by Vella Day
“You. Here, let me help.” He set his glass on the ground and smiled as he pulled off the paper, which then stuck to his fingers.
Now it was her turn to laugh. “Let me.” They looked like Curly and Moe from the old Three Stooges show, trying to get the damned thing unstuck. They laughed until her sides hurt.
She held up her hands, and her fingers were still smeared with marshmallow. She filled her mouth with more wine and stuck her fingers inside to wet them. Kane leaned closer, his focus on her. The fire crackled, and she froze. Whoops. She hadn’t thought what that motion implied. As fast as possible, she lowered her hands to her lap.
She cleared her throat and shoved another bite of warm, gooey chocolate into her mouth so she wouldn’t have to talk. He let out a soft groan, his lips slightly parted, and his eyes filled with a passion she’d never seen before.
In self-defense, she shut hers briefly. “Divine,” she mumbled. It wasn’t just the melted chocolate sending her libido into overdrive. As if to mock her, he jammed the entire s’more into his mouth until the corners of the crackers extended his cheeks into squares. She giggled. “You look funny.”
“Look who’s talking, Ms. Goo Fingers.” The sentence came out garbled.
She polished off the glass and held up the empty, anything to keep her hands from touching him. He nodded and filled the glass again, but in the process, he leaned too near. This time she didn’t care. Kane was funny, nice, considerate, and the list didn’t stop there.
He picked up the package of marshmallows. “More?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m not stopping.”
His brow rose, but he turned his head before she could see his full reaction. After making another set, he waved the stick. “I’ll do the honors this time. I’m neater.”
The chocolate melted faster than the first round, probably because the marshmallows were hotter from the intense heat, and when he finished, chocolate streaked his cheek.
“You have something—” She swiped her own face to indicate where he needed to wipe his.
He turned his head and dragged a hand down his cheek. “Did I get it?”
“No.” Their lips were less than an inch apart. She should have leaned back and moved away, but she couldn’t. The flames danced on the logs, the colors turned brighter, and the air held more energy.
Between the too hot fire, the wine, and Kane being so close, her resolve broke. She leaned to the side and licked the melted chocolate off his face in one smooth stroke.
Oh my God. Sky couldn’t believe she’d been that bold. She expected him to jerk away, but he held steady, probably waiting for her to make the next move. His chest heaved once, and he twisted his face toward her and held her gaze. His lips parted, and their warm, wine-filled breaths mingled. As if someone slammed into her back, she leaned forward and kissed him. Hard.
In a flash, his rough palms gently cupped her face and his urgent tongue explored her mouth. Her heart stopped right before the dam of resolve ruptured and her temperature rose—everywhere. Because she wanted to ravish him, she practically crawled out of her skin to get to him. His chest expanded as if he couldn’t get enough air, and she placed her hands on his chest to explore his body through his shirt.
He moved one hand under her hair and rubbed her neck while he placed his other hand against her breast. Oh, my. She needed him now.
Chapter 15
Kane broke the kiss, his eyes darker now, more intense. “We can’t.”
Wh-what? “Why?” She grasped at any reason other than he didn’t want to kiss her anymore.
“Damn it, Sky, you’re almost engaged.” Kane stood.
Cold air poured over her. “I—” She was trying to think of a way to tell him that she’d broken up with Chris without sounding insensitive. He might believe he was just a rebound man, and he was anything but that.
“Let’s get you back inside. I have a lot of legwork to do tomorrow.” Distant and controlled, he appeared angry with himself, or so she wanted to believe.
Tell him.
Sky leaned forward to leverage herself up, but her legs wouldn’t hold, and she dropped back down. “Whoops. I think I had too much to drink.” She prayed her words hadn’t slurred. The fire sent out a loud crackle, and embers floated to the beat of the music coming from down the road.
Before she was able to try again, Kane scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed less than a hundred pounds. “Nighty night, for you.” His words held some humor, thank goodness.
Perhaps it was for the best they stopped, but dammit, couldn’t he have waited until after a few more kisses before growing a conscience? She leaned her head against his chest, not caring if he wanted her to or not. Her fingers inched upward, enjoying the rough wool of his shirt.
His hand shot out and stopped her. “Sky, please.” His voice held raw emotion, deep and cutting.
“Spoilsport,” she grumbled low enough so he couldn’t hear—hopefully.
Tell him. She would have if he hadn’t broken the mood. Besides, it was safer this way. He’d keep his distance, which would make it easier for her when he left.
His boots clanked on the metal steps. He opened the door and then carried her across the room. She could have managed on her own but having his strong arms wrapped around her made her feel like a woman—wanted and desired. So what if he’d shot her down. Men were stupid sometimes.
Kane set her on the sofa with more care than he probably thought she deserved. It didn’t matter if he blamed her or himself for the kiss, he was mad. “Time for sleep.”
“I had a good time tonight. Thank you.” She debated apologizing for putting the moves on him, but she wasn’t sorry, so she didn’t.
“Sleep.” He sounded like her dad—impatient to the point of being gruff.
