by Katie Knight
She nodded mutely at him, challenge sparkling in her eyes, before he kissed her again,
Beneath his deft fingers, the buttons of her flannel pajama top opened, and as his fingers explored the newly uncovered skin, he broke away from her lips to kiss his way across her cheek to her ear. Maria groaned so low and soft, the sound filled with so much want, that he felt it all the way down deep to his groin. He let his weight settle atop her, enjoying the warmth of skin to skin as the pajama top parted and her breasts pressed against him, her nipples taut against his chest. He nibbled his way down the side of her neck. “Tell me you want this as much as I do, Maria. Please God, tell me.”
“Yes,” she whispered, arching against him, grinding the heat between her legs against his hard cock through the layers of bedding and flannel. It had been so long, too long, and he damned near embarrassed himself on the spot. “I know this is against our contract, and I know you don’t intend to stay, but I seriously think I’ll die without this, Trevor. Without you.”
“No dying allowed.” He let go of her hands and slid his fingers along her arms to her collarbones. Her skin felt like hot silk and he couldn’t get enough. “Not yet anyway.”
She growled and sank her fingers deep into his hair, forcing his lips back to hers for another open-mouthed kiss. He gladly acquiesced, the feel of her curves beneath him like heaven and hell all rolled into one. He knew he should take this slow, savor this moment, this woman who he’d never imagined would want to be with him again but who’d he’d still dreamed of all those lonely nights away, except he was too wasted on desire to move slowly now.
He raised up slightly to brush her sensitive nipples with his pecs. She dug her nails into his scalp, making him grit his teeth. Pain and pleasure, secrets and truth. They all joined together in this moment. Trevor hovered above her and looked down into her flushed face, his heart pounding.
Maria looked up at him, gaze narrowed. “Don’t you dare stop now, Trevor Daniels.”
Trevor chuckled and traced his hand beneath the cover, down the center of her body to the waistband of her flannel pajama pants. He slid the tie open and slowly slipped his fingers inside to cup her through her panties. “Wouldn’t dream of it, darling.”
Her body felt like pure flame. She’d never been this turned on before in her life.
Even the last time between them hadn’t been like this.
Maria clutched at his arms as he stroked her through her panties and bit her lip to keep from crying out, mindful of her baby daughter sleeping just down the hall. Trevor was so beautiful, she wanted to spend hours relearning every muscle and sinew of him with her tongue and lips and fingers, but knew they had precious little time left. Camille would be due for another feeding soon. Maria slipped her fingers through his hair again and arched against him, bringing his lips to her nipple. She needed him to touch her and taste her and bite her until she came so hard, all of her doubts and worries and fears just disappeared. Rules were rules, and a deal was a deal, but desire like this was extremely rare, at least for her. She might regret her rash decision later, but right now she needed him like she needed oxygen.
He shuddered against her as she stroked his scalp and smiled against her skin. “Easy, darling. Or this will be over before it starts.”
She closed her eyes as he drew her nipple into the warm wetness of his mouth. “Please,” she whispered.
“No need to beg, darling. You never have to beg me.” His voice had gone low and rough with passion and whispered across her body like velvet. He slipped his fingers past the edge of her panties and along her wet folds. He parted her slickness to stroke her just right, causing her to moan low in her throat. Trevor raised his head, his expression concerned. “Okay?”
“Fantastic,” she panted quietly. “More, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He repeated the same action over and over before moving to her other breast, all the while his talented fingers continued to bring her closer to the brink, making her push harder against his hand, desperate for release.
At last, he sat back and tugged off his jeans and her panties and pajama bottoms, then spread her legs. Under normal circumstances, Maria hated being the center of attention, preferring to stick to the fringes, all the better to observe people. But with Trevor, the more he looked at her, the more she wanted him to see her, really see her.
