Chapter
Eleven
It
was a slightly better hotel than he’d expected. One of a chain of
moderate luxury hotels he’d been to once or twice before. Sam
hefted his bag and made sure Emily was okay with her little rolling
case. He’d offered to carry it for her but she was independent
enough to want to do it herself. It wasn’t heavy, so he
acquiesced.
When they got to the front desk, he
found they’d reserved two bronze level rooms. This chain labeled
their rooms bronze for the base level room, which was the least
expensive, silver for mid-level, gold for what he would equate to
business class, and it also had a few platinum level suites for the
highest level of luxury they offered. Sam didn’t blink when Emily
asked if they could have adjoining rooms, but a jolt went through
him. She didn’t want him to be far away. He liked
that.
Of course, it could be that she was
still scared from her zombie encounter. Sam wasn’t above
capitalizing on that. He’d keep her safe. And he wanted to keep her
close too—as close as possible. So deciding, he stepped up to the
desk, planting himself next to her.
“Can we nix the two bronze rooms and
upgrade to platinum?” he asked the clerk. The young lady behind the
counter smiled, looking from Emily to Sam and back
again.
“Is that what you want, ma’am?” the
helpful girl asked Emily.
Emily looked up at him and he felt his
heart melting. Damn. Just that hopeful, cautious look in her eyes
made him want to give her the moon, if he could.
“Is it possible?” Emily turned back to
the clerk. “Do you have a gold suite available?”
“Platinum,” Sam corrected as he fished
his credit card out of his wallet and passed it across the marble
counter toward the clerk. The girl smiled and tapped the keys on
her computer terminal.
“Yes, we have one platinum suite
left.”
“Excellent.” Sam grinned and put one
arm loosely around Emily’s shoulders.
She was tired. She had to be wiped out
from the heinous events of the day. The sooner he could get her to
the suite and in bed, the better. She deserved to be pampered and
he was just the man to do it.
They got the key and rode the elevator
up in silence. There was a lot to say, but most of it wasn’t
suitable for public consumption. Discretion was the better part of
valor in this case, even if the hotel seemed relatively
quiet.
Sam kept his arm around her shoulders.
He could feel the slight tremble. He figured she was due for a
little breakdown considering what she’d seen that day. He’d pushed
for the suite not only because he wanted to make love to her again.
He definitely wanted that. He didn’t think she was up to it right
now, though.
He’d wait. He’d wait for her as long
as he had to. She was worth it.
That thought should have startled him.
Instead, it felt comfortable. Lived in. Like part of him he wasn’t
ever going to give up willingly.
Just like Emily.
Only he knew that was impossible. She
didn’t belong to him and with all the crap that was going on in his
screwed up wreck of a life lately, it would be cruel to ask her to
be a part of it. All he could have was now. The mission. The
moment. That’s all anyone ever had, after all.
But if he were going to fantasize
about the perfect future, he’d have Emily in it. At his side.
Sharing his life. Partners in the air and on the ground. For as
long as they both shall live.
And didn’t that sound domestic. Sam
nearly laughed at himself, but checked the impulse as the elevator
whisked them to the platinum level. There were only a few suites up
here at the apex of the building. Each of them had a rooftop patio,
or so he believed.
They got off the elevator in silence
and Sam guided Emily to their door. He swiped the key card and
ushered her inside.
“Wait here.” He positioned her just
inside the door and dropped his duffel next to the wall before he
went to check out the suite.
He didn’t think anyone or anything was
waiting in the suite for them, but it was best to be sure. Being
careful saved lives.
“The room is safe,” he reported as he
strode back to Emily a few minutes later. She’d stayed exactly
where he’d left her and the look on her face was
tragic.
“Is it safe to talk?” she asked in a
whisper.
“Yes, Em.” He’d already checked with
the small device he’d had in his pants pocket. She looked about
ready to crumble, so he stepped up to her and took her in his arms.
“Come here, sweetheart,” he whispered, pressing her head to his
chest.
They stood like that for long, long
minutes. Her trembling amplified as she let go. Her breathing
became ragged though she seemed to be fighting the urge to cry.
When she began to quiet down, he reached behind her and flipped the
locks on the hotel door, never letting go of her small
body.
