Tangled Fates (30 page)

Cohen’s large body made her feel soft, feminine, and small. She didn’t feel like a

Warrior, or the lonely, scared child of her past. She felt beautiful and womanly, wanted and

treasured.

Annis ran her fingers down his large, muscle-grooved back and found the hem of his T-

shirt. Hesitantly, she let her hands slide up under it, and Cohen let out a moan. “My God,” he

whispered. “The way you touch me sets my whole being on fire. Your touch does something to

me I’ve never experienced before.”

With his words, her confidence soared, and she kissed him a little bit harder. His lips

moved to her neck, and she turned her head to the side to give him better access. He slowly

kissed the column of her throat and moved down to her collarbone. He licked the ridge all the

way up to the middle of her throat. She trembled as he pulled down her tank top and his mouth

found her nipple and teased it with his tongue until it was a hardened nub.

She shivered as his mouth left her breast and he rolled off her. Had she done something

wrong?

“I want you, Annis,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to show you how a male can make

you feel. I want to use my hands, my mouth, and this.” He opened her palm and pressed it

against his sweats. She felt the long, thick length, and desire, as well as just a hint of fear, flushed

through her body. “But I don’t want to go too fast for you. I know . . . what has been done to

you, and I want to make it right for you.”

Annis realized that if she wanted to be with Cohen, she would need to open up to him. He

already knew about the rapes, he just didn’t know the circumstances. She also appreciated that he

cared enough to think about it, and realized that the sexual act might be difficult for her.

“It was the doctor,” she whispered, nerves coiling in her gut. She had never spoken of

what happened, and she felt tears welling in her eyes. “He . . . he did it many times. He strapped

me down, the coward that he was and . . .”

She couldn’t finish, and hoped that what she had said was enough.

Cohen let out a long, low, ominous growl. “I wish Jovan hadn’t killed him, because I

would like to make his death long and slow for what he did to you.”

“As would I, Cohen. But I also know that I can’t dwell on it. I have to move forward.”

He cupped the side of her face. “My incredibly brave, sexy, Warrior,” he said and kissed

the tip of her nose. “I want to continue this, Annis, but I want you to be able to see me when we

do.”

“Cohen—”

“Annis, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Trust me. But I want you to be able to see

me. I want you to know it’s me making love to you. It’s important to me, so please, let’s wait a

few more hours.”

Annis smiled. She might burn up from anticipation, and she told him this.

He laughed and kissed her with a passion that ignited her very soul.

“You and me both,” Cohen whispered.

Chapter 51

Cohen sat across from Annis at the dinner table. For fuck’s sakes it was taking forever

and a day for the sun to go down. He looked around again and noticed that everyone’s eyes were

still black. He watched as Annis handled the knife and fork with her delicate hands, cutting her

meat while chatting with Liberty, who sat to her left. It was like she didn’t have a handicap at all.

The front of his jeans got snug when he thought of their little tryst this morning. Sex was

different with someone you cared about who returned the feeling. The physical sensations were

more intense, and it was an emotional experience as well as a corporeal one. It was like something he would have experienced with Mia.

Mia. She was a part of his past now, and he could honor her memory by living the best

way he could—with honor and integrity.

He looked over at Annis again. Damn, she looked good. Her dark hair swirled around her

shoulders, and her white teeth stood out against her chocolate skin. He loved the sound of her

deep, sexy laugh, and her white T-shirt hugged her breasts tightly.

When was that damn fireball outside going to head over the hill?

Sighing, he reached to the middle of the table and speared another filet mignon.

The chatter and laughter around the table was the same as always, maybe just a little

subdued since Talin died, but it was a nice background to his thoughts.

After just about killing himself by disengaging from Annis, he had gone to his own

quarters and headed for the shower. It took him seconds to come as he ran his hand over his

cock, his need for release—and Annis—so great.

