Chapter 16 #2
She went up on her toes and kissed the corner of my mouth, her lips moving to my ear. “I’ll hold your hand the entire time.” Her voice lowered. “And I’ll give you a special reward. Later.”
I felt those words down deep. “Deal.”
One week later
Colbie
I lowered the Talon until the skids touched the ground. Then I powered down the engines and patted the control panel.
After a week together, my new bird and I were getting to know each other very well.
“Thanks, Colbie.”
I turned, watching my passengers open the side door. “My pleasure. See you next time.”
They were all doctors and nurses. I’d ferried them out to a few of the local towns to conduct some clinics. I climbed out, then circled the quadcopter, doing my post-flight checks.
“Heya, Colbie.” One of the grizzled Talon mechanics walked past. “We can take it from here.”
“Thanks, Rob. Nothing to report. She flew like a dream.”
He smiled. “Good.” He wagged a finger at me. “Don’t crash this one.”
I gave him an eye roll. “Please, that was the monsters’ fault, not mine.”
“That’s what all you cockpit jockeys say.”
With a wave, I headed toward the pilot locker room. I was eager to get home.
I knew Marc was there waiting for me. I smiled. We’d spent a lot of time together this week, either at his place or mine. My man enjoyed showing me just how he felt about me. I shivered. In all sorts of fun, creative ways.
He told me he was cooking tonight. Which meant grilling. My man liked to grill.
My man.
I loved that. I had a strong, protective, funny man who loved me.
I finally had a love like my mom and dad shared.
I was so damn happy.
There hadn’t been many monster attacks this week, so Hunter Squad got a bit of a break. I knew Maxim and the scientists were working hard studying the threader, and there had been no sightings of the winged monster.
The creature had been codenamed a bane.
After my adventures in the Blue Mountains, I was more than happy not to think about monsters this week.
One of the other Talon pilots, freshly showered and changed, walked out of the locker room.
“Hi, Colbie. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Susanna.”
The locker room was empty. I’d take a quick shower, change, then get home.
I was reaching for the zipper of my flight suit when strong arms wrapped around me from behind. With a gasp, I was tugged back against a hard body.
Warm lips nipped my ear. “Hello, dove.”
I melted into him. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t wait for you to get home.” He nipped my ear lobe. “How was your flight?”
Flight? What flight? All I could think about was him. “Fine.”
“Missed you,” he murmured.
For a man who’d avoided love and romantic relationships most of his life, he was making up for it.
I arched into him. “Marc…”
He heard the need in my voice.
With a low growl, he whirled me around and lifted me off my feet. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He stalked across the locker room and kicked open a door.
I got a glimpse of a cramped, storage closet before he bumped the door closed behind us.
Then he pressed me against the wall. His mouth was on my neck, and I slid my hands into his hair.
Yes.
A second later, his lips were on mine. I moaned into the kiss.
His hands roamed up my body, then he was dragging down the zipper on the front of my flight suit.
“Marc, I need to shower—”
“No, you don’t.” He shoved my suit down my arms, uncovering my tank top. I rocked into him, desire flaring all over. A rough hand shoved my tank top and bra up, then his hot mouth was on my breast.
I cried out, my legs cinching hard around his body. He growled, tugging on my nipple. I felt the hard bulge of his cock between my thighs.
Then he unwound my legs, my feet dropping to the floor. I only stayed upright thanks to the wall. He shoved my flight suit down my legs.
“Shorts and panties off, dove.” His voice was low and husky.
I hurried to obey, need shivering through me.
Marc lifted me, slamming my back to the wall at the same time that I wrapped my legs around his waist again. His mouth was back on mine, and our tongues danced. One of his hands slipped between my thighs, stroked. I whimpered.
“My flygirl’s wet for me.”
“Always,” I panted, tugging his bottom lip between my teeth.
With a growl, I felt him fumbling between our bodies, unfastening his jeans.
“Hurry.”
I felt the tip of his cock brush against me and my belly clenched in anticipation. Then he surged inside me.
“Yes, Marc.” My hands convulsed on his shoulders, my inner muscles stretching to take him.
“So wet for me,” he groaned. “So tight.”
“Yes.” I held on as he pounded inside me.
“So mine,” he growled.
I was. I ran my lips along his jaw and then I bit him. “And you’re mine.”
He growled again, and I panted. His hands slid down and clenched on my ass. He tilted my hips and went deeper.
“God, don’t stop,” I moaned.
Then Marc’s mouth was on mine. The kiss was rough and hot. He slammed into me, his cock going deep.
“Marc.”
He thrust faster.
A scalding-hot orgasm hit me. I arched into him, and he swallowed my cries.
