours?” he asked, smoothing a hand up and down the bare skin of her back.
“I do. It’s weird. Almost feels like they’re massaging my skin. And yet, not. If that makes any sense.”
“It does.”
She groaned as he flexed his hips.
“More.”
Taylor didn’t argue. She wanted more as well, and if she were completely honest with herself, she didn’t know how long they had with one another, not given how dire this upcoming battle sounded.
Sitting up, she placed her hands on his chest and rotated her hips. “Yes, more.”
Chapter Nine
Cale struggled not to lose his temper as he squared off with Tiarnán in the practice room.
Danger Room
. Taylor’s term for it came to him and again made him smile.
“Shit!” he cried, ducking a swipe from Tiarnán.
The man didn’t let up, his
katana
barely paused before it was on another attack path.
“Pay attention.”
He was, damn it all. “I am.” His arms ached from the clash of metal. Tiarnán was one strong mother fucker.
“Pay attention to the battle, not thoughts of your woman.”
It rankled—that the man could read him so well. He’d woken this morning with every intention of making his way to Taylor’s room and spending time in there with her. No clothing and lots of exploration between the two of them. Nothing had gone his way. First Lian had wanted to see him, then he’d had some kids to oversee and now this…this ass-whipping he was being hand-delivered by Tiarnán.
He sneered. “Don’t be jealous just because you don’t have one and are stuck jacking off at night in your room to find any semblance of relief.”
Cale didn’t mean the words, they just slipped out. However, that one second flash on Tiarnán’s face was like he’d just took a bullet to the chest. The emotion was there and gone so fast, it could have been imagined.
“You’ll be doing the same if you don’t concentrate, because your woman will be dead.” Tiarnán moved with a flurry of speed and disarmed Cale, the blade of his
katana
resting against Cale’s throat. “You spend too much time thinking about her and what you’d rather be doing. You need to focus.”
“Let’s go again.”
Tiarnán shook his head, dark hair flying about his face as he stepped back, lowering the weapon and sheathing it with a singular, smooth move. “No. Your mind is not where it should be.”
“You’re the one who said I had to practise.”
He strode to the door. “You do. And so do I, but it’s not practise for me if you’re not thinking about what you need to do. Therefore it is a waste of my time.”
The door closed behind him and Cale stared at it, shaking his head in disbelief. It opened again, this time admitting Taylor. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm.
“I just saw Tiarnán leave, I thought you were practising for a lot longer. Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m an ass, is what I am.”
She withdrew her touch from him and he regretted it immediately. “I’m sorry, Taylor. What are you doing here?”
Her shoulders rose and fell. “I was going to see if I could watch you practise.”
“Maybe tomorrow, babe. I haven’t been concentrating today.”
“Is that why he left?”
His smile was forced. “Yes. Tiarnán doesn’t like to waste time. If we’re not doing it at at least one hundred per cent, he will stop.”
“Isn’t some practise better than none?”
“Not if you’re not fully committed to doing it. The enemy won’t come at you half-assed, so why practise that way.” He put an arm around her shoulders. “It’s why he is the best warrior.”
“Need you in the ops room.”
“On my way, Dracen.”
“Who called?” Taylor asked.
“What?”
“You did that misty-smoky thing again. Do you have to go?”
He nodded with understanding. “I do. It was Dracen. Come on.”
Her smile warmed him. “No thanks. They didn’t ask for me. You go. I’m going to explore.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” She shooed at him with her hands. “Go. Do your non-mutant, X-Man things.”
“Woman,” he warned.
“What?” she sassed with a grin. “I said non-mutant.” Taylor headed off down the hall with a wave over her shoulder.
Cale didn’t move until she’d vanished from sight. Then and only then did he head off in the opposite direction. Stepping through the sliding doors into the room they had turned into their operations room, he immediately noticed all the women were there. Billy, still being in Scotland, he hadn’t expected, but he had Tiarnán. The man wasn’t present.
“Where’s Tiarnán?”
“Practising.” Aminta gave him a knowing smile.
They all knew he practically lived to fight and at most times could be found with some sort of weapon in his hand, or with their weapons maker, honing one thing or another.
He glanced around the room again. “With Lian?”
“Yes.” Roz opened the top on her Coke and took a large drink.
Cale took his usual chair and rested his arms against the table. “So what’s up?”
Dracen hit a key and a few photos popped up. He frowned when he recognised the faces there—Jeremy Kenyon and his family. A low growl slipped from his lips.
“I take it then you know them?” Dracen asked.
“Remember the ‘family’ I told you was trying to kill Taylor? That’s him. Tiarnán and I just had a run in with them, that’s why I had him bring her to where I was.” He gestured with his chin. “What’s the reason we have pics of them?”
“They’re New Order.”
“New Order?”
“We just got confirmation today.” Aminta slid a file across the smooth top towards him.
Staring briefly at the small Asian woman—Amerasian, technically—who was his sister and a fellow Guardian, he waited for her to continue. Her straight black hair fell around her sculpted face.
“We intercepted a few calls from them back to someone named Blake.”
He shook his head, the name unfamiliar to him. “That’s it, Blake? Nothing more to go on?”
“We hadn’t heard of him either, so he’s new to The Order or just new on the scene.”
“Do we have a location on him?”
“Still working on that part. We thought maybe you could ask Taylor for a bit more information on these guys. Find out what they’re into, where they hang out, things like that.” Roz fiddled with her bottle.
“Are we worrying about The New Order now?”