Thank God for that. Ryleigh was sure Nigel would also be meeting them at the dock.
Chapter 7
Ryleigh looked around the Wainwright’s disheveled cabana which now felt considerably smaller with the hulking bodies of Garrett Diehl, Troy Stone, Blake, and Nigel in constant motion. Supper dishes had been cleared to the breakfast counter to make way for maps and computers that now covered the large dining room table. Once she and Blake had given their second team the situational report, they invited Nigel to join them, not only as a meet and greet but to strategize.
The men were currently ignoring her which was a good thing. The day had taken its toll on her emotionally as well as physically. She’d clicked into operational mode the moment she had left their cabana at sunrise. Blake had taken the night shift allowing her to enjoy the most comfortable bed she’d ever had the pleasure of sleeping in while he was relegated to the couch at the Wainwright’s cabana and Nigel’s men covered the perimeter. Being on hyper alert for sixteen hours, not to mention the adrenaline rush of being chased out of the ocean by a bull shark, had drained her.
Thankful for Garrett and Troy’s arrival, Ryleigh longed for that bed and the regeneration a good night sleep would give her. Although, she might need a stiff drink to help her doze off. From her seat at the dining table, she watched Blake swagger through the living area to the wall of glass where he stared out at the lighted swimming pool and into the black night.
He must be exhausted, too, she thought. Guarding a sleeping man for most of the day couldn’t have been stressful, but he had technically been on duty since they lifted off in the helicopter back in New York City.
When Blake turned, he stared at her with a look she had not seen since they’d been lovers in Afghanistan. Every time she returned from a successful mission in one of the turbulent villages surrounding the base camp, the concern and relief in his eyes projected the emotions in his soul. She had heard the anxiety in his voice when she’d called him from the boat on the way back to the resort. Yes, he was uneasy about the attack on Ella, but he’d been downright worried about her. Good thing she hadn’t told him how the shark’s open mouth missed her by mere feet.
Shudders ran through her entire body at the memory. She couldn’t let that experience keep her from diving again. She’d need to don tanks and get underwater again as soon as possible. Meeting her fears head on, beating them into submission, replacing them with good memories was the way she handled anything that frightened her.
Maybe that was the way she needed to handle Blake.
Stifling a yawn, Ryleigh looked at her watch. Not quite nine o’clock. Damn.
“I believe we have a solid plan in place,” Blake announced as he moved toward the dining table. “Garrett. Troy. It seems the Wainwrights are down for the night. I know it’s an hour early, but I’m going to turn it over to you now.” Standing beside her chair, he added, “We’ll see you two at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. You know where we are if you need us.”
“I need to be moving on as well,” Nigel declared. “I have schedules to rearrange before I can hit the rack.” He strode to the table, gathered several maps, and closed his laptop. “Let’s hope for a quiet night. Until tomorrow, gentlemen.” With a nod he left.
“You good?” Blake asked Garrett and Troy.
“We’ve got this,” Garrett replied. “You look like you could use at least eight straight.”
“You got that right.” Blake washed down his face with his big hand. “Come on, Ryleigh. You look like you could use a drink. We’re officially off duty.”
“Thank God.” Ryleigh rose and trudged her way back to their cabana. Out of sight of the other team and the Wainwrights, she slumped into a soft chair in the living room and propped her feet on the coffee table.
Blake stared into the refrigerator and called over his shoulder, “We’ve got beer from all over the world, several selections of wine, and mixers to go with anything over there on the wet bar. Pick your poison.” He grimaced. “Bad choice of words. But seriously, babe, what can I get for you?”
She was in the tropics and felt like she ought to be drinking something fruity like the drinks Diego had served. His offer ran through her mind, and she was glad she turned him down. Tonight, she didn’t have the desire for the sweet drinks nor the Latin lover. Her gaze wandered to the kitchen where Blake popped the top off a cold beer and braced both hands on the breakfast bar.
