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  Hands that trembled parted her knees and he barked a warning. “Stay!”

  Yeah, not a problem. She was pinned to the spot as effectively as a deer caught by headlights.

  And damn if he didn’t look sexy as hell with his dark hair wet and rumpled, clinging to his face. Beads of water glistened in the moonlight, streamed over ripped muscles, and raced along delineated indentations. One fat drop quivered where it clung to his taut nipple. Jenny longed to capture it on the tip of her tongue then lick away all the remaining water from every inch of skin.

  She screamed as he fed on her pussy as if starved. Broad shoulders forced her legs wider, almost to the point of pain. There was no slow buildup or finesse, Nash ravished her. Eager slurps and moans filled the air as he consumed the cream from her slick folds. His tongue felt rough, abrading tender tissues, creating the most delightful friction. The wet appendage thrust deep into her grasping pussy. Jenny swore it almost hit the back of her throat before the tip curved upward to stroke her sweet spot as it retracted.

  Her fingers wound through his hair and held him in place as her hips bucked, her pussy fucking his face. The dominant behavior and rough treatment, so uncharacteristic of Nash, drove her into a wild frenzy. Unfathomable pleasure gathered in her core as he took her to incredible heights.

  “Nash,” she gasped. “Oh God. Please.” Overwhelmed, she wasn’t sure if she begging him to stop or keep going. Uncontrollable spasms shook her entire body and all she could do was to hang on tight.

  Her orgasm hit with the force of a tsunami. Wave after wave swelled then crashed over her, bombarding her with endless ecstasy. He stayed with her, sucked her engorged clit, riding out the storm until her body calmed, lapping at her folds until he’d devoured every drop of pleasure.

  Aftershocks still burst through her body as he gently lifted her, dried them both, and carried her to bed. She lost count of how many times throughout the night they made love, always in a different position.

  He’d become a tireless sex fiend.

  If this was a side effect of what they’d done to him in the lab, she might have to volunteer for the program just to be able to keep up with him. She’d definitely have to order some mega vitamins.

  Not that she was complaining. Nope, so far she was very satisfied with her new-and-improved husband.

  Chapter Five

  Jenny yawned and rubbed her eyes. She had not managed to get much sleep. She would doze off then wake up in a panic, reaching out for Nash. Each time she did they made love again, reestablishing their strong connection.

  Nash prepared a huge breakfast feast and wolfed down massive proportions, but she had little appetite. Finally, she stopped pushing food around the plate and set it aside. Nash had shared small pieces of the horrible information he’d discovered while held captive at the lab. She’d taken time to think about it and was ready to talk.

  She’d been proud of his job as the second-in-command providing security for a research company committed to developing a cure for cancer. Never would she have suspected the scientists’ discoveries had lead them on a very different path. One that paved the way for unconscionable actions and a frightening goal—creating genetically enhanced humans.

  “Let’s see if I’ve got this right. The company is kidnapping innocent people and fucking around with their DNA. They’re going against all ethical and legal regulations governing research. Their morals are corrupted, bent to suit their own purposes. When you found out, they abducted you and turned you into one of their guinea pigs.”

  He rolled his neck then stared at the ceiling for a minute. “Yeah, that’s pretty much the issue in a nutshell. The military took interest in the concept and gave them funding. I don’t think they realize the company has taken the idea past the research stage and are experimenting on humans.”

  He reached across the table and picked up her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before releasing it again. She stared into his eyes, seeing the awful truth in his steady gaze.

  “Nash, what the hell did they do to you?”

  With a heavy sigh, he scrubbed a hand over this face in a telling gesture. She knew he was trying to find a way to sugarcoat what he had to say. That was the last thing she needed or wanted. She decided to steer the conversation in a different direction, ask some of the other questions bothering her.

  “Okay, so this secret lab of theirs, with all this fancy, state-of-the art security in place. Yet you somehow managed to escape after weeks of not finding any point of weakness.” Jenny drummed her fingers on the table. “Don’t you find it suspicious that their tight security became lax at the opportune moment, allowing you to get away?”

