Page 112 of The Hero Within
Johnny lifted his head, his breath catching and his heart pounding as if he'd run a hundred miles. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." She lifted her mouth to kiss his lips, but he turned his face away, before looking back at her insistently.
"Eden?"
He could feelthe tension curling through her, which, considering she should be suffused with post-orgasmic bliss, left his stomach knotting up.
"There's nothing wrong. You destroy me," Eden whispered, her fingers stroking his arm. "Each and every time."
"Then why are you biting your lip like that's a bad thing?" The horrible feeling was back, leaving him a little breathless, like something was squeezing his lungs.
The wordsI think I love youwhispered through his mind, but he choked it down before he could betray himself.
Because he wasn't certain if she felt the same way.
A small frown furrowed between her brows. "Because I can't control my world when I'm with you. I forget what I'm supposed to be doing. You're a distraction I don't need."
"That's not a bad thing," he murmured, lifting away from her, his slackened cock wet with his cum. "You can't control everything, angel. Least of all me. This is a negotiation between us, in which we both get to meet in the middle. I have something you want; you have something I want."
"Which is...?"
You. I want you.Johnny curled onto his side. Damn it. He felt breathless again. Was he really going to say this? "I know this is fast—"
Eden suddenly clamped her hand over his mouth, her eyes punching wide.
"What?" he muttered, behind her palm, as she sat up like she'd been shot.
"Holy shit," she whispered. "I have something they want. They have somethingIwant. That's it. That's how I get my cure."
The breath rushed out of him.Fuck.He'd been about to tell her how he felt, andnowshe had her epiphany? "You have incredibly bad timing."
But Eden wasn't listening.
She rolled out of bed, reaching for her clothes. Within three seconds she was tearing her jeans up her legs and trying to find her bra, wincing as her body clearly reminded her of yesterday's climb. Bruises shadowed her hips from the harness. He'd tried to be careful with her, but she was coated in blackened marks from head to toe.
"Bless your wicked mouth. I need to work out how to contact General Bligh."
Chapter Twenty-Two
A plan formedas Eden headed for the bathroom. It was risky and relied on elements of pure luck, but she just might be able to pull it off if she was clever. Arik returned just as she'd had her epiphany, but she'd sent him out to track Mayhew down again, in the hopes he might be able to get a message through to the general.
But first, a shower.
Eden stripped her clothes off, turning on the water. Hot water poured out of the showerhead, gallons of it. She was used to a trickle, and this was more luxurious than she'd ever known.
Closing her eyes, she stood under the spray as long as she could. Hot water sluiced away the aches and pains of the last couple of days’ exertion. Tomorrow would be worse, she suspected. Unused muscles obliterated by sudden exertion. Leaning her forehead against the wall, she lost herself in the drum of the water on her skin, thinking about all she'd learned about the bacteria and the cure. They needed a way to get into the military base, and Mayhew could do it, but how to talk him into helping them? She had something General Bligh wanted, but what about Mayhew? Without him the entire plan fell apart.
It was only when the water ran cold that Eden hauled herself upright. She must have almost fallen asleep, or into some sort of semi-trance. The traces of yesterday's headache began to ache behind her right eye. She needed more sleep.
No time for that.
She turned the shower off and started drying herself. Beads of perspiration clung to the mirror, so she wiped her fingers across it.
She was just about to flip her head upside down and towel dry her hair when something caught her eye.
A chill ran down her spine as Eden used the towel to dry the mirror instead, her heart starting to beat a little faster.
She leaned closer.
