I woke the next morning to the shrilling of my alarm on my phone. As I patted the side to stop it's noise, I made a mental note to change the tone and find whoever invented the idea of an alarm on a cell phone and personally punch them in the dick. Or punch them in the tit.

Frowning at the bright screen, I saw a good morning text from Jack laced with good luck and his wishes that I have an amazing first day filming. I reply instantly and hit send before going to put my phone back when I pause.

A book...

My book.

No, it wasn't mine. Mine was destroyed.

Sitting up, I wipe the sleep from my eyes and pull the book onto my lap looking down at the new book in awe. Smiling, I open up the book slightly and stick my nose within the pages and inhale.

It's new..

I flick through the pages until I hit the first page where black ink is scrawled onto the page.

Buying a book is not about obtaining a possession...

It's about securing a portal.

- Laura Miller.

But before I could have any doubts on who replaced my book, I found the book mark and a laugh cracked from my body instantly. Knowing he needed a thank you, I got up out of bed to take a shower.

+++

Stepping into the kitchen, I expected the late night Lothario to be looking a little worse for wear or even the slightest bit tired. But he's not...

Nope he's stood with a protein shake in his hand, rattling it back and forth whilst looking at his phone.

"Morning." He greets me.

"Morning." I smile slipping into a seat at the table.

"Breakfast?" He asks.

"Oh.. I can make it myself." I rush making him chuckle.

"I know, I was just reminding you, that you'd need breakfast today. It's going to be a long day filming."

My cheeks redden "Of course you were." I nod feeling like a complete idiot.

"Is Bacon up yet?" I question.

"Nope. He's not needed on set, so it's just you and me, kid."

"Delilah." I correct him.

"Sure." He responds as he pops the cap off and beings drinking an unappetising looking shake. It's light brown almost greyish colour made me feel a little sick. I never knew brown could morph to grey but I was witnessing it.

He watches me as he drinks it back, presumingly trying to make me cringe further as I find myself watching the concoction disappear and his throat bob. When my eyes trail a little further to the opening of his shirt, where a few buttons had yet to be done up, that I tear my eyes away.

What was that? What were you playing at?

Were you checking him out?

Delilah...

"I wasn't." I speak trying to stop the voice in my head goading. Only my outburst was picked up.

"Sorry?" Zak asks.

He should be. Displaying that slice of teasing..

Manhussy.

"I uh- I said I'll make dinner tonight."

He cocks his brow and eventually shrugs.

"Thank you for the book.... And the marker."

"You like it?" He asks with a smile.

"The book, yes. Now I can find out what happens to Andy. The book mark? Well it's a working progress."

"A working progress? I made it myself! It should be a prized possession."

A laugh leaves my body.

"You're egotistical."

"Confident." He corrects before locking eyes with me to button up his shirt. As he hits the second from top button, he gives me a wink and I look away pretending not to notice.

Sure, he had made me a book mark.. It was of himself. Yes, he had somehow managed to get a photo of himself doing what looked to be a blue steel impression onto a book mark and have it laminated.

"Did the librarian help you?" I query.

"I can work a laminator."

"She helped you, didn't she?"

"Yeah." He answers quickly making me giggle and shake my head. "This is better."

I cock my head slightly in confusion.

"Us, like this. Instead of tearing a strip from one another. Listen, I overstepped with the book yesterday, it obviously means something to you. And I won't pry. But if I ever knew it was something that meant a great deal to you. I would have never have done it." He explains looking at me with full honesty.

"I accept." I nod.

"Okay good... Well you better get breakfast. We'll hit the road in an hour. I got to go and do my hair."

I had no doubt that his hair would take up the whole hour as well...

+++

Hello, my names Delilah Winters. I'm the dogs body.

Okay that's not strictly true... yes I was called Delilah Winters. No I wasn't the dogs body. But I certainly wasn't an investigator either.

Zak had decided on the way to the location that I, was going to be the runner until further notice. He explained that before letting me lose with a camera, that I needed to be shown the ropes and to do that. I needed to start from the bottom.

Much to my aggravation. Sure I understood his point, but I also learnt better at doing things. Than reading software guides to the programmes they used. Or the manual to use the drone.

Just give me the damn drone, show me how to use it once and let me figure the rest!

Since arriving at the location, I had been thundered with orders, all whilst Zak was telling me to read, read, read.

So when he next request came, I snapped.

"No!" I snapped before storming away, clutching my head as the world tilted. I felt lightheaded and I knew that skipping breakfast in order to catch up on some reading was a stupid idea, but... Andy.

I thought of the character in my story and how I now hated the tall dark and handsome as he was described as when I heard footsteps.

"Just give me a minute, I'm sorry for snapping but damn." I moan.

"Don't have to apologise to me." Dakota spoke making my eyes snap to the side of the car where he was leant against it.

Like a child, I had taken refuge in the trunk.

"Sorry. I just don't.."

"Don't worry. It's warm and you haven't caught a break since we've arrived. Take all the time you need."

My attitude evaporates at the man smiling back at me. "Thanks."

"No problem.." He takes a seat beside me and fiddles with his camera. "First day is a little daunting, I remember the first time I got to film with the guys. I had won a competition with them, I was so stoked, I felt sick with nerves."

I smile.

"I remember thinking how crazy it all was, watching people run around and how Zak was in the centre of all the chaos, just bossing it."

"Or causing it." I mutter.

"He's our commander. We follow his orders and for us to be hitting series 15, it says it all about how good he is at his job."

