Eve Vaughn (7 page)

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before a neighbor of his spotted me and alerted the authorities. We were both wanted men. We managed to get out of the city.”

“And that’s how your movement began?”

“More or less. The first year we were together our base was much more modest, but with the addition of people with various skill levels we’ve managed to make our headquarters what it is now.”

“Your group is like one big family isn’t it?”

Jack nodded. “I trust these people with my life.”

“I appreciate your allowing me to stay. I’d like to contribute any way I can.”

“We’ll find something for you to do. No worries.” The closest thing Sydney had to a family had been her girlfriends and now she wasn’t even sure she had them anymore.

“Why the sad face?” He reached out and gently grasped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“I feel so alone. I’m so used to being in control of things and to have my life in such chaos is difficult to handle.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She bit her bottom lip. Could she trust him? Opening up had never been easy for her. But then again, this wasn’t a typical situation. “I don’t have much of a story to tell.

My parents were, for lack of a better word, driven. They were part of a research team that developed drugs for the sick. Their work consumed them to the exclusion of most

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things. Sometimes I wonder why they bothered to marry as neither one was particularly affectionate.”

“It sounds like you were lonely.”

“I was at first, but I soon learned to bottle those feelings up. I was punished for any emotional outbursts.”

“They beat you?”

She dropped her lids. “No. They would never do something so beneath their dignity,” Sydney finished on a snort. “What they did was far worse. They would remove everything from my room besides the bed. I wasn’t allowed so much as a book to read. The isolation was far worse.”

“Whatever happened to them?”

“My parents? Nothing. I moved out when I was of age. I used to visit every now and then, but after a while it grew too uncomfortable to bear. I stopped going over to their house and that was the end of that. They’ve never called and neither have I.”

“That’s sounds awful, especially when I had such a close relationship with my parents. Unfortunately, because of my status as an outlaw in the city, I’ve had to sever communication with them to ensure their safety.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Knowing they’re doing all right is good enough for me. My folks are one of the reasons I’m trying to bring down the Cyrellian occupation. I’m sorry about your family.”

Turning her head, she broke the hold he had on her face. “Don’t apologize. I’m sure there are people who’ve had worse upbringings than I did. Because they never showed love or taught me how to give it, it’s difficult for me to express it. The other kids in school would call me ‘the robot.’ I never had many friends. Bella and Holly were the only ones who took the time to get to know me. I’m grateful for that.”

“But your parents weren’t the only people who hurt you were they?” Why did he have to be so perceptive? She sighed. “There were a couple of guys I had crushes on who I thought liked me back. The first of the two was the one I’d lost

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my virginity to. I later found out he’d had a bet about how fast he could get me into bed. Despite that incident, I hadn’t given up on the concept of romance, and still haven’t actually. The next man was a serial cheater. I’m fully aware all men aren’t that way, but it still makes me wary. Coupled with the fact that I’m not a very emotional person to begin with, those experiences hardened me even more.” Jack took her hands in his, an earnest expression entering his eyes. “Is that why you dismissed what happened between us so easily?”

“One of them, but I can’t understand why you’re so upset about it. I thought someone like you wouldn’t want any complications like a needy woman in his life.”

“Maybe not, but I don’t like being used.”

“I didn’t use you. If anything we used each other.”

“But I didn’t treat you insignificantly as you did me.”

“Jack, this is a difficult period for me; what happened out there was one of those things. I admit it was good. No, great, possibly the best sex I’ve ever had. But it’s only that. Sex. You were the one who said we shouldn’t have done it. I was only agreeing with you.”

“I only said that because the time and the place were wrong. But you’re fooling yourself if you don’t think we wouldn’t have ended up exactly where we did. Part of the reason I was angry was because I’ve never been attracted to another woman so instantaneously and our coming together far exceeded what I expected. To have you shrug it off was a slap in the face.”

“Because you’re usually the one who’s able to walk away without a backward glance?”

“Probably. I’m not exactly proud of the way I’ve treated some of the women in my past, but now I know how it feels.”

“Did you do that to Anna?” she asked softly, as a means to deflect him from delving deeper into her feelings. If they continued on this topic any further, he might have her caring for him, and she couldn’t afford to do that.

