Klingon Hearts 07 Blaze - Sudden Insight Read online

  "No...oh God...no," she pushed against his shoulders, her heart near breaking.

  Lucas rolled off her immediately, pain and anger radiated from her. She sat up and scrambled away from him, grabbing her gown and pulling in back on. Lucas could see she was shaking and on the verge of tears.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, confused, reaching for her in concern.

  "This is wrong. I won't be used as some plaything, Lucas." Her tone was harsh with unshed tears, she thought he wanted more than just a physical relationship. How could she have been so wrong? The pain at the realization was intense. He only wanted what they all wanted. She was nothing more than someone to warm his bed. K'Leena left the room in a near run.

  He was stunned. Where the hell had that come from? This was -never- casual to him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. She -knew- him better than anyone! How dare she not trust him...believe in him. Lucas stood up and pulled his nightclothes back on. With grim determination he walked up the stairs to her room. Not bothering to knock, he strode right in and closed the door. She was furious.

  "Get out!" K'Leena hissed, angrily brushing the tears from her face.

  "Look, I don't know what you think just happened down there...." Lucas tried to control the temper on a slow burn deep inside him.

  "I know what happened, you tried to seduce me and you failed," she said haughtily, she was a Paris after all, arrogance was second nature to her.

  "Seduce you?!" he trembled slightly with repressed fury and advanced on her. "Trust me, K'Leena, should I ever try to 'seduce you'...I -won't- fail."

  Black eyes blazed with hard promise. Lucas' head swooped down and he captured her mouth in a bruising kiss. With cold calculated intent he proceeded to arouse her to the point of madness, taking away her will in the process. Every touch was designed to excite, every kiss to drug. He used all his knowledge ruthlessly, she was no match for him in the sensual arts. He was a master and she just a novice. Lucas bore her down to the bed, stripping her nightgown, leaving her exposed completely to him. He touched and teased, he even tasted, causing her to cry out in shock. Then he drew himself back up to lay between her legs, still fully clothed with her naked, quivering and unfulfilled beneath him. He watched and waited for her to open her eyes again. Confusion and desire shone from them.

  "I could have taken you at anytime," Lucas growled. "I could have been inside of you before you knew what I was doing...and you couldn't have stopped me. Wouldn't have even wanted to...."

  "I could still do it," he taunted huskily, pressing his erection against her, showing her how close he was. "One move, one thrust, and you're -mine-...."

  She looked up at him in dazed fascination. Who was this man? He didn't even look like Lucas right now. The flat planes of his face had taken on a hawkish appearance. Predatory. He was the hunter and she was his prey, trapped and completely at his mercy.

  "No," she gasped in a last ditch effort to salvage her pride, but it didn't even sound convincing to her.

  The smile he gave her at the breathless denial didn't reach his eyes.

  "If this was all I wanted, K'Leena, I could have had it -years- ago...and you know it."

  Lucas levered himself off her. When he reached to door he turned to look at her again, she hadn't moved, too stunned to do anything but lay there.

  "Sweet dreams, love," he smiled knowingly, then left.

  Lucas stalked back to his room, more angry with her than he'd ever been in his life and considering how furious he'd been with her in the past, this was quite an accomplishment. He couldn't even be in the same room with her right now. Arrogant, stubborn, reckless little fool. Tomorrow, he was going to finish this nonsense. Even if he had to bite her face in front of her entire family to prove he did indeed love her.

  You might try telling her first.

  Surprised, he turned to see his mother standing in the hallway. Her lips were twitching with a repressed grin.

  Just how long have you been listening in?

  Son, I didn't do it on purpose. You were projecting so loud I bet Tuvok heard.

  Great.

  He turned his back and entered his room, his mother's silent laughter following him. Then he stopped dead in his tracks and realized she was right. He had never -told- K'Leena how he felt, he just expected her to know, like he knew she loved him. Way to go, Riker. You're the damn telepath, what the hell is the matter with you? It was almost funny, blaming -her- because she couldn't read -his- mind. Oh God, did he owe her an apology.

  He turned around and opened his door to go back to her, but Mike was standing there instead. Damn...he was really starting to hate his job.

  "I take it, this isn't a social visit," Lucas said grimly.

  "We've got a situation...."

  The next time he saw her was just after the time jump, he managed to get away for a couple of days. Something drew him like a moth to a flame, he didn't know why, but he knew he -had- to be there when she flew that first mission.

  "You didn't cause any paradoxes did you, Paris?" Where did that come from? Lucas wondered.

  "What the hell are you doing here, Riker? I didn't invite you," she snapped back in annoyance.

  "Like I need your permission." Who did she think she was? "I just wanted to be around in case you managed to screw up the timeline, and we ended up married or something." What was the matter with him? Why was he baiting her like this? She would rip his head off if he kept it up, but he couldn't stop himself.

  "In your dreams, Lucas. You wouldn't know what to do with me if you had me," she taunted him, laughing.

  Annoyed, he watched as K'Leena walked over to her parents. She and her father exchanged words, he couldn't hear anything but he could feel the intense emotions from both of them. Then K'Leena spun around and looked right at him. She was so upset his anger was forgotten and he took an unconscious step toward her. A brief fleeting word touched his mind, it was so full of pain and regret he reeled at it.

  Imzadi!

  Then it was gone, as fast as it came. K'Leena's emotions cleared and he felt nothing more than her pleasure at the successful mission. Lucas shook his head slightly, trying to understand what just happened.

