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  His fingers wound around her neck. “Not nearly as much as I’m going to enjoy taking my time with you, someplace secluded and private and soon.”

  “Promises, promises,” she said, gently gripping his cock.

  He moaned softly.

  “You like?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I like.”

  “I’ll tell you a little story,” she said, caressing the slick, wet tip of his erection, and then nibbling his neck, then his ear.

  “A story?”

  “Hmm. You’ll like this story, but you have to take your pants off first.” She tugged them downward, helping him get as gloriously naked as she wanted him, even as he tugged his shirt over his head. Meagan settled between his legs, hand wrapping around his shaft. “Now for the story. This is the story of how I make you say thank you.”

  And she drew him into her mouth. His hips lifted, he inhaled deeply, and she smiled at the reaction. She suckled and licked and played with him, until he tried to pull away, before he couldn’t. She teased him unmercifully. Before long, he was shaking, all that power that was Sam was radiating through him to her. His release came and she took it all, took him to the moment when he sighed in complete satisfaction, when he relaxed.

  She climbed on top of him and kissed him, delivering the promise, “The next time you sneak into my bedroom, the punishment will be a hundred times worse.”

  His hands closed down on her hips, but she pressed away. “One second.” She pushed off him and he let her, not suspecting her departure. “I have to go shower before they get here.” And she dashed into the hallway, bare naked. Sam had teased her. This time, she was teasing him.

  When he poked his head around the shower curtain, he gave her an intense up-and-down inspection. “I dare you to find out what happens when you sneak into my bedroom tonight.”

  And then he was gone.

  * * *

  NOT EVEN WORRY OVER a battle with Kiki could keep Meagan from being all smiles as she walked into the contestant house to find everyone, Kiki included, cleaning up the strawberry mess from the night before.

  Meagan went in search of Carrie. She found her in the kitchen, sweeping up cake crumbs. “I hear you missed the big breakfast meeting this morning.”

  Carrie snorted. “I’m happy to be part of my own ménage.”

  “I wasn’t aware you had a ménage,” Meagan said, trying for a casual tone.

  “All I need is Mel and Josh,” she said. “They make fine company. Neither of them are overly friendly, and both give a pretty good comfort pet when needed.”

  Meagan straightened. “What? Josh’s been petting you?”

  Carrie giggled. “No. Not like that.” She patted Meagan’s head. “Like that. Like a big brother kind of petting.” She wiggled her hips and brows. “Though bring on more, baby. He’s gorgeous.”

  Meagan shook her head and poured coffee into a mug. “You stay away from Josh. He’s too old for you.”

  “I’m mature for my age,” Carrie said. “I’m like a twenty-seven-year-old trapped in a nineteen-year-old’s body.”

  “Oh, Carrie, honey, you just hang on to the nineteen-year-old body,” she said. “Take care of it and treat it right so you have a long career, with zero injuries.” She lowered her voice. “Any idea what this breakfast was all about?”

  “Tabitha said Kiki lectured them about getting into trouble, and warned them she was cracking down before they got her fired.”

  Meagan’s brows dipped at the behavior so contrary to how Kiki had acted the night before.

  “Yeah,” Carrie said, seeming to read her mind. “Sounds odd to me, too.” She leaned in closer. “Last night, Kiki was the one encouraging them to, you know, get down and dirty. So now they want me to believe she was scolding them, telling them they were lucky not to get kicked off the show?”

  “That part is true.”

  Carrie shrugged. “Yeah, well, she didn’t seem worried about that last night.”

  The back door opened and Sam walked in looking like sin and satisfaction—her satisfaction. “Speaking of lucky,” Carrie said. “I think I’ve become a soldier kind of girl.”

  “Carrie,” Meagan warned.

  “Sorry. Sorry. I’m leaving.” She grinned at Sam. “Hi, Sam.” Then she took off into the living room.

  Sam sauntered over to the coffeepot, real close to Meagan, and filled a cup for himself. “Morning, Meg.”

  She smiled. “Morning, Sam.”

