by Ivy Barrett
She chuckled, reaching back to touch his hip. “I’m not complaining.”
He cupped her breast with one hand and explored her pussy with the other, his caresses soothing rather than arousing. “This is nice, isn’t it?”
His cock was still buried in her ass, but she was too relaxed to care. “Will you miss spanking me?”
He carefully pinched one of her tender nipples and she shivered. “Who says I need to stop? I’m not sure the storm was the only reason you wanted me to spank you.”
She didn’t confirm his suspicion, but her pussy ached. “Will Aren introduce us to mystics skilled enough to…feed from me?”
“He said there’s another feeder not far from here. He’s going to talk with this person and see if they’d be willing to help train you.”
“Do we know this person?”
“I suspect we do, but Aren wants their permission before he tells us who it is.”
She nodded then rested her head on his shoulder. “I suppose we should get back to work.”
He slowly separated their bodies and helped her off the bed. “We still have time for a quick shower.”
“Then we better shower separately.” She laughed. “For some odd reason, our joint showers are never quick.”
Chapter Seven
“Have we learned anything useful?” Tamara rubbed the back of her neck with a weary sigh. They sat side by side at the kitchen table as afternoon faded to night.
Jericho pushed back from the access terminal, his tense expression echoing her frustration. “Everything leads back to the Dark Star. Marton was a Pleasure Master, Kacey a former employee and you are the current owner. I wouldn’t be surprised if the real murderer is on the payroll too.”
Every detail they’d uncovered pushed her further into the spotlight and reinforced the appearance of her guilt. “I looked through the personnel files twice. The man I saw in my vision isn’t there.”
“I never saw a reason to burrow into the archives, so my hacker only gave me access to the active files.”
She shook her head with a distant smile. “Can you imagine the fit Petra would have thrown if she’d found out you were spying on her?”
“It wasn’t spying exactly. My disgruntled employees loved to run across the street and vice versa.” He sounded anything but apologetic. “It was easier to identify potential problems than clean up the mess afterward.”
Raising her chin, she challenged the justification. “And that’s the only reason you hacked into her database and hijacked her security feed? It didn’t make you feel powerful to know exactly what was going on in the neighboring kingdom?”
He shrugged and she almost laughed. He really needed to work on his nonchalance. “We weren’t in direct competition. Still, forewarned is forearmed.”
The doorbell sounded, interrupting her response. She glanced toward the front of the house, tension knotting her stomach. “Who knows we’re here?”
“No one.” He tried to sound dismissive, but lethal intensity narrowed his gaze. “It’s probably a solicitor. Just ignore it and they’ll leave.”
Their guest rang again, triggering the buzzer repeatedly.
Tamara motioned toward the holo-display pulsing in the air in front of them. “See who it is. They sound insistent.”
With a slight nod, Jericho accessed the security grid. The man on the front porch looked directly into the camera and waved. His blond hair was a bit shaggy and mischief shone in his light blue eyes.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Jericho muttered.
“Who is he?”
“His name is Aren.” He didn’t volunteer any more information. “Stay out of sight until I find out what he wants.”
“How did he know where to find you?” Jericho sounded more annoyed than concerned, so she allowed herself to relax.
“He’s harmless. Mostly. Still, I’m not taking any chances. Stay here.” He hurried across the room, turning off the light as he rushed to answer the door.
Tamara slipped into Jericho’s chair and expanded the view of the front room with a subtle hand gesture. She wasn’t sure if the security system recorded sound, but at least she could see what was going on. Jericho yanked the door open, blocking the entrance with his body.
She could no longer see Aren, but she heard his playful, “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you to let me in.”
Jericho shook his head and stepped aside. “Mi casa es su casa.”
“Good to know. Not all my friends are so accommodating.” The blond strolled past Jericho and lazily looked around. “Where’s Petra’s daughter?”
Jericho shot a warning glance toward the camera and shook his head. “I didn’t know Petra had a daughter.”
Aren laughed and the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Fine. I’ll play along. But I’d rather not repeat this entire story, so I hope she’s listening.” He raised his voice for the last phrase then grinned at Jericho. “Paul Zettalli commissioned me to heal his domestic companion. Her symptoms were interesting enough that I agreed to see her.”
Tamara scooted closer to the table, trying not to overreact to the odd interruption. Aren was some sort of healer and he’d recently come from the Dark Star. Did that make him friend or foe?
“What does this have to do with Tamara?”
Aren’s brow arched. “I thought you didn’t know Petra’s daughter.”
Jericho motioned toward the camera, his posture still tense and cautions. “Come on out, doll. He knows you’re here.”
Unsure why she felt so antsy, she deactivated the display and headed for the front room. Jericho wouldn’t have called to her unless he felt it was safe, so why were her insides still twisted?
She hesitated in the archway, taking in her first real look at their enigmatic visitor. The security feed hadn’t done him justice. A tangible mystique hovered around him and his eyes shimmered like pale blue diamonds. She reluctantly crossed the room, nervously rubbing her arms.
