TheSatellite (12 page)

“Stupidity.”

“You don’t strike me as a stupid woman.”

She let out a short laugh. “Usually I’m not. I was on a break in New York just to unwind and have fun. I went to a concert with some friends and we were invited backstage by the bouncer to meet the band. I guess I got caught up in the thrill of the rich and famous. Too much work and not enough play clouded my judgment.”

Von seemed to hang on her every word. He remained silent as if waiting for more.

“What?” Nervous flutters swept through her. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

“Just wondering who seduced who?”

“I think it was mutual. Hatch spotted me in the crowd. My friends were excited about being invited backstage. I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I simply wanted some down time after finalizing my divorce. Next thing I knew I was engaged. Like I said…stupidity.”

“Nah, you were duped by a man who saw what he wanted and went after it. What I can’t figure out is how he kept a woman like you interested this long.”

“Well you shouldn’t rack your brain over it. My lapse in sanity has cured itself.”

“And you think hooking up with the second string will satisfy that burning fire in your soul?” His tone of voice took on a sensual undertone.

“Shouldn’t your crew be back by now?” She glanced about but saw nothing but water, sky, rocks, and sand.

“Yeah, they’ll be here shortly. Relax.” His hand floated over the back of her hair. “Do you accept my apology for my part in Aiden’s plan?”

She should’ve pulled away but his touch electrified her. “I suppose. I do remember that you were somewhat kind during that fiasco.”

“I’d never hurt a woman. Anyone in my group who does is out.”

“Is that what happened to Aiden?”

Von nodded. “He knows to avoid me if he doesn’t want his ass kicked.”

“Tough guy, huh?”

“You’re not the only badass on the road, sugar.”

His style appealed to her, though she felt everything about this secret rendezvous was wrong somehow. They seemed to share common interests and values, yet she didn’t trust it. His dangerous allure silently screamed
run
! But she couldn’t tear herself away. She felt compelled to see this through, hold him to his offer to produce the Satellite or in the event he failed, call his bluff.

“After I give you what you want, will you be riding back to LA with pretty boy Jackson?”

Flame called to mind what the Supreme Lioness had said about utilizing men to benefit their nation or the female population.
Von might be reluctant to help if he thinks I’m too heavily involved with Raef. And the less everyone knows about me and Raef the better we will be.

“I have other matters to address once I find the Satellite. My life does not revolve around men.”

“Sounds to me like you’re a free agent.”

“Yeah…I guess I am.”

He leaned closer. His fresh masculine scent swirled around her—sandalwood, patchouli, and leather—a heady combination that teased her senses.

“You are one stunning woman,” he purred. “After this mess is cleared, perhaps you’ll take a ride with me.”

Their lips were close, too close! Everything inside shouted
warning, pull away
! Her body quivered inside as a stiff breeze tossed his hair around her face. It felt silky on her flushed cheeks. She knew he wanted to kiss her but she didn’t seem to have the presence of mind to stop him and wasn’t even sure she wanted to. His eyes searched hers in a disarmingly sincere way. She gazed back and got lost in those shadowy wondrous depths.

In a slow teasingly delicious manner, he moved his sensually parted lips over her forehead, down the sides of her face and across her lips without kissing her. The way he caressed her face with his lips left her softly panting for more. She didn’t want the feelings he invoked to stop. He had barely touched her, yet she already felt addicted to the aura he cast.

Von continued the pleasing exploration with his lips over her hair then downward to her neck. She released a deep sigh when his seeking mouth nuzzled against her neck. And still he kept one hand buried in her hair while his other lay gently on top of hers at her lap.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she breathed out the words. “I don’t want your men to get the wrong idea.”

He nipped lightly at her earlobe and he whispered, “Don’t worry, we’ll hear them coming. I’ve longed to hold you again since the day we parted.”

She felt removed, as if watching the scene unfold from above yet powerless to stop it. Why she wanted him mystified her. His softly seductive voice and unusual approach had her reeling. When he lifted his hand to unzip her jacket, she didn’t stop him as she should have. The knowing and the wanting blurred into a haze of confusion.

