Lethal Pursuit (4 page)

The man shook his head, telling Jackson his C-spine was probably okay. The guy wasn’t going to walk out of here though. Jackson glanced over his shoulder to speak to one of the other soldiers. The nearest hospital was at least an hour’s drive away, and this guy was losing a lot of blood. “Go call for a medevac and get me a backboard and cervical collar.” The soldier rushed off.

His patient was panting through his teeth, shuddering, trying to lift his head to see the damage. “My legs. How’re my legs?”

“Can you still feel them?”

“Fuck yeah, they’re on fucking fire.”

“Consider that a good thing.”

“Lie back,” Maya told him firmly. He did. She looked up at Jackson, her sea-green eyes steady, attentive. “What else can I do?”

“You’re doing exactly what I need you to right now,” he answered, tying off another bandage then pulling out a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. “Keep pressure right there so I can get a baseline.” The patient’s BP was high, which was to be expected, considering his elevated heart rate and pain level.

Someone finally came back with the C-collar and backboard. He secured the soldier’s neck carefully in case there was any spinal trauma, and Maya helped him roll the man onto the backboard. “Any other casualties?” he asked the soldier who’d brought him the supplies.

“Two. One minor, the other one...” He glanced down at the wounded man, who was pretty much out of it now, so he kept talking. “Not so much. Another PJ is with him.”

“Munro,” Jackson told him.

Maya raised her gaze to his. “Cam? Devon’s Cam?”

“Yeah, we’re partners. Volunteered for the MEDCAP together.” Cam was one of the best friends Jackson had ever made. “Any word on the medevac?” he asked the other soldier.

“En route. Another twenty minutes.”

That was plenty quick enough, at least for this guy. Jackson leaned over him so the patient could see him better. His eyes were a bit glazed. “You’re good to go to the hospital. We’re just waiting for the helo. Want some meds for the pain while we wait?”

He gritted his teeth and shifted restlessly against the pain. “How long?” he managed.

“Twenty minutes.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Shit, yeah. Gimme something.”

“You allergic to any meds?”

“Penicillin.”

Jackson administered a syrette of fentanyl. The medication took effect in seconds. With a sigh, the patient relaxed slightly, his breathing slowing.

Then suddenly he reached up to grasp Jackson’s forearm. His eyes were wide, anxious. “My legs. Tell me the truth, man. Am I gonna keep my legs?”

“Your legs are gonna be fine once they heal up,” Jackson assured him.

With a nod of relief, the man closed his eyes and rested quietly, enduring the pain as best he could. Jackson glanced up, wondering where Maya had gone to, and didn’t have to look far. She stood just a few yards away, facing away from him. She’d stripped off the gloves, but her hands were stained with blood as she held her weapon up and at the ready. She was in profile to him, the brim of her helmet shadowing her face. Both her hands and her posture were rock steady, despite everything. Ready for action if anything happened.

“Want to clean your hands?” he called out.

She didn’t glance his way, and her tense posture didn’t change. “Later. After the helo gets here.”

Jackson climbed to his feet. Leaving another soldier to watch his patient, he hefted his ruck and made his way to where Cam worked on the other two. Maya followed, maintaining that same distance and vigilance. Protecting him? Shit, no. He could take care of himself. If anything,
he
should be guarding
her
. “You don’t need to do that. Go on back to the truck and clean up.”

She shook her head, not bothering to look at him. “You can’t treat patients and watch your back at the same time. Until we get the all clear, I’m not taking any chances.”

With his safety. She didn’t say it, but she didn’t have to. His shook his head in exasperation. Though she was half his size, she would stay and guard him, with her life if necessary. The woman was turning him inside out, but her stubbornness rankled him. While he understood and respected her training and ability, he didn’t want her putting herself in danger on his behalf. The way he saw it, it was his duty to protect her, not the other way around.

Now wasn’t the time for that fight. Tearing his attention away from her, he strode over and squatted beside Cam. “Need a hand?” One of the patients had an ugly head wound and the other was sitting up talking with his buddies.

