That Which Survives Read online

  Senna ran her hands across his shoulders then pushed away and sat up. Ryan reached for her but she pushed his hands down to his sides and began to undress him.

  He was a very attractive man who had not let himself go. She liked the way he looked without his clothes. When he was nude, she pushed him back and lay on top of him. For a few minutes they kissed and fondled one another, and then she sat up again. “Be right back,” she said.

  She went into the bathroom and found a bottle of massage oil she had left under the sink the last time she was there. She wet a bathcloth and took both items with her. When she returned to the den, Ryan was lying on the couch waiting. She straddled his legs, opened the bottle of oil, and poured a thin stream into her hand. She watched him as she set the bottle aside, seeing the excitement in his eyes.

  He closed his eyes and arched as she took him in her oily hands. For a few seconds she closed her eyes, operating solely on touch. Unbidden, a vision of Konnor Chase came into her mind. It was his body beneath her, his erect staff she caressed. The daydream caused a sudden rise in her temperature and an unfamiliar heaviness in her breasts and sex.

  Ryan moaned in pleasure and the moment was gone. She opened her eyes, focusing on giving him pleasure. She watched him, noting the mounting tension in his body. When she felt a slight tremble in his body, she quickly cleaned the oil from him. She slipped a condom on him then mounted him.

  He groaned as she moved up and down on his erection. His hands reached for her waist to control her rhythm. It was unhurried and even at first, and then his tempo increased. She moved with him for a few moments then forced him to slow.

  “Christ, you’re good,” he groaned as she started her slow rise and fall again.

  She didn’t speak but maintained her rhythm. She knew she could carry him to the brink many times before she let him finish, just as she knew that that was exactly what he wanted. Often she had wondered how it would feel, such sublime torture. Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing. She had never experienced an orgasm from the act of intercourse. The only basis of comparison she had was the climax she could reach alone, and somehow she felt that was not the same.

  Her tempo increased and his hands tightened on her waist again. This time when she felt the vibration run through him, she didn’t slow. A moment later she felt his release. Settling down on him, she held him within her until the moment passed. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. She smiled. She knew he wanted to hear her say that she enjoyed it as much as he did. But she also knew that by now he had learned that she never spoke after they made love.

  She leaned down, gave him a slow kiss, then got up and gathered her clothes. She took them into the bathroom, cleaned up and dressed. Ryan was pulling on his pants when she entered the den. “I better go,” she said as she reached for her purse. “I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on.”

  “You don’t have to go,” he said as he zipped his pants. “You can work here and leave in the morning.”

  “Not tonight. I need to check on Min. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Pick you up at six?” he asked as he walked her to the door.

  “I’ll look forward to it.” She gave him one last kiss and left. As soon as she got in her car she pulled out her cell phone to check her messages. There was one from Min, asking her to come for breakfast. There was one other message. As she listened to it a frown appeared on her face. It lasted only a moment then was gone. Starting the car, she pulled away from the apartment.

  Chapter Four

  Kitaro turned and looked at the woman who lay on the bed watching him. He was not embarrassed by his nudity. His body was like everything else around him, something he had shaped and perfected so that like the priceless works of art, he too, was flawless. He reveled in his own perfection and in that of the woman who waited for him on the silk sheets.

  With a glass of wine in each hand, he returned to the bed. She sat as he offered her a glass and the black silk slid down, revealing her nudity. Kitaro’s dark eyes traveled the length of her body. She was perfect.. It was not merely her appearance. Her passion was like the fires of an inferno. She thrived on the pleasures he gave her and he thrived on the giving.

  “Ummm,” she purred as she sampled the wine. “Sweet.”

  He smiled and raised his glass to drink but she stayed his hand. “Have some of mine.”

  Tilting her head back, she poured a thin stream of wine. It flowed down her body like a glistening stream of blood. Kitaro’s smile transformed into a look of hunger. Placing his glass on the nightstand, he leaned over and lapped at the crimson stream that marred her smooth skin.

  She made a sound of pleasure deep in her throat as he moved down her body. When he reached the juncture of her thighs she wound her fingers in his long hair and arched against his questing tongue. He inhaled the sweetness of her, savoring the smell and taste of her.

  Her breath came faster as his actions carried her closer to the moment of release. Just as she was about to crest, he raised his head to look at her. Her face wore a look of such intense need, that it fueled his own hunger. “Now,” she growled, her voice deep and husky.

  He knew what she wanted and he wanted nothing more than to give. Sitting back on his heels, he pulled her to him in the same motion, burying himself in her wet center. She moaned as his hands moved to her breasts, then cried out softly as his fingers toyed roughly with her tender nipples.

  Opening her eyes, she looked into his. He knew she could see his desire. As if their minds were one, she moved her hands down her body. His eyes followed their path. When he saw her part the soft hair and tease the swollen tissue that lay hidden, he was almost robbed of control.

  As if sensing it, she paused the undulating motion of her hips. Inner muscles held him tight and immobile until control was restored. Then she began again. Like a wave lapping at the shore, her core drew him deeper, over and over, a pulsing stroke. Again her fingers moved to her folds. He could feel a vibration run through her before he saw the trembling muscles beneath her skin. Ramming deep and fast inside her, he abandoned all control. She cried out in pleasure and together they rode the wave.

