by Cat Johnson
“It’s better.” She cried harder but they looked more like happy tears than sad ones, so he didn’t try and stop her.
As she clutched the tag around her throat and clung with one arm to his neck, he vowed that tomorrow he would go see Miller. He’d ask what exactly he was supposed to tell Maureen, because if joining this spook squad meant having to give her up his answer would have to be no.
“Blake. Good to see you. Sit down. Your week isn’t quite up yet, but I take it since you asked for a meeting you’ve made a decision.”
“No, sir. Not quite. I have one more question first before I can make a decision.”
“Of course. Shoot.”
“I’d like to know the task force policy on girlfriends.”
Miller raised a graying brow. “The policy on girlfriends. I’m not sure we have one. What precisely is the question, Blake? I’ll see if I can make one up for you.”
John wasn’t in the mood for Miller’s smartass comments, commanding officer or not. Not after having spent a night trying to stop Maureen from crying while not being able to tell her the truth about this assignment. And he still had to drop her off at the airport later that day. He was pretty sure they were in for a teary goodbye on both their parts.
“Are team members allowed to have girlfriends, sir?”
It sounded ridiculous to have to ask. He was an adult man in a country that supposedly protected all individual’s rights, but what the hell did John know about the policies of covert teams? Hell, they surgically implanted God only knew how many devices inside their own people. They could tell him to do anything, and he would be required to do it. If he decided to join, that is.
“Of course you can have a girl, Blake. Damn, the guys on the team with women in their lives give me a lot less trouble than the guys without.” Miller laughed. “Except for when Jimmy Gordon got his face plastered all over the front page of the local papers for dating the governor’s daughter. Hmm. Then there was the time Williams and Jack Gordon came to blows over this cute little bartender who owns the bar off base. Actually, maybe we do need a no-girlfriend policy.”
This was all very entertaining, but didn’t really answer John’s question.
“You can get that look off your face and relax, Blake. I apologize. I was joking. Yes, you can have a girlfriend. You can even have a wife and kids if you choose, though preferably not at the same time as when you have a girlfriend. And let me anticipate your next burning question. What are you allowed to tell her about your job?”
John nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Simple. You have been re-assigned to a unit stateside.”
“And what will I tell her that assignment is?”
Being a writer, Maureen tended to be a question asker.
Miller laughed. “The fact the teams exist isn’t so much of a secret as what they do. You keep the details of your assignments out of your pillow talk with your girl and we’ll all be good. Got it? If you have any specific questions, the team leader on the op can answer them for you as the need arises.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” John felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Commander Miller sat silently, waiting and watching. The man was good. John bet he usually got what he wanted just by waiting the other guy out.
He met the older man’s eyes. “If it’s being offered to me, I accept the assignment to Zeta, sir.”
That brought a smile to Miller’s face. “Glad to hear it, Blake. Welcome to Zeta.”
John only hoped Maureen would be as glad as Miller was.
There were perks to the position. He’d be stationed in North Carolina instead of Germany. He wouldn’t be redeployed to Iraq or to Afghanistan with his tank platoon. But Zeta could send him anywhere to do anything. John had a feeling that could be a whole lot worse than being tucked safely into the belly of a beast of an armored tank, even one that was being shot at.
Given the chances they took regularly, why exactly did the guys on Zeta look so happy? That was a question he’d like answered.
Miller stood and gripped John’s hand warmly. “Tonight, you get initiated.”
Uh oh. John hesitated to even imagine what sort of initiation rituals they had in the Black OPS. Damn.
“Uh, okay.” He hoped he wouldn’t be running for his life through the woods while they used him for target practice.
“You a drinker, Blake?”
Would his initiation be a test of how much he could drink? Why did he feel suddenly like he was pledging a college fraternity? “I’ve been known to enjoy a drink now and then, sir. We weren’t allowed a drop in the sandbox though.”
“Of course. Luckily you’re not in the sandbox anymore. Be at the bar just outside the back gate, twenty-one-hundred sharp. The team will be waiting for you there.” Miller broke into a grin. “You’ve now got six brand new best friends. Better get used to the idea.”
Good, maybe they could tell John how to stop looking for Jazzy, Morales and Gonzo every time he turned around. Or what to do about the fact he was head over heels in love and about to cohabitate with a woman he’d only officially met that weekend.
Hell, these guys were all experts at something, and he was now one of them. The seven of them—eight counting Miller—should be able to come up with some answers to his questions.
For the first time in his life, John had faith that everything would work out fine. It was an extremely odd feeling.
Chapter Twenty
“Hey. Everything go all right at your meeting?” She closed the hotel room door behind him, concern evident on her angelic face.
John scooped Maureen up and held her close to him, planting a huge kiss on her mouth before he answered. “Everything went great.”
He liked opening the door and finding her waiting for him. Any nerves or doubts about his decision flew out the window as he carried her to the bed. He laid her there, bent down and nipped at her lower lip.
