The Road to Redemption (28 page)

“Windows?”

“Yeah.
Windows.”

Reno chuckled.
“That’s not the kind of ‘cocking’ you used to do.”

And with that,
they fell into their old banter. No mention was made of Beth or
Purists or any of the things that had driven them apart. It was a
short, banal conversation about the weather and the state of the
world. Damien asked about Brandi, Reno’s mate. Reno asked how he
was feeling.

“I’m good.
Eating every day, a roof over my head.” Damien answered
lightly.

“Glad to hear
it.” There was a pause. Damien could sense Reno wanted to ask more,
but didn’t dare.

Damien exhaled
knowing the conversation had run its course and was teetering on
the edge of getting awkward. “Listen, I’ve got to go.”

“Yeah.” Reno
cleared his voice. “Those windows are waiting for you, I’m
sure.”

He laughed
lightly, as he was meant to. “And your paperwork.”

“Right.”
Another pause. “It was good to hear from you, kid.”

Kid. Reno had
called him that when they’d first become partners. It sort of
choked him up to hear it again.

“Same here,
old man.”

“Call
again?”

“I will.
Soon.” Damien hung up and clenched the phone in his hand. The ice
had been broken and it felt good. Sure, they needed to have a
serious talk, but for starters… He gave a nod and shoved the phone
in his pocket. Two more windows to do and then it would be time to
meet Sam.

“Damn, that
hurt.” Sam rubbed her jaw and checked her teeth with her tongue.
All there and none were loose; a miracle given the blow she’d just
received. She scowled at Damien. “Did you even try to pull that
punch?”

He shrugged.
“Not much. If you want to fight an Alpha like Kane, then you have
to be prepared to take the pain.”

“And what’s
with the effing rhymes? You sound like that boxer,
what’s-his-name.” She worked her jaw back and forth, decided it was
still functional and then resumed her fighting stance.

“I thought
women loved poetry.”

“Not when
you’re beating the crap out of them.”

“You asked me
to.”

“Yeah, I know.
I’m an idiot.” She shook her head. “Come at me again.”

Damien gave a
devilish grin and Sam felt her heart lurch. The overhead lights
emphasized his dark good looks, the shadow of stubble, his silvery
eyes. How could one man— She didn’t get to finish the thought
before he launched himself at her again and she was forced to
concentrate on defence.

Protect your
chin, protect your chin. She chanted the mantra to herself as she
blocked his blows while trying to find openings to strike back.
Damien came at her like some automated fighting machine, no
expression on his face, just hit after hit after hit. When she did
manage to take a shot at him, he barely grunted.

Irritation
grew within her. She’d been in more fights than she could recall.
Her opponents had always shown at least some reaction to her
assault. Doubt began to creep in and—

“Argh!” She
flew backward and hit the wall. Not even trying to catch herself,
she slid down and landed on the floor, jarring her spine. Sweat
dripped in her eyes and her hair stuck to her forehead and neck. A
towel hit her in the face and she caught it just before it fell to
the ground. “Thanks.” She glared up at him.

He stood over
her, hands braced on his hip, breathing heavily. Sweat stained his
shirt and he pulled the garment off, using it as a rag to dry
himself. “You dropped your guard again.”

“I know. You
don’t have to tell me.” She twisted her lips, totally disgusted
with herself.

“Yeah. I do.
I’m training you and I need to know why your fighting form fell
apart so we can fix it.”

“Why I fell
apart? I…” She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“What were you
thinking?” He squatted in front of her so their eyes were almost
level.

Sam made a
face, hating having to confess her own sense of failure. It made
her feel…exposed. Rather than look at him, she studied the towel
she was bunching in her hands. “I was thinking that I wasn’t having
any effect on you. All my other opponents would have been giving
some sign that I’d hurt them…” She let her voice trail off and
flicked a look at him.

“And by doing
that, they would have fed into your sense of power, let you know
you had a chance against them. Your wolf would see their weakness
and attack with even more ferocity.”

She reflected
on what she’d felt during previous fights and nodded. “That’s true.
And when you didn’t react just now, it made me have doubts.”

