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Authors: Alexis Morgan
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automatically scanned the area for anyone who might be paying undue attention to them.
“Did you find everything you needed?” He frowned. “I meant to ask if you needed any money.”
She shook her head. “Thanks for asking, but I had enough for all of this. Besides, you’ve already paid for too much.”
“Don’t sweat it.” Honesty had him adding, “In truth, my boss is footing the bill for most of it. And he’d rather we use cash so it can’t be tracked.”
Jora stashed her bags on the floor at her feet. “That’s why I’ve been reluctant to use plastic. Until we know who’s behind all of this, it’s safer to assume they can track any transactions.”
As they drove the short distance back to the motel, he could feel tension coming from the other side of the cab. Was she having second thoughts about sharing the room or sharing the bed? He couldn’t blame her if she was. This situation had thrown them together with little chance to really get to know each other.
Maybe under different circumstances, they could have their time getting acquainted and let nature take its course. Instead, in less than two days she’d been driven out of her home and forced to take refuge with a total stranger. Then there was that whole mess in the cavern. Without her intervention, they both could have died under tons of rock.
It was no wonder she was looking a bit ragged. He had no business thinking about getting her into bed for anything but sleep—dammit!
He parked the truck, then said, “I’m feeling a bit restless, so after I take my stuff in, I’m going for a walk. Don’t wait up for me.”
“But I thought . . .” Her voice trailed off, then she said, “Be careful out there. I’ll leave a light on for you.”
“Don’t bother. I see pretty well in the dark.”
“Fine. Have a nice time.”
Was that disappointment in her voice? Probably just wishful thinking on his part. She followed him inside, and once they were in the room she set her things down. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
Once again there was a note in her voice that he couldn’t quite recognize. He waited for her to look at him so he could gauge what was going on in that pretty head of hers. “Jora, would you rather I not go out?”
Her eyes slid to the side. “No, that’s fine. We could both use a little time apart.”
She didn’t sound very convincing. Short of calling her on it, he had little choice but to go for his unwanted walk.
As soon as he was out in the hall, he knew he was making a mistake. He paced down the hall and back, taking plenty of time to think this through. Jora b’Larth was Kalith, despite having grown up in his world. She didn’t trust Paladins, not even him, which was smart thinking on her part. He had only her word that she wasn’t the one screwing around with the barrier and the caldera that simmered beneath Yellowstone. Maybe she’d been trying to manipulate the energy herself, and bit off more than her personal mojo could handle by itself.
She had little in common with the women he’d dated in the past. They’d all known going in that they’d share a few laughs, scratch a mutual itch, and then go their separate ways. There was far too much innocence in Jora’s pretty gray eyes for him to lightly take the next step with her. If they crossed that line, it had to be because he thought they had a future together.
He stared down at his right hand as he flexed it, feeling the tight tug of the tendons. Until he knew if it would ever heal, he couldn’t plan beyond the next day.
The weight of an uncertain future pressed down on him—stretching out before him, filled with no purpose, barely existing as his friends lived and died for the cause.
God, sometimes he wished that he’d died from the wound that night or at the end of a needle full of toxins because there was too little of him left to save. It was a helluva thing to think, but it was the truth.
He stood outside the door to their
“Did you find everything you needed?” He frowned. “I meant to ask if you needed any money.”
She shook her head. “Thanks for asking, but I had enough for all of this. Besides, you’ve already paid for too much.”
“Don’t sweat it.” Honesty had him adding, “In truth, my boss is footing the bill for most of it. And he’d rather we use cash so it can’t be tracked.”
Jora stashed her bags on the floor at her feet. “That’s why I’ve been reluctant to use plastic. Until we know who’s behind all of this, it’s safer to assume they can track any transactions.”
As they drove the short distance back to the motel, he could feel tension coming from the other side of the cab. Was she having second thoughts about sharing the room or sharing the bed? He couldn’t blame her if she was. This situation had thrown them together with little chance to really get to know each other.
Maybe under different circumstances, they could have their time getting acquainted and let nature take its course. Instead, in less than two days she’d been driven out of her home and forced to take refuge with a total stranger. Then there was that whole mess in the cavern. Without her intervention, they both could have died under tons of rock.
It was no wonder she was looking a bit ragged. He had no business thinking about getting her into bed for anything but sleep—dammit!
He parked the truck, then said, “I’m feeling a bit restless, so after I take my stuff in, I’m going for a walk. Don’t wait up for me.”
“But I thought . . .” Her voice trailed off, then she said, “Be careful out there. I’ll leave a light on for you.”
“Don’t bother. I see pretty well in the dark.”
“Fine. Have a nice time.”
Was that disappointment in her voice? Probably just wishful thinking on his part. She followed him inside, and once they were in the room she set her things down. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
Once again there was a note in her voice that he couldn’t quite recognize. He waited for her to look at him so he could gauge what was going on in that pretty head of hers. “Jora, would you rather I not go out?”
Her eyes slid to the side. “No, that’s fine. We could both use a little time apart.”
She didn’t sound very convincing. Short of calling her on it, he had little choice but to go for his unwanted walk.
As soon as he was out in the hall, he knew he was making a mistake. He paced down the hall and back, taking plenty of time to think this through. Jora b’Larth was Kalith, despite having grown up in his world. She didn’t trust Paladins, not even him, which was smart thinking on her part. He had only her word that she wasn’t the one screwing around with the barrier and the caldera that simmered beneath Yellowstone. Maybe she’d been trying to manipulate the energy herself, and bit off more than her personal mojo could handle by itself.
She had little in common with the women he’d dated in the past. They’d all known going in that they’d share a few laughs, scratch a mutual itch, and then go their separate ways. There was far too much innocence in Jora’s pretty gray eyes for him to lightly take the next step with her. If they crossed that line, it had to be because he thought they had a future together.
He stared down at his right hand as he flexed it, feeling the tight tug of the tendons. Until he knew if it would ever heal, he couldn’t plan beyond the next day.
The weight of an uncertain future pressed down on him—stretching out before him, filled with no purpose, barely existing as his friends lived and died for the cause.
God, sometimes he wished that he’d died from the wound that night or at the end of a needle full of toxins because there was too little of him left to save. It was a helluva thing to think, but it was the truth.
He stood outside the door to their
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