This wasn’t a tender exploration. He claimed with a bruising aggression with nips, licks, and an occasional bite. He seized her lips with his mouth and chased her tongue with his. Firm lips chased hers in a primitive and frenzied need. His reckless hunger pushed him further, and he palmed her ass, pulling it up and in to the grinding of his hips. He thrust his hard length against her hip, trying to rut with their clothes still on. His groan of desire followed the rhythmic movement.
As he punished her swollen lips, she croaked out a strangled cry. “Ryker. Clothes. Off. Now.”
Liquid heat coursed through her veins. While she melted from the inside out, her skin chilled as he stripped her down. She squirmed against him, her skin flushed, and turned from cold to itchy and so very hot. She’d never been so turned on, and she ached for his lips to claim her nipples, his fingers to drag slowly against her inner thighs, and for him to dip deep inside where he would drive her insane.
“Ryker,” she breathed out on a slow exhale, “I…”
He regarded her with pupils blown out with his need, the verdant green of his irises nearly obliterated by his lust. He traced a finger around the corner of her mouth, his lips lifting with amusement as he slowed everything down to tease her. He supported his weight and gazed down, seeming content to allow this moment to linger between them forever. She, however, was not and needed more of him, more weight pressing down on her, more power caging her in, and definitely more friction between their skin.
Her chest squeezed, knowing the truth. This would never be done. There was no one more night. There was only forever.
He pulled his pants down around his thighs and released his erection from its confinement. His heavy balls hung freely, and his cock jutted against her leg. She reached for it and curled her fingers around the thick shaft. He hissed, and his hips bucked forward. She stifled a moan and bit the inside of her cheek, but with a seething breath, she choked on a breathless gasp. He speared forward as she released him, and thrust his cock deep inside her mouth.
Made of pure brawn, Ryker’s body rocked forward and back, pushing deep and dragging out with a tortuous glide. Her channel gripped him tight, and she wrapped her legs around his muscled ass while his powerful legs set a pounding pace. His hardened body, full of stacked muscles, clenched with each thrust and drove her higher and higher. She let her gaze wander over his chiseled chest and watched the bunching of his arms and powerful shoulders as he worked them to completion. He rasped with his efforts. His lips lowered and hovered a kiss away while he regarded her with the intensity of his gaze.
“I’ll never get enough of you.” The timbre of his voice was low and gravelly and oh-so very sexy. He shifted and touched their foreheads together. “You’re mine. Always have been and always will be.”
With his voice thick with arousal, she came undone as his words sank in.
His breath fanned against her face as his cock swelled and pounded inside her with each thrust, going deeper and harder. They rocked together. She lifted to meet his thrusts, and then his razor teeth gripped her lower lip and clamped down.
Her scream shattered the silence. He grabbed her hair, wrenched her head back, and bit at her neck, licking and sucking, driving her toward the inevitability of her climax. Her heart raced, and her lungs scrambled to draw breath. The air was disturbed by his exertion, his growls turning low and thick. She held her breath as his voice boomed with a roar while he pummeled her with his hips and came with a shout. His bulging biceps shook moments before he collapsed on top of her. There, he fought to catch his breath.
“Ryker,” she said, combing through the longer lengths of hair at the crown of his head, “that was—”
He kissed her, silencing her words, which was a good thing because she’d had no idea what to say next. When he rolled off her, she scooted back on the narrow mattress to make room. They faced each other, their quiet breaths filling the silence.
He traced a line from her shoulder, down her arm, dropped to her hip, and walked a path up her stomach to cup her breast. “I’ve never felt anything more perfect.”
“More perfect than my breast?”
His sideways grin tilted with amusement. “Well, your tits are more than perfect. I meant this.” He gestured between them. “I’m not giving this up.”
“But—”
“We’ll find a way, Tia. We’ll fucking find a way.”
She let her hand rest against the ridges of muscles spanning his abdomen. “How did I not know?”
“Know what?”
“What was beneath my nose all this time?”
He lifted her hand and pulled it to his chest where the solidness of his heart thumped beneath his skin. “It wasn’t yet time, but I’m here now.”
“What do we do?” She tucked her head beneath his and closed the space between them, entwining her arms, legs, and even her heart around the solidness that was Ryker Lyons.
“I can feel you breathe,” he said, pointing to his chest. “I feel you in here.” He pointed to her heart. “Wherever your heart is, that is my home.”
She felt the same, but the reality of their situation wasn’t lost on her. In the morning, everything would change.
“I don’t want this to ever end.” She stifled a cry. “I wish things were different.”
He kissed the top of her head. “We’ll figure it out. Until then, we’ll be careful.”
But being careful meant a chance of getting caught. Colonel Vane was out there, watching. Maybe not with eagle eyes, but he was certainly circling like a hawk.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Mission
Tia
They made love through the night, slow and passionate, hard and fast, lying in bed, down on the floor, and even up against the wall. Ryker attacked Tia with an unbridled hunger, and she met his need with rising passion. But, like most things, it had to come to an end. The sun rose, a new day began, and it was time for Ryker to leave.
