Save Your Soul (Body & Soul #2) (3 page)

T
he look on Brecken’s face was fierce, and for some reason I took comfort in it. Deep down inside, I knew his anger wasn’t directed at me. No, it was on my behalf. I felt horribly guilty for flinching away from his touch. He’d rescued, clothed and fed me. At no point had he done anything to harm me. I knew this, and yet I couldn’t stop myself from tensing up the second I realized he was going to touch me. But once I felt the warmth of his hand on my leg, I wanted more. The contradictory feelings were enough to make my head spin—my heart and mind at war with each other. Swallowing down my fear, my voice croaked a bit when I spoke.

“I can make it as far as you need me to go.”

I was surprised to find it was true. I was beyond exhausted and ached all over, but with Brecken by my side and some food and water in me much of my self-doubt had disappeared. I’d survived my kidnapping. Brecken had rescued me. The least I could do for him was find whatever strength I needed to make our escape go as smoothly as possible. I could do this. No, I
would
do this, come hell or high-water as my mom always said.

“You sure? Because I can carry you if need be.”

I shivered at the thought of Brecken having a better reason to carry me, other than our tromp through the jungle—like on our way to a bed. If we’d met any other way, I didn’t think he’d look at me twice. In the light of the morning, I’d gotten a much better look at Brecken and couldn’t help but believe he was way out of my league. Tall, dark, ruggedly handsome, muscular and confident. Really, the list of his attributes could go on and on. And on some more.

I was cute, in a nerdy kind of way. I was a late bloomer and still saw myself as I’d been in high school, flat chested with braces and no sense of my personal style. Enough guys had asked me out once I was in college and away from home for me to know I was attractive, but I hadn’t fared well in the dating scene. Socially awkward didn’t go far enough to explain my personality. Put me anywhere near a hot guy, and you’d be guaranteed to find me blushing and stammering. Maybe even tripping over the ground or pouring something all over myself. Or on the nearby hottie, which had happened more times than I liked to admit.

Who knew my kidnapping would rid me of my awkwardness? At least around Brecken. He’d already seen me at my worst, literally. It was oddly freeing to know there wasn’t anything else I could do to make me look worse in his eyes. The very same ones which flashed with heat and approval when he looked at me. I refused to let him down and lose the fluttering in my belly when he glanced at me.

“I’m positive. Lead on, Macduff.”

He helped me to my feet, chuckling deeply. “Hopefully we won’t need to fight to the death. But if we do, you can be damn sure I’ll stand between you and anything which intends you harm.”

Holy crap!
He’d gotten my nerdy Macbeth reference. With that, he’d managed to be even hotter. Add in his determination to keep me safe, and those butterflies took flight again right along with my heart which melted. Brecken didn’t realize the impact of his words on me. He went about the business of getting us out of here, leading the way through the jungle once again, while the foundation of my world seemed to shift with him at the center.

I trudged behind him for the seemingly endless march. We’d walked for what felt like forever, until the sun was high in the sky and my clothes were drenched with sweat. I heard the sound of running water in the distance, making my mouth water with thirst. Brecken held up a hand, signaling me to stop, and pulled a set of binoculars out of a pants pocket. He scanned the distance ahead of us before swiveling in a full circle to search the jungle. The foliage was so thick, I wasn’t sure if he could even see anything in some locations, but he took his time and did a thorough check before dropping the binoculars back in his pocket.

“There’s a waterfall ahead.”

Except for the moment when I’d heard him say “Fluffy” and realized he was there to rescue me, I’d never heard sweeter words. A waterfall meant water. Hopefully clean water I could drink. And if lady luck was on my side, maybe even use to clean off a little bit. I hadn’t bathed for more than two weeks, and I’d practically kill to get clean. My hope must have shone from my eyes because Brecken grinned at me.

“Yeah, I thought you’d like the sound of that.”

Heck yes, I did!

“We need to stop and rest soon anyway.”

I liked the sound of that even better.

