Chapter Nine
Saige sat in the front of Isaac’s car, arms crossed over her chest. Isaac had dragged her out of her building without so much as a sentence of explanation. The only reason she’d let him take her away was because she could tell how worried he’d been when he’d discovered his broken sensors. His concern for her pushed her irritation with his non-answers into the background, but she’d had enough of his silence. I need to know what’s going on.
“Isaac, you’re going to have to tell me what the hell is going on,” she said, finally breaking the tension. They’d driven for half an hour, and she hadn’t questioned him because the expression on his face frightened her. She wasn’t afraid of him, and weirdly, she wasn’t angry either, even though he’d hauled her away from her home without even a word of reassurance. She could feel his worry like a livewire against her skin. Something had him spooked. Something bad.
“Someone destroyed my sensors,” he said, voice clipped. His hands flexed on the steering wheel. “And they did it without alerting me, which is impossible. They were deactivated before they were destroyed.”
“What are these sensors? Sentry technology?” Saige asked as she looked away from the muscles in his forearms. His physical assets distracted her, and she needed to focus. She had no idea what he was talking about.
“Yes. Greyson made the sensors for me. I set up a bunch of them in your building to monitor your environment. I needed to know you’d be okay staying there by yourself.” He slowed down and turned off onto a rough dirt road. “It was the only thing I could think of as a compromise until we could get used to this connection.” He waved an arm between them. “Unfortunately, the best laid plans…” He trailed off, then shook his head. “I was trying to be kind. I didn’t anticipate my sensors being destroyed.” The car careened over the rough road, and he slapped his free hand back on the steering wheel, steadying the vehicle only slightly.
Saige grabbed at the handle on the ceiling to keep from falling out of her seat as he took the road at too fast a speed. Her seatbelt wasn’t doing a damn thing to keep her from sliding across the soft leather. “I still don’t understand,” she said, gritting her teeth to keep from biting her tongue as the car bounced again. “Who could have done it?”
“I don’t know. All the sensors were destroyed. Someone found them and smashed them to bits.” He glanced at her. “They’re Sentry tech. No one should have even been able to see them. Greyson and Solomon set them up with a cloak. They were invisible to everyone but us.”
“Could Spiders do this?” Saige hated the cold fear that lodged in her gut as she thought about the alien bugs, but Isaac was already shaking his head.
“No. They don’t even notice sensors. This was deliberate.” He glanced at her, green eyes hard. “This was something sentient.”
Saige swallowed. “Could a human find them? Destroy them?”
He shrugged. “It’s possible, but unlikely. Maybe your father found them. He has some Sentry DNA.” He swerved again, steering the car through the pine trees, and then slowed to a stop in front of a gorgeous mountain retreat.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Saige said, staring out the windshield.
“No, but it’s one possibility.” Isaac turned off the car.
Saige stared at his cabin as her brain wrestled with his answer. The only other possible explanation frightened her to the point where her mind stuttered over the idea. She rubbed her eyes and stared at Isaac’s home. The two stories were made of weathered wood and glass, and the house sat among the ponderosa pines as if it were part of the forest. “Wow. It’s beautiful,” she murmured, shoving aside the problem of the sensors for a moment.
“Welcome to my home,” Isaac said, shutting off the car. He grabbed her bag from the back seat, then got out of the car.
Saige opened her door. Isaac was already right outside, helping her out. “It’s weird, you doing that for me,” she said.
He smiled crookedly. “I know. I like to help you.”
Saige sighed, feeling the truth of his words with her newly sensitive empathy. “I’m sorry. I’m just really tired. And I’m not used to guys being gentlemen.”
“I know you’re exhausted. I can feel it.” Isaac gently took her hand. “I promise, you’ll be able to sleep here. It’s safe, and very quiet.” He led her forward.
“I noticed that.” The only sound around them was the breeze rustling the trees and a few twilight birds singing lullabies. The purple sky told her true night wasn’t far off, so Saige let Isaac lead her to the house. “I’m more worried about what you didn’t finish explaining in the car.”
He sighed as he opened the front door. “I didn’t finish because I ran out of answers.”
Saige stopped just inside the spacious first floor, taking in the beautiful woodwork and the almost-glowing white pillar that seemed to serve as a central support. Floor to ceiling windows at the far side led to an impressive outdoor deck. Almost unconsciously, she felt her body relax. Something about this place soothed her. “You have suspicions, though.”
