Dusk (8 page)

Chapter Six

Lucy waited for a few minutes, but when Solomon didn’t return from
his mysterious errand, she went back inside the inner office.
Why did he
even bother to come see me?
she thought, frustrated and embarrassed.

“Oh my God, he kissed you!” Shari squealed, accosting her in the
doorway.

Lucy flinched. Shari had her giant purse slung over her shoulder
and when she grabbed her, it fell down her arm and whacked Lucy.

“Ow,” Lucy complained, rubbing her elbow. “Your purse just tried
to kill me, Shari. Have mercy. And that kiss didn’t mean anything.” Lucy
hurried past her. “I only came back for the leftovers from lunch that I forgot
to grab earlier.”

“Sentry Dusk kissed you and you’re seriously trying to tell me it
doesn’t mean anything? Are you insane?” Shari grabbed Lucy and towed her to the
desk. “How do you even know him?”

“From what I could see, that wasn’t a just-friends type of kiss,
either,” Melinda added, powering down her computer. “Whew, the look on his
face.” She fanned herself. “Hot.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “It’s not important.”

Kathy snorted. “Uh-huh. Lies. All lies. I have three kids. I can
smell a lie from ten feet away.”

Lucy tried to edge toward the mini refrigerator under the long
desk by the window, but Shari cut her off, stepping in front of her. “I just
want my lunch,” Lucy begged.

“Spill,” Shari ordered, pulling out a chair and spinning it around
for Lucy. “This is the official interrogation.”

“There’s nothing to tell. I don’t know why he kissed me.” Lucy sat
down and crossed her arms. “It was as much a surprise to me as it was to you.”
She glared mutinously at her co-workers.

Melinda nodded. “Even so, it’s obvious that you know him.”

“That’s true,” Kathy said, nodding.

“How did you ever meet him?” Melinda asked.

Faced with the three women’s united front, Lucy caved. “I met him
before I started working here.” She shifted uncomfortably, then gave in and
rubbed her right arm. The habit soothed her.

“And?” Shari asked, rolling her hand in a keep-it-coming gesture.

Lucy sighed. “Remember I said I was in an accident?”

“Yeah, at the beginning of the summer, you told us.” Shari cocked
her head. “That’s when you met him?”

Lucy wondered how much to tell them. “I was with my best friend,
Eva, helping her, and we were attacked.”

“Attacked how?” Shari interrupted. “Were you mugged?”

Lucy ignored her and plowed ahead. “Solomon and his brother,
Greyson, saved us. I almost died.” She eyed the women clustered around her,
watching as their faces changed when they realized the implications of her
statement. “It was really horrible.” She frowned at Shari. “It wasn’t a
mugging.”

“Wait,” Kathy said, holding up her hand. “Your best friend is Eva
Dark?”

Lucy nodded.

Shari’s eyes widened. “I remember the press conference. They
talked about a Spider attack. Aliens.”

“That’s the one.” Lucy swallowed, pushing down memories of that
horrible day.

“The Spider infestation was your accident?” Melinda asked,
frowning.

“That was the second time they attacked us. The first time, Eva
was able to keep them off of us. The second time, the Spiders burst in through
the windows of her house. One landed on my arm.” She shuddered. “It hurt. A
lot.”

“Oh my God, Lucy,” Shari said, no longer smiling. “That’s why
you’re always rubbing your arm.”

Lucy licked her lips and nodded. “I was injured. Solomon saved me.
That’s all there is to it.” She hoped they let it drop. She had no desire to go
into detail about her injury.

Shari and the others stared at her. Lucy fought to sit still when
what she really wanted to do was get the hell out of there. She wanted to go
home and huddle under her blankets with a giant tub of chocolate ice cream.
Why
did Solomon take off so fast after he kissed me?
she wondered.
Was I
horrible at it? He didn’t even give me a chance.

“Except now he’s back and he kissed you,” Shari finally said.

