Chapter Six

“So how is the delicious Sam? I bet it was great to catch up with him. How long has it been? A few years?”

Lucy’s face flamed, and she picked up the menu to hide her cheeks from Suzie’s gaze. More than a glance and she’d be sunk. Damn her fair complexion.

Since she’d come back home, Monday’s standing arrangement between the friends was a catch-up at their local coffee shop during Suzie’s lunch break. All the better to people watch, Suzie always said. Most times, Lucy enjoyed the girly time, and it was a great way to spend quality time, but today, she was a little anxious. She didn’t know if she wanted to share the news that Operation Find a Man was now redundant. It would mean spilling the beans about what had happened between her and Sam, and it felt too new and fragile to risk talking about.

A group of three businessmen stepped out into the courtyard, coffees in hand, and searched for a table. True to form, Suzie sat straighter in her chair and flicked her dark hair back over her shoulder in a subtle head toss. Each man’s gaze honed in on her, conversation momentarily stalled as they drank in her beauty.

The youngest of the group flashed a smile, and Suzie practically purred as he walked past, her eyes checking out his butt. They settled down a table away, and Lucy made a mental bet how long it would take before the young hotshot came back asking for her number. She’d had plenty of opportunity to hone the skill over the years.

Suzie’s gaze snapped back to Lucy, her head tilted to the side as if waiting for something, then she clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “I was asking about Sam.”

Caught off guard, Lucy’s cheeks grew warm again. “Ah…he’s great. Good. Yes. He’s good.”

Her friend’s finely arched brow lifted, her gaze narrowed in contemplation. “Good, huh? So what did you two do after I left?”

Lucy blew out a defeated breath, knowing Suzie wouldn’t stop with the questioning until she told her everything. She’d never been able to hide from her all-knowing gaze. Not for the first time, she wondered if her friend was a witch, a throwback to certain members of her Celtic ancestors. Squaring her shoulders, she laid herself bare.

“Oh, my God, Luce. He offered to help? The gorgeous and delectable Sam Merrick who you’ve been lusting after for so long just casually offered to help cure you of your frigidity? You must be jumping for joy.”

She grimaced. “More like jumping out of my skin and scared out of my wits.”

The men forgotten, Suzie leaned forward and clutched Lucy’s hands between hers. “Why? For God’s sake?” She frowned when she didn’t get an immediate response, her voice hardening. “Don’t you dare stuff this up. The guy digs you, and he is seriously hot.”

Why did everyone assume she would be the one to hurt the other or mess things up? “Yeah, but that’s what scares me the most. What if sleeping together ruins what we have? What if I freeze up again at the pivotal moment after everything he’s done for me? How the hell am I meant to face him again? How would our relationship survive? I don’t want to lose what we have. It’s too important. He’s too important.”

“Relax, Luce.”

The edge of pain in her friend’s voice made her glance down. Her hands had tightened on Suzie’s, her short nails digging into the back of her hand. “Shit.” She let go with a wince. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She waved her off with a smile but pulled her hands back into her lap in an exaggerated motion, and they grinned at each other. “Let’s get back to Sam. I don’t mind admitting I’ve dreamed of that luscious mouth of his doing bad, bad things to me.” She gave a delicate shiver and sighed.

The memory of what that mouth felt like sent a wave of lust ricocheting through her body, and she bit down on her lip as her cheeks went nuclear.

“Oh, my God, you lucky bitch,” Suzie shrieked. “His mouth’s already done bad things to you, hasn’t it?”

Lucy’s palms flew up to her cheeks as she hissed at her friend to shush. Yep. The heat confirmed they were as hot as she’d feared. The men at the other table stopped with any pretense of conversation and turned toward them, identical grins on their faces. She groaned and covered her face with her hands as a low wolf whistle met her ears.

“You have got to tell me all about it. Come on, Luce. You can’t leave me hanging like this. God, I think I’d explode if his mouth came anywhere near me.”

“I just about did,” she said under her breath so the men wouldn’t hear and rolled her eyes with a laugh when Suzie pretended to swoon against the back of her chair. She shot a glance at the other table, then returned to her friend. “Can we go somewhere else to discuss this please, Suze?”

“It’s all right, doll.” The youngest man pushed out from his chair and stood up, the others following suit. “We have to leave for the office anyway. But before we do—” His eyes connected with Suzie’s, and he picked up her hand, lightly kissing the back of it. “—my name’s Scott. I’d be happy to do bad things to you with my mouth if you gave me the chance.”

Lucy bit back a groan at the terrible line, but Suzie giggled, the infectious sound making the man grin. She cocked her head as if thinking about it for a few seconds, then recited her cell number for him. “Flick me a text, and we’ll see about setting something up.”

The men disappeared out the door, but the hopes Lucy had harbored that her friend would forget about her grilling were dashed when she turned those green eyes on her, intense as a laser beam and just as merciless. “Okay. Our audience has gone. Spill.”

