Reluctantly, he lightened the kiss, nipping at her bottom lip before releasing it and putting a little space between them. During their embrace her towel had slipped and her breasts were on display. Her nipples were distended with desire and a slight pink hue kissed the top of her décolletage. They were ripe, ready and waiting for him to sample, but he controlled himself.
Gently he pulled the towel up and covered her. When he met her eyes the confusion shining in them cut deep.
“You don’t know how much I want to sample every single millimeter of your body, Sam. I want to so bad.”
“Then why don’t you? I want you too, Beck.”
Beck reached out and cupped the back of her head, the damp strands of her hair sticking to his palm. “I’m here to do a job. And my job is to protect you and keep you safe. Not seduce you when you’re vulnerable.”
Sam shook out of his hold and let her go. “There you go again thinking I’m too what? Naïve? Weak? I know what I want.” Her fingers pulled at the towel and let the fabric drop. It slithered to the carpet in a whisper of pale green material. His throat dried at the sight of her naked body. Her lush breasts were the perfect size for his hand. Her waist nipped in slightly and her hips were softly rounded and he could imagine his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her ass as he drove into her.
“Well guess what, now you’re missing out on this.” She waved a hand down her body, like the hostesses on game shows when showing a prize.
Again she turned and stalked back into the bathroom, the door slamming behind her.
“Fuck,” he ground out and brought his clenched fists to his eyes, not to scrub away the image of Sam’s naked body, but to imprint it on his mind.
After a few seconds he dropped his hands and walked out of her room. Beck had to remove himself from the temptation of striding into the bathroom and finishing what they’d started.
Sometimes being the good guy sucked balls.
7
Beck’s phone rang just as he managed to fall asleep. After he’d left Sam’s room he’d gone back downstairs and taken pictures of the doll in preparation to send to Ash and Fort the next day. He grabbed a garbage bag from the kitchen and placed the box inside, being careful to keep from obscuring any chance of picking up prints from the offending item. Of course, the guards at the guardhouse had had their hands all over it, so the chances of them being able to pull a decent print from the box was minimal.
Once he’d got to his bedroom, every time he closed his eyes his mind replayed the kisses he and Sam had shared and then the image of her naked body had his own standing to attention. Even jacking off hadn’t lessened his desire for her.
Grabbing his phone off the bedside table he saw Ash’s name on the screen and connected the call. “Ash, it’s fucking four am here. At least I sent you a text instead of waking you.”
Ash chuckled down the line. “Sorry, Beck, but I have an early meeting and didn’t want to wait until after it had finished to call you. From the tone of your text it seemed important that I call you as soon as possible.”
Beck sat up in bed, he scrubbed a hand down his face. “Yeah, it’s fine. I wasn’t really sleeping anyway.”
“So what’s going on?”
“Whoever is after Sam has escalated their actions. She got another threatening text message as well as a delivery last night.”
“I’m guessing from your tone, the delivery wasn’t a bouquet of flowers.”
“No it wasn’t. But I only want to explain the situation once. I spoke to Fort last night and he’s available at eleven west coast time for a conference call. That will be two in the afternoon for you, will that work with you?”
“Let me check.”
Through the phone, Beck could hear the tip tap of a keyboard. “Yeah, that’s fine with me too. Let me get in touch with Ox as well. He’s located an office space and signed a lease. He’s also got a couple of people lined up to join the firm. One of them is a computer whiz. I think it would be best if you went there. Less chance of you being overhead.”
He was glad Ox had found an office space. He hadn’t been able to provide much help after all because of taking the job as Sam’s guard. Not that he minded at all.
It didn’t sit well with him that he’d have to leave Sam vulnerable while he went to the meeting, but he also didn’t want to risk his conversation being overhead. “Yeah, I can make that happen. Text me the address and I’ll get myself there.”
“Sounds good. Talk soon.” Ash disconnected the call and Beck tossed his phone back on the bedside table and collapsed down on his bed. Hopefully he’d be able to get a little shut eye before he had to get up and drive Sam to set.
