StrategicLust (4 page)

It was uncomfortable to be the one being taken care of. Even
so, Josh knew exactly what Kate was doing and why. He understood where she was
coming from and hoped he could take the situation they were in gracefully.

Might even be good for you,
he decided with some
slight abashment.
Remembering that you can’t be in control of everything.
That a strong, powerful witch can be just as addictive a partner as a soft,
sweet little thing.

The waitress came practically the second Kate sat down and
they ordered various teas and coffees. When the young girl left, the six of
them exchanged glances and Hayden began to introduce everyone.

“Daniel Cranstone, Melissa Geyton, this is Kate Williams and
Joshua Delamere,” Hayden began as he indicated them each in turn. “Kate is a
Guardian and is currently protecting Josh, whom I think you both know works
with Kiera under Morgan’s aegis in the Strategic section of the Enforcers.”

They all nodded politely and greeted each other
simultaneously. Melissa was a pretty witch with long, blonde hair falling to below
her shoulders in soft wavy curls. Blue eyes and a lithe figure made her look
sexy and feminine—no one would ever guess she was an Assassin. Daniel had
spikily cropped blond hair and icy-blue eyes, a cool color, which appeared to
be constantly assessing the area and all those within his designated perimeter.
Josh would have bet a month’s pay the large Assassin didn’t miss a thing.

When Melissa grinned at Josh, Daniel shifted a little closer
to his partner in clear albeit silent warning. Josh nodded minutely at the
Assassin, even though he had not the least intention of flirting with the
witch. He already had his hands pleasantly full with Kate. A second passed
before Josh realized exactly what he had just thought, completely naturally and
without any prompting.

Obviously his unconscious mind had decided that it didn’t
feel even the remotest interest in a mild, light flirtation with another
beautiful witch. Instead his thoughts were centered on Kate and all she could
come to mean to him.

Josh swallowed hard and struggled valiantly not to think
about the potential that had arisen inside him. Kate was intoxicating, yes, but
was he genuinely even dabbling with the idea of monogamy? Beyond a doubt he
knew Kate was beautiful, strong and a warrior in her own right—absolutely. But
Josh had never considered that he might be ready for more from any witch—more
than a lot of mutually shared pleasure and a few nights or so of wild, wicked,
passionate fun and lust.

Entertaining the possibility of something longer-term
simultaneously shocked Josh silly and scared him. The idea of sharing something
deep and meaningful with a witch, something that might not have an expiry date,
was unheard of for him. Yet despite the fact he feared it, Josh found himself
mentally turning the idea over and over in his head, examining it from many
angles and not discarding it out of hand.

Tuning back in to the conversation for a second, Josh
realized Kate and Hayden were bringing Melissa and Daniel up to date with
everything from when Morgan had given the manuscript into their keeping to
being attacked outside the Enforcers’ building and chased by the crew out for
the contract on their heads.

Kate appeared to listen intently even though this was not
new to her, and Josh found himself relaxed just watching her, charmed. Her pale
skin almost glowed with health, vitality and strength. Luscious red hair fell
neatly to her shoulders, a slight wave in it taunting him to reach forward and
stroke the silky strands.

Recalling how mussed, flushed and decadent Kate had appeared
after they had taken each other against the front door, Josh wished idly for a
moment that they were anywhere but here in the café. The nearly overwhelming
desire to lean forward, touch Kate’s soft skin, tilt her chin toward his face
and press a quick kiss to her full lips had his body shaking slightly.

Her mouth would be passion-swollen and a vivid red color. Earlier,
with her cheeks flushed, her mouth erotically bruised from his ministrations
and their mutual love-making, Josh had found the desire to kiss her almost
irresistible. Her face had a beauty not strictly traditional and Josh found
Kate’s lips deliciously, highly addictive.

Josh was just starting to weave a fantasy about Kate’s
luscious lips spread wide as he thrust his cock into her throat when she looked
up at him. With her clear, blue-green gaze, she seemed practically to read his
secret thoughts, and even though the corner of her mouth tilted up in a partial
smile, she discreetly elbowed him in the stomach.

“You’re supposed to be paying attention,” Kate murmured
under her breath, quietly enough that only he could possibly have heard. “This
is your life we’re discussing, remember?”

Josh sat forward slightly on his chair, a wry grin on his
face.

