by Nina Crespo
Ari happy danced and gave her a hug. “I love you so much right now. You’ll see. It’ll be fun.” Grinning, she looked at Lauren.” Hey, Blondie! We’re going to the party. Wipe the drool off your face and ask for directions.”
Chapter 4
Reid’s text read, You’re losing her.
Thane swore under his breath. Celine leaving the party early wasn’t part of the plan. Neither was staying after the set to take photos with a group celebrating a birthday, but the band had agreed. If they blew people off just because someday they wouldn’t remember them, the cosmic balance sheet of life would give them a justified kick in the ass. Hopefully, doing the right thing would lean a little favor in his direction with Celine.
He snagged his keys from the dressing room counter. As he reached for the doorknob, electricity-like waves moved over him. He turned. Dalir’s noncorporeal presence took form. Dressed in jeans, a button-down shirt, and lace-up boots, the Ancient looked like a modern man in his thirties. Still, it wasn’t a stretch to envision him in some earlier time wielding a shield and a sword.
“We need to talk.” As always, Dalir’s expression didn’t give any clues.
“Can it wait?” Thane’s phone buzzed with another text. Dude, you’re seriously blowing it.
“It’s about Dr. Fineway.” Dalir sat on the couch. “Landon Bioresearch is continuing his work.”
“On what?”
“A universal flu vaccine.”
Calling up patience, Thane leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “It’s not a bioweapon like Red Path wanted him to create. What’s the problem?”
“It’s not what but who. Xenia Allen is taking over as head researcher.” Dalir leaned in. “She left a company twice the size for less than half the salary. It doesn’t fit. The company she used to work for could have negotiated for the research rights, and Landon would have gladly sold them.”
“Maybe she’s a close colleague of Fineway or a fan of his work.”
“They couldn’t stand each other. He called her ‘Cruella in a lab coat’ for perfecting retroviruses that hack into the immune system. Xenia claimed he was a conspiracy theorist and said his research was a waste of lab space. She’s also not the sentimental type who’d further someone else’s research.”
“What about taking over his lab to destroy his work?”
“No. There’s too much money at stake, and failing to deliver will tank her reputation.”
Thane’s weekend plans with Celine fizzled. “Where do you want us?”
“I don’t, at least not all of you. Just Colby. He’s on recon in the future.”
Good choice. Colby had more than earned his stealth-ninja rep in the field. “Where will you be?”
Dalir’s eyes changed to an otherworldly shade of gray. “Watching. There’s another motive, and I’m going to find it.”
* * * *
Thane’s feet hit solid ground, and the golden light bathing his skin illuminated the tall bushes surrounding him. Crouched in readiness, he scanned the backyard and waited for the glow to fade.
Time-jump rules didn’t make sense. Phase a year into the future, and people might stare before deciding they’d imagined he’d just appeared. Jumping a few miles or across a room left him balls out until he stopped glowing. Normally, he wouldn’t risk a dash-and-flash in the dark, but Reid’s text had made it clear. If he wanted to catch Celine before she left, he had to use alternate transportation.
The glow finally faded and he stood. Satisfied he hadn’t attracted attention, he walked across the lawn, toward the front of the empty house, then next door to the party. His phone buzzed with another text. Reminded of the urgency, he jogged to the front entrance and merged with a group filing in the door. When they walked through the archway into the upstairs living room and joined the festivities, the crowd grew louder.
Mace’s brown, shaved head stood out in the group at the bar.
As usual, West wasn’t there. The drummer and logistics expert had the skills to phase, but he always stayed behind as their one constant in the present. Although he didn’t have to worry about alcohol messing with his abilities, he kept his partying to a minimum.
Thane gave Mace a bro nod, shook a few hands, took a few photos with fans, and smoothly disentangled his arm from a clingy brunette. As he glanced around the room, disappointment swept in.
Reid looked up from where he was playing random ballads on the piano, and Thane caught the keyboardist’s eye. A knowing grin spread across his friend’s face, and Reid tilted his head.
Thane followed the movement to a nearby corner. He was halfway there when Celine spotted him. She looked away, and the uncertainty in her eyes dampened his hopes. Thane shook it off. He’d take it slow, at least as slow as he could with time not on his side. “Sorry I took so long. I had business to settle at the club.”
“That’s okay.” She tucked her purse underneath her arm and looked down.
The dart of her tongue over her full bottom lip stirred up memories of their kiss in the hallway. All thoughts of going slow evaporated with the moisture in his mouth. He slipped the plastic cup she held out of her hand. “What are you drinking?”
“Wait.” She grabbed his arm.
The warm, watered-down drink assaulted his taste buds. “What the hell is this?”
“Forty-five minutes ago, it was a gin and tonic.”
“Why are you standing in the corner with this?” He set the offending cup on a nearby tray stand.
“People watching was more interesting than drinking.”
“Not drinking, I get, but at a party like this, you can’t hang back and watch.”
“I know.” She laughed sheepishly. “It’s impossible to remain anonymous in a bright red dress.”
The dress wasn’t the half of it. A beautiful woman not caught up in her looks and spontaneous enough to accept a last-minute invitation. Definitely his type. He could easily see the two of them hanging out at the park or the beach.
