“Everything okay?” Buck asked.
“No idea. That girl is freaking out about something. They’ll be here about five o’clock.”
“Good,” Buck said. “Plenty of time for sex and a shower.”
He offered his most charming smile. She’d given him the once over a couple of times at the range, and seemed on board with the sex, but they’d been on each other’s nerves for a couple of days, so he couldn’t be sure.
“You think so, huh?” She shot him a coy smile as she opened the door and stepped out of the car.
He followed her up the walkway to her tiny little house. Despite the miniature size, it had a lot more character than his bland apartment on base. Since he’d been in San Diego, he’d spent more time at Mindy’s place than his.
He caught up to her on the porch. Following her inside when she unlocked the door, he shut it behind him and caught her around the waist, leaning her back against the closed door.
“Are you insinuating there won’t be sex?” He thrust his hard cock against her body, barely suppressing a groan in his throat. Bickering or not, he still couldn’t get enough of her.
Her eyes dilated and she licked her lips, which said to Buck his argument had been convincing.
“Oh, there will definitely be sex, hotshot,” she said.
Still, he wanted to clear the air first, as much as his body was ready to dive right in. He tucked his index finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. “Look, I’m sorry about the driving thing. You’re right, it’s taking some time to get used to each other. But we’ll get there.”
He leaned down to kiss her. She kissed back, but pulled away before he could even get a taste of her.
“You’re very bossy,” she said, the corner of her mouth curling up into the hint of a smirk.
He nodded solemnly. “I am. I won’t deny it. I’ll apologize for the times I overstep, but it’s who I am. Besides,” he said, pressing his advantage by kissing her again, this time getting a good taste of her. “You like it when I’m bossy.”
“Hmm. Sometimes.”
“Now?” He ground his erection against her belly and waggled his brows at her.
A little groan of pleasure slipped from her lips, causing his cock to twitch in his very tight jeans.
“How about bossy Buck turns things over to sweet, sexy Buck?”
“I’ll see what I can do, but you may get horny Buck,” he said.
She drew a long, dramatic breath and let it out on an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose he’ll do for now. But one of these days I’m going to be the bossy one, and you’ll just have to deal with it.”
She leaned up on her toes to kiss him again, and he let go of the restraint he’d been holding onto, burying his fingers in her long chestnut hair and deepening the kiss. God, he couldn’t get enough of this woman. She’d got into his blood and he felt like an addict, dying for his next fix.
He reached down and swept her up into his arms.
“I’m down for that. For now, I just need you.”
He spun on his heel and carried her down the short hallway to her bedroom, dropping her on the bed.
Mr. Wiggles, Mindy’s orange tabby, had been sleeping on her pillow. He made an indignant sound as he popped up into the air when the mattress bounced under Mindy’s weight.
“Shoo, cat,” Buck said, giving the animal a shove.
Wiggles jumped off the bed, his tail stiff and haughty as he marched out the door.
Mindy ignored the cat and scrambled to get her shoes off while Buck dragged his shirt over his head and fumbled with the button and zipper on his jeans, forgetting he still wore his boots until his pants bunched at his shins and he had to slow down to untie them.
Her giggle brought his attention back to her, and he about fell over at what he saw. Naked, she lay on her side, propped up on her elbow, watching him grapple with his clothing. He swallowed against the sudden dryness in his throat. Whatever petty things they argued about, or the wrinkles that still needed to be smoothed in their relationship, this kind of moment was what meant the most. That she trusted him with her life—not literally, although she had done that too—but that he meant enough to her she willingly shared her life with him. It was an honor and a privilege that she found him worthy enough. He played it cool, like the bad-ass SEAL he was, but man, he didn’t feel deserving of such a smart, beautiful, graceful creature. He felt like a big, dumb, oaf compared to her.
Her expression changed as he watched her, morphing from delighted to concerned, her smile turning into a frown. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“You were horny as hell and then when you looked up at me you seemed sad.”
Jesus. He needed to pull himself together.
