Solar Seduction Page 7

  “It’s coming so fast,” she breathed against his throat. “Oh, shit!”

  He felt her climax and let his own loose. Together they came, but before it was over, Zane pushed her back onto the lounge and kept pounding into her, making them both ride out the pleasure till the end. Once it was over, he dropped on top of her, both of them were breathing hard and fast.

  “Is it always going to be like this?” she asked.

  “I hope so,” he answered.

  Chapter Six

  “She is not on Mars, not on Pluto, and now you’re telling me that it doesn’t look like she’s on Earth, either. So where the hell is she!” Sedgwick yelled, tossing his glass of brandy against the wall. It shattered, liquid going all over the place. “She just doesn’t disappear.”

  Preston didn’t lose his cool one bit. He stood in the middle of Sedgwick’s office still as a statue, but his eyes watched everything. He didn’t want to tell the man that he was having a hard time in finding Kalisha. Never had Preston not been able to find someone when he started looking for them.

  “I don’t know where else to look,” Preston said. “She has to be on Pluto.”

  “Yeah, well, then please tell me where?” Sedgwick snapped. “Because all of my contacts tell me differently.”

  “And what do your contacts tell you?” Sedgwick narrowed his eyes on Preston but kept his mouth shut. “That’s what I thought.”

  “Don’t stand there acting like this shit isn’t bothering you,” Sedgwick snapped. “Your name is on that list also.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that small fact. A fact that I still don’t understand the why of it.” Sedgwick began to pace the room again and Preston watched his every move. After a few times back and forth he glanced at Preston. “Black mail really isn’t your thing.”

  Sedgwick stopped his pacing. “I don’t black mail.”

  “Then what would you call it? You’re the only one who has a paper trail on any of us. And I don’t like it.”

  Slowly, the color in Sedgwick’s face began to drain. Preston kept his eyes fixed on the man and didn’t move until he did. Sedgwick made a dash for the door, and Preston was right behind him. He quickly covered Sedgwick’s mouth with his hand and pushed the knife he brought out of his back pocket, into Sedgwick. Preston shoved it in as far as it would go right under Sedgwick’s arm. Sedgwick’s eyes widened.

  “Please don’t worry about your little girl,” Preston whispered in Sedgwick’s ear. “I’ll take real good care of her, personally.” With a final twist of his knife, Sedgwick slowly fell to the floor at Preston’s feet.

  Preston rolled his head, across his shoulders and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He released any tension he might still have at the same time. Slowly, bending over, he cleaned his knife on Sedgwick’s jacket and put it back. Straightening back up, he shoved the body away with his foot, opened the door and walked out. Outside the front door one of his men was waiting for him to finish the job.

  “Burn it,” he told him, then he slid into the back seat of his car.

  * * *

  A month had flown by way too quickly for Zane. He didn’t want his time on Jupiter to end, but knew that it must. After all, his stay on the planet wasn’t supposed to be for the full three months of their honeymoon, just a few weeks until she healed, and they had a plan. Only one of those things had happened. The healing part had been accomplished. Now, he had to tell her that they were going to have to leave soon, but where could they go? Not one of their three options felt safe enough. It didn’t seem like they were going to have much of a choice either.

  Jovan called once a week, but their talks didn’t last long because Jovan didn’t want anyone to try and trace the call. Jovan said that things had been quiet, almost too quiet. No one seemed to be following him or Kade and he hadn’t heard a damn thing from Sedgwick, making them all very nervous. In fact, Jovan said that no one seemed to even know where the man was. It’s almost as if he just disappeared. Zane knew differently. The man was out there trying to figure out where Kalisha was hiding. He just hoped the man didn’t figure it out.

  The last week of their stay finally came. Zane had to tell her they were going to have to pack up to leave. She didn’t like it any more than he did. He pointed out they didn’t have much of a choice. Jupiter was a planet for mining. It was not designed for the tourist trade. Zane’s friend, whom he borrowed the place from, was going to be heading this way for his own vacation. So they needed to leave.

  Just as Zane was going into the kitchen to fix them something to eat, while Kalisha soaked in the tub, his phone rang. Another check in call from Jovan. Detouring his steps from the kitchen to the open living space, he dropped down in a lounge chair and pressed the answer button.

  “Hey buddy, how are things going?” Zane answered with a smile.

  “Not as good as what I bet your time is.”

  “Something wrong?” Zane sat up on the chair, his gut dropping. Maybe they were finally found and now he was going to have to get the hell out of here fast.

  Jovan sighed. “Yeah, something big.”

  “They found us?”

  “No!” Jovan rushed out. “Not that. I know where Sedgwick is.”

  “Where?”

  “He’s dead.”

  Zane’s gut did drop then. He slumped back in the chair, and put his hand up to his face. “Shit,” he hissed

  “Oh, it only gets better. You remember Kade’s good old friend, Preston Bernard?”

  “Yeah, I remember him.”

  “Well, he’s also come out of hiding and is causing a shit load of trouble.”

  “Such as?”

