Seventeen
I accepted his unspoken invitation and ventured inside the house. This was the first time I’d seen his place. Our affair had lasted all of one night at Ute’s place. Huh. It was not what I expected.
There were no pictures on the walls, no decorations, no knick-knacks. Bare wood gleamed. Two doors led off the main hallway, which ended at a third door. I followed in Finn’s wake to a kitchen in the back. There was a fire set in the corner, shelves, and a trapdoor to the basement in the corner. A small round table completed the picture. Finn poured himself another drink then turned and sipped his beer slowly while he stared at me. He always did have a staring problem. Never did get that looked at, did he?
I tucked my hair behind my ear, my head down, and stood gripping one of the chairs.
“I know the way there. It will be rough going, but spring is here. We could make it. We will need supplies. Tents. Blankets. Food. People will notice if we start accumulating stuff. How do you plan on getting around that?” Finn said.
“I will be sneaky. I know where Marin is keeping supplies. I do think he plans to head to Industry. Just not soon enough. Even losing the baby didn’t seem to spur him on.” The bitterness in my tone surprised me. I didn’t realize how much it bothered me that Marin wasn’t more upset.
Finn interrupted my thoughts. “So you get the supplies. Did you plan on it being just you and me?” He waggled his eyebrows. It made me laugh. His mouth curved. “We would travel quicker that way, but with some of the animal packs in the mountains, it would be better to have a few more.”
Hmm. “I was thinking Ute, Hana, Jace and Bob. I wanted to take one of the miners but I don’t know who I can trust beyond those I mentioned.”
“I will arrange the people. Several have been itching to travel to Industry. I will make a list. I am sure Ute would go, but he is old. It might be better for him to stay behind and help with the fallout. He can help me make the list, and we should have it for you tomorrow. Plan on us leaving next week.”
“That soon?” My head spun. Holy shit. My stomach fell even as a burst of elation ran through me. I had to prepare.
Finn finished off his alcohol. “Marin is going to be very angry. He does not care for people not following orders.”
“I can deal with him. We made a vow.”
“And you mean to keep it?” He coached the words like a question.
“Yes.”
Finn walked up to me. My butt hit the wall behind me. He held his hands out and after a beat I let him hug me.
His face abutted mine and he whispered in my ear. “Once we leave Groos, you will be mine.”
“I’m my own person. I make my own choices,” I whispered back. I wouldn’t turn my head and open that door. It had been shut long ago. I shoved him back.
He laughed. “Knew that would anger you, look at how red you are. Some fire is what is needed. Not this defeated girl before me. Are you willing to fight?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”
“Good. We will see. Head home now.” Finn patted my ass and ushered me to the exit.
I glared at him but let him herd me out. George scampered behind me.
When I arrived home, Marin sat on the steps in the foyer, his chin in his hands. At my steps, his head rose. A smile blossomed on his face only to fade as he narrowed his eyes, looking out the door behind me.
“What?” I asked, going for casual.
“Where were you?” Marin spread his legs in front of him.
“Outside.” I stripped off my outer coat. George growled at a piece of threatening fuzz and launched himself at it. No longer a teacup, more tabby size now. When did he get so big?
“I love you, you know that, right?”
I glanced up at his words. “I know.” My eyes tracked across his face. I strolled toward him holding out my hands.
He grasped them and jerked me facedown onto his lap. His breath stirred the hair at my neck.
My nipples pebbled and I flushed at my body’s response. Damn it, it was so unfair. I tried to shift away and Marin’s arm’s tightened around me.
“Where were you?” he repeated.
I yanked backward and got nowhere. “I took George for a walk.”
“A walk, hmm?”
“Yes, you have a problem with that?” The belligerence in my tone added a nice touch.
“It depends on where you went.” A tic pulsed about along his jaw.
“I went nowhere. Just clearing my head,” I lied.
Marin turned his head and opened his mouth. But I was done with talking and I only had a few days. I licked his lower lip.
Marin froze. “Are you trying to distract me?”
“Yes.”
“It is working.” His head tilted and his mouth claimed mine. He lifted my hands around his neck as he easily picked me up and carted me upstairs.
“No more separate rooms, no sleeping separate, ever. We talk and get everything out,” he mumbled before dropping me onto his bed. His shirt flew past my head. A quick motion and his pants were off. His eyes were fevered when he crawled to cover me on the mattress. A heavy thigh rested between mine.
“No more separate rooms,” I echoed, mesmerized by his movements. His muscles rippled when he moved, tight, smooth, ripped. Mmm, what he did to me. I ran my hands through his hair.
