In the Dead of the Night (25 page)

She smiled.
“All right. I’ll use a lamp again.”

Dale chuckled.
“I told you she was a handful.”

Allan rose from the couch and pulled Jenny up.
He directed his comment to Dale and patted his cell phone. “If you need me for anything, call. I’m going to take Jenny into the bedroom and help her get her gas mask fitted properly.”

Cameron winked
at Jenny.

“Besides, gentlemen,” Jenny said over her shoulder as Allan led her to the bedroom, “I have to get changed into my uniform, too.”

The notion his wife needed to wear Army fatigues so that she could more easily fight off the villains sat heavily on Allan’s mind. No way did he want her in the midst of the battle, trying to fend off the bad guys. He had every intention of making sure they never got near her again.

Already Jenny’s nerves stood on edge. But it wasn’t solely about Stevens and his rash plans to take her. Something deeper plagued the shadows of her mind. Something sinister. Glimpses of killing a man…no, two, had suddenly come to mind while she’d talked to Allan over dinner. But when Dale had said she’d never had to shoot a living target, she knew it wasn’t so.

Was that why she’d had to leave the service early?
Because of an Army mishap? She’d killed two men by accident? The more she tried to remember, the more addled her mind became.

Allan busily pulled gas masks out of a case, oblivious to her distress.
Did he know why she left the service?

“Allan?”
Her voice sounded hollow, almost scared to her ears. She swallowed hard.

He looked up at her.
His eyes widened. “What’s wrong, Jenny?” He joined her and led her to the bed.

He always seemed to know when she was upset.
She’d never known a man who was so observant, concerning a woman’s emotions, as far as she could remember. Or was it that he worried she was terribly frightened about the coming battle?

“We’ll be all right.
Really.” He kissed her cheek.

She sat down on the mattress.
“Do you know why I left the service?”

“You received an honorable hardship discharge so you could take care of your dying aunt.
She had cancer, and her only son and her husband had predeceased her.”

“Oh.”
She rubbed her temple. That didn’t explain the images of the men she’d killed. Nor did it reduce the dread that filled her stomach.

“What’s wrong?
You’ve lost all the color in your face again. What are you remembering?”

“I don’t know.
It’s like I said before. I get bits and pieces, but can’t remember all the details or how they fit together sometimes.”

“What bits and pieces are you seeing now?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

He studied her for several minutes, then took a deep breath and squeezed her hand.
“Feel free to talk to me about anything. If something’s bothering you, it may be that you’ve confused your memories, and they’re not what they seem. I can always have headquarters check out your story. If it pertains to Wilson, the boss will want to know anything you have to say about him.”

She nodded.
But there wasn’t any way she was telling this ultra law-abiding, by-the-book, moralistic husband of hers that she’d killed two men. Had she done so in self-defense? She closed her eyes trying to conjure up the images. She couldn’t see anything. Only blackness.

When she opened her eyes, Allan crouched at her side
, waiting for her to recall something, anything. She attempted a smile. He didn’t smile back, only furrowed his brow, undoubtedly still worried about what plagued her.

“Did you want to help me with my gas mask?”
she asked.

“Yeah.”
He still seemed reluctant as he waited by her side. But when she didn’t say anything further, he rose from his crouched position and retrieved the mask.

Once she’d fitted hers properly to her face, she set it on the bedside table.
“Now what?”

“You said you were going to change.”

“Yes.” She stood and turned her back to him. “Can you get my zipper?”

She wanted him to make love to her one more time before all hell broke loose.
Allan probably wasn’t in the mood though, his mind most likely considering darker matters.

After he unzipped her dress, he pulled it off her, then leaned over and licked her neck.
When his hands shifted to her breasts and he nuzzled her cheek, hope flourished as her hormones began to heat.

“Do we have time?” she whispered, hoping to hide the sudden urgency she experienced, to have him deep inside her, warming her belly before the showdown.

“All the time in the world. He won’t attempt to hit us for several more hours. He’ll come under the cover of darkness when we’re the least awake. The only thing is we’ll have to be more quiet this time.”

“Why?”

“Dale and Cameron might hear us.”

“They already assume what we’re up to.”
She didn’t want to give up another chance at bliss with Allan.

“Sure, but I like to keep them guessing.”

She chuckled. “Why, Allan, you’re blushing.”

He touched her cheek.
“So are you, my dear.”

She yanked his T
-shirt out of his pants, not wanting to waste a precious moment.

In seconds flat as if they were in a race to beat the devil, he’d stripped out of his clothes and lifted her onto the bed.
He looked down at her and smiled. “You’re so beautiful.” His gaze lingered on her breasts, then he laid down beside her, his fingers caressing her abdomen with gentle strokes.

***

Even now as Jenny touched Allan’s chest, her nipples tightened into firm rosy-tipped nubs. She was like a dream he’d never envisioned that had come fully to life under his caresses. He leaned against her, catching her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, then moved downward, touching her eyelids with a sweep of his lips. Her soft skin begged for more as he brushed his mouth against her cheek. His mouth trailed along the delicate curve of her jaw, downward over the fleshy hollow of her throat, skimming lower to her breast.

She combed her fingers through his hair, her touch light and breathless as a summer breeze, and softly moaned as he slid his tongue in circular motions over her rigid nipple.
His name escaped her lips, short of breath and half a plea, encouraging him to draw lower. He nuzzled his face against her soft belly, the blood pulsing in his ears as he realized he couldn’t prolong the inevitable much longer.