They had a couple of hours before they had to leave for the airport, and he had every intention of taking full advantage of that time. He didn’t dare utter the word airport out loud though. It never failed to make Maureen cry. Maybe after he told her he’d be staying in North Carolina that wouldn’t be the case any longer.
He couldn’t wait to reveal his news, but there was something else he couldn’t wait to do even more. “I want you naked.”
“Okay.” She laughed.
Laughing himself at her easy acceptance of his demands, he shook his head and moved away from her so he could get undressed. “Are you sure you want to be with me? I’m apparently a bit of a sex maniac.”
As John sat in the chair next to the bed and unlaced his boots, Maureen’s eyebrows rose. “If you weren’t I’d probably get angry and wonder what was wrong with me.”
He let the boots fall one by one and then stood to unbutton his pants. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Believe me. Except that you’re still dressed.”
His T-shirt joined his pants on the floor.
“I was waiting for you to undress me. I like when you do that.”
John cocked one brow as his boxers hit the floor. “You do, huh?”
She nodded.
“Then I’ll have to do it more often.” He braced one knee on the bed and reached for the band of her sweatpants.
“Yes, please.”
His mouth trailed a path down her belly. He glanced up and watched her eyelids flutter closed. He was too giddy and in too good a mood to take it slow. After flinging both her sweats and underwear on the floor, John spread her wide and latched onto her clit, sucking hard.
Her hips rose off the bed. He slid two fingers inside and pumped until her breath came in pants and her cries told him she was teetering on the edge. Adding his teeth to the mix, he sent her careening over the edge. Her hands grabbed at his head as her hips bucked against him.
She hadn’t even stopped writhing yet when John had a condom on. He flipped her over onto her knees and slid home with a groan. “I love the feel of
you.”
Maureen grabbed the headboard, breathing heavily. “I know. Me too.”
In her voice, John heard the tears rising to the surface. In only the short time they’d been together, he could read her emotions so well.
“Maureen, listen to me.” Never missing a stroke, John leaned close and pressed his mouth close to her ear. While he was there, he nipped on her lobe. He wasn’t a big talker during sex, but this was a special occasion. “I have something to tell you.”
“What?” She tilted her head. He took advantage and ran his tongue down her throat while still continuing to stroke in and out of her.
John slid one hand from its position on Maureen’s hip and instead found her clit. “I know where I’m going to be stationed. I found out today.”
“You did?” She tried to spin around, but he kept her pinned. Pistoning faster into her, John increased the pressure on her clit at the same time. Maureen gave up trying to fight him.
He continued to love her. “Yup, I did. Come for me and I’ll tell you.”
“John!” She might have been trying to sound angry or annoyed with him, but the effect was lost as she panted and gripped the headboard until her knuckles turned white.
Deciding he’d tortured her enough, John slid out, but not for long. He turned her to face him and then slipped right back inside, but this time he could watch her face.
“I’m staying here.” He held still and waited for her reaction.
It was worth the wait as her eyes opened wide. “Here? Where here? In the United States?”
“Right here. North Carolina.” John set a slow, lazy pace, hoping she wouldn’t object and make him stop so they could talk, because he would really like to keep going.
“Thank God.”
Thank Hank Miller more like. John didn’t speak the man in black’s name but instead kissed her. With one hand under each of her butt cheeks, he lifted her hips off the bed. He adjusted the angle of his thrust and heard the change in her breathing in response.
Never faltering in his rhythm, John pressed close to her ear. “Quit your job. Move here and live with me.”
That sent her careening over the edge into a long, loud climax. He followed quickly after with a bone-jarring one of his own, pulsing inside her.
Shaky, he collapsed on top of her and tried to catch his breath. “Is that a yes?”
Her laugh jostled his head where he lay on her chest. “Yes, that’s a yes.”
“Good.” John smiled. “I am so in love you.”
She reached down and guided him until his face was level with hers and he could see the sheen of tears in her eyes. “And I love you.”
He’d have to get used to her happy tears, he supposed. He was looking forward to taking the time to do that, and so much more.
Epilogue
Seasons of Change: the life and times of Summer Winters
My great dating experiment. There have been ups and downs, good dates and bad—okay, they’ve all been pretty bad—but through it all, you, my faithful readers, have shared them with me. Therefore, it is with great joy that I announce my days of weekly serial dating are over. I am in love, so much so I have not been able to wipe the smile from my face no matter how hard I try.
Which man was it that finally won my heart? None of the men I’ve written about here. He and I found each other through friendship, tragedy and even, dare I say it, fate. Love did not strike like a lightning bolt as I expected. It grew slowly like how a flower blooms. I looked and it was there even though I don’t recall when it happened.
Will I tell you about him? One day, just not today. But if you read my upcoming new release, a military romance, you might recognize the heroine and be sure to take note of the hero.
