There was a brief knock at the door before Eileen entered. She’d changed her clothes since Emily had last seen her. The doctor sent a smile at Commander Sykes that made Emily think there was something between them. That made Sykes seem somehow more human to her.
“Sam’s being moved to a normal room. It’ll be private and secure. He’s been through decon and woke up for a bit, though he’s still pretty groggy. I expect he’ll sleep until morning but he was asking for Emily. If you’re done with her, I thought I’d take her to him.”
“We’re finished here,” Sykes said, putting his papers into a folder. “Ms. Parkington, I’d like to thank you for your part in tonight’s events and the investigation leading up to it.” Sykes held out his hand and she took it. She liked this gentle giant of a man and could see why he inspired such confidence and loyalty in his troops.
Emily left, but the commander asked her brother to stay behind. He promised to catch up with her later. Emily followed Eileen, sad to leave Henry behind but eager to see Sam again.
Eileen led her to a much cozier room that had a window and two beds. Only one was occupied. Emily was amazed by how good Sam looked as he sat propped up in the hospital bed. He smiled when he saw her and there was only one healing wound left on his face that she could see. She rushed to his side, reaching for him, even as he opened his arms to her.
“Are you a sight for sore eyes,” Sam said as she kissed his cheek and stroked his hair lightly. She was afraid to touch him too hard in case she hit a sore spot.
“How are you feeling?”
“A lot better. So…are you okay with this? The super fast healing thing? I know it’s a little weird.” He seemed so nervous about her answer, she rushed to put him at ease.
“How could I not be grateful for something that keeps you safe and healthy? Thank God for this miracle, Sam. You were so badly injured. I doubted you’d ever be the same and now here you are, almost back to normal only a few hours later. It truly is a miracle.”
He looked so relieved by her answer she had to kiss him. Just a quick brush of her lips on his that turned into something longer and more lingering. But he was still hurt, no matter what he said, so she kept it light and backed off before anything truly interesting could get started.
“God, Em,” he whispered when she snuggled lightly into him. It was an awkward position but she didn’t care. She wanted to be near him. To smell his clean, masculine scent. To touch his strong, muscular body. “I love you so much.”
She drew back to look into his eyes. “And I love you, Sam.”
He reached up to stroke her cheek with one calloused hand. “Can you live with this—with me—now that you know what I am?”
“Are you asking me to?”
He swallowed, clearly nervous, which endeared him all the more to her.
“I’m asking. Will you marry me, Em? I never thought I could love somebody as much as I love you. I tried to keep it light and easy but it was impossible from the first. I love you, Emily, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, however long that may be.”
She smiled. “I’m glad. Because I feel the same about you, Sam.”
“Is that a yes?” Hope lit his gaze.
“Definitely a yes,” she whispered before meeting his lips with hers one more time. This kiss was deeper and even more joyous.
His hands cradled her head and guided her, demanding more pressure and deeper access. She gave him everything he asked for and got all she could ever want in return. He’d just given her his love and his commitment to a future together. She never knew she could be this happy or this blessed.
When she drew back this time, his gaze sought hers.
“You make my life complete, Em.”
Her heart overflowed with happiness at the look in his eyes.
“You do the same for me, Sam.”
“I hate to interrupt,” Henry cut in from the doorway, “but I’m heading for the barracks for the night and wanted to say goodnight.”
Emily turned toward the door, but Sam caught her hand and held it tight. Henry moved into the room, clearly bristling.
“You can be the first to congratulate us,” Emily broke the news to her twin. “Sam and I are engaged.”
Henry’s brows drew together as he studied the scene. His gaze went from her to Sam to their joined hands and back again.
“Is he what you really want, Em?” he asked finally.
“More than anything or anyone. I love him.” She shrugged her shoulders at the simplicity of those words. It felt so good to be able to say it out loud and proclaim it to any who would listen. She felt like shouting it from the rooftops, but this would have to do for now.
“How about you, lieutenant? Will you take care of her better than you did tonight?”
“Henry, that’s not fair.” She jumped to Sam’s defense.
Sam squeezed her hand, stilling her words. “Hold on there, Em. He’s right. I should never have left you vulnerable to Southerland. I messed up and you almost paid the ultimate price.”
She turned to face him. “I don’t believe that, and I refuse to see it that way.”
