Genesis (The Evolutioneers Book 1), page 30
“Hey, sweetheart.” Euphoria crashed over him, and he collapsed over her prone form, hugging her head with his arm. “You’re gonna be okay.”
Underneath him, her little body began to shudder. Damn, he should have known she was freezing. He pulled his duster off and draped it over her before gathering her back in his arms.
She blinked as if waking from a dream. “I died.”
“Doc saved you. You can’t leave us that easily.”
“Doc.” She turned her head.
“I’m here, sweetie.” Doc reached out and brushed the coat with her trembling fingers. “Don’t die on me again.”
“I’ll try not to.” She glanced over and did a double take. “Sheriff?”
“Prism.” He nodded. “You’re looking a lot better than you did two minutes ago.”
“Thanks.” Her weak chuckle sounded more like a wheeze that died as she caught sight of the bloody cut in Max’s arm. “You’re bleeding. Do you need a medic?”
His bark of laughter caught him by surprise. Even at death’s door, she still wanted to fuss over him. “I’m fine.” He pressed his forehead to hers and gazed into the brown depths of her eyes. “I can’t lose you, don’t you know that? You make me whole.”
“I’m sorry.” Her lips quivered. “I’m sorry about everything.”
He feathered his lips against her. “I’m sorry, too. You do realize that I am never letting you out of my sight again.”
“We’ll discuss that later. Just hold me for now.”
“Done.”
He gathered her closer and pressed his nose into her hair. Through the fabric of his shirt, her warm breath seeped into the cotton and heated him to his soul. She was alive. He inhaled her scent again. She was alive.
Lancaster cleared his throat, drawing their attention. When he lifted his brow, Max realized that he had lost his glasses and was facing the sheriff unmasked.
“You’re the son. Max Madden.” It wasn’t a question.
Max swallowed and clutched Crystal tighter. “Yes.”
Lancaster tipped his head toward the pair of feet hanging out of the fountain. “Who is that?”
“My father.” Max jerked his head toward what was remaining of the other body. “He fired a shot at Anthony, who was using Prism as a shield. That’s how she was injured. DeMateo fired back and killed him.”
“Anthony DeMateo? I thought he died in an explosion a few months ago.”
Max shook his head and swallowed down bitterness that lingered with that lie. “That’s what I thought, too. It was a coverup.”
“So if DeMateo killed your father, who killed DeMateo?”
Max met his gaze without flinching. “I did.”
Lancaster stared at him hard then nodded. “Inside the house is a hell of a shit show. Rich people being chased by a panther and men decked out with machine guns. Care to explain?”
“I’ll tell you everything, but first I’d like to get my girl someplace she can rest. It’s been a long night.”
“We’ll see.” He glanced back and forth between Crystal and Doc, who still lay limp in his arms. “This feels wrong. Shouldn’t we get a doctor?”
“I am a doctor,” Doc answered without opening her eyes. “Give me a minute to recharge, and I’ll be fine.” She cracked one eye open to look at Max. “We’ll both live.”
“Thank you.”
She closed her eyes again. “I know. We all need her, Max. Take care of her. Or I’ll rip you apart.” The threat would have been more menacing if she hadn’t been interrupted by a jaw-popping yawn.
“Hey, bossman?” Chase asked in his earpiece. “We’re contained in the house. Do you have Prism?”
“I’ve got her.” He gazed down at the sleeping woman in his arms. More hot tears filled his eyes and he wished his power included the ability to transport them to the comfort of his bed. Until then, he’d make do with sheltering her with his body and his love. “I’ve got her.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Crystal gazed out the window of the fast-moving Jeep and tried to separate all the shades of green from the jungle’s canopy. The flight to the private island in the Bahamas had been long, but joining the mile-high club with Max had made the time pass in the most delightful way.
A soft smile touched her lips as her fingers twirled the emerald band around her ring finger. Inscribed in the silver were six words. My heart. My soul. My love. Such simple words, yet nothing else in the world gave her such joy.
A warm hand slid across her bare knee and smoothed up the inside of her thigh. She turned to see her husband gazing at her with a heat in his smoky eyes that made her toes curl in her sandals.
Her husband.
She licked her lips and placed her hand over his. They hadn’t wasted any time in making their union official, heading straight to the courthouse at the first opportunity. Life was too short to wait for the “right” time.
It still amazed her that this was the same troubled man who had walked into her coffeehouse on that hot August day. Now a smile always hovered on his firm lips, the light in his eyes sparkled, and the world no longer appeared to weigh on his shoulders. For now.
Those first few weeks after the incident at Madden’s had been insane. She slept for two days solid while Max worked on the cleanup of the mess left behind. All the evidence they collected was handed over to Sheriff Lancaster, who took over the responsibility of working with the CIA and FBI in arresting those who had broken the law.
The truth about the events that had occurred that night had been mitigated to avoid causing a worldwide panic. Anthony had been correct on one thing when he had approached Max all those months ago. If word of Madden’s plans and subsequent failure had hit the web, confidence in the financial system would have been weakened to the point of a global economic breakdown. Tiny bits of the truth had been fed to the media, and Max, as Madden’s heir, temporarily took the reins as CEO of Madden Financial until a suitable replacement could be found.
