Voices Carry

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Praise for the writing of Melissa Schroeder

The Hired Hand

If you love steamy romances,A Hired Hand promises to deliver a satisfying read. Liam’s a man who’ll have readers turning the pages to discover the details of his next close encounter. You’ll laugh and love his every move and clamor for more of his sexy antics. The sassy and determined Marlow saunters onto the scene and steals his heart ... but he’ll steal yours if you’re not careful. In her debut as an erotic romance author, Melissa delivers in spades . . . and every other suit in the deck.

-- Shawna Moore, author ofSaints and Sinners (Whiskey Creek Press)

Melissa Schroeder’sThe Hired Hand is a charming story of lovers brought together by an unusual case of mistaken identity. The heroine’s determination to modernize her family-owned chain of grocery stores brings her face to face with her mystery lover and the real ride begins. Fast paced and sexy,The Hired Hand is sure to entertain.

-- Cyndi Friberg, author ofRebel Angels 1: Born of the Shadows (Loose Id)

The Hired Handis a great, fun book...There are a few surprises with the characters that had me to tears and bellowing with laughter. If you want a sharp, funny well written book to curl up with next to the toys this is IT.

-- Julie Esparza,Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Melissa Schroeder has scored a direct hit with The Hired Hand. This novel is a fun, fast read. Ms. Schroeder’s biting humor and snappy dialogue make this a definite keeper!

-- Kally Jo Surbeck, author ofFor The Love Of… (Loose Id)

The Hired Handis coming soon from Whiskey Creek Press.

VOICES CARRY

Melissa Schroeder

www.loose-id.com

Warning

This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

*****

This book is rated:

Explicit sexuality and graphic language.

Voices Carry

Melissa Schroeder

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by

Loose Id LLC

1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29

Carson City NV 89701-1215

www.loose-id.com

Copyright © 2004 by Melissa Schroeder

All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 1-59632-018-4

Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Linda Kusiolek

Cover Artist: Sahara Kelly

Chapter One

I bet she tastes as sweet as sin on a cyber-stick.

Shana Adams stopped in mid-sentence when the thought sparked across her mind. Any ideas she had scattered, as she cautiously looked around at the six department heads seated at the titanium-glass conference table. They sat patiently, waiting for her to continue her briefing.

Since she had ignored her ability for so long, it was impossible to pinpoint who’d said it. Schooling her features, she looked down at her handheld micropad and silently berated herself. Memories of her mother’s soft, patient voice drifted through her mind. Shana used the mental exercises her mother had taught her to block the intrusive thoughts. After a couple moments, the only thing that remained was a slight tugging on her senses. She cleared her throat and continued.

“One thing we’ve learned from our investigations is that Gorgons aren’t the source of this new terrorism here on Earth.”

“And what makes you think your assumptions are correct?” Marcus Carlyle was the head of the Federation’s anti-terrorism unit and the bane of her existence. He sat at the head of the table, directly opposite from her, dressed in his usual custom-made, Martian-blue suit.

He studied her calmly, waiting for her to take the bait. She knew that tone of voice too well. Since he’d hired her eighteen months ago, the man had constantly questioned her reports.

“It’s not an assumption, sir. The Gorgons have lost most of their backing since they pulled that stunt in LA last December and killed civilians. They lied to some well-meaning souls from Rilah and convinced them to donate to their cause. Their supporters thought they were supporting alegal battle between the Gorgons and the Federation. Even some of their most strident supporters have deserted them. Without financial support, their legion is dissolving. Many of their mercs have scattered across several different planets.”

She pressed the ‘send file’ button on her pad. Her report materialized before each man, via his own micropad.

“No, this new threat operates with no visible means of outside support. There’s no group of planets behind the threats. The chatter has risen in the last few months, so we’re worried there is something planned. But at this point, we have no idea what.”

Carlyle studied her as if she were a mouse and he were a tomcat ready to pounce. She took a deep breath and willed herself not to break eye contact. His dark green eyes, flecked with golden brown, dared her to flinch.

Why did her nipples harden each time he looked at her like that? She should hate it. And she did. Really.

“After all this time, you still have no idea where they might strike, Ms. Adams?”

His voice was filled with mocking sarcasm. She didn’t say a word for several moments as she counted back from ten, then did it a second time. Someone’s chair squeaked, and several of the men cleared their throats. She didn’t balk or acknowledge the insolent smile curving Carlyle’s lips.

Lips she would dearly love to taste.

She jerked her mind back from that thought. She would not fantasize about him. Again. It was a meeting, a highly classified meeting, and they were discussing the new threat to the seven sectors which comprised the Federation of Nations. It didn’t matter that his short black hair, threaded with a touch of gray, begged her to run her fingers through it. She didn’t like his dominant, sculpted cheekbones or his crooked nose. Most women would yearn to run their hands over every sculpted, muscular inch of his six-foot, three-inch body. But she wouldn’t think about how warm his skin would feel. Or about having his long, tapered fingers brush against her nipples.

Dammit!

She took a deep breath and ignored the fact that his gaze dipped to her breasts then refocused on her face.

“It’s actually harder to figure out what they’re planning, because we don’t know who supports them. If we knew -- as we did with the Gorgons -- who wanted our resources, we could give a better assessment. Of course, you know as well as I that I evaluate the data collected by the Federation of Nations’ various intelligence groups. The chatter has been rising over the last few months. I believe that this attack may be planned for New Year’s Eve. With the year being 2099, these new terrorists probably believe carrying out an attack would be easier and the impact greater that night. The security forces will be stretched thin because of the celebrations.”

Carlyle raised an eyebrow; the corner of his lips lifted more. “Any questions for Ms. Adams?” he asked, not taking his eyes off her. She refused to fidget.

A barrage of negative responses came from the other five gentlemen. She sighed, relieved to be finished. She hated these highly classified meetings. Yet, the Federation stayed only a few steps ahead of the people who hacked into their systems. So being there in person eliminated one access spies had to her reports. She turned off her micropad and was within five seconds of a clean getaway when Carlyle stopped her.

“I would like to see you in my office after lunch, Ms. Adams.”

His deep voice shimmied down her spine. She plastered on the fakest smile she possessed. “Of course, Mr. Carlyle. Shana Adams, authorize.”

The silver door slid open, and she walked through the doorway, using every ounce of her willpower not to stick out her middle finger as the door slid closed behind her.

She walked down the myriad of hallways that led to her workstation. Before she entered the office that led to her cubicle, her retina was scanned for security. Irritated with her reaction to Carlyle, Shana avoided well-meaning coworkers and just smiled and nodded as she walked.

After reaching the solitude of her cubicle, the earlier breach plagued her thoughts. Telepathic from birth, she had learned to control it. She hadn’t had a slip like that since adolescence.

She glanced at the hologram of her and her brother, David. Born only ten months apart, they grew up as close as some twins. The secret of their powers, something their parents had kept hidden for all of their lives, made them even closer. People with telepathic powers weren’t allowed to work in government. Hell, they weren’t even allowed to have normal lives. Ever since Ripley Johnson had led a revolt in the late forties with a group of paras who had used their skills to help him, the Federation had cracked down on anyone with the ability. Many had seen what Johnson had done as treason, and had grouped all paras along with him and his followers. Any paras discovered spent their lives in think tanks or research labs, at the mercy of scientists. It was the Federation’s way of dealing with people like her, keeping them under control, so to speak.

And Marcus’s family had been instrumental in breaking up the rebellion. It was well-known within the company that Marcus had an immense hatred of paras. He saw them all as traitors and killers.

Shana sighed and rubbed her temple. Her skills as an expert on terrorism were useless outside of

government, at least on Earth. She didn’t want to be separated from her family. She needed to call David and find out what the hell was going on with her. A slip like that could lose her her job. And commit her to a lifetime of torture. She shivered.

But the thing foremost in her mind was the question of just who had been thinking about how she tasted.

Chapter Two

Marcus allowed the conversation of his department heads to carry on as his mind drifted to Ms. Adams, dressed in her usual smart pantsuit. Shana. All he could think of was licking her from top to bottom like his favorite treat, melon cyber-sticks. He’d known when he hired her eighteen months ago that it would be a mistake. During the interview, he’d had the almost overwhelming urge to peel off her little suit and bury his cock deep inside of her. He yearned to capture her cries as she orgasmed.

“Marcus?”

He looked up and flushed. Everyone studied him expectantly. Jesus, he had to get his mind off Ms. Adams and her cute little body. And the way the micro-fabric had molded to her every curve -especially her full, rounded breasts. Heat singed a path to his dick. He shifted to relieve the pressure in his balls.

“Yes, John.”

John Marrow’s cool blue eyes sparkled. His right-hand man, and best friend, knew exactly where his mind had been. “I said the security breach doesn’t seem to be very bad, but we have people checking it out.”

Shit. What the hell had they been talking about while he daydreamed about licking every inch of Ms. Adams’s luscious skin? “When will you finish your assessment?”

“Tomorrow. Friday at the latest.”

The meeting broke up five minutes later. John followed Marcus back to his office. He dreaded the shit John would give him over this.

“You know, boss, you need to pay more attention during the meetings you have. Sitting there lusting over one of your workers -- it’s pretty sad.”

He tried to ignore John’s mocking voice. There had been a friendly rivalry between them since they met in college. Only an inch shorter than Marcus, John wasn’t as menacing with his blue eyes, blond hair, and pretty-boy face. John got most of the women, which was fine by Marcus, most of the time. Women expected more time than Marcus could give. Building his company, staying at the top of the heap of security firms vying for government contracts -- that was what consumed his time.

“Really, John, you have an overactive imagination. Probably why you’ve been married three times.”

John snorted. “Listen, it’s not as if I think that little woman isn’t hot, but you’re not the type to poach the goods at work.”

Anger sparked through Marcus, but he took a calming breath. Shoving his fist down the throat of his second-in-command because he referred to Shana as ‘hot’ wouldn’t look good.

John continued to chatter on about his upcoming weekend plans. Once they arrived at Marcus’s office door, Marcus said, “Marcus Carlyle, authorize.”

The doors slid open noiselessly and shut after they passed through them.

“Welcome, Mr. Carlyle. You have no appointments until one,” the sultry voice of his computer assistant said. “You have three new messages.”

“Thank you, computer.” Marcus dropped behind his steel desk, keyed in his security code for the classified file drawer, and stored his micropad. He straightened the desktop, placing everything on it in just the right place.

“Want to grab a bite to eat?” John asked.

“No, I have to read over some reports, and then I have a meeting at one with Ms. Adams. I’m going to order in.”

John chuckled knowingly. “Yeah, and you can’t be caught unprepared for a meeting with her. Just be careful. Remember what happened to the woman who last held that position.”

“I lost her to Jensen Securities when she caught you fucking Jane Denton on your desk. You should never work with any of your wives, John.”

“Anyway, why are you worried about the reports? I already told you there wasn’t anything to lose sleep over.”

Yes there was, but Marcus didn’t share his thoughts with people freely. He liked to sort through everything first, and then share what he thought was important. That way, information wouldn’t inadvertently appear in any e-paper or e-zine before he was ready for it to.

“I just want to check everything out, make sure we haven’t missed anything.”

“Of course, Marcus. I understand.”

Irritation crept up his spine. He hated it when John used that tone of voice with him.

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

“Nothing.” John’s smile inched higher, and so did Marcus’s frustration. “I know you just like to make sure you filter everything before we see it. You know, like when Carlyle Securities was up for this contract the first time around and you didn’t even tell me.”

“If anything had gotten out to the press, it would have ruined the deal. That’s my job, John. You know, owner of the company and all that. Besides, I have to. Just to make sure nothing gets out before it should.”

“What’s this meeting with Ms. Adams about?”

The knot tightened in his stomach. “I want more info on that Gorgon situation.” A weak lie, but it was all he could come up with.

“Whatever you say, boss. Just remember, I warned you.”

With that statement, John sauntered out of the room. Once alone, Marcus looked over the quarterly reports from Shana. Every report was perfect, not a number out of place. And there was nothing in them to raise suspicions. He needed her help in this. Someone very smart had breached their security and might have found the names of some of their operatives in the Deros Sector.

Contrary to John’s thoughts, they had a problem because some of these agents were in deep cover. Their lives were in jeopardy and the Federation still hadn’t reached several of them. Whoever had breached their security had to have help from the inside. If he didn’t clean this up, he could lose the contract Carlyle Security had held to run the Department of Counter-Terrorism for the past five years. Far worse, operatives would surely die.

Yes, he needed her insight on this. Shana Adams was the top in her field, and though he gave her a hard time, her analyses and observations were usually dead-on. And despite his reservations when he interviewed her, there was one thing he knew he had the moment he hired her -- her loyalty.

Trust didn’t come easily for him. In his profession, trusting the wrong person could be deadly. Being raised by a father who ran black ops for the Federation didn’t help, either. The Carlyle family had always worked for the government in some capacity. His own grandfather had died in the battle with Ripley Johnson and his para rebels. Fredrick Carlyle made the mistake of trusting Ripley, trained him, and was

ultimately shot in the back by him. Marcus’s father constantly reminded him of both the sacrifice and the mistake his grandfather had made.

Discipline had been highly praised and rewarded in his home. Never trust without proof of allegiance. It had been his father’s favorite saying. Yet, something in his gut told him that he could trust Shana.

Truthfully, he’d had legitimate reasons not to hire her. She was a top-notch terrorism analyst, and had worked her way through the government, but she also had been known to speak her mind, not caring whose toes she stepped on. He had the bruises on his own toes to prove it.

Her appearance was the main problem. She wore her dark hair pixie short, emphasizing her high cheekbones and luminous topaz eyes and those full, pink lips. She looked more like a water sprite from Neptune than a terrorism expert. And although she wasn’t out in the field, he usually liked to have his analysts in top shape. Most of the men and women in his department were lean, muscular, and physically capable of handling themselves in the field when the situation was called for. Shana was not only petite, but also far from lean. He’d hired her because she had a sharp mind, and she’d turned out to be his top analyst. He just couldn’t keep his mind off all her curves.

The image of her dressed in her little red pantsuit rose to mock him. Every fiber of the material had clung to her breasts. She looked like she wasn’t wearing breast cups or panties. He thought of peeling off that material and gliding his hands over her soft skin, taking her nipples into his mouth, moving down her belly, tasting her between her lips . . .

He shifted in his chair as his cock grew rock-hard again. It had been like this since he met her, and it was getting worse every day. Each time he came into contact with her, something tugged at his senses, pulled on his heart. He rubbed his chest. That bothered him more than the sexual attraction.

He sighed. He spent his days in this semi-aroused state. There hadn’t been a time in her company when his dick didn’t stand at attention.

*****

“You don’t have any idea who it might have been?” David’s brow wrinkled in concern.

Shana waited for a couple to walk by their table at the outdoor café where they sat. She shivered as the cool December wind picked up. “No. None. Most of those men are as old as Dad. Well, except for Mr. Carlyle and Mr. Marrow.”

“Just because they’re old . . .”

She smirked. “I know. I’m worried about the slip. I haven’t had a transfer like that for over ten years.”

David grunted and took a sip from his water tube. The sound of hover vehicles whizzing by during the DC lunchtime rush filled the silence as both of them thought of the implications.

“Well, just be on guard. I don’t think anyone could find out, but make sure you’re careful. Mom and Dad heard they rounded up a bunch of telepaths in Seattle a couple months ago. No one has heard from them since.”

She shuddered at the thought. Periodically, rumors of arrests and internment in camps surfaced. All family members were taken into custody, as most scientists agreed that any paranormal abilities were probably genetic.

“You don’t think it was your boss, do you?”

She choked on her Saturn-guavaberry juice and laughed. The idea that sexy, virile, thoroughly Alpha Marcus Carlyle would think those things about her was embarrassing and laughable. Mainly because she had fantasized more than once about licking her way down his hard body and taking his cock into . . .

She cleared her throat as her brother studied her. Thank God David’s empathic skills were as rusty as her telepathic skills. “No. I’m positive of that. The man despises me. He didn’t want to hire me in the first place, but he had to. I was the most qualified. He said I was a lightweight.”

David chuckled. “Then he didn’t know you very well.”

She laughed. True, many people took in her small stature and thought less of her. Short for her family, she was used to fighting for attention among a group of people who were tall and lithe. Except for their topaz eyes and slashing cheekbones, most people would never guess she and David were brother and sister. He was well over six feet, broad-shouldered, and lean . . . without an ounce of fat on him. Which was the reason he made such a good law enforcement officer, or LEO. Shana, well, she was what her father called ‘petite and pleasantly plump.’

“Could it be the other guy?”

“Mr. Marrow.” She nodded. “That would be my guess. The man’s been married three times. In fact, his ex had the job before I did.”

“Has he shown any interest in you?” His casual tone didn’t fool her one bit.

“David, you are not going to jump in there and cause problems.” He opened his mouth to protest, but she rolled on. “No, I mean it. Just one blip. That’s all. I can handle it. John Marrow hasn’t shown any more interest in me than he shows any other woman.”

She didn’t mention that he had asked her out three times. Of course, he propositioned every woman under the age of forty in the office.

“Do you want me to contact Mom and Dad about this?”

