by Cat Johnson
Iraq was soon forgotten when he bent his head low and his lips first touched hers. A small sound of pleasure escaped her throat. It snapped something inside John, and the kiss went from gentle to urgent in a single moment. More urgent than was appropriate in a public airport.
He’d imagined this moment and more so many times it was hard to grasp it was really happening. He pulled away before he lost all control and did what he always did in his imaginings, which would definitely not be good in the middle of the airport.
Her cheeks were adorably pink, her eyes dazed and narrowed. John nearly said to hell with propriety and went back to devouring her right there.
“Do you have luggage?” His question came out husky and desperate sounding.
He could only hope she was thinking the exact thing he was. The sooner they got to the hotel, the sooner every one of his fantasies about them together would be reality. He didn’t want to waste time waiting around a baggage carousel. His raging hard-on was in total agreement.
“No checked bags. Just my carry-on.”
“Good.” John was more than happy with that answer as, smiling, he took the bag from her.
With her carry-on in one hand, he grabbed Maureen’s hand with the other. Her fingers trembled in his. Or maybe that was him doing the shaking. John was as nervous as a schoolboy as he led them to the parking lot. She kept glancing sideways at him and smiling. He was doing quite a bit of smiling himself.
Words didn’t come easily. It was too strange knowing her so well but realizing at the same time they were also strangers. He’d fix that. As soon as they got to the room he’d work on them getting to know each other. And if she wasn’t ready for the physical stuff yet, that would be fine too. They could grab something to eat, sit on the couch, hold hands and watch TV.
As he drove them a bit too quickly to the hotel room he’d checked into on his way to the airport, he really hoped there’d be more than hand holding.
“Did you have to wait long? I know we landed a few minutes late.” She glanced over at him one more time.
She’d never know he’d arrived at the airport an hour early and had checked the arrivals board a half dozen times to make sure when and at which gate she’d be landing. Luckily she couldn’t suspect he’d stopped by the men’s room to splash cold water on his face and had even checked his hair—what little of it there was with the military cut—in the mirror.
“No, not long at all.”
The small talk wasn’t going to relieve John’s nerves. He suspected the twisting in his gut wouldn’t go away until she was in his arms and they’d gotten back to the place they’d reached together during their far too few phone sessions while he was in Iraq.
At the hotel not far from the airport, John managed to park the car without incident. He fumbled with the key card as he attempted to open the door to the room he’d booked so they’d have the privacy he craved. He couldn’t stash Maureen in the bachelor barracks with Miller busting in any time of day or night.
His hands were undeniably shaky, but he finally managed to open the door. He could only hope she didn’t see him trembling.
They entered a room that was probably just like every other hotel room in this city, but with Maureen next to him he didn’t see a thing in it except for her.
Once inside, he dropped her bag on the floor and immediately turned toward her. John’s gaze took her in from head to toe. She was just as she looked in her pictures, only now she was standing right in front of him. Just an arm’s length away. Even that was too far for his liking.
John took Maureen in his arms and kissed her for the second time that day, only now they were in private and didn’t have to behave. Their bodies intertwined as much as possible in the upright position.
He moved to her neck and became engulfed in her unique scent. Whether it was her shampoo or perfume or a combination of both, he couldn’t tell, but he liked it.
Tilting her head slightly, she offered him greater access, and he took advantage of it without hesitation. He nipped at her throat with his teeth, then soothed her skin with the flat of his tongue until he craved her kiss again.
John plunged his tongue between her lips and let out a groan at the sensation. She moved her hands slowly from his shoulders down the sides of his arms, squeezing them as she did. Her touch moved to his back, and he felt her running both palms over the muscles he had worked so hard to hone and chisel. Suddenly, all that hard work seemed more than worth it as she groaned with a sound of pure satisfaction.
He pulled away to peel off his shirt with a single sweep of his arms. Then he moved to her again, this time unbuttoning her blouse. That revealed a lace bra so like the one he’d imagined removing from her a dozen or more times in his mind over the past weeks.
With one fingertip, he traced the soft skin along the top edge of the lace. He glanced up from watching his finger caress her to see her ocean-green eyes watching him. He marveled when he realized less than an hour ago had been the first time he’d seen those eyes in person. “Am I going too fast?”
Please, please don’t say yes.
“No.” She shook her head. When she reached down and began to unbutton her pants, kicking off her shoes in the process, he knew she was as anxious as he was.
Flatfooted, she stood so tiny and delicate before him that John was torn. He could just as easily cherish her like a porcelain doll as take advantage of her small size by hoisting her up and fucking her against the wall.
As he tried to decide which urge was stronger, she traced one finger down his bare chest. She halted briefly to touch the dog tag that had been previously hidden by his shirt. She continued down, and then stopped at the top of his jeans.
Maureen tugged lightly at the waistband. “I don’t want anything between us right now.”
That was certainly not a problem. He made short work of the remainder of his own clothes before he moved on to deal with stripping away her bra and panties. John unwrapped her like the gift she was until they both stood completely naked.
