Mr. Accidental Rival_Jet City Matchmaker Series_Cam

by Gina Robinson

  “Do I? We’ll see about that.” I flashed him a flirty look. “Is it too early to head to the next stop in our mission?”

  He looked at his phone and consulted his GPS. “We have to head back to the city for the next leg. If we take it slow, we’ll get there right on time.”

  I would take it slow with him. Fast with him. Soft and tender with him. Sex was quite evidently on my brain. And his. I took his hand. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  I resisted the urge to pepper him with questions about our next destination, wondering where the next stop in this adventure would be and where it would ultimately end. What else had I put on my survey for Ashley?

  An hour later, we pulled in front of another average-looking building. But I knew this place by reputation. Some of my friends had gone on dates here.

  Cam turned to me. “This is your last chance to escape. For the next hour, at least. If you’re going to make a break for it, you’d better run.”

  I clapped. “An escape room! I love escape rooms. I’ve been wanting to try this place.” I gave Cam mental points for choosing a fun and romantic date.

  I opened the car door and slid out. The only downside of an escape room was that we probably wouldn’t be alone. The rooms were usually open to up to eight people, and they liked to fill the spots. Working with others made the chances of a successful escape more likely. By this point, all I wanted to do was be alone with Cam. Intimacy in conversation, tastes, and eating were all very nice. But I longed for physical intimacy with him in a way I hadn’t thought possible.

  Before he could get out of the car, he received a text. He looked at it and held up a finger. “One second. I have to answer this and pass along my good news.” His thumbs flew. He sent the text and slid out of the car as I studied the outside of the building.

  “I haven’t been to this escape room,” I said. “It has two adventures, doesn’t it?”

  “Three.” He took my hand and laced his fingers through mine. “I hope I booked the right one.”

  I grabbed his arm. “Nothing horror. I hate horror. Barring that, I’m up for anything.”

  “I know.” He kissed me lightly. “But do you believe in magic?”

  “More and more each day.” Which was so true since I’d met him. “I haven’t heard of a magic escape room here?” Not that I paid that close attention, but I was usually up on things.

  “Good. It’s top secret and under construction. We’re going to be one of the first people to try it out. Beta testers. It doesn’t open to the public for another couple of weeks.” He led me toward the entrance. “A friend of mine is the designer of the game for the room. He’s a local video game designer. One of the most creative—and lucky—guys I know. We all envy him.”

  “Wow.” Not erudite, but it expressed my feelings pretty well. I was impressed. And excited on so many levels. “A virgin escape room.”

  “How many escape rooms have you played?” Cam held the door open for me.

  “About a dozen.” I stepped into the lobby. “I like to play them wherever I go on vacation.”

  “So do I.”

  “I knew there was a reason I like you.” I rubbed his arm and pulled close to him. “How many have you played?”

  He hesitated and got a guilty look on his face. “A few more than you have.”

  “Cam?”

  “Toria?”

  “How many more?”

  “About fifty.”

  “Wow.” I shook my head. “I’m going to have to stop saying that. But I’m impressed.”

  “That you’re with a first-class nerd?”

  “Yeah. About that.”

  He grinned. We walked toward the front desk.

  “With all that practice, you must be good,” I said.

  “I have my strengths,” he said. “But I usually play with the guys. We make a good team. We know our roles.”

  “Maybe this will push you out of your comfort zone and you’ll discover a new strength or two.”

  “We can hope.”

  “I like playing with experienced players. As long as they’re not cocky or bossy. Too many leaders—”

  “Are you a leader, too?”

  “What do you think?”

  “You’re so damned cute, I’ll let you lead.” He paused. “This time.”

  “This time. Right. I’ll show you who’s boss.” I punched the air playfully. “We’re going to win this thing!”

  “Excitement and enthusiasm—my two favorite assets in a partner.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet. Who else is playing with us? Some of your friends?”

  “It’s just you and me today, baby.” He raised his eyebrows.

