Authors: Maya Banks
A low chuckle escaped from her throat. It felt good to laugh, to escape for a moment into lightness.
She trembled as he undid her pants. Instead of pulling them off, he guided her back until the backs of her knees met the bed. He gently pushed her down, and when she was sitting, he knelt and began unlacing her boots.
“You know when I knew I was a goner?” he asked.
She cocked her head in question.
“When you walked into that Singapore nightclub like you fucking owned it, and I looked down and saw those combat boots.”
“You're a sick puppy,” she muttered.
He took the boots off and let them fall with a clunk. Then he stood and pulled her up again. His hands circled her waist, and his fingers dug into the waistband of her pants, skirting down into her panties.
He tugged downward, letting his hands glide across her bare ass as her clothing worked lower. When the material pooled at her ankles, she stepped out, disentangling herself from the pant legs.
His hands skimmed back up her legs, over her hips and then tunneled under her shirt, pushing upward.
“Raise your arms, sugar,” he whispered, a sexy, husky catch to his voice.
Slowly, she moved her arms up and over her head. A twinge of pain nipped at her arm from the still-fresh cut, but she didn't lower her arms. He pulled the shirt the rest of the way off, and she was left standing there naked.
It made her feel horribly vulnerable. Unprotected.
She was cognizant of every scrape, every bruise, every bit of dried blood. Of the dirt and sweat and of her lithe, boyish figure.
She didn't have the curves other women had. Her hips barely made a mark outside her waistline, and her breasts were small, not plump and soft.
With shaking hands, she lowered her arms to cover herself, no longer able to bear what Eli was seeing.
He pried her hands away from her body then reached up to cup her face.
“You're beautiful, Tyana.”
“You don't have to lie to me, Eli.”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “I don't lie to women to get them into bed.”
He didn't have to. The inference was there.
“You know what I see when I look at you, Tyana?”
“What?” she whispered, afraid of what he'd say and yet eager. So eager.
“I see a warrior. A kickass, brave warrior of a woman. I see someone who is my equal. I see someone who is so breathtakingly beautiful that it hurts me to look at you without touching. I see someone who is complex, loyal, who isn't afraid of anything, and yet I see a fragility that makes me want to take you in my arms and shelter you from every bad thing that's ever happened to you and make sure nothing ever touches you again. That's what I see, Tyana. Don't ever fucking hide yourself from me. I won't let you.”
She swallowed, let out a shaky breath and swallowed again. “I don't want to need you, Eli.”
“I don't want to need you either, sugar, but as my granddaddy used to say, want in one hand and shit in the other and see which gets fuller faster.”
Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. “We're a fucked-up pair.”
“That we are. But I think we'd make one badass team.”
She frowned. “I already have a team.”
He put a finger over her lips. “Let's not ruin everything. That's just me getting carried away with wants and wishes.”
He pulled her toward the bathroom and left her standing on the cool tile while he reached in to start the water. A few moments later, steam gathered and began fogging the doors.
He looked over and held out his hand for her. She stared at it for a moment and then slid her palm over his. His fingers curled over hers and he tugged her into the shower.
For a few minutes they just stood there, letting the hot water pour over them. Then, finally, Eli squeezed shampoo into his hands and began washing her hair. He turned her around so that her back fit into his chest as his hands worked over her head, massaging, working the soap into her hair.
She closed her eyes and leaned further into him, enjoying the feel of his body, hard, muscular against her own.
Soon his hands moved down from her hair and over her body, lathering, touching, soaping every inch of her skin. He gently cleaned the cut on her arm and after he rinsed the soap away, he leaned down and pressed his lips to the wound just as he'd done earlier. Each touch sent her closer to madness as the ache grew between her legs and in her heart.
His fingertips found her nipples and worked them into hard points. He played awhile and then sent his hand seeking lower, down her belly to the apex at her legs. Her knees trembled as one finger slid between her folds. Lightning snaked up her spine when he touched her clit.
