THE MARINE'S LAST DEFENSE (14 page)

Chapter Eighteen

“I don’t think this is what your uncle had in mind when he told us to get some rest.” He smiled at her, staying on his knees, giving her time to reconsider.

Their first kiss at his apartment didn’t encourage her to reconsider. She wanted to take advantage of the storm and their break in this madness.

“Shh. Don’t talk. Don’t think.”

Exhausted from listening to her head and pushing her heart aside, she slid her fingertip across his lips until the fire returned to his eyes. She dragged her nails down his sweater and warmed her hands against his tight undershirt against his abs.

He crossed his arms and a moment later the soft wool was tossed to the front seat. “There’s not much room back here.”

“I think we’ll fit.”

Her hands tugged a moment at the white cotton, but he delayed her, reaching to the small of his back. He unhooked his gun holster and laid it to the side of the pillow. Shifting, he straddled her legs, removed his shirt, belt and moved to his jeans.

“Wait.” She took his hands away from the zipper. “There’s something I’ve been dying to do.”

Back in his apartment, he’d casually walked around shirtless. This moment wasn’t her first glimpse of his muscles and tight abs or the first time she’d longed to get his hot skin next to hers. But it was her first contact and she planned on enjoying it. She wasn’t disappointed. His heat shot through her palms as she slowly caressed each curve and hard contour.

Jake could have melted those snowdrifts if he’d just taken his shirt off. The burning under her hands intensified with each pass across his chest. There wasn’t an ounce of soft on him.

It would have been easy to let her eyes close and just feel
.
Let his hands have their way and start the intimate exploring. But watching
his
eyes close and hearing
his
sharp hiss between
his
clenched teeth as she ran her fingers along the top of his jeans...it made the anticipation of his exploration even more intense.

She was glad the diesel engine had the entire truck humming as much as her body. The small vibration hid the quiver shooting through her. She didn’t want Jake to feel guilty or question this moment later—today, tomorrow or days from now. He wasn’t taking advantage of her emotions or their fatigue. Whatever happened later between them happened. She had no illusions.

But she also knew the risks of not loving when you could. What if she went to jail and never had the opportunity to love again? What if something went wrong with the rescue and she wasn’t around at all?

Making love was her question to ask. Her choice to make. Jake had already given his consent. She unzipped his fly, feeling his power as she peeled the jeans down to his knees. She saw him stretched to capacity and they hadn’t truly touched yet. He leaned forward, his arms to either side of her, demonstrating the control he had by kicking out of one pants leg and then the other. He didn’t touch her. She longed to arch her back or wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him to her breasts.

After the jeans joined the other clothing in the front seat, Jake pushed back to his previous straddle. His last article of clothing did little to hide his desire. The jolt of longing kicking its way through her insides was driving her crazy. The man who had saved her more than once today, leaned to one side, tugging slowly at the comforter she’d been hiding under.

It was still her choice to move forward or pull the covers back to her chin. She allowed them to glide past her hips. He used the back of his finger, dragging it along the bottom of her T-shirt, then along her ribs and the curve of her breast. She thought she’d died right then and there, but he drew more circles on the inside of her arm, across her belly, along her neck—everywhere except where she wanted him the most.

“Your turn to lose the shirt,” that deep voice said, thick with lust. “Need help?”

Was it just lust?

No.

Jake Craig could have seduced her in the shower, could have coaxed her to his comfortable bed. Instead, he’d fought icy roads and high winds to get her closer to rescuing her family. Even now, he skimmed the outside of her shirt, raising the edge, skittering across her skin to make her ache with need.

This humble marine turned detective had given up so much to help her. He’d pushed forward through a blizzard. He might have threatened her with jail, but he’d sent a detailed shopping list with her sizes for new clothes. And every step of the way, he’d listened to her opinion and thoughts.

There was a strong possibility she was falling for this guy and they had kissed once.

Remedying their lack of kissing should be easy. She put her hands on his shoulders and brought his hard body down to hers. But Jake had his own idea and slid one hand under her waist, arching her back to expose her neck.

A sigh escaped her when their hips finally connected. It wasn’t enough. The weight of him felt protective and she wanted more. Her fingers seized his flexing biceps, wanting to push them aside and have him crash onto her.

He teased her flesh by tipping her head back and caressing her jawline with his lips. He got closer, his kisses hotter, but when she turned her lips toward him, he’d dart to the flesh on the inside of her arm. He continued his playful toying down her neck and across the tops of her breasts.

