In Darkness Reborn (14 page)

“Things haven't changed, Lacey. I won't be a guilty secret for you.” He brushed his lips across hers, stopping short of actually kissing her.

Was this what she wanted?
Yes.
Was tasting the passion she saw flickering in Barak's eyes worth the risks? She didn't know and didn't care. Right now, right there, she wanted him.

But she had her pride, too. She wouldn't lie to him. “Barak, I don't know how to handle this; I'm not sure I can. But if you'll settle for what I can give tonight, invite me inside.”

She crawled up on his lap without waiting for an answer. Using little flicks of her tongue, she coaxed and teased until he abruptly claimed her mouth, plundering it with his tongue and teeth. He lifted her up to straddle his lap and slid down in the seat enough so that his erection was riding and rubbing directly at her core.

His taste was headier than the wine they'd shared at Laurel's, making her head spin with the intoxicating heat they were generating. When he wrenched his mouth from hers, she whimpered, wanting more of the same.

“If I'm to have you but this once, Lacey I want to do it right. Come inside with me.”

Somewhere in the past few minutes, she'd pulled the tie off his ponytail. Running her fingers through his hair, she rested her forehead against his. “Take me to your bed, Barak. Please.”

He caught her hands in his. “Get your purse, and we'll go inside.”

His practical nature made her smile as she clambered off his lap and reached for her keys and purse. He was already around the truck to open her door for her. Luckily, his apartment was only a few steps away, giving them little time to think about what they were about to do.

Inside he took her purse and dropped it on a handy chair. “Would you prefer to have a cup of coffee or tea first?”

How sweet! But no, she wanted more of what they'd merely tasted out in the truck. She walked into his arms and raised up on her toes, leaning into his strength. A deep chuckle vibrated through his chest.

“I will take that as a no.”

She gave him a woman's smile, the kind that said she was hungry for her man, and ran her hand down his chest, hesitating only briefly before continuing down the front of his pants to caress him. “You can take this as a yes.”

His smile was purely male and pleased. “My bedroom is that way.”

She took hold of his hand and led him in that direction, feeling daring and desirable. Once they crossed the threshold, he kissed her again, no holds barred, his tongue thrusting deeply into her mouth. His hands slid down her sides to catch the hem of her dress, tugging it upward. He cupped her bottom with only the thin lace of her panties between his callused hands and her skin. Her knees melted.

She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from collapsing on the floor. His hand slid under the lace, tugging her panties down her hips. Oh, Lord, she was burning up.

“I want to lay you down and kiss you all over.” He traced her ear with his tongue.

Sweeping her up in his arms, he surprised her with his strength. She wasn't a small woman, but she felt so very feminine in his embrace. He set her down on the edge of the bed and knelt at her feet. He slipped off her sandals, gently rubbing each foot.

Holding her gaze with his own, he slid his hands up her calves to her thighs to grasp her panties again, this time taking them off completely. She pulled her dress over her head and tossed it on the floor. Barak took charge of her bra, fumbling a bit with the front clasp. When it finally gave way, her breasts spilled into his waiting hands.

How did he know exactly how to tease her nipples exactly the way she liked it?

“You're still dressed,” she complained.

“That can be fixed.” He quickly stripped off his shirt while she murmured her approval, but when he reached for the fly on his pants, she stopped him. “Let me.”

She put her warm hands on his chest and slid them down toward his belt, taking her time, as if to memorize the shape and the feel of him. She undid his buckle and then, keeping her eyes on Barak's face, she slowly, oh, so slowly eased his zipper down. He closed his eyes briefly, praying for patience, sighing with relief when she finally finished. He stripped his pants and boxers off, glad to be rid of the burden of clothing.

This moment, when they would first lay skin to skin, was to be savored. He leaned over her, pressed a kiss against her forehead, then claimed her mouth; this time there was nothing innocent about it as their tongues tangled in a rhythmic pattern of thrusts and parries.

The scent of Lacey's growing desire perfumed the air. She scrambled back farther onto the bed, taking him with her. For far too many nights he'd lain in this same bed dreaming of having Lacey here beside him, but his imagination had failed him completely.

Her skin was living silk, sun-kissed to a golden color, smooth and supple and so warm to the touch. And her breasts—he could spend hours learning their weight and taste. He leaned toward her, burying his nose in the gold of her hair, and drew a deep breath before kissing his way down her jaw to nuzzle the pulse point at the base of her neck.

