Free Taste Me by Tamara Hogan Page A
Authors: Tamara Hogan
their immediate families will be congregated up here.” Jack indicated the third floor VIP boxes at the rear of the venue, facing the stage. “The younger ones will probably creep down to the floor before the night is over, so we’ll have to keep our eyes open.” He reached into his briefcase, pulled out a small hinged black box, and pushed it across the table. “Here. You’ll need this.”
Bailey opened the box and looked at the tiny earpiece and matchbook-sized receiver with an integrated clip. “I don’t recognize this technology.”
“Now that the Council has cleared you, you’ll have access to technology you’ve only dreamed about,” Jack said with a smile. “That,” he said, indicating the small box, “will patch you in to Sebastiani Security restricted communications tonight. You’ll be able to read up on it later,” he said, recognizing the interested gleam in her eye. “We don’t have time right now. We have”—he looked at his watch—“less than two hours to give you a cultural crash course. Species strengths, weaknesses, susceptibilities…”
“How about protocol?”
Sasha looked at her with an odd expression on her face. “What?”
“Hey, this Council stuff might be old hat to you, but tonight I’m meeting royalty. And everything I know about protocol comes from networking books. Or the Goldie Hawn movie.”
“You held Annika’s hair out of the toilet when she puked the other night. You’re sitting with two Council members right now, people you work with every day. One of them is your best friend. It’s way too late for protocol, sweetie.”
Bailey froze.
“C’mon, don’t freak out on us now,” Sasha said, grasping both of her hands again. “You know us. At least, you’re starting to know us. You already know that Lukas is an annoying grouch, you’ve known Jack forever, and you ogle men’s asses with The First Daughter.”
“True.”
“Back to the matter at hand, ladies,” Jack said. “Time’s tight. Claudette asked for a personal favor, council leader to council leader. We don’t have a choice here.”
“Our families go way back,” Sasha added, examining a chip in her purple nail polish. “I live with Scarlett and Annika. Claudette practically moved in after Mom died and helped raise us.” She turned her head to her brother. “Did you know that Dad and Claudette are finally doing the deed?”
Lukas winced.
“What?” Sasha shrugged with a grin. “I’m happy about it. I don’t know why they waited so long. And it’s so cute to see her doing the Walk of Shame out of Dad’s place in the morning.” She giggled and singsonged, “Dad’s getting la-id.”
“So saying ‘no thanks’ really wasn’t an option, no matter how much you might have wanted to,” Bailey said to Lukas.
Lukas stiffened. Sasha looked at Jack, and then Lukas.
Bailey sat back in her chair and spread her hands. “Okay, guys. What’s up?”
“Sorry. You have to cut us a little slack here,” Lukas said. “This is only the third time in history this information has been shared—”
“And Captain Sphincter here is just a little uncomfortable discussing our species’ susceptibilities,” Sasha said, indicating her brother. “ His susceptibilities.”
If possible, Lukas’s jaw clenched even tighter. Bailey feared for his teeth.
“Okay, Incubi Physiology 101,” Jack broke in smoothly. “You might notice that both Lukas’s and Sasha’s nostrils are twitching right now.”
They both immediately stopped.
“It’s not a twitch,” Sasha said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You make it sound like I’m Samantha on Bewitched or something.”
“It’s a definite twitch,” Jack informed Sasha, then turned back to Bailey. “Incubi and succubi absorb emotional energy for sustenance. They do this unthinkingly, autonomically. If it’s there, they absorb it, like humans breathe air.” He kept his eyes on Bailey, his voice clinical. “Absorbing positive
Bailey opened the box and looked at the tiny earpiece and matchbook-sized receiver with an integrated clip. “I don’t recognize this technology.”
“Now that the Council has cleared you, you’ll have access to technology you’ve only dreamed about,” Jack said with a smile. “That,” he said, indicating the small box, “will patch you in to Sebastiani Security restricted communications tonight. You’ll be able to read up on it later,” he said, recognizing the interested gleam in her eye. “We don’t have time right now. We have”—he looked at his watch—“less than two hours to give you a cultural crash course. Species strengths, weaknesses, susceptibilities…”
“How about protocol?”
Sasha looked at her with an odd expression on her face. “What?”
“Hey, this Council stuff might be old hat to you, but tonight I’m meeting royalty. And everything I know about protocol comes from networking books. Or the Goldie Hawn movie.”
“You held Annika’s hair out of the toilet when she puked the other night. You’re sitting with two Council members right now, people you work with every day. One of them is your best friend. It’s way too late for protocol, sweetie.”
Bailey froze.
“C’mon, don’t freak out on us now,” Sasha said, grasping both of her hands again. “You know us. At least, you’re starting to know us. You already know that Lukas is an annoying grouch, you’ve known Jack forever, and you ogle men’s asses with The First Daughter.”
“True.”
“Back to the matter at hand, ladies,” Jack said. “Time’s tight. Claudette asked for a personal favor, council leader to council leader. We don’t have a choice here.”
“Our families go way back,” Sasha added, examining a chip in her purple nail polish. “I live with Scarlett and Annika. Claudette practically moved in after Mom died and helped raise us.” She turned her head to her brother. “Did you know that Dad and Claudette are finally doing the deed?”
Lukas winced.
“What?” Sasha shrugged with a grin. “I’m happy about it. I don’t know why they waited so long. And it’s so cute to see her doing the Walk of Shame out of Dad’s place in the morning.” She giggled and singsonged, “Dad’s getting la-id.”
“So saying ‘no thanks’ really wasn’t an option, no matter how much you might have wanted to,” Bailey said to Lukas.
Lukas stiffened. Sasha looked at Jack, and then Lukas.
Bailey sat back in her chair and spread her hands. “Okay, guys. What’s up?”
“Sorry. You have to cut us a little slack here,” Lukas said. “This is only the third time in history this information has been shared—”
“And Captain Sphincter here is just a little uncomfortable discussing our species’ susceptibilities,” Sasha said, indicating her brother. “ His susceptibilities.”
If possible, Lukas’s jaw clenched even tighter. Bailey feared for his teeth.
“Okay, Incubi Physiology 101,” Jack broke in smoothly. “You might notice that both Lukas’s and Sasha’s nostrils are twitching right now.”
They both immediately stopped.
“It’s not a twitch,” Sasha said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You make it sound like I’m Samantha on Bewitched or something.”
“It’s a definite twitch,” Jack informed Sasha, then turned back to Bailey. “Incubi and succubi absorb emotional energy for sustenance. They do this unthinkingly, autonomically. If it’s there, they absorb it, like humans breathe air.” He kept his eyes on Bailey, his voice clinical. “Absorbing positive