Chapter Five
Cam strode into the small conference room that they were using for their planning meeting. She’d timed her arrival a little late, hoping that everyone would be there. But when she entered, she only saw Hemi sprawled in a chair.
Great. She stopped in her tracks.
“Hello, Camryn,” he drawled.
She studied his face and couldn’t judge his mood. When her gaze dropped to his lips, and memories threatened, she looked away. “Hemi. Shaw and Claudia not here yet?”
“On their way.”
Searching for something to do, she walked over to the large screen on the wall, and tapped on the surface. She started pulling up the maps they’d need for planning.
“You had to race off to work out this morning?” His voice was a deep rumble.
She sniffed, hating that she heard a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Things to do.”
“You want to pretend last night didn’t happen?”
He didn’t seem bothered by that idea. She felt a sharp sting of unfamiliar pain. That was what she wanted. Absolutely. But was it that easy for him to brush away their night together?
She spun and lifted her chin. “Sure.” She strode past him, heading for a chair.
A strong arm reached out, and the next thing she knew, she was yanked into his lap.
“Hey!”
He gripped her chin, his calluses rasping on her skin. His gaze hit her hickey, and she saw male satisfaction slide through his eyes.
“Not gonna happen,” he said.
“What?”
“I’m not going to forget I was inside you. Not going to forget you rode my mouth and beard. Not going to forget you screamed my name.” He pulled her close, until their noses brushed. “In fact, I’m going to relive every memory in great detail.”
“Hemi—” She slammed her hands against his hard chest. He was too big, too hot, too much.
“I’m going to fuck you again. And again. Until I don’t wake up alone and find you gone. Until I wake up with you in my arms.”
“One night. That was it!”
“It’s gonna happen again. I want to do you from behind. I want to watch you suck my cock. I want to put my mouth between your legs again and make you feel good.”
Cam felt that traitorous rush of heat between her thighs. Then, he leaned closer and kissed her.
She fought…for about two seconds. But he tasted so good, felt so good. She tangled her tongue with his, her hands sliding up to tangle in his hair. He’d worn it long when she’d first met him, but had recently cut it a little shorter and shaved it at the sides. She’d never admit it, but she liked it.
His fingers brushed down her neck, fingering the tender skin of her hickey. He lifted his lips from hers. “I like knowing I marked you.”
“Neanderthal,” she muttered.
“You marked me, too.” His grin was wide. “I have some pretty spectacular scratch marks down my back and on my ass.”
Cam sniffed. Dammit. She wanted to see them.
He moved and set her on her feet. “For now, we have a mission to plan, but Cam—” His dark eyes were intense and liquid. “I’m going to run you down. You’re fast, but I have stamina.”
Infuriating man. She set her hands on her hips. “Hemi, let’s just keep this fun, okay?” She could do fun. It was everything else that freaked her out.
“Oh, we’ll have fun, but that’s not all we’ll have.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment the door opened.
“You feel me up in the Command Center again, Baird, and I’ll break your arm.” Claudia’s sharp voice.
“There’s my badass girl. If you break my arm, how will I bring you your coffee in bed in the morning? Or touch you in all those secret places you love—” Shaw spotted Hemi and Cam and broke off with a wide smile. “Howdy.”
“Shaw.” Hemi didn’t bother hiding his grin.
Claudia swept in. “So, you guys ready to hunt and capture an alien creeper? And not let it eat you in the process?”
“Hell yeah,” Hemi replied.
Cam sat and nodded. “Let’s do it.
The next few hours turned into a mix of studying maps, suggesting and discarding ideas, and studying images of the creature. Laura arrived with a large bag filled with stunner prods and heavy-duty metal nets. She gave them all a lesson on using the prods and deploying the nets.
“These prods are our latest design,” the redhead said. “They’re telescoping, so you can carry them more easily, and extend them when needed.”
Cam shook the prod and the end extended. She knew it would administer a high-voltage stun to the alien. She retracted it. Nice.
Laura gave them a perfect salute. “Good luck out there.”
After Laura, Doc Emerson arrived, her white lab coat flapping behind her as she hurried in. She set a small case down on the table, and unsnapped the lid. “Hello, everyone. I’m your friendly base drug dealer.”
“Too pretty to be a drug dealer,” Hemi said.
She winked at him. “Oh, is there a rule that drug dealers can only be ugly?”
He barked out a laugh as the doctor lifted a vial out of her case.
“High grade, very powerful sedatives.” The liquid was clear. “I’ve been working on these stronger sedatives for Laura’s team, when I’m not busy trying to sort out the contraceptive implants.” Her gaze turned distant for a second, like she was running experiments in her head.
“How’s that going?” Cam asked. Her implant was nearing the end of its life. She hadn’t given it much thought, since she hadn’t had sex in a while, but now… She avoided looking at Hemi.
The doc nodded. “Getting there. I can squeeze a bit more time out of the current implants, but I don’t have a long-term solution yet.” She set the vial back in the case. “These can be put in casings you can use with a rifle.” She pushed the case toward Shaw.