She thought of her parents, on Venus in the new casino resort, enjoying their second honeymoon. They could return within five hours, but bothering them with something this small would ruin their vacation.

“No. I don’t want to worry them unless there’s a major problem.”

He walked her back to her office, his arm draped casually over her shoulder. She knew the only reason he did so was because of her earlier problem.

“How about a movie tonight?” he asked.

“No. I have some work to do tonight. I want to look over some new reports.”

She walked past him and groaned when he followed. Both of them had their retinas scanned. David was granted access, since he was an LEO in counter-terrorism. Irritation lanced through her, and she ground her teeth. She wasn’t in the mood for this. He was in full big-brother mode. When they arrived at Carlyle’s door, she turned on him.

“I think I can take it from here, David.”

He smiled. “I’m just a little worried about you.”

“I know. How about a movie tomorrow night, my place, and pizza on me?”

He nodded. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Before she’d finished, the door whooshed open behind her and every nerve ending in her body went on full alert. A shiver worked its way down her spine and her nipples hardened. She knew who was standing there without looking.

“Not that I can’t appreciate that you have a personal life, Ms. Adams, but I really think you should keep it out of the office.” Carlyle’s voice was filled with sarcastic contempt.

Chapter Three

A red haze of anger rose in front of Marcus as he eyed Shana and her companion. In the time she’d worked for him, he’d never known her to date, let alone bring someone to work. Her background check had shown nothing but a few casual affairs.Apparently her social life is on an upswing.

Rage. That was the only description for what he was feeling. Pure, violent, possessive rage. He wanted to grab the bastard by the throat and strangle him. Because from somewhere deep in the back of his mind, an image of the two of them in bed together rose to mock him. The thought that this moron had sunk into her, tasted her, sent his temper into hyperspeed.

The man standing beside her was a big brute. His stance was aggressive and protective. His eyes narrowed as he studied Marcus. They were about the same height. Young, Marcus thought. He wore one of the tight-fitting black uniforms of the DC police.

She was dating an LEO?

Flustered, Shana fidgeted with her hair. “Mr. Carlyle, I would like you to meet David Adams, my brother. David, my supervisor, Mr. Carlyle.”

The brother, of course. He vaguely remembered something about her brother being an LEO when they did her background check. The light brown hair, cut military short, threw Marcus for a second. The sculpted cheekbones and topaz eyes were the same. Relief poured through him, almost making him lightheaded.

“Nice to meet you, David. I see you work for the DC police.”

His genial tone had her brother’s eyes darkening in suspicion. He almost laughed because, at that moment, he could definitely see the resemblance between brother and sister.

“Yes, I work for the Capital Police. I’ve been with them for over three years.” His tone was as unfriendly as his eyes. He turned to his sister, completely ignoring Marcus. “I’m working regular shift tonight, but I’ll be by around seven tomorrow night.” He kissed her forehead, threw Marcus a menacing look, and then strode down the hall.

Marcus chuckled. “I see friendliness runs in your family.”

“You have to excuse David. Ever since he quit practicing law to become an LEO, he’s suspicious of everyone.”

“After you.” He stood back so she could pass through the doorway.

She hesitated, then stepped forward. As she passed, her wildflower fragrance and her own musky scent surrounded him. Instantly, he hardened at the thought of sinking into her wet, hot pussy.

Jesus, why did he do this to himself? The material of her suit clung to her full, rounded ass cheeks, and he found himself hypnotized by the sway of her hips. He wanted to skim his hand across them, squeeze them, run his finger down the cleft separating them, and watch her shiver with arousal.

She sat in one of the padded steel seats in front of his desk. He hurried to sit so she wouldn’t see his hard-on. When he saw the look in her eyes, he knew David wasn’t the only Adams pissed at him. Whenever she gave him that narrowed, suspicious look, every ounce of blood drained from his head down to his dick.

At that moment, all he wanted was her, on his desk, with his head between her legs. Tasting her lips.

From the look on her face, though, he thought she might object.

*****

“Was there a problem with my presentation this morning?” Her voice sounded like a breathy whisper even to her own ears.

The images bombarding her were breaking her concentration. There was nothing specific, but flashes of her ass figured prominently.

Images. She hadn’t had image transfers for close to fifteen years. And now, to have the images he was thinking, laying her on his desk . . .

He studied her silently, displaying no outward sign of his thoughts. She shifted in her chair to ease the ache between her legs. Instead, the soft fabric of her suit rubbed against her pussy, heightening her arousal. She shifted again and groaned inwardly. The fabric was damp with her need.

Her mind drifted back to her assumption that John Marrow had been the one thinking about her this morning. She couldn’t believe it had been her supervisor.Marcus Carlyle thought she would taste like sin? Blood rushed to her face.

“No, Ms. Adams. I didn’t have a problem with your presentation.” His voice, huskier than usual, sent warmth pooling to her groin. “In fact, it was well-done. I have a more serious matter to discuss.”

He keyed the code to his security drawer. It popped open; he pulled out a microfile, and shut the drawer. She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her heart. Her skin tingled and her nipples tightened against the fabric of her suit. She cursed herself for not wearing her breast cups this morning.

He straightened and handed her the electronic file. Before she could open it, he stopped her with a warning.

“I have never doubted your loyalty before this moment, but I must have an understanding that everything you read in that is to be confidential. No one in the department can know what you are seeing.”

She nodded and punched in her security code, then selected the report. She clicked on the file. Instantly, it projected above the device. As she read about the breaches of security, her stomach knotted. His comments now made sense.

“No one else knows about this?”

“The department heads know to some extent. I’ve tried to keep it quiet.” One corner of his mouth kicked up. “You know I like to filter everything to make sure it doesn’t get out.”

Yes, and it had been the subject of many of their disagreements in the past. “You trust me with it?”

“No report, no little piece of information you’ve uncovered, has ever been leaked. No matter how small or how big, it never makes it around the office or to the media before I hear about it. So, I trust you. Plus, I also know you wouldn’t spy. It isn’t in your makeup. You feel as strongly as I do about keeping the Federation safe.”

Warmth filled her at his confidence in her. She read over the report. The breach didn’t follow the usual patterns of the hackers or cyber-terrorists who tended to send viruses and worms to cause disruptions. This was a full-scale attack on some of the department’s most coveted information -- the names and locations of their undercover agents, their aliases, and what species they had assumed as their disguises. She glanced up to find him studying the DC skyline as the busy, late-afternoon traffic whizzed by his twentieth-floor window. The sunlight caressed his face, highlighting his chiseled cheekbones and the few gray strands of hair woven within the black.

From the moment she met him, there was something about him that drew her. His suits were tailored to fit the lean, muscled body he’d gained from serving in the Federation’s Air Corps. It wasn’t just his looks or his gorgeous body that attracted her. There was an underlying sense of self-control to Marcus Carlyle. No matter how many times they’d argued in the last year and a half, he never lost his temper. She’d never heard him raise his voice, no matter how heated the argument.

He must have sensed her studying him. He turned to face her, his green eyes dark and serious. She shivered as a wave of hunger swept through her. How could a man who irritated the hell out of her, make her want to jump his bones with just a look?

She cleared her throat. “How much do the department heads know?”

“They know there has been a small breach. No one, except the spy, knows how much knowledge has been gathered.”

Her mind jumped from person to person and then skidded to a halt as a good-looking, blue-eyed blond came to mind. “You suspect Mr. Marrow?”

“No, I don’t. He definitely has access, but John isn’t a good liar. There’s a reason he’s been divorced three times. He can be, shall I say, indiscreet when involved with a woman.”

A smiled tipped his lips, and the now familiar zing warmed her blood. She must have given her thoughts away, because his smile faded and his eyes heated.

He cleared his throat. “What I need from you is some overtime, working on some of the transmissions, analyzing data. If we can figure out who wants the information and has the credits to pay for it, we’ll be able to catch the spy.”

She nodded but said nothing. The air in the room turned warmer, the spicy scent of him filled the air.

“I want to apologize for what happened earlier,” he said, his voice a shade warmer.

Flashes of his thoughts sparked through her mind, through her body. The image of his hands -- dark, tanned hands against her ivory skin, while he spread her legs and bent his head to lick her clit -- sent a wave of wet heat to just that spot.Oh, Lord.

“It’s OK. David tends to be a little overprotective.”

“He’s older?”

He expected her to hold a conversation while he was thinking about doing those things to her?Jesus, she could barely breathe.

“No, I am, but there’s less than a year between us.”

Her voice was deeper than her usual tone. His eyes darkened and the images flickered. So many different ideas, she couldn’t grasp onto one. Hot, wet skin. His voice and hers. Every nerve ending in her body shimmered and tightened. Her blood heated and pulsed between her legs. Her head spun from the barrage of images flashing through her mind.

Something in the way she looked at him must have alerted him to her arousal. A look of pure, unadulterated lust darkened his eyes, and without a word, he rose from his chair and walked around his desk. He stood in front of her, and her gaze was drawn to his raging erection. He took her hand, and pulled her out of the seat. They stood inches apart, his body heat warming her breasts. He placed a hand on the small of her back and eased her closer. His cock pressed into her waist, and she dampened in response.

“Do you know the main reason why I didn’t want to hire you?” he whispered against her ear. She shivered. “I spent the whole interview fantasizing about you, thinking about what you would taste like here.” He touched her mouth with his callused index finger. “And here.” His finger glided over her erect nipple, past her belly button, and finally he pressed his palm against her clit. “And especially here.”

Her muscles tightened in anticipation, but he kept his touch feather-light. Slowly, his finger brushed over her clit and then pressed slightly against it. She moaned in frustration. He chuckled. She shuddered as the deep, rich sound sank into her bones, warming her from the inside out.

“Marcus, this isn’t a good idea.” But even she heard the surrender in her voice. He pressed harder against her clit, and she moved to increase the pressure.

“I’ve never known you to be quite so impatient, Ms. Adams.”

Dark and seductive, his voice was a heated whisper across her skin. He moved his hand from between her legs and cupped her face. The scent of her arousal rose from his fingers. Gaining courage, she willed herself to meet his eyes. They burned with fiery passion, so intense it jolted her senses and seized control of her thoughts.

Sizzling images and sounds bombarded her mind. The lushness of the visions -- their tangled bodies; hot, slippery, messy sex; silk sheets -- washed over her. He bent his head, keeping his eyes open as he pressed his lips against hers. Never in her life had her gift overpowered her like this. While he nipped at her lower lip, his gaze dared her to break contact, to refuse this intimacy. His hands slid down, brushed

the sides of her breasts with the lightest touch, then moved to cup her rear end. Her sex throbbed with need so great she whimpered when he pressed her closer, allowing her to feel his long, thick cock.

While he continued the sensuous assault on her body, the images of his fantasies, of his wants and desires, flooded her mind, constantly keeping her off balance. His thoughts continued to overpower her own. Each one more intense than the last, increasing with his arousal.

His tongue darted out, licking at her lips. Without a thought, she opened her mouth to him. The pictures in her mind darkened, growing more vivid as his tongue swept past her lips and into her mouth. Her eyes slid closed in surrender as he took complete possession of her mouth and her mind.

Chapter Four

Marcus pulled Shana tighter, pressing her against his erection. The taste of her exploded in his mouth. Wet, hot, spicy sweet. He massaged her round, full ass. His balls tightened as the image formed in his mind of bending her over his desk, spanking her ass as he fucked her from behind.

She moaned, a sound filled with the same intense need twisting his stomach into knots. He pulled back from the kiss. Her lips were reddened and wet from his kisses -- just how they would look after sucking him dry. His knees almost buckled at the thought, and her eyes dilated as is she’d had the same idea.

As he lifted her, she twined her legs around his waist, grinding her hot cunt against him. Gently, he set her on his desk. His blood heated as her hands slid from his shoulders, past his chest, and his stomach. She tried to reach for his dick but he jerked back, knowing if she touched him, he’d come in his pants. She leaned back, and holograms of his family crashed to the floor.

God, the scent of her was driving him insane.The need to control, to conquer, raged through him. Fighting the urge to let loose, he pressed her back further.

He grabbed her by her hands, shackling them in one of his, and raised them above her head. Her eyes flew open, then narrowed.

“Marcus --”

His chest tightened and his heart almost stopped at the sound of his name on her lips. Just hearing it, in a voice full of arousal, made his stomach flip-flop. “Say that again.” His voice was rough from the arousal coursing through him. “Say my name.”

She licked her lips, her eyes only half-opened. “Marcus.” Her voice deepened, rolling over each syllable.

He groaned. He grabbed the front of her jacket and pulled it open, buttons popping off. Every other thought dissolved at the sight of her breasts.

Round, bottom-heavy, and tipped with pink nipples tightened from her arousal. She drew in a deep breath and they quivered. He licked his lips. Anticipation lanced through him. He bent his head and licked one nipple, then the other, circling his tongue around the very tip. She arched her back, offering her breast to him, and he accepted. He drew one turgid tip into his mouth as he caressed, then pinched, the other. Her gasp was filled with equal parts of surprise and arousal.

She twisted her hands, but he clamped them tighter. “Uh uh uh. Don’t be a naughty girl, Shana,” he said against her breast.

She humphed, then groaned when he grazed one nipple with his teeth. He bit down. She released a breath and shivered. Anticipation skipped along his senses as he thought of everything he wanted to do to her body.

He drew in a deep breath, pulling back the beast his rampant lust had created. He barely held on to his

control. If he let go, he’d rip off her clothes and fuck her until she couldn’t see straight.

She squirmed against him, her pussy rubbing his cock. A white-hot shot of electricity headed right for his dick. His control slipped, teetering on the edge. Before she could push him over that edge, he released her hands and stepped back from her. He grabbed hold of her arm, yanked her off the desk.

“Get rid of the jacket and those pants.” His voice was hard, demanding, but he didn’t give a damn.

Mutiny gleamed in the depth of her tawny eyes, but before she could open her mouth, he stepped forward and pressed his hand against her crotch. Wet heat warmed his hand and zinged straight down to his balls.

“Do what I say, Shana.” He glided his index finger between the lips of her sex, and even through the micro-fiber, his finger dampened.Jesus . She shivered in response and licked her lips.

A second later, she pushed his hand away and wrestled out of her jacket, then slid her pants down her legs and stepped out of them. She stood before him without a stitch of clothing on. Her skin, pale ivory with a hint of honey, her nipples reddened from his treatment, her pussy lasered bare for him. He wanted to lick it, taste her arousal as she came.

His hands shook with need as he ripped open the front of his trousers and took his cock in hand. A dribble of pre-cum wet the head. She licked her lips again and he groaned. She hopped back on the desk, but he pulled her off and turned her around.

He bent her over it, just as he had imagined. He skimmed his hand over her smooth, bare ass. She shifted her weight from one foot to another.

“Marcus.” Her voice held a note of demand in it.

He looked up and found her looking over her shoulder at him. He stared straight into her eyes and smacked her ass hard. His hand stung; his dick jerked. She gasped, but turned back around and didn’t say another word.

He slid his hand between her legs, and found her sex swollen and dripping with arousal. He pressed his fingers against her clit, then slipped a couple into her. Her inner muscles clamped his fingers like a vise. He pulled them out, rubbing her juices over her clit.

She moaned his name. “You like that, Shana?” He repeated the action. “Wet, hot, and tight. Just like I like my pussy.”

He continued sliding his fingers in and out, until he could almost feel the tension vibrating off her. The scent of her need spurred his own. No longer able to hold out, he removed his fingers and replaced them with his shaft. He drove into her in one thrust to the hilt. She gasped at the sudden intrusion, but then moaned as he slid out and then back in.

Damp heat surrounded his cock.Oh, Jesus, she felt so good. He slid his hand across her belly, down to her clit, applying just enough pressure to tease her. She growled her frustration, placed her hands on the table, and pushed back, trying to increase the tempo of his thrusts.

He smacked her ass again. “Naughty, Shana.” She stilled as he drove his dick in and out of her juicy cunt. After a few strokes, she joined in the rhythm he’d set for their lovemaking. His balls tightened and blood rushed to his shaft. Every muscle in his body quivered with the need to reach the pinnacle.Now. He had to come now.

He pressed her clit harder, and slammed into her once more. Her muscles clenched and quivered, her body tightening with her orgasm.

“Marcus.”

He pulled out and then sank back into her. Her convulsions pulled him deeper, stroked his cock.

“Yeah, oh, yeah, baby, that’s it. So good.”

One more thrust and he emptied his seed into her.

*****

Shana lay beneath Marcus, enjoying the feel of his body on top of hers. She breathed in, enjoying the musky scent of him, of their sex. He was nuzzling the back of her neck, lips nipping at her earlobe. The feel of his damp kisses combined with his warm breath sent a shiver down her spine. He was still inside of her, and he twitched in reaction. He chuckled and lifted himself to his hands, relieving her of his weight.

“I’m a little old for that fast of a turnaround, Ms. Adams.”

His hand skimmed down her back, tracing the line of her spine. He sighed, then pulled out of her, and stepped away. Instantly, a wave of cool air hit her back and she shivered. She lifted herself to her elbows and looked around at the mess on the floor. Holograms, laser pens, and even a microfile or two lay scattered behind his desk.

