He smiled at her profile, knowing she’d been growing increasingly nervous around him over the past two days as he proved more and more capable of getting around on his own. He was walking almost normally. He wasn’t quite ready to run a marathon, but he could shower and take care of himself without any assistance.
Graham hadn’t pressured Kate at all in the past three days. They shared a bed, and she let him hold her during the night, but he never let his hands stray over her body the way he ached to do. He hadn’t kissed her so passionately again either. That part was hard.
He wanted to. Badly. But he also didn’t want to stress her out. So he kept things chaste. Small pecks on her lips. Often, so he could remind her frequently how he felt, but he didn’t linger too long or skim her lips with his tongue.
They hadn’t mentioned their conversation from the other night in the last few days either. It wasn’t necessary. What Kate needed was assurance from him that he truly cared deeply about her, would do anything for her, and was in it for the long haul. Words wouldn’t accomplish that task. Actions would.
At the same time, he recognized that toying with her heart was out of the question. He needed to be equally certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could last a lifetime before he made a move. He’d be an asshole to do otherwise.
Kate had made it clear that her biggest concern was giving up her virginity before she was certain about their staying power. Or rather before he was certain about their staying power.
As much as he ached to get more intimate with her, he had to respect that. He had no doubt he was physically capable of moving forward. Maybe he wasn’t ready to flatten her to a wall with her legs wrapped around him, but he was certain he could manage any number of supine or prone positions.
In any case, there hadn’t been time for flirting and reassurances. They had been busy getting him stronger and reacquainting themselves with Grayson and Bianca—two people who obviously had their own friction. The two of them had moved into the room across the hall from Graham and Kate. Graham suspected Grayson was as reluctant to leave Bianca alone as Kate had been when Graham first awoke.
It was more than that. He knew. He didn’t doubt Bianca had balked. He’d heard them arguing under their breaths through the door a few times, but he hadn’t wanted to pry.
Graham had his own problems to deal with. His own woman and their impending plan to return to the bunker essentially as spies.
About an hour into their drive, Kate pulled into a gas station and left him in the car to find a phone she could call Temple from. She was only gone about three minutes.
“Do you get ahold of Temple?” he asked as she slid back into the driver’s seat.
“Yep.”
“You think she suspects anything?”
Kate shook her head as she returned to the highway. “No. She seemed sympathetic. Worried about your health and understanding of my concerns. It’s weird lying to her, though. I hate it.”
“I know what you mean. I can’t wrap my head around it, but I keep telling myself she has nothing to do with any of this. Spencer has told me she’s clean. He’s dug around in her communications and can’t find any evidence she is anything except above board. That does not, however, eliminate anyone she reports to, so we have to remain diligent.”
“Yeah. I repeat that in my head over and over also, but how the hell is she so totally oblivious to this much mayhem?”
“It’s not that she doesn’t realize there’s something wrong. I’m just hoping she’s as in the dark about who’s causing it as any of us.”
“I’m not looking forward to the day when we have to come clean and tell her we all went behind her back and lied to her.”
Graham agreed. It brought goose bumps to his skin.
When they got close to the bunker, Graham climbed into the back seat and lay down, curling on his side with a blanket over him as if he didn’t have the strength to sit upright.
Kate was quiet for the last few miles, and he worried about her. He hated her being in this position, one where she had to lie for both of them. He was also panicked about the prospect of being separated from her, even for short periods of time.
They’d been together now for a week, and he didn’t consider the bunker to be very safe, so he wasn’t excited about her leaving him alone somewhere in a “sick” bed while she dug around in the bunker for explanations and information.
“You ready?” she asked. “I’m pulling up to the gate.”
“I’ll never be ready for this,” he muttered.
He listened from the back seat while Kate spoke to a few people at the gate, and a few minutes later she pulled up to the bunker.
Tushar was the first person Graham saw. He opened the door near his head and leaned in, a crooked smile on his face. “So damn good to see you,” he said, not mentioning the obvious fact that Graham was not well.
The other passenger door opened and Trish leaned in. She set a hand on Graham’s leg. “Let’s get you inside. We’ll have you up and running in no time.”
Two women Graham hadn’t met were at the entrance to the bunker with Temple as Tushar rolled Graham inside in a wheelchair. They would be Mina and Shelby. He knew they were both career military and medical doctors.
Graham worked hard to hunch over as if it took too much energy to hold his head up and he was cold.
Temple set a hand on his shoulder. “Welcome back. Let’s get you a room.”
Kate stepped forward. “Put him in my suite. I assume it’s still available?” She glanced around as if wondering how many people were inside the bunker when they all knew good and well hardly anyone was.
It was operating on a skeleton crew of mostly the people standing in front of them and support staff.
“Doesn’t he need to be in the medical wing?” Temple asked, frowning.
Kate rolled her eyes dramatically as they’d practiced. “Try talking him into that. He’s been cooped up on a medical bed for a long time. He’s tired of machines and lights and wires and IVs. It’s only because he’s so weakened that I managed to convince him to come back to the bunker.”
Graham lifted his head, wincing as if it hurt to move. “I just want to sleep. If everyone would leave me alone, I’ll get better.”