“Not just mine,” he countered just as softly. “It’s yours,
Hayden’s and Kiera’s as well.”

Kate snorted lightly and jerked her chin toward where Kiera was
speaking.

“Quit thinking dirty thoughts about us and listen up,” Kate
said. Only because he’d been staring into those gorgeous eyes of hers did he
see the faintest twinkle of laughter in their depths. Every other aspect of her
demeanor screamed a hair-trigger of alertness.

Kate returned the full force of her attention to the table.
Josh couldn’t help the small smile on his face but decided Kate was right. He’d
be a fool to not join in on their discussions and plans, particularly since
they revolved around him and Kate.

“I don’t know a dark Assassin called Elijah,” Melissa said
as Joshua’s attention reverted to the conversation. “Daniel?”

Daniel shook his head, his pale-blue eyes flickering between
the six of them, to the Café at large and back again. Clearly he still
considered himself on guard.

“No,” the blond man replied simply. “But that doesn’t mean
he’s someone who works on the fringes. I must admit most of my
working…associates are of the legitimate kind. It’s been a while since I’ve had
need to call upon those more on the fringes of our element.”

“But you could both ask a few discreet questions?” Josh
interjected, curious but also wanting to prove to Kate that he wasn’t simply
letting this all wash past him. “People will talk to you who wouldn’t give the
rest of us a straight answer, right?”

Melissa smiled at him and Josh automatically returned the
grin, though he honestly didn’t feel any desire or acceleration of his heart.
He was merely being polite.

“Of course we can ask,” Melissa replied with a faintly
British lilt to her words. “Daniel and I know practically anyone who’s an
official Assassin. But just because this Elijah has a crew and they’re working
on the bounty on your heads doesn’t automatically mean he’s an Assassin. He
could be purely a mercenary. Or even a simple opportunist.”

“But if there’s a crew of them,” Josh said, “surely they
must have ties somehow to the shadier elements of the Enforcers. They would at
least need a Tracker and someone who was used to the brutality of guns and
murder. Not to mention that throwing fire-bolts, while certainly not unheard
of, is not something they teach you in regular classes.”

“All very true,” Melissa replied smoothly. “Just because
neither Daniel nor I have heard of him doesn’t mean he has no connection to our
world. We can easily ask around and see what we can uncover.”

Melissa leaned back slightly so her shoulder pressed against
Daniel’s. The solid man moved his arm so their bodies pressed against each
other’s with the casual ease of true partners. The subtle message was
nevertheless clear. Josh grinned, not at all abashed.

He genuinely liked Melissa, and while she clearly had eyes
only for Daniel, she didn’t appear eager to quash some harmless banter either. But
Josh had no desire for any deeper intimacy with the witch, even should he develop
a death wish and attempt to do more than flirt with her.

“We’d really appreciate that,” Kiera replied. Their drinks
arrived and silence fell between them. While everyone was distracted Josh
quickly reached out and stroked his fingers along the slender length of Kate’s
thigh.

She didn’t jerk or make a sound but she did throw Josh a
speaking glance. His grin widened. He was unable to tell which of the mingled
exasperation and humor would win the struggle within her.

“What happened to our deal? A couple of days of separating
work from play, you said,” she whispered to him as Kiera and Melissa thanked
the waitress for their beverages. The witches’ voices covered Kate’s quick
words.

“A guy has to try his luck,” Josh replied impishly. Kate’s
face turned serious, the annoyed professional seeming to win the battle.
Quickly, he changed tack and sat on his hands to stem any further irresponsible
behavior.

“Look, I’m sorry, I just can’t help myself. But there are
plenty of professionals here to help keep our group safe. I’ll try, I promise.
I don’t mean to distract you—I’m just not used to repressing my urges when I
want to caress a witch I…care for.”

“You wouldn’t know what to do with a pretty witch who didn’t
respond to your innate charm and charisma, would you?” Kate concluded with a
sigh. Josh wanted to chuckle, to make light of it and tease a smile from the
sexy witch, but swallowed the impulse as the waitress placed his coffee in
front of him and left. The silence returned and he couldn’t think of a way to
tease Kate without making a spectacle of them both.

