His mouth twitched. “Because you listen to me so well?”
I kicked at the slushy ground. “I listen,” I muttered.
He waited until I looked up again. “I received an e-mail from Colin St. Pierre this morning expressing his gratitude for my approving your cross-team work on his current assignment. He is an ambitious team leader and was eager to get his name in front of me. Please remind me, when exactly did I approve your involvement with his team?”
Oh shit.
“I, er, I was going to tell you—ask you, I mean… It’s just…” My words fell away. I’d heard the expression tongue-tied before, but never realized the term described the feeling so literally.
“I offered you a position as a full task force agent without the formal classroom requirement because of your special circumstances. However, I realize now that the courses outlining Network procedure and protocol were a key part of the orientation that you were permitted to bypass. That is about to be rectified.” He pulled a thick manila folder from the back of his waistband. Had he been sitting in that big squishy chair with that thing shoved in his back that whole time? How uncomfortable.
“This is the introduction manual outlining Network policy and procedures. You will read this cover to cover and complete the test at the end of the manual. You can e-mail the completed exam to the support center e-mail address provided for processing.” My face must have shown my shock because his jaw tightened as he continued. “You will not participate in any Network assignments until that test is processed.”
“What? But I have to be at the airport with Colin and his team tomorrow morning!”
“Then you better get reading.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
I took a deep, calming breath. When I was sure my voice would be level, I said, “OK, I’ll read your manual and I’ll take your test. But I am going to the airport with Colin’s team tomorrow. I gave them my word, and their plan won’t work without me. They won’t have another shot at their target like this, and even though the power these art-smuggler guys have isn’t anything compared to my family’s, I can’t imagine you want them to get away just because I didn’t fill out a fucking questionnaire before their plane landed.”
His body stayed tense for a long moment; his mental walls shimmered. Regret. He was second-guessing making my involvement in the Network official. My anger deflated fast. Guilt was the last thing I needed right now. I snagged the manual and flipped through the pages. I was a fast study, but this was going to take all night to get through. “So do I copy you on the test when I e-mail it in?”
“That would be fine, yes. And it would expedite the processing as well.”
I kept my eyes on the manual. “I’m going to be a good agent, Thirteen. I’m going to be the best you’ve ever had.”
When I looked up again, he smiled, that sad smile that was just for me. An image of his daughter passed through his thoughts. She’d been twelve when she was killed by one of Thirteen’s enemies. He often thought of her whenever I did something that pleased him. It never hurt my feelings—just the opposite, actually. I knew I was forgiven whenever I made him think of her. I smiled up at him, and his eyes softened even more.
“You will be a wonderful agent, Magnolia. In fact—”
A loud burst of laughter echoed from inside the house, followed by a deep masculine curse. Then several other voices joined in the laughter. Theo’s chuckle was a strong rumble that I felt over all the others. I looked back at Thirteen, and his grin had vanished.
“You need to remove yourself from Theo, Magnolia.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I know what you mean.”
“Yes. You do. And you need to avoid getting close to him. I already spoke with him about it, and I know—”
Heat flared inside me. “You spoke to him? About me?”
He shifted his weight, and for a moment chagrin flashed through his thoughts. “A relationship with him would be inappropriate. He understands that.”
“What the hell are you talking about? What about Jon and Heather? Or Charles and Marie? How come those relationships aren’t inappropriate?”
“He’s thirty-four years old, Magnolia. You’re twenty-three. To take advantage of your naïveté would—”
“Naïveté? Are you insane? When he was doing Jell-O shots at Notre Dame, I’d already been tortured to death six times! How can you possibly think that I’m naive about anything?”
He winced at the reminder of my life before my escape. “I’m not talking about your powers, Magnolia, or your ability to deal with physical pain. Or even how you are more than capable of handling any life-or-death situation thrown your way. I’m talking about your emotional maturity. Your, er, sexual maturity.” For the first time since, well, ever, I saw a hint of blush on Thirteen’s cheeks.
