by Karen Foley
She increased the pressure and tempo of her mouth, until he began to thrust helplessly against her, and then pulled completely free.
“I can’t last if you do that,” he admitted raggedly, and bent down to unlace his boots and kick them off, and then push his underwear and pants free. Kate sat back and just stared. The guy was in amazing condition, and her fingers itched to explore the deep grooves of muscle that ran diagonally from his waist to his groin. Even his thighs were hard and muscled.
Peeling his shirt off, he bent down and slanted his mouth against Kate’s as he pushed her back on the bed, licking and sucking at her tongue. His fingers kneaded her breasts as he kissed her. Sliding a hand behind one leg, he dragged it up and around his waist, and settled himself against the entrance to her body.
“I’ve been dying to do this,” he muttered against her mouth. Easing himself to her side, he smoothed a hand over her stomach and dipped his fingers between her legs. Bending his head, he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking on it as he stroked her inner thighs, and then slid his fingers along her cleft until he found her center.
“Oh, man, you are so wet,” he said against her skin. Kate cried out as his fingers tormented her clitoris, before he thrust a finger into her. “I want to watch you come.”
Desire spiraled sharply through her, and her sex pulsed strongly around his finger. She felt hot and swollen and ached for release. Reaching for him, she wrapped her fingers around him and stroked his hard length, loving his grunts of pleasure. The torment of his fingers, combined with his sexy words, was too much.
“Oh,” she gasped, feeling an orgasm building, “I’m going to…”
“Look at me,” Chase demanded, slicking his fingers over her swollen flesh.
Kate did. His breathing was ragged, but his fingers never stopped working their magic. His green eyes were slumberous and seemed to glow with his arousal. Dipping his head, he licked her breast and then flicked his tongue against her nipple.
“C’mon, darlin’,” he said hoarsely. “Come for me.”
Kate did, and Chase caught her frantic cries with his mouth as her hips bucked against his hand, flooding his fingers with her moisture. He didn’t stop until he’d wrung every last shudder from her body, and she pushed weakly at his hand.
“Stop, please,” she gasped, “I can’t take any more.”
Chase did, withdrawing his hand and pulling her against his chest. “That was amazing,” he rasped against her temple. “Your entire body flushes when you have an orgasm. I could feel you tightening around my fingers, and you were so slippery.”
Kate smiled and turned her face into his neck, embarrassed by his graphic description of her orgasm. Her muscles still thrummed with pleasure, and she reveled in the feel of Chase’s warm body against hers. Reaching down, she ran the back of her fingers along his erection. He jerked against her, and when she stroked her thumb across the small slit, it came away slick with moisture.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m still aroused,” she admitted, pressing a soft, moist kiss against his mouth. “I want to feel you inside me.”
“Ah, babe,” he growled softly. “You are so freaking sexy. Here, turn onto your stomach.”
Kate did as he asked, bending her arms over her head. He straddled her legs and for a moment he just stood looking at her.
“You have a gorgeous back,” he said, stroking his hands down the length of her spine. “And this, right here, where your hips flare out, is amazing.” He cupped her buttocks and squeezed them, pulling them up and apart until she felt a sharp tug of arousal in her sex. He smoothed his hands over her buttocks, and then slid a hand between them to stroke her intimately from behind. “Oh, yeah, so wet…here, bend your knees.”
He raised her hips up until her knees were bent and splayed, and Kate knew he could see everything. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she grew even more aroused, knowing that this incredible man wanted her, and would soon take her with his own body.
He slid his hand over her, using a finger to part her. “Oh, man, if you could see what I’m seeing,” he groaned. “You look amazing.”
“I want you inside me,” she said, sliding her hands beneath the pillow and arching her back even more. Turning her head, she watched as he looked at her. He had his thick cock in his hand and he gave it two quick strokes before he fitted himself against her entrance. His face was dark and flushed with arousal, his attention sharply focused on the spot where he entered her. Grasping her hip with one hand, he eased himself into her.
