The vamp was wound around Jess, running her poisonous, bright red fingernails through his hair, bending low to murmur in his ear, clearly in danger of falling out of her dress.
"Jesse." Saber wasn't above using the Night Siren's whispery voice. It worked on the airwaves, why not at home? "You didn't tell me we were expecting company." She smiled, syrupy sweet. "I take it this is the old friend you told me about." Saber maliciously emphasized the word "old" and just for fun giggled as though Jess had given her an amusing tale.
Jess held out his hand to Saber, grinning in conspiracy. "Chaleen Jarvos, Saber Wynter. Chaleen happened to be traveling through Sheridan and was kind enough to look in on us, angel face."
Chaleen straightened abruptly, glaring daggers at Saber, cold hazel eyes sweeping her up and down. "Who is this little urchin, Jess?" she demanded.
Jess brought Saber's hand to the warmth of his mouth. "Is that what you are, love? My little urchin?"
Saber laughed and rubbed her cheek along his knuckles. "I'll run in and grab your robe." She glanced up at Chaleen guilelessly. "Would you care for coffee?"
Saber made herself look as innocent as possible, but deep inside she was as cold as ice. This woman might be Jess's ex-girlfriend, but she was definitely far more than that--and she was a threat to Jess. Those eyes were flat and cold and filled with venom. Chaleen Jarvos was someone other than who she pretended to be.
"I doubt Chaleen will be staying that long," Jess said.
"Jess!" Chaleen purred the name. "I've traveled all this way to see you, talk to you." She made a gesture encompassing the house. "This isn't you, you're no family man. You were born for wild excitement, not this cutesy little home scene. You're wasted here."
Saber's arms circled his neck. She pressed against the back of his chair. Jess could feel the heat of her body, the warmth of her breath. She smelled fresh and clean in contrast to the heavy, cloying perfume Chaleen had poured over herself. A part of him wanted to send Saber far away, where Chaleen couldn't sink her claws into her, and another part of him desperately wanted her there.
Saber gave a husky, intimate laugh. "Don't worry, umm, Carlene, is it? Jess is definitely not wasted here. And we provide each other with more than enough--how did you put it?--wild excitement." She exchanged an intimate, bedroom smile with Jess, bending her head slightly to brush the side of his shadowed jaw with her soft, satin lips. "Let me just run and get the robe."
"It's Chaleen." The blonde glared furiously, tapping her high heel on the hardwood floor. Miffed that Saber sailed right out of the room without so much as acknowledging the correction, she paced back and forth. "I cannot believe that a man of your caliber, of your education, Jess, would team up with a little..."
"Urchin," Jess mocked.
"Exactly!" Chaleen pounced on that. "We have a past, we know each other. We've shared danger, excitement." She placed her hand on Jess's thigh. "We've shared each other."
"That was a lifetime ago, Chaleen. Another world."
"A world you belong in. Losing your legs can't change that." Chaleen loomed over the wheelchair. "You need to come back, be part of it all again. Maybe you are already. I can't imagine that you'd give up your work for that silly little kid. She has to be just out of high school. You need a woman, not a child." She flashed a smile. "You are working for the navy, aren't you, Jess?"
Saber cinched the belt of the terry cloth robe tighter around her small waist, wishing for one moment the tie was around Chaleen's scrawny neck.
Jess leaned forward, circling Chaleen's wrist with his hand. Saber's heart dropped right down to her toes. What if she had guessed wrong? What if this vampish viper was the mystery woman from the other night? What if she was making a fool of herself, leaping to Jess's defense when he really didn't need or want it? She held her breath as Jess lifted Chaleen's hand.
Everything in her stilled. The world narrowed, tunneled. She was suddenly focused and in complete control. Because if he kissed Chaleen's fingers, Saber knew with certainty that Chaleen Jarvos was a dead woman.
Jess dropped her hand as if it were distasteful. "I'm exactly where I want to be, Chaleen."
Saber slumped against the wall with relief, closing her eyes briefly, distaste of her first, most primal reaction to an enemy beating at her. That wasn't a normal reaction. Had she waited too long to leave? Had she already become the very thing she'd always feared she was? She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead even as she strained to listen to the conversation.
"This is my world. Sheridan, Wyoming. And Saber is everything I need. Go back to your boss and tell him I put in my time and I want to be left alone."
"But there's so much more you can still do. All your people, they're still loyal, they still trust you. Your name could open doors."
"Who are you looking to contact?"
"I need some answers, Jess. You know who I work for. Whatever you're doing is pissing off some powerful people." Chaleen pinned him with a cold gaze. "They know you're involved in something big. No one is buying your legless charade. I'm trying to keep you out of trouble, and watching you pretend to be an idiot for your little teenybopper is making me want to throw up."
"Sorry, I don't do that kind of work. And my injuries are fully documented. Whatever you're looking for isn't here."
"Damn it, Jess, you don't want to mess around with me." Shifting suddenly from purring, Chaleen sounded as hard as nails, bringing out a protective streak in Saber she didn't even know she had. "I'm trying to save your hide here. You've got some investigation going and it's raising flags all over the place. The FBI. The CIA. I'm hearing your name everywhere. For God's sake, something like that will get
you killed."
Saber held very still. There was actual fear in Chaleen's voice. She might have come for information on whatever Jess was investigating, but she was genuinely concerned for his safety. Was Chaleen an assassin? Saber moved into a better position to get her away from Jess if she tried anything. Just what was Jess doing, anyway?
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Damn you, Jess. You were always so fucking closemouthed. This isn't a game. You always think you're playing chess instead of living real life. You're making enemies and they'll be coming after you."
Chaleen definitely sounded threatening. Saber forgot about trying to get information and moved into the room. She circled Jess's neck with her arms. "Sorry I took so long, love," she murmured.
Chaleen glanced at her diamond-studded watch. "Did you run?" she snapped.
Saber ran her fingers through Jess's thick, dark hair. "Pardon me?" she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness.
Chaleen gathered up her fur coat and Gucci purse. "You're making a big mistake, Jess." The purr was completely gone from her voice, leaving it cold and disdainful.
Jess's eyebrows shot up. "Don't threaten me, Chaleen. Take that back to your people: you don't want to threaten me."
For a moment the hazel eyes glowed yellow, the unblinking stare of a dangerous cat, and then Chaleen was smiling. "You misunderstand me, I wouldn't presume to threaten you. So nice to meet you." She didn't bother to look at Saber, some battle still being waged between hazel and dark brown eyes.
Saber, frightened for Jess for no reason she could think of, clutched convulsively at his biceps. Without taking his eyes from Chaleen, he reached up to cover Saber's hand in reassurance.
"Okay," Chaleen capitulated. "You're out of it."
"I hope so," Jess replied ominously. "Saber, make some fresh coffee for us, baby. And drink a glass of orange juice."
Reluctantly Saber allowed him to move away from her, across the room, escorting the blonde toward the front door. Jess never ordered Saber to do things like make coffee or drink orange juice. The juice, she was certain, was because of her fever. The coffee was a ploy to get her out of the way. She hesitated, worried about leaving him vulnerable to Chaleen, although he seemed to feel the issue was closed.