Reluctant Knight, The

  Janine ignored the occasional darting glances from passersby. "So because I want to, that makes me a spy or something? It's about you, not your damn job! The minute I think there's a problem, I'll back off. I don't want to be responsible for you losing the only thing that's ever meant anything to you!"

  Seifer blinked, shock pausing any immediate response. Then he leaned forward so fast she thought he might take her there in the hall. "The hell you will, Janine Larabie. If and when you back off, it's because you're tired of the chase. I can do my job--"

  "But can you do it and me?" Seifer clenched his jaw. Janine pressed a finger into his chest. "You said yourself no one has tried to get in those pants of yours, and now Dincht's thinking there's something between us and Ahndra's asking about my 'pursuit'--It makes me think something's changed."

  Seifer's jaw muscle twitched wildly.

  Janine lowered her hand from his chest as she watched him. Then she let her arms go slack, almost freeing her papers and books to the ground for a countless time. "I know. Sure, the thrill I get is all you and not your job, but--but you said it. Garden is your life." Janine slightly shook her head. "I can't be responsible for making you lose that." She sighed deep. "Seifer . . . Babe, do you have any idea how much an ass I would feel if I made you lose your life here?"

  Seifer's jaw worked. "There isn't a problem, Janine."

  "Fine. There isn't a problem. All I know is that if your performance changes, I will feel a damned thrill-hungry bitch who couldn't pull her head out long enough to see what she was doing to the man--" He stalked off. Janine stared after him. When he turned into the main corridor, she slumped against the wall. "Bastard, Seifer," she whispered, "you weren't supposed to leave."

  No. He was supposed to take her in his arms and say 'I can do my job and you, Larabie' and then kiss her as hard as he had ever done. That was the thrill she waited for. The rush she wanted. The rush of being 'enough' for a man like Seifer.

  Janine pressed her lips together and straightened. There hadn't been any final good-byes, and she sure as hell wouldn't write him off. Seifer Almasy was hot, and a rush she never had before. She not only 'clicked' with him, she didn't know where he stopped and she started!

  Sighing deep, Janine brought her papers and folders up and started forward again. Just remember what I said, babe. I said 'if' there was a problem. I never said there was. If there isn't, then they can push all they want; I've got your back.

  ~*~

  Seifer slammed the door to his dorm room, and the walls shook. Scrubbing at his scalp and neck until they stung, he paced in front of his bed. 'You'd drop my ass if there was a problem, right?' Problem? What the hell is she talking about? Who reported a problem? Ahndra sure as hell hadn't talked to him about one. 'And now Dincht's thinking there's something between us and Ahndra's asking about my 'pursuit'--It makes me think something's changed.'

  Seifer halted and fisted his hands so hard the knuckles popped. There isn't a problem! Ahndra's probably pushing your buttons just to see what you'll do. She's like that! And Dincht? Seifer scoffed. Who the hell knows what he thinks about anything!

  'Do you have any idea how much an ass I would feel if I made you lose your life here?'

  "Damn it, Janine, there isn't a problem!" he hissed. He took a hard step toward his door--'The thrill I get is all you not your job, but--' Seifer halted. 'I can't be responsible for making you lose that.'

  I can do my job and you, damn it! Seifer clenched his jaw and turned sharply for the empty bed. Sure the job had been different since that day she'd spilled hot coffee on him. Sure he knew the thrill and the chase made it different. The damned expectation of the 'after work'. The craving of the next secret. Shit!

  Seifer slumped onto his bed and fisted his hands in his hair. He did his job different. But was there a problem? He scrubbed hard at his scalp. "Fuck."

  Chapter Nine

  The Problem

  "S-Sir?"

  Seifer raised glaring eyes to Sally Regal as she hesitantly entered his office. "What," he asked sharply.

  Sally twitched, wringing her hands after she saluted. "Sir, do y-you remember that report I gave you this morning about that arms raid o-outside Esthar?"

  "What about it?"

  Sally twitched again as she stepped a little closer. "I . . . I needed to have it back."

  Seifer moved his glare to his watch and swore. He searched his desk and pulled it out from under a pile of transcripts. "I'll bring it out in five," he snapped.

