Shadow in the Desert (Shadow SEALs)

by Becca Jameson

  His lips descended, taking her mouth again. Claiming her. His talented tongue worked magic against hers as his hand slid down to her butt and then lower.

  He broke the kiss to look at her. “Spread your legs for me, baby.” His voice was low and sexy.

  She obeyed as he took her mouth again, silencing her with his kisses. His fingers reached between her legs and found her folds, making her spread her legs even further. It seemed so brazen, parting for him like that, but she couldn’t stop herself.

  And then he was there, his fingers on her clitoris, stroking it, flicking it, circling it. He kept kissing her, not letting her up for air. When his thumb slid into her tight warmth, she groaned.

  He stifled her groan just as he’d stifled all of her noises—with his mouth. It only served to heighten her arousal, and seconds later, she came. Her body shook from the orgasm. She stopped kissing him, but her mouth was still against his. She couldn’t make any noise because she wasn’t breathing.

  She was panting as he removed his fingers, and she licked her lips when he brought those fingers to his mouth and sucked each of them, one at a time. It was so naughty and erotic. So sexy.

  Ajax didn’t say a word as he stroked her naked back for a long time, his fingers tangling in her hair over and over, his gaze locked on hers. She would never forget this moment as long as she lived, but she wanted more. She would not let him deny her this experience.

  She rolled to her side to face him and then shoved him playfully so that he dropped onto his back. For a few minutes, she trailed her fingers over his pecs, enjoying the feel of his hard body. He was so muscular and firm.

  Boldly, she leaned over and flicked her tongue over his nipple, smiling when his breath hitched and his hand came to the back of her head. “Serena…”

  She lifted her gaze, knowing this was her chance to plead her case. Expression serious, she met and held his gaze. “Make love to me, Ajax. Do it because I’m asking you to. Do it without worrying about the future. Do it because I need this. I need it from you. Not someone else. There are no guarantees in life. I want this.”

  He lifted a hand and brushed a lock of hair from her temple. “Okay, baby,” he murmured.

  Emboldened and somewhat relieved that he hadn’t turned her down, she flattened her palm on his torso and smoothed it downward until she found his erection. She held his gaze while she palmed him over his pants. He was so big.

  She bit her lip, thinking about how different this was going to be from the times she’d had sex with James. She was going to assert herself and Ajax was not going to turn her down or make her think she was committing a sin. “Can I take your pants off?” she asked.

  Ajax nodded, a gorgeous smile on his lips.

  She slid down his body, grabbed the sides of his pants, and pulled them off him. It was hard not to react when his erection popped free. Yep. Huge. And thick.

  She sat next to his hip, trying hard to ignore her own nudity while she touched him, sliding one finger up his length from the base to the tip. Something happened to her. It always did when she was under Ajax’s spell. She became someone else. The someone she’d wanted to be when she’d been with James. Someone bolder. Someone sexier. Someone riskier. More adventurous and needy and desperate. If she were honest, this someone had always been inside her, but been squelched by ridiculous beliefs and norms that she was beginning to realize needed to be tossed out the window.

  Without letting herself think too hard, she wrapped her palm around the base of his erection and leaned forward to flick her tongue over the tip, tasting the drop of semen. She felt giddy and a little naughty, and she couldn’t hold back a nervous giggle as she did it again.

  Ajax groaned, his hand flat on her back. “Serena… Baby…”

  “Mmm.” She slid her hand up and down his length, watching how his erection grew harder and thicker. If she were even bolder, she would lower her mouth over him, but she didn’t get a chance.

  Ajax grabbed her around the waist and lifted her over the top of him.

  She shivered as she straddled him, her wet folds opening over the sides of his shaft. She set her hands on his chest, unnerved by this blatant expression of sexuality and what they were about to do. Emboldened at the same time. Ajax was not judging her. He never did.

