Before the Mission Begins (When The Mission Ends)

by Christi Snow

  She rolled onto her side and angled a leg up over the top of his. Tugging at his shirt, she was able to find some of that hot, hard skin that spread across the ripples of his abs. Her fingers grazed lightly and she slowly found the courage to meet his eyes. What she saw there made her want to moan, roll over, and submit to him.

  His sapphire eyes had darkened with arousal. In the firelight, they sparked and she suddenly knew what it felt like to be prey. She liked it. Her palms became damp, her nipples tightened, and arousal drenched her panties. He wasn’t moving. All his muscles had tensed under her fingertips, but that look pushed her on. She leaned over him and brushed her lips across his abdomen, but that wasn’t enough. She wanted to taste. Flicking her tongue out, her senses exploded. This was Chris, every fantasy she’d ever had, come to life under her tongue and fingertips. He tasted salty, but there was an underlying essence there that was wholly him and it was an aphrodisiac to her.

  She explored his abdomen with tiny nips and kisses, slowly working her way up the ridges of his stomach and the soft fur of his chest. His breathing had picked up, but he still restrained himself, letting her just explore his body at her leisure. When she came to the puckered disc of his nipple, she worked it with both her fingertips and tongue. His breathing hitched and a low, deep moan exploded from him. The power to do that to him was invigorating.

  Lying fully on his body now, she could feel the evidence of his desire pressed against her belly and she tilted her hips toward it as she used her teeth on his other nipple. Need for him overcame any lingering fears she may have experienced. Now, her focus was all about him.

  His hips surged up to meet hers, “Aw damn, Butterfly. You feel so fucking good. I need to touch you.”

  Pushing his shirt out of the way, she instructed, “Not yet. Let me first.” She tugged at his shirt again. “Take it off.” She lifted off of him so he could remove it.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He complied and her mouth dried at the sight of all that male hardness for her to explore.

  She crawled up his chest, fully pressed against him. Her panties were sopping wet.

  He leaned back and she could see the tension in him as he held himself in check to let her explore. “I’m halfway naked. It’s only fair that you shed some clothing too.” His voice was low and scratchy. “Besides skin on skin will feel that much better.”

  Better? No, nothing could feel better than this, but Julie was all for more skin. Right now she wanted to feel him all over her body. She sat up to pull off the layers of her top and he sat up to help her. Straddling his lap, there was no denying what throbbed between her legs and it felt so good. Ecstasy forced her eyes shut. Her distraction didn’t pull Chris from his goal, though. He tugged on the hem of her shirts and then she could feel nothing but the searing heat of his bare chest pressed up against her. So good.

  She wiggled her hips as she reached around the back of his head to pull him closer. She needed to taste again and reached out to stroke her tongue against his neck. One big hand palmed the back of her head and the other reached around her back to pull her closer. Closer she could agree with.

  His hand trailed farther down her back to cup her butt and then inched under her skirt. She smiled into his neck as she heard the rumble of his groan across his chest.

  “Garters,” he said reverently. “I thought they were tights, but oh my God, they’re garters.” He explored farther. “And a thong. Butterfly, you’re killing me here.” A shudder worked up his body. She had a moment of warning with the tensing of his muscles before he rolled her underneath him.

  She knew her face must have shown her surprise because he stilled above her. “Is this okay? I just want to see you.” His voice had taken on an edge of pleading, which melted her heart just a little.

  She nodded. “It’s fine. It’s good.”

  He tugged at her skirt. “I need this off.”

  “Okay.” She wiggled her hips as he pulled it down, but she felt a flutter of apprehension as he sat back and looked. A frisson of tension rolled up her spine, as her control of the situation spun away from her. She watched his deltoids flex and she became aware of just how much stronger than her he was. This wasn’t going to work. Why had she thought this was a good idea? But then his eyes met hers and she saw nothing there but admiration and desire.

  “You are so damn beautiful, Butterfly. I want to make this so good for you.” His voice was so low with desire and he levered his body over her. His touch was a slow, erotic torture, but what an amazing way to die. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to relax into him. She wanted this. She wanted him. She didn’t want to mess this up.

  Suddenly he stopped, holding his hips still between her own, and placed his hand on her face. She couldn’t stop the flinch of surprise.

