by Liliana Hart
Her breaths came in ragged pants and he saw the tears of desperation gathered at the corners of her eyes. He couldn’t wait any longer—couldn’t prolong the pleasure. He rose between her thighs, his cock thick and heavy, menacing as it bobbed over her entrance.
He dropped down on his arms so he was poised over her and he slid the length of his cock up and down—down and back up—through the moist cradle of her pussy lips. His eyes were locked to hers and in them he swore he could see the soul he thought he’d lost long ago.
“Don’t tease, Archer. Please—”
He pressed forward until the head of his cock was surrounded by the hottest, tightest pussy he’d ever felt. Audrey’s muscles clamped around him and sweat beaded on his brow. And then he remembered—
“Please tell me you’re on the pill,” he panted.
She licked her lips and her fingers clenched into his buttocks. “Agency regulations,” she nodded, referring to the birth control shots all female agents were given in case they were ever captured and sexually assaulted.
“Thank Christ for that,” he said, and plunged deep.
Audrey threw her head back with a cry of pleasure. It had been so long, and she’d almost forgotten the pleasure of having the weight of a man pressing her down. But no one had ever filled her as Archer did, and she adjusted her hips and wrapped her legs so her ankles crossed at the small of his back to make his passage easier.
She’d forgotten how to breathe. She’d forgotten the stretching, burning, and the pleasure/pain as the body was invaded abruptly. The swollen head of his cock touched the deepest part of her, and it wasn’t all together comfortable at first. He held still, the muscles in his arms straining as he held himself over her.
“Archer,” she whispered.
And he was lost. Being inside of her, feeling her hot and wet around him, was as close to heaven as he ever expected to get. Her vaginal muscles rippled around him and he groaned as he felt the come boil in his balls. He wouldn’t last long. Not this time.
He pulled out almost all the way and then plunged back, deep and hard, lifting her hips from the ground. And then he did it again and again with a power and ferocity that had her screaming his name in pleasure.
Her fingers searched for purchase along his back, her nails digging into his flesh. But he didn’t mind the sharp bite of pain. Her head thrashed back and forth, the words tumbling from her lips a mixture of pleas and denial. She was holding back, denying her body the release it needed, though he wondered if she realized that’s what she was doing.
Tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks as he built her higher and higher with no result.
“Look at me, Audrey,” he whispered, his cheek pressed against hers. He leaned back and watched as her eyes fluttered open, stubbornness and fear raging in the dark depths. “Let go, sweetheart. I’ll catch you when you fall.”
He took her lips in a soul-searing kiss and groaned as he felt her pussy tightening around his flesh, the tremors squeezing him, demanding his own release. But he’d be damned if he didn’t see to her satisfaction before he found his own. Even if it killed him.
He unwrapped her legs from around his waist and pushed them higher, so her legs rested over his shoulders and his penetration was even deeper. Their bodies were slicked with sweat and their breaths labored, but he didn’t stop, his tongue dancing and thrusting with hers as her mewls of pleasure grew louder.
And then he felt it. The rush of liquid and her muscles squeezing him so tightly he groaned through the pleasure. Her screams filled the tent and her nails raked down his back as the orgasm destroyed her.
Archer couldn’t hold on any longer and let himself go, slamming himself against her one last time. Hot streams of cum shot from his cock and filled her. He wanted to mark her. Brand her. So there would be no doubt that she was his. But he realized almost before the thought was complete that she’d branded him just as deeply. He was hers.
To hell with everything he thought he’d known about relationships before. It all paled in comparison. His body collapsed on top of her, his breathing labored against her neck where her pulse beat wildly. Her hands slipped from his back and she turned her head into him.
Her kiss was soft and subtle, barely a whisper against his cheek, but the sweetness of it caught him off guard and filled him with a tenderness he’d never felt toward a lover before. He wanted to take care of her, to coddle her and keep her safe. And she was the last woman on earth who needed a man for that.
He pulled out of her slowly, his cock still sensitive even though he was only semi-erect, and he rolled to the side, pulling her into his arms and tugging the blankets up around them. They’d only be able to stay like this until the cold broke through the heat they’d created, but for now it was nice just to hold each other.
“I think we’re in trouble here, sweetheart.”
She didn’t even correct him this time as he said the endearment, and he looked down to see her dark eyelashes resting against her pale skin. She was already fast asleep. Her mind might not trust him yet, but her body sure as hell did.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
They dozed on and off for a couple of hours, finally getting up to put clothes back on when the temperature got too cold. Archer grabbed a couple of bottles of water and some trail mix and brought it back into the tent, while Audrey straightened the blankets. His mouth quirked when he saw she’d moved the bedrolls so they lay side by side and spread their covers on top. It wasn’t the Ritz, but it looked cozy, and just the thought of stretching out beside her had his cock twitching in anticipation.
“I looked around while I was getting the food,” he said, handing the supplies over to her. “The structure is sound enough and there’s enough ventilation that I think we could get away with having a small fire. The floor is dirt, so I could dig a pit and just use some of the scrap wood as a starter. We could move the tent closer and leave the flap open.”
