Sweat beading across his chest, Reaper withdrew and then filled her again in a slow, methodic rhythm. There was no resistance this time, and no hint of pain either—just pure pleasure. He eased forward until his hips were pressed against her inner thighs and he was completely filling her once more. Caroline bit down on his shoulder to keep from crying out. Her entire body surrounded his, taking in his enormous size with rapture.
She was on the verge of having another orgasm, and Reaper was riding the clouds right along with her.
He began thrusting into her, taking her with a tender forcefulness that only served to push her closer and closer to the edge of shattering. Only now, she didn’t break, she just kept climbing higher with each thrust, so high it scared her. “Reaper, I want you.”
His body rubbed against hers, and she moved back and forth with him as he picked up the pace, his thrusts becoming more forceful. “Hold onto me. Just hold on, baby.”
Caroline did as he instructed. Unable to think logically, she wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life. He slammed into her, hard and fast, over and over, pushing her to the brink. The tightly wound coil inside her snapped and she screamed out his name, “Reaper!”
Wave after wave of pleasure coursed up her body, wrapping her up in a cocoon of hazy desire. Reaper thrust into her again and then groaned, holding deep inside her. She felt him swell and then burst, his hot release filling her. Another wave of pleasure clenched and gnawed at her insides. She clawed his back, dug her heels into his hips. The pleasure was almost unbearable. She couldn’t breathe. And then she shuddered, her body let go and her orgasm completely took control.
20
It was all Reaper could do to keep himself from crushing her tiny frame beneath him, splayed out like a goddess on the grass. A tiny part of him had been afraid he’d break her, but she’d taken his size just like she was built for him. The first thrust had almost been enough to make him come right then and there, the fit like a tight glove. Her soft cries of pleasure were music to his ears, and then she surprised him by turning into a fierce tiger, clawing his back. He dropped his head into the grass next to hers, keeping the bulk of his weight off her so she could breathe. A smile tugged at his lips. Caroline Cotter might be the daintiest creature he’d ever seen but there was no denying she had claws.
Their heavy pants mingled and his cock remained well inside her. She’d been a virgin, and he sure as hell hadn’t been expecting that, but then again, he hadn’t planned on taking her either. This had started as another mission for him, and he’d forced himself to see her as nothing but the source for his teammates’ survival. Now, every instinct inside him screamed for him to protect her and cherish her. He needed to be with her. He needed to hold her in his arms. He needed her.
Her warm, wet folds clenched around him, the aftershocks of her orgasm still milking him. A shudder worked down his spine and it was all he could do not to begin thrusting inside her again like some animal.
This reaction he had to her wasn’t normal, but nothing between them had ever been normal. He needed to make sure he hadn’t hurt her too badly, tend to her, and then check his wound. But God help him, he didn’t want to pull out of her wet heat. He wanted to stay joined with her like this for the rest of his life.
“Caroline, are you okay?” Reaper lifted his head.
Her eyes were closed in a dreamy smile that curled up the corners of her mouth. She practically hummed out a yes.
Reaper brushed back a strand of hair stuck to her cheek, looking for any excuse to continue to touch her. “I hurt you, didn’t I?”
Caroline opened her eyes, their bright blue gaze entrancing him. “You could never hurt me. I loved every second.”
Her honest answer put another chink in his resolve to use her. While it was obvious Caroline would do anything he asked, there was something inside him that she’d awakened that completely objected to the idea of causing her any hurt. Even if she willingly volunteered.
And that previously nonexistent part of his soul was exactly what he feared the most. He couldn’t think straight with their bodies joined as one. He couldn’t think about anything but her.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” he said a little too gruffly. And then he quickly pulled himself from her before he changed his mind. There was blood on her thighs. His too.
The surge of primitive pride and concern took him completely off guard. He had taken her and possessed her as his own, something no other man had ever done. A masculine pleasure thrummed through him. She belonged to him now.
The sun was shifting to the west, and although it was still high in the sky, it would begin its descent. They couldn’t begin traveling today, which meant he had the entire rest of the afternoon and night to cherish with her.
He’d think about his responsibilities tomorrow.
Caroline pushed herself up onto her elbows, her semi-dried hair a wild, tangled mop, her lips still flushed and swollen from his kisses. She was the sexiest thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Heat bloomed in his chest and erupted across his sternum, an unfamiliar sensation.
“Let me check your wound, I’m sure after all of that—” she blushed appealingly, “—you’ve reopened your stitches.”
She reached for his bandage, and he sat there on his haunches and let her check his wound, using it as an opportunity to study her up close. There was a slight smattering of freckles across her nose he’d failed to notice before, and they left him enthralled. She bit her lip, something he noticed she did a lot when she was worried or concentrating, and peeled the tape back from his shoulder.
“Oh my God, Reaper, your wound, it’s … almost closed up.” Caroline pulled the bandage the rest of the way off his shoulder.
He glanced down, not surprised to see that he was close to fully mended. The constant serum injections over the past year had not only enhanced his senses, it had also enhanced his healing rate. His entire team mended much faster than normal, which was an extreme advantage when wounded in battle. Not only that, they were able to keep going farther and faster even when severely injured.
