Survival Mission - Chapter 7
Valerie’s body stopped quaking as Trevor’s hand burned a hole through her jacket and thermal shirt. Her initial reaction to fear had become something else, though.
It’s just reassurance that you’re safe for now. But was she? How could she be sure Trevor wasn’t one of these bad guys, holding out for his own take on their drug dealings?
They stood together in the woods, the other hikers talking in a group no more than twenty feet from them, for what seemed hours but she knew wasn’t more than several minutes. The men spoke more about how “the stuff” was being brought in—it sounded like by a helicopter or drones—and that they’d each take their “share” to disburse with. As soon as Valerie could hike out to an area with cell service, she’d alert her superiors at Cascade Confidential about what she’d gleaned. With its network of law enforcement contacts throughout the PNW, CC would disseminate pertinent intelligence more quickly than if she tried to alert local authorities. Which could prove deadly as she had no idea if the drug runners they were eavesdropping on included either undercover LE or, tragically, an LE officer or agent gone bad.
They. She was thinking of she and Trevor as a team. Very dangerous. He could be one of the bad guys, just as ready to dispose of her as Ziggy spoke of earlier.
“Let’s meet back by two o’clock this afternoon.” Ziggy dismissed the group, and she had to make her move now, under the cover of their shuffles and grunts of assent.
Valerie turned to face Trevor, to indicate she was going back to her tent on her own. It was impossible to see his expression in the dark, but she felt his breath wash over her along with the pheromonal scent of clean soap, pine and pure male. She opened her mouth to whisper, but his hands gripped her upper arms, warning her a split second before she heard the steps, the breaking twigs.
“I’ll be right out.” Ziggy’s voice. “I gotta take a leak.” A zipper unzipping.
Too close.
Trevor’s right hand left her arm, found her face, moved to her nape. He pulled her up against him and his mouth met hers with a stamp of pure possession.
To her credit she didn’t scream, or try to push him away. She knew what this was about. Pretending it was a hookup, that they weren’t paying attention to the lethal planning that had occurred only heartbeats earlier. Showing that they weren’t witnesses to a deadly scheme who needed to be eliminated.
Her mind knew what was going on, but her body reacted as if this weren’t a ruse, but a real coming together of two lovers who’d finally found what they weren’t even aware they’d been longing for.
Her tongue thrust into Trevor’s mouth, anxious to meet his, to explore him as much as it could while they remained upright and dressed. A vibration emanated from his broad chest, where she’d rested her palms for balance, and she wrapped one leg over his hip, moving her pelvis against a very un-pretend erection. His hands gripped her bottom and pressed her closer, communicating his need.
Maybe Ziggy would walk away, and she and Trevor could—
“What the freak?” Ziggy’s startled exclamation was followed by a quick guffaw. “Get a room, people.”
Valerie jerked in Trevor’s arms, pulling back, but he held her firmly against him, kept the kiss going. As if they hadn’t heard Ziggy.
And she was lost to his kiss.