Isaac closed the door behind them. “Yes.” He tugged on her arm and led her to an open staircase set into the back right corner of the room, past the kitchen area. They walked down into another spacious room with floor to ceiling windows. A large bed sat tucked into the corner, and another door led into what she suspected was a bathroom. The crimson comforter on the bed looked soft. The entire room felt like home. Saige felt the remaining tension in her shoulders slowly disappear.
“I like your room.” She glanced around. “It’s cozy.”
Isaac dropped her bag on a polished wooden bench near the windows. “My home is yours, sweetheart.” He walked over to her and rubbed her arms. “I know this is very confusing, but I promise we’ll figure it out.”
She let out a breath. “I know. I get that there’s weird shit happening. I feel like I’m out of my depth, though. This is nothing I ever expected.” She gestured to the room with her arm.
“Sleep will help. It’s hard to think clearly when you’re exhausted.” Isaac gently turned her towards the door. “There are a few t-shirts on a shelf in the bathroom. You can borrow one for the night.”
Saige blushed at the thought of wearing his clothing, but somewhere deep inside her she also found it appealing, so she didn’t argue. “Okay.” She headed for the bathroom, not surprised to find luxurious granite tile and a soaking tub. “Whoa,” she said, softly, running a hand along the smooth tile. “This is the life.” Isaac might look like a mild-mannered history professor on the outside, but his true nature was something much less timid.
He’s a Sentry. And he’s wealthy, and powerful, and very much not a mild-mannered anything, despite how unfailingly kind he’d being, she reminded herself. His memories had tucked themselves into the back of her mind, but she could call them up at will. She’d seen him fighting in wars with a ruthless efficiency even his brothers didn’t know he possessed. She’d seen him with blood on his hands, and she knew that remorse over his actions sometimes tormented him. Even so, the kindness at his core remained tempered with an iron determination to never fail in his task as a protector of Earth.
After washing up, she undressed slowly, then chose a soft green t-shirt from the bathroom closet. She slipped it over her head, staring at herself in the mirror. A stranger stared back at her. The silver flecks in her eyes made her look otherworldly. Her short hair seemed darker, while her skin looked luminous. Pairing had changed her in more ways than one.
And there’s nothing I can do about it, even if I wanted to, which I don’t, she finally admitted to herself. She wanted to be with Isaac. She wanted to let him take care of her. She took a deep breath, sensing her Sentry waiting for her in the bedroom. The shirt she chose smelled like laundry detergent and Isaac. Her toes curled into the cool tile, and she turned away from the mirror. Exhaustion made everything feel slightly unreal. Get a grip, Saige, she told herself. It didn’t help. She yawned, closing her eyes. She desperately needed sleep.
“Saige?” Isaac called through the solid wood.
She took another deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Coming,” she replied, opening the door. Her face went hot when Isaac looked at her. His eyes had gone dark with suppressed desire. Everything about him made her want to stay forever. “You’re so big, your shirt fits me like a nightgown,” she said, plucking at the bottom hem. His gaze lingered on the swell of her hips, and her empathy picked up his arousal from across the room. Her body warmed as her pussy tingled. She wanted him, too. Badly.
“Come to bed,” he murmured, padding over to her. He’d changed, and wore nothing except a soft pair of sleeping pants. Nothing about him was hidden from her any longer. Muscles slid under smooth skin as he moved closer.
Saige wrenched her gaze from his chest and stared at his bare feet. For some reason, they made her smile, but then she remembered his destroyed sensors. “Do you think whoever wrecked the sensors will follow us here?”
Isaac sighed. “I don’t know, but if they do, I have shield technology in place to keep us safe, not to mention several escape routes.”
“I didn’t notice anyone following me when I went to work earlier,” Saige said, still trying to puzzle everything out.
“That good.” Isaac cupped her cheeks and kissed her lightly on her forehead. “Come on. Lie down with me. Enough thinking for tonight.”
Saige let him tow her to the bed. He sat down and tugged her in between his legs. “What now?” The heat from his body warmed her chilly skin. He smelled good. He smelled like home. She licked her lips uncertainly as she stood over him.
“Now? We sleep.” Isaac smiled up at her.
There is no way I’m going to sleep with him looking at me like that, Saige thought, caught in the heat of his expression. She reached out and scratched through his beard with her fingertips. “I still hate this.”
He grinned. “I promise to trim it in the morning.” He leaned in and nuzzled her stomach.