As he sipped his drink, Kate added a packet of sugar to hers
and cast another quick glance his way. Her smile was soft, her eyes alight with
humor, and Josh knew for certain she was not mad. He had learned the hard way
many, many years ago, however, never to underestimate a witch and the
volatility of her moods. Like a switch being flipped, Kate’s glance turned
professional once again and she scanned their surroundings, paying particular
notice to the people who sat near them. She was back in Guardian mode.

Josh wondered if he were in trouble. Even though the thought
of Kate being mad at him caused his stomach to twist unpleasantly, he knew he
hadn’t truly angered her. That didn’t mean he was home free, and despite
himself Josh discovered a deep curiosity lurking in his chest.

Many witches had kept him on his toes, but this whole
situation with Kate went further than that. He would have died laughing had
anyone asked him a week ago, but Josh found himself looking forward to the
conversation he knew was boiling between them. He and Kate had much to discuss,
and one thing she could never be was predictable.

Josh looked forward to the challenge she presented as he
took another sip of his coffee.

Kate couldn’t help but be amused by the rapport between
Melissa and her lover. She was not in any way threatened or upset by their
friendliness—far from it. Part of her job as a Guardian was to take a few
glances at any given situation and sum it up accurately.

Melissa Geyton and Daniel Cranstone were deeply in love—partners
in every true sense of the word. Nothing on this Earth could possibly interest
Melissa in an affair—or nothing that Kate could imagine from their body
language and the silent cues between them. Joshua might be a handsome rogue, he
might ooze sex appeal and charisma like other wizards gave off an air of power
or hunger, but nothing but friendship and a light, amused attraction resonated
between Melissa and Joshua.

The thought that other witches in the past had been made jealous
by it caused Kate to want to laugh. A lesser witch—one who might not be so
self-assured or self-reliant—might worry about how she could hold on to a
wizard like Josh. Not she. Kate had decided the easiest way to retain Josh’s
attention was to keep him on his toes.

The result of a bored Joshua Delamere would likely be a
wizard whose attention strayed. While Kate could feel her attraction to Josh
deepening with each conversation and passing day, she was not a fool. She knew that
at this point Josh did not in the least desire a more solid, permanent
arrangement with her. Nor would she try to twist or turn their situation into
forcing his hand somehow.

It was a delicate line she was walking right now. Even
though there had been no cause for concern since she had begun to protect Josh,
the fact that his life was genuinely in danger and the knowledge that there
were people out there trying to harm him for the bounty on his life could
easily alter their situation at any given moment. Having one’s life under
threat was no laughing matter.

Kate, as his Guardian, was responsible for his wellbeing, a
job she took very seriously. Even had she not been in this position, she would
never have resorted to trickery to beguile Josh’s attention. Such actions never
worked in the long run, and Kate felt herself far above that.

Instead of using the situation to her advantage—something
she truly believed would not last anyway once her deceit was unveiled—Kate
intended to enjoy every moment she could spend with Josh. Getting mired in
petty jealousies and useless angst was not on her agenda.

She just needed to keep her wits about her.
Compartmentalizing had been hammered into her during her training—learning how
to analyze and collect data while simultaneously weighing options and keeping
her mind on dozens of things at once was part of her talent and what her job
required. Learning how to keep her private concerns and desires separate from
the job had been part of her training. The reality of Josh, however, and the
steady distraction he proved might be more than she could handle, truth be
known. Kate had never been so tempted before, nor her mind so divided. She
didn’t know how long their “separate work and play” compromise could last.

Kate refused to destroy her professional reputation—she
would not let an Assassin slip by her guard or a bunch of thugs harm her
client. At the same time, though, she’d be foolish to ignore or turn a blind
eye to how appealing—how devastatingly distracting—she found Joshua. She’d
never needed to balance those two parts of herself before—never needed to
control her sexual urges and desire to flirt while maintaining her duties as a
Guardian and keeping her brain fully occupied with protecting someone from
harm.

The issue of what the hell to do about Joshua Delamere was a
tricky, convoluted problem, and a puzzle she’d need to solve.

Later.

“Will you and Hayden go somewhere safe and lie low now?”
Kate asked, determined to not fall into her self-analyzing too deeply. Morose
thoughts were not part of her usual repertoire, and Kate was not about to let
her growing infatuation with Josh bring her so low as to indulge in that.

Work was always the best way for her to keep her brain busy
and out of mischief, away from depressing thoughts. And heaven knew Kate had
more than her fair share of work to do just now.

