Betrayed: Days of the Rogue

  “But—”

  “I said get inside the house. Now.” He growled the words, not caring if she thought he was an arrogant Neanderthal.

  Apparently that was exactly what Eve did think for she jutted her chin and glared at him.

  “Get rid of the attitude, Rafe. You have no right—”

  “No right? You’re over three hours late!”

  Climbing out of the car, she slammed the door shut, planted her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “So? I left a message.”

  “Saying you’d be a little late. Three hours isn’t a little amount of time.” He noted how the rain drops were clinging to her lashes, trailing down her cheeks, moistening her mouth. Despite his anger he had an insane desire to swipe his tongue over her lips. He clenched his fists instead.

  “In case you didn’t notice the weather is crappy and the roads were too!” She huffed and narrowed her eyes then turned towards the house.

  Rafe shot his hand out, grabbing her arm. “Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you.”

  “I’ll do whatever I want. Besides, you just told me to go inside!”

  She was right. He knew it. But some devil inside was spurring him onward, urging him to argue with her, to give voice to the feelings he’d kept bottled up inside. When she tried to yank her arm free, he tightened his grip and somehow her feet slipped in the mud and she started to fall. A squeak of surprise left her mouth and Rafe tried to catch her only to find himself losing his footing as well.

  Before he could do anything to save the situation, he felt himself falling, Eve clutched tightly against him. Instinctively, he twisted to take the brunt of the fall, curving his body to protect her, pressing her head against his chest. Water and mud sprayed up around them as they landed heavily in a large puddle, the air rushing from his lungs.

  For a moment, he lay there in stunned silence trying to catch his breath as the rain beat down on his face. Miniature waves lapped about his body, while the few remaining dry parts of his anatomy joined the ranks of the cold, wet and uncomfortable.

  Eve was lying on top of him, her hands pressed to his chest, her legs entangled with his. In the dim light that spilled from the windows of the house he could see her eyes flashing with temper, her hair hanging in rat tails, clinging to her flushed cheeks.

  Despite the rain, the cold, and the wet clothing clinging to him, one thought burned in his brain. God, she was beautiful.

  Originally intent on lifting her off, he’d grasped her waist, but then his hands slipped on her muddy clothing and somehow slid up to span her ribcage just below her small breasts. His thumbs brushed the underside and skimmed over the raised nubs of her nipples.

  A gasp escaped her at the intimate contact, and she jerked as if an electric shock had touched her. Her movement had his own body reacting, coming to attention.

  He froze, fighting the longing to repeat the action. With a desperation he hadn’t thought possible, he wanted to caress her gentle curves, to trail his fingers down her spine and cup her butt, pulling her into close contact with his rapidly hardening flesh.

  “Sorry.” Rafe cleared his throat and dropped his hands to her waist, nonplussed by his own behaviour. He wasn’t some pubescent teen that copped a feel whenever the chance presented itself!

  Once again he tightened his grip with the intent of moving her, only to still the motion when he felt her spreading her fingers out across his chest, tracing the curve of muscle and bone before travelling up to his neck. When she touched his bare skin, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard, the warmth from her fingers taking a super highway straight to his groin.

  When he opened his eyes, she was staring right at him, the look of temper now replaced with desire. Somewhere deep inside, he felt a tug of recognition, a calling that he was unable to resist. Without pausing to decide if it was right or wrong, he took her head in his hands and kissed her. It was a hard kiss, expressing his worry and anger as well as his desire; he half expected her to protest the unexpected onslaught.

  Instead of resisting, Eve raked her fingers through his hair, soft needy sounds coming from her throat. She kissed him back with an equal fervor, opening to him, encouraging him. He accepted the invitation, stroking and exploring, tracing the soft skin on the inner side of her lip with the tip of his tongue.

  A gentle buzz started in his brain, a pleasurable tingling that travelled down his spine and settled in his groin. God, he should stop. He really should. Instead, he drew her body closer, running his hands up and down her back, growling in frustration when the cold, wet material kept him from accessing her bare skin. She wiggled in his arms her thigh brushing his erection as it strained against the damp denim of his jeans. Heat flared through him, and he was about to roll over and trap her beneath him when a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder caught his attention.