  “Noah Mya called me late last night. He’s on Earth, working on some of the trouble that Sedgwick had started, trying to clean up a few messes and such. Anyway, he called me to ask if I knew where you or Kalisha were. And before you say anything I said no, had no clue where you were, only that you were gone on your honeymoon.”

  “What’s this got to do with Bernard?” Zane asked.

  “Well, Noah told me that Bernard was at the meeting, or more like hovering in the dark. He didn’t speak to Noah so much as he just smiled. When Noah was heading home he passed a lot of fire trucks and had his driver follow them. This happened a few days ago. Noah has only now been able to get ahold of me. I’ve been super busy.”

  “Okay, I’m lost. What does any of this have to do with Sedgwick?”

  “His house was on fire. The trucks that Noah passed were heading to his home on Earth and they found a body in it.”

  “Shit,” Zane sighed.

  “But he didn’t die from the fire. He was stabbed.”

  “And you think Bernard did it?”

  “Noah does. He says the man is colder than ice and wouldn’t doubt he was capable of it. He wants all of us to watch our backs. If Bernard did kill his partner then that means—”

  “He’s willing to kill anyone and destroy anything that gets in his way,” Zane finished.

  “Noah also got a letter, this morning. Wasn’t signed, no postage, just a message for you.”

  “Which is what?”

  “He wants the list.”

  “List?”

  “Zane, I talked to Sorsha this morning. She told me that Kalisha broke into her father’s safe and took two things out, one she gave to Sorcha and we have it still.”

  “Yeah, blackmail stuff and other information he had on the Senate to get what he wanted.”

  “Right, which will result in an open investigation on his corruption. But we don’t have the second thing she took. Sorcha said Kalisha kept it.”

  Zane thought for a moment then scratched his chin. “Jovan, I haven’t seen any list. When I found her she was pretty much naked from the waist up.”

  “Zane, she has to have this list, or she has to know what’s on it. If Bernard had it then they wouldn’t be hunting for her now. As long as it’s out there, she’s going to stay in danger.”

  “What do you th
ink is on this list?”

  “I don’t know, but it has to be something very important if Bernard killed his partner because of it.”

  Zane sighed and rubbed his face, “Shit, man. What should I do?”

  “You need to ask her about it.”

  “What’s your gut tell you is on this thing?”

  “Noah thinks it has every name of the Deity on it. And with those names the members can be exposed and taken out of power, and we know they hold power.”

  “This is getting dangerous. You don’t want to fuck with the Deity.”

  “The rules are changing. This is no longer just about keeping our women safe. This is about protecting our way of life. If the Deity isn’t stopped then Pluto loses everything.”

  “And it all rests on her shoulders,” Zane mumbled, but not low enough that Jovan didn’t hear.

  “Yes, it does. She has the power to stop it all.”

  “What she has is knowledge that could get her killed.”

  “Zane, your time there is coming to an end. Where you going to go?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “Besides Jupiter, there isn’t another planet which can protect you. She needs to give up the list and put an end to this shit. You two will never be safe or be able to return to our home.”

  “I know.”

  “I know you do, what you need to do, now, is make her understand. This is the only way to stop Bernard for good.”

  “It isn’t that easy.”

  “Yes, it is. One threat is gone. We need to come together in order to put an end to this other one.”

  “Jesus, Jovan, I know he was a threat but he was also her father.” Looking up Zane stilled. Kalisha stood next to the kitchen in her new robe, with her hair wet. Her face bland of all emotion. “Jovan, I need to go.” He didn’t wait for Jovan to respond, he just hung up.

  “What happened now?” she asked.

  Zane got up and faced her. “Sit down.”

  Kalisha shook her head. “I would rather stand.”

  “I think you need to sit.”

  “What did he do?” she yelled.

  Zane took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s dead.”

  They had a small stare off before she turned away from him and walked towards the bedroom. He followed. She went right to the large open windows and kept her back at him. Her being so quiet slowly started to worry Zane. He had almost expected her to be a bit relieved.

  “How?” she finally asked, her voice shaking a bit.

  “Someone killed him then set his house on fire.”

  “Which house?”

  “The one on Earth.”

  She slowly turned and her eyes were filled with tears. “It’s over then,” she breathed out, and then those tears fell.

  Zane wanted to go to her and pull her into his arms, hold her tight and tell it was over. But he didn’t. Instead he stood still and shook his head. “It’s not over yet.” Licking his lips and taking one step closer, he went on. “Have you heard the name, Preston Bernard before?”

  “Yeah, he’s one of my father’s close friends, or I guess I should say he was one,” she sniffed and wiped the tears away, pulling herself together quickly. “Why?”

  “Now, he’s looking for you also.”

  “Funny how that just doesn’t surprise me one bit.” She took a deep breath. “He was at the house when Sorcha was taken. He’s the one who brought her to my father. I don’t understand why he would be trying to find me, unless he wants to make sure I don’t say anything about him kidnapping her.”

  “How about a list then?” That had what bit of color that was starting to come back in her face go right back out the door. She opened her mouth and he cut her off. “Before you say you don’t know what I’m talking about, Bernard has already contacted Noah Mya demanding it from you. We have a pretty good idea what it is also.”

