Below the Surface

by Marie Harte

  She sighed. “Well, we did argue yesterday before locking lips.”

  He couldn’t help feeling affronted. “I’d never try to do you harm.” He couldn’t believe she thought so badly of him. Well, that’s what came of succumbing to base instincts, he thought as he remembered attacking her in front of his desk. “Yesterday—”

  “Forget about it.” She blushed. “I’m sorry I mentioned it. And I wouldn’t have added you to my list except,” she paused, flagging his curiosity.

  “Except?”

  “Never mind. Can’t we just forget about this?”

  He could only stare at her. “Forget about this? First you break into my office. Then you use your mind to move my pen, which I know for a fact is far beyond normal for,” he paused, about to say one of your kind, “anyone. You have a list of people who want to ruin you, and I’m on it! By the Light, we’ll talk about this!”

  She frowned. “By the Light? What light?”

  The woman had trouble staying on subject. “Never mind. Tell me again what this list represents.” He noted Michael Davis on the list, as well as several of Tomanna’s logisticians. “And don’t think we’re not going to discuss our tug-of-war over my pen.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course we’ll discuss it.” Then she arched her brow into an exact replica of his favourite expression. “We’ll also talk about your macho seduction yesterday.”

  “Which worked,” he added smoothly, pleased when she flushed and stammered a denial. “Much as I regret my behaviour, I don’t regret what I learned from the experience. But we’ll return to that later,” he promised, in control once more.

  Sparring with Tessa revitalised him, made him feel strong and surprisingly like a man worthy of holding his own with his contemporaries. He eyed her with a mixture of desire and curiosity, wanting to know about her now more than ever.

  “Tell me about the list, Tessa,” he said softly, disconcerting her.

  She stared at him for a minute before conceding. “I have a very good source who informed me someone at the company wants me gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “As in arrested on charges of embezzlement, for starters.”

  “But why?”

  “Good question. Unfortunately, I don’t know. I came up with that list of people, the only ones I could think of that might want me out of the way. The five logisticians and I competed for my last promotion. But they’re clean.”

  “You already searched their offices?” His focus was clear, though a myriad questions floated in the recesses of his mind.

  “Yeah. No paper or computer trail to follow. I also crossed two of the secretaries on this floor off the list.”

  “Why them?”

  She bit her lip. “I may have said some uncomplimentary things about you in their hearing.”

  A small smile tugged his lips. “My staff is fiercely loyal.”

  “I know,” she added glumly. “But neither of them had anything suspicious in their files either. I have five, no, four more candidates to study since you’re off the list.”

  “Thanks,” he murmured wryly. “But what do you hope to find?”

  “Something within a logistics frame, obviously, that shows me squandering company funds.”

  “I still don’t understand why they’d be after you,” he said, unable to think of any reason to rid the firm of Tessa. From what he could tell, everyone from her boss to the company staff thought the woman walked on water.

  “I don’t either. But I know if I don’t find this supposed evidence against me before Monday, I’ll be facing the police.”

  Marcus stared at the wound-up redhead nearly bouncing in his chair. Irritating, emotional, passionate—she was all those, and much more. But a criminal? One look into her clear blue eyes and anyone could see her strength of integrity.

  Odd, but he’d never before noticed the power behind her pure, blue gaze. He frowned and circled the desk to pull her to her feet.

  “What?” she asked with a frown.

  Words caught in his throat. A wave of cold evil washed over him at the same time Tessa’s eyes widened in horror at something over his shoulder.

  Without thought, Marcus threw them both to the floor, narrowly avoiding a freezing blast of blue fire that seared its way into the desk.

  “What the hell?” Tessa stared in shock, and he felt a rush of power move from her and through him towards the threat.

  Rolling to his feet, he watched as a wraith, one of the dreaded Netharat, clutched at its rotting, lumpy and hairless skull. Marcus glanced back at Tessa, a question in his eyes, when he felt the pressure in the room increase, a sure signal of more unwelcome visitors.

