She snuggled against his side.Del knew he should be getting her something to eat and then getting down to business, finding out what Henderson needed him to do.But for right now, it was sweet just to lay next to her, soaking in the quiet hum of her thoughts.He couldn’t decipher exactly what she was thinking, like soft voices in a neighboring room, a seashell murmur.
“Anton.”A sharp flare of complex feeling burst between them.Del smothered a flash of mixed fear and adrenaline; her reaction was tinted orange with… what?Determination?It felt a little off, but she’d just been through the wringer.“Where is he?”
Del shut his eyes.I would really rather not remember.“Zero-Fifteen.”He shuddered.“The worst Sig installation in the country.”The deep nerve center of the rabid octopus that was Standard Integrative Intelligence Growth and Management Agency.Otherwise known as the Black Hole.
Otherwise known as hell.The place where people died, transformed into brain-shattered hulks of Zed addiction and psychic talent.
“Where’s that?”
“New Mexico.”Don’t ask me any more.Please, angel, I don’t want to think about that place.
She didn’t.Instead, she sighed.“We should get cleaned up and get some breakfast.Henderson will want to see us.”
Are you kidding?This is the first time we’ve been alone, really alone, in months.And you’re not in any condition to start wearing yourself out again.You’re still backlashed from facing down Carson.“If there was an emergency, they’d tell us.”
“I’m hungry.”But she didn’t move.Her fingertips traced his jaw, rasping against stubble.“I’m glad you’re here.I thought you were angry, that you didn’t want anything more to do with me.”
“Good God, no.How the hell did you get that idea?”Is that what she was thinking?Jesus.
“I just… You seemed so distant.”
“Me?”He could literally feel his jaw dropping.All he wanted was to get as close to her as possible, for as long as possible.
“Yes, you.”Her soft laugh made him extremely aware that they were indeed alone, lying on a bed, with no pressing emergency happening, no scramble to survive or get to the next hiding place.It was as near to heaven as he had ever wanted to get.
Well, maybe he could get alittlenearer.But she was right.They both needed food, and he could feel her headache in his own skull.Now wasn’t the time to show her just how happy he was to be next to her.
Though he was very,verytempted to see if she still made the same sound when he buried himself in her.He wanted to find out if she still tasted like sunshine, if she would still arch her back and cry out softly when he let his fingers do the walking, and most of all he wanted to find out if it was, like kissing her, better than he remembered.
Still, they were both exhausted, and she felt like her head was going to fall off from the aftereffects of Carson’s psychic attack.He himself was nowhere near fit enough to indulge in any heart-pounding bed games.
But Goddamnit.If his heart gave out he’d die happy, but he hadn’t done even a quarter of what he wanted to do with her yet.“Distance is the last thing on my mind, angel.”
She sighed, her fingers sliding down to the place in his throat where his pulse beat, leaping out to meet her touch.“We should get breakfast.”
“In a few minutes.”If I can’t have you right now, just give me a few more seconds of having you next to me like this.
“All right.”She made no attempt to move, and for that brief precious span of time, Del was content.
CHAPTER21
Breakfast was more like lunch,and a hurried meal besides.The new Headquarters was familiar to Rowan, since she had visited several times while getting everything ready for the grand move-in.As soon as they showed up to the half-gutted industrial-size kitchen, she and Justin were greeted by Tamara pushing bowls of sesame chicken with jasmine rice, chickpeas, and greens at them.
“Eat,” the tall redhead said briskly, “then go up and see Henderson.He’s in the west wing.There’s something heating up.”
“I told you.”Justin let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a derisive snort.“If it was an emergency, they would have battered the door down.”
“Not bloody likely.”Tamara pushed a lock of coppery hair back and grinned.“You two needed a little alone-time.Welcome back, Del.”
“Thanks.”He sounded genuinely surprised, and Rowan had to hide a smile.Being scattered around without the benefit of Headquarters had at least gotten rid of some of the fear.Nobody had realized just how much they depended on his cold professionalism until they were on their own.
The less they treated him like a pariah, the better.
“Good God, who’s doing the renovations in here?”Rowan examined the mess—exposed studs and a pile of lumber, cans of paint and drop cloths, stacks of tiles.She shook her hand; her wrist felt a little tender, but not bad.“Did Boomer get called away in the middle of everything again?”
“No, it’s actually pretty close to being done, just looks bad.Eleanor brought a bunch of the newbies back from Calgary and six teams came in, so there’s no shortage of hands.And Yoshi just accessed and drained the old resource net, we’re actually sitting pretty when it comes to supplies.Good thing, too.I was getting tired of eating oatmeal and beans.”
Rowan made a face, took a spoonful of chicken.Tamara was by far the best cook they had.“Is there coffee?Oh, good.So everyone’s coming in?”
