by Krista Ames
She wanted so badly to ask about his brother and the rest of his life but he wasn’t an open book, and that was a result of his past more than likely. Plus, the military does an excellent job training the alpha man to be self-sufficient.
“Hey, can we look at your camera now? Please.”
She’d been hoping he would forget about the pictures. It wasn’t that she had things on there he shouldn’t see. She couldn’t remember exactly what all she did have on the disc but it was more that she didn’t want to relive what she’d seen. Understanding that him seeing the murder was crucial to finding out who was following them, she would hand it over. Those people killed an important person in the United States government and now because she accidentally witnessed and took pictures of it, were after her. And because of her, they were after him too. It really was all her fault.
As she handed over the camera and he inserted it’s SD card into his laptop, she felt so bad for what she’d put him through.
She wanted to comfort him.
And like usual, she reacted before she thought about it and bent down to wrap her arms around his neck. What she didn’t expect though, was for him to do the same, and pull her down onto his lap. Then he held her tight for a few minutes. When he released her, she couldn’t help herself and smothered his lips. Like she’d hoped, he returned the kiss with fervor, running his hands all over her back, knotting the t-shirt he’d given her to wear.
They broke for air at the same time. Lust filled eyes looked back at her, making her want to have him right in his chair. It was like he’d read her mind as he pushed her up off him and then pulled her back to straddle his lap. She kissed him again, both hands rubbing up the sides of his stubbled cheeks and over his buzzed hair. But then her thoughts where re-directed when he lifted his shirt up and over her head and threw it on the floor. She wouldn’t necessarily say her bras were sexy but it was black and it showed plenty of cleavage.
She leaned back enough to work at the button of his jeans, climbed from his lap and pulled off his jeans. What she didn’t expect was for him to be commando underneath. She didn’t mind but didn’t see it coming. It was a pleasant surprise. She moved toward him to readjust on his lap but he stopped her.
“Yours need to come off too.”
Well she wouldn’t be arguing with that. She smiled as he unsnapped and unzipped, then pushed her jeans and underwear down to the floor where she could step out of them.
“You’re beautiful Avery.”
She didn’t think there was a whole lot these days that could make her blush but he’d accomplished it. He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her closer.
Chapter Seven
The situation was about to get complicated but he couldn’t help himself. As annoying as all the women in his past have been whether they were assignments or dates, she wasn’t. He liked having her around, even though it’d really been less than twenty-four hours. She asked too many questions and she meant well. The fact she was smoking hot beautiful was just a plus. She went after what she wanted without concern for the consequences and he admired that about her. She might try thinking through some of her decisions first but up until now it’d been working for her.
From some of the things she’d said, her relationship with her dad was less than stellar. Dirk didn’t really know the man personally. He’d only heard of him through social media but he could probably live without ever having to see him.
There were more important things to deal with now. Avery was standing at his knees gloriously naked save for a bra. He loved black lace. Damn he wanted her badly.
Still holding Avery’s hips, he pulled her until she spread her legs to straddle him. When his thighs were fully supporting her, his fingers gripped her ass and pulled her warm center snug with his cock which was getting harder by the second. He wanted so much to drive into her but he didn’t want to hurt her. She was squirming which only excited him more.
“Dirk please stop teasing me.”
“Teasing? I was only trying to control myself. You’re making me crazy right now.”
Which didn’t mean she needed to grind on him but that’s exactly what she did. He didn’t wait a second longer. He could already feel how wet she was. Squeezing her cheeks, he pulled her impossibly closer, pushing slowly until he was seated all the way in. Avery gasped, her eyes rolling into her head for a brief few seconds.
“You feel so good Avery.” He moaned as she started to move against him. She kept up a rhythm that had his head dropping back against his shoulders. When she stopped the motion, he looked at her and she was removing the black lace from her chest that he liked so much. His mouth instantly found one hard peak while his fingers fondled the other, before he switched and sucked the second into his mouth. His hands were kneading her full breasts, loving the feel of them in his hands.
“Dirk, should we be doing this?”
“Don’t even say it Avery. We are two human beings thrown together and we’re letting nature take its course.”
“Right but you’re being paid to protect me.”
“Yes, to protect you, not make love to you. I’m doing that on my own time. Don’t overthink it. There are no clauses and no contract that says what I can and can’t do so as far as I’m concerned, we are two consenting adults and I want you so much.”