“Flame…” he murmured at her neck while easing the leather open. “Let me love you so I can save you. I’m the only one who knows the truth.”

“Save me?” She drew back slightly so he’d look up.

“Yes…please don’t ask, not yet. I swear I will never hurt you.” He slid one hand beneath the leather of her unzipped jacket.

Chills raced across her skin at his tender touch, a caress so laden with desire it set her on fire. Her nipples hardened and ached for attention. She gasped for air beneath his passionate gaze. He drew her face close, holding her lips almost against his yet keeping that sexy mouth just beyond reach.

“I-I don’t understand what’s happening,” she muttered in an airy breath.

“Don’t fight it. Just follow your instincts. You know you want this. Want me. You feel the parallels between us. We want the same thing.”

All she could think about was the burning desire coursing through her and his hot breath feathering her lips as he spoke. Her mouth watered for his kiss, which alarmed her and stimulated her at the same time.

“You’re teasing me…”

“I won’t kiss you unless I can have all of you. Once I taste your sweet lips I won’t be able to stop myself from wanting more.”

She moaned against the agony of arousal and her sense of duty. “I need to find the Satellite…”

“You will…I give my word.” He lifted his chin just a little and let his tongue trace her upper lip.

The urge to scream was nearly unbearable. This hot rebel biker had her in the palm of his hand. She cursed her traitorous body as it trembled uncontrollably. He locked his smoldering gaze on her. The sound of his heavy breathing mixed with her own and floated around her in a surreal fog. His scent, his voice—if only to taste him—yes, she needed to taste him.

Her hands went to his hair and took hold. She tangled her fingers in the long, satiny strands and pulled his mouth to hers. When their lips finally met, she swore a spark leapt from them. He groaned softly as his arms encircled her back and his tongue filled her mouth.

Mercy! He tastes even better than he smells and sounds!
Throwing caution aside, Flame wrapped her arms around his neck as they sank into a deeply passionate kiss. He kissed her fervently without reserve. Gradually he brought one hand around to caress her bared breasts. She wanted to jump him right then but maintained some control. Their arousal mounted at an alarming speed. Von eased her back onto the sand then positioned his body over hers, all the while kissing her senseless.

Locking her ankles behind his thighs, she drew him tight until the impressive bulge in those sexy jeans pressed into her. There would be no turning back now, this she knew. She’d never teased a man to the point of rage by leading him on then shutting him down. Passion was not something she could fake. She couldn’t deny her passing thoughts of him during the previous months. Tonight her curiosity, her fascination with the mysterious Von Calder would be satisfied.

“Flame! Stop!” a familiar voice shouted from not so far away.

She heard someone running toward them.

Von’s head jerked up. Fire flashed in his eyes when he saw Raef racing along the beach on foot.

“No, hell no,” he growled before carefully untangling their bodies. He leapt to his feet.

Flame rolled onto her stomach and quickly zipped her jacket.
How did Raef find us and how did he get past Von’s men?
Panic engulfed her, making her throat dry. She’d been seduced by Von and caught by Raef.
This is not good!

She watched the two men prepare to face off then something extremely odd caught her eye. Von’s footprints in the sand were on fire!

Chapter Nine

“Dear God, no!” she screamed.

Raef had no idea he was going head-to-head with the Satellite! Regret, rage, and sadness flooded her soul.

Von Calder…the Satellite.
She couldn’t even wrap her mind around it, yet there he was right in front of her.

“Raef, stop! He’s the Satellite!”

Von came to an abrupt halt before he and Raef made contact. He swung around and headed back toward her. A new level of fear gripped her. She had to think fast. His mind powers astounded her. That he could deceive her so easily and appear as a common biker. There had been nothing supernatural about him during their previous encounters. Just a bit of mystery and loads of charisma.

Flame realized how powerful he must be to have lured her into his lair, just as Ian said. Only this time his seduction had been interrupted, giving her a brief window to regain her wits.

“Stay back,” she warned as he approached. She looked past him and saw Raef cautiously advancing.

“Flame, I can help you.” Von walked steadily toward her. “You don’t understand.”