Kane stomped outside. She rose, needing to wash her sticky hands and face before he returned. Afterward, she sat on the sofa and stayed there for what she considered an eternity. She debated checking to see if he was okay, but she knew he could take care of himself, and that if she went out there, it would be to see if she could convince him to pick up where they’d left off.
When he finally returned, two empty glasses clanged against each other, and she fell asleep before he climbed into bed.
The faint light seeped in through the slats in the blinds and woke her up. Sky sat up and drew in deep, cleansing breaths until her muscles relaxed. The clock on the TV read 6:00 a.m.
She looked down at Kane’s long form on the floor a few feet in front of the sofa, his snores soft and low. At least one of them appeared to have had a good night’s sleep.
Before using the facilities, she listened for any movement coming from the Senator’s bedroom. There was none. Sky’s head throbbed from all the wine but not enough to ruin her mood. Moving slowly, she tiptoed past Kane and ducked into the bathroom down the hall. The mirror was wavy and warped, or at least she wanted to think it was the glass and not her face. She could only hope she hadn’t looked this bad last night.
There was a large purple bruise under her left eye and a small cut on her chin. The doctor said she hadn’t broken her nose, but it sure felt like something was amiss. She peeled off the bandage from her forehead and sucked in a breath. There was a dark red, ugly gash. For now, all she wanted to think about was a hot shower and breakfast. Once she returned home, she might padlock her doors and stay in bed for a week, thinking about Kane and what could have been.
Not wanting to use up the hot water, she washed quickly. Once dry, she put on the same clothes she’d arrived in, which now smelled of smoke, and slid past Kane to reach the kitchen. He hadn’t changed into his pajamas before going to sleep, and she wondered when he was at home, and not in protective detail mode, if he slept in sweats, boxers, or in nothing at all.
She voted for commando, and envied the lucky woman who woke up next to him every morning. From Kane’s response last night, however, it wouldn’t be her. His rejection killed any chance of that.
Noise so
unded down the hall near Overton’s bedroom. Move. Time to pay him back for his hospitality. Once in the compact and functional kitchen, she located eggs, milk, cheese, bacon, bread, and jam in minutes. In less than fifteen minutes, she’d made omelets, fried the bacon, and had three slices of toast on a plate.
Kane rounded the corner. He looked like hell, which for Kane was almost impossible.
“You’re up,” he said with a gruff tone. He was in a pit bull mood this morning.
“No, I’m sleep walking, dreaming of a breakfast buffet on a resort island.” She waved a hand and forced a smile.
“Got coffee?” he asked, without a hint of any joy. Great.
“It’s over by the toaster. I never forget to make coffee in the morning.” Here she’d thought last night started off uncomfortably, but this was twenty times worse.
Look busy. She dished up the meal, and as soon as she poured a cup of freshly made coffee for herself, the Senator rolled in.
“Good morning.” He nodded to the food. “I’m liking the service around here.” He stepped close. “How are you feeling? I’m betting the sofa wasn’t all that comfortable.”
“The sofa was wonderful. It’s Kane you need to ask since he took the floor.” Just as she handed him a plate, her cell rang, and she checked the ID. “That’s my dad. I need to take this.”
Glad for the interruption, she scooted into the living room. “Hi.”
“Sky, your message said you had an accident. What happened?”
She told him someone ran her off the road, but that she was fine.
“Were you driving your VW?”
“No, the cruiser.”
He whistled. “Lapahe is going to be pissed.”
“Don’t I know it? I bet he takes my keys away.”
“Perhaps he should.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry about not being available when you called.”
He often wasn’t around when she’d needed him—more so in the last few years. “No problem. I called Kane.”
“Who’s Kane?”
“I mentioned him when we were at dinner. He’s Senator Overton’s bodyguard.”
“Oh, yes. I heard Harriet is gaga over him.”
“Did she take out an ad I didn’t know about?”
“You going into work today?” he asked without saying when he’d spoken to Harriet.
“Yes, but if I am going to make it on time, I need to get ready. Maybe we can do lunch.”
“Oh, sweetie, I have a town hall meeting from ten till two. Perhaps tomorrow.”
“Sure.” Her dad worked too hard. Of late, it seemed as though he’d decided his sole responsibility in life was to take care of the town. Good thing he’d found time to eat dinner with her yesterday.
After saying goodbye, Sky edged back into the kitchen. Kane and the Senator sat opposite each other at the small table. She fixed her plate and stood at the counter, attempting to look everywhere but at Kane.
He pushed back his chair and rose. “I’m done. Take my seat.” He didn’t make eye contact as he strode past her. He scraped his dish and placed the plate in the sink. “I need to wash up.”
Fine. Go. Sky sat and nodded at the large, orange bowl of candy on the counter, filled to the brim with Snickers, M&Ms, and Twix candy bars. “I forgot it’s Halloween tonight, and I didn’t have time to buy stuff for the kids.”
“Betty dropped that bowl by yesterday, saying I should participate in the festivities. Like I don’t have enough on my mind?” His lips thinned. The once handsome man suddenly appeared old and beaten.
“I always wrap packages of candy and take them over to the orphanage. Everyone lives so far apart, it’s hard for the kids to go door-to-door,” she said.