“Fucking hell.” He thrust again, gripping me hard. “It just keeps getting better.” Then, he pressed his face against my neck and groaned through his own release.
I held him tight, my heart fluttering fast, listening to the glorious sounds he made.
When he pulled back, his gaze hit mine. His beautiful lips were tilted in a smile, and my heart squeezed. I saw love and happiness.
“Glad you’re home,” he murmured.
“Me too.”
“Love you, Colbie.”
I pressed my lips to his ear. “Love you right back.”
“You hungry?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
He grinned. God. So gorgeous and all mine.
“Then let’s get home. I have steaks marinating. Then, I’m going to fuck you again in our bed, and later this evening, we’re going to go meet the squad for a drink tonight at Hemi’s.”
I felt happiness bloom inside me.
Our bed.
Our home.
Our friends.
Our life.
“Sounds like an excellent plan.”
Zeke
I sipped my beer, blocking out the sound of Hemi’s bar.
Across from me, Kai and Jameson were talking. Jameson’s girlfriend, Greer, was sitting on his lap, laughing with Sasha.
It had been a quiet week for Hunter Squad. It was almost like after the mission in the Blue Mountains, the monsters were laying low.
I toyed with the damp coaster under my drink. Maybe they were. Maybe the winged monster, the bane, was regrouping.
The bane.
My gut clenched. I’d seen it before.
In my nightmares.
I hadn’t told anybody. Not even Marc. I lifted my beer and took a long sip, barely tasting it.
I dreamed about lots of monsters. Nightmares that left my sheets twisted and soaked with sweat. So I’d seen a winged monster in my dreams. It was just a coincidence. It didn’t mean anything.
But my gut said this monster was something different.
“You okay?” North asked from beside me.
I lifted my chin. My friend eyed me for a second before turning back to Jess.
My squadmates were used to me being quiet.
I scanned the bar, noting all the patrons. I saw some of the agricultural team, but no pale-headed woman.
“There they are,” Jameson said.
“Finally,” Kai said with amusement.
I lifted my head and saw Marc and Colbie walking into the bar. My brother had the redhead tucked protectively under his arm. Colbie looked happy and flushed. I didn’t need to guess what they’d been up to. I studied my brother.
He looked happy.
Something inside me eased. Marc was always laughing, ready with a joke, but I knew my twin. His outgoing personality hid deeper feelings. He’d never let a woman close before.
Until Colbie.
They were good for each other. She didn’t take any crap from him, and she’d always demand that he share with her. She wouldn’t let him hold back.
Yeah, I was happy for them.
“Well, hello there, Hunter Squad.”
I turned my head and saw two men stop at our table. Both were tall and lean, but still muscular and fit.
Kai smiled. “Hey, Dad.”
Tane’s hair was still black, not a hint of gray in it. He’d worn it in dreadlocks when we were younger. The dreadlocks were gone these days, but he still wore it long. He put a hand on his son’s shoulder.
“Heard you guys have had a quiet week,” he said.
“We earned one after the last week,” Jameson said.
The corner of Tane’s mouth lifted. “True.”
“Thanks again for the assist,” Colbie said as she and Marc sat at the table.
“Always happy to help.”
Kai snorted. “You mean always happy to kill some monsters.”
Tane smiled. “Yeah.”
“When mom lets you.”
“Trust me, Kaitoa, keeping your mother happy is my main priority in life.” His gaze shifted to Colbie. “You doing okay, Colbie? Crashing is no fun.”
“I’m good, Uncle Tane. Hoping to never crash again, though.”
“Hell yeah.” Marc tugged on the end of her braid.
“Marc taking good care of you?”
She smiled at my brother. “He is.”
The other man with Tane chuckled.
Devlin Gray was a former spy and he looked the part. While most of the people in Hemi’s bar wore jeans, Devlin wore a pair of trousers with a tailored white shirt. He had a movie-star handsome face, high cheekbones, and a touch of gray at his temples.
“How’s Thena, Uncle Devlin?” Colbie asked.
The man slid his hands into the pockets of his trousers and smiled. “She’s good. Enjoying her studies in London.” He had a crisp British accent despite living in Australia for years. “Taylor and I can’t believe it’s been eighteen months since she left.”
As Devlin talked about his daughter’s studies, my gaze shifted to Kai. He’d straightened and was watching Devlin intently.
“So Athena’s having fun over there?” Kai asked.
“Yes. Having a blast. I’m glad that she’s coming home soon, though. Taylor and I have missed her.”
Athena Gray was a little younger than us. About to turn twenty-five, wicked smart, and seriously beautiful. I remembered her as a tiny, pretty thing running to keep up with the older kids. I kept watching Kai, seeing something on his face.
Hell, I knew that look. It was the same look I saw in the mirror when I thought about Kai’s sister.