Sol: Luna Lodge #1 (2 page)

Sol looked up in surprise from his belt. “I hadn’t heard that.”

Titus chuckled. “I’m not surprised. You aren’t exactly the most friendly person.”

“Friendly doesn’t keep us safe from the Horatius Group,” he grunted.

A warm hand dropped on his shoulder, and he looked at Titus.

“We are safe here.” Titus dropped his hand and stared out to the window. Sol looked at the rows of cabins outside the office window. “This is our chance to start building a life. The men need this.” Titus turned to look at him. “Hell, we need this. Carver’s been talking to the shrink.”

Sol grunted at the mention of the doctor. Last thing any of them needed was to see any more doctors.

“She says,” Titus continued, “that we all need to start building relationships.”

“I just don’t see how that’s going to happen.” Sol flopped down into the chair and leaned his head back. “We can’t let anyone know who we are. Are we just supposed to trick a bunch of women into joining us?”

A laugh cut through the room. “Planning on going all caveman?”

Sol shot him a snort and grinned. Maybe some women would be nice. The facility supplied women before, but it would be nice to find someone they actually shared interests with, or just were interested in them at all.

“So how do you plan on getting women here?” Sol quirked an eyebrow.

“By doing exactly what we’re doing.” Titus smiled across the desk at him. “Having events like the one tonight.”

Sol groaned. Shit, this was not going to be good.

Titus glanced at his watch. “Speaking of, I think we’re ready.”

Sol got up and straightened his suit. “Do I have to wear this damned jacket?”

He tugged on his collar as if it were cutting off all circulation. Titus laughed.

“At least make it through the welcomes.”

He clapped Sol on the back and urged him to the door. Once there, Sol stopped.

“Just thought of this.” He turned and looked at Titus. “How in the hell are they going to think we’re blood related. Pale blond kind of makes me seem like a member of a tribe from a different continent, not the United States.”

Sol stared pointedly at his leader. Titus looked him up and down then smiled.

“You’re adopted,” he said. “As far as people are concerned, we’ve barely got a few last descendants of our so-called tribe left. So, a little adoption is in order.” He pushed him out the door.

Chapter Two

Erica stared up at the impressively large ceiling. She could see the gorgeous night sky through the large glass windows. It wasn’t quite like being outside, but it was as close as you could manage. The practical part of her wondered how they planned to get snow off, but surely they had thought of that.

“Daydreaming?” Kate locked arms with her, Erica’s pale skin a stark contrast to Kate’s bronzed arms.

“Actually just pitying the person who has to clean those windows,” she said and grinned.

“I swear,” Kate said and swatted her arm, “I can’t take you anywhere.”

“What’s the hurry?” Erica asked as Kate wove them through the crowd.

“He’s about to welcome everyone here,” Kate said. Excitement rose in her voice as they neared the platform.

It was clear that there was more than just casual interest.

“Where’s Mark?” Erica looked over her shoulder for him.

“Don’t know.” Kate shrugged.

It was a strange relationship the two had. There were times at parties that it almost seemed as if Erica were the date and not Mark. Just another thing to add to the list.

They stopped near the front of the platform just off to the side. Kate smiled slyly, noticeable but not obvious.

Erica leaned closer to her friend and whispered in her ear. “You have a crush.”

Pink colored Kate’s cheeks. “I have a boyfriend.” Kate glared at Erica.

“A boyfriend who ditched you to hang out with crusty old men.” Erica stared at her pointedly.

Kate huffed at the comment but didn’t reply. Erica strongly suspected that there really wasn’t a reply to that.

The crowd quieted as three men walked onto the platform, an older military man in an Army dress uniform and two of the largest men she had ever seen. Tall didn’t even cover it. Erica guessed they measured up to most basketball players. Though she recognized the leader, Titus, from TV, the other was a blond. It was like looking at some sort of Viking god.

