She snuggled down in the chair, wrapping his shirt closely around her. He thought she was going to drift to sleep, but she opened her eyes again. “How long will he be gone?”
“Wish I knew. If he doesn’t come back soon, I’ll go looking for him. He won’t freak too much if I go wandering, but you’ll have to wait here.”
“Why was he so upset about me being with you?”
“I broke my vow of silence when I told you about the Paladins and Regents. In doing so, I outed Jarvis, too, without asking him if that was all right.”
She sat up straighter. “What’s the big deal about all this secrecy? You guys don’t sound much different than any other special operations troops.”
“They don’t fight with swords, for one thing. Then there’s the little matter of us being almost impossible to kill. And if we do die, we come back. When the Paladins were first organized into a fighting force against the Others, society had an unfortunate tendency to crucify anyone who was different. We went underground, both literally and figuratively, because that’s where our battles were. The less anyone knew about us or the Others, the better.”
Jarvis picked that minute to come back in. “Sorry I was gone so long.”
“No problem. I was just giving Brenna a short lesson in the history of Paladins and why we keep a low profile.”
Jarvis yanked out his chair and dropped into it, propping his feet up on his desk. “While you’re at it, do you want me to print out a roster, so she can expose all of us at the same time?”
Brenna sat upright; righteous indignation making her ready to do battle. Although it would have been amusing to let her rip into his friend, there wasn’t time for a debate.
“I had to tell her about us so that she’d know what we’re up against. She’s an intelligent person. Once she understands our situation, she’ll protect our secret.” He glanced over toward Brenna. “I trust her.”
That pronouncement had Jarvis’s boots hitting the floor and Brenna staring at him with her mouth open.
Finally, Jarvis shook his head as if to clear it. “Well, that being the case, let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“The tunnels.”
He picked up a pad of paper and scribbled a message on it. Blake read it upside down from across the desk.
We think our computer server is being monitored. My boys have set up shop down in the caves where we can control who has access to our system. A couple of them have been working on the judge’s disk and spreadsheets. We’ve also rigged my office to interfere with any unwanted ears. I can only run the equipment for short times to avoid arousing their suspicions.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Brenna slipped on his shirt and followed them to the door.
“Do caves bother you, Brenna?” Trahern asked. If she was claustrophobic, they definitely had problems.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been in one.”
Jarvis looked incredulous. “You grew up in the state that has about the most caves and caverns in one place in the world! How did you manage to avoid visiting Onondoga or the Meramec Caverns?”
She shrugged.
“Well, get ready, woman. You’re about to see one of the best unknown wonders of the world.” Jarvis led them back to the elevator and keyed in his identification.
As the elevator slid farther into the depths of the Earth, Blake stood close to Brenna in case the depth of their destination bothered her. She leaned against the elevator wall and closed her eyes. It had already been a long day for them both, and it didn’t seem likely to end anytime soon. He was used to going long periods of time without adequate rest, but for her sake, after Jarvis showed them what they’d gotten from the disk and spreadsheets, he would ask if there was room for them in the underground quarters.
They reached bottom with a soft
whoosh.
When the doors opened, Brenna stepped into the cavern, her eyes full of wonder. The barrier ran along the far wall; its shimmering light lit the caverns with a soft glow. Closing his eyes, Blake let the energy of the barrier thrum through him and soaked up some of its power. He knew the instant that Brenna spotted it. She latched onto his arm and pointed at the natural wonder as if he couldn’t see it for himself.
“It’s beautiful.”
So was she, taking in all the amazing wonders in front of her.
“Can I touch it?”
“Only if you like playing with high voltage wires. It packs quite a punch, which is why the Others only cross if the barrier comes down.”
“I wish I had a camera.” Realizing what she’d just said, she made a sound of disgust. “I’m sorry; I didn’t think.”
She glanced at Jarvis. “Studying the history of people and their daily lives is what I do. Writing a history of the Regents and the Paladins is the sort of thing that we historians would give our right arm for.”
