Page 20 of Boxed In

“Oh right.” She backed out of the room, and Carl followed, wondering what he was going to do now.

oOo

“We have to find a place to hide out,” Luke said, answering Olivia’s question.

He was still trying to cope with his new reality. His thoughts were no longer private. His actions were no longer his own. And his life was now dedicated to saving a relic of the Moon Temple from robbers who would cheerfully kill him and Olivia if they could find them.

But if his thoughts were no longer private, neither were Zabastian’s. The warrior was going to deliver the box back to its rightful owners—if it killed him. And Luke along with him.

Luke’s only advantage was that Zabastian had awakened in a totally strange environment. He knew nothing about twenty-first century America. And he was smart enough to realize that he needed Luke Garner’s help to survive here.

At the same time, a good portion of the warrior’s thoughts were focused on Olivia. He wanted her, and he was going to seduce her, if he could manage it.

Luke wanted her, too. Had wanted her since he’d taken this assignment, although he told himself he couldn’t have her while he was on a job for Decorah. But a couple of minutes after waking up, Zabastian had pulled her on top of himself and started kissing her.

He laughed inwardly. If he were going to get shot by the Poisoned Ones, he might as well let Zabastian do his worst—or maybe it was his best—with Olivia.

Luke was still contemplating that scenario with happy anticipation when he caught another thought in the warrior’s mind.

No, he inwardly screamed.

I have observed your world. I know what I’m doing, Zabastian’s deep voice answered inside his head.

Luke felt his jaw muscles work. Heard words come out of his mouth. It sounded like his voice. But he wasn’t the one speaking. It was the warrior.

“Thank you for getting us out of the garage. I can drive now.”

Olivia peered at him. “You’re sure that’s all right? I mean, aren’t you having a . . . problem?”

Luke felt Zabastian give her his most charming smile. “It is my car. I know how to drive it.”

“You’re not talking like Luke.”

He tipped his head to the side, looking at her, making silent assessments. Casually, he reached out and touched her shoulder. “It’s me. He’s just mixing up my speech patterns a little bit. Let me get behind the wheel. I know where we’re going, so it makes more sense for me to drive.”

She looked cautiously at him. Luke tried to make his fingers tighten on her shoulder, tried to warn her that the words coming out of his mouth were lies. But he wasn’t the one calling the shots. The big Z had taken over again. And this time he was going to get them into trouble.

Luke held his breath, waiting to see what Olivia would do. Unfortunately, she got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side.

Luke also climbed out and stood beside her on the darkened street. “You were fantastic,” he said. He put his arms around her and pulled her against his body, stroking her hands over her back. “I never knew a woman who could handle herself with such bravery and style.”

Despite his qualms about what the warrior had up his sleeve, Luke couldn’t help admiring the smooth line and rejoicing.in Olivia’s reaction. A few minutes ago, she’d been questioning his sanity. It seemed, however, that she was still willing to respond to him.

Smoothly, Zabastian lowered his head to Olivia’s. He stroked his lips over hers, sending tingles of heat shooting through Luke’s blood. And when his lips settled on hers, the heat pooled in the lower part of his body.

He was instantly aroused. Instantly ready for sex.

In some part of his mind, he knew there was nothing they could do about it now—not out here on the street. But he couldn’t stop himself from going a little farther. Or, rather, stop Zabastian, since he was still the one in charge of this scene.

He went along for the very exciting ride, taking greedy sips from her mouth as his hands stroked over her shoulders and back, then found her spine, playing his fingers up and down the delicate column.

Nice move, Luke thought as he heard her make a small sound of appreciation, felt her move against him, her middle pressing tantalizingly against his cock, telling him she craved the contact as much as he did.

With a practiced motion, his other hand traveled to her ribs, sliding up and down, then settling against the side of her breast, exploring the wonderful fullness of her.

She moved her head, languidly, invitingly. He found her tongue with his, delicately stroking, judging her reaction with satisfaction.

He might not be the greatest lover of the twenty-first century, but he knew when a woman was signaling that she wanted to go farther. Too bad the car was so small. There was no place to stretch out in the backseat. But maybe they could do it sitting up, with her in his lap.

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