Private Melody (7 page)

“General.” Therin leaned across to shake the man's hand, commending his new ideals. “The event will be held in Vancouver—date is still to be determined. Should you prefer to keep your interest more discreet, I'd understand should you choose not to attend.”

“Hmph. I couldn't keep it discreet if I tried. My staff works harder for me now than they did before I retired.”

“I thought they'd be back in D.C. or elsewhere?” Therin took a bite of the sandwich.

“You thought right. Their superiors may have changed, but their jobs are still the same. Many of my connections, the knowledge I hold about them and how to deal with them are still of interest.” He cut his roast beef on rye into quarters. “We meet from time to time to discuss such matters.”

“And one thing leads to another and soon you're discussing your own…future plans?” Therin guessed, joining in when the general grinned.

“I had my staff do some checking.” Shepard Yale cleared his throat as his laughter quieted. “They all told me you were the man to see for the honest scoop.”

“Mmm.” Therin cringed. “Having a reputation for honesty can be a negative in the political game.”

“This is true.” The general regarded Therin thoughtfully. “I suppose I should ask if you've thought about what sort of
aggravations
you're in store for. Bringing a hard-nosed general in on the noble bandwagon? If you didn't have enemies before, you're sure to have 'em now.”

“Well, sir, it's like you said, I've been dealing with aggravations my entire career. No reason why my heading the noble bandwagon should change that.”

Laughter rumbled between the two men as they raised their glasses in toast.

 

“I shouldn't have told you.”

“Baby, please, I'm very happy, only…”

“Only you're concerned about me overdoing it.”

“Well…that and…well, baby, we've sort of gotten used to being kept in the dark about the young men in your life.”

Kianti smiled when her mother's words came through the phone line. The spontaneous call to her mother down in San Francisco had surprised her as well.

“Honey?” Francina Lawrence's usually robust voice held a whiff of unease.

“You're right, I…I don't know what made me call.”

“He sounds special from the little you've told me.”

Again, Kianti smiled, not surprised her mother caught on to her vague details regarding Therin. She felt both giddy and stupid. She was so affected by what was happening. She had to tell someone. She wouldn't acknowledge the small voice someplace deep that said she was trying to impress her mother—show her she not only had the strength to attract a good man but the will to make it last.

“So what do Brody and the guys have to say about this?”

Shadow dimmed Kianti's gaze then. “They're concerned, as usual, but I think they approve.”

“And everything is still all right with Brody taking those quick pulse checks while you're on the road?”

Kianti smiled, predicting the turn a conversation with her mother usually took. “Everything's still all right, Mama.”

“Your father and I would feel so much better if you'd make more time for appropriate physicals during your tour dates.”

“Ma…don't, okay? I'm sorry.” She winced having heard Francina's sigh over the line. “It's just that I'm feeling really good right now…please let me?”

Francina's sigh was more resigned that time. “All right, baby. All right. Can I at least tell your dad about this new young man of yours when he gets home?”

Kianti smiled, her mood brightening at thoughts of her father, Donald Lawrence. “Yes, I can't wait for you to tell him. Thanks, Mama.”

“I love you, honey.”

Vancouver, BC, Canada~

R
ick Dubose knew he had no reason to be pissed about having to head back into the office for the file he needed to finish that weekend. Still, he was pissed just the same. It wasn't every Saturday night that a man had a date with an angel.

It probably wasn't until that night, though, that his habit for being forgetful really got to him for the first time in his life.

At least he was organized. He cheered when the file was lying right where he left it on the cabinet in his cubicle.

“Jocelyn, here I come,” Rick sang while stuffing the file into his satchel. He sprinted from the office, set the alarm and locked the front door. When he turned, a figure in shadow stood behind him.

“The boss is gonna get you all killed,” the figure growled seconds before it eased a knife into Rick Dubose's abdomen.

Pacifica, California~

Therin was finally able to put off criticizing himself for indulging in play while there was so much work to be done. The lunch meeting with General Yale had changed all that. Productive indeed. The man's presence in EYES would reap benefits no one could imagine.

The easy expression he wore faded for a moment as all the sacrifices he'd made over the years hit home. No, his life hadn't been easy since he'd jumped on the “noble bandwagon” as the general had called it.

Such frustration, such sorrow—
loss.
He'd never admit it aloud, but it had all been due to the choices he'd made. It all combined to make him determined to see that there was something phenomenal to show for it in the end.

He shook off those heavy thoughts when Kianti's house came into view over the bend in the road. He'd grown accustomed to the nagging voice and its standard inquiry.
What the hell are you doing, Therin?

The hell if he knew. The hell if he cared. And what about her
condition?
Did he care about that? She'd warned him that overexerting herself could prove fatal. The warning alone should have made him back off in a hurry. Instead, it only had him thinking whether he could rein in his need for her when they made love. For they certainly would make love. That much, he'd settled in his mind.