  After a time, Kitaro lay down and cradled her against him. They were both damp with perspiration and the smell of their lovemaking mixed with the scent of the candles that lit the room. She looked up at him as she traced her fingertips over his chest and he smiled.

  “I’ve missed you,” she whispered. Why did you stay away so long?”

  “It was necessary.”

  “Can I stay with you?”

  “Not yet.” He untangled himself from her arms. “We still have much to do.”

  She frowned as he rose from the bed. “That’s what you said last time. Why do you keep putting me off?”

  “I will not turn from the path I have set upon. Not even for you, my treasure. Together we will see our plans manifest at last.”

  She flowed and slung her hair back as she got off the bed. “Plan, plan, plan! It’s always the damned plan! Well, maybe I don’t care about your plan anymore. Maybe this time I’ll be the one who walks out and then you can see your plan come alive all by yourself.”

  A hand as hard as steel and soft as velvet took hold of her arm and turned her. “You will never walk out on me,” he said in a whisper. “It is your destiny to walk this path with me. It is your duty to obey me. I must ensure that he does not succeed, for if he does, all will be lost. There is too much at stake, too many lives. Would you put your selfish needs ahead of so many?”

  She dropped her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. You know I’ll help you. I couldn’t say no. Not ever. Not to you. I’ll do anything you ask.”

  Kitaro pulled her against him. “My treasure. One day your loyalty will be rewarded. I promise you. But for now, there is something you must do.”

  She pulled back and looked at him curiously. He smiled. “Now listen carefully.”

  * * * * *

  Southwest Union Co
unty

  Jackson Township

  Konnor opened the back door of his house and walked inside. Immediately he knew he was not alone. He didn’t bother to turn on a light. He didn’t need to. He could see the house in his mind. He didn’t need to rely on his eyes.

  On silent feet he made his way from the kitchen to the den. His senses picked up the smell of stale cigarette smoke. “Hello, Slater,” he spoke a moment before turning on the lamp beside the couch.

  Bruce Slater smiled at him from the recliner. “It’s been a while, Chase.”

  “Not long enough.” Konnor checked out the room. “Where’re your boys?”

  “Around.” Slater lit a cigarette and exhaled contentedly. “How about a drink?”

  “How about you get the hell out of my house—and my life?” Konnor asked in return.

  “Before you find out why I’m here?” Slater chuckled. “Come on, Chase, admit it. You’re curious.”

  “Okay, I’m curious.” Konnor took a seat on the couch. “But not enough to get tangled up with you again.”

  “Is that any way to talk?” Slater put on a face of mock distress. “After all I’ve done for you?”

  Konnor made no comment. He was not fooled by Slater’s act. Something was up and it had to be big for Slater to seek him out. “What is it this time, Slater?”

  “Remember that work you did in the Middle East a few years back?”

  Konnor remembered all too well. He had been sent in to locate and take possession of certain documents the agency believed the Iraqis had on some new weapon. That assignment had cost him six months of lost memories.

  He had been in the country almost two months and was closing in on the location of the documents. The last thing he remembered was going to meet a contact outside of Al Basrah, and then waking up in Syria to discover that six months had passed and he couldn’t remember a moment of it.

  He had made contact with Slater and was directed to go back in. The people at the top had given top priority to retrieving the information. He made it back inside Iraq and after three weeks managed to break into a government facility and liberate the documents. The problem was, the Iraqis had either anticipated such a move or had been waiting for him. He just barely escaped. After two weeks of hiding and running, two gunshot wounds and damn near starving, he made it to Kuwait. He knew then that he couldn’t quit. Not until he found the rest of the puzzle.

  He went back to Iraq in the middle of the war, and with the help of contacts in the Middle East managed to infiltrate a terrorist group that was said to have close ties with the government. For nearly a year he lived with them, checking every lead he found, pursuing every rumor. Finally he had to admit defeat. There was no secret weapon. If there had been, the Iraqis would have used it during the war.

  Unfortunately, he decided to get out a day too late. That night a dozen soldiers were sent for him. His cover had been blown. He spent six weeks in an Iraqi prison and would have died there if it hadn’t been for the unexpected appearance of someone from his past.

  He didn’t return to the States. Instead he headed for China where he spent the next three years. When he finally returned home, he went to Slater and told him he was out for good. He walked out and didn’t look back. Now he realized that Slater had let him walk. If he had needed him at the time, he would not have let him go.

  After a long silence he nodded. “What about it?”

  “It seems we were wrong.” Slater flicked his cigarette into the fireplace. “New information has surfaced.”

  Konnor didn’t believe it. “That’s a dead horse. Quit kicking it.”

  “Asleep maybe,” Slater leaned forward in his chair, “but not dead. You ever hear of Walter Van Dorne?”

  Konnor frowned and shook his head. “Should I?”

  “Van Dorne was considered one of the most brilliant minds of his time in the field of quantum mechanics.”

  “And?”

  “And he was working for the other side.”

  “And?” Konnor knew there had to be more.

