Dragon's Challenge Page 16
“When her husband found out,” Maura continued, her voice growing even smaller, “he was smug, and it was clear that he’d been waiting for proof to divorce her while putting their prenuptial agreement into action. He cut her off with nothing but what she got from her family—which wasn’t pennies, I can tell you that. Me… well, he was paying my way through school but cut me off and then said I had to pay him back everything he’d spent on me over the years. Gifts, clothes, food, everything. I tried to get my mother’s help, but she disowned me for ruining her life.”
“You didn’t!”
Maura gave him a pained smile. “I know. Didn’t stop her, though. So there I was, left with absolutely nothing except the court orders that he had his lawyers constantly throwing at me. Eventually, I managed to convince him to meet me at his office.”
Her hands clenched and she looked away, her shoulders hunching. Stephen automatically knew something terrible had happened and he held his breath, waiting. Part of him wondered if he even wanted to know—his mind went to the worst-case, and he wasn’t certain how he’d handle it if it was the truth.
“He told me that he’d forgive my debt if I slept with him. The man who thought I was his daughter for ten years. Less than a year later and he had no problem sexualizing me. When I refused, he tried to rape me.”
Stephen let out a furious snarl. Emotion welled so hotly in him that his fires burned out of control. How dare that man! That sick pervert! “I’ll kill him.”
“You’ll find that hard to do. Because I killed him.”
Stephen’s eyes widened. His fires flickered low and the billowing smoke stopped.
Maura rubbed her eyes. “I didn’t mean to. I was just holding him off and I grabbed a paperweight. I only wanted to get him off me. I hit him too hard. It was at that moment that a cleaning lady came in. She saw enough and helped me clean myself up and told me to get out of there. I hid away for two weeks, too terrified to leave my apartment. Eventually, though, his lawyers came to see me. The cleaning lady took the fall. She claimed he tried to rape her and so she killed him. She was killed in a car crash two weeks before her trial.”
“Was it… really an accident?”
“I never knew.”
Tentatively, Stephen put his arm around her. He pulled her in close but couldn’t smell her distinct scent beneath the layers of mineral hot springs and french fries. She was as rigid as a corpse but allowed his touch.
“I’m sorry. That’s too much for anybody to go through. You should never have had that happen to you.”
Maura nodded. “I never told anybody. But it’s the reason. I changed my name, calling myself Maura Rizzoli because I was really into that TV show. I wanted to be like them. Smart, successful, no-nonsense. So, I turned from Alice to Maura and I’ve never looked back. But I also swore I would never be taken by surprise by something again. If I’d known about all the many young women who that man had raped, I never would have been in that office. And I was never going to let anybody have power over me again.”
Stephen was silent for a moment as he processed what she was saying. “So. That’s the reason that you built your files against us. Because you didn’t want to get hurt again.”
“Because I didn’t ever want to be put in this situation again. Where I’m helpless and useless.”
Stephen tugged his fingers through his hair. “You’re not helpless or useless. The situation might be out of our control, but look at how much we’ve been able to accomplish already. It’s only when we started doubting ourselves that this started to fall apart. We just need to reset. Figure out what it is we actually want and then just do it.”
Maura shrugged.
“I’ve got depression,” Stephen blurted. She was so despondent, he didn’t know what else to do. And with the hard things she just shared… Well, it felt like he owed her something in return. “I’m not really sure how bad it is. Sometimes it’s gotten really bad. I’ve never been suicidal, exactly, but I’ve gotten close. It’s the reason I haven’t been able to hold a job since the Blaze Ops was disbanded. The Academy… it was my home. And the Blaze Ops was my family.”
Maura wiped her eyes and moved a little closer to him, their wet bodies slipping together. “I’m sorry. I knew… I could have done more. I didn’t because I was selfish—" She cut herself off suddenly, breathing in deeply. “But this isn’t about me. This is about you. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry that I didn’t try harder to reach out to you.”
Stephen shrugged. “Not sure there was anything you could have done. But I’m telling you so you know… I need therapy. And so do you.”
“I…”
“It goes against your desire to keep yourself protected. To stop people from knowing things about you that will give them power over you. But Maura,” he tilted her face to his. “You can’t live life like that. We both need therapy, and once we’re out of this…”
Maura smiled. “Yeah. Therapy will be good. You’re right.”
Stephen smiled now. And, to stop himself from thinking there might not be anything after this, he kissed her. Deep and long, until she was the only thing he knew in the world.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Maura didn’t feel like she really dried inside of the hot springs cave, but it was so warm that she didn’t mind. What she wasn’t looking forward to was leaving this cozy place and getting back out to the cold, harsh reality of what was waiting for her. If only they could bury themselves in a place like this to live out the rest of their lives, happy and together.
Not that she really knew what Stephen was feeling for her. But here, together, she didn’t need to ask questions or consider so many possibilities it made her brain throw up. It was enough to just be here with him.
There was noise at the entrance and in the next moment, Stephen dropped down. Maura smiled to see him, that knot of worry that always twisted her gut when he left easing. The scent of roast meat met her nose and she eagerly accepted the slightly burnt bird he handed her.