How long did he think she could take this exquisite abuse?

“Ready to lose this shirt yet?” he asked.

Her shirt came off with the barest break in his torturous touching. He was building a bonfire and she was the wood. Each stroke added another bit of fuel just waiting for a spark. His hands skimmed over her nipples, almost ignoring them, making them ache for a wild grasp right until the palm of his hand scorched her belly.

And then...the shyest of touches on the outside of her panties. Her heart pounded at just the thought. If his hands weren’t skimming, touching or cupping, his lips were. She didn’t want to be on the edge of this flame by herself and did a little of her own skimming, but the place Jake was taking her was within her grasp.

“Go on,” he whispered into her ear. His lips continued down her jaw and he dipped his head toward her shoulder.

Her hands darted out to bring his face to hers. As her body exploded, his lips enveloped hers. Strong and just right. Everything about it was as perfect as she’d known it would be.

If the two of them had been smoldering since their chance encounter at the diner and he’d built her bonfire on top of the embers, then their kiss was the ignition switch.

There was no slow left for either of them. Wild, demanding kisses and strokes that left them with the covers tangled around their ankles. The chill in the air didn’t matter. Encased in Jake’s heat, Bree could only think of getting closer to his burning skin, becoming a part of him completely and staying there. The more she thought about it, the warmer she became.

He shifted to his side to lean on his elbow. His eyes were dark, and the furrow was back between his eyebrows. He lightly rubbed that serious spot on his forehead.

“You’re thinking again.”

“I feel like I’ve been waiting a lifetime to see you naked. You are so damn beautiful, Sabrina Watkins.”

“And that makes you worry?”

“It’s hard for me to remember we’ve only known each other twenty-four hours.”
And that you should be handed over to authorities.

“Does that make a difference?” she asked, dragging a finger across his chest. Making him forget even more.

“Maybe it should, but it doesn’t.” He twirled a strand of her hair around his pinky, leaving it curled as it unwound and dropped next to her tiny ear. He could spend hours taking her body to different sensual levels.

“I know,” she whispered before dragging his mouth back to hers. He was ready to kiss more than just her luscious lips.

Before he got crazy with Bree again, he needed the condom from his jeans that he’d picked up inside the truck stop. He’d known—or hoped—this would happen as soon as Jerry suggested grabbing some shut-eye together.

Reluctantly, he backed away from the woman in his arms and dug through his jeans. The snow was still coming down and the wind still moved the truck from side to side. It was the first time he noticed the curtains for the sleeper. He flipped on a small mounted lamp, pulled the curtains and created an intimate cocoon.

The awaiting butterfly still needed to shed one more layer. The frilly black bra hadn’t been replaced by something practical from his list. It was hers. The one she’d been wearing since they’d met.

Crazy that it had been one day.

Crazier still was the way he wanted this woman. He wanted her with a fierce hunger and couldn’t understand why. He didn’t need to understand. She clearly wanted his body, as well.

The back of her hand skimmed across the front of his skivvies when he returned. He pressed toward her fingers, straining to be skin to skin. He used his hand in much the same way and received a sigh and tingle from Bree. Her hands roamed his body and he let his hands roam, too. He lightly traced the lace cups and her pulse leaped in her throat.

Watching her come to life and enjoy his exploring had taken him to a level of sensuality he hadn’t experienced before and didn’t want to rush. But this was definitely torture.

Time to unsnap the bra and kiss more of Bree’s skin. He slid the cups down, releasing the most perfect pair of breasts he’d set eyes on. His mouth followed what his eyes had devoured in a heartbeat. His lips locked on her cool nipple, making it pebble while the other warmed in his hand.

He looped his finger in the material at her hip, a gentle tug on one side of the thong and—without intending to—the delicate sides snapped. Bree giggled. And his mouth jumped into a smile at the sound.

As bold and comfortable as he became with Bree, she became with him. She matched him touch for touch, stroke for stroke, kiss for kiss. Her body’s need was matching his, too. No question about it as she reached for the condom.

Bree surprised him with long, gliding strokes before rolling it on. The tension and heat rose within him and her, if her breath was any indication. She lay back on the mattress, ready, waiting.

No more waiting.

The small space had its advantages. It might not be the sexiest place to make love but he didn’t care. He braced himself with one locked arm and slid the other to the small of her back and lifted her, sliding home. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened on a long sigh as she surrounded every inch of him.

