Thank the gods.
The door slid open and she stepped through it with her beaten-up husband by her side. Maybe they would be okay. She wanted them to be okay. Yes, the situation was messed up, but their marriage mattered to her. He mattered to her. In truth, she hadn't realized how much until he'd stood her up again.
They wandered side by side out of the beige office and into a busy hallway. There were lots of official-looking people striding to and fro in suits or the gray corp uniform. Rose and Taka waited at the end of the polished stone passageway. Not what she needed. Hadn't today been enough of a trial already?
The woman's face was tight with tension. Her hands worried the folds of her long, colorful dress as she watched Louise approach. Taka gave Louise brief smile.
"Hi, Louise," Rose said. The woman gave a nervous grin but it quickly fell from her face. "Look, I owe you an apology for my behavior the other night."
Louise didn't know what to say, so she kept her mouth shut. That, and she'd kind of had enough surprises for one day.
"And I was wondering if you'd like to come to dinner with me," Rose said. "It's ladies night at Hali's. You could meet some of the other wives. If you'd like?"
Taka gave his wife an approving nod, love shining in his eyes. Adam just shrugged, but there seemed to be something hopeful in his, both the blackened and the normal.
Shit, it was all on her. The woman was trying. Admitting you were wrong never came easy. And these people were important to her husband. Her husband, with whom she had the worst feeling she might be in love.
"Sure, Rose. I'd like that."
Louise might have been a tad drunk. A smidgeon. Every time she turned around, Rose had shoved another drink into her hand. Apparently Louise had been meant to drink for both of them, because Rose--cue the whispering--might be pregnant! So exciting. She'd met lots of other women. Twenty? Fifty? Who knew? Their names were a blur in her fuzzy, fuzzy head.
"Shit." She stubbed her toe on the coffee table, peering about in the darkness.
"What are you doing?" A low, warm glow lit the room and her husband sat up in bed. His dark hair stuck out every which way. He sat there bare-chested. Did he have any clothes on?
She meant to ask, but instead what came out was, "Oh, it's you."
"Were you expecting someone else?" Adam frowned at her. There were so many bruises on his face. Bruises he'd gotten wandering off in the middle of the night instead of talking to her. Marriage was hard. Much harder then she'd been led to believe.
She shrugged. Fuck him, anyway.
Actually, what a good idea. She felt as horny as hell. Her last coherent thought had been the need to get home to Adam and have it out with him--to have him. Fast and slow and vice-versa. Whatever, however--but now.
Louise kicked off her shoes and headed for the bed. The buttons on her plain white blouse were fiddly. Her fingers pulled clumsily at them. She climbed onto the mattress and knelt beside him. "Help me undo these."
"Princess, how much did you drink?" Adam's fingers whipped through the buttons in no time.
Happily, she shrugged off the shirt and pushed his hands down to the button and zip of her pants. "Some."
"Ah."
"I had a very trying day."
"I see," he said. Hands pushed her onto her back and the whole world spun in a wonky fashion, light dancing in a dizzy blur. "Lie down before you fall off the bed. I'll get your clothes off for you."
"Okay."
He slid her pants and underpants down her legs. She lay as docile as a doll while he undressed her, hands fussing with the clip of her bra. The cool air gave her goose bumps. "My husband's an asshole."
"Is he now?"
"Yep."
"That's nice. Where's the bloody clasp on this thing?"
"You can fly a shuttle and you can't work a bra?"
"Quiet. Got it," he said, and the bra loosened about her.
Finally, she lay there naked with Adam hovering over her. She slid her hands up his forearms, fingers trailing over all the dips and bulges of his muscular shoulders. He was so yummy. His eyes so bright--a clear, clear blue, like the sky back home on a good day. The most perfect thing she had ever seen. "You have the prettiest eyes."
"Thank you. Did you have a nice time with Rose?"
"Mmm-hmm. We talked about lots of things." She traced his mouth with a finger, smiled when he tried to nip it with sharp teeth. "All your little quirks."
"Louise..."
"And your hijinks."
"Let's not go there right now." Adam's mouth descended on hers, kissing her over and over, hotter and deeper and harder and...wow, her head spun. Again. "You taste like tequila."