“Tell me what you want, Lacey.”

“You,” she whispered as she turned toward him, lifting her breasts up to him.

He kissed each one, liking the way her nipples beaded up and hardened. Swirling his tongue around the closest one, he finally gave in to Lacey's mute request and suckled her breast, tugging at it with his lips and teeth. Her legs stirred restlessly as his hand followed the slight curve of her belly down to the nest of curls below.

Lacey lifted her hips, asking without words for him to continue on. He kissed her belly and caressed her before easing a finger deep inside her slick passage. He smiled; her body was ready for their joining.

“That feels so good—but I want more.” Lacey's eyes were half closed, her gaze heated. She pulled him back up to where they could kiss, this time with her sprawled over his chest.

He liked that she wasn't a passive lover as she moved from side to side, rubbing the pretty tips of her breasts against his chest. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he lifted her up high enough to be able to lave her breasts with quick flicks of his tongue and then suckled them harder.

In a quick move she straddled him, centering her wet heat right over his erection. His breathing came in quick shudders as the need to take her, to join with her, tried to wrest away the last bit of his control.

He rolled to the side, taking Lacey with him.

She pouted and tried to push him back, but he caught her hands and anchored them over her head. “We're getting too close. I need protection.”

There was nothing he wanted more than to thrust into Lacey's welcoming body with only slick heat between them. But neither of them could risk creating a child. He reached for the bedside drawer and the box of condoms he'd bought the day he'd met Lacey.

She held out her hand. “Let me.”

But instead of immediately opening the foil back, she laid the packet on his stomach and turned her attention to his penis. Lacey held him a willing prisoner: her feather-soft touch had him fisting the sheets and waiting to see what she'd do next.

Lacey smiled up at her lover, liking the power he'd given her as she leaned down to run her tongue down the length of him, feeling the way he strained to remain still. His body was all sculpted muscle and hard planes with the scars to prove his life hadn't been an easy one. He looked the part of a barbarian warrior with his dark hair spread out on the pillow.

And right now she wanted the power all those muscles promised. She tore the foil package open and gently rolled the condom down the impressive length of his penis, then skimmed her hand up and down it. Once. Twice.

Barak flipped her onto her back and knelt between her legs, bracing himself with his arms extended. “Look at me, Lacey. I want to see your eyes when we join.”

She spread her legs wide in invitation. “Now, Barak. Take me now.”

In two quick thrusts, he buried himself deep within her. She felt stretched by the length and width of him as he bit his lip trying to give her time to adjust. Rocking slowly, he pulled out a little and then pushed back in. She moaned with the wonder of it all, but she wanted more, faster, harder.

“Don't hold back, Barak.”

He rocked again. “I don't want to hurt you.”

“You won't.”

He took her at her word, and she liked that about him. Barak lifted her legs high over his shoulders and began thrusting hard and fast as Lacey clutched the pillows and held on for the ride.

“Barak…” His name became her chant. He filled her as no other man ever had, his power and heat pounding deeper and deeper inside her, filling places she had never known were empty.

Suddenly he slowed his pace, almost withdrawing completely before pushing back deep inside of her.

“Barak! Don't tease.”

He smiled down at her. “You don't like it this way?” He repeated the motion.

Oh, she liked it just fine, but the tension was building until she thought—no, she
needed
—to explode. She held up her arms, needed him to be closer. He eased her legs down to his waist and leaned down to kiss her. She reveled in the feel of his weight against her sensitive breasts.

Running her hands down his back, she grabbed his backside as once again he pounded into her. Ah, yes, this was what she'd needed all along. Heat and lightning coiled deep inside her, waiting for just the right touch to explode. Sweat-slicked skin slid over skin, as the pressure continued to build.

Then he raised up to look down between them. “Look, Lacey, to where we are joined.”

When she did as he demanded, the sight of him sliding in and out of her made her smile. He rocked against her in a circular motion, the friction making her pant in anticipation. Then he did it again. In a burst of light and bright colors, she came, screaming Barak's name.

“Yes, Lacey, yes!” Barak drove forward hard, shuddering as his own release poured out deep inside her.

It took a minute, maybe two, for the world to right itself. Finally, Barak lifted his head and kissed her again, gently this time. His smile was a bit weary around the edges, but it warmed her heart. “Are you all right?”

