27

Winter had looked at the many pictures they kept in the archive, and touched a great number of the artefacts they’d collected over the years, before they’d moved on to the armory, a large room where they kept weapons of all kinds. She’d touched those too. Still, even after hours of going through the two rooms, their efforts hadn’t produced a vision.

“There’s not much more we can do right now,” Logan said. “It’s time you rest.”

She looked at him then, disappointment and regret in her eyes. As if she’d failed. He didn’t want her to feel like that. She’d done everything he and his colleagues had asked of her.

“It’s not working,” she murmured.

“Because you’re exhausted. We can’t force this. Charles said as much. Give it another day. If nothing happens, I’ll call Charles and see if he has any other ideas, okay?”

She nodded, but didn’t look entirely convinced.

“Come, I’ll take you to my quarters.”

Winter didn’t protest when he guided her through the maze of corridors and up several flights of stairs to where the private living quarters were located. Each guardian had their own suite of rooms they got to furnish and decorate the way they liked. It was their home and would remain their home for as long as they chose to carry out the duties of a guardian.

Logan opened the door to his private domain and let Winter enter ahead of him, then closed the door behind him.

“Make yourself at home.”

He watched her acquaint herself with the space. They stood in the living room which featured a large comfortable seating area with a gas fireplace, a small desk in one corner, and bookshelves along one wall. A set of Art Deco pocket doors led into the adjacent bedroom where a king-sized bed dominated the room. Indirect light illuminated the suite and disguised the fact that it had no windows. Fresh air was pumped in through an elaborate air conditioning system, and the temperature was comfortable. An ensuite bathroom with clawfoot tub and an oversized shower completed the suite. This was his home.

“It’s beautiful,” Winter said and smiled at him. “I never expected something so elegant.”

“From a warrior like me, you mean?” He chuckled. “My friends and I spend all our lives in the compound. We all have different tastes, but our private quarters, we get to decorate to our own liking. I love Art Deco, so I chose many pieces reflecting that era.”

“I love it.”

Logan reached for her and put his arm around her waist. “How about I run you a bath so you can unwind a little, huh?”

She looked up at him from under her dark lashes. “How do you always know what I need?”

“I just know.”

She sighed. “You’re an amazing man. How will I ever be able to thank you for all you’re doing?”

His eyes drifted to the bed, and he noticed her following his look. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Hmm.” She lifted herself on her toes and kissed him. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“I’ll run your bath,” he said and released her, knowing that if he held her any longer, she wouldn’t get to relax. She’d find herself pressed against the nearest flat surface, his cock buried deep inside her.

Logan walked into the bathroom, switched on the lights that provided a soft glow over the tub, and turned on the water. When he heard footsteps behind him, he turned around and watched Winter enter.

She was barefoot and pulling her T-shirt over her head.

“Let me help you,” he offered and walked toward her. “I want to undress you. Consider it part of your thanks to me.”

She dropped her arms to her sides to give him free rein. “You’re easy to please.”

“Sometimes the easiest things are the best.” He popped the button of her jeans open, then dragged the zipper down. Slowly, he helped her shimmy out of her pants, then dropped them on the hamper.

Winter looked innocent in her white bra and panties. Like forbidden fruit, and just as tantalizing. Her long dark hair fell over her shoulders, a few strands tangling in the straps of her bra. He freed them and brushed his fingers along her skin.

Winter sighed, and the soft sound bounced off the tile walls.

“You’re a sight I’ll never get tired of.”

He ran his hands over her torso, gently stroking over her bra-covered breasts without lingering, before returning to them and rubbing over her nipples. Through the thin fabric he felt them harden to little points. He pinched them lightly, eliciting a moan from their owner. Then he dipped his thumbs beneath the fabric and rubbed over her stiff nipples. Winter’s chest rose, and he took her reaction as an invitation and shoved the cups to the side, letting her breasts pop out of their cage. One bra strap slipped from her shoulder, then the other, giving her breasts even more freedom.

He cupped the heavy globes in his palms and squeezed them. He’d always been a breast man, but Winter’s breasts were particularly beautiful, perfectly round, perfectly firm, and perfectly delicious.

Logan dipped his head to them and sucked one nipple into his mouth, licking his tongue over it, before showering the other breast with the same attention.

