Parallel Desire (12 page)

Jake laughed low in the back of his throat, a dark, cold sound. "That shouldn't be hard."

"It will be dangerous," Jared cautioned, meeting Jake's thousand-yard stare. "You scent like an Antousian hybrid—"

"Which I am."

Jared barreled ahead. "And you're older than the real Jake Tierny is.… They could kill you without so much as blinking an eye. It's a significant risk."

Jake kicked back from the table, nearly toppling his chair. "I'm all over it."

"Well, I'm not certain I'm so eager," was all Jared had to say.

The two friends stared at each other for a long moment, and slowly Jake slid back into his chair. "Tell me everything you know."

Chris Harper cleared his throat. "These raves move all across the Southwest. Sometimes in Phoenix, other times in Albuquerque or Dallas. This one they're bringing much closer to their center of operations. We want to know why. It tells us something big is in the works or they wouldn't be changing the geography."

"I've been over that folder of yours," Jake told Harper. "Haven't really learned shit about what he's up to. Except electronics, he's big-time into technology."

"That makes sense, with what you took off of him," Shelby interjected. And just like that, the attention of every soldier in the room swiveled toward her.

And Jake was giving her the serious evil eye.
Uh-oh
. So he hadn't wanted that little bit of information about the Antousian chip to leak just yet.

"What's she talking about?" Harper asked. Jake rolled his eyes, digging into his jacket pocket, flinging his wallet onto the table. It skidded across the smooth surface, bouncing like a penny over open water, sliding to a halt right in front of Chris.

"Look inside," Jake instructed. "You should find this … enlightening. All of you will."

"I
'll be damned," was all
Chris could think to say. The alien squad had been thoroughly briefed by Jared and his lieutenants; they knew all about the neural implant chips that had started the war between the Antousians and Refarians. And for the past few months his crew had gotten a pretty good idea that the chips were being leaked here on Earth. An intercepted shipment down around Denver had revealed that much. But this? If Tierny had taken it off his nemesis—in the future? Well, this just might be the mother lode of all leads.

"The question I haven't been able to answer," Jake said, "not since taking this off of Tierny the night of the … uh, when he …" Jake coughed, struggling. "I've never figured out why a
human
was partnered up with the Antousians. Or why he was on the battlefield that day."

Chris flinched. The last thing he wanted was to picture Hope's murder. She'd told him everything over the past months, about what happened to her in the future, all the dark, sordid facts. He was as hell-bent as the man before him to stop that murder from taking place a second time.

Chris leaned closer across the table, spreading both hands flat. "We don't know why, not yet. But I promise you one thing, Tierny," he said. "We're going to capture that bastard and figure out what his role is in all of this."

"I'm your man. I'm ready to roll whenever you give me the green light."

"But as your commander says, it's a risk." Chris felt obligated—if for no other reason than because of Hope—to underscore that fact. But Tierny was a tough bastard, he'd hand him that.

"Hope told you the whole story?" he asked, kicking back in his chair like he might at a backyard barbeque. "You know what happened to her … and our baby?"

It was as if all the other advisers and lieutenants faded into the background. There was only the two of them, Tierny practically burrowing a hole in Chris with his brilliant, glowing eyes. "I know what happened," Chris answered flatly. "But it won't happen again. You can be damned sure of that much."

"Good. We're in agreement, then." Jake released his visual hold on him. "You just tell me where I need to go, and I'll do whatever it takes to stop my enemy."

Chris nodded, but an eerie shiver shot down his spine, as if he'd had this same conversation before, only he couldn't quite remember when. The sensation was so vivid, so totally intense, that he lost his train of thought for a few seconds.

Commander Bennett stepped in. "The warehouse party is in a week," he explained. "We've got a lot of prep work to do before then."

"I need to debrief you, Tierny," Chris said, sliding a folder marked
classified
across the table toward the other man. New information, more than he'd sent with Shelby Tyler in an effort to lure the alien back to base.

Jake nodded. "I'm all ears."

"And you need to debrief
me,
while we're at it," Chris added. "I want to know everything you've got on this man."

Jake retrieved the folder, flipping it open. For several moments he rifled through the papers, his eyes scanning the pages at hyperspeed.

