Shielding Aspen

by Susan Stoker

  The condoms were a pain in the ass, but he hoped there would come a time in the near future when they trusted each other enough to ditch them.

  Aspen was also a wildcat; she gave as good as she got. When she’d wrapped her lips around his dick and looked up at him, he’d almost blown in her mouth in seconds.

  In short, everything about Aspen was perfect. And he was head over heels in love with her. Even though that should’ve scared the shit out of him, it didn’t.

  She shifted in his arms, and Brain let her go. She rolled onto her side, and he cuddled up behind her. Her ass wiggled and pressed back against his groin, immediately making him hard. But Brain didn’t plan on doing anything about that at the moment. He had a feeling he’d be hard around her all the time now. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her closer.

  “Kane?”

  “Yeah, darling?”

  “Love you.”

  He froze.

  When she didn’t say anything else, he whispered, “Aspen?”

  No answer. She was exhausted and probably had no idea she’d even spoken.

  Closing his eyes, Brain knew he’d never forget this moment. Sure, she’d been mostly unconscious when she’d said the words, but he’d do whatever it took to get her to say them when she was awake.

  For now, he simply kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Love you too.”

  Then he closed his eyes and slept.

  Derek Spence paced his apartment, mumbling to himself.

  He knew he should get over the fact Mesmer had dumped him…but he couldn’t. She’d rejected him. Then she’d humiliated him by kissing that asshole in the bar. It was obvious she hadn’t even known the guy until that night. If she thought she was fooling him, she was an even bigger idiot than he thought.

  But of course the guy wasn’t just anyone. He was a fucking Delta. They thought they were better than everyone else on base.

  Derek knew he would’ve been able to find Akhund if he’d had just a little more time. But no, that fucking Delta and his team had to come in, and he’d been kicked off the search. To add insult to injury, they’d found and killed the terrorist within days of their arrival in Afghanistan.

  Not only that—Derek had been given a reprimand. A fucking reprimand! It would be on his record forever. It was bullshit!

  He’d done everything the Army had ever asked him to. He’d put his life on the line time after time, and this was the thanks he got? A reprimand for trying to do his job?

  Of course he hadn’t been able to find Akhund. He had a huge handicap.

  Mesmer.

  He didn’t know any other Ranger team who had to put up with a chick. She was slower, weaker, a definite handicap in every way. He’d been this close to finding Akhund when her incompetence had ruined everything. She should’ve been fine on her own; a man would’ve been. And Derek was convinced she’d encouraged the other men to complain to the major about what had happened, resulting in that fucking reprimand in his file.

  It should’ve been Mesmer. Someone should’ve realized that having women on Ranger teams was a bad idea. That they couldn’t handle intense combat situations. But no, she and her fucking Delta buddies were waltzing around post as if they were fucking royalty!

  Yes. That fucking reprimand was all Mesmer’s fault. If he didn’t have to put up with her on his teams, they would’ve caught Akhund easily, and he’d have gotten a goddamn commendation.

  She had to pay for fucking everything up. She and that asshole Delta had to pay.

  He wasn’t sure how, or when, but he’d make sure Mesmer regretted dumping him, regretted ruining his perfect record. And make sure that Delta regretted ever kissing her that night in the bar.

  No one made Derek Spence look bad. He was a fucking Ranger—and he’d show the world he was no one to be messed with.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next week was idyllic for Aspen. She’d spent every night with Kane and, if possible, she felt even closer to him now than she did a week ago. Yes, the sex between them was amazing, but when they were both too tired to do more than fall into bed, having him hold her was just as intimate as the nights when they made love.

  They were both busy at work. Aspen had begun the process to leave the Army. It was both sad and exciting at the same time. She’d started looking at her options for working as a paramedic and had to decide if she wanted to stay in Killeen, or branch out and look in Temple or Georgetown. She didn’t want to get too far from Fort Hood, as that’s where Kane was at the moment.

  The good thing about being a paramedic was that if Kane was moved from the Texas area, she could find another job no matter where they went. Of course, there was always the chance she and Kane wouldn’t stay together, but at the moment, a breakup seemed unlikely.

  The only thing disrupting her current contentment was—randomly enough—the weather.

  Three days ago, the national weather service had said there was an eighty-five percent chance that Hurricane Florence would make a direct hit on the Galveston area. It had been upgraded to a category two, and wasn’t expected to grow stronger, but because of other storms that had hit Houston, everyone was concerned about the wind stream shifting and forcing the storm to hover over the area for twenty-four hours or more.

  Unfortunately, the forecasters were right, and the sustained rain bands brought massive amounts of rain to the coast and the surrounding area, including Houston. National Guard troops had already been sent in to assist in both the rescue operation for people trapped in their houses and cars, as well as to try to maintain order until the water receded.

  Aspen was at Kane’s once more, and they were still asleep when his phone rang. She rolled with him as he reached for it.

  “Hello?”

  Aspen looked at the clock and saw that it was four thirty-two in the morning.

