‘God,’ he groaned to himself, clenching his teeth, ‘I can’t take this.’
Her breath was coming in small pants now and kept his eyes on her face as she drew nearer to her climax. Her hair had fallen loose and strands of it streamed over her shoulders into the water, clinging wetly to her skin. She’d set a steady rhythm with her fingers in her sex, and he matched it, learning how she liked it…deep, a little rough. A flush of pink worked its way up her chest, and he nipped at her nipple, eyes still on her face. She cried out, then jerked her hips up one last time, holding them up as she thrust hard into herself. He felt a thousand tiny ripples as she spasmed around their fingers.
“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Each word was a gasp. Her face twisted into a beautiful expression of ecstasy and he took in every sweet feature. His arm was taut from the exertion of holding her hand, and he felt a warmth running through the muscles there as her movements slowed. She lowered her hips down to rest her ass on the bottom of the bath again, chest still heaving. His eyes never left her face as he felt her move her hand from her mound, resting it over her belly. He lifted his fingers to his lips and tasted her juices on them, sweet and soapy. Her breathing was easing and she sighed, smiling, satisfied, then opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
“Ryan,” she said, then stopped abruptly.
He let their gazes lock for a moment, touched her cheek, then rose.
“Ryan?” Her voice hung in the air as he disappeared.
***
“What was that about?” Axel bit out as Xander reappeared in a bright flash of light. “Trying to prove to me that you can do better than I could?” He curled his lip, jaw out as if waiting for Xander to have a go at him. The Spartan barely spared him a glance, flopping down, instead, into an overstuffed chair, the air around him almost crackling.
“Are you ok, Xander?” Alaric asked, brow furrowing as he glanced over at his friend. The other man tossed his head, mouth set in a grim line. “Friend?” Alaric pressed.
“It’s nothing,” Xander replied, then opened his mouth as if to say something before thinking better of it. “Nothing.”
His mind was racing as he went over those moments with her. The moment her eyes had met his. He was accustomed to connecting with his lovers, but never like that. Never while they were so…aware. That was it. She’d been aware of him. Sure, she’d assumed he’d been Ryan – and a part of him was surprisingly sickened by that thought – but still, she’d looked into his eyes and been aware. And then she’d begun to realize… He shook his head as if trying to shake the jumble of thoughts out of his mind.
‘Was this wrong?’ he asked himself. How would he control things if she could see him, feel him? Could he stop the surge of power he’d take from her if he wasn’t in complete control of her responses? Everything about this woman was different, he’d never been in a situation like this, and that meant he had no idea how to manage it. All that he’d learned over so many years seemed utterly irrelevant right now. He suddenly felt completely at sea.
Chapter Seven
“Oh, my lorrrrd, you’ve been at it again!” chortled Rosie.
“What?” mumbled Becky, sure of what she was going to hear from her friend.
“Bleary eyes, glowing skin … do we have to go through this? Who the hell is he??” Rosie demanded.
“Honestly, Rosie, there’s nobody.”
“Right. You want to convince me it was another dream?” Rosie rolled her eyes.
“Of course not!” she snapped to cover her embarrassment, then softened her tone. “Well, not really.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, then what?”
“I just went home, had a long hot bath and went to bed early,” she replied, feeling her cheeks flush. She couldn’t tell her friend that she’d had the most vivid fantasy of her life and spent the night trying to convince herself that she hadn’t actually had a man fingering her in the tub.
“Well then, you’d better tell me what brand of bubble bath you’re using, because it sure has you looking completely … satisfied,” Rosie winked. “And you certainly don’t look like someone who just had a good night’s sleep.”
Rebecca had barely slept a wink, pacing around her apartment in agitation, packing and repacking her closets, anything to calm her racing thoughts.
What the hell had happened?
Had she been alone in the bathroom? Had it all been in her mind? The presence in her room had felt so real. After hours she’d settled into bed, exhausted, yet unable to rest. Shortly after dawn, she gave up, left the tangle of her bedclothes, and pulled on her running gear.
