opening or weakness that would
indicate an attack was imminent. She breathed a few incantations, satisfied for
the moment at least that they were safe. Even so, she only let the tips of her
fingers graze Joshua’s hand, the contact between them less than a second long
but as potent as a jolt of electricity.
She returned her attention to the room, checking for any
significant alterations that should set off her radar. Satisfied, she glanced
back at Josh to find him staring at her with a baffled look.
Amber eyes held her gaze and for a second all the air rushed
out of Kate’s lungs. Joshua leaned in and delicately cupped her jaw in his hand,
as if she were made of china and would break. Kate tilted her head and their
lips met in a fusion of heat and electric energy.
Kate murmured on a slight puff of air, a happy, content
sound as they tasted each other again. Joshua’s lips and tongue were warm and
talented. Their tongues parried one another, writhing together in a passionate
embrace as they teased, tempted and made silent, erotic promises to each other.
With a sharply indrawn breath, Kate jerked herself a few
centimeters away and quickly scanned the crowded café again. Her eyes darted alertly
from patron to patron, many already etched into her memory from earlier
reconnoiters during their meeting.
No one appeared to be paying more than a common interest in
them, and the three new people Kate had spotted a moment before were barely
paying attention at all.
“We can’t do this—not here, not now.” Kate spoke quietly but
firmly, willing Josh to hear the seriousness in her tone. Suitably chastised,
Josh nodded, but the gleam of hunger and arousal in his amber gaze told that Kate
discretion might be the better part of valor just now.
She shook her head. Two days? Had she thought in the car not
an hour ago that she could let this ride for two days, that it would be simple
enough to try to balance her duties as a Guardian and the lust Joshua enflamed
within her? She must have been crazy.
Checking that the bills on the table would cover their check
as well as leaving a decent tip for their waitress, Kate stood and waited for
Josh to follow suit. One final glance around the room and she memorized the
patterns. It was a tricky skill—not one every Guardian perfected—but it was her
secret weapon. In a long look, she could memorize the angles of everyone’s
bodies, the direction of their focus and their mannerisms. A picture formed in
her head, finding the patterns and projecting of who would do what—a finger
tapped, a food jiggled, who would lean forward and who was about to stand. It
was a mélange of constant motion and prediction, and one that was fiendishly
difficult.
In a sense it reminded Kate of the school yard, when the
girls would swing two or even three ropes and you had to gauge the exact moment
to move into the middle and start to jump. This was a far more complicated
puzzle but not too dissimilar.
The fact that she could focus enough to take that snapshot,
project the other patrons’ movements and chose the moment to safely walk out
with Josh helped to placate her gnawing worry. She could do this—be a Guardian
and a woman at the same time. It might take more practice, a lot more control
and focus than she was used to. But she’d make it work, no matter the potential
cost to her heart when Joshua moved on and she finished the job and had to go
to a new client.
He was worth it.
“Kate…” Josh began as he stood beside her. She only heard
him because she was concentrating on every iota of information inside the room.
Kate didn’t acknowledge the word and it took her a second to realize he’d let
his subsequent words peter out. She cast him a quick look as she memorized the
patterns. Josh seemed to lose his train of thought.
She wanted to smile at him but continued to divide her
attention between Josh and the café around them.
When she gauged the time perfect, she touched his elbow in
indicate an attack was imminent. She breathed a few incantations, satisfied for
the moment at least that they were safe. Even so, she only let the tips of her
fingers graze Joshua’s hand, the contact between them less than a second long
but as potent as a jolt of electricity.
She returned her attention to the room, checking for any
significant alterations that should set off her radar. Satisfied, she glanced
back at Josh to find him staring at her with a baffled look.
Amber eyes held her gaze and for a second all the air rushed
out of Kate’s lungs. Joshua leaned in and delicately cupped her jaw in his hand,
as if she were made of china and would break. Kate tilted her head and their
lips met in a fusion of heat and electric energy.
Kate murmured on a slight puff of air, a happy, content
sound as they tasted each other again. Joshua’s lips and tongue were warm and
talented. Their tongues parried one another, writhing together in a passionate
embrace as they teased, tempted and made silent, erotic promises to each other.
With a sharply indrawn breath, Kate jerked herself a few
centimeters away and quickly scanned the crowded café again. Her eyes darted alertly
from patron to patron, many already etched into her memory from earlier
reconnoiters during their meeting.
No one appeared to be paying more than a common interest in
them, and the three new people Kate had spotted a moment before were barely
paying attention at all.
“We can’t do this—not here, not now.” Kate spoke quietly but
firmly, willing Josh to hear the seriousness in her tone. Suitably chastised,
Josh nodded, but the gleam of hunger and arousal in his amber gaze told that Kate
discretion might be the better part of valor just now.
She shook her head. Two days? Had she thought in the car not
an hour ago that she could let this ride for two days, that it would be simple
enough to try to balance her duties as a Guardian and the lust Joshua enflamed
within her? She must have been crazy.
Checking that the bills on the table would cover their check
as well as leaving a decent tip for their waitress, Kate stood and waited for
Josh to follow suit. One final glance around the room and she memorized the
patterns. It was a tricky skill—not one every Guardian perfected—but it was her
secret weapon. In a long look, she could memorize the angles of everyone’s
bodies, the direction of their focus and their mannerisms. A picture formed in
her head, finding the patterns and projecting of who would do what—a finger
tapped, a food jiggled, who would lean forward and who was about to stand. It
was a mélange of constant motion and prediction, and one that was fiendishly
difficult.
In a sense it reminded Kate of the school yard, when the
girls would swing two or even three ropes and you had to gauge the exact moment
to move into the middle and start to jump. This was a far more complicated
puzzle but not too dissimilar.
The fact that she could focus enough to take that snapshot,
project the other patrons’ movements and chose the moment to safely walk out
with Josh helped to placate her gnawing worry. She could do this—be a Guardian
and a woman at the same time. It might take more practice, a lot more control
and focus than she was used to. But she’d make it work, no matter the potential
cost to her heart when Joshua moved on and she finished the job and had to go
to a new client.
He was worth it.
“Kate…” Josh began as he stood beside her. She only heard
him because she was concentrating on every iota of information inside the room.
Kate didn’t acknowledge the word and it took her a second to realize he’d let
his subsequent words peter out. She cast him a quick look as she memorized the
patterns. Josh seemed to lose his train of thought.
She wanted to smile at him but continued to divide her
attention between Josh and the café around them.
When she gauged the time perfect, she touched his elbow in
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