Celestial Desire (3 page)

“
Puppy eyes
?” The Marine in him was mortified.

“Yes. You remind me of one of those Siberian huskies with the shocking blue eyes, damning and redeeming at the same time. It steals my breath away sometimes.”

Well, hell.
If he wasn’t feeling that strange sudden tingle in his chest he might actually take offense. Then again, they were getting him what he wanted, so… “And coffee?” he asked hopefully, waggling his eyebrows.

“Definitely coffee,” she laughed, tossing him his shirt.

With one or two more stolen kisses, Zane reluctantly left Celeste. It was probably a good thing she’d kicked his ass out; he had some work of his own to do.

He filled his lungs with the fresh, clean air; it mixed with Celeste’s subtle fragrance, intensifying that odd sensation in his chest again. Like it or not, his feelings for her were extending beyond the usual hook-up and surprisingly enough, he was okay with that. For the first time, Zane was the one wanting more, willing to see where things went.

              The question was, was she?
 

“What are you so happy about?” Mitch Fagan asked his nephew, glancing over the half-sized reading glasses he wore while reviewing his notes.

“Me?” Zane asked absently. He erased a few spots on the schematic he’d been working on, then made a few additional sketches.

“Yes, you. You’re
whistling
.”

“Am I?” Zane finally looked up from his drawings and met his uncle’s eyes briefly. He gave him his best innocent look, but Mitch wasn’t fooled for a minute. One of the reasons Mitch was such a highly successful attorney was because he had an innate ability to see through bullshit.

Mitch set down the papers and leaned back in his chair, crossing his muscled arms over his chest. He pinned his nephew with a meaningful look. The son of Mitch’s identical twin, Zane was not only a younger version of him in appearance but in personality as well.

“You’re scaring me.”

Zane laughed. “It’s cool, Uncle Mitch. I met someone.”

“Did you now?” Mitch’s voice softened in cautious optimism. Zane was a good man, but he was restless. Ever since he’d come out to stay with him in the adult condo community, Zane had been going through one woman after another. He didn’t need a psych degree to know that it was a defense mechanism, a way to keep people at arm’s length.

He even understood the reasons
why
Zane was the way he was. In the past few years, he’d had to deal with the loss of people he’d cared about; first, some of his Marine brothers in a rescue op gone bad and then, when he’d completed his final tour and returned home, his father, mother, and younger sister.

Each man had his own way of dealing with tragic loss; some shut themselves away, some drank. His was throwing himself into his work. Zane’s self-prescribed therapy was exorcising his demons by having sex with every beautiful woman who smiled in his direction.

Thus far, none of them had captured his interest enough to warrant a second thought. The possibility that he might have found one to hold his attention for more than a night or two was an encouraging one.

“Yeah. She’s… different.”

“Oh?” Different was good.
Maybe
. Something a tad more substantial than the vapid beach bunnies he usually went after would be welcome. A voodoo priestess or a Goth pincushion, not so much. “How so?”

Zane shrugged. “I can’t explain it. She’s smart and funny. Sexy as hell. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to get her out of my mind.”

“Sounds serious.”
And socially acceptable
.
 

* * *
 

“Maybe.” Zane let the word hang in the air. Was it? He’d been honest when he said he couldn’t stop thinking about her. And three nights in one week with the same woman was something new for him. Usually one was enough for him to lose interest after several hours. Celeste, however, intrigued him. He wanted to know more about her; most women talked incessantly, but not Celeste. She was the first person he’d ever met that actually talked less about herself than he did. He had his reasons, of course, but what were hers?

Outside of learning the little things that drove her out of her mind with lust and made her come, he was woefully short on useful intel. He didn’t even know her last name, he realized with a shock.

“Does she feel the same way about you?” Ever the lawyer, Mitch probed for information.

Zane frowned. “I don’t know. She seems happy enough when we’re together, but…”

“But?”

Zane rubbed the back of his neck. “But so far our time together hasn’t extended past the bedroom.”

Mitch’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? You haven’t taken her out?”

