Licked by the Flame (8 page)

“Is that where the event triggered?” Dan asked, leaning over her shoulder to view the monitor. “What readings did we get off other RGSs in that vicinity?”

“I’m checking right now,” she replied.

Reports started scrolling down her screen. Each unit was listed by its locater, followed by the most current readings. Nothing out of the ordinary showed up.

“All of them are within normal parameters?” Sid asked, peering over her other shoulder. “How can that be?”

Additional members of the team had started to show up, filing into the computer lab and grumbling about the hour and the earsplitting alarm. There was no sign of Nic yet, but Lianne was glad to snag one of their techs.

“Here, you make sense of this,” she called to the bleary-eyed geek and gave over her seat at the computer to him.

He plopped into the chair and set his fingers to work over the keyboard. Basically he was redoing what she’d already done, calling up the map, retrieving specific data from the sensors in that general area. His results appeared identical to hers: all sensors except that one were giving out normal readings for the past six hours.

“Check the MT probes,” she directed.

The Remote Ground Sensors measured localized movement within the earth. Their Magnetotellurics probes could gauge the swell of hydrothermal fluids in the various fractures and faults within the ground itself. If something was going on inside this mountain that they needed to know about, it would show in the increased conductivity caused by a buildup of those superheated waters. If this event did signal a resurgence of activity in this nearly dead volcano, she wanted to know about it. Now.

“I’m not finding anything,” the tech announced.

She watched as he ran the same set of data twice. Nothing triggered. That damned alarm still screeched in the night, but the reports continued to give them nothing to look at. How could it be that every other sensor out there said nothing happened within miles of this damned mountain?

“It’s got to be another glitch,” Sid declared.

“Can you get the alarm to turn off?” Dan requested.

The tech nodded and brought up a new screen. “Yeah, I can override if we authorize it.”

“Do it,” Sid ordered.

“What if it isn’t just another glitch?” Lianne asked.

“It is.”

She knew the voice and turned to see Nic stroll through the doorway. He seemed perfectly composed and as annoyingly confident as ever. He leered over the tech’s shoulder and gave the information on the screen a dismissive nod.

“This data is clearly just a sensor malfunction,” he announced. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

She glared at him. Earlier today he was acting like her reams of flawed data represented a major catastrophe waiting to happen. A few minutes ago he was diving back into his pants telling her there was an earthquake going on. Now, however, he waltzed in and claimed it was all nothing? She didn’t believe him. What sort of game was this damn frustrating Russian playing at?

“You are completely sure of this, are you?” she asked him.

“Of course. I never say things I am not sure of.”

“Good. Then we can all go back to our beds,” Sid announced, barely stifling a yawn.

“But what if there
is
something going on out there?” Lianne persisted.

Nic just gave a dismissive shrug. “There is nothing.”

Damn him, he knew she wouldn’t call him on his inconsistency. She couldn’t very well claim that he’d said the exact opposite when the alarm went off while they were alone in her room getting sweaty. He was hiding something right now, though; she could tell. The man had some kind of game going on, and she wasn’t going to let him play it through. There
was
something strange happening and she wouldn’t let him sidetrack her again.

“We’ve had faulty readings before,” she reminded them all. “But nothing like this—nothing so extreme, and I’ve seen no reports of alarms. What if this is another one of those spikes you’ve been so worried about, Mr. Vladik? Can we be certain we don’t have a superheated pocket building up pressure down there?”

Nic paused only a moment before giving a too-smooth reply. “You’re right. There could be something building up down there.”

Hopefully no one else noticed the superheated smirk he gave her. Luckily, they all seemed to be too busy staring at the readings and cringing from the alarm.

“You’re saying you believe the validity of his over-reactive worries?” Sid grumbled.

“I’m saying this could be something we need to look into,” Lianne said.

“Or it could be a glitch,” Nic added with way too much conviction.

Why was he suddenly so determined to contradict himself? Every instinct she had told her Nic was hiding something, and she didn’t like it.

“We can’t simply assume that!” she fumed.

“Well, how do we know when we can’t get corresponding data?” Dan asked.

“I will go out to look at the equipment on-site,” Nic offered.

That wasn’t what she expected him to say. “You’ll do what? But it’s the middle of the night.”

“And everyone can either trust my word that this is nothing more than a glitch, or you all can send someone out to take a look at the sensor. I am volunteering for that.”

