The Darkness Beyond Read online

  His hands worshipped her as they skimmed across her shoulders and down her back. The sweet sensation made her sigh, and D.J. deepened the kiss. The tip of his tongue staged a foray between her lips, sampling a quick taste before retreating.

  She smiled against his mouth and did some exploring of her own. The play of their tongues stoked the growing heat, first in her breasts and then deep in her belly and at the juncture of her thighs.

  “Hold on,” he breathed between kisses.

  Then his hands cupped her bottom, lifting her up high against his chest. She dug her fingers into his shoulder muscles and wrapped her legs around his hips. The soft fabric of his trousers did next to nothing to disguise his impressive desire for her.

  She wanted his clothes off. She tugged at the hem of his tunic. “Get rid of these. Now, D.J. Sooner if possible.”

  He grinned. “Mind if I put you down first?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  He kicked the silver blanket back and then settled her down in the bed he’d prepared. Then he yanked off his tunic, followed by the T-shirt he wore underneath it. Reggie propped herself up on her elbows to enjoy the view. It was flat-out amazing, and not just because the man was seriously ripped under all those clothes.

  Her past experience, limited as it was, had always been indoors and under the covers. But here they were, outside, under the moons of this alien sky, surrounded not by walls but by a circle of firelight. Its soft dancing glow highlighted the lean lines of D.J.’s body, showing off his sculpted muscles.

  And he hadn’t been bragging. There was nothing small about him. Anywhere. In fact, impressive didn’t do the man justice. Imagine, all that scrumptiousness just for her. Oh, yeah, this was going to be good.

  When every stitch of his clothing was gone, D.J. picked up his wallet and pulled out a single foil packet.

  Looking disappointed, he dropped it beside the pallet. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  The view of him walking away made the delay almost bearable. He dumped his pack out again and rooted through the stuff scattered on the ground. Then he grinned at her and held up three more packets before starting back over to her.

  She tried to keep her eyes focused on his, but finally gave in to the temptation to check him out from top to toes. When he realized what she was doing, he slowed down and then did a slow turn just for her benefit.

  It felt good to laugh. It would feel even better to get her hands on him. “Stop preening and get back here.”

  “Hey, now, Paladins don’t preen.”

  “Yeah, right. I know preening when I see it.”

  He looked mildly insulted, which made her giggle again. Finally, he gave in and grinned back.

  “It’s nice to see you smile again, Reggie.”

  The packets joined the other one where they’d be within easy reach. D.J. stretched out beside her.

  His smile faded as he cupped her cheek with his hand. “You still all right with this?”

  Darn him, he was making her think—the last thing she wanted to do right now. Yes, she still wanted him. The question was, why? Was she using him just to buy a few hours of oblivion? Not entirely.

  Whatever he was seeing in her eyes had him sitting up and reaching for the boxers he’d tossed in the dust. She caught his hand in hers. He tugged it free.

  “Reggie, I’m not going anywhere, even if all you need is for me to hold you all night long. But if that’s what you want, I’m going to need something other than just my good intentions between us unless you want me to sleep somewhere else.”

  He really was a hero, one she craved right now with an amazing intensity.

  “I want you right here, right now.” She captured his hand again and pressed a kiss to his fingertips. “Yes, in part because you—this—will drive away all thoughts of what’s happened. If that was all it was, though, I’d take you up on the offer to cuddle.”

  “But?”

  She straddled his lap, opening herself up to him in more ways than one. Running her fingers through his thick hair, she smiled into his dark eyes.

  “As long as we both know going in that what we share is just for tonight—no questions, no promises—then I want this.”

  Before he could marshal any more arguments, she kissed him again. And again.

  It was as if she’d touched a spark to dry tinder. D.J. claimed her mouth with a searing kiss as his hands roamed over her body, touching, testing, teasing. She loved the tickle of his chest hair against her already sensitive breasts.

  He thrust up against her, rubbing his erection against her core, the friction making her beg for more as he palmed her breasts. She broke off the kiss and arched back to offer him easier access.

  “Like that, do you?” he asked just before he captured her nipple with his lips.

  “God, yes.”

  He chuckled, the vibration echoing through her body. He took his time, making sure each breast got equal attention. As much as she loved it, she needed more. If he didn’t lay her down and take her fast and hard and soon, she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions.

  To focus his attention in that direction, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft and slid her hand up and down slowly. When he closed his eyes and groaned, she did it again, this time picking up speed and using her other hand to cup his sac.

  “Hey, lover, guess what I want?”

  He didn’t bother to answer, but stretched out on his back, carrying her with him. She pushed herself back upright, loving the feel of her body centered right over his. It still wasn’t enough. She wanted him in her. On her. Now.

  “D.J., please.”

  She rolled to the side and tried to take him with her. Considering the difference in their relative sizes, she should’ve known better. They ended up laying on their sides, facing each other.

  The heat in his expression gave her the shivers, especially when he lifted her leg up over his hips so his wicked, wicked fingers could slide over her damp folds. When one slipped deep inside her, her muscles clamped down hard, the tension building. Once again she tried unsuccessfully to pull him over her.