“You’re so snug,” he muttered. “Don’t move.”
He pushed further, and Kate moaned softly at the sensation of being stretched and filled. When he was finally fully inside her, he began to move, and Kate gasped with pleasure. The position and angle made him feel huge, and she welcomed how he grasped her hips and thrust strongly into her. He was long and hot, and the friction of his movement caused an answering heat to build inside her. She began to move against him, rotating her hips as he ground against her.
He moved completely over her, bracing his weight on one hand as he slid the other hand over her breasts, kneading them and tugging at her sensitized nipples. But when he slid his hand over her stomach and between her legs, lust exploded inside her. He stroked her clitoris as he filled her, and Kate cried out softly, feeling another orgasm begin to build.
“Oh, my God,” she gasped, “you feel so good.”
He grunted and swept her hair aside, kissing her neck and then swirling his tongue over her ear. “I want you to come again,” he growled, and punctuated his words with another bone-melting thrust.
Kate was so close, but when he rubbed her hard, she came apart, crying out as she convulsed around him. She heard him give a deep, guttural groan, and then he surged into her one last time. He pulsed hotly inside her for several long seconds, holding her tightly, until finally, they both collapsed against the mattress.
“Oh, man,” he said, withdrawing from her body and pulling her with him as he eased himself onto his side. “I think you killed me.”
Trying to control her uneven breathing, Kate put her head on his shoulder and curled herself around him. Her body gave one last, convulsive shiver and Chase slid his arms around her, hugging her tight.
“That was…unbelievable,” she said softly, and tipped her face up for his kiss.
Chase cupped her face in his hand and explored her mouth in a long, slow kiss that Kate felt all the way to her toes. When he finally pulled away, she thought he looked more content than she had ever seen him before. A smile played around his mouth and the lines of stress and fatigue were gone from around his eyes.
“I wish we could stay like this forever,” she said, before she could stop herself.
He looked at her, sobering. “Yeah, me, too.”
“I guess the military is going to want you back to do real work sooner or later.”
“I guess so.”
Kate raised herself on her elbow, propping her head on her hand as she studied him. She traced a finger around one of his nipples, and down the groove that bisected his body. “So why would they send someone like you to escort me around?”
“I’m with Special Ops, and the Pentagon issued a stand-down order the same day that you flew in. I was on a mission in northern Afghanistan when we got the order to return to base immediately.” He gave a huff of laughter. “I was pretty irritated when I found out I was going to have to babysit a couple of entitled celebrities.” He slanted her an apologetic look. “At least that’s what I thought I was getting. Little did I know.”
“And what did you get?” she asked, smiling.
“I got the sexiest woman I’ve ever known, and I think you care very much about your sister.”
“Hmm. So if I’m hearing you correctly, you’re not all that irritated anymore?”
Chase rolled over and pinned her beneath him, easily capturing her hands and holding them over her head. “No,” he said, his eyes gleaming. “I trust m
y team to do their job until I return. In fact, I’ll take great pleasure in showing you just how happy I am to be assigned to you…day and night.”
He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his own, and Kate sighed in happy submission.
* * *
WHEN CHASE FINALLY walked Kate back to her own housing unit, it was almost 3:00 a.m. The roads were dark, and Chase used a small flashlight to illuminate their way. They didn’t pass anyone, and when they reached the door to her unit, Chase took her in his arms and kissed her. After a long moment, he raised his head and gave her a rueful smile.
“I don’t want to let you go, but you need to get some sleep. I’ll come get you both for breakfast in about five hours, okay?”
Kate nodded, pressing her fingers against her lips as if she could still feel him there. She let herself quietly into her room and undressed without turning on the light. On the lower bunk next to hers, she could just make out the shapeless lump of her sister, sleeping soundly. Easing herself into her own cot, she winced as the springs made a loud squeaking sound. But Tenley didn’t move or make a noise, so Kate lay down and pulled the blankets over her shoulder.