When in doubt, run it out, had been her motto since she was a teen. Aside from keeping her lush curves in check, the habit had been an excellent way to reboot her brain when her thoughts were too cluttered or when her stress levels rose. Since Ryan’s death, she’d run more circuits around the neighboring park than she cared to remember. Now, however, it wasn’t working. She’d returned from her run as flustered and frazzled as before she’d left.
Heading into work early, she’d been the first one in, switching on the office lights and flicking the switch on the coffee machine before settling in to flip through her portfolio. When Rosie had arrived and begun her interrogation, she’d been busy at her laptop for over an hour. Now she rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms over her head.
“I got a big chunk of the O’Leary campaign out of the way,” she said, changing the subject altogether. Rosie narrowed her eyes, quite aware of her side-stepping tactics, but let it slide.
“That’s great news, do you think we’ll have enough time to add in a couple of extra spec designs?” she asked. “I’d really like to knock their socks off with this one.”
“Absolutely,” responded Becky, clicking an icon to open a folder of visuals for Rosie to inspect.
“These are great!” enthused her friend, leaning closer to the screen. “Could you print them out for me to take to Jeff? I have a meeting with him,” she glanced at her watch, “45 minutes, and I think he’d love to see them. In fact, you could join the meeting if you have space in your diary.”
Becky nodded. “I’d blocked off some time to get onto the Happy Juice project, but I can shuffle that around, seeing as I’m ahead of schedule.”
“Cool! I’ll let him know,” she gave a thumbs up and headed out the door leaving, Becky to send her files to print.
A few minutes later, armed with a presentation folder, Becky headed out towards the boardroom, making a stop at the little office kitchenette to grab an espresso and a plate loaded with muffins for the team. Choc-chip cappuccino-flavored – the best! Management provided an endless supply of caffeine-laden treats for the staff, and Becky silently thanked them for it. A sleepless night teamed with her blistering run had left her light-headed. She got to the boardroom door and shoved it open with an elbow and toe, unloading her wares onto the gleaming expanse of the table.
“Hey, Becks!” Jeff greeted her. “Rosie says you’ve got some good stuff to show me.” Seated beside him, Rosie nodded.
“Yup yup!” she replied around a mouthful of muffin, sliding the plate in their direction and opening her folder to extract her printouts. Spreading the pages out on the table in front of him, she waited as Jeff leaned over the sheets examining each design in turn, occasionally nodding or tapping an element.
“Mmm. Mmm. Yup. Ok. Right…” Their boss had an endearing way of muttering to himself when he was deep in thought. As the moments passed, Becky settled back into her chair and absently brushed crumbs from the front of her blouse.
“I’m leaning towards the green, Jeff,” Rosie said. “What do you think?”
“I agree, although I’m really keen on the blue,” he replied, and the pair began a dialogue on the pros and cons of each aspect. Uninvolved for the moment, Becky glanced out the window, distracted by the sight of a small squirrel scurrying along the branches of a nearby tree. The little animal stopped abruptly and looked straight at her, bright little eyes alert ove
r a tiny black nose, whiskers quivering. She was amazed at how much detail she could pick up from this distance. Stared at its sharp little face, suddenly drawn to the darkness of its eyes.
Dark eyes…
She’d looked into deep, dark eyes in her bathroom last night. Unfamiliar, but somehow not. Her instinct had told her that she could lose herself in those eyes…and then the shock had set in.
It wasn’t real. He hadn’t been real. It was impossible.
‘Am I going mad?’ she asked herself for the thousandth time.
“What about bringing in a frame for the blue version, Becky? Becky!” Jeff’s voice came out of nowhere, snapping her attention back to the room. She turned sharply and knocked her empty coffee cup off the edge of the table.
“What? Shit! Oh hell … I’m so sorry!” she blustered. Jeff looked at her with concern.
“Everything alright?” Although he was too young to adopt a fatherly air, he’d always taken a protective role with his team, claiming that good people were his most valuable resource.