Lucy took a sip of her coffee, closing her eyes in appreciation of the jolt of caffeine, and faced her friend. “He’s being a gentleman, taking things slow. Of course, I never expected anything less from him, but God, it’s frustrating. Not only his kiss, but just a simple touch gets me all hot and bothered, and all I can think about is ripping his clothes off and having my way with him. And I think he knows it.”

Suzie sighed, her face rapt. “Ooh. He knows exactly what he’s doing, doesn’t he?” She gave an exaggerated shiver. “I wonder what his next move will be.”

Lucy frowned. “He’s a tease, is what he is. Working me up only to break off when I want more.”

Suzie grinned and leaned farther over the table. “Precisely. He’s clever—and strong-willed. In my experience, it isn’t easy for a guy to stop cold when he’s running hot. Sam’s got your best interests at heart even though it’s probably killing him.” She sighed and stared off into the distance with a dreamy gaze. “If only he had a brother. They don’t make many men like that anymore.”

Lucy snapped her fingers in front of her face, and Suzie blinked back to attention. “So what am I going to do about it? I don’t want to be jumping out of my skin every second I’m around him.”

“Sounds to me like you’re going to have to take the initiative, tell him in no uncertain terms what you want. Talk dirty. Be bold. Seduce him instead of waiting for him to make the first move. Guys love that.”

Lucy remembered the look on Sam’s face when she stepped out in her bikini, the way his eyes had traveled over her body, his skin flushing and heat burning from his gaze. Yeah. Her mouth curved. Suzie was spot on. She needed to continue to torment him, and maybe, just maybe, she’d be brave enough to initiate the final step.

“Are you ready to order, ladies?”

Lucy glanced up at the waitress who’d appeared at her elbow. Caught up in her daydreams, she hadn’t heard her approach, and she blinked a few times to refocus on the menu. Grimacing, she read over the descriptions, her stomach revolting at the thought of food. “I’ll just have the Greek salad, thanks.”

Suzie ordered a steak sandwich accompanied by a bowl of fries and shook her head with a grin as the waitress disappeared to the kitchen with their order. “You can share my fries. Those butterflies will have gone by then, and you’ll be hungry. Besides, we can’t have those curves of yours disappearing—not when Sam seems to appreciate them so much.”

Lucy rolled her eyes and changed the subject, hoping to stem the thought of Sam’s hands on her from running rampant through her head. Luckily, Suzie was happy to oblige. That was the thing about best friends. They knew each other’s limitations, and although Suzie delighted in pushing the boundaries, she could always count on her to know when enough was enough.

Despite her doubts when their order arrived, her appetite returned with a vengeance, and she helped demolish the plate of fries with copious amounts of aioli, ignoring Suzie’s I-told-you-so smirk. Their conversation turned to the little things that made up their respective days, and Lucy found herself relaxing back into her seat, enjoying the witty banter and easy companionship spending time with her best friend always produced.

After the lunch hour was up, she waved Suzie off, then wandered the main street, her mind full with her friend’s earlier advice of taking the initiative. Did she have the guts to follow through? What was stopping her? Fear? Straightening her spine, she pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin. She refused point-blank to allow fear to rule her life again.

Stopping outside the doors of one of the local beauticians, she studied the oversize prints of glamorous-looking creatures in the windows, the text promising smoother, sexier-looking skin and increased confidence as a result. With a shrug, she stepped inside and was immediately enveloped by the rich scents of essential oils and soothing music as if entering a magical realm.

Two hours later, she walked out plucked and preened, carrying an armful of lotions the saleslady guaranteed would make her body glow and lure even the most self-controlled man closer. An evil grin stretched her mouth. Sam had no idea what was in store for him. Finally, she felt as if she was ready for him, and coming to get him she was—ready or not.

****

The week crawled past.

Lucy tried to keep herself busy, but her mind was on countdown for the weekend and for whatever Sam had planned for the two of them. His parting words had been circling around in her subconscious since he’d uttered them, swooping and diving at her when she least expected it and tying her stomach up in knots. Eating was impossible.

“For goodness’ sake, Lucy. Food is for eating, not playing,” her mother admonished one night after catching her push her food around her plate yet again. “What is wrong with you?”

“Sorry.” She picked up her knife and concentrated on cutting into the chicken. “I’m just feeling really nervous. Sam’s taking me out Saturday, and I’ve no idea what he’s got planned.”

Her mother’s frown instantly softened into a smile at his name. “Oh. Well, knowing Sam, it’ll be fun. He’s such a good boy.”

Lucy tried to stretch her mouth into an answering grin and feared it looked more like a grimace. Oh, yes. He was good all right. Her knife clattered to the plate. “Sorry,” she muttered again and forced herself to eat—one slow mouthful after another.

Finally, Saturday arrived, dawning to an overcast sky. Half-forgotten nightmares had chased her through the night. The familiar feeling of being restrained, her desperate struggles to escape getting her nowhere, still raw in her pounding heart.

It had been a while since she’d had the dreams, but this time there was a subtle difference. Just when her strength ebbed and the horror bore down on her, Sam was there, his strong arms pulling her out of harm’s way and into the safety of his embrace. She’d woken curled around her pillow, the blankets pushed to the bottom of the bed and tears dried on her cheeks.