She lay on her side for a long time, thinking about her time with Chase. She had no regrets. In fact, she couldn’t remember when she’d last felt so happy. They hadn’t talked about what would happen when she returned to the States, but Kate knew they could keep their relationship alive. Tennessee wasn’t so far from North Carolina that they couldn’t make it work.
Rolling onto her back, she looked over at Tenley’s bed. She was brimming with so much inner excitement that she knew sleep would be an impossibility, and she wanted to share it with someone.
“Tenley!” she whispered. “Wake up.” There was no sound from the other bunk, so she leaned over and shook the mattress. “Tenley!”
When there was still no response, Kate frowned and flipped on the small light. She stared in dismay at Tenley’s empty bed. What she had thought was her sister was just the rumpled blankets and Tenley’s backpack. Leaping out of her own bed, she quickly checked the top bunks, which were also empty. Her first panicked thought was that Tenley had been abducted. She recalled the young soldier who had jumped onto the stage. Had he somehow found out where Tenley slept? Checking the small side table, she found Chase’s beeper exactly where she had left it earlier. Picking it up, she prepared to press the button when the doorknob of the housing unit opened, and Tenley entered.
“Oh, my God,” she said, sagging in relief. “Where were you? I’ve been frantic!”
Tenley avoided her gaze. “Nowhere. I mean, I went to the bathroom.”
“By yourself? I thought we talked about this. You aren’t supposed to go anywhere without an escort.”
Tenley gave Kate a helpless look. “Well, it wasn’t like you were around to go with me. Where were you, anyway? And don’t tell me the bathroom, because then I’d know you were lying.”
“It doesn’t matter where I was,” Kate hedged. “You should have used the beeper like we agreed.”
“I’m sorry,” her sister said, sounding sincere. “I was tired and I really had to pee and I guess I forgot.”
Kate drew in a deep breath and struggled for patience. “Okay. The important thing is that you’re safe. Get some sleep.”
She didn’t miss how Tenley avoided her eyes as she sat on the edge of the bunk and kicked her shoes off. But as Kate waited for her sister to climb under the covers, Tenley flipped her hair back, inadvertently revealing a purplish bruise on her neck. Kate’s fingers paused on the light switch.
“What the hell is that on your neck?”
Tenley at least had the grace to look embarrassed, and put a hand to the spot in an attempt to cover it. “It’s nothing,” she mumbled. “I’ve had it for a while.”
“You have, my ass,” Kate said, and reached over to pull Tenley’s hair aside and inspect what was clearly a very large, very recent hickey. “How did you get this?”
“Stop it,” Tenley said, pushing her hand away. “It’s nothing.”
“You didn’t go to the bathroom,” Kate accused. “You were with someone, and I want to know who it was.”
“Yeah, right,” Tenley retorted with uncharacteristic bitterness. “Like I’m going to tell you. Why don’t we just share all our secrets? You can start by telling me who you were with tonight, as if I couldn’t guess.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about your watchdog, Major Rawlins. The guy can’t keep his eyes off you, and anyone can see he couldn’t wait to get you alone. So I’m guessing that he succeeded, and that’s where you’ve been all night. So leave me alone, okay?”
Kate felt herself go warm beneath Tenley’s knowing regard. “The difference is that I’m an adult, Tenley, and I’ve at least had a chance to get to know Major Rawlins. You’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours and you’ve already hooked up with some stranger!”
Tenley climbed into her bunk and deliberately turned her back to Kate. “I don’t want to talk to you about it,” she said over her shoulder.
Kate tried one more time. “Tenley, you’re a beautiful girl, but your status as a celebrity singer makes you a target. What do you really know about this guy?”
“I said,” Tenley bit out, “that I don’t want to talk about it.”
Kate sighed, feeling more frustrated and confused than she had in a long time. She was losing Tenley, she could feel it. As she turned out the light and laid down, she recalled all the times Tenley had turned to her for advice. She’d been such a sweet, adorable little girl and Kate had loved looking after her. When had her baby sister become so grown up? When had she become capable of sneaking around behind her back?
