mean she could suddenly give up her life in Otherworld and live fulltime on Earth. Did it? She had no clue, and Tanda and Tempus had been unusually enigmatic when asked. It was something she planned to gain clarification on. Regardless of whether she and Mordecai turned their friendship into anything romantic, she wanted to see and hear and touch her daughter every day.
“I am very glad to hear you say that,” Dana finally said, shaking off her introspection. “But I was not going to say responsibilities. I was going to say I have rules I must abide by – scales that must be balanced.”
Mordecai frowned down at her. “What do you mean?”
Dana ran her hands through her loose hair as she explained. “For every day I spend here on the mortal plane, I must spend two in Otherworld.”
“Say what, now?” Mordecai’s confusion was clear.
“Tis true. It is not against the rules for me to visit here. However, it does come with consequences. Double the time must be spent over there.” Dana had only explained the situation to Max earlier in the week. Max had been surprised but had taken the information well, suggesting Dana visit for one day and then spend the next two days in Otherworld. Rather than staying for big chunks of time and then losing even longer chunks when she returned. It was a good idea – a logical one. Too bad Dana did not want to spend a mere single day in Mordecai’s presence at a time.
“So, the longer you spend here, the longer you are gone? Sounds like a crock of shit to me,” Mordecai informed her, before opening the double frosted glass doors of the IDC headquarters.
They did not say much as Mordecai walked her across the cavernous entryway and over to a set of stairs. They walked up six flights – two flights for each level – before reaching the top storey. Here, the hallways were just as empty and bland as the rest of the building was. Reaching out with her senses, Dana found it to be almost completely devoid of all life. But she knew that would not be the case for long. The structure had spirit and it was just waiting for people to give it purpose. Mordecai led her all the way to the end on the north-facing side. Opening the door, he ushered her in, and Dana paused just inside the threshold.
“Wow, Aiden was not exaggerating,” Dana muttered, more to herself than Mordecai. The living room was spacious but completely empty. She could see that the kitchen was yet to be fitted out, and there was no paint on the walls nor was there any flooring.
“Yeah, well. Compared to some of the places I’ve crashed over the years, this place is a palace,” Mordecai said.
She wandered around, opening doors and discovering which rooms were those of the paladins. Their spaces were already infused with their energies. She was happy for them. They were already making it their home. It was not until she was standing next to Mordecai’s bed that she realised she was alone in a bedroom with the only man she had ever had sex with. The Valhalla Order had not followed them. Dana’s heart began to pound. Turning quickly, she came to an abrupt stop when she saw Mordecai casually leaning against the doorjamb. He had his ankles crossed and his hands in his pockets of his dark slacks.
His hands are in his pockets. Why is that so sexy? even her thoughts were breathless.
“Make yourself at home,” his voice rumbled out, amused and lightly accented.
“Oh, I am being impolite, am I not?” Dana asked, feeling sheepish. Of course she was being impolite. She had just wandered into the man’s sleeping chambers, she scolded herself.
Mordecai pushed himself off the wall, hands still in his pockets as he walked toward her. The dark grey knitted jumper he wore stretched across his chest, moulding his physique to perfection. “You are welcome in my bedroom anytime,” he told her, eyes shining down at her. “And in my bed.”
Dana could not help the tiny moan that escaped her throat. Am I really going to do this again with him? she questioned herself. Running her eyes over his hard frame – and taking note of his already hard member between his legs – Dana decided, yes, she was most definitely going to do it. And then, with a single thought, she stood naked before him.