Once Bitten, Twice Dead Read online

  A bright light shone over her shoulder before she could even get her own flashlight free of its holster. She looked upward, unsurprised to see the high-beam light in Xavier’s big hand. He moved beside her, shouldering her aside with polite movements.

  “I’ll go first for now. I checked this place out already and believe they’ve moved on, but I don’t like to take chances.”

  Sarah wasn’t about to argue. If there was the slightest chance of coming face-to-face with one of those creatures again, she’d rather approach it on her own terms, not be surprised by it in the dark. Not like she had been when they had almost killed her.

  She still had the pain in her thigh to remind her of what kind of damage they could do, even if the contaminant in their bite wouldn’t kill her outright. The more disgusting of the two creatures had taken a chunk out of her thigh. Her body was growing new muscle and skin to replace what had been removed, but the area was still tight and painful even though it was healing at record pace. She was good to go with only a thick bandage. She’d have to change the dressing later, but for now, it didn’t slow her down physically. No, it only made her pause mentally to evaluate the threat level, but caution was a good thing.

  “It’s clear.” Xavier turned back to her. “Now, show me the path you took. What did you see, hear, smell, et cetera. Don’t leave anything out.”

  She retraced her steps as best she could recall, giving him the information he wanted and answering questions as he came up with new ones. When she got to the place where she’d been laid out on the ground, cracking her skull and giving those creatures the opportunity to bite her, her voice shook with memory and returning horror.

  A strong arm came around her shoulders, silently shoring up her defenses. She gulped, swallowing the tears of frustrated terror that returned briefly as she recalled the moment when she knew she was going to die.

  “They had me pinned and my head was swimming from banging on the concrete floor,” she recalled. She took a deep breath to steady her voice but it didn’t help much. “The first one had my legs, the second one—the one that snuck up on me—had my arms. He bit me here.” She touched the spot between her neck and shoulder where the second perp had broken skin. Not even a scar marred the spot now, of course. The contagion in their saliva had done that to her, though it would’ve killed almost anyone else, according to Xavier.

  “The first one bit you on the thigh, right?” he asked in a gentle voice. “I saw the medical reports. Is it healed yet?”

  “Not completely. It’s still got a big scab and hurts when I overdo it or move in a strange way. They tell me the chunk of muscle and flesh that was taken out is still growing back in.”

  “The healing effects of being immune to the contagion are pretty powerful. Too bad it comes at such a high price and only works on a miniscule percent of the population.” The irony in his tone wasn’t lost on her.

  “I can almost understand why the researchers wouldn’t want to give up on this avenue of research. Almost. But, as you said, the price is too high.”

  She shuddered and he drew her into his arms, wrapping her in his warmth. It felt good to be comforted by this mountain of a man. He was so much bigger than she was, so much stronger physically. It felt good to lean on that strength for just a minute.

  “Much too high,” he agreed with her, tucking her head under his chin. “We’d both be dead if it weren’t for a quirk of our body chemistry. I don’t know about you, but I’m much too young and pretty to die.”

  She laughed, as he’d no doubt intended. “The only thing pretty about you is your way with words, captain.” She leaned back and looked up into his mysterious dark eyes. The moment dragged as their gazes met and held.

  “Don’t you think you should call me Xavier, considering we’re fellow survivors?” His eyes darkened with intent. “And especially considering the way you fit in my arms?” He pulled her closer, angling his lips downward to meet hers.

  She saw the kiss coming a mile away but was powerless to resist. She’d been through so much in the past week. She’d come face-to-face with death and had spent a few hours reconsidering the direction of her life’s path. One of the things she most regretted was turning away from opportunities when they presented themselves.

  Well, here was an opportunity of the sexiest kind. What woman wouldn’t want to know this handsome Cajun’s kiss? It was just a kiss, after all. She knew she’d regret it the rest of her life—however long or short that may be—if she turned down this opportunity to experience Xavier’s kiss.

  For all she knew, it might be disappointing. He might not be a good kisser. He might be all talk and no substance. But then again…

  He just might be the real deal. She wanted to know. She wanted like never before to find out if he lived up to his sexy advertising. Could a man who looked that scrumptious on the outside be as good at love play as he looked?

  Sarah was about to find out.

  Chapter Three

  She met his kiss halfway, leaning up on her tiptoes to cut down on the difference in their heights as much as she could. Xavier’s arms tightened around her waist and back, supporting her. She’d never felt safer in her life.

  When his lips touched hers, Sarah felt a sharp tingling, like an electric jolt where their skin touched. She’d heard about sparks flying but had never experienced it herself. If this first tentative touch was any indication, she was in for a rare treat.

  Sarah moved closer to him, pressing herself against his wide, muscular chest. The feel of him was maddening in the best possible way. He was beyond fit—tall and lithe, with strong muscles that made her want to stroke him all over…for hours. She’d love to take her time discovering all the sensitive places on his hard body.

  But she was getting ahead of herself. This was just a kiss, after all. And it hadn’t even really started yet.

