Cage chuckles, shaking his head. Bending, he brushes his lips over mine before rolling to the side and on to his back. I’m caught up in his arms until he has me half on top of him, where one arm curls around my waist to hold me there.
Shifting his head on his pillow to look at me, he says, “If it were magic, I wouldn’t need half an hour to recharge. I could just fuck you for hours on end.”
“What a world, huh?” I reply dreamily, nestling my face into his neck.
Because I would not be opposed to having sex without end with this man. He has awakened something that I never knew I had inside me.
“I didn’t know sex could be this way,” I admit softly, feeling a little foolish for saying it. It speaks to my inexperience more than anything, and next to someone like Cage, who clearly knows every trick in the book, sometimes it makes me feel unworthy.
“Got a secret,” he says, shifting to his side and displacing me but making it so we are face to face.
“What’s that?”
Cage doesn’t answer right away, and I can see vulnerability in his eyes as he stares deep into mine. His lips curve into a slight smile. “I didn’t know sex could be this way either.”
My eyes go round with surprise. I just assumed…
What? What did I think about Cage?
“You mean…?” But I can’t seem to find the words. I think about how he makes me feel every time he’s inside me, and how new and wonderful it seems every time. How it gets better every single time. “It’s not like this all the time for you?”
“Why would you think it was?” he asks, eyebrows drawn inward.
“Because… you’ve just had way more experience than I have, and you know what you’re doing very well, and I just assumed—”
“That I’m magical with every woman?” he supplies with a smirk.
“I don’t know what I thought,” I admit in a whisper as my gaze drops to his chest. God, it’s a great chest.
“Jaime,” he says, and my eyes snap back up to his. “It’s never been this great for me because I never gave a hundred percent of myself to a woman before. But I give it all to you. I want to give it all to you, and that is the difference.”
“Oh,” I murmur, the enormity of his words striking me squarely in the chest. This is an admission of some sort… that perhaps this is way more serious than either of us had thought.
As if he’s reading my mind, he nods. “You get it now?”
“I think so,” I reply.
“What is this between us?” His finger presses against my chest, right over my heart, and then moves to press against his own. “It’s the real deal, and I have never had that before.”
“Me either.”
Cage’s expression warms at my words. He leans in to give me a soft, luxurious kiss. It could easily turn into something more heated. Instead, he pulls back.
“Now, as much as I think both of us would be fine with staying in this bed for the rest of the evening, I did promise to show you Sin City.”
I twist to look out the windows of our hotel suite. It’s dusk. Soon, the city will be all aglow. Cage had to attend his seminar in the morning, but he snuck out to have lunch with me. When he came up to the room, he kissed me hard, and we ended up in bed. That was hours ago, and we haven’t left.
Lunch was room service, eaten in bed. He assured me that he wouldn’t get in trouble for missing the rest of the seminar, and one of his coworkers would cover for him.
“So you’re suggesting we leave this room?” I ask, running my finger down his chest. Yes, I do want to see Vegas. But honestly, I’d be fine staying here too.
“Yes,” he says emphatically. “My girl asked to see Vegas, and I’m going to give her what she wants. But there’s just one thing you have to abide by.”
Laughing, I ask, “What’s that?”
“You have to be wild tonight, Jaime,” he teases me, but the glint in his eyes is pure mischief. “We hold nothing back tonight. Deal?”
I grin. “Deal.”
“Then let’s get showered, gussied up, and hit the town,” he replies, rolling out of bed and dragging me along behind him.
CHAPTER 14
Cage
I glance at my watch, noting the time of 1:47 AM. I look up at Jaime, who is currently dancing on top of our table in a nightclub we’d stumbled into half an hour ago.
And she is dancing all kinds of nasty, and I’m fucking turned on as hell as she lifts her hair up and gyrates her hips. I knew she was sexy, but that knowledge came from our adventures in bed. Seeing her in a tiny dress with lots of leg and even more cleavage showing, I realize I actually like this side of her.
Of course, it took copious amounts of alcohol to get her brave enough to let her hair down, so to speak. We had a nice dinner before jumping around the casinos and nightclubs, then walked the Strip. Each place we went into, we had a drink, and I feel slightly guilty that Jaime’s going to be hungover as hell tomorrow.
But she’s having a great time right now.
When the song ends, she laughs, gazing down at me. “I’m a spectacle, aren’t I?”
“The best kind,” I assure her, holding my hands out. She squats, letting me take her by the waist, and I lift her down from the table. She slides down my body, gliding her hands through my hair before letting her own head fall back.
She laughs again, a beautiful sound, and exclaims, “I’m having the best time.”
“I’m glad,” I say, pulling her upright so I can press a kiss to her mouth.
“Let’s have another drink,” she suggests, and I glance at my watch. I mean, why the hell not? This is Vegas, and we technically shouldn’t be crawling back to our hotel until at least daybreak. Which is fine… we’re taking a late flight back to Pittsburgh.
“Okay.” I bend to give her a serious look. “But you’re going to drink some water, too.”
“Anything you say, baby,” she replies with a goofy grin.
