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“Whose team are you on?” came a response.
“No one’s. I came here to see Cynthia.” He’d had no idea it would be this hard to do.
“She’s guarding our fort,” a girl called.
“Fort?” He hadn’t seen anything that looked like a fort among the structures.
“Yeah. It’s the church,” another voice called. “You better be careful. She’s a good shot.”
“We’re going to believe you this time. We’ll let you by,” one of the girls called.
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Sean stood but kept his head low as he ran toward the façade that looked like a white church front with a steeple. When he was hit in the hip, he took cover behind some boards driven into the ground forming a haphazard fence. Okay, he’d had all the paint on him he wanted. It was time to retaliate.
Sean did a three-sixty survey of the area. A boy came into his field of vision and Sean pulled the trigger. With a pop, pop, pop the balls left the chamber. Two hit the ground near the boy’s feet. He turned to run and the third caught him square in the back.
A smile covered Sean’s lips. This game might be more interesting than he’d thought. He ran across an open area to another barrel, fully expecting to draw fire. When none came his confidence increased and he kept moving. He reached a large oak tree that stood in the middle of the field and stopped, waited.
Where was Cynthia? He needed to get that report and get back to his office. There was still work to do tonight. Sean yelled, “Cynthia?”
Seconds later he heard, “Over here.”
She was at the church. Sean headed in that direction. This time he wasn’t as lucky as he had been during his last run. A couple of boys stepped out from behind a storefront and paintballs sailed in his direction. Ducking and zigzagging, he ran behind the church front and straight into someone.
With a grunt from him and a whoosh from the person he hit, they landed with a thud on the ground in a tangle of legs and arms. Seconds later he looked into the wide, dazed eyes of Cynthia. Their mouths were close enough to touch if not for the plastic masks between them. Sean wished he could kiss her. Almost instantly behind that thought came the realization of how soft the feminine curves were beneath him. When she shifted, they became even more evident.
“Uh...Sean, what’re you doing here?” Cynthia looked at him as if she might be imagining him.
“Do you mean here on top of you or here as in on the playing field?”
For a moment she looked perplexed, as if she didn’t understand the question. “Both, I think.”
“I was looking for you. You told me to meet you here.” She really did have beautiful eyes.
Cynthia struggled to get out from under him. “I don’t think I asked you to knock me down and lay on me.”
“No. That was purely accidental.” And my pleasure. He rolled to his side, taking some of the pressure off her. She shimmied against him. His body warmed and twitched in awareness. A movement above them caught his attention. He glanced up. A boy pointing a gun was bearing down on them.
Suddenly Cynthia twisted to her side and away from him. “I have to protect the fort,” she muttered with a sound of determination as she reached for her gun.
Sean raised his and aimed. The paintball hit the boy in the chest. Red paint covered his coverall.
“Aw, Cyn, I was so close,” the kid said with disappointment in his voice.
Cynthia giggled. “Yet so far away.” She looked back at him. “Thanks, Doc, nice shot.”
“You’re welcome.” Sean grinned as he got to his feet. He offered her a hand. She took it without hesitation. “There’s a first time for everything.” He’d impressed not only himself but her as well. He liked that for some reason. He was confident she didn’t suffer fools easily.
“Really? You’ve never played paintball?” She looked around them as if making sure no one else was headed in their direction.
“No.” This was just the type of thing that there was never money for when he was growing up. He would have loved to have had a birthday party like this one, or even gone to one, but more times than not there was barely money for food. His parents had told him more than once it would get better after the “new business” took off. That had never happened.
The boy walked back the way Sean had come.
“So is he done?” Sean asked.
“Yeah, he got hit in the chest so he has to sit out now.” Cynthia crouched behind the church supports. “I’d have you on my team any time.” Admiration filled her voice.
He involuntarily puffed out his chest and stood straighter.
Her attention had already returned to the field. She glanced back at him and pulled at his arm. “Hey, you better get down or you’re going to have more paint on you than you already have.” A second passed. “Why don’t you have on coveralls? You have ruined your sweater and jeans.”
