The Class of '93 Trilogy: Deadly Briefs

by Felicia Forella

  Aiden strode back into the room, the view from the front every bit as lip-licking delicious as the one from the back. The man had the most delectable body. Age had done little damage to him. Truthfully, he'd only improved. His shoulders seemed broader, his chest wider. Then there were those biceps and those thighs which had more muscle, more bulk.

  His half-hard penis bobbed as he approached, making her wish he'd been immediately interested in another round of lovemaking. Damn annoying chivalry. She'd had her way with him once already. She looked forward to a repeat performance.

  "If you keep looking at me like that, I'm not going to be able to pretend I'm a gentleman much longer.” His deep voice rasped along her nerve endings and fueled her desire.

  "Like what?” When in the hell had she learned to purr like some sex kitten?

  "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Knock it off."

  She wasn't one hundred percent sure what she was doing besides drooling over his body and she wasn't about to stop doing that any time soon. Especially not if it made him want her again. Did he think she'd lost her mind?

  "Roll on your back.” A circling gesture accompanied his soft words, as if she didn't know how to flip over.

  She eyed him with growing desire. “Why?” Hmm, maybe she'd managed to make him change his mind.

  "Because I asked you to?"

  Giggling at the sarcasm in his voice, she did as he requested. Only then did she notice something clutched in his hand. With a quick tug, he stripped the covers off her body, exposing her to his gaze. He must have liked what he saw as his penis stretched to its full length and width. Gentle hands spread her thighs until he sat between them. Heat pooled and her body prepared to accept him, every magnificent inch of him.

  But instead of the sexual advance she expected, she flinched as a warm wet rag covered her between her legs. With soft strokes, he tended to her in a most unexpected manner.

  Oh yeah, she'd definitely been right to wait for him.

  "Mmm, that feels good.” The heat soothed, relaxing her.

  "I'd hoped it might.” With his eyes following every movement of his hand, his gaze burned her skin, more arousing than the actual touch. Part of her wondered if she should be embarrassed by the intense scrutiny but the pleasurable sensations overwhelmed her until she didn't give a damn about anything but his fingers on her lower lips. Tossing the washcloth to the floor, he continued his caress, nothing separating his fingers from her skin.

  "That feels even better,” she purred as he petted her.

  "Thank God.” He leaned forward, spreading kisses in the crease where leg met torso. His back rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “You smell so good.” His breath warmed her already heated flesh. “Did you know that when you're excited, your lips and your nipples are the same dark, sexy color?"

  Erika couldn't answer; his ministrations robbed her of the ability. She wiggled, shifted, stretched, anything to steer Aiden's attention to her clit—even fisting strands of hair to hold him close. Just when she thought she might be getting somewhere, he stretched out beside her and pulled her to the hard wall of his chest.

  Son of a bitch. What did it take to get this man to make love to her again? A signed note from her gynecologist? She had thirteen years to make up for and he wanted to play White Knight.

  "So, where do we go from here?” Thanks to the rumble in his torso as he spoke, she felt the words as much as heard them.

  "Physically, or metaphorically?” Rubbing her cheek over his nipple, she made herself comfortable even as his groan told her she'd made him uncomfortable. Good. If she had to suffer, so did he.

  "Either one, I suppose. Whichever one you feel like answering."

  Gratitude filled her that he'd asked. She didn't care why, either. Maybe he respected her and her opinion enough to ask. Maybe he was just clueless—hell, most men were most of the time, when it came to women. None of that mattered. She was simply moved that he'd asked.

  Which left her with the unenviable task of deciding which question to answer first. “Since you insist I need to rest before we have another go, we might as well get some sleep. I want to get on the road early in the morning. I'd like to head for Seymour Johnson."

  "All the way to North Carolina?"

  "Not in one day, but yes. It's out of the way enough to keep our trail difficult to follow since I doubt Sonny has given up."

  "Do you plan to check in with your CO?"

