Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  Reaching out, Wilkes gently shook Balkhi’s arm. “Hey,” he said quietly, “hey, wake up.”

  Balkhi’s handsome face creased into a frown, then after a second, he opened his eyes. “Good morning,” he said, grinning.

  “Good morning,” Wilkes replied, unable to resist returning the smile. “I hate to burst your bubble, but we need to get moving.”

  Nodding, Balkhi sat up and twisted around, placing his feet on the floor. After a beat, he stood up and stretched, a long and languorous movement that drew Wilkes’ gaze like a magnet.

  The sight was one to behold, and Wilkes decided he could spare a few seconds to drink it in. The toffee-coloured skin, long, lean thighs, pert backside and muscular back which he had the sudden urge to sink his teeth into, run his tongue over, as he pounded into him from behind. So damn sexy.

  Balkhi chose that moment to turn around. Their gazes met, and Balkhi gave a smirk. “Something I can help you with?” He nodded toward Wilkes’ crotch, and it was only then that he realised he was sporting an erection.

  Giving the stiff flesh a slap, he grinned wryly. “I can think of nothing I’d like more. But if we don’t get out of here soon, we won’t have time to eat before we leave. And after last night, I could do with some extra energy.” He winked.

  Getting off the bed, Wilkes stretched too, feeling much of the tightness of flesh and muscle dissipate, thankfully. Leaning over, he captured Balkhi’s mouth in a quick kiss. “Come on, let’s get dressed, before the temptation becomes too much.”

  “I think it may be too late.”

  Wilkes realised his lover, too, had an erection. Groaning in regret, he shot back, “Damn. I promise I will make it up to you, just as soon as I get the chance.”

  Exchanging a grin, the two men got dressed. When Balkhi was done, he said, “I’ll just go and get ready, and get my things together.” Undoing the lock, he peered carefully out into the corridor, before disappearing out the door, letting it close behind him.

  Within an hour, they were back on a chopper and heading for the FOB. They’d had time to grab some breakfast, but not enough time for a private conversation. As a result, Wilkes sat there, rattling around on the uncomfortable seat, his thoughts behaving much like the rotor blades which kept them airborne. He wasn’t sure exactly what to make of the previous evening—what with the unexpected nature of it, then the even more unexpected declarations of potential love. His brain simply couldn’t keep up. The only thing it could keep a grasp on was the fact he was happy—ridiculously, sublimely happy. Inside, he was smiling like a lovesick fool. But on the outside, he was impassive, his usual professional self. He hoped.

  He’d resisted talking to Balkhi, even looking at him, since they’d been on board, because he felt sure that anyone that happened to glance at the two of them would notice the body language, the sexual undercurrents between them. But then he realised it would seem even stranger for the two men not to be talking at all—almost like they’d had some kind of falling out.

  So he began a conversation—shouted over the sound of the helicopter and the air rushing around it—which was basically a rehash of the long meeting they’d had with Hunter the previous day. If Balkhi was confused as to why they were going over all this again, he didn’t show it. Smart guy.

  Once the chopper had dropped them off, Wilkes fell into step beside Balkhi and said, “We’ll talk later, okay? I need to get caught up on what’s been happening here.”

  Balkhi nodded. “Yes, boss.”

  Later couldn’t come soon enough for Wilkes. For the few hours it took him to get a debriefing from Sergeant Bay he found his mind frequently wandering to Balkhi. It only cemented the fact that they needed to talk, to try and figure out what the hell they were going to do next. Wilkes had never been one for confusion, for ambiguity, and he was in a situation where he needed to be able to think clearly, act decisively. There was no way he was going to risk putting the lives of any of his men, or himself, in danger, because his mind was elsewhere. He’d never forgive himself. No, this was way too important for fucking about.

  He found Balkhi kicking a ball about with some of the other blokes, and he wandered up casually.

  “Hey, boss!” one of the boys said, grinning. “Want to play?”

  “I’d love to,” Wilkes replied, with a wry expression, “but I’ve got stuff to do right now. No rest for the wicked. Maybe later, okay?” Then he added, “Balkhi? I need to borrow you.”

