Shadow of the Coalition Read online

  Kayla picked up the tablet and scrolled through the long list of requested information trying to find some clue to Alec’s motivation. Carl was right though. There was no love lost between the two men, but this didn’t make sense. Both Carl and Rand had supported her decision to leave the towers against Alec’s wishes. It troubled her that they were both being targeted. Why not the other traders?

  Kayla jumped off the desk and paced, too agitated to sit still. “I don’t like that you’re being singled out. You’re the best trader OmniLab’s got. Some of the High Council even pointed that out when they were interviewing Rand for the trader position. Alec better not be doing this because he’s still pissed that I left with you.”

  “We don’t know anything for sure. The High Council has every right to request the information, especially since the towers are under new leadership. Maybe that’s all this is. Either way, Alec has asked me to return to the towers tomorrow to go over my records with Director Borshin. I was asked to extend the invitation for you to accompany me.”

  She froze at his words and slowly turned to face him. Their eyes locked and understanding filled her. “He’s using you to try and get me to go back, isn’t he?”

  Carl nodded and stood, crossing the room toward her. “That much I agree with. It’s possible he’s just using this request as an excuse, especially after you refused his invitation. If that’s the case, it’s just more of a headache than anything else. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  Kayla frowned and considered Carl’s words. Part of her wanted to stay in the camp and just continue to ignore Alec, but a larger part wanted to go back to the towers and tell him exactly what she thought of his attempts to use Carl to manipulate her. If Alec’s actions were just affecting her, it might be different. But Alec’s interference was also impacting everyone in Carl’s camp, and she couldn’t let him continue to do that.

  Unaware she was considering accompanying him, he continued, “Your idea about sending the samples to OmniLab for additional testing is a good one though. I’ll take them with me. I won’t be gone longer than a few days. When I get back, we can head back to the cavern. It’ll take a few days to run more stability scans anyway. In the meantime, would you mind helping Cruncher render those three-dimensional images?”

  Aware he was waiting for a response, Kayla brought herself back to the conversation. “Sorry, what?”

  Carl groaned. “It figures. You’re thinking about going because of what I said, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe.” She looked away, not willing to meet his gaze. “So what if I am? Someone needs to tell Alec to back off, and I can do that a lot better face-to-face. He has no right to use you to get to me.”

  Carl ran his hands over his face in frustration. “You’re going to send the message loud and clear that his plan worked. All he needs to do is call me back to the towers and you’ll go back too.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m going to send the message that he’ll never see me again if he tries to manipulate the people I care about. I made my choice already: I left with you.”

  Carl was quiet for a long time and just looked at her. “Kayla, are you sure you aren’t going because you want to see him again?”

  Shit. Panic flooded through her at the loaded question. She glared at him and held up her hands, gesturing in frustration. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that. I’ve spent the last several weeks trying my damnedest to avoid him and you think I want to see that pompous, arrogant jerkoff?”

  Carl reached for her hand as she started to pull away. He gripped tightly, not letting her go. “Yes, I do. In the entire time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you back away from anything. You’ve always met every obstacle and challenge head-on. Something about this situation with Alec is different though. You’ve avoided him for weeks, but you’ve changed your mind all of a sudden? It doesn’t make sense. I think you do want to see him again, but for whatever reason, you’ve been trying to avoid it until now.”

  “That’s not true.” Kayla’s protest sounded weak, even to her. Carl might be right, but she wasn’t ready to have this conversation. Not now. Maybe not ever.

  Part of her hated how easily Carl could read her. As though sensing her conflicted emotions, he took another step toward her. “I know you’re not still angry over what he said in the towers. Your temper is like a flash fire. It burns, and it’s excruciating to witness, but it’s over almost immediately. You’ve pretended to be angry with him for weeks. Why?”

  “He said I belonged to him!” Kayla yanked her hand back. “I don’t belong to him! I won’t ever belong to him. I don’t care about the stupid connection thing. I won’t let him control—”

  “I’ll be damned,” Carl whispered. “You’re terrified of that ‘connection thing,’ aren’t you?”

  Kayla’s eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. She’d said too much.

  “Sweetheart, why didn’t you tell me?”

  She shook her head, refusing to answer. With a sigh, he slipped his arms around her. Kayla started to pull away, but the comfort and reassurance Carl offered was irresistible. She leaned against him and squeezed her eyes shut.

  His voice was soft as he said, “You can’t change who or what you are. But you can make a choice about how you want to live your life.”

  “I already did,” she whispered, curling her fingers into his shirt. She needed this closeness, needed him. “I chose you. It doesn’t make the ache go away though. It hurts all the time.”

  Carl tipped her head back and searched her expression. “I want to understand. Please tell me.”

  Kayla swallowed nervously and looked away, not wanting to hurt him. How could she admit that part of her wanted to see Alec again? Her feelings for Carl weren’t any less, but the energy… she desperately wanted to feel it again. It was that incessant need that freaked her out and made her avoid Alec.