“There's definitely sweetness, sugar. I just have to dig for it,” he murmured against her ear.
She twisted in his arms, her skin edgy and alive, crawling with need. She wanted to touch him and explore the planes of his body as he had done hers. Reaching for the soap, she squeezed the liquid into her hands and then pressed her palms to his chest.
Working in broad strokes, she traveled over his body, pausing over the scars, the tight muscles, the fine line of hair that worked down his midline.
His belly was taut, no softness to him. Her gaze drifted down to the dark hair at his groin, wet and flat against his skin from the shower. His cock suffered from no such malady. It was rigid, distended, as though it were reaching for her.
She wrapped her soapy hands around it and began a gentle massage. He groaned.
With one hand, she worked up and down, from base to tip. With the other, she cupped his balls, working his sac in her fingers as she stroked his cock harder.
He finally reached down and tore her hands away, pulling them up high, over her head and forcing her back against the shower wall. He kissed her hungrily as the water pelted his back. His cock bumped against her belly, burning into her skin. Then as if remembering her injured arm, he quickly lowered her hands and kissed the cut once again.
“I hope we're clean because I'm taking this show into the bedroom before it's all over with.”
He reached behind him to shut off the water and then carefully pulled her against him as he backed out of the stall.
They dried quickly, their impatience showing as they rubbed themselves briskly with the towels. Eli reached over with his to give her hair an additional wipe as she dried the rest of her body.
“In the bedroom, sugar. Now.”
They hurried out, and he caught up to her just as she reached the bed. He grabbed her arm and turned her around, her body colliding with his as his mouth met hers in a hungry advance.
He continued to walk her backward until she bumped against the mattress. Then he lowered her down. Her legs dangled over the side, and she started to hoist herself higher on the bed, but he stopped her with a hand.
“Don't move a muscle, sugar. You're just right.”
She eyed him curiously as he parted her legs and knelt on the floor beside the bed. A shudder rolled over her body when she saw his mouth was level with her pussy.
Gentle fingers explored, tentative at first, light little touches that coaxed a response from her. They grew bolder, dipping into her wetness, spreading the layers of flesh and teasing the sensitive area beyond.
And then his tongue followed his fingers. He licked at her entrance, running a tight circle around it. Her thighs began to shake as every muscle contorted in response.
“You taste so sweet,” he murmured, the words humming and vibrating against her pussy.
She closed her eyes and surrendered to his attentions. She let everything else fall away and gave herself to this one moment.
Never before had she given up so much control, power, to another person. But for now, she let go of her fear, her uncertainties, swallowed them back with fierce determination.
She wanted this. Craved it with a dangerous urgency.
His body slid up hers and his mouth blazed a trail over her belly, up to her breasts. He cupped her butt in his palms as she cradled his form. His tongue swirled around one nipple, teasing it into a tight point before he turned and did the same to the other.
She felt the hot shock of his erection between her legs. He spread her wider, still cupping her ass and suddenly he was inside her, deep, in one hard thrust.
Her eyes flew open, a gasp escaping her mouth. Hot. So hot. Skin against skin. No latex barrier.
His mouth was against her neck and he nibbled his way up to her ear before he whispered, “Don't worry, sugar. I'll get the condom. I just couldn't resist one taste of you. I wanted to feel your heat surrounding my dick, just you, nothing else.”
He slid back as he spoke, and her pussy rippled around his cock, tugging him. He stroked forward again, and her moan mixed with his growl of pleasure.
“Don't go. Not yet,” she whispered.
He retreated and thrust again, and she sighed.
“You feel incredible,” he said against her ear. He kissed the lobe, nibbled at it then slid his mouth down the curve of her neck. “I could stay awhile longer, until I get you off, sugar. Would you like that? Do you like the feel of us skin on skin?”
His words, like velvet, brushed over her, stroking soft.
“You told me I wouldn't have to do any of the work,” she said with a smile. “Making decisions is work.”
