by Sabrina York
“Keep them there.” He drew her earlobe back into his mouth and sucked on it. Shivers raced over her body and her nipples tightened further. He licked and nipped a path down the column of her throat, punctuating each stop with a word. “Don’t. Let. Go.”
He kissed her nipples again, licking swirling circles of pleasure around them then nibbled a bit at the curves of her breasts and dipped down to her belly button. Her belly quivered at the feathery touches of his lips to her flesh. She dug her fingers into the pillow, gripping it tighter the lower he traveled. When he slid his hands beneath her thighs and lifted her legs, she groaned.
Warm breath tickled the inside of her thigh. “Not letting go, are we?”
“No.” The single word came out as a growl between her teeth. He chuckled and showered warm, wet kisses along the inside of her thigh. He took his time, lingering at sensitive areas each time her hips bucked in an invitation. Her sex clenched in anticipation. Fumbling with the pillow, she nearly pulled her hands free, but he looked up the length of her body as though sensing the decision and their gazes clashed.
“Don’t.” One word.
One order.
And her body went liquid with need. She unclenched her hands and forced them to stay beneath the pillow. He slid forward and draped her legs over his shoulders and cupped her ass. It was torture, sheer, unmitigated torture—his hot mouth closed over her clit and she moaned. He sucked, drove her insane as the unbearable tension mounted inside her. Stroking his tongue along the length of her labia, he stabbed it inside her once in a provocative tease.
“You’re killing me,” she complained. She couldn’t hold still, even as he dug his fingers into her ass, firming his grip.
“Shh….” He whispered the command, but thrummed her clit until she nearly pitched over the edge. When he pulled back at the last moment, she got pissed. Tipping her head up, she glared down at him.
“Dammit, Marine. If you don’t put something inside me in a minute, I’ll scream.”
Rowdy grinned at her, a lazy, heart-flopping smile, bathing her passion in sweetness. “Is this what you want?” He drew one hand from beneath her ass and then a finger slid inside of her. It wasn’t much, but her eager body jerked to meet it, clamping down greedily as he gently thrust in and out.
“How’s that?” The droll humor barely disguised the husky need in his voice, but she writhed against the tension pulling at her.
“Yes.” Close…so close.
He bit down on the inside of her thigh—a sensitive spot and electricity zapped through her. She came in a rush, riding his fingers as he continued the rhythmic thrusts. When the lightning dimmed to quivers of pleasure, he slowed his fingers. She looked up to find him watching her, his sweet lips curved into the most beautiful smile.
The low light from the lamp haloed behind his head and the gaze locked on hers felt dark and hot. A fresh shiver of anticipation raced through her. “Better?” he murmured.
“Almost.”
“Oh, only almost?” He drew his fingers out, dragging them over the sensitive flesh, stroking around her clit, but not quite touching it. “Did I forget something?”
She gripped the pillow, tempted to throw it at him. The hard points of her nipples ached. Pleasure still danced through her blood and as good as an orgasm…. “More, please.”
“More.” His grin curved higher. “And you said please.”
“Yes, sir. Now give me more.” She feasted on the sight of his chest, surprised—and delighted—to see the sheen of sweat on his brow and glistening on his arms. He was nowhere near as unaffected and calm as he played it. “Unless we’re done with the keep-my-hands-still part?”
He slid off the bed and free of her legs. She couldn’t quite read the expression on his face, but his chest rose and fell rapidly. The veins in his arms popped above the muscles. She dragged one foot up the bed lazily, thighs parted. When his gaze fell to her sex and he moistened his lips, she smiled.
Definitely not in as much control as he wants me to think. He wanted her and the naked heat of his desire nudged her own need back into overdrive. Long seconds passed while he stared at her. A muscle ticked in his jaw and his breath echoed noisily as he exhaled. Finally, he shook his head as though breaking a trance. He pulled a foil-wrapped condom out of his pocket and his jeans hit the floor. It was her turn to lick her lips. His erection was full and a droplet decorated the tip. She wanted to lick her way from base to tip—what a tequila chaser he would make.