Casey O'Dell waved while pressing the button to engage the gate leading to Kianti's place. Therin parked the gleaming silver Chrysler 300 and headed toward Casey for handshakes. Now used to Therin's visits, Casey didn't bother to ring for his mistress and let her familiar guest up on the elevator.

Casa Marvelo was a romantic Mexican restaurant not far from Kianti's place in Pacifica. The food was to die for, but it was the ambience Kianti was going for that evening. Therin would be leaving on Sunday and…what? She was going to pull out all the stops to get him into her bed.

She set the lotion on the dresser with more force than necessary while wishing herself luck with that.
Tons of luck,
especially since she'd already told him about her illness. While he played the role of a man who didn't scare easily, she knew it was only a matter of time. God, how she wanted him….

Throwing up her hands and forgetting about her
wants,
she inspected herself in the dresser mirror and the floor-length one next to her bed. A frown rumbled her brow when she stepped closer to the mirror. She angled herself to and fro as if somehow the movements would make the run in her stockings disappear.

Cursing, she took a seat on the bed and tugged up the hem of the cranberry wrap dress to see how high the snag went.

“Damn.” She glimpsed her watch and then speed-walked to the dresser to select a fresh, and hopefully run-free pair of hose. She unfastened the spike-heeled pumps and removed the damaged garments, tossing them to the nightstand.

She bit her lip and hesitated before slipping on the new pair. Debating then, she trailed her nails across her bare thighs. The night may've been warm enough to go without. Biting her lip, she went to the windows and unhinged the lock to push open one side and take in the fragrant sea air kissed with a hint of warmth.

Might be all right,
she told herself. Besides, if seduction was the order of the evening, hose would only be an obstacle. Satisfied by that train of thought, a saucy smirk curved her mouth and she turned from the window and right into Therin.

“Guess Casey didn't ring up.” The smile he wore radiated no humor.

Kianti felt her lashes flutter and bowed her head to order them to stop. She cast a quick glance and wave toward the open window. “I was just about to put on my hose.”

Therin eliminated any personal space existing between them. “What for?”

Her effort to find a response was unnecessary. He was kissing her then and the only things leaving her mouth were moans. She went to her toes, seeking as much height as she could gain in order to enjoy his kiss more comfortably—in order to feel the unyielding length of his frame more adequately.

Therin handled that when he tugged her high against him and backed her next to the closest wall. Without shame, Kianti wrapped her legs around his back and returned his kiss with a fiery eagerness.

There was the nagging voice again at the back of Therin's mind but the whispers coming from Kianti's throat silenced them easily.

Her fingers found the buttons along his collarless wine-colored shirt and made quick work of them. She whimpered amidst the kiss while raking her nails across the steely expanse of his chest that was bared to her touch where the shirt hung open. She ended the kiss to outline the cleft in his chin with the tip of her tongue. Then she began a feast upon his earlobe. “Take me to my bed,” she whispered.

Her words were like part of some hypnotic suggestion he had no choice but to obey. They were on the bed seconds later. The kiss resumed yet broke on a curse when Therin acknowledged he had no weapons against her. He had the controlling position sprawled across her small, trembling form but it was she who commanded whatever move he sought to make.

She drove her tongue erotically against his. Her lips curved into a half smile when she heard his groans and felt the tension ease from his body. She arched herself into a bow, tossing her arms above her head.

“Undress me….”

Therin closed his eyes tightly as if to ward off her instruction. It was a hopeless waste of time.

As if to prompt him to do her bidding, she drew her thumbnail across his nipple and suckled his tongue at the initiation of another kiss.

“Undress me, Therin….”

He told himself that he wouldn't hurt her. He could take it—take
her
slow. He had to because he had to have her.

Kianti tugged her lip between her teeth as she was claimed by a wave of elation. The determination on his gorgeous face told her that he was done denying
himself. The fact that she was about to be treated to what she'd been denying
herself
was enough to make her scream with delight.

Therin had undone the ties to her dress in a matter of seconds. His nose blazed a trail across her collarbone, the swells of her breasts and the fragrant valley between. When he spotted the front clasp of her bra, his shaft nudged the button fly of his dark trousers. One easy flick of his thumb and it came apart releasing the full, pert mounds to his gaze…to his mouth.

Again, his nose blazed the trail, outlining the shape of her cleavage. He paid special attention to the nipple steadily firming beneath his manipulations.

“Put me in your mouth,” she ordered seconds before he did it.

Therin couldn't help but liken himself to some inexperienced kid taking direction with an eager mind and body. He should have felt offended, instead he'd never felt more alive.

Kianti lost the ability to offer any further direction when he took the nipple and suckled with a deft finesse. She continued to writhe beneath him, arching shamelessly and on fire to feel every bit of him.

Expert fingers manipulated one nipple while perfect teeth bit down softly on its twin. Moments later, Therin switched to the other nipple and molested it in much the same fashion. He tugged the open front of her dress farther apart, and eased a hand beneath her back. He lifted her slightly to pull away every scrap of clothing clinging to her body.

