“I need your help.” She motioned him over. “First off, I need a bite of that.”
She leaned over while typing and opened her mouth. His deep chuckle swirled in her gut. He held the apple up to her waiting mouth. She took a large bite, rubbing her mouth on her shoulder to catch the juice.
“Ay, caray. You took half the apple.” He held the fruit to his face and examined it.
“What? I’m hungry.” She spoke around the massive chunk in her mouth, chewing as fast as she could.
“You’ve missed …” Sosimo turned her head to him.
He stared at her lips, her hands stilling on the keyboard. He swallowed. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but stand frozen with her fingers poised over the keys and her heart pounding in her chest. His thumb brushed against her lips, the motion light and hesitant. She licked them, tasting the apple. He blinked a few times, then with excruciating slowness lifted his eyes to hers.
“Second?” His hoarse question had her forehead wrinkling in what she could only imagine as unattractive confusion. “First, you needed a bite. Second, you need …”
She straightened, shaking the moment out of her brain. “Right. I need you to try this on so I can run some diagnostics.”
She closed the computer program and disconnected the suit from the cord. Shaking it out, she handed it to him. He held it up, turning it left and right. The apple soured in her stomach, the anticipation of what he’d think building until she worried she’d spew apple chunks everywhere. Stupid nerves.
“Um …this is it?” His voice held a concerned tone. “It looks like a speed skating outfit, not armor.”
June reached for it, then pulled her hands back. “That was the idea. I wanted something that was lightweight that wouldn’t hinder movement. I synthetically engineered spider silk, then combined it with Dyneema and graphene to create a fabric that is both flexible and practically impenetrable.” She forced herself to stop talking.
He stretched the material and held it up to him. “Will it fit?”
Her nervous giggle made her cringe. “It’s designed to stretch and meld to any body type.”
“Chevere. Cool.” He smiled at her, his expression warm with pride. “You’re amazing.”
He winked and strode toward the bathroom. June leaned against her high desk and fanned herself. He would be the death of her, one sexy look at a time. She turned back to the computer screens and checked the status on the transfer. It flashed complete on the screen, so she ejected the external hard drive and placed it in her backpack with the rest of the gear she’d collected. Now, she just needed to run diagnostics on the suit itself and throw her laptop in the pack.
The door to the bathroom opened, drawing her attention to Sosimo as he strutted out, tossing his clothes on the desk.
“I pulled my pants over the top.” He grimaced. “I’m confident, but not that confident.”
She gulped, amazed at how the suit accentuated every muscle across his chest. He stopped a few feet away, held out his arms, and turned.
“Well, what do you think?” He smoothed his hand down the front of him.
Nice … very, very nice. She cleared her throat. “The question is, what do you think?”
He moved his body, twisting and punching. “It feels good. I’m not used to everything being this tight, but the fabric doesn’t chafe. It’s so light, it’s almost like I’m not wearing it at all.”
“That’s … good,” June choked out as she ducked her head to hide her warming cheeks.
She moved around him, lifting his arm, checking the seams, and running her hands along the silky fabric tightly encasing his sculpted body. This would work. Tingling started in her head and rushed to her fingers, sending gooseflesh across her skin. She came back around him, not able to contain the large smile spread across her face.
She touched his collar. “Turn the suit on with the button right here and let’s see if I fixed the glitches.”
He pressed the button and data streamed through her program. The steady beep-beep of Sosimo’s heart beat from her speakers. She clapped and placed her hands on her cheeks that hurt from smiling. Everything left her mind except the rush of excitement that ran warm through her body.
She turned and threw her arms around Sosimo’s neck with a squeal. “It’s transmitting. I couldn’t get it to communicate before.”
He lifted her and twirled her in a circle. Joy bubbled out of her as she tipped her head back and laughed. He stopped spinning and lowered her with excruciating slowness. She vaguely registered the beeping of the computer as his heart rate increased. It pounded against her palm she’d flattened against his chest.
