Fathom, p.7
Fathom, page 7
Tilly opened her eyes and gazed over at him. “You’re welcome. Though, I’ve told you, fighting underwater evil is what I was designed for. It’s sort of my thing. And it’s almost entirely instinctual.”
“Regardless, watching you helped all of us learn how to fight those things effectively. You’ve already been a great help to the people here, and to my planning for the next encounter.” He looked back at the road as he pulled into the parking lot attached to the motel.
“I only wish I could help you with the leviathan, itself. But my instincts are all about the smaller ones, not the big guy.” Her brow furrowed. “I wonder where the leviathan was today? I mean, I sort of expected it to be behind its minions, pushing them onward, but I didn’t see it at all. Did you?”
“Oh, it was there,” he told her. “I think it was watching. Studying us as we learn how to fight against its army of horrors. I believe it’s the brains behind the native sea serpents, as you call them. It’s directing their actions. It was watching from a distance today, and I shudder to think what it may have learned that it can use against us in our next encounter.”
Tilly shivered. “I can only hope it didn’t learn anything important.”
“I think the worst of it is that you’ll now be a target. I mean, everybody here is a target, but you might get a little more attention than most because you are the first one to effectively fight against the beasts. And, more importantly, you were able to show us how to do the same. That makes you the most dangerous person in town, to date. At least where the leviathan is concerned.” He pulled into a parking space and shut off the engine, looking over at her. “Don’t worry, though. You won’t ever have to face another battle alone. I’ll be right there with you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tilly’s breath caught at the promise in his eyes as he said she’d never have to face another battle alone. That he would be with her. It sounded so solemn. Like a vow. Which confused her.
Was he talking about right now, or was he talking about forever? She wasn’t sure. It seemed ridiculous to think—on the basis of only a couple of kisses—that he could be thinking long-term. Yet, for some reason, that’s how it sounded to her ears.
Wishful thinking. Had to be. She’d never met a man who stirred her more. She’d never been so instantly attracted to a guy and liked him more every moment they were together. The more she learned about him, the more she admired him.
He was handsome as sin with his whirling ocean-blue eyes and sandy hair. His intensity appealed to her beast half as well as her human side. The thunderbird had watched him fight and had been impressed by his skills and adaptability. It had also been a little in awe of the way he commanded his element. She’d never known such power concentrated in one person, though she was familiar with a variety of shifters and even a few magic users. Jim was something even stronger and more esoteric.
She’d noted the way he had worked with his brother. The two of them were a force to be reckoned with, and they seemed to know each other’s moves as if they were sharing a mind. Perhaps they had some way of using the water to communicate with each other. She wouldn’t be surprised if they had. Regardless, they were impressive when they worked together, and Rick’s mate, Molly, knew how to use those blades of hers to great effect.
Tilly liked Molly a lot. She was the kind of woman Tilly could easily see herself befriending, though she got the impression that Molly had some limitations because of her siren power. It must be hard to live with something that was so strong and could inadvertently affect men she didn’t want to harm. Tilly’s heart went out to the siren, and she hoped she would have a chance to get to know Molly a little better while she was in town.
Jim got out on the driver’s side after shutting down the engine and came around to her side of the truck. She wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but she was prepared to hobble into the motel with his assistance. What she wasn’t quite ready for was his opening the passenger door and, without so much as a by-your-leave, gathering her into his arms and lifting her out of the truck.
She was only wearing a T-shirt, and her ass was probably swinging in the breeze, but she clutched her bag and pants to her chest. Jim started walking toward the entrance after elbowing the truck door shut behind him. He carried her as if she weighed nothing at all, his muscles barely seeming to notice her weight in his arms.
“You can put me down,” she protested. “I can walk.”
“Nope,” he replied immediately, smiling with just one sexy corner of his mouth. “I won’t let you undo all my fancy bandaging work on your feet. I’ll just get you to your room, okay?”
His mouth was so close, and that quirky smile made her want to kiss the corner of it. She would probably have been appalled by her own thoughts if she could think clearly at all. As it was, she felt safe and…sort of…cherished, for the first time in years. No man had carried her since she was a child. And no man had cared for her injuries like this man, either.
Of course, it was a unique situation. Whenever she’d gone up against evil creatures in the past, she’d been on her own, or with a group of her fellow thunderbirds. They’d taken care of each other, but not with the same degree of attention that Jim was lavishing on her. It seemed overblown, but somehow, also incredibly special.
He made her feel…loved. Cared about in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Tilly had lost both of her parents, years before, and although she had distant family, it wasn’t the same. Her mom and dad had been her teachers, friends, and confidants. They had taught her everything she knew about life and love. Theirs had been a rare mating between two thunderbird shifters. All the other thunderbirds she knew had mated outside their species. There were so few of them compared to other kinds of shifter, that it was pretty much inevitable.
Thankfully, there was nobody in the lobby when he stepped through the automatic doors. He strode down the hallway to her room as if this was a perfectly normal occurrence. He paused at the door and looked down at her.
“Key?”
