Chapter Fifteen
Kini woke, warm, rested, and safe. Still tired, but considering the shit she went through yesterday, not bad. She snuggled into the blanket a little more, loving the spicy masculine scent.
The blanket moved beneath her.
Moved?
Kini opened her eyes and took stock. She wasn’t sleeping on a blanket, she was on top of Smoke, cradling one of his legs between hers, her head against his chest.
For the second time in three days.
It was too comfortable for such a short amount of time. Something inside her had relaxed for the first time since her father destroyed their family, and it felt so good. She’d been marking time for years, never settling, never looking for more than short term. Smoke wasn’t a short-term anything. He was an all-in bet.
He’d been hesitant about sleeping here with her. Oh no. Had he slept in this bed with the mother of his son? Were they married? It was entirely possible that he was the one feeling stressed and unhappy.
She’d only had a couple of boyfriends, both of which had been shy, geeky types who couldn’t have threatened a fly. She hadn’t been able to sleep comfortably with either of them. She’d wanted to, but something in her subconscious refused to trust a man sleeping next to her.
Until Smoke.
He was dangerous in every way imaginable. He made her want something she’d never entertained before—a real relationship. He challenged her view of the world, made her see there could be something new, something better.
He was so very dangerous, yet her hindbrain didn’t seem to agree. How else could she explain her current, cozy position?
Her hands flexed on his chest, and she had to restrain the urge to pet him. Her whole body quivered with the need to rock against his.
Smoke shifted beneath her again and she glanced up, opening her mouth to apologize, but his eyes were closed.
He looked peaceful.
She put her head back down on his chest. She’d let him sleep a little longer. They’d had a rough day yesterday, and today didn’t look to be any better. Their list of things to do was a long one.
Investigate and determine the cause of so many sick people.
Finish her health survey, or cancel it, depending on what her boss decided.
Squash the rumors going around that she was to blame for the sickness spreading through the community.
Investigate the farmhouse Emmaline said had bodies buried next to it.
She shifted her leg and realized the hardness under her knee wasn’t Smoke’s hip, but an erection. From what she could tell, he was blessed in that respect. So very blessed.
Her body tightened, wishing she could explore him further, but after his declaration last night, she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with the probable results of that exploration. He wouldn’t be the kind of man she could have a short-term affair with, then walk away from without regret. He had complicated written all over him, with a protective streak that was three miles wide. She liked it.
She wanted him. More than that, he made her feel safe. He shouldn’t be able to do that. Not a military veteran, a man who’d been trained to use violence as a solution for…anything. Still, she felt no apprehension, anxiety, or tension with him. None. Lying here with him only made her feel…safe. Content. Free.
It was confusing.
He’d already made it clear he wanted her. Tried to scare her away with it even.
Casual sex wasn’t her thing. Her relationships might have all been short, but she didn’t enjoy it if there wasn’t an emotional connection with the man she was with. She’d only met Smoke the day before yesterday, but that connection was there.
Day three.
It seemed impossible, felt more like they’d known each other long enough for her to know that though he presented a gruff exterior to the world, he cared. She could see him in uniform. Tall, strong, and dangerous. Smoke would be the one man she’d run to if she needed help.
Her job kept her on the road most of the time. Who knew where River would send him? A relationship between them would never work.
Kini had to hold in a snort. Listen to her, jumping the gun. Just because he had an erection didn’t mean he was interested in more than an hour’s pleasure.
Smoke shifted underneath her, and she lifted her head to wish him a good morning and an apology for not staying on her side of the bed. She touched his shoulder with her free hand and found herself on her back, her wrists in his grip, and shoved over her head. He settled between her legs, his weight pinning her to the mattress.
His erection was a long, hot brand against her, and she found it impossible to calm her breathing. He stared down at her, frowning, his blue eyes focused on her, her face, her lips.
“Smoke, I’m sorry—”
He kissed her. His mouth taking advantage of the fact that hers was open by flicking his tongue against hers, tasting her, teasing her.
His kiss sent an arrow of fire through her veins, tightening her body, increasing the want to a level that made it impossible to keep still. She moved under him, rocking against that wonderfully hard cock. Why had she been hesitant to touch him, be touched by him?
He groaned and kissed her harder, angling his head so he could taste all of her, and pressed his hips harder against hers.
She wasn’t sure how long they kissed, long enough that she had her legs wrapped around his waist while she rocked with him. The sharp crash of a dish shattering in the kitchen brought all of it to a halt.
