Chapter 12
Star
There were three facts I couldn’t deny.
One being that Rage and his lab rats had saved my life before.
Two, something I wouldn’t admit openly to anyone, was that my attraction to him bordered on uncontrollable.
And the third was damning. I couldn’t seem to get enough of him. I’d felt his presence before he’d arrived, but by that point, I’d been hungering for him. Or maybe that had never ceased.
The man was rock hard, his cock pressing between my legs creating lewd, completely unforgiveable desires. I hadn’t been immune to the hunger for sex or the satisfaction of orgasming. I was a woman after all.
I’d simply been far too preoccupied with protecting my people to bother satisfying my hunger. Besides, there’d been few decent candidates even for the lonely nights. The undeniable fact I was so attracted to this beast was the most annoying factor I’d faced in a long time.
And now with his lips crushed against mine, the swell of anger over being taken advantage of was pushing me beyond the limits of reason. Who the fuck did he think he was, coming into my private space without being invited, then daring to touch me intimately?
My fingers spread, reaching for the knife. I wouldn’t hesitate, driving the blade into his heart. At least that was the preferable location, but there were others equally as effective in offering damage.
I wanted to cause him significant pain. Although I had to admit seeing the number of vicious scars on his body meant he could be impervious to anguish.
I’d be happy to discover his Achilles heel.
But try as I may to think of ways to harm him, a deep longing continued to nag my mind, the ache in my body difficult to ignore.
Even as truly evil thoughts penetrated my frontal lobe, the combination of his rough touch and his soft lips had initiated a deep throb in my core.
My thighs were also wet from the hard ache of my pussy.
So what if he was the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on.
I’d basked in enough masculine beauty in books and magazines to know he carried a physical score of well over a ten.
As much as I longed to hate the kiss, with his tongue avidly sweeping back and forth across mine, I couldn’t deny or ignore the insane number of electric vibrations.
Determined to break his hold over me, I continued wiggling my hands, also digging my nails into his skin.
Damn the man. He wasn’t budging, his hold strong enough I was becoming exhausted from trying.
Whatever the reason for the strange tether didn’t matter. I had no intention of leaving the compound. These people were family, and there was my mother’s illness. Whatever time she had left, I planned on being with her.
All the thoughts I was using to try to smash through the connection weren’t working. His lips and tongue were magical, pulling me into an unfathomable wave of heat. Enough that I untwisted my feet so I could rub my bent knee along the outside of his leg.
The action was involuntary, my mind playing tricks and taking time to catch up with the betrayal. I was aware he was fully clothed when the towel I’d been wearing was suddenly nowhere to be seen.
Sinful indeed and enough of an awakening I used every ounce of upper body strength, finally able to rip one arm from his hold. There was no hesitation with my fist. I punched his arm, his shoulder, any location on his massive body where I could reach.
He was undaunted, even amused, but pulled our lips apart. “Don’t hurt yourself, Star.”
“Don’t worry. I plan on hurting you.” When he brushed his lips across mine again, the reaction was another wave of tingles.
“Go ahead and try.” Using his thumb, he lifted my chin, biting my lower lip until I tasted blood. What the hell? Did he suddenly think he was a blood-sucking predator? He wasn’t finished, dragging his tongue along my jawline to my neck, sucking over the skin covering my pulse.
Was he trying to suggest he had my life in his hands?
Oh, the bastard had better think again. I shifted just enough that I almost rolled him over.
At least the move forced him to lift his head.
There was clear amusement in his eyes. I’d heard Savages had little emotion, but he was nothing like what I’d come to expect.
“I thought Savages never talked.” The kiss had left me breathless.
“I thought princesses were nicer.” He shifted so he could take the time to slide his fingers between my breasts and down my stomach. There was uncertainty in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.
For me, the sensations were even more electric. I wanted to ignore the feelings, but they were almost paralyzing.
He lifted his gaze only once before rubbing his fingers across my hip to my thigh. Involuntarily, I eased my legs apart, furious my body had betrayed me. Yet the moment he rolled his index finger around the little crescent moon I’d been born with, he sucked in his breath while I shuddered.