A frown creased his brow. “Did she say anything to you?”

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“No, but it was pretty obvious by the way she looked at you. And I think she’s picked up on the tension between us. The woman obviously still cares.”

“It’s a mistake I’ll probably regret to my dying day. Anna didn’t deserve my callousness. If she’s said something to upset you, try not to hold her responsible for it.

She’s a good person.”

Somehow Sydney didn’t think the other woman would give her a chance to find out. “We’ll see.”

“We’re having a meeting in about --” he raised his wrist to take a peek at his watch “-- in about five minutes to discuss strategy. I think it would be a good time for you to be introduced to the rest of the group.”

Sydney nodded. “Okay. I’ll be there. Just give me a chance to freshen up.” Jack stood up then and walked to the door and then paused. “Make no mistake, Sydney, the conversation about you and me is far from over. There’s something between us, and though you might deny it, I sure as hell won’t.” And with that, he left, not giving Sydney a chance to refute his words. Even if he had, she wasn’t sure if she could.

“Our first order of business will be to introduce the latest member to our group.

Sydney. Would you come and tell us a little bit about yourself?” Jack made an attempt to address the members in the room at large, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the woman in question.

She was so beautiful and poised in the face of adversity. Had he not just had such a frank discussion with her, he might have thought her cold. He now knew behind that mask of calm was a woman aching for love. He wasn’t sure he could be the man to give it to her, but she intrigued him enough to find out.

Maybe his being in any kind of relationship with anyone was a disaster in the making, but one taste of Sydney wasn’t enough. And he was aware she knew it too.

Sydney stood up and walked toward him. He noticed she was avoiding eye contact with him.

Her hands trembled slightly as she took the podium. She offered a smile to the small crowd gathered. “There’s not much to tell about me. Up until recently I was an employee of Cryo Cor. I came across a file labeled GXT. It contained documentation of a drug by the same name. It’s an addictive chemical they’ve been putting in the food for years. From what I’ve read, only a handful of people have had no side effects from the use of it, while another tiny group are sick from it immediately. And then there’s the rest of the population who are slowly poisoned over time by the consumption of it.” Hands shot up.

Jack stepped forward. “We’ll hold off any questions for later.” Then he patted Sydney on the shoulder, encouraging her to continue.

“Apparently the third reaction is what the Cyrellians are banking on. The drug makes Humans crave their products so much they buy more of their food in mass

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quantities. They are working hand in hand with Cyren Clinic. Apparently when people complain of aches or pains, they go to the medical facility seeking treatment. A lot of them never return; in fact, most of those victims end up ground up as meat products for Cryo Cor.”

Most of the audience remained silent. Judging from their lack of reaction about Humans being ground into Cryo Cor meats, they already knew that part.

“So they’re slowly killing off people with this chemical?” someone in the crowd asked.

Sydney nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t believe it either. I still can’t in a way.”

“Then why are you here?” Anna demanded, shooting daggers with her eyes at Sydney.

Jack would have intervened but Sydney began to speak before he had a chance to. “Can you? Despite what they’ve done to us, would you have even imagined they were poisoning the foods we ate and then feeding our dead to us?” Anna turned a bright red, but didn’t answer. Jack felt bad for her but Anna’s comment was unwarranted. He made a mental note to have a talk with her later. Her resentment toward Sydney could stem from jealousy, but she needed to know there wasn’t room in camp for that. They’d all have to work together if they wanted to take down their common enemy.

Sydney’s gaze was locked with Anna’s, both women in a glaring contest that was making every single person in the room uncomfortable.

Chase coughed. “Please share any other thoughts you might have, Sydney.” The dark beauty continued to look at the blonde, neither woman giving ground, until Anna shifted in her chair uncomfortably and lowered her lids. Only then did Sydney return her attention to the other occupants in the room.

“There’s nothing more I can shed light on, other than the fact that my very good friend went in for a procedure several weeks back and has been missing. I don’t know where she is or if she’s even alive, but I’m hoping you guys can help me find her.”

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“I don’t see why we can’t come up with a search and rescue plan, but they take time, because we have to be careful re-entering the city. You need to keep in mind they’re on the lookout for every one of us for some reason or another. Will you be fine with that?” Jack asked.

