Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he flipped her to her stomach, stuffed the pillow beneath her belly, and slowly entered her from behind, letting her feel every inch of him. She rocked back on him, arching her back, her knees on the outsides of his as she straddled his groin backwards, causing him to split her open and go deeper still. His hands squeezed her breasts almost to the point of pain. His fingers sparked her swollen and overworked bud. She went over the edge, holding herself down on him as deep as he could go. The answering pulsation deep within her core confirmed he was filling her with everything he had.
He kissed her until her body stopped shaking. Clutching her now-wet body to his upper torso, he lifted them, still joined by his shaft, and drew the covers up over them both.
“Morgan, I missed you.”
“I’m right here, Halley. Not going anywhere.” He thrust against her insides again to underscore the point. “I’m gonna ride with you all night long, honey. I haven’t even begun to show you how I’ve missed this.”
She was falling into a warm, dreamlike sleep, her body feeding off the energy he was sending out. “All night?” she asked.
“Sleep’s overrated. You don’t need sleep, honey; you need this.”
His back and forth movements returned. Within minutes, she had become a rag doll. Her hair was soaking, and the sheets were damp with their combined sweat. But he wouldn’t leave her alone. He stayed deep inside until she could no longer keep her eyes open. Even then, she had just the energy to say, “Don’t stop.”
“I’m here for as long as you can put up with me, sweetheart.”
She clung to his chest, finding his warm torso the pillow she’d sleep on and dream about. What had been impossible had suddenly turned possible.
Chapter 15
Morgan watched the streaks of early pre-dawn turn her hair into ringlets of spun gold. The gentle perfume between her breasts had lingered with him for most the night, bringing back all the old memories—the good ones. He remembered the first time they’d made love, discovering she was as intense as he was. Waiting became an impossibility when they were first together. Everything about the world sent them back to the bedroom or the living room couch, even in a bookstore or coffee shop if he took her dare, which he often did.
She slept as hard as she made love. Her breath strong, her legs still possessively wrapped around his waist so his cock could remain buried in her warmth.
He lifted a few strands from her forehead and eyes and kissed them one at a time. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“I can’t move.”
“Yes, you can, because I have to go pee.”
“Then take me with you.” She began to giggle, just like she used to.
He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. “No, wait, Morgan. I didn’t mean it.”
He opened the shower door and deposited her there, reaching to turn on the water. She gave him a sultry smile and began rubbing her breasts again, rocking her hips from side to side. He was trying to pee, and it wasn’t working. He’d slept the last two hours with an incredibly full bladder.
He had to turn away or he’d not be able to go, and that worked. He joined her under the warm spray.
“How do you feel?” he asked her.
“Used.”
“Used? That’s not a good thing.”
She was wobbly again, her eyes closed as she let the warm water pour over the top of her head while she washed with soap. Next came the giggle, that little drunken stupor of sex, and finally the words. “Morgan, it’s a very good thing. You know it is. I can hardly move. I love it.”
“Really?” he said as he turned her body around, pressing her backside into his groin.
He pulled his knees under hers so that she could sit back on him. His shaft entered her swollen lips from behind, and she hugged herself and moaned a gentle, “Ow.”
“Am I hurting you?”
She giggled again. “Um hum,” she whispered, kissing the sides of the tile wall. “I like it, baby. My fault entirely for being out of practice.”
“Nonsense. Nothing’s changed. It’s only gotten better, Halley.”
He held her while she groaned into the wall as he thrust upward and drove home to oblivion.
Afterward, they returned to the bed, and she slept with her backside to him in the rose-colored terry robe the hotel provided, the tie opened so he could stroke her smooth skin while she slept. He seemed not to be able to get enough of the touch of her silky flesh. He wondered how all this would change any of the scenarios. He’d willingly put all that out of his mind, but now, he recalled J.J.’s words of last night, ‘We have to deal with the boyfriend.’
What exactly did that mean? Was he now going to take the place the handsome Gibril had occupied previously? Or could she play with them both, and what would he do about it if that was her choice? He hadn’t asked her that. It wasn’t a condition of their mating last night. He was so starved for the feel of her body against and around his that he deemed unimportant what the meaning was.
In the light of day, with the memory of their night of passion still playing re-runs throughout his head, he knew some of these things would get resolved or this night would be tucked away into the memory box and stored until they were ready to look at it again. Because his primary purpose was to keep her safe by foiling the plot, not to keep her happy and fed in bed all day. Her safety was far more important than his drive to possess her.
Perhaps Gibril will come after me. Would that help?
Of course, this assumed he was the accomplice of the Imam, which still hadn’t been established. Morgan decided he’d visit him in his office, use a ruse to meet with him. See if the gentleman could show Morgan his guilty side when he didn’t think anyone was looking.
He wondered if Halley would still have feelings for the Middle Eastern man. Or would he be able to tell there had been a shift in her behavior? Would this compromise the mission? He hoped not.
