The Last Marine (21 page)

She wanted this. Needed to give herself to him. And goddess bless them both, did she love him. She loved his fierceness. His protectiveness. Even his loyalty to his beliefs, misguided as they were.

The broad head of his cock was already wet, slick with his desire. She swirled her tongue over him, savoring the salty taste, before taking in his whole thick length in one long, wet stroke of her mouth. His hands tangled in her hair as she worked him between her lips, occasionally letting her teeth scrape him. Sometimes sucking him hard, then stroking him with her tongue, trying to discover what he liked.

A ragged breath shook from him.

She weighed the heavy weight of his testicles in her palm, fondling him, then tugging her fingers down the center of his sac. She tried to remember every little detail of what Granny Nash had told her to do.

“Christ, Angel.” His breath came in erratic gasps, as if he’d run miles. “Where’d you learn—”

She released him with an audible pop and sucked his nuts into her mouth.

“Oh, Christ.”

She slicked her finger in the damp desire between her legs, and, as she sucked him deep again, found the tight, puckered entrance to his body and pressed into him, searching for that hidden spot Granny Nash said would drive him crazy.

“Fuck.”

Prudence smiled and stroked the spot inside him again.

His legs shook. His whole frame shuddered. His hands became more demanding, clinging in her hair and guiding her into a rhythm over his shaft. Never had she heard him make such sounds. Guttural. Demanding. Begging.

Thank you, Granny Nash.

His hands shifted, gripping her under her arms and yanking her to her feet only to shift positions again and lift her over and onto his cock. He was inside her before she’d even secured her legs around his narrow hips. Her back came up hard against the tree, and his mouth crashed onto hers.

She’d broken past that tight control he had, putting herself into the exact position she’d feared for so long. What would happen if this feral man lost control? Now she knew. He’d take her, hard and hot, but still remember to protect her head with his hand when he slammed her against the nearest surface. She wanted to laugh. She was safe. She’d always be safe with Griffin Jude Payne.

Oh, he’d take from her.

But he’d also give. Fiercely.

And so would she.

The thick weight of him stretched her, pounded into her, and she gloried in the wet slaps of flesh meeting flesh, his harsh breath in her ear, their moans and the thick, musky scent of their desire. He was rough, callous, completely uncivilized and the ultimate gentleman.

Shivers spread over her skin and the winding pressure deep in her belly seemed to expand. She nipped his lip. “Harder.”

She needed everything he could give.

Wanted to give him everything she had.

With long, bone-jarring thrusts he joined with her, letting her feel every inch, all his power. Her nails sank into the lean muscle of his neck, and he grunted in appreciation.

“You make me crazed.” His mouth seared down her throat.

She arched her back so he could sink deeper, so her nipples stabbed into his chest. “I know.” Just as crazed as he made her.

“I can’t get enough of you.”

She leaned in and bit his earlobe. “Come for me.”

“Ladies first.” His pace slowed, his hips rotating with each thrust. “You’re close.”

She nodded, biting her lip.

“Put your legs down.”

He helped her ease one leg down, then the other while staying buried deep inside. In this position, the hard, slick surface of his cock rubbed her clit with each driving stoke, sending ripples of ecstasy through her. She clutched at his shoulders. “Griff.”

He stroked his thumb over her breast, teasing the nipple to fullness before rolling it between his fingers and tugging. “Come, Angel.”

She flexed into each thrust, the shockwaves of pleasure he ignited in her breast sending her closer to fulfillment, leaving her teetering on the edge. This was the best part, the just before. Her whole body tensed, shivers of delight racing over her skin, under her skin and she hung there, suspended from time for a few magical seconds while all his focus was on her.

He pinched her nipple, sending her over the edge into great pulsing waves of ecstasy.

With a shout, he thrust into her one last time as if trying to get as deep inside her as possible. As if trying to touch her soul. He picked her up and her world tilted as he bowed low with his climax.

She laughed. Not since childhood could she remember feeling such a profound sense of pure joy.

Chapter 25

He pressed his lips to her collarbone and chuckled. “For a minute there, I thought we were both gonna fall.”

And that was the thing. She already had fallen. Hard.

The question was, would he?

He gave her a quick kiss. “Let me get the blanket out. We may as well camp here tonight.”

She nodded, leaning against the tree and trying to catch her breath.

He wandered around the area, picking up their belongings, at ease with his nudity in the bright moonlight. Had he ever had a moment of self-consciousness? Ever feared someone might not find him attractive? Probably not. He was a beautiful male and she couldn’t imagine anyone ever telling him he was too skinny, or that he had ugly eyes.

