The woods were bathed in darkness, the last vestiges of dusk light barely filtering through the trees. With walls of thick trees on either side, the path was narrow. Vivian walked behind Logan, each of them carrying a cardboard box. Unable to see around his much larger body, she halted when he came to a stop, peeking around his shoulders.

A small shed was in front of them, the wooden planks of the walls and roof appearing sturdy. There were no windows that she could see, but as Logan swung open the door, she noticed a skylight in the roof. He stepped in, setting the lantern onto the wooden table against one wall.

“I wiped it down yesterday,” he explained. “But I know it will never be as clean as it should be.”

“I have a trunk in the back of my car that I brought lab equipment in,” she said, handing him the keys. “And I will cover the interior in plastic. I’ve got some of that in one of these boxes as well.”

She surveyed the interior with a critical eye. “This should work,” she nodded. “The table is small, but we can easily bring in a folding table as well.” Looking up, she added, “The skylight will give light, but maybe not enough. I can bring in lanterns too.”

“I’ll buy some emergency, battery operated lanterns,” he suggested. “With halogen bulbs, they will give a lot of light.”

Turning to him, she crinkled her brow, asking, “Do you think this place will be safe? I know it’s actually close to our house and well hidden with the trees, but…” Her voice trailed off, her fears creeping out for the first time.

Setting the box in his arms down on the table, he stalked over and took her box, setting it down as well. Facing her, he put his hands on her shoulders. “This is why we need to be smart. We need to be cautious. There’s no reason for them to suspect that we are on to them. Just be a friendly neighbor, but do not attempt any questioning yourself. This shed is easily accessed by our kitchen door, which they can’t see. Your car is parked on that side and can hide you as you enter the woods. You should be able to come and go very easily, but…” he stopped for emphasis, bending slightly to peer into her eyes, “I want to be out here when you are. So, when I’m gone, you watch their house. When I’m home, we can come out together.”

Nodding, her lips curved slightly as his blue-green eyes locked onto hers. “Right,” she agreed, her voice coming out breathier than she intended.

With a quick squeeze of her shoulders, he said, “Okay, let’s see what you have here.”

She pulled out sheets of plastic, unfolding them and giving instructions to use the staple gun to cover the walls with them. The shed was only about ten feet square, so it did not take long for Logan, with his height, to cover the whole thing. She then had him staple plastic sheets to the ceiling, including covering the skylight. While he went back to her car to get the trunk, she draped the table in plastic as well, before pulling out a few items she felt comfortable leaving out.

Finally, they draped plastic sheets on the floor, backing out as they went. “I’ll take my boots off when in here,” she explained. “I’ve got a new pair of sneakers and the plastic booties that go over shoes. That should be enough.”

“Whatever you need, Viv,” he commented.

As they backed out of the prepped shed, he fitted a lock onto the door before they made their way back to the house.

* * *

Lying in bed, Vivian heard the shower running and rolled over to punch her pillow. She had tried to think of Logan as just a work partner—someone necessary for the job. But, she had never counted on his rugged handsomeness, or the way his stone-like features melted when he smiled—not that he smiled often. But then, that might be why the smiles he did offer were so breathtaking. And his eyes…my God, his eyes! Sometimes greenish-blue. Sometimes bluish-grey. Granted, mostly they appeared stormy, but mesmerizing, nonetheless.

Huffing out a breath, she tried to remember the last time she was really attracted to a man. Lately, it seemed her dating efforts all ended in disaster. Blind dates, dating sites, someone from work…yep, all disasters. Cursing her luck, she knew the one man who had held her interest for more than a day was totally off limits, even while supposedly being her husband. And when the job was over with, he would go back to wherever he came from and she would head back to California. God, what a ridiculous mess.

* * *

Logan stood in the old bathtub, the warm water from the showerhead sluicing over his body, knowing it would soon be turning cold. Acknowledging that that was probably what he needed, he tried to shake the image of Viv out of his mind, but was unsuccessful. He had expected a male scientist, obviously a stupid and sexist idea. Never did he anticipate a beautiful woman to be working with him. Nor the reality that they would be pretending to be married. His cock stirred at the thought of her soft body tightly held to his earlier, when he arrived home. The way her breath warmed his cheek as she spoke. The way her small waist felt in his arms as her hips and breasts pressed against him.

As the water cooled his hand found his cock and, with thoughts of Viv filling his mind, he quickly worked his way to orgasm, the force making his knees weak. Choking back a roar, he hoped his low groan had not been heard. By now, the water was cold and he washed away the proof of his desire before turning off the spray.

Regretfully, he realized that this was all he would be able to have of her…just thoughts of her beauty as he jerked off while pretending to be her husband…God, what a ridiculous mess.

