by Leslie North
Still, he was worried. Everly’s father was heavily involved with the local crime families. The two thugs who’d tried to ambush them three times now wouldn’t stop. And chances were high that this buyer of hers was involved in the mob syndicate too. After all, Aeons weren’t cheap, nor were they readily available. Whoever she’d set up to buy the car didn’t care where it came from and obviously had the financial means to pay for it. Plus, where else would she meet a person like that other than through her father’s connections?
By the time he returned to the factory, Everly had gotten most of the parts off the floor and the majority of the engine put back together. She was just finishing up under the hood when he walked in with the bags of stuff and set them atop a crate they’d turned into a makeshift table. He went around setting up and lighting the candles he’d bought, setting the old factory aglow with warm, golden light.
“You’ve been busy,” he said, grinning.
“So have you.” She tossed her rag aside and took a seat on another, smaller crate to open her bag of fast food. “Don’t suppose you got any wet wipes or hand sanitizer?”
“Both actually.” Cam pulled the things from a white plastic bag. “I also got us each a toothbrush, toothpaste, travel deodorants, a couple large bottles of water, toilet paper, and paper towels.”
“Wow.” Everly laughed. “Aren’t you just the survivalist.”
“No. I’m a SEAL. Well, ex-SEAL. And a former boy scout. They teach us to always be prepared.”
“Do they now?” Everly finished cleaning her hands and face with a wet wipe then dried off with a paper towel before shoving it all into the trash bag Cam pointed to. “Well, thanks for getting all this. I’ll pay you back for my half after this is all over.”
“No need.” Cam cleaned his hands too, then tore into his food, hard pressed to remember when a burger and fries had ever tasted so good. “I’ll just add it to my expenses for this mission.”
She took a few more bites of her burger, making these cute little humming noises as she chewed. Cam was glad to see she wasn’t one of those gals who picked at their food like it was toxic waste or something. He liked women who were comfortable with themselves and who they were. So far, Everly seemed to fit that in spades. “How did you come to work for them?”
“Loki recruited me after I got discharged from the Navy. Our other guy, Hunter, is an ex-SEAL too. Anyway, I handle all the tech stuff for the team—computers, coding, hacks, all that sort of thing. But this mission came up with the Aeon and with its advanced technology, it was right up my alley.” He shoveled in more food before continuing. “So yeah, it’s nice to get out of the office, you know? Spread my wings and show these guys that I’m more than a nerd.”
“Yeah, it’s nice to break out of your mold and have people see you differently.” Everly finished the last of her fries and burger then started on her cherry pie. Cam did his best not to stare at the way her pink tongue lapped at the sweet pie filling on her fingers or the tiny splotch of cherry red at the corner of her mouth. If he leaned in over the crate, he could lick that off himself, maybe move a few millimeters to the side and kiss her at last, then… “…so that’s why I’m doing this too.”
* * *
Everly bit back a smile at the dazed look on Cam’s face. It was obvious he hadn’t been paying attention to what she was saying. Then again, he wasn’t the only one who had trouble concentrating when the other was around. She hadn’t missed the way his gaze had tracked her movements as she’d ate her dessert, or the way his pretty gray eyes kept flicking to her lips. Hell, her whole mouth tingled because of it.
She took another sip of her drink then got up to throw her trash into the bag. Anything to break the sizzling connection between them. It was giving her all sorts of wicked ideas where Cam was concerned and breaking her focus. And she couldn’t afford to lose focus right now. Not with one deadline passed with her buyer and another looming the following day. Thank God she’d been able to call him while Cam was gone and explain the situation. And yes, maybe she’d fudged some of the details a bit. Wasn’t like the guy needed to know they were camping out in the middle of nowhere overnight. She’d simply explained that she’d run into a bit of a bind and wouldn’t be able to deliver the Aeon until the following day.
Her buyer had been surprisingly accommodating, which only set her nerves more on edge. This was a huge deal, her chance of a lifetime to escape her father’s clutches and start over fresh. Sure, her buyer was most likely just as bad as her father—an attorney from DC with supposed ties to underworld crime, but at this point Everly didn’t care. As long as she got her money and got the hell out of there, that was all that mattered.
Or it had been.
She glanced over her shoulder at Cam, who was finishing up his own apple pie for dessert. Man, he was becoming a problem. Not because he treated her poorly, but because he was just so damned nice. She’d always known he was good guy, even back in high school. He used to offer to help her carry her books and stuff. Not that she’d ever taken him up on his offer. Back then she’d run with a different crowd and couldn’t risk losing face with the cooler kids. Now they were working for different sides again, and still he respected her, even as he battled against her. Warmth suffused her bloodstream as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, still chewing his last bite, while he carefully swept up the crate where they’d eaten and disposed of his trash. Such a detail-oriented, concerned guy. Then again, those traits were probably what made him so good at his job.
He brushed past her and she couldn’t suppress a shiver of want that ran through her from the brief contact. Cam looked over and caught her eye and for a second time froze. She could see them—naked and together—limbs entwined as he made love to her so slow and good and right. Something tightly coiled inside her gently unfurled, leaving a trail of need in its wake. Flustered, Everly turned away. “I should, um, get the rest of this car back together so we can get on the road again in the morning.”