  “Was that a rhetorical question?”

  She nodded. He seemed to know where her line of reasoning was headed. “So how do we, working on our own, bring down a major organization with strong government connections?”

  His expression hardened. “We don’t. I need to get in touch with Micah Lasiter. He’ll help me sort this out. Get me in touch with the right people.”

  “Your boss?” she gasped, certain her skepticism showed in her expression. “But he’s one of them.”

  “I trust Micah. He’s not just my boss. You know we’re old friends. He wouldn’t condone illegal research. Once he knows what’s going on, he’ll help me.”

  Yeah, and leave her completely out of everything. “I’m in this now, Nash, so don’t even think of trying to shut me out.”

  They had brought her luggage into the cabin earlier. She went to her purse, got her cell phone, and pushed it across the table. “Here. If you trust this friend then call him.”

  Nash shook his head. “I can’t, Sunshine. Cell activity is too easy to monitor and intercept. I need a secure, untraceable way to contact him.”

  Frustrated, she dropped down into her chair. Okay, no cell phone. The cabin had a landline but caller ID ruled out that as an option. Considering their location, finding a payphone was a long shot.

  “Oh, I know. We could send up a smoke signal.” She wanted to bite back the sarcastic comment as soon as it left her mouth.

  He merely snickered.

  “Do you think they could have followed you here?” Jenny cast a nervous glance around the cabin.

  “No!” His tone was firm and confident. “I took care of the tracking mechanism.” Pausing, he seemed to reconsider. “They might be able to use another…altered subject to follow my trail, but I don’t think it would work. The training process has not progressed that far. I doubt they’ve had time to teach the others how to track or hunt.”

  “Oh, oh, oh.” Jenny shot up from the chair as if her ass were on fire. “I know. The SUV has that OnStar satellite thingy. You can use it to call Micah.”

  Nash rubbed his chin. It was an old habit she knew well. It meant his very analytical mind was busy picking her idea apart, determining potential problems and probabilities of success. Without warning, he grabbed her, spinning Jenny around in circles.

  “You are amazing!” He stopped twirling, but her head continued to whirl for a few seconds. She stared into his eyes, delighting in the enlarged pupils and darker blue color reflecting heated desire.

  Lowering his head, he drew her into a slow kiss. Nash traced her lips with the tip of his tongue before delving inside to tease and tantalize. He nibbled and sipped, tasted and explored.

  Jenny’s body softened, melted into her husband. Her hands traced the planes and angles along his chest, noting changes in him. During his captivity his body had become leaner and more defined, roped with muscle. His kiss tasted different too, the sweetness now seasoned with a spicier flavor and boldness. When they’d made love he’d been insatiable and aggressive. Almost primal. Animalistic.

  She pulled back, needing to catch her breath. One kiss and she was ready for him. Her body hot and wet. But now was not the time. They had to sort through this tangled web of deceit first. After exposing the lab and ensuring Nash would be safe they could fuck like rabbits.

>   “I doubt the security team has thought about monitoring satellite communications.” He considered their situation for a moment. “Have you noticed anything strange lately? Seen anyone watching the bungalow or taking an unusual interest in your schedule?”

  Jenny thought about it. Working evening shift, paying extra attention to her surroundings when driving home late at night had become habit. When Nash had disappeared, she’d experienced the creepy crawly feeling of being watched those first few weeks.

  “For a while, I would have sworn someone was watching me, but it all figured in with your disappearance. I told the police. They brushed off my concerns, said I was imagining things because of you leaving.” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “The detective made me out to be a hysterical and hormonal woman scorned. He made me feel as if I was losing my mind.

  “Anyway—” She shook off the useless anger and frustration. “There was a van, one of the windowless deals used by plumbers and other businesses. I noticed it sitting several houses down the block for the first week. But I decided someone was having work done on their house and shrugged it off as strung-out nerves. I haven’t seen anything odd since then.”