She almost couldn’t imagine anyone telling her those things when she was with him. Griffin made her feel beautiful. He liked the very attributes the Parnells so hated and she was starting to believe, the Parnells had just been plain mean. When she was with Griffin, she felt confident. Self-assured. He had liberated her.

“Come here, Angel.” He sprawled out on the blanket and held his arms out to her. She sank down beside him and tucked her head under his chin. The night air felt cool on her skin, but Griffin radiated heat like a furnace. “Can I ask you a question? It’s been bugging me all night.”

Prudence frowned. There was something else bothering him? “What?”

“Tonight, what in the world were you and Granny Nash talking about?”

She tried to keep from laughing, but her whole body shook with mirth. “Baby, I don’t think you want to know.”

“I do. I’ve never seen you laugh so much. Christ, look at you. Just thinking about whatever you talked about is has you in stitches.”

“We were talking about our men.”

Griffin’s hand stopped stroking up her arm. “What do you mean?”

“Granny Nash misses her husband and wanted to relive a little of the excitement of romance vicariously through us. She didn’t mean any harm. It was nice to have a woman to talk to. She was very . . . informative.”

A groan rolled through his chest. “Why do I have the feeling I’m never going to be able to look that woman in the face again? What did she inform you of?”

Prudence giggled.

“You know, don’t answer that, I’m pretty damn sure I already know.”

“You liked me inside you.” She lifted up on her elbow to look down at him and was charmed to see him blushing. “I liked it, too.”

He pulled her down and kissed her. “Hush now, or I won’t be able to look
you
in the eye, either.”

She snuggled closer, lying her head on his shoulder.

“How does the whole gift thing work, anyway? I’m trying to understand. Is it some kind of ceremony or something? Like a wedding?”

“No. It’s emotional. Something not even I can lie about. When I fall in love, and someone falls in love with me, it’ll happen. It has to do with pheromones. My mark will go to my mate when they receive my gift.” And she would receive her daughter.

“Really?”

“Mm. My mother gave my father the gift of persuasion the night my father took on her marks. He later told her, in the back of his mind, he was worried about how they were going to be together. Lythos had just restricted outsiders to the spaceport so they couldn’t be together there. There were laws on Earth forbidding interracial marriages so they couldn’t be together there. He said he was thinking about how to convince people to change the laws, because he couldn’t imagine being without her. He used her gift to get the laws changed on Earth.”

“I’ll be damned. Sargent William Brand was your father?”

Prudence grinned. Everyone knew of her father. “Yeah. I guess, because he was such a prominent figure for human-alien rights, people remembered him. They remembered how persuasive he was. Maybe that’s how the rumors started about Lythonian women giving the gift of persuasion.”

He stroked his hand down her arm. “It’s always different, then?”

“From what my mother told me, the gift is tailored to the mate. It’s a gift. Something they need. Not everyone needs to be persuasive to be happy, but everyone needs something. My grandfather’s gift allowed him to see in the dark—he was a night fisherman on Lythos and he’d been worried about providing for his family.”

“I never heard of any of this before.”

“You wouldn’t have. Lythonians are not fond of adventure and don’t leave Lythos and a few weeks after they opened their planet to outsiders, they restricted visitors to the spaceport. The handful of us who live on Earth don’t advertise our gifts in order to protect our families. Who wants to forever wonder if their mate loved them just to get their gift?”

His arms tightened around her. “Thank you.”

“For what?” She lifted up on her elbow.

“Trusting me enough to tell me all this.” He wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger.

She gave him a kiss before settling back at his side. “Did you enjoy any of your time with Big Jake?”

“What? Oh, yeah.”

“Did you get any information on Lucan?”

“He said Diamond Fjord was my best bet, unless Lucan joined the Blue Helmets, which I doubt. Soldiers, spaceport personnel and the like, live with their families on the other side of the spaceport in Blue Mesa.”

“Have you considered the possibility Lucan might want to stay?” Prudence trailed her finger down his chest and dipped the tip into his navel. “He’s been on Asteria for over a year, right? He might have a family of his own. A job and friends.”

“Maybe. I never considered the possibility the people sent here would’ve built lives for themselves.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll give him a choice, but Lucan, he never was much for adventure. He always liked to have someone around to do the heavy lifting—which left him time to be the brains of whatever operation he had going on.”