The man closest to her scanned the crowd as if looking for hidden dangers. He stopped when he got to her, and their eyes locked. She felt her breath grow shallow and her heart pick up. Something deep inside fluttered at she continued to stare at him. She watched as his jaw clenched and nostrils flared, almost like he could smell her from where she was. Erica licked her lips at the thought. A low rumble came from the stage.

“I think we must be getting some feedback,” the military man said into the microphone. “Bear with me for a moment.”

Her attention flicked to the stage. When she looked back, the moment had passed. He was now in deep conversation with the other man, who looked over at her several times. Erica blushed.

“I think I need a drink after that eye fuck you just got,” Kate whispered in her ear.

Erica’s face flamed at the accurate depiction and when she looked up, the Viking was looking anywhere but at her. His friend grinned like this was the most amusing thing ever.

“First, I want to thank you all for coming tonight,” the military man said. There was a smattering of applause. “My name is Major Carter, and it is with great pride I introduce my friend, the leader of the Luna tribe, Titus. With his guidance, the Luna tribe will flourish as others have before them.”

Several clapped as Titus took the front. Much like the other man, Titus was nearly a force of nature, though his tanned skin and jet black hair gave him a very distinct look from the other man. She looked between the two, looking for some sort of similarity. The leader looked a little more like she expected a member of the tribe to look. Viking God was hot and all, but definitely not what she’d expect. Aside from looking like gods, they didn’t have a single feature in common.

“Shouldn’t they look alike?” Erica whispered to Kate.

She sighed in annoyance. “That’s so racist. Even I’m like an eighth Cherokee, and you wouldn’t be able to tell by my looks.”

Erica frowned. It wasn’t racist. Noticing differences was what she was trained to do. She looked up to find Titus looking in their direction.

“I’ll keep this short. My adopted brother Sol and I would just like to thank you for such a warm welcome. We’ve been accepted into your community and hearts with so much love. We only hope to return the favor as years go by. Please make yourselves at home. Thank you.”

Kate clapped wildly as he stepped back in line with his brother.

Sol? Adopted brother? Neither his name or birth matched up with what she expected.

“Don’t you think that’s weird?” Erica whispered.

“That you can’t shut off your brain?” Kate rolled her eyes. “Yes. Yes I do.”

“Whatever.” Erica sighed. People around them broke into small groups, and she pulled for Kate to follow. “I’m ready for that drink now.”

Her back burned, as she felt Sol’s eyes creep over her. When she turned to look at him, he seemed deep in thought.

“Drink sounds great,” Kate said from her side.

She turned from his searching stare and made her way to the bar. Erica watched from her seat as Sol turned toward the hall at the back. Titus was circulating throughout the room, glancing their way from time to time. She wondered if it was directed at her or Kate.

"Two house wines please," Kate said at the bar.

The bartender flashed a dazzling smile at her as she leaned over on the bar. She had been doing this trick since they were in college, and it almost never failed to work. Even the gay ones seemed to appreciate her skill at the game. Erica bit back a giggle. This was never her specialty, but she certainly enjoyed watching.

Two laden wine glasses were placed in front of them. She winked and slid the twenty his way. Erica had to take a drink of her wine to keep from laughing at the blush that spread on his face.

Kate turned to her, drink in hand.

“Well.” She grinned. “That was interesting.”

Erica took another drink of the wine. “Not really. You’ve been doing it for years.”

“That’s not what I was talking about,” she said and placed her glass back down. “It was just so…” She paused and looked across the room. Erica followed her gaze until it fell on Titus. “Intense.”

Erica sucked in a breath. It had been intense. And slightly frightening but also very arousing. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt like that from just a look or if she had ever felt like that at all. When Sol looked at her, it was as if she was being drawn into him.

She blinked several times as Titus turned to look at them. As if on instinct, they turned to stare at one another. Erica noticed the bloom of excitement in her friend and grinned.

She leaned in and whispered, “You were right. They are pretty amazing to look at up-close.”

Erica glanced over at Titus and noticed a smug grin on his face. Not for the first time this evening, she felt like he might have heard what she said. It was impossible since he was across the room, and she was whispering, but the feeling was there nonetheless.