Lying next to her, exploring her body...all fine and good. None of that compared to connecting to her. Being complete with her. Rushing to a place that only the two of them could get to together. No, it was more than just
good.

Why he wanted that connection and with this particular woman—well, he wasn’t wondering about it too much. He needed to be closer, dropped to cover her, feel soft skin next to his.

Finishing would be easy, but he’d make sure Bree was satisfied and then satisfied a second time. With slow, even strokes, he loved her. Her hands gripped his shoulders and her body met his, thrust for thrust. The pace picked up, as did their breathing. A moment later her body tightened and she cried out. He caught her hands in his and kept on going.

Inside her was a warm cocoon of its own. She wrapped her legs around him and kept him close. If the wind hadn’t hidden the rocking motion of the tractor, then no one would have had any doubts of what was happening inside. The small berth locked the world out, intensifying her softness, her smell, his need. With a few last strokes, they both cried out in fulfillment.

He rolled to his side and caught her to him, barely catching his breath before the scent of his shampoo in her hair made him stiffen again. He wanted more than one morning in her arms. He’d thought he was crazy before. Now there was no doubt.

The magical first moment was over and he waited for reality to burst back on the scene. Waited for Bree to move away. But she didn’t.

When her breathing slowed, she faced him, pulled his mouth to hers and he kissed her lips like the first and last time all melted together. She curled her fist against his chest and in two shakes was asleep.

How could he have thought sharing sex would lessen the need for her? Once would never be enough. It wasn’t even enough for the moment. There needed to be a
lot
more moments between them. He used the back of a finger to softly caress the darkening cheekbone where she’d been hit by her abductors. He skimmed her breasts and her breathing hitched, wakening her from her light sleep. His hand wandered over her tight belly and then lower.

“We should probably get some shut-eye,” she said with an anticipated sigh. “You were...um...pretty tired before the workout.”

“Tired before you took your pants off and I saw how little that tiny thong actually covered.” He tucked a strand of almost black hair behind her ear and remembered a box of dark hair dye. “I was thinking I should probably know what your real hair color is.”

There was one way to satisfy his curiosity and to start another
moment.

“I’ve dyed it darker than...oh...”

They could sleep soon, but first, he needed to see for himself.

Chapter Nineteen

Something was different.

Jake woke to darkness and a warm body in his arms. That
was
different. He hadn’t had a woman in his bed since before his last tour began. But there was something more.

He was with Bree in the sleeper of Jerry’s big rig, behind a heavy curtain. Light snuck through the edges a little brighter than it had when the sun came up.

Storm raging, at different times, they’d pulled most of their clothes back on to be ready to go. He missed the warm smoothness of Bree’s skin under his fingers and missed her nails lightly scraping his flesh.

Lying next to her still felt good. She fit. He needed someone who fit. Maybe... The “maybe” dangled in front of him, taunting. Challenging him to jump forward and grab it. Those kind of thoughts were for someone with a future. They wouldn’t have one if he didn’t clear her name. Even then, the woman in his arms knew nothing of his past. Nothing about the nightmares of war. And he knew nothing about how to tell her.

Now, he needed to concentrate on what had changed.

The diesel still hummed. The noise level from the wind wasn’t as loud. He’d swear that the swaying had died down to almost nothing. Both cells vibrated at his head. He’d kept them close in case they rang, but they were both out of his reach unless he moved the sleepyhead off his shoulder. The limited space in the sleeper kept him from claiming Bree’s lips first thing like he wanted. He settled for her forehead.

“Bree, time to go.” He stretched as best he could and pulled a curtain back to him, filling the small area with bright sunshine.

No snow blowing sideways.

The wind hadn’t just slowed down. It had barreled to a racing halt.

“You okay?” Bree asked, pushing up and leaning on her forearm. “Holy smokes, is that the freeway? The storm’s over. You’re right, it is time to get moving.”

Different. He liked different. He patted the bed around his head, searching for the closest phone to answer. She reached over him, her breast flattening against his chest, starting a desire that couldn’t be finished...at the moment.

“Here.” She handed him his cell. “It’s Jerry.”

He sat and slammed the phone to his ear, ready to join the game again. “Yeah?”

“Someone’s got eyes on your truck.” He put it on speaker for Bree to hear as she gathered their shoes in the front seat. “I’m not inside the vehicle. I’m walking the dogs between the third and fourth row of rigs to keep an eye on things. How long do you need?”

