21 Marine Salute: 21 Always a Marine Tales (50 page)

Hollow
.

He snapped mental fingers.
She’s been deflecting since the opening bit downstairs with the shoes
. He could almost hear his libido release a low groan. Agent Kim Wakefield was no more comfortable with this night than he was—she simply played it better—keeping him off center and distracted until….

What
?
She fucks my brains out
?

Not sure how those results could be a bad thing, he tapped the side of the shot glass. “Put the piece in the safe. They have the kind you can program here. I’ll keep my eye on the tequila.” He wouldn’t have tried to memorize her combination anyway, but he didn’t miss the minute relaxation around her eyes when he told her he’d watch the drinks.

True to his word, he kept his attention on the alcohol while she stowed the gun. When she leaned against the bar next to him, he pushed a shot glass over to her. “Let me preface this by saying I absolutely want to have sex…but I don’t want to be limited by the one-night stand.”

She hesitated in mid-reach for the glass and stared at it, not him. “Clarify?”

“I like you. You’re smart—which is both good and bad.”

“How can it be good and bad?” Her chin came up and she swung a hard gaze at him. Temper flared beneath the surface, bright as the lightning outside, enhancing the outrage in her eyes.

Gotcha
. One little nudge to crack the cool façade and the passionate woman beneath glared at him.
Yeah, that’s more like it
. A second knock on the door interrupted, and he let her think about it while he took the tray from room service and sent them away. He set the food on the luggage stand and ignored it for the moment.

Sprinkling salt onto the side of his hand, he said, “It’s good, because it’s sexy.” He licked the salt, tossed back the tequila, and finished the ritual by sucking one of the lime wedges. “It’s bad because you’re playing a game with me.” He poured another shot since the first had warmed his gut and loosened more of the tension. He’d barely added more salt to his wrist when she caught his hand and stroked her tongue over his pulse point before gliding along the side of his hand to take the salt.

All the blood in his head rushed south and he let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

She slammed back her own drink and sucked on a lime, her gaze never leaving his. “Courage isn’t doing something because you know you can do it.” She moistened her lips and he couldn’t look away. “It’s doing what you’re not sure you can be successful at.”

Rowdy poured another shot and damn near swallowed his tongue when she offered her hand, the salt waiting for him. Taking the bull by the horns—or the agent by the wrist, as it were—he sampled the sweet flavor of her skin under the condiment.

“We don’t have to do anything,” he assured her. Hell, the last time he’d forced a woman was never, and he had no intentions of starting now.

They took turns with the ritual, her tongue laved against his palm and his balls went tight. He pressed the lime wedge to her lips after she finished her drink. He could almost see the hard tips of her nipples through her shirt when he bent down to lick salt from her fingers.

Her free hand glided under his chin, tipped his face to look at her, and their mouths collided. He wasn’t entirely sure which of them initiated the kiss, but their tongues dueled for dominance. Cupping his hands on her ass, he lifted her. She locked her legs on his hips, and it took four steps to get to the bed. They landed together, on their sides, facing each other and he delved deeper into her mouth, tasting the traces of their drinks.

Impatient with the ponytail, he slid two fingers beneath the band and worked it free. Her hair spilled in a glorious mass against the white comforter. In addition to the red, there were several streaks of gold, either kissed by the sun or on purpose—he didn’t know and didn’t care. “Talk to me,” he murmured against the corner of her mouth, nibbling a couple of kisses, which led to a series of them. He wanted to nuzzle her ear and feel her hair against his skin.

She arched her back and laughed when he closed his lips on the pulse point behind her ear. Always one to exploit a weakness, he paid particular attention until she squealed in breathless laughter and then lifted his head to look down at her. Her cheeks were a ruddy pink, flushed with passion and laughter. “Tell me—what’s got you so wound?”

“You just met me. You don’t want my life story.” She dragged him back down for another kiss. Admittedly, the soft satin and velvet of her lips were like a drug to his system, he could spend hours sampling the different types of kisses—the long, hot wet one—the sweet, almost chaste teasing one—and the hard-tongue-sucking-teeth-nibbling-drive-his-cock-wild one.