She felt a flush rising to her cheeks. She’d been so focused on him that she hadn’t thought about the need for a key to get into her room. Had she been staring at him the whole time? Yes. She thought she probably had. How embarrassing. Maybe he hadn’t noticed?
She glanced up at him even as she fumbled with her bag to find the key card. The gleam in his swirling blue eyes told her he had, indeed, noticed. Darnit.
She found the key, and he leaned toward the door so she could reach the key slot. She slid it in, and the lock turned green. She turned the handle, and he elbowed the door open, walking through with her still in his arms.
As the door swung shut behind them, he paused at the threshold of the room. To the right was the bathroom. If he kept walking straight, they’d be in the room, proper. There were two double beds, a console table that held a television, coffee machine and a few other oddments. Past that, along the same wall, was a desk. On the other side of the room’s only window was an easy chair.
“Chair or bed?” he seemed to wonder aloud. “Where would you be most comfortable?”
“How about the bathroom?” she countered.
He looked down at her, meeting her gaze. “Kinky.” His smile kicked into full gear as he teased her.
She pushed at his shoulder, enjoying his humor. “Put me down and let me get cleaned up a little,” she insisted.
She thought he’d just let her stand where they were, but he walked into the bathroom and placed her on the countertop. The T-shirt just barely covered her bottom, but it was enough. She felt the chill of the stone countertop against her butt and the contrast of that cold versus the heat in her blood from being so close to Jim was a stark reminder that they’d only really just met the day before.
“Are you really all right enough to be left on your own?” he asked, getting serious for a moment.
She nodded solemnly. “I’m fine. I’ve had cuts like these before. I know how to work around them.”
“I hate that you’ve been so injured before,” he said, surprising her again. “But I’m also impressed as hell. You are one hell of a woman, Tilly.”
Those last words were said in an intimate whisper as he moved closer. She saw him coming in for a kiss, and the last thing on her mind was evasion. She wanted his kiss. That and so much more. She leaned forward to meet his lips with hers and moaned when his arms went around her, pulling her close to his muscled chest.
She wasn’t wearing a bra under the T-shirt. Or panties. When he spread her legs and stepped between them so he could get even closer, she felt only a moment’s hesitation. Did she want this? Did she want him?
You bet your bippy—as her great-grandmother would have said—Tilly definitely wanted Jim. Any time. Any way. If he wanted to go all the way, right now, she was totally up for it.
She felt the rough texture of his cargo pants against her inner thighs as their lips combined, their tongues twining and dancing together like the wind and the waves. She put her arms around his neck and drew him closer as passion built around them. They had kissed before, but it had been nothing like this sudden conflagration that swirled around them. Those earlier kisses had been nice. This was…tempestuous.
“More,” she whispered as his lips drew away for the slightest moment.
Jim gave in easily to her demand, pressing closer and trailing his fingers down her spine to rest on her hips. He pulled her closer, and she widened her legs for him, even as his lips returned to hers, devouring, tasting, memorizing and delighting every single one of her senses.
Tilly’s hands went to his shoulders, wanting to feel his skin against her fingertips…and against the rest of her bare body. There was just too much fabric in the way.
He was wearing a soft T-shirt that hugged his muscular torso faithfully. She’d almost drooled when she’d first seen him this morning but had managed to control herself. Mostly.
Now, that sexy shirt was a hindrance, and she wanted it gone. She ran her hands down his sides, using her fingers to tug upward on the soft cotton. He didn’t stop her. Only when she placed her palm on the bare skin of his back did he seem to realize what she wanted. He moved back, breaking the kiss and holding her gaze as he tugged the shirt up and over his head.
He didn’t return straight away. Instead, he continued to hold her gaze, his own whirlpool blue eyes steamy with emotion. Something significant passed between them.
“Tell me you’re feeling this too,” he said in a low voice that was almost a growl.
Mutely, she nodded.
“I want you, Tilly.” His blunt words made her gulp. “I know this is too fast, too soon, but I can’t help myself. I’ll stop, though, if you want me to. Just tell me now.”
He just looked at her, waiting for her to say something, and she knew she had to take ownership of this moment. She couldn’t just let things happen. He wouldn’t let her claim later that she’d just gotten carried away. No, he wanted active agreement. Acceptance. Acknowledgment.
She decided to be bold. Boldness was part of her nature, and she decided to embrace it.
“Don’t stop,” she said simply. “I want you too.”
He did growl then, stepping closer as his lips claimed hers once more. His hands roamed over her body, shaping her through the thin fabric of her T-shirt, then tugging, as she had done for him, until the shirt was out of his way. He broke the kiss, only to pull the shirt up over her shoulders and toss it onto the floor.
His gaze touched her body like a physical caress, and then, his lips followed where his eyes had roamed, kissing his way down her throat, over her collarbone and then to her breasts. He teased the hard points until she moaned and rubbed up against him, seeking more. So much more.
