Tempest's Paradise (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Amanda Kay

  Tempest finally got her laughing under control and was wiping tears from her face. “I tell you what, smart-ass. I’ll let you tell the general that he can’t deploy me. His name is General Westin. Once you talk to him, you let me know what he tells you,” Tempest said, chuckling at his stormy expression. She grabbed her soda off the bar and walked toward the front of the house. Another barking laugh escaped as she walked out of sight. She completely missed the look of concern and true horror on Mark’s face as she left.

  Mark turned worried eyes on Devin. “You need to leave it alone, Dev. You could ruin her career, and she will kill you for that. She loves the army. If you take that away from her, she will never forgive you. I know your company has government contracts and Westin is a longtime personal friend of your family, but you can’t fuck with her life like that,” Mark said with warning edging his words.

  “She could get seriously hurt, Mark,” Devin said to him with his eyes still glued to the spot where Tempest had disappeared.

  “I know that and so does she! She is the one who decided to join the army and serve her country. She took responsibility for the fact that she could get seriously hurt or even die, but that was her choice. Leave her be, man!” Mark whispered harshly.

  “Besides, don’t you think she will find the fact that you’re interfering just a little bit creepy?” Phillip chimed in with a devious smile. He thought the entire situation was funny as hell. “She has no clue that you have practically been stalking her for four years. She won’t take kindly to it either. Mark says she’ll kill you, but I’m tellin’ you she’ll castrate you. I’m with Mark on this. Leave her be, man,” Phillip finished with a little chuckle. He knew that Devin had been in love with that girl since she was seventeen. He just liked to rib him about falling for jailbait. She wasn’t jailbait now though. Hell no, she was a hot piece of legal bait. On the down side of that coin, she was a soldier and knew how to kill people.

  “I’m with them, Dev. Don’t stick your nose in her professional life,” Samuel said, adding his piece to the pie.

  Devin continued to watch where she had walked away to. His three friends left him with his thoughts. He admitted he was a little peeved that they didn’t support his decision. He needed them behind him on this. He had to take care of her. She was just a kid. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into with all this deploying stuff. He had to do something, and he had to do it tomorrow. With his decision made, Devin left the kitchen to follow Tempest and to make sure she was safe.

  He didn’t know what it was about this woman, but everything about her screamed at him to protect. She had been a pretty girl at seventeen, but now she was a beautiful woman. He knew the army had been good for her but couldn’t allow her to get hurt. He had to take care of her.

  He followed the sound of her voice and saw her talking to a group of girls that were in the living room. He caught her eyes, and she started laughing all over again. The group of young women looked at her curiously. Once they figured out what or better yet who she was laughing at, concern crossed their faces. They knew who he was and that he wasn’t someone to take being laughed at lightly. They tried to explain this to Tempest, but it only made her laugh that much harder.

  Tempest realized how uncomfortable her laughing was making the group she was talking to. She did try to control it, but it wasn’t working well for her. She excused herself from the group and headed to find a bathroom. She had to walk past Devin and his gaze followed her, and it only made her laugh that much harder. She hadn’t had this much fun in a couple of years.

  She finally located a bathroom off some random hall in the back of the house. It was a little isolated so no one would hear her laughing if she couldn’t get it under control. She splashed cold water on her face to try to get the red to go away and her normal color to return. She was drying her face when she heard the door open softly and then click just a softly closed. Her body tensed and her adrenaline started coursing, making her ready to fight.

  She whirled around to face her enemy and found Devin standing there glowering at her. Her lips thinned in irritation, and she took a deep breath to slow her heart rate down. This man was quickly moving from funny to pain in the ass real fast.

  “I’m going to state the obvious here, Devin, because you seem a little slow on the uptake about some things, if not all things. I’m in the bathroom. It’s rude to walk in on a woman, or anyone really, when they are using the bathroom,” Tempest said as if talking to a slow child.

  “I don’t like being laughed at, Tempest.” Devin growled.

