My Man Michael

by Lori Foster

  “I know what I’m doing.” Michael held his own against both her and her mother’s skepticism. He turned to look at Kayli. “But I need you by my side. You’ve been one hell of a defense leader. From what I saw, the warriors appear well trained—by you. You know everyone, their strengths and weaknesses. To succeed, it’ll take both of us, babe. I can’t do it alone.”

  Was that supposed to be a balm to her lacerated ego after he declared his intent to strip her of everything she held dear?

  “What about children?” Raemay challenged. “Do you plan to contribute to the growth of our colony through offspring?”

  Everyone saw the surprise on Michael’s face before he pulled in his chin, crossed his arms. “I’ve got nothing against kids.”

  He said that calmly enough, but one and all saw that the very idea of children left him thunderstruck.

  Raemay sensed the weakness, too, and verbally pounced on him. “And when Kayli is carrying your baby, what then? Would you have her endanger the child just to be at your side?”

  Going red with some indiscernible emotion that was at least in part anger, Michael pointed a finger that almost touched Raemay’s nose. “Arbiter or not,” he said, “that is none of your business. It’s up to Kayli and me, and we’ll make those decisions when we need to.”

  Which meant … what? Kayli sucked in a shuddering breath and waited. She could do nothing else, not after the mention of children—Michael’s children—had almost flattened her.

  He turned to face the rest of the assembly. “But while we’re on the subject, you all should know—there’s no way in hell I’d want to bring a kid into a situation as unstable as this.”

  A shocked, insulted gasp issued from the crowd.

  Kayli covered her mouth with stunned disbelief. They needed children to survive. Without them, the colony would die out.

  But Michael wasn’t finished.

  “I’ll tell you what else, I’d want my son or daughter to know that I fought against bullies, that I didn’t cower or give in to threats. I’m willing to do whatever’s necessary to ensure that all children, mine or yours, will never have to worry about growing up only to become a damned sacrifice!”

  Because she’d always felt the same, his assurances bolstered Kayli, taking some of the sting from her sense of loss and betrayal.

  Suddenly Michael turned and stormed back to her. If the inferno of heat in his blue eyes wasn’t enough to cause alarm, his stomping stride and clenched fists were.

  Not that she feared him. But she definitely respected his strength, and at the moment, she wasn’t at her best.

  He snatched up her hand before she could even think of retreating.

  Facing the crowd, he raised their clasped hands so high that Kayli went on tiptoe to keep from stretching too far.

  “Together,” he shouted to the crowd, “to the best of our combined ability, we’ll protect the colony.”

  Michael’s promise, given with so much assurance, won the plaudits of everyone in attendance. The cheers sounded, subtle at first, but quickly growing loud enough to rattle the thick structure in which they stood.

  Never had Kayli heard such a roar of approval.

  The council lauded him. The available women idolized him. Someone had opened a window and out in the streets, the colony hailed him.

  It made her head swim to think how easily he’d won them over.

  Though still uncertain how to regain what was rightfully hers, or if, given what was best for the colony, she should even try, she looked out at her people and considered their reaction.

  Their contagious elation seeped into her heart. Despite the demolishment of her identity, she almost felt like smiling over the miracle she’d just witnessed, the hope that Michael had given them all.

  But then she saw her mother, her two sisters.

  They were furious.

  They were hurt.

  And, she could tell, they blamed her.

  CHAPTER 8

  BENDING down to be heard over the roar of her people, Mallet touched his mouth to Kayli’s ear. She smelled soft and warm, and like a woman.

  His woman.

  He’d just claimed her, right?

  The thought didn’t alarm him as it should have. Sure, he’d started this farce thinking that if he had to accept a woman to keep the higher-ups happy, he wanted it to be Kayli. She was familiar, and he had a bad case of lust for her.

  But now that it was out in the open … a deep contentment had settled into his bones, and he couldn’t deny that he was happy to change her life. Hopefully, for the better.