  There would be time for questions later, he told himself, and faced two more wraiths that appeared out of nowhere, directly in front of him. He attacked, angry beyond measure that evil continued to spread into this as yet untainted world. The wraiths gurgled with fear as water began filling every crevice of their bodies. The magical waters touched only the Netharat, washing over and around them in a blur of motion.

  They drowned in the torturous waters conjured by Marcus’ elemental reserves, their white eyes darkening to black, threats no more. Then they slowly faded into nothingness, disappearing into that dark place beyond worlds.

  He heard Tessa curse in disbelief but kept his attention on the remaining wraith regaining its feet by the wall.

  Marcus’ fountain pen flew by his left cheek and embedded itself into the creature’s forehead. The wraith howled in pain, but the superficial wound only served to aggravate it further. Considering how outmatched she was by both himself and the creature, Marcus couldn’t help admiring Tessa’s determination, and that admiration only added to her allure.

  “Stay back, Tessa,” he said softly, his handle on the situation firm. Pleased as he was by her courage, he didn’t need the distraction. It only took a moment of inattention to become Netharat kill. Wanting the creature gone and away from Tessa, he pulled his power inward, readying for a final confrontation.

  “Why are you here, minion?” he asked the wraith in its native language.

  Its jaw opened in surprise, revealing three rows of black, stained teeth, sharpened into menacing points. “You’ve a command of my language, eh, Storm Lord?” It laughed, a grating whine that made Marcus’ head ache, and continued in English, apparently for Tessa’s benefit. “How nice. My lord might have more fun with you than he’d planned.”

  “What do you do here, morlah?” Unclean one.

  “I’ve come to play,” the wraith said, the yellow and black of its face a disease upon the senses made worse by the odour of decay wafting from its putrid body. “With you and all your friends,” it added slyly, a glance past Marcus to Tessa.

  His composure vanished at the specific threat to Tessa, and unleashing the reins on his tight control, Marcus unloaded his will onto the creature, forcing its form in upon itself until nothing remained but a ragged cry of pain as it finally imploded.

  The room now empty of evil, Marcus turned to see Tessa staring at him with shock and awe.

  “What the hell were they?” she asked, her eyes bright with fear. “And who the hell are you?”

  Marcus sighed. “That’s a long story.”

  “I’ve got time,” she said, her jaw clenched.

  Loud footsteps echoed down the hall, and he realised they had little time before more outsiders became involved. “I’m sorry about this, Tessa.”

  Giving her no time to respond, he mentally triggered her neck, momentarily interrupting the supply of oxygen to her brain just enough to make her lose consciousness, and gathered her in his arms before releasing a hurried spell.

  His brother immediately appeared.

  “We need to leave, Aerolus, now.”

  Aerolus nodded, and reaching out to touch Marcus, teleported them from the office just as security breeched the door.

  Chapter Four

  “Am I dreaming, or is Marcus standing with a gorgeous thoug
h unconscious redhead in our living room?” Cadmus stared with disbelief.

  “You’re not dreaming,” Aerolus said wryly.

  “Of course I’m not dreaming.” Cadmus rolled his eyes. “That was a rhetorical question. Honestly, Aerolus, you need a sense of humour.” He turned to Marcus. “So, bro, tell me you found her for me, an early birthday gift, maybe?”

  Irritated by the familiar amusement curling Cadmus’ mouth, Marcus scowled and shifted Tessa closer in his arms. “I don’t think a wraith attack is all that funny, Cadmus.”

  “Nor do I.” Aerolus shook his head and studied Tessa with an intensity Marcus found bothersome. “But this feels like more than a simple attack.”

  Much as Marcus wanted to hear Aerolus’ thoughts, his first concern was for Tessa. “Fill me in later. I’m putting her to bed.”

  “Attaboy,” Cadmus said with a smirk before stumbling over his feet with the help of a heavy wind. He turned to glare at Aerolus. “What the hell was that for?”

