Burn For Me

CHAPTER FOUR

Genesis burned faster than he’d thought it would. Screams filled the night, mixing with the crackle of the flames as the fire raged.

And Cain just stood back and watched the hellhole burn.

Humans were fleeing. Shouting. Some tried to put out the fire. Fools. That fire wasn’t dying.

The paranormals escaping the blaze didn’t even glance back. They fled into the woods. Ran fast. A few stopped to beat the hell out of some guards hanging around.

Interesting.

He’d freed the paranormals trapped on the lower level. He could have let them burn, maybe he should have, but …

Cain’s gaze lowered to Eve’s face. Her eyes were closed. Ash stained her cheek. The drug had knocked her out, and he’d carried her right through the blaze.

A blaze that hadn’t even blistered her skin.

He’d saved those paranormals because he’d given his word to her. He’d stared into her blue eyes and hadn’t been able to refuse her. Not then.

Want her.

She wasn’t like the others. She was something special.

His gaze swept over her delicate form. She was something damn dangerous. To him, she was lethal.

“Let her go.”

The voice came from the shadows. It was a rough voice, male, desperate.

Hungry.

The vampire.

Cain glanced up at him. His hold on Eve tightened. “I knew letting you live was a mistake.”

Blood dripped down the vampire’s chin. He’d fed, probably on the screaming guards. The man stalked toward Cain with fangs bared and fists clenched.

He really should turn the dumbass to dust.

“She … saved me,” the vampire gritted out. “I won’t let you hurt her.”

Did it look like he was hurting her? And since when did a vampire play hero for anyone or anything? From what Cain had witnessed, those bloodsuckers were good for only one thing—killing.

Cain stared at the vampire and knew that the fire of his power would burn in his eyes. “You don’t want to tangle with me.” He’d watched the destruction. Made sure that Wyatt hadn’t crawled out of the chaos.

It was time to leave.

And he was taking Eve with him.

Why can’t I have what I want? This one time …

“She’s human,” the vampire said with a hard shake of his head. “I don’t know what the hell you are, and—”

“She’s not.” Her lie. She was far more than human, and he just had to figure out what she was.

“Doesn’t matter,” the vamp growled back at him as the guy took a step forward. “I won’t let you hurt her.”

“I wasn’t the one trying to eat her.”

“No, you’re just the one who wants to fuck her.”

Cain’s eyes narrowed. It was true, but the words still pissed him off. It wouldn’t take very long to kill the parasite. Just a few seconds.

But time was already running out for them. The smoke was rising high into the sky. Others would see the blaze. More humans would come. Cain wanted to be long gone before their arrival.

He knew some of the Genesis personnel kept their vehicles in the garage to the east. He’d take one of those cars.

The vampire was blocking his path. He’d give the guy fair warning, then he’d attack. “If you don’t move, you’re dead.”

The vamp’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t—”

The fire was raging inside Cain. That blaze might not hurt Eve, but he could incinerate this jerk. And the vampire had been ready to bite Eve before.

Didn’t that mean he deserved to get singed? Even if he was trying to do some lame-ass white knight bit? You don’t fool me.

The vamp wasn’t leaving. No, the guy was actually coming closer.

Cain let the fire rip from his hand. It flew right at the vamp, tumbling end over end in a deadly ball. The vamp yelled and threw his body to the side. Cain let the fire circle the ground around the vampire, trapping him within the blaze.

Cain walked right by him. The flames would keep the vamp contained, for now. But he left him with a warning. “If you ever come at her again, you’ll feel the full force of my fire.” Cain would make sure of it. “And you won’t have time to scream then. You’ll just die.”

While the vamp froze within his temporary prison of fire, Cain made his way to that garage. He wasn’t the only paranormal with the plan to steal a getaway vehicle. That was obvious. Only two trucks and a motorcycle were left, and some guy with red hair was making his way toward the nearest truck.

“Don’t even think about it.” Cain shifted Eve so that she lay over his left shoulder. Probably not the most comfortable position for her, but he had to be ready to attack. His left arm curled around her legs as he lifted his right hand. He let the man see the flames he carried. “Unless you’re in the mood to burn.”

The guy shook his head and frantically backed up. Ah, smarter than the vamp. Then he jumped on the motorcycle and roared out of there.

