Mary Wine (17 page)

Nothing was right in the world, except for this. Roshelle pushed her body into contact with his, seeking the heat that would ignite her own. Everything she counted on was slipping from her fingers but she wasn’t alone. Jared moved into her soul as their bodies meshed together in mutual longing.

Tomorrow she would continue her battle, tonight Jared was hers.

* * * * *

God, she just smelled sexy.

Pushing his fingers through her hair, Jared slowly began to wake his companion. Roshelle was draped across his body and he wanted her again. Jared grinned, Roshelle had labeled him a Neanderthal and he intended to live up to her expectations. She could sleep tomorrow.

Rolling her over, his mouth pulled a small nipple into a peak. Her head moved as her lips expressed her pleasure. She had the most sensitive breasts. Moving to the other soft mound Jared gave it the same attention.

“You’re an animal.”

“Just the way you like it.”

She should have blushed. Instead Roshelle raised her hips as Jared slid into her. She scratched at his skin and he quickened his pace. Yes, he was an animal. Primal and hard, beneath him her body craved more of that primitive edge.

Roshelle settled her head on his chest once again as Jared sought to recover from their passion. Her hands slowly traced circles among the hairs there, as her eyes grew heavy.

Jared enjoyed the peace she felt as she drifted back into sleep. Roshelle was completely at ease in his embrace. Her lax body told him that but her mind did as well. The unguarded reception was almost humbling. Jared reached further into that emotion as he sought to fill his own mind with it.

His hand twisted her hair, causing her to jerk with pain. Jared swiftly released her hair before Roshelle woke. Diving back into her mind, he sought out the disturbance. Something was there. Very faint but a definite image formed as he pressed forward. He could feel that second entity. Feel the heartbeat that drove its lifeforce. It slept as blissfully content as Roshelle did.

Safe in its mother’s womb.

A baby.
His son
. Roshelle was pregnant. Jared didn’t need a blood test to prove it to him. He could feel the tiny life as it grew inside her. Rolling over, he propped his body on an elbow next to her sleeping form as his hand covered her abdomen.

Her tummy was flatter than before he left. Jared frowned as his hand picked up the small pulse of life beneath her flesh. Roshelle had dropped weight that her body needed to support their child.

Maybe she’d been sick. His frown deepened. Jared knew next to nothing about pregnancy. But rapid weight loss wasn’t healthy under normal conditions.

Did she know? Suspicion crept forward as Jared recalled how determined she’d been to find a way out of his life tonight. Could she really believe she could keep his child a secret? His mind sought out that question as his hand smoothed over his son’s resting place. Not even a hint of resistance met his probe.

Curving his body into place beside her, Jared pulled the blankets about them. Roshelle didn’t know yet. With the uncertainty of the last few weeks it was understandable. Jared doubted she had noted the absence of her menstrual cycle.

Well, they weren’t a normal couple so maybe it wasn’t so odd that the father would be informing the mother that they were having a child.

A wide grin plastered itself across his face. Roshelle would be staying right here. And that pleased the hell out of him.

* * * * *

“Just why do I know that girl’s face?”

Grace wasn’t startled by Jacobs’ appearance. The man moved silently, but she was expecting him. Moving her head about, she took in her partner as he leaned into a tree while he waited for her reply.

“She favors her father in so many ways.”

“And would that man be anyone I might know?”

Jason Jacobs was fishing for confirmation. Grace tilted her head and sighed. In a way it was sad but she just couldn’t shake the idea that Roshelle was a perfect match for her son. “Devon Ross is her father.” And her fellow operative wasn’t going to be very pleased to find his daughter anywhere near an Army unit. But it looked like fate held other ideas.

“Devon was never as strong as you.”

“No, but he held the advantage of more than one ability. Roshelle seems to have inherited a great deal of that empathic sense. But I can still wish that my son had not brought her abilities to light.”

The note of pity in Grace’s voice caused Jacobs to hesitate. Grace had never resented her psychic abilities as far as he knew.

“I knew about the child’s existence.”

“You what?”

Grace slowly smiled. Jacobs really hated it when he didn’t know the very last detail of her life.

“Devon told me that Heather was pregnant. I’m grateful I never had to make a similar choice. Besides, she grew up right under my nose.”

“What kind of choice, Grace?”

Moving her eyes over him, Grace noted the sharpness Jacobs still held even in middle life. Their children were grown, and they still went into combat. It was a harsh life, but one this man had been born for. She was caught in it. Far too effective in her tracking abilities, the Army wasn’t open to any other suggestion.

“Males are more suited to this life. Devon knew that. Bringing a son into this can be accepted. A daughter is another story. A parent could hope that a daughter might not need to live her life under such conditions. Besides, your memory is as good as mine. Female operatives weren’t fairing so well back then. Heather did even worse.”

Grace shared a moment of recollection with her partner. There had been a time when life hadn’t been very important to her. Brice Campbell had shoved his face into her way and refused to budge.

But her husband was a warrior, too. He mixed with the harsh edge of reality that her life balanced on. His love made it worth surviving but Heather hadn’t been able to leave her civilian world behind. The military bluntness imprisoned the girl until she struggled against Devon as panic drove her beyond any understanding of the man’s love.

Evading his protection had set her up as a target. In the end, she’d fled into the arms of her murderers. But she’d hidden her daughter almost completely. Psychic abilities didn’t awaken ‘til the child grew out of their tender years. Devon hadn’t found his offspring until it was too late to tear her away from her adoptive family without thrusting the girl into the same desolation that had cut into Grace so many years in the past. When you tasted a life without death stalking you, a civilian woman often didn’t transplant very well.

“So, she hid her here?”

Grace nodded her head. Unknowingly Jared had found a very old secret. But fate had a way of ensuring that soul mates found each other. Roshelle was the most perfect mate for her son.