In the presence of this beautiful woman who had occupied his dreams for so long now, John’s cock stood at absolute attention. He smiled when he noticed Maureen’s gaze continuing to stray to it.
With a laugh of sheer male satisfaction, he swept her off her feet and carried her to the big king-sized bed, kissing her as he blindly made his way across the space. He laid her down near the middle and crawled next to her.
He wanted to pause to admire her for a moment, but Maureen had other ideas. She climbed on top of him, trapping his near-to-throbbing cock under the right cheek of her pretty ass. It was not a bad place to be.
She leaned low and kissed him. He could feel her breasts brush against his chest as he stroked the warm, silken skin of her thighs. The combination of sensations was intoxicating. It ramped up his need to a point near desperation. He gripped her luscious hips, fighting the urge to lift her up and set her down on top of the cock he longed to plunge deep inside her.
Maureen’s beautiful, sweet-smelling hair fell all around his face, tickling him while her lips teased his. She moved her mouth to his chest and flicked the tip of her tongue out to tease one of his nipples.
His breathing quickened in time with his heart rate. She trailed down his stomach, leaving a wet path until she paused at his navel. He nearly cried as he saw how close her bow-shaped lips were to where he so wanted her to be. Then she moved lower and took him into her moist, hot mouth.
Shaking with need, he watched as she tasted the wetness that glistened on the tip. Slowly, she swirled her tongue around the head and traveled down the shaft. He moaned. She smiled at the sound and continued driving him slowly insane.
John had trouble keeping his eyes open. He wanted to watch Maureen, to fully appreciate every second of this, but the one thought that dominated his mind was that this was by far the best blowjob he had ever received, and she was bringing him dangerously close to orgasm already.
He wasn’t ready to come, at least
not yet, but it had been a damn long time since anyone besides himself had touched him.
His balls tightened, and he knew the moment of no return had come. He had to either give in to it or stop her right now.
Grabbing her arms, John pulled Maureen back up his body before it was too late. He kissed the tip of her nose, her face, and finally her lips, slowing things down before it ended too soon.
“I want to do what I’ve dreamed of for a very long time.” John’s voice came out sounding deeper than normal.
“What’s that?”
Her eyes were unfocused with need. It was nearly his undoing. He almost gave up fighting the need and took her right then and there. But he was a strong man. He could wait a little bit. If he plunged into her now, it would be over before it started. He needed a distraction. He couldn’t think of a better one than what he had in mind.
“I want to taste you. All of you.” He watched her eyes narrow at the suggestion, and he smiled.
Laying her down, he positioned his body over hers and enjoyed the view. She had the most beautiful breasts he’d ever seen, much less had at his disposal. He kissed the top of each rounded globe as her chest heaved with deep breaths.
The air conditioning in the room didn’t feel uncomfortably cold to him, but it was cool enough to have her nipples already taut. When he wrapped his lips around one, he felt it send shivers through her body. John didn’t make her wait any longer. He drew one rosy tip into his mouth, scraping his teeth against the tender flesh. Her back bowed off the mattress, her need evident as he worked one nipple with his mouth while his fingers teased the other.
John moved his other hand down to her stomach. He had to touch what he had only imagined for so long. Sliding over her quivering belly, he finally reached where he wanted to be. He trailed his index finger down her slit. Already wet beyond his wildest imagination, her body welcomed the finger he slipped inside.
Her moans were so inviting he could hardly wait to have more of her, so he didn’t. He followed the path his hand had taken with his mouth until he was poised between her spread thighs. He parted her flesh with his tongue and her hips shot off the bed.
Maureen spread her legs wider and he moaned. Surrounded by her scent, her taste, her warmth, he realized his dreams had never been this good.
An unmistakable shudder passed through her body as she writhed beneath his touch. Her breathing became faster. Her whole body tensed. Her muscles clenched at his finger inside her. She was close. He could tell.
It had been a long two tours in Iraq, but luckily some things a man simply didn’t forget. This was definitely one of those things. While his tongue stroked her clit relentlessly, he hooked the index finger inside of her and stroked the spot he knew would send Maureen over the edge.
She grasped his head with both hands and pulled him closer as she lifted her hips higher off the bed. He worked her harder in response and felt the orgasm break over her. Amid her gasps, Maureen cried his name. It was the most incredible thing he’d ever heard.
After a long, intense time, she finally quieted. She pulled him up to be level with her face.
“Make love to me now. Please, John.”
She didn’t need to say please. He would be begging her in another second, he wanted to be buried inside her so badly.
John felt caught between needing to take her hard and fast and wanting to cherish this first time by making it long and slow. As he rolled on a condom, he realized it had been so long for him, he might not have any choice as to how this first time would go. It could be over in a heartbeat. His only consolation was that he had all afternoon and all tonight to make it up to her if it was.
Braced over her with shaking arms, his dog tag hanging to nestle between her gorgeous breasts, John watched her emotions cross her face. He slid all the way into her with one hard stroke. Holding himself deep and absorbing her warmth, he drew in a shuddering breath and prayed for control.
