The Mercenary (20 page)

desperate to feel his bare skin against hers. He held her hand away and shook his head.

“Let’s get you out of this dress, shall we?” Goose bumps rose on her skin as he kissed her neck noisily.

The dress was on the floor across the room, and she frowned. Of course. For a moment she’d forgotten

that they were pretending.

“Where’s Alex?” Marc whispered against her ear.

She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face against his throat. “In the

dungeon, directly below this room.”

“Do that again, darling.” He shifted so that the springs groaned, and used his teeth to nip at her neck until

she moaned. Eyes triumphant, he whispered close to her ear, “Six stories down.” His voice was grim.

“Where’s the belt?”

“The belt?”

Marc shook her so that the bedsprings creaked even harder. “The belt, Tory. The belt.

Where is it?

Concentrate, sweetheart. Would you like me to kiss you here?” he demanded in a normal tone. “What

about here, love?”

“I can’t concentrate when you do that,” she whispered thickly.

He lifted his head slightly. “Your life depends on making this sound good.” She went cold as she remembered that two feet away, under the lampshade, was a listening device.

Someone at the other end was hearing everything that went on in the room. She pushed her hair out of

her face and nodded, her eyes dark. “Oh, yes. Kiss me there.” Her voice shook with nervousness. “On

the chair under the window,” she mouthed to him.

Motioning that she continue moving on the bed, he got up silently and went to the window, rummaging

under her clothes until he found the belt he’d insisted she wear that morning. It felt like months ago. Tory

sat up and curled her legs under her panty-clad bottom. Every now and then she jumped up and down a

little and tried to make sexy noises. She felt absolutely ridiculous.

Marc came back and slid across the bed. Tunneling his fingers through her hair, he whispered at the side

of her face, “Can you communicate with Lynx and let him know what I’m doing?” Tory nodded. The bedsprings rang out as he moved rapidly and let out a satisfied moan.

Tory almost

giggled hysterically, but he shot her a warning look. “Ahh…do that again. No. Harder, darling. That’s it.

Yes.”

He moved cautiously to the end of the bed, lifting his leg onto the small upholstered bench at the foot. He

raised his pant leg, and then motioned with his hand for her to keep moving.

Tory slithered around on the bed and made satisfied noises as he pulled a small eight-shot Sauer

automatic pistol from his ankle holster.

“This damned bed is too soft,” he said harshly. Pulling Tory off the mattress, he indicated the window.

“I don’t mind the floor.” Tory obediently followed him to the window.

“Tell Alex exactly what I’m doing.” Marc pressed at a hidden device on the belt buckle and the backing

opened. “God, woman, you’re killing me.” He checked the contents, pulling out a thin line, which he fixed

to the buckle of the belt. Then he attached the gun to the line through the loop.

“Do you like this, darling?” Marc’s husky voice was loud in the quiet room. Tory couldn’t believe he

could sound so aroused while performing totally unrelated tasks. It was hard enough for her just to

concentrate on what to tell Alex. She scowled at him as he finished tying off the belt.

“And this?” he said

in a normal tone. “Answer me, sweetheart,” he said very, very softly.

“Yes!” Tory hissed through clenched teeth. Marc opened the window quietly and started lowering the

line down the outside wall.

“Tell Lynx to be watching his window. The belt and the Sauer are on their way down….

Lift your hips,

darling. There, that’s it. Does that feel good?”

Tory shivered as cool night air rushed in through the open window. “Y-yes.” She tried to focus on what

she was telling Alex. Marc gave her whispered instructions for Alex, while making lovemaking noises as

he carefully lowered the belt.

She couldn’t forget that someone was listening to every word. Tory wrapped her arms around her

shivering body, and the moan she supplied was heartfelt and very real—the breeze billowing through the

sheer drapes was icy on her bare skin.

“He’s got it,” she whispered, as Marc straightened, then drew the window shut. “He said he’s as ready

as he’s ever been. He’ll be waiting for you in two hours as instructed.”

“Good,” Marc whispered back. “Now, scream.”

