The Touch (4 page)

The climax rocked her body and heat flushed
her in another hot wave. She released her nipple but continued to
circle her clit with her other hand, riding out the orgasm until
she no longer jerked with every spasm.

When her body settled, she let her hands drop
to her sides and stared up at the ceiling again.

There was no doubt in her mind any longer.
She had to have the real thing. She had to have Wade Branson.

And she had to help him in whatever way she
could.

#

Wade fiddled with the salt shaker on the
table as he waited for Chandra in the sports pub again, this time
for dinner. Would she show? After lunch yesterday he’d wanted to
take her home so badly his cock felt on fire. He didn’t want to
push her though.

Well, hell yes he wanted to push her, but
he’d known she wouldn’t just jump into his truck and head out to
his home the same day they’d met.

Yet, there was a connection between the two
of them, an incredibly strong one. He didn’t know what that
connection was, but he intended to find out.

For a moment his thoughts strayed to the
transaction with the operative yesterday. Damn. He’d really wanted
the painting delivered this morning instead of Monday, but this was
another precaution taken by McDougal, the Chief of Operations.

Wade pushed aside his doubts. When the
directive came down, he and another operative, Adam, had altered
plans and swapped dates and locations in case there were any leaks.
Not to mention they had changed the method of delivery. Yeah, it
had been a smart move. It was doubtful the microchip could fall
into the wrong hands.

Even though he trusted and was friends with
several other operatives, Wade had kept silent. Not even his
closest friend, Mike Fields, knew about the change in plans.

Mike was also a shadow shifter who worked for
the PIA, and of course the organization hadn’t a clue what Mike
really was. He was the only other person within the PIA who knew
Wade was a shadow shifter.

When Chandra walked into the sports pub,
Wade’s gaze riveted on her. He found himself holding his breath and
had to force himself to exhale then inhale again. All other
thoughts vanished. She was so damn beautiful. Brown hair that
brushed her shoulders, wide eyes he knew to be a shade of violet he
could get lost in, large breasts to fill his hands, a figure meant
for him to claim, to make his own.

Wade shook his head. Where were these
thoughts coming from?

Instead of alerting her to his presence, he
let her look around the crowded room for him. He wanted to watch
her. Tonight she wore a short blue skirt that reached mid-thigh.
Damn, the woman had great legs. By her muscle tone it was obvious
she kept herself in great shape.

She wore a lightweight jacket that parted
enough so that he had a good view of her breasts. His erection grew
rock hard at the sight of the white top that dipped low to expose
her very generous cleavage, with her pendant settled just at the
top of the soft white mounds.

His erection ached at the view. The fact
she’d worn the top for him was a good sign. Very good sign.

His gut told him she just a civilian, not
another operative, but what if it was his cock doing the thinking
for him?

She wasn’t carrying her backpack, but had
shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. The fact that she still
kept her hands from touching anything caused his brows to narrow
for a moment. Either she had some kind of skin sensitivity or she
had something far more interesting…the Touch? With that ability in
the wrong hands, yeah, things could get nasty in a hurry.

When Chandra’s eyes finally rested on him, he
smiled and signaled her over. She shouldered her way through the
crowded pub. Her expression was confident and self assured, her
chin raised just a little.

Wade felt a mixture of pride and jealousy
when he noticed other men watching her walk through the crowd. She
had a natural sway to her hips and her jacket fell away to give
him—and every other man in the place—an even better view of her
cleavage. And damned if she wasn’t wearing a bra and her nipples
were pressing against her blouse.

She finally reached the table and gave him a
sexy little smile. “Hi,” she said as she slipped her hands out of
her pockets and scooted onto the bench. She didn’t come as close as
he wanted her to.

So he eased himself next to her. “You’re
gorgeous.” Light pink tinged her cheeks, down her skin to the
swells of her breasts. Her nipples hardened beneath her shirt and
he gave her a grin. “Of course that’s something you hear all the
time.”

