He withdrew a foil packet from his wallet and stripped off his last piece of clothing. A soft gasp drew his attention back to the bed. Maggie stared at his hard-on. There was appreciation in that look and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“If you’re worried it won’t fit, I can assure you it will, but you can go ahead and say the words anyway,” Hunter teased.
“You’re huge,” Miss Maggie whispered.
“You certainly know your lines.” He tore open the foil packet and covered himself, then lay down beside her on the bed.
“Compared to my last—”
“Let’s not bring him in here right now. Just you and me.”
Running his hand up her thigh to her hip, he gave her a gentle push and rolled her onto her back. He kissed her, supporting his weight on his arms as he hovered over her body. “I can’t wait much longer,” he said against her lips. “I want you. Fast and hard.”
“Yes,” she gasped, arching up until her nipples brushed his chest.
Hunter leaned back and positioned himself at her entrance. He couldn’t wait. Next time, he’d make love to her slowly, but not now. The need was driving him wild. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this close to losing control with a woman. And one he’d just met? Never.
Her fingers touched his covered cock, wrapping around him as if she wished to help him find his way.
“May I?” she asked.
He nodded. Her soft voice made him throb as she guided him into her very tight heat. How long had it been for her? The thought floated through his mind and drifted away. God help him, Little Miss Maggie felt impossibly good. He began the familiar pull and push as her hips rose up to meet him thrust for thrust.
But missionary just wasn’t doing it for him. He wanted more.
“Turn over.”
Maggie opened her eyes and he watched as she processed his command. Reaching for a couple of pillows, he positioned them under her hips as she rolled. Kneeling behind her raised backside, he slipped inside and thrust. Deeply. And then he let go. Listening to her moans, her begging sounds demanding more, he knew she was on board and ready to come with him. He pounded against her, losing himself to the chaotic movements.
Beneath him, Maggie arched, taking him deeper still. And then she screamed, smacking the sheets with one hand as she begged for more. He’d never felt a woman come apart with such abandon. It nearly undid him. But he couldn’t let that happen. Not yet.
He leaned forward, releasing her bucking hips as he reached around to touch the spot he knew would skyrocket her to the peak of her second orgasm. And this time, he came with her.
* * *
MAGGIE ROLLED OFF the stack of pillows, taking one with her. Cuddling it against her chest, she closed her eyes and reveled in the orgasmic shock waves still pulsing through her body. She’d never had sex like that—wild, unrestrained—the way she wanted it. If she’d been home in her own bed, she might have thought she was dreaming. But she wasn’t in her empty mansion. The pillow against her chest belonged to the Marriott hotel. Nothing in this room, apart from her clothes, belonged to her, including Hunter. None of it was her responsibility.
She waited for the disappointment, but it didn’t come. Instead, relief snuggled up next to her. After tonight, after another round or two, she’d never see him again. She had a Toyota parked outside and she planned to use it.
Maggie sighed into her borrowed bedding.
“Give me that.” Hunter plucked the pillow from her grasp and tossed it off the bed. “You’re making me jealous of a pile of goose feathers.”
“I’m pretty sure these are synthetic.” Maggie wrapped her body around his, letting her head lie on his shoulder. He tensed beneath her. Opening her eyes, she saw him wince. The gunshot wound. She’d completely forgotten. She sat up. “Am I hurting you?”
“My shoulder aches sometimes, usually after a workout.” He sat up beside her on the bed. “And that was quite a workout.”
A warm flush crept up her cheeks. He’d given her everything she’d needed. It only seemed fair that she offer him something in return. “Would you like a massage? I’m not a professional. Not even close. But I’ll give it my best shot.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m definitely going to take you up on that. But first let’s order some grub.” Smiling, he flopped down on his back and reached for the hotel phone on the nightstand. “Turns out those nachos weren’t enough. I need to refuel. Up for a late-night snack?”
Maggie glanced at the clock. It was only ten. But if he was hungry, she could pick at something while he ate. “Sure.”
