“No. No way. It actually only locks from the inside. So once in, you can keep others out but not the other way around. That’s why I figured it was a doomsday kind of bunker. Those inside would want to keep the rest of humanity out.”
Carlise nodded. She walked closer to the hole in the ground and looked down. It was dark in the bunker, and before she could have second thoughts or ask Riggs if he had a flashlight, his hand appeared with exactly what she needed.
“Here, it’s a strong light. You can put it on the floor once you’re inside, and it should light up the entire interior.”
Smiling at him, Carlise sat in the snow at the edge of the hole and put her feet on the ladder rungs. She quickly descended into the bunker and looked around in fascination after putting the flashlight on the floor. The beam illuminated the space exactly as Riggs had said it would. Looking up, she saw him squatting at the entrance.
“It’s so cool,” she said with a smile.
“We left the shelves in there because it would’ve been a pain in the ass to take them out. I’m assuming the previous owner built them while down there because they won’t fit through the door as they are now. The back corner held a chemical toilet, and if you look really close in the back left-hand side, you can see a hole in the ceiling that’s been filled in.”
Carlise walked deeper into the bunker and looked at where Riggs was directing. Sure enough, there was a small hole.
“That’s the air hole. Cal thinks there was probably some sort of fan attached to suck air down, or up, if needed. We covered it up, though, so no critters could get in and then get stuck.”
There was what looked like the remnants of a metal cot in the space as well. There wasn’t a mattress on it anymore, though. Looking around, Carlise could just imagine a family sitting in here as the world raged above their heads. She’d translated a few apocalypse and alien invasion books and could clearly picture a group of people hunkered underground, trying to survive in a world turned upside down.
She walked back to the hole, where Riggs was still crouched. “This really is cool.”
“Yeah,” Riggs said. “I couldn’t bring myself to have it removed. Not many people know about it, so I’m not really worried about anyone using it for nefarious purposes. And it’s not like someone would just stumble onto it. No one comes out here except for me and the occasional hunter, but it’s kind of hard to find unless you know what you’re looking for.”
Carlise picked up the flashlight and took one last look around the bunker before she grabbed hold of the ladder. The container was just tall enough for her to stand upright. She had a feeling Riggs would have to stoop a bit when he was inside. There were only about eight rungs to the top, and as soon as she got high enough, Riggs’s hand went under her elbow to assist her out.
Carlise gave him the flashlight, and he put it into one of the deep pockets of his jacket.
“You want to close it up?” he asked.
Carlise grinned. “Yes!” She couldn’t help but be enthralled by the bunker and how it worked. Before shutting it, Riggs showed her the locking mechanism. It was a simple dead bolt, which slid into place to prevent the door from being opened from the outside.
To her surprise, the heavy-looking steel door was easy to close. The hydraulic contraption kept it from slamming shut, but it wasn’t slow either. Carlise supposed if you were running for your life and an alien was on your heels, you wouldn’t want to have to strain to get inside, and you’d want the door to shut fairly quickly as well.
“I can see the wheels turning in your head,” Riggs said with a small smile once the bunker door was secured.
“I was just picturing someone trying to get away from an alien invasion and coming here to hide out,” she told him.
“You ever thought about writing your own books?” he asked.
Carlise blinked in surprise. “What?”
“You translate others’ words. Have you ever wanted to write your own?”
“Oh, I’m not an author,” she protested. “I just translate for other people.”
Riggs stared at her for a long moment, and it felt as if he could read her mind. “I bet you could do it.”
“Do what?” But she knew what.
“Write a book.”
“Why would you think that? You just met me,” she said a little defensively.
“I have a feeling you can do whatever you set your mind to,” he said without hesitation.
His belief in her, the way he sounded so damn sure, made her belly flip-flop.
“Besides, from what it sounds like, you’ve translated a lot of books. I’m sure you’ve gotten your own ideas from doing what you do.”
Carlise nodded reluctantly.
“What’s holding you back?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I think you should go for it. Even if it’s just for yourself. Maybe you can write an alien romance. The heroine hides out from the evil aliens in a bunker in the woods. Then a benevolent alien finds her and reassures her that he’s there to help. Help all the humans. He earns her trust. They spend some sexy time in the bunker, then come out and kick evil alien butt. She goes back to his planet because it turns out he’s the king of his people and can’t stay on Earth forever, and she lives happily at his side as his queen.”
Carlise stared at Riggs in disbelief.
“What?” he asked with a grin.
“I . . . you . . . what the heck?”
“I may or may not have read an alien romance or two in my time,” he said, laughing.
“Seriously?”
“Yup.”
Carlise shook her head. “You never fail to surprise me.”
“Good. Want to keep you on your toes,” Riggs told her, stepping into her personal space.
She had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. That intense expression was back.
“What are you doing to me?” he murmured.
Carlise swallowed hard. She wanted to ask him the same question. She felt rooted in place. Frozen. Had his head lowered? It had. God, was he going to kiss her? She wanted him to. More than she wanted to breathe.
She tilted her chin up, letting him know she wanted this. Wanted him.
“May I?” he whispered, still holding her gaze.
Goose bumps rose on her arms under her long-sleeved shirt and jacket. The way he always asked for permission to touch her was one of the many things that she adored about him. “Yes. Please.”
Instantly, his lips were on hers.
They were cold from being outside for so long but quickly warmed. The kiss started out sweet and soft, two pairs of lips caressing, learning each other. But before long, the chaste touch turned into more.
Carlise suddenly felt as if she couldn’t get close enough to Riggs. Her hands gripped his jacket tightly, and she held on. One of his hands went to her back to hold her against him, the other to the back of her head. He held her still as he devoured her mouth.
She’d never been kissed like this before. As if he needed her to breathe. Their tongues swirled around each other, he bit and sucked on her bottom lip before diving back into her warmth.
The way he held her against him might have made Carlise uncomfortable if she was with any other man. But this was Riggs. He held her tightly, but she had no doubt if she made the slightest move to back off, he’d let her go in a heartbeat. But she didn’t want to back off. She wanted more.
A groan moved from his throat to her mouth, and immediately Carlise’s pussy wept. Knowing Riggs was just as turned on made her want him all the more. Their kiss had gone from zero to four hundred and twenty-two in seconds, and as she kissed him more urgently still, Carlise cursed the fact that they were in the middle of the woods instead of inside his cabin.
She wanted this man. It didn’t matter that it had been less than a week since she’d met him. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t the kind of woman who engaged in flings. This felt like anything but a fling. She needed this man more than she needed air.
It was Riggs who finally pulled away, but he didn’t let go. He kept his hands right where they were and stared into her eyes as they both panted, trying to regain their equilibrium.
“Holy hell,” he whispered after a moment.