  He stroked his hands up and down her arms and finally cupped her neck and face. “If you feel too awkward on top of me, I’ll flip you onto your back, but you might like the control you have in this position. You can lower onto me at your own speed.”

  She swallowed. She’d never thought of it that way. What was she even thinking? She’d never thought much about it at all until the last two days. “Okay,” she whispered.

  Ajax slid one hand down between her legs and found that tiny little bundle of nerves that was obviously the epicenter of all the hype. He stroked it several times, making her arousal increase.

  When she glanced down to blatantly watch, she could see her exposed sex but also the head of his erection that waited patiently for her to encase it.

  Ajax removed his hand and reached out to pat the bed next to them, finding and lifting his pants from earlier.

  She watched in confusion, finally grinning when he pulled a condom out of a pocket. He opened it and slid it onto his erection. Thank goodness one of them was thinking about protection.

  She rose onto her knees and watched as Ajax lined himself up with her entrance. “Take your time, baby. Let it feel good.” His hands came to her breasts, cupping them, thumbing her nipples.

  She moaned as quietly as she could and then pursed her lips while she eased onto him. The stretch was tight. Apparently, penises did indeed come in different sizes because James’s hadn’t been anywhere near this thick.

  Her hair fell all around her, making her skin tingle as it brushed over her naked body. She tipped her head back, fighting a gasp as she slowly lowered all the way down.

  Her heart was racing. She felt so full and so connected to this man. Making love to him was far more intimate and emotional than fumbling under the covers with a guy she didn’t really care about.

  She inhaled deeply, lowering her gaze to meet his. He was smiling at her, his hands reverently playing with her breasts. “You’re so gorgeous, Serena. You have no idea how sexy you are.”

  She ground down on him, trying to get deeper. A flush crept up her face as she licked her lips. “Can we switch now? I want you to be on top.”

  “Of course.” He surprised her when he grabbed her hips and flipped them both over without pulling out of her.

  When she landed on her back, her legs wrapped around his waist, Ajax hovering over her on his elbows, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. If this was heaven, she was all-in.

  He held himself deep, not moving, as he kissed her. Everywhere. First her lips and then her cheeks and neck and behind her ears and down to her breasts.

  She was panting when he lifted his head and finally eased partway out only to thrust back in. “Ajax.”

  He covered her mouth, grinning. “Shh. Baby.” His eyes were dancing with laughter, but he made no other sound.

  She glanced at the door, feeling more giddy than embarrassed. Oops.

  He pulled back out again and then thrust deeper.

  She gripped his hips, her fingernails digging into his skin. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care. The pressure was intense. She felt so much closer to him with him inside her than when he’d simply been pleasuring her with his mouth and his hands. This was so much better. And probably would make things so much worse later… But she shook that thought away.

  He slid a hand between them and found that special spot again, his lips descending on hers at the same time. The moment he started kissing her, she lost all sense of reason. All she knew was so much feeling.

  His expert fingers stroked her clitoris while he eased in and out of her until he broke the kiss, panting, staring down at her, cupping her head with his free hand. He searched her face. “Come around my co
ck, baby. Come and then I will.”

  Her chest tightened at the demand. She wouldn’t have thought it possible to orgasm just because he said so, but moments later, she did, her channel gripping him in waves as that bundle of nerves pulsed against his fingers.

  Nothing had ever come close to feeling this good in her life. Not even the orgasms he’d given her yesterday. This was so much more intimate.

  Her vision was blurred, but she was aware of Ajax thrusting faster and deeper until he stiffened deep inside her and sucked in a breath. His lips were pursed as she blinked at him, realizing he was holding back his groans, the same as she had.

  As he finally exhaled, he set his forehead against hers. Both hands cupped her face. “There are no words, Serena…”

  They stayed like that for long moments. Eventually, he slid out of her, disposed of the condom, and grabbed their nightclothes. He pulled his own pants on and then dressed her, putting her panties and shorts on followed by her shirt. He slid into bed next to her, pulled the covers over them, and spooned her from behind, holding her so tightly. His lips nuzzled behind her ear.

