by Ivy Barrett
“Allen had more to do with it than I did.”
“But you brought him here.”
She couldn’t argue with that, though she wondered why Sarah was ignoring Allen’s participation. Had he insulted her in some way? To her knowledge they had yet to meet. “I’m relieved to see you’re feeling better.”
“Will I have another relapse or is the change permanent?”
“We’re hoping it’s permanent, but we’ll have to wait and see.” She crossed her arms over her chest and nibbled on her lower lip. Did she dare ask Sarah what she was dying to ask her, or would Fane think the question underhanded?
“Ask me. I won’t tell.”
Cassie shook away her shock. She’d been in the Underground long enough to guard her thoughts. What was wrong with her today? “If your scars could be repaired but you would lose your abilities, would you want to have the procedure?”
“The mutation is ongoing. Even if you could repair the damage, the deformity would return.”
“This is a hypothetical situation,” Cassie said. Unless her pigheaded lover gave in, it was hypothetical. “I’m curious about your priorities.”
“If I’d known exactly what it would cost me to see glimpses of the future, I wouldn’t have hesitated.” Sarah’s vehemence shocked Cassie and it must have showed. Sarah laughed, her breath ruffling her veil. “We live in very different worlds, Dr. Myer. Prophetic dreams are far more valuable than a pretty face when you live in the Underground.”
“But what if you didn’t have to live in the Underground?”
“No one is forcing me to stay here. Everyone I care about is here.”
Cassie nodded though she suspected Sarah’s appearance had a lot more to do with the choices she’d made than she was willing to admit. “It was nice talking with you. Do you need anything?”
“She needs to rest,” Ostan supplied.
Sarah objected and Cassie slipped out of the room while Ostan took over the conversation. Cassie had expected a meek victim when she’d first seen Sarah. The young woman had far more spirit than Cassie had thought possible.
Her steps automatically led her to Fane’s apartment. She didn’t quite think of it as her room, even though she’d slept there every night since coming to the Underground. Of course, that hadn’t been that long ago.
She stepped into the darkened room and froze. Fane had just come out of the bathroom. He was drying his hair with a towel, completely unconcerned with his nudity.
“Hey,” he greeted.
“Hey yourself.”
His slow, sexy smile never failed to curl her toes. “The bathroom’s nice and steamy if you want to jump in the shower.”
“Is that an invitation or a request?”
“An observation. I’d rather bathe you with my tongue.”
Heat rolled through her, sinking deep into her belly and settling between her thighs. Damn, the man was gorgeous. Just the sight of him was enough to make her all weak and tingly. Still, she wanted the tension between them put to rest.
“Sarah’s awake,” she said. “I talked to her a few minutes ago.”
“I know. I saw her earlier.”
“She told me she wouldn’t want a cure even if it fixed her face.”
He chuckled as he strolled toward her. “And I was just thinking it might not be such a bad idea to have a few more options available to us.”
“Really?” All the tension flowed out of her with the warmth of his smile. “What made you change your mind?”
His gaze caressed her face, lingering with obvious longing on her mouth. “The only chit stubborn enough to argue with Mal Ton and me at the same time.”
“I wasn’t arguing, exactly. I just didn’t understand your hesitation.”
A bit of his playfulness fell away. “I’m still hesitant.”
Now was the time for compromises. He needed to know that she understood the full scope of the issue. “I thought of a way to protect you while offering Allen the information he needs.”
“Did you now?” He captured a wisp of her hair and rolled it between his fingers.
“We’ll give him a sample of your DNA without telling him where it came from.”
One of his brows arched as he asked, “Will he let it go with that?”
“I’ll make sure he does.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed the tip of her nose. “Then I’ll give you the sample.”
Chapter Ten
The following day dawned dark and stormy, though no one in the Underground seemed to care. Cassie tried to concentrate, but her mind kept racing on to the night ahead. Fane would pose as the ambassador from Saronta and she would be his consort. They both would be carefully disguised so no one would recognize them until they were ready to be recognized. Mal Ton and a team of specters would remain unseen until or unless they were needed.
Best-case scenario, they would recover Karris alive so Cassie and Allen could reprogram her nanites. Cassie didn’t want to think about a worst-case scenario. Bryson and Howyn had to be exposed. Howyn, she sighed. When had she stopped thinking of him as Father?
“Are you all right?” Allen asked. “You seem distracted.”
“I am. There are so many things that could go wrong tonight.”
“But so much could be accomplished.” He offered an encouraging smile.
“I know. I’m just… I’m not looking forward to facing down my father.”
“That’s understandable.”
“I see him a lot more clearly now.” That was the understatement of the century. Fane’s memories had given her an inescapable sampling of her father’s true personality. “I understand all the lives he’s destroyed, but he was never cruel to me. I…”
“He’s your father.” Allen reached over and squeezed her hand. “If Fane can’t understand that, he doesn’t deserve you.”
“Fane’s been wonderful. This is all me.” Allen nodded and returned his attention to his monitor. Mapping Fane’s DNA had kept him up all night. “Are you sure you aren’t ready for a break? You’re looking a bit rough around the edges.”
