Project Genesis (11 page)

Helen liked it
too. Vin knew where to touch. How hard and how soft. He alternated like now,
rocking his hips harder into hers then gently rubbing her nipples with the pads
of his fingers. The move deepened the penetration as she felt him swell within.
Her core spasmed. “Don’t stop.” She circled her hips to encourage him.

“Never,” he
growled. One hand trailed from her breast down her torso until it hit the top
of her pubic region. His thumb swiped down her middle bumping her clit.

Helen jerked and
tried to lift forward for more of his touch. His teasing finger evaded her
effort. Helen felt him smiling when he pressed his mouth against her shoulder
blade in a soft kiss. Her hands dug into the sheets, fingers curling. This was
where he excelled. The eerie blend of ruthless lover versus sensual boyfriend.

The dichotomy
threw Helen off and left her floundering. Lowering her face to the bed, she
offered herself to him unwilling to deal with the softer side of him.
Predictably, he groaned. Helen allowed a smile of victory to stretch her lips.
Vin loved her ass. He peeled his torso from her sweat slicked back and once
again planted his hands on her hips. Muscles in her abdomen clenched tight.
Heat suffused her middle.

The position
increased his leverage and Helen choked back a scream when the head of his
thickness stroked the special spot in her center. He did it again with a
taunting laugh to let her know she didn’t fool him. Helen bit her bottom lip
and closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation.

“You love it,
don’t you?” Her silence must have been a challenge for him. Cupping her butt
cheeks he rammed deep and true.

Her teeth unlocked
releasing cries of pleasure. The steady pounding he gave worked her up fast and
furious. Her release boiled over before she could prepare.

“Let it go, Helen.
Come hard for me. Pour your heat all over my dick.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”
Helen balled the sheet in her fist and came on a scream. Heart knocking loudly
against her ribs, she rested her cheek on the bed and gulped for air.

Vin grunted
harshly, fingers pinching her flesh. The slap of skin on skin echoed in the
room. “Coming,” he gasped and the hot jet of his semen filled her. He groaned
before falling onto her back, one hand appearing from the corner of her eyes to
brace on the mattress to balance his weight.

***

Air rasped in his
chest but Vin managed not to flatten Helen after his release. His body
shuddered endlessly while he tried to regain control. Sex with Helen defied
explanation. No other woman matched him as closely. He tried to think of
something to say but his body crashed fast.

Vin slumped to the
side, hooking an arm around her waist and dragged her close. Sleep. He wanted
at least two good hours of sleep. Helen curled into his side even as she
sniffed. Vin buried his face in her hair and smiled. So tough and so soft. The
first time she’d cried after they had sex, he thought he’d hurt her with his
rough handling. Then he realized her orgasms caused her held back emotions from
the day to release.

In essence, Vin
was good for her. He huffed on a laugh at the arrogant thought.

“Vin?”

The drowsy cadence
of her voice drew him closer until their legs twined around each other. “Yeah,
hellcat.”

Her elbow thumped
his middle. Vin chuckled and nuzzled the exposed crease between her shoulder
and neck. Her shiver more than rewarded him and his dick twitched in renewed
interest.

“Tell me what’s
really going on.”

Vin pulled back
and frowned. His heated buzz cooling quickly. “Helen, it’s best we not talk
about that. I don’t want to get you involved.”

An inelegant snort
blew air over his forearm. “I’m already involved and David Slade believes I
know more.”

Forget crashing.
Sitting up abruptly, Vin turned the bed side lamp on. Light pierced the veil of
darkness and dispelled the intimacy. “You spoke with Slade?”

Helen rolled to
her back, blinking like a lost kitten. “He came by after the first time you
left for the attacks.”

Anger began a slow
simmer. Fucking bastard. “What did he say exactly?” Vin planned on knocking
Slade flat on his ass, boss or no boss.

Helen must have
sensed his concern. The covers fell to her waist. Her brows pulled down in a
sharp V, emphasizing his favorite scar. “Just not to talk about your team.
Stuff I saw with the Rekabian attack.”

Vin tugged the sheet
up blocking his view of her tantalizing curves. Thinking about sex wouldn’t
help him focus on this conversation. “Stay away from him.” He cupped her chin
and leaned in close. She needed to get how serious he was. “I mean it. Don’t be
alone with Slade.”

