Whisper in the Dark

by Charlene Perry

  Through the crowd and out a side door, the cool night air washes over me just as his warm body crashes into mine. With speed that’s faster than any normal man, he has me pinned against the rough side of the building. His big frame fills my vision, his arms braced against the wall on either side of my head. He hovers there, his face close to mine, a carnal heat in his eyes.

  Just when I think he’s going to tease me some more, his mouth claims mine. His kiss is intense, bruising. There’s no slow burn, no exploration, just total dominance. I return every bit of what he gives, thoroughly acquainting myself with the texture and taste of his mouth.

  His need is pressed against my belly, straining against his confining jeans. Reaching between us, I fumble with his zipper as my head spins from the ravenous kiss that shows no sign of slowing.

  Just as I finally succeed in lowering the first barrier to what I want, he pushes away from the wall. I gasp as the cold air fills the void where is body was. The ghost of his kiss is still on my lips as I try to make sense of his sudden withdrawal.

  He’s standing a few feet away, just out of my reach. He’s breathing heavy as he fixes his zipper and buttons his pants. His actions don’t fit the heat in his eyes as they rake over me. I’m still struggling to catch my breath when he reaches out to cup my cheek, running the rough pad of his thumb over my lower lip.

  “How about that drink?” he asks, his husky tone implying that he clearly meant to say how about you come to my place so I can fuck you all night.

  But that’s not what he said. And now he’s staring at me like he actually wants an answer. What’s going on? I didn’t wear this skirt to make things complicated. We were literally seconds away from all my dreams coming true. Well, tonight’s dreams anyway.

  “Okay...” I’m still not entirely sure that wasn’t a trick question.

  He smiles. Actually smiles. Like he’s happy with my answer. Then he pulls his hand away and heads back inside the bar.

  As the dimly lit, yet always clean, alley fades into view, I’m suddenly aware of a very pissed-off Golden Retriever.

  Are you done? Damon’s voice breaks through my thoughts.

  He’s wearing his cute doggy form while he waits outside the bar. It’s much better for business than his brooding panther form. Or so we’ve been told on more than one occasion. Only downside is how many people want to pet him, or take him home, which explains why he’s so pissed off right about now.

  “Hell no.” I turn and head back into the bar.

  Sure enough, Gideon is waiting at the bar with two drinks. Something dark and neat in his glass, and what is no doubt my favorite whisky in another glass.

  Thank you, Kelsey.

  I slide onto the stool beside him, taking a slow sip of my Balvenie and watching his face as I try to figure out what the hell is happening.

  Would it scare him away if I just told him straight up what I want? It’s not drinks and friendly conversation, that’s for damn sure. Then again, I’m pretty certain I made that abundantly clear on the floor, and in the alley. He’s playing a game I don’t know the rules for, and I’m not sure if that intrigues me or just pisses me off.

  Maybe a little of both.

  “You’re an intense woman, Whisper.” He’s considering me with narrowed eyes as if trying to figure me out. “You’re not at all what I was expecting.”

  “Are you saying I have a reputation?” I raise my eyebrows as if the idea surprises me.

  He tilts his head to the side, pursing his lips as if choosing his words carefully. “Yes, you could say that. But as the only woman to graduate from the Academy, what can you expect? You didn’t make many friends in the program, I’m guessing. Probably even some enemies given the way you consistently kick their asses in the stats every month.”

  Well. Now I’m starting to like this guy. It’s not very often anyone acknowledges my efforts without some sort of insult tied in. I must look surprised by his comments, because he taps the fourth implant tattoo on his neck. It’s the symbol for the ID implant, meaning he gets an instant neural upload of anyone’s file, whenever he wants, just by looking at their face.

  So jealous.

  “Ah, I see. So, Gideon, why are you here? I’m sure there are much better bars up on the Solars.” I don’t actually mean that. I love this bar.