Tory looked blank. “Scream?” she mouthed, puzzled.

“As in climax.”

Tory’s face flamed. “They’relistening. ”

Marc smiled and touched the side of her swollen jaw. “That’s the general idea, princess.

Scream your

head off as if you are having the time of your life. Now.” Tory produced a mangled scream. Marc’s credible shout bounced off the walls. Still clutching her bare

midriff, she shivered.

Marc pulled her half-naked body close and wrapped his arms around her. “Good girl.” He let her go and padded silently to the bedside table, picking up both glasses. He came back to her

side and pressed a glass into her hand. Tory gulped down the wine until she felt its warmth stealing into

her bloodstream. “Now what?”

“Now we take a shower.” Marc’s voice was thick as he took the glass out of her hand and set it on a

nearby table.

“A sho-shower?”

She followed him into the bathroom and waited mutely as he closed the door, turned on the hard stream

of water and started stripping off his clothes.

He unsnapped the front closure of her bra and tossed it on the floor. Her panties and stockings followed.

Tory felt hypnotized as he tucked a hand towel around her cast and pushed her unresisting naked body

under the warm spray.

“Now we can talk,” he said with satisfaction as water sluiced down his face and over his broad

shoulders.

The water plastered her hair against her skin as she stared blankly at Marc’s hairy chest.

How on earth

could he switch on and off like this?

She gave a muffled, choked sob and tried to open the clear glass door. Marc pulled her back against his

chest. Turning her in his arms he said huskily, “You were terrific, princess.” Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip. “Petrified. I was absolutely petrified.” Marc’s lips lowered to sip the water off her cheek. “This one is for us.” His mouth slanted across hers

and Tory choked back a sob as the sweet insistent pressure of his mouth opened hers.

The wet heat of his tongue and the familiar roughness of his chest sliding against her wet, naked breasts

made her forget everything else. Desire flared in her, and her heart beat erratically as her nipples pressed

against the familiar roughness and the hard muscles of his chest.

“Mmm.” She couldn’t get enough of him as she stood on tiptoe, her fingers clutched in his wet hair. His

mouth ravished hers—too slowly, and she pressed her breasts flat against him, straining to get closer.

Her skin felt ultrasensitive as his hand traveled down her body, testing the shape of her nipples, the curve

of her waist, the flare of her hips. He pressed her against the cool marble wall.

She slid her hand up the slick skin of his rib cage, tangling her fingers in the crisp damp hair on his chest.

He smelled delicious and she darted her tongue out to taste him. She felt his nipple peak against the tip of

her tongue and heard his groan of pleasure.

“The bed…?” she asked hopefully.

“We’d never make it.” He nibbled at the tendons in her neck. “Besides—” he sucked her skin into his

mouth, laving it with his tongue “—the first time we make love in a bed, it won’t be with

God-only-knows-who listening in.” His breath fanned her neck deliciously. “Lord, I want you.”

“You have me.” Her body burned, yearning for his until she was almost incoherent. She felt the

compelling pressure of his large hands cupping her hips, pulling her more tightly against his erection.

Tory managed to hook one leg behind his, pressing him closer, to the aching juncture of her thighs, then

rotating her hips until he moved his hands to grip her buttocks.

As he lifted her, pinning her against the wall, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

With one thrust, he

entered the willing, wet, warmth of her. Tory moaned low in her throat as his thrusts became more

intense, the in-out movement of his hips sliding her between the cool marble wall and the blazing heat of

his body.

She closed her eyes as the heat and pressure built. Marc rubbed his coarse black chest hairs against her

nipples, drawing a tortured whimper from Tory. She tried to press her hips closer, but Marc slowed his

thrusts until he was barely moving.

“Slowly, sweetheart, slowly. I want this to last.” Tory was beyond waiting. She used her heels to clutch his bottom and pulled with all her strength,

undulating her hips until his body movements matched hers.

At last the unbearable waves of pleasure crested. With a cry, she climaxed. An instant later, he followed.