  They were in a puddle, in his front yard, making out like some lovesick idiots.

  “Eve.” He pulled away, panting, struggling to think.

  “Hmm?” She began to nuzzle his neck, licking and nipping. A shiver ran over him that had nothing to do with the weather or his wet clothes.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and tried to ease her away. Fighting for control, he reminded himself that one of them had to be sensible. “We should go inside.”

  Eve shimmied on top of him and he bit back a moan as the movement stimulated his already aching flesh. “Inside?” She trailed her lips along his jaw. Her warm breath puffed softly against his flesh, while her fingers teased the nape of his neck, angling his head until her mouth met his.

  Another long kiss passed between them and he felt himself being pulled even further under her spell, drowning in the depths of desire. With his last remnant of sanity, he wrapped his arms around her and surged to his feet. Somehow he made it to the house without falling and, once inside, released his tight grip to shut and lock the door. She slid down his length, and when her feet touched the ground she blinked as if only then becoming aware of her surroundings.

  God, he wanted her. He was shaking, trying to hold back, yet desperate to feel the endorphin rush of bridging his mind with hers. He couldn’t do it, though, not if he wanted to be able to live with his conscience afterwards.

  Tenderly, he brushed the strands of wet hair from her face, then stepped back, forcing his arms to stay at his sides. No more touching, at least not until they talked. He needed to explain some things to her, how it was between Fae. It would feel like he was taking advantage of her otherwise.

  After losing the support of his arms, Eve wobbled for a second before regaining her balance. She seemed dazed, drugged even, as she stared at him owlishly. Her reaction provided him with further proof, if he’d needed it, that she had no idea as to the effects of two empathic minds meeting.

  “We should dry off.” He forced himself to look away, and glanced at the floor. Water was streaming from their wet clothes and pooling at their feet.

  Eve looked down too and wiggled her toes. Her sodden shoes made a wet squishing sound on the tiled entryway. “I should get a mop.” She spoke distractedly, as if it were hard to gather her thoughts. Glancing about, she tucked her hair behind her ears with trembling hands.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Rafe kicked a throw mat into place so it would absorb the worst of the mess then pulled off his shoes and socks. Grabbing the edge of his shirt, he peeled it off, grimacing as the cold wet material clung to his skin, momentarily resisting his efforts, before allowing him to remove it. He was unzipping his pants when a sound from Eve had him pausing. She was staring at him, or more specifically at his abdomen. In other circumstances her wide-eyed expression might have made him smile.

  “Sorry.” He dropped his hands to his sides. “I’m used to living by myself. I’ll change in the bedroom. You use the bathroom and take a hot shower.”

  “No, that’s not it.” Eve licked her lips and then tentatively stretched out her hand. “What happened here?” She touched his abdomen where the line of hi
s scar showed through his gaping zipper. Her fingers barely skimmed his flesh, yet his skin quivered from the contact. “I’ve noticed it before, when you’re exercising, and I’ve wondered about it.”

  “A fight.” He watched her face, wondering how she’d react. Would she be shocked at the idea of a doctor involved in a physical fight?

  “Do you get into lots of those?” She stroked the roughened skin, her fingers dipping lower. His breath hitched in his throat and his cock began to harden again. He caught her hand in his, holding it in place against his body, preventing it from moving further.

  He considered his answer. Did he get into fights? It didn’t seem typical for a psychiatrist but then again, his wasn’t a typical sort of job. Sometimes, when a rogue was brought in, there were…altercations. At least until he established himself as the leader of the clinic. Actual fights however… “No. Not often.”

  “Good. I don’t like the idea of you being hurt.” She raised her eyes to his and he found himself being drawn into twin pools of swirling blue and grey. He’d thought she might have begun to recover from their intimate encounter, but apparently he was wrong. Her mind was still reaching out to his; soft tendrils stroking the edges of his awareness, promising and teasing, making him recall the heady rush of moments before. His senses sharpened; his awareness of her scent, her breathing, the warmth of her hand…

  “Eve…don’t do this.”

