Tempting Flame (The Jendari Book 1) Read online

But she couldn't let her fear get in the way of what needed to be done. Not when she was haunted by the images of a too small coffin in an overfull church. She wasn't doing this for herself, she was doing it for Hayden and all the kids like him. The kids that depended on her to make their difficult lives just a little more bearable.

  Keeping them in the forefront of her mind, she did her best to sound authoritative rather than frightened. "This is the fifth time Mr. Landry has put me off," she said, "and I'm not willing to wait for a sixth. You get him down here."

  "He's not in the building, I told you that."

  For a moment Jaz felt sorry for the guy. It was bad luck for him that he happened to be on duty today. Jaz squinted at the guard's name badge. "Look, Robert. You seem like a good guy, and I know you're only doing your job. But I'm trying to do mine, too. I've got people who are relying on me, and Mr. Landry's no shows are making things difficult for me and the people I care about."

  Robert gave her a flat stare. "He's. Not. Here."

  "Okay, fine." Her legs were shaking so badly by now she had to lean against the polished wood of the desktop for some stability. "Let me talk to someone who is here."

  "You know we've called the cops."

  Jaz figured as much, and she tried not to crumble under the reality of her immanent arrest. Feigning disinterest, she shrugged. "That's okay. It'll take them a few minutes to get here and by then my protest will go viral." Then she sucked in the biggest breath her lungs would hold, and she started yelling. "Hey, hey everybody, over here." She waved her free arm as the security guard rushed over and tried to prize the cuffs from the bar. "I work for a charity that helps sick kids. Kids that are chronically ill and kids that have terminal diseases." People started to move in her direction, drawn more by the noise than anything she was actually saying. Thankfully, several of them had their smart phones out and they were filming away.

  Despite being scared enough to have an out-of-body experience, Jaz kept yelling. "I'm trying to help sick children, and nobody here will see me. I've tried for six months to get an appointment with Mr. Owen Landry. That's L-A-N-D-R-Y. And he keeps putting me off. This is the fifth appointment he's shut down and it makes me wonder just how much hope is in Hope Tower. Apparently, it's fine if you have a big business or big money, but a charity for sick kids doesn't rate."

  Poor Robert gave the cuffs up as a bad bet and hustled back down the counter to the half door that gave him access to the foyer. He was almost to her when something in the crowd caught his eye. Robert stopped, swung his gaze to Jaz, and gave her a mean smile. She knew then that whatever was coming was bad for her. But she was committed now, so she kept up her rant even as she followed the security guard's gaze.

  Holy shit. A big scary man was heading her way. He was half a head taller than most of the crowd and his wide shoulders were forging through the onlookers in a sinister glide. He wore the standard suit and tie, but nothing about him blended in. The way he moved and the not-quite-right symmetry in his striking features marked him as alien.

  Jaz's breathing quickened as he came closer. The guy was huge. Much taller and broader than the Jendari media liaisons she'd seen on TV. He was packed with height, muscle and power and his black stare seemed to pin her to the floor.

  Jaz locked her knees, hoping she wouldn't faint. Or pee herself. Or throw up.

  Her time was down to seconds and she somehow managed to keep up her loud tirade, foregoing clarity to gain volume. This might be her last chance to get her message out, so she kept shouting as tall-dark-and-scary closed the distance.

  ****

  Tallis rarely ventured outside when he pulled security duty at Hope Tower. He hated the smell of car fumes and the taste of metal on his tongue, and he couldn't bear the press of people. The oppressive city atmosphere made his tigaren half twitch. Too much noise, too much movement, too much everything.

  The lush gardens on the twentieth and fortieth floors of the tower, as well as the roof gardens, normally took care of the needs of both man and beast. But today he'd needed more than plants and trees. He longed for the warmth of the sun and the feel of the air on his skin. So he'd stepped outside, found a tiny pocket of solitude in the landscaped gardens and tried not to breathe too deeply.

