Keep My Baby Safe

by Bella Grant

  His gasp as she swallowed him was just audible over the roar of the engines, his hands resting on the back of her head pulling her down his shaft, but not so hard that she couldn’t back off when she wanted to. He was a lover of unparalleled skill, decisive and dominant in his lovemaking, but he never hurt her or forced her to do more than she was comfortable with. He was the perfect mix of aggression and gentleness, of making her feel loved and protected and desired. He was neither too gentle nor too rough, adjusting his lovemaking to her mood. He could throw her around and fuck her like a whore when that was what she wanted, but he could also make slow, sweet love to her. Now, though, she wanted to fuck. She wanted him to slam that beautiful cock of his into her and scratch the itch that made her jumpy.

  She glanced at his face as she forced him deep, taking his cock all the way into her mouth as she tugged on his balls with one hand and gripped his hard ass with her other. His head was thrown back, his face twisted in ecstasy, and the heaviness in her loins increased. She pulled back, drawing hard on his cock, her cheeks collapsing inward as she sucked until his cock slipped from her mouth with a wet-sounding pop.

  “Ahhh… fuck!” he snarled as she took him again, her tongue battering his head mercilessly as she gripped his saliva-slickened shaft and stroked him.

  Listening to his soft grunts and gasps, feeling the movements of his hips as he thrust gently at her mouth and the pull of his hands, made her wild with desire. United States Air Force Technical Sergeant Daniel Thames was hers, and she was going to fuck him and keep fucking him, like no woman before her. She would please him like no other woman could, and she would cut the heart out of any bitch who tried to take him from her.

  She swallowed him again, taking him deep, both hands on his ass and pulling him hard into her mouth. She held him as long as she could and then threw herself back. It was starting to get messy. She rose to take off her shirt. She planned to fuck him stupid, but that didn’t mean she wanted everyone to know she’d done so. She skinned out of her shirt, then bra, then after a moment’s pause, her pants and panties. She didn’t want anything between them, wanting, needing to feel his skin against hers.

  As she undressed, he stepped quickly out of his own pants and underwear. He only unbuttoned his shirt, but that wouldn’t do, so she slipped it over his shoulders and added it to the pile laying neatly on the pallet. She began to drop to her knees again, but he caught her and pulled her back up, taking her face and pulling her into a deep and passionate kiss, his tongue probing as he again pressed her into the pallet.

  The plane was slightly cool inside, but the coolness of the air was no match for the heat roaring inside her. He pulled back from the kiss, his face hard with lust and eyes intense. She smiled. He would give her just what she wanted, what she needed. He spun her around and she presented her ass to him, inviting him to take her. He entered her slowly, pushing in deep, and she couldn’t contain the soft moan of his passage. He gripped her hips and thrust slowly, gently at first then quickly picking up speed to pound into her hard and fast.

  She could hear his hips smacking into her ass, each impact adding to the moment. Her orgasm exploded within her, taking her so quickly and with such power she wasn’t prepared for it. Her legs began to shake as she struggled to keep her feet, her hands holding the top row of boxes as her head hung between her arms. He gripped her tight and lunged into her, pulling her back into him, supporting and steadying her as she fought to contain the bliss that rippled through her in great, powerful waves.

  She sagged with a gasp as her climax washed out of her. She stood panting softly, trying to catch the breath stolen by her rapture. She’d had many orgasms that were harder than the one she’d just experienced, but few had ever arrived so quickly.

  She blew out a deep, cleansing breath and rose, turning to offer him her lips as he again began to thrust slowly. She smiled as he pulled her into his chest, his lips finding hers for a long, luxurious kiss. He always seemed to know what she needed. She pulled away from the kiss, her arm going around his head.

  “God, I needed that!” she purred.

  He pushed in deep and held himself there as he chuckled. “I hope you’re not through.”

  She offered her lips again. “Babe, we’re just getting started.”

  She pulled away from the caress of his lips as he began to fuck her again. She leaned forward but he caught her, wrapping a hand around her throat to hold her to his chest. She pulled at his wrist, but his grip, while gentle, was resolute. He bit her on the shoulder, holding her flesh carefully in his teeth before releasing her and kissing away the sting.

  He pounded into her harder, his free hand sliding between her legs. He teased her, his finger tickling her as he drove into her harder and faster, her eyes closing as he made her his. She moved with him, unable to remain still. He shoved her roughly against the boxes. She was pinned, his hand between her legs, the other at her throat, his hard body pressing her tightly against the cool plastic wrapping of the pallet. She tried to back away but was helpless, the pleasure of him inside her sapping her will. She was completely under his control, but she’d never felt safer. She gave herself to him, allowing him to please her as he wished.

  He pounded into her even harder, growling in effort. She began to keen softly, her rapture rising ever higher, threatening to overwhelm her. He attempted to remove the hand at her throat, but she held it in place, the lack of control twisting her up. She was his. She was his, and she wanted no other.

  He barked softly in her ear, his wetness splashing into her, and still he fucked her. He leaned in harder, his finger flicking and teasing, the hand at her throat tightening slightly as his body tensed with his climax, but still he fucked her. No man had ever wanted to please her so. His hand left her throat to take a breast, holding her tight as he hammered into her. He growled, low and deep, and she could sense his erotic torment, and still he fucked her.

