way to the hotel Ben had designated for their meeting. Thank God he'd answered her plea for help. When he hadn't responded right away, she hadn't been sure he would, but the knowledge she was going to see him gave her a renewed sense of hope and energized her exhausted body.
As soon as she saw him, she was going to fling her arms around him and hold on tight, just as she'd imagined doing a thousand times over the past week. She didn't care if he thought she was losing it, because once she touched him she'd know for certain she was safe. Starting tonight, they'd be able to do something to help Neveah and the other hostages she'd read about in a paper she'd glimpsed at the market that morning.
Though she'd be glad to see Ben, she couldn't help the thread of unease that slid through her at the thought of seeing him face-to-face again.
You're being stupid. Ben won't hurt you.
Holding on to that thought, she jogged up the stairwell to the third floor and found her way to the room he'd specified. Pulling out the key that had been left for her at the front desk, she unlocked the door and opened it hesitantly, glancing around in the stygian darkness before stepping inside. Ben wasn't here yet. She was glad, because she could use a little extra time to pull herself together before he arrived. He was coming, right? He wouldn't tell her to meet him and then blow her off.
Would he?
She hated the uncertainty. The sound of her even breathing was harsh in the silent room. When the door shut behind her with a soft click, a dim lamp came on across the room. She jerked, blinking in the glare as her heart rate skyrocketed.
“Hi Sam.”
The low cadence of his voice almost made her knees buckle. The hand she'd pressed to her heart fell away in relief. Ben was really there. She stared across the room at his large frame, folded into a wingback chair. He was an incredibly attractive man, but she'd forgotten how much so. Tall, muscular, black hair short in the back and a little longer in front, his eyes a startling pale green. The mellow light from the lamp played across his high cheekbones and square jaw, highlighting the pale jade of his eyes and the cleft in his chin. He'd shaved off his goatee, but a few days of growth shadowed his features. Even covered with stubble, his face was still enough to stop the breath in her lungs. But his frigid expression lodged the air in her tight throat.
Any thought of rushing over to hug him vanished. She swallowed. He didn't look all that happy to see her. In fact, he seemed pissed off. “H-hi.” Her voice came out as a mere thread. She felt completely off-balance.
Ben was deceptively relaxed in his seat as he studied her, but a coiled energy seethed beneath his calm surface. He could be out of that chair and on her in a heartbeat, and they both knew it. If it came down to fending him off, she had no chance in hell. He was twice her size and a fifth level black belt, in addition to being a former Army Ranger. The way he watched her with those cool eyes told her just how confident he was of his ability to subdue her if necessary. She wouldn't have a prayer against him physically, so the only thing left to use as a weapon was her brain. At least there, they were evenly matched.
First off, she had to find out what had put him into this mood she'd never seen from him before. Her pulse drummed against her throat, dread eroding her joy at seeing him.
He shifted a little, and when his hand moved she realized for the first time he was holding a gun. Sam froze, fear squeezing her dry throat like a fist. She couldn't take her eyes from the pistol, which she had no doubt was loaded.
“I'm not going to shoot you,” he said laconically, “unless you do something stupid. Since we both know you're the furthest thing from that, I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about.”
She gulped and raised her eyes. What the hell was going on? Ben was holding a loaded gun against her.
“Been busy?” he asked in a
As soon as she saw him, she was going to fling her arms around him and hold on tight, just as she'd imagined doing a thousand times over the past week. She didn't care if he thought she was losing it, because once she touched him she'd know for certain she was safe. Starting tonight, they'd be able to do something to help Neveah and the other hostages she'd read about in a paper she'd glimpsed at the market that morning.
Though she'd be glad to see Ben, she couldn't help the thread of unease that slid through her at the thought of seeing him face-to-face again.
You're being stupid. Ben won't hurt you.
Holding on to that thought, she jogged up the stairwell to the third floor and found her way to the room he'd specified. Pulling out the key that had been left for her at the front desk, she unlocked the door and opened it hesitantly, glancing around in the stygian darkness before stepping inside. Ben wasn't here yet. She was glad, because she could use a little extra time to pull herself together before he arrived. He was coming, right? He wouldn't tell her to meet him and then blow her off.
Would he?
She hated the uncertainty. The sound of her even breathing was harsh in the silent room. When the door shut behind her with a soft click, a dim lamp came on across the room. She jerked, blinking in the glare as her heart rate skyrocketed.
“Hi Sam.”
The low cadence of his voice almost made her knees buckle. The hand she'd pressed to her heart fell away in relief. Ben was really there. She stared across the room at his large frame, folded into a wingback chair. He was an incredibly attractive man, but she'd forgotten how much so. Tall, muscular, black hair short in the back and a little longer in front, his eyes a startling pale green. The mellow light from the lamp played across his high cheekbones and square jaw, highlighting the pale jade of his eyes and the cleft in his chin. He'd shaved off his goatee, but a few days of growth shadowed his features. Even covered with stubble, his face was still enough to stop the breath in her lungs. But his frigid expression lodged the air in her tight throat.
Any thought of rushing over to hug him vanished. She swallowed. He didn't look all that happy to see her. In fact, he seemed pissed off. “H-hi.” Her voice came out as a mere thread. She felt completely off-balance.
Ben was deceptively relaxed in his seat as he studied her, but a coiled energy seethed beneath his calm surface. He could be out of that chair and on her in a heartbeat, and they both knew it. If it came down to fending him off, she had no chance in hell. He was twice her size and a fifth level black belt, in addition to being a former Army Ranger. The way he watched her with those cool eyes told her just how confident he was of his ability to subdue her if necessary. She wouldn't have a prayer against him physically, so the only thing left to use as a weapon was her brain. At least there, they were evenly matched.
First off, she had to find out what had put him into this mood she'd never seen from him before. Her pulse drummed against her throat, dread eroding her joy at seeing him.
He shifted a little, and when his hand moved she realized for the first time he was holding a gun. Sam froze, fear squeezing her dry throat like a fist. She couldn't take her eyes from the pistol, which she had no doubt was loaded.
“I'm not going to shoot you,” he said laconically, “unless you do something stupid. Since we both know you're the furthest thing from that, I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about.”
She gulped and raised her eyes. What the hell was going on? Ben was holding a loaded gun against her.
“Been busy?” he asked in a
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