  He much preferred to spend his time at New Havilah, the Jendari settlement in Washington state. Unfortunately, security at the tower fell under the rhe'hashan's purview, and every warrior was expected to take his or her turn. For Tallis, that duty consisted of suffocating in a suit and tie and sitting on his ass half the day. This shift he'd been paired with a human who couldn't close his mouth for more than two minutes at a time. Which is why Tallis had escaped to the gardens. And why he had the bad luck to walk into the foyer of Hope Tower during a public demonstration.

  Pushing through the crowd he scanned for threats, preparing himself for anything. He'd monitored his fair share of protests and anti-alien sentiment, but this was the first time any of those maniacs had managed to get inside the tower.

  As he drew closer to the action he realized it was a protest of one. A soft, feminine kind of one that was all fluff and no claws. She was loud, he'd give her that, but she was no threat. Motioning to security to stand down, Tallis kept walking until he was almost toe to toe with the woman.

  Using all of his six foot plus frame, he loomed over her—and she kept on yelling despite the anxiety he saw in her blue-green eyes.

  Well, that was pretty courageous, all things considered.

  "Be silent." He put enough growl in his voice that she quieted immediately. "If you speak to me calmly and quietly, I'll do my best to help you." Because the sooner he got rid of her, the sooner he could go back to his station.

  The woman peered up at him and he watched as she swallowed hard. "Um, thank you?"

  The fear in her eyes remained, so Tallis stepped back a little to give her some space.

  "What do you want?" he asked, pitching his voice for quiet command.

  "I, um, well…"

  Tallis narrowed his gaze at her lack of verbal skills. She didn't look mentally deficient, and she'd certainly sounded lucid when she'd been shouting her demands. He moved a little closer, hoping to hurry things along. "You have three seconds or I'm walking away and leaving you to the NYPD."

  She took an instinctive step back and the handcuff jerked her to a halt. "Wait, don't go." She looked up and hit him with pleading eyes. "I want to talk. In fact, you're who I've come to see."

  Tallis shook his head. "I don't know you."

  The woman took a bracing breath, squared her shoulders, then held out her left hand. The one that was cuff free. "Jasmine Teale. How do you do?"

  "Tallis Ba'reha." Confused as hell but having no option but to play along, Tallis reached out. His hand almost swallowed hers whole, and when he felt how badly she was trembling he gentled his grip. Her hand felt tiny in his, and her skin slid soft and smooth against his palm as he released her. "What will it take for you to go away quietly, Jasmine Teale?"

  "Ten minutes of your time." She was looking a little wild-eyed, but at least she was stringing entire sentences together now.

  "Done." Moving closer to the counter, Tallis used his body to block the array of smart phones still pointed in their direction. "I'll give you ten minutes, and you'll give me utterly silent obedience from now until we get into my office. Agreed?"

  "Yes." She rummaged in her pocket and produced a small key. "Just give me—"

  "Jasmine Teale." He waited until her blue-green eyes flicked back up to meet his stare. "The obedience is silent."

  Nodding she went back to work, jabbing at the lock with the tiny key until the metal cuffs clicked open. Leaving the offending item hanging like a forgotten sock, she motioned for him to lead on as if he was a tour guide. Resisting the urge to explain to her how many ways he could kill a man—or woman—Tallis gritted his teeth and turned. Without bothering to look back, he stalked across the foyer and down a corridor, making several turns until he came to the
break room.

  He would have preferred somewhere more private, but he couldn't take her into any of the offices he used because they all had surveillance monitors from floor to ceiling.

  Gesturing for Jasmine to take a seat, Tallis hooked his foot around a chair leg and pulled it from under the table. Turning it so he could rest his arms across the back, he eased himself down and stared at his unwelcome guest.

  The nervousness was coming off her in waves and she couldn't meet his eyes. "Your English is very good. I can barely detect an accent."

  "I'm a quick study." Which was the truth. The rhe'hashan were warriors, and adaptability was essential in any battle. What he failed to mention was that his facility with language came not from his natural ability but from a cranial implant. With it he could go to any region in any world and speak like a native—idioms, syntax and all.

