“I needed that.”
He pulled her up and urged her head to the side as his lips found hers. The kiss was slow and tender, perfectly matching the contentment swelling within her. He caressed her breasts and belly, but his touch was light and he avoided her sensual triggers. Their mouths slid and pressed, communicating emotions they were not yet ready to name.
“We should go.” With obvious regret, he separated their bodies and zipped up his pants. Then he helped her to her feet, so she could right her clothing and put on her shoe. All the while he nuzzled her hair and rubbed her upper arms. “I wanted to let you decide when to tell your family.” He eased back and looked into her eyes. “Now everyone will know as soon as you walk in the room.”
His concern snuffed out the afterglow. “I’m not ashamed of this. Are you?”
“I’m not ashamed of what I feel for you. I just don’t want anyone to think I took advantage of the situation.” He sighed and lowered his hands to his sides. “Which is hard, because I’m not sure I haven’t.”
“Taken advantage of me?”
“Yes.” He raked his hair with one hand and stared past her. “You’d just been through the worst experience of your life and I—”
“Gave me exactly what I needed and nothing more.” She touched his face and waited until his gaze returned to her. “I needed to feel safe while I regained control of my life, and my body. You made that possible in ways no one else could.”
He turned his head and kissed the center of her palm. “I doubt your family will see it that way.”
“Kyle can bite me. And Mom…Mom might take some time, but she’ll come around.”
“I’ve always thought the best way to face any problem was head-on.” He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. “Hold on tight. I need to make up some time for this little layover.”
“Layover.” She jumped as he lifted her against him and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Do I get frequent flyer miles?”
“Yes, but they’re only good on Ian airlines.” Their laughter floated in the crisp mountain air as he launched them back into the sky.
* * * * *
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Carly cried. Fear radiated off the human in waves and still she persisted with her denials. “I don’t know what Roberto told you, but there was no side project.”
Zophiel searched the human’s gaze, looking for a chink in her armor. She appeared bedraggled and tired, as if months of stress had finally taken their toll. Her common brown hair was echoed in her common brown eyes. She was average height and average build. So what had Osric seen in her? Zophiel had certainly seen nothing intriguing in the human. Carly had done nothing but whine since their arrival fifty minutes before. She’d screamed herself hoarse and struggled so hard Zophiel had been forced to render her unconscious mid-flight. Nehema had been waiting with a car several miles from the safe house and Zophiel had simply placed their captive in the backseat.
Now Carly was tied to a chair, which had been secured to a support post in the unfinished basement of Nehema’s modest suburban house. Hiding in plain sight had always served them well in the past and Zophiel saw no reason to change the strategy now. She’d lined the walls with layers of foam insulation to dampen conspicuous sounds, however. She was daring, not stupid.
“I have no interest in your body, so your usual tactics won’t work.” Zophiel kept her voice firm yet even, allowing no hint of emotion to seep through in her tone. “I want information and I will stop at nothing to get it. Your only choices are how much pain you’ll endure and how much damage you’ll sustain before you tell me everything I want to know.”
“I cannot tell you what I don’t know.”
A cruel smile spread across Zophiel’s lips. It had been ages since anyone was foolish enough to resist. This was going to be fun.
“Maybe she really doesn’t know.”
Zophiel turned her head sharply and glared at Nehema. She had never had the stomach for this sort of thing. “Go to bed. You don’t need to be here for this. It’s bound to give you nightmares.”
“But I can’t allow you to hurt her if she has no involvement in—”
“She’s their lead doctor. Don’t be a fool. She was involved in all of it.” Grabbing her sister by the arm, Zophiel dragged her toward the stairs leading out of the basement. “Go. To. Bed.”
Nehema hesitated another minute, then reluctantly climbed the stairs.
“Is she your mother or your, um, partner?” Shrewd curiosity gleamed in the human’s eyes, revealing a glimpse of her true self.