  “I can’t get him out of my mind.” She hung her head, ashamed of her admission and weakness. “It’s this pull that won’t go away. Every day, I think of another reason to go to the towers, and then I have to talk myself out of it. It’s hard enough to deal with it on my own, but when I saw him earlier on screen, it brought everything to the surface. I remember the energy and want to experience it again. I hate feeling that way though. I don’t want to live like that.”

  Carl’s arms tightened around her. He was quiet for a long moment as though battling an internal war. Squeezing her eyes shut, a sick feeling grew in the pit of her stomach at his continued silence. Finally, he sighed and threaded his fingers through her hair. “Maybe you should go back to the towers for a visit. It’s possible you’ve been going about this the wrong way.”

  Kayla peeked up at him, not sure she’d heard right. “What? What do you mean?”

  “Alec told you this would happen,” he reminded her. “He knows far more about it than we do. Maybe there’s a way to turn it off or make it easier to deal with. We won’t know until we ask him.”

  Her brow furrowed. “You want me to see Alec even after I told you that? The two of you were throwing off enough testosterone and angry guy vibes to make me think we were headed for another nuclear fallout.”

  Carl smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in an affectionate gesture she’d begun to treasure. “You said yourself that you chose me. You also said you want it, not him. You’re drawn to the energy. I still don’t like him much, but I can deal with that.”

  She frowned, still not completely convinced. “You really think I should go?”

  “I do. You’ve been distracted lately, and I know you’re not sleeping well. I can’t help but wonder if this is the reason. If there’s a way we can either get rid of this bond or figure out how to keep it from hurting you, we should do it. Besides, we need to run the water tests and get some extra equipment to finish exploring the cavern.”

  Kayla bit her lip, considering his words. Avoiding Alec hadn’t made things any better up to this poin
t. She still wasn’t sure she trusted him or this energy stuff, but she did trust Carl. He’d bailed her out of more than one tight spot before, and she just hoped he’d be willing to do it again if things went bad. “I guess you’re right. If I go, I want you to promise me something though.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “What is it?”

  “No matter what happens, I want you to get me out of there. Even if I tell you something different, make me leave with you. Knock me unconscious if you have to, but when you leave, I want to be with you.”

  His eyes warmed at her words. “I’m not going anywhere without you. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue though. You’re not going to want anyone else to touch your river.”

  She relaxed a bit and returned his smile. “Yeah, that’s a good point. That river is mine.”

  Carl bent down to brush his lips against hers. His kiss was gentle and offered her promises of a future if she’d only open herself up enough to embrace them. One of his hands wound its way through her hair as the other pressed against the small of her back, drawing her closer.

  This was what she feared losing if she went back to the towers. The understanding, patience, tenderness, and passion he offered were more consuming than anything she’d ever experienced. Carl might not have Alec’s ability to entice her with energy, but he had a way of touching her that transcended the physical and caressed her soul. Carl was her balancing point in so many ways.

  Kayla needed him like a breath of air. Fear gripped her at the thought that the strange metaphysical connection she shared with Alec might threaten the precious bond she’d chosen to forge with Carl. In the face of returning to the towers, she needed his touch and reassurance that she wouldn’t lose him.

  Desperate to touch bare skin, she slipped her hands under his shirt and slid them across his stomach and then upward across his muscular chest. She shivered at the feel of his heated skin under her fingertips. The need for more was overwhelming.

  Kayla parted her lips in invitation, saying without words that she accepted everything he offered. With bold strokes, Carl swept in eagerly, possessing her mouth in the same way he’d claimed her heart. The passion between them flared as his kiss became even more demanding, consuming her with its heat.

  Carl broke the kiss suddenly, capturing her wrists in his hands. Leaning his forehead against hers, he took a deep breath and struggled to regain his composure. “You have no idea what you do to me, Kayla.”

  She had a pretty good idea if it was anything like what he did to her. And so help her, if he stopped touching her now, she’d have to hurt him. He always talked too damn much. Kayla nipped at his lower lip. “I’m willing to find out.”

  “You’re a wicked woman.” Carl released her wrists and rubbed his nose along her jawline. His hot breath fanned against her neck as he murmured, “If you’re going to go with me tomorrow, we should go pack before you distract me completely.”

  She shivered at the sensations coursing through her. To hell with packing. She’d go naked if it meant she could stay in his arms. “Why bother? Seara dresses me when I’m there anyway.”

  “You won’t hear me complaining.” Carl chuckled, and his fingertips brushed against the bare skin under her shirt, sending delicious tingles through her. If he didn’t shut up soon, she was going to tie him to the bed and gag him. “Your mother has phenomenal taste. Although, I think you look incredible no matter what you’re wearing.”

  He trailed his lips downward, and Kayla tilted her head to give him better access. It was getting more difficult to form coherent thoughts. “And what—” Her breathing hitched as he reached a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. “What about when I’m not wearing anything?”

  He pulled back slightly and raked his gaze over her figure. “It’s hard to say. I think I’ll need to see that in order to give you a fair assessment.”

  That was a suggestion she could work with. She took a step back, immediately missing the warmth of his touch. With a playful smile, Kayla reached down and slowly pulled off her shirt. She dropped it on the desk and watched as his eyes flared with heat.