  “I’m sorry I shocked you, babe.” He leaned back to see her face. “Are you okay now?”

  “I won’t faint again,” Kayli promised him. Then her beautiful golden eyes narrowed. “I appreciate your assurances to the colony, but I hope you don’t expect me to accept the theft of my position, and my computer, without a protest.”

  He grinned, so pleased with her that he almost forgot the enmity of her family. They were all staring daggers at her, more Raemay and Idola than Mesha, though the youngest sister looked none too happy either.

  He felt it, so surely Kayli did, too.

  He’d have to talk to Hauk to find out why so much animosity existed. Looking at Kayli, at her beauty and pride and confidence, he’d think their dislike was based in pure jealousy. Except that her sisters weren’t exactly dogs themselves. And as Kayli had said, she was so different not only from her family, but from much of the colony, that he didn’t think envy of any kind factored in.

  She might suit his idea of drop-dead sexy, but compared to the other females, she stood out as the odd duck.

  When he’d looked at all those virgins, despite his teasing words for Kayli, he hadn’t felt lust. They’d gaped at him, some with curiosity, some with anxiety, and some with desire. But all he’d felt was … itchy. Uncomfortable. Like a man facing the noose.

  At that exact moment, he’d lost the last of his doubts on his plan to claim Kayli.

  Before the “transported into the future” thing, he hadn’t really planned to settle down anytime soon. He’d been much more interested in furthering his fighting career by winning a title belt.

  But life had kicked him in the butt big-time, thrown him through some twists and turns, ripped his career away without giving him time to even think about it. And now here he was, in the freakin’ future, in Kayli’s colony.

  Since it looked like he’d be staying, no way did he want to be saddled with some simpering, too soft, deferential marshmallow.

  He looked at Kayli, taller than the others, more toned, sleeker.

  Just as he liked a woman to be.

  She had the stance and manner of a person in charge, but when he touched her, she trembled. He liked that. A lot.

  In many ways, it seemed as if she’d been designed specifically for him. He looked at her mouth and wanted it bad, under his mouth, on him, everywhere.

  He looked at her body, and couldn’t wait to see her exposed, to touch her, to explore every inch of her in detail.

  But most of all, he spoke with her and heard her dedication and loyalty and determination, and it won him over in a way no one and nothing ever could. He respected her. He liked her.

  He kept a raging jones for her.

  Plenty of good reasons to make a union and keep her colony happy.

  If in the bargain he could remove her from the dangers of being a warrior … all the better.

  Hauk made an abrupt sound. “Everyone is waiting while you two make eyes at each other.”

  Kayli jerked to attention.

  Mallet took his time, letting her know—letting them all know—that she was the one and nothing would change that.

  “I have a plan to keep everyone safe,” he said to the crowd at large. “If you’ll all excuse us now, Kayli and I will talk things over and finalize details.”

  Raemay protested. “What of the union?”

  He raised a brow. “Is that something we do r
ight now? Or are there arrangements for that?”

  Kayli went red-faced.

  Hauk said, “The Council Mavens must approve the union. Then the colony will witness your kiss as a pledge.”

  “I’m with you so far.” Hell yeah, he had no problem kissing Kayli, even if he had to do it with an audience of slathering virgins and uptight Council Mavens watching on.

  “And then—”

  Kayli said, “Hauk. I’ll explain it from there, if you don’t mind.”

  “I just bet you will,” Hauk teased.

  Raemay, flanked by her fussy daughters, made a snarling sound of disapproval. “Hauk! You will not join our guest in making a mockery of our rituals.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  After rolling her eyes, Kayli said, “He’s picking up your bad habits.”

  “Yeah, I like him.” Mallet waited for the explanations she claimed she would give.

  Kayli rubbed her forehead, hesitated; then, with a glare aimed at one and all, she grabbed his hand and tugged him as far from the center of the room as she could.