“But I do. And so does your brother.” Sam’s gaze went to Henry’s and he nodded just once. “I’d die for her,” he said simply, making her heart flutter at the surety in his tone.
“You love her? You won’t hurt her?” Henry pressed.
“I’ll never deliberately hurt her. And I do love her. It’ll be my honor to take care of her for the rest of our lives.” Sam squeezed her hand again and caught her gaze. His heart was there in his eyes for all to read.
Henry nodded. “See that you do. Or you’ll answer to me.”
He walked up to Emily and bent to kiss her forehead in something like a benediction. The moment was tender and moving. Then he moved back toward the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, sis. And congratulations to you both.”
Henry left them and Emily pulled up a chair to the side of Sam’s bed. They spent almost half an hour talking and just being with each other in safety for the first time in what seemed like ages. Sleep overtook Sam again and Emily just watched him sleep for a while, glad he was getting better almost before her eyes. The gash on his head looked like it was healing really fast and she watched it scab over and shrink in wonder.
Eileen came in about an hour later to check on him. He was still asleep and slept through the examination of his cuts and bruises.
“Why don’t you get some sleep,” Eileen whispered to Emily. “You can use this bed.” She pointed to the other bed that was neatly made up. It looked really inviting and Emily sought it out gratefully.
When she woke, sun was streaming in the window. It was well into the next morning and Sam was gone. She sat up in the bed and looked around. Sam’s bed was empty. For just a moment, she panicked.
Then she heard the toilet flush. The door to the small bathroom was closed. Maybe he was in there. She held her breath until the door opened. Out stepped Sam, fully dressed in fatigues, looking as if he’d never been burned or scratched nearly to death last night.
“Amazing,” she breathed.
He grinned, walking over to her. He leaned forward, pinning her to the bed.
“You look pretty amazing yourself.” His mouth dipped to capture hers for a brief good morning kiss. He nuzzled her neck before straightening away much too soon. “I’d love to take this further but we’ve both got places to go and people to see this morning. Your clothes are over there. Get dressed, captain. The clock’s ticking.”
His playfulness made her want to cry. He’d been so badly injured. She’d thought he was dead. Then, when she knew he’d lived through the bombing, she had mentally prepared herself to nurse him for as long as it took and accept whatever limitations he’d have from then on. Instead, here he was, laughing and joking with her, whole and healthy, as if nothing had ever happened to him. It truly was a miracle.
He must’ve seen the way she was looking at him. His expression grew more solemn and he sat on the edge of the bed, next to her.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said in a gentle voice.
“I’m just so glad…” Her voice broke and he turned to gather her in his arms as she hugged him tight. It was so good to feel his strength against her. So good to know he was real and strong and hers.
“I am too, sweetheart.” He held her, rubbing calming circles on her back for a long moment before finally pulling away. “I wasn’t kidding. There are people waiting for us. Are you up to it?”
“Yeah.” She stood wearily and pushed back her messy hair. “Give me a minute to freshen up and change.”
He patted her ass as she passed him on the way to where her luggage sat and she jumped. His grin made her want to giggle when she looked back over her shoulder at him. That set the tone. The danger was past for now, and it was time to be happy they were both still alive and together.
“Your comrades got our luggage from the bed-and-breakfast?” She noted that her pilot’s case was fully packed and all her toiletries had been gathered from the B&B’s bathroom.
“The team can be quite efficient when put in motion. They checked us out and returned the rental car too.”
She was impressed. “I’ll just be a minute,” she told him, disappearing into the bathroom with a few things. She emerged a couple of minutes later, coiffed, perfumed, and dressed in fresh clothing. She would’ve liked a shower but there wasn’t time and she was clean enough, she supposed. She’d showered last night after the battle.
Sam was waiting for her by the door, talking to someone she couldn’t see outside the room. She went over and waited for him to finish but he turned, including her in the conversation. He was talking to her brother about his ride.
Emily loved hearing the details Shotgun hadn’t been able to share with her before. He was one of the select few top pilots who’d been chosen to test the newest generation of strike fighters. Before, she’d just been a civilian who wasn’t cleared to hear the nitty gritty of his ride. Now, apparently, things had changed. He was telling Sam about range and ammunition specs that he never would have disclosed before.
No doubt Henry had been given the go ahead by whoever commanded them all now. She supposed there couldn’t be much more top secret than what she already knew about the zombie contagion. Letting her in on some information that a lot of people in the Air Force already knew probably wasn’t such a big deal after that.
