Coveting Ava Read online

  “Just lie down when you’re ready and I’ll get this done,” he said softly.

  Goddess, was she really going to do this? Lie bare-assed naked on a bed with a stranger, a scanner, and a camera?

  Yes.

  She dropped the robe, draping it over the small table next to her. She lay down on the bed on her stomach, her arms up so her head could rest on her hands. As soon as she stopped rustling, Tom reached for a scanner.

  She felt when he turned around. It was the rustle of air; a sense of movement. He placed his hand on the heel of her foot, giving her some small comfort.

  “Why didn’t they scan me when I was unconscious?” she whispered.

  “They did. But they couldn’t tell a lot of what they needed at that time. What we’re looking for now—well, this procedure will be more invasive.”

  She froze.

  He squeezed her foot comfortingly. “It’s all right, Ava. I’m here with you. I’ll always be with you.” He paused.

  “Can you spread your legs for me?”

  Chapter Two

  THE SCANNER EMITTED soft waves she could feel lapping at the edges of her skin as he started at her feet and moved up. His hand followed, whispering across her ankle, skating over her calf, letting her know ahead of time where the machine would concentrate.

  She was oddly comforted by his touch. She tried to focus on what she knew. Tom was a bad guy. For some reason, he wanted to help her to escape, but eventually, she would need to escape from him, too. He was still a criminal. If the story they claimed was true, he’d been one to originally kidnap her. Probably he thought to escape with her and sell her to the highest bidder, collecting the entirety of the ransom or payout for himself instead of the group. But on the flip side, it would be easier to escape from him than from a group of them. If she could only remember what was going on. It was very plausible that they were feeding her a load of crap and she was never in the city of Xenia. Hell, it could even be that it was May right now and they were trying to make her believe she’d lost ten months of time.

  “I’m sorry, precious. Open your legs just a little.” Tom’s voice was tender. She could almost believe he was sincere. The flat of his palm was cupped around the back of her knee, offering her a bit of comfort in the humiliation of being intimately scanned—and filmed for a bunch of strangers’ enjoyment.

  Open her legs? Jesus. Where was that scanner going? She spread her legs just a bit and felt his hand on the side of her hip. She heaved a sigh of relief. The scanner hadn’t lingered over that area very long.

  His hand was a bit higher—at her waist now. The rhythmic waves lapped higher up her spine. The machine started a low pitch whine at her neck, where the odd markings of the tattoo were.

  “What is that?” she squirmed, but his hand on her shoulder kept her down.

  “Shh. It’s all right. It’s just a tattoo, but it’s covered by a burn scar. I think it was just a tattoo that happened to get burned in the bombing at the gate.”

  The scanner whined louder and the entire back of her neck felt hot as the skin vibrated. Then all was still and the area felt better. She didn’t even know it had hurt...but it did. It had itched a bit and the skin felt tight. Now it felt perfectly fine. She wanted to touch it again, but she was afraid to move and disrupt the scanner’s readings.

  “Okay, now you’ll need to turn over. You can keep your eyes closed if this is uncomfortable. I’ll be as quick as I can.”

  “Thanks,” she muttered.

  She felt ungainly as she turned over, but per his suggestion, kept her eyes clenched tightly. She wondered what he saw. Was he staring at her breasts? Her belly? Lower?

  The scanner moved down her face and over her throat. Then he picked up something soft and laid it gently over her eyes. It was warm.

  The musky, heady scent of his cologne wafted over her nose.

  It was his shirt. It was warm and soft—and smelled delicious.

  And Tom was shirtless while she was naked. While she tried hard to control her breathing so it didn’t look like she inhaled deeply of his scent.

  “I don’t want you to be afraid or uncomfortable.” Tom’s husky voice was becoming familiar to her. “I’m gonna take care of you and I’ll never let anything happen to you, Ava.”

