He’d been a craving, and you knew once you fed the craving it would go away, so therefore you said whatever it took to get what you wanted.
Lord have mercy.
“And for the record,” he said. “I like who you are. Keep saying the damnedest things. I enjoy it.”
Warmth flowed over her like a hot shower on a cool day. He made her feel good. She wanted more of that. But what if she didn’t get it?
“What if we don’t get out of here? What if something goes wrong tonight?”
He squeezed her tight. “We’re getting out of here. It’s what I do, what my team does. We haven’t lost anyone yet. We won’t start tonight.”
“Kiss me, Remy. Make me believe it.”
“Honey, if I kiss you, I’m afraid I won’t stop with a kiss.”
“And what makes you think I want you to stop there?”
“We can’t, baby.”
“Why not?”
“Fuck,” he whispered. And then he kissed her.
His mouth on hers was sweet and hard, warm and demanding. He tilted her face up and took what he wanted, his tongue sliding into her mouth and tangling with her own. Christina clung to him, her hands clutched in his shirt, her heart beating fast and hard as he devastated her mouth with his own.
Oh, she’d never expected to be this kind of woman. The kind who craved a man so desperately she’d do anything to have him. Sex had always been pleasant, but not earth-shattering. Not until Remy.
He was a revelation to her. A need beyond any she’d ever had before.
“This isn’t the place,” he said, breaking the kiss to trail his mouth down her throat. “Too exposed, too shitty. You deserve so much better, baby. So much better.”
“You’re all I need right now, Remy. I don’t care where we are.”
And she meant that. Really, truly meant it. She slipped her hand down his washboard abdomen and over the raging hard-on pressing against his camouflage pants. His hips rose of their own accord, his cock thrusting against her palm.
“Jesus,” he hissed. “Don’t do that, baby.”
“I want to,” she said. “I want to make you come.”
“You’re killing me, Christina.”
“Then do what I want and you don’t have to suffer.”
He laughed, but it was a strangled sound. “You’re more formidable than any battle I’ve ever been in.”
“Free the beast, Remy. Slide it into me and give me what I want.”
He snorted. “The beast, huh?”
She rubbed her palm along the ridge of that massive erection. “Oh yes, definitely a beast.”
He sighed. “Can’t slide it into you, honey. No condom.”
Her heart thumped at what she was about to say. “You can. I have an implant. And, in spite of Ben, I’m clean. We hadn’t had sex in months before he did his, um, thing—and I’ve been checked out.”
“And there’s the deathblow,” he muttered. “The chance to come inside you without anything between us. Damn, girl, you know how to fight dirty.”
“Whatever it takes, Remy—except for lies. I’m not lying about being clean.”
He kissed her. “I believe you. And even though you didn’t ask, I’m clean too. I don’t go in without the raincoat. Ever.”
She threw a leg over him and climbed onto his lap until she could ride the ridge of his hard-on. “Do you think you might this time?”
His hands were on her hips, holding her down as he shifted and sent a sizzle of electricity rocketing through her core.
He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then he lifted a hand and unclipped her hair. It tumbled in a damp mass around her shoulders.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “I think I might.”
22
She wasn’t going to give him a chance to change his mind. Christina gripped his jaw and kissed him, taking what he offered like she was a marauding invader. This was so not her—and yet, with Remy, it was her.
She thought she was in control until the moment he gripped her hips and shifted so she was on her back and he was on top of her, between her legs, looming over her like the mountain of muscle he was.
She loved his strength. Loved that he made her feel so safe even in the middle of a war zone.
“I hate that I can’t do everything I want to you,” he said. “Everything you deserve.”
“It’s enough, Remy. For now it’s enough.”
And it truly was. Because she couldn’t help but think that if something went wrong later, she would regret not having done this one more time. Even if it was fast and furious. Even if they couldn’t linger or explore.
“To tell you the truth,” she said, “I’ve never had quick, dirty, desperate sex like this.”
