Night Beyond The Night (20 page)

“Are you going to share the joke?” Jade asked, sounding mildly interested.

“Sure. My mom left my dad and me when I was really young—three or four.”

Her face sobered. “I’m so sorry, Elliott.”

“I hardly remember her, but I got my share of maternal attention and love from my father’s sisters and his mother, all of whom lived in the same neighborhood as we did. Dad and I moved in with my
abuela
, my grandmother, and I grew up with ten female cousins. I was the only boy.”

“I can imagine what those girls did to you,” Jade said, laughter in her voice. “Brushing your hair, dressing you up, making you their baby. I grew up in a similar sort of environment—extended families living close together. We were a mixed bunch, though there were a lot of us girls. And the poor boys. . . .” Jade’s voice trailed off into a little bubble of laughter that charmed Elliott even more than her slender, naked feet. And that was saying a lot.

Hoo-boy
. He was getting in deeper by the minute. Yet he couldn’t keep his own smile in check, nor resist meeting her dancing eyes with his own laughing gaze. “They did. But most often, they made me be their puppy and crawl around on all fours. I ate cereal out of a dish on the floor,” he added, wondering if she knew what Cheerios were.

“Poor thing,” she said, the glint in her eyes belying the sentiment.

“Yeah. I was completely miserable.”

“Must be why you’re so good with women,” she said. “All those ladies in Greenside were completely enamored with you today.” Then she sobered again. “So did you heal Della?” she asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” he said honestly. “I didn’t attempt it. I—well, as soon as I realized it, I stopped touching her.”

Instead of looking at him as if he were a heel, Jade nodded. “That’s not the type of decision that can be made in a snap like that.”

“No. Definitely not.”

“And it seems as if . . . well, Elliott. Your gift is pretty special. Jeopardizing your own life, and therefore your gift, could have a bigger impact. I mean, if something happened to you, there wouldn’t
be
someone like you—to heal people.”

That was true, he supposed. True, and a little edifying, when put that way. He could do a lot more good if he were alive than if he were dead.

“So you’re safe now? You’re not carrying anything?” Jade looked at him from across the fire, which had kicked up into a healthy little blaze thanks to the added debris.

“Yes.”

“Good,” she whispered, and, with sleek movements, moved toward him . . . and suddenly, she was looking up at him, her face close . . . so close.

His heart was slamming hard and her mouth was just . . . there. A breath away. Then she lifted her face and brushed her lips against his, so lightly it was little more than a whisper. But sweet. Oh, so sweet. He felt his body lift, tingle, come alive.

But he didn’t move. Barely breathed. The ceiling seemed to drop lower, the night pressed in against him. He felt her breathing against him, gentle and easy.

And then she brushed against him again, and stopped when their mouths were aligned, lip over lip, and she pressed, slipped the tip of her tongue out and over the seam of his lips. Elliott was aware of a sudden rush of warmth, and he closed his eyes, just held there and felt the
rightness
of the moment, of the gentle, sweet kiss as his lips moved just as softly against hers. The taste. The light pressure. The tug of intimacy, drawing deep from his belly.

This is it
.

After a moment, she pulled slowly away and gave a little laugh. Low and husky, the sound sent a little shiver over him. Her lips glistened and quirked at the corners, and he almost kissed her again. But instead he drew in a deep breath and remained still, stunned and fighting himself from dragging her onto the floor beneath him.

Jade was smiling when their mouths met again, but he felt the curve slip away as their lips melded together, hot and hungry and urgent. His hands came up around her shoulders, tugging her into his lap, and he felt her hand caught between them, splayed on his chest. All reason deserted him, replaced by a low-burning, deep need to delve deeper, taste more . . . to lose himself.

Elliott gave up. Those full, sexy lips covered his, all soft and warm and sinful. Want blazed through him when he tasted her, slipping his tongue into her mouth and tangling with hers, holding her head with one hand so he could delve deeper.

He closed his eyes, forgot to breathe, forgot everything but Jade and the heat of her mouth, the teasing, sultry nibble of her teeth, the softness of her lips.

He
needed
this. Her.