  “And he wasn’t alone.”

  “You want to get to the point?”

  Slater stood and walked over to stand in front of Konnor. “We need you.”

  Konnor shook his head and stood to face Slater. “Like I told you a long time ago. I’m out.”

  Slater laughed. “Son, like I told you a long time ago, once you’re with the agency, you’re never out.”

  “Then let’s just say that I’m sitting out this dance.”

  “I don’t think you get it, Chance. This is not just some nuke we’re talking about. This is something that could permanently sway the balance of power of the entire world. We have part of the puzzle, but so does the other side. There’s a chunk missing and whoever figures it out wins the whole enchilada. We have to win.”

  Konnor didn’t want to listen, he didn’t want to have to admit that Slater was right, but he could not deny it. They could not afford to lose. “Why me? he asked, giving in without admitting it.

  “’Cause you’re the best. And we can’t afford to use anything less.”

  “Where do I start?”

  “Right here.”

  Konnor was shocked. “Here? In Charlotte?”

  Slater nodded and gestured toward the kitchen. “Think you can find me a drink while I brief you?”

  “Might as well.” Konnor led the way. Like it or not, he was back in.

  * * * * *

  Myers Park, Charlotte NC

  Senna rolled over and blinked as the persistent buzz of the phone filtered through to her. She looked at the clock. “Oh shit!” She sat straight up, only to find that she was fully dressed, in the outfit she had worn yesterday, lying on top of the made bed.

  “Damn! She grabbed the phone.

  “Good afternoon.” Minora’s voice, as always, was warm and cheerful. “You missed breakfast.”

  “Oh, Min, I’m sorry.” Senna kicked off her shoes and started peeling off her clothes, the phone clutched between her ear and shoulder. “I can’t believe I slept so long. I don’t know what to say. I fell in a black hole or something.”

  “That’s all right, dear. I remember how it is to be young. I was once myself, you know. And you did get in very late.”

  Senna grinned at the remark. Minora considered ten o’clock to be late. She had always been one of those people who went to bed early and rose at the crack of dawn. Senna wondered what Minora had been doing up when she got home. She’d left Ryan’s a little after eleven, so it had to be close to midnight when she got home.

  “So, do you have plans?” Minora asked.

  “Tonight, yes. I’m going to a party at one of Ryan’s friends. But I’m free this afternoon. Want to do something?”

  “Actually, I would. How would you feel about taking an old lady shopping?”

  “An old lady? No, I don’t think so,” Senna teased. “But I’d love to take you. How about I meet you at the house in an hour?”

  “That would be lovely, dear. I’ll be ready.”

  Senna tossed the cordless phone on the bed and went into the bathroom to shower. She couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep fully dressed, shoes and all. Then she remembered. She’d had a slight headache when she got home. She lay down on the bed, thinking she would get up and take a shower in a few minutes. She must have drifted off to sleep. Even now she felt like she could go back to bed and be asleep in a wink.

  Thinking that a good hot shower would wake her up, she stepped under the water.

  * * * * *

  Ballantyne, Charlotte

  Paige walked into the kitchen where Aaron was busy chopping chives for his special vegetable dip. She leaned against the doorframe and watched. Getting involved with Aaron had been a wise move. He was smart, ambitious, well connected, and above all, wealthy. The only son of a prominent family, he would inherit the entire fortune when the old man died.

  The one irritating failing Aaron had was his own overinflated opinion of himself. He co
nsidered himself quite a catch. The idea that Paige didn’t really love him had never entered his vain mind. That suited her fine. While she would never love Aaron, she had no intention of cutting him loose. At least until she was sure she didn’t need him. But the lack of passion in their relationship was proving to be a big problem for her. She was a very physical person and found it difficult to curb her natural inclinations and passions.

  As much as she hated to admit it, the real fly in the ointment was her attraction to Ryan. Before she and Ryan became partners she had pretty much accepted that she and Aaron would never have one of those relationships in which the sexual aspects were the most exciting parts. She had never let Aaron know how dissatisfied she was with their sex life. That might spell the end of them and she was smart enough not to upset the apple cart until it was to her advantage.

  But Ryan made her blood race. She had no doubt that sex with him would be hot and exciting. The problem was, he never seemed to get the hints she dropped. And she had dropped quite a few. Either he was exceedingly dense, or that Laserian woman had a very tight leash on him.

  Thoughts of Senna brought a frown to her face. She didn’t care for Senna’s highbrow, intellectual superiority, and she didn’t think Senna was half as hot as all the men she knew did. Even Aaron thought she was fantastic—beautiful, a great body, and brains to spare.

  Paige had to admit that the way men looked at Senna made her jealous. She was accustomed to being the center of attention and she didn’t like anyone stealing her thunder. An idea occurred to her, bringing a brilliant smile to her face.

  “Hey, handsome.” She moved up behind Aaron and nipped his earlobe.

  “Hey, yourself.” He smiled and turned his head to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “Need any help?” she asked, knowing full well that he hated to have her in his kitchen.

  “No, thanks, I’ve got it under control. I’m just throwing together a few favorites to go along with what the caterers are bringing.”