“This is Aren. He’s a mystic healer and all around pain in the ass.” She stuck out her hand, but Jericho intercepted the greeting. “Physical contact gives him access to your mind. Trust me. You don’t want to go there.”
She pushed her hands in her pockets and inclined her head. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Aren’s gaze narrowed on her face and she felt a faint tingle inside her head.
Jericho stepped forward with a menacing glower. “Scan her without permission or touch her in any way and I’ll throw your scrawny ass out onto the street.”
Obviously unimpressed with the threat, Aren wandered closer to Tamara, a lazy smile bowing his lips. “Do you realize you’re latent?”
“Paul Zettalli wanted you to heal his partner,” Jericho prompted. “What was wrong with her?”
Aren looked at Jericho but remained close to Tamara. “Blue’s a feeder, but apparently she’d never had any contact with mystics. She was so overcharged, she was nearly insane.”
“I’m glad you could help her. What does this have to do with Tamara?”
Dismissing the question with a smooth shrug, Aren turned back to her. “While I was releasing Blue’s energy, I saw your face. I wasn’t able to decipher the connection, but you and Blue are definitely linked.”
“I don’t know anyone named Blue.” Tamara looked at Jericho, unsure what to make of Aren’s claim. She didn’t feel threatened by the strange mystic, yet she had no idea what he expected her to do with the information.
“Blue needs training and reassurance, and I don’t have time for an apprentice right now.” He glanced at Jericho as he went on. “I thought another feeder would be her best bet, but I can see you have your hands full already.”
Jericho lapsed into thoughtful silence. Speculation clouded his gaze for a moment then he asked, “Did you mention me by name?”
“Of course not,” Aren assured. “You’re one of the few feeders who can tak
e energy as well as give it, so I thought you’d be perfect for the job.”
After pausing to consider the possibilities, Jericho shook his head. “I can’t leave Tamara unprotected.”
“So take her with you. It will give you an opportunity to figure out why I sensed a connection.”
Aren made it sound so simple. He obviously didn’t know about the charges hanging over her head, and she saw no reason to enlighten him. “I own the Dark Star. That makes me Blue’s employer.”
“No, it was more than that. Something personal.”
“You can’t have a personal connection with someone you’ve never met,” Jericho pointed out.
“Sure you can. Secret sisters or long-lost cousins. Things like that happen all the time.”
There was no way to prove or disprove his claim at the moment, so Tamara changed the subject. “You said I’m latent. What exactly does that mean?”
“Picture a balloon. All of your abilities are contained inside. Right now there’s a pin prick allowing a tiny drizzle to escape, but the vast majority of your power is still trapped inside the balloon.”
His description was too accurate to dismiss. Being with Jericho had punctured her balloon, releasing the vision, and she’d felt a trickle of energy wending its way through her mind ever since. “How do I pop the balloon?”
“You don’t want to pop it.” Aren shook his head. “A burst of energy that powerful would be destructive. It’s better if you widen the hole just a bit and let the energy flow out gradually.”
“And how do I do that?”
Another slow, sensual smile spread across his mouth. “Let me into your mind and I’ll—”
“Not a chance.” Jericho’s tone brooked no argument. “I’ll help her explore her potential or she’ll remain latent. You’re not going near her.”
His possessiveness pleased and annoyed her. She’d never had anyone jump to her defense before, yet ultimately the decision was hers. Still, he knew Aren. It would be foolish to disregard Jericho’s hesitancy just to satisfy her pride.
“Whatever.” Aren gazed at Tamara a minute longer then turned toward the door with an elegant shrug. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your evening tryst.”
“Aren,” Jericho brought him up short. “I’ll either mentor Blue or arrange for someone else. Either way it’s off your plate.”
“Cool.” He glanced over his shoulder and winked at Tamara. “Don’t let him bully you. He’s not half the badass he thinks he is.”
Jericho locked the door behind Aren then turned to face her. “We can’t pass up this opportunity. It gives us a reason to be in the Dark Star that won’t bring attention to you.”
“I’m a big girl, Jericho. I can take care of myself while you’re gone.”
He shook his head and stepped away from the door. “I’ll find someone to stay with you while I’m gone, but we have a balloon to drain first.”
She shivered. Her one and only vision had left her shaken and depleted. Maybe she didn’t want her abilities unleashed. “How do you know Aren, and how did he know where to find you?”
“Healing is his primary ability, but he’s also clairvoyant. He tends to know what he needs to know. And I’ve known him for years. He’s part of a network of mystics who are working behind the scenes to change laws and perceptions. Mystics are not evil. It’s time for us to stop being treated as if we are.”
Shame washed over her in an unexpected wave. “I’ve been as guilty of mistreatment as anyone on Halley Prime. I used to roll my eyes at the idea that anyone could take such things seriously. I had no idea how narrow-minded I was being.”
“It’s not surprising. D’Arrest is a bastion of elitist arrogance.”
The description made her laugh. “I suppose we deserve that. But why do you mistrust Aren if he’s a friend?”
“I mistrust everyone.” He smiled. “Haven’t you figured that out about me?”