Strange to think this was a future version of his sister's husband, Scott Dillon. He and Dillon had spent the past four months partnered up, gotten to know each other pretty damn well. It was hard to take the jaded, sad guy in front of him and reconcile him with Dillon … to square them as two versions of the same man.

Hell, it was even spookier to realize that Tierny had scores of memories of being married to his sister—and of her murder. No wonder the soldier's eyes had that haunted, distant look in them, an expression Chris had seen before over at Warren on the faces of returning vets. Guys who'd experienced far too much of the War on Terror, that up-close kind of experience that left something hollow and dead in their souls.

"One week," Tierny murmured, his eyes riveted on the open folder. "We've got a lot of work to do, Harper. A whole lotta prep, but I'm ready."

"Good," Jared interjected. "Because we're all counting on you, Jakob. And I know you won't let us down."

"T
hat must've been pretty
strange."

Jake looked up from the open folder, surprised to find Shelby standing right beside his chair. As soon as the meeting had adjourned, he'd immediately gotten lost in the documents on Tierny and the Antousians, shocked to learn just how many humans had vanished in the past few months, all taken from the big warehouse parties Jared had described.

"What must have been strange?" He stared up into her beautiful blue eyes, startled by how clear they seemed beneath the meeting room lights. She brushed at a loose strand of blonde hair, tucking it behind her ear with a sexy little gesture that hit him like a blast from a rocket launcher. Gods, the woman was as hot as hell, and after making love to her the night before, it took only the slightest movement of her tight, compact body to turn him on.
And what I wouldn't do to have that body right beneath mine,
he thought, with a glance at the long conference table.
Right here, right now.

Instantly, thoughts of his enemies fled his mind, replaced by a quick rush of lust so jolting, it was all he could do not to draw her right down onto his lap.

"Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Were you listening to me?"

He flushed. "Got a little distracted, sorry." He shifted uneasily in his chair, hoping she wouldn't glance down and see the serious tent that had just pitched inside his jeans.

She sidled up onto the table, facing him. "I was just saying it must be weird to be around Chris after … everything."

Bringing up his painful past hadn't exactly been on his mind. "Yeah," he agreed after a moment, "it hurts to be around him after so long."

"Was he still in your life? Right before you came back through time?"

He shook his head, swallowing hard.

"Was he dead, then?" she persisted, swinging her legs back and forth.

He planted one palm on the table beside her. "It's better not to talk about this stuff, Shelby. When Kelsey sent me back in time, she specifically instructed me to keep details of that other timeline under wraps."

"But you're here to stay now, and you have told all of us a whole lot of facts."

She kept swinging those shapely legs of hers back and forth, back and forth, and his fingers burned to reach out and stroke them. "It's bad territory for me, that's all."

Slipping one hand onto her knee, she bent closer toward him. "I'm good at listening. It's the ole bedside manner, always ready to kick in."

Another little swing of her leg, that miniskirt riding high about her thighs. Damn it all! His hand shot out, catching hold of the calf closest to him. He held his breath, slowly inching his fingers along the warm, smooth skin. With a glance toward the door, he was thrilled to confirm that it was shut. No one would barge in: They knew that he was studying the confidential file and would give him privacy to work. Shelby bent toward him, watching as he skimmed his fingertips higher up her leg, then higher still, until he was brushing his calloused hands up beneath the hem of that skirt.

"Talking isn't what I have in mind right now." He growled low in his throat, tugging her closer to him. Scooting his chair back, he made room for her, sliding her right in front of him on the table. She sat facing him, her parted thighs an open mystery to him. He could see dark blonde tufts of curling hair where her absent panties should have been. Unable to help himself, he released another throaty growl, rising up slightly in his seat.

"You like it dangerous," she murmured, reaching to touch his hair. Her fingertips lingered there; then, she slowly stroked his cheek. "I've definitely got your number, boy, and you're an exhibitionist."

He pressed a soft kiss against her inner thigh. "I think that would be you, baby."

"Okay, maybe both of us," she admitted on a delicate little sigh, the muscles in her legs contracting.