* * *

“Come away from the window,” Akram ordered, his dark eyes on Farrah.

She dropped the curtain and turned toward him, saying nothing. He stepped forward, his eyes sweeping the tiny bedroom.

“You seem taken with the new neighbors,” he said.

She wondered if she heard accusation in his voice. “Just curious,” she replied. “The house has been empty as long as we’ve been here, so I find it strange to see people over there.”

Nodding, he said, “I should have rented that place when I had the chance. That would have given us more privacy.”

Akram turned and walked toward her, noting with pleasure how her gaze dropped as he approached. Without speaking, he moved toward the bed, shedding his clothes, knowing she would follow. And she did.

Later, as Akram snored in his sleep, Farrah lay awake, her body still aching from his rough sex. When recruited by ISIS at the university, she had been promised a future where she would hold a valued place of honor. But so far, Akram had been demanding, coarse and, while they pretended to be married, he used her body as he would a wife’s, but no vows had been spoken.

Rolling to her side, she faced the window and wondered about the couple next door. The woman appeared happy and, as she greeted her husband with enthusiasm, he appeared to be just as pleased to see his wife. Sighing, she closed her eyes, willing sleep to come. It certainly could not hurt the cause to spend a little time with the simple woman who was now her neighbor.

* * *

The next day, Logan caught a ride with the owner of the local airfield, to take him to get his helicopter, so he could fly it back to leave in Ester. As Vivian watched him from the front door, her eyes jumped to the neighbors’ house. All was quiet. Only one car was in the driveway and she wondered if Farrah drove. Shutting the door, she fixed a second cup of coffee before settling down on the sofa to read.

It did not take long for her to grow bored, but she knew she needed to be vigilant. After another half hour, she heard a vehicle’s tires crunching over the gravel road. Moving back out of sight, she trained her binoculars onto the sedan as it pulled to a stop outside the neighbor’s house. Jotting the license plate number onto a small pad of paper she had handy, she observed as two men alighted from the car. Using the telephoto lens attached to her cell phone, she snapped pictures of them, wishing they would turn her way. The driver answered her wish as he looked toward the passenger, a smile on his face as he reacted to something said. Unfortunately, the passenger continued toward the house, only giving her his back.

She pulled up her laptop and quickly made a spreadsheet with the time and car make and model, attaching a few of the photos.

Sitting back on the sofa, she waited another hour but no more activity was seen. Pondering her idea of using the ancient grill, she grabbed her keys and headed to her car.

Three miles down the road, she came to the small grocery. Entering, she smiled at the same cashier who had greeted her the day she came into town.

“Back so soon?” the woman called out.

“I wanted to have a cookout, but realized I need charcoal and steaks.”

Nodding, she jerked her head toward the back and said, “Charcoal is against the far wall and the steaks are in the freezer. Got beef, elk, and some venison.”

“Thanks,” she called out, pushing her cart toward the back. A few minutes later, she stood at the register, placing her few items on the counter.

“See you got some wine this time,” the woman commented, lifting an eyebrow as she held up the bottle.

Laughing, she said, “I know, I know. It’s white and we’re having red meat. But, honestly, I can’t stand red wine. I love the lighter wines with everything. I’m definitely not a wine connoisseur.”

“Hey, no judgment here!” the cashier joined in laughter. “By the way, I’m Betty. Part owner and full-time worker here at the best grocery store in Ester. Of course, we’re the only grocery store in Ester.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Vivian Sa…uh…Preacher.” Seeing the questioning look in Betty’s eyes, she blushed. “I’m a newlywed and still forget to use my married name.”

“Well, congratulations,” Betty said, her smile wide. “I think I saw your husband in here the other day. Big guy…dark hair…handsome as they come?”

“That’s him,” she agreed, taking out the cash that Logan had given her for incidentals. He had warned her about using her credit card and given her a wad of cash to use in town.

“You’re renting that place over on Ester Creek Lane, aren’t you?” Seeing her eyes widen, Betty laughed again, saying, “Honey, Ester’s not that big.”

“I guess not.”

“You only got one set of neighbors out there. That family where the wife covers her head? I mean no disrespect to their culture, but I’ve never gotten her name. She doesn’t come in here by herself and the times her husband comes with her, they’re not too talkative.” Shrugging, she continued, “But they don’t cause any trouble and seem to be nice people.”

“I met her yesterday,” Vivian said. “I’m a bit lonely up there so I’ll probably keep trying to get to know her.”

“Not a bad idea, especially before winter sets in. Sometimes you need your neighbors around here when the weather is harsh.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Betty that she would not be here in the winter, but she wisely kept her mouth shut on the topic. Saying goodbye, she took her purchases out to the car, her mind already planning on spending some time outside, loving the idea of grilling for Logan.