Roth(Hell Squad 5) (17 page)

She let the bra drop, enjoyed his hiss of breath. She hooked her fingers on either side of her panties and skimmed them down her legs. “Oh, you mean for your macho alpha shit?”

He was staring at her now. She walked the few steps to the tub, putting as much swing into her hips as she could. It was easy. Knowing Roth was watching her with that intense gaze made her feel sexy.

“I was protecting you.”

She stepped into the tub. She knew he was right, but her emotions weren’t rational. She’d had Howell right there, under her fists and she’d wanted to hurt him. She sank into the water and didn’t quite manage to swallow her moan. The water was fantastic. It lapped around her aching body, and she decided it was a hundred times better than the quick showers she was still getting used to.

Avery finger-combed her tangled hair and let it fall around her. Then she looked up…and gasped.

Roth closed the distance and knelt beside the tub. He leaned in, his face close to hers. “The security team would have hurt you, locked you up, or worse, killed you. I was protecting you, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“I can protect myself,” she bit out.

“I know that. But we’re on these guys’ home turf, and there are more of them than us. Does my protection change the fact that you’re capable as hell?”

Avery stilled, just her hand moving through the water. No, it didn’t. She’d been so incensed by the very sight of Howell that she wasn’t thinking straight. Some of her tension eased. “Roth.”

He reached out, fingering the ends of her hair where it fell into the water. His rough calluses brushed over her collarbone, and she shivered.

“If anyone lays a finger on you, I’ll end them.”

The dark promise in his voice made her belly tighten. It was a fierce declaration…and a promise.

Her gaze wandered over his face, and what she saw scared her a little. He was telling the truth. He would go out there and kill to protect her, even at the expense of his own life. That was what scared her.

She leaned forward and kissed him.

He cupped her cheeks and his tongue pressed against her lips, demanding entrance. She let him in, her tongue sliding along his. He groaned, the kiss turning wild. She clasped his large biceps, feeling the incredible strength of him in those hard muscles.

Suddenly he stood and then climbed into the tub, clothes and all. Water sloshed on the floor and she gasped through a smile. “Roth.”

He yanked her forward so she fell against his chest. His big body surrounded her.

“Told you that when we got somewhere safe, I was going to fuck you.”

The slow simmer of desire turned hot in a flash. She licked her lips. “This is safe?”

“Door’s locked. The mini-drone is in position. Wish I had my carbine, but I’ve got my secondary combat knife that I had hidden.” He nodded toward the sink and she saw the knife he must have set there before.

He straightened his legs as much as he could and pulled her forward until she straddled him. God, there was something sexy about being naked in the arms of a man who was fully clothed.

As she adjusted her legs either side of his hips, she felt the hard press of a bulge between her legs. They both groaned.

Who was she kidding? She needed him right now. She needed someone to hold on to, and the only one she wanted to hold was Roth. She slammed her mouth to his and kissed him.

***

“Clothes,” Avery gasped.

Roth reluctantly pulled away from Avery and stood. He ripped his shirt off.

“Roth, hurry up.”

He finished shucking his clothes, and they hit the floor with a wet plop. But his gaze was on Avery.

His pulse was hammering in his head. She was leaning over the edge of the tub, baring her back to him and looking back over her shoulder. Her wet hair was slicked back against her skull and there was heat in her eyes.

He’d never seen a sight more tempting or welcoming.

Free of his clothes, his rock-hard erection bobbed in front of him. The vision of thrusting into her, seeing the smooth curves of her ass shove back to meet him, made the muscles in his body stretch tight.

He knelt, shaping his hands over her ass, then he gripped her hips. “You want my cock, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” she hissed.

His thighs bumped against the back of hers and he slid one hand up her spine to cup her shoulder. “You want me to pound into you until you forget, until the anger is gone and all you feel is me?”

She shoved back against him, and his cock rubbed into the crack between her cheeks. Hell, he’d never been this hard, the veins thick, and everything throbbing for release.

With his other hand, he dipped his fingers between her legs. He groaned. “You’re so wet for me.” He thrust his fingers into her. He wanted to make sure she was ready. This would be hard and fast, but he didn’t want to hurt her.