Never in her life had sex ever included the sensations of her partner’s thoughts. His thoughts had spurred her arousal, pushing her, shoving her beyond anywhere she had been before. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this good. Not only satisfied in body, but in spirit also. Her mind no longer picked up on images from Marcus, but she was sure it was because it had been overloaded. A smile tugged at her lips. Marcus was as demanding in sex as he was at work. Her smiled faded as reality came crashing down around her.

What the hell have I done?

Chapter Five

Shana’s heart leaped to her throat and almost strangled her.Good night, Jupiter! She’d screwed

Marcus Carlyle. Well, it was more like he screwed her, but that was beside the point. This was her boss and the man who hated anyone with paranormal abilities. Panic coiled in her stomach. She drew in a deep breath and reminded herself that Marcus had no idea she was a telepath. She lifted herself from the desk and slid to the floor.

The second her feet hit the ground, Marcus slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her tight against him. The heat of his body warmed her back. Without thinking, she snuggled against him as he massaged her breasts.Oh, God, he smells like heaven. The soft Fusturian cotton of his dress shirt caressed her back. She looked down at his hands and saw the cuff of his suit jacket and groaned.

“What’s wrong, Shana?” The rumble of his voice vibrated against her back.

“I’m naked.”

“I was aware of that fact.” She detected a smile in his voice.

Her face burned and she closed her eyes. “And you’re fully clothed.”

He chuckled again, and the rusty sound fed into her desire. There was something definitely naughty and arousing standing in front of a fully clothed man while she was naked.

“I apologize for that,” he said in a voice that didn’t sound apologetic at all. In fact, she was sure she heard a hint of damn male pride.

Indignation was all she had to hold on to, so she grabbed it with both hands. She brushed his hands aside, aching the moment they left her skin. She whirled around, and poked him in the chest with her finger. He glanced down, mild surprise lighting his eyes.

“This isn’t a good idea, and you know it.”

His lips quirked and then his gaze dipped down to her breasts. Her nipples tightened. She crossed her

arms.

“Why isn’t it a good idea? You’ve had your contraceptive booster and STD vaccine, haven’t you?”

Irritation crept down her spine. “That’s not what I meant. We should just forget it.” She bent to grab her clothes off the floor but never got the chance.

Hands as hard as Deniden steel encircled her arms. He picked her up and plopped her on the desk. A lash of angry thoughts vibrated through her mind. Like before, she couldn’t grasp one thing, but there was an edge of panic in them. He brought his face within an inch of hers.

“There is no way in hell I am going to forget. How can I forget the way it felt, the way you sounded when you came?”

His voice thickened, rolling over the words as the images of their mating flashed through his mind and reached out to her. The sounds, the scents, the physical feeling of sinking into her, swirled in her mind. Hot, molten lava flowed through her veins. Her heartbeat tripled and her whole body throbbed. His eyes dilated, his breathing hitched. Excitement pulsed between them as his thoughts of having her again, of tasting her cream, shot from his mind to hers.

He leaned forward and her hand shot out, smacking him in the chest. She had to make a last-ditch effort. She was dizzy with lust caused by the images and sounds swirling in her brain.

“Ah, baby, don’t make me stop.” The way he said “baby” weakened her resolve. It shouldn’t, since she was an independent woman over the age of thirty. Still, she couldn’t help the liquid rushing to her sex or the funny little feeling in her stomach when his voice vibrated over the word. “Making me stop would be a crime. Especially since I want to be very, very good to you.”

He wanted to eat her.That was the only thought that she could grasp and hold on to.

Oh, Lord.

Her elbow gave way, and he captured her lips. Again, images assaulted her, tilting the axis of her universe. As his tongue stole past her lips, the scent of him, spicy and pure male animal, surrounded her while his thoughts drew her closer to surrender.

He pulled away, then kissed a path from her neck to her breasts. Her nipples grew painfully tight as he licked and suckled one while he massaged and pinched the other.

Before she was satisfied, before he’d relieved the ache, he moved down her body, kissing and licking her skin. He kissed her stomach, then squatted between her spread legs. He leaned closer to her and inhaled. His breath warmed her lips.

Oh, God, the scent of her.

Juice flooded her cunt as his thoughts stole into her mind once again. His tongue slipped between the lips of her pussy. She tried to concentrate on her own passion, but his thoughts overpowered hers.

She tastes better than I imagined.

Heat flowed through her and gathered in her stomach. He moved his tongue to her clit, teasing the hardened nub as he slid his fingers into her sex. As her body reacted, his thoughts assaulted her in hyperspeed. They flashed through her, tangled in her own, confusing her, pushing her closer to the pinnacle just out of her reach. She couldn’t figure out where his thoughts stopped and hers began. Every muscle tightened in anticipation. The heat in her belly exploded as tremors wracked her body. Her mind was swept clear of thought as he rose above her and entered her to the hilt in one swift thrust.

She gasped, but not from pain or surprise. Pure pleasure throbbed through her as he pulled out and drove back. She joined in the rhythm as her muscles tightened, her blood pumped. So far gone, she grasped only the few thoughts spilling from him.

“Oh, Shana, baby, yes. That’s it.” One powerful thrust, and they exploded. She shouted his name as she convulsed and he emptied himself in her again.

*****

Marcus refused to feel guilty. It just wasn’t possible. The bone-deep satisfaction flowing through him wouldn’t allow for guilt. Never in his life had a woman had this effect on him. It had been more than just satisfying sex. Something else, something warm and comforting, had shifted inside his chest when she shouted his name.

He shifted to relieve her of his weight, and kissed her shoulder. The scent of her rose from her heated skin. The woman was a sexual dynamo. They were perfectly matched, in his opinion. He envisioned spending the night learning every curve--

A microfile lying on the floor caught his attention. Damn, they had work to do.

With regret, he lifted himself away from her. He stared at her as she raised herself to her elbows, a lovely blush rising from her breasts to her face. He couldn’t help teasing her.

“You’re still naked.” He chuckled when her eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

She frowned. “Try.”

He swallowed another chuckle and bent to pick up her clothes. She wouldn’t meet his gaze as he handed the pantsuit to her. If she didn’t get something on, they would end up on the floor this time. And she would definitely be on top. She stepped into her pants. Then she donned her jacket, and he inwardly sighed when the fabric closed over her breasts, hiding them from his view. She buttoned the two remaining buttons.

“Marcus.”

He glanced up. Her face matched her suit. He shrugged. “Sorry, just can’t help it.”

She groaned. “This is going to be a problem.”

“No, it won’t be a problem.” No way sex three times a day would be a problem, unless it interfered with work. A nooner every day would definitely suit him just fine.

Shana cleared her throat, breaking his thoughts. Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms beneath her breasts.

“Listen, Shana. We’ll talk about it later. How about dinner, my place?” She didn’t answer, but chewed her bottom lip as if contemplating the secret to life. “I’d love to discuss this and other things more, but we have some other matters to talk about.”

All the glorious rosy blush faded from her face. She turned white as the snow on top of the Abisinian Mountains in the Jetsune sector on Neptune.

“Tell you what. Why don’t we call it an early day and head out. My apartment is secure, and we can talk about the security breaches there.”

She drew in a deep breath and the color returned to her face. “I need to pick up some things at my desk.”

She was avoiding eye contact again. He refused to let her think she could control the situation and put him in some little box marked “mistake.” She brushed past him, but he grabbed her arm.

“Shana, look at me.” He didn’t ask; he demanded. She turned to face him, one eyebrow raised in question. “Everything that went on here shouldn’t have happened. Not here. But it was inevitable if you kept working for me.”

He couldn’t mistake the anger shadowing her eyes. “Marcus, there is one thing we need to get straight here. Just because we had sex today doesn’t mean it will happen again.”

Irritation balled in his stomach. He released an aggravated sigh. “Listen, we can talk about this later.”

She didn’t say anything. He wanted to press her, make her understand his feelings, but he knew if he pushed, she would push back.

She yanked her arm out of his hand. “I’ll meet you at the Vehicle Outpost. Shana Adams, authorize.”

The door slid closed behind her. Frustration inched along his spine. The woman had some nerve! She ordered him like some five-year-old boy to meet her at the VO. He paced in front of his desk. Marcus didn’t like to be told what to do. He’d worked long enough in the Inter-Federation Air Corps to know he didn’t play well with others in charge. That included in the bedroom.

Marcus liked to be the one calling the shots, controlling the action. He’d lost his cool today. There was something about Shana that drove him over the edge. He shoved a hand through his hair, and calmed his temper. They had other things to worry about first. This security breach would take center stage. Then he would enjoy teaching Shana a thing or two about who was in charge.

*****

Shana’s head throbbed as she stepped into the elevator with Marcus. She was sure he was up to something. Not a single thought was coming through. For the first time today, his thoughts were closed to her. She realized the only time his thoughts transferred was when he thought about her sexually. Not once had even a glimmer of any other thought transferred from him. That ironclad Carlyle control was back in place.

He stood behind her. The heat of him and his scent wrapped around her. She wanted so badly to tell him everything, then beg for mercy. But Marcus Carlyle wasn’t known for mercy. He had a strict code of right and wrong by which he lived. He expected the same from his employees. And lovers.

“Floor and domicile,” the computer-generated voice said.

“Marcus Carlyle, floor forty, domicile ten.” The doors slid closed. He stepped closer and placed his hands on her waist, pulling her back against him. His erection prodded her bottom. He bent forward and

bit her ear, then licked it. Every hormone in her body bounced to life. She dropped her purse. Her nipples tightened against the fabric of her shirt.

“If we didn’t have so much work to handle, I would suggest we skip dinner and move right to dessert.”

A glimpse of his thoughts shimmered, something involving whipped cream. Liquid flooded the lips of her sex. The thoughts dissolved as the doors opened.

“Floor forty, Marcus Carlyle,” the computer announced.

She picked up her purse as he stepped around her. He took her hand and led her down the hall. He glanced back at her. A cocky grin curved his lips, letting her know he knew he’d gotten to her. Her heart jumped to her throat at the sight of that smile and the mischievous glint in his green eyes.

He continued on down the hallway to his apartment, as Shana tried to wish away the thoughts swirling in her mind. There was no way she was feeling what she was. Marcus Carlyle was a ruthless son-of-a-bitch who would turn in his own grandmother if she stepped over the line. She would rather spend five months on the outer sector of Sentin, barren and freezing cold, than have feelings for Marcus. It was pure lust. Basic animal cravings, that’s all.

He stepped up to the retina scan. The door slid open, and he stepped aside to let her walk through the doorway. She managed a weak smile and he grinned.

“Wait until you see what I have in store for you.” He followed her through the doorway. A shiver ran down the length of her spine and then back up. “Marcus Carlyle, authorize secure lockdown.”

She turned to face him. The fading December sun shone through the windows, caressing his face. She was struck once again by the strength, the integrity in him. Control freak that he was, he should drive her crazy. Honest to God, she had no idea why she was even attracted to him. He could sentence her entire family to a lifetime of experiments. There had to be the reason she was thinking about jumping his bones again.

Chapter Six

Marcus stepped forward, worried Shana might faint. Every ounce of color had faded from her face.

“Shana? Sweetheart, are you OK?”

She swallowed and took a deep breath. “I’m . . . fine.”

He studied her for a moment, knowing that she was anything but fine. Her voice was barely a whisper, and she was rigid. He didn’t touch her, fearing she’d shatter. Whatever it was, he was positive it had something to do with him.

“Why don’t I order up some dinner for us? Then we can discuss the problems at work. Just make yourself at home.”

She nodded, and he headed off to the kitchen. He punched in an order for grilled salmon and thought about her as he waited. He hadn’t said or done anything since they left the office, but this was the second time he witnessed her acting strangely. As if shefeared him.

He shook his head. Shana Adams didn’t fear anyone or anything. The woman was a powerhouse terrorism analyst. Nothing rattled her nerves.

Well, sex in the office did. A sliver of heat slipped through him, warming his blood and sending it straight to his cock. He shifted his feet, trying to relieve the inevitable erection he sprouted whenever Shana Adams invaded his thoughts.

The microcooker hummed to a stop. Marcus retrieved the two plates piled high with steaming salmon, rice, and vegetables. He walked to the dining room, located just off the kitchen, and set their plates on his titanium-glass and silver dining table.

After searching for her, he found her in his library. She’d changed into an oversized Mongolarian knit jersey and pair of leggings. Old-fashioned sneakers completed the outfit. She was looking over his assortment of print books. Bookshelves reaching from the floor to the ceiling covered the facing wall. It was one of the largest collections on the east coast.

He cleared his throat. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled nervously.

“I hope you don’t mind?” she asked, motioning to the books. “I’ve never seen so many print books in one place. I never would have taken you for a collector.”

“I do appreciate a good book, but a lot of these are family heirlooms.”

She smiled. “That’s nice. Not many people think preserving the past is important.”

Irritated at the warmth curling in his chest, he frowned. He didn’t like the fact that her approval meant so much to him. “Are you hungry? I powered up some salmon.”

Her smile faltered at his harsh tone, but she nodded. As she walked past him and down the hall, he resisted the urge to grab her, throw her over his shoulder, and head straight for his bedroom. He needed control. His palms were sweaty. He’d never allowed a woman to become so important. There was no way he would now.

What the hell was he thinking about, telling her those books were family heirlooms?He always told people he collected them because they were a good investment, but for some reason, he’d wanted to impress Shana. Women liked when you did warm fuzzy things like hold onto memories through objects.

Right there. That was an example of his irritating behavior. Trying to please a woman by telling her the truth. Somehow, he did things like that around Shana. He went out of his way to impress her, like some eighteen-year-old with a crush. It left him feeling . . . vulnerable. He didn’t like that one damn bit.

As he followed her, thinking his morose thoughts, her swaying hips drew him like a lodestone. Instantly,

all the blood he’d been using to think drained from his brain. Rock-hard and ready to go again.What the hell was going on?

It didn’t help one bit, he thought as she seated herself to the left of the head chair at the table, that she was strutting around his apartment, dressed like a college co-ed. OK, so the shirt was so big, he couldn’t see her breasts and it covered her ass. She didn’t need to bounce around trying to entice him.

He pushed those thoughts aside and sat down.

“So, do you have any suspects?” she asked.

The overwhelming sense of betrayal swamped him again. He’d trained almost everyone who had access to the information. “I really can’t think of who would have a reason to do it.”

She took a bite of salmon and hummed. It was close to the same sound she made while he made love to her that afternoon. He took a sip of water and drew in a deep breath.

“I haven’t had real salmon in a while. Too expensive for my tastes.” She smiled, then took another bite. “So, you have no idea who might have a grudge against you? Or, someone who might have a grudge against the Federation?”

He shook his head, trying to banish the image of her lips wrapped around his cock while she hummed. She dropped her fork on her plate.

“It . . .” He cleared his throat and shifted to ease the tightness of his trousers. “It isn’t always because of a cause. You know that. What is the main reason people tend to trade secrets about their employers?”

“Money? But, who is really hurting? We’re paid well, especially with the global recession.”

He smiled. “You just mentioned fresh salmon was too rich for your tastes.”

She snorted, and then her face flooded with color. “You know fresh fish is very hard to come by because of over-fishing earlier this century. I make a good living, but not a fortune.”

He chuckled. He couldn’t help but be amused by her embarrassment. With her face flushed and the way she was biting her lip, she looked like some freshman caught drinking out in the Borgion Sector of Venus.

“I was kidding, but yes, someone might be in financial trouble. A lot of people have secrets. I’m sure you have a few secrets of your own.”

Her gaze dropped to her plate and she seemingly concentrated on her meal. An uneasy silence filled the air.

“Shana.” She looked up. “I’m sure whatever secrets you have, have nothing to do with this. I’d have never asked for your help otherwise. I trust you.” She nodded and swallowed. “I was only joking.”

She smiled, although not her usual warm smile. “So, other than money, there is your family history. Fredrick Carlyle is considered a hero by some, and an evil genius by others.”

A ball of fury tightened his stomach. “Yeah. Just like the history revisionists during the late part of the twentieth, there are people who paint my grandfather as a mercenary. The only mistake my grandfather made was trusting a para. Ripley Johnson was as evil as they come.”

Her eyes widened, and he regretted his harsh tone. “You’re right, though. That is an avenue we might want to explore. We need to check out Johnson’s background and find out if he had any living relatives the Federation doesn’t know about.”

She nodded, but said nothing. They continued eating as Marcus thought about her reaction. There was something in her past she didn’t want him to know. Something she worried about that made her look guilty. He knew, without a doubt, she had nothing to do with the leaks. It wasn’t in her makeup to be disloyal. But anything that made her wary bothered him.

He thought back to her security check. There was nothing. Upper-middle class, her parents were professors who taught on Mars for a while before settling back down on Earth after the kids were born.

Mentally, he shrugged. If there was something there, he’d ferret it out. He always did.

*****

After dinner, Shana followed Marcus down the hall again. She glanced around at his furnishings. They walked past the sunken living room, and the choice of furniture and colors surprised her. Marcus was known for his efficient designs, his practical choices in their offices. She would have never guessed the man went for Retro-Twentieth.