  She couldn’t stop the quirk of her brow at his harsh tone. “And I don’t like being treated like a child. Plus, if you’ll stop saying funny and asinine things, I’ll promise to stop laughing at you,” she said sweetly with sarcasm dripping from every syllable and went to step around him and leave the small room. He was entirely too big and taking up way too much space. It was making it a little hard for her to breath. She all but bared her teeth at him when he shifted and wouldn’t let her leave the too-small room.

  “You have no idea who I am, do you?” he asked with a tick up at the corner of his mouth.

  “You’re Devin, one of Mark’s best friends. He speaks very highly of you, but I’m finding it hard to understand why. Outside of that, I don’t really care who you are. I know you’re loaded, but so am I. If you don’t mind, I need to leave. I have to say good-bye to Mark before I go,” Tempest said. Her temper was quickly rising, and she crossed her arms under her ample bosom. She waited impatiently for Devin to move, and when he didn’t, she prepared to move him herself. Before she could even act, Devin grabbed her forearms and slammed her against the wall on his left. Tempest gasped at his sudden move, and Devin attacked.

  That was the only way to describe his kiss. He attacked her mouth, intent on conquering her. His tongue invaded her mouth and laid claim to every inch of her. His lips were firm yet soft and inviting. He thrust one of his muscled thighs between hers and effectively trapped her lower body against the wall. One of his hands thrust into her hair. He grasped firmly and yanked her head to the side, deepening the kiss. She tasted so sweet. She tasted like her soda and something exotic.

  Tempest was shocked and for a second she didn’t know what in the hell to do. No one had ever manhandled her, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Then she actually felt what he was doing. It was like he was trying to possess her, like he was trying to drink her in so that she never left. It was a heady feeling and a scary one. She’d had sex before, but she had always been in control. This was just a kiss, but it was beyond what she had ever experienced. She was nowhere near being in control of the situation, and it unsettled her, a lot! Then she felt what he was doing, and it was one of the most intoxicating experiences of her life.

  He pressed his body against her to keep her trapped against the wall. His muscled thigh rubbed enticingly against her sensitive clit, causing her pussy to cream. She worried for like half a second about her panties not being able to absorb and contain all her juice, but then he tweaked her nipple and her thoughts scattered to the four winds.

  His hands were everywhere at once, and his tongue was magic. She began having visions of his tongue working other more pleasurable parts of her body. She wrapped her arms around this neck and threaded her fingers through his thick silky hair.

  She felt his hands slide down her sides and then grab her ass. He moved back until the back of his legs bumped into the commode. He sat down on the closed lid with Tempest straddling his lap. His lips never broke off contact. His tongue stroked her and coaxed her into playing. He sucked and nibbled at her plump lips, driving her completely insane.

  His work hardened hands were sliding up her bare legs. The feeling was amazing and caused goose bumps to spring up all over her body. One of those tricky hands made it back to her breast while the other hand delved between her thighs and began teasing her clit through her silk panties. Her hips jerked at the pleasure that he was creating.
/>
  “You’re so wet, baby. I can feel all that rich cream from your sweet pussy. I love cream.” Devin groaned as he pulled the gusset of her panties to the side to get his first true feel of her pussy.

  Devin kissed her furiously when he felt just how hot and wet she was. She would be so primed and ready to fuck, but he couldn’t. He had a goal in mind, and he had to reach it. He dipped his thumb into her pussy and collected her juices. He explored her pussy until he found her blood-engorged clit and rubbed it with his slicked thumb. He continued to tease and torture her breasts, and he began torturing her pussy. He gently eased a single of his thick digits into her tight passage and felt her muscle almost strangle his finger. He worked her gently and then added a second, giving her a nice stretch.

  Devin had to call on all of his hard-earned self-control to keep from blowing his load in his pants. “God, baby, you are so fuckin’ tight,” Devin whispered and then sucked her nipple through her dress, not caring that he was leaving a wet spot on the delicate fabric.