Smoke wrenched himself away, and he stared down at her like he didn’t know where he was or who he was with.
“Fuck.” The word came out of him like an explosion.
“Yes, please,” she replied without thinking.
He blinked slowly, his blue eyes dilated. His breath came in a fast and hard pant, like he’d run a mile in record time.
He looked at her like she’d lost her mind, then lowered his head so he could whisper in her ear, “My mother might hear us.”
“Not if we’re quiet,” she whispered back.
Wait. What had she just said?
He thrust himself against her and shuddered, his face tightening with desire. “Be sure, because once I have you naked, I’m not sure I can stop.”
The words just fell out of her mouth. “Doesn’t look to me like you’re going anywhere.”
He frowned then glanced over his shoulder at her legs, holding him down. The groan that came out of him started deep in his chest and rumbled out as he put his forehead against hers. “Holy Mother of God, I’m going to go to hell.”
“Only if I can come with you,” she whispered.
“This is a bad idea, Kini.”
“The worst,” she agreed. Her body was alive with tension and need. She couldn’t help a little wiggle, and it pulled a moan out of both of them.
Smoke shuddered and tightened his hold on her wrists, his gaze hot on hers. “Last chance.”
“Shut up,” she said, staring at his mouth. “And come here.”
“I’m on top,” he growled against her lips. “I give the orders.” He took her mouth before she could argue, his lips and tongue pulling her under in a sensual undertow she had no wish to fight.
His hand released her wrists, and she wound her arms around his neck. Something tugged near her waist then a hot hand skimmed up her side to stroke the sensitive swell of her breast. She moaned softly as his fingers explored her, rubbing, then pinching her nipple. She bucked, the pleasure swamping her, making her needy and greedy for more.
She wanted his mouth on her. Needed him to suck and tease her with his teeth. She pressed his hand against her with her palm. “Your mouth,” she whispered, her voice raw. “I need your mouth on me.”
His response was a groan so deep she felt it more than heard it.
He reared up, pulling the T-shirt up and over her head, leaving her naked except for the panties she wore. He stared at her breasts, his hands cupping and shaping them, then he dipped his head and tasted her.
The pleasure swept over her, and she willingly drowned in it. He sucked hard and she arched under him, her hand behind his head. She wanted to moan, order him to suck harder, but if she let any sound out, it would all come out and the whole house would know what they were doing.
The need for silence intensified the pleasure somehow. Ratcheting up her response to his slightest touch.
He switched breasts, and she found herself stuffing the heel of her hand in her mouth to keep from crying out. He was destroying her, utterly wrecking her, and she didn’t want to be the only one.
She ran her hands across his shoulders and down his back as far as she could reach, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to explore the rise and fall of his muscles, discover the places on his body that gave him pleasure.
“I want,” she whispered, barely able to catch her breath, “to touch you, too.” She tried to wiggle down and sent her hands over his shoulders.
He paused, tilting his head so he could meet her gaze. His eyes burned with an inner heat that matched her own. “I won’t last if you touch me,” he said, in a subvocal voice that seemed loud, even though it wasn’t.
How was that fair?
She darted her hand toward his nipples.
He grabbed her wrist and planted it to one side and above her head. “Keep it here.”
“But—”
“I give the orders, remember?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I get to be on top next time.”
A slow, hot grin spread across his face, right before he took her nipple in another hard suck.
She was going to die of pleasure.
He teased, rolled, and pinched her neglected nipple until she was thrashing her head back and forth against the pillow. His lips caressed the skin beneath her breast, then lower and lower still.
His palms followed the path of his mouth until he reached the edge of her panties, then he began to tug them down, slowly exposing her to his white-hot gaze.
Despite her best efforts to remain silent, she made a noise.
He looked at her face. “Do you want to stop?”
She shook her head in a frantic motion that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with how close to the edge she was.
He kept eye contact with her as he tugged the fabric down her legs and off. Only then did he look down at the curls at the juncture of her thighs. His big hands took hold and spread her apart, holding her open for his perusal. He stared for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a couple of seconds before he petted her gently, his fingers seeking out her warm, wet center.
He circled her opening with a finger, over and over, and it pushed her to the very precipice of orgasm.
“Smoke,” she whispered. “I need…stop teasing…fuck.” She shifted her hips, trying to encourage him to thrust that finger inside her, but he pulled his hand away.
“No,” she panted. “Please don’t stop.”
He kissed her, open mouthed with teeth and tongue driving every thought from her head.
