[Charlie Rhodes 06.0] The Incubus Impasse

by Amanda M. Lee

  He was determined to stick ... and I’d never been more grateful for anything in my life. Er, well, other than the people who adopted me when I was a child and did their best to give me an idyllic childhood, that is. The Rhodes saved me from what I was convinced was a fate worse than death. I owed them everything.

  Jack saved me a second time.

  Instead of being irritated, Jack flashed me an amusing smile before scooping me around the waist and dragging me to my couch. It was secondhand — like almost everything I owned — but East Coast garage sales were high class enough that I got a nice piece of furniture for a song.

  “Fine.” Jack heaved out a sigh as he grabbed the stack of takeout menus from the coffee table. We’d been ordering in a lot and had developed something of a pattern. Our days were taken up with work at the office — we hadn’t been called out to an assignment since the rising dead in New Orleans triggered the last one — and each other. As much as I loved spending private time with him — and I genuinely did — I was starting to get antsy. I joined the Legacy Foundation because I thought I would be learning about other paranormal creatures. The past few weeks had been spent learning about Jack’s morning beauty ritual and nightly snoring pattern.

  In truth, we needed the time together to get through what happened. Jack’s faith in everything he believed was shaken by the fact that I happened to be the exact sort of entity the Legacy Foundation sought. He was pragmatic, preferred believing we were chasing our tails rather than embrace the possibility of the fantastical. The revelation of what I could do shook him to his core. But it didn’t shake him loose.

  “What do you want for dinner?” Jack rested his chin on my shoulder. His breath was warm against my ear and caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end as an involuntary shudder passed through me. His presence was always intoxicating.

  “Pizza is the easiest,” I offered. It was also cheap and allowed me to pitch in for the meal.

  “We’ve had pizza three times this week,” he countered, grabbing the menu from the corner restaurant. It was much ritzier than the pizza places and cost three times as much. “How about some seafood pasta? This place has the best shrimp Alfredo on the planet.”

  “Whatever you want.” I forced a smile for his benefit and started doing the math in my head. “I’m not all that hungry. I’ll just get a cup of soup and the dinner salad.”

  Suspicion flitted through his eyes as he shifted his gaze to me. It was obvious I’d taken it a step too far. “You just said you were hungry.”

  “I know. I ... .”

  He waited. There was a challenge to the tilt of his head. After the revelation of my abilities I’d promised there would be no more secrets. He obviously was trying to decide if I planned to hold true to that promise. I didn’t really consider my financial issues — not all of us at the Legacy Foundation were paid as handsomely as Jack — to be a secret. It was an embarrassing subject to talk about.

  “I only have fifty bucks for the rest of the month – and that’s five days,” I volunteered finally, averting my gaze. “It’s fine, though.”

  Jack stilled. “Charlie ... .”

  “I said it’s fine.” I adopted a brisk tone and forced a smile. “I like salad.”

  “Nobody likes salad.” Jack made a face. “We don’t have to get the pasta. We can get pizza.”

  “But you want pasta.”

  “No, I want you.” His words were earnest enough to warm me. “I didn’t think about the money. I would offer to buy dinner, but you only allow that once a week. The rest of the time you come up with excuses for why you have to contribute.”

  My cheeks colored as I stared at my unpolished fingernails. “I didn’t realize you were aware of that.”

  “I’m head of security,” he noted, tapping the end of my nose. “It’s my job to be observant ... and you’re often an open book.” He pressed his lips to my cheek. We’d grown incredibly close the past few months but we were still a new couple and needed to feel our way around one another. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better remembering about the money stuff.”

  I expected him to say something else. “You’re not going to fight me on this?” I angled my head to better study his strong profile. “Why?”

  “I want you to feel comfortable.” His answer was simple. “I won’t say we’ve had an easy time of it lately, but I think we’ve navigated it pretty well. We’ve had a bumpy couple of weeks and you deserve to be comfortable. If pizza is what you want, pizza is what you’re going to get.”

  I’m embarrassed to admit that I went warm and fuzzy all over. He had the power to make me go weak at the knees, something I never thought possible. I fancied myself immune to that. It turned out, because of Jack, I wasn’t. “Thanks.”

  He slid me a sidelong look. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m ordering wings, breadsticks and that giant cookie thing. Oh, and I’m also paying.”

  I balked. “What’s the point of that? I’m supposed to contribute.”

  “Because you’re a financially independent woman?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Don’t even think of making fun of my beliefs.”

  “I’m not making fun of your beliefs. You’re too important to me for that. However, I want all those things and I’m going to get them. I also want you to eat them ... so we’re going to have to compromise.”

  “How is that a compromise?”

  He poked my side. “Because I said so and I’m the boss.”

  “I don’t remember agreeing to you being the boss,” I argued. “I think I should be the boss. I have the better temperament. I ... .” I yelped when he rolled me to a flat position on the couch and started tickling me. That was his go-to move when he wanted to shut me up.

  “That’s not fair,” I protested, gasping as I fought the urge to laugh. “You know my secret tickle spots. You have me at your mercy.”