  “It is,” he said. “Very good. It started when someone told me a story.”

  She smiled. “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said, whispering in her ear. “I plan to rewrite the ending. You’ll like it.”

  “I liked the original version,” she assured him.

  “You’ll like this one better. Wait and see.” He winked. “Tonight.”

  Kiki appeared in the doorway. “How about seven o’clock tonight, okay?”

  Meagan about swallowed her tongue considering what Sam had just said, and she didn’t dare glance at him for fear of completely giving away their conversation. “Tonight?”

  “For the group movie night you wanted to organize.”

  “Oh, yes. In-house movie night. Sure. Excellent.” She ignored the mischief in Sam’s eyes that said there was way more than a movie night on his mind. “I need to watch what we’ve filmed in the main. I’m hoping for some really good footage for next week’s show.”

  “If you come down to the security house later this evening,” Sam suggested, “I can let you view what we have so far.”

  Meagan tried not to react to the invitation that had nothing to do with film, and everything to do with getting her to his bedroom. “Perfect. I’d like to get to the editing booth early tomorrow.”

  “Hopefully they deliver some fun viewing minus the scandal,” Kiki said. “Don’t worry, Meagan. I got the message. No more scandal. You want the show to have mass appeal. I get it.” She was being so sweet it was downright sticky. “But if the ratings falter even one week, all bets are off. I’m not going down with the ship.” She smiled brightly as if she hadn’t just issued a threat. “Meanwhile, dinner’s being prepared.” She eyed Sam. “So, try and stay out of the kitchen, okay, Sam?”

  “Absolutely,” he confirmed.

  Kiki said, still way too brightly, “And they want to watch Freddy Krueger, Meg. I figured I’d pick up some Jason action, too.” She disappeared and Meagan really hoped she was talking about the fictional Jason Meyers, not the Jason who was one of the judges on the show.

  “Meg,” Sam chuckled. “She just called you Meg, and we both know how dangerous that can be.”

  “I don’t know what scares me more,” Meagan agreed. “That woman or having to watch those movies tonight which will ensure I don’t sleep for a week. I don’t do scary.”

  “I’ll protect you from all the scary bumps in the night,” he promised softly, his eyes glistening with something deeper than the jest behind his words.

  And oh, how easy it would be to buy into the fantasy that he could protect her, and fix everything that might be scary in life. How easy it would be to be the damsel in distress, and Sam, her knight in shining armor. The idea absolutely made her shake inside. She was falling, too hard and too fast, for Sam. What if she lost her show and him in one fell swoop? What if she started relying on him and then he was gone? Suddenly, she was shaking inside as surely as she had shaken in his arms. She had to get a grip on both herself and her situation.

  “Alas,” she said, trying to sound lighthearted, to hide the wave of emotion consuming her. She’d told him she wasn’t. “Movie night is one nightmare I must face alone, though I know it will break your heart to be left out.”

  His eyes narrowed, his intelligent stare all too aware of her sudden withdrawal, which was why she did what any intelligent woman would do.

  She darted away.

  * * *

  IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY night. Literally. As in, lightening, thunder and pouring rain.
A night made for scary movies, though Sam and three of his crew, Josh included, had opted for watching sports and the live security feed.

  Sam sat on the couch of the security house, one booted foot crossed over the other on top of the coffee table. Josh and two other guys had taken spots in various locales around the room. The game in question was playing on the big screen, the security footage, on a table lined with monitors that Josh had expertly wired days before.

  Sam’s gaze kept drifting toward the security footage, toward Meagan, replaying her words as he had in the hours since she’d spoken them. He was no fool. She’d run away the instant she could, and he didn’t know what to do about it. It was exactly what she’d promised not to do again. How to handle it was the question. Did he give her some space? Did he press her so that she knew he was serious about where this was going? And he was. Every moment drove that point home. He’d never fallen in love, but he knew he was in love now. He knew months ago with their first sparring words.

  Meagan screamed at the movie, and Sam found himself grinning.