After the previous evening and their make out session in her bedroom, the morning’s drive was going to be a lot of fun—not.
Beck pulled his car into one of the visitor bays out the front of a glass and chrome office building. By his estimation it was about ten stories high. Ash’s LA counterpart had found some impressive digs to work out of, without his help after all. The good thing was, it wasn’t far from the studio so he hadn’t had to battle LA traffic for hours to get there. At the best, this meeting should take about an hour to an hour and half, so he’d only be away from Sam for about three hours.
As he’d suspected, the drive in had been tense and Sam had only answered him with one syllable words. After a while he’d given up trying to make conversation. But at least he’d gotten her agreement that while he was away from set she wouldn’t go anywhere. Not that she could anyway, they were filming some intense scenes with her character and the aftermath of her rescue.
If he was honest with himself, he was glad he wasn’t there to watch the filming. What little he’d seen that morning had punched him in the gut. Was this how all the victims they rescued felt? Did they go through all the pain and suffering that Sam’s character was?
While he’d been active duty, he hadn’t allowed himself to think too much about the victims they’d rescued. If he had, he probably wouldn’t have been able to keep going. He’d learned to compartmentalize so many things in his life.
Beck opened the door and stepped out, took a deep breath and grimaced. The air in LA was smog filled and unpleasant to breathe in. He missed the fresh sea salt smell of the base. Waking up each morning to that scent had made him feel alive. Perhaps Fort was right, he did need the beach to feel alive.
He batted that thought away, there were beaches on the east coast. He’d find them and make weekend trips once a month to fill his beach well. Life was nothing if a series of adventures and adjustments. Adjusting to the East Coast would be another notch in his life adventures.
Enough, he commanded himself. The most important thing was the here and now, which meant this meeting. Climbing the steps he entered the building and walked over to the elevators. Ash had told him the new offices for Alliez Security was on the second floor. The elevator arrived and he used the short trip to the floor to check his phone for messages. There weren’t any from the studio so he could relax a fraction that everything was fine with Sam.
As he exited on the second, floor he scanned the area, noting where the stairwells were located, smiling when he saw that the office he was about to enter was situated close to one of the exits. Made sense, if they needed to get out quickly they could, without having to wait for an elevator. There was no way Ash would’ve allowed Ox to take an office on a higher floor.
He pulled open the door and Kyle ‘Ox’ Matthews, who was sitting at the reception desk, looked up and smiled. “Hey, Beck.” He stood and walked around to where Beck stood and held out his hand. “Welcome to the new office. Good to see you.”
Beck took the other man’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “Likewise. You doing double duty as receptionist as well as Manager of Alliez Security West Coast?”
Ox laughed. “No, Cass has just gone out to get us coffee. But don’t call her a receptionist. She’s our computer whizz and I don’t want to lose her now that I’ve fo
und her. Until I get all the computers set up, this is her desk. But I’m on the lookout for a good receptionist. You happen to know anyone suitable?”
“Ah no, I don’t, but you can always ask Fort when he calls in. He may know someone on or off base that needs a job.”
“Good stuff. Why don’t you head down the hallway.” He pointed to his left. “The conference room is the last door on the left. Cass shouldn’t be too much longer and then I’ll join you and get the conference call all hooked up.”
Beck nodded and headed off in the direction Ox pointed. For only having signed the lease not long ago, the office looked pretty set up. As he walked into the conference room he whistled low at the high tech equipment in the room. There was a large oval desk with twelve high back leather seats surrounding it. At one end of the room there was a large screen television. On a credenza below it was a myriad of electronic equipment. Resting on the table, at the seat facing screen, was a tablet which Beck assumed controlled everything.
His impression of Ash and Storm’s business grew ten-fold. He hadn’t seen this type of set up in the office in New York but he didn’t doubt it’d be the same as well. The room he’d been in when he’d had his meeting with them had been large, but was probably more a meeting room for new clients. This looked more like a strategy room.
