Chapter 16
Cam’s lips tingled with Brooks’s salty taste. She stretched out on top of him, bringing her face close to his neck. Heat rolled off his body. She rested her hand on his pec and felt his heartbeat jumping against her palm. More than anything, she wanted to finish what they’d started. Coming was great, but the thought of connecting her body with his made her loins clench with renewed desire. Brooks brought his hand to tangle in her hair and drew small circles on her scalp.
“Brooks?”
“Mmm.”
“What are you thinking?” She worried the tremor in her voice might make him mistake her desire for caution. She tilted her head back to look at his face, but darkness concealed his expression. Who was she kidding? What she really wanted to ask was if he wanted to have sex with her.
A long pause hung over the room. She rubbed her hand on his pec until his nipple turned hard.
“I’m thinking that I want you more than I’ve wanted anyone in my life.” His hand left her hair and trailed down her back, slipping into the waistband of her underwear and stopping just above her butt. “I also want you to get some sleep, so we can finish this later.”
She didn’t stop the stiffening of her spine. “You’re still afraid?”
“I’m not afraid,” he hurled back, as if insulted. Grabbing her arms, he rolled on top of her.
She let loose a laugh, and he pinned her beneath him. Her hands went to his face, and the stubble on his jaw tickled her fingers. He dipped his head and nuzzled behind her ear. She squirmed as the movement of his jaw on the sensitive side of her neck sent goosebumps over her flesh. Another laugh rolled out of her mouth, but he didn’t stop. Of all the things she’d expected from him tonight, being tickled wasn’t one of them.
“Brooks!” she choked out between guffaws.
He playfully bit her shoulder then lifted his head. As he situated himself between her hips, her legs lifted to hug his waist as if instructed by nature. “I was trying to take it easy on you. Thought you needed sleep.”
She smoothed her hands over the hills of his biceps. “I want you more.”
“You don’t need to convince me.” He kissed his way down her body, teasing his mouth over her breasts then lifting her shirt over her head. His hands cupped her full globes. He flicked her nipples as his kisses followed the trail to her bellybutton. Snatching the hem of her panties, he tugged them down her legs.
Desire lit fire to her senses.
He nipped the flesh above her panties and her toes curled. “Oh gosh. Please don’t tease me.” Thickness made her voice almost inaudible.
Her mouth went dry. Her knees shook. Brooks’s hands coasted down her thighs, as if he were admiring a flashy car.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” he said, his voice as rough as gravel. His hands circled her hips as he lowered his face to the inside of her thigh. Kissing his way up, he brushed his lips over her folds. The slight abrasion of his beard sent a shock wave through her core.
She choked on a gasp, and he chuckled softly. His hot breath was so close, so warm, that she pressed her butt into the mattress to stop herself from lifting her hips to meet his mouth. Her chest rose and fell as he tortured her with his perusal.
His lips touched her vulva—this time, not as delicately. His tongue jutted out to swipe over her entry then moved up to her clit.
She arched her back. “Oh lord.”
Her words spurred him on. He closed his mouth over her sex, and his tongue danced in circles around her throbbing slit. She curled her hands around the blankets and rocked her hips. He anchored his palms to her hipbones, preventing her from going wild.
Pleasure built inside her, her second orgasm threatening to come fast and hard. She cried out as her body throbbed. Hot, wet fluid seared her flesh. His tongue flicked earnestly, spreading her wetness and sucking her as she spiraled down.
He placed a kiss to the top of her vulva and climbed off the side of the bed. She clapped her hand to her chest, her pulse echoing in her eardrums like a conga drum in a cave. A plastic wrapper crinkled open, and then he returned to rest between her thighs. Her limp hands grasped his shoulders to keep her from floating away, and his length slid inside her. She sucked in a breath as his girth filled her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. His face burrowed into the crook of her shoulder, his lips hot as he tasted her skin. She moaned, pushing her head back into the pillow as he rocked into her. Her dampness welcomed him, making each thrust smooth and hot. His oblique muscles bunched on the insides of her thighs. The sweat dampening her skin mixed with his.
“Jesus, Cam. You feel so good.” His rhythm slowed as he stared down at her. “Are you okay?”
She hiked her knees higher. “Yes,” she said on a gulp. “God, don’t stop.”
He licked his tongue into her mouth, and she cried out as her third orgasm climbed inside her. His hips pumped, and tension radiated over his body. She tilted her pelvis, taking his length deeper.
“Christ,” he groaned.
He moved back and forth against her clit and her body convulsed on another surge of pleasure. She screamed as her insides throbbed. Brooks thrust feverishly as she reached euphoria. She let out a hoarse scream and Brooks came, his body jerking with each penetration. Deep, guttural moans came from his throat.
He slowed to a gentle motion. Currents of bliss fizzled over her nerve endings as she came down from Nirvana. She slid her arms away from his neck and he kissed her cheek then her nose.
“You’re fucking incredible.”
She laughed, and the sound broke in her throat while she struggled to catch her breath. He rolled to his side, got out of bed, and padded to the bathroom. A minute later he returned and stretched out next to her. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she cuddled into his side. Her heart rate fell into sync with his. His hand moved in lazy circles on her back. “Sleep, babe,” he whispered.
She closed her eyes and drifted off to the rhythm of his breathing.
***
Cam blinked againstthe bright light. Ugh. Morning already. The sensational memory of Brooks’s hand between her legs sent a delicious ripple through her body. Now that they’d had sex, there was no going back to how things had been before. Boundaries had been crossed. Regret should have ripped the pleasure away from her, but it didn’t. Even though she couldn’t get serious with Brooks, part of her still needed this indulgence. As she stretched her arm over the wrinkled sheets, her hand came up empty. Cracking open an eyelid, she surveyed the cool, vacant bed.
