Taken by Storm Read online

  He jerked, but she wasn’t sure if it was from surprise or pleasure. She hesitated, then realized she was waiting for him to roll her over or start kissing her to speed things up because that’s what her J boyfriends would have done.

  Never again.

  Deliberately, Zoey repeated the soft scrape of her teeth against Cam’s earlobe and his breathing hitched. He liked it. And she might never have known. But now that she did... She flicked her tongue in the little hollow just beneath his ear and he made a soft sound. Earlobes, so underrated.

  She moved down his jaw, planting soft kisses and inhaling his scent. It was there, underneath the faint aroma of avocado from her lotion and the industrial airport smell that clung to travelers.

  Zoey was all about scents. She’d describe his as rich and round, healthy. Not the overly sweet, metallic odor of boyfriends who became couch potatoes, smoked and ate junk food.

  Cam had stilled, his hands heavy on her back; he was waiting to see what she’d do next. She kissed his chin, his cheeks, his eyes. And she kissed the place where a dimple would be—if he were smiling. She teased the spot with her tongue, coaxing, and the corner of his mouth tilted upward, revealing the dimple.

  Using her finger, Zoey traced the dip and moved across his lips.

  They puckered in a kiss.

  She glanced up to find him watching her. His hands started moving over her back again, and this time she noticed there was the slightest pressure. It was an encouragement more than a demand, but Zoey didn’t need any encouragement.

  She lowered her mouth to his, matching upper lip to upper lip and lower lip to lower lip. With exquisite slowness, she brushed them together, giving each little nerve ending a chance to wake up before she kissed him in earnest.

  A sound escaped Cam’s throat. Clutching her to him, he moved his legs from beneath hers and settled her between them.

  There was no doubt that she’d turned him on. And there was no doubt she’d turned herself on. There had been an awareness humming between them for hours. It was a relief to finally act on it.

  They traded long, deep kisses that fed Zoey’s soul. People were always vaguely disappointed and irritated with her. Cam didn’t kiss her as though he was disappointed or irritated. He kissed her as though he’d forgotten all about the beer mess she’d been responsible for.

  Even better, he made her forget about it, too.

  When was the last time she’d kissed a man for so long her lips had gone numb? Even the scrape of Cam’s beard no longer registered. She was going to have one heck of a case of beard burn, but she had creams for that.

  Zoey raised her head and looked down at Cam. His eyes remained closed, but he shifted beneath her. Now that she wasn’t actively kissing him, Zoey noticed the cold seeping into her knees and the tips of her toes where they touched the floor beyond the skimpy blanket. And she’d been pressing Cam’s entire body against the hard cold for ages.

  “The floor has got to be uncomfortable for you.”

  Eyes still closed, he grinned and settled her more firmly against him. “What floor?”

  Zoey laughed and kissed him again.

  What had started as slow and sweet suddenly became hot and urgent.

  Even as close as they were, she wanted to be closer, wanted to touch and be touched. Cam’s breathing thundered in her ears as his hands moved up and down her body. Zoey couldn’t stay still. She rocked against him, unable to stifle a long, frustrated moan.

  She froze. What if someone heard? She wrenched her mouth from his and pushed up so she could see over Casper’s crate and the luggage barricade into the hall.

  Their panting breaths were so loud, they nearly echoed.

  “Are we attracting an audience?” Cam asked.

  Zoey waited, but no one walked past. “Not a human one.”

  Casper had opened his eyes partway, but as Zoey watched, he gave a doggy sigh and the lids slowly closed.

  She and Cam looked at each other and snickered.

  “It’s late,” Zoey said. “We should get some sleep, too.”

  But she didn’t move and neither did Cam. Their breathing slowed and their smiles faded.

  “Are you sleepy?” he asked.

  Zoey shook her head as his hands traveled down her back and his fingers found the hem of her sweater. He pulled the tank she wore beneath it from her jeans and exposed a sliver of skin to the cold air.

  That wasn’t why she shivered.

  Or why she tugged the layers he wore from his jeans and ran her hands up the sides of his rib cage.

  He gasped. “Your fingers are cold!”

  “You’ll just have to warm them up,” she murmured and laughed. “That sounded so cheesy.”

  “I don’t care.” And he unhooked her bra.

  Zoey blinked. “Really?” She was questioning herself as much as Cam.

  “I sure hope so.” He gazed into her eyes as his fingers caressed her skin beneath the sweater and tank.

  She was hyperaware of every little movement and those little movements felt very good. So good it was hard to think. Worse, she couldn’t remember why she needed to think. “This...reminds me of high school.”

  “When you stole every opportunity to touch the other person and drive yourself crazy even though it couldn’t go any farther?” He grinned. “Yeah, I know.”

  She grinned back. “I never dreamed I’d miss that.”

  “People are in too much of a hurry these days. I’m guilty, too. But right now I want to enjoy our journey without worrying about getting to the destination.”

  “You’re not talking about Seattle.”

  “I’m not talking about Seattle.”

  Zoey drew a shuddering breath and lowered herself until her head rested on Cam’s chest. She heard his heart beating, strong and steady, like the man himself.