A few moments later, Ox walked in with two coffees in his hand. “I don’t know how you take it, so I got Cass to get you a black one. Milk is in the fridge over there,” he pointed to the corner of the room where the appliance stood. “And I’ll grab some sugar for you.”
“Black’s fine,” Beck commented. When they were out on a mission, black coffee was the way they all drank it. He didn’t think he could have it any other way now.
Ox smiled as if understanding exactly the thoughts going through his mind. “Yeah, I suspected as much. Take a seat, I’ll just get Ash on the line and then if you want to give me Fort’s number I’ll get him as well.”
Beck sat and pulled his phone out, once he found Fort’s number he slid his device toward the other man. The screen flickered to life and a second later Ash filled the screen.
“Morning, Ox. Beck. Have we got Fort on the line as well?”
“I’m just getting in touch with him now,” Ox responded. A dial tone filled the room then the electronic beeps as he dialed the number Beck had given him. He smiled when Fort answered the phone.
“Fort, reporting in.”
“Excellent,” Ash said. “Beck, how about you fill us in on the current status of the case. I’m assuming you sent everyone the pictures you sent me?”
“Yeah.” The screen split into two columns, Ash on one side and the pictures of the doll that had been sent to Sam on the other. “I haven’t shown Sam the doll, she was upset enough with the messages and she guessed the package was for her.”
“Fuck, that’s sick. How did you manage to keep her from seeing the doll? I would’ve thought she would’ve demanded to see the contents,” Fort asked.
“She did, but I also demanded she tell me exactly what was going on. Reliving what she’d been going through was enough to make her forget about wanting to see what was inside the box.” Beck didn’t add that she’d walked away from him because he’d been an asshole to her.
“I’d have probably done the same if someone had sent something like that to Maria,” Ash inserted. “Do you have a plan of action? An idea of what you want to do next?”
“I have a few ideas but I know I’m going to need help.” He turned to look at Ox. “Do you think Cass will be able to trace the origins of the text messages?”
Ox scoffed. “She can do that in her sleep. It’s scary what that woman can do.”
“She sounds like, Tex,” commented Ash.
“Wouldn’t surprise me if they know each other. There aren’t too many people with their skillsets.” Ox shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.
Beck nodded, former SEAL John “Tex” Keegan had a formidable reputation. He’d helped so many teams out with intel that had been valuable and had saved many lives. “Good to know. I’m not sure if I can get Sam’s phone off her for Cass to look into.”
Ox slid a notepad across the table. “She doesn’t need the phone. All she needs is Samantha’s number. She’ll work her magic with that.”
Beck jotted down Sam’s number and passed the pad back. “I’ve got the film set covered, but I would like some extra help. Someone who can slip in and observe things where I can’t. I’ve already been questioned by the director when I’ve disappeared a couple of times. I don’t want to draw too much attention to myself and get myself fired as the special forces consultant.”
“Do you think that’s a possibility?” asked Ash, his eyebrow raised in query.
“I don’t think so, but I would like to keep myself closer to set now that things have escalated. I don’t like being this far away from Sam, knowing she’s vulnerable.”
Ox nodded. “I think I may have someone who can help out. He’s one of the new guys I’ve recruited. He’ll fit right in.”
Ash leaned forward in his chair, Beck noticed his shoulders appeared a little tenser than they were a second ago. “Who are you thinking of?”
Switching his gaze back to Ox, Beck noticed the way the other man shifted in his seat. “Dylan O’Reilly.” Ox held up his hand when it looked like Ash was going to interject. “I know. We had a big discussion about why hiring Irish wouldn’t be a good idea. But, hell, Ash, he was a fucking good Delta.”
“Who was dishonorably discharged. Trouble follows the guy,” grumbled Ash.
“Maybe, but I still stand by my decision to hire Irish.”
