Captive of Fate (22 page)
Authors: Lindsay McKenna
Without a word, he cupped her face within his scarred, callused hands, his mouth descending in a fiery kiss against her parted lips. It was heated, blazing steel meeting the sweet coolness of water. His tongue forced an entry between her teeth and she moaned with pleasure as he tasted her with tantalizing slowness. Simultaneously, his hand traced the curve of her breast, stroking the hardening peak like a feather. She whimpered softly, arching against his hand, begging to be touched and tamed.
His mouth left her wet lips, finding the tautness of her breast. Alanna sighed languorously as his mouth claimed the nipple. Her fingernails dug into his back muscles. An uncoiling warmth spread throughout her lower body, and she responded to the urging of his masterful touch. She felt his hand slide between her thighs, stroking the velvety expanse of her flesh, asking entrance. She was mindless, reacting only to primal instincts. The urgency mounted within her, and Alanna rose to meet his descending body as he parted her thighs with his knee. He slid his hand beneath her hips, guiding her upward to meet his thrust.
An explosion seemed to roar through her, and a small cry broke from her lips as their bodies moved in throbbing unison. A sudden wave of pleasure melted the last barriers of thought, and she stiffened against him, arching, a low moan coming from her throat as she threw back her head in ecstasy. It seemed only seconds later that she felt him grip her tightly, in the throes of his own release. She fell back against him, her body damp from the fulfilling climax. She tasted the saltiness of his jaw as she reached up to kiss him.
Matt groaned, pulling up the quilt to protect her from the coolness of the air. Their hearts still raced madly, and a trickle of sweat curved along the outside of his corded neck. She felt the pounding pulse where her cheek lay against him and smiled, caressing his arm and shoulder.
Words were a primitive form of expression compared to the tender touching and lingering kisses they gave to one another afterward. Her hair lay damply against her temples, and Matt idly ran his fingers through the silken threads. “You have the most beautiful mane of hair I’ve ever seen,” he murmured. “You’re a sleek panther, so graceful and lovely….”
“And you are a lion.”
A smile teased one corner of his mouth. “Not a jungle bunny?” he teased warmly.
She opened her eyes, laughter sparkling in them. “No one would dare accuse you of being anything less than a complete man, believe me,” she said earnestly, reaching up and stroking his rough cheek. When she thought of how she had nearly lost him, her eyes must have darkened, because his smile faded.
He gently erased the small lines that had gathered on her brow with his thumb. “A penny for your thoughts, honey?”
“It’s nothing….”
“Anything that suddenly makes you look like that isn’t ‘nothing.’ Now, what is it?”
She snuggled into his arms and he lay back, bringing her against him. Absently, she touched the curling, damp hair on his chest, trying to assemble her scattered thoughts.
“These next few weeks aren’t going to be easy,” she murmured, her eyes moving upward, meeting his gaze.
He exhaled slowly, running his fingers through her hair in a caressing motion. “No, they aren’t.” He managed a partial smile. “Feel like getting up and eating breakfast? We’ll talk about it then.”
*
The sun poured warmly through the green curtains in the kitchen as they dawdled over a breakfast of eggs and sausage. Alanna leaned back against the rattan chair, closing her eyes momentarily. Already the phone had rung eight times, and it was only seven o’clock. It had been reporters calling to find out something about the impending investigation. Finally, Matt took the phone off the hook and left it in the living room. He poured them each a second cup of coffee and sat down.
“Are you sure you still want to marry me?” he asked, sitting down across the table from her.
Her heart leaped in response, and she looked up, lips parted. “More than ever,” she whispered, her voice tremulous.
He reached across the table, capturing her hand. “The press will jump on this, making us both scapegoats if they can.” He frowned. “I’m more worried for you than myself, honey. I’ve taken this kind of heat before, and to tell you the truth, I’m glad it’s finally out in the open. But you…”
She squeezed his hand gently. “We have nothing to hide. And we have the truth on our side.”
