both hands through his hair and kept them there for a second, as though he was trying to hold his head on. “Okay, yeah, the fantasies I have of putting Phoebe in the ground are pretty damned exciting, but not sexually.”
“Then why …?” She glanced pointedly at the enormous erection behind the fly of his pants.
“Side effect,” he snapped. “Side effect of using my power. Or of anyone using a nature-based special ability.”
Realization dawned, and suddenly things made sense. “That was why, in my apartment—”
“Yeah. You’d used your power, and I felt it.”
Well, it was a relief to know that he wasn’t some sort of sicko who got a sexual thrill from causing pain and death, but the fact was, he still wanted to kill Phoebe, which meant Mel would die too. Right now, he seemed to be walking a thin line between duty and revenge, and the best way to keep him on the side of duty would be to keep Phoebe as far from him as possible.
“We have to leave. We need to go to my apartment and get the drug—”
“We can’t.” He lifted the curtain with one finger and peeked outside. “Not until help comes to neutralize the guys who are after Phoebe.”
“I can fight. I’m not useless.”
“Right now you are.”
His words struck at the heart of her, echoing those of her father and sister.
You’re useless. Pathetic. No good to anyone
.
Resolve put steel in her spine, and she stripped out of her shirt and jeans, leaving her in only her underwear and a bra. She just wished her hands weren’t shaking. “That can be fixed.”
Stryker spun around, his eyes going wide. “Hell, no.”
You’re useless. Pathetic
. “You afraid I’m going to hurt you once I get my powers back?” She stalked toward him, and though he stood his ground, his fists clenched at his sides. “Don’t be. I need your help. You’re my one shot at getting out of this hellish life.”
The building shook again, just a tremor, and he groaned. “Put. On. Your. Clothes.”
The command in his voice made her want to jump to obey. But the very obvious erection behind his fly told her she had a shot at this, maybe her only one, and she wasn’t going to blow it.
“No. This is our best chance of getting to my place alive, and you know it.” It occurred to her that he might be worried about unprotected sex, and she felt her face heat, which was weird, given that she was practically naked and propositioning him, but the thought of discussing protection made her uncomfortable. “I … ah … Phoebe, we take a shot to prevent pregnancy and disease—”
“Do you really think it matters?”
She blinked, and then what he’d said sunk in. Anger bubbled to the surface, obliterating any remaining nervousness. “Right. Who cares if you get me pregnant, since I’ll be dead soon anyway. So let’s get on with it.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw, but other than that, he gave no reaction at all.
“Fine.” He came at her, backing her against the wall. “You want it? We’ll play.” He ripped open his pants, and she nearly salivated at the sight of his cock as it sprang free, a thick, dusky column of hard flesh. Next, he tore her underwear and drove his fingers between her legs.
His handling was rough, but it wasn’t painful, though she knew he could make it so if he wanted. The fact that he didn’t, that he was actually taking the time to touch her, to concentrate the motion of his fingers right over her clit, told her he cared about her pleasure. Which was good, since Phoebe had said that the recharge had something to do with the chemical reaction that occurred when both she and her male partner climaxed.
Her hands were idle, she realized, and she reached for him, but he suddenly spun her around so her face was against the wall. He tugged her hips out, kicked her feet apart, and in one hard, powerful thrust, he entered her.
“Sorry,” he said against her ear, “but I can’t look into the face of the woman who killed my
“Then why …?” She glanced pointedly at the enormous erection behind the fly of his pants.
“Side effect,” he snapped. “Side effect of using my power. Or of anyone using a nature-based special ability.”
Realization dawned, and suddenly things made sense. “That was why, in my apartment—”
“Yeah. You’d used your power, and I felt it.”
Well, it was a relief to know that he wasn’t some sort of sicko who got a sexual thrill from causing pain and death, but the fact was, he still wanted to kill Phoebe, which meant Mel would die too. Right now, he seemed to be walking a thin line between duty and revenge, and the best way to keep him on the side of duty would be to keep Phoebe as far from him as possible.
“We have to leave. We need to go to my apartment and get the drug—”
“We can’t.” He lifted the curtain with one finger and peeked outside. “Not until help comes to neutralize the guys who are after Phoebe.”
“I can fight. I’m not useless.”
“Right now you are.”
His words struck at the heart of her, echoing those of her father and sister.
You’re useless. Pathetic. No good to anyone
.
Resolve put steel in her spine, and she stripped out of her shirt and jeans, leaving her in only her underwear and a bra. She just wished her hands weren’t shaking. “That can be fixed.”
Stryker spun around, his eyes going wide. “Hell, no.”
You’re useless. Pathetic
. “You afraid I’m going to hurt you once I get my powers back?” She stalked toward him, and though he stood his ground, his fists clenched at his sides. “Don’t be. I need your help. You’re my one shot at getting out of this hellish life.”
The building shook again, just a tremor, and he groaned. “Put. On. Your. Clothes.”
The command in his voice made her want to jump to obey. But the very obvious erection behind his fly told her she had a shot at this, maybe her only one, and she wasn’t going to blow it.
“No. This is our best chance of getting to my place alive, and you know it.” It occurred to her that he might be worried about unprotected sex, and she felt her face heat, which was weird, given that she was practically naked and propositioning him, but the thought of discussing protection made her uncomfortable. “I … ah … Phoebe, we take a shot to prevent pregnancy and disease—”
“Do you really think it matters?”
She blinked, and then what he’d said sunk in. Anger bubbled to the surface, obliterating any remaining nervousness. “Right. Who cares if you get me pregnant, since I’ll be dead soon anyway. So let’s get on with it.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw, but other than that, he gave no reaction at all.
“Fine.” He came at her, backing her against the wall. “You want it? We’ll play.” He ripped open his pants, and she nearly salivated at the sight of his cock as it sprang free, a thick, dusky column of hard flesh. Next, he tore her underwear and drove his fingers between her legs.
His handling was rough, but it wasn’t painful, though she knew he could make it so if he wanted. The fact that he didn’t, that he was actually taking the time to touch her, to concentrate the motion of his fingers right over her clit, told her he cared about her pleasure. Which was good, since Phoebe had said that the recharge had something to do with the chemical reaction that occurred when both she and her male partner climaxed.
Her hands were idle, she realized, and she reached for him, but he suddenly spun her around so her face was against the wall. He tugged her hips out, kicked her feet apart, and in one hard, powerful thrust, he entered her.
“Sorry,” he said against her ear, “but I can’t look into the face of the woman who killed my
Similar Books
