Z-Minus (Book 4) Read Free

“Sort of like you’re living two lives.”
    “Sometimes,” Mark said. “But I always know where my real life is.”
    “Your true identity,” Tabitha said with a smile. “My Superman.”
    Tabitha ran her hand over the hairs on his arm. It sent shivers up and down Mark’s body. She always knew how to turn him on. But with her body, that wasn’t difficult. Sometimes she looked at him, her eyes glowing, like two sapphires in the bottom of a well. They pierced him, deep, as if she knew him on a different level than anyone else he knew. He wondered how he could leave her each time he went on another tour. But he did.
    He was a fool.
    Tabitha kissed Mark on the chin, on the neck, and then worked her way to his lips, where they kissed deeply, giving into one another.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    Mark’s cell vibrated on the bedside table. Mark grunted. Tabitha kissed harder, pressing herself to him. Mark pulled back, reaching out with his arm for the phone.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    “Leave it,” Tabitha said.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    Mark looked to the side. He clearly wanted to answer.
    “I’ll give you something that’ll make you never want to answer the phone ever again,” Tabitha said, licking her lips.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    She kissed Mark’s chest and worked her way down his naval. She bit at Mark’s underwear, pulling the elastic back so it slapped against his skin. The phone stopped ringing, and Mark stopped caring.
    And then it rang again.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    Mark sighed. Tabitha gritted her teeth.
    “Turn it off,” she said. “You’re mine. This is our time.”
    “I know,” Mark said.
    He glanced at his phone, a flicker of the eyes. He’d read the name of the caller in the blink of an eye:
    MAJOR EDWARDS.
    And wished he hadn’t.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    Mark considered his options.
    “It’s Major Edwards,” Mark said.
    “I don’t care if it’s Jesus Christ,” Tabitha said. “He can wait.”
    Tring! Triiiing!
    “Jesus Christ or Major Edwards?” Mark said.
    Tabitha’s eyes narrowed.
    “Put the phone down now,” she said.
    “It’ll just take a sec,” Mark said.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    Tabitha’s deep sapphires lit with the intensity of blue flames. Tabitha climbed out from under the bedsheet, wrapping it around herself, determined not to show him any of her body.
    “Come on, babe,” Mark said. “Don’t be like that. You know this is important.”
    Tabitha put her underwear on.
    “I’ve got to get it,” Mark said. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t mind me,” Tabitha said. Adding under her breath, “You never have before.”
    Mark sighed.
    Tring! Triiiing!
    “I’m answering it,” Mark said. “Here I go.”
    Tabitha said nothing, and slid on her dress. Mark sat up and answered the phone.
    “Hello?” he said, throwing a glance in Tabitha’s direction. “Uh, no. No, sir. I can talk. What’s the problem?”
    There was a pause. The silence seemed to gain a physical presence in the room. Tabitha, despite herself, couldn’t help but study Mark’s expression. It was blank, unreadable. His eyes moved to the side, first in one direction, and then another.
    “Okay,” he said. “Yes, sir. Understood. I’ll be right there.”
    He hung up and just sat there a moment, seeing something that wasn’t there, like he was piecing a puzzle together.
    “What did he want?” Tabitha said.
    Mark threw his legs over the side of the bed and put on his pants.
    “What does he want?” Tabitha said.
    “Can you pass me my shirt?” Mark said.
    Tabitha picked it up. There was a smudge of red lipstick on it.
    “Hang on a sec,” she said, heading to the bathroom.
    She turned on the faucet and ran the shirt underneath it. Mark put on his socks and boots, summoning the strength he needed to say the next few words.
    “He recalled our team,” Mark said.
    Tabitha turned the faucet off. She wrung the shirt dry. There was a heavy sigh, no doubt in an effort to gird her spirit. Then a pause before she emerged back in the bedroom.
    “The