He’d managed to get the second boot untied. “I’m sad I can’t get these damn boots off faster.” He yanked it off and tossed it aside with the rest of his clothes, then stood and saluted. “Ready for inspection, ma’am.”
She swung her legs off the bed and in the small room she sat only a foot or so away from his cock, which twitched at her nearness as if it had a mind of its own. Not that Buck wasn’t of the same mind as it, but still when she studied it, a coy little smile on her face the whole time, Buck had a difficult time standing still. He’d told her to inspect him, though, so he dug deep for the willpower.
She stood and looked him in the eye. “So far you pass muster,” she said.
He smirked, a ridiculous self-satisfaction warming his heart. “Yes, ma’am.”
She touched his belly with a couple of fingers, just above where his cock stood at attention, then traced a line up to his chest. “But I’d better finish the inspection, just to be sure.”
Her fingers brushed a nipple, sending a jolt of desire through him. She continued her tour, tracing a path around his shoulder and down his back to cup his ass cheeks one at a time—sending another jolt this time straight to his balls—then back around to the front where she took his balls in her hand and fondled them.
He managed to control himself long enough to choke out a few words. “Do I pass?”
“With flying colors.”
“Good.” He broke his stance, grabbed her around the waist, and tossed her onto the bed, climbing on after her. “Because I’m ready for action.”
Her knees came up to rest on either side of his rib cage as if opening to him by instinct. He settled into that safe space, nudging her opening with the tip of his cock. She closed her eyes and arched her back, a needy little sound coming from her lips. He loved that sound.
He kissed her lips again, then moved down to her neck and shoulder. Her skin tasted salty with a hint of gunpowder from the range. That whole combination might cause him problems later in the middle of a gunfight if he started getting turned on at the scent of gunpowder. At the moment, he didn’t give a shit. It was hot.
He slid the tip of his tongue along the length of her clavicle, then down to a nipple, which he sucked hard into his mouth. She gasped and shuddered. He’d learned how sensitive her nipples were and how he could bring her to the edge of climax just by focusing his attention there.
As he switched to the other nipple, circling it with his tongue before sucking on it, too, she moaned long and deep. His cock spasmed at the sound. The noises she made were as much foreplay for him as anything. It had become a challenge to see just how worked up he could get her, and how long he could resist plunging into her.
Using his fingers, he tweaked one nipple while he nibbled the other.
She dug her heels into his ass and her hips came off the bed seeking his cock. “What are you waiting for, Buck?”
What indeed.
He edged himself forward just a bit until his tip breached her entrance. Jesus, it felt good. He slid the rest of the way in and held there, marveling once again at how she sheathed him perfectly.
Then the urge to thrust overtook him and he lost himself in sensation.
She clung to him, focused on
chasing her orgasm, and when the tingle of his climax gathered at the base of his spine, he nipped her nipple just sharp enough to shock her and thrust hard at the same time. Her orgasm exploded as she threw her head back and cried out. Her body squeezed and spasmed around him, pulling his own climax from him on a low, deep growl that surprised even him.
He collapsed on the bed next to her and rolled onto his back, out of breath. Not many things scared Buck, but the grip Mindy had on him bordered on terrifying. He’d come into the relationship naïve, thinking they’d be Buck and Mindy, two separate people who cared about each other and came together for sex and meals and to do things together.
He hadn’t counted on her becoming part of him, on not being able to tell where he ended and she began, on their lives melding into one. He hadn’t counted on losing control.
3
Shortly past five o’clock, after Melinda had showered and ordered pizza, Jayla burst through the front door, followed by Noah.
“Hey, Nerd. I hope you’re fully clothed, because we’re here,” Jayla said.
Melinda put on her best meeting strangers face, but then shook her head. This was Jayla, and if Jayla loved Noah he wasn’t a stranger.
She left the kitchen and met Jayla and Noah in the living room. “Really, Jayla?”
