Free ZenithRising by Marilyn Campbell Page B

such
things than most people. And I didn’t feel that electrical flow until it came
through your hand to me. I hate to tell you, love, but I think you’ve got a
unique talent after all.”
    A few hundred butterflies took off in her tummy when he
called her love . She knew he said it offhandedly but it pleased her
anyway. She made herself focus on the other part of his statement. “So the only
thing to do now is figure out what one might do with such a useful ability.”
    He squeezed her hand. “All things in good time. Now let’s
see what’s behind door number three.”
    The final path took them to a lagoon filled with big orange,
white and gold carp. A man-made waterfall had been added on one end and there
was a container of fish food available at a quarter a handful. Obviously this
was the trail recommended to the tourists.
    It was after noon when they got back to the hotel’s pristine
beach so they had a cold lunch at the outdoor Quartz Café.
    “What’s next?” Maggie asked as they finished.
    “We still have the towers. I want to take a walk on each
floor, twenty-four in all. But after the energy field thing I’m rethinking my
insistence on not reading any of the material ahead of time. So I thought maybe
we could go back to the room and do a little… research .”
    “Hmmm, I think a little research with you would be
very nice,” she said, adding a lascivious eyebrow wriggle. “But I just
remembered something. I’m supposed to check in with Human Resources. Something
about filling out forms. Would you mind getting started without me?” She felt
herself blush. “I mean with the research, the book research.”
    He grinned. “You’d better go before you dig yourself a hole
I won’t let you out of.” She rose but he caught her wrist before she could walk
away. He drew her close then scanned the area around them. Holding on to her
wrist, Noah lowered his other hand to her ankle and very slowly slid up her
inner calf then continued beneath the full skirt of her dress. When she tried
to move he tightened his hold on her wrist. “Stand still.”
    “Noah!” she whispered. “Someone might—” Her next words were
lost as his fingers continued their leisurely trip up her inner thigh and found
their way beneath the crotch of her thong. She could barely breathe let alone
move as he scraped his fingernail back and forth over her clit then slipped his
fingertip into her opening and swirled it around.
    A moment later he removed his hand and, holding her gaze,
sucked that same finger. He had shocked her but she wasn’t beyond
reciprocating. She leaned down with her lips close to his ear and eased her
hand over his zipper. When she found his erection she molded her fingers around
it and whispered, “You will pay for that.”
    She straightened up slowly, making sure he got a close-up
view of her cleavage and smiled. “That history book I mentioned is on my
nightstand in case you want to look at it. You have my permission to enter my
personal space anytime, as long as it goes both ways.” Then she walked away
with an emphatic hip wiggle.
    * * * * *
    Maggie was practicing her patience but it was getting
thinner by the minute. She wanted to get back to the suite. To Noah. The
research. Noah. Every time she recalled what he’d done to her at the
café, she got aroused all over again and she couldn’t stop herself from
recalling it. She needed something else to think about but she was being kept
waiting without anything to distract her.
    Even though she had shown up without an appointment, that
was Lillian Davenport’s request. And when she told the assistant she would be
glad to schedule a specific time for later, she had been politely but firmly
asked to wait just a few minutes for Ms. Davenport to get out of her staff
meeting. That was nearly a half-hour ago.
    Finally the executive office door opened and four people
exited with notepads in hand and concerned expressions on their faces. Maggie’s
guess was