“Roth, if you don’t shove your cock inside me I’ll get really angry. When I get angry, I get mean—”

He’d noticed. “Easy.” He circled his cock and then rubbed it through her lips. The head slipped into her and she moaned.

Then he froze.

“Roth,” she pleaded.

“No condom.”

She went still. “What?”

“I don’t have a condom. I don’t take them on missions.”
Hell
.

She looked back at him and they stared at each other. Roth had never had sex without the barrier of a condom or his implant before. He quivered. Fuck, he was a primitive asshole, but the thought of sinking his bare cock inside Avery, of coming inside her, made him even harder.

Her eyes darkened. “You like the idea?”

“I’m healthy. And I love the idea of seeing my come leaking out of you. But…bringing a child into this world…”

She nodded, her gaze clouded. “I know.” She paused. “I’m healthy, too.” She shifted back and it made him sink about an inch inside her.

They both groaned.

Roth felt sweat beading on his brow. “Shit, Avery. We have to both agree to this risk…it’s fucking crazy, but I want you more than anything.”

Her face was flushed, her chest hitching with her fast breaths. “Yes. If there’s a child…”

“We’ll do it together. We’ll protect our child, no matter what.” He gripped her chin. “It’ll be loved.”

Her lips trembled then, firmed. “I want you.”

His fingers bit into her hips. “You’re sure, sweetheart? God, you have to be sure.”

She shoved back again, harder this time, and he slid half way in. He leaned down, his chest pressed to her back and fused his mouth to hers.

Then he pulled back, kept one hand on her shoulder to hold her in place, while the other dug into her hip. He slid all the way out of her tight heat, then slammed home.

Avery cried out, her hands gripping the edge of the tub. “Roth, don’t stop. Please don’t—”

He’d give her everything she ever wanted, if only she’d let him.

Roth worked himself inside her, plunging into her to the hilt. She was tight and wet, and he was excruciatingly aware that there was no barrier between them—latex, chemical, or otherwise. Her sobs of need drove him on, and when he felt her release explode through her, her body clamping down on him, he threw his head back, gripped her hips and slammed into her over and over.

His release hit him like a crashing vehicle and he roared her name as he came. His hot come spilled inside her and nothing had ever felt quite so right.

He collapsed on top of her and noted she was sprawled limply over the side of the tub. Slowly, he pulled out of her, loving that small, sad sound she made as he slipped out. He pulled her into the tub, cleaned them both, then lifted her into his arms.

“Tired,” she mumbled.

“Yeah.” He felt the edge of exhaustion riding him too. It had been a hell of a day.

Roth didn’t bother to dry them off. He headed for the bed, yanked the covers back and laid her down. He quickly checked his mini-tablet and saw the drone hadn’t picked up anything interesting outside their room. He set it beside the bed, then crawled in beside her and curled around her body.

A sense of rightness stole over him and he relaxed against her. He tucked his face into the side of her neck and breathed her in. He hadn’t felt like this since his family had been alive.

“I’m falling in love with you, Avery.” He felt her stiffen and his heart tightened. “You don’t have to say anything back. Just wanted you to know.”

It took a while, but slowly, her tense body relaxed. He clamped down on the need to demand how she felt about him. He knew her childhood had left her wary of caring, of loving, but he was going to damn well show her how good they were together.

For now, he focused on the fact that with Avery in his arms, the rest of the world just melted away. He didn’t feel the press of responsibility, or the driving need to be fighting. He just felt good.

“Just sleep now, sweetheart,” he murmured and let sleep drag him under.

Chapter Sixteen

A hand shaking her shoulder woke Avery from a deep sleep.

“Avery, wake up.”

The urgent tone of Roth’s voice had her sitting upright and blinking. “What is it?”

He flicked on the bedside lamp. “The alarm.”

It was then she heard it. An insistent
meep meep meep
from Roth’s tablet.

“The drone’s picked up a group of people headed our way. Get dressed.” He was already standing beside the bed, pulling his clothes on. He gestured and she saw her clothes tossed on the bed.

