One-Click Buy: February 2010 Harlequin Blaze

by Betina Krahn

“Ah. You’re right. Good move on my part.”

  Sliding off his shirt, he stood over her.

  Mariska was afraid she’d scream if he didn’t hurry.

  After moving the rolling table they’d dined on nearer the bed, Jackson lifted the silver top off one of the dessert dishes and revealed warm fruit compote with whipped cream.

  “Lose the thong,” he said before he turned around.

  Again, she did as he ordered, tossing the black lace on the chair where she’d left her dress. She had no idea what he planned but the last thing she desired right then was food.

  Jackson stuck his fingers in the dessert and grabbed a slice of kiwi. Sliding it across her lips, he offered it to her. She sucked it off his fingers, licking the juice as she did. He took his middle finger and dipped it into the cream, and then bent down as he painted her pussy with it.

  Mariska shuddered with pleasure, her back arching, and his fingers continued their manipulation.

  The fire in her lower body built quickly and she moved her hips in motion with his fingers. When he stopped to grab more food, she whimpered.

  “No,” she cried, her body aching with need.

  “No, what?” His fingers stopped a few inches above her heat.

  “Jackson, don’t stop, please,” she begged.

  “I have no plans to stop for a very long time.” He put whipped cream on her pussy and then devoured her with his mouth. As he sucked and licked her hotness, Mariska shuddered with pleasure over and over. Then his teeth found that tiny nub and worked her so that she bucked against his face. He held her hips in his hands and used his mouth to drive her over the edge.

  Mariska could no longer think. All she could do was feel. When he pumped two fingers into her as he nibbled her, the tension in her body snapped and she rode the wave of pleasure into a shuddering release.

  “Ohh.” She could say nothing else.

  When she finally opened her eyes she saw his hand in the whipped cream again. This time she came the second his teeth found her nub. “Jackson, please. I need you,” she growled. She came so hard she grabbed his head and forcibly pulled him up her body.

  Jackson moved up over her and kissed her. She could taste the cream mixed with her on his mouth. She reached down to slide her hand around his cock but he pulled away from her. “Not yet, baby.”

  “Jackson,” she begged again. “I need you in me now.”

  “I know what you need.” Grabbing the hot fudge, he dipped a finger in and then teased her mouth. This time she sucked it like she would his cock.

  When he groaned, she knew he understood exactly what she wanted.

  Finally he removed his finger and dipped it into the hot fudge again, sliding it in circles around her nipples. Then he set the bowl down and lay next to her. His tongue swirled around the nipple, licking her, and when he nipped lightly, her hands fisted the pillows around her.

  “Mmm,” was all she could say.

  His hand slid down and he rubbed his finger on the already overstimulated nub. Between his tongue and his hand she was shuddering with another orgasm in seconds.

  “Jackson,” she cried out. “Please, now.”

  Reaching for a condom from the box, he handed it to her. In her excitement she almost couldn’t get the package opened. Finally she ripped it open with her teeth.

  Before sliding it on, she pushed down the bed so she could taste him. Suckling his cock in the same way he did her tit, sliding her tongue down the length of him. She loved watching him grow even larger and took as much of him as she could into her mouth.

  This time it was his hands that went into her hair.

  “Mar,” he whispered and she knew he fought for control. She wanted him to come in her mouth right then, but she didn’t think the rest of her body would forgive her.

  Backing off, she pulled the sheath over his now slick cock.

  Jackson rose up on his knees and positioned himself between her legs. Lifting them so she could wrap herself around him as he plunged into her. Mariska grabbed the top of the teak headboard with her hands and thrusted against him. They fit so perfectly, it was as if they’d been made for each other.

  “Yes,” she cried as he pounded in and out, seeming to know that she needed it hard. When he slowed she whimpered again.

  “Touch yourself, baby,” Jackson ordered.

  “No. Jackson, please.”

  “I will, Mar. But you have to touch yourself for me.”