Although he hated to admit it, the severe side effects from the experiment were partially outweighed by the benefits. A gunshot wound like the one he’d received would have killed a normal man. He’d recovered in a day.
A day—that was even faster than normal, even for his enhanced abilities. He knew because his teammate, Hawk, had taken a bullet in the thigh halfway through their experiments and it had taken him a full forty-eight hours to heal enough to resume normal activity.
The far-reaching implications of the drugs must have gone beyond the initial build-up in the plateau. Dr. Winters admitted the serum had attached to his DNA and changed it. Wasn’t it possible it was still morphing? That he was still adapting and becoming stronger?
But that didn’t make sense. Anytime he went too long without a dose of serum, he became weak and severely ill, like a drug addict on withdrawal. Yes, he’d had his one allowed shot before passing out, but that still shouldn’t have restored him to this degree.
He’d tried to be careful while taking her, but that much movement should have reopened his wound, or at the very least caused him some weakness and soreness from internal tearing. Reaper flexed his neck, moving his arms and testing his body for pain. He didn’t even feel a twinge.
It was as if making love to Caroline had boosted his body and soul. He felt stronger, more alive than ever.
“Reaper, there’s no way your body should heal that fast.” Caroline gently prodded a few inches around the wound as if testing to see if he was real or not.
Not wanting the reality of their situation to intrude on them just yet, Reaper captured her hand and took it to his mouth, kissing the inside of her wrist. “I don’t want to talk about me right now. I want to talk about you.”
He continued at a leisurely pace, working his way up to the bend of her elbow and then on to the soft skin on the underside of her arm. “How is it you taste so good?”
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She giggled and his stomach clenched. Damn, these physical reactions he had to her slightest response were hard for him to parse.
“At least one of us smells good. I think it’s time you had a bath, sir.”
Caroline rose to her feet and held out her hand. Reaper stared at it for a full minute before accepting her help up. Everything about her was so different than what he was used to. There were no rough and gruff edges to this woman, only tenderness and caring.
No one had ever actually cared about him before … at least not like this.
“Hey, why the serious face?” She cupped his jaw, her liquid blue gaze drawing his attention from the darkness of his life.
“I was just thinking that no one’s ever cared about me before.” Had he really just said that out loud?
She must think him a complete fool for blurting out his deepest thoughts. Only weak men felt things like self-pity. And only the weakest shared that feeling with others.
It shocked him—and then dazzled him—when a brilliant smile spread across her lips, lighting up her entire face. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that I’m the first, but you should know that I care deeply about you. And I’m not going to stop.”
The weight of her words nearly made his knees buckle. He did not sense an ounce of dishonesty in her tone; all he felt was her warmth and her joy. His throat closed up.
“All right, enough girl stuff. Let’s get cleaned up.”
Because he sure as shit didn’t know how to handle the heavy weight of the emotions she was bringing out in him.
Caroline’s smile didn’t falter; in fact, it grew almost mischievous. “You haven’t heard someone tell you that they care about you before—but I’m about to fix that problem. I’ll tell you those words every day.”
If he didn’t get her to stop saying things like that, he was going to do something stupid, like take her in his arms and profess his feelings to her out loud. And he wasn’t ready for that yet, so he did the only thing he knew. He captured her lips in a soul-scorching kiss that left them both shaken.
She must’ve sensed his unease because when they broke apart again she didn’t say anything else. She just wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close, laying her cheek against the hollow at the bottom of his chest. Reaper’s arms went around her as naturally as a bullet went into a gun.
And he knew right then, if she wanted to stand there like this for the rest of the entire day, he would be more than content to oblige.
21
Caroline hid her face against his chest so he couldn’t see her heart breaking on the inside. Reaper was a man of few words, part of who he was, she imagined, his line of work. but his words revealed an entire lifetime of loneliness and pain. Had he really never felt loved before now? Had he never had a family or a girlfriend? She found the second half hard to believe. Men as strikingly handsome as Reaper were never single for long. His expert moves earlier spoke of his experience, yet he had all the emotional standing of a newborn baby. And while she lacked the physical experience, she’d been surrounded by loving support her entire life.
Growing up, Caroline’s nanny had always told her that she’d find a soulmate who would complete her one day. He’d fill in her missing pieces and she would fill in his, just like Caroline’s mother had done for her father. Though her mother had died in childbirth, Caroline had seen the unquestionable longing in her father’s gaze every time he talked about her. That was the kind of love she wanted. A love that went beyond the boundaries of the here and now, and although she wasn’t ready to profess her undying love for Reaper, she sensed that possibility with them. His touch calmed her.
And she eagerly looked forward to learning more about sex with him—just as much as she looked forward to helping him realize that there were people in his life who could truly love him.
His heartbeat was fast beneath her ear. That had to count for something. She wouldn’t press him for more now; he wasn’t ready. She’d have to treat this warrior with kid gloves if she didn’t want to scare him off.
