To Woo A Warrior (Southern Sanctuary) (21 page)

Vaughn heaved himself up, collapsing
on the mattress next to Hadleigh, both of them panting.

“You look so satisfied with
yourself.”  Hadleigh couldn’t help but comment as she eyed his smug smile.

“And I could say the same for
you.”  He returned eyeing her like a lion surveys its first meal for the
day.  “You know it’s only going to get better right?”

“Better?”  It was hard to
comprehend his statement, it was already the best she’d ever had and
technically they hadn’t had sex yet.

“Absolutely, the more I know about
you…
” 
With one finger he tried to lift the
crumpled sheet that was still tangled around her upper body.  “What turns
you on.
” 
The fabric was wound too tight for a
peek at the treasures hidden beneath the sheet so he tried to pull it
down.  “What turns you nuclear.  Before you know it you’ll be putty
under my touch.” 

He grinned, looking hot, playful and
golden god perfect and for the first time in forever Hadleigh felt
empowered.  Batting his hand away she sat up clutching the sheet to her
chest, swinging her leg fast over Vaughn, settling herself neatly on top of
him.  Her thighs gripping his hips hard, the feel of his denim clad hard
cock settling against the wet heat of her core.

“You know that works both ways
right?”

“I can only hope. Okay warrior woman
you have me at your mercy.  Just what do you intend to do with me?”

Hadleigh contemplated all that
gorgeous shimmering golden skin before her, biting her bottom lip unconsciously
trying to decide where to start.  Vaughn moaned and his cock beneath her
jerked.  Hadleigh laughed, ah the perfect torment as she trailed one
finger from the base of his throat down to the top button of his jeans. 
“You know the one thing I have become very good at over the years?”

Vaughn shook his head. 

“Self-discovery.”  She flung
the sheet she was clutching away, making sure her shoulders were straight, breasts
pointed in his direction.  She slapped away his hands as they came up,
instead palming her own naked breasts.
Squeezing gently and
plucking at her nipples.

“Ah you’re killing me here
Hadleigh.”

“Am I?”  She tried to look
innocent but considering her position and state of attire it came off as more
devilish. 

“I’m stronger than you.” 
Vaughn commented
,
his gaze locked on those gorgeous
full breasts.

“Maybe.”  Hadleigh squeezed her
thighs even tighter to remind him of her own strength.

Vaughn moaned, grinning.  “I’m
bigger than you.”

Hadleigh rubbed herself back and
forth on his cock, her voice a little breathy.  “We can only hope so.”

“Okay, that’s it.”  Vaughn
could only be teased so far.  He sat up, grabbed Hadleigh under the
buttocks and slid them both down to the end of the mattress.  Sitting on
his lap now, facing him, her knees on either side of his hips resting on the
mattress, her hands gripping his shoulders to keep herself steady she couldn’t
help but laugh.  “You won’t let me be on top?”

“Oh you’ll be on top.”  Then he
leaned forward and kissed her. She moaned into his mouth as that heated
glimmering gold flesh of his mashed up against her own.  Then she was
gasping as he stood up … the man stood up with her in his arms still, he really
was strong.  “My jeans.”

“What?”  She managed between
kisses.

“Get my jeans.”

“Oh.” 

She reached between them unbuttoning
his jeans, he heaved her up slightly higher on his frame and then he was sitting
back down, his bare flesh beneath her now as well as in front of her.  His
cock long and hard, resting against her stomach and the tip of her clit,
deliciously tormenting her. 
His mouth never leaving
hers.
  She couldn’t keep still, edging her hips back and forth
quickly, loving the feel of him rubbing between her legs.  She could have
kept it up all day, maybe forever but Vaughn he needed, had to be inside her.
With no visible strain he lifted her, positioning his cock at her entrance then
he dropped her ever so slowly.  It took forever for his entire length to
enter her and in a word it felt stupendous.

“So tight.”  He panted.
 Maat she felt like heaven wrapped around his cock, all heat, fire and
strength. 

Hadleigh’s eyes practically rolled
into the back of her head with pleasure.  Goddess that had felt so good
she wanted to feel it again.  Kneeling up again she slid back down causing
them both to moan.  No she amended mentally, this was the thing she wanted
to do all day, she’d never felt so full, had never felt so good. 

His mouth
plundering hers, his hands gripping and squeezing her gorgeous butt cheeks
Vaughn let her start off the pace, just revelling in the feel of her core
muscles squeezing and tightening around his cock.
  The only problem was if she kept up this slow tortuous pace he
was going to come way too soon and there was so much more of her yet to
explore.  Reaching down he tugged on her legs until they were stretched
out straight, seating her even more fully on his cock.  Hadleigh moaned
again, oh that felt good but now she had no leverage.  Just what was
Vaughn up to? 