Dirk kissed her tenderly, then wrapped his arms around and under her back side, picked her up carefully to keep himself buried inside of her. He walked her to the sofa sleeper he’d pulled out when they got there, kneeled at the edge, bringing them both down on to the bed together. Then he was atop her and in complete control. No more pussy footing around, he was taking what he wanted.
“Tell me you still want this.” It wasn’t a question, he wasn’t asking anymore.
“Yes, I do.” She didn’t hesitate or waiver.
He steadied his arms at her sides and pulled out, then back in hard, making her fully aware how serious he was. He picked up a rhythm of in and out that had her writhing on the mattress and clenching his forearms. He loved watching the passion pouring from her beautiful face as she worked up to her climax. When he knew she was close, he increased the motion, enough to send them both over the edge together.
They’d drifted off to sleep sometime in the early morning hours after putting Dirk’s stamina to the test more than once.
***
“Why did you agree to take on the case to protect me?”
Avery lay snuggled in the warm comfort of Dirk’s arms after the most amazing sex she ever had. Literally. There wasn’t even a comparison. But she didn’t want him to pity her for getting herself in trouble. She already knew she was becoming attached, which wasn’t anything new to her. She’d always been an emotional person in desperate need of attention. She knew it but couldn’t help it.
“I took the job because you needed me. Truthfully, when my friend called me, he didn’t give me any information other than that he had a critical case and needed the best. Because it was him, I said yes. He sent me your file, I picked it up, went over it all twice and here we are.”
“So, what happens when all of this gets resolved? Will this,” she moved her between the two of them. “Will we be over just like that?”
“I hope not.” He kissed her once then twice. “I kind of like having you around. Granted, I’ve been single for a while but you aren’t like any other woman I’ve ever known.”
The laptop sitting on his desk chimed, alerting him that the photos from Avery’s camera had finally all downloaded. The last picture she’d taken popped up on his screen and as he realized who it was, he felt ill.
“Who is that?” She’d set up to see what he was looking at.
He climbed out of bed showing an unbelievably toned bare ass. Immediately she wanted him back in bed with her. He was already side tracked though. All business so her desires and needs would have to wait. She climbed out of bed, grabbed the t-shirt he threw off her earlier and dressed. Standing by his side at the computer she aske
d again.
“Dirk, do you know who that man is?”
He didn’t answer right away which told her that he did know the person but he didn’t look too happy.
“That is Corey, my friend from your dad’s office.”
“What? How can that be?”
“I wish I knew the answer to that.”
Dirk picked up the phone and dialed, waited for someone to answer and started to explain to someone named Grey what he was seeing as he scrolled through the pictures from her camera. He didn’t ask her to leave so she heard the entire conversation, at least one side of it and apparently his friend was working for the bad guys. Dirk didn’t know why the Deputy Secretary was targeted but that left a whole bunch of other people in danger including her dad.
“Can you find my clothes and get our stuff around. We need to leave here.”
He’d held his handover the receiver asking her to help while he worked out the issues with the person on the phone.
Avery kissed Dirk and assured him she’d take care of it while he did what he needed to do.
She’d heard bits and pieces of the conversation but tried to stay out of his way. After gathering Dirk’s clothes and leaving them on the corner of his desk, she cleaned herself up in the bathroom and dressed in the only outfit she had. How pathetic. She hadn’t planned this assignment well at all. And truthfully, she was eager to rethink her whole career choice after practically getting herself killed. Landing herself in trouble was kind of getting old. Granted, it did get her the opportunity to meet a great guy and she’d really like him to hang around. Going down the current path would probably push him away, and if he stayed it would be because she needed protection.
She didn’t want a body guard, she wanted to get to know him for him, not his job. She wanted a friend, or maybe a boyfriend even.
“I don’t want to be just the job.”
“Trust me, you aren’t the job and I don’t want you to be that either.”
“Christ, you scared me.”
“Sorry, are you ready to go?”
“Where to this time?”
“Well I just got off the phone with Grey Holden. He arranged for us to pick up a car and gave us a location off the grid to go to until we hear from the FBI.”
“Wow, nice guy.”
“Yeah, he is really. Knows his shit too. I met him some time ago when my military career was coming to an end. He offered me a job that I probably should have taken but I was hell bent to make it on my own.”
“Don’t you enjoy working on your own?”
“I do but I’ve come to find out that I can’t do everything and just don’t have the vast knowledge and connection field that a large group would.”
“So, what did he have to say about the pictures?”
She felt so bad to even ask about Dirk’s friend.