There was no turning back now. She was committed and invested in learning the pleasure Jim could bring her. So far, she was feeling so much more than she had ever felt before. Was it Jim’s magic rubbing up against her senses, or just the chemistry that seemed so natural between them? She wasn’t sure. Whatever it was, it was titillating and, she feared, addictive. Every touch, every caress, brought her new sensations she never would have expected. Not just pleasure. That was too small a word to describe what they created together when they touched.
Ecstasy? Perhaps. But there was an unearthly quality to their shared desire that made it incredibly hard for her to think of an accurate description. Then, he lowered the zipper of his pants and released the kraken, so to speak, and all thoughts fled.
She wanted to giggle at her internal dialog, but her mouth was too dry to make a sound. Jim was beautifully formed in every respect. A sleekly muscled swimmer’s body of flowing lines and hard muscle. He was tall and lean and so incredibly ripped. But he was also thick and hard where it counted, as she discovered, much to her delight.
Jim ran his hands from her knees down the insides of her thighs, spreading her wider, preparing the way. He paused to test her readiness, holding her gaze as he slid one finger, then two, within her hot core. She squirmed toward him, loving the feel of him inside her, even in this small way.
Jim smiled at her, and it was a knowing smile, filled with male satisfaction. She’d never seen anything sexier.
“You like that,” he mused. “I hope you’ll like what comes next even more.”
“Let’s try it and find out,” she breathed, hardly able to speak, but wanting to indicate that she was with him every step of the way. She scooted forward on the countertop, glad to discover it was the perfect height for what came next as he’d put it. “Don’t make me wait, Jim,” she told him, offering herself up like a sacrifice. A very willing, very enthusiastic sacrifice.
He didn’t disappoint her. Jim removed his fingers and moved closer, aligning himself with her core and pressing in…slowly. Exquisitely. Deliciously.
She strained to take more of him. She wanted it all. She wanted it fast. But he held back, teasing her, testing her, making her aware of every millimeter of his possession.
Then, finally, he was there. Seated firmly inside her. Completing her in a way she had never known could happen. Everything suddenly seemed right with her world, and her thunderbird spirit cried out in triumph in her mind.
She didn’t want to think about what that might mean. She wanted only to revel in this moment, this man, this magnificent pleasure. He began to move, and she clung to him, letting him set the pace even as she urged him on.
She didn’t know how long it lasted, but it felt, paradoxically, like forever and no time at all before she was flying up into the heavens on the winds of ecstasy. It was like nothing that had come before, and she feared it would never be like this again, but all the same, she was triumphant to have gained this knowledge…this experience…with this man.
Tilly cried out as her climax peaked again and again. She felt him tense and knew he had found the ultimate pinnacle as well. They were well-matched, even though they hadn’t known each other long. She clung to him as she spiraled down from a height she had never reached before. She had never even known it existed before Jim.
Sweet Mother of All, she wasn’t sure she would ever recover from this amazing pleasure. She felt herself floating—not unlike the way her wings coasted on air currents when she was out before a storm—but this was subtly different. It was fulfillment on a level she had never expected.
It was earth shattering and life changing.
If she allowed it to be.
That crushing thought brought her back to earth, though a fuzzy haziness still surrounded her. She allowed herself to be lifted off the counter as Jim stepped away. He was caring for her again, but she wasn’t going to object. He set her on the closed lid of the toilet while he started the hot water flowing in the shower.
“Let’s get cleaned up,” he said in a soft tone that made her meet his gaze. His expression was a tad guarded, if she was any judge, but she didn’t let it faze her. She was going to enjoy these moments, however long they lasted.
“The bandages,” she reminded him even as he knelt at her feet and began unwrapping the gauze he’d so carefully applied only an hour earlier.
“I’ll just take off the big ones. I can keep the water off your feet, if you prefer.” His head tilted to one side. “Yeah, that might be better.” He stopped removing the bandages and stood once more, lifting her into his arms.
He was as strong—if not stronger—than any shifter she’d ever known. Even the bears.
Jim stepped into the large shower stall with her and set them both under the wide rain head. For a motel, this one was luxurious, with spacious bathrooms with all the amenities. Bears liked their creature comforts, she knew.
“How’s the water temperature?” Jim asked as he held her. He didn’t seem to want to let her feet touch the ground.
“It’s perfect,” she told him, “but you can put me down now. My feet are sore, but I can stand on them.”
His brow furrowed. “I don’t want you in pain,” he replied, then quirked his head to the side, as if he didn’t quite believe what he was about to say. “It hurts me to know that you’re hurting.”
Her heart melted a little bit. “That’s really sweet, but this isn’t going to work very well if I can’t move around under the water to get clean.”
“Ah, but you’re wrong there.” He grinned like a Cheshire cat. “I can move the water around you.” He seemed inordinately pleased with that idea and proceeded to show her just how fine a control he had over his power.
If the water hadn’t already been steaming, she thought maybe steam would have risen from her skin as he showed her just how he could use water to both of their advantage. Everywhere he moved the water over her skin, she was cleaned by its passage. Soothed and stimulated by the touch of it on her skin, directed by him with scandalous intent. The water lingered on her breasts, and then on the insides of her thighs, and then…
