Kiss Of Twilight (28 page)

He felt her gathering her power, felt her intent to teleport. He grabbed her hand. "No, baby. No more running. Look what happened last time."

Her energy dissipated but it wasn't any kind of concession. She tugged her hand back and frowned. "I was leaving here. Leaving
you
. That's how Ben caught me. I went alone to the old compound for some of my things."

"You remember that?" He wasn't sure to be relieved her memory was coming back or furious to have his suspicions confirmed.

"I think. It's like a dream. You, I still don't remember though."

Damn it. She sat up and scooted away from him. He smiled when he got a good look at what she was wearing.

"What?" she asked with an adorable scowl.

"You're wearing my shirt."

He'd forgotten she had it. Winter had packed up all her things and moved them in anticipation of her return, but Luke hadn't helped. He couldn't begin to say how much her choice of sleepwear pleased him and he didn't need to.

"Well, don't read anything into it. I just grabbed the first thing I could find."

"Right." He looked into a corner where he could see a well rifled box. She tried to hide a yawn behind her hand.

"Go to sleep, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

She settled back on her side with a small smile on her face. "You're going to watch over me?"

"Yes."

He reached over and tugged the blanket back up to her chin. Her eyes slid closed and in moments her breathing evened as she fell asleep. And he kept watch over her.

Guarding her sleep.

Keeping her safe.

Kara rose to consciousness slowly and winced when she tried to roll to her side. Damn that hurt like a bitch. When had the freight train hit her? She started to panic when her memories came back disjointed, and felt a surge of soothing reassurance. Dupree. Before she could speak the door opened.

"How is she doing?" Winter asked.

"Dayna said she'll be fine. She sped the healing up as much as she could, and hybrids heal quickly."

She felt Dupree draw near and perch on the side of the bed. A soft hand brushed the hair from her forehead as she struggled to open her eyes. He met her gaze with a serious one of his own. He looked tired, weary and worried, but he offered a small smile.

"Welcome back."

"How long was I out?" Her voice was a weak croak, no surprise given how dry her mouth was. "Can I have some water?"

He put his arm around her back and gently helped her sit up while Winter piled pillows behind her. Then he handed her the water bottle and shook a pill from the packet sitting on the nightstand. "What is this?"

"Pain pill. Take it, baby."

"How long?" she prodded.

Water had never tasted so good. It slid down her parched throat, cool and sweet.

"About twelve hours."

"Oh my god," she muttered. "I remember Ben stabbing me." The emotional hurt was more than she expected. He was a rogue. She knew that. Still, part of her had hoped her uncle still lived in his mind somewhere. "What happened after that?"

Winter and Dupree exchanged a long and she knew what they were thinking. "Besides the bond."

She avoided looking at Dupree. She was pretty upset that he'd taken such a huge risk with his life. Even if the end result was what she'd always yearned for.

"Gia escaped, and she killed Ben." Winter pointed to Kara's desk and she looked over. "Ben had the journals. I figured you should get first dibs. Let's see what else? Jonas is a little beat up, but he'll be fine. And Gia is officially our council rep now, but she isn't in great shape."

Winter took a breath while the sad expression cleared from her face. "Her memory is a mess. She barely remembers us, and doesn't remember Luke at all."

Kara didn't know what to say to that. The nightwalker didn't have much to do with her, but she knew from the others it had to be killing him that Gia had no memory of him.

"We still don't know who killed Contee and Todd, or if Nancy was killed by a demon or hybrid," Dupree said. "And I for one, would really like to know how Ben got his hands on you. I trained you better, baby."

She sighed. "I think I can answer the murderer question, but y'all aren't going to like it."

"Tell us anyway."

"It was Quinn. And he was real quick to hand me over to Ben, too."

Dupree didn't look at all surprised. "You already knew?" she asked.

"We guessed. He disappeared after we brought you back here. He had to realize as soon as you could, you'd tell me what happened."

She could see death in his eyes, and took his hand, offering what comfort she could.