What she needed was a distraction in the pool, inches from their feet. If he’d never had a family or good friends, then he’d completely missed out on childhood pranks. She fixed her face into a solemn expression, unwound her arms from his waist and stepped back.
Reaper frowned, skepticism evident on his face, “What’s wrong?”
She sidestepped, forcing him to turn so that his back was to the water, and then pressed her hands gently against his stomach and leaned forward like she wanted to kiss him. “Just this,” she said and then shoved with all her might.
Reaper did not move an inch. It was like she’d shoved against a brick wall. Her stomach squeezed up into her throat as she realized her mistake. He might be emotionally underdeveloped, but he was so far stronger in every other sense. She didn’t have a prayer for taking the man by surprise.
His black eyes widened a notch and his mouth opened slightly. “Did you just try to push me into the water?”
Caroline gulped and took a giant step back. “Of course not.” She took another step back.
Reaper crossed his arms over his chest, the movement making his muscles flex in a way that made her mouth water.
“Yes, you did.”
Caroline read his intention before he even moved. She let out a shriek, spun on the ball of her foot, and made it one entire step running in the opposite direction before his hand wrapped around her waist. Before she could register what was happening, she was flying through the air. She had just enough time to slam her mouth shut before she hit the water and was submerged. She came up sputtering in time to see him jump in right next to her, the huge splash from his equally huge body soaking her once more.
And then she felt his hands around her ankles, her calves and sliding up her thighs. She kicked with all her might to get free, but he didn’t let go. Reaper rose from the water directly in front of her and lifted her above his head. She screamed once more and grabbed his wrists, afraid he was going to throw her again. Instead, he lowered her until he was eye level with her breasts. Heat spiked in her chest and she wrapped her legs around him.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Paying you back.” And then his mouth closed over her nipple and sucked hard, drawing a loud moan from her lips.
She let her head fall back as the sensations washed over her. Already, she was throbbing and wet for him, ready to take him inside her again. But she didn’t want him to stop what he was doing either; the pleasure was so intense.
He continued to lavish attention on her, moving from one nipple to the next until she was a squirming, writhing mass in his arms. If he kept up this pace, he was going to make her orgasm again. And she’d already decided to make him lose control first this time. She wanted him to see what it was like to receive care and attention.
“Wait, we need to wash off,” she gasped out.
Reaper’s answer was a growl as he continued nipping and sucking her sensitive breasts.
Caroline dug her nails into his scalp and pushed him away. “You need to wash off, you beast.”
She prayed he could hear her teasing tone and was rewarded when he blessed her with a heart-melting smile. “Fine, I’ll clean up, but you’re not escaping me that easy.”
He crossed the length of the small pool, climbed out, and disappeared into the woods. Caroline tread water, watching the area where he’d disappeared into the trees. What was he up to? When he returned a few moments later with a small bottle clutched in his hand, her eyes widened. And then he jumped back into the water, popped the lid, poured clear liquid into his palm, and began scrubbing his head.
Even with the feet separating them, she could smell the fresh scent of his shampoo. “You have soap?”
She’d been scrubbing herself with semi-rough rocks to try and get the dirt off, wishing all the while for just a drop of body wash.
“Of course, it was in the medical kit.”
Caroline felt her eyes
widen. It was her turn to stare in shock this time. “I thought that was some kind of disinfectant!”
“Nope,” Reaper said and then ducked his head under the water. “Combination shampoo and body wash,” he said when he surfaced.
Caroline swam across the pool faster than should have been humanly possible. She snatched the tiny bottle off the shore, and poured some into her palm. A delighted sigh escaped her as she lathered up her hair and the fresh scent filled her senses. “I didn’t think I’d get to have a fresh bath until I got home. Bless you.”
“Don’t bless me, bless the military.” Reaper quickly finished up washing, but Caroline took her time, making sure she scrubbed every crevice. When she reached between her legs, she was met with a delicious tenderness.
Reaper’s arms closed around her from behind and his hand replaced hers, rubbing small circles over her clit beneath the water. Caroline let her eyes slide shut and her head fall back against his chest. This had to be what heaven was like. Part of her never wanted to leave this place, this paradise, uninterrupted by the outside world. They could stay here forever. Together.
And then his fingers slid inside her, stretching her and feeling her. Her orgasm built quickly, crested and burst, leaving her clinging to him for support.
He nuzzled her neck. “You feel so damn good. I need to be inside you again.”
It took all her willpower not to turn and wrap her legs around his waist and take him inside her right there. She had better plans for him. “Come on; let’s get out of the water.” He let her swim to the edge and then lifted her up before following her onto the bank. This time she pressed a hand against his chest and forced him to lie back. He stared up at her questioningly.
“I want to see you this time,” she said with hesitation in her voice. “It’s my turn now.” She wasn’t a hundred percent sure of what she was doing, but she had an idea.
He crossed his hands behind his head and relaxed, allowing her a completely unobstructed view of his body. She wanted to kiss every inch of him, so she did. She went to her knees beside him and took his lips in a gentle caress. When his fingers speared her hair to hold her in place, she pulled away and pushed him back to the ground.
Mayhem's Warrior: Operation Mayhem Page 17