Mission: Her Shield: Team 52 #7

by Hackett, Anna

  The Minotaur was gone. Team 52 was silent for a moment, and sirens sounded in the distance.

  “Well, at least we didn’t destroy half of London,” Blair said.

  Lachlan turned his head. “I’d like to be there when you tell Jonah that.”

  “Oh, no.” Blair shook her head. “That’s your job, bossman.”

  With a laugh, Nat buried her face against Axel’s warm neck.

  * * *

  Kinsey had found them rooms at a nice hotel near Heathrow Airport. Lachlan and River had dealt with the British authorities.

  Axel sat on the hotel bed. He’d been patched up, but he hadn’t cleaned the grime of the mission away yet.

  The Minotaur had been blown up in the explosion. Kitchener’s final resting place would be in an old bunker in north-west London.

  Off-key singing from the shower reached him and Axel smiled.

  Nat was singing some catchy tune that was all over the radio at the moment. He headed for the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. He glimpsed her naked body through the glass, and his body tightened.

  Fuck. She was his. He’d never, ever get tired of knowing that.

  He opened the shower stall and she turned, her hair—like dark, midnight silk—slicked back against her head.

  “Did Callie say you could get that arm wound wet?” she asked.

  Since her gaze was busy travelling down his body to his swollen cock, he fought back a smile.

  “Querida, my arm is not down there.”

  She smiled and pressed against him. She touched the bandage on his arm and kissed it lightly.

  “I’m not supposed to get it wet.”

  She gasped. “Then we need to—”

  He kissed her, pulling her up on her toes. His cock pressed into her soft belly.

  “It’s a flesh wound. After, you can change the bandage.”

  Her eyes were dark and heavy. “After what?”

  He bit her lip and curled his hands around her bottom. “After I make love to you against the shower wall.”

  Her breath hitched. He lifted her and pressed her against the tiles. Her legs wrapped around his waist.

  Their next kiss was deep, with a hungry edge. She kissed him like she was starving, like she was desperate to breathe, and he was air.

  He curled a hand around the base of her neck. “Natalie?”

  “We could have died today.” She kissed him again until they both moaned. “And a part of me worries that this is all a dream. That I’ll wake up, and you’ll be ignoring me again.”

  His gut clenched. By pushing her away, he’d hurt her. “Never again, Nat.” He pulled her leg up higher on his hip. With a single thrust, he was inside her.

  She cried out.

  “You’re mine now.” He pumped into her tight warmth. “Not letting you go. For better or worse, I’m yours.”

  “Yes.” Her nails bit into his skin.

  “God, you feel so good.” He groaned, moving faster.

  As the warm water cascaded over them, Axel slid one hand between their straining bodies. He found her clit, thumbing it as he kept thrusting.

  “Yes, God, yes.” She cried out, her body shuddering.

  Damn, he loved watching her come.

  His own release crashed into him. He groaned, pulsing deep inside her. She held him tight as he went over the edge.

  Axel was breathing hard when he could finally get his brain thinking coherent thoughts again. He flicked the water off and she made a cute sound of protest.

  He carried her out of the shower and snagged two towels off the rack. Beside the bed, he set her down, and wrapped a towel around his hips. Then he started drying her off. He knelt, drying her legs.

  “You are so pretty,” she murmured.

  He raised a brow.

  “In a sexy, manly way, of course.”

  “And you’re gorgeous.” He dropped the towel and skated his hands up her shapely thighs.

  “Axel?”

  Emotion was like a rock in his chest. He felt so damn much for this woman. “Thank you for fighting for me.”

  Her face softened.

  “I’ve had some of the best men and women fight alongside me. I always knew they’d protect my body, but no one has fought for me like you.”

  A tear tracked down her cheek. “I love you, Axel.”

  He shuddered under the impact of those words. “I don’t deserve it.” Anger flared on her face, but he gripped her legs, holding her in place. “But I’ll take it. I’ll spend my lifetime trying to deserve you.”