“Which, in
turn, gave me the advantage.” He shifted to sit against the wall
beside her. “Every animal looks for weakness in another and when
they see it, they instinctively attack. If you’re fighting another
Lycan you can’t show any vulnerability because it gives your
opponent power.”

“So I did hurt
you?”

“Sadistic
little thing, aren’t you?” Damien gave a soft huff of laughter.
“Yeah, Sugar, I’ve got aches and pains yelling at me, but I try not
to let it show. Being a rogue helps of course. My wolf is more
ornery than most.”

Sam mulled
over what he’d said. “So basically, it comes down to blocking out
physical discomfort, staying focused and believing you can
win.”

“That, and
protecting yourself.” He reached out and tapped her chin.
“Especially here.”

She rolled her
eyes and got to her feet. “Right. Ready for another round?”

Damien nodded
and went to get up, wincing slightly as he straightened his
leg.

“You
okay?”

He brushed off
her concern. “Old wound. It stiffens up sometimes.”

“I’ve noticed
you have a bit of a limp. It must have been pretty bad not to
heal.”

“It was.” A
shadow crossed over his face, the teasing quality disappearing. “I
didn’t give it sufficient time to repair fully. That ornery rogue
in me again.” He brushed his hair back from his face and braced
himself. “I’m ready. Do your worst.”

“Or my best.”
She quipped before tackling him once again.

Half an hour
later, Damien declared they were done. “Good enough. You’re getting
tired and sloppy.”

As much as it
galled to admit it, Sam knew he was right. Still, it had been a
good session and she’d picked up some pointers. Fine tuning, that’s
all it really was. An Alpha had to be open to new learning. She
paused, water bottle halfway to her mouth trying to decide if that
could be the missing third quality.

Openness.

Nah, it didn’t
feel right.

“What are you
thinking now?” Damien was watching her and she shrugged.

“About being
an Alpha.”

“Is that all
you ever think about?” He was wiping off his chest and she followed
the movement of his hands, visually tracing his sculpted pecs and
rock hard abs. When he dropped the towel he’d been using and bent
to grab his own water bottle, she couldn’t help but notice how the
lightweight track pants clung to his tight butt. What would it be
like to cup her hands around those curves and press him close? Or,
better yet, to trace the intriguing V that the low riding pants
revealed.

“Earth to
Sam.” He waved his hand in front of her face and she blinked. A
knowing grin spread across his face. “I guess there’s at least one
other thing you think about.”

Sam could feel
her face flushing and groaned inwardly. God, she was no better than
some giggling schoolgirl. She tried to brazen her way through the
moment. “Well, I
am
a female. Of course any half decent
looking male is going to catch my attention now and then.”

“Half decent?”
His hurt expression was obviously feigned.

“Well… Let me
take another look.” She walked around him slowly as if she were
considering buying a car, taking a drink of water now and then,
looking him up and down. Finally, she stopped, head cocked to the
side. “Okay. I stand corrected. Half decent wasn’t the right term.”
She turned to walk away, struggling to keep a straight face.
Teasing Damien filled her with an evil delight. “Only a quarter
decent would have been more appropriate.”

“A quarter?”
He let out a hyperbolic growl and grabbed her from behind, his arms
around her waist.

She gave a
yelp, half surprised, half laughing, and immediately dropped her
weight while lunging forward, sending Damien off balance. They
crashed to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs, Damien tickling
her while she tried to push him away.

“Apologize.”
Damien’s voice rumbled in her ear.

“Never!” She
responded through fits of laughter. Her stomach and underarm were
exceptionally vulnerable to tickling and he’d quickly honed in on
the fact.

“Then you’ll
have to suffer the consequences.” He renewed his assault while Sam
pushed against his chest, squirming beneath him until her thigh
suddenly came in contact with something hot and hard.

She froze, the
evidence of his arousal burning against her inner leg.

“Do you
surrend—” Damien stopped mid-sentence, registering her stillness.
His breathing was as heavy as hers from laughing, his chest
brushing against her chest with each breath he took.

“I…” Sam wet
her lower lip as she stared up into his eyes. The teasing light in
them shifted, growing darker. Hotter. Slowly, she moved her leg,
purposely brushing against his erection, letting him know she was
well aware of how he felt.