This time as he lifted his gaze, a few seconds passed before he chuckled as if learning how to control me. “You are a beautiful princess.”
“I told you not to call me that.” He’d figured out how much I loathed the term.
He wasn’t daunted by my verbal jabs, winking before shifting some weight off my body, which exposed both breasts.
Now I felt naked, entirely too vulnerable.
I found more strength than I knew I had, fighting him with such ferocity I managed to free the other hand.
At that point, all bets were off.
I punched and pummeled him with my fists, gyrating my hips until I was able to use them as a weapon.
As soon as I finally managed to slither out from under him, I jumped off the bed, prepared to dive for the knife.
For a man who easily stood six foot six and weighed two seventy-five, he was entirely too agile.
Although he didn’t go for the knife, confronting me instead while kicking the knife into a pile of my things.
“You are such an asshole.”
His expression was almost blank and if I had to guess, I’d say by design to keep me guessing about his next move.
“Why so many books?” Every question seemed as if an accusation.
“Why? Because I like to read.” That was true of course.
Peter had often said knowledge was the key to power.
Maybe he’d meant from days in his youth, but I still believed he was right.
The real reason if I wasn’t working or killing Dwellers was something far more complex that I wasn’t certain he’d understand.
A few minutes of being able to drive the ugliness away, of feeling hope when usually there was nothing but hopelessness. It was also about capturing the essence of raw beauty when everything was ugly and barren.
No, he couldn’t understand because all he knew was how to be the best soldier possible.
“Anyway, it’s none of your business what I like to do.” I wrinkled my nose, itching for him to leave.
“You’re far too sensitive.”
My reaction was bizarre even to myself, but I’d found myself entirely frustrated around him. I cracked my hand against his jaw. Did I honestly expect the barbaric man would be injured? Well, of course not. Other than closing his eyes briefly, his only reaction was taking a deep breath.
But I could smell his dissatisfaction as strongly as his heavy wave of testosterone and pheromones, which could easily become impossible to resist. It would appear his plan was to seduce me into submission. A good little girl trailing behind him wherever he went.
He had another think coming.
His silence was unnerving and while his chest continued to heave, I was given no indication of what he might have planned.
Until it was too late to react other than out of shock.
He drove me against the wall with enough force boxes were pitched forward. The air was ripped from my lungs and I was dazed enough I couldn’t react right away. He didn’t waste time yanking my arms over my head. He pinned me in place with his large fingers wrapped around my throat.
With an earnest squeeze, I was instantly lightheaded.
While clawing at him, I knew immediately I wasn’t going anywhere this time.
He was far too strong for me. That didn’t stop me from doing what I could to break free, but even when I managed to kick him in the leg, there was no movement. No sound indicating pain to any degree.
He lifted my chin, curling his thumb over it and rubbing my bottom lip. If he’d considered himself tender before, any concept had been tossed aside. Obsidian curls were plastered to his forehead, his body slickened by sweat, skin streaked by dirt, but nothing could mar his stunning features.
With strange shadows forming across my field of vision, I was momentarily at a loss to think about anything else. He’d managed to claim an emotional hold over me that didn’t make any sense.
Holy shit, the man was beautiful. While there was little to compare him to other than the violent Savages I’d run across, their faces strangely disfigured, there was no adequate way of describing his rugged features or soulful, luminous pools for eyes.
He had the kind of physique that should keep any woman drooling and with such thick hair, all I could think about was running my fingers through it.
With me locked in position, he raked both his eyes and the fingers of his other hand down my chest, taking his time to swirl the tip around my nipple.
Both my breasts ached, enough that a simple flick of his finger made my legs begin to shake.
The urgency of before had faded, leaving a quiet peace developing between us.
How strange that I didn’t mind how he was teasing me, keeping the electric pulses flowing throughout every inch. While I was trying to find new reasons to push him aside, he was watching my reaction while controlling the moment. And he was masterful in doing so.
I was comfortable enough when he lowered his head, rubbing his lips down my heated skin, I wrapped one arm around his head. My stomach fluttered from the way his tongue tickled my aching bud.