"Nobody's watching. It's just you and me."

"And the whole lodge just outside that door." She gestured behind her.

"So lock it."

"Maybe I'm a little dangerous, too. Ever think of that one, Tierny?" She lowered her lashes coquettishly, parting her thighs a little wider. "If Commander Bennett walks in on us …" Her words trailed off, and she planted both hands on his shoulders, leaning into him. "Well, I guess he could kick me off base or could demote you. Wait! You're not a ranking officer. Forgot. So what's to worry about?"

Jake muttered a curse, then hiked her skirt up to her waist. "All right, sweet thing, if you want danger, you've got it." He bent his head low and forward, planting fiery kisses along her inner thighs, dragging his lips upward until he buried himself in those sweet folds of flesh. Oh gods, she tasted like nectar, and she was already so wet for him. Just gleaming and damp and perfect.

She dug one hand into his hair, scraping her fingers back and forth across his scalp. Her other hand tore into his shoulder, and he could feel her arch. She made soft moaning cries—quiet, but certainly intense—and he plunged his tongue within her, spreading her wider with his hand.

"Deeper," she murmured. "Please, Jake … deeper." She began to rock her hips, thrusting them, teasing him harder.

A desperate moan escaped his lips, and a dim part of him hoped they wouldn't get barged in on; still, he couldn't keep quiet. His erection lengthened a little more, tightening to the point of painfullness. Almost as if she knew it, Shelby worked her little ass closer to the edge of the table, until she was as close to his own body as she could get. Then, with another delicate cry of pleasure, she slowly leaned back onto the table, opening herself wider to him that way.

He buried his face deeper, thrust his tongue faster and swirled it all about her mound, licking at every drop that she released for him. Just for him.

She began trembling, her thighs tightened about his head, and then quake after quake shot through her core. Arching on the table, she moaned—loudly—and Jake had to have more.

Fumbling with his fly, he rose to his feet, shoved his pants down about his legs, and mounted her right there on the table.

Shelby knew she was in seriously deep trouble. She'd known it from the moment Jake had begun eyeing her legs; now, well, she was just too far gone to care. Any moment and one of the officers was going to discover them having rock-hard, blazing sex on the meeting room table. Jake's heavy weight settled atop her, the wooden table groaning in complaint.

"Better not break this thing," she said, wrapping her legs about his waist.

"I'm not going to break you, baby." He pushed his tip against her opening, sliding in easily.

"The table." It gave another creaking groan. "You're a big, big boy." She settled him inside of her deeper. "A really big boy. God, Jake, you're
huge."

He pulled back, giving her a lopsided grin. "Couldn't get this deep on the hood of that truck last night."

Adjusting his hips, he worked his way in farther, and it was all she could do not to melt beneath him. He was beautiful, from his haunted green eyes to his dusky olive skin; his body was exquisite, with its roping muscle and surging power. And he made her feel things that she hadn't in such a long time. Oh, for such a very long time.

Sliding both her hands along his lower back, she outlined that big, gorgeous body atop hers. "You're … stunning," she murmured in his ear.

He dipped his head low, nibbling at her collarbone. "Even if I am a
vlksai
," he teased, and she stilled beneath him. "What?" He stared down into her eyes. "I was just joking, sweetheart."

She gave her head a little shake, staring up at him in shock.

"Shelby." He brushed her hair out of her eyes. "It doesn't matter what we are.… This is beautiful. Trust me."

That was the terrifying part—she did trust him. And she had no doubt she'd let this man do anything with her that he ever wanted. He leaned up on his forearms, watching her, his intense eyes growing brighter. She turned her head to the side. "Don't go gazing me, now. That's not fair."

He bent down, kissing her chastely on the forehead. "I didn't even know I was doing it. I can't always control my gift. Just call me on it if I do that again."

She nodded, keeping her face turned away from him. Finally, he released a quiet sigh. "We better try this again later." He moved off of her and into a push-up, bending to kiss her softly on the lips one more time.

She slid her hand behind his head, stroking his nape. "I—I don't want this to be over."

Jake opened his mouth to speak just as the meeting room door opened. He bolted backward, practically falling off the table. "
Meshdki fliishki
!"