“What? You could've been bumping uglies for all I know. I just wanted to do the polite thing and announce our presence.” Jayla threw herself into Melinda’s arms and whispered into her ear. “Besides, we need to talk.”
“Hi,” she said to Noah. “I’m Melinda. It’s nice to meet you.”
Noah gave Melinda a nod and a smile.
“Noah Kendrick. The pleasure is mine.” Melinda took the hand he offered before Jayla tugged her away.
“We need to talk, Nerd,” Jayla said. She grabbed Melinda’s hand and dragged her toward the bedroom, only to bump smack into Buck’s chest as he entered the living room.
“Hey Jayla, good to see you,” Buck said, taking Jayla by the shoulders and putting her back a step.
“Hey, Buckaroo, can’t stop to chat. Got girlfriend things to discuss.”
Melinda rolled her eyes. “Hold on a second, Punk. We can’t just leave the guys alone. They haven’t even met yet.”
“Buck, Hound. Hound, Buck,” Jayla said. “Go ahead, shake hands. It’s okay.”
Jayla dragged her down the hall, leaving the men alone together. Melinda shot Buck an ‘I’m sorry’ shrug as they passed him. He smiled, and the last Melinda saw before she got to the bedroom was them shaking hands and Noah offering Buck a beer.
In the bedroom, Jayla shut the door and flung herself backward on the bed. Buck must have made it up while Melinda was in the shower, because the last she saw, it had still been a mess from their earlier sex.
“Okay, Punk. What’s up with you?”
Melinda climbed onto the bed, too, folding her legs under her and settling in for the drama.
“We’re screwed.”
“Um. Congratulations?”
Jayla turned her head, her face crunched in confusion. “No, not we screwed. We are screwed.”
“Can you be more specific? I don’t know which ‘we’ you’re talking about.”
Jayla sat up and faced Melinda. “Me and Noah. I couldn’t have sex with him. What’s wrong with me? I mean, I had him in my bedroom. He stood there in his long-sleeved form-fitting shirt, tight-ass jeans and all his hunky body glory. And I did nothing. Nothing!” She flung a hand in the direction of the living room. “You’ve seen him. He’s hot. And I really, really like the guy. Like, totally fallen for the freak. But I couldn’t do it.”
“You mean you couldn’t bring yourself to do it, or you weren’t capable of the act itself? Which seems unlikely, but still.”
“We couldn’t even talk to each other, as if we absolutely had nothing to say. Like, we both had things we wanted to say, but neither of us said anything. I don't even know how to explain it. Which got me thinking.”
“Uh oh. That’s never a good thing.”
Jayla pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at Melinda. “Very funny.”
“What were you thinking?”
“Okay, so I thought, what if it’s not the same? What if the sex was only good because of the adrenaline and the situation? What if we have zero chemistry outside of death-defying adventures? I don't want just sex.” Jayla jerked her head as the thought hit her. “Wait, did I just say that? Whoa—yeah, I did. Wow, I want more than just sex. I mean, I want sex, and I definitely want his sex. But I really want to make something of this chance with Noah, and I'm worried what if we can't be … like … you know … normal?”
Melinda scoffed, waving away Jayla’s concern with a dismissive gesture. She’d expected something more dire. “Oh please. You haven’t known each other long enough to know what normal for you is. You’re just nervous.”
“But what if we can’t ever do it unless there’s impending doom? I've never been this nervous before. I wasn't even this nervous when I lost my V-card to Bobby Duran in high school. I don't get it.”
“Then I guess you won’t be having much sex. Or you’ll have to seek out adversity wherever you can find it, just to get laid. Or make your own.”
Jayla groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “See? We’re so screwed.”
Melinda patted Jayla’s shoulder. “You’re smart enough to know sex won’t be the same every time you do it. You have plenty of time to figure out how to make your relationship work.”
Jayla’s head came up, defeat in her eyes. “That’s easy for you to say. You and Buckaroo seem to be settling in pretty easy.”
Melinda snorted. “It’s not that easy. He can be bossy sometimes, and I feel like a doormat. The sex is really good, though.”