He then surveyed his room. He had been scrubbed clean on the inside. This shit in here

needed to get scoured down as well.

As he changed the sheets, he thought about what Annis had said about the doctor.

Tonight he would go slow with her, make sure that the experience was a good one. The thought

of that doctor rutting on her made him see blood red, and again he wished that fucker was alive

just so Cohen could make him die a slow, painful, horrible death.

But he couldn’t think about that. There was nothing that could be done, and he needed to

stay focused in the present.

He’d gathered up all his laundry, scrubbed the bathroom down, and collected the glasses

and empty bottles. After two hours, his quarters were clean, he had laundry going, and he felt

better about everything.

He had played a little Xbox with Rayner, and messed around with Killian in the kitchen

while Hudson cooked. Cohen had laughed when Killian announced, “Co-Co back!” and clapped

his hands. Observant little guy. Yeah, he was definitely on his way back.

“I think you may be right, Killian,” Hudson had said, turning to Cohen and putting his

hand on his shoulder. “I’m not sure what happened, and it doesn’t matter. It’s good to see you

back among the living, my friend.”

Cohen had nodded. “Thanks man. It’s good to be here.”

He was feeling so good he had even helped serve dinner.

Cohen hadn’t seen Annis all day until she arrived for dinner with Blake.

That hadn’t sat well, but it was something that he was going to have to get used to. It was

obvious that Blake cared deeply for Annis, and Cohen appreciated that. It seemed like Annis and

Blake were more brother and sister than anything else, and he supposed could live with that.

Probably.

As for Nico being Annis’s former lover, that didn’t gel with him too well, but he’d have

to deal with that too. Nico had assured him that there was nothing going on between him and

Annis, and Cohen had to believe the male or he would make himself certifiable. He certainly

didn’t need a nudge in that direction.

He looked back over at Annis as she stared straight ahead. Golden pinpoints shone in her

eyes. They slowly got bigger until her eyes glowed fully. She met his gaze and gave him a small

smile.

Oh, hell yeah.

“Thanks for dinner, Hudson, I gotta run though,” Cohen said, standing up so fast his chair

almost tipped over.

“What do you have going on?” Hudson asked.

“Just some stuff I need to take care of.” And he needed to take care of it now. He

couldn’t wait any longer. All day he had thought of very little besides the taste of Annis’s mouth,

the softness of her lips and skin and how good she felt pressed up against his body.

It was time to get down to business.

He dumped his plates in the sink, making a silent promise that he would do the dishes for

everyone tomorrow night. Debating the stairs or the elevator, he decided to wait for the elevator.

Cohen didn’t hear Annis come up beside him. He smiled at her when she touched his

arm, and she grinned.

“What was your excuse?” he asked quietly.

“Mine was much better than yours, Cohen. I simply said I didn’t feel well.”

He chuckled, and the door to the elevator opened. They stepped in together, and when the

door shut, they turned to each other.

Cohen pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. Slow was the idea for the night.

Slow and steady would get the job done. That was a tough one though, because he wanted to

slam her up against the elevator wall, rip off her jeans, and bury his cock deep in her hot center.

But no. Slow. Steady. Gentlemanly. Yep, that would be him.

The doors opened, and Cohen kissed Annis for just another couple of seconds, then

turned to leave the elevator. He realized that they hadn’t pushed a button. Nico, Jovan, Rayner,

and Hudson were in the kitchen. Three out of four of them were staring at him as if he’d grown a

dick out of his forehead. Nico simply smiled and winked at them.

“Wow,” Hudson said. “Wait till I tell Bev about this one.”

“No kidding,” Jovan said. “If Liberty knew about this and didn’t tell me, I’m going to be

pissed.”

Apparently, Rayner was speechless.

“Excuse us,” Cohen said, hitting the number for Annis’s floor. He then turned back to

Annis and continued their kiss while the doors closed. Let them all talk. His shot at happiness

was right here in his arms.