“It’s okay, Emily,” he whispered
against her hair, drawing her closer in his arms when he’d secured
the door. He’d keep her safe. It was his duty and his
honor.
“I’m sorry, Sam.” Her voice sounded
choked, as if she was fighting strong emotion in addition to the
tears.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,
sweetheart. I’m the one who dragged you into this. It’s me who
should apologize. I know what you saw today had to be
jarring.”
She laughed brokenly. “You can say
that again.”
“You’re safe now.”
He patted her back and stroked her
hair, offering what comfort he could. Little by little, he felt her
trembling decrease until she was resting comfortably against
him.
Then everything changed.
Emily made the first move this time.
She raised her head, seeking his lips for the kiss she wanted deep
in her soul. She needed his touch, his warmth, his reassuring
presence, but more than that, she needed him. His lovemaking. His
love.
She didn’t dare hope for that
particular miracle. She’d gotten her hopes up before, but no man
had ever declared his love for her—not seriously. She’d always been
so focused on her career and following in her mother’s footsteps.
There hadn’t been a lot of time for boyfriends, though she’d had
her share. Just nothing serious.
She didn’t think she’d get that from
Sam either, though the more she was around him, the more she wanted
it. She wanted him to be the one. The man who would go down on one
knee and ask her to be his bride. She may be a modern career woman,
but she was an old fashioned girl at heart.
But tonight wasn’t about love. It
wasn’t even about sex. It was about caring and reassurance. About
his strength and protection making her feel safe and secure. She’d
learned there were awful things in the world today. Things she
never would have believed if she hadn’t seen it with her own
eyes.
All that had stood between her and
horrific death today had been Sam. He’d proven equal to the task
and given her the gift of his protection and skill. Tonight she’d
give him her thanks in the most basic, earthy way. It was his
reward—her reward too. She needed to feel alive tonight after
learning so much about the most awful death she could imagine. She
needed to feel Sam. His strong, protective presence over her, on
her . . . in her. She needed him like she needed her next
breath.
So she kissed him and he didn’t
disappoint. No hesitation. No questions. He took her invitation and
kissed her back with all his might. Just what she
needed.
She wanted it fast and hard. She
wanted it raw and elemental. What she’d been through had thrown her
world off its foundations and she needed something to nudge her
back toward sanity.
She knew, without a doubt, Sam could
do that for her. He’d rocked her world the last time they’d been
together. Emily wanted that same earthy energy now. Needed it.
Needed him.
“Now, Sam. I don’t want to wait,” she
panted when he released her lips.
His hot mouth slid down her neck, his
fingers doing away with the fastening of her pants, letting them
drop to the floor even as he pushed her back against the wall near
the door. His fingers went to the buttons on her blouse next,
releasing them in a frenzy as her need climbed higher. His
impatience matched hers.
She pushed at his T-shirt, rubbing it
up and over his rippling abdomen and rock hard pecs. He eased away
for just a moment to rid himself of the stretchy fabric, flinging
it over his head while she worked on the closure of his pants. A
moment later, he was hot and hard in her hand.
Emily met his gaze as she squeezed
him, daring him with her eyes to take what he wanted. What she
wanted to give. What she wanted to take in return from him. There
was no waiting. No need for further preliminaries.
“I need you now, Sam.”
“Are you sure?” He seemed surprised
but willing. She could feel just how willing in the palm of her
hand.
“Get a condom.” Sanity prevailed in
one tiny part of her mind, thank goodness. Sam reached for his
wallet.
She shucked her panties and kicked her
shoes off and the fabric away while he covered himself. What should
have been an awkward moment was nothing of the kind. It was a
moment filled with unbridled need and desperate yearning, waiting
for him to claim her.
He came back to her in seconds. His
muscled arms lifted her up, against the wall, holding her in place
while his covered cock slid along her cleft. He pinned her against
the wall with his body weight, coaxing her thighs around his hips
while he used one hand to test her readiness.
“Eager little thing, aren’t you?” he
teased as his hand came away wet, trailing up her torso to the lacy
white bra she still wore. He pulled one cup downward, baring her
nipple, then circled it with that wet finger, watching it peak for
him.