And what of Peter and his search? I smile when I tell you Peter had his first lone date tonight with B (yes, “straight” B of the B and W double date fame—see blog entry number one). Since I have yet to hear from Peter and it is getting quite late, I can only assume things are going well. Good for you, Peter.
What of the blog? Well, I don’t envision it ending, just morphing, changing as I change. You see, there will be many changes forthcoming in my life. I will go from a single, New York City girl working full-time in an office and writing part-time in my apartment at night all alone, to a very taken, full-time writer living in the South while keeping my military man happy. Changes indeed and a ton of blog fodder.
As a conclusion to the great dating experiment, I leave you with this thought: There exists somewhere the person who completes you, who will fit you perfectly, like two puzzle pieces snapping together. You can try to work on that puzzle by searching through all the pieces, trying out several to see if they mesh. But no matter how many you try, only the one that is the perfect match will fit.
And now I must leave you because my perfect match has that look in his eye, and I need to go remind myself exactly how perfectly we fit together.
May you all find your missing piece.
Summer
About the Author
As an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance in genres including military, cowboy, ménage and paranormal, Cat Johnson uses her computer so much she wore the letters off the keyboard within a year. She is known for her creative marketing and research practices. Consequently, Cat owns an entire collection of camouflage and western attire for book signings and a fair number of her consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living. In her real life, she’s been a marketing manager, professional harpist, bartender, tour guide, radio show host, Junior League president, sponsor of a bull-riding rodeo cowboy, wife and avid animal lover.
To learn more about Cat, please visit www.catjohnson.net. Send an email to Cat at [email protected], like her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CatJohnsonAuthor or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cat_johnson.
Look for these titles by Cat Johnson
Now Available:
Rough Stock
Studs in Spurs
Unridden
Bucked
Ride
Hooked
Red, Hot & Blue
Trey
Jack
Jimmy
Jared
Cole
Bobby
A Few Good Men
Coming Soon:
Studs in Spurs
Flanked
Red, Hot & Blue
Model Soldier
A Prince Among Men
Social butterfly and a soldier in the Special Forces—a match made in…bed.
Jimmy
© 2010 Cat Johnson
Red Hot & Blue, Book 3
Special Forces gave Jimmy Gordon the undercover skills of a chameleon, but nothing prepared him for Amelia Monroe-Carrington, the governor’s hot, redheaded daughter. She thought she was seducing a banquet waiter, and he let her.
His next assignment pulled him from her bed and into the worst six months of his life. Images of Lia were what kept him alive imprisoned in Kosovo, and even now he’s home and recovered, she’s still in his head.
For her father’s political career, Lia has always done the appropriate thing, right down to dating a senator’s son. Her one rebellious act, an incredible night with a totally inappropriate man, ended when he disappeared. And then never called.
When they unexpectedly meet again, the pull between them is stronger than ever, tempting Lia to stop sacrificing her own happiness for the family dynasty.
This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.
Warning: Contains incredible one-night-stand sex hot enough to withstand time, distance, and some really nasty terrorist torture.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Jimmy:
“Hello?” Her sexy voice sent a shiver right down from his ears to his toes and everywhere in between.
“Hey, darlin’. It’s Ji…uh, James.”
“Hello there, James. Where are you?”
“In my car outside
the party. We just got off.” Oh yeah. Judging by the sexy purr of her voice, he had a feeling he was about to get off all right.
“Meet me at the Hilton in ten minutes. Ask for the private elevator that leads to the presidential suite. I’ll leave your name at the desk so they’ll let you up.” Jimmy heard a click and then she was gone.
Holy crap. He didn’t know what to be amazed at more. The fact he was going to get lucky with the hottest woman he’d ever laid eyes on, or the invitation to the presidential suite at the Hilton. Meanwhile, there was no way he could drive back to base, check in and then get to the hotel in ten minutes, and Jimmy had a feeling Lia was not the kind of woman who responded well to being kept waiting.
The mission had been uneventful. Maybe no one would notice if he didn’t check in tonight. His decision made, he drove directly to the Hilton so fast it was a miracle he didn’t get pulled over for speeding. He stopped only long enough to grab a box of condoms and breath mints at the twenty-four-hour convenience store across the street from the hotel.
Jimmy remembered to unstrap his leg holster and secure his weapon in the glove compartment. He even remembered to lock his parked car, but that was about the only time his mind strayed from thinking about what was about to happen up in that suite.
Inside the massive marble lobby, he gave his name to the man standing behind the front desk, thinking there was a good chance he’d be thrown out on his ass. Lo and behold, he wasn’t. Instead, he was ushered by another uniform-clad employee into a brass and mahogany-lined elevator car with only two buttons inside. They read Lobby and Presidential Suite.
As the valet, or whatever he was called, rode up the many floors to the top with him, Jimmy finally allowed himself to stop thinking this whole thing must be some kind of a joke. That was something he knew for sure when the elevator doors opened onto the eerily quiet, private hallway on the top floor of the building.