Slowly, almost reverently, he lay down between her spread legs and gently traced his tongue over her wetness. Maria bucked against him, holding him to her as intense pleasure sizzled through her body. “Oh, Trevor,” she whispered. “Oh, God. Oh…”
He hummed against her tender flesh, causing the flames within her to rage higher, and slipped a finger into her tight, slick channel. As he pumped it within her, he gradually added a second, then curved them upward to press against a spot within her soft inner walls that made her body want to burst apart with pleasure. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.
“Let go for me, darling,” Trevor murmured low, pulling away from her and meeting her gaze. His fingers continued to work her, bringing her closer, so, so close. “I want to see you come apart in my arms.”
She wanted that too, so bad. Then he ducked his head again and sucked her gently and her world shattered into a million fragments of pure ecstasy. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her until she thought she couldn’t take anymore. Finally, he ceased his erotic torture and kissed his way back up her body, grinning. “Good?”
“Excellent.”
“Condoms?” he asked.
“Nightstand.”
Sated and dazed, Maria watched him extract a condom from her cluttered nightstand drawer. She propped up on her elbows and smiled. “Give it to me.”
He stopped mid-rip, with the condom packet hanging from between his teeth, his brow arched. Trevor pulled the condom out and tossed the wrapper over his shoulder with a devastatingly dirty grin. “That’s exactly what I plan to do, darling.”
Once he’d put on the condom, Trevor crawled back up onto the mattress and over the top of her. She couldn’t help but smile along with him. As he covered her body with his own and brought his lips to hers again, she wrapped herself around him and savored every second in his arms.
One time.
One precious time, then she’d be back to her responsibilities and her business and his investigation would continue until it was all over. But right now… Now she was in bed with the one man she’d never forgotten and loving every minute of it.
“Ready?” he growled low in her ear, nipping her earlobe.
“Yes, please,” she whispered in return and lightly bit his jaw. “I need you.”
He positioned himself at her wet entrance and sank into her in one long thrust, then held still as her body adjusted to his. It had been so long. She’d been so lonely. She felt so full and yet she still needed more.
“Please….”
“Please what, darling?” His breath ghosted warm against the side of her neck.
She arched beneath him and locked her ankles together behind his back. “Move.”
Trevor’s deep chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. “Yes, ma’am.”
He set up a demanding rhythm, withdrawing almost completely before driving back into her, each stroke bringing them both nearly to the edge of oblivion. He slipped his hand between them and stroked her with his fingers. She bucked against him, unable to stop the waves of passion rolling over her again and taking her under. She cried out and bit his shoulder as she rode out another shuddering climax.
His rhythm grew harder, faster, deeper, and soon, Trevor’s body stiffened against hers. His head fell back, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he reached his release as well, her name a groan on his lips. “My Maria.”
At last, he slumped atop her, his head resting in the valley between her breasts, and she ran her fingers through his hair, loving the brush of his long lashes against her skin. Loving all of him, really.
He pulled away for a moment to dispose of the co
ndom, but quickly returned to her arms. Soon, they both dozed off.
Seventeen
Their blissful post-sex nap didn’t last long, however. Within an hour, Camille was wailing, her high-pitched keen meaning she was hungry again. This time, Maria went to answer the call while Trevor burrowed his head under a pillow to catch a few more winks.
By the time he woke again, the sun was blazing through the windows and the smell of fresh coffee and bacon filled the air. Maria stuck her head into the bedroom and smiled at him. “Hey, sleepyhead. I’m making breakfast, in case you’re hungry. Once you get up and get ready, we can talk about our day.”
He nodded and yawned, waiting until she’d left the room before stretching and finally getting up. All this felt so normal and nice that he wanted to pretend it was his, for a little longer anyway. He padded into the bathroom and showered and shaved before brushing his teeth. Then he headed out into the living room to grab some fresh clothes from his bag and headed back to her bedroom to put them on. Glancing into the kitchen, he chuckled at the sight of Maria cooking with one hand, while holding Camille in her other, singing their daughter a tune while she worked. It was Saturday, so the day felt relaxed and easy.