  “Don’t do what?” The tip of her tongue slipped out and wet her lips.

  He swallowed hard, fighting for control, striving to keep his own mental wall intact. She didn’t understand how the need for another endorphin rush was affecting her; he did. The task of being responsible fell on his shoulders. “We need to…talk.”

  Eve stepped closer until their hands were sandwiched between their bodies. “About what?” She dipped her head forward and licked his nipple.

  His breath caught in his throat, and he used his free hand to grab her hair and pull her head away. He couldn’t take much more. “About how you—and I—are feeling right now. It’s not what you think.”

  “How so?” She arched her back, straining to get closer, the hard points of her nipples grazing his skin through her wet shirt. A seductive smile graced her face, the look of a siren leading the unwary into dangerous waters.

  He wasn’t unwary though. He knew the pitfalls of continuing down this path. Releasing his grip on her hand, he moved to push her away. Free of restraint, Eve slid her fingers into his pants and grasped his hardened flesh.

  Desire slammed into his body, all his mental barriers crumbled, and the empathic bridge between their minds quickly began to form, layer upon layer knitting themselves together. Everything she was feeling swept into his mind, the hot need, the sensual ache. It combined with his own, one feeding off the other, growing and spreading, wrapping his mind in a passion filled haze.

  Oh God, it felt so good. Her feelings and his, ricocheting back and forth; each slide of her hand along his length pushing him closer to the edge. Who could withstand such an assault?

  Rafe pulled her head to his, crushing her lips with his own, invading, taking without asking, just as she was doing with him. Each stroke of her hand was mimicked by his tongue; the light raking of her nails on his sensitive flesh was rewarded by a nip. When she gently squeezed him, he caressed her breasts, thumbing her nipples, kneading the gentle slopes.

  Need clawed at him, stripping away his civilized veneer leaving only raw, bare passion. He began to pull at her clothes, ripping her wet shirt, dragging her bra from her body. When one strap tangled on her arm, he forced her to release him so he could remove the offending material. Nothing was going to separate him from this woman. He wanted every inch of her flesh for himself.

  Once her shirt and bra were disposed of, he roughly stripped off her jeans and panties and then pulled her bare body against his. He ran his hands down her back, tracing the indent of her spine, cupping her ass, revelling in the feel of her. She wiggled against him, her hair brushing his skin as she licked his collarbone, her hands fumbling with the waistband of his pants until they slid over his hips and down his legs.

  When his shaft finally sprang free, he groaned in relief and pushed against her belly. She raked her nails down his back, tongued and bit his nipples. The stinging pain made him gasp and he grew harder than he thought possible. Wanting to return the favour, he lifted her so he could suckle at her breasts and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands gripping his shoulders.

  Eve purred as he teased her flesh with his mouth, paying homage to first one breast and then the other. Wrapping a steadying arm around her waist, he slid his hand downward, tracing her crack then dipping his fingers into her folds. She was hot and wet and ready for him. He stroked her slickness; each gasp of delight sliding over their mental bridge and ratcheting up his own desire.

  “Please,” she panted. “Please, oh please.” She was shivering in his arms, aching and empty; he could feel her need, knew its sweet agony as if it were his own. Turning, he pushed her against the wall, grabbing both her thighs and lifting her up so his aching cock was poised at her entrance.

  Eve wrapped her arms around his neck. Their foreheads rested against each other, their breath intermingled. Eyes locked, he felt could see her soul, feel her heart pounding, knew her desperate craving to be filled. Slowly, oh so slowly, he lowered her down onto his harden flesh, the invasion of her body unbearably sweet. His legs almost buckled as he experienced the sensations with her.