“I think I deserve
the truth. All of it.”

She probably did
but no way he’d tell her everything. Maybe he could give her a little and she’d
let the rest go. Helen on a tear was like a stubborn bulldog. “As I’m sure you
realized, my team and I have certain abilities.”

“Super powers?”

His lips curled.
“Not quite. Think adjusted brain waves. Telekinetics, telepathy, pyrokinesis.”

“Pyro…?”

Vin leaned back
against his headboard and stretched his legs out. Helen rolled to her hips on
her side giving him her full attention. “The ability to start fires.”

Her mind whirled.
He could see her thinking and trying to put together the puzzle of which one of
them would have such a frightening skill. Vin tugged on her loosened hair and
filled in the answer to the question in her eyes. “Harkum.”

“Ahhh, scary
giant.”

He had to laugh at
her description. Definitely sharing that with his best friend. “Yes.”

“Telekinetics
is…Curtis?”

Her sharp mind
pieced together what she knew with what he revealed. “That’s right.”

Helen placed a
hand on his stomach, swiping a thumb through drying sweat. His muscles
retracted from the intimate touch. “What about you?”

Vin sighed and
stared at the ceiling unwilling to watch her expression when he revealed his
mutation. “Telepathy.” He wouldn’t tell her about the electrical charges or the
black outs that followed the exertion of those powers. At her silence, Vin
chanced a quick look.

Helen’s mouth
pulled down in a frown. “Can you tell what I’m thinking?”

How many times did
the doctor’s in the lab ask Vin that question? “No. It’s not like that. I can
speak to you mind to mind. Sometimes hear you back if you know how to direct
your thoughts but I can’t randomly dig around in your mind and find out things
about you.” Nor did he want to. Just the thought of such a power made him ill
but he knew that’s what the doctors pushed for.

Vin and his team
refused to take any more of the drugs or hormones to tamper with their bodies.
After numerous bids and toe to toe meetings with Slade, the government agreed
they’d work with the skills they already manifested.

Helen reached up
and her soft palms covered his eyes. “Let’s see.”

Anger and
annoyance at Slade slid away. Vin’s lips lifted in a grin as he played along.
“Sure.”

“What am I
thinking about?”

“Me.”

Helen laughed. His
insides warmed. “No. Maybe I should start easy. I’m focusing on a color.”

“Blue.” He tossed
out.

“Vincent! You’re
not even putting forth any effort.”

He smiled against
her palms. “Hmmm. You’re right. Try again and ask me what I’m thinking about.”
Not needing his eyes, Vin’s hands unerringly reached for her magnificent globes
in all their naked glory and fondled.

Helen gasped
arching into his touch. “W-what are you thinking?”

“Naughty
thoughts,” he murmured and pinched her nipples. “Ask me what color I’m thinking
about.”

Helen groaned,
torso twisting. “T-that’s not how it goes.”

“Berries,” Vin
supplied to the question she wouldn’t ask. “I’m thinking of berries.” He
lowered his head toward the sounds of her sigh and shifted his aim. Stiff
pebbles brushed his mouth. Jackpot. Vin moistened his lips. He angled his head
dislodging her hand from his eyes and sucked on her puckered nipple. Her hands
braced on his chest but she wasn’t pushing him away.

“Berries aren’t a
color.” She finished the declaration on a strangled moan.

He laved her one
last time and released the swollen bud. “It is to me.” Leaning back, he studied
her expression. The glazed look of awakening passion was exactly what he
sought. Anything to distract her from talk about Project Genesis.

Vin slid between
her legs and kissed her torso, the small indent of her belly button which had
him smiling when she flinched. He continued down and parted her soft folds.
Wetness from their combined pleasure trickled down her thigh. Vin inhaled
deeply. The scent of their loving filled his nostrils.

“Vin, no.” Helen
rocked and jerked and managed to escape by rolling to the side.

“What’s wrong?” He
scanned the room for a visible threat.

“I need to
shower.” She stood at the edge of his bed and yanked on the sheet to no use.
His weight pinned the corners down.

“Are you serious?”
Now that he was fully awake, Vin envisioned another round. First he’d taste her
and drive her to another climax with his head planted between her legs. Then
while Helen languished in the afterglow, he’d rock another one out. He just
needed fifteen minutes, tops.