  The way those gorgeous bedroom blues begged her there was no way she could ever tell him no. And in that moment she would do anything for him.

  Mariska obeyed, letting go of the headboard and running her right hand across her breast and down to her sex, where he began pumping her hard and fast.

  The heat in his eyes made her brave and she began rubbing her nub in concert with his thrusts in and out. He pounded her so hard, it was as if every nerve in her body could feel his cock moving inside her, driving her mad. She tightened her legs around him. When he increased the pace and she could feel every inch of him inside her, her body became one tight nerve.

  “Come for me, baby. Come on.” His words urged her to go faster and faster, her body ached for release. Mariska was so overcome by the sensation that when the orgasm hit she shouted at the top of her lungs.

  “Stay with me.” His voice strained, he continued to ride her, building her up one more time to a final crescendo that almost made her lose consciousness. She seriously saw stars for a second.

  The only thing that centered her was the look of pleasure mixed with possession in Jackson’s eyes as he claimed her. Tears burned in her eyes at the joy she saw as he thrust one last time.

  She hadn’t noticed they spilled over until Jackson suddenly stopped and gave her a guarded stare.

  “Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”

  At first she couldn’t speak and closed her eyes. Her body limp and languid, she remembered to smile.

  “I—I am happier than I’ve ever been in my life.” She whispered the words and then reached up to him, pulling him into a kiss.

  His furrowed eyebrows said he didn’t believe her. “Are you sure?”

  “Silly man. I think people in Kentucky know how good I am right now. I only hope no one comes to investigate what we were doing. Did I really scream as loud as I think I did?”

  His smile actually reached his eyes. “Yes, you did.” She could tell he finally understood that she was beyond okay.

  She breathed a happy sigh. “You are wonderful.”

  “I think the title of wonderful goes to you.” He used his thumbs to wipe away the last of the moisture from her cheeks. “Come on, let’s go rinse off.”

  Mar wasn’t sure she could get any of her muscles to cooperate. Her body was one giant pleasure puddle. When she didn’t move immediately he scooped her up. Thinking he would take them to the shower, she was surprised when he headed to the front door.

  “Jackson, what are you doing?”

  “I’m going to rinse you off?”

  She grabbed his chin with her fingers. “But I’m naked, we both are.”

  “Do you care, baby? Really? It’s dark, and this part of the beach is ours. Let’s make the most of it. Besides, we need to clean up fast.”

  “Why is that?” She gave up her modesty and let him carry her outside.

  “We have five more desserts to go.” He waggled his eyebrows and ran into the ocean.

  Mariska squealed, but it wasn’t from the cool water.

  12

  JACKSON ENVIED MARISKA’S ability to sleep so heavily, as he never caught more than three hours at a time. It was eleven in the morning and she hadn’t moved. He couldn’t blame her. They’d made love until almost six, and managed to make it through all the desserts. He had to admit that he’d never had a buffet quite like Mariska. Every inch of her was delectable, even without the added sweets.

  Studying her delicate face, he remembered the way she looked at him when they made love. Something shattered insid
e him last night and he was worried it might be the carefully built wall he’d constructed around his heart. How could he have grown to care so much for her in such a short time? He’d intended this to be a fun romantic fling, something easy to walk away from and never look back.

  Now he knew that wouldn’t happen. Their night had meant more to him than he could have ever imagined, and it went far beyond the incredible sex. There was a deeper connection between them, and he knew she felt it, too. He saw it in her eyes. His heart would pay for it later.

  You’re no good for her, man. The longer you stay here the worse it’s going to be. Get your mind out of this fantasy world and back to reality.

  As much as he tried to push that inner voice aside, and wake Mar so they could make love again, he couldn’t do it.

  He’d been a soldier for too long.

  Forcing his thoughts away from the woman beside him, he deliberated about his next move. The thing he needed more than anything was information.

  He’d borrow her laptop to check his e-mail. If Dawson had sent him an answer he’d most likely have to leave in a few hours. If he hadn’t, he might be able to spare one more day with Mariska. But that was it. Jackson couldn’t risk the people who were after him catching up with him here.

