Covert Evidence (26 page)

She stepped out of his reach. “The music ended a while ago.”

“Ten minutes isn’t a while. And I took a walk.” His voice lowered. “So I could get you something.”

She eyed the hand he’d tucked behind his back, as if he reached for his pistol. What kind of game was he playing? “I already have a gun.”

His smile deepened as he produced a fistful of wildflowers. “For you.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. A ragged bunch of flowers had never looked prettier. She took them from him and held them to her face, breathing in their fresh scent. “You were picking wildflowers?”

He nodded. “I can’t wine and dine you, but I could at least get you flowers.”

In the middle of this crazy, scary nightmare, Ian had gone off into the night to gather flowers? She clutched the handful of blossoms even tighter in her fist.

He took a step toward her. “I’m used to being alone. It’s how I’ve always been. Now, my world has exploded. I’ve been burned. Yet all I want is you. I don’t want to be alone when I can be with you.”

Cressida’s breath caught.

“Sooooo…you want to finish what you started in Siirt?” he asked.

She laughed at his quick emotional retreat and set the flowers on the table. She planted herself before him. “You didn’t need the flowers. All you had to do was step inside the tent.”

He stroked her cheek. “Yeah, but I wanted to see you smile when I gave you the flowers. Because your smile is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

I
an caught Cressida up against him and took in her sexy, sweet scent. They were safe, and would remain so for at least a day. During this respite, he planned to explore Cressida Porter. Thoroughly.

She slid her hands around his neck. “Tell me one thing, Ian. One thing to make me believe in you.”

“In Antalya, I wanted to break cover when I realized you were Hejan’s pigeon. Something about you…struck me. I didn’t want you caught up in this mess. But all I could do was hold you back when the fight broke out, to keep you from getting hurt.”

Her eyes widened. “That was you?”

“Yes.”

Her voice turned husky. “If I’d met you that night…things might have gone differently.”

He shook his head. “You would have met John.”

“That’s too bad, then,” she whispered in a throaty voice, “because I’m not interested in John. I want Ian.”

“John isn’t here. Poor bastard was killed in an apartment in Siirt.” Ian’s heart pounded, and he wondered why. This was just a joining of bodies. A respite. One he desperately wanted, but not vital.

Yet somehow, this moment
felt
vital. Like he was baring his soul, not just his body. It was crazy, but still, he felt it, the pounding heart, the windup of increasing tension. He was coiled tight, ready to spring. Ready to touch. Taste. Own.

Cressida reached for his shirt and pulled it up, over his head. She purred softly and stroked his pecs and biceps. He couldn’t help but flex and flash a smile. “Yours. All yours.”

“What do you want in return?”

He tugged at the ties on her peasant blouse. “You. All of you.”

“You aren’t asking much.”

“I’m giving everything and asking for the same.”

“Okay, then.”

He undid the bow above her breasts to open the embroidered top. She didn’t wear a bra, so the split blouse exposed her high, round breasts and nipples waiting to be tasted. He cradled her breasts, rubbing his thumbs across the tight peaks, while his lips trailed down her neck, across her soft cleavage, finally stopping to suck one nipple into his mouth, then the other.

Her fingers threaded through his hair as she let out soft panting breaths. He raised his head and kissed her deeply. They had all night, and he intended to enjoy every minute.

Starting with tasting all of her. He pulled the blouse over her head and tossed it aside, then dropped to his knees. His hands skimmed her flat belly, then tugged down the full skirt that hid the part of her he ached for. From her scent, he knew she was aroused and ready. A sweetness that was pure, sexy Cressida. He almost felt a buzz as all the blood in his body surged to his cock. Lightheaded and hard, he reached for her sexy lace panties and slid them down her smooth thighs.

“You’re beautiful,” he said with all the reverence he felt.

“You already know you’re getting laid. You don’t need to lay it on so thick.”

He sat back on his heels and looked up at her. She was serious. More than serious. She was…self-conscious. How could she be? She was perfect. Stunning. Every fantasy he’d ever had—on steroids.

He stroked between her thighs, touching the slick heat he couldn’t wait to taste. She let out a soft moan, but he sensed she was still nervous, not relaxed enough to enjoy the invasion of his tongue. “I’m telling you the truth. You’re beautiful. Perfect. Sexy.” He stood and took her hand, leading it to his thick cock trapped in his now very uncomfortable jeans. “See what you do to me?”

“Even a perfect Delta Force spy will get hard when presented with a naked woman.”

“Not like this—”

She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and followed orders. He opened his mouth and explored hers with his tongue, groaning at the sweet taste of her. Even more arousing was her response. Sexy heat and soft sounds. The mewing noise she made in the back of her throat only made him harder. “Touch me,” he said against her lips.

Her hands slid down his bare chest and cupped his erection through his jeans. Why was he still wearing jeans? He murmured hot promises in her ear, what he intended to do to her, but mostly, how he intended to make her feel.

She purred and sucked on his tongue as she opened the buttons of his fly. Then her soft hand pulled him free and stroked the length of him, while her other hand shifted to cradle his balls. Intense pleasure pulled a low growl from his throat.

She pushed him toward the pallet and he realized he was not the one in charge of this encounter. Cressida had always been in charge. And now she was proving it. She could do anything. Demand anything. And he’d give it to her. Hell, he’d probably even break cover if she asked.

