“If that's the case,” she replied a bit breathlessly and pulled away from him slightly, “you must love me clear to your toes.”
He placed his hand behind her head and pulled her toward him. “Maybe I do,” he whispered against her lips.
He loved kissing her. He loved her -- everything about her. Their mouths touched, and the same jolt of electricity he always felt ran through his veins. If he'd been standing, it would have brought him to his knees.
His thumb rubbed against her cheek as his lips continued to sip at hers. She returned his soft butterfly kisses, her sighs becoming lost in his mouth as he deepened it. He pulled away, his lips remaining a hairbreadth from hers as they spread into a smile. The backs of his fingers brushed along her cheek, her skin soft and smooth beneath his touch.
Her eyes stared into his, wariness and passion deepening the green. “You're a very dangerous man, Captain.” The scent of the spiced tea they'd been drinking wafted across her nose.
“Not nearly as dangerous as we are together.” He captured her lips in another slow kiss, their tongues battling and teasing. God, he loved the way she kissed, the way her lips molded to his. He wanted her, and if he didn't stop this, he'd embarrass the hell out of both of them.
“Really, Sidious. At least take her somewhere a little more private.” At the sound of the female voice, Mikayla stiffened and jumped away from him.
She stared in surprise at the woman standing next to their table. She was beautiful, with dark blonde hair hanging almost to her waist and eyes the color of sapphires. She didn't look a day over forty, and with sickening dread, Mikayla realized she had no idea if Sidious was married or even engaged.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
Turning to him, she sent a murderous scowl.
He gave her a sideways smile. “Mikayla, I'd like you to meet my mother, Kaylar Marcone, Countess of Tilarus. Or as my father likes to call her, Madam Contessa.”
His mother?
Mikayla's eyes widened slightly and then turned back toward the woman who grinned at them knowingly.
“Mother, this is Mikayla.”
“Countess,” Mikayla said and then glanced at Sidious. How was she supposed to address this woman?
“Please.” Kaylar waved a dainty hand and took the seat across from them.
“Judging by the way my son was just looking at you, I think it's safe to say you can call me Kaylar.”
Mikayla blushed a deep red, and Sidious frowned. “Mother.”
“What?” she asked innocently. Her eyes sparkled with humor. She brushed her long dark blonde hair from her shoulder and smiled. Mikayla could see now where Sidious got his playful side.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
His hand moved under Mikayla's hair and gently rubbed her neck. She was coiled more tightly than a bow and still had trouble grasping that she was sitting here talking with his mother of all people. It was hard to imagine Sidious with a mother.
“Oh, I'm just giving your father a little piece of his own medicine.” She grinned as the waiter placed a cup of spiced tea before her. She lifted it and took a sip.
“What did he do this time?” Sidious asked with amusement as he lifted his own cup.
“He's spending a fortune supporting some secret cause. Last month he sent them eighty-five kilnotics, but he's terribly vague about who this group is or what they do.” Sidious choked on his tea.
Kaylar and Mikayla both frowned at him as he struggled to catch his breath.
“Sidious, are you all right?” Mikayla asked as she hit his back with her palm.
He coughed and nodded his head. “I'm fine.” He frowned at his mother. “And how is being here paying him back?”
She grinned. “If he can blow money, then so can I.” Mikayla laughed and then covered her mouth with her hand.
“Only a woman would find that funny,” Sidious said.
“Only a man would think it wasn't,” Mikayla countered back with a devilish smile.
Kaylar laughed. “I like her already, Sidious. Wherever did you find her?”
“Where I least expected to.” He smiled at her, and the heat of a blush crept up her cheeks.
“Sidious,” Kaylar said, and he turned back toward his mother. A worried frown marred her delicate features. “Your father is convinced something is going on with you and your brothers. He's up at all hours of the night pacing. He's snappy and short-tempered -- not at all like himself. Is something going on?”
“No, of course not.” Sidious shook his head, trying not to look too closely at his mother. He hated lying to her like this, but he didn't have a choice. “Tell Father everything is fine.”
The idea that his father might be the benefactor still had his head reeling. He'd have to talk with Stefan about it later and see what he could find out. If it was him, then how did he get involved? And did he know about their involvement?
His mother eyed him as though she didn't quite believe him, but didn't push him to say anything else. Her all-too-knowing gaze moved from him to Mikayla; then she smiled slightly. “I should probably leave the two of you alone. Sidious, I expect you to come back home soon.”
“Yes, Mother.” His voice was dry as sand, which earned him a scowl from Kaylar.
She turned to Mikayla with a smile. “Mikayla, it was nice meeting you. I'm sure we'll see each other again.”
Mikayla returned Kaylar's smile, then frowned at Sidious after she left. “You really shouldn't let your mother think we're a couple.”
“Why?” he asked with a shrug. “Aren't we?”
She shook her head with an exasperated sigh. “Sidious, today has been wonderful, but nothing's changed --”
“Stop it.” He grabbed her chin and turned her face toward his. “Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing?” Mikayla stared at his gray eyes and knew she couldn't. She'd fallen in love with him, although she wasn't sure when it had happened. “No,” she whispered.
“Then why are you fighting this so hard?”
“I…” She swallowed nervously. “You know why.”
He frowned, then stood, pulling her up with him. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“To relieve your guilt, once and for all.”
She wondered what he'd meant by that statement as he pulled her out of the restaurant and down the street. They hadn't had an opportunity to talk about what he'd indicated last night. Was he truly a spy, or was he just telling her that to make her feel less guilty?
They entered a huge three-story building and headed toward the stairs at the far end of the lobby. “Sidious? Damn it, what are we doing?” she asked as she tugged at his hand.
He didn't slow. Instead, he pulled her up the stairs and down a richly decorated hall.
