Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(68)
Author: Gena Showalter

Now or never, I supposed. I braced myself for a major freak-out, fingers clutching the edge of the mattress. "Well, you kinda sorta just met – " my shoulders hunched, as though trying to protect my vital organs " – Memory Man."

Rome’s mouth dropped open, and I suspected he’d been rendered speechless. For a long while, he just stared over at me in astonishment. Finally, a stunned "Let me get this straight" emerged from him.

Oh, no. He was using the voice. The one that proclaimed trouble was on the way.

"You trusted a known enemy, someone who helped destroy my life and yours, to save my life. More than that, you trusted a known enemy, someone who helped destroy your life, with your goddamn life. " I gave a weak nod. "Yes, that about sums it up." As I spoke, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket.

Rome took a step toward me, but I held up one finger as I moved the phone to my ear. "Hang on a sec.

This could be important."

His eyes bugged. To my surprise, though, he did stop in his tracks.

"This is Belle."

"Hey, Viper."

"Tanner?" My lips curled into a wide smile, and my gaze met Rome’s. He was still frowning, more fiercely than before, so I turned my back on him.

"The one and only. How are you?"

"Don’t tell him where we are," Rome said, clearly still pissed.

I ignored him, gasping in excitement. Tanner sounded normal, as if he’d never been hurt, never scared ten years off my life. "Who cares about me? Oh my God. How are you? I hated leaving you, I hope you know that, but I – "

"Stop. You did the right thing. Besides, guilt isn’t a pretty emotion on you."

"Have I told you recently that I love you? So really, how are you? When’d you wake up? Tell me everything." I could feel Rome’s gaze boring into me, probing deep. Imagining strangling me? "No matter how long it takes."

A growl escaped Rome.

"I woke up yesterday, and I’ve grown stronger by the minute," Tanner said. "Word is Sherridan and Lexis have been taken by Desert Slut, and that Rome found where she’s hiding them."

"What? He knows?" I whipped around, glaring. "You know where the girls are?"

"Not me," Tanner said as Rome nodded. Without guilt, the jerk.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" I demanded.

"I just did," Tanner said, confused.

"Not you," I told him. "Are they okay?" I asked Rome.

He shrugged, his expression growing weary. "Sherridan’s been experimented on. She’s not doing so well. Lexis is locked inside a cage. She’s been pushed around a little because she refuses to answer their questions."

My stomach cramped painfully. No. No, no, no. I stood. "We’ve got to get them. Like, now." Rome shook his head as Tanner said, "John doesn’t want you to go after Desert Skank until I get there."

"Why?"

"Hello. So you don’t destroy the world. Look, pick me up at PSI’s private little airstrip in the morning.

And don’t tell me where you are now," he said, echoing Rome’s earlier words. "John doesn’t want anyone to know. Just in case. Once we’re together, we’ll go kick some Desert Bitch ass." Desert Bitch, the elusive enemy. So far, I’d still had no real contact with her, yet she’d managed to wreak havoc on my life. My friends’ lives. It was time to take her down! "I’m controlling my powers." Kind of. "I can do this. I know I can. Just tell me where they are, and I’ll go get them now." Waiting might kill me.

Again, Rome shook his head.

"I wasn’t talking to you," I snapped.

"I want them safe just as much as you do," he replied, "but I saw the compound they’re in. Cody e-mailed pictures. We can’t save them alone, Belle. There’s just too much security. If we tried to do an extraction, we could be captured ourselves, and then what good would we be to them?" Exasperated, I threw my free arm in the air. At least Cody seemed to be on our side still. "You think adding Tanner into the equation – sorry, Crazy Bones – will mean the difference between victory and defeat?"

"Well, I am pretty powerful," Tanner said.

I rolled my eyes. Clearly Elaine hadn’t drained his giant ego.

"He’s not the only one on the way," Rome said.

"What’s more," Tanner added – God, I was being double-teamed – "John took care of the rat. Reese, the scrim, is caged. You’d have thought the world had ended, the way the female – and some of the male – agents acted when they learned the truth. Oh, and by the way. You had several messages at home from wedding people. I took care of things, though, and told them the whole thing was off. You’re welcome. And listen, I’ve got a surprise for you. You’re gonna like it. See ya." He didn’t give me time to reply. The line went dead.

I stared at my phone for a moment. That little shit! Just then, it was easy to forget how glad I was that he’d recovered. I’d known the wedding was off – for the moment – but keeping the date and rescheduling my appointments had given me hope that it could still happen. Now…

Chin up. He’s still a part of your life, and that’s the important thing.

Suddenly the phone was ripped from my hands and thrown across the room. Startled, jolting, I looked up…up…seeing Rome standing just in front of me. His eyes were still glaring, his mouth still frowning.

"What’d you do – "

His lips mashed down on mine, cutting off my words. His tongue thrust deep, his arms banding around me and jerking me into the hard length of his body. He had an erection.

I gasped in shock, and his tongue thrust even deeper. For a minute – an hour? – I enjoyed him, reveling in his touch, his taste, his heat. He was everything I’d ever wanted for myself – strong and courageous, passionate and loyal. He was my past, and once again, for this moment, he was my future.

So used to holding him, my arms reached up of their own accord, sliding up his roped chest. My fingers traced circles around his tiny, hardened ni**les before continuing their journey and tangling in his hair.

"What brought this on?" I asked, breathless.

"You. Need."

"We shouldn’t." Oh, that was painful to say.

"Should." He licked the seam of my lips. "We can’t have you worrying about Tanner the entire night."

"But you don’t remember me, and I’m determined to resist you until you do." Wasn’t I? Who knew anymore.

He pulled back, only a whisper away. "Resist later," he said fiercely. "I want you so badly. I need you. I don’t need my memories for that. Even without them, I hate it when other men look at you with desire in their eyes. I want to kill Memory Man. I still want to kill Tanner. He finds too many excuses to touch you. My mind may not know you, Belle Jamison, but every part of my body recognizes you as mine." Mine.