Dangerous Lovers (166 page)

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she felt her cheeks burn as she immediately turned an undiscovered shade of red. Jurek chuckled and gave her a look that said, “You asked.”

“Okay,” she squeaked, “I wouldn’t say I’m flattered...embarrassed is more like it, among other things. Well, maybe flattered. Shocked, hell, I don’t know what I am. I think we need to change the topic here. Besides, I’ve finally warmed up. I think you’ve just split a few thousand atoms in me.”

“Here,” he asked as he felt her forehead, “or here?” as he slipped his hand between her legs.

“Get out of there. You’re not playing fair!” she said as she slapped at his hand.

“I never said I played fair Liasare and you’d best get used to it,” he breathed as he ran his tongue down her neck. Before she could react, he moved out of the bed and extended a hand to her.

“It’s time to resume your training.”

“Wait! What about the rest of the prophecy and all?”

“You’ve heard and seen enough for today. We’ll talk more about it tomorrow. Now change.”

“Turn around.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve seen me naked way more than you deserve. And so have your men, especially Tak. Not anymore. There’s a new sheriff in town and she says, ‘no more nudity.’”

“
Liasare
,” his voice picked up that hypnotic quality and sounded like water gently tripping over stones, “I’m the sheriff here and I
always
get my way. Change your clothes now and take your time so I can enjoy the view.”

Without another thought or any hesitation, she slipped out of her shorts and cami that she had slept in and stood before him in all her naked glory. He never took his eyes off of her, nor did he blink. He held her clothes in his hands and handed her each item individually, devouring her with his eyes as she donned them. When she was done, he pulled her to him and bent his head into her neck, inhaling her fragrance.

“Are you ready?” he asked, reaching for her hand.

“In more ways than one,” she answered. He was going to cause a meltdown in her one day, of that she was sure.

Chapter Thirteen

“Do we
have
to listen to this stuff?” Liasare complained. “I hate Trent Reznor.”

“What would you prefer, Mozart, or maybe Justin Beiber?” he mocked.

“You’re kidding, right? He was popular like, what? Fifteen years ago. I was an adolescent. And I never even liked him back then. So what...was he
your
favorite?” she smirked.

“I think you know the answer to that,” Jurek retorted as he reached for a few weapons hanging on the wall. “I want
fighting
music Liasare, not
cheerleading
music. Got it? It’s Nine Inch Nails for today. Get used to it.”

Liasare gave him an obscene gesture behind his back as he pulled some other things off the wall.

“I saw that and you’ll pay for that later.”

Did the man have eyes in the back of his head? What the hell!

He spun around and was on top of her before her mind could register his movements.

“I can hear, see and feel things before you can even begin to
understand
them Liasare. It would be wise of you to remember that,” he said as he released her.

“You’re really creepy sometimes.”

“You have...”

“No idea,” she mimicked him.

He cocked his head and stared at her and then broke into a hearty laugh. When he could speak again, he began to teach her the art of fencing.

“I still don’t understand how this will help me. Those creatures were super fast...fast like you.”

“Nothing, Liasare, is as fast as I am.”

“Oh, get over yourself already Mr. High and Mighty. The point is, I’ll never be able to out-fence one of these things. I saw how fast they move. I don’t see how these moves will help me.” They had come to a halt in their movements.

“You will have the added protection of your weapons.”

“What if they can’t be killed though? What good will these do?” she asked in total frustration as she raised her epee in the air.

Jurek slammed her into the wall, his body trapping her tightly against it, and he breathed, “Listen to me and don’t be a bloody fool. I’m teaching you this for a reason. The weapons you will be given are made of silver and have been forged using Prasetani energy. They are deadly to any creature. If you so much as wound them, it will buy you precious time, but a stab directly in the heart will kill anything. Decapitation is also highly effective. I am trying to teach you how to use these. Yes, the creatures are faster, but if you wound them enough to slow them down, Liasare, you can then kill them. Do you understand?”

“Why didn’t you just say so in the first place?”

“Because you won’t listen long enough to learn anything, dammit. You’re so bloody stubborn and negative about everything. And you think you know it all. You’ve only learned about these damn creatures a few hours ago and yet you’ve already convinced yourself there’s no hope and there’s no way you can beat them. You won’t fucking listen to me!” He was staring at her as his chest rose and fell with his rapid breathing.

“That was a little harsh, don’t you think?”

“If I had thought that, I wouldn’t have said it. Now light on your feet and lunge. Use your blade when you feint. You can’t injure me. I will heal immediately. If you wound me significantly, I will alter forms. Now
come on
Liasare. Give me everything you’ve got!”

They kept at it for hours. When Liasare felt like she was about to drop from exhaustion, Jurek would infuse her with his energy, and they would get right back to it. Hours later, he finally let her stop. He flashed them back to her room and ordered them food from the transmuter. He tried to explain how to use it, but she was so tired and hungry, she told him to go to hell.

“Can you just please put your hand on my forehead and give me some of your super mojo? I can’t even think right now.”

He touched her head and that wonderful warmth seeped into her, filling her with exactly what she needed.

“Better?”

“Yeah,” she said as she tore into her dinner. She ate everything she could get her hands on and then some, as Jurek leaned back in his chair and watched her.

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Don’t remember,” she answered between bites.

He let out his breath, saying, “You have to keep better track of that Liasare. You can’t go without food. No wonder you were about to drop.”