Looking up from where he was still bandaging the head wound, Cam’s blue eyes met his. “No, I’m good. Where the hell are those assholes hiding? A hole in the ground?”

“Have to be. Nowhere else to hide around here.” Patting his friend’s shoulder once, Jackson went back to check on his patient, who was resting as comfortably as could be expected in a situation like this. Maya shadowed him, staying close, weapon up and safety off. Did her stubborn insistence about guarding him mean anything other than her simply performing her duty? If he was honest, he wanted it to mean more.

Finally the throb of rotors sounded in the distance. A Black Hawk appeared in the clear blue sky, the red cross on a white background on the door becoming visible as it neared. It touched down close by and a crew rushed out. Squinting against the dust kicked up by the rotor wash, Jackson helped carry his patient to the helo. He moved back and turned to collect his gear to find Maya standing next to it. She was looking at him this time, and the admiration he saw in her eyes made his heart swell.

Crossing to her, he stopped beside his ruck and pulled out some damp towelettes. “Here.”

She safetied and slung her weapon then took them from him to wipe up. “Thanks,” she said softly, seeming almost shy as she avoided his gaze.

“You’re welcome.” He wanted to touch her. Wrap his arms around her and hold her close, just for a minute. They could easily have been hit by the blast. If the IED had detonated a second later, it would have been their Humvee blown to hell. Maya had held it together, stayed tight despite the scare and adrenaline rush, the sight and smell of the blood. Not once had she faltered in her duty.

A fierce wave of pride and protectiveness rose inside him. She was brave and strong and professional. He knew in his gut that if the bullets had started flying, she would’ve stayed and defended him, putting herself between him and whatever the insurgents who’d remotely detonated that IED could throw at them.

He’d never met a woman like her. She deserved a man who would appreciate all that she was, cherish the softness locked away beneath the hard exterior. Jackson did. Something had forged her into this steely soldier. He wanted to know what it was.

Her hands shook ever so slightly as she wiped at her forearms, telling him she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted everyone to think. Without a word, Jackson gently took the wipes from her and held her hands in his. Her eyes flashed up to his, surprise in their depths. Her skin was cold. But there was heated awareness in her gaze too. A kind of buried longing he would love the chance to satisfy.

Damn, he wanted her. In a primal and possessive way he’d never experienced before.

He gently washed away the remaining traces of blood, mindful of the swollen knuckles on her right hand. He stroked his thumb across them lightly, wishing he could heal her with his touch, that he could fight her battles so she wouldn’t have to. Standing this close to her, touching her soft skin and drinking in the unique features that haunted his dreams, he only craved her more. And suddenly he couldn’t hold back the incautious words that flew out of his mouth.

“If we were alone right now, I’d show you just how much I want you.”

Her expressive eyes widened a fraction. The flare of shock morphed into molten heat in the space of a heartbeat. And she didn’t pull away. Didn’t break eye contact. One dark brow rose in challenge, all that attitude confronting him full force. “Is that right?”

Oh, hell yeah, that was right. All fucking night long. Until she couldn’t breathe without wanting him against her, inside her. “Yes, ma’am.”

Her lips quirked, her bold gaze holding his. Direct. Unflinching. Full of confidence and interest. “Well, I’ll definitely keep that offer in mind.”

He went rock hard at the verbal taunt. Before he could reply, one of the other soldiers called out to them. “Let’s saddle up. Plans have changed—we’re going to Kandahar.”

Chapter Four

Though it had taken them the rest of the day to reach Kandahar, at least they’d made it there without further incident. And while the prolonged trip had seemed like a drag at first, now Maya was thankful they’d come to a large base like this, rather than the FOB they were originally headed for. The anonymity it afforded her made it that much easier to carry out her plan.

She’d almost been blown up today, and Jackson with her. Tonight she was going to ease the ache of arousal she’d been suffering with for so long. Because if Jackson thought he could say blatantly sexual things to her and then walk away without following through, he was sorely mistaken. She was about to rock his world.