She shivered in his arms, making a
sound in the back of her throat that surprised her. It was needy
and demanding. Almost desperate. The way she felt about him was all
those things in that moment. All that, and so much
more.
She began to slip down the wall a
little, prompting him to plant both of his big palms on her butt,
hoisting her higher. His head bent to her other breast and he used
his teeth to pull the cup down. Then his mouth was on her, his
moist breath bathing the peak of her breast with heat that started
a lightning fire that raced from that point, straight to her core.
Her stomach contracted, even as he lowered her fractionally,
impaling her on his rigid member.
Finally. She moaned as he slid deeper,
biting her lower lip to keep from screaming when he pushed all the
way inside.
His mouth covered hers, making her
open for him. When he drew back, he stilled, catching and holding
her gaze.
“Don’t hide from me, Em. Don’t hold in
those sexy sounds you make when I’m inside you. I want to hear it
all.”
“I can’t,” she breathed, scandalized
by the idea that someone might hear through the thin walls of the
hotel. Scandalized, she realized, but also titillated a tiny bit at
the naughty idea.
“Yes you can, sweetheart.” He gave her
an audacious wink. “Do it for me.”
His muscles tightened as he held
himself in check. She saw a muscle ticking on the side of his firm
jaw. She stretched upward and kissed him there, working her way
downward over his sexily stubbly cheek until she reached his lips.
Hovering, she rubbed her lips over his.
“I love this, Sam, but if you don’t
start moving your ass right now, I’ll scream all right and you
won’t like it at all.”
He laughed outright at her threat,
breaking the tension. The sparkle of something that looked like joy
in his eyes moved her. She closed the short distance between their
mouths and kissed him deeply as he began a sure, steady rhythm with
his hips.
“As you wish, my lady.” His tone was
playful and powerful at the same time. Perfect. Everything about
his possession was perfect.
Powerful thrusts pushed her against
the wall. The width of his cock rubbed her most sensitive spots,
compelling her toward a peak higher than any she’d ever
known.
He started out strong and soon
spiraled higher. The steady rhythm turned into something more
erratic as they raced together toward a precipice. His loving was
hard and fast. Within moments she was moaning, unable to hold back,
just as he’d wanted. She’d give him her cries of passion. She’d
give him her sounds of pleasure. She’d give him anything he wanted
in that moment, if only he’d keep doing what he was doing to her
pleasure starved body.
“Sam!” she screamed his name as her
peak neared.
Her short fingernails dug into the
hard muscles of his back, holding on for dear life as her body rode
up the wall and slid back down again with each sweaty
thrust.
“Come for me now, Em,” he ordered
harshly, his breathing as jagged as hers.
He rode her hard and fast right up
into the sky, hurtling them both toward the distant stars, each one
a new and exciting pop of pleasure that took Emily by surprise. She
almost forgot to breathe for a minute as the most amazing orgasm
broke over her, making her numb to any discomfort and blind to
anything but the intense pleasure that flooded through
her.
“Sam,” she whispered against the side
of his neck. He clutched her close, supporting her through the
storm that quaked her entire body.
“I’ve got you, Em,” he whispered back
after a moment.
He lifted her away from the wall after
another few minutes to catch their breath and walked them farther
into the room. Sam lowered her onto the king size bed in the center
of the main room, following her down and settling at her
side.
“Wow.”
The single word from Sam made her
chuckle. She was pretty speechless too. Never in her life had sex
been so tempestuous, so urgent. Never had she responded to a lover
the way she responded to Sam. Of course, she’d never had a man like
Sam as her lover. He was strong in more than just the obvious ways.
Mentally, physically, and emotionally, she thought he might be the
strongest man she had ever known. Nothing seemed to phase him. Not
even running into a zombie eating someone’s face in the shade of a
convenience store parking lot.
That thought brought it all back. She
rolled on her side to look at him.
“That thing in the parking lot . . .
that was real, wasn’t it?”
He rolled toward her and propped his
head on one elbow. He caught her gaze and she could read the
concern in his eyes.
“Real as it gets, I’m sorry to
say.”
