Dating Outside Your DNA (15 page)

"I...we...can't." But, oh damn, she wanted to do that and a  whole lot more.

She needed air, and distance. She abruptly turned and walked to the window. Her  body trembled with need.

He followed her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "What are you scared of? I promise I won't hurt you."

"But I can't promise I won't hurt you," she whispered.

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He turned her around until she looked him in the eyes. "What's

that supposed to mean."

She bit her bottom lip. "I've been with one other man. A poet.

He said..." God, this was so embarrassing.

"He said what?" Roan prodded.

"That I burned him."

His eyes widened. Then the worst thing that could've happened, happened. He laughed. She'd known it wouldn't go well, but she'd hoped Roan wouldn't laugh.

"I'm sorry," he quickly told her before pulling her into his arms.

His warmth circled her, filled her with a sense of peace and the knowledge that this was exactly where she was supposed to be. But no matter how much she wanted to be there, she had to make Roan understand.

"I'm serious. Rick, the poet, left that very night." She frowned.  "My mother might have had something to do with that, though. I think  she might have paid him off. My mother doesn't like men very much."

"Tell me what happened." He lightly ran his hand up and down  her back.

It felt good to just stand there in his arms. She wished she could stay forever.

"Do you really want the sordid details?"

"I don't think you can burn people."

"You didn't think I had speed, either, or that I could fade into my surroundings, or move objects without touching them. Oh, and I finished that book you gave me and two others. I read very fast."

He leaned back and looked into her face. "You really finished the book? It was the most boring one in the bunch."

"It wasn't that bad." She frowned. "You wanted to torture me?"

"I was angry. You spoke to Gavin. Even after I gave you the  book, you went against the rules, and headed to the woods alone.  You disobeyed a direct order."

"I'm sorry." She snuggled back into his arms.

"So, tell me how you burned this guy."

"Rick."

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"Okay, how did you burn Rick?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

"But it was while you were having sex."

When he put  it like that, she pretty much wanted a hole to open

up so she could crawl inside. Actually, why was she even talking

about her sex life, or lack of, with Roan? But she already knew the

answer. Because she wanted him to fix whatever was broken inside

her so that she could have sex again. The little she'd experienced

had been really, really good.

"Yes. While we were having sex. We didn't actually finish, I

don't think. He said I was defective. Broken." She still remembered

how she'd felt when he'd run away.  Up to that point, it had been so

much fun. She sighed.

He lightly caressed her back. "Then there's only one way to find

out what's wrong," Roan said. "We'll just have to have sex."

"And if we incinerate?"

"They can scatter our ashes over the mountainside."

She wasn't so sure she liked that solution, but his hand was  causing all sorts of things to stir inside her. Maybe they could just  take things as far as a first degree burn.

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Chapter 12

L
yraka shook her head, stepping out of the comfort of  Roan's arms as fear filled her. "I'm not going to be responsible for watching you go up in a puff of smoke."

"Does that mean you care about me?" He ran his hand lightly through her short black hair sending tremors over her body.

"I care whether you die  or not, especially if I'm the cause." If the truth were known, she was starting to care for him more than she wanted to admit. For that reason, she couldn't put his life in danger, no matter how badly she wanted to have sex.

That, and he was a really good instructor. Joe would probably be pissed if something happened to Roan, too. It seemed to her that she was in a lose- lose situation. Well, except for the hot sex. Hot sex

would be nice.

"Why don't you let me decide if I want to take the risk? You

don't know for sure that I'll burn to a crisp, do you?"

She should lie and tell him she'd corroded a case of batteries

and as many vibrators, but before she could, he gave her a warning

look.

"The truth."

She'd never been very good at lying. Why couldn't she have

that skill?

"I don't know anything for sure," she admitted.

"Then if it gets too hot, I'll stop."

"And if we both incinerate?"

"Then we'll die happy."

She wasn't sure if she was ready to die for sex. Before she

could decide one way or the other, h e slipped the top button on her

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shirt through the buttonhole. Her body trembled as she watched his

hands move to the second button, then the third and down to the last

one.

This would be a good time for her to demand he stop. Just open her mouth and tell  Roan, no. He would stop. She already knew that much about him. He would never force her to do anything against her will. She should tell him. Then again, maybe they could stop before the heat got too unbearable.

With a feather-soft touch, he fanned back the edges of her shirt and pushed it over her shoulders, tracing his hands down her arms.  Trembles followed in his wake. Their gazes met just before he let her shirt drop to the floor.

Maybe they
 
would
just die happy, consumed by the heat of their passion.

"You're so beautiful," he said.

She was glad she'd worn her white lacy bra. It was cut low and pushed her breasts up, barely covering her.

He ran the tips of his fingers over the curve of her breasts. "Not even scorched." He raised his hand and wiggled his fingers.

