by Lauren Dane
“What the hell? Lark, you’re freaking me out now. This building is warded. The walls, the floors. Nothing we say can be heard by anyone outside.”
Simon came back in with two bottles of water and a few other bags. “Water. Jerky and trail mix too.”
She took them with thanks and after some water and a bit of protein, she was ready to finish. “I think… I think it’s the Magister.”
“Nuh-uh. That’s boogeyman stuff.” Gage shook his head.
“Most of those stories come from somewhere, Gage. When I was young, very young, one of my grandmothers used to scare us with stories about the storm that came to take bad children away. She always lowered her voice when she talked about it, about the Magister. Whether what was in Andrew McCay’s head is really the Magister I don’t know. But if it is…” Simon didn’t really need to finish the sentence.
“I’m afraid so, Gage. Cyrus is pissed off and freaked out. But there’s something above him, pulling the strings and Andrew there is so frightened he couldn’t have told us anything anyway. But I saw it.”
“What could the Magister possibly want from a bunch of witches? Does it need to steal magick?” Gage pushed from his chair and began to pace.
“I don’t know. I don’t know much about the Magister at all other than that it used to be a scary story way back in the day. Neither of the mages we have in custody will know either. Andrew is scared, but he gets extra hits of magick from those he captures so he doesn’t ask questions.”
“I think we need to bring Nell and Meriel in on this.”
“I agree.”
“You’ve just performed some complicated magick. You need to sleep, at least for a few hours. I’ll set up a meeting with them both for this morning. Go home and rest for a while. I’ll call you and let you know the details.”
“Don’t let anyone see either prisoner, Gage. They don’t want us to know about the Magister. At least not yet. They’ll try to get at them to erase any threat they pose.”
Gage nodded. “I’ve already got that handled. No access but by you, me, Nell or Meriel.”
Chapter 9
“I can get home all right. You must be tired yourself.”
Simon glared down at her for even imagining he’d tip his hat and walk away, leaving her to the fates. The Magister. What the fuck. “I’m sleeping in the guest room.”
“You are? Oh. Okay.”
“Is that a problem?” He wanted to be near her. Purely to keep an eye on her. She was new in town, after all. What was wrong with wanting to protect her?
“Why are you so pissy?” She got in without his opening her door. Which granted she did frequently, but suddenly he found himself bothered by.
“I’m not pissy.”
“You totally are. Did I take you away from a lady friend?”
He drove the short distance to the building she was staying in without comment. A fully grown Lycian male did not get pissy.
Inside the apartment she turned to him. “I’m nearly dead on my feet. I’m going to sleep awhile. There’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
And she flounced off. Well, not flounced, which made him frown. She usually flounced. Now she sort of slumped. He didn’t like seeing her so tired.
“Do all spells make you this depleted?”
She turned at the doorway. “No. But this one requires my pushing past someone else’s magick and protections. It requires a whole different level of concentration and energy.”
“Can I help?”
Her grin came, quicksilver. His heart lightened at the sight.
“I’ll be better after I sleep. You can make breakfast when we get up if you like. I’m really all right. You don’t have to stay here.”
“I don’t have to. I want to.” What if something happened while she was deeply sleeping? He’d be there just in case and that was that.
“Okay. See you in a bit.”
He showered, grateful for the clothes Dominic had left there so he had something to change into. Sleep came fast, as it usually did. He’d hear anything unusual and wake up if he had to. It was enough. He’d figure out the rest another time.
BLEARY-EYED but feeling far better, she rolled from bed and headed toward the bathroom to deal with her knuckles. There’d be some bruises on her side. Oh novel, a boot-shaped one on her hip.
Savagely, she shrugged with a grin. She gave that fucker a black eye and broke his nose so in the end, a kick wasn’t as good.
Some of the tea her mother sent along with her daughters wherever they went would help with the general aches and pains and coffee would take care of the rest.
Coffee. Yes. She downed some pain reliever and headed back out to the fridge for orange juice. A decent breakfast and she’d head back in to the office to see what was what with the prisoners. The scent of the freshly ground beans helped perk her up as she measured and started the machine to brew.
It wasn’t until the other bedroom door opened and Simon lumbered out that she remembered he’d stayed over. Of course he looked stupidly gorgeous. His hair a tousle, big brown eyes already alert. Tall. Imposingly large and yet, it wasn’t alarm that warmed her insides.
He blinked and took a long look from her toes up to her head, and back down to her boobs. And then she remembered she was wearing a tank top and panties and nothing else.
“Um, oops.” She blushed and headed past him. “Sorry, I forgot you were here.”
But all that mellow on the outside hid the predator within and before she realized it, he’d pulled her close to examine. “You wear bruises.” His mouth was set in a hard line as he held her fists in his own gentle hands. “Abrasions. Do you hurt?”
“Not my first time with bloody knuckles.” She shrugged, suddenly flustered by the tower of maleness impeding her progress into the bedroom.
The line of his mouth softened into a smile that sent a shiver up her spine. “I keep forgetting that about you. Until you move, or I catch you sizing up a room. Woman warrior.”
And then, astonishingly, he bent and pressed a kiss to each hand.