She sighed. “I was hoping maybe I’d
been hallucinating or something.” One side of her mouth lifted in a
self-mocking grin.
He lowered his head and kissed the
corner of her mouth, taking her smile and replacing it with a
renewal of the passion that had so recently gripped them. It wasn’t
the runaway freight train of before. This was something much less
desperate but also much more powerful. At length he drew back,
holding her gaze.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into
this.”
His statement took her by surprise.
She’d been gearing up for round two while apparently he’d been
thinking of something completely different. She switched gears,
following where he led. It was important he understand that none of
this was his fault.
“I would have stuck my nose into what
was going on at Praxis anyway. All in all, I think I’m safer
working with you than on my own.”
“I’ll do my best to keep you safe, but
if we ever run into one of those creatures again, promise me you’ll
get as far away as fast as you can. Don’t hesitate. Don’t worry
about me. Just run. I can take care of myself. I’ve been fighting
these guys for a while and I know how to handle them without
getting myself killed. I wasn’t kidding when I said that one
scratch from them and you’re dead. You’d end up joining their
little zombie army.”
“They’re that
contagious?”
“It’s not a disease, but yes. A single
touch and you’re infected. Death is pretty quick. Then your body is
reanimated and you go off to make more.”
“That’s awful.” She shivered,
remembering what she’d seen. The man had looked absolutely ghastly
to her.
“Yes, ma’am.” He put his hand on her
hip. “It’s also a real mood killer. So why are we talking about
this when I have you naked—” he looked her up and down, grinning,
“—make that half-naked, in a bed?” He chuckled, moving his fingers
up to the bra strap hanging off her shoulder. “Sorry I was in such
a rush before. I didn’t even take time to completely undress
you.”
“I was kind of in a hurry too, in case
you didn’t notice.” She grinned back at him, moving closer as his
hand went around to her back and the closure of the lacy bra. A
quick flick and a pull and he had the hooks undone. “I can’t
believe you just did that with one hand. Makes me think I’m not the
first woman you’ve charmed out of her bra.”
He stilled. “No, you’re not the
first,” he answered in a low, intense voice, holding her gaze. “But
you’re the most important to me.”
“You mean that?” she whispered, the
mood growing serious.
“Yeah, I do.” He sighed. “Emily, I
didn’t mean for this to happen. I never expected—” He trailed off
and regrouped. “I read your file when I agreed to take this mission
and you intrigued me from the start but I never intended to seduce
you. It’s not part of the mission. It’s not something I planned. It
happened because frankly, I can’t keep my hands off you.” He looked
chagrinned. “In the middle of a mission is not the best place for
romance, but I . . . care . . . for you, Em. More than any other
woman I’ve ever known. I wanted you to know that so there will
never be any doubt in your mind. Making love to you was never part
of my plan. I consider it a gift. Just as I consider you a gift.
Someone I never thought to meet who has made a big impression on my
life.”
Wow. He was really serious. Emily was
touched deeply by his admission. She’d bet a year’s salary that
he’d never said anything like that before to any of the women he’d
undressed. The words seemed too rusty, too unrehearsed. They were
from the heart—or the nearby region.
He hadn’t said he loved her, but that
was too much to expect. He’d gone farther than she thought he would
and that meant a lot to her. She reached up and cupped his bristly
jaw.
“I care about you too, Sam. And you’ve
made a big impression on my life too, in the short amount of time
I’ve known you. You’re like a tornado,” she joked, trying for a
lighter mood. “You turned me upside down and inside out but I like
where I landed.” She patted the big bed and stretched one of her
bare legs over his thigh, rubbing along the length.
His pants were only partially off. She
realized abruptly that he still had his boots on. She began to
laugh as her foot made contact with the leather.
“Do you always wear your boots to
bed?”
“Only when I’m in a hot zone or some
smoking hot lady makes me too crazy to remember my own name. Though
I will admit, it hasn’t happened often. Never, in fact. You’re a
first for me in many ways, Emily.”
He levered himself upward until he was
sitting on the side of the bed. She admired the rippling muscles of
his six-pack abs and massive arms as he bent over to unlace the
boots. His back was muscled too and his shoulders were wide,
tapering to a luscious V above a butt that would cause wars if
women made up the army. Speaking of smoking hot, he was definitely
making her burn in very eager places that wanted him
again.