The Senator stared at her for a moment. “That’s nice of you.”
“I think I have more fun than the children.” She wasn’t about to tell him that she was one of the lucky ones. She’d never had to spend even one day in a place like that.
Kane returned all too soon, looking refreshed. “I’m taking Sky home.”
The Senator ran his gaze between the two of them, his furrowed brow never relaxing. “Something happen I should know about?”
“No,” they said in unison.
“Okey-dokee.” He slapped the table then drank the rest of his coffee, probably happy not to have to deal with anything else.
“Keep your door locked.” Kane gave the order like a man on a mission. “I won’t be long.”
The Senator saluted. “When you return, we need to discuss my little problem.”
He must think Kane hadn’t told her. For now, she wouldn’t bring up anything about the probe being alien. Kane was pissed enough.
She thanked the Senator for letting her crash there last night and followed Kane outside. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as the chill in the air was quite unpleasant.
“Slide on in, and I’ll crank up the heat.”
That was considerate. “If you don’t mind, could you drop me off at the station? My car’s there.”
“Sure.”
Kane said nothing for most of the ride, and from his rigid jaw he wasn’t interested in any discussion.
“Do you plan to send the probe to another lab for confirmation? To see if they can identify the substance?” she asked.
“Yes.”
O-kay. In what seemed like an hour instead of minutes, he arrived on Main Street.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” God, she sounded like a wife, but she didn’t want to end their time together on a sour note.
“Keep the Senator safe. I need to speak with my supervisor, General Stentfield, to see if he has any further information on the DUMB.”
So he wasn’t going to leave for Phoenix today then. Her pulse sped up. She wondered if he was interested in the factory because of the possible connection to the Senator or because someone from there had tried to kill her. “I’d like to ask him a few questions myself.” Her tone had just the right amount of friendly concern.
Kane stopped in front of the station. “I’m afraid what we discuss is confidential.”
Like water on a fire, any professional trust they’d built collapsed. Sky slid out and didn’t look back.
Once Kane returned to the RV Park, the Senator and Kane spent much of the day trying to figure out who’d placed the probe in his leg. By six, Paul Overton needed some time to himself. “Kane, how about heading to town and bring back some dinner for us?”
Kane studied him, probably trying to understand his agenda.
“Sure. I need to pick up some clothes from the boarding house anyway. I shouldn’t be gone long.”
Once Kane left, Paul propped the computer on his lap, determined to catch up with emails and find his own answers. Unfortunately, he made little headway, partly because the pesky trick-or-treaters kept interrupting his work.
Another knock sounded on the camper door, and he set down his drink. “Shit.” He didn’t need the distraction, but it might raise more suspicion from the RV park residents if he didn’t answer the door.
“Trick or treat!” the children said in unison.
He had to admit they were damn cute. He handed them candy and then went back to work. For what seemed like forever, he shuffled between the door and the sofa, passing out candy to the little buggers. He couldn’t believe so many kids lived in the park. He was just thankful no suspicious adults came to the door.
He was given a short reprieve before another group knocked. During that time, he managed to make a few phone calls. Kids giggled outside, interrupting him again. “Damn.” Where was Kane? He should have been back by now. Paul picked up the near empty bowl of candy and answered the door.
Five children, aged from about six to nine held out plastic buckets, eagerly awaiting their treats.
“You are all so cute.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to compliment them, but his nerves were shot, and he didn’t have the energy to scowl.
“Thank you,” they all sai
d in unison.
Four of the kids drifted off to the next camper, but the littlest one held out a piece of paper. Paul was uncertain what it was, so he took it. “Thank you.” The child ran off into the darkness.
He went inside, placed the empty bowl on the counter, grabbed a beer, and returned to his computer. After taking care of business, he decided to check what the kid had handed him. It was probably a flyer or a hand-drawn picture.
He opened the paper and froze.
Chapter 16
Kane headed back to the Senator’s with a sack of food and a bag of clean clothes. During the ride, he couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d obviously upset Sky when he stopped kissing her, but he believed she’d regret her actions in the morning. Hurting someone pained him immeasurably, but it had to be done—for her sake.
Stentfield had called him when he was buying the food, and they’d talked for maybe two minutes when the General said he had to go. During that short conversation, Stentfield had relayed some pertinent information, or rather confirmed what Sky had found out. There was a secret base, Blackthorn, which operated under the perfume factory. The General heard rumors the Base performed experiments ranging from mind control to genetic engineering, just like the whistleblower had claimed. If the whistleblower was right about the Base and the mind control, was it possible there were aliens there too? He doubted it, but stranger things had happened.
Kane was within a mile of the RV Park when the Senator called. Kane hadn’t been gone that long. “Yes, Senator?”
“You need to get back here now.” The panic in his voice put Kane on high alert.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just get here.”
“My ETA is three minutes.” Kane floored his vehicle and a few minutes later swerved into the park.
As he passed the fire pit, memories rushed in, and his cheek tingled where Sky had licked him.
Focus. He couldn’t get sidelined until the mission was over. Dust billowed behind him as he slammed on his brakes, turned off the car, jumped out, and rushed up to the Senator’s door where he knocked.