Before the Mission Begins (When The Mission Ends)

by Christi Snow

Chris had warmed up by the time they finished their pizza, but the walk back to the house in his wet clothing brought the shivering back. By the time they got into Cassie’s house, his teeth were chattering so hard, he couldn’t even talk. Julie tugged his hand and pulled him toward the bathroom. While she turned on the water to heat it up, he fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.

  Realizing his difficulty, she pushed his numb hands away and began to undo the buttons for him. Damn, he wished he wasn’t an icicle.

  “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into eating the pizza at the restaurant. You’re frozen now and well on your way to hypothermia.” She pushed the shirt off his shoulders and his skin blossomed with goose bumps. Her soft kiss brushed his puckered nipple.

  “S’okay,” he told her and leaned into her warmth. She began to work the buttons on his jeans and he wished he wasn’t so damn cold so he could actually enjoy this. He knew better than to let himself get into this kind of state. Now he was losing a perfect scenario for seduction. Shivering was not sexy, besides being this cold didn’t do great things for a guy. He could only stand there and shiver while she worked to peel the cold, wet clothes off him.

  She had him down to his underwear when he halted her hands. “Got it…from here.” He gasped out the words between full-body-racking chills. He needed to get his balls out of his body cavity before she saw anymore or else she might just rethink her idea for tonight. He leaned down and brushed his cold lips against hers. Despite the cold fracturing throughout his body, he felt the blood begin to flow back toward his cock. He just had to get the shivering under control and then they could get back to the seduction he had planned. “Join me…five minutes…please.”

  Her hazel eyes glowed more emerald than brown above her cold-reddened cheeks. She nodded hesitantly and placed her palm against the side of his face. “Get in there and get warm. The water’s hot so be careful when you get in.”

  Already steam from the shower filled the room and Chris exhaled shakily as Julie left the room. He needed to get warm and quick. He peeled off his underwear and stepped under the cascade of hot water, hissing as the sting of the heated droplets hit his frozen body. He stood there for a couple of minutes just letting the heat from the water soak in. Finally, the shivering began to slow and Chris could refocus on Julie and the evening to come.

  As the feeling came back into his extremities, the blood surged toward his cock. He needed to calm down or he was going to intimidate her even more when she joined him.

  It did make him wonder about her. Her self-defense moves were impressive and he’d been surprised as hell when she laid him out on the ground this afternoon. He knew Special Forces guys who couldn’t take him out that fast and he wasn’t a small guy. But damn, she’d looked hot standing over him panting from her effort. Who knew that a kick-ass chick would turn him on so much?

  How many other surprises did she have in store for him? She’d managed to shock him time after time from the moment she’d tumbled out of his bed this morning. The only thing he’d definitely figured out was he had no idea who Julie really was. He just wished he had more time than a single day to figure her out.

  Something occurred to him while they’d been at the pizza parlor and he didn’t even think she realized it. Today was Valentine’s Day. A day meant for seduction and romance. He planned to give her the full-Chris seduction plan.

  If he was honest with himself though, it had already been the perfect day even if they never got to the seduction part. He liked her, a lot. He’d just never realized how fun, sassy, and sexy she truly was.

  He didn’t know what the future held, but he had a full evening to enjoy her. He wasn’t going to waste it with ‘what ifs’. Glancing down at his pulsing cock, he sighed deeply. That wouldn’t work. As excited as he was right now, he’d go off like a teenage kid. He needed to be able to take this slowly which meant he needed to take the edge off now. He slowly slid his hand down to his now fully-erect cock and hissed. He closed his eyes and leaned up against the tile, with the water cascading down his back.

  He wrapped his hand around his throbbing member and stroked, remembering the feel of Julie’s puckered nipple under that same hand this morning. This wasn’t going to take long.

  His breath grew harsh as he thought about how close he’d come to sinking into her wet heat this morning. The promise of her and sweet heaven had been right there at the tip of his cock.

  He imagined her riding him naked on the seat of her motorcycle. That again, was another piece to the puzzle of Julie that didn’t fit the idea he had of her in his head, but damn, it was hot. In his imagination, she wore leather riding chaps and nothing else. He could see her straddling him, her sitting backwards on the bike as she sank down onto him, her full breasts bouncing as she rode him.

  That was all it took. He groaned as all his muscles and his hand tightened. The tingling at the base of his spine built and he shot jets of hot cum against the tiles of the shower.

  As he washed off, he pondered. Where had she gone? She’d said she was going to join him. Had something scared her? Had he done something wrong? Whatever the case, he needed to go figure it out, now that he had his unruly body under control. He’d just had the hardest orgasm he could ever remember having and it was just from the thought of her. If the reality compared, he was in trouble.

  She’d been under his nose for years and he’d never seen her. To discover her now that he was deploying, seemed almost too cruel. But it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to wait for him. Deployments killed even the strongest of relationships. He couldn’t do that to her. He just had to hope that she didn’t meet someone else while he was gone.

  Chapter 4

  Julie stood at the French doors in the living room looking out unseeingly over the snow which continued to fall. She was such a wuss. When faced with the challenge of joining Chris in the shower naked, she couldn’t do it, even though her body craved him almost as much as her next breath.