  It was too dangerous for Mariska. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but her safety was more important to him than his own.

  Sliding carefully out of bed, he showered and dressed. Grabbing her computer, he snuck out the door, careful to keep the light from waking her.

  After all that sugar, his body craved some protein, and he picked up an egg sandwich and coffee from the hotel breakfast bar. Then he found a small table in the corner that gave him a good view of the room, and sat down to check his account.

  “Mr. Greely?” There was a familiar voice to his right. Oh, hell. Jackson didn’t look up, but he knew it was Carl Scoggins. The man was the bookkeeper who dealt with several of Vlad’s associates. What the hell is he doing here? Jackson ignored the man. He had to in order to keep his cover.

  “Mr. Greely.” Scoggins touched Jackson’s shoulder and he had to look up. “It’s me, Carl,” the slightly balding and very short man said. He was dressed in a pair of wild Bermuda shorts, a white T-shirt, black socks and odd-looking sandals.

  Jackson stared at the man blankly. “I’m sorry, you must have me confused with someone else.” Jackson gave a brief smile. He used his American accent since Scoggins knew him as a Scotsman, who wanted in on an arms deal. The only upside of this crappy chance meeting was that Jackson had saved the man’s life.

  Scoggins stared at him for a full thirty seconds. “You look just like Jason Greely, a gentleman I—worked with in London.” The other man gave Jackson the once-over again. “You could be his twin. It’s the oddest thing.”

  “Not really.” Jackson looked past the man to see if anyone else was with him. “I have one of those faces. My girlfriend thinks I look like one of those film stars. So are you here on vacation?” Jackson did his best to keep his tone light and airy as if was meeting the man for the first time.

  Scoggins pursed his lips, and then smiled. “Yes, I came out for a holiday. I had business in Bangkok and decided to come to the coast for a bit of sun. London is a dreary place this time of year.”

  “Never been there,” Jackson lied. If this man had been in Bangkok it meant he’d been in touch with Vlad. Scoggins was the moneyman between Vlad and several arms dealers. He was the one who transferred the funds to accounts after buys. “But I hope to go someday. Well, I’m sorry I’m not your friend. It was nice to meet you.” Jackson nodded a farewell and then looked down at his breakfast.

  “Yes, nice to meet you, too. Uh. I can’t get over the resemblance, though now that I look at you, there are some subtle differences. Your hair color and the scars on your face.” Jackson could thank Vlad’s men for those marks. “Well, my breakfast is getting cold. I’ll see you around.” The man walked off and Jackson took a deep breath.

  One phone call or text and Jackson would be dead in a matter of hours. Hell. He’d have to find some answers fast and get out of Phuket before Vlad could find him.

  His appetite gone, Jackson opened Mariska’s computer and signed on. There were two e-mails on the special account, the first from Dawson.

  She? No deal. London Friday. Have a solution to difficulty.

  Jackson was confused. What the hell did She? No deal mean? He tried to think back to the e-mail he sent in the city. He’d thanked the other man for the asset and asked for news. Oh, hell.

  The asset wasn’t a woman.

  Rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, Jackson wondered how he could have screwed up in such a major way. Mariska wasn’t the one he was supposed to meet in the bar yesterday. He blew out a breath. He’d thought for sure when he heard the name Stonegate she was it. Now he’d put a poor innocent woman’s life in danger for no good reason.

  Ass.

  Was he that desperate that he’d reach out to the first person who showed him kindness? And she had. She’d been so willing to believe all the lies. The money and her resources had also made him think—what?

  God, he really was an idiot. He’d followed her here half hoping he’d figure out what she was supposed to do for him. He grunted. He’d used the poor woman in so many ways it wasn’t funny. He felt like crap.

  Sipping his coffee, Jackson forced himself to think about this immediate problem. He pushed past his idiotic mistake and concentrated on Dawson’s message. He needed to get to London in less than a week.

