Close to the Edge

by Dawn Ryder

  “Jenna…”

  Her name was just an expression, coming from him in a guttural tone of voice that told her how much he was her companion in the moment. Both of them slaves to their cravings.

  Junkies of a sort.

  She was high on the scent of his skin and the taste, too. She opened her mouth and sucked him, licking through the slit on the head of his cock as she worked her tongue on the underside of it.

  His hand tightened in her hair.

  His hips thrust toward her as his cock hardened even more.

  All of it combined into an intoxicating moment when she was driving him over the same edge that he seemed to be able to push her toward with just his presence.

  Well, she was taking him with her.

  “Enough…”

  He was trying to pull her head back but she resisted, taking more of him inside her mouth and working her hand up and down the part of his cock that she couldn’t take.

  She heard him gasp and shudder and then he was losing the battle, his control slipping as she felt his hips thrusting toward her. His release was hard, his cock spurting its load a moment later.

  He ended up pressing a hand onto the wall once it was over, his chest working at a frantic pace as he tried to draw in enough breath.

  “Minx…”

  It was sort of an outdated word, yet the way it rolled out of Dare’s mouth made her smile. Jenna stood up as he opened his eyes and gave her a glimpse at the satisfaction glittering in those dark orbs.

  “Payback … is going to be my pleasure … my extreme pleasure…” he informed her.

  Jenna lifted one finger into the air. “My turn.”

  Dare straightened, determination glittering in his eyes. “Oh no, baby, it’s definably my turn.”

  He came toward her.

  Stalking her really.

  It stole her breath, hitting her with more arousal than she’d ever felt. She fell back, the single step making his eyes narrow.

  Dare surged toward her, lifting her high as she squealed and kicked. He spun her around before lowering her to the sleeping bag.

  “How’s your back?”

  He’d laid her out like a kill.

  Or a feast …

  Jenna stretched out in answer. It earned her a flash of a grin before he was popping open the waistband of her jeans and dragging them down her body.

  “Better…” he muttered before he went back for her underwear. They ended up tossed aside before he was grabbing the hem of her shirt and baring her torso.

  Jenna was sitting up, her bra the only thing left on. She was suddenly so aware of how much bigger he was than herself. Every inch of his body was sculpted and packed with muscle. From his jaw to his feet, he was a force to be reckoned with.

  He noticed the shift in her mood.

  Of course he did. The guy was too sharp to miss it.

  “Show yourself to me baby…”

  He was waiting for her to. His dark eyes focused on her as he waited for her to unfreeze.

  “I’ve kicked myself over not taking the time to undress last time. You’re stunning.”

  He reached out and cupped her hip. Pleasure washed over his features, the kind that couldn’t be faked. It melted through the paralysis that had settled on her. She unhooked her bra and let it slip down her arms.

  “Perfect … just perfect.”

  He was cooing and moving over her. Joining her on the soft flannel of the sleeping bag as the outer weatherproof layer crinkled slightly against the floor of the loft. He pressed her down, smoothing her hair back as he kissed her. He surrounded her, their limbs tangling as they tasted one another in a hungry jumble.

  She wanted him inside her, shifting her thighs apart so that he’d be cradled between them.

  “Not … a … chance … baby…”

  There was a hard warning in his tone. He pulled her head back, controlling her with his greater strength. Promise was dancing in his eyes.

  “I told you Jenna … it’s my turn…”

  He was slipping down her body, pushing her thighs apart with his hands, hovering over her sex.

  “Maybe…”

  She really wasn’t sure what she’d intended to say. Her brain was shutting down, refusing to make sense of anything except touching him.

  Dare looked up her body. “Why do you think I brought you out here?” The hard warning was back in his tone. He was looking up her body, freezing the breath in her lungs with the look in his eyes. “I want to hear you scream, baby.”

  She was a hair’s breadth from it already. The first touch of his breath on her folds made her squirm, but Dare held her, lowering his head and teasing the delicate skin along the outside of her sex.

  She let out a little sound of bliss.

  He chuckled.

  And then there was only the storm of him driving her insane. He licked and sucked, moving around her clit while she withered in need of just a little more pressure to send her over the edge. He denied her that, keeping her poised on the edge of the climax.

  “Dare…” she growled. “Stop teasing me.”

  He lifted his head, looking up her body. “You want me to make you cum?”

  She’d never vocalized such a thing before. Jenna bit her lip as she shied away from saying such a thing. Dare slowly rubbed her clit with his thumb.

  “Don’t hide from me baby … tell me what you want…”

  So simple and yet more exposing than she’d ever dared to be. There was a demand for control in his eyes, one she was used to seeing, only this time is was much, much more personal.

  “I want you inside me.”

  His eyes narrowed, and then he was rising above her. The sight stole her breath. He fumbled for a moment with a condom before covering her again.

  She let out a groan. Maybe it wasn’t a polite sound but it was so very honest.

  “That’s right baby, this time we don’t have to be quiet…”

  And they weren’t. Sound went bouncing off the walls of the barn, his, hers, Jenna could no longer distinguish where he ended and she began.

