The Bond That Saves Us (24 page)

Still there was nothing, no response. Sean bit the inside of his cheek to keep his frustrated cry inside. The pain did little to distract from the ache in his chest. He reached up and brushed down one of her black curls, tucking it behind her ear.

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“Amy, I need you to open those eyes for me. I need to you be looking at me when I tell you.”

Another blip on another machine. From what little he knew about the medical equipment, it appeared to be her blood pressure and it was rising into the normal range.

Sean was on his feet, leaning over her body when her moaning started again. She reached out, swinging her arms weakly at him, nearly pulling off the dressing over her shoulder.

“Amy, stop. You’re okay. You’re in the med bay. Baby, stop.”

She froze, panting, her head moving from side to side. “Sean?” Her whisper was weak and pained.

“Yeah, it’s me. You were shot, but Sara and Davin patched you up and you’re okay now.” Blinking, he lowered his head closer to her. “Amy, I need you to open your eyes.

Can you do that?”

She held still for so long, Sean thought she’d slipped back into unconsciousness.

Slowly, her lids fluttered and she carefully opened them. When he finally saw the deep brown of her irises, he let out a strangled laugh.

“There you are,” he whispered.

“Hi,” she whispered back, cringing once she spoke. “Ouch.”

“Don’t try to speak or move just yet. I’ll get Sara and let her know you’re awake.

Just…not yet. There is something I need to tell you now because I can’t risk waiting any longer.”

He flexed his fingers against hers, and breathed in deep. “I think…that…I’ve fallen in love with you.”

She opened up her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Sean didn’t let it stop him. “I know you may not feel the same about me and I’ll probably screw things up a hundred times if we try this, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance. If you ever decide you don’t want me any longer, you can have Gaz flush me out an airlock.”

“You…want to leave…here?”

He hadn’t given it much thought, if he were being honest with himself. “I want to be where you are. I’ve spent enough years on and under this planet to last a lifetime.

Maybe I need a fresh start. Somewhere in the sky.”

“With me?”

“With you.”

Pulling her hand free of his, she ran her fingers down across his wounded cheek.

“You’re crying.”

“Amy, please. I need to know.”

She cupped his cheek in her hand, running her thumb across his stubble. “I’m not really sure when this happened, but I think I love you too.”

Sean knew the grin that burst onto his face could have lit up a room. He laughed, 153

leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. “I’m so sorry for everything. I should have thought of something to stop Cyanna from shooting you. I thought I was going to die when I saw you lying there. There was so much blood.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine. Takes more than a little blaster fire to take me out of action.”

There was a rise of voices drifting to them from the other side of the door. Looking over his shoulder, Sean tried to make out who it could be.

“Oh, Gods.” Amy groaned and tried to sit up.

“Don’t you dare move. It will still be a few days before everything is back to normal, even with Davin’s help.”

“You don’t understand. That’s my dad, and if he comes in here and sees me like this, he won’t let me out of his sight for a year.”

“Should have thought of that before you took on a psycho with a blaster.” In a heartbeat, they were back to the teasing ease they’d fallen into over the past few weeks.

Another loud shout and Sean stepped away from her side. “I’ll go let him in. Sara will want to take another look at you as well.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be back.”

Amy smiled. “You better be or I’ll hunt you down and flush you out the airlock myself.”

For the first time in a very long time, Sean didn’t feel dread eating at his insides. He moved, smiled, knowing things were finally going to turn out right.

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Amy waited in the cockpit for Sean, knowing his goodbyes would take longer than her own. It’s not like they were leaving forever, but the run to and from Chieve Beta would take them the better part of a year. Sean had been on this colony for a very long time and she didn’t want him to feel pressured, to know he could stay here if he really wanted.

Without turning on the coms, she watched as he spoke to his friends, taking the time to hug Sara, Haylie and Fallon while clapping Davin on the shoulder. Turning to Taber, Sean bowed low at the waist, his back straight. Taber stiffened for a moment before returning the precise bow.

When he came to Kamran, Amy found herself leaning forward to watch. Over the month it had taken her to heal up and be declared fit to fly, she’d learned a lot about Sean and his relationship to the Briel administrator. He moved in front of Kamran, hesitating for a moment before pulling him into a hug. Amy’s throat tightened with a sudden rush of unshed tears and she had to look away, feeling like a voyeur in a private moment. Instead of dwelling on exactly what Sean was giving up to be with her, she began the prep work for takeoff.

“Gaz, you and Ryan ready down there?”

There was a pause before the com crackled to life. “This is Ryan. We’re all set and waiting for your signal.”

“Where’s Gaz?”

“Ah…he’s, ah, a bit tied up right now.”

Amy smirked. “I hope that’s not literally.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll be free soon.” Amy could hear the smile in his voice.

“He just needs to learn how to behave.”

“Well, make sure he’s learned his lesson in the next ten minutes. We’re taking off soon.”

“Yes, Captain.”