  “So you know everything then.” Her whole attitude suddenly changed and he knew it would. She went on the defensive.

  “No, I don’t know everything, but I would like to know where the list is.”

  “I can’t tell you.” She shook her head no and avoided eye contact.

  “Yes, you can,” he pushed.

  “No!” This time she yelled at him. “Don’t ask me for the list. It will get you killed.”

  Zane didn’t let his pride or any kind of anger get the best of him. He stayed calm and didn’t move. “Kalisha, this man has already killed your father because of that list. What do you think he’s going to do to you?”

  “I can handle this.” Now her voice cracked and lowered as more tears fell down her cheeks.

  “You can’t do this alone. And you don’t have to either. Let me help you.”

  “And if you get hurt, then what?” She slightly whispered the question. “What happens then? What happens to me? I can’t lose you now that I just found you. Not when I just fell in love with you.”

  Zane was moving. He came up to her quickly, pulling her into his arms, holding her tight. “You won’t lose me, I promise you.”

  She held tight to him also, and shook her head again, keeping her face buried in his chest. “You don’t understand these guys. I’ve seen what my father has done, and if this guy is his friend, or was then he’s worse.”

  “Trust me when I tell you that I know all too well how Preston Bernard operates. I’m not going into this blind.”

  She held him a few seconds longer then sniffed, nodded and pulled out of his arms. Zane watched her walk around him towards one of the dressers. She went to the top drawer, opened it and brought out her belt.

  “My mother gave this to me when I was thirteen. She used to give me extra money when I went out with the few friends I had and I needed a place to hide it from my father. He controlled how much money I had at all times.” With the belt in her hand, Kalisha walked back over to him. She kept her head down, looking at it and he also looked down at it. Turning it over she pressed a hidden latch and it opened. Inside there was a piece of paper folded up very tightly. “These people are willing to kill to keep this list a secret.” She looked up at him with the paper in her hand. “Are you sure you want it?”

  Zane stared down at the paper in her hand. He knew that anyone who saw it or had possession of it would be marked for death. After all, look at what had happened to Sedgwick. He made the damn thing and his partner decided to kill him just because they couldn’t get it back or find Kalisha.

  Reaching out for it he nodded, “I want to protect you with everything I am or have at my disposal.” Taking the paper he didn’t unfold it but slipped it in his pocket. “I told you when we first met that you are safe with me and I mean it. With my life, I protect you.”

  The belt dropped to the floor and she jumped up into his arms. “I’m scared Zane,” she mumbled against his neck. “I’m so scared of what he’s going to do.”

  “I know you are. And we will fight him, together. I’m not going to leave you to face him alone.”

  A buzzing sound from the kitchen broke them up. Slowly he put Kalisha back down on her feet and left her in the bedroom. On the wall in the kitchen there was a box buzzing which looked like a built in stereo, but in fact it was a monitor. Zane went up and pressed the button and, within seconds, the picture of a man dressed in an official’s uniform came up.

  “Mr. Dill. I’m just checking in to let you know that within an hour your shuttle will be here to pick you up and take you to the transport for your trip off planet.”

  “Thank you,” Zane said.

  “I hope your stay has been an enjoyable one.” The screen went blank.

  “Yep,” Zane said to himself, turned and went back into the bedroom. “Shuttle will be here in about an hour,” he told Kalisha. “Guess we should get started on packing.”

  “I’m not ready yet to pack,” she said. Zane was about to start for a dresser to get the clothes out but stopped and faced her. With a slight grin on her lips, Kalisha pulled the t
ie on her robe, it parted and fell to her feet. She stood naked before him.

  “Oh, Mala, you don’t have to say anymore.” Zane quickly stripped off his own clothes and was closing the small distance between them.

  As he picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his hips and together they fell onto the bed. Her hands fisted into his hair. She brought his face down to kiss him. Their tongues fought a small battle for dominance and their hands roamed all over each other’s body.

  One swift motion and he had his whole length buried deep inside her. Unable to slow down, Zane took her hard and fast. He pistoned his hips, rammed into her so much that the bed rocked with them. And Kalisha was right with him in her need, the urgent need to be close.

  She clawed at his back, sucked and nipped at his throat and dug her heels into his ass. She cried out with each hard thrust and bucked under him.

  “I can’t,” Zane mumbled. “Shit, it’s coming!”

  Kalisha was the one who cried out first. Her lips left his flesh and she screamed. Each contraction, each small seizure she had with the orgasm he felt and it triggered his own. Two more hard thrusts and Zane arched back and yelled his own release. With each pulse that spilled forth he felt as if part of his soul was being poured into her.

  Unable to hold himself up, Zane dropped down on top of her. He gulped air into his burning lungs, his body still humming, unable to move.

  “I love it when you’re so out of control like that,” she said after some time had passed.

  Zane managed to pull himself up enough to look down at her. The motion had his cock shifting and he shivered with sensitivity. “Do you now?”

  She raised her eyebrows up and down fast, as she grinned. “Hey, out of control is just as good as being fully loved and seduced.”

  With a big smile on his face, Zane slowly pulled free of her body and she pouted. “We need to pack.”