She sighed, turning her face away and drawing in a breath even as he couldn’t stop tasting the corner of her lips, that little devious curl. Her hand slipped around his neck, her fingers touching the tender skin there.

The lemon scent from her hair was in his nose, along with the gentle smell of woman, of Jade, the faintly salty taste of her. Warm, soft flesh curving under his hands, pressing into him, even a gentle gasp when he thumbed over one of her nipples. Lifting her shirt, feeling the smooth skin, the elastic of her bra. . . .

And then, somehow, he caught himself, dragging himself back when he realized that another man’s hand had been here only hours ago. And his mouth. . . .

He released her, moving away before his body overruled his head.

“Elliott?” Jade leaned awkwardly toward him balancing on one hand, her eyes heavy-lidded and bedroomy, her lips full and slick, her hair a tumbled mass around her face and shoulders.

A teen boy’s wet dream, right here, right in front of him. Elliott closed his eyes, trying to reason with his raging erection, which argued,
Come on, come on, it’s been fifty years
.

“Jade,” he said as much to focus himself as to get her attention. And damn if he wasn’t breathing like he’d run a marathon. “I’m not into this.”

“Into what?” She gave a little raspy laugh of confusion. “Kissing?”

“I’m not interested in being one of your conquests.”

“Conquests?”

“I don’t share,” he said flatly, trying to get the words out as quickly as possible, knowing it all sounded harsh and sharp. But he had to talk fast before he forgot what he needed to say. “Not with Luke, or the cowboy guy from the club last night—yes, I saw you leave with him. And not with any other man that you might booty call with on your Running missions.”

She sat away, looking at him, eyes wide and startled. Then she scooted back, taking those just-kissed lips and pretty feet with her. Elliott’s breathing settled and he busied himself by picking up a rusty stapler and examining it. At least, pretending to.

“So is that what you meant about my cowboy boyfriend?” she asked at last.

He nodded. He wanted to ask
Who is he?
He wanted to demand to know why she was spreading herself around like that . . . but he resisted. He suspected a woman who’d been through what she had wouldn’t react well to angry male demands.

“That was Vaughn Rogan. He’s the mayor of Envy,” she told him. “We’re old friends. Not lovers.”

Elliott didn’t trust himself to speak. They hadn’t looked like friends.

Jade shifted and gave a soft sigh. “We tried to be lovers once, about three years ago, when I first came back to Envy. But it didn’t work. I was . . . well, I was a mess, having finally escaped from Preston. And Vaughn had recently lost a woman he loved. So instead of becoming lovers, we became friends—and let everyone else think we were involved. Because it was easier for both of us.”

He nodded.
Yeah, right
. She might disavow her interest in Rogan, but Elliott wasn’t stupid. The Marlboro Man wannabe was definitely interested in going beyond friendship. He’d be a fool not to be even if it hadn’t been blazing in his eyes for all to see.

“Thank you for telling me,” Elliott said at last. And waited to see what she’d say about Luke.

She looked at him, but didn’t speak. Silence hung there for a moment, blending with the dust motes that wavered in the half-light, and the only sound was the low rush of their breathing and a faint crackle in the pot of fire.

And after a long moment, she looked away. “I think I’m ready for some sleep,” she said.

Elliott felt as if he’d missed something important. Had she expected him to suddenly sweep her into his arms after her confession?

“I’ll keep watch,” he said. He didn’t think the Stranger would be able to get back, but he wasn’t going to be stupid about it.

Despite the burning in his dry eyes and the continued trembling in his muscles, the ache in his head, the weariness that he’d managed to put aside for a while, Elliott knew he’d be unable to sleep.

Especially when he had to watch over Jade.

Jade woke in a pale yellow dawn to find Elliott curled around her.

She lay there for a moment without moving, simply
feeling
. Warm, muscular arms wrapped around her from behind, her head tucked under his chin, his legs curled into hers at the backside of her knees. Even his feet angled gently beneath her heels. A blanket covered them both.

She was warm, and comfortable, and she felt . . . utterly relaxed. Free.