Saige’s hands dropped to his shoulders. She reveled in the thick muscles under her palms. Isaac was the strongest man she’d ever met. “I don’t want to sleep yet,” she whispered, remembering how he’d felt fucking into her just a few short hours ago. And, too, the nightmares that so often plagued her dreams made her a chronic insomniac. She longed for the pleasurable oblivion he could give her.
“You don’t?” he murmured, hands sliding up her legs to her ass. “Hmm. No panties. I approve.”
Moisture collected between her thighs as he kneaded her ass, then dipped his fingers between her legs. He bumped her clit, but didn’t linger. “Isaac, please,” she begged, but her voice cracked before she could ask him to stop teasing her.
“I know what you need, Saige.” He suddenly lifted her up and tossed her on the bed. “Lie back. Put your hands over your head.”
She shook her head, amazed at how easily he’d picked her up. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to that. “Make me.”
He smiled, slow and sure. “Oh, I will.” He crawled up the bed like some hero out of a movie and grabbed her wrists, pinning her to the mattress. The lamp at the side of the bed threw his expression into stark relief, and Saige shuddered at the look on his face. He leaned down and kissed her, so gently her heart almost broke out of her chest.
“Isaac. What are you doing?” she asked, breathless. She glanced past him as the room darkened. Full night had definitely come. She should be sleeping, not fooling around with a man who’d turned her life upside down in twenty-four hours. But when have I ever done the sensible thing?
“Making love to you.” He slid his lips down her jaw, then moved to her neck. He bit her skin, softly, and then harder, until the pain sent shocks of electricity zooming through her bones. “You like that. I like how much you like that.”
“Fuck.” She trembled, arms straining against his hold. “Isaac. I need you.”
“Yeah. We’ll get to that,” he murmured, letting go of her hands.
Saige immediately sank them into his hair, pulling his head back down. “Kiss me.”
His eyes glittered. “You’re overdressed, Saige.”
“So are you,” she said, enjoying the softness of his hair against her fingertips. Her newly powerful empathy had blown wide open, and she swore she could feel the electricity of his nerves firing beneath her palms. Everything about Isaac was strong and formidable. And he’s mine. She savored that thought. She’d never belonged to anyone before. She’d never had anyone belong to her.
Isaac kissed her again, and then he eased off the bed and stood up. She watched him strip off his pants. His thick cock jutted out from his groin, already wet at the tip.
Saige’s mouth went dry. “Damn.”
He smiled, slow and sure. “Come sit on the edge of the mattress.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Because I want you to suck my cock.” He stroked himself. “And because you want to suck my cock.”
She pursed her lips. He was right. He could sense her arousal the same way she sensed his, so there was no point in denying it. She scooted forward and sat up, then grasped his erection. “God, you’re so hot.” She leaned down and touched her tongue to the tip. His taste exploded through her mouth: musk and skin. She licked across him, slow and deliberate.
He groaned, hips stuttering. The crown slipped inside her mouth, and Saige sucked, hard. She liked feeling him tremble beneath her touch.
“Fuck!” He threaded his fingers into her short hair, immobilizing her head. “You know what? I’ve changed my mind.”
Confused, Saige looked up at him, mouth full of his erection. Does he want me to stop? Too bad. She scrubbed her tongue along the underside, playing with the tightly drawn foreskin. He shuddered, then eased her head back with his tight grip on her skull.
“Enough,” he growled.
“Am I doing it wrong?” Saige asked, already knowing she hadn’t. She could feel his pleasure all through her body. Two points for empathy feedback loop, she thought, aroused almost to the edge just from pleasuring him.
“Jesus.” He shook his head, eyes hooded. “No. You’re doing it too right.” He leaned down and briskly stripped his shirt off her body. “I want to return the favor.”
For a moment, Saige didn’t understand what he meant, but then he dropped to his knees and pushed her thighs apart. She flushed, knowing he could see how wet she was for him, but then his thumbs slipped into her core. She bucked, and he leaned in, running his beard along her labia.
“Shit,” she panted, falling back on the bed. He blew on her clit. The pressure wasn’t enough to get her off. “Isaac, please.” She lifted her legs and draped them over his shoulders.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you there, sweetheart,” he said, leaning in again. His tongue licked at her clit, and then he sank two fingers into her body and curled them up, pressing against a sensitive spot inside her.