“No. I asked her to go sailing, to dinner, and a couple of other things, too, but she’s always busy.”

“Hmm,” his uncle hummed, a telling sound that only increased Zane’s growing sense of unease. “That’s a switch, isn’t it?”

Zane took the blow, knowing Mitch was only voicing the truth. Usually Zane was the one discouraging attempts to turn a hook-up into something more than just sex. At first, he’d thought himself lucky that he’d found someone who wasn’t openly clamoring for all the extras – dinner, movies, drinks, five-date rules – wastes of time and money that would lead to good, even great sex, and then the inevitable moving on. But now
he
was the one wanting more, and if anything, his interest in Celeste had grown stronger instead of waning.

He genuinely liked Celeste – the sound of her voice, the way she smelled, her witty banter. She hadn’t made any of the usual demands on him, either - beyond stretching him to his sexual limits, that was. She didn’t ask a bunch of questions or try to get into his head, or whine about not going out. She seemed perfectly content to please and be pleased.

He knew exactly where to kiss her to make her melt. Just where to stroke to make her tremble with need or spill her honeyed cream for him. There was not a spot on her body he hadn’t kissed, licked, sucked, and caressed.

But he had no idea what kinds of food she liked, or what type of music she listened to. Did she prefer books or movies? What did she do for fun (besides turn him inside out)? Where had she grown up? What prompted her to move? These were just a few of the questions to which he wanted answers, but Celeste had proven more than capable of distracting him whenever he started asking.

The things he did know were minimal, at best. She was obviously intelligent if she could design and build custom computer systems. Definitely not materialistic, given the lack of content in her condo. And a bit on the messy side. He had yet to see her “bed” made, and her clothes were often draped over the cardboard boxes strategically placed throughout her place. Digital equipment was everywhere in seemingly haphazard piles; though to be fair, she seemed to know exactly where everything was. Her furnishings – table, chair, and mattress excluded – consisted of moving boxes propped open and stacked on their sides like a poor man’s version of IKEA chic.

Zane didn’t think it was due to a lack of money, either. Anybody who could afford a condo is this community had to be pretty comfortable financially, and her clothes were well-made if not extravagant. The few items in her fridge and cupboards were top-shelf, too. Celeste had an earthy ambivalence toward material possessions, yet another thing that sparked his interest.

In short, she intrigued him enough to warrant further study. Maybe once his curiosity was satisfied, he’d be able to go more than a few minutes without thinking about her. Or wondering what she was doing at any given time. Or whether or not she might be thinking of him, too.

The irony of the situation was not lost on him.

“So what are you going to do?” Mitch’s voice cut through the mental fog and returned him to the present.

As far as Zane was concerned, there was only one answer. “Keep trying.”

Mitch considered him carefully for a few minutes, then nodded. “Guess I’ll call Jessica and tell her you’re not interested then.”

Jessica was his uncle’s current woman friend. From what Zane had seen of their relationship, it had the potential to be serious, if it wasn’t already. “Interested in what?”

“Her daughter just moved here, and hasn’t really had much of a chance to settle in or meet anyone. Jess says she’s got her own business and works all the time. She hasn’t even gotten around to getting furniture yet. Jess put together a small, informal dinner party tomorrow night and invited a couple of people in the hopes of getting her out and about for a few hours. She asked me to invite you, too, since you’re around the same age. Thought you might be a good resource if she had any questions about local attractions and whatnot.”

The wheels started turning in Zane’s head, certain words appearing with bold highlights in his mind.
Just moved? Has her own business? No furniture? It couldn’t be, could it?

“What else do you know about her?”

“Relax, Zane. It’s not a set-up or anything. Jess’s daughter isn’t really your type. She’s a real sweetheart. Insanely intelligent. Quiet.”

Feeling slightly insulted, Zane ignored that. He’d thought the same thing once, an eon ago. Before three nights of mind-blowing sex and this inexplicable desire for more. “You’ve met her?”

“Yes. She had some legal issues I helped her with.”