  "I'm sure Chad filled him in on the pertinent details after he returned to the safe house. But yes, I'd like to touch base with him and let him know we're safe, even though I have no intention of telling him where we are, where we're going, or how soon we'll be in D.C.” The risk to Aiden's life was too great. Someone in the AFSA leaked her information to Sonny, so she'd make sure there was nothing to pass on to the drug-lording son of a bitch. She'd take the chance that she'd get a major ass-chewing-out for this stunt. “Plus, I need to know if there's been any progress in locating Sonny."

  "We should definitely get some sleep, since we have quite a trek ahead of us tomorrow.” His hand slid down her side to rest on her hip. “But if you don't put something on, I won't be able to sleep or resist you."

  Laughing, she complied as he shooed her out of bed. What she really wanted was to stay naked and drive him nuts. With a seductive twitch of her butt, she took three steps away from the bed. She groped for a t-shirt from her suitcase and pulled the first one she found over her head. After all, he did need a good night's sleep so he'd be fit to help her drive tomorrow, regulations be damned. The large garment covered her, just barely, but she didn't hunt for anything else. Part of her wanted to tease him, make him suffer just a bit more, since she felt wet and empty. Not the most mature attitude, of that she was certain, but it felt damn good.

  "I suppose that'll do,” he groused as she climbed back into bed with a flash of thigh. Reaching to the side, she clicked off the lamp and then snuggled under the covers.

  Even though she wanted to curl up next to him, she made herself comfortable on her side of the bed, no territorial female moves from her. She'd done enough of that when she'd joined him in the shower. Now, if he came to her—

  With a growl, he spooned up behind her and draped his arm over her waist. Sighing softly, she wiggled back into him and was rewarded with a frustrated grunt as she made contact with his impressive erection, now trapped in boxers.

  It could have been thirteen years ago on that ill-fated weekend they'd finagled together. A weekend off campus together, the one they'd both anticipated, when they both knew they'd finally sleep together. It didn't feel like they'd spent a lifetime apart, like he'd shattered her heart with his Cro-Magnon attitudes. He'd been so attentive and considerate since she initiated their encounter that she couldn't have asked for a better first time experience if she'd orchestrated it in advance.

  She hadn't even wanted the assignment that forced them back together. She'd wanted to stay far away from Aiden Greene. Some wounds never completely heal. Then, as she'd kept up her covert surveillance, she'd decided to maintain a professional distance since she'd been commanded to protect him. Twenty-four hours ago, that sounded reasonable.

  Then sitting with him, talking with him, she'd realized she'd been given an opportunity never given to most women. She'd been given a chance to relive a part of her past and set right a huge regret. So, not one to second-guess herself or to hesitate when a decision had been made, she'd jumped.

  So far, the fall was pretty freaking fantastic.

  She just hoped the landing didn't kill her.

  * * * *

  Miguel “Sonny” Ramos paced the confines of the private jet he'd borrowed from an amigo. His churning stomach and sore neck had nothing to do with motion sickness or fear of flying and had everything to do with Aiden Greene.

  Where the hell had he disappeared to?

  Jose, Sonny's second-in-command, had assured him that the car bomb had been successful. Jose had watched Señor Greene walking
to his car and then witnessed the powerful explosion. There was no way anyone could have survived, Jose had promised him. So much damage had been leveled at the vehicle that the bumbling idiots who passed as police hadn't even been able to identify the charred remains for hours.

  But then ... but then—

  Sonny slammed his fist into the back of a seat.

  He'd received a call through a scrambled, secure phone link. Señor Greene had indeed survived with the help of some interfering puta. Jose's second attempt to eliminate the target had been equally unsuccessful. Worse than that, no one seemed to know how he'd slipped away or where he'd gone.

  No matter. He would find him, regardless of the effort. Señor Greene had stolen his life from him when the man handed him over to the Cancuen authorities. Sonny Ramos always repaid a debt of honor.

  The shrill chirp of his phone distracted him. “Hola."