“It’s getting too hot for us to keep going without running the risk of overheating and dehydrating. There hasn’t been any sign of us being followed. If we’re lucky, there will be a cave behind the waterfall where we can rest for the day, wait out the hottest hours of the day before we go further.”

I felt like sobbing with gratitude. Brecken wasn’t showing any signs of needing to slow down. He was as sure-footed as he’d been when we first started out. While I gasped for breath, he didn’t seem winded at all. If we were stopping to rest, it was because he was concerned for me. A part of me wanted to tell him I didn’t need to stop, that we could keep going, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. I was too busy nodding my agreement and trying not to cry. If I could even manage tears, I wasn’t sure I was hydrated enough for my body to manufacture any.

When we reached the waterfall, I almost fell to my knees in gratitude. It spilled into a small lake, filled with crystal clear water. “Please tell me we can drink it.”

Brecken pulled a couple white tablets out of a pocket. He seemed to have everything in those darn things. He dropped them into his canteen and filled it with water. “In thirty minutes it will be.” Then he pulled another tablet out of a different pocket and dropped it into the water. “And this will help with the iodine flavor so we’ll be able to choke it down more easily.”

A nervous giggle crept up my throat as I thought about something else I’d like to choke down. It was even something he was packing in his pants, just not in one of the endless pockets he seemed to have. My laughter earned me a strange look from Brecken, and I was glad he couldn’t read my mind. How embarrassing would it be for him to discover the clueless virgin he’d rescued was picturing herself on her knees in front of him with his cock shoved down her throat? Talk about taking awkward to a whole new level. Or maybe not, considering I was almost sure I’d spotted a half-chub in those pants a time or two when I’d glanced his way.

Taking a deep breath and getting a good whiff of myself, I wasn’t sure how it was possible for him to be attracted to me like this. I glanced at the pool of water longingly and Brecken caught my look.

“Go ahead and get cleaned up, but make sure to keep your clothes dry. You’ll need to get dressed as soon as you’re out, and I don’t have a spare set for you to use. I don’t want us to be caught at a major disadvantage out in the open like this.”

There was only one way I could think to keep my clothes dry. “Can you turn around please?”

His dark eyes scanned my body, flaring with heat before he swiveled on a heel and gave me his back. I quickly stripped out of my boots and clothes, leaving them on a rock near the edge of the water. Once I’d moved far enough that my body was covered, I called out to Brecken. “The coast is clear.”

He was quick to face me again, his eyes locking on me right away. “So is the water.”

I glanced down, only to find my naked body clearly visible. “Crap!”

“You’re fucking adorable, precious.”

It was a compliment a guy might give his little sister, but the way he was looking at me was anything but brotherly. It put thoughts into my head, naughty thoughts I’d never had for any of the guys I’d gone on dates with in the past. It’s probably the other part of why I’d never had any second dates. I’d never felt chemistry like this with anyone before Brecken. After my kidnapping, I was determined to make the most out of each day I had because I wasn’t sure how many more I had. For all I knew, today could be my last.

“What are the odds of us making it out of this safe and sound?”

Brecken’s gaze jerked up to search my face. He moved closer to the water and bent down so we were closer to eye level with each other. “They’re damn good, Hadley. The route we’re taking is one I’d planned on using if it became necessary. We aren’t flying blind here. My team will be waiting for us, ready to get us the hell out of here as soon as we reach them.”

“What if the bad guys catch up to us first?”

“Then they’ll have to go through me to get to you, and I’m not an easy man to kill.”

He wasn’t saying they wouldn’t find us. When I’d been taken, one of the things I regretted the most was my virginity. I lived in fear of it being taken from me by force. There wasn’t anything I could do about it then, but here with Brecken was a different story. One in which I was determined to take control—at least for as long as Brecken would give it to me.

W
hen Hadley had gotten into the water, she’d been so damn shy, sweetly asking me to turn around so I wouldn’t see her nudity. Something changed in the short time while she washed, though. As she strode out of the lake, buck ass naked with all her luscious curves on display for me, there was a determined look in her eyes as she stared at me. It took all my restraint to hold still after rising to my feet when she passed up her pile of clothes and kept coming towards me. She stopped a few inches away, close enough that I could easily bend down and lick away one of the water drops dripping down her tits. Or all of them, that was a much better plan. Drying her with my lips and hands before she got dressed, maybe taking the time to give her an orgasm or two. I was so wrapped up in my own fantasies of what I wanted to do to Hadley that I almost didn’t catch what she said, and missing her request would have been a fucking travesty.