When the doors opened again, they stepped out, arm in arm. “I guess the cat’s out of the

bag,” he said.

“Yes, I do believe it is.”

He turned to her and cupped her face with his hands. “Are you okay with that?”

She shrugged and smiled. “Even if I wasn’t, I would simply have to be, Cohen. There is

nothing that can be done about it now.”

Cohen laughed. “You’re like a duck.”

Annis tilted her head, confused. “How is that? Do I waddle? Because I certainly don’t

have feathers.”

They stepped into her quarters, and Cohen locked the door. He took her into his arms and

kissed her deeply. “No, you don’t waddle. You glide. You float, but you certainly don’t waddle.”

She pulled up his T-shirt until she found his skin. Her slender fingers left trails of fire that

burned and made it hard for him to think straight. “Then how am I like a duck?”

Right. They were talking about ducks. He pulled her T-shirt up over her head and wanted

to cry at the beauty of the stark-white lacey bra against her chocolate skin. “Stuff just rolls off

you. You don’t let much get to you,” he said gruffly.

“You get to me, Cohen,” she said, running her hands over his chest. “Should I not let you

affect me?”

All the blood had left his brain and settled in his groin, and he found words hard to come

by. “No. I mean, yes. I mean . . . Jesus, Annis, you’ve got my brain so scrambled right now I

don’t know what I mean.”

Cohen kissed her again, her mouth hot and wet. He brought them over to the bed and

fumbled with the button to her jeans. A moment later, he had them both undressed.

His sex jutted between them, and she looked down. Hesitantly, her hand encircled him,

and his body jolted at her touch.

She looked up at him with a sly grin on her face. He had to close his eyes as she stroked

him.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, feeling tortured. “I’m not going to last long with you

doing that, Annis, and that’s fine. But I’m just letting you know.”

She turned and got on all fours as she crawled across the bed, the muscles in her thighs

and back rippling beneath her skin. He couldn’t move as he watched her. She turned around and

looked over her shoulder. “Am I going to bed alone, Cohen?”

Hell no. The only thing that could keep him from that bed right now was . . . not a damn

thing. He’d crawl through shards of glass set on fire to get to her.

He hurriedly got in bed next to her, remembering his mantra for the night: slow and

steady.

“I loved what you did to my breast with your mouth this morning, Cohen,” she said.

Jesus, she actually sounded like she was purring.

“Then let me do it again,” he said hoarsely, his tongue swirling her nipple while his other

hand massaged her other nipple into a hard tip.

He moved down to her ribs, slowly kissing her, but keeping his eyes on her face, looking

for any signs of discomfort. He let his hands wander down to her thighs, and he gently traced

inside of one, then the other. Annis moaned and split her legs. If that wasn’t an invitation, he

didn’t know what was.

His fingers moved slowly upward until he found her tender flesh beneath soft curls.

Annis shut her eyes, and she was the sexiest thing he had ever laid eyes on. Her hair framed her

beautiful face, her darkness a gorgeous contrast to the cream-colored, silky sheets. Her luscious

mouth was slightly parted, and her breathing was heavy. Sliding his fingers into her folds, he

found her slick and wet. Inhaling deeply, he caught the sweet scent of her arousal as it flooded

his brain, sending his body into overdrive.

Slow and steady. Slow and steady.

As he teased her swollen nub, her breathing became more labored. He felt the first quakes

of her oncoming orgasm as he slid his finger deep within her.

Her eyes flew open. “Cohen,” she whispered.

He waited for her to say something else, but she didn’t. He removed his hand and traced

it up her stomach, peppering her ribcage with slow kisses.

Before he knew what was happening, he was flat on his back, and she was straddling

him. Confused, he looked up at her. “You’re going too slow,” she said with a smile. “I may die

from anticipation if you keep this up.”

“Annis, I—”

His words were forgotten as she slid down his shaft, her core a warm, velvet fist. She