The Bond That Heals Us (12 page)

“I was so scared,” she whispered, her body shuddering under his touch. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

He picked her up around the waist, letting her wrap her legs around his hips.

Pushing her even harder against the wall, Davin was able to show her how he felt. His cock was near exploding from being so close to her cunt, so when he bucked his hips forward he had to bite down hard on his tongue to keep from coming. Sara moaned into his ear before she began to suck the lobe into her mouth. He could feel her dampness, smell her desire. He needed to fuck her now before he went insane.

Not wanting to lose another second, Davin carried her over to the closest bed and threw her down onto it. He should have been gentle, but that wasn’t what either of them needed right now. Sara was pulling at her uniform, yanking it off with little grace, while he began to undo his pants. She was every bit as wild as he and he loved her for it.

“The door?” she asked in a breathless whisper, her eyes never leaving him.

“Fuck it. I’ll kill anyone who comes in.”

“God, I love it when you talk like that,” she moaned, yanking off the last piece of her clothing.

Finally, she was naked before him, her skin a glowing beacon to him. Pulling his shirt off in one easy stroke, he tossed it to the floor and fell in between her legs. Sara cried out when he thrust into her in one easy stroke. They both held still for a moment before Davin began the steady, rhythmic thrusting. Sara clawed at his back as she wrapped her legs high around his waist. The angle of her hips allowed him deeper into her body, so much he was filling her completely.
Joural
, he could die right now and would be content with his passing.

The muscles of her pussy began to clench around his shaft wildly and he knew her orgasm wouldn’t be far behind. Davin ground hard against her clit as he bent his head to torture one of her nipples with his tongue. Sara’s back arched, pushing her breast 68

farther into his mouth as she bucked her hips in time to his. Her taste filled him as his cock filled her body. Her scent was making him drunk, making his head buzz. Their energies were mixing together, adding to the power of their caresses.

Davin reached out with his body to touch hers on that basic, primal level. As before, the tingle started between them at a single point and radiated out. He knew she felt it, felt the pull between them. This wasn’t merely a mingling of their bodies, but of their souls.

Instantly, Sara’s body seized up and she cried out as her orgasm hit her. Davin covered her mouth with his in an attempt to dull the sounds. Quickly, he increased the tempo until he couldn’t hold off the inevitable rush of release. Davin groaned loudly into Sara’s mouth as his body thrust against her at a punishing pace. He felt every pulse of his cock as his seed spilled into her, filling her womb with his very essence.

He collapsed onto her, the small bed creaking in protest. The scent of sex and sweat filled the small room and Davin breathed it in deeply. For the first time in the past few hours, he felt at peace. Sara was safe.

And she was his.

Mine.

He hugged her hard, knowing he was probably hurting her but unwilling to let her go. She completed him like no other woman did, setting the ache in his heart at rest.

How had she wrapped her way around his heart in such a short time?

A sudden knock on the door made them both jump. Davin couldn’t help but let out a low growl. Sara smacked him hard on the shoulder.

“Yes?” her voice trembled slightly.

“When you two are finished, there are people here who need Sara’s help,” Sean’s voice drifted through the closed door.

“Oh my god,” Sara whispered, her face turning red.

“Give us a minute,” Davin called out.

“I’m keeping an eye on the door. No rush.”

Davin turned back to look at Sara and grinned. “Oops.”

She smacked him on the shoulder. “How the hell am I supposed to go out there and face all those men now? What the hell are they going to think of me?”

“That you’re off limits.” He leaned in and nipped at her neck. “Which is exactly what I want.”

“You are such an asshole, Davin.”

Still, she giggled when she leaned her head back against the bed, her skin glowing from her orgasm and the blush that seemed to be permanently etched there. Davin brushed her hair away from her neck and placed a single kiss there. He could feel her exhaustion creeping into her body.

69

“If you’re planning on staying here, I’ll get Sean to grab some of your things. And get you something decent to sleep on.”

“So you’re going to stay?”

The disbelief in her voice made him look up. “I said I would. You’ll need an assistant.”

She frowned at him. “But you’re not a doctor. It would be better to have Rachael here or one of the Briel doctors. They’re used to working in harsh conditions.”

“We don’t need to put anyone else in danger. I don’t buy that they brought you here simply to heal the miners. They could have contacted you in med bay, explained the situation and you would have come. There’s something more going on here. Plus, they won’t let us leave.”

