Lethal Game (GhostWalkers 16)
He only wanted to see her. The woman. He wanted to be that man on vacation, who met the summer fling. The one woman who would seduce him into a long stay and he’d dream about the one who got away forevermore. That sort of hokey hogwash he’d heard about. Instead, he was very much afraid he was meeting Amaryllis, one of Whitney’s experiments.
Whitney had decided at some point that he would pair a female soldier with a male soldier. He felt between the two, they would be able to move in and out of situations that called for stealth. Men tended to be intimidating and noticeable. A couple was viewed as less threatening. He decided to give the couple complementary animal DNA or anything else that he decreed might help his soldiers succeed. He paired them so they could give each other blood if needed. He specifically targeted psychic improvements that went with his physical enhancements. Then, lastly, he heightened the pheromones between the couple so they would be intensely physically attracted to each other.
Malichai knew that Amaryllis was definitely beautiful enough and sexy enough to entice any man to her, but she was flirting—with him. They were working in a kitchen. His leg hurt like a son of a bitch. Maybe he would feel attraction toward her, but like this? Like this unrelenting ache that wouldn’t just go away? Like a need to feel her touch on his skin? Or her breath on his body? He swore to himself. He didn’t believe in that kind of physical attraction, not that fast.
“I look forward to meeting Mr. Dozer.” He forced himself to continue their conversation.
She pressed the cloth tighter over her mouth, holding it with both hands, her blue eyes alive with sheer merriment. “Don’t. Oh my God, you cannot call him that. Not in front of anyone. You have to keep a straight face when he introduces himself and calls you ‘dude.’ If you don’t, anyone within hearing distance will laugh and he’ll be so hurt. He’s really a nice boy.”
“You keep calling him a boy. How old is he?” Malichai was hoping he was fifteen or sixteen. He couldn’t keep wanting to deck a kid.
“I’m guessing he’s pushing thirty, but he seems like a kid. He’s happy all the time. Smiling all the time. The world seems like a wonderful place to him and when you’re with him, you feel that. In spite of the theatrical aspects of surfer boy, you can’t help but like him.”
He didn’t know about that, but he’d give it his best shot. Right now, he was going to get something to eat before he starved, and then he had to rest his leg. The girls had chosen the beach for him. A sunny, beautiful place. He’d watched them, Bellisia, his brother’s wife, with Zara, Shylah, Pepper and Cayenne huddled together over a table with Nonny and the three little viper triplets. All of them had given input, looking up places in books, and on the Internet. He’d promised the women he would go where they pointed. It hadn’t mattered to him. The choice had been random and it had led him straight to Amaryllis and trouble.3Malichai glanced at his watch as they finished cleaning the kitchen and setting it up for making dinner that night. Amaryllis had already started the huge casseroles of lasagna and slathered butter and garlic salt on loaves of sourdough bread she was serving for dinner. He didn’t understand how she was still on her feet.
“What are you still doing in here?” Marie asked as she walked in. She had a little girl by the hand.
Malichai smiled at the child, knowing from long experience his looks tended to intimidate children. He crouched down so he was closer to her size. “You’re every bit as beautiful as your mother is. I’m Malichai. What’s your name?”
The child blinked at him and then slowly smiled. “Jacy.”
“That’s a really nice name.”
“Do you know my daddy?”
Malichai glanced up at Marie. She was standing very still, almost as if she were frozen or would shatter if she moved. There was no help there.
“No, honey, I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to know him, but he was a very good man.”
The child nodded solemnly, her blond curls bobbing up and down. “You’re like him. I can tell.” She reached out and touched one of the smaller scars he had on his jaw. It curved down his neck. That was one that had nearly killed him.
“Jacy.” Marie’s voice was filled with warning.
“I don’t mind,” Malichai said. “My friend Wyatt has triplets. Three little girls, and another set of twins were just born. All girls.”
Marie’s eyes widened and she exchanged a look of shock with Amaryllis. “Five? They have five little girls?”
Malichai nodded. “We all live close and help raise them. It’s easy to fall in love with them, although the triplets are little tornadoes. We have to watch them all the time. What one doesn’t think of, another will.” He didn’t bother to try to keep the affection from his voice.