She rolled her head across the pillow and glanced at her alarm clock. Seven o’clock at last. Finally, it wasn’t too early to get up. Taking a couple of the new products she’d bought from the beautician earlier in the week, she slipped quietly into the bathroom and indulged in a hot shower, scrubbing her skin with the luxury concoctions.

Minutes later, she toweled off and massaged sweet almond oil into her skin, enjoying the subtle scent and the glow it left behind. Spending longer than normal on her makeup, once she stepped back from the mirror to view her work, she decided it was worth it. The blue of her eyes had deepened with the sweep of subtle color on her lids, the gray liner making them appear wider and more defined. But no amount of makeup could have added the sparkle of excitement shining from them, the blush to her cheeks. That was all Sam.

Perusing through her underwear drawer, she selected a lacy emerald set, the bra boosting her breasts. Bending forward at the waist, she adjusted herself and then straightened up, pleased at the effect. She grabbed an old pair of sweatpants, pulled them on, and followed with a shirt, then grinned. The shirt she’d chosen, although old as stipulated, was tight and dipped just low enough to show what she hoped proved to be a distracting bit of cleavage.

Halfway through finger combing her hair into some kind of order, the unmistakable rumble of Sam’s voice floated up to her, and she froze. He was here already? Puzzled, she gave her hair one more tweak and stepped lightly downstairs. The smell of bacon led her into the kitchen.

At her entrance, Sam turned, a spatula in one hand and a tea towel hooked into the waistband of his sweatpants. Her body thrilled as her eyes greedily feasted on his presence. His teeth flashed, and his eyes crinkled in that delicious way they had at the corners. “Morning, brat. How many eggs do you want?”

She swallowed the saliva that had pooled in her mouth. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not very hungry.” Once again, her appetite had deserted her.

A brow rose, and he shook his head in mock disappointment. “I’ll cook you two. You’re going to need the energy. You can thank me later.” With a wink, he turned back to the fry pan.

Her stomach did cartwheels at the innuendo, and her gaze zeroed in without permission on his butt.

“Thank you for looking out for my baby, Sam. She’s not so good at looking after herself lately.” Her mother placed mugs of coffee on the table and sent her daughter a frown.

He shot her a look over his shoulder to frown at her too. “Not good enough, is it, Janet? Don’t worry, I’ll help her rectify that.” He tugged the tea towel out from his waistband, bent to open the oven, and pulled out a pan. The sizzle of bacon quieted as he lifted the fry pan, transferred the meat, then put the warmed pan back into the oven. Replacing the pan once more onto the element, he cracked eggs one at a time into it. While he was absorbed in what he was doing, Lucy took the opportunity to ogle him and just managed to restrain the sigh that wanted to escape at the sight before her. She’d always been a sucker for a man who could cook. They didn’t get much sexier than that.

As if he felt the lust rolling off her in waves, he sent a teasing grin over his shoulder. “Could you take a moment to drag your eyes off my fine form, Luce, and set the table? We’re almost ready.”

Busted. Lucy pushed off from the doorway, her cheeks flaming. She wrenched the utensils out of the drawer. “That arrogant streak is still a mile wide I see, Sam.” His answering low chuckle made her insides quiver, and she placed the knives and forks either side of the placemats with a clatter before she gratefully sank down at her place. Her limbs had turned to rubber.

He slid into the chair opposite her, his ankle bumping hers, and she drew hers back, her cheeks hot. He merely grinned.

“So what do you have planned for the two of you today?”

Lucy swung her gaze toward him at her mother’s question and took a sip of her coffee. She wanted to know just as much.

His eyes twinkled. “It’s a surprise.” He inclined his head at the mountain of bacon he’d piled on her plate. “Make sure you eat all of that, Luce. You’ll need it.”

Knowing she wouldn’t get anything more out of him, she gave up and raised the fork to her mouth. Ignoring the churning in her stomach, she chewed heroically and swallowed it down. After the first couple of mouthfuls, her stomach settled along with her nerves. She’d managed to make it through most of the food on her plate when she made the mistake of lifting her gaze.

Sam attention was riveted on her mouth.

Darting her tongue out for a quick swipe, she found nothing alarming and glanced at Sam, but his gaze hadn’t lifted, only narrowed. Dilated pupils darkened his eyes, and as his gaze finally lifted to meet hers, her heart rate trebled.

Blinking, he averted his gaze and pushed back his chair, the legs scraping against the flooring with a shudder. He rose and collected his almost empty plate, the cutlery clattering loudly. “Come on, brat—eat up. We’ve got ten minutes before we need to be on the road.”

****

Lucy gaped at the signage as they pulled into the last available space in the parking lot. “Paintball? This is your idea of a date? Wow, no wonder you’re still single.”

Sam cut the engine and draped his wrists over the wheel, grinning. “Oh, that cuts deep, brat. In my defense, I’ve never taken anyone here before, but then you’re not my usual date.”

