“Be faster without the crutches.” He tried to recapture her mouth. “And if we didn’t bother with bed.”
It was tempting. “I don’t think your knee is up to anything that isn’t lying down,” she teased, nipping at his chin. “And I’m not interested in explaining to the CIA why I was having sex with one of their agents on a kitchen floor.”
“The answer to any question, always, is ‘Because national security was at risk.’”
Zoe laughed and reluctantly stood, pulling away from his mouth and his dangerous hands. “Stay here. I mean it. If I come back and you’re standing, I’ll send you to bed by yourself.” The crutches weren’t hard to find: they were propped, ignored, in a corner of the living room. He must have taken her at her word, because he was still seated when she came back. He grumbled good-naturedly, but pulled himself up on the crutches and led the way down the hall.
***
The bedroom Lee and Zoe had been sharing was the largest in the house, with wide windows that looked onto a small overgrown backyard. The windows were open and the afternoon’s rain misted in when the wind shifted just right. Lee already loved this room because it was where he’d first gotten to wake up next to Zoe in a real bed. Now it was about to become even more perfect. She closed the door behind her and came over to him, running her hands up his chest.
“The first thing,” she said, and the whispered huskiness to her voice made his knees weak, “is to get you comfortable.” She leaned up to kiss him and reached for the waistband of his jeans. His cock, which had been stirring already, started to sit up and take notice as she undid his pants and slid them down, followed by his underwear.
“You’re not messing around,” he teased, leaving a line of kisses from her mouth to her ear.
“Don’t want you to have to get up later. Sit down.” He did, and she took the crutches and propped them nearby, close enough that he could reach them if he needed to. She leaned down and pulled away his jeans, careful of his wrapped knee. When she straightened, she rested her hands on his bare thighs and leaned in to kiss him again. The way her tongue slid and stroked against his threatened to drive him mad. He gave in to the urge to cup her ass and pull her against him. With the height of the bed, he was only a little shorter than she was. He bit at the sweet fullness of her lower lip, following it with teasing bites under her chin and down her neck, wanting to hear her moan softly as he lapped at the pulse point of her throat. He kissed his way down to the front button of her shirt and paused to unbutton first it, then the next one, revealing the stunning brown-gold curves of her cleavage, so tempting he couldn’t resist tasting her skin, running his tongue just along the line of her bra.
She arched toward his mouth and he quickly unfastened the rest of the buttons, pushing the shirt off her shoulders before bringing his hands back to cup the sides of her breasts. Her bra was a simple white lace that shimmered against her skin, sheer enough that he could see the circles of her areolas and the tightening peaks of her nipples. How much more sheer would it be wet? Zoe’s eyes were half-lidded in bliss and she was starting to sway on her feet. He brushed his thumbs over her nipples to see her jolt, then lowered his mouth to the right one, gently tonguing it through her bra.
“Oh God,” she murmured, clasping her fingers behind his head and leaning toward him. Her nipples tightened and swelled beneath his fingers and mouth before he drew back to view his handiwork. Her bra was almost transparent when wet—he was grateful that the clasp was a simple one in front, because his hands were shaking too much for anything more complicated. He let her finish taking it off once he’d freed her breasts, wanting—needing—to feel her skin beneath his hands and tongue.
Before long, she was writhing against him and he was hard and wet from the friction of her clothes against his cock. “No, wait,” she gasped, pushing herself away. “Take off your shirt and lie back. I want to see you.”
He wasn’t fool enough to argue with that, and did as she asked. His body was still mottled here and there with yellowing bruises and healing cuts, but he’d gotten off easy. The look in Zoe’s eyes as she stood there, gloriously topless, said she thought otherwise. “I’m so sorry,” she breathed.
“Unless you’re about to tell me you’ve changed your mind about coming to bed, you have nothing to be sorry for.” He met her eyes and smiled. “Get naked for me. Please?”
She grinned and turned her back to him.
“Aw, come on,” he protested, until she unfastened her jeans and started to wriggle out of them. He was transfixed by the roundness of her hips, the slow reveal of the smooth soft skin of her ass as she inched her clothing away. He couldn’t help but lie back on the bed, one hand going instinctively to his cock, stroking it in appreciation. She bent over as she pushed her clothing down, giving him the best view he could have asked for. Finally she stepped out of her clothes and turned around.
She was so beautiful it made his heart ache and sing at the same time. Everything about her, from the thick, natural curls of her hair down to the soles of her delicate feet, was absolutely perfect. “Come here,” he said, holding out his hand. She came over and raised one knee onto the bed, lying down beside him so he could draw her into his arms. Feeling every inch of her, from head to toe, made it hard to think straight, the warmth of her body driving out anything that wasn’t her. Zoe wrapped one leg around his hip and snuggled closer to him, lying on her side and nuzzling at his shoulder. He turned so he could kiss her more easily, their mouths fitting together soft and sweet. She stroked his chest and—when he felt her grin—tweaked one of his nipples between her fingers, sending a spark spiraling through his body, making him jump.