Some folks were so afraid of the fire.

Cain eased Eve inside the truck. He pulled the seat belt over her, and she seemed to stir, just a bit. But her eyes didn’t open.

He figured she’d been dosed with the SP-tranq. He’d seen that tranq kill a weak paranormal once. His fingers slid to her throat. Felt the faint pulse. “You aren’t dying on me.” An order.

But … it was one she couldn’t hear.

Her breath whispered out.

Hell.

More paranormals were rushing their way. Shouts and screams filled the air.

Cain jumped in the truck. Some helpful human had left the keys under the dash, so no hot-wiring necessary. The engine revved to life, and he jerked the vehicle into reverse, making several of the paranormals leap out of the way.

If they hadn’t moved, he would have happily gone through them.

“C-Cain?” The softest rasp of Eve’s voice.

His hands tightened on the wheel. Her lashes were fluttering.

The SP-tranq never kept the most powerful paranormals out for long. It had only kept him unconscious for a few minutes.

She’d been out about fifteen minutes. Not long …

“You’re safe,” he told her. Wasn’t that all she needed to know right now? He yanked the wheel to the right. He knew this area. Another mistake for the Genesis assholes. They were playing in his backyard. He’d just needed to get away from the facility and those chains, and, now that he was out, he’d be able to vanish almost instantly.

He drove them down a twisted, dirt road. Turned to the left. The right.

The blaze behind them vanished, but the smoke still thickened the air.

“What’s … burning?” Eve’s voice. Soft. So lost.

Everything. He felt a grim smile curl his lips. Genesis was dead—and it was about fucking time.

The cabin was easy to find only if you knew where to go. The Blue Ridge Mountains held plenty of secrets, and this safe house was one that Cain hadn’t shared with anyone else. Trust wasn’t exactly easy for him.

And when he was betrayed, as he’d been betrayed by that worthless shifter Jimmy Vance, Cain always made sure to seek his vengeance. Jimmy wouldn’t get away with selling him out.

The deception would prove to be a fatal mistake for the shifter. A fatal and oh so painful mistake.

“W-where are we?”

Cain killed the engine at the sound of Eve’s voice. Her eyes were open, but the blue of her gaze looked cloudy, and the faint line between her brows showed her confusion.

At least she was back with him. For a little bit, he’d almost … worried.

As a rule, he didn’t give a shit about anyone.

“A safe house,” he told her. The place would do, for now. They needed to hide out until the fire died. Those flames would bring more humans—humans who wanted to investigate. They’d stay hidden until the flames and the smoke vanished.

Her breath rushed out. “You … saved me.” Shock coated the words.

He shoved open his door. Stalked around the truck and paused near the passenger side of the vehicle. She frowned at him and fumbled, trying to open the door. Eve couldn’t seem to get the lock to disengage.

He yanked open the door, shattering the lock, and pulled her into his arms. Why the hell did she seem to fit against him so well?

His whole body tensed as he lifted her against his chest.

“I can … walk.” She sounded disgruntled.

Would a little thank-you have killed the woman? He had hauled her ass out of a nightmare and gotten her to safety. But if the woman wanted to walk …

Jaw locking, Cain eased her onto her feet and backed up.

Her dark hair fell around her face, but he saw her shoulders straighten. Then she took a step forward.

He caught her before she slammed, face-first, into the dirt. The little growl of frustration that she gave shouldn’t have sounded sexy.

But every damn thing about her was sexy to him.

She can stand the heat.

He lifted her right back against his chest. Her head eased onto his shoulder, and her hair brushed lightly against him. She should have smelled like smoke and ash. They’d gone through hell.

But she still smelled like candy to him. Sweet. Light. Delicious.

I want a bite.

He’d be taking that bite before he let her go. Cain carried her inside the cabin. Set the security system. Turned on the lights. The cabin wasn’t big. Not fancy, but the place had a bed. Four walls. Food.

What more did they really need right then? Just a place to lay low.

He headed toward the bed.

Eve’s body stiffened in his arms. “Um … wait … what—”

Carefully, he put her down on top of the covers. She looked right in his bed. She’d look even better naked. The woman did need to get out of those burned clothes. “Genesis is gone.” Did she remember that part? The flames? The screams?