She rolled her eyes to cover the flash of hurt. Don’t I know it. Memory filled her in with the parade of women he’d dated. Tall and willowy with long manes of hair and legs that seemed to go on forever. And they were just the ones she knew of. She wasn’t even in the same ballpark. Perhaps she was wrong, and it wasn’t heat she’d detected in his gaze. More likely it was charity.

He covered her hands where they worried each other in her lap. Lifting one, he studied the palm and dragged a fingertip across the love line, sending her nerve endings into meltdown. “I can’t say I’ve ever looked forward to one half as much either.”

She lifted her gaze. The silver of his eyes had deepened to charcoal. Half-lowered lashes highlighted the smudges of shadow under his eyes, hinting at sleepless nights, matching her own. Her mouth parted slightly in wonder. Perhaps he wasn’t as calm and controlled as she assumed.

“You ready?”

With her mind on a different track altogether, a few seconds passed before she caught on he was talking about today’s activity. She stretched her back, her chest pushing forward as she did, and noticed his eyes drawn to the movement. A slow, warm curl of anticipation flooded her body. Yeah, she was ready. In more ways than one.

“Yep.” She pushed the door open and jumped down onto the asphalt. “Get ready to have your ass kicked, Samuel Merrick.”

He grinned as he followed suit and engaged the locks. “I’ll have you eating those words in half an hour, brat. Watch your back.” Pocketing the keys, he rounded the vehicle and snagged her hand. Happiness welled in her chest at the casually possessive touch, and suddenly, everything seemed brighter, sharper, and infinitely more wonderful.

The morning cloud had burned away, leaving the sky a bright blue. The sun evaporated the cool morning air, and the smell of the earth waking up and warming under the life-giving rays rose up all around them. She squeezed his hand, and he glanced down with a smile.

A converted shipping container at the end of the path announced itself as reception. Sam slid the glass door open, indicating she go in first, then stepped in after her. A group of people milled around in small clusters, the buzz of conversation stopping momentarily at the interruption of their entrance before resuming again.

“You two booked for the ten o’clock round?”

Sam flashed a wide grin over her head at the vicinity of the voice. “We are.”

Lucy peered around a large body blocking her view to see a man wearing a shirt bearing the name of the company on his chest.

“You’re just in time. We’re about to go through the rules of the game, choosing teams, and then the fitting of protective gear.” He broke off and raised his voice. “Everyone, gather round.”

The rules were pretty straightforward. The adrenaline started to course through her body, her naturally competitive nature rising to the challenge. It sounded like so much fun, not to mention a great way to blunt the sharp edges off the excess energy being around Sam generated.

“Do we want to play men against women?”

A collective shout went up, the women with their answer in the negative more vocal. A simple numbering system was quickly decided on instead to combine the sexes, with Sam making sure they were counted on the same team.

“Gotta save myself the ass kicking,” he murmured against her ear, his arm snug around her shoulders, sending delicious shivers down her spine.

Once kitted out in camouflage outfits, chest armor, and headgear, they were loaded down with their weapons and given a safety briefing. The opposing team loaded up into an old army truck to be taken to the other end of the course. As it ambled off, their team leader led them in the opposite direction to the start of the course.

A countdown over hidden loudspeakers and the blast of a horn signaled the start of the game, and everyone took off in a flat-out run toward the cover of the forest, guns at the ready. Lucy’s heart galloped along in time to her pounding feet, Sam ghosting her at her side. Even through the visor of his helmet, she could make out the big grin on his face, and an answering one stretched across her own.

It wasn’t long before the sharp crack of fire and the occasional yelps of fellow teammates as they were hit told them the battle was on. Something whizzed by her head, and she ducked instinctively, a ball of paint squelching with a thwack into the trunk of a tree behind her.

Sam pulled her down flat as more incoming fire exploded into a multitude of colors around them. He rolled and crouched over her, his gaze searching the thick forest, gun cradled in his hands. With muscles bunched and ready for action and his eyes narrowed in focus, all he needed was camouflage paint and a buzz-cut and he’d look like most women’s fantasy of a soldier. His gaze sharpened on something in the distance, and he braced one palm beside her upper thigh, bringing him closer to the ground. His knee brushed the inside of hers, and she held her breath.

As she lay beneath him, the heat from his body enveloped them and amplified his unique scent, sneaking under the helmet she wore and filling her senses. A sharp bolt of lust hit low in her belly, making her squirm. She needed. God, how she needed.

He glanced down and cringed, misinterpreting her involuntary movement. He sat back on his heels, the points where his body had touched hers cooling. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Her voice sounded husky and muffled under the helmet. She lifted the visor and tugged at the waistband of his pants. “Come back here.”

For a split second, he didn’t move, just stared at her until her courage faltered. Then the naughty grin that had always been her weakness spread across his face, and he started to lift his own visor, his eyes dark with promise.

Thwack!

He jerked with a yelp, then hit the ground beside her as another bullet whizzed over his head. A volley of shots followed. The carpet of pine needles surrounding them danced and jumped, exploding with color.

