His Undercover Lover

by April Zyon

  Megan limply wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as tightly as she could. “I knew you would come.” She had her eyes closed. “I love you, Simon Markham. I knew you would come for me.” She couldn’t not tell him. Life was too short. You never knew when you would leave the world forever. “I’m keeping you, Simon. I’m never letting you go. Ever.” She felt her hot tears rolling down her cheeks, hated herself for feeling so anxious, but she did all the same.

  “Silly woman,” he muttered. He brushed his fingers to her cheeks, wiping at the cascade of tears. “I told you from day one that you weren’t getting rid of me. I love you, too, sweetheart. And I plan on letting you keep me for the rest of our days.”

  “That’s good,” Megan whispered, and clung to him. “Now, can you please take me to the hospital so that they can put in an IV line to rid me of the last of these drugs? I still can’t feel all of my body.” The women needed medical treatment too. “Shit, this is so bad.” She didn’t move from his arms, from his shoulder, and just rested against him. “Massey isn’t a large enough area for a hospital the size that we need, or with the right treatment available. They’ve been seriously abused, and I think that he’s gotten them hooked as well. It’s bad. Very bad.”

  “Shh,” he said softly. “Brant’s already arranged to have Gwen come out and look everyone over. She’ll determine who needs to go where. The area hospitals have been notified, and we’ll ensure they have full protection. Everyone wants to keep this quiet so they aren’t stormed by the media, so we’ll be splitting them up into small groups at a variety of hospitals depending on her findings.”

  “That’s a very good idea.” Megan rubbed her cheek to his shoulder. “Gwen would be good…very good to have her look at the women.” She knew that didn’t make sense, but she couldn’t think about how to make it better. “Hospital, okay? I need this drug pushed out. I think its Ketamine.”

  “As soon as the area’s secured, and all the bad guys are in cuffs, we’ll head out. Fucking hell, woman, you had me freaking out. I was terrified I wouldn’t get here in time.” She felt him press a kiss to her temple, and he squeezed her a little closer. “Did they do anything I need to go and kick them for?”

  “Just the photos. Thank you for blocking their Internet signals, by the way.” It was bad enough that people had seen her dancing. She didn’t want her image to be plastered all over the world wide web for anyone to see as well.

  “Wasn’t my idea, or my part of the plan, but I will pass your thanks along. We’ll ensure the images are all deleted,” he said.

  “We’re clear,” someone called out.

  She felt some of his tension drain out of his body. “All right, love. Time to get you to the hospital for a full checkup.” He stood up, causing her head to swim a little with the sudden change in position. “Uh, Megan, if you feel the sudden urge to throw up, please warn me.”

  “Right.” She was gasping for air. “I need fresh air, please. The cloyingly sweet scent that he sprayed on me is making me sick to my stomach.” It hadn’t smelled as sweet before, but as she lay there, it got stronger and stronger. “Just get me out of here. I will be okay.” Somehow, she knew she would.

  “Heading outside now,” he told her. “Hang on, sweetheart.”

  “Is she okay?” she heard Brant asking.

  “She will be. She’s still feeling the effects of the drugs, which she figures is likely Ketamine. Maybe pass that onto Gwen when she gets here. For now, I’m taking her to the hospital to get checked over.”

  “Copy that. Give me a call later and let me know how she’s doing. Fucking hell, I have to go home and tell her sister,” he muttered.

  That had Megan giggling. “Oh man. I so wouldn’t want to be you, Brant.” She had her eyes closed again. It was just easier. “Mercy is going to bronze your balls for letting me get hurt.” Thank God Mercy hadn’t known about the last time she had been drugged.

  “Hurt? What the hell do you mean hurt? No one told me she was hurt!”

  “She’s not hurt,” Simon said. “She’s yanking your chain. Jesus, man, grow a pair and attempt to hang onto them. We’ll call later, and then Mercy can get the story from the source.” He kept muttering as he walked. Finally, they were outside. The fresh air hit her nose and pushed the sickly sweet scent away.