Fire burned through Chandra at his touch and
she managed another smile. “You just want to get under my
skirt.”

“There is that.” Wade laughed, a sound that
warmed her even more and he moved his hand away from her face. His
expression sobered. “I would never lie to you, Chandra. I might not
tell you everything you want to know, might not answer all of your
questions, but I won’t lie.”

She cocked her head. “That makes you more of
a mystery than ever.”

His mouth curved into a grin. “So I’m a
mystery?”

With an answering grin, she said, “And I
intend to solve it.”

“That makes two of us.” He glanced down at
where her hands were folded on her lap. “I think you have a little
mystery that needs to be solved, too.”

Heat flushed her again. Did he know? About
the chip? About the Touch? About both?

She cleared her throat. “I’m hungry. What’s
for dinner?”

***

Chandra couldn’t believe she was going home
with a man she had barely met. She didn’t do things like this. But
the visions—they had been so intense, and she wanted what she knew
he had to offer.

She wanted him.

When she glanced at Wade, the red glow of the
trucks lights illuminated his strong features. He was so damned
sexy. Car lights, streetlights, signs and other lights flashed by
as he headed toward North Phoenix.

Chandra clenched her hands in her lap, which
frustrated her to no end. Why did she have to constantly be on
guard so that she didn’t accidentally brush another person’s hand?
How could she be around Wade, be with him, and avoid touching hands
with him?

Perhaps the better question was what was she
getting herself into?

When they arrived at his house, Chandra’s
arms ached from being so tense. She bit her lower lip and stared at
his home. It was modest, like the man appeared to be, but even then
he had some prime real estate.

Wade lightly touched her arm, drawing her
attention to him. “Would you prefer to go to your home and I’ll
just kiss you goodnight?”

The fact that he had offered warmed her like
fine wine. Why not walk away? Why not believe this time that fate
could
be changed? Why not keep herself clear of the danger
she knew was in his future?

Fate.

Chandra forced herself to relax and shook her
head. She wanted tonight. She’d deal with whatever happened when
the time came.

Did she
ever
want this man.

He gave her his sexy smile before opening his
door and climbing out of the truck. The vehicle was so black it
blended with the night once the lights were shut off. If it wasn’t
for the moonlight, likely the truck couldn’t be seen.

Before he could make it around to her side,
she was out of the vehicle with her hands deep in her jacket
pockets. She didn’t want to know any more about what either of
their futures held…just yet. Maybe never.

Besides, what if this time his touch shot
bolts of pain through her head like her visions normally did? Right
now the last thing she wanted was a headache.

While she waited for him to come around the
vehicle to meet her, she tipped her head back and looked at the
stars. They were so faint here in the city. The times she’d gone
hiking with her cousins and sisters in the White Mountains she’d
fallen in love with stars and she wished they could be as bright
when she was in the city.

She and Wade walked side-by-side down the lit
stone path to the free-flowing home. He had a six-car garage off to
one side of the house, but probably parked out front thinking she
wouldn’t want to spend the night. Or maybe he just wanted sex and
that was it.

Whatever. She could deal with that.

Cool air brushed the exposed tops of her
breasts. She’d worn the sexy shirt and skirt just for him, which no
doubt he’d picked up on. He hooked his arm around her shoulders,
holding her close to his tall frame. The jacket and his warmth
helped chase away the evening chill.

After he let her in, illuminated the room and
shut the door behind them, she took in the masculine home. It was a
beautiful house. He had a great room where you could see the living
room, kitchen, and dining area in one fell swoop.

His couch and chairs were deep chocolate
brown, and the floor was made of huge smooth stone tiles. A T-shirt
was draped over one chair, a pair of boots kicked off in a corner,
paper strewn across a rough wood table and a green pottery mug
perched on one of the smaller end tables. It looked lived in and
comfortable.