He slid the condom on slowly and, the hell of it was, the action only served to turn her on more. She rubbed her thighs together and lifted her hips, half in invitation and the other half in demand. But he didn’t rush. Smoothing the condom into place, he gave himself a firm stroke and her pulse seemed to double.
“Rowdy….” She pursed her lips, the heat scorching her insides climbing from slow boil to flaming sizzle. “Get your ass on this bed.”
He laughed. “You are very impatient for a Marine….”
“And even more so as a woman, but you have until three—” She didn’t have to finish the sentence because he crawled onto the bed and fused his mouth to hers, settling into the cradle of her legs, rubbing his cock against her sex. She dragged her hands out from under the pillow but he shackled her wrists with his hands.
Groaning, she gave a playful struggle and he laughed against her mouth. “Patience, very Special Agent Wakefield, or I’m going to come and then we’re back to square one.”
Catching his lower lip in her teeth, she rubbed her chest to his, the friction driving her nuts and his erection bumped her clit. She broke the kiss. “Rowdy….”
“Fuck it,” he groaned again, released her wrists, and drove into her.
Kim exhaled hard. He filled her, stretching her out in all the right places and seating so deep it melted her restlessness like sugar in the rain. She locked her ankles behind his hips. She didn’t want gentle, and based on the struggle in his face, he didn’t have it in him to give it to her anymore. He drove into her with hard, impatient strokes.
She welcomed the pounding, exulting at each exquisite glide of his cock against her inner walls. Her sex clenched around him, greedily holding on. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, a conqueror this time, mirroring every push of his lower body, driving her toward the blissful edge. With her hands free, she was finally able to let them roam over his body. She explored every ripple of muscle along his back, stroking them as they strained, and when she dug her nails into his ass, he swore and slammed into her harder.
The tension in her middle coiled tighter and tighter. She arched her hips, meeting every pounding thrust and her lungs burned. Oxygen became optional as she clung to him.
“Come,” he ordered, his voice low, and urgent. “I need you to come.”
Understanding that he struggled to hold off his own satisfaction while fulfilling hers burst the dam inside and she spiraled right over the edge. The climax struck her like a tidal wave, and she let out a cry, clinging to him. A second wave of pleasure burst over the first, and he tightened his arms, driving all the way to the hilt until a third wave robbed her of thought and he came with a shout. The tension rippled through him and down, and the waves eddied around her, drenching her in bliss. He collapsed slowly, and they clung to each other, slippery with sweat and sweet release.
He buried his face against her throat, and they panted for air.
“Better?” He asked when his breathing calmed, and she laughed.
Chapter Four
He pulled two bottles of cold water out of the mini fridge and trailed a caress along her bare leg with one when he sat back down on the bed.
Kim lifted her head and shot him a dry look. “Not nice.”
Looking at the length of her warm leg, superbly shaped muscle, and her very firm ass, he disagreed. “You said you were hot.”
Unabashed at her nudity, she rolled onto her side and snatched the bottle from his hand. He barely twisted the top off his when she pushed the ic
e cold bottle against his own ass.
“Damn, that’s cold.” He didn’t flinch, but only barely. Her laughter was reward enough. He tipped the bottle back and nearly drained it. His heart was finally beating a normal rhythm and he didn’t have to pant for air. Yet, every time he glanced at her, his cock stirred again—making its intentions known. It would recover as soon as it was able.
“Thank you.”
The odd sentiment turned him around, and he twisted to meet her gaze. “For what?”
“For not opening it.” She twisted the cap off. “Sounds stupid, but guys do it all the time. It’s sweet and thoughtful—and you are both of those things—but you still let me open my own bottle.”
Stretching out next to her, he flung an arm behind his head and used it for a pillow. “I would have opened it, but you grabbed it out of my hand.” He could have accepted the compliment, but why bother with false platitudes? Kim fascinated him, the layers of vulnerability hidden safely behind impenetrable body armor.
