Aiden's Charity (15 page)

Instinct warned Aiden there was no cure. No breaking the bonds nature had laid in place. He had accepted it; refused to fight it any longer. He had fed his hatred of her for years, but once he saw her again, once he touched her, he had begun accepting that he would never be free of her. What had happened in those Labs six years before didn’t matter. She had done no more than he would have. She had saved her mate the only way she knew how. And now he would do the same.

No more exams. He paced into the bedroom, undressing, staring at her as she slept restlessly. Until whatever changes her body was going through completed, no one else must be allowed to touch her, to weaken her. The progress she had made in the past two days had been destroyed within hours. She was pale once more, weak and in distress.

He moved into the bed beside her, pulling her into his arms. Her whimper caused his chest to tighten, his throat to close as she burrowed into his body. She was cold. Despite the blankets that had covered her, the fire burning across the room, she felt chilled to the bone.

Finally, after agonizing seconds of body rubbing and burrowing, she found a spot that seemed to fit her. She sighed deeply and settled down to rest once again. Unfortunately, his cock was engorged now, throbbing, demanding the lithe body that had rubbed against it so sensually. He sighed tiredly. This mate business was getting more complicated by the day.

Chapter Eighteen

“I thought you might enjoy that ride into town today, since we didn’t get to go before.”

Aiden cleared the table of breakfast dishes the next morning before pulling his chair close to hers and lifting her feet to his lap. She was too quiet, too thoughtful. Too damned aroused. The scent of it was killing him. But first, he wanted her to relax, wanted her away from the compound, Armani, and a bed.

She glanced up at him in surprise. “I was wondering about that. Why do you want to do that? A drive-through?”

He grinned up at her. “To see what I can see.”

He watched the play of emotions across her face; foremost was the frustration at his vague answer. Her expressive face had always tantalized and amazed him. Others rarely noticed what he did. A shift of a brow, a certain glitter in her brown eyes, the slight twitch at her lip or the taut line of her nose, which could change at any given moment.

The subtle changes in the muscles of her face would have been undetectable, but for some reason, always drew his eye. It had been the same at the Lab. A careful shift of her body to draw attention to her breasts, which covered the movement of her hands. Or a bright agreeing smile, though the muscles at her eyes tightened, as he had noticed in each confrontation they had.

The differences were varied, nearly undetectable, and most he found endearing. Especially the way her gaze seemed to still, watching him, waiting, her expression neutral, a clear indication she was becoming irritated. His lips quirked at the thought.

“If anyone were going to attack us, they would use the town as a stopping point to gain the information they needed to do so. ‘Find your enemies weakness’ is always first priority. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” she answered slowly. The tip of her nose flexed, like a little twitch. Entranced at the small shifts, he continued.

“You and I will drive through town, perhaps stop at a fast food restaurant for a snack, just enjoy the day a bit before returning. As we do, there will be others watching, checking for oddities, or any undue attention being given us. Then we’ll return here as the others wait around, listen to what is said, who is asking questions and what happens.”

Her nose twitched again. Curiosity?

“You’re using the tactics the Council soldiers taught you to catch their assassins,” she finally said slowly.

“Basically.” He nodded.

“And they are aware of that.” She tilted her head, her eyelids tightening as though she would have narrowed them. “You are underestimating your enemy now, Aiden.”

He leaned back in his chair as amusement swelled within him. “Tactics weren’t your specialty, Charity,” he pointed out. “I believe yours was blood work.”

She was offended now. The muscles at her cheekbones tightened, the sunlight from the window could have made her eyes appear to flash with a darker color, but he doubted it. Anger, he believed, was the culprit.

“And yours was arrogance,” she sniffed, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice. “Sure, Aiden, a ride into town would be nice. It’s been a while since I’ve had a hamburger. I could handle one. And my feet are fine.”

She pulled them back from his lap now, setting them carefully on the floor.