  "Hola, Papá. How are you today?"

  The voice of his oldest daughter soothed Sonny's nerves. “Ahh, Luzita. I am fine now that I am talking to you.” Sonny's wife left him when he went to prison, distancing herself and their three children from the man reputed to be one of the largest drug kingpins in the southern hemisphere. Despite her best efforts, she hadn't been able to break the bond with his Luzita.

  "My birthday is coming up, Papá.” She tried to sound so grown up.

  "I know, mi corazón. Soon, you will be fifteen. Is your mother planning your saliendo partido?” An important step in a young woman's life.

  "It will be the best party ever, Papá. Will you be there?"

  "No, no.” He'd never lie to his daughter. As much as he wanted to see her, he didn't know if he could do so without risking his freedom. He refused to go back to prison.

  The hitch in her voice broke his heart. “I have to go, Papá. Mami is home early."

  "Te quiero, Luzita."

  "Te quiero mucho, Papá."

  Sonny sat, the phone to his ear, even as the line went dead. Señor Greene cost him so much. Oh yes, he owed Greene a debt of honor.

  Chapter 7

  "Are you sure the oatmeal was enough breakfast for you?"

  "I'm fine."

  "We can stop."

  "I'm fine, Aiden, just drive the car. Without speeding.” They couldn't afford to draw attention to themselves.

  Erika had woken up an hour earlier to find herself sprawled on top of Aiden, his erection poking her hip. Instead of being rolled over and boffed to within an inch of her sanity, he'd hustled her out of bed, shoved a bowl of instant oatmeal at her, and hurried her into the car. What the hell was wrong with the man?

  It was her own damn fault, she supposed. After all, she'd told him that she wanted to get an early start. He'd barely given her enough time to use the secure satellite phone to leave a message for the colonel letting him know they were safe and on the move, but not where they were going.

  "Since you're on map detail, care to let me know which way I'm supposed to drive?"

  Staring at his profile, she watched his lips twitch up in a smile. “Last time I checked, if you wanted to head to the East Coast, you needed to head, oh, say, east."

  "Really, I wouldn't have guessed that one.” Rich, masculine laughter filled the car. This morning, his shoulders lacked the stiffness they had the day before and his spine had lost some of its rigidity. She liked to think she had something to do with that. “I must have forgotten everything they taught us in survival training."

  Somehow or other, she doubted that. He'd been one of the best and brightest in their class at the Academy. According to her profile, he had graduated first in his class in law school. Oh yeah, he retained everything he'd learned, even if he chose to tuck that knowledge somewhere in the dark corners of his mind.

  Paper crinkled as Erika flipped through the pages of the atlas clutched in her hands until she reached the map that corresponded to their location in Tennessee. She preferred to use computer generated directions, but opted not to this time. Even the slightest hint of their destination was too great a risk to leave behind. Computer experts might find a hint of a shadow on the network, no matter how much she erased and deleted. Since they had no idea who was leaking the information, the old-fashioned way was the only way to go. Using her finger to trace the route, she called out directions until they reached the main highway heading east to North Carolina.

  "From the looks of things, we could make it to Seymour Johnson late this evening. But if you don't mind, I'd prefer to stop. I'm thinking Asheville would be the best place.” She sucked in a deep breath and braced herself for an argument; he'd been too complacent for too long and given his moments of stubbornness, she expected that to change at any minute. There had been enough hints of the man she'd known at the Academy that she didn't doubt his return.

  "What made you come to that decision?"

  She watched, waiting for his grip on the steering wheel to tighten, any indication that he was prepared to fight her. Instead, he remained casually slumped in the seat, with a light clasp to control the car.

  "If someone is still watching for us, it benefits us to vary our schedule and our route."

  He pursed his lips and nodded his head, but didn't give her any other indication of agreement or disagreement. What the hell was going on here? The man had her completely off balance. With the exception of a brief flare of anger the first night, he'd willingly followed along. This was not the man she'd known and loved so many years ago. That Aiden would have been in her face, in command. He would have tried to make all the decisions. Worse, he would have tried to protect her for her own good. This Aiden nodded his head and agreed.