She took a drink, as thirsty as he was from the way her throat convulsed with each swallow. “It’s a bitch sometimes, being female.”
Yeah, he wasn’t going to walk into a landmine-laden field without a map and a guide—in fact, why not just go right around it? “I can’t imagine it’s any easier being an agent.”
“You’d be surprised.” She rolled over and leaned against the pillows. Her head was higher than his, but he liked the angle. He liked to see her face when she spoke. He’d ripped away some of the veil she kept over her expressions, and she stared into the distance.
“Shock me.” He ran his fingers over her thigh. Her skin was still warm and flushed from their lovemaking. The musk of sex lingered in the air, underscoring the sweeter fragrance she wore. Odd how he hadn’t even noticed it earlier, too captivated by the power of presence she cultivated. Bare ass naked and flush from sex, she still held him in rapt attention.
“A case doesn’t give a crap who solves it, and most of the time when I’m on an investigation, they don’t see me. They see the badge. Of course being a woman affects it sometimes—some people will tell me more because I’m female and some will tell me less.” She shrugged. “But it’s not maneuvers to see who gets to the door first or who picks up the check, or maybe I want to pick out my own damn wine.”
The chafing at being treated like a lady bothered him. He couldn’t put a finger on why, so he said nothing and tried to look at it from her viewpoint. She was a Marine. She served at least four years, the standard contract, and she didn’t have officer written on her, which meant she took the grunt route—like he did. She worked for NCIS, so she stayed involved even after stepping back from active duty.
Tough. Resourceful. Smart. The labels all applied. So why chafe at being treated with respect?
“You’re thinking awfully hard down there.” The lines between her brows wrinkled into a frown. “We’re supposed to be having a good time.”
“I am having a good time. I’m getting to know you—just haven’t quite figured it all out.” Rowdy sat and scooted down the bed to grab another water bottle. The fridge only had four when he opened it. He could call room service—again—but he didn’t want any other interruptions. Not to mention they still had food to eat and more exploration to do.
“Figure me out?” The dangerously soft question suggested he reconsider his phrasing.
“Yeah. I like you. I want to do right by you, and I was brought up to show a lady respect. It could be awkward if you’re offended by the same ideas.” He watched her chew the thought over while he drank.
Her expression barely rippled, but one corner of her mouth twitched. “It’s not that it offends me….”
“No? If we walked out right now, would you get upset if I held the door for you?” He finished the second bottle in three full gulps. Dammit, he would have to order some more.
“Probably, but then it would have more to do with being naked than you holding the door.” The logic and her grin combined to unravel his argument and he laughed. Tossing the empty bottle into the trash, he dropped down on the bed next to her and slid a possessive hand around her breast.
“So I think your feminine power argument is bullshit.”
“Yeah?” Her eyebrows lifted.
“Yeah. Okay, if you want to shovel the manure, I’m a big boy. I can take it. But you have something else going on and I want to hear it.” He stroked her nipple, firm little brushes—meant to be more comforting than tantalizing. But the water and the rest did the job. His energy returned.
She sighed and all the amusement in her face evaporated. Looking at the bottle in her hands, indecision shifted in her eyes.
“Sweetheart…I’m serious. You tell me anything you want. I’m a vault, it won’t come back out. But I know a little something about needing a friend. You need one right now.” He pushed. It was in his nature to push, something his superiors reminded him of each time they suggested officer training, but he didn’t want to lead. Knowing how to lead and having a desire to were two different things. But he also knew how to listen and to be a friend.
The silence stretched out and he waited. Her expression rippled, darkening like the storm outside. “You know Camp Whitehorse?”
Everyone knew about Camp Whitehorse. Some stains didn’t get washed out. They didn’t talk about it, and most didn’t fault it. War was hell and it was ugly. He shut down the train of thought and focused on Kim. “Yes.”