“I’ll have one of those.” Ryleigh wasn’t sure what she was referring to, a beer or the man. Actually, both sounded perfect.
“Want a glass?” He asked, his head back in the refrigerator.
“No thanks. It’s already in glass.” She threw the phrase back at him that he had used a hundred times on her when they were together. Without a word, he sauntered over and handed her an opened, chilled bottle. She immediately chugged down half of it. When she brought the bottle away from her lips, she realized he was still standing in front of her.
“You’re not okay.” Blake kneeled, their eyes at the same height.
Her chin started to shake so she clamped her teeth tight. She would not cry. She’d held it together for hours. She had done her job. Extremely well. She closed her eyes to take in a deep breath.
Mistake. Big mistake. As though watching a movie, a bull shark charged after her, coming out of the water to take a bite of her. Her eyes flew open to find Blake reaching for her.
At that moment, she didn’t care that it wasn’t professional. She didn’t care that they worked together.
She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him tight. As she drew in a ragged breath, she buried her head in his shoulder. He smelled of spicy aftershave, light sweat, and Blake. A barrage of memories overtook her.
When either of them had returned to camp, they always found their way to each other. They would just hold one another, comforted knowing they were there, and understood.
“You’re safe, babe. I’ve got you.” Blake’s whispered words were as reassuring now as they had been years ago. When he slowly rubbed up and down her spine and encouraged her to talk about it, she couldn’t stop the words or the tears.
She’d been scared before. No one could serve on a forward operating base and not be afraid. But that was nothing compared to the idea of being eaten alive by a shark. Even on the battlefield, with bullets flying at her, she knew her survivability rate was extremely high. But in the water, it had been her against the shark.
Her body shook uncontrollably as she recounted every second of the encounter between sobs. Blake said nothing. He simply listened and held her, repeating the mantra, “I’ve got you now. You’re safe.”
That was exactly what she needed until the whole story was out. The retelling was a cleansing of her system. Once she had her breathing under control and wiped her eyes, she was ready to face him.
Leaning back, Ryleigh dragged in one more breath, forcing it as deep as she could before she raised her eyes to meet his. As always, there was no judgment, only compassion for what she’d experienced. This, too, was familiar and somehow, tonight, was absolutely right.
“Feel better?” Blake laid his lips on her forehead.
“Yes.” She nodded.
“What can I do to make it better?” Blake’s line was so familiar. She’d heard it a dozen times in the privacy of his tent, or hers.
Her answer usually went one of two ways. Sometimes, she just wanted to be held and they would spoon on a bunk and eventually fall asleep. Other times, she craved oblivion. “Make me forget.”
Blake didn’t move as he intensely scanned her face. Eventually, he asked, “Are you sure?”
In answer, she dropped her hands from his broad shoulders and lifted her tank top over her head then tossed it to the side.
Blake sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. He stared at her breasts and said, “I want you to be sure.”
Oh, she was positive what she wanted right then. She cupped her palms over his cheeks and lifted his head until he
looked directly at her. “I want you to touch me all over, like you used to. I want to forget who I am and where I am. I want nothing to exist except you and me. I want you to make me come so hard that I forget all about today and I fall asleep with your arms protecting me.”
“I can do that.” Blake crashed his mouth on hers and kissed her as though satisfying her was the only thing he had to do in the world.
Never a passive participant, Ryleigh slid out of the chair to her knees and aligned her body to his, thigh–to-thigh, hip-to-hip, chest-to-chest.
He gently caressed her breasts over the lacy bra, and her nipples hardened into peaks. He reached around the back to remove her bra and froze. Tearing his lips from hers, his gaze flew to their patio and lighted pool.
“Patrols.” Swooping her up in his arms as he stood, Blake carried her to his room and gently laid her on his bed. He strode to the wall of windows and drew both the sheers and the blackout drapes.
Ryleigh clicked on the small light next to the bed so he wouldn’t trip and fall in the nearly black room. She hoped Blake had condoms in the nightstand.