She blinked dazed eyes at him and gave a lazy smile. "Yeah, I drank margaritas with... I can't remember her name. But she was really nice."
"Was she?"
"Yep."
Adam's eyes crinkled. "Oh princess. I think you're going to hurt in the morning."
"I hurt right now." She threaded her fingers into his dark hair and scratched at his scalp. Tried to push him down her body but he evaded her easily, laughing at her, low and mean. "Adam. Go down on me."
"Where's your manners?" he asked, rubbing his mouth over her collarbone.
"Please."
"Good girl." Adam tossed off the sheet and dragged her hips to the edge of the bed. He already sported a nice-sized erection. Tasty. She tried to grab hold of him but he caught her hand and knelt between her legs. "Later. You wanted me to lick you, remember?"
"Right. Get to it," she ordered. Adam's hand landed on the fleshy side of her thigh and she yelped at the sting. "Hey!"
"That's for calling me an asshole." He fed her legs over his shoulders and nudged the lips of her sex with his nose. His breath felt ticklish, warm, delightful.
"You behaved like one. Not telling me what was going on. Oh yeah, like that." She moaned as he dragged his tongue up through the seam of her pussy. Sparkly stardust and all sorts of good things flowed up her spine, lighting her up from inside. "More."
Big hands slid beneath her butt and cupped a cheek each. His thumbs opened her pussy to his mouth. There were soft flicks of his tongue dancing across her labia, followed by harder strokes this way and that. No rhyme or reason. He played her to perfection, her husband. Her hands twisted in the sheets. "Mmm, Adam. You're so good with your mouth."
With a wet sound he drew back and gave her a critical look. "Not good enough if you're still talking. My wife. My lovely, lovely wife." His hands spread her ass cheeks sufficiently to raise awareness, and his thumb rubbed over her tight, puckered back entrance. He watched her all the while, mouth glossy with her juices. "What was it you called me?"
"I said you had pretty eyes."
"Hmm. Before that." The pad of his finger teased her rim, round and round, back and forth. It made for a surprisingly pleasurable threat. All those nerve endings fired to life. He watched her carefully as her back arched and she sucked in a hard breath, shoulders tensing. "I can't quite remember what you said."
"Adam," she pleaded. "Please. Make me come."
His finger pushed lightly against the tight opening, again and again, but went no farther. "Okay."
He lowered his head and gave her pussy a long, enthusiastic French kiss. Her eyes rolled back into her head. So fantastically good, it went on and on. He made her mindless. His tongue licked through her folds, testing and teasing her. The constant pressure of his lips moving against her almost sent her into orbit. He was truly stellar at giving head. The muscles in her belly leaped and her thighs tensed. Every atom in her focused on what Adam was getting up to between her legs.
And the finger teasing her asshole. Slipping in a small way and drawing back gently. It all felt so wonderfully good. Everything else fell away. When he fastened his mouth to her clit, she came apart with a hoarse cry, body convulsing in his grip. Explosions behind her eyelids. Fireworks. She might never move again.
Gods, what a day.
"There we go,"
Adam whispered, picking her up in his arms and depositing her back in the middle of the bed. His big, warm body came over her and she opened her eyes to find him staring back at her. "Better?"
She nodded, still dazed. Her limbs lay forgotten, floppy and listless.
"Good." He parted her legs with one of his own and she took the hint, making room for him between her thighs. Right where she wanted him to be. His gaze never wavered as he reached down, fitted his cock to her and pushed. Her pussy clenched at him greedily.
"Hmm, yes." Louise wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down until his chest hair brushed against her breasts. The hard heat of him inside her felt perfect. The way he filled her and stretched her exactly right. His scent covered her--soap and clean male sweat. She wanted to wrap herself around him and soak him up.
And there was the musky smell of her cum on his face. He didn't mind getting dirty with her, a fact that filled her with glee. Such a beautiful man, her husband.
He moved slowly, surely, the thrust and retreat of his body inside hers gradually bringing her back to life. Sensation spread through her like liquid heat racing through her veins. All the while he stared into her face, watching her every reaction. It was as if he were studying her. Gauging what stroke of his talented cock had her catching her breath and writhing beneath him. Then he would do it again, and again, gazing at her all the while. Helplessly, she stared back at him. Caught up in whatever built between them. Unable to fight it even if she wanted to.