“We’re being attacked. Let’s get to cover.”

Before she could react, he leaped to his feet and grabbed her hand. With bodies low to the ground, they zigzagged through the trees, crushed pine needles lending spring to their steps and muffling the sound of their flight.

They made it to a thick copse of trees, and Sam dropped her hand. She followed his lead, alternately ducking and weaving between the heavy branches, her gaze fixed on the course in front of her, wary of face-planting over exposed roots or loose matter. Ahead of him, she spotted what he was aiming for. A large pine which looked as if it had come down in a recent storm would serve as a great place to take stock of their situation and catch their breath. Sam bent double to duck under one of its broken arms, and her gaze dropped to a blob of fluorescent orange, square in the middle of his fine-looking butt.

The memory of him jolting upright and the look on his face followed by the yelp of pain replayed itself in her head, and laughter bubbled up from her chest. She slapped her hands to her mouth in a futile attempt to keep it trapped inside, but air escaped the vacuum of her hands in an unladylike snort, and she laughed all the harder. Giving up, she dropped her hands and wrapped them around her middle, tears rolling helplessly down her cheeks. “Oh, God. That is so hilarious! I didn’t realize you’d been shot in the butt. Oh, my stomach! I’m dying!”

Sam sat down, his back to the log, and shook his head, his arms crossed and legs stretched out before him as he waited her out, a wounded expression fixed on his face, but the sparkling eyes gave him away.

“It still stings, you know. I deserve some sympathy after the way I got you out of there.” His eyebrows waggled up and down, his grin wicked. “Wanna kiss it better?”

She wiped her eyes and rolled them. “Dream on, Merrick. If anyone is going to kiss someone’s ass, it’ll be you kissing mine. You’re already in deficit.”

Those gray eyes darkened into smoke as he gave her a lazy look from under his lashes. “I’ll look forward to that.”

The laughter evaporated in her throat, and she let out a strangled sound as she tried to swallow, the lust scorching through her system with a vengeance, blazing into an inferno in a matter of seconds. She tore her helmet off and sank to her heels beside him.

“I wish you wouldn’t keep teasing me like that, Sam.”

“Oh, I’m not teasing,” he murmured, his lids lowering until his lashes shadowed his cheeks. “I figure if I get you all hot and bothered, you’ll finally give in to what we both want and jump me.”

Lucy’s nipples puckered under the double layer of her bra and shirt. She sucked in a sharp breath. The expansion of her ribcage pushed her chest out, causing already sensitive breasts to push harder against the constricting fabric, and she suddenly wished they were alone somewhere more private than a pine forest warzone. Regardless, it looked like it was her move next. It was time to take what she wanted.

Rising to her knees, she straddled his thighs. Despite the sudden flare in his eyes, Sam kept perfectly still as if afraid she’d run if he made any abrupt moves. And judging by the way her heart pounded against her ribcage, she couldn’t rule that out. Eyes fixed on his face, she lowered herself down onto his lap, and his breath hissed out from between gritted teeth.

Oh, God. He was hard as rock under her bottom. Her eyes widened on his, but his expression hadn’t changed. He still made no move to rush or grab her, even though she could feel him throbbing through the layers of clothing separating them.

A rush of heat dampened her panties at the feel of him pressed so intimately close, and she rocked her hips in the smallest of movements, desperate for friction of some kind. Sam’s eyelids slammed down, and his jaw tightened. There was a slight rustle beside his lap, and she turned to see his fingers had dug themselves into the earth as if anchoring himself, the bones of his knuckles showing white through the skin. And yet the rest of him was stillness itself.

That was it.

His show of denial caused a dam to burst inside of Lucy, and she tore his helmet off, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. He stared at her, his expression hot and heavy. She rocked again, hoping it would ease the ache that had built up between her legs, but it only made it worse, not better. A groan escaped from his beautiful lips, and she took the opportunity it presented, dipping her head to taste him.

Heaven.

Every fantasy she’d ever had about how it’d feel to kiss him, knowing he lusted for her, paled in comparison to reality. With his lips parted, she explored the recesses, her tongue dueling with his before sucking it all the way into her mouth. Now his hips did buck under hers, and the ache that had been slowly building became torturous, and her hips moved of their own accord.

Desperate for air, she broke off, her gaze drinking in his raw beauty. His mouth was parted, the fuller bottom lip swollen and damp. A flush highlighted the sharp line of his cheekbones and ghosted down the side of his neck where his pulse hammered a staccato beat. Under her palm, his chest rose hard and fast. Feeling his stare, she met his gaze. All the humor had vanished. Only one word came to mind to describe the look in his eyes—feral. He reminded her of a predator waiting for its prey to make a move before it pounced, feigned idleness concealing coiled strength.

Testing that observation, she lifted up from him a few millimeters, and his hands whipped out and clamped on her hips, holding her in place. A feline smile of contentment stretched her lips at the possessive feel of his hands, and she bent her head back down to him, more than happy to give him more.

“Son of a bitch!”