“But it’s halfway to the other side of the mountain.”

“Then I should get started now, shouldn’t I?”

“But the permits only allow—”

He cut her off. “The permits allow for us to access our equipment in the event of an emergency. The alarm went off, we all came running in here, there’s a chance something might explode…I’d say that sounds like an emergency.”

“So you’d go out there right now and find out what’s going on?” Dan questioned.

“It needs to be done and I’m willing to do it.”

“And we’d just have to take your word about whatever you reported, wouldn’t we?” Sid grumbled. “What’s your agenda on this, anyway, Vladik? You’ve been squirrely since the day I met you.”

Lianne had to admit, for once she agreed with Sid.

“I’ve got no agenda,” Nic assured them. “I want the safety and success of this project, just the same as all of you. Apparently I merely don’t need as much sleep.”

He added the last part as Dan and the head tech broke into contagious yawning.

“I thought you said this is just an equipment glitch,” Lianne pointed out. “If you’re so sure about that, why should anyone need to go out there?”

“But
you
aren’t sure of it, Ms. McGowan,” Nic replied, a slight tic in his jaw indicating he did not much care for her questioning his motives this way. “Why don’t you come out there with me?”

“What? But I don’t think…I’m not an engineer, Mr. Vladik, and I don’t see how I could possibly—”

“You don’t think you could know if I was lying to you about the equipment?” Nic asked. “Or are you afraid to go out in the dark?”

He was going way too far, putting her on the spot like this. Well, if he thought she’d crumble and cave, he was about to get a surprise. She was a woman with very little to lose. Calling his bluff wouldn’t faze her in the least.

“Oh, I can smell lies, Mr. Vladik. And there’s very little I’m afraid of. All right, if you need someone to hold your hand while you look at a little metal box out in the big scary world, I’ll go with you.”

The guys in the room were silent. She glanced at them, scanning their faces and expecting someone to raise up a protest or utter a modicum of concern. Oddly enough, though, the men’s faces were blank. It must have been the late hour, but it seemed strange that with the alarm blaring and all the frantic questioning a few moments ago they could all be so sedate and almost trancelike now. Every one of them just stared at Nic, waiting for him to reply. He took his own sweet time about it, too. Finally he broke into a slow, wicked grin and nodded his dark head in her direction.

“Very well. You can come with me. I might need someone to hold on to my flashlight.”

She knew he didn’t mean
flashlight
. Damn it, but he had her sizzling inside again.

“Yes. Ms. McGowan should go with you,” Sid said after another long, uncomfortable silence in the room. “We need someone there to keep track of you, Vladik.”

Nic didn’t seem the least bit insulted by Sid’s implication. “You all trust Ms. McGowan to go with me and report back accurately what we have found?”

“That’s what she’s here for, isn’t she?” Dan said, running his hand over his bald head. “I wouldn’t have thought of it, but now that you mention it, I think it’s a great idea to get her out there to monitor things firsthand.”

The rest of the guys in the room all agreed. Nic was practically beaming with smugness at instigating this little plot. She shot him a look. How dare he drag her into this!

She had no desire whatsoever to go traipsing off into the frozen barrens, and the last thing she needed was for the other guys on the site to see her going off anywhere alone with Nic. No, he could sneak back into her bed, but he wasn’t dragging her out into the wilderness.

“But I’m a manager. I manage people. One of the engineers should go. They know about equipment,” she suggested, waiting for Sid or Dan to chime in and volunteer.

They didn’t, though. Instead, the guys all looked at each other and Dan merely shrugged. Sid nodded, and then made a pronouncement as if he spoke for all of them.

“If anyone here needs management, it’s Vladik. Ms. McGowan is the perfect choice,” he announced. “We’ll be here, eagerly awaiting your report.”

Lianne was quick to protest, but no one seemed to hear her. They all seemed to be waiting for instruction from Nic. It was as if things were suddenly settled, as if this had been her idea right from the start. The tech started printing out some kind of codes Nic would need to locate the equipment in question, and Nic barked directions for a couple of the guys to collect tools he claimed he would need. Lianne couldn’t even get a word in edgewise; everyone was suddenly bustling about doing Nic’s bidding. They were practically falling over themselves to follow his orders, like he had mind control over them or something.

All she could do was glare.

“What the hell are you doing?” she hissed at him when it was clear nobody was paying attention to her.