“You just want to be able to get naked again and not freeze your balls off,” she said with a grin. “You can’t fool me.”
“If you’ll gather the wood, we can be done twice as fast. And I’ll let you be on top this time.”
“You’re an excellent negotiator. I can see why Declan hired you.”
He laughed and they left the tent to see to their tasks of building a fire. Archer dug a trench in the dirt and found some old pieces of metal that had once been part of a hearth up against the wall. Or what had once been a wall.
It didn’t take long for the pit to form and Audrey stacked wood, leaving plenty of room for ventilation beneath and for the bits of tinder he’d stuffed in his pack from Joe’s store. He pushed it beneath the wood and used the survival lighter to start a small flame. It didn’t take long for the dry wood to catch and before long there was a nice blaze going.
Audrey repositioned the tent as close as it was safe to and opened the flaps wide. And then his mouth watered as she started to strip out of her clothes.
“A deal’s a deal, right?”
“I always keep my word,” he said soberly.
“Good. Now get naked. Word on the street is I get to be on top this time.”
“I make it a point never to argue with an armed woman.” He stripped out of his jacket and laid it close to the fire and then did the same with his other clothes. “I’ve got to confess, I’ve never made love to a woman before while she was wearing her Glock inside her coat pocket. Something like that could scare off a lesser man.”
She arched a brow and looked down at his hardening cock. “I’m not sure I could handle any more of a man.”
“Are you sure you want to be on top this time?” he asked. “Because I have the sudden urge to bend you over that pack and sink right between the round globes of that pretty ass. Have I mentioned how much I love your ass?”
“You’ve brought it up a time or two. That’s a pretty dominant position,” she said, naked except for the plain undershirt she wore instead of a bra. Cotton had never looked s
o sexy. She looked him over from head to toe, lingering at the hard flesh between his thighs. “I think it’s a position you have to earn, but you’ll be the first to know.”
He grinned at her cockiness and he moved toward her until the tip of his cock brushed against the cotton of her shirt. “You’re playing with fire, sweetheart,” he said, leaning down to nip at her bottom lip. “Because when I finally get you on your hands and knees, it’s going to be more than you bargained for.”
His hands reached around to cup the globes of her ass, and he trailed a finger down the cleft and circled the puckered rosebud of her back entrance.
“Have you ever been taken here?” he whispered against her lips. He dipped his fingers lower, gathering the sweet syrup of her desire, and then bringing it back up to the other passage. The tip of his finger pushed past the tight resistance and she moaned with pleasure.
“Have you, Audrey? Do you know what it feels like to be stretched around a man’s cock, to be completely at his mercy as he fucks you in a forbidden place?”
“No,” she panted. “I’ve never—”
He growled low as the vision invaded his mind of her spread before him, his dick buried deep inside her ass, as she gave him something she’d never given another man.
“It’s the ultimate act of trust,” he said, pushing his finger a little deeper and then bringing it back out to gather more of her juices before returning. He worked one finger, then two, stretching her as she flexed around him. “You have to have complete faith in your partner to prepare you properly. But the pleasure—”
He bent his legs slightly and lifted her to her toes at the same time, so his cock slid between the damp folds of her pussy. “It’s unimaginable pleasure,” he whispered. He pulled his fingers free and felt her deflate against him. “So make sure you tell me as soon as I’ve earned the dominant position.”
“You’re good at distracting me,” she said, taking a step back. “It’s my turn. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
“Are you going to take that shirt off, or are you going to keep hiding them from me? Because I’ve seen the scars. And they don’t seem to have any effect at all on how hard my cock is. If you get to be on top then I should at least get the pleasure of seeing those lovely breasts bouncing. Have I mentioned that I love your breasts almost as much as your ass?” he asked with a grin.
She laughed—she couldn’t remember anyone who’d ever made her laugh as much as Archer. She pulled the tank top over her head, standing before him, scars and all. His eyes darkened and his cock flexed against his stomach. For the first time since she’d gotten them, they ceased to exist, because the wicked hunger in his eyes was enough to make her feel whole.
“Lay down,” she said, pointing to the mat she’d moved closer to the fire.
He did as she asked and the corner of his mouth tilted up in a smirk. “You’d better get over here and warm me up. It’s still pretty fucking cold even with the fire.”
She ducked into the tent and knelt between his spread legs, enjoying the way he watched her. Her breasts felt heavy and she cupped them with her hands, her thumbs skimming across her sensitive nipples, and her head dropped back with pleasure.
“Not fair,” he rasped. “I want to play too.”
Her hand dipped down to the curls covering her sex and she could feel the moist heat before her fingers delved between the folds. She was wet, more than ready to take him, but she felt the ache from their earlier lovemaking. She’d be lucky if she could walk if they kept up this pace.
“Some day that smart mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble.”
“Promises, promises—”
She slid up his body until she straddled his hips, and she leaned forward so her nipples scraped across the hair on his chest. Her teeth nipped at his lips and then she whispered, “Here’s a promise for you. I’m going to ride you until it’s my name you’re screaming. Better hold on.”
