by Desiree Holt
The growing ache in his balls told him it might soon be all over but the shouting if he didn’t do something and quick.
“No standup sex tonight,” he murmured in her ear and bit the lobe.
Pausing to grab a condom from his wallet, he swept her up in his arms and, in seconds, had her displayed on her bed. Her legs were wide open, the pink flesh of her sex glistening and tempting him. Knowing he wouldn’t last long, he was determined to give her as much pleasure as possible. He crawled between her thighs and lifted her legs, bracing them on his shoulders as he bent forward and stroked her slit with his tongue.
“God!”
She spit the word out between clenched teeth. He did it again and again, until she was writhing on the bed, arms outflung, fists clenched. He drove his tongue inside her, licking her inner walls, pinching and tugging on her clit with his fingers until she was slick as ice and vibrating with need.
“Please,” she begged. “Oh, please.”
“Please what? Fuck you with my fingers? My mouth?”
“Yes.” She dug her heels into his shoulders, lifting herself to him. “Yes, yes, yes. All of that.”
Thrusting two fingers into her slick heat, he sucked the swollen nub of her clit into his mouth and drove her to a climax. Her walls clenched around his hand, and she pushed down on him as her muscles spasmed again and again and her juice flooded his mouth.
He was hard beyond the point of pain when the last tremor rippled through her. He wanted to take his time, work her body until she begged for release. Make it slow until he took her to the point of insanity. That had been his intention, but he was too ready himself.
His hands shook as he rolled on the condom. He spread her legs to enter her, but the look on her face made something long hidden inside him threaten to explode. Feelings he’d buried a long time ago and sworn never to let resurface. Emotions he kept under tight lock and key. Then he noticed her eyes flared with their own measure of pain, but it was gone so fast he wondered if he’d actually seen it.
They’d never discussed their feelings or their past histories. They’d never discussed anything except this assignment, not even other cases or friends or…anything. He’d wanted it that way and, from her attitude, assumed she did, too. Everything in a nice tight compartment. It was bad enough they were fucking their brains out when the only thing they should be sharing was this assignment.
But tomorrow they’d be dealing with real danger, with religious zealots who believed killing was cleansing the world. With power-hungry men who believed in world domination. By them. There would not necessarily be such a thing as a peaceful surrender. These men had too much staked on this.
Yeah, tomorrow they could both be dead before the end of the day. For the first time in more than a decade, he found he cared it might happen to someone else.
He lifted her legs again, arranged her to give himself the best angle, and slowly eased his cock inside her welcoming, wet heat. At once she tightened around him, her inner muscles flexing and squeezing him. When he began a slow dance of thrust and retreat, she closed her eyes, digging her heels into the mattress to push her body harder against him.
“Open your eyes,” he told her in a guttural voice. “Now, Terra. Let me see what’s in there.”
When she did, he saw that same flash of something that had hit him before. Was it pain? Longing? Did she have a disastrous chapter in her past like he did, one that kept her from ever committing to another person again? This time, unlike the others, he didn’t want to run away from it. He wanted them to survive tomorrow so they could explore what might be bubbling under the surface. But whatever happened, by god they’d have this to remember.
He moved slowly, dragging his cock against her tight inner walls each time he withdrew and then thrust into her again. She kept her eyes locked with his, never wavering, even as he increased the pace. He had no idea how long it went on, but he felt the heat build inside, rolling up in waves. Terra wound her legs around him and locked her ankles at the small of his back, pulling him tight to her body.
The orgasm hit them both at the same time. One minute it was building, the next it exploded. Shaking them both like a high wind. They came and came and came, his cock pulsing and her slick channel milking him. He felt as if he’d emptied every cell of his body into her until they both collapsed.
He was spent, but he still had his arms wrapped around her. Still, did not want to let her go. He had some insane notion that if he kept her close to him like this, tomorrow might never happen. And that shocked the shit out of him.
“Griffin?”
He blinked, realized she was talking to him.
“Yeah, babe?” Babe? He’d never called her babe.
She stared at him. “Are you okay?”
He smiled, amazed at himself and, judging by her expression, startling Terra.
“I’m good. Better than good. And tomorrow, after we grab up the bad guys, we’re going to talk.”
“Talk?” Her eyes darkened. “Is something wrong?
“No, I think something might finally be right.”
She studied his face. “I have no idea what’s going on in your head, but it should be focused on tomorrow.”
“It is. It is.”
He brushed a soft kiss over her lips, ashamed it was the first act of tenderness he’d ever shown her despite the flaming hot sex. He eased out of her body and went to dispose of the condom. Terra was lying on her side when he walked back into the bedroom.
“You’d better get going,” she told him. “We have a big day tomorrow, and we both need a good night’s sleep.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
He grabbed his clothes from the living room, but instead of putting them on he carried them into the bedroom, fished his phone out of a pocket, and dropped his clothes on a little chair in the corner. Setting the alarm on the phone, he placed it on the nightstand before slipping into bed next to Terra.
He’d be damn glad when tomorrow was over and these assholes were locked up tight.