Chris Harper appeared in the doorway, eyes bugging out of his head. "Holy shit, Tierny."

"You ever hear of knocking?" Jake shouted, grabbing at his clothes.

Shelby yanked her skirt down as low as it would go. How was it that she and Jake always seemed hell-bent on landing in compromising positions?

"You ever hear of the
bedroom
?" Harper fired back at Jake, shaking his head. "Fuck, Tierny, let me know when you're done so we can get back to work."

The door slammed shut, rattling in its frame. Shelby slid off the table, her face burning red-hot, and adjusted her skirt. Jake stared after Harper, a dazed, stricken expression in his eyes. She had a pretty good idea that it was far more than being busted by Hope's brother. For it to have been Chris of all people had to have triggered an avalanche of guilt within Jake's heart.

He stared at the closed door, his chest heaving. Shelby's throat tightened; some part of Jake would always be in love with Hope, she realized, and that meant some part of him would always be elusive, unattainable. Remote.

"I better get down to the medical complex," she said smoothly. "I have some patients to check in on after being away for the past ten days."

Jake caught her by the arm, spinning her up against his chest. "We're not done, Shelby. Not even close to done." His light green eyes blazed against his swarthy skin, electrified with unspent need and emotion.

"You've got a meeting, and I've got patients." She kept her tone flat and fixed her gaze just past his shoulder.

"What is it about me that you're so afraid of? Is it really because I'm a hybrid? Does the Antousian blood pumping through my veins turn you off that much?"

"I know how you must have hated that. Chris seeing you with me. How disloyal it must have made you feel." She pressed her eyes shut, tears appearing from nowhere. Jake must have seen, because his entire demeanor changed, and he cradled her head against his chest.

"Shh, sweetheart. I don't care what Chris Harper thinks." He stroked her hair.

"I'm not afraid of your hybrid nature, either," she told him in a thick voice. "I—I just feel so overwhelmed by you. Everything about you."

"I'm not trying to push you," he told her, running one hand down her back.

She tried to speak, but no words would come, and at last she sighed against him, feeling his fingers stroke her hair. Her tears wouldn't stop, and all the while just one thought echoed in her mind:
Gentle.
Jake Tierny, Antousian hybrid, deadly soldier, giant of a man, was so unbelievably …
gentle
with her.

Surely she would be safe with someone capable of this kind of tenderness—even if he was a
vlksai.

Maybe that was true, but everything—all of what was happening between them—was just too much, too fast. She pushed apart from him, wiping at her eyes. "I really do have to go," she said in a numb voice, staggering slightly as she made for the door.

"I'll see you later, though?"

"I have patients to visit."

"You already said that."

"Because it's true." She hesitated, her hand flat against the heavy wooden door. "But … I want to see you, too."

"Yeah?" Jake asked softly, stepping close behind her. His large hand settled on her shoulder, a heavy and comforting weight.

"Sure." She steadied her hand, trying to stop it from trembling against the door. "So I'll just, uh, see you around." She slid out of his grasp and was gone before he could catch her.

"J
ust tell me that Erica
doesn't somehow know I'm ravishing her mother," Jared laughed, rolling onto his back and collapsing against the pillows. His body was covered in perspiration, his naturally dark face ruddy from their exertions.

"It puts her to sleep," Kelsey panted.

Jared's eyebrows lifted to his hairline. "You must be joking, love. How could anyone sleep through"—he slid an open palm over her breast, then down along her hip—"that. Sweet gods above, we'll be lucky if a battalion doesn't storm down our door after the noise we just made. They're probably afraid the compound is under attack."

Kelsey laughed, burrowing closer to Jared. "It's the rhythm of it. The back and forth is like we're rocking her."

Jared's eyes drifted halfway shut, and he flipped over onto his belly. "I know what she means.… I'm ready for a nap myself. You wore me out, sweet Kelse."

Kelsey began stroking her fingertips across his shoulders; he practically purred in response. He loved a good postcoital back scratching and always lapped it up, growling happily in reaction. So long as she avoided his scars; from the beginning, he'd always flinched or pulled away whenever she touched the rough striations on his back.