Catherine Spangler - [Sentinel 02] - Touched By Fire (v5.0) (html) (23 page)

“This isn’t a social event.” She stepped into the plush sitting room with a gold brocade sofa and two matching wingback chairs, along with an elegant table and straight back chairs.

He closed the door behind them. “No, it’s not. It’s a matter of life and death.”

“Oh, really? Thanks for the news alert.”

“If the situation were different, I would find you highly entertaining.”

“And I’d find myself as far away from you as humanly possible.”

“I’m well aware of your feelings about me.” He slipped off his suit coat and draped it neatly over the couch arm. “Let’s get to the heart of the matter. Tonight, I want to do a third eye link with you. That’s apparently what happened at the airport yesterday. When you took my hand, you tapped into the Belian’s psychic signature, which I had absorbed. That energy gave you a precognitive vision. I want to try a third eye link again, in the hopes you might see something else that will help us track this thing.”

“That’s all that’s required? Holding hands?”

He stepped in front of her, his gaze probing. “The only touch that will occur between us will be the linking of hands and energies. I assume you can handle that.”

Julia turned and went to sit in the nearest chair. She didn’t like this man, didn’t like touching him. She certainly didn’t like visions of death and destruction, or the sick feeling she always had after a mental flash. But she hated monsters who victimized innocent people even more.

“All right, but I want to know the difference between a conduction and a third eye link.”

“I would expect nothing less from a woman of your intelligence.” Adam pulled the other wingchair around to face her, and seated himself. “First, let me explain that the third eye is linked to the sixth chakra and facilitates psychic vision. You know a Belian leaves behind energy patterns and Sentinels form those into a psychic signature.

“You also know that during a conduction, the signature provides information about the Belian. During that process, the third eye energies of both the Sentinel and the conductor merge, greatly amplifying the psychic abilities of both parties. That point can only be reached by energies coming up through the base chakras and facilitating a sexual surge.

“In a simple third eye link, only the Sentinel’s third eye is involved. The Sentinel becomes a conduit so that the conductor can tap into the energies the Sentinel has absorbed and sometimes see what the Sentinel saw at the BCS. In your case, however, I’m hoping that when you link to my third eye, rather than seeing what I saw in Austin and at the church today, instead you’ll have a precognitive vision, like you did at the airport yesterday.”

“So you’re telling me that you think the Belian energy pattern stored in your so-called third eye will act as a springboard to trigger one of my visions—hopefully one about the Belian.”

“Precisely. That’s all you have to do, Julia. Take my hand and see what happens.”

He held out his left hand. “Are you willing to do that?”

She could hardly refuse, although she knew touching him would stir unwelcome sexual desires. She rested her cane against the side of the chair, and slowly raised her right hand and placed it in his.

SIXTEEN

LUKE awoke, instantly alert. All Sentinels trained themselves to sleep lightly and wake quickly. He glanced at the clock, noting it was 1:34 a.m. He’d been asleep about two hours. Wondering what had awakened him, he listened intently and heard rustling in the hallway.

He rolled out of bed, palming his gun and walking silently to the door, which he’d left open so he could monitor Marla. He paused at the side of the doorway, flared out his senses. He heard movement, then a sniffling sound; sensed familiar energies in the hallway. He looked around the doorframe, saw a figure on the floor, huddled against the wall.

“Marla?” He lowered the gun and crouched beside her. “What are you doing out here?”

She raised her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. Well, actually, I was going to wake you and tell you, but I was trying to, um, get it together.” A small sob escaped her. “Damn it! I’m such a mess. I’m trying not to be needy, really—”

“Marla,” he interrupted to stop the outpouring. She sounded a little on the hysterical side. “What’s wrong?” He laid the gun down and reached for her.

She was wrapped in the comforter from Beau’s bed, and she was shivering. “The B-Belian,” she said. “It woke me up.”

That wasn’t good. They had aborted their attempt for Marla to link with the Belian earlier in the evening, when all she encountered was waves of fury and no coherent communication from it. After that, Luke had made sure she slipped into the deepest possible sleep state to avoid unplanned contact.

“Tell me what happened.” He started to pull her to him, heard a low growl. There was a movement beneath the comforter. “Bryony in there?” he asked, lifting a fold of the comforter and getting another growl from the dark form pressed against her.

“Out of there, you.” He picked up the dog and set her on the floor. Then he scooped up Marla and carried her to his bed. She would be sleeping with him for the duration. There was no help for it; he couldn’t leave her alone if the Belian could reach her despite protective measures.

He sat her on the bed. “Why don’t you ditch the comforter and get under the covers. I’ll be right back, and we’ll get you warmed up.”

He got a protesting Bryony, put her in Beau’s room and closed the door. He retrieved the gun from the hall and placed it back on the nightstand, and then slid under the covers beside Marla. “Come here.” He drew her cold body close, steeling himself against the surge of Sentinel/conductor chemistry. “Jesus, your feet are freezing!”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so cold. I hate to get you up like this.”