An overstuffed, red sofa dominated the room. Wooden tables sat on each end. Oak, she imagined, and antique. Furniture made from real wood had all but disappeared. In one corner, a comfy chair, with a matching design, sat beside another table. The picture it created reminded her of movies she’d seen made in that time period, toward the end of the twentieth. In her opinion, completely out of character for Marcus.

He turned into the library where he’d found her earlier. Another surprise. She’d never have guessed he would be sentimental about books. The ice she’d tried to wrap around her heart was slowly melting. He was strong, dependable, and he saved things from his family’s past. She sighed.

She couldn’t keep her distance, not with his thoughts blazing across her mind. Oral sex while she was eating.How was she supposed to concentrate on her meal while he was thinking about that?

Straight-as-an-arrow Marcus Carlyle had a one-track mind. She’d been close to crawling over the table and teaching him a thing or two when he’d made the comment about secrets.

She couldn’t allow her guard down. He had no idea of her powers, but with each transfer from Marcus, she was worried she would give away her skill. Their lovemaking was so intense that she was concerned she’d respond to something he’d thought and not said to her. If Marcus found out about her family, he’d have her quarantined, her brother picked up, and her parents brought back from Venus. She shivered. No matter how attracted he was to her, Marcus would never stand to have a telepath working for the department. And he could never forgive telepaths for what they did to his grandfather.

He stood behind his desk, sorting through a micropad file. He’d rid himself of his jacket and rolled his shirtsleeves up. His tie hung loosely around his neck. She realized this was the most undressed she’d ever seen him. Even though she’d had sex with him twice. She swallowed, trying to push the thoughts aside. The flood of memories from that afternoon -- his thoughts, his mouth on her skin -- sent a rush of heat tingling along her nerve endings.

Her nipples hardened, and all the moisture in her mouth dried up.Jesus, what was she doing? She was mooning over him like some kind of a schoolgirl, that’s what she was doing.Idiot.

“Shana.” Marcus stared at her, a look of confusion in his eyes. “Everything all right?”

“Sure. Why do you ask?”

“You were talking to yourself.”

Heat flooded her face.Lord, she didn’t know she’d said that out loud. “Just thinking about the investigation.”

He gave her a disbelieving look, but walked around the desk and handed her the file without comment.

“I’m going to go change. Why don’t you go over the file, see what you think, and we’ll discuss it when I get back? I’ve made some notations about things I worked on today, posted them beside some of the information.”

She nodded, and he leaned down and brushed her lips with his. Heat pulsed through her.

“I need to jump in the shower.” His voice, deep and husky, hinted at the thoughts blazing through his mind.

Her mouth on his cock, licking, sucking, drawing his seed from him.

She cleared her throat as he straightened. A smile curved his lips, and he sauntered out of the room like he owned the world.

*****

November 15th 12:15 am - security breach, Deros Sector operative file.

Shana massaged her temple. She’d been reading over the files for a little more than half an hour, looking for something to give her a hint of who the perpetrator was. There was something niggling at the back of her mind, something that would pinpoint the person responsible. If she could grab that thought, she would catch the bastard doing this. Some trademark. Either the time, or the way it was done. She gritted her teeth and continued reading.

December 2nd 6:45 pm - attempted security breach, Deros Sector operative file.

“You’ll get a headache if you keep frowning.”

She started at the sound of Marcus’s voice. He grinned down at her, his green eyes sparkling with mischief. He’d changed into a soft gray pullover that deepened the color of his eyes, and jeans.Real jeans. She hadn’t seen a pair of them in years. They were worn and molded to his body perfectly, especially the outline of his cock. Immediately, her body warmed.

“I just keep thinking there is something about these breaches. I’m sure if I study it long enough, something will jump out at me.”

He nodded, his smiled dimmed. “I know. That’s why I thought you might pick up on something. It’s almost like there is an MO, but I just can’t figure out what it is.” He sighed. “I worry we won’t have time to stop whatever they’re planning.”

“What I don’t understand is, if they are planning something against the Federation, why worry about the Deros Sector operatives? What’s so special about them?”

He rubbed the back of his neck in a weary gesture. “I’m not really sure. There must be some breakdown in communications.”

“Since they seemed to be looking for operatives, do you think that maybe one of our operatives knows about the attack?”

He sat down beside her on the sofa. The warmth of his body reached out to her, beckoned her to lean into him and accept comfort. She shifted an inch away from him. He rested his arm on the back of the sofa. His fingers played with the ends of her hair.

“Yes. I think there might be someone, or was someone, who found out about the attack. Their problem would be pinning down who knew. They might have known the sector where the operative was, but just not who it was.”

She shifted, trying to create some space between the two of them. The heat of his body, the light touch of his fingers against her skin, was driving her insane. “If they know the operative is in that sector, it points to someone who has access to the file transmissions.”

He sighed and nodded. “And that someone has intercepted any messages from the agent who has the information. I haven’t heard a peep from that sector in a few weeks.”

She worked through the information in her mind, trying to grasp what there was that was bothering her. “So, the person behind the attack could be from that area?”

“Not necessarily. Could be that something happened there, maybe they did some business there, hired some mercs. If they thought someone in that sector knew, they would want to get to that agent.”

“If they knew it was in that sector, then they should know exactly who it was.”

His fingers stilled and then started toying with her hair again. “No. When I suspected something was going on, I encrypted some of the messages. Remember a few weeks ago when I started having all the reports come through me first, then I filtered them out to the analysts?”

Amusement threaded his voice. Of course she remembered. They’d had a heated discussion about it. She’d been pretty pissed about his directive. In fact, she remembered arguing that the order went overboard. After losing the argument, she’d bitched to David about it.

“They must have worked out where the information came from, just not exactly who,” she said. “Who else knows about the encryption?”

“No one. I thought it best to keep it to myself for now.”

The second he finished his statement, his words sunk in. He’d placed her above everyone, including John Marrow. A strange sort of warmth filled her chest and spread throughout her body.

“You told me. Why?”

“I told you why before.”

She swallowed hard, then looked him directly in the eye. “I know what you said before, but you held onto it this long without telling anyone else.”

She held her breath as a tangle of emotions -- fear, pride, and something different, something much deeper -- swept through her. His eyes warmed as he looked down at her.

“Who else could I trust, Shana? You would never sell secrets. The preservation of the Federation is as important to you as it is to me.”

Oh, God.This was not good. Neither the fact that a man who despised paras, for good reason, now trusted her completely, nor the fact that her heart did a little dance at the revelation.

“We can put our heads together and work on this some more. But not tonight. You look tired.”

She glanced at him, surprised that he had noticed. “I had to do some work last night for my boss. He’s a pain in the ass.”

He smiled. “That’s what I’ve heard. Why don’t we call it a night?”

Disappointment swelled, but she pushed it back down. There was no need for her to feel as if she’d been left out in a snowstorm in a bikini. She needed a long, hot shower and a good night’s sleep. She turned off the microfile and handed it to him.

“Yes, well, I do need to get home.”

“What do you mean?”

He set the file on the side table, and sat back waiting for her answer.

“You said we would call it a night. I assumed --”

“You assumed wrong. I’m ready for bed, not sleep.”

Chapter Seven

Marcus chuckled. He’d never seen Shana without a retort in the eighteen months he’d known her. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened and closed twice, apparently speechless after his announcement. Taking advantage of her bewilderment, he grabbed her hand, pulled her up from the couch, and led her from the library.

“Library lights, off.” The lights dimmed as he stepped into the hallway, Shana’s slender hand in his. Every time he touched her, a feeling of complete and absolute contentment swept through him.

“I need to go home. I need clothes for tomorrow.”

He didn’t break his stride. Anticipation hummed through him. Having her in his bed, under his control . ..

He drew in a deep breath. His heart pounded against his ribs. God, if he didn’t get her naked in the next five minutes, he would go insane.

“Marcus,I’m wearing casual clothes. I have nothing to wear to work. I won’t have time in the morning --”

“You can be late. Believe me, your boss will understand completely.”

Just as they reached the doorway to his bedroom, she yanked her hand out of his and stopped.

“I refuse to receive preferential treatment. I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I don’t want anyone thinking I have my job because I’m sleeping with you.”

He studied her frown and serious expression, then glanced over his shoulder at his bed. He sighed. He’d been so close. She was going to make this difficult.

“Look, we’ll get up early and you’ll have time to make it to work.”

She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. He licked his lips. He could almost taste her nipples. Her breathing hitched.

“Listen, it’s either you come in here now, or I’ll follow you home.”

She bit her bottom lip as if she were debating her choices. Something he couldn’t define -- something close to panic -- seeped into his gut. She couldn’t leave. There was no way he could do without touching her skin, tasting her lips, or sinking his cock into her hot, wet sex. And he wanted her next to him in bed that night. He didn’t know just how to feel about that, but he needed her beside him.

Corresponding warmth shimmered in her topaz eyes, and he wanted to shout. She wanted him, as badly as he wanted her. Her shoulders lost their rigid posture, and she uncrossed her arms.

Knowing this might be his only chance, he stepped forward, bent over, and hiked her over his shoulder.

“Marcus Carlyle, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Of course, he didn’t respond. If he did, she’d just come up with another argument. Like tonight was her hair-washing night.

“Marcus, put me down, right now.”

Now that he thought about it, she could use a shower. He switched direction without breaking his stride and headed to his bathroom. The image of Shana, wet and naked, water dripping from her rosy nipples . . .

“Marcus!”

He rubbed his hand over her rounded ass.

“Illuminate.” Soft, glowing light filled the bathroom. He dropped her to her feet, and smiled down at her. Her face was flushed, her chest heaved. She placed her fists on her hips.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?”

He grabbed the bottom of his sweater and, yanking it over his head, dropped it to the floor. Her eyes widened and focused on his chest. Her greedy gaze roved over his chest, down his torso to the waistband of his jeans.

Her gaze dipped down to his obvious hard-on. She licked her lips and he groaned.

“Shana, stop looking like you want to devour every inch of me. I’ll come in my pants.”

She snorted. “Marcus, you never lose control. Your number-one priority in life is toremain in control.”

He didn’t say anything to that, because she was still staring at his cock and licking her lips. How was he supposed to think when she gawked at him like that? She bit her bottom lip again. Before he could give her another warning, she dropped to her knees in front of him.

“Shana.”

She rubbed her hand over his erection. He sucked in a breath as she trailed her fingers from the base of his cock to the head.

“Hmm. You know what I’ve always wondered about you?”

She was asking questions and expected answers?

“No.”

“I wondered what it would be like to make you lose control. Before I even came to work for you, your reputation was legendary. You never lost your cool, never went hyper-ballistic.” Her voice had thickened and deepened.

She slid her fingers to the waistband, slipping a couple inside his jeans. They brushed against the tip of his erection, already dewy with pre-cum. Her gaze was still fixed on the bulge in his pants, but she smiled. She pulled her fingers out, then looked up at him. Her tongue darted out, licking his moisture from the tips of her fingers.

He groaned, but still held back. He knew what she was planning. And he wanted it. Since the moment he’d brought her home, he’d thought about having her mouth on his shaft, sucking him, licking him.

Her eyes heated. She grabbed the waistband of his pants, undid the button, and unzipped them. His cock, thick and hard, sprang free, and her smile deepened. She encircled his cock at the base, then slid her hand up to the tip. She pushed his pants down further with her other hand. Then she leaned forward and licked his balls.

Oh, Christ almighty.

She licked and sucked, all the while stroking his dick. His head spun, and he grabbed the sink behind him to steady himself. She moved from his balls, to the base of his cock. Kissing a path to the head, she looked up at him, then wrapped her lips around him.

She took the entire length of him in her mouth. Lightly caressed his balls. He threaded his fingers into her hair, then molded them to her head. Each time she reached the top of his cock, she swiped her tongue over the head.Christ. She continued her assault, sucking, licking, pulling him further to the edge. All the while, she held his balls, squeezing and stroking as they tightened in anticipation.

He watched, fascinated, each time his shaft disappeared between her lips. He tried to control her

rhythm by clenching her head tighter, but she refused to slow down. She closed her eyes and moaned each time he sank into her hot mouth. The vibrations tugged him closer, pushed him beyond control. He thrust faster, harder, giving in to the moment, allowing her to set the speed. Blood heated beyond boiling and rushed to his dick.

“Oh, yeah, baby.” He groaned as his seed spurted into her mouth.

She sucked, twirling her tongue around his shaft as she milked every bit of his essence and swallowed it with obvious delight. As he collapsed against the sink, she licked his seed from his dick. He removed his hands from her hair. She drew back from his cock, releasing it from her mouth with one last lick. She rose to her feet. When he cupped her face, his hands shook.

He captured her lips in a searing, blistering kiss. It wasn’t a gentle lover’s kiss. It was hot, wet, and almost bruised his lips and probably hers. Honestly, he couldn’t be the smooth lover, because he couldn’t think of anything but sinking his cock into her again. He drew back from the kiss and looked down into her upturned face. Her lips were swollen and reddened, and her eyes were still dilated, showing her arousal. Her lips curved into a cocky grin. Satisfaction warred with irritation. Whether it was in the boardroom or the bedroom, the woman was always trying to show him up.

He grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off her, dropping it on the floor next to his sweater. She sputtered a protest, and he chuckled but quickly rid her of her pants. Her eyes spit fire as she placed a fist on each hip. She looked like an irritated naked woodland creature from the Serafina Sector.

His heart stuttered to a stop, then sped up to double-time. That damn feeling of vulnerability threatened to swamp him. He’d never seen anything so beautiful or arousing as when she was giving him that look. He must be some kind of masochist. Before she could argue, he slid his arm around her waist and guided her to his oversized tub.

It was time little Miss Shana Adams learned about losing control.

*****

“Oh, yes, Marcus.” Shana’s inner muscles tightened around his cock as she rode him.

Rivulets of water from the shower head slid down her body, dripping from her breasts. He took her nipple in his mouth again. She was close, he could feel it. This would make the fourth orgasm he’d pulled from her, to his one.

She increased her speed, his fingers clenched against her slippery skin.

“Yeah, that’s it, baby. Come for me, again.” He growled as blood rushed to his cock. She teetered on the edge, pumping his shaft, pulling him deeper into her warm, willing body.

“Marcus!” She slammed down on him once more, then exploded. She screamed his name again as shudders wracked her body. Her convulsions brought on his own orgasm as he spewed his seed within her.

She collapsed on top of him. He fastened his lips around her nipple. Then he slid his hands up her body and tangled his fingers in her soaked hair. Pulling her closer, he brushed his lips over hers in a gentle kiss. He released her, and she snuggled closer, placing her head on his shoulder.

Fifteen minutes later, they were dried and curled up in bed together. As he pulled the comforter over them, another wave of contentment swept through him. There was something so right about having her in his house, in his bed. He waited for panic to tighten his gut. Marcus didn’t give commitments in his personal or professional life lightly.

He knew a relationship with her was out of line. She was an employee. This was completely out of character for him. But he’d reached the point of no return. They would have to be secretive about their relationship, and that would be hard. Hard because he wanted every male in her presence to know she was his.

He stroked her arm and she shivered, snuggling closer. This overwhelming need for her seemed to increase each time he touched her. It wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Especially when the thought of not touching her, tasting her, sent a spurt of alarm through him. There was nothing he could think of standing in their way, except the fact that the Federation frowned on fraternization.

He remembered the look on her face when he mentioned secrets and frowned. Although she’d be pissed, he decided to do some digging, just to be sure he could protect her if the need arose.

As he drifted off to sleep, he assured himself she couldn’t have anything too detrimental in her past. If there was one thing he knew without a doubt, Shana would never lie to him.

Chapter Eight

Shana reread her report on the dissolving Gorgon Alliance. They had lost their mercs, but there was the worry that they might reorganize and plan more attacks. She needed to review her findings to make sure she didn’t miss anything. As usual, her concentration drifted to her night spent with Marcus. After she’d convinced him it wasn’t a good idea to follow her to her apartment, she’d rushed home just after dawn to get ready for work. She’d also needed some distance from him.

She leaned back in her chair as she thought about his secret smiles whenever their paths had crossed that morning. It should irritate her to no end, but it didn’t. Instead, her heart skipped a beat every time. And that same traitorous heart yearned for the next time he would grace her with one.

Idiot.That’s what she was.One humongous idiot with no sense. Because, deep down, there was something that was really bothering her. Something that was causing the axis of her world to tilt. She was worried that the feelings she had for Marcus were deeper than just great sex. And she wasn’t at all comfortable with that thought.

Spending last night at his apartment had been a major mistake. The night had taken her places she’d never dreamed existed. Marcus was well-versed in the erotic arts, she thought with a shiver. She’d not

been celibate, and had more than one lover in her past, but none of them had pushed her farther than Marcus had last night. Beyond that, sleeping in his arms, and then waking next to him in bed . . . well, it had felt soright.

At some point, she would have to sever the connection. Every time he had a sexual thought about her, it popped into her head. Each time it happened, her heart slipped a little more. The longer the relationship continued, the more she would put herself and her family in danger.

“Not daydreaming on the job are you, Ms. Adams?” John Marrow asked, as he stepped up behind her.

She swiveled her chair to face him. There had always been something about John Marrow that bothered her. More than the fact he’d been married three times and was a well-known dickhead.