  Sally twitched yet again. "Y-Yes, sir."

  She scurried out and closed the door behind her. Seifer scrubbed hard at his scalp as he wrestled with his focus.

  ~*~

  The door to Seifer's office opened. He lifted his glare from a collection of transcripts. Squall entered, scratching at his head as he read a report with a twisted expression of concentration. Seifer tossed down his pen and crossed his arms. He wasn't getting a damned thing done.

  "Seifer, this graph doesn't go with this report." Squall pulled it apart and then offered it forward to him. "And I have a question about a section here."

  Seifer grabbed the graph, examined it--He swore and searched the transcripts the graph belonged to.

  Squall watched him with a slight raised eyebrow. "Actually, forget it. I'll just make corrections and have Sally re-work it." Squall left the office.

  Seifer glared at the closed door and began softly cursing under his breath.

  "Yo, Seif--"

  Seifer slammed down his pen and lifted a glare to Zell. He stood in the doorway, leaning slightly back with an expression of surprise on his face. "Dincht, what the hell do you want?" His was the third interruption in five minutes that morning, and Seifer had barely been able to organize his 'to-do' piles.

  Zell hesitated before stepping into the office and closing the door behind him. He stepped forward while saying "Dude, what happened?"

  Seifer clenched his jaw. What happened? Some son of a bitch is screwing with my thrills! "Dincht, you either have business here or get your ass back above."

  Zell dropped a report on Seifer's desk. "I came down to give you this. Something I found when I was surfing the Net for research on a move Sally and I--"

  "Dincht."

  Zell regarded Seifer a second before leaning his palms against the desktop. "Seifer, what the hell's wrong? Did Quis' cover get blown? Did Zack leak something without okaying it through you?"

  Seifer clenched his jaw.

  Zell's eyes widened slightly. "Dude. Was it what I said to Jani--"

  He stood, his chair bucking against the carpet. "Get out."

  Zell slowly straightened. "Sure, Seifer. My bad." The scrapper made his way to the office door, where he turned again before opening it. "I didn't mean to--"

  "Dincht," Seifer lowered his gaze to his report-littered desk. He sat back down in his chair. "Get out."

  "Yeah. Okay. Sure." He opened and closed the door behind him.

  Seifer glared down at the reports and transcripts and requests, his expression hardening with each passing moment. 'You'd drop my ass if there was a problem, right?' Seifer swore and sat heavily back in his chair. The problem was the addiction to having her push for a secret. The problem was wanting another button to push. The problem was smelling her musk when she wasn't there. The problem was he wasn't done with the thrill--Seifer pushed it away and leaned forward again, pulling some reports roughly toward him while wrestling with his focus as he scrubbed roughly at his scalp.

  ~*~

  Seifer's computer chirped. He tightly clenched his jaw as he glared at the monitor and the 'Accept Message?' screen that flashed at him. He fisted a hand and then roughly pounded the enter button. A secure web cam window opened on the screen, showing Marshal's face. "What," Seifer asked in a dangerously calm voice.

  Marshal raised an eyebrow. "Well," he started slowly, "you sent me a report meant for the security chief in Deling" Seifer ran a hand hard and slow through his hair "and I just wanted to let you k
now. I destroyed it," Seifer lowered his hand and fisted both as he glowered at his desktop "so you don't have to worry about it getting seen--Seif, what the hell is wrong with you?"

  Seifer slowly focused a glare on Marshal's face in the web cam window. "I'm not feeling well," he said slowly, firmly controlled.

  "Damn. I can see that." Marshal leaned forward in his chair. "I really think you better take a break."

  He nearly grabbed a fistful of hair at the thought of the possibility. "No time."

  "Make the time. You do any more screw-ups like this and I know Ahndra's going to be in there busting your ass. I can only cover you so many times."

  Seifer clenched his jaw until it ached. "It's fine."

  "Like hell. You've never made mistakes before today."

  Then who the hell is telling Janine there's a problem! "Get back to work," Seifer grumbled as he punched the 'Terminate' button. The window and Marshal's face disappeared. Seifer rubbed at his forehead for a long time before dragging his focus back to reports and transcripts--"Hell." Seifer strode to his office door just as it opened. The musk hit him full force in the face, making his chest tighten. He clenched his jaw. "Larabie."