At nine, they were awakened by the housekeeping staff. Checkout was at eleven, they said. It was a shocking reminder that the wonderful evening they spent together was now at an end. They were dressed within minutes. As Halley blow-dried her hair, he saw her gather herself together, just like he was, preparing for business.
Morgan ordered breakfast and texted J.J. they’d be ready in about an hour.
Call me when you’re leaving, you prick. J.J. followed it with another text giving him the address to the apartment.
The room service tray arrived, and he paid for it in cash, leaving a generous tip for the server.
“You’re still wearing the pink shirt. I love that shirt on you,” she said over the top of her coffee cup.
He shrugged. “Well, I didn’t expect this. You’ve got me in pink for a second day then.”
“Should we get the CIA to spring for another shirt?”
“I’m good. Besides we have no time. But thanks.” He thought about the questions he wanted to ask her. Before he could open his mouth, Halley’s phone buzzed, and she picked it up. He knew who it was immediately by her conflicted expression.
“I’m fine. Coming home this evening. Just a little tired with all the drama.” She glanced up at Morgan, who stopped a forkful of eggs in midair. He mouthed drama and scrunched up his face in a question mark.
Halley continued with the conversation after giving Morgan a pert smile. “We’ve said our good-byes, but I’ll go see her one more time this morning. Her family is with her now from the East Coast, so my work is done.” After she listened further, she answered again. “A friend of mine from modeling days. Very old friend.” Then she answered another question. “She’s in a hospice care facility.” She gave another sweet smile to Morgan and then sipped her coffee. “Well, that’s because my computer was stolen at the airport. Just got a new one yesterday, and I’ve got a new gmail account. Everything isn’t set up yet. I’ll try to work on it tonight. But at least you have my cell. Listen, no more questions, okay? We can talk tomor
row perhaps.”
Morgan watched her sign off. “Yes, I’ll text you when I’m home,” and then, “No, I already have the driver set up, but thanks. I’m really exhausted, Gibril. I need sleep.”
Her sweet blush was a thing of beauty.
She set the phone down with a big sigh. “How did I do?”
“I loved the blush at the end especially.”
She blushed again and took a sip of orange juice.
“He sure asks a lot of questions. You don’t find that suspicious?
“I guess I’m used to it, but it did make me a little nervous. I think he might know something’s up.”
“Are you really exhausted? Because I feel great.” He even loved watching her eat as she picked through her potatoes and ate tiny tidbits of her bacon. “You going to leave that bacon?”
She set her fork down and closed her eyes briefly before she continued. “We have to talk, Morgan.”
His heart sunk to his knees. Had he made a huge miscalculation?
“I need to know how to play this. J.J. said I wasn’t to change my routine when I got home, but with Gibril, I honestly don’t think he’s involved in any way, and he’s really just a friend now. With what happened last night between us, I need some boundaries.”
Of course she did. He was a fool not to bring it up first.
“How close were you? I mean, any promises? Have you met his family, anything like that? And how deeply involved do you think you should be?” He tried to ask it in a way she didn’t feel pressured, focusing on Gibril rather than himself.
Halley stumbled a bit, and he could see she was on uncharted ground.
“We’d sort of cooled it this past Sunday. He was asking me about what I wanted to do in my future. But we hit a bump in the road when he asked me if I wanted children some day.”
Morgan knew it was a thin rope he was walking on.
“What did you tell him?” He held his breath because he knew if Gibril had asked her about children, he was serious about her. He was fairly sure she’d already picked that up.
“I told him I never thought about it, because I was having too much fun with the business, and that was a completely honest answer.”
“So what was the problem? I can understand that.”
“The problem is that he was used to women who felt it was a higher calling or something to bear children and stay at home. Frankly, it shocked me he should have such a provincial point of view. It’s the only time I’ve heard him suggest that perhaps this work of mine wasn’t what I really should be doing, like he knew better than I did. I could see there was no future.”
Morgan could watch her talk for hours. When she began to tear up, he grabbed her hand from across the table. “Hey, hang in there. I know this is all confusing as hell. You’re doing great.”
“And then there’s you,” she whispered, still holding his hand.
Morgan rose and stood beside her. “Come here, Halley.”
She scrambled to her feet and then fell into his arms. This sweet, beautiful, powerful creature had wrapped her arms around him like he was her lifeline. He felt so wonderful he could hardly speak.
“Halley. We don’t have to talk about us, yet, if all this is too much.”
He could feel her nodding against his chest.
“I don’t want to rush things, but just know that I am here. I’ve always been here, and I’m not leaving.”
She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. He grabbed a napkin for her.
“We just got to sort through all this. And,” he tipped her chin up toward him, “although it would bring me great joy, we probably can’t be affectionate in public, just in case. That’s going to be the hardest thing for me,” he admitted as he brushed his lips against hers. He ended it with a kiss to her forehead, as well. “We’ve got time to figure something out. Try not to worry.”
They gathered their things to head downstairs. He took one last glance at the room with the disheveled bedding. The smell of her perfume and sunlight bathed everything in a golden glow, and he hoped it would be the start of something he could spend a lifetime working on, not the beautiful end to an old story. He had hope. What they shared wasn’t just sex. There was lots of need, and although neither of them said it last night, there was also love.