  Jasmine wriggled in her chair, frowned a little, and took a breath. Tallis cut her off before she had a chance to veer off on another tangent. "Your ten minutes starts now."

  She startled, but was quick to recover. Grabbing her enormous purse she delved into it up to her elbows. "I've got my presentation right here."

  Goddess save him, he had no intention of being here that long. "No. No presentation. Just give me the basics in the most direct language you know how to use. The clock's ticking."

  Bracing herself she took a deep breath that did amazing things for her lush breasts. Breasts that Tallis tried very hard not to look at—without much success.

  "I work for the Wishing Star Foundation." She paused long enough that he forced his eyes upwards. "It's a non-profit organization that grants wishes for chronically or terminally ill children."

  Tallis froze when she mentioned sick cubs. The Jendari considered children their most precious asset, and all adults contributed to the welfare of the smallest clan members. As rhe'hashan, it was his duty to protect the vulnerable, and children of any kind pulled at his protective instincts. The thought of children so sick they were close to death lit an angry fire inside him.

  This issue was important, but it was also loaded with ways he could fuck up. Which meant he was absolutely the wrong person to be handling this. His mind started scrambling for a way out as Jasmine continued her pitch.

  "I have a bunch of kids whose only wish is to meet an alien face to face."

  And that put her needs officially out of his territory, thank the Goddess. "We have a liaison for those kinds of requests."

  "Yes, you do." She grimaced and tugged at the hem of her narrow skirt. "Unfortunately he's been completely unhelpful. Truth be told, he's a total asshole."

  Tallis had no idea how to respond to that statement, so he simply raised an eyebrow, hoping she'd take that as a cue to continue.

  Tucking a strand of honey-colored hair behind her ear, Jasmine clutched her purse and leaned forward. "I've made several appointments with Mr. Landry, all confirmed the day before. Yet when I arrive at the tower he's conveniently absent and I have to make another appointment. I've been trying for six months to see him and he doesn't seem to care that my kids are on a time limit." She blinked a couple of times and then her expressive eyes welled with tears.

  For the love of Badria, if she started crying, he was definitely out the door. Sobbing women—of any race—were filed under Avoid At All Costs in his book. He half rose to retreat, but Jasmine lurched out of her chair and scrambled around the table. Clutching at his arm she leaned in until they were almost nose to nose. "Please. My ten minutes aren't up yet."

  Against his better judgment Tallis allowed his ass to sink back onto the seat of the chair. Jasmine stayed where she was, standing next to him with her hand on his arm.

  "Last week one of my kids died. His name was Hayden Kitchener." She sniffed a little then turned her spiky-lashed gaze on him. Tallis hardened his warrior heart and didn't allow the haunted look to affect him. At all.

  Jasmine slid her hand away and moved back a little to lean against the table. Tallis was relieved by the distance, but the tigaren inside him missed the heat of her hand. He'd been celibate for a while now and the cat was touch hungry, and that was too bad for both of them. This wasn't the time or the place, and this human was definitely not the woman to break his fast. Forcing himself to ignore wants of his animal half, Tallis focused on Jasmine and what she was saying.

  "That amazing, heroic boy didn't get his wish to meet an alien because Owen Landry is a lazy jerk. And because I didn't try hard enough." She sighed and swiped under her eyes with the pads of her fingers. "So I came prepared today. I was ready to do whatever it took to get someone to listen to me before another wish goes unfulfilled."

  Tallis stared at her. There was no doubt this soft woman in her ill-fitting jacket and smeared makeup was a warrior in her own right. Fighting to protect those in her care, the same way he fought for his people. Well, not the same in reality, but the same in spirit. And that spirit sang to him, kindred to kindred.

  It was a song he refused to hear.

  There were very strict protocols in place for dealing with humans, and access on both sides was heavily monitored. Only the right people got together, only approved members of each race were permitted to interact. Sitting at a table with a non-approved female was asking for all kinds of trouble. He shouldn't be talking to her, he sure as hell shouldn't find things to admire about her. And he should never, ever get sucked into her human life with her human problems.

