by Mia Dymond
“Rachel.” He gave her hair a tight yank.
She frowned and released him.
He stepped to the side, well out of her reach. “I can’t take much more.”
Her eyes sparkled as she lifted her legs and turned to recline on her back in the middle of the bed. “I can.”
Hawke groaned as he grabbed his pants from the floor and fumbled for the condom he’d put there earlier. She raised an eyebrow when he tossed it next to her.
“Don’t ask,” he growled.
He crawled on the bed then knelt beside her and ripped open the package. Her soft, light giggle made him clumsy as he wrestled the protection from the foil.
She sat up and held out her palm. “Let me.”
His dick quivered. Something told him not to. And something else told him he was making a deal with the devil himself, but he placed the disc in her hand anyway.
He narrowed his eyes. “Just roll it on.”
She gave a slight nod and placed the latex over his engorged head. Hawke sucked in a quick breath. All systems go, so far. And then the all-too-familiar twinkle shone in her eyes. Very slowly, she stretched the condom over his length, her fingers wrapping and pulling with her progress. Once the protection was firmly in place, she threw in a few extra, long, extremely tight strokes.
He hissed and captured her hand in his.
She shrugged and grinned. “No wrinkles.”
Hawke eased her to lie on her back, positioned himself between her legs, and kissed the tip of her nose. “You are a very naughty little tease.”
“I think you like to be teased.” She draped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Her peaked nipples drew tiny patterns on his chest with each one of her breaths. Hell, yeah. She could tease him to her heart’s content.
“Can you bend your legs, baby?”
She nodded and he reached beside them to help her plant her feet next to his thighs. He came down over her and braced himself on his elbows. “Okay?”
She touched her lips to his. “Perfect.”
“No,” he said as he pushed inside her warm, silken heat, “this is perfect.”
Her eyes shone bright as he moved in and out of her body, slowly at first, desperate to mark her as his own. Screw the plan. Filling her so completely shocked every nerve in his body, a feeling he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world at this point in time. Even if he’d have to spoil it later.
Rachel grasped the tops of his shoulders and arched into his hips. “Hawke, harder.”
He increased his pace and reached between them to rub her clit. Her fingernails bit his skin as she met him thrust for thrust until her hungry muscles clamped down on his aching cock and pulsed.
Another scream left her lips and he leaned forward to catch it with his mouth. He allowed his lips to linger on hers until she quieted and then lifted his mouth to smile.
“Oh yeah, baby, just like that.”
She returned his smile while she rested one arm on his shoulder and slid the other between them. His cock jumped inside her when she squeezed his balls. “Do it again,” she whispered.
Hawke began to move again, this time skipping slow and going straight to fast. His restraint was gone. Her body was too warm and too wet and there was a reason his codename wasn’t Superman. He lifted his body to balance on his hands and drove into her. Two more strokes and her muscles surrounded him in a tight fist and he couldn’t fight release any longer. With a growl, he pushed deep inside her one last time. Fireworks exploded behind his eyelids as he filled her full of his seed in a hot rush. She released a soft moan and pulsed around him again. His limp body covered her completely, sobbing thank you over and over again.
Once he could get a full breath of air, he braced himself on his elbows and smoothed the hair from her forehead. “You’re amazing.”
Rachel’s heart danced. Amazing wasn’t the word she would use to describe what just happened. Life-altering was more like it.
Hawke kissed her lips then rolled to one side to ease off the bed.
Rachel stared at the tight muscles of his backside. No wonder women swooned. Then she left her gaze travel further upward to the middle of his shoulder blade. She smiled at the hawk tattooed there in simple black ink. With its wings spread wide and its beak opened, the bird graced Hawke’s bronzed skin with its incredible beauty. A small glint of jealousy bit her. She wouldn’t share him. She couldn’t.
He slipped between the sheets and pulled her back against his chest. He very carefully ran a hand over the surface of her thigh. “Are you okay?”
She smiled at his concern. “Do you need a high five?”
“Don’t you think we were better than that?”
She nodded. “Oh, we were.”
“What about tomorrow?” He pushed her hair to the side and nipped the top of her shoulder.
She smiled at the hidden meaning skillfully disguised in his question.