  “Right. We’re on our way,” Kane said to whoever was on the other end, then he clicked off the phone and tightened his arms around her.

  “Who was that?” she asked.

  “Trigger. We’re heading out this morning to go down to Houston.”

  Aspen got up on an elbow and looked at him. The light they’d forgotten to turn off in the bathroom gave the room enough illumination for her to see. “We?”

  “Yeah. You, me, the rest of the guys on the team. We.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay if I go with you?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” he asked. “We’ve talked about this. You already got clearance from your major, and our commander is thrilled we’ll have a combat medic with us.”

  “I just…I don’t know. I’ve never really been asked to be a part of a team like this before.”

  Kane didn’t laugh at her, he simply brought his hand up to her face and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “The day after you told the major you were getting out, he had your replacement assigned to the Rangers. You haven’t seen Buckland, Hamilton, or any of the others since then. Besides, for this mission, there aren’t really ‘teams.’ We’re all going down there, and we’ll split up as necessary to operate the inflatable boats and rescue people.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’d like you to stay with me while we’re there, though. The team might be split up, but I want you and I to stay together. I’m trying not to be overly assholish about this, but desperate people do desperate things. And if something happened to you and I wasn’t there to help…I’m not sure I’d be able to forgive myself.”

  Aspen felt kinda gooey inside that Kane was as worried about her as he was.

  “And you haven’t worked in a rescue situation like this before,” he went on, as if he was still trying to convince her. “Yes, there was plenty of time for people to evacuate, but many don’t have the money or anywhere else to go, so they stay. When the water rises, they panic, and they’ll do whatever they can to survive. Not to mention the assholes who take advantage of those who’ve fled by breaking into homes and businesses. It can be dangerous, and I can�
��t stand the thought of losing you when we’re just now settling into our new normal.”

  Aspen smiled. “I’m thinking I need to stick around to protect you. Having a tried-and-true combat medic at your side can come in handy.”

  “Definitely,” he agreed. “And you’re right, I could get a blister or a paper cut and need you to kiss it and make it better.”

  Aspen rolled her eyes. Her man was a goof.

  Her man. Damn, she liked that.

  “We need to get up and head to the post to pack our stuff and get on the road,” he said reluctantly.

  “Do we have time for a shower?” Aspen asked. The question had been asked innocently enough, but the look in Kane’s eyes when he answered was anything but.

  “Yeah, but to save time, we should probably take it together.”

  And just like that, Aspen was turned way the hell on. “You think?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Definitely,” Kane said, then he rolled over, bringing her with him, and swung his legs over the side of the mattress. Aspen held on as he stood, loving the feel of his hardening cock against her backside. One thing about her man, he never had a problem getting it up.

  He carried her into the bathroom, leaning over and turning on the water in the shower to allow it time to warm up. Then she let her legs drop.

  “I’ll brush my teeth while you use the bathroom, then we’ll switch,” he told her.

  Aspen nodded.

  In minutes, they were in the shower, and Kane went to his knees in front of her and used his hands to spread her thighs. Licking his lips, he looked up and said, “Gotta make sure you’re nice and clean here.” Without waiting for a reply, he lowered his head…and Aspen forgot about everything else. Houston. The storm. Getting out of the Army. All she could think about was how good Kane made her feel.

  As amazing as the morning had been, Brain was now one hundred percent focused on the job at hand. They’d arrived at the post and met up with his team. Then they’d been herded into a large two-and-a-half-ton truck and made the four-hour trip down to Houston, part of a convoy of other trucks and Humvees. Based on where the flooding was the worst, they’d spent the first couple hours putting up tents in an empty big box parking lot nearby to use as a staging area, and then had been in strategy meetings for the last hour.

  The rain had continued to come down that afternoon, alternating between periods of relatively easy drizzle to absolute downpours. Everyone knew the situation was desperate for those who were trapped. The Army was working with the city, which was taking 9-1-1 calls and attempting to get assistance to those in need.

  Throughout the afternoon, Aspen remained by his side. Well, not right at his side, but nearby. She worked with other medics to figure out the best way to split everyone up so they’d have the most coverage. Some of the locals had learned they were there, as well, and had come over to find out as much information as they could about what was going on and to ask them to check on loved ones. Aspen did her best to keep them occupied so the authorities could assign search parties to go on rescue runs when necessary.

  Brain hadn’t been happy to learn that Derek had volunteered to come to Houston. Although it wasn’t as if he had any say in who volunteered and who didn’t. The immature asshole kept shooting Aspen dirty looks, but she was ignoring him, too busy for his nonsense. Brain made a mental note to keep her as far away from Spence as possible. He hoped he wouldn’t be a problem, as the middle of a humanitarian mission to help Houstonians wasn’t the place for a showdown.

  From the moment they’d arrived at the staging point, things had been hectic, and Brain was relieved when they got the go-ahead to start rescuing people. Some of the teams drove the big deuce-and-a-half trucks and others were taking boats the Army had acquired. Others still were teaming with locals who had shown up with their personal boats.