His heart began to pound as he stood up. He missed the warmth of her body and wished they could simply stay in bed all day and forget the world around them. But life wasn’t going to make this easy on him. “I know a few things about healing. I won’t be completely useless to you.”

“Right, that thing you do.” Then she stopped, sitting up and really looked at him.

Davin walked over to the pile of their clothing and began to get dressed. He’d left his gloves on this time and she seemed to be staring at them. When she let out a sudden rush of breath, he looked at her.

It was then he realized she was putting the pieces together. But she didn’t know the extent of his abilities. Not yet at least.

“Back in your ship and back in your room on the station, what did you do to us? I mean when I was trying to get Rafe to med bay, you did something to him. With your hand. You said it was to buy him time. And then you healed my head. But no one else seems to know what you can do. Silas and Rafe didn’t. I talked to them.”

“Get dressed, Sara. We need to get out there.”

“Can you only cure minor injuries? With the touch of your hands?”

“Sara.”

“No this is important.” She got up and walked over to him. “You have this powerful gift and you try to hide it.”

Taking his gloved hand in hers, she turned it over and placed a kiss in his palm.

Davin didn’t move, scared something terrible would happen if he even breathed. No one knew, not even his crew, what he could do. His safety depended on it. But, somehow, he knew Sara wouldn’t betray him.

“Why would I do something like that?” He flashed her a smile. “Seems a bit silly.

Most people in this sector know what the Raqulians can do.”

“But you said all your people can’t do this.” Then her eyes opened wide. “You said you weren’t born into the warrior cast. Were you a doctor? A healer?”

“It doesn’t matter, so please forget about it. I can help you now.”

70

“Davin, you can trust me with this.”

Her words sent a shiver down his spine. Her eyes were big, and for a moment, he thought, filled with tears. Davin bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Get dressed. People need you.”

As he turned and walked out of the room, he swore he heard her whisper, “Like you.”

71

Sara sat down on the closest thing she could find, some sort of crate, and tried to relax the screaming muscles in her neck and back. She looked up across the sea of beds for the first time since her arrival and wanted to curl up and die.

How the hell were they going to get through this?

The miners would rest after she’d patch them up, only to get up and take over for the next shift of men who were just as tired and injured. They seemed to be nothing but lifeless drones, focused on doing their job and nothing else. Her mind kept going over all the reports she’d sat through on the condition of the mines. That slimy weasel Grant had purposely misled the entire council about what was going on here. He’d been forcing the men to run triple shifts months ago, long before he ever thought of seeking consent from Kamran. But what really shocked her was the fact
none
of the miners had complained about the conditions they’d been working under. It was bizarre.

Even Sean seemed to be oblivious to the fact that this was what he’d been doing for three months. Either he’d been so engulfed in his own guilt over his part in the Ecada invasion last year or there was something else going on. Though she had to admit, he seemed better now that he and Davin were spending time together. She wasn’t even sure if Davin had said anything about the attack, and maybe that was what put Sean at ease. Regardless, Sean was just as concerned about what was going on here as she was.

They had to do something.

But it didn’t explain everyone else. And then that ass Grant had the nerve to come here and tell these poor bastards it was
Kamran
who’d ordered the increased work. The first thing she was going to do when she got out of here was make sure that low-life, space-sucking asshole was thrown into the last prison cell at the bottom of the station.

With no food, no medical care and an alarm that woke him up every four hours.

She’d like to see how he liked it.

But it was more than that. Talking to the miners made her uneasy. When they first arrived at her temporary med bay, they would barely notice her. Like they’d been sleepwalking their way through the shift and someone had herded them to her. Slowly, after she pumped their bodies full of fluids, protein supplements and forced them to rest, they seemed to wake up. Only then would they laugh and tease her like they would have back on the station, oblivious to how they’d been feeling or what they’d been doing only a few hours earlier. The cycle never seemed to stop.

She felt like she’d fallen into her own endless cycle too. Most of the past few hours were little more than a blur, the details blended and jumbled together. She’d tried to remind herself to check for microbes in the air, see if there was anything that could be causing it, but the thought never seemed to stick long in her head.