Jarvis nodded, accepting both her apology and her explanation. Trahern could understand why the history of the Paladins would appeal to a scholar, and he thought about all those file cabinets of records stored below the Center in Seattle. Most women wanted sparkly jewelry or a night out on the town, but Brenna would prefer a week among the dusty old files. Like that was ever going to happen.
Jarvis led them through a labyrinth of tunnels, some narrowing and twisting, others wide open with wonderful views of the big cavern where the barrier pulsed and glowed. When they reached a bank of cubicles built in one of the lesser caverns, Trahern was reminded again how strange it looked to see high technology surrounded by the ancient rock.
A Paladin he didn’t recognize sat hunched over a keyboard, his fingers a blur. Jarvis waited until the man sat back to let the computer do its thing before making introductions.
“Blake Trahern and Brenna Nichols, this is John Doe. Oddly enough, everybody who works here is named John Doe. If we had time, we would love to do a statistical analysis of something like that happening.” He grinned.
If the man was surprised to hear that his name had changed, he gave no sign of it. “I was sorry to hear about your father, Ms. Nichols. He was a good man.”
“Thank you, Mr. Doe. That means a lot to me.”
The Paladin turned back to the computer and let his fingers dance over the keys. They watched in silence for several minutes. Finally, Trahern had had enough.
“Jarvis, is there a place we could get some shut-eye? We’ve been on the road all day and last night wasn’t exactly restful.” Brenna’s face flushed bright pink. Son of a bitch, he’d worded that wrong. “I got shot yesterday coming out of the Nichols’s house. It wasn’t bad, but it hurt like hell.”
Jarvis frowned. “Do you need a Handler to take a look at it?”
“No, Brenna did some rough first aid, and she talked to Devlin Bane and Dr. Young. They told her what to do.”
His friend looked suitably impressed. Studying Brenna with a thoughtful expression on his face, he told her, “You’re holding up quite well, considering you’ve been shot at, kidnapped from the hospital, and trapped all night with a wounded Paladin. I know battle-trained guards who wouldn’t have borne up under that kind of strain.”
“Thank you…I think.” She gave him a puzzled look, as if wondering if he were serious.
“And yes, Trahern, I can fix the two of you up with a room just down the hall. The accommodations aren’t anything to brag about, but the sheets are clean and there’s plenty of hot water.” He reached for a telephone. “I’ll have your bags brought down.”
A single room. It probably had two beds, since the rooms were meant to house Paladins needing a break when the barrier acted up, but even that would be too close. How was he supposed to sleep, knowing she was only a few feet away? He closed his eyes and remembered again how it felt to have their bodies joined, and to hold her in his arms when passion left them both exhausted and exhilarated. His body reacted immediately and he shifted his position, trying to hide it.
Brenna turned her head to meet his gaze. Those eyes of hers saw way too much, because she immediately blushed again before turning away. But she didn’t demand separate sleeping arrangements.
Jarvis hung up the phone and motioned them to follow him. “I wish I could offer something a little farther away from the barrier, but I don’t think it will bother you much, Trahern. You’re more acclimated to the one in Seattle now.”
That was true, but he could still feel the soft hum of this one purring through his blood. The longer he was near it, the more he would feel its fluctuations and mood swings, unless he had something else to occupy his mind. He suppressed the urge to grin. Brenna wouldn’t appreciate him bedding her just so he could ignore a throbbing wall of energy.
She’d given him a glimpse of paradise burning up the sheets with him, only to snatch it all away just because he’d healed overnight.
And now he was going to spend a long night, lying awake wanting her, when what he needed was some serious sleep.
He tapped the mysterious Mr. Doe on the shoulder. “If you find out anything worth knowing, wake me up no matter what time it is.”
Mr. Doe looked past him to Jarvis before nodding. Trahern resented Jarvis outranking him, but Devlin Bane was the same way in Seattle. No one had cast a vote, electing them the leaders, but they’d both earned the respect of their fellow Paladins. Trahern would just have to live with the pecking order.