“Is this pheasant?”
“Quail.”
Maura nodded. That would be why it was so small.
“You know,” she said as she dug in while Stephen tore into his own bird, “you don’t have to cook it. In my leopard form, raw meat is just as appetizing as cooked.”
“Blood has a stronger scent, though,” Stephen replied. “And we want to keep the cave as clean as possible.”
Maura nodded, understanding his point. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate him cooking the food, but he already did so much, she felt guilty for just sitting in the cave all day. It was their third day here and they both knew they were going to have to leave soon. She had spent most of her time sleeping and eating. Now, there was only the occasional twinge of pain in her gut. She’d even been doing exercises, as much as she could in the small space, and was satisfied that she could move again now.
“What was that sigh for?” Stephen asked her, arching a brow.
“I was just thinking… it’s been nice here. I wish we didn’t have to leave. But we do need a place where we can all hideout when we get Patrick and the others out of jail.” They might not have a plan for that yet, but they both knew—they weren’t going to just give up.
Stephen looked at his bird, then up at her. He opened his mouth, closed it again, then snatched the food from her hand. He pushed both birds onto the dry shelf as Maura made a noise of protest. Then his hands were on her. His arms wrapped around her. He kissed her deeply, surprising her. But her surprise quickly melted away as she brought herself up to him.
Stephen growled low in his throat, pulling her leg up over his hip. Her clothes still hung from the wall, drying while she kept warm in the water. Stephen’s clothes hung beside hers—he didn’t need them since he kept to his dragon form when hunting, only needing to take his human form to exit and enter the cave.
“If we’re going to be moving, then we should take advantage of these springs,” Stephen murmured into
her skin as he moved to kiss her neck.
Fireworks exploded under her skin, her blood heating rapidly. He ground against her and through their underwear she felt just how excited he was. She answered with a passion equaling his. She’d been telling herself that lovemaking while she was so injured wasn’t a good idea and then as she started to feel better, that Stephen didn’t seem to be interested.
The last time she’d tried to kiss him, after all, he’d turned away and refused to have anything to do with it. And she still didn’t know what that was about. But right now, he was here. Solid and muscular in her arms. Her fingers probed against the spiky tribal tattoos on his back, moving down his spine.
“Oh, Stephen,” Maura groaned, arching her whole body to his. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d thrown herself so whole-heartedly into another person’s embrace. Certainly, she had been reserved with Stephen for their first time, even as she allowed him to take control. “What do you want to do to me?”
“First off, I want to see you utterly naked. Nothing between you and me.”
He pulled her panties off her hips, bunching them up and shoving them on the dry shelf. Her bra soon followed, and he plumped her breasts in both his huge hands. He ground against her still as he suckled first one and then the other nipple. They hardened, becoming little points. Maura ran her hands down Stephen’s body, feeling his sculpted muscles.
He was so beautiful. So perfectly formed. Every inch of him was like a Michelangelo sculpture. So warm beneath her touch. He twitched, licking along one nipple as she reached his waistband. With one hand, she massaged him through his boxers while she slipped her other hand between her own thighs. A satisfied grunt came from her throat as she found herself slick, her clit just as hard and tight as her nipples.
One of Stephen’s hands joined hers, then slowly nudged her away. “That’s my job. You asked what I wanted to do to you? I want to see you writhe in pleasure. I want to make everything in you scream for everything in me. I want to take you deep and true, until we aren’t two bodies but one.”
Maura combed her fingers through Stephen’s hair, smiling at the thought, as desire swept through her. Every inch of her body cried for him. The water she lay in almost felt cool compared to how hot she was inside and out. She slid her hand into Stephen’s boxers, finding him.
“That sounds marvelous,” she murmured into his ear before nibbling at his lobe. “I want you to do that to me as well.”
Stephen moved back to her neck, one hand on her hip, one between her thighs. She rocked her hips, unable to stop herself, and the water splashed up over her in a way she liked. When she did it again, though, Stephen gripped both hips in his hands and grunted as he pulled back.
“Hmm, this isn’t going to work like this.”
Maura’s gut clenched and she brought herself up to her elbows. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Stephen put a hand between her thighs again and stroked her. The friction made her shiver with pleasure, but Stephen only frowned deeper. “The water is washing away natural lubricant. If I tried to enter like this, you’d get hurt.”
Maura let out a grunt of annoyance and flipped herself over. The water splashed up on the dry ledge, but she didn’t care about that. “Then we can just do it this way again.”
She knelt, bringing her ass and upper thighs out of the water, offering herself to him. She glanced over her shoulder. Stephen still looked hesitant and she frowned at him.
“I liked it the first time we did it like this.”
“But this time I wanted to look in your eyes.”
Maura’s heart melted. She gazed at him, so full of gratitude and love that she could hardly breathe. She launched herself at him, unable to put her feelings into words. They kissed wildly, passionately. At some point they found themselves on the dry shelf, her legs tangled around his while he thrust madly into her. He was like a beast and she was right there with him, matching his rhythm, snarling in answer to his growls, their bodies and souls merging until neither knew where one ended and the other began.