“I thought you wanted to undress me,” Winter murmured breathlessly.

“I am, love, I am. I’m just taking my time.”

He reached around her, found the clasp of the bra and opened it. He tossed it on the hamper and captured her breasts once more, massaging them with his hands, kneading them, exploring them, while Winter sighed softly.

“See? You need this.”

“Yes.”

Then he reached for her panties and freed her of them. They landed on top of the hamper, too. His ears picked up the sound of the water running, and he knew it was time to turn it off.

“Don’t move,” he said and walked to the tub.

He turned off the faucet, testing the water, and realized it was a little too hot. Just as well. He wasn’t quite done with Winter. Turning back to her, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside to join the other clothes.

“Are you joining me in the tub?” Winter asked, watching him.

“No. The tub’s too small for it. And the water is still too hot.” He was already getting rid of his shoes and socks. His pants followed.

He caught her gaze on him, when he hooked his thumbs into his boxer briefs. “I figured we could kill time until the water is a little cooler.”

She smirked. “You mean instead of adding cold water?”

Stripping himself of his underwear, he said, “Where would be the fun in that?” Naked now, he stalked toward her. “Unless you’d prefer to skip this and go straight for the tub?”

Winter slid her hand onto his butt and pulled him to her so his groin connected with her stomach.

“Yeah, didn’t think so,” he murmured to her and lifted her into his arms.

He carried her to the cushioned bench that stood near one wall and sat down on it, lifting Winter onto his lap so she was straddling him. His cock was hard already. It had taken all of thirty seconds to get him ready. Just looking at her beautiful body and touching her smooth skin, licking her sweet breasts had done that.

“I need to be inside you,” he said. “I need to come inside you. To feel that everything is alright.”

He lifted her hips to bring his cock to her center, when she suddenly stiffened. His gaze snapped to her face. “Something wrong?”

She hesitated. “I know we talked about this earlier, you know, with you being an immortal.”

He wasn’t sure what she was talking about.

“But when I saw the twins today, it dawned on me: your race procreates. I mean, you can impregnate a woman. You said back in that motel room that you couldn’t.”

Logan let out a sigh of relief. “I should have explained things better. I’m sorry. You couldn’t know. Yes, we procreate the same way humans do, but there is a small distinction. Stealth Guardian males are born sterile. Only once they go through a bonding ritual with a female, do they become fertile.” He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “I can’t get you pregnant, Winter.” At least not yet.

“Oh.” She stared at him in surprise. Then she seemed to catch herself. “I mean, no offense. I’m not saying that it would be a disaster to get pregnant by you. I mean… you know, but I’m single, and… it’s not that I’m religious or anything, but I don’t think I have the energy to raise a child on my own, and… anyway, it’s not that I don’t like children… I do, but—”

“Winter?” he interrupted.

“Hmm?”

“Why are you babbling nervously?”

“I’m not babbling.”

He chuckled. She was cute when she was all frazzled. And he could imagine how cute she would look with a child growing in her belly. How sexy she would be. And he could almost feel what it would be like to make love to her knowing she was carrying a child. His child.

Fuck!

Was he going insane? He’d never thought about a woman like this. Never wasted a single thought on bonding with a female, even less on siring a child. But here, with his cock hard and eager to thrust into Winter, he couldn’t think of anything he wanted more.

He pulled her head to him. If he were fertile right now, would Winter insist he wear a condom? Would she let him inside her, knowing what could happen? Would she stop him?

But he didn’t ask these questions. Instead, Logan captured her lips and kissed her. He gripped her hips, lifted her slightly and adjusted his angle, then dropped her back onto his lap, impaling her on his cock. Winter gasped into his mouth. His own breath caught in his chest. This was better than the times before. Better, because something had changed between them. They were growing closer. The intimacy that was developing between them was palpable now. He could feel it with every movement, every breath.

When Winter began to move up and down on him as if she were a professional rider, he gave into his desire for her and delivered counterthrust after counterthrust. Holding onto her hips, he plunged hard and deep, asserting his claim on her. Her breasts rocked against him with every movement, and he took the opportunity to dip his head to them and press his face into the ample flesh. He kissed a path up between her breasts until he reached the small indentation at the base of her throat.

