“What now?” Exasperation exploded from him as the need to get Libby to safety weighed down on him.
“I had to give her a sedative to calm her. Sorry, she’ll slow you
down.”
Jaxon nodded, his lips tight, and then he sprinted down the hall to Libby’s room.
She was sitting on the bed, her body covered by a thin gown, shaking her head slowly, with jerky uncoordinated movements. He crossed to her quickly, flinching at her violent reaction when another blast shook the foundation of the building.
To her right a fresh pile of clothes had been laid out, and he grabbed for them, snatching up a shirt and a pair of jeans. His hands stilled as her scent wafted up into his nose. Ana had managed to find some of Libby’s old clothes, and for that he was grateful.
His eyes moved over her slight form and he knew they would no longer fit, but it was all they had.
Her head slowly lolled to the side and her eyes shifted up toward his. There was no reaction; no fear, anxiety…nothing but shadowed violet. Damn, what the hell had Ana given her? A goddamn horse tranquilizer?
He reached for her and met no resistance, and even though her body was trembling in wild rapid movements, he managed to lift her up until she was leaning against him.
The feel of her soft curves against his hardness was so familiar, an ache formed immediately, deep in his gut. The intensity of it stunned him, and Jaxon shook his head angrily.
His fingers fell to the tie at the top of her gown and he yanked it undone, but he was gentle while pulling the fabric from her body. She whimpered then, and he froze, not wanting to alarm her, but the need for speed propelled his hands and he turned her to the side, his eyes avoiding her nakedness as he grabbed the jeans and bent to help her legs into them.
He pulled them up, the worn denim slipping over her soft skin and hips. He looked away from the soft center between her legs, but his hands stilled as they reached the scar now visible to him, low on her abdomen. His fingers reached for it, and he softly caressed the thin, faded line, feeling her muscles clench against his touch.
His eyes slowly traveled up, past the flat stomach, before settling on the gentle swell of her breasts. The rosy nipples were puckered from the cold, but the soft globes were firm and well rounded.
At the moment, they were slowly rocking as she inhaled deeply. His eyes moved from them until they locked onto the deep violet orbs that stared down at him intently.
He sucked in deeply at the look that lay there.
Jaxon’s groin tightened sharply and intense desire shot through him, slamming through every cell in his body like a bolt of electricity. He slowly rose to stand in front of her. The softness of Libby’s breasts called to him, and he inhaled the subtle scent that belonged only to her, groaning inside as the turgid tips caressed the hard flesh of his body.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
His voice was harsh, thick with emotion, and he clenched his fists tightly to his sides, forcing them away when all they wanted to do was grab her breasts and lift them to his watering mouth.
“So are you.”
Her simple words inflamed the heat that was slowly turning his blood to molten lava.
Her eyes were fastened onto his flesh, and they wandered from his shoulders and then down, lower, her fingers following suit, tracing the intricate lines of his clan tattoos. When she touched him, the intense fire inside begged to be let out, but Jaxon grabbed her hand and turned her tempting breasts away from him.
What the hell was wrong with him? He needed to get them the hell out before the enemy broke through Declan’s wards. And he probably had about seven minutes until the entire building went the way of Armageddon.
“Libby, I need you to put this shirt on. We have to leave right now.”
His voice bellowed louder then he’d intended, and she winced, but then wariness crept into her eyes as she grabbed the shirt and held it close to her exposed flesh. She turned, and what he saw sent him for a loop.
He hissed at the scars on her back, raw and angry. They stood out in stark relief against her white skin, as if she’d been branded.
Something clicked, deep inside, and he felt his anger recede. It buried itself deep in the dark corner of his soul, the place where the jaguar roared in despair.
There it would wait, festering into something mammoth before he unleashed it upon the animals that had done this to her.
Libby’s movements were still slow, jerky from the effects of the sedative, and he gently pulled the top down over her head. He nodded toward the shoes, and she slipped her feet into them, leaning against his hard frame for support.
He grabbed her elbow then and they both turned toward the exit.
But there was a huge problem between them and freedom.