My mother really likes him, and he’s a great guy. He … did something for me
. Celeste’s words echoed in his head. It was all starting to make sense. And it was far too good of an opportunity to let pass by.

“Oh. Well, count me in.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “What about the girl you were just telling me about?”

“She’s busy tomorrow night. And Jessica’s your woman, yeah? I’m there for you, man.”

“Thanks, Zane,” Mitch said suspiciously. “It would mean a lot to Jess. Shouldn’t be anything too hard. Like I said, she’s on the quiet side, shy, and probably won’t even stay long. An hour or two would suffice, I think.”

Zane smiled in anticipation. “I think I can handle that.”
 

Zane Fagan had been a Marine for a long time. Long enough to have seen his share of life’s unexpected ups and downs. So when he returned from his workout ahead of schedule to find a very attractive female backside sticking out from beneath his uncle’s desk (a definite “up”), he took it in stride. Especially when he already knew that particular backside intimately.

He watched in silence as she wiggled this way and that on all fours, intent on her task. Whatever that might be. He especially liked it when she lowered her shoulders toward the ground; it made her cute little ass stick up in the air.

Zane shifted his weight slightly. It was a hell of a nice view, and brought to mind images of animalistic mounting.
Oh yeah
. It was inspiring. He knew exactly what position he would take her in next.

“Celeste?” Instinctively, Zane melted back into the shadows as Mitch emerged from the kitchen with a can of soda in hand, looking around the room for her.

“Under here Mr. Fagan,” she answered in that gentle, soft voice of hers. She crawled out from beneath the desk and stood. Celeste smiled as she accepted the drink, and Zane’s heart stopped for a moment; he wasn’t used to seeing her in so many clothes. She wore faded Levi’s, a powder blue cotton T with some kind of mathematical symbols on it, and black Chuck Taylors. Her hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, if it hadn’t been for her lush curves, Zane might have mistaken her for a teenager.

“Thanks,” she said, taking a sip. She drank right from the can, Zane noticed. That thought came well after his brain processed her full lips touching the rim, her eyes half-shuttering, and the rhythmic movements of her throat muscles as she swallowed.
Damn, he had it bad
.

“You’re good to go.”

“Already?” Mitch raised a doubtful eye and looked around.

“Yep.”

“But where is everything?” His eyes scanned the top of his desk. The only piece of electronic equipment seemed to be a small tablet the size of a notebook.

She grinned. “This is it. I’ve hidden the receivers and the routers. They’re in the left side cabinet of your entertainment center.” Mitch glanced over that way, his eyes widening when he spotted Zane in the shadows. Zane gave a slight shake to his head, indicating he did not want his presence known. Mitch frowned slightly.

“Is that all right?” Celeste asked, misinterpreting Mitch’s expression. “I can move it somewhere else.”

“No, that’s perfect,” Mitch responded, smoothing his features. “What’s this?” He eyed the small device on his desk.

“That,” she said with an excited gleam in her eye, “is the latest and greatest geek must-have. You can use it like a laptop or a tablet. Look.” She picked up the device and manipulated it with a few twists and turns showcasing the full-sized keyboard in what she called “laptop mode”, then flipping it back to hide the keyboard beneath the screen to use it like a tablet. “I’ve already loaded it up with a couple of the apps I thought you might need, based on your old machine, and copied all of your files from your hard disk and encrypted them. I installed some über-tight security, too, multi-leveled – on the drives, the files, email, and so on. Same stuff I did for NASA,” she added without a trace of arrogance.

“This is wonderful, Celeste,” Mitch told her.

She grinned at the praise. “Oh, and I integrated it with your home security system, so you’ll always be aware and in control of what’s going on even when you’re not here. That is a really sweet set up you have. I’ve been thinking of getting one myself. Can I ask who did it for you?”

“My nephew. He’s something of a security expert. I can have him give you a call.”

“That would be great, thanks.”

“How much do I owe you?”

Celeste reached into her back pocket for a slip of paper clipped to a couple of receipts. “This should be tax deductible if you count it as a business expense.”