  “Not really. It might look different up there, but people are still people, and rum is still rum.” He punctuates that by taking a long drink. I watch the movement of his neck as he swallows, wishing I had gotten the chance to taste his skin, to run my tongue along his tattoos and down his chest. “I came here to find you. After I ran into you at Base, I just couldn’t get you out of my mind.”

  I lick my lips, trying to push those mental images aside for later. “And you found me. So, what do you want to do with me?”

  He pauses with his glass half-way to his mouth, a little of the heat returning to his eyes as he drops his gaze down to my mouth, to my chest. He wants me. It’s so obvious, yet he’s drawing it out. Making me doubt what I can feel simmering.

  “I want to get to know you, Whisper. I want to take you out for dinner.”

  I nearly choke on my drink. I made it really freaking clear that I was a sure thing... and this guy wants to date me?

  “I don’t date.” There’s no beating around that one, so I might as well just spit it out. His eyes widen, as if he’s not used to being turned down. Makes sense. Any girl would be crazy to turn him down. I’m not any girl. And I might be crazy. “Look. I respect you, and you seem like a decent guy. But you don’t want to get to know me.” I scoot forward on my seat until our thighs are touching, trailing my hand up his leg until it rests at his hip. “But I’d like to know you tonight. No complications, no dinner. Just two adults, finishing what you started out in that alley.”

  Black and white, buddy. Take it or leave.

  He licks his lips, shifting in his seat as he adjusts his jeans. I try not to drool as I think about how close I was to getting my hands on that beautiful cock. I know it’s beautiful, because the rest of him sure is. His eyes focus everywhere but on me, his jaw clenching and unclenching. What’s up with this guy?

  “I like you, Whisper. And I sure as hell want you. More than I’ve wanted anyone in a long time.” That’s a good start. “But I don’t do one-night stands. Maybe I did in the past. In another life. But it’s a rule I won’t break.”

  Ouch.

  “That’s too bad, Gideon, because one night is all I do.” And that’s a rule I won’t break.

  He might think he likes me. He might think he’s all noble and respectable, but he’s a man. It wouldn’t take long before he’d be bored with me and ready for a new toy. And even if he did stick around, I’d just get bored with him and be ready for a new toy. I like to fuck on occasion, but I don’t need or want any of that emotional crap.

  The only man I want to cuddle up and share I-love-you’s with is big and furry. Damon is the only thing I’ve ever loved, and the only love I need.

  Gideon nods, the open disappointment on his face almost making me sorry. He finishes his drink, sets his glass on the counter, and clears his throat. “Come work with me.”

  I laugh out loud, but quickly realize he’s not laughing at all. He’s looking at me with a dead serious expression. I shake my head. This conversation is giving me whiplash.

  “What do you want; a date or an Apprentice?”

  “Both, preferably,” he answers without hesitation.

  I just stare at him dumbly, waiting for the punchline. Being taken as an Apprentice to an Elite is a big fucking deal. I’m not stupid enough to take him seriously.

  After a long, awkward silence, he stands. The guy holds out his hand as if we just completed a business meeting. What the hell? Seriously, your tongue was down my throat less than ten minutes ago, and now we’re going to shake hands?

  Simply because I don’t know what else to do, I take his hand and we shake. I’m not sure if I’m more attracted to him now t
hat I know he’s bat-shit crazy, or less.

  Nah, pretty much the same. He’s gorgeous.

  “It was good to meet you, Whisper.” His eyes flick briefly to my mouth. “I better get going before one of us breaks our own rules. If you change your mind, about either offer, give me a call.”

  He writes his number on a napkin, then gives me a wink. I’m fairly certain my chin hits my lap.

  Just like that, he’s gone.

  Out of the corner of my eye I catch my drink being refilled. I turn my head to see Kelsey looking at me with a raised eyebrow. “Did I just see Whisper get turned down?”

  “Worse. He wanted to date me.”

  She stares at me for a moment, as if waiting for a punch line. “Is that bad?”

  I roll my eyes. “Have you ever seen me date anyone?”

