Reluctant Knight, The Read online

  'Back off, or I go to Squall.' Seifer gripped the arms of his chair. Back off? He pressed his lips together. I always back off, you little and the words filled in faster than he could think them. Day after day. Month after month. Year after damned year he backed off and did his job. Now he wanted a little fun and she told him to back off? Like hell!

  'I'll take you on without breaking a sweat.'

  Seifer stood, pushing his chair back so fast the casters caught on the carpet and tipped it over. He didn't care. He strode from his office and headed past all the cubicles and side-offices to the elevator, stepping aboard and pressing the button for the main floor. He strode off almost before the doors opened, heading down the main corridor and around toward the dorms. But his steps halted outside the corridor to the Training Center.

  His job.

  A conspiracy.

  A traitor in Garden.

  He fisted his hands. Fuck. Seifer turned sharply, fully intent on returning to his office. Then he vaguely heard the report of Squall's gunblade inside the Training Center. 'Back off, or I go to Squall' There sounded another gunblade report, but it wasn't Squall's.

  Seifer about-faced strode down the side-hall and into the Training Center. Squall, Janine, and Zell all exited from the right-hand steel door, animatedly discussing something that happened inside.

  Seifer halted, again fisting his hands.

  Janine glanced ahead and focused on Seifer while Squall spoke. Her expression shifted, those he couldn't classify how. Then Squall and Zell noticed Seifer and headed toward him.

  "Yo, Seif," Zell greeted. "'Sup?"

  "Anything wrong?" Squall prompted.

  Seifer tightened his fists as he forced himself to focus on Squall from Janine. Quistis is a controlling bitch. "No."

  Janine studied him a moment. "Thanks, guys, for the fun. Commander, I'll keep that suggestion in mind. Right now, I need Almasy's help, so. . . get together later?"

  "Sure," Squall agreed.

  "No prob. I'll bring Sally this time," Zell promised.

  Janine saluted and then focused on Seifer. She motioned back toward the main corridor and fell into step beside him. "I'm having problems . . . reading what's up," she finished once they had entered the side-hall to the main corridor.

  Seifer's jaw muscles ached.

  "You look pissier than Ifrit himself. Who bit down on your ass and chewed?"

  "Trepe."

  "What for?"

  "You."

  Janine caught him by the arm. "What? What the hell did I do?"

  "Me."

  She scowled, those chocolate eyes sparking. "And what business is it of hers what we do? It's not against code to fraternize. Shit." She glared. "So what's she threatening to do? Tell Commander Squall?"

  Seifer's jaw twitched.

  Janine scoffed. "Oh brother. Squall won't give a damn. He's more concerned about the Garden in Deling than anything."

  "I know."

  "It just pisses you off she's pushing you around?" Seifer clenched his jaw. Janine smirked. "Kind of figured. You like doing the pushing." She motioned back to the Training Center. "You want to grab your blade and meet me in there? Or . . ." Her smirk changed. "Or do you want a little more hands-on?"

  Seifer held her gaze. He wanted both, or neither. He didn't know anymore. He just wanted what he wanted. But there was a traitor. Fuck. He turned and strode back toward the main corridor.

  Janine hesitated a moment longer before jogging up to walk beside him. She regarded his profile. "Seifer."

  He didn't answer.

  Janine caught him by the arm and pulled him to a stop by a bench near the intersection of the main corridor and the side-hall. She sat him down and then stood behind him. "You just sit here and stew. I'll work a little magic."

  Janine's hands dug into Seifer's shoulders so hard it hurt, but damn it felt good.

  "Let Quistis do whatever, big guy. Like I said, Squall won't care. But I don't get why she thinks he might. I mean, damn, you're all grown up. You can make your own decisions."

  Seifer could only grunt as the muscles within his back and shoulders began to loosen and relax; Janine's hands and fingers and elbows continued to push and knead and work at them. Seifer couldn't help but relax his head forward and close his eyes.

  "Let me guess: You give everyone the look of death before they can get close enough to give you one of these?" Janine began working at his neck, leaning forward and pressing herself against him as she did. "Got you now," she purred.

  And 'relaxed' had to be the best damned drug on the planet. Seifer was immediately addicted.

