It took a while to satisfy her thirst, drinking that way. When she was through, she filled the sink with water, rinsed it out, then filled it again.
She stripped off her clothes and dropped them onto the floor, then bathed as best she could in the narrow space. The water chilled her skin, and she shivered as she dried herself with her chinos before pulling on the clothes she’d bought earlier that day.
She wished she could have washed her hair, but that would have to wait. It was enough to feel at least marginally clean and refreshed. Even her head felt better now that she was out of the sun. If she could just have something to eat, she’d feel almost human again. She picked up the clothes she’d discarded and stuffed them in the bag.
When she returned to the shack, it was so dark inside that for a moment she thought Nat had left.
Then he moved and she saw his silhouette framed against the window. “Feel better?” His low voice, coming out of the shadows, sounded strained.
“Much better.” After a slight pause, she added, “Is something wrong?”
“You mean other than being holed up like animals in a decaying woodshed—hunted by carloads of armed thugs, not to mention the cops? I certainly hope not.”
She scowled in the darkness. His sarcasm could be so irritating. “I hope Sabhad’s men don’t come poking around here. There isn’t any place to hide.”
“I think we’re pretty safe for the night, at least. They probably figure we’ve holed up for the night somewhere, and they’re sitting out there waiting for us to make the first move.”
She felt him brush by her on his way to the door. “Just in case, lock this door behind me—that’s if that rusty old lock still works—and don’t open it again until you hear my voice.” He stepped outside and she closed the door, struggling with the lock for several minutes before she finally got it to turn. Fumbling around in the dark, she spread out the plastic bag as a liner, then laid her clothes on top of it.
She’d have given anything for a sleeping bag, she thought as she lowered herself onto the makeshift bed. She could feel every seam in the wood through the meager padding. Still, she had to admit it was better than lying on bare floorboards. Barely.
Nat was probably used to roughing it this way, but she seriously doubted if she’d be able to sleep at all. The cold water wash had woken her up, and although her body still ached with weariness, her eyelids no longer felt heavy.
She wondered if hunger would keep her awake. She was almost hungry enough to suggest to Nat that they try to make it to Sylvan Springs that night.
She seemed to wait a long time for him to come back from the bathroom. Now and then she heard a car whiz past, and she held her breath until the sound had died away. If only they could chance hitching a ride. She’d give anything for a warm bed and something to eat.
She wondered what it was that made a man choose a life like this; always on the edge, always looking over his shoulder. On the other hand, it was impossible to envision Nat in suburbia, dressed in a coat and tie, leaving every morning for the drive into the city. Some men, like most animals, just weren’t cut out to be domesticated.
Maybe that’s why he affected her so much. That element of danger about him—the reckless adventurer—appealed to her imagination. He was the kind of man fantasies were built around—certainly not real life. Men like Nathan Thorne did not settle down with a wife and family. What was it he’d said? From what I hear, marriage could be a worse hell than anything I’ve ever gone through.
She wondered whom he’d been talking about. His parents? Friends? Maybe a brother or sister? Considering she’d spent so much time with him, she knew very little about him. She probably never would. Nat did not like questions. That didn’t mean she was going to stop asking them. For much as she tried to deny it, the deep need to know what made him tick was too powerful to ignore.
Outside, Nat paused for a moment at the bathroom door, breathing in the cool night air. He’d hoped that drenching his body in ice cold water would cool down the craving that had ravaged him ever since he’d caught a glimpse of Valeri’s naked body bathed in moonlight inside the bathroom doorway.
He hadn’t meant to spy on her. He was no Peeping Tom. He’d checked both windows, just to make sure they hadn’t been followed. He didn’t need the police or worse, Sabhad’s men, creeping up on their unstable refuge.
He’d seen her standing in the doorway, arms raised to give him a clear view of her jutting breasts and small, rounded buttocks. The heat of his response had threatened to suffocate him.
He’d turned away at once, fighting the almost irresistible urge to stay glued to the window until the very last second when she was fully dressed again. He’d recovered some measure of control by the time she’d come back to the shack, but in spite of the cold water he slapped over his body he had not been able to rid himself of that erotic image.
Now he had to go back to her in that dark, intimate room, with nothing to separate them except a bag of clothes. And he was still hard. He ached with the need to satisfy the craving that would not let him go.
He stood for a moment longer, his face raised to the starsprinkled sky, reminding himself of all the reasons why he shouldn’t just give in to his insatiable urges.
Then he lowered his chin. She wanted it to happen. He’d seen it in her eyes when she’d looked at him, in her body language every time he got within two feet of her. He’d been around enough to recognize the signals, even if she didn’t know she was sending them.
It was time she did know. He was positive now that she wasn’t a married woman. She was free to do what she wanted. What they both wanted. It was time they stopped pussyfooting around and got down to it. Who knew when they’d have another chance? Tomorrow she’d find her father, they’d get this whole mess sorted out and she’d be back to her life in Sacramento. He’d be off to whatever part of the world his job took him next.
Tonight was theirs.
