Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(73)
Author: Gena Showalter

Desert Gall couldn’t see him, and he quickly dropped his arm and escorted her from the room, promising her he’d find and deliver me.

My brow wrinkled in confusion. "What does that mean? He’ll meet with us in two nights? He’s going to act against her in two minutes?"

Rome jacked to his feet. "We’ve got to get Tanner." Dread dripped from his tone. "I’ll explain on the way."

Chapter Twenty-Three

Apparently, two fingerswith a thumb in the middle was a code between Cody and Rome. Not for peace, as I’d kind of hoped, but for something terrible about to go down. His fingers had formed a K for Catastrophe, even though the word started with a C (as I’d pointed out). That was the beauty of the code, Rome said, as if I lacked the sense to tie my own shoes.

I figured that’s why Cody had helped Desert Gall track us. To warn us of this impending Katastrophe – or paraster (paranormal disaster), as I liked to say – as well as stay in her good graces and prove his worth, his trustworthiness.

What was about to go down, though, Rome didn’t know.

All I knew was that I’d never seen him this frightened. Yes, frightened. Whereas for once, I, Little Miss Icebox, had my fear under control. Don’t get me wrong; I was scared. Scared out of my freaking mind, but I wasn’t letting it rule me this time. Or maybe I had more control because Rome was filtering for me again. Either way, Sherridan and my team needed me, and I would not fail them.

"How you doing?" Rome asked me as we exited the bus we’d just spent half an hour bumping around on. We’d had to wait for it for several hours, hiding all the while, but finally morning had arrived, followed quickly by the bus. Things no longer seemed at a standstill.

I luxuriated in the chilled, fresh air, the cloying scent of mingling perfumes fading, and yawned. God, I was tired. Wait. Didn’t I owe Rome a response? How was I doing, he’d wanted to know. "Good." Rome yawned, too. "Let me know if that changes."

"You better believe I will."

"Good," he said.

We walked another half hour before he phoned John and gave him our location, certain we weren’t being tailed. Ten minutes later, a car picked us up in front of an abandoned, wood-slats-over-the-windows home. The driver didn’t speak to us, didn’t really even look at us.

It was another fifteen minutes before we reached the airstrip. At least there were no incidents along the way. However, we beat Tanner’s plane, which meant more endless minutes to wade through. Hello, new standstill.

Or not. "Sponge-bath time," I muttered. "Where’s the nearest bathroom?"

"Down the hall, to the right. I’ll be there in a minute," Rome said, turning his back to me to talk to a man I didn’t recognize.

"Uh, no, you won’t."

Silence. He didn’t even flick me a glance.

I took that for agreement and strode the length of the hall. The bathroom was spacious, better than I’d expected, with white tiles and chrome facets. In fact, rather than cleaning up in a sink, I would get to use a wide shower stall with a dark privacy screen.

Since PSI owned this little building, John must have made sure his agents had the proper facilities. I wondered if all the airstrips they owned – and there were a lot, since they had one in every major city – were like this.

I locked the door, stripped in record time and climbed inside. As the water hit me, I was able to relax, really relax, and not worry about a bad guy busting in on me. More than having all the amenities, the airstrip was heavily guarded. We’d passed two security stations on the way in.

Except…Rome sat on top of the closed toilet lid when I emerged on a steam cloud, holding a bundle of clothes. I gave a startled gasp, hand fluttering to my chest.

"You’ve got to stop sneaking up on me!" I was totally buying the vicious dog I’d threatened him with when we returned home. Barking might just save me from a heart attack. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around myself. "Any more of this, and the bad guys won’t need to kill me. You’ll have done it for them."

He rolled his eyes. "Clearly I didn’t really scare you, since you haven’t turned me into an iceberg. We’ll be contacted when Tanner’s plane lands, so…" He was dressed in all black again. His hair was damp, slicked back from his face. We’d both had a shower last night, yes (and had fun while doing so), but we’d also scaled a building and run for our lives since then.

"What? You’re staring," I said, even though I was the true culprit in that department.

"I know," he replied, taking the blame. Or had he been doing so, too? Score! His gaze raked me, hot, intense. "Of all the outfits I’ve seen you in, excluding the glistening skin you wore while showering with me, this has to be my favorite. White terry cloth, nothing underneath." My heartbeat sped into supernova. "We’re not having sex again," I blurted. "Not until our friends are safe and sound and you, like, love me again. Because the more I’m with you, the more I love you, and I hate, hate being the only one emotionally involved."

"Fine," he said.

I blinked in surprise, a little disappointed he hadn’t made a declaration of undying love then and there.

Anything for nookie, right? "Come again?"

"I said fine. No sex." He stood. "Like you, I’m too concerned. My daughter’s mother is out there, and disaster’s on its way. Top that off with fatigue and a shitty mood and I’m just bad company right now.

But since we’re stuck here, I’m going to do what’s most beneficial to our team."

"And that is?" Whatever he was doing, I was doing it, too. Except for sex, of course.

"Rest. With you. We’re not going to do anyone any good if we collapse again, and I’ll sleep better if you’re close."

Rest sounded…heavenly, I realized, yawning again. I’d only had a few hours’ sleep myself the past few days and my adrenaline levels had been up and down so much I had whiplash.

"Lead the way," I said.

He handed me the clothes he’d brought for me. "Get dressed or I’ll forget why I don’t want to have sex."

"Fine." I dropped the towel.

His animal gave a quiet snarl.

His eyes bored into me, burning me, as I strapped on my weapons, then dressed. Wicked me, I took my time, hoping to remind him of the many other times I’d done this for him.

"Gonna be uncomfortable," he said, motioning to where one of the knives protruded.

"I know." I sauntered to his side. He had an erection, and he didn’t try to hide it.

"This way." He wrapped his arm around my waist.

I was shivering, and it had nothing to do with being cold, as he ushered me down the hall and into a bedroom. A full-size bed, brown comforter, no other furnishings. Strictly for resting between jobs or flights, I guess.