He smiled. “I wish you’d let me examine the donor. He has to be extraordinary.”
“That’s not going to happen,” she said with absolute finality. “Fane went way out on a limb just to get us the sample. That’s as far as our cooperation goes. Besides, your curiosity is just that. You don’t need to examine the donor to complete your research.”
“True.” He rubbed his eyelids and sighed. “Maybe I will lie down for a while. I’ve been seeing double for almost an hour.”
They parted ways in the corridor. Allen went off toward the barracks while Cassie went in search of Fane. She found him in the lobby with a garment bag folded over his arm. He was talking with a group of men, so she hung back.
“Ah, Cassie. Let me introduce our backup for tonight.” He motioned her over with his free hand. “This is Eric, Thom, and Jordan. They’re the specters Mal Ton mentioned yesterday.”
She shook their hands in turn, noticing that they had similar features and coloring. “Are you related?”
“Eric and Thom are brothers. Jordan is their cousin,” Fane explained.
“The specter mutation has always run in our family,” Thom told her.
Another fascinating fact Allen might find useful. She’d tell him about the pattern the next time she saw him.
“So what’s in the bag?” she asked as the others moved away.
“Our costumes for tonight. It’s been a long time since I played dress-up.”
They showered together, cuddling beneath the warm spray. Fane hardened against her belly and she wiggled away. “We don’t have time for this.”
“There’s always time for this.” He turned her around and eroded her hesitation with his fingers and the heated slide of his wet skin. His touches were focused, purposeful.
She braced herself against the wall in front of her, knowi
His fingers parted her folds and gently rolled her clit. Tingles turned to shivers and shivers to deep pulsations of need. “Now,” she pleaded. “I want you inside me now.”
He chuckled. “I thought there wasn’t time.”
She moved her legs apart and waited, wet hair streaming across her face. He guided his cock to her entrance then grasped her hips. With one forceful thrust he filled her completely. A muffled cry escaped her lips and she tightened herself around him.
“That feels so fucking good.” He pulled back then drove deep. “But you’re still distracted.”
“No, I’m not. I’m here with you. All of me.” She closed her eyes and focused on the steady slide of his cock. Her inner muscles gripped him snugly and her legs wobbled as anxiety rippled through her mind. So much was resting on tonight. Should they really be—
“There you go again.” He didn’t sound angry, just intent on making his point. “I guess this calls for drastic measures.”
Without separating their bodies, he filled his palm with conditioner and arched away from her. His shaft slid back, almost out of her pussy. What was he going to do with the conditioner?
A wicked chuckle escaped his throat as he answered her silent question. He smeared the conditioner into her ass crack and slathered it over her anus.
“Fane?” She craned her neck, concerned if not actually afraid.
“I won’t hurt you. Surely you know that by now.”
His fingers slid up and down, sliding in the slippery conditioner. One hand circled her hips and covered her mound. His long middle finger rubbed over her clit, arousing and distracting her as he repositioned his cock.
Anticipation clawed through her uncertainty. Having him moving in her ass had been amazing in their shared dream. She smiled. He had her undivided attention, if nothing else.
He pulled her away from the wall and tipped her forward, bending her from the waist to give him a better angle. Each movement brought them closer to the ultimate joining. She braced her arms against the wall and tried not to tense. Sliding easily in the conditioner, he circled her opening, pushing firmly as her body spread before him. Tight. Wider and wider she stretched around him.
“Push back. Take me deeper.”
She felt off balance and dizzy, but his hands held her steady. Slowly she pushed back and he drove inward. A startled cry slipped from her mouth and she tossed her head. Water sprayed out in glistening droplets.
Reality narrowed, focused until only they existed. He drew back with infinite patience, allowing her to feel every millimeter of his hardness. Sensations danced along her nerve endings and crawled up her spine.
“More,” she gasped, pushing herself onto him so he could repeat the blissful slide. Nothing had ever felt quite so sexual. Raw, savage, lustful. She gave herself over to the hunger, to the blazing heat coursing through her with each careful stroke.
Too careful. She needed him to feel as primal as she felt. “Harder.”
His fingers dug into her hips as he complied. Long, deep thrusts filled her more deeply than she’d imagined possible. She pushed to the balls of her feet and canted her hips, needing everything he had to give. His hand returned to her mound, his fingers accenting each stroke. Water flowed around them as their bodies arched and swayed.
Heat swirled through her and poured out of her. His desire fueled hers as they passed sensations back and forth across their link. He moved faster then faster still. She gasped and tossed her head, lost in a maelstrom of sizzling pleasure.
Tension gathered, drawing tight then springing free. Her orgasm crested as his last thrust drove her to her toes. His cock bucked inside her tight rear passage and he wrapped her firmly in his arms.
“Now we know what it takes to drive all rational thought from your mind,” he whispered, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
He scrubbed her with soapy hands, insisting he “repair the damage.” She in no way felt damaged, but his warm hands felt too good to refuse. She was flushed and sleepy by the time he turned off the water.
