The Debt 7 (Club Alpha) by Kelly Favor Page A

they cooperate, they’ll be treated reasonably.   But if they don’t cooperate…” he trailed
off, giving a slight shrug, as if to say, they deserve what they get in that
case.
    Raven realized she was basically okay
with the situation.   And she trusted
Jake implicitly.   The important
thing now was that they were both safe, and both together.
    “And now what?” she asked.
    He continued smiling at her.   “You’re a piece of work,” he laughed.
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because,” he chuckled, “most
people—even soldiers—who went through what you went through would
be a puddle right now.   But you’re
fine.   You’re already moving on to
the next thing.”
    She felt her spine straighten as she took
in his compliment, remembering how her instinct had been to fight when she’d
thought the kidnappers were going to truly force themselves on her.   She’d been calm, ready to die in a
sense—and Raven had never known she possessed that kind of strength and
fearlessness.  
    But Jake saw it inside her.   And he respected it.
    Raven felt her cheeks flush.   “I want to make you proud.”
    He stared at her and reached out,
caressing her cheek so softly.   “You
don’t need to make me proud,” he
whispered.   “You’re the most amazing
thing I’ve ever witnessed.   I don’t
just mean that you’re just the most amazing person I’ve ever met,” he
continued.   “You’re actually the
most beautiful, strangest and wonderful of anything I’ve ever come across in my entire life.   How could I not be proud just to know you?”
    She felt tears spring to her eyes at his
words, and then he was leaning towards her and their lips were meeting in a
wonderful, passionate kiss.
    In that one kiss, Raven felt the emotion
of a lifetime, felt the love that had so quickly formed and blossomed between
them, and everything in her relaxed and rejoiced because of it.
    Finally, Jake broke off from kissing
her.   “You asked what’s next,” he
said, still watching her closely.
    “Yeah,” she answered, waiting.
    “We should go back,” he said.   “This place has served its purpose.”
    “Back where, though?   Are you going on tour again?”
    At this question, he looked away for the
first time, his gaze flitting uncertainly to the window, as if contemplating.   “I don’t know.”
    “Well…don’t you sort of need to?   I mean, financially?”
    He sighed.   “Maybe.   That’s part of the reason we need to go
back.   I have to check on the state
of my business and make some big decisions.”
    Raven nodded uncertainly.   “You know I’ll support any decision you
make.”
    He smiled briefly.   “It’s not you that I’m worried about.”
    “That’s a first.”
    Jake glanced at her, his grin
reappearing.   “Don’t be a smartass,”
he said, grabbing her waist and pulling her close.
    “Careful! My soup’s going to spill.”
    “I think it already did,” he said,
touching her shirt lightly.   “We
need to get that off you, it’s dirty.”  
    “Jake,” she giggled.
    But he was already pulling the blanket
off her, as she put the mug down on the floor, out of range.   And then Jake was tugging her t-shirt
off, sliding it over her shoulders, leaving her completely naked from the waist
up.
    He pushed her gently back, so her head
was on the floor, as she looked up at him.   His eyes were intense, filled with a need so great that it almost
frightened her.
    More than that, however, his need seemed
to attract and awaken her own need.   Maybe that was the scary part.
    Raven reached out and touched Jake’s hard
chest, running her hands up and down, and then sliding down to his stomach,
which tightened in response to her greedy touch.
    She spread her legs, tugging at his pants,
which he helped her unbuckle and pull down.
    They were suddenly frantic, both of them
pulling at one another.   Jake was
trying to take her panties off as quickly as possible.
    Raven slid Jake’s boxers