Sparked (The Metal Bones Series Book 1) (26 page)

Chapter 41

For the first time since arriving, I didn’t have a headache, and it felt good.

Really good.

And I was warm.

I sighed.

So-so warm.

I burrowed into the sensation, and where I burrowed it was even warmer. I melted right into it.

A steadiness thumped against my chest, calm and reassuring, steady and sure.

Beat-beat. Beat-beat
.

I inhaled mint and crisp pinecones.
So familiar.
My fingers closed against soft cotton and something brushed against my hair.

I opened my eyes to see trees blurring through the window and the purr of a motor.

I blinked against the harsh rays of the sun and looked up into . . .

“Alec?”

His name danced across my tongue and his long soft lashes sprang open, violent green eyes stirring to life.

“Vienna.” His voice choked, and he pulled me to him, kissing me all over. “Vienna . . . baby.” His lips devoured my lips, my nose, my forehead, my neck, my ears, dropping hard, desperate kisses on every unconcealed surface of my skin.

Alec.

He fanned my insides to life, slowly unfurling my wanting, my needing.

“Alec.” My voice was heavy, and I wrapped my fingers around his neck, pulling him to me. “Alec.” I breathed in his scent and buried my face in his shoulder, savoring the feel of his hot skin against mine. His arms suctioned me against him, molding me to him, making his heart pound with mine.

He was here. He was really here. “You found me,” I whimpered.
You’re here.

“I’m so sorry.” His body shook and he rocked me, cradled within his arms. “I’m so—”

“Shh . . .” I placed my finger on his lips, his glorious, full pink lips. His midnight hair and his tumultuous green eyes . . .
oh, god
. . . my hand shook, tracing the planes of his face, the outline of his lips, and running through the smooth strands of his hair.
Alec
. . .

My lip quivered. “I can’t believe”—my eyes blurred—“you’re here. You’re really here.”

“I’ll never let you go.” He buried his face in my hair. “Never. You’re mine.”

“For always,” I whispered.

His fingers buried into my scalp, clenching my hair. “For always.”

We held each other, molding into one as the car shook under us, the droll of the motor rocking us together.

I never let him go. Not the rest of the ride. Not even when the car was parked. It was almost as if it wasn’t real. As if this moment wasn’t real. That I would soon wake up and be back in the cell.

Without him.

My fingers clenched around his biceps and I never took my eyes off his green ones. I never wanted to stop looking at him. I never wanted to stop staring at him. I never wanted to be without him. Again.

Alec carried me out of the car, up the stairs and through the door. Our eyes never leaving each other.

His purposeful strides slowly deteriorated the façade of this being a dream. Step, step—
you’re with me—
step, step, step—
I never left you—
step, step—
I want you always
.

I clung to his shirt.

He found me.

“I’m here, baby.” He put me down on the bathtub ledge and knelt in front of me. “I’m here, baby.”

I threw my arms around him, refusing to let him go. My fingers death-gripped around his shirt. “Baby . . .” His voice caught. “I’m so . . . I’m so—”

A sob escaped my lips and he lifted me, gently leaning me against him in the tub. He unzipped my jacket and threw it on the floor. He slipped off my T-shirt and threw it on top of my jacket. He unbuttoned my jeans and they slid down my legs. He removed my socks and sneakers and set them on the tile. He maneuvered himself in front of me, and I watched as he turned on the shower, taking the brunt of the cold water.

Alec tugged me against him and waited until the water heated, streaming down his back. “It’s good.” He flipped me to the front of the hot water and I closed my eyes as it rained down my face.

I flicked my tongue out and tasted it. Hot sizzling water.

“How is it?” His hands slid down my wet arms and I leaned against his—I swallowed—against his bare chest.

“Alec, I—”

“Shh, baby,” he crooned.

My legs rubbed against his jeans as I spun around. “But—”

My voice died in my throat.

He was beautiful. Ethereal. Water glided down the dips of his tan, muscled chest. His black hair plastered to his face. His wondrous green eyes shone like gems sparkling in the night.