Becky shook her head. “No … I … Yes, I’m fine, I mean. Sorry, just saw a squirrel and got distracted,” she grinned ruefully. Jeff frowned slightly, then nodded, casting a glance at Rosie, who shrugged.
“Ok then, let’s get to it. Put a frame on the blue, keep the green as it is. I’ll sit with Roseanne for a few more minutes so we can finalize the slogan and let you get back to your workstation.”
Becky nodded, rose, and left the room, disconcerted by her uncharacteristic lapse.
‘I’m just so tired,’ she tried to reassure herself, wandering back to her cubicle.
“Hey, watch it!” a sharp voice intruded.
‘Oh, joy. Stella.’ She rolled her eyes mentally. Of all the people to walk right into, did it have to be this one?
“Hello, Stella. Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” she apologized.
“Well, you should learn to look where you’re going. I suppose you think you own the hallways since you’re one of the Golden Girls,” Stella snapped.
‘Sheesh! Does she have to be so persistently shitty?’ Becky asked herself. The other woman looked at her with an expression of pure venom.
“It’s not like that at all, Stella. I’ve just come from a meeting – my mind was elsewhere. I wasn’t paying attention. I really am sorry.”
“A meeting with Jeff, of course,” Stella sneered. “So now you couldn’t be bothered to notice the rest of us mere mortals in your space.” Becky stared at her in confusion, unable to understand where the rage was coming from. There was an intensity to her eyes that seemed unnatural – as if something evil was looking back at her. Without warning, Stella turned and shoved her viciously. Becky stumbled back, losing her footing and landing hard against the wall.
“What the—!” she gasped, gaping at the woman. Suddenly the air around her seemed to thin. A shimmer of darkness hovered at her peripheral vision, the darkness almost taking shape, but not quite.
Was it…was it a man? There was something familiar about the presence and she felt an urge to move towards it. She rubbed her eyes, then stared as Stella froze, her face dropping, then twisting in terror. Her lips moved soundlessly for a moment, then her body heaved and her hand flew to her mouth as she gagged, swallowed, gagged again. Without another word, she spun around and ran towards the ladies’ room, slamming the door behind her. Becky straightened then followed her.
“Stella?” she called, concerned despite feeling little love for the woman. No response came apart from the sound of violent retching.
“What’s going on?” Rosie’s voice interrupted.
“I have no idea!” Becky replied. “One moment she was shrieking at me like a banshee, the next she was gagging, and now she’s throwing up in the restroom.”
“Probably hungover,” Rosie quipped. “Leave the prissy bitch to sort herself out.” She looped an arm through Becky’s and steered her out towards their offices.
“Is there a problem here?” Jeff’s voice added to the melee as other staff members filtered in from various parts of the office.
“Stella had a meltdown,” Rosie hissed under her breath, “she attacked Becky!”
“What?’ Jeff’s face expressed disbelief.
“I’m fine, Rosie, really,” Becky brushed the episode off. “I think she was just having a bad day, and I happened to cross her path at the wrong moment.”
“Oh yeah? Try another line, hon, that chick has had it in for you since she arrived,” Rosie said dismissively.
“Ladies, perhaps we need to take this someplace private,” Jeff suggested, glancing around at the growing crowd of onlookers. “Ok, folks, let’s get back to work. Just a bit of a misunderstanding,” he said. The mutters and mumbles, as everyone filed away, suggested that few were convinced. Still, the tension dissipated, and a semblance of order was restored as the office hum settled into a normal tone.
“What the heck was that all about?” Jeff asked tersely as they shut the door to his office and seated themselves at his desk.
“Honestly, Jeff, I wish I could give you an explanation—” Becky began, quickly cut off by Rosie in full friend-defense mode.
“That woman is certifiable, Jeff!” she railed. “We’ve had constant run-ins with her. For some reason, she’s targeted Becky. I can only imagine that it’s a combination of professional jealousy and misguided bully tactics. She thinks she’s a soft target because our Becka’s too sweet to defend herself.”
“Well, she may be sweet, but whatever she did today, Stella got the short end of the stick,” Jeff replied. “What happened out there, Rebecca?” His eyes were piercing, but his tone remained gentle.
