Dark Defender Page 11

  His expression was completely blank, his eyes unfocused. She wasn’t sure if he knew himself, much less her. She tried to talk him down.

  “Blake, it’s me, Brenna Nichols. You were shot earlier today, trying to protect me from two detectives at my father’s house. You remember. You gave me your phone and the keys.” The urge to run was riding her hard, but she held her ground. She’d done enough running the past few days.

  “We’re at a motel. I went to the café to get something to eat and brought you some soup and apple pie. I got myself cherry pie, but we can trade if you want. I like both, but you should eat your dinner before it gets cold.”

  He remained motionless, but she could almost see the adrenaline surging through him. There was still no recognition in his eyes as he stared at her. The potential for violence hung heavily in the room—at any second he could strike out, not even knowing what he was doing. Maybe she should head for the door, but she knew she couldn’t out-distance him.

  As frightened as she was, she sensed that he was horribly lost. How could she abandon him when he needed her the most? An angry Blake Trahern she could handle, but one lost and hurting made her want to wrap her arms around him to show him he wasn’t alone.

  The cell phone chose that minute to start vibrating again. Maybe someone on the other end of the line could help her.

  “I’m going to answer your phone now, Blake. It might be one of your friends calling.” Please, God, let it be a friend near enough to be of some help.

  A quick glance at the screen told her that she was about to meet Devlin Bane. She brought the phone up near her ear and pushed the button. “Hello, this is Brenna Nichols.”

  Evidently Blake’s friend was another one who didn’t waste time with small talk. “Ms. Nichols, this is Devlin Bane. Dr. Young asked me to call you. She said Trahern has been wounded.”

  “That’s right.” She kept her voice level and her eyes on Blake.

  “Is he still sleeping?”

  “Not anymore.”

  Bane’s response was short and pithy, reminding her of Blake in tone and word choice. For some reason, she found that comforting.

  “How do his eyes look?

  “A little wild.”

  “No, what color are they?” His voice was grim.

  “Color?” What kind of weird question was that?

  “I don’t ask frivolous questions. Answer me.”

  She didn’t much like his tone of voice or attitude, but if he could help Blake, she’d put up with it. “Silver gray.”

  A sigh of relief came over the line. “That’s good. That’s very good. What’s he doing now?”

  “He’s sitting on the bed, looking like he can’t quite figure out where he is.”

  Across the room Blake stirred slightly, sitting up straighter as he blinked and focused his gaze on her. In a matter of seconds all the confusion melted away, along with much of the tension in his body.

  “Uh, I think he’s back, Mr. Bane.” Although from where, she had no idea and didn’t want to ask.

  Blake held out his hand for the phone; she got up to hand it to him and she sat on the edge of his bed. Blake ignored her while he held the phone to his ear.

  “Bane, what the hell do you want?”

  He kept his eyes averted, as if seeking privacy, but she wasn’t going anywhere. She wished she could hear the other side of the conversation because Blake was only answering in monosyllables. Finally, he disconnected the call and set the phone on the bedside table.

  “How long was I out?”

  “Close to an hour.”

  His expression bleak, he asked, “Did I hurt you?”

  The renewed tension in his body told her the importance of her answer. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Dr. Young: you would never hurt me. I don’t understand why everyone—especially you—has a hard time believing that!”

  He stared down at her with those silver eyes that had been so cold a few minutes ago. Now something stirred in their depths, something that sent delicious shivers of warmth through her to settle deep within her.

  Oh, Lord, he was going to kiss her again. She suspected he didn’t want to, noble fool that he was, but whatever shimmered between them was stronger than either of them could fight. She reached up to stroke his cheek with a feathery touch, liking the slight roughness of his day-old beard, then moved on to trace the straight slash of his mouth.

  He slid his good arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Surprising herself, she shifted to straddle his lap. His eyes widened and warmed. No one had ever accused him of being slow. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest so tightly that there was hardly room to breathe. She didn’t care.

  “Brenna…”

  The way he said her name was a sigh or perhaps a prayer. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the strength of his chest, soaking in his warmth. Blake ran his hand up and down her spine, each time closer to her bottom. It was a strange sensation, teetering on the edge between cuddling and passion, her body growing warm and liquid as his touch became more daring.

  She pressed a kiss against the pulse point at the base of his neck. He rewarded her by sliding his hand down her bottom, squeezing gently.

  Feeling bold, she kissed her way along his jaw-line to his mouth. In the space of a heartbeat, the air around them crackled with heat lightning, a storm about to break. There was no place to take shelter from the power flowing around them, but she didn’t care. It was right and necessary to find healing in each other’s arms.

  As soon as their lips met, his tongue surged into her mouth, staking his claim. She wiggled closer, cradling the hard response of his body against the center of her own need.

  He tasted of darkness and a power unlike anything she had ever experienced. For the first time, she believed that he was something beyond mortal men—something dark that others feared, and rightly so. But when he wrapped her in his strength, blocking out the light of the world, she learned that his night had a warmth and sweetness of its own. Like the moon, he was changeable and moody, but the pull of his strength drew her like nothing she’d ever known.

