Opposition (Lux #5)(12)
Author: J. Lynn

How long could I wait?

Before Kat had ended up here, I’d been willing to stick around to find out who was leading the Luxen and how he or she planned on carrying out the ultimate strategy, because I knew Kat was safe with Luc and Archer. I’d hated not being with her, freaking drove me out of my mind not even being able to think about her out of fear the others would pick up on it.

But now?

Screw the Luxen.

Screw mankind.

I wanted Kat out. Every cell of my being demanded that I protect her, even though I knew she was hella capable of doing so herself, but I wanted her far away from here. Hell, I’d keep her in Bubble Wrap if it weren’t so damn creepy and also inconvenient, considering I had a terrible habit of obsessively popping the damn things until not a single bubble was left.

Getting her out of here was what I wanted, but I couldn’t do it. How could we leave with Dee this way? We needed to break their hold on her, but neither of us knew the magic key to doing it. And what would Kat and I be running to? What future waited for Dawson, Bethany, and . . . and their baby?

I didn’t know.

In the minutes since I’d told Dawson about Beth being sick, dark shadows of worry had blossomed under his eyes, and I wondered if I should’ve just kept that part to myself.

Pushing off the wall, I clamped a hand on my brother’s shoulder and squeezed. As our gazes locked, pressure circled like vise grips around my chest. It wasn’t the first moment the thought popped into my head. Ever since I realized Kat was going to be brought back to the compound, it had been there, on the fringes of my consciousness. I knew it was the same for Dawson.

He shuddered as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “I can’t wait much longer.”

Meaning sooner rather than later, he would make a run for it, for Beth, with or without our sister.

“I know.” Real pain lanced through my chest at the thought of leaving Dee to these things I really didn’t want to claim any relation to.

Dawson nodded as he stepped back, lowering his arm. “This sucks.”

I choked out a laugh as I glanced at the closed door. “Can you hang here for a few minutes while I find her something to wear?”

“Sure.”

I left Dawson by the door and headed into a nearby bedroom where Dee had been pilfering clothes. The room was a mess. Bed destroyed. Dressers turned over and items spilled out. I stepped over bottles of perfume and pictures, and then entered the walk-in closet. Scanning for something that looked like it would fit Kat, I realized there weren’t many options. The original woman of the house was obviously a very small woman. Probably never ate a double cheeseburger, based on the size and style of the gowns.

I pulled out a dazzling, glittering blue gown. There was a split all the way up to the hip, and despite everything, I pictured Kat wearing it.

And then I pictured Kat out of it.

That image hit me like a punch in the gut.

Great. Now I would be a walking hard-on all morning. Just what I needed.

Finally, I found a pair of white pants that looked like they’d fit and a short-sleeve black sweater. There was also a pair of flats in her size. After gathering up the stuff, I turned and walked back into the main room, happening to glance down at the nightstand next to the bed.

I came to a complete stop.

Drawers were pulled open. One of them had an adult store’s worth of toys in it. Man, the mayor and his wife sure liked to get freaky. In the top drawer were other . . . interesting things. Among them was a black box full of sealed wrappers.

Really not necessary, but . . .

I grabbed a handful and slid them in my back pocket.

Nothing like being prepared.

Smiling to myself, I pivoted around and hustled back to where Dawson waited.

“What’s up with the shit-eating grin of yours?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He shot me a look that said he knew better. “You need anything else?” When I shook my head, he started away and then paused. “Rolland wants you at the conference today?”

My free hand on the doorknob, I nodded. “He wants Kat there, too.”

Dawson frowned.

“We need to be prepared for anything,” I told him.

Drawing in a deep breath, he nodded, and I watched him retreat down the hall. Easing into the room, I was surprised to see Kat sitting up in bed. Hair air-dried, it tumbled down in messy waves, then fell over her shoulders and down her arms.

“Is everything okay?” She rubbed her eyes with balled fists.

“Yeah. Found you some clothes.” For a moment, I just stared at her as she lowered her hands, tossed off the covers, and stood. My heart thumped.

Sometimes—and it happened at random moments—I was blown away by the fact that she was mine and I was hers. This was one of those times.

I offered the stolen clothes. “For you,” I added, like a complete idiot.

A tired smile appeared on her face as she took the clothes from me. “Thank you.”

I watched her shuffle past me and disappear into the bathroom, and I stood there as the water came on. It was still way too early and she could’ve slept more, but being the selfish ass I could be, I was happy she was awake.

Sucked I wasn’t getting to watch her change clothes, though. That would’ve really given me the picker upper I needed. But then the door opened, and I was still standing in the middle of the room as she stepped out.

Lucky me, the pants I’d given her hadn’t really fit.

They were about a size too small, hugging her shapely ass like a glove, and that made me a very happy man.

Kat caught my stare and rolled her eyes. “Thank God these pants are stretchy.”

“I’m having inappropriately timed thoughts right about now,” I told her.

She crossed her arms under her chest, drawing my attention to another place on her body I might be a wee bit fascinated with. “I’m not really surprised.”

“Just thought I’d let you know.”

As she walked past me and bent at the waist to place the shoes on the floor, I really got an eyeful, and I stopped thinking. Maybe I was exhausted and I didn’t care about getting my priorities straight while the quietness of dawn seeped in. Maybe it was the dress I saw in the closet or all the junk in the drawer. Maybe when it all came down to it, I was a dude and had sex on the brain no matter the situation. Either way, I stopped thinking, and that was a common problem of mine whenever I was around her.

I reached out, snagging her right off the floor, lifting her up with one arm around her waist. A startled sound escaped her lips as I hauled her against my chest, digging my hand through her hair as I pressed my mouth against hers.