  Tempest could only throw her head back and groan at his amazing touch. She rocked her hips in time with his thrusting fingers and had a strange sense of longing to have his cock inside her. She just knew it would be impressive just like the rest of him. She also had a very strong feeling he wouldn’t be one of those guys that were all talk. Every woman has met one of those men that could talk a good game but couldn’t deliver to save his life. That wasn’t Devin.

  He worked her clit relentlessly. The fingers he had in her pussy stroked along her front wall and tapped her G-spot without mercy. Her body trembled in his arms and he was sure he had never seen anything more beautiful before in his life. She was a vision of sensual woman.

  “That’s it, baby. Come for me. Soak my hand,” Devin said as he felt the muscles of her channel flutter and tighten around his fingers. She threw her head back and moaned her release. He felt her cream gush out and coat his fingers and hand. She looked amazing.

  Devin pulled her tight into his lap and stroked her trembling body. “You can’t go back there, baby,” Devin whispered softly in her ear.

  “I can’t what?” Tempest asked in a confused, breathy voice.

  “You can’t go back to Iraq. Tell me you won’t go back to Iraq,” he said huskily as he nibbled on her neck.

  Tempest’s vision went red. He seriously did not just do that! Her entire body went rigid in his lap, and she pushed away from him. “You can’t be serious! Did you really just get me off so you could try to manipulate me into doing what you wanted me to?” She glared at him and wished she was allowed to kill him or at least maim him. “I don’t know who in the hell you think you are, but you better pay attention, sport. I only follow orders given to me by my command. I don’t have a say so in whether or not I deploy. That is all up to the command. I have absolutely nothing to do with any of that decision-making process. So suck it up!” Tempest said, still fuming. She was a little surprised there wasn’t smoke rising from her ears.

  “Baby, you’re too young to be over there. You’re going to get hurt,” Devin said in a tone that he hoped was placating.

  He was failing miserably. He sounded patronizing.

  Tempest’s posture went rigid, and her eyes turned cold. “I am a soldier, Devin. I’m a good soldier. I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’ve already been to war twice. I’ve seen things that your pea brain can’t even comprehend. I am well aware of the risks associated with my job, and I accept them. I suggest you do, too, or you’re going to find yourself on the wrong end of my temper. I hope I’ve made myself clear.” She glared down at him and turned to leave the bathroom.

  Devin reached out and grabbed her arm. “I’ve also told you what I wanted. You can either agree or you can suffer the consequences.” Devin growled.

  Tempest looked at him like he’d grown a third head. “You can tell me what to do when you outrank me, but until that time, I suggest you remove your hand from my person or I’ll remove it for you. Believe me, my way is bloody and painful,” she said as she looked pointedly down at his hand.

  He didn’t like her attitude, and it appeared he was going to have to take matters into his own hands. “Don’t argue with me about this, Temp. You won’t like the outcome,” Devin said with an ominous tone.

  Tempest had reached the door, and with Devin’s comment, she turned and stared at him like he had lost his ever loving mind. “Devin, for the last time, I don’t have any control over whether or not I get deployed. Someone who is more important than me and who has a helluva lot more rank than me decides that. I’m leaving now, and I’d appreciate it if you would leave me alone. I came here to celebrate Mark’s birthday, not be harassed by one of his crazy-ass friends.” She reached for the doorknob but suddenly turned back to Devin. “By the way, my name is Tempest, or if you would prefer to call me Sergeant Westfield, that is fine. Only good friends and family are allowed to call me Temp, and you, Devin, are neither,” she said and turned to walk out of the bathroom leaving Devin alone.

  Man this woman had some fire in her blood. She had some sharp claws, too. She was a little spitfire. Devin liked it. He liked it a lot. He got up and left the bathroom. He did leave her alone the rest of the evening, but he kept a close eye on her. There was something about her that called to the primitive man in him. Yes, he knew it was slightly stalkerish, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to care. There hadn’t been any other woman that had called to him like she did.