I’m able to snag the attention of a waitress, and I order another vodka tonic for Jaime and a Jack and soda for myself. We sit at a small table away from the dance floor, our chairs next to each other.
Reaching out, I take Jaime’s hand in mine and bump my shoulder against hers. “I’m glad you’re having a good time.”
“The best,” she replies. “Although, I heard there were sex clubs here that were a lot of fun. Maybe we should hit one of those up next.”
I almost choke on my own tongue at her mention of going to a sex club because I’ve actually spent a lot of time in one right here in Vegas called The Wicked Horse. But there is no way in fuck I’d ever bring Jaime to a sex club because there is no way in fuck I’d ever let another man even look at her naked body.
It’s a realization that strikes at me hard because it’s the first time it hits me that I’m actually feeling proprietary about her. A total first for me, yet I don’t begrudge the feeling. In fact, it’s just more confirmation I’m in deep with this woman.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Jaime quips with a giggle, leaning her face in closer to mine.
I smile. “I was just thinking how great you are, how lucky I am to be sitting here with you right now, and how there is no way in hell I’m ever taking you to a sex club.”
Jaime slumps as her expression melts into a gooey smile of affection. “Awww… Cage. That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“What else do you like about me?” she presses, tilting her head and giving me a doe-eyed look.
After studying her critically for a long moment, I put my finger to my chin and tap. “Let’s see… I love your empathy. How you always care about people. I love your zeal to protect people.”
Her smile grows sappier.
“Oh,” I reply, giving her a sly grin. “I also love that thing you do with your tongue on the underside of my cock.”
Jaime bursts out laughing, but then leans in to whisper hotly into my ear. “I’ll do that very thing
when we get back to the hotel.”
Just the promise of that makes me want to grab her and run out, but I’m enjoying our banter too much.
“Want to know what I like about you?” she inquires.
“Do I ever,” I drawl, leaning in closer.
A little of the drunk cuteness slips off her expression, but a smile remains in place. She leans in and rubs her nose along mine for a second, a move that causes my heart to hammer because of the care behind it. Pulling back, her hand comes to my cheek, and she says, “I like that you don’t try to pretend to be something you’re not. You’re genuine and grounded, and I like the security of that. You’re a good man, Cage, and I’m a very lucky girl to have found you.”
I’m speechless. That she sees so much good in me.
“Oh,” she says as an afterthought, her hand dropping from my face. She leans in closer. “And you’re really good with your tongue, too, so bonus!”
I should be laughing at that, because she always makes me laugh, but I’m still stuck on the fact she thinks she’s lucky to have found me. I feel the same exact way, like this was fated to be. Granted, I didn’t quite start this with the intention of us becoming anything, but I know now that it’s something very special.
“I wasn’t looking for this,” I say honestly. Her eyes stare into mine. “And yet, I can’t imagine never having met you.”
“It’s weird, right?” Her eyes are bright, shining with hope and excitement. “How deeply we connected and so quickly.”
“Some people believe in love at first sight,” I murmur, noting a tingle of expectation crawling up my spine. “Do you believe in that?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I believe in soul mates. That there’s that perfect person for everyone out there.”
I tilt my head. “You think that’s us?”
Jaime doesn’t answer immediately. I like that she takes a moment to think about it, because it’s a serious question. But then she nods, ever so slightly. “I do think that might be us.”
This is real.
This is fucking happening.
My heart has just rolled over and committed itself to this woman, and it’s never going to accept anything less.
I’m overwhelmed with the understanding Jaime is mine, and I’m never letting her go.
So I suggest what any sane, semi-drunk man would at this moment. “We’re in Vegas. We should get married.”
CHAPTER 15
Cage
Waking up long before Jaime, I do nothing more than roll on my side to stare at her. But I’ll need to get her up soon so she can hydrate and get something to eat. Before we went to sleep last night—or I should say in the early morning hours—I made her drink two bottles of water. It’s getting close to noon now, and I’m hoping she’s slept through most of her hangover.
Hard to believe she’s my wife, but we did it. Found an open chapel, did a quick ceremony—sans Elvis—and became husband and wife.
It’s going to be very easy to blame the alcohol this morning. The truth is, I wasn’t nearly as intoxicated as Jaime was. I was clear-headed enough to know my proposal wasn’t a whim. It was a calculated move to tie her to me, because in my mind, she’s going to have a lot harder time leaving me as my wife when she finds out the truth.
After the ceremony, we came back to the hotel suite and consummated our marriage. It was beautiful and special things were said. Despite the alcohol in our veins, I believe they were uttered truthfully.
Heart still pounding from the high of climax, Jaime put her hands on my face and said, “I love you. It’s crazy and it has just been a matter of weeks, but I know it deep down. I love you, Cage.”
Fuck, I loved her back. And I told her the same. Told her I loved her like mad crazy and some other things that are very un-Cage like, but it’s the main reason I have zero regrets about the quick marriage. She was destined to be mine, and now I have her. Fuck if I’m letting her go.
And now… it’s time to tell her the truth. I’m hoping she’s feeling as good about what we did as I am, and it will make her forgive me a bit easier. But if she doesn’t, I’m just going to relentlessly work on her until I wear her down. It could take days, weeks, God forbid, even months, but I’m not going to give up no matter how mad she is.