  His grip on her shoulder’s tightened and his expression turned hard, taking on a dangerous glare. “Fucking bastards. My guess is they were watching you to see if the police gave any credence to your belief something had happened to me. God, Jenny—” His eyes closed briefly before he stared down at her. “If they’d hurt you…”

  Nash didn’t need to complete the statement. His anger over any potential harm she’d faced was evident in his clenched jaw and pained expression.

  “How many people knew you were coming here?”

  She considered his question for a moment. “Only my mother and I didn’t tell her specifics. Nobody at work knows what I planned for vacation other than to get out of town.”

  He brushed the tip of her nose with a tender kiss. “Good! Even if the organization checks up on you they shouldn’t realize you’re gone yet. We’ll have to risk it and hope Nanotech isn’t monitoring satellite communications.”

  “Make sure you get Micah to bring you some clothes.” Jenny gaze swept his body clad in only the thin medical scrubs and grinned. “Not that I mind you being naked or going commando.”

  * * * * *

  “I want to know more about this lab and what they did to you? And why haven’t I heard about Micah before if you’re such good friends?”

  They sat before the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate. It was early afternoon and would still be a few hours before help reached them. Nash had known the hard questions were coming, seen them in her eyes, but wasn’t eager to discuss the particulars. He’d didn’t want Jenny to be in danger but she deserved to know details.

  “I’ll start with Micah. The only contact I’ve had with him since you and I met revolves around work. You know that I signed a confidentiality agreement so I can’t get too into Nanotech business.”

  He settled with his back propped against the couch, legs stretched out toward the hearth, casually crossed at the ankle. “I met Micah in the Army when both of us were green recruits. Micah excelled in espionage. My marksman skills took me in a different direction, although we did work together at times it wasn’t often. Our paths crossed again when I applied for the security job with the company. Micah had already been with them and was one of the reasons I took the job. He’s a good guy. Fiercely loyal.

  “Even though he’s my supervisor, he works in another part of the country. We don’t see much of each other. I started hearing rumors about top-secret research and experimentation, which I didn’t give much attention. Not at first. When one of the scientists went missing after stating ethical concerns to higher-ups, I began to investigate on my own.” He glanced at Jenny. She watched him close, hung on every word.

  “I discovered things. About the lab, and what they were doing. Word got back to the wrong people. I intended to get Micah involved but didn’t reach him in time since he’d gone on medical leave. Someone found out I was asking questions so they sent a cleaner after me.”

  Confusion clouded her eyes. Nash changed course for a moment to explain. “A cleaner is similar to a hit man. When the situation goes FUBAR the cleaner is called in to purge any trace of the organization—scrub the scene. This can include destroying evidence and eliminating witnesses. I became an unacceptable risk, but they still had certain uses for me.”

  Jenny gasped. He took hold of her freezing cold hands, rubbing them between his own in an attempt to warm her up. Her brown eyes were wide with shock and fear. “I’m okay, Sunshine,” he reassured. “Do you want me to continue?”

  Jenny nodded.

  “I got sloppy, panicked. The cleaner got the drop on me, knocked me out with an electroshock weapon. I was drugged and bound for transport, taken to the lab, and woke up strapped to an exam table. The scientists explained their project. It was quite brilliant really. Abduct the unwanted dregs of society for testing no subject would willingly submit to. The initial goal of altering DNA to remove cancer changed when other potentials became clear. The new government sponsored goal, create an unbeatable team of enhanced soldiers. Combine the DNA of the world’s strongest, fiercest hunters with that of the test subjects. I doubt the government knows how far the scientists took things.”

  He rubbed his chin. “The results weren’t quite what they’d expected. A dozen or so people were altered that I’m aware of. They received DNA from wolves, bears, big cats, sharks…you name it. When the human’s bodies revealed weakness, operations were performed to alter organs, muscles and bones. Some didn’t survive. A few had to be terminated.”

