*Chapter 11*
Rea returned to his room after dealing with the men. As he came back, he expected Karma to be waiting to meet him. An unusual warm feeling flowed through his body at the thought of her waiting for him.
He silently opened his bedroom door. Instead of Karma, Gears waited for him. The doctor paced, looking far too concerned for Rea's peace of mind.
"Where's Karma?" The thought that she'd run off scared him. He was honest enough to admit that he secretly didn't want her memories to return. He hadn't pushed Gears for an antidote. He wanted her to stay exactly as she was, but he didn't want to examine that too much.
"I'm fine." Gears snapped at him. "Thank you for asking."
"Where's Karma?" Rea repeated, ignoring the barb.
"She's sleeping on your bed. I was so scared she might kill me I knocked her out. I was afraid her memories had returned when she shot Nash. If you don't mind my saying, this is getting out of hand."
"I do mind you saying." Rea paused. "Wait. You knocked her out? How?" Rea pushed past his friend and found Karma on the bed. She was under his blanket sleeping peacefully. As far as Rea could tell, she looked unhurt. He let out the breath that was painful in his lungs. She was safe. That's all he wanted right now.
"I gave her a drug that's basically a low-dose sleeping pill. The medication will knock a person out for about an hour unless there's more put into their system. While she slept, I cleaned the new injury and washed away all the blood. It was a small scratch from Nash's knife. RCC100 closed it up. All her cuts are healing well."
"Thank you, Gears," Rea spoke with calmer than he felt. He lovingly moved a lock of hair away from her face.
"You're not welcome."
Gears' outburst surprised Rea because his friend was rarely upset about anything. They almost never fought.
"You can't keep doing whatever it is you're doing. You know that, don't you? She isn't an old friend, and she isn't here for a visit. She might kill you or me or Eric, or she could leave. Don't you remember saying that? You have to do something with her. You have to lock her up or tell her the truth, something other than this." Gears swept his hand across the room encompassing the whole thing.
"I'm not locking her up. Don't be dramatic."
"Dramatic? What you're doing is straight-up lying. I can't stand watching this anymore. When all her memories come back, what then? What're you going to do then?" The look Gears threw at him was pointed. Apparently, he wanted a precise answer.
"I don't know. Okay? I don't have any idea what I'm doing. And don't act so damn superior to me, either. The only helpful thing you've said has been 'some of the rats died.'"
Gears didn't respond. Instead, he snatched his bag off the table and headed to the door. Rea wanted to stop him, but he truly didn't have any answers that would placate either of them.
When Gears reached the exit, he finally spoke.
"I'm leaving. When you do figure out what you're going to do, you tell me. My advice is to stop lying to her. She's going to be even more pissed when she figures all this out. Hopefully, you'll come to your senses before she kills you."
Gears threw open the door and didn't bother to look back. He marched out into the hall, sweeping his bag onto his shoulder. The door slammed behind him. Rea was left alone with Karma.
His friend was right. He played a dangerous game. Sooner or later this would fall apart. He couldn't blame Gears for not wanting to be there when she remembered who she was.
He took a settling breath and then returned to Karma's bedside. He sat next to where she was sleeping. She looked sweet with her arms holding the blanket. Karma looked like the woman he'd always fantasized about having in his life. He couldn't help but want to keep her with him.
As he studied her, he lifted the quilt and looked at Karma's upper body. He tried to see if she had any more bruises and cuts, but as he glanced at her scantily clad frame, his body stirred to life.
She was down to her bra again. The sheer fabric made his blood heat. He let his eyes look over her pants that molded to her long shapely legs. He could feel his pulse quicken.
As he moved the blanket, Karma's eyes fluttered open to meet his. She looked tired and much too pale. Gently, he lifted the quilt partway and tucked the corners around her waist.
Once he had a clear view of her body, he studied the small bandage across her stomach. He kept his head bent so she wouldn't be able to see his eyes. He didn't want her to read his anger at himself and this whole dilemma.