  A contradiction of emotions washed over her. Trust. Then disbelief with herself that she was so warped, she would fall for the false trust of a criminal. She forced herself to consider every angle of what was happening. He’d covered her eyes. He’d covered her eyes and she trusted him as if she suddenly knew him.

  While her eyes were closed. What did that signify?

  Perhaps she did know him from before she lost her memory. If she really had lost her memory, of course. But there was no accounting for her body’s response to the instant awareness she felt for him when he’d blocked her vision. It forced her to rely on her other senses—his tender touch, his musky scent, his deep, sexy voice—and those senses pulled deep, unwavering trust from her.

  The scanner was over her heart and she knew he stared at her nipples. As if they sensed his gaze, she could feel them harden to stiff points. She felt her cheeks heat. Surely he could see that?

  His touch skimmed the outer edge of her breast and trailed down to her waist, where the scanner stopped. It was silent, no whirring like it had over her scar. Did that mean there was no indication of a birth? She wanted to ask...but she was a nervous wreck.

  He left it in place there a few more minutes.

  “I’m sorry, precious. It’s inconclusive.” His voice really was sorry. The words worried her.

  She pulled the shirt from her face, blinking at the glare of light. “What does that mean?”

  His beautiful dark eyes looked up into her face. “It means I’ll have to do an internal probe.”

  Shit.

  “If I don’t, they’ll just believe I’m covering something up for you. I have to give them everything, Ava.” He leaned in, his face earnest. “Otherwise they’ll lock me up with you here in the basement and we’ll both be trapped.”

  She released her breath. “Do it.”

  He laid the scanner gently on her stomach, where it still recorded readings. He walked over to the kitchenette and opened a drawer, pulling a vaginal wand out. From behind him, she saw the world’s most perfect ass and a ton of tanned, glorious skin stretched taut over perfect muscles. When he turned with the wand, a light dusting of dark hair covered his chest and trailed down his flat abs to the waistband of his pants.

  Criminal or not, the guy was a looker. He could easily be a model. Why was he working as a thief? A kidnapper? Maybe he’d gotten forced in somehow.

  He approached the bed and lifted the scanner, screwing the wand onto the end. She groaned with mortification and draped the shirt back over her face, this time holding it over her head with both hands. It was easier to inhale the musky scent of his cologne and skin. It comforted her.

  “This might be a little cold. I’m going to touch you with some lube. Can you please draw your knees up?”

  Shaking, she did as he asked. She was splayed out like a frog, wondering what he saw. Where he stared.

  At the first touch of his fingers on her sex, she about leapt off the bed. She hadn’t expected skin. A clinical glove, maybe. The wand, maybe.

  “Easy,” he murmured, the heel of his hand cupping her mound to hold her in place while his fingers soothed a greasy substance over her labia, poking around as if searching for the entrance to her body.

  She had to fight with herself not to moan when his fingers found her vagina and he breached her. He was so slick, his finger plunged in deeply.

  Jesus. This was so wrong. It shouldn’t feel pleasurable. She shouldn’t take it as a sexual thrust.

  “I just want to get enough lube in you so it won’t be at all uncomfortable,” he whispered. “But if you feel anything from the wand—the slightest pinch—you let me know and I’ll stop.”

  Her teeth were clenched so tightly, al
l she could do was nod.

  Good goddess...she was actually a little bit turned on by this. She’d never tell him and hopefully, with all that lube on his finger, he couldn’t tell the difference between the slickness of the lube and the slickness of her feminine juices.

  Then his finger pulled out, leaving her feeling bereft. “Here we go,” he said softly and she felt the pressure of the cold tip of the wand at her labia.

  Then he did something unexpected. He used his other hand to spread her lips. Spread them like an expert, he did. Of course. A man who looked like he did had no shortage of bed partners in his life. He’d probably be very expert in the bedroom.

  The probe entered slowly, all the way in until he felt resistance. There was no discomfort, other than embarrassment. She’d been well lubed.