  Once they reached a corner, she freed her temper. “I can’t believe you did this to me.”

  Mallet had expected the worst. Hauk had told him how important her duties were to her. She’d built her life around the position of Claviger, and without that responsibility, she’d feel at loose ends.

  So he’d left her the position. And still she was pissed? He propped a shoulder against the wall and gave her a questioning look. “This?”

  “Putting me in this awkward position.”

  Oh, he could think of a lot of positions to put her in, only a few of them awkward, but he probably shouldn’t mention them now.

  Smiling at her, Mallet put his arms around her waist and rocked her in a teasing way, hoping to lighten her mood. “Look at it from my perspective, sugar. I’m expected to do this whole union thing, but you’re the only woman I want.”

  “How can you say that? You don’t even know the rest of the women.”

  “Didn’t appear to me that I was going to be offered a chance to get to know them.” He touched his nose to hers, and wanted to kiss her silly. But this was important, so he stayed on track. “Your momma was breathing down my neck, all but shoving your sisters on me, and babe, they are not you.”

  Kayli tried to look angry, but instead, a heart-wrenching vulnerability filled her golden gaze. “Meaning?”

  “They wouldn’t do.” He did kiss her. Damn it, he couldn’t help himself. But he kept it brief. “Not even close.”

  “I don’t understand you.”

  Mallet didn’t mind that. He didn’t completely understand her, either. The women he’d known were … fluff. Nice, warm, fragrant, sexy fluff, but they didn’t have Kayli’s mettle, her confidence.

  And damn, but it turned him on.

  He kissed the end of her pert nose. “It’s simple. I think you’re hot.”

  “I know,” she said, somewhat deflated. “You’ve told me that before. But I’m unsuitable to a union.”

  “Only because you thought that, as Claviger, you were off-limits. But I worked around that. You heard me tell everyone that you’re staying on.”

  Her laugh sounded brittle. “As a … a useless appendage? An unnecessary advisor?” She shoved against him, putting space between their bodies. “I want my life, Michael, the life I’ve built for myself, not crumbs of it just to keep me quiet.”

  Well, hell, was that what she thought? That he didn’t really need her?

  But really, what did he know of warrior women and wars without weapons? He was feeling his way here, acting out of honor and an instinctive hate of injustice. Now that he’d watched the media files, boned up on the colony and how it functioned, he’d sort of gotten into the mood of the thing. He damn well intended to see it through.

  He tried to reason with her. “It’s not like that, Kayli.”

  “Then what is it like?” She stood up to him, against him. “Will you be my advisor, an assistant of sorts, and leave the major decisions to me?”

  Not likely. One reason he’d chosen fighting as a career instead of a regular nine-to-five job was that he didn’t like taking orders from anyone. Just because he was in a new world didn’t mean he planned to start now.

  Somehow he had to sway Kayli to his way of thinking.

  “Hear me out, okay?” She looked resistant, but she stayed quiet. “After Hauk explained how things work, that you could lose him and your position in defense if I got my way, I figured this was a good compromise.”

  “It’s not allowed. Even now, my mother is cautioning the council about changing rules arbitrarily and what the repercussions might be to such a drastic shift in tradition.”

  Mallet peered over his shoulder and saw that Kayli was right. Raemay railed at the council members, browbeating them to her way of thinking.

  He turned back to Kayli. “Just because it hasn’t been done already doesn’t mean it won’t fly now. You came all the way back to the past for me, so the council must want me enough to give me a little leeway on rules and rituals, right?”

  She fisted her hands in his shirt. “You can’t dismiss a lifetime of customs.”

  He covered her hands with his, gentling her, soothing her, hoping to convince her. “When they’re dumb customs, I damn well can.”

  She stiff-armed him. “You’re calling us dumb?”

  “Not you.” Damn it, this was frustrating. “Just the opposite, in fact. I think you’re smart enough to make your own decisions, including decisions on your career. I trust you, Kayli.”

