Free The China Dogs by Sam Masters Page A

simple question but one that suddenly fills her with panic. It presumes she might be staying the night. A few hours ago, steamy, one-night-stand sex is exactly what she had in mind. But now it seems a bad idea.
    There’s a danger she might get to like this guy. Like him more than she should.
    Staying the night would be a disaster.
    For both of them.
    Come to think of it, staying a moment longer could be a big mistake. “No, Danny, it’s okay. I can talk now.”
    â€œHey, it’s not urgent. Later or tomorrow would be fine.”
    She turns around to look at Ghost as she raises her voice in faked alarm. “Oh my God, you poor thing. Listen, don’t worry, I’ll leave now and call you when I’m back at Jude’s. Don’t worry, we can sort it out.”
    She clicks off the phone before her brother can answer and walks back to the table. “I’m real sorry, but I’ve got to go.” She braces herself for the lie. “My brother has problems with depression and I really need to go somewhere private and talk him through it.”
    Ghost takes a beat and looks her over.
    â€œSorry, he’s been like this since he was a kid.” She gives a what-else-can-I-do shrug.
    â€œThere’s an office downstairs. You can call from there and I’ll have Benny keep your food warm.”
    â€œThanks, but I’d better go.”
    He gets up from his seat and follows her across the helipad. “What did I do wrong, Zoe?” He catches up with her by the stairs. “Did all this freak you out? Did I go too much over the top?”
    â€œNo. No. Not at all. It was—lovely.”
    â€œThen why are you running off ?”
    â€œMy brother really—”
    He puts a finger to his lips. “Don’t. Please, don’t. I spend all my days being lied to, I can spot one miles away.”
    She gives up her excuse. “It’s me. I’m no good with relationships, and all this fuss, well—it all spells out the fact that you’re the kind of guy who is going to want a relationship.”
    â€œYou’re wrong—”
    She forces out a goodbye smile. “Honestly, I’m doing you a favor by going.”
    He stands between her and the steps. “No you’re not. You’re trying to leave for the reason I was trying not to call you back.”
    The remark throws her. “Which is?”
    He shrugs. “I don’t know. There’s some kind of connection.” He tries to read her body language but can’t help but be distracted by how beautiful she is. There’s a brightness in her eyes and a sense of vitality that he’s never noticed in any other woman. “It’s not physical, Zoe—it’s more than that. I find you ­fascinating—complex—intriguing and—”
    â€œLovely?”
    â€œYes, lovely.” He laughs. “But that wasn’t what I was going to say. I was going to say, unique. And I love unique.”
    She steps close to him. Close enough to vaporize the air between them. “If I stay, I’ll break your heart.”
    He takes her face in his hands. “Albino hearts are extraordinarily strong. I’ll take the risk.”
    Zoe doesn’t blink or look away as she kisses him. Softly, then firmly. It doesn’t only feel as unhurried and as exciting as she’d hoped, it feels perfect. Heart-racingly dangerous and yet sure and protective. Like it is the kiss she’s always been searching for.
    25
    North Korea
    A cross the 38th parallel runs a corridor of earth 150 miles long and less than three wide.
    It’s all that separates North and South Korea.
    The soldiers staring down gun barrels at each other know this godforsaken patch of space as the DMZ—the Demilitarized Zone.
    It has split the peninsula since a cease-fire in the Korean War half a century ago, and technically the two sides could resume fighting at any moment, as was borne out in 2013