By Honor Bound

by Denise A Agnew, Kate Hill, Arianna Hart

  He kissed her ravenously as he found her nipples, pulling, tugging on the hard points until she groaned with each movement of his callused fingers on her flesh.

  Desire exploded, and as they stumbled their way down the hall, they made it as far as the bedroom door. Gently he pushed her up against the wall, pinning her with his big body. He pushed his cock against her mound, rotating against her clit. Urgency made her greedy, and she worked quickly at his belt, snap and zipper until she freed his cock.

  As she smoothed her fingers over the marble-hard column, he hissed in a breath. She stroked him and he trapped her fingers. “God, baby. Later. If you do that now I’ll explode. I can’t wait that long.”

  Every molecule inside her, all the love she possessed for this handsome, wonderful man called her to wild, sexual completion. Nothing would make sense, no more words would be needed until they’d sampled their brand of special madness.

  Out of her mind for him, she gazed into his dark eyes and knew she’d love him forever. “I’ve dreamed about this all week.” Despite her arousal, tears popped into her eyes. “I can’t stand it any longer. I thought maybe you’d never be in my arms again.”

  He frowned, his eyebrows drawing together, then his eyes softened as he pressed kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her nose. “No, Sweets. Don’t cry. I’m here and we’re together. No more waiting.” As she gulped in a breath and a sob threatened, he peppered her lips with tender, soft kisses so unlike the hungry searches they’d explored moments before. “I won’t let you go without a fight, Jemma. Please tell me you want to be with me not just for tonight.”

  Joy danced in her heart, filling her soul with a special, warm glow reserved for a woman deeply in love. “I want you for always.”

  A big smile parted his lips. “Damn, if that doesn’t sound good.”

  He kissed her as he undid her jeans and slid them down her legs, then removed her panties. She kicked them away. He pressed his thighs between her legs, pressing hard against her clit. He leaned forward and clamped his lips on one nipple, plumping the breast in his hand. As he sucked, she rubbed against him, a soft, frantic moan parting her lips. Oh God. She just might come from this.

  His breath came in hard pants as he urged her into the bedroom. When they bumped into the bed, he released her. Naked, she got on all fours on the bed and gestured at him with a come-hither look. A crooked grin that spelled wicked things to come parted his lips as he retrieved a condom from his jeans pocket and held it up. He tossed it on the bedside table. With purpose he yanked his boots and socks off, stripped his jeans and briefs away, then pulled his sweater over his head.

  At the site of his beautiful, muscular chest and erect cock, her mouth watered. God, she loved his body. She couldn’t have conjured up a better fantasy if she tried. She almost left the bed to touch him. Before she could move he sheathed himself with the condom.

  “Now,” he whispered.

  “Yes.” Feeling uncharacteristically aggressive, a feral heat blossoming, she grabbed his arm and tugged. “Come here.”

  He tumbled onto the bed with a laugh and they rolled in a tangle of arms and legs. She came out on top, her body plastered against his from breast to loins. Closing her eyes, she savored sensations. Hard muscles flexed, cradling her as if she were the most precious thing in the world to him. She sighed and brushed her cheek against his chest, loving the touch of his hair-rough pecs against her skin. As her legs intertwined with his, the contrast of hard against soft, cock against wet labia, sent her hormones into riot. Her entire body yearned for joining, for a repeat of their loving. While making love before had been wonderful, she felt everything more intensely this time.

  She cherished the brush of naked skin against naked skin, the heat of his hands, the growing ache between her legs. Her long hair cascaded down her naked body, and he reached up to brush aside the hair concealing her breasts.

  As she straddled him, he clasped her waist and lifted her over his cock. Without more preliminaries she impaled herself deep, a gasp of ecstasy her only sound. His hardness, thick, long, and hot, arrowed high and tight. Clenching her muscles around him, she rose up and plunged down, keeping the rhythm languid and sensuous. Jemma swiveled her hips, tightening over him with the motion. Throwing back her head, she rose and fell upon his hard heat.

