by LJ Vickery
“Boo-boo naughty.” She pursed her lips and shook her head in a perfect emulation of her mother before leaning forward to give the covering a very tender kiss. Absu’s heart clenched.
“That was quite lovely, Maitlynn.” He cleared his clogged throat. “I am sure that the boo-boo will behave itself from now on.” He hauled her in for a warm hug and inhaled the fresh baby smell of her hair. He suddenly understood why people said such crazy things as “I want to eat you up,” about babies and small children. They smelled like all things worthy and innocent, and you wanted to get as close to that virtuousness as possible.
“We came to say goodbye.” Charlie interrupted with a smile.
“What time is it?” Absu was confused, loosening his grip and looking for the clock. “It couldn’t be that late?” He glanced at the numbers, but sure enough, it was well past eight in the morning. He’d slept longer and more soundly than he had in centuries. His arm tightened around Maity. There was good reason for his relaxed state.
“What if I won’t let you go?” Absu grunted. He didn’t like the idea of Charlie and her daughter being so far away from him.
“You have no choice, and besides, it’s only for a little while. Dr. Dani says she’ll clear you for travel in two days, three tops. Which I find amazing, by the way.” She raised her eyebrow suspiciously, but he wasn’t going to bite.
“I shall miss you, Charlie.” Ah, and what the hell. He wanted her to feel a little of what was going on inside him. He’d take a page from Enlil’s book just this once. “When I join you in California, I will begin my pursuit of you in earnest. I mean that most sincerely, and I want you to think about it while we are absent from each other.”
Charlie eyed him where he reclined in bed. Her slight gasp told him that she’d be able to think of little else. “I look forward to it.” Her face grew soft.
“Now, come here and let me kiss you goodbye,” he ordered.
Absu easily put Maity back on the floor and turned his sights to the beautiful flushing blonde. She inched forward a few steps before holding back.
“Don’t deny an injured warrior, my dear.” He knew his eyes had darkened with need.
She flew the rest of the way toward him. He scooped her close with one arm and captured her lips. Her shiver of satisfaction vibrated all the way through his body.
****
Absu’s lips were light and easy again, as in their first kiss. It was nice, but Charlie opened her mouth, hoping for more. She wasn’t disappointed when he deepened the pressure between them.
He breathed in her sigh, and swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting and savoring every inch. His hand inched to the back of her head, and he held her steady as he took what he needed. She thrilled at his clear need to plunder and to own. And she felt drugged as he ground his mouth against her lips, and she inhaled his salty, heady scent. She loved being manhandled by him, knowing that in his strong embrace she could easily be captive. His possession of her journeyed bone deep.
At Maity’s sound of impatience, he finally broke away, instantly looking appalled at his display in front of the little one.
Charlie sought to reassure him. “It’s okay. She’s not upset. Maity likes kissing. She only wants to get moving.” Charlie was barely able to speak after his soul-searing proprietorship.
But clearly embarrassed at his lapse in front of her daughter, Absu attempted to make light of his aggressive behavior. “Do I taste orange juice for breakfast?” he questioned. She watched, mesmerized, as he licked her flavor off his lips.
She stared at him dumbly, her pussy swollen with unrequited need, and suddenly she wanted to cheer. She had been right. She had known Absu was capable of this. The way he’d taken control of that kiss was intoxicating. It was all Charlie could do not to lean down to offer her mouth again, but now wasn’t the time.
“If that’s what orange juice will get me,” she answered huskily, “I’ll make sure to drink it whenever you’re around.” She had more than liked what they’d just shared.
“I will purchase several bottles on my way from the airport when next we meet,” he promised. And her blush and shiver earned her one final brush of his lips. He put her away from him with obvious reluctance. “Go now, little one. Or you will miss your conveyance.”
Charlie leaned over, inhaled his essence, and brushed the silken strands of dark hair back from his face before kissing one high cheekbone. “I’ll be waiting for you.” She ducked away quickly, scooped her daughter from her feet, and walked out the door, her heart singing. A few days, and she would belong to Absu. She could feel it.
