Dark Callings (Phoenix Intelligence Agency) (7 page)

Harmony patted Gio one more time, then stepped back towards Lennox.

“I can ride horses. Among many other things.” She pressed against Lennox briefly, then sashayed away.

Lennox took a shuddering breath. He was fighting the need coursing through him. Harmony wasn’t making it easy, tempting him. From the time he’d picked her up, it had been all he could do not to take her to the nearest bed. It was as if, since he knew she could possibly be his, all his restraint was gone. Harmony only added to his already unravelling control by being flirtatious, with glancing touches and her sassy wit. It all came together in a package he found irresistible. She was calling to his dark senses.

Harmony glanced at him playfully over one shoulder. The halter-top shirt she wore left the majority of her back bare. The tangerine colour—he knew the shade of it because he’d asked her in the SUV—offset her caramel-coloured skin. Her jeans fitted her derrière, providing a temptation that was almost too hard to resist. He wanted to cup her behind and kiss her. Lennox clenched his fist. He didn’t dare. He didn’t think he could stop without taking her—even the brief kiss on her hand had released the fresh spring taste of her skin on his tongue.

Be strong. You need to get to know her first before you jump her.
He joined her at Opal’s stall. They prepared her horse, then his, and went on their way. All throughout the day, they chatted, flirting back and forth. He showed her his estate. They stopped for lunch, where the camaraderie continued. At the ridge where he went to think, he sat with her in his arms. Eventually, they continued along the trail to go below a waterfall to the pool of water beneath it. As Harmony stripped, revealing a halter-top one-piece suit, Lennox turned away, willing his unruly cock to behave. Once he’d heard the splash, he removed his own clothing then went in too.

As they played in the water, each brush of her body against his tested him. Much later, they returned to the house and prepared dinner together. They ate, then he showed her the family room before retreating to the kitchen. He gripped the counter of the island and breathed in and out. It did no good. He felt her at the edge of his senses. Her scent filled his home. After straightening, he got them some snacks and beverages. He hefted the tray then went down the hall, making a right to the corridor leading to the family room. He paused before he stepped inside.

“I can control myself.” He moved forward.

Lennox swallowed. Harmony was reclining on one of the couches. Her shorts showcased her legs, while the T-shirt hugged her breasts, leaving the top of her cleavage visible. He went over and placed the tray on the centre table closest to the couch.

“Maybe we should go out. It seems senseless for you not to use your dress you brought with you.” He hoped she would agree. There was only so much temptation a man could take.

“I’m sore and tired from today. We can go out somewhere fancy another day. I just want to relax here with you on this comfy couch and watch
The Flintstones
. I have it queued up. Come on.”

Since it was futile to resist her, he sat beside her on the couch. Harmony shifted, pushing at him—he moved where she wanted him. Before he knew it, he was reclining on the couch with her back to his chest. His erection pressed against his slacks. Harmony pushed a button on the remote, and the picture started. Lennox was enthralled and perplexed by the colourful images.

“Where are this Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm?”

“They don’t come along until about the end of season three. We’ll get there eventually.”

She placed her fingers along the top of his hand, swirling them on his skin. Lennox shifted his head to see her face. Harmony focused on the screen.

“Relax. This is fun.” She patted his hand, having not even glanced at him as she’d said it.

She continued her maddening touch. Lennox inhaled her scent of spring and woman.

Easy. You can do this. A gentleman romances a woman before getting physical. Control. You are in control
.

Harmony snuggled against him. Lennox bit back a groan as her butt pressed against his cloth-covered member. Being honourable was going to kill him.

Chapter Four

Days later, Lennox was still thinking of the time they had spent together. It had taken all his control to be a gentleman.

“What are you working on?”

As usual, her husky voice made his cock go rigid. Lennox raised his gaze from the computer to her. Harmony leaned against the open door of his office. She was attired in one of the flirty dresses she preferred. This one was apple green with a sweetheart neckline. He peeked at her feet, noting they were as he’d expected—bare. Over the last five weeks, he had become very familiar with her penchant for no shoes. Either at his or her place, she shed her shoes, giving them to him—it didn’t matter if they were inside or outside. He had fantasies about suckling her toes. Lennox wrenched his gaze from her feet.

“Searching the leads for Blagden. He and his people have been surprisingly quiet and elusive.”

“It’s frustrating that we can’t get an idea of where he is and what he has planned. He’s waiting for something, I can feel it in my gut.” She pressed her hand on her stomach.

He wanted to go over and put his hand on top of hers. He didn’t. They’d had five weeks of dates, and some of their outings had also included Ebony as well as her family. They had all been accepting of their relationship. He’d become a regular at Friday family dinner, which rotated among the various homes. Harmony had even roped him into hosting one at his house. He knew exactly what Harmony was doing. She was combining their lives. She still touched him at every opportunity, and they had reached a comfort level around each other.

Yet they hadn’t taken things beyond the random touches and flirting. Hell, they hadn’t even kissed. He was torturing himself with resisting, but couldn’t even explain to himself why. A ding caught his attention, and he glanced at his screen. He clicked on the icon for a new message. Quickly, he read the email. He stood.

“I have another lead.” He grabbed his jacket, shrugging into it and striding towards Harmony.

“See you later then.” Harmony turned.

He caught her arm, stopping her. Harmony glanced at him in question.

“Come with me.”

A grin flittered across her face. “Yes. Let me get my bag.”

He let her go and Harmony hurried out of his office. Lennox followed her at a slower pace. He’d never asked her to come with him to check out one of his leads before. But this time, it felt right. At her office door, he waited. Harmony joined him moments later. He placed his hand on her back and they left.