  The others got back to their game immediately, not paying the slightest attention to their boss and the interpreter. Walking purposefully, Wilkes headed for the briefings tent with Balkhi in tow.

  Pushing open the canvas flap, Wilkes ushered Balkhi inside and let the material drop down. That was the closest it got to a closed door around there. Fortunately, the tent was a little way away from everything else, so if they kept their voices down, there was no reason for them to be overheard.

  Wilkes ran a hand over his hair as he turned to Balkhi. “Sorry for pulling you away like that,” he said quietly, “but we really need to talk.”

  Balkhi nodded curtly. “You regret what happened.” It wasn’t a question.

  “No!” Then, checking himself and lowering his tone considerably, he said again, “No, of course not. Don’t be silly. The exact opposite. I’ve barely been able to think about anything else all day, and that worries me. I need to have my head in the game, need to be able to concentrate. I can’t risk lives because I’m thinking about you.”

  “Okay…” Balkhi gestured for him to continue.

  “I just…” Wilkes took a deep breath. “I just think it would be better if we hashed this out now, so we both know exactly where we stand. Then we can get on with our jobs safely and to the best of our abilities. We didn’t do all that much talking last night.”

  “I agree. So what is on your mind?”

  “Uh…” Wilkes paused. What was on his mind? He’d been so sure that he and Balkhi needed to hash things out that he hadn’t actually thought about precisely what he wanted to say, what he wanted to discuss. He cleared his throat. “Well, I just wanted to say that last night was absolutely incredible. Better than incredible, but I can’t think of another word right now. And I meant, you know, what I said…” he lowered his voice even further, “that I’m falling for you.”

  Balkhi took a step closer, so they were almost toe-to-toe. “I feel exactly the same. About last night, and that I’m falling for you, too.” He gave a gentle smile.

  “Good. That’s good. So now that’s out of the way, I guess we need to figure out what happens next.”

  “Ah,” Balkhi said, his face twisting into a thoughtful expression, “this is where it becomes more difficult.”

  “Yes. In an ideal world, this, us, wouldn’t be a problem. But unfortunately this world is far from ideal. So what I propose is that we let things progress naturally between us, but under total secrecy. Nobody can find out about us. It’s too dangerous, for my career, and vastly more importantly, your life.”

  Balkhi chuckled.

  “What? What did I say that was funny?”

  “Not funny, exactly. I am relieved. I thought you were going to say that we need to stop seeing each other until your tour is over.”

  Now it was Wilkes’ turn to laugh. “That would be the right thing to do, in so many ways. The sensible thing. But it would fuck with my head so badly, seeing you every day and not being able to touch you, that ultimately it would be more dangerous. It’s not very romantic, I admit, but I factored the safety of everyone on this base into my decision, and I’m doing what’s best for all concerned. It wasn’t purely a selfish decision.”

  Reaching out, Balkhi cupped Wilkes’ cheek. “I don’t think you could be selfish if you tried.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Wilkes’ heart pounded. He knew what Balkhi was going to do next, and he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. It was one thing getting naked and horizontal at Bastion, where they’d had a room with a lockable
door, not to mention the anonymity of being just two men amongst hundreds. But here, they had none of that. No privacy, and certainly no anonymity.

  And yet, when Balkhi cradled his jaw, pulling him in for a kiss, he was powerless to resist. The previous evening had done nothing to sate Wilkes’ lust for the Afghan—instead it had inflamed it. As their lips touched, his brain flooded with sexy images—Balkhi naked and stretching that morning, fucking him up the arse, being fucked up the arse. Kissing, licking, nibbling, caressing…

  Pulling away with a gasp, Wilkes pointed to the tent’s entrance, hissing, “What if someone comes in?” He was torn between lust and panic, and it wasn’t a feeling he relished.

  Balkhi shook his head. “They won’t. Most of the guys are playing football. The ones that aren’t are probably eating, sleeping or on sentry duty. And whoever’s left would not interrupt us, anyway. As far as they are concerned, we are having a very important meeting. Only an emergency would bring somebody in here. We will just have to be quiet.”

  With that, he pressed another kiss to Wilkes’ lips, slipping his arms around his waist.