  “Do I really have to explain it to you?” Aerolus sighed and nodded to Marcus. “Stay with Tessa. We won’t know how safe she is until I have a brief talk with Arim. Cadmus, stay sharp.”

  A heartbeat later, Aerolus vanished.

  “I was just kidding,” Cadmus grumbled. “I’ll be down here the rest of the night, keeping watch. Let me know if you need anything,” he added in a serious voice.

  “Thanks.” Marcus carried Tessa from the living room to his bedroom on the third floor.

  Once inside, he laid her gently on the bed and shut the door, giving them some privacy. In the safety of his room, he took stock of what had almost happened, and his heart rate refused to slow.

  Tessa could have been harmed, was all he could think. In his agitation, he paced the room, wondering what he should do to prevent Tessa from a future wraith encounter. As he paced, his glance returned time and time again to her motionless frame.

  She looked so damned beautiful lying there. So still, she afforded him his first opportunity to study the stubborn woman without the threat of reprisal.

  In sleep, she looked serene, soft even. Her golden skin shone under the bright light keeping the night at bay, and he readily admitted how much he wanted her. Auburn tresses framed a strong yet feminine face full of promise, full of passion. But her mouth…full lips begged a second taste, and upon seeing them, he immediately recalled how supple and inviting they’d felt under his mouth.

  His body stirred, and though he knew now was not the time for fantasies, he couldn’t help himself. He paused in his pacing and sat next to her on the bed, tracing the line of her petal-soft cheekbone.

  She had such strength. For the past six months he’d tried very hard not to notice the assertive redhead with the autocratic mouth made for sin. She demanded the very best of herself and her peers, and never talked down to anyone. It was with some surprise that he’d realised she deliberately avoided him, but considering the fierce attraction he’d been unable to shake, he figured her instincts had served them both well.

  Yet working so closely with her this past month, he couldn’t help wondering what it was she found so offensive about him. He had no complaints about her, except for her recent penchant for breaking into his office. Pondering his possible deficiencies, his mood soured.

  A woman like Tessa Sheridan walked like she owned the world, and she very well did. She had a successful career, friends and a close family—her brother had sent her flowers on her birthday that had put a smile on her face for days. She could have any man she wanted with the snap of her fingers, and she walked with an air of confidence that made one take a second look. She had it all. Perhaps she’d sensed that same assurance lacking in him, that ‘perfect’ quality he’d been missing for most of his life.

  Though others saw what he wanted them to see, he had the uneasy feeling Tessa sensed the truth of his character. Yeah, and mauling her over my desk the other day must have really put me over the top. He grimaced in remembrance.

  “Marcus?” She groaned and opened her eyes, capturing his attention.

  “Tessa? How do you feel?” He stroked her hair, unconsciously seeking a measure of the closeness he feared he’d destroyed after whisking her from the office.

  “A bit hazy.” She rolled her head back and forth on his pillow, her hair spreading like a silken curtain across his sheets. The image made his blood surge, and his hunger for her grew.

  Suddenly she stopped moving her head and blinked up at him, her bright blue eyes narrowed with accusation. “You knocked me out. Right after you killed that, that thing, you did something to me.” She fingered her clothes, eyeing him suspiciously.

  He refrained from rolling his eyes and sighed instead. “I did nothing more than take you away from a dangerous situation. I most assuredly did not take advantage of you.” Unable to resist, he leaned closer and murmured softly, “When I do, you’ll know it.”

  She blushed becomingly and bit her lip, then frowned slightly, and he could almost see her reliving their battle with the Netharat. But instead of asking him questions, she thanked him.

  “For what?” he couldn’t help but ask. It was his fault the Netharat had endangered her in the first place.

  “You saved me,” she said simply. “They would have killed me if you hadn’t put yourself between me and them.” She swallowed hard at the memory but quickly regained her composure and narrowed her eyes. “But about your little threat to ‘take advantage’ of me,” she paused. Instead of leaning away or scowling at him, she pulled him close and shocked the hell out of him by brushing his mouth with hers. “Promises, promises.”

