Up in Flames (8 page)

Alex watched the screen, waiting for the Mundi to put his back to the secret panel located in his bedroom. His only chance at overpowering the assassin was to slit the Mundi’s throat from behind. If he was lucky, he could get this one, then sneak up on the other one as well.

Finally, the Mundi turned, and Alex grabbed the silver blade that rested on the ledge before sliding the panel open. It made no sound at all, opening just far enough for him to slide through. He crept, being careful to control his breathing as much as possible.

Taking a calming, deep breath, he stepped forward and reached around the Mundi’s shoulders, sinking the silver blade into his throat. Blood immediately coated his fingers as he slid the blade across, cutting the Mundi’s windpipe and artery.

The assassin made a gurgling noise and gripped his neck, trying to stanch the blood flow. Two seconds later, he started to fall. Alex rushed forward and grabbed him, slowly lowering his body to the floor so it wouldn’t make any noise and alert the other one.

Alex pulled the blaster from the Mundi’s belt, then slowly made his way through the apartment looking for the second intruder. It had been a long time since he’d done anything like this. Too long, if the truth were known. He could feel his heart racing. If he didn’t time this just right, he could screw up everything.

He stepped silently around the corner only to be smacked hard by the hilt of the Mundi’s sword. Caught by surprise, Alex groaned and staggered backward. The blaster fell from his fingers and hit the floor a few feet away.

The Mundi lunged, and Alex kicked, catching the Mundi low in the groin. The Mundi snarled at Alex before straightening back up. Alex stiffened and glanced around for the blaster. He spotted it just a short distance away. Could he get to it in time?

He made a move, but the Mundi was too quick. He backhanded Alex, sending him against the wall. His shoulders hit the paneling, and he groaned, stopping himself before he slid to the floor. “Damn son of a bitch,” Alex rumbled.

Alex pushed away from the wall and swung wide, hitting the Mundi on his chin. At the same time, the Mundi thrust forward. Alex tried to dodge the sword. Unfortunately he wasn’t fast enough, and the tip of the sword sank into the left side of his stomach, just below his ribs.

Alex gasped. Searing pain raced through his midsection as he raised his arm and backhanded the Mundi. The bones in Alex’s hand broke as it slammed against the Mundi’s face. He’d hit him hard, but the Mundi barely moved in response.

This wasn’t good.

With an angry glare, the Mundi took one step and forced his sword forward. Alex tried to dodge it but again wasn’t quick enough. He just didn’t have the Mundi reflexes. It sank in his right side, going clear out the back.

Blood coated his side and thighs, each wound bleeding profusely. Dizziness overwhelmed him as the Mundi jerked the sword free, allowing Alex to drop his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex spotted the blaster, just a few feet away. Forcing himself to fall in that direction, he landed close enough to get his hand on the weapon.

“Where’s Cara?” the Mundi snarled.

“Fuck you,” Alex snarled.

Ignoring his wounds, Alex turned and pointed the blaster at his attacker. His eyes widened as Alex pulled the trigger. A loud piercing sound echoed just before he watched the Mundi’s head explode, spilling blood and brain matter all over his walls.

Alex let his head and arm fall. He stared up at the spinning ceiling and struggled to breathe. Pain coursed through his body like a molten-hot rod. How long before someone found him? He was tempted to just close his eyes and let himself pass out, but his stubbornness wouldn’t allow it. He had to get up.

He had no idea how much time went by as he continued to lie there, staring at the dimming lights above him. He’d lost too much blood. He really needed to get up and call someone.

“Move, Alex,” he growled out loud, trying to force himself to act past discomfort.

Groaning in frustration, Alex rolled to his side and tried to get his legs up, only to fail. He never realized just how much he used his stomach muscles until they were injured. He cursed and tried again, forcing the pain to the back of his mind.

Using one hand, he pushed himself to a sitting position. He gnashed his teeth so hard he had no doubt he would probably crack every one of them before he managed to get up.

His front door slid open, and he tensed, praying it wasn’t another Mundi coming to finish him off.

“Alex?” Chris called out as he stepped into his apartment. “Are you here? I need to talk—” Chris stared across the floor at Alex in shock, then quickly rushed forward, demanding, “What the hell happened?”