“Still doesn’t mean I won’t get some payback for that boot mark on your side.”
What could she say to that? Even if his nearness hadn’t turned her words all inside out and upside down, she wouldn’t have known how to respond because things felt different all the sudden.
“I broke his nose.” She blushed then, but she knew he’d think it was as awesome as she did.
The slight smile widened. “You did.”
They stood there awhile, nearly touching, her fists still in his hands. The whistle on the teakettle sounded, startling her. “Tea. My mom makes it for me and my sister. I… it helps with the bruising and muscle aches.”
He let go but looked her over again, his gaze on her nipples, which had no problem with his perusal.
She scampered past and poured the water over the herbs into the pot to steep. “Be right back. I’ll get some clothes on.”
“Don’t hurry on my account.”
She faced him. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Apparently you have.”
Her heart sped and she licked her lips, really, really glad she brushed her teeth before coming out to the kitchen.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
She did. Or she thought she did. But if she was wrong? If she was reading his signals and misinterpreting she’d die from embarrassment. Which was rare since it was nearly impossible to embarrass her to start with.
“YES, you do. You’re a savvy woman, you can feel how things have changed between us.”
She gulped and his smile changed. He took a step closer and then another and then he was right up against her, stealing her breath, muddling her wits and sending all sorts of zings and tingles through her system.
He saved her from further embarrassment as he touched her chin to close her mouth. “I don’t know how you did it. But it’s done.”
Well, what the hell did that mean?
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.” She frowned.
“Did you know you get a line between your brows when you get agitated?” He drew the tip of his finger over the furrow and made her shiver. She’d known he was sexy before. Charming. Attractive even as she knew he and she wouldn’t fit romantically.
But the force of all that sexuality and charm focused at her? He played her senses, pushing every single button, rendering her to near purring.
Wouldn’t do at all, though, to let the man know what power he had. It was hard enough not to rub up against him as it was. Simon knew his attractiveness, was aware of the effects as women and men right and left stopped to simply stare at him.
Okay, some of her previous suspicion cut through the haze lust had cast over her brain.
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
He laughed. “An observation. I seem to like observing you.” He paused and then shook his head. “As for compliments?” He shrugged. “I’m here, drawn to you. I didn’t see it until it was right under my nose.” He bent and breathed in deep in the crook of her neck. She was a little ashamed to admit she thought she might have whimpered. “Damn, you smell good.”
“I feel like I’m only hearing one side of a phone call.” He made her dizzy and silly and agitated all at once. She was having distinctly more-than-friend feelings about Simon, which was stupid. Stupid! He was all suave and stylish. Handsome. Ridiculously sexy and she was… not. She liked boys who smelled like the inside of stores that sold tea and candles along with vinyl singles and bongs. He was luxury cars and cashmere throws on the back of a couch that cost more than all her possessions combined most likely.
He brushed his lips across her forehead and stepped back. “Get some clothes on or I won’t be able to finish a sentence. All that exposed skin makes me want to take a bite.”
Her breath caught. “That’s supposed to get me to put clothes on?”
He made a sound. A snarly sort of moan. It snagged her attention, held her in place. And then he smiled. Oh goddess, that smile. It made her legs go to rubber.
“You’re playing with fire, pixie. Go on and dress. When I take that first taste, I want it to be when we don’t have anything else but that on our schedule.”
“What if I want you to take a bite? You can’t just offer to take one and get me all sweaty and tingly and stuff and then dismiss me! What sort of evil, villainous tease are you?”
When he laughed his head tipped back and exposed the line of his throat and she nearly gasped at how hard it was not to lean in and lick it. In fact…
Simon had been turned on. Amused. Annoyed. Frustrated and surprised. But nothing had prepared him for the jolt of her body pressed to his, her tongue sliding from the hollow of his throat up to his jaw. A snarl came to his lips as he gripped her upper arms and hauled her even closer. He wanted that smart mouth of hers. So much it blinded him to anything else but need of her.
Her gasp of surprise deepened into a moan of desire. Sounds he swallowed, taking them in just like he sampled her taste. Bright and sensual. Her mouth was warm nights and sticky sweet flowers on the breeze. She kissed surely. There was no mistaking that she wanted this as much as he. Her lips were plump against his mouth, against his teeth as he caught the swell of her bottom lip between them and tugged.
Her fingers clutched into his borrowed T-shirt, holding him close. As if he had plans to go anywhere.
A quick, curious dance of tongue against tongue, then he was the one who groaned when she sucked his tongue into her mouth, as the other things she could do with tongue and mouth flashed through his imagination.
A ringing sounded, drew his attention from that holy mission of a mouth and away, away to realize it was a cell phone and the phone in the house. Both ringing.
She sighed and then nipped his bottom lip, tugging and then licking to soothe the sting.
“I’m going to kill whoever it is that’s calling.”
“Get in line.” She stepped back and he filled the space. “Stop that.” It wasn’t her normal sharp, annoyed tone. She was breathless from the kiss, from desire and he wanted her even more. His beast stirred, pushing closer, pressing against his human skin. He wanted to pursue, wanted to touch and mark.
“I can’t even think with you this way.”