His fingers went to the button of her jeans. He flicked them open effortlessly. “Well, maybe it won’t be that quick,” he murmured. “But it will be desperate, no doubt.”
She thought he would shove her jeans off, unbutton his fly, and slip inside her. She was mistaken. He stripped her as much as possible with others so close by—shirt open, bra shoved up, sucking her nipples while she clutched his shoulders and bit her lip so she wouldn’t moan, and then he removed her jeans and panties in one go. He sat up and unholstered his sidearm before unbuttoning his pants and freeing his cock.
When he sat there with his hand wrapped around his erection and his hot gaze on her, she wanted to moan. Then she wanted to lick him until he lost his mind.
She thought he might strip, but he didn’t. He hovered over her, kissing her again while she wrapped her legs around his hips and tried to bring him closer. Then she felt him. The blunt head of his cock eased inside her, stretching muscles that hadn’t been used since the last time he’d been inside her.
“Remy,” she gasped as he sank deeper. He was hot and smooth and big, a blunt instrument for her pleasure.
“Shh, baby,” he said, gripping her hands in his and lifting them over her head. “Goddamn, you feel amazing. So amazing.”
“So do you.”
“Tell me if it’s too much, okay?” He pressed forward, filling her so full that she felt she might split in two.
But it wasn’t too much. It was perfect. Sensitive tissues that hadn’t been used in so long sparked to life, sending waves of pleasure cascading through her. And this was only the beginning. How had she run away from this man for so long? Why? Was she crazy?
“It’s not too much,” she gasped. “Too good.”
He shifted his hips, pulling a little way out and then sliding forward again. “True dat, cher.”
“Oh, Remy—” She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her when he moved again. But he put his mouth on hers and captured it before anyone heard them.
His clothing scraped against her flesh, but it was erotic this way. He was her big bad warrior, dressed for battle, and she was his prize. He rocked into her harder now, faster, and she thrust her hips up to him, wanting more.
Her body caught fire as the base of his cock bumped against her clitoris again and again. She gripped him hard with her legs, lifted herself to meet him, angling just right, just perfect—and oh hell, she was coming, her body splintering as white-hot pleasure sizzled into her nerve endings. Her scalp tingled. Her toes. Her arms and legs.
And she was moaning into his mouth, sucking his tongue, dying for every drop of bliss he gave her. He was so beautiful, so amazing—and oh my God, she never wanted this to end.
But it did. Remy let go of one of her hands, gripped her ass, and ground into her until she felt a hot stream of semen pumping into her body. He tore his mouth from hers and groaned, his lips pressed against her neck.
It was such a sexy sound. Especially since she’d been the one to cause it. She sighed as his whiskers abraded her skin, as his tongue slipped out and licked her. A second later he bit her shoulder lightly, and she shuddered anew.
“You feel so good, Christina. I want to stay here all night, but that’s not possible.”
She g
ripped him harder when he tried to move away. A hand slid down her naked side.
“Don’t make this any harder, baby. We got to be ready to go when the time comes.”
“I’m ready to go again,” she whispered, and he chuckled. Then he flexed his muscles and she realized he was still hard inside her. All that coming hadn’t done a damn thing to deflate the beast.
“Me too. And I promise you, soon as I can, I’m coming to your house and keeping you in bed for at least twenty-four hours.”
That was a thought that both scared her and excited her. But it was definitely too late to change her mind now. She’d let him back into her life, and she had to ride out the storm and see where it went.
She just hoped there was some little piece of her left when the storm was over.
They left the vans behind and took the big truck that Ian Black had. The SEALs kept the ammunition and left everything else. They wouldn’t need it where they were going. The journey to the coast was about two hours if they were lucky. Once they reached the outskirts of Akhira, they’d change vehicles again and head for the port. Another SEAL squad would meet them there. They’d pile on board a waiting vessel and head for the aircraft carrier that sat a few miles offshore.