"That's not funny." But he was right and she was glad, although she could feel the familiar heat as it began to build inside her.

He reached behind her to unfasten her bra, but she moved away slightly.

"I won't hurt you," he said.

Heat of a different kind flooded her face. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't want to be the only one without a shirt on." How did she  tell him she wanted to see him naked without dying from  embarrassment? What she wouldn't give to be more experienced.

"An easy remedy." He reached for the hem of his olive green Tshirt and pulled it over his head.

Ohmygod. She tried to swallow, but her throat had suddenly  gone dry. His naked torso was better than she could've imagined. He  was all hard muscles and si newy ridges. She couldn't force her gaze

away from his six-pack abs.

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"It's okay if you want to touch me, too," he said with barely

restrained laughter.

"It's not funny--again." But her words were barely a whisper.

"Hey." He grabbed her chin and raised her head. "Haven't you

ever touched a man before?"

"Only Rick, but he didn't look at all like you. I mean..."

He drew in a sharp breath. "I feel as though I'm taking

advantage of an innocent young woman. Maybe this isn't such a

good idea." He reached for  his shirt.

"No!" If he stopped, she had a feeling she'd never have a real

orgasm with a man. "I'm not innocent. I'm twenty-eight years old,

Roan, but I feel like I'm dying a slow death."

"It's okay." He pulled her against his chest, kissing the top of

her head. "I won't stop unless you change your mind. Just do me a  favor and don't wait too long to decide you've changed your mind."

"Deal."

Good, she was glad he hadn't changed his mind because now that she was against his naked chest, she didn't want to  move. He began to lightly caress her back. She felt the heat again, but not so bad that she couldn't stand it. She began to relax against his chest.

He smelled wonderful, manly.

When he unfastened her bra, she closed her eyes. He slid the straps down her  arms until the only thing holding it in place was his chest. If he stepped away, she'd be naked from the waist up. What if he found her lacking?

"I want to see your breasts," he said close to her ear. "I want to look my fill, then I want to caress them and tug on the nipples. You have sensitive nipples, don't you?"

She nodded, unable to speak. Her whole body was as tight as a

well-strung bow.

He took a step back and her bra fell to the floor. "Stunning. Just

like I'd known they'd be." He brushed his palm over one hard nipple.

She gasped.

He stopped. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No."

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"Good."

Roan knew Lyraka hadn't been exaggerating about the heat.

He could feel it coming off her in waves. Not so bad that it burned, but it did make him wonder just how hot it was going to get. He had a feeling she'd be worth getting burned over.

He pinched her nipples between his forefingers and thumbs. He watched her expression, enjoying what he was seeing. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes drifting closed.

"Do you like when I pinch your nipples?"

She nodded.

"Look at me."

She shook her head.

He grinned, knowing she was embarrassed, but at the same time not wanting him to stop. He was afraid he was going to make her a whole lot more embarrassed before this night was  over, but by morning, he doubted she'd have any regrets.

She was innocent. She had been with this Rick, but apparently he hadn't known what he was doing. Lyraka might as well be a virgin.  Roan would take it slow, but he wanted her to find pleasure in every aspect of making love. That included being a part of foreplay.

"Open your eyes," he told her again.

And again, she shook her head. He stopped. Her eyes flew

open.

"That's better. How can I teach you if you have your eyes

closed?"

"Is this part of the training?" She cocked an eyebrow.

He leaned forward, running his tongue across her upper lip,

then her lower. He felt her sigh, her surrender. He straightened.

"No, not part of your training as an agent. This is a training

exercise in the proper way to  make love." He rolled a nipple between

his finger and thumb again.

She gasped. "I think you're using emotional warfare."

"But you enjoy it."

"Oh, yeah. A lot." She nodded.

"Touch me."

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For all her bluster and external toughness, she was really

nervous. He saw it in the way her hand trembled just slightly. In the

way she didn't quite meet his eyes. But once again, just like in

everything she'd done so far, she wasn't backing down.

He took her hand and guided it to his chest. "Touch me," he

said in a softer voice.

She ran her hand over his chest. "You're really firm." She licked her lips and he wondered just how long he'd be able to last. Hell, he'd wanted her from the moment he'd seen her, even though he hadn't been ready to admit it to himself.

She brushed across his nipple. He closed his eyes, relishing her touch on his naked skin.

"Are you sensitive there?" she asked.

He opened his eyes and laughed down at her. "You catch on

fast." He had a feeling this was going to be a test of his own

endurance.

"I've been told I'm a fast learner."

And she was beginning to come into another kind of power.  One that women had held over men through the ages. Roan didn't mind.

"So if I rub your nipple like this..." She lightly massaged the pad  of her finger across  the nub. It immediately hardened. "Oh, look, it got  hard, just like mine."

Time for lesson two. "I can make it feel even better."