His legs nudged mine farther apart as he settled between my legs, already ready. “Elizabeth?” His question was clear. It had only been a few weeks since I lost the baby, but I needed him. Plus I’d found a weed that could prevent pregnancies in the books the E’mani left and had been using it the past few days.
“Yes.”
Marin smiled. He required no other invitation. His lips met mine. Male, Marin, mine.
I shivered at the sensation invading me. He ran his hands down my sides and lifted my shirt off and over my head. A cool breeze beaded my nipples making them ache. He licked first one then the other. I arched and he took advantage of the motion to yank my pants down. He moved his fingers downward to play with my sex while his lips claimed mine and sensation flooded me. Sparks tingled beneath my skin, shortening my breath. This was right. I wanted to cherish him in the little time we had left.
Marin pushed me farther back, positioning his manhood between my thighs. He moved forward, invading me an inch at a time.
Deliberately going slow, he rubbed my nub, flicking, once, twice, mouth caressing mine. “You like that?”
“Yes.” The words came out breathy. The pressure built as he stretched me just right.
Once he was fully sheathed he stopped, watching me. “Do you want me?”
His hands framed my face. I could see the question in his eyes. There should be no question about my need. I would show this man how much I loved him.
I hooked my hand around his neck and claimed his mouth. The movement forced my hips to flex and he groaned, his face burrowing into my neck. I linked my feet behind his back. “Always.”
He let his hands drift down to grab my ass. With a squeeze, he slipped even deeper into my heat. My walls strained around him. God, I loved when he did that, and then he started moving and my eyes crossed. Damn.
Marin pulled out then slid back home, watching my eyes, wringing everything he could from me.
The sex was quick and intense, a claiming.
~ * ~
The next day, I wandered through the kitchen contemplating supplies. I didn’t know how to go about getting anything with Marin or my guards being none the wiser. It would be good if Jace and Bob were going to go. I needed to know who was going so I could start planning.
Being without a goal grated on me. I decided to head to the greenhouse. I’d been released from work while I was recovering, but wanted to check it out. I also did not want to talk so I hurried to get down there before most people were out and about. Jace and Bob trailed me as always.
When I got to the end of section two, Ute hailed me.
Damn it, tears burned at my eyes again. When the hell did I become that weepy girl?
He hurried over and hugged me, his head lowered to mine, his words for my ears only. “Finn talked to me today, I am not sure this is the best course.”
I squeezed my arms tight around him. “I have to go. I am dreaming more, there are labs. There is an answer there I have to find.”
Ute believed in my magic far more than I did. He nodded. “I will help. I want to go with you, but it might better serve us for me to stay, and help the rest get there as well. Finn is writing down the routes for everyone else to follow. He has approached several people. He is requesting you and I join him tonight. Same time and place and we will give you the list.” I nodded into his neck. We had been hugging for several minutes now. People were bound to get suspicious soon if we didn’t stop. With one last squeeze, I let go.
When I checked in with Zelma at the gardens, the sympathy in her eyes almost set me off again. That was why I didn’t want to run into anyone. I booked it back home. Jace kept up easily, but Bob huffed and puffed. He looked so cute, I had to hug him when he reached us.
Bob hugged me back tight and whispered, “I am with you, we both are, someone has to keep you safe. You are somewhat reckless. We also both have really good hearing so keep us in the loop.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Bob.”
“I like Giggy, although I think Jace would prefer his own name.”
I snorted a laugh. “Okay.”
With that reassurance, I still didn’t have a list but I could guess some of the things we would need.
I gathered some blankets and gave them to Giggy. He squirreled them away in my old room. Marin had decreed no more separate bedrooms so I cannibalized my own place. The pillows, the sheets, the covers.
I meandered to the kitchen next. I found it weird in all my time here that I never saw the cook, who made our meals. Maybe she didn’t make it here? Listen to me being sexist. Maybe he didn’t make it here? On rare occasions, I did see people darting around. Pretty sure they scattered as soon as they heard me stomping.
I peered at the shelves. I had no clue what I was searching for. Zanth walked in while I studied the area.
“Everything all right?”
I jumped like a kangaroo. “Um, fine, I wanted a snack.” I looked mournfully at the shelves. “I need to learn how to cook.”
“Ah, I thought you were planning on snatching some food for our trip.”
I froze then turned to him. “Trip?”
“Yes, our trip.” He gave me a meaningful glance.
I nodded back, feeling quite double-oh-seven with all this veiled talk.
I turned to the door, “Good, you get the food.” and walked back up to my room to train.