Winter in Paradise Read online

  Her thighs trembled. A violent explosion rocked the cave. His hold tightened, keeping her pinned firmly beneath him.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  Tears burned the corners of her eyes.

  His sure thrusts left no time to dwell on the battle raging above the storm outside. Pressure built in her core. She would take his memory with her into whatever lay ahead. Another explosion sounded farther away. Their heartbeats thundered in her ears as one. His ragged breath was hot on her neck. She loved the feel of his breath on her flesh. He slowed, his hard length stroking the most intimate part of her. Unexpected pleasure spiked.

  He shoved deep. She slid a hand downward and cupped his ass. His muscle bunched with each powerful stroke. The battle faded with the sounds of their heartbeats thundering as one. He groaned and Kelly split apart. Another explosion, even farther away. Grayson slammed deep, his balls slapping against her. Another orgasm rolled over her. Her walls milked his shaft. Cream drenched her pussy. With a groan, he drove deep one last time. When he pulled back, he stroked slow and easy, drawing out the final ripples of pleasure, then lowered his weight onto her.

  Downward she floated. His weight grew heavy, and he slid off her, tucking her close to his chest. His heart slowed, the strong thump, thump loud against the encroaching silence.

  “I sense your love.” His murmured words broke the quiet.

  Kelly squeezed her eyes shut. If she said the words, she would break down. She wouldn’t allow the end to come with her in tears. She wouldn’t do that to Grayson.

  “You love me as I love you,” he said. “And you know how much I love you because you can sense the love.”

  “I can feel it,” she said.

  “You can sense it, too,” he gently insisted. “Like me, you have the weirdness, as you call it. I planned on returning to base—you know I did. I knew you would hear me and drop the shields. Instead, you found me in that sea of white. And you got us safely home without a HUD. How do you explain that?”

  “You drew me to you,” she argued. “You were thinking about me and I found you. Then you guided us back with your stumbling.”

  She felt his indulgent smile against her hair. She hated that about him, the way he quietly insisted he was right.

  “You forget,” he said, “I was there when you beat the Kirsovals back from the mouth of the wormhole two years ago. You called it a stroke of luck, but you knew when they would arrive, and were ready. That victory got you promoted to Commander. And what about us being stationed here together? We volunteered, but so did a thousand other officers.”

  “You made that happen,” she countered.

  “I would never choose for you to die, never draw you to a suicide mission. It was you who drew me, you who knew that it was us who were destined to be here together. The committee matched us within an hour of your interview.”

  Kelly drew in a sharp breath. “How did you know?”

  He gave a low laugh. “You’re not the only one with friends in high places.”

  “You never said anything.”

  “What was there to say?” He hugged her closer. “We’re alike. That’s why we’re so perfect together. I sensed it the first time I saw you. And you sensed it, too.”

  She should be angry with him for saying she was like him, something she despised. She should run away. Instead, she held him like she would never let go.

  This moment was how things should have been. Kelly could lay in his arms forever, the storm, the battle far away, nonexistent. The fighting had raged only hours, but it seemed eons. Perhaps it was the fact they had been slaves to the Kirsovals for the last five centuries that made it feel as if they’d never had peace. Or maybe it was the fact that she and Grayson had lived the last five months in anticipation…fear of the battle that would end their time together.

  If she tried hard enough, she could pretend the war didn’t exist. The weapons that pummeled the planet’s surface had ceased. No, they had never existed in the first place. She and Grayson had a lifetime ahead of them. They would marry, have children. Her throat tightened. What would it be like to feel his child growing inside her? She’d never considered having children. Would their children have the weirdness? Why had it taken death for her to understand the beauty of life?

  She buried her head deeper into his chest. His arms tightened around her as if he could protect her when the cavern walls collapsed on them. Her breathing slowed. Until the deafening crash of stone filled their ears, it would remain quiet.

  Kelly glanced at the clock. Two hours had passed since they’d returned. How long since the fighting had grown quiet?

  Quiet?

  Why would the fighting grow quiet?

  Realization struck.

  Grayson bolted upright. “By the Elders.” He leaped from the cot. “Shields down,” he shouted, and sprinted toward the exit.

  Kelly stared, too startled, too afraid to hope—”Grayson!” Her voice echoed off stone walls of the empty chamber as he disappeared down the tunnel.

  She jumped up and raced after him, heedless of the chill. With each pump of her legs her heart thundered harder. Grayson knew. He knew. Was this confirmation? Adrenaline rammed through her blood. Was his weirdness ever wrong?

  The final bend came into view. Kelly gasped. Grayson turned the corner into light brighter than that which she’d seen when they’d arrived in this desolate place. It was true!

  Her breath came in heavy gasps, lungs burning, but she pushed harder. Kelly turned the corner and came to a stop at the cave’s opening beside him. Her head reeled.

  Bright, blue sunlight glistened off the snow-white horizon. Kelly threw her arms around him, her eyes fixed on the sun she hadn’t expected to lay eyes on again. They had done it. The storm that had been created by the Kirsoval probe was gone. Their forces had brought down the mother ship.

  She tilted her head up and looked at him. “The quantum disruptor fooled them. You did it. You saved Onyx…saved us.”

  Grayson looked down at her. He pushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “We both did.” He swept an arm at the blue sky. “We all did.” He brushed his lips against hers. “But you saved me.”

  ~ End ~

  ~ About the Author ~

  T. C. Archer is comprised of award winning authors Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey. They live in the Northeast.

  Evan puts his Ph.D. to good use by writing about alternate realities, and Shawn channels the mythology and philosophy she studied during her wasted youth into writing about exotic places and times.

  Find out more about T. C. Archer here:

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