Her eyes widened. She glanced down at her clothes. Had to see the ash. The fire had burned part of her clothing, but the flames hadn’t marred her flesh. “You … took me out.” Her voice was stronger. Still husky. Still like a hot stroke right over his groin. “Got me out of the flames after …” She sat up slowly, sliding over the covers with a hiss of sound. “After that bastard shot me.”

Anger sharpened her words. But who wouldn’t be pissed after getting shot?

He reached for her.

She flinched away from him.

Cain’s jaw clenched. Right. Just because he’d saved her, just because she could handle the flames, didn’t mean her opinion of him would be any different from anybody else’s. She’d still look at him and see the freak who could burn.

The man who touched hell.

“I’m just checking your wound,” he snapped. Like she hadn’t been kissing him before. Rubbing her body against his. Acting like she wanted him.

But they’d had an audience then, and maybe every moan, every stroke of her body against his had been nothing more than an act.

The woman is one fine actress. He’d have to remember that. She’d just been playing a role.

When he’d been fucking desperate to take her. To finally be with someone who could handle his power.

Her hand lifted slowly and slid over her stomach. The bottom of the shirt had been burned away. The tranq had caught her in the stomach, he knew that, but her hand slid over smooth, unblemished skin.

Not that the tranq ever left much of a mark, anyway. Wyatt had designed it to be a subtle but painful attack. Easier to take out prey and then deny any action later.

“What was it?” she asked as her fingers pressed against her stomach. Smooth flesh. Pale.

Lickable.

“A tranq.” His voice sounded like ragged gravel, so he cleared his throat and tried again. “A special mix Wyatt made. It can knock out even the strongest paranormals.” And kill the weakest.

Good thing she hadn’t been weak.

What was she?

“Can you create the fire?” he asked because maybe—his heart raced faster—maybe she was just like him. He’d always been an outcast in the paranormal world. A freak, even among the monsters. But if she was like him, if he wasn’t alone …

She shook her head. “N-no.” Her gaze darted around the room. “What happened to Wyatt?”

“He burned.”

Another flinch from her.

Why wasn’t she looking at him? Cain caught her chin in his hand and made her focus on him. “Forget him. He deserved a fast trip to hell.” Did she have any idea how many paranormals that bastard had tortured? Cain had heard their screams. He knew.

“What about the others?” Eve asked. “Did they get out? Did they—”

“A lot of them did.” Not everyone, not all the paranormals and not all the humans. Those explosions had been timed too perfectly.

Wyatt hadn’t minded killing his lab rats or his own research teams.

And the guy thought Cain was the monster? Wyatt was as sadistic and twisted as any killer could possibly be.

Her breath rushed out. “I have to—I have to call this story in—I need to tell—”

He remembered what Wyatt had said about her. Eve wasn’t another scientist out to poke and prod her prey. She was a reporter. A woman after a story. I won’t be her story. “You’re not telling anyone anything.”

She pulled away from him.

“Not yet,” he said, trying to soften his words. “Not until it’s safer.” Not until he’d had his fill of her.

She’s afraid of me. So what? Everyone is. He could work past her fear. He had to.

He’d been held captive for too damn long.

And he wanted her too much.

“You can stand the fire,” he whispered.

Her gaze came back to his. Still laced with fear, but … was that a flash of awareness in her eyes? “Yes.”

His stare dropped to her lips. He wanted to taste her again. Cain leaned forward, bringing his mouth closer to hers. Eve didn’t pull back.

Did she—hell, did she lean toward him? He sure thought that she did.

He pressed his lips against hers. He wanted to ravage her mouth. To take and taste and hear her moan. But he touched her lightly with his lips, carefully … at first.

Don’t scare her any more. Not yet.

His control was razor thin. He needed to woo her while he could.

Her lips parted beneath his. Still not pulling away. Then her tongue came out and licked against his.

Fuck.

That control got even thinner. “I want you.” Guttural. His cock was so full and aching—from one damn kiss—that he hurt.

He couldn’t remember his last lover. He couldn’t picture her in his mind. The lovers he’d taken before hadn’t mattered to him. He hadn’t let them matter. They couldn’t get close to him. Couldn’t find out what he really was.