How like him to ask. She answered him honestly. “I can't remember ever feeling this good.”

He withdrew from her body and rolled onto his back, tucking her close to his side. He kissed the top of her head. “Good. Because as good as that was, it's only the beginning.”

Several hours later, Lacey stirred and blinked sleepily at the clock on his bedside table. He knew that something was wrong, because she stiffened, then tried to ease away from his side without disturbing him. He fought the urge to yank her right back to where she belonged—in his bed, in his arms.

But too much was left unsettled and unsaid between them. She had offered him this one night, and it would only ruin what they'd shared if he made demands now.

Faint light streamed in his bedroom window and he could see Lacey's body, now as familiar as his own, as she furtively pulled her dress over her head and picked up her shoes. He watched as she paused at the foot of the bed, looking back at him. What was she thinking?

He'd expected her to have regrets; they both had good reasons to avoid a serious relationship. But he hadn't expected her retreat to hurt so damn much.

He waited until the front door opened and closed, then threw back the sheets and padded naked to the window. He pulled the blinds apart enough to watch his beautiful lover climb into her truck, and watched until her taillights disappeared around the corner.

A movement on the far side of the parking lot caught his attention. Had someone darted back into the deep shadows beyond the cars? He studied each vehicle, looking for a sign that someone was huddled in between them, but nothing moved, human or otherwise. Whatever it had been was gone now. Probably just a stray cat or dog, or one of the homeless men who shuffled through the Seattle streets at night.

Next time, though, if Lacey needed to leave in the middle of the night—if there ever was a next time—he would walk her out to her truck. Just in case.

He returned to his bed and buried his face in the sheets, which still carried Lacey's scent. Sleep would be a long time coming.

B
arak was late. Lacey chewed her lower lip and tried to concentrate on the last batch of readings from the monitors she and Barak had placed in the tunnels. Had it really been only a week ago? So much had happened since then that it didn't seem possible.

Why was Barak late? Was he even coming back?

Back to the reports. The numbers seemed stable, varying only a little from hour to hour and day to day. Once she had adequate readings from the remote tunnels, she'd need to retrieve the equipment and try placing it farther south, either closer to the tectonic plates or even near Mount St. Helens.

She'd need to bribe Devlin with something good to get permission to gain access to the more unstable areas near the barriers. Chocolate? Scotch? She started to turn the page when she thought she heard someone outside the lab door.

Oh, Lord, he had come back. She didn't know if that was good or bad. How could she face Barak after enjoying hours of the best sex she'd ever experienced, only to sneak out in the wee hours of the morning without even saying good-bye?

Her face felt hot and flushed, much the same way it had during the night when Barak had made love to her, not once, not twice, but three times. This time, however, it was embarrassment instead of bone-melting passion that had her feeling that way. She'd already made two trips to the ladies' room down the hall to splash cold water on her cheeks.

Luck had been with her so far, because she'd been able to avoid seeing both her brother and Ruthie, the departmental secretary. Lacey might be able to fool everyone else, but those two would take one look at her and know something was up. And Ruthie would do her best to wheedle all the salacious details out of Lacey.

Penn, on the other hand, would do his big brother routine, demanding to know if the man involved was worthy of his little sister. Normally Lacey laughed at him, accepting his heavy-handed ways, but today that would be a total disaster, because she'd made the mistake of telling him about last night's dinner plans. Well, not the part about hot sex with Barak.

If Penn figured out that part, she and Barak were both in hot water. If everyone found out, she'd probably have to resign her job working for the Regents, but Penn would go after Barak with intent to kill. It would be her worst nightmare—her brother against her lover. No matter which of them came out on top, his life would be ruined. The Regents would be unlikely to allow the victor to survive.

What had she been thinking? She leaned back in her chair and studied the ceiling with visions of last night playing in her head. Here she was, hours later, and the memory of Barak's muscular, sleek body moving over and inside her had the power to have her stirring restlessly in her seat. No other lover had ever taken her to such heights.

Oh, God! What had she done? Temptation had been bad enough. Giving into it was possibly the biggest mistake she'd ever made.

The outside lab door opened. Leaning forward, she listened for any clues about who had just come in. The silence was deafening until she heard a telltale squeak. Ruthie, champion secretary and departmental snoop, coming this way.