Of course it was easy to bury Madden’s indiscretions when the world was abuzz with the discovery of superhumans in the general population. The press dubbed their team the Evolutioneers, and now they had every newshound, government agency, and glory seeker combing the state looking for them. Lancaster promised to keep their identities a secret, and with the help of the Daniels brothers and their software, Addison managed to sidetrack anyone who came close to discovering their hideout.
They were wanted people. Glorified and vilified by a society who wanted their help and feared their power at the same time.
Yes, life had taken a monumental turn, which made these few stolen days all the more precious.
The road broke through the tree line and ended in a small pullout in front of a tiny cabin. Before them, the bluff rolled down to the white sandy beach a few yards below.
They hopped out of the car and took a moment to stop and stare at the cozy hut that would be home for the next week. The ocean pounded the surf with a rhythmic cadence that matched the gentle beating of her heart as the sun warmed her bare shoulders. She glanced over at Max and found him lost in his own observation of their retreat.
Effervescent laughter burst out of her and set a flock of birds fleeing from the trees.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Are we really alone? All alone? Not a soul nearby?”
He cocked his head to the side and listened to the wind. He turned toward the trees and parted the forest as if it were the Red Sea. His smile grew wicked. “Yes, we are.”
She laughed again and dashed into the hut with him hot on her heels. Their bags trailed behind them as if they were being carried by invisible bellboys and clattered in the entrance before the door shut behind them with a bang. He caught her around the waist and carried her into the bedroom. They could check out the rest of the cabin later.
He set her on her feet as his lips nuzzled, sipped, and drugged her to a state of bliss that made her melt against his body. He brushed aside the straps of her sundress and followed the fabric down with wet, open-mouthed kisses that turned her insides molten. With the tip of his tongue, he traced the pink pucker of scarred skin above her heart. She raked her nails across the cotton of his shirt, loving the flex of muscles underneath.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled. “God, you smell so good. Like woman and fresh air. Sweet and sultry.” His nimble fingers found the tab of the zipper on her dress and tugged it down. “It’s been far too long since I’ve been inside you.”
“It’s only been a few hours.” She giggled.
“Like I said, far too long.”
The dress caught on her curves, rasping over her skin on its way to pool at her feet. His hot hands followed, cupping and molding her breasts and hips to his liking. He hooked an arm under her legs and carried her to the bed. The comforter floated to the floor as he set her on the cool satin sheets before he stepped back to remove his clothes.
Each inch he revealed to her hungry gaze made her mouth water in anticipation of running her tongue in every dip and hollow. Her hands itched to reach out and touch, but instead, she crushed the teal-colored satin in her fists to draw out the delicious torture.
Her eyes widened in surprise and she sat up and stared in disbelief at where she lay.
Teal satin sheets.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she croaked, then laughed self-consciously. “It’s just,” she laughed again, “I used to have visions of us on a bed with teal satin sheets.”
“Used to?”
“I haven’t had that vision in a while.”
He crawled across the mattress and draped a muscular leg over hers, his forearms coming to rest on either side of her head. “When did you start having these visions?”
She bit her lip and focused on his chin. “In the parking lot at the zoo, the day we met Ripley.”
His brows shot up. “That was the day after we met.”
“I know.” She couldn’t stop grinning.
He narrowed his eyes. “What were we doing in this vision?”
She ran her fingers down his spine and around to cup his hard buttocks. “I can tell you, or you can guess and I’ll let you know if you’re right.”
Nudging apart her legs, he settled into the vee of her thighs. The hard length of his cock rubbed along the slick folds of her sex. “Is this close?”
“Spot on.”
She arched her neck in pleasure as he palmed her breast. The flick of his tongue on the hard peak bathed her in want, stoking the embers that always burned for him. His teeth barely sank into the tip when he jerked up. “Wait. You had a vision of us having sex the day after we met? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She placed her hands on each side of his beloved face. “You weren’t ready. Now make love to me, or do I have to find someone who will?”
A rumble worked up his chest. He curled his fingers over the edge of the mattress above her head. In one hard thrust he seated his cock fully in her sheath and robbed her of breath. “Is this what you want, Mrs. Madden?”
“Uh-huh,” she panted, unable to speak anything more coherent.
He lowered his head and took her mouth while he claimed her body. At the moment it was just Max and her in the universe. Her entire being was centered on his heat and the strength he used to move inside her.
The creak of the bed competed with her cries. Torn between laughter and tears, she rode the current of passion, rising and falling with the need to mark him as hers. She scored her nails across his shoulders while her teeth nipped the muscles of his chest. She planted her feet on the mattress to push her hips harder against him, silently begging for more.
In the fury of the storm they created, she was a tree bending in the wind. Any second she would snap under the pressure and splinter in a thousand directions. The line of tension ran from her core to her heart, tightening with each deep plunge.
Max planted his hand near her head and reared up to grasp her hip with the other, stilling her to drill deeper. Sweat dripped in his eyes as he gazed at her with love and desire sculpting the hard planes of his face.
