In Darkness Reborn (20 page)

Devlin answered. “Ben Jackson from IT tried to convince Penn that you two were having an affair. Penn didn't take him too seriously, although it probably wouldn't take much to convince him that Ben wasn't just blowing smoke.”

Barak waited for Lacey to deny it, and he would have supported her lie. Instead, she turned to him, her blue eyes filling with tears. “Why couldn't that bastard leave us alone?”

“Because he's a desperate man. By pointing his finger at us, he diverts attention away from himself.” The more Barak thought about it, the more that idea rang true. “He doesn't strike me as the kind who would lead such an operation. Perhaps his superiors are concerned about how much we learned from those disks Trahern got from Judge Nichols.”

Devlin's cell phone rang. “Bane here…Okay, tell Colonel Kincade I'll meet him in his office in fifteen minutes.”

He disconnected the call and stared at Barak in cold silence. “I do NOT need this complication, Other. I told Laurel she could keep you as long as you didn't make waves.”

Lacey bristled. “He is not some pet to keep in a cage, Devlin! Besides, I don't see you following the rules yourself. Everybody knows Handlers aren't supposed to sleep with their patients. Where does that leave you and Laurel? Or Trahern and Brenna? Was he really supposed to bring in a civilian? I don't think so.”

Barak watched his woman with admiration. This was the second time she'd stood up to Devlin Bane, something most men would have been leery of.

Bane shook his head. “We all know that Penn's never going to think anyone is good enough for you, but in this case, I have some sympathy for his point of view.” Before Lacey could explode again, Devlin held up his hand. “Don't get me wrong. Once I got past
what
Barak is, I respected
who
he is. But you're going to be fighting an uphill battle if you think you can convince folks around here that a human woman belongs with an Other.”

That was enough. “Devlin, you go too far. Leave,” Barak ordered.

Devlin stood his ground. “I'll leave when I damn well want to, Other.”

“You'll leave now, or we'll take this discussion to a whole other level.” Barak was sick and tired of these Paladins' overblown sense of importance. “Either way, you have no say in what goes on between Lacey and me. You might not like it, but I don't care.” He shoved his stool back out of his way and stepped in front of Lacey, clearing the floor for whatever came next.

Then he heard her sniff, trying to hold back tears. She was a strong woman, but he and Devlin were putting her through hell. Turning his back to the angry Paladin, Barak reached out to offer his woman the comfort of his touch. He didn't like it much when she refused, but he didn't blame her.

“Devlin, you've caused enough trouble for one afternoon, so leave. Barak, I'll be in my office if you have any questions about the data I left for you.” She walked away, her pride the only thing holding her together.

“It's going to get worse,” Devlin warned.

He wasn't telling Barak anything he didn't already know, even if he didn't like hearing it. “What would you have me do? Could you walk away from Laurel if the Regents ordered you to?”

The big man's hand came down on Barak's shoulder. “Do me a favor: at least be careful.”

“We will.” Barak picked up the letter from his sister. “I'll tell Lacey that my expertise is going to be needed soon. Until then, I'll make sure no one sees us together outside of the lab.”

Devlin checked his watch again. “Shit! I'm going to be late. Let me know when you want to try to cross.”

“It'll be a couple of days at least.” The barrier would remain stable that long unless something offshore triggered a problem. He hadn't been near all the tectonic plates long enough to learn their habits, but the volcano was going to be quiet.

“Okay. By the way, Laurel wants you to come to dinner again soon. She's been looking at recipes again.” Devlin's mouth quirked up, sharing his slight dread of his lover's experiments in cooking.

Barak took the comment as the peace offering it was. “Thank you for the warning. And as you said, the vegetables were edible.”

Once Devlin disappeared, Barak considered how best to approach Lacey. He moved closer to her door and was relieved to see her at work on her computer. For the moment, it was probably best that he leave her alone. But before he could retreat to his work area, she looked up and saw him.

“Don't hover out there. I won't bite. Or cry.” She managed to smile, although her eyes looked a bit red.

“I promised Devlin we'd make sure no one sees us together outside of work.”

“I won't have my life dictated by anyone, not even you, Barak. If I want to see you, I will.”

Part of him was selfish enough to appreciate her determination, but he didn't want her hurt. “You might be willing to risk it, but I'm not.”

It hurt to turn his back on her and walk away, as if he'd jabbed a knife in his own chest. Out in the lab, he picked up his clipboard and pretended to work.

Damn men, all of them and all kinds. Paladins, Others, brothers, bosses. From the time she'd been a little girl, Lacey had remained focused on one goal: finding some way to make Penn's life better, safer. Luckily, she'd developed a real love for geology and vulcanology. If she hadn't liked them, she'd have found some other discipline that would have allowed her to serve the Regents in some capacity.

But right now, she was about to chuck it all and find some sane people to work with. And maybe some eligible men who didn't know which end of a sword to hold, much less how to wield one.

She had tried dating outside of the organization, but that meant watching every word to make sure she didn't reveal something she shouldn't. The few men she'd dated among the guards had been too afraid of Penn to do little more than show her to her front door. Paladins rarely had siblings, yet they seemed to have an unspoken agreement to stay away from each other's sisters.

And when she finally found someone whose touch set her aflame, he had to be an Other! Right now she wasn't sure whom she was maddest at: Penn, Barak, or Devlin. Not that it mattered. Ever since Devlin had walked out, Barak had been pretending she didn't exist.

Well, that was going to change right now. She paused to check her appearance, wishing she had worn her sexy dress rather than her usual jeans and T-shirt. If Barak wouldn't come near her, she'd go to him.