One of his hands still held her open for him, while the other seemed to be doing something, but she wasn’t sure what.
His briefs had kept him from connecting with her below the waist. Suddenly, they were gone and a hot bar rubbed over her pussy.
He shifted, getting both knees between her thighs then guided his cock to her, rubbing the broad head in her wetness and rimming her vagina again.
She grabbed at him, rocking her hips against him, hoping he would just take her.
“Kini?” He was giving her one more opportunity to stop.
“Take me before I die of frustration.”
He put himself against her, pushed the first inch in, then swore, backed up, and got off the bed.
Oh no. He wasn’t going to leave her hanging like this. She made a grab for him, but he was moving too fast, grabbing something out of his duffel bag.
A condom.
She’d been so far gone, it hadn’t even crossed her mind.
He tore open the packet, rolled the condom over himself, then returned to his former position. He took his cock in his hand to rub it over her, making her absolutely crazy. He watched what he was doing to both of them, the exquisite torture, until his breathing was as far from normal as a man could get without blowing up his lungs.
He stilled, snared her gaze with his, then buried himself inside her in one long thrust.
So full, almost too full. She sucked in air like a bellows for several seconds. When she didn’t see spots in front of her vision, she wiggled beneath him to indicate she was ready. More than ready. For the love of God, if he didn’t move, didn’t do something she was going to scream.
He pulled out, starting a hard, fast pace that sent her into orgasm within a minute, but he didn’t stop there. He fucked her through her first orgasm, his rhythm strong, smooth, and steady. As she came down from the high, he began to speed up, then pulled out suddenly, surprising her.
He flipped her over onto her belly, pulled her up by the hips until she was balanced precariously on her knees, then thrust himself inside her again.
She buried her face in the pillow and screamed.
He came over her, trapping her beneath his body, his pace fast and hard. She could feel it building, a second orgasm, deeper than the first, building to a crescendo she wasn’t sure she’d survive. His hands were planted on the bed on either side of her head. Wrapping a hand around each of his wrists, she held on as the orgasm detonated inside her.
He thrust once, twice, three times, then stiffened and shuddered.
The pillow beneath her face was damp when she lifted her head, her eyes wet. Her breathing took a long time to calm, but since Smoke seemed in no hurry to leave her, she didn’t worry about it too much.
He finally pulled out, and she rolled over onto her back while he left the bed and discarded the condom.
She got her first real look at him. Lord, he had more muscles than any man had a right to. A streak of white near his shoulder caught her attention. And scars, too.
He turned and stopped cold, frowning. “You’re bleeding.”
“What? Where?”
He knelt on the bed so he could trace one of the lacerations she’d received on her neck yesterday. He didn’t put any pressure on it, but it was tender, nevertheless. His finger came away with blood on the tip.
Kini touched the spot, wiping to see how much blood was there. Not a lot.
“I shouldn’t have touched you.” He sighed and pulled away.
She should have agreed with him. If she wanted to stay untangled, it was the smart thing to do. The reasonable thing to do, but she wasn’t feeling either. “As I recall, I touched you first.”
He stood next to the bed and stared down at her for a long moment. “Go ahead and shower. I’ll get breakfast on the go and check in.” He pulled on a pair of jeans, the same ones he’d worn yesterday, and left the room.
She was treated to the sight of his muscled back and shoulders and wanted to go back to where they started. Not going to happen.
She rolled off the bed and got to her feet. Dizziness forced her to sit down on the bed and put her head between her knees. After a few seconds, the vertigo passed. She got up, put on the borrowed shirt, and walked to the bathroom.
Food would help.
After a shower that revealed more bruises than she thought she had, she was careful to make sure all the lacerations she had were held together with butterfly bandages and Band-Aids. She probably could have used a stitch or two on a couple, but that was going to take time and attention away from the larger problem.
What the fuck was making people sick here?
She got dressed in Smoke’s room and called her boss before going out to face whoever was home besides her new coworker. Holy crap, she’d just had amazing, mind-blowing sex with a coworker.
Dummy.
“Rodrigues,” her boss said.
She had to clear her throat. “Good morning, this is Kini.”
“How are you? Do I need to pull you out, or are you well enough to continue?”
“I’m okay. I’m going to look colorful for a week or two, and I’ve got bandages all over my face, neck, and arms, but it’s nothing that will get in my way.”
