Dead Alert (4 page)
Authors: Bianca D' Arc
“Guess so.” Sam didn’t appear in any hurry to leave.
“Shall I call you in the morning before I head down for breakfast or do you want to meet in the lobby?”
“Call me.” His voice dropped to a lower, more intimate tone.
Or maybe that was just her senses going into overdrive. Sam’s presence had her on a knife’s edge between simple attraction and outright arousal. She feared she was tipping dangerously toward arousal the longer she stayed in his presence.
Being all alone with him in the darkened hallway didn’t help matters. The dim lighting only made the mood more intimate.
“Roger that.” She tried for a lighter tone and swiped her key card through the electronic lock.
Sam’s hand rose to cover hers before she could push open the door. Her gaze flashed up to meet his and a little gasp issued from her throat. He’d taken her by surprise.
“I am sorry for my earlier poorly thought-out words.” His voice surrounded her in warmth and mystery. “I truly didn’t mean anything by what I said.”
“Apology accepted. Let’s just let it go.” She hated that he kept bringing it up. She wanted it put behind them as quickly as possible.
“I’m glad you’re a forgiving lady. Maybe you’ll forgive this . . .”
He moved in on her, crowding her against the door. His big, hard body invaded her personal space but she couldn’t find the strength of will to object. Everything female in her stood up and cheered when he pressed against her, her softness conforming to the ridges of his muscles. The man had a body to die for and her arousal kicked into overdrive as his head dipped lower.
He gave her ample time to evade his kiss if she so desired but the only thing she desired at the moment was him. She rose on tiptoe to meet his descent, their lips touching tentatively at first, then locking into an unbreakable ring of desire.
His hands went around her waist, dragging her closer as his tongue delved inside her mouth. Breathing ragged, she answered his thrusts with delicate parries that grew bolder as the kiss progressed.
Oh, yes. This is what she’d wanted since the moment she’d first laid eyes on him. Their easy conversation over dinner had only served to heighten her instant attraction to him. Sam was an intriguing man who grew more interesting the longer she knew him, not less. She couldn’t say the same for most of the men she worked with—or even those few she’d dated in recent years.
So far, Sam was flipping all her switches and gearing her up for one hell of a flight.
Then he drew away.
Following his lips a short distance, she tried to prolong the kiss. But Sam was made of stronger stuff. He moved away, using his superior height to deny her his kiss, though he kept hold of her trembling body, tucking her head under his chin while his hands roamed over her back in a soothing motion.
“Forgive me,” he whispered.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she replied almost on autopilot. That seemed to be her standard response where he was concerned. It amazed her that they’d only known each other a couple of days. She already felt so comfortable with him.
“You’re one hell of a woman, Emily.” His voice grew stronger as his breathing grew steadier. It felt good to know he’d been as affected as she’d been from their kiss. She could feel the impressive ridge of evidence against her hip that he’d definitely been excited by their joined lips.
“So why did you stop?” Damn. Had she really said that out loud? She had a bad habit of saying whatever popped into her mind in moments of stress. This definitely qualified.
A low, sexy chuckle rumbled through his chest under her ear. Oh, she liked the feeling of that.
“I want you to respect me in the morning, Captain,” he joked, setting her mostly at ease. “I swear I didn’t mean to let it go so far but you tempt me like no other woman I’ve ever met, Em. I only meant to give you a friendly kiss goodnight but it morphed before I could control it and all I seem to do around you is apologize.”
She placed a finger over his sexy lips as she drew away from his strong body. For the first time, she felt like she had the upper hand with a man. Somehow, for some strange reason, this big man was on the defensive. She didn’t know what to think about that, but if it helped her muddle through the next few minutes, it was a good thing.
“And all I seem to do around you is tell you not to worry. Let’s just let it be for now. You kissed me. I liked it. But it doesn’t have to go any further than that.”
“For now.” He moved close again, intent in his eyes though he himself stopped before he kissed her again.
“Okay. For now,” she agreed. “But know this. I’m not easy and I don’t sleep around with every new pilot who joins my fleet.”
He looked as if she’d slapped him as he let her go.
“Don’t you think I know that already?”
“Just so we’re clear.” She backed off as well, glad to have some space between them so she could think more clearly. “I generally have a rule about getting involved with pilots. I don’t.”
“I’d heard that about you.” A slow, wicked grin spread across his talented mouth. “But I have a rule of my own. I bend the rules.”
She had to chuckle at that. His self confidence was truly something to behold. It was probably a big part of what made him a good pilot. Thinking on your feet and being certain of your decisions was a good quality in someone driving a high velocity aircraft where things could turn on a dime from good to bad to worse . . . to deadly.
“I’ll remember that.”
“See that you do.” His smile warmed her and she found herself grinning back at him.
He dipped his head and for one shocking moment she hoped he was going to give her another of those amazing kisses. She held her breath in anticipation but he only bussed her on the forehead as he took the key card from her hand. He swiped it through the lock again and tucked it back into her hand. He turned the door handle and pushed the door inward, sticking his foot in the space he’d created, but didn’t go any farther.
“Sleep well, pretty girl,” he whispered near her ear then leaned back, letting her go. “Call me when you’re ready for breakfast. And be sure to turn the deadbolt. These hotel locks aren’t that great.”
He gestured for her to go inside and wouldn’t budge until she’d done so. She was definitely not used to this kind of treatment. It was as if he really cared about her safety. She looked at him quizzically as she stepped inside the open door.
“Close it and lock it, Em. I’m not leaving until you do.”
