Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Ebony stretched in the unfamiliar bed and let the memories settle. She'd done it, she'd had sex, and it wasn't even illegal because Lark was her soulmate. She could hear the shower running so she knew she had a few moments alone and she was thankful. She flexed her body and realized there was a bit of soreness but that was expected after her first time. She waited for shame or regret, but it didn't come. She only felt satisfied, deeply satisfied and happy like she hadn't felt since her diagnosis.

She knew she shouldn't let it happen again, knew that getting any closer to him would just make things more difficult. But even as she told herself that, images of him embracing her as he ran his tongue over her scar and apologized, filled her head. As if he could have done a damn thing about it if he'd found her sooner.

She shook her head and hopped out of bed, threw on a robe, then made the bed to get rid of some of her anxious energy. Her cancer was no one's fault, it just was , and what she had to do before she died, just was as well.

Nothing had changed so she needed to get back to the plan.

She sat on top of the covers and closed her eyes. She didn't know how to meditate but figured it was just concentrating, so she searched in herself for the spark that told her she had a soulsister. She concentrated on it, coaxing it to reach out into the nearby universe in search of its other half.

A noise had her eyes popping open and she saw Lark emerge from the bathroom with only a towel around his waist, his chest glistening with water and his hair towel-dried and messy in the most delicious way. Her eyes followed a rivulet drip off a lock and make its way down his chest and dip into his bellybutton. She envied that drop of water and her tongue flicked at the roof of her mouth, wanting to dip in and sip it from him.

"Hey," she said quietly, feeling a bit of the awkwardness she was congratulating herself on not having earlier.

He smiled at her and winked, making a thrill of pleasure ripple through her body.

She gulped, willing her body under control. "I'm meditating, but I don't feel anything."

He shrugged as if it didn't matter in the least. "That's fine, it was worth a shot. Your soulsister probably doesn't have a huge pull, since you have more than half of the soul yourself. I imagine you'll have to get close to feel anything so it's worth a city search in person before we move on to another location."

"Oh," she frowned. How likely was it that they'd find her, she wondered with frustration. This seemed like the most ridiculous method for searching. She didn't know why she'd assumed the guy would have some kind of magical way of finding soulsiblings. He was so apparently successful at it; she'd just assumed it would be easy.

"You look worried. Are you doubting my methods?" he asked with amusement.

"Well, actually yeah," she said with a sigh. "What about Stone and Granger, are they having any luck with their lead?"

"I don't know, but we still have something to follow here anyway. Don't worry, this isn't my first time."

Ebony rolled her eyes. "Are you asking me to just trust the process?"

"Mostly to trust me. Also you can't scan your hand, anywhere. You need to stay hidden for the time being."

This didn't sit well with Ebony. She narrowed her eyes at him and rubbed her hand where the small chip lay under her skin. "Why?"

"Glick is dead."

Ebony could have guessed a hundred things and that wouldn't have been one. She struggled a moment to understand. "What?" she whispered.

"Taylor called while you were sleeping to warn you. You disappeared and he was found murdered, so you obviously are a prime suspect."

"Why?" she whispered, even though he'd just explained it exactly. A halfling didn't willingly disappear unless they were on the run from the law. There was no easy life for a halfling living off the grid, they were almost a hundred percent reliant on the government to keep them alive. You couldn't work, buy food, travel, nothing, without scanning your chip in most places. Death awaited those who tried to hide.

"Oh no, they'll know I'm here. They'll know I'm with you and they'll come for me." Panic overwhelmed her, she started to pant, she couldn't get enough air as thoughts of prison filled her head.

"How? You haven't scanned since I met you at work yesterday. They have no idea where you are or who you're with," Lark said calmly.

She looked at him wide-eyed and barely comprehending. He knelt on the bed in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. He stared into her eyes and demanded she breathe with him. Deep calming breaths, one after another until she once again was able to think.

"I haven't scanned, but there are cameras everywhere and if anyone saw you at the hotel that day, heard you ask for me." She shook her head, willing the panic to stay down. "They'll be looking for you to find me."

Lark nodded. "You didn't kill him; you were with me all night. They have nothing but circumstantial evidence and that may be enough to convict a halfling under normal circumstances, but you are not a poor halfling without the ability to hire a good lawyer, or post bail. If, and it's a big if, love, they were to find you and arrest you, I would have you out and safe and the case dismissed so fast your head would spin. You are my soulwife, my mate for life, and I intend to take care of you in every way until forever," he vowed.

Ebony melted at his words even as the fear of being accused of Glick's murder cycled through her mind. "Taylor called you? She must be so worried."

"She wants you to call her tonight when she'll be home," he said, though he looked reluctant.

"You don't think I should?"

"I think that any contact is risky, if they are looking for you they might tap her line, or, if they took her in for questioning it would be easier for her if she didn't know where you are, if she hadn't spoken with you in a while."

Ebony frowned, she wanted to talk to her friend but what he said made sense. The last thing she wanted to do was make trouble for Taylor.

"Why don't you get ready to go out, we can walk the streets and get an early dinner since we skipped lunch," he suggested. "I promise you're safe with me."