  “Thank God.” Megan could breathe again. She could smell Simon, she could smell the air. That made her sigh. “I just want to go home. Gwen can check me out and then we can go home or to the hospital so that I can get an IV line with saline in it to push this flipping drug out of me.”

  “We’re going to the hospital, period,” he told her. He was still walking, and she knew they were going to his truck. When he stopped, he shifted his hold, and a moment later, he was setting her on the passenger seat. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

  “I am. By the way, I’m so damn happy you put the blue tint to your headlights. I knew you were following. It’s all that helped me keep my shit together so that I didn’t reveal to them that I was awake. I think I would have been in far worse shape had they known.” She would have been beaten, or worse.

  Cupping her face, he rubbed his thumb to her cheek. “I’m glad I did it as well, if for that reason alone.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek, then drew away and put the seatbelt on her. The door shut, and a couple minutes later, he was in and they were leaving the property. Simon even cracked the window for her to get some air.

  Megan shifted so that she could lay her head on Simon’s thigh. “You will stay with me at the hospital, right?” She could still feel the strap that he used to strap his weapon to his thigh and shifted slightly. “You will have to leave the weapons and vest in your truck, though.”

  “Damn straight I will,” he said. “I’ll leave the gun in the truck, ditto with the vest. The other weapons I’ll be hanging onto. They’ll never know.” He slid his fingers into her hair and rubbed her scalp gently.

  “I trust you,” Megan whispered, and closed her eyes. “Always trust you. From now until time stops. You are mine and I’m yours and we will be together forever.” She was replaying the same words over and over again, but couldn’t seem to stop herself.

  “Yes, we will,” he said softly. “Rest for now. I’m going to go slow so you aren’t jostled around. We’ll get there when we get there, but if you want to sleep, go for it. With that drug in your system, God only knows how the hell you’re staying awake right now.”

  “I just needed to wait for you to come for me.” Megan allowed herself to drift off and into a deep and comfortable sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  When next she woke, Megan found she was warm, rested finally, and had to pee. She could hear Simon speaking softly, but no one talking back to him. He must be on the phone, she realized. Right about that time, she also clued into the fact she was in her own bed, and not at the hospital. A vague memory of the hospital visit swam into her head, so did Simon carrying her into the house. It felt more like a dream than reality.

  Megan pushed the blankets down and around her feet. She then rose from the bed and wavered on her feet slightly. She was naked, but knew she hadn’t had a full shower. She still had glitter on her hands from what she could see. “Damn,” she muttered, her hand on the headboard holding on while she stood there. “Right. Bathroom.” One foot in front of the other, it shouldn’t be that hard of a thing to do, right?

  “Hey, you’re awake,” Simon’s voice sounded behind her. He had to catch her when she turned and then went woozy. “Easy, Jesus. I didn’t mean to scare you, sweetheart. You really shouldn’t be up and moving, so I’m guessing you’ve got a good reason for it.”

  “Yeah, well, I have to pee, so I have to be up and moving.” She leaned into Simon, though. She had her cheek to his chest and wrapped her arms lightly around his waist. “I need you in my life and I don’t think I will ever be able to tell you that enough.” She pulled back and asked, “Now, can you please help me to the bathroom, because I really do need to
pee like crazy whoa.”

  Laughing softly, he nodded. “Absolutely.” He picked her up in his arms, moving slow enough that her head didn’t swim. Holding her close, he walked her into the bathroom, and set her down on her feet. “Why don’t you pee, and then brush your teeth? When you’re done, we’ll have a shower so I can wash out your hair, and you can get rid of whatever the hell it is they sprayed on you to tack down those damn sparkles.”

  “That sounds like a damn fine idea to me.” Megan waited until Simon was out of the bathroom and sighed. After she had done her business and brushed her teeth, she grabbed a couple of towels and washcloths, then called out for Simon to join her.

  When he walked in, he was naked, and looked like he wandered around in that state of undress all the time. He went right over to the shower and got the water running. “Come here, love. Let’s get you washed up and then back into bed. I’ll grab you something to eat, but you’re staying in bed until you’re functional again. No arguments.”