  He wasn’t sure if she, or Carrie, would win the award for loudest scream of the night. Suddenly, lightning struck outside and thunder roared. The entire group of movie watchers screamed, and Sam and his men chuckled. Another blast of lightning and thunder, and the lights went out, including the security feed.

  “Damn,” came several voices in unison a second before the backup generator, hooked directly to the feed, purred to life.

  Sam was already on his feet, dialing Meagan, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. The security feed was useless, nothing but darkness and the mumbles of scared contestants. Sam could hear Meagan’s phone ringing, but she was too busy trying to calm everyone down to answer.

  One of his men passed out flashlights, and Sam turned his on. “I’m headed over there,” Sam said.

  Josh groaned. “I’ll go with you. Sounds like Freddy Krueger and the storm has them in a total panic.”

  Ever prepared, they grabbed rain jackets from the supply closet, and extra flashlights. They were about to leave when one of his men shouted. “Hold up, Sam man! We have a tornado warning in effect for the next thirty minutes.”

  Sam cursed and motioned to Josh. “Let’s go now.”

  The instant they were out the door, they were slammed in a downpour that made it seem like the ocean was raining down on them, not the clouds. Sam ran faster, pushing through the wind and over the sand.

  Sam was in sight of the porch stairs to the main house in minutes that felt like hours. His cell was ringing, but he didn’t dare stop to answer it. The front door burst open, and Meagan appeared as Sam rushed up the stairs with Josh on his heels.

  “Tornado warning,” Sam said, wishing they weren’t too close to the coast to have a basement, like they’d had in the other house. “Get everyone into the bathrooms now.”

  Screams followed, and to Meagan’s credit, she went into action, calm and collected, moving everyone where they needed to be. Kiki, Ginger, and DJ were calm under pressure, herding the cast and crew to safety.

  “Funnel cloud on the ground nearby,” Josh shouted behind him.

  “What’s happening?” Meagan yelled, rushing down the stairs toward him in the beam of his flashlight.

  He charged toward her. “Bathroom, sweetheart. Go to the bathroom.”

  Terror flashed in her eyes, the kind that spoke of panic not calm, but she’d shown it to none of the people in her care. He rushed her to the master shower where several other people were huddled, and pulled her into a corner, wrapping his arms around her.

  “Sam?” she whispered.

  “I got you, Meg,” he said, tightening his hold on her. “I got you, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She stared up at him and then hugged him, her cheek to his chest. “I got you too, Sam.”

  He buried his face in her hair, and he knew in that instant, he wasn’t letting her face this storm, or any other, without him, ever again. Now, he just had to figure out how to convince her of that.

  21

  THE TORNADO BRUSHED past them, but it was enough to shake the walls, terrifying Meagan and everyone else in the house. The minute it was gone, Meagan kissed Sam as she’d never kissed a man in her life. He was officially her hero, and she didn’t care who knew. To heck with fears of “what if” things didn’t work out with Sam. Life was short and that’s why she’d chased her dreams, even when doing so was difficult.

  She clung to him and then stared into his eyes. “I am so glad you’re here, for so many reasons.”

  “Me, too, baby. Me, too.” He ran his hand down her hair.

  “Meagan! Meagan!” Carrie rushed in and bent down to hug her. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe this really happened.”

  “We’re okay. That’s what counts. I need to make sure everyone else is, as well.”

  Sam pushed to his feet. “Keep everyone inside until I can make sure it’s safe, and assess any damage.”

  “I’m coming,” Meagan said. “Carrie, you stay.” She got to her feet.

  Sam pressed a flashlight into her hand. “I need you to stay. Let me do what I do. Let me get everyone out of this safely.”

  She inhaled. Damn, he was hot when he was in soldier mode. She couldn’t believe she was thinking that, even under the circumstances. She nodded. “Okay.”

  He started to turn, but she grabbed his arm, unable to help herself, and she kissed him. “Be careful.”

  “Always” he said before departing.

  “It’s the curse,” Carrie murmured, drawing Meagan’s attention. “There really is a curse.”

  “If everyone is alive and well, this is a blessing, not a curse.”