She passed several groups of Spec Ops guys sitting on camp chairs around bonfires as she strode to the other side of the compound. One was strumming a guitar while the others chatted. They watched her with curiosity but didn’t comment, and she kept walking like she owned the place. This was a secure area, but she’d already gotten past the guards easily enough, and without stooping to using her blue beret as cover. She knew people who had abused their authority as Security Forces personnel to manipulate certain situations and it disgusted her. The trick to avoiding questions was acting like she had every right to be here. From her earlier recon she knew her quarry lay on the quiet outskirts of the compound: second tent from the end of the third row.

It was dark now, the faded illumination from the overhead lights throwing faint shadows as she approached the canvas tent with her heart beating fast. Her treads were quiet on the two wooden steps leading up to the closed flaps. Easing one aside, she peered in. Her eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness quickly, confirming what she’d already suspected. Jackson was asleep in his bunk, and his tentmate Cam was nowhere to be seen. If she’d done her recon properly, she figured she had at least a half hour until he showed up. Plenty of time to accomplish what she had in mind.

Stepping inside, she let the flap close behind her and tiptoed over to the bunk against the far wall, heart pounding in anticipation. Jackson’s quiet, steady breathing filled the otherwise silent tent. Biting her lip to hold back a chuckle, Maya crossed to his bunk and stopped beside it. He was on his side facing her, those incredibly thick lashes resting on his cheeks. When he woke up, he was in for one hell of a surprise.

Without giving herself time to think about it, she carefully crawled onto the inflatable mattress.

The moment it shifted, he woke. His eyes snapped open and he reared onto his elbows. Frozen, he blinked up at her, while she prowled up his supine body and tried not to laugh at the look of startled incomprehension on his face.

“Hi,” she whispered, straddling his hips and leaning forward to cage him in with her hands on either side of his head. There was no way he could miss the parallel between her position and what he’d done to her that day in the hospital exam room.

“What are you doing here?” he blurted in a sleep-husky whisper.

“Came to tuck you in.”

He glanced over to the other bunk as though he was worried they had an audience. “Cam is—”

“Busy for the next little while,” she answered, adoring his sleepy befuddlement. She leaned down so her lips were an inch from his, until his breath washed over her face gently. It was scented with peppermint this time rather than wintergreen. Toothpaste? “Unless you didn’t mean it earlier when you said you’d show me how much you wanted me if we were alone.”

He huffed out a rough laugh. “Hell yes, I want you—”

That was all she needed to hear. Leaning down to close that tiny gap between them, a thrill shot through her as she put her mouth on his. Slowly. Softly. So she could feel the exquisite give of his lips beneath hers. They were warm, supple. And they parted ever so slightly under hers in silent invitation for her to taste him.

Then Jackson’s hands came up to cradle her face, taking her off guard for a second. A quiet groan escaped him as he raised his head from the pillow to fuse their mouths together. Her lower belly fluttered in response. She loved the way his hands cradled her face, the gesture hungry and possessive.

Maya settled in closer, adding more pressure and a hint of tongue as she explored his response, his flavor. He must have showered before turning in because the man smelled deliciously of soap and shampoo. She made a low sound of appreciation in her throat and deepened the kiss, caressing and sucking at his tongue. She couldn’t wait to find out if he was that delicious all over.

One of his hands moved from her face to slide into her hair and cup the back of her head, holding her close. Satisfied at his reaction and enjoying herself immensely, Maya nibbled at the corner of his mouth and down his strong jaw to his throat. When he shifted and tried to turn them over, she resisted.

“No,” she whispered against his skin. “Like this.”

For a moment she thought he’d argue, then he exhaled and relaxed beneath her. Jackson tilted his head back to give her more access and tightened his fingers in her hair, his other hand reaching up to press between her shoulder blades. He was clearly fighting the need to take over, so the fact that he was
allowing
her to take the reins made it hot as hell. For all his laid-back nature, she sensed he didn’t give up control easily.

