She sensed an answering need in him. He yearned for something from her as he searched her eyes. She couldn’t put it into words but she felt the emotion coming from him in waves as he rocked them both toward the pinnacle they’d visited together before. The pleasure was addictive. Given a few more rounds of this, she’d readily agree to anything he proposed. He’d made her his slave.
That was saying a lot for a woman who prided herself on her independence and ability to handle almost anything life threw at her. He was a strong man who didn’t throw his strength around. He led by making people want to follow him, not by fear or intimidation. She’d seen that back at his base. He was so strong, so powerful, so steadfast, the men who followed his lead did so out of deference to the force of his personality, the strength of his convictions and the fairness in his heart.
She’d follow his lead for all those reasons, but also because her body had gained an intrinsic understanding of his dominance over the past hours. It was instinctive in humans, as in many animals, to stand back and allow the alpha male to lead. Gina was quickly learning how easy it would be to give over all control to an alpha male like Jim.
“You’re killing me, baby, with that look on your face.”
His words penetrated directly into her mind. It was the first time he had initiated telepathic communication during an intimate moment. The rumble of his thoughts through her mind brought an even deeper level of intensity to what they were doing.
“What look is that?” She strained against him as he drove deeper, higher.
“It has heartbreak written all over it, Gina.”
Gina blinked, knowing instantly she’d been too unguarded. She, who’d been taught since early childhood to never telegraph her next move or allow her thoughts to show on her face, had crossed that line with him. Only with him. Jim Brown was the only man to ever make her forget her training—to make her forget herself.
The plateau of pleasure they’d reached stretched on as he looked into her eyes. She was shocked by how easily she’d forgotten everything she’d been taught. It was time to regroup, but first, it was time to make him come.
Turnabout was fair play, and her new goal was to make him as crazy as he’d made her. Wresting control from him would be difficult and had an added flavor of danger, but ultimately she thought it could be a lot of fun.
“I love the sound of your thoughts in my head.” She sent her thoughts into his mind, lowering her eyelashes so she regarded him through pleasure-soaked slits. “Almost as much as I love the feel of you in my pussy.”
Jim growled at her changed tone and moved more decisively within her.
“I can feel your excitement, you know. This close, my empathic senses are nearly drowning in your need for completion, your need to come.”
“Two can play this game, baby.” The growl in his tone made her shiver all the way down to her toes. “Your body is like warm velvet fisting around me, slick and hot. I know you can feel how much I want to shoot into you. Almost as much as you want to shimmy in climax around me. Don’t you, honey?”
She sent him a wicked smile. “You must be a mindreader.”
“Not quite, but I do recognize when a woman wants to come. Do it now, baby. Come on me, and I’ll come in you.”
His words were accompanied by yet another increase in pace and a slight shifting that brought him into her on a slightly different angle. That slight change was enough to send her to the moon. She cried out both vocally and telepathically as she orgasmed hard in his arms. The peak was so high, she was only dimly aware of him following right behind her, spurting in warm waves that prolonged her pleasure.
They were both sweaty and breathing hard as they came down from the highest peak they’d yet achieved together—and that was saying something. Gina had never had a better lover. He’d shown her things about her own body that she never would have imagined just a few days ago. She could read his satisfaction with what they did together—a sort of masculine pride and something that felt almost like a claim of ownership, or perhaps a desire to command and dominate.
Rather than objecting, the taste of his thoughts and emotions made her yearn for something that could never be. The two of them together was just a temporary thing. Both of them knew it was highly unlikely it could ever be more. They were resigned to it. Or so she believed. But it was clear from what she could read of his emotions that he wished for more.
Just like she did.
Chapter Twelve
Gina took watch on the next leg of their journey while Jim slept. She watched the rails carefully, taking notes for Wally in short bursts. Her handwriting suffered because she wasn’t looking down most of the time as she wrote, but she figured Wally would just have to deal with it. There was too much at stake. One moment of inattention could cause them to crash into something obstructing their path. And although the maps looked as if the rail system extended all the way to the Canadian base, no one had been able to explore this far yet, so no one was really one hundred percent sure.
This section of track was a little different than the straight lines they’d encountered on the previous sections. This one curved slightly in a westerly direction, but the curve wasn’t steep. It was just enough to make watching the track ahead interesting. Gina was glad of the need to pay strict attention to her task. It kept her from thinking too deeply about the new relationship between herself and Jim.
She would try her best to protect her heart, but at this point she knew she wouldn’t escape completely unscathed when their interlude was over. She’d carry a piece of him in her heart forever. He was a considerate and adventurous lover. And her small empathic gift told her he felt much the same.
It was an emotional disaster waiting to happen, about which they could do nothing. Their course had been set long before either of them had embarked on this journey. This journey alone was the only time they could count on. More than likely, it would be the only opportunity they ever had. The only course of action that made any sense was to make the most of it while she could.
Hell, she had more of a chance of seeing Grady Prime again than she did of making a relationship with Jim work. Why the Alvian warrior should come to mind now, when she’d done her best to stop thinking about him, she didn’t know. Their one encounter had changed her fundamentally. It had opened her up to new possibilities and probably even made this time with Jim possible.
Before she’d met Grady Prime, Gina had been much more protective of her heart, but Grady had blown all that away. He’d stormed her senses and freed her soul, unknowingly readying her for what came next. Too bad she didn’t see a happy ending in her future with either man. No, Grady had opened her to the possibilities of emotional entanglement without any promise, or even hope, of a happily ever after.
It was depressing really, but by the same token, she wouldn’t trade her time spent with Jim for anything in the world.
They traveled in relative safety for another day or so, switching off every few hours to change drivers. At every station along the way they took the opportunity to walk around, stretch their legs and make love. Jim was nearly insatiable. She wanted his kisses, his gentle touches, the small movements that said she was special to him. And she wanted his cock.