He was up all right, he thought wryly, his body responding to a karmic link that went back thousands of years. The feel of Marla pressed against his bare skin—even a shivering, distraught Marla—turned him on. He was wearing only a pair of boxers and she was in an oversized nightshirt. He probably should have put on more clothing before climbing into bed with her.

He was a big boy, he could handle it. He settled her against him, smoothed her hair back. “You’re supposed to get me if anything happens. Belian contact is way up there on the scale. Tell me what happened.”

“I was sound asleep—you probably did the woo-woo crap on me. Then, it was like the first time the Belian contacted me in the hotel room. I heard a voice calling me, thought I was dreaming. I should have realized it was the Belian, should have known what was going on. Especially since it’s happened before.”

“Marla, you were in a deep sleep. Clear and logical thought are not present in that state.”

She sighed, her breath warm against his chest. “I know. I’m just so terrified I’ll say the wrong thing, give it information that it can use against you.”

“You can’t worry about that. Worry about the things you can control. What did the Belian say?”

“Some of it’s hazy. Let’s see . . . it called my name. Told me it was not my place to contact it, like I tried to do earlier tonight. It said when I saw what it was getting ready to do, I would realize it was superior to me, that I must defer to it. And it demanded to know where I was. It was so full of hate and anger. When it began threatening me, I freaked and broke it off. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.”

Anger began burning inside him at the thought of Marla being terrorized and threatened, but he kept his voice calm. “You did exactly the right thing. First off, you shouldn’t try to talk to the Belian without me there. Second, if you’re not getting any useful information and if it’s threatening you, you cut the link. Then if I’m not around at the time, you find me immediately. Got it?”

She nodded against his chest. “I was coming to tell you about it. But I was so upset, I thought if I could just calm myself first . . . I’m sorry.”

She was a trooper. He knew she’d been flying solo for a long time and admired her independence, but she had to let him handle things. “Don’t wait to tell me stuff. Let me help you get calm and sort through things. That way, we don’t lose any time.”

“I know. You keep telling me that. I understand why you’re angry with me, especially after today.”

She didn’t know the half of it. It wasn’t anger, but absolute terror he’d felt when he realized she’d gone into that church. He could see her being blown to bits, couldn’t bear to think about never again seeing those warm honey eyes and those lush lips quirking into a mischievous smile. He’d never moved so fast in his life as he had going into that church after her.

“I’m not angry, Marla, but you scared a few lifetimes off me. If you ever pull a stunt like you did today, I’ll have to forgo my vow to never hit a woman and put you over my knee.”

“Really?” She raised her face toward his. There was enough moonlight coming through the window that he could clearly see her features. “Sounds kinky.”

“You’re just as bratty as Barrie, you know that?”

He felt her tension easing a little. “I wish I was as cute,” she said.

“I like you just the way you are.” He meant it. She was soft, curvy and lush, all woman. And she always smelled good enough to eat. His body stirred at the thought. Okay, best not to go there. As if sensing his thoughts, Marla curled closer into him. The breath hissed from his lungs.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to make love to me.”

That put all systems at full alert. His heart began pounding and his dick swelled to painfully hard proportions. “What the hell are you talking about? We’ve already discussed this.” Shock made his voice harsher than he intended, but maybe that was a good thing.

She pushed herself upright, stared down at him. Her hair was a riotous mass of curls around her face. “You told me we couldn’t have conduction sex. Is there anything in the Sentinel code about screwing just for the pleasure of it?”

Damn
. He didn’t want to lie to her, but didn’t want to lead her on, either. “Well, not exactly, but—”

“Good. I don’t want to die a virgin.”

He sat up, the covers falling to his waist. Her gaze dropped to his bare chest. He should have put on more clothes. He ran his hand through his hair. “First off, you’re not going to die. Second, I’m fairly certain—make that 100 percent positive—that after you find the right man, you will no longer be a virgin.”

“I
have
found the right man.”

He started to protest, but she placed her fingers over his lips. “Wait. Hear me out. I . . . I had a horrendous experience when I was nineteen. Julia and I were attacked by a man who’d been stalking her. We were both seriously injured. And I watched, unable to do anything, while he—” her voice broke. “He . . . raped Julia.”

Luke took her hand from his mouth. “I know.”

Her eyes flared wide. “
You know?
How long have you known? You’ve never said a word.”

“After Adam met Julia and realized she was also a matched conductor, he ran a full background check on both of you. To be honest, I should have already done that. We usually check out conductors pretty thoroughly before we work with them.” He rubbed his thumb over her hand. She had the softest skin. “I figured if you wanted to talk about it, you’d tell me.”