Maura didn’t know how long they’d made love before, both exhausted, they fell asleep half-submerged in the water, bodies still twined with one another.
When she woke, a cool breeze blew across the back of her neck. Maura stirred, groggily trying to brush it away. Stephen’s breathing was deep and even next to her—until a voice called out from above them.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Why does this always happen to me?”
Both Maura and Stephen jerked up, crying out. Their heads both whipped to stare at the opening above them to see the brush that Stephen had covered it up with had been moved aside. Maura’s heart jumped to her throat. They had been discovered! Her leopard snarled as she drew it forward, getting ready to leap out and attack their enemy.
“Get dressed and come out here,” Adam’s voice came down to them, rough with embarrassment. “I don’t need to stare at your naked asses any longer!”
Stephen and Maura turned to stare at each other. Their eyes were both wide and shocked. Maura could see that Stephen’s mind was racing with the same thoughts as were in hers. If Adam was here, did that mean something had happened? Was Karey in danger or worse? Had he heard about Carter and decided that the threat to his mate was too great to ignore?
Was he here to help?
Stephen jumped onto the dry shelf and yanked on his clothes, Maura quickly coming after him. He jumped out of the cave before she did, though. After giving a whoop, he reached down and helped her climb out.
There, in the heavily treed area, Adam and Karey both stood. Adam’s face was red as a beet and Karey was sniggering, hiding her smile behind her hand while she comfortingly patted his arm. Maura’s own cheeks went red as she realized what Adam’s earlier cry was about—he had a reputation of accidentally walking in on people having sex. It seemed she and Stephen were not the exception.
She didn’t care, though. There would be time for embarrassment later. Instead, she threw herself at Karey, hugging her tightly. With everything going on, of course she’d been worried about these two and was happy to see that Carter hadn’t caught up with them.
Stephen gripped Adam’s shoulder tightly, grinning like an idiot. “You came back.”
“Yeah. I shouldn’t have left. I understand that now. I just… wasn’t thinking.”
“You were thinking about your mate,” Stephen corrected. “And nobody is going to blame you for that.”
Adam stared at him uncertainly for a moment before he smiled. He pulled Stephen into a hug, tight enough that he could have crushed bone if Stephen wasn’t a dragon as well. Maura grinned as she turned to Karey. Her belly was swelling with that perfect roundness that only a pregnancy brought.
“And you? Are you going to be okay with this?”
“Yes. It was wrong to leave. There is strength in numbers and…” Karey put a hand on her belly. “I don’t want this baby to have parents who don’t stick to what they know is right. I know it’s dangerous, but it’s hardly more dangerous than just trying to live… We talked about it. We need to stick together.”
Adam gave her a worried look, and Stephen gripped his shoulder even tighter. “Thank you. Both of you. We have our work cut out for us, but we can keep Karey out of harm’s way. I’d want to keep Maura away from danger,” he added as he gave her a grin, “but unfortunately it seems like she goes looking for danger.”
Maura laughed. “Like you don’t.”
Stephen shrugged then moved back to her side. He put his arm around her, and she knew by that simple action, he had no intention of ever letting her go again. The prospect both thrilled and terrified her. Could she really give herself to another person so wholly?
If that person was Stephen, then there was no answer besides yes.
She wrapped her arm around him, too. “Now the only thing to do is figure out what we’re doing next.”
“I have a plan,” Stephen said. “But I don’t think you’ll like it.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Stephen would have preferred to have someone with him, rather than being left dangling like bait. It didn’t help to know that he was the one who had thought up this scheme, that he was the one who volunteered for this position. If it had been anybody else here, it would have been even worse, but this was not his idea of fun.
He tapped his fingers together, trying to center himself as he waited. If this went wrong, he was on his own. They all had their own goals here today, and each of them was on their own. If anything went wrong for any of them…
Stop, he told himself firmly. There is no point in worrying about things that have not yet happened. Focus on what’s happening now.
His gaze swept around the small clearing again. He’d picked this spot perfectly. The trees were thick enough that no sniper would be able to get an aim on him but not so thick that he’d be easily ambushed. This was banking on a hope that Cooper would want to brag, and Carter was interested in getting another dragon in order to replicate the super-soldier serum that had been destroyed when the Pack went down.
All in all, he was counting on them wanting him alive. If they wanted him dead… well…
He saw the two of them trotting up well before they arrived. Both were in their human forms. Why they decided to keep to the weaker forms made Stephen narrow his eyes. Were they trying to appear to be less threatening? Whatever. He just needed time. If he could get them talking, just until he got the signal…
It would be a lot easier if he had Evan in his ear like normal, but Karey was a good replacement—at least until they got Evan back. If.
Stephen swallowed hard as Carter and Cooper swaggered into the clearing, both looking like they’d just drunk pure gold. He wanted to wipe the smug expressions from their faces but held himself back. There would be time enough for that later—
Cooper whipped a gun out. Stephen inhaled sharply, the split second between when he saw the weapon to when Cooper pulled the trigger just enough time for him to dodge out of the way.