There was a long pause before Rodrigues said, “All right. Smoke talked to River this morning and mentioned a farmhouse he wants to investigate. I looked into it, and it’s on private property. We would need more than a rumor or the suspicions of a single resident to justify a visit. Not when two more people died overnight at the local hospital with another ten showing symptoms. Meaning, it’s not seeming like there’s a single source of the virus. We could be looking at a new strain or a new vector/rodent carrier. Your samples arrived late last night, and we’re waiting for definitive results before declaring the pathogen a hantavirus. We need to know the species of rodent that’s carrying this particular virus. I’m bringing in a second epidemiology team to help investigate. Hopefully, we can find answers quickly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Assist with patient care and check in with me every two hours. Good luck.” Rodrigues ended the call.
Kini put her phone in the pocket of her jeans, pulled on another public health nurse T-shirt, and left the bedroom.
Smoke was in the kitchen cooking eggs and bacon.
“Wow, you’re brave,” she said to him. “Cooking bacon shirtless.”
“No,” he said with a shrug that drew her gaze to his muscled chest. “Lazy.”
His mother came in with some tomatoes. “Stupid might be closer to the truth.” She put the vegetables on the counter then came over to give Kini a long once-over. “Are you sure you should be working?”
“I look that bad, huh?”
“Yes.”
“I hope I don’t scare anyone.”
“They’re more likely to call an ambulance than the police.”
“Mom,” Smoke said. “Stop picking on her.”
Susan turned on her son. “She’s covered in bruises and cuts, has two black eyes, while the rest of her looks like she was dipped in white paint.”
“Thanks,” Kini muttered. “I feel so much better now.”
“Mom.” Smoke’s voice was a warning.
But Susan appeared to warm to her topic. “She looks like she’s been beaten to a pulp and you expect her to work?”
“I’m fine. Really.”
“Do you think I’d let her work if I didn’t think she was okay?” Smoke asked, sounding angry now.
Was no one listening to her?
“It’s your job to protect her. Isn’t that what you said?” Smoke’s mother barked. “So protect her.”
Smoke opened his mouth, looking like he was about to explode. At his mom.
“Hey!”
They turned to look at her.
“I’ve survived much worse than this,” Kini said, pointing at herself. “I’ll be fine.”
Mother and son stared at her, their eyes wide.
Her own words hit her broadside with the punch of an armored car.
Shit.
Fuck.
She didn’t just open her mouth and tell them both she’d been…beaten…before.
“Worse?” Susan gasped.
Smoke closed his mouth. “Who hurt you?” The words came out of his mouth like they’d been crushed in glass.
Yep. She opened her mouth, all right. Wasn’t that wonderful? Idiot.
“No one alive,” she said, hoping that would end the entire conversation.
Smoke’s jaw clenched and unclenched.
His mother stared at her like she was a pity case.
If she didn’t have a job to do, if she didn’t need Smoke backing her up, she’d grab her stuff and walk all the way back to Atlanta.
Blue smoke rose from the frying pan behind Smoke.
“Your bacon is burning,” she said.
Smoke and his mom turned to look at the stove.
Kini used their break in attention to duck back into his room and gather up her stuff. She could at least prepare for a quick getaway, even if she couldn’t actually go anywhere.
She picked up her dirty shirt, shaking her head at the blood stains all over it. No amount of washing was going to save it.
A draft washed over her as someone opened the bedroom door behind her then closed it. She glanced over her shoulder.
Smoke stood behind her. “I’m sorry.”
“For what? Burning the bacon or talking about me in front of my face like I wasn’t there.”
He cleared his throat. “No. More like wishing I could strangle the person who hurt you worse than this.”
“You’re apologizing for thinking about committing a homicide?” she asked. “You’re a soldier. Kind of late for that, isn’t it?” She went back to packing.
“Going somewhere?” he asked, sounding only mildly curious.
She’d heard that tone from him before. It was a lie. He used it to calm an opponent so when he attacked, they were surprised into making a mistake.
She straightened up and turned to face him. “Tell me you don’t have a go bag ready at all times.”
He froze. It was only an instant before he relaxed again, but she saw it and knew she’d turned the tables on him.
“You think we’re going to need them?” he asked.
“I think there’s too much we don’t know about the situation to be unprepared.”
He nodded slowly. “Agreed.”
She gave him her back again and continued to pack her clothing into her bag.
“I’m sorry,” he said again, but this time he sounded like he really meant it, really was apologizing for something he’d done.
“Is this a different apology or the same one?”
“I didn’t mean to bring back bad memories.”
She faced him again and shrugged. “We all have them—bad memories. The trick is to not let them take up any more real estate inside your head than they’re entitled to.”