Free to be who she was, free to do what she wished without any expectation from the man touching her. Free to make decisions, and to have him not only listen to her opinions, but to accept them. Act on them.

Free to retreat, as she had, to the other side of the fire last night. Without feeling as if she had to follow through on what had been one hell of a kiss.

And a revelation too. Elliott had wanted her, and yet . . . he’d wanted her on his own terms.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. And so she’d withdrawn, half expecting him to demand, or to coax, or seduce—especially after she’d explained about Vaughn. And not about Luke. Because she realized she didn’t have to answer to him. She wouldn’t. He’d have to take her as she was, or not at all. She had nothing to hide or to be ashamed of.

And so he’d simply taken her explanation, thanked her for it, and that was it.

He was different. Sensitive, serious, smart . . . and holy-crap strong. Even now, the memory of those sleek muscles moving with such grace in the Tunnel, the fierce battle against the Stranger here in this very room after he’d tried to get her to run to safety . . . it made her warm and tingly inside in a basic, female way. Her mouth went dry. Her heart picked up speed. Her belly did that little flip that sent tingles through her.

That kiss had been just the tip of the iceberg, though it had been anything but cold. Hot and sleek and oh-my-God. Definitely.

But the fact that he’d wanted it too—oh, he’d definitely wanted it—and had declined . . . what kind of man did that? Especially one who’d shown off his prowess and masculinity hours earlier?

What kind of man was he, to reject her advances, and then to curl around her in the night while she was sleeping? To keep her warm, and to expect nothing else.

“Are you ready?” came his voice near her ear, surprising her. Though it was low and deep, it didn’t sound as if he’d just awakened.

And then . . .
oh my
. She realized what she felt pressing into her rear, hard and rigid. A wisp of regret slipped through her, just for a moment. Then it was gone. She wanted him too. No doubt about that.

Jade twisted around in his embrace, awkward because of their position, but she managed to get halfway toward him, her face toward the water-stained ceiling instead of looking away. She saw the dark fringe of lashes over his ocean blue eyes, and how a lock of dark hair had caught just at the tips of them. God, he was breathtaking to look at, with those full lips and square chin and dark brows.

“Mmhmmm,” she said. “And I’m not the only one, hmm?” She shifted her hip teasingly into his hard-on.

His face turned grim. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that.” He released her, and with his body no longer acting like a wedge, she rolled fully onto her back. “I meant, are you ready to get going,” he said, pulling to his feet.

“Sure.”

Jade wasn’t certain whether to be embarrassed or elated that he’d rejected her yet again, but the look in his eyes tipped her toward the elated side. She didn’t really understand why he was saying
no
when his whole body was practically vibrating with
yes
, especially since she’d told him about Vaughn. He couldn’t
seriously
think she had any interest in that lunk Luke, did he? Especially after that ridiculous comment he’d made about dropping his prices if she put Greenside on her Running route. But it was all right with her if Elliott wanted some space.

At least for now. Because she had bigger things to worry about. Like where Theo was, and what kind of cargo Nurmikko was putting together.

“There’s water collected outside,” Elliott said as he stood. “To wash up. And I want to take a look at that humvee.”

Jade frowned as she gathered up her pack. “I was thinking, as I fell asleep last night, that it was a little odd to find a Stranger alone. Usually they travel in twos or threes. And the fact that he attacked us right away . . . it made me wonder if those two facts are connected.”

“Like, he was alone because he’d gone rogue or something?” Elliott asked. Her confusion must have shown on her face, for he explained, “Gone off on his own. Maybe he did and expected someone to come after him—and that was why he attacked first.”

“That could be.” Jade looked around the room. “He was lying there when we came in. Maybe he had something with him he was trying to protect.”

The huge tree branch that had broken the window lay amid splinters and shards on the floor, and she noticed that there were other pieces of wood and glass embedded in the walls from the gale force. She shivered. How easily it could have been one of them that were skewered by the missiles.

Desks and chairs, a variety of electronics, debris from the storm, other items she couldn’t identify had been strewn around the room as well. Ashes smoldered in the waste can. She walked over to where the Stranger appeared to have been sleeping, shoving the tree branch away.