Of Eternal Life (6 page)

This morning, however, her nerves were shot, and her body was tightly wound from her alarming wake-up call. She could no longer play the wilting flower. “I’ve done nothing to you!” she shouted into his face.

She may as well have slapped him. He flinched, then charged her, closing the gap between them in one giant stride. He crowded her against the wall and placed two fists on either side of her face. “You will not lie to me,” he growled.

Oh, God
. She’d pulled the damn tiger’s tail. She squeezed her eyes shut, and her hands flew to his chest to push him away, but he didn’t budge. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

The muscles below her palms shivered, and her eyes flew back to his face.

Unidentifiable emotion raged in his eyes, but Abilene was almost positive that it was no longer anger.

“Don’t touch me.” His voice shook, and Abilene jerked her hands back as blood flooded her cheeks.

“I wasn’t — I….”

A slight tremor shook his shoulders, and Abilene’s words drifted off. Her palms burned from their contact with his body, and she curled her hands, trying to ignore the sensation.

“I can still feel your hands.” He swore. “I can still feel your body from when we woke up.”

Abilene licked her lips, and his gaze zeroed in on the movement. His brows drew together. He made a noise of distress.

“I’m sorry for what I’m about to do,” he whispered just before his lips settled over hers.

His kiss was brutal. A punishment. Their teeth clashed together, and he pressed Abilene more firmly against the wall as he ground every inch of his tensed body into hers.

His lips were a brand; tingles spread like fire throughout her. She gasped, caught off guard, and he plunged his tongue into her mouth, invading her.

It was the most wonderful thing she’d ever felt.

Her tension drained in a flash, and she leaned into him with a plaintive moan. His flat blue eyes were sparking. A flush painted his cheeks, and his lips were parted. Harried breaths caressed her kiss-moistened lips. She’d never seen the face of a man lost in passion, but every feminine instinct she possessed was screaming at her that he was utterly lost — in
her
.

His erection prodded her belly. At the thought of that part of his body hard and unforgiving, something primal swept through her.

He is yours
. Her lust exploded in response.

He’s the One. Show him. Allow him to show you
.

Show him. The directive caused an ache to settle low in her belly, a rush of moisture to pool between her legs.
Yes
. She needed to show him — in the most basic of ways — that she was his. She groaned at the intoxicating thought. Oh God, that he was
hers
.

His body responded to her groan, hardening even more, and she couldn’t prevent an inexperienced squirm against him. He immediately rocked his hips into hers, then he bit off a curse as though he were trying desperately not to do it again.

But Abilene was already moving against him, wanting more. His firm thrust had been
magnificent.
She was dying for him to do it again.

“
Eli
,” she pleaded, rubbing her face against his arm where it stretched by her head to clasp her wrists.

He hissed in a breath. “God … Abilene.” His brows drew together. “You
want
this?”

Want
. Oh, she most certainly
wanted
. Her entire body, her
existence
, was flooded with the feeling. If he didn’t do something soon, she would unravel at the seams.

In frustration, she nipped at his arm with her teeth. “
Please
.” She punctuated the whispered entreaty with another frenzied movement of her hips.

The groan that tore from his lips was long and low. “Holy God.” He dropped her wrists to grasp her face with both hands, tipping her head far back until all she could see was his enthralled expression. Eli’s vivid eyes held her gaze. “
Look
at you.”

His thumb stroked the seam of her lips, and she parted them in response. Her tongue darted out to taste the saltiness of his skin. Her eyes slid shut in bliss.

He grunted as though in pain. “
Abilene
… . ” He pushed his thumb further between her lips, and something wicked inside her urged her to suckle it. He swallowed noisily, and she could feel him hold his breath.

“Baby, let me kiss you again.” His voice was fervent. Worshipful. “I won’t take it any farther, but …please. I’ve got to taste you.”

Her body thrummed. Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him forward. It was all the invitation he needed.