She reared back at the same time he slapped a hand to his neck, brows drawn in a fierce frown. Bright blue paint squelched out from between his fingers.

“Save that for home time, lovers. We’re playing a different kind of game here.”

Lucy scooted off Sam’s lap, both searching the area the male voice seemed to be coming from.

“Better get a move on. The lady’s fine butt is in my sights, and it’s making me twitchy. It’d be a shame to bruise such a lovely asset.”

“I agree. Thanks, man.” Sam grabbed the discarded helmets and pulled Lucy behind him to the relative safety of a tree. “Far out, brat. You make me lose my mind.” He grinned, pushed her helmet into place, and slapped the visor down before securing his own. “That’s better. Now you can’t distract me anymore. Let’s go and make some carnage.”

With frustrated adrenaline coursing through her body to burn off, she had no trouble keeping up with Sam, laying waste to what seemed dozens of competitors in the blur of action. They developed a strategy of working back-to-back, Lucy shooting blind at any hint of movement behind them. The occasional yelp brought immense satisfaction as they inched their way toward their team’s flag.

When they topped the last brow of a hill, suddenly it was there, fluttering in the breeze in the middle of a clearing, enticingly close. Abandoned cars and broken-down machinery littered the area, teasing the advancing team of the possibility of victory. Two sentries guarded the area, guns at the ready and a full belt of ammo over their shoulders. Lucy dropped to a low crouch, and Sam squatted beside her, his thigh pressed snugly against her hip. He lifted his visor then hers, his mouth close to her ear. “Let’s make a run for it. I’ll take the lead and draw their fire, giving you a clear run.”

Remembering the sting of the bullets on impact, she grimaced. “Are you so sure about that? You’re going to be covered in welts and bruises by the end of the day.”

His eyes creased at the corners. “It’ll be worth it if you play nurse.”

She grinned back and winked. “Well, in that case, hurry up. What are you waiting for? Let’s get this game finished.”

In a quick move, he bent his head and kissed her, then slapped his visor down. Although it was only an echo of the one they’d shared previously, it still left her breathless, and he’d bounded away before she could clear her thoughts.

Left no option, she leaped after him, adrenaline coursing through her system, keeping just far enough back that she could see the sentries, but they couldn’t get a clear shot at her. A shout and the sound of gunfire announced they’d been seen, and Sam zigzagged to make them a more difficult target, increasing his speed, making it difficult to keep up. They sheltered behind the rusted carcass of an old Beetle vehicle and caught their breath as metallic pings sounded out around them.

Lucy risked a peek over the rounded end of the vehicle, her gaze zeroing in on a pile of wooden pallets and a clump of thick weed just beyond. She readied herself into a crouch and glanced back at Sam. He nodded and pointed to himself, then held up three fingers and counted down in a low murmur. At zero, he sprang out from their cover with a yell and rolled, firing as he went. A volley of bullets peppered the area around him, dust rising in clouds. Lucy leaped out from the other side and took off at a low run. Diving behind the pallets, she took a couple of seconds to catch her breath. Risking a quick glance around the pile, she fist-pumped the air. Sam had succeeded in distracting both sentries, taking them a good few meters away from their post. The flag was so close. It was now or never.

Lucy made a break for it, hoping they’d be distracted long enough. A shout filled the air moments before a bullet whizzed past her shoulder, and she dodged as another followed it up near where her calf would have been. Heart pounding in her ears, she darted back and forth. A few more strides and she’d be at the flag. Then she caught movement out the corner of her eye, cutting her down.

Instinctively, she dropped and rolled onto her shoulder, coming up into a crouch, gun held out in front of her, and she fired. She missed her target, but it was enough to make them flinch, giving her the chance to dive at the flag and tackle it out of the ground. A siren screamed over the valley, indicating their win. Lucy tore off her helmet and dropped it, closing her eyes as a soft breeze fingered through her damp hair. Heavy footfalls made her open her eyes to see the sentry lumbering over, his own helmet tucked under his arm.

She rolled to a sitting position as he sank to the ground beside her with a groan. “Well played, lady. Thought I had you for a moment there.”

Lucy grinned over at him. “You weren’t the only one. One shot to the head and it would have been a different story.”

“Don’t tell my teammates, but I’m glad I missed.”

“Oh?” She raised a brow and curled her arms around her raised knees. “Why’s that?”

He grinned across at her. “You would have been less likely to accept an offer to dinner if I had.”

Mouth agape, Lucy stared for a few wordless seconds. He allowed her scrutiny, his features relaxed and pleasant, then his gaze lifted to beyond her shoulder, and the smile plummeted from his face.

“Sorry, buddy. The lady’s taken.”

Lucy twisted around at the primitive growl. Sam stood behind her, his eyes narrowed on the man, the expression in them making her shiver. Then his gaze turned toward her, and the scowl lifted. He reached a hand out, his palm swallowing hers, and pulled her to her feet. The warmth radiated all the way to her bones. She desperately reminded herself he was just playing a part, keeping an eye out for her the way he always did. But knowing that didn’t stop her pulse from leaping at his touch and tendrils of heat curling through her belly.