“No, just looking over my report. I wanted to make sure everything was in order.” She didn’t like the fact that she was seated and he was looking down at her with those cold blue eyes.

Oh, she knew all the women just thought he was the best thing in this universe. But beneath the flirt, there was an underlying sense of a sociopath. Most people would think she was crazy. Marrow was charming and good-looking, but he went after women with an almost methodical menace.

Wanting to be on the same level, she stood, causing him to take a step back. “Is there something you needed, Mr. Marrow?”

“No, I was just wondering if you were busy tonight.”

Good Lord. Didn’t the man understand the word no?

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”

“Break the date.” His voice was laced with command.

“Excuse me?”

“Break the date. It would be worth your while.” He slithered a step closer. She swallowed the bile that rose. The man always had this effect on her, and she didn’t understand why.

She felt a tug on her senses. It was something she’d experienced before with other telepaths who had tried to read her mind. While she only practiced with family when she was younger, some telepaths actually would try to read minds, probing the brain. Footsteps sounded behind John, and he looked over his shoulder. Shana tried to deal with the tugging on her brain. A chill crept down her spine, and a lash of hatred, cold and violent, replaced the mental fingers. This was intense and passionate and not directed toward her.

She looked to see what had caught his attention and found Marcus standing there.

“John,” he said. His voice vibrated with unleashed anger.

Marrow immediately stepped back, and the probing of her brain abruptly cut off. She blinked, trying to bring her focus back.

“Marcus. What are you doing in this wing of the department?”

“I’m not allowed to stop by my top terrorism expert’s desk?” He crossed his arms, and she could tell from the glint in his eyes, Marcus was ready to draw blood.

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“It just so happens that Ms. Adams and I have a lunch meeting to go over some preliminary findings of an investigation of that bombing in the Sirroco Province on Mars.”

John looked from Marcus to Shana, and the cold speculation she saw in his eyes caused her stomach muscles to clench. “Oh, well, I guess I’ll let you get to work.”

He sauntered down the hall, leaving her with a cold knot of unease in her stomach. She pushed him from her thoughts and turned to Marcus.

“We need to talk.”

“Of course, that’s why we’re having a meeting,” he said in a genial tone. “Do you want to order in or go out?”

“I think it better if we order in, don’t you?”

An image of him sitting at his desk chair, her on his lap, flashed in her mind. He wiggled his eyebrows and she blinked. Marcus Carlyle wasn’t an eyebrow wiggler.

“I thought you would never ask.” His lips curved up in that same secret smile. She scowled and grabbed her micropad.

He stepped back and allowed her to pass. She tried her best to ignore him walking behind her, but his thoughts were floating from him to her.

I can’t wait to slide my hands over that nice, round ass.

She tripped over her own feet. He caught her by the elbow to steady her. His fingers lingered there, caressing the soft skin through the fabric of her jacket. He didn’t want to relinquish his hold. She sensed it and heard it in his thoughts. She looked up into his eyes, and heated passion lashed at her through his look and his thoughts.

She did her best to school her features, not to let the man know she could read his thoughts. Smiling, she glanced down at her arm, and he let go, finally. His breathing deepened. She worked through those

mental exercises her mother had taught her, but his thoughts seemed to seep through no matter what she did.

His thoughts and hers threaded together to keep her off balance. His wants and desires flashed through her body. The feel of his arm brushing against hers with each step he took sent a tingling warmth throughout her whole body. By the time they reached his office, her heart was slamming against her chest. Her nipples were hard and aching.

“Marcus Carlyle, authorize.” His deep, rumbling voice washed over her. A rush of wet heat dripped from her sex. The man was lethal with just a comment.

Once they were in his office, he locked the door with a command, and then stepped up behind her. The heat of his body warmed her back. He slid his hands from her shoulders down to her hands, tangling his fingers with hers. The hard length of his cock pressed against her rear end.

“So, what would you like to discuss, Ms. Adams? And, may I suggest that we do it with you nude?”

His heated whisper tickled her ear. She fought the warmth curling into her heart but failed. “Isn’t that some kind of sexual harassment?”

“Naw. I’ll be naked, too.”

Her heart skipped a beat at his playful tone. Marcus wasn’t a playful kind of guy. He didn’t joke during meetings, and he didn’t flirt. Every time he teased her, she felt her heart crack open just a little more.

He released her hands and cupped her breasts. His fingers brushed her taut nipples and the delicious ache intensified. He kept one hand on her breast, caressing and tugging at her nipple, while he moved the other down her body. He pressed his fingers against her clit. Her juices gushed out, seeping through the fabric of her pants.

“Damn, you’re wet for me, baby. Aren’t you?” His voice roughened with excitement as visions flashed through her mind of the various positions he wanted to try.

She forgot her promise to try to keep the relationship light and allowed her emotions to take over. Because when he touched her, nothing could penetrate the sexual fantasy he created with his thoughts.

He nipped at her earlobe, and she melted against him. She rubbed her bottom against his hardened cock. Moisture dripped from her sex. All her arguments withered and died at that moment. She was ready to be stripped bare. She wanted to share every secret desire, every secret wish with him. She wanted to lie before him, and let him know everything.

All she could do was moan. The man had a lethal pair of hands. The things he was doing to her sent a wave of heat racing along her nerve endings. All he had to do was look at her, touch her, say her name in a whisper against her skin, and she was lost.

A minute later, he spun her around and devoured her mouth. Without breaking the kiss, he cupped her ass and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist. She shivered as he ground his cock against her cunt. Need almost choked her as she pulled back from him then kissed a path down his neck. The taste of him, the very scent of him, had her blood rushing through her veins.

He groaned her name as she took his earlobe in her mouth. His knees buckled. She released her legs from around his waist, and he stumbled to the chair. He landed with a thud. She stepped between his legs. She had her hand on the top button of her jacket when her personal communicator buzzed.

Irritation crept up her spine, but the ring, her brother’s, couldn’t have come at a better time. She had needed something to remind her of what was at stake.

She pulled back, and Marcus followed her with a growl.

“It’s my brother,” she said, and he frowned. Frustration shone in his eyes, but he relented and walked away, taking a few deep breaths.

She clipped on her ear piece and answered David’s call.

“Hey, what took you so long?”

She cleared her throat. “I’d left my PC at my desk.”

“Oh. Well, what time did you want me to come over tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah, you, me, pizza, and a movie.”

Lord, she’d forgotten about that.

“David, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it tonight.”

Silence filled her earpiece. “What do you mean?”

“I have to work late. Something’s come up.” She glanced at Marcus, who wore that stupid smile he’d been shooting at her all day. He glanced down at his obvious erection, then back at her. Her stomach flip-flopped at the sight of his mischievous smile. “There’s something going on I can’t talk about.”

“This doesn’t have to do with what we talked about at lunch, does it?”

“No,” she said a bit too forcefully, garnering both her brother’s and Marcus’s attention. “No, it’s just something Mar . . . Mr. Carlyle needs me to do.”

“OK.” The tone in David’s voice made it clear that he didn’t believe her.

“I’ll call you in a couple of days and we’ll make plans. Mom and Dad will be home next week, before the New Year. We’ll plan a dinner at my place for them.”

He hesitated. “OK, if you’re sure.”

“David, really, I’m just too busy to see a movie tonight.”

After she clicked off her PC, a deafening silence filled the air. She turned to face Marcus and was surprised to find him glowering at her.

“Was there a reason you couldn’t tell your brother you’re going to be at my place tonight?”

“First of all, I didn’t know that. Second of all, he would go ballistic if I told him that.”

“Why?”

Her body still vibrated from unrelieved arousal. She was sure her brother knew she’d lied, and she was overwrought by her mixed emotions. And he had the nerve to question her? To try to tell her what to do? She drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her temper. When he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, she exploded.

“What the hell would you have me tell him, Marcus?” she yelled.

His eyes widened and he took a step back. “I --”

“Yeah, David, I was too busy screwing around with my boss to answer my PC. Oh, and tonight, after we work, we plan to fuck our brains out. What do you think my brother would say to that?”

He stared at her as if he didn’t know her. She couldn’t blame him. She didn’t recognize herself. Her face

heated in embarrassment and she just wanted to get away from him.

“I’m going to grab my microreports for the meeting this afternoon.” She brushed past him. “Shana Adams, authorize.”

The doors stayed shut.

“Marcus.”

She didn’t turn around, because she couldn’t face him after her outburst. And at the moment, not one thought came from him.

“Marcus Carlyle, unlock.”

The door slid open, and she hurried down the hall. Her heart still beat out of control, and she tried to ignore the ache. She so wanted to tell Marcus everything, and have him understand. She’d never thought she would have to.

*****

Marcus looked over the report on Shana. His top-secret clearance made it easy for him, as the director, to access her records. No one questioned him. And as he read over the listing of her childhood, education, and work experiences, he couldn’t find one thing that would warrant her behavior the night before. Hell, he couldn’t understand why she reacted the way she did today when her brother called. Just because they’d been on the verge . . .

His dick twitched, and he decided not to think about it. Truthfully, he couldn’t understand himself. He had a traitor to catch, and he was daydreaming about Shana. It was becoming a major problem. His lack of concentration was embarrassing. Hell, all he had to do was think of something she’d find funny, of how

her lips would turn up in that cute smile of hers, and he was lost for at least ten minutes. He had it bad. And after last night, it didn’t look to get any better. Not only was he fantasizing about her, but he knew just how good those fantasies could be, and he’d developed a strong possessive streak. Completely out of character for him. It was bad enough he was haunting the halls with his knuckles dragging the floor.

He leaned back in his chair, trying to understand why John had been bothering Shana. The lash of anger that had lanced through him surprised him. Hopefully, John had believed his story about their meeting. Which, as usual, didn’t go as planned.

Why didn’t anything go as planned with Shana?

She never acted as he predicted, but this afternoon had been a little confusing. He’d never seen her lose her temper like that before. Even when he would grill her or question her conclusions, the woman held on to her control. This afternoon, there was something almost desperate about her behavior. Maybe there was more to her than he thought there was.

That brought him back to the report. There was something missing, something bothering him about her background. It was perfect -- almost too perfect.

He turned his chair around and pulled up the file again. There was nothing, not one relative who had done anything wrong. Every family had someone, some idiot who got in trouble, but for the past couple of generations, no one had in her family. Perfect.

Unease settled in his stomach. He stood and paced behind his desk. He knew he could do a little digging, but he hesitated. If he turned up something in her past, he would have to report it, and she would lose her job. And more than likely want nothing to do with him. That was just unacceptable.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His head whirled as he considered the implications. Marcus Carlyle never let anything go. He was relentless, or so everyone told him, he thought with a grim smile. But where Shana was concerned, he hesitated. Why?

He’d never allowed his personal life to interfere with his professional life. Shana was different. Her unrestrained passion knocked him on his ass. Still, he’d never let good sex get in the way of his judgment before Shana.

But that’s not all it is.He pushed that thought aside. He didn’t like the niggle it caused around the vicinity of his heart.

Marcus didn’t conduct affairs at work, so maybe that was it.Hell, yes. That had to be it. His balls tightened as he thought about the way she’d licked them the night before.

He drew in a deep breath and tried to push the thoughts to the side. Once they worked through this problem and caught the traitor, he’d work out what was bothering him about Shana. His personal life could be put on hold while he dealt with this new threat.

“Marcus, you have a meeting, conference room five, security briefing,” the sultry voice of his computer assistant reminded him.

He walked to the meeting, trying his best not to think of Shana as his lover but as his employee.

At that moment, his heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He realized he wasn’t sure he could do it.

*****

Shana finished her briefing without incident. Not once did Marcus emit an indecent thought about her. And, dammit, she was disappointed. It had only been happening for a day, but she’d gotten used to his thoughts, and now he had cut them off from her. She fought the urge to ask him what the hell was wrong.

“Ms. Adams?” John Marrow asked, his slimy smile making her uncomfortable.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering if you’re positive you can find nothing on this new threat?”

You stupid bitch.

She blinked at Marrow, then glanced at Marcus, who was shooting daggers at him.

That wasn’t Marcus. That was John Marrow.

“No. I do think this has more to do with outright terrorism. A statement or, say, a declaration against the Federation.”

Images of a meeting, of money being exchanged, and something about logistics of an attack shot through her thoughts. Again, a tug on her brain alerted her that someone was trying to gain access to her thoughts.

“I think Ms. Adams made that clear yesterday,” Marcus said, his voice lethal as he leveled John Marrow with a narrow-eyed gaze.

“Ms. Adams, I think that will be all.”

She nodded and hurried out of the room and to her desk. She gathered her things and then headed to the VO to get her hover vehicle. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why Marrow hadn’t closed off his thoughts to her. Unless he had no idea of her gift. Why would she hear his thoughts? Since the lapse the day before, she’d only heard Marcus’s thoughts. Maybe it had something to do with the intense feelings behind them. She just wasn’t sure.

As she sped home, she decided to do a little checking into John Marrow’s past. The fact that another para, apparently another telepath, at that, had been hired by Marcus and trusted with some of the most top-secret information about the Federation, left a cold ball of fear in her stomach.Why the hell had he attached himself to Marcus in college? Everyone knew that Marrow rode on Marcus’s coattails, first through college and now with his second-in-command position. She was sure her assumption was correct. That John Marrow, Marcus’s best friend and right-hand man, had sold him out.

And just how the hell was she supposed to tell Marcus?

Chapter Nine

Shana’s nerves were shot by the time she reached Marcus’s apartment that evening. She’d spent a few hours researching Marrow and his family connections. It had taken her awhile to find the information that explained why he’d used Marcus the way he had. After an extensive search in personnel files at the department yielded little info, Shana searched the internet for links to Marrow. She’d figured that there hadn’t been a deep search on him because he’d helped Marcus start his company. Finally, she hacked into his grandmother’s personal records, and what she found left her blood cold. Samantha Farrow had been Samantha Johnson before she’d changed her maiden name.

He was Ripley Johnson’s second cousin. Just thinking it unsettled her stomach. There was not one doubt in her mind that he had singled out Marcus in college, befriended him, and planned to use him to exact what he saw as revenge. Everyone knew Johnson had died from the wounds he received after Fredrick Carlyle tipped off the newly formed Federation. Johnson had almost destroyed the Federation in its early years.

Why wait until now? Why wait all these years to get back at the Federation? And just who was Marrow conspiring with? That question really bothered her. And even after a few hours, she couldn’t find anything to reveal the identity of the enemy who was bankrolling the operation. The knowledge that John Marrow was plotting with the unknown enemy for an attack next week was pushing her over the edge.But how was she to tell Marcus? She couldn’t lie and say she found evidence against Marrow. She’d have to prove it, and it’d have to stand up in the Federation’s court system.

There had to be some way to tell Marcus. She knew it would be the hardest thing she’d ever done. To tell the man she loved that his best friend was plotting against him, and that his lover and employee was a para. And she did love him. Shana was sure that over the last eighteen months, she’d been falling in love with him. She didn’t believe in inter-office affairs, especially with the boss. Besides that, she’d known of his hatred of paras, so she’d ignored the tingling she felt each time he said her name. Her heart ached at the thought of him turning her over to the authorities. She would have to contact her brother, tell him to make himself scarce and protect their parents.

As she walked down the carpeted hallway to Marcus’s apartment, the flashes of Marrow’s thoughts simmered in her mind. She shivered as she remembered the lash of menace in his thoughts. Before she reached Marcus’s door, it slid open. Marcus leaned against the doorjamb.

Her heart skipped a beat and her body warmed. He had rid himself of his jacket and was dressed in only his red silk shirt and black trousers. He’d rolled up the sleeves of the shirt, revealing his muscular forearms.

“I didn’t think you’d make it.” Playfulness threaded his voice.

She swallowed and tried to smile. “Hit some traffic on the way over.”

He reached out for her hand and pulled her through the doorway. He locked it by voice command. The dim lighting in the spacious living area and the sensuous Cirian music playing in the background did nothing to calm her nerves. Instead, it heightened them. Her worry and need for Marcus merged.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

She turned to look at him. His eyes had darkened with desire and everything else faded away. All the problems at work, her worry about telling him about John Marrow, dissolved into the back recesses of her mind. For just a few hours, she wanted this. She wanted to feel his body next to hers, be warmed by his heat. It would be the last time she’d get the chance for this, and she planned on reaching out with both hands and taking all she could get.

“Yes, I’m hungry.”

His smile faded. She tried not to laugh.

“But not for food.”

His smiled returned. “I’ll make you pay for that one, Shana.”

He pulled her down the hall to his bedroom. “I plan on taking all night bringing you to justice.”

*****

Marcus swallowed his panic. The look on Shana’s face when she first showed up at his apartment had sent every nerve ending in his body on alert. She’d look so sad, so resigned. As if she’d decided to break off their affair.

Nothing ever had scared him as much as the thought of never getting to touch her again. Even when he used to fly through firefights, he’d never faced anything as petrifying as living without touching her body, tasting her lips, her sweet juices.

She stood by the edge of his bed, the same sad, resigned look on her face. Oh, she thought she was hiding the fact that something was wrong, but he knew better. A sliver of ice chilled his stomach. He just couldn’t think of losing her. His need for her had increased tenfold. Before she could say anything, before she could tell him it was over, he had to prove to her that he was the one for her.