“Mundi,” Alex said, barely able to breathe.

Relief washed over him at the sight of Chris. Thank God Chris never knocked. Chris’s assistant Sharna walked in and screamed at the bloody, headless body just a few feet away. “Please tell me that’s not Alex.”

“We’re over here,” Chris said with a wave of his hand as he knelt down by Alex. “Get a medic. Fast.”

Sharna nodded and ran to the communication system on Alex’s desk. Alex raised his hand, trying to get Sharna’s attention, but he was so weak, his hand fell back to the floor. “The password,” he murmured.

“What’s the password, Alex?” Chris asked.

Alex sighed and let his eyes drift closed. How the hell was he going to explain this one? “Green eyes.”

“Green eyes?” he heard Chris repeat.

“Don’t ask, Chris.”

Chapter Nine

Hayden stood over Cara as she stretched out along the weight bench in his father’s basement gym. He positioned his fingers just under the bar she held, ready to catch it if she dropped it. She was doing well. She kept it steady and balanced, and she’d been able to increase the weight quickly.

Her strength surprised him. She was already bench-pressing close to half of what he could. “Again,” he said and moved his hands so she could lower the bar. He kept himself ready to grab it just in case her muscles failed or lifting it back up became too much for her.

He tried to keep his eyes on her face. He really did. Instead, they shifted to her breasts, which rose and fell enticingly with her breathing. Masturbating in the shower this morning hadn’t done a damn thing for him. He’d gotten hard again the second he saw her. He would probably stay hard until he either fucked her or she left.

Damn, what had he been thinking? He should’ve known just touching her wouldn’t be enough. He could still smell her arousal, taste her kiss, feel her firm body beneath his, and none of it helped to lessen the pain in his balls.

She was his patient; on top of that, she was a virgin. He had no business touching her. She was confused. Her emotions were ruling her thoughts because she wasn’t able to rule them. Taking her now would be taking advantage of her, and Hayden refused to do that.

No matter how damn bad he wanted to.

Her gaze pinned his as she pushed the bar back up. Heat emanated from those beautiful light blue eyes, making Hayden freeze right on the spot. It took everything in him not to touch her, to give her what he knew she wanted. It was right there in her eyes. Her gaze was a mirror for all the desire and pent-up frustration he felt for her.

“Hayden,” she breathed.

Her arms began to shake, and Hayden quickly grabbed the bar. He placed it back in the rack, then stepped away. If he didn’t, he would touch her again. He had to put some distance between them. Fast. “It’s almost lunchtime. We should probably take a break,” he said, not looking at her.

He couldn’t. If he did, she would see how much he wanted her. But would she recognize that for what it was? Did she understand enough about lust to know it when she saw it on someone else? Lord knew he wanted to teach her, show her all the ways he desired her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her sit up on the bench. She ran her hand up and down her thigh while sighing deeply.

“Are your legs hurting?” he asked.

“A little.”

Hayden closed his eyes. He should rub them for her. Unfortunately he wasn’t sure he could without it leading somewhere else. Like him sinking deep inside her hot, tight body.

She pressed her palm into her thigh and winced. Hayden threw down the towel he’d just picked up and walked over to her. He knelt on one knee and pushed her hand away from her leg, replacing it with his. He rubbed his palm up her thigh, noticing instantly just how tight that muscle was. She gasped and jerked away.

He looked up at her and saw the slight flinch of pain on her face. “You’re tight,” he said.

Her gaze shot to his, and she swallowed. He’d thought the same thing about her pussy this morning. Had he said it out loud then? Was that why she gazed at him in surprise before the light in her eyes shifted to a look of longing that made his chest tighten?

He knew of patients who fell in love with the doctors who nursed them back to health. It would be easy for Cara to do that, especially in her weakened emotional state. But that love wouldn’t be real, nor would it last. As soon as she realized she’d only latched on to him because he nursed her back to health, been all she’d known during her recovery. But as for him, he had a sick sense of dread his feelings for her would last a very, very, very long time.

“Lie down on your stomach, and I’ll stretch your legs,” he said.