His eyes were sparking brighter than ever. They pinned on her with determination and some kind of force burning behind them she didn’t quite recognize. He held her gaze with his own, but there was no seduction or playfulness in his expression this time. He was cold, nothing but raw confidence and resolve just now.

“I’m taking you out to see just exactly what I’ve been telling you all along. The mountain is unstable. You will see for yourself, Lianne.”

“But you just said this was only a—” She tried to argue, to break her eyes away from his.

She could not. Her body was suddenly warm and Nic’s gaze held her as firmly as if he’d wrapped her in his arms. Her argument faded and her words trailed to silence. Even the blood in her veins, the pounding of her pulse, seemed to slow down and adjust to his will.

All she could do was stand immobile as her being was flooded by an irresistible urge to agree with whatever he said, to drop her hands to her sides and accept his leading. Suddenly it seemed the most logical thing in the world to do anything he suggested. She
would
follow Nic, wherever he might take her. Out to the mountain? Yes. She would go there. Every other thought had gone faded and murky in her mind. She was only aware of Nic and those deep, blazing eyes. Nothing else mattered. Nic called her to follow and that’s what she would do.

Come with me tonight, Lianne
, he spoke softly into her ear. Or perhaps not into her ear…perhaps his wishes simply materialized inside her brain.
Don’t question. Just come.

“All right,” she replied. “I’ll come.”

At least, she assumed she replied. She might not have, though. She might simply have thought the words. The smoldering approval behind his eyes and the slow curl of his lip indicated he received her message either way.

I will show you,
he murmured seductively.
You will see all that you need to see.

A
nd now he had her. At least, he
would
have her once he got her away from this place and out onto the mountain. His mountain.

He wasn’t entirely thrilled that he’d resorted to using nonhuman powers of persuasion to get her to agree to this little midnight jaunt with him, though. But if Eubryd had been right and there were fairies from the Forbidden Realm poking around out there, he couldn’t waste time using logic and petty argument to convince her to go with him. He needed submission now, as well as once they got out to the site and encountered whatever it was they might find. He would need to keep her under his command, to keep her mind blurred so she wouldn’t realize what was going on around her.

He’d reached out his mind and mesmerized her as well as the others. The fact that it was late and everyone was sleep deprived had helped; they all gave in to his sway almost immediately. The lingering desire still surging through Lianne’s body had made her especially susceptible to his will. It was unfair to take advantage of that, yes, but he had little choice. Until he knew what was going on out there, he had to make certain Lianne didn’t continue investigating. She was just tenacious enough to keep at it until she discovered things that were not to be known by humans. With magical creatures showing up on-site, he had to act now.

She followed him dutifully as they packed up the tools and equipment they’d need for a quick trip out to the remote sensor location. No one questioned him when he included a few extra necessities, like food and a few blankets. If things got dicey, he might need to prolong his visit, which might mean he’d need Lianne. Or at least, he’d need her passion to fuel him.

He could feel his energy waning as he kept everyone in his hold, his mind touching theirs, numbing their senses and keeping them quiet and malleable. If he hadn’t just rejuvenated himself with that pleasant interval in Lianne’s bed, he very likely wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this. But his fulfillment had been incomplete. He still needed to replenish his energy. It was only a stroke of luck that everyone had come under his power so easily now. He was very glad there’d be no need to keep this up very long.

Once he and Lianne had set off, the others would simply go back to normal, yet in their minds whatever he’d bidden them to do would make perfect sense. They’d not question his motives and he could release his hold on them. It would be hours before they began to wonder what was really going on. Surely by then Nic would have an idea of what he was up against out on the mountain. Lianne would be there if he needed more of her at that time.

She was cooperating with everything, stowing their gear and slipping into the warmer clothing he provided her. He liked the feel of being inside her mind. It was wild and untamed, despite the orderly facade she presented. It drained his powers to use this control over her and the others, but there was nothing he could do about that now. Perhaps once they were gone, off toward the far side of the mountain with nothing but glacier and barren wilderness around them, she would be willing to finish what they’d started back in her room.

He’d felt the desire in her; he knew the simmering, roiling lust lurking just beneath her calm, cool exterior. Far from the coldhearted businessperson she tried to portray, Lianne McGowan was a hot, passionate woman. She had needs, and so did he.

