A rumble vibrated against her palm. “I know. But you love me anyway.”
She pushed back as much as his arms would allow and glared at him. “You’re a broody, arrogant bastard.”
His mouth twitched. “I know that, too.”
“What makes you think you can go all caveman and intrude on a business dinner, thinking I’m just going to meekly follow you.”
“I had a plan B.”
“Oh, what is that?”
“Throw you over my shoulder.”
“Arggh! Let me go!” She wanted to kick him, slap him. She wanted to kiss him. Oh god, she needed to kiss him.
But he beat her to it. Kade’s hard, possessive kiss devoured her mouth, thoroughly controlling all her senses that she’d almost forgotten they were in the middle of the sidewalk. She didn’t know how long they stood there locked in their own world until he tore his mouth away from hers and whispered in her ear. “Let’s get outta here.”
She was so buzzed by the kiss, she’d paid vague attention to the crowd that continued to snap pics or videos. “Oh my god.”
“Come on.” Taking her hand, they walked through the thronging spectators.
He took her home with him to New Jersey. They barely made it to the loft.
Kade tossed her on the bed, shoved up her skirt, and his mouth fell between her legs and consumed her. Not bothering with removing her panties, just shoving the tiny fabric aside, he laved on her slick flesh, his devious tongue flicking over her sensitive bud, teasing and relentless, sending her to new heights, taking her to the edge, before retreating and denying her an exquisite release.
She moaned in protest. Please make me come!”
“I haven’t gone down on you for weeks.” He gave her pussy a long, flat swipe, stopping short of where she needed him. Her back arched. “That’s a crime, babe, and you’re going to let me have my fill.” He resumed feasting on her, skimming beside the swollen peak that begged to be sucked. Yara moaned, clutching the comforter and pushing her pelvis forward. He latched on and sucked, and waves and waves of blinding pleasure shot through her. Her scream echoed in her ears.
Body twisting, skin burning up, she wanted to tear off her clothes, wanting to feel him skin to skin.
Her panties slid off.
Kade slammed inside her. She sobbed again as the pleasurable fullness of him hit her. He pounded into her at a blistering pace, swallowing her cries, fusing their lips as they kissed away the angst, heartache, and agony of the past weeks. Their coming together was so intense, Yara didn’t think she was ever coming down from that high.
She didn’t think she’d find the energy to move again.
Kade collapsed beside her, breathing hard.
“I missed you.” He wrapped her in the security of his embrace.
“Hmm …” She pressed her nose into his neck, inhaling the comforting smell of male musk that was all Kade.
His fingers squeezed her shoulder. “I love you so much, Tink.”
He shifted on the bed and a velvet pouch appeared in her line of vision. Her breath caught; her fingers trembled as she reached for it.
“Open it.”
Yara sat up, loosening the pouch, and slowly extracted a gold chain. She gasped as her grandmother’s pendant fell on her palm.
The back of her eyes felt hot and her voice choked. “How?”
“You said I would get it back for you,” he said softly. “I did. That night we left Abdul’s house, I gave him enough money to get the pendant back from Farideh. I left Bob instructions to pick it up before we came and rescued you.”
“You were confident the mission was going to be a success?”
“Failure was not an option.”
“Thank you, Kade.” Her cheeks hurt with how much she was smiling. Kade made a sound in the back of his throat and gripped the back of her head, bringing her down for a deep scorching kiss. When they broke apart, he helped her put the pendant on.
“Sorry for not giving it to you sooner,” he said ruefully. “I wanted the moment to be just right.”
Yara sobered. “I’m sorry if I was in a daze since you came back.”
He frowned. “You’ve been through hell, Tink.”
“You’ve lost patience though.”
His mouth curved into a smile. “My patience is boundless as long as I have you in my bed, under my roof. Hated being apart from you.”
“Me too,” she admitted. She held up the pendant and let the light reflect on the ruby and diamonds. “The moment is perfect. Mamani was right. It’s a sign of true love.”
Kade rolled her under him, pinning her to the mattress and holding her arms above her head. “You haven’t said it yet.”
She grinned up at him. “I love you.”
“You better,” he muttered. “No more dates with other men.”
Yara rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t a date … date.”
“Don’t care. I’m going to be with you from now on.”
“Kade! I need to talk to donors. I can’t have you glaring at every man who smiles at me.”
He raised a brow. “Now you’re exaggerating. I’m not that unreasonable.”
“Aren’t you?”
“I’m not. I promise to behave, but you have to accept that I’m one possessive son of a bitch.”
“I’m serious, Kade.” Playfully annoyed, she tried to slip out from under him.
“Stop trying to get away from me,” he growled. “It drives me crazy. These past weeks were hell. I hate the hours that kept me separated from you, but I had my life to sort out so I could be free and clear to be with you.”
He settled her back in his arms. “Sure you don’t mind moving into this warehouse loft? It’s not exactly the Upper East Side.”
Yara pinched his abs making him grunt. “I stayed with you in a cave, what do you think?”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Just checking.”