She scoffed. “Sometimes I can’t tell if you admire Lucan or are annoyed by him.”

“We’re brothers, so I suppose it’s a bit of both.” He chuckled. “We don’t always see eye to eye, but I love him.”

“So if he wants to stay, you’ll stick around to keep him out of trouble?” Or maybe stay to keep her out of trouble.

Griffin inhaled a deep breath and let it out. For a long time, he didn’t answer. Prudence listened to the steady drum of his heart, tracing circles around one flat nipple.

“Maybe I’ll stay for a little while. Or maybe I’ll finish my mission so I know where I stand and can get on with life. Big Jake said he heard some news that a rebellion started back on Earth.”

She propped herself up on her elbow. “Then you don’t need to go back. The war will be won or lost without you.”

He frowned. “I hope to hell the only people thinking that way are on Parnell’s side of the conflict.”

“Griffin, the whole thing might be over by now. How old is that news? Why travel all the way back to discover you’re not needed?”

He shrugged. “Big Jake said he overheard some spaceport personnel chatting in a bar. Could’ve happened right after we left, or a week ago.”

“Griffin—”

“I have to do this. I can’t make plans for the future until I settle the past and earn back my honor.” He pulled her down to nestle against his side. “Come on, we can talk about this tomorrow. Get to sleep now, we’ve got a long walk ahead of us.”

Typical man, avoiding the conversation so he didn’t have to listen to what he didn’t want to hear. He was stubborn. Obstinate. Somewhere along the line he’d gotten this hair-brained idea in his head and he was hanging on like a Rottweiler with lock-jaw. None of it made sense to her. Why would he be so willing to risk his life to provide freedom for people who seemed happy without it?

Prudence stared into the night sky while Griffin began to snore. A small smile spread on her face. She must’ve wiped the poor male out—she’d never heard him snore before.

She sat up and stared down at her lover in the moonlight.

Her lover.

Who would’ve thought she’d ever meet someone who could make her love? He was brash and passionate, hotheaded and affectionate. He was one of the most dangerous, notorious men on two worlds—everyone knew who he was, even out here—and he was the only man she’d ever felt safe with. The only man she felt safe enough to fight with.

Prudence’s lips twisted into a rueful grin. She’d never acknowledged that fact before, but it was true. Right from the start, even before she’d gotten to know him, she’d stood up to Griffin. She was stronger now. More confident. All because of him.

She stroked her hand down his torso, careful to avoid the healing claw marks on his chest. In the moonlight, his tanned flesh seemed to glow, his musculature standing out in stark relief from the shadows of the dips and valleys of his body.

He mumbled in his sleep and flopped his arm out to the side as if reaching for her.

How many nights did they have left together? And would he live long enough to come back to her? Would he want to?

She didn’t think separating would be this hard, but their time together was running out. She’d seen the way he stared at the painting in Big Jake’s cabin. He had told her Lucan was an artist and she had no doubt that painting was one of his. By this time tomorrow, they’d be in Diamond Fjord and he’d find Lucan. Would Griffin leave her there? Would he bring her with him to visit his brother? Would he leave right away?

Her gaze ran over him, freezing just below his navel.

Her mating marks.

Two thin, dark lines came down from either side of his navel to twine around a third. He wore her mating marks.

She leaned back, rubbing her hand over her stomach, over the pale, flawless skin. Tears filled her eyes. Though she didn’t feel any different than she did earlier that evening, she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, she was pregnant.

Would a baby make a difference to him?

Yes.

He was far too honorable to walk away from a child. But would knowing he stayed for the child be enough?

No.

For the rest of her life, she would wonder why he stayed and, he might grow to resent her and the baby. She needed him to stay because he wanted to. She needed him to put the past to rest and choose to live.

Goddess be blessed, she was going to be a mother. A single mother.

She wrapped her arm over her belly. This changed everything. It was one thing to set herself up for the pain of him leaving, of maybe never holding him again or being able to look into his sea-green eyes. But she would be damned if her daughter would be raised without her father. Somehow, she needed to get him to see past all the guilt he carried and give him reasons to want to live.

From what Granny Nash said of Diamond Fjord, the settlement was beautiful, the community nice—maybe if he saw what he’d be missing, he could be swayed. Or maybe there was someone there who would know what to say, what to do for him.

Granny Nash was right—she’d never convince Griffin to stay with tears and nagging. She needed to smile. Flirt. Make Griffin see how much Asteria needed him.

How much she needed him.

Then she’d tell him how much his baby needed him.