My own face grew hot, and I suddenly found the slush on my boots totally fascinating. God, he really did not want to hear this, and I really did not want to say the words. But I cleared my throat anyway and said, “I have more sexual experience than you may realize, Thirteen. And not just from all of the thoughts of people who lusted after me—although I have to admit, I learned a lot from the minds of Father’s disgusting business associates.” I shivered at the memories. Then the shame washed over me as it always did when I remembered these particular experiences. My voice was rough when I said, “My brother Malcolm, sometimes one of the estate guards when Father’s experiments left me unconscious, they would… Well, I have experience in that area. Just so you know.” Maybe not full sex, but Malcolm had done his best to grope and touch and prod whenever the chance had come up. I figured Thirteen didn’t need to know all the gory details.
When he remained silent, I looked up. The horror on his face made me recoil. He shook himself quickly. “Whatever experiences you’ve been forced to endure, they are not what a true relationship is about.” He was red again. “The physical and emotional ramifications of your developing a crush on someone like Theo are something you simply are not ready for.”
I gaped at him. A crush? A fucking crush? I knew he’d felt the power that surged when Theo and I saw each other at Jon’s. Why was he denying the level of our connection now?
The back door swung open before I had a chance to respond. “We’re heading out,” Jon called across the lawn. I wanted to ask what had happened that had been so funny, but I was still struck dumb. A crush. In Thirteen’s thoughts, his daughter’s face flashed again. A child, twelve years old. If a part of him still saw me like that, maybe it was time to reconsider the benefits of our father-daughter dynamic.
Thirteen straightened his coat. “Support functions twenty-four hours a day. Get that exam to them before oh-two-hundred hours, and they will have it processed and back to me in time for you to receive official approval for Colin’s mission tomorrow morning.”
He tried to give me a small smile, but I ignored him. Obviously I didn’t have time to deal with his denial of who I really was. He walked past me to the front of the house, and I heaved the brick-size manual in through the back door. Might as well start another pot of coffee—I was going to be up for a while.
CHAPTER 14
I’d stopped adding whiskey to my coffee hours ago. It didn’t help. I dragged my gaze to the fork-and-spoon clock over the kitchen sink: 1:47. God, this was worse than research. There was more than just the test at the end of the manual—there were quizzes after every section. And only half of what the tests covered was actually worth knowing. I mean, seriously, did it really matter that there were different expense forms for overseas assignments and regular assignments?
Some of the history stuff was interesting, though. For example, the Network had been around a hell of a lot longer than I’d ever suspected. Almost a century. The name of the organization had changed close to a dozen times, but it always included the words the Network. It had started as a small assembly under the direction of a certain enthusiastic congressman. As the group had grown, and the organization’s n
eeds expanded, private investors with personal interests had stepped forward to fund whatever was needed to do the job. I guess if I was a railroad tycoon in the thirties and had been kidnapped by a bunch of guys with telekinetic powers, I too would have been eager to give a bunch of money to the people who could ensure that it would never happen again. With that base money, they’d been able to invest privately until their budget was well into the nine-figure range. Not bad for an agency that technically didn’t exist.
I answered the last question on the last test and hit the Send button on e-mail. One fifty-seven. Thank God that was over. And no worries about whether I actually got the questions right or not—supernatural memory is great for rattling off inconsequential facts.
Colin’s team was meeting off the Sam Jones Expressway at eight a.m. If I fell asleep right now, I’d get a good four and half hours in before I had to get ready for the meeting. I poured a bedtime whiskey, drank it in one gulp, and crawled under the pile of quilts on my bed. I was out the minute my head hit the pillow.
I knew he was there. His presence had woken me the moment his car hit the driveway. The sweet scent of musk and metal preceded his soft steps to the back door. I’d opened the locks with my powers and waited. My eyes still closed, I felt him in my room.
