Hunting for Honey - THE SPECTER SERIES [book one]

Chapter FORTY THREE:The Solution

Honey Sinclaire

After multiple rounds of passionate lovemaking you had drifted off to sleep for just a couple of hours and when you wake you immediately notice the coldness of Archer's absence from the bed..

Sitting up in the dim evening light, you see him standing over by the window, his expression hard and his eye trained the street below methodically scanning every movement..

You reach out sleepily, beckoning him to return.. "Archie? Come back to bed, baby.."

He doesn't move, doesn't even glance in your direction..

"Archie?.." He's starting to freak you out a little with his quiet stillness, when he speaks his voice is low and strained..

"You once called me a hero.. That couldn't be farther from the truth.. Shit, I'm not even a good guy, Honey.." He lets out a sort of strangled bitter laugh.. "And it never mattered before.. But now.."

You sit up straighter, a new nervous energy blooms in your chest.. "Is this about.. What you said?.. If you're having second thoughts already.. I--"..

"No, I meant what I said.. But you shouldn't .. And I need you to understand.." His bare feet pad across the floor before he sits on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight tilting you towards him..

"You're speaking in riddles right now.. Understand what, Archie?"

His head droops.. "I'm a killer Honey.. My job.. My life.. There are things I have done that would sicken you.. I've got a past you couldn't possibly forgive.. Hell, I don't know how you even feel safe around me, I'm a fucking monster.."

Your heart thuds in your chest, but not in fear of this lethal alpha male.. Instead you are hit with a sense of sympathy and forgiveness... Whatever terrible actions may lay behind him, you know the man before you now is dependable, and underneath an icy exterior, the heart of a good honest man, beats strong.
"My sweet Archie..." You crawl across the bed, pressing your bare front to the lean muscles of his shirtless back.. "There's nothing you can say that's going to make me believe that's true.."

His spine snaps stiff at your touch, his rippling muscles tense beneath your palms, so you slowly start to knead away some of the tension in his shoulders..
He huffs out a breath then practically blurts out the words.. "How about.. I dropped a dictator from a black hawk, in the middle of the Indian ocean.." He turns, watching you as if he expects you to be outraged or disgusted.. But you aren't..
Crazy as it sounds, you're not in the least bit surprised.. Having seen him in action at the warehouse, the way he put Asher down without a moment's hesitation, the way he commanded the room.. You knew he was a force to be reckoned with well before all of that..

Now, all you feel is incredibly lucky, that a man so powerful and in control, would let you see beneath the mask he wears to all others.. "Alright.." You reply slowly and surely..

His head jerks back a little.. "Alright?..That's it?.." He sounds like that was the last thing he expected you to say..

You slide yourself around and onto his lap so you're straddling him, looking down at him you smile.. "Is that supposed to shock me? Or scare me away? Because it doesn't.. I'm tougher than you think I am.. And, I still love you.."

"I really don't deserve you.." The smile on Archer's face is one of wonderment and appreciation, a warm syrupy feeling radiates from your heart as you watch him roll onto his side, facing you.. "I can't remember the last time I felt like this.."

"Like what? In love.. Happy?"

He crinkles his nose at the word 'happy'.. Like happiness is a strange thing to have.. "I don't know if I've ever really been either.."

You frown at him before lifting your hands to run your fingertips through his shiny hair.. "Well now, that's a scary thing to say Archie.. You have a lot of lost time to make up for then.."

His warm mouth drops to your collarbone and me mumbles against your tingling skin between kisses.. "I don't hate the sound of that.."

You shut your eyes, relishing the sensation, before you interrupt his very fine game of seduction.. "I think I know something that will make you even happier, too.."

You grin at him as he arches his eyebrow mischievously.. "Oh yeah?.."

You giggle behind your hand and slap his bulky shoulder gently.. "Not that you caveman!"

He laughs as he scoops you up and tosses you back into the fluffy pillows, jumping up onto his knees, grabbing your thighs and sliding you across the soft mattress towards him.. "Me Tarzan, you Jane!" He grunts like a gorilla as he begins to tickle you all over..

You squeal, laughing uncontrollably.. Trying to swat his hands away, but he is so fast you don't have a chance.. "Archie! No no no! Ahhhh!.." You laugh and laugh until he ceases, his tickling soon turning into languid soothing strokes.. "Oh.. Goodness.." You puff, catching your breath as you scramble to sit back upright.. "You're crazy.." You tease..leaning over and placing a quick peck on his lips..

He just smirks and shrugs.. "Maybe, baby.."

You shake your head, chuckling one last time before reaching up to your neck, undoing the clasp of your necklace.. You hold it out by the chain, the pendant dangling from your fist.. He takes it.. Looking back up at you puzzled..

"As I was saying.. I know something that will make you happier.." You nod your head at the pendant.. "It's the key.."

He cocks his head, quizzically.. "Okay.. But I'm not following.." His brow furrows..

"That pendant has the constellation of capricorn on it, right?"

He lifts it up looking at it again before half shrugging and giving a small nod.. "I mean.. As far as I can tell.."

He turns his attentive gaze back to you again.. "Well.. There is one star out of place on that pendant.." You lean across to snatch up your notebook from your bag beside the bed, opening it to the page where you have sketched the constellation as it appears on the necklace, pointing at the out of place star.. "A star that wasn't out of place when Yevie brought me that necklace.. I know it wasn't.. she is a total astrology aficionado, there's no way she wouldn't have noticed.."

You see the gears on his mind turning as he begins to catch up.. "So this isn't the original necklace she gave you.. It was switched.."

You nod emphatically.. "Yes.. By Alex.." You would bet money that somewhere, amongst Alex's belongings, the original necklace could be found.. "When Yevie visited me in hospital, she noticed it and pointed it out.. And when she told me the name of the star.. Well it was so obvious.."

There is no trace of doubt on his face as he hangs from your every word.. "What is the name of the star?"

You turn to him, knowing he will get a kick out of the final answer to Alex's riddle.. "Oh that's the best part.. The star is called "Alpha Capricorni"

A slow smile spreads across his face.. "Shit.. I don't know who's more of a genius... Alex for coming up with the code.." He takes your face in both hands and looks into your eyes with amazement.. "Or you for figuring it out. Honey, you are.. Incredible!"
He kisses you fiercely.. The passion between you begins mounting again as your wanding hands become more and more fervent.. It isn't long before you are once again entangled in a sweet, sensual embrace..