“I hadn’t planned on wallowing on the ground or being shot at by kids. Some guy told me not to come out here without a mask and gun. He didn’t offer me coveralls. I’m here for a report, not to be a target. By the way, when’re you going to be free here so I can get my report?”
“It shouldn’t take long.” She looked around the façade as if she expected someone was sneaking up on them. “My team should be returning any minute now.”
He looked. “Just how do you tell who’s on your team?”
“By the color on their helmet.” She made it sound as if anyone should know that. His chest deflated.
No other women he knew would be out here playing this game. “You have to be kidding. That means they must get pretty close before you know if they are friend or foe?”
“Yep. But that’s part of the fun.” Cynthia sounded as if she loved the challenge.
He guessed it was. To his surprise he was having a good time.
“So why exactly are you here?”
“They were short one team member and I got drafted. I’m just filling in on this game until one of Rick’s friends shows up.”
That made sense. But Sean had already gotten too caught up in this craziness.
Her focus remained on the field around them. “I’ll be done here in a few minutes.”
She sure took the game seriously. It sounded as if no amount of prodding on his part was going to change her mind. She looked cute in the baggy white paper coveralls with her hair pulled back by the mask and her eyes wide in anticipation. His type was usually the “I can’t get my fingernails broken or my shoes dirty” kind, and here he was admiring a woman with no makeup and paint all over her.
A tall, lanky boy ran toward them calling with excitement, “Hey, Cyn. We won. I got the last of them.”
Cynthia stood. “Great.”
Sean joined her.
“This has been the best birthday party ever. Thanks.” The boy stopped in front of them and gave Cynthia a hug.
She returned it. “I’m glad you like it.” Cynthia pulled off her mask and shook out her hair.
Sean could do little more than stare. She looked so sexy as her hair floated around her shoulders. His body heated. By the way she acted, Cynthia had no idea how captivating the action was. He was more aware with each passing second. Why was he reacting to her so? This wasn’t like him.
There had been women in his life. Plenty of them but none had interested him enough to cause this type of response in such a short time. His female companions had been just that. Companions. Some for the night, others for a month or two. He wanted a woman who was serious, focused. Thought like he did. After living with his parents he’d learned too well that some people haphazardly went through life. He planned, considered each step.
Sean knew the value of hard work and used his money wisely. Unlike this party. No matter how entertaining it might be, he couldn’t see why Cynthia woul
d spend so much on a party when he was sure she could have used the money elsewhere. Like repairing her brother’s car. He could already tell she wasn’t the person for him but still he liked her. What would it hurt to enjoy her company while it lasted?
“Sean, I’d like you to meet my youngest brother, Rick. It’s his birthday we’re celebrating. Rick, this is Dr. Donavon.” She put a hand on her brother’s arm.
The affection between them was obvious. Something that Sean and his siblings didn’t share. He hadn’t seen his older brother and sister in a couple of years. He’d been much younger and so different from them that their relationships hadn’t been close. Sean had been an outsider in his own family. The idea that his brother or sister would throw him a party was laughable.
“Nice to meet you, Rick. Happy birthday.” Sean offered his hand. The boy had a firm handshake. “Please call me Sean.”
Cynthia gave him a warm smile. She seemed to appreciate him allowing her brother the familiarity. There were too many confusing emotions surrounding him liking that idea that he chose not to contemplate it further.
Cynthia handed her headgear and gun to Rick. “Will you see about these? I’ve got to get a report out of the car for Sean.”
“Uh, sure.” Rick took the equipment. Rick turned to him. “I can take yours too.”
Flipping the mask off, Sean handed it and the gun to Rick. “It belongs to some guy with red hair who was standing up by the shed.”
“That’d be Johnny. I’ll see that he gets it.” Rick headed in the direction he’d come.
“Let’s go. My car is over here,” Cynthia said as she walked toward what he assumed was the car park.
Sean followed. Even in the coveralls, Cynthia had a nice swing to her hips. She had a generous behind that proclaimed she was all woman.
This interest in her had to stop.
CHAPTER THREE