  She just couldn’t find it in her to strip down naked and join him. Just the thought of what would come next made her stomach clench with worry. She’d liked seeing the light and admiration in his eyes all day. It made her feel powerful and sexy. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to bear it if that changed to disappointment because of her fear.

  Instead, she stayed in the living room and started a fire in the fireplace, her hands trembling as she lit the tinder. Did she honestly think she could go through with this?

  She heard his approach, but was still surprised when he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck.

  “I’m much warmer now. Thank you for helping and getting the fire going. I missed you though. I thought you were going to join me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I just couldn’t…” How did she explain this to him?

  He turned her in his arms and tugged her into his chest. “Hey, it’s okay. I understand and I’m fine with that. Remember, we’re taking it slow today and if things don’t happen, then that’s okay. There’s no pressure here.”

  She nodded against his chest and tried to curtail the sudden tightness in her throat that came from his beautiful understanding. He smelled like soap and male, and she could stay in the comfort of his arms forever. The hard ridge of his erection pressed against her and she felt a flood of arousal soak her panties.

  He kissed the top of her head. “I like the fire. Why don’t we lay back and enjoy it for a while?”

  “Okay. Would you like me to open a bottle of wine or would you prefer beer?”

  “Wine sounds good.”

  As she went to raid Cassie’s wine cabinet, Chris added another log onto the fire. Julie took her time opening the bottle, working to compose herself. Rubbing her hands together, she tried to control their trembling. This was Chris. She could trust him. He wouldn’t hurt her. She took a deep breath in and then out. In fact, if she would just relax, she was pretty sure that he could make this the best night of her life. She poured the wine into the glasses
and enjoyed the way his back flexed under his t-shirt as he tended the fire. A fluttering settled into the pit of her stomach and she took a long sip from her wine glass.

  He turned around and grinned at her. “Are you going to stand in there and drink all the wine or are you going to come back and join me?”

  She tilted her head as if to debate the idea. “Well, I don’t know. The view is awfully nice from here.” She took her time leisurely eyeing him from his bare feet to his firm lips, wondering if he still tasted as good as earlier.

  While she watched, those eyes darkened. “I promise I will make it worth your while if you come back in here. It’s much more fun to touch than just look.”

  His obvious arousal bolstered her courage. She nodded as she scooped up the wine glasses. “Hmm, you do make a convincing argument.” She strolled casually toward him, swaying her hips. When she got to him, she handed him the glass in her right hand and then slid her hand up under his t-shirt. He hissed in his breath at her sudden touch and the muscles flexed under her hand. She liked having that effect on him. It was empowering and pushed her to take it further.

  She pushed up onto her tiptoes so that she could reach his neck with her mouth. There she slowly licked and nibbled, at the same time her hand travelled further up under his shirt. She found the hard apex of a nipple and flicked it with her fingernail. He groaned and reached around her waist with his free hand and pulled her up taut against him.

  He whispered into her ear, “This is very nice, but let’s sit down, enjoy the fire, enjoy our wine, and talk.”

  Talk? What was she doing wrong that he wanted to talk rather than make out or do even more interesting other things? Finally, she was turned on enough that she thought she’d enjoy things and he wanted to talk. She cocked an eyebrow at him, trying to quell the frisson of alarm. “What do you want to talk about?”

  He sat and pulled her down beside him. “You said they were re-doing your kitchen and you obviously cook quite a bit. So what are you doing? Upgrading?”

  She gave a self-deprecating laugh as she said, “Um, not quite. A couple of months ago, I accidentally torched my kitchen. It’s taken this long to get the insurance sorted and contractors in to fix it.”

  His eyes widened. “You set your kitchen on fire and Cassie left you here unsupervised?”

  “What? I’m not twelve. It was a freak accident. Besides,” she mumbled, “I brought a fire extinguisher with me.”

  He laughed. “You can use your body like a lethal weapon and you come armed with a fire extinguisher. You’re definitely a surprise, Butterfly. How did I not realize that before?” He tugged her across the couch, leaning back into the corner and pulling her so that she leaned up against his chest.

  They lay there watching the fire, with only the crackle of the flames breaking the silence. It was nice, relaxing. Julie would never have guessed that things could be so comfortable with Chris. He gently rubbed his fingertips along the band of exposed skin at the side of her waist, sending chills up her spine. The sensation held the promise of something more. Julie trembled with need. She wanted more, more of his hands on her, more touching, more skin. That was surprising. Craving a man’s touch wasn’t a normal thing for her. It gave her hope and that scared her. She’d learned over the years that hope just led to heartbreak and disappointment.

  “So tell me, why all the changes?” His voice was hushed the tone one would use with a scared animal.

  A bolt of annoyance shot through Julie. She wasn’t weak or vulnerable, but how could she explain her compulsive need to control things to him without sounding crazy either?

