Bound by Darkness (33 page)

“I was asked to befriend you deliberately.”

He immediately felt a new thrum of tension in Sasha when she asked, “By whom?”

He stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to see her reaction. “The other Kalith and their mates. They thought if the new representative got to know me as a real person before finding out I was Kalith, it would change how all of us were dealt with.”

“Why did they pick you instead of Lusahn or Barak?”

He didn't even try to sugar-coat it. “Because I was expendable. If it blew up in my face, I could disappear more easily than any of them.”

Sasha was looking pretty darn fierce. “I understand why they did it, but that was mean of them.”

“They meant no harm. They were trying to protect themselves.” He trailed his fingers down her shoulder, trying to soothe away her anger.

“Yeah, I get that, but who was protecting
you
?”

Her question pleased him, sending another surge of desire for this woman burning through him. “I won't complain, Sasha, not if it led me here. Don't hold it against them. I wouldn't have said anything, but I wanted nothing but truth between us. Okay?”

He felt her nod.

“There is one other thing on my mind.”

“Which is?”

When he didn't immediately answer, she raised herself up to look at him. Her eyes widened and her mouth curved in a seductive smile. “Never mind. I think I can guess what it might be.”

Her playful mood had him smiling. “So now you're a mind reader?”

“Oh, I don't have to be when there's obvious proof readily at hand.”

Her fingers traveled down his chest to stroke the hard evidence. He thought about claiming it meant nothing, that it was normal in the morning, but they both knew this time was different.

She caressed his cock slowly with the palm of her hand. Out of pure selfishness, he let her continue, wishing like crazy they could finish what she'd started. Finally, he gently grasped her hand, threading his fingers with hers.

She pouted. “Don't you like that?”

“You know I do, but you're testing my already shaky control.” He kissed the top of her head.

“And if I want you out of control?”

She slowly slid her body up over his until her core was centered right over his erection. Dear gods, how was he supposed to think straight when she rocked against him like that?

“Sasha, I want you, but you were badly injured yesterday. I don't want to hurt you.”

“Oddly enough, the pain is almost completely gone. Thanks to a certain healer I happen to know, I'm feeling positively frisky.” She nibbled on his chin after each word.

He might be cautious, but he wasn't fool enough to dismiss her offer out of hand. Still, he had to ask, “Are we doing this because you were almost killed yesterday or because you really want
me
?”

She sat up and eased her hands under the hem of his undershirt and spread her fingers out over his chest. “A little of the first and a whole lot of the second.”

He appreciated the honesty. “Perhaps, as your healer, I should reassess your injuries.”

“Tell me what you want me to do.”

He gently rolled her back onto her own side of the bed, and then lifted her head enough to tuck his pillow in on top of hers. “Now lie back and relax. I'll take care of everything.”

He knelt beside Sasha and took her hand in his. Closing his eyes, he slowly traced the length of her arm, pausing over each bruise or scrape long enough to add a small jolt of healing. He repeated the same procedure with her other arm before moving over her shoulders and neck.

Her hair slid like silk over his fingers as he checked the bump on her head. “Any headache?”

Her eyes were closed, her face peaceful. “Not now.”

“Good.”

He leaned forward until his palms hovered a hair's breadth over her breasts. Sasha drew a deep breath and that small distance disappeared. When her eyes flew open at his touch, he started to pull back, but she stopped him by putting her hands on his.

“I like when you touch me.”

So he did, gently kneading the soft curves until her nipples pebbled. As much as he wanted to linger there, he had more territory to cover. He continued down her sides to the curve of her hips and then checked each of her legs, top to bottom and back again. Sasha's breathing had sped up, as had his.

He held his palms over her stomach, smiling at the fierce bit of life that had taken hold there. Male, female, it didn't matter. The miracle was that he and Sasha had created the child together. He lowered his mouth down
to press a kiss right above where his child rested, smiling when Sasha's legs stirred and her hips flexed.

