No Regrets

Part of Noelle was afraid. She'd never had an orgasm and hadn't really believed that they existed for women— until now. Now, with her climax barreling at her at lightning speed, she knew she'd been wrong.

She wanted to take the time to study what was happening to her, to break it down into little, interesting pieces so that she could examine the process more thoroughly. But David had other ideas. He didn't give her time to think or examine. He increased his pace, slid a hand down between them to stroke the knot of nerve endings shielded by her damp curls.

"I'm going to make you come now," he whispered against her breast.

Noelle couldn't have found the mental capacity to speak even if she had the breath. Her whole body was tightly coiled, held captive by the feeling of his erection thrusting into her, his mouth on her nipple and his finger working magic between her thighs. She wasn't sure how much tighter she could be wound, but David moved with confidence.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

And then so did Noelle. She came in a burst of pleasure that seared her nerves and raced through her blood like lightning. She couldn't control the waves of pure sensation coursing over her limbs, pooling in her belly. She didn't want to. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever experienced in her life.

Her voice filled the cabin with keening cries of joy that echoed in the still, cool air.

Slowly, the world returned to Noelle. She lifted David's head and kissed him in an expression of wonder and gratitude.

David grinned. "I'm glad you liked it, but we're not done yet."

Not done? An anxious flutter landed low in her stomach, jumbling her overstimulated nerves. "I'm not sure if I can take any more."

His smile darkened with sensuality, and he moved his hips forward, reminding her of his presence still thick and heavy inside her. "Let's find out, shall we?"

A long, sweaty time later, they found out just exactly how much more she was able to take. And give.

Noelle was still asleep hours later when David woke and pulled himself away from her warmth. She drew in a stuttered breath, then snuggled down into the cozy sleeping bag.

David grinned. After trying to coax her into getting a decent amount of sleep for days, it seemed funny that he'd finally found the right tactic to use. Wear her out with sex.

Just the memory of her sweet, feminine body writhing against him was enough to get him hard again. Even after four times, he was ready to go for a fifth. He hadn't been like this since he left high school. Several times in one day, sure. Several times in a few hours? Not so much.

Maybe it was the years of self-imposed celibacy that had him running hot. Or maybe it was the way Noelle reacted to his touch, the way she sounded when he slid inside her eager body, the way she smelled after her skin was hot with lust and sweat, the way her eyes went wide with shock when she came for him.

Oh yeah. It was definitely that part that made his jeans fit horribly.

But rather than get back in the sack with Noelle and give in to his unquenchable libido, he turned his back and forced his mind to focus on business. He had to go check the perimeter and make sure it was still secure. Every time he walked a circuit of the cabin, his gut nagged him with worry. He was sure he hadn't missed anything, but it wouldn't take too much skill to circumvent the primitive security measures he'd put in place.

It was the best he could do with limited resources, but it wasn't good enough for Noelle.

Then again, neither was he.

That thought was enough to kill any remaining warmth he carried from the previous hours in bed with Noelle. He prayed to God she'd meant it when she'd said no regrets.

David hiked the property, focusing solely on the land, looking for any signs of trespass. None of his traps had been sprung, none of the vegetation had shifted out of place. There were no tracks other than his own and that of a couple of deer.

That nagging worry was eased, but not cured. He'd keep a close eye out while Noelle worked. She seemed to be making progress, and as long as he didn't distract her too much, they'd be out of here soon.

Somehow that thought wasn't as appealing as it had been just yesterday. Sex with Noelle had changed everything.

He was no longer dragging his feet as he made his way back to the cabin. Instead, he found himself hurrying to get there. He wanted to see her again. Hell, he even wanted just to talk to her.

After last night, they had some serious talking to do. He hadn't worn a condom. He didn't have any with him. He didn't even think about them these days since his life didn't include sex. He sure hadn't thought about them last night as he came inside her, deep as he could go. Repeatedly. It was exactly what he would have done if he'd been trying to get a woman pregnant.

Not just any woman. Noelle.

An odd, fluttering excitement filled his belly. He should have been scared shitless just thinking about a baby. He should have been panicked, dripping cold sweat and shaking like he'd just puked his guts out.

Instead, he thought about whether or not she'd still be naked when he got back and whether or not he could wake her up with only his tongue. He imagined how easy it would be to push himself into her while she was still slick from the last time he'd come inside her. His jeans stretched and his balls ached for release.

What me hell was wrong with him? He didn't have any right acting like a caveman. Hell, he hadn't even talked to Noelle about sex, much less kids.

Kids? As in plural?

Now he was completely nuts. All that time in isolation had sent him over the edge. That was the only possible explanation he could find for why after one night with Noelle, he was already thinking about making a family.