  He swallowed. “That’s definitely an improvement. But you might want to remove all your clothing so I can make a more accurate evaluation.”

  Kayla gave him a sultry smile and took another step back. His eyes followed every movement as she reached down and slipped off her pants. Kicking them aside, she looked up at him. “Is that better?”

  Apparently, it was. Instead of responding, Carl yanked off his shirt and threw it on the floor. Kayla squealed in delight as she was quickly airborne and carried into his private quarters. She laughed as he tossed her onto the bed.

  He stalked toward her like a powerful predator. She arched an eyebrow and propped herself up on her elbows. “I’m guessing you see something you like.”

  Carl ran his hands lightly along her thighs, trailing upward to her hips. Pulling her down so she was pinned underneath him, he said in a husky voice, “That’s putting it mildly. Kayla, you’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”

  Her heart fluttered as Carl bent down and kissed her. Unable to resist him or the promise of everything he offered, Kayla wrapped her arms around him and gave herself to him completely.

  Chapter Three

  The buzzing of a commlink alarm woke Carl the next morning. With a grunt, he reached over and grabbed the device. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the screen to determine if there were any messages requiring his immediate attention.

  The first was an urgent message from OmniLab. They’d issued an edict declaring the towers and surrounding areas on high alert due to the surveillance aircraft sighting. There was a secondary message from Alec with another strongly worded request to bring Kayla to the towers for her protection, especially in light of this newest development. The third message was from Xantham. He’d managed to extract a few images of the aircraft from the surveillance feed yesterday. They’d already been sent to OmniLab for analysis.

  With a sigh, Carl tossed the commlink back onto the nightstand before rolling over and propping himself up on one arm to look down at Kayla curled up against him. It was so contrary to her normally independent and free-spirited nature. He’d never seen anyone look as peaceful and angelic when they slept. It made him hesitant to disturb her. It also brought out every single one of his protective instincts. She’d become an important part of his life in such a short amount of time.

  Carl bent down and lightly kissed her nose. The blanket had shifted around her hips sometime during the night, leaving a teasing expanse of soft skin exposed. His eyes roamed over the curves of her lush body, and he cursed his luck. Any other time, he’d consider pushing back their trip for a few hours.

  Kayla was indifferent to her natural beauty. In Carl’s opinion, it only added to her appeal. She was petite in stature, but the same couldn’t be said about her personality. Surprisingly strong-willed and fiery in nature, she had a tendency toward being stubborn and obstinate. Underneath, though, she was far more complex and sensitive than he’d ever imagined.

  Her shoulder-length dark hair fanned across the pillow, and he carefully brushed it away from her face. Trailing his fingers across the softness of her cheek, they brushed against dark lashes. Her eyes remained closed, but he knew once they opened, he’d be looking into the most striking green eyes he’d ever seen. From the moment he’d first seen her, she’d captivated and intrigued him.

  “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  At the sound of his voice, Kayla opened her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile. She stretched, causing the blankets to shift even more. His eyes followed their movement, appreciating the rather tantalizing glimpses of what lay beneath.

  She raised an eyebrow at his expression. “Mmm. I know that look.”

  Of course she did. Any man with a pulse would have that look if they had her sleepy, naked form in their bed. He’d bet the rest of his OmniLab contract that most of them daydreamed about it. At least he had t
he privilege of knowing the reality was even better than the fantasy.

  The thought of his OmniLab contract brought him back to the present. As much as he’d like spending the rest of the day in bed with his beautiful siren, pissing off the higher powers in the towers wasn’t the best idea. He was already on Alec’s shit list.

  With a pang of regret, Carl bent down and brushed his lips softly against hers. “I’m sure you do. But sadly, we’re going to have to get going this morning. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us to get to the towers.”

  Kayla shifted and lightly kissed his neck. Trailing kisses upward toward his ear, she flicked her tongue against his earlobe. “You don’t really want to rush out of here, do you?”

  His willpower went out the window. They could spare an hour. Maybe two. This woman owned him, body and soul. Burying his face in her hair, he groaned and pulled her closer. “You’re an evil temptress.”

  She laughed and wound her arms around him. He dipped his head to kiss her when his commlink began beeping from the nightstand. With a curse, he rolled away and switched it to audio before answering.

  A familiar voice came over the communication device. “Good morning, Carl. Sorry for disturbing you so early, but we had an unidentified aircraft flying through our district about an hour ago. Director Borshin mentioned you reported a similar incident yesterday.”

  “Good to hear from you, Rand.” Carl sat up, his attention now completely focused on the call from the other trader. Another sighting in the neighboring district didn’t bode well. “It happened late yesterday afternoon. Were you able to capture an image?”

  “Yes,” Rand replied. “We sent it to OmniLab already. I’ll forward a copy of the image to you too. They were flying low, and it’s possible they were conducting some sort of surveillance of the area. You should hear from the towers shortly if you haven’t already. They’re talking about possibly recalling us. Have you had any other sightings?”