“When I went to college, it appealed to me, to design clothes. For me. For others. First time I saw a classmate wear one of mine, I cried.” She braced herself against the door with a groan. “I can’t believe I just told you I cried over something so silly.”
“It’s not silly. You were able to reach out.” He nibbled along her shoulder and she trembled so sweetly. “The things you handled.” Pressing hard, he ground against her mound. She gasped. “All those clothes you could fondle, caress.” His movements were merciless, driving her to climax. “Then they touched those people. You could reach out, in a way, touch through the clothes.”
“I want to touch you.” She groaned and her body bowed back, pressing her fine ass into his hard cock.
“Do you?” he murmured near her ear. Her hair caught against his face. So soft and shiny. His free hand left her waist to run his fingers through. Then he remembered. He dropped his fist to his side. Her nearness made him crazy. He wanted to sink inside her and never come out.
“I do.” Her fingers spread wide on the door as if to anchor herself there. She thrust her hips back, pressing against him.
His mouth dropped open on a silent moan. He shook his head. “Then let’s do this.”
“How?” Her grinding grew more forceful and the room spun around him. Gently, he nudged her away though it nearly pained him.
He made short work of his zipper. Cupping his balls, he couldn’t resist a firm stroke of his cock.
“I’m so primed, I’m ready to blow.” Holding her tightly again, his palm rotating over her covered clit, he pressed against her. The material clung to his sensitive dick and he shuddered.
“Me too. Help me. I need to…”
“You need to get off, love?” He couldn’t resist leaving small bites along her shoulder, and even with the shirt covering her skin, he sensed her every small tremor.
“Yes. Oh yes.” She moved with him, stroking the seat of her pants against his cock as he humped his hand against her pussy.
“I want to rip off these clothes and taste you.” He increased the rhythm of his hand and his hips bucked hard. His balls drew up and he sealed himself as tightly as he could to her back. “Will you come, sugar?”
Tensing, she pressed against his hand and shuddered. No mistaking that gurgle in her throat. With a jerk, he snatched away and clamped a hand around his cock. He stroked once, aiming down and away from her, and once again, filled his hand with his come. Twice in as many days, he’d jerked off for Astrid and his body had never been so pleased. The bliss was amazing.
His knees weakened and he staggered back, nearly falling on his ass.
“I can’t believe it.” She shook her head and didn’t turn. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
Without another word or glance, she slipped through the door.
The loneliness struck him, left his gut churning so soon after an amazing orgasm.
Wind whipped in his room, trying to chase her down. Dropping to the floor, his softened cock still in one hand, he shook his head. Lightning cracked outside and he glared toward the ceiling, telling the clouds to disperse, shouting in the now-howling air, “Calm down.”
His storm wanted her. Everything about her. Her talent, her vulnerability, her sense of honor, her body. Her body, damn he wanted those curves, that sweetness, that pussy. Of course this not-really-partner of hers wasn’t what she needed. She needed a man who understood why she made clothes, how she reached out, how she wore her emotions for all to see.
When he could move, when his skin didn’t itch as if he didn’t belong inside it, he straightened his clothes, grabbed what he needed from his night stand and trudged after her.
It was time to get one thing straight. It hit him square in his gut. It was true. Finally.
She was his.
That was her decision to make, and she damn well better make it.
* * * * *
Astrid ran down the stairs. She didn’t know who to believe, and she didn’t know which way to turn. Except, there was one person here who could explain a few things. Vince Nelson.
They would have taken him to the area they used as a clinic staffed sparsely by a neighboring talent family who had a doctor when needed.
She slipped down to the first floor and passed the kitchen that already held so many memories. Entering a den-like waiting room, she paused to take a breath. There were two doors. Nobody was on watch.
They didn’t guard him. Or, he wasn’t here.
And she was alone. No one could tell her what to do.
Shoving down the panic, she gripped the first doorknob and turned. It swung open to a bedroom with hospital equipment on the wall near the headboard. Empty.
Her grip slipped on the other doorknob as she scrambled to find Vince.
This bedroom was slightly larger.
A tall man lay on the bed. Legs weak, she shut the door behind her and moved quietly to the sheet-covered patient. Rails were up on one side and a set of strange padded cuffs were attached. Must be some sort of hospital restraints.
The strategy mage’s pale face appeared shrunken, older and etched with lines of illness.
“Vince?”
His eyelids flickered and his free hand gripped the sheet. It seemed to take a good thirty minutes before he finally peeled his lids up. It’d probably only been one or two. She leaned over him. “What have they done to you?”
“That banshee bitch. Keep her away from me.” He didn’t look at Astrid. His glazed eyes searched about and he struggled, tugging against the restraint and making a clanking sound in the room.