“Great.” He rolled to his side and pressed the button for room service. Maggie listened as he ordered two pasta dishes, a salad and a dessert. Then he asked the person on the other end to hold.
“Are you a vegetarian?” he asked her, his hand over the receiver.
“No, and no dessert for me.” If he was going to look at her thighs again after their “snack,” she didn’t want to wonder if hotel cheesecake had added an extra layer.
Suddenly self-conscious, Maggie went to the bathroom and found two plush robes while Hunter finished ordering. She wrapped one around her still tingling body and returned to the room to offer him the other. He took it without pointing out that he’d already seen her naked, or saying he preferred to remain unclothed. A perfect gentleman, she thought, except when he’d taken her from behind. Then he’d been pure animal.
She smiled. He would make some woman very happy one day, but not her. This man was too I’m-in-charge for her world. Maggie sat back down on the bed.
“So tell me, Maggie,” he said. She tensed, waiting for him to ask her about her work, or her home, or why she’d been on the prowl for a one-night stand. “What is your favorite Italian restaurant?”
Maggie laughed her relief. “The Olive Garden.”
He nodded, accepting her choice instead of demanding to know why a woman who could afford to eat at Mario Batali’s finest New York City establishments any night of the week would pick a chain.
“Mine’s this small hole-in-the-wall in Costa Rica,” he said. “I was down there on vacation a few years back, on the Caribbean side, when I found it. Had to walk down an unlit road to get there, but it was worth it.”
The food arrived and the conversation flowed. They talked about travel and vacations, but never work or home life. She told him how she’d fallen in love with Italy when she was seventeen and visiting on a school trip. He told her about his favorite Greek island, Antiparos. They talked until she’d devoured half the salad (he ignored the other half), a third of a meat-filled lasagna (he ate the rest) and a bit of the vegetarian penne.
He barely touched the wine he’d ordered, sticking mostly to water, she noted, before pushing the thought from her mind. Now was not the time or place to study his behavior or compare him to her father. Tonight was for pleasure, and so far, the evening had exceeded her expectations. Sipping her own glass of white wine, Maggie thought, This is the best date of my life. And it’s not even a real date.
* * *
BESIDE HIM ON the bed, Maggie leaned back against a mountain of pillows. Forget Greece, he had his very own goddess right here. Her loose curls rested on the plush robe. Take it off, he thought. I want to touch you again.
He drained the last of his water and set the glass on the room service table while Maggie described her dream vacation: Paris. He’d only met her a few hours earlier, and in reality he knew very little about her, but he still felt closer to her than he had to most of the women he’d dated in the past few years. And he wondered if it was because she didn’t try so hard. She wasn’t here to find forever or to prove they were a good fit. She was just here because she wanted sex. If the erection under his robe was any indication, it was about time for another round. But first, she’d promised him a massage.
Hunter rolled his shoulder. Sex mingled with half a glass of wine had dulled the ache, but it was still there. “About that massage, you
still game?”
“Oh, yes.” She sat up, transforming instantly from relaxed beauty to take-charge woman. Little Miss Maggie reminded him of a Rubik’s Cube, her colors constantly changing. One minute her yellow, innocent side shone bright, then a row moved, adding a touch of brazen red. And when she came, hands slapping the bedding? That’s when all the colors mixed together.
Hunter shrugged out of his robe and flopped down on his stomach, turning his head to the side to watch Maggie. She set her wine on the night table and crawled across the bed. “I don’t think you can give a proper massage with your robe on.”
“Is that an order?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, ma’am.” The side of his mouth hitched upward. “If that’s what it takes to get you naked.”
Maggie laughed as she loosened the fabric belt at her waist and unwrapped her lush curves. He didn’t want to take his eyes off her full, perky breasts, enjoying the slight rise and fall with each breath she took. But when she shifted to straddle his lower back, he wasn’t left with a choice. Her hands touched his aching shoulder, gently, yet exerting just enough pressure to push away the pain. The rest of the world slipped out of reach, leaving behind Maggie’s hands, her heat grazing his lower back. When he died, if Hunter could have his pick of heavens, he’d return to this moment.