The large flat screen hanging on the adjacent wall played closed-caption subtitles on a news story. Landon Bioresearch International received funding for drug research that will change the landscape of our knowledge about vaccines and viral infections. Dr. Xenia Allen will lead a team of researchers....
Was Dalir right about Xenia Allen? Did she have another motive other than an interest in Fineway’s work?
Celine shifted further away.
He rested his hand on her back. “Do you want something to eat?”
“No, but you go ahead.”
“Why don’t you see if there’s a table free on the deck?” He pointed to the open sliding doors. “I’ll pick up a drink for you on the way. Do you want another gin and tonic?”
“No, water’s fine.”
He linked his fingers with hers and led the way. As they neared the middle of the living room, she slipped her hand from his and headed toward the deck. Steering clear of long conversations, he reached the buffet and filled his plate. At the bar, he nabbed two bottles of water and went outside.
“None of the tables are free.” She glanced over the wide wooden railing at the pool lit from beneath the surface. “And all the lounging chairs are taken, too.”
“No problem. I don’t need a table.” He handed her one of the waters and set his on the railing. “Are you sure you don’t want some?”
“I’m good.” She put her clutch and water in front of her and looked beyond the pool to the ocean.
“So, did you enjoy the show?” Thane picked up a mini kabob skewer and slid the chicken and pineapple off with his teeth.
“Yeah, you guys are good. How long have you been together?”
He wished he could tell her the whole story about growing up in Seattle and his years in the army. How the helicopter crash had almost taken the lives of him and his team. How Dalir had saved them.
Celine stared expectantly, waiting for the rest of his story.
“Reid and I have played together for over twelv
e years. Colby, West, and Mace joined up with us about eight years ago.
“Colby, he’s the one on electric guitar?”
“No, Colby plays bass and Mace is the one on electric guitar.” She went to say something else, but he waved her off. “Time for you to give up the info. Tell me about you.” He exaggerated a thoughtful expression. “I bet you’re an actress or a model.”
Celine laughed, and the walls she tried to hide behind evaporated. “I hope you don’t have a day job requiring you to make your best guess because you really suck at it.”
His heart sped up as they slid into what had flowed so easily between them at the club. It was good to hear her laugh again. Why was she so afraid to let go? “I bet I’m close.”
“Nope. I own a store called Diva Unique. I sell specialty gifts for women.”
“Brains and beauty. I like it.” He popped a grape into his mouth.
“Do cheap lines really work for you?”
“You tell me.”
Her lips twitched with a held-back smile. “Not even close.”
“You realize you’re upping the challenge.”
“Oh?” She leaned back against the railing, and her smile curved into something more flirtatious. “What does that mean?”
He set his plate in front of him. “It means I’m going to harass you with every cheap line I can think of. I might even start singing corny love songs.”
Her eyes widened in mock horror. “You wouldn’t.”
“Would—and I’m talking about really bad ones. You’ll have to drink multiple shots of tequila to get them out of your head.”
Laughing, she picked up a bite-sized dessert from his plate. “You’re either cruel or you hate losing.” She placed the square in her mouth, and her low hum of appreciation owned his cock.
“Losing is a fact of life.” He leaned toward her lips, and Celine’s eyes filled with uncertainty. Too much, too soon, too bold of a move? Maybe, but he didn’t have time to dance around the obvious. “I just enjoy winning a whole lot more.”
* * * *
Thane’s teasing brushes and gentle sucks on her lips lulled Celine into submission. He brought her forward, and she fell into a deepening kiss blending honey and coconut with potent lust. This was rocky territory. She had to put distance between them.
Her bump into the railing jostled them apart. “I have to go.”
“Why do you keep running away from me?”
She contemplated telling him the truth. But what was the truth? She wanted him, but this last kiss left her burning with a neediness that scared the shit out of her?
“It’s not you…”
His jaw tensed, and she held back the ending to the tired cliché, but this wasn’t about him.
“It’s hard to explain. I just have to go.” Celine knocked her clutch off the railing. “No!” She lunged, but it was already at the mercy of gravity. The door opener to Lauren’s car, her cell, her favorite lip-gloss, all goners. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the splash.
“You can open your eyes now. You lucked out.”
She peeked over the railing. A woman below got up and retrieved her purse from the edge of the pool.
“Thanks,” Celine called out. “I’ll be down in a second.”
Thane moved to follow her, but she laid her hand on his arm. “You don’t have to come with me.”
“If you’re leaving, I’ll walk you out.” He glanced toward the living room. “What about your girlfriends?”
Great. He’s a hot-ass scorching twelve, takes rejection well, and he’s a gentleman. A dangerous combination and even more of a reason to get out of there before she stuck her tongue back down his throat.
“They’re riding with Reid.”
“Shouldn’t you let them know you’re leaving?”
“No, but maybe you could tell them for me?”
“Not a chance.” He slid his hand into the curve of her waist. Longing heightened for him to pull her close. “Come on. Let’s go.”
They reached the pool area. As the woman handed her the clutch, she glanced at Thane. “You’ll want to hold onto that.”