"But why would he do this? He isn't from one of the old families. He didn't know anything about the Order until y'all recruited him," Kara said. How much had she missed while she was unconscious? None of them had suspected Quinn before the attack.

"Best guess? Money and power," Winter said. "Your buddy Vic got his cell phone records--how I don't want to know. Then he took a look at his bank account. Quinn had contact with someone in Jericho Cruz's territory on a regular basis and after every one a large deposit was made in his bank account the next day."

Dupree picked up the story. "The key we found in Contee's house? It was for a storage unit like we thought. Quinn had the name written down in a notebook. It's in Atlanta which is why we didn't find it, but whatever was there is gone now. Gray and Elora checked it out this afternoon."

"So whatever Contee thought was important enough to hide is probably with Cruz now."

Winter shook her head. "I don't think so. We're monitoring Quinn's phone. He'll probably get rid of it soon, if he's even the one who used it last, but he wasn't heading west. He went north, and he didn't check in with whoever was paying him."

The water sloshed as she set the bottle back on the table and fought back a yawn. The pill was kicking in. She expected it would knock her on her ass any minute now. Winter noticed and headed for the door.

"I'd order you to take it easy, but with Dupree around I don't think I need to." She winked and the door closed behind her with a soft click.

"Did you give me that pill because you know how much I want to yell at you?"

It was coming back in vivid, lurid color now. She'd almost died and he could have joined her. It was a stupid risky thing he'd done, bonding to a woman in the state she'd been in. Like he'd wanted to die. Worse, he hadn't even consulted her. She wouldn't have said no--he was right about that. But a girl liked to be asked. She glared as he paced at the end of the bed.

"Not very flattering, what you're thinking, darlin'."

She narrowed her eyes. "Then stop listening. You're good at that."

"You make me crazy, woman." He huffed and shook his head. "Now who's running?"

She'd be damned is she was going to fight with him laid out on the bed. She threw the blankets back and swung her legs over the side. Stood before he could rush to stop her. The stitches on her side pulled and burned. Damn that hurt. And he knew it. His expression was wary but he still moved closer. Slowly. Cautiously. Like she was some skittish colt he needed to be careful with. She repressed a grin and faked a scowl. He might not be so wrong about the careful part at least.

"In my whole life I haven't run from you, Dupree."

"You did last night." And he was furious about it.

"I was dying. I didn't want to take you with me. Or is that what you wanted? Have you planned on being the martyr so long you don't know how to live?"

He froze. "Is that what you think?"

"I think you got it into your head a long time ago that was your only choice. You've fought us every step of the way. If you bound us together for no other reason than to save me, I deserve to know."

She wouldn't survive the pain if that was why he'd done it. It was slow to come, but he smiled. She wanted to throw something at him but it took all her concentration just to stand. He caught her as her knees gave out and laid her gently back on the bed, stretching out beside her.

"I bound us together because I'm selfish," he said softly. "Because I can't imagine a day without you in it. And I want to live those days with you, Kara."

She wanted to stay mad but it was damned hard. "You never asked. You just sort of assumed after the merging ceremony we would bond, but you never asked."

Hell, what was wrong with her? She'd always wanted to be bonded to him. Why did she suddenly feel insecure and weepy? She wasn't that woman. But...did she really know what he wanted?

He braced himself on one elbow and leaned over her. "Do you love me, Kara?"

He knew she did. Why was he asking now? "Yes."

"And you don't believe I love you just as much?"

"Dupree, you--" He cut her off with a finger over her lips.

"I know my fighting it hurt you. It won't happen again. I won't leave and I will never regret this."

And that was the crux of her worries. It had happened so fast he hadn't had time to think. She'd been so afraid he'd regret it, resent her later, she hadn't even been able to put it into words. She moistened her lips, her throat once again bone dry. She didn't have to ask for his assistance. He helped her sit up and sip from the bottle before easing her back down.

