Three days later…

Kate smoothed her hand over the expanse of Graham’s chest, loving the feel of his warm skin under her palm. She did this often: lay beside him, her head on his shoulder, her body snuggled close, her fingers toying with his pecs.

It was late, or early. Three in the morning. They had just moments ago decided to take a break and sleep for a few hours. It always took a while to wind down, though. The fast-paced scramble to download data was stressful. Kate trying to snoop on every conversation in the bunker was even more stressful.

“How much more time do we have?” she asked, drawing circles around his pecs with a finger. His chest was bare. Loose pajama pants were the only thing he had on. She wished for a moment that her own thin T-shirt could poof out of existence so she could be closer to him.

Graham’s hand moved along her hip, smoothing over the skintight material of the black leggings she wore. The clothes were comfortable, and ordinarily she thought nothing of them while working long hours in the night. But suddenly, the tight, stretching Lycra drew attention to the ever-building need she felt when she was close to him.

She cleared her throat, shaking that thought from her mind. “Did you communicate with Spencer today?” Spencer had hacked into the computer Graham was using on the second day and made contact with him. They trusted Dade and by default Spencer and did as he said even though they’d never met him.

“Yes. He says he can hold off two more days at most. We have to get this done. It’s making me so nervous that I’m not sure I can sleep at all.”

Kate tipped her head back to see his face. “You have to rest, Graham. You’ll get sloppy and be useless if you don’t take a break.”

Graham sighed. “I know, but I also keep reminding myself about the repercussions of not getting the job done in time. Lives are at stake. So many of them. Countless. There’s no way to be sure what would happen if that data were all deleted with no backup in place.”

“Have you spoken to Ryan?” she asked next.

He nodded. “Yes. He’s been downloading the research from his facility in New Mexico to the main cloud so I can access it also. Spencer created a hidden chat room for the two of us. Without speaking to Ryan out loud, I can tell he’s worried. He and his current staff are so close to a breakthrough with Myasthenia Gravis.”

Kate understood the stress they all must feel in the New Mexico bunker. It was crazy to think some government conspiracy was jeopardizing not only the lives of ordinary citizens, but more specifically the lives of the two people preserved in New Mexico who had mysteriously contracted Myasthenia Gravis.

Graham continued. “I’m certain Ryan isn’t sleeping at all. Nor are Emily, Zeke, or Michelle. And I still can’t picture our Emily in a relationship with Tushar and Trish’s son. He was so young.”

“Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but when you see them together, you’ll understand. They were made for each other. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were already planning a wedding and four kids.” Kate smiled at Graham in the dim light coming from the bathroom nightlight.

“Sounds to me like every one of us has woken up horny and ready for a relationship. It’s going to be a race to the finish line. By the end of the year, there will be ten weddings to attend.”

He didn’t specifically mention the two of them, but Kate knew he was thinking it. She prayed all the cards fell into place and the perfect path opened up for her and Graham. One in which she found a way to trust her instincts and relax.

She stared at him, pondering his words. There was no doubt he was a different man from the one who’d gone into the cryostat. He was still an introvert, figuring out something in his head before he talked about it. But he’d also changed. Everyone had to an extent. Waking up to find out they’d defied the odds had a tendency to make people decide to live life to the fullest. Carpe diem.

She wanted him. So badly. Especially right now, pressed against him, their entire bodies in line. But she also wanted to get this job done and get the hell out of this bunker. Until then, she couldn’t fully let her guard down. No way could she drop everything and have a wild night of sex while so many people were counting on them.

In a way, this pit stop to save the world from some unknown organization called Blue Cell was also buying Graham time to get fully healthy and her time to calm her damn nerves when it came to sleeping with him.

So many concerns. It didn’t matter which one she focused on. The important thing was she didn’t want to sleep with him right now while their lives were at risk. She wanted them to be together for the long haul and not rush out of a sense of danger. She couldn’t take the chance that he might walk away when things went back to normal. Her feelings were so strong for him, they scared her.