“I’ll be right out.”

“Unwise. They can see my tractor. I don’t think they know you’re inside. You should keep it that way. Start by getting Sabrina away from the windows.”

“Three minutes.” Jake disconnected and grabbed Bree under the arms to yank her back to the sleeper—surprised face and all.

She scooted to the opposite side, shoving her feet into the rubber boots she’d retrieved. “What are you going to do? What happens in three minutes.”

“I’m pulling my shoes on and making certain you understand the rules.” He pushed his head through the black sweater. He’d be a sitting duck, easily spotted against the snow, but he had nothing else.

“What rules?”

He laced his boots quickly while looking only at Bree. “You aren’t going to want to follow my orders, but your uncle and I both need you to stay put. Here. Safe.”

“But I can help—”

“I’m better going solo. I’ll verify if the men watching the truck are Larry and that young sidekick of his. If they are, I can deal with them. And don’t forget, your uncle’s out there, too. The last thing we need is to worry about you.”

“I’ve been taking care of myself since this thing all blew up.”

“And that’s turned out great. You’re a distraction if I have to worry about protecting you. Remember, it’s you they’re after. You’re the only person who can give them what they want.”

He could tell that his words were getting her peeved. She sat Indian-style with her arms closed around her. An apology was on the tip of his tongue. It was the truth. She was a lovely distraction but a distraction nonetheless. And he couldn’t do his job if he was distracted.

“They shot you.”

He shifted to her side, pulled the curtain back to the center so no one could see her and kissed her like he’d wanted to when they’d first woken up. He had to rein it in before he had them back under the covers, naked and forgetting about the world.

“Nice jab, but it was just a graze. Won’t even leave a scar as a reminder.” He leaned his forehead against hers, tempted to kiss her again, but he needed to get to her uncle.

“Do you have other reminders?”

Several images of early this morning clamored for time in his mind. He didn’t think he was likely to forget any part of this weekend adventure and he didn’t want to think about the scars he did have from the past eight years. That was a part of him he was determined to forget.

The past was the past.
Former
marine.
Former
life. The scars were there, old wounds that had healed. It was dangerous to go down that path. And dangerous if he kissed her again. What he needed was to get outside and watch the men who thought they were watching him.

“I’ve got to go. Can you peek through the curtain and take a look at the man leaning on the SUV?” She peeked out as he pulled the laces tight on his second boot. “Recognize him?”

She shook her head. “Jake—”

“I really need that promise, hon.” Her purple eyes were going to be his downfall. If one tear fell, he’d...he’d handcuff her to the steering wheel, that’s what he’d do. “Promise me.”

“I...” The violet orbs darted back and forth between his. “I’ll promise you if you promise not to get
grazed
again.”

“It seems I’ve given you a false impression about my capabilities, darlin’. I had a run of bad luck yesterday, but I’m pretty good at what I do.”

He withdrew his weapon from its holster and tossed the worn leather in the seat before checking his ammo. Then he bent as low as possible for someone over six feet tall and shifted to the passenger seat to dial her uncle.

“Jerry, got a ninety-second distraction?”

“Oorah.” Jerry disconnected.

“What do I do if things don’t go like you’ve planned?” she asked.

“Did I say I have a plan?”

Raised voices from the parking lot. There was his diversion. “Is our Peeping Tom on the corner moving away?”

“Looks like it.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Seriously, Jake. Please be careful.”

Somehow that felt as sexy as anything that had happened earlier. Okay, maybe not anything. He slipped out the door and sloshed to level ground where the snow wasn’t as deep as the shallow ditch next to the road. There were snowdrifts taller than his head next to buildings.

The whiteout might have ceased, but it would still take hours to get the roads clear of the mess it had left behind. Running through this snow was like running in a thigh-high ocean surf. A terrific workout, but tiring.

What they needed was a chopper. Expensive, but he didn’t see any way to lose the men tailing them. Or a way to get to Amarillo fast. They were running out of time to save Bree’s family.

If they hadn’t already.

There wasn’t any real running through the snow, but he moved as quickly as he could, darting behind a post to reassess his opponent. He should have asked Mac for some winter camouflage so his dark jacket didn’t stick out. But the closer he got, the more familiar the man watching his truck became. The same young hitchhiker he’d given a hundred-dollar bill to earlier that morning tried not to be obvious about his actions, but he was definitely watching the truck.

His phone vibrated. Jerry. “You stand out like a tick on a white dog sloshing through that snow. You recognize that fella?”