Bodies in the dark. Pleasure. Sex.

That was all his past had been.

The light of dawn streaked through the cabin. It wouldn’t be sex in the shadows. Eve wouldn’t be a woman that he forgot.

Her gaze held his.

“If you don’t want me, you’d better tell me to stop now.” While he could still stop. Because in a few more seconds …

Take her.

There’d be no turning back.

Her lips were red. Slick. Her breath came faster. But …

But she shook her head.

He pulled away from her, every move so painful that he wanted to rage.

“Your eyes …” Her whisper.

And he knew that his control was breaking. He’d used too much power back at Genesis. He couldn’t let the beast out and expect to instantly shove him back in the cage.

Want her. Need her. She could soothe him. Make him forget hell.

Except she was pulling away from him. Rising. Stumbling toward the door on the right. The bathroom.

Leaving him aching. Hungry. Aroused.

Saying no.

When the door shut behind her, the beast broke free.

What in the world was happening?

Eve stared at herself in the mirror. Was she really about to have sex with Cain? A man she barely knew?

A man who’d made her wet with just a kiss.

She twisted the faucet and sent a burst of cold water pouring into the sink. She cupped her hands and threw a cold spray on her face. The water rinsed off the ash and who the hell knew what else from her skin. She tossed away her clothes. They were ruined anyway, and if she was doing this, then she was damn well doing it right.

Adrenaline pumped through her blood. She could remember the fire. That jerkoff Wyatt. Screams and death.

And Cain. He’d held her. Gotten her out of that nightmare.

She’d wanted him before he’d saved her.

She still wanted him.

They were in the middle of nowhere. Alone. With a big bed just waiting for them.

Why couldn’t she want him? Why shouldn’t she want him?

She kicked away her clothes. Took a minute to survey herself in the mirror.

There was no sound from the other room. He’d better not have changed his mind. A girl just needed a little time to try and get sexy after an all-out hell battle. Was that such a bad thing? Not like it was a crazy urge.

Because … he mattered. She wanted it to be right. Special.

He’d be grand lover number four in her life. Didn’t that deserve special fanfare? Eve figured the situation at least called for some non-singed clothes and a non-ash-covered body.

She turned back toward the door. Put her hand on the wood. The drug wasn’t making her body feel limp anymore. No, limp was the last thing she felt right then.

Her nipples were tight. Her sex quivering.

Because Cain was waiting on her.

She opened the door. Naked, she walked to him.

Cain whirled around when the door squeaked open. His face was hard, more menacing than she’d seen it before, and his strong jaw had locked.

But she wasn’t about to lose her nerve. Eve lifted her chin, licked her lips. “I … want you, Cain.”

His eyes blazed. Literally blazed with fire. Not dark anymore. Burning bright.

She liked them that way.

Two steps, and he had her. He rushed toward her, took her mouth. Not softly, not lightly anymore. Good. She hadn’t wanted that. Maybe it was the drug leaving her system. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was just him.

But she didn’t want easy and soft. She’d had that with the other men. Men who were careful with their touches and too hesitant in the dark. Right then, she wanted passion and she wanted fire.

The real world would intrude soon enough. She got that. For the moment, though, … screw off, real world.

She put her arms around him. His chest was bare. He wore a pair of loose jogging pants, pants that had been burned and ripped, and those pants did nothing to conceal the thick length of his arousal.

He pushed her back against the wall. Caged her. He was so … hot.

She loved the feel of his hot flesh against her. Actually, she wanted more. A lot more. Even as she kissed him back, matching the wildness of his mouth, her hand slid down his body. Over those rock-hard abs—damn—down to the waistband of his pants. Eve shoved them down. Touched the cock that pushed toward her. Hot silk over leashed power.

So sexy.

What would he taste like?

She stroked him and wanted to find out.

But he was kissing his way down her neck. Oh, his mouth felt good on her. Then he used the edge of his teeth, and her whole body shuddered. “Cain!” She pumped him harder with her hand. Faster.

He pulled away.

What?

His chest heaving, he stared down at her with those burning eyes. In that fire, she just saw need. Raw desire.

Lust.

“On the bed.” His words were thick with the same lust that lit his eyes.