Ken and Candy were waiting in the foyer. Their eyes met over her head as she passed between them. It was pretty obvious that she’d just had a lively good-bye, but she didn’t say a word. She needed to hug what had happened in the infirmary to herself for a while.
The small group headed out the door and bundled themselves into the car, where Charlie daydreamed out the window all the way to the airport.
****
Matthew watched with his long-range binoculars as a car with three adults and a child emerged from the trees. It had just appeared outside the invisible mansion and its enforced boundaries. He could identify the blonde chit, Charlie―and her kid―from his surveillance at the aquarium, as well as the guy who had accompanied her there; obviously a human because Beletseri had not picked up any god energy from him. The backseat held a pile of suitcases visible through the windows.
Matthew smirked. Well, well. And there was the little cop bitch who’d been tailing him in Boston a few weeks back. It seems her swim in the Fort Point Channel hadn’t been permanent. He’d have to let Bel know. Chances were, if she was still hanging around, she was a Chosen whom they’d missed while regrouping. That was a shame. It was, however, a damned good thing she’d never gotten a look at either him or Beletseri. That would have made the next step in their mission impossible.
Matthew rolled over in the snow and yanked out his cell phone, punching in his lover’s number. He waited. “Yeah, it’s me, and you’re going to be glad you agreed that I should watch the compound. Your demons would have been clueless. It’s time to hustle to the airport. It looks like our little Charlie is headed back to California. I’ll meet you at the terminal.” He clicked off. They had everything in place.
****
Charlie stood in line at Logan Airport flanked by Ken―who was holding Maity―and Candy, as they waited to check their bags, when a loud, happy gasp had her turning around.
“Charlie? Is that you?” a voice asked. “It is. I thought I recognized your daughter.”
Charlie located the source of the greeting, and a smile spread across her face. It was the woman from the aquarium who had saved Maity after the toddler toppled into the starfish pool. What was her name? It began with a T. Teri. That was it. “Teri. It’s so nice to see you. What are you doing here?” Charlie put down her bag and gave the woman, who cut the line and stepped up behind her, a quick hug.
“My, uh, colleague and I are headed to the West Coast for a conference.” She brought a man forward. “Vaughn Kuran, I’d like you to meet a lovely young woman I met in Boston. This is Charlie.”
Charlie could see that the man was attracted to her, the way his brown eyes went wide in appreciation. He actually bent over her hand and brushed it with a kiss. “My pleasure, Miss Charlie,” he intoned smoothly.
Candy, witnessing the interaction, snorted. “She’s taken, buddy. So you can keep your hand kissing to yourself.”
Vaughn smiled charmingly. “Such a shame. But you can’t blame a man for trying.”
Charlie preened even though he wasn’t her type. She’d been without male attention for so long, having two tall hunky guys looking at her like she was good enough to eat did wonders for her ego. Life sure took some interesting twists.
“Candy, I wouldn’t say I’m actually taken.” Charlie knew in her heart that she wanted Absu, but other than saying he’d pursue her when he got to Californ
ia, he hadn’t made any actual declarations. He might, though, if someone else took an interest in her. But she was getting ahead of herself. She turned to her brother. “Ken, this is Teri. She’s the woman who saved Maity at the aquarium.”
“Right, I remember. It’s nice to see you again.”
Both Ken and Maity had been less than thrilled with the woman’s attention, and sure enough, the little girl turned her head into Ken’s shoulder as he coldly shook hands with the dark-haired woman.
“Have you been to LA before?” Charlie asked the pair politely.
“This will actually be our first trip. We’re seeing a new client,” Teri told her. “And we’re hoping to have time to do a little sightseeing.”
“I’d love to show you around,” Charlie offered. “I’ve lived there all my life.” Despite Ken’s standoffishness, she liked the woman and wasn’t averse to a little flirtation with the good-looking Vaughn. “I think I still have your number in my phone.” She dug it out of her purse and scrolled through her contacts. “Yup. Here it is.” Charlie hit call and a moment later, Teri’s phone played Darth Vader’s imperial march. “Now you have mine.”