“Love you,” he groaned, then his spine bowed back. Warmth filled her as he released deep in her channel.
Her scream echoed in the cabin, joining him in the fall into darkness. Her inner muscles locked down, squeezing every bit of life from the both of them.
Her pupils widened then narrowed as her powers once more threw her into the future. More challenges, more enemies would rise to stop their call to protect the innocent. Heated disagreements, long nights spent in each other’s arms. Friends would come and go. Children. Fear and courage, tears and laughter.
And through it all, they would be side by side. Together. Always.
“Crystal?” He brushed the tears from her cheeks with a shaky hand. “Sweetheart? Come back to me.”
It took several long blinks for her eyes to focus. “I love you,” she whispered, homing in on his blurry image. The strong embrace of his arms never failed to bring her back to the present.
Tender fingers swept aside the hair clinging to her damp cheeks. “Where did you go?”
“Our future. It’s going to be quite an adventure.” She hugged him close.
His chuckle vibrated under her ear. “Should I be worried?”
“Nope, because I’m going to be with you, forever.”
He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Forever. I like that word. Especially if it involves you.”
“Always, Max. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He slapped her on the ass. “Now go make me a sandwich. Loving you burns a lot of calories.”
She blinked at him. “You want a sandwich?”
He relaxed deeper into the mattress and closed his eyes. “Mm-hmm.”
She brushed his oblique with the tip of a finger and smiled when he flinched. The second brush opened his eyes. “What are you doing?” He scowled.
“I see in your future an ass kicking,” she crowed before she jumped on top of him, her hands a flurry of movement as she hit every ticklish spot she knew.
He bucked underneath her and grabbed her wrists. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“I hope so, Mr. Madden,” she drawled and pressed her breasts against his chest. “Now do your worst.”
He didn’t disappoint.
EPILOGUE
The girl was just asking to get her ass paddled.
Lack of moonlight and the impenetrable darkness of the forest hid the black panther prowling over pine needles and damp leaves. His ears flicked in displeasure, his muzzle twisted into the feline version of pissed-off alpha male.
How long did Alisia think she could continue sneaking around without him finding out? He was a freaking shapeshifter. With his acute hearing and overdeveloped sense of smell, of course he’d learn about her late-night escapades.
His nose twitched, sorting through the assortment of odors that assaulted his senses. Diesel fuel and truck exhaust mixed with rich earth and dying vegetation. Underneath it all was the subtle scent of citrus and the musk of woman. His woman.
Through the shadows, Ripley made out the shape of a large bush growing against the base of a giant pine tree. Upon closer inspection, the black gleam of a Honda CB 919 motorcycle was barely visible between the dense leaves. Thirty yards away, the rumble of logging trucks rolled down the dirt road, hauling the last loads of the night.
So that was how the little minx was getting down the mountain. She was good, he’d give her that. Stashing bits of clothing around the forest to throw him off her scent. His little nurse should’ve remembered that when she was ovulating, her scent changed. The aroma was like catnip, enticing him with the promise of hot, nasty, body-draining sex. Just how he liked it.
Anger and fear for her well-being cut through his lust. Why would she risk going out alone?
Yes, life in their mountain home required some getting used to. As much as Max and Crystal worked at making it feel like a home, they were still cohabitating under layers of volcanic rock with very little sunlight and forced ventilation.
But much to his surprise, Ripley discovered he loved living underground. He was surrounded by nature, nestled deep within her bosom, and there was plenty of room for his animal to take whatever form it wanted.
But where he had the luxury of stretching out his legs and running in the fresh air, his two-legged companions were required to take more caution. A human suddenly appearing from between two boulders would draw much more attention than Ripley in one of his animal forms. The constant vigilance of their privacy would drive him stir crazy, too. Still, jeopardizing her safety, as well as that of the rest of the team by sneaking out, was just plain foolish.
Was she meeting another man?
A snarl broke free with the thought as the fur rippled along his body. No, the cat shook his head, that wasn’t it. He would smell it if she was. Alisia belonged to him. She just had yet to acknowledge it. The woman was being stubborn which, under different circumstances, he usually admired.
He followed her trail back to headquarters. Slipping through a fissure in the rock in the guise of a ferret, he made his way to the secret entrance to his room to change into some clothes. It wasn’t the first place he wanted to stop, but the others appreciated it when he didn’t walk around naked.
The ferret dropped to the floor and stood on his hind legs. His bones snapped like firecrackers, growing into a large, brawny, giant of a man.
Knowing Alisia was at home released the worry in his mind but did nothing to ease the fury bubbling under the surface. His fangs, still extended over his lips, throbbed in his gums as they receded and changed. His claws curled into his palms as they shaped back into fingers.
Yet his muscles quivered, urging him to follow his instinct and claim his mate. Command her to put her in his care and keep her safe. The swollen length of his cock agreed wholeheartedly as pre-cum dripped from the dark crimson head in a steady stream.
Oh God, not again.
“No. No!” he shouted. He would not come at her like an animal.