“He told me a few things about the friend I thought I knew, which was disconcerting to say the least. I really thought I knew him. We have been friends since we were kids, even went to the military together. Sounds like he had a vendetta against the deputy and might just well be the mastermind behind everything. However, I’m not a detective so I’ll leave the accusing to the big guys. Grey is doing some more research then we’ll have a conference call to go over our options.”
“I’m really sorry about your friend. I know you wanted to trust him.”
Dirk grabbed the bags Avery packed with some extra clothes for him and some food.
“It’s okay, time to move on.”
Epilogue
Two months later…
Once the FBI got involved, things happened quickly with hunting down Dirk’s old friend Corey Wallis, who’d suspiciously disappeared from the office of the DOD shortly after talking with Dirk. They had enough concrete evidence from the pictures out of Avery’s camera to prove that he was at the location of the murder. It was also a strong possibly he was the key mastermind behind the plot to kill the Deputy Secretary of Defense and bring a threat to the rest of the department and the nation’s security.
Along with the help from Grey’s Omega Team, Dirk and Avery worked with the FBI to locate Corey and the rest of his team and put them in jail to await trial. Dirk and Avery were free to go about their lives and Avery’s dad was safe.
Dirk sat at a table outside a little bistro he and Avery had made a regular hang out in their off time.
“Hey sunshine, whatcha doing?”
“Avery, hi.”
Dirk rose from his chair, kissed his girlfriend and pulled out the chair beside him for her to sit.
“How was work?”
“Surprisingly fulfilling. I never would have guessed. I’m really loving it but so much better I think because it’s my own business. I don’t know how well I would have worked for someone else.”
“There is a definite satisfaction in working for yourself. That’s one thing I’ll miss.”
“What do you mean, what happened?”
The waitress delivered her usual to the table and she took a sip of her favorite caramel latte.
“Thanks for ordering for me.” She leaned in and kissed her favorite marine.
“Welcome. So, I just got off the phone with Grey. He offered me a position with his team.”
“He did? But how will that work? Will you have to move to Florida?”
“That’s the best part. He wants me to stay here in D.C. He may need me to travel occasionally but thinks it would be a good idea to have a security location here that I would run.”
“Are you serious, that’s amazing. Besides I should admit, I was a little hurt for a second that you might have to relocate.”
“There’s no way I’d leave you Avery. That was my first condition. Anything I did would have to keep me here.”
“Thank you. That means more than you know. I guess there’s one more thing I need to admit to you.”
She hung her head low and awaited his response.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me and well work through it together okay?”
He’d reached for her hand and held it to his mouth to kiss.
“I love you Dirk Rockwell. You’re my hero and you make me a stronger person that I’ve ever been. I think we’re strong together.”
“I love you too Avery but we aren’t just strong, we’re recon strong.”
The End
(Watch for Ranger in Danger – the follow up to Recon Strong)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Krista Ames is an International #1 best-selling author of contemporary romance,
including several sub genres. Western Romance is her failsafe and she loves a man in uniform.
Born and raised in Indiana, she is now a Norther Lower Michigan transplant and married to the love of her life. They have 4 children and a few fur babies. She is a full time stay-at-home mom and pursues her writing career when she’s not chasing kids, cooking or doing laundry.
She finds her inspiration in the love of her family and binge watches romantic and scary movies.
She’s thrilled to hear from readers so please find her at any of the following locations:
www.KristaAmes.com
www.amazon.com/author/KristaAmes
www.bookbub.com/authors/krista-ames
www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/kristaames
www.facebook.com/kristaamsauthor
www.pinterest.com/kristaames
www.goodreads.com/kristaames
Other titles by Krista Ames
Take Me Home, Cowboy (Home series 1)
In A Cowboy’s Arms (Home series 2)
All Tied Up (Home series 3)
Harper’s Wish (Montana Series 1)
Sisters (Montana Series 2)
Morgan’s Mountain (Montana Series 3)
Whiskey’s Sweet Revenge (Horse Country 1)
Love Takes the Cake (Cooking Up Love 1)
Surf’s Up
Their One Right Thing
An Unexpected Twist
&nb
sp; More Than Friends
Paxson, Call of the Beta
Rescuing Alix
Making Waves
Out with the Old
Coming Soon:
Fall for Him (Seasons 1)
Winter Without Him (Seasons 2)
Spring Free (Seasons 3)
Summer of Love (Seasons 4)
When the Lights Go Down (Afterthought 1)