“I’ll get you settled so I can get back to work.” Jarvis led them into one of the side tunnels that branched off to the right.
The three of them walked in silence, Brenna still shivering despite Trahern’s shirt. He’d put his arm around her for the warmth of his body, but he wasn’t sure how she’d react. The last thing he wanted was for her to shove him away in front of Jarvis or the others. In private he’d put up with her hot and cold moods, but that was the limit of his patience.
Jarvis unlocked a door and tossed Trahern the keys. “As I said, it’s nothing fancy, but it’s safe. If you need me for anything, push zero on the phone by the bed and then tell them to page me. Since cell phones don’t function worth crap this close to the barrier, the land line is your best bet.”
“Thanks, Jarvis.” Brenna entered the room, then stopped and looked back. “I’ve been meaning to ask, is Jarvis your first name or your last?”
“Yes.” The arrogant bastard walked off down the hallway laughing.
Trahern followed Brenna and looked around. There weren’t two beds. Only one—and it was a double. He glanced at the floor; limestone would be cold and miserably uncomfortable to sleep on. He’d had worse places to sleep. Maybe.
“They’re quick with their service.” Brenna pointed to her suitcase and his duffel in the corner.
“Probably anxious to get us under lock and key before anyone else finds out that we’re here.” He picked up his bag and set it on the heavy metal dresser on the far wall. “I’m going to call to get you another blanket. It’s almost impossible to warm this place with that huge, open cavern out there.”
“Okay, if you think we’ll need it.”
She closed the bathroom door behind her, leaving him wondering what she’d meant. Did she think one blanket each was enough, or that they’d both be warm because they’d be sharing the blankets and the bed?
He reached for the phone. “Can we get another set of blankets? Ms. Nichols doesn’t handle the cold as well as we do.”
There, let them think what they would. No one but him and Brenna would know their sleeping arrangements. Either he and the limestone would make a night of it, or he’d be curled up next to Brenna, breathing in her warmth and that sweet scent that was uniquely her. He wouldn’t take anything for granted, but a man could always hope.
Brenna leaned over the sink to get a better look at her face. Her bruises were almost gone now. Even the cut on her arm was healing nicely. Her teeth were freshly brushed, and her hair smelled clean and hung in loose curls around her face.
Did she have the courage to walk back into the room and crawl into that bed with Trahern? She’d thought about making a bed on the stone floor, but rejected the idea. He’d rocked her world with his lovemaking, and she wanted to see if he could do it again.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the bedroom only to see Blake making himself a cozy little nest on the floor. Either he wasn’t interested in sharing her bed, or he wasn’t taking the chance that she’d refuse him. Well, they’d see about that.
“I’m done. Your turn.”
He gave her an odd look at her cheery announcement, then gathered up his shaving kit and sleep sweats. As soon as she heard the shower turn on, she spread one of Trahern’s blankets on the bed for extra warmth, then kicked the rest of his pallet under the bed.
That done, she turned off the ceiling light, leaving on only the dim bedside lamp. She’d need its shadows to hide her embarrassment as she tried to lure Trahern to her bed.
Before she could chicken out, the shower shut off. It was do or die time.
She turned back the covers and crawled between the cold sheets. Her nipples immediately budded up hard, making them ache worse for Trahern’s big hands to warm them. Should she strip off the T-shirt and panties she’d put on after her shower? No, it would be bad enough if Trahern chose to sleep on the floor without the added humiliation of having to put her clothes back on again.
The bathroom door opened. Oh, Lord, what had she done?
I
t didn’t take Trahern long to notice his pallet was gone. His silver eyes immediately sought her out, seeing the pillow on the bed she’d placed beside her.
“If we share that bed, I won’t stay on my side, Brenna.”
“I know that.” She wished he’d quit being so darned noble.
