The Iron Admiral: Deception (9 page)

“… he never heard—” Todd’s eyes widened in mid-story and he scrambled to his feet. So did the others. Even at nearby tables people turned to stare.

Her heart raced. Oh, buckrats. Allysha followed their gaze.

Saahren stood next to her, a slight smile on his face. “Please, officers, be seated. This is a social occasion. I just came to ask Allysha to dance.” He held out his hand.

Heat flared in her face. Time slowed. She should say no. But if she did, she’d cause a scene. A dance, just a dance. She’d danced with Hassan and Tensan and Todd. And a few other officers, too, men she’d

met in some of the courses she’d run. How did he know she was here? How had he found her?

She stood and let him propel her onto the floor, his hand on her back, his fingers warm on her bare skin.

I’m over him; I am .

He slid an arm around her waist, held her hand in the appropriate position while she rested her fingers on the wide gold bar on his shoulder. She didn’t let him pull her too close, her eyes fixed on his. His lips curved in acknowledgement.

“I’m surprised you can dance.” She gripped his fingers firmly, if only to stop her hand from trembling.

“Oh, I’m not very good at it. But a slow dance like this, I can manage to move my feet in a pattern.”

“And if the band adds an up-tempo number?”

His eyes twinkled as he smiled. “They won’t.”

No, of course not. “Under orders?”

“A request.” The smile faded as his gaze slid down. Allysha thanked the spirit the cleavage wasn’t too revealing. “I’ve never seen you in a dress before.”

“I’ve never seen you in dress uniform. So we’re even.”

He looked magnificent. The white uniform accentuated his dark skin, suited his tall, lean frame. A host of colored campaign ribbons hung on his left breast and at his throat, beneath the embroidered golden collar, a blue stone glittered in the center of a six-pointed silver star. The Confederacy Star, the Fleet’s highest decoration. He’d been awarded that for the battle of Forenisi. The one where her father was killed.Chohzhu .Chohzu the Destroyer.

“And you look very, very beautiful.” His voice was a caress.

A tremor flittered through her body. She felt her nipples tighten, her insides melt, the heat rise in her neck. Oh, damnation. She did not need this.

“You’re blushing.” He smiled again, a glint in his eyes.

Blushing. Just what she needed. “You’re not supposed to be here. You hate these things.”

“You left me with no choice. You won’t talk to me. What’s a man to do?”

He steered her around a couple intent only on each other. “Do you know, this is the closest we’ve been since our hasty departure from Carnessa?”

“What a lovely memory.”

If he hadn’t dived off that ledge after her, she’d have been dead, crushed in a two-hundred meter fall, drowned in the storm, smashed on the cliffs. His fingers on her back flexed, a minute caress that sent a tremor down her spine. How could she ever have convinced herself she was over him?

“How did you know I’d be here?” she said.

“I keep myself informed. You know that.”

“You stalk me.”You think you own me, that you can tell me what to do, what to think.

“Harsh words. Surely you can understand me taking an interest in the woman I love.”

“I didn’t tell Vlad.”

“Ah, but young Lieutenant Bristol couldn’t help but crow his triumph to anyone who would listen. Word filtered through and since I was scheduled to be in Malmos this evening anyway, I thought I might surprise you.”

“He’s one of my team, that’s all. I was doing him a favor.”

Double lines appeared between his eyebrows. “Yes, of course. He has a fiancée, has he not? And after the ball? What then? Back to your lonely apartment, by yourself?”

She bristled. “Of course.” What was he thinking?

“I have a better idea. You could come home with me.” His eyes gleamed with hunger, his voice soft as velvet. “I’ll be leaving soon.”

She shook her head. “No. No, I can’t do that. I came with Todd.” She blocked off the other little voice that whispered you’d like to, though; you’d certainly like to.

“So? Say goodnight to your people. Come with me.”

She locked eyes with him, those obsidian eyes that seemed to stare into her soul. “No.” The rest went unsaid;you can’t make me, I’m not yours to command .

He bent over her, so close she felt his breath on her cheek. “Then when you get home, call me. It’s time we… talked, my love.”

She didn’t miss the pause. Talking, eh? “Don’t call me that.”

“You can’t change the way I feel about you, Allysha. It’s pointless trying to avoid me, trying to hide.”