His heart stopped. That almost sounded as if he wanted a lifetime with her.A lifetime. Usually such thoughts would have him running for the exit. The only thing he wanted now was to wrap his body around hers and not let go.

He stepped forward and pulled off her gray pullover and tossed it on the floor behind him. His breath caught in his throat.Jesus, the woman never wore undergarments.

The dim light created shadows against her breasts. The nipples were drawn into tight, rosy buds. He licked his lips, and reached out and brushed his fingers against one puckered tip.

Shana drew in a shuddering breath that caused her breasts to quiver. His balls drew tighter as his cock pressed against the front of his trousers. Anticipation clawed at his stomach. He wanted her now. He wanted to slide himself inside her wet, warm body and lose himself in her. It was like this every time. Not only a need to conquer but to be conquered. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes.

He dropped to his knees in front of her and rested his head against her stomach. The musky scent of her arousal filled his senses, deepening the rising tide of wild passion threatening his control.

No.No, he had to make this right. He had to prove to Shana that this was no ordinary thing. After only one night with her in his bed, he knew he wanted her there, needed her there. It wasn’t a feeling he was comfortable with. He’d resisted the urge to touch her, to seduce her, for so long. Now that he had, he’d become the one who was seduced. Fear twisted into his arousal, urging him to take her, to make her understand the unquenchable need coursing through him.

He leaned back, unbuttoned her trousers, and helped her out of them. He placed a hand on one of her legs, just above the knee, then slid his hand up over her thigh. When he reached her sex, her juices drenched his fingers. The anticipation of taking her, of sinking into her tight, wet pussy, raced through him, pushing his control to the very edge.

He slid a finger into her. Her inner muscles clasped tight around it.Christ. He pulled out and then added another finger. He continued to thrust his fingers as he leaned forward and licked her clitoris. As she moaned her approval, the taste of her exploded in his mouth. The feel of her pussy sent a wave of heat across his senses. He pulled the hardened nub into his mouth, sucking on it, reveling in her response to his touch.

She speared her hands through his hair, molding her fingers to his head. Her moans grew in volume as her muscles tightened, liquid dripping down his fingers. He slid his other hand around to her ass, skating his fingers down the cleft separating it. She shivered, then her muscles tightened.

“Marcus.” Convulsions wracked her body as he continued to suck her through her orgasm. The musky scent of her surrounded him as she screamed his name again.

He looked up as the last of her climax lanced through her. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her, her head thrown back, her mouth opened in a silent scream. He’d never seen anything as beautiful as Shana when she came.

He rose to his feet, his blood pumping through him at hyperspeed, his heart smacking against his ribs, his cock about to explode.

He ripped off his clothes as Shana sank onto the bed and watched him through half-closed eyes.

Desperate to have her, to show her everything he was feeling, he threw his clothes on the floor and crawled on top of her. His cock pulsed against her cunt, still wet with her arousal.

She gyrated her hips, trying to take him within her, but he stayed her hips with his hands.

“Marcus. “

He chuckled at the command in her voice. The woman constantly thought she was in charge.

“Marcus, I want you inside me, now.”

He looked down at her, her short hair a mess, her topaz eyes shining with her rising arousal, her full lips turned down in the most enticing little pout.

He sank one inch of his cock into her, closing his eyes at the feel of her wet heat surrounding his dick.

She tried to push her hips up, to take him deeper. He tightened his fingers, holding her in place as he pulled back out of her.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he took her lips in a bruising kiss, invading her mouth. Her hands slid up his arms to his shoulders. Her touch urged him on, pushed him, searing his nerve endings. He pushed back into her, a little deeper, but still not allowing the complete length of his cock in her. He fought the urge to shove his entire shaft into her hot, wet core. He wanted to push inside of her, and drench her with his cum.

He pulled back out, and she moaned against his tongue. He felt the vibrations to the soles of his feet. Each time he entered her, he slid a little further in.

He pulled back from the kiss, then began licking and sucking her neck. Once he could hold back no longer, he shoved his cock in to the hilt.

“Oh, baby, you feel so good,” he groaned. He released her hips and rested his weight on his hands. She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him deeper into her. His powerful thrusts shook the bed. He curled his fingers into the comforter, as he tried his best to control his body’s rampant urging to break loose. Just as he reached his limit, she screamed his name and came again.

The sound of his name from her lips and the muscles clenching around his cock, pulled him past the edge of control. He thrust into her once . . . twice more, then exploded, shouting her name and drenching her pussy with his seed.

*****

Marcus still lay on top of Shana several minutes later. He’d collapsed there and hadn’t moved. In fact, if she hadn’t felt his heart beat against hers, she would’ve thought he died.

She didn’t care. She wanted to enjoy the feel of his weight on top of her, his musky, sexual, male scent filling her senses. Soon, she would tell him what she knew. A few more moments of heaven, pretending that nothing would ever come between them -- that’s what she needed at the moment. The fear twisting her stomach had more to do with losing him, of never havingthis . Of not having his hands on her skin, snuggling closer, sharing his warmth, feeling this closeness. Every time he took her in his arms, each time his lips touched her skin, she slid deeper under his spell.

She closed her eyes against the tears. Still, one escaped, trailing down her cheek. Marcus lifted his head and used his fingers to wipe away the tear.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

She opened her eyes. Guilt lanced through her at his concerned look. Still, she lied.

“Nothing.”

She closed her eyes again, hoping he would let it go. Marcus, being who he was, didn’t.

“Now, if I thought those were tears of happiness, I’d be content.” He shifted his weight, moving to rest on his side beside her. “Tell me what’s wrong. You’ve been sad since you showed up.”

She drew in a deep breath, opened her eyes, and took the plunge.

“I love you, Marcus.” His eyes warmed at her words. He opened his mouth, but she placed a finger on his lips to stop his reply. If he told her he loved her, if he said he wanted to marry her, she’d never survive. It was hard enough telling him the truth without knowing. But to have him turn away after he’d told her . . . that would shatter her.

“No, don’t. Let me finish.”

He nodded.

She removed her finger, but didn’t break eye contact.

“I have to tell you something about me, about my family. Before I do, I have to tell you, I know who’s behind the breaches in security.”

The warm look in his eyes chilled. “Who?”

“John Marrow.”

He sat up and shook his head. “No. John wouldn’t do that. He would fuck around with women, but

not with this. We’ve been friends for too long.”

She sat up. “It is John. I heard him.”

“You heard John saying he’d handed over information?”

“No. I heard his thoughts.”

He smiled at her, apparently thinking it a joke. When she didn’t laugh, his smiled faded and his eyes turned cold. Shards of ice ripped through her heart. This would be the look she remembered. All the warmth, the teasing, was gone. Here was the man she’d known for the last eighteen months. And there was nothing she could do to spare herself the pain.

“I’m a telepath, Marcus.”

Chapter Ten

At first, disbelief swept through Marcus. There was no way in hell he had hired a telepath to be one of the top terrorist analysts for his division. She was the one person he trusted beyond anyone. He would not have made a mistake like that.

Her clear-eyed gaze told him differently.

“You’re a telepath?” Disbelief and denial soon rolled into anger. “You lied to me.”

She swallowed, but nodded. “Yes, I did. But only by omission.”

She sat there, still warm from their loving, with those damn tears in her eyes. He had to fight the urge to grab her and pull her close.

He got off the bed, pulled on his pants, and then faced her. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m a telepath. Have been from birth.”

“Does it run in your family?”

“Yes.” Her voice was just above a whisper, and she looked so damn sad it pissed him off.This was not the Shana Adams he knew. This was some lying, cheating bitch who’d made him look like a fool. Anger boiled in his gut, but there was an edge of pain to it. He pushed that back, not wanting to deal with it.

“You’ve known how I felt about you all this time? Why wait until now to seduce me?”

She shook her head. “First of all,you did the seducing. And I didn’t hear anything until yesterday morning.”

“You expect me to believe that all this time you hadn’t heard a thing?”

“It’s the truth.” She got out of bed and searched for her clothes. He watched her, wanting to go back in time, to pretend he hadn’t heard her confession. And pretend that the pain lancing through him wasn’t there. That the desperation souring his stomach didn’t exist.

“Oh, and you know the truth?”

She seemingly ignored him and pulled on her pants and jacket. As his mind jumped from one thing to the next, almost speechless from her admission, he zeroed in on her comments about John.

“You say John is plotting with the terrorists?”

She nodded but didn’t look up from buttoning her jacket.

“Why would he want to do that? John has no reason.”

“He’s your right-hand man, with three ex-wives and an expensive lifestyle. And his second cousin is Ripley Johnson. Didn’t take me that long to find all of it out.”

Fury sped through him. The fact that she’d lied, was still lying, shoved his temper up a couple of notches. He reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked up, her eyes rounded in surprise.

“Don’t you put him down. He’s been with me longer than anyone, and I trust him.”

Her eyes narrowed as she twisted her wrist from his grip. “Really? You trust a man who can’t stay faithful for an hour? If you trusted him so much, why didn’t you tell him everything about the breach? What kind of loyalty do you think he gives to you?”

Still raw from her betrayal and unwilling to face any accusations, he lashed out with words. “How the hell am I supposed to know it isn’t you? You seem to take to lying pretty well. How do I know that this seduction isn’t a plan to distract me?”

He ignored the pain in her eyes and the tears she blinked back. Not ready to confront his own pain, he did the only thing he knew how to do. Hurt her.

“What I want to know, Shana, is how does it feel? How does it feel to act thewhore ?”

She flinched, and he could see the pain deepen in her eyes. He curled his fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out to comfort her. This wasn’t the Shana he knew, the Shana he loved.

Loved. Jesus God,he loved her, and she was a lying bitch. A lying, stinking telepath.

“Think whatever you want. I’ve told you what I know. What you do with it is your business.”

She walked past him as if to leave. The woman had some nerve. Drop this bombshell and then think she’s going to walk free?

He grabbed her arm. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Home.”

“Do you think you can disappear on me?”

She kept her head down, defeat slumped her shoulders. More than her betrayal, he hated her behavior. She should be mad as hell, fighting him tooth and nail. It had to be an act.

“No, I need to tie up some loose ends.”

“What, call up your friends and tell them to cancel the attack?”

“No, I need . . .” She swallowed. “I need to call my brother, settle things with my landlord.”

“And then? What little hole do you plan on hiding in?” He squashed the panic tightening his gut.

Her shoulders slumped more. “Quarantine.”

The word caused his stomach to roil. Marcus knew the Federation’s rule on people with paranormal abilities, but he didn’t agree with it. Even with his family history, he felt the Federation took their distrust a step too far. He’d heard the rumors of experiments, and the deaths. He wanted to shout a denial, refuse to allow anyone to hurt her. Cold fear curled in his stomach at the thought of her in one of those places. He still loved the woman he thought she was, and to think of her in one of those camps . . . He shook his head. He’d use every bit of his power to keep her safe, but she didn’t need to know that. He’d enjoy watching her twist in the wind.

“So, you want to warn your brotherand your parents, hmm? I should make a call right now. Have all three of them picked up. Maybe then you’ll tell me what you know.”

Her head snapped up and she straightened her shoulders. An angry flush colored her cheeks. “Don’t even think of using my family to coerce a false confession from me, you bastard. If you do, I’ll make sure every media company from here to the Quasar Galaxy knows Marcus Carlyle hired a telepath. It would ruin your career, and you know it. You won’t be able to get a contract to guard a trash refinery, let alone another government agency. I know you can cover up one telepath’s disappearance. You can change my electronic file. Eliminate my family from the file. The Federation believes those files before they believe a human. If you don’t help me keep them safe, you’ll regret it.”

At first, he couldn’t believe the witch was threatening him. The moment he opened his mouth to intimidate her with a few of his own threats, the fear he saw in her eyes stopped him. No matter what she had done, he couldn’t ignore the ache inside. She stood there, her fists clenched, her shoulders back, defending her family.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“I told you everything. You didn’t believe me.”

He swallowed an angry retort. If he could get her to tell him some of her “story” about John, maybe he could catch something to help him. “Let’s go to the living area and talk about this.”

She pulled her arm out of his hand and marched out of his room. Jackass that he was, he followed, his concentration completely on her ass.

*****

Shana studied the skyline of DC at night. She was sure Marcus had paid a small fortune for his apartment. It was spacious, and the view was overwhelming. Even inside the beltway, not many homes or apartments boasted an unobstructed view of the U.S. capital.

She watched the dwindling traffic as she tried to formulate her thoughts. Somehow she had to convince him of Marrow’s duplicity. The attack would come. When, next week and where, that was the question.

As anger still shimmered between them, Marcus reached her side. Her heart bore the marks of his attack. She’d expected anger. She’d even expected some kind of verbal assault, but to call her a whore . ..

She swallowed the pain. It would do no good to rehash the argument, or his comments. She knew who she was, what she had done. She didn’t deserve that label. Ice curled into her heart and chilled her to the bone.

“So, tell me what you know of the attack.” His voice held no emotion. It was the same one he used when he questioned one of her reports. She resisted the urge to probe his mind to find out what he was thinking. She’d never been that good at it, and she couldn’t face any more of his anger.

“This morning, when Mr. Marrow came by my desk, I felt something tug at my brain. Same thing during the meeting, but this time, a few of his thoughts slipped through.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Immediately, her blood warmed. He’d only pulled on his pants. The urge to skim her hand down his bare chest, across his nipples, almost overwhelmed her.

She crossed her arms.Idiot. This man just threatened her family, and she still wanted him.

“If I’m right, John Marrow is a telepath like me.”

His face flushed in anger.

“No, wait, let me explain. There is a way to read minds. I was never very good at it. But if someone practiced for years, honed his skill, he could do it.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked out the window. “And you say John can do this?”

“Yes. It feels like someone tugs at your brain. I don’t think he got anything out of me today, but . . .”

“You can’t do this? Are you saying he is more talented than you are?”

“Yes.” She rubbed her arms. “I haven’t used my skill for years. My mother . . .”

Jesus, was she stupid? What the hell was she thinking? Even if he had enough information to nail her to the wall, why volunteer more?

“Your mother?”

She sighed. There wasn’t much she could do now about that. Her hope that her family wouldn’t pay the price for her stupidity had been in vain.

“My mother taught me exercises to keep from using the ability.”

“But, you heard me.”

She turned to face him. The lights from DC shone across his face, his features hard with anger. If she didn’t understand the pain she had caused, she’d lash back at him. But she knew. Even if he couldn’t admit it, his male pride had reared its head to protect him from the pain she’d caused.

“I haven’t heard thoughts in years. And most of the thoughts I get from you involve sex. Apparently they were so strong they broke through my barrier.”

His cheeks flushed. Her lips curved slightly at his embarrassment.

“So, these thoughts John had?”

“Something about an attack. Marcus, I think you need to be careful.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because there was something very sick in his thoughts. He wants the money, and that’s why he sold you out. I think he wants you to suffer.”

“Suffer?” He turned away and paced away from her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Marcus, listen to me. Please.” She followed him into the kitchen. “Marcus.No, listen. There was a definite shift in his thoughts. He feels a deep hatred for you. I think he’s consumed with hurting you. He’s obsessed with revenge. Think back. What has your relationship been like with John Marrow? Has he been a true friend, been there to support you when you need it? Would you trust him with what you know about me?”

Chapter Eleven

Marcus tried his best to ignore her arguments, but Shana was right. There was something about John that had always made him uncomfortable. For once, he’d ignored his own initial judgment because of their long-standing friendship, but now . . .

“You mean would I tell my second-in-command I hired a telepath for a top-level security job? That I opened us to all kinds of Federation investigations?” He had to argue. He’d known John, been sure of his loyalty for years.

“No. I mean, if you cared for me, would you trust him with the knowledge?” He tried to ignore the little catch in her voice when she mentioned the word “cared.” He didn’t want to think about her pain, and how much it hurt him to see it. “Could you be sure he wouldn’t let the secret slip?”

He crossed his arms, trying to ignore the niggle of doubt she’d fostered. But it was there. John had claimed many of the problems he’d had while in the Air Corps were due to other people. When Rachel, John’s last wife, had resigned, she’d warned Marcus about John. She said John was a risk in his job. He’d thought it sour grapes at the time, but now . . .

Shana stood ready to defend herself and condemn Marcus’s best friend.

“I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.”

She shook her head. “Well, it’ll be on your head, then. I can’t see a way out of this if you continue to deny the possibility.” Bitterness tinged her voice.

She turned to leave, and he tried to ignore the panic souring his stomach. He had some kind of idea if he didn’t stop her, he’d never see her again.

“Just where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Home.” She didn’t stop or turn around, just kept on walking.

He hurried after her. “I think you should stay here.”

She turned on him. “You know what, Marcus? For some reason, I don’t care what you think. I have no idea why, but maybe it was threatening my family with internment, or calling me a liar. Oh, no, I have it. It was calling me a whore. Could it be I don’t want to be in your presence for that reason?”

Her anger fueled his own. “No. I don’t want you to warn your accomplices.”

Her eyes widened, then she laughed. There was no joy or humor, though. “You’re a jackass.”

“I want to watch your every move, so from now on, you stay here.”