He pushed her shoulders back until
she was practically lying down on top of him. 
Mmmm
deeper still, then he leaned over capturing one full breast in his mouth, sucking
first then biting down gently.  She squirmed and boy did that feel
good
.  Oh Goddess she’d never come before with a man
inside her but sweet heaven under Vaughn’s masterful care she could feel the
imminent release build up as he shifted to her other breast.  She squirmed
again, it felt wonderful but the angle was wrong.  She gave a fretful moan
and he laughed. 

“Don’t worry Darling I know what you
need.”

He gripped her hips starting to
thrust hard and fast and Goddess it felt good, she knew she was breathing his
name over and over but couldn’t seem to stop herself.  Maybe she could
just reach down herself and … it was like Vaughn knew what she was up to,
practically picking her up now and slamming her down, once, twice … please oh
Goddess yes. 

She was coming
,
he was coming
. She swore she saw the inside
of the sun.  Everything suddenly seemed so bright and then the light was
splintering and she could smell clearing ozone as if a summer storm had just
blown through.  Sitting up properly, she rested her sweat soaked forehead
on Vaughn’s shoulder, gasping for breath, feeling kind of naughty at the idea
that he was still inside her.

 “So…
”  
Vaughn caught his breath, hugging her in close, revelling in the way her
body moulded to his so perfectly.  “Last few things on the list. 
Too emotionless - not with me.
  Too cool - I don’t
think so.  Too silent - well maybe a little but you just need to get into
the habit of telling me everything that goes on in that gorgeous noggin of
yours, because whatever it is I want to hear it. 
Too
scary – yeah, but in a really good sexy way.
  I love your
smile, I like that you don’t bestow it meaninglessly or casually, it makes it
that more valuable when you do.  Same goes with your laugh … though I
should probably warn you my cock gets hard when you do, so laugh at your own
risk.” 

The very thought made her laugh and
as good as his word his cock twitched inside her … hmmm.

“And last but not least, not
feminine enough - I don’t want some fragile hothouse flower.  I want you
Hadleigh Valhalla.  Warrior, ninja, bad-ass angel in shit kicker boots.”

Hadleigh with her forehead resting
against his hot biteable shoulder couldn’t help but laugh in sheet delight at
his description of her.  And as he’d forewarned there went that twitch
again. 

Vaughn tightened his grip on her
hips.  “I told you what happens when you laugh.  Just know you bought
this on yourself.”

She lifted her head, biting her lip
to keep from smiling as she stared into those liquid pools of gold.  “Duly
noted.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Hadleigh blinked as the morning
Atlanta sun hit her in the face.   Strange when only minutes before
she’d been home, in her bedroom at the Sanctuary watching the moon rise. Vaughn
lying naked in the bed beside her, the gold glints under his skin dancing under
the moon’s light.  Lying on his stomach, his arms flung wide the man slept
deep and heavy.  He hadn’t awaken when she’d slipped out from under him to
grab a shower, nor did he stir when she got dressed. 

It wasn’t like she begrudged the man
his rest, he’d proven tireless earlier, nothing able to blunt his enthusiasm
for ensuring that every doubt she’d ever harboured about not being a sexual
being was blown out the water … and then some.   

She had been tempted to strip and
climb back between the sheets with him but the frantically blinking red light
on her pager had to come first.  Studying Drum’s increasingly urgent
messages she’d high tailed it back to Atlanta only pausing long enough to leave
Vaughn a note, propping it on the pile of his clothes she’d picked up from the
floor and folded into a neat pile.  Wow, she really must be gone on the
man if she were willing to pick up after him.

“Hey.”  Drum looked up to study
Hadleigh as she entered the equipment room.  “You look…”

Hadleigh’s eyes narrowed in warning.

Drum laughed a deep joyful
bark.  “I was going to say well rested but now I’m tempted to say
something entirely different.”

Hadleigh smiled.  “Just because
you’re taller than I am don’t think I can’t knock you on your ass.”

Drum slid a few more knives into the
pockets of his vest.  “I saw that love tap you gave Flynn the first day
you arrived, bring it little girl.”

Hadleigh couldn’t help but
laugh.  “Little girl?”  She shook her head in wonder.  Outside of
Valhalla she’d never thought to find a place where she would be deemed ‘little
girl’.  “So what’s up?”

“No Vaughn?”  Drum looked
behind her.

“I couldn’t...
” 
Thank the Goddess she didn’t blush.  “Couldn’t wake him, I left a
note.”  Hadleigh glared at Drum daring him to make a crack but all the big
man did was send her a huge approving grin.

“Then I’ll just take you along, grab
some gear.”

“What’s going on?” 

“We’ve had multiple reports of
trouble here in town.”

“You think it’s got something to do
with Xander’s disappearance?”