  He pressed a kiss against her damp skin. “Hold that thought.”

  In his hurry to get back to Reggie, he fumbled with the packet, dropping it twice before he finally managed to handle the situation. Thank goodness it was a warm night. He hadn’t made love in the great outdoors since he’d been a randy teenager with no better place to take his girlfriend.

  And he should be kicked for thinking about anyone other than the beauty waiting for him to come back to her. Reggie was propped up on her elbows, waiting and watching him. She smiled and held out her hand in clear invitation. The skin-to-skin contact was electrifying as he joined her on the makeshift bed. Damn, this was going to be good.

  When she laid back, he had to ask, “Are you sure you don’t want to be on top? These blankets won’t offer much of a cushion.”

  Her smile would’ve put the sirens to shame. “I’m betting you’ll make sure I won’t even notice.”

  Well, all right then. “I’m always up for a challenge.”

  He placed her hand right where it needed to be to prove his point. Her eyes twinkled.

  “Braggart! You’re definitely up all right, but let’s see some action.”

  He liked that she wasn’t afraid to make her own demands clear. But that didn’t mean he was in a big hurry to meet them, not when there was so much more to learn about her. He caught her wandering hands in his as he made a slow journey down her body, starting with kissing that sassy mouth. He worshiped her sweet breasts with soft flicks of his tongue, pausing to blow gently on them and smiling as the tips pebbled.

  Moving down, her stomach was soft and warm. He rested his face there briefly, memorizing the scent of her skin. He parted her legs as he stared up into her pretty eyes, before slowly lowering his mouth to learn her most intimate secrets. She whimpered. He smiled and tasted her again.

  “D.J.!”

  There
was a husky note in her voice that hadn’t been there before, a hunger that rang out as he drove her on and on. He stopped just short of the finish line, wanting to share that first moment of triumph with her.

  He settled into the cradle of her body, careful to take most of his weight on his elbows. He loved the way they fit together despite their differences. Or maybe because of them. It didn’t matter why this was so perfect, just that it was.

  He rocked against her, preparing to go deep. “Honey, you’d better hold on tight.”

  She immediately brought her legs high up around his hips as he thrust forward, seating himself in her slick heat. Reggie immediately arched up, taking him even deeper. God, it felt like heaven, like home. He shuddered with the need to cut loose, but he wanted to give her a chance to adjust to his abrupt invasion.

  When Reggie trailed her fingertips down his back to dig into his backside, his restraint shattered. Plunging deep, again and again, until all he knew was motion and heat and the need to claim this woman completely, making her his own.

  D.J. was all sleek power as he drove her on relentlessly. Her control was shot and her sanity gone. All that was left was this burning need to take what he gave her and give it back tenfold. Despite his overpowering strength, he didn’t use it against her but gave her his best.

  His face was set in harsh lines, the red-gold light of the fire reflected in his eyes. She reached up to cup his face, coaxing him down for a kiss, their tongues mating in counterpoint to the rhythm of their bodies.

  Then he swiveled his hips hard. Once, twice, three times, until she was conscious only of where their bodies were joined and the powerful storm building inside her. With a shout like a crack of thunder, D.J. pounded harder, pouring everything he was into her. Her own climax rolled through her, starting deep inside and spreading outward in a cataclysm that left her unsure of where she left off and D.J. began.

  D.J. yelled her name. She whispered his. And then silence.

  Hours later, the sky was growing lighter. D.J. wished like hell it wouldn’t. Normally, he wasn’t much for sleeping in, but then it wasn’t every day that he woke up with a beautiful woman curled up beside him.

  A naked, beautiful woman.

  There were good reasons for that. He never knew when he’d get called out, which raised questions he couldn’t answer. Like all Paladins, he had a cover story to explain what he did for a living, not to mention his frequent disappearances. Missing a date because he was dead wasn’t something he’d ever wanted to tell someone. Besides, the effort it took to maintain the lies was exhausting, and most of the women he’d met weren’t worth it.

  Now that he thought about it, Reggie was his first lover who knew what he was, even if she didn’t quite believe the whole alien DNA thing. He hated that she’d actually seen him in action. She was a kick-ass woman in her own right, but she didn’t deserve to be ensnared in the violence of his world. If she’d had any romantic illusions about what the Paladins did for a living, they were well and truly shattered now.

  If only he could erase those ugly memories for her. Last night, he’d done his best to give her better things to think about. Despite the less than stellar accommodations, making love to her had been spectacular. Afterward, he’d slept better than he had in ages. It wasn’t just the sex either, although that had certainly helped. Reggie not only challenged him on every level, she also soothed him.

  But now wasn’t the time to linger, not with the possibility of a passel of Kalith crazies heading right for them. They needed to get moving and soon. It was the smart thing to do, even if it was a crying shame.

  Reggie stirred a bit as if trying to snuggle closer. Her head was already tucked in under his chin, her soft-as-silk hair spread out over his chest and her leg flung over his, making him her willing prisoner. God knows, he didn’t want to move.

  If they reached the cave safely, they could easily be back in their own world by nightfall. That meant this might be the only moment they shared like this. If that were the case, he wanted to make sure it was memorable for both of them.