Kiera nodded, her dark curls bobbing as she swallowed the
last of her drink. “Hayden and I are going to swing by the store, stock up on
essentials and go back to his cabin,” she said with a swift glance at her
lover. “We’re planning on battening down the hatches and sequestering ourselves
there for the long haul.”

Kate caught the faintly wry glance Kiera cast Hayden and
made an educated guess as to its meaning.

“Don’t feel bad,” Kate reassured the petite brunette.
“Hayden needs to recover and you both need to lie low. We can cover everything
from here, honest.”

“I know.” Kiera sighed as she ran a hand through her curls. She
and Hayden looked at each other, almost seeming to converse without the need
for words.

“I just…” Kiera blew out another breath and began again. “I
know it’s for the best—it just doesn’t feel right to leave you all behind like
this.”

“If you don’t go, I will personally see to it that the
hardest, most anal-retentive, strictest Guardian in the entire city is put on
your protective detail,” Daniel said dispassionately.

Kate instinctively rushed to defend her colleges. “We’re not
all
—” she began, but Daniel cut her off with a dismissive wave of his
hand.

“Of course I know you’re not,” he insisted. “But that
doesn’t mean I won’t find the most unbending rule-follower among you and make
certain Kiera and Hayden can barely go to the toilet unassisted.”

Kate had to struggle not to smile. Daniel was an incredibly
difficult man to read, and only now did she realize that in his own way he was
teasing, though the wizard was completely serious about retaining the most
stringent Guardian imaginable for Hayden and Kiera’s protection. Not for a
second did Kate doubt Daniel’s intentions. Should Hayden and Kiera change their
minds and stay in Chicago, Daniel would follow through on his threat.

Yet in his own way, Daniel was being protective and a good
friend. Kate knew better than most the reputation Guardians had for being rigid
rule-followers. Behind their backs, some called them “Automatons”. While not
strictly insulting, the name did express the seeming lack of emotions or other
human qualities Guardians often attempted to convey.

Being inflexible was a part of their job requirements,
however. If witches and wizards chose to dislike Guardians for such small-minded
reasons, Kate would not argue with them. She saw it as a waste of time and
breath.

“Well, when you put it like that…” Kiera mumbled as she let
her hands rotate her empty mug. Hayden snorted and pressed a light kiss to his
lover’s temple.

“Goddess above, Daniel, I didn’t know you cared so deeply,”
Hayden teased his friend. Only the smallest flicker of a smile twitched at the
corner of Daniel’s mouth, betraying the humor he saw in the entire situation.

“You have no idea how very deeply my love runs, my friend,”
Daniel teased. Even though his face remained completely serene and calm, the
faintly wry tone gave him away. “No idea.”

Kate snorted and shook her head, amused despite herself. The
bond of friendship between the two wizards was evident in the subtleties of
their teasing.

“Well that pretty much guarantees neither Hayden nor Kiera
will have a sudden attack of conscience and stay in the city where they will be
in danger,” Josh interjected as he turned slightly in his seat to face Daniel
and Melissa. “So that leaves the four of us meeting up sometime later to
brainstorm once you’ve looked into this wizard, Elijah. How long do you think
it should take?”

Kate watched as Daniel’s eyes flickered to Melissa for a
moment before he once again let his eyes roam around the café. Constantly
appearing paranoid and on edge, Daniel never let his guard down and surveyed
the entire room for anyone paying undue attention to their conversation.

“I would think by late this afternoon we could meet again,”
Daniel finally decided. Melissa nodded her agreement.

“Well then,” Kate said when silence fell around the table.
“We would certainly appreciate any assistance you could give us. Circe knows,
if I can get the identities of even a few of the wizards who’ll be trying to
target Joshua, it will make my life a lot easier.”

“We haven’t heard anything about any
others
who want
to fulfill the contract, have we?” Josh interjected, sounding perplexed. Kate
smiled softly at her lover and shook her head.

“No, but that doesn’t mean I’ll just assume we only have one
band of wizards out to steal your memories and get the reward,” she insisted.
“I’d be a fool to think that.”

Melissa spoke up. “There’s a busy human bookstore just a
block farther down the street, away from the Enforcers’ headquarters.”

Kate furrowed her brow in thought, mentally pinpointing
which store the witch spoke of. Her face lightened and she nodded, her ponytail
swinging slightly.