  Finding a way out of Thailand wouldn’t be easy. He’d been trying for more than a month. It didn’t help that he was on Interpol’s list of most wanted. But time was of the essence now. Dawson had a solution, and Jackson would do whatever it took to get his life back.

  After opening the second e-mail sent to the account, he found it, too, was in code. A minute later he figured out it was from his friend Pete.

  Dawson compromised. Do not trust. Intel has him pegged as source of your troubles. He’s the one who called you a traitor. Not a friendly.

  Jackson’s stomach churned.

  What the hell?

  Was it possible Dawson had been the one to screw him over?

  Pete had been with the Company for more than twenty years and mentored Jackson in the early days. Jackson didn’t trust many people, but Pete was one of them. He’d sent Pete a message weeks ago, but when the man didn’t reply Jackson figured he didn’t intend to get his hands dirty. He couldn’t blame the man.

  There was a multitude of reasons for an agent to get burned, but Jackson hadn’t done any of them as far as he knew. For the past month he’d racked his brain going over each and every day of the last two years while he’d been undercover infiltrating Vlad’s gang.

  Every time he tried to think of something he could have done that would have been misconstrued, he failed. He’d followed the book—well, as much of a book as there was when you were flying by the seat of your pants and doing your best not to get killed.

  Still, there were procedures and he’d followed them. Only checking in with his handler every few months with updates. It had taken almost eighteen months for him to reach Vlad’s inner circle and that’s when he discovered the human trafficking ring.

  A week after he told Dawson what was going on and asked for backup, everything had gone to hell. Not long after that he’d learned he’d been disavowed and accused of treason.

  Pete’s message explained a great deal. If Dawson were up to no good, he’d probably convinced the Company that Jackson had been the one to compromise the situation. Whatever the hell the situation was, he was no closer to any answers. And if Dawson was involved that was why.

  Clever bastard.

  Jackson was still alive, which meant someone was on his side, maybe Pete. Usually a burned agent was dead within twenty-four hours. Jackson had lasted two months so far.

  Jackson sent Pete another message.

&
nbsp; Tell them I want to come in.

  Jackson knew Pete might not be able to do that without compromising himself, but he had already gone out on a limb sending him the message about Dawson. Maybe he’d be willing to do this.

  If only he could get to headquarters at Langley, he’d turn himself in. He had no problem talking to the bosses. It might land him in a federal pen if they didn’t believe him, but Jackson would chance anything for the opportunity to discover the truth. Of course, he had no evidence. Only his side of the story, and Dawson had made certain the Company thought him a bad seed.

  Dammit. Jackson shoved a hand through his hair.

  Anxiety. He didn’t allow himself to feel it often, but for a few moments he wallowed in it. Then he straightened his shoulders.

  Get over it, man. You chose the life. You live it.

  After disconnecting from the server, Jackson stopped before closing the laptop. He noticed Mariska had several e-mails marked Urgent. Most of those were from the office, and he didn’t need to open them to know what they said. He had a pocketful of messages from the front desk in his back pocket. All of them warning Mariska to call immediately.

  He isn’t who he says he is had been scrawled on the papers from the desk clerk. Jackson smirked. The SIA was on to him.

  Until he figured out a way out of Thailand, Jackson decided he’d stay with Mar. She might not be the asset Dawson sent. The more he thought about it the more likely the jerk had sent a hired gun.

  Jackson and Mar must have left the bar before the assassin had arrived. He’d come to the bar a half hour early to check it out, and then he’d been lured in by her beauty.

  What if? No, it wasn’t possible. Mar was no more an assassin than a two-year-old. Besides, she could have killed him a hundred and one ways the night before. He hated that his mind had even gone there, but trust didn’t come easy for him. Life had made him hard and suspicious of everyone he met. No. We met by sheer happenstance, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or perhaps there was a higher power guarding him after all. There was a good chance that Mar had saved his life by asking for his help that night. His heart felt lighter the more he was around her.