Mitch looked at the handwritten summary of parts and the prices she’d paid for them. His eyes widened when he saw the total at the bottom. “This can’t be right. I saw some of those things on sale for at least twice what you have here. And there’s no labor cost.”

Celeste looked away, embarrassed. “Yeah, well, I know where to get the components at a reasonable price. Those electronics places always have an indecent markup.”

“You
built
this?”

Her face flushed and she shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Not from scratch or anything. Just started with the basics and tweaked a bit.”

Mitch stared at her, dumbfounded. “Then I definitely owe you more than this. How long did you spend on it? What’s the going rate for this kind of thing?”

Her flush deepened and she seemed truly embarrassed. “I’m not going to charge you for my
time
, Mr. Fagan, after all you’ve done for me. And…I enjoyed it, actually. It gave me something fun to do. The security system was a challenge; your nephew knows his stuff.”

“I don’t know what to say, Celeste. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The grin was back. From this angle, Zane could see the prettiest pink flush gracing her cheeks.

He continued to watch from the shadows as Celeste had Mitch log on to the new machine, reset his password, and showed him how to use it with infinite patience. Brilliant lawyer his uncle might be, but he was nearly hopeless when it came to digital gadgetry. When she was satisfied he had the hang of it, she picked up her small bag and left.

Only then did Zane emerge from the shadows. Mitch frowned at the look on his nephew’s face. His features, soft and kind in the woman’s presence, hardened slightly as he looked pointedly at his watch. “Thought you weren’t supposed to be back for another hour or two.”

Zane kept his expression mildly curious, ignoring the stab of unease in his chest. “Finished early. Got a new system, huh? Looks pretty slick.”

“It is. That was Jessica’s daughter, by the way. I could have introduced you. Why didn’t you want her to see you?”             

Zane said nothing, but he didn’t have to. Mitch was exceptionally skilled at reading people. “Oh, hell no, Zane. Please tell me she’s not the one you were talking about last night.” He winced when he saw the truth in his nephew’s eyes.

“
Fuck
.” He paced back and forth across the room before speaking as Zane followed him with his eyes. “Okay, look. I’ll just call Jess and tell her something came up, that you can’t make it tonight.”

“Don’t bother. I’m still going.”

Mitch looked at him as if he was crazy. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s a perfect idea,” Zane said, liking the idea more and more. He’d tried several times to get Celeste to go out with him, but she’d always had some excuse not to. A casual dinner at her mom’s was the perfect opportunity to discover more about the enigmatic Celeste.

“No. End this, Zane, before someone gets hurt.”

It was unlike his uncle to use such an authoritative tone with him, especially where his personal life was concerned. Mitch might give him disapproving, even pitying looks sometimes, but otherwise kept his thoughts to himself.

Zane’s instincts flared to life, the same instincts that had saved his life and the life of his unit more than once, the ones he hadn’t listened to on that last extraction when the orders came down. He’d known things would go bad, but his CO wouldn’t listen. He wasn’t in the military anymore and Zane would never ignore those instincts again.

“This is about more than the fact that she’s Jessica’s daughter, isn’t it?”

“Let it go, Zane.” Mitch focused his attention on the tablet in his hands. “Christ, look at the resolution on this.” He tapped a few things, his eyes widening at the instantaneous response.

Zane narrowed his eyes. “What are you not telling me?”

“Like I said last night, she’s not your type. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Bullshit. You can’t just throw that out there and expect me to walk away, not after what I told you.”

Mitch exhaled heavily, suddenly looking weary. “
Let it go, Zane.
”

Zane faced him, his sturdy legs hip-width apart, heavily-muscled arms still pumped from his workout crossed over a substantial, broad chest.

Mitch shook his head and walked back into the kitchen. Zane followed two steps behind. Reaching into the stainless steel fridge, Mitch grabbed two beers and handed one to Zane.

“You might as well tell me now, save us both a shitload of time,” Zane said, accepting the cold brew.