Who needed downtime? With Sam, she was
roaring to go again almost immediately. Now that was something new too. She’d never been
quite so eager as she was with him.
“Bet I’m your first lady pilot,” she
teased, knowing her odds were good. Flying was still, by far, a
man’s occupation.
“Are we talking as a friend or as a
proverbial notch on my belt?” He threw her a look over his
shoulder. “By the way, I don’t keep count. There haven’t been so
many in recent years that I don’t remember them.”
She didn’t know if that was a comfort
or somehow disturbing. Was he letting her know that he’d remember
her after he left? Or was he saying that he wasn’t an inconsiderate
cad who kept score on how many women he’d conquered? She didn’t
know what to think but she wasn’t going to let it throw her. She
had him now, and other women be damned.
“First commercial pilot you’ve slept
with, then.” That narrowed the field. Most female pilots weren’t
employed in commercial aviation. She rolled to her back, unwilling
to meet his gaze should the answer be no. She shouldn’t have
started this avenue of conversation. She should have let sleeping
dogs lie.
Sam disposed of his boots. She could
hear them make two soft thuds on the carpeted floor as he set them
down. Then his pants whooshed down his legs to be left where they
dropped. She felt his knee make a depression on the side of the
bed, tilting her slightly toward him but she kept her eyes closed,
refusing to meet his gaze.
Then a kiss landed on her belly and
her eyes flashed open. She watched as he worked his way up her
abdomen, pausing at her breasts, laving and sucking alternately
hard and soft in a rhythm that had her gasping in moments. He was
thorough this time, drawing out her pleasure. His mouth and one
hand worked her breasts while his other hand delved between her
thighs, rubbing, swirling, testing, fingers plunging deep in a
teasing prelude of things to come.
It didn’t take much to make her fully
aroused and ready. She moaned in the back of her throat as a small
climax overtook her. He whispered words of praise and encouragement
as he brought her higher still. When she couldn’t take any more, he
lifted his head and met her gaze, coming closer as if to kiss her.
But he stopped a few inches away.
“For the record,” he said in a
gravelly voice. “You are the first and last pilot of any kind that
will ever grace my bed. I can’t imagine ever meeting another lady
flyer who got under my skin the way you do.”
He didn’t give her time to respond. He
lowered his lips to hers and took her mouth in a hard, slow,
tempestuous kiss. A moment later, his fingers were replaced by
something thicker and longer, and way more satisfying.
The loving was slow and deep this
time, sending her into spiraling waves of pleasure so intense that
she didn’t know where one left off and the next began. Never one to
experience multiple orgasms before, Emily was fast learning the
kind of man it took to bring out her long hidden wild side. One man
in particular. This man.
He rode her hard and drew out every
stroke to give her the utmost in sensation. He mastered her body as
he’d mastered his own, not letting the pace drop or speed, keeping
it steady until he seemed satisfied that she’d given him all she
could for the time being.
Only then did he let go, allowing his
pace to rocket out of control. She struggled toward the stars with
him as he plunged into her, sending them both into orbit with
sensation and an agony of pleasure so intense, she thought maybe
she blacked out for a few seconds.
All she knew was that when she opened
her eyes again, Sam lay at her side, breathing hard, his honed body
more relaxed than she’d ever seen it. She’d done that to him. Wrung
him out as he’d wrung every last ebb of tension from her. He’d
given her a gift of relaxation and pleasure and
caring.
Yes, she felt truly cared for as he
lay beside her. His big hand reached for hers and he absently
interlaced their fingers, his eyes closed as he caught his breath.
It felt good to just . . . be. To be still. To be with him. To be
cared for by someone she also cared about.
Of course, her heart was fully
involved. The caring had morphed into full-blown love somewhere
along the line, but that was entirely her fault. If she spoke that
word around him at this point, he’d take off running and she
wouldn’t blame him. It would take time—if ever—to be able to admit
the true depth of her feelings for him.
For now, it was enough to have their
mutual caring out in the open. It felt good and was more than she
had expected. Sam, for that matter, was more than she’d ever
expected in her life. More intense. More commanding. More
masterful. Just more of everything she found desirable in a
man.