  Blayne’s breathing increased, his masculine sounds of pleasure growing by the second. She spread her legs wider and placed her palms on the bed for more leverage. She rode him like a wild thing, pounding her cunt over his cock at a furious pace. No waiting for bliss, no waiting for pleasure. Gratification came almost instantly, the blast-off rippling inside her. Rocking and rolling, she did him like an Amazon, a woman who knew what she wanted and from this point forward planned to take it. As need increased, he thrust his hips upward, compounding the ecstasy as his cock rubbed against pleasure points high inside her.

  It roared into her, a lightning quick orgasm splintering her into a thousand euphoric pieces. She gasped, her entire body quivering.

  Blayne continued to pump, his cock stroking and thrusting with a driving rhythm. Suddenly he stopped, his breath heavy and hot. His fingers stayed clamped onto her hips.

  “What else do you need, Sweets?” he asked huskily, his gaze lit with a voracious fire. “How do you want it?”

  Spreading her hands over his pecs, she brushed her fingers over his nipples. “I just want you to come.”

  Blayne pulled her down on the bed and rolled, coming up between her legs with a hard thrust. She moaned, feeling her walls part for him with greedy acceptance and desire for more. Urging him on, she tilted her hips, accommodating each slow, achingly tender thrust. A cadence emerged, a wholly erotic mating that lifted her up where she’d never been. Love and tenderness emerged in her world, and her eyes opened wide as pleasure mounted.

  He thought the cock-exploding satisfaction of watching her ride him couldn’t get any better. Man, did it ever. Although he might blow any minute, he gritted his teeth and held back, concentrating on what he wanted the most. He would get her off again if it killed him; he wanted her screaming, bucking, moaning for it. Who gave a shit if they woke the entire neighborhood?

  He would do anything for her. Slay dragons, kick ass, give his life for her.

  Blayne adored her, wanted her—

  She lifted her hips on a downward thrust and he moaned low in his throat. Now was the time. He drew his hips back and pushed hard.

  Fuck, yes.

  As she trembled violently, a cry ripping from her throat, he couldn’t deny it, couldn’t hold body or heart back from the truth. He came with a roar as the last pulsation shook him.

  As she imprinted her body and soul upon him, Blayne knew he must tell her what he felt. He drew Jemma into his arms, kissing her nose, her forehead, brushing her long glorious hair away from her face.

  With a shuddering breath he confessed, “I love you.”

  She pulled back a little, her eyes wide and tearful, a smile glowing. She kissed him with gentleness and he loved her more for it. “I love you Major Forbes.”

  He kissed her softly. “Sweets, are you all right?”

  Jemma decided to tease him. “Am I all right? Are you kidding? That was the most wonderful…the most exciting—I can’t describe it.”

  She buried her face against his neck. As tears ran down her face, she thought she’d never recover from the sheer joy screaming inside her.

  Blayne loved her.

  Joy didn’t get any better than this. Life didn’t get any more wonderful.

  After her breathing slowed, she snuggled deeper into his arms and said, “I’ve learned my lesson, Blayne.”

  “What’s that?” His voice was muffled against her hair.

  “I love you and damn the torpedoes.”

  He chuckled. “Torpedoes as in Graham and the rest of your family?”

  “Yes. No one controls my destiny but me.”

  Sighing, he kissed her forehead. “I can’t tell you how good th
at is to hear. If you hadn’t attacked me in the hall I had this entire speech rehearsed telling you I wanted to be with you. I was going to say I didn’t care if Graham approved or not. Then I planned on kissing the hell out of you until you agreed with me.”

  “I attacked you?” she asked, unable to contain a smile.

  He rolled her over on her back and looked down at her, wicked humor in his melting dark eyes. “Yeah.” He winked. “Okay, it was a mutual attack.”

  Returning his unrepentant grin, she traced her index finger down his chest to one hard nipple. She explained how miserable she’d been, how she’d called his apartment and left a message. “Graham said you had something good to tell me?”

