At Any Cost

by Allie K. Adams

  "I'm glad to see you out of those spandex." He muttered as he nibbled and licked the tender spot behind her ear, making a meal out of her flesh. A delicious sweep of goose bumps peppered her skin.

  "You and me both. But you are way too overdressed. Again."

  He took her earlobe into his mouth, sucking and biting gently. Trembling, JT closed her eyes, losing herself. "Where are your earrings?"

  "I took them off before I took a shower." And then you took me in the shower.

  "They are waterproof," he pointed out. "Don't take them off again."

  She pulled back, rested a teasing gaze on him. "Do you want me to go get them now?"

  "God, no." He cupped her face in his large hands. "I plan on keeping you with me for the rest of the night, and then some. I do want them back in your ears come morning."

  And then some?

  He stood, pulling her to her feet. As he drew her to him, enfolding his arms around her, he rested his chin on her head. His fingers glided back and forth on her back before lifting the bottom of the shirt and caressing the small of her back. Fighting to keep her breath in check, she slowly lifted her hands up to his chest.

  The Kevspa. She wanted to feel the hardness of his chest, wanted to tangle her fingers in his coarse hairs. "Dan? Get out of this thing."

  "My pleasure." With a lightening quick motion, Dan had the Kevspa off and heaped into a pile of Kevlar and spandex. How nice. Apparently men didn't wear underwear when they wore their Kevspa. His erection now free, she could see its full, tantalizing size. Her heart skipped around like an kid at Christmas.

  If the want racing through her veins rendered her incapable of rational thought before, now the need overtaking anything else rendered her incapable of coherent thought. My God, JT told herself, this man is beautiful.

  Her fingers weaved into his chest hairs. She brushed a finger over his nipple, loving how it hardened to her touch. Taking her other hand, she repeated the motion, drawing out the same reaction. She apparently had him as aroused as he had her. He pushed his hard cock against her, causing her to push up against him in response.

  Her tingling grew to a full blown throb. Her clit swelled, aching to be touched, to be loved. He pulled the turtleneck up over her head and raked his gaze across her breasts. "I like this bra."

  "This old thing?" She didn't want to admit it, but she searched her apartment bedroom until she found the red lacy bra she'd only just bought. It did nothing to hid her arousal, but she didn't care. She only hoped Dan took one into his mouth.

  Brushing his thumb over a hardened pebble, it felt so good she cried out. He rumbled a cross between a chuckle and a growl deep in his chest. Without removing the thin layer of satin, Dan leaned down and took a nipple into his mouth. The wetness. The warmth. JT grasped his arms and threw her head back, moaning loudly.

  He gently kneaded her other breast, teasing with his thumb as he drank eagerly from the other. Pushing the fabric aside, he finally took her into his mouth, flicking his tongue across the tip. Reaching around, he had her clasp undone and let the bra fall to the floor to join the rest of their clothing. That left only her lacy red thong.

  Licking the valley between her breasts, he found the other waiting nipple and drank just as hungrily. He kissed, he licked, he nibbled. Her toes curled at every new sensation. This man had the power to draw reactions out of her body she'd never experienced. She loved every erotically new feeling.

  By the time he came back up to kiss her, plunging his tongue deep inside her mouth, she was so wet she felt the moisture pooling in the tiny fabric of her thong. Holy hell, she trembled from her overwhelming hunger for him.

  His hand grabbed her ass and caressed it smoothly, playing with the flesh, playing with her. "Dan. Please."

  "Please what?" He kissed her chin, traveled the flutter of his lips along her jaw, down her neck. "What do you want, JT?"

  JT . He'd called her JT. How could something so simple, a name she'd heard everyday, pull such a reaction from her? Her heart flipped, her stomach fluttered. "T-Touch me."

  "I am touching you."

  "I need your fingers inside me, teasing me. Please."

  He ran his finger up and down her hip, indeed, teasing her. Slowly bringing his hand around, he fingered her wet curls, weaving through them. And then, painfully measured, he spread her lips with his hand, grazing across her swollen clit, driving her into tiny convulsions of pleasure.