Audrey poised herself over the head of his cock and sank down to the hilt, reveling in the harsh groan that escaped his lips. And then she did exactly what she’d promised and rode him with everything she had—as if it were the last pleasure they’d ever have.
She held onto his hands, using them as an anchor, as she rolled her hips in a way that had beads of sweat popping out on his brow. She showed no mercy. Her focus on him was so complete that her own orgasm took her completely by surprise when it came upon her. Electrical pulses exploded from her clit and sizzled through her body, and she threw her head back and rode out the storm.
He swelled inside of her seconds before he called out her name, and she felt the flood of his release deep inside of her.
Even with the fire, they couldn’t stay unclothed for long, so they pulled on the insulated long johns and thick socks and burrowed under the covers. Audrey could’ve slept for a week, she felt so drained. It had been a long time since she’d been that relaxed.
They lay in silence for a long while, but she could feel him thinking and wondered what was keeping him awake.
“Do you remember the face of the Syrian who tortured you?” he finally said, staring at the top of the tent.
The question surprised her, but she didn’t hesitate to answer. Something was weighing heavily on his mind. “I see him in my nightmares. His name was Farid. He always insisted that I call him by name. But I never did. I never spoke at all.”
Archer pulled her closer so her head was tucked beneath his chin, and she tried to relax. But just saying Farid’s name brought his face to mind—the complete and utter peace that had been on it every time he’d taken a hot iron to her ribs. She sometimes thought she could still smell her burning flesh.
“You asked about Warlock earlier,” he said. “Warlock was that man. Like your Farid.”
Audrey froze against him in shock, but she stayed silent. She felt the tightness of his body, the rigidness of his muscles, as he found the courage to tell her about his past. And she deliberately relaxed against him, hoping he would be at ease. He kissed the top of her head absentmindedly while she stroked his chest in comfort.
“The government gives media spin about how humane the agencies are. How we don’t torture our enemies. But it’s all bullshit. They tell you it’s for the greater good. That the secrets we’re extracting will save the human race as we know it. And it’s true for the most part.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Archer. I know and understand better than anyone. Our jobs aren’t always pretty. But we do them as we see fit because it’s never just one person at risk.”
“But it eventually takes a toll on the mind and the body. Especially the job that I had—that Warlock had,” he corrected. “There’s always a turning point in that particular line of work where you either cross the line and become that person forever—the kind of person who can torture and kill without a second thought. They either end up eating their own bullet because of the terrible things they’ve done, or they take a step back and decide to walk away from it all. Try to start over. Either way, in life or in death, the horror of it follows. You can never outrun it.”
“No, but you can survive it,” she said, beginning to understand him a little bit better. “And you were one who was able to walk away.”
“Did you know it was our team that was sent in to gather intel on where Osama Bin Laden was being hidden?”
“No, but I could’ve guessed. They’d have sent in the best.”
“It was me and Dec and Cypher. Gabe Brennan had already retired and Kane Huxley was supposedly dead, so our five man team was already down to three. We each had our jobs. Dec’s like the wind. He blends so seamlessly that you never even realize he’s there until it’s too late. Cypher worked the tech. And I was the muscle. My job was to get as much information as possible so we could feed it to SEAL Team 6.”
Archer didn’t mention that the team was commanded by Shane MacKenzie. The identities of that particular team were fiercely guarded because of all the high stakes missions th
ey’d accomplished.
“Timing was crucial, and I did my job exactly how I was supposed to on a high ranking official of Al Qaida.” He held up his hand and flexed it into a fist. “I know just where to hit to cause the most pain without rendering them unconscious. I broke him in eight hours and got all the information we needed. And then I happened to look up in time to catch my reflection in a shard of glass left over from a broken mirror that was hanging on the wall. I didn’t even recognize the eyes staring back at me.
“Then I thought of my daughter and wondered what she’d think of her father in that moment. I turned in my resignation as soon as I made it back stateside. Good timing on my part, as Declan had already been setting up MacKenzie Security and had everything in place. I didn’t know it was going to be his last mission too, but he didn’t have to try very hard to convince me to join him.” He let out a long breath as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.
“I’d follow Dec into hell and back. I have followed him into hell and back. And eventually, maybe the good we’re doing now will make up for the person I was while working for the CIA. Warlock’s death was the best thing that ever happened to me. Until you.”
He kissed her on top of the head again and she moved so it was her lips he met instead. Audrey had felt many emotions during her thirty years—fear, lust, anger—but not love. She realized what had been blooming before Jonah had tried to kill her was nothing in comparison to what she felt for Archer. He was a man she’d walk beside proudly, in battle and out. And if they made it out of this mess alive, she promised herself that she would tell him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
By noon the next day, the backs of both of their necks were itching and a restlessness had settled over their camp.
Audrey appreciated that Archer could go from pleasure to business in the blink of an eye. They’d spent most of the night talking and making love—and boy, she was feeling the aches in her muscles—but when dawn had come they’d gone about their routine. She’d scouted the perimeter while he saw to the food for the dogs and took them out to get a little exercise.