  Blake fell back across the bed, letting her sprawl along the length of his body. She put her hands on his chest and pushed herself up to see his face in the dim light. Once they crossed this line, there would be no going back.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” She wasn’t talking about his shoulder.

  “You can’t.” That was a lie, and they both knew it.

  She tugged his T-shirt up, wanting to feel the warmth of his skin, knowing touch spoke more truth than words could. Her eyes closed as she concentrated on the pure pleasure of skin-to-skin conversation. Blake lay still and let her explore, as the damp center of her body rubbed against the hard ridge of his desire, making her ache for the moment when they both stripped away the last vestiges of civilized behavior.

  “I want you.”

  His voice was deep and rough in contrast to the gentleness of his touch as he reached up to fondle her breasts. She leaned into his palms, his caress soothing and inflaming her.

  “Then take me, Blake.”

  “Brenna, we…”

  She shushed him with a fingertip. “No more talking. No more reasons why we shouldn’t.”

  He grabbed her finger and kissed it, sucking gently on the tip and sending hot need straight through to the center of her. She wanted him to use that wonderful mouth for other things than warning her off.

  “I want you. I want this.” She rocked against him again. “I need this.”

  “I’m not a forever kind of guy, Brenna. You know that.” Then he stole her breath away with a lingering damp kiss on her palm.

  “I’m not asking you for anything you can’t give me. Just tonight. Just us.”

  Pulling her shirt off over her head, she flung it on the floor. Then she guided Blake’s hand to the clasp on her bra. His eyes were molten silver as he flicked it open and freed her breasts. The calluses on his hand
s rasped against their sensitive tips, making them feel heavy and full.

  In a quick move, he rolled so that she was on her back with him stretched out beside her. Starting at the curve of her neck, he nibbled his way down to her breast, suckling hard and then soothing her with the tip of his tongue. Each tug and touch sent another flicker of heat between her restless legs. His hand followed that same path, using his long fingers to stroke her through her slacks.

  She needed them both to be naked, but when she reached for his zipper he snagged her hands and anchored them over her head. Her protests died on her lips as he tugged her zipper down instead, then slid his hand inside the waistband of her panties. His touch was more than she could bear and yet not nearly enough to satisfy, especially when he only teased her a bit.

  “Blake!”

  He almost smiled, obviously enjoying her frustration. But then he slid one finger deep inside her. It was a step closer to heaven, but not there yet. Her whole consciousness narrowed down to the hot length of the man beside her. When he finally released her hands, she fisted them in his hair and tugged his face down for a long, sweet kiss. She flicked her tongue in and out of his mouth, mimicking exactly what she wanted from him.

  She whispered her previous demand again. “Take me, Blake. Now.”

  “I’m not a gentle man, Brenna.”

  “I’m not asking to be coddled.” She reached for his zipper again; this time he didn’t stop her.

  He was going to hell and he knew it, but right now he didn’t give a damn because he was going to get a glimpse of heaven on the way. All the dreams he’d had about bedding this woman had been only shadows of the reality. Right now he thought he might die of the pleasure of her determined hands trying to undo his pants. Normally the zipper on his jeans worked just fine, but he was so swollen with need that they were a tight fit.

  Finally he sat up and shucked off his jeans himself, enjoying the wide-eyed look on her face when she saw the full length of him. He was a big man all over, but she didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. On the contrary, she shimmied out of her own pants and then parted her legs in invitation. He should take it slow, letting her body adjust to him, but that wasn’t going to happen. Not with this heat raging between them.

  He wanted to plunge into her wet warmth and ride her hard, her legs high around his waist and her nails digging into his back. Her woman’s scent was driving him crazy as he knelt between her ankles. Even so, he took the time to kiss the arch of her foot and then laved the sweet curve at the back of her knees. She lifted herself in invitation, hurrying him along the journey to the apex of her legs. He studied the beauty of her body and let the tip of his tongue trace his upper lip to warn her of what he intended to do next.

  Her eyes darkened in anticipation.

  He lowered himself to stroke her inner thigh with his tongue. Short little laps had her panting, until he finally reached his goal. She tasted of all things female, pleasing him that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Her hands dug into the mattress.

  “Blake! I can’t…”

  He smiled against her. “Oh, yes you can, and will.” Then he eased two fingers inside her as he tongued her small nub, until he sent her screaming over the edge of pleasure. Kneeling, he used the last bit of his sanity to hold back for a few seconds. Surrounded by the halo of her dark hair, her face was flushed with pleasure. He could have stared at her beauty for an eternity, but then she smiled and held her arms out to him.

  “Blake Trahern, I’m tired of telling you. Take me.”

  And so he did.

  He wasn’t sure if his heart or his lungs would give out first. She’d urged him on and on until nothing was left, but even now, in the shattered aftermath, he was reluctant to pull out of her body and let sanity return. Pushing himself up on his elbows, he looked down at the woman who had rocked his very soul.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  She gave him a sexy, cat-in-the-cream smile. “Do I look like I didn’t enjoy myself?”

  He had to admit she looked pretty damn satisfied. If she’d been any other women, he would have been reaching for his jeans and planning his escape. But this time was different.

