Dangerous Designs, page 40
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
At the basement, they split up. Eric took several men and headed to the armory. Storey and the remaining two men headed for the anteroom. She didn't know what they could do on their own, but hoped something would come to her on the way. The burly man strode at her side. The younger pimpley faced barely adult male loped along on the side. The teen smiled at her. She smiled back. "What's your name?"
"Horath."
She raised her eyebrow, "That's an interesting name."
He straightened, even his smile brightened.
"My name is Jendron." The burly man grinned knowingly at her. "Neither of us is mated."
She never saw it coming. She was spun around and wet lips were slammed down on her mouth.
"Hey, it's my turn."
Huh? What the hell was going on?
Suddenly, she was free. She hadn't even had a chance to fight. She gasped for air and bent over trying to breath. "What the hell are you doing?" she gasped furiously, rubbing her arms. "I don't want to be kissed by either of you. Didn't you see how Eric and I look at each other?" She snorted at both men who stood in front of her, confusion covering both their faces. "If I want anyone to kiss me, it would be him."
"Oh." The two men stared at each other before looking back at her. "You don't want a mate?"
"But you're alone. You could choose one of us," Jendron said.
"That's not fair. I didn't get to kiss her. She should know her choices first."
"Mate?" Where they nuts?
Just then Eric came running around the corner. He skidded to a stop. "What's wrong?"
She couldn't answer. She glanced from the two men to Eric. His gaze locked on her swollen lips. Frowning, he faced the men. "What's happened?"
Horath grimaced and shuffled his feet self consciously. "We misunderstood."
"Misunderstood what?" Eric's voice deepened, a cutting edge slicing off his words. "Explain."
"Later. We don't have time for this." Storey straightened from the wall, there was little she could do about her puffy lips. How they could have thought she'd welcome their attention was beyond her. This world was weird to begin with, now it was getting plain freaky. She wished she was back home again - where she understood the rules.
"Who kissed you?" Eric reached out and cupped her chin, his cutting gaze studying her swollen mouth, his gaze hard on hers. "Which one?"
She tried to pull her chin away. She didn't recognize his current mood; danger signals emanated loud and clear. "It's fine. Something about me being alone and could choose one of them for a mate or something. Just leave it. It was all a misunderstanding."
His gaze narrowed and hardened.
"Please."
He backed up slightly and gave her a curt nod. "This isn't over."
"No, it's not. You have some explaining to do. No way you're leaving me alone with other men if that's the way things are done here," she snapped.
He smirked, humor lightening the seriousness in his eyes. "I guess I forgot to explain a few things. Fine. Later then." He bent lower and gave her a gentle kiss. "No one kisses you but me." He straightened. "Let's get down there and deal with the war first."
He snatched up her hand and hauled her down the hall with him. She raced to keep up before she ended up being dragged. Casting him a sideways look, she realized anger still vibrated through him. Whatever those two men had done, they'd pay for it soon. Eric would see to it.
By the time they approached the anteroom, the tension in his spine appeared to have eased. His nostrils flared. He lifted his head, almost sniffing the air. "They're here already."
"Good," she murmured. "Let's get in there and take them down."
He looked at her sideways. "How?"
"With the gun you're carrying."
His face broke into a half smile. "You've got that right. We have three stun guns. We'll be lucky if we shoot four or five. What about the others?"
Storey smiled and tapped her sketchbook. "I'm not without some resources."
"True. But it takes time to draw. You aren't going to have that time."
"No," she said. "I won't. Maybe you'll be able to handle them all and I won't need it." She didn't bother telling him she'd been working on an idea. She opened her sketchbook, stared at it and started drawing. She created the same door that started this whole mess from her bedroom. She fell into the project with the same intensity she put into all her drawings.
She barely noticed when Eric set up position and motioned to the others to be ready. One hand on the doorknob, he turned back to Storey. "Are you ready Storey? In three, two, one..."
Storey raised her head and watched. Her hand, stylus gripped tight in her fingers, sketched at a mad pace. The gate was almost done, the latch, the shading. Just another minute. She watched the men even as her hand, the stylus clenched tight, drew at a furious pace.