She felt him grin against her shoulder.
“Tell me what you like,” he murmured. “Do you want me to touch your clit while I'm pounding into you? Do you want me to stroke your nipples? Do you want me deep when you come?”
She shivered uncontrollably. “Deep. I want you deep. I want your mouth on my breasts, your fingers on my clit.”
He smiled again. “I love a woman who knows what she wants.”
He ducked his head and sucked one nipple into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth while he moved a hand between them, sliding his fingers over her straining clit. He rocked his hips forward, thrusting deeply.
Only once had she ever experienced sex without a condom, and that time was long buried in painful memories. It wouldn't intrude here where it had no place. This was beautiful, not ugly, not hurtful.
Pleasure blossomed, growing and fanning out, building higher and higher as her body tightened around him. Tension grew, wonderful, edgy, almost painful in its intensity.
His fingers stroked as his mouth sucked at her breast. His cock worked deep, gliding through her wetness, rough and yet silken.
“Come for me, sugar. Give me your pleasure.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, yanked at the thong securing his hair. Black silk spilled over his shoulders. She threaded her fingers through the strands and pulled his head closer to her breast. As he turned his head to her other breast, his earring flashed in the light. She lowered one of her hands to finger the lobe of his ear.
He thrust again and strained against her body, burying himself to the hilt. His fingers expertly fluttered across her clit, light at first then harder.
“Come,” he said again, a whisper across her nipple.
He pushed harder, driving her up to impossible heights. She buried both hands in his hair, arched upward as she split into a million pieces, each one hot, jagged, piercing and exquisitely pleasurable.
As she pulsed around his cock, he pulled out. She could feel his arm bumping against her and a moment later, hot liquid surged onto her belly. And then he collapsed against her, gathering her close, his mouth skating up her jaw to her lips.
“That wasn't very fair to you,” she said hazily, her vision and speech still blurred by her orgasm.
He chuckled softly. “Oh no, sugar. We both got what we wanted. You got me deep, and I got to come all over you.”
“I need another shower,” she murmured. “We both do. And then I want sleep.”
He kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair back. “I'll give us a quick rinse, sugar, and then we'll both get some rest.”
Chapter Seventeen
Eli watched Tyana sleep. She hadn't stirred once when he'd slipped out of bed to dress. She was lying on her side, her knees drawn up protectively to her chest. Her bruised cheek and split lip faced outward.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and feathered one finger over the faint yellow and green discoloration on her face. She stirred and opened her eyes. For a long moment, she just stared at him, and then she reached down for the sheet, pulling it up over her chest as she sat up in bed.
“Good morning,” he said.
She closed her eyes for a moment. “I did it again.” She yanked the sheet down angrily and scooted past him to get out of bed. He put a hand on her arm.
“What did you do?”
She glanced sideways at him. “Lost perspective. Had sex with you when I should have been figuring out my next move. Damn it, Eli, I can't be around you. I can't keep doing this.”
She balled her fists in frustration and started to shove herself off the bed. His hand tightened on her arm, and he pulled her back down.
“Cut yourself some slack, Tyana. You needed sleep. You're running on fumes. You aren't any good to your brother that way. You're rested now. We'll eat some breakfast, and then we'll figure out what has to be done.”
She flinched. “We,” she muttered. “There isn't a
we
, Eli.”
He gripped her chin and turned it toward him, forcing her to face him. “Yes, Tyana. There is a we. You deny it all you want, but you came here for a reason, and it wasn't to kill anyone or hand-deliver me to Esteban.”
Her eyes skittered sideways, breaking their gaze though he still held her chin in his hand. He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth.
“You go grab a shower and wake up. I'll fix something for breakfast. We need to talk. Come out when you're done.”
She nodded and stood, then stalked toward the bathroom, her body back to its normal rigidity.
Eli sighed and shuffled to the kitchen. He found Ian and Braden already up, and he eyed them curiously, gauging their mood.