Paint-splattered people started to appear out of the forest. With color obscuring everyone’s clothing, the only way of figuring out who belonged to which team was by their demeanor. The winning team members came out whooping and hollering, fists pumping the air and high-fiving each other while members of the losing team came out slump shouldered and heavy footed. One thing everyone had in common, though, were the grins stretching across tired faces.

Over the noise of the revelers who’d crowded around them came the sound of vehicles. Sam backed her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his chin on the top of her head as they waited for their ride. For the briefest of moments, she stiffened, then as his warmth seeped into her, she relaxed, allowing herself to enjoy the feel of his hard body holding her close.

“That’s my girl.”

The approving murmur rumbled through the solid wall of his chest, and a warm glow rose from the pit of her belly. He released her to leap up into the back of the truck and crouched down, offering his hand, eyes warm on hers. The glow spread as his hand closed around hers and she was pulled up onto the truck bed alongside him.

The drive back skirted the forest, but she was oblivious to the beauty of rows of native Rimu and Kauri trees, the curled fronds of ferns availing themselves of the smallest of gaps on the forest floor, softening rows of soldier-straight trunks. As close-packed as they were in the open back of the truck, Sam’s proximity was all-consuming. His thigh pressed warm and insistent against hers, rubbing occasionally as they bumped over dried ruts, the friction spiking her awareness of the man to near-nuclear levels.

A soft breeze brushed over Lucy’s hot cheeks, and she turned her head slightly, studying him under her lashes. Her gaze caught on his mouth, and fantasies, raw and insistent, rose in her mind at how it would feel to have those lips on her body. He’d been driving her mad all day. She squirmed in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position for a body whose skin had grown too tight.

“You okay, brat?”

He squeezed her knee gently, and she suppressed the urge to grab his hand and drag it up her thigh. Belatedly, she realized he waited for an answer. Swallowing heavily, she nodded, her head jerking like a puppet’s, and cringed as heat crept into her cheeks. Naturally, his gaze zeroed in on the betraying reaction.

His gaze met hers, and her throat worked in a hard swallow. His eyes were dark, the pupils dilated enough she could make out her reflection in them, making it seem as if she were all he could see. His thumb stroked a slow circle on her inner knee. Even through the thick material of the army-issue pants, she could feel the caress like a hot brand.

“A group of us are going to the pub down the road for a drink. You guys want to join us? Celebrate your win?”

Lucy blinked at the voice coming from across the aisle. With great effort, she broke eye contact with Sam to see the man who’d asked her out earlier address them. He leaned forward in his seat, an easy smile on his pleasant face as he waited.

Sam sat back and withdrew his hand from her leg, and it was as if a spell had been lifted and she could think again.

“Thanks, but I’m feeling pretty shattered. I think an early night is on the cards for me. Oh.” She turned to Sam. “Unless you wanted to stay?”

Those incredible silver eyes darkened to polished nickel as he studied her for a beat. A shiver lodged itself at the base of her spine and radiated outward into prickles of heat. “No. The sooner we get home, the better.” His thigh pressed once more against hers, sending delicious heat like wildfire through every atom of her being, and this time she had no doubt it was deliberate.

The murmur of conversation surrounded them, but she had no desire to join in. She was too busy counting down the minutes, the seconds before she could get Sam alone and onto a flat surface. Hell, by this point, she’d take him standing.

Once the truck pulled to a stop, Lucy leaped down, tugging Sam with her. His low chuckle warmed her insides to liquid.

“Easy, sweetheart,” he murmured. “We’ve still got the awarding of our spoils of war to be distributed yet.”

“Can’t we just sneak out? They won’t miss us.”

“You had a starring role in the team’s win, so yeah, I think they’ll notice if we’re not there. What’s the hurry?”

Lucy turned her best glare on him. How did he manage to remain so calm while she trembled at the precipice of the breaking point? She bit her lip as a thought occurred to her. Perhaps this overwhelming need to have him wasn’t reciprocated. No sooner had the thought formed than the hand at her waist tightened. Lines of tension bracketed his mouth, and she saw through the easy smile on his lips to the pantomime it was.

Their fellow comrades filed into the office after them where Lucy was hailed as the heroine of the hour. As they waited for their certificates, anecdotes of the day were shared along with laughter, and the start of some pretty impressive bruises proudly displayed. The biggest round of laughter was reserved for Sam when Lucy regaled them all with the scene of the bull’s eye on his bum. Sam shut them up by making a show of starting to loosen his track pants to show them, his eyes dancing, and Lucy’s breath caught.

“For God’s sake, keep your pants on, buddy. Leave the show-and-tell for the lady when you get home.” Roars of laughter filled the room, interspersed by wolf-whistles, and if Lucy thought her cheeks were hot before, they were off-the-scale scorching now. Thankfully, the operators chose that moment to come in, and the short ceremony started.

Once the winning team had been presented with miniature trophies and the losers participation certificates, people were quick to disperse. Reminders were called out for those keen to commiserate or celebrate at the pub as a group, which she and Sam once again declined.