  Her climax hit her hard. She bit back the wail of her release, fighting against the pleasure that poured through her. She shuddered, her legs weakening as her climax robbed her of her strength. She sagged, almost falling before Dan’s strong arms wrapped around her and held her tight. He was there, supporting her, protecting her as he had since the mission began. He held her tight, his breath hot on her neck as he panted like bellows.

  She stood, grateful for Dan’s support until the feeling and strength returned to her legs. He released her, and she turned slowly before pulling him into a kiss. The itchy, jumpy, edgy feeling was gone, replaced with a sense of calm. She sighed as her lips twisted into a small smile. Fucking. It worked every time.

  He smiled back at her. “Welcome to the mile-high club,” he murmured as he kissed her again.

  “You too. Something else to scratch off my bucket list.”

  She sighed as she leaned against him, his arms going around her to hold her. Now that the flames of passion had been damped, she was a little chilled, and the warmth of his body felt wonderful.

  “We should get back before someone notices we’re missing,” he said, kissing her on the head.

  She nodded. “I’m getting cold anyway.”

  They dressed, then checked each other to make sure no evidence remained of their tryst. Presentable, he kissed her one more time and led her from their hiding place.

  “Where have you two been?” Kelli asked after they returned to their seats, placed their headsets back on, and sat, hand in hand.

  “Oh, uh, I was showing Tasha the Apache Helicopter.”

  Kelli nodded, but a small smile played at her lips, as well as a twinkle in her eyes. Tasha looked away to hide her smile. You didn’t get a PhD in virology by being stupid.

  “Maybe Dan can give you a ride sometime. Can you fly a helicopter, Dan?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  Tasha couldn’t hide her smile. They were busted, and all three of them knew it.

  Westinkowski appeared a short time later with a simple meal and a bottle of water for each of them
. The rest of the flight passed uneventfully, and she dozed to pass the time.

  When the plane touched down at Andrews, two cars were waiting.

  “Doctors Edward and Kellie Griffin, Sergeant Thames, if you’ll accompany me. Ms. Sampson, the other car will take you home.”

  “Where are we going?” Dan asked.

  “We have accommodations for you,” the airman said, opening the door to the car.

  “I will be accompanying Tasha,” Dan said, his tone making it clear it wasn’t a request.

  Tasha smiled. She liked the sound of that. “It’s okay, airman. I’ll make sure he’s at the debrief tomorrow on schedule.”

  The young airman glanced between them a moment. “Okay. They didn’t say he couldn’t bunk with you.”

  “If anyone says anything, have them contact me and we’ll sort it out,” Tasha said.

  They’d been told the debrief would last two or three days. He would be around at least that long. After that? They’d have to work something out.

  Dan and Tasha crawled into the back seat of the Dodge. “Where are we going?” Dan asked.

  “Cantonsville. I have a little house there.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “About an hour from here, about twenty minutes from Fort Meade. It’s right outside Baltimore.”

  An hour later, the Air Force car dropped them off in front of a small but well-maintained home. The house was older, with deep-red brick and three small dormers peeking out of the gambrel roof. Black shutters, white trim, and mature landscaping completed the look.

  Inside, the house reflected Tasha’s personality perfectly. With its hardwood floors and modern, comfortable furniture, it had a relaxed elegance with just enough color to give it some flair and to make it interesting without being garish.

  “Nice place,” he said as he looked around.

  “I like it. I bought when I first moved here. Can I get you anything?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  “Want the nickel tour?”

  “Sure.”

  She walked him through the house, explaining to him the upgrades she’d made over the years. They ended in her the master suite. Like the rest of the house, the master suite was simply and cleanly decorated, but it had a certain flair.

  “Nice. I could see myself living in a place like this.”

  She felt a chill, wondering if she was reading too much into his statement. “You have a house, don’t you?”

  He snorted. “A base house. The government owns it. The Air Force merely lets me live in it.”

  She licked her lips. “So, you’re not tied to any place?”

  “Nope. I’m free to go where the Air Force sees fit to send me.”

  She swallowed. It was way too early in the relationship for her to start thinking about asking him to move in with her, but goddammit, that was exactly what she was thinking. She watched his eyes. Was that what he was thinking too?

  “So you’d like a house like mine? When you’re ready to settle down, I mean.”

  He grinned. “I wouldn’t mind it.” He stepped in closer. “I really like this one. It has some features I like. One in particular.”

  She swallowed again. “What are you saying?”

  His smile softened, and he stepped closer still. “Nothing. Merely that I like this house and what it holds.”

  She felt flushed and out of sorts. “You might not like actually living here, though.”

  He took another step closer. He was almost touching her now. “Possibly, but I think that’s unlikely. I have a pretty good idea what I like.”

  She watched his eyes and she liked what she saw. She could feel her desire spooling up again. “I think you’d like it here.”

  He smiled that smile. “I think so too.”

  “Before you make up your mind, you’ll want to spend a few days. Make sure the place is everything you expect.”