  She yielded to him as he molded her body to his. Her breasts pressed against his chest as his lips took possession of hers in a more definite sweep. He was in command of not only the kiss but of her response as well. She felt as if he’d taken control of her free will and her pleasure. He held both in the palm of his hand, and, most disturbingly, she trusted him with it all. She trusted that he wouldn’t push her too far, wouldn’t take her beyond her boundaries, though he would test them.

  Xavier’s tongue plunged deep, playing with hers as one of his hands roamed lower to cup the curve of her butt. He squeezed, drawing her closer to his lower body. She could feel the buckles and straps of his utility belt against her, but there was also a delectable ridge of hardness running up the front of his trousers that made her want to touch and tease. He was hard for her. Just like that.

  Sarah felt a little thrill of feminine power at being able to affect him in such a blatant way. He made her feel desirable and powerful. He also made her hotter than she’d ever been.

  Xavier backed off little by little. He pressed her lower body against his hardness one last time before letting up on the pressure. He moved his hand off her ass, holding her waist instead. When she would’ve pressed herself against him, he held her off.

  Thank goodness he was thinking for both of them. At this point, Sarah was almost too far gone to care that they were both still on duty and had a job to do.

  He lifted his lips from hers, keeping his arms loose around her midsection. Those soft brown eyes looked down into hers, the hint of humor in the crinkles at the corners making the moment more intimate somehow. He watched her closely, seeming to gauge her reaction.

  Sarah felt boneless. Her knees were wobbly and her pulse raced. All that from just a simple kiss.

  “Wow.” Damn, she hadn’t meant to say that out loud. It had just slipped out. Xavier smiled down at her, the devilish quirk of his lips making her insides squirm. The man was potent. Sanity began to return as she straightened in his hold. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Why not?” His gaze hardened and dared her to come up with a reason.

  For
the life of her, she couldn’t. Not a good reason, anyway. She finally settled for one of her weaker excuses as she stepped away from him and brushed off her clothing, removing imaginary lint. Too bad she couldn’t remove the feel of his hard body against hers as easily.

  “It’s unprofessional.”

  Xavier laughed outright. “I’m not buying it. You’re not in my chain of command. We’re not even coworkers.”

  “We’re working together now,” she argued.

  “I’m army. You’re a cop. We’re working together on this, but only because of some very unusual circumstances. There’s nothing unprofessional about giving in to the very real attraction we have for one another.”

  “Speak for yourself, lover boy.” She tried to push her way past him, but he slipped one big hand around her upper arm, gently halting her progress.

  “I didn’t figure you for a coward, Sarah. In fact, I know you’re not a coward. So don’t run from this.” His voice dropped as he whispered into her ear. “Don’t run from me.”

  Sarah suppressed a shiver as he let go of her arm and let her proceed. Her senses were in an uproar and her mind was in a state of utter confusion. She’d never felt like this before. It seemed only this annoying Green Beret could drag this response out of her. She didn’t like it. Not one bit.

  But to be honest, she had enjoyed his kiss. A little too much. She hadn’t responded to a man like this in a long time…if ever. She doubted she’d ever gotten so hot from just a kiss. As it was, Sarah had felt desire for him right down to her bones. He’d lit her on fire with the tender brushes of his tongue and the demanding power of his kiss. It had been totally unexpected and had caught her completely unawares.

  She’d learned something. She would have to be on guard around Xavier from now on. Her life was screwed up enough right now as it was. She didn’t need to get mixed up with a sexy Cajun soldier who would be around only for a short while. She didn’t want to lose her heart to him, only to have him leave.

  Sarah knew that about herself. She couldn’t love ’em and leave ’em. She wasn’t that kind of girl. If she got involved with a guy, she got involved. Xavier could easily break her heart, if she allowed herself to get closer to him than she already was. They had to work together. She could do that. Anything more? She’d have to forget about.

  She headed for the hallway where she first saw the perp, trying to refocus the situation. Business. They had to stick to business from here on out.

  Sarah pulled the flashlight from her utility belt. She’d done this before. Only this time, she had company. The zombies were gone and an even more dangerous male was guarding her back. Fear wanted to sneak up on her, but it didn’t stand a chance with Xavier in the room.

  “I heard something over here.” She cleared her throat, well aware that she’d croaked like a frog on her first try. “So I identified myself and approached cautiously. I saw something at the end of the hall. It looked like a person. I asked him to come out but got no response. After about a minute, he began to shuffle forward, toward me. I moved a little closer, expecting it to be a junkie or a drunk. I thought maybe he might need medical help.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Xavier whispered, checking out the hallway with his more powerful flashlight as he stood close over her shoulder. “He needed medical help all right, but it was already too late.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed, a lump in her throat as she remembered the unnatural gait of the creature as it had approached her. “I called for backup and an ambulance, then went closer to check out the perp. He was moving closer, but not quickly, and he was making that sort of moaning sound.”

  “The inhuman groan that sends shivers right down your spine.”

  She looked up at him, but Xavier was concentrating on his inspection of the walls and floor. His expression was tight, though. He understood better than anyone that horrible sound.

  She cleared her throat again, trying to push the memory of that sound from her mind. “When the perp got close enough that I could see his face—well, what was left of his face—I tried to run.”