There had to be some excuse Lacey could concoct to account for her frazzled appearance and flushed face. The thermostat? By the time Ruthie reached her office door, Lacey was standing at the thermostat and glaring at it as if it had been her worst enemy.

“Lacey?”

Lacey smacked the thermostat to achieve the right effect and pasted a surprised smile on her face before facing the older woman.

“Come on in, Ruthie—although I can't promise how comfortable you'll be. The thermostat seems to be on the fritz. One minute it's too cold and then it's too hot.” Lacey dropped back in her desk chair and took a long swig of water. “What brings you here?”

Ruthie wasn't buying it, not at all. “It feels just fine in here, Lacey. Are you sure you're not running a fever or something? The flu causes you to run hot and cold. Of course, so does menopause, but that's my problem, not yours.”

“No, I'm fine. Really.”

The lab door opened and closed again. This time it almost had to be Barak. She did her best to ignore his almost silent approach, concentrating instead on Ruthie. “So, what brought you down to my little part of the world?”

Ruthie frowned more, warning Lacey that she'd sounded a bit too chipper. Lacey tried again. “Seriously, what can I do for you?”

Ruth tossed a file on top of Lacey's already cluttered desk. “His Majesty wants an accounting of Barak's time here in the lab. Evidently His Majesty caught wind of Devlin Bane borrowing him to do something for the Paladins. Our lord and master doesn't want those hours to be paid out of our budget.”

Lacey always wondered if Dr. Louis, their boss, had any idea how much Ruthie disparaged him. She didn't know how he could not know, but why did he put up with it? After all, he was in charge. She reached for the file; what a big waste of time. “As far as I know, he's only been over there twice: once before work and once after hours.”

Neither of them noticed Barak in the doorway until he spoke, directing his comments to Ruthie. “That's right, ma'am. Devlin set it up that way. However, I'll be glad to keep track of any hours that I spend away from my duties here in the lab with Dr. Sebastian.”

So far he'd done little more than glance in Lacey's direction. She was relieved—and mad at the same time. “Dr. Sebastian”? Whom was he trying to impress? They'd been on a first-name basis since day one.

He towered over Ruthie, but he was using that sort of Old World dignity of his to charm the older woman. That was a good thing, even if Lacey wished that he'd send some of that charm in her direction instead of ignoring her.

She butted into the conversation. “So, Ruthie, do you need me to submit a formal report or just a note at the end of a pay period?”

Ruth jumped, as if she'd forgotten that Lacey was even there. She'd been busy staring up at Barak. Maybe it was the first time she'd been this close to him. What did she see when she looked at him? Those beautiful silver eyes? The way his black and silver hair framed his chiseled face?

Or one of the legendary enemies of the Paladins and the rest of mankind?

“Mr. q'Young, why don't you go record the newest data and then enter it into the database for me?” Lacey put in. Two could play the formality game.

He finally looked directly at her, his eyes glittering with some powerful emotion, his nostrils flaring as he gave her an abrupt nod. “Yes, Dr. Sebastian. If you'll excuse me, Ms. Prizzi.”

Lacey couldn't draw a full breath until he disappeared behind a bank of machinery. With that one look, her traitorous body was wanting his. She folded her hands on top of the desk, trying without success to slow her pulse.

“Ruthie, how did Dr. Louis find out about Barak doing some work for Devlin Bane?”

Ruthie stared out into the lab for another second or two before jerking her attention back to Lacey. The expression on Ruthie's face worried Lacey, as if Ruthie had a few questions of her own, ones neither Lacey nor Barak would have good answers for.

Lacey prompted Ruthie again, hoping to derail the inquisition. “Dr. Louis? How did he find out?”

“Someone from IT stopped by to load some updates on our computers. His name was Ben something. Although, come to think of it, why would he know anything about what Devlin was up to, and why would he bring it up to Dr. Louis?”

A good question. One that Lacey intended to investigate. Maybe Devlin would know something. Normally she would have asked Barak, but not this time, at least not now. He'd moved back in sight. She watched him work with his usual quiet efficiency for several seconds. Eventually she'd have to talk to him again, but she still felt too raw after last night.

She also didn't want to arouse Ruthie's suspicions about Barak. “Maybe this Ben guy was only making small talk and didn't realize that it would cause trouble for anybody.”