Maureen cupped his face with her hands. She leaned closer and kissed his lips. Gently, sweetly. Then those hands slid down his torso and grabbed his ass. As she wrapped her legs around his back and said, “Love me,” she wasn’t so gentle or sweet anymore.
Oh yeah. He could do that. He moved his hips, setting a slow, steady rhythm that didn’t last long. His speed increased, building along with her cries. She gripped his ass harder, pulled him deep and came again with a shuttering spasm that he felt through to his very core.
As long and hard as he’d wished for this, imagined loving her just like this, he was amazed he’d lasted as long as he did. When she came, shattering around him, squeezing and pulsing around his more than ready and willing cock, he followed right behind her.
It was amazing. They were amazing together. And they had two whole days.
There was a good chance they wouldn’t be leaving the bed. Except maybe to try out the whirlpool tub, or the shower with the very tempting massaging head. Or maybe that desk in the corner. And there was that nice, wide, cushioned chair…
Chapter Nineteen
Late that night, John’s cell phone on the nightstand beeped once, indicating a new text message. He groaned and mumbled a curse. Rolling away from Maureen, he hoped against hope it wasn’t Miller calling him in for a surprise midnight training mission. Whatever it was, it better be something important to pull him away from Maureen’s warm body.
She sighed next to him and he cursed the unknown texter again as he flipped open the phone and hit the view button.
“John? Is something wrong? You don’t have to leave, do you?” Sounding worried, she struggled against sleep to sit.
He rolled back toward her naked, beautiful self and smiled, wrapping her completely in his arms. “No, baby. Nothing’s wrong. It’s just from Gonzo in Germany. He’s saying hello from all the guys.”
“Oh. That’s nice.” Her words didn’t match the sadness in her eyes as they filled with tears.
“Maureen. What’s wrong?” He held her closer and pressed a kiss into her hair. John felt hot tears wet his bare chest as Maureen shuddered against him. “What is it? Why are you crying?”
“I don’t want you to go back to Iraq or Germany or wherever the hell they decide to send you. It’s so far away from me and they can send you for as long as they want to and something bad can happen.” Her voice high-pitched, she shook harder against him. “I want to be a supportive military girlfriend, but I just got you and you have to go away again. And I don’t even know if I am your girlfriend.”
She drew in a loud shuddering gasp and his heart broke. He couldn’t keep stringing her out like this, yet what could he do?
He couldn’t tell her he was here for some secret training mission. He couldn’t tell her he’d be stationed in North Carolina permanently if he took the position that might be offered him on the special task force.
Or could he? He didn’t know.
John only knew one thing—he was going to find out and as soon as possible.
There was one thing he could relieve her mind about though. “You are my girlfriend. At least as far as I’m concerned, and for as long as you want to be. As for the rest, the best thing I can tell you is don’t worry until there’s something to worry about.”
“But I’m leaving tomorrow. You don’t know when or where you’ll be going. I don’t know when or if I’ll see you again. What if…what if what happened to Jazzy happens to you, but worse?”
“Don’t think like that.” What could he say? She was right. Being a soldier was definitely not the safest occupation on earth. Then again, he could be an accountant and get killed crossing the street on the way to his nice, safe desk job.
“Please be careful and come back to me. I love you.” Maureen’s words came out on a big sob.
John’s stomach did a flip. This had always been the time in his past relationships where he’d backpedaled. Run away and found some excuse to never look back. Not this time.
“I love you too.” He had for a while. He’d just had trouble
believing it was possible when they hadn’t even met in person yet. “And I’ll do everything humanly possible to make sure I come back to you.”
“You better. I need you.” She grabbed him in a breath-stealing hug and kissed him hard.
He needed her as much as she needed him. Her life, her vitality, her heart…she gave them all willingly and he took it all.
John kissed her hair, her face, her mouth. “I love you,” he repeated between each kiss.
Rolling her onto her back, John kissed her more completely, his tongue sliding into her mouth, showing her exactly how he wanted to slide back into her body, now and forever.
He was about to reach for a condom when he tasted her tears and her shaking began again.
“What is it, baby? Why are you crying again?”
“I don’t want to leave you tomorrow.”
He didn’t want her to either.
“Listen to me. It’s much too soon for what I’m about to say, but life is far too short and uncertain to waste time. I don’t know where I will end up, what country, what assignment. But I know I want you there with me wherever it is.” He sighed, hearing how selfish his words were. “I can’t ask you to give up your job and move for me—”
“Yes, you can. I can. I hate my boss. I hate my job. I may get the monthly magazine column, and even if I don’t I’m now making enough money from my books I can write full-time or take jobs freelance editing. With the Internet, I can do all that anywhere. Here in North Carolina. Overseas in Germany. Anywhere, as long as I can be near you.”
John reached over his head and pulled off his dog tag. He could order another set if he went back to Germany, and if he joined Zeta there’d be no more dog tags for him. Black OPS didn’t wear identification since, in essence, they didn’t exist.
“I want you to have this. It’s my promise to you. Not exactly gold or diamonds, but—” John slid the chain over her head and wondered what the pay scale was like for Zeta as he sized up what gold or diamonds he could afford on his current salary.