He gave her a squeeze. “You slid into your head again.”

She lifted her cheek and kissed his neck, nuzzling against his warm skin and inhaling his scent. “Sorry.”

“We’re going to be okay, you know. You and I and everyone else.”

“I hope so.” She jerked her thoughts back to the work Ryan was doing, the discussion they’d been having before jumping to the anticipation of a rash of weddings. Getting married wasn’t something she could begin to ponder. Disease eradication, though, she could dive into any day. “Do you think it’s possible we were all intentionally infected with AP12, and likewise that the two preserved in New Mexico were also intentionally infected with Myasthenia Gravis?”

Graham sighed. “I have to admit the thought has crossed my mind, but I can’t come up with any reason why.”

“Maybe some faction of the US government doesn’t want Project DEEP to succeed. Or perhaps some enemy slipped into the bunker to sabotage us.”

“But why?” he asked. “Who the hell wouldn’t want to cure disease and prevent the spread?”

“Some radical survival-of-the-fittest supremacists or something, I guess.” She didn’t have answers, just questions.

“I’m sure there are plenty of religious zealots out there who think we’re playing God every time we even immunize people. Their voices have been loud and clear for decades. A substantial number among us thinks nature should take its course and we should leave it up to God to decide who should die and when it’s their time.

“However, what I can’t figure out is how the fuck some of those people infiltrated our government. And, if this thing is a big as it seems, the implication would be that whoever is manipulating us has been doing so for over a decade. That part makes no sense. How are they getting away with it? Why is there no system of checks and balances stepping in to help us?”

Kate closed her eyes and held on to Graham a little tighter. She didn’t have answers to any of his questions, and he wouldn’t expect them.

When he ran his hand up and down her back and then settled it on her hip, his fingers on her ass, her breath hitched. Conflicting emotions took over. She wanted him to stop before she got carried away, rose to straddle him, and threw caution to the wind. She also willed him to continue, reach lower, do something to ease the growing ache that never received gratification.

She could feel the stirring need to go there every time he touched her, held her, kissed her. Hell, a tight ball of need built in her belly even when she watched him from across a room. Honestly, it had existed for three years.

She realized rationally that part of her was preventing herself from having a normal life, a normal relationship, normal sexual experiences, all because she was afraid to find out the fairy tale in her head couldn’t exist. Some crazy notion of having one true love who would have the power to melt her.

Rationally, she knew that spark existed with Graham even when she was alone thinking about him. She would face all of her concerns. After she and Graham got the hell out of the bunker and life was a little more normal.

The bunker gave her the creeps. This facility had been her life ten years ago. Ten years that seemed like three months since that was how long she’d been awake. The idea that the place was no longer safe stole a piece of her soul.

She assumed even though her mind was racing, Graham had fallen into much-needed sleep, but suddenly his hand moved again, trailing up her back and down again to cup her butt. Every nerve in her body came alive again. “Sleep,” he whispered. “I can’t rest while your mind is running all over the room.”

She smiled. “How do you know what’s in my head?”

“Because I know you. I can feel it in the tension that holds your spine rigid. I’ll know when you’ve finally fallen asleep when your fingers are no longer gripping my chest, your breathing evens out, and your face nuzzles fully into my neck. Until then, I wait.”

Damn, his words were powerful. He had a way of making her feel so very loved, even in the most dire situations. She wanted to be closer to him, so she lifted her leg and wiggled it between his. Bold.

He gave her ass cheek a squeeze. Maybe he intended it to be playful or some sort of rebuke for not letting her mind shut down, but the pressure inadvertently pressed her clit against his thigh. A soft moan escaped before she realized it had come from her.

His grip froze. His erection stiffened against her thigh.

She took a deep breath, not moving an inch while her body continued to demand more.

Suddenly, his hand slid slowly from her butt to the back of her thigh, hitching her leg higher.

Wetness pooled between her legs. She’d never been so aware of her sex before in her life. With her thighs spread open like this, she felt exposed. Needy.