  Wilkes remained frozen for a second, his brain retaining just enough control to stop himself from returning the gesture. Balkhi, however, was insistent, his hands moving down to cup Wilkes’ backside, and his tongue seeking entrance into his mouth.

  With a groan, Wilkes relented. He was already in enough trouble with this man—it could hardly get any worse. Mirroring Balkhi’s stance, he grabbed those delectable bum cheeks and allowed the images to flood into his mind once more. Rendering them bare, parting them, slicking lube over and into that tight hole, pushing his cock inside…

  He yanked Balkhi closer, deepening their kiss. Their teeth clashed, and their lips pressed together so hard it almost hurt. But Wilkes didn’t care—his hormones had taken over. Delving into Balkhi’s mouth, he groaned as their tongues tangled together, beginning an erotic movement that was somewhere between a dance and a fight. Either way, it was making blood rush through his body at a crazy rate, with a fair amount of it gathering in his groin.

  Cock pressing insistently against the inside of his combats, he jerked his hips. Balkhi returned the gesture, making it blatantly obvious that he was just as aroused as Wilkes.

  Christ, he wanted to get inside Balkhi’s perfect arse and ride him until they were both spent. But it wasn’t an option, sadly. His wash kit was inside his accommodation tent, and besides, the lube was all gone and there was only a single condom left. If they were going to carry on screwing whenever they could until the tour was over, then he’d have to find a way of getting his hands on more. Maybe a care package from a sympathetic friend back home. He’d have to make up some bullshit about having a posh wank, or something.

  For now, though, he’d have to make do. Shifting his hands up to Balkhi’s head, he cradled his scalp and pushed down until the Afghan got the hint and sank to his knees in the dirt.

  “Balkhi,” he whispered, undoing his belt and trousers, “Rustam. Please, let me come in your mouth. I need it… I need you. I’m clean, I promise. And as soon as you’re done, I’ll do you.”

  “Ah,” Balkhi said, grinning. “You read my mind.” With that, he wrapped his fingers around the base of Wilkes’ cock and studied it for a moment. Then, shunting his fist up and down a couple of times, pressing his thumb to the underside, he teased out a blob of pre-cum, which he licked away eagerly. “Mmm… good.” He closed his eyes, wet his lips and then sunk them onto Wilkes’ shaft.

  Swallowing a groan, Wilkes tightened his grip on Balkhi’s scalp. As Balkhi teased and tormented him, he let his head loll back, the pleasure increasing with every second. God, but the man was good—his fingers, lips and tongue incredibly talented as they drove him closer and closer to orgasm.

  Not being able to see what Balkhi was doing wasn’t a good thing, it seemed, as when the Afghan began to cup and roll Wilkes’ ballsac, he wasn’t prepared for it. Jerking his head up and snapping his eyes open to look down at his lover, he only just prevented a yelp from escaping. But he couldn’t be angry, not when Balkhi’s eyes peered up at him from beneath hooded lids, full of lust. And maybe love.

  A grin took over his face and he suspected the emotions in his eyes were much the same. Just in case, though, he verbalised what was going through his head. “I think I love you, Rustam Balkhi. Now please, make me come.”

  Without letting go of Wilkes’ cock, Balkhi nodded, then redoubled his efforts. His fingers gathered some of the saliva that was inevitably running down Wilkes’ shaft, then sought his anus. Smearing it around the puckered skin, he then penetrated him with one finger as his head bobbed up and down faster, his tongue flickering faster, his lips squeezing harder.

  “God,” Wilkes muttered, belatedly hoping Balkhi wouldn’t take offence at his choice of phrase, “that’s so good. It won’t be long, Rustam. I’m going to…” He dared not carry on speaking, worried his volume would grow too loud as his senses were overwhelmed and he lost control.

  Clawing his hands so hard he suspected that sparks of pain were dancing across Balkhi’s scalp, Wilkes succumbed to climax. He went dizzy as wave after wave of pleasure crashed into him, his cock throbbing and twitching as it shot load after load of cum into Balkhi’s waiting mouth.

  “Shit,” he whispered, when he finally regained enough presence of mind to speak. “That was amazing.”

  Apparently, the other man was very thorough—as he licked every drop of cum from his shaft before popping it out of his mouth with a wicked grin. “Good,” he said, “I am glad it was good.” Clambering to his feet, he was already in the process of releasing his own cock from its confines.