When she looked out of the cockpit window again, Sean was gone and the others had moved to the safety zone. For some reason, her heart beat a bit faster and she found it difficult to sit still. It wasn’t until she heard the
whoosh
of the cockpit door opening up she felt herself relax. Not wanting to give away her nervousness, she kept her attention fixed on the control panel.

“All ready to go?” She somehow managed to keep her voice casual and steady.

Sean slipped into the seat beside her, hands resting on his lap. His gaze was locked on the group of people waiting, watching them go off. Amy stopped her calibrations 155

and reached out to grab his hand. “Do you want to change your mind?”

She prayed he wouldn’t, but she’d understand if he did. This was his home and the people out there were his family. It would be like asking her to walk away from the
Drake
after all these years. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to do it.

When Sean turned, the hard edge of his jaw was gone and the lines around his eyes almost seemed to have faded. “Let’s get this ship in the air, Captain.”

Her stomach flipped and she felt a shiver of arousal jolt through her body. He was hers, he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Absolutely.”

For the next thirty minutes, they only spoke to issue and acknowledge commands in order to get the
Drake
into the air. Hands flew over keys, typing in commands to make the
Drake
’s engines sing. Roaring to life, they broke orbit and bolted out into the darkness of space.

“Course for Chieve Beta plotted and locked into the nav computer. First stop is Hellios Major in two days.” Amy turned and grinned at Sean. “Engine room, you boys are free to play for the next little bit.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Gaz’s voice drifted up from the com. “You may want to avoid the lower level for a bit. I have some payback to dispense.”

Amy cut off the communication before she got an earful of something she’d rather not. The air in the cockpit felt warm and she found herself tugging on one of her curls, before jamming it behind her ear. She could feel Sean watching her, knew he was letting his gaze roam down her body. The jolt of lust that had hit her earlier flowed back, making her squirm in her seat.

“So,” she smiled at him, cocking her head. “What would you like to do?”

“Did you get your supply of inhibitors from Sara?”

The question came out of nowhere and had her stiffening. “Yes.”

“Have you taken any?”

“No. Why?”

Without another word Sean stood, pulled Amy to her feet and pressed her back against the door. His thigh was pushed hard against her pussy, the heat from his skin seeping through the layers of their clothing. She squirmed, both trying to get closer and farther away at the same time. He shifted his leg higher, increasing the pressure against her clit and causing her to shudder. Gods, if she’d let him continue like this he’d make her come without actually touching her bare skin.

Sean attacked her neck, dragging his teeth lightly across the skin, nipping as he went. Amy couldn’t help but roll her hips, sending the warmth of her arousal out through her stomach and up into her breasts. Her nipples tightened, pressing hard against the material of her shirt. He must have sensed her increasing arousal and reached up to cup her breast. The thumb swiping across her nipple increased in frequency as her soft moans and gasps of pleasure filled the cockpit.

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“I’ll never get tired of this, how you smell.” He bit down gently on her shoulder, only moments later licking away the sting. “How you taste.”

“Gods, don’t stop.”

“No. Never.”

He pulled away long enough to pull her shirt from her body. The air in the cabin was cool, making her skin pucker with goose bumps before Sean’s heated and now-naked chest was pressed back against her. The feel of skin on skin wiped away all remaining thoughts in her head, forcing her to run on instinct.

“I want to taste you.” He spoke the words slow and distinct, each syllable rolling off his tongue and onto her body.

Amy tightened her grip on his shoulders, digging her nails into his arms. “Yes.

Please.”

He lifted her up and Amy immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. Sean dipped his head down to catch one of her nipples in her mouth as he moved her over to the captain’s chair. Lowering himself to his knees, he set her down and pulled her hips forward so she was slumped at the right angle to give him access.

Fingers fumbled at the opening of her pants, her hands shaking from want as her mind screamed
yes
,
mine
and
now
. Sean yanked her boots free and pulled the tight fabric from her legs, tossing them somewhere behind him. Moving his shoulders under her thighs, he pressed his face against the inside of her thigh and breathed in deep.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” The words were mouthed against her skin. “And you’re mine.”

“Yes, yours. Sean,
please
.”

She knew he liked to hear her beg, knew it turned him on almost as much as her pheromones. If she wasn’t insane on lust just then, she might question whether or not she should be disturbed by the fact she liked to beg for him. At the moment, she wasn’t able to think about anything else.

The first caress of his tongue against her clit had her crying out. Biting down hard on her bottom lip, Amy tried to fight against giving in to the sensations. Sean hadn’t touched her in the month of her recovery. Nothing beyond the gentle brush of fingertip on her cheek, a light press of lips against her forehead. She knew he didn’t want to hurt her, want her to think he was using her in some way, so he didn’t push. But every man has a limit and right now she wanted to throw Sean over his so she could fuck him through the floor.

Gods, she missed this, the way he could play her body, drive her higher than she ever thought possible. He dragged his tongue around her clit in a lazy circle, once, twice, before flicking it hard and fast over the nub. Her body tensed, only to relax again when he pulled back, resuming his slow assault.

