by Jaime Lewis
“Go, go!” Ace shouted, and Potter stepped on the gas, guiding them away from the destruction.
Ace had so much equipment strapped to his body. Alex repositioned herself, so she was sitting with her back against the door. Pulling off his face mask, he closed his eyes for a few seconds. He felt as if he had an unlimited supply of pent of energy brought on by the adrenalin pumping through his body. It wasn’t until he felt the small feminine hand cover his hand and give it a squeeze that made him pause. His eyes popped open, and he was met with those green eyes that pierced his heart. Even though no words were exchanged, the emotion dispensing from her eyes told him everything he needed to know, whether she intended to or not. He made the decision right at that moment that she would belong to him, even if he had to knock down the imaginary shield she had erected around her heart piece-by-piece. He took her hand into his, not giving a fuck who saw it before turning his attention back to the road in front of him.
◆◆◆
Alex found herself crashing hard as she laid in bed. Falling asleep proved difficult. The moment her eyes would close, thoughts of tonight’s mission invaded her sub-consciousness, causing her to jerk awake and leaving her in an exhaustive state. Her body was sore all over, and she knew that come morning she would have bruising all over.
When they had arrived safely back at the base, she and the team had debriefed with the commander and Colonel Johnson, giving their firsthand account of how the night played out. After a lot of back and forth discussions, everyone had their suspicions that the mission may have been compromised. There were too many coincidences to chalk up the theory of the events being just a fluke.
Bert had decided to grace the team with his presence and put his two cents in, considering it had been his informant who was found murdered. He hadn’t been all that upset, which wasn’t a huge surprise, considering Bert didn’t have a conscious when it came to his own team, so why would he care about someone who was your friend one day and your enemy the next.
They weren’t sure if the explosive device had been set on a timer or if it was manually detonated by hand. Replaying the scene back in her mind several times had left her shaken. Bert, on the other hand, kept insinuating the bomb could’ve been a coincidence, and the captors were trying to cover their tracks. Based on experience, Alex wasn’t a big believer in coincidences. It also didn’t explain Bashir’s death or the fact she had been chased by two men who clearly wanted her dead. She was thankful she kept herself in shape and was able to evade them. If Irish hadn’t taken them out, she would’ve have done it herself if it came down to it.
She couldn’t describe the relief she felt when she heard Ace’s voice as she lay squeezed in that damn hole. It wasn’t until they were in the truck when she and Ace shared a moment that she knew he was worth taking a chance on. The look in his blue eyes said it all. It was hard to stay quiet for the hour drive back to base when all she wanted to do was tell him how she felt and hoped like hell she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
A knock sounded at the door, and she rolled off her rack. When she opened the door, she was shocked to see Ace standing there. She had anticipated him being tied up longer with Derek. His hair was wet, and he had changed into shorts and a t-shirt.
She stared at his lips, and then he swallowed, and the way his throat moved looked sexy as hell. Looking back up and holding his gaze, she asked, “Ace…is everything okay?”
He walked in, making her take a few steps back and kicked the door closed behind him.
◆◆◆
The last couple of hours had been complete torture. For Ace, there had been maybe only a handful of times in his entire career where he ever felt panicked in the middle of a mission, and tonight was one of those. When Alex yelled bomb, he honestly thought they were all done for.
Prior to leaving the base, the decision to keep Alex behind had almost been made because he couldn’t bear it if something had happened to her on his watch. It wasn’t that he felt she wasn’t capable. It all came down to that he didn’t want her placed in danger. Yes, it sounded sexist, but, looking back now, she had been an integral part of the mission and the reason they were all alive.
For the past two days, she had danced around him, but he wasn’t going to stand for it anymore. When she held his hand in the truck and looked at him with those sultry and caring green orbs, he was done for. The look she conveyed was a need that he couldn’t quite understand at first, but then he got it. She was silently telling him she was ready. Now he just needed to see it through.
He would’ve been at her door sooner; however, he had gotten held up with paperwork that needed to be completed. Just seeing her brightened his foul mood. But now that she was eating him up with her eyes, he wanted to do nothing more than take her into his arms and show her just how he felt about her.
“Ace….is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s good, honey. I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing.”
She walked over and sat on his rack that was still there. He followed suit, sitting next to her. He had so much he wanted to say to her but didn’t know where to start.
When she turned her head to meet his eyes, the anger from earlier started to return, seeing the bruise brandishing her skin along her cheek from the ordeal tonight. As his eyes slid from her cheek to her temple, and the stitches came into view, it made him angrier.
“I was going to come over after you guys got back. I can’t find the ointment that the medic gave me, but I ended up laying down instead.” She tried turning away as if she was ashamed about her injuries, but he wasn’t going to stand for it. He clutched her chin and gently lifted her head until she was looking at him. She was so beautiful.
He gave her a soft smile. “I threw it in that little blue and pink bag in your bathroom.”