Temple’s brow was furrowed as she looked at him. “I guess he would be more comfortable in a regular bed. Shelby or Mina can come check him out and see what he needs from there.” She turned her gaze toward Kate. “There are plenty of suites available. You don’t have to carry the entire burden anymore. You look exhausted.”
Graham made the predetermined growling noise he’d rehearsed. “Kate stays with me, and if anyone says a word, I’ll kick all your asses as soon as I’m on my feet.”
When he lifted his gaze to Kate, he found she had no trouble blushing. “Seriously. Do you have to be so damn blunt?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Temple’s eyes were wide, and she set a hand on her chest. “I didn’t realize…”
Tushar’s mouth fell open, but he said nothing. Trish grabbed her husband’s arm and leaned into him. She was fighting a grin.
Mina and Shelby were from the new team. Graham had never met them. They didn’t react except to glance away as if they were inadvertently intruding on a private moment.
“’Kay, I’m officially mortified. Can we please move to the suite? I’ll help Graham get settled. He’s been awake longer than usual. He’s probably going to sleep half the afternoon.” She looked toward the two women. “Maybe one of you can come check him out. I’ve run out of ideas. Bumping heads would help.”
“Sure.” The woman with the brown curls and chocolate eyes smiled at him. “Shelby Markham.” She reached for his hand in his lap and gave it a squeeze. “We’ll get you up and moving in no time. Your body is probably just taking longer to come around than some of the others.”
Oh, the irony. “Let’s hope,” he growled. “I’m over this stage.”
“It’s only been a w
eek,” the other woman stated, setting her hand on his shoulder and smiling. “Mina Reese. Welcome back.” Her long straight hair was so dark it was almost black. Her eyes were a gorgeous shade of green.
Temple clapped her hands together. “Okay, I’ll let you get settled.”
Trish reached behind the front desk and grabbed a keycard. She handed it to Kate. “This is for the same suite you were in a month ago. No one has touched it. Whatever you left behind should still be in there.”
No one was working at the desk. Graham wasn’t surprised. With a skeleton crew and no visitors, there wasn’t really a need for full-time front desk help.
Trish excused herself to go back to the lab. Mina and Shelby followed her.
Tushar led the two of them to the side of the bunker that hadn’t existed last time Graham was alive and kicking. As soon as they entered the room, Tushar pulled a wand out of his back pocket and without a word wandered around the suite swiping it back and forth.
Kate waited with Graham just inside the door. Was he sweeping for bugs? The idea gave Graham the chills. Since when did the bunker have bugs? He truly had stepped into a new world. The suite alone was shocking. When he’d been working in the bunker ten years ago, he’d had an apartment in town. They all had. It was quite an improvement to add the suites.
Granted, the space was nothing to get excited about. Neutral brown and khaki everything. The room they’d entered was a combination living room/kitchenette. Couch, chair, television, table for two, microwave, fridge. No oven or stove. It looked a lot like a hotel suite. A doorway to the right had to lead to a bedroom. The bathroom must be inside.
“Okay.” Tushar lowered the wand. “Just being safe. Now”—his gaze landed on Graham—“I’m not buying for a second that you’re sick or weakened. So, someone tell me what the hell is going on.”
Graham should have known better. If anyone could see through his façade, it would be Tushar. Ryan’s parents had always been the leaders of their group, and Tushar in particular was sharper than a tack. Nothing got by him.
Tushar continued, plopping down on the armchair. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure everyone else was convinced. But I know you. And I also know you two weren’t an item before you were preserved. So, start explaining.”
Graham hesitated a beat while Kate squeezed his shoulder from behind. Finally, he stood and walked to the couch to sit. He reached out a hand toward Kate. She joined him without argument, lowering herself onto the sofa next to him. He took her hand and pressed it against his thigh.
“Hmmm,” Tushar made the noise while rubbing his chin and glancing back and forth between the two of them.
“You’re right. We weren’t together. But apparently only because we were both too nervous and timid to make a move.” He couldn’t keep from smiling as he spoke of their awkward new relationship to the man who had essentially been his boss. “This part isn’t a ruse.”
“And you figured this out in less than a week?”
Kate gave a slight grin. “We figured it out in less than a day.”
Graham’s heart swelled. He loved when she smiled. He also loved that she felt giddy about being with him.
Tushar slowly smiled also. “Well, fuck me. That’s great.” He leaned forward. “Now tell me what’s going on. I assume my son is involved in this. You didn’t come here to convalesce.” He glanced from Kate to Graham.
Graham lifted his brows. “You’re quick. Long story short, the bunker is compromised.”
Tushar was already nodding. “That’s a given.”
“We have to get every bit of data downloaded onto separate hard drives before someone deletes years of hard work and sets the medical community back two decades.”
Tushar’s eyes widened. “You’re serious?”
Kate nodded. “Very. And we have only a few days. My thinking is that we set Graham up with a computer in here and insist everyone leave him alone to rest. He’ll work his ass off to download everything while the rest of us seemingly go about our business.”
Tushar didn’t move for several seconds, and then he blinked. “Shit.”
