Page 58 of Gravel and Grit

Pulling his bag off, he set it in the floorboard, along with her backpack and the beacon, then hurriedly yanked the seatbelt across his chest and clicked it into the latch. Flicking off the automatic headlights, she took off but kept herself from flooring it like she wanted to. That would make a dust cloud and give away their position as readily as flashing the lights.

Sweat was dotting her brow, and she was breathing hard through the pain, but her hands were steady as she drove them away from danger.

“Are you okay? I heard the orders to kill you over the radio.”

“I am fine, my heart,” he assured, reaching over to smooth the hair out of her face.

He was almost convincing, but she could hear the strain in his voice and knew he was lying.

“Tell me the truth, Zaek. How badly are you hurt? Do you need to go into theduramna?”

He sighed and reluctantly responded, “I took a hit from the .50 caliber mounted on the helicopter. My armor absorbed some of the impact, and my stone even more, but my shoulder blade is fractured and my stone was cracked badly enough it pierced the skin beneath.”

“How bad is it? Really?”

“It is painful, but I can hold off theduramnafor a while longer.”

“Okay, umm… ”

Mira thought quickly, forcing aside the urge to stop and examine him.

That would put them in more danger, which wasn’t helpful. If he said he wasn’t going to pass out or die, she had to believe him.

“Okay. We made a plan for this situation. They’re most likely going to have people stationed at any towns to the north, especially now. So we head west. It should take us about four-and-a-half hours to drive to the Greyhound station in Colville. I’m sure they have a tracker on this car, so when they find out we stole it, they’ll know where we’re going, which means you have to be able to fly, if needed. If you go into the healing sleep, will I be able to wake you up if we run into trouble?”

“I can go just deep enough to heal but not so deep as to be unrousable, yes. I am willing to do that, so I will be better able to protect you, but first you need to pull over.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I need to heal you first, Fluffy Bunny.”

How he managed to make that sound moderately patronizing, like it should have been obvious, furious with himself that he’d allowed her to be hurt to begin with, and sexy as hell all at the same time, she had no idea.

Maybe it was a skill his people possessed, or maybe she just knew him well enough to be able to pick up on what he was feeling.

She definitely knew him well enough to know there was no sense in arguing. Besides, she hurt and who said no to an orgasm that promised to make you hurt less? Not her, not unless…

“You’re sure that won’t affect your ability to heal yourself?” she asked, glancing at him quickly before looking back at the dark road ahead so she didn’t wreck.

“Thedassais for you and only you. Giving it to you will not affect my healing. Now, pull over so I can make you cum,” he quipped.

Mira let out a short laugh, then groaned when it made her ribs hurt.

“You are more hurt than you said!” he accused sharply at her groan, his attempt at lightening the mood forgotten in an instant.

“One of the soldiers kicked me in the ribs. And I think he fractured my right hand,” Mira admitted with a grimace.

He growled and bent over the console separating them as soon as she put it in park, one hand unbuttoning her jeans while the other cradled her head, tipping it back so he could reach her lips. He kissed her gently, but urgently.

He didn’t work his way up to giving her thedassa. He filled her mouth with the sweet, salted caramel taste of it immediately, sending her into a back-bowing, lash-fluttering orgasm with no warning.

One release bled into two, then three, as he fed her every drop in his

gland, his thick fingers pumping hard in and out of her slick pussy. When he had no more to give, and her screams were hoarse moans of ecstasy, he slowed the thrust of his fingers, and his kiss changed from urgent to soft and sweet.

“I am sorry I was not there to protect you, my heart,” he whispered against her mouth, sounding tortured.

Cracking open an eye, she gave him the fiercest glare she could muster with pleasure still sparking through her and his fingers still inside her.

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