Kianti moaned her disappointment when his mouth traveled away from the wet nipple. His nose dipped
into her belly button just briefly before moving down to explore the baby-hair-smattered triangle above her sex. Her legs quivered noticeably as she arched more uncontrollably.

Therin was of a mind then to torture and in the most sensual manner. His nose outlined her clit and labia. His smile was arrogance personified when she hiccupped on the gasp she uttered. He held her still, strong hands curved about her thighs before his tongue replaced his nose. That time, she hiccupped his name and twined her fingers in her hair loose and flowing around her oval face.

Her scent enticed him like a drug. It clung to every part of her—most of all, the part of her he was especially infatuated with just then. His tongue plunged deep. He had to know if she tasted as incredible as she smelled.

Better, he thought when his tongue sank into an abundance of heat and moisture. He applied a warning squeeze to her toned thighs when her hips lifted from the tangled bed. Slowly, she thrust against his mouth and cursed the orgasmic waves that sliced through her. She wanted to savor and savor…what he was doing felt far too incredible to be hurried.

Therin pleasured her tirelessly, jerking out of his shirt and dark jacket as he did so. Kianti watched him, her ebony eyes half open and glistening with desire. The flex of the muscles in his back and shoulders was as powerful an aphrodisiac as his tongue rotating inside her. She smoothed her palms across his head, luxuriating in the close-cut waves that rivaled his skin for silken appeal.

He could feel her inner walls tense and knew she'd be coming in moments. It was then that he focused on her reaction—searching for any signs of discomfort. The bliss on her exquisite face served to stoke his ego as opposed to his concern. He worked kisses upward again ignoring her hypnotic voice when she told him she wanted more. Instead, he took hold of her bare bottom and drew her into him.

“I want this,” she groaned, circling her sex against the thick bulge still confined within his trousers. “Mmm…I want this.” The words silenced and they nuzzled into another kiss. “Mmm…” She took great pleasure and time in drawing her moisture from his tongue. The kiss lasted but a few heated seconds before Therin pulled back suddenly.

Kianti blinked. “I'm fine,” she promised.

He smiled yet shook his head while frowning. “I didn't come prepared…no condoms.” He grimaced over the admission.

Kianti tilted her head and looked up and over at the nightstand. “Check the drawer.”

The regret in his crystalline stare shimmered into what Kianti would have sworn was anger. “I was hoping we'd come back after dinner and…I hadn't planned on taking no for an answer.” She bit her lip and awaited his reaction.

He looked down at her chest heaving and fondled a nipple until she moaned. “Would you have taken me against my will, Ms. Lawrence?”

“Mmm…are you trying to…entrap me, Mr. Ambassador?” She winced on the pleasure of his touch.

“In a manner of speaking,” he answered. Taking her
wrists, he held them above her head and plied her with another languid kiss.

“Therin, please…give me this.” She ground herself desperately against him.

He rose up then, leaving the bed to unfasten his belt and trousers. They joined the shoes and socks on the carpet along with his boxers.

Kianti had pushed herself up toward the head of the bed. She braced on her elbows and watched the garments fall. No desire was masked in her tilting onyx stare until her lashes settled and she moaned in expectation of the ecstasy she was sure to find with his flawlessly sculpted frame.

Therin kissed his way back up her body. Once more, he stopped to pay homage to her breasts. Kianti shuddered at the graze of his arousal, stiff and lengthy against her thigh. Again, she begged him. He kissed her to silence further pleas while wrenching open the nightstand drawer and rooting around inside for what he needed.

Kianti linked her arms about his neck, brushing her nipples across the taut, muscled breadth of his chest. Her nails grazed the carved pecs and abs on a journey downward until she closed her hand just barely around the width of him.

It was Therin who begged that time when she began stroking him into another level of hardness. Falling victim to sensation, his head fell to her shoulder and he moved helplessly against her hand.

The nagging voice warned Therin that he was dangerously close to coming. He took heed and moved away reluctantly to set the condom in place.

“Shh…” Kianti placed two fingers across his mouth before he could take time to reassure her.

Once more, she felt the potent grip of his hands on her thighs. Soon after, she felt the wide head of his sex probing her entrance. He eased in slow, going deeper until she gloved him to the hilt.

Therin closed his eyes on the sinful tightness sheathing him in a haven of creamy warmth. He called on every ounce of restraint he possessed. The promises he'd made to go slow with her seemed hollow then. All he could think of was taking her any way he could and having the curvaceous cinnamon beauty at his beck and call.

Kianti had no thoughts on exercising restraint. She moved on him with a recklessness that held her oblivious to anything else. Therin couldn't help but match her passion. Their groans and hushed words of seduction filled the room.

She curved her hands about the posts lining her headboard and added renewed vigor to her movements. Therin muttered something incomprehensible before cupping a bouncing breast.

He manipulated, suckled and grazed it with his teeth. A measure of arrogance fueled him, driven by the feel of her tightness giving way as he carved his own unique place inside her.