“Vincent.” She
laughed even as she continued to pull on the sheet relentlessly.

Vin sighed and
rolled over to his back throwing an arm over his eyes. Counting to ten did not
impact his rock hard dick nor did thinking of brussel sprouts which he hated
and usually guaranteed an instant soft one. He heaved himself to his feet.
“Alright.”

Stalking steps put
him close enough to snag the end of the sheet. “After.” Vin pulled sharply and
the material hit the floor. Helen squealed but he lifted her in his arms and
climbed back in the bed. “After,” he murmured again and continued the earlier
path his lips had taken. If he only had one night, he wanted to make the most
of it.

Chapter 12

Vin listened with
half an ear as Sen went on to give an update on his mother’s condition.
Apparently, the doctors downgraded her broken ankle to severe sprain. This
cemented Mrs. Chambers belief that doctors were a waste of time which in turn
frustrated Mr. Chambers because now she insisted on cooking and cleaning at her
normal pace despite instructions to rest.

“I need to go home
and check on her but dad tells me not to worry.”

Harkum relaxed
back on Vin’s sofa and smirked at the young man’s anxiety. “That’s because your
dad knows if you come home your mom is going to spend more time on her feet
cooking so she can fatten her
bebe
.”

Sen dived over the
sofa and tackled Harkum to the floor. The move only worked because he caught
Harkum off guard. His friend got to his feet quickly arms up in the universal
sign of surrender and dropped his fake French accent. “Chill, Sen. Just messing
with you.”

Vin tried to find
his usual humor in their antics but he replayed his night with Helen and came
up with the same conclusion. He’d made another mistake. One night would never
be enough and he fooled himself thinking it would be. Or he let his dick fool
him. Either way, he needed to push Helen Scott as far away as possible.

“What about alien
sightings? Are the senior Chambers okay?” Harkum asked as he returned to his
position on the couch.

Sen shrugged
remaining on his feet. “They haven’t spotted anything. I’ve warned them to stay
close to home. Avoid going out for now unless it’s an emergency. That kinda
stuff.”

Footsteps padded across
the floor in the other room. Vin glanced at his closed bedroom door and winced.
He firmed his resolve to stand by his decision this time but his thoughts
teeter tottered like a child’s play toy.

***

Helen rolled over
and found herself alone in the bed. Vin’s bed. Twice in less than twenty four
hours. Light peered through the window revealing the start of a new day. She
slowly sat up and checked for good measure that the room was empty. Vin’s voice
hinted that she wasn’t exactly alone. Helen got to her feet and pulled the
sheet around her nude body.

Looking at her
crumpled clothes on the floor reminded her of her limited wardrobe. Since Vin
managed to get her to the communal showers last night, Helen refused to put on
the same panties. She gathered her meager belongings and went through the
bedroom door. Vin broke off in the middle of his conversation with two of his
men. Harkum and Bransen rose to their feet from the sofa at her appearance.

“Good morning,
gentlemen.” Helen tried to tamp down a blush at the awkward situation. In light
of her lack of dress, she nodded regally at the men and signaled Vin with a
jerk of her head. She hoped her trip back into his bedroom didn’t look as
embarrassing as it felt. Vin came in and closed the door behind him.

She expected him
to speak but he merely leaned one big shoulder against the door and stared,
waiting for her. Helen popped her shoulders back going for dignity while draped
in his bed linen. “Is there a way for me to wash my things?”

“Yeah, I’ll take
care of it.” He pushed away from the door and rifled through his closet. When
he returned, he handed her a white tee shirt that would fall at least to her
thighs.

Helen dropped her
underwear and bra on the bed and reached for the tee. The sheet slid to the
floor as she moved to put his shirt on. She didn’t miss the flare of his
nostrils. With a grimace, she put on her pants and zipped up the matching
jacket. Better than nothing and keeping the jacket zipped hid her braless
state.

“I’ll arrange to
take you home today. There are a few things I need to take care of first.”

Helen cleared her
throat. “All right.” Tension hummed in the bedroom but he didn’t turn around.
Were they going to address last night?

When he started to
walk past her, Helen stopped him. “Vincent?”

“One night, Helen.
It’s all I had to give,” he whispered gruffly.

Pain zinged in her
heart. This time she let him walk through the door while she battled the lump
in her throat and the pressing sensation in her chest. She waited another five
minutes and then exited. Harkum and Bransen were no longer present.

