Saber’s fingers curled around the edge of the Jacuzzi, as if she might bolt, but she remained where she was, looking smaller than usual, but her eyes were defiant and her chin looked stubborn and set.
Jess shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair again. “He sent you to me because he wants another one. He arranged for an opening at the radio station and waited for you to take the bait.”
Saber shrugged. “You’re not telling me anything we haven’t already suspected.”
“He has a breeding program, Saber. He wants babies. I’m a shielder and an anchor, and although you aren’t an anchor, you are a shielder too. He knows we’ll be physically attracted because when he was busy adding to our genetic code and bumping up our psychic abilities, he made certain of it. He’s busy playing God again.”
Beneath the bubbling water, Saber pressed a hand to her stomach as if feeling for a child. “I’m not certain what you’re trying to say.”
“I’m saying you’re right, he wouldn’t want to get you back, not without you being pregnant.”
“He wants me to have a baby?”
“My baby. He wants you to have my baby. He has to be convinced that our traits are going to show up in the child, possibly stronger than in us.”
She pressed her hand harder. “We didn’t use protection, Jesse. I didn’t even think about it. How totally irresponsible is that?”
She sounded so close to panic, Jess reached for her and pulled her back to him. “I thought about it, I just didn’t care. If you have my baby, I’m fine with it.”
Saber shook her head. “This is crazy. Do you see what he’s done? He’s taking away all our choices. I don’t want to get pregnant and worry every second that he’s going to take my child away from me.”
“He’s always going to be hovering around the edges of our lives, Saber. Whitney isn’t going to go away because we want him to, no matter whether we’re together or whether we choose to have children.”
Jess wrapped his arms around her. She was trembling and he needed to comfort her even as he was telling her the truth as he saw it. “He’s there, and he’ll always be there until he’s dead. And even after that there could be others working with him we don’t even know about.”
She let out a strangled gasp, and he nuzzled the top of her head.
“And that brings me back to the files in his office. Why would he plant something in his office for you to find when he knew he was sending you to me? Because if it wasn’t coded, Saber, it was there for you to find and read. Whitney doesn’t ever make amateur mistakes. He wanted you to read those files.”
“On bionics? I could type it all out for you, every single detail in both files, but I have no idea why he would want to give me medical information.”
“Unless he knew I was going to be having the operation and needed to get information to me.”
“What are you saying, Jesse? That you think he was trying to help? And that would mean he knew months ago that you were going to have the operation. How would he know something like that?”
She sounded frightened and his heart lurched. She was beneath the water, her br**sts floating invitingly, her eyes almost violet in her alarm. His hands slipped to her upper arms. “Come here, baby.”
He wanted to hold her, comfort her, take the fear from her eyes and replace it with desire. He kissed the side of her neck, bit gently at her shoulder, slid his hand down her arm to try to bring her around in front of him.
Saber’s blue eyes darkened. Heated. She moistened her lower lip. “Jess. We have to think about what we’re doing here. We’re caught in the middle of some giant spiderweb. I’m really afraid.”
“Come here.” He tugged on her arms to bring her closer.
This time she came to him, a little reluctant, but she moved to stand in front of him. Water pushed between them, the bubbles ferocious, fizzing against his skin, adding to the slow buildup of heat spreading through his body. Keeping her gaze captive, he pushed her legs apart and drew her over him, so she was straddling his lap. She braced herself, using her hands on his shoulders as he cupped her bottom to bring her over his body.
“I know you’re afraid of Whitney, angel face, but in the end, only we matter. He’s always going to be our bogeyman, but we can’t let him stop us from leading our lives. That’s our choice. We don’t let him rule us or make us afraid to live life.”
Her lips trembled and he leaned in to kiss her, capturing her bottom lip between his teeth and playfully nipping and tugging. All the while his hands cupped her bottom, massaging and kneading while the bubbles burst against her bare skin. She rocked her hips, back and forth, a deliberate or compulsive motion that rubbed over the broad head of his cock. Each time she slid over the sensitive head, his body jerked and hardened more.
Jess leaned forward and nibbled on her neck and then teased her earlobe. “I want you to sit on me, Saber, and wrap your legs around my waist.” His voice was husky, almost hoarse. The need for her swept over him fast and furious, a vicious fist of lust that only seemed to build as he watched the bubbles fizz and break around her body. He kissed his way down her neck and the slope of her breast. Her body shuddered as he licked the side of her breast and traced the curve with his tongue.
All the while her h*ps moved in that slow steady rhythm that kept pushing heat through his body. Her breath caught in her lungs and her fingers tightened on his shoulders as her legs threatened to give out.
Jess pulled back to lock eyes with her. He wanted her until he couldn’t think straight, couldn’t find air enough to breathe. The need had risen sharp and fast when he should have been sated already. Her skin was so soft, all bare, glistening as if the morning had covered her in dewdrops like rose petals. Still keeping her gaze locked with his, he leaned forward and licked at her scented skin, breathing her in even as the pads of his fingers began to explore.
Saber gasped and trembled beneath the stroking caresses. He had to go slow, not simply devour her as he wanted to do. She was all woman, yet this was a new experience and, although she responded eagerly, there was a hesitance that told him she was a little frightened. He had never felt such a fever of absolute need. She tore him up inside with wanting her. For the first time in his life, he actually considered that his control was in jeopardy. His gaze dropped to her ni**les, the hard pink tips. He blew out his breath and licked his lips in anticipation.