  Janine nibbled at his ear and then pulled back, her hands lingering only a fraction of a second. "Sorry, big guy. Can't finish. A lesson-plan calls my name, and I don't think you want an audience for what I have in mind."

  Seifer chuckled and stood as Janine came around to stand in front of him. He could hear Squall and Zell approaching while talking about Winhill--Seifer grabbed the waist of her jeans and pulled her into a hard kiss. When he lifted his head, she smirked up at him.

  "We'll continue later, Larabie."

  "Yes, sir."

  Seifer briefly tightened his grip on her jeans before releasing them and turning away. He looked down at his watch. For the first time in his life he wondered if he could risk a lunch.

  ~*~

  Janine knocked and entered Quistis Trepe's office, still fighting back her temper in order to have a somewhat diplomatic discussion about something that wasn't any of the woman's damned business. Janine didn't want to slit her own throat and the possibility of increasing her hours there at Garden. But she'd be damned if she let the woman twist Seifer up in knots and not do something about it.

  Quistis looked up and then set down the paperwork she looked over. "Need some help with the lesson plan?"

  The woman sounded like she genuinely wanted to help! Which of course pissed Janine off even more; it meant she had a personal vendetta against Seifer. The man does his job and gets nothing but hell!

  Janine saluted and then stood at-ease. "We need to have a dialogue."

  Quistis arched a damned slim eyebrow. "Oh?"

  "I'm an Instructor here now, correct?"

  "Yes," Quistis acknowledged slowly.

  "I'm not just some floater here for a brief holiday before getting my ass kicked back to Trabia, correct?"

  Quistis crossed her arms. "Janine, what's the problem."

  "The problem is that you're butting into my personal life without coming to me to ask if I had a problem in the first place." Janine clasped her hands behind her back, still standing at-ease while doing her damndest to stay under control. "I initiated the relationship with Seifer, and now I understand you have a problem with that? At the extreme risk of sounding insubordinate, it's none of your business, so you need to back the hell off . . . Ma'am."

  Quistis regarded Janine for a tense and silent moment before calmly asking "Do you have any idea what kind of man Seifer Almasy is, Janine?"

  "He's an arrogant asshole who likes pushing people around," Janine countered easily. "A damned prick who is all about how much fun he can have pissing people off while laughing his ass off. But." Janine leaned forward, brown eyes flashing. "But he's a helluva good man who puts Garden and his duty here above every other damned thing in his life. And you know what? That's put a fire in my britches." Janine pointed hard at Quistis. "If you want to stand between Seifer and my business, then you better be prepared to step up to a fight. I started this, and I'm going to finish it." Janine straightened, hands again going behind her back. "Ma'am."

  Quistis' eyebrow arched yet again, but this time her perfectly colored lips tilted upward. Janine clenched her jaw. There should have been a law against 'perfectly' beautiful women being in the military. They make the rest of us look bad.

  "I won't hold your taste in men against you, Janine, but only because I seem to have the same problem." Quistis pointed at Janine and sat forward in her chair. "But I will tell you this,
if you act inappropriate in any way that effects your duty here, or his, your ass is gone. Yours wasn't the only name on the list of prospects, and you certainly weren't the only SeeD I considered for the position."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Remember, Seifer Almasy is Head of Network Security. You don't question him on his duty or anything which might be classified, I don't care if he has a bleeding ulcer because of it. It's classified and you don't ask."

  Janine clenched her jaw. Like hell. "I understand."

  Quistis leaned back. "You're putting your career on the line with this one, Janine. I hope you realize that."

  "If there wasn't a risk, it wouldn't be such a thrill."

  Quistis scoffed. "A twisted idea of 'thrill', Janine, but I'll leave you to it." Janine bit back a retort. "If there's nothing else?"

  "No, ma'am."

  "Dismissed."

  Janine about-faced and stalked out of the office, trying her best not to slam the door closed behind her as she muttered a few choice phrases under her breath. Problem solved, big guy. Show me what you got.