  It was only a few short minutes before Sam shouted all was clear. Meg came running up the stairs and into Carrie’s arms, and Meagan’s stomach lurched. “Samantha! Sam! Samantha! I have to find Samantha.”

  Meagan took off toward the front door and didn’t stop when splatters of rain hit her face. She dashed over to her own house and, in seconds, was yanking open the door. She dropped her flashlight, and darkness overtook her. Meagan knelt down, fumbling for the flashlight. “Samantha! Here kitty, kitty.”

  Behind her, someone switched on a flashlight. The scent of Sam was unmistakable. “Do you see her?”

  “No.” Her heart twisted. “What if something happened to her?”

  “She’s okay. Just scared and hiding, I’m sure. Here, little girl. Come on, kitty.” He moved through the house, calling her in various ways. “There she is.”

  Meagan heard the cat’s meow and just like that, Sam became Samantha’s hero, too. He scooped her up in his arms and brought her to Meagan.

  “Now that my two girls are safe and united, I need to go deal with this mess.” He kissed Meagan’s forehead and headed toward the door.

  And Meagan was pretty sure in that moment, she had fallen in love with Sam. She was scared, she felt exposed. But tonight in that bathroom, she’d made a decision to put herself out there with Sam, to be willing to get hurt.

  * * *

  JUST BEFORE SUNRISE, having spent the past few hours juggling the after-tornado crisis, Sam found Meagan at her house. She was still dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, asleep on the couch with Samantha curled next to her. The remote control lay by her head, and the weather channel was on mute.

  The house was quiet, and he assumed Kiki was asleep. Either way, it didn’t matter. Kiki knew that he and Meagan were seeing each other. Probably everyone did, at this point. They hadn’t been exactly discreet in the bathroom during the storm.

  Sam debated moving Meagan to the bedroom, but feared he’d wake her up and then she wouldn’t go back to sleep, especially considering Samantha had a way of getting noisy. And Meagan needed rest. She’d already told him she would have to go to the studio that day to edit this week’s show. He turned off the television and then settled onto the floor in front of her, back against the couch, stretching his legs out, exhausted and happy to
rest his eyes.

  He figured he’d steal Meagan away for breakfast when she woke up. Or just make breakfast. With that delicious thought on his mind, he dosed off, able to sleep in the most awkward of positions.

  How long he slept he didn’t know, but the sun was up when he woke, and he could hear Kiki talking on her phone as she passed by in the hall behind the sunken living area, the setup blocking Meagan and Sam from her view.

  “She’s asleep in her room,” Kiki said. “Right. I knew I had to call. It’s a wonder the kids weren’t hurt, Sabrina. No. No. Yes. I’m on my way now.” The door opened and shut, and she was gone.

  Sam frowned. What was that? What the hell was that? He replayed the conversation, and though there was nothing that screamed foul play in the words, the very fact that Kiki was speaking with Sabrina set him on edge. And the tone of the conversation, something about it.

  Sam quickly got to his feet, intending to call Sabrina, who he was still briefing about the Kiki issue. He’d interviewed ex-employees who’d worked with Kiki, and found more than a few who might not have spoken up before, afraid they’d never work again if they did, but they would now. A few key people he’d located had since moved on with their careers with enough confidence to help him. He’d been compiling quite the damning file, but for the kind of connections Kiki had, Sabrina kept pressing for more.

  “Sam?” Meagan sat up, her hair a wild, sexy mess of light brown silk, her lids heavy, her voice groggy. “What’s wrong?”

  Even when she was sleepy and barely awake, she worried, Sam thought. “Why do you always ask me that when you wake up?”

  She blinked several times, as if trying to clear her head. “Well. Let’s see.” She was already sounding a bit feisty, he noted with amusement as she continued, “While I’m not beyond admitting that I tend to worry obsessively about almost everything, I think I have ample reason to do so under the circumstances. A tornado, an electrical fire, a knocked-out tooth, and a long list of other problems—all pretty good reasons to worry. In fact, when I list them, I can buy into the curse a lot easier than I’d like to.”