“I don’t know but the police ban is
going crazy with reports of weird pranks that are currently being attributed to
some as yet unknown band of college students.  But you and I know if
something sounds crazy it probably falls into our realm to deal with. 
There’s trouble downtown, mid-town and out by the airport.  I’ve already
sent the others out, you and I’ll head for the airport.”

Hadleigh nodded, grabbing a
vest.  “Okay let’s go.”

“Weapons?”  Drum frowned.

She held out a hand a broadsword
magically appearing.  “I’m good.”

Drum smiled approvingly.  “Yes
you are little girl.  Come on.  Vaughn can man the command post when
he drags his sorry butt out of bed.”

*                  
*                     
*

Hadleigh released her white knuckled
grip on the dashboard as Drum pulled his black Viper to a stop behind a row of
warehouses.

“You okay?’  He asked finally
acknowledging her frozen in terror state.

“You could have warned me.” 
She clenched her fists a couple of times to get the blood moving to her fingers
once more.

“What can I say, Maat is the wings
beneath my wheels. We’re here and we’re alive, quit your whining.” 

They exited the car and stood
surveying their surroundings, looking up as a plane banked overhead, engines
roaring,
its
low passing ruffling Hadleigh’s
hair.  So much for being able to hear where their quarry might be, at
least when they did track them down creeping up on them wouldn’t be an issue.
She watched as Drum lifted his head and breathed in
deeply ….
scenting
the air? 
His head
swivelling back and forth.
 

“Xander’s here, that way.”  He
pointed left.  “And I’m getting traces of Serena that way.”  He
pointed to the right.  Pulling out his radio he tried to contact the
others.  “Nothing … you?”

Hadleigh shook her head; likewise
her radio was
all static
.  Perhaps being this
close to the airport control tower was interfering with their signal.  “We
shouldn’t waste time waiting around.  We don’t know who has him and how
much damage they may have inflicted.  You go after Serena, you know her
and I don’t, you’ll be quicker to gauge what’s what.”

Drum nodded, a wry smile twisting
his lips as he surveyed the huge rows of warehouses and the general air of
abandonment lingering in the air.  “It smells like a set up.”

Hadleigh nodded, grinning. 
“Doesn’t it just.”

Drum laughed softly.  “Vaughn
is one lucky man.  Okay let’s go.  We’ll meet back here in
twenty.  If you need help, whistle.”

Drum set off at a fast pace. 
When he’d tasted the air Serena’s scent had been faint, as if she’d already
been and gone. But still he needed to check it out, despite the mystery
surrounding her disappearance Drum didn’t think for one second that Serena was
behind all their troubles, if anything his gut was telling him she was neck
deep in this thing herself. 

Entering the warehouse where her
scent was strongest he moved from shadow to shadow, his eyes searching both the
floor and the ceiling for any imminent threat.  Ducking behind several
rows of crates he finally came to a spot that reeked of Serena.  Nothing,
except a broken crate with its contents spilled across the floor, bathroom
fittings and sawdust.  Drum took a deep breath trying to get a fix on who
else might have been there but the smell of sawdust was all but over
powering.  Wait, there, a tiny piece of rope, getting down on his hands
and knees he sniffed, Serena.  Rope?  Why the broken crate?  Had
there been a fight?  Moving over to the crate he studied the broken edges
of wood carefully, yes there, a minute trace of blood.  Taking a sample of
air, he reared back.  The blood belonged to Xander, perhaps who ever had
Xander had taken Serena as well.  Maat, just what was going on here? 

Hadleigh moved cautiously further
into the warehouse, the one where someone had oh so accidently left a bloodied
handprint smeared on the door.  Might
as well put up a
big neon sign
,
here be bad guys
.  It was
hard to tell yet whether this whole thing was being organised by an evil genius
mastermind or an incompetent ninny.  Only time would tell. 

She heard a groan from somewhere
towards the back of the building but didn’t rush, taking her time, looking for
guards, threats or spiders … ick.  Thankfully it was way too bright in
here for
paralyxis
spiders, one saving grace.  Silently
she moved forward, her favourite dagger ready in her hand.  Pausing at the
protection of the last row of cardboard boxes she leaned cautiously forward,
spying Xander tied to a chair dead centre of a cleared space.  His head
was down, his chin almost resting on his chest.  He didn’t look too hurt,
some bruises, a bit of blood.  Hadleigh took one more careful look around,
still no one.  Worse guards ever or gilded mousetrap? 

Xander shifted his head slightly and
issued a small moan.  Sounded like the good Professor was regaining
consciousness, perhaps he could tell her what was going on. 

Bending low she raced across to his
position, kneeling beside him, lifting his head up by the hair. 
“Xander.” 
Her voice barely above a whisper.
 
“Xander.”

“What
..?
”

“
Shhss
.” 
She looked around, still no sign of whoever had perpetrated the
kidnapping.  “Okay listen carefully, I’m going to cut you loose and we’re
going to get out of here.”