His lips settled over hers, the brutal anger of earlier absent from his every movement. Instead, she could feel him humming with intent and controlled hunger.

His tongue brushed her lower lip, asking permission this time before demanding entrance. She opened for him, and his tongue swept over her teeth, rubbing her own tongue in slow, sensuous caresses.

This was nothing like the awkward, pawing interactions Abilene had experienced in the past. Eli was an exquisite kisser. His every movement caused her gut to tighten, her fists to clench harder in his shirt.

She followed his lead and gently sucked on his tongue, and she knew his control had slipped as he groaned harshly into her mouth. His hands fell from her face. One arm wound around her lower back, hauling her against him. The other hand tunneled through her hair, cupping the back of her head to hold her still for a new onslaught of kisses.

She was no longer pressed against the wall, but held in his arms. Her weight straddled his firm thigh. The increased pressure at the apex of her thighs sent mouth-watering sensations bounding through her. She gave an experimental rock back and forth and was shocked when she cried out from the pleasure.

He growled in encouragement. “
Yes
. Oh …Abilene …
God
. Use me.” His hand fell heavily to her ass, cupping her and urging her body to repeat the rocking movement. Her head fell back in awe, and she moaned in abandon.

As he rocked his own hips into her, he muttered a low curse and bit at her lips “I promised I wouldn’t take it further, but you sound like you could… ” he stopped to groan as she made another passionate noise, “…
come
from this.”

His words shocked her, even frightened her. The situation had spiraled out of control, and she didn’t know if she should pull away or grind harder into the flexing muscles of his leg.

Then his mouth was on hers once more, but this kiss was different. Instead of languid strokes, Eli thrust his tongue in and out of her mouth, mimicking the pace she was setting with her hips, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to pull away from him, now or ever.

Her now-constant groan rent the air, and it got louder and louder with each of the writhing movements she made against him. Eli was making rough, primitive noises low in his throat as he ground his erection into her belly.

His demanding handling of her was causing a spring to wind tighter and tighter inside her. She was a doctor; she knew what was coming. What was barreling toward her like a freight train. And, damn, she couldn’t wait to experience it. For him to experience it with her.

His hand slid from her hair to drift over her shoulder and collarbone. When she sensed its direction, she arched into him, thrusting her breast into his seeking hand. He snatched his lips from hers to gaze into her eyes. His look held challenge as he deliberately pinched her nipple.

And it was over.

Her orgasm flooded through her, throwing her head back with its force. She cried out loud and long, her hands twisting his shirt as she pulled him to her, needing to be as near to him as she could possibly be.

“
Abilene
,” he groaned, burying his face in her neck and squeezing her even closer. He thrust roughly against her one more time and then shuddered as he began to come with her. She could feel wave after wave of pleasure roll through him as he moaned into the moist skin of her neck, biting her gently and then licking away the sting.

When the violent tremors of her release began to abate, she sagged, boneless in his arms, feeling completely sated. Secure in a way that frightened her.

She drew her head back and looked at him, her eyes filling with trepidation and humiliation as she realized what she had just done — and whom she had done it with.

He wore a shell-shocked expression, but as he reached out a still-shaking hand to brush a curl from her forehead, his eyes filled with a warm light. “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered.

She burst into tears.

• • •

Eli stepped back, dropping his hands from her and trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. Any afterglow faded into the wall.

Abilene curled in on herself, crossed her arms over her front in a self-hug, and just cried. Big tears rolled down her cheeks; wracking sobs shook her slight frame.

This was not good. He hadn’t had a ton of encounters with women, but he’d never gotten this reaction after sex.

His head snapped up.
Holy shit
. They hadn’t even gotten to the actual sex part. He hadn’t touched her bare skin or seen her lush naked body, and he’d come harder than he had in any of his other full-blown, no-holds-barred experiences.

