03 Solar Flare - Spark Series (14 page)

She’d opted against subtle and had him thrown
out of The Spark, with a warning never to return.

A woman with long, pale green curls walked up
to the man and gave him a hug. She had a little boy by the hand,
and the father proceeded to speak sternly to him. Maybe he’d run
off? That was dangerous to do in a crowd.

Azor touched her arm, startling her out of
her reverie. The perception in his eyes shamed her, though it was
probably not his intent. “It’s not him.”

She stiffened and subtly pulled away. “I
know.”

They were silent as they rode a lift to the
upper floor and crossed the skywalk. They entered the hotel and
rode the elevator up. He walked her to her door and looked down at
her. She could tell he’d like to talk to her. It scared her.
Getting too close to this man was a mistake. She tried to forestall
him with a quick goodbye. “Sleep well.”

He considered her for a moment, then slowly
reached out and smoothed her stiff hair back from her face. It
hadn’t recovered from the cream conditioning yet. “I could.”

Her breath stilled as she realized what he
was implying. It wasn’t polite to trap a woman on the rebound, even
if she was only reeling from memories. “I don’t…tonight wasn’t an
invitation, you know.”

“I know,” he said agreeably, then kissed her.
It was sweet, hot, and demanding. It also left her as dizzy as a
Tilt n’ Spin carnival ride. He pulled back and looked at her a
touch sternly. “Tomorrow, we talk.”

She pulled away. “No.”

He shook his head, but didn’t argue. With one
last, burning look, he left her at her door. She noticed he went
two doors down and went in. Maybe he wasn’t going out again
tonight, after all.

Brandy went into her room and leaned against
the closed door, ignoring the ache in her feet. She didn’t want to
talk to him. Refusal was her best defense. She felt so stupid for
believing in his ruse. Sure, he was a shape shifter, and apparently
a good one, but she could have stopped to think, to analyze the
situation. Instead she’d acted like a teen with a crush. Hadn’t she
developed any sense?

Besides, he was a Kiuyian man. Even if she
gave him what he seemed to want, she didn’t believe she could
satisfy him for long. M’acht had been difficult enough, and he’d
cared for her. Hadn’t they been friends for years?

She sighed and moved away from the door.
M’acht had seemed like such a good choice. She’d been so careful
with her heart, and they shared affection. He hadn’t cared about
her past, and yet, it had all gone so wrong. Then she’d thought
she’d found another man who didn’t mind her reputation and she’d
started to hope, only to be cruelly disappointed. Of course Azor
would care. Azure might not have.

She ran her hand through her hair as she
paced. Azor was Azure. Argh! Why did all the whacked out ones
gravitate to her? Was she really a lodestone for weirdoes? No
wonder she couldn’t find a decent guy!

Not that Azor was weird, exactly, her
conscience forced her to admit. Trouble, oh, he was definitely
trouble. She’d never been more confused about a man in her life.
He’d wanted to kiss her…twice. No, three times. Surely that wasn’t
coincidence. But why did he want her? Was she just forbidden
fruit?

The thought stopped her in her tracks, made
her curiously numb. Could that really be it? Surely not. She
realized with surprise that she had a higher opinion of him than
that. When had that happened?

With the realization came another question.
Why was she being so stubborn about listening to his side of the
story? The very thought made her nervous. She suspected that given
a chance, Azor would apologize very well. Worse, she might actually
like him afterward. Liking Azor was…terrifying, actually. She
practically got hives just thinking about it.

Change scared her, and this felt like she was
standing on the edge of a cliff, with someone poking a stick at her
back. She didn’t want to fall.

She couldn’t think. Her world had tilted on
its axis, tipping her little boxes of perceived notions and
spilling the contents. She tried to pick up the pieces, but they
were hopelessly scattered. For years he’d never acted like he
desired her. He hadn’t looked at her as if she meant anything
special. Tonight he’d flirted with her, kissed her again.
Immaculate Azor had let her throw cream at him and squirt him with
water.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She
was too unsettled to arrive at any conclusions right now. Maybe she
should find a distraction. Zone out. She didn’t have to know all
the answers right now.

The practical idea calmed her. She left her
room, keeping a wary eye out for Azor. After that last kiss, she
was afraid of what he could persuade her to do.