“I’m still a Paladin and everything that means. Nothing has changed.”
Why didn’t he just shut up and make love to her?
“I know that, too.”
“Then take that T-shirt off.”
Something in the gleam of his eyes warmed her heart and gave her courage. Blake Trahern, Paladin and warrior, wanted her as much as she wanted him. Damp heat pooled between her legs, and her breasts ached. Eventually he’d walk away, but right now that didn’t matter.
She peeled the shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. She couldn’t wait for him to take her breasts in his hands and suckle them with that wonderful stern mouth of his. Just in case he wasn’t getting the idea, she cupped her breasts and lifted them up, ready to demand his immediate attention.
His expression softened almost to a smile. “First take off your panties. I want nothing to be in my way.”
The vision his words created had her squirming even as her panties joined the T-shirt on the floor. But two could play at this game. “Your turn.”
He immediately stripped off his shirt and sweats, leaving him gloriously, beautifully naked. Her body wasn’t the only one wanting more than hot looks and a striptease.
“Come here, Blake. Now.” She held out her arms. “I feel empty.”
He strode toward her, a warrior claiming his rightful prize for the night. When he pulled back the covers and climbed in, the blast of cold air was quickly replaced with the heat of his body.
“Tell me what you want, Brenna.”
When she lifted her breasts again, he obediently placed a wickedly hot kiss right on her nipple. She reached for his hand to replace hers, and he smiled as he gently squeezed. Closing her eyes, she moaned with pleasure as he rubbed his whiskery skin against her tender flesh.
He stopped. “I should have shaved.”
Brenna ran her fingers along his cheek. “I like how it feels. Now kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He sprawled on top of her, pinning her head down on the pillow as he complied with her order. His tongue demanded entry, telling her that she may have begun this dance, but he was going to lead. She licked her lips, inviting him in, while parting her legs to nestle him against the very heart of her.
It felt so good to have him in her arms again, feeling his powerful strength. As their tongues tangled and mated, he reached down to lift her legs high against his hips. She locked her ankles across the upper curve of his backside, wanting him to take her hard and fast.
The rumble of his laughter rolled through her. “In a bit of a hurry, are we?”
“I
want
you, Blake.” Did he understand that she meant more than just sex? She hoped so.
With two hard thrusts, he was deep inside her. For the first time all day, she felt warm enough. Then he rolled over, taking her with him. When she raised herself up, he pushed up even more deeply inside of her, making her feel stretched and full.
His hands cupped her breasts and squeezed as she rocked forward. He suckled each one in turn, driving her crazy. She repaid him by rocking up and down quickly, squeezing him with her inner muscles. He moaned. She smiled and did it again.
His eyes glittered up at her, warning her that retribution would be swift and pleasurable. After a few more up and down slides, she was suddenly on her back, her legs on his shoulders as he kissed his way down her belly to the empty ache between her legs.
His hot breath sent chills through her as he tongued her slick folds, fanning the flames of her needs, his pursuit of her pleasure relentless. But she didn’t want to reach her climax without him.
“Please, I need you back inside me.” She turned over and pushed herself up on her knees, offering herself to him in the most primitive position she knew.
“Lord, woman, you make me crazy.” He slid his hand between her legs, stroking her and slipping a finger deep inside her. She buried her face in the pillow, overwhelmed with sensations.
“Brenna.” Her name sounded like a prayer as he moved against her slowly, letting her adjust to the new position. Holding on to her hips, he thrust faster and more deeply, reaching for that ultimate joy that only his body brought to hers.
As the universe shattered, they both cried out in release and then collapsed. When sanity slowly returned, Blake pulled her into his arms for a sweet and gentle kiss.
Then he turned off the bedside light and curled around her, an unspoken promise to hold the darkness at bay.
He’d been awake for almost an hour, but he was in no hurry to leave the warmth of the bed. He loved feeling the curve of Brenna’s backside snuggled up against him.
