Lover Behind Enemy Lines

by Liv Olteano

  “Right. I’m not there yet,” he muttered and poked me in the ribs.

  I snorted and patted his knee. “Right.”

  “Can Taka keep track of some of my family members until tomorrow? I’d like to make sure that Dad calls that urgent family meeting like he said he would. We should see their private planes making plans to land, right?”

  “I’ll make sure Taka is all over it.”

  “I’d like us to stop by my parents’ house sometime tomorrow so I can catch a glance at my mom. If they do what Dad said, I’ll be able to tell. Then we’ll know for sure it got done.”

  “Of course. Good idea.”

  “I have a couple more good ideas,” he muttered into my ear and cupped my groin. “Want me to share them?”

  “As soon as we get back into our bedroom.” I pecked his cheek. “There’s something else I want you to do as soon as we get back in the house.”

  He grinned. “And that is?”

  “Cast Napeva’s Mercy on us. I trust you, and I think the team does too. You proved yourself.”

  Joy danced in his gaze. “Your wish is my command.”

  With Vivian out of the way and her mother dealt with, we’d have a short moment of respite. But it wouldn’t last for long—it never did. New casters always poked their heads up sooner or later.

  One year later

  “NATHAN, stop fiddling with the cuff links.” I reached for his hands.

  He swallowed thickly. “Sorry. I’m stressing you out, aren’t I?”

  I kissed his brow and held him in my arms without squeezing. If we wrinkled the suits, Nathan might have an apoplectic attack.

  “It’s okay,” I whispered.

  He exhaled slowly and stepped back a bit to look into my eyes. “It’s not okay. It’s fabulous. Today is fabulous, and I’m ruining it by being a nervous wreck.”

  “You’re not ruining anything,” I assured him. “The only way you could ruin it is by walking away from me. Do you intend to do that?”

  “No fucking way.”

  “Then there’s nothing that could ruin this.”

  He sighed and looked down.

  I was pretty sure I could guess what he was thinking about. I ran my hand up and down his back. “It was the best thing to do.”

  “Which one?” he asked, still looking down.

  “All of them,” I replied easily.

  He nibbled on his lower lip. “You were so kind to agree to postpone our ceremony six months ago. Now I’m scared something else might happen to ruin it.”

  “Six months ago your sister had just passed away. It wasn’t a good time to have our ceremony. It was time for you to grieve her loss and accept it; to understand that it wasn’t your fault, about anything that happened.”

  “I’m not sure I’m quite there yet on that last one.”

  “You’ll get there. I have complete confidence in you.”

  He looked up and smiled. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Keep looking for me and stalking members of my team, if your past actions are any indication.”

  He snorted. “It got the job done, though. Didn’t it?”

  “It certainly did.”

  “How can you be so calm and collected?” He glared.

  I pecked his lips. “Many years of exercising self-control. If you play with those cuff links much more, they might break.”

  “Shut up.” He stuck his tongue out while looking into my eyes via my reflection in the mirror.

  Aashi had gifted us suits and spiderweb cufflinks. His was a lovely dark forest green, and it brought out the gorgeous blond curls and the warm chocolate eyes. I ran my hand through his hair. He’d let it grow a bit, at my insistent request. The longest point touched the bottom of his neck now, and the rest curled around his head in a golden halo. There was nothing more beautiful than holding on tight to those curls as I made love to him. Judging by the moans he usually regaled me with, he felt just about the same.

  My dark burgundy suit made an interesting contrast to the deep forest green of his. I had my hair loose and it fell all the way to the middle of my back—that had been his request for this ceremony.

  I held up his suit jacket and he slipped his hands into it. When he had it on, I hugged him from behind and felt the wild rhythm of his heartbeat.

  “You’re a vision of beauty,” I whispered against his ear.

  “Stop that,” he whined. “I’m nervous enough without contemplating the idea that I’m tenting my pants.”

  “I kind of like the idea, though.” I sucked his earlobe into my mouth.

  He groaned and leaned back against me. “Okay.”

  I chuckled and kissed the side of his neck. Then I stepped back and slapped his ass hard enough to wake him from the daze.

  “Right,” he muttered and glared at me in the mirror. “You’ll pay for that later.”

