Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Rathbone squeezed her hand, and she jerked into focus, realizing she’d nearly walked into a closed door. Right. Concentrate on their escape, allowing instinct to guide her. She definitely shouldn’t think about their intertwined fingers. Or his callouses. And heat. And scent. Had she moaned?
She’d moaned, hadn’t she? To mask it, she said, “I sense we won’t face any opposition on our way out. A reason to celebrate with spontaneous noises.”
They reached a shadowy alcove, and Rathbone yanked her against him, spinning her so that they faced each other. Eyes narrowing to thin slits, he maneuvered her against a wall.
“Let’s pause.” He pinched her chin, resting his thumb in the indentation to ensure she read his lips. “Tell me if I understand you correctly. You happily sacrificed my wellbeing to get inside this palace.”
She nodded, unabashed. “So far so good.”
“And you chose not to warn me beforehand because...”
“Maybe I didn’t think you had the acting chops. Think about it. If you’d known the truth, there was no way you could’ve convincingly pretended to be upset about your capture.”
He flashed his teeth. “That is the most illogical—” His nostrils flared with the force of his next breath. “With Lore on the line, I can do anything.”
“Wrong. With Lore on the line, you’re a total liability,” she accused, trying not to pant. He just...he felt so good. Hunger for him sharpened, becoming an ache. Or rather, joining hundreds of others.
“Did you acquire a bone?” As if he sensed her weakness, he kicked her legs apart and edged closer, his heat coiling around all those aching places.
Careful, careful. “Not yet.” Might as well advance her cause. Neeka traced her clawtips up his chest. The mátia closed, as if savoring her touch. How utterly divine. “I need a piece of information first.”
“What information?”
“Exactly. But if all goes according to plan, we’ll have your precious bone by the end of the day.” She pricked the hammering pulse in his neck, then licked her lips when she spotted a drop of blood. “Unless...”
He leaned closer, the warmth of his breath fanning her cheek. “Unless what?”
“What if—and I’m totally speaking hypothetically here—we don’t search for it?” Her heart raced. Taking a big chance here... “We take a little break. Flash to Earth. Spend a few days forgetting about dead goddesses and brutal Astra, and do a little self-care. You can tell me your turn ons, and I can show you mine.” She would recover from the mental blanketing in style, without the pressure of a mission, and maybe win him to her side in the process.
His pupils exploded over his irises. “Is this what you were pondering moments ago?”
“Don’t talk. Think.” Slowly, languidly, she gyrated against him. “Better yet, feel.”
A growl rumbled in his chest. He rocked his hips with her next rotation, rubbing his erection between her legs. Her breath caught. He was pure steel.
This male had needs, and those needs were focused squarely on Neeka.
“When you decide about our self-care,” she said, daring to nip at his bottom lip, “Kiss me once for yes and twice for no.”
His head lowered, and she went still.
He was going to do it? He was going to kiss her? Trembling, she leaned forward to meet him halfway. At the last second, he clasped and lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles twice.
“I’ll allow you to live. This time,” he said, releasing her and backing off. “If you decide to fake another betrayal, you will notify me first. Any other action will be considered an actual betrayal. I’ll proceed accordingly.”
Ignoring her crushing disappointment, she offered a jaunty salute. “Sir, yes, sir.”
This encounter wasn’t a total loss at least. He’d made a move. He’d even taken a beat to consider her suggestion. For now, that was enough. Baby steps still got you to the finish line.
“You shouldn’t complain, Captain Crimson. Look how far my methods have gotten us. News flash. This oracle gets things done.”
Features blank, he motioned to the hall. “Lead the way.”
Fine. “Just so you know, stress causes impotence.”
“I’m not—never mind. Get moving.”
She marched on, and he kept pace behind her.
They snaked around a corner, approaching the final door. A towering iron gate that should lead to an uninhabited forest. Instinct insisted the forest was the only route off this planet alive. Almost there...
She reached for the knob—argh! No movement. “Locked.”
Rathbone threw his body into the block with such force, the hinges exploded and metal bent. He helped her through the jagged entrance.
As they ventured into a cool, sweet-smelling woodland, a familiar pang cut through her temples. Her steps lagged, resignation acting as a shackle connected to a boulder. Oh, yeah. Her mind would blank in a matter of minutes. The mental blanket had just breached her most recent set of memories.
“Let’s slow the pace a little,” she said. “Did I mention I’m ninety-six percent certain we’ll make it to our destination without opposition?”