  “Not gonna argue.” She would stay in bed, at least today. She was clearer, by a long shot, but her head was still swimming and she knew that bed was the best thing for her right now. She walked up to Simon and stepped into the shower with him. “Heavens, I love just how comfortable you are in your own skin. I wish more people were.” Then again, that might mean more people would be all about nudist colonies and there was only so much that Meg could handle without losing her mind.

  “You thought that through a little further, didn’t you?” he asked. A grin was curling his lips as he watched her. Shaking his head, Simon reached up to adjust the flow of water. “Best not to have people too comfortable in their own skin. I’m comfortable with it because in a war zone, you are either a prude hiding under or behind every bush, or you are comfortable enough with who you are to do what needs to be done where it needs to be done.”

  “Good point. Yes, that would be bad. Very bad. I think that having you and me together and super comfy in our skins is all that I need.” She looked down and grinned. “And God blessed you greatly, Simon Markham. He ensured that you had every single great gene that there was to offer. You are one deliciously sexy man.”

  “I did get a little lucky, didn’t I?” he asked. “I must have been extra good in a past life to have been blessed with buns o’ steel like I have.” Turning, he flexed his ass for her, one cheek, then the other. “Not everyone is as blessed to have such a perfect ass.”

  “Damn.” She smacked his rump. “You are seriously one sexy beast. I happen to love your buns of steel, and I adore every other part of you as well. Especially when you kiss me. Come on, I know you want to,” she teased. “I need you to kiss me. I’ve brushed my teeth and everything.”

  “Oh thank God,” he muttered. Turning, he moved in closer, backing her toward the corner where he trapped her. “I hate to tell you this, love, but for a while there I was worried some little furry woodland creature had crawled in there and died. I’m guessing it was the drugs adding to your overall dilemma, but I was close to calling in an exterminator. Real close.”

  That had her giggling. “Well, you know how it is.” Her hands moved up and down his chest, the water pelting them, but she ignored it. “I need you, Si.” Her eyes turned up to his. “I might be dizzy and uncoordinated, but I need you. So badly.” She needed him to kiss her, to love her, everything. All of it.

  “How about a kiss for now?” he asked. “I don’t want to risk hurting you in the shower, Megan. On top of which, I don’t have a condom in here, so there’s no way we’re making love. A kiss, shower, lunch, and then we’ll see how you are feeling after that.”

  “Shit. Yes. A kiss, shower, lunch, and then I darn tootin’ well want you to make love with me. We will have condoms when we get back to bed, too, so that will be even better.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him. “Forever, Simon Markham. That’s how long you have to keep me.”

  “I promise,” he whispered. With a smile, he lowered his head and kissed her the way she’d wanted from the moment she’d spotted him naked. He pressed closer, sandwiching her between his hard, hot body, and the cool tile at her back.

  When he pulled back from her, she was panting. She was desperate and needy. “Heavens.” She licked her lips and shivered, not from cold, but pure reaction to the feeling of having Simon holding her like he was. “You are lethal, you know that?”

  “So you’ve mentioned a time or two,” he said softly. “But only to you, Megan. No other woman could hope to compete for the pedestal I’ve put your sweet little ass up on. Now, one more quick kiss, and then you need to get cleaned up.”

  “Sounds good.” She let her fingers run over his chest and nodded. “And only you, Simon. No one else would ever or could ever be enough for me. I will never be able to have anyone else in my life because you are it for me.”

  He gave her another quick kiss, and then drew back with a groan. Tugging on her fingers, he drew her back under the water. With infinite care, he started to wash out her hair, massaging the shampoo into the strands, and giving her head a nice little massage as well.

  Megan soaked up Simon’s care. She sighed in pure pleasure when his fingers massaged her scalp and then closed her eyes and let him take care of her. That’s what she needed. Someone else to take care of her.

  “Tip your head back a little more so I can rinse,” he said. He’d placed a hand between her shoulder blades, and was helping to steady her. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair. Each stroke had her body reacting with need.