  “I do indeed.” He ceased tickling me and planted a lavish kiss on the corner of my mouth. “I’ll place the order and then we’ll get back to you reading my mind.”

  My mouth dropped open at his words and I was already thinking of a reason to fight him on the subject when I rolled to a sitting position and watched him place the order.

  “I’ll take an extra-large with garlic parmesan crust,” he started. “I want ham, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions.” He paused a beat and fixed his gaze on me. “Actually, scratch the onions and go with green peppers.”

  My heart gave a little jolt at his flirty expression.

  “I also need twenty wings with ranch, an order of breadsticks with extra dipping sauce and that huge cookie thing you guys have that comes warm from the oven,” he added. He was silent for a few minutes and then nodded. “Yeah. That’s the address. We’ll see you in thirty minutes.”

  He disconnected and turned his attention back to me. “We’ve called so many times the past few weeks that they know the address.”

  “I guess we’re creatures of habit.” Absently, I ran my fingers through his silky hair. “I bet it’s that blond delivery girl again, the one barely out of high school. She goes all googly-eyed for you.”

  His smile turned mischievous. “I can’t help it that I have power over female hormones.” His lips curved as he slanted them over mine. “You can rest assured, though, that I care only about your hormones.”

  We spent the next five minutes making out like horny teenagers who had limited time before our parents returned. I thought he’d given up on the notion of me reading his mind, but he disabused me of that idea fast.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.” He grabbed my hands and dragged me toward the floor. “Come on. I’m dying to see what you can do.”

  “I thought I was going to show you what I can do on the couch,” I grumbled, my skin still flushed from the kissing. “I was looking forward to that.”

  The grin he shot me was impish. “I promise we’ll get back to that after dinner. We don’t have enough time to thoroughly enjoy ourselves anyway. It’s better we table that
activity until after I can wash my hands and give you the hours of dedicated attention you deserve.”

  If I wasn’t hot already, that would’ve done it. “Oh, well ... .”

  His grin only widened. “I love it when you get all flushed and worked up.” He nipped at my bottom lip. “I still want you to read my mind, though.”

  Frustration I thought I’d tamped down returned with a vengeance as I settled on the floor next to him. Jack loosely folded his legs and then drew me to his lap, causing me to frown.

  “This is an invasion, Jack,” I argued. “You don’t want me in your head.”

  “Charlie, you’re already in my head,” he insisted, causing me to blush. “I’m trying to understand what you can do. You agreed to let me in. You can’t go back on that now.”

  I didn’t want to shut him out. Quite the contrary, actually. But what he was asking felt unnatural. “Jack, everyone has things they want to keep to themselves,” I started, licking my lips. “Those will be the things you naturally try to cover up ... so they’ll be the first I see.”

  “It’s fine.” He took me by surprise when he grabbed me around the waist and held me tight in his lap. We were positioned in such a way that I was on top of him, my face inches from his, his arms wrapped around my back.

  “This doesn’t seem like an educational position,” I offered after a beat, my breath ragged.

  He laughed at my reaction. “I want us to be close so I can reassure you. I know you’re nervous. This is a big deal. The sooner I understand what you can do, the easier this is going to be.

  “Millie and I know the truth, but I think it’s better — at least for the time being — that nobody else knows,” he continued, solemn. “I’m not saying it has to be that way forever, but for now ... .”

  “For now it makes sense,” I finished. “I happen to agree with you, Jack. I never intended to tell Millie. It just sort of happened. And, as for you ... .” It was hard for me to explain how things went down with him. “I didn’t expect to find you when I came here. I thought maybe they would have answers, and I’ve always been curious about the paranormal. But you ... .”

  He was patient as he slipped a strand of hair behind my ear. “We’re fine, Charlie,” he promised. “I understand why you were afraid to tell me.”

  “I was going to tell you,” I promised. That was the truth. I’d made up my mind that he needed to know because our relationship would never truly be real until he knew everything. “I wanted to wait until we got back from New Orleans.”

  “Well, we’re back and I know. That’s the most important thing.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I need to do this with you because it’s important for me to understand. I’m not trying to push you or anything — I swear — but I want to see you in action.

  “It’s my job to keep you safe,” he continued. “That involves a level of secrecy that we’re both going to have to come to grips with. Your abilities make you important to this team on a level I didn’t realize. I just want to understand.”

  He was so earnest I couldn’t deny him. “Okay. But if you have any embarrassing secrets in there I’m going to see, you’ve been warned.”

  “I’m perfectly fine.” His smile was indulgent. “I honestly don’t have any secrets.”

  I didn’t believe that. Everybody had secrets. He was insistent, though, and I wanted him to feel involved. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I blew out a sigh and leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. Jack’s strong hands automatically went to my back and began to rub, lulling me until I was completely comfortable.

  “You secretly like watching old reruns of The Golden Girls,” I offered after a beat.

  He chuckled. “My grandmother loved that show. She made me watch it, but I actually liked it.”