With even more caution than the last time, she exited her quarters and triple-checked to make sure no one was out to catch Ryker leaving her room. She rapped on the door and left, knowing he would exit the other direction.
When not wrapped around each other, in those exhausted moments between sexual bliss and frantic hunger, they had talked about the future. He had only this tour left on his enlistment and had talked about the possibility of extending his time with the band once he separated from the military. Bent’s injuries were severe enough that he wouldn’t be playing for many months to come. It was feasible that Vane could keep Ryker on temporary duty with the USO tour through the end of his deployment. After that, the sky was the limit.
Things were not as cut and dry with Tia.
The Air Force was her life, and she’d worked harder than most to earn her position on the special ops surgical team. Officers didn’t reenlist like the enlisted corps, but a multiyear contract kept her for another year. She planned to sign another right on its heels. Her dream was to make the Air Force a career, perhaps make colonel one day.
Her current assignment on the special ops surgical team was a major stepping-stone to one day being competitive enough to make colonel. When she returned stateside, she’d probably be assigned to a medical center and its many operating rooms. Perhaps she’d even take a look at teaching new up-and-coming nurse anesthetists. Her tenure with the special ops unit had given her invaluable experience, and it would be a shame not to share what she’d learned, but with Ryker leaving the Air Force and her next assignment still up in the air, their future was far from certain.
While he headed back to the rooms he now shared with Angel Fire, she wandered to the medical center in search of Collins. Hopefully, he could give her advice. He’d never steered her wrong before. Perhaps he’d heard news about where her next duty station might be. With that knowledge, Ryker could look for civilian jobs in the surrounding area. Believing in a future with him wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Insecurity pulled at her though. K
nowing Ryker’s reputation, things might be different back in the real world. And, if he did continue with the band, if that was even a possibility, he would be surrounded by screaming female fans and probably hounded by groupies. How was a man, especially one as good-looking as Ryker, going to avoid letting that get to his head? Maybe all they shared was the potency of the moment. War, deployment, and living on the cusp of life and death heightened emotions. Did they even have something that could endure the stress of civilian life?
With those unsettled thoughts storming through her head, she found herself outside the field hospital. A few inquiries later, and she was knocking on the door of a borrowed, shoebox office.
“Come,” Collins barked.
“Sir,” she said, “do you have a minute?”
He glanced up from the stack of papers he’d been studying, which were spread across the utilitarian desk. He waved to the only other chair. Industrial aluminum, it was sturdy and light, exactly what a mobile military needed. Placing his pen down, he sat back and folded his arms across his chest.
“Take a seat, T.” When she didn’t take the seat, his brows pinched together. “You’re making me uncomfortable.”
“Sorry, sir,” she said, lowering herself down onto the sturdy chair. “I was wondering if you’d heard anything about my next assignment.”
Pushing the papers to the side, he cleared his desk. “I know you’re anxious for your next duty assignment, and I put out an inquiry the night we got in, but I haven’t heard anything new. You’re in a good position, and you should get one of your top picks.”
“I hope so. I’m sorry to interrupt; it’s just been on my mind lately.” She made a move to stand.
“Stay for a moment,” he said. Then, he got up, walked around his desk, and closed the door. “It’s a good thing you came. We need to talk.”
With the solid click of the door shutting her in, her heart leaped to her throat. There could be only one reason he needed to speak privately.
“Sir?”
His head bowed. Instead of returning to his seat, he came to the front of his desk and hitched a hip on the hard surface. “I had a visit from Colonel Vane last night.”
She swallowed the thick lump in her throat. Her heart seemed to have stopped beating, leaving a hollowness in her chest. No, there it was, sending a racing flutter vibrating through her veins. There was no appropriate response. At least, not one she could intelligently put together.
“From the look on your face,” he said, “you know what he had to say.”
“I do,” she answered. Her voice came out thick and hoarse. She cleared her throat. “He spoke with me last night as well.”
Collins’s eyes softened, but worry clouded his expression. “As your commanding officer, he came to me this morning to file a complaint.”
Denying Vane’s accusations would place her in a position of lying to Collins. She respected him enough not to insult his intelligence or his integrity. Fortunately, Collins filled in the gap left by her silence. He looked to her lap where her fingers twisted with nerves.
“He had a lot of things to say about you and Ryker.”
“Sir, I—”
He held up a hand. “Listen, I don’t want you to say anything. I don’t want to put either of us in a position of ferreting out the truth.”
Her stomach knotted, and bile rose in her throat, but she remained silent and waited for whatever came next.
“Vane doesn’t know you. He doesn’t understand how hard you work, how vital you are to the team. He’s putting his nose where it doesn’t belong. However—and this is where things get difficult—he holds the ear of more than one general.”
“I understand.”
He arched a brow, reminding her to be silent. “His words carry weight. This isn’t good. But, so far, those words are unsubstantiated accusations. I’m going to spare you the embarrassment of having to address them. You’re one of my best men,” he said and then laughed. “You know I mean that with the greatest respect.”