  But seriously. Sick and dying cubs? Even he wasn't that heartless.

  Having no idea how he could help her, Tallis committed himself to a course of action he'd rather not pursue. "I can't make any promises, Ms. Teale, but I'll make some inquiries for you."

  She gave him a watery smile. "Call me Jaz."

  Chapter Three

  Jasmine had long given up on having any dignity when it came to her kids. They pulled so hard at her heartstrings, it was impossible not to get emotionally involved. When one of them died, they took a piece of her with them. She knew talking about Hayden was going to make her cry even before she'd opened her mouth, and she didn't care.

  Dealing with sick and terminally ill kids was hard work. Some people, like her, loved their job despite the heartache. But some people simply couldn't deal with the complex emotions that serious illness evoked. She didn't blame those people nor did she look down on them, but she wasn't about to apologize for her own emotions either.

  She had first been exposed to the ravages of terminal illness when her sister had been diagnosed with leukemia as a child. Jaz lived with the echoes of that experience every day and it was why she fought so hard for her kids.

  Tallis stood, clearly signaling the end of their interview, but Jaz kept her butt on her chair. Her ten minutes were up but she couldn't leave without securing a real commitment from the Jendari.

  She was trying to come up with a plausible reason to stay when a phone started to ring. Tallis motioned with his hand for her to keep her seat as he crossed to the counter and picked up the receiver.

  "Tallis Ba'reha." He half turned as he continued his one-sided conversation, which gave Jaz the perfect opportunity to examine him without being observed herself.

  He was big and broad, all hard muscle and milk-coffee skin. His black hair was coiled into the most masculine man-bun she'd ever seen and he wore a suit like nobody's business. But it was his face that really caught her attention. It was strong rather than classically handsome. His square jaw and well-defined lips seemed normal enough, and it wasn't until her gaze lifted to the upper half of his face that his alienness became apparent. His high cheekbones weren't quite at the right angle, and the bridge of his nose didn't dip as it rose up to his forehead.

  But it was his eyes that really captured Jaz's attention. They were black. Not dark brown, but true black, and fathomless in a way that seemed deep rather than cold. She wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him, but so far he'd been careful and polite.

  He seemed strong in a way that went bey
ond muscle and bone. Even on their brief acquaintance Jaz could tell he was the kind of guy that could be counted on, the kind who would do everything in his power to help those he cared about. Unfortunately, she also got the sense that Tallis didn't give his loyalty easily or often. She had no idea if he was really going to help her, or if he was just telling her what she wanted to hear so she'd leave without making another big fuss.

  While she'd been studying the Jendari, his phone conversation had become quieter and more intense. When he turned his back on her and hunched over the phone, the lines of his broad shoulders were tight with tension. She couldn't make out his words—though truthfully, she was trying not to listen—but she could tell he wasn't happy.

  A moment later he slammed down the phone and when he pivoted to face her she had a first-hand view of just how angry and frustrated he was. He didn't move, in fact he was utterly still as he stared her down.

  Jaz had no idea what the phone call was about, but she was mighty glad it had nothing to do with her. Right now Tallis was so intimidating she wanted to forego her responsibilities and slink out the door unseen. Unfortunately she was too scared to move in case she inadvertently made herself a target.

  With a noise that sounded too much like a growl for her liking, Tallis turned back to the counter and placed his closed fists on the granite. Jaz waited, still uncertain whether to stay or run. When nothing happened for a good thirty seconds, she pushed back her chair and stood.

  Tallis turned so fast he was little more than a blur. "Sit down. We're not done."

  "Aren't we?" Jaz was relieved her voice sounded stronger than she felt. Clutching her purse tight to her chest she took a couple of sneaky steps towards the door. "You look like you've had some bad news. Maybe we can discuss my kids another time."

  "No, we'll do it now." He pointed to the chair and took a step in her direction. "Sit."

  Jaz subsided, wishing she had to grit to tell him off for snapping at her like a dog. But she was self-aware enough to know that would never happen. Easing into the chair, she dropped her purse to the floor.