“Sure. Name it.”
She narrowed her eyes to let him know she was serious.
“If you get fed up with my weird ways, give me a warning before you ditch me at a gas station. I will hunt you down. Feel me?”
His bark of laughter surprised her. Her breath caught when he reached up, caressed her cheek, and slid his fingers down a lock of hair hanging over her shoulder.
“Sweetness, I’m just worried you might ditch me, so the deal goes both ways.”
Son of a bitch! He was so sexy. That one little move sent a shot of fire through her groin and woke up her long unused girly parts. She had to lock her knees to keep from falling forward and accidently smashing into his lips. She couldn’t help but return his grin.
“Deal.” She lifted her hand and he didn’t hesitate in grasping it. They shook and she was surprised to feel the tingling along her palm again. He lingered for a brief moment and then slowly released her hand.
“Are you ready?”
Surprised at how fast he could make her mind go into nuclear meltdown, Skylar fumbled around in her purse and pulled out an energy bar. She looked at it for a second, glanced up to him, and then threw it back inside.
“I was going to tell you to eat that, but I don’t think it’d put a dent in what you need. When was your last meal? Maybe that’s the reason you had that…uh…episode.”
He laughed and pointed to her purse. “What else you got in there? It’s big enough to hold a full-course meal. I’ll take a steak and a baked potato.”
Skylar chuckled and shoved him on the arm.
“Don’t knock it. You never know when you’ll need something. Sorry, though. I forgot to pack the steak.” She turned and gestured for him to follow her.
“Come on. I saw a sign for a food court. I’m sure we can find something to fill your belly.”
* * * *
Maxim couldn’t believe his luck. He’d actually talked her into traveling with him. The thought that she might have simply turned and walked away had sent panic racing through his veins. He was still shocked that she hadn’t fled when he’d flopped around on the ground like an idiot. Fuck! He’d dreamed about the Occasio surge for years, but not once had he imagined himself alone and without the help of his brethren. He threw a thank-you to his ancestors for watching out for him and hurried to catch up with his lovely mate when she turned and gestured for him to follow her.
Gods! She was absolutely beautiful. As soon as he’d seen the light smattering of freckles across her nose, he’d wanted to touch her face. That small caress she’d allowed had sent his blood into a full boil. Her skin was so soft, just like the golden lock of hair he’d slid through his fingers. When her delicate pear-scented desire wafted to his nose, he’d had to restrain his hands from pushing into that mass of dark-golden curls and pulling her close. Shit! I’m going to lose my gods damn mind if I ever get her into my arms. His skin shivered at the thought. When a line of chills ran up his spine, he knew it wasn’t from anticipation of her touch.
He didn’t know a damn thing about her. She could be just another version of Caelius’s psycho stalker. Hell, she’s traveling around with no discernable destination. Shouldn’t I be concerned about that? Was she running from something? The surge clued a male if the energy is compatible, not if the female might stab you to death in your sleep.
Shaking his head, Maxim tried to stop all the crazy shit running through his brain. Surely, every Insedi side-blinded by an unexpected mate dealt with these same feelings, right? After the initial shock of finally finding someone that could potentially be yours, reality had to start jumping in somewhere. The Trejani only knew the Filia for a blink of an eye before he fell in hard, and look how well that turned out. Hell, Cato was head over ass smitten with Luna long before she ever woke up. You couldn’t peel him away from that female if you tried. Feeling slightly better, he took a deep breath and told himself he’d take his time and pay attention. Slow your roll, asshole. Don’t fuck this up.
Chapter 7
Glancing to the side, Maxim watched Skylar’s expression as they navigated through the thick, airport crowd. Not once did she give anyone the hairy eyeball just because she got bumped or had to move aside. She smiled at anyone that made eye contact, and she walked as if she was totally comfortable in her own body. If there was anything wrong, he certainly hadn’t seen evidence of it yet. She seemed to be very intelligent. If she were a bitch from hell, she would’ve left him on the floor to fend for himself. Right?
Ah, hell! Look at her eyes. They’re so blue. Shit, she’s got some righteously long lashes. Damn, how cute is that? Her nose wrinkles when she grins. Either she’s too trusting, or she really isn’t afraid of me. Fuck! Please don’t split open and turn into a demon. You’re gonna break my heart.
“You okay?”
“What?”
“You look like someone just ran over your dog.”
“Uh…nope, just hungry.”
“Good, because we’re here.”
His eyes widened when she pushed him over to a table and made him sit.
“Save us a spot.”
“No problem.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “So, what do you want? We have a lot of choices.”
Trying to recover from being busted for walking on the left side of insanity, Maxim pulled his wallet out and handed her a fifty.
“Surprise me.” Inferni. Her laughter sounds like tinkling bells, just like the Filia. I’m toast.
“Easy. That seems to be the story of the day, why not one more?”
“True that.”
She narrowed her eyes and pointed at him.
“Don’t move. You may be getting your color back, but I saw you wobble back there when you stood up. You still need to take it easy.”
He couldn’t hold back his chuckle. She reminded him of Cassie, but less guarded. She was naturally verbose and confident. He liked that.
