Love on Location

by September Roberts

  Blaze rushed out of his room and slumped against Nate’s door. Every noise in the hallway made him twitchy. The elevator dinged and his stomach dropped. What if Nate had forgotten something?

  A faint squeaking sound met his ears and then the housekeeping cart rolled toward him. The woman pushing the cart smiled at him. Blaze shrugged as he slid his keycard into the slot and showed her the red light.

  “These are so finicky.” When she inserted the master keycard, the door clicked and the green light flashed. “If you continue to have problems, take your key to the lobby and they’ll get you a new one.”

  “Will do. Thank you. I’m so sorry to bother you,” he added.

  “No bother.” She smiled and backed out of the room.

  After waiting a few seconds, he started searching. “Damn it, Nate, where did you put my stuff?” The bathroom drawers, closet shelves, and dresser were all empty. Finally, he found the keys to the rental car in the nightstand drawer. With phase two complete, he still needed to find his wallet and phone. Before handing them over on the plane, he had taken out a wad of cash, but was almost out. “The plane,” he said as he ran back to the closet where Nate’s lone piece of luggage sat in the corner. There, in the outside pocket, still in the same place Nate had put it, were his phone and wallet. Phase three complete. Things were starting to look up.

  He put everything back where it had been and hoped like hell Nate wouldn’t notice the missing keys. The clock read 6:32.

  “Fuck.” Phase four involved getting gas, and he was running out of time. With his ear to the door, he listened for a minute before making a break for the stairs. His heart hammered in his chest all the way down to the main floor and nearly deafened him in the silent parking lot. Only a few more seconds and he would be free. Free to spend his time the way he wanted away from Nate. With one more glance around the deserted parking lot, he unlocked the car, started it, and headed into town.

  At the gas station, he prepaid at the window. While the attendant was entering the information for his pump number, Blaze spotted a display of condoms and pointed to them. “Will you add a three-pack of those, too?”

  “Sure thing, buddy,” the guy replied with a knowing smile and slid the box through the tiny slit in the window that separated them. “You’re all set.”

  Blaze dialed Ozzie’s dog daycare center while he waited for the gas tank to fill. It had been a week since he’d been able to check in and it was driving him crazy. When the woman on the line explained that his dog was having fun and making friends, he smiled. Just like Blaze.

  The box of condoms wouldn’t fit comfortably into his jeans, so he opened the package, chucked the box in the garbage can, and stashed the flexible packets in his pocket. It was too much to consider if he was going to get to use them, but he could hope, couldn’t he?

  The minutes ticked away on the dash clock as he drove into the desert. Out of habit, he practiced his lines. Not the ones written for him, but the ones he would say to Alex. It was crucial that he get it right. She wasn’t like most women. The lines that typically worked made her roll her eyes. Maybe the best choice would be to keep his mouth shut and hope for the best.

  Chapter Eleven

  Alex paced the length of her house. “What if he’s not there?” The evening rays of sun spilled through her living room window. She groaned. “What if he is there?”

  Maggie laughed. “Then you can count your blessings.”

  “What am I doing?” she stopped and faced her friend.

  “I don’t know, but I’ve never seen you this excited.” Maggie smiled and bounced Henry on her knee.

  “He drives me crazy. I feel an ulcer coming on.” Alex rubbed her stomach. “I really like him, but I shouldn’t be doing this.”

  “Why not? You only live once.” Maggie laughed again. “You’ll be fine. If nothing else, you can educate him and the other visitors about the abundant wildlife that lives in our park.”

  “Right. I can do that. Thanks, Maggie.” She hooked Koko’s leash to her collar and they all walked out together. “I promise I’m not letting this—whatever it is—interfere with my job. I’m not using him. I swear. Also, I couldn’t stand to disappoint Mr. Howard again, or you,” she added.

  “I know, which is why I support you one hundred percent.” As Maggie headed toward her house, she called out, “Live in the moment. Enjoy yourself.”