  “Smart move.”

  “Not really. I didn’t hear the second perp come up behind me. He had me before I even knew he was there.” She was still kicking herself for that rookie mistake.

  “I imagine you were pretty surprised after what you’d just seen.”

  His gentle tone made her look over at him sharply. “Don’t make excuses for me. I know it was a stupid mistake. Nothing should’ve rattled me so badly that I didn’t even notice the second perp sneaking up on me. I’m better than that.”

  “Under normal circumstances, I bet you are, Officer Petit. You’re an exemplary officer of the law.” He gave her a solemn nod. “But I think we can both agree, this was far from normal.”

  “Look, it could have been a couple of kids in Halloween masks. Those same kids could have been armed. They could have shot me or sexually assaulted me just as easily.”

  He turned to face her. “But these weren’t kids in masks. These were zombies. The real deal.”

  The moment stretched while in her mind she went over the recriminations that had been playing nearly nonstop since she woke. Then her sense of humor reasserted itself.

  “I can’t believe you really call them that. Every time I hear the word I want to giggle. It makes it sound like we’re on the set of some low-budget horror movie.” A smile quirked her lips.

  Xavier joined her in a faint grin. “Only thing is, this is real. No cameras. And it’s my job to keep it that way. ‘Reanimated corpses’ is what they are. ‘Zombies’ for short.” He winked at her before heading down the hall, inspecting every square inch of the floor, walls and ceiling.

  She watched him for a moment before following behind, doing her own inspection. That zombie had to have come from somewhere.

  “I went over this space after I was sent up here. I didn’t know where to concentrate, so I checked everything, hoping you’d wake up and be able to point me in the right direction.” Xavier paused, drawing his knife to pry at something in a crack on the floor. “Bingo.”

  “What?” He was crouching, blocking her view of whatever it was he’d found on the floor. She moved to look over his shoulder.

  “Step back.” He shifted on the balls of his feet, crowding her backward. A second later, she realized why as he opened up a trapdoor in front of them.

  He looked back at her for just a moment to signal for silence. She didn’t have to be told twice. If anyone was still down there, the element of surprise might still be on their side.

  Before she could ask what he meant to do, he jumped, avoiding the steps on the ladder that ran down the opening, holding on to the rails on either side. He slid into the darkness, zipping downward at breakneck speed.

  Sarah wasn’t sure he wanted her to follow, but she’d be damned if she was going to be left up here standing watch. If there was danger to be found, it was down there, not up here in an empty building.

  She took the slower way down, using the rungs of the ladder, though she went as fast as she could. The floor wasn’t far below. She found herself about twelve feet belowground, in an area with a concrete floor.

  As her eyes adjusted, she saw the flicker of light ahead. It was Xavier. He was using a smaller light now, creeping around corners using his stealth skills.

  He was impressive in action. The man had skills. No doubt about that. And she didn’t mean just as an operative. He had kissed the daylights out of her, and though she’d tried to put it from her mind and concentrate on the mission, her senses were still reeling. Xavier Beauvoir certainly knew how to kiss.

  She shouldn’t have been surprised. The man was walking, talking, sex on a stick. From the lazy roll of his hips as he walked, to the velvety accent of his words, he was temptation with a capital T. Sarah had to gird herself against him. He’d be here only until this problem was cleared up. He no doubt had led a very different life, far from here. He’d leave and never look back once his mission was over.
/>   She couldn’t really blame him. That was the nature of his profession.

  Musing about Xavier when she should have been paying more attention to her surroundings almost cost her dearly. Sarah spun around, hearing a noise in the darkness behind her. She didn’t know what it was and couldn’t see anything beyond the beam of her flashlight, but the tiny hairs at the back of her neck stood on end. She’d been in trouble once before in this building. As far as she was concerned, once was enough.

  “Xavier?” Her voice came out calmer than she’d expected. Score one for her acting ability. Her knees were shaking with fear, but hopefully the big soldier wouldn’t be able to hear the rising panic in her voice.

  “What?” His voice floated to her out of the darkness, closer now, but still some distance away.

  “I heard something over here. That direction.” She pointed with her flashlight, but it wasn’t powerful enough to cut through the deep, inky darkness, and so did diddly-squat to help her pinpoint whatever was making those furtive sounds.

  Xavier appeared next to her like a ghost. The man was unnervingly silent on his feet.

  “You stay here, by the ladder where I can see you. I’ll go check it out.” He kept his voice low, his breath whispering across the sensitive whorls of her ear as he leaned close. She suppressed a shiver of pure, feminine awareness. Damn, the man was truly potent. “Now would be a good time to draw your weapon and release the safety. Just don’t shoot me.”

  His flat words shocked her gaze up to his and she read the graveyard humor there. A little curl of forbidden attraction wound through her abdomen.

  “I only shoot the bad guys,” she promised with a solemn nod, and was gratified by a short moment of camaraderie as she followed his instructions.

  She’d shared many such moments with fellow officers in her years on the force, but none had ever felt this intimate. There was something about this soldier—this Special Forces warrior—that made each moment special in some indefinable way.