  “I’m looking forward to it, and the rest of our lives.”

  He smiled. “Nice save. But you’re still going to pay for it later.”

  We exited our room and waited at the top of the stairs. When the door to Taka and Ginger’s room finally opened, Taka walked out wearing traditional Japanese male wedding attire while Ginger wore a very elegant and modern black suit that fitted him pretty much like a second skin.

  “If anyone dares say anything bad about my montsuki, there will be blood,” Taka announced with a glare.

  “Why would we? It looks awesome,” Nathan said. “It makes you look kind of fierce, but I like it.”

  Taka grinned. “Thanks. Shall we?” he asked as he extended his arm to Ginger. Then he looked at me. “Please, brother, go ahead.”

  “Okay.”

  We went down the stairs, Nathan and me first, and Taka with Ginger right behind us. Drew and Angelo were waiting in the dining room. They were both sporting wide grins.

  “It’s kind of funny that I’m the youngest out of the three of us, but tied the knot first.” Drew grinned. “So, kids. Are you ready to take the big step too?”

  Taka rolled his eyes. I just nodded. As we felt Aashi’s summons, we held hands and walked toward the double doors of the webs room. They opened of their own accord, now laden with more magic-drawn spider symbols. Aashi had redone and improved the protections of her lair, and the air was heavy with spider magic.

  The webs room shined with a golden light that didn’t actually come from anywhere in the room. The spider webs that covered the walls and corners shivered in the light, glimmering every now and then. It was like walking into a cocoon of webs spun from gold.

  Aashi was standing in front of our weapons table. Her black hair was loose, just like mine. Hers cascaded below the middle of her back, a lush black silk that embraced her petite body. She was wearing a dress that seemed to be made from the same web spun out of gold. Though it seemed to be so sheer, it wasn’t transparent. She had feathers of all colors woven in her hair. The moment she laid eyes on us, she smiled wide and opened her arms.

  “Please, come in. Today I am delighted and honored to bear witness to the union between kindred spirits, sons of my heart and blades of my cause. Today star-crossed lovers and true mates will join their paths. As gods have blessed and forsaken the earth, and the skies opened and closed over the passage of time, so nature and life have chosen you—Taka and Ginger; Claw and Nathan—to remind us all of the strength and purity of being one. Leaves will fall to the ground and perish, but they will never be apart from the heart of the tree. Sands will linger and shift, but each grain will never be separate from the beating heart of the earth. Water will spring from rock and lovingly caress the whole land, give and take life, transform endlessly all that it is and all that it touches, but will never be away from the bosom of Mother Nature.”

  I gripped Nathan’s hand tighter, and he squeezed back.

  “The ancestors have witnessed the strength of your combined life forces and they bless and nurture your unions,” Aashi went on. “All the tribes of the earth will partak
e in the joy of celebrating your sacred bond. No creature or force of nature, not even death, will ever part your souls. There is no greater joy than to be beside you today and speak to you from the heart.”

  She drew magic symbols in the air.

  “Know that your hearts have only grown stronger and better suited to accompany each other as a result of all your trials. For every tear shed and every embrace missed or yearned for but not enjoyed, the ancestors bless you today. From today onward, Taka and Ginger, you will walk as one. From today onward, Claw and Nathan, you will walk as one.”

  She put her hand on our clasped ones. “I wish you endless harmony and happiness.”

  After she did the same thing for Taka and Ginger, I leaned in to kiss Nathan. From the point our lips touched, I felt an explosion of magic shudder through me. It rocked my entire world. It rearranged my thoughts and feelings and peeled back the layers of doubts and loneliness that had been tightening around my heart like a vise for so many decades. I felt the truth and strength of our union as it warmed and branded my heart.

  “I spent so much time waiting for you,” I whispered in Nathan’s ear. “I didn’t know it clearly, but each day I waited for you. Each night I craved your sweet embrace and the heat of your passion. When I finally found you, I could barely believe that I’d be lucky enough to have you. Thank you for fighting for us before I even knew you were there.”

  “I’ve spent years of my life pining after you,” he whispered back. “When I found out that you weren’t just the fantasy of a heartsick kid, the least I could do was make sure I made it to you. I was sure that if things were meant to be between us, then all I had to do was get close enough to you. And then you’d take care of us.”