A glance at the clock showed it was midmorning. He’d probably been up for hours. Pushing out of bed, she pulled her discarded tank top on and then stepped into a pair of yoga pants, jabbed her feet into the women’s slippers she’d left next to the bed, and traveled downstairs.
The hiss of a coffee pot met her at the kitchen. Standing at the island, Brooks looked up from a laptop. “Coffee or tea?”
Skimming her hand over her bare arm, she slid onto one of the barstools. Tea was more her style, but the long, love-making filled night made her crave a pick-me-up. “Coffee is great. What are you looking at?”
He went to the coffee pot, filled a white mug with the caffeinated liquid, and passed it to her. “Morning to you, too.” He winked, the boyish grin belying the demons that clung to his past.
She caught the warm mug. Its heat penetrated her flesh. She sighed and inhaled. “Now I can say good morning.”
He chuckled and slid the cream and sugar her way. “You don’t want to know what I’m looking at.” Some of the playfulness left his eyes. He grabbed the computer, skirted around the island, and dropped into the seat next to her.
She frowned at the screen, leaning until she brushed against him to take in the words in the search bar: Axalantheum 500 mg.
She straightened in her seat.
“I found the syringe you took in the pocket of your duffel bag. I remembered that you offered it when I was fucked up by withdrawal.”
She brought her arm to his thigh and shook her head. “You’re the farthest thing from fucked up.”
He slugged back a sip of coffee, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. He put down his mug. “If you say so. I had a helluva time finding anything on this drug. It’s experimental, so there isn’t much literature. But then I found this.” He clicked on a tab and a picture of a bald man wearing glasses and a white coat popped up.
“Is that—?”
“The one and only Dr. Leonetti.”
She moved her tongue through her mouth, her brain not processing the caffeine fast enough. “What does it say?”
“It’s about Axalantheum. Read it.” He swatted the laptop closer to her and sat back in his chair.
She skimmed the words.
At his upcoming conference, biochemical engineer Dr. Raymond Leonetti is scheduled to speak on genetic modification of the human body. His studies may be controversial to some, but they show great advancement in medicine and engineering. He plans to speak about serums that may be of use to the military. His latest drug, Axalantheum, promises to give voluntary human subjects increased strength and endurance, rapid cellular- and muscular-repair abilities, and, even more contentious, power over impulses, making it an invaluable tool for military operations.
“Holy crap.” She clicked on the link that followed the article, and her stomach flopped over. “It says his studies were halted due to ethical concerns.”
Brooks snorted. “A lot of good that did. He found another way to do his experiments.”
Cam brought her hand to his shoulder. “Hey.”
He swung his attention to her. The unruly strands of his hair, and the blues of his eyes were in sharp contrast to his olive-toned skin.
“It’s okay. You’re never going back there.”
Placing his hand on hers, he turned her palm so he could kiss it. “I know.”
She patted his cheek and nodded at the computer. “Let’s see if we can find out any more details on the drug. We need as much as we can to take to the police.”
Brooks grimaced.
“What?”
“You’re forgetting that you’re wanted.”
“I’m wanted. You’re not. And now we have Lexi and Nash. If we share everything we gather with Lexi, you’ll have a better shot of getting Leonetti arrested. If anyone tries to cover up what he did to you, we’ve got a damn good journalist who can help.”
His mouth relaxed and his teeth flashed. “That’s true. She wouldn’t let it go.”
Cam clicked the mouse. Twenty minutes and countless articles into the deserted pages of the web later, she struck gold. “Here’s an analysis paper on the drug. These look like animal trials.” She wet her lips and read the words, but her stomach refused the information. She took a sip of coffee. Brooks leaned close.
“Jesus. Eighty-three percent of subjects died after the first injection.” He scrubbed his face. “That’s why Leonetti vowed never to let me go.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and then lowered his hand. “What’s wrong with me? Why didn’t I die?”
She shifted in her chair and pulled his face into her palms. “Because you have a different path. You have the power to end his experiments, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
He pulled her hands down, gripping her wrists in his fists. “I don’t want him in jail, dammit. I want him dead.” He slapped the laptop shut. “After he’s taken care of, I’ll make sure I get all of his research documents. Then I’ll have a better idea of what effects to expect for the rest of my life.”
He stood and carried their empty mugs to the kitchen sink. Cam’s heart softened, making the muscles in her chest ache.
“We’re on the right track. You’ll give him what he deserves.” As much as she hated the thought of Brooks committing murder and going to jail, she couldn’t hold his desire against him. He’d endured more pain and suffering than anyone should.
Buzz, buzz, buzz
Cam straightened, narrowing her gaze. Her phone. Crap. She leaped to her feet and tackled the device she’d left charging in the kitchen overnight. The buzzing continued in her palm. She blinked and read the screen: Mom
She swiped to answer and pressed the device to her ear. “Hi, Mom.” She tugged the V-neck of the tank top up. Somehow, talking to her mom while half-naked after banging Brooks all night felt inappropriate.
“Cam! Don’t tell him anything!” Her mom’s scream screeched through the earpiece.
Cam’s heart plummeted to her feet. She turned and locked her gaze on Brooks. Stumbling, she caught the counter before her knees buckled.
Brooks rounded the island and secured her elbows in his hold.
“Mom, what’s—”
“Hi, Aunt Cam.” The sing-song voice sent a tremor down her spine.
Her body temperature turned frigid. “Isaac?”
No, no, no.