Back in her dating days, she always carried several in her purse, but she hadn’t needed protection in years. After Michael, and the ass chewing she’d gotten from command for becoming sexually involved with her undercover partner, she hadn’t slept with a man in nearly two years. She also knew she was clean because Guardian wouldn’t hire her until all her lab work cleared. But what had Blake been up to during that time? Or the better question, who had he been into?
She was responsible for her own protection. “Wait a minute.”
Halfway back to the bed, he stopped midstride. His shoulders fell, and he closed his eyes. “What’s the matter?” His body was hard and tense, but his voice was gentle.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. “Do you have condoms?”
“Of course.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I picked up a box on my way back to Guardian before we left.”
Ryleigh wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “You figured you’d get lucky while you were here? Pick up some woman in the resort bar?”
He shook his head. “Wishful thinking. I’d hoped we’d end up exactly here, with you in my bed.”
Not sure she was ready to let it go yet, she chided, “You didn’t have enough in your personal supply?” Surely he had plenty of opportunity to use condoms on a regular basis. Any man who looked like him would have women falling all over him. Or maybe he didn’t need condoms. Had he been in a relationship with someone he trusted enough not to need protection? Did he have a woman…or a wife…waiting for him back in New York? Ryleigh started to sit up.
Without looking up, Blake explained, “Ever since I left the Army and joined Guardian Security, I don’t have time for a personal life. As an assistant manager, I’m on duty twelve hours a day, four days a week, but lately I’ve been assigned personal protection for executives traveling overseas. Sometimes we’re gone for a week or two at a time. Even when I’m off duty, I’m still on call.” He shrugged. “When I’m home, all I really want to do is sleep, watch TV or play video games, and sleep some more. To be honest, the whole club and bar scene never really was for me. I can’t lie to you, Ryleigh, it’s been over a year since I’ve been with anyone.” He raised an eyebrow. “How about you?”
She wasn’t ready to tell him about her Michael mistake, so she gave him the truth, “Almost two years for me.”
That brought out his grin, the one she loved so much because it meant she was in for a treat.
“Now, where were we? I believe I was getting you naked.” Blake slid onto the bed next to Ryleigh and ran a hand from the crown of her head, over her shoulder, teasing her nipple with his thumb before continuing down to the dip in her waist and rise of her hip. Then he stroked back up. His touch awakened every nerve. Leaning over, he pressed his lips to hers with such tenderness. She craved the caring and gentleness tonight. Somehow, Blake always knew what she needed.
Ryleigh rolled to her side, realigning their bodies. She wanted him naked, skin–to-skin. “You’re wearing too many clothes.” She pulled at the hem of his polo, smoothing the palms of her hands over his tight abs, then ran her fingertips through the dusting of hair on his chest. Releasing his lips only long enough to discard the shirt, she went to work on his khaki slacks—her mouth never leaving his.
As she deftly unbuckled his belt, he nipped at her lips before whispering, “Hang on a second.” Reaching behind him, he slid his Glock from the holster at the small of his back and laid it on the dresser.
Following his lead, Ryleigh did the same, placing her Smith & Wesson next to his pistol. She reached for the leather pouches next to her holster that contained additional magazines, and decided there was a whole lot easier way to do this. “Race you. First one naked wins.”
Blake flashed her a grin then leaped from the bed and shucked his clothes. She flung her bra onto the floor and caught sight of him standing there, completely stripped, just watching her. She had seen him naked many times before, but this was different. He was different. Although he’d been ripped while in the Army, he seemed to have developed even more muscles. And a few more scars. Ravages of war. Badges of honor. How could she have ever left such a man?
She damn well knew the answer to that question. Career opportunity. And she had made it through the grueling physical, emotional, and mental testing to become one of the most lethal women in the world. She was fucking proud of that feat. Out of the one hundred women selected for the top-secret testing, less than twenty percent had made it through. But once she had achieved special operative status, she could’ve contacted Blake. She hadn’t though. One more thing to add to her list of regrets.