Sighing, Mitch took a long pull of the beer and sat down, clearly weighing his options. Zane could be as tenacious as a pit bull when he had a mind to but so could his uncle. It could become quite a battle of wills, because Zane was not backing down. The question was, would his uncle think the battle was worth it?

After all, he and Celeste were both grown, consenting adults. It was really none of Mitch’s business. He got that Celeste was Jessica’s daughter, but Zane had a stake in this, too.

“Tell me, Mitch. Maybe I can help. Didn’t she say something about wanting extra security? Seriously, you know I’m the best.”

“This is about more than home security, Zane.”

Zane pinned him with a glare that backed up his earlier words.

Mitch exhaled heavily. “Her ex is finding it hard to let go.”

“She’s married?”

“Was. Hence the term
ex
.”

Zane pulled a chair away from the small breakfast table and turned it around, straddling it and leaning his forearms on the back. “Talk to me.”

Mitch gave one last, albeit feeble warning. “This really doesn’t concern you at all.”

The hell it didn’t. He wanted information, and his uncle had it. “Tell me anyway.”

“Why?”

That was a question even Zane didn’t want to answer for himself, because frankly, it scared the shit out of him. “Because I’m going to be your shadow until you do. Christ, Mitch, just tell me already.”

Mitch shook his head again, then blew out a breath. “All right, but if nothing else makes it through, understand this: I won’t see that girl hurt, feel me?”

Zane nodded, all amusement now gone from his face as dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach. Anything that got Mitch this upset could not be good; the man was known for his cool head and unshakable calm.

It was several minutes before he spoke. Zane waited patiently. He knew that Mitch was arranging the facts in his head, plotting out the most reasonable and concise way to present the information.

“Celeste is gifted. She has a brilliant mind, far surpassing the status quo. But socially, she lagged behind. When girls her age were dating, going to football games and proms, Celeste was attending night school. She got her bachelor’s degree a couple of weeks after her high school diploma; the first of her master’s six months after that.”

“The first?”

Mitch nodded. “She’s got master’s degrees in computer engineering, mathematics, and quantum physics.”

Zane whistled. The corner of Mitch’s mouth twitched briefly. “Exactly. But she is quite possibly the most unaffected woman I’ve ever met. She really doesn’t see herself as anything special.”

Zane’s mind was already moving ahead, trying to fill in the many blanks. “So… all work and no play?”

“Something like that. Think back to the smart girls you knew in high school.”

Zane did, the images appearing as he mentally re-walked the halls. Mostly pencil thin or overweight. Glasses. Backwards, introverted, silent unless they were answering a question in class. He couldn’t reconcile the Celeste he knew with any of that, except for perhaps the stereotypical disinterest in extraneous things. Celeste preferred function over fashion. She wore little to no makeup, and didn’t fuss with things like clothes or jewelry, at least not that he had seen. Adorably absent minded and easily distracted. “Not seeing it.”

“Exactly. Celeste’s appearance has changed quite a bit in the past year or so. She’s trying to re-invent herself, Zane. A fresh start, if you will.”

A fresh start
, Zane mused. The phrase was usually applicable when discussing ex-cons or bad relationships, and Celeste was about as far from dishonest as one could get. It wasn’t much of a stretch to go from point A to point B. “Let me guess. She hooked up with the first guy who showed some serious interest.”

Mitch nodded somberly. “Enter James Bradley, business man, National Guard weekend warrior. Flowers. Candlelight dinners. Chocolates. The whole nine yards. Jessica tried to get Celeste to slow down, take things easy, but Celeste had her head in the clouds. They were married within the year. A month after the wedding, Celeste moved out and filed for divorce.”

“Why? The guy wasn’t Prince Charming?”

Mitch snorted derisively. “Only if Prince Charming used Cinderella as a punching bag.”

“
He hit her?
” Something red and ugly with sharp talons clawed inside Zane’s gut. The Celeste he knew was so soft, so utterly feminine, so gentle, even in the throes of passion. How could any man even think of raising a hand to her?