“Who do you think sent that text?” Michelle asked, shuddering at the memory. “Do you really think someone was trying to warn us we were in danger?”
“I’m not sure what I think at this point. Maybe it was Dade and he didn’t want those guys following us here. Maybe he didn’t have a chance to tell Ryan and Emily he’d texted us.”
“Let’s hope. The thought of someone having our numbers and invading our phones like that makes me cringe.”
It was dark when Michelle felt Zeke’s hands on her body. He was tugging her shirt over her head. She moaned and blinked her eyes open.
He kissed her. “We fell asleep fully clothed,” he pointed out.
“What time is it?” she asked as she glanced at the clock. “Wow. We’ve been asleep for nine hours.” As she sat up and finished undressing, she felt more awake.
Watching Zeke shrug out of his jeans also drew her attention. By the time they were both naked, she reached for him.
He tugged the covers back between them, and they both wiggled around to get under them. The air conditioner was blasting as usual. It was hot in the desert. By silent agreement they always preferred to sleep with the temperature set low and blankets covering them. Mostly because Michelle couldn’t relax enough to have sex without something over them.
Zeke never said a word. He covered them every time.
She hoped one day she would be someplace where she felt safe enough to sleep naked and have sex with the lights on where she could stare openly at his fantastic body. For now, this was their thing. They made it work.
He drew her close and kissed her gently. “Are you tired?”
“Not now,” she murmured against his lips.
He smiled against her. “Good. I need to be inside you. It will make me feel alive. I need to feel your heartbeat against mine.”
She moaned into his mouth as she kissed him again. It seemed he had stolen those words from her heart. “Please.”
He released her mouth and tipped his head back a few inches, meeting her gaze in the dim light. His hand went to the back of her head. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I kept kicking myself for not telling you sooner while I lay on the floor unable to move in that damn motel room.”
She reached up to cup his face. “We’re okay now.”
“I need to feel you around me.”
She nodded.
He reached between her legs and drew his fingers through her folds. “So wet…”
“Yeah…”
“I haven’t even touched you yet,” he whispered against her lips.
“I was wet as soon as you reached for me.”
He smiled against her again. “I really love you.”
She giggled. “I really love you too.”
Seconds later, she was on her back, and he was sliding into her.
He threaded their fingers together and held her arms at the sides of her head. The look in his eyes as he claimed her filled her heart. They may have taken a gamble on each other, but there was no doubt the risk was worth it.
They were perfect for each other. In every way. They would protect each other. They would survive this crazy world. They would live to make love naked on a sandy beach on a deserted island somewhere.
That had to.
There was no other option.
The End
Enjoy the following excerpt from the next book in this series, Reviving Graham (Project DEEP, Book Five)
“Kate?” The weak voice coming from across the room startled Kate so badly she nearly stumbled as she spun around to face her patient.
Graham Wentz. The man she had kept under constant observation for a month while his organs returned to full function as finally awake.
She rushed to close the short distance between them and set a hand on his shoulder, smiling. “Welcome back.”
He frowned, glancing around the room. “Where am I?”
“A clinic in Colorado. Long story.” Very long story. She knew from witnessing the reanimation of over a dozen other coworkers how confused he would be this first day. He would need time to shake the cobwebs and get his brain to fully absorb everything he’d missed.
His gaze came back to hers. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Another long story. The important thing is that you’re awake, and all your vitals are good. Don’t rush things.”
The look on his face suggested he might argue. Not surprising. After all, she’d always known him to be inquisitive and sharp. Kate herself had only been pulled out of preservation three months ago. The first few days were a foggy memory.
Kate schooled her face, forcing a friendly smile. Inside, she was nervous. Her heart was racing and the tight ball she’d had in her stomach for weeks squeezed harder. He was back. Those pale green eyes she remembered were staring up at her. His thick strawberry-blond hair was longer than normal after spending a month in this bed. She kind of liked it.
It took every ounce of energy to keep from reaching up to smooth her hand over his hair or cup his cheek or lean in closer and set her lips on his forehead. But those hadn’t been mannerisms she’d used with him a decade ago, and she didn’t want to startle him. She had no idea how he might respond to her doting over him anyway.
The entire situation was crazy since she’d been nursing him back to health now for weeks. Alone. She’d seen every inch of his body. But now he was awake. It would be awkward to continue to ogle his facial features or set a hand on his arm the way she had every day.
Graham sighed and then drew in a long breath. “Start talking.”
She stiffened. “How about a drink of water? You need to get your organs to fully wake up and start functioning.” His organs were fine. He’d had an IV for four weeks. Everything was in working order. Nevertheless, she picked up a cup and filled it with water.
When he tried to lift his head, his eyes widened. “Holy shit. How long have I been asleep? My head feels like it’s not even connected to my body.”
“That’s normal. Physical therapy will help. I’ll get you started.” She tucked her hand under his head and helped tip him forward so he could take a sip of water.
He swallowed and then dropped back down as if he’d gone for a run. He lifted one shaky hand up swipe it over his face and into his hair. His eyes were closed when he dropped his hand. “Kate. Talk to me.”
She pulled a chair up closer and sat, ignoring the awkwardness and grabbing his wrist. For a moment she stared at the contrast of his lighter freckled skin against her more naturally tanned fingers. “Maybe you should try to sleep a bit longer, and then we’ll talk. Anything I say to you right now will be forgotten.”
He slowly turned his face toward her, meeting her gaze. He searched her face, probably trying to read her expression. “My memory has always been one of my best assets. I don’t think I lost it in the cryostat.” His gaze was intense, never wavering, eyes narrowed slightly.