He got up and retrieved it, then made quick work dabbing a little of it around the stitches. Her skin felt so soft and smooth under his fingers that he couldn’t stop his hands as they moved to her shoulders, then down her arms and followed the same path back up until her cheek rested in the palm of his hand. His thumb gently stroked the discolored mark. She was more than your average woman. She was a true badass on the battlefield. The way she jumped right into the action and meshed with the team professionally, anyone looking in from the outside would think she was an actual member of the team.
“Ace?” She questioned when all he could do was gaze into her eyes.
He moved his body closer and bent his head. His lips made contact with her exposed shoulder, and he smiled when he heard her breathing hitch. From there, he couldn’t stop; she was too enticing. His lips left a trail of kisses up her slender neck to her jawline before hovering over her luscious pink lips that were just begging him to taste. He couldn’t pull away, not now when he was this close, not when he could feel her warm puffs of breath against his lips.
Breathing hard himself, he said to her, “I need to know, and now would be a good time to tell me if you are involved with anyone.”
Ace stared down at her. She looked so sexy, and those emerald green eyes of hers drew him in further. She lifted her arms and looped them around his neck, scooting herself closer to him to where their mouths were just millimeters apart.
“So, I probably shouldn’t mention my harem of men waiting for me back at home?” She playfully arched an eyebrow, and he couldn’t hold back the grin on his face right before he kissed her.
He didn’t give her any leeway as he delved his tongue into her mouth and explored every mouthwatering inch of it. When she tried pulling him closer, he had a better idea. Breaking the kiss just briefly, he lifted her and placed her on his lap. He didn’t care how intimate it felt with her on top of him, straddling his waist. He wrapped one of his arms around her, and his other hand dove into her hair. With a slight tug on her silky brown locks, she gasped, and he used that opportunity to claim those delicious plump pink lips once more. The moan she let out intensified the desire that was flowing throug
h him. All he kept repeating in his head was MINE, MINE, MINE….
Before things went from PG to R rated, he drew back. The two of them gazed at each other, both breathing heavily. With eyes still closed, he leaned forward and nipped her bottom lip, making her eyes pop open, and she smiled. “Wow,” she said, pulling him in and kissed his jaw.
He barked out a laugh, “My thoughts exactly.” He hugged her tight before kissing the side of her head. “Jesus, I can’t get enough of you,” he told her, making her laugh and damn did he love the sound of her laugh. He bent his head and kissed her again. This time when he released her lips, he pressed his forehead against hers. They sat like that for several moments, just staring into each other’s eyes.
“I need to be honest with you, Alex,” he finally said, and she sat back but didn’t remove her arms from around his neck.
“Honest about what?”
He took a deep breath. “Jesus, this is so out of character for me.”
Now she looked concerned, and that isn’t what he intended. “Ace, what is it?” She prodded, and he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He admired her beauty both inside and out, and he knew his family would love her.
“Since that day you slammed into me, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind, and then how plans went to shit tonight…. well…I feel like it took a decade off my life. Sitting here with you in my arms, I….” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Shit… I am very attracted to you, and I know it seems impossible, considering we just met a couple of days ago.”
When she didn’t say anything after a few long seconds and just gazed at him, he thought he might have gone too far, too fast. But then a smile slowly swept across her face as she stared down at him.
“Well, I’m glad to know that it wasn’t just me who felt something. And I must tell ya it scared the hell out of me. I’ve spent my entire adult life submerging myself into my work. I was constantly on the go, traveling from one country to the next. I never had the time to meet much less get to know someone. But then you appeared out of nowhere, and I wasn’t sure what to think. My whole life has pretty much been spent living and breathing the military life. My assignments bring me in contact with a lot of military personnel. I see how guys and some women use their uniform and credentials to add a notch to their belt. I think deep down, that is why I keep my distance and don’t give in when I’m asked out by one.” And she had a lot of offers. “I don’t want to be on the other end of a one-night stand. But something just clicked when we met, and I couldn’t shake it.”
Ace cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. “I won’t lie. I’ve done exactly what you just described when I was younger. But I swear to you, the thought of you being an easy lay never crossed my mind. Hell, sweetheart, you turned me upside down when you looked up into my eyes the first time and smiled.”
She smiled and took a big breath while placing her hand against his cheek. “So, what now? I don’t know if I want people knowing we’re,” she waved her hand in the air, “doing whatever we are doing. At least not yet.”
He grinned. “What we are doing is getting to know each other. As far as the others are concerned, it is none of their business. I get you have a professional reputation to uphold, and the last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable.”
“I can handle that,” she replied and snuggled close to him.
“Hang on a minute.” He stood and walked over to the main light switch and flipped it, sending the room into darkness except for the soft glow of light from the small table lamp next to the bed. He scooted her cot closer to his, so they were touching. Then he took the two pillows and stacked them on top of each other. He laid down, then reached over and guided her down next to him. He took a deep breath when she rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest. Their connection felt so right. It brought a calmness over him; it was perfect.