The music changed but the dance was still a slow one. Saahren wasn’t really dancing anyway, just moving his feet in a pattern. Allysha easily followed where he led.

“As it happens, there is more to this dance than a hard-won opportunity to hold you in my arms.” His fingers tightened on her hand for a moment.

“What?”

“You have a meeting with me tomorrow morning.”

She stared up at him. “I have? Nobody told me.”

“I’mtelling you… now. Oh-eight-fifty in my office.”

“Oh, you can’t be serious. Half past eight? The morning after the Fleet Ball? The sun’s barely up by then.”

“It’s the only time I have free.”

“You’re making this up as you go.”

“I have a meeting with the High Command in the morning, appointments with the president, the minister for defense and the foreign minister in the afternoon and I’ll be attending a press conference. Then I leave

for my ship. Oh-eight-fifty it has to be.”

No choice. No blasted choice. “It would have been nice to be asked.”

Another couple collided with her back, pressing her against him. He chuckled as she composed herself, the culprit’s stammered “Sorry… Sir… Grand Admiral, Sir” ringing in her ears.

“There are things I need to discuss with you, concerning your work. This is the military, Allysha. It is not a request.” The smile was still there, but faint.

Yes, the military; but she wasn’t. “Am I allowed to ask what it’s about?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Oh, goody. I’m sure I can hardly wait.”

“Then call me. We’ll have our conversation this evening and you can avoid an early morning meeting.”

He grinned. “Well… the talking, anyway.”

She shook her head. “It isn’t going to happen.”

How had she let him get so close? Her forehead almost touched his jacket. The familiar, disconcerting smell of him filled her head. The mountain garden at Tisyphor formed a vivid image in her mind. She pushed back against the pressure of his arm.Think of Lake Sylmander.

“Well then… oh-eight-fifty, in my office.”

The music had stopped. He escorted her back to the table. A path cleared before him as people stepped aside.

“Thank you for the dance.” He pulled the chair out for her, waited till she’d sat and said, “Until tomorrow, then.”

One last hungry, possessive stare and he walked away. She turned to watch him make his way back to the top of the room where the senior officers and dignitaries sat. He had such a presence; wide shoulders, narrow hips and a natural arrogance that had others making way for him. Many faces looked at her when he’d passed.

Forget about it. It’s over.She stared down at the table top. Anna’s voice startled her.

“Grand Admiral Saahren asked you to dance.” Anna sounded positively awe-struck. “He called you Allysha.”

“Really?” All of them gazed at her, wide-eyed. Might as well tough this out, make a joke of it. “Is that who he was?”

“Come on, Lysha. You know him, don’t you?”

Oh, if only you knew. In every sense of the word. Memories flooded and with them an ache of longing that almost overcame her irritation. Almost.

“I did some work for him, over the Brjyl crisis. That’s all.”

Hassan snorted.

Todd glowered at him. “If Allysha says that’s all there was to it, then that’s good enough for me.”

Hassan sniggered. “Yes? You saw the way he looked at her. You think that was what he thought?”

Sirikit and Anna exchanged glances. They didn’t think so, either. Neither did the others.

Allysha lifted a hand. “Enough, guys. He came to tell me I have a meeting with him tomorrow morning.

At oh-eight-fifty.”

Hassan sniggered again, a huge grin almost splitting his handsome face. Allysha could have hit him.

“Don’t say a word, Hassan,” she said, skewering him with a glare. “Come on, Todd. I need some exercise.”

More than once, she noticed eyes following her, people with heads together, watching her as she danced. The rumor mill had begun to turn. She saw him dancing with Irina and looked away when he caught her eye. Why did he have to do this to her? The evening had lost its appeal, even when she saw him leave, striding easily out the huge doors into the foyer.

“Is everything all right, ‘Lysha?” Todd reached over to take her hand but she avoided the contact, scratching at her temple.

“I’m fine. Sorry. I was just thinking about this meeting tomorrow. Can you believe it? An eight-fifty meeting the day after the ball.” She shook her head. “Look, it’s late. I’d better go.”

“Already? We were going to kick on at the Star Bar.”

“No. I’m… not into night clubs.” She rose and Todd stood.

