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The Dragon's Assassin Releases Tomorrow!

Writer's picture: Lacey St. SinLacey St. Sin

So excited for the release of this long awaited story, the continuation of the Amber Aerie Series. If you haven't yet got your copy it is currently available for pre-order, or pick it up once it's released.


Until then please enjoy chapter 22 of Needing Cassidy!




Chapter 22


When Cassidy woke it was to movement in the room. Her eyes felt like sandpaper, swollen and crusty. She blinked them, casting away the blurry image of the lab and managed to turn her head. The muscles of her shoulders and neck protested, aching in the way that they did when you kept them in an unusual position for too long.


“Tor?” She managed, blinking at the figure beside her, face drawn and tired, lit by the screen of the mag-lens.


He glanced at her and she braced for the cold anger he had spewed upon her the night before, but the look he sent now was rather more like...regret. Cassidy blinked, her stomach dropping toward her toes.


“Becky?” she managed.


“Stable, for now,” he muttered quietly, “ but Gorth and Emily are worsening quickly. I do not have enough equipment should they all take the same turn.” He showed her the container he had been working on. “The new sample jars are contaminated.” It was a statement, not a question.


“They were sealed,” Cassidy told him a little defensively. “I had no reason to think they weren’t good.”


Tor flinched a little, lips pulled downward into a frown. “Cassidy...”


She stood up then, unprepared to take shit sitting down. If he was going to pin this on her then she was going to stand up for herself. “Listen,” she interrupted, “I take responsibility for not checking them, that’s on me. But it’s also on you. If you want the containers pre-checked then you should have said so.”


Tor shook his head, frustration crossing his features. For a moment Cassidy thought he was going to push the blame onto her. To tell her she should have known to check the empty containers.


“I checked them,” he told her. “When we first broke open the main package sealing. The levels of contamination must have been too low for detection. It’s the containers themselves as well, they cannot be airtight, because the Sirinchea needs access to oxygen to grow so rapidly.”


Relief and vindication was what she should have felt. This wasn’t her fault. Not at all, if even Tor had missed the signs. But she found little joy in the revelation. Even her anger toward Tor and his unfair accusations seemed to fade into nothing with Becky a few doors down clinging to life.


“What now?” she asked.


Now you will return to your room and get some sleep. I assume you’ve been here all night?” He looked her over. It was a professional assessment of her well being but she still blushed, wishing she didn’t look as rough as she did.


“What time is it?”


“After midday meal. Your missing it was the main reason I came to find you.”

Holy crap. She’d slept most of the day already. Why the hell did she still feel so tired then? She turned to look at the hard counter she had passed out on. Oh, right.


“What about you?” she demanded. An eyebrow rose. “You need sleep too,” she told him.


“Yes, I am aware,” he rolled his eyes. “Which is why I rested as soon as I finished the procedure last night. But we aren’t talking about me, we are talking about you.”


“But won’t you need my help? Two of us can get these tests re-run twice as fast as you doing it alone, I can....”


“No,” Tor actually growled loud enough that Cassidy blinked, his adamancy stabbing straight through her. That lump rose in her throat again and she blinked against the hot sting of tears behind her eyelids. Pulling her eyes away from his she looked at the floor, at the stool anywhere but him. His soft curse wasn’t enough to pull her out of it. He still thought she was a screw up.


“Cassidy,” he growled again, but softer this time.


She swallowed and shook her head. She shouldn’t have pushed. Just been grateful that the first screw up hadn’t been her fault and hi-tailed it away from anything medical. Back to gardening, where she belonged. Only, she was fucking that up too.


Suddenly, strong fingers were gripping her jaw. Firmly, but not unkind. He forced her face up until she met his eyes at last. The sincerity in them almost took her breath away. “Fuck it Cass, I’m trying to take care of you, not make you cry.”


That is where the confusion set in, and it must have shown on her face because he got a sort of devastated look before something fiercer took over.


Suddenly his lips descended to hers, not gently at all, but desperate and hot. The hand clutching her jaw did not release at all, but tilted her farther, demanding access, his other hand curling around the back of her neck so that he was holding her entirely mobile and feasting upon her lips. She was burning. Fire exploded within her from the tips of his fingers and the quick touch of his tongue along her bottom lip straight to her groin, even her nipples felt raw.


Cassidy groaned helplessly. She’d been pushing her attraction down, certain he wasn’t interested, certain he was pursuing Becky. So what the hell was happening?


Her groan encouraged him farther, and he nibbled on her lower lip carefully, teeth grazing but not piercing the skin. She found herself giving in eagerly, and then he was using his tongue to torment her, his breaths shuddering and heavy.


He pressed against her, his body as solid as she had imagined. It unbalanced her a little and she was forced to grab his arms to steady herself, her fingers automatically curling around them, and then crawling up to his neck.


He shivered against her, the reaction to her touch pulsed her need higher.


The door slid open, unlocked since there was no way in hell she would have predicted Tor kissing her. Gorth strode in, his face a mask of concern. His eyes widened, his dark gaze darting to both of their faces.


Cassidy could feel the flush that crossed her skin, she was burning as Tor stepped back more reluctantly than she would have guessed.


“I’m sorry,” Gorth’s voice was tinged with true regret, which, for some reason made her flush more. “Becky is awake. She wants to speak with you.”


The request was aimed at Tor, so he nodded brusquely, always the professional. He stepped away from her, and followed Gorth toward the door. But at the last minute he turned, spearing her with those green eyes of his.


“Sleep, Cassidy. Medic’s orders.”

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megolas96
megolas96
Apr 22, 2022

YESSSS finally!!

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