  “One second,” Wilkes held a hand up, then tucked himself away. Moving on unsteady legs over to the tent flap, he stood there, listening carefully before peering out. Now orgasm had cleared his mind a little, paranoia crept in. But it was unfounded. There was nobody outside.

  Turning, he was immediately faced with the sight of a still-grinning Balkhi, who was casually stroking his dick. “My turn?”

  Wilkes nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yeah,” he said, covering the space in two large strides and getting to his knees. “Your turn.” Immediately, his nostrils were hit with the musky scent of man and his mouth watered. Licking his lips, Wilkes gripped the base and sucked Balkhi in, slow and deliberate, working inch after delicious inch into his mouth.

  His lips stretched awkwardly in a grin as he felt Balkhi’s shaft twitch and harden even farther beneath his ministrations. In response, he sunk farther on, pulling in a deep breath through his nostrils and willing his gag reflex to relax. It had been a while, but he was determined to do it. He may not be able to ride Balkhi’s cock right now, but he could sure as hell do something else equally memorable. It would be so much better in real life than his fantasies.

  A barely audible grunt came from above, pleasing Wilkes further. Balkhi was close, it seemed, and as much as Wilkes wanted to tease and taunt the man, this was neither the time nor the place. So, blatantly borrowing Balkhi’s own trick, Wilkes lubricated his index finger with saliva and gently pushed it inside his lover’s arse.

  Feeling Balkhi’s balls tighten where they rested on his wrist, Wilkes prepared for more of the musky, salty taste that he already adored, was already addicted to.

  And then he got it. With a slightly louder grunt than last time, Balkhi plummeted into climax, his cock throbbing wildly as his balls emptied their load deep inside Wilkes’ throat. There was a seemingly impossible amount, given what they’d been up to only hours before, but Wilkes still gulped it all down greedily, taking everything he was given and loving it.

  Eventually, Balkhi’s cock softened, and he stepped back, letting it fall from Wilkes’ mouth with a plop. His cheeks were rosy, and his eyes glinted with mischief.

  Wilkes couldn’t help thinking that if he wasn’t already falling for the man, that look right there would have done it for him. He was adorable and sexy all at once. So damn
sexy it should be illegal.

  “So, uh, what now?” he said, having no idea what the protocol was for illicit blowjobs in the briefings tent.

  Balkhi shrugged. “Maybe we should continue our conversation over at the table, with a map of the area. So if anyone did come in, they wouldn’t see anything. Just the two of us talking tactics, missions, whatever.”

  Wilkes nodded, impressed. Christ, the bloke had barely recovered from a whopping climax and already he was coming up with ideas like that? Damn, maybe he was punching above his weight with this one. “Yeah, great.” Moving over to the table, he found the relevant map and spread it out.

  “So, Balkhi,” he said with a grin. “It seems you’re the smartest one here. So what do you think we should do next?”

  Balkhi’s expression was serious as he replied. “I agree with what you said. It would be too difficult for us to keep away from each other. We must just be careful. Even more careful than careful. And when the time comes for you to go home, it is also the end of this job for me. I have decided…” he dropped his gaze to the floor for a second or two, before meeting Wilkes’ eyes again, “…I will not take the risk that Zazai took. My family and extended family have no problem with what I do, but these militants, insurgents, whatever you want to call them, are everywhere. My relatives will understand if I leave here and go straight to England. They know I always intended to resume my studies, so if I explain why I won’t be returning to my village first, they won’t be surprised. Disappointed, maybe, but they won’t want me to be in danger. Especially if they know what happened to Zazai.”

  “O-kay.” Wilkes wasn’t sure what to say next. He didn’t want to sway Balkhi one way or the other—any decisions had to be entirely his own. “And if we, uh, still feel the same when that time comes? What then?”

  Balkhi frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Even back in England, things won’t exactly be simple. For one thing, nobody knows I’m gay. Then there’s the fact you’ll be in London, studying, and I’ll either be at home in Wolverhampton, or at the base in Wiltshire. Or even further away, when I’m deployed again. We probably won’t be able to see each other all that much.”