I reach a hand out, smoothing a lock of hair off her forehead. She murmurs, frowns, then winces. I’m assuming that’s a hangover headache, and I need to have some water and Excedrin at the ready for her.
Slipping quietly out of bed, I move into the bathroom and rummage through my shave kit as I always carry Excedrin, Tums, and Alka Seltzer. I head back across the large suite to the mini-bar for water when my phone rings.
Nabbing it quickly off the dresser before it can make any more noise, I press the connect button when I see Kynan’s name on the screen.
My eyes going to Jaime, who is still sleeping, I merely murmur into the phone, “Give me a minute.”
Kynan doesn’t reply, or at least I don’t think he does, as I set the phone down long enough to quickly pull on jeans and a t-shirt.
Barefoot, I nab the phone and the room key, then head out into the hallway. Once the door is shut, I keep my voice low so the sound doesn’t carry down the hall or back into our room. “What’s up?”
“There’s a potential mission down in Colombia that’s probably going to go down in a few days. I want you to head it up. We’ll work logistics all day tomorrow at headquarters.”
I curse inwardly, noting there was a day I’d be whooping in delight at the chance to go on a mission, but now all I can think about is my new wife sleeping in the next room.
“I’m going to send you and the others who will be on the mission down to Ft. Bragg first on Tuesday to join them in some MFF training. If this turns into a rescue versus an exchange, that’s how you’ll likely have to insert.”
Another reason for me to whoop for joy. MFF is military free-fall where we’ll practice HALO and HAHO jumps. It was one of my favorite things to do as a SEAL and something I couldn’t consider training, but more like the work version of Disneyland.
“What’s the mission in Colombia?” I ask. Because it fucking sucks I’m going to be leaving my brand-new wife as soon as we return to Pittsburgh, and I need to know how long we’ll be gone.
“The ELN has captured some American tourists. A rich banker out of Dallas and his family.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. The ELN is the Ejército de Liberación Nacional or National Liberation Army, and while somewhat dangerous, they’re more a pain in the ass. They are nothing more than a guerilla group, making money to fund their purpose by kidnapping people and ransoming them back. “How long have they had them?”
“About a week,” Kynan replies.
Which means they’ve been carted all around the jungle so local authorities can’t help and keeping contact to a minimum with whoever will be paying the ransom so they’ll be amped to pay. They’re well known for this negotiating tactic, and it works most of the time.
“The family employed a contract negotiator who has a lot of experience in these matters,” Kynan says.
I chuckle. “No doubt requiring a hefty payment from the family, and he’ll also get a kickback from the ELN.”
“Exactly,” Kynan replies. “They’re in negotiations, so this could go down any day now. We’ve been hired as the security to make sure the exchange of money for the family is carried out safely. But we’ll also be ready to use force to rescue them should something go wrong.”
This isn’t the first time I’ve made a jungle rescue, and it won’t be the last. Just as I’m sure I’ll be back in a Middle Eastern desert one day. But this is exactly the type of work I signed on for when I joined Jameson, and I am fully ready and able to lead this group at Kynan’s request.
Unfortunately, that means my new wife is going to have to wait to hear the truth of what I do. I’m not about to drop this bomb on her, then leave for what could be several days. She’ll have an annulment filed way before
I return.
“We were scheduled to catch a late flight back,” I tell Kynan, glancing at my watch. “I’ll see if we can get out earlier.”
“Sounds good,” Kynan replies, but then his tone turns a bit more somber. “One other thing… I’m sending Malik on this mission with you.”
“You think he’s ready?” I ask, because I have no preconceived idea as to his current mental and physical recovery from his time as a prisoner.
“Dr. Ellery has given the green light to return him to full status, and he’s passed the necessary physical requirements.”
“Great,” I reply, truly glad he’s ready to go. I’m a firm believer that if Malik is going to continue to do this work, we need to get him out there sooner rather than later.
Kynan fills me in on a few more travel details, such as when we’re leaving for Ft. Bragg tomorrow and the military transport that will be on standby to take us into Colombia once the exchange is ready to be made. We sign off, and I head back into the hotel room.
I study Jaime, who is still sound asleep. After I grab the bottle of water, I exchange my phone for the Excedrin I’d left on the counter. Placing the water and pain reliever on the bedside table, I strip out of my clothes and slide under the covers with her.
I had hoped to be able to tell her the truth. Instead, I’m going to have to lie to her again. Gently, I pull her into my arms, and the movement causes her to groan. My head aches with sympathy pains.
“Is it time to get up?” she mumbles against my shoulder.
“It’s time to get some water and food into you,” I say gently.
She lifts her head so she can smile crookedly at me. “Are you my husband?”
I grin back, reaching one arm to grab the water bottle. “I am, and as part of my husbandly duties to take care of you in sickness and health, I want you to drink this water and take some Excedrin. Then we’ll discuss food.”
Handing the bottle to Jaime, I haul us into a sitting position against the headboard. While she starts sipping, I pull out the Excedrin for her to take.
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