Ria crossed her legs and stared back at him, folding her hands carefully in her lap as she let herself consider that.
“Breeds and humans are different sides of the same coin,” she reminded him. “You are not fully human, Mercury. You are extrordinarily human. And you’re still learning what your bodies, your hormones, are capable of. In such instances, there should be a safeguard put in place.”
“There is.” He nodded. “But only if we show ourselves to be a danger to ourselves or to others. It doesn’t matter which side of the coin our humanity places us on, we’re still entitled to the same rights and privileges of freedom. We can’t ignore an anomaly in my case and force testing on Ely in hers.”
Dane would have, easily, even it meant kidnapping the Breed in question. But Ria had disagreed with many of the decisions she knew Dane had made, for whatever reason.
“She’s too focused on you,” she finally told him, concerned at the doctor’s continued erratic behavior. “Fanaticism is possible in Breeds, just as it is in humans. And it’s just as destructive, perhaps more so. She’s intent on pulling you into confinement, no matter what it takes. No matter what she has to do to achieve it.”
Mercury stared back at her, knowing the truth in her words. He knew that was exactly Ely’s aim, and the betrayal that filled him at that thought bothered him.
“Did you smell anything that could indicate she was drugged?” Ria frowned back at him, her gaze direct.
“What makes you think I could smell it if she were?” he asked. “The drugs for the displacement wiped out those senses, remember?”
She regarded him with haughty amusement. “Really, Mercury, you should try a little harder to lie. That one was so easy to see through it may as well have been cellophane.”
His lips twitched.
“I felt you inhaling. Very slowly, very deeply,” she informed him. “What did you scent?”
He finally shook his head. “Anger. Fear. And it was very heightened, more than it should have been. She believes in what she’s saying. She believes the feral displacement is returning, and it’s impossible to control.”
Ely believed he would suddenly lose his mind and destroy the very people he had lived to protect for over eleven years now.
“And what do you think?” She tilted her head and watched him, her gaze soft. There was no fear there, no suspicion, almost as though she had formed her own trust in him, and had no intention of backing down on it.
He reached out and touched her cheek with his fingertips then cupped it with his palm. The need to touch her was overwhelming. As he did so, her fingers curled over his wrist, holding him to her. Trust. Complete trust. Something he had never felt with anyone else. Not even long ago with the Breed that could have been his mate.
“I think I would rip apart anyone who dared harm you,” he finally told her softly. “There would be nothing on the face of this earth, short of death, that could control me.”
Ria stared back at him, seeing the truth in his expression, in the savage light of his hammered gold eyes and the flecks of blue that materialized in them. Whatever that phenomenon was that changed the color of his eyes, that made him appear stronger, more savage, it was only frightening to the enemy.
He wasn’t her enemy. He was her lover, in every sense of the word. In ways no other man had ever been.
“Then it’s under control,” she said softly. “And I have no doubt it will stay there.”
If he hadn’t already lost his heart to her, then Mercury would have sworn he lost it to her then.
“That still leaves a problem, though,” she told him as he pulled her to him, lifting her into his lap even though they were too close to her cabin to do more than just this. Just hold each other.
“There are more problems?” he growled. “They’re piling up here, Ria.”
Her laughter, soft and light-he swore it warmed his soul.
“I forgot to mention how much I absolutely detest parties,” she told him. “And Dane knows it. I might have to kick him for this one. Or tell Leo on him. I don’t think this sort of maneuvering can be fixed with bling.”
His lips kicked up in a grin. His mind was on her hand, though. The one that had pushed beneath his jacket so her fingers could play against his neck.
“I’ll take care of Dane’s maneuverings,” he promised her. “But the party’s a small one.”
“Visiting VIPs and dignitaries? Three hundred at best.”
“Three hundred and fifty.” He smiled as she groaned and buried her face in his chest.
“Too many.”
“No, too many is the Christmas party,” he promised. “The guest list, so far, is at a full thousand. They’re predicting snow, and Callan is pulling his hair out as he and Kane work out the logistics of security for the children and mates. Every available Breed is being rescreened for clearance and those that pass are on twenty-four-hour duty shifts. The party is held on the fifteenth. That allows for a private party on Christmas Day. Four hundred, I believe.”
She groaned again and he stroked her hair soothingly as he grinned. She made him grin. She made him happy. She made him want to pick her up and hide her from all eyes, to experience the joy of her with no distractions.
“We could hibernate in the winter,” she finally suggested.
“We’re not bears,” he chuckled, enjoying the play.
“We could go on vacation.” Soft lips kissed his neck; her tongue stroked over it. “I know several secluded beaches. No cold. We could bask in the sun. Lie at the water’s edge and allow the waves to lap over us.”
His cock, already engorged, still hard and eager to pleasure her, throbbed at the thought. Ria naked, her nut brown body laid out on soft white sand as water washed over her and the sun heated her flesh.
If it had the chance to touch her. He’d have a hell of a time allowing to sun to caress her, because he’d be too damned busy touching her himself.
She lifted closer then, her teeth raking over the lobe of his ear, her warm breath caressing his neck. “I want you,” she whispered. “Again. Why am I burning so hot and deep for you after I’ve already had you?”
“Why am I?” He gripped her hair, pulled her head in place and let himself take her kiss.
It wasn’t gentle, and he wanted to be gentle. It was hot and fierce, fiery and consuming, and burned through him with the force of wildfire.
It was pleasure, it was the agony of arousal that was never sated for long, and it was the breath of life. A breath he feared he couldn’t live without now.
CHAPTER 17
Mercury made it into the house with her. He even managed to growl at Lawe and Rule to clear out of the house after they checked it thoroughly. The second the door closed-and locked-he was on her.
Ria was so enflamed, so desperate for his touch, that she was tearing at his shirt, clawing at him as he shredded her sweater with those blunted clawlike nails of his and jerked her skirt over her hips.
He didn’t bother with the bedroom, or the couch. He lifted her, shoving her against the wall as she managed to get his pants open and his erection free.
He tore the panties from her hips and in one hard lunge he was buried inside her. Buried so deep inside her he swore he was losing himself in her.
Her legs wrapped around his back; the liquid heat of her sex wrapped around him like a slick, tight fist and had him clenching his teeth. Had him aching for that tight fullness he’d heard filled the tongue when mating heat was devouring a Breed.
He wanted that with her. Wanted it with her until he swore he could feel his tongue itching and a wild subtle taste teasing at his mouth.