His hips
flexed in response and he slowly lowered his head, still keeping
his eyes fixed on hers. She levered herself up on her elbows,
raising her head from the mat they lay upon, closing the distance
between them. Tentatively, questioningly, their lips touched. Once.
Twice. And then with a groan, Damien pressed his mouth to hers in a
hot, needy kiss that went straight to her core. As he bore her
down, she gripped his shoulders, making no pretence of denying what
she felt.

Heat raced
through her at a temperature that made Papa Tony’s hot peppers seem
mild in comparison. She was burning, aching, needing the man that
pressed against her in a way she’d never experienced before. Sam
ran her hands over his back, tracing the indent of his spine
reaching lower to cup the buttocks she’d ogled earlier. His flesh
was hot and hard and powerful causing her wolf to whimper with
excitement.

She wrapped
one leg around his hip, eager to pull him closer, to feel him
against her needy body. When he nibbled at her neck and rocked
against her, she shivered with excitement. Her heart was pounding
so hard that she could barely make out the words he was
whispering.

“…beautiful.
You smell so good.” Damien was rubbing his nose along her throat,
his hand cupping one of her breasts. Usually, she scoffed at such
words, but coming from him they made her glow with pride, pleased
that he approved of her.

Sam arched her
back and buried her fingers in his hair, pulling his head closer,
wanting to feel his lips on her breast. He complied, the wet heat
of his mouth seeping through the fabric of her tank. So good, so
good…

Something was
clawing at her insides, demanding release, making her limbs
tremble. She began to pull at his clothing and hers all at the same
time. Her hands worked awkwardly, her brain too overwhelmed with
sensation to allow her to apply the usual cool efficiency she
brought to most tasks.

She needed
him. Needed him now. Needed his bare flesh on hers. Needed his
flesh
in
her…

“Damien.” She
panted his name. “Damien, please…”

“I know, I
know.” He fumbled between them, pushing his clothing down while she
did the same to her own.

One leg free.
The other was somehow caught. Frustration had her gritting her
teeth. Damned, stupid pant— She kicked it free just as Damien slid
his hand between her thighs. He probed her carefully, teasing her
tender flesh, murmuring words she couldn’t begin to hear over the
pounding of her heart.

Gently, he
nipped and licked his way down her body, all the while pleasuring
her with his fingers. She tried to return the favour, marvelling at
the hot length of him in her hand. So firm and yet so silken. When
the need in her had shudders shaking her frame, he finally grasped
her thighs and drew them up to cradle his hips. Then his hot flesh
was grazing hers, sliding through her wetness, entering…

Sam gasped and
bit her lip as he slid in. Stretching. Filling. Going deeper and
deeper. When his balls finally touched her body and he could go no
further he paused, his forehead resting on hers. His eyes were
closed, his breathing sounding harsh in her ear. She could feel his
body trembling as if he was struggling for control. Wrapping her
arms around him, she absorbed the feeling of being so close, his
weight holding her down, their bodies joined as one. His body
inside
hers…

A soft sound
of need escaped her and that was all it took. Damien began to move,
sliding in and out, long and deep, short and shallow.

She urged him
on, revelling in the feel of his flesh sliding over hers, grasping
his butt and pulling him closer. His rhythm was relentless, racing
them both towards the release they craved as if demons were chasing
them. When that perfect moment came, she bucked under him, shudders
wracking her body as she spiralled to the heavens and then floated
back to earth.

The coolness
of the cellar finally registered as the euphoric haze slid away.
She was aware of Damien beside her, the delicious ache of her body,
the way their scents had combined to create something uniquely
theirs. A happy, relaxed smile spread over her face and she
exhaled, rolling onto her side to view her lover.

Reaching out,
she trailed her fingers down his chest, her hand sliding easily on
the thin sheen of sweat that bathed the muscled surface. So strong,
so male. Darting her tongue out, she tasted the saltiness of his
skin. Mmm... She could get used to this. Sure, Damien was a pain in
the ass, but when the danger of a takeover was past, she’d
seriously consider keeping him around. Purely for entertainment
purposes of course, she added.