He flinched when he heard her approach. Good, he wasn't immune to her, no matter how hard he tried to act that way. Time to go for broke. She slipped her arms around his shoulders and leaned in close, pressing her breasts against the rock-hard planes of his back. He kept working, but his pulse sped up.

She kissed his neck and then worked her way up to breathe next to his ear, sending a visible shiver through Barak. Sliding her hands around to his chest, she whispered, “I make a mean veggie lasagna. How about dinner at my place?”

He froze. “Didn't you hear what Devlin said, Lacey? We can't be seen together.”

“I heard; I just don't care. Now, either you come to my place for dinner tonight, or I'm going to show up at your apartment. Your choice.” She held her breath, hoping he wouldn't refuse her.

He slowly turned to face her. Although he wasn't smiling, she thought she saw the smallest bit of humor in his eyes. “You are one stubborn woman.”

“Are you surprised? If I hadn't learned to stand up for myself, Penn and his friends would have walked all over me. Either that or they would have wrapped me up in bubble wrap to keep me safe.”

“Can you blame them?”

She laughed. “No, probably not, but hiding is no way to live. Which brings me back to tonight. My place or yours?”

He looked at her long and hard before making his decision. “Yours. I'll come after dark.”

“But it stays light until ten o'clock this time of year.” She trailed her fingers along the strong line of his jaw. “I don't want to wait that long.”

“Then eat dinner without me.” He caught her wayward hand and held it still over his chest.

She still had one hand free to wander. “I wasn't talking about dinner.”

He grabbed that hand, too. “Stop that, woman! What if someone came walking in here right now?” Despite his stern words, his touch was gentle. “I'll be there as soon as I think it is safe.”

“I'll keep everything warm and ready for you.” She ran the tip of her tongue across her upper lip.

“Fine, but right now I have to go spend some time with your brother in the gym.”

“Tell him hi for me,” she said as he got up and walked to the door. “And, Barak, you might want to bring your toothbrush. We need to go out to the mountains tomorrow, and it will save time if you don't have to stop by your place on the way.”

He started to say something but realized that he was fighting a losing battle, one that he probably didn't want to win anyway. After he was gone, she realized that she was staring at a closed door with a big, stupid grin on her face. Tonight would be special. More than special.

If she hurried, she could get her work done in time to make a quick stop at the mall on the way home. Most of the time she slept in one of Penn's old T-shirts, but suddenly she felt like wearing something a whole lot sexier. Maybe something black and slinky.

Yeah, that was the ticket.

The scent of lasagna filled the kitchen; the table was set; the candles were lit; and the bed was turned down. Everything was ready, especially her. But so far, no sign of Barak. He'd promised to be there as soon as he knew it was safe, so maybe that was delaying his arrival. Or had something happened at practice? No, Barak would have called, or he would have had Devlin do it.

She looked out the front window, glad to see the sunshine fading into the west. Soon her lover would arrive and the evening's festivities could get started.

An older couple who lived up the street strolled by, taking their dog for its walk, holding hands as they enjoyed the late-evening air. Lacey smiled. Every time she saw them, obviously still in love after so many years together, she felt a small pang of envy.

A woman dreamed of finding a man to love her, to hold her hand year after year. But what if it was the wrong man? One her family and friends could never accept? Was love worth giving up everything and everyone for? It was too soon to know how strong her feelings for Barak would become. Maybe it was only a momentary infatuation.

No, she wouldn't risk her job, her brother's respect, and everything else for some guy she just had the hots for. She'd already gone way past mere lust. She wasn't ready to think about how far past; it was scary enough to know that she was headed down an unknown path and maybe a lonely one.

A soft knock at the back door jarred her out of her reverie. She hadn't left the outside light on for obvious reasons, but she recognized the dark outline of a man standing on her small porch. She opened the door and walked straight into her lover's arms.

Barak's kiss had her curling her toes in the carpet and her bones melting. He didn't rush the moment. They were headed for her bed, but they were in no hurry to get there. His hands stroked the length of her back from her neck to her bottom, stoking the fire already burning hot between them.

Finally, he stepped back slightly, leaving no more than a hand's breadth between them. “What is this that you are wearing?” He traced the curve of her breast through the black satin and lace.

“It's a negligee. I bought it for tonight, so I hope you like it.” She was fishing for compliments but didn't really need to. His clear approval was putting a pretty big strain on the front of his slacks. She did a slow turn to show off a bit.

He caught her and pulled her backward against his chest. “I like it very much.”

She arched her head back to nuzzle his neck and tugged his hands up to cup her breasts. How did he know the exact amount of pressure to have her moaning for more? She slipped a hand back between them to caress the hard length of him.

“Keep that up, woman, and we won't make it as far as your bed.”

She gently squeezed him and laughed softly at his immediate response.

He swept her up in his arms and carried her down the short hallway to her room. He slowly lowered her to the bed, then stepped back to strip off his clothes. The soft glow of the candles she'd left burning cast his warrior's body in a warm light for her to admire.

Then he was beside her, then in her, and everything was perfect.

“Don't think so hard, Barak.” Lacey looked up from where she cuddled against his chest. “Or maybe I should give you something to think about that won't have you frowning so much.”

She trailed her hand down his chest to his stomach and beyond. Barak closed his eyes and smiled as she cupped his sac and gently squeezed. “Like that, do you?”

“Yes, I do.”

“How about this?” she teased, giving his cock several gentle strokes.