“Yeah,” Graham agreed.
“And let me guess. No one can know about this.”
“Right.”
Tushar narrowed his gaze. “And why aren’t we reporting this to Temple?”
Kate spoke up next. “Because someone she reports to is the mole, as far as we can tell, and until we know who it is, we don’t want to say anything to her.”
Tushar was nodding slowly as if he were processing everything. Finally, he stood. “Let’s make it happen.” He narrowed his gaze at Graham. “How the hell are you so recuperated?”
Kate chuckled as she stood and headed toward the door with Tushar. “We’ve all been asking the same question. Several of us would like to stab him.”
Tushar set his hand on the handle and turned back around. “I’m not even going to ask who all knows about you or how you know the data is compromised, but I can’t wait for this to all be over so you and everyone else can fill me in on about a thousand secrets. Starting with my own son.”
“Thank you for understanding,” Kate stated as she leaned in and gave him a hug. “You know we wouldn’t keep anything from you if we thought there was another way, but it’s safer. For now.”
Tushar smiled at her, and then he left.
Graham leaned back against the sofa and sighed. “Better get me a computer lined up and send Shelby in to check on me.”
Kate shoved off the door where she’d been leaning and came to sit beside him. “I hate keeping secrets from Shelby and Mina. I know in my soul no one in this building is involved.”
“Regardless, someone is inadvertently feeding information to another person who is involved,” Graham pointed out, reaching for her hand and tugging her closer. He lowered his voice when he spoke again. “I’m glad we don’t have to pretend we’re not an item. That would have driven me mad.” He closed the distance and pulled her into his embrace.
When she tipped her head back, he kissed her lips gently.
He’d stuck to light touches for days, reminding her he wasn’t changing his mind. She let him, and she’d relaxed more every day. He just needed to be patient and remind himself that Kate was used to a Graham who could barely speak to her, let alone kiss her.
With every passing day, he grew more confident what they had was precious. He would get this right. There was no other option.
She cupped his face and stared into his eyes. “I don’t deserve you.”
Graham grinned and tapped her nose. “Don’t forget, you’re way out of my league. I’m the lucky one.” He would tell her that often for the rest of her life, partly because it was true and partly because he liked the way it made her smile.
She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it before standing. “I’ll get our stuff from the car and then find Shelby.”
“I’ll go lie in the bed and pretend I don’t have the energy to lift my head.”
Chapter 14
Graham kept a sharp ear out for the door to the suite as soon as he was left alone. He would need to every minute of the day. Tushar brought him a computer within the hour, and Graham familiarized himself with it as fast as he could, already downloading and duplicating data from the main server; but it was time consuming, and he constantly worried someone would walk into the suite.
Luckily, he had Kate running interference. No one else would pop into the suite without knocking. They had agreed that every time she came through the door, she would make as much noise as possible to warn him she was not alone.
Shelby came soon after Tushar to check on him. He was worried about her visit because she couldn’t find anything wrong with him. Of course.
By the end of the first day when Shelby returned and it became obvious she was too perplexed for him to pretend he was legitimately ill, he realized he needed a new angle. He didn’t have a fever or an infection or any problem with his heart or lungs.
Finall
y, he had a lightbulb. He spoke very little to her, feigned exasperation, and rolled onto his side to face the wall before she left the room.
Bless Kate because she caught on immediately, and he heard her quietly speaking to Shelby outside the bedroom door, wondering aloud if perhaps he might be depressed, and it was manifesting as illness.
Shelby agreed it was certainly possible, especially if he was often as despondent as he’d been for the last fifteen minutes. She’d seen it in others from their team. He wasn’t the first person to wake up and slide into a depressive state.
“Ever since we got here, he just wants me to leave him alone,” Kate explained. “Seems like he wanted me to bring him back here so he could unload me.”
Graham smiled as he listened. Perfect.
Shelby hesitated a moment and then spoke again. “You think he was telling you he didn’t feel well so you would bring him back to the bunker?”
“Maybe. It’s certainly an explanation. He’s hardly spoken to me since we got here. He seems only interested in sleeping and staring at the wall. I’m surprised he didn’t insist I have my own room if this was all some plan he had.”
“Yeah. That sucks. I’m sorry.”
“The worst part is that now I’m questioning whether he’s as interested in me as he seemed when he woke up or if he just pretended so he could get rid of me.”
Graham thought she was taking things a bit too far with that, but he gritted his teeth and vowed to demonstrate just how uninterested he was when he got her alone. “Uninterested, my ass,” he muttered.
“Oh, Kate, surely not. Graham’s just in a funk. He’ll come out of it. I saw the way he looked at you this morning. Give him time. He’s probably wrestling with a lot of things. I can’t believe he faked being weak and sick so he could break up with you. That’s so convoluted. He could have just told you he was no longer interested if that were the case. Coming back here would be hard for anyone. Maybe he got nostalgic from seeing the bunker after so many years.”
Graham scrunched up his face as he listened to Shelby’s possible explanations. First of all, as far as he was concerned, he’d been here last week. Second of all, he wasn’t a nostalgic sort of guy. But her story was working. That was all that mattered.
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