  And she didn’t want to either.

  They moved together, caught in a quest for a common goal. The instinct went deeper than any need she’d ever encountered before. Dare was right there as well, trying to get closer, straining deeper as she lifted her hips to take everything he offered. There was more pleasure in the motion, something that made her want to resist the final explosion.

  She wanted to be trapped in the moment forever, but her body would not be denied. Climax swept through her, snapping like a board under too much pressure. It was harsh and yet a release and then there was only the pleasure.

  A blinding amount of bliss spun her around while Dare shuddered and lost his own battle to fend off losing control.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Kids still in the barn?” Zane asked.

  “If they were kids, they wouldn’t be in the barn,” Thais replied.

  Zane sent her a cocky grin. “Don’t bet on it.”

  Thais looked over her workstation, sending Zane a scathing look.

  “Now don’t make promises you aren’t going to keep, lady.” Zane laid a hand over his chest. “I have a delicate heart.”

  Thais slowly stood. She fell into a soft swaying pace as she moved toward the new agent. Zane lost his playful smile as she approached him and trailed a fingertip along his back while circling him.

  “You’re one of those … I see,” she said in a husky drawl. She smiled, leaning closer to the agent while tapping him in the middle of his chest and pushing him back in his chair.

  “One of what?”

  Thais was leaning over him, captivating him with a playful expression. A moment later she’d pulled his gun and leapt back out of his reach.

  “One of the men who thinks I didn’t earn my badge and that I’m only here for when the work entails slipping between someone’s sheets.”

  Zane had gone deadly serious. “You seem a little touchy on the su
bject.”

  Thais laid his gun down on the table near her. “And you’re the new guy. Don’t judge my team lead.”

  Zane picked up his gun and slid it back into his chest-harness holster. “Or the fact that he’s nailing his witness?”

  “The situation is unique,” Greer added.

  Zane wasn’t intimidated. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Sorry, my mistake. I thought Shadow Ops meant we were dealing with the unusual but still performing our duties with professionalism.”

  “Go ahead, keep shooting me daggers lady.” He looked up, catching Thais. “I enjoy knowing I have your attention.”

  Thais’s lips pressed into a moue before she returned her attention to her work.

  “Have something to add?” Zane turned to return the look Greer was sending him. “Because I’ll tell the lot of you what I think of hanky-panky on a case.”

  “By all means, enlighten us,” Greer said.

  “It gets people killed.” Zane spoke in a tone that expressed just how intimate he was with the reality of what he said. “Good agents who are stuck with a lead who is distracted. Yeah, I’m the new guy because I survived. So don’t expect me to keep my mouth shut when I know how something like that—” he used his thumb to gesture toward the barn—“can translate into all of us getting whacked.”

  No one argued with him. Silence stretched out because there was a hard foundation of logic supporting his statement.

  “Like you said,” Greer said at last, “we deal with the unusual. Just consider this one of those times when the lines are blurred.”

  Zane didn’t care for the comment, but Greer sent him a stern look that made it clear the Scot wasn’t all too worried about the fact that they were in disagreement. Thais returned her focus to her equipment, letting the two men take each other’s measure.

  * * *

  She was alone.

  Jenna opened her eyes, feeling the chill of night.

  “Don’t move.”

  Dare was moving around, his voice coming out of the darkness.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She sat up as she heard a zipper opening.

  “You’re cold,” he said.

  Dare came close enough for her to see him again. He brought a second sleeping bag with him, pulling her back down and tucking her against his side as he settled the second sleeping bag over them. She shivered because the fabric was cold.

  “Give it a moment,” he muttered as he smoothed a hand down her side.

  He’d put her on his left, with her head on his shoulder. The moon was rising, offering enough light for her to see his gun lying next to his right hand.

  “Should we go back inside?” she asked.

  He tensed, the hand on her side gripping her hip. “If you want to.”

  She didn’t …

  Silence surrounded them for a long moment before Dare let out a snort.

  “Going to just leave me hanging?” She decided not to let the issue go unanswered.

  “Maybe I’m worried I’ll spook you if I tell you I want to stay right here,” Dare answered her.

  There it was again, lack of filter between brain and mouth. Only this time, she giggled at her own expense. Dare shifted, cupping her chin and lifting her face so he could see it.

  “What’s funny?” he demanded.

  She bit her lip.

  One of his eyebrows rose. “Want me to make you talk?” His lips rose into a menacing grin.

  Jenna gasped but too late. He flipped her onto her back and dug his fingers into her belly.

  “No … Don’t…” she gasped as he tickled her, keeping her in place and tormenting her until she was ready to pass out from lack of oxygen.

  “Spill…” he demanded with his hand poised in the air above her.

  Jenna shook her head, her lips parting in a smile as she closed her hands around his cock. “Checkmate.”

  “Not even close.” He rolled onto his back to evade her.

  Jenna followed, clamping her thighs around his hips. She was sitting on top of him, his length pressed into her folds as the second sleeping bag fell off them.

