“I understand,” she said quietly. “You made the call to Fallon for my sake. It didn’t work so that’s the end of it. In addition to not being able to save everyone, you’re going to have to learn another lesson.”
“What’s that?”
“Unlike inside Nightshade, failure actually is an option in life. Failure happens. It’s how we learn and change and grow. If you don’t give yourself room to fail, Zack, you’ll live your life inside an iron cage that will gradually get smaller and smaller until you can’t even breathe.”
He gave her a suspicious look. “Where is this going?”
“Calvin told me that the Council thinks you’re the best candidate the Society has to take the Master’s Chair.”
“Damn.” He looked thoroughly disgusted. “Calvin told you about that?”
“I haven’t known you very long but I think he’s right.”
“There are others who can handle the position of Master.”
“Maybe, but you’re the one the Council wants.” She stomped down hard on the wistful sensation unfurling deep inside. “Heck, you’re perfect for the job, what with you being a Jones and a mirror talent and so good at giving orders and all.”
His jaw tightened. “Jenna showed me that I wasn’t nearly as good as I thought I was.”
“Get real. From what you told me, it sounds like she got past all of the Society’s security systems and safeguards, and I’m sure there are a number of them. You were the one who caught her, Zack. It was your talent and intelligence that prevented a Nightshade spy from marrying the next Master of the Arcane Society.”
“It was so damn close,” he said quietly.
“Sometimes things are close. Take what happened today, for example.”
He wrapped his big hand around hers and crushed her fingers gently. “Don’t worry, I won’t ever forget how close that was.”
“It’s clear that the Society will not only be fighting for its very existence in the next few years, but for the rest of us, psychic and nonpsychic, as well. You said yourself it’s the only organization that currently takes Nightshade seriously. Until you can line up some allies, you and your Council will have your work cut out. You can’t walk away from your responsibility, and deep down, I don’t think you really want to do that, anyway.”
He gave her a look of sheer, wondering disbelief. “Did my grandfather send you around on a recruiting mission, by any chance?”
She smiled, trying to mask the sense of loss that was threatening to well up inside.
“No,” she said. “I came to the conclusion all on my own.”
He was silent for a long time—so long that she began to worry.
Eventually he stirred. “You know, an antidote to Nightshade’s version of the formula would be incredibly valuable.”
“For saving people like Cassidy and Niki, you mean?”
“No. Because among other things, it would send a clear message to the inner circle of Nightshade that the Society has a few tricks of its own up its sleeve. In addition, knowing that an antidote exists would help undermine Nightshade’s hold over its operatives. It might encourage some defections. We could sure use some inside information.”
“Hadn’t thought about that.” She wrapped her arms around her knees. “Face it, Jones. You were born to lead the Society in this generation.”
He didn’t answer. Instead she felt energy pulse, enveloping her in his exciting force field. Her own senses leaped in response.
Zack stood, doused the lights, dropped the towel and got into bed.
When he came to her he was hot to the touch and fully aroused. He trapped her legs with one muscled thigh. She heard two soft thumps and realized that Batman and Robin had vacated the bed, no doubt annoyed by the disturbance.
And then Zack was kissing her, his mouth hard and fierce and demanding on hers. Invisible energy flared, overlapping and mingling. His, mine and ours, she thought. It seemed to her that when they made love their combined energy patterns extended further and deeper into the paranormal spectrum than either of them could go alone. She did not understand it; she knew only that when he made love to her she was able to savor a greater range of sensations through all her senses. In addition she was certain that she picked up some of what he was feeling, and vice versa. The effect added a dazzling dimension to their lovemaking.
He took her nipple between his teeth and tugged gently. She caught her breath as the delicious tension built swiftly.
“Tell me you feel it,” he said against her breast. “Tell me I’m not alone here.”
She lifted her hips against his hardened body and clung to him, glorying in the powerfully muscled contours of his back.
“Are you sure you don’t read minds?” she whispered.
“Not possible.” He moved down her body, dropping hot, wet kisses on her belly. “Just ask the experts.”
He went lower. The next thing she knew his mouth was on the inside of her thigh. A jolt of uncertainty bordering on panic went through her. She sank her fingers into his hair, trying to tug him back up along her body.
“Zack, wait—”
“Tell me I’m not alone in this,” he ordered softly.
Now his tongue was on her tight, exquisitely sensitive clitoris and she thought she would fly apart into a thousand glittering shards.
“Tell me,” he repeated, sliding two fingers into her. He probed gently.
Outrageous excitement flashed through her senses. She couldn’t stand this much longer, she thought. She couldn’t tolerate another second of it.
“Yes. Yes, I feel it, too.” She tightened her grip in his hair, abandoning herself to the intimate kiss. “I think the experts may have some more research to do.”
An instant later her release swept through her and she came apart in his hands. Somewhere someone shrieked softly in the night. She realized vaguely that it was her own voice she heard.
Before the world had even begun to come into focus he shifted onto his back, taking her with him. His hands were damp from her body. He slid his palms down her sides and closed his fingers around her bu**ocks. He sheathed himself slowly, relentlessly.
She wanted to tell him it was too soon, that she was still too sensitized from the orgasm but she couldn’t get the words out. She could feel him going deep, stretching her, filling her. It was too much.
“No,” she gasped.
“Yes,” he said.