“You…you’re the Satellite. You lied to me.”

“No I did not lie. Everything I told you is true about Aiden, his family, and Hatch. If you would only allow me to love you, I can save you.”

“I don’t need saved!”

“You’re in danger.”

“Yes…I can see that.” She reached for her daggers.

“They won’t faze me.”

He made a grab for her blades.

She leapt aside. “You caught me off guard the first time. I’m not dropping these this time.”

A determined look traversed his face. In two steps he was upon her again with strong arms wrapped around her upper body, pinning her arms to her sides. “I must have you. You’re the warrior woman with the gift I need.”

“No.” She fought with all her strength against him but he didn’t budge.

Raef was now directly behind Von. She admired his bravery and feared for his life. No ordinary human could defeat an immortal with super human abilities. She couldn’t even bear the thought of him perishing to this incubus who sought to mate her.

Using every ounce of strength she could muster, she managed to get one hand on a dagger and curl her fingers around the grip.

“Stop fighting me. I don’t want to hurt you.” He relaxed his hold just a bit and turned to look at Raef. She felt him using his telepathic power to get into Raef’s head.

In that one moment of distraction, she slid the blade from its holster and rotated it so that the shaft pointed up. Then with a sharp upward thrust, she drove the dagger into Von as close to his heart as she could get.

His body jerked away and he muttered obscenities. He seemed momentarily stunned and torn over whom to control, her or Raef.

“Now you’ve done nothing more than piss me off.” He stalked toward her as she backed away. “And I thought we had struck a common bond.”

Flame continued stepping backward until trapped between Von and the fire pit. She cast a quick glance at Raef, who appeared dazed.

“What were you going to do to him?” Terror rose in her heart.

“Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to kill your pretty boy lover. I’m not a killer, I’m a lover.” A slow seductive smile touched his lips. “He’ll be back to normal in a few hours. Now you, you’re a different story. We have unfinished business.”

She stumbled against something with her boot.
The tin of lighter fluid!
Her thoughts quickly came together as the fog he’d induced lifted briefly.

“You wanted the Satellite,” he said with a devilish grin. “Here I am, sugar, all yours. Do you think your mind is strong enough to resist me a second time?”

Realizing that the game of seduction had begun again, she willed her thoughts to hold together. Using the skills she’d been taught, she assumed her role to fight this battle the only way she knew how. She stopped backing away.

“Better.” He took hold of her waist then gently removed the dagger from her hand and dropped it on the sand.

Even now his long slender fingers felt titillating on her bare midriff. The power in his soul was mind-blowing. Fully aware of who and what he was, her body still ached for him. The lust for this imposing male surged through her at an all-time high. She practically writhed in her clothes beneath his penetrating stare. He was literally seducing her with his mind.

She closed her eyes when he lowered his head. Their lips met for another scorching hot kiss and her thoughts blurred together in a jumbled mess again. He did not tease this time but came on hot and heavy.
If only he wasn’t a monster.
Strange sorrow swept through her, wanting a man she must kill.

He unzipped her jacket and pushed it off her shoulders. His lips trailed over her bare skin, nipping and tantalizing her every nerve into heated frenzy. A wave of heat washed over her as their bodies pressed tightly together. The hard bulge in his jeans sent an unbearable ache to her core, making her almost beg him to penetrate her.

She resisted the best she could. However, when he grabbed her thighs and hoisted her off the ground, she nearly lost control. His mouth dropped to her breasts. A frenzied cry rose in her throat as he sucked hungrily at each one. A rush of warmth pooled between her thighs. She needed just one break to make her move, if only she could hold out long enough. His skill as a lover lacked nothing so far. They hadn’t even undone their pants and she was a puddle of desire in his arms.

“Flame,” he purred while laying her down beside the fire. “We can help each other.”

She tried not to look into his eyes but he was determined. What she saw in those dark depths confused her. He seemed sincere.
I must keep my wits.
Tears misted her eyes from the overwhelming sensations taking her down.
I cannot let him mate with me.
She gasped when his fingers slipped below the low waist of her pants.