Ruthie wasn't buying it. “I think it's more likely that he was up to some kind of mischief, but we'll probably never know the why of it.” She rose to her feet. “I'd better get back to my office. His Majesty gets testy if he actually has to answer his own phones, you know.”

Lacey gave her friend a conspiratorial smile. “Should I call to tell him that you're on your way back, and that we've worked things out about sharing Barak's hours?”

Ruthie laughed. “No use in baiting the bear, my dear, but I appreciate the offer.” She stopped in the doorway to watch Barak for a few seconds. “What's he like, Lacey? Barak, I mean?”

Lacey chose her words carefully, trying to sound like a coworker rather than a lover. Especially a one-night lover. With some effort she was able to shove that idea down deep, where it wouldn't hurt so much.

“He's punctual, methodical, and efficient. He still has a lot to learn about how we do things, but once you show him how to do something, he catches on quickly.”

Barak snapped his pencil in half and gritted his teeth. “Methodical”? “Punctual”? She made him sound like some soulless machine. At least she'd given him credit for being a quick learner. Was she thinking back to last night, when he'd paid such close attention to the way she'd moaned when he'd touched her in just the right way?

He turned to watch the older woman go, counting the seconds until he and Lacey were alone. He thought about confronting her in her office, but he didn't want her to feel cornered. No, he'd wait out here in the lab.

It was another ten minutes before she ventured out of her office. Lacey wasn't the type to cower. She headed straight for him with an odd look on her face, one he couldn't quite decipher. The expressions on human faces were usually easy to read, even when the person in question was trying very hard to disguise what they were feeling.

Small clues in body language or the look in their eyes usually gave it away, but right now Lacey was a puzzle. He kept recording numbers until he finished before acknowledging her presence.

“Do you know someone named Ben? Works in IT?” She cocked a hip against the counter, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

“I've met him. I wouldn't say that I know him. He bought a beer for me and your brother the other night.” That got her attention; her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

“You and Penn. Had. A. Beer?” She spoke the words as if each had been a sentence unto itself. “When was this and why didn't you tell me?”

“It was the day we sparred after work. He had already made plans with Ben and wanted me to come with him for some reason. I didn't mention it because it lasted all of half an hour and didn't seem important.”

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Well, it might not have seemed that way, but this Ben guy is the one that let it slip to Dr. Louis that you were spending time with Penn and Devlin Bane.”

“I'm almost sure that we didn't mention anything about our workout. In fact, we were already at the bar when Ben came in, so he had no way of knowing for sure that we'd come in together.” He stood up. “I need to share this information with Penn, but first I'll go talk to Devlin.”

She caught his arm. When she realized what she'd done, she jerked her hand back, as if touching him had burned her. “No way you're leaving until you tell me why it's so important that you have to rush off to talk to Devlin Bane. He's the one who got us into this mess by yanking your leash back into his department.”

“I'm not on anyone's leash.” He took a step closer to her, trapping her against the counter. A brief flash of fear in her eyes only inflamed his temper. “Damn it, Lacey, don't do that! After last night, how could you think even for a second that I would hurt you?”

When she didn't answer, he walked out.

He managed enough control to avoid slamming the lab door; it might draw unwanted attention from anyone else in the area. But he burned to slam something. Paladins were always looking for a fight; maybe he could find one and prod him into trading blows.

For once, the area around Devlin's office was deserted. They couldn't be down in the tunnels, because Barak would have felt it if the barrier had gone down. Cocking his head, Barak listened to see if he could pick up any voices. Luck was with him. Some of the Paladins were headed this way. He recognized the voices: D.J., Cullen, and, yes, Trahern. If Bane was with them, he wasn't talking.

Cullen rounded the corner first, but D.J. was right behind him. Just as Barak expected, D.J. came charging up as soon as he caught sight of Barak sitting at his desk, playing with the odd collection of toys D.J. kept there. It took Cullen and Trahern to hold him back.

Barak was disappointed. He smiled at D.J., knowing that would only set him off again.

“Get the hell away from my desk, you son of a bitch!”

“You weren't using it.” It felt good to taunt his enemy, even if D.J. really wasn't Barak's enemy anymore.

Trahern's eyes went ice cold. “I don't know what game you're playing here, Barak, but go back to the lab, where you belong.”