He focused on the white medical tape under her bra instead. He acted as if he would adjust it. The cut was covered, and Gears had done a good job of cleaning the skin, but he didn't really feel better knowing her wounds healed.
His mind reviewed the entire event over and over again. He remembered the tip of the blade missing her. At that moment, time had stopped. His rage at not being able to be there had made the idea of losing her sink deep into his brain.
He was happy the cut wasn't deep. It could have been worse. Gears said the wound was closed already. That should've been comforting, but it wasn't. In his head, he thought of all the close calls she must've had in her life. Those thoughts were alarming.
Rea ran his hand along the bandage. "What're you thinking, Kitten?" he asked quietly. He could feel her eyes drilling into him.
"I don't know."
"Yes, you do." Rea waited.
She didn't say anything, but he could see questions rolling across her face. She closed her eyes and then opened them again. He hoped her brain wasn't filling with memories. Rea wanted to kick himself for even taking her to training.
He adjusted the covers over her exposed flesh and got up from the bed. He couldn't take being near to her while trying to figure out what was going on in her head. On top of his piling guilt, he realized his body wasn't accepting that she was injured.
"Rea, why did you bring me here?" Her words were hesitant like maybe she really didn't want to know.
"I couldn't leave you alone." That was the truth as close as he could get. His heart pounded a little too hard whenever he thought about her discovering their real relationship. He hated keeping the truth from her, but he couldn't give her up.
He couldn't keep up this charade. Rea needed to tell her who she was. She might never get her memories back if he never told her she was an assassin.
He should make a solid decision. Be honest and deal.
"Do I train with you?" she asked as she ran her hand over her bandages.
Rea frowned as he considered how he was going to answer. Don't lie.
"I don't think you need any training from me, Karma. I wouldn't want to teach you those kinds of things anyway."
She chewed on her bottom lip and appeared to be mulling over what he said. Rea was surprised at how true the statement was. He didn't want Karma as a sparring partner. He didn't want to train with her and have her on this base as a killer or a guard. Rea wanted her in the most elemental way. He wanted her as a companion to talk to—someone to come home to at night. He wanted Karma to hold and to love, and he wanted her love in return.
Everything he wanted, he couldn't have. She would leave one day. He was resigned to that fact. He accepted that like he might agree to a sword going through his heart.
"Rea, kiss me and chase away what happened today." Karma reached out her hand and clasped his wrist. She wasn't going to let go until he gave in. He could see that in the soft reflection of her eyes.
Some stupid part of him soared. He wanted to kiss her more than anything. He didn't even care that what he was doing might have dire consequences.
"Do you think that's how it works?"
"I'm sure that's how it works." Her smile was broad as she tugged on his arm.
Rea let the relief spread through his body. She was still his. Everything was still where he wanted it to be. He didn't care that he would have to explain his choices one day. He had this moment with her, and he wasn't going to tell her the truth. He was going to keep her.
Rea dropped to the bed and settled himself next to her. He liked the look in her eye right now. She looked adorable and kissable. He wanted to kiss away today and forget they'd ever gotten out of bed.
He settled alongside her careful not to disrupt her body. He leaned in to capture her waiting mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head lower to feast on his tongue. Her lips tugged at his mouth and her tongue dove past his teeth. He let her take over his every thought as he sank into the feelings she drew from him.
Everything they were doing was absolute insanity, but he understood what she meant about being able to kiss it all away. When he was in her arms, the whole world fell away. For a brief tick of time, life didn't suck.
That's how it had always been with the two of them.
He pushed down the blanket that he'd recently rearranged. Her injury slipped from his mind. Once the blanket was no longer a barrier, he pressed closer. His mouth was still attached to her wet lips. He growled out an incoherent word as he dug his hands into her thick hair. Rea held her to him and rode the wave of passion that swept through him. Rea heard a moan escape her mouth, and he pulled back slightly when he realized his body was probably crushing her.