  And that was it. Her J boyfriends had been just that: boys. Cam was a man, and it made all the difference.

  Zoey decided she liked men. Or at least this one. She tilted her head until her chin balanced on his chest and observed him as his fingers drew lazy circles against her skin.

  “This is nice,” he said, and Zoey hummed a little sigh of agreement before scooting close enough to his neck to nuzzle it.

  Cam widened the circles and they weren’t so lazy anymore. His heart still beat steadily, although it was a little faster and a little harder.

  She smiled against his neck and moved her fingers along his ribs.

  “Hey, that tickles.”

  “Nice tickles or bad tickles?”

  “You tell me.” And he skimmed his thumbs upward beneath her bra straps to where her breasts pillowed under her arms. He traced the side of the curves and then underneath as far as his thumbs could reach.

  Zoey muffled a noise that sounded embarrassingly like a giggle and he immediately increased the pressure so it didn’t tickle anymore. Far from it. She held her breath as he stroked back and forth. Back and forth.

  Watching her. Waiting. Driving her crazy.

  Zoey squirmed. Her nipples were tight and hard, and he had to be able to feel them, even through all the layers they wore.

  She moved again, trying to give him access, but Cam suddenly gripped her hips and held them still. The hard bulge in his jeans pressed against her belly. It wasn’t comfortable right there. But it would be more than comfortable pressed elsewhere—and she knew the exact spot. She tried to wiggle her way up Cam’s body, but he held her in place, his breathing harsh.

  “Time to take a break,” he muttered.

  What? “We just took a break,” she protested.

  “We need another one.”

  “Nooo,” she groaned. “I don’t want to.”

  “Neither do I, which is why we should.”

  Sta
lemate. Unless...could she really do it?

  Yes. Yes, she could.

  “You’re not going to stop.” Zoey raised herself off Cam’s chest and wiggled her shoulders.

  “Zoey...” His voice held a warning.

  “Cam...” Her voice held an invitation.

  The breath hissed between his teeth as he released her hips and covered her breasts with his hands.

  “Yes,” she whispered, relieved and wanting more at the same time.

  She sucked her lip between her teeth and rocked her hips. Cam responded by flicking his thumbs across her nipples.

  Zoey moaned and dropped her head back as she continued to rub against him.

  “You feel so good,” he whispered.

  This was better than good. It was pretty great, actually. She moaned again and Cam did, too, although his moan sounded more like a whimper. Yeah. She knew how he felt. He whined and she wanted to whine, too, except then he growled.

  Growled? They both stilled and turned their heads to find a grumpy Afghan hound staring at them.

  Another growl sounded low in the dog’s throat.

  “Oh, hey...” For a second, she couldn’t think of his name. “Casper, it’s okay. I’m okay.”

  She swallowed and said to Cam, “I guess he’s trying to protect me.”

  “Or me,” Cam said.

  Good point. It was obvious that Casper preferred Cam to Zoey. And she was on top of Cam in a dominant position, so that might have something to do with it, too.

  Slowly, Zoey eased off Cam and curled against his side.

  Cam put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. To the dog, he said, “Go back to sleep, buddy. It’s all good.”

  Casper whined a couple more times before he laid his head down again.

  “We’ll see how he likes it when he gets all hot and bothered around Alexandra and I growl at him,” Zoey grumbled.

  Cam chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Go to sleep, Zoey.”

  As if she could. She snuggled closer, burrowing her hand beneath his sweater and stroking his bare chest. He had a great chest. She stifled a yawn. Very manly. “Are you going to be able to sleep?”

  “Not if you keep doing that.”

  She smiled and left her hand resting over his heart, feeling the beat grow slower....

  * * *

  “HOW MANY DAYS?” Zoey looked stricken.

  “They’re scheduling flights two days out right now, but realistically, by the time we reach the ticket counter it could be three days or longer.” Cam hated telling her that. They’d overslept, for which he blamed himself, but honestly, claiming a place in the long line a few hours earlier wouldn’t have made that much of a difference.

  For the past several hours, they’d taken turns standing in line and watching Casper and their luggage. People were okay with letting others leave briefly for food and restroom breaks, and a few enterprising kids hired themselves out as place holders for those who wanted a longer break.

  Cam had just hired one so he could scout around before trading line duty with Zoey—the incredibly sexy Zoey, who’d awakened in his arms just a few hours ago. Cam felt great, considering he’d slept on the floor and one of his arms had been numb. But Zoey had been with him, and watching her wake up and smile at him with those huge, sleepy, green eyes was better than any energy drink.

  Those eyes were now filled with worry, and he was about to make it worse. “More bad news. Another storm is on the way. From the north this time. We may be stuck here even longer.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  Cam shook his head. “The airport has equipment to deal with the snow, but the workers can’t keep the runways clear because of the wind.”

  Zoey slumped against the wall. “I can’t believe this is happening. I wasn’t in charge. I didn’t even book the tickets. All I had to do was get on the plane with the dog.”

  “Which you did. So stop beating yourself up.” Cam spoke sharply on purpose. He didn’t want Zoey to be distracted by undeserved guilt. “And don’t let anyone else beat you up, either.”