“Yes, ma’am.
He especially liked watching her walk away. The easy sway of her well-rounded ass was his undoing, add the tips of her small, spiral curls brushing lazily across the top of the luscious mounds, and he wasn’t surprised that he’d gotten this hard and that fast. Reluctantly tearing his gaze away, Maxim snatched his phone from his pocket and dialed Kallon.
Answer…answer…answer…I need a distraction, amici.
“Finally!”
“Well hello to you, too.”
“Sorry, doc.”
“Where you at?”
“Airport”
“Which one?”
“Los Angeles.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“You can come home now. Caelius is back.”
“No shit? Where the fuck has he been?”
“Hang on, someone’s at the door.”
“Okay.” Maxim took a chance and shot a glance over to Skylar. She was still weaving through the packed courtyard, and her ass was still as scrumptious as it was a minute ago. He sighed and looked away, impatient to hear Kallon’s voice again.
“Okay, I’m back. Caelius called about ten minutes ago. It’s a long story, and I’ll let him tell you as soon as you return. But I will tell you that he’s doing just fine. He brought his mate back with him.”
“Oh, hell no. You’re not hanging up now. I gotta hear this. Spill it.” He smiled upon hearing Kallon’s chuckle.
“It’s the female from the cooking class.”
“No way. I thought he’d already tested her.”
“Yep. Big news, buddy. His conprobatus was broken. He found a small crack running through it. The emperor has the senate investigating. It’s got everyone in an uproar. Caelius’s father took him to find another one and as soon as he kissed her again the new one engaged.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“I know. Caelius said Master Silas found another one with the same flaw. This doesn’t appear to be isolated.”
“You check yours yet?”
“Didn’
t have to.”
“What?”
“Before I even knew there was a problem, Ulixes knocked my dick in the dirt.”
Maxim felt his cheeks stretch tight.
“Fuckin’ A. About damn time. Shit! I have a lot to catch up on.”
“Yep. You need to check yours. The cracks can be very small.” Maxim burst out laughing. He couldn’t help himself.
“Mine’s working perfectly fine. The thing is sitting warm on my skin at this very moment.”
“No shit? When?”
“Less than an hour ago. Right in the middle of the damn airport.”
“Ah, hell, Maxim. Why did you test her there? That’s dangerous.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. It was an accident. She literally fell on me, and I caught her wrist.” He rolled his eyes when Kallon’s laughter shot out of the phone.
“Cato’s going to love this.” He heard voices in the background and cringed.
“He’s over there, isn’t he? You live to give me grief don’t you?”
“Yep, and yes, every chance I get. Did you have to run her down after you scared the hell out of her?”
“Nope. She actually hung around and helped me out. Scared away the crowd and kept the airport medical personnel from carting me off.”
“Sounds like a worthy female. But, since you’re talking so easily with me, can I assume she’s not standing next to you right now?”
Maxim glanced up and caught sight of Skylar again. She was taking her time meandering down the line of food shops and checking out the offerings.
“You would be correct. She’s getting us something to eat. She thinks that’s the reason I took a floor dive. Damn, Kallon, I don’t know how to tell her about us. You’re lucky. At least Ulixes knows all about the Insedi. Someone needs to give a class on this shit. Remind me to tell Severus to add that to the training.”
“Got it. So?”
“So, what?”
“Do you like her?”
“Absolutely, but it’s freaking me out that I’ve bonded with someone that I haven’t got a clue about.”
“Follow your heart. You’ll figure it out. I thought I was losing it when I had such a strong reaction to Ulixes the second I set eyes on him. Our instincts are good, amici. Just let them guide you.”
“Well, I’ll have a little time to learn more about her. She’s actually agreed to travel with me back to Texas. She was already heading our way. Long story, but we’re making a road trip.”
“There you go. If you’re still ambivalent by time you get home, then we’ll just shove you in a room and you can turn ghost for three days. Easy.”
Maxim snorted. “Yeah, right. Hey, speaking of ghost. Why is the whole of the Insedi race locked down to receiving mind calls? I’ve been sending out blasts and getting nowhere.”
“No idea. I haven’t felt any nudges from you.”
“Dude, you should have a raging headache. I’ve been banging hard on your noodle.”
“Interesting. Try again.”
Maxim opened his mind and slammed a request to Kallon. He felt his frustration rise when nothing happened on the second attempt.
“You can’t sense me?”
“Nope. Weird. Let me send one to you.”
“Ready.”
“You’re blacked out, Maxim. I’m open and knocking.”
“Damn. Can a surge screw it up? Wait, that’s not right. It was happening before that. Hell, I don’t know.”
Glancing over, he saw Skylar move further down the food court and pick up a menu in front of a vendor cart. His gut lurched when she suddenly dropped to her knees. He sat back down and relaxed when he realized she was tying the shoelaces for a little girl standing next to her oblivious mom. The child bent over, planted a kiss to Skylar’s cheek, and started playing with her hair.
Ah, damn. That’s so fucking sweet. He startled when Kallon joined his thoughts. He sounded surprised.
What happened? You’re in now and I just felt a whole lot of warmth and love blast through me.