72

Sara looked up when she heard a familiar voice. Davin came from one of the side tunnels, his head moving from side to side as he scanned the area. He was talking to Sean, the two men pointing at part of the cavern. Somehow he’d managed to draw Sean out of his self-destructiveness and helped him focus. In the day and a half they’d been stuck here, Sara had watched her friend start to come around. Just one more reason she was falling for Davin a little bit more each day. Sara quickly pushed that thought aside, not wanting to see where it might lead.

It would have been fantastic if they were allowed to leave and they could celebrate back on the station. Sean tried to get through the lockdown that had been initiated a few minutes after he and Davin had arrived, but the guards wouldn’t budge. They said they were under strict orders from Administrator Kamran to keep everyone here. As if Kamran would ever do something like that. If they would only let them send a communication, she would be able to clear everything up. God, that suggestion nearly sent the guards into a fit.

Jerks.

Sara had no doubt it was that slimy, double-crossing asshole Grant. Probably knew she’d run to Kamran and report the horrendous conditions she’d seen here and get Grant’s ass pitched out an airlock from a low-orbiting shuttle. Nothing brought out her mean streak like preventable injustices.

The only bright point was that Kamran, Haylie and Taber
knew
Davin and Sean had come here. If they didn’t check in soon, Taber would come running with the cavalry and get them out. God help Grant when that happened because she was going to make him pay for everything he’d done here. The man must be insane to think he could get away with it.

She sighed, pushed away the nasty thoughts of what she would do to her new adversary and watched Davin walk past several of the miners who were lying down.

He’d been by her side for most of the day and into the night. Shit, she didn’t even know what time it was anymore. As they worked she kept watching him, trying to see if he’d use his ability to heal people. Not once did she see him press his hand to someone’s chest or hold on to an injury longer than normal. Not that anyone was dying, but she was hoping he’d help by using his gift. She wasn’t sure why, but she knew it was important that he stop ignoring his abilities, what he could do for the people around him. The things she could do with a gift like that! Instead he’d been by her side, handing her bandages, scanners and anything else she’d needed.

But he’d been there. And that was more than she had the right to ask of him. This wasn’t his planet or his people.

He moved closer to her, his attention still locked deep in conversation with Sean. It was the first time she’d been able to really watch him. His body was a bit larger than Sean’s, more bulky muscle compared to Sean’s lean, athletic build. Davin’s brown hair had fallen down to frame his square jaw, giving him a hungry look. His every move was exact, sharp, like a warrior.

73

A quiver of desire began to pulse through her body, despite her exhaustion.

Watching him now brought back images of what they’d done earlier in the shed. God,
everyone
knew what they’d done, a few had even teased her when she was making her rounds. Mostly once Davin was out of earshot—no one was brave enough to do otherwise. Her breasts tingled and her nipples tightened as if they remembered his touch, craved it again. She’d never been with a man like him before. Someone who was strong, sure of himself, a warrior. But he had a vulnerable side that he kept buried deep.

She could tell, could see it when he looked at her a certain way, only to turn his head to hide it when she caught him looking. He was a contrast of cold strength and warm heart.

The idea of making love to him again sounded good. Too bad she could barely keep her eyes open.

He turned and saw her watching. His slow smile slid onto his face and he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face and giving him a mischievous look. Davin sauntered over to where she sat, his belt riding low on his hips. God, she wished she could see his ass right now.

“Did you eat?” he asked when he was close enough. He gave her a onceover, checking to make sure she was still in one piece.

“Yeah, I had some of the rations. When we get out of here, I’m seriously going to kick someone’s ass. These conditions are crap. And the food sucks. They need hot meals and a freshwater supply.”

“You should see things lower. Sean took me down to where they are actually blasting.” Davin shook his head. “I don’t know how they can work here.”

“They’re survivors—that’s for sure. Did you learn anything about the stocolran gel?

Who’s after it?”

“No. No one would talk to us, especially the deeper we went into the mines. Have you noticed how they act? Like they’re…” He shrugged, giving up on finding the right word.

“Like they’re sleepwalking. It’s creepy weird.”

She realized looking up at him that she wasn’t the only one who’d been pushed past their limits. Sara scooted over to make enough room for him on the crate beside her. When he didn’t move at first, she patted the wood plank beside her.

“You look like you’re about to collapse. I promise I won’t bite.”

“That’s not much of an incentive,” he drawled.