"You're sure?" she asked, staring up into chocolate brown eyes lit with red flames.

"Never more sure of anything. I love you."

Then he lowered his shields and she felt it. The intensity and the depth of the emotion. The complete devotion and determination that made him the man he was. All hers. She sighed, contented, complete.

Safe.
The word, his thought, shimmered in her mind and she smiled as she closed her eyes.

Bossy,
she responded.

"Rest, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

"Hmm," she hummed, burrowing closer to his warmth. "I love you too, Dupree," she murmured, already drifting to sleep though his mental response made her want to laugh.

I know, baby. You can show me how much later.

Kara moved with slow, careful purpose. The stitches had come out a couple days ago, but the area was still a bit tender, reminding her with a sharp stab of pain if she moved too fast or turned too sharply, that she wasn't fully recovered yet. She sure as hell wasn't complaining about her speed of recovery, though. Hell. She should be dead.

Any human with her injuries, even with immediate medical care, probably would be. It was only the strength of her demon half and Dupree's determination that had saved her. With a sigh, she grabbed the hand held mixer from a cabinet and moved back to the counter where a bowl waited. The whirring noise drowned out any sounds drifting to her from elsewhere in the house and she hummed along, worrying over the Dupree Problem as she'd begun calling it to herself.

She loved the man, but God help her, if he didn't chill out soon she might be forced to take desperate measures. Say strangulation. He'd been hovering over her for a week, snarling when she tried to do anything too strenuous.
Strenuous, my ass
. Hell, he'd even banned her from the kitchen when he knew how that was the first place she went when she was angry, upset or working out a problem.

Worse, other than a light peck on the lips or a teasing tap on the ass, he wouldn't touch her. She was going crazy with the need for his touch and he wouldn't give it to her. She might get hurt. She might pull her stitches. She might knock his head off.

She took a deep breath when she realized she'd been attacking, not blending, the cookie batter. She'd woken up wanting oatmeal raisin and resigned herself to store bought crap, because God forbid she did anything as back breaking as baking cookies. But then she got lucky. Or Winter took pity on her. Hard to say which, and who cared? The commander sent Dupree into town to deal with construction problems. Gia wasn't up to speed on the new deals and still not herself. Winter found an excuse to be elsewhere. So Dupree was forced to leave Kara alone.

He'd ordered her not to do anything, of course. Like cook. She'd blown him off as soon as he was out the door. Sure she wasn't one hundred percent, but she wasn't an invalid either.

"Oh, you're gonna be in trouble," Nadia teased as she entered the kitchen. Kara jumped, surprised to be caught, and flung a glob of dough at her as she turned around and stuck out her tongue.

"You gonna rat me out?"

"Not if I can have a cookie."

Kara pretended to think it over. "A reasonable exchange. Come help."

They'd just put the second pan in the oven when they felt the disturbance of someone teleporting in.

"I'm out of here," Nadia said.

Kara grabbed her arm before she could flee. "No, watch the cookies. There's no telling how long he'll yell at me."

Nadia arched an eyebrow. "He doesn't yell. He glowers."

Dupree was in the doorway before she could respond. "Damn it, Kara, what did I tell you?"

Nadia laughed. "I stand corrected. Good luck."

Dupree scowled but followed Kara out without a word. Upstairs in the suite they'd just moved into, he slammed the door shut and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you need luck?"

She just smiled and kicked her shoes off. He remained silent when she reached for the snap on her jeans and shimmied them over her hips. But as she pulled the hem of her shirt up, he finally spoke, voice choked, "What are you doing?"

"I thought I'd seduce you."

The shirt was discarded on the ground with her jeans. He stared at her side, at the fading red mark where Ben's knife had torn into her. She couldn't read his face so she let her mind brush against his. Sorrow, fear, love, rage.

"Normally a woman has to remind a man where her face is because he's staring at her chest."

His gaze drifted upward. "That's worth looking at too."

She smiled and neither of them moved. "Are you done beating yourself up yet?"