“She’s not here. Do you see me? It’s Astrid.”
“She was supposed to come with me. Not let that deaf boy finally mate her. That boy had to die. Now she’s lost. Lost. Where’s that bitch?” His arm flailed out and she tripped back to avoid being hit.
“The banshee isn’t here. Tell me, about that girl in Florida? The hurricane? Remember? Neil said…”
His head jerked up and he stared beyond her. Vince cackled. “Neil. You’re here, boy? We told that Astrid girl. Hurricane in Florida. She’s so gullible. Tell her, Neil. Tell her to take their powers. Then we’ll get them.”
“But. If we take their powers, isn’t that doing what we said was bad enough they should be stopped? What does that make us?”
“That makes us the winners, boy. I’ve always taught you to win.” Vince’s vacant stare and slurred speech grew worse. “We will be the ones to rule the para-talents. Us. Our family. Not theirs.”
“You need the doctor.”
“Forget that old crackpot. Don’t need him. Follow the plan. I’ll be okay then. Like I said. We’ll all be okay when they’re out of the way.” His head dropped back down on the pillow.
“What about what’s right? How can doing wrong make us the winner?” Astrid gripped her stomach, acutely afraid she was about to be sick all over Vince’s white sheets.
“You sound like that Astrid girl. Make sure you tell her what to do. Good thing she can follow a map because she needs one, to know what to do. When you claim her, you’ll probably drain her dry, she’s so weak. Enjoy it my boy. But don’t take her until she’s done her job. Tell her to do it.”
Swallowing the bile creeping up her throat, she straightened her spine and glared at Vince. “Astrid knows exactly what to do.”
And it sure wasn’t this plan to use her talent to take from others. She’d get to the bottom of why they wanted to use her. But she knew. It was just greed. They used her to get power. Even her own mother. It was time to finally admit what a horrible person had given birth to her. Astrid blinked, focusing back on a newly agitated Vince.
The deranged man gesticulated again, staring at the door and laughing, his voice cracking. “Tell her to do it.”
Cold and shrewd, his stare narrowed to follow a movement behind Astrid.
Her entire body went rigid.
They weren’t alone.
A fluttering cloth came down over her head and she screeched. Kicking out and struggling, she threw her body back against a large muscular chest. The scent of rain saturated her. Griffin.
“Calm down. Wouldn’t want to wiggle so much the cloth comes off. Then we’ll be touching. Skin to skin.” Griffin’s hold tightened. “Or is that what you want, sugar? Want to touch me?”
She did. Oh so much. But she couldn’t. Ever.
“Cause that’s what it sounded like with your cozy little talk with Vince. You’re here to double-cross us like that asshole lying there half out of his mind.” The deadly menace in Griff’s voice froze her for a moment, her brain refusing to think past the movement of his virile body carrying her with apparent ease.
The cackling of Vince Nelson dimmed. Griff carried her away and she shook. Where was he taking her?
Unable to see, she shrieked again when she went flying through the air. Landing on a mattress, she let out a
whoosh
and struggled to catch her breath. Griffin’s large body landed on top of her. She stilled. If she accidently brushed against his skin, she wasn’t really sure what would happen except she’d syphon his talent. How long it’d take until she harmed him, she didn’t know. Didn’t want to find out.
“Open your eyes.” He didn’t say
sugar
. His request wasn’t a gruff purr. The sexy man he’d shown her had gone. This was the CTF agent, through and through.
Her mouth went dry and she made herself follow his order. She opened her eyes to a deep frown and sharply slanted brows.
“You’re here to syphon our talents? Not so innocent are you? I thought you needed our help, but we fell into your web, didn’t we?” His chest moved rapidly, pressing into her sensitive nipples with each exhalation. Between her legs, his hips pressed down, the undeniable ridge of his erection taunting her. No matter his arousal, he didn’t want her. The harsh glare spoke volumes.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” The strength of that statement surprised her. Somehow, with Griff’s distracting sexuality splayed on top of her, with the realization of her mother and Neil’s duplicity, she felt a complete freedom. For the first time in her life, she knew exactly what to do. She had to help CTF.
And she had to get rid of whatever data she’d copied into her phone. No way could she give it to Neil.
CTF hadn’t planned some elaborate ruse in case someone like her needed convincing. Those files had been real. What she’d heard about them—outside of the now obvious lies her mother, Neil and Vince had told her—had always been the same. CTF protected para-talents. She pleaded with her eyes, hoping he’d read the truth there.