Aiden stilled his grin, aware that it would take very little to ruin the pleasant mood she was trying to maintain. He wanted her fiery, wanted the blood pumping through her veins, sensitizing her body. He didn’t want her angry, though. It would even be nice, he thought, if he could see her smile. A real smile. One filled with pleasure.

“If we could, I would like to stop and buy a few things I need. Some clothes, shoes and so forth. I can repay the expense…”

“The Council canceled all your accounts, Charity,” he began.

“I have private accounts,” she snapped. “I never used the Council money.”

“Charity.” He gentled his voice, knowing the blow to come would hurt. “Your personal accounts are intact, but empty. The funds were withdrawn six months before.”

She lowered her head, pushing her fingers wearily through her hair. “I had hoped they wouldn’t find them,” she sighed. “I should have known better, I guess.”

“When you’re stronger, you will work within the compound here. You don’t have to worry about money.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I don’t need your pity, Aiden. I have other resources. It will just take a while to get to them. I would still appreciate the loan. I will pay it back.”

“The loan isn’t a problem.” He stood to his feet, determined to smooth her way, however he must. “We’ll stop at a few stores, get you what you need, but I won’t allow you to tire yourself any more than you are already. So don’t think you can sweet talk me into letting you.”

Her mouth almost dropped open. “I have never tried to sweet talk you into anything, Aiden, other than saving your worthless hide.”

“Always get your way don’t you, honey,” he griped. “Just tie the boy up and play on his weaknesses. How the hell did you know you could make my cock that hard, anyway?”

She rolled her eyes at the question. “You were so obvious, Aiden. Even limp your cock would throb when the drugs were in your system.”

“You watched?” He tried to sound scandalized as he snickered in open amusement.

She drew in a deep, patient, sustaining breath.

“You’re insane,” she grumped. “What about that drive you promised me.”

He chuckled then, amazed that he could. The helpless irritation on her face, the flash of forced patience in her eyes, should have angered him. Instead it gave him hope. Hope for what, he wasn’t certain yet.

Chapter Nineteen

The early Colorado fall nights were crisp and cool. Perfect for a small fire and the warm coziness of the cabin Aiden had built. The day hadn’t been easy. The demands her body was making were even more difficult to contend with. The pain was gone, but the arousal was more strongly present than ever before.

Controlling it wasn’t as hard as she had thought it would be. The friendly camaraderie she and Aiden had shared on the drive into town had helped. The bit of shopping she had done had been fun. The new clothes rather than Lab uniforms was nice. But now, as she fought to relax, to prepare for bed, her needs were making themselves strongly known.

After stacking her dishes from a light dinner into the dishwasher, she walked to the living room and the cheery fire that crackled in the fireplace between the living room and the bedroom. She pulled the extra large beanbag that sat against one wall to the front of the fire, and collapsed into it gratefully.

It cushioned her body, allowing her to relax as she extended her legs, pointing her feet to the warmth reflecting from the burning logs. The light gown she had donned after her shower rode to her thighs, allowing the warmth to flicker over the flesh there.

Closing her eyes she reveled in the peace, the sense of safety that permeated the Breed compound. Despite the high fences, the Enforcers and well-trained wolves, there was nothing here to remind her of the Labs and the imprisonment she had found there. But there was much here to remind her of Aiden.

Each inhalation of air she breathed in was scented with him. The earthly male hint of sexuality and lust was nearly overpowering at times. Like now. When her body ached, when she wanted nothing more than to feel him against her, feel him touch her, despite her awareness of what was coming.

Her breasts were swollen, the nipples hard and distended against the cotton gown she wore. Almost lazily her hands lifted. She was alone, relaxed, and she ached. Her hand went to the covered mounds, her teeth clamping on her lower lip as she fought a moan of purely sexual need. Her breasts were sensitive beneath her own fingers, her nipples rising harder to meet the touch of her fingers.

She loosened the buttons that ran down the front of the garment until she could pull the edges back to expose the firm curves to the warmth of her hands. She needed Aiden’s hands there.

She gripped one nipple between two fingers, breathing in sharply at the sharp sting of pleasure that pulled a gasp from her lips. Aiden’s hands were more calloused, larger than hers, but the fantasy worked at the edges of her mind. Aiden touching her, relieving the growing need building just beneath her flesh.