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't your fault. That I was there, that I was hurt. Hell, it's not even your fault that I'm a hybrid now. You can't torture both of us for things that are outside of your control."

"Torture both of us?"

"Yes."

"Maybe," he said, stepping forward, "I'm not torturing anyone. Maybe I just don't want to hurt you."

He circled her, laying one big hand flat on her belly and pulling her back to his chest. She felt the hard ridge of his erection, still constrained by clothes, pressing against her butt. Letting her head fall back, she took a deep breath, inhaling the masculine scent that drove her wild.

"Do you think you're capable of hurting me? I don't believe it."

His fingers lightly stroked over the wound and she felt his worry. He walked her to the bed, waiting until she lay back and stared up at him before he started to remove his clothes.

"We do this my way."

She grinned. "Baby, you do everything your way."

Naked he got into the bed and crawled up the length of her body. "Someone has a bad habit of disobeying me," he grumbled. "Like that little stunt in the kitchen."

"Actually, there's very little stunt work involved in oatmeal cookies," she said somberly. "Now this?" She flipped them over. "Maybe a little bit of stunt work in it."

She straddled his hips and stared into his eyes. God, she loved him, so much sometimes it hurt.

I know.

Eavesdropping again. How rude.

He laughed as she'd hoped he would and with one hand on the back of her head pulled her down. "You wouldn't have me any other way," he whispered against her lips.

His kiss was deep and intense and much too brief. "You can't scare me like that again, darlin'."

"Dupree," she sighed. "You can't wrap me in bubble wrap and keep me locked up."

He rolled them over, sliding into her smoothly. "I can keep you so busy you don't care," he promised.

She choked on a laugh as his hips pistoned, driving deep. "Ohh, do that again."

When he didn't comply, she nipped his bottom lip. He growled, claiming her mouth as he thrust again. She ignored the twinge of pain in her side, but he didn't. She wanted to cry when he moved away from her, but she just moaned her protest. He rolled to his side and glared down at her.

"Baby, I'm all for making you whimper, but not from pain."

His fingers skimmed down her chest and over her pelvis, coming to rest bare inches from her clit. He didn't budge when she tilted her hips in invitation.

"You're killing me here," she griped. "I won't break. I promise."

His gaze drifted over her body, dark and possessive and dominant. He smiled at her, promising and charged with eroticism, and her sex clenched. It was torture being looked at like that while her body remained untouched, needy and starving for him. He slid his hand down, oh so slowly. She held her breath while he spread her and exposed her clit, released a gusty exhale when he finally touched her.

"My way," he murmured, leaning down to take her nipple into his mouth.

His tongue rolled over the hard tip as his thumb rubbed her clitoris. It didn't take long before her arousal built to a crescendo. But he didn't let her come and she cried out when he stopped touching her and urged her to roll to her side, facing away from him so her tender side wasn't pressing into the bed. He entered her slowly, careful and reverent, one hand holding her hip firmly so she couldn't move, couldn't urge him to go faster or harder with the movements of her body. He wrapped his other arm under her torso and around her chest. She was completely in his control. She'd never felt so good. So cherished. Until he started whispering in her ear.

"I warned you from the beginning what you'd get with me, darlin'. I'm a possessive, domineering asshole, but I'm the possessive, domineering asshole who loves you." He nuzzled her neck. "It's too soon for this, making love to you. You're still sore from the injury, but I can't seem to tell you no. So cut me a little slack when I yell at you for pushing too hard, okay?"

His strokes were slow and measured. His voice soft and cajoling. This time when her body tightened to orgasm he helped her along, the hand on her hip moving to her clitoris and stroking until sensation burst through her. She wanted to weep from the pleasure of it all. In their crazy, uncertain world he was her rock and her shelter. He was hers.

Always. I love you, baby,
Dupree whispered to her mind.

I love you, too.
She smiled, knowing he'd hear the teasing in her mind.
And stop with the eavesdropping.