Vin, in his
customary uniform of black shirt and black cargo pants, strapped on his thigh
holster, the handle of his gun visible over the side. “I’ll take you to the
cafeteria for breakfast.”

Helen started to
refuse. She didn’t like the vibe between them. Last night had been last night.
Understanding that and dealing with it were two separate issues. What a fool
she was for giving in to the little boy lost look he’d worn. All she’d done was
tear down the small level of immunity she’d built.

Now in light of
the morning, she forced herself to recall the loneliness of the last six months
and Vin’s unexplained silence. She had a feeling it involved the abilities he’d
discussed with her. Abilities she felt certain he had not possessed when they
first me. Or at least, she had no inkling if he did or not.

Based on his
behavior this morning, Helen guessed he wouldn’t answer that question either.
Her stomach growled loudly and Vin finally faced her. The half smile lightened
his expression. “Come on. It’s already nine so everyone else has pretty much
eaten except my unit. They’re waiting for me to join them.”

Helen grabbed her
cell of the table and followed him out. As they walked down the corridor, she
anxiously checked out the dull red lights in the ceiling. Lights she remembered
vividly as they flashed when the Rekabians attacked. Helen suppressed a tiny
shiver and scooted closer to Vin as he marched passed darkened doorways.

The facility
without the noise and racing soldiers had an air of intimidation. Quiet seeped
through the concrete walls. The sensation reminded her of what she thought
prison would be like.

When they reached
a double steel door, Vin stood close to the side and a small length of cord
snaked from the ceiling with a round object on the end. Helen gripped the back
of his shirt but Vin held still while it aimed for his right eye and emitted a
small blue light. A beep followed the retraction of the cord and the doors slid
open. Vin pulled her around to his side and moved forward.

“The retina scan’s
a security measure. Tampering with food is the quickest way to bring down a
facility this size.”

Since he decided
to talk to her, Helen asked, “How many people stay here?” Was this his home? Is
this where he lived during the time they’d dated?

“Roughly a hundred
including the maintenance crew, kitchen workers and others.” His hand lowered
to her back to guide her through rows of empty wooden picnic style tables and
benches. He was right about the austere cafeteria being practically empty.

Two women wiped
down tables with ruthless efficiency while a young man in a blue jumper swept
the floor. Vin didn’t stop until they reached the back table where six men all
looked up at their approach. Blue trays lay stacked at the end and each of
Vin’s team members had a steaming plate in front of them.

One by one, they
got to their feet and acknowledged her. “Good morning, Ms. Scott. We haven’t
officially been introduced but I’m Chris Harkum.”

Up close, Helen
had to tilt her head all the way back to look him in the eye. She hadn’t been
kidding with Vin when she referred to him as a scary giant. About to shake his
hand, Bransen shoved forward and elbowed the tall man aside.

“Bransen Chambers,
bon jour, Madame.”

Instead of sounding
corny, the French flowed from his tongue with a definite native accent. “It’s
Miss. Cava bien, Monsieur?”

Vincent growled
low, causing the green eyes before her to twinkle. “Later, beautiful.” He
winked and sauntered away to straddle the bench like seats.

Vincent wrapped a
band of steel over her shoulder. “Helen has to eat before they put up
breakfast. Let’s make this quick.” Keeping her close to his side, he pointed
with his other hand. “The twins are Nathan and Zander Harrison. If you can’t
tell them apart, don’t worry about it because we don’t. Rock Sinclair and I
believe you’re familiar with Curtis Adams.”

The remaining men
waved or nodded. Introductions out of the way, they all started on their food.
Vin steered her to a seat next to Chris Harkum. Far from Bransen she realized.
Vin slid his hand down her arm in a lingering caress, leaving shivers in his
wake. Unsure how to judge his possessive posturing, Helen tucked her legs under
the table and kept her head down to hide her frown.

“What would you
like, Helen?”

At his question,
she started to push back to his feet. Vin’s hand landed on her shoulder. “I’ll
get it. Just tell me what you want.”

“Wheat toast and
oatmeal, no sugar.”

He made no comment
about her preference. “Coffee decaf?”

She’d really like
the latte her taste buds craved but nodded her ascent. As soon as Vincent
walked away, the men ignored their food and focused their attention on her.
Chairs scraped back making her the main event in their inner circle.