“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care where I live. You chase away critters for me, that’s a top requirement in my book.”
Her face sobered. “I’m leaving for Yemen in a month.”
“We’re leaving for Yemen in a month,” he corrected. “I’ll be ready.”
“Are you sure?”
He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Try and stop me.”
One month later …
Yara walked up beside Kade who was directing the cargo load into the Gulfstream. Both of them were embarking on a three-month research project in Yemen. They were joining the ERAF team and other aid agencies in Taiz.
She linked her fingers with his and he glanced at her, his eyes shining with all the love he had for her.
Yara could do this, especially with this amazing man by her side. Her instinct had been right the first time. Beneath Kade’s prickly layers was the man who could understand her best and balance her.
“Saving one life at a time,” she whispered. “That’s all we can hope for, right?”
He smiled. “I’ll be with you every step of the way, babe.”
Epilogue
Six months later
UN Yemen Peace Accord, Sweden
Yara raised her hand as the stage lights blinded her, and for a moment, she panicked, throat constricting and worrying if she would end up stuttering through her entire speech. The spotlights adjusted and her eyes landed on her people.
Sully and Mom sat with Tariq and Massoud. At another table was Elliot Denton with Farideh, Iddy and Laila, along with Abdul and his daughter who the SEALs rescued during their raid. A delegation from the Saudi-led coalition was also in attendance. Tonight was a culmination of all the challenges of the past nine months.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she started. “Thank you for being here this evening as we celebrate the signing of the peace treaty that would legitimize the United Yemen Transitional Council. The UN, the Haddad and Saudi coalition political parties have worked tirelessly these past months hammering out the details that would return power to the people of Yemen.”
A round of applause met her opening statements. “But first, I would like to say thank you to our brave journalists who work tirelessly to bring us the truth. One of them is with us tonight. I’m sure many of you know Elliot Denton.” A spotlight shone on his table and there was clapping as well as good-natured heckling. “Before I left for Yemen this last time, I met with Elliot to tell him about my research project. He and I don’t always see eye to eye. In fact, most of us involved in Western aid establishments don’t.” There was muffled laughter across the room. “But it was through his dedication and his quest for human rights that gave me a different perspective on our aid culture.” Yara looked at where the journalist was seated. “So thanks for that, Elliot.”
Yara returned her gaze to the room at large. “His exposés facilitated the peace talks which appeared to have encountered a roadblock when I first came into Yemen. During my second stint at the Taiz UN camp, I wanted to test my theories on sustainability. First, more foreign aid isn’t always the answer, and second, addressing the immediate problem is fine, but we need to hold the country’s elected officials accountable. We cannot just dump more money into a problem, not knowing exactly what the problem is. We have to make sure we don’t line the pockets of corrupt officials, and the United Nations must penalize or impose sanctions on any country that purposely bombs basic infrastructures like schools, water treatment, and energy plants in hopes of paralyzing their perceived enemies. This is the reason why Yemen has struggled and why many of its citizens are suffering.”
The whole room was quiet and Yara inhaled a fortifying breath. “Our own foundation has its problems.” Yara saw Sully bow his head. Sorry, Dad, it has to be mentioned. “Believe me, I went into Yemen as an idealistic aid worker, thinking that all the sacks of rice and baby formula we were bringing into the country would alleviate the crises and yet, I discovered, they weren’t enough. That we have to start small, yes, and it’s about saving one life at a time. But then Tariq Haddad and my mother”—she waved her arm at their table—“were already ahead of me. They had already started a man-made aquifer project with a generous donation and grant from biotech entrepreneur Massoud Rostami. And the results are very promising.
“The focus of my research is clean water. I used the camp in Taiz as my focus group. Instead of crates filled with bottled water, Mr. Rostami generously donated one thousand jerrycans equipped with ultra-filtration technology. Each jerrycan can filter out fifteen thousand liters of water. Each unit costs around two hundred U.S. dollars. We’ve discovered ninety-nine percent of the recipients don’t resell them because they’re a holy grail commodity and their survival depends on it.” Yara shrugged. “It’s a no-brainer. Clean water means fewer diseases, less hospitalization, lower mortality. Clean water equals better crop production and, therefore, better nutrition. And in my study and working with our water sanitation engineer and our nutritionist, everyone is staying healthier. Children are staying in school because they don’t get sick as often, they don’t have to skip classes to look for water or gather firewood to boil that water. Mothers can take care of other chores because their children are at school. Sounds simplistic? Maybe. But it makes sense. The aquifers are only a start.
“Infrastructures need to be rebuilt to support a strong economy. I also challenge our biotech industry to come up with cost-effective water-desalination technology. The ocean is our endless supply of water, but current desalination processes are still too expensive. Advancement has also been made in technologies that will pull clean water out of thin air. Pilot programs have been launched across the globe and we are currently monitoring the results.” She blew out her breath. “Okay, I think you’re all tired of hearing me talk.” Laughter spread across the room. “I also challenge our tech giants to come up with better information and communication systems. Think about online education and health evaluation. But that’s a whole new project and you know where to find me.” She paused to take another breath. “The earth is tiny in this vast universe, but it is our home. As the great Carl Sagan once said, it is ‘our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.’ Thank you.”