“Yes, sir.”
Collins never gave her special treatment. He expected her to perform her job, meeting the same physical demands as her teammates, and didn’t make things easier on her because she was female.
“What you and Ryker choose to do or not do in private is between the two of you.”
He wasn’t even asking her to deny Vane’s accusations. Had they been that transparent? Looking back on the past couple of days, she didn’t think they’d behaved unprofessionally—at least, not where others could see.
“Nevertheless, rumors have a way of snowballing into unfortunate misperceptions, and perception tends to become reality. I care about you, T. I care about everyone on the team, and I don’t need to tell you, this is a career-ending event.”
He certainly didn’t need to do that. Vane had explained the AFI and UCMJ codes. He’d laid out exactly what the penalty would be.
“Colonel Vane has asked for charges to be brought against you. He’s talking prosecution.”
Her pulse thundered past her ears, a pulsating wave of sound that made it difficult to hear what Collins said next.
Collins stood and took his seat back behind his desk. “I’m not letting that happen.”
Her head snapped up. “Sir?”
“Listen, I’m not going to put you in a position where you have to lie to me, nor will I put myself in a position where I have to lie to anyone else. If you and Ryker have sorted things out between yourselves, I support you.”
Her eyes widened. “S-sir,” she sputtered.
He held up a hand. “This is probably a good time for you not to speak and just listen.”
She nodded.
“The team is moving out. We got orders less than an hour ago.” He made a sweeping gesture at the papers and maps spread across his desk. “We leave in an hour. Now, I can take your replacement, who just walked off the transport less than four hours ago and hasn’t had a lick of decent sleep in over twenty-four hours, or you can volunteer to join us. I have enough clout to shelve Vane’s temporary assignment.”
“What about Ryker’s replacement?” She’d been told not to speak, but if their team was down two people, it couldn’t function at full effectiveness.
“He arrived yesterday and has at least seen his pillow.”
“Good,” she said.
“Yes, it is. What I’m proposing is simple. Rejoin the team. I can make whatever excuses I need for Vane and his damn exclusive interview. It removes you from his scrutiny, keeps you separated from Ryker, and eliminates any rumors, perceptions, or reality of what might or might not be going on. Ryker will be busy playing for Angel Fire the rest of this deployment, and you can’t afford an investigation for fraternization.”
“Sir, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, T. Be smart.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good,” he said. “Your ruck is packed. Collect your personal things. I suggest you make no contact with Ryker before you leave.”
“I can’t just leave him.”
He tapped his finger on the desk. “I get it. I really do, but I need you to listen. I can’t protect you if someone sees something they shouldn’t. If a good-bye becomes more than a professional exchange, you’ll tie my hands. Regulations are regulations, and I won’t violate my integrity to save you. Come on this mission. You’ve got less than a month on this deployment, Major Meyers. Don’t fuck it up by making poor choices.”
She gulped and swallowed down her fear. He wasn’t going to turn her in. He was doing exactly the opposite—protecting her in the only way he could.
“I understand.”
“Good,” he said. “And don’t worry; I’ll make sure Ryker knows the entire team got called out.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said. “I really appreciate this.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Gone
Ryker
“Gone! What do you mean, she’s gone?” Ryker stomped around the stage, kicking wi
res and looking to trash something. Anything. Only none of these things belonged to him.
He couldn’t wreck Bent’s guitar. He couldn’t kick in Bash’s drums. He couldn’t toss Noodles’s keyboard off the edge. The only thing he could do was walk in circles and take his anger out on the thick ropes of electrical lines.
“Why the hell didn’t she come say good-bye?” He thought he’d been clear about what he wanted, and while he understood Tia’s fears, they were simple obstacles to overcome.
Forest shrugged. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.”
“But why you? Why say good-bye to you and not me?” He bit his lip to prevent himself from saying something he would regret, but damn it, why had she left?
“Look,” Forest said, “that’s all I know. And it’s not like I spoke to her.”
“But you saw her?”
Forest gave a sharp nod. “I watched her climb into a helicopter, but it wasn’t like she was running to me to say good-bye.”
“I wouldn’t expect she would,” he said, teeth gritted with anger. Anger and jealousy.
Not that he needed to be jealous of Forest. The man was into dudes. It wasn’t right. Forest had been able to at least wave good-bye. Ryker had done nothing. Nothing because she hadn’t bothered to send a fucking note.
“Look,” Forest said, trying to soothe Ryker but his deep, gravelly voice grated on Ryker’s nerves, “Tia probably didn’t have time for a good-bye, and to be honest, it’s a good thing.”
“How is that?”
“Because Vane was standing right there. He’s the one who messaged me. I barely got there in time to see her off.”
A growl grew in his chest and rumbled out, low and menacing. That should have been him.
“What?” Forest said, taking a step forward.
Ryker wasn’t used to being the smaller man in a confrontation, but Forest was a mountain. As he stepped into Ryker’s personal space, he found himself taking a step back. He wasn’t mad at Forest, and as misdirected as his anger was, it wasn’t fair to level it at Forest.
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