Anasazi Fire Read online

  The setting sun toasted her naked skin, but it was nothing compared to the feel of Eddie pressing into her, as two hard fingers slipped through her juices and inside her. He moved them around, in tandem with an extra-strong thrust of his face into her pussy.

  The dual assault was more than enough to send Jane over the edge. She opened her mouth on a scream as she shattered into a million vibrating cells, pulsating over and over and jettisoning her into some far distant galaxy.

  A sharp sound brought her back to earth.

  “See what I mean?” Eddie’s hand was under her nose, she was in the passenger seat of the car, and he was doing that frickin’ snapping thing again.

  “What the…” She blinked at him. “Will you stop doing that?”

  “Doing what? Making you come?”

  “No. Snapping your fingers at me.” Jane blushed and squirmed. “I mean, yes. Making me…whatever it was you just did.”

  The immensity of what had just happened finally hit her, and a chill swept down her spine. She inched away from him until she was pressed up against the car door. “Just what the fuck are you, Mister Prizzletwits?”

  *~~*~~*

  What are you?

  Eddie closed his eyes briefly, battling against memories of words similar to those. How many times had he been asked that question? How many times had people backed away from him in fear?

  It had been several centuries before he’d learned to hide his talents, and a couple more before he’d mastered control of his thoughts. Now, slipping into someone’s head was as unnatural to him as slipping into their underwear. Only when a mission called for drastic measures would he be requested to utilize his “unusual” abilities. And even then, only as a last resort.

  The whole thing skipped a little too close to the “Violation of Civil Rights” line, and danced lightly over it at times. It made his bosses at the Agency squirm.

  He’d had no trouble keeping to the rules. Until Jane.

  Something about her had ripped away all his control and driven him into her head, to fuck her, suck her, damn near get inside her soul if he could. And now she wanted to know what he was.

  Eddie knew, with this woman, he had no choice but to tell her.

  “As I said, I’m Anasazi. A thousand years ago, give or take, my people perfected various…skills. Amongst them the ability to mind-link, if you will, with others. We worked on it, and found that possessing such mental capacities enhanced other talents.”

  “Ah.” Jane nodded, still looking a bit wide-eyed, but no longer squashed flat up against the window. “So you’re a descendant of these—whatevers?”

  “Er…not exactly.”

  She snorted. “No, I should think not. Your name isn’t exactly Running with Guns Drawn, is it?”

  Eddie chuckled. “You couldn’t pronounce my Anasazi name. Przybyl came close to how it sounds, and people don’t seem to question anything they’re not sure if they can spell.” He brushed a hand across her cheek. Fuck it. I don’t seem to be able to stop touching her.

  “I meant, Jane, that I am Anasazi. One of the people who lived in Mesa Verde so long ago.” He paused, trying to find the right words to explain something completely and outrageously unlikely to somebody as practical as the woman sitting next to him with one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

  “My people worked hard at living. At surviving hand-in-hand with the Earth that nourished them. They worshipped the elements, the Universe, however you want to describe it.”

  “Okay. Tree hugging hippies centuries before love beads. I got you so far.”

  Eddie sighed. This would not be easy. “Yeah, I guess that’ll do as an analogy. Anyway, we discovered various ways to enhance our mental abilities—which led to other things. We learned how to extend our lifespan, using natural energies.”

  Her other eyebrow went up. “Better and longer living through organic chemistry?”

  “Jane. I’m serious here. Honest. We developed abilities that allow us to control our environment like you’d flip a switch, only we do it with our minds. Over several generations, our Elders learned how to prolong life as well. Eventually, well, the herbs, the rituals, a lot of stuff I don’t know about since it’s pretty much privileged information—whatever it was, it worked.” He stared at her, pouring every ounce of genuine emotion into his gaze. “Here I am. Here we are. There are many of us, living quietly contented lives…”

  He paused once more before throwing in the kicker. “…That never end.”

  Jane pursed her lips. “So you’re saying you’re like some kind of immortal or something?” Her eyes grew wide. “Oh shit. You mean along the lines of a vampire type thing?”