His need, in fact, was nearly consuming him now. Being in her mind this way, so intimately connected to her, made the heat of desire flame in his veins. Her passions transferred to him, her want surged over his body. Just a little while longer—he needed to maintain control and then he would allow himself to let go. He merely had to wait until it was safe. But by the Fires, his reserves were on empty and he could barely contain himself. They were alone now, the two of them in a storeroom gathering extra batteries that he’d convinced her they might need for the short hours they were expected to be gone. He watched her bend over to search through some boxes, hunting for the exact items he’d asked her to find.

Damn, but she was a temptation. It would be so very easy to just take more of what he needed from her now, to have his way right here and enjoy every minute of it. His human form craved her, and his dragon senses begged for the replenishment a quick, heated coupling would give. He could feel his nature burning inside him. Like lava, it threatened to melt off this constraining human form and erupt into the open, becoming once again who and what he was and consuming everything around him in ravenous flame.

He
needed
her. Now.

And he must have let her know it. She stood up and turned to him, blinking those wide, bleary eyes at him as if awaiting his next command. It was all he could do not to give her one.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Did you find the right batteries?” he asked, using every last ounce of control. “We should hurry now.”

“Yes…hurry…” she said, turning back to the batteries.

She was just the right size for this body he inhabited…her curves were perfectly formed and as she bent, moved, stooped, and then straightened herself, his eyes followed every movement as if he’d never seen a female before. He could taste her, feel her skin against his…the want and the need all-consuming. They had to be done now or he’d lose it completely.

The supplies were collected into a case, and they were ready to leave. But he could feel his control faltering, and for one moment his hold on her mind slipped. He felt her mentally pull away from him. She stopped in the doorway of the supply room and turned back to face him.

“You…you need something,” she stated.

“I need us to go,” he managed to reply.

But she blinked, reality creeping into her mind and his blood pounding out of control. He had lost his hold over her and he realized he was nearly completely drained. He’d been too depleted when he took on the task of controlling everyone on-site. Now he had nothing left to regain his grasp on Lianne’s mind.

He was losing his grip on the other team members in the nearby buildings, too. He could feel their minds slipping away from him. They were clearing, coming back to their senses, and they’d soon wonder what they were doing. He had to collect them, put them under his spell once more…but it was too hard. His energy was too low and his hunger too great. Damn this rampant need that flooded him; it nearly washed him away.

“What is it, Nic?” she asked, facing him as her delicious, feminine curves were silhouetted in the narrow doorway. Something’s wrong. You need something from me.”

“I need
you
,” he growled and reached out for her.

This time he reached with his body, not with his mind. His fingers dug into the soft flesh at her arms and he pulled her back into the supply room. He kicked the door shut, plunging them into darkness. Alone.

He wrapped her in a viselike embrace that she would have no hope of escaping. His lips sought for hers in the darkness and he was all human, all passion. He had no idea what she was thinking and he didn’t care. He would have her any way that he could.

She didn’t fight him, so he pressed her against the door. His cock was hot and throbbing. So was the rest of him. Her hands skimmed over his back, her fingernails rasping as she ended up clinging to him. He lifted her, raising her just enough that his cock could grind into her, if not for all their damn clothing. Still, she groaned at the sensation. He rubbed hard against her.

“Let’s go back to my room,” she sighed into his ear.

He was too far gone for that. He could barely form words, as a matter of fact. “We can’t. It has to be here.”

She accepted his reason without comment. The passion in her own mind, in her own body, made her every bit as desperate as he was. She pushed him slightly away, just enough that her hands could reach down to unfasten his trousers.

He lowered her so that her feet touched the floor again and reached his own hands for her pants. Damn, this would have been so much easier if they were back in her bed with plenty of room for ripping clothes off and privacy for making all sorts of animal noises. Somehow they were just going to have to make do.

She had her hot little hands on his cock already, gripping him as if she were happy to greet an old friend. He wished for enough dragon senses now to be able to see in the dark, but it was probably just as well. The sight of her fondling him would have sent him over the edge. He was nearly there already.

But with their limited space, their surplus of clothing, and his very particular need, there was only one thing he could do.

“Turn around,” he said, taking her by the shoulders and encouraging her to do as he asked.

She did, hesitantly, and he was quick to make it worth her effort. His fingers worked their way into her blouse, finding her luscious breasts and liberating them from her bra. Her nipples puckered under his efforts and he stroked them lightly. She seemed to like this, and she pressed herself closer into him, her hot little ass rubbing him just right. He slid his hands down to her waist and then pushed her pants lower, taking the delicate lace panties with them.