Only four people fit in the front seat of the truck. The rest were in the back, sitting up against the sides of the truck bed. Remy could have been up front as the second-in-command, but he’d wanted to be here. Near Christina.
Viking didn’t give him a hard time about it. He’d simply nodded and said, “Understood.”
So Remy was near Christina but not touching her. She leaned against the rear of the cab where he’d made sure to put her, her eyes bright and cheeks flushed. Once in a while she caught his gaze, and her skin flushed brighter.
She fascinated him. Completely and utterly. He’d known when he was buried inside her that there was something between them. Something real and wonderful. Something terrifying.
Because he’d never been attached to a woman before. Not like this. He’d never spent his waking hours thinking of her, remembering what it was like to possess her, and planning everything he was going to do when he got to be inside her again.
The taste he’d had of her a couple of hours ago hadn’t been enough. Yeah, it had been pretty spectacular having her wrapped around him, her warm, wet pussy gripping him as he sank into her over and over. There was a time when he’d never expected to do that again with her.
And maybe he shouldn’t have done it now, in the middle of all this shit, but he wasn’t sorry for it. He was, however, worried that she was going to pull another disappearing act on him. He got that she was fearful of committing, but he wanted a chance to prove to her that he was worth taking a chance on.
Holy fuck, that was a new thought.
But, yeah, he wanted her to take a chance. And he wanted to commit to her even if they had to take baby steps.
He shoved a hand through his hair and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Jesus, where had that come from? Commitment? Him?
Yeah, him.
He’d spent his entire life chasing pussy and having meaningless relationships. It had been fun while it lasted, but he was over it now. He wanted to spend time with one person, wanted to know her completely. Wanted to make her happy.
Christina was that person. From the first moment he’d met her, she’d been different. Beautiful and fuckable, sure. But it was more than that. She’d stood toe-to-toe with him from the first. She hadn’t tried to impress him, hadn’t tried to be something she wasn’t. She’d stood face-to-face with him and told him she wanted a one-night stand.
He’d been the one who asked for more, the one who’d tried to put the brakes on. But she’d had none of it. She’d gotten what she wanted and then she’d kicked him to the curb.
Hell, maybe he was fascinated because of that. Or maybe it was just her.
Her sweet scent, her glossy brown hair, her gray eyes, her elegance and brains and humor. Didn’t hurt that she tasted like heaven to him, though that was only a small part of it.
The truck rocked back and forth as it moved through the sand, lulling him into a doze. It wasn’t his turn to be on point, but he still fought it at first. But the lack of sleep over the past few days caught up with him. He didn’t sleep deeply, and he didn’t dream. Or at least he didn’t think he dreamed.
Until he heard horses. They were galloping, their hoofbeats pounding in rhythm against the sand. There were shouts, war cries—
And he jerked awake, his eyes gritty and unfocused, his heart racing as he automatically reached for his rifle.
The shouting was real. The horses were real. He moved until he was in front of Christina, blocking her as much as he could. The other SEALs were also holding their rifles, crouching in defensive positions, and waiting for the order to fire.
The truck’s engine whined, but it was no match for the horses in this terrain.
“Don’t shoot,” Viking said in their ears. “For God’s sake, don’t shoot them. Black says he can handle this.”
A rifle shot sounded in the night as one of the attackers aimed into the air and pulled the trigger.
Remy touched his mic. “Are you certain about that? They don’t fucking sound friendly to me.”
“He says they’re pirates basically. They want money. Ideals don’t matter to them.”
The truck slowly rolled to a stop even while Remy ground his teeth together and hoped like hell Black was right. Because if the motherfucker was wrong, this was going to go bad very fast. As they came to a halt surrounding the truck, Remy counted twenty armed and mounted men. They wore dark robes and head scarves that covered everything but their eyes.
They did not look friendly. But they also didn’t raise their rifles.