She wanted to hide under the bed, but she realized that this new development only made her search more urgent. If she were arrested, she may never prove her innocence in time to find her soulsister. She hurried off the bed to comply. Lark caught the belt of her robe as she tried to pass and as soon as it opened, his hands were on her body, grasping her bare ass and pulling her to him. He captured her lips in a deep kiss that left her breathless and wanting.

When he pulled away, she was staring up into his green eyes without a thought in her head aside from the feelings he could bring to life in her. "Now that I have you, there isn't a power on earth that can take you from me." He traced her scar. "Nothing," he said firmly and kissed her again. "Now you better move before I take you back to that bed," he said with a smirk. "Your body responds to me so sweetly, but I imagine you're a little sore."

Her face heated and she pushed him away. "I'll just go shower."

She hurried to the bathroom, closing the door between them and heard him laugh as she did.

She gripped the counter and looked at herself in the mirror. How was she going to resist him when every time he touched her, she was filled with electric need?

Especially now that she knew what the ending of that need felt like.

Her body shivered at the memory of the best orgasm of her life. Granted, she'd only ever given them to herself, before today, but she still never imagined it could be that much better with someone else. No wonder people didn't take the suppressants and risked pregnancy and legal action to sleep with each other.

She figured a cold shower was what she needed to get her mind back on track but she wasn't going to waste a good opportunity for unlimited hot water. She stood under the spray and soaked in the sensation until she was beet red and slightly faint. She turned it down a touch and scrubbed her body before stepping out and towel drying. Then she realized she didn't have anything to put on.

A knock at the bathroom door made her jump and wrap a towel around her body before stammering, "Yeah?"

"I had something sent up for you to wear. We can pick up whatever else is needed while we're out, but I thought you might like something fresh now."

Damn he was thoughtful. Ebony opened the door and accepted the bag he held out as his eyes ravaged her. "Thank you," she whispered and shut the door, her body already returning to the heated state it had been in when she'd entered the bathroom. And all with just a look from the man.

She was doomed. Maybe she should stop trying to resist and just take what she could while she could. She wasn't afraid of judgment, only of hurting him or changing her own mind and dooming her soulsister.

When she emerged from the bathroom dressed and ready in a black miniskirt and a flashy gold tank top, he was sitting on the balcony in black slacks and a black button up. He was sipping a glass of amber liquid and looking like a fucking sex god.

"I'm doomed," she whispered as she walked to the open door. "I'm ready to search," she said cheerfully.

He looked her up and down, leaving her feeling as though he could see underneath her clothing and into her soul.

"You look amazing, love," he said with a smile.

"You're not so bad yourself." She gave him a playful wink.

He finished off his drink and pulled her down into his lap, kissing her deeply. He tasted like sweet alcohol, and she couldn't stop herself from running her hands up into his hair. The kiss was full of all the passion she had been telling herself she could ignore, and he matched her with his own. He adjusted her body without breaking the kiss so that she was straddling him. She was glad she'd made the naughty decision to go without underwear as his fingers slid up her thigh and touched her naked flesh. He groaned and she quivered.

"Fuck, Ebony, I was just going to tease you a little, but you're already ready for me."

"Lark, I'm scared."

He grabbed her chin with one hand while the other played against her exposed body. His bright green eyes bored into hers with such intensity she couldn't even think to try and look away. "I am going to fucking fix this," he growled as his fingers entered her. Her hips bucked against him, and she gasped. "I am going to give you your soul, your health, and every goddamn thing you've ever wanted, and you are going to give me this, every day for the rest of your long life. Do you trust me?" He punctuated each word with a thrust of his fingers that sent a spiral of heat through her until she wasn't sure she could take much more.

"Yes," she groaned. And she did trust him, and it hurt that she did, because with that trust came an awful realization. She didn't want to die, and not wanting to die made everything a hell of a lot harder to deal with.

"Good girl," he said and pulled on her chin with his free hand. When her mouth opened he pulled his fingers from her and slipped them inside so she could taste herself. It was the most erotic thing she had ever experienced.

Lark meant every word of that vow and as her tongue slid around his fingers that had just been inside of her, he knew that he'd kill anyone who thought to stand in their way.

He pulled his clean fingers from her mouth and kissed her, his tongue lapping up the taste of her pleasure from her mouth. His hands worked as they kissed, releasing his erection. He had wanted to give her time to heal from her first time, but she was so wet and ready for him he couldn't resist her now. He entered her with one smooth stroke, delighting in the groan of satisfaction that came from her mouth. She gripped his shoulders, and he grasped her hips, guiding her as she rode him. He didn't care who might see, who might hear, as he took her on the balcony. She was his soulmate, and he would fuck her anywhere, anyway she'd allow.

"Look at me," he demanded and she obeyed quickly, dipping her chin to meet his gaze with hers and the way her eyes darkened with pleasure only amped up his own enjoyment. She slid her hands into his hair, gripping it tightly. He could see the moment before she came and he moved faster, slammed her down harder, taking her over the edge with force and as she trembled and cried out his name, he exploded inside of her.

Trembling and gasping, she laid her head on his shoulder as his hands ran up and down her back. "You are my soul now, Ebony. Trust that I will fix everything."

"I trust you, Lark."

Those words had never meant more to him.