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. “Thank you.” Anna stood up then. “Bullshit! When I asked to go back for my sister you said we couldn’t! Why does she get preferential treatment?” The room fell silent as several people shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Jack was slowly losing his temper. “Anna, now isn’t the time to bring that up.”

“Why the hell not? If your girlfriend can get perks, why can’t the rest of us?” she demanded, her blue eyes shooting fire.

“Because we help the people we can. Your sister was already dead, and it’s time for you to finally accept it.” The moment the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back. This wasn’t the place to get into a battle over what should or shouldn’t be done.

Anna paled. “You miserable son of a bitch,” she muttered, before racing out of the meeting room and climbing the stairs. The door slammed behind her.

“I think I should probably leave too,” Sydney spoke, breaking the eerie quiet of the room.

Jack shook his head. “Take a seat and stay for the remainder of the meeting.” She looked uncertain at first, but he gave her hand a light squeeze. Sydney finally complied and returned to her chair.

It took a few minutes before he could bring some semblance of structure to the meeting. The next order of business was the strange signal which they seemed to be getting. They determined it was one of distress and whoever was captaining the ship was looking for assistance. One of the messages that had come loud and clear from the vessel was that they were not Cyrellians.

Jack called for a vote to see if they should answer. By the end of the count, it was ruled that they would. Whoever the occupants were had made a point to separate

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themselves from the other aliens. Why? It could have been a trick, but most of them realized that there couldn’t be progress without risks.

The remainder of the session had members sharing their updates. Proposals were made and votes on their viability were taken. For the most part, it ended anticlimactically.

Jack tried to stay focused, but he couldn’t stop thinking about a certain woman he intended to visit later that night.

* * *

Sleep didn’t come easily for Sydney after turning in for the evening. Tossing and turning, she couldn’t get that scene from earlier out of her mind. It had turned ugly fast, Anna’s outburst being the cause of it. It made her more determined than ever not to be caught in the middle of whatever was between Jack and Anna, although she couldn’t stop her body from tingling when she remembered his hands moving over her body.

Sliding out of bed, she walked to the large bay window and pulled back the curtains to look at the moonlight. The temporary peace in the house belied the turmoil going on outside. Her friends were out there somewhere and she silently prayed she’d see them both again.

When her bedroom door opened then closed again, Sydney instinctively knew it was Jack before turning around. She kept her back to him and her gaze ahead of her.

“Why are you here?”

“Surely you knew I couldn’t stay away.”

She did, maybe secretly anticipated it. Damn this man. If she were smart, she’d tell him to leave her alone, but something held her back.

His hands descended onto her shoulders and his warm breath brushed the back of her neck. “Trust me, I tried. This is pure madness, but I could no more deny my lust for you than the air I breathe.” He brushed his lips against her nape.

A shiver of excitement raced up her spine. A slow wave of rapture rolled through her body. “Why are you doing this to me?” she whispered.

“All you have to do is say no, and I’ll leave you alone.”

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“What about Anna? She’s mad at the two of us.”

Jack slid his hands down the length of her arms and then pulled her against his body.

Sydney gasped at the feel of his erection pressing into the curve of her ass.

“Jack…”

“I’m sorry that Anna’s been hurt, but she has nothing to do with us. She and I had a brief fling. It’s over and while I regret how it ended, she’ll have to learn to deal with it.”

“That sounds so cold.”

“I don’t mean to be, but I can’t fix things if she won’t talk to me. But enough about her. I’d rather focus on us.” He licked the delicate shell of her ear, sending sparks of delight coursing through her being.

“There is no us,” she protested, even as she ground her ass against his cock. Her pussy was on fire and her body tensed in anticipation of his touch.

“Tell me you don’t want this.” He captured her right earlobe between his teeth and nipped gently.

Sydney reached around and grasped his waist, bracing herself. His nearness was driving her insane. A groan escaped her lips as his large palms cupped her breasts through the thin material of her night shirt. Her nipples pebbled to tight peaks.

“Can’t say it, can you?”

She closed her eyes in defeat. Though her mind told her to be wary of this man, her body did no such thing.