  She was so thankful for him. If not for Simon and his care, she likely would have just crawled back into bed and fallen asleep. “Okay, my knees are getting weak.” She looked at him and nodded. “I will be okay.” She saw that worry on his face right before he could school his features. “I’ve been through worse.” Sadly, that was very, very true.

  He didn’t say anything, but with the expression he was wearing, he really didn’t need to. “We’ll wash you up quickly, and then you’re going back to bed.” The fact she didn’t argue with him likely told him all he needed to know. She was staying on her feet through sheer willpower, and not a hell of a lot else.

  “Tomorrow, or at the latest, the day after, I will be the same ol’ Megs that you love. I will be bugging you like crazy and you will wish for these moments back, if only to get me to shut up for five minutes so you can think.”

  “Don’t ever think that,” he said. He had the loofah in hand, and was rubbing it over her body, creating a wonderful layer of bubbles from her body wash. “I much prefer you to be awake, giving me shit, and talking my ear off, to the nearly comatose version I’ve been keeping an eye on for the last twelve hours. I’ve had to fight every instinct to haul your ass back to the ER, Megan. Never doubt I love you for a reason, and it’s not because you were stuck in bed drooling as you muttered incoherently.”

  “I did not,” she said with wide eyes, her hand on his shoulder. “Please, God, tell me that I didn’t talk in my sleep. And I really am okay. I’m just having a hard time fully waking and moving right now. It’s the same as last time, only last time, I didn’t come out of the haze I was in for months. Literally.”

  “I could lie to you, and say you slept like an angel. But that would be wrong.” Simon pressed his lips together and kept on washing her body. He worked his way down to her feet, and then standing, he eased her under the water to rinse off. Once the last bubble was gone, he got them out and got her wrapped into a towel.

  She looked down at her arms and smiled. “Thank freaking God the glitter is gone.” She then turned that same smile to Simon and added, “No more thongs, no more pasties, no more glitter. I get to be me now, right?” If not, she would kill someone.

  “Yes, ma’am, only Megan from here on out.” He dried her quickly, then swiped the same towel over himself before picking her up. Simon carried her to the bed and got her settled in. “All right, so you have a few options for your meal. We can do breakfast items, or we can have
lunch items, your choice.”

  “A sandwich would be nice. No chips, though, not with me being in bed.” She giggled and added, “I wouldn’t want to get any chip crumbs in our bed. That would be very bad indeed, don’t you think?”

  “Very,” he told her. Tucking her in, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her nose. “Stay put. I will get you a sandwich and bring you some water. We need to keep you well hydrated. Especially if you want to do more than sleep any time in the next week.”

  “Yes, true. Please bring back two bottles for me?” Hopefully, that would also help with her seriously bad breath. Once she was in bed, she tucked into it with a smile. “Nice, very nice.”

  Twenty minutes later, he was back with her sandwich. Handing over a bottle of water, he set two others onto the side table. He sat next to her and passed her a plate and a napkin. “Eat up,” he said.

  She took one of the sandwiches and began to eat. Oh man, was it ever good! She scarfed down the first half in no time and then took her time eating the second half. As she ate, they talked, and she drank one whole bottle of water. At the end of the sandwich, her energy was flagging and she smiled. “Okay, honey, more than enough food. Now, I want you to get rid of all that you need to and come back with condoms, please?” Just the thought of loving him again was enough to perk her up. A lot.

  Chapter Nine

  It took Megan two full days to shake off the last effects of the drugs. She’d gotten lucky from what the doctors could figure out. They’d only given her enough to keep her loopy and at their mercy. It also hadn’t been the unusual blend of her first experience, but a straight up Ketamine dose.

  In those two days, though, she hadn’t been told shit. Simon kept her in the dark the entire time as to the progress of the investigation. She knew he’d been talking to Brant, lots of whispered phone conversations. She also knew it had to do with the investigation because of his expressions. He masked them quickly enough, but not so fast she missed picking up on his annoyance, and traces of worry. Only when he’d been satisfied she was her normal self again did he take her over to see Brant.