“He’s not one of the men who attacked us at the lake, but he’s watching the truck, all right.”

“I’ll be close.”

Jake chased several things from his mind. He liked Bree’s uncle Jerry. He also liked Bree—a lot. Maybe too much in such a short period of time. Heck, they already shared a dog. He pushed those thoughts aside and concentrated on his surroundings.

There were more tractors and trailers than he could count. All had their engines running—just like Jerry’s. Instead of parking front to back in a straight line, these rigs were side by side. If he could get to higher ground, up top, then he’d be able to see all the movement in both this lot and the truck stop across the street. He pulled himself up between the cab and trailer.

Once he had a good grip, he used his upper body strength. On the roof he dropped to his belly, apparently not the only one with the idea to get a bird’s-eye view. A familiar black jacket was perched on the opposite end, five trailers away.

No time to warn Jerry or Bree about his plan—if he could call taking this man down no matter the cost a plan. He pulled his weapon. Once he stood and ran, there wouldn’t be anything other than adrenaline pumping through him.

If he could take him alive...great. But that action wasn’t high on his priority list. From where the guy was lying, he didn’t think Jerry was visible. And where Bree sat on the passenger side of his tractor wasn’t.

Surprise was all he had going for him. Jake slid on his belly from the front of the trailer roof to the back, keeping his weapon above the snow and ice. His hands were frozen, but he couldn’t pull the trigger wearing gloves. He blew on his right fingers, rubbing and warming before he stood.

The man still hadn’t seen or heard him. He could thank the diesel engines for drowning out most of the noise. A couple of quick inhales and he took off, thankful he wore the military boots that kept him from sliding around as he pushed from one trailer to the next. He jumped the first three-foot space between trailers easily enough, the second wasn’t so tough. But after Jake landed the third, the man rolled to his back at the sound.

One more to go.

Shots. He heard the ping of metal midair between four and five. He landed and dropped flat. More shots, but this guy wasn’t a good aim. Must be the kid who grazed him at the lake.

“Give it up, kid. Didn’t you learn that you can’t hit the broadside of a marine?”

The kid scrambled to his knees, scared. He wasn’t wearing the ski mask. Sure enough it was Larry’s sidekick with the unshaven double chin. Jake jumped to his feet and leaped to the silver roof before another shot came a little too close.

The length of a trailer and a three-foot opening was all that stood between him and taking this wannabe murderer to the police. Right after he supplied Jake with any information he might have about where the Watkins family was being held.

“Come on, kid. You know you aren’t getting away from me. Everything badass that you’ve heard about marines...imagine that and add a little more...then you’ll get me.” It was the part of him he wanted to bury and never resurrect, but the kid didn’t know that.

The kid’s gun hand shook and it wasn’t from the cold. “Y-y-you c-can’t do n-n-nothin’ to me. Y-y-you’re a c-cop,” he stuttered.

Jake wanted to feel sorry for him. But he didn’t. This kid had joined forces with a murderer and abducted Bree. He still hadn’t gotten the full story about what they’d done to her. Neither of the creeps deserved mercy from him.

Think calm. Try not to kill him.

“You shoot me, kid, you’re a cop killer. You know what they do to cop killers?” He watched the kid’s face go paler. “That’s right, it’s the death penalty.”

“They ain’t ever gonna c-c-catch us.”

Jake shook his head and purposefully smiled. “Look around you, kid. No one’s going
anywhere
soon. How are you going to get away?”

Jake walked slowly to the edge of the trailer, faking the confidence he lacked. He hadn’t caught a good look at the type of weapon the kid was using or had any idea how much ammo he carried. They were squared up with about ten feet separating them, three of which had a thirteen-foot drop to the ground.

The kid wasn’t moving anything except his eyes. He seemed nervous but frozen in place as much as the ground.

You want this guy alive,
a voice nagged at him.

He wants you dead,
another shouted.

Taking him into custody wouldn’t be easy. Jake wanted him alone. Wanted to give the kid a dose of his own medicine. The trailer shifted just as he was about to make a move. An extra thump or rocking motion shot up his back about the time the kid’s mouth slightly rose at the corner in a smirk.

The kid raised his weapon. Confident.

Fire.

“Behind you, Craig!” Jerry yelled from somewhere on the ground.

Larry.
The kid’s partner stood at the back of the silver trailer. Gun in hand. Aimed at Jake’s chest.