  She was sated and comfortable.

  Happy.

  Scared.

  Panicky.

  Tired.

  Tired won eventually, and she fell asleep.

  It seemed like moments passed between the time she closed her eyes and reopened them. She was in the same spot in the bed, but sunlight was streaming into the room from the window, and she knew immediately Ajax wasn’t behind her.

  She squeezed her eyes closed and willed herself not to freak out. He was more than just not behind her. She sensed he wasn’t in the room or the house. He’d left. Gone on with the rest of the mission and left her behind.

  Chapter 19

  Ajax swiped a hand down his face as he rode in silence in the back of a delivery truck in the early morning hours. This was the last phase of the trip. The plan had been for Jasmine’s son to drive him and Serena to meet this truck, but Ajax had nixed that plan in a hurry when he’d spoken to Jasmine an hour ago.

  They’d argued in whispers, but Ajax knew it would kill Serena if anything happened to Jasmine’s son. The level of danger had been increasing with each leg of this trip. He’d needed to be at a pickup point about two miles outside of town, so he’d left earlier than planned on foot.

  Jasmine had also sensed that Ajax was skipping out on Serena. She’d pursed her lips and sighed several times as he explained in a hushed tone that he would not risk Serena’s life another moment. He’d asked for a pen and paper and written Serena a note. It would be lame, and she would be furious, but all that mattered was keeping her from harm.

  He finally got Jasmine on board. She thought Ajax should have told Serena himself, but she’d also smiled knowingly when Ajax had pointed out how stubborn Serena was.

  He swiped his face again and stared at the floor of the truck. He could picture the look on her face last night when she’d slid down his cock, her lips swollen and parted, her eyes rolled back. So fucking gorgeous. He’d never forget that look as long as he lived.

  He was a weak man. He’d vowed to himself twenty-four hours ago that he wouldn’t touch her like that again, and then the moment they’d been alone, Serena looking at him with those lust-filled eyes, licking her lips, her nipples tight against her tank top, her pale legs and arms…

  God. He’d been unable to resist stripping her naked so he could see her fucking perfect body again. Taste her. Suck her nipples. Make her come. Lick his fingers. Perfection.

  And there was no way to deny her when she begged him to make love to her. She made sense. After all, they’d shared so much. Walking away from her without sealing the deal would have been cruel. He just prayed he hadn’t made things worse for her. Emotionally.

  He had no idea if he would ever see her again. It wouldn’t be his call. If he survived this mission, she would already be back in the States. He wouldn’t hunt her down. She would need time. Possibly forever. When she returned to her apartment in her hometown, there was every chance she would regret her time with Ajax and realize she had no business pursuing a relationship with someone so different from her.

  He needed to let her go. Leave her to resume her life in whatever way she felt necessary. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough for that, but he would do it. Let her come to him. Would she?

  The terrain got more rugged as the hours passed. Eventually, the truck came to a stop and Ajax waited, unsure what his next move was supposed to be. He waited. The driver opened the back of the truck and motioned for him to exit.

  Leaving Serena behind meant cutting off his interpreter, but it was for the best.

  The man pointed at a shack in the distance and then pointed at the sun and then his empty wrist. He held up three fingers.

  Ajax nodded. Someone else would pick him up from here at three o’clock. The sun was high in the sky as Ajax watched the driver pull away, leaving him alone.

  Ajax glanced around. He was in the desert. The sun was hot. Blazing. The small shack would protect him from the sun’s rays, and he needed to conserve energy, so he hurried over to the little shelter and opened the door. It was barely large enough for a person to stretch out, but Ajax dropped his packs and reclined on his back.

  He rested his hands on his stomach and took several deep breaths. He needed to nap for a few hours. He couldn’t be sure when he would get to sleep again. The plan got dicey from here. Less specific. Charley and Xena hadn’t known exactly what would happen, so that left Ajax uninformed too.