And for the time being, at least, he
was hers.
That pleasant thought in mind, she
drifted into a gentle, replete sleep.
Sam woke her a little while later with
gentle kisses as he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward
a door that led to the most luxurious hotel bathroom she’d ever
seen. A giant Jacuzzi tub was set on a platform among a waterfall
of flowers and green, growing plants. The hotel staff must take a
lot of time caring for the hothouse flowers.
Emily looked upward to discover part
of the secret behind why the indoor garden was so lush. Stars
twinkled at her through a huge skylight centered over the tub. It
had a shade that could be pulled over it for privacy, but aside
from a few airplanes and maybe a satellite or two, there was nobody
up there who could possibly see them. Still, it made her feel like
she was outside almost, being able to see the moon and stars
beaming down on them.
“You drew a bath?” Emily finally
looked downward to notice the steaming water and the fine sheen of
bubbles that floated on its surface. He’d left the jets off for
now, but they were clearly visible between the bubbles. That and .
. . lights? The tub lit up from beneath.
“Wow. This place is fancy.” Sam
lowered her feet to the floor, setting her down next to the
tub.
“Nothing but the best for my lady.” He
winked at her again in a way she was coming to think of as
charming.
Nobody ever winked at her. Not like
that. Not in a way she didn’t find either grandfatherly or
lascivious. Sam put a whole new spin on the simple gesture that
made it intimate and sort of special. Just between
them.
“Do you need a moment or do you want
to soak now? I’d planned on sharing the tub with you. It’s big
enough for a platoon.” He looked pointedly behind her, at the
massive tiled oasis of hot water.
She felt the blood rush to her cheeks
as she realized why he asked. At least he was considerate enough to
anticipate her possible needs. She’d noticed another door that led
to a private toilet area. Whoever had designed this place had
thought of everything.
“I’ll only be a minute. Hop in. I’ll
join you in a few.” She tried to skirt around him to beat a hasty
retreat toward the private toilet but he snagged her waist and
hauled her in for a quick kiss.
“To tide me over,” he explained when
he let her go. “Hurry back. You might have to call the Coast Guard
to fish me out if I get lost in there.”
She laughed, put more at ease by his
teasing as he let her go. She took a few moments to answer nature’s
call and clean up a bit before rejoining him. He looked so relaxed,
head back on the small inflatable plastic cushion that was strapped
to the rim of the tub. His eyes were closed and his arms were
stretched along the oval rim. He looked at peace.
She stood at his side for a moment,
just looking at him. He really was the most handsome, fit man she’d
ever seen in the flesh, so to speak. His body was as perfect as
Michelangelo’s David. He didn’t have any scars, which she thought
odd, now that she realized what he did for a living.
His eyes opened. She was caught
staring.
“Like what you see?” One corner of his
mouth tilted sexily upward.
“Oh, yeah.” She moved closer, stepping
into the tub. He took her hand, guiding her to face him, coaxing
one foot over his hips so she straddled him.
Suddenly her mouth went dry as she met
his smoldering gaze. Her position made her vulnerable and was all
too blatant. Her thighs were open, her pussy bared to his gaze as
he sat up—on the perfect level for . . .
“Oh my Lord . . .” she exclaimed as he
kissed her there, his tongue snaking out to wind around the little
nub that made her knees go weak.
His big hands landed on her ass,
supporting her as she began to tremble. Just that easily, he had
her all hot and bothered again. Sam Archer was probably the
naughtiest lover she’d ever been with and she had a sneaking
suspicion she hadn’t seen even a fraction of his tricks yet. The
thought should have scandalized her but it only made her hotter.
There was something about being with a bad boy who knew how to
touch a woman and push her to her limits.
Sam licked her, showing his skill and
she burst into flames. A short climax followed by intense afterglow
made her limbs weak.
“You’d better let me sit down before I
fall down,” she only half joked.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered against
her tummy. His hands supported her on the way down, never letting
her go. At least not far.