Ten, maybe fifteen minutes into the massage, the brazen Miss Maggie replaced her hands with her lips. Kissing and licking, she made her way down the center of his back, shimmying her wet core over his ass as she moved lower and lower....
He moaned.
“Roll over,” she whispered against his skin. “Please.”
Not caring who was in charge anymore, he obeyed, wondering if he would come the moment she touched him. Definite possibility. He opened his eyes and watched as she knelt beside him. Meeting his gaze as if she wanted permission, she asked, “May I?”
“Hell, yes.”
Her tongue licked the length of his shaft and his hips lifted up, demanding more. She gave it to him, wrapping her mouth around him. Her tongue swirled up and down, and Hunter dug his hands into the sheets. He swallowed a whimper when her lips rose to the tip. Then she wrapped her hand around one of his and lowered her mouth again. He closed his eyes and prayed the sensation would never end.
Minutes later, he knew he was too close to finding his release, and he didn’t want to come like this. Not without her. Gently, he pushed her away. “Lie down.”
Maggie stretched out on the bed beside him. “I wasn’t finished.”
“Some other time. Right now, there’s something else I want from you. You put me in charge. I’m calling the shots.” He retrieved a condom from the box he’d placed on the nightstand before dinner and quickly covered himself.
“Something new?”
Staring into her eyes, he hovered above her. “Honey, I could teach you things that would blow your fantasies out of the water. But right now, I just need you.”
His lips touched hers and he pushed inside. And this time, he filled her slowly, making love to her with everything he had left to give.
When she shattered beneath him, a little voice in the back of his consciousness whispered, Please don’t let this be the last time. And then he came, forgetting everything but Maggie and this moment.
* * *
HOURS LATER, HUNTER opened one eye, not sure he could move another muscle. He watched Maggie quickly slip into her clothes, then reach into her bag and pull out a pair of flip-flops. So much more her style than those shiny white things, he thought. But then it hit him. Shoes meant she was leaving, making a run for it while he slept.
He waited for her to dig a pen and paper out of her bag. After the night they’d shared, he knew she wouldn’t disappear without a goodbye or, more likely, a let’s-get-together-soon note. But instead, she picked up the white heels and tried to fit them into her purse. When the shiny shoes refused to disappear into the depths of her bag on the first try, she gave them one last look—a goodbye glance—and abandoned them on the floor beside the desk.
He didn’t move. She’d spared a parting moment for her shoes, but not him. She was leaving, sneaking out before dawn, and he couldn’t stop her. Hell, even if he let her know he was awake, he wouldn’t have a clue what to say. He usually did the sneaking, not the other way around.
He watched her tiptoe to the door, careful not to let her flip-flops smack her heels for the first few steps, but then panic seemingly took over and she ran for the exit like a spooked horse. He waited for a backward glance. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he wanted more—a phone number scrawled on an old receipt or written in lipstick across his chest.
He wanted a promise of one more night before he left town. Something. Anything.
But Little Miss Maggie didn’t look back as she slipped out of the room.
5
SIPPING HIS OVERPRICED hotel coffee, Hunter stood by the Marriott side entrance waiting for his commanding officer to pick him up. Lieutenant Colonel Walt Johnson had flown in yesterday for this morning’s mystery meeting, but had opted to stay with an old friend from West Point.
And wasn’t that a damn shame. Not that he was particularly close to his commanding officer. Colonel Johnson was too caught up in army politics in Hunter’s opinion. But his CO gave the orders and Hunter followed them. Occasionally, they got together for a beer. Too bad the colonel wasn’t available last night. Hunter could have used the distraction.
Everywhere he looked in this damn hotel, from the elevator to the inside of his room, he thought of Maggie, the woman he’d never see again. He’d spent most of Sunday in the Marriott’s indoor pool, trying to exhaust his body, so it wouldn’t ache for her. He loved to swim. He’d almost joined the navy, but had decided he owed it to his old man to follow in his footsteps and go army.
