Simmons hadn’t.
Had the fatal accident been faked? Had those paranormals captured Simmons and were they holding him captive? And if so, whose body was in the casket?
Perhaps it had been empty.
Or was he really dead, but not as a result of a fatal accident?
What if the paranormals had killed him?
45
Rufsur
Rufsur lay awake in bed and stared at the ceiling. Edna was still asleep, her arm draped possessively over his torso, and her leg thrown over his thighs.
Her body language was all about commitment and ownership, but her mind wasn’t there yet. That was why during this visit he hadn’t brought up his idea of them having a child together. It had sounded good in his head when he’d first thought of it, but upon further reflection, at this stage it wasn’t a good idea.
First, they needed to figure a way to have a life together. It was difficult enough to see her only twice a month; keeping that same schedule with his own child was unappealing.
Rufsur didn’t want a long-distance relationship, let alone a long-distance family. Perhaps the shift in thinking had come about when he’d realized that there might be a different solution, and that he could have his cake and eat it too.
Not that they had a solution yet. It was still a work in progress, and he was debating whether he should present it to Kalugal half-baked. On the one hand, it would make the probability of him rejecting it right off the bat more likely, but on the other hand, his boss’s powerful brain might come up with ideas that neither he nor Edna thought about.
In any case, he needed a good angle, something compelling enough that Kalugal would have no choice but to consider it seriously. In that regard, having a child with Edna could be just the thing.
Kalugal couldn’t dismiss a father’s plea to be with his child. Or could he?
Even after all this time and everything that they had been through together, Kalugal was still an enigma. Who knew how he would respond?
Neither of them had a positive paternal figure in their lives. Rufsur didn’t know who his father had been, and Kalugal had never been close to Navuh. Hell, the guy had to fake his own death and disappear because he feared what Navuh might do once he discovered his compulsion ability.
Edna’s hand on his belly started a slow trek up to his pecs. “What are you thinking about that makes you frown so hard?”
He took her hand and brought it up to his lips for a kiss. “I’m plotting the best way to manipulate Kalugal into hearing us out.”
“I have no intention of talking to him. We only have a skeleton of an idea. We need to come up with a doable plan before we approach our bosses.”
“That was what I thought too, but then it occurred to me that both of them are smart men. They could help us come up with the solution. After all, four brains are better than two.” He kissed her fingers. “Or three and a half.”
She chuckled. “Who’s the half brain?”
“I am, of course.”
“You are not stupid, Rufsur, so stop pretending. The same way you don’t like me to put myself down with regards to my lack of feminine charms, I don’t like your self-deprecating fake modesty. You know that you are smart.”
“I do, but I’m nowhere near as brainy as you, Kalugal, and Kian. Although I have my doubts about Kian too. He’s way too emotional and paranoid.”
With a sigh, Edna plopped on her back. “Kian is cautious, not paranoid. But you are right about him thinking more with his heart than his mind. Kalugal seems more cerebral.”
“He is, but I wish it was the reverse. I know how to appeal to emotions, and you know how to appeal to logic. Perhaps we should switch jobs and bosses.”
Edna chuckled. “I don’t have your leadership abilities, and you don’t have my legal expertise. I’m afraid that we are stuck doing what we do. But you can coach me, and I can coach you. How about that?”
He turned to her and smiled. “Brilliant. I told you that you’re much smarter than I am.”
“Stop it!” She slapped his arm. “You have emotional intelligence.”
“You have it too, and that’s in addition to a superb analytical mind.”
Edna shook her head. “You don’t need to win me with flattery.”
“I don’t?” Stifling a smile, he pretended confusion. “How do I win you over then? Do you like gifts? Flowers? Chocolates? Or is plenty of fabulous sex the key to your heart?” He cupped her bare bottom and gave it a squeeze.
“It’s the sex.” She winked. “And I also can’t resist your dimply smiles, so those too.” She pushed his arm off. “Right now, I need to attend to a pressing need. We can discuss your methods of winning me over later.”
“I have a better idea. We can do both at the same time.”
She arched a brow. “Do you want to talk while I pee?”
“I was thinking along the lines of demonstrating my best approach in the shower.” He waggled his brows. “We haven’t made love in there yet.”
46
Edna
Sunday morning sex was the best. It was lazy, unhurried, and after all that exercise, breakfast tasted much better.
“This is the best omlet I ever had.” She scooped up the last of the mushroom and onion filling that had fallen out with a piece of bread. “And you said that you are a poor cook.”
Rufsur’s smile was the epitome of male satisfaction. The guy loved taking care of her. “I only know how to make a few things, but I make them well.”
Edna wiped her mouth with a paper towel. “You apply yourself to everything you do, which I find admirable. You don’t half-ass anything.”
Rufsur put a hand over his bare chest. “Edna, did you just say half-ass? I’m so proud of you.”
He was hilarious. “I’m not as prim and proper as I look.”
“Oh, I know, my delightful hellcat.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “So we’ve established that you love my body, my lovemaking, my cooking, and my dimply smiles. Did I win you over already? Or do I still have to prove myself?”
Damn. That was a trick question.
The truth was that he had and then some. She was falling in love with him, or maybe had already fallen, but he was leaving in the evening, and she would have to wait another two weeks before she could see him again.
In theory, the arrangement sounded doable, but it was damn difficult, and they still hadn’t a solution in sight. As long as she didn’t admit her feelings for him, she could at least pretend that they weren’t as strong, and that she could survive on his bi-monthly visits.
“I’m waiting.” He tapped his fingers on his impressive biceps.
“You don’t have to prove a thing to me. I like everything about you.”
Rufsur looked disappointed. “I was hoping for more, but I’m a patient man.”
He was also an honest man who deserved the same from her. “I wish I could just open my heart to you. But I’m afraid to do that before figuring out a way to make it work. How about that coaching that you promised? How would you handle Kian?”