The exam was quickly becoming a seduction. He eased the waistband of her PJ bottoms down and kissed the same spot again and then lower and lower still. Sasha lifted her hips in encouragement. He quickly peeled her pajamas off and then took his time driving his lover wild with his touch and his tongue.

Sasha shattered once and then a second time before she said, “Larem, I want you up here. Naked. Now.”

She punctuated her demands by taking off her top and flinging it aside. He'd never seen a more beautiful sight than this woman staring at him with such powerful desire in her eyes. His boxers joined her pajamas on the floor.

Then they were skin to skin, his knee between hers, pressing against the damp heat at the juncture of her thighs. He kissed her, trying to go slow and losing the battle. Sasha's hands were everywhere, touching, teasing, stroking until she'd shredded what little sanity he had left.

“Sasha, I need to . . . no,
we
need to slow down.”

But how could he when everything she did only drove them both crazy? Finally, he wrested control of the situation by pinning her hands over her head while he did his own little bit of tormenting. She arched back, demanding more, as he nuzzled and tongued her breasts into stiff peaks.

“Like that?”

Her expression turned solemn. “I like all of this, so much that it scares me.”

She was right. What they shared was incredibly powerful. He wasn't sure where this exploration would take them, but right now it was simply too amazing to resist. He released her hands.

“I won't hurt you, Sasha.”

She stroked the side of his face. “You can't promise that, Larem, but I believe you mean it.”

He wanted to deny the truth of that but wouldn't lie to her, either. Instead, he set about stoking the fire again. Conscious of the vestiges of yesterday's injuries, he didn't want her to bear his weight. Instead, he turned her on her side facing away from him, her back against his chest. He lifted her leg back over his hips.

Slowly, he pressed forward, seating his cock deep within her welcoming heat. Sasha's head kicked back as he thrust in and out, her eyes half shut, her breath coming in shallow puffs, matching his rhythm. He memorized her satin smooth skin, the plump softness of her breasts, the way they fit perfectly in his hand. He loved the firm curve of her hips, flexing to absorb the power of his thrusts, and the throaty little moan she made when he moved in exactly the right way.

There was no longer a Larem and a Sasha. It was as if they had forged someone new, a combination of the two seeking the ultimate joining. He stroked her with his fingers as he accelerated the pace, no longer able to rein in his need to take her fast and hard. Sasha whimpered and called his name. Then she was shuddering in his arms, pressing back against him as he rode out his climax.

Then the tension melted away, both left gasping for
breath and basking in the aftermath. He gently kissed the back of her neck; there were no words for what had just happened between them.

Larem reluctantly withdrew from her body, once again stretching out beside her. “Are you all right? Was I too rough?”

“You were perfect. In fact—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Chance made his presence known, throwing a major fit in the other room. Larem could just make out the sound of the doorbell over the racket. There was a definite note of danger in Chance's bark that had Larem rolling out of bed, pausing only long enough to snag his pants and shirt on the way out.

The dog stopped barking as soon as Larem reached the living room. Even so, he growled deep in his chest, positioning himself firmly in front of the door.

Larem checked the time. Had Devlin said that Barak was coming this morning or that Larem was supposed to call him? Who else could it be? All he could tell through the frosty glass in the front door was that the unexpected guests were most likely male.

He hopped on one foot and then the other to pull on his jeans and then yanked his shirt on over his head. Palming the gun Devlin had left with him, he disconnected the security system and then threw the dead bolt. Opening the door a few inches, he peered out.

Two young Paladins stood flanking a disgruntled-looking human male, perhaps in his late fifties. The human had been glaring at his captors but immediately turned his bad mood in Larem's direction.

“Who is this guy?” Larem and the stranger asked at the same time.

The nearest Paladin ignored the human and responded to Larem instead. “This guy's ID says he's Charles Willis.”