Eric reached for the knob.
At the basement, they split up. Eric took several men and headed to the armory. Storey and the remaining two men headed for the anteroom. She didn't know what they could do on their own, but hoped something would come to her on the way. The burly man strode at her side. The younger pimpley faced barely adult male loped along on the side. The teen smiled at her. She smiled back. "What's your name?"
"Horath."
She raised her eyebrow, "That's an interesting name."
He straightened, even his smile brightened.
"My name is Jendron." The burly man grinned knowingly at her. "Neither of us is mated."
She never saw it coming. She was spun around and wet lips were slammed down on her mouth.
"Hey, it's my turn."
Huh? What the hell was going on?
Suddenly, she was free. She hadn't even had a chance to fight. She gasped for air and bent over trying to breath. "What the hell are you doing?" she gasped furiously, rubbing her arms. "I don't want to be kissed by either of you. Didn't you see how Eric and I look at each other?" She snorted at both men who stood in front of her, confusion covering both their faces. "If I want anyone to kiss me, it would be him."
"Oh." The two men stared at each other before looking back at her. "You don't want a mate?"
"But you're alone. You could choose one of us," Jendron said.
"That's not fair. I didn't get to kiss her. She should know her choices first."
"Mate?" Where they nuts?
Just then Eric came running around the corner. He skidded to a stop. "What's wrong?"
She couldn't answer. She glanced from the two men to Eric. His gaze locked on her swollen lips. Frowning, he faced the men. "What's happened?"
Horath grimaced and shuffled his feet self consciously. "We misunderstood."
"Misunderstood what?" Eric's voice deepened, a cutting edge slicing off his words. "Explain."
"Later. We don't have time for this." Storey straightened from the wall, there was little she could do about her puffy lips. How they could have thought she'd welcome their attention was beyond her. This world was weird to begin with, now it was getting plain freaky. She wished she was back home again - where she understood the rules.
"Who kissed you?" Eric reached out and cupped her chin, his cutting gaze studying her swollen mouth, his gaze hard on hers. "Which one?"
She tried to pull her chin away. She didn't recognize his current mood; danger signals emanated loud and clear. "It's fine. Something about me being alone and could choose one of them for a mate or something. Just leave it. It was all a misunderstanding."
His gaze narrowed and hardened.
"Please."
He backed up slightly and gave her a curt nod. "This isn't over."
"No, it's not. You have some explaining to do. No way you're leaving me alone with other men if that's the way things are done here," she snapped.
He smirked, humor lightening the seriousness in his eyes. "I guess I forgot to explain a few things. Fine. Later then." He bent lower and gave her a gentle kiss. "No one kisses you but me." He straightened. "Let's get down there and deal with the war first."
He snatched up her hand and hauled her down the hall with him. She raced to keep up before she ended up being dragged. Casting him a sideways look, she realized anger still vibrated through him. Whatever those two men had done, they'd pay for it soon. Eric would see to it.
By the time they approached the anteroom, the tension in his spine appeared to have eased. His nostrils flared. He lifted his head, almost sniffing the air. "They're here already."
"Good," she murmured. "Let's get in there and take them down."
He looked at her sideways. "How?"
"With the gun you're carrying."
His face broke into a half smile. "You've got that right. We have three stun guns. We'll be lucky if we shoot four or five. What about the others?"
Storey smiled and tapped her sketchbook. "I'm not without some resources."
"True. But it takes time to draw. You aren't going to have that time."
"No," she said. "I won't. Maybe you'll be able to handle them all and I won't need it." She didn't bother telling him she'd been working on an idea. She opened her sketchbook, stared at it and started drawing. She created the same door that started this whole mess from her bedroom. She fell into the project with the same intensity she put into all her drawings.
She barely noticed when Eric set up position and motioned to the others to be ready. One hand on the doorknob, he turned back to Storey. "Are you ready Storey? In three, two, one..."
Storey raised her head and watched. Her hand, stylus gripped tight in her fingers, sketched at a mad pace. The gate was almost done, the latch, the shading. Just another minute. She watched the men even as her hand, the stylus clenched tight, drew at a furious pace.
Eric reached for the knob.