Henry greeted her with a grin and went right on talking about his favorite subject—his jet. She didn’t mind. She loved talking airplanes too. They’d both grown up in the airline industry and had jet fuel running through their veins. They talked all the way down the corridor and down the elevator, and right out the door. She was able to ask questions about things he’d only hinted at before and listened avidly, as did Sam. It was so great to share her passion about aircraft with him.
They walked out into the sunshine, Henry leading them to a little corner of what had to be his home base. She saw uniformed Air Force personnel everywhere. Several saluted Henry and Sam in passing. Now that was cool. Nobody ever saluted her, even though she owned a good percentage of Praxis Air.
The men took it in stride. Emily felt a little out of place being the only civilian in sight. Of course, her only clean clothes had been her pilot’s uniform, so she was in dark pants with a white shirt. Praxis Air’s uniform was casual but neat. Still, she definitely didn’t look military and that was easy to spot. She got a few questioning glances as they walked through the heart of the highly restricted base but nobody dared question her with her two high-ranking bodyguards.
They entered a small building on the edges of the airfield that looked like it had seen better days. Looks were deceiving, she realized, as she went farther inside. The outer rooms were as shabby as the façade but inside a state of the art conference area hummed with electronic gizmos, computers, and audio/ video equipment. Many of the people she saw looked somewhat familiar to her from the night before.
There was a giant conference table at the center of the room and lots of people milling around, some going over papers, some just chatting. They arrived only moments before Commander Sykes. When he walked in, the room drew to order, everyone taking their seats and quieting down. The meeting had begun.
Emily sat between Sam and Henry. Her brother had procured coffee for them all and sat back down before the meeting got going. Sam’s leg brushed deliberately against hers under the table. Cozy.
“First off, I want to thank Ms. Emily Parkington of Praxis Air for her cooperation and assistance. Last night’s action—while not ideal—accomplished a major goal. Forensic investigation this morning confirmed that Dr. Sugden and his buyers Bin Zhao and Aleksander Krychek are all dead. No further creatures have been found in the area and we’ve locked down the entire mountaintop with military personnel until further notice. We’ve put out a story about an illegal weapons factory operating at that ranch with national security implications and the possibility that they were working with bio-weapons, which allowed us to evacuate the surrounding homes and communities on both sides of the mountain.”
Commander Sykes had been busy while Emily and Sam had been sleeping. Of course, he had the full might of the American military and the backing of the President himself to get this handled. She’d be surprised if he was anything less than efficient in the carrying out of his duties.
“We’re going to stay on station at the ranch and the surrounding woods until we’re certain none of the creatures escaped,” he continued. “The combat team will be patrolling the woods every night for the next week at least, in alternating shifts, flowing in by helicopter. We’ll use the burnt out ranch as our base of operations while the decon teams go through the area with a fine toothed comb. I don’t want any trace of this contagion left behind.”
Nods of agreement met that statement and a few of the folks around the giant table made notes. Sykes tapped a key on the keyboard in front of him and the lights went to fifty percent. A projector came on, displaying a flow chart with names.
“This chart lists all the members of the original science team. The ones marked in red are dead. The yellows are being watched to confirm that they have given up the line of research completely. They’ve already undergone rigorous investigation and have been cleared but they’ll be watched—probably for the rest of their lives, in one way or another. The lady in green is our own Dr. McCormick.” Sykes shot a smile at Eileen and it was clear to Emily there was something going on there. “As you can see, we’ve accounted for everyone from the science team.” He tapped another key and a new chart came up on the screen at the far side of the room. “This lists all those we know have been involved in one way or another. Same color coding applies.”
Emily noted Scott’s name up there in red and her own, listed in green. Just that easily, one life ended and another life went on. A chill went down her spine, remembering how Scott had died. Sam’s hand reached for hers under the table, squeezing her fingers in silent reassurance. There were precious few names in green on that chart. Most were red. Red for dead.
It was driven home to her how many people had died because of this science experiment. And she didn’t even want to think about all the people who’d been savaged by the zombies or killed by the scientists and sent out to make more like themselves. So many people had died.
And yet, if not for this awful chapter in the secret history of military science, she never would have met Sam. Life had a funny way of working out sometimes. Good had come of the evil. As she looked around the room, she saw more than a few couples sitting side by side as if they belonged together.