“Ace…what are you doing?”
He closed his eyes and grinned. “What does it look like? I’m staying with you tonight.” When she went to protest, he said, “I promise to be a total gentleman.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laid in bed with a woman and just held her.
“I’d like that,” she whispered as she made herself more comfortable. Once she settled, he reached over and turned out the light.
As they lay there in the pitch dark with the silence surrounding them, he knew she hadn’t fallen asleep. He had learned just in the short time that her mind never seemed to rest.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked.
“We’ve known each other for a good forty-eight hours, but I feel like I’ve known you a lifetime.”
“Me too, honey.”
“Ace?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for coming by to check on me.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he just squeezed her and kissed her forehead. In a matter of minutes, her breathing evened out, and she was fast asleep. He was a lucky man, and he hoped like hell this worked out because he was already in deep.
Chapter Eleven
“What in the hell do you mean she got away?” Ashraf shouted into the phone as he listened to Reynolds ramble on about how the Americans had evaded the explosion he had set. It was the middle of the damn night, and he had hoped to wake up in the morning with news the deed was done, and Alex Hardesty would no longer be a threat to him. This news was very disconcerting. His face was red, and he could feel the pulse in his temple beating. He was beyond angry. He was full of rage.
“Those two idiots watching the place didn’t detonate the explosive when they were supposed to. I had it all set. All they had to do was press the damn button. They followed her on foot, but she slipped away.” Reynolds tried explaining, shifting the blame away from him. However, Ashraf didn’t care who was at fault. They had a prime opportunity to eliminate her, and they failed. It was unacceptable.
“Dammit! You said you would take care of her. I don’t need this shit right now.” Ashraf paced the length of his office.
“And I will. I can’t help it if your men screwed up.”
“Where are those two anyway?”
“Dead.”
“Well, at least that saves me the hassle of having to eliminate them myself. What is the next move? I’m running out of time. The leaders of the coalition are expecting me to move the weapons within the week. And what about the hostage situation? What is the latest on that?”
“Ms. Hardesty will be a sent a clear message tomorrow that she needs to watch her back. As for the hostage situation, they think they were moved before they got to the location. Bashir is dead. He was getting too close to the truth and was a threat.”
“You better damn well make sure you take care of this shit. I’m paying you enough money, do your damn job. You’ve had two opportunities, and both were fucked up.”
“Watch it, Ashraf. I don’t take well to threats. I’ll have you remember that I’m the one with the power to end you. All it will take is one phone call. We need to be careful. In case you don’t remember, she is in the company of a team of Special Forces soldiers. We have our man on the inside, plus with my associate running interference back in Washington, everything will pan out in the end.”
Ashraf blew out a breath. He was starting to hate Reynolds. He’d become a thorn in his side. But he was right, he knew too much and could bring him down quickly. He’d see that Reynolds completed the task of eliminating Alexandra Hardesty, and then he’d sever ties with the fucker, making sure he was no longer a threat either.
“Just get the job done. I expect an update soon.”
He disconnected and threw the phone across the room, hitting the wall and shattering. He was growing tired of the excuses. He had men that could’ve done the job when Alex had returned home after the last incident, but Reynold’s had assured him she wouldn’t be a threat again, that she had moved on. Look how that turned out. Now she was back, and he knew the real reason she wa
s here, and that was to get revenge.
He plopped down into his desk chair and stared at a picture of Alex. Just because Reynolds says he’ll take care of it doesn’t mean he couldn’t have his own back-up plan in case Reynolds failed again. Smiling, he opened his desk drawer and pulled out another cell phone. Quickly dialing his oldest son, he got an answer on the second ring.
“Father, it’s late, is everything okay?”
Ignoring his son’s concern, he asked, “How bad do you want Alex Hardesty?”
Ashraf couldn’t help the sly smile that had his lips curling upward as he explained his plan to his son. Maybe instead of killing her, she could be an asset to his organization. That is after Yaseen saw to her training of breaking her down emotionally and physically until she obeyed.
Chapter Twelve
Alex awoke to a massive blanket of heat encasing her. At first, she tensed, feeling the large arm against her hip, but then she felt the warm lips as they made their way along her shoulder, followed by the deep, rough voice she knew too well.
“You’re okay; it’s just me.” He spoke calmly, and she relaxed back into Ace’s embrace as he spooned her from behind. She gave her butt a slight wiggle against his front just in the right spot and heard him take in a deep breath, and she couldn’t help but smile. Damn, a girl could get used to waking up to this every morning!
Carefully, she rolled herself over to face him. She smiled, and he flashed one back at her. “Morning beautiful.” He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. She wanted to melt at the sound of his voice. His normal raspy voice was a major turn on for her, but with the added extra morning rasp, it was orgasmic.