Summon Lyght (21 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Robert rolled his eyes at his sister
's petulant whine. Really. Must he be required to endure her this way? "Fine, anything to eliminate that screechy voice you've taken to using." He thought of his Father's human form, and made himself similar.

Peggy giggled.

"What?" Robert looked down at himself, making sure all his parts had changed.

"
Don't you have your
own
look?" she asked.

"
What do you mean? This is my own look."

"
You look like Lyght's twin only smaller."

"
And what is wrong with looking moderately fantastic?"

"
Nothing." Francis grinned and winked. "If you don't mind all the women touching you."

"
Touching?" Good God. Unacceptable. "What do you propose? Different hair color?"

"
Hold on!"   Peggy raised a finger, only to disappear. She reappeared in two seconds and rushed to Robert with an open magazine. "How about him?" She shoved the page under his nose, tapping a specific image with a pale pink nail. "He's dashing but not so brilliant?"

Robert stared at the fellow, not impressed.
"He looks pathetic."

"
Well, hiding your strength will help you blend in." Peggy angled a pleading look at him.

Blending was good.
"And less touched?"

"
Definitely," Peggy insisted.

Robert sighed, eager to become good at being inconspicuous. He branded the image of the gent on the page into his mind. At hearing Peggy
's gleeful clapping and laughter, he guessed he'd succeeded. "Better?"

"
Much, much!" She hugged him.

"
I thought it would cause
less
touching." Robert worked her arms off of him.

"
Right! Sorry." She jerked back and hurried to Tyler's side and tormented him with the touching thing, bringing his hand to her lips and giggling while watching her very own human fashion show. Poor little guy.

Peggy shook her head.
"Okay, if we're going to succeed in pulling this off, you all need to study human male mannerisms. So." She turned to the big screen contraption on the wall and started pushing buttons on the handheld device that controlled it. When she reached a series of male images, she froze the screen. "I want you all to take fifteen minutes to study the groove of the current culture. Ready? Go."

They all watched the images flickering across the screen far too quickly for the eye to distinguish and embedded the pertinent information required to master the silliness. Honestly, Robert failed to see what was so fabulous about the groove of those
louts.
He hoped they weren't all picking the same mannerisms. At the end of precisely fifteen minutes, sister shut it off.

"
Five minutes to ingrain." She raised her hand then dropped it. "Go."

Robert tapped into the prefrontal cortex of his brain and routed all of the information he
'd just gathered directly into his posterior parietal cortex and let it process. Almost immediately he felt the difference, his entire musculature and frame slowly moving to adapt to the impulses and nuances he'd just assimilated.

"
Time's up!" She glided up to Robert and took his hand.

Robert spun her around, a brand new impulse. Peggy giggled and followed him in what resembled a choreographed set of movements. Dancing. That
's what it was. "How did you know?" Even he hadn't realized he might enjoy dancing.

"
I cheated." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"
Of course you did." Robert drew her up from a dip, unable to decide whether to be annoyed or pleased. He could well imagine taking great pleasure in the skill, but Peggy should not have taken upon herself to decide which skills to give them all. That was something they should choose individually.

"
I thought it necessary." She grinned mischievously. "So we look like we know each other."

"
Of course you did." Maxwell grinned, obviously not worried what other information their sister had deemed necessary.

"
Oh stop. It's just mannerisms and a couple of simple skills, not your masculine inadequacies." Judging by Peggy's huge smile, she knew all about those too. Wench.

Robert surveyed his body, searching for anything he
'd need to be concerned about. His muscles were thin and taut, not bulging. Inconspicuous. Even his male member seemed to match. Not that it mattered, he didn't plan on using it for anything besides disposing of his body's wastes. A light shudder rolled through him as knowledge of what it could be used for stood on the screen in his mind. He quickly wiped it away, glad he'd never need to know such things. At least they hadn't been asked to demonstrate understanding of that particular set of skills. 

"
What do I do?"

They all turned to Tyler.

He shrugged a little. "I was thinking you might need human bait. Authentic."

Francis snapped.
"Great idea. Definitely."

The idea of Tyler going into that scenario didn
't feel right to Robert. "How unsafe is that?"

"
Nothing will happen to him. I can insure this." Peggy lowered her lashes the looked up to meet all their gazes, perfectly and absolutely positive of her statement.

One thing was certain. Tyler couldn
't be safer than with Peggy as his body guard. And judging by the possessive way she behaved around him, he was definitely stuck with her protection.

"
So all we have to do is learn their schedule, and determine the best time to intervene."

"
Done." Francis dropped into a chair with a conspiratorial smile. "Tomorrow night they're having a Welcome Home party for one of their members getting out of prison. I was thinking we could happen by and join in the fun. Cause just enough disturbance to gain the attention we need but stay under the radar too."  

"
What do you need me to do?"

