Page 3 of Joshua's Mistake
“I’m taking a leap of faith. What are you going to do, Tessa?”
He saw the flash of fear again. She rubbed her wrists where the cuffs had scraped the skin raw. Then she ran her fingers through her hair. The short, silky strands fell back into place around her face.
“Everything I’ve been trained for goes against allowing anyone to do what you’ve been ordered to do, Lakeland. I don’t know if I can let down my defenses, but I’ll try to let you in.”
He sat down again and pulled the chair even closer. He could do it with just his hands touching her skull, but he leaned his forehead against hers for a better connection. Actually, in most cases, he didn’t have to touch the subject at all. “Forgive the darkness. I’ll do my best to shield you from it.”
“Do you apologize to all your victims?”
The wordvictimmade him want to shake her and scream he had orders. He couldn’t just ignore a direct order no matter how much he wanted to. He could have stormed in, taken what he wanted and been gone a minute later. He didn’t want her to be a casualty, didn’t want to hurt her.
“No.”
He felt the surge of power as she let down her most basic barriers. Her psi power was impressive. Her voice was strong even when no words were spoken. The walls of her complex mind opened to him and Joshua’s consciousness stepped through. Externally he felt the tickle of her hair against his hands and the warmth of her skin. His thumb grazed her temple and he had a sense of her vulnerability. Yet she was a Psi Agent, which meant any weakness was at least, in part an illusion. What other falsehoods would he find within her mind?
Internally he was fascinated by the twists and turns of the roller coaster living inside this remarkable woman. Darkness and light bleeding together in a way he had never seen before. It was uncommon to probe the mind of a truly gifted person. He’d been in his brother Kane’s head, but that was different. They shared a link forged in childhood. He trusted Kane and they didn’t need a probe to share intimate data. They were connected.
There had been a few sexual experiences where his partner had allowed a connection, but those were shallow explorations to heighten the experience.
Something about being inside Tessa’s aura was exciting and dangerous. His cock responded against his will as he passed through her desires. He caught a fleeting glimpse of her fantasies. Under different circumstances he would enjoy lingering there and perhaps adding to her cravings by sharing his own. The temptation to do it anyway was strong, but he moved on.
He could try to quell his desires, but what was the point? She would know. She’d known he found her attractive from the moment he walked in the room. The feeling was mutual, that much was obvious. Being in a woman’s mind when she was aroused could be extremely mutually satisfying. He hated not being able to mask his need, but then he felt her pussy clench. Her nipples brushed sensitively against her blouse.
“I’m trying not to be turned-on by you,Tessa. Believe me, I don’t want gratification that’s not offered willingly.”
“I’m struggling as well. Our timing is a bit off. Just get what you need and we’ll be done.”
The fact she admitted her arousal so openly only made Joshua’s condition more acute. He breathed deeply and pushed down his desires as best he could. It didn’t help knowing she also felt the attraction. His cock remained uncomfortably trapped in his trousers, but he was a grown man. He could deal with a few minutes of discomfort.
“If you show me what I need to know, this will go faster.”
She didn’t respond in the silent conversation they’d been having, but an area that had been obscure beckoned him closer. A wall forged up around him, sealing him in.
“Tessa?”
“I’m trying.”Pain threaded her words.
He stopped his advance and mentally placed a hand on the obstruction.“Relax, beautiful. I won’t hurt you. I just need to see what happened. Take a deep breath and relax your mind. Let me walk through it with you.”
“I can’t.”Her inner voice was near panic.
“You can. Just settle your mind and let me in.”The tone he used was assured, steady and calm.
The wall solidified. He hated that he was going to have to break it down. She would never be the same. He only used a fraction of his abilities to put pressure on the wall. Another few minutes and a bit more from him and she would crack.Fuck.“Tessa?”
The barrier wavered as if it were liquid rather than solid. The wall slipped away and the light of her memories glowed brighter.
“Good girl. Well done.”Joshua navigated forward through the other barriers he knew she could not control. It was nothing that would damage her by pushing through, so he did.
As if a door were opening, Joshua stepped into Tessa’s memories.
The desert stretched out behind her. Three men were laughing together as she entered the tent. She liked them. They were her friends. The paper in her hand held their orders and she hid her excitement from them. She couldn’t wait to make a move. They’d been sitting in the tent for too long, waiting and watching.
The memory jerked forward to a long table covered with maps. The four of them stood planning their assignment. The fragment nicking her arm was the first indication they were in trouble. Pain and years of training crumbled her to the floor. The tent exploded in gunfire.
Crawling forward, she ignored the burning agony in her upper arm, her hand came up bloody as she clutched Peter’s hair. She rolled him over, but he was gone. Adrenaline and instinct were the only things driving her. On her belly, she moved to Jake’s side. His leg was bleeding badly, but he was alert. She screamed the name of the fourth agent. Jake shook his head. The tent was still erupting with bullets, smoke and shrapnel. It all rained down on them.
Firing at nothing was also instinct, but she held back, waiting for a target. She turned from Jake, and his dead body fell against her, pinning her to the ground. It seemed as if hours had passed before the room was silent. Nothing left, but she and three dead friends.