  ~*~

  Seifer looked at his watch and then his nearly empty desk. He smirked. It was amazing how motivated one got when someone like Janine Larabie told him to 'Bring it.' But she sure as hell won't appreciate what I'm bringing. And the thought of the look on her face brought a chuckle. Grabbing his keys as he stood, Seifer left his office and locked the door behind him.

  Ahndra straightened from where she looked over a SeeD's shoulder to check up on something. She raised an eyebrow. "Leaving?" she asked.

  He said "Appointment" while stepping past her and down the hall to the elevator beyond.

  Seifer stepped aboard the elevator and pressed the button for the main floor, again stepping off before the doors could completely open. 'Bring it.' Never heard those words before. He was an ass. He knew it. He loved the challenge of pushing people until they cracked and blew up in his face.

  Pushing and being pushed by Janine was an utterly different thrill.

  Seifer smirked until he strode past the Training Center. Her insistence at a sparring match brought to mind her scars, and his smirk slowly vanished. Janine Larabie had a hardness about her--like him--but scars on a woman? It seemed wrong while, at the same time, giving him a rush at her daring. She was tough, and he knew how to handle 'tough'. He could handle anyone that was 'tough'.

  And she wanted to be handled.

  Seifer fisted his hand around his keys as his chest tightened and his step widened toward the dorms. Go to hell, Trepe. I'm not backing off of this. Then he turned down the side-hall toward the dorms, taking the steps two at a time as he continued toward the room number burned into his brain.

  He barely came to a stop outside the door before it opened and Janine had him inside, her hands working at the buttons of his shirt as her mouth met his. Seifer chuckled, enjoying the rush and the fumble for a few heart-racing seconds before taking a firm hold of her wrists and halting the tug and the pull.

  ". . . the hell?" she whispered, her quickened breath fanning his face.

  "Came by to see just what exactly you're wanting me to bring," he admitted gruffly.

  Janine laughed that damned awesome throaty growl, her hands fighting at his firm hold as she stepped a little closer. "Slick son of a bitch, aren't you?"

  Seifer adjusted his hold on her wrists, accepted a few more kisses, and then stepped back. Janine followed. "That's what they say."

  Her lips twitched and she moved even closer, following with each one of his backward steps. "I bet they love it."

  Kisses, a slip of hold on wrist, and then he again moved away. "I'm sure."

  This time her brown eyes sparked and she grabbed a firm hold of the front of his shirt. "What're you playing, Almasy?" she asked, tone low but not angry. "You in or out?"

  His smirk widened. "Out. Early meeting."

  "Ah." She released her hold, but only to run her hands down the front until her nails teased the belt of his slacks, eyes holding his. "Do that again, Almasy, and you won't be getting any more coffee."

  His green eyes twinkled as he again gathered her wrists before they ventured lower than sanely possible to handle. "It's all about control, Larabie. Remember?" He leaned in, barely touching her lips with his. "This is me, in control," he whispered gruffly. And the kiss she gave him had him cursing his decision to keep her at arm's length for a while.

  Then she pulled slowly back, opening her eyes to meet his. "Control is a dangerous thing, babe. You might think you're the one who has it . . . but do you?"

  Smirking, he tugged her closer, relishing the fit of her hips. "I always have control, Larabie."

  She sounded a low laugh as her hands were released to the freedom of entwining themselves behind his neck. "Do you now? Seems to me that's a two-way street we're sharing at the moment. A damn thrill, if you ask me." She kissed him again, her mouth doing a helluva good job at persuading him to do a lot more than what he'd gone there to do. "How about you surrender?" she mumbled against his lips. "Just this once?"

  Surrender and Seifer just didn't mesh.

  Instead, he pulled her hands from behind his neck and pushed her back. Not so harshly that it would piss her off. Just firm enough to let her know he meant what he was about to say. "SeeDs don't surrender, Larabie."

  Her lips twitched. "But no advance to victory tonight . . . Sir?"

  "Not this time, Larabie." And what the hell was he thinking?

  Saluting, she voiced a sultry, "Your loss."

  Damn straight. "I'll see your sexy ass tomorrow, Larabie," he informed as he about-faced and made his way to the still-open door of her room.

  She caught him by the arm before he could exit, turning him to face her as she purred, "Any time, big guy. Any time," while pressing those luscious curves against him.