"
We'll figure that out," Francis said. "But first, we need to go meet with our Fathers. Nothing is set until we get their clearance."

"
Who's going to tell them?" Maxwell sauntered forward in his fancy new self.

It was going to take time to get used to seeing Maxwell so….masculine. He
'd chosen nearly the opposite of what Robert had, muscles pushing at the fibers of his long sleeved aqua dress shirt. Matching blue green eyes below jet black brows and hair made him the perfect human pawing distraction. Robert hid a little smile. He would keep close to Maxwell in the human world to ensure his own invisibility.

Francis shrugged.
"How about all of us?"

"
In our human form?" Peggy looked cheerfully hopeful.

Silence fell as they all contemplated that. There was nothing wrong with their forms, they were just… different. How would the Archangels react? Robert wished he knew in advance.
"May as well get it over with."

"
Get
what
over with?" Max chuckled. "We're more than adults you know and it's not like we're doing anything wrong."

Robert shrugged.
"I know. It's just…"

"
Weird?" Francis offered.

"
I do believe that is the perfect expression."

Peggy sighed and cocked her hip with a hand on it, staring at Robert.
"Couldn't you have picked a different accent? And vocabulary?"

"
What's wrong with my accent and vocabulary?"

"
You sound like a…."

When she struggled for several seconds, Tyler generously offered up the word.
"Snob?" 

She pointed at Robert.
"Yes! A snob." She looked at Tyler. "That means one who thinks they are smarter than most?" Tyler nodded.

Robert held up his hands.
"Too bloody bad. I'm not giving up intellect. Sorry.

Peggy rolled her eyes.
"You're supposed to play the part. Now you'll need to keep quiet. You can't go around sounding like you're from another planet."

"
Not a problem there. I have nothing to say unless it's necessary. And I am certainly capable of discerning the variables in any given scenario, sister. I
am
the Diamond prince."

"
I know, I know." She rolled her eyes. "But why not explore other themes while you have the opportunity, have fun, live a little?"

The female was annoyingly ridiculous.
"This is plenty exploratory for me, thank you."

****

Francis used his cell phone to call his father. They all had one now and had orders to get used to communicating by human means in order to keep a low profile. At the compound there was no one else to keep a low profile from, but the idea was to get in the habit of using the cell phones so when they were out in the world, they didn't look technologically challenged. "Dad?"

"
Yes, you've reached your dad, and I hate these damn things. What's up? You okay?"

Francis couldn
't agree more about the cell phones. Confounding pain in the ass. "Yeah, I just wondered if we could call a meeting." He held his breath.

"
Everything okay?"

"
Um, yes. Me and the others have something we wanted to run by the Brotherhood." Francis tried not to hold his breath again since it made him sound odd, and kind of guilty.

"
Oh, yes, sure." Kassern sounded relieved. "Now?"

"
If that's possible."

"
Okay. I'll contact the Brothers and let you know when." His father sounded a little distracted, as if his thoughts were already elsewhere. Hopefully things were okay with Karly.

"
Alright. I'll wait for your call back."

Kassern sighed.
"If I can remember how this contraption works."

Francis smiled.
"I'm sure you'll get it."

"
Thanks for the confidence."

"
Duh. You're the Ruby Warrior, dad."

He laughed and the sound warmed Francis to his toes.
"Duh? You're starting to sound like a real live human
dude.
"

It was Francis
' turn to laugh. "Dude. That's a good one."

"
I take after my amazing son."

Francis thought his face would break with his huge smile.
"And I take after my amazing father."

"
Fair enough. I'll call you soon, be watching."

"
Okay."

"
How do you turn this thing off?" Kassern mumbled in the background.

Francis stayed on, listening, partly for his own information, and partly for entertainment. His parents had a lot of real fun together and he liked hearing them.

"The talk button." Karly's smile came through her voice.

"
Talk button? Why not have a stop talking button?"

"
Maybe when you're done saving the world, you can save the cell phone companies from this ruin."

"
Very funny."

Francis grinned as the connection was finally cut. 

Chapter Twenty-Three                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Miya lay on her side watching Lesedi sleep. Her muscles ached deliciously in places she hadn
't realized existed. Memory of discovering those places sent heat rushing to her cheeks. Over the past few hours, she'd done things she never believed she would personally experience.

Time with Lesedi proved the naysayers wrong. He was every inch the kind of man that her favorite authors wrote about. Pity her friends would never find out men like that really did exist. Her determination not to settle for less had paid off because now she had the man of her dreams.

She really should get up and shower and then find them something to eat. Earlier she'd attempted to, but Lesedi woke as she got out of bed and convinced her to wait. How many times had they made love? She'd lost count, but she'd learned several incredible things and Lesedi was a great teacher. He seemed to automatically know what she needed and when.