She murmured encouragement for him when he pressed the burning skin of his bulging cock against her naked ass. He growled and hoped that she knew how hot she was making him. She must have, because she wiggled a bit. He reached around in front and took her heated mound in his hand. Yes, she was burning up and wet.

They were dealing with space issues and all sorts of other drawbacks here in this tight, dark closet, but he was as turned on as he ever had been. He pulled her tight, propping her up just enough so that his cock brushed that taut little ass while his fingers explored as they would. She moaned and shifted. He dipped two fingers inside her, his other hand going back up to enjoy the plump feel of her breast.

She was so hot, so ready to come for him, that there was no question he’d have her panting and gasping in a short matter of minutes. For himself, he pressed against her, dragging his cock over her soft skin, being pleasured just by the texture and heat and the soft, primal sounds she was making. His desire was so great that all he needed was contact, and the feel of her climax.

He held her up closer to him. She was breathing heavily now as he stroked her, finding the tender spot that made her arch against him and urge him for more. Her muscles were tense, so he pressed his cock between her thighs. Ah, it was hot and it was tight. He let instinct take over, sliding against her and feeling her body react, molding itself around him.

Her breathing was getting louder now, so he pressed his lips against her ear.

“Hush. The others could come by; they might hear you.”

She nodded slightly, clearly straining to stay silent as he continued touching her, stroking her, rubbing his length against her but never quite filling her. He needed her to come for him completely, so even in his urgency he would take his time.

“I want you inside me,” she moaned in a hoarse whisper. “All of you.”

“Soon. Let me make this good for you,” he said, teasing her with the heated tip of his cock.

She barely choked back a moan. Now she was as lost in their passion as he was, and clearly neither of them were thinking of anything but finding fulfillment. He could feel the climax rising within her.

“Let go for me,” he begged her. “Show me how I make you feel.”

“I feel like I could do this forever,” she said, but then her voice caught and her body spasmed against his.

She was coming. He held her, breathed her, kissed her neck to taste the salt of her sweat. She rocked against him, rewarded him with moans and trembles and the promise of more. He drained her desire, soaked up the energy that she generated. Even as his own body responded, his cock pulsing against her, he felt himself fill with much-needed power. He clung to her for a few moments, taking in as much as he could, letting her body recover and her heart rate slow to normal again.

Then he reached out his mind. His strength was returning. She was weak and depleted while he was gaining his control once again. He held her mind with his and felt the warm glow of pleasure that fully engulfed her.

“God, that was good,” she murmured. “Do you think anyone heard us?”

He was already touching the minds of the others on-site. They’d not yet fully realized that their actions preparing for his trip to the mountain were not entirely their own. Good. The longer he could keep them from questioning things, the better. Soon they’d be back in their beds and he would not have to worry about them for a few more hours, at least.

“No one heard,” he assured her.

Her body felt so damn good against his that he hated to give up this hot, physical connection. But he had to. He’d gotten what he needed from her and now he had things to attend to. If he was smart, he’d take over her mind again to ensure that she cooperated and didn’t ask too many questions. He was hesitant, though. He loved the feel of her mind, the way her unfettered thoughts mingled with his.

He couldn’t give himself the luxury of enjoying that, though. His focus had to be on his task, not on this human female. No matter how fascinating she might be.

He wrapped her thoughts carefully and pushed them aside. He felt her mind giving way to his suggestion. She was exhausted and still warmed from his loving, so he merely urged her to remain in that state.

“It’s time to go out to the mountain,” he whispered. “I’ll help you straighten your clothes.”

She was silent but he felt the fog returning to her mind. She moved away from him, shuffling in the darkness and doing his bidding. He felt the rest of the humans on-site, each one easily obeying his prompts. His power had returned, thanks to Lianne’s powerful release. He did not know how much more effort would be required to control all these minds for an extended time, but for now Lianne had given him what he needed to carry out this next phase of his mission.

Lianne had proven to be invaluable. He responded to her remarkably well. For so long he’d had to ration his powers to make certain he would have strength when he needed it. With Lianne such a willing partner now, there was hope that he could increase his efforts. Her brimming passion could be the source of constant renewal he needed to finally finish this job once and for all.