  "Do you like that?"

  "Clearly," she responded in a shallow breath.

  He rubbed up and down the inside of her folds, spreading her juices around, all the while continuing to feast on her neck, her shoulder. "Should we take this elsewhere?"

  "Off to the shower?"

  He chuckled, that wicked grin making her skin tingle deliciously. "Not this time."

  JT could barely walk as he lead them to the bed. Gently, he eased her down onto her back, but didn't lay next to her. She tried to sit back up, to pull him down with her.

  "Not yet," he explained. "I—" His eyes trailed over her body. With a hungry rasp, he continued. "I just want to look at you."

  Laying back, feeling incredibly sexy to have a man look at her the way Dan was looking at her right now, she raised her hands above her head. It hurt and she tried to hide the cringe.

  He caught it anyway. "How's the shoulder holding up?"

  "About as well as the rest of me." And if you don't touch me, kiss me right now I'll be even worse.

  "Well," he slowly, seductively trailed his gaze over her body once more. His cock jerked, eager to take its rightful place between her thighs. "You are simply stunning, bruises, bandages, and all."

  JT didn't know how to respond to that, so she said nothing. Sure, she'd been called beautiful before, but never like this. Never in the heat of the moment. With both her previous lovers, they'd only complimented her to get into her pants, not after they already had them off.

  Dan knelt on the bed at her feet. Reaching out, his hand seared a path down her abdomen and onto her thigh, his eyes following wherever he touched. It felt so good it hurt. She'd never wanted someone so much it actually, physically hurt.

  With his finger, he pulled her panties down, deliberately raking his touch down her thigh as he removed them. He then brought his hand back up and explored her thighs with his fingers, running them up and down before flattening his hand and doing the same. Slowly, torturously, he moved up to touch her mound again. JT whimpered in anticipation.

  When he separated the folds, his finger slid right into her slick heat. He groaned as she moaned. She brought her hands down to reach out to him.

  "No," he stopped her. "Put your hands up above your head. Yeah, just like that. If you so much as whisper anywhere near me I'll lose it."

  Oh God. Why did he have to say that? Knowing how close she had him to climaxing opened up her body to her own climax. She could feel it growing fast. He slipped another finger in and JT felt her muscles start to spasm. Closing her eyes, she grabbed the headboard and let out another moan.

  When she felt his mouth close down on her clit, she threw her head back. Oh Jesus. The way he nuzzled her clit between his lips, darting his tongue back and forth, up and down, had her close. So very close. And then he did something she would have never expected.

  He started to hum.

  His mouth vibrated, the warm air of his breath brushing across her sensitive nubbin. Pulling her clit inside his mouth completely, he increased the volume and started to move his fingers inside her. In and out. In and out.

  Her entire body hummed with him. Her climax grew until she was right on the cusp. When he gave her clit a flick with his tongue, she fell off the cliff and straight into orgasmic heaven.

  Crying out at the strength of it, she moved her hips in rhythm with his fingers, his tongue. He greedily sucked on her, lapping up every last drop. As she lay there, muscles twitching from the explosion she'd just experienced, he moved up until just his head pushed against her opening.

>   Then he kissed her. This kiss was different than before. It welded them together as one, the heat so intense JT likened it to a towering inferno. So full of emotion, so intimate. JT had never experienced a kiss like this. It made her breathless, dizzy, and wanting Dan like never before. Even after coming harder than she'd ever remembered, she still hadn't had enough of this man. She wondered if she ever could.

  Bringing her hand up to his chest, she felt something out of place. Looking down, she noticed a large scar just above his right nipple that continued down in a crescent shape, stopping just above his six-pack of a midsection. "What—"

  His mouth covered her again, sucking the words right out of her. The way he pressed his tip against her just enough to part her, then pull back out, had her ready to climax again. She wrapped her feet wrapped around him, trying to force him to her. But damn, he was strong. And his control stronger. He pulled his mouth back, leaving her burning for more.