She crossed her arms and pinned him with a glare. “If you think for one moment I will share your bed with you, you’re not only a jackass, you’re insane.”

“No. No, you can stay in one of my guest rooms. I want to think about what you’ve told me.”

She looked him up and down. “Is there a lock on the door? One you can’t open?”

He gritted his teeth. “Yes.”

“Fine. I’m going to bed. If you have a breakthrough during the night, keep it to yourself.”

She turned on her heel and walked down the hall. He had a lot of things to think over, so he didn’t pay attention to what room she chose. Truthfully, it was better not to think about where she was, because the idiot in him wanted to follow her down the hall and beg her forgiveness. And he couldn’t do that. He told himself it was because he couldn’t trust her. The sad truth was, he couldn’t trust himself.

He went to his office, pulling up the microfile with the information for the days of each breach. There was some kind of connection with each one. He wouldn’t rest until he found it.

*****

Shana rolled over and almost screamed when she saw Marcus sitting in the chair beside her bed.

She sat up and ignored the pounding of her heart.Fear. Not excitement. Just because she yearned to skim her hands across the stubble on his cheek, or kiss away all the pain in his eyes, didn’t mean she wasexcited to see him. Dressed in gray dress pants and an ivory shirt, he looked good enough to eat.

Her nipples tightened at the thought of dropping in front of him, unzipping those pants, and taking his cock into her mouth. She sighed and glanced around the room, ignoring the wet, liquid heat filling her sex. The hazy December sun filtered through the shades, casting shadows about the room.

“You said you couldn’t get in here.”

“No. I didn’t. Youassumed it was this room.”

She rubbed her temple.Too early. It was way too damn early for his little head games.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I’ve thought over some of your arguments, and I think you might be right.”

“Hmm.” She tried her best to quell the warmth stealing into her heart.

“I went back through the records.”

All the warmth chilled. “And what did you find?”

“Every time the records were accessed, John was in charge. I was out of the office those days. I don’t know why I didn’t see it earlier.”

He stood and walked to the window. She wanted so desperately to offer support, to reach out to him.To love him.

“So, what do you want from me?”

“I want your help in setting John up. I want to get him to admit what’s going on.”

“That’s it?” Her traitorous heart wanted more.

His back straightened, but he didn’t turn around. “No, one thing more. When this is over, you’ll resign.”

“You’re not going to turn me in?”

“No.”

She should be ecstatic. He wasn’t going to doom her to a life in the lab, but he wanted nothing to do with her. The ache in her chest intensified.Why? Why did she have to love him?

He turned, and she noted the dark circles beneath his eyes, the sadness resting on his face.

“Why don’t you gather your things and meet me in the library? We’ll go over the plan.”

Not one thought came from him. It was as if his brain activity had died. And it had, where she was concerned. He no longer wanted her.

She sighed again and nodded. She waited until he was gone to bury her face in her hands and cry.

*****

Marcus drew in a deep breath as he reached the library. He closed the door with a voice command. Every muscle in his body was drawn tight. He rubbed his head, his mind exhausted from fighting his tendency to fantasize about Shana.

Jesus, what the hell was he supposed to do? He’d sat there like a fool, watching her sleep for over an hour. She looked so warm and cozy. Every hormone in his body had urged him to join her under the covers. The way she’d looked at him, licking her lips as if she wanted to eat him up . . .

It had gone beyond that. He’d wanted much more than just her body. The desire to slip into bed beside her, hold her, tell her everything would be all right, almost overwhelmed his better judgment.

He shifted his feet, trying to relieve the ache in his balls. Damn. Having her stay here last night was a mistake, but hell, he’d panicked. It wasn’t very masculine to admit, but he’d panicked like a little boy being denied his favorite treat. And to what end? He was making her resign at the end of this mess. Hehad to. For her safety, and because it was against regulations. Shana was a para. She couldn’t work for a Federation agency. Marcus, being who he was, couldn’t go against regs.

He hoped she’d go along with the plan to trap John. Anger balled in his stomach. He couldn’t believe he’d never seen John’s menace. In all the years together, he never saw it, not until Shana slapped him in the face with it. There was an ache for the loss of friendship, but really, there had probably never been one. Used. For a man who prided himself on his street intel, he’d been pretty gullible. His best friend was aiding terrorists, and he was sleeping with a telepath.

Wasbeing the operative word.

The door slid open, and Shana walked into the room. Instantly, his cock hardened. She’d dressed casually in a set of workout clothes. He wanted to rip them off and see if she was as warm beneath them as she looked. He pushed all thoughts of pulling her into his arms and kissing his way down her body into the back of his mind. He concentrated on his plan, and ignored the pull she had on him.

“Well, what do you want me to do?” she asked.

*****

Shana sipped her water and waited for John Marrow to place his order. The noisy diner was perfect for their plan. Marcus suggested it, saying a public place would be safer for her. After discussing the plans, Shana agreed. John Marrow smiled at the waitress and she returned it. Shana shivered as she watched him charm the young woman. She swallowed past the bile rising in her throat.

When they were finally alone, he smiled at her. “So, Shana, what is it you want from me?”

“Easy, Shana,” her brother’s voice whispered in her ear. The miniscule earpiece/transmitter linked her with her brother. Marcus needed someone they could trust, and the one person she trusted at the moment was David. “Don’t blow your cover, sis.”

“I’ve been looking over the information on the security breaches. I discovered something very

interesting.”

His eyes narrowed. “Cut to the chase, Shana. I know you’re after something.”

“I want a part of what they are paying you.”

She felt a cerebral tug. While he tried to probe with his own mental fingers, she mentally shut down.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you do, Mr. Marrow. You know who is invading next week. You know what they are after. You set Mr. Carlyle up. When the dust clears, he’ll be charged with treason.”

The probing stopped immediately. “Well, you are a crafty little bitch. I’d never guess Marcus’s prized employee would turn on him.”

She fought the pain piercing her heart. Marcus truly believed she’d done something wrong by not telling him of her gift. He took the information on Marrow, used it, but he would never forgive her.

“Get him to tell you he took money,” David said in her ear.

“Mr. Marrow, I have enough information on you to put you away for a very long time. You have heard of the penalty for treason against the Federation, haven’t you? Isolated imprisonment drives even the strongest man insane.”

His charming veneer dropped completely. “Listen to me, you scheming little whore. I’ll see you dead before I let that happen to me.”

Apparently so angry he forgot the other diners, he reached across the table to grab her arm. The

moment his hand touched her skin, an explosion of images and thoughts lanced across her mind. Depraved and violent, the images overwhelmed her. She tried her best to shut them out, to perform her exercises to block them, but they wouldn’t stop.

She wrenched her arm free, and the images faded but still simmered. “Are you saying that the friends who have been paying you for agents’ names would gladly help you kill me?”

“What I’m saying is that they would take great pleasure in killing you. But not before they had a taste of that sweet little body.”

“Gotcha,” David said in her ear.

“That’s certainly an interesting threat,” Marcus said as he rose from the booth behind Marrow. There was no mistaking the menace in his voice.

Chapter Twelve

Rage flashed through Marcus. He’d never wanted to kill another living creature with his bare hands until this moment. Marcus had actually handled Marrow’s comments until he’d threatened Shana. At that

moment, he was fighting the urge to rip the bastard’s heart out.

“Marcus,” John said, his usual charming smile in place. Marcus wanted to wrap his hands around the bastard’s neck. “You got here just in time. You’ll never believe what Ms. Adams was proposing.”

“Oh, that you pay her part of the money you got for selling out our agents?”

John’s smile faded. “Do you mean you set me up?”

“Now isn’t that funny. Setyou up.”

He looked over John’s shoulder at Shana. “Did David get it all?”

She nodded, her face still pale. At the moment, he was worried she was going to pass out. Marcus nodded at the agents who’d been located around them. They stood, and took John into custody. As they were reading John his rights, David burst through the front door of the diner. He looked around until he spotted them and then charged over, heading straight for John.

Marcus stepped into his path. “David, don’t do it.”

“Let me go so I can kill the bastard.”

“I know how you feel, but you have to let him go. You assault him, you could ruin our chances at prosecution.”

The fight drained out of David. All three of them watched the agents lead John out of the diner. Patrons watched, completely glued to the show put on in front of them.

Marcus released David, who immediately went to Shana, pulling her into his arms. Envy tightened his

gut as the ice surrounding his heart grew colder. Marcus wanted to be the one to comfort her, reassure her that everything would be all right. He knew she wouldn’t welcome his affections. Hell, it was his own fault. It was the right decision. She was a telepath, completely wrong for their type of work. Besides, she put herself at risk every day she worked at the department.

“I think I’ll take Shana home,” David said, his arm draped over her shoulder.

“Marcus, you need to be careful,” Shana said, her voice shaky. “He loathes you. You heard that part I threw in there about setting you up. He wanted the money, probably needed it, but he wanted to hurt you just as much.”

Her concern eased the ache in his chest. He wanted to reach out and cup her cheek. He yearned to pull her in his arms, take her home, and take her to bed. Instead he curled his fingers into a fist.

“Don’t worry. I’m on the ball.”

She nodded, her eyes filled with worry, and sadness.So much sadness.

Marcus watched David guide her out of the diner, wondering. He rubbed his chest, the pain intensifying with each step she took.

*****

Two days later, Shana gathered the rest of her personal items from her desk. She’d gone three days without much sleep, worried about her family, the invasion,Marcus.

She was an idiot. No doubt about it. She was worried about him. He’d been betrayed and used by a man he thought of as a brother, and now he insisted on going to the fight. Shana knew he could handle the battle, but she didn’t want him to. In less than forty-eight hours, several Federation agencies would be on hand at the meeting Marrow had set up. Marrow claimed not to know who the head of the attack was, but the Gorgon mercs were involved, which meant it would be bloody.

She wanted Marcus safe at home, preferably naked. She was going to try one more time to convince him not to go, and then she was finished. Everything she owned had been packed and moved out of her cubicle. David had booked a trip for her to the Regalilion Province for a few weeks.

Determined, she stalked down the hall to Marcus’s office.

“Shana Adams, authorize.”

The door slid open. “Marcus, I think . . .”

The moment she stepped into the office, her jaw hit the ground. Marcus stood with his back to her, his body outlined by the fading sun. He was gorgeous in a business suit, but he was deadly dressed for battle. The black micro-fabric clung to his body, emphasizing his lean, muscular build. The outfit resembled her brother’s LEO uniform, clinging to his skin, outlining every move he made. Marcus turned to face her. Her gaze traveled down the length of him, her heart thumping and her nipples aching.Did he have to look so good?

When she reached his groin, his obvious erection caused her to swallow, then lick her lips. She glanced up. His emerald eyes shimmered with heat. Without a word, he walked around his desk and pulled her into his arms. His body heat warmed her. Before she could take a breath, his mouth was on hers, devouring her. Instantly, her blood heated, her mind whirled with images of his hands, his mouth on her.Her mouth on his cock.

The images, his words in thought, overwhelmed her senses. His hands cupped her ass. Lifting her, he ground his cock against her drenched sex. She wanted to feel his skin. He turned and dropped her on the desk, breaking the kiss. He stepped between her legs. His hands immediately went to her jacket. She looked up at his face. The hard line of his jaw, the desperate gleam in his eyes, chilled the rising heat.

How could she have been that stupid?He only wanted sex to relieve the stress he’d been under. He really didn’t give a damn about her.Again. No contact. No relationship. Except when he was desperate and needed comfort. BecauseMarcus needed it. When she sat in her apartment with her heart cracked and her eyes filled with tears, he hadn’t been there.

She placed a hand on each of his shoulders and pushed him. His eyes widened, then narrowed.

“What the hell is the matter?”

“What the hell happened to ‘no relationship’?”

He had the good grace to flush. “I thought --”

“What you thought was you could take advantage of the situation.”

He stepped away, his eyes narrowing further. “I never thought you a cock tease, Shana.”

Cold fingers of pain wrapped around her heart. The man was lethal with words.

“I’m not, and if you think that’s what this is about, then you aren’t the man I thought you were.”

She snapped her legs shut, jumped down from the desk, and, without looking at him, walked to the door. Tears gathered in her eyes. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

“Why did you come here then?”

“I wanted to try to talk you out of going tonight. Now I know that would be useless. You would never listen to me.”

“Shana.” She stopped in front of the door, waiting, desperately hoping he would tell her he needed her. That everything that happened, the things he’d said, they didn’t count.

“I . . . I hope you have a safe trip.”

All those hopes fizzled and were ground in the dirt. She nodded. “Shana Adams, authorize.”

She stepped out of his office and the door closed behind her. She blinked back tears, thinking that it was the last time she’d see Marcus. She was a fool. Because after everything, she still loved him.

*****

Sweat dribbled down Marcus’s back as they loaded the group of terrorists into a police hover vehicle. The fight had been relatively easy, but he knew they hadn’t done anything but scratch the surface. There were a few hired Gorgon mercs and several other misfits, but the mastermind was still out there. Still plotting against them.

“Good job out there, Director.” Marcus turned to look at Shana’s brother. David volunteered, then insisted that he be included in the fight, and Marcus had been impressed with his skills.

“Same to you. If you ever want to work for me, you’re hired.”

David smiled wryly. “Sorry. I have a problem similar to Shana’s.”

Before he could say anything, an officer interrupted them.

“Mr. Carlyle, Prisoner Marrow is making some claims about one of your employees and we need clarification.”

He nodded and followed him in. When he saw John sitting in the interrogation room, Marcus had to fight the urge to rip his head from his body. The man had dared to threaten Shana. And Marcus protected what was his.

His mind stuttered to a stop at the thought. His heart pounded against his chest. Shanawas his. God help him, she owned him. There would never be another woman who could make his knees go weak and his dick go hard like she did with just one glance. Even knowing what she was, who she was, he still wanted her. Not wanted -- needed.

During the heat of the battle, when it had gotten a little rough, the only thing he’d thought of was Shana. At the end of the day, he wanted to go home to her, fight with her, laugh with her, make love to her. Especially make love to her.

“So, I see the great Marcus Carlyle made it through unscathed,” John sneered. Marcus pulled back from his thoughts and looked at his former best friend. The urbane veneer he’d worn so well had disappeared, replaced by desperation. Marrow was a man on the edge of a life of living hell.

“Sir.” A tall, young agent stepped forward. “I’m Officer Brecken. Mr. Marrow is claiming that Ms. Adams is a known telepath. That you had knowledge of it and didn’t turn her in.”

Panic swelled. He had to swallow to keep from reaching across the table and killing John Marrow. How had he ever thought John honorable? His blue eyes glittered with hatred so cold and so deep, Marcus could feel it to his soul.

They had spared John the internment. Shana had argued that isolation was enough. She refused to be party to turning him in for the experiments they did on paranormals. Even with his connections to Ripley Johnson, Shana and David had both felt what happened in those camps was a crime. And, thinking of Shana being at the mercy of those scientists, Marcus agreed.

And this is how the bastard paid them back. “No. Actually, John is the telepath. He used those skills to find out codes he needed, gain access to the records, and then sell out the Federation.” He glanced at David. “Officer Adams will confirm.”

David smile was lethal. “Yes. I can confirm, he admitted it in front of both of us.” He didn’t bat an eye while he lied.

John jumped out his chair to attack Marcus, but the agents zapped him with a laser stun. He fell in a heap on the floor. They picked him up and carried him out.

Officer Brecken stepped forward. “Sorry about that. We just had to make sure he was blowing smoke up our asses.” He turned his assessing blue eyes on Shana’s brother. “You’re willing to testify to that?”

David nodded and the officer left them alone.

The silence between them stretched

“Sure you don’t want a job with the department?” Marcus asked.

“Can’t,” he said with a smile. “I’m thinking of getting out of my job now, before . . . well before anything goes wrong.”

“Tell you what. Why don’t you think about working for me?” Amusement lightened David’s expression for the first time that day. “And, next, why don’t you tell me where your sister is? I have a lot groveling to do.”

Chapter Thirteen

Shana sighed as she tied her bright red sarong around her waist and gathered her lotion and e-book file. As she walked around the sparkling waterfall spilling into the lagoon-styled pool, she ignored the interested stares of several males, human and otherwise. It had been a week since she arrived at the resort on the outer planet of Regalilia, and she had yet to have an enjoyable day.

Both suns had been shining, and the three-moon nights had been balmy yet pleasant. A few men had

approached her, asking to buy her a drink, or to dance. Even though every single one of them had been a fine example of male beauty, she’d not felt one little tingle of interest. Not even enough to talk to them, let alone fall into bed with them.

She reached the elevator and stopped. Another night in her bed, alone, thinking and dreaming of Marcus.

“Shana Adams, fourth floor, authorize.”

The doors slid open and, for once, she was alone in the elevator. She’d been determined to have a fling. To screw like a mink and hopefully erase the memory of Marcus. She soon found out that wish had been in vain. She found herself comparing each man to Marcus. The way he talked, the way he smiled, and she knew damn well she would end up comparing each man to Marcus in the bedroom.

The doors slid open, and she walked down the hallway in no great rush. Another dinner watching the suns set over the snow-capped mountains in the distance didn’t appeal. But she knew it would happen. She didn’t care for the bar scene or the casinos. Her brother had wasted his money getting her the suite. Despite the tropical-like atmosphere in Frunia, she felt more like the mountains, cold and icy. She should just book a shuttle back to Earth and start job hunting.

