Chapter Thirteen

“You Deserve Better”

The second their lips met, Mallory realized she’d made a big mistake. And it wasn’t because kissing Lance had been a bad idea or anything. His lips were warm and soft and amazing against hers, and the kiss seemed to draw all the oxygen from her lungs and send her pulse into overdrive, pounding in her ears. That was exactly the problem. Her body was screaming for more, more , and she was helpless against the desire that swept through her as he responded with equal fervor.

His kisses were deep and demanding, and it was all that she could do to ride the wave of passion. More. The silent demand filled her as she ran her fingers through his hair. Heat washed through her body that had nothing to do with the warmth of the cave. Mallory felt a tug in her belly, and she surged against him, her soft body nested perfectly against his solidness. His arm circled her waist, holding her closer as she straddled him.

“Oh, Lance,” she moaned into the kiss.

Was this right? The question crept into her mind as his fingers began to unbutton her coat, exposing the sweater underneath. The circumstances surrounding this were nothing short of strange. They were hiding in a cave, escaping from a murderous psychopath who wanted them both dead, and he was pulling her clothes off. But even as the thought occurred to her, it was quickly shoved aside as their kiss grew hotter.

She let Lance pull the coat off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground next to them. The sweater and MediPack followed immediately, and he fumbled awkwardly with her bra until, with a somewhat self-conscious chuckle, she helped him take it off, unfurling her wings at the same time.

His lips parted slightly at the sight of her bared breasts and hardening nipples, and Mallory suddenly felt a wave of shyness. She drew a breath and held it, waiting.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, his gaze drifting from her breasts to her wings and back. “So amazing.”

When he reached up to caress her, a soft sigh escaped her lips. She could feel his impressive erection poking her through his trousers. A wild hunger spread through her, and as he touched her, she let her hands explore his torso, her fingers trailing from his wide shoulders all the way down to his narrow waist.

Oh.

He moved suddenly, flipping them over so that she was lying on her back. The ground was cold and hard beneath her, but her initial discomfort was quickly replaced with pleasure as he closed his mouth over one nipple and then another, suckling hard.

In response, she moaned and wound her legs around him, pulling him against her so that his erection was nestled against her, throbbing with his own desire. Lance groaned and suckled even harder.

“Oh!” she gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth as it occurred to her that any sounds she made might draw the hunter to them if he was nearby.

Lance continued to take her breasts deeper into his mouth. One hand traveled down her body and began tugging her trousers down her legs, and she paused for a moment to help him until she was completely naked under him. He wasted no time slipping his hand along her belly, and between her thighs, and the soft groan of pleasure he let out informed her that he had found her already wet and ready.

Oh, boy, was she ready for him.

He slid his fingers into her wetness, and she stifled a gasp as they filled her. Lance went to work, thrusting into her while his thumb remained on her engorged clit. Pleasure coursed through her body in waves, and she bit down on her lip to hold back the cry that threatened to erupt from her.

Oh, Lance, don’t you ever stop doing that.

It wasn’t long before she felt the first tremors of her orgasm. Mallory’s eyes widened, and she clutched Lance’s head as she reached her climax, her entire body shuddering with the force of her ecstasy. He continued to suckle her, his fingers still working away at her clit.

“More,” she panted. “I want more.”

Lance lifted his head and flashed her an erotic gaze. “More?”

She nodded, her breasts rising with each deep breath she took. “I want more of you. Now. ”

His lips split in a grin. She heard the rustle of clothes being discarded. And then she felt his throbbing column rubbing her labia. He ground against her slowly, filling her with torturous pleasure, and she surged her hips toward him, trying to get him inside her.

“Give it to me,” she breathed, feeling a mixture of desire and frustration.

“Of course,” Lance said.

And he did. With a grunt, he plunged himself into her wetness, his entire body growing tense as he slid deeper into her. For a few seconds, he was perfectly still atop her, although she could feel him pulsating inside her, as eager for release as she was for the pleasure she craved from him.

“You feel amazing,” Lance told her, and he began to pump into her.

But Mallory was beyond speech as he started to move, his body hovering above hers, his hips gyrating by the second, sending tendrils of ecstasy through her body. Mallory nearly convulsed again on the spot. She held on to him, one arm locked around his neck, the other resting on his wide back. A series of ragged moans escaped her lips, only to be muffled by a kiss from Lance.

He continued to deliver long, powerful strokes, accompanied by gentle murmurs against her lips, and she felt her second orgasm drawing near. For a second, time seemed to freeze, and all she was aware of was this beautiful, wonderful man on top of her. Then her orgasm rocked her body with the force of a battering ram, and she cried her pleasure into his mouth as she convulsed.