  "We have time. There's no need to rush."

  "I need you."

  "And you'll get me."

  Still pressing against her opening, he gave her a little thrust and drew a cry of pleasure from her lips. "Please!"

  "Please what?"

  "You're killing me."

  "You don't sound like you're dying."

  "If you don't—ah." He plunged deep inside her, causing her to writhe beneath him, the pleasure pure and explosive. She had no control over her body. Dan had complete control. And she was just fine with that.

  He moved deliberately. The involuntary tremors he seemed to effortlessly draw out of her started once again. Her breath came in long, passion-filled moans as the tremors grew.

  And grew.

  And grew.

  Her body convulsed, constricted, throwing her into an orgasm so violent it threatened her consciousness and she actually saw stars. She had no choice but to give herself over to this man. Heart, body, and soul. Her entire awareness shattered as he kept her coming, her climax eternal. She clawed at his back and bit her lip. It did nothing to stifle the noises coming out of her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She could only ride the erotic sensation until she had control of her body again.

  JT's climax drove Dan into his own. He moaned, stiffened, and spilled everything he had deep inside her. His lips found hers. He kissed her with such unconcealed emotion JT lost what little breath she'd had in her lungs. After an eternity of pleasure for them both, he fell to her.

  This time was different than before. Before, they were purely satisfying a physical need. They even clarified that point. But this?

  This had trouble written all over it. They'd just made love.

  JT swallowed. She didn't want to reason through what they'd just experienced. Turning off her brain as best she could, she folded herself against him as he rolled onto his back. Her muscles still quivered in the aftermath of her orgasm and she squeezed her thighs together.

  She traced little circles on his chest, loving the way his flesh felt beneath her finger. Her gaze rested on the scar. She didn't ask about it last night. They had nothing but time now, and she wanted to know.

  Her hand paused, then traced his scar. Dan tensed, but allowed her to continue. "Tell me how this happened."

  He grasped her hand and lowered it away from the scar. "Not now." He tried to move away, but she easily held him down.

  "Then when, Dan?" She lifted her head and looked down at him. "When are you going to trust me enough to talk to me?"

  He sat up, turned away from her by swinging around and resting his feet on the floor. "Now is not the time."

  "Of course it isn't. It never will be." She paused. "It was a woman, wasn't it?"

  He glanced back over his shoulder at her, but said nothing.

  "Was it before or after your partner died?"

  This time, Dan did turn and look at her. "Drop it, JT."

  She had no intention of dropping it. He needed to talk about it, damn it. He looked ready to explode. "Your file didn't say anything about the mission you were on."

  "JT," he said, his voice low in warning.

  "Was the woman there when your partner died? Did she kill him? I thought you said Peck killed him."

  "Damn it, woman. Don't you listen? I don't want to talk about her. Or Peck." He stood and walked back to the closet, threw open the sliding door.

  He cursed and rested his forehead against the wall. JT could see it was empty. The clothes NASSD promised to send down had never arrived. She could have told him that. Her closet was just as empty.

  JT curled her lip in a sly grin. His only clothes were wherever he'd changed into his black Spiderman costume. With nothing to change into but a superhero costume, he was trapped inside the room with her. No escape. Forced to talk to her. Finally.

  "What was her name?"

  "Son-of-a-bitch." He grabbed the Kevspa and held it up. Without a moment's hesitation, he shimmied into it.

  JT huffed, but wouldn't back down. "Funny name for a girl."

  He growled and looked at her. "Raven. Her name was Raven, damn you."

  JT knew better than to be offended. The man was hurting, and he was going to lash out in any way he could to push her away. "Like the bird? Not her real name, obviously."

  "No. A nickname. After her dark hair." His eyes shifted up to her hair.

  JT touched her hair. No wonder he glared at her hair all the time. It must remind him of the Raven woman. Her heart painfully skipped as the realization crashed down on her. Did she remind him of her? Was that why he had sex with her? More than once?