  “It’s a good show.” I kept my eyes squeezed shut. “You’re trying to figure out a way to convince me to allow you to pay for all our meals. Just for the record, that’s not going to happen.”

  “I get paid more than you,” he protested. “I mean ... by a long shot. You’re basically a glorified intern and this is an expensive city. I think it’s only fair that you allow me to pay for the meals.”

  “No.” I was firm on that and sighed, digging deeper into his head. The next secret I stumbled over was a doozy, and it set my teeth on edge. “You’re covering the difference on my rent.”

  He went still under me, his hands freezing in place. “I ... you ... .”

  “Don’t bother denying it,” I warned, my temper flaring as I leaned back to stare into his eyes. “I wondered how I could get this apartment for the same price as the other when it was so much better. It turns out I wasn’t getting it for the same price.”

  Jack was resolute in the face of my burgeoning anger. “You can be as angry as you want, but I’m not sorry. You weren’t safe with that ground-floor apartment. I won’t apologize for getting you out of there.”

  My mouth felt unusually dry. “You could’ve told me.”

  “No, I really couldn’t have told you,” he countered. “You wouldn’t have allowed me to help.”

  I wanted to argue the point, but he wasn’t wrong. “Jack ... .” I glanced around the apartment I’d come to adore and frowned. “I guess I should start looking for a cheaper place.”

  “No.” Jack’s frustration came out to play. “This is a nice apartment. It’s right around the corner from my apartment, which makes it convenient. Don’t be a stubborn idiot. You’re safer here, away from the ground floor. And I don’t want you to move.”

  “I can’t afford this apartment.”

  “Oh, shut up, Charlie,” Jack growled, shifting so I had no choice but to climb off his lap. “I agreed to pay two hundred bucks a month on this apartment for you. It was the best thing for you – which means it was also the best thing for me – and I’m not sorry. Maybe I should’ve told you, but you’re funny about money.

  “I get that, by the way,” he continued. “You want to take care of yourself. There’s no shame in allowing someone to help, though. I get paid five times what you do and we basically do the same job.”

  That was a wild stretch. “You’re head of security,” I reminded him. “There are dangers inherent in that job. I’m a glorified intern. You’ve reminded me of that repeatedly.”

  “No, I said you got paid like an intern,” he corrected. “You’re much more than that and we both know it. Stop being a pain. I’m not withdrawing the money and you’re not moving.”

  “I didn’t realize you were the boss of where I live.”

  “I’m not falling for that.” Jack dragged a hand through his hair and fixed me with a pointed look. “I want you safe. I get that you want to be independent and everything, but there are no reasonable apartments in this city at your price range and I’ve decided your safety is more important than your financial independence.”

  I understood his worry but still felt leery. “I at least have to look.” I was adamant. “Maybe there’s something out there that will surprise both of us.”

  “There isn’t. Trust me. I’ve been looking for myself. Everything good is expensive ... and geared toward two people. In fact ... .” He trailed off and stared at me for a long beat, making me feel uncomfortable.

  “In fact what?” I asked finally.

  “Nothing. We’re not ready to talk about that quite yet.” He was thoughtful. “Soon, though.” His head jerked toward the door at the sound of a knock. “That’s our dinner. We’re going to table this discussion until ... well, until you’re willing to give me my way. I don’t want you moving to an unsafe apartment and I’ll have a meltdown if you try.”

  “That sounds like a threat,” I muttered as I followed him to the door.

  “It’s a promise.”

  I was quiet as I watched Jack pay for the food and carry it into the kitchen. We got comfortable at the table — well, as comfortable as we could get with the threat of a fight hanging over us — and immediately dug in. We were both starving. />
  “I don’t want to be a jerk and point out that you were keeping a secret from me,” I said finally, licking the ranch dressing from the wings off my fingers. “We agreed there would be no more secrets.”

  He was calm as he used his napkin to wipe at the corner of my mouth. “I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you would freak out. You were keeping a secret from me, so I guess we’re even.”

  “That’s the only secret, right?”

  He nodded. “Well, I also have a fetish for skinny-dipping, but that’s something we can talk about later.”

  My cheeks colored, something I was certain he’d intended. “You just like throwing me off my game.”

  “I do,” he agreed, leaning in and giving me a kiss before holding my gaze. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I need you to be safe. I know we’re spending every night together now, but when this went down we weren’t and I spent my nights worrying someone was going to break into your apartment and try to hurt you.

  “Now, I get that you can take care of yourself in ways I never envisioned, but I still feel better with you on the second floor,” he continued. “Can’t you just give me this?”

  The imploring expression he lobbed at me was enough to weaken my resolve. “For two months,” I said finally. “I’ll give you this for two months. Then we’re going to argue about it again.”

  “Two months is more than enough time.”

  He looked like he was plotting something else, but I decided to let it go. “While we’re having serious discussions, I think I should be done reading your mind. That’s as dangerous as living on the main floor.”

  “I’m not sure I agree with that, but we can be done for tonight,” Jack countered. “I have different plans for you once we’ve devoured all this food.”