  Brain and Aspen hopped into one of the large inflatable boats that the Coast Guard had brought with them and headed out for their first mission. With the Coastie steering, Brain and Aspen hopped in and out of the boat to enter flooded homes, checking for anyone who might be trapped.

  During their first run, they brought a family of four back to the staging area, as well as their two dogs. On the second trip, they found an elderly couple who hadn’t been able to flee and were trapped in their one-story house. And so it went.

  Hours later, Brain had no idea how many trips they’d made into the flooded streets of the city and back to the staging area, but it was a lot. He was exhausted, and he knew Aspen had to be tired too, but he’d never know it by looking at her. During their last few rescues, she was the one who’d made contact with the civilians who needed help, and he was the muscle, which was fine with him. Aspen was much friendlier than he was, able to calm the people they were rescuing.

  He also had to give it to the men and women who were driving the boats. Brain and Aspen had used many different vessels for their rescues. After helping citizens to the tents, they climbed into whichever craft was ready upon returning to the launch area. So they’d a different driver with each rescue, but thus far, they’d all done an amazing job of avoiding the dangers in the water.

  And there was no doubt that being in the water was dangerous. There were submerged cars, road signs, and large chunks of debris that the people steering the boats had to avoid. Not to mention the downed power lines and even the occasional alligator.

  “How’re you holding up?” Brain asked Aspen when they were on their way back to the staging area for what seemed like the thousandth time.

  “I’m good,” she said.

  There were three people sitting in the bottom of the boat, huddled together and crying with relief that they’d been plucked out of their car, which the driver had stupidly driven into a flooded street. The current had swept the car about a hundred feet downstream until it had gotten stuck against a bunch of trees. The trio had managed to climb onto the roof and hang onto the trees, but with the water moving as fast as it was, they couldn’t swim to safety. They’d yelled and gotten the attention of someone nearby, who had relayed their position to the Army.

  “You are, aren’t you?” Brain asked Aspen.

  She gave him a small, tired smile. It was dark outside by now, and he couldn’t see her face very well. But every now and then they’d pass a streetlight that was still on, and he saw her eyes were on his. She looked…radiant. She was in her element, and it showed.

  “I love this,” she said. “Not people being hurt or scared, but being able to help them. Somehow finding the right words to make them relax and trust that I’m going to get them out of whatever situation they’re in. I love having the ability to bandage up their hurts and reassure them that they’re all right, that we’re going to get them to safety.”

  “It’s addicting,” Brain said with a nod. This was the first time in hours they’d had a moment to talk. Really talk. “You’re going to be an amazing addition to a rescue squad,” he told her.

  She tilted her head, looking slightly skeptical.

  “You are,” he insisted. “You know how to take instruction from someone else, but at the same time, you can think on your feet. Look at us, we’ve worked together flawlessly. I swear several times today you read my mind. I know whoever hires you is gonna think they hit the jackpot once you get on staff.”

  “Thanks,” Aspen said. “You haven’t been so bad yourself out here. I’m not sure what I would’ve done without you. That one couple that only spoke Spanish was so freaked out, I couldn’t have gotten them out of their house if you hadn’t been there to explain what was going on. And how lucky was it that we were sent to rescue that Japanese guy? He thought we were leaving him behind, and was desperate enough to leap into the water when we had to back up and come at him from a different angle. He would’ve been electrocuted if you hadn’t told him what we were doing before he tried to swim out to us.”

  Brain shrugged. “As I said, we’re a good team.”

  “We are, aren’t we?” A
spen said.

  Not able to stop himself, Brain lifted a gloved hand and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. They were both soaking wet, as the rain still hadn’t let up, and she had a streak of dirt across her cheek. But he’d never seen anyone as beautiful as Aspen in all his life.

  Shouts sounded ahead of them, and Brain dropped his hand and took a deep breath. It was time to get back to work. He wasn’t sure how many more trips they’d be allowed to take, but he knew Aspen wouldn’t ask to take a break. She was stubborn, like he was, and the urgency to keep going, to rescue more people, was pressing on them all.

  When they neared the edge of the water, both Brain and Aspen jumped off and held out their hands to help the trio off the boat. They walked them the few blocks to the staging area and showed them where to check in. Aspen reassured them once again that someone would help them get in touch with their families.

  She turned to head back to the boats, but Brain caught her arm. “Time for a break, chérie.”

  “You’re slipping,” she said with a tired grin. “You’ve already used that one a few times before.”

  Brain shook his head. “Hey, I know a lot of languages, but eventually I’m gonna run out. Besides, I thought all women loved French?”

  Aspen shrugged. “I have to say that while I love hearing you call me darling in all the languages you know, I’m pretty partial to the English version…simply because of when you use it.”

  And just like that, Brain felt himself getting turned on. He mock frowned at her. “You can’t say that sort of shit here, where I can’t do anything about it.”

  “Oh…sorry,” she trilled, not looking or sounding sorry in the least.

  “Come on,” he told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward a large tent that was filled with donated food and drinks from local businesses. “Time to refuel, then we can head back out.”