A hot finger brushed along my cheek, traced my lips. My skin tingled everywhere he touched me. The bed dipped.
I couldn’t stay away any longer. Theo’s thoughts whispered through my mind. I felt his face nuzzle my hair. And I sighed. It was as if every moment since my return had been leading up to this.
You shouldn’t stay away, I thought back to him. It’s our power, remember? The two of us.
Then I looked up and met his eyes. Melted chocolate—the kind that turned darker under heat. A wave of need pulsed through the room as his heartbeat thrummed in sync with mine. We moved together, our lips sealing as if they should have never been apart. His arms wrapped around me as my hands knotted in his hair. This wasn’t a dream or a fantasy. I felt everything about him. His blood pumping through his veins, the sheets tangled under his legs. But his thoughts stayed closed off. While his powers were sporadic, he grew stronger with me in his arms. He could hold his mental walls in place and feed on the energy that spun faster between us.
I was glad for his strength—I didn’t want an errant thought to ruin this moment.
He lifted my shirt over my head and quickly covered me with my quilt, keeping away the chill. My heart pounded. I’d never been so aware of my body before. He sat back and kicked off his shoes. My mouth went dry.
His heavy coat came next, tossed over a chair in the corner. Then he tugged off his shirt. When he turned back to me, the dark intent in his eye was clear. I wore only my panties under the quilt, but in a few moments more, I’d be completely naked.
The panic came quickly. I crossed my arms over my stomach and shivered violently. Naked meant torture. Humiliation. He stretched out beside me, and I automatically flinched away. I wanted this, wanted him. In my mind I knew that. But a lifetime of instincts had reared up inside me. I couldn’t help but fear the pain that had always come when I was at my most vulnerable.
“Open your eyes, Mag.” I hadn’t even realized I’d closed them. He pulled back the quilt, and a chill blew across my stomach. No! I turned away quickly, instinct screaming at me to run. He grabbed me at the waist; the power between us surged as he held me to the bed.
“No, Mag, look at me. It’s me here with you now. Me touching you. No pain, no embarrassment. Just me.”
I held on to the melting chocolate of his eyes. Like a lifeline, he grounded me. No pain here. No blood or shame. Only Theo. With his fingertip, he traced a line between my breasts. “Look,” he murmured.
Along my skin where his finger touched me, a thin glowing line appeared. He drew the glow farther, down to my stomach. The line stayed. The lingering panic eased. This wasn’t my father stripping me for one of his experiments. And the power rising between us wasn’t something to push back.
Theo traced a heart around my belly button, and, softly, I giggled. God, that felt good. I reached up and brushed back the hair from his face. The heat in his eyes turned serious. I pulled him to me. A soft, sweet kiss.
“Are you sure?” he asked in that gravelly voice.
“I know who you are, Theo. I want to know what this power is capable of. What we are capable of.”
He narrowed his eyes. “So you’re only interested in the power, then?”
I couldn’t help but smile. That had been my worry the first time we’d felt the connection between us—that he was only using me for my power. “No,” I said. “I’m interested in what I’ve been interested in since the first moment I saw you. You.”
Panic gone, I was ready to revel in our connection. Dark hair sprinkled over his chest, narrowing as it trailed down to his waist. My hands moved over the tattoos covering his pecs and back. I wanted to see all of them—the ones I’d dreamed about for the past several months and the ones I had yet to see. Bare chest to bare chest, we groaned as we came together. Our tongues sent flames through to one another’s hearts. I felt him chuckle with delight at the strength of my desire.
He went for my panties, slipping his fingers under the waistband. I opened my eyes and sucked in a breath. We were glowing. Light poured out from us, brightening the room as if the sun had risen to midday eight hours early.
He slid off my panties, keeping his eyes locked on mine, reassuring me against the panic just waiting to flare again. His fingers tickled in slow caresses along the outside of my leg. He kicked off his pants and lay over me, using his thick arms to lift his upper body while his lower half still remained just a hairbreadth from touching me.