He patted the back pocket of his jeans, where he always kept his store of protection, more out of habit than the need for them. It had been a good many years since he’d felt this kind of earthshaking need. But he’d denied his body long enough. Tonight he was going to do his damnedest to make it pleasurable and memorable for them both.
Valeri would give him something to remember in the future, when he was crawling through the brush in the sultry heat of a forest somewhere on the other side of the world. He liked to think she’d remember, too, and think of him now and again.
Now that his mind was made up, the thrill of anticipation crawled all over his body. He pulled in a deep breath and headed for the shack.
The loud rattle, followed by a thump on the door, jolted Valeri to her feet. She crept across the room, every nerve quivering, until she heard Nat’s muffled voice. “Okay, open it up. It’s cold enough to freeze my buns out here.”
She fumbled with the lock, struggling to get it open. Finally it turned, and she pulled the door open.
“It’s cold as hell out there.” He strode past her, and she closed the door again, shutting them both in the darkness. She heard the bag he’d carried plop onto the floor.
She wasn’t sure she could find her way back to her own bed. The moon wasn’t shining directly through the window, and she could see nothing but that small square of glass.
Nat must have hunkered down because she couldn’t see him at all. She edged toward the left side of the window, where she’d left her clothes. She took two steps, then bumped into something soft and warm.
She backed up hastily, muttering a low, “Sorry. I can’t see in the dark.”
“Yeah, that’s too bad. We can’t risk a light, though, even if we had one. It would show up for miles.”
“I guess.” She sidestepped around where he stood and felt along the floor with her foot until it hit her pile of clothes. His voice halted her, making her skin tingle.
“Where are you?”
Her own voice shook a little when she answered him. “Over h
ere, in the corn. I thought it would be warmer.”
“Hold still, I’ll bring my stuff.”
Her heart thumped. “Your stuff?”
His voice was much closer when he spoke again. “We’ll be warmer and a good deal more comfortable if we combine the clothes and make one bed.”
What he said made sense. After all, it was no different from sleeping with him in the motel room. Except this bed would be a lot narrower. They’d have to sleep practically in each other’s arms. The thought made her mouth go dry.
“All right,” she said, wishing she didn’t sound so nervous. After all, except for that brief kiss in the motel, he hadn’t made a pass at her. Even if he did, she felt certain she could handle the situation. He’d said himself he wouldn’t force himself on a woman. She believed that. So why was her heart pounding hard enough to put a hole in her chest?
He bumped against her, and she had to make herself breathe again. When he spoke, his voice was at waist level. “I don’t know how good this will be in the dark, but we’ll make the best of it.”
He was shuffling around at her feet, and she stooped to help him spread out the clothes. His hand brushed hers, stopping her heartbeat. Her eyes were adjusting again to the darkness. She could just about make out his outline. His rugged profile looked less forbidding now that the edges were softened by the shadows.
Her heart skipped another beat. The sense of yearning came from nowhere, quickly escalating into an urgent need. She wanted to touch his face, to hold it in her hands. She wanted, in the worst way, to fasten her mouth to his and never let go.
She wanted to feel his hands on her, to feel his body covering hers. She wanted to have him inside her, to know what it was like to be loved by this man. If only he would touch her....
He shifted his body and sat down. His face was a blur now; she couldn’t make out any of his features. Her mouth felt dry, her palms damp. If she didn’t move away from him, she thought frantically, she’d do something really stupid.
“Come here.”
The soft command froze her.
“Valeri?”
She forced her lips to move. “Yes?”
“Come and sit down here, next to me. It’s not a feather bed, by any means, but I’ve slept on worse.”
She had to get a grip on herself. She couldn’t let him know how he affected her. She patted around with her hands, then edged herself onto the makeshift bed until her arm touched his.
She cleared her throat. “I...I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep on an empty stomach.”
“We don’t have to.”
She heard the rustle of paper, then he said, “Hold out your hand.”
She did so. His fingers touched hers, and he laid something cold and hard in her palm. “I picked these up when I was in the store.”
“What is it?”
“Granola bar. When you’ve been in as many primitive places as I have, you learn to be prepared.”
For some reason she seemed to have lost her appetite, but she unwrapped the treat anyway, and bit into the crunchy bar. She had to admit, the chewy, nutty flavor was wonderful. Taking tiny bites to make it last, she finished the whole thing in silence.
“Thank you,” she said, brushing the crumbs from her chest. “Now I feel better,”
“Want another one?”
“Please.”
He handed her a second bar. “I think it’s time you filled me in on everything you’ve remembered.”
“There’s not a whole lot more.” She unwrapped the bar and took a bite, doing her best to concentrate on what she knew. “I don’t know anything about the fuel project Alex is working on. He doesn’t talk much about his work. All I know is that he called me two days ago, shortly after I got home from the office. He said there’d been some trouble at the lab. That someone had stolen some important disks and he’d had to get them back.”
“Did he say anything about the murder?”