The contours of his chest tempted her mercilessly to touch and stroke when she tried to slip out of bed without waking him. Finally she succeeded in getting her feet on the floor and her body upright. She stood for a long moment watching Lesedi, tempted to slide back into his arms and wake him. The loud growl of her belly reminded her why she
'd worked so hard to get up.

Almost regretfully, she went to the bathroom and donned the fluffy robe she
'd worn after her shower. She eyed the unbelievable bathtub and her priorities nearly shifted with the promise of the best bath of her life. She could wait.

With the weight of her world-saving obligation heavy on her shoulders, she hadn
't bothered to tour their quarters when they first came in. Now, with the consummation accomplished, she could slow down to enjoy.

The floor tile resembled marble, but with richer color, and the walls had slightly roughened surfaces, almost like poorly applied plaster that hadn
't been sanded. Like deep jewel tones slightly muted with a sort of glazing over it. The whole place was gorgeous, and whoever put it together left possibilities for her to put her own touch.

The full gourmet kitchen had every appliance imaginable, some of which she had no clue of their function. She spied the one thing she did know. The coffee maker. Even though it was a far more sophisticated model than she was accustomed to, she recognized the pertinent parts that would give her the go-go juice she was accustomed to having.

But wow, the options. After a moment she finally found the coffee option—a selection of unground beans in various flavors and blends. Hello fancy pants. She finally selected a bean and managed to get the grinder attachment of the coffee maker to work. The coffee machine began spewing clouds of aromatic steam and Miya grinned like a teenager at graduation.

With the coffee conquered, Miya got busy searching out breakfast. The only issue was settling on one of the many available options. Omelets? Mmmm. She pulled out eggs, along with ham, cheddar, and mushrooms to add to it.

The shower came on beside the bedroom, and Miya's stomach flipped several times. He was awake. Why was she suddenly so damn nervous? She arranged the plates and dishes just so. Coffee cup. She hurried to the cabinet and found what seemed to be diamond cups and saucers that matched the plates. Gorgeous. She put the cup and saucer down. Was he left-handed or right? She tried to remember him doing stuff. Her stomach jerked when she remembered him stroking his…yeah. Left-handed. Okay.

She fanned her cheeks and set the place for a left-handed person. She set her side next. Should she sit next to him? Or across? Across would seem less…clingy. She hurried to lay her
place across from him, wanting to have it all done before he showed up. Shit, she wished she'd changed now. What else. Juice.

She dashed to the fridge and got the cut diamond looking carafe that held orange juice and set it exactly in between them. Then closer to his side. So he didn
't have to stretch.

Hope he didn
't have some sort of food allergy. It would suck to feed him something that made him swell up like a whale. Or die.

Ten minutes after she started, she put the finishing touches on the table by adding a jar of fresh-looking salsa to the little tray of condiments at one side.

With everything ready, she listened for the shower, almost surprised it still ran. He really believed in taking his time. Maybe she should change. But the robe said
I'm comfortable and not nervous.
Yeah. Definitely the message to give.

She knocked at the bathroom door, then entered.
"Hey, sleepy head, breakfast is on the table."

The glass shower door slid silently into the thick smoky black wall. Holy shit. Lesedi stood, breathtaking contours covered with that gorgeous dark skin glistening with water droplets. She
'd forgotten exactly how stunning he was. Miya wanted to lick each and every drop of water away. He gave a slow grin and turned, dripping, to brace his arms across the thick stone opening in a way that accentuated his abs and massive erection.

Miya took a slow trembling breath and licked her lips. What was she doing there again?
"Breakfast." That was it. "I made breakfast."

His grin broadened.
"Good. I need fuel in order to have the strength to do all the things I plan to do to you." The gravelly, sexy tone of his voice sent heat roaring through her body, already preparing her for him again.

She struggled to find her voice and he chuckled in response, seeming to enjoy that. She finally managed.
"It's a good thing I made plenty, then." Shit. Her nerves always somehow managed to overrule her common sense and her mouth. The last thing she'd intended was to taunt him into doing anything.

He stepped out of the shower and approached her with a swagger that promised many things. When his chest touched the front of her robe, and through it, her aching nipples, he halted and looked down at her without lowering his head, reminding her of a predator about to pounce.
"Yes, it is a good thing."

He took hold of the lapels of her robe and tugged them back until it opened, revealing her to his sharp gaze.
"Take it off." Rather than wait for her to comply, he shoved the robe over her shoulders and down to let it fall to the floor. "This is too beautiful to cover." He swept his palms over her ribs. "I want to see you while I eat the food you prepared for me."

Not waiting for a reply, he took her arm and led her from the bathroom and back toward the kitchen. Who
'd have thought just making breakfast for the man might get her in so much trouble? Even so, her inner muscles tightened in anticipation.

Lesedi paused beside the table and whistled softly between his teeth. He drew the chair out for Miya.

"Oh, but…this is your spot."