  Janine's brown eyes weren't angry, much to Seifer's shock, but he saw something else. Something that she probably saw in his eyes.

  She absently pushed and teased at her spiked black hair as she motioned into his office with her other hand. "Can I have a second?"

  Seifer's hands clenched the doorknob a moment before he released it and motioned inside. She passed, sending him another sidelong glance as her movement left a trail of musk bidding him to follow. He did--after shutting the door and making sure the blinds were closed. Seifer approached his desk as she sat in the chair across from it. He remained standing, leaning back against his desk with his arms tightly crossed. It was the only way to prevent a reach for that musk kissed, silky softness. 'Can you do it and me?' He'd like to try the thrill of finding out.

  Janine shook her head. When she looked up, her brown eyes were nearly black. "It's not working."

  "No. It isn't."

  "I've screwed two classes."

  "No comment."

  Janine smirked, a damned sexy sight after laying awake in a cold bed--Seifer lowered his gaze and adjusted his crossed arms.

  "So what do we do, big guy? Didn't sleep a wink last night for wondering what secret you'd give up next." Janine scoffed. "And forget about focusing in class. Tried all day yesterday and most of today and it just... The entire day went tits-up the minute I didn't see your tight ass in the elevator this morning."

  Seifer continued to breath deep of her musk as his body seemed to absorb the warmth of her closeness and intensity.

  "Seifer." He looked up to meet her wide brown gaze. "I didn't tell you about the supposed problem to make you walk out. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't one. The last thing I want to do is screw up your job here but, damn it, after yesterday and today I keep thinking that might happen whether I'm in your life or out of it." She tightly crossed her arms as she leaned back in the chair, her knees touching his as her body slid slightly forward. "So what the hell do we do?"

  Seifer leaned down, firmly gripping each arm of the chair as he held her gaze. "Next time, Larabie, I'll tell you when and if there's a problem. Security is my issue, not yours. You teach your classes and give your exams. I keep everyone's ass safe and yours in my bed."

  A slow and sultry smirk spread across Janine's face and twinkled in her brown eyes. "And next time someone gets in my face about your job performance?"

  "Send them to me. It's not your issue."

  Janine sat up to drape those tone arms around his neck. "Like hell. It's as much my issue as yours. I started this thrill chase."

  Her breath and the musk and her warmth--"Damn," and his mouth very slowly met and moved with hers.

  tap-tap-tap

  Seifer groaned same as she as their mouths parted. He swallowed hard, fighting back the desire as the deep rise and fall of her chest pressed against his. "Dismissed, Larabie," he said gruffly. "I will let you know when this thrill chase is done. Understood?"

  Janine nibbled at his mouth. "Yes, sir." She freed her arms from his neck, lifting one hand to lightly rub and scratch at his scalp. "Damn, I missed that mouth."

  tap-tap-tap "Sir." It was Ahndra.

  "Second," he called. Seifer caressed Janine's mouth again with his before straightening and drawing her to her feet. "We'll take this up a later date."

  Janine smirked, running her hands down his chest to curl those fingers around his belt. She purred "bring it." Then she turned and made for the door, her hips nearly persuading him to follow.

  "You're on." Then he leaned back against the desk, chuckling as Janine opened the door and greeted Ahndra with a wise-ass remark about performance being just fine. He released a deep breath, and the tension flowed out like a river of fire. Damn.

  Ahndra stepped inside. "Sir, we need to talk."

  Seifer motioned for her to close the door. "Yes. We do."

  She proceeded inside, standing across from him at-ease after giving him a somewhat questionable salute. He held her gaze, arms tightly crossed as he silently waited for her to begin. Ahndra, I swear, if you're the ass who messed with Janine, you will be lucky to leave in one piece.

  "You know why I'm here," she said simply.

  "Enlighten me," If Janine and he hadn't resolved issues, he probably wouldn't have been so calm.

  "There seems to be a dispute with your focus and performance," she said. "Multiple mistakes have been reported. Mistakes that are inappropriate and uncharacteristic."

  "And why do you think that is?"

  "Janine Larabie."