“Let me at least take you home.”

She could imagine how that would go down. And he’d know; of course he would. “Thanks, Todd, but there’s no need. I’ll take a cab.”

Todd walked with her to the foyer and helped her into the first of the line of coptercabs. She entered the destination and allowed the IS to deduct the fare from her account. As the machine soared away from the landing platform of her building, she slipped off her shoes. After all that dancing, her feet were beginning to hurt. Just as well she’d decided against the ultra-high heels.

The door to her apartment opened at her approach and she entered, still carrying her shoes. She’d taken three steps toward the bedroom when she heard a voice from the living room.

“Evening, Ally.”

Allysha spun around, her heart bounding. She dropped one shoe, retained the other as a weapon and put her back to the wall. “Who are you?”

The man didn’t answer, just smiled a little. He had dark red hair, green eyes; not someone she knew.

She didn’t know the voice, but he’d called her Ally. Only one person ever called her Ally. And the way he lifted the glass…

“Sean.”

He swallowed the remaining drops of the drink he held in his hand. “Good single malt, Ally. They must pay you well. I’ve had a couple. Expected you home a little earlier.”

She took in the dark-colored suit, polished shoes, recently trimmed hair. He looked like a prosperous businessman, but her self-defense lessons with Chief Werensa had taught her to look more carefully. He would have been furious with her for not checking properly when she came home. She’d better check now.

“What do you want?” She noticed the bulge in Sean’s pocket. Whatever he had there, she didn’t expect it would be good for her.

“Oh, just a chat.” He gazed down at his now empty glass. “You’re looking good.”

Deliberately keeping her expression neutral she held out her hand. “Give me your glass. I’ll top it up and join you.” She took the glass from him, poured another measure behind the bar and handed it back to him over the counter.

“I think I’ll have a glass of wine.” She opened another cupboard for a wine glass, and then the fridge to find a bottle of white. As she moved around, she slipped her mind into the IS. Sean had overridden the IS’s circuits, set Albert to standby. She reactivated the system. Call Saahren, but make the connection send only. Maybe he was still awake.

Sean glanced around. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

“Yes.” She unscrewed the cap and half-filled a glass. “If I’d been expecting my ex-husband to come calling, I would have made sure you had something to see. Very good disguise, by the way; red hair, green eyes.” She spoke a little louder than necessary and made sure Albert was recording.

Glass in hand, she went to stand next to him at the window and pressed a button to open the shutters.

“Pretty good view, isn’t it?”

If he was awake, Saahren could be here in minutes. The eighty-seventh floor, just over there.

“Mm, nice. And I’m not yourex -husband.” He raised his glass and clinked it against hers. “Cheers.”

She let the pause drag out and sipped her wine. “So why are you here?”

“You’re my wife. I’ve missed you. Surely we can try again?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Do tell.”

“We always made a good team. Can’t imagine you’d be happy working for the Star Fleet.” He said the words lightly, gazing out into the darkness. In the distance the Parliamentary complex blazed with light, the precinct surrounded with vehicles and movement.

“Uh-huh.” She swirled the wine in the long-stemmed glass. It sparkled, catching the lights in its golden depths. “Is this about Tepich?”

He covered magnificently but she knew him too well. “No. Of course not. That’s in the past. No. We’ll move on, find something fun to do.”

Sure; fun. Not so long ago she might have believed him. “You sold my house out from under me.”

He squirmed. “It was just temporary. I needed the money. I would have paid it back. Come with me.

We’ll make a fortune—”

“I’m making quite enough here, thanks. The Confederacy pays me good money. It puts me up in a nice apartment; I get to work in a nice office with nice people. It’s all above-board, nobody chases me with weapons. Get yourself out of whatever slimy hole you’ve dug.”

He laughed, a nervous giggle. “Ah, you don’t mean that, Ally.” He reached out a hand to her.

She put her glass down on the low table and dodged away from him. What had she ever seen in the useless prat? Why had she put up with him for so long? “Damn right I do. I want nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with you apart from your id on a divorce.”

“Come on, please,” he pleaded. “Just one more job.” He raised a finger. “Just one more. If you don’t, they’ll—” The sound of his comlink interrupted him and he glanced down. “Fuck.” He pulled the handgun