“Thanks.” Shaw’s face was serious. Cam knew the man was quick to tease and laugh, but he was also one hell of a soldier.
“Be careful out there,” Emerson said, heading for the door. “If you get hurt, I’ll stick you with lots of needles and confine you to bed rest.”
Cam leaned back in her chair. “So, once we catch the creeper, how do we get back to the Enclave?” The damn things were too big to fit in a Hawk.
“I’ve been talking with Finn,” Claudia said. “That’s why Shaw and I were late. He thinks we can suspend the creature under a Hawk. They have cargo slings that we can use.”
Hemi leaned forward with a frown. “Will it be covered by the Hawk’s illusion system?”
Shaw shook his head. “Nope.” He grinned. “We’ll be out and proud.”
Cam tried to picture what a giant creeper would look like flying through the air under a camouflaged quadcopter. “It’ll make a nice target for any alien ptero ships in the vicinity.”
“We’ll need extra weapons on the Hawk to defend ourselves on the ride back,” Hemi suggested.
“My squad can provide an escort with the Darkswifts,” Cam said. The two-man, powered gliders were fast, and equipped with laser cannons. “They can shoot down anyone who gets close to us.”
“Good idea,” Hemi said.
“Okay,” Claudia said. “I’ll coordinate with Finn. We’ll leave for the power station in the morning.”
As Claudia and Shaw left, Cam tried to bolt around the table and get out quickly.
Hemi grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her toward him. No. No. No.
“I’ve got things to do, Hemi.”
“I’m teaching some of the kids to play rugby. I need an assistant, and told them you’d swing by.”
What? “I don’t know much about rugby.”
“Some of the girls were excited you’d be there.”
Tricky, underhanded man. “Like I said…things to do.”
“Oh?” He raised a brow. “I’ll tell the kids that you had more important things to do, then.”
She narrowed her gaze. “That’s blackmail.”
“Whatever it takes.”
She barely stopped herself from growling. “I hate you.”
He grinned at her. “No, you don’t.”
“I’m not good with kids, Hemi.”
“They’re kids, not raptors.”
She wavered. How could she refuse to help kids?
“It’ll be fun.” He slung an arm across her shoulders. “And I promise not to feel you up.”
“Fine. But I can’t promise not to break your arm.”
***
When they walked into the indoor arena, Hemi could still feel the anger radiating off Cam. Damn, she was gorgeous when she was angry. And when she was angry, she was too busy to be worried about strengthening those walls of hers. That’s why he was always messing with her.
Ahead, a group of teenagers waited. “Hey, gang.”
The kids surrounded them. The younger ones were all bright faces and eagerness. The older ones hung back, playing it cool. Hemi fist-bumped a few of them.
He spotted a younger boy. “Hey, Bastian.”
The dark-haired boy nodded. He’d survived the invasion, and had ended up living at the Enclave without his parents. After meeting up with Roth, the boy had been reunited with his parents at Blue Mountain Base before making the trip back to the Enclave. Hemi was sure as hell glad to see some families had had happy reunions. The same couldn’t be said for most.
“Can’t wait to play today.” Bastian’s gaze slid to Cam and his cheeks pinkened. “Hi, Cam.”
“Hi, B.”
Hemi hid a smile. Looked like the kid had a major crush. Couldn’t blame him. Cam looked good in her skin-hugging workout gear—strong, sleek, and beautiful.
“All right, you lazy gits.” He clapped his hands together. “Let’s play. I need you to split into two teams.”
Cam moved forward, helping some of the youngest split off into the teams, ensuring an even match of younger and older kids.
Hemi paired them off and got them passing and kicking to each other to warm up.
He grabbed a rugby ball, spinning it in his hands. He’d been playing rugby since he could walk. It was in his blood. His older brother Manu had played for the United Coalition National team for a few years, and a couple of his cousins had been on league teams before the invasion.
A hard sensation filled his chest. They were probably dead now. His thoughts turned to his sprawling family. He prayed his Ma and Pa were okay. They had a house on acreage outside of Christchurch, on New Zealand’s South Island. Pa was ex-military, and his Ma was tough as they came. They could have survived.
“Hemi?”
He turned his head and saw Cam watching him.
“You okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “Fine. Time to play.” He glanced at the kids. “Leo, you’re captain of your team. Maria, you’re captain of the other.”
Hemi called out a reminder of the rules. He’d been working with the kids for a few weeks now, and they were getting the hang of it. He focused on their fresh, smiling faces. They were alive, and they needed things like sports to give them some sense of normality and help them cope.
He tossed the ball at Leo. “Remember, keep those tackles below the neck. Let’s play.”
The game started. Hemi kept an eye on them, making sure no one got tackled too hard. He acted as referee, making the calls. He got a few grumbles and muttered curses, but a hard stare usually kept the complainers in line. The rest of the time was filled with laughter and good-natured teasing. He called out advice for the scrums and offered a few passing tips.
One boy bowed out. “Think I pulled a muscle in my thigh.”
Cam helped the boy, Luke, to a bench. Hemi checked him over. “That hurt?”
“Not too much.”
“Think we can avoid Medical. Rest it.”
