Predatory Game (GhostWalkers #6)(39)
Author: Christine Feehan

Ken nodded. “You got it, Calhoun. You and Saber are supposed to be so hot, at least that’s the word from Max.” He winked at Mari. “Well, maybe you already are.”

“Very funny.” Saber moved back, h*ps swaying to the beat of the music, feet picking up the rhythm. She didn’t know who Max was, but they’d all obviously discussed her in the context of her belonging with Jess, and she was absurdly pleased about that.

Jess smiled, a slow sensuous response to the rhythm of her body, easily tilted his chair, balancing on two wheels, moving with her, around her, Saber around him, close, apart, eyes locked on one another. Her body flowed with all the grace of a ballerina and the strength of a gymnast. She was a wild little thing of pure beauty, music mysteriously coming to life.

It was obvious they were in a world of their own, the only two people on the dance floor. It looked as though every moment had been choreographed to perfection, a swirl of man, woman, and machine. Jess’s ability to spin, jump, and glide in his wheelchair was phenomenal. Their soft, muted laughter and wild, skillful dancing continued for several songs.

Ken and Mari, laughing together, joined Saber and Jess at their table.

“So are we the champions?” Jess asked, grinning at his friend.

“I give up,” Ken conceded. “You two can keep your crowns.”

“I can’t dance at all,” Mari admitted. “Ken makes me look good, but I don’t think I’ll ever get the hang of it. Where’d you learn to dance like that, Jess?”

Jess sipped his drink, eyes on the perfection of Saber’s face. “This lady right here. She loves to dance, and has music going all the time. She’d nag me all the time, until I had no choice.”

He smiled at Saber tenderly.

You have it bad, Jess. Ken sent the thought telepathically. She’s definitely a GhostWalker, but Mari has never seen her before. Have you checked her out?

Jess tried not to react to the faint hint of suspicion in Ken’s voice. If the positions had been reversed, he would have been suspicious as well.

“Well, she taught you well,” Mari said, shyness in her voice. “You’re very good.”

Saber had the impression Mari wasn’t used to crowds. Ken slipped his arm around her waist, bending to brush her temple with a quick, tender kiss. They were obviously not pretending to be married for her benefit and that made her feel safer. Maybe Jess hadn’t called in his team. His friends would want to check up on him, visit him and make certain he was doing all right. She wanted to believe Ken and Mari were just at the club to have fun with Jess.

“He is good, isn’t he?” Saber said with pride.

Mari nodded. “I’ve never seen anything quite like that.”

It was kind of funny that they were all sitting at the same table pretending they were all just friends-normal people-instead of their reality. Saber had learned to handle the crush of energy others gave off, but it was difficult over long periods of time. She usually avoided crowds. Mari wasn’t an anchor either and she would have the same problems being out in public. It gave Saber a kindred feeling toward Mari.

“I love to dance, and Jess was so good about dancing at home with me.”

Home. Jess liked the way she said it. He’d never thought much about having a home. He’d taken it for granted, growing up in a loving family the way he had. He wondered what Saber’s childhood had been like. He knew Mari’s had been extremely difficult. Jess reached for Saber’s hand, thumb feathering over her knuckles. “It was fun,” he said decisively. “Although I think she’s always afraid I might fall over backward.”

“That’s because you deliberately scare me.” She laughed because she couldn’t help it as he caught at the wheels to do a pop-up. “Stop, you know I hate that.”

“Stop showing off for your woman,” Ken ordered. She’s laughing but she’s really worried about it.

Jess shot his friend a shut-up look, but he stopped teasing her. “I do it all the time, honey, and I never fall.”

“I know,” Saber sipped at her drink and flashed him a reassuring smile.

That was the problem right there, Jess decided. That smile. Like she was taking care of him, watching over him. Afraid he’d hurt himself. He knew where all the exits and windows were. He knew who would be the most dangerous men in the room in a fight. He knew the make and model of every car in the parking lot and exactly how they were parked. He knew which of the customers were armed and which ones he could take-most likely all of them-without breaking a sweat and still sitting in his wheelchair. But she didn’t see him as someone who could take care of her.

He wanted to shake things up. He was tired of pretending to be less capable than he truly was. But he couldn’t tell her the truth because he was a top secret national security weapon. And most likely, she couldn’t say anything to him for the same reason.

As if reading his mind, Ken gave a small shake of his head. Mari thinks she’s on the run.

Was he really that transparent? He wanted to lean across the table and kiss her. She melted when he kissed her, forgetting all about the chair. Jess sighed and sought a safe topic of conversation. “How’s Briony? Her baby must be due soon.” He found Saber’s hand again, tangling their fingers because he needed to touch her. “Briony, Mari’s sister, is married to Ken’s brother, Jack.”

“Jack and I are twins,” Ken explained. “And so are Mari and Briony. Briony is expecting twins.”

“How did that happen?” Saber asked. “Because that’s plain scary.”

Ken laughed. “It’s a curse in my family. We always have twins. The men in our family find women who produce identical twins. It’s either a blessing or a curse, we’re not certain which.”

Mari shot him a look. “Not me. My poor sister is terrified of having children and with two of them coming, I can’t blame her.”

Saber was horrified. “Two? I’ve never even held a baby.”

“Neither have I,” Mari confessed. “Briony hasn’t either, but I told her I’d help her. Jack is really good with her.”

“Jack has these books he’s always reading,” Ken said with a little grin. “On pregnancy, having twins, labor, and now parenting.”

“He makes us all read them,” Mari added.

Saber felt tears burning behind her eyes. It was so unexpected she wasn’t prepared for the emotion overwhelming her. Their voices, she decided, held so much love, so much warmth. They were a family. Jack and Briony. Ken and Mari. And now children. Somehow they’d made it out of the insanity that was the life of a GhostWalker.