Warrior: The Elect, Book 3 (9 page)

He snorted. “So what? You’re saying I’m some kind of half-breed?”

Esme opened her mouth—Jamie was sure to deny that—but then snapped it shut and turned to Zach, who nodded.

“Mallory has some markers but not enough. We’ll have to study this more.”

“Wait a minute. What does this mean? If we have kids, what will they be?” Martin asked.

Everyone turned to look at Livie, who shrank under the scrutiny for half a second before stiffening her spine. “Your mate is Elect,” she told him. “But the important part is your mate is female. Elect females always have Elect children.”

His relief was obvious. Jamie wondered why it was so important to him, but figured it had to do with acceptance, and it really wasn’t her business.

“Mate. Is that just…a word you use or something else?”

Carter and Zach stiffened. She and Esme smirked. And Livie looked cornered. She understood the other woman’s reluctance. It was hard to accept belonging so completely to someone. Carter moved up behind her and wrapped his arm across her upper chest.

“That’s something Livie should probably explain privately,” Carter said.

Martin watched Livie. “But will she tell me what I need to know?” he murmured.

No one had an answer for that. The four of them left. On the second floor, she and Carter split with the other couple, who continued upstairs. Carter and Jamie entered their suite and she turned to him, excited, wanting to talk about everything they’d learned, but the look on his face arrested her. Sharp. Dominant. She backed up and he stalked her slowly.

Chapter Six

“That was a big risk I took. Letting you close to him. Question him.”

Jamie had had no idea he’d been exerting so much control over his baser instincts. “I knew you had my back,” she said, trying to temper the wild need suddenly clamoring inside her.

Her statement froze him before a sensual smile curved his lips and he continued forward. “Always, sweetheart. And I let you do your thing. You’re damned good at it, by the way.”

 
Was it approval she felt at what sounded like respect in his tone? Fuck no. She kept retreating and he kept following.

“You knew that already,” she countered.

“Seeing is believing.”

“We have an advantage now we should push. Martin and Toler were on personal security detail. They know Stine’s haunts. They know his habits.”

“Mmm,” he murmured, drawing closer as her back hit the wall. “We’ll discuss it with him later.”

She lifted her chin into the air and dodged as he reached for her. “I want to be there. We have to confront Stine. Isolate him. No one else can do what I can.”

His eyes darkened with anger, but she thought it was because she was avoiding his touch, not because she was trying to insert herself in the operation. He didn’t pursue her this time.

“Come here, sweetheart. Now.”

She shook her head, her pussy clenching at a demand that was somehow all sensual promise. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He moved to the couch and sat down. His thighs spread wide, one arm stretched across the back and the other rested on the side. The hooded look he gave her made her tremble.

“Who do you belong to?” he asked quietly.

The tremble became a shake. Did she dare answer that? Did she dare not? “You,” she whispered. She knew it. She wasn’t sure she liked it, but there was no more denying it.

His hands moved to unsnap his jeans, and then he pulled down the zipper. He released his cock, and it sprang forward with an enthusiasm that made her mouth water. He closed one hand around the base and slowly stroked up, swiped his thumb around the slit at the top, then slid his hand back down.

“You put yourself in danger down there. Even without a weapon and handcuffed, he could have hurt you.”

She shook her head. “He wouldn’t do anything to risk Livie. I told you that.”

“A man will go to desperate measures to protect his woman. He could have snapped your neck before I got to him.”

She gulped. Part of her had known that, but her confidence in Carter had overridden that knowledge. “You wouldn’t have let him,” she said. “Next time I won’t get so close.”

“Next time? I don’t think so, baby. No more next times.”

Something in her shrank back. Curdled. “Don’t try to force me to be something I’m not, Carter. You’ll destroy us both that way.”

He sighed and closed his eyes. Several seconds later, they opened and zeroed in on her. “Fine. But don’t deny me the need to convince myself it’s all okay in the end. Stop trying to pretend this doesn’t exist.”

She took one lurching step forward, the pain in his voice unbearable, but his tone made her stop. Something else was going on here. “I haven’t denied the bond,” she said, bewildered.

“But you won’t embrace it,” he countered.

And she knew he was right. She had one final barrier. Only she could lower it.

“I don’t know…if I can.”

He nodded sagely. That was just irritating. “You’re afraid.”

“That little superiority complex is really annoying, Carter,” she said snidely as she paced the room.

He only smiled as he leisurely stroked his cock. She tried damned hard not to notice, but he was hard and magnificent and she keep sneaking glances.

“You want a taste?” he asked. Low. Seductive. A hot need curled in her belly that she couldn’t deny. She nodded. “It’s all yours, baby.”

Was it? And there was the crux of her resistance. The same as Livie’s, in fact. “For how long? How much are you going to make me love you before you grow bored or resentful?”

He glared at her. “I am
not
your father.”

It was hard not to flinch at that angry remark. She shrugged. “But you
are
a man.”

That gave him a moment’s pause. “We aren’t all the same, sweetheart. Some of us don’t run from the people we love.”

“Love?” she whispered, a rough tone to her voice she couldn’t control.

After everything, could he really love her? The way she loved him? So much her bones ached with it. So much she knew his leaving would destroy her forever. He stood, and it was hard to concentrate with his jeans hanging on his hips and his cock jutting forward. He approached slowly but stopped an arm’s length away. He didn’t reach for her.

“I have loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you seven years ago. I let you go because I thought it would be best for you. I will never do that again. And I won’t let you run anymore, Jamie. I will never give you up,” he said, firm and serious—and weirdly enough, his declaration made her want to cry and rage at the same time.