Her knees wanted to tremble as she walked toward the bed. Would sex against the wall have been so bad? She’d never tried that before, maybe—

He didn’t let her make it to the bed. Two more steps, and he pounced. The room spun around her. She blinked, then found herself flat on the mattress. Her legs were parted, dangling over the edge of the bed, and Cain was between them.

“Need to taste … have to …”

He put his mouth against her. A mouth that was just as warm as the rest of him. Not burning. Heated just … right. His tongue licked over her clit. His fingers slid into her. He tasted.

She came.

But he didn’t stop. His fingers plunged inside her, again and again, and he kept licking her. Sucking her flesh. Her body twisted on the bed. Her nipples were aching, and she wanted him to touch them. Wanted him to keep his mouth on her. Wanted—

Another orgasm hit her. She screamed because it snapped right through her, hard enough to steal her breath even as the pleasure crashed over her body.

Then he was rising up. Staring at her with a face that could have been carved from stone. He positioned his cock between her legs. Took her hands. Twined his fingers with hers.

“I’ve been waiting for you …”

She blinked, then shook her head, sure that she’d misunderstood. He couldn’t have just said those words. They didn’t make any sense but …

I feel like I’ve been waiting for him, too.

“No diseases,” he growled. “I can’t … get …”

No, he wouldn’t. From what she’d seen, the guy healed from everything when he burned and rose once more. She was on birth control, so pregnancy wasn’t an issue for her.

Want him.

“Eve?”

“Yes …” Her whisper. “Cain, come in …”

He thrust into her and she forgot everything else. Her legs wrapped around his hips. Eve arched up against him. She’d never been filled this way before. Completely. Totally. This wasn’t just sex.

Possession.

Heat.

Need.

Pleasure.

Every stroke had the sensitive inner muscles of her sex clenching. Aftershocks of release still hummed through her, and the withdrawal and thrust of his aroused flesh just made those aftershocks feel stronger.

Deeper, harder, he thrust.

Her heels dug into his ass. “More.” Her greedy gasp.

He gave her more. The bed jerked beneath then. The headboard rammed into the wall.

He kept giving her more.

Her sex was slick and eager, and Cain slid in deeper. She couldn’t come again—wait, was she still coming? Eve couldn’t tell. There was too much pleasure. Pleasure that didn’t end. It rippled through her body, spiking and rolling, and she cried out his name.

And felt him erupt inside her. His eyes were on her when he came, and those eyes—the flames flared brighter. The heat from his body raged.

Then he kissed her.

The pleasure just kept coming.

So did she.

Eve slept beside him, her slender body naked, pale in the growing light.

Carefully, Cain began to inspect her flesh. He couldn’t remember enough of what had happened—there’d only been a storm of need inside him. Lust that had broken free.

He’d never let his control shatter like that before.

Once, so long ago, he’d seen what had happened to a human when his power flared too hot during sex. The woman with him had screamed when blisters appeared on her arms.

His touch had been too hot.

He’d been too hot.

She’d screamed and shoved away from him, but he’d been so horrified by what he’d done he had leaped back. He’d seen the red imprints on her flesh. The perfect match to his fingertips.

He’d been so careful after that. Holding tight to his control. Never letting go. Surviving on sips of pleasure only.

Not with Eve.

He’d known she could handle any fire he sent her way, and he’d taken every last bit of pleasure that he could.

Her skin was flawless. No blisters. No burns.

But then, he’d seen the flames come toward her at Genesis. They’d burned over her flesh, but never actually hurt her.

What are you?

She’d said she couldn’t create fire, but was that another lie? He couldn’t trust her, wouldn’t.

But he sure as hellfire wanted her again.

He could easily grow addicted to Eve Bradley, and that addiction would be a very dangerous thing.

For him.

Especially for her. She didn’t seem to understand just how dangerous it was for him to want her. His desire could be deadly.

His fingers slid down the curve of her back. She wasn’t warm like him. Slightly cool to the touch, her flesh was so silken and smooth. Touching her seemed to … soothe him.

He wasn’t the type to want soothing.

He pulled away from her when his instincts told him to pull her closer. He dressed, yanking on extra clothes that he kept stored at the cabin.

Then he headed toward the door and didn’t look back.