She drew in a shuddering breath. “Then you should understand. After that night, I was dead inside, at least sexually. I tried to date, tried to find men that attracted me. But every time I had an opportunity, I felt nothing.”

“It just takes time—”

“It’s been eleven years, damn it!
Eleven years.
I’m thirty, as you pointed out. I’m a freak. No—make that a
virgin
freak.”

He hated the pain in her voice. He slid his hands over her shoulders. “Listen to me, Marla. You are not a freak. You are a beautiful and intelligent woman, and—”

“Oh, give me a break,” she muttered. “You’ve told me that Sentinels and conductors do get killed, so you can’t guarantee that the Belian won’t win this war. You’ve just told me that when I find the right man, I’ll be able to overcome my hang-ups and have sex. I
have
found the right man.
You.
When I’m around you, I’m turned on. I feel sexual desire. In other words, I want to jump your bones.”

Oh, man, this was not going well. His body was humming and all too willing to take care of her little problem; to ignore every decent and honorable inclination he might have. But beyond initiating her into the sensual realm, he had absolutely nothing to offer her. He wouldn’t be like his father. He would never put himself in a position where love could hurt him or others.

“Marla, the desire you feel is just a result of the attraction between a Sentinel and a conductor. You know that. That’s
all
it is. It would be wrong for me to take advantage of it. We’re
not
doing this.”

She stared at him, her eyes huge and dark. “Fine, then.” She swung off the bed, picked up the comforter from the floor.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to my own bed.” She marched toward the door.

He went after her. “No, you’re not. You’re sleeping with me until the Belian is caught.”

She turned, freezing him with her glare. “No. I do have some pride, even if it’s not apparent right now. I’m not going to sleep with a man who finds me so repulsive he won’t have sex with me.”

Shock speared through him.
“What?”

“Oh, please. Cut the act.” She started out the door. “I know I’m no beauty. It’s obvious you can’t bring yourself to fuck me.”

He grabbed her arm. “Whoa! Hold on a minute. What the hell are you talking about?”

Her shoulders sagged and she turned slowly. “I keep doing it. I keep thinking maybe you’re as affected by the attraction as I am. You know what? I’m a fool. I should never have said anything.”

“You think I don’t want you?”
He stared at her in total disbelief.

“Just look at me.” She waved a hand down her body. “I’m—Oh, just forget I said anything. Okay?”

“You think I don’t want you.” He still couldn’t believe it. He was trying
hard
—key word here—to do the right thing and to ignore the fact that he wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep inside her. And she thought he found her repulsive. “You are so wrong, babe.”

He pulled her close and placed her hand over his raging hard-on. “What does
that
feel like to you? Does that feel like a lack of attraction?”

Her gaze locked with his, and she curled her fingers around him. He couldn’t stop the groan that escaped. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so hands on.
Big
—key word again—mistake.

Her gaze dropped lower, and she stroked him through the fabric. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. She might be innocent, but she was a natural. “Luke.” Her voice was low, husky, filled with need.

Desire raged through him, his entire body throbbing with its own need. And right now, he couldn’t seem to convince himself that he should maintain as much distance as possible from Marla.

God help him, but he was about to do something he was
really
going to regret.

 

 

SHE couldn’t believe she was standing here, stroking Luke’s sizable erection. What had she been thinking? She wet her lips again. Now what? Feeling her face flush, she forced herself to meet his gaze. The heat in his eyes took her breath away. “I—I—Are we going to do something?” she stammered.

He removed her hand from his penis and raised it to his mouth. “Yeah, babe, I think we are,” he murmured before running his tongue over her palm. He pulled her to him, wrapping one arm around her and pressing her against him. She could feel the hard length of him against her abdomen.

With his free hand he took her chin and tilted her face up to kiss her. No subtlety here; it was a full-blown assault of his tongue against hers. She tangled her hands in his hair and gave as good as she got, and it was good. They were both breathless when he drew back.

“Let’s get this straight,” he said raggedly. “I’m attracted as hell to you. I’ve wanted you from the moment I met you. I’m going to fuck you until you scream. That clear enough for you?”

As clear as the fact her heart was trying to burst from her chest. His raw gutter language triggered a rush of wetness between her legs. The breath left her lungs like air from a punctured balloon. “Oh,” was all she managed.

His glittering gaze never leaving her, he gestured with his hand. The door swung shut; she heard the lock click. Another hand wave and the bathroom light flashed on, throwing a square of illumination into the bedroom. More light than she would have liked; she felt awkward exposing her less than perfect body and would have preferred the cover of darkness.

“Um, isn’t it a little bright in here?”

He leaned down to nuzzle her neck and murmured, “If we’re going to do this, we’re going all in.”

His hand slid down over her belly, brushing tantalizingly close to ground zero, and grasped the edges of her nightshirt, pulling it up her thigh in a slow tease. He brought his other hand around, tugged her shirt higher over her belly and midriff.