by C. R. Hill
Sierra glanced at Jake. His expression was unreadable. “Where are we going?”
“To my house,” Flores said. “Diaz will bring his men into the town, but they won’t be so brazen with their guns.”
“With any luck, Trent will have help here anytime,” Jake said.
Sierra leaned back in the seat. Enough time had gone by for USOI to have help in the area already. Unless, Trent was being very careful in deference to the leak.
Either way, Trent would have help here as quickly as he could manage.
Jake wrapped his fingers around her hand. “You feeling okay?”
She gazed at him and smiled. “Fine.”
His left eyebrow arched.
She rolled her eyes. “A little tired and my side’s aching, but other than that, I really am fine.”
“When we get to Flores’s home, you can rest.”
Irritation bubbled up her throat. “I will not be sent off to stay out of the way, while you big strong men make plans and protect me.”
“Sierra.”
“No, Jake. Just because you have male help now, doesn’t mean I’m not a part of this. I’m in this until it’s finished.”
Jake heaved a sigh. “So we’re back to you not admitting you’re human? You’ve been through a lot the last couple days.”
“And I’m fine. I just told you I was.”
“And you’re good at covering up what you’re really feeling.”
Sierra removed her hand from Jake’s and crossed her arms over her chest. “Look who’s talking.”
“Children,” Flores said from the front seat. “You sound like an old married couple instead of partners.”
A snicker came from Flores’s brother.
Sierra didn’t look at Jake. She thought they’d come to an understanding since escaping the airport, but obviously not. He might think her capable, but still not as capable as a man.
At least the Rover had moved onto a road now. Lights from the town glistened in front of them. Not huge by American standards, but big enough to hide in.
The chopper had been neutralized by, she assumed, men loyal to Flores. How far would Diaz go to keep his little operation going and protect his source in the US? He’d already gone pretty damn far.
Chapter Seventeen
Flores’s house was a simple, square, structure with concrete walls. Not fancy, but functional. The main room in the house held a hodge-podge of weathered furniture and a small television.
They’d barely walked inside, when two more men came in behind him. Flores asked them in Spanish about the chopper. They told him that they’d sent it away.
Jake hadn’t said anything else to her since their conversation in the car about her ‘resting’ while the men took care of things.
Flores turned to them. “You two relax. Staying out of sight is the safest thing you can do for everyone. I’m leaving Alejandro out front on watch. The rest of us will do a recon around town to see if we spot any of Diaz’s men.”
Jake nodded. After the men left, he plopped down on the worn sofa and scrubbed a hand over his face. A moment of guilt assaulted her. He hadn’t slept much the last several days. While she’d been out of it from her wound and then the fever, he’d stayed on alert. Keeping them safe. Keeping her safe.
“Why don’t you lie down for a while?” Sierra suggested, and settled into an arm chair.
“I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”
“Do you think Trent got the signal?” They should have been here by now.
Jake shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. “If he did, he’ll have to be careful dispatching so as not to alert whoever is feeding Diaz information.”
Sierra stood and walked behind Jake. She moved his hand and started massaging the taut muscles along the top of his shoulders and neck. He moaned.
She pushed her thumbs on either side of his spine and applied pressure.
“Where did you learn that?” he asked, his head lolling forward.
“I have to keep some of my secrets, Harding.”
“Is this a truce?”
Sierra chuckled. “You better hope so since you’ve let me get my hands around your neck.”
Jake reached back and snagged her wrist, giving her a hard jerk. She wasn’t prepared and fell half-over the back of the sofa. Jake pulled her the rest of the way until she lay across his lap.
Sierra laughed. “Hey, watch the side.”
“Oh, God, Sierra, I’m sorry.” The look on his face melted any and all anger she’d felt earlier.
She touched his cheek. “I’m fine. You pulled me over on my right side. You are such a worry-wart.”
His expression turned pensive. “About the people I care about, always.” He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and drew her to him. The kiss started as a gentle exploration before things got heated.
Sierra wanted more. She wanted to feel him against her, feel skin, and trace the muscles of his chest.
Jake pulled away first, his breathing heavy. “Sierra, you’re still injured and there’s a man right outside the house,” he said and continued to stroke her cheek, his blue eyes were so deeply intense, she could fall into them and never come out.
She shifted, rubbing against the erection beneath her bottom. “I’m fine, Jake, and there’s a bedroom with our name on it. What if we don’t get out of here? What if Diaz catches up to us before help comes?” She grinned. “Do you really want to die without making love one more time?”
He smiled back. “You’re irredeemable. And quite convincing.”
His arm scooped beneath her knees and he stood, cradling her against his chest. She did love those muscles.
Jake kissed her again, before heading to one of the bedrooms in the back. She didn’t know whose room they took, and she didn’t care. She wouldn’t think about how clean the bed was.
All that mattered was being with Jake again. He entered the first darkened room they came to and hit the light switch. A lamp came on beside a double bed covered with a red and blue comforter. It looked clean enough.
Jake kicked the door closed, then reached back and locked it.
