“Can’t help it.”
He shifted as she lifted her face to his. He kissed her, a deep, warm kiss that made her heart pound with hope and desire.
“The bed is right here.” She drew back just enough to hold his gaze. She kissed him again so he didn’t really have sufficient time to answer.
She could feel his cock growing firm against her abdomen. She rubbed back and forth.
He quickly drew away from her, however, then caught her chin with his hand. “I’d want nothing more than to make love to you again, but there’s an urgency about this vision. And you’re right, we need to inform the team.”
“I know.”
He kissed her once more, then turned and headed to the guest room.
She put a hand to her chest, breathing hard, and all he’d done was kiss her. She didn’t mind that he’d left because the view of his tight ass, broad shoulders, and warrior’s gate would keep her revved up until the time was right.
She wasn’t a fool; nothing had been resolved. Whatever had burrowed into Duncan’s psyche and held him captive, wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon.
But God help her, she would do everything she could to encourage his steps in her direction.
The fact that a vision had followed after they’d been together for the first time in a month, she took as a powerful sign to stay the course.
~
With a wave of his hand, Duncan folded on his battle uniform. Renewed energy flowed through him in a vibrating wave of power. He knew how much his vision would intensify the team’s purpose and immediate direction, and for reasons he couldn’t explain, he also sensed the content would cause Merl a profound degree of distress.
He was about to contact Luken, when Merl became fixed in Duncan’s mind not as an obstacle, but as something else, something more. He’d been so enraged by the Third ascender’s shitty attitude, he hadn’t stopped to consider the man who had once served as a Warrior of the Blood on Third.
Questions rose to mind, mostly why Merl had lived his life as an exile on Second. He’d always bought Merl’s story that he’d pissed off a few powerful entities and had gotten cast out as a result. It wasn’t hard to believe; Merl could rub anyone the wrong way.
But what if it
was something else, something much more significant which had sent Merl to Second?
As he reached for his cell, one more issue surfaced. If the team was going to have the smallest chance of battling on Third, they had to have a boost in power. Now.
The team needed Warrior Jean-Pierre, the Frenchman who’d folded straight off the guillotine during the harshest part of the French Revolution. He was breh-bonded to Fiona and had gained a phenomenal ability to help others gain power. Before Duncan’s abduction, Jean-Pierre had been working with him to bring his visions forward.
Right now, however, they’d need him round the clock until the team was brought up to speed.
Duncan made his call to Luken, who in turn didn’t hesitate to contact Jeannie at Central Command to get the meeting set up. Luken felt confident Jean-Pierre would be willing to devote all his time to the black ops team. He was in high demand since Endelle had ordered him to bring as many Militia Warriors as possible into their emerging powers for the critical war effort on Second.
With the plan in motion, Duncan crossed to the master bedroom and found Rachel drying her hair. She wore a turquoise silk robe that clung to her curves.
“We’re a go,” he said. “Luken worked his magic.”
Rachel shut off her hair dryer and began brushing out her hair. “Jeannie?”
Duncan smiled. “Who else? She adores him.” Jeannie and Carla kept communication moving strong among all the warriors.
“When do we leave?” Rachel pulled her hair into a ponytail and secured the cadroen, a dark brown leather clasp with a bone pin that all the Warriors of the Blood used.
“We can leave whenever you’re ready. We’ll be heading to Jean-Pierre’s home in Sedona.”
At that, she turned to him. “Really? I’ve never been there.” She shook her head. “Any particular reason?”
“Jean-Pierre said he’s had recent success using the central room in his house. Not sure why. But I think you’ll like his home. It’s set in a grove of Arizona sycamores and he built the entire structure himself using hand tools.”
She shifted her gaze away from him and nodded slowly, but he couldn’t mistake the sadness in her eyes.