  Alex laughed nervously.

  Before she left, her mom started a video call. There was no use ignoring it. “Was that Blaze Johnson?” her mom asked immediately.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Don’t hi mom me. Answer my question. Was that Blaze Johnson?”

  Alex sighed. “I’m not allowed to discuss details of filming with the public,” she repeated.

  “I know what I saw,” her mom screeched.

  “Then why are you asking me when you know I can’t answer? I signed a confidentiality contract.”

  “When are you allowed to talk about it?” The question came out as a whine.

  “When the movie is released. Until then,” Alex finished by squeezing her lips shut. “Work is crazy right now, so it’s best if you wait for me to call you. In fact, I’m leading an interpretive program in a few minutes so I have to go.”

  Another whine. “You mean I have to wait for months until you can tell me all the juicy details?”

  “Yes.” The only thing she could do at that point was placate her mother. “I’ll call you next week when we’re done so we can talk about Matt’s party.”

  Her mom smiled a little. “I’ll let him know you’re thinking of him.”

  “Sure. Talk to you next week,” she said before touching the red button that would end their call, hoping her mom would stop calling. There was already enough going on and she didn’t need her mom piling on.

  Alex and Koko walked together on the main road leading toward the Visitor Center. A small group of guests waited under the light outside the locked doors. Blaze wasn’t one of them. Devastated, she wondered if he was really going to show up. Maybe he got hung up in town. Whatever the case, it became very clear that she wanted to see him more than anything. “We’ll wait a few more minutes before we begin.” From her position, she could see a lone car coming down the long road from the entrance gate and hoped with all her might he was in that car.

  While she waited, Alex filled the next few minutes with some light cleaning in the area outside the Visitor Center. A car door slammed and she couldn’t help but look. Blaze stepped out from behind the wheel, pulled a hood over his head, shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, and joined the group of visitors without drawing any attention.

  It was time to begin. “Welcome to Things with Wings, I’m Alex Mitchell, your ranger for tonight, and this is my dog, Koko. Thank you for joining us.”

  When he smiled at her it made her heart beat sideways.

  “If you’ll follow me, we’ll go see burrowing owls,” she said, starting down the path that wound around the west side of the park. “Please stay on the trail and let me know if you have any questions.”

  “I have a question,” Blaze said when he caught up with her. “Are you happy to see me?”

  “Maybe,” she replied.

  He bumped her shoulder with his, but they walked together in silence.

  As they approached a rock outcropping, she slowed and the group gathered around her.

  “Burrowing owls live in our park from April to October each year. They live in ground burrows made by other animals and can be found near dusk and dawn hunting insects and small mammals,” she said. “The prairie habitat just around the corner has a few families still living together before they migrate south for the winter. We’ll need to be quiet and hold really still. They’re small birds, so when I see one I’ll point it out, okay?”

  A little girl, clinging to her mother asked, “Do they have any babies?”

  “Their babies are all grown by now, but they’re still really cute.” Alex smiled and then
held her finger to her lips and crept around the corner.

  When they got near the owl nesting area, Alex and Koko both crouched down. The other seven people mimicked her and waited. After everyone got settled, Alex held her hands to her mouth and called to the owls. The first attempt was a little off, so she cleared her throat and tried again. That time, she got an answer.

  A tiny round head popped up out of the ground and hooted back to her.

  “Do you guys see it?” she whispered.

  The visitors nodded in unison.

  “The best part of being on this side of the park is that there aren’t as many scorpions. Owls love scorpions. Owls are excellent hunters,” she said, trying to reassure everyone. “Let’s see if we can get more to come out.” She hooted again.

  The girl smiled at her and whispered, “You sound just like them.”

  Alex shrugged. “I have lots of practice. My friend Neal taught me.”

  After another hoot, two more heads popped up from different burrows. The owls didn’t seem to be bothered by their presence after a while, which meant the small group of visitors got to see them hunt and interact.

