Chapter 7
One good thing about being led around Miami by a fictional ex-SEAL and covert ops man was that I learned a lot about what to do and not do while trying to remain inconspicuous. With my purse left at the motel, I had no access to cash and Sam didn't have more than a couple hundred on him, so we were forced to take shelter in an abandoned warehouse in Coconut Grove. It wasn't too terrible. We found a space with a lot of old office furniture in it, including some couches that would make decent beds.
As the sun came up I waited for Sam to return with something to eat. He insisted I stay put and he would go in search of some cheap food. I asked him to keep on the lookout for a working pay phone, because I hoped that I might be able to call work and let my boss know I was okay, at the very least. For a minute I considered that I could write all my experiences down and turn it in as a story, but the idea was so crazy I had to scold myself for being so silly. No one would believe it. Not even I could, and I was in the middle of it! My head was starting to spin just thinking about where I was and what was happening around me, and I had to go lay down.
"Nina? Hey, Nina, how are you feeling," Sam asked in a soft voice. His hand squeezed my shoulder, gently bringing me out of a deep sleep.
"Wow, how long were you gone?" I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and glanced at my watch. My contacts were a bit gummy from being in so long, but I blinked a few times and cleared them.
"Not more than a half hour, I'd guess. I brought some yogurt, granola bars, and water," Sam replied with a smile as he held up the plastic bag.
"Seriously? You really eat yogurt? I thought that was Michael's thing."
"Yeah. I found a grocery store nearby and it was a lot cheaper than any other source of protein we could get. Come on," he said and pulled out a foil-sealed cup and a plastic spoon, presenting them to me. "Gotta keep up your strength."
Sam parked himself on the couch with the plastic bag between us, and he picked up a container and spoon for himself. We ate in silence and listened to the street sounds outside and the movement of others inside the building. I was concerned about the squatters, but Sam didn't seem to have a problem with them. He said they were a nice cover and would most likely be our first alert if someone came into the building.
"I met some of our neighbors on the way up," he explained. "Nice people. They're wary of strangers, but sharing a little bit of the wealth with them and getting some info in exchange, well, I think I made a few friends."
"You gave them some of our stuff? We can't afford…."
"When you need lookouts, a yogurt or granola bar is a fair trade towards goodwill," Sam said with all seriousness.
"Sam, you didn't tell them why we're here, did you?"
He shrugged and looked away a moment, then returned his gaze to mine. "When you've been doing this as long as I have, you learn how much you can give away without giving away everything. You know what I mean?" He winked.
"Yeah. I'm sorry. Even after watching seven years of the show, I still don't have a handle on spy craft." I finished off my yogurt and dug into the bag for a granola bar. "So, what do we do now?"
"The really boring part of being a spy. We lay low, hang out here, and I'll stick my neck out now and then to see what's happening."
My hand came upon a thin, rectangular object and I pulled it out of the bag. It was a brand new deck of cards. My eyebrow went up. "I suppose this is something to keep us occupied?"
"You bet. After breakfast, are you up for a little poker?"
I laughed. "What'll we play for?"
"We'll figure out something. I'm sure there's gotta be something around here we can use in place of money."
After we ate, Sam and I searched our second floor and found some rainbow colored paperclips in a desk drawer. Sorted by colors, they made an excellent substitute for chips. Then we played and the stakes got higher and higher until we were playing for purple paperclips. He threw his last one on the pile and gave me a stare-down.
"Call it, honey."
"Four of a kind, kings." I laid my hand on the desk and presented a smug smile.
"Crap. I had four of a kind, tens." Then he smiled and laid down his fifth card. "With a wild card."
"Awww man!"
As he pulled the paperclips to his side, he said, "Hey, some gotta win, some gotta lose." Then he laughed. "Wanna change the game to gin or something?"
"Oh you think because you bested me a couple times…."
"Pfft, a couple?"
My laughter came easy and I realized that I was starting to relax. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "Is this okay?"
"What? Is what okay?" He looked at me, puzzled by my question.
"I'm starting to, well, not exactly lower my guard. It's just that I'm starting to feel safe here, I guess."
"That's good, as long as you stay aware of what's going on around us." He reached across the short distance and took my hand. The way his fingers played with it, and the easy smile on his face, well, it made my insides turn to jelly again. "I trust that you're going to do just fine, Nina."
I was glad that Sam had so much faith, despite the fact that he didn't know a lot about me. I rectified that by getting into a long conversation about my life, going back to my childhood up to how I found myself single in Miami and working for the Herald. The cards lay forgotten as we sat on the couch and talked. In exchange, I learned a lot more about Sam Axe than the script writers gave us on the show. Whether any of it was true, that was anybody's guess.
"Murphy's gonna be upset with me about that article," I said. "I can just see the steam coming from his ears." I turned to Sam and said, "You know, he's probably gonna fire me if I don't show up in a couple days." The fact that Sam looked sincerely contrite made me feel good, if only a little.