Her breasts made contact with the hard muscles of his chest. Even with their T-shirts dulling the sensation, a shiver sped through her. Her nipples tightened to hard points against her sports bra. Every brush sent a bolt of pleasure straight to the empty ache blooming between her thighs.

Growing bolder, needing some pressure there to relieve the empty sensation, Maya sat up to peel her shirt over her head and lowered her weight onto the unmistakable ridge of his erection beneath the blanket. Jackson sucked in his breath and slid the hand on her spine down to the small of her back, his warm palm burning her naked skin. With a naughty little smile she pulled off her bra and tossed it aside, then bent to shimmy out of her pants and underwear before he could catch more than a glimpse of her. With her face nuzzling the side of his neck, she breathed him in. “Hmmmm,” she murmured, licking her way down his throat.

Like he was too shocked to move, Jackson froze in place, one hand in her hair and the other just above the cleft in her buttocks while she teased his skin with tongue and teeth. “Jesus, Maya,” he whispered. “You’re naked.”

“Mmm-hmm,” she agreed. “Now it’s your turn.”

He didn’t protest when she sat up suddenly and grasped the hem of his T-shirt, but his hungry gaze immediately zeroed in on her bare breasts poised just above his head, her dog tags nestled in the valley between them. She didn’t miss the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed. She smiled. “Lift up,” she ordered quietly.

Jackson immediately raised his upper body off the bed, allowing her to peel the cotton up his chest to expose the muscular planes of his torso to her avid gaze. Oh, he was gorgeous. With a hum of appreciation, she bent and nuzzled the pad of his pecs, pausing only to push his dog tags away and press a kiss over his thudding heart before she leaned down and settled the soft weight of her breasts against his hot skin. Tiny shocks of pleasure radiated through her body at the contact.

He shifted restlessly beneath her, lifting into her body. “Your hair,” he murmured, tugging at the elastic holding her bun in place. “Take it down.”

Amused by the command, she did as he said, adding a little shake of her head so the cool weight of her hair tumbled around her shoulders. Jackson’s stare was so hot it all but singed her naked skin. A surge of triumph swept through her. His hands trailed reverently through her hair, his fingers tangling gently in the waves, following their length to where they ended against the rise of her breasts. Maya bit back a gasp as her nipples hardened even further, eagerly awaiting the touch of his hands, his mouth.

She shook herself out of her sensual haze. This was about making him lose control, not the other way around. She would never let her guard down that far with a man.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Jackson let his hands drift down to cup her breasts. Judging by the look on his face, he didn’t mind that they were small. But when he leaned up and forward, making all those defined muscles on his torso stand out in sharp relief, and tilted his head like he intended to taste her, she stopped him with a solid hand on the center of his chest. She pressed back firmly. “Lie down.”

His lust-glazed eyes flashed up to hers and held, assessing her for a long moment before he at last relaxed and slowly complied. When he was settled, once again sprawled out on his back for her enjoyment, Maya rewarded him with a string of nibbling kisses across the broad expanse of his chest. She rubbed her face against the thin line of dark hair in the center of his chest, pausing to leisurely lick at a tightly beaded nipple. Jackson hissed in a breath and threaded his fingers into her hair, flexing them against her scalp. The feel of his hands there, holding her close and urging her on, was sexy as hell. Using teeth and tongue, she continued to tease him, nipping her way down the shallow valley that delineated his abs until she reached the hem of his boxers. His fingers contracted against her scalp.

“Mmm.” She set her hand over the thick ridge of his cock, pleased at the way his eager flesh flexed against her hold. With a soft sound of approval, she licked the smooth skin just above his boxers and squeezed the solid length of him, while her other hand slid into the waistband and tugged downward.

Jackson lifted his hips to help her, hands still wound in her hair as she drew the boxers off and grasped him with both hands. His cock was hot and hard, kicking in her grip.

