Into the Night

I know everyone’s heard me talk about my Underground series, and many of you have probably read it.  But, for the benefit of those who want to know more, here’s a little snippet from the first book, TAMIA, for your enjoyment, and my Flash Friday read…
 

From TAMIA:
 

            The sound of voices, from Communications, reached him.  The first shivered along his awareness, and he knew instantly that was Tamia.  The other was familiar, and male, but Rick couldn’t place it.  His brow furrowed as he wondered what happened; Rick strode across the command center to the open door of Comms, and froze as the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head.
 

            Tamia sat at the console, her head bent forward so that her hair fell across her face.  Behind her stood Matt Clipper, a grin on his face that Rick wanted to pound out of him as the darker man’s hands massaged her exposed neck and shoulders, wringing a small groan from the woman.
 

            “God, that’s good.”  Tamia’s voice was tinged with laughter.  “Okay, so I stand corrected.  You do have God’s hands.”
 

            A shaft of pure rage avalanched through Rick at sight and words combined.  Dammit, if he couldn’t touch her, he sure as Hell didn’t want anyone else pawing her, either!  His eyes narrowed.  Matt and Tamia were both products of the streets; they probably had more in common than he and Tamia did.  Just how close were these two, anyway?
 

            “I keep tellin’ ya, Chinagirl.  Black is be—” Matt stopped as his gaze flicked over, and met Rick’s scowl.  Rick watched with dark humor as the other man’s eyes widened, just before his hands fell away from Tamia and he muttered, “Oh, shit.”
 

            “Why’d you stop?”  Tamia asked from behind the curtain of her hair, then straightened to look around.  “What’s the mat—?  Rick!”
 

            Matt swallowed hard and took a step away.  His eyes moved nervously to the outside door of Comms.  “I’m outta here.  See ya later, Blade.”
 

            With that, he beat a hasty exit, Rick’s glare following him into the corridor.  As soon as Matt was gone, Rick turned his frustrated rage on Tamia.
 

            “What the hell was going on in here?”
 

            “Not that it’s any of your business.”  Her posture was instantly defensive.  He knew he took the wrong tack with her, but damn it all, he was too pissed to care.  And he sure as hell couldn’t tell her why he was pissed.  Especially not with that red fire that flashed in her eyes.  “Matt just stopped in to drop off his mission notes.  He was helping me work the kinks out of my neck and shoulders.”
 

            “Damn it, Tamia!”  He stalked over to her, yanking her seat around as he bent over her and let her see the frustration that burned in him.  The flicker of fear in her eyes lasted only for a second, but it was enough to turn his roar of frustration into a hot accusation.  “What is it with you?  Do you get some kind of rise out of tormenting people, or something?”
 

            She jerked away in clear anger as she rose to her feet and grabbed up a file.  She ignored him as she headed for the Command Center.  At the door, she finally stopped to look back at him.  “I don’t recall doing anything of the kind.  Just who am I supposedly torturing, anyway?”
 

            “Me,” he growled.  He caught her just inside the doorway as he dropped his head to cover her lips in a punishing kiss.  She gasped against his mouth, and the sound of paper hitting the concrete floor filtered through his consciousness, only to be swept away by a raging flood of hunger as he drank in her sweet response. 
 

            “I want to talk to you!”
            He kept walking, as if he hadn’t heard her.
            “Oh, no you don’t!”  Tamia muttered under her breath, and surged after him.  She finally caught up to him a short distance from the living quarters.  She grabbed his arm and whirled him around to face her.  “You have a lot of explaining to do!”
            His icy glare, and the smoldering heat beneath it, made her feel as if he could strip her clothes away with his gaze alone.
            “I don’t have to explain anything to you,” he said frostily, moving to yank his arm away.
            Tamia glowered at him.  “The hell you don’t!  Why am I stuck here?  I’m more use to the team if I’m out there, helping!”
            “You,” Rick said tightly,” are better off learning to follow orders.  I told you you’re confined to quarters, now do it.”
            “God damn it, Rick!”  She grabbed his arm again as he turned away, her own anger at boiling point.  “I didn’t join this outfit to sit on my ass!  Why are you doing this to me?”
            “It’s safer for the team.”  Even spoken quietly, those words stung.  She was right; he thought she was a risk, because of what happened between them.
            “Safer for you, you mean.”  Tamia glared defiantly up at him.  She wouldn’t be shut out like this.  Not again.  “It doesn’t change anything, dammit!  What happened—”
She stopped with a sharply indrawn breath as his midnight gaze pierced her clear to her source, and set her nerve endings trembling.  Dear God, she’d had no idea his eyes could get so blue!
            “Between us, you mean?  Tamia, my decision has nothing to do with what I want.”
            Staring into those eyes, Tamia’s world tilted.  She couldn’t remember what they were discussing.  All she was aware of was the need to have his lips against hers, his hands on her.
            “What you want?”  She applauded herself for even that breathless query.  “What do you want?”
            “This, dammit.”  Then his mouth was on hers with a hunger that defied sanity as he reached to meld her against himself, and she nearly wept with relief.
            Tamia squeezed her eyes closed and pressed closer, aware of how fragile this moment was.  She could feel the heat of his hands on her, of his body pressed against hers, and the barrier of their clothes frustrated her.  Time hung, suspended, as she lost herself in the overpowering shelter of his arms.  Never before had she felt so secure, or in so much danger, as she did now.
            “Rick,” she breathed against his lips, her hands on his face as she pulled him more firmly to her.  She never wanted this moment to end, if it meant an end to the delicious sparks that shot through her body.
            “Dear God,” he muttered, pressing kisses over her face and neck, “it’s so hard to remember you’re a spy when you get this close.”