Before Chandra had a chance to fully take in
the furnishings, Wade gripped her from behind by her shoulders and
turned her to face him. She tilted her face up to see his eyes were
dark with hunger and she felt it straight to her toes.

He grasped the back of her head with one hand
and clasped one of her hips with his other, pressing her body tight
against his so that she felt his hard cock through his pants
against her belly.

“I need to be inside you, baby,” he said in
what came out as a low growl. “It’s your call, but you need to know
how bad I want you.”

A thrill skittered from her belly to between
her thighs. “Yes,” she said without hesitation.

Wade claimed her mouth, hard, demanding,
dominating. He nibbled at her lower lip and she whimpered from the
exquisite sensations it caused. When he slid his tongue in her
mouth, it tangled with hers. She in turn explored his mouth and
reveled in the taste of him. Such a masculine flavor mixed with the
beer he’d had earlier.

He pushed her jacket from her shoulders,
slipping it down to her elbows as his callused palms slid along her
arms with the movement. She moaned into his mouth. Before he could
reach her hands, she wiggled out of the jacket and let it drop to
the floor.

Wade groaned as he moved his hands from her
arms to her chest, filling his hands with her breasts and massaging
them through her low-cut blouse. He moved his mouth from hers, his
stubble chafing her skin as he kissed the line of her jaw to her
ear. She shivered when he gently bit her earlobe.

With a moan she tilted her head back and he
began working his way from her earlobe to her jaw and down her
throat. Kissing, licking, sucking. Chandra brought her hands up and
clenched his shirt in her fists. The desire winding through her
body was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

When his mouth reached her cleavage, he
teased her by licking the tops of her mounds just below her penny
charm, gently biting her flesh. She was about to beg him to take
off her shirt when he pulled the plunging neckline beneath her
breasts so that she was bared, her breasts high and raised for
him.

Wade licked the soft skin between her breasts
and she slipped her fingers into his hair and held him tight to her
chest. He gave a soft laugh, grabbed her ass, and at the same time,
latched onto one of her nipples.

More little mewling sounds escaped her throat
as he sucked and nipped and circled her areola with his tongue. The
skin around her nipple tightened with every exploration of his
tongue. It felt so good having his warm mouth on her nipple.

He slid his mouth down the curve of her
breast, leaving her wet nipple chilled and her other one aching. So
damn slowly, he moved his lips up the curve of her other breasts
and teased her with his tongue before sucking on it hard. So very
hard.

“I need more, Wade.” Her voice came out low
and husky.

“Mmmm…” He gave another soft bite and she
groaned. “I intend to give you lots more.”

Wade bunched his hands in her blouse and met
her eyes as he jerked the shirt up and over her head, completely
baring her from her waist up, and she was glad she hadn’t worn a
bra.

He took her mouth again and kissed her as he
grasped her hips tighter with both hands and ground his erection
against her belly. It felt so hard through the thin material of her
skirt. Chandra gasped into his mouth. His T-shirt rasped her
nipples and his snug pants scraped the bare skin above the
waistband of her skirt.

Everything was like the first vision she’d
had when he took her hand at the festival, yet nothing could
compare to how she was actually feeling at this moment. She was so
completely on fire, her folds wet, her nipples aching, her body
craving, needing his touch.

His lips moved from hers again and made it to
the sensitive skin between her full breasts. He brushed his stubble
back and forth, the rasping feeling driving her crazy.

“W-Wade.” She braced her arms on his
shoulders and thrust her chest out to him. “I can’t wait.”

He groaned. “I love the way your skin
tastes.” He started his way down her belly and brushed his stubble
along with his lips down her soft skin until he reached her skirt.
He tugged down, revealing her panties. “Kick off your shoes.” His
voice was a husky command that she had no problem obeying.

The moment her sandals were off, he yanked
down both her underwear and skirt to her ankles at the same time he
kneeled. She stepped out of her clothing, but had to keep her hands
braced on his shoulders to steady herself.