Davin grinned and took the spot beside her. They stared at each other for a moment before Sara felt a yawn erupt from her. Her eyes watered and burned at the same time, the dust from the mine covering every inch of her now.

“You should sleep,” he said, his finger brushing the side of her thigh.

74

“I tried a while ago. I’m not sleepy so much as worn out.” Sara dropped her chin to her chest and rolled her head from side to side. “I wish I could get out of here just for a little while. I’d feel like I could focus again.”

“I might be able to help with that.”

Sara looked up into his face and saw the small smirk on his lips. “Dare I ask?”

“I have a surprise for you,” he said and bumped her shoulder with his.

“Gourmet meal? Cause I don’t know about you, but those rations sucked ass.”

“Better than that. Up for a little walk?”

She leaned close and squinted her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you are up to something.”

“Because I am. But you’ll have to come with me to find out exactly what that is.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond, instead sliding off the crate and walking back in the direction he’d just come. Sara managed to hold herself back for four or five seconds, ample time to inspect his ass, before giving in to her curiosity. As she walked, she heard several of the men chuckle and wish her luck.

Catching up to Davin wasn’t that difficult. He was taking his time in the tunnel that served as the main artery between the makeshift hospital and the main meeting area.

When she came up beside him, she kept her eyes forward and her hands clasped behind her back. They walked in silence through the twisting tunnel until Sara wasn’t sure exactly where they were any longer. It seemed to be away from the current dig area, in a part of the mine that wasn’t being used.

“You know, these miners are quite an industrious bunch,” Davin said after a few moments of silence.

“Oh?”

“They have the most amazing things smuggled into this place. I’ve seen food and pictures of naked human females, even heard music. Sean doesn’t even know where half of it came from. Though he admits he doesn’t remember much from the past year or so. I get the feeling he was trying to bury himself here.”

That caught Sara’s attention. “Did he tell you what happened?”

“No, but I can feel the guilt coming off him. You know?”

She nodded. Sean had been coming to see her over the past year, but he talked very little about his experience with Ray. “Someone he trusted messed with his mind. Made him do some nasty things.”

“He wasn’t in control?”

“God no. But he’s one of the reasons I’m here to talk to you today. Saved Haylie and Kamran and helped stop the Ecada attack. Not that he sees it that way. He blames himself for not being strong enough to fight the influence of the Ecada and the crazy Briel who was trying to take over the colony.”

75

Davin looked at her sideways. “I’ll have to thank him later then. This trip would have been far less entertaining if you weren’t around.”

“You would have crashed into an Ecada-infested planet. More likely you’d be dinner.” When they turned another corner, Sara sighed and crossed her arms. “Where the hell are we going?”

“Are you always this impatient?”

“Just when there are surprises involved. You should see me on my birthday.”

Davin snorted and shook his head. “Thankfully, we don’t have much farther to go.

It’s right through here.”

Sara followed his lead through a small hole in the side of the wall. It was barely big enough for Davin, but she fit through easily. What she wasn’t expecting was the large, open cavern they walked into after a few steps. There were three large flood lamps set up around the cavern, casting just enough light so Sara could look around. Large stalactites hung from the top of the cave, funneling drops of water downward into a large natural cave spring.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, stepping around Davin to get a better look.

“Sean found out that a group of miners discovered it a few months ago and they’d been trying to keep it a secret. Apparently someone smuggled in a testing kit and the water is safe and clean.”

“This could really help the station and maybe ease some of the water reclamation concerns. This is amazing.” She turned and smiled. “Why haven’t they told anyone about this? Sean knows what this type of discovery would mean to us.”

“Sean said he just found out today while we were patching our friends up. He plans on bringing Kamran here as soon as we get out.”

Sara’s heart was pounding from the rush of excitement. Turning around, she tried to take in every detail of the cavern.. They were about five feet above the lake, which looked to be very deep. Grabbing her flashlight, she squatted to point it into the water.

She could see the bottom, which was free and clear of anything that looked to be alive.

It was perfect.

“Amazing,” she whispered.

Sara stood up too quickly, sending her head spinning. She was overcome by a wave of dizziness that had her reaching out blindly before she passed out. Her hands found Davin’s arm and grabbed ahold for dear life. It was just enough to throw them both off balance and send them tumbling into water below with a crash.