He brought his hand up and tucked her hair behind her ear, trailing his fingers along her neck. “Eres increíble.”
The beeping sped up even faster, matching the rapid drumming of her own heart. Would he initiate the kiss this time? Should she just kiss him again and risk looking pathetic or pushy or both? Her pulse quickened, and she hoped she didn’t pass out.
His smile built slowly as he anchored his arms around her and pulled her tighter against him. If she waited any longer, her brain may just overheat and stop functioning all together. She lifted onto her toes on shaky legs and tentatively pressed her lips to his. They were soft, yet strong, accepting her kiss with an attentiveness that turned her already unstable legs to jelly. She slid her hands up his chest and threaded her fingers through his hair. Every synapse in her body fired at once, threatening to overwhelm her.
“You’re driving me crazy,” he whispered against her lips before trailing kisses along her cheek and down her neck.
Could kissing make her chest explode? Her back pressed against her desk, and he cradled her head as he claimed her mouth again. Feeling bolder than she’d ever felt before, she playfully dragged her teeth over his lower lip. He growled and deepened the kiss. This was it. She would implode, she was sure of it.
A loud alarm went off on her computer, and Sosimo groaned and chuckled low. “I think we broke your invention, cariña.”
“That’s not the suit.” She exhaled the words as he kissed below her ear. “It’s the proximity alarm.”
Sosimo stilled, his breath skimming her skin in harsh bursts of air. “What?” He pulled back and his penetrating gaze made her blink.
The fog that the last few minutes had settled over her brain cleared as the alarm fully registered. “The house’s proximity alarms.”
He moved away as she turned and started pulling up feeds on her computer. Rustling of fabric sounded behind her as one screen after another came up with people sneaking onto her property in the cover of the dark night. She glanced back as Sosimo pulled his shirt over the suit and tightened his belt.
“People are here.” Her limbs shook for a whole new reason.
“We’ve got company!” Cooper hissed down the stairs.
Sosimo stepped up next to her, scanned the feeds, and pointed to an empty screen. “Where’s that?”
She leaned close to the screen, her forehead scrunching. “It’s near the hayloft at the back of the property.”
He bent and tied his shoes. “Okay, can we sneak out a window facing that side?”
“Yeah.” She closed her eyes as a rock settled in her stomach.
He cupped her cheek in his palm. The connection kept her from dissolving.
“Reagan, look at me.” His eyes were fierce when she finally opened hers. “I’ll get you out of here.” He kissed her—a desperate kiss that left her weak and bolstered at the same time. “Grab your stuff. We have to go.”
She nodded, turning back to her laptop and shoving it into her backpack. She swung it onto her back, then started typing on her home computer. A few keystrokes later, the computer counted backwards a program that would destroy the computer system, keeping anything that she had missed from the intruders. She rushed after Sosimo, who scanned the family room at the top of the stairs.
Never had her lab felt as confining as it did at tha
t moment. Oh, please, please, please let me live. She didn’t want to die, not when the most amazing man just gave her a reason to stop hiding in her lab and experience life among the living.
Sosimo shook the last of the residual fuzz from his brain. He needed complete focus and couldn’t think about kissing Reagan. She stepped up below him on the stairs, looking at her phone screen. She shook her head just as the front doorknob jiggled.
“It’s not good. They’ve circled too fast.” Lines formed on her forehead. “We need a diversion.”
“I’ll draw their attention, while you and Cooper go out the back. Hide in the woods until I find you.” If he made it. He left that detail out.
“You’re an idiot if you think I’m letting you do that.” She shoved the phone in her jacket pocket and zipped it closed. “I have an idea.”
She raced back down the stairs, and Sosimo growled, adjusting the pack on his back. She rushed back up the stairs and handed him a heavy box as she passed.
“Get this opened. I’ll be right back.” She hurried to the back of the house before he could stop her.