  It was very late that night before he got a chance to speak to her alone.

  "Hey, wait up," he called down the corridor. She was almost to her quarters.

  "I'm tired, Lucas," she said, wearily. "Can this wait until tomorrow? I'm not up to sparring with you tonight."

  He was a little stunned. Is that all they ever did lately? Argue?

  "I don't want to fight with you, K'Leena. We need to talk."

  Yes, they did, but was she ready for this? She didn't know. Probably not. He wasn't going to take no for an answer by the looks of it, though.

  "All right," she gave in with a soft sigh. "Why don't you come in. I don't want to do this standing in the hallway."

  He followed her into her quarters and sat down on one end of the couch. She took the other. Now that he had the chance, he didn't know what to say.

  --Bridge to Lt. Riker.--

  He hit his comm-badge in annoyance, "Riker, here."

  "Sir, were are receiving a priority one encoded message from Starfleet Command, it is for your eyes only."

  Damn! Not now!

  "Route it to my quarters, I will be there shortly, Riker out." He looked at K'Leena with regret and touched her cheek with his fingers. She shivered slightly at the contact. "We -will- finish this conversation. I'll meet you back home, okay?"

  "All right," she agreed and he got up to leave. "Lucas?"

  He turned to look at her and noted the concerned expression on her beautiful face.

  "Yeah?"

  "Be careful, okay?"

  He closed the distance between them with amazing speed and she was in his arms being kissed senseless before she knew it. His mouth was insistent and demanding, taking what he wanted. Then he pulled away with a groan.

  "I will, I promise." He gave her another quick kiss on
the forehead and he was gone.

  *****

  Agitation

  Three months! The mission from hell, that's what it was. Seven months total they'd been on this case now. Thank God it was finally done with. He hated surveillance, but that wasn't what was the worst part. It was the dreams. The dreams of him and K'Leena, together, married, for years. It took weeks for him to figure out what was going on. Then the confusion was replaced by anger. Then the anger was replaced by desire. Then the desire was replaced...by fear.

  The Valiant was on it's way back to earth when it began. He woke up crying her name, drenched in sweat, his whole body trembling. Her screams echoed in his head, he could feel the pain and terror. She needed him. The feeling grew by the hour, so did his tenseness.

  "What the hell is the matter with you?" Mike cornered him in his Ready Room after he bit the head off of his helmsman for miscalculating their arrival time at Starfleet Command.

  "K'Leena's in trouble. Real trouble, Mike. I can -feel- it."

  "Have you tried contacting her?"

  "Yeah, I get the same message, 'She's on assignment.' My Dad won't return my messages, either. She's under his command since she left Time Bound. He's avoiding me. Something is -wrong-."

  Mike nodded, he'd known Lucas for too many years to question him. Especially where K'Leena was concerned. "We'll be in orbit in less than a hour. Hang tight, I'll take the bridge."

  As soon as the Valiant was in orbit he beamed down to Starfleet Command and headed straight for the man who had the answers.

  "Where is she?" Lucas demanded when he stormed into the Admiral's office without being announced.

  "Nice to see you too, son," Will Riker said sardonically.

  Lucas' eyes narrowed. "Don't even try it," he threatened. "I want to know where she is, and I want to know NOW!"

  "Where who is?" the Admiral knew it was a mistake the second the words left his mouth.

  Lucas went deadly still and Will got the impression of a cobra ready to strike. He had never seen his son like this. This wasn't his child now, this was a hard and ruthless man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Will Riker suddenly knew one thing with absolute certainty: crossing Lucas was a dangerous thing to do.

  "Let's try this one more time, shall we?" Lucas said smoothly. "I am going to ask you a question, and you are going to answer it. Because, if you don't, I will not be responsible for my actions, understand?" he paused only slightly before continuing, "Now...where is she?"

  "If you mean Commander Paris, she's on assignment, her whereabouts are classified." Will put on his Admiral persona, hoping it would be enough to dissuade his son for the moment. He should have known better.

  Lucas grinned broadly at his father and a chill ran up the older man's spine.

  "Computer, recognize authorization, Riker, Alpha Team, one."

  --Authorization recognized.--

  "Identify me," Lucas instructed it, ice blue eyes locked with steely black.

  --Captain Lucas Ian Riker of the Federation Starship Valiant.--

  "What is my security clearance?" he asked, never breaking the eye contact and Will swore silently.

  --Level 12.--

  "Now, -Admiral-, no more games, no more evasions and no more pulling rank," Lucas' voice got quieter with each word. "Where's K'Leena?"

  "I don't know," he told his son finally.

  Lucas crossed his arms and watched his father sit down at his desk.

  "What happened?" he asked.

  "She was shuttling an agent out of Breen territory when we lost contact with her, it's been four days."

  "Who was she partnered with?" Lucas asked and wondered why she was working on an intel extraction in the first place.

  When his father didn't answer, Lucas looked at him in total disbelief.

  "You're kidding, right? You didn't really send her out alone!" He was going to kill him.

  *****

  Admission

  Less than two hours later Lucas was back aboard the Valiant, sitting at the desk in his Ready Room, his ship holding course with the Enterprise.

  Lucas picked up the picture on his desk. He loved the image of the two of them. His mother gave it to him, she took it at the reunion, during the storytelling. K'Leena was so relaxed and happy, she looked like there was no other place in the universe she would rather be than in his arms. There certainly wasn't any other place he would rather have her. God...he hoped he got the chance to tell her that.

  "I'm coming...Imzadi."