Finally she reached her door. “Shana Adams, authorize.”

She stepped into her suite. The door slid closed behind her and automatically locked for her safety. The setting suns’ amber rays cast shadows throughout the opulently decorated suite.

After tossing her things onto the sofa, she walked into her bedroom and came to an abrupt stop. She closed her eyes, then opened them.

Marcus Carlyle was lying on her bed, naked save for a skimpy pair of underwear, shackled to the headboard. Surprise, amazement, and a delicious wave of heat rolled through her. There was something so attractive about Marcus being chained up to her bed.

“Marcus?”

“It’s about damn time. Do you know how long I’ve been tied up here?”

“No.”

His eyes widened. “‘No’? That’s all you have to say?”

She swallowed the thoughts of what she would love to do to that body while he was tied up and at her mercy. Nothing came from Marcus. Not one thought. She wished she was better at probing minds to find out what he was thinking.

“I forced your brother to not only tell me where you were, but help me sneak in here and shackle me to the bed.” He started struggling against the handcuffs.

The image of big, alpha male Marcus asking her brother to cuff him to the bed was just too much. She laughed.

He stopped thrashing about. “Oh, sure, laugh. Your brother is probably telling everyone in the office about this. Pussy-whipped. That’s what I am.” He kept grumbling under his breath about ungrateful women as he started trying in earnest to get the handcuffs loose.

The ice covering her heart began to melt. “What are you doing here, Marcus?”

He didn’t stop his quest to free himself. “If you can’t figure it out, why should I tell you? Isn’t that whatwomen say to men?”

She bit back another chuckle. Just watching him, that disgruntled expression on his face while he tried to get out of the cuffs, warmed her even more.

“So, you were trying to tell me you were OK with me being in charge?”

He didn’t answer. She would’ve laughed, but she had a feeling she’d make him even more disgruntled. She stepped up to the bed and placed a hand on his foot.

His struggling stopped.

He swallowed as she moved her hand up his leg, past his thighs to his hardened cock, barely covered by the tiny swatch of silk. Images flashed through her mind. Her hands on his body, her mouth on his shaft.

“I find it hard to believe that Marcus Carlyle loses control.” Her voice had thickened as his thoughts fed her passion.

“You’d be amazed.” His rough voice sent a wave of heat down her spine.

She climbed on the bed, sitting between his legs. Then she wrapped her hand around his cock. The thick head had escaped from beneath the fabric. Her pulse quickened when she saw the pre-cum dripping from the slit. She licked her lips, thinking of the salty taste of him filling her mouth. Her own juices moistened her sex.

She needed to be sure of his motives. She didn’t want to rush back to him without some conditions.

“So,” she said, letting go of his dick and getting off the bed. “Are you going to tell me what you’re really doing here?”

Every nerve in her body tingled with arousal, and she’d barely touched him. Her nipples drew tighter. She fought the urge to rip off her clothes and mount him.

“I wanted you to know that I trusted you.”

Unable to not touch him a second longer, she climbed back on the bed and sat on her heels. She trailed her fingers up his torso, brushing the tips of his nipples. He sucked in a breath. She smiled.

“Hmmm.” She licked her lips, thinking of the taste of his skin. She leaned forward and grazed each nipple with her tongue. Musky male filled her senses. Her swimsuit dripped with her arousal. His thoughts flickered again. The things he was planning to do with his tongue sent her heart racing.

Oh, God, she loved him so much. If this was just another ploy . . .

She’d leave him cuffed to the bed.

“So, what you’re saying is that you trust me . . . a para?” She sat back and waited for his answer. His eyes were dilated with arousal, his nostrils flared. Another wave of wet heat dripped from her sex when she thought about him smelling her and being aroused by it.

“Uh?”

“Pay attention, Marcus.”

“Kind of hard to do with you in the vicinity. Hell, all I have to do is think about you and I’m hard as a rock.” Happiness filled her, warming her from the inside out. “Listen, I thought I could do this, but I can’t. I’ve tried, I just can’t . . . I love you, dammit. Now can we get on with it?”

She giggled, and he shot her a dirty look. “Get on with it? Oh, Marcus, you are the romantic.”

“Shana, I can’t rub two brain cells together where you’re concerned. I think of you, or see you, and all the blood drains from my mind. I’m lucky I can form sentences.”

She placed a hand on each side of his head. “I love you, Marcus. Even if you are the most unromantic

man I know.”

He frowned at the comment, then a smile, completely lethal to her own concentration, curved his lips. “Yeah?”

His rich voice rolled over the word. Now his thoughts flowed freely, snatches of their moans, what her scent did to him, having her mount and ride him blazed across her mind, almost pushing her beyond her control.

She leaned down, nibbled at his lips until he growled. She captured his lips in a tender kiss that soon turned carnal. The moment she opened her mouth, his tongue stole into hers, robbing her of any coherent thought. With reluctance, she pulled away, just long enough to rip off her clothes.

Instead of mounting him, she leaned down and took his cock into her mouth, humming her pleasure at the salty taste of him.

“Oh, Shana, baby.”

Without taking his cock out of her mouth, she moved over him, situating her sex above his mouth. He licked her slit, then shoved his tongue between her lips. She reached down and caressed his balls. He took her clitoris in his mouth and sucked. She moaned around his dick. She circled the head with her tongue, then pulled him back into her mouth. He sucked her harder and she felt the tremors of her approaching orgasm. As she shattered into a million pieces, he groaned, then shouted her name as he spurted his cum into her mouth. She continued to suck him through his orgasm.

When she had licked him one last time, she shifted her weight, and then lay beside him, her head on his chest.

“Hmm, Marcus, you always taste so good.”

“I appreciate that, Shana, but do you think you could get me out of these cuffs?”

“Well, I don’t know. Let me think about it.” She laughed and leaned up, pushing the button to release them. The moment she released him from his restraints, he grabbed her, rolling her under him. He rested on his elbows, relieving her of his weight.

As he looked down at her, the loving tenderness shining in his emerald eyes stole her breath away.

“So, do you believe I trust you now? That the fact you’re a para doesn’t matter?”

“That wasn’t a very tough test, Marcus.”

“You have no idea how tough. Hell, just taking the look your brother shot at me when I asked him to cuff me to the bed should guarantee me a yes to marriage. Hopefully he believed the bullshit about being able to fire him for revealing secrets about me to the staff.”

Her mind whirled with the thought that Marcus wanted to marry her. “Wait, you hired my brother?”

“Yeah.”

“But he’s an empath.”

“Yeah, he told me. I decided we can keep it a secret. I need more people I can trust in the organization. Of course, he’ll be answering to you, since I figure you’re perfect for John’s job.” He raised a hand and cupped her cheek. “So, no comment on the marriage question?”

“Marriage?”

“I know I don’t deserve you. Lord knows I fucked it up enough, but I promise to pay for it every day of my life. I swear to never question your loyalty again.”

“You called me a whore.”

Pain etched the features of his face. “I know, honey, and I really can’t take it back. I can apologize every day for the rest of our lives. I didn’t mean it, I promise.”

She didn’t say anything, but closed her eyes. The joy bouncing in her heart held her frozen speechless. Never in her life had she imagined such a backhanded proposal. Oh, Lord, she loved him, the jackass.

The next instant, a lash of panic shot from him to her. He frowned. “I just won’t take no for an answer.”

She raised an eyebrow, but the disgruntled expression on his face caused her to laugh.

“Oh, Marcus, love, of course I’ll marry you.”

His lips turned up, his expression lightened, then darkened in the next instant. His cock hardened against her stomach.

“You’re going to pay for making me sweat it out, woman.”

As he settled between her legs, she sighed. “I’m counting on it, Marcus.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. As his lips touched hers, the images of her body rounded with child flashed.

“Marcus. “

“Thought I’d let you know exactly what I hope to accomplish, and soon, Ms. Adams.”

Warmth curled in her stomach, into her heart.

“Can you hear my thoughts now?” he asked as he kissed his way down her body. Images of their bodies, his mouth on her skin, on her sex, exploded through her as she surrendered her body, her mind, and her soul to his sweet possession.

~*~

Melissa Schroeder

Melissa Schroeder was born at an Army hospital to an Air Force family. She's been a little screwy ever

since. When she was almost five, her father was assigned to Germany. Over the next four and a half years, her parents dragged Melissa and her sister from castle to castle, and museum to museum all over Western Europe. She saw the house where Anne Frank lived, visited the Berlin Wall, and saw the Eiffel Tower at night. Her love of history was born and flourished through their many travels. And, although she loved the travel, she swore she would never marry a man in the military (see info. below for a good laugh).

Melissa has always loved to read. She is convinced the love was developed because her mother read to her even before Melissa knew what she was saying. In the seventh grade, Melissa readTo Kill a Mockingbird . This book convinced her she wanted to be a writer. It wasn’t until she was in college working on her double degree in history and English, though, and enrolled in creative writing with Professor James Hoggard, where she began to explore her writing. It was there she discovered she had a gift for comedic writing but refused to accept that she wasn't the next James Joyce. She blindly ignored the fact that she was a woman, not Irish, and basically a happy person. She slaved away, ignoring the comments from her instructor who told her she was good at comedy, trying to write full of angst. She didn’t fully explore comedy until she began writing romance several years ago.

She citesJayne Ann Krentz , Lori Foster,Susan Andersen ,Rachel Gibson ,Stephanie Laurens ,Julia Quinn , andJennifer Crusie as influences in her romance writing. Melissa has been married happily for many years to a man who, after they were married, decided to enter the AF. Since she was already in love with him, she decided to put up with the military. They have two daughters, an adopted dog daughter, and live wherever the military sticks them. Which, Melissa is sure, is somewhere with hot summers, and lots of bugs you would normally see on The Animal Discovery channel…

Now that she has signed her first e-book contract, she has two dreams: to sign one of her single titles to a print contract and to live somewhere the bugs die.

*****

Read on for a tantalizing glimpse of

For the Heart of Daria

by Doreen DeSalvo

Coming from Loose Id in August 2004

Daria opened her eyes and foundhim —Gray...the target...God, the man who’d saved her life—gazing at her with a satisfied smile on his face.

She wanted to slap him. To slap that arrogant smile off of his face.

But it wasn’t really an arrogant smile. He didn’t look triumphant; he didn’t look like a man who’d just made an easy conquest. No, his smile seemed...genuine. Tender. Like he was simply happy to have given her pleasure.

And he had.

Even his eyes were lit up with that smile, those stunning golden brown eyes, more compelling in person than in any of the holo-projections she’d studied. Amber eyes. And like amber, his eyes held secrets.

She knew most of them. But he didn’t know it. And he didn’t know that she had secrets of her own.

His fingers, the fingers that had brought her to a shattering climax, were still nestled between her legs. One finger was even partially inside her, a subtle invasion of her body, staking a claim. She felt unbearably exposed, looking into his smiling eyes while his hand rested on her most private parts. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

She’d been prepared to fuck him to stay close to him. She’d steeled herself to endure it. To fake pleasure at his touch. To hide her revulsion, her hatred.

She hadn’t been prepared toenjoy it.

Nothing could have prepared her for the way he’d kissed her. The way he’d touched her.

Why couldn’t he have jumped on her like a horny space-sailor, fucked her quickly, and left her mildly disgusted? She’d expected him to treat her like a whore. Why did he have to treat her like a...like a lover?

He’d made a traitor of her body. And she’d gone down without a fight.

When he lifted his hand away, she almost thanked him for letting go. But he brought his fingers to her breast and rubbed wetness over her nipple. Even though she’d just climaxed, his wet fingers made her tingle.

His head dropped to her chest, his mouth closing over that nipple and suckling. Hard and deep. God, her breasts were excruciatingly sensitive. No one had ever played with her like this. Not after she’d climaxed.

She lifted herself against his sucking mouth and felt his chuckle deep inside her breast.

Enough. She needed to satisfyhim . That was the whole point of sleeping with him. To make him want to keep her...just until she found a way to finish her mission.

She pushed at his shoulder. “I want to touch you.”

He rolled off of her and settled on his side, facing her. “As you will.”

An odd way to say "OK," but that must be what he meant. She stroked his chest, let her hand wander down to his belly, felt his muscles tense. Leaning closer, she kissed his neck, then gave him a little bite. His breath caught; she felt it against her lips. She kept going, laying down a ring of nips and kisses on his neck. He’d have a few hickeys to hide in the morning.

His fingers wove through her hair, holding her close. She moved her face down to his collarbone, ran her hand down his taut stomach, then back up again. Why did he have to have such a great chest? Tanned and broad, just enough hair to tease her skin with masculine roughness. Not too broad, not too muscled. Just...perfect. She followed the trail of hair down to his navel, dipping into his bellybutton.

She kept her face against his neck as she reached lower and found his cock. God, he was hot. Hot and hard...and longer than she’d expected. Not that she’d known what to expect. Her lips quirked up in a smile. That information hadn’t been in the files she’d studied.

She wrapped her hand around him and gave a tentative stroke. Would he like it hard and fast? Soft and slow?

A firm hand caught her wrist before she could do more. “No.”

“Why not?”

He rolled her to her back and bent his head to her breasts, licking across a sensitive nipple. “Because you’ll make me climax too quickly,dahsh’kara .”

She didn’t know that alien word. And she didn’t care to. But she couldn’t muster up any outrage at him for speaking in that hateful alien language, not with his mouth on her breasts, planting sucking little kisses on her straining nipples.

She whimpered. God, she shouldn’t feel this good. Not with him. Not with a collaborator. “Stop. Let me...” She could barely think. “Let me touch you.”

“I’m not done touchingyou yet.”

“But I already...” Her face heated. Ridiculous, considering she was naked in bed with him. Even at twenty-seven, she still blushed like a nervous virgin. “I already came.”

She felt him smile against her breast, but he didn’t lift his head. “Yes,dahsh’kara , you certainly did. But only once.”

Could he possibly be serious? “Once was...” He nipped at her breast, just hard enough to sting her gently with his teeth. “Oh! Once was fine.”Understatement. “Once was more than I expected.”

He chuckled. “I won’t settle for less than three.”

“Three?”She’d heard rumors about Prendarian women—insatiable sex maniacs, every one of them, or so the legends said. She’d never believed those stories.

“At least three,” he murmured. “And you’ll find me very determined. Best for you to accept my will.”

“What’s the most...” No, she didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to be interested in his past. Or in him.

“The most times I’ve seen a woman climax?”

Well, since he’d guessed... She nodded.

But he couldn’t see her nod. He was still nuzzling at her breasts, flicking the hard tip of his tongue over an even harder nipple.

“Yes,” she said on a gasp.

“Five.”

“Five?”God, he must be a tireless lover...and an arrogant one, for sure. Her mouth hung open. She closed it quickly, even though he hadn’t lifted his head.

“Mmm-hmm.” She felt him smile again, probably at her astonishment. “Fear not. I’m certain you can exceed that record.”

Hell,two would be a record for her. But she wasn’t averse to faking them. Not if it kept him happy. Not if it kept him wanting her.

She’d planned on faking one anyway. So much for that plan. He’d barely touched her and she’d gone off like a barrage of missiles.

She felt his tongue, so hot, wet and raspy, licking across her breasts, from one to the other and back again.

His hair, softer than she’d imagined, slid through her fingers. With his mouth teasing her like this, she couldn’t resist him. And why should she? The more he enjoyed himself, the more likely he’d be to keep her with him.

Yes, this was strictly for the sake of the mission. The fact that she wanted it, that she wantedhim , that he was working so hard to please her...oh, that was irrelevant. She’d enjoy his wonderful mouth...his wonderful hands...

One of those hands slid over her hip, stroked her bush. She parted her legs shamelessly, and then those curious, knowing fingers were spreading magic over her sensitive clit.

A climax built inside her...inexorable.

Unbelievable.

His hands were wondrous.

He nuzzled his mouth against her neck. “You’re very wet,dahsh’kara .” His breath rushed over her ear, set her heart racing. “And I’m very thirsty.” He teased her earlobe with the point of his tongue. “I’m going to take a long, long drink.”

*****

What people are saying about the writing of Doreen DeSalvo

Once a Thief

Doreen DeSalvo'sOnce a Thief is the most sensually erotic short story I have ever read. The foreplay between the two main characters in this book is absolutely scorching. I was glued to every page...In my opinion this book is a necessary sensual read.

-- Dianne Nogueras,Coffee Time Reviews

Once a Thief is both gritty and heartwarming. Doreen DeSalvo has written a very sensual story of redemption. The emotions are very real and nothing is held back as boundaries are crossed in this unique

love story. If you like to push the limits, you don't want to miss this one!

-- Chere Gruver,Sensual Romance Reviews

Once A Thiefis a very strong story that pushes the boundaries on just how much we are willing to trust someone to help us fulfill our most hidden desires. I was thoroughly caught up in the story and I took each step with Katherine as if it were my own. Phew, thank you Ms. DeSalvo for penning this read and please do grace us with another book soon.

-- Joy Harris,Fallen Angels Reviews

Once a Thiefis now available from Changeling Press.