“So you know about Nagem Hatab.” It wasn’t exactly a question, more of a statement, but she glanced at him anyway. He knew the name, an Iraqi implicated in the capture and torture of a female Marine private. His subsequent death and the abuse involved had generated scandal—it was war—war was hell.
He nodded once, waiting.
“It wasn’t the only incident being investigated. Reports of—of others came to light during a different investigation.” She sighed and started to roll away from him, but he locked his arm and pinned her. Anger flared in her eyes, but he met it steadily.
“Not going anywhere. You don’t want to talk about it—you don’t have to.”
“It’s not about want—it’s about can’t. It’s an ongoing investigation. Legally, I can’t really comment on it.”
He dragged her back toward him and wrapped his arms around her. It was awkward—her body stiffened— but gradually she relaxed. He rubbed her shoulder gently. “Investigating Marines has to suck.”
“Yep.” One word, but so ripe with meaning. She traced a path along his arm with one nail. “Sometimes, it sucks worse than others. I don’t mind busting idiots who think running drugs is a good idea or boosting cars—or my personal favorite—importing liquor and cigarettes.”
He coughed. Sneaking cigarettes now and then wasn’t as unusual as one might expect. She glanced at him and he pasted on an innocent smile. Laughter bubbled through the stern expression and her body loosened, softening and cuddling against him.
Better.
“I’m not going to ask,” she promised.
“I’m not going to tell.” He winked.
The rain continued to hammer against the windows outside and she sighed deeper. “I like this,” she said, her voice hushed as though she worried about disturbing him.
“Me, too.” And he did, he liked having her leg tucked between his, and her body wrapped up tight. He liked not being alone. “Not going to bore you with some poor little rich boy story, but I’ve got options a lot of the guys in my unit don’t. So when they gave me the letter, I had to think about who it might benefit if I left—you know making room for those who don’t have choices they can make.”
“But you don’t want out.” Again, it wasn’t a question and he pressed a kiss to her temple. Her mind was a beautiful thing.
“No. Not really.”
She turned in his arms, shifting until he reclined back against the pillows and she could lay with her arms and hands on his chest, staring at him. It wasn’t as nice as holding her close, but he a
ppreciated the eye contact.
“Then don’t.”
Good advice. Advice he’d considered and discarded the same night he received the letter. They needed to trim back to the active force—lots of guys left for injuries or at the end of their contracts. Lots couldn’t afford to go home to climbing costs in an economy that didn’t promise them a job. He didn’t have those worries. Financially, he could actually afford to be out of work. So, better it be him than a buddy with a wife, two kids, and a mortgage. He could take the hit for his men.
“It’s not so simple.” He would never allow it to be simple.
“It never is.” She bit her lip and it took about a decade of dilemma off her shoulders. He could imagine her as a young Marine, full of piss and vinegar and ready to take on the world. She could probably shoulder the world better now, ripe with experience and tempered by time. But he preferred the smile to the frown—the sharp, albeit acerbic, wit to the consternation and struggle. “The worst part of this investigation is I know one of the guys—personally.”
It was a fight to keep his tone calm. How personally did she know him? “Can you recuse yourself?”
“If it really becomes an issue—yes. Right now—I have a senior agent overseeing it. If it becomes one, we agreed he will step in and take the lead.” But she obviously didn’t want to surrender the case or worse, need to surrender it. There it was—the rock and a hard place.
“It pisses you off.” He couldn’t help the wonder in his voice, and the flash of annoyance on her face was cute—not that he planned to tell her anytime soon.
“Hell yes, it pisses me off.” Passion erupted and she started to rise. He pinched her ass and she collapsed against him.
“Stop trying to get away. We’re comfortable, naked, and I’m planning to lick my way down your body after our little get to know each other tête-à-tête.” He pressed a kiss to her slack lips, and her laughter vibrated through him. Her tongue tangled with his, and his cock gave a twitch. Oh yeah, he was definitely rested enough to start planning round two.