  Resisting the urge to perform a test of SeeD endurance, he simply gave the aforementioned 'sexy ass' a squeeze and stroke--damn gray shorts--and then turned to make his way down the hall toward his own room.

  Chapter Five

  Buttons

  "Yo, Sei--"

  Seifer looked up from the collection of reports on his desk to Zell Dincht's approach. He had stopped in the doorway. "Dincht, you're either in or out."

  Zell grinned and stepped the rest of the way in, closing the door behind him. "Dude, you got some skin!"

  Seifer frowned and pointed sharply at the door. "Get your ass out of my office!" The fact that he hadn't gotten as much skin as he wanted was a growing sore spot.

  "Hell no!" Zell sat in the chair across from Seifer and leaned forward. "Janine? She looked about to jump you when you came in to the Tra--"

  "Dincht, what the hell do you want?"

  "Oh! Right." Zell's expression grew serious. "What's up with the whole Winhill Garden situation? Is it on or off?"

  Still amazed at how easy Zell could be distracted off a subject, Seifer set aside the transcripts. "We're waiting on the city council. They have to vote on it before we can begin building."

  "But it's a go? The Network's okay with it?"

  Seifer leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "The Network is okay with it."

  "Is it going to be a Garden or just a security facility?"

  Seifer smirked. He almost forgot about Regal's suggestion of the two working security at Winhill as a regular assignment. "Security Station. Population doesn't rate a full Garden facility."

  "So . . . we're not going to buy the land there?"

  Seifer shook his head. "No."

  Zell grinned and stood. "Booya!" he exclaimed, and then the serious expression returned. "Oh. Seifer, dude, keep me and Sally on the list for working at Winhill. I'll turn in the transfer request as soon as the council gives the go ahead."

  Nodding, Seifer sat forward to again focus on the reports and transcripts. "Fine." He heard the 'squinch' of Zell sitting back down and almost audibly sighed. "What." A card was set on his desk. Seifer picked it up. "What's this?"

 
; Zell sat back in the chair, crossing an ankle on a knee as he laced his fingers behind his head. "It's an invite to Sally's party."

  "Party?" Seifer opened the card and raised an eyebrow. "You're shitting me."

  "She's turning the big 2-0 and wants you to come to the party we're having at the hotel in Balamb, don't know why. Said something about you being her boss. It's next month. You gonna come or not?"

  Seifer closed the card and tossed it aside. "I'll check my schedule," he said as he went back to work.

  "Which means 'no'." Zell leaned forward. "Damn it, Seifer. She wants you to come, beats the hell out of me why. Can't you pull your head out of your ass long enough to just show up for five minutes?"

  Seifer frowned and lifted his gaze. "Dincht, in case you hadn't noticed, I have a job. It's called: Head of Network Security. I seriously don't think an asshole with a grudge against Garden is going to say 'Oh look. It's Sally Regal's birthday. I better not blow Garden up until tomorrow. Damn. Almost screwed up that one.' I'll check my schedule. If I can go, I'll go. If I can't, I won't. Now get your ass out of my office."

  Zell laughed as he stood. "Dude. You so got skin."

  Seifer glared and pointed at the door. "Get out!"

  Zell continued laughing, saying "Score!" as he opened and closed the door.

  Seifer's expression relaxed, and he slightly shook his head as he focused again on the reports on his desk. "You have no idea," he mumbled.

  ~*~

  Janine looked over her right shoulder as her classroom door opened. She smiled and took her feet down from her desk, sitting up in her chair. "Hey, Sally. How's life in security?"

  Sally was all smiles. "Good. I talked to Seifer about Ahndra and found out that she really does respect me. She just didn't know that I needed to know that." Sally came to sit in the straight-back chair to the right of Janine's desk. "I mean, she thought I already knew because of all the high-priority things she assigned to me. That and she said she's really nice to me." Sally giggled.

  Janine's lips twitched. "Sounds like you love your job now."

  "Oh I liked it before. I just wasn't handling the stress very well. Zell already gets on me about taking things too personal. I'm getting better, but sometimes I can't help it."

  Janine chuckled. "Sal, you are too cute for words."