"I'm sorry about that. Maybe you should come back with me, if I ever figure out how to go back to where I belong." He was serious as a heart attack. I could see it in his eyes.
"Oh no, no, no," I said and shook my head slowly. "What would I do there? And you're already tied to Elsa, so it's not like I'd have someone to lean on for awhile until I got my feet under me. No, I couldn't do that."
Sam finished off a banana and tossed the peel into the plastic bag. Our supper consisted of fruit and the last of the yogurt that had gone warm, but it was still palatable. "I feel terrible getting you into the middle of my mess. You know, it's entirely possible that I'll never get back."
"Well, you don't have to worry. If that's the case, I'll be here for you," I answered his unspoken question before he could ask.
"I was hoping you'd say that." He smiled as he laid his arm along the back of the couch. "I really like you, Nina, and I have a lot of respect for how well you've taken everything that's come your way. A guy would be an idiot not to fall for you."
There it was again, the smoldering look in his eyes as he closed the distance between us. He peered into my yogurt container, saw that it was empty, and he took it from me and set it on the floor. The way he did it, his chest brushed mine, and when he came up his lips touched my arm where it met my shoulder. I was glad that I had fallen asleep in my clothes at the motel, or there would have been a lot more skin for him to cover during that initial kiss.
"Sam," I warned him. "I don't want to be a substitute, a stand-in for as long as you're here."
His arms wrapped around my body and kept me from backing away, while his eyes locked onto my lips as I spoke. He flicked his gaze up to mine and the corners of his eyes crinkled. "While we were in the thick of things, I watched you and admired your strength. Now, with some down-time, I've had a chance to get better acquainted and… I find myself attracted to you. I think I could even l…."
"No, you can't." I turned my head away.
"Why not?"
"One word. Elsa." I pushed against his chest and hoped he would let me go, but he didn't budge.
"I love Elsa, but let's face it, I'm not going anywhere. I'm stuck here."
"Ah, so it's any port in a storm, huh? I get it." I think I shocked him by my cold words, because he loosened his grip and allowed me to back away. "I'm not a toy, Sam. I'm a woman who has irrationally been in love with you for quite some time now, and… and you know that, and you're using that to your advantage. You've got a bird in your hand. Don't mess it up with me in the bush!"
"Uh, I think we already did the bush thing," he said, looking at me with an impish smile.
I really wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. He had to take things seriously. I jumped off the couch and knocked over my yogurt cup. I bent over, picked it up, and threw it in the garbage and walked away to the far end of the floor. Thankfully, he let me go and didn't follow. After awhile I returned to the couch and we talked. I marveled at how attentive he was. I hadn't had that from a guy in a long time, the feeling that I was the only woman in the world. I began to see what was behind the Sam Axe mystique. And the way he opened up, I was certain that he trusted me completely. I hadn't experienced that in a long time, if ever, from a guy. It was great, but weariness was overtaking me as darkness closed in.
"It's getting late. I'm going to try to get some sleep," I said as I backed off the couch and crossed to the one that I'd chosen for myself. I closed my eyes against the disappointment in his. I was falling in love with him again, but I wasn't quite prepared to go over the edge.
"Night, Nina babe," he said and walked toward the windows. I wasn't sure if he was trying to get away and sort out his feelings or just give me some privacy after such verbal intimacy. Whatever the case, I was grateful.
The evening was hot and sticky and I tossed and turned. I couldn't sleep under those conditions, and I wished I was home and in my own bed where the AC could keep me comfortable. I heard footsteps and sat up, my head swiveling and my eyes trying to find the source. I relaxed when I saw Sam's silhouette near the corner windows. Curious, I rose and joined him. He heard me coming and turned his head, and I saw him smile.
"You're up. Can't sleep either?" I shook my head, and he reached out to pull me into his side. "I've been watching the cop activity for the past hour or so. Seems like a lot of traffic for this area. I spied some drug activity going on in that alley and a buy going on down the street, so they're probably just patrolling for that reason."
"They wouldn't be looking for us, would they?"
Sam's jaw bumped against the top of my head when he shook his. "I doubt it. Hey, it's okay. I'll keep an eye on things and if it looks like we won't be safe here, we'll move before daylight."
"Why has everything gone so crazy? Two days ago my life was normal, boring even." His finger tipped up my chin until I was able to look into the shadows of his eyes. "Now that I have some excitement, I'm not so sure I like it."
He smiled and chuckled low. "If it's any consolation, you're doing a great job." He turned away from the window to face me, and he closed the distance until his shirt, damp with perspiration, pressed into my tank top. I really wanted to repel the hand that skimmed along my jaw, the thumb caressing my cheek, but I'd played with this fire too many times in my fantasies and in what had become real life. Sam felt good, smelled manly, and the sensation of being cradled in his arms was more than I could take.