  “What? Get out of here.” I shoved him playfully. “Just the two of us are supposed to solve the puzzle of a new room designed by a top video game designer?”

  “That’s the size of it.” His eyes sparkled with amusement.

  I pursed my lips. “I’m not big into gaming, but I play a bit. Have I played any of his games?”

  “Undoubtedly,” Cam said.

  “That popular, is he?” I studied Cam for a clue. “Are you going to tell me his name and the games he’s developed?”

  “Maybe later,” Cam said.

  “Give me a hint, at least?” I put on a pitiful, helpless look.

  Cam was onto me. He shook his head. “It’ll be more fun if you’re playing blind.” He led me to the reception desk.

  The receptionist greeted us. Cam gave her our names. She took us to the introduction room.

  Escape room adventures are a bit like video games come to life. They all begin with a safety video. The good ones are like a mini-movie and very clever and in theme with the room. They go through the usual rules—No cameras, cell phones, or electronic devices allowed in the rooms. Lockers are provided for your valuables. You can collect them again at the end of the game.

  No filming or picture taking. No posting spoilers. Feel free to play with the props, but please don’t abuse or break them. You’re allowed x number of hints. There’s a panic button if you suddenly need to exit the room. Push it and a staff member will let you out. You have so many minutes to complete your adventure. Don’t feel bad if you don’t escape. The journey is the fun of it.

  The receptionist opened the door to the introduction room. “Take any seat. Enjoy your adventure. And we’d appreciate any feedback.” She stepped back to let us pass, closing the door when we were in.

  The introduction room was decorated like the anteroom to a medieval castle, which was my first clue to the type of magical adventure. The room had eight plush, reclining theater seats in two rows of four, and a large viewing screen. We took seats center stage in the front row. The lights dimmed. The safety video began—a Merlin lookalike ran us through the rules. It was a beautiful video. Compelling and theatrical.

  When it ended, I rubbed my hands together. “That wizard was great. That’s the best safety video I’ve seen.”

  “That was one of the best I’ve seen, too. Be sure to put that on the feedback card,” he said. “I’ll let my friend know. He’ll be delighted. He’s a perfectionist. I have high hopes for this room.”

  The lights came on and a locker magically opened along the wall to our right. We looked at each other, shrugged, and loaded our phones and my purse into it.

  Cam studied it a minute, not shutting it yet. “Someone has to be monitoring us and tripped the digital lock when the video ended.”

  “A good magician would know our every move,” I said. “He’d have a crystal ball or some sort of magical viewing thingy.”

  “Thingy? Is that a technical term?”

  “Highly technical.”

  Cam hugged me. “What do you think happens when we shut the locker?”

  I pointed to the authentic-looking medieval castle door in the middle of the wall. It was large and wooden, with forged iron hinges. Sturdy. Ready to storm.

  I put my hand on the locker door over Cam’s. “L
et’s give it a try. Open sesame.”

  In unison, we slammed the locker door. Simultaneously, the room went dark. An owl screeched and flew overhead. The walls became a dark forest. The scent of pine and moist earth filled the room. A moon rose on the horizon, shining its light on the door. And a battering ram rolled toward us.

  “I didn’t expect that.” I looked at Cam, my eyes trying to adjust to the dark.

  He bent to pick up the battering ram. “I’ll take the rear. You take the front.” He sized it up. “Eight people could fit along this. Let’s hope it’s not as heavy as it looks.”

  I took up my end. The battering ram was surprisingly light for its size, probably made of fiberglass. The two of us lifted and held it easily. We stood there grinning with anticipation at each other—until a mechanical wolf howled and appeared at the edge of the dark forest, baring its teeth at us.

  “Time to get the hell out of here. On three.” Cam positioned the ram. “One. Two.” He made a final adjustment. “Three!”

  We charged the door, laughing. It opened for us with much less resistance than we expected, sending us tumbling into the room. The ram slid out of my arms, clattered, and rolled away. I landed on my butt.

  When I looked up, Cam stood over me, his hand extended, the sweetest look of concern on his face. “You okay?”

