“You’re doing great driving in this,” Jaden said.
Her heart squeezed at the compliment.
He pulled off his shirt, balled it up, and used it to wipe clean the inside of the windshield. Did he catch her eyeing his bare chest? He must’ve because he cracked a devastating little grin as he shrugged into his shirt. He was all calm confidence while her heart pounded her ribs painfully.
“Are we lost?” she asked after winding along the path for what felt like half an hour.
“No. I think if we make a couple of good turns, we can find the old military barracks,” he reassured.
A solid wood door whisked through the air, spun around in front of the Jeep’s windshield, and then crashed down on top of the hood. Lauren let out a scream before she could clamp it down. The vehicle stopped.
Grabbing the balled up supplies from the back seat, Jaden shouted, “We better move out.”
He rolled out of the seat. Lauren scrambled after him, watching the Jeep disappear over a ledge.
Jaden turned and shouted, “Get down!”
Lauren dropped to her knees, and then fell flat on her stomach. Hugging the ground, mud squishing through her fingers, she followed Jaden as tightly as he could.
Clinging to barren clumps of shrubbery, she clawed her way uphill. Lightning cut across the sky before plunging down with an explosion of thunder.
“There it is,” he shouted as he crested the next mound.
Lauren scuttled to his side. A loud crack sounded.
Spinning around, she glimpsed a palm tree as it split in half, unleashing a torrent of coconuts. Jaden dove on top of her, shielding her with his heft. A few slammed him instead. He unleashed a string of swear words.
Before she could utter a thank you, he was back up encouraging her to keep moving.
Not a minute later, a brick building came into full view. A concrete silo in front flagged a large metal door with an equally oversized lock.
They scrambled to it while Lauren prayed for sanctuary.
Jaden stood, angling his shoulder toward the door. Stepping back, he rammed forward with the fury of a steam engine. The door buckled, but stopped short of opening. He grunted and rubbed his shoulder.
“We need something…,” he said before disappearing around the side of the building.
A few moments later the front door opened and an arm, which felt more like a steel band, swept her inside. She stumbled forward, falling against Jaden to catch her balance.
He planted his shoulder against the door, struggling to close it against the elements.
Lauren spun around, grabbed the sliding metal latch, and bolted the lock as soon as it lined up.
She turned, leaned against the door, and found herself once again inside Jaden’s arms. He was out of breath, she could tell by the pulsing rhythm of his chest. She was soaked to the core, and the heat from his glorious body pressing against hers was a beacon of warmth. Lauren allowed the warmth to calm her as his arms encircled her waist and pulled her in tighter, until her breath slowed to a normal rhythm.
“Do you think we’re alone?” she asked.
“For now.” Jaden took off his shirt, once more revealing his perfectly toned abs. He squeezed the water out and used it to gently wipe mud from her face.
His thumb traced her cheekbone, sending warmth swirling through her.
She didn’t move, couldn’t move. She could only stand there spellbound, waiting for the magic to break.
“We just have to wait until the storm blows over. There are basic supplies here and secure communication equipment. This should be safe,” he said.
A crack of thunder returned Lauren’s full focus. He might’ve saved them from the storm, but that wasn’t the only thing they were running from. Besides, if she stood there with him any longer she wouldn’t be able to resist him. “We’ll see about that.”
His hand found hers, and next thing she knew she was being led into a large room. Teal blue paint chipped off plaster walls. The furniture, old and sparse, looked to be original and about as soft as a tree trunk, but it was something. She tested a chair and found it to be as hard as it looked.
Maybe she was being silly, but she expected high-tech equipment, a few couches, and a desk. “This isn’t it, is it? I mean, we’re kind of out in the open, aren’t we?”
Jaden smiled as he guided her toward a floor-to-ceiling cabinet.
Concrete floors were cold but dry. Her gaze landed on a fireplace. And, glory of glories, there was wood cut and neatly stacked beside it just waiting for them. It was probably a prop for a tour guide, but she didn’t care. It looked real enough. “Can we light a fire?”
“This isn’t it. And don’t worry about this location. No matter what, I’ll keep you safe. Your brother needs you.” He opened the cabinet and removed shelving.
If she looked really closely, she could see a small button in the back, which looked like nothing more than a paint splatter.
Jaden pushed the spot, and the back wall of the cabinet opened like a scene out of an Indiana Jones film.
Lauren stepped inside and felt as though she’d been transported to another world. A couple of desks, butted against each other, centered the room. A wall in back was filled with high-tech-looking equipment, none of which Lauren recognized. It looked like the ultimate man cave, complete with a wood-burning fireplace and worn couch.
“This fireplace works.” He brought a thin wire and a hand towel. “No one will see the smoke coming from the chimney in this downpour.”
Crossing to the supplies, he pulled batteries from the radio. Organizing wood into a small teepee, he said, “Grab me that broomstick over there.” He pointed to the corner.
Lauren brought over the small whiskbroom, unsure of what he planned to do with this
