CHAPTER TWELVE
Susan came awake just after dusk-at least that's what she thought. Since there were no windows or a clock in the room, she didn't really know what time it was, except for the fact that the music from the club upstairs was already hopping. That meant it had to be after sundown, but it was quiet enough that she figured it couldn't be too late.
Ravyn shifted behind her as if he knew she was awake and laid a gentle kiss on her bare back. She shivered as chills shot down her spine in the wake of his hot lips on her flesh. "Good morning," he said as he stretched languidly. Rolling over, she could swear that she felt that stretch herself. The faint light showed his naked body off to perfection. His lean muscles were taut and bulging...
Along with another part of him she couldn't help noticing.
"Evening, you mean."
He yawned without responding. She was mesmerized by the definition of his abs as he arched his back. Oh, yeah, a woman could do laundry on that. And it made her want to rub herself against him.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, reaching over to brush her hair back from her face.
"Like a baby. You?"
He rolled to his side to give her a devilish grin. "Yeah, I actually did for once."
Before she could ask him another question, Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" started playing. It took her a full second to realize it was Ravyn's phone.
Making an aggravated noise, he rolled over to pull it out of his pants before he answered it.
"Yeah?" He reached over and idly toyed with her hand as he listened.
Susan savored the roughness of his fingers on her skin, even though a part of her wished it was something else he was fondling.
"Okay, I'll be there." He hung up the phone.
"What's up?"
He raised her hand up to his lips so that he could nibble the back of her knuckles before he answered. "They're calling a meeting here tonight with all the Dark-Hunters."
That surprised her. "I didn't think you guys could be together without weakening each other. "
"We can't, which tells you how important the Squires think this meeting is. Acheron is usually the only one to call together something like this." He leaned over to give her a kiss, and as their lips touched, she felt warmth seep through her body. She couldn't believe the things this man made her feel for him when they shouldn't even be together.
Susan melted under his assault until he pulled back sharply.
"We have half an hour," he said quietly. "Chop-chop."
She groaned. "I wish that were half an hour for sex, but I think you mean half an hour for dressing."
He gave her an arch stare. "I could never have sex with you in only half an hour, my lady. Truly not possible."
Biting her lip, she reached down to cup his warm sac in her hand. "You keep talking like that, Leopardman, and we won't be leaving this room any time soon."
He nibbled and laved her neck. "Yeah, but then they'd come after us and I'd have to kill one of them, which would really be a bad thing. Ash tends to get testy when we kill off Squires."
He laid himself down on top of her to savor her skin against his, then he stood up with a deep groan.
Susan allowed him to pull her to her feet before they quickly dressed and headed upstairs. Part of her wanted to stay downstairs and keep reviewing files... among other things such as testing how long his stamina would last, but her curiosity got the better of her.
What could be so important that they would call a meeting when it was obvious that the Dark-Hunters needed their strength to fight the Daimons who were trying to kill them?
Susan hesitated at the top of the stairs. "You don't think this is a trap, do you?"
"How do you mean?"
"Well, if I were a Daimon and I knew that to get you guys together would weaken you, wouldn't I do that if I could?"
"Yeah, but they don't have our phone numbers."
Good point.
He opened the door. Terra met them in the upstairs hallway before they could reach the kitchen. "They're in the back office," she said, handing each of them a sack and a soda.
"What's this?" Susan asked.
"Breakfast. I figured the two of you would be hungry during the meeting."
"Thank you," Ravyn said.
"No problem." Terra led them down another hallway that shot off the kitchen, to a large office that had a desk along one wall and a huge conference table in the center. Leo and Kyl were already there, along with Erika and Jack. Susan looked around for Jessica, but there was no sign of her.
"What's up?" she asked Leo as Terra left them alone.
"A lot of shit."
"Good," Susan said as she put her sack lunch on the table. "I'll make sure and get my waders out. "
Kyl snorted as he reviewed something on his laptop.
As Susan and Ravyn sat down, the door opened to show Otto and Nick. Otto's face was stoic, but Nick's was angry, as if he really resented this meeting. He took a seat opposite her and folded his arms over his chest like a sullen child.
Kyl cocked a brow as he looked up from his computer. "What? Being a Dark-Hunter doesn't agree with you?"
Nick curled his lip. "Shut up, schmuck."
"Schmuck?" Kyl was completely indignant. "What the hell happened to you, boy? I thought we were friends. Best friends."
"Kyl," Otto snapped as he sat down beside Nick. "Lay off."
Kyl held his hands up in surrender. "Whatever."
Susan looked up as the door opened again and froze with her turkey sandwich halfway to her lips. Eyes wide, she stared at a man she hadn't seen in almost twenty years... and he hadn't changed a bit. Seriously. Not a bit. Not a wrinkle, not a gray hair. Nothing.
Still stunningly gorgeous, he was six feet even in height with short jet-black hair that set off his Asian features to perfection.
She set her sandwich back on the table. "Sensei?"