I kissed her deeply, taking everything I could into me—her taste, her tongue, and every soft sound she made against my mouth. In the back of my head, I knew this wasn’t something I should be doing. Hell, we should be plotting and all that crap, but screw it.

Like always, I wanted her.

Setting her down on her feet, I traced a path of tiny kisses to that small earlobe of hers as I slipped my fingers under the hem of the sweater. Her skin was warm, soft as spun silk. I pulled back, lifting the sweater over her head, dropping it on the floor.

I blazed a new trail down her throat, kissing each of those little yellow daisies, lingering on some more than others. Then, I turned her around, and the air stilled in my lungs.

The scars.

A low, inhuman-sounding thing rose from my throat.

“Daemon?” She glanced over her shoulder.

I swallowed. “I . . . It’s okay.”

But it wasn’t okay.

I hated seeing the scars, even though they were nothing more than a faint pink with smoothed edges, but they would always be a reminder of the pain she suffered and the helplessness I had felt. Bad times.

Touching her shoulders lightly, I lowered my mouth to just below her shoulder blades and placed a reverent kiss against each of the scars, wishing I could somehow wipe them away, erase the memory of the whole damn thing. Closing my eyes, I moved my mouth to the base of her neck and made myself a promise I would do terrible things to keep.

There would not be another scar on her body.

Not one.

With shaking fingers, I unhooked the tiny clasps and slipped the straps of her bra down her arms. She sucked in a breath as I straightened and eased the length of my body against hers.

Reaching around her, I flicked the tiny pearl button on her pants as I caught her earlobe between my teeth. I loved the little piece of flesh and the sound she made that set my blood afire.

“I can’t help myself when I’m around you,” I whispered in her ear. “But I think that’s something you already know.”

The back of her head rested against my chest as I slid my hands up. She bit down on her swollen lower lip. I felt my pulse in every part of my body and I wanted to slow everything down, worship every inch of her, but lust and love were riding me hard.

Truth was, time wasn’t on our side. I’d make time later. Damn, I would make so much time, we’d need a straight three months of alone, one-on-one quality time.

Once I had her facing me, I picked her up and sat her on the bed as I took her mouth in a deep, scorching kiss that left me unsteady on my feet. When I pulled back, I could see the burning white glow in her eyes and I knew, just like our heartbeats, that her eyes mirrored mine. I peeled off the damn tight white pants and nearly lost it right there. Glancing up at her, I raised my brows in question.

“What?” She flushed the prettiest shade of pink. “You didn’t bring me any undies. And honestly, I’m not wearing anyone else’s.”

My hands slid up her calves. “I have absolutely no problem with that. Whatsoever. Like, ever. And ever. Forever. You get me?”

A soft laugh parted her lips. “I think I get your point.”

“Are you sure?” I kissed the spot behind her knee, grinning when her leg jerked. “Because I could make it a rule.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

I chuckled as I pushed back from the bed and shucked off my clothes faster than I ever had. Her gaze dropped, and she gasped as her eyes brightened. A ridiculous amount of pride brought a smile to my lips. “You like?”

Her lashes lifted. “What do you think?”

“I think you like a lot.”

With a deep breath, her chest rose. “But we don’t have any protection, and considering I about passed out when I realized Beth was pregnant, I think we really need that.”

“Got it.” Snagging up my jeans, I pulled out one of the foil wrappers. Oddly enough, though, as I glanced over at her, seeing her on the bed, waiting for me, only me, I almost forgot how to put one on.

That would’ve been awkward.

“Oh my God,” she said, laying her head back against the bed. Amused exasperation colored her tone, but she looked like a damn goddess positioned like that. “It’s like you have a special skill when it comes to finding condoms. Seriously. They must just fall out of the sky whenever you’re around.”

I winked as I tore the edge of the wrapper with my teeth. “I have the skills that count, Kitten.”

She grinned, and that sexy, heavily hooded gaze of hers worked me right to the edge. I climbed over her, bypassing parts I was so going to take a lot of time on later, over and over again. I opened my mouth, probably to say something outrageously smug and overtly sexual, but whatever I was about to say was lost.

Kat reached up and cupped my jaw, bringing me down for a kiss that wrecked me from the inside out in the most perfect way. Amazed, absolutely blown away by how a single word, a look or a touch, or just a sweet kiss from her could put me right in my place, completely humbled by her.

Then, there really was no talking and no thinking. My mouth was everywhere. Our hands on the move. I found she was ready, and I blasted beyond that moment the second we kissed. We moved together, our hands joined tightly as I lifted up and stared into gray eyes speckled with white light.

I fell in love all over again.

Flickering light played over the walls as our hearts pounded together in tandem. She held on tight, wrapping her legs around me, drawing me in, and I swallowed her cry with a kiss as a shattering whirl of sensation powered down my spine.

I don’t know how much time passed, but while I held her close, wrapping every part of my body around hers so there wasn’t even an inch between us, I finally closed my eyes. And despite all the shit going down around us, I found peace.

8

{ Katy }

I kept my lips sealed tight as the Luxen male—the same one who’d shown up in the bathroom to check on Daemon the night before—led me away from the vehicle Daemon and Dawson piled into along with their sister.

Police surrounded the fleet of cars, and while that seemed like a normal thing during a war or alien invasion, every officer I saw who wasn’t wearing sunglasses was rocking Luxen eyes.

Of course.

When I realized the dark-haired Luxen was steering me toward the tinted-out black limo, tight knots formed in the pit of my stomach. I dared a quick glance down the line of cars and saw Daemon stopped beside a Hummer. The look on his face told me he was seconds from dropping the act and rectifying the car assignments, and that would be bad, very bad.