She lifted her head, gazed into his eyes, and then lowered her face to kiss him. Her hand smoothed up his chest until she was cupping his face. Her heart raced as she tipped her head to one side and deepened the kiss.

She’d never been this forward, but it felt good, and he responded by groaning into her mouth while his fingers slid higher up her thigh until she could swear the tips were inches from her sex. She wanted more. Now. And she thrust her tongue into his mouth, mimicking what she craved between her other lips.

When his hand slid back up to her butt cheek, she almost moaned out a protest, but then his fingers slowly eased down the center of her bottom, the tips growing increasingly closer to the one spot demanding contact.

Through her tight leggings and panties, he finally touched her, his fingers finding her wet heat, and then he reached farther until he pressed them against her clit.

She gasped, breaking the kiss. Her vision swam, so she closed her eyes, but she kept her lips hovering over his.

He nibbled on her bottom lip as he dragged his middle finger over her swollen, sensitive clit.

The breath whooshed from her lungs, and he reached with his other hand to thread his fingers in her hair. He took her lips again, lifting his mouth to capture hers while pressing against her neck at the same time.

The kiss switched from her control to his as his fingers stroked her again. And then again. Suddenly, he was devouring her mouth while he pressed his palm hard against her channel and flicked his finger rapidly over her swollen nub.

Oh my God. The pressure built. The need. The intensity.

She lost the ability to return the kiss, her brain cells focused on one spot. And then she was flying. With no warning, she had her first orgasm against a man’s hand. Her entire sex clenched over and over, while her body shook from the aftershocks.

She gasped against his lips, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she came back to reality. What the hell had she just done? She wasn’t sorry, but she was stunned. And his erection was still pressing against her thigh.

Slightly embarrassed and chagrined, she blinked at him, easing her hand down to his chest. Her goal was to wrap her fingers around his length, but she didn’t get that far before he removed his hand from between her legs and clasped her fingers in his, pressing them against his chest.

His eyes were closed, and he took several breaths before he met her gaze. “Damn, that was hot.”

Her heated face flushed further. “Let me touch you,” she whispered, tugging on her hand.

He shook his head. “Not tonight. I’m barely holding on to a thread of control here.”

“Who says you have to?” she asked, trying to sound coy.

“I say so.” He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Thank you for giving me that gift. I’ll never forget this moment as long as I live. But I don’t have the willpower to let you reciprocate. Not tonight.”

She nodded slowly, set her head back on his shoulder, and eased her knee from between his thighs. “Seems a little unfair,” she murmured, feeling even more embarrassed. She’d come so hard, exposing a piece of herself to him.

“Not unfair at all. We’re not keeping score here. That was gorgeous.” He stroked her hand with his thumb as he pressed her palm against his chest again. “Now, you really have to go to sleep, or neither of us is going to be on our game in a few hours.”

She twisted her head to kiss his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of him. “You and your game,” she teased. “Hey, I’ve got a joke for you.”

He chuckled. “Go for it.”

“What’s a tornado’s favorite game?”

“Twister.”

“Darn. Thought I might have you.”

“Not a chance. You can’t compete with the nerdy joke master.”

She smiled as she closed her eyes, took several long deep breaths, and blew them out slowly. It took a while, but she finally succumbed to sleep.

Kate jerked awake. She bolted to sitting, glancing around to look for Graham who was no longer pressed against her body.

“I’m right here,” he soothed, inches away from her side, his hand reaching out to grab hers. “Take a breath.”

She blew one out instead, already having sucked in a deep breath the second she woke up. “What time is it?”

“Eight. You slept four hours.”

“How long did you sleep?” she asked as she pushed more fully to sitting and took in the fact that he was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, the laptop on his thighs, his back against the headboard. His fingers were already racing across the keys once again.

“Long enough. I’m refreshed. Trying to get as much of this downloaded as possible before Shelby makes an appearance to assess my depression, and then I’m sure we’ll be seeing Temple soon after.”