  Tessa tried to tell herself she suffered from a head injury, or perhaps the after-effects of dealing with those nightmarish creatures. But the powerful attraction she’d been feeling since setting eyes on Marcus Storm had finally come to a head.

  She knew without asking that she lay on his bed, in his room. She could smell him on the sheets, a masculine blend of sexuality and spice she couldn’t resist anymore. And the way he stared down at her, his expression cocky yet tender, his eyes dark with erotic suggestion, it was just too much to take.

  Well, she was done waiting around for him to make a move. He’d done that once and left her high and dry. It was time for Tessa to take the lead.

  Their lips met and thoughts of control faded. His mouth tasted like forbidden fruit. Sweet and addicting and more than dangerous. Flashes of his protectiveness in the office, of how he’d moved to save her life hit her, and she deepened the kiss, as much in thanks as in awe of his raw power.

  Finally, she’d met a man as strong, if not stronger, than herself. The knowledge was almost as powerful an aphrodisiac as his touch.

  She groaned under the sensual onslaught of his mouth and stroking hands. As if she’d unleashed a tidal wave of pure sensual aggression, the ‘gentlemanly’ Marcus plundered her mouth, conquering any resistance she might have tried to find.

  “More,” she said breathlessly when his lips left her mouth for her ear, running her hands through his thick black hair. She loved that he kept his hair a tad longer than was fashionable, and rubbed the silky strands as he nipped at her earlobe.

  He shifted over her, trapping her beneath his massive strength. Then his hands stole under her shirt and cupped her breasts through her bra, moulding them to his warm touch. She arched into him, duly aroused when she heard his groan of appreciation.

  “Yes, sertia, like that,” he said thickly, before plunging his tongue in her ear.

  She almost shot off the bed, but his large hands held her down, hungrily stroking her breasts, teasing the nipples into hard points. All the while she felt the heat of his large body atop hers, felt the hard contours of muscle and arousal.

  His erection burned against her belly, and she pressed up against him, urging him for more.

  He kissed his way down her neck and lingered at her pulse point, leaving stinging bites of desire in his wake.

  Just as she was about to tear his
clothes off, he stopped and leaned over her.

  “This is your last chance,” he said, panting heavily. “Yes or no,” he fairly growled, his blue eyes so dark they looked black, swirling seas of desire and need.

  “Yes,” she whispered and gasped.

  With a speed she wouldn’t have believed had she not seen it, he whipped off her clothing and stood staring down at what he’d revealed. She couldn’t help noticing the large bulge in his trousers and ached to see his flesh bare.

  He noted her gaze and smiled, a charmer’s grin of seduction that looked dangerously sincere. And she knew if she wasn’t careful, she could completely fall for this man, as countless others had. Without missing a step, Marcus peeled off first his shirt, then his shoes, socks and trousers. And stood before her naked.

  Her eyes widened, aware he was huge and more than aroused. “No underwear?”

  “Too constricting.”

  I’ll say. She licked her lips and he focused on the movement like a predator seeking prey. A hint of nerves flared—she was finally going to get the man she’d been lusting after for months. She could only hope she’d measure up.

  “You are so damned beautiful,” he rasped and descended slowly, crouching down on the bed until he knelt between her legs. He spread her thighs wide, and she grew wetter seeing his intent gaze.

  “You don’t have to—” She lost all thought when his mouth covered her sex and his tongue shot forth, tracing her labia and finding her clit with ease.

  He licked and stroked until she was completely wet and moaning, her hands twisted in the bed. If he didn’t slow down, she was going to come and come hard. She had never been so turned on in her life. She tried to squirm away from his touch, to ease the sensation when his hands trapped her thighs, holding her still.

  “No,” he ordered roughly, and she glanced down her body to see his eyes glittering with barely suppressed need. “Take it, Tessa, take what I can give you.”

  She opened her mouth to reply when his mouth found her once again. This time he added a large finger, plunging it inside her wet sheath as he clamped his mouth over her clit.