I let his lips capture mine, and a whimper of desire gave away my need. It spurred him on. His kisses burned and ravished my lips and skin, leaving me gasping for air. He showed mercy by breaking away and attacking my earlobe, roving down my neck. All I could do was hang onto him, taking handfuls of his shirt at his back as I leaned against his arms and curled into him. A part of me, that last shred of good sense in my center, cried that I should stop this madness, but I ignored it. I'd been waiting for him for so long, and I wasn't about to put on the brakes now. When my pelvis made contact with his and I felt his arousal, I knew there was no turning back.
Growling, Sam cupped my behind, picking me up. My legs wrapped around him and my feet left the floor. He delved into my shoulder and burned a trail along my collarbone with his tongue as he walked me over to his couch. I fell on it and his weight covered my body, his hardness pressing into me, causing me to cry out.
"Are you..."
I cut him off by taking his mouth with mine and it was my turn to ravish him. My hands worked the buttons on his shirt and he shucked and tossed it away when I was done. The t-shirt joined it wherever it had gone. He pulled back enough to release me from my tank top and when his hands moved to my loose fitting pants, I wriggled out of them as he guided them past my hips and down my legs. The soft material whispered as it hit the floor. Then he was on top of me again. The soft prickle of his chest hair set my nerves on fire and my hips moved of their own accord, ramming against his and making him moan. I was so close to losing myself and I wanted it to go on forever, yet find relief.
A soft breeze came through the broken window and tickled my nipple, and I realized that Sam had stripped my bra from me without my realizing it. He was good at stealth. I smiled and ran my hands over his chest as he rose, and I opened my eyes and saw him staring down at me.
"Is there something wrong," I asked. I was afraid to break the spell by speaking, but I wanted to be sure that I hadn't done something to make him stop.
"Nothing's wrong," he replied in a thick, throaty voice dripping with desire. "I'm just looking at you. You're so beautiful, Nina. I've... I've been attracted to you since we first met, but..."
"If you want me, I'm yours," I said while reaching for the button on his waistband. His eyes moved down my body and stopped at my hands working the zipper and pushing the fabric past his hips. By the look on his face, I could tell he was pleased.
Sam slipped off the couch to let his pants dribble to the floor. All the while his eyes were on me, hungry, and I was the only thing that could sate him. I reached for my panties and slipped them off, but he jumped forward and finished the job himself while blazing a trail of hotness down my stomach with his tongue. The panties were gone and I was bare and vulnerable to his attentions. He knew just where to touch to set me on fire, and his fingers and tongue worked magic until I came to the apex and tumbled over it with a loud cry. Like lightning he moved and covered my mouth with his. I tasted myself on him, and I normally didn't like that sort of thing, but with him it was so sweet.
My hand fumbled for his boxers, pushing furiously to get them over his buttocks. The firm roundness distracted me for a few moments and I caressed and cupped him. He moaned into my mouth. His hand finished removing the silky material, and he was finally exposed. I reached for him and cradled him in my hand, coddling and stroking until he bent backwards and groaned. I looked at the sheer ecstasy on his face before he pulled away and dove in, filling me with his hardness. I had barely recovered from the first round, and the friction of our bodies bound together and moving as one brought me quickly to the brink again. Like a drowning woman, I pulled his head down and covered his mouth with mine, and we danced in the throes of our desires. He rammed into me and he let out a sound that would have been agony in any other situation. He expanded, throbbed, and I sensed a warmth spreading inside.
I didn't expect him to pull out, still heaving from the exertion, panting. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that without... precautions."
"It's okay," I said as I pulled him down to lay on me. I caressed his face, my skin prickling at the extended growth since he first arrived, and I smiled. "I'm on birth control for a medical condition." I took his hand and guided it down to my hip and my smile widened. "Somehow, in all your... handling... you never felt this." I let his fingers roam over the patch. "So you don't have to worry."
"That's good," Sam said and dropped his head onto my shoulder. He let his breath slow down to normal, placing kisses on my bare skin now and then.
"Careful," I warned, "You got yourself into trouble doing that before." I chuckled.
Sam picked me up and straddled me over his lap as he sat on the couch. "Nina, if I have to be stuck here forever, you make the idea a lot more attractive." He took my mouth and started another fire in me that only his love could tend and turn into a blaze. I was like a wild woman with him, and I liked being able to see him climbing to that height where he couldn't take anymore and came crashing into me, filling me until we were both exhausted. Through some creative maneuvering, Sam created a double bed with two couches, and we curled up together and went to sleep.
My dreams had never been this good. I hoped that in the morning I wouldn't wake to find that it had all been in my head. I wanted this part of my wishing to be true. It was selfish of me, but I hoped that Sam would never find his way home and we could be together forever. I loved him. Whether or not he loved me, well, that was a weighty question. At the moment I didn't care, but I felt pretty certain that he would if he didn't already. With that thought, I slipped into a blissful sleep.
