The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(77)

Lindsey was roused by the door chiming about thirty minutes later. Groggy, she slid off the rumpled bed. The muscles in her back were aching, since she carried her stress along her spine. Unlocking the door, she watched it slide open through bleary eyes. Torran stood on the other side with a pensive expression on his face. She waved him in and slumped against the wall as he brushed past her.

The door slid shut, leaving them in silence. The look on Torran’s face was difficult to decipher. His jaw was clenched and his gaze was directed away from hers. What was going through his mind? Was he angry? Upset?

“That could have gone worse,” she said at last, trying to start a conversation.

Torran took her by surprise when he gripped her arms, tugged her against him, and rendered her breathless in a scorching kiss. Her lips parted beneath the hungry caress of his mouth and his tongue swiped against hers, causing her to moan with delight. Clutching his arms with her hands, she hungrily responded with equal passion. The depth of her desire for him surprised and frightened her. She’d never experienced such longing in her life. It was more than physical desire, and almost beyond description.

Shaking, Torran raised his hand to her face and broke the kiss. “I thought I might lose you when that Scrag bit you. I wanted to save you, but I couldn’t,” he muttered against her lips.

“I’m fine, Torran. I’m still here,” she managed to say, still gasping for breath.

“I can’t lose you,” Torran whispered, his brown eyes downcast. His fingers were trembling against her cheek.

“You won’t. Ever,” she promised, though she knew it was empty. Life could be so cruel.

The next kiss was sweeter, but just as intense. She laid her hands against the sides of his neck and his rapid pulse beneath her palms said so much. The terror of that awful moment still beat in his heart. Now she understood the complexity of emotions in his expression when he’d entered the dorm room. The look upon his face mirrored her emotions. The fear and stress they’d experienced on the mission had been exacerbated by their affection for each other. Now that they’d returned and were safely alone, all those jumbled feelings were pouring out of them.

When his fingers swiftly unfastened her uniform, she didn’t resist despite her mental and physical fatigue. He needed the reassurance that she was still with him, still alive, and still in his arms. Meanwhile, she wanted to feel his love, his desire for her, and his need to protect her. It wasn’t until he’d pinned her to the wall and slid his cock into her already wet core that Lindsey finally managed to escape the horrors of their mission. Pleasure filled her senses and wiped away the terrors she’d experienced. The sound of their labored breathing as Torran shoved into her and she thrust against him replaced the terrifying screeches. The fragrance of his skin replaced the reek of death. The exquisite sensation of him plunging in and out of her and his mouth consuming hers replaced the pain of the Scrag’s bite. Torran wiped away all the horrors and replaced it with him.

When he finally came inside her, Lindsey was lightheaded with bliss. Sagging in his arms, she buried her face in his neck. “Don’t leave me,” she whispered.

“I won’t,” he replied in a ragged voice. “We don’t report until morning,”

It wasn’t what she’d meant, but she was a little afraid of how easily the words had slipped out. It was a confession of how much she needed him and how much of her heart she’d invested in their relationship. He kissed her again, but this time the touch of his lips was gentle and sweet. They spent several more precious moments just kissing tenderly as they disengaged their bodies and slowly finished undressing.

After climbing naked into bed together, they fell asleep almost immediately. The nightmares returned, but Lindsey only had to drift close enough to wakefulness to realize Torran was at her side and be reassured by his presence. He awakened her a few times by muttering in his sleep while twitching. Holding him tight, she tried to give him comfort as he maneuvered through his own terrible dreams. They were both plagued by what they’d endured, and in some ways, that was a comfort. That understanding made their connection stronger.

It was nearly midnight when Lindsey woke up to Torran’s tender kisses on her neck. With a small moan, she tilted her head away from him so he could nibble his way along the curve of her throat.

“Done with nightmares for a bit,” he said against her skin.

“Me, too.” Tangling her fingers in his hair, she enjoyed the sensation of him kissing and licking his way down her body. “A girl could get used to this.”

“And you will,” Torran said, his Scottish brogue making him all the more sexy in the moment.

He spent a delicious amount of time adoring her hard pink nipples with his tongue. In the muted light cast be the bedside lamp, she felt no fear knowing he was near. The day and all its terrors faded away and all that existed was her small dorm room. Soon his ministrations had her arching her back while she rubbed her * against his thigh in desperation.

“Hurry up and do something. You’re driving me mad,” she pouted.

“Nah. I’m taking my time.”

With a teasing smile, he leisurely covered her stomach and hips with little bites and kisses. Intoxicated by his touch, her nipples and clit were already painfully erect. Just one flick of his tongue against her wetness sent her spiraling into an intense orgasm.