Canting her hips, silently pleading with him to increase the pace, only got her a strong arm across her stomach, holding her lower body down so he was in complete 157

control. To retaliate, she reached down and buried her fingers in his blond hair, squeezing the strands as she tried to direct him.

“You’re getting bossy,” he muttered, voice muffled by her thighs.

“You’re not listening.”

“What? You don’t like this?” He licked a path the full length of her pussy. “Should I stop?”

“I’ll kill you, Donaldson.”

“I’m just trying to do what my captain wants. What about this?”

There was a slight pressure as he pushed two fingers deep inside. Amy groaned and her body shook from the onslaught of the sensations. Heat seeped through her, making her skin tingle and her blood pound.

“Yeah, you like that.” He took her clit back into his mouth and sucked in earnest as he fucked his fingers into her willing body.

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, wanting the feeling to last forever, but scared she’d die from the magnitude of the feeling if it did. Sean kept the rhythm steady, not letting her run away from him, yet not going fast enough to push her over. The noises he was making, groans of pleasure and encouragement, should have been illegal. They made her mad, knowing this strong, powerful man was on his knees, losing control, all for her. When she didn’t think she could take any more, he crooked his fingers and pressed against the one spot sure to send her over the edge.

Arching her back as best she could and squeezing his hair in her grasp, Amy screamed as her orgasm blinded her body and mind. She felt Sean groan against her clit, the vibrations sending her off on another wave of pleasure. Finally, she fell boneless back against the seat, gasping for air and trying to hold on to consciousness.

“Gods,” she managed after a moment, “you’re going to kill me before we reach our first waypoint.”

Sean stood, pushing his pants down to kick them aside. His eyes were hooded, pupils wide and lust filled. “Oh no. I plan on making the most of this trip. You’re going to come so much and so frequently, you’ll want to use all of your inhibitors on
me
.”

Her breath hitched in her chest as he pulled her to her feet. Switching their positions, he took her place on the chair, spread his legs wide for support and pulled her onto his lap.

“Straddle me. I want to suck on your breasts while you ride my cock.”

Amy closed her eyes and steadied herself against the computer panel. She hadn’t realized the power words could have over her, how they could make her react. Getting her bearings once more, she turned the chair so she could easily straddle him, pausing only long enough to let him line his cock up with her entrance so she could slide down.

Sean held her hips, keeping her in place. The look on his face was one of intense concentration, the muscles of his jaw and neck taut. He flexed his fingers, squeezing her hard, his breath coming out in a ragged pant.

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“So tight, good. Almost too much.” His words were strangled, like his body was afraid to let them go.

She leaned forward and sucked his earlobe. “Let me take you there. Take you to where you take me. Show you how good we can make it. Just the two of us.”

He relaxed his grip and Amy swiveled her hips without lifting up. Sean’s head fell forward against her chest and she could feel his sweat mix with hers. She grinned, couldn’t help it. He was completely hers, and for the first time in forever, she was happy to give herself over to a man. Over to Sean.

Planting her feet firmly on the floor to use as leverage, Amy lifted her body up until she felt the head of his cock threaten to fall out, and then with as much ease and care, lowered herself down. The pace was painfully slow, but every twitch and cry she elicited from him was worth it. She repeated the motion until her legs shook from the strain. Sean tried to help by shifting his hands to her ass, pulling her up as she rose. It didn’t matter.

When she didn’t think she could take any more, when her body practically vibrated with the need to release, Sean moved again. He leaned back in the seat and sucked two fingers into his mouth. She watched him wet the digits, swirl his tongue around them, before pulling them out of this mouth and pressing them to her clit. Her body gave up and instead of the slow returning stroke, she slammed her body down on his cock. They both cried out as Sean pressed his fingers even harder against her, trying to coax a second orgasm from her.

He didn’t have to wait long. Two more punishing jolts against his cock and Amy came. There was no cry this time, only a wordless shudder as her body imploded.

Before she was finished, Sean moved his hands to her hips and held her still as he fucked up into her. The snapping of his hips was a powerful driving force. His face contorted with pleasure and he shouted her name, cum filling her.

Amy fell forward, no longer having the strength to hold herself up any longer.

Sweat-slicked and hot, Sean’s skin felt amazing. She couldn’t stop from running her fingers along the back of his shoulders, fingers trailing up to brush the back of his neck and his hair. His heartbeat beat against her, mirroring her own.

“You okay?” he whispered.

“Hmm.”

“We need to move.”

“Sorry, Captain Bryson is unavailable at the moment. Please blame her copilot.”

“Cheeky.”

“And you’ve signed up for a whole year of it.”

The brush of his fingers through her hair made her shiver and snuggle in closer to his body. The gentle massage threatened to have her drift off, sleep the one thing she’d been lacking in the past few days of preparation to leave. Turning her face into his neck, she placed a kiss against his pulse point.