She would be the death of him. He glanced at the box, a smile growing as he realized her plan. He pulled out his knife as he crossed the room and set the box on the coffee table.
“Reagan said to help you.” Cooper rushed into the room and skidded to a halt, a low whistle coming from his lips. “That’s a heck of a lot of Tannerite.”
“Yeah.” Sosimo cut into the first container. “She had it in her lab.”
“She’s one special woman, that’s for sure.” Cooper grabbed a box and worked on opening it.
“That she is.” Sosimo tried not to let Cooper’s words flare his jealousy.
Reagan came back into the room with a large protein powder container that had to hold over a gallon and a propane tank from a grill. “Will this be big enough?”
“Yeah.” Sosimo pointed to the propane and cocked his eyebrow.
She shrugged. “I keep it inside the back entryway so it doesn’t walk off while I’m gone.”
“You realize this will destroy your house, right?” Cooper looked at her as he passed her a container of Tannerite.
“Hopefully it disorients them long enough for us to get out.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose before lifting her eyes to Cooper then Sosimo. “How did they find us? No one but my parents know about this place.” She shook her head and started unscrewing the container.
They worked quickly and had the container full in a matter of seconds. Cooper led Reagan to the back of the house as Sosimo put on the lid and shook the homemade bomb as he walked to the front door. He placed the Tannerite up against the door, then put the propane tank in front of that. Please let this work. He jiggled the handle to get the people on the other side to focus on the door. He rushed to the back of the house where Reagan stood beside Cooper who peeked out the window.
Sosimo shook his muscles loose and aimed for the container. He shot and dove into the bedroom as a deafening explosion shook the house.
“They’re leaving.” Cooper opened the window and ducked out.
Scrambling to his feet, Sosimo dashed to the exit. Screams and hollering sounded from the front of the house. It wouldn’t take them long to reorganize.
He shook his head to stop the ringing in his ears and helped Reagan out the window. He jumped out after her and pulled her close, running a hand across her cheek, the light leaking through the curtains showing her frightened face.
“¿Estás bien?”
She nodded. He grabbed her hand and took off for the woods with Cooper covering their six. An impact punched Sosimo’s side as the echo of the shot hit his ears. Crap.
Cooper returned two quick shots. “Clear.”
Sosimo pushed harder, forcing his legs to hurry. They burst through the forest just as a shout sounded from the house.
He didn’t stop, just kept pushing over fallen trees and brush. When they got close to the barn where they’d parked the RV, he pulled her down to crouch next to him. He gritted his teeth. Men swarmed the barn with all the lights on, making it impossible to get to their vehicle. Probably for the best, though the enemy would have all the gear he hadn’t taken to the house. A Winnebago didn’t make for the best getaway car.
He pulled Reagan close and whispered low. “How far is your closest neighbor?”
She turned her head, her lips brushing his ear as she spoke. “A mile through the woods that way.”
She pulled back and pointed through the woods behind them past Cooper who had crouched, covering the way they’d just come from. They’d have to move fast if they wanted to beat these guys there. Sosimo picked his way through the trees, trying to make as little noise as possible.
As they got farther away, he increased their pace, rushing through the darkened woods at a reckless speed. Reagan grunted and stumbled but kept up. When he crossed a worn trail cutting through the forest, he took a chance, pulled his sidearm out of the holster, and followed the wooded path. Two minutes later they crouched in the woods, staring at the black house.
“I don’t see anyone.” Her words came out choppy.
“Me neither.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, the tension in his stomach knotting it tight. Without involving the neighbor, they had limited choices.
Cooper pointed toward the garage. “We take the motorcycles.”
Sosimo felt slightly bad for stealing. “We’ll roll them out to the road so the neighbors don’t wake up. Hopefully, it’ll be morning before they realize they’re missing. Thankfully, I have the cash, our cards, and IDs in my pack.”