  That stilled her. “You do?”

  He nodded—and knew it was true. “I understand why your colony wouldn’t want to put marriages … that is, a union, at risk, but that should be a decision for the two people involved. If you think you can fulfill your part of the union and help run the defense—”

  “Help run it?” She snorted with contempt at that option.

  Mallet sighed. He might as well clue her in now on how things would be. “All right, you want the straight of it? I’m here, and I’m not leaving anytime soon. If you think I’m a hands-off kind of guy, think again. I will be in charge, babe, but I’m happy to share the responsibility with you.”

  She crossed her arms. “And by share, you mean that you’ll always get your way?”

  “In some things.” She looked so cute when she got pissed off. And he sensed, he hoped, he was wearing her down a little. “But I’m willing to hear you on all major decisions. So what’s the real problem here?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He saw the color that again stained her fair complexion. Ah. Maybe he knew the way to convince her after all. “You don’t want me? Is that it?”

  Her mouth pinched shut.

  “Mute again, huh? Well, let me tell you, I think you do.”

  “That’s because you’re horribly conceited.”

  “Maybe.” Why deny it? He had a lifetime of success with women to shore up his beliefs. “I get it that you’re lacking experience and all. But you do warm right up for me.” He wouldn’t mention Hauk’s assurances.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He trailed one finger down her bare arm and watched her shiver. Smiling, he said, “You see?”

  Silence ticked by, and then she met his gaze and nodded. “I will be truthful, too, Michael. If I could keep Hauk and maintain my position as Claviger without interference, I would be happy to have a union with you.”

  Here we go again. Mallet stared up at the ceiling, and for the first time noticed all the pinpoint lights embedded there. Before Kayli could storm away from him, he brought his attention back to her. “You’ll still be Claviger, babe, just with me at the helm. And as to Hauk …” Feeling magnanimous, he offered, “Maybe we could share him?”

  “No, that’s not possible.”

  He didn’t even try to contain his aggrieved and impatient sigh. “Why?”

  “All
polymorphous computers ultimately need one person in charge, one person who can make the final decision in case of disputes. Believe me, you do not want Hauk caught between two controllers, forced to make his own decision as to who is right and who is wrong.”

  Damn, damn, damn. She had a valid point. Hauk was great, but Mallet didn’t want him controlling things any more than he already did.

  If he wasn’t worried about Kayli, if he didn’t really care for her … But he did. As Hauk had predicted, when he sat in the media room and watched the scenes of Kayli fighting, his blood had gone ice cold.

  The men attacking her colony were big. Not as big as him, but certainly more substantial than the men of her colony, the men she was used to. They were far more layered in muscle than a woman as fine-boned as Kayli. She’d fought well, but she was no match for the intruders.

  If one of them had struck her in the face … Never mind that she wore a clear polymer-type helmet that Hauk said turned dark while she fought, concealing her features but allowing her to see clearly. Hit hard enough, the helmet wouldn’t have mattered at all.

  It crushed Mallet to think of her with bruises or maybe even breaks to her beautiful nose, jaw, and cheekbones. He’d had his share of each, still carried the scars, and knew the pain involved.

  But he was a man, not a delicate woman, so the difference was as clear as night and day to him.

  With a visual of her hurt cramping his brain, he started shaking his head, as much to deny her as to rid himself of the awful images. For whatever reason, the attackers hadn’t seemed bent on causing any real damage to the female warriors.

  They’d deflected blows, tripped, taunted—all in all played with them, without ever really striking out as Mallet knew they could have.

  They’d controlled the women enough to take what they wanted, and then they’d left.

  “No.”

  She frowned at that one abrupt word. “No what?”

  “No, you can’t have Hauk.” She started to turn around and he jerked her back. “Damn it, woman, give me a break here, will you?”

  At the loss of his temper, she didn’t quail. No, she planted her small feet, straightened her shoulders, and jutted her chin toward him.