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Mouths met and teeth gnashed in a torrent of passion, fueled by desperation and awareness our time together was running out. We burned through precious seconds tearing off clothing, and then we fell naked on the bed.
Lips mashed and tongues speared in frantic kisses as we roamed our hands over each other. I touched her everywhere, laying claim to the shell of her ear, the slope of her throat, the bones of her shoulder, her breasts, her thighs, the furrow between her legs, her clit, the spot behind her knees, the arch of her foot. Desire had become a joyful pain. Memories of this moment would have to last a lifetime.
I ached to promise her I would return, beg her to wait for me, but too many roadblocks stood between us and a happy ending. The only certainty was uncertainty itself. Upon resuming my mission, anything could happen. If Jodane got an inkling I wasn’t who I pretended to be or that Tempest might be alive, another enforcer would rectify the situation. Premature death wasn’t part of my life plan, but it could happen.
Make this afternoon count, she had urged. I intended to do so.
I focused on her, reveled in her, lost myself in her. Found myself in her.
I kissed her deep and hard, and she hugged my neck, moving against me. I felt the wetness of tears slip from her eyes, tasted the saltiness as they trickled into our kiss. “Ah, Tempest, don’t cry, don’t cry,” I murmured.
“I’m not,” she said, burying her face against my neck.
We both needed the lie.
Our mouths mashed before I broke away to capture her nipple then press my lips to her tummy before moving lower. She arched and dug her fingers into my scalp as I teased her to the edge of ecstasy. Then we rocked together with bittersweet passion, our hips thrusting harder and faster, until rapture left no room for grief or lament, and we soared over the pinnacle together.
Sweaty, gasping, we clung to one together.
I’ll find you. When all this is over, wherever you are, I’ll find you. I couldn’t even promise her that. Nobody could make somebody disappear like C-Force could. Once she got assigned a new identity, Tempest would cease to exist. Despite my exceptional hacking skills, I wouldn’t be able to find her. Only her handler would know who and where she was.
As our skin cooled and breathing normalized, we rekindled the flames of passion, making love slowly this time, but no less desperately, claiming every last touch, every last second.
We were tangled in the sheets, resting when a ping shot into my brain from Tempest’s comm device. I brought you a replacement RTC, said Breeze’s C-Force assistant Stephanie.
Shit! I rubbed my eyelids. Already? I’d hoped we’d have more time.
“What’s wrong?” Tempest lifted her head from my shoulder.
“The RTC is here.” When I’d asked Quint to send another hovercraft, I hadn’t counted on him sending personnel, too. We could have tarried longer if Stephanie hadn’t arrived. “We have to go,” I told Tempest and shot a reply to Stephanie. This is Bane. We’ll be down shortly. Why are you here? The RTC flew on autopilot. It could have been programmed and sent to me. What necessitated personal delivery?
Quint sent me. I’ll explain when you come down.
Tempest rolled out of bed. “Do I have time to shower?”
“We’ll make time,” I said. The musk of sex hung the air.
We collected and packed our stuff, and then Tempest showered first while I notified the front desk I’d be checking out. Then I hopped in the shower.
I insisted she wear my heavy jacket with the hood up in case someone happened to be loitering in the lobby, although all the travelers should have cleared out.
I grabbed our bags, and we left the suite.
The lobby and front desk were vacant, and we scooted unseen through the vestibule and out the door.
Sand still drifted against the building and the perimeter wall. We followed the narrow, winding path to the hovercraft area. Sweeper bots valiantly scurried around, bulldozing sand through the open gate. Mounds had been cratered, indicating remaining travelers had departed in their hovercrafts. A lone RTC sat in the lot. Arms folded, Stephanie Milner leaned against the vehicle.
“Stephanie...what are you doing here?” Tempest furrowed her brow and glanced at me, and I realized I failed to mention Breeze’s assistant would be accompanying us.
The female cyborg shoved off from the vehicle. “Change in orders.” She glanced around. “Must have been quite a storm. You’re lucky you didn’t crash for real.”
“What change in orders?” I asked.
“I’m supposed to escort Tempest to Città while you go back to the crash scene. Quint says local authorities discovered something suspicious.”
“It’s supposed to be suspicious! It exploded.” I glowered. I didn’t see the necessity for my presence. Hanging around the staged crime scene, jumping in with suggestions on what authorities “should” be looking for would raise suspicions and draw unwanted attention. Better they discover what happened on their own. But I also resisted going because I hated to lose these last few hours with Tempest. They were all I had left!
Stephanie raised her hands in surrender. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m passing on what I was told. If you have issues, take it up with Quint.”
I sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Of course, I would do anything to ensure everything went well. Tempest’s life depended on it.
“Quint has dispatched another hovercraft for you. It will arrive soon.” Stephanie flexed her shoulders. “We should get going. It’s not safe for her to remain out in the open like this.”
Stephanie was right, damn her. Although most likely nobody would fly in, somebody could.
And damn her for being here at all when I need to say goodbye.
“I’ll see you before you leave for Earth, won’t I?” Worry glinted in Tempest’s eyes.
“Wild horses and sandstorms couldn’t keep me away. I’ll wrap up whatever is going on at the crash site and then haul ass to Città.”
“I love it when you go all cowboy.”
I stowed her bag on the rear seat of the RTC.
“So, I guess, I’ll uh, see you later then,” she said.
“Yes.”
Stephanie had picked up on the chemistry; she developed a sudden fascination for sweeper bots, thoughtfully granting us an illusion of privacy.
I pulled Tempest close and kissed her. Our lips clung, and I swept my tongue in her mouth in a long and slow goodbye.
Then she broke away and climbed into the RTC. Stephanie saluted with a jaunty wave and got in on the other side. Hatches closed, and the RTC fired up. I followed it as it rolled out the gate.
Outside the compound, it shot into the sky. I watched until it shrank to a speck and then vanished altogether.