  Reality hit so hard she physically swayed. Her blood pounded, her entire body grew hot with humiliation. Fool, she belittled herself. He didn't see her when they were together, which would explain the hostility. How could he do something like this to her? She opened herself to him, to allow him to touch her deeper than any other man.

  And for what? So he could take out some vendetta against the brunettes of the world? JT closed her eyes, let out a long breath, cursed herself for being such a hapless idiot. Her heart shattered, along with her devotion to Dan Weber. She felt the tears swell, but she'd be damned to shed a single one over him.

  His hand on her cheek made her jump. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He brushed her cheek with his thumb and JT felt something wet.

  Oh no. Oh God no! Her breath came in swift gasps, but she pulled back the remaining tears. With a deep breath, she swallowed down her emotions and forced a sense of calm.

  Dan sat down next to her, his eyes never leaving hers. He kissed her cheek, removing another tear. Where'd that one come from? "I'm sorry. Christ, JT. I'm so sorry."

  "For what?"

  "For being such a selfish ass. It didn't dawn on me how this must make you feel."

  "Don't worry about me." JT waved him off, trying to dismiss the fact she could no longer feel anything. The shock of her realization left her numb. She jumped out of the bed and looked at the spandex. No way. She'd slip back over to her room and find her jeans. Grabbing her bra and the turtleneck, she dressed above the waist. Looking around the room, she tried to spy her panties.

  She knew she had panties on when they started.

  "But I do."

  JT parted her lips slightly as she looked back at him. Those eyes, those damned handsome eyes searched hers, made her feel so much more than she should. It warmed her broken heart. How could this man tell her he only wanted something physical and expect her to live with the decision when he looked at her like that?

  Her emotions were in a whirlwind. She didn't know whether she was coming or going. All thanks to Dan Weber.

  "Two years ago my partner, Steve Gessler, and I were on a break from NASSD. We were down in the Keys living it up. HQ promised to leave us alone for a few weeks after cleaning up a mess they made in Cairo . We were beside ourselves with all the free time." He paused, looked to the floor. "JT, this is—"

  "Exactly what you need. Keep talking, Tough Guy."

  He looked at her.
Was that gratefulness in his eyes? Nah. She must have read them wrong. Regardless, the surly man was finally opening up to her. She wasn't about to question it. "We'd only been there a week. After an all night drinking binge, Gessler passed out. I poured him into his room and went back to mine."

  "There she was. Raven had followed us down there and was lying in my bed, waiting for me. I still don't know how she found us. At the time, I didn't care. She was there. I'll save you the details of what happened next."

  "Right. Thanks." JT had to look away. The thought of another woman in bed with Dan made her stomach clench. The thought of that woman betraying Dan made her fists clench.

  "I knew Gessler didn't like her, but in his condition he would have never known she was ever there. I had every intention of sending her back home in the morning, before Gessler woke up.

  "We were lying there, half-asleep." He stared straight forward, his eyes hazing over at the memory. "She had a sudden burst of energy and climbed on top of me. I laughed when she held up the knife. I actually laughed."

  The memory strained his face and forced him into silence. He drew in several breaths before continuing. "I realized what was happening a split-second before she buried the knife into my chest. I shifted, and the knife missed my heart by about an inch. It still punctured a lung and sliced my insides up pretty good." His hand covered his chest.

  JT's throat tightened. "Go on."

  "I must have yelled. I don't really remember." He eyes went out of focus, and his expression changed. He was in so much pain. JT almost told him to stop, that the memory must be too painful for him to remember. But before she could find her voice, he continued.

  "Gessler was there in a flash, which surprised the hell out of me. The guy couldn't even walk when I put him to bed, he was so drunk.

  "He threw open the door. Raven jumped off the bed and screamed as she charged him. All the alcohol in his system slowed his reflexes. Before he realized what was happening, Raven reached up and sliced his throat. And then she just stood there, blood all over her naked body. Some was mine, most of it was Steve's." He swallowed down a noise JT took as anguish. "She just stood there like she was waiting for something. Or somebody."