  “Fuck,” he muttered, glancing at his watch just as he was about to doze off. He’d forgotten about the damn SAT phone. He scrambled to pull it out of his pack and turn it on. He was supposed to communicate with Ryker at noon. It was twelve-fifteen now.

  He was breathing heavily as he waited. Luckily, five minutes later, it rang. He answered it quickly. “Birdman.”

  “Oh good. I was worried,” came Ryker’s voice. “You on track?”

  “Yes. You?”

  “Yes. Oh-four-hundred.”

  “Got it. Oh-four-hundred. Good luck.”

  “You too. See you on the other side, man.”

  “God willing.” Ajax ended the call and lowered to his back once more, taking deep breaths and staring at the ceiling. He would make two more transfers before four in the morning, but he and Ryker would both engage the enemy in two separate locations at the same time. They couldn’t risk any other option. If the captors were in communication, one would alert the other of the raid and that would be certain death for the other half of the team.

  Ajax thought about Serena. He would permit himself to do so for five minutes. He thought about how angry he was certain she’d been when she woke up and found him gone. Sad too. He shook that visual from his head and pictured her naked in front of him. All that hair swaying around her breasts. The way the silky locks fell through his fingers. Heaven.

  His five minutes were up. Time to nap and focus if he wanted to have any chance of seeing her again. Even if he never saw her again, he didn’t want her to get the news that he’d been killed. It would be too painful.

  He slept, but at no point was he ever so unconscious that he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. He was trained to rest with one eye open, and he did.

  At three his next transport arrived. Once again, he silently entered the back of a truck and held on to the sides as it traveled over increasingly rough terrain. No way could he have brought Serena along for these last few legs. He’d left her at precisely the correct location.

  Maybe Charley had known that all along. Known that Ajax would leave her with Jasmine.

  This drive was significantly farther. It was dark when the truck came to a stop. There were voices outside, and Ajax was shocked to find himself standing in some sort of organized camp when he climbed out of the back.

  People were rushing around in every direction. Most were Ethiopian, though he couldn’t know from which region. A white man came out of the ne
arest structure and approached Ajax.

  He held out a hand. “Birdman.”

  “That’s me. And you are?” Ajax asked as he shook the man’s hand.

  “Striker.”

  “Sounds promising.”

  Striker smirked. “Let’s hope.” He nodded over his shoulder. “Come on.”

  Ajax heaved one pack over his shoulder and carried the other. He followed Striker into a large tent. It was warm inside, and the smell of food was coming from the far end.

  Striker pointed at a table. “Sit. I’ll grab you something to eat.”

  Ajax dropped onto a chair and looked around. What was this place? A few groups of men were eating at several tables, but it was probably a little late for dinner. Several of them looked his direction and nodded.

  Striker returned five minutes later with a plate of hot food, setting it down in front of Ajax. “You must be starving. You eat. I’ll talk.”

  Ajax nodded and picked up a piece of flatbread, rolling it up and dipping it into the stew before taking a bite.

  “This place is a temporary military base. Everyone here is with the insurgents.”

  Ajax flinched. “The insurgents?”

  Striker chuckled. “We’re in the northern part of the Afar region, close to Tigray. The Eritreans have had control of this area on and off for more than a year. So, yes, anyone willing to fight against Eritrea is actually an insurgent on their own land.”

  “Got it.” Ajax nodded as he took a long drink of water and resumed eating. “Who are you?”

  “Former Army. Married a woman from Tigray ten years ago. Had two kids. My entire family was gunned down in the crossfire of Eritrean and Ethiopian armies when they invaded our village three years ago. I wasn’t there to protect them.” Striker spoke matter-of-factly.

  “Fuck. I’m so sorry.” Ajax had never had a wife or kids, so he couldn’t know how impossibly difficult it would be to come home and find them all dead. The closest he’d come to caring that much about another human being had been in the last five days, and he already couldn’t fathom losing Serena.