Ian Black stepped out of the truck. He was dressed in camouflage, but he wore a head scarf similar to the pirates’. Except his wasn’t fastened over his eyes. One of the men dismounted and walked over to meet him. They clasped hands and then spoke in Arabic for a few moments while the leader gestured at the truck from time to time.
Ian shook his head, spread his arms, and said a few things that Remy couldn’t quite hear. The other man folded his arms over his chest and looked like he wasn’t planning to budge. Finally Ian shrugged. The two clasped hands again.
The man went back to his horse and swung up into the saddle in a movement as graceful as it was quick. Ian strode back over to the truck and stopped where everyone could hear him.
“They’re going to escort us through their territory.”
“What’s the price?” Remy asked. Because it clearly hadn’t been an easy agreement to come to.
“You aren’t going to like it,” Ian said.
“Tell us anyway,” Cowboy growled.
Black raised an eyebrow. “They want the ammunition… and the women.”
“That is not fucking happening,” Remy snapped. “And you damn well know it.”
“Yeah, well, you tell them that right now and see how far you get. You want your precious cargo to get out of here? Then you fucking play along until you can’t play anymore. Unless you have a better idea,” he finished, eyes flashing.
Unfortunately, he didn’t. But he knew he’d die before he handed Christina over. No way. Fucking no way.
“I don’t,” he said. “But you’d better hope to God that you do when the time comes.”
23
The mood in the truck had shifted as they drove through the night. Not that it had been a party atmosphere before the mounted men arrived, but it definitely was subdued now. Christina let her gaze slip over each SEAL and knew there was no way they were letting those men have her or Penny.
She glanced at Remy again and found him watching her. He still looked pissed, but she knew it wasn’t at her. He’d been pissed at Ian Black and the situation. He’d told her after he sat back down that he’d shoot every motherfucker out there before they touched a hair on her head, so she didn’t need to worry.
&nbs
p; She wasn’t worried, except that she really didn’t want anyone to get shot either. And especially not because of her.
Penny had been somewhat harder to console, but Robert was doing a good job of it. Any pretense not to be lovers was gone. They didn’t try to hide anything anymore as they huddled together, Penny in Robert’s arms.
Poor Mrs. Robert, Christina thought.
Then she turned her gaze to the men riding alongside the truck, and her heart thudded at the idea of being traded to them—but that was not going to happen. The SEALs were the ones with the superior firepower when you compared their weapons with the rifles these men carried. There was really no contest.
But Ian Black had a point about them. They were useful on this journey, clearly, because whenever they encountered military checkpoints on the road, the other men didn’t even try to interfere with their party’s progress. They simply watched as twenty horses and a truck full of Americans eased by.
She didn’t know how long they drove, but eventually they came to a stop. The sun hadn’t yet risen, but the sky was pink at the edges and the desert terrain was beginning to stand out against the darkness. The air smelled faintly of salt.
She turned her head and realized why. They were on a ridge. Below them, spread out in either direction, was a city. Beyond that was a dark, inky mass that she could only assume was the sea.
Ian Black stepped down from the truck. The headlights from another vehicle shone toward them as it came up the road in the opposite direction. No one seemed alarmed about that, so she didn’t panic over it.
The men on horseback milled about. One of them—the leader, she presumed—yelled something at Black. He turned and strode over to where the man still sat his horse.
She glanced nervously at Remy. His face was set in stone, unreadable. But he gripped his weapon and looked ready to defend their territory with his life.
And didn’t that thought just make her shiver? She didn’t want Remy defending anything with his life. She wanted him alive and well and able to keep his promise about coming to her house and not letting her out of bed for twenty-four hours.
Black and the leader argued—or at least it sounded like arguing from here. And then the turbaned man drew a sidearm and pointed it at Black’s head. Christina gasped at the sudden violence.
HOT SEAL Lover (HOT SEAL Team - Book 2) Page 14