But God, fate, or coincidence had thrown them back together once again. If only for tonight, she would take advantage of that fact.
His hair was a bit longer than he’d worn it overseas, but those damn helmets were hot. She could attest to the fact that long hair held in the heat, increasing the sweat factor.
His brown eyes were glued to her breasts as she took in the rest of his body. The dark hairs on his chest had thickened since she’d last seen them, and the ridges of muscles had gained definition. The dense line of dark hair that trailed from his belly button to the base of his throbbing cock used to tickle her nose when she went down on him. She wondered if he tasted the same.
“Looks like I win.” Blake’s statement brought her out of good memories.
Ryleigh had forgotten all about the race. She looked down at the clothed half of her body, then began unbuckling her own sturdy belt. Lifting her hips, she shimmied the dressy slacks over her hips.
“Let me help you with those.” Blake had moved to the end of the bed and grabbed the pants. As he slid them the rest of the way down her legs, his knuckles dragged over her thighs, her knees, her calves, and ankles, sparking her nerve endings. A muffled thump, mixed with heavy breathing, filled the room as her heavy magazines hit the floor with her slacks.
Ryleigh slid her thumbs under the elastic waistband of her boyshort panties.
Blake grabbed her hands. “No. Let me.”
He had never been like this before. They had always been in a hurry for fear of getting caught. Now, with seemingly hours of privacy, she liked this side of him.
Blake slowly dragged the lacy underpants down to her knees then leaned over and nuzzled into the dark hair she kept neatly trimmed at the apex of her thighs. He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply through his nose. “Christ, I’ve missed that.”
He ran his index finger down her wet slit, and she instinctively arched toward the pleasure. He raised his head until his gaze met hers. “I’ll get you there, sweetheart. No worries.”
Quickly removing her panties, he spread her knees wide as he crawled onto the bed. Ryleigh was sure he was going to keep climbing her body and grab for the condom, but he surprised her by stopping and dropping his head. When he used his thumbs to open her to him, her head shot off
the pillow. She couldn’t ever remember him doing that before. But, then again, they’d always been rushed. Sex had been a stress reliever after an adrenaline high.
Just like now. But this time was different. He was different. So was she.
When his warm tongue flicked the tip of her swollen clit, she almost came. He slid two fingers into her. “You’re so wet for me.”
“Oh, yes,” she said on an exhaled breath and fisted the pillow.
He licked and laved as he pumped his fingers in and out of her tightening channel. “Go ahead, come for me, Ry.”
Her leg muscles tightened, and she drew up her knees, as she tried to crush his head with her thighs, reaching for her orgasm.
He gently pushed her knees back to the mattress. “I’ve got you. I’ll always take care of you.”
When he drove his fingers back into her, he curled them and found that magical G spot. Then he sucked her clit into his mouth and stroked her with his tongue.
Ryleigh exploded.
Her entire body shook as wave after wave sent her tumbling over the edge. Blake continued his assault, working his fingers in and out of her, drawing her clit even deeper into the heat of his mouth until she couldn’t move.
As she rose from the depths of bliss, a tingling in her sex made her squeeze her knees together as she enjoyed another aftershock. That had to be the best orgasm she’d ever had. With her eyes still closed, she slowly filled her lungs with air scented with Blake’s masculinity and her own arousal. She felt his warm breath on her cheek and opened her eyes to find him staring down at her.
“Welcome back.” He rolled her over-sensitized clitoris between his thumb and forefinger and she almost came off the bed. She was well on her way toward the edge again.
“Your turn.” Her heart warmed at the mere thought of giving him the same pleasure. She reached down and clasped his long shaft in her hand giving it a gentle squeeze before she ran her thumb over the top of the head spreading the small drop of liquid.
Double Jeopardy Page 8