She needed a cop to police her cop. Not that
he was really hers, of course…she rubbed her head and resolved not
to think about it. The man was giving her a headache.

CHAPTER 9

She had a key to the living area of her
sister’s suite. Her nephew Baden looked up with a guilty expression
as she walked in. He had a ping-pong paddle in his hand and, after
a moment, a hopeful expression on his face. “Will you play with me,
Aunt Brandy? Mom is taking a nap with the baby and Kaden is in time
out. Dad said I had to go to bed, too, but maybe I could stay up if
you’d watch me.”

“So what you’re saying is you sneaked out of
bed, right?” She didn’t bother to ask what Kaden had done this
time. She didn’t need to know.

“Right,” Baden said, making no bones about
it.

She smiled. She dearly loved that kid. “Where
is your father? Why doesn’t he play with you?”

“He’s going to nap with Mom,” Baden said in
disgust. “I’m never going to nap when I’m a grown up.”

Brandy felt reluctant amusement. She
understood what grown up naps entailed. No doubt it was the reason
for Gem’s plethora of children.

Well, that was fine. She could use the
distraction of playing babysitter. “Okay, where’s my paddle?” The
game was a virtual projection over the dining room table. While the
paddles were real, the ball was a sparkly blue hologram that
exploded in a shatter of light when struck. It was one of the boy’s
favorite games.

She squared off against him, taking it easy
with her shots. The kid did pretty good, though.

He talked the whole time. “I beat Uncle Azor
last time.”

“Hm.” She didn’t want to talk about Uncle
Azor.

“Are you fighting?” Baden asked as he watched
her go after a stray ball. The kid had always been observant.

“Something like that.” Denying it would only
lead to more questions. Evasiveness and kids didn’t mix. Besides,
he fought with his brother all the time. “Kind of like you and
Kaden do.” Well, there was a difference, but it might help him clam
up.

He looked thoughtful. “Mom said you guys
fight like you’re already an old married couple.”

Her eyes narrowed. She knew where her
romantic sister’s thoughts were most likely going. “Your mama is
speculating on risky funds, pup. I wouldn’t listen to her. Marriage
is icky,” she said, knowing he’d instantly agree.

“Yeah. Kissing girls is gross,” Baden said
with disgust. “I’m never getting married.”

“Good plan,” she agreed, then sent a quick
shot his way. She was through being nice to the little inquisitor.
She soon relented, though. It helped that he stopped quizzing her
about her love life. Besides, he was just a kid.

She purposely missed a few balls just to
watch him crow with delight. It was fun to tease him, and took the
edge off her tension. After a few matches she was feeling better,
almost relaxed. It made her think that simply enjoying herself with
the kids would be her wisest move. It was hard to play and worry at
the same time.

Being with her nephew also made her realize
that she was wasting her time by hiding in her room. Much as she’d
needed the down time, she’d soon be separated from her family by a
vast distance. It made her heart ache, and her vision suddenly
fogged.

“What’s the matter?” Baden asked, noting her
distraction. “Are you tired?”

“Yeah,” she said gruffly. “I’m tired. Maybe
we should snuggle on the couch and watch some TV.”

“Sure. How about Mega Monsters From Another
Galaxy? I love that show.” He was already heading for the
remote.

“Sure.” She let him turn the view screen on
and snuggled with him under a blanket, their feet propped up on an
ottoman. Now this was more like it. Maybe she just needed to
snuggle more often. Too bad she couldn’t smuggle the kid along for
the ride. He’d probably love it.

She leaned her head back, content. Maybe it
was time to revaluate her priorities. When was the last time a
business meeting had left her feeling this relaxed? Maybe the
secret to happiness really was a snuggle buddy and a cartoon. She
let her eyes drift shut as she pondered the theory…

Azor was early for his meeting with Blue, but
he let himself into their suite anyway. Like Brandy, he had an
extra key. Gem always stocked the best snacks, and he knew he was
welcome to help himself.

Besides, he was tired of thinking about
Brandy’s reaction to the Kiuyian family they’d seen earlier. It was
obviously what she wanted for herself, and he felt angry with
M’acht every time he thought about it. He could have at least given
her a child.