  “You don’t earn love, Axel. You just have to be you.”

  God, she split him wide open. “Never stop loving me, Nat.”

  She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him. “Never.”

  He kissed her once more, and his cock throbbed. He needed her again.

  “Nat.” A guttural plea.

  The bed was too far away. She pushed him down to the floor, and ripped his towel away. Then she straddled him. She lifted her hips, then sank down on his cock. They both groaned.

  She rose and fell, riding him.

  He gripped her hips, helping her move. He couldn’t look away from her. “Love you, Nat.”

  Her gaze met his, love reflected in them. He reared up and kissed her.

  They moved against each other, and her hips moved faster.

  “Oh, oh, Axel…”

  They exploded together. Axel groaned her name as she cried out his.

  They collapsed together on the floor.

  She snuggled against him. “I feel very sinful right now.”

  He caressed her arm. “Good. That’s the only word I can manage right now. Pretty sure you fried my brain.”

  She grinned, and it was wide and bright. It lit up dark places inside him.

  Axel promised to do everything he could to keep that smile on her face every day of their lives.

  Chapter Twenty

  Nat pressed her nose to the window as the X8 swooped in to land at McCarran Airport.

  Damn, it was so good to be home. She let her gaze run over the city below her, never happier to see the gaudy, in-your-face buildings of the Strip.

  But she could also see the destruction caused by the team’s previous mission—when a very bad person had gotten hold of a very powerful piece of ancient technology. The sight of the damage made her heart clench. Vicious storms and tornadoes had ripped through Vegas until Team 52—especially Brooks and Callie—had stopped it.

  But even now, barely a week later, cranes speared into the sky, and construction was underway as the city rebuilt.

  She smiled. Las Vegas would heal and continue on.

  They landed in a quiet corner of the airport, in front of an ugly concrete building the team called the Bunker.

  Lips pressed to her temple and Axel’s warmth pressed into her side.

  “Happy?” he murmured.

  Axel loved her. Joy spread through her body. She was beyond happy. “I’m so glad we’re home.”

  He nodded, and once the jet-copter touched down, the engines shut off. Lachlan opened the side door.

  A small crowd was waiting for them.

  Smith pushed past Lachlan and leaped off the aircraft. A second later, Kinsey’s blonde hair flew out behind her as she ran toward the big man. A giant Great Dane loped beside her. She leaped into Smith’s brawny arms and as he kissed her, their dog ran circles around them.

  Waiting for the rest of the team was Rowan, January, Brooks, and Jonah.

  Seth strode forward and embraced his pregnant wife, his hands pressing over January’s growing belly. Lachlan pulled Rowan close, her red hair spilling over his arm as he touched his mouth to hers.

  Axel helped Nat off the X8. Ty and River walked past them, and Blair leaped off the jet-copter, a duffel bag on her shoulder.

  At that moment, a tall man exited the Bunker, his long legs clad in jeans and a shiny badge clipped to his belt. He wore dark sunglasses to guard against the bright mo
rning sun.

  A smile broke out on Blair’s face. She dropped her bag and jogged towards MacKade.

  Callie sauntered toward Brooks and he grinned, watching her come to him with happiness stamped all over his handsome features.

  The entire team was so damn happy. Nat smiled. It filled her heart to bursting.

  Axel slid an arm across her shoulders.

  Jonah spotted them, a faint smile tipping the director’s lips. He wore a deep-blue suit, and his hair was so black that it looked like it absorbed the sunlight. He was an extremely handsome man, with some Native American heritage.

  He was the only spot of aloneness among all the couples.

  “Well done,” the director said. “All of you. I didn’t even have much of a mess to clean up with the Greek and British authorities.” He paused. “It could be a record.”

  Lachlan lifted his chin. “The Minotaur didn’t survive the explosion, but the broken pot that held the virus is in a containment box.” He jerked a thumb toward the jet-copter.

  Jonah nodded. “I’ll transport it to the base myself.”