“Leave it for tomorrow,” Cam said, walking back over to where the bags sat on the floor next to the crate. “We’re both tired and need the sleep. I’m up with the dawn anyway and can wake you early.”
“Oh, okay.” She tucked a lank of hair behind her ear and watched as he secured the side door to the factory with a thick steel crowbar slid through the broken bar lock. Everly went through the bags to avoid staring at his muscled form as he walked back toward her, his easy graceful movements, the way his tight jeans cupped his ass to perfection. That pang of need sharpened to a knife’s edge inside her. She pulled out the blankets and pillows and set them inside the Aeon. “Guess we’re sleeping in the car tonight, huh?”
“Guess so,” Cam said, looking around. “Unless you prefer raccoons and rats as your bedmates. Maybe even a snake. I’m sure with all these farm fields around here they have some doozies. In fact—”
“Car it is.” Everly patted the Aeon’s top. “All right, boy scout. Where should be the, uh, ‘ladies’ room’?”
If she wasn’t mistaken, a slight flush dotted his high cheekbones, and that only served to make him more endearing. Cam cleared his throat and handed her a roll of toilet paper and a rusted-out piece of metal they’d found when they were cleaning out the place earlier to use as a makeshift shovel. “Around the corner outside seems like the best place to me. Hidden from the road, but close enough to the door that if something comes after you, you can get inside quick.”
“Right.” She snatched the items from his hand then took care of business. By the time she returned, Cam had their bedding all laid out inside the car and the seats reclined into a comfy, makeshift bed. He’d also set out her personal supplies on one side of the crate with his on the other. Such a gentleman. She used the wet wipes again to clean her hands and arms and face, then toed off her shoes and set them on the floor in the passenger side before crawling beneath her blankets while Cam went outside too, then returned and cleaned up before extinguishing the candles around the room. With hi
s car door still open, the light from inside the Aeon helped him see where he was going.
“This isn’t so bad, eh?” he said, slamming the door behind him and plunging them into darkness. The sounds of him scooting around beneath his blankets on the leather seat filled the air and Everly couldn’t help but smile. As her eyes adjusted, she could see a faint shadow of him in the dim moonlight streaming in through several holes in the roof far above them. He clicked the button to lock their doors then laid down on his seat to face her across the console. “Kind of like a weird camp-out, right?”
“You got the weird part correct.” The travel pillow wasn’t exactly supportive and the blankets weren’t quite long enough to cover both her feet and her shoulders at the same time, but none of that seemed to matter to her traitorous heart. It thumped along joyfully at the nearness of Cam, his warmth permeating through her thin cotton T-shirt even though there was a gear shift and a good six inches between them. She could feel the weight of Cam’s stare on her even though she couldn’t see him and felt compelled to say, “Thanks.”
“For what?” His voice was hushed, reminding her of crushed velvet.
“For going to get all this. This vehicle might have been designed for luxury driving, but sleeping in it is another matter entirely.”
“Agreed.” Cam snorted. “I’ll be lucky not to have a serious crick in my neck and back tomorrow.”
“Same here.” She snuggled a bit closer to him. “And thanks for… well, everything.”
His raised eyebrow and military background was apparent in his clipped tone. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’ll need to be more specific.”
“You know, for helping me escape those mob goons.” She didn’t say what she feared, that those men might well be back tomorrow, with reinforcements. Her father’s sort didn’t give up easily when it was something they wanted, and they most definitely wanted this car. The Aeon was a legend on the black market and would bring in a ton of revenue just for the advanced engine parts alone, not to mention all that technology Cam was so fond of. Everly closed her eyes and prayed for forgiveness for what she’d planned for tomorrow. She’d given her buyer approximate coordinates for the piano factory and a meeting time of ten a.m. Risky? Yes, but so was continuing on this wild goose chase with Cam. Each second more she spent with him made her want him all the more. And he wasn’t something she ever deserved to have. He was one of the good guys. She flirted too closely with the bad. All she hoped was that he’d understand why she’d betrayed him when the time came and might forgive her someday.
“Hey,” Cam whispered, drawing her out of her thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.” Liar. She shrugged and burrowed farther under her blanket, like that might protect her from the hurt that would come with the sunrise. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
He reached out and took her hand, lacing their fingers together beneath the covers. “Get some sleep then.” His thumb stroked over her skin and she damned near cried from the sweetness of it. Cam treated her like a lady, treated her like some precious object he needed to protect and cherish. No one had ever done that before. “I’ll be here to take care of you.”
Her heart clenched. God, she’d waited her whole life to hear a man say that to her, and now that she’d finally found him, it was the last man on earth she could ever be with. They were too different, on two different sides of this problem, with different goals and aspirations. Yet, at that moment, all Everly wanted to do was curl up beside Cam and never, ever leave. She found herself moving as close to him as the vehicle would allow, squeezing his fingers tight with gratitude and overwhelming affection. “Cam, I want you to know that no matter how this turns out, I like you. More than I should.”