This morning had been…wow. Yeah, it had been a while, but for a guy with his level of experience, he could honestly say it had never been that good. Trevor couldn’t seem to stop grinning as he pulled on clean jeans and a fresh black T-shirt, then shoved his feet into socks and shoes before heading back to the kitchen once more.
He took Camille from Maria and set the table one-handed while she finished dishing up their food. A bit of awkwardness ensued at they took their seats, staring across the table at each other, neither sure if they should bring up the sex or not. Finally, Maria said, “I talked to my tech guy a little while ago.”
“Oh yeah?” Trevor said, glad for a topic to discuss that didn’t involve Maria naked and moaning beneath him. “Has he found anything?”
“Unfortunately, no. Not yet. Some of the encryptions are giving him problems apparently. He’ll crack them, Steve just needs more time. So yeah.”
Camille gurgled against his shoulder and Trevor bounced her a bit more, careful not to jiggle her too much since she’d just eaten not too long ago. He shoveled in a mouthful of scrambled eggs and chewed, used to eating fast in the military. “Hmm. So, what else is on the agenda then today?”
“My tech guy actually did send some of the files to another colleague of his. I’ve worked with him before too. He specializes in maps. We thought he might be able to shed some light on the data that has been recovered so far from the flash drive. His headquarters isn’t too far from here. Out in the country. I thought maybe we could drive over to see him today and find out what he makes of all those locations. Sound good?”
Trevor bit off half a triangle of toast, swallowing it before kissing Camille’s tiny head. “Works for me. How about you, baby girl? Does that work for you too, huh?”
Maria laughed and shook her head as their tiny daughter smiled up at him. “You were right. That’s not gas. She really does like you.”
“I hope she’s not the only one,” he said, watching Maria over the rim of his orange juice glass and winking. Anxiety prickled up his neck when she didn’t answer right away. He lived and died in those seconds. He shouldn’t have brought it up. Damn.
Stupid move, idiot.
Finally, Maria sighed and gave him a small smile. “No, she’s not the only one.”
They finished their breakfast and cleaned up, got Camille ready to go, then headed out to Maria’s car. Trevor got the baby’s car seat secured in the back while Maria punched their coordinates into the GPS on her phone.
Heading inland toward the picturesque Lake Lawson-Lake Smith Nature Preserve, Trevor enjoyed being a passenger for once, losing himself in the day and the beautiful woman beside him and his gorgeous little daughter in the backseat. She was being so good today, it was almost like she was enjoying this as much as they were.
“Your map guy lives around here?” Trevor asked, looking around at the scenery passing by. Lots of trees and water and fresh growing things. “Lucky man.”
“Yeah. It’s pretty here.”
They followed the directions from the GPS and found themselves off the highway, weaving back through a series of country roads to a small log cabin in the wilderness. She pulled into the gravel driveway adjacent to the log cabin and Trevor got out, walking up to the front door while Maria got Camille out of the back seat and fed her a bottle.
He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Tried to peek through the front windows but couldn’t see anyone inside. Walked back to the car where Maria was singing a sweet lullaby to their daughter while she fed her. Unexpected yearning squeezed his chest. This could be his life, if he wanted.
Is that what you want, though?
The question halted him in his tracks. He’d been a SEAL for so long, that’s what he knew, who he was. Could he give all that up now and be happy settled in a suburban home with a suburban life?
Exhaling slow, he shoved those questions deep to ponder another time and continued over to where Maria stood beside the car. “No one home.”
“Really? But he knew we were coming.” She handed him Camille and the bottle, then proceeded to send a text to the man they’d come to see. “Let’s see what he says.”
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed with a response.
“Ah, looks like he had to run out for a bit. Says he should be back in an hour or so.” She held her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun as she peered up at him. “What do you want to do? Wait or go home and try another day?”