She stirred and stretched. “Good morning.”
“Yeah, it is.” He planted a kiss on her cheek as he ran a hand down her back, tracing the curve of her hip. “How’d you sleep?”
She turned to face him and smiled. “Just fine.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, letting her feel how fine he felt himself. Sliding her hand down between them, she admired the length and breadth of his desire with her fingers.
Pure physical pleasure burned through him as he claimed her lips with his own. He’d love to finish what they’d started, but she had to be a bit sore from their activities during the night. It took all the strength he could muster to break off the kiss. He tugged her hand back up and away from temptation.
“How about I find us some breakfast?”
“Sounds good.”
He sat up and reached for the phone. While he waited for someone to answer, Brenna rose to her knees and leaned against his back. Jarvis answered just as she started nibbling on Blake’s ear.
“Stop that!”
“Stop what? I haven’t done anything.” Jarvis’s voice held a hint of laughter.
Blake caught Brenna’s wandering hand and held on tight. “I was wondering where we could get a meal around here.”
“Come back to the main cavern and take the elevator up to the second level. Any of the John Does can point you in the right direction.”
“Thanks.”
“If you hurry, you can eat and still make the morning workout.”
“Sounds like fun. I’ll be there.”
He hung up the phone, then captured Brenna’s hands in his own. “Listen, wench, I have to save my strength to show Jarvis which of us is the better swordsman.”
“I could tell him how good you are,” Brenna said with a sultry laugh, eyeing a certain part of Trahern’s anatomy. “After all, I have first hand knowledge about your ability with a sword.”
“Yeah, but then he’d want to prove you wrong, and I’d have to hurt him.” He tugged her off the bed. “Let’s get dressed. I seemed to have worked up quite an appetite.”
That set her giggling. “So have I. Are you sure we can’t send for room service?”
“Somehow I can’t imagine Jarvis wearing a waiter’s uniform and holding his hand out for a tip.”
Brenna started pulling clothes out of her suitcase. “Can I come watch the two of you?”
Trahern pulled his T-shirt on over his head. He wasn’t sure Brenna was ready to see the Paladins ply their craft, even if they were just practicing. “I’ll have to ask Jarvis. He might prefer it if we kept you out of sight.”
He watched as she pulled on the shirt he’d loaned her the day before, liking how she looked with his shirt on. She might want to keep it permanently, but he wanted it himself because it would carry her scent. He’d cherish that small reminder of her when he returned to Seattle.
“Ready?”
“Sure thing.”
“As long as she stays out of the way, I don’t see why she can’t watch.”
Brenna gave Jarvis a bright smile. “Just stick me in the corner. You’ll hardly know that I’m there.”
Jarvis arched an eyebrow. “Honey, you’re the only woman in the whole complex. You’ll be noticed.”
He opened a door to reveal a large gym. Men were already scattered around the room, most either stretching their leg muscles or going through a series of graceful moves. They were all over six feet tall and in prime condition, yet in her opinion, Jarvis and Trahern stood out in the crowd. She’d never seen so much eye candy in one place!
She settled herself on a stack of gym mats and leaned against the wall to watch. Over the next few minutes more men, all Paladins she assumed, walked in. At Jarvis’s command, they chose weapons from a rack of swords.
Trahern stripped off his shirt and tossed it to her. She watched as he picked up a sword, then checked its grip and the blade. He returned it to the rack and chose another, swinging the second blade several times before he was satisfied. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the flex and play of his muscles as he swung the sword. Even if she didn’t know what he did for a living, she would have recognized him as a warrior. When he glanced in her direction, she blushed, knowing she’d been caught staring.
He winked at her on his way to join Jarvis. The two men held up their weapons in a mock salute, then proceeded to dazzle her with a display of grace and power as they sought to get the best of one another. They seemed an even match, first one and then the other gaining the upper hand.