She giggled, and suddenly he wanted more than anything to hear more of that. He ran his hands over her sides, looking for ticklish spots. “Hey!” She squirmed and started to wriggle against him, her breasts caressing his chest with their soft weight. As she arched away, he took advantage of it to lean in and nip at her collarbone until her giggles turned into a soft sigh. He gathered her in, his hands in the small of her back, and she cradled his head to her chest as he worked his way down, dragging the tip of his tongue over the inside curve of her breast. He wanted to tease her more, but the taut peaks of her nipples were too great a temptation. He closed his mouth over one, tonguing and gently sucking it.
The moan she gave was the sweetest sound he could imagine, and the shift of her hips was like a promise. She parted her thighs as soon as he touched one of them, tilting toward his hand in mute supplication. Now he could tease, just letting his fingertips trail along her inner thigh, never quite going where she wanted him, although he could feel her heat. He left her nipple with a soft bite, then moved up to kiss her neck, inching toward her ear. There was something he needed her to hear.
“I love you, Zoe,” he murmured, finally letting his fingers slide over the curls between her legs, feeling her part wider, opening for him.
“I love you,” she gasped, and the catch in her voice made him pull away to look at her. Her eyes were over-bright and shiny and she was trying not to blink.
He moved his hand away. “I’m sorry, did I—?”
“Don’t you stop,” she hissed, despite the tears in her eyes. “Touch me. I just—I love you. That’s all.” She pulled him back for a kiss, pressing her hips insistently against his hand until he slipped his fingers between her parted lips. The heat and the damp of her pussy made his hunger surge, burning with the realization that she was his, and he was hers, and soon he’d be buried inside her, feeling all of that wet heat surrounding him. It took all of his willpower to move slow, and keep teasing her, dipping in one little fingertip at a time until she was thrusting against his hand, whimpering and trying to take more.
Touching her wasn’t enough. He needed to taste the salt-sweetness of her, to feel her ripen against his tongue like the world’s most perfect peach. That night in the hotel wasn’t enough, nothing would ever b
e enough. He had no more patience for a slow tease, but slid down the bed until he could kiss her warm brown thighs, nuzzling between them until she parted them further. Glancing up to check with her, he pulled his hand away and couldn’t resist licking his fingers. He savored both the taste of her and the sound of her gasp. Her eyes were wide and dark with her arousal, her mouth half open and tempting. He needed more than a kiss. He encouraged her to scoot up the bed a little and turn on her back. It was tricky with his bad knee, but he managed to settle between her thighs, mouthing over their curves until he nosed against her damp curls. She gave a soft cry and arched toward him when he parted her lips and ran his tongue between them.
“Yes,” she gasped. “Oh please, yes.”
It was all the encouragement he needed. He’d teased her long enough. Her clit was hard beneath his tongue and he licked at it until he found the places that made her moan the loudest. When her moans took on a pleading sound, he slid two of his fingers back inside of her, marveling at how much wetter and softer she was. Knowing she was ready made it so tempting to give in, to slide up and take her, but he wanted more, he wanted to give her more than that.
His brain was on fire with the scent and sound of her, using his hands and mouth to find the most sensitive places, curling his fingers just so as he stroked in and out of her, urging her on. He could tell she was close and it felt like his heart was beating out the rhythm of her name until she finally started to cry out and spasm around his fingers. She grabbed at his shoulders, holding on to him as she writhed beneath him.
Finally he pulled away, kissing his way back up her body until he was lying at her side. Zoe snuggled close to him, her eyes still heavy with bliss, but she reached down and wrapped her hand around his cock, biting her lower lip coquettishly. “How do you want to manage this, with your knee?” she asked. She was the one who got a condom from the nightstand, and rolled it onto him while waiting for his answer. Her touch was almost agony, and he couldn’t stop the groan he made.
“I don’t care. Just, please. Zoe. I need you.”
She turned toward him, hooking one foot over his hip and pulling him close. As he leaned in to kiss her, she guided his cock into her with a soft sigh against his mouth. Her eyes were open and soft, and he couldn’t look away as they started to rock together. It was hypnotic, the way she undulated against him, like dancing. “How’s that?”
“Perfect. You’re perfect.” That was all he could manage. They held each other, stealing kisses and rocking back and forth. It was lovemaking, slow and sweet and possibly the most intimate thing he had ever done. The pace helped him last longer than he thought possible, but when Zoe gave a soft growl and pushed him onto his back, he was ready for more. She straddled him and took him again like their first time, only now he could see her without walls, and wondered how he had missed it then, how closed-off and cautious she’d been.
“Your knee?” Her breath was starting to come faster, as was his.
“It’s fine. You’re not going to hurt me.” Words that he had a moment to second-guess as she started to ride him in earnest, her head dropped back and her mouth open. All he could do was hold on to her hips and watch her body, each enticing sway and bounce. He felt her tighten around him and heard her moans take on an edge. She blindly reached for his hands and they linked fingers as she came a second time, pulling him with her, the pleasure seeming to rocket out of the core of his being until he was crying out along with her, gasping her name over and over until she collapsed against him.
She laughed softly and nuzzled his cheek. “Still okay?”
“What knee?” He kissed her forehead. “It’s possible I’ve never felt better in my life.”