He lowered her to the bed, treating her as though she was a china doll. Much different than their first time together.
Clutching the front of his shirt, she pulled him on top of her. “I’m the same woman you were with in that hotel room, Harding. I won’t break.” She rubbed the dark whiskers covering his cheeks.
Jake’s hands cradled her face, his thumbs stroking beneath her eyes. He didn’t reply to her taunt, instead his mouth lowered to hers. His tongue worked a wicked magic as he traced her lips, before exploring her mouth.
An infusion of liquid heat made her entire body tingle.
Jake lifted enough to grab the bottom of her shirt and pull it over her head. She tried to help him with his, but he pushed her hands down and yanked the scrap of cotton off, slinging it to the floor.
Careful of her side, he kissed his way down her neck, his beard stubble adding to the sensations.
“You’re salty,” he murmured as he pushed aside her bra.
“Running around the forest will do that.” The words came out as a gasp. His mouth had latched onto her nipple.
The rest of their clothes fell away and Jake pulled her over him. “You’re on top this time,” he said.
She wasn’t sure of his motives. She had the feeling he was afraid of hurting her, rather than wanting to give up control of the situation.
It didn’t matter, though. She was going to love being in charge and planned to take full advantage.
First, she indulged herself by kissing and touching him from neck to navel. She found his nipple was as sensitive as hers. He groaned when she bit it softly.
By the time she straddled him and he slipped inside her, both of them were panting.
Jake deserved to be tortured. And torture she did. Moving with precision, she worked him up, then slowed things down.
“You’re going to pay for this
,” Jake whispered on a low groan, when she gripped his shoulders and increased her pace
She was tormenting herself as much as Jake.
But what sweet agony.
Jake’s patience ran out. He clutched her hips, his fingers biting into her flesh. He made her move faster, taking him to the hilt with each stroke.
Sierra couldn’t hold on any longer. Her head thrown back, she came undone, her entire body shaking with the powerful release.
Jake stiffened beneath her as he found his own climax.
She collapsed against his damp chest. His heart beat heavy beneath her ear and she smiled. Jake’s fingers traced her spine, up and down.
“That was probably a bad idea,” Sierra murmured. “If Diaz’s men showed up right now, I wouldn’t be able to move.”
“If you weren’t such a tease, you wouldn’t be so worn out.”
Sierra propped herself on her elbows so she could look into his face and grinned. “You left me no choice, Harding. I had to try to break that famous control of yours.”
“Honey, you broke that months ago.”
Warmth spread through her chest at his admission. Laughing, she rolled off him. “As much as I hate it, I guess we better get dressed.”
Jake put his hands behind his head and watched her gather her clothes and lay them on the bed. “What?” she asked, when he just stared at her.
“Even with a bullet hole in your side, you’re beautiful.”
That stilled Sierra’s movements. “You’re getting sappy, Jake.”
“Didn’t you know I’m a closet sap?”
Sierra liked this side of him. She put her knee on the bed and leaned down, kissing Jake squarely on the mouth, nipping his bottom lip as she pulled away. “I think you just like to keep me off balance.”
“Is it working?”
“Yep,” she said and slipped into her panties. “One minute I want to kill you and the next rip your clothes off. I’d call that off balance.”
He chuckled and finally pushed up from the bed. “I need to change that bandage and check your wound, so hold off on putting your shirt on.”
Jake slid off the bed and quickly dressed. She hated to see him cover up all that hard, delectable muscle. He left to retrieve the backpack from the other room.
She put her shoes on and sat on the bed to wait for him. When he came back he had not only the pack, but a wet cloth. He knelt in front of her and gently removed the bandage. She sucked in a breath when the cool cloth touched her side.
“Sorry, I should have waited for the warm water.”
“It’s fine. Actually it feels good. It’s just that first touch. Like jumping into a cold pool on a hot day.”
“The wound looks pretty good, considering.”
She looked down. “I’m going to have a nasty scar.”
He laid the cloth down and looked at her. “Does that bother you?”
She shrugged. “Does it bother you?”
His eyes didn’t register any surprise at her question. He smiled. “Not in the least.”
He dug through the bag and pulled out the antibiotic cream and bandages.
“Were you a college boy, Jake?”
He paused a moment and looked at her. “Bachelor’s in criminal justice from Virginia Tech.”
“I bet your parents were proud of you.”
He unscrewed the antibiotic ointment, a wistful look coming over his face. “Yeah, they were.”
“You became a Marine because of your dad, didn’t you?”
He nodded and smeared some ointment on her side.
“How long were you in?”
“Six years. When my parents were killed, I got out so I could be closer to my younger brother. He’d just started at the Air Force Academy. Went on a full football scholarship.”
The tone in his voice as he talked about his brother, unlocked that tiny part she’d buried deep inside a long time ago that had once wished for a family. “I used to be fascinated with families. You know, a mom, a dad, rowdy children running around.”
Jake put the ointment down and looked at her. “None of the families you stayed with ever wanted to adopt you?”