Half an hour later, he placed his hand on her back again, guiding her into the pub. He observed the various beings. He recognised some power signatures. When he couldn’t tell what they were, he tuned his senses for any sign of trouble. He exchanged nods with an Htrae Elf. At the bar, Harmony sat on a stool, while he leaned next to her. Lennox watched the man working behind the counter. Although he didn’t acknowledge him, he knew they already felt him there.

“He’s having fun making you cool your heels,” Harmony commented.

He glanced at her. She seemed calm, sitting on the stool, but he could sense her watchfulness. It impressed him that she realised things could get dicey at any moment.

“Lupo has a warped sense of humour.”

“He’s a Shadower. A powerful one, if my senses are correct.”

She’d surprised him. Not many would have pegged him. Lupo blended in seamlessly, not sending off any power signature. Most thought he was a lower level Sidhe.

“He was the trainer. Blagden sent all the Shadow Forces to his tutelage. Blagden even asked him to head them. Lupo said no. Blagden wouldn’t take no for an answer. They battled. Lupo won and by right should have been king. But he refused that and chose to exile himself here.”

Lupo finally came over to them. They gripped each other just below the elbow, then released.

“Telling stories to the lovely lady?” Lupo asked in his deep bass voice.

“Just giving her some history about you.”

“He must trust you, Miss Davis.”

“No need to try to intimidate me, Lupo. You could just ask what I am. No need to probe.”

Lennox cuffed Lupo over the head. “Behave.”

“Now, you didn’t expect to bring this enigma into my place and not intrigue me to find out what she is.” Lupo smiled, dimples winking on either side of his mouth.

His pale porcelain skin had a slight blush. It was a sign that he was up to mischief. He wiggled his burgundy eyebrows and there was a twinkle in his matching eyes.

“If you can’t, you’re losing your touch,” Lennox stated.

“Now, boy, that is an insult to your trainer.”

“As if you would be so easily insulted. That’s enough chatting. Tell me what you have.”

“Lennox is always working and so serious. I hope you’ll loosen him up some, young lady.”

“Call me Harmony. And I’ll go over there, since you want privacy to talk.”

Lupo’s eyes narrowed then went wide. “A seer and an empath.”

“As are you. We must chat sometime about why you chose exile instead of becoming king.” Harmony slid off the stool.

Lennox didn’t want to let her leave his side. Harmony touched his arm.

“I can take care of myself. Get the info from your friend here.”

“You are mistaken, Harmony. Lennox doesn’t see me as a friend. I’m the Shadower who left.” There was a tinge of bitterness in Lupo’s tone.

Surprised, she met his gaze. Lupo’s face was impassive. “For, I’m sure, justified reasons. I’ll grab a booth.”

“Here, take this.” Lupo handed her a juice.

Harmony took it. Lennox watched as she made her way to the booth and sat. Assured she was okay for now, Lennox returned his attention to Lupo. “What is this all about?”

“Everyone wondered why I didn’t take over as king when I beat Blagden. Long ago, I foresaw a need for me to be here, in this place and time. I didn’t know the reason why, but went with it. Now, the cosmos are aligned, and things are coming to pass.”

“Wait. You knew Blagden would turn? That he would taint Shadow World? Yet did nothing?”

“Choices. Everyone has choices. You know, as a seer, I could not predict what his choice would mean. If he went on the correct path, I would just be happy here with my pub. But his choice led him to A’rm Ageddon. I though he was free of her when he helped imprison her. Yet here we stand, with him trying to free her, all in the name of supposed love. Blah. That isn’t love—it is obsession.”

Lennox snatched the words out of the air, eradicating them and shielding their conversation. “How do you know about them?”

“I was his best friend. There when he turned away Fyodor’s mother for his true bond shadow. Even forsaking his newly born son for her. I was there when he made the choice to contain A’rm Ageddon, when she turned. Picked him up when it devastated him.”

“After all that, he still tried to push you to do as you didn’t want. You beat him, and then came here,” Lennox said in disbelief.

“Relationships are complicated. Take A’rm Ageddon and Eve, they are two opposites in the spectrum of personalities and what they were set to do. If you asked anyone back then, they would have said Eve would be the one who heralded the end of the world. She was wild, untamed and so seductive.”

There was an inflection in Lupo’s tone, which made Lennox study him closely. “You wanted her.”

“Many did. But at that time, she was destined for Adam, to fulfil part of her multi-fold destiny. Eve met Adam, and he stabilised her. A’rm Ageddon met Blagden, and she corrupted him. It was a dark day when we all worked to contain her. One I hoped we would not have to revisit.” Lupo was grim.

“What have you seen?”

“Nothing. That’s what is most disconcerting. Nothing is being revealed to me, yet I know things are spiralling. There is something I’m missing.”

“If you have seen nothing, then why did you send for me?”

“Blagden has come to me.”

“He was here? Why did you not hold him?” Lennox demanded, slamming his hand on the bar top.

“Watch it, Lennox. I will not take kindly to your aggression in this matter. There are things at work beyond either of us.”

Lennox took a breath, then released it. “You’re right. Continue.”

“Blagden has selective memory. He has chosen to forget all that happened between us. He came to recruit me to join him in this quest to get A’rm Ageddon free.”

Lennox knew if Lupo joined Blagden, the repercussions would be far-reaching. They would not stand a chance against the two of them together. He’d have to stop Lupo.

“I can tell your mind is racing with ways to eliminate me, Lennox. I would never fight with you. And you should know if I had planned to join Blagden I would never have called you here.”

“It could be a ruse,” he countered.

“You were always a suspicious and stubborn cuss. Just like your mama.” Lupo sighed, rubbing his fingers along the bridge of his nose.

Lennox stilled. “How do you know my mother? Do you know who my dad is?”

“I do.”