  He eased Reggie over to the side, grinning when she frowned in her sleep and tried to climb right back on top of him. That would be fine if only she were awake enough to take charge of the situation.

  When he trailed his hand down her spine to squeeze her adorable ass, her eyes popped open. She blinked several times, as if unsure of what she was seeing.

  “D.J., what are you doing?”

  He kissed her forehead. “If I have to explain, I must not be doing it right.”

  She yawned until her jaw cracked. “Sorry, but I’m not much of a morning person.”

  “Maybe that’s because no one has ever shown you how much fun mornings can be with the right person.”

  Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “And you’re an expert on such things?”

  Reggie deserved his honesty. “No, actually I’m not. I can’t remember the last time I spent an entire night with a woman. Life doesn’t lend itself to long-term commitments when you have to hide what you are. It’s always easier to leave than to lie.”

  “Good answer, big guy. But tell me, do we really have time for this?”

  Once again he settled for the truth. “Every minute we’re here, the more likely we’ll be discovered.”

  “Rain check then?”

  Her obvious disappointment left a warm spot in his chest. “You got it. Now, we’d better get a move on.”

  He mustered up all his good intentions and extricated himself from the warm cocoon they’d shared. He snagged his boxers and pulled them on, the whole time eyeing the one remaining foil packet with regret.

  After gathering up the rest of his Kalith clothing, he smiled down at Reggie. “I’ll check on your clothes.”

  One touch and he knew he’d have to find her something else to wear with the tunic she’d worn the night before. Her underclothes were dry enough, but the pants she’d been wearing would make for a miserable day.

  They’d take the clothes with them, though. No use leaving clues behind. He rooted through the supply cache that the Others had left behind. Score! He shook out the pants and held them up.

  Looking over toward Reggie, he tried to gauge how they’d fit and had to laugh. Considering how petite she was, they’d have to cut them off at the knees.

  He handed her the clothes he’d gathered. “I’ll fetch some fresh water while you get dressed. We’ll have to hack a couple of feet off the bottom of those pants before you put them on, though.”

  She looked insulted. “Very funny. I am not that short.”

  Yeah, she was, but he was smart enough not to argue the point. “I’ll be back in a couple.”

  She waited until D.J. was out of sight to toss the covers aside. It was one thing to prance around naked in the darkness, daylight was quite another. At least her bra and panties were nearly dry. The tunic she’d tossed aside last night was covered in dust, but a couple of good shakes took care of that. And one look at the pants D.J. had found convinced her that he was right about cutting them off.

  Yeah, she was on the short side, but those pants could’ve been made for an NBA star.

  While she waited for D.J. to return, she made use of the comb he’d left out for her. Bless the man—he was doing his best to take care of her, a rarity in her life.

  So was sleeping so soundly, especially considering the hell she’d been through the past couple of days. She was normally a light sleeper and didn’t like sharing a bed with anyone. But right after they’d made love a third time, D.J. had kissed her good night and tucked her close to his side. That was the last thing she remembered until he’d coaxed her awake at first light.

  But now the memories were flowing back, dark and ugly. With the suns coming up, there was no way to ignore the outside world. The interlude she and D.J. had shared had calmed her, even helped her heal, but suddenly she needed to be moving. Right now, before the Kalith came and found them.

  D.J. was back. He took one look at her
and frowned.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to control her shaking hands. “We’re running out of time.”

  “Yeah, we are, but I promise we’ll be gone soon. I want to fix us a quick breakfast because we won’t have another chance to stop before we reach the cave. While I do that, you can put the pallets back where we found them. Once we’ve eaten, we’ll police the area to make sure we aren’t leaving anything behind.”

  She loved a man with a plan. Especially this man. They both started in on the list of chores he’d outlined. She gathered up what trash she found and left it in a pile by the fire. Then she dragged the pallets back to their original positions. When she was done, D.J. held out a cup with a clump of something yellowish in it.

  “Dried eggs,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “Not exactly my favorite meal, but we need the protein.”

  She sniffed the cup and wrinkled her nose. “Uh, yum?”

  He laughed as she choked it down. When they were both done, she held out the pants.

  “Can you cut about a foot and a half off these? They must be extra, extra tall.”

  D.J.’s dark eyes twinkled, but he wisely said nothing as he pulled out a Swiss army knife. After holding the pants up to her to measure, he made a quick cut through the fabric and then ripped it the rest of the way. He added the leftover material to his pack.

  She pulled the pants on. “How do I look?”

  “Stunning,” he said with a grin. “I can honestly say I’ve never been quite so attracted to anyone who was wearing Kalith clothing.”

  “Thanks, I think.”

  “It was meant as a compliment.” He settled the pack on his back and then added the cloak. “Why don’t you wait over on the trail itself while I do one last check. If the rest of the gang shows up here, hopefully they’ll wait awhile before they start hunting for their two buddies.”

  Five minutes later, she fell into step behind D.J. and prayed they made it to the cave before anyone in this world spotted them. She hadn’t hiked this much in years, or maybe ever. But at least D.J. adjusted his own stride so that she didn’t have to struggle to keep up.