The glint of red in the older man's hair suddenly made Larem's question unnecessary. He had no doubt that he was facing Sasha's father. To once again quote Lonzo,
Holy hell, the shit was about to hit the fan.

L
arem's first urge was to slam the door, but panic wasn't going to change anything. He opened the door the rest of the way and then grabbed Chance by the collar in case the dog took his same instant dislike to the man. Of course, that was probably a knee-jerk reaction typical of any male who'd just come from a woman's bed and was feeling a bit guilty about it.

“Thanks, gentlemen, I'll take it from here.”

Turning to Sasha's father, he stood back to allow the man to enter. “Your daughter wasn't expecting you.”

“No, she wasn't, but I'm here anyway. Deal with it.” The man stalked through the door, careful to give both Larem and Chance a wide berth. “Where is she? Is she all right?”

“She's fine.” Mostly anyway. Having her father show up on her doorstep would certainly complicate the situation.

“Have a seat and I'll tell her you're here. She was
just getting up when the doorbell rang. I'll make breakfast while she gets dressed.”

“Fine, and when you get back, you can tell me who the hell you are and why you spent the night in my daughter's . . .” He hesitated briefly. “In my daughter's home.”

Couldn't the man figure that out for himself? Perhaps not. Most humans lacked the enhanced senses that Paladins shared with the Kalith, so maybe Mr. Willis really couldn't detect the musky taint of sex in the air. If that was true, there was a small chance they could avoid a complete disaster.

Dragging Chance with him, Larem went back down the hall to the bedroom door and knocked. “Miss Willis, I hate to disturb you, but you have a guest.”

The door opened and Sasha peered out. “Who's here?”

Larem glanced back toward the kitchen, hoping the man had stayed where he'd left him. “Your father.”

“Oh God, why? And how did he find me?”

There was a definite note of panic in her voice. When Sasha started to charge out of the room, Larem blocked her way. The last thing she needed was to encounter her father looking as if she'd just gotten out of bed, especially one she'd shared with her lover. Larem shook his head, begging her without words to stop and think.

“Miss Willis, I'm sure your father won't mind waiting for a few minutes since he arrived unannounced. I'll tell him that you'll join us when you've had a chance to get dressed. As your bodyguard, I'll remain here only until my relief arrives.”

He dropped his voice. “I'll call Devlin and suggest he send one of the Paladins instead of Barak. I'm not sure your father has recognized me as Kalith, and I'd like to keep it that way.”

Then he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. “Can you hand me my boxers and socks? I don't think your father would appreciate stumbling over them.”

Her cheeks flamed red, but she actually giggled. “I like a man who thinks clearly in times of crisis. Wait here.”

A second later she shoved the rest of his clothing through the door at him. “Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Will do.”

He stopped in the guest bathroom long enough to finish dressing. After washing his face and combing his hair, he studied his image in the mirror. The strain of the past twenty-four hours definitely showed in the dark circles under his eyes, but there wasn't much he could do about that. Hopefully Sasha's father would put it off to a night spent on guard duty rather than a bout of scorching hot sex with his daughter.

Before rejoining Mr. Willis, he texted Devlin about the situation, not wanting to risk a call that the Regent might overhear. Satisfied he'd done as much damage control as he could, he headed back to the kitchen.

Chaz parked his ass on a stool at the kitchen counter, even though he'd rather be pacing the floor. But from the way that damned dog kept staring at him, he'd play it safe and sit still. At least he could breathe again. Maybe the situation wasn't as out of control as he'd feared.

But as soon as that guy came back, he was going to demand answers. What the hell was going on? All he knew for sure was that he'd gotten an e-mail from Rusty about Sasha being hit by a car. It had taken him several phone calls to find out where she'd been taken, and then the hospital would tell him only that she was a patient there. After that, all he could think about was getting on the first plane heading west. He'd envisioned finding her safely ensconced in the hospital, craving the comforting presence of her father.