  We kissed again, and both our lips were trembling. We squeezed each other in an almost desperate kind of embrace.

  “I’ll leave you to celebrate,” Aashi muttered and vanished.

  “Okay, okay.” Drew cleared his throat. “Break it up, kids. We have a surprise for you. We’ll wait in the dining room.”

  “I’m vaguely worried,” Taka muttered as we exited.

  “Only vaguely?” Ginger pecked his cheek.

  They walked out first, and we followed still holding hands. When we got to our destination, Drew and Angelo came in from the kitchen holding a huge wedding cake. After they set it on the table, Drew returned to the kitchen and brought out five bottles of champagne. Our metabolism prevented us from getting drunk anyway, so we’d just enjoy the taste.

  “We figured we should celebrate in style.” Angelo smiled. He reached out two cake knives, one to Taka and Ginger, and one to Nathan and me. “You could each cut one of the layers of the cake.”

  We did, while Drew and Angelo poured us all champagne in the elegant-looking glasses. After we toasted to our happiness, they cut the cake and gave each of us a piece before taking one for themselves. We sat at the dining room table to eat cake and drink champagne. The room was full of chatter and laughter.

  I turned to look into Nathan’s eyes. They shimmered with unshed tears and he closed them for a moment. I leaned in and kissed him on each eyelid. Then I kissed his lips and didn’t hurry at all to disengage my mouth from his. He sighed after a few minutes and wrapped his hand around my neck, hugging me closer.

  When he pulled back, his eyes looked like liquid chocolate. There was a light and happiness there that almost took my breath away. My heart felt so full that it might burst out of my chest and launch fireworks that could cover up the whole sky.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you too.”

  I felt sure that from now on I wouldn’t be able to go through a whole day without thinking the same thing over and over again.

  LIV OLTEANO is a voracious reader, music lover, and coffee addict extraordinaire. And occasional geek. Okay, more than occasional.

  She believes stories are the best kind of magic there is. And life would be horrible without magic. Her hobbies include losing herself in the minds and souls of characters, giving up countless nights of sleep to get to know said characters, and trying to introduce them to the world. Sometimes they appreciate her efforts. The process would probably go quicker if they’d bring her a cup of coffee now and then when stopping by. Characters—what can you do, right?

  Liv has a penchant for quirky stories and is a reverent lover of diversity. She can be found loitering around the internet at odd hours and being generally awkward and goofy at all times.

  Stop by her website for the latest news or visit her blog for occasional rants. She also regularly spamificates Twitter and Facebook. For The Win.

  Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  Website: liv.liviaolteano.com

  Blog: blog.liviaolteano.com

  Twitter: @LiviaOlteano

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/LiviaOlteano

  By Liv Olteano

  DREAMSPUN BEYOND

  DREAMCATCHERS

  #14 – Lover, Lover

  #25 – Star-Crossed Lover

  #31 – Lover Behind Enemy Lines

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

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  Now Available

  Lover, Lover

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  A Dreamcatchers Tale

  Twin souls reunited.

  Drew’s always been a fighter: first in martial arts competitions, and now as a dreamcatcher—keeping the people of Seattle safe from spaga attacks that would drain their life force in their sleep. All he has to do to become a full member of Team 32 is complete his first mission.

  But the first person he must defend is his ex, Angelo… the only man Drew ever loved, even if he was the one to leave. Drew never got over Angelo, and it seems Angelo might feel the same, despite the heartbreak he suffered at Drew’s hands.

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  A Dreamcatchers Tale

  A love worth crossing the stars for.

  Taka has been a dreamcatcher and part of Team 32 for over six decades, but nobody has tempted him like Ginger—a dancer at club Zee. Too bad dreamcatchers aren’t allowed to have meaningful relationships with regular people. His willpower proves a finite resource, though, when a mission at the club means spending much more time around Ginger.

  Ginger’s infatuation with Taka is unwavering. When he proves to have some paranormal skills of his own, he earns himself a place on the team—if he wants it. His decision will change his life—not to mention Taka’s—irrevocably.

  But living in the now could prove an issue for a man who has as much history as Taka. Can Ginger’s determination help him make his way into Taka’s heart?

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