Glad to be finally crunching back down the path to the car, Lucy sneaked a glance under her lashes at Sam. Her ardor hadn’t cooled with the enforced break, and now they were alone again, it kicked back into high gear.

The lights flashed on the vehicle, and Sam held the passenger door open, closing it with a soft click once she was safely inside. From the moment he got behind the wheel, a strange tension filled the interior, and Lucy made every effort to relax, but it was impossible. Awareness of him consumed her. Every move he made, from twisting in his seat to reverse the vehicle out of the parking space, to turning his head to check for a clear space to merge with traffic, sent fresh waves of his scent to her nostrils. It filled every pore, and she spent most of the ride home digging her nails into the sides of the leather seat.

“Where do you want to stop for dinner, Lucy?”

She blinked. Was he freaking kidding her? His words were so far from where her mind was that it took a while to process them. She stared hard at him, but his jaw was relaxed, his mouth lifted slightly at the corners, and his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Suddenly, she’d had enough. She was starting to get motion sickness from all the emotional back and forth. It was time for plain talk. “I’m not hungry.”

A frown crinkled his brow, and he shot her a concerned look before returning his attention to the road. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Are you not feeling well?”

“Oh, no. I’m feeling fine.” She took a deep breath and trailed her fingertips over his thigh. The muscle tightened under her touch. “It’s just not food I’m hungry for.”

The car jerked a little, and he cursed under his breath before guiding the car to a stop at the side of the road. Her heart thumped when he stabbed the ignition button with an index finger and the engine died. Apart from the occasional tick of the cooling engine and their breathing, there was silence. She watched his hands clench and unclench on the steering wheel before he faced her. His jaw was rock hard. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? You need to be crystal with me, Lucy, because I don’t want to make any mistakes here.”

She swallowed at the strange light glinting in his eyes but raised her chin. “You need me to be clearer?” Her cheeks burned, but this time she didn’t try to hide them. Now was the time to be brave, to show him she meant business. “Fine.” She took a steadying breath. “I don’t want to stop anywhere for food because that’ll delay us getting home.”

Her bald statement was met by a beat of silence, and she did her best not to squirm under his intense stare. God. He was going to make her spell it out, wasn’t he?

“And why do you need to get home so badly?”

His gravelly voice scraped over already raw nerve endings. She pressed her lips together—hard—trying to suppress the fear she could feel building. But this fear felt different from all the other times she’d contemplated getting intimate with a male. Instead of the all-pervading feeling of dread clogging every pore, this one skittered along the surface of her skin, prickling it to such sensitivity she could feel the heat of his breath gliding over it with each exhale.

Her heart raced because she couldn’t wait to get naked with Sam, to feel his skin against hers, to see the desire for her in his eyes. The fear had nothing to do with the thought of Sam making love to her, but the fear that he wouldn’t.

Her throat felt so tight she knew she’d be unable to articulate what she wanted. But the answer to that was easy. She’d just show him.

Nerves made her fingers shake as she depressed her seatbelt buckle, then reached over and unclipped his. With a light hand, she ran her palm up his chest to rest over his heart. It beat hard and fast, and some of her anxiety eased. Darkened eyes followed every movement of her hands, yet he remained still. Watchful. The atmosphere in the car was so thick she could taste it.

Angling toward him, she leaned close, then halted just before their lips met. His parted and his breathing became more audible, but still, he remained motionless. Her lashes lifted to meet his gaze, and she closed the remaining distance between them. Finally, she touched her mouth to his, and it felt just as delicious and right as she’d known it would. Firm lips softened under hers as a sigh ghosted into her mouth, and her hands rose to fist into his shirt. Impatient to taste him, she sucked his full bottom lip into her mouth and bit down gently. His body went rigid under her hands. Thick black lashes slammed down, and a groan rumbled up from deep in his chest.

Releasing his lip, she soothed it with her tongue, then angled her head to kiss his throat. He swallowed convulsively, and she smiled, nuzzling his Adam’s apple as it moved against her mouth. “I want you, Sam. Please don’t make me wait any longer.”

His eyes snapped open, and the hands that had been so fiercely clenched on his thighs buried themselves in her hair. With a gentle tug at odds with the look in his eyes, he guided her face to his, and her body liquefied with need. He stared down at her lips, and she parted them, ready for his kiss, her body swaying instinctively toward him, and then inexplicably he eased back.

Untangling his hands from her hair, he reached over and clicked her seatbelt into place. At her squawk of outrage, he shot her an unsteady grin. “Only one way to get home, brat. No matter how much you tempt me, I refuse to take you in the backseat of a car.”

Lucy slumped back in her seat and fired a death-ray glare at him. “God, Sam. As soon as we get inside your house, you are going to be in so much trouble.”

He lifted his head from clicking in his own seatbelt and stared down at her, his expression as serious as she’d ever seen it. “Don’t I know it.”

Before she could respond, he turned his attention back to the road ahead, pulled out, and put his foot down.