They chatted happily while they dressed. She caught him up on their progress in the lab, his questions assured her he was listening. “Did you ever run the samples Andrea gave you?”
“I ran them this morning. My preliminary findings indicate human and Stilox physiology are compatible. Of course we won’t know for sure until someone tries to conceive.”
“I’ll let Roark know. He’ll be thrilled. So will Andrea. Her specialty is infertility. That’s how she became interested in genetics.”
She shook out her gown and its beauty suddenly caught her attention. “This is breathtaking. Where did you get it?” The deep brown fabric had an iridescent sheen that shimmered and flowed with hints of color. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
“I hope it fits. We don’t have time to find you another.”
“Let’s find out.” She stepped into the gown and held it in place while he fastened the back. The bodice hugged her torso and supported her breasts while the skirt flared dramatically in exaggerated pleats. “It’s perfect.” She adjusted the neckline over her cleavage and pulled on the matching gloves. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s going to take a lot of makeup to keep people from recognizing you.”
Her thoughts were much the same as Fane introduced her to Mallory, the woman who would facilitate their metamorphosis. She had an infectious laugh and loved to talk. Cassie sat back and let her carry the conversation.
“Your skin is naturally fair, but the Sarontian ideal of beauty is almost colorless.”
Cassie remembered Mal Ton’s petite friend and agreed with Mallory. Not only had the messenger’s hair been silver, her face had been incredibly pale.
“The headpiece has a fringe of silver hair, so we won’t need a wig. Still, you’ll have to be careful not to rub off the makeup.”
Mallory covered Cassie’s face, neck, and arms, taking her skin tone from ivory to alabaster. Then she inserted contacts that added sparks of purple to Cassie’s dark gaze. “We can’t do much with the shape, so avoid eye contact when you can.”
Cassie thought she looked like a massive porcelain doll until Mallory secured the headpiece over her hair. Silver tendrils framed her face and brought out the purple shards in her eyes. She searched the mirror, unable to locate her own features.
“Wow,” Fane said. “That does the trick.”
“I’m glad you approve.” Mallory smiled. “Now it’s your turn.”
The process was more fun to watch than to undergo. “Sarontian men are as dark as their women are light. This shouldn’t take as long.” She deepened his skin tone with a bronzer and handed him a set of contacts. The film turned his irises black.
“I like his natural color much better,” Cassie said.
“There are no green-eyed Sarontians,” Mallory said as she pulled out a tube of some sort of gel. “You’ll have to put up with it for tonight.” She squeezed the gel into the palm of her hand and then worked it through his hair with a comb. Though the gel appeared colorless, it masked the red in his hair and deepened the shade from medium to dark brown. She combed the damp strands straight back from his face and secured the entire mass at the nape of his neck. The look was severe and menacing. “No one will question anything he says.” She laughed. “No one will dare.”
Forty minutes later they sat side by side in a luxury cruiser. Mal Ton was posing as their driver for the time being. “How are the specters arriving?” she whispered the question to Fane, and he smiled. “Sorry. I feel like a teenager sneaking out of the house.”
“Did you ever sneak out when you were a teenager?” His disbelief was obvious.
“No, but I can imagine this is how it feels.”
“The three specters can teleport. They’ll meet up with Mal Ton once we’ve gone inside.”
She nodded and pressed her hand over her heart, trying to still its rapid thudding.
“Relax, love. You’re going to smear your makeup.”
He was right. She needed to calm down, but espionage was so far out of her comfort zone it was comical. She was a lab rat, a scientific recluse, more comfortable with equations and computations than with people.
If you don’t relax, I’m going to slip my hand under your skirt and give you something else to think about. He passed a vivid image along with the thought and Cassie released her pent-up breath. That’s better. Now close your eyes and enjoy the fantasy.
She let her lids close and rested her head against the seat. In her mind, he eased her back across the seat and lifted her skirt to her waist. He stroked her thighs and hips, exploring the bare skin between her stockings and her lace panties. His fingers glided up her inner thighs, brushed against her silk-covered sex and slid down the other side. She shivered and fidgeted, restless and needy.
Are you relaxed?
Distracted, not relaxed. Your touch has never been relaxing.
He chuckled, the sound warm and evocative. We’ll have to play some more after we get inside. We’re almost there.
She opened her eyes with a soft gasp and looked out the viewport beside her. She recognized the festival hall. She’d been here several times in her youth. The opulent ballroom and lush gardens made it a favorite for lavish celebrations. Cruisers and private shuttles lined the wide circle drive. Colored lights decorated the trees lining the walkway that led to the massive front entrance.
“If they turn Karris loose at this party, how will she escape?” Despite Fane’s best effort, Cassie’s stomach was tied in knots.
“Teleportation or invisibility. There’s no telling which ability she loaded.”
“I wonder if she keeps each ability she loads, or if she can only hold a few at a time?” She shuddered. “It sounds as if we’re talking about a machine, not a person.”
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