She looked up at him as she wiped her mouth with her napkin and raised her brow. “Tell me you’re kidding me? You don’t think the way you repeatedly kicked my ass for hours on end had anything to do with it? Unbelievable. Why are men such morons? I’m taking a shower,” she announced as she headed to the bathroom.

Jurek scratched his head as his eyes followed her. She was complicated to say the least.

***

Jurek, Tak, Marik, Ludo and Naroo sat around the conference table discussing their strategies for returning to Earth and trying to reestablish a new headquarters. Tak was insistent on using Liasare to lure in the Xanthians so they could uncover information that could lead them to the missing humans.

Jurek’s hostility toward this suggestion became more evident when his eyes turned into orbs of onyx and his lips hardened into a thin line. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Tak and refused to speak about it. Tak’s exasperation pushed him beyond his normal limits and he threw his hands up in the air.

“She’s a fucking liability Jurek! You’re just too damn blind to see it,” Tak said with frustration. “You won’t even consider letting her be used as bait for a trap. You’re not thinking clearly around her. You know you can’t get involved with her. It’s dangerous to us and to her. If you want to fuck her, then fuck her and get it over with. But do it now and send her back. She’s clouding your judgment.”

The room exploded in violent waves as Jurek rose to his feet. The conference table disintegrated, as did the chair he’d been sitting on.

He seethed with violence as he spoke. “I’ve
never
played this trump card in all our years together, but I’m throwing it down now. You forget yourself Tak. One, you are in my employ at LSE. I am the sole owner of that business as well as Lare-Stell. You can leave any time you like and I can ask you to leave any time I like. Two, I am your Ruler, your Leader. I can order you to
shut your fucking mouth
whenever and wherever I choose. I will fuck whomever and whenever I choose and you can keep your opinions of Liasare and me to yourself. I make the decisions where she is concerned. Have I made myself clear?”

Tak gave Jurek a single nod but his eyes frosted over, conveying his anger.

“I am charging you with finding a new headquarters for us on Earth. Are you up to the task, or do I need to assign it to another?” Jurek said tightly.

“I will do it.”

“Take Marik, secure the location and outfit it. I want it move-in ready ASAP ... as in yesterday.” Jurek flashed out of the room, leaving the remaining occupants staring at each other.

***

The day had started out badly. Liasare entered the training facility and Jurek barely said a word to her. She tried some light banter, but was only answered with a few grunts here and there. Eventually, she gave up and they trained in silence, except for his remarks about her inadequacies. The tension between them was ridiculous, but she tried to figure out what had put him in such a foul mood. He kept rattling off one instruction after another, like he expected her mind to work like some kind of a Compsys.

“That was sloppy Davidson. Lunge. Again. When I come at you, immediately parry. Then don’t wait for your remise. We are not following the good rules of fencing here. There are no disqualifications. You are fighting for your life and don’t forget it,” Jurek ordered.

She shook her head in frustration because she didn’t even know what the good rules of fencing were. “Stop! All these instructions are making me crazy. Your expectations are way over the top. I don’t have any superpowers. I’m not fast or strong. I’m just a damn stupid human.” Liasare yanked off her mask and protective gear, slung them on the floor and stomped out of the room. She turned left and marched down the corridor, fuming. Five minutes later, after making her way through the winding passageways, she realized she was ridiculously lost. She pictured Jurek having a good laugh at her expense. That notched her anger up even higher.

She heard a popping sound and felt that charge of energy. “Don’t you dare say a word. Not a word Jurek. So help me I’ll smack the crap out of you if you do.” She fisted her hands feeling the urge to punch him.

His ridiculously sexy hands came into view from behind and wrapped around her waist pulling her against him.

Who the hell has sexy hands? What is it with him?

He took one arm and placed his hand on her forehead, immediately defusing her anger and replacing it with a sense of calm. “Better?”

She sighed and nodded.

“I’m glad you think my hands are sexy, but they’re not nearly as sexy as yours,” he purred in her ear. “Someday, I want to feel them all over my body Liasare.” She melted into him.

“Holy fuck! It’s so not fair that you have this effect on me,” frustration rolling off of her.

“Please don’t use such nasty language. Your beautiful mouth wasn’t meant for such ugly words.”

“Why...”

“Stop asking me questions you know I won’t answer and start trusting me. I’m trying to teach you the art of defense. You must understand that when we go back to Earth we go back to fight. As part of our team, you will be in great danger. The Xanthians also have your DNA now and can easily trace you. You are high risk and a target so you must know how to defend yourself. I can sense when you’re in danger, but I’m not willing to take any chances where your life is concerned.”

***

After several weeks of training, even with Jurek’s healing powers, every muscle in her body screamed when she rolled out of bed each morning. She shuddered when she thought how she would have felt without Jurek’s magic mojo. Liasare stretched and hit the transmuter up for some breakfast. One thing about all this training ... it made her eat like a horse. She guzzled down a large glass of OJ, ate two pieces of buttered toast, hash browns, three scrambled eggs and four slices of perfectly cooked bacon.

Swallowing that last bit of crispy bacon, she slipped into her workout clothes, which were form fitting shorts and a sleeveless shirt that emphasized every bump and curve on her body, and headed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Knowing Jurek derived great pleasure in her workout wardrobe, if she had the means, she wished she could show up in the indecent outfit Tak had given her that day. Liasare also wished she could get rid of some of her bumps and curves, but whatever.