My heart pounded in my chest and my lips parted.

A strand of greasy hair washed down my cheek and I stared down at myself, at my puny arms, at my protruding ribs, at my cakey hair, at my dirt-covered body. I could just picture my transparent eyes and gaunt face as he gazed down at me.

I struggled to breathe, the air stopping in my throat.

“Baby, baby, it’s okay. Relax.” His voice was soft and he brushed the wet strand away from my cheek.

My body trembled as I stared at myself. How could . . .? How could he . . .?

“Don’t.” He crushed me against him, my chest against his chest. “Don’t do that.” He nibbled at my ear and laid scorching kisses down my neck.

I moaned and collapsed against him. His fingers wrapped around the lace of my thong. His lips delved into my collarbones, leaving a trail of fire along my skin. His caresses spread along my shoulder and then my bra strap slid down my arm.

He jerked his head up and panted into my hair, “Turn around, baby.”

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his waist.

His fingers constricted, twisting my thong. He grunted into my neck and then whipped me around to the showerhead pounding down.

“Don’t move,” he whispered in my ear, and tingles slid down to my toes.

I heard a cap snap and then his fingers were in my hair, shampooing then conditioning. I closed my eyes as his fingers threaded and massaged my scalp.

The cap snapped shut again and then soap trailed along my back. I opened my eyes, watching as he scrubbed me, carefully avoiding the areas by my bra and thong. His hands were soft and smooth and relaxing. I leaned against his warm chest as soap trailed between our bodies, making me slip and slide against him.

He soaped between each of my fingers and each of my toes, thoroughly cleaning every inch of my skin.

Hot water glided down my body, and I closed my eyes. After all the cold I’d been through, I was finally surrounded in heat.

Brain searing heat.

Hot water cascaded down my body. Goose bumps arose along my arms. And suddenly, a chill seeped its way underneath my bones.

I closed my eyes and my mind started drifting.

To waking up. To the warmth of London’s back. To the cell . . . to . . .
London
.

“Baby, baby.” Alec’s arms enveloped me, turning me into him, rocking us side to side as my hot tears and whimpers ran between our bodies. “Stay with me, Vienna. Stay with me.”

London.

He held me like that until my silent tears subsided and my body stopped shaking.

“Better?” he asked.

I nodded, and he finished soaping me down and turned off the water. The bottom of the tub was splotched with dirt and grime, mixed with old memories. He towel dried me and sat me on the toilet.

“Put these on,” he whispered. “I’ll leave the door open.”

His hand brushed across my cheek and static jolted through me.

“Al-Alec.” I jumped off and threw my arms around him.

I missed you.
I sobbed into his warm shoulder.

He scooped me up. “Baby.” He kissed my face.

“You found me,” I whispered. “How did you find me?”

“I’d never give up on you. Never.”

He drew back, letting me see his dark violent green eyes roaming me, devouring every inch of me.

My heart pounded in my chest as his eyes infused life into me, making me feel omnipotent. And powerful—like I was everything that ever mattered in the world.

My body ignited, flaring to life, desire rising up from my toes, and pulsing through me.

His lips brushed mine, sweet and tentative, and everything was right again. He was here. In my arms. Holding me. Every switch in my body stuttered to life. He was wonderful. He was warm. And he was mine.  

His lips tugged on mine one last time and he sat me on the floor. “Get dressed. I’ll wait for you outside.”

“I forgot.” I rubbed my arm now filled with static. “How is everyone? Are they all right? I didn’t even think to ask. I’m so sorry. I didn’t—”

“They’re fine.” He kissed my forehead. “There’s plenty of time for them tomorrow. Okay? Now”—he gestured to the clothes—“get dressed.” I smirked behind him when he left the door ajar.

I yanked on the clothes huddled in a pile next to the toilet and smelled the mountain-freshness of the clean cloth against my skin. I rubbed the soft fabric between my fingers before letting it fall to my hip.

It’s amazing how the most meaningless things become the things you end up yearning for most.