  “Certainly not.” Eddie lifted his chin and frowned at her. “Don’t be ridiculous. There are no such things as vampires.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Right. You expect me to believe that you’re a thousand-year-old Anasazi-whatever, and yet you tell me there’s no such thing as vampires.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “Try again.”

  Try again? How could he try again when he was telling her the truth? “There are many mysteries to our existence, you know. Can you explain dreams? Can you tell me how déjà vu works? Do you understand the relationship between brain chemistry, body fluid fluctuations and lunar cycles?”

  “No. But I bloat like hell once a month when the tide comes in.”

  Eddie tilted his head and studied her. “You’re taking this all rather calmly.”

  “I haven’t taken anything yet.” She blushed. “Well, I mean in the literal sense.”

  Eddie grinned. “Jane, I swear I’m telling you the truth. Very few people know what I am or what I can do. I promised myself to use what gifts I’ve been given to do something useful for this world. The Agency took me on, investigated and verified me, and I’ve been with them ever since.”

  He stroked her arm, loving the silky skin as it heated his fingertips. “I have no idea why you’ve destroyed all my safeguards. Why I can’t wait to get inside…your head.” He slid nearer to her and reached out his arms. “Or why I can’t wait to get inside…you.”

  Obeying urges he’d long thought buried, Eddie touched his lips to hers. He’d intended to keep it light, casual even, but at the first taste he was lost. He pulled her unresisting body into his arms and forced his way into her mouth, desperate to taste her for real this time.

  There was a microsecond’s hesitation on her part, and then her tongue met his, dueling and twining around, searching out his flavors and textures and making his cock harder than the stone of his ancient homeland. Blending, melding, parting only to meet once more, the kiss took Eddie’s breath away.

  And apparently Jane’s too, since she tore her mouth from his, lungs heaving. “Jesus Christ, Eddie. I’m prepared to believe you’ve been doing that for a thousand years.” She panted. “That’s one helluva kiss you’re packing.”

  Eddie shifted uncomfortably. “It’s not the only thing.”

  Jane looked at the bulge distorting his pants. “That’s not your gun, is it?”

  Her words recalled Eddie to where they were and what they were supposed to be doing. “Shit. This is going to have to wait, babe.” He cleared the time block from the car. “Can we…continue this discussion later?”

  Jane grinned. A very nice and friendly grin for a woman who’s just discovered the guy she’s kissing is a thousand-year-old weirdo. “Sure. Whatever. Whenever.” She stared him right in the eye. “Promise?”

  “Oh yeah.” Eddie started the car again, wondering if he was actually wearing what could be termed as a shit-eating grin. He glanced in the mirror and caught a glimpse of himself.

  Yep. Shit-eating grin.

  *~~*~~*

  The short trip to their destination didn’t give Jane a huge amount of thinking time. Certainly not enough to wrap her head around the idea that the man she’d just swapped spit with was older than she was. A lot older.

  Like a millennium or so.

 
She shrugged her shoulders. So what? She’d always liked older men. And this one sure was a doozy.

  Thankfully, she’d been raised with a reasonably practical outlook on life, believing that science could explain most things, although not all things. But here was something that totally defied current beliefs. If she hadn’t seen it—experienced it—she would have laughed and figured somebody was smoking something they shouldn’t.

  But there was no doubt about it…Eddie was real enough. As were the mental visions he’d created in her brain and she had the wet underwear to prove it. Since meeting him such a short time ago, she’d come twice, had incredibly erotic mental experiences, and developed the worst case of lust she’d had since being introduced to chocolate at a tender age.

  Eddie was, she admitted, better than chocolate. And that, in her book, was really saying something.

  Her mind tippy-toed over the possibilities such a person presented. Like a superhero come to life and sitting next to her, giving her great brain sex. What else can he do?

  She turned in her seat. “Um, Eddie? Can you…”

  “We’re here.” He pulled into a darkened alleyway and killed the engine, turning the lights off in a hurry.