But as stiff and painful as his dick grew, he wanted more than a quick bang in the dark—he wanted all the passion and fire beneath the thin veil of ice. He rolled her over and pinned her hands above her head. Lifting his head, he stared down at her.
Fuck, she’s gorgeous
.

The buttons on her shirt had come loose in their tussle to reveal a lacy-cupped bra hugging her breasts. The light sprinkling of freckles on her nose stretched down to decorate the gentle swell of flesh straining against the bra. The pupils in her eyes widened and her breath came in gasps to match his own.

“You know the best part of a one-night stand?” He traced his fingers down the column of her throat to her chest and shifted to circle the outline of one stiff nipple. “You don’t ever have to see me again…we can say whatever the hell we feel like and there’s no judging, no strings, no consequences—”

One minute he was on top and the next, he was flat on his back with the titian-haired goddess straddling him. She flicked open each button of his shirt until she could tug it out of his pants and drag her nails lightly down his chest. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”

Laughing, he curled upward and locked his lips around the nipple he’d been teasing, nibbling it lightly through her bra until her back arched and she hissed out a long breath through her teeth.

“We can talk about it after,” he unbuttoned her blouse the rest of the way and slid a hand around to unhook her bra.

“Good plan.”

Kim didn’t know whether to scream in frustration or shout with joy. Of all the men the mysterious Madame Eve might have picked for her, she’d chosen a man who actually cared what she thought. Her breasts ached with every delicious caress he lavished on her nipples. He took turns, trailing hot kisses between each. His teeth scraped and electricity zapped through her. Tenderness snuck under the wave of passion with every stroke of his tongue. She cradled his head in her arms, holding him to her.

Emergency flags waved in her mind, but she ignored them. Rowdy’s hands slipped around her ass and flipped her over onto her back again. He traced a path across her belly to unbutton her jeans. His pupils flared until they swallowed the hazel irises. Dragging a zipper open never seemed to take so long or sound so loud. He slid off the bed and peeled the denim downward, sweeping her panties with them, but had to pause when he arrived at her boots.

Lifting up on her elbows, she grinned at him. Toe to heel on one and she kicked it free. He pulled the other off and then her jeans hit the floor and he stared at her, his eyes dark with desire.

“You’re beautiful, Kim.” He rubbed a hand along the calf of her leg.

“And you’re overdressed.” The temperature in the room couldn’t cool the heat raging over her skin. He stood at the foot of the bed, his shirt hanging open to reveal the ripped muscles stretched tight across his pecs and the sturdy four-pack of his abdominals. Lean and mean, like a Marine should be. She loved what she could see…but damn she wanted more.

He stripped off his shirt and dropped to wrap his arms around her. His kiss took her mouth, hard and demanding. His tongue invaded like a surgical strike, taking the perimeter and claiming it for his own. The rough fabric of his jeans glided against her legs, harsh and sensuous in the same breath.

Breaking the kiss, he nuzzled a path to her ear and tugged at the lobe. “Put your hands over your head.”

Her brain struggled to interpret the order beneath the fog of pleasure clouding her thoughts. She dug her fingers into his back, but he shifted until she pulled her hands free reluctantly. Shackling her wrists lightly, he drew them over her head and tucked them beneath a pillow.

“Keep them there.” He drew her earlobe back into his mouth and sucked on it. Shivers raced over her body and her nipples tightened further. He licked and nipped a path down the column of her throat, punctuating each stop with a word. “Don’t. Let. Go.”

He kissed her nipples again, licking swirling circles of pleasure around them then nibbled a bit at the curves of her breasts and dipped down to her belly button. Her belly quivered at the feathery touches of his lips to her flesh. She dug her fingers into the pillow, gripping it tighter the lower he traveled. When he slid his hands beneath her thighs and lifted her legs, she groaned.

Warm breath tickled the inside of her thigh. “Not letting go, are we?”

“No.” The single word came out as a growl between her teeth. He chuckled and showered warm, wet kisses along the inside of her thigh. He took his time, lingering at sensitive areas each time her hips bucked in an invitation. Her sex clenched in anticipation. Fumbling with the pillow, she nearly pulled her hands free, but he looked up the length of her body as though sensing the decision and their gazes clashed.