  I nodded. I am now, I thought. There was something hot and exciting about having a man concerned for my safety and ready to protect me again, even if it was only from a mechanical wolf and an embarrassing fall. I took his hand, feeling the fire of his touch race through me as he pulled me to my feet. I tumbled into his hard chest, bracing myself and looking up into his eyes.

  He pressed me against him. “Looks like we left the Big Bad Wolf out in the cold.”

  “Did we? Darn. I was kind of hoping for a big, bad wolf in here.”

  His eyes grew large. All the better to see me with. He devoured me with a lusty look. The best was yet to come.

  The neigh of a horse startled us apart, almost guiltily. If someone was watching us, they probably got a big kick out of our reaction. I took his hand. We gaped at the space round us and the closed door behind us.

  “We’re in a castle courtyard,” Cam said, his face alight with excitement. “Damn, I love medieval stuff.”

  “And it’s magically daylight inside here.”

  Off in the distance, beyond the walls, you could see rolling hills projected so skillfully that the effect was 3D. The door to the castle keep was in front of us.

  Cam pointed to it. “How do we open that magnificent door and get into the keep? Do you think we have to use magical means or physical force?”

  “You left out superior intelligence.”

  The way he smiled back at me sent my pulse racing. A safe kind of danger. Heavy attraction. And pure fun. I was already high on adrenaline.

  I turned to Cam. “How do you want to attack this? With just two of us, it’s going to be a challenge.”

  He looked around the room, slowly studying it. “It looks like there are three puzzles we need to solve before being let into the next room.” He pointed to them in turn. “And the room is nonlinear. Which I would expect from my friend.”

  “Oh, so you have the advantage. That’s not fair.”

  “Someone has to.”

  The room looked old like a weathered courtyard, but smelled new, except for the occasional bursts of essence of manure that came from a robotic horse tethered nearby. The floor was covered with straw. The sounds of horses and cattle emanated from hidden speakers. A blacksmith’s tent and forge sat in the middle of the room, strewn with horseshoes, utensils, and a rack of keys hanging from a stand.

  “We need a key for the door, but that’s too obvious. We could try every key.” I pointed to them. “But there are thousands. It could take us the entire hour to find the right one. Unless we get incredibly lucky—”

  He grinned lecherously and squeezed my hand.

  I laughed. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.” And neither was I. I intended to flirt with him, tease him, and intrigue him until he was absolutely wild with desire. As wild as I was for him. I wanted our first time to be as magical this place was. “I think our only real hope of success is solving the puzzles.”

  “I agree,” Cam said, managing to sound both resigned and excited by the thought. “I’m supposed to poke at everything. I’ve tested video games for my friend. I have a reputation for breaking things and finding glitches no one else does.”

  “That’s some reputation to live up to.” I ran my finger along his arm. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

  “It would help my other reputation if you were.” His tone was full of innuendo. He studied the room. “Impressive. Like being in a movie. Scarily realistic for an escape room.”

  “Do you recognize it from any of his games?” I asked. It was a long shot, but…

  “No.” Cam was excited. He was poised to act. “He wouldn’t have put me in here if I had. He wants a fresh look, and I want a fresh challenge.”

  And I wanted him.

  We marveled at the room. I cleared my throat to break the silence. “In my experience, the best place to start is with searching the room. We collect all the relics, anything we think will be useful, and put them here.” I pointed to a table by the forge. “I’ll double-check your search. You double-check mine so we don’t miss anything.”

  “You know your escape room tactics. We make a great team.” He looked at me with admiration. And blatant lust.

  I almost blushed beneath his admiring look. “I certainly hope so.”

  He pulled me into a passionate kiss. I opened my mouth to him and slid my tongue in to dance with his, sucking and playing, taking the lead. I wasn’t a shrinking violet or medieval maid. I was fully a twenty-first-century woman with fire racing through me.

  Reluctantly, we broke the kiss, breathing shallowly and excitedly. Our eyes were round and full of each other.

