Samuel had known the instant he saw the red door it was the best option to get rid of Cain. It had only taken moments for the tenacious man in a white suit to make a move after he’d caught a glimpse of Elli, and the designated make-out room would make him uncomfortable so he wouldn’t search it long. Sam caught his breath, realizing the place designated for couples would probably make his charge rather uncomfortable as well.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her further into the semi-dark space, not stopping until they reached the far wall. She slumped against the cushioned structure, catching her breath.

“What’s going on?” she pushed out between gasps.

He was quiet for a moment, taking account of their surroundings before turning his attention back to her. She had gone still, he could make out the white of her eyes in the dim red glow coming from mood light in the center of the room. She knew enough to recognize what the bodies around them were doing. He gritted his teeth, sensing Trevor’s pang of urgency. If the blonde man was able to track Cain, he was close on their heels. It was now or never.

He laid his palm on the largest area of exposed skin he could without completely freaking Elli out, which was right above the hemline of her dress. He felt her rapid heartbeat under his palm, the smooth curve of her clavicle at his fingertips. He leaned in, focusing on the pulse of life under his touch.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she squeaked, defensively grabbing his forearm and backing into the wall as far as she could to escape.

“Relax.” He tried to sound reassuring while remaining focused. “I’m not making a move on you.”

“Right.” She hissed, trying to pry his hand away with both hands without much success. “You just suddenly need to check my pulse by coping a feel.”

He scoffed. “I’m not coping a feel.”

He frowned, unsure why he couldn’t read anything further from her, no course of a gift tickled into his fingertips. He paced himself through a basic breathing exercise and attempted again. Usually, skin-on-skin contact was enough to taste a flicker of the person’s gift; he had to concentrate not to take it.

“Then what are you doing?” her hiss broke his focus again.

He sighed, gazing down at her, her face a shadowed mask in the semi-dark. His eyes traced from her brow to her jaw. Wide eyes, straight nose, an oval face and plump lips. She was, he grudgingly admitted, quite pretty.

“You wouldn’t believe me...” his lip twitched. “Or worse, you would if I told you.”

Then Trevor would be quite upset with him for breaking protocol on an observational mission. The objective was simple: identify the girl’s ability, keep her out of the wrong hands, erase her memories and continue on their merry way. The only way that objective changed was if she was higher than Class 3. With seemingly no way to copy a gift from the girl, Samuel was beginning to think this whole night was a wild goose chase. Reach had been mistaken. This girl wasn’t one of them.

“Try me.” Elli huffed, threatening to scream her head off in ten seconds.

He gently shoved her against the wall, pinning her down and out of sight as Trevor’s alarm rang louder in his skull. Cain was almost to the door. Sam felt Elli’s heart start picking up the pace now that she was in a more vulnerable position. The girl wasn’t dumb; she was just worried about the wrong thing. He took a moment to try to calm her and try to divulge as much as he could about their situation without revealing too much about himself or his organization. He posed a question to get her to start analyzing the bigger picture of how and why she was here tonight.

“Did you notice the white suit when you first got into the club?”

He had to keep her talking, distracted. Their low tones wouldn’t attract attention in the room full of moans and pillow talk.

He could tell from the way she trembled slightly she was trying to piece together what he was saying.

“Look,” she shook her head slightly. “I didn’t see any ‘suit.' I have no idea what kind of whacked out conspiracy you’re trying to get me to buy; just do whatever you want with me, or let me go.”

Samuel blinked, surprised. Well, so much for her trying to believe him. She really did think he was some middle-aged wanker of a businessman trying to get her to play along so he could bang a high schooler. Sam wanted to laugh his ass off at the absurdity of her imagination.

He did let a chuckle escape; it was too funny not to laugh. “After I’ve already told you to relax? Kid, if I wanted you, you’d be mine already. Trust me; you’re not my type. We’re just going to lay low until the coast is clear, and then I’ll get you out of the club. End of story.”

She went quiet as the door to the room opened. Samuel instinctively tensed, leaning just a little more into his charge. He needed to look like a dominating lover without giving Cain any visual cues it was him or the girl. Sam was so close to her; he could smell the floral notes of her shampoo, something light and sweet that reminded him of flowers he loved in a place and time far away. He lost himself for just a moment in that image of white petals and sunshine. He shook himself of the picture quickly as he could sense Cain get closer.

He leaned down to whisper reassuringly to Elli. “He’s here. We’ll just try to blend in and then—“

Elli closed the small gap between them, pressing her lips into his. His whole body went still, but she wasn’t going to have it. She crushed her body into him, pushing her tongue past his wavering lips. Then, instinctively, he was kissing her back, tossing his tongue back into her mouth. Some part of his brain sounded the red alert, but his less rational side was reasoning that this was as good of a way to ‘blend in’ as any, and dear God, could the girl kiss.

Sam’s self-control wavered, and he pushed her back into the wall and deepened the kiss, wanting to taste every inch he could. The remnants of fruity alcohol were on her breath, but beyond that was a deeper spice flavor. He was relishing the warm sensation of her body pressed against his, his left hand reached for her soft hair, his right caressed her jawline. Some part of him acknowledged this couldn’t go farther, but he was having a hard time remembering why, exactly, his senses so full of—

‘Sam!’ Trevor’s voice in his head hit him like a wall of cold water. ‘Sam, are you okay? You went dark.’

“Dark” meaning he had slammed all his mental doors to outside prying while his nature had taken over. Mortified, he jumped off of Elli, scooting a few feet away. He caught his breath, trying to refocus on his surroundings. Cain was gone, that much was a relief, but the realization he’d let a drunk teenager with inhibited reasoning kiss him sunk in.

‘Shit.’

‘What is it?’ Trevor fretted.

‘It’s not Cain. We’re okay-- Tell you in a minute.’ Sam watched Elli come to the same realization as she gingerly touched her swollen lip.

Out loud, he laughed. “Well, that was a surprise.”

Elli groaned, placing her head in her hands.

“Come on.” Sam gently touched her shoulder, uncomfortable with addressing the situation.

Instead, he said. “Let’s get you out of here… He’s gone.”

She silently let him take her hand and lead her out of the room and back the way they had come.

“So….” He could tell she was mentally fidgeting, the nervous energy of trying not to think about what just happened consuming her and needing a distraction badly. “Who is this mystery bad guy, anyway?”

Sam grinned sardonically. “Hope you never have to find out.”