  The door to the bunker slammed open and Arlo, dressed in black fatigues, strode out.

  “I see everyone’s back. Alive.” He didn’t sound that thrilled about it.

  Nat stifled a giggle at the man’s grumpy tone. It was so familiar and strangely comforting. “We’re all okay, Arlo.”

  The man eyed Axel’s arm around her. “I see you finally extracted your head from your ass, Diaz.”

  “Ew,” Blair said. “Thanks for that imagery, Arlo.”

  Axel pressed a kiss to Nat’s head. “She’s all mine, Arlo. You can’t have her.”

  Nat elbowed him good-naturedly.

  Arlo shoved his hands on his hips. “And you couldn’t bring me back the Minotaur?” Arlo grunted. “Not even a small bit of it?”

  “He’s gone,” Nat said. And hopefully at peace.

  With a harrumph, Arlo stomped back inside.

  “A joy, as always,” Ty murmured.

  River snorted. “Like you can talk, Mr. Cheerful.”

  “So,” Axel murmured to Nat. “My place or yours?”

  Her heart thumped. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead, but she knew she didn’t want to be apart from him.

  “What do you want?” She didn’t want to risk scaring him off.

  He shrugged. “My condo isn’t anything special.”

  She smiled. “I love my condo.”

  “I love your condo too.”

  The team had been to her place plenty of times for dinner or a movie night.

  Axel tapped her nose. “Let’s go home, mi cielo.”

  * * *

  “Tilt,” Axel growled. “Take me deeper.”

  She moaned, pushing back against him.

  He had Nat bent over the back of her couch as he pumped into her from behind. Her sexy skirt was pushed up to her waist and he had a killer view of where he thrust into her sweet body.

  “Dios… So tight.” He gripped her hips. “I could fuck you like this all day.”

  He looked blindly out the floor-to-ceiling windows. She lived at the MGM Grand Casino and had an awesome view of the Vegas Strip. But as he looked back at her—his woman—her dark hair spilling over the couch, her fingers gripping the suede, her sexy body offered up to him, he’d never, ever seen a better view in all the world.

  “Axel,” she moaned.

  He felt her body tightening, and he reached beneath her, stroking her clit.

  A second later, she screamed, and he pumped deep, groaning through his own release.

  He leaned over her quivering body. “Mouth.”

  She tilted her head, and he kissed her, plunging his tongue deep. He drew in the taste of her—the taste of Nat, the taste of love, the taste of home.

  She made a humming sound. “What will we do now?”

  “Baby, you put on that sexy skirt for me, so I figure it’s your turn to choose now.”

  She blinked. “Hmm, we could watch a movie, or—”

  “I was thinking I’d eat you on your shiny kitchen counter, then fuck you again.”

  She gave a helpless moan. “Axel, we’ve been having sex all day.”

  “So?” He straightened, and pulled out of her, his jeans still undone, sagging a little. He smoothed her skirt down over her ass.

  She laughed. Dios, he loved that sound.

  “Axel?” Her face turned serious. “Will you move in with me? Not just for today.” She took a deep breath. “For always.”

  He gripped her chin and pulled her close. Love burned through his chest. He still saw the tiniest hint of uncertainty in her eyes, like she expected him to leave.

  Like everyone had left before in her life.

  “I am never leaving you, mi cielo. So, yes.”

  Her smile was blinding. “You’re moving in.”

  “I’m moving in. Will you come to Southern California with me? Meet my family?”

  “Yes.”

  “My mamá will fucking love you. She’ll feed you more food than you could eat in a year, and then she’ll ask when you’ll give her grandbabies.”

  A pretty blush filled Nat’s cheeks.

  He stroked her cheekbone, not able to believe what he was about to ask. “You want babies, Nat?”

  She nodded. “One day.”

  Damn, it didn’t even make him break out in a sweat. “I want little girls.”

