Page 20 of Cast in Shadow
Which meant she had to get to one of her safe houses because if T wasn’t behind this, then it could be devastating for both of them.
She tapped away at the keys, verifying her digital lurkers continued to run like a finely oiled machine, and considered her options. Slipping away wasn’t feasible. Her sexy mercenary was too alert, and physically, she needed another day or two to recover before she struck out on her own. For now, playing the role of the reluctant but resigned package was the way to go.
Aggie closed the lid of her laptop and yawned. She was tired and sore, but at least she was clean, well fed, and for the moment, safe. Clutching her laptop to her chest as if it were a teddy bear, she turned on her side—the one with the least amount of aches and pains—and tried to get some sleep.
She managed an hour, maybe two, before something woke her. She remained still, opening her eyes and ears and listening intently. The room was dark, but she sensed movement. She wasn’t alone, and it took her a moment to remember why.
“Relax,” said a deep voice from over by the window. “It’s just me.”
“How did you know I was awake?”
His response was a soft chuckle, one that made her shiver—and not in a bad way. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel his eyes on her. Despite being under the covers, she felt exposed. And oddly aroused.
“Right,” she breathed, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the mattress, irritated with herself.
Finding him attractive was one thing. Dreaming about him and enjoying the feel of his eyes on her were another.
So irritated was she that she forgot to factor the soreness of her twisted ankle when she put both feet on the floor and tried to take a step. She grunted and lurched forward ... right into a hard, shirtless body. Strong arms gripped hers, sending rippling tingles ghosting over her skin.
“Easy there.”
“I’m fine.” She pushed him away and limped to the bathroom with gritted teeth, relying on memory with her arms stretched out in front of her. She didn’t bother turning on the light. She knew where everything was.
When she reemerged a short while later, the room was still mostly dark, but he’d moved the shade slightly to the side. A small amount of light filtered into the room, allowing her to make it to the bed without further incident. Once between the sheets, Aggie caught sight of his outline by the window briefly before the shade closed and the room was once again enveloped in blackness.
She listened. Heard nothing from within the room, only muted sounds from outside.
“Is Zeke your real name?”
A hesitation and then, “Yes.”
“So, what are you anyway? Green Beret? SEAL? MARSOC?”
“None of those things,” he said quietly.
“But you were, weren’t you?”
His silence was as good as a confirmation.
“What happened?”
“Go back to sleep. We leave first thing in the morning.”
If he thought his nonanswers would dissuade her from wanting to discover more, he was mistaken. She was more intrigued than ever.
“What about you?” she pressed. “Shouldn’t you get some rest too? Assuming you’ll be doing the driving, that is. I can sleep in the car, but you need to stay alert, especially since you’re the only one who knows where we’re going. It’d be a shame to go through all this just to wind up wrapped around a tree because you dozed off.”
A snort.
“I promise I won’t try to escape tonight,” she added softly. “Get some rest, okay?”
A sigh. Then the barely imperceptible shift of air and the sound of him settling onto the other bed.
She smiled into the darkness, surprised that he’d acquiesced so easily. Maybe there was hope for him yet.
Aggie didn’t think she’d be able to fall back asleep right away. Her mind was whirling with thoughts of the mysterious man she was sharing a hotel room with. Who was he? What was his backstory? What had made him become what he was?
And why did she feel this instant, annoying attraction to him?