“Is Vin treating
you right? Yesterday had to be scary as…um…crap.” Bransen leaned an elbow on
the table and this time, concern warmed his eyes.

A deep breath
shuddered from her. “Yesterday ranks as the most terrifying day of my life.”
When they looked concerned, Helen added, “Except the day my stylist informed me
she was moving to California.” Concern shifted to appalled but she noticed the
twins smirking.

Bransen snickered.
“Right. Director at a top apparel firm terrified of her hair lady moving. I can
see it.”

“Quiet, guys.
There’s more.” Rock lifted a remote from the table and aimed it a large screen
she’d completely missed.

News Update
flashed across in bright yellow followed by annoying music and then an
anchorman appeared standing in the middle of a street with wrecked buildings
behind him. “I’m here live in Baltimore after the recent attack from the
Rekabian alien threat. As you can see, folks are remaining home today. The
Governor has declared a state of emergency and many states are taking similar
actions. We’ll now join President Harrison’s press conference for an update on
this volatile situation.”

The screen cut to
the White House and President Harrison stood at a flag draped podium. Helen
dimly registered Vin returning with her breakfast. His long thighs slid her
along the seat until he fit himself on the end. She risked a quick glance and
went still. It wasn’t the overflowing plate in front of him that sent her heart
surging forward but the warmth flowing from his eyes before he blinked and
turned away.

Helen reached for
the tall paper cup without the easy to identify logo on the side. Oh, well.
Something was better than nothing. Her first sip was nirvana. Nutmeg and
cinnamon with a hit of vanilla exploded in her mouth. “You got me a latte.”

Vin’s attention
stayed on the television as he began to shovel food in his mouth. In between
bites, he muttered, “Vanilla, spice latte, extra hot, no whip.”

Helen choked on
her next swallow. Curtis pounded her on the back but she could only stare at
Vin. The heat of her stare finally broke through his fascination with the news
story. Annoyance peppered his expression. “You’ve been drinking the same thing
for as long as I’ve known you, hellcat.”

She flushed. That
he would remember such a minute detail about what she liked astounded her.
“Someone here actually prepared that?”

“Cook used to be a
fancy barrister at one of those high priced coffee shops you love. I mentioned
the tough day you had yesterday. Told her what you usually drink and she made
it.”

What was she to do
with him? Every time she decided she needed to put him out of her life and
accept that the break up between them was for the best, he did something so
amazing. So ridiculously kind that she didn’t know how to handle it.

***

Vin wished Helen’s
eyes would quit burning holes into the side of his face. She ate slowly,
finishing everything in the oatmeal bowl but he felt her quick questioning
glances every minute of so. Hell, he owed her the fancy coffee. It wasn’t a big
deal that he remembered something he had to have heard her order over a
thousand times. Yet nerves released their strangle hold and fingers relaxed on
his fork with relief at the sight of her pleasure over the drink.

“Holy, shit,” Rock
stated, eyes glued to the news Vin had tried to watch. Now he put his attention
where it belonged and reminded himself to think like a dedicated soldier and
not a man with his dick in a knot over a woman he was sure to hurt.

“And this is why
we commit to American citizens to fight with everything we have. All servicemen
have been activated. In conjunction with countries all over the globe, we are
mobilizing troops in a concerted effort to defend the planet we love. The
Rekabians will not win. We will stand proud and strong.”

Harrison’s voice
vibrated with passion and no one could doubt the sincerity in her words. The
woman gave a hell of a speech and with fire blazing in her eyes, it was no
wonder she’d been elected for two terms.

Rock had his
portable computer unit out, entering data as his fingers typed over the screen
quickly. “It’s true. She’s called in official orders and all armed forces are
withdrawing overseas soldiers to their home countries.”

“Has Slade sent
anything?” Vin asked. He hadn’t brought his PCU to the table. His only thought
this morning had been hustling Helen out as fast as possible. They already had
a late start due in part to Vin’s inability to remove himself from her side.

Lingering in his
bed long past his normal wake up time, he’d studied her sleeping features,
occasionally stroking a hand down her hair to confirm that it wasn’t a dream.
The reality of having her lay next to him in his bed after months of wishing
her to be there slowly sunk in. But then he’d forced himself up and shut down
all thoughts of it going anywhere. Not happening.