“It won’t be easy,” he repeated. “The press won’t attack you as much if you don’t marry me. We could wait it out—”
’No, I’m in love with you, Matt, and I want to be by your side during the whole investigation. Don’t ask me to wait. Please.”
He gave a rueful shake of his head. “I wanted to give you a choice, Alanna.”
“To me, there never was a choice to make,” she said. “You stayed by me when I needed someone to lean on. You gave me support without my ever having to ask for it.” She reached out, her hand resting upon his. “I can do no less for you. Isn’t that what love is all about, helping one another?”
He gripped her hand in response. “That’s a big part of it,” he agreed huskily. “And I love you for your courage. Not every woman would be willing to go through the hell this hearing is going to stir up.”
“It’s so unfair,” she whispered tightly, referring to the investigation.
“Nobody said anything about life being fair.”
She lowered her gaze. “What about Jim Cauley?”
Matt rose, moving over to the sink and staring out the window toward the open field that had been recently harvested of corn. “I had a long talk with him last night over the phone.” He turned to watch her, pain evident in the depths of his eyes. “We’ve gone over the reasons for his actions. Our friendship will never be what it was. Maybe time will help heal the wounds.”
She felt his anguish. His best friend had suddenly turned traitor, divulging their deepest shared secrets. “You must have conflicting feelings over what he’s done.”
“I do. I—” He shook his head, compressing his mouth into a thin line. “God, I’d never have thought he’d do something like this, Alanna. I mean…we’ve saved each other’s lives so many times in the past.” He shrugged his broad shoulders, looking suddenly older. “I guess a strong friendship is like marriage: there’s a fine line between hate and love. Jim stepped over that boundary.”
Alanna got up, moving to his side, slipping her arms around his waist and resting against him. “Maybe your friendship can still be salvaged, darling. In his own way, I guess he wanted to protect you from me and the investigation.”
Matt embraced her tenderly, resting his head against her hair. “I understand what he did, honey, but it’s going to take me a while before I can forgive him.” He kissed her temple. “Enough of this, we have happier things to talk about.” He touched her cheek with his finger, tilting her chin upward. “Such as a date for a wedding and where you would like to honeymoon.”
She smiled gently, encircling his neck with her arms, reaching up on tiptoe and kissing his mouth.
“By the time we get married and this investigation is over with, it will probably be around Thanksgiving,” he said. “We could spend the holiday up with John and Ev.”
“And we could stay at the cabin for our honeymoon?” she returned softly.
“Why not? Fishing season will be over with. Guess we’ll have a lot of time on our hands,” he suggested huskily.
Alanna took in the incredible tenderness burning in his gaze. Matt leaned down, his mouth gently touching her parted lips. She closed her eyes, aware of his heady male scent, the aura of strength about him. Despite the investigation to come, she wanted to be near him. Fate had brought them together, and now no man would tear them apart.
“I love you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
*
Black Hawk pilot Sarah Benson is known for her risky flights to save lives and SEAL Ethan Quinn is just one more mission. But when she needs rescuing, it’s Ethan who infiltrates enemy territory, and her heart. Read on for a sneak peek of
RISK TAKER
by Lindsay McKenna, available February 2013 from Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
*
Sarah sat with Ethan, watching him gulp down his meal as if he were starved. She forced herself to eat because she knew it was going to be a long day. When he finally slowed down, she narrowed her eyes and held his gaze.
“You’ve been writing those poems and putting them under my tent flap. Haven’t you?” Her heart thudded because if she was wrong, she would feel foolish. Ethan stared at her as if stunned. And then a ruddy flush rose up his neck and swept across his face. For once, he was speechless.
“How did you know?”
“I was awake the first time you pulled the tent flap open to put the envelope inside it,” she said, still tense, unsure of why he was writing such beautiful poetry to her.
“Oh…”
He looked so crestfallen. “What? You’re a SEAL and you got caught in stealth mode?” A grin nudged at one corner of her mouth.