He grinned and guided her shoulders into the chair anyway.
"It is a very lovely spot. And should belong to my queen."

Her heart fluttered at his words and the urge to argue vanished when his palms brushed along her nipples as he straightened. She jumped and he smiled before seating himself at her place across the table. He had to reach across his body for his cup before he took a sip of his
coffee, eying her across the rim of the mug.

"
If you were sitting here, your cup would be where it belonged."

His hand froze for a second on its way to the table.
"You are a most observant queen. I too have learned some things about you."

She didn
't know what to say to that, so she decided to only smile. Then came the waiting for the verdict. She hoped the food wasn't too cold. Silent and without looking, he unfolded his napkin and picked up his fork. He even managed to cut and pick up a bite of his omelet without taking his gaze from her face.

She mindlessly stirred her own food with her fork, trying not to stare while watching his reaction from under her lashes. What if he was one of those guys who hated everything except his momma
's cooking? Or some kind of gourmet food critic or something? He wasn't smiling, or even blinking, as he brought the fork again to his mouth. He chewed slowly, still without changing expression. And swallowed.

Shit. Miya quickly took a bite herself to discover what was wrong with the food. She chewed carefully. It was delicious as far as she could tell. He continued taking bite after silent ominous bite and she just waited and waited for something. Anything. But what she got was nothing. Zilch. How could anyone possibly do that?

She bit her tongue to keep from asking if the food was okay. No one needed to tell her the fluffy, tender, and savory omelet was perfect. Not like she needed his approval. But a little display of gratitude would be nice. And a lot less rude.

By the time her omelet was half gone her confidence in her ability as a cook was completely restored.

The soft click of Lesedi's fork on his plate drew her attention first to his empty dish, then to his eyes, practically glowing with mirth. His smile stole her breath with its sensual heat. "I am ready for dessert."

Dessert! It
's fucking breakfast! He was taking this King Queen shit a little far. Self-annoyed heat flowed into her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't think to fix a dessert."

Lesedi stood, half-erect cock on full display, and began removing dishes from the table.
"The dessert I hunger for requires no preparation." With the table cleared, he stopped by her chair and drew Miya up and into his embrace. His hot skin against hers was almost a shock to the system but it felt too good not to let it convert her anger to the possibility of desire.

He tipped her head back with one finger under her chin and settled a kiss to her mouth that marked her soul all over again with his possession. His tongue swept across her lower lip before sucking it gently between his teeth for a slight nip that set her pulse pounding in all the spots where his heat had settled. Her little moan of surrender softened his mouth into a smile against her lips and he drew her even tighter to him.

His palms skimmed down over the back of her shoulders, waist, and hips to slip under her ass cheeks and pull her pelvis tight against him. At the same time, he rocked his hips forward to press his erection to her belly. After a few massaging strokes of her butt, he let his hands begin to move upward while he continued to plunder her mouth.

He stopped to measure her ribcage with gentle but firm pressure, stroking fingertips over the contours of bone. His hands felt so strong like that, as if he could just crush her ribs with a thought. Maybe the vulnerability should alarm her but it didn
't. Oddly, it comforted her. She didn't need to be the strong one with him. He had plenty of strength for both of them, and the concept made her feel more feminine.

Miya relaxed a bit more into his strength and gave herself over to his plans, content in the
knowledge he would see to her satisfaction. Had that been the missing element with earlier relationships? She just hadn't met a man she trusted to please her? Somehow that didn't feel like the entire answer.

Lesedi slid his hands up to cup the undersides of her breasts and drew her full attention back to him. She decided the prospect of becoming an active participant interested her a great deal. Then he brushed his thumbs across the tips of her nipples and robbed her of the ability to think, much less participate.

Her nails dug into his shoulder in reaction to the incredible sensations he created with his touch. The feel of his skin giving way, then welting under the pressure of her nails intoxicated her. She lessened her assault and scraped her nails over his back, thrilled with his groan.

She swept her hands lower until her fingers encountered the little triangle of silky hair at the base of his spine. One finger dipped into the crevice just below, drawing a startled gasp from him. Did that mean he liked it? Or not? Damn, she wished she knew a little more about real men and their likes and dislikes. Maybe then she wouldn
't unintentionally cross some mysterious line and anger him like she had when she asked about positions.

Should she just ask?
"Lesedi?"

He took advantage of her momentary distraction to move his mouth down her neck and over her chest to the top curve of her breasts.
"Hmm?" He continued without hesitation, teasing the sensitive flesh with his teeth and tongue, nibbling and licking ever closer to her nipple.

She had to think hard to remember what she was supposed to ask.
"How… Um, how…" How the hell was she supposed to ask a question like that?

"
Yes?" His lips tugged gently at her nipple and sent a shockwave of heat crashing through her body and mind, wiping away whatever she'd been thinking.