“You know, this dragging me around thing is becoming way too much of a habit.” He opened a door, and they stepped into a beautiful suite decorated in shades of burgundy and beige. A cool breeze blew in from the open French doors.
“Whose room is this? Yours?”
“No. It's Stefan's suite.”
Following him to the center of the room, she stood next to him as he pulled something from his pocket. “What is that?” she asked.
“It's a transport.”
“Oh no.” She shook her head and back away. “When Lafon used that thing, it had hurt.”
“That's because you were tense. You have to be relaxed.”
“No.” She shook her head stubbornly. “And besides, why did we have to come in here to do this? Why not out there?”
“I didn't want anyone to see us use it.”
“Why?” she asked stubbornly, stalling for time.
“You'll see when we get there.”
Sidious grabbed her hand, pulling her close to him. Her nipples brushed against the wool of his jacket, and she closed her eyes, fighting the tingling sensation.
“You're being silly,” he whispered against her lips.
His arm snaked around the small of her back, pressing her body against his. Her heart raced, and she burned everywhere. Without thinking, her hands slowly moved up his massive biceps, feeling the hard muscle beneath the fabric. “Can't you just tell me what it was you were going to show me?”
His lips brushed across hers, and she sucked in a breath. “Maybe I was going to do both.”
It was so sexy the way he whispered against her mouth. The way his teeth nibbled at her bottom lip made her crazy.
“Kiss me, Mikayla.”
After only a second's hesitation, she did. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him with all the passion she could muster. Her tongue delved and teased just as his had, causing him to moan deep in his throat.
By the time he broke the kiss, they were both breathing heavily. “Damn,” he said.
“I hate to say it, but we're here.”
“What?”
She pulled away from him and looked around the brightly lit room, so different than the suite they were standing in just a second ago. It reminded her of the bridge of the Enterprise on
Star Trek
, but completely empty of a crew. Through the massive window that took up the far wall, she could see the planet of Daego spinning below them. A row of computer panels stood rib high, embedded in a black metal table that curved like an arch. Stepping forward, she tried to read the words flashing across the screen, but it was another language.
“Where are we?”
He smirked playfully. “You ask that question a lot.” She sighed. “Then maybe you should answer it.”
“All in due time.”
She turned back to Sidious and scowled. “The way you did that was dirty.”
“Yeah, but it worked.” He chuckled as she slapped his shoulder.
“See if I ever kiss you again. There's no telling where I'll end up.”
Sidious laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “Now that you know it doesn't hurt, I won't have to resort to that again.” He nipped at her bottom lip, wiggling his eyebrows. “But you're more than welcome to kiss me anyway.”
“It's a good thing I don't want to.”
“Liar,” he mumbled against her lips, before capturing them in a soul-stealing kiss.
And that's exactly what he'd done -- stolen her soul. She had no idea how she would explain this. No idea if anyone would even understand. But she loved him, no matter who he was.
They heard someone clear their throat, and Mikayla began to giggle, breaking the kiss.
“Never fails,” Sidious mumbled.
“Then perhaps you should stick to a room,” Stefan replied dryly.
Mikayla stared at Stefan in shock. “Stefan?”
He nodded, the grin on his face making him appear boyish and charming.
“Now will you tell me where we are?” she asked as she turned to look at Sidious.
“We're onboard the
Vultair
, the flagship of the rebels."
For a second, she was speechless, her heart soaring in her chest.
“What? Rebels? As in „fight against the prime minister' rebels?” Sidious nodded. “Yes.”
“And you're one of them? That's what you meant when you nodded yes to being a spy?”
Sidious nodded again. She could only stare in shock.
“Son of a bitch,” Sidious said with a chuckle. “I believe I've made her speechless.” Mikayla pursed her lips and frowned. Their earlier conversation with his mother ran through her mind.
“This is what your father is upset about, isn't it?” she asked.
“Possibly.”
“What?” Stefan asked as he pushed away from the doorjamb and stood straight.
“What's she talking about?”
“I saw Mother on Tilarus. It seems our father blew eighty-five kilnotics on an undisclosed cause last month.”
Stefan paled right before her eyes. “You can't be serious. I'll kill him!” Stefan snapped and turned to head down the long hallway.
“Stefan.” Sidious sighed, then grabbed Mikayla's hand before taking off after him.
“Wait.” Mikayla had to almost run to keep up with their long strides. “I don't understand what the amount of money has to do with anything.”
“The rebels have an anonymous benefactor. The amount of money our father donated is the exact same amount of money we received from the benefactor.” Stefan threw over his shoulder.
“But that doesn't mean it's him.”
“It's too much of a coincidence for my liking,” Sidious mumbled.
”I agree,” Stefan sighed. “Do you think it's possible he knows?”
“I don't know how.”
Mikayla grinned slightly. “When it comes to children, parents sometimes just know these things.”
Sidious chuckled. “Dear old Dad always was very good at anticipating our moves.”
“Unfortunately,” Stefan mumbled, making Mikayla giggle.
“I take it you were caught red-handed?”
“Red-handed?” Stefan and Sidious asked in unison.
“Yeah. In the act.”
Stefan nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. “More times than I care to count.” She would have loved to see them as teenagers. Gallivanting around, getting into trouble. As they made their way through the ship, her eyes traveled around the hallway, looking into open doors. She had no idea how big the ship actually was, but it was obviously much smaller than the Destroyer. The hallway was barely wide enough for her and Sidious to fit in side by side. One thing she noticed right away was that the ship was virtually empty. There wasn't anyone else here that she could see.
“Sidious, where is everyone?”
“Taron and I are the only ones that know about Sidious's involvement. We didn't want anyone to see him, so we sent them all on leave,” Stefan said as they stepped into a turbochute.
“Where's Taron?” Sidious asked.