"Princess, play with your clit for me. Make yourself come."
"I don't know if I can again so soon."
"Shhh. Just try for me."
With a jerky nod, she fumbled her hand down her body. Her slick clit felt hard and ready. Adam's body bumped her hand, adding to the pressure.
"Good girl."
"Don't stop," she pleaded, voice breathy and weak.
"I won't. You can trust me."
He didn't stop. Her body tightened, tensed, as she came again with her fingers sliding over her clit. Adam snarled and hammered into her, over and over. He clutched at her as he came with his face buried against her neck.
When he rolled to the side he took her with him, keeping their sweat-covered bodies tight against each other, guarding her against the chill in the air. Eventually, Adam pulled the blanket up to cover them and nestled her in against him. It took a long time for her head to stop spinning. The noise in her heart wouldn't quit.
"Adam?"
"Mmm?"
She took a deep breath and held it, busy trying to find the right words. Her mind was a mess.
"What is it?" He rolled her onto her back and loomed over her, eyes serious.
"What happened last night?"
"Well, I was trying to figure out what was best."
"For you."
"No." He shook his head, brows drawn tight. "For us. I only want what's best for us, Louise. Always."
Her hands cupped his face, the stubble on his jaw prickling her skin. "That doesn't work, Adam. You making the choices. It can't work."
He said nothing at first. Lay back down, drawing her back in against him, her head cushioned on his biceps. "We're going to have to trust each other."
"Yes, but trust takes time."
He made a noise. It could have meant anything or nothing at all. Annoying man.
"Adam, I'm kind of crazy about you. But you..." She hesitated again, not knowing how to tell him what was filling her head. Her heart. The alcohol had loosened her tongue and it was all there, ready to pour out of her. A torrent of emotion. She should be careful not to drown him.
"But I what?" he prodded.
"Look. Just...don't disappear on me again. Stay with me. Whatever's going on, we'll handle it together. Okay?"
Her husband pulled her in tight against him. Held her so hard her ribs creaked, but she didn't protest.
"Okay," he said, his mouth warm against her ear. "I swear."
Chapter Seven
Day Seven
Adam left his wife sleeping in bed, crept out before she woke. But not in the usual avoiding her, doom-and-gloom disappearing trick. On the bedside table he left a box of aspirin tied with a bow and next to it a glass of water. Sure, the bow was a shoelace, but she would understand. They were okay. And they were going to stay that way.
Whatever Louise was keeping hidden, he would find out about it and deal with it. Keep her safe.
They might have only been together for a week, but he knew his wife. She was a good person. Whatever skeletons lurked in her closet couldn't begin to stack up against his.
So while it might be preferable for her to tell him in her own sweet time, he wouldn't be waiting around. If she hadn't been afraid, it might have been a different story, but she was. His wife was scared of something, and it wouldn't do.
He found the person he needed lounging against a shuttle, flicking through reports on his com unit. How the man could manage to look as if he had a cocktail in his hand in the middle of the hangar, he had no idea. It seemed a gift peculiar to Nathan Hillier. Because of his dapper ways, many had underestimated him--to their loss.
"We need to talk," he told the chief.
Nathan cocked a brow. "We tried that. I don't think I'm up to another scuffle just yet. The rib still hurts. They had to tape it."
"Don't be such a baby. And I mean talk about Louise. She needs help."
The chief straightened and slipped his com unit into a pocket. "What do you need?"
"Information. A full background check."
"How deep we going to have to dig, Ad?"
Adam stared off into the distance. A storm was drawing closer. He could see it gathering, through the wide hangar bay doors. Heavy gray clouds hung low over the equally gray landscape. A shuttle powered up not too far away, the whine of the engines loud enough to make conversation an issue. Lights flashed red and white as it moved slowly out and mechanics scurried out of its path.
"She got out here," he said, raising his voice to be heard above the noise. "Got through all those background tests. I'm thinking whatever we're looking for, it's not going to be just lying around, waiting for us to find it."
"All right, let's bring Bon in on this. Might be useful to have the questions coming from corp security."
Adam nodded slowly. "Louise isn't her real name. I'm sure of it."