She backed away from the podium and, in the silence of two seconds, Yara thought she’d given that speech, the one where no one gave a shit. The claps started slowly and then quickly escalated to thundering applause and whistles. Her tribe—Sully, Mom, Tariq and Massoud—was on their feet as were other attendees. Yara smiled and bowed her head slightly before pivoting to head to the man waiting in the wings.
Kade Spear, the man she loved, who’d been with her every step of the way.
His eyes were glistening suspiciously and she ran the last few steps into his embrace.
“So proud of you, Tink.” His voice was hoarse as he caught her. “So damned proud of you.”
Her heart soared.
She felt blissfully complete.
Kade crushed Yara in his arms, his chest too full to even express the emotions running through him at that moment. Quite simply, he worshipped her. Every smile, every look, and every furrow of her brow, he couldn’t contain how much he adored the precious woman in his arms.
Yara laughed and pulled back, gazing up at him. “I wished you’d let me mention you in my speech.”
He merely smiled and loosened his arms, slipping his hand through hers and tugging her in the direction of the makeshift dressing room in the Stockholm Ballroom. Event coordinators and stagehands congratulated Yara on her speech and the UN Secretary-General, the next speaker, stopped and shook her hand. It took all of Kade’s patience not to haul her away.
When they entered the room, he closed the door.
“Um, Kade.” Yara smiled fondly. “Sully and Mom are waiting. They’re going to serve dessert soon. I couldn’t eat dinner with how nervous I was. Now I’m famished.”
“This couldn’t wait.”
Her brows drew together, that adorable crease making him want to smooth it away with a kiss. “What?”
“If you were to mention me in your speech,” he said. “How would you refer to me?’
“Um, my boyfriend?”
He scowled.
“My man?”
Kade chuckled. “That’s better, but not exactly the permanence I want in your life.”
Yara’s lips parted and her eyes gleamed. “Kade …?”
He dropped to one knee and slipped the black velvet box from his pocket, opening it to reveal the dazzling princess-cut diamond Zareen helped him pick out. “The next time you go on a stage, I’m going to be your fiancé or your husband.”
Yara’s hands flew to her mouth.
He smiled, a bit unsure, but he soldiered on. “I asked your dad a month ago. With the opening of my security business and the interest it’s generating so far, I assured him I could support you.” They both shared a brief chuckle. “Your mom educated this poor clueless roughneck on how to pick a diamond worthy of their daughter.”
He cleared his throat.
“Truth be told, no diamond will be worthy of you, Tink.” Tears tracked down her cheeks, but her face was radiant with her happiness and his heart soared. “No one on this earth deserves the beautiful and kindhearted woman you are, but I hope in the past six months, I’ve proven I’m worthy to be your man.” A sob escaped her and she was already nodding. Kade grinned. “So Tinker Bell, owner of my heart, sassy pixie whom I absolutely adore, future mother of our children, I love you to the depths of my soul. Will you marry— ?”
“Yes!” she answered before he even finished.
Somehow, Kade slipped the ring on her finger and she was in his arms and his mouth took hers in a long sweet kiss.
“You’re mine,” he murmured when he pulled back, his gaze intense. “There’s no turning back now, Tink.”
“Only forward.” She grinned, looking at the sparkling rock on her finger.
“You know.” Kade smiled down at her while stroking her ruby pendant between his fingers, t
he back of his hand brushing the warmth of her chest. “Mamani lied about this ruby.”
“But I got true...” she began.
“There’s more to this ruby than she let on.”
Yara’s lips twitched, thinking he was teasing. “All right, Spear. Let’s hear it.”
“When did you tell me about the pendant?”
“In Ankara, at the coffee shop.”
“What did you wish for?”
“A successful mission.”
“But you got so much more. The success of the peace talks, a viable solution to clean water.”
“But …”
“And Farideh? She got Laila and Iddy. They got family and security.”
Realization dawned on her face.
“Abdul had it next,” she said, a trace of wonder in her voice. “Owned it … and he got his daughter back. His hope for his country restored; they now have peace.”
“Right. I owned it next. And I have love.” He hugged her close again. “You, Tink, are the love of my life.”
“As you are mine.” Her eyes gleamed with happiness. “Oh, Kade, you are so right. It’s almost mystical … magical.”
They shared a kiss once more and it burst with new meaning and exhilaration.
Later, their family and friends would gush over the diamond on her finger.
But Kade had found the most precious gem of all.
His Tinker Bell.
***THE END***
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Afterword
The idea for this book came to me when my reader friend Geri sent me an article about former U.S. soldiers who were hired by a Middle East monarchy to assassinate its political rival. The whole article was riveting and full of gray areas and the gears in my brain started turning. Wouldn't it be interesting if the hero believed he was working for the good guys only to realize that he was wrong?
The Princess And The Mercenary Page 28