  She didn’t speak to him the rest of the night. In all honesty, she didn’t even give him a second glance. After their little encounter in the bathroom, she acted like he never existed. Yeah, he was well aware that it was his fault, but he didn’t regret it. Hell no, he wanted more!

  He watched her walk around the room talking to people she didn’t know. She had a grace and confidence that didn’t fit with her tender age of twenty-one. Her ability to work a room made her appear older and more mature than her age suggested. It only made him want to throw her over his shoulder and carry her up to the room he was staying in. He tapped down the urge and settled for watching her instead. He let a smile play across his lips because he at least knew that he would be able to keep her safe…for now.

  Chapter 2

  Tempest had had a great time at the party, excluding her shitty encounters with that egomaniacal Devin. She truly didn’t know what that guy’s malfunction was. He was hot, she’d give him that, but the guy had some serious issues. He was a little bit of a weirdo.

  She sat at her desk doing her job and trying not to think about the hot irritating guy she had met when her commander stepped out of his office.

  “Westfield!” Major Jones shouted from across the room. “My office now!”

  Tempest fought the urge to hide under her desk. That man didn’t sound happy with her. He sounded like he was going to rip her head off and spit down her neck. This was going to suck.

  The rest of the soldiers in the office watched her slink across the room. Their sympathetic glances were not helping her either. She walked into the office and saluted the commander. She stood at attention and waited for his direction. She studied him as she did. He was a good-looking man, and he was old-school army through and through. He was a big guy and built like a Mack truck. He had a traditional army buzz cut. His hair was once a dark brown but now had gray scattered throughout. He had sharp brown eyes that didn’t miss anything. He had strong, chiseled features that made him look more distinguished and even a little older than his forty years. He was an intense man and a hard commander to work with, but he was always fair. He took good care of his soldiers and seemed to be genuinely interested in their well-being.

  “At ease, soldier, take a seat,” he all but barked at her.

  This was a new side to him that she had never seen before, and Tempest wasn’t sure if she liked it much.

  “Yes, sir,” Tempest said as she reluctantly sat down.

  “I’m not real sure what in the hell you did, but I jus
t got word from the brigade commander that the general wants to see you.” Major Jones growled at her. His expression was something close to feral.

  “I’m sorry, sir.” she said with disbelief and panic lacing her tone.

  “The general of the post wants to see you. I swear to you, Westfield, if you have done something that will disrupt this command and what we have to accomplish, I will have your ass booted out of the army. Am I clear!” he barked.

  Tempest paled. “Sir, I don’t know what is going on, but I haven’t done anything. I haven’t even met the general outside of seeing him at ceremonies. I haven’t filed any complaints or anything. I’ve just been doing my job. I swear, sir! I don’t know what’s going on!” Tempest was nearly shouting as the panic started. She was damn near close to tears.

  No one saw the general. Especially not someone with her puny rank. The man shouldn’t even know she existed. The only time someone like her saw the general was if they did something that would cause trouble for the army in the eye of the public or if they did something that was amazingly heroic, like win the Medal of Honor. She had done neither of those things. This couldn’t be good.

  Panic closed in and was making it hard for her to breath. She knew her face was white as a sheet, and her vision started to get a little blurry. She had never fainted before in her life, but she sure as hell thought she was about to. She watched the blurry form of Maj. Jones rush around his desk. He knelt in front of her, and his face came into clear view. Concern was etched in his weathered features.

  “Westfield, I need you to breathe, honey. That’s it. Take deep breaths. Just follow me. In, out, in, and out, that’s a good girl. Try to calm down. I’m sure everything is going to be fine. You’re a good soldier. You do your job well and with no complaints. No one has ever complained about you, and you have no negative counseling statements. You have glowing NCOERs from all your previous commanders, including me. I’m sure everything is going to be just fine. You have to pull it together because he wants you in his office in half an hour. You have to leave if you’re going to make it on time. Pull it together, soldier!” he barked at her finally.