She’d bewitched him with her amazing mix of innocence and sexy. And he was ready to finally have a taste. He pulled back from her touch and nudged her to the bed. “No.
I’m
seducing
you
.” He followed her onto the low futon. “And you’re going to scream my name—my real name—before I enter you.”

“Who are you again?” she asked and let out a naughty laugh.

He narrowed his gaze. “You’ll pay for that, missy.” He placed his hand between her thighs, sliding his fingers along her slick opening and stopping on her clit. Humor left her as she let out a soft pant. “Ian,” she said.

“More,” he demanded.

“Ian Boyd.”

“What do you want?”

“I want Ian Boyd.” She sucked in a sharp breath as his finger flicked across her clit. “Inside me.” He stroked again. “Now.”

He smiled. Damn, Cressida Porter was the hottest, sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He scooted lower and slid his tongue over her clit. She bucked upward, against his mouth. He licked her soft folds, savoring the sweetness and slick peach texture, as he pressed his tongue inside her.

She groaned and clenched against him. He could come just from the taste, the feel of her pleasure. This was Cressida, splayed out before him. The woman he’d seen from afar and wanted to protect. The woman he’d discounted. The woman who’d turned his world upside down.

According to his orders and training, he should have gone after the microchip and left her unprotected by the train. But he’d stayed with Cressida and let his target slip away. Wanton. Scared. Beautiful. Cressida had ruined his mission, and all he wanted was to lose himself inside her sweet heat and forget the bullshit mission from hell.

Forget that his life as he knew it was over. Forget that his cover was blown. That he’d been betrayed by two men he’d considered friends.

He nudged her thighs wider and licked again. He grazed her swollen clit with his teeth, and she bucked against him. He purred with his own satisfaction and slipped his tongue inside her, repeatedly. So hot. So wet. So ready.

He stood and kicked off his shoes and finally shucked his jeans. He was barely naked before she reached out and stroked his cock and made a soft sound of want. He met her gaze. Those big, brown eyes were wide open and full of hunger. “Open your mouth.”

She did, without hesitation, and he slid inside.
Damn
that felt good. Better than anything he’d ever felt before in his life.

Ever since she’d stepped into his shower in Siirt, he’d wanted this. Her. He’d wanted until his balls ached. And the reality was even better than he’d imagined.

She rocked back, then sucked him in, deeper than before, opening her throat. The woman was a suck goddess. She wrapped her hand around the base and stroked as she controlled the slide of his cock in and out of her hot mouth. She swirled her tongue around the tip, then let him go. “Condoms,” she demanded.

He turned and grabbed the box from her backpack. He sheathed himself, then spread her thighs wide and stroked her clit with the tip of his cock.

“Yes. That. Now.”

He slid inside her with one smooth stroke. She closed around him, so tight the pressure and friction was enough to make him forget his own name. He stopped, seated to the hilt, and took her breast into his mouth.

“Ian,” she said with a pant.

He grinned and pulled out, thrusting faster, harder, the second time. “More.”

“Ian Boyd,” she said. “Ian Boyd.”

“What do you want, Cressida?” His lips trailed up her neck and he nipped at her ear.

“You. Ian. This. Ian. All of you.”

He braced himself on one hand and slid the other between their bodies to stroke her clit. “How about this? Do you want this?”

“Yessssss.”

He laughed. He stroked. He fucked. And through it all, she cradled him, tightening on his cock as she edged closer to orgasm. He kissed her neck, her breasts, her mouth. And he thrust, pumping into her, feeling so damn good with every deep slide.

Beneath him, she arced her back and let out a shuddering gasp. “Ian.
Yesss.
Ian.” His name was melodic on her tongue.
EEEeee-an
. She came. And she came. His body coiled tight, his own orgasm building to a blinding intensity. He crested, and thrust into her as he came hard. Long. Intense. He growled with his release as he came inside her sweet, tight body.

Spent, he grabbed her around the waist and rolled to his side, keeping her against him, still deep within her perfect body. He kissed her, his tongue delving into her mouth in a thorough exploration that expressed more than words how much he enjoyed being inside her.

As his heartbeat slowed, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes. Beautiful. Brown. And right now, sexy and satiated.

His heart tripped. This was no mindless sex romp. He cared about her. To prevent himself from saying something foolish, he took her breast into his mouth and sucked. He blew cool breath over the wet peak and watched as her nipple tightened. Then he played with her other breast.

When was the last time he’d shared an intimate moment—beyond sex?

His life in the Army had been dangerous, and he hadn’t invited relationships. And his life in the Middle East, a secret life, had made intimacy impossible. But Cressida knew exactly what he was, who he was. He didn’t have to hold back from her. He could trust her.

This could be real. He, Ian Boyd, wanted for murder and espionage in the Middle East, was having a quiet, thoroughly enjoyable postcoital moment, because he trusted someone. The evil eye pendant rested between her breasts, and he found it sexy that it was the only thing she wore. With his tongue, he traced the chain down the valley.

At last, he was eye to eye with the necklace and stopped. The pendant was like a million others, but…different.

And he’d seen this particular evil eye pendant before.

He jolted upright, leaving the heat of her body as he scrambled to stand. “
Motherfucking shit balls.
” He turned and kicked the low table. The flowers scattered, littering the kilims that covered the dirt floor. “Were you
ever
planning to tell me you got the pendant from Hejan?”

Chapter Twenty-Six