I nod. "I know, it's just he's wanting me to learn all this stuff but also wants me to run around like a gnat at a barbecue. I can't do it all at one. I'm so angry with myself. I thought I could do this!"

"Hey.." He frowns "It's just first day jitters. You can't join this show and expect to hit the ground running."

"I know."

"So stop being so hard on yourself. What you can't read about, I'll show you. It's easier to be hands on, but some of the stuff they use is made by their own scientist so a lot of it is expensive. I mean, a recorder is pretty simple, but SLS camera and the drones.."

"I threw a complete diva fit. Didn't I?" I ask him.

"Honestly? Yeah it was kinda funny though. Zak's face when you said no." He gives me a playful nudge. "I like that you stand up to him. It takes balls."

"He's gonna be pissed."

"I think he's more concerned."

I look at Dakota who's looking out at the grounds "How old are you?"

"22."

"You act so much older..." I sigh. "Says diva girl."

He laughs "Sometimes I do. People say I'm immature but who wants to be older anyway? I like this age."

"It's a good age." I agree.

"Does it hit your dating range?"

I gasp causing him to laugh instantly "Got you."

I laugh and give him that playful elbow back. "Almost had myself a toy boy."

"You're not that old... Cougar."

My jaw drops "I'm 5 years older than you. Hardly a cougar!"

"Well you say that.." He pulls a face and laughs when I swat him.

"You were making me feel better until you dropped that. Go on, get back before Zak has us both up in front of the firing squad."

"Good point. I still have my life ahead of me. You... not so much." He grins before dodging my swipe at him again.

I collect myself and stand up from the trunk ready to close the lid when I stable myself against it as the ground shifts beneath my feet. "Oh.. Oh god."

Food. I need food. Anything, a boiled sweet or something.

Taking a gulp of air, I push off the car and head towards the car Billy drove after being told where they keep their crafties box too, full of protein snacks and candy when Zak calls out.

"Y-yeah just a second!" I call back.

I feel my blood pressure drop again and my eyes roll but I focus on the car ahead. That is until my foot rolls, I stumble and almost growl at myself when my heart feels like it's dropping into my stomach, the light dims and I feel the grass against the side of my face.

For a hot day, it was surprisingly cool. That's when it goes dark.

But when I open my eyes, for what feels like two seconds later, I find the crew stood around me each looking worried whilst shouting orders out to the production crew.

Except one. He's not ordering anyone around. No he's silent. He's staring and he's pissed.

He also happens to be Zak.

[9]

Zak watches as Delilah storms off, red faced and frowning. All he was going to suggest was that she takes a break whilst they go inside to film. Let her get some food but before the words had even left his mouth, she jumped on him.

"Ookay..." he drew out and watches as she sits in the trunk of the car, trying to block herself from their view.

"I'll go." Dakota speaks instantly and heads over with his camera.

"You better all take 10, until Dakota comes back." Zak suggests to the team  and just as Mike is about to leave, he snags his headphones and listens into the conversation between Delilah and Dakota from Dakotas microphone that's attached to his shirt.

Zak listens but not a lot is said during their exchange, Zak does however pick up on an attempt at flirting from his youngest team member. He looks towards the vehicle where he sees the side profile of Dakota laughing and grinning. 

Something moves within Zak's system, something foreign and weird inside his gut. It had happened when he watched Delilah have her nightmares on the RV, how he wanted to push his thumb against her brows in order to relieve the knotting they were doing. The same kind of feeling he had when he dropped off the book last night. Zak remembered then he wanted to move a few strands of hair aside and cover her leg that the moon light graced, trying to entice him.

Since starting Ghost Adventures, he'd been a lady's man. He loved the chase, the thrill, the danger, but never the commitment that came with them. He preferred to remain a single agent, not wanting to settle, life was about having fun. Not for being miserable which is exactly how he imagined marriage, or at least that's what he seen growing up.

So his view was warped on commitment, being this single and roaming male satisfied him, but not as much as out of bounds women. Women he couldn't touch because they were married, or they worked with or for him..

He could bet last night that Delilah would have replaced the foul taste of cigarettes that lingered on his tongue for something sweet, smooth, hell maybe even smoky.

She was infuriating, that much was true. Zak wanted her off his team, that much was true as well. But he also kind of accepted that she was slowly becoming part of their small knitted brotherhood. From how Dakota went after her said that he was softening to her just as quick, if not more.

Zak looked up as Dakota came back towards him with a smile on his mouth. That's when Zak looked up to see Delilah slowly getting herself together and getting ready to come back.

"Delilah." He speaks as she begins walking away. His teeth gritting as her ass is moulded perfectly into the jeans she wears, enough to send a single impulse to his pants.

She calls back to him and keeps walking when another impulse comes down. Zak scoffs at how last night he thought something was broken in the connection to his body and mind. How the cigarette taste put him off, but now? Now it was firing shots down when he least needed it.

As his feet continued, he watched her ankle roll, gaining composure she carried on, and then he saw her hit the deck.

"Shit." He hisses and goes to her side as the crew crowds around, each panicking and asking for food, water, something to fan her with.

Zak is knelt beside her when her eyes flutter slightly, she blinks widely taking in the scene from laying on the grass. His eyes are burning into her, he's furious that she didn't listen to his warning at breakfast. He told her there would be a long day. He presumed she would eat something substantial, but clearly she didn't. Sure it was hot. But not enough to pass out, not yet.

There was only one place she was heading now, and that's back to the rental. 

Happy Thursday!

Longer chapter this time around, I figured you all earned it. We're almost at the weekend!

Any thoughts on what Delilah is hiding? Any idea what's up with Zak? 😏