I wanted nothing to ruin this moment. But there was something he needed to know.
I always fought them off, I thought quickly. As hard as my brothers and Father’s guards tried, as many times as they came after me, I never let them have me. Not completely. I let down my mental walls only a peek. Just enough to show him what was only fair for him to know.
His gaze traveled over me with gentle eyes. Glowing, radiating power. He looked more like a fallen angel than ever before. Softly, he smoothed a hand down my hair.
“I want you, Mag. That no one else has ever had you only makes me want you more.” He brushed his face against mine, nuzzling, breathing me in. “Tell me what to do, Mag. Show me what you want me to do here.” His mouth was on mine again. Energy hummed inside me, through me. So warm, so powerful. How much more would it be if we were joined completely?
I pulled back. Holding his gaze, I ran my hands along the length of one of his tattoos, moving from his strong biceps down to his wrist. Then I guided his hands around to my back, sliding his fingers to squeeze my bare ass. His lips covered mine with a demand that stole my breath. I knew that this moment would change everything.
Then my alarm clock blared like a foghorn in the night.
I jumped as he growled and kicked my clock against the wall. He came back to my throat, nipping, sucking, making me ache. I pushed back on his shoulders. “Theo. Theo, wait. We have to stop.”
He growled again. “Like hell we have to stop.”
As if proving his point, he gripped my ass tighter and pulled me onto his lap. I gasped as, for the first time, I felt his naked body under me. I threw my head back in response. The glow surrounding us surged brighter, nearly blinding as he guided my movements over him, rubbing me perfectly along his length, bringing me higher, tighter.
From the floor the alarm blared again.
“What the fuck!” he snarled and threw the book I’d been reading the night before at the clock, silencing it with a sad, broken whine. I struggled for breath and put my hands on his chest to hold him back.
“No. I mean it—we have to stop. I have to go. I have to be at the airport in like an hour and a half.”
His hands were on my breasts, kneading, teasing. He watched my lips. “We don’t have a meeting at the airp
ort. We don’t have a meeting at all today. All we have to do is stay right here.” He leaned forward toward my neck once more, but this time I held him back. It took nearly everything I had.
“Theo, I mean it. I don’t want to rush this. It’s too important. But I have to go.”
We were both breathing heavy, but my words finally sank in. He paused and narrowed his eyes. “Why are you going to the airport? Where are you going?”
A flash of panic shot through him, and his mental walls wavered. All the frustration and confusion he’d felt when I’d left before would be nothing compared to his devastation if I left him again.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said quickly, cupping his face in my hands. “I’m here to stay, Theo. I swear it.”
He rolled me back onto the bed. “Then what’s going on?”
“I have another assignment. With another team. Our target arrives this morning.” I took a deep breath to steady myself as much as possible.
His frown turned dangerous. I felt a push against my mind and realized a second too late what he was trying to do. The rage was immediate.
“Don’t you even fucking think about it! You want to know something from me, you ask me. Just because the bond between us gives you glimpses into my mind doesn’t mean you can try to get in my head anytime you want. It’s not going to happen, and someone’s going to end up hurt. And guess what? It’s not going to be me.”
“Is that a threat? We’re lying here naked and glowing, and you’re fucking threatening me?”
“Don’t even put this back on me. You’re the one who just tried to get in my head.”
He shoved my leg from his lap and got to his feet. “Yeah, I’m trying to get in your head because you don’t fucking tell me anything. All those months away, did you even think once about calling, letting me know you’re still alive? You came back, and I had to find out from Thirteen. You’re working with another team and don’t even bother telling me, or anyone else for that matter. What if you need backup? The people on Thirteen’s team were chosen because we’re the best. What if another team fucks up and you get exposed? Jesus, Mag, of course I’m trying to get in your head. How the hell else am I supposed to know what’s going on with you?” He yanked on his pants.
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