The chief narrowed his eyes on him. "Is she your wife, Adam?"
He got what the man was asking him, and there could only be one answer. "Absolutely."
"Well, all right then. Let's get to work."
Something hit Louise's face. Hard. It smacked into her cheekbone, sending pain streaking through her. Next there was yelling. They'd found her.
She scrambled off the side of the bed in a panic. The sensors tracked her movement and lit the room with a warm glow. Her pulse beat like a bass drum in her head, her heart hammering as she tried to breathe. She'd been fast asleep, what with it being almost midnight, but not now.
Damn. The side of her face throbbed hotly.
She spun around and searched the space with manic eyes. Nothing. The domicile appeared empty of anyone but her and Adam. What the hell?
He lay in the middle of the bed, his body coated in sweat, head thrashing from side to side on the pillow. The sheets had long since been kicked off.
A nightmare. He was having a nightmare. His arm lay across her half of the bed.
"No!" he suddenly bellowed.
"Adam." She crawled back onto the bed, wary of his waving hands. "Adam, wake up."
With eyes shut, he shuddered, mouth gaping, gasping in air as if he were choking. As if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room.
"Adam. Baby, wake up. Look at me." Louise straddled his chest, pinning down his thick shoulders with her hands. Muscles flexed and strained beneath her--he could easily hurt her again without knowing. His big hands gripped her shoulders painfully and his blue eyes stared at her without comprehension.
"Hey. It's all right. You'r
e safe," she crooned, ignoring the pinch of his fingers digging into her. "It's okay. You're home in bed with me. Look at me, Adam."
He blinked, rapid-fire. "Princess?"
"Yes. It's me."
Adam sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and his hands fell from her, back onto the mattress. "Shit. I'm sorry." His body tensed beneath her. "I'm all sweaty, I'd better go--"
Louise tightened her thighs against his hips and bent over him, pressing him back onto the bed. "Don't even think about it, buster."
He made a noise in his throat. It sounded vaguely aggrieved. Too bad.
"Shhh." She kissed the side of his face, set an elbow by his head and kissed him some more, nuzzling the strong line of his cheek and jaw. The salty sweat on his skin soon coated her lips. "Just relax."
Slowly, slowly, his breathing eased. The gentle push of his rib cage against her breasts calmed.
"That's it," she whispered.
He skimmed his hand up her arms, gave her a friendly, dismissive pat. His face remained the picture of unhappiness. Even with all the bruising, there could be no mistaking his frown. "I'm okay. I'm sorry I woke you."
"I don't suppose you want to talk about your nightmare?"
"No. Thank you."
"So polite," she said. "Do you get these nightmares often?"
He looked at her in the low lighting, blue eyes like the sky after a storm or something equally poetic. She didn't have words for how wonderful she found him. Nor could she tell him that she understood. That she used to have nightmares too. Lying to Adam left a bad taste in her mouth. It coated her tongue and slid down her throat. Someday soon it might choke her. She hated it.
"Adam?"
No response. Fine, he didn't want to talk. So she kissed him again, the side of his mouth, the corner, brushing her lips over his, carefully avoiding the cut on his lip. She moved on to the curve of his jaw and the hollow of his cheek before returning to his mouth. "Everything's all right."
Again and again she kissed him, gentle and soft and sweet. His mouth was firm and his breath warm. He breathed out and she breathed in, his lips opening the smallest amount to her.
"I'm all right," he murmured. His cock bumped at her inner thigh, tenting his soft sleeping pants. "It was just a bad dream. It's not a big deal."
"Okay," she said. "We don't have to talk about it."
"Princess..." He sighed, opening his mouth fully to her, letting her tangle her tongue with his. Oh yeah. She canted her head and kissed him deeply, thoroughly. Gave him all the love and care she had in her. Every ounce of warmth and affection and deep and abiding lust he inspired in her, she returned to him tenfold. He was so potently male. Her hormones hit hyper-drive at the mere scent of him. She wanted to rub herself all over him, touch and taste every part of him. It was kind of scary how much he got to her. But this remained the physical, the down and dirty. No problem--she could keep her secrets separate from this. Not her heart--he already had it. But the secrets would stay safe. They had to. His life depended on it.