  She arched a brow. “It’s your sperm that decides, amigo, so that’s up to you.” Then her nose wrinkled. “You’ll probably meet my mother and father at some stage. They won’t care enough to give their approval one way or another.”

  Fuck her parents. “Your approval is all I care about.”

  “You have it, Axel, and so much more.”

  He dragged her onto her toes and kissed her again.

  All of a sudden, the front door opened.

  “God, Diaz. Your bare ass again?” Seth’s disgruntled voice.

  It was followed by January’s deep laugh. “It’s a mighty fine one.”

  Axel pulled his jeans up. They turned to see the team all coming through the front door. Seth was balancing a stack of pizza boxes in his arms. Blair was pressed up against MacKade, holding some cupcake boxes from her favorite bakery.

  “I’ve got the beer.” Smith held a box of beer aloft. He eyed the couch, then Axel and Nat. “I’m not sitting on the couch.”

  Brooks barged in, carrying an arm load of board games. “Old school tonight. I’ve got Pictionary, Risk, Catan, Cards Against Humanity…”

  Axel looked at his friends as they filled the apartment, then glanced down at a smiling Nat.

  He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve this, to deserve her, but he’d damn well do his best to take care of her every second that he was breathing.

  * * *

  Jonah

  Jonah Grayson listened to the sirens echo off the walls as the doors to the large warehouse slid closed.

  All the files and artifacts related to the Minoan Minotaur virus were now safely locked away in the underground warehouse deep in the heart of the Area 52 base.

  He slid his hands into the pockets of his suit pants, nodded at Arlo standing by the door, then headed back toward his office.

  The team had enjoyed a few days off, but were now back at base and busy with training.

  He passed the gym, and through the glass window, he saw Blair kick Lachlan. The team leader blocked the hit with his prosthetic arm.

  “No fair.” Blair landed on the mats in a crouch, rubbing her shin.

  “Everything’s fair in a fight, Mason,” Lachlan replied.

  The rest of the team was on the treadmills or lifting weights.

  Jonah kept walking, a faint smile forming. He remembered when he’d first formed the team and recruited them.

  Their military careers had been over for lots of different reasons, and they’d all been angry, unhappy, lost. His smile faded. He remembered how that felt all too well. />
  He’d given them all a purpose, and now, the entire team was in love, contentment shining off them.

  That wasn’t a feeling Jonah was very familiar with.

  In his office, he walked past the fish tank set in the wall in lieu of a window. Then he sat behind his desk and grabbed a file off the shiny surface. There were always people in Washington wanting updates, and other business to attend to before the next mission arose. It was his job to keep Team 52 safe and functioning smoothly.

  Movement in the corner of the office caught his gaze and Jonah tensed.

  A woman pushed away from the wall and he shot to his feet. He’d never seen her before. If he had, he’d remember.

  Copper-red hair brushed her shoulders, and she had smooth, pale skin, high cheekbones, and brilliant hazel eyes. She was stunning.

  And there was no way she should be in his highly secure office.

  She shot him a direct look, like it was her office not his.

  “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

  “That’s not important.” Her voice was liquid, like the smoothest liqueur.

  “How did you get in here?”

  “I’m here to give you a warning. Watch your back, Director Grayson.”

  Jonah scowled and skirted his desk. He didn’t take his eyes off her. She was dressed in fitted black leggings and a black shirt.

  “Who are you?” He stressed each word.

  He already knew that she had no intention of answering him.

  But Jonah wanted answers. Her identity, how the hell she’d snuck into his office in the middle of a secret, underground military base.

  He lunged for her.

  The woman moved like water, she flowed. She struck his arm, ducked, then punched him in the stomach.

  Jonah grunted. He lunged for her again.

  Together, they danced across his office until he pinned her to the wall.

  Her breasts pushed against his chest and the scent of her hit him—something bold and woody. She touched her tongue to her top lip. Her lips were painted bright red.

  “So, you aren’t just a desk jockey who wears a suit well,” she murmured. “You have some moves.” Then she smiled. “So do I.”