“
Oooo
…
kay
.” 

Xander’s head was lolling around but
there was a look of recognition in his eyes, so at least he would
co-operate.  The knot keeping him tied up was a simple
one,
Hadleigh ignored it slicing through the ropes with her faithful knife as if
they were butter.  No longer tied, Xander’s upper body collapsed forward
onto her, Hadleigh automatically disappeared her knife so she wouldn’t
accidently cut him.  “I’ve got you.”

 *                 
*                     
*

Vaughn didn’t appreciate waking up
alone.  From the moonlight filtering in through the curtains he guessed it
to be early evening in Australia, which meant he’d overslept.  Damn it, he
flung back the sheet reaching for his clothes, now neatly folded on a plush
oversized armchair, his pager and a note sitting on top.  Opening the note
he felt the tension that had begun to churn in his gut dissipate - ‘Drum paged,
needs help.  Coffee in kitchen.’ 

It wasn’t a blow off note or a
profusive
love letter, no typical Hadleigh it was brief and
to the point. He grabbed a shower first, dressed and headed downstairs to find the
kitchen. 

He liked Hadleigh’s house, it
reminded him of an old barn conversion he’d seen and admired once; high
ceilings, wide doors, light coloured floorboards under foot and comfy furniture
big enough to take a warrior’s weight.  Yeah he could definitely see
himself living here. 

The only thing he didn’t like was
the half-naked man he found in the kitchen.  It wasn’t just the man’s lack
of clothing that made Vaughn see instant red.  It was the fact that even
as a male of the species he could tell this fucker was stunningly
attractive.  Lounging at Hadleigh’s kitchen table wearing nothing but
runners and shorts, despite the fact he was drenched with sweat, the dude
somehow managed to look styled and perfect. 
Magazine
cover shoot ready.

He was raising a bottle of water to
his mouth when Vaughn appeared in the doorway.  Gold eyes flashing heat
and the promise of a quick death met amused violet eyes.  The half-naked
stranger ran an assessing gaze over Vaughn’s frame, strangely resulting in a pleased
smile gracing his all too perfect features.  That smile made Vaughn want
to rip the dimples right out of the stranger’s cheeks.  No man should be
that pretty and no man that pretty should be half-naked in Hadleigh’s house.

“Perfect.”  The man uttered the
word, climbing to his feet, approaching Vaughn his hand outstretched in
greeting, the dim kitchen light highlighting his lean fit muscular frame,
six-pack abs and perfect alabaster skin.

“Who the
fuck are
you?”  Vaughn scowled, it was all he could do not to move, not to tear,
not to shred bone and muscle. He was a hair’s breath from being consumed with
putrid jealously.

“Many no doubt find the scowl
intimidating but trust me after living with Hadleigh for three years nothing
can…” 

His words were cut off as Vaughn
sprang across the room.  They wound up wedged against the refrigerator,
Vaughn’s huge hand wrapped around the stranger’s throat.  “One more chance
pretty boy.  Who the
fuck are
you?”

“Uh …Uh.”

Vaughn relaxed his grip a smidgeon
of a fraction.

“Dec …  Declan …
apprentice.  Hadleigh’s apprentice.”

Vaughn didn’t like the answer. 
This Romeo had lived with Hadleigh for three years?  This was the
apprentice who had be-spelled … touched Hadleigh’s underwear? 

Declan’s hand tried frantically to
find some leeway in Vaughn’s grip, barely succeeding in pulling back one
finger, but it was enough for him to be able to speak.  “Hadleigh’s...”

Vaughn growled
,
if the man said lover, he’d be a smear on the floorboards in less than three
seconds.

“Cousin.  Hadleigh’s cousin.”

Vaughn released his grip instantly,
taking a step back to watch Declan slide to the floor, his back hard up against
the refrigerator,
one
hand massaging his throat. 

“Thanks.”  Declan coughed,
cleared his throat and then sent Vaughn a large easy grin. 

Maat the man was strange indeed,
strangle him and he looked at Vaughn like they were best friends.  Feeling
slightly guilty, after all the man might be mad but he was Hadleigh’s relative,
he reached out a hand to help Declan to his feet.

“You don’t like surprises?” 
Declan asked curiously, moving past Vaughn to grab his water bottle, chugging
down half its contents in one go.

“More like I don’t like half-dressed
strange men in Hadleigh’s house.”  Vaughn headed for the coffee pot, it
might be dark outside but he was still on Atlanta time. 

“Actually I live in the cottage just
past the orchard.”  Declan waved a hand towards the back door.  “But
Hadleigh lets me use the kitchen and laundry.”

Vaughn drank deeply of his coffee,
thinking fast.  He still wasn’t too sure about this half naked supposed
cousin of Hadleigh’s who walked the dangerous precipice of being almost too
good looking to live.  But he forced himself to make an effort, him being
family and all.