“You don’t want to, but you will.” Griff pressed her into the bed, a sheet between their clothed bodies. But his mouth seemed so close, so dangerously naked to hers. Rimmed by thick, long lashes, clear brown eyes stared down at her. Nothing hid beneath their surface. She couldn’t see guilt or guile there—a sense she’d always gotten from Neil. Griff’s tanned cheeks highlighted with red as his lips, so soft even in his frown, parted slightly.
She wiggled beneath him and her hips took on a life of their own. Unable to stop it, she writhed in small undulations, small thrusts, seeking to fill the ache building in her core.
“That is why I came here, I admit, but I see they were wrong.” Her words sounded thick, aroused. His breath fanned over her lips and she licked them, seeking his taste. A spark flew through his gaze and his frown deepened. Instead of the harshness warning her away, she wanted to erase that displeasure with pleasure. His. Hers. Definitely hers. They’d done things before. Wonderful things. In the past day, she’d had more sexual fulfillment than she’d dreamed possible and they’d never touched.
“You see that now, do you? What makes this lie any different from the ones you’ve spouted since I found you?” No break in his stern expression, he shook his head. “I didn’t find you. Did I? You planted yourself there. How did you invade my dreams? How did you make your smell such a strong lure? What did you do to make me want to fuck a syphon?”
She sucked in a breath at the crudity but her pussy throbbed. How that word sank into her. Hot and achy, she pulsed in a distracting, new way. Her hips bucked up and he pressed down. His cock was hard and hot, even through the layers. She forced her mouth to work. “I didn’t do anything but be me.”
Griff lifted a brow and levered his body off hers. His large thighs still surrounded her but he no longer knelt over her as if he’d devour her. With a sneer, he slowly took in her face, tracking down her throat, pausing to stare at her nipples that had to be poking through her shirt. He stared down her body, assessing her. Every inch he studied, every single one, seemed to leap out begging. He stopped and stared at the apex of her thighs where she throbbed even more. She didn’t dare move, though her hips kept doing those small movements that made his thighs press in on hers, holding her down.
“Let’s see who you are, Astrid Collins.”
“I haven’t lied to you. I didn’t tell you they sent me here. That’s true. But all I know is they insisted your robbing talents had to stop. I agreed, but I didn’t know what they planned to do.” She had to explain. Nothing had ever been so important as making sure Griff wouldn’t be hurt. Not by Neil. Not by her. Especially not by her.
“Don’t move. I’m going to find out exactly what you know. No more games.”
She nodded in complete trusting agreement. “No more games.”
“I said not to move.” He growled and crawled off the bed. “Not even that pretty little head of yours.”
She froze. Didn’t respond. If he thought her attractive, maybe he didn’t hate her for planning to stab him in the back. She sighed. He had to hate her. But at least now, she didn’t hate herself.
That warm, cozy sense of freedom came back and she vowed to do whatever it took for Griff to trust her.
A snap to the side startled her and she nearly jerked her head to look.
“Gloves. Can’t touch that pale skin of yours without them, can I?”
“Touch me?” Nobody ever touched her. Except he had in the kitchen, over her clothes. And in the garden, with his work gloves, with his powers stroking her clit, and what he’d done to her in his room. Her chest clogged with restricted air.
A grip encircled her wrist and stretched her arm to the side with firmness but no pain. Griffin wrapped something around her and she couldn’t help but move then. As he secured the buckle, she finally understood. “You can’t use those on me!”
“I just did.”
She yanked on the restraint like the one used on Vince, but it was too snug and secure.
Another firm grip on her thrashing free hand made her go limp. Griff wasn’t the man Neil would have her believe. Griff was a man who protected. That’s why he’d taken her in to keep her safe. He’d done the same for so many others. Whatever he intended, it wasn’t to hurt her, and if this would help her get through to him, she’d do whatever he wanted.
A pulse started low in her belly and she licked her lips.
Griff secured her other wrist to the bed frame. Without a word, he walked to the door and locked it, then with a screech over the tiled floor, pushed a chair beneath the handle.
“You said no more games.” She sought his face. Stalking back toward the bed, he still gave her that stern look. A bit of bristle covered his cheek, lending him a virility that taunted her. He was so male. So unlike anyone she’d ever met. The front of his jeans in no way hid his large erection.
“This isn’t a game.”
Gesturing, he brought her attention to his hand, those long fingers, covered in a surgical glove. He held scissors. “Keep still.”
“Is all this really necessary?” She may have decided to cooperate, but she couldn’t stop the nervous kick to her pulse even while her pussy seemed to get right behind the idea. She could feel the heat of her response. She was wet and greedy.
“Very necessary.” Yanking, he snapped the sheet off her and sent it sailing off the bed.