“I wish I could tell you, Jeff. I’ll admit, she’s not my favorite person on the planet –she can be pretty nasty. But I swear, I didn’t lay a finger on her today. I would never do something to hurt anyone. You know me…don’t you?” Her expression was pleading. Jeff inclined his head in agreement.
“Yes, of course, Rebecca,” he smiled in reassurance, giving her shoulder a discrete pat. Jeff was always the soul of correct corporate behavior and even this small gesture probably stretched his sense of propriety. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “I’ll admit, you’re not the only person who’s had a run-in with Ms. Segal, though I can’t go into too much detail. Suffice it to say that I think the matter is going to have to go to a disciplinary hearing.” He grimaced. “Would you be prepared to provide a statement for the Board?”
“Hell, yeah!” Rosie chipped in, then zipped her lips as he shot her a warning glance.
“Well…” Becky hesitated. “I don’t want anyone getting into trouble,” she mumbled. “Would she lose her job?”
“Rebecca, I won’t mislead you, it’s entirely possible – unless she can make a strong case for herself,” Jeff admitted. “But I need you to understand that she will have a fair hearing, and it won’t hinge off any comment you provide. We’re a team here. There’s no room for grandstanding. And there’s certainly no room for sabotaging team-mates. Unfortunately, she hasn’t taken this concept to heart.”
Becky nodded reluctantly. Rosie’s arm around her provided a steadying force. “Ok, I’ll help any way I can. I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Oh, sweetie, you’re almost terminally nice!” Rosie chided gently, tightening her grip. “But I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
Chapter Eight
From overhead, Xander looked down at the scene unfolding. Beside him, Alaric grinned.
“You know you’re not supposed to get involved with their lives, my friend,” he cautioned, still smiling.
“What’s he up to?” interrupted Axel.
“Just delivering a dose of night terrors,” Alaric chuckled. “Don’t you be getting any ideas now. It’s supposed to be against the rules.”
“She asked for it,” Xander muttered. He felt a swirl of satisfaction at the memory of the blonde woman’s face as he’d allowed a filmstrip of her worst nightmares to unrav
el through her head. Something about the woman had bothered him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. For an instant, as he’d faced her, there’d been a sense of the supernatural about her. It seemed impossible though…she was just another mortal.
“I thought we couldn’t interact with them,” countered Axel.
“We can’t. But that doesn’t mean we’re unable to tap into their unconscious minds occasionally when it suits us. The Council won’t be pleased, of course.”
“What about conscious minds,” asked Axel.
“Nope. Out of our scope,” Alaric shot back.
“Completely?” Xander interjected.
“Completely,” Alaric emphasized. “Unless they’re deeply asleep, they’re completely unaware of us.”
“She was awake at my last visit,” Xander countered. “She saw me.”
“Rubbish,” Alaric snapped. Axel stepped closer, curiosity piqued.
“Her eyes were closed and she was relaxed, but she wasn’t entirely asleep,” Xander went on.
“You’re mistaken,” his friend insisted. “In all my time here, I’ve never heard of an instance where an incubus has connected outside their subconscious,” Alaric said. “We are visible to them in their dreams, in the form we choose to show them. I’ve heard of instances where spirits have chosen to terrorize them in their demon form – that’s about as real as it gets. I’ll warn you that this won’t win you any points with the powers that be.” His face turned grim as Axel bit back a chuckle. Alaric squashed it with a sharp stare. “We are here because we were evil motherfuckers while we were alive. We’ve been given a chance to make things right. Choosing to go back and cause more shit on earth is always going to be counterproductive.”
“So, who’s gonna stop me?” countered Axel.
“The Council sees everything we do, dickhead!” Alaric replied. “You can’t pick your nose without them knowing about it. You think you got all these cool sex fiend powers so you could go out there and make more trouble? It’s a test, you fool! They want to see if you’re capable of making the right choices, even when you have all the power in your hands to do the wrong thing.”
Saved By Her (Soul Searchers Book 1) Page 6