  He continued to hold her stare, giving her nothing by way of reaction or intonation. Seifer knew it annoyed the hell out of her. "How so?"

  "There was a reported disturbance in the cafeteria yesterday during the lunch hour. You and Janine Larabie were reported as having an intense debate. Soon thereafter, performances were seen to decline."

  "And do you know what the 'intense debate' was regarding?"

  "Subject matter is irrelevant. The discussion and its effects have rebounded into your performance. It isn't acceptable."

  "No. You're right. It isn't." Ahndra's eyebrow slightly twitched upward. "Janine was jealous of you."

  The eyebrow twitched higher. "Pardon?"

  "The 'intense debate'. Janine was giving in to a moment's jealousy because you were warning her to 'tread carefully'. She wanted to do so all over your ass, due to the fact you were getting in her face about our business. I told her to back off from you, hence the 'jealous moment'." Seifer adjusted his crossed arms, completely enjoying Ahndra's non-plussed expression. "Janine doesn't like being told what to do, especially by those who do not rank her, and certainly not when she suspects there might be something going on. I'll be sure to tell her we are friends and friends only."

  Ahndra could be visually seen to file the information away. "Her jealousy is a perfect example--"

  "I haven't finished." The eyebrow raised again, but Seifer ignored it. "Did you tell Janine that it was your responsibility to inform me and Commander Squall of any change in job performance?"

  "Of course."

  "Why?"

  "So that she would realize there was a consequence to her pursuit."

  "Her 'pursuit' is none of your damned business as my second-in-command, Ahndra. Your responsibility is to support me as Head of Security. Your responsibility is to report my actions and responses to Commander Squall as an adjunct to my own reports. Your responsibility, after hours, is to be my friend while minding your own damned business."

  And Seifer could feel his temper spark.

  He grabbed it with a firm hold. "The minute you went to her with that warning, she backed off from me. Why? Because she knows how god-damned important my role with Garden is. She understands that if anything jeopardizes it, she must back off. She's fine with that. But you hinting
at a problem that wasn't there caused hell and jeopardized my job. You screwed up, Ahndra."

  Ahndra clenched her jaw and lowered her gaze from his.

  "If you think there's a problem, you come to me. Because if you ever go behind my back again . . . ." He let the words settle. "Dismissed."

  Ahndra saluted and then about-faced to stride from the office. She slammed the door closed. Seifer released a quick and deep breath and scrubbed at his scalp. A corner of the mess of his desk caught his gaze. He swore.

  Chapter Ten

  A Control Issue

  Janine stared down at the brief note, pushing her lips to one side as she read it a third and fourth time. Oh hell. She released a quick breath and stood, making her way from her dorm-room and the stacks of exams she'd taken from her classroom that afternoon to head toward the security section. Sally was nowhere to be seen, and there were very few people at their desks. When Janine looked to her wrist-watch, she vaguely noted it to be nearing eleven in the evening before frowning again at the note and the request. Shit. She knocked on the opened door, drawing Seifer's gaze from his perusal of a rather thick folder.

  Seifer's eyebrow twitched, and he closed the folder and set it aside. "Larabie."

  "Sir." She cleared her throat and lowered herself into the chair across from his desk before offering forward the note.

  He took it with a cautious motion. "Problem?"

  She made a face. "No threats or dumb-ass shit like that. It's a note from Danny." She gave a lopsided smirk. "He's basically asking me to come for a visit. It's Raymond's birthday. Ray being Danny's new dad," she offered.

  Seifer lowered his focus to the note, his face twisting into a look of near-disgust. "This? It looks as if someone rammed a crayon up their ass and sat down."

  Janine laughed. "Yeah, well, he hasn't quite gotten the hang of the whole grasp-on-a-pencil yet. He's still working on it."

  Tossing the note aside, Seifer then leaned back into the chair. He crossed his arms. "You're still on probation with us, Larabie. I can't authorize your exit from Garden without a security escort."

  "I know. That's why I'm coming to ask you to go with." When Seifer's eyebrow rose once more, Janine nodded. "Tell me about it, but there's no way in hell I'm taking anyone else. Danny's hard-to-please when it comes to friends. But I figure he'll be so used to me that he'll take to you like a fart to flame."