“You don’t think I’m strong enough.” She crossed her arms. “You don’t think I can take it.” Jessie shook her head. “You’re just like all the others, thinking I’m some sort of delicate flower who can’t handle the real world, who buckles under pressure.” The words rushed out in short pants as her temper flared, raging out of control. “I’m qualified, probably more qualified than some of your men for this job. But you’re going to cut me out because I don’t have a penis and therefore I’m automatically not equal to you or to any job you’re involved in.”
“No.” Dylan shook his head. “That’s not the point. I just got you out of a burning house and now you want to run back in. That’s not smart or logical.” His voice dropped, the low rumbling tone smashing through the emotional walls she was busy building against him. “I’m not some chauvinistic jerk who thinks all you’re good for is playing bait. I see your strength, I know your worth.” He dragged his eyes over her. “And I’m damned well very aware of what you do or don’t have.”
She tried to shake off the attraction, determined to finish the argument.
“To hell with logical.” She moved in. “If you wanted to be logical you would have dropped me at a bus station with a one-way ticket to New York City. Your job’s done, you’ve fulfilled your promise to Lisa.” She touched her heart. “The bounty on my head wasn’t part of the deal. So what’s making you keep me around?”
“Because I don’t leave people to die,” he rasped. “But I still won’t let you run out into the line of fire.”
Jessie saw the heat simmering under his words.
Time to push the envelope.
“Okay.” She glared at him. “Then prove this isn’t all about your ego. Let me audition to join your team for this job. Because I’m not going to sit back and let you do this without me.”
Dylan looked at her, a hint of a smile replacing his previous annoyance. “Do you always get what you want?”
“No,” she answered. “But I’m always ready to fight for it.”
Chapter Six
He respected her enthusiasm, her determination.
Her heart.
But that wasn’t what was at stake here. He couldn’t risk losing her so soon after finding her.
The thought caught him off guard, the invisible boot to the head scrambling his mind.
It was an unwritten rule among the Brotherhood to stay as detached as they could, keeping their emotions in check. Usually people came to the Brotherhood on one of the worst days of their lives, and it wouldn’t be fair to judge anyone on the feelings flying around before, after, and during an operation.
But then he met Jessica Lyon. First through a photograph, then in a cage, defiant and unbowed. Now here she was, prepared to fight not only to prove she was his equal and worthy to stand by his side, but also breaking down all of his rules about getting involved.
Because, God help him, he wanted her more than he’d wanted anything in his life.
…
Jessie swung at him with her right fist, a move easily blocked with his left hand. Instinctively Dylan stepped in and spun behind her, trapping Jessie against his chest. Her arms were pinned and she struggled to break free.
“Look,” he said in her ear, trying hard not to be aroused by her movements as she wriggled again, thrusting her hips back. “I get you want revenge. I get—”
He gasped as her elbow drove home into his ribs. Dylan released her with a grunt, pushing her away.
Jessie moved into a fighting crouch, gasping for air.
She was tough, he’d give her that.
But he wasn’t going to give in to her demands.
At least, not easily.
“You’re not in any shape to be trying this.” Dylan tried not to stare at her mouth, the flushed skin adding to his desire. “You should be in bed.”
He flinched inside at the double entendre.
Jessie raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Make me.”
Dylan pulled up, unsure what he’d heard.
Take me?
Make me?
She feinted to the side with a low laugh and he grinned, feeling the hot flash of adrenaline race through his body.
“Show me what you’ve got,” Jessie said. “I can take it.”
“We’ll see about that.” Dylan went at her with a roar, taking her to the ground with a measured fall.
Despite her week’s incarceration, she proved a tough opponent, sliding free of Dylan’s hands more than once as they grappled on the carpet.
He was surprised at her strength, her ability to hold her own. The simple twists and grips he’d started out with to test her skills had shifted to tougher, harder holds as she continued to press on.
He’d made a mistake, underestimated her recovery rate. She wasn’t just keeping up with him, there was a distinct possibility she was going to beat him.
That wasn’t acceptable.
He went at her, put her down on the carpet and pinned her there on her back, her right arm stretched and in danger of being hyperextended. Her gasp made him wince, knowing he was hurting her.
He didn’t want to. But he couldn’t let her think she was going to waltz into the line of fire with a kiss and a swish of her hips.
“Fuck.” The word came out through gritted teeth as she struggled to pull her arm free.
“Tap out,” Dylan said. “Just tap…”
She rolled and slipped away, landing a punch to his thigh in retaliation, dangerously close to his groin.
Jessie got up, shaking her right hand.
“That’s enough.” He stood up. “You’re good, but I can’t…”
She bent over and rushed him, knocking the air from his lungs as they fell together to the carpet.
“I’m more than good enough.” She glared at him. “I’m better.”
He didn’t hesitate now, gripping her hips and flipping her over. Dylan straddled her, pinning her hands at her sides.
“All right. All right. Now let’s stop this before one of us…” He swore as she wrenched her hand free and grabbed at his belt buckle, using the grip to pull him down on her and throw him off-balance.