Kate thought it had all started in Las Vegas, when Tenley had run off and gotten married to that soldier, Corporal Doug Armstrong. Believing him to be a gold-digger, Kate had moved quickly to have the marriage annulled. Then she’d made a few phone calls and had registered a complaint with his commanding officer. Within twenty-four hours, he had been shipped overseas.
Looking back, Kate knew she could have handled the entire situation differently, but she’d felt an enormous sense of responsibility toward Tenley. She couldn’t let her sister ruin her life by getting married so young, and to a boy she barely knew. Thank goodness she’d been able to keep it a secret from the press, and even if Tenley’s attitude had changed toward her, she had no regrets about what she’d done.
Curling on her side, she acknowledged that a chapter in her life was coming to an end. She would hang on to Tenley for as long as she could, but she knew, eventually, she would need to let her go. She only hoped she could.
15
THROUGHOUT THE NEXT DAY, Tenley made a point of avoiding Kate. She smiled and laughed at all the right times, and responded to her questions, but she made sure that Kate never had an opportunity to get her alone.
She and her band had performed two flawless sets, and the crowd had loved her. Afterwards, she posed, light-hearted and happy, for photos with the soldiers. She flirted with them and answered questions, and seemed genuinely interested in their comments. Over the course of the afternoon, she autographed dozens of glossy photos of herself without complaint. In fact, she smiled so brightly that Kate thought her face might split.
Music echoed across the base as each band took its turn entertaining the troops to thunderous applause and cheers. On the perimeter of the parade field, the food lines to the grills were hundreds of soldiers deep. Overhead, Kate noted several helicopters patrolling the skies, ensuring nothing happened to disrupt the festivities.
“She’s doing a great job,” Chase observed quietly as they watched Tenley pose with a group of young men. “How are you holding up?”
Kate hadn’t had an opportunity to speak privately with Chase until then. She wanted badly to touch him, and thrust her hands into her pockets. “When you walked me back last night, Tenley wasn’t in her bed.”
Chase gave
her a questioning look. “Where was she?”
“That’s just it, I don’t know. She claimed to have walked to the bathroom, but she had a huge hickey on her neck.”
His eyebrows rose. “Maybe she got it before she came over here.”
Kate shook her head. “No, she was definitely hiding something and refused to talk to me about it. She hooked up with someone last night, but I have no idea who. What a disaster,” she moaned. “I should have been there. I should never have left her alone.”
Chase frowned. “Kate, she’s not a child. You can’t watch over her every minute of every day.”
“But don’t you see? I don’t even have the right to criticize her about her behavior, because my own hasn’t been much better.”
She watched as twin patches of color rode high on Chase’s cheekbones and realized she had angered him. “So what are you saying?” he asked. “That our being together last night was a mistake? A disaster?”
She gave him a pleading look. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. But it was irresponsible. I had a duty to watch out for Tenley, and I failed. I left her alone to satisfy my own needs, and look what happened!”
“What? What happened that’s so terrible?” Chase demanded. “Look at her, Kate. She’s absolutely fine. You’re her sister, not her mother. She’s old enough to make her own decisions.” He swept her with a hard look. “And so are you.”
Without another word, he turned and walked toward Tenley, moving through the crowds with an easy authority that had soldiers clearing a path for him. He stood by Tenley’s shoulder, an imposing bodyguard in case any of the young men surrounding her decided to get too friendly.
Kate blew out her breath in frustration. But there was a part of her that believed she had behaved recklessly last night, and no matter how wonderful her time with Chase had been, she’d left Tenley alone and vulnerable.
She spent the remainder of the afternoon on the perimeter of the festivities, keeping Tenley in sight but not speaking with her. Chase had apparently made it his mission to watch over her, and was never more than a couple of feet from her side, his muscular arms crossed over his chest and his face set in grim lines.