“Thanks.” Laughing nervously, Celine looked for the exit.
“The gate’s over there.” He guided her to other side of the pool. Shadows darkened a door hidden partially by the trees.
She turned and offered him her hand. “Thanks again for the invite.”
“Do you really think I’m letting you go with just a handshake?”
“Thane, I have to…” Weak from wanting and denying, she let him bring her into the loose circle of his arms.
He smoothed his hands down her back. “At least tell me why.”
She hesitated to launch into the saddest story of her life, but the shelter of his arms and the shadow of the trees provided a confessional. “I lost my fiancé a year ago.”
Thane’s hands stalled, and she waited for him to pull away. He didn’t.
“Dominic was an army medic deployed to Afghanistan. We’d just set a wedding date before he left for his tour.”
The excitement she’d felt during their last few weeks together, the joy of picking out a lot for their new home, happy moments remodeling Diva Unique—it all flooded in. Trembles tugged at her lips. Dominic had slipped into the shop his last night in town and left a surprise. A picture painted on the wall of two smiling starfish lying side by side on the beach.
Thane released a deep exhale. “I’m sorry.” He held her closer. “It hurts to plan a life with someone and have it taken away.”
She would never wish anyone the pain she’d experienced. Still, she wondered, part of her even hoped. “You know what I’m talking about?”
“Yeah, I do.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “A woman I knew lost someone.”
His words, like a key, unlocked what she’d kept hidden away in her heart for months.
“I’m proud of him, but sometimes…” Emotion clogged her throat. “I’m angry he chose the army over me. I keep thinking if he’d wanted us to be together, he wouldn’t have volunteered to go back.”
Thane leaned slightly away and placed his finger under her chin.
She braced for pity or judgment but only saw concern.
“Did he tell you how important you were to him?”
“Yes.”
“Did you believe him?” His golden-brown gaze probed for the truth.
Unable to speak, she nodded.
“Then you know leaving you behind was the hardest decision of his life. You loving him despite his decision kept him solid. Every day in the desert was one day closer to coming home to you.”
A sob escaped. Embarrassed, she tried pulling away, but he held on. “No. Don’t. I can’t keep falling apart like this. He’s gone.”
“Stop running.” Thane guided her to his chest. “Tears are part of the story. It’s okay. Let go.”
More sobs pushed past her lips, and she collapsed against him, crying for what she knew in her heart. Dominic hadn’t wanted to leave. He’d loved her. For some reason, hearing Thane say it made the words more believable…and real.
She loosened her arms from his waist. “You should go. Everyone’s probably wondering why you’re not at the party.”
“I’m right where I want to be.”
Laughing weakly, she sniffed and dabbed under her eyes. “So instead of a normal woman, you like to hang around one who’s a neurotic mess.”
“No, I like you.” He slid his hands back around her waist. “And we can stand here all night if you want to.”
Part of her wished they could.
Reid started playing Thane’s song on the piano. As the melody floated over them, she followed his lead into a slow rhythmic sway. He sang softly in her ear. This time, she closed her eyes and let her whole body absorb his deep, silken voice…and his invitation to spend the night together.
Like the words in the song asked, she’d laid out her deepest secrets. She’d exposed him to her pain, and he hadn’t run
away. He offered her one night with no future expectations. Celine snuggled closer. Losing love wasn’t only about heartbreaking loneliness. She missed the pleasure of being in a man’s arms.
You know what you want.
Dominic’s words echoed in her mind, smoothing the edges of doubt. Sleeping with Thane wouldn’t magically fix everything, but it would let her set the struggle aside for a short time.
“I haven’t been with anyone since Dominic.” The mixture of compassion and desire in Thane’s gaze almost made her start crying again. “I can’t promise you more.”
He cupped her face. “I know, and I’m okay with it.”
She met him halfway, and his kiss offered nothing short of bliss. Lifting higher on her toes, she looped her arms around his neck, not caring when her clutch thumped against the pavement. His arms tightened, and she felt a shudder of controlled strength running through him. His mouth grew more demanding, and she welcomed the sensual exploration and all it promised. One unforgettable night.
He moved his lips a fraction from hers. “Celine?”
“Hmm.” She stroked her hands down his broad back. Muscles flexed and rippled underneath her palms.
“Does this mean you’ll stay with me tonight?”
If she hadn’t already made up her mind, the hunger in his eyes would have convinced her. She brushed her lips over his. “Yes.”
Chapter 5
Celine got out of her car and met Thane in his driveway. She met his gaze and the lust she saw in his eyes loosed flutters in her belly. “This looks like a nice family neighborhood.” Too innocent of a place for her wanton thoughts.
“I’m the only single guy on the block, but I like it.” He held out his hand. “Are you ready?”
Nothing could prepare her for this. A dive into the deep end of desire. She interlaced her fingers with his and followed.
Inside the house, muted light showcased a modern space in shades of blue and gray. A frisson of anxiety chased her into the living room, and she dropped her purse on the couch. A mural of lines from a page of sheet music scrolled across the far wall. Musical notes, at least five-feet high and shaped out of metal and painted black, were bolted to the surface. A collection of guitars hung interspersed with the notes.