"Kitten, you're too hurt right now to have me climbing all over you." He wasn't a hundred percent sure if Gears had taken care of all her injuries. He lifted his body away. Gears said she was well, but he didn't want to hurt her. He should get up and leave. He should be a good person.
"Don't go, Rea," she murmured his name dreamily and scooted closer. "I'm okay when I'm with you."
Her chest was pressed to his shirt, and she successfully closed the gap he'd created between them. Rea looked down at the pebbled nipples through the sheer fabric of her bra. She rubbed her breasts back and forth against his shirt, and he reached behind her to unclasp her bra.
She let the fabric slide from her arms. The article fell between them. As his gaze dropped lower to the blanket, he noted she was still wearing pants. Rea wanted them both naked. Having her under him was becoming urgent.
Rea sat back until he knelt on the bed. He stripped off his shirt. She laughed a lighthearted sound. Briefly, he closed his eyes when she feathered her hand over his chest. The combination of her sensual laughter and inviting touch had his body begging to be inside of her.
"Let's stay in bed for a week," she giggled.
"No clothes or interruptions," he tossed the blanket aside. When it was gone, he hooked his thumbs into the waistline of her pants. She raised her hips to give him better access. She shifted as he pulled both her pants and her underwear down to her ankles before sliding them all the way off. He dumped them on the floor without giving them a second thought. He returned to touching her creamy skin.
As soon as she was naked, he stood and his hands went to his waist. They hovered there. The cold air of the room on his heated skin made him pause. His fingers paused on the buttons of his jeans. Rea couldn't bring himself to unsnap them. His head cleared as his lust subsided. She was wounded, both physically and mentally. He was lying to her every time they did this. Her eyes bore into him. A question danced in their depths.
"Karma, you've got some injuries. You don't have your memories, and you got cut in the ring. I don't know if we should be doing this." That was an understatement. Definitively they should not be doing this.
"I can do it by myself, but it's not as much fun." Karma laughed and unsnapped his jeans.
Rea grinned when he thought about how Karma never was one to take no for an answer. When she wanted him, she always made that abundantly clear. Actually, when she wanted anything, she made it abundantly clear.
With one sure movement, Rea shoved his pants down and stepped away from them. He returned to her side naked and resumed kneeling on the bed. As soon as he was close to her, she reached out. Using steady strength, she wrapped her arms around him and yanked.
"You're freakishly strong. Has anyone ever told you that?" He landed on top of her and inhaled her irresistible scent. Her left hand went straight for his shaft. She gripped his erection with a smooth stroke like she was on a mission.
"How would I know? I can't remember anything, silly."
Her other hand tipped his head to meet her hot, insistent mouth as he accepted her urgent actions. She ground her lips on his, and he sucked on her tongue wishing this would never end.
"Slow down, Kitten, or you'll hurt yourself." He tried to breathe out the words between passionate kisses, but Karma was insatiable.
"I only have turned on or turned off. I don't have slow down as an option." Karma gripped him tighter. She began to rub his length until a sigh was drawn from deep within his soul.
Only Karma, with her unrelenting desire, could make him forget the world outside this room.
"What am I going to do with you?" he mumbled into her shoulder before returning to her mouth. That was a dumb question. He knew exactly what he was going to do. His body longed for Karma. There never seemed to be a way to deny the lust. Rea would've said he didn't even understand the term need, but with Karma, need was the only word he'd use for this never-ending ache that permeated his entire being.
He pressed her back as he rained kisses down her breasts, stopping to suck each of her nipples. After lavishing attention to her chest, he skimmed over her bandages as he moved lower. He figured he was going too fast, but as Karma had said, slowing down wasn't an option.
When he settled his shoulders between her legs, Rea paused. He put both hands under her smooth ass. His fingers stroked her cheeks as he lifted her toward his waiting mouth. He kissed his way up first her right thigh, and then her left, before gently lowering his mouth to her clit.
Karma gasped and lifted higher as she offered herself up to him. His eyes stayed on her flushed skin as he licked deeply, wanting to absorb her essence. He hadn't remembered how magnificent she tasted, but now he was sure he would never be able to forget.
