Chapter Thirty-One
Sam found himself feeling more attracted to Alexis the more she spoke. He wanted to embrace her, comfort, and love her. The thought filled him with irrational guilt, as though he wanted to cheat on Aliana. It was absurd. Aliana had recently broken up with him. They were well matched and he loved her, but their lives had been set on very different paths, which would never quite align.
Why should I feel guilty for wanting to be with this woman?
“We should get some sleep,” Sam said. He shuffled in his chair until he was relatively comfortable. “Then we’ll be ready to make a full day of it as soon as the sun comes up. You can take the single bunk behind us and I’ll sleep here.”
She looked at the narrow bunkbed that ran perpendicular to the two hovercraft seats. “Don’t be so immature, we should both sleep there. We should conserve our warmth. We’re probably going to freeze to death anyway.”
Sam laughed. Outside in the Taylor Valley, where the wind had reduced the ambient temperature to eighty degrees Fahrenheit below zero, he knew there was a possibility of the two of them freezing to death. Inside the ice cavern the temperature was a balmy ten degrees below freezing — there was no way the two would freeze to death in a single night. “No, it’s fine. You sleep there, and I’ll be comfortable enough here. I’ve slept in worse places.”
“No. I’m smaller than you, if you’re set on being so chivalrous, you take the bunk and I’ll stay in the chair.” She looked at him. Her green eyes, like a myriad of stars forming a constellation in a faraway galaxy, made him acutely aware of her hand on his. “It was nice having someone to talk to. Do you know you’re the only person who I’ve ever been honest with about Daniel?”
“I’m glad I could help.”
Sam had become so engrossed with her story he hadn’t noticed until that moment that her hand had found its way into his. By the time he felt her delicate hand squeeze his own he looked up and found her face was right next to his. Her eyes were closed. She was vulnerable and he knew he shouldn’t act on it. He meant to stop it, but he didn’t. Instead, her warm breath was on his lips. He gave in to desire and gently kissed her lips. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
She didn’t respond or say anything. Instantly, he wished he hadn’t kissed her. Alexis looked at him. Her face was a confused image of pensive guilt and deep yearning. Sam imagined her weighing up everything which had happened over the past two weeks and deciding if it was morally wrong for the first time in her life to simply do what she wanted, not what was expected of her. A moment later her body relaxed as though her naturally cautious behavior relented to desire.
Her freckled dimples closed as she opened her lips and kissed him. Gentle at first. Teasing his lips and progressively kissing him harder, until they were both passionate. Sam knew it was a mistake; he knew it was wrong given what she’d just told him. He hadn’t meant to, and yet it felt so very good he never wanted it to stop.
She pulled away, like she was unsure of herself. Sam felt instantly regretful of taking advantage of her. He stared at her beautiful face. No more than a few inches away from him. It was entirely unreadable and at the same time infinitely full of expression.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “That was inappropriate. I’ve made you uncomfortable.”
In complete silence she slipped off her thick woolen jumper. She still wore a tight fitting light blue skivvy, but it accentuated her shapely figure instead of hiding it, and flamed his need. Without saying a word, she climbed over the center console and straddled him with her thighs firm against his hips.
She stared at him; her green eyes seductively close. Her lips once more close enough he could feel the warmth of her breath on his. The hovercraft was cramped and their two bodies blended together. She smiled lasciviously as his abject desire could no longer be concealed. She paused, so close that he wanted to scream.
Her lips taunted him.
Alexis then twisted her arm behind her back, unclasped her bra and removed her skivvy. Her breasts were large and her figure voluptuous and feminine. Her cream colored skin was soft and unblemished. The little hairs on her arms stood erect and her body gave the slightest of startled shivers in complaint of the sudden loss of heat.
She wrapped her naked arms around him and whispered, “No, this would be considered inappropriate.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sam was the first to wake. Distinctly aware Alexis was still lying with her head cradled on his chest and in his arms, wearing only her light blue skivvy, he tried his best not to move. He was worried that he’d wake her and she’d leave his arms. Her perfume was the next thing he noticed. It was subtle and intensely feminine. Something about it brought back memories of the night before. It had been an amazing, wonderful experience, but there was something else he felt, too. It wasn’t quite guilt, but maybe loss? Why should he feel this way? Alexis was an astonishingly beautiful and intelligent woman who any man would find it hard not to adore, so why should he feel something was missing?
Because she wasn’t Aliana. The answer stung him with its subtle truth.
Was he still in love with Aliana?
Sam already knew the answer to that question. Now wasn’t the time for self-pity. Besides, Alexis was still in his arms. The thought made him feel guiltier. Alexis had already been through enough trouble with men. He checked his wristwatch. It was five thirty a.m. and the faintest of lights reached the opening to the valley. He should have made the effort to check on the wind.
He gently ran his fingers through her hair and watched her breathe. Some people snored when they slept. Others tossed and turned uncomfortably. Very few people ever looked peaceful, and fewer still remained beautiful. Alexis was one of them who managed both.
At six thirty a.m. Alexis woke up. “Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Sometimes,” Sam replied. “But I got distracted by you and once I was awake and you were in my arms, I was more interested in running my hands through your hair.”
“Oh, that’s sweet.” She kissed his lips lightly.
“It would probably sound less so if I told you your snoring woke me up.”
“Really?”
“Afraid so.”
“I don’t normally snore. Then again, I don’t normally sleep inside a hovercraft parked in an ice cave.”
Sam smiled. “I’m glad you woke me anyway. Your face is one of the nicest things I’ve woken up to in a long time.”
She dismissed the compliment. “Has the wind settled yet?”
He climbed out of the confined space of the bunk bed into the driver’s seat and slid his thick jumper over his head. “I haven’t looked outside. Let’s go see.”
He flicked on the headlights.
She climbed out onto the seat next to him. She’d already managed to slip her jumper and thermals on before leaving the bed. In front of them the faint light shined on the valley through the opening in the ice cave. Unlike when they’d entered the cave and the valley was made almost dark by the sand and grit being blown through, it looked perfectly clear.
Alexis zipped up the sides of her thick snow boots. “The weather looks good. If we leave right away we should reach the Pegasus station by afternoon.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Tom walked into the main eatery of the Antarctic Solace where Elise had set up a new computer hub and workstation. Veyron had modified a section of the restaurant to provide excellent protection against attackers while maintaining good all round visualization of the ship’s main promenade. Veyron and Elise were both arguing over something on Elise’s computer.