He groaned, his hips instinctively thrusting toward her. The weakness had her springing free with a laugh.
Dylan rolled to his feet and shook his head. “You’re making this hard on yourself.”
She raised an eyebrow and fixed her gaze squarely at his crotch. “I think it’s the other way around.”
Dylan grinned, knowing this had moved past a discussion about her intention to accompany him.
This was foreplay. Rough and tumble, down and dirty foreplay.
He lunged at her again, sweeping her leg and taking her to the carpet. A twist had them face-to-face as she grappled with him.
“Give up yet?” Dylan asked.
Jessie smirked before wrenching herself free. “Do you?”
He laughed and got back to his feet. “Didn’t know you liked to play rough.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she shot back.
“I know you don’t like to lose.” Now it was his turn to smirk. “But everyone’s got to lose sometime. There’s no shame in accepting you’re not the best at something.”
“I know I’m not the best. But I’m pretty damned good, and that’s something you didn’t expect.” She drew a deep breath, sweat beading on her forehead. “You know I can hold my own with you and your men. And you’re going to let me go with you.”
“No.” He feinted forward and she didn’t move, didn’t fall for it.
He pulled back, waiting for the right time.
“Jessie,” he started, “give it up. Please.”
She shook her head. “You want this, you earn it.”
“I can do that.” Dylan went at her again, giving no ground. Within seconds he had her down again, her strained breathing showing she was reaching the end of her endurance. The adrenaline rush that had carried her this far was waning, leaving her exhausted.
Jessie struggled. “Let me go.”
“No.” He shook his head. “This is over.”
She went limp under him. “Damn it. You’ve got to let me go with you. I have to be the one to take Molodavi down.” One last burst of energy had her thrashing against him but she was unable to break free. “I have to do this.”
“I know that’s what you think.” Dylan hesitated. “And you’re right.”
She froze. “What?”
He nodded, still keeping his grip on her wrists. “We need every advantage we can get to take Molodavi down and clear your name. You’re a valuable resource, and we need you to make this happen.” He paused, trying to find the right words. “The Brotherhood needs you.”
She stopped straining against him, studying his face. “So, that’s what the Brotherhood needs.” Her eyes met his, holding him in place. “But you’re not the Brotherhood, not by yourself.” Her voice softened. “So, what do you want?”
“I’d like a hell of a lot more.” Dylan moved his hands away, releasing her wrists. He sat up, his pulse roaring in his ears. “But that’s for you to decide. So tell me what you want. What you need.”
Jessie stared at him for a second before taking hold of his shirt and pulling him down again, pressing her lips to his.
He moved in, his hands tangling in her shirt as he tried to get a better grip on her. The taste of her, the sound of her—it was addictive, and he was well and truly hooked.
He sat back and stripped off his T-shirt, gazing down at her.
“You. I need you,” she said.
…
Tell me what you want. What you need.
The words cranked her desire up to twenty on a scale of ten.
Dylan threw his shirt to the side. She couldn’t take her eyes off his sleek, well-toned muscles.
Jessie reached up to touch them, only to find his hands gripping her wrists, holding her in place.
He raised her arms up over her head, sliding over her as he shifted to pin her wrists to the carpet with one hand. His bare chest brushed against her T-shirt’s thin fabric, drawing a gasp out of her as her nipples reacted to the touch.
“You’re a handful and a half,” he murmured. “But well worth the fight.”
He lowered his lips to hers.
The kiss…
She teased his tongue, teeth nipping at his lower lip as she urged him on, lifting her head to draw him in farther.
Her hips shifted under him, and she was very aware of how perfectly they fit together, her legs twisting to lock him against her.
Dylan released her wrists, one hand cupping the back of her neck to bring her closer as the other tugged at her T-shirt.
Jessie stared at him, her lips swollen and wet.
“Stop now and I’ll be very, very upset,” she whispered.
He smiled. “Last thing on my mind.” He laid down a series of butterfly kisses from her jawline down along her neck, finally reaching his ultimate goal.
She pulled at his head as he sucked and licked at her breasts, switching from one to the other to deliver equal attention. She didn’t try to direct his attention but held on for dear life, writhing under his intense loving.
Jessie slid her hands down his sides, relishing the feel of his slick skin, and ended at his jeans. She worked one hand between them and began fumbling with his belt, swearing as she failed to slip it free.
He lifted his head and gave a low chuckle. “Impatient?” He shifted up and kissed her again, a long, hungry kiss that left her breathless and dizzy.
She tugged at his jeans, making her intentions clear.
He rose up and stripped them off, tossing them onto the couch. The briefs followed, giving her a full-on display of Dylan McCourt, naked.
Jessie found her voice.
“Wow.”
It was all she could say.
He reached down and tugged her track pants free before nuzzling between her breasts, once again dropping light kisses along her skin.
“Your skin,” he murmured. “God, it’s so soft. So perfect.”
She scowled. “Nothing’s perfect.”
He looked up at her, his intense gaze stealing her breath away. “You are.”
Shocked into silence, all she could do was run her fingers through his hair.