“Don’t.”
One word
.

One order
.

And her body went liquid with need. She unclenched her hands and forced them to stay beneath the pillow. He slid forward and draped her legs over his shoulders and cupped her ass. It was torture, sheer, unmitigated torture—his hot mouth closed over her clit and she moaned. He sucked, drove her insane as the unbearable tension mounted inside her. Stroking his tongue along the length of her labia, he stabbed it inside her once in a provocative tease.

“You’re killing me,” she complained. She couldn’t hold still, even as he dug his fingers into her ass, firming his grip.

“Shh….” He whispered the command, but thrummed her clit until she nearly pitched over the edge. When he pulled back at the last moment, she got pissed. Tipping her head up, she glared down at him.

“Dammit, Marine. If you don’t put something inside me in a minute, I’ll scream.”

Rowdy grinned at her, a lazy, heart-flopping smile, bathing her passion in sweetness. “Is this what you want?” He drew one hand from beneath her ass and then a finger slid inside of her. It wasn’t much, but her eager body jerked to meet it, clamping down greedily as he gently thrust in and out.

“How’s that?” The droll humor barely disguised the husky need in his voice, but she writhed against the tension pulling at her.

“Yes.”
Close…so close
.

He bit down on the inside of her thigh—a sensitive spot and electricity zapped through her. She came in a rush, riding his fingers as he continued the rhythmic thrusts. When the lightning dimmed to quivers of pleasure, he slowed his fingers. She looked up to find him watching her, his sweet lips curved into the most beautiful smile.

The low light from the lamp haloed behind his head and the gaze locked on hers felt dark and hot. A fresh shiver of anticipation raced through her. “Better?” he murmured.

“Almost.”

“Oh, only almost?” He drew his fingers out, dragging them over the sensitive flesh, stroking around her clit, but not quite touching it. “Did I forget something?”

She gripped the pillow, tempted to throw it at him. The hard points of her nipples ached. Pleasure still danced through her blood and as good as an orgasm…. “More, please.”

“More.” His grin curved higher. “And you said please.”

“Yes, sir. Now give me more.” She feasted on the sight of his chest, surprised—and delighted—to see the sheen of sweat on his brow and glistening on his arms. He was nowhere near as unaffected and calm as he played it. “Unless we’re done with the keep-my-hands-still part?”

He slid off the bed and free of her legs. She couldn’t quite read the expression on his face, but his chest rose and fell rapidly. The veins in his arms popped above the muscles. She dragged one foot up the bed lazily, thighs parted. When his gaze fell to her sex and he moistened his lips, she smiled.

Definitely not in as much control as he wants me to think
. He wanted her and the naked heat of his desire nudged her own need back into overdrive. Long seconds passed while he stared at her. A muscle ticked in his jaw and his breath echoed noisily as he exhaled. Finally, he shook his head as though breaking a trance. He pulled a foil-wrapped condom out of his pocket and his jeans hit the floor. It was her turn to lick her lips. His erection was full and a droplet decorated the tip. She wanted to lick her way from base to tip—what a tequila chaser he would make.

He slid the condom on slowly and, the hell of it was, the action only served to turn her on more. She rubbed her thighs together and lifted her hips, half in invitation and the other half in demand. But he didn’t rush. Smoothing the condom into place, he gave himself a firm stroke and her pulse seemed to double.

“Rowdy….” She pursed her lips, the heat scorching her insides climbing from slow boil to flaming sizzle. “Get your ass on this bed.”

He laughed. “You are very impatient for a Marine….”

“And even more so as a woman, but you have until three—” She didn’t have to finish the sentence because he crawled onto the bed and fused his mouth to hers, settling into the cradle of her legs, rubbing his cock against her sex. She dragged her hands out from under the pillow but he shackled her wrists with his hands.

Groaning, she gave a playful struggle and he laughed against her mouth. “Patience, very Special Agent Wakefield, or I’m going to come and then we’re back to square one.”

Catching his lower lip in her teeth, she rubbed her chest to his, the friction driving her nuts and his erection bumped her clit. She broke the kiss. “Rowdy….”