  He would never understand about the never-ending lists, the sleepless nights, the stress, this horrible consuming need to please. She mentally stopped herself. This was quickly becoming a list. None of those. She wasn’t that person anymore. She gave herself a shake and turned to lie against Chris’s muscular chest, focusing on the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat. “Actually, it was something my sister, Rachel, suggested. She knew I was having some issues getting past some things that have happened, so she suggested that it might help to step out of my normal persona for a while. She thought it might help me to adjust my coping mechanisms if I took on a completely different attitude toward things.”

  He slowly rubbed one hand up and down her arm. “And is it helping?”

  “It must. I’m here with you and enjoying things so far. Believe me, that isn’t the norm.”

  He rubbed his hand along her arm. “Good. I’m glad you’re having fun. So what’s the plan for dinner? I think we should find something to eat to go with our wine and make up a picnic in front of the fire for tonight. Does that sound good?”

  She nodded and reluctantly pulled herself from the comfort of his body. As she did so, she placed a lingering kiss along his neck that had his breath quickening, but he continued along their planned path anyway.

  He gently brushed his lips against her temple. “Food first, then…”

  * * *

  Chris followed Julie into the kitchen, mesmerized by the very feminine sway of her hips. Down boy, he chided his erection. He needed to take this slow. He still wasn’t even sure this was the best idea. Yes, absolutely he wanted her, but he didn’t want her to get hurt. But if what she said was true, she needed his help. Could he honestly turn his back on her, knowing she would just find someone else to help her work through this? The thought of her with another guy literally made him feel sick. Either way he was screwed. She’d work through her problems with someone else or he’d help her now and then she’d be free to enjoy someone else later. Fuck. There was no-win to this situation, except for this single night.

  His throat tightened as he realized her nipples were hard and poking through the layers of her t-shirt. He could have this. He could have her for one night. God help him, but he just couldn’t turn his back on this opportunity. He was a selfish bastard, but there it was. He was doing this.

  “Chris!”

  “What?” His eyes flashed up to hers. He’d gotten caught up in his ruminations. His gut clenched again.

  She gave him a soft smile. “I asked you what are you in the mood to eat?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” He shook his head to clear it. “Let’s do something light. After pizza for lunch, I don’t need a whole lot more.” Besides he was feeling more than a little anxious. Where was his wine? He looked around the kitchen counter tops, but didn’t see it. He must have left it in the living room. “I’m gonna go grab my wine while you look in the fridge. And I’ll get the living room set up, too.”

  “Okay, can you get mine too, and top it off on the way back?”

  “Sure thing.” He escaped into the living room, tended the fire, and took a deep breath. Why was he hyperventilating over this? This was Julie. He knew her. She knew him. No one was going to get hurt here. They both knew the score. This was only a single night and they both knew that. He could live with this. He had to.

  When had he turned into such a girl? Any other guy would be thrilled at this development. He adjusted his cock; at least that part of him was completely on-board. He needed to get his brain at the same place. There just weren’t any other options right now.

  Surveying the room, he decided it wouldn’t work for how he hoped the night would progress. Romance. That’s what they needed tonight. He slid Cassie’s coffee table over to the side of the room, and then reached into her antique trunk she used as an end table to grab the quilt to spread over the floor. The pillows from the couch and chairs were haphazardly added next. This would be nice and romantic. Tonight, they would enjoy things. Tomorrow, he’d figure out how to deal with the rest.

  He grabbed the glasses, topped them off, squared his shoulders, and headed back into the kitchen.

  When he came in, she was assembling a huge platter full of food and offered him a genuine smile.

  “You said light and I know that all this doesn’t look light, but this is a European dinner. It’s perfect for nibbling and snacking and wo
rks well with wine. We can just set it on the coffee table and nibble on it all night long.”

  He looked down over the assorted cheeses, both hard and soft, crackers, olives, peppers, breads and cubed meats. “It looks perfect. How about we put a movie in, too?”

  She nodded and then looked shyly at him. “If that’s what you’d like to do, that sounds good.”

  “It is, but first you have to answer one very important question.” He raised a single eyebrow at her and smiled.

  “What’s that?” She looked at him warily.

  He reached around her waist, needing to feel her gentle curves up against him. “Will you be my Valentine?”

  Her eyes reflected surprise and something else he couldn’t pinpoint as she murmured, “I forgot today was Valentine’s Day.”

  Letting his teeth graze the top of her ear, he spoke low into it, “That’s not an answer.”

  A full-body shiver went through her, but her smile was blinding when she met his gaze. “I’d love to be your Valentine.”

  “Good.” He gave her a hard, fast kiss then grabbed the up the platter to take into the living room.

  * * *

  Chris had put on a romantic comedy movie that Julie hadn’t seen, but thirty minutes into it, she knew tomorrow she’d still be able to say she’d never seen it. How was she expected to concentrate on a movie when Chris was lying close enough to her that she could feel his body heat even better than the heat from the fireplace?

  They were lying on the quilt on the floor, touching the full length along their sides, propped up against the couch with all the pillows for support. The only light in the room came from the flames of the fireplace and the soft glow from the television. Chris hadn’t stopped touching her in some subtle way from the moment they sprawled on the floor and her nerves were sizzling with simmering arousal. Her core pulsed in rhythm to her heartbeat and her fingers twitched with the need to touch him. She couldn’t just lie here. She was going to burst into flame.