  Thirty minutes passed before Alex said, “Would you like to see bats now?”

  “Yes,” everyone said at the same time.

  “I’ll lead the way back to the Visitor Center,” Alex announced. The sky had darkened in the last forty minutes, so she tried to retrieve a flashlight from her jacket pocket, but couldn’t get it with Koko’s leash in her hands. “Will you hold her for a minute?” she asked Blaze.

  “Sure,” he said, smiling.

  With both hands free, she pulled her flashlight out and switched on the black light filter. “This will give us a little light and help us spot scorpions. They glow bright green under this light.”

  It was obvious by how close Blaze got that scorpions were on the list with spiders. All he needed was a little comfort and she was more than happy to provide that by patting his hand. When he turned his palm up and laced his fingers through hers, she almost pulled away but then looked behind them. No one seemed to notice or care that they were holding hands. The other visitors were too busy talking about burrowing owls.

  Heat radiated from his palm, spreading through Alex’s hand and up her arm. Koko walked alongside, wagging and smiling up at them. When Alex swept along the side of the trail and spotted a scorpion, she pointed it out to everyone. His grip tightened.

  “Scorpions live underground, too. Sometimes their homes flood during rainstorms, which means you’re more likely to see them after a storm. Their sting is very painful, so stay in the middle of the path, okay?”

  The group behind her tightened up and shuffled past the tiny creature, picking up the pace.

  Reluctantly, Alex pulled away from Blaze as they approached the brightly lit Visitor Center. “Twisted Juniper is home to a handful of species of bats. They can eat their body weight in insects in a single night. Bats live in caves, hollowed trees, cliffs, mines, and sometimes buildings. They’re nocturnal, which means they’re active at night. They have excellent vision and also use echolocation to find their prey. Follow me,” she said before leading them to a set of benches that lined the front of the building. “Once we get settled, they’ll come back.”

  Blaze sat down next to her, near the end of the bench and Koko napped under their feet. Waiting for bats was totally underwhelming for a dog. “Hold still and watch the light.” With everyone looking at the exposed bulb overhead, she reached down between their bodies and gripped his hand again.

  Dozens of moths fluttered around the light, tapping the glass with their wings and bumping into each other. A tiny blur of brown darted through the air.

  “There, did you see it?” Alex asked. Another bat swooped above them, doing an acrobatic maneuver that illuminated its paper-thin wings for a split-second.

  A chorus of delighted sounds came from the group as they watched one bat after another soar gracefully above them. At the end of the program, Alex stood and asked if anyone had any questions.

  The girl asked, “Is it true they’re making a movie here?”

  “Yep, that’s true,” Alex confirmed. Blaze tensed and tilted his face toward the ground, hiding behind the fabric of the hood he hadn’t removed.

  “Are there movie stars around here?” the girl asked, looking out across the peaceful desert.

  Alex laughed. “Not right now. They’re in town, getting ready for bed like everyone else.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. They’re just like the burrowing owls. They keep to themselves, but once you learn how to speak their language, they’re pretty nice if you get to know them.” Experience had taught her that. “Thank you for joining me tonight.”

  After the visitors thanked her, the small group headed back to the campsite and dispersed, leaving Blaze and Alex alone.

  “Thank you for joining me.” Alex nudged his shoulder as they started walking toward the parking lot.

  “I’m glad I came. I learned a lot,” he said. “I was already impressed by your knowledge, but now I’m blown away. You’re a natural at this.”

  Heat crept up her cheeks. There he was, complimenting her again. “I studied biology in college. My mom said it was a waste of time, that I should focus on something more practical, like finding a husband.” She rolled her eyes.

  He laughed and pulled his keys out of his pocket.

  “Have you looked up? You can see the Milky Way.” It was too early for him to leave, so she stalled and pointed overhead at the creamy streak in the sky.

  “Wow.”