Saige trembled as pleasure shot through her. “God,” she mumbled thickly, squirming when he set his mouth against her clit again. His tongue worked quickly, licking until she hovered just shy of a violent orgasm. He backed off. She moaned, grabbing for him, but he pinned her arms to the bed again.
“Not yet,” he said, surging up and forward. His cock shoved into her, hard.
Saige gasped. “Fuck.”
“Yes.” He smiled, then pulled out very, very slowly. He leaned down and bit at her right nipple, shoving forward again, and then again. He thrust hard enough to push her up the mattress.
Saige panted, barely able to catch her breath. She was so freaking close, but he wouldn’t let her fall over. “Isaac, you’re killing me,” she said, struggling to free her hands.
He shook his head. “Not yet.” He thrust inside again, hard enough that his cock banged against her womb.
“When?” She curled her fingers into fists. His emotions crashed over her. Through her. Her skin prickled.
“Soon.” He pulled out again and flipped her over. “Stay down,” he said, hand at the small of her back when she tried to get to her knees.
Saige looked over her shoulder at him. “What are you doing?”
“I want to feel your whole body against my skin.” He climbed up and pressed against her, cock sliding down her ass and in between her legs. The tip nudged against her clit.
Saige groaned. “God. You’re a tease.”
“No.” He breathed into the nape of her neck. “I’m your paired mate, and I want you to understand that we’re linked, now and forever.” His hips rolled, and his erection slid inside her again. “You’re mine.” He thrust in, too slow for her satisfaction. “I’m yours.”
Saige gripped the comforter in her fists. “Yes.” His body burned all along hers like a brand. Their feet tangled together, and he stretched her arms out above her head. She couldn’t move now even if she wanted to. She didn’t want to. She wanted him to fuck her until her brain shut off and all that existed in her head was the two of them.
“Move with me, Saige,” he murmured, biting at the back of her neck. “Come on.”
She groaned, feeling his pleasure in every cell of her body. She couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. He thrust into her again and again, and she pushed back at him, desperate and needy. She heard someone crying, and realized her face was wet.
“Now, Isaac. Now.” She gripped his fingers hard enough to hurt.
He growled and set his teeth into the juncture of her neck and shoulder. “Mine.”
“Yes,” she hissed as the pain of his teeth broke through all of her barriers. Her body convulsed as his hips snapped forward and his cock pulsed, jetting heat into her core. She cried out as her orgasm took over like a tsunami crashing through a city. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t even remember her name.
“Saige,” Isaac said several breaths later. His voice barely made it above a whisper. “My God.”
She nodded, still shuddering. He brought her arms down and rolled them to the side, holding her tightly. His cock twitched inside her body, and she gripped his wrists. She was never letting him go. Her eyes prickled. No man had ever touched her this way. No man had ever kept her this safe. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Shh.” Isaac ran a hand down her face, then turned her and tucked her head into his neck. “It’s okay.”
“I don’t know why I’m crying,” she said, clutching his forearm.
“Because you know your heart is safe with me,” Isaac murmured.
Saige sobbed harder. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. I handled it when my mom and sister died. I handled my father, even though he doesn’t realize it. I made a life for myself.” She took in a shuddering breath. “Or at least, I tried to make a life for myself.”
Isaac stroked a hand down her back. “I know, and I love that you’re so strong.” He kissed her temple. “But you don’t have to go it alone anymore.”
Saige leaned back, rubbing at her face roughly. Her eyes burned. “I can feel you, in here.” She put her hand against her chest. “Everything about you is clear and honest.” She shook her head. “And I treated you so horribly. I’m so fucking sorry, Isaac.”
Isaac smiled gently. “That was then. This is now.” He sighed, still stroking her back. “You’ve had it rough, Saige. I understand.”
“So have you,” she said, frowning. “I’m sorry. I’m slobbering all over you.” Her face burned. She couldn’t believe she was having a total breakdown after what they’d shared.
“It’s fine. I don’t care about a few tears.” Isaac kissed her again. “You’re safe now. I will never hurt you.” He paused, giving her a steady look. “And I will never let anyone else hurt you.”
Saige swallowed. She believed him. “I know.”
He leaned down and snagged the comforter that they’d somehow shoved to the bottom of the bed. He tucked it up around their shoulders. “Sleep, now. We’ll worry about the rest of the world tomorrow.”
Saige nodded. “Okay.” She closed her eyes, and a few minutes later she fell asleep to the soft rhythm of Isaac’s heart beating in time with hers.