“We’re short one player,” Leo said. The older teen’s eyes landed on Cam. “Looks like you’ll have to play, Cam.”
She raised a brow. “What?”
Leo grabbed her hand and yanked her onto the field. “You don’t want to disappoint the kids, do you?”
She eyed the boy. “Have you been taking blackmail lessons from Hemi?”
She put up a token protest, but soon she was in line with the rest of the team. Hemi blew his whistle.
Cam laughed as she passed the ball to her teammates. And was laughing again when she got tackled. God, he loved her laugh. Carefree and sexy, all rolled into one.
Clare, Leo’s girlfriend, limped off the field, her face damp with sweat. She was on the opposing team. “I need a break, Hemi.” She handed him the ball with a smile. “Why don’t you take over for me?”
Hemi grinned and handed her his whistle. He fell into line with his team, facing off against Cam’s. His gaze caught hers, and he saw that familiar glint of challenge.
The whistle blew. Hemi got the ball, and powered down the field toward the goal posts. He was tackled by not one, but two teens. They all fell on the synthetic grass in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
“Hey, both of you can’t tackle me at once,” he complained.
“One of us would never get you down,” a pretty, young blonde girl said. “You’re huge.”
“Sounds fair to me,” Cam called out.
On the next charge, Cam had the ball, sprinting toward the goal, dodging her opponents. She dived gracefully over the line and scored. She got up and did a victory dance. Her team rushed up to her and gave her high-fives.
“Oh, yeah. Take that, Rahia.” She sent him a saucy look.
He crossed his arms over his chest. He loved seeing her so happy and relaxed. Something told him that Cam hadn’t had much of that when she’d been the same age as these kids. “Bet you can’t do it again.”
“Oh?” She cocked her hip. Around them, the kids started cheering and egging them on.
“I bet I can.”
“Can’t.”
Her gaze narrowed. “I can and when I do, you’ll owe me.”
“What?”
She tapped her chin. “Whatever I want.”
“You’re on. The same if I win.”
She hesitated a second, but the kids’ cheers grew louder. She waved at them. “Let’s do this.”
They lined up again.
Clare blew the whistle. “Go!”
Leo ran and passed the ball. The next kid fumbled the ball, but managed to get it to Cam. She ran, sprinting down the field as fast as she could.
Hemi spun and gave chase. He ran very fast in a straight line. He tackled her, spinning them in midair, and they went down. He took the brunt of the fall, before he rolled on top of her. She was panting, her chest moving against his.
“Damn.” She was flushed and smiling.
He dropped his forehead to hers. “I really want to kiss you.” He kept his voice low and tried to not let himself forget the room full of kids.
“So,” Cam said. “What are you going to claim as your prize?”
He shifted, pressing his lips to her neck, right over the mark he’d left on her skin. “I know what I want.”
Her tone turned wary. “What’s that?”
“Your lips wrapped around my—”
She shoved hard against his chest. “I think I get the picture, Rahia. Now off.”
With a laugh, he leaped to his feet and pulled her up. “Okay, drinks are on me,” he called out.
The kids cheered. While they’d been playing, he’d arranged for the kitchen staff to bring drinks and snacks. The kids fell on the loaded table like starving locusts.
Hemi snagged a chocolate chip cookie and handed it to Cam. He knew that she loved them. She stared at it for a second, before she snatched it and took a bite.
As he grabbed a drink of cold water, he watched the kids around him, laughing. Clare was hugging a smaller girl, and a few others were recapping their favorite moments of the game.
“They make wading through the muck worthwhile, don’t they?” Cam said quietly.
“Yeah, they do,” he agreed. “Family makes it worthwhile.” And a woman who was worth it made it damn worthwhile, too.
“You’re pretty comfy being surrounded by kids.” She eyed him. “For a badass former mercenary.”
“I came from a big family. Every Sunday, we had lunch at our house. My Ma cooked way too much food and my aunts, uncles and cousins would arrive. We’d crowd around the table and then head outside to throw a rugby ball around. You should have seen our holidays.”
She cocked her head. “You miss them.”
“Every damn day.” He took a swig of his drink. “What about your family?”
She went stiff and then shrugged. “I’m an only child. No rugby games at my place.”
When she didn’t say anything else, he moved closer. “Your parents?”
“My mom was in Kenya visiting her family when the invasion happened.” All the warmth had gone out of Cam’s voice. “My father was Scottish, and traveled a lot for work. I’ve no idea where he was. I don’t know if they made it.”
He hated hearing her blank tone. Cam was always full of life and laughter. “You want to talk about it?”
“No.”
He wouldn’t push her. Instead, he touched the back of her neck and squeezed.
She closed her eyes. “Don’t be sweet.”
“Harder for you to push me away and run from me when I’m being sweet.”
She turned away, knocking his hand off her. “I’m quick, Rahia. And you aren’t that sweet, so don’t get cocky.” She started to saunter away.
Hemi snatched up a cookie and watched her, unconcerned. “Remember, you owe me my prize.” They weren’t done yet.
She shot him one fulminating look as she left.