Beck watched the exchange with interest, intrigued as to who this Dylan ‘Irish’ O’Reilly was and why Ox was prepared to go against his boss’s wishes.
“You better not make me and Storm regret putting you in charge of this office, Ox.”
“You know I’m damn good at my job. I know people and I think Irish will be a good asset to the team. You have to trust me on this, Ash.”
Ash just grunted and Beck sat back, waiting to see what happens next.
“From what I heard, anybody in the same situation as Irish would’ve done what he’d did. I think there is a lot of stuff that we don’t know. He shouldn’t have been discharged, in my opinion.” Fort’s disembodied voice echoed around the room.
Beck wracked his brain trying to think if he could recall what Fort was talking about. But he drew a blank. Of course, the incident could’ve happened while he was recovering from his injury. “Well, as I’m new to Alliez I’ll trust that you all know what you’re doing. Samantha’s safety is top priority for me.”
Ash nodded “For all of us.”
Samantha was emotionally exhausted. She didn’t think she’d cried so much in her life, even after she had to tell Rayne and Chase that their parents had died. The scenes today had been harrowing but fulfilling at the same time.
She glanced around the set, disappointed to see that Beck wasn’t lurking in the shadows. She knew for a fact that he’d returned from wherever he’d disappeared to earlier.
“Hey, Sam, you wanna go for a drink?” Miles wandered up to her, a look of anticipation on his face.
Damn, she didn’t like to disappoint the guy, but all she wanted to do was go home and collapse. Tomorrow looked like being just as emotionally draining as today had been. “I’m sorry, but I’m exhausted. I just want to sleep for a hundred hours.” Sam plastered a smile on her face.
“Just one quick drink. You deserve it after today. Your scenes were amazing. Come on, Sam. You sure I can’t talk you into one drink?” Miles cajoled, reaching out to run a finger down her arm.
Her skin prickled, not the way it did when Beck touched her, but more in an uncomfortable you’re-in-my-personal-space kind of way. Over the last few days Miles had been getting more and more into her personal space. She didn’t even know why he kept coming to set, his part in the film was over. His character had died when she
’d been rescued. The fact no one was saying anything about it surprised her. Then again, this was the first time she’d worked on a major film, maybe this was normal.
“I’m sure. I really just want to go home.” Sam looked around, hoping that in the short time she’d been talking to Miles, Beck had returned and could rescue her from this uncomfortable situation. The area around where they stood, was empty, it looked like everyone had left and only her and co-star remained. “I’ll see you later, Miles.”
Taking a step back she stumbled over a stray chord, Miles grabbed hold of her, bringing her close to his chest. She placed her hands on his shirt, noting the flesh beneath her fingers was soft, not hard like Beck’s. Nothing about this embrace was comfortable and she wanted to get out of it. “I’m okay, you can let me go now.” She wiggled a little bit in an attempt to loosen the hold, but it only made Miles tightened his hold even more, like he had when they’d been filming the scenes when his character had captured her.
“You’re so beautiful, Sam,” he whispered, his head lowering toward hers.
Oh God, he was going to try and kiss her. Fear zoomed through her body. Where was everyone? It wasn’t like she was in a dark corner somewhere, she was standing in the middle of the movie set. A set which usually had people roaming all around it at all times of the day.
At the last second she turned her head and his lips landed on her cheek. “Oh come on, Sam. You know you want this. You sent me flirty looks every damn time we filmed together.”
Sam began to struggle in earnest, clenching her fists and pushing against Miles’s chest. “No I haven’t. You’re mistaken. Let me go, Miles. I don’t want this.”
“Yes you do.” Once again he attempted to kiss her, but before he could connect with her mouth, she was free. Sam stumbled and waved her arms around a little before getting her balance. The sound of bones crunching registered with her.
“She said she didn’t want this, you asshole.” Beck growled. The other man was on the ground, blood pouring down his face from where Beck had clearly broken his nose.
Rescuing Samantha Page 8