“That’s great. I’ll call you when we find out what kind of free time we’ll have. It will be nice to tour the area with the assistance of a native.” Teri seemed so happy that Charlie couldn’t help but smile broadly.
Candy nudged her, clearly impatient. “Time to check in,” the agent interrupted. It was their turn at the counter.
“We’ll catch up in a day or two,” Teri assured her, and gave a finger wave, prancing back to her spot in line.
“Doggess.” Maity clapped her hands in front of Ken once Teri had left, demanding his attention. “Da. Doggess.”
“There are no doggies in the airport, Maity. We left Archie behind in the Blue Hills, remember?” Ken puckered up and gave her an exaggerated smack on her nose. The toddler wiped it off with a scowl, and leaned over as far as she could without falling from her uncle’s arms. Charlie thought it odd how seriously her daughter regarded Teri and her friend unblinkingly for the duration of their check-in.
****
At the same time he’d been told that Candy, Ken, Charlie, and Maity boarded a plane for LAX, Jake was catching one out of LA, heading toward Dulles International in Virginia. It was a shame he wouldn’t be on hand to welcome his two agents back, but he’d had this trip request straight from Marduk, and the god wouldn’t bother him if it wasn’t important. He had a name—Anna Kensilton—and an address in Manassas. He’d locate the woman and secure her while awaiting his next directive from the immortals.
He was doing this job as a favor, but in reality, he was intrigued. He’d spent so many years fighting drug lords and cleaning up after messy street operations, he looked forward to a missing person’s retrieval.
If this really was Tess, Holly, and Huxley’s birth mother, she’d be in her sixties or seventies. From what he’d been able to ascertain, over her lifetime Anna had become a master of relocation and disappearance. There had to be an interesting reason why the woman didn’t want to be found, and the circumstances appealed to Jake’s love of a good mystery.
It was one of the reasons he’d gotten into the DEA in the first place; he lived to unravel the intrigues of LA’s vast crime base. But his job always ended up being more about apprehensions and arrests, mostly on the paperwork end of things.
He needed a good diversion to wake him the hell up. If he kept going the way he had, he’d end up behind a desk full time, and that was the beginning of the end for a forty-three-year-old who liked to kick some ass. His midnight blue eyes narrowed at the thought of being benched. He wasn’t ready to push papers yet. His body was still finely honed for fighting, and he wanted to keep it that way.
Jake took his seat, buckled up, and removed the short dossier from the envelope again. No picture. Just some brief information.
Anna Kensilton, illegitimate daughter of one ex-King Shulmanu, who’d ruled the Underworld before Nergal. The royal had taken advantage of his ability to travel to Earth, and seduced a human—Madison Kensilton—only to be found out by his wife, and dragged back to the Underworld without knowing that his little fling had produced a daughter.
As far as the gods knew, having talked to old Shulmanu, neither Madison nor her offspring, Anna, had any idea that there was god blood running through their veins. But that was neither here nor there. The real mystery began when Anna gave birth to Tess and Holly thirty years ago in Burlington, Vermont. The hospital listed Anna Kensilton, age thirty-five, as the mother. But that couldn’t be. King Shalmanu’s affair with Anna’s mother had occurred during the 1930s. A birth certificate for Anna had eventually been found. Her birth year? 1938. That meant she was forty-six when she had the twins.
The record of Huxley’s birth came from Bangor, Maine. Anna was listed as thirty-seven, but by that time, she had to have been forty-eight.
The father for both births was listed as unknown.
Less than a year later, Anna had put all three children up for anonymous adoption. She hadn’t wanted to be found by either the adoptive parents or her birth children. It seemed pretty final for a woman who’d held onto her girls for two years. Why had it been necessary to do that? And why had she lied about her age?