  “Julie,” his voice was gentle, “baby, look at me.” She opened her eyes to see his full of concern. “There you are. Come on, Butterfly. Stay with me and this will be good. I promise you. Just keep your eyes on me.”

  She swallowed hard and focused on the heat simmering between them. “It’s okay. I’m okay. Let’s keep going.”

  “No, you’re not. I can see that much, but you will be. Butterfly, you can’t force this. If you try, it won’t work. Trust me, okay?”

  She nodded.

  “If I do anything that doesn’t feel right, that doesn’t feel good, you need to let me know. This is all about feeling good. I promise you, if you trust me, it’s going to feel fantastic.” He reached up to touch the swell of her breast. “I adore your breasts.”

  He caressed around the edge of the purple lace of her bra, the calluses of his fingertips dipping under the lace and she watched as he leaned down to kiss her lightly above the swell. His eyes never left hers and the depth of feeling she saw there just about melted her panties. One flick of his tongue and she was writhing beneath him again.

  He tantalized the swell of one breast then the other, before he fingered the clasp in between. “May I?”

  “Oh yeah, please.” The pleading in her voice was unmistakable and it should bother her but she was beyond that because suddenly her breasts were freed and his lips and tongue were on her nipple. She arched her back and hissed an urgent, “Chris!”

  He reached across and soothed her other nipple until it was as peaked and rigid as the one currently in his mouth. He lifted off momentarily. “Just keep your eyes on me, Butterfly. That’s right.”

  He wove a spell over her body, leaving her writhing and begging for more. She reached for him, but he would have none of that. Instead of coming up to where she wanted him, he kissed down her body and settled in the juncture between her thighs. She watched him warily, but there was no denying the passion in his eyes which worked to jack up her own arousal even higher.

  He pressed his lips against her panties and her clit throbbed in response.

  “You’re soaking wet, Butterfly, and that’s so incredibly sexy. In just a few minutes I’m going to sink into this moist heat and it’s going to be so damned good, but first I’m going to teach you how to fly.” His words were spoken so low she could barely hear him, but every breath from his mouth fluttered over her clenching mound like a sweet caress. “Would you like that?”

  She nodded. Words were beyond her at this moment. With heart-stopping methodical movements, he removed her garters, thigh high tights, and panties, and then he settled back between her legs.

  The first touch of his tongue against her felt like nothing short of heaven. She’d never had a guy do this to her before and that was just so wrong, because this was the most amazing feeling ever. His finger moved in conjunction with the pressure and nibbling of his tongue, sliding and pressing into her. A pulse spiraled throughout her body. When a second finger joined the first, Julie gasped as the walls clenched and throbbed over his fingers. Never in her life had she experienced an orgasm so hard or for so long.

  He murmured words against her skin as he brought her back from her pleasure, but her ears weren’t wor
king right because she couldn’t make out the words. When the quivering of her muscles finally subsided, he crawled back up her body. She was surprised to realize he still had his jeans on. That wasn’t acceptable. She began to tug at the buttons, but he stilled her hand.

  “Hey, it’s okay. We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

  Her orgasm had freed her of whatever reticence had been holding her back. She palmed the length of his erection through his jeans and was pleased at his hiss of breath and the throb that she felt there. “No way. We’re not stopping now. I want this inside me. Chris, I want you inside me.”

  He stilled for a moment and met her eyes. He must have seen what he wanted there because he loosened his hold on her hand and helped her undo the buttons of his fly. As they removed his jeans and boxer briefs together, she sucked in a deep breath at the sight of him. He was huge and she just wanted to touch. She reached down between them and palmed the hard length of him into her grasp. His entire body shuddered at the feel of her hand around him.

  “Butterfly, I’m on the edge.” She heard him swallow hard as he pumped his shaft into her grip. His moan was low as he pressed his forehead into hers. “That feels so good, but I’m seconds away from losing it here and that’s not how either one of us wants this to end.” The flutters through her belly took hold again and all she wanted was that hard length of him pushing into her. He pulled out of her grip and reached into the pocket of his jeans to remove a condom. She took it from him, ripped it open, and slid it over his long, hard length.

