"And you just happened to carry candles in your pack as well?" He leaned over and blew them out, then lay back, licking at her shoulder and then teasing with his teeth, producing a little shiver.
"I was camping and light tends to hurt my eyes, so as a rule I keep a box in my backpack. They aren't terribly fancy, but they do the trick."
There was a small silence. He could hear the clock ticking. He inhaled the scent of her, taking it deeper into his lungs, and nuzzled her breast. She never pulled away from him, as he half expected her to do. Instead, her body welcomed his, warm and so soft, always inviting. He could barely breathe with loving her. She thawed something frozen in him when she was close. He hadn't expected it to be like this, but there was no going back.
Thank you. He couldn't say it out loud. He would have choked on the words.
She looked at him, her gaze drifting over his face, seeing more than he wanted her to. "For what?" Her fingertip traced his lips.
For making me feel like I have someone to come home to. Hell. He was choking up anyway. Fuck it. For loving me. He despised being so inept with words, not when she deserved so much better, but it was the best he could do with his throat raw and his eyes burning.
"I do love you," she said, rolling over to sprawl on top of him, framing his face with her hands. She kissed him, sliding her tongue along his lips, and, when he opened, into his mouth, to tangle in a slow leisurely dance with his. "I didn't think I would, but who could ever resist you?"
"I want to be inside you again," he whispered. "I need to be. Slide down my body and get me hard, baby."
He was already coming back fast, but she didn't hesitate, kissing her way down his chest until her hands cupped his sac, stroking upward, and her mouth closed over him, tight and hot.
Kadan came alive instantly under the growing experience of her fantasy mouth. He made love to her again, as gently as he could for as long as he could, but inevitably, he grew rough and hard, plunging deeper and faster, riding her with everything he was. It didn't matter that he took them both over the edge again. His body might be temporarily sated, but his mind would never be. Touching her, loving her, was a miracle.
He curled his body around hers, his arm possessively around her waist, and listened to her breathing. He could spend a lifetime holding her close. He waited, there in the dark, with the scent of cinnamon and sex hanging in the air, until she was in a deep sleep. Very gently he pressed a kiss against the nape of her neck and removed her hand from over the top of his. Rolling carefully off the bed, he pulled on his jeans and a shirt and dragged his belt with his weapons and a few supplies around his waist, before slipping out of the room.
Ryland was waiting for him in the hall. "Took you long enough."
"I wanted to make certain she was asleep in case this goes bad."
Ryland nodded. "We'll have to make entry from outside. He's barricaded the door."
Kadan shrugged. "He's not stupid, but he's so full of shit. He's up to his ears in Whitney's mess. The wife is clean though. I could read her and she despises Whitney. I think the only real source of contention in their marriage has been Whitney."
"So she wanted to take Tansy to a different doctor and her husband refused," Ryland said. "I wonder why he would do that." He frowned and leaned close to Kadan, sniffing. "Cinnamon?"
"Shut the hell up." Kadan snapped and pushed past him.
Ryland took another whiff and gave a low whistle. "You smell yummy. I'm getting hungry. Maybe cinnamon buns."
Kadan flipped him off rudely.
Nico stood waiting by the front door. As always he was their backup. He frowned when the two GhostWalkers got close. "What the hell is that smell?"
"Kadan's new spicy cologne."
"Go to hell. Rye," Kadan said and shot him a look that should have withered him on the spot. "Both of you can go to hell"
"I think his blood sugar's dropping," Ryland explained. "Must have been all the cinnamon candy he got tonight."
Nico put on an innocent face. "That woman of yours smells a little like cinnamon."
"Makes you hungry, doesn't it?" Ryland said.
"Yep. Can't wait to tell Dahlia about this one. The ice man gets all hot and bothered around cinnamon spice. Who would have guessed?"
"Don't make me shoot you." Kadan yanked open the front door. "Because I'll do you both in a heartbeat and never look back."
Ryland smirked at him, not in the least intimidated. He began humming a tune overly loud under his breath.
Kadan shot him a look of intense irritation. "What are you doing now?"
Nico nudged him. "Don't you know that tune? I'd think it was your favorite. You're such a music cretin. Neil Young wrote some great songs." When Kadan still looked blank, Nico sang the lyrics while Ryland hummed. "I wanna live with a cinnamon girl…"
"I really am going to shoot you both." Kadan shook his head.
They'd never let him live it down. By tomorrow both of the clowns were going to buy him a Neil Young album with the song "Cinnamon Girl" on it. He shook his head and kept his grin to himself. He'd probably play it too, but hell if he'd ever tell either of them that.
He gave a small salute to Tucker, who was making the rounds and emerged out of the bushes as if he'd just materialized.
"Everything's quiet. Gator ditched the Humvee on the other side of town. He'll be back in a while," Tucker said.
Ryland nudged him. "You smell love in the air, Tucker?"
Tucker inhaled. "Kadan. Man. High-five me, bro."
"I'm going to make everyone of you eat those smiles," Kadan groused and pushed through them to stalk around to the side of the house, ignoring the soft, taunting laughter that followed him.
He crouched just below the window of the bedroom they'd given Don and Sharon Meadows. It was time to pay the man a little visit. They'd told him the window was wired, but there was no alarm on, not until Kadan knew exactly what he was dealing with. Just in case Don had his own method of alarms, he checked all around the window and listened for the telltale hum of a live wire. It was silent, other than a few soft snores from Tansy's father.
Kadan slipped his blade along the windowsill before levering the window up. He'd made certain there would be no noise when he opened the window, before he'd ever put the couple in the room to begin with. He went headfirst into the room, creeping down the wall to the carpeted floor, knife in his teeth, Ryland right behind him.
They split up, one on either side of the large double bed. Ryland pulled out the air syringe and made certain Sharon would stay asleep. When he was certain she was out, he signaled Kadan and slipped into the shadows where Don wouldn't detect him. Nico took up a position just outside the window, where he could train a gun on the man at all times.
Kadan crept up the wall at the head of the bed and slipped behind Don to settle his weight carefully. He didn't bother with a knife; if he had to kill Don, he would do it with his bare hands. He didn't want blood for Sharon to wake up and find.
He placed his hand carefully on the man's throat and pressed hard enough to wake him.
Don's eyes snapped open and he stiffened.
Kadan's fingers dug deeper, letting him feel his enormous strength. "I wouldn't move if I were you," he said quietly. "I'm a patient man, Mr. Meadows, but I'm tired tonight, and I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. I'm going to ask a couple of questions, and whether you live or die in the next few minutes depends on your answers."
Don flicked a quick glance at his wife, his lips compressing tightly.