  “I talked with him on the way to the Fort the morning after you and I spent the night together. I admitted that if anyone’s heart was going to be broken, it was going to be mine. I realized I loved you then. All week I’ve been working things out. Part of me needed the courage to take the chance.”

  “That’s what I’ve been doing all week. Kicking myself for thinking I couldn’t be straight with you.” She cupped his head in her hands and dared to look deep into his eyes. “Is there more good news?”

  “Yes and no. It depends on how you look at it.”

  “Go on.”

  For the first time in her life, she heard hesitation and uncertainty in Blayne’s voice. “I’m returning to my unit in the Middle East in three weeks.”

  The pain, filled with the realization she feared for his safety, hit her in the stomach. “You were worried you wouldn’t be back with your men, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Then it’s a good thing.” She swallowed hard. “And it’s a bad thing.”

  He nodded and they went silent. Finally he asked, “Your love will keep me safe, Sweets. I promise.”

  Tears returned to her eyes. “I’ll accept whatever you have to do. Your Army career is a part of you. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  With a groan he said, “I love you. I love you so much.”

  She smiled around the tears. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

  “Our deployment might be for a long time. You know how it is.”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “I want us committed to each other.”

  He sounded so stern, so military-man that she grinned widely. “How do you propose we do that?”

  “I took another chance. There’s something in my jeans you’ve got to see.”

  She cocked one eyebrow. “I’ve seen what’s in your jeans.”

  He tickled her side and she giggled. “That’s not what I meant.”

  He stood up and found his jeans.

  When Blayne pulled out a little red box, her heart about stopped. He couldn’t—he hadn’t—oh God. Maybe he had.

  Heart pounding with anticipation and special delight, she sat up. He got on one knee, naked as the day he was born, and turning the little box toward her, he opened it.

  Inside an emerald-cut diamond solitaire sparkled in white gold against the red velvet box lining.

  “Oh my,” she whispered, her voice choking up. “Oh my.”

  He took the ring out and slipped it on her ring finger. His eyes twinkled, a mixture of amusement and hope. “Please say that’s a yes. Be my wife.”

  “Graham knew about this, didn’t he?”

  He nodded, bringing her hand up to his lips for a soft kiss. “Yeah. I decided I’d put him and your father at ease. I called them both and asked for your hand in marriage.”

  She gasped. “You did?”

  “Yep. I could tell it impressed the hell out of them.”

  She laughed. “So you gave them some satisfaction in thinking maybe they did have something to do with whether or not we were together?”

  He shrugged. “For you, I’d do anything. I want you in my life, in my arms forever.”

  With a tiny gasp of delight, she launched into his arms and they tumbled back onto the floor.

  Between each kiss she told him what he wanted to know. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Yes. Yes. Yes.”

  “Thank you, God.”

  When they came up for air, he said, “I’ve ached for you all week.”

  “I fantasized about you.”

  An intrigued look turned his gaze hot with intentions. “Oh?” He clasped her hand gently and brought it down her belly until their fingers joined in the nest of curls, brushing with tantalizing strokes over her clit. “And did you touch yourself?”

  Excited, she closed her eyes. “Yes.”

  “Show me how you did it, Sweets.”

  “With pleasure, Major.”

  Epilogue

  Fort Carson, Colorado

  Eight months later

  Jemma waited with Blayne’s family for the buses to show up. Crowds of people gathered in the parking lot, families and friends of the soldiers coming back from the long deployment.

  She chewed on one lip with impatience. She knew Blayne’s mother, father, and cousin Polly must feel the same thing. His family had flown in to Colorado Springs yesterday just for the reunion.

  While she’d been nervous about meeting family for the first time, Jemma quickly discovered they were friendly people. Blayne’s father, Abraham, with his craggy good looks, dazzling blue eyes and slight Texas drawl, looked like an older version of Blayne. Blayne’s mother Angela was a slightly plump woman with hazel eyes, light brown hair and a glorious smile that held generous warmth. His adopted sister and first cousin Polly was also tall with light brown hair and as affable as she could be. Their acceptance of her warmed her soul. His sister Anne, a Army nurse, couldn’t be here for the reunion since military duty kept her away, but Jemma knew Anne was here in heart.