  She blinked and saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  “That’s more like it.” He grinned at her and was relieved to see her attempt to smile back.

  It wasn’t much of a smile, but it was something. “We’ve got options. Instead of trying to fly directly to Seattle, we can ask to be routed to another airport and catch a flight to Seattle from there.”

  “I considered that,” she told him. “But I wonder if going to another airport will get us to Seattle any faster.” She looked down at Casper. “And I still have to be on a plane with a climate-controlled cargo hold.”

  Cam looked at Casper, too. “I don’t know anything about dog breeding. How long do we have before it’s too late?”

  “I have no idea, but from what Kate said, the window of opportunity is open for just a few days, and then it closes.”

  “I appreciate your use of euphemisms.”

  Zoey laughed. It was good to hear. “I’m even using them in my head!”

  Cam laughed with her even though his own window of opportunity with Richard had slammed shut.

  He hadn’t told Zoey that his meeting was toast, and he wasn’t going to. He’d already decided he wanted to do everything in his power to make sure Casper kept his date. Plus, he needed to spend time away from the brewery, and he wanted to spend it with Zoey.

  But if she found out there was now no real reason for him to go to Seattle, she wouldn’t let him help her. She’d already asked why he was visiting hops farms in January—something Richard hadn’t questioned—and he’d admitted it was only so he could give Richard a reason why he was in the area.

  “People are getting together and renting vans to drive to other airports,” he said. “But I checked, and all the rental places are out of cars. They’ve posted signs with the number of people on the waiting list.”

  “Driving to another airport is not a bad idea. And more cars will come in as the roads clear.” Zoey pushed herself off the wall. “My turn in line.”

  “I’m paying the kid by the hour, if you want to walk Casper. Or I can.”

  Zoey reached down and scratched Casper’s head. “I’ll walk him. I’d appreciate the fresh air. Come here, Casper.” As she knelt to put on his coat, she said, “At some point, I’m going to have to take these bands out of his hair.”

  Her own hair slid forward, instantly reminding Cam of last night. And early this morning. He swallowed as desire flared. It was always there now, humming along beneath the surface until moments such as this, when it was all he could do not to take her in his arms and finish what they’d started last night.

  He had it bad for her. So bad. It’s why men make poor decisions with the wrong women. Gus was only partially right this time. Men could just as easily make poor decisions with the right woman. Cam was going to have to be careful.

  He inhaled deeply, trying to clear his head, when another of the unceasing airport announcements came on. Pausing as she put on Casper’s bonnet, Zoey listened before saying ruefully, “I keep expecting them to call my name. I haven’t turned on my phone this morning, and knowing Kate, she’ll have me paged if I don’t check in soon.”

  “Wouldn’t it be better to call her and get it over with?” Cam asked.

  Zoey stood and slipped on her coat. “And tell her what?”

  “Tell her if she pages you, you’ll lose your place in line.”

  “Ooh, you’re good.” She flashed him a grin and he got a little lost in her eyes.

  There was a word for how he was feeling. Besotted.

  “There you are!” A motorized scooter rolled to a stop beside them, driven by an older woman with a bandaged foot. “I called to you by the car rentals, but you didn’t hear me. You very kind
ly gave me your cot last night,” she explained when Cam couldn’t get his brain working fast enough to figure out who she was.

  “Right.” A lot had happened since last night. Cam forced himself to refocus. “I recognize the foot. How is it this morning?”

  She grimaced. “It might be broken but it’s too swollen to be sure. Luckily, the airport located an orthopedist, so I do have some medical advice and pain meds. I wanted to thank you again for giving me your cot, but that’s not why I followed you. Were you trying to rent a car?”

  Cam glanced at Zoey. “We were considering it.”

  “As it happens, I have a rental, but I can’t drive.” She gestured to her foot. “I was meeting my grandson here so we could drive together to his sister’s—my granddaughter’s—wedding. But his flight was canceled and he’s driving directly from Philadelphia. The wedding is this afternoon, and I don’t want anyone in the family to risk making a trip from Rochelle to pick me up, so...” She looked at Cam. “I wondered if you would agree to drive me to the wedding, and then you can have the car.”

  It could be the solution to their problems—or it could create more problems. “That’s very generous, considering you don’t even know me—us,” Cam said, with a glance at Zoey. They should discuss this.

  “I’m Joyce,” the woman said. Then she laughed. “And you’re Cameron MacNeil. You own a brewery in Texas and are somehow connected to a kennel in Virginia.”

  “How do you know all that?” Zoey asked her.

  She pointed to Casper’s crate, which sported the kennel’s name; the box of beer with the MacNeil’s logo and the luggage tag on Cam’s suitcase. “And my grandson Googled you.”

  Cam was torn between admiration at Joyce’s resourcefulness and being unnerved that it had been so easy to learn his identity.

  “What do you think, Zoey?”

  Zoey clutched his arm and pulled him away. “It’s not part of the plan.”

  “Call your sister and tell her the plan’s changed.”

  “She won’t like it.” But she was already switching on her cell phone. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to reach them unless they’re in their room. They don’t have cell reception at the resort.”