“Heather had no way of knowing that I lived right up the hill. If Devon had told me about her escape, I would have found her before she ended up dead.”

Grace hissed with frustration that time had not erased. Heather had not been able to stand the sight of her. To the civilian woman’s eyes, Grace had represented a military-created monster, her gender distorted beyond nature’s intentions. “The least I could do was let the woman have her last wish that her daughter not end up like me.”

Jacobs snorted and Grace smiled at his male opinion.

“Every mother has the right to wish for a good life for her children. It wasn’t my place to interfere, Jacobs. I had my own sons to practice my desires on. Somehow, I doubt you’d have taken kindly to someone telling you how to raise your own kids.”

“All right, I guess that makes sense.”

Jacobs never caved in with much grace. Casting her eyes over her partner, Grace let her smile widen. Jacobs frowned as he watched the expression.

“I haven’t seen Devon in some time. His visit should be interesting.”

“You contacted him?”

Grace jumped from her perch and hit the forest floor with practiced feet.

“No I haven’t, but you will.”

“I’ll do what?”

Grace half turned to look at the giant in the dark. “You will do what you’d expect him to do, if he found your daughter running for her life.”

Jacobs curse hit the night as Grace walked back towards her home. A small laugh rose out of her chest as she considered her son coming face to face with Roshelle’s father.

* * * * *

“Roshelle?”

“Go away.”

Her opinion stated, Jared watched as Roshelle pulled her head completely beneath the bedding until not even a single strand of her copper-brown hair remained in sight.

“Come out, it’s getting late.”

Pushing her head back out, she squinted at the bedside clock. Five thirty-eight was late? Maybe in the Army it was.

“I’m a civilian.”

Her head disappeared again as Jared stifled a laugh. She looked like a turtle at the moment. Reaching for the bedding she hid under, Jared hooked his hands into the middle of it and tore it away.

“All right!” Forcing her body to sit up, Roshelle glared at her tormentor. There must be a law against morning people! Jared stood completely clothed as he surveyed her rumpled appearance. The man kept her up most of the night yet only the slightest of darkened circles marked his eyes.

“Good morning.”

“It’s morning. Unless there’s coffee in my hand, it’s not good.”

“You need some breakfast.”

Pulling her clothes on, Roshelle considered Jared’s idea. Her jeans slipped off her hips, causing her to reach for a belt to take up the extra fabric.

“I’m not really that hungry.”

“Well, you should be.”

Roshelle simply shrugged her shoulders in response. So she had dropped a few pounds. It was no big deal. Most likely it was due to the lack of junk food in her diet. What she wouldn’t do for real ice cream!

“Come on. Shane claims your friend is driving him to drink.”

A giggle escaped her lips as Roshelle allowed herself to be pulled from Jared’s house. Christina could have that effect on men. But it was oh so much fun to watch! Her eyes took in the hand clasped about her own in shock. Jared was firmly holding her hand as he led her up to his partner’s home. The simple gesture baffled her. Having Jared publicly expressing affection was slightly unnerving.

But the warmth that spread through her body almost brought her to tears.

Boy, she must be more tired than she first thought. So the man was holding her hand. It was no reason to dissolve into mush. Confusion passed across her face a moment later as Jared held the front door open for her.

What was this? Civilized manners?

“Where is Jared and who are you?”

“Can’t a man be happy?”

“If we are talking about you, I reserve the right to question it.”

“I enjoy our debates.”

Passing by him, Roshelle stared at the grin sitting on his lips. His green eyes sparked in the morning sunlight as the pure lightness of his mood hit her. Jared was…happy. That emotion had never crossed her mind in connection with this man. Roshelle found an answering smile crossing her lips. The world did seem just a bit brighter today.

The kitchen smelled normal for a change. Christina placed a breakfast of scrambled eggs in front of Roshelle. It was the only dish she claimed any talent at producing.

Her eyes wandered over to Christina as the woman moved about the kitchen. Her movements were sharp as she closed cabinets with barely controlled anger. Christina never looked her way, but the blonde-haired woman was sending scathing looks at Jared. Turning her head about, Roshelle investigated just what Jared could be doing to ruffle Christina’s feathers so very much.

Propped against the far countertop, Jared stood with his arms crossed across his chest as he sent Christina a grin. It was really more of a smirk with a great deal of pride tossed in for some unknown reason.

Moving her eyes again, Roshelle took in the last occupant of the room. Shane sat inspecting her from half-closed eyes as he lifted a coffee mug to his lips.

Confusion hit her in a thick wave. Just what had she missed? Her curiosity was going to have to wait, because the kitchen was stifling hot this morning. Nausea was even rising up due to the amount of heat in the room. Not wanting to complain, Roshelle pushed to her feet to find some fresh air before her stomach worked its way into any more knots.

Christina could have killed the man! The change in her friend was easy to see. Christina knew that look that early pregnancy gave to a woman, half her friends looked just like that as they frantically planned their weddings. She took a moment to glare at Jared before stepping forward to follow her friend. Her feet took just two steps before Shane hooked one huge arm about her waist, scooping her into his lap.

“Let me go!”

Locking one arm about his squirming bundle, Shane turned his eyes to inspecting her. A blush stained her cheeks as she tried yet again to push their bodies apart. He had to resist the urge to grin.

“I think we should leave those two alone.”

Snapping her head about, Christina noticed that Jared was no longer in the kitchen.

“Fine! Now… Let… Me… Up!”

The second he released her, Christina scrambled across the room. She had forgotten just how big he was. Safely beyond his reach, she contemplated the distance to the door. Shane slowly grinned in response. Giving him one more fuming glare, Christina turned back to the sink in defeat. She hoped Shelly would have better luck than she was today.