Jack chuckled. “That’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to say a thing.” He then commenced a slow erotic assault on her senses. Pinching her taut nipples, he planted kisses along her neck.

Moisture pooled between her thighs and she pressed them tightly together to temper the ungovernable heat raging from within. “Jack,” she sighed her surrender.

Sydney no longer had the strength to fight the carnal urges warring within her.

When she attempted to turn around to face him, Jack stopped her. “No. Not yet.”

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“But --”

He increased the pressure on her nipples, squeezing them to the point where she hovered over the line between pleasure and pain. “I want to bend you over and take you from behind. You have no idea how difficult it was for me to get through that meeting without thinking about your gorgeous body. Raise your arms for me, sweetheart.”

Too aroused to disobey his command, she complied. Jack then lifted her night shirt over her head and tossed it aside. “Place your hands on the window.” Anticipation coursed through her like lightning as she obeyed once again. Her body trembled with raw desire for this powerful man. Sydney never realized how much of a turn on it was to be told what do, being a slave to someone’s sexual demands.

She couldn’t keep still as he slid her panties off slowly and then lifted her ankles one at a time to discard them. Sydney turned her head when Jack didn’t immediately touch her. He undressed with unhurried movements, revealing his rock hard body.

Jack smirked. “Do you like watching me undress?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Good, because I enjoy you looking at it too.” When he finished removing the remainder of his clothes, Jack stood tall and proud, his thick long cock jutting forward.

“Please hurry,” Sydney begged.

He chuckled. “There’s no rush. Besides, I want to play with you some more, darling.” Moving behind her, Jack nudged her thighs apart with his knee and then slipped two fingers between them before rubbing her damp slit.

Sydney ground her pussy against his hand. “Don’t tease me.”

“What do you want, Sydney? Tell me.”

“I want you to fuck me!” she yelled, and then bit her bottom lip, mindful of the others in the house.

“In time, baby.” He slipped two fingers between her labia and thrust them deep inside of her channel. Jack grasped one of her breasts, fondling it with his free hand.

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Slowly, he worked his digits in and out of her. “Mmm, you’re already wet for me. Tell me that you like this.”

“I do, very much, Jack,” she panted.

“Tell me you want it.”

“I want it.”

“Need it.”

“Yes! Give it to me!”

He finger-fucked her pussy, sending her body into a tailspin. Jack played her body like a finely tuned instrument, making her writhe and wiggle uncontrollably.

Sydney’s knees nearly gave out. If he kept this up, she thought she’d pass out from pleasure overload. Before she met Jack, Sydney hadn’t believed herself to be a very sexual person, but she knew she hadn’t found the right man -- until now.

Her pussy gushed as her climax hit and her cream slid down her thighs. Jack eased his fingers out of her and brought them to her lips.

Instinctively she wrapped her lips around them, sucking off the juices.

“That’s it, baby.”

Sydney slid her tongue over his hand until Jack groaned. “I have to be inside of you now!” Taking her by the wrist, he led her to the bed and then bent her over it, forcing Sydney to place her hands on the mattress.

Jack placed the tip of his cock against her slit, sliding it along the wet opening before pushing past the slick folds one thick inch at a time.

Sydney pushed her hips back, eager to have him fully inside of her.

“Easy, sweetheart, I want to make this last.”

“But I need you. Don’t torture me.”

He brought his palm down on her ass with a crack.

Sydney yelped more in surprise than from pain. What was this man doing to her? She loved the way Jack stretched her vaginal walls so thoroughly, how he touched her so masterfully, and how he made her tremble from anticipation with just one look.

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Grasping her hips, he nearly pulled all the way out, but then slammed into her again. He repeated the motion until she was panting with her desire for him. Jack smacked her ass again, but this time the sting was followed by a wave of pure pleasure.

He was making her feel sensations she hadn’t thought possible. As he thrust in and out of her, he spanked her bottom several more times, driving her insane with the need to be possessed by him.

Jack’s sharp intake of breath told her he was near his climax as well. She wanted him to lose control. Taking matters into her own hands, she clenched her muscles around his cock and bucked against him.

“Sydney!” he cried, shoving deeper, harder, and faster into her.