  “Just a few more minutes,” he said. So far, the scanner was silent. No whirring, no heating, no vibrating.

  “Does it show a reading?” She was curious also as to whether she’d had a child.

  “So far it looks like your uterus has been unused. But we’ll know for sure when the scan is complete.”

  She was silent as she waited, her legs still tensed in the outright position.

  “You’re so beautiful, Ava.” He cleared his throat. “I just thought you’d like to know. You are gorgeous.” A finger circled lightly over her clit, making her suck in her breath.

  It was inappropriate. And carnal. Erotic.

  “I’m sorry.” His voice sounded tortured. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  She stayed quiet because she wasn’t able to trust her voice. The scanner beeped.

  “It’s done.” She felt the wand leave her body, felt her labia clamp closed as the tip withdrew. She wanted to jump off the bed but settled for straightening her legs more modestly.

  He tugged the shirt from her eyes. She blinked up at him. He still held the scanner in one hand, the shiny, lube-covered wand pointing up toward the ceiling.

  He looked down into her eyes. “I know this is going to get weird for you. You can head into the bathroom to wipe the lube and get dressed. There’s a clean gown for you under the cabinet. I’ll wash off the wand in the sink and pass the scanner to the guards outside. I’d take it upstairs myself, but I don’t want them to have access to coming in here. Will you be all right?”

  She nodded shakily, ever aware of being all out naked. She’d lowered her legs, at least.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. They were soft and gentle. Not sexy—surprising after he’d touched her clit. But comforting.

  He didn’t deepen the kiss. Slowly his lips came off of hers, but he stayed so close to her, his mouth hovering just a bare half inch away.

  This was something she wanted. She wanted to close her eyes and make the feelings of familiarity return.

  Somehow her hands came up, settling one on his shoulder and one on his chest. His pecs were tight and the muscles of his shoulder bunched. She tilted her face up, angling her lips toward his.

  She kissed him this time, her arm from his shoulder slipping around his neck. His mouth opened and his tongue slid inside her mouth. He let her take the lead so the kiss was more exploratory than anything else. A bit tentative.

  And short.

  She pulled away and he was breathing heavy over her.

  “Don’t let it get weird, okay? Once you’re alone in the bathroom and start thinking about this.”

  She nodded.

  “Promise?”

  “I do.”

  He turned, taking the scanner to the sink as he unscrewed the wand. The air felt cooler when he left, but that was because she was bare-ass naked. With a quick glance down at herself, she saw the glisten of the lube where it had smeared on her thighs. She scrambled up from the bed to get to the bathroom, not even grabbing the robe.

  This time in the mirror, her lips were still reddened but they were also swollen. Her nipples were pebbled; she looked wanton with her hair tossed around like she’d just been laid.

  She grabbed tissues to wipe the slick smear from her thighs. Then she turned on the water, grabbing a washcloth to dampen. She scrubbed herself between the legs, taking off all the lube, though she was sure some of the slickness was her own.

  She reached for the clean gown under the cabinet and dressed. She really didn’t want to go back out there.

  She delayed things by finger-combing her hair.

  She’d kissed Tom. What would he expect when she got back out there? What did she?

  Chapter Three

  TOM WAS PICKING UP the robe when she opened the door. He draped it over her shoulders, helping her slip her arms through the sleeves.

  “I thought you’d be more comfortable in it so we could sit for a while. I’m sure you’re sick of being bedridden.”

  She nodded, at a loss for words. It was comforting, to have the thicker material as somewhat of a shield.

  “I’m sorry there’s no television or anything in here.”

  “It could be worse. I am a prisoner.”

  His lips tightened. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll get you out of here, Ava. You don’t deserve this.”

  And here, with the lights on, he was a stranger again. Not the loving man she imagined him to be when her eyes had been closed.

  “You gave them the scanner...and recording?” Her eyes roved over to the counter as if she imagined she’d find a camera set up on a tripod.

  “Yes. I took it down,” he said, answering the unspoken question.