That felt great.
Morgan brought the truck around and waited for her to finish checkout. When she climbed into the cab, he took her bag and noticed she had another bag from the hotel store.
“I bought you a present.”
Morgan opened it to find a long-sleeved, button down white shirt with the Coronado Rose emblem stitched into the front.
“Thank you. That’s a nice shirt.”
“I got an XL. They have a double X, but I thought—”
“I’m not that big.”
Her face instantly went red. She leaned over, kissed him, and whispered, “Oh yes, you are.”
They quickly parted. Morgan searched the surrounding area and then turned on the engine.
“Wait! You are going to wear it, right?”
“I’ll put it on when we get there.”
“You don’t like it. I’ll take it back.”
“No, sweetheart.” And then he realized he was being a jerk. He ripped open the package, pulled out pins stuck into the collar, removed his well-used pink shirt and tossed it over the seat, and put the new shirt on. He tucked it in as best he could with the steering wheel getting in the way.
She discovered what part of his problem was and touched him in the groin, giving him a nice squeeze. He gasped.
“It’s perfect. You look marvelous!” she said with a tease. “And you smell great. What are you using?”
“Your deodorant.” Morgan shrugged. “Sorry.”
Her laugh was fun to hear. It was so blasted wonderful to see her happy.
“Now are we ready to go?” he asked.
“Proceed to the rendezvous. Should I wear a blindfold?”
He patted her thigh. “Next time you’re naked with me, sweetheart. I promise.”
After a few blocks, Morgan decided to ask a couple of questions so she didn’t have to answer it with the audience he was expecting at the apartment. The GPS unit was tracking their moves. The place was very close, so he had to hurry.
“Have you met any of Gibril’s family?”
“One of his sisters. She doesn’t wear a burqa, but she covers her head. They live on the Peninsula somewhere. He has other family in the central valley and up north. His parents are not in the U.S.”
“You know anything about them?”
“His sisters married Arab men. That’s all I know. They don’t work, and both have children. His sister is very nice. A little shy, but nice.”
“So how long have you dated?”
“Almost a year.”
“How did you meet?”
She frowned and tilted her head to the side. “I can’t remember—oh yes, it was at the grocery store of all places. He asked me to help him find a ripe watermelon.”
“Classic bachelor pickup line. And you fell for that?”
“It led to a cup of coffee and an exchange of phone numbers, so I guess it worked.”
“Only thing better than that is to stand in the baking section looking puzzled and ask a young lady what I’d need for a pie crust. They love it when you look lost.”
“I’ll bet.” She reached over and gave him another squeeze.
“You’re gonna have to stop that. We’re nearly here, and I’m about to take you in the back and give you a spank and then fuck your brains out. So quit it, okay?”
She leaned forward, and he cautioned her. “No kissing, remember? You don’t know who is watching.”
“Let them watch.”
But he held her off. “Halley, this is serious. And, by the way, you’re not acting exhausted. I like that.”
“I do, too.”
He’d parked in the upper level of a nice looking condo complex, like J.J. had
instructed. She brought her overnight bag with her that also contained her new computer. Morgan pulled it off her shoulder again as they headed for the entrance.
He checked his phone for the number and knocked on door 408.
J.J. answered it right away. Behind him were the two new recruits. As Morgan and Halley moved through the doorway, J.J. pinched Morgan’s nipple near where the Coronado Rose stitching was. “Nice touch, stud.”
“It was a gift. I don’t want to think about it, and you shouldn’t be, either.”
J.J. slammed the door behind him. “Okay, this is Halley, our Wonder Woman. Halley, this is Stanley and Taylor. You guys show me how you’d greet a Muslim woman, like you did a few minutes ago.”
They both started speaking Arabic, and Morgan only recognized the “As-Salam” or first part of the greeting.
“Holy cow. I got the shivers,” Halley said.
“They’re fluent in Arabic and have mastered several of the dialects, too. Amazing talent,” added Morgan.
J.J. motioned for them to sit at the small table just off the kitchen.
“So the boys will be going up to Stockton today, snooping around, trying to get a foot into the doorway there. I’m leaving how they do it entirely up to them so I can deny anything in case something happens.”
Morgan agreed. Halley was watching them closely. No doubt their young age and the danger they were getting themselves into bothered her. It bothered him.
“Taylor, Stanley, you have any questions for Halley before you leave?”
“Your boyfriend, Mr. Messi,” Taylor shot a quick glance at Morgan before he continued. “Can you tell me about his family or any relatives who might have information about the mosque or the Imam?”
“I wasn’t even aware of this mosque until these two told me,” she answered. “If you think it would be safe, I could find a way to ask Gibril. And, by the way, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s a close friend.”
J.J. cleared his throat. “Great,” he mumbled. Morgan felt the chilling stare down and then continued to watch Halley.
Bachelor SEAL (Sleeper SEALs Book 5) Page 12