Free Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops) by Mandy M. Roth Page B

he’d burst like a teenage boy. She pushed against him, her movements as hungry as he felt. If she kept rubbing on him like that, he’d come in his jeans and embarrass himself.
    She grabbed his backside and squeezed. “I need you.”  
    He needed her too. She’d already begun to fill the void he had in his heart. The hollow pit he thought would remain empty and fester with angst and bitterness. In the short time he’d known Inara she’d already began to chase away the loneliness, push back the darkness and heal the damage that had been done to his heart so long ago.  
    Her tongue danced around his. Fuck, the woman could kiss.  
    The power continued to build. She’d been close in her saying it felt like bees buzzing around them. It did. Energy and strength poured into him. He knew it was doing the same to her. She needed it. She’d been so drained when he’d first met her.  
    His system jolted as she put her fingers down the top of his jeans. Raw need bore through him but it brought with it something else—the knowledge this was too much, too soon. He was about to take his mate on the floor of a container.  
    Like an animal.  
    He stopped everything and pulled off her, careful with the chains as one caught in her hair. He worked it out gently and eased back, shaking his head. Eadan took large deep breaths. “Inara, no. We can’t. Not like this. Not here.”  
    “Oh, we can,” she protested, and made a move to tackle him again. He had to hand it to her, she was motivated, for sure. She grabbed the top of his jeans, her fingers skimming his skin and making him second guess the higher road he was attempting to take.
    He wanted to slide into her, to take what she was offering, but he couldn’t. Not under these circumstances. More importantly, not without her knowing the truth. That if they did, she’d be his wife. He nearly kicked himself for having morals as he said, “No.”
    She paused in her mission to get his jeans fully undone. Confusion knitted her brow. “You don’t want me?”
    “I fucking want you so bad I can’t even begin to put it into words, but this isn’t how I want you. I want to take you when we’re not locked up. When it’s safe. When I can spend hours upon hours pleasing you.”
    Her cheeks flamed red. She drew back from him slightly. “Hours and hours? People have sex that long?”
    He watched her and a sinking feeling came over him. “Inara, have you had sex before?”
    She shook her head and refused to look at him. “No.”
    Fuck. He’d nearly taken her virginity on a dirty container floor. Eadan touched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let it go this far. I couldn’t help myself.”
    She snorted. “You couldn’t help yourself? I’ve wanted to jump your bones since you walked in on me getting washed up. Trust me when I say between the two of us, it’s me with the control issues here.”
    His cock begged to differ. He held his tongue on the matter.
    She touched his wrists. “It worked. They’re healed. Still bound, but at least they aren’t raw anymore.”
    “How do you feel?”
    “Horny,” she responded with a silly grin. “Actually, I feel the best I’ve felt in years. Why?”  
    He caressed her cheek again, his finger easing over her lip. “It goes both ways.”  
    She blinked up at him. “Why do I feel this way with you? Trust me when I say this isn’t something I’ve done with anyone else.”
    He bent and kissed her chastely, wanting more but holding back. He put his forehead to hers. “You drew pictures of me before you even met me.”
    She nodded, keeping her head to his. “Why? The mate thing?”
    He snickered softly. “Yes. The mate thing.”  
    “What, exactly, does it mean? Is it a husband and wife thing?”
    “Think bigger.”
    She gasped.  
    He kissed her again.
    There was movement near the far end of the container and then the sounds of something scratching near the door. Eadan pushed to his