His deep chuckle curled her freezing toes inside her socks. “Yeah, I’m becoming rather fond of you too, kid.”
“Kid? We’re the same age.”
“I know. But I like thinking of you as smaller than me. Makes me feel all macho and strong.”
She snorted. “I could kick your ass six ways from Sunday, mister. You don’t grow up around a bunch of tough dudes in a garage without learning some self-defense skills.”
“And somehow that only makes you hotter.”
Stunned, Everly blinked at him in the darkness. So she wasn’t the only one who felt this simmering attraction between them. Sure, there’d been that near-kiss back in the safe house kitchen, but who knew if that was just heat-of-the-moment adrenaline or what. But no. This was real between them. A real problem, her conscience not-so-helpfully added, if you don’t get it under control.
Everly tried to pull her hand away, but Cam held tight. “Listen, I know that was inappropriate, given our situation,” he said. “But we’re all alone tonight in this cold, lonely factory with no one to see or hear us at all. I think you’re hot. There, I said it. I had a crush on you for years back in high school, and though it’s totally wrong to act on it right now, I wanted you to know.”
Silence stretched between them as Everly let his words warm her from the inside out. Knowing he wanted her, that he’d wanted her for years, made her nearly giddy. She’d always had him in the back of her mind too, all these years, as the cute, geeky guy who’d been completely out of reach. Now, here they were, lying side by side in a cold, uncomfortable car, making midnight confessions in the dark. “I thought you were cute.”
“Cute?”
“Hot.”
“Hot.”
“Yes.” She laughed again, doing her best to ignore the way his thumb was tracing lazy patterns against her palm and the corresponding molten heat gathering in her core. Sleeping in this car would be bad enough. Trying for anything more amorous could land them both in traction. Still, it didn’t stop her from stoking the fires a bit more. “Back in high school, you were this nerdy hunk. Now, you’re all-grown up and gorgeous to boot.” Before he could respond, she yanked her hand away and turned to face the passenger side window, unable to keep the smile from her face at his grunt of protest. “Now, go to sleep. We need to get up early in the morning.”
9
Cam awoke the next morning with a warm weight on his chest and a dull pounding in his head. He blinked open weary eyes and tipped his chin down to see Everly snoozing away atop him. It took him a minute to realize where they were—sleeping in the Aeon inside the dilapidated piano factory. He yawned and stretched, wincing at the crick in his neck and the gear shift gouging into the side of his thigh. Carefully, he scooted up higher in the leather seat and realized Everly had somehow contorted herself across the console so that the top of her body was sprawled across him and her legs were still on the passenger seat, tangled in her fleece blanket.
This close, he caught the sweet floral scent of her perfume and felt the steady thud of her heart pressed against his. As if sensing his perusal, Everly slowly looked up at him, her face dreamy with the remnants of sleep and her smile slow and sexy. Before he could react, she closed the small distance between them and kissed him, her lips softly brushing his as her tongue traced the seam of his mouth. Cam gave up any pretense of resisting what he’d battled so long and cupped her head, keeping her close with one hand while using the other to haul her the rest of the way over to lie atop him. With her thighs spread, knees resting on either side of his hips, he pressed her closer, allowing her to feel the full extent of his rapidly growing arousal.
Everly groaned and plunged her fingers into his hair, delving deeper between his now parted lips, tasting him, learning the feel of him, urging his passion higher and higher. It was like a dream. It was like his every fantasy come to life. It was…
Over.
Everly pulled away and frowned out the drivers’ side window. “What’s that banging noise?”
Still dazed, Cam blinked several times before straightening. His hands were on Everly’s hips, keeping her where she was, his cock throbbing with need. He shook his head to clear it and realized the pounding he’d thought was in his mind was actually
coming from the door of the factory. “Fuck.”
He helped Everly back into her seat, adjusting his too-tight jeans before unlocking the car and climbing out. He leaned back inside and pinned her with a steady stare. “Stay here until I assess the situation.”
Panic flitted across Everly’s features. “What time is it?”
“What?” Cam rubbed his face with one hand then checked his watch. “Shit. We overslept. It’s five after ten.”
“Oh, crap.” Everly was out of the car and around to stand beside Cam before his still-sluggish, pre-caffeinated senses registered what was happening. “Listen, before this goes any farther, I want you to know that when I kissed you it wasn’t because of any distractions or—”
“Huh?” Cam pushed away from the Aeon and started toward the door, her words barely entering his thoughts. His plan was to get rid of whoever was on the other side of that door then get the hell out of there as soon as Everly finished putting the car’s engine back together. It couldn’t be the guys from the team. Loki was waiting for his text before he’d intervene and no way was Hunter up and moving around this early in the day. Which meant it had to be those thugs that had been chasing them.
Shit. Just fucking shit.
Before he pulled the crowbar free of the door lock, he turned to call to Everly, “How fast can you get the Aeon up and running?”
She raked a hand through her hair, then opened the drivers’ side door to pop the hood. Cam did his best not to stare at her perfectly formed ass or remember the way said ass had felt rubbing against him just a few blissful minutes ago. His traitorous cock twitched in response.