Fuck! I can hear you. What in the name of Dii is going on?
Whatever it is, you have my full attention. Did you do anything different just now?
No. I’m sitting in the same spot. He watched as Skylar patted the little girl on the head, set the menu down, and walked back to the main food court. She settled in front of a sandwich shop.
Cool. A sandwich would be good. I like a female that appreciates a good sandwich.
“Maxim?”
Yes? Kallon? Crap! He moved the phone closer to his mouth. “I lost you.”
“I know. Anything different this time?”
Maxim felt his stomach drop. “Yep. She just got back into range.”
“Who?”
“Skylar. When she was about thirty meters away, I could sense you. She just stepped closer and you disappeared.”
“Is she standing in one spot now?”
“Yes.”
“Get up and move away from her. See if it happens again. Then it won’t be a theory.”
Maxim jumped up from the table and walked backward until he could sense Kallon.
Son of a bitch. You ever heard of an Occasio blocking an ability?
Never, but I keep getting surprised with every new mating. Maybe it’ll return when you’re fully joined. Can you mist?
Hold up. Maxim sat back down at the table and stuck his hand underneath. He willed his fingers into mist and shook his head when they did exactly as he wished.
Works. Crap! He growled and put the phone back up to his ear. “It worked. Sorry. I went back to the table and she’s closer. So, now we know it’s just the mind talk. Any more theories?”
“Hell, I don’t know. This isn’t exactly an ideal way to analyze your situation. Get her home soon, and we’ll try to figure this out. Do me a favor though.”
“What?”
“First chance you get, check behind her ear. You never know.”
“Yeah, like she’s going to let me get that close to her.”
“Hey, if your reputation’s accurate, I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to nibble on her neck.”
Maxim chuckled.
“Wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all, she’s fucking beautiful.”
“Well, there you go. Do your thing. You’ve been training for this for over five years. Use your moves.”
“This isn’t Heat Seekers. I’m out of my element.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
“I hope so. She’s coming back over. Keep your phone charged, and let the others know what’s up.”
“Got it. Good luck, amici.”
“Thanks, Kallon. Later.” He hung up, slipped the phone into his pocket, and jumped up. He met her halfway across the food court and took the loaded tray from her hands. He waited as she removed the drinks and chips and carried them back to the table.
“Thanks.”
She sat down and he parked it across from her. Amazed at how fast she could shoot tingles up his spine, he watched as she removed two wrapped sandwiches from one bag and placed them on the table in front of him. He grabbed the other bag and handed over the last one. They smiled at each other and started removing the wrapping.
Maxim felt his brows raise high and stared at the stacked sandwich he’d uncovered until he heard her throat clear. He looked up, surprised to see her blush. Worried blue eyes locked onto the gift she’d brought him.
“Uh…I hope you like BLTs. I had them load it up with extra bacon. If you don’t want that much, just pull it off and slide it on over here.” Her fingers moved nervously over her wrapper, and her cheeks reddened a little more. She took a deep breath.
“I think everything should have bacon on it. This could very well explain my big butt. I may die of heart disease, but at least I’ll go out happy.” She looked up and giggled nervously.
Maxim reached over, placed his palm over her fidgeting hand, and completely lost his heart.
“This is perf
ect, sweetness…absolutely perfect.”
* * * *
Kallon slipped his phone back inside his pocket and turned around to three very, expectant faces.
“You catch any of that?”
Ulixes and Luna shrugged and sat down at the kitchen counter. Cato shook his head and snorted.
“Just bits and pieces, but enough to know that Caelius and Maxim snagged themselves a mate, and there’s an issue with the conprobatus that has the emperor’s attention. I’m still confused on the part about you making Maxim move around the airport. I tried to jump into his thoughts but he kept fading in and out, so I gave up.”
“His Occasio is blocking his ability to mind talk. It’s the strangest thing. Hell, maybe he hit his head on the floor when she fell on him. That’s how he accidently bonded with her.”
Cato started laughing. “Serves him right. It’s karma for all the damn pranks he’s played on everyone.”
Luna popped him on the arm, but couldn’t stop the grin stretching her cheeks.
“That’s mean.”
Cato gave her an innocent look. “I’m just sayin’. I like her already.”
Joining them at the bar, Kallon took the offered wine from Ulixes and nudged Luna on the ribs.
“Looks like you’re going to have two more ladies to add to your growing circle.”
Luna poked him back, reached across the counter, and patted Ulixes on the hand.
“I came over to welcome a new member to my family and as usual, you guys give me more excitement. If there’s one thing I can say about being Insedi, it’s never dull. I’m extremely happy there are more mates showing up. We’re going to have to stick together to keep all of you out of trouble.”
Ulixes chuckled and lifted Luna’s hand to his lips. He gave her a reverent kiss.
“Thank you, Luna. I’ll count myself in your circle. You take first watch.”
After the laughter died down, Cato placed his handheld on the countertop and swiveled it around so Kallon could see the screen.
“Speaking of excitement, I’ve got the DNA locate program set up now. Double check the strand sequence I entered to make sure I didn’t miss anything before I kick it off.”
Fueled by Lust: Maxim (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 6