She ended up facing him, perched over
his thighs, straddling him. Her knees splayed to the sides in the
wide tub, her heels somewhere around his knees. He was rock solid
beneath her. Warm, slippery from the soapy water, and the look in
his eyes made her heart stutter.
“Thank you.”
“Any time.” He almost purred with
satisfaction. “I really like watching you come.”
She felt the heat rise to her cheeks
but her belly jumped in reaction. He said the naughtiest things
sometimes that really turned her on.
“Maybe I can return the favor.” She
reached between them and grasped his semi-erect cock in her hand.
It was his turn to jump.
But he covered her hand with his,
stopping her when she would have continued.
“Time for that later. Right now, we’re
going to relax and enjoy this tub. I’ve never seen anything like
it. Have you?”
He eased back against the headrest and
cuddled her close so she rested on top of him, her head in the
crook of his neck, her breasts flattened against his chest. Their
bodies slid sinuously together in the soapy water.
“Only in magazines. I didn’t think
people actually did garden tubs for real. Only for photo
shoots.”
She felt languorous after the lovely
climax he’d given her. The hot water was the perfect temperature
and the company wasn’t bad either. Sam felt good under her. His
arms stroked over her back, soothing away any remaining tension and
making her feel cherished.
“If I ever buy a house, I’d like to
have something like this in it.”
“Me too,” she agreed
lazily.
That was the last thing she remembered
until he roused her with a kiss sometime later. The water had grown
tepid and her skin was wrinkling up in places. It was time to get
out.
“Sorry I fell asleep,” she murmured,
embarrassed.
“Don’t be. I take it as a compliment
that you feel safe enough around me to let your guard down. I like
it.” His smile warmed her.
Slipping only a bit, she climbed off
him and out of the tub, all too aware of her pruny fingers and
toes. She reached for the giant bath towel and wrapped it around
herself, suddenly self-conscious. Sam grabbed her from behind,
towel and all and pulled her backward into a big bear
hug.
He seemed to be in a playful mood,
which suited her fine. She liked seeing the carefree side of him,
knowing she was seeing the real Sam, not the super duper secret
agent.
“I believe I promised you room
service.”
Her stomach rumbled as she remembered
how hungry she was.
“I hope they have a good restaurant. I
could really go for a cheeseburger right about now.”
“A cheeseburger?” He let her go as he
snagged a smaller towel and dried off before casually wrapping it
around his hips. “I didn’t picture you for the cheeseburger type.”
He flipped the drain so the water would flow out of the
tub.
“What type am I?” she challenged
playfully.
“I had you pegged more as a health
food girl. Salads and sprouts. That sort of thing.”
“Au
contraire. I eat salads when I’m being good but for
comfort food, give me a good all American cheeseburger any
day.”
“A girl after my own heart,” he joked
as they headed together toward the bedroom.
Dinner consisted of cheeseburgers with
imported gourmet cheddar cheese and the fanciest French fries Sam
had ever seen. It was delicious. More so because of the company
than because of any special treatment the chef had given the
burgers.
They were too caught up in each other
to really pay much attention to the food. After finishing the food,
they went back to bed for what remained of the night. Neither of
them got much sleep, but when they did sleep, it was in each
other’s arms. Sam discovered he liked the feel of her against him,
though he’d never been much for cuddling with anyone
else.
Emily was teaching him new things
about himself all the time. He’d never really met anyone like her
before. Oh, he’d enjoyed friendships with many professional women.
He’d even dated a few. He liked and respected the women who’d been
drafted onto the team but Emily was something else
altogether.
He realized suddenly the most likely
reason. He was in love with her. Had to be. The feelings she
inspired in him couldn’t be anything else. Sam wasn’t one of those
guys who fell in and out of love every day. He thought he’d
probably loved his high school girlfriend, but that was only a pale
glimmer compared to what he felt now for Emily.
There was nothing he could do about it
now, he realized. Love had caught up with him at last—at the worst
possible time. Sam didn’t know how it was all going to shake out
for him and Emily. He’d do his best to protect her. From the
zombies and their makers. From the snakes in her own company. And
from himself, if it came to that.
For now, all that mattered was that
she was in his arms. In his bed. He fell asleep feeling smugly
satisfied with that particular thought and didn’t rouse ’til
morning.