She hesitated, then decided it was a little late to start worrying about trusting him again. “He said one of his assistants had been shot and he’d been framed for the murder. That’s why he couldn’t go to the police. He’d stolen the disks back during the night, but he’d been hurt while trying to get away.”
“From Sabhad.”
“Alex didn’t say so at the time, but I guess it must have been. He told me his shoulder was injured and he’d smashed his glasses. He said he’d had to abandon the car and that it had taken him all day to get to this gas station. He asked me to come and get him.”
“Did he say anything about Sabhad?”
“Only that I was not to trust him.” Valeri took another bite of the granola bar, chewing it slowly before swallowing it. “He told me I was to talk to no one, especially the police. He told me not to trust anyone. But especially not. Sabhad. I asked him who Sabhad was, but he said he’d tell me everything when I got here.”
Nat sounded tired when he said, “Sabhad must have called the organization early that morning, after your father had stolen back the disks. It took me four hours to get out there. That would have given Sabhad plenty of time to morph the pictures of you onto his own.”
“But what I don’t understand is where he got pictures of me.”
“From your father?”
“Could be, I guess.”
“Anyway, I drove straight back to town to find you.”
“And meanwhile Alex called. I was on my way to him when you got there.”
“You must have realized I was following you.”
“I did.” She closed her eyes briefly, remembering her terror when she realized the Volvo had been on her tail since she left Sacramento. “I saw you on the freeway, jumping lanes. It irritates me when people do that. That’s how I noticed you. Then, when I was almost into Carson City, I saw you again. I might not have noticed you even then, if it hadn’t been for the warning my father gave me. I was on the lookout for someone following me.”
“If I’d known that, I’d have been a good deal more careful. I thought you were taking off to meet someone.” He paused, and she heard the rustle of paper again. “You took me by surprise when you shot off the road into the desert.”
She shuddered. “I didn’t know what else to do. I thought if I could outrun you without lights, I’d lose you. The last thing I remember is the ground spinning away from me.”
“Then I had to put you through it all again when I turned over my car today.”
“Well, one good thing came out of it. I got my memory back. Though what good will it do us if we can’t find Alex?” Her voice faltered, and she cleared her throat.
“We’ll find him. He can’t have gone far.”
“Unless he’s hitched a ride back to Sacramento.”
“Then we’ll find him there.”
“I just wish I knew he was all right.”
She felt Nat move, shifting his position. “Try not to worry. You’ll be surprised how much better things will look in the morning when you’ve had a chance to rest.”
“I hope so.” She folded her wrapper and laid it on the floor. “Right now everything seems pretty bleak. Alex is missing, wanted for murder, hunted by the police and Sabhad.”
“We’re not much better off.”
She sighed. “I have to tell you, Nat, reassuring people is not your strong suit.”
“Sorry. I believe in facing the facts. It’s the best way to deal with them.”
A cold draft wafted across her shoulders and she shivered.
“Cold?”
Nat’s husky voice sounded close to her ear. His arm closed around her shoulders, and her heart started thumping again. “It’s so drafty in here,” she said, trying to sound matter-of-fact.
“I know. That’s why we have to stick together.”
He pulled her against his chest, and she forgot about being cold. His fingers stroked her cheek, then, very gently, he lifted her chin.
When his lips found hers it seemed the most natural thing in the world. She knew s
he’d been waiting for this moment—longing for this moment—ever since he’d kissed her in the motel.
She melted against him, reaching up to clasp her hand behind his neck. Her fingers tangled in his thick hair and the heat raced through her veins when he nudged her mouth open.
His chin felt scratchy against her cheek, but it didn’t seem to matter. The bare boards bit into her shoulders when he eased her down onto the floor. She was oblivious to the pain. All that mattered was his mouth on hers, and the pressure of his body setting fire to her soul.
His hand moved slowly up her arm, over her shoulder, then down to her breast. She tensed.
“Valeri.”
His voice was a sensual whisper in the darkness. She tried desperately to relax. She wanted this. Her mind wanted this. Why was her body fighting it?
“It’s all right, Valeri. I won’t hurt you, I swear. I’ll take it easy. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. Just relax.”
More than anything in the world, she wanted to relax. She wanted to enjoy what was happening. She wanted to be free of all her inhibitions and just make love with total abandon. Just once she wanted to throw away everything she’d ever been taught, and drive this man out of his mind with wild, unbridled passion.
She forced her muscles to ease their tension. Eagerly she sought his mouth, deliberately arching her back to thrust her breasts against his chest.
His fingers closed around her arm. How she loved the way he kissed. Persuasive, persistent and so in command, it was the most exciting sensation she’d ever known. She could love this man, if only—
His hand moved to the buttons on her shirt. Her fingers curled in his hair. She wanted this. She wanted him to touch her. Her body longed for him to touch her.
She felt the buttons give, one by one, while his mouth traveled down her neck. His voice, thick and husky, seemed to come from a long way off as the blood pounded in her head.
“You are beautiful, Valeri. I want to see you, to hold you, to kiss every inch of your gorgeous body.”
The Mercenary And The Marriage Vow Page 13