“We’ll spend it together,” she assured him. “We need to check on the house and then there’s the photo shoot.”
“Photo shoot?”
She rolled over to face him. “At the fire station. Remember Mr. August?”
“Oh yeah. A naked fireman calendar?”
She giggled. “No.”
“Then you won’t make much money,” he teased.
She lifted her right eyebrow. “You want me to take pictures of naked firemen?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Not necessarily.”
She grinned. “Only from the waist up.”
Hawke cleared his throat. “Maybe you should reschedule.”
“Why?”
“You have to ask?”
“I refuse to hide like a coward, Hawke.”
“I just don’t want a repeat of this afternoon.” He reached to tuck a wayward piece of hair behind her ear. “Besides, we could have just as much fun here.”
She couldn’t stop the smile that split her lips when his erection poked her hip. “No doubt.”
“Ignore it,” he groaned across her ear, “no more condoms.”
Her pulse leapt. Just the thought of Hawke taking her without a condom made her achy all over again. Maybe Max would make a run to the drugstore. Rachel bit her lip to keep her wicked thoughts to herself and closed her eyes. Within minutes, his even breathing told her they would have to wait until morning.
As she lay in his arms and listened to him sleep, she felt a slight sinking feeling in her stomach. She was in big trouble. Despite her intention to take time to analyze her feelings, she’d gone and fallen deeply in love. She’d fought the absurdity of that thought for days now, but after their lovemaking, she realized the true strength of her feelings. There would be no going back.
She sighed. What about Hawke? Could he possibly be in love with her? And then there was that stupid crazed maniac that wouldn’t leave them alone. Although highly unlikely, what if that bullet really was meant for her? The torn skin on her thigh began to throb, a reminder of how serious the situation had become.
Rachel snuggled further into the warmth of Hawke’s body and refused to think anymore. Soon, his steady breathing and heartbeat lulled her to sleep.
The sunlight peeking through the curtains woke Hawke. Used to waking in a different bed most days, he wasn’t too surprised, until he felt the warm body beside him. His brow furrowed. He’d broken his own cardinal rule; he never spent the whole night with a woman. But this wasn’t just a woman, this was Rachel.
His frown faded as he replayed their lovemaking. After last night he couldn’t let her go. They’d gone from sweet and slow to the most explosive sexual experience he’d ever had. And he wanted her again. And again. And again.
His dick saluted as he turned to his side and watched her sleep. Her natural beauty radiated in the morning light, warmed his heart, and spoke to his soul. Very gently he trailed his fingers down her temple, contemplating whether he should let her sleep longer.
Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched her arms above
her head. “That tickles.”
He smirked. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Her eyes twinkled as she reached between them and closed her fist around his eager soldier. “Yes you did.”
He sucked in a quick breath and thrust as he wallowed in the intense pleasure of being confined in the heat of her hand. “Okay.” He squeezed his eyes closed. “I did.”
“And you woke me because...” She stroked him from top to bottom and then walked her fingertips over his velvet smooth tip.
Although his cock obviously had a plan, Hawke took control. He reached down between them, unwrapped her hand, and placed it flat against his chest. “We need to have that talk.”
Rachel nodded, her bedroom eyes sparkling in the early morning sunlight.
He took a deep breath and prepared to break her heart. The mere thought of it wilted his erection. “I’m not who you think, Rachel.”
She gave a soft smile. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
Hawke laid a hand over hers and squeezed. “I work for the United States government.”
Her fingers pressed into his skin and her brow furrowed. “I don’t understand. You’re a major rock star.”
“I’m undercover.”
Her lips quirked. “As a rock star?”
Hawke groaned and rolled away from her to stand beside the bed, the bitter taste of disgust on his tongue. “Believe it or not, yes. It sounds ridiculous but it’s the God-honest truth.” When she didn’t offer argument or laughter, he continued. “Max, Steele, Shadow and I are Navy SEALs hired by Uncle Sam to track terrorist activity. Jaydon Hawke allows me freedom to travel the world without suspicion. The wealth and notoriety allows me to infiltrate suspicious cells at will.”
“The government trained you to be a rock star?”
He had to smile, hoping to God she