She jumped up and hurriedly shoved her legs in her trousers. “How many?”

“Five.”

She pulled her shirt over her head. “Maybe they want to talk?”

“At three-thirty in the morning?”

Right
. She shoved her feet into her boots. She saw Roth shove his tablet into a slot on the sole of his boot, and then he tucked his combat knife into the back of his trousers.

The door made a low beeping sound. Someone was trying to get in.

She and Roth moved close together in the center of the room. He touched her cheek and she looked at him. His lips descended, a brief kiss that left her wanting more.

“Follow my lead,” he said quietly.

She nodded. Just then, the door lock panel exploded in a shower of sparks.

The door opened.

Gregory Howell strode in, flanked by two guards on either side. They were all stone-faced military types—three men and a woman. None were Scott, which Avery found interesting.

“Come with us,” Howell said. He was wearing jeans and a hooded sweater. As they moved into the hall, he flicked the hood up.

Avery saw their young guard sprawled on the floor, unconscious, his head bleeding from a wound. She swallowed. She didn’t think Howell was planning a midnight picnic.

“I take it you can’t handle your people learning that you aren’t the wise, benevolent leader,” Avery said. “You’re just selfish, cowardly scum.”

Howell spun around, his face twisting. “I had a family to protect.”

Avery stared at him. In that moment, she felt sorry for him. Fear was written all over his face. He’d been tested, and he’d failed. They said the tough times brought out your true colors. She wasn’t sure she believed it, but she figured there was some truth in it. Howell had to live with the fact that under the gloss, he had little substance. That he was no role model to his kids.

“No, you had millions of families to protect. And you failed them.” Avery sighed. “No one expected you to be perfect and beat the aliens off singlehandedly. But we expected you to try.”

“Just shut up.” He spun back around. “Come on.”

They were herded into an industrial elevator. As the doors on the cage were slammed closed, one of the guards touched the controls. The cage jolted and started upwards.

At the top, Howell strode out of the elevator and then opened a set of double doors that led into a tunnel. This tunnel didn’t look as well-maintained as the rest of the Enclave. One of the narrow, open vehicles was parked ahead with two carriages attached.

The guards prodded Avery and Roth to get in.

They drove down the tunnel, no one speaking. The tunnel was mostly flat and they drove for a very long time, the dark walls whizzing past. Was Howell going to toss them in an old mine shaft?

Finally, the tunnel started to rise, and without warning, they came out an exit and into a coal prep plant. She saw straight away it wasn’t the plant near the Enclave. This one was even more decrepit, part of having collapsed.

“Out,” one guard said.

Avery and Roth climbed out. They weaved their way through the old, rusting equipment and conveyors, then stepped out into the early morning darkness. The air was crisp and the stars were still bright in the sky.

“What now, Howell?” Roth asked. “You planning to kill us?”

“No.” Something crossed the politician’s face before his mouth firmed. “I’m using you as bargaining chips and securing the safety of the people I’ve vowed to protect.”

Avery’s belly tightened. “What are you talking about?”

Right then, red lights zoomed overhead. She heard Roth curse.

Two raptor pteros.

Now she realized why Howell had driven them so far from the Enclave. “You’re doing it again?” Avery shook her head, shocked. “You aren’t protecting those people in the Enclave, you’re protecting yourself!” She faced the guards. “What has he said to you to convince you to fucking hand us over to the aliens? We’re on the same side! We’re all human.”

The guards all looked nervous, their gazes flicking from Avery and Roth to the raptor pteros landing in the field ahead of them.

“We should be working together to fight the raptors, not fighting each other,” Avery said.

“We’re safe at the Enclave. Our families are safe,” one guard said. “If we don’t help…”

When the man trailed off, realization hit Avery. “If you don’t help, then he’ll banish you like he’s banished others. Follow his crazed orders or you’re out.”

Howell made an enraged sound and leapt forward. He backhanded Avery in the face. “Shut up!”

Pain exploded, and she sensed Roth moving. But her anger was back, and she was done being Howell’s favorite chew toy. She kicked out, catching Howell in the belly. He slammed backward into the ground.