  “I would assume you don’t bring your dates here. This is more of a place for finding a date, which it sounds like you did...” She’s not appreciating my pain.

  “Gideon isn’t just everything I want in a fuckbuddy. He’s everything I want to be, Kelsey.” I’m whining because I know she’ll listen whether she wants to or not. It’s pretty much in her job description, both as my only female friend and as owner of the bar. “He’s an Elite. There’s no one above him. He answers directly to the Elders.”

  “Why do you want up there so bad? You’re one of the top Agents. All your peers must either want to be you or be with you. How much more success do you need?”

  I lower my eyes. When she puts it that way, I almost feel guilty for wanting more. I try to think of a witty comeback to lighten the conversation, but for some reason I just want to be honest. “I can’t stay like this. What I’ve achieved might look like success, but I’m still the property of men. They tell me where to go and what to do. If I misstep or fail at a mission, they have the power to reduce me to nothing.” The same nothing my parents and brothers always told me I was meant to be.

  I nearly jump off my stool when she puts her hand on mine. She pulls back immediately, but the warmth of the gesture lingers on my skin. “You’ll get there, if that’s what you want. You’ve got the biggest balls in that place. I have no doubt about that.”

  We laugh together for a moment before she’s called away by another customer.

  “Text me if you feel like chatting,” she calls back over her shoulder.

  I almost want to stay and thank her for listening, for being a friend. The women I met at the Academy, the ones that worked staff positions or snuffed out of the Protector training program, they were far from friendly. Not that I put in the effort to build any bridges from my end. Kelsey’s always been there, ever since I met her three years ago, on the night this place opened.

  Fuck. I’m not going to get all sentimental just because I’m moping.

  I down my drink in one pull. Suddenly, the only thing I want to do is go home and cuddle with my cat.

  Job Offer

  Apparently, that last drink did me in.

  After leaving the bar to be greeted by an adorably pissed-off Retriever, I went straight home to crawl into bed with an equally pissed-off panther. I can literally change my clothes with just a thought, and yet I still passed out in my bar outfit. It takes a lot to get me drunk, thanks to my Medic. Lucky for me, it also has the handy side effect of making me immune to hangovers. And pregnancy… but that’s not something I’m exactly at risk for with my current dry spell.

  I push against the warm, furry body at my feet. Rolling onto my stomach, I groan as my face presses against a rough, thin napkin. I know without opening my eyes what it is.

  “Can you believe that guy?” I say as I push myself off the bed, crumpling the napkin and chucking it into the garbage without bothering to look at the numbers. “He wanted to go on a date.”

  Didn’t look like you were very opposed to that idea.

  “Yeah right. I wanted to get laid. He wanted to have dinner.”

  I didn’t like him.

  I stretch my hands above my head, and my right shoulder adjusts with a satisfying pop.

  “He’s Gideon. One of the top Elites.”

  Damon just stares at me. His big, brown cat-eyes level with mine even though he’s still laying down. His massive paws hang over the side of the bed, the end of his tail flicking from side to side. He clearly doesn’t understand my problems, either.

  “When I refused, he said he wanted to work with me. Can you imagine? Like I’d be so desperate to be his Apprentice that I’d go on a date with him just to get a shot.”

  But you do want to work with him.

  “Sure. But making out at a bar isn’t exactly official interview parameters. I’m not that naive.”

  Damon just huffs, clearly bored with the conversation.

  I stand up from the bed, pausing to scratch him behind the ears for a bit before I head to the shower. As I start to walk away, one big paw hooks around my waist, pulling me back into a bear, er, cat-hug. I feel his teeth on my shoulder, biting down almost painfully, though I’d never let on it hurts.

  It’s something he’s done since he was a kitten. I think it’s a possessive thing, or a love thing. Maybe he just has to fight the urge to eat me now and again. I used to ask him why, but he’s never given me a straight answer. Now, I just wait for him to let me go, then kiss him on the nose and walk away grateful I still have two arms.