“Maya—” His voice cut off abruptly as her cheek brushed against the thick length of him. She wanted to taste him so badly. Drive him out of his mind with pleasure. A long, low groan tore from his chest when her tongue stole out to lap at him. The salty tang of him exploded on her tongue, increasing the insistent throb between her own legs. Hungry for more, she parted her lips and took the swollen head into her mouth, wrapping her tongue around that sensitive spot beneath the ridge.

“Oh, Jesus, Maya...” His back arched, head rolling back in ecstasy.

Oh yeah
,
just like that.
Exactly like that.
His husky plea, her name on his lips, sent a shiver through her.

His hands bunched in her hair, a little less gently now that his control was fraying, his fingers rubbing against her scalp in a drugging caress that made her eyes close in enjoyment. The muscles in his belly were rigid and his breathing was erratic. She sucked him slowly and firmly, working him with her mouth, wanting to make him writhe. And even that wasn’t enough. She wanted to hear him moan in release and know she’d pushed him past any resistance into pure need. But she wanted him inside her when she did.

Without releasing him, she reached beside her for her pants beside the bunk. A few fumbling seconds later she had the condom. Giving him one last luxurious suck that made him hiss out a breath, Maya sat up to tear the packet open. Jackson let go of her hair and wrapped his hands around her waist instead. He licked his lips, breathing unsteadily as she smoothed the condom down him and quickly straddled him. Before he could do anything more than grasp her hips, she stood his erection up with one hand and eased down on his length, taking him in. He was hot and thick, the delicious stretching sensation making her clit throb. She ignored it, focused solely on her objective. Watching his face, she sank down until he was fully embedded inside her.

His nostrils flared, eyes glittering with raw hunger as he stared up at her. He reached up to touch her breasts, but she blocked him. With a frustrated sound he gripped her waist again, but the sound dissolved into a groan as she began to ride him. “Baby, just...” Jackson reared up, both hands splaying over her back to hold her close as his mouth latched on to one of her sensitive nipples. He did it with such absorbed hunger that she let him for a moment.

No man had ever touched her the way he did, with such care for her pleasure. For just a second, her control wavered under the temptation to give in to the warm pull of his mouth, his caressing tongue. It felt too good. Though she ached for more, she pushed at his shoulders and tried to lean away. Jackson held her tight, keeping his mouth right where it was.

Sensation swelled, sending a trail of fire from her nipple to her pulsing core. His mouth was hot, his tongue like warm velvet against her sensitive flesh. A tiny gasp escaped her as the pleasure bloomed hotter. She rocked faster, using her hands on his chest for leverage as she pushed him toward the peak. He sucked at her with an erotic greed that made her heart squeeze.

Unable to stop herself, she clasped the back of his head with one hand and held him close for just a little longer, reveling in sensation. It would have been so easy to forget herself, lose herself in the moment and forget her purpose here. Her body wanted the release he offered.

No.

With effort, she drew away from his mouth and shoved at his shoulders until he once again lay on his back beneath her. His dark eyes glittered with frustration, those strong hands wrapped around her pumping hips, his fingers digging deep. Having the sheer leashed power of him beneath her and at her mercy made it even better. She picked up speed and his head rolled back on the pillow, eyes squeezed shut, lips parting in ecstasy.

Two seconds later, footsteps sounded outside the tent. Jackson went rigid, his fingers biting into her hips to hold her still. A boot hit the first stair outside the tent. Maya paused, turning her head toward the tent flap. She had every intention of finishing what she’d started, and let Jackson know it by squeezing him with her inner muscles.

“Cam, hold up,” Jackson called out, his voice strained with need and arousal.

“Huh?”

“Hold up,” he repeated roughly, staring defiantly up at Maya the whole time.

“Uh, okay...” Cam’s other foot hit the top step, then the stair creaked but no further sound came. Was he sitting there, waiting for the okay to come in? She smothered a laugh.