His lips returned to hers, his tongue tracing the sweet contours, full and swollen, slightly parted.
With the thrust of his tongue inside her mouth, he felt he’d conquered her mind and body. She played with his tongue with hers in an erotic dance as she arched in his arms, the sensation filling him with urgency.

“I’m sorry, honey.”
He slid off her. He smiled as her eyes widened. “When I touch you,” he said, yanking a condom out of its wrapper, “I lose control. And believe me, this hasn’t happened to me in years.”

Her mouth
curved upward. “I thought you didn’t want to…”

He grabbed her ankles and pulled her legs apart.
“Right.” She chuckled, deeply sensual, triggering a renewed sense of urgency. He plunged deep inside her, causing her to catch her breath. Instantly, she met his pelvis with her own, sparking a new flood of adrenaline to course through his system. “Ah, honey, you feel so good.”

Her soft breath panted against his cheek as her fingers pressed against his buttocks, encouraged his thrusts.
She drew her legs up at an angle, permitting him to probe deeper. Her wet heat surrounded him, hugged him, pulling him toward the point of no return. The pinnacle grew near.

He turned away from her slightly, her body shuddering with pleasure.
He dipped his fingers downward, eliciting a soft moan deep from her throat. Smiling, he slid his fingers between her legs and stroked, bringing her to the same point of arousal he’d reached, bringing her to the peak of erotic perfection.

“Ah,” she cried out, “God, I love you
.”

He thrust several more times, deeply, determined to join her in the aura of bliss.
He groaned when he came, the dampness of their bodies sliding against each other in flawless rhythm. With every fiber of his body set on fire, he thrust again. Then in silence, he sank against her and wrapped his arms around her.

“
I love you, Jenny.” Then he sighed. “We’ll rest for now,” he whispered into her ear. “We have all the time in the world.”

He prayed to God they did, as he rolled off her.
After disposing the condom, he returned to the bed and pulled her against his body. Reaching for the covers, he drew them up to their shoulders, then he closed his eyes and held her firmly against his chest. His fingers traced the soft skin of her arm in gentle caresses. He didn’t want to think of what would happen next. He only wanted to enjoy the peaceful moment they had together now, lovers united in such a special way, he was certain if there was such a thing as a soul mate, she was the one for him.

Still the concern that had shown in her face earlier, nagged at him.
She’d remembered something. Was it that she couldn’t figure out truly what it meant? Or was it something that scared her so, she was afraid to reveal the truth to him, or even to herself? He hoped it was the former, but feared it was the latter. Yet, he couldn’t force the memories from her. They had to evolve at their own pace.

Normally a patient man, he realized taking it slow with Jenny in any department tried him to the limit.

***

When Jenny woke, Allan was gone.
Immediately, her heart rate kicked up a beat. She pulled the covers aside, day having turned to night, and glanced at the lighted alarm clock.
Ten
. Hushed voices spoke in the other room.

Trying to settle her nerves, she climbed off the mattress, then hurriedly dressed in the Army fatigues.
When she had finished tying her boots, the door opened.

Allan smiled at her, the light from the living area
, spilling into the bedroom. Dressed in his uniform of a black T-shirt, trousers and combat boots, he looked like he was ready to do serious business with the bad guys. But his devilishly handsome smile brought a tingle of electricity surging through her body.

He flipped on the light switch, closed the door behind him, then crossed the room to her.

“Any word, Allan?” She hated to ask, hated to want to think about what was coming.

Pulling her from the chair, he
kissed her mouth. She melted against him, snuggling her head against his hard chest, wondering if he wanted to undress her and make passionate love all over again.

“They’re out there.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Just waiting for us to shut down for the night. But no word as yet.”

He pointed to the television.
“The guys have a movie for us to watch.” He made a slight face. “A romance, to keep our minds off the inevitable.”

She smiled.
“A romance, eh? Might give us some ideas.”

“Yeah, well, with the kind of moves you make, you don’t need any lessons.”

She laughed.

For two and half hours they watched the movie, shared buttered, salty popcorn, and sipped Cokes.
She hadn’t remembered a time when she’d enjoyed watching a movie more, cuddled against one handsome figure of a secret agent man. And he was all hers.

He took her hand in his and kissed it.
“We’ll have to do something about these rings.”

She considered them for a moment, not sure what he was talking about.

He took a deep breath. “The first chance we get, I want to buy you a pair.”

Then she realized they were Agency rings, totally impersonal.
“I’d love that.” She reached for his hand, then ran her finger over his tanned skin. “No ring mark.”

“No, never wore a wedding ring when I was married to Millie.”

She smiled. “Well, no husband of mine is going to be running around without a ring on his finger. Don’t want any woman to get the notion you’re free and available.”

He chuckled.
“You’re dragging out the ball and chain already, I see.”

“Absolutely.
If I have to show the guys I’m off-limits, you have to show the gals that, too.”

A knock on the door sounded.
Allan kissed Jenny’s cheek then pulled free from her and crossed the floor to the door. Her back stiffened immediately as her whole body shifted to combat mode.

“Yeah?”

“It’s started.”

Allan glanced at his watch.
“I guess Stevens is a bit anxious to get it over with.”

“Yep.
We’re all set. Our lookouts said eight men were closing in on the condo like a lasso around the neck of a bull.”