  And while she’d loved getting to know Blayne’s family, Jemma could barely stand the hours, the minutes that had passed from the time he’d left eight months ago to this moment. She’d yearned for him with the power of a woman deeply in love.

  Nerves prickled in her stomach. No matter how many times she’d envisioned this day, fantasized about being in her fiancé’s arms again, Jemma knew once Blayne touched her, she would be in heaven. Now that he was safe and coming home to her, pure delight made her yearning grow stronger each minute.

  Her gaze landed on the sparkling engagement ring on her hand, and she smiled. Soon she’d be Blayne’s wife.

  She felt a warm hand press her shoulder, then Angela’s soft Southern voice. “He’ll be here soon.”

  Jemma turned toward his family and smiled. “I can’t wait.”

  Abraham chuckled. “I’m sure he can’t wait to see you, too.”

  Finally two green buses pulled into the huge parking area. Joy did a dance in her heart. The crowd in the parking lot started to cheer and tears of happiness stung Jemma’s eyes and ran down her cheeks.

  Two other buses parked near the passenger vehicles and within seconds dumped olive drab green duffle bags one on top of the other with careless abandon.

  When the passenger doors opened and men in desert camouflage uniforms filed onto the blacktop, her heart started to pound. Her gaze flew from one man to the other.

  How would she tell which one was Blayne from this distance? She grinned. They all looked alike.

  Then she saw that distinctive, brash walk and knew.

  There he was.

  After shuffling around to find his duffle bag, he moved toward her and his family.

  Other soldiers met their squealing, excited families and friends and the happy atmosphere added to Jemma’s elation.

  As he came closer and closer her heart felt like it would burst with excitement. He waved and she waved back and smiled. He quickened his pace and when his gorgeous face came into perfect view, more tears welled in her eyes. She didn’t try and stop them as they poured down her face.

  “Hey, Major,” she said as he strode toward her. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Too damned long, Sweets.” She saw his lips tremble, as if emotion had taken him by forc
e, too. “Too damned long.”

  He dropped his duffle bag. She ran into his arms.

  As they kissed frantically his hands caressed her back, plunged through her hair. When they parted for breath, he stared into her eyes and she into his.

  “I missed you so much,” he whispered.

  “I’ve waited for this day forever.”

  His family, staying back so he could enjoy his reunion with Jemma, finally surged forward to greet him. A round of hugs and kisses ensued. Polly and Angela wiped tears from their eyes, and Jemma thought she saw the sheen of moisture in Abraham’s gaze as well.

  Abraham clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “It’s damned good to see you, son.”

  “Good to be back, Dad.” He sighed. “And because it’s Saturday, our commanding officer has given us two days off before we have to go in for a debriefing.”

  Jemma, Angela and Polly let out little whoops of happiness and hugged him all over again.

  As Blayne turned back to Jemma, he smiled down at her. “Come on. “Let’s go home. We’ve got a wedding to plan.”

  About the Densie A. Agnew

  Suspenseful, erotic, edgy, thrilling, romantic, adventurous. All these words are used to describe award-winning, best-selling novelist Denise A. Agnew’s novels. Romantic Times Magazine called her romantic suspense novels DANGEROUS INTENTIONS and TREACHEROUS WISHES “top-notch romantic suspense.” With paranormal, time travel, romantic comedy, contemporary, historical, erotica, and romantic suspense novels under her belt, she proves her gift for writing about a diverse range of subjects. (Writing tales that scare the reader is her ultimate thrill.)

  Denise’s inspiration for her novels comes from innumerable sources, but the fact she has lived in Colorado, Hawaii, and the United Kingdom has given her a lifetime of ideas. Her experiences with archaeology have crept into her work, as well as numerous travels throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Denise currently lives in Arizona with her real life hero, her husband.