Winter dropped her head back, while her hips moved more urgently. He could feel her heartbeat pulse against his lips as he kissed her, feel the air pump through her lungs with every labored breath, while together they raced toward orgasm.

Inside her it was like being in an inferno. Flames engulfed him, swallowed him whole, singed him with pleasure, with unspeakable bliss, bliss he believed to be reserved for the bonding ritual. But loving Winter like this, giving himself to her without reservations, without secrets between them, drove him to heights he hadn’t known before. He knew it now, knew that now that he’d tasted happiness, he wouldn’t be able to give it up again. Whatever happened, he would never be able to be without Winter. She was everything he’d ever craved. The softness to his hardness, the kindness to his gruffness, the light to his dark. The yang to his yin.

He understood his compound mates Hamish and Aiden now. He knew why they’d broken the rules when they’d met the women they were destined to mate with: because there were no rules when it came to love. There would never be any rules. Love transcended them all.

He wanted to tell Winter what he felt, but he knew it was too early. Though she was a preternatural, deep down she still felt human, still acted like a human. And humans needed time before they could declare their love for someone. A preternatural like him didn’t need that time. Once he knew, he knew, and all doubts were wiped away. To a preternatural, love could happen like a lightning strike, without warning. In his case, he’d seen the warning signs, but thought the circumstances weren’t right. But love didn’t care about circumstances, didn’t care whether the time was right. As long as the person was right. And Winter was the right one for him.

He could only hope that he was the right one for her.

Winter was panting. Her tempo was increasing, her pussy squeezing him tightly. He could sense how close she was and knew what she needed. He brought his hand between their bodies and found her clit. When he touched it, Winter moaned out loud, and he rubbed over the sensitive organ, while he continued to move his hips back and forth in response to Winter’s movements. He was close too, but he was holding on to his control to bring her to a climax first.

“Just relax, love, I’ve got you,” he murmured against her lips, then captured them and kissed her, pouring every ounce of affection he felt for her into the kiss.

He felt her rub herself faster against his finger, up and down, until she suddenly cried out. Her pussy gripped his cock tightly, squeezing and releasing several times in quick succession as her orgasm crashed over her. It was the reward he’d been holding on for: feeling her pleasure ignite his own climax. He gave himself over to it, surrendered to the joy of making love to Winter, and shot his seed deep into her tight channel. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to his heaving chest, holding her until they both came down from their high.

Breathing heavily, Winter rested her head on his shoulder, and Logan slowly stood up with her in his arms and carried her to the tub. Gently he lowered her into the warm water.

She hummed contentedly and smiled up at him. “This is perfect.”

Logan slid his hands down her body, caressing her breasts, touching her stomach and stroking her legs. “Yes, perfect.”

“I wish you could be in the tub with me.”

He smiled and kissed her on the lips. “I’d just be trying to get inside you again. Believe me, you’ll enjoy your bath much more without me.”

She closed her eyes. “Hmm. Handsome, good in bed, and selfless. What did I ever do to deserve this?”

“Plenty.” He rose and walked to the shower. After pulling fresh towels from a closet, and placing one next to the tub and hanging one outside the shower stall, he stepped into the shower. While he washed himself, he watched Winter soaking in the tub, her body submerged in the warm water up to her shoulders. The tips of her breasts occasionally peeked through the surface, teasing him.

He wasn’t sure whether his constant hard-on would ever go down again. He doubted it. In Winter’s presence he seemed to be in a state of constant arousal. Like a stallion in the presence of a mare in heat.

Logan finished his shower quickly and dried off. He found a pair of sweats and put them on. Then he pulled his bathrobe from the closet and hung it near the bathtub.

He leaned over the tub, where Winter looked like she was dozing.

“I’m going to get us something to eat. Are you hungry?”

She lifted her lids only a little bit. “Hmm, yeah, I think I could eat something. What time is it?”

He looked at the digital clock on the marble counter. “It’s already mid-morning.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you serious? I thought it was still night.”

He chuckled. “That’s because you haven’t slept at all since you left San Francisco. And without windows in the compound it can be easy to lose track of time.”

“It’s odd that there aren’t any windows.”

“It’s safer that way.” He rose. “I’ll get us some food. But don’t rush. Enjoy your bath. There’s a fresh towel for you. And feel free to wear my bathrobe.”

He turned and left his private quarters.