“Why don’t you make this interesting,” he gritted out, “and take off your pants?”
His words supplied an image of him kneeling between my naked legs. I stopped a shiver before it could form. My brows winged up. “You reneging?”
Very slowly, he eased to his feet, inching his big body higher and higher. I gave my cuticles my attention. I heard his teeth grind together, even thought I heard his jawbone crack. I flicked him an insouciant glance and patted my mouth to smother a fake yawn. That murderous gleam had branched from his eyes and now consumed his expression.
His black clothes rustled as he moved to his knees.
I studied my cuticles again, waiting, my breath suspended, the casual pretense the only thing keeping me from gaping.
“You did a…good job,” he ground out. When the last word left his mouth, he sprang up. He wiped the dust from his knees, keeping his gaze locked with mine.
I hadn’t thought he’d do it. What a puzzle he was. I could have nodded, said nothing, and saved him at least a hint of his stubborn pride. I could have…but I didn’t. “Don’t ever underestimate me again. You’ll end up on your knees every time.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth, but didn’t reply.
“Next time, research your suspect before you interrogate her. That’s where you went wrong.”
His entire face bloomed red—in embarrassment, in renewed fury. Renewed? No. I doubted he’d ever lost the first batch of fury. He didn’t like losing, but more importantly, he didn’t like losing to me. A spoiled princess. Well, too damn bad. He’d gotten the best of me from the moment we’d met, so I intended to savor this victory.
“You were doomed to fail before you even stepped foot into Interrogation. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen. You refused to consider the possibility that I might know something you didn’t. Well, guess what? I’d followed her for days. I knew her, knew everything about her. Your silly pride cost you this war.”
“War?” He chuckled, the sound devoid of humor. “That was only a minor skirmish, cookie.”
I rolled my eyes. “Big talk for a loser.”
Lucius stalked a menacing step toward me. “You did good, all right. There. That’s twice I’ve told you. I meant it then, I mean it now. But one day we’ll have a reckoning, you and I.”
I moved toward him, closing even more of the gap, a rush of adrenaline quickening the blood flow through my veins. “I do believe we will—if one of us doesn’t kill the other first.”
“I’m going to fuck you, Eden.” He stepped closer. “Killing is optional. After.”
My nostrils flared as I closed the remaining distance. I was excited, I admit it. Our noses touched, and my beaded nipples pushed into his chest. His breath fanned my lips, brushing every crevice. The scent of cinnamon and honey instantly enveloped us. Our heated exchange was playing havoc with my hormones. “You’ll never have me.”
Lucius never turned his attention from me. “Get a new goddamn perfume!” he shouted.
I blinked, felt a glimmer of satisfaction. “Why? Does this one bother you?”
He ran his tongue over teeth and flatly refused to answer. “Do you even give a shit about this case? Do you want to know what we have on Jonathan Parker or not?”
I stalked away from Lucius and to the door, opened it wide, and called for Ren. When he appeared, I said, “Make Sahara Rose comfortable. And be nice to her.”
Ren flicked Lucius a nervous glance, then rushed off to do as he was told. I didn’t turn around but remained braced at the entrance. “What do you know about Parker?” Feigning nonchalance, I rebound my hair.
“I’ll tell you about him over lunch,” he said, relish in his tone. He liked knowing something I didn’t. He liked choosing when and where he’d tell me.
Since he’d gotten on his knees for me, I gave him this victory. Just barely. “I was just about to suggest that,” I said with a faux casual shrug.
At my easy compliance, his lips dipped in a frown. He’d expected a fight, I know. “Let’s get out of here. Too many ears.”
“We’ll need the keys to the Hummer.”
“I pocketed them,” he said, dangling the set from his fingers.
My hands tightened at my sides. I didn’t like that he’d thought that far ahead and I hadn’t. I strode from the room without a word, knowing he followed directly behind me. As we left the farmhouse, I had the last laugh, however. Several men whistled and waved good-bye to “Agent Luscious.”
Lucius purchased half a dozen drive-thru burritos and tossed the sack into my lap. I held them without complaint as he drove for over an hour. Finally, he eased into a hidden thicket located in a richly treed patch of land—privately owned land that was well watered. He cut the locks off the gate and sneaked us inside.
Both of us, I noticed, continually checked the mirrors, making sure we weren’t followed by anyone. The fewer who knew our business, the less chance there was of leaks.
He told the car to park, grabbed the sack, and said, “We’ll eat now, then talk.”
I caught the burrito he carelessly flung my way and ate what I could, but my appetite had yet to fully return. Plus, I preferred sweet, sugary foods. Always had. I often wondered what type of food grew on Raka, what I’d be eating if I was there.
It was sad that I didn’t know much about my own people or my home planet. There simply weren’t many Rakans left here to ask, hunted as we were. Michael once hired a Rakan tutor for me, but that had lasted less than six months. The man had taken a day off and never returned.
I knew the planet had two small suns, three large moons, and massive amounts of water. I knew there had never been a war, the crime rate was low, and the penalty for any crime was death. I knew the entire population was ruled by an iron-willed dictator and that many Rakans had left simply to escape him.
Is that why my parents had left? I so would have loved to ask them. To know them. They’d been taken from me so suddenly. Singing me to sleep one minute, lying in pools of their own blood the next. Murdered. Obliterated. I missed them more than I could ever say.
Leaning back in my seat, I waited patiently while Lucius consumed the thick, greasy wraps. He chewed slowly, sensually, like a man who savored every bite. I watched the way his mouth and throat moved in harmony, and unbidden images of him partaking of me invaded my mind. I forced my attention to the window.
Apparently, he didn’t like my change of focus. “Let’s take a walk,” he said, throwing the last wrapper in the back seat with the others.
We exited on our respective sides. Lush, green trees filled the entire area, providing a luxurious shade. I stashed my hat and sunglasses on the car’s dash. Fresh, vibrant air wrapped us in a welcome breeze. I’d traveled the world, many times, but I rarely experienced nature like this.
The tranquil area surprised me. “New Dallas has been under a dry spell since EenLi and his men arrived. How is this glen possible?”
“Michael keeps it well watered,” Lucius said, reaching my side.
My eyes narrowed, and I experienced a spark of anger that Lucius knew something about my father that I didn’t…until I recalled that Michael had told me about buying a patch of land in New Dallas. I’d forgotten. He owned so much land. Now, if I could just get him to tell me about Lucius.
“So what’s your real name, O man of many identities? I seriously doubt it’s Lucius.”
“I have a lot of names,” he answered vaguely.
We walked slowly, keeping pace beside each other, zigzagging through the thick trees and branches. Leaves and twigs snapped beneath our feet.
“I realize that,” I said. “But I want to know your real name.”
He glanced down at me. “I’ll give you three guesses.”