“I want to sleep with you.”

Sleep.
She’d said sleep. My cock assumed she meant fucking and quickly hardened, but maybe she meant she was tired and felt safer letting her guard down with me than without. Considering what she’d gone through, it would certainly make more sense.

“Let me check out the cave and then you can rest,” I croaked out.

The gentle smile she gave me was blinding in its beauty. Her eyes lit with laughter and she shook her head. “No, Brecken. I mean I want to
sleep
with
you
.”

My cock figured it out faster than my brain, pressing so hard against my zipper that I wouldn’t be surprised if it left an imprint behind. My precious angel wanted to have sex with me. Now. Her cheeks pinkened, and a hint of uncertainty entered her gaze, making me take that final step which brought her body flush with mine. The timing was piss poor, and I was probably taking advantage of the situation, but I wasn’t about to let her think, even for a minute, that I didn’t want her.

“Get back in the water, my precious girl.” She looked crushed by my answer, and I hurried to explain. “Swim over to the other side of the waterfall. It will provide us with some cover. I’ll move your things into the cave and do one final sweep to make sure nobody is going to sneak up on us anytime soon.”

Before she could turn away from me, I claimed her mouth with a deep kiss. I’d intended to show her exactly how much I wanted her, but I’d seriously underestimated the strength of my desire because the kiss turned explosive the second my lips touched hers. It quickly spiraled out of control, with my hands sliding down her bare back to her ass and lifting her up until her pussy lined up with my cock. She wrapped her legs around my waist and ground against me while I thrust upwards.

When I tore my mouth from hers, she mewled in protest and the sound of her need had me dropping to my knees in front of her. Her glistening pink pussy was inches from my mouth, wet from the lake and the proof of her desire for me. Running my nose up her folds, a growl rumbled up my throat at the scent of her cream. Gripping her ass in one hand, I parted her with the fingers of my other hand and gave her a slow lick from top to bottom, dipping into her hole with my stiffened tongue. Holding her pussy open for my mouth, I used my tongue and teeth to build Hadley up until she was moaning and her legs were trembling. When I sunk a finger into her, knuckle deep, she screamed my name as she shattered. Licking and sucking, I let her ride my face through her orgasm. Rising to my feet afterwards, my chin was wet with her juices and my cock was iron hard with the need to feel her soft wetness wrapped around me.

“Water, now,” I ordered her in a growl. “Be damn careful in there. Don’t let me out of your sight until you make it through the waterfall.”

I kept an eagle eye on her as she walked back into the lake, gathering up her clothes and marching around the water and climbing over the rocks to get behind the waterfall. I found a small cave, the perfect place for us to rest out of the sun today—after I fucked her incredibly tight pussy. I might be an ass for taking advantage of her vulnerability this way, but Hadley was going to be mine one way or another. It had been a done deal from the moment I saw her picture. The situation had just sped things along a little, shortening the wait until the inevitable.

I helped Hadley out of the water, settling her on my spare shirt so her delicate skin wouldn’t chafe on the rough floor. I handed her the canteen and another protein bar. “Don’t forget to drink slowly,” I reminded her, bending over to bite a nipple, enjoying the sight of the red mark when I lifted my head. “Wait here for me while I do a perimeter check.”

Her bottom lip popped out in an adorable pout. “Your safety comes first, precious.” I lifted one of her hands and placed her palm on my hard length, making her eyes widen in surprise. “It will be hell to walk around like this, but well worth it to know you’re protected.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

The innocence in her gaze had me moving her hand away and offering her an out I hadn’t intended to give. “What happens when I get back is entirely up to you, Hadley. If you decide you aren’t ready for more, I’ll understand. No matter what, I’ll get you to safety.”