As he delivered passionate open-mouthed kisses to her pink folds, the world dropped away. This was what he wanted, and not only now, but forever. The thought was a frightening one, but he didn't dwell on it. Her smell and taste caused everything to seem unimportant. His only concern at this second was making her scream in ecstasy.
Heat pooled in his shaft until even the slightest accidental brush against the sheets made him want to explode. Karma's head thrashed against the pillow. He wanted to see how hot and sexy she would become as he licked her. He loved to see her rising need and sizzling arousal.
Focusing on what he was doing, he clamped down on his own raging wants. Instead, he concentrated on sucking her engorged clit as he rigidly forced himself to not climb up her body and slide inside of her. He wasn't going to stop or speed up this time. This time, he would savor this because it would have to be the last. After this, he would tell her the truth.
Lost in a mixture of lust and regret, he heard her moans grow louder and more desperate. He was captivated by the noises, and he predicted she was close to orgasm.
She exploded into his mouth as he guessed she would. She sobbed his name.
His mouth, covered in her wet cream, made his erection ache to a fevered pitch. As soon as she climaxed for him, he couldn't wait a second longer.
He rose up onto his forearms and shifted until his thighs were between her parted legs. His hardon was poised at her slick entrance.
She didn't let him hesitate. Karma put her arms around his neck while she drew his mouth to hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist and added pressure. Her heels dug into his back as he shoved forward harder than he intended. His shaft buried deep inside her as she pushed her tongue into his mouth to lick away her own cream.
A rhythm he couldn't halt started from a primal place inside of him. He began to pump mindlessly into her welcoming warmth. His body hummed. Digging his fingers into her skin to keep her tight against him, he felt her nipples rub along his chest hair. His damp skin sealed them together.
She yanked her lips away from his mouth harshly and threw her head back as her body started to squeeze him. She was exploding again, and she whimpered his name.
"That's right, Kitten."
He closed his eyes as her moist channel hug him tightly. The incredible friction caused his body to fall apart. Thoughts vanished and time stopped as ecstasy spiraled down from his head to his toes. He called out her name as he pumped. His hot seed spurted straight into her body with such force Rea was sure she would be able to taste it. Never had sex been as amazing as this.
Exhausted, Rea dropped to her shoulder and inhaled the smell of sex and her sweat from the air. The cold room cooled his burning skin, and with a lethargy that was unprecedented, he grabbed his blanket. He tossed the blanket over the two of them and let his shaft slip from her body. She shivered as he tucked her to him. Miniature aftershocks radiated up his spine. Karma snuggled against his side, and he let the weariness of the morning finally crack his hard exterior.
"You wore me out," he whispered as he settled her next to his warm body.
A sexual stupor came over him, and he didn't want to fight it. He wanted to sleep with Karma and let her welcoming body make him forget his predicament.
"Rea, I love you."
Rea moved his head into her hair and squeezed her tightly. He thought his heart would break. He didn't want her to see his face, so he buried his head closer to her temple.
"You just think that right now. Go to sleep. I promise I'll be here when you get up." Rea closed his eyes. He couldn't say he loved her. He didn't know her, but damn, why couldn't this be different?
"Rea?"
"Mmmm?"
"You don't have to say you love me too. I know you do. You take good care of me. You've always been my best friend. I'm truly lucky to have you."
Karma's hand ran up his back, and as good as that felt on the outside, on the inside, he felt horrible. How could she make his whole world fantastic one minute, and in the next second say things that made him feel like a snake? He hated himself and the position he was in.
Rea pretended to sleep until she grew limp in his arms. He arranged her around him and closed his eyes. Gears was right. He needed to tell her the truth and face whatever happens next.
"Ah, Kitten, you're not lucky to have me," he whispered into the darkness. When she didn't speak, he guessed she was asleep. "I don't believe in luck."
***
Thanks for reading! ~C.M.~