Chapter 11
“You didn’t think I’d walk out without a word, did you?”
Griffin had gone home to shower and dress without mentioning breakfast or coffee or anything. She figured the agenda for the day had wiped everything else out. But when there was a knock and she looked through the spyhole, she was stunned to see him standing there. She had just stepped out of the shower and was wearing only the big towel wrapped around her body.
She shrugged. “Today’s a busy day. No time to worry about that.”
His big hands cupped her face. “You’re not someone I’d walk out on, Terra. Remember that. You be extra careful today.”
She looked up at him, unfamiliar worry plain in his eyes. She’d been shocked last night when instead of leaving he’d crawled back into bed with her. And that last orgasm…There had definitely been something going on with him. She felt a tenderness, and some emotion that hadn’t been present at all before. Something was definitely going on with him.
Their sexual connection had been blazing hot from the beginning, but it was all physical. She’d gone the other route once before and been badly burned, vowing never, ever to get caught in that emotional trap again. Usually a physical relationship with a male teammate was forbidden in her set of rules. She hadn’t been able to ignore this one, and it shocked her she might break those rules.
Still, she’d been firm in her own mind she’d walk away when this assignment was over. They hadn’t even discussed anything, by silent agreement acknowledging this was merely activity and when the case was over so was it. So, why was she having second thoughts? And what the hell was up with him?
“Griff, is something wrong? Is there something I should know about today that Hal told only you? Did you get an early call from him while I was showering?”
Griffin shook his head. “Nope. But you know as well as I do that people like those we’re grabbing up today are wild and unpredictable. And I worry about Je
nnings who somehow has focused on you more than any of the other staff. “
“You know I can take care of myself, right?”
He nodded, and something indefinable flashed in his eyes. “That doesn’t mean I can’t tell you to look out. And it has nothing to do with your ability as an agent, which is top of the line.”
She studied his face. “What’s going on, Griffin?”
He let out a breath. “Nothing. At least, nothing I want to discuss now. Let’s get through today. Then I’ll answer any questions you’ve got.”
Something was definitely brewing, but she wasn’t about to push him now.
“Check your cell. Hal texted me, and you probably got the same message. I’m guessing it came in while you were in the shower.”
She pulled it up on her phone.
Landed early. Helo took aerial shots, and we have places in the trees to set up. Will text you our progress but don’t see this resolving early.
She shrugged. “I guess we can’t ask for more than that. We know they’ve got a plan, but things can blow up no matter how prepared you are.”
“That’s the damn truth. Anyway, get dressed so we can get some breakfast. And stick a couple of PowerBars in your jacket pocket. Meals could be spotty today.”
“I figured. I’ve got my gun with me.”
“Same here. Got the Glock loaded and ready. But let’s hope neither of us has to use them.
Fifteen minutes later, as they were trudging to the main building, she thought how incongruous it was that a day that could very well end in someone’s death—maybe more than one someone—was so acutely beautiful. The sky was a vivid blue, the expanse broken only by soft, puffy clouds. The brilliant sun made the snow a sharp white and highlighted the colorful clothing the guests wore. She noticed early skiers already on the slopes and people lacing up their skates at the rink.
“Think Jennings is already doing his innkeeper thing?” she asked
“No doubt. I’d like to know where Babic is.”
“Let’s check and see if his car is here. If it is, you can let me know if he rents a snowmobile. I can’t see him hanging around the inn doing nothing.”
“Let’s keep an eye out.” He checked his watch. “We should be hearing from Hal again pretty soon, to let us know where they set up.”
“Except for an area on the far side of the house, that whole part of he landscape is thick with trees. Plenty of places to hide the vehicle.” Flying up in a cargo plane had allowed Hal and his team to bring their specially-designed-and-equipped armored vehicle.”
“Okay, here we are.”
Griffin pulled the big glass entrance door at the rear of the inn open, and they walked into the large room where the breakfast buffet was set up. The room was packed, and there was a line at the buffet. And sure enough, Dalton Jennings was walking around the room, smiling and greeting guests, ostensibly making sure everyone was being taken care of.
“The more I see of him, the more he makes me sick.” Terra mumbled the words under her breath.
“I hear you.” Griffin kept his voice low, also.
“Look, there’s a small table over against the big window.” Terra pointed across the room. “How about if I go grab it. You get your stuff and then I will.”
She had just settled herself, unzipping her jacket and hanging it on the back of the chair, when Jennings walked up.
“Looks like you have a full schedule today.” He was smiling, but it gave Terra the willies.
“Oh. Were you checking it for some reason?”
“We haven’t skied together since you’ve been here. I always try to take a couple of runs with my instructors, but it’s been so busy we haven’t had a chance.”
“Oh, well. Yes, it’s been busy, but that makes me happy.” She forced a smile. “You should be, too. Right?”
“Of course.” He stepped aside when Griffin arrived carrying a tray of food for them. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Griffin looked from one to the other.
“Mr. Jennings was saying he always likes to take one or two runs with his ski instructors, and we haven’t had a chance to do it yet.”