“I love you,” she murmured.
“I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Once Agent Wishnevsky gave the all-clear, Zoe went back to work at the clinic and tried to pretend everything was the same, but it wasn’t. People were still scared, and their patient numbers were way down. The CIA could say all they wanted that all of Arcangel’s followers had been identified and rounded up, but Zoe wasn’t sure. Was someone out there warning people away from the clinic, telling them to stay away from the American doctors or else? Christiane and the MI staff in Bogotá were in a tizzy, trying to come up with new plans and protocols to prevent anything like this happening again. While Christiane insisted she didn’t blame Zoe for what happened, Zoe felt some responsibility anyway.
She’d barely seen Lee at all. They exchanged emails and phone calls daily, but he’d been sent back to the office in Bogotá. He said it wasn’t a punishment, that with his cover in Inírida blown, he was of more use as an analyst than as a field agent. He chafed at it though, complaining about the physical therapy he was undergoing and the long wait to find out if he’d need surgery on his knee. Unspoken, but perhaps there anyway, was his fear that he’d be disqualified from fieldwork entirely.
There was something he wasn’t telling her, and it worried her. He’d promised her he wouldn’t lie—did that mean he would just keep things from her instead?
He was coming back to Inírida tomorrow, but this wasn’t going to work. It couldn’t. The distance between them wasn’t bad now, but neither of them was going to be in Colombia forever.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Maria coming into her office, carrying a massive basket full of vegetables. “Well, I think La Abuelita has forgiven you for using Little Maria to carry messages.”
“She sent all of that? What about the kids? She was having trouble feeding them all before.” Zoe came around the desk to help Maria set it down.
“Apparently she’s been getting help from a mysterious benefactor. She wouldn’t tell me who, but I think Corporal Montemayor has found a new abuelita to look after.”
“Timo?” Zoe couldn’t even recognize all of the items in the basket; after all this time, some of Colombia’s produce was still a mystery to her. “So he’s in the clear?”
Maria nodded. “I think maybe his superiors knew he was working with the Americans, but since he helped expose a major security flaw, they’re overlooking that.” She paused, looking closer at Zoe. “What’s wrong, querida?”
“Oh, I’m just . . . moping.” Zoe pulled a face.
“Your man is coming to town tomorrow and you’re moping?” Maria tsked.
“Oh it’s not him,” Zoe said. “Well, it is him, but— Maria, what am I going to do if he gets reassigned to the other side of the world? Or if I do?”
Maria chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll do what every other couple does: you’ll talk about it, and you’ll figure something out.”
“It can’t be that simple,” Zoe persisted.
“Who said it was simple? Nothing worthwhile is.”
The words followed her as she took a moto taxi to the airport the next day. She’d been up most of the night, trying to find a solution. Of the two of them, she had the more flexible career, really. She could be a doctor anywhere, couldn’t she? Could she walk away from MI and go into a hospital setting?
The flight from Bogotá was an hour late, and Zoe spent most of it mentally chewing her fingernails. What if Lee was happy with a long-distance relationship? There were so many things they hadn’t talked about, although she would have sworn she knew him deep down. And maybe as a person she did, but the details of his everyday life? Not really.
Some of her worry dissipated at the sight of him and when he swept her up into his arms, kissing her thoroughly and swinging her around. She laughed. “It’s only been two weeks.”
His limp was hardly noticeable as they walked outside, although she would have been happier to see him using a cane. “How’s the brace working out?” she asked.
He wrinkled his nose. “I hate it, but it works. Are we going to talk about my knee all weekend?”
“I’m sure we’ll find something else to talk about too,” s
he teased.
***
Later, lying in her narrow bed, she rested her head on his shoulder and looked at the ceiling. One benefit to being apart, at least, was spectacular reunion sex.
“Zoe, I need to talk to you about something.” Lee turned on his side and she did likewise so they could see each other.
“Can I go first?” She needed to say this before she lost her nerve. He nodded. “I don’t think I can do this if we’re apart all of the time,” she said. “I don’t know how itinerant your job is, but mine can be, and I . . . don’t want that for us.” She took a deep breath. “If you want us to be together, I can—I can leave Médecins International and just . . . find a hospital job wherever you’re posted. If—if you want that.”
He looked at her with wide eyes and she panicked, thinking she’d misread things entirely. Had he been about to end things with her? Then he started to laugh, and pulled her close in a hug.
“What?” she said, vaguely irritated. “I just offered to leave my job for you and you’re laughing at me.”
“No, I just— It would be a shame for you to leave MI, since they just offered me a job.” He smiled at her, blue eyes bright and warm.
“They what?”
“They did. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I met with Christiane Bernet a couple of times. With everything that’s happened, she’s pushing for the organization to develop a more active security procedure. She’s gotten the approval to use Colombia as a test case.”
“And she wants you to—”
“Be the head of security for MI in this region, essentially.” When she didn’t say anything, he said carefully, “I haven’t accepted yet. I told her I needed to talk to you. What do you think?”
“What about the CIA?” Zoe’s brain was moving almost too fast for her to keep up.
As Lost as I Get Page 22