“You’re not a doormat. You’re an introvert. Big diff. And I didn’t need you to rub your fab sex in my face.” Her teasing smirk hinted that maybe she’d backed away from the edge of panic.
“You wish,” Melinda said, teasing her back. “The point is, our relationships are still new. We’ll figure it out.”
“Well, tonight I need you as a buffer to break the awkward,” Jayla said, twirling a pink-tipped lock of black hair around her fingers.
Melinda sighed. Always the intermediary. “You need me to hold your hand?”
Jayla hitched a shoulder. “You don’t have to hit me where it hurts. But, yes.”
“Fine. But only this once. After today, you have to do it yourself.”
Jayla threw her arms around Melinda’s neck. “Thanks, Nerd.”
They both piled off Melinda’s bed and headed for the door, but Melinda stopped in her tracks before she got there.
“Wait. I have something to show you. I forgot all about it, but now that you’re here you need to see it.”
“What is it?”
Melinda stepped up onto the bed and stood on her tiptoes to reach the blades of the ceiling fan. Feeling around on the top side of the first blade, she found what she was looking for and ripped the tape off.
She hopped off the bed and handed the flash drive to Jayla.
“I found this and three others on the cargo ship where the Russians held me captive.”
Jayla glanced up at the ceiling fan, then back at the flash drive in her hand, her features hardening into new worry. “Have you looked at them yet?”
“One’s got my research on it—the stuff they stole when they attacked Triada. The rest are in Russian. I figured since you speak Russian, you could translate them and see if it’s important.”
“Oh, trust me. If you found it in the hands of Russian mafia terrorists, it’s important,” Jayla said.
“Should I turn them over to Claudia Lynch?”
“Claudia Lynch is your handler? Crap. I talked to her a couple of hours ago. She’s sending me back to Russia.” Jayla waved the flash drive around as she talked. “This is too much coincidence. Whatever you do, do not let Claudia know you have these. And you can pretty much guarantee the R
ussians will trace the missing drives back to you. You’re still in danger.”
A cold lump settled in Melinda’s belly. She didn’t want to think about further involvement with Russians. That was behind her. “Those guys all went down with the ship when it sank. I’m not worried about them. I just figured there might be useful information on these, but being new to the spy game I wasn’t sure what to do with them.”
Jayla shot Melinda a skeptical quirked brow. “Let’s look at these after dinner. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and I don’t want to wait on these. Either way, you should stay close to Buck. He’ll protect you.”
Melinda scoffed. “I don’t need protecting. I’ll be fine.”
Jayla grabbed Melinda’s had and squeezed. “Do it anyway. For me? I won’t be able to do my job if I’m worrying about you. You don’t want me to make a stupid mistake, do you?”
Melinda sighed. “Okay fine. You win.” Jayla was probably overreacting. Melinda couldn’t imagine anything would come of her having the flash drives. Or more specifically, she didn’t want to imagine it. One James Bond adventure was enough for a lifetime. But for Jayla she’d do anything.
Melinda climbed back up and taped the flash drive where she’d had it hidden. “Let’s go check on the guys. They’re probably wondering where we disappeared to.”
Melinda hopped off the bed again and went to the door.
“Thanks for talking me off the boyfriend ledge, Nerd.”
“It’s what I’m here for.”
***
Buck watched the girls disappear down the hall to deal with the drama du jour.
“The name's Noah Kendrick.” Noah offered a hand.
Buck nodded, returning the handshake. “Grady McCormick, but you can call me Buck.”
“So, you want a beer?” Noah held up the case.
“Sounds good, we can put the rest in Mindy's fridge.”
Buck gestured for Noah to follow, pulling out a beer for each of them before shoving the rest in the refrigerator.
Noah chugged half his beer in one gulp. The guy looked nervous as hell. Buck couldn’t blame him. They’d been left to fumble through small talk.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Buck the System (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Sealed With A Kiss Book 2) Page 2