She watched as Kate took several big gulps of wine before standing.

“I should really go find Mark.” She sighed as she fixed her dress. When she had finished, she looked up. “Do you mind?”

Erica smiled and turned back to her drink. “I’ll just be here.”

“Maybe you should try mixing a bit.” Kate frowned at her.

This path, Erica knew, lead to concerned friend territory.

“I don’t think this is my crowd.” She surveyed the room once more and went back to her drink.

“It could be.”

Erica smiled and shook her head. “I’m just going to clear my head a bit. I’ll circulate later.”

Kate bit her lip, uncertainty written on her face. “Okay,” she said. “I just want you to be happy.”

Erica reached out and grabbed her hand. “I know.”

Nodding her head, Kate squeezed back. “Be back in a sec.”

* * *

The smell of her still filled Sol’s nostrils.

He ripped off the tie and tossed his jacket down. It hadn’t taken him long to relieve himself of his contacts and a number of other constraints. Being bound up wasn’t exactly his thing.

He flopped into the desk chair and turned on the TV that doubled as a security monitor. It flashed through the different areas until it paused on the bar. He froze the frame and watched her on the screen, sitting alone at the bar. Sol frowned. Why would she be alone? What had happened to her friend?

He watched as she sipped her wine and played with a few wavy locks of hair. A rumble filled the room as he watched her. He nearly shot out of the chair.

It hadn’t been a fluke. On stage before, he was certain it was just some sort of stage fright, or he had worked really hard to convince himself that it was.

There was just something about this woman that drew him to her. Everything in him went on high alert. This sort of physical attraction was new to him. Sure, he had found other woman attractive before, but having her so close was totally different than the others. This was actually something attainable. Or at least somewhat attainable.

He stiffened as a man came and sat next to her. It hadn’t even occurred to him that she might have someone in her life. A woman that attractive wouldn’t be hurting for male companionship. Something twisted inside at the thought.

He watched her closely. He sighed when she shifted away from the man at the bar. At least it seemed like they didn’t know one another. Sol stared hard at the screen as they chatted. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he looked at the man. Cropped, sandy blond hair and glasses. Somewhere in his early thirties. Aside from that, there wasn’t really anything remarkable about him, and yet all the hairs on the back of Sol’s neck stood up.

Sol watched as the man leaned forward, nearly pinning the woman in her seat. Anger radiated from him. He had to clench his fists to keep from doing something. The man gestured to her glass of wine, and Sol let out a breath when she shook her head. She slid the glass back and stood. The forced smile on her face indicated her true feelings.

Sol watched as she walked to the door of the balcony and then turned back to the stranger. He walked in the opposite direction, and Sol was torn. Follow the woman or the man?

He groaned as her eyes darted back to the door she had exited.

“Shit.” He grabbed a walky-talky from the wall and flipped it on.

“Apollo, you there?”

“Yeah,” Apollo’s easy-going voice replied. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve got eyes on a suspicious male headed outside. Sandy blond hair, short, with glasses. See if you can put a tale on him.”

“Will do,” Apollo’s voice crackled back at him.

Sol hung the walky-talky back on the wall and grabbed his jacket. By all rights, he should be following that man, but everything in him was drawn to the woman. He had to find out why.

* * *

Erica leaned over the rail and stared out at the darkness surrounding the building. A hush seemed to have moved over the land. Everything just seemed so isolated from out here.

She peeked over her shoulder to make sure the creepy guy hadn’t followed her. At first she was flattered by his attention. Not really a looker, but still, it’s never a bad thing to get some attention. Well, unless that attention gives you the willies.

His questions had been so weird. She knew so very little about the new tribe, and yet the man had been certain she knew more. Specifically, he had pushed her on her connection with Sol.

Her body heated with arousal at just the thought of the man. She shivered.

“A lady shouldn’t be out her alone.”

Erica jumped in surprise when a gravelly voice drifted from the corner. She turned and was surprised to see the very hunky man who had been occupying her thoughts.

Her heart leapt.