“You did once,” she whispered. Why was she harping on this?

He shook his head. “A mistake I won’t repeat.”

And then she heard the emotion, finally, in his voice, and his mind shared the same conviction. It had been a mistake. Letting her break things off, not pursuing her. It had hurt him deeply, but he’d let her go because he knew what he’d have become if he’d stayed. Not resentful, but so dominant, so possessive,
she
might have grown to resent him. He’d been sure he could keep her but was afraid she would hate him for it. She sucked in a deep, relieved breath.

“Wow,” she said. “You are an idiot.”

He cocked one eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I wrote you an email to break things off, and you let me because you thought I couldn’t take you on? That’s pretty insulting, actually.”

“You know what I am,” he said darkly, but she was pissed now and she blew him off.

“Seven years is a long time to go without companionship, ya know. Without sex.” She glared at him. “You better have been as desperate as I was.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I never touched another woman. I never
wanted
another woman.”

That helped. A little. And still he stood before her. Hands held out as if to yield, his cock pointing proudly forward. What the hell were they arguing about? He took another step toward her.

“I couldn’t ever touch another woman. I belonged to you from the moment I met you, Jamie. I didn’t understand it, and I’m sorry for that. But I’m not sorry you’re mine. I can’t apologize for that.”

Oh, the man was determined to make her melt, and it was working. She felt herself wilt and sank onto the edge of the plush chair.

“You sound like you really mean that,” she said weakly, wanting so much to believe.

Wanting so much to have what she saw between the other mated couples.

He stepped forward, his erection drawing her attention. It was so easy to lose herself to the desire between them and avoid the hard questions. His hand wrapped around the base and he tempted her, pointed his cock toward her mouth, but pulled back when she leaned forward.

“You can have everything you want, sweetheart,” he said. “But you have to believe. You have to accept it and take it.”

“Like I can have you that easily.” She snorted.

His palms lifted to frame her face, to guide her gaze to his. “It is that easy.”

Part of her knew that, but part still resisted. He hastily zipped himself back up when the door flew open and Kaden bounded in. Their son came to her first, hugging her around the waist, and as usual her heart swelled with love for her son. He was perfect. Beautiful. And then he was gone, greeting Carter with the same enthusiasm. She saw no reluctance in her mate’s face. No sign he was holding back or unhappy with how things had turned out. All she felt from him was acceptance and joy and…more? She cocked her head to one side and probed at his thoughts, and he knew she was looking inside his head.

He gave her a curious look and let her in. She gasped. That
more
she had sensed was specific. Children. He didn’t want them to stop with Kaden. He wanted a daughter. He wanted another son because he thought it would take at least himself and two sons to properly protect a girl. She slid back in her chair, not sure if she should be amused or outraged. Or charmed and sucked in. Oh God, she wanted that. Wanted it with a fierceness that shocked her.
 

Kaden spent a few more minutes talking to his father and then skipped from the room. Carter gave her a rueful look.

“I forget sometimes. I want you so much all of the time that I forget…anyone could walk in,” he joked, then turned serious. “But I never forget him. I want you to know that.”

She made her decision and nodded. “I think you need to get naked. I think it’s my turn.”

Startled, he huffed. “Excuse me?”

She glided forward. “You want to claim me? Fine. I even like it,” she said, standing on her toes to bite his bottom lip. “But I get to do the same.”

His hands gripped her hips, but that didn’t deter her. “Is that right?” he asked.

She leaned back. “It doesn’t get to be all on your terms, Carter.”

“I don’t want it that way. Really.” He shook his head. “I want all of you. But I’m not holding back, myself. If you let yourself, you’ll feel that.”

“So what’s the problem?” she asked. Hadn’t she just said it was her turn?

“I want you to take it. I need you to demand it. The part of me that’s yours. It has to be claimed as I’ve claimed you.”

She understood and she was ready to do just that. She turned and walked toward their bedroom, pausing long enough to cast an inviting, sultry look over her shoulder. He froze, nostrils flaring as his eyes heated.

“Aren’t you coming?” she asked, but didn’t wait to see if he was.

Inside she kicked off her flip-flops and started stripping off her clothes. She was down to her bra and panties when he entered, shut the door behind him and turned the lock. He toed off his shoes and socks, then came to her, an eager, expectant look on his face. He pulled off his shirt while she worked on his jeans, but she didn’t get further than the snap and zipper. Once she had access, she wrapped her hand around his erection.

He was hot and throbbing in her hand. Moisture beaded the head of his cock, tempting her to taste. He was hers to take and she was feeling greedy. She released him long enough to push his jeans down. After he stepped out of them she stroked his shaft, once, twice, then rubbed her thumb over the slit and lifted the drop of precome to her mouth. She held his gaze as she slowly drew it in and licked at the salty taste.

She sank to her knees, gripped his thighs and leaned in to taste him. One long, teasing lick from his balls to the slit on the head. He groaned. She liked the sound of that so she did it again. Then she rolled her tongue over the head before gently scraping her teeth over it.

“Damn,” he muttered. “I’ve created a monster.”

“And I’m loving every minute of it,”
she countered mentally and was shocked to find she could initiate contact with him. He didn’t have to hold the connection open anymore.

“Because you’ve accepted it.”

His fingers twisted in her hair, urging her to take him into her mouth. She licked the head again while stroking his shaft with a light touch. Teasing him.

“More, baby. Give me more.”

She shared a mental laugh.
“So demanding.”