He’d come inside his pants like some idiot high school kid. Eli’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment. His only consolation was that it had been unavoidable. The moment their lips had touched, the pleasure had been too great, her wanton responses too stimulating. Hell, he’d do it again in a heartbeat, embarrassment or not.

Abilene’s sobs pulled him back to reality. His gut clenched at the sight of her anguished face. He
felt
her pain. His stomach hurt for her, and he was compelled to slay her dragons.

Unfortunately, the smart man’s gamble said that Abilene’s dragons right now were none other than Eli himself. And so, not only did he feel like he wanted to cry with and for her, but he was appalled with his actions.
Ashamed
of himself.

He lifted a hand to brush her shoulder or touch her hair — he wasn’t sure which — but he caught himself and let his arm fall back to his side. He cursed.

“Ah, Abilene — ” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.” He fought himself with all of his strength to keep from touching her again. She looked so forlorn and small. “Please — don’t cry. Yell at me; hit me, if you want to. God knows I deserve it.”

She raised flooded eyes to his face, multiple emotions roiling warring with each other. “I-it was just so wonderful … and you’re s-so,” she hiccupped as she searched for a word, “
horrible
.”

She was right. He’d just gotten done promising her he would never hurt her this way, and then he’d done it.

“Why? Why would you do that? You don’t even
like
me.” she whispered.

His shoulders slumped. He shook his head, disgusted with himself for so many reasons, the main one being he
shouldn’t
like her. He wasn’t sure that was the case.

“Okay, we need to hash a few things out,” he finally muttered as he gestured for her to take a seat on the floor.
No more dancing around
. His fishing last night had gotten him nowhere. It was time to come out with it.

Abilene slid down the wall and clutched her knees to her chest. Eli took several steps back to give her space, then slowly sank to the floor himself, trying to look as unintimidating as possible.

“Last night you asked me what I was doing in your hospital,” he began.

• • •

Abilene tilted her head. She wasn’t sure she was ready for serious conversation, but this sounded promising. Maybe she would finally find out why he had taken her. “That’s right —
my
hospital. I work there.”

He seemed to consider this a moment, and then, “Well, you must have worked there a long time, then.”

She sighed. “Three weeks,” she mumbled. She clutched her knees closer to her body, hoping to still the tremors that were still racing through her limbs.

He sucked in a breath. His expression was …
relieved
? She frowned.

“That long, huh?” he asked quietly.

She felt compelled to explain. For some reason, she couldn’t stand the idea that he would think her incompetent or unprofessional, and the rest was sure to come out at some point, anyway. “I’m a real doctor. I just …uh … haven’t been one for very long.”

“How long?” His question was urgent.

She brought her eyes to his and hesitated at their intensity. “Three weeks,” she whispered.

Something in his eyes flickered. “You’re not lying to me?”

Abilene’s frustration crowded back in, obscuring her embarrassment. “Yes, Eli, I’m lying to you. When asked about my professional experience, I
lied
by picking the most unimpressive span of time imaginable.”

All of his air left him in a whoosh. “That’s…not what I expected.” He closed his eyes and seemed to draw into himself.

Abilene waited several minutes for him to continue before she couldn’t wait anymore. “Now that we’ve established what I was doing there. What were
you
doing there?” She straightened as she remembered another detail. “And why in hell had you been poisoned?”

His eyelids rose as though made of lead, and he stared at her for several heartbeats. Just when she was sure he would never answer her, he said, “What I was doing in the facility? Abilene, I was a prisoner in that building. I’ve been a prisoner for eight years. And I was
sure
,” he spat the word, “that you were involved in keeping me there.”

She blinked. “A … .”
prisoner
? Unbidden, memories bombarded her mind: a hidden door behind the shelving, a medical facility without patients, suspicious drills.

Poison.

She shoved the memories aside, and took a deep breath. Okay, there was definitely something going on here, but to allege that he’d been in prison for eight years? The facility hadn’t even been functioning for eight years. His story didn’t ring true.