“As of today, we’re in wrap up mode,” Sykes went on. “Before you ask, the team will stay together. For the next few weeks we’re going to be working up on the mountain, making absolutely certain that nothing remains of the zombie research. After that, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Special Operations Command, and the President have agreed that the majority of our little combat group has too many attributes that might set us apart if we were to return to our original assignments. I’ve made the argument and it’s been accepted that the combat team in particular, would be better utilized as a separate Special Ops group. The affected team members will be notified over the next week or so and offered a chance to remain part of the new formulation of our team. This is a turning point for us all. The reason we joined together in this special team has been eradicated. We’ve done our job and achieved our goals with the grateful thanks of the leaders of our services and our nation. We have our pick of assignments. As a result, I’ll be scheduling individual meetings with all of you over the next few weeks. I want you to think about where you want to go from here. I’ll want honesty from you when we meet. You’ve earned your right to choose your destiny—something few warriors are granted. So I want you to think about it. In the meantime, are there any questions?”
Sykes waited a moment but nobody seemed eager to speak.
“Then I guess it’s back to the mountain for most of you. Then we have a few weddings to attend—including my own. I’d like to officially invite all of you to the party. Eileen and I are getting married the second weekend in November. Hold the date. Details will follow as to location and time.”
Everyone broke protocol then and cheered for the couple. Sykes grinned, accepting congratulations from everyone as Eileen beamed at his side. The meeting broke up soon thereafter, most people stopping to congratulate the commander and Eileen. They looked happy. As happy as Emily felt when Sam took her hand in his and reminded her of the question he’d asked the night before.
“Do you still mean it?” she breathed, while the rest of the room focused on Matt and Eileen. “Or was it just the fatigue and stress talking?”
“Are you kidding me?” Sam looked almost insulted. “You said yes. I’m not letting you back out now.” His hands went around her waist and he dragged her closer. Close enough to kiss, though he didn’t. He made her think about it though, and she wanted it…bad.
“I was just making sure,” she told him, wanting that kiss more and more.
“None of that, you two,” Henry chided them as he stepped right next to them. “You’re in uniform.” He sent her a mock stern look that made her laugh.
Sam let her go by slow degrees, letting out a heavy sigh. “He’s right. No hanky-panky while in uniform. But wait ’til I get you alone, Em.” He leered at her in a teasing way that made her laugh. Especially when Henry held up one hand and made a face.
“I do not want to hear this.” Henry made a show of turning away but she knew it was all in fun.
Henry and Sam had hit it off and she thought they’d become good friends given time. They both loved aircraft and they both loved her. She marveled at that for a moment. They both loved her. In different ways, of course, but Emily counted herself lucky and blessed to have two such wonderful men in her life.
“Sam,” Sykes came up to them as he was on his way out of the room. “I want you to take a couple of days off. You’ve earned it.” He clapped Sam on the back and Emily could see why people responded to the commander’s easy charm and confident leadership. “Thank you again, Ms. Parkington.” He held out his hand for her to shake.
“Please, call me Emily.”
“Emily.” He gave her that full-wattage smile. “After things settle down a bit, I’d like to talk to you more about Praxis Air. There is a possibility that we could take some of those cargo-outfitted jets off your hands, or, if you’re willing, we could hire Praxis for some of our travel. Groups like ours like to fly under the radar from time to time.”
Emily was intrigued and more than willing to discuss business with the military. She would have a huge mess to clean up when she got back to Wichita. Scott’s death was going to throw the company into disarray and she had a feeling she was going to end up taking on a lot of the day-to-day responsibility he’d once had.
“By all means. I’d be happy to work with you again, sir.”
“I have to thank you also for bringing Henry to my attention.” He nodded toward her twin. “Because of him and the good work we’ve done on this mission, I’ve been given the go ahead to form a new kind of combat team. Last night’s action will have long reaching aftershocks. I think a lot of good things will come out of our success here, and that’s due, in large part, to you, Emily.”
She felt the heat in her cheeks. She wasn’t used to such high praise especially from a man she read as hard to impress.
“Thanks, commander. That means a lot. And congratulations on your engagement. Eileen really helped me cope last night. She’s a great person and a fine doctor.”
“You can say that again.” His smile widened as Eileen stopped next to him. The room was mostly empty now except for the five of them.
“So what about you two?” Eileen asked point blank.
