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Jack had to give it to Brax. The man was no slacker. It only took twenty minutes for him to divert them to another marina, and Zach Littman was waiting there for them with a helicopter. He thought the helicopter was probably overkill, but he breathed easier with the Elect security detail surrounding him and Olivia. He didn’t like her pallor or the thin press of her lips. If she tried to use this as an excuse not to mate with him, he’d spank her delicious little ass. She didn’t utter a word as they hustled onto the helicopter, and before he could figure out where her head was, they were in Zach’s lab. He kept her hand in his every step of the way. Zach didn’t warn him before shooting him up with a local and stitching him up.
“Not bad at all,” the doctor said to a hovering Olivia. “Just a chunk of skin.”
She turned a little green. “I’ll take your word for it.”
Mallory, Zach’s mate, jabbed him in the side. “You went to med school. Should have taken a bedside manner class.”
“I missed that one,” he shot back. To Jack, “Let’s get you up to your room.”
He shook his head. “Fuck no. Our cabin.”
“I’m not hauling your ass up the stairs in the cabin,” Olivia said.
“You’d have to do that here,” he countered.
“There’s an elevator here.”
He wasn’t arguing and shook his head. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
Zach ignored Jack’s glare and tried to shoot him up with a pain killer before he could protest. He wrenched his arm away.
“I’ll take a pill at the cabin if I need one.”
After a long look, Zach went to a cabinet, counted pills from a bottle, and put them in a white envelope, except for one. He handed it to Zach.
“What is it?” he asked suspiciously.
“Antibiotic with a light pain med added to it. It won’t kick in before you’re settled in your place.”
He didn’t bother arguing, just swallowed the damn pill, but it took a second to steady his legs when he stood. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his strength and let Olivia wrap her arm around his waist and help him through the house to the golf carts parked in back. The ride was bumpier than he remembered, but thankfully it was short and they were inside. Olivia directed him to a chair instead of the couch, which she quickly pulled out. He repressed a groan.
“It would be much more comfortable on the couch than that thin pull out mattress.”
She rolled her eyes and opened the linen cabinet. He tried to see as she pushed things aside and finally pulled out a large square plastic bag. She unzipped it and pulled out a thick foam mattress cover, quickly laid it out, made the bed, returned some of the couch cushions to the back, and retrieved pillows from the loft upstairs.
“Lay down,” she ordered.
The local was wearing off, but the pill hadn’t kicked in yet. He shook his head and stood. “I need to shower first. Will you bring me some sweats?”
Their bags were still next to the door where they’d left them that morning, and with the A/C cranked, sweats would be fine. He’d prefer wearing nothing in bed, but she’d be too tempting and he wasn’t an idiot. The next move had to be hers. He made his way to the small downstairs bathroom. She brought him his clothes, watched while he turned on the water and stepped under the spray, before leaving and pulling the door shut behind her. He heard the outside door open and close, then heard murmuring. He didn’t sense anything wrong and their enemies shouldn’t be able to reach them here, but he hurried anyway and exited just after their visitor left.
“Who was here?”
“Esme,” Olivia answered, pointing to the bags on the counter. “She brought supplies. Do you want to try to eat something? There’s soup and turkey sandwiches.”
He made his way to the bed and sat down carefully. “I could go for a sandwich and a beer.” He sighed at the forbidding look on her face. “Or water.”
They ate silently and the food and water made him feel a lot better, though that damned pill was starting to make him tired. Or everything else was finally catching up, and he had a few things to say before he crashed.
“You scared the hell out of me, baby,” he whispered.
“I’m not the one who got shot,” she retorted tartly, but he heard the fear in her voice.
“We scared each other then.”
She nodded. “Let’s not do that again for a while.”
“Deal.” He paused. Searched her eyes. “I love you,” he said expectantly, and watched a slow smile spread across her face.
“I know.”
He grabbed her hand before she could dodge and pulled her down next to him.
“Keep going, darlin’,” he growled. She wriggled against his hold, her pelvis rubbing against his, and he was instantly hard. He didn’t release her. “I want the bond. And I want the words. You love me. I want to hear it.”
Her body grew restless against his. Her nipples were hard against his chest through her thin shirt, her hips tilting back and forth against his. He put a stop to that by pinning one arm around her lower back and holding her still.
“I want you,” she said softly.
He gave her a smile that felt sly. “You can have me, baby. I’ll even let you do all the work. After I get what I want. Take your clothes off.”
She stood to do so, and he made quick work of his sweats. She returned to straddle him, and he found her sex with his fingers.
“Slick, hot,” he whispered against her throat, scraping his teeth over what he knew to be a very sensitive spot. “You want this? My cock inside you? Fucking you until you come?”
She groaned and rolled her hips in an attempt to take him inside her, but he didn’t let her. Not yet.
“Olivia.”
Her eyes were heavy lidded, sultry, and she held herself still, the head of his cock so close to heaven. “Jack,” she teased back.
“Say it and I’ll give you all you can take.”
Her expression, her eyes went serious. “I didn’t want to. I was afraid to. But I do love you, Jack.”
He thrust up hard, his mind, his heart, his soul, offering her everything he was. Demanding her in return. He felt the second she accepted or gave in or claimed him for her own. Maybe all three. She cried out, dropping her head back and riding him as bliss conquered them both. When she clamped down hard on him, he let go, releasing inside her until he was spent. Panting, she collapsed against his chest, but rolled to his side when he flinched.
“Sorry,” she murmured, trying to move away but he hung on to her on his uninjured side.
“Stay right here, darlin’. Don’t ever leave.”
“Never. I love you, baby.”
He felt like laughing. If it weren’t for the madmen hunting them, everything would be perfect, but they could deal with that. Together.
“I love you too, Olivia.”