She nodded and rolled from the bench to the floor. Hayden got down on his knees next to her. With his hand on her ankle, he bent her knee and pulled her foot back to her behind until he felt resistance.

God, her ass looked good. Firm and round and so tight he could bounce a gold piece off it. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on this woman’s body anywhere.

“What kind of training did you do?” he asked, trying to get his mind off her ass. “When you were a Mundi?”

He lowered her foot, letting her leg relax a few seconds before repeating the stretch.

“Mostly physical stuff. Endurance, speed, strength. I was trained separately for my telekinetic ability. They helped me make it stronger.”

“That’s all?” he asked.

“No. I was also taught to kill.” She sighed. “I can kill a man in over a hundred different ways with my hands. I can also kill a man without even touching him.”

Hayden frowned. “How so?”

“I can choke him with my mind.”

Hayden raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Interesting talent. How many times had he been angry with someone and wished he could do that very thing? Ignoring the temptation to follow through would be difficult sometimes. Since she didn’t feel emotion, she would never make a rash decision and kill someone in a fit of rage. Maybe it was good she didn’t feel.

“I was also taught politics.”

He blinked, trying to stay focused on the conversation. “Why politics?” he asked as he repeated the stretch a fourth time.

This time the resistance was less, meaning her muscles were beginning to loosen up.

“I always wondered that too,” she said quietly. “I guess now I know why.”

They’d schooled her in politics because they’d wanted her to rule. Cara’s question had merit. How had an order whose members didn’t feel emotion suddenly become greedy? Was it possible the elders did?

Hayden moved to the other leg, and Cara let out a totally relaxed sigh. “This is almost as good as what you did this morning.”

Hayden closed his eyes briefly at the reminder. The now painful reminder. The ache in his cock was enough to make him groan out loud. He’d finally begun to get his mind off sex, only for her to bring it up again. “That doesn’t say much for my skills if stretching is anywhere close to what you felt this morning.”

“The stretching relaxes me. What was that I felt this morning?”

Hayden’s hand slipped off her leg. He rolled his eyes and put it back. “That was an orgasm.”

“Huh.”

She didn’t say anything else, and Hayden hoped that was the end of her questions.

“You were using your hand,” she said softly. Hayden swallowed his groan.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Can I do that to myself, then?”

Hayden almost choked, imagining her touching herself. “Yes, you can give yourself an orgasm.”

He set her leg back down. Cara turned and sat up. She looked at him with a slight frown. “Then I actually don’t really need you at all.”

“Ah… Well…” He scratched the back of his head. He should tell her yes, but he couldn’t bring himself to, although he wasn’t sure why.

God, now he knew how his parents must’ve felt when Miya started asking all those sex questions. The funniest was when she’d found the handcuffs in their father’s nightstand drawer.

“That will work for a little while, but eventually even that won’t be enough.”

“Why?”

“Well…” Damn. He was a doctor. This should be easy.

“Hayden,” Beena called down the stairs. “Are you still down there?”

“Yeah. What is it, Beena?” he asked, thankful for the interruption.

“You have a call. Ambassador Dorn.”

“I’m coming,” he said as he stood and quickly headed to his father’s office, Cara close on his heels.

Once in his father’s office on the first floor, he jogged behind the desk and started to hit the button on the computer screen to open the channel back up, but Cara’s words stopped him. “Are you sure that’s secure? The signal is traveling through open space.”

“Trust me. If there’s one thing my dad knows better than anyone, it’s security. Stay back,” he said.

She frowned. “Why? It’s Alex.”

“Just in case he’s not alone.”

She shook her head and began to argue. “He wouldn’t risk me like that. He would never call here if he had someone with him.”

“Humor me,” he said.

Cara sighed and moved to the other side of the desk. As Hayden opened the computer, Cara paced before him, adorably biting her thumbnail.

“Good afternoon, Ambassador,” Hayden said with a grin. “I assume all went well with the senate.”

“Damn straight,” Chris said as he stepped into view behind Alex’s chair and bent forward slightly so Hayden could see him through the screen. Alex, Hayden noticed, shook his head slightly as though irritated.