Lucy glanced out the window. The parking lot outside the building
was empty. Peaceful. The last patient must have left while she was occupied
with Solomon. “I have no idea why he did that.”

“He feels something for you,” Melinda said quietly. “I could see
it in the way he touched your face.” She nodded firmly. “No sense in denying
it.”

Lucy stood up. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Are you kidding me?” Shari protested. “He’s a Sentry.”

Lucy remembered when she would’ve been just as excited as Shari
over the idea of a Sentry paying attention to her, but then she remembered what
it felt like to have a Spider burrow into her arm. Being a Sentry wasn’t all
power and glamor. It was difficult and lonely. Their duty to protect was more
important than anything else. She knew that, now. She stepped past Shari and
pulled her lunch leftovers out of the fridge. “No, I’m not kidding. I’m going
home.” She clutched the food bag and straightened up. “I’m tired.”

“You should call him,” Kathy said.

Lucy laughed. “It’s not like I have his cell phone number.
Besides, if he really wants to see me, he can call me.” She smiled, trying to
imagine calling him up on the phone.
You have his number in your call
history,
a little voice reminded her. She shook her head. “I’ll be okay,”
she said, then froze as the front door to the office opened.
Speak of the
devil,
she thought when Solomon stepped inside.

Shari followed her gaze. “He’s back.” She grinned at Lucy. “I
guess he wants to see you.”

“Dammit,” Lucy muttered under her breath.

“Go get him, girl,” Melinda urged her.

Lucy glared at the women. They all grinned at her as if her life
were the juiciest soap opera they’d ever seen. This whole situation was
humiliating. She watched Solomon stride across the patient waiting room. His
dark hair was mussed. It only made him look even more attractive.

“Lucy, I’ve come to take you home,” he said, eyes only for her.

Lucy glanced at her co-workers. Shari looked like she was going to
explode from the effort of not speaking. “I can get home on my own,” she told
Solomon.

He nodded. “I know you can, but I wanted to talk to you.”

“We have nothing to say to each other,” Lucy replied, jamming her
leftovers into her bag. She looked up at him. He was frowning. “I’m tired. I
just want to get home and go to bed.” She moved past him and into the waiting
room. “Bye ladies,” she called. She barely heard their responses. Solomon had
followed her.

“Please.” He put a hand on her arm.

Lucy paused, mouth going dry. Just that simple touch set her heart
racing. “What is there to talk about?”

He smiled wryly. “I didn’t mean to dash off after our first kiss.”

She narrowed her eyes at him.
‘First kiss,’ implies that there will
be more,
she mused, suddenly nervous. “All right,” she said. It wasn’t like
she didn’t want to go with him. She wanted to quite badly. Except the mixed
signals he gave off freaked her out. Did he really want to just talk? Or did he
want more? And if he did want more, was that something she was willing to give
him?

****

Solomon watched the emotions play across Lucy’s face and stifled a
stab of remorse. He could feel her fear of rejection and knew her worry was his
fault.
I never meant to hurt her,
he thought, even as he once again told
himself that he could never truly be with her. He’d tried that once, and it had
gone horribly wrong.

“Fine, lead the way,” she said, walking past him towards the door.

He followed her outside. “Did you drive to work?” He watched her
silky curls bounce as she moved. He wanted to stroke her hair. He wanted to
hold her and never let go.

She grimaced. “No. I still don’t have a car. I usually walk home.
It takes about a half hour.”

He gently steered her past the parking lot and toward the trees
that lined the back of the building. When he touched her, his fingers tingled.
She exuded sensuality. He didn’t think she had any idea of how alluring she was.
He traced down her arm and let his palm linger on her wrist. Heat shot through
him.

She gasped softly and pulled away, rubbing her arm. “My parents’
house is the other direction.”

He nodded, willing his libido to calm the hell down. Her proximity
eroded his hard-won determination to leave her alone. Their affinity for each
other seduced him. “I know. I brought a starship,” he said, struggling to keep
his hands to himself.