  She was so tight, so hot. Her eyes widened and her breathing hitched as he buried himself deeper and deeper, her body gently resisting his size. A whimper slipped from her and he watched as she bit her lip, a slight vertical line marring her brow. Through their emotional connection he knew she found him large, that he stretched and filled her as never before. The knowledge awakened a primal pride in him, as if he had somehow claimed her body as his and his alone.

  Kissing her deeply, he soothed and petted her, giving her time to adjust. When he felt her begin to relax, he knew it was his cue to move.

  Grasping her hips, he set up a rhythm, rocking into her, revelling in the slide of his aching flesh against her slick walls. The sounds and scents of sex surrounded them. Eve’s gasps each time he thrust, the slap of skin against skin, the musky smell of desire. Outside lightning flashed and thunder rumbled; rain beat relentlessly against the window panes as the heart of the storm passed overhead, but inside a different storm was reaching its peak. One of heated desire and desperate need as he took her against the wall.

  Over and over he possessed her, pulling her down against him harder and faster. She was approaching her climax, he could feel it himself, knew how her focus was on the joining point of their bodies, how the tension was coiling inside her.

  Eve panted and whimpered, arching her back, clawing at his shoulders. Her heels dug into his butt, urging him on as she strained towards the edge, wanting more, demanding more. His own breathing was ragged, his control almost gone. He could feel his balls drawing up, saw Eve’s mouth open. Again and again he pumped into her until a scream ripped from her throat and she came apart in his arms. With a shout he followed suit, her body milking his as ecstasy raced through their bodies and minds.

  Somehow he managed to slide down to the floor and prop himself up against the wall, Eve cradled in his lap. An endorphin high was sending euphoric shock waves up and down his spine, all worries and cares erased. He shifted Eve in his arms, noting the pink flush on her cheeks, her slightly parted lips all red and puffy. Their joining had put that blissful expression on her face, and his own lips curved in satisfaction. Propping his chin on her head, he half dozed enjoying the slow downward drift to reality. It was a much longer ride down than if he’d just had sex with a human. He stroked Eve’s back and played with her hair thinking it would be almost impossible to contemplate normal sex after this experience.

  A slight sinking feeling invaded his happy realm. He’d had sex with another empath
; a Fae who obviously didn’t know all the rules of the game. They’d formed a temporary bridge during the experience; a bridge that Eve hadn’t even known was possible.

  Reality settled in his gut, cold, heavy and bitter. The wall he was leaning against was cool, the tile under his butt was hard. Wet material from their discarded clothing was pressed to his thigh and a storm raged outside. In his arms, Eve stirred and Rafe quickly slammed his protective mental barrier into place. What the hell had he done? After all his fine self-talk about leaving Eve alone until she knew the full story, what did he do? Fuck her like some randy teen. Disgust at his behaviour, at his abuse of his abilities, and her trust, filled him. Eve would be furious—and rightly so—once she learned what he’d done. Invasion of privacy was a betrayal of his vows as an empathic psychiatrist.

  Eve sat up in his lap and pushed her hair from her face then flicked at glance at him. “Hey.” She sounded shy and still a bit befuddled.

  He nodded, keeping his face neutral, not at all sure what to say. Getting to his feet, he helped her up as well.

  She licked her lips. He noted how her eyes searched his face, her expression slowly clouding. “That was…” Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

  “Yeah. It certainly was.” Most likely she was looking for those soft, ‘after sex’ words that women so loved, but they weren’t appropriate given the circumstances. He cleared his throat and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, not at all sure how to begin the conversation he knew they needed to have.

  When he didn’t say anything else, Eve looked away and wrapped her arms around herself, apparently realizing she was naked and chilled. With relief he grabbed onto that fact. They could talk later. Right now she needed to get warmed up and find some dry clothes.

  “You’re shivering. Go and get cleaned up.” He took her by the shoulders, turned her around and gave her a gentle push in the direction of the bathroom. “We have to talk…but not right now.” Eve hesitated and seemed about to speak only to nod and walk away. A flash of lightning revealed her pale skin as she wove her way through the living room to the hallway. She seemed so small and frail.