Sam surprised her by putting his arm around her waist and drawing her to his side. She hadn’t been sure he wanted to go public so soon, but it appeared she’d been wrong.
“We’re engaged,” Sam announced with simple candor.
“Damn,” Matt shook his head but he had a grin on his face.
Eileen and the commander congratulated them. Emily felt the enormity of the moment. Sam was her future as she was his. They had a lot of logistics to work out and she had an airline to save, but they’d figure it out. Together. Forever.
Sam and Emily took the time off that Sykes had given Sam together. They flew back to Wichita where the news that Scott Southerland had died in a freak accident had already been delivered. The cover story had been supplied by the military and the very organized commander. The lawyers were working through the particulars of who exactly owned the majority position in Praxis Air now, but Emily didn’t really care. She’d fix the broken airline with whoever ended up in charge.
She had better things to do over those first few days. Like making love to her new fiancé. They closeted themselves in her bedroom and only came up for air when they got hungry. In fact, with the leisure time, Sam introduced her to some new and exciting things that she knew they’d have a lifetime to explore.
He’d found some silk scarves she’d bought in her travels in Asia and they immediately became instruments of pleasure. He held her captive, teasing her skin with the soft slide of silk, then he added a new twist, tying her hands to the bedpost. She wasn’t sure she would enjoy it at first, having never dared anything like this with the men in her past. When it came down to it, she hadn’t trusted those other men enough to let them tie her up. Sam was a different story. She’d already trusted him with her life. It wasn’t much of a leap to trust him with her pleasure.
Facing death together had brought them an intimacy and a level of trust she’d never experienced in a relationship before. This time, she knew their love was built to last. Few couples went through what they’d faced together. They’d been tested in the crucible and made stronger for it.
“What are you thinking about?” Sam asked as he teased her skin with the soft fringe of one of her silk scarves.
“You.” She squirmed under his skilled touch.
“You’ll have to do better than that.”
“I’m thinking about you, sir, and what you do to me.”
He grinned as he guided the scarf fringe down over her breasts, pausing at the peaks that made her shiver. He watched her with a hungry, patient gaze as the scarf drifted downward over her abdomen, making a ticklish area suddenly become an erogenous zone.
“And what is it, exactly, that I do to you, Captain Parkington?” Using her title was just another part of the wicked game he’d introduced to her. It was a game of gentle dominance and sweet submission and he played it really, really well.
“You drive me crazy, lieutenant. Crazy in the best possible way.”
He lowered his head to spread licking kisses over her abdomen, letting his tongue circle her belly button.
“I like the sound of that, captain. You’ve earned a reward.”
She nearly shrieked when his head trailed downward even farther, pausing between her spread legs to torture the most sensitive place on her body. She skyrocketed upward with his first touch and he held her there, just touching the tips of the stars for an excruciating, incredible time out of time. He knew just how to play her body now. He was the master of her pleasure in every way.
When he moved back, letting her come down just a bit from the plateau of pleasure, she sagged back against the bed. Her arms and legs were tied. He’d secured her hands together above her head. Her legs each had a scarf around the ankle and were spread apart. He’d left enough room for her to squirm but she wasn’t getting free until he untied her.
After the pleasure he’d given her over the past hour, she didn’t really care if he never untied her. But that wasn’t really fair to him.
“Don’t you think it’s time for your reward, lieutenant?” Her gaze drifted upward lazily, over his impressive abs and awesome chest to meet those blue, blue eyes she loved so much.
His smile was another thing she loved and he gave her one now. “I think you’re right, captain.”
He slid over her, taking his place between her thighs, pushing deep. There was no hesitation, no insecurity. He simply glided inside, into the place he belonged. He owned her. As she owned him.
After the long session of foreplay, it didn’t take much to send her into orbit again. He kept her there with a slow, steady rocking rhythm. She couldn’t believe his willpower but he had proved to her time and time again over the past few days that he was in complete control of himself…and her. It had become a personal challenge to make him lose control.
She’d succeeded a time or two, but only at the very last moments before climax. That’s when he’d decided to tie her up, so she couldn’t ply her tricks on him, or so he’d said. She knew darn well he’d enjoyed her taking control for those moments, but it was all part of the game and she was a willing player. She’d play with him for the rest of their lives.
And every now and again, she’d come out on top.
*
Thank you for reading Shadow Play. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. If you enjoy paranormal tales with strong Alpha male heroes, check out some of my other titles.
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