Again his lips quirked at the corners. “How long has it been since you’ve had sex?”
“Why?” Could he tell she was out of practice?
“Let’s call it curiosity and leave it at that.”
Heat bloomed in her chest. “The last time, I was twenty-three,” she admitted.
“And you’re, what? Twenty-six now?” He nearly choked on his tongue. “Why? How could you go three years without it?”
“I was a bit of a wild child, all right, sleeping with any older university guy who’d pay attention to me. I was used a lot, and I started to feel dirty. At seventeen, I decided to wait for a meaningful relationship. That never happened, so from seventeen to twenty-three, I got good at being alone. Then, after Claire, I was looking to punish myself, I suppose, and ended up in some stranger’s bed, disgusted with myself. After that, my body just sort of shut down.”
He said nothing.
She nibbled on her bottom lip.
“Do you think less of me now?” she asked softly. If he does, I deserve it. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn back his respect.
He could have teased her the way she’d always teased him. He could have called her a slut and a whore, or worse. But he did none of those things.
“I don’t think less of you. I think more of you. You picked yourself up from a situation you despised. That takes a hell of a lot of strength.”
He was a better man than she’d ever given him credit for.
His eyelids dipped to half-mast and he grinned. “Your body isn’t shut down now, is it, princess?”
Completely out of character, she leaned down and kissed his forehead. “You were right, you know. I was so obsessed with your sex life because I wanted you to be a part of mine. I’m sorry I judged you. I had no right. I think I did it because I was miserable about my own past, and misery loves company.”
An emotion shifted in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure what it was. “I told you to stop apologizing.”
“No,” she added, ignoring his last words. “It’s not shut down now.”
Back to work. Before she broke down. She inserted the top half of one of the syringes inside the wound closest to his heart and squeezed out the contents. As he unleashed a stream of profanity, she did the same to the other wound.
“Has anyone ever called you Dr. Hodad?” he growled.
“No. And what does that even mean, anyway?”
“Hands of death and destruction.”
“Ha! I like that name. You may continue to refer to me as Dr. Hodad.” She cleaned his chest, then her hands. “You lost a lot of blood.”
“This isn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last.”
“You might need a transfu—”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Arcadians do not share blood, and human blood wouldn’t help.”
“Why don’t you share blood within your own race?”
“It creates an unbreakable bond. Remember Dallas? He said the Arcadian king fed him blood to heal him. Now the agent is forced to do whatever Kyrin en Arr tells him to do.”
Ouch. Like Blue, Evie would rather die than become a slave.
“Close your eyes and get some sleep,” she said. She placed another soft, sweet kiss on his brow. “I can tell you’re weaker than you’re letting on because I can’t feel your power.”
He reached out and snagged her hand. “Don’t leave.”
She tugged gently at his earlobe. “I won’t. I’ll be here when you wake up. Because, bluestocking? There’s no place else I’d rather be.”
* * *
Blue awoke suddenly.
His body burned with desire, and he wasn’t sure why. At first. Then he realized he was in bed with Evie. Her back was pressed into his bare chest, his hand was under her shirt, his fingers splayed over her belly. Her ass was nestled against his throbbing erection.
He remembered how they’d gotten here. Pagan had shot him, and Evie had doctored him.
He remembered she’d confessed to not having had sex in three years. How she’d kissed his brow in a show of comfort. Twice.
Now he thought, Screw trying to earn her trust. Screw everything. I’m taking what’s mine.
Blue nuzzled the back of her neck and slid his hand to her breast, cupping the perfect little mound, kneading—and hissing as her nipple beaded for him. “Evie. Wake up for me, baby.”
A breathy moan left her, and she arched her back to stretch, pressing harder against his shaft. The pleasure . . . he groaned. Supplication for more.
“Evie. Now.”
She stiffened. Then she rolled to her back and peered up at him, those velvety brown eyes clearing, becoming more alert—and finally heating.
“Blue.” Not a question. A demand.
One he heeded. “We do this,” he said. And that was the one and only warning he would offer. He grabbed her shirt by the collar and ripped the material down the center. Her bra received the same treatment.
She uttered no protests. Even helped him discard the ruined fabric.
He practically dove on her, slamming his mouth against hers, thrusting his tongue deep, taking, taking everything. She met him with a thrust of her own, her delicious taste sending him into a maddened frenzy. But then, she always had that effect on him.
Have to have all of her. Finally.
He sucked on her bottom lip, holding on to it as long as possible as he drew away, then lowered his head to suckle and nip at her ni**les, to flick his tongue back and forth, back and forth, and even to bite. Her nails dug into his scalp, as if to hold him where he was.
Oh, baby, nothing can pull me away.
Her knees rubbed against his hips, as if she couldn’t decide what to do with her legs. Then she planted her feet on the mattress and arched up, pressing her core against his erection. The increase of pleasure was almost too much, and yet, it wasn’t even close to being enough. His sense of urgency deepened.
Despising their clothing, but not wanting to take his hands from her br**sts, he used his power to remove his jeans and underwear, then hers, jerking the garments away with only a thought and tossing them to the side. The cool air electrified him, washing over him and sensitizing every inch of him, all the more erotic as heated skin met heated skin . . . as his shaft met liquid fire.
He nearly lost what little control he had left.
Evie groaned. “Blue. Now.”
“Soon.” This time, he was going to learn all of her. Do everything. Play.
He cupped her between her legs and purred his approval. “So wet, baby.” He loved how aroused she became—and how quickly.