“A starship?” She stopped short. “You’re kidding, right?”

Solomon raised his eyebrows. “You rode in one before. Twice.”

“Yeah, but I was unconscious the first time and mostly unconscious
the second time.”

He smiled. “Then you should enjoy the ride.” He urged her into the
woods and down the trail. After a short walk, the trees thinned into a clearing
where he’d parked the starship.

“Wow,” Lucy said, walking up to it. “It’s very silver.”

Solomon followed her and touched the side, activating the power
with his energy. The transparent bubble that covered the cockpit
dematerialized. “You’ll sit behind me,” he said.

She looked at him, lips pursed. “This will be like the tail
wagging the dog. It’s easier just to walk home.” Her brown eyes were dark and
worried. She fiddled with the silver ring he’d given her.

Solomon couldn’t help himself. He cupped her cheek, savoring the
softness of her skin under his palm. “I am not taking you back to your parents’
house. I’m taking you home to mine.”

She stepped back. “Oh, no you’re not.”

He moved forward, pinning her against the ship. Her soft curves
felt like heaven against his weary muscles. “Lucy, please come home with me.”
He wanted her to say yes, so he leaned down and kissed her lightly.

She trembled. “Why? Why do you want me to come with you?”

He sighed and rested his forehead on hers. “Because I am tired of
worrying about you.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m fine.” She didn’t step away, though he
sensed her frustration with him. He’d have to choose his words more carefully
if he didn’t want her to bolt.

“I can take care of myself. I’m not
your responsibility,” she said tartly. “It’s not my fault you’re stressed out.”

“I know, Lucinda. I did not say my worry is rational.” He kissed
her again, coaxing her lips open with his mouth. She tasted like coffee and
mint. He groaned when she slowly slid her arms around his shoulders.

“This is crazy,” she whispered.

“Yes. It is,” he agreed, flushed with arousal.
I can’t fight
this anymore,
he thought, and then she curled a leg around his, grinding
her hip into his cock. Her emotions were bright and alluring. He couldn’t keep
his empathy under control. The energy stretched out, enveloping her as he
caressed her with his mind as well as his body.

“Solomon, what is this? One minute you’re pushing me away, the
next you’re kissing me.” She sounded so confused he had to answer her.

“Affinity,” he murmured, taking her mouth again. He pushed her
harder against the ship as heat flared between them. Her arousal beat through
his empathy, rousing his energy even more. Suddenly, his healing ability triggered
and he moaned as pleasure rushed through him. He sucked in a deep breath,
fighting for control, but she writhed beneath him, grabbing his shirt in her
fists.

“God, what are you doing to me?” she asked brokenly. Solomon
nibbled down her jaw, inhaling her sweet scent. “What about the Spiders? Is
this safe?” She gripped his shirt tighter.

Solomon rolled his hips as he answered her, pressing his cock into
her softness. “They are gone. Greyson and I took care of them. That’s why I had
to leave so abruptly earlier,” he said, running his hands down her back to cup
her ass.

She went still as his hands lifted her into him and his empathy
crackled. She was aroused and yearning and frightened all at the same time.

“Wait, what?” She jerked her head to the side. “What do you mean
they’re gone? They were gone months ago!”

He eased away slightly, using his healing energy to soothe the
worst of her fear. “There was an infestation. The new sensors I installed
picked it up.”

“Oh my God,” she whispered, hand going to her throat.

Solomon frowned and cupped her cheeks. “You are safe. We
eradicated the infection.” He didn’t like the way she’d gone pale. Her sudden
terror prickled through him like static as his empathy ramped up even higher.
His instincts told him to grab her and take her home. “Will you come home with
me?”

She stared up at him. “What about my parents?”

“The infestation is gone. They should be fine. And the sensors are
still active,” he assured her. He knew there was no reason to take her to his
tower, but he was tired of fighting himself. He wanted her in his territory. In
his bed. He gritted his teeth as his healing energy surged again, responding to
her emotions.