She nodded, drawing his gaze to the blood on her cheek. His heart raced as he rubbed his thumb along her jaw. Her stumble in the woods suddenly made sense.
“Oh, cariña.”
“It’s nothing.” She turned her determined gaze to him. “I’m fine.”
Her eyes blazed. She was furious and more beautiful than anyone he’d ever seen. He had to get her to safety. Then he would think about the emotions swirling through his brain—thoughts of introducing her to his madre and transforming one of the unused cabins at the ranch to a secure lab.
He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. “Let’s go.”
He scanned the area one last time, then followed Cooper into the yard. When no shots rang out, they sprinted to the motorcycles, and he tied his pack to the back. Reagan grabbed his sidearm and turned to cover their six.
“You know how to use that thing?” He grunted as he tightened the bungees the owner had wrapped around the back of the bike.
“How do you think I test my products?” She tossed an annoyed look over her shoulder. “I was shooting guns by the time I was five. You focus on what you’re doing. I’ve got this.”
He chuckled as he pushed the machine up the driveway. Trees lining the long walk to the highway hid them. When they got to the road, he leaned the bike on its stand and surveyed the road in both directions.
When all appeared clear, Cooper nodded at Sosimo and he eased out into the road. He climbed onto the seat and hot-wired the bike. After handing him back his gun, Reagan climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his body. Maybe they should’ve gotten a motorcycle to begin with.
He eased on the throttle and sped up down the road. He really didn’t care where they went at this point. She laid her head on his shoulder with a deep exhale he felt heave against his back. He just needed to get her somewhere safe. Then they could figure out what the heck had just happened.
Ten
June stared at her disheveled appearance in the twenty-four-hour diner’s bathroom mirror. Her hair spun out in all directions like a nest of fire. The slash across her cheek had dried with blood streaking from it. Why had she even bothered with putting on makeup? Dark circles of smeared mascara highlighted the dark circles left from her exhaustion. It wouldn’t surprise her if the cops showed up just based on her looks alone.
She cranked the handle on the paper towel ro
ll, ripped the brown paper with more force than necessary, and got busy fixing her face. The last three hours had passed with horrifying slowness as they made their way to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Over and over she asked herself how those men could’ve possibly found them. Every time she came up empty.
Whoever was after her couldn’t track her phone. It had been off since they left New Mexico. She had more protection on her computer than the White House, thanks to her paranoia, so it couldn’t have been that. The mystery frustrated her beyond belief. It scared her even more than the frustration. How could they hide from people who found the unfindable?
She leaned closer to the mirror and examined her cheek. The cut probably wouldn’t scar. What would Sosimo think if it did? People say chicks dig scars, but did guys? She shook her head and worked on taking off her makeup.
The relationship had changed between them and left her exhilarated. He was nothing like the other guys she had met. At the house, he’d never ordered her about, but accepted her help with no question. She inhaled around her expanding heart.
She dug through her pocket for her hair tie and pulled her red nest into a form of ordered chaos. Giving one last nod of confidence to her reflection, she opened the door with a determined yank. She had a man to celebrate with, and she planned to do that celebrating in style.
She found his eyes already trained on her, like he had kept them on the bathroom door the entire time. Vaguely, she realized Cooper wasn’t sitting with Sosimo. Sosimo had sat in a booth in the corner where he could both face the door and the bathroom. His phone to his ear, his lips moved rapidly as he talked to whoever was on the other line. His gaze never wavered from her. He stood from the booth when she got close, sliding the phone into his pocket. She stopped before him, her heart banging painfully in her chest.
His head tilted to the side as his eyes narrowed. “Everything okay?”
She nodded and stepped close, pressing her palms to his chest. His eyes widened, but his hands anchored on her hips. She rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to his, lingering as she let out all her tension. Here, she was safe—safe to be herself and embrace life. Here, the awkward science geek faded to a woman cherished. Here was where she wanted to stay, however that looked.
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