With care, he removed her shoes and slung them to the side. Then he placed the scissors at her ankle. The glinting instrument traced a long swipe, cutting straight up her pants leg to the waist. The metal tickled along her skin the entire way, but didn’t prick or harm her.
Her breathing sounded loud in the room and Griff’s eyes glittered. Then he did the same to her other leg.
“This is it. Where you show me who you are, sugar.”
Sugar
. He’s said it. The word proved he was still in there, reachable, that she hadn’t ruined everything
“I could do that by talking with you at the kitchen table. You don’t need to do this.” But her body made that a lie. Her nipples ached so much her teeth ground together and her pussy was so flooded she feared he’d see the proof, her cream sliding from her to coat the sheets beneath her.
He grabbed her foot and attached her ankle to the frame. A trickle of strangely pleasurable fear sent goose bumps over her skin.
“Shhh. You have nothing to be afraid of.” He’d stilled. His gloved hands stroked her calf and his harsh glare softened. Then he quirked a grin at her. “You want to resolve our differences over a nice, clean game of Monopoly?”
She giggled and her body relaxed. He secured her other ankle then climbed onto the mattress between her spread legs. The laughter stopped and she shivered.
“One last little thing.” Griffin leaned over her with the scissors. A long tearing sound climbed her torso. His hand stopped, resting between her breasts and he stared at her heaving chest. Her nipples tightened further and she ached anew.
“Lift your chin.” Carefully, he cut higher then stopped. The scissors clanked on the nearby table and a soft brushing movement spread her shirt apart.
“You really do have the most amazing tits.”
She snorted.
“You do. I’d pay homage to them all day, if I could. With my mouth. Teeth. Tongue.” Rain pounded on the window and the room fogged. The smell of his rain filled her and she knew from instinct, from her awareness, that this was the scent of a turned-on storm mage.
“I’d like that.” She sucked in humid air and the heat intensified, making her skin burn for a soothing touch.
“Think? I know.” His expression darkened and he frowned as if in pain.
“I’ve never…”
He stilled and his hands fisted in the fragments of her shirt, tearing the threads with a popping sound nearly drowned out in the pounding of the rain outside. “How could any man not want to spend all day worshiping those glorious tits?”
“You really like that word, don’t you?” Smiling, she blew out a breath and the twinge of irritation fled. His language made her hot as hell. No complaints here.
Shadows played over his face, and though he leashed in his passion, the visible strain etched in his face. His tender concern was unmistakable. That strength and vulnerability made her want him even more.
“Tell me. Why? Why have you never been with a man?”
“No distracting you, huh?”
“I’ll know if you’re lying.”
“How will you?” Intrigued despite herself, she nearly tested it by telling him she’d had plenty of lovers, but she didn’t want to lie.
Letting go of her shirt, he sat back on his haunches and swirled a hand. Light and airy, fog descended on her exposed flesh and tickled along her body.
“I can sense the changes of temperature, the slight variations in the rhythm in your pulse. The flush of your cheeks. The pressure of your blood. Tell me what I want to know, syphon.”
Here it came. Time to confess it all. She tensed, ready for him to grill her, ready to tell him everything.
With a deep frown, he leaned forward. “Why has no man worshipped your tits all day long?”
She laughed. Long and hard until she couldn’t breathe. She’d never known she could be so turned-on and lighthearted at the same time.
His gorgeous face creased in a devastating grin and she relaxed. Griff had full control and she had no reason to fear and no difficult decisions to make. She could relax and let it all happen.
“I’m a syphon. I’ve never been able to touch anyone.” That admission didn’t even hurt to make.
“Not even a non-talent?” He crouched over her. So near, heat billowed off him, caressing her.
“No. My mother warned me that I could kill even non-talents.”
“Did you ever test that theory?”
She gave an instinctual tug on her wrist bonds. Still snug. She shook her head. “She’d always said an accidental brush against someone, anything like a normal daily contact with a stranger, wouldn’t hurt. I bump into people in crowds, in store aisles. I shake hands. I pat on backs. I don’t hug. I don’t hold hands. With anyone.”
“No more talking about men. And your mother.” Large hands ran up her sides and framed her breasts. Her nipples tightened. She glanced down at them. They stood hard, dark and long. The thumbs of his gorgeous, large hands encased in gloves circled around her nipples, never relieving that ache. She whimpered.
“Do you like it, sugar?”
“Yes.” She moaned and thrust her chest into his caress.
Long whirls and strokes massaged her. Each time he drew near her tightened peaks, her stomach clenched and her breath caught. An internal tug started where he touched and streaked a hot line down her middle to her throbbing pussy. She moaned.