Despite his playful tone, the question made her sad. Disappointment and betrayal had made them both slow to trust. Everyone they encountered seemed willing to trust Jericho. From his semi-estranged brother to the infamous Toymaker, everyone knew Jericho was dependable and competent. But who did Jericho count on in return?
She pushed the speculation to the back of her mind. The last thing Jericho would accept was pity. He’d set out to blaze his own path at the ripe old age of nineteen, and now he controlled an empire that rivaled her mother’s. No, his empire rivaled hers. Thanks to the probate council, she was a very wealthy woman.
Shaking away the tangent, she focused on the task at hand. “I thought you didn’t have any actual abilities. You said concentrated energy was your only…talent.”
“I said my talents are limited. I’m sensitive to the ability of others, but beyond scans and telepathy I’m pretty much useless.” He took her hand and led her to the sofa. She started to sit beside him, but he shook his head. “Straddle my lap. This will be easier if we’re face-to-face.”
He’d been a perfect gentleman all day, completely focused on her protection. Still, his apparent lack of interest frustrated her. Desire still simmered within her, requiring only the smallest encouragement to take flame. But she’d begun to think their one heated encounter had been enough for him.
He held out his hand and smiled, awareness igniting in his gaze. “I don’t bite.” She took a quick breath and crawled onto his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. The position was inescapably intimate and heat suffused her face. He reached up and brushed her cheek with his knuckle. “Isn’t this where we left off this morning? I guess I better kiss you before we’re interrupted again.”
His hand tangled in the back of her hair while his other arm circled her waist. He pulled her face down to his and pressed her pelvis against his belly, reestablishing contact in a heated rush. His lips moved over and against hers, firm yet gentle.
She clutched his shoulders, shocked by the fervor in his kiss. How could she have thought he’d lost interest? This was not the kiss of an indifferent man.
“I’ve wanted to do that all day,” he whispered against her damp lips.
“Why’d you wait so long?”
He nipped her bottom lip before he said, “I knew as soon as I touched you our workday would end.”
She pulled back slowly and his fingers tightened in her hair, preventing a full retreat. “Don’t we need to drain the balloon?”
His head dipped and he pressed his lips against the side of her neck. “That sounds like a euphemism.”
“You know what I mean.” His teeth scraped her skin and she shivered.
He turned to the side and laid her back across the cushions then settled on his knees between her legs. The position was provocative even with them both fully dressed. He moved her arms up, bending her elbows and crossing her hands above her head. Bracing himself on one hand, he touched her face with the other.
“Close your eyes and don’t resist. I’m going to anchor a link inside your mind.”
His hand pressed against the side of her face as she closed her eyes. She tried to hold still, but her body wanted to wiggle and arch, to grind against him until they were both desperate.
A tingling presence brushed against her mind, the touch overt compared to Aren’s stealthy attempt. She relaxed, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Jericho pushed deeper and sensations reverberated through her body. Her nipples peaked and her core melted. Then a sharp pinch made her gasp.
“Easy, love. Don’t fight it or I’ll have to start over.” Awareness rolled through her and she could picture a shimmering string linking his mind with hers. Did the connection take?
She gasped again and opened her eyes. “Yes. I heard you perfectly.”
“Good. Now you try.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Can you see the tether?”
“Yes.”
“Then form a thought and push it across the connection.”
That sounded simple enough, but it
took several tries before she successfully accessed the link. I can’t believe I’m communicating telepathically.
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Let’s find out what other goodies your mystic balloon holds.”
His hand returned to the side of her face and his gaze bore into hers. She opened for him, surrendering to the determined penetration of his mind. Another sharp sting jarred her senses then energy, like a crackling river, flowed through her entire body.
Images and impressions flickered through her mind. Some were familiar. She recognized faces and incidents from her past. But more were new, many of the people strangers to her.
“You’re scanning me. Try to focus. Search for one specific image.”
Barely able to believe that any of this was real, she submerged herself in the energy steam and let the command form. Show me Drake. Immediately the likeness of a grim-faced man flashed into her mind. His mouth was pressed into a tense line, but he had the same emerald eyes as Jericho.
“Did it work? I heard your thought, but I can’t see what you’re seeing.”
“Yes, at least I think so. The man I’m seeing looks very much like you, though someone should teach him how to smile.”
“Sounds like Drake. He takes everything way too seriously. Now try it again, but guard your thoughts. Don’t announce the target of your scan.”
She took a deep breath and shifted her focus from Drake to his fiancée. Drake’s image faded and in its place formed a live-action memory. Drake and Jericho were on a shuttle with a black-haired woman between them. She was naked while both men were mostly dressed. Bending from the waist, she sucked Jericho’s cock while Drake finger-fucked her ass.
Tamara gasped and shivered, eyes wide with shock—and an odd, nagging sensation she refused to identify. “Do you and Drake share Miranda?” Hearing her own question sent an unwelcome stab of dark hunger straight to her pussy. Such things were wrong, forbidden, yet the image lingered, teasing her imagination. She’d known Jericho’s code of ethics was different from hers, but the contrast had never been so glaring.