“I thought…I knew it was a risk. I was running late.…I had wanted to finish the poem and get the first stanza to you, but things went haywire at the HQ. I had to drop what I was doing and attend to other things. I didn’t get back to it until after dawn.” Ethan shook his head and gave her an apologetic look. “I meant it as a surprise. Something I hoped would make you happy after getting the crap beat out of you by that Army sergeant. I didn’t want you to think all men were like that guy who attacked you.”
Her heart warmed. This time, Sarah allowed it to fully embrace her. “Is that why you wrote me the poem?”
Ethan pushed his tray aside, then folded his hands, never more serious. “I’ve always been attracted to you, Sarah. I wanted to get to know you, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t want to hit on you like every other guy was doing. I knew you hated it, and I don’t blame you. And just getting to hold you…carry you…to the E.R., I went crazy trying to figure out a nonthreatening way to reach you.”
“Then why didn’t you sign your name? It was a good thing I saw you, Ethan. I would have, for sure, thought it was the pilots in my squadron playing another dirty trick on me.”
“I didn’t think—”
“You didn’t know what I’ve been up against in the squadron…the tricks…”
“I’m sorry, Sarah.” Ethan searched her eyes. “Do…you like the poem so far? Or do you want me to stop sending them to you?”
Sarah had never seen a man be as vulnerable as Ethan was being with her right now. She knew he was unguarded, no game face, but authentic and honest. “I loved the poem, Ethan. I love receiving them. They’re like new life being breathed into me when I read the lines.” She quirked her mouth and looked away, a war raging inside her. “I so wanted to believe you. I knew you were writing about how you saw me. And—” she swallowed, her voice hoarse “—I loved how you saw me because that’s not the way I see myself.…”
*
Don’t miss
RISK TAKER
by Lindsay McKenna, available February 2013 from Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
Copyright © 2014 by Lindsay McKenna
Lindsay McKenna is proud to have served her country in the U.S. Navy as an aerographer’s mate third class—also known as a weather forecaster. She was a pioneer of the military romance subgenre and loves to combine heart-pounding action with soulful and poignant romance. True to her military roots, she is the originator of the long-running and reader-favorite Morgan’s Mercenaries series. She does extensive hands-on research, including flying in aircraft such as a P3-B Orion sub-hunter and a B-52 bomber. She was the first romance writer to sign her books in the Pentagon bookstore. Today, she has created a new military romantic suspense series, Shadow Warriors, which features romantic and action-packed tales about U.S. Navy SEALs. Visit her online at:
www.LindsayMcKenna.com
Down Range
High Country Rebel
The Loner
The Defender
The Wrangler
The Last Cowboy
Deadly Silence
Deadly Identity
Shadows from the Past
Dangerous Prey
Heart of the Storm
Beyond the Limit
Silent Witness
Enemy Mine
Firstborn
Morgan’s Honor
Morgan’s Legacy
An Honorable Woman
Selected books by Lindsay McKenna Harlequin Romantic Suspense
@
His Duty to Protect
#1691
@
Beyond Valor
#1739
Course of Action
/“Out of Harm’s Way” #1775
Silhouette Romantic Suspense
Love Me Before Dawn
#44
^
Protecting His Own
#1184
Mission: Christmas
/“The Christmas Wild Bunch” #1535
@
His Woman in Command
#1599
@
Operation: Forbidden
#1647
Silhouette Nocturne
*
Unforgiven
#1
*
Dark Truth
#20
*
The Quest
#33
Time Raiders: The Seeker
#69
*
Reunion
#85
*
The Adversary
#87
*
Guardian
#89
Trained to kill, but built for love…
From
New York Times
bestselling author
LINDSAY McKENNA
Captain Morgan Boland is at the top of her game, as is navy SEAL Jake Ramsay, her former lover. Then a military computer selects them to partner in a special op. The mission can’t be compromised by their personal history—and they have truckloads of it.
But the Afghan assignment might provide the discipline they need to finally get it together—outside the bedroom, that is. A lot has happened over the two years since they last went their separate ways. And there’s way more to Morgan than Jake has ever given her credit for.…
Available now!
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