Page 54 of Lash

I return his embrace. "It is good to be back. Take care of yourself. Visit me in Las Vegas."

"How will I contact you?" he asks.

"I will get word to you."

He nods, waves, and goes to speak to the pilots.

Thirty minutes later, we're strapped into jump seats of a C-130J headed across the Atlantic. It's another long, boring, uneventful leg in our crazed trip across the globe. The C-130 takes us to Manaus, Brazil. We're bleary-eyed, jet-lagged, and disoriented. Only a few days ago—how many? I can’t remember—I was on a jet leaving Las Vegas. Since then, I’ve been to Zagreb, taken a train to Split, a ferry across the Adriatic, drove to Germany, and now flown back across the Atlantic to Brazil; Solomon, Scarlett, and Lorenzo’s adventure has been similarly complex, so by the time the C-130 touches down at the AFB in Manaus, we’re nearly zombies. Nils’ arrangements include off-base lodging under some very thin fake identities for all of us, but a little palm-greasing of the right people and judicious use of Lorenzo's contacts in the Brazilian military gets us to our rooms without issue.

Scarlett and Solomon have one room, Lorenzo another, and Tatiana and I have our own.

Which means we are alone together at long last.

My exhaustion burns away the moment Tatiana shuts the door, and the look in her eyes tells me everything I need to know about her state of mind.

release

Tatiana

Silence reigns for a long, fraught moment. Standing with his back against the hotel room door, Lash’s dark eyes are fixed on mine.

"Are you tired, Lovely One?" he asks, slipping the do-not-disturb sign on the outside of the door, sets the chain lock, and then stops in front of me,

"Yes," I admit, my eyes burning with exhaustion. "But I couldn’t sleep now if I tried."

He prowls closer to me, a faint smile curving the corners of his lips. "I know the feeling."

Desire burns in my belly, but other sensations clamor just as loudly, if not louder. "Lash, I—"

He takes my hands in his and walks backward, pulling me after him—to my surprise, we pass by the bed and make for the bathroom.

"I know what you need, Tatiana," he says. "A long, hot shower."

I groan at the thought. "That sounds like the best idea ever."

He grins. "You only have to decide one thing."

"And that would be what?" I ask.

"Do you want to shower alone, or would you care for company?"

"I wouldn't mind company," I murmur, feeling excited and shy and eager and hesitant all at once.

"I was hoping you'd say that." He takes my arms in his big, hard, strong hands. "Let me take care of you, Tatiana."

I lean my forehead against his chest. "Okay."

"Come." He tugs me by the hands to the bathroom. "Just relax, now. I will see to everything."

"What about you?" I ask.

He smiles. "I haven't forgotten what we talked about. But Solomon and I, and the others, we are professionals. We are used to this—long hours without sleep, endless travel, boredom on long flights, crossing time zones. You aren’t. Let me take care of you for now. There will be time for everything else later. We meet with the others at noon tomorrow."

I nod, my eyes burning, even though I also feel oddly wired. "I feel a little delirious."

"That is to be expected, after all the thousands of miles we have traveled in the last few days, especially considering all the stress and adrenaline." He brushes a thumb over my cheek. "Just let me care for you."

I nod, sighing. "Okay."