  “Dembi puts off a little light pollution, but out here the sky is so dark you can see satellites. There,” she said as she pointed to the tiny speck moving much faster than anything else.

  “Where?”

  “I’ll show you. Squat down a little, you’re too tall.” Once he got down, she stood next to him, cheek-to-cheek and pointed again, holding her hand up between them. “Do you see it?”

  “Uh-huh.” He turned his face until his lips brushed her cheek.

  The urge to kiss him was almost too much to resist, but they were out in the open where anyone could see them. They had to get somewhere a little more private. “Do you want to come over and have a beer?”

  “Mm-hmm,” he hummed.

  “We should do that then. Come on, Koko, let’s go home.” She laced her fingers through his and dragged him away from the rental car. Once they got into her house, Alex shrugged out of her jacket and unclipped Koko.

  Blaze tugged his hoodie off and closed the gap between them.

  “I should probably get those beers,” she said, breathing heavily.

  “I have a better idea,” he said, draping his arms around her waist and kissing her.

  With her arms wrapped around his neck she deepened the kiss and moaned when he lifted her off the ground and tucked his hands under her ass. They were barreling across the line they couldn’t come back from. Was it ethical to sleep with your coworker? No. But they wouldn’t be working together for much longer. On the other hand, if things went sideways she would be in all kinds of trouble. The war raged for another few seconds until she bumped against the growing bulge in his jeans. “Bedroom,” she said, and then he kissed down the side of her neck.

  “Mm-hmm.” In her room, he kicked the door closed and pressed her against it.

  She giggled. “I’m the center of a Blaze sandwich.”

  “I’m not interested in sharing,” he said, spinning and placing Alex gently on the edge of her bed then kneeling on the floor between her legs.

  His mouth never stopped moving, kissing and licking down the opening of her shirt, making her moan again. “I love that noise.”

  When she reached between them and unbuttoned her brown uniform shirt, he watched every movement, his eyes wide. She hesitated when she reached the bottom, so he took over, sliding the last button through the hole and pulling the shirt off her shoulders.

  “Is this okay?” he
asked with his face inches from hers.

  “Yes.” More than okay. “Is this what you want?”

  “Yes,” he said with such certainty that her apprehension vanished.

  With that, his mouth descended again, kissing her breasts through the thin material of her bra, and then his fingers unclasped the band, releasing the garment. He sighed and cupped her soft flesh with his hands, rolling her nipples between his fingers and thumbs.

  Next, he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. Unable to keep her eyes open, she straightened her arms and leaned backward on the bed, digging her fingers into the sheets. His mouth moved down, leaving a trail of kisses across her belly while his fingers moved to the button holding her pants closed. She gasped for breath and stilled his hands.

  “You need to catch up,” she said, and just like in her dream, he stood in front of her and stripped. First his shirt, which he pulled off slowly to reveal his perfectly chiseled abs and muscly shoulders; his world-famous muscles. Next, he unbuttoned his jeans, smiling as he wiggled out of them.

  “Now you need to catch up,” he said, pushing her backward so he could unbutton and unzip her pants and then tugged them and her shoes off. All that remained were her panties, which he caressed, bringing one little detail to the forefront of her mind.

  “Shit,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I don’t have any condoms. I’m sorry. I don’t usually…”

  “I do,” Blaze said, kissing along her waistband.

  “That’s presumptuous, don’t you think?” she teased.

  “No. Hopeful.” He grinned and retrieved a three-pack folded neatly in his back pocket, which he placed on the small table next to the head of her bed.

  “I’m glad you’re prepared,” she admitted.

  “Me too,” he said, rubbing her clit with his thumb, drawing a mewling sound out of her mouth. “Fuck. You make the best noises.”

  “I’m trying to be quiet,” she said. “Neighbors and all.”

  “Fuck being quiet.” It wouldn’t be easy if he kept yanking at her panties with his teeth. “I want to hear you come.”