  She relaxed slightly, glad the filming was over. She couldn’t imagine being recorded against her will.

  “How long have I been here? Almost a year?”

  He looked confused for a moment. Had he already forgotten the story they’d given her? His face cleared. “Oh. No, Ava. You’ve been here two weeks. You’ve been unconscious for two weeks. I’ve been here a week, since I escaped captivity.”

  “Two weeks? That’s all?”

  “You seem to have lost ten months mentally. It’s the end of February, not May.”

  “So you think I was at Xenia for ten months?”

  “No. You were there for six months. From what I could tell during my research,” he amended. “You finished out the school year and used the summer to prep for the next year’s classes. There was no hint of any discontent with your job. But suddenly movers packed up your apartment for you, delivering your things to Xenia. It seemed a little suspicious to your coworkers and neighbors. This was right before school began in August. You gave a two-week notice but never opened the new school year. I’m not sure why you can’t remember anything after May.”

  “And I was discovered on Xenia with a baby?”

  His eyes gleamed. “A purple baby. Female. Around six months old. I believe you referred to her as Baby. Does that sound familiar?” He leaned in, excited for her response.

  It sounded like a completely made up story. A baby named Baby? Whoever heard of something as ludicrous as that?

  “No.”

  He looked disappointed. Of course, he would be. This Baby would have been a hefty paycheck for the criminals, no matter which side he worked for.

  “I’ve heard Xeno Sapiens can’t procreate.”

  “That’s what we all thought. Yet I and the others saw you pushing a purple infant in a stroller. She called you Ma. Several times. Repeatedly.” He seemed to stress the relationship with a baby.

  “I—I don’t remember. What about this magnetized stroller?”

  He shrugged. “I tried to take it from you—to push it for you. It wouldn’t budge. It was like lead. You said it was attached to you and would go where you went. So we pulled you along to the east gate. It followed without me pushing, even though my hands were on the handlebar. When we got near the gate, several Xeno Sapiens came running to intercept us. We blew up the gate to create a haze of dust and smoke. You turned around and let loose. You screamed and grabbed the back of your neck. Then you glared at the strol
ler and it ripped from my grip, sealing itself into a spaceship looking thing and flinging backward toward the running people. The air grew thin like we couldn’t breathe. Keith had his back toward me and the stroller. I saw him go down like a light. There was screaming. I went down as you were pulled through the gate by the others into the waiting car. I blacked out. When I woke, Keith and I were housed in separate cells.”

  “How did you escape?” Her voice was a whisper as if she didn’t want to break the momentum of the story. She had to memorize every detail so she could figure out how much was truth and how much was fabricated.

  “They kept us separate to torture us in different ways. I was tortured mentally, Keith’s was physical. But I still had my strength. In about a week’s time, they let their guard down enough that I snagged the keys on the way back to my cell from the torture chamber. I memorized the room where Keith was kept because it was on the way. During the day, when they would least expect it, I unlocked my cell and put on a janitor’s uniform. I grabbed an extra and snuck into Keith’s cell, dressing him. He was in a lot of pain. They’d beaten him badly. Because they never expected it, we walked out of there in broad daylight, stole a cart and drove it to the front gates. We even waved goodbye to the guards. I would have driven us back here...but all the mental torturing took its toll. They’d hooked my brain up to electrodes. I began to have a seizure. We had to pull over the cart and hide, figuring they were looking for us by then. Keith had to take over, getting us back here safely. He’s been recovering upstairs.”

  “I don’t remember anything. Not one thing,” she said. “I don’t remember ever visiting Xenia, much less living there. I have no idea who this baby is who you said I was protecting. I don’t know any of the people there.”

  “I know. It’s okay. You don’t need to.” He reached out and smoothed her hair, rubbing his thumb along the edge of her cheek.

  “You’re such a contradiction,” she said. “You’re nice to me...yet you claimed to have kidnapped me.”