His hands skimmed her sides, raising goose bumps as he kissed and stroked every inch of her, mapping her body out with the intense focus of a man on a mission.
Finally, one hand slid down her thigh, dancing over the sensitive skin for only a second before retreating.
Jessie rolled her hips, urging him onward with a needy whimper.
He smiled. “Want something?”
She squirmed under him, too embarrassed to speak.
“I guess I’ll have to figure out what you want on my own. Let’s see. This?” He captured one nipple in his mouth, playing his tongue over it until she felt like screaming.
Her hands skittered over his back and sides, stopping every few seconds at the puckered skin signaling a scar.
Dylan didn’t wince or try to shift her inspection elsewhere.
He shifted his attention to her other breast, brushing his beard stubble over her nipple before pulling it into his mouth.
She couldn’t stop touching him, feeling the tension building in the taut muscles of his back and power vibrating in the arms holding her.
Finally, he pulled free with a loud smack of his lips. “Nice. But I think you wanted something else.”
His hand went back between her legs, sliding over the delicate folds now slick with her desire. He dropped his head back to her breast, resuming his gentle torture.
Her hips rose and fell as he teased her, finally moving up to kiss her with such force as to leave her dizzy, writhing for more.
He pulled back and looked at her, his deep brown eyes capturing hers.
“Dylan,” she whispered.
“Yes?”
“If you don’t…” She gasped as he slipped a finger inside, sending her flying.
“Don’t what?” he deadpanned.
Jessie cupped his face in both hands, searching for the words.
“Don’t worry,” Dylan said as he kissed her again, hard and fast. “I got you.”
Before she could ask what he meant, he took hold of her hands, kissing the insides of each wrist before pinning her to the carpet again.
He slowly, tortuously, slid down her front, following the routes he’d mapped out earlier with his hands, now with his tongue.
A strangled laugh broke from her lips as he nuzzled the inside of her thighs, releasing her hands to cup her ass and lift her toward him.
“Dylan.” She wasn’t one given to pleading, but this…this was worth begging for.
He silenced her with a nip of his teeth.
Jessie hadn’t had many men in her life, not since joining the force. There’d been serious relationships, of course, but most of them melted away because of her devotion to her work. She’d spent many a night alone with her romance novels or watching movies, wondering if those strong, independent men existed and how she could find one.
Seemed all she needed to do was get captured by a mob boss.
The laugh bubbling up in her throat at the realization snapped free as Dylan stroked her with his tongue, the long, leisurely trip sending her heart racing.
She grabbed at his forearms, digging her nails into them as he continued his painfully slow exploration between her legs, every few seconds stopping to drop a gentle kiss or a scrape of his teeth, the two sensations driving her crazy.
Every touch of his tongue, every delicious swirl, pushed her toward the peak with a speed she hadn’t thought possible.
Jessie shivered as he teased her again and again, intentionally avoiding the one spot where he desperately needed to be. She grabbed his head in an attempt to direct him.
He was having none of it.
He took hold of her wrists and pinned them to the floor.
“Stay.”
>
The single word was almost enough to push her over the edge, his low growl stroking her senses.
The pleasurable torture continued as she lost track of time, his masterful swipes bringing her so close to the edge and then backing off, leaving her bereft.
Jessie let out a needy whine and raised her hips again and again, silently pleading for release.
Dylan lifted his head and looked at her, a devilish smirk on his face.
“Let’s see how you take orders.” He licked his lips. “Now.”
Before she had a chance to answer he drew her into his mouth, his tongue flicking back and forth across the tender nub with unerring accuracy.
Her world shattered into a thousand pieces, each of them reflecting Dylan McCourt’s satisfied grin back at her.
…
Dylan winced as Jessie’s fingernails dug deep into his forearms, her body rocking against him. Finally, she slumped against the carpet, her strained breathing the loudest sound in the room.
As her hands fell away to clutch at the floor, Dylan slid up to nuzzle the side of her neck, well aware his own patience was wearing thin. He might love giving pleasure, but his need was growing and demanding satisfaction.
Her pulse throbbed under his lips, finally slowing down to a steady pace as he settled against her, his gentle but persistent thrusts pushing him closer and closer to paradise.
Jessie wrapped her arms around him and urged him up, her legs curling around his waist. She sighed as he moved to kiss her, enjoying the lethargy in her every breath.
But there was something he had to know before he went any further, no matter how demanding his desire for her.
“I don’t have any…”
She silenced him with a deep kiss, pulling back to gaze into his eyes.
“I’m good. Been on the pill for years, and I’m clean.” Jessie grinned. “So get going, before I wake up from this wonderful dream.”
Dylan matched her smile and shifted his hips, acutely aware of the hot, luscious legs holding him tight. He kissed her once more before sliding into her, forcing himself to a slow, steady pace as he filled her.
Jessie’s breath caught in her throat, her back arching as she drew him in deeper, surprising him. She closed her eyes tight for a second before staring back into his, challenging him to master her.
Hard Play (Delta Force Brotherhood) Page 9