  "It makes sense."

  Of course it did. “I plan on staying one step ahead of anyone trying to find us.” She ignored the intense sensation of not wanting to see him hurt by reminding herself that she cared for his safety even before they fell into bed.

  "Asheville, huh?"

  "Do you have a problem with that?” Ouch. She sounded defensive to her own ears.

  "No, it's just that I've always wanted to see the Biltmore. And since we're going to be in the area—"

  One of America's “castles.” A romantic bed and breakfast. The coming evening looked more and more promising with every passing minute. “We can blend in with the rest of the tourists in town to see the gardens in full bloom."

  "I can have my wicked way with you in a quaint hotel room."

  The deep rumble in his voice caused her nipples to harden and her clit to twitch. So he did intend for them to have sex again. She'd begun to wonder, despite his comments after the first time they'd made love.

  "Maybe I want to have my wicked way with you."

  "You had your turn last night, tonight it's my turn."

  The sexual promise in his tone made her want to make him pull the car over right here and now. He'd hinted at the pleasure of an orgasm during intercourse and the banter bouncing back and forth between them had her wanting that particular experience immediately. Damn Chad and his choice of a two-door little sports coupe for her. There was no way they'd be able to do anything comfortably in such a compact space.

  Time to change the subject before she spontaneously combusted. “Tell me about your kids. There wasn't much information in the file about them."

  Aiden's face softened, the angles and planes of his chiseled cheeks disappearing before her very eyes. A smile she'd never seen graced his lips. “They are the best thing I've ever done, my shining accomplishment. And truthfully, I didn't have much to do with the whole process at all. They'll turn three at the end of the month.” Shadows erased the paternal bliss from his face. “I may not even be able to be there."

  The raw pain in his voice tore at her heart. If she could, she'd promise he'd be able to be there on their birthday. But she couldn't. “I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to find and capture Sonny as quickly as possible."

  "I know you will. I intend to do everything I can to help you."

  "You can do that by
staying safe at Bolling."

  "I can do that by working at your side."

  There he was—the Aiden she'd been expecting to make an appearance. The one who had to have a hand in the action.

  "Aiden, you are no longer an Air Force officer. I will not allow you to put your life on the line or jeopardize a mission."

  "My life is already on the line, Erika, or have you forgotten?” His hands clenched the wheel.

  "How could I forget? I'm the one who saved your sorry ass both times, or have you forgotten?"

  "I'm not going to argue, Erika. My mind is made up."

  "As is mine.” This was the stubborn son of a bitch from the Academy. This was what she'd been prepared for since the minute she tackled him to the ground thirty-six hours earlier. “So unless you want to fight, I suggest we drop it."

  "I don't want to fight with you.” Tactfully, he changed the subject. “Why don't you tell me what you can about some of the assignments you've had since you started with the AFSA?"

  She saw why he was such a good attorney. He managed to guide conversations where he wanted them. More than once, he'd transitioned the topic to his favor.

  They left Chattanooga behind, the tires eating up the miles as they headed for the mountains of Western North Carolina. She hesitated at first, expecting him to show little interest in her career, if not outright scorn. His belief that women needed to be homemakers and mothers, not movers and shakers, was the wedge that drove them apart that April weekend thirteen years earlier. It was that tightly held certainty that led her to refuse his proposal, to hand back the stunning one carat marquis-cut diamond. She'd worked too long and too hard to turn down her top career choice in favor of something less dangerous, less demanding. She'd spent too many years struggling to become her own woman, to be accepted for who she was, to turn around and allow anyone to dictate any part of her life ever again.

  Instead, he listened and asked intelligent questions. He may not have agreed with her decision back then, or even understood her, but he appeared to respect her accomplishments. Or he was an Oscar-winning actor so he could get back in her pants.