“Oh yes, I know the one,” she answered. “It has a small coffee
bar and sells cookies and muffins, right?”

“That’s right.” Melissa nodded. “What say we meet there
around five or so? There will be the usual cram of rush hour. We won’t be
noticed surrounded by so many people browsing while they wait for friends,
partners and lovers or simply look for a gift or a last-minute bit of reading.
We should be able to exchange information and discuss any further assistance
you might require from us.”

“That sounds good,” Kate agreed. Melissa and Daniel
exchanged another lengthy look then nodded at each other. To outward
appearances, Daniel seemed enthralled by digging his wallet out of his pocket
and counting bills and coins to cover his and Melissa’s drinks, but Kate could
see the more intense scrutiny he gave their surroundings as Melissa made happy,
polite farewell motions.

They exchanged another glance. Daniel nodded and stood up, and
Melissa followed suit a second later. Kate grinned, intrigued to see the pair
in action together. While she was perfectly professional and confident in her
abilities, Kate could not deny that she could probably learn quite a few new
skills from the Assassins.

She made a mental note to inquire about that at a later,
more private time.

“It was lovely to meet you,” Melissa said as she shook hands
with Kate. Kate grinned in response, genuinely liking the cool, blonde British
witch.

“And you,” Kate replied promptly. “I hope we can talk a bit
more later this afternoon, or at another time depending on our circumstances.”

Warm blue eyes widened slightly for a second before a
larger, far more genuine-looking smile crossed Melissa’s pretty face.

“I would enjoy that,” she answered. “It’s been far too long
since I’ve had a bit of girl gossip. But life is full of surprises. I look
forward to meeting you and Josh again in a few hours.”

Kate nodded and a moment later Daniel and Melissa were threading
their way through the crowd of people milling around the entrance.

Josh sighed a little beside Kate. Before she could ask what was
weighing on his mind, he spoke.

“You guys have to get moving now, don’t you?”

Kate glanced at Hayden and then Kiera, expecting them to have
heard the slightly forlorn tone to Josh’s voice that she had picked up on. To
her surprise, neither appeared aware of it. Hayden pulled a few crumpled bills
from his pocket as Kiera stood up with a warm grin and held her arms open. Josh
followed her lead, stood up and hugged her tightly.

Kate watched as Josh grinned, joked and even made a discreet
shooing gesture at his friends. Kiera turned to Kate with a small smile and for
a moment Kate doubted herself. Maybe Josh hadn’t sounded forlorn at all and she
had just read too much into his tone.

“Don’t let Joshua tease you too badly,” Kiera cautioned
Kate. Kate grinned in response, casting a laughing glance at her lover.

“I won’t—we’ll be fine. You just focus on staying secure and
helping Hayden to heal as fast as possible,” Kate replied. She shook hands with
Hayden and they exchanged farewells. A minute or so later, Hayden and Kiera
worked their way toward the entrance of the Café. Kate noticed that they paused
for a minute or two, thoroughly scanning the busy city street before melting
away into the peak-hour crush.

When Josh sighed very softly beside her again, Kate turned
to him. Josh avoided her eyes, instead glancing at the check the waitress had
left and digging into his wallet to cover the rest of the bill.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing—just paying this,” Josh said. The attention he gave
to sorting his bills would have been laughable if it hadn’t been so clear he
was fretting.

“Don’t give me that,” Kate chided him gently. “Kiera will be
fine. You know that, right? So, what’s gnawing at you?”

“Huh?” Josh feigned surprise very well. Had Kate not been
watching him so closely she might have doubted herself again. She merely raised
an eyebrow and waited.

Josh looked puzzled for a moment, then finally shrugged a
shoulder in what appeared to be a negligent manner.

“Josh,” Kate repeated softly. She scanned their surroundings
in a single glance. Three of the couples and two single men had left the room,
and three people had replaced them in different positions. Kate focused her
magic and could sense no threatening pattern, no opening or weakness that would
indicate an attack was imminent. She breathed a few incantations, satisfied for
the moment at least that they were safe. Even so, she only let the tips of her
fingers graze Joshua’s hand, the contact between them less than a second long
but as potent as a jolt of electricity.

She returned her attention to the room, checking for any
significant alterations that should set off her radar. Satisfied, she glanced
back at Josh to find him staring at her with a baffled look.