“I’ll check with you in a little while. Let’s see if you can squeeze me in for one run today.”
He gave Griffin his artificial smile and headed to a table across the room. Terra waited until he was far enough away before she spoke, and then in an undertone.
“Something’s up, Griff. I can smell it. He wants to do a run with me? Today? I can’t help wondering if he caught sight of me yesterday over near that house. I stayed hidden, even when his snowmobile whizzed by, but I swear that guy has eyes in the back of his head.”
“Do not go anywhere but the main run with him. I don’t care what you have to do. Call me, if you need to.”
“I will.” She nodded. “And I’ve got my little Kahr handgun with me.”
“Good. Keep it ready.”
They didn’t dawdle over breakfast, but even in the short time they spent eating Terra sensed a change in their dynamics. First, they were a team. Then they were two highly charged adults having sex so hot it could singe the walls. And now they were…what? She felt the thread of emotions wriggling into the situation, and she wasn’t sure what do to about it. Ever since her major epic failure she’d vowed no more, so how did she handle this.
Business first, Terra. Fun—or whatever it was—later.
“Text me your schedule,” Griffin told her before he headed down the path toward the barn. “I want to keep an eye on when Jennings might try to insinuate himself into it.”
“Okay.” She pulled it up on her phone and texted it to him. “There you go.”
“Let’s take the lunch break together, too. We should have updates from Hal by that time.”
“Alright” She shoved her phone back into her pocket. “Later. And yes, I’ll be careful.”
The first couple of hours in the morning were pretty uneventful. She had some kids on the bunny hill and an inexperienced couple and was getting ready for her next appointment when her phone buzzed. When she saw it was Hal, she stepped away from the snow shack to answer it.
“How’s it going?”
“Good and bad. Griffin, you on here, too?”
“I am. I took a bathroom break so I could answer.”
“We got here at the crack of dawn and set up the van in a thick stand of trees. We were ready to go almost at once. Infrared shows us twenty-three souls inside the house. It also picked up the chemicals for bomb-making as well as a massive electronic setup. What we’ve got in there for explosives are dirty bombs. That’s what the sensors picked up. They won’t kill anyone, but they can cause mass destruction. We’ve got guys in the truck monitoring everything in the house as we speak.”
Terra’s stomach knotted, and a sour taste flooded her mouth.
“It’s exactly as we thought. Blow up key sites and take over all electronics. Are you ready to grab them?”
“We have to do this carefully. We don’t want them setting off any of the bombs.”
Terra knew you couldn’t just walk up to the door and serve a warrant. Not in cases like this. They’d use the loudspeaker to announce their presence and urge the bad guys to give up. Ha! Like that happened so easily.
“So, what’s the plan?” Griffin asked.
“We’re geared up and ready to use the loudspeakers. I suspect they’ll use those rifles so carefully pointed out the windows and who knows what-all else. Our goal, of course, is to get them to do this without setting off any bombs. We’re geared up and as ready as we can be. I’ll keep you both in the loop.”
Terra went back to the lift to meet her next appointment, praying all would go well. She was standing at the top of one of the shorter runs, watching the inn for any signs of Jennings outside, when she saw Babic at the barn, demanding a machine, his gestures angry and impatient. She watched Griffin protest for a moment then pull out one of the turbocharged machines.
Jennings was fiv
e minutes behind him. This could not be good.
The two men argued for a few minutes. Jennings glanced up at the slope where she was standing, and a chill slithered down her spine. Then Jennings pointed to his phone. Babic gave one sharp nod of his head and hopped onto the machine Griffin had pulled out for him. That was interesting. Had they gotten a call from the house where everyone was holed up? And why was Babic going and not Jennings? In a moment, the man roared off, not in the direction of a trail but skirting the slopes and heading off through the trees. Jennings watched then looked up the slope at her again before going back into the inn.
As soon as the man took off, Griffin pulled out his phone, and she saw him texting, no doubt to Hal. Then she received a text, which she was sure Griffin had received also.
Thanks for the heads up. We’re all set up here.
She grabbed a quick lunch between classes, noting Griffin had done the same. Then she headed to the list for the next person on her schedule. Before she got there, her phone buzzed. She looked over at the barn and saw Griffin had gotten a call, too. It had to be Hal, and she was afraid it wasn’t good news.
“What’s up?” she asked. “Making any progress?”
“Hell, no. It’s what we expected. There’s too much dangerous stuff in there for us to storm it. Babic arrived, as you predicted, on a supercharged snowmobile and stormed into the house.”
“You know they got a call about what was happening,” Griffin pointed out.
“We can’t figure out why Babic went and not Jennings,” Hal told them.
“I think it’s so Jennings can stay here and keep an eye on Terra.”
“Terra, you agree?” Hal asked.
“I think Griffin’s right. Jennings already told me he wants to do a run with me today.”
“He either wants to see if you’re doing anything out of the ordinary,” Hal told them, “or he’s going to use you as a bargaining chip if necessary.”