Midnight Kiss (Men of Midnight #7) - Lisa Marie Rice Page 0,1
Luke Reynolds and her good friend Felicity had sent him to help her. To protect her. And she’d almost attacked him. If she hadn’t been strapped in by the seat belt, maybe she’d have tried to punch him.
Though … to tell the truth, he looked pretty unpunchable. He was tall, very lean and all muscle. Sinewy and tough-looking. She’d have only hurt her hand if she’d punched him.
“Sorry.” Her voice was a croak, still rasping from sleep. She drew in a deep shuddering breath. “So sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.” His deep voice was even, emotionless. He reached to the side and gave her a floppy hat and sunglasses, though from what was visible through the airplane portholes, it was overcast. “Please put these on. The sunglasses are Reflectacles and distort facial features. The hat has a hidden light under the brim which makes it impossible to film your face. We have stairs with a canopy and a vehicle waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Felicity said you needed to stay undetected.”
She nodded. For some reason she was finding it hard to keep up. It took her a moment to realize he was handing her a disguise.
Disguises were good. Particularly high-tech ones. Yeah. She believed in tech the way other people believed in God.
“Thanks,” she said, glad that her voice was less croaky.
He nodded.
Hope felt creaky and disoriented, a little like she felt after a 48-hour work binge and she was inserting herself back into meatspace. She looked around. The businessman she’d been on the flight with had disappeared. She’d barely had a glimpse of him before she’d fallen into her coma. A pilot stood at the cockpit door, waiting.
For what?
For you, dummy. He’s waiting for you.
Luke was waiting too. He indicated the door with his hand.
Hope looked around. There was a sequence to getting off a plane. Unbuckle, get up, get something — get what? Then she remembered. “I don’t have any luggage, not even toiletries.”
She had only her laptop backpack with her.
Luke nodded. “Felicity had some stuff put together for you. It’s waiting in the car.”
He looked at her bare head. “Please put the glasses and hat on.”
He’d said this before.
“Oh.” Feeling unsettled, she put the floppy wide-brimmed hat and huge sunglasses on. They were heavy. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” He reached out to touch her arm. “You’re having an adrenaline dump. It’s ok. We’ll take care of you.”
Well, that was a novel concept. Someone taking care of her. She’d been taking care of herself for a very long time.
The steps were covered and the sides were a transparent plastic. Paranoia gripped her. Anyone with binoculars could see her. If they had a powerful enough camera, they could photograph her. She knew exactly how amazingly efficient facial recognition had become. Yes, she had special glasses and a special hat but this was new tech. It sometimes failed. And if someone had a sniper rifle …
Luke took her elbow gently and nudged her forward. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “That there’s danger.” She glanced up at him. If he was working for Felicity’s company, which was a security company, he was probably professionally paranoid. Part of the job description. Paranoia was a new feeling for her and she didn’t like it. Fear wasn’t fun.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” she said.
“But there is no danger. Don’t worry about it.” They were walking down the steps. With his free hand he touched the transparent sides of the portable stairs. “It’s transparent to you, but no one can see through on the other side. You’ll see once we’re in the car. The hat and the glasses are overkill. Literally no one can see you but me, and I’m on your side.”
Well, that was … reassuring.
They walked down the stairs. Luke Reynolds matched her, step by step. He looked like he could leap down the stairs but he matched her slow pace exactly. It felt … safe. She’d lived completely on the alert these past 24 hours, unconsciously ready for flight at the slightest provocation. But with this man by her side, she knew he’d see danger before she ever could, and he looked perfectly capable of reacting.
His big lean body next to hers radiated heat and safety. She wasn’t even aware of being cold until he was next to her and she had to stop herself from leaning into him. For the heat. For that feeling of strength he exuded so effortlessly.