Trevor turned slightly to look at a creamery located across the farm field. “We can wait, if you want. Maybe we can try that place. Looks like they have a little gift shop and a restaurant.” He glanced back to Maria and smiled. “They’ve got ice cream too. I know how you used to love your ice cream.”
She grinned. “I do love ice cream. Okay. Let me text him back, and then the creamery it is.”
“How about you, baby girl?” Trevor asked, putting Camille over his shoulder again after she’d finished her bottle to burp her. “Do you like ice cream too, huh? The way you gobble up that milk, I’d say you do. Or you will. When you get old enough.”
“Done.” Maria said, shoving her phone back into her purse, then leaning in to give Trevor an impromptu kiss. Before she could pull away, he deepened it, keeping her close with his free hand. A loud burp from Camille broke them apart. They were both laughing.
“That’s my girl,” he said, chuckling.
“Yep. She’s yours all right.” Maria stepped back. “Take the car or walk?”
“Eh, let’s walk. It’s not that far.” He held out his hand to her. “We can be back in plenty of time to meet this map guy of yours.”
“Wait, let me get the diaper bag.” Maria fussed around in the back of the car for a minute, then turned to him, holding what looked like a flak jacket—gunmetal gray, lots of straps and buckles—except there was no back on it and the sides were cut in. There was also a large pouch in the front. He scrunched his nose as she drew closer with the thing. “Here, put this on.”
“What is it?” He adjusted a Camille on his shoulder.
“It’s a baby carrier.” Maria grinned at his dubious look. “Seriously. It’s from this expensive place in New York. One of my friends got it for me for my baby shower. It’s ergonomically designed to relieve pressure on your back and shoulders while giving Camille the closeness and security she needs and letting you carry her while keeping your hands free. Trust me, you might not think so now, but she’ll get heavy after a while and even your sexy, brawny arms will get tired.”
He blinked at her a moment. “You think my arms are sexy?”
She just shook her head and took Camille from him, setting the snoozing infant carefully back into her car seat, then turned to Trevor and slipped the carrier thingy over his head, adjusting the buckles
and straps until she had it secured around him. Once he was geared up, she picked up Camille again and gently slid her into the front pouch of the carrier. His daughter, bless her heart, just stirred a little, then snuggled in closer, still sleeping like an angel.
Trevor couldn’t help grinning down at her, then up at her mother. He might feel like an idiot in this thing, but if it made Maria happy, he’d wear a million crazy contraptions.
“Perfect.” Maria winked at him, then closed and locked up the car before slinging the diaper bag over her shoulder and locking up the car. She slipped her hand in his, then tugged him forward down the gravel driveway. Trevor had a moment of clarity, a moment that said he could get used to this—the fun, the joy, the intimacy—before he shook it off. This was an exception, not the rule. The sooner he remembered that, the better.
Still, they were here today, and he should enjoy it all the more, knowing it would soon be gone.
Eighteen
Carsten Farm and Creamery was way more enjoyable than Maria had expected, and that was a problem. As she walked hand in hand through the green fields, stopping here and there to pet a calf or talk to one of the many dairy cows roaming the area, she couldn’t help thinking how nice it would be to have this every day—the husband, the kid, the comfort and support.
Except this wasn’t reality. Reality was they’d had one bout of incredible reunion sex and that was all. Sure, Trevor might be playing along as a happy family right now, but as soon as his name was cleared, he’d be gone. She’d gotten that squared away in her head earlier, using it as justification for allowing herself to sleep with him again. In the bright, sunny light of day, however, it was harder to box her feelings for him away again.
Truth was, she’d chosen Trevor to father her baby last year because of the wonderful man he was, because of his good looks and his good genetics and the good family he came from. But the more time she spent with him now, the more her heart wanted to choose him to be her forever partner because of his great sense of humor, his kindness and consideration, his penchant for neatness and orderliness, his loyalty and generosity and courage.