In the subsequent three decades, Anna had lived in four different locations, doing God knows what for work. No employment records could be found, but no welfare or food-stamps either. Jake’s best guess was that she’d been in some kind of trouble. Not from the law. He had checked. So from a person? An ex? He surmised that she worked doing menial labor for cash to avoid being found. The only thing that didn’t add up was that the woman had kept her real name for every address change. If she had been avoiding someone, wouldn’t she have taken on a new identity each time?
Lots of things didn’t make sense, and that made this job even more appealing to Jake. He’d get to the bottom of the mystery in due course. Anna was in Manassas, and she was either sixty-five or seventy-six-years old. She wouldn’t be running from Jake because she didn’t know he was coming. He’d try not to scare her. He’d explain himself, and then he’d contact Marduk.
Jake settled back into the airplane seat and closed his eyes. It was an entertaining way to spend his vacation time.
Chapter Ten
Two hundred and forty-seven e-mails. Charlie sighed. She’d only been gone a week. It sucked to ignore technology, even for the shortest amount of time. Her fingers danced over the keyboard. She’d bet at least two hundred of them were spam.
Delete, delete, delete. Charlie took another sip of her coffee. Thankfully, Maity wasn’t up yet. Ken was still asleep too. Of course, it was only four in the morning, but she’d have to be off for work in an hour.
Charlie had tossed and turned all night, thinking of the kiss she’d shared with Absu before leaving the Blue Hills. It had been the kiss of her dreams; everything her vivid imagination had always wanted a kiss to be. So why exactly had she left?
Absu had made it perfectly clear―along with his other roommates―that she was welcome for as long as she wanted to stay. Of course, there was that job trade Ken was part of. It had been deemed necessary, since Absu was out of commission, that her brother accompany her back to California in breach of his agreement to be on the East Coast. Charlie had tried to assure everyone that she was capable of taking care of herself and steering clear of her ex-husband, but they’d all been very weird about it. Like she was in some danger. Charlie shook her head. She’d been dealing with Hal for years. He didn’t scare her, even after the horrible stunt he’d pulled at Christmas.
Charlie chewed her lip. So why, exactly, had she left? Because she was an idiot. She thrust a hand back through her tangled hair and acknowledged that wasn’t quite true. Her mental state wasn’t in question, just her physical one. She’d left because she was afraid. Afraid that Absu wasn’t the dominant she craved, and of what Absu would think once he found out how she liked sex. That kiss had le
ft her with the impression that it wouldn’t be long before he made a move to get her in bed, and she didn’t know how long she could pretend to like…vanilla, if that’s what things turned out to be. Absu was hot and handsome. Faking things, at least for a while, wouldn’t be necessary. His rugged physique and overpowering nature would ring her bell for a good many encounters. But what happened when the monotony of mild sex took over? What if he was strictly a missionary man? Could she risk it? No. She’d distance herself to figure out if she dared to tell him what she liked, or if she couldn’t muster that courage, to send him away. It was only fair. She didn’t want him getting attached to a woman he thought he knew, but one who didn’t really exist.
Charlie deleted the next few items on her computer, which were invitations to a couple of new private clubs opening downtown. Her adventurous lifestyle would be a thing of the past unless she could find a new Dom―oh please, be Absu, Charlie crossed her fingers―who would be up for some play. Could she give it up? Hell no. As life became more complicated, she needed a release from the realities of being a mom and the sole support for her daughter. Relying on a dominant male to take charge during sex would take her temporarily out of her role of provider. And she’d long ago found she relished that side of her personality, letting go and ceding control to someone else.
Her eyes skipped to the next message in her inbox. Yay. It was from Suzie. She’d met her good friend Suzie King at one of her favorite clubs, and quickly discovered they had similar interests. Suzie had started a book group for like-minded individuals. They called it The Collars and Cuffs Book Club. The assemblage, with fourteen members, picked a different BDSM romance every month, and they got together to eat, drink, and discuss. It was a fun evening Charlie was not willing to give up, and the next meeting was tonight. She was going whether Ken and Candy liked it or not.