It was the soft note in her words, the realization that she was torn between work and this thing between them that brought him the strength to take a step back. “This isn’t done. Just on hold for now.” She needed to know that.
She nodded and reached around his body to grab the phone.
Chapter 10
“I’M on my way. Give me a few minutes to slug back some coffee and get a shower,” she answered when she saw Nell’s name on the display.
“Don’t hurry too much. Two of the prisoners are dead.”
Lark sat heavily. “What? How?”
“We don’t know. Both have been taken for an autopsy. Our people are looking at it.”
“I didn’t do this to them. Not that I’d feel bad if I had, but I didn’t. Hell, I only used the spell on Andrew. I went the long way with the others, just questioning them face-to-face.”
“I know. It was all on tape anyway. And Meriel made sure to clear that up right away. The Kelly sisters say without a doubt that while the spell you used was invasive, it wasn’t fatal. That’s proof enough. I’m not blaming you.”
But they didn’t call her right away and she’d need to deal with that. Not right then, though. First to clean up the biggest mess.
“All right. So what’s next? Sheila was looking into the stuff I found out.” Lark didn’t want to use names. Not over the phone. She didn’t want to speak and get the attention of something she didn’t know enough about. Not yet.
Nell continued. “We should meet. I want to go over everything with you and we can talk about next steps. You’re in charge now.”
“Are you all right with that? It’s just temporary until you’re ready to come back.” Lark liked Nell. Respected her and what she’d done with the Hunter Corps in Seattle. The last thing she wanted to do was come in and screw things up.
A cup of tea appeared and she glanced up to thank Simon, caught again by how different everything seemed, though it was also the same.
“If Gage hadn’t suggested it, I would have. I’ve been thinking about it since you arrived. Come to my house when you can. I’m here for the next whatever months. William is making a huge breakfast so there’s plenty for you. Coffee too.”
“Me too.”
Lark closed her eyes at the sound of Simon’s voice.
“Is that Simon? You total slut! Has he been there all night? Tell me! I mean the way the man walks, you can just tell he knows what to do to make a girl all satisfied.”
Lark snorted, blushing furiously. “He brought me home last night after the interrogation. And slept in the guest room.”
“For god’s sake, why? Look at him! Why are you not availing yourself of all that deliciousness?”
Simon laughed then.
“Cripes, Nell. Have William take care of you more regular-like. You’re a horndog.”
Though she couldn’t argue with Nell’s observation that one could tell by the way Simon moved that he knew what to do in bed. She’d seen him swim, seen him run and after last night she’d seen him fight. And the kiss just a few minutes before? She was still tingly from it.
“Whatever. Bring him. William likes him. Meriel and Gage are coming too.”
Nell hung up and Lark put the phone down and stood. “I need a shower.”
Simon’s left eyebrow rose slowly and she steeled herself against it.
“You don’t have to go with me, you know.”
“If I follow you into the shower, we’d never get out the door today.”
“You have a one-track mind, Simon Leviathan. I meant to Nell’s. I didn’t invite you to shower with me.”
Again the smile. “Mmm-hmmm. Tell me you aren’t thinking about me wet. Water
and soap sliding down my chest and belly.” To underline this, he traced his fingers down his chest and farther south until her mouth totally dried up.
“Stop that.”
“It’s enough—for now—to see that reaction. And I know I don’t have to go with you to Nell’s. I want to. This is bigger than just Clan Owen and you know it. This is my city too. You’re my friends and I take that seriously. I can help. Plus you get into trouble when you’re on your own. No harm in getting your back.”
“It’s not like I’m running with scissors.”
He shook his head and took her hand. “You’re an eminently capable woman. A warrior. I don’t know what someone has told you in the past about that to make your lips harden and get defensive. But you’re a fine warrior. I’m not worried you can’t handle yourself. I want to get your back. Didn’t you work in teams back in L.A.?”
She nodded.
“So let me do that here. For now, get yourself cleaned up. And take the tea. That bruise makes me want to punch a hole in a wall.”
“Why?” She couldn’t wrap her head around it. Around this change in his behavior.
He moved toward her and her heart kicked up again. “Because it offends me that anyone would have injured you enough to leave a mark.”
“I meant the job part. The getting my back part.”
“Because I like it.”
She scampered past him and down the hall. “Great. Well. You can drive. And lift heavy stuff. Ass kicking is my job. I like that part. You can’t have that part.” She ducked into the bathroom and locked the door behind herself. As if it would stop him if he wanted in. Also, it wasn’t like she was actually opposed to him coming in. But not then. Maybe never. Simon wasn’t a man she could get away with having sex with a few times. He was a shifter.
She bent to turn the water on. Not a shifter, a Lycian. Which was the same, only more intense because Lycians were more entwined with their beasts. They didn’t only turn at the full moon, they shifted whenever they wanted and with relative ease.
But they were overbearing. Overprotective. Uber alpha males. It was hot, but she wasn’t going to poke around and make mistakes right then. And he was six hundred and change. She was in her twenties. He’d lived a lot of life and she was just getting started. While she had no doubt it would make him a superstar in bed, the rest of the package was one she really couldn’t think about right at the moment.