Gale Force Page 0,33

caught my breath, tried to pretend I was fully clothed and businesslike, and answered the phone. "Lewis?"

"Took you long enough," he said. He sounded tense, which wasn't good. Lewis was one of the most relaxed people I'd ever known, in general. "Okay, we've got the package in containment. Jo - there was also a card."

"A card? Like, a greeting card?"

"You're not going to like it," he said. "It's a congratulations card. On your wedding. It had a message inside."

I went short of breath, and it wasn't for any of the reasons that it would have been a minute before. "What kind of message?"

He ignored that question, which didn't bode well. "Who knows you're getting married?"

"I - not that many people. We haven't officially - I don't know. I didn't think it was a state secret! My God, I was about to order invitations!"

"I think we'd better talk," Lewis said. "All of us. Warden HQ in New York. There are some things you need to see."

"Now?"

"Tomorrow. Let David drive if you're taking the car."

I bit my lip. Not that I didn't love being in the car with David, but even at the speeds he was likely to travel it would be at least a fifteen-hour trip. Then again, it kept us mobile, and Weather Wardens generally didn't do too well in airplanes. We draw storms the way a bug zapper draws moths.

"See you there," I said, and hung up. I dropped the cell phone back on the nightstand and rolled back toward David. "Where were we?"

His fingers slowly stroked the column of my throat, down the valley between my breasts, and across to circle the hard cap of my nipple. "That depends," he said, low in his throat. "How much time do we have?"

"How fast can you drive?"

He laughed. "You wouldn't believe how fast I can drive if I'm properly motivated."

"Any particular thing you find motivational?"

He put his lips close to my ear. "Your mouth." His tongue traced the folds of my ear, drawing shivers. "I love the way you use it."

"I'm guessing you aren't talking about pleasant travel conversation."

I couldn't see his smile, but I felt its dark power. "Don't want to give it a try?"

"Dude, there are laws, you know."

"Laws against driving above the speed limit, too, but I don't notice you objecting to breaking them."

"You are a very bad" - I caught my breath convulsively and pressed against his fingers, which had wandered lower - "man. And we should get dressed and on the road."

"In a while," he said, watching me, and his hand began to move. My mind went white and smooth with pleasure. His eyes were lazy and still somehow fiercely intent. "Let me see if I can ease your mind first."

I decided not to protest, unless don't stop counted.

Driving with a Djinn isn't really like normal driving. For one thing, nobody really sees your car; they have an awareness of it, for traffic safety, but even the most vigilant of peace officers can look right at you breaking the speed limit (and nearly the sound barrier) and not feel moved to react.

The downside? No bathroom breaks. Djinn just don't think of things like that. I know they eat, so they must have the other human-type functions at least when maintaining human form . . . but you'd never know it. They're better masters of their bodies than we are.

After six hours on the road, I was squirming in the seat and ready to die for a bush by the side of the road, never mind a bathroom.

"Comfort break," I said to David. "Sorry. Nature calls."

He sent me a lazy, amused glance, entirely relaxed and at ease behind the wheel of my car. I'd learned not to look out the windows; the constant smear of color reminded me of science fiction movie concepts of travel past light speed. Instead, I'd asked for a laptop, which David had obligingly provided, and an Internet connection. Bingo, I was back to research.

Only this time, I was tracking down suspects instead of china patterns.

"What are you doing?" David asked, leaning over. I nudged him back with one shoulder.

"Drive."

"I am." He stayed where he was, eyes off the road.

"You know that makes me crazy, right?"

His lips threatened to smile. "Not the right kind of crazy. So?"

I sighed. "I'm searching all my correspondence, trying to figure out how many people I've told about the wedding."

"And?"

"Dozens." I stared gloomily at the screen. "Not only that, I didn't exactly think to make it eyes-only