  Shit. Jane choked back her questions and followed him out of the car. “Now what?” She tugged at her dress, wishing it were an inch longer and two inches higher at the neck.

  Eddie stared at a large house, silent for a moment, then looked down at her. “We know that Sully was here before heading over to meet his untimely end.”

  Jane nodded.

  “I know that whatever he was supposed to give me wasn’t on him when he died and the opposition doesn’t have it.”

  She frowned. “How do you know that?”

  “I picked up a great deal of anger and frustration from the three goons who offed him. And they weren’t looking for his library card.”

  “Ah.” She wasn’t about to argue that point with him. Not right now, anyway. “But you couldn’t get anything more detailed out of them?”

  Eddie looked a little self-conscious. “There is a…a kind of distance limitation to my gifts, you know.” He shifted. “I need to be within a certain distance to get up close and personal, if you get my drift.”

  “Hookay. I’ll go with the flow here, since this is a mission and I’m supposed to be a professional.” She glanced down at her dress. “Although a professional what is up for debate.”

  “Well, that’s kinda like the thing here, Jane.”

  She swallowed. “Why do I have a nasty feeling I’m not gonna like what’s coming next?”

  Eddie grinned. “You’re my whore.”

  “What?”

  He held up a hand to stem the screech that Jane knew had probably shattered windows in nearby buildings. “Look, Blanche Overjoy trains escorts. And you and I know what that means. So to get in, we’re going to have to ask for an appointment—a walk-in consult or something—and get her involved with you somehow. Then I can find out where the damn disk is, retrieve it, and we can both make like a tree and leave.”

  Jane rolled her eyes. “And if we can’t get to see her?”

  “Then we go to Plan B.”

  “Which is?”

  “Dunno. Don’t have one yet.”

  Jane sighed. “Look, you’re the one with all these superhero-type talents. Can’t you just poof into invisibility, go pick their brains and get the damn thing yourself?”

  Eddie chuckled. “I ain’t that good, babe.”

  Oh yes you are. The thought formed in Jane’s mind without volition.

  “Why thank you.” Eddie smiled sunnily at her.

  “Don’t do that.” Christ, the man was really inside her head.

  “Okay. Sorry. There’s just something about you…”

  Jane felt warmth cradling her breasts, like two hands stroking her and seeking her nipples, teasing them.

  She squirmed. “Eddie. Cut it out.” She sighed. “At least for now, anyway.”

  “Sorry again.” The warmth disappeared, shut off like a light, and Eddie’s spine straightened. “You’re right. Let’s get this over with and then get on to the good stuff.”

  Sounds like a plan to me.

  Chapter Four

  Eddie mustered his thoughts. He simply had to focus on the assignment, not Jane. And it was damn hard when her scent surrounded him like a cloud of desire, and he swore he could hear her skin brushing against her dress.

  He rang the bell of Blanche Overjoy’s house with a mixture of lust and apprehension running through his brain. Not good. If anything should happen to Jane…

  “Good evening. May I help you?”

  The polite enquiry came from a man who strongly resembled an elephant in a tuxedo. Bulging muscles strained the fabric, and the fact that his dress shirt actually buttoned around his neck was a tribute to whoever had custom-tailored the entire ensemble.

  Blanche sure picked her bodyguards for their strength, not their looks.

  Eddie stared into the man’s eyes. “My name is Edvarde Przybyl. We were wondering if it would be possible to see Ms. Overjoy? We don’t have an appointment but…” He reached into that place inside him where so much magic lay, curled in a warm rope of glittering excitement.

  Money. Power, sex…reputation as a playboy…

  He sent images softly and patiently across the few feet between them, creating a picture of himself as he wanted the muscle-bound dude to see him.

  The man’s face relaxed. “Welcome, Mr. Przybyl. How nice of you to drop by. Would you mind waiting for a moment, while I tell Ms. Overjoy you’re here? I’m not sure of her schedule this evening, but I’d be happy to check for you.”

