Hard Line - Pamela Clare Page 0,32
South Pole—that seems pretty interesting to me.”
They walked back to Patty’s room, where two taped and labeled boxes waited to be moved into storage.
“I had planned to put these down in the LO Arch, but what if someone finds them? I don’t want Lance taking Patty’s journal.”
Thor wouldn’t put it past Lance to steal it. He’d already tried to grab it from Samantha’s arms twice. But Thor knew how to handle this. “I can keep them secure. I’m good at that, you know.”
Flirter du med hende? Are you flirting with her?
Maybe he was.
This afternoon when he’d held her, he’d meant only to comfort her. She was grieving, and she was more or less alone with fifty people she didn’t know well, people who, from what Thor could see, weren’t going out of their way to show her sympathy.
But then she’d rested her cheek against his chest, relaxing into him. Damn, it had felt good. She was soft in the right places and smelled sweet, her hair like silk beneath his hands. He hadn’t wanted it to end.
You’re an idiot, man.
Samantha was vulnerable. She was grieving. The last thing she needed was to get physical with a guy who’d be leaving as soon as Tower could land a plane.
She’s interested in you, too, and you know it.
Yes, but he didn’t have to act on that.
She smiled, light chasing away the grief in her eyes. “Security is your thing.”
“Exactly. We can take her belongings back to the States when we fly out and make sure her family gets them.”
“You would do that?” She seemed surprised.
“Of course.”
“That means so much to me. I’m sure her parents will appreciate it, too.”
They carried the boxes to Thor’s room, the motion-detector camera setting off the alarm on his phone. Thor set the boxes on his bed and canceled the alarm. Jones and Segal would see it was him and not come running.
“You’ve got video surveillance in here?” She stared up at the camera.
“Don’t share that fact with anyone, okay?”
“Right.”
Later, when Jones or Segal was there to watch his back, Thor would lock the boxes in the other room with the case of components. Lance wouldn’t find them there.
“What do you say we go put up the fairy lights in your room?” Thor was grasping now, trying to find reasons to stay near her.
“I’d like that.”
They went back upstairs to Samantha’s room, where Thor, under her direction, hung the lights along the ceiling line, fixing them in place with push pins. He had to climb onto her bed on his knees to reach that part of the wall.
He jumped to the floor. “Okay. Light them up.”
Samantha plugged them into the outlet behind her desk then hurried over to the door to switch off the lights. “I love it.”
The little LED lights weren’t bright, but they cast a cheery glow over the room, their light playing over the features of Samantha’s face.
Oh, he was tempted to kiss her, so tempted.
You’re out of your mind.
He hadn’t come here for that.
She looked into his eyes. “Thanks, Thor. Facing this would have been so much harder without your help. And thanks for keeping her things safe.”
“You’re welcome.” Because he couldn’t stop himself, he kissed her on the cheek.
But at the last second, she turned her head, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him right on the mouth.
Hell, yes.
It was a tentative kiss, little more than a peck on the lips. But then Thor took control, drawing her hard against him, attraction flaring into desire as he got a feel for her. The heat of her body against his. The timid touch of her tongue. Her sigh when his tongue returned the caress and his mouth claimed hers at last.
God, she was sweet.
Thor hadn’t planned this. He had no idea where it was going, but he didn’t care. Kissing her was—
“Isaksen, this is Jones.”
For helvede. Damn it.
Thor broke the kiss, looked into Samantha’s eyes. “We’re not finished.”
“Isaksen, you copy?”
He yanked his radio off his waistband. “Isaksen here.”
“Hardin wants to see you right away—both you and Dr. Park.”
Samantha walked beside Thor down to the office wing, her lips still tingling, excitement shivering through her. She’d done it. She’d surprised them both. She’d kissed him. She wasn’t usually that brave with men.
He hadn’t pushed her away. Instead, he’d kissed her back.
It had been as amazing as she’d hoped it would be, the kind of kiss she’d fantasized about but never experienced. He hadn’t rushed her, instead taking his time, his body hard