But yesterday it had been pure punishment. After a dozen laps in, his shoulder had throbbed, desperate for another one of Maggie’s not-quite-professional massages. And he didn’t just want the massage; he wanted the happy ending to go with it. One night of bed-shaking, mind-blowing sex had left him walking around with a hard-on that just wouldn’t quit and a pair of white heels he couldn’t bring himself to throw out. Go figure.
A red Mustang convertible pulled into the hotel parking lot. Johnson. The man liked his cars. Who wouldn’t want the wind in their hair on a sunny summer day?
Hunter took one last sip of his coffee before ditching the cup in the trash. It was time to work. Time to put Saturday night behind him.
“Colonel.” Hunter opened the passenger-side door and took a seat.
“Chief. How’s the shoulder?”
“Just fine, sir.” Ready for active duty. Please, God, send me back now.
“This mission should provide you with plenty of time for R & R. And you’re going to need it. Nail this one and that promotion, head of the Alpha Team? It’s yours.” His CO dropped a manila folder on his lap and put the car in gear. “The official briefing materials.”
“Thank you, sir.” Hunter smiled for the first time since Saturday night. Leader of the Alpha Team. A promotion. His dream job and a bigger paycheck. Whatever it was the colonel needed done, he’d do it. Hunter broke the envelope’s seal.
“Nothing but official crap in there.” His CO steered the Mustang out of the parking lot. “Just says your job here is to play nice with a political science professor named Margaret Barlow. Do a few interviews this week, set up a few more with your teammates.”
A week with a professor? His smile faded.
“Ms. Barlow is writing a book about your latest mission. Top brass believes she wants to focus too much attention on what went wrong during the rescue you boys pulled off while riding those damn horses.”
“And they gave her the go-ahead to look into it?” Hunter had been laid up in the hospital at the time, but he knew there had been questions about his last mission. Specifically, how he’d ended up with a bullet in his shoulder. The extraction had been a disaster
. His teammate had been too distracted to cover him, his mind still on the wife he’d buried before they’d deployed, and Hunter had taken a bullet. Better him than the aid worker he’d been carrying to safety at the time.
“Top brass granted her access because her old man was a decorated Ranger. He came home injured and received a medal or two for his actions. The generals don’t want the press to find out we denied a decorated war vet’s daughter access.”
“Can’t afford to say no.” Hunter nodded. “I get it.”
“But we also can’t let this woman run hog wild, writing whatever she damn pleases about what you boys did over there.” The colonel sped through a yellow light. “After the SEAL debacle, with that one soldier publishing a goddamn outline of the bin Laden mission, a memo came down from the top about letting classified information—hell, any substantive information about how we work—get out into the public. And the last thing we need is a public record of our mistakes.”
Hunter nodded, his jaw clenched. This mission reeked of internal politics and if he had a choice he’d say count me out, sir. He’d rather jump out of a helo than read some goddamn manuscript any day. But he knew the colonel well enough to know this assignment wasn’t optional.
“You won’t find it written up in the paperwork,” his CO continued. “But your job is to control what goes in her book. Act as her liaison, set up interviews with your teammates, but be damn sure you’ve coached the boys on what to say. Let her ask you a few questions and lead her away from sensitive issues. With the details of the SEAL’s mission out there in print, we can’t afford to be the next Special Forces group to spill our guts to the public. Stonewall her. Distract her. I don’t care. Just keep the upper hand and be certain you’ve read her drafts before she sends them off to her fancy New York publisher. Succeed and you’re the new team leader. I’ll have you shipping out with your team as soon as this is over.”
“Yes, sir.” Give a few interviews, distract a professor from telling the public about his teammate’s mistake and receive the job he’d always wanted and the money to take care of his sister? It sounded like a win-win. Everything he’d ever wanted was being handed to him on a platter.
Command Performance Page 5