Water sluicing steadily against his back, Marc slowly lowered her to her feet and pushed soaking strands

of her hair over her shoulder. His arm came around her waist as he soaped her and helped her rinse.

Dizzy, she leaned her head against his chest while he washed himself.

Her knees felt weak, and her heart pounded, yet she couldn’t meet his eyes as he helped her out of the

shower and handed her a towel.

Steam filled the bathroom as the shower roared behind the closed glass door. Marc took the towel out

of her hand and quickly rubbed her dry. He slipped his hand under her chin. “You okay?”

“Yes.” But she knew she would never be okay again. Today had shown her just how very different they

were. She would never in a million wishful years, be able to fit into his life. He certainly wouldn’t fit into

hers.

She was scared out of her mind, yet sexually aware of him all the time. A mere glance made her want

him. She loved the touch of his hands and mouth. She loved the way he enjoyed playing with her hair.

She loved the way his pale eyes ignited when he touched her.

She loved. And that was the problem.

Marc Savin was hazardous to her health.

“When can we leave?” Tory asked, keeping her voice low under the sound of the water and wrapping

the towel around her body, and another around her head.

Marc ran his towel over his hair, using his hands to pull it back and tie it.

“I have to get Lynx out and to the chopper.” He pulled on his pants and picked up his shirt off the floor.

Ignoring the water marks on it, he shrugged it over his shoulders and started buttoning the studs.

“Remember? I had you tell him I’d come down in two hours.” He took his watch out of his pocket, strapping it to his wrist. “That gives me about forty minutes to get

you organized.”

“I’m always organized,” Tory said, sitting on the edge of the tub. “What do you want me to do?”

“I’m going to get you out first. Contact Angelo to pick you up, then come back for your brother.”

“Alex has to be taken out first, Marc. You know that. If they keep torturing him I don’t kn—I don’t

know how much longer he can hold on.Please. Please get Alex out first. I’ll be fine until you come back

and get me.”

Marc pulled on his jacket and looked down at her. His face was savage as he cupped her bruised cheek

with a gentle touch that made her chest ache. “I’m not fucking leaving you here alone.

Right now you’re

nothing but a means to an end for them. What do you think they’ll do to you when they decide you’re no

use to them?”

Scared out of her mind, Tory clutched his arm. “I’ll come with you. I’ll help you with Alex…”

“Tory—” his voice was gentle “—you told me yourself that he’s badly hurt. I can’t watch out for both of

you. I’ll end up getting us all killed. You can go back to the grotto and wait f—”

“I’ll stick to you like glue,” she begged. “I’ll do everything you tell me to do. I swear.

You can give me a

gun…”

“Tory,” Marc said reasonably. “I’m going to have to haul Alex out of here on my back, you know that.

It’s going to take everything I have to carry himand keep the two of us from getting our asses blown to

hell. I can’t watchyour back at the same time. I’m not Superman, sweetheart.” Yes, you are.“Then take Alex first.”

“This isn’t up for debate. I don’t have time to argue. Let’s go.” As much as she wanted to run like hell, she couldn’t do it. She’d come all this way to save her brother.

“Alex first,” she told him, keeping the tremor out of her voice with supreme effort. Bile rose in the back

of her throat. “Go.The quicker you leave, the quicker you’ll be back to get me out of here. They think

we’ve just had wild sex and we’re sleeping. Nobody is going to come in here until morning.”

Sheprayed nobody came into her room until after she and Marc left.

“I’ll be back to get you as soon as Lynx is secure.” He rubbed his jaw. “If there was any other way, I’d

take it. I hate like hell to leave you with those animals for even five minutes,” he said, his voice grim.

She’d have to make do with that. She knew that it was the sensible, practical thing. But she was terrified

what could happen to her being here alone.

CHAPTER TWELVE

TORY WOKEto early-morning sunlight streaming through the window. The wet towel lay beside her on

the bed, and her hair, still damp, was tangled around her. After Marc had left she’d tried to sit up against

the headboard to wait. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the dark room, coupled with the exhaustion