At the same time, Lance’s body gave a tremor, and then, he, too, came, spilling himself into her. He collapsed atop her, covering her like a blanket, and they lay, panting, in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

Mallory let out a contented sigh. For the first time since she landed on Frost Mountain, it seemed things were starting to make sense.

***

The warmth of Lance’s body replaced any need for a sweater or coat, and Mallory slept soundly through the night. Ironically, it was the gust of cold wind sweeping into the cave that roused her to consciousness. She awoke with her body curled against Lance’s, his arm draped protectively over her. He was still asleep.

A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the past night. It had happened so suddenly; once she started kissing him, she’d been unable to stop. Not that she regretted it. The memory of Lance thrusting deeply into her crept into her mind, and she reluctantly discarded it.

He stirred in his sleep, his grip on her relaxing a little. Extricating herself from his grasp, Mallory sat up, reached for her clothes, and pulled them on, ignoring the urge to stay snuggled against him. If they were still cuddling by the time he woke up, they’d most likely end up repeating last night’s performance. As much as she would love that, they had to get going this morning. The longer they remained in one place, the more likely they were to be discovered by Boris.

The last thing Mallory needed was to see Lance get hurt again because of her.

She glanced at him and barely suppressed a sigh. His injuries had healed, but he was now covered with more scars than when he’d found her.

That’s on you , she told herself. He wouldn’t be risking his life if it weren’t for you.

The next time they faced Boris, he might not even survive it. Nausea swept through her gut as she pictured Lance lying in the snow with one of Boris’s blades buried in his chest. He was already risking so much to protect her. If he died, it would be her fault.

She was a liability to him.

He probably wouldn’t admit it, especially not after what they’d just shared, but her presence in his life had turned it upside down. She imagined he’d been leading a very peaceful life until she triggered that avalanche with her screams.

No wonder he didn’t want to help me at first, she thought, especially after what happened with that other fae woman.

Julia, was it? Yes, her. The woman who’d sought his help and then turned on him for whatever reason. Mallory had no malicious intentions toward Lance, but that didn’t change the fact that being around her put a target on his back.

As long as he was with her, Boris would hunt him, too.

“You deserve better,” she muttered, gazing down at him.

The shifter was still deep asleep. Mallory wasn’t going to wake him.

Better asleep than dead.

She knew what she had to do, and she was going to do it. As doubt crept in, she fought to maintain her resolve, pushing the thought of Lance out of her mind.

It was now or never.

She picked up the MediPack, strapping it around her waist underneath her coat.

“Goodbye, Lance,” she whispered.

Taking a final look around the cave, she turned and marched out into the cold.

***

She’d been trekking for about twenty minutes when it suddenly dawned on her that she should’ve taken some spare clothes and food from the bag back in the cave. Stumbling through the cold across the side of the mountain, Mallory gave herself a mental kick. Less than an hour on her own, and she’d already pretty much doomed herself. Without Lance, she had as much chance of surviving out here as she had of snapping her fingers and magically transporting herself back to her world.

“I should’ve stayed in the cave,” she breathed. “At least for a bit.”

Her departure had been sudden, no doubt about that, and apart from the fact that it was probably the dumbest choice she’d made so far, she knew Lance would be crushed. He’d open his eyes to find her missing. How could she have done that to him?

It’s for the best, said a little voice in her head.

Without her in his life, he’d be much better off. Besides, Boris was after both of them, not just her. If they split up, the Fae Hunter couldn’t possibly go after them at once, could he?

An unsettling thought crept into Mallory’s mind then: What if Boris went after Lance first? Splitting up might not really do either of them much good. If Lance got hurt again, or worse, it would be just as bad as if it happened while she was with him. And with Lance gone, she was completely defenseless.

She paused in the snow, scanning her surroundings. Should she go down the mountain or higher up? The farther she traveled, the more confused she got. Without Lance, she was lost.

“I just hope I survive the next couple of days.”

Or she could go back to Lance. The thought swept through her mind suddenly, and she held her breath. She could go back to the cave. With any luck, he was still there, sound asleep, unaware of the crippling indecisiveness that seemed to have gripped her this morning.

With a sigh, Mallory glanced over her shoulder.

And then she froze.

Someone was marching up toward her. The figure was at least seventy feet away, too far for her to see clearly, but she could make out a pair of broad shoulders. As the figure drew nearer, the person came into focus. A large, dark coat appeared in her line of vision. It was a tall man, and he was walking purposefully in her direction.

That had to be Lance…right?

Maybe he’d woken up to find her gone, and he’d come after her. She definitely had some explaining to do, but a flutter of relief filled her chest at the thought that he’d followed her.

Then, a pang filled her gut as she realized that the man making his way toward her was not Lance. Because the last time she checked, Lance hadn’t been wearing a coat. And Lance didn’t walk around clutching his blades. And Lance didn’t have a bushy beard.

Or green eyes.