She returned a similar stare and asked him a tough question as a test. “What was your diagnosis before you were preserved?”
He rolled his eyes as if he were bored. “Viral-onset AP12. Happy?”
Damn. He did seem sharper than she remembered feeling when she’d awoken. She realized she was gripping his wrist too tightly and eased up. Naturally, Graham wasn’t the sort of person who was going to be placated. It would be easier to give him an overview now even if she had to repeat it again later today and then tomorrow.
She studied his face. She’d done so many times over the past few weeks, but he wouldn’t know that. She needed to remember she didn’t have the freedom to stare at him or hold his hand now that he was awake.
A new reality was descending, one in which her fantasies about Graham were about to go up in smoke. The truth was she’d been half in love with the man before they were preserved, but she’d never told him. She’d never told anyone until recently. He hadn’t known her from Adam, of course, but she’d been attracted to him anyway. In fact, her
last regret before being preserved had been that she’d never had the guts to so much as flirt with him.
He didn’t move an inch. Not even to blink. He was staring at her, having paid more attention to her in the last thirty seconds than he had in years. He’d spoken more words to her cumulatively also.
She took a breath. “There was an explosion at the bunker about a month ago. I’ve been here with you ever since. We’re a few hours south of Falling Rock.”
“An explosion?” His body jerked.
“Yes. You’re one of the last of the original team to be reanimated. The new team has been bringing us all back as fast as they can, but there are a lot of people who aren’t pleased with our existence.” She really wished he would go back to sleep. She’d known she would need to tell him all of this, but she hadn’t counted on it being today.
He frowned. “Why?”
She sighed. “Who knows? Religious zealots think the government shouldn’t be playing God. The media wants a story. You name it.” She didn’t even give him half of it, but good Lord, he needed to rest more.
“Did someone find a cure for AP12?”
“Yes.” She smiled. This was the best part of the story. “Remember Tushar and Trish’s son? Ryan Anand?”
He nodded. “He’s about twenty, right?”
She chuckled. “He was. But he aged while we didn’t. He found a cure and put together a new Project DEEP team with another doctor, Damon Bardsley, a cryonicist. They’ve successfully brought us back.”
Graham licked his lips and then slowly asked his next question in a shaky voice. “How long have we been vitrified?”
“Ten years.”
If you’d like to continue reading Reviving Graham, here is the purchase link: Reviving Graham (Project DEEP, Book Five)
Author’s Note
Thank you for enjoying the fourth book in the Project DEEP series. If you’d like to continue reading the series, I’m including a link for the fifth book in the series.
Reviving Graham (Project DEEP, Book Five)
If you’d like to try one of my Mixed Martial Arts series, I’d suggest Come.
Come (The Fight Club, Book 1)
If you’re interested in trying out one of my paranormal stories, I have recently released a new series called Arcadian Bears. This series is a spin-off from my most popular series, Wolf Masters.
Grizzly Mountain (Arcadian Bears, Book 1)
Also by Becca Jameson
Project DEEP:
Reviving Emily
Reviving Trish
Reviving Dade
Reviving Zeke
Reviving Graham
Reviving Bianca
Reviving Olivia
SEALs in Paradise:
Hot SEAL, Red Wine
Dark Falls:
Dark Nightmares
Club Zodiac:
Training Sasha
Obeying Rowen
Collaring Brooke
Mastering Rayne
Trusting Aaron
Claiming London
The Art of Kink:
Pose
Paint
Sculpt
Arcadian Bears:
Grizzly Mountain
Grizzly Beginning
Grizzly Secret
Grizzly Promise
Grizzly Survival
Grizzly Perfection
Sleeper SEALs:
Saving Zola
Spring Training:
Catching Zia
Catching Lily
Catching Ava
The Underground series:
Force
Clinch
Guard
Submit
Thrust
Torque
Saving Sofia (Kindle World)
Wolf Masters series:
Kara’s Wolves
Lindsey’s Wolves
Jessica’s Wolves
Alyssa’s Wolves
Tessa’s Wolf
Rebecca’s Wolves
Melinda’s Wolves
Laurie’s Wolves
Amanda’s Wolves
Sharon’s Wolves
Claiming Her series:
The Rules
The Game
The Prize
Emergence series:
Bound to be Taken
Bound to be Tamed
Bound to be Tested
Bound to be Tempted
The Fight Club series:
Come
Perv
Need
Hers
Want
Lust
Wolf Gatherings series:
Tarnished
Dominated
Completed
Redeemed
Abandoned
Betrayed
Durham Wolves series:
Rescue in the Smokies
Fire in the Smokies
Freedom in the Smokies
Stand Alone Books:
Blind with Love
Guarding the Truth
Out of the Smoke
Abducting His Mate
Three’s a Cruise
Wolf Trinity
Frostbitten
A Princess for Cale/A Princess for Cain
About the Author
Becca Jameson is the best-selling author of over 70 books. She is most well-known for her Wolf Masters series and her Fight Club series. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, two grown kids, and the various pets that wander through. She is loving this journey and has dabbled in a variety of genres, including paranormal, sports romance, military, and BDSM.
A total night owl, Becca writes late at night, sequestering herself in her office with a glass of red wine and a bar of dark chocolate, her fingers flying across the keyboard as her characters weave their own stories.
During the day--which never starts before ten in the morning!--she can be found jogging, floating in the pool, or reading in her favorite hammock chair!
…where Alphas dominate…
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Contact Becca:
www.beccajameson.com
[email protected]
Reviving Zeke (Project DEEP Book 4) Page 23