She chuckled. “Come on, Jake. You know how I am now. Imagine me twenty years ago. I was a hellion. I was so angry.” She sighed. “There was one family I thought might actually adopt me when I was fourteen.”
“What happened?”
“Several things. First, she got pregnant and second, I let a group of kids taunt me into jacking a car. They called me chicken.”
“Oh no. I can just imagine how you took to that.”
“I stole it alright. To make it worse, it was the police chief’s car. I got sent to Juvie for two months and by then the couple who’d had me was just ready to move on.”
Jake touched her cheek. “I’m sorry, Sierra.”
She shrugged. “It was what it was, Jake. I was fascinated by families, the fact that other parents didn’t seem ready to get rid of their children when they were bad. But as I got older, I understood a little better.”
“No child should grow up like you did, Sierra.”
“But they do.” She shrugged again. The look on his face was so tender, her heart twisted. “Where are we going with this, Jake?” She hadn’t meant to ask him that, but suddenly she wanted to know.
She’d never really had a relationship before. Yeah, there had been a man here and there she’d enjoyed spending time with. But nothing serious. Nothing that made her heart rate speed up the way it did around Jake. There’d never been a man in her life who’d gotten under her skin or matched her both physically and verbally the way Jake did. With Jake she could let her guard down, at least a little. Not that she liked admitting weakness, but she finally believed he wouldn’t use hers against her.
He didn’t look at her at first, instead concentrated on placing the last piece of tape on her bandage. He stopped and gazed at her. “I’m not sure. I’m me and you’re you.”
“What does that mean?”
He sighed. “It means that even though I know you’re a competent agent, I can’t stop myself from wanting to keep you out of danger.”
“So if you and I are…together, you don’t want me to be an agent?”
“You want honesty?” He met her stare. “I don’t know what I want.”
His words weren’t what she expected.
He went on. “Asking you to get out of USOI wouldn’t be fair. Letting you go off on assignment with some other partner…”
“Besides you?” she interrupted.
He nodded. “Would probably drive me nuts.”
“Judging by your tone, I take it that you don’t want to be my partner.”
Jake sighed and stood, done with bandaging her side. She tugged her shirt over her head and waited for him to respond.
“Sierra. It’s not that simple.” He ran a hand through his hair, then over his face. “Being emotionally involved with someone in this business makes you lose your edge. I have firsthand knowledge of that. And I can’t say that even now with you I can react the way I normally would.”
She wished she didn’t understand what he meant, but she did. When Jake had left her to find Flores, she’d worried. Probably more so than she would have otherwise. Daniel’s death had hit her hard. Thinking of being in that situation with Jake tore her heart out.
Standing, she nodded her agreement. “So, we get through this mission and…we part ways.” She brushed past Jake. “I need to find a bathroom.”
Jake clasped her arm and stopped her at the door. “We’ll talk about this when we get home,” he said quietly.
She nodded and walked into the hall. The bathroom wasn’t difficult to locate and she closed herself inside and locked the door. There really wasn’t anything to talk about. He’d said it all. And he was right, of course. They’d both be better off going back to the way things had been before she’d rescued Jake from that warehouse. He’d go his way, and she’d go hers.
And she’d keep tel
ling herself that until she believed it.
Chapter Eighteen
After she returned from the bathroom, Sierra and Jake settled on the sofa out front. They didn’t talk, both absorbed in their own thoughts. A commotion out front had them on their feet, though. Flores burst inside. “We need to move. Another chopper landed outside town. I think it’s your help, but we counted at least two dozen of Diaz’s men searching the area.”
Jake retrieved his bag and they slid out into the darkness.
“We head for the new chopper,” Jake said. “If it’s our guys, they’ll be latched onto our signal.”
“If they start shooting at us, we’ll know it’s not them,” Sierra murmured.
Jake glanced at her, his expression bland and she smiled. She’d never let him know how much their discussion from earlier bothered her.
Jake and Sierra loaded into Flores’s Range Rover, along with him and his brother. Three other men hopped into a beat up pick-up and took off in front of them.
There were guns in the back. She and Jake each grabbed one.
They were half-way to their rendezvous, about four miles outside the town, when the truck in front of them exploded. Right behind it, the road in front of their SUV blew up in a shower of concrete and dirt.
Flores swore in Spanish as he veered. He lost control. The Rover flipped. Jake landed against her. Sierra’s shoulder slammed into the side door. White-hot pain radiated all the way down her arm.
The SUV ended up on its side. Metal scraping concrete rent the air with a horrible sound. Her head banged glass as the Rover jolted against something hard and halted.
Dazed, she tried to move. Jake’s weight held her down. He groaned and pushed part the way off her. Blood dripped down his forehead from a cut at his hairline.
He focused on her face. “You okay.”
“Except for my shoulder.” She grimaced. “Dislocated,” she said through clenched teeth.
Flores and his brother rustled in the front seat. Sierra shifted, giving Jake more room to stand. “Can you get the door open?”
It was strange looking up at the doors. Jake stood and pulled the door lever. It opened without trouble. He helped Sierra to her feet, then grasping the frame of the Rover, hoisted himself up and out.