  Fat tears streamed down her cheeks, but Jenny didn’t make a sound. Nash pulled her into his arms, offering what comfort he could. She remained stiff and on edge. Tremors rocked her body.

  “Oh my God. What…how…Jesus…” Her voice trailed off as she buried her face against his chest.

  Anticipating her next questions, Nash prepared to plunge ahead. Jenny surprised him by leaping to her feet.

  “I need to take a break.” The words were spoken softly. She appeared weak, her complexion pale from shock. “I’m going to take a walk.”

  He moved to join her, but Jenny held out a hand to stop him.

  “Alone!”

  Nodding, Nash gave her the space she needed to sort through everything he’d said. It was a lot. Hell, he still had a difficult time coming to terms with everything that had happened. For Jenny, it was all new territory.

  Chapter Six

  Restless and needing to move, she paced the dirt driveway, afraid to go very far while sorting through what Nash had told her, along with her conflicted emotions. Anger, betrayal, shock, disbelief and joy all warred for dominance.

  In the weeks since he’d disappeared, she had spent a lot of sleepless nights watching late night television. Her mind latched onto episodes of Science Fiction Theater. The whole situation, everything that had happened, made it seem as if she’d been tossed into the middle of a bizarre movie starring mad scientists and brutal killers.

  It was a lot to stomach, requiring a huge leap of faith. She wanted to believe in him, but Lord, talk about far-out craziness.

  Maybe the drugs they’d given Nash had caused vivid dreams. Dreams so real his mind had been tricked into thinking those mental trips had been real. Or he could have suffered a head injury. Yeah, it was something to consider.

  Hell, maybe he’d been abducted by aliens.

  Anything was better than his employer having screwed around with his DNA. That horrifying nightmare was unthinkable.

  Then there was the matter of him never telling her anything. Sure, Nanotech required silence and he’d signed a confidentiality agreement, but she was his wife. For that matter, why had she never asked more questions about his work? Until his disappearance, she’d been happy with her ignorance.

  Frustration overwhelmed her and Jenny took it out on a tree, kicking the hard trunk. The sof
t sneakers she wore provided no protection against the blow. “Ow! Smart, Jen. Real smart.” She hopped around on the good foot, rubbing her injured toes through her shoes.

  At the end of the drive, she turned and headed back toward the cabin. “This was supposed to have been a stress-free vacation. Rest and relaxation. Ha!” While she rejoiced at having found Nash, she wanted to rail over the injustice of how their lives had been pitched into total chaos.

  Jenny came to an abrupt halt. What had happened didn’t matter. She would stand by her man no matter what trouble came their way and get him whatever help he needed.

  Something he’d said raced to the forefront of her mind. “They received DNA from wolves, bears, big cats, sharks…you name it. When the human’s bodies revealed weakness, operations were performed to alter organs, muscles and bones.”

  What the hell had the whacked-out scientists done to her husband? He’d only given her sketchy information. Jenny had no clue. But she sure as hell was going to find out. Armed with medical knowledge she could combat any ill effects.

  Fixated on her immediate goal, she started off once again, ready to get some answers. A low, resonating rumble filtered through the trees, making her gut clench. It was a menacing, animalistic growl. A warning.

  A twig snapped, branches rustled and the growling grew in both volume and nearness.

  Well, didn’t this new predicament just make her damn day. Here she was out walking in the wilderness, by herself, being stalked by what sounded like a very large animal.

  When you step in it, you really step in it.

  RUN!

  Her entire body froze to the spot, regardless of what her head screamed the message wasn’t getting through. Fear paralyzed her muscles. Instinct told her to get far away from whatever it was, but she knew predators were enticed by the chase.

  Too late!

  The biggest cat she’d ever seen strolled from the forest, blocking her path. Lions in the zoo had nothing on this enormous creature. Walking on all fours it was only about a foot shorter than her. If the beast rose on its hind legs—