He shut the door and spotted Brandy and her
nephew snoozing on the couch. She was sitting up, her head back
against the sofa, her mouth slightly open. He thought it was Baden
who had his head resting on her thigh, snuggled under the blanket.
He must have been too warm, for his hair looked damp with
sweat.

Their movie was still going, but nobody was
watching, so he clicked it off and flicked the cover off the kid
before he drowned in his own sweat. He studied the pair, noting the
faint family resemblance. She’d make a good mother, he thought, and
wondered again what had happened with her marriage.

He’d met M’acht a few times and thought he
was a decent guy, though not as seasoned as he could be. Now he
wondered if that had been the whole problem; M’acht was simply too
green to handle a woman like her.

He thought about it as he went in search of a
snack. Someone had left a tightly wrapped sandwich in the fridge,
so he appropriated it, along with a drink. He ate it standing,
leaning against the counter as he watched the napping duo.

Brandy wouldn’t be an easy woman to live
with, though most of her temper was just a cover for anxiety. She
was high-strung and emotional. When he’d first investigated The
Spark six years ago, she’d secretly been taking medication to quell
her panic attacks. Inherently an honest woman, she’d been severely
stressed from keeping so many secrets from her sister Gem.

She was also strong willed and resistant to
change—witness how long it had taken to persuade her to leave
Polaris. M’acht had been prone to letting her have her own way.

He had to wonder whose idea it had been to
get married. He’d been involved in an investigation at the time and
hadn’t thought too much about it, but everyone knew it had been
quick. He’d never asked Blue for details, since it hadn’t been his
place. At the time, he hadn’t been too interested. He wouldn’t mind
some answers now.

Blue finally emerged from his room, looking
relaxed, but not the least bit sleepy. He noticed his son and
Brandy curled on the couch and gestured for Azor to follow him.
“I’ve got at least a half hour to work out before they wake up,”
Blue said once they were in the hall. “How about a game of
rackets?”

Azor found an opportunity to question Blue as
they batted an energy ball back and forth over a virtual net. In
between friendly insults, he worked his question casually into the
conversation. “I’ve been wondering why Brandy’s marriage was so
short.”

Blue grunted as he dived for a ball. It
sizzled as it hit his racket and zipped over the net. “If you ask
me, he spoiled her. The Harrisdaughters are not the sort of women
you let run ahead of you. He was always two laps behind.”

Azor smirked. “You never told your wife
that.”

“And I never will. It takes an agile mind to
outfox her. Having kids helped. She settled some.”

“Which is why I wondered. I’d have thought
Brandy would at least have had kids. Seems like it would’ve
mellowed her.”

“Yeah, you’d think. Worked for her sisters,
anyway. Why? You thinking of reproducing?” Blue teased. “You’d
better get busy. You two aren’t getting any younger.”

Azor gave him a quelling stare. “You in a
hurry to see a fast marriage for her again? Didn’t work so well the
last time.”

Blue caught the ball, but didn’t hit it back.
He looked seriously at Azor. “They were too green. You know how
Polaris is. They don’t give their youth any information about what
goes on in the marriage bed, just throw them together and assume it
will sort itself out. If there are problems, they don’t know any
better. They got counseling, I heard, but not the right kind.”

Azor frowned. “So you’re saying…what? That
M’acht had problems?” Impotence, nerves, a quick draw…it could have
been anything, but Blue was keeping M’acht’s secrets. Azor could
respect that, and what Blue had said did shed some light on the
issue.

If part of the problem had been sexual, then
he had no worries. Neither he nor Blue had originally been from
Polaris. He was neither inexperienced nor uneducated. There were
other things, though. “Was there a lot of fighting that you knew
of? I know M’acht didn’t come from the most stable background.” His
mother had died young and his father was an abusive loser. His
younger brother had been in and out of juvie. Sometimes a man could
overcome it, sometimes he didn’t.

Blue sighed. “I never saw much of it, but
with Brandy, I wouldn’t doubt it. She’d have tried to change him,
I’m sure, and she wouldn’t have been patient about it. I love the
girl like family, but with her temperamental personality, I’m glad
she’s not my wife.”