  After he was sheathed, he held himself over her and met her gaze again. He looked like he was about to question her, so she reached down and placed him at the juncture of her thighs. Then she wrapped her legs around his back and surged against him to pull him completely into her. She was wet and ready, but the sudden fullness was still astounding. It was a tight fit, but her earlier orgasm provided the lubrication needed. For the first time in her life, this felt right. He felt right within her. Like he belonged there. Her hips flexed of their own accord, bringing them together in a mind-blowing ecstasy. Already, she could feel another orgasm building with tingles traveling down her spine.

  “Butterfly,” he gasped, “I’m so close.” He reached down to massage her clit as his thrusts became more frantic and erratic. His mouth closed over the pulse of her neck. Electrical sparks shattered through her core and she screamed his name as her interior muscles clenched and pulsed in orgasm. He shuddered as the force of his orgasm jetted from his body into the condom which made every muscle in her body convulse in rhythm. It lasted forever and yet, seemed to be just a moment in time.

  When she came back to herself, his head was cradled in the crook of her neck. She could still feel the occasional fluttering of their mutual muscles as he stayed inside of her. They panted hard, like they’d just finished a one hundred mile marathon. She rubbed her hands up his back, surprised to feel the ripple of muscles contract in their wake.

  She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of the weight of his body within and on her. “Wow,” she murmured, although she was surprised to hear her own voice. She really hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

  Slowly he lifted his head and gently touched her cheek. He whispered, “Wow doesn’t even begin to cover it, Butterfly. That was amazing. How am I supposed to leave in the morning when I just found you?”

  Her heart stuttered. Oh no. What had just happened here? She swallowed the tears that threatened.

  “I never expected this to happen,” his voice cracked with emotion. He looked deep into her eyes, searching. “You are so much more than I ever expected. So much more than I ever dreamed, but it’s not fair to ask you to wait for me.”

  “It’s only for six months, right? That’s not so long.” She unsuccessfully swallowed the tears that threatened. “If you promise to come back safely, I can promise to be here waiting for you.” She swallowed again. “At least, if that’s what you want.”

  “Butterfly, there’s nothing I want more.” He swiped a tear off her cheek. His mouth claimed hers. All the passion, love, and possession flowed through his lips as they tangled with hers. She swallowed a sob and lost herself within his strong embrace.

  They had a single night for now. She wasn’t going to waste a single moment of it. Tomorrow, she’d deal with how to survive the next six months.

  * * *

  Chris awoke in the twilight before dawn and looked down at the shock of purple hair resting below his chin. The scene was eerily reminiscent of the day only twenty-four hours before, but so much had changed. Why did this have to happen now? His world had shifted and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it because he was headed out of the country tomorrow. And wasn’t that a bitch?

  He gritted his teeth as he considered his job, questioning what he did for the first time in his life. This was the first time he’d ever had that happen. He wasn’t ready to leave her yet. For the first time ever, he didn’t want to go fly his jet. He’d just found her and all he wanted to do was stay here and luxuriate in her heat and keep her safe and happy. His heart clenched. Six months. That time period had never sounded so long before, but knowing he’d have her to come home to would make all the difference.

  The End.

  Author's Note

  Texas Tech is a real university and Lubbock, TX is a real town. In fact, that’s where I graduated from college and have amazing memories from there. As a result, when I sat down to write my first series of books, I wanted to pay homage to that school and town I love so much.

  I probably wasn’t thinking that through when I decided to create all the murder and mayhem of this trilogy in that locale. Don’t let the events in these books influence your perception of either the school or the town. While the places are real, the events absolutely are NOT.

  I also took great liberties in the layout of the campus, the kinds of activities the University would allow, Lubbock PD, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, and some of the surrounding businesses. Please don’t hold it against them or me!

  This is a work of fiction and should be looked at in that light.

  DON’T FORGET!

  Book #3 in the When the Mission Ends Trilogy

  Operation: Endurance

  Releases April 30, 2013

  About the Author

  As an avid reader my entire life, I’ve always dreamed of writing books that brought to others the kind of joy I feel when I read. But…I never did anything about it besides jot down a few ideas and sparse scenes.

  When I turned 41, I decided it was time to go after my dream and started writing. Within four months, I’d written over 150,000 words and haven’t stopped since. I’ve found my passion by writing about sexy, alpha heroes and smart, tough heroines falling in love and finding their passion. I’m truly living the dream and loving every minute of it.

  My tagline is…

  Passion and adventure on the road to Happily Ever After. I have to admit, I am loving this adventure!

  You can find me at: www.Christi-Snow.com