  “Don’t think so hard, Blake.” She reached up to cup his cheek with her palm. “Tomorrow will be time enough to worry about what comes next.”

  Already his traitorous body stirred with the desire for a repeat performance, and he rocked against her as he leaned down to kiss the end of her nose. Her mouth curved up in a delighted smile as she ran her hands down his back to grab his ass and squeezed.

  “Why, Mr. Trahern, I do believe you’ve fully recovered your…composure.”

  He liked her teasing, although he wasn’t sure how to respond to it. Nothing in his life experience had prepared him for a woman who played in bed. When he couldn’t find words, he settled for turning control of what came next over to her. Wrapping his arms around her, he flipped them both over so that she was on top, their bodies still joined. Her shriek of surprise quickly changed into a moan of pleasure.

  “I like this,” she purred, rocking back and forth gently.

  So did he. In a life filled with ugliness and death, this moment shone brightly with beauty and warmth, giving him a glimpse of what his life might have been if he’d been born purely mortal.

  Brenna could tell herself that tonight was enough, but he knew better. A woman like her wouldn’t fuck a man just for old times’ sake. No, she had some kind of strong feelings for him, ones that would be better directed toward someone who could stick around to build a white picket fence and hold her every night.

  But if tonight was all he could give her, he sure as hell was going to make it memorable. He surged upright, deepening his penetration as he kissed her sweet mouth and used his hands to enjoy the ample bounty of her breasts. Judging by the small noises she made in the back of her throat, his three-way assault had her skating close to the edge, taking him with her.

  Then the vixen slowed the pace, sliding up until she almost lost him before easing back down, then they both sighed with the sweetness of their shared connection. It only took two more times to break his control. Growling his frustration, he tossed her onto her back. Her eyes were alight with triumph as he thrust deep inside her again and again until her body convulsed in the ultimate pleasure. One more stroke was all it took for him to join her, pouring out his seed with a shout of joy.

  Brenna wasn’t accustomed to waking up with a man’s hand on her breast or his morning erection pressed tightly against her bottom, but she decided that she liked it. She liked it a lot. Enough to see what happened if she wiggled a bit. She quickly found out that a sleeping Paladin woke up ready and able to finish what she’d started.

  “Good morning.” The growl of his voice against her shoulder felt delicious.

  Trahern kissed the back of her neck as he lifted her leg up onto his. The feel of him stretched out behind her as he slowly pushed deep inside of her was the best wake up call she’d ever had. Neither of them felt the need to hurry, savoring the last few minutes before the sun claimed the sky.

  Then Blake’s cell phone started vibrating, rattling around on the bedside table. A second after it finally stopped it started again, casting a definite pall on the moment.

  It had to be either Jarvis or that Devlin Bane.

  “You’d better answer that, don’t you think? They’re only going to keep trying until you do.”

  With a muttered curse, Blake reached behind him for the phone. He pushed the button and snarled, “Trahern.” He listened without saying a word. After what seemed to be an eternity, he spoke again. “Fine. We’ll be there after lunch sometime.” He disconnected and tossed the phone onto the other bed.

  He seemed to hesitate a bit, but then rolled away from her. “Jarvis has something we need to see.”

  So much for their early morning cuddle. Brenna tugged the sheet back up to cover herself, suddenly feeling exposed. “All right. Do you want to shower first or shall I?”
<
br />   “Go ahead. I need to call Devlin.”

  The warm haven of the bed had definitely chilled, but her pride made her walk naked and unashamed to the bathroom. Inside, she leaned against the counter, wishing that she knew better how to handle an awkward morning after. Her body definitely felt the aftermath from the most vigorous night of lovemaking she’d ever experienced; Blake had held nothing back. And she hadn’t wanted him to, not when she knew in her woman’s heart that once her life was back to normal, he’d be gone. This time when he walked away, it would be for good.

  At least she hadn’t blurted out anything stupid, like how much she didn’t want him to disappear from her life again. It wasn’t something he was ready to hear. Besides, what would they do? Exchange Christmas cards? Somehow she couldn’t quite picture that happening.

  A knock on the bathroom door yanked her attention back to the moment. “Yes?”

  “I was wondering if you were okay. I didn’t hear the shower running.”

  Lord, how long had she been standing there feeling sorry for herself? “I’m fine—just a little slow out of the gate this morning.”

  She quickly turned on the water and stepped in before it had time to warm up. The sudden blast of cold water startled a small squeak out of her. Trahern must have been waiting outside of the door, because just that quickly, he yanked the shower curtain open.

  She shivered and blushed. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting the water to be so cold.”

  He adjusted the faucet handle until the water was hot before stepping into the tub with her and closing the curtain behind him.

  “Turn around.”

  His abrupt order made her want to refuse, but being there with him was a lot better than each of them being alone in separate rooms. She all but melted when he started washing her back with long slow strokes.

  “Spread your legs.”

  She had to hold onto the wall to support herself as he started at her feet and worked his way up. The combination of warm water rushing down her skin and his heated touch had her aching for more.

  “Face me.”