  Not that I think he would ever hurt me on purpose. I trust him with my life, one hundred percent. I just suspect that sometimes he struggles with his animal instincts more than others.

  When he lets me go this time, I turn around and wrap my arms around his thick neck. We’re the same height now, with him laying like a sphinx on my bed. I pull away and kiss the end of his nose, my hand trailing along the silvery scar that runs down his left front leg.

  “I’m so glad you’re not a man, Damon.”

  He growls, but it’s not an angry sound. He knows what I mean.

  I try again to make it to the shower, but my comm buzzes from its place on the bedside table. Heaving a sigh, I retrieve it. I’m only slightly worried it might be Gideon.

  “It’s Charles,” I say as I smile and mentally high-five myself. “He has a job for us.”

  Damon immediately jumps from the bed, trotting out to the kitchen where he’ll be waiting by the door. He likes the action almost as much as I do, even if he doesn’t appreciate the kills.

  “Let’s eat before we check in!” I yell from the bedroom. If this job turns out to be a long one, I want a decent meal in my belly first.

  “Whatcha got for me, Charles?” I ask as I push through the Commander’s office door.

  I’m in a great mood, despite my epic flop of a night. Nothing like the promise of a little action to make the world right again. It might not be exactly the kind of action I was searching for last night, but I’m pretty sure I like taking down bad guys just as much as I like sex.

  He clears his throat. “Ah, Whisper…”

  “Please let it be something interesting. I have some serious tension to work off-”

  “Whisper, I believe you’ve met Elite Gideon.” The Commander gestures past me, and I put two and two together to the sound of my least favorite feline laughing in my head.

  I slow turn, standing a little straighter and plastering a smile on my face. “My apologies, Commander Jeffries. Elite Gideon.”

  I’m not sure what I interrupted, but I’ve never talked to Charles so informally in front of anyone. Our personal relationship doesn’t leave the privacy of his office. That’s for both of our sakes. I don’t need anyone assuming I’m getting special treatment, and he doesn’t need anyone assuming he’s giving it.

  Because I’m not. And he’s not.

  It’s because of him that I got my shot in the Academy, but it’s my blood and sweat that got me through it. After I graduated, he wanted me on his team because I was good. Really good. Never once has he given me preferential treatment. He knows I’d be pissed if he even tried.

 
There’s also the little issue of my future career with the Elites. Between this and the strange turn of events last night, I’m pretty sure Gideon isn’t going to be singing my praises to the Elders. I basically threw myself at him... not that he was discouraging it in the beginning. And now he catches me being a little too friendly with my Commander. It’s not the impression I imagined making if I ever found myself having an audience with an Elite.

  “Good morning, Agent Whisper.” Gideon’s smile seems genuine as he reaches out a hand. I hesitate only a millisecond before taking it, and we shake hands like we just officially met. “It’s refreshing to see a Commander having such a good rapport with his Agents.”

  Okay. That wasn’t what I was expecting. “Commander Jeffries is an excellent Commander to work with, sir.”

  My eyes drop to his zipper when I say the word sir. I snap back at his face immediately, but it’s clear my indiscretion didn’t go unnoticed. He clears his throat, reaching a hand up to loosen his tie just a little.

  “Elite Gideon arrived yesterday,” Charles says, his voice back to normal after his obvious worry at the way I fumbled my way into this meeting. “He’s looking to take on an Apprentice, and he was very impressed with your stats.”

  What the...

  “I wanted to dig a little deeper into your jobs,” Gideon adds, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest and keeping his eyes on mine. “Your stats are impressive, but that can just be the result of a lot of easy marks.”

  “I’m confident you’ll find that’s not the case.” Very fucking confident. I’m also pretty confident that if he was seriously considering me, he won’t be after last night. He’s probably just here following through as a professional courtesy.

  “Actually, I’ve finished my review. I was just in the middle of telling Commander Jeffries how impressed I am with what I saw. If you’re interested, I’d like to start working together as soon as possible.”