Kate arranged her pillow at the headboard and pushed herself back to sit next to Graham. She forced herself to focus on the urgent task at hand instead of the way he’d made her come a few hours ago. “How do you imagine this going down? You think we’re going to pretend you’re miraculously feeling better and walk right out of here?”

“Maybe. I haven’t worked that out in my head yet. Let’s take this one step at a time. I’d like to have all this data downloaded in about twenty-four more hours. If I work hard and don’t have too many interruptions, I might be able to get it done early enough that we can pack it up and remove it sometime tomorrow.”

“’Kay. Guess I’ll take a shower and then venture out and see if I can overhear anything suspicious, and grab some breakfast for us from the cafeteria.”

“Sounds good. I’m starving. I need you to find another hard drive too. The two you brought are almost full. I’m hoping I can fit everything on one more.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” She started to crawl away from him to head for the bathroom, but he reached out with one hand and grabbed her forearm, pulling her back until she landed across his chest. He set the computer on the nightstand and rolled the two of them so fast she lost her breath, blinking at him above her.

With one hand on her waist and the other woven into the hair at her temple, he had her full attention. “We’re going to get out of this mess by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, and then we’re going straight to a hotel where we can relax and be alone. And then we’re going to explore this thing between us.” He lifted a brow suggestively.

She stopped breathing and nodded.

She couldn’t disagree with him because she knew he was right. A slow fire had been burning between them until they crossed into new territory during the night. She wanted to be with him more fully. His feelings for her were all over his face every time she looked.

What was she waiting for? She didn’t need him to get on a knee and proclaim his undying love. Asking for more than he was already giving her was absurd. Keeping herself at arm’s length from him at this point had nothing to do with needing to be certain.

She was certain. And he couldn’t do more than he’d already done every day to prove he was too. So the only thing holding her back was her own reluctance to move their relationship to another level, a reluctance based on fear. Once they got out of this damn bunker, they would have more time to explore their attraction without the constant sense of urgency.

But no one had the kind of guarantees in life she wanted. She, above nearly everyone alive, should know life was fragile. Hesitating out of some irrational concern that a life with Graham wouldn’t be perfect was nonsensical. Nobody’s life was perfect.

But this thing between them was damn close. It didn’t have any holes she could see. At this point, she needed to take a deep breath and let him all the way in. Literally and figuratively. Take a risk. Her heart was his already anyway.

She lifted her face to make eye contact with him and saw exactly what she’d always dreamed of in his eyes. He cared about her deeply. Deep enough to respect her wishes while she worked through her doubts.

It was time to stop the charade.

The first opportunity they got, they were going to explore this thing burning between them and see where it went. For better or worse, she would be all in. “Promise?” she whispered.

His smile was fast and huge. And then his lips landed on hers and he kissed the daylight out of her, angling his head to one side, holding her where he wanted her, and delving his tongue between her lips until she couldn’t think of anything except eliminating the clothing between them and making his vision a reality. “Promise,” he responded when he finally pulled back. His voice was husky with lust. “Go take your shower before I lose my resolve.”

Her legs were shaking as she padded into the bathroom. She could feel his gaze on her the entire time. When she shut the door and leaned against it, she finally managed to draw in a breath. Her nipples were standing at attention under her tank top, and her sex was throbbing with desire.

Until just hours ago, Graham had never touched either of those parts of her body. Probably intentionally. His thumbs had come close to grazing the underside of her breasts a few times, but he’d never covered one with his palm and caressed it the way she longed for. He’d never let his hand trail down between her legs to cup her sex either. Now that he had, she craved more with an intensity that was palpable.

Whatever her doubts were about their future didn’t matter, because she knew these feelings trumped every one of them. She wouldn’t be able to deny herself the chance to find out what could be between them. If things went south and they didn’t make it together in the long run, at least she’d never have to look back and wonder what could have been.

It was time to stop hedging and go for it.

And she would.

Tomorrow.

Every inch of her skin tingled with excitement.