She shook her head and smiled bemusedly as she shut the door. She went up on tiptoe to watch him before turning the deadbolt. Sure enough, he waited until the lock made the telltale snick. He gave her a tiny wave as if he knew she was watching, then turned and sauntered away silently down the hall.
Emily turned in the privacy of her hotel room and leaned her back against the cold door. It had been an interesting night. A lovely dinner filled with good conversation and then the most amazing kiss that had come out of nowhere. They’d gotten off to a rocky start with that strange invitation in his room, but he’d made up for it in spades.
If he flew as good as he kissed—and she’d already seen enough of his work in the air to know he was a competent pilot—then they were in for a wild ride.
If she chose to let this continue.
She still wasn’t sure where his loyalties lay.
And that thought brought reality crashing back. What if all this had been some kind of ploy? What if he really was working for Scott? What if he was in on whatever Scott was doing to Praxis Air? What if he’d been sent to spy on her in some way, or keep her in line?
And what if her imagination was running away with her? She could be overthinking the best thing that ever happened to her.
Or the worst.
Darnit. Why was everything so confusing where men were concerned? Emily didn’t know what to think anymore. She decided to give up for now and get some sleep. Hopefully everything would be clearer in the morning.
Sam found it hard to leave Emily and that was something he hadn’t anticipated. Not only did she intrigue him on an intellectual level, but she fit in his arms way better than he ever would have expected. She was gorgeous. That went without saying. But she was attractive in other ways as well.
Sam had never been much of a skirt chaser though he’d had his share of playing around in his younger days. Nowadays, he wanted more than a roll in the hay from the women he chose to get involved with. He wasn’t looking for a wife necessarily, but he wanted something more than a one night stand.
He wanted a friend. Someone he could talk to out of bed and enjoy in it as well. While his lifestyle and job didn’t mesh well with the idea of a relationship in the traditional sense, after seeing the happiness of some of the couples on his new team, he wanted more.
He’d probably never get it, but it was something to dream about. In fact, he had a pretty good idea that the woman he’d find starring in his fantasies of a future was the one he’d left only moments ago. Emily was funny, smart, and fit all his ideas of beauty both inside and out. While he still couldn’t be certain of her loyalties, the picture he had developed of her so far was all too attractive for his comfort.
And he didn’t have time. Sam couldn’t afford to get emotionally entangled with anyone on this op. He had to keep a distance and stay as objective as possible. His mission depended on it. But after only a day or two spent with her, he knew it would hurt to discover that Emily was involved in the potentially treasonous activities Praxis Air was suspected of.
Time was wasting and he had to find out what was going on before another outbreak occurred someplace. The longer he took to complete his mission and uncover what exactly was going on at Praxis Air, the higher the odds of another zombie infestation. Each time the creatures had shown up, it got worse. More innocent lives wasted. More horror. More killing. Sam had to make that stop. To do that, he had to stop thinking about his attraction to a certain female pilot and start concentrating on his job.
Sam called in on his secure phone while he had the chance. Commander Matt Sykes picked up on the second ring.
“Sorry, sir. I know it’s late but I couldn’t get free before now to check in with you.”
“No problem, Sam. I’m on the late shift for the next few weeks anyway, but you can call me anytime. Your mission is important. Don’t hesitate to call.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, give me a sitrep. Have you learned anything yet?”
Sam launched into the requested situation report, detailing his activities since showing up for duty earlier that day and his plans for the next day. He gave his impressions of the various personnel he’d met so far and his plans to scout out the cargo manifests in more detail when he returned to the airline’s home base in Wichita.
“The CEO signed the blank manifest personally. That, in itself, seems odd to me. It’s like he wrote a blank check and nobody would dare question the missing paperwork because his name was on it. Emily didn’t say a word, even though she’s proven to be a stickler for protocol.”
“Do you think she’s in on it?”
“Too soon to say, sir. She seemed annoyed when she saw the manifest, but she went along with it.”
“And there was no way to get a look inside the crates?”
“I tried early this morning but Emily intercepted me. She had accepted the shipment in the middle of the night. I figured she’d left, but she must’ve either come back or stayed in the office long after I thought she’d be gone. She caught me snooping, but I believe I was able to salvage the situation.”
“She doesn’t suspect you?”
“I don’t think so. But she may have suspected something was fishy with the cargo, which is why she stayed. It’s only a guess at this point. I haven’t cleared her yet. For now, everyone is still on the suspect list. I’ll let you know my findings as the situation develops.”
“I’ll try to have someone track the cargo after you dropped it off but I’m not holding out much hope. John Petit may be in touch with you in the next week or two. I have him working research for this op and he may also provide some logistical support, if needed. In the meantime, if you need anything, call me.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“And Sam,” Matt paused. “Be careful.”
“Roger that, sir. Give my love to the doc.” Sam couldn’t resist teasing his new commander about his girlfriend. Dr. Sandra McCormick had snared the commander’s heart after healing Sam’s.
She’d worked her medical magic on Sam back on Long Island before she’d even met Matt Sykes. Back then, they weren’t altogether sure which team she was on, but her special serum—when injected directly into the heart moments after exposure to the zombie contagion—could save lives. It had saved Sam’s life and he’d be forever grateful to her for it. As far as Sam was concerned, she’d more than made up for her initial involvement in creating the zombie contagion as part of the original research team.
Once she’d realized what they’d done, she’d put all her efforts into finding a cure. It still wasn’t a perfect cure. It only worked on a small percentage of people. But it had worked for Sam and that’s all that mattered.
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