Family had no place in his world. Especially not now. He couldn't even safely spend time with his sister or her son without worrying about who was watching him and whether or not he'd put the people he loved at risk just by being in the same room with them. Even to consider the notion of settling down in a house in the suburbs to fill every room with kids was complete madness.

He was a walking target. This was his last mission and he fully intended to go out in a heroic blaze of glory, taking every one of the Swarm with him. Not only did he not care if it killed him, part of him hoped it would.

But if that was the case, then why was he thinking about babies?

It had to be some sort of biological imperative—like a woman's biological clock, but for a man. He didn't really expect to live to see Christmas, so his caveman side was making him want to leave behind a little slice of his genes for future generations. That had to be it. It was the only thing that made any sense at all.

When he walked into the cabin, Noelle was just pulling a heavy sweatshirt on over her head. Other than her shoes, she was completely clothed.

Disappointment slowed his steps as he shut the door behind him. Man, he'd really been hoping she'd still be naked.

Noelle gave him a hesitant smile. "Have you seen my glasses?"

David picked them up from where they'd been thrown the night before, cleaned the dust off with his shirt and held them out to her.

His hand was shaking.

He cursed silently and clenched his jaw against that urge to kiss her.

"Thanks," she said, her smile faltering.

No doubt he looked about as friendly as a riled grizzly bear. He tried to find a smile, or at least still his features into a mask of neutrality, but he couldn't.

She licked her lips in a nervous gesture and her green eyes slid toward her shoes. "I, uh, suppose I should get to work."

David cleared his throat so he could talk. "Let's eat first, okay?"

She gave him a small nod and started toward the kitchen area. David grabbed her arm and stopped her. He couldn't let this awkward morning-after stuff continue.

"Noelle," he said, trying to sound casual. He was going to tell her how, although it had been the best sex of his life, he couldn't let it happen again. It was too dangerous for either of them to become emotionally attached. They had to stay focused and professional and keep their distance. Emotions ran high during crisis situations, and this certainly qualified. It was natural for them to come together in an effort to release some of the tension that had them both pulled tight enough to shatter. But instead, he said, "Are you on birth control?"

Noelle blinked in confusion, then her eyes went wide. "Yes, I mean, no. I mean, yes I take the pill, but they were in my purse and that didn't come with us and so I haven't..."

She sank to the floor, boneless, no stool required. "Oh, God."

David sat down beside her and pulled her into his lap. Her whole body was shaking. He didn't say anything. He just held her until she could work through her thoughts. Fortunately, it didn't take too long.

She looked up at him, her face was a pretty shade of embarrassed pink. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it last night."

David couldn't blame her there. Neither one of them had been doing all that much thinking. "Me either."

"What do I do?" she asked him.

How about get married? his mentally ill mind asked silently. He really wished he deserved another chance at happily ever after. It would have been nice to try to make things work with Noelle. "Not much we can do now, I don't guess. I mean, no sense closing the barn door once the horses are gone, ya know?"

She gave a slow nod. "I'm not sure I like being compared to a bam, but I get your point. Anyway, I think it is too late in the month for me to get... you know."

"Pregnant?" She couldn't even say the word. That didn't sit well with David, considering he'd been all goofy over the mere thought of it this morning.

"Yes. Pregnant." If she hadn't been staring right at him when she said it, he wouldn't have seen the way her eyes dilated. Of course, it could have been his imagination, or a change in the lighting filtering in from outside. But he didn't think so. She hadn't pulled away from him, and that was a good sign.

He stroked a hand over her mussed curls, trying to comfort her. "We'll figure everything out, okay?"

"Um, okay." Her voice shook so hard he could barely make out the words. ,

Not a good sign at all.

Noelle couldn't concentrate worth a damn. The symbols kept running together as her thoughts strayed to other things.

David. Sex. A baby.

Her head landed on the scarred table with a thump. What in the world was she going to do if she ended up pregnant? It wasn't that she didn't like kids, because she did. She'd even thought about having one or two of her own, in that sort of vague, one-of-these-days kind of way. But one of these days turned up to be today, possibly, and she couldn't stop thinking about it. Her life was already so complicated. When this was all over, she was going to have to go into hiding to avoid being hunted down again, she was sure of that. It was one thing to turn her own life upside down, but to drag a kid along with her?

And that was if she even survived.

At least that thought reminded her she had bigger worries than an unplanned pregnancy. If she didn't successfully complete her task, she wouldn't be around long enough to even find out if she was pregnant.

David's wide, warm hands settled on her shoulders. "Want to take a walk and clear your head?"

"How can you be so calm? You just found out this morning that a fling you had last night might end up haunting you for the rest of your life."

She felt him tense behind her. "Fling? Haunt me? Is that how you see what happened between us?"