  Damn the game. I could have kissed him forever in that courtyard, with his friend, in all likelihood, watching on a secret camera in a control room somewhere. The last thought was somewhat sobering. But in the state I was in, did little to cool my excitement.

  I pulled away from him. “Keep that up and we’ll never get into the castle and out of this adventure.”

  “Would that be so bad?” He pulled my hips against him, bringing me back in contact with his enticingly hard body.

  “Your friend might think so,” I said. “Do you think he’s watching?”

  “Scary thought.”

  “Imagine the headline—beta-testing couple disappear in escape room, never to come out.”

  “If he’s watching, he’d drop us a clue before that happened.”

  “No clues.” I shook my head vehemently. “I have a competitive streak no one messes with. No one gets the best of me. No one.”

  “Is that a challenge?” His voice was seductive. “I’d like to be the first.”

  I kissed him again quickly, just enough to tease him. “Bring it on. Now, are we going to defeat this room or not?”

  “Defeat isn’t an option. The question is—how fast do we win?”

  I nodded. “We need a strategy. We need to play to our strengths and not duplicate efforts or waste time. I’m good with puns and word games.” I pointed to a scribe’s table sitting in another tent next to the blacksmith’s. “I’ll start there and see what I can find. What’s your strength?”

  “I’m damned good with math and decoding secret messages.” He pointed to the blacksmith’s tent. “I’ll start there. I see a puzzle. With luck, it will point us to the right key.”

  I was good under pressure. It took a lot to rattle me. Cam was the exception. The difference was that I liked the way he unsettled me. Before attempting our puzzles, we searched the space, found half a dozen items that looked like promising clues, and dumped them on the forge. I retreated to the scribe’s table and Cam to the blacksmith’s. When I solved it, my clue
pointed to a particular row of keys in the blacksmith’s shop. The solution to Cam’s puzzle was the number three. There were three old-fashioned keys on one peg in the row. The bow of one of the keys was shaped like a heart, one had a beautiful filigree bow, and one was plain.

  “Which one?” I asked Cam.

  “It won’t take long to try them all.” He grabbed all three.

  We tried the plain key first and got lucky—it unlocked the door. Cam stuck the other two keys in his pocket.

  The next room was more challenging. It was the great hall of the keep, with a huge fireplace full of logs and a gas fire. We had to solve several more challenging puzzles that led to the discovery of a trapdoor in the stone floor, hidden by a thick throw rug. One of the solutions was the combination on the floor lock. Cam worked the lock and opened the trap door. A ladder led into a dark chamber below.

  He squatted and peeked into it. “A dungeon, I think.” He looked up at me. “Are you game?”

  “Do I have any choice?” I put my hand on his shoulder and peered past him into the darkness below.

  “I’ll go first.” He prepared to drop onto the ladder.

  “Wait.” I bent and kissed him. “For luck.”

  *

  The third room was darker than the first two, and not just in lighting. It was a dungeon filled with implements of medieval torture: the rack, an iron chair, a Judas cradle, saws, and an executioner’s axe and block. This one had added hints of animal sacrifice. Magic always has a price.

  Sounds of scurrying rats, moaning, and dripping water filled the dimness. I’m a coward when it comes to torture, even fake stuff, so I was happy to let Cam take the lead while I held his hand and tried not to scream at the things that popped up at us, trying to scramble our thinking. I was also happy, when the time came and the clues pointed to it, to let him stick his hand into the executioner’s basket, pull out a severed head, and remove the final clue we needed from beneath it.

  The clock was ticking. He took my hand and read the clue to himself. “Sorry about this room. Let’s get out of here.” He led me through a dark tunnel, rolled a rock away from what looked like the entrance to a cave, and pulled me through.

  As soon as we were in the room, the entrance closed behind us and disappeared as if it had never existed. The final room was lighter than the rest and shaped like a globe with a domed ceiling and mirrorlike walls, floor, and ceiling. There was no visible exit anywhere. Magical was the only word I could think of to describe it.