“You are safe now, Vienna.” I said and tugged at the soft, clean fabric. I brushed it against my cheek. “You’re safe.”

I walked out to Alec, sitting on the—
Whoa. Breathe, Vienna, breathe
—bed in nothing but his boxers.

I swallowed and couldn’t stop my eyes as they roved his chiseled abs, up to his muscular chest—
breathe, Vienna, breathe
—thick neck, and down along the curves of his biceps.

“Wow,” I whispered, and felt my face flush.

Alec’s eyes darkened. “Sit,” he barked.

I sat next to him but my eyes strayed back to the glory that was Alec. Those abs. Those pecs. And the little trail of hair that—He snapped his fingers in my face. “Don’t. Tempt me.”

“You?” I said. “Never.”

He gave me a death glare and shifted away from me.

“I’m not the one without a shirt.” I said and crossed my arms, making sure the fabric strained against my chest with the movement.

He growled and sprang off the bed, pacing—back and forth on the carpet floor.

“You know, if you had worn a shirt,” I whispered, playing with my sleeve hem, “none of this would have happened.”

“Vienna.” He shut his eyes and gestured in my direction. “I’ve been too long without you. If you say another thing, I’m going to lose all control and neither of us are ready for that.”

Whoa.

Not even I would have thought less than 24 hours from almost dying in a cell, that my jaw would be hanging and tongue drooling at the endless cords and ropes of muscle winding up Alec’s sculpted back and over his taut shoulders. If this was a dream, I didn’t ever want to wake up. Even the back of him was beautiful.

“I missed you,” I said. And just like that, the lust shattered, leaving a deep dark hole suspended in its place.

Alec knelt at my feet and traced his fingers over my face. “It was your eyes I missed the most.” He captured my chin and his gaze slammed into mine. “Not quite green and too deep to be golden.” His thumbs caressed the skin under my eyes. “You are my light in the dark. All I want. All I thought about, day and night,”—he dropped his hand to my lap and our fingers kneaded themselves together—“that day, when they took you, it was like they took a part of me. I couldn’t see anything past your face, no matter how hard I tried to look straight. All I could see was you, screaming from the air, trapped in his hands.”

“Alec.” I rested my other hand on his face. “It’s okay. They released—”

“I’ve never been afraid before in my life.” His fingers squeezed mine. “But in that moment, right then, I understood for the first time what it was to be afraid.”

Alec.

My heart started pumping to life, somewhere within the darkness of the empty hole. “What did you feel? How did it feel to be afraid?”

“Like my soul had been sucked out of me and poured out into a lake filled with ice water.”

“Like you can’t breathe,” I said.

“Like you can’t think.”

“Or move.” My heart pounded louder, almost as if in search of Alec’s heart. “That is because you are human my wonderful, wonderful man—with all the flaws that come with it.”

Alec laughed and hung his head. “I was never scared before while I was on duty. Never.”

I ran my fingers through his hair. “And the funniest part, is that with all the fear you had for me, I never had one drop of it for you. I always knew—” I tilted his chin up to see into his anguish filled eyes. “—that you got away. I never once even wondered.”

“Ohh, Vienna.” Alec rested his head against my chest. His hands pressed into my lower back. “This is all I want. You. Right here. Like this. By my side.” He rocked us back and forth and I continued to run my fingers through his silky black hair.

“We’re quite the pair, you and I. Quite the pair, my love.” I pressed my lips together as a silent tear slipped down my cheek.
And now I’d have to make it even worse.
The tear slid from my face and landed on his hair. “A-Al-lec.” My voice shook. “T-They—” I swallowed. “They have my cousin.” I choked on the last word. The most important word.
Cousin.

His body stilled under mine. “Which one?”

“London,” I said into his hair.

“London? How did you even know—” His palms stroked circles on my hips. “They put you in the same location, together, didn’t they?”

My lips pressed in his soft hair.

His fingers stroked, inching their way up my back, until they found my wet hair and started twirling it dry, strand by strand.