  “Hmmm,” he mumbled as he reached up to cup her breasts. “There might be merit to letting you think you’ve won.”

  She leaned down, allowing his cock to rise up. “Trust me, Dare Servant, I can kick your ass.”

  He slid his hands down to her bottom, gripping it and keeping her poised above him. “I know you can, baby. Why do you think I was such an ass today?”

  It was an admission, one that warmed her heart.

  What did it mean? She wasn’t really sure, only very certain she didn’t want to waste the time they’d stolen on things like contemplation.

  The moment was theirs, and she had every intention of savoring it to the fullest.

  The sun would rise right on time. Until then, Dare Servant was hers.

  * * *

  A phone buzzed sometime before dawn.

  Jenna shifted, waking up completely due to how much sleep she’d had in the last week.

  “My boss.”

  Dare swept the screen and held it up to his ear. “Stand by.”

  Their make-shift bed was kicked aside as Dare stood and stepped into his pants. He surged into his shirt and grabbed his gun, shoving it into the waistband of his pants before he was lifting the phone to his ear again and striding toward the door.

  Damn, he was a force of nature.

  Jenna focused on just how much of a thrill she got from watching the way he moved. That was what she wanted to take away from her time with him, not a bucket full of pity for something that just wasn’t going to happen.

  Because he’s decided his job is more important.

  She snorted at herself.

  Don’t get pissy … you made a choice.

  Yeah, and the flip side of the coin of living in the moment was shouldering the choice she’d made.

  She refused to regret reaching for Dare when she’d had the chance.

  She was going to treasure that moment and it looked like her reminiscing was going to start really soon.

  * * *

  “I’m here.” Dare kept his voice low as he went down the steps.

  “Don’t be too sure,” Kagan replied.

  Dare felt his brain shift into a different mode. He knew Kagan, and the tone his section leader was using wasn’t a good one.

  Shit had just hit the fan somewhere.

  “Ji Su is dead,” Kagan stated flatly.

  “How?” Dare demanded.

  “Inside interrogation. And they didn’t even bother to try and make it look like suicide. Someone sent us a message.”

  “Fuck,” Dare snarled.

  Kagan grunted. “Scrub your operation. There aren’t a whole lot of men who could pull something like this off, and my short list has Carl Davis at the top of it.”

  “And if he knew about Ji Su, he can find my team,” Dare finished.

  “I’m sending you a drop point,” Kagan continued. “Witness protection can’t be trusted. Give the girl your scrub kit and send her to the pick-up. Scuttle everything and regroup. I will handle her pick-up.” Kagan cut the line to avoid having the call scanned and picked up.

  Dare didn’t want someone else to handle Jenna. Yet it was the logical thing to do. One Dare shouldn’t have taken any issue with.

  It wasn’t the first time he turned a witness over blindly either.

  But he found his temper rising. He’d been up against Carl Davis in the past. Backed Saxon Hale and Vitus up on missions where Carl was a major player. It had been tense, involving betrayal and honorless men.

  Today, he was dangerously close to losing his temper with the man. But Kagan was right on the money. Carl had a reach that was impressive. Keeping Jenna near would be a death sentence for her.

  Dare punched a code into his phone. His team would respond inside three minutes to it. They’d begin a very precise and quickly executed departure, one he’d participated in numerous times before.


  Only today he didn’t see dropping off his witness as a closure.

  Well, at least one that he was looking forward to.

  His temper was red-hot now. Carl Davis needed to die, but the odds were stacked against Dare and his team instead.

  That fact got him moving. If Carl had gotten someone in an interrogation center wacked, digging up Dare’s location wouldn’t pose much of a problem. They had to move before it happened.

  Jenna’s life hung in the balance.

  * * *

  Jenna found her clothing and dressed. The night was giving way to first light, the first bird song filling the air. She was wrestling with the top sleeping bag when she heard Dare return.

  A chill touched her neck.

  It didn’t make a whole lot of sense until she turned and got a good look at his face. He was locked up, his body tight as he contemplated her.

  “I’m getting the feeling this is the last time I’m going to see you.” Jenna didn’t bother to lament the lack of filter between her brain and mouth. She pretty much knew without a doubt that even if she’d been the queen of tact, there was no way she’d have managed to hold in her thoughts.

  His lips thinned as he clenched his jaw.

  Right. She’d known the way it was going to go.

  It was time to prove she could deal with it.

  Jenna lowered her eyes, her gaze landing on Dare’s chest harness. The breaking dawn was illuminating the badge.

  His badge …

  She reached down and snagged the harness, straightened up, and offering it to him. “You were clear about how you felt.”

  She expected him to take the harness, maybe give her a quick glimpse of him looking somewhat regretful that they were parting.

  But in the end, he’d put the harness on.

  Just as he’d promised her he would.

  “Jesus Christ,” Dare growled before he framed her face with his large hands.

  She gasped, the contact the last thing she’d expected. It shattered her composure, baring her emotions.

  Which was why she recoiled. Pulling away from him in a desperate attempt to keep her wits when all she wanted to do was have a meltdown.

  Dare drew up tight.