He wasn’t due back to the cabin for hours. She was safe, she thought as she breathed harshly in growing need. She needed relief, no matter how minor.

One hand slid to her thighs, pushing the gown to her hips as her fingers moved to the bare flesh of her cunt. She jerked, shuddered, as a moan tore past her lips.

“Aiden,” she whispered his name, seeing him there, perhaps watching her, his eyes growing dark as she stroked her own body.

Would he like that? Would his cock thicken, become erect at the sight of her fingers pushing through the narrow slit of her cunt lips? In her fantasy, it did. She stroked around her swollen clit, feeling the piercing lust that shuddered through her womb at the touch.

Her inner lips were swollen, sensitized from her arousal. The cream from her body coated them heavily, allowing her fingers to slide easily between them until they met the entrance to her gripping vagina.

“Oh God!” She couldn’t stop her cry as she pressed two fingers inside.

Her pussy gushed at the pleasure, the muscles clamping around her fingers, begging for more. The wash of sensations was almost agonizing. Heat seared her fingers, her cunt, the lightest stroke into the tight muscles echoing through her body with pulsing vibrations of rapturous pleasure.

She spread her legs further, the muscles of her thighs tightening as the ache rippled from her vagina to her clit. Like a firestorm of erotic torment, the sensations whipped through her body, torturing her with the need for release. She could feel them licking over her flesh with a phantom stroke, edging her passion and her need higher.

She pulled her fingers back slowly, whimpering at the surging intensity before she pushed them forward in a quick stroke designed to mimic Aiden’s thrusting cock. Not nearly as good, but she couldn’t halt her cry at the flash of piercing need that shuddered through her body.

The heel of her palm pressed against her swollen clit, intensifying the lustful pressure. Her cunt clenched, the empty hunger radiating through her body as she fought to bring herself to climax. It had always worked before. Always, yet no matter how she fought, no matter how deeply she pushed her fingers into the sweltering depths of her pussy, she could find no relief.

Her head was thrown back as she fought for relief, whimpering sighs of desperation gasping from her lips when she first felt the gentle lick to the back of her cream coated hand.

Charity’s eyes sprang open, her head lifting, her gaze caught by the hot intensity of Aiden’s look as he watched her from between her spread thighs. He was on his knees before her, naked, his dark face heavy with sensuality, his tongue reaching out to lick her again. A forceful lick accompanied by a growl that seemed to vibrate through her hand, into the hungry depths of her pussy.

“Do you know just how fucking beautiful you look to me right now?” His voice was dark, heavy with lust.

When she moved to pull her hand back, he stopped her, pressing his against it until her fingers sank inside her tight flesh once again. He watched the movement, his cheekbones reddening as hunger seemed to glow in his expression.

“Don’t stop,” he whispered. “Let me watch you, Charity. Take yourself as I watch.”

It was the most erotic thing she had ever known in her life. Watching him—his gaze trained on her fingers, his tongue reaching out to lick at the slick slide of her juices—overwhelmed her. His tongue was rough, hot and greedy as he tried to hold her legs farther apart. His gaze locked with hers as he tried to clean every gushing surge of cream that escaped past her heated vagina and her thrusting fingers.

“I can’t.” She was gasping for breath, her hips thrusting hard into her fingers as she stroked in again. “Aiden, please. I can’t…”

She needed his fingers inside her, stretching her, driving her higher. God no, she needed his cock filling her, overfilling her, making her scream as her muscles were forced to accommodate each powerful stroke. She pushed her fingers deeper, harder inside her then cried out as his tongue stroked between them when she pulled back. The hot tip licked at her sensitized vaginal entrance, the sensation ripping through her body like a tidal wave of fiery pleasure.

“I’m going to fuck you until you beg me to stop.” His voice was hard, so deep and rough it stroked over her senses like a ghostly touch. “As soon as I can quench this need to drain every drop of your juice from your body.”