Once Bitten, Twice Dead - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,20

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