She soon realized that the rest of the men had ceased their workouts to watch Jarvis and Trahern, too. From the grins on their faces, they were enjoying the show as much as she was. Both men were dripping sweat, and their fierce expressions and determination to dominate held everyone riveted.
Their fighting styles differed greatly. Jarvis was quick and moved with a dancer’s grace, while Trahern used his size and strength more. Finally, at some invisible signal between them, they stopped and backed away from each other.
Jarvis held his hand out to Trahern. “Damn, man, you’ve improved with age.”
“Yeah, well, you still move pretty good for an old man.”
When some of the other Paladins laughed, Jarvis turned on them. “Any of you want to see what this old man can do?”
Most of them held up their hands and backed away, but a few held their ground.
Jarvis nodded. “Trahern, you want to help me whip this bunch into shape?”
“Sounds like fun.” He moved up to stand with his friend. “How many shall we take on at a time? We don’t have all day.”
“You’re right. How about all of them at once?”
Then the fight was on, with Blake and Jarvis standing back to back and taking on all comers. Brenna watched with her heart in her throat, mesmerized by the beauty of what they did, yet terrified that someone would slip and draw blood.
Trahern and Jarvis gradually whittled down their opponents until only the last four remained. She would have thought both men would be showing signs of exhaustion by now, but Trahern actually picked up speed, forcing the two men he faced to back down and surrender. Jarvis accepted that as the challenge it was and quickly vanquished his remaining foes, as well.
The entire room erupted in a round of applause for the victors. Jarvis and Trahern both grinned and handed their swords off to the nearest Paladins.
“Damn, I’ve missed that.” Jarvis slapped Trahern on the shoulder. “You might not be much on style, boy, but nobody can beat you for strength or sheer cussedness.”
Trahern sneered at his friend. “Watch who you’re calling boy, old man. But much as I hate to admit it, between you and Devlin, I’ve learned from the best.”
Brenna didn’t have adequate words to describe what she’d just witnessed. She’d watched enough sports to know what a well-trained athlete was capable of, but nothing compared to the beauty and deadly grace of these men with their weapons.
And her lover was the best of the bunch. As she handed Blake his shirt, she didn’t quite know what to make of that.
“You’re not sleeping.” Brenna raised her head up to look at him. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s the barrier. I can feel it.” He turned onto his back and crossed his arms under his head. “The longer I’m here, the more sensitive to it I become.”
She traced a lazy circle on his chest with her fingertip. “Is it a good feeling?”
“More like a vibration that feels either right or wrong. Like a melody that falls into discord for a few notes. It jars rather than soothes.”
“What does it sound like when it goes down completely?”
“Like a scream for help. When that happens, every Paladin in the area grabs a sword and runs for the barrier. Some of us have an ability to help reestablish it. The rest of us hold back the invasion.”
She shivered. “Why do they try to invade, since they know you’ll be waiting for them?”
“A good question; one that we’ve never found a satisfactory answer for. When most of the Others come across, they’re almost mad with battle fever. They’ll charge against overwhelming odds. We try damn hard to keep that kind from making it to the surface, because they’ll kill anything that moves.”
“And the rest?”
“Lately, some evidently thought they were buying their way across, using some kind of blue stones that don’t exist in our world. We either force them back or kill them.”
“And the few that do make it to the surface. What happens to them?” Her eyes were huge in her face.
“If they’re crazy, eventually we find them. The others disappear into the general population and make a life for themselves.”
Her hand on his chest stilled. “They’ve inbred with humans, haven’t they?”
“Yeah, near as we can figure.”
“Are their children different in significant ways from normal human children?” She snuggled closer. “Is there any way to pick them out?”
He didn’t want to answer, but he wouldn’t lie to her. “Not on the outside.”
“But on the inside?”
Staring up at the ceiling, he captured her hand with his and kissed her palm. “They have some special abilities. One is recovering from mortal wounds.”
It didn’t take her long to connect the dots. “The mix of their genes with human produced Paladins.”
“Yeah, lucky us.”