Page 78 of Covert Affections (Shadow Agents/PSI-Ops #5)

“What? Why?” she asked, her heart racing. Her bottom lip began to tremble as she thought of all the horrible things that might have happened between them. Had he lied to her? Had her darkness harmed him like it had Robert? “My darkness…it hurt you, didn’t it?”

Jesse filled the gap between them quickly, sweeping her into his arms. “No, gorgeous. It didn’t hurt me. I swear it.”

“W-why were you avoiding me then?” she asked, unable to stop herself from tearing up.

Jesse looked over her head at Robert. “Can you give me a second with her, please?”

“Lindy?” asked Robert.

She turned slightly and nodded.

Robert exited the kitchen. When she heard the front door open and close, Jesse cupped her face.

He bent, putting him closer to eye level with her. “I work for the enemy. For the people who took you and tested on you.”

Shock reverberated through her. There was a slight buzzing around her, and her ears began to ring.

She lifted her hands and put them on Jesse’s chest, her intent to put some distance between them.

The second her palms made contact with his chest, he was launched across the room, over the door that was on the floor, and out the back opening.

He skidded across the backyard and slammed into a tree before going still.

Lindy screamed and raced across the room, desperate to get to him.

Before she was over the downed door, Robert was there, turning her and lifting her as he inspected her from head to toe. Worry was in his gaze. “What happened? You screamed.”

She blinked and put her palms to her chest, scared to make contact with him for fear she’d send him hurtling across the room too. “I hurt him. I think…I think I killed him.

“Who?” asked Robert. “Shit for brains?”

Her eyebrows met.

“Jesse,” said Robert.

She nodded.

Robert glanced over her shoulder, still holding her off the ground. “We could be so lucky.”

“What?” Lindy asked, turning her head to find Jesse standing in the open doorway, pulling leaves out of his hair.

He tossed them outside and offered a sheepish look in her direction. “I should have started that confession with, I’m pretty sure I’m an agent who is embedded in an undercover position with the place that took you and tested on you. I don’t think I’m one of them.”

“He’s not one of them,” said Robert, setting her down on her feet. “Lindy, what are you are doing? Are you holding your boobs in place? Listen, I’m not judging, they’re…fantastic.”

“You’re goading me, I’m sure of it,” said Jesse, his voice deeper than before. “That or you have a death wish.”

“Hey, if you can look me in the face and tell me she doesn’t have great breasts, I’ll shut up,” said Robert.

Jesse opened his mouth and then closed it. He nodded. “She does.”

With a groan, Lindy stepped back, only then noticing her refrigerator door was dented in. Robert’s body had blocked that from her view before. She looked from it to the door on the floor. “You two are in so much trouble with me.”

“I’ll buy you a new refrigerator and door,” said Jesse.

“It was my head that dented the refrigerator. I’ll see to it that it’s replaced,” argued Robert, his attention on Jesse.

“I threw you into it,” returned Jesse, touching his chest. “Therefore, it’s my responsibility.”

“Well by that logic, I’m replacing the door because I threw you into it,” Robert shot back.

“Children!” shouted Lindy.

They both shut up.

She kept her hands to her upper body and looked past Jesse, at the open doorway. “I didn’t mean…I don’t know what happened. I touched you, and then it happened.”

“Then what happened?” asked Robert.

Jesse grunted. “She sent enough Fae power through me to launch me to the moon.”

“And I missed it?” asked Robert, disappointment evident in his voice.

“Robert!” Lindy gasped.

He shrugged. “I’d lie, but you know my tells.”

She groaned and rolled her eyes.

Jesse grinned. “I’m glad she did. It means she can defend herself if she has to. That’s a good thing. A really fucking good thing especially with the hybrids in the area and The Corporation’s interest in things around here.”

“The Corporation are the bad guys?” asked Lindy.

“Yes,” said Jesse and Robert.

“Who are they hybrids?” she asked.

Robert expelled a long breath. “Botched science experiments who are with The Corporation.”

“So people who were tested on, like me and the other kids?” she questioned, a pang of sympathy moving through her.

“Lindy, they’re nothing like you and the other kids.” Jesse came toward her.

She yelped and pressed her hands tighter to her chest.

Jesse snorted, took hold of her wrists, and tugged her hands toward him. He put them on his chest. Nothing happened. He kissed her forehead. “I’m fine. You didn’t kill me.”

“More’s the pity,” added Robert.

“Thanks, Bob,” said Jesse, wrapping his arms around Lindy.

Robert grunted. “Stop calling me Bob.”

Robert’s cell phone rang. He stepped out of the kitchen to take the call.

Lindy stood there, trying to wrap her head around everything.

“You’re overwhelmed, aren’t you?” asked Jesse, caressing her back as he held her.

“Totally,” she confessed. “Does Charley know about her father being part of who freed us? She never said anything to me if she does, then again, I never told her I’m a succubus and God only knows what else.”

Jesse shook his head. “I don’t think she knows the truth.”

Lindy gasped. “I need to tell her. She’ll want to know. She and her dad have been on the outs for months. This will help.”

He kissed the tip of her nose and pressed a smile to his face.

“What’s wrong?” asked Lindy as a sinking feeling started in her gut.

“I’m going to ask you to trust me,” he said softly as he moved stray strands of her hair behind her ears. “I’ll tell her about her father—it should come from me.”

“Why?”

“Because some things have happened recently. Things that I can’t go into detail on yet. Not until I know for sure. This way, if it goes south, she’s mad at me. I’m the messenger on it. Not you.” He cupped her chin. “Let me shoulder this, gorgeous.”

“Is she really your niece?” asked Lindy.

“In a way, yes,” he supplied.

A small laugh bubbled out of her.

Jesse lifted a brow.

“She was objectifying you with me at the man-meat market. Not to the same extent as me, but still,” said Lindy. “I cannot wait until that clicks for her. She’s going to die.”

He cringed.

Lindy laughed more.

Jesse dipped his head, his mouth slanting over hers. His kiss made her toes curl. “Mmm, Robert needs to talk to me.”

“What? How do you know?” she asked.

He nodded in the direction of the hallway. “I can hear him out front. There are some things I need to show him in my Airstream. My computer set up is there. You going to be okay in here?”

She started to nod and stopped fast. “The sink at the bar! It’s past opening time. I left Waverly hanging.”

Jesse put his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll make this quick with Robert and we’ll get back to the bar. I’ll fix the sink then. I’m sure she’s fine. Why don’t you call her and tell her we’re running a bit late.”

“Because we stopped to screw on the side of the road?” asked Lindy with a slight grin.

He swatted her backside playfully. “Keep looking at me like that and we’ll be stopping to screw in every room of your house. That will make us extra late.”