  “That’s probably a good idea.”

  “The bedrooms are really comfortable.”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Want to find out?” she asked as she began to unbutton his shirt.

  He gave her that smile again as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders. “I think that’s a terrific idea.”

  YOURS TRULY

  YOURS TRULY

  Prologue

  Travis Hodges pulled into the driveway of the tiny house he shared with his wife of three years, Diana. It was, as he referred to it, a starter home. He had dreams grander than the house he imagined owning by the time he was thirty, and he worked hard every day to achieve those dreams—and for many hours every day. The day after he’d turned twenty-six, he’d started his own medical consulting company and had spent the last two years of his life making connections with the right people because, as in any business, who you know is much more important than what you know.

  If he could get the contract from the men and women, all doctors, he’d had dinner with this evening, he’d have his foot in the door, a door closed to him so far. They wanted a stand-alone ER in their small suburb of New Orleans, and while Travis had helped build, outfit, and staff an ER with his former employers more than once, this would be the first to do on his own and with his own company.

  In order to get the contract, though, he’d missed his wife’s birthday this evening. The dinner meeting had been last minute, and refusing would have been disastrous to his sealing the deal. He had called and left a voicemail, texted, and called two more times, but Diana hadn’t answered any of them. The two of them had fought more than once about his working so much, and he knew he was in big trouble.

  As he climbed out of the car, he grabbed the flowers he’d purchased on the way home as well as the gift he’d bought several days ago. Though small, he knew the sapphire ring was the perfect gift, that she would love it. Hopefully the ring would earn him forgiveness.

  The porch light is on, he thought gratefully as he hurried up the sidewalk to the front door. He hoped that meant she wasn’t too mad at him, though her silence all evening frightened him. Their fights had escalated lately, especially when he came home late, which was almost every day. He’d discovered a few months ago that she had begun entertaining herself by driving into New Orleans to the casinos, another point of contention in their marriage. She had lost much more than she’d won but didn’t seem at all inclined to stop going. He worried her gambling was becoming an addiction, but each time he attempted to talk about it, they fought and didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the day.

  As he stepped inside, he called, “Diana?” Silence answered him, and he laid the bouquet and gift on the table by the door along with his keys. “Diana?” After a second thought, he retrieved the flowers and gift to carry with him so he’d have them when he found her.

  When she still didn’t answer, he wandered through the house, searching every room for her. In the kitchen, he found the table set with two plates, candles, wine glasses, and a full baking pan of lasagna in the center as well as a tossed salad and a bottle of red wine. His stomach plummeted. Not only had she planned her own birthday celebration, she hadn’t eaten it. Leaving it on the table to cool was a clear sign she was furious.

  After setting the gifts he’d brought her on the counter, Travis searched in his pocket for his phone and called her for the fourth time. The call went straight to voicemail. “Dammit! She turned off her phone,” he growled, his eyes locked on the lasagna. He sighed. “Can I really blame her?”

  When the voicemail beeped, he said, “Babe, I’m sorry. I messed up…again. I’m home. Please come home so we can talk. I love you.”

  His next call was to Diana’s best friend, Alyssa. “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s Travis,” he began, praying silently the woman was in a pleasant mood. The two weren’t crazy about each other.

  “Hi,” she said, her voice toneless.

  Travis cleared his throat, frowning over her lack of politeness, even if he did deserve it. “Have you talked to Diana tonight?”


  “Earlier this evening,” Alyssa informed him stiffly. “She was upset.”

  “So I guess you talked to her after I told her I would be late,” Travis replied, his voice edgy. Alyssa always brought out the worst in him. She was often catty and mean, and he had no idea why his sweet wife was best friends with her.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, so do you know where she is?”

  “Are you just getting home?” she asked curtly, and he could imagine the sour look on her pretty face. “It’s nearly ten.”

  “I’m well aware of the time, Alyssa. Do you know where Diana went?” he asked caustically, tired of the chiding in her voice after the short conversation.

  “I don’t.” Her answer was abruptly brusque.

  “And let me guess. You wouldn’t tell me if you did know,” Travis asked, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

  “You’re an asshole, and she deserves better,” Alyssa answered matter-of-factly, and the call ended before he could respond.

  Filthy names for his wife’s best friend flitted through his brain, but he didn’t speak them. She was most likely right. He didn’t deserve Diana, but he worked so much and so hard to build the future the two of them had discussed. The big house with a swimming pool, two or three children, a couple of dogs—everything they could have in only five years if she would be patient.

  He glared at the phone in his hand and texted two messages asking where she was and when she’d be home, knowing both would go unanswered. Anger began crawling in his body as he realized where she probably was. The casino. Again. Wasting what little money they had because she was mad at him.

  Grumbling under his breath, he walked to the table, lifted the room-temperature lasagna, and carried it to the kitchen counter to cover it. He did the same with the salad and put it all in the refrigerator so they could eat it the next day. The bottle of wine he grabbed, opened, and poured a glass, carrying both the bottle and the glass to the living room, where he sat on the couch to stew in his quickly growing anger and wait for his wife.