  With a hand beneath Jane’s elbow, Eddie followed the bouncer into a small room, tastefully furnished with expensive antiques.

  “I’ll be right back. If you’d care for drinks, please help yourself.” He left with what was probably supposed to be a friendly grin. It was actually more of a baring of yellowed teeth, but what the hell. Eddie’s plan was working—this far.

  “How did you do that?” Jane whispered softly, looking around her with a rather intense degree of interest. “Is this a—whorehouse?”

  Eddie grinned, picking up her torn emotions at being curious about something like that. “No. This is Blanche’s home away from home. She works here because she likes the house, and doesn’t, of course, actually own a whorehouse. Although if you track the financial records of ownership, and dismiss a variety of dummy corporations, I’d be willing to bet she’s got some powerful financial interests in a few of ‘em.”

  His attention was snagged by someone approaching. “Jane, go with me here. Don’t be shocked by anything I do or say, okay?” He sent soothing thoughts over to her in a quick flash.

  He physically felt her tossing them aside, as she straightened her spine. “I’m here to help you. Don’t worry about me.”

  He blinked. I think I’m going to worry about you a lot. More than any other woman I’ve met in a long time.

  But he kept those thoughts to himself. “All right. She’s coming. Here we go.”

  Eddie closed the distance between them, watching her eyes widen as his hands delved into the front of her dress. He had her breasts bared and was kissing them as Blanche Overjoy walked into the room.

  *~~*~~*

  Jane experienced one flash of blissful heat from Eddie’s tongue around her nipple, then froze as a woman entered.

  Jerking away from that tempting mouth, she struggled to wrench her dress back into place. “Er…Eddie?” She cursed the blush that flooded her cheeks, rising hotly through her to swamp her in embarrassment. A real agent would’ve been able to do something like this without a blink. Probably. Or maybe not.

  Ah fuck it. Jane sighed.

  “Hello. I’m Blanche Overjoy.” The woman raised an eyebrow. “And I can see you need my help.”

  Pissed off at that obvious insult, Jane raised an eyebrow, but Eddie had the situation well in hand. She rather mi
ssed him having her breasts well in hand too, but that was neither here nor there at this particular moment.

  “What a pleasure to meet you.” Eddie lifted Blanche’s hand to his lips and smiled.

  Sheeiitt. Jane could literally see this damned woman melting.

  He’s doing his job. Do yours. Jane’s brain kicked her hormones out of the way, told them to go do a crossword or something for a bit, and tried hard to concentrate on the assignment.

  Eddie turned towards Jane. “This is Janie. I’m thinking about taking her to the West Coast.” He stroked his chin, staring at her like she was some kind of object. “But the parties I’d like to attend…well, let’s just say she needs a little polish?”

  A quick vision of Eddie lying naked on top of her while coated in furniture wax sent another blush cascading across her skin.

  “Yes, I see what you mean. She does blush a lot, doesn’t she?”

  Well I fucking wouldn’t if you stopped making me. The thought obviously reached Eddie, since his lips curled in a hint of a smile.

  Okay. He wants me to blush. Keerist, Jane. Get a grip. This isn’t a game.

  “It’s not unattractive, of course, but probably a little too much for my associates.” Eddie turned to Blanche. “Think there’s anything we can do about it?”

  Blanche moved to Jane, circling her with a predatory air.

  Jane, in her turn, watched Blanche. Tall and slender, the woman was heading for middle age, but still moved with the grace of a ballet dancer. She was simply dressed, although her clothes must have cost more than Jane made in a month. Of course even if their salaries were the same, Jane couldn’t have worn those outfits because designers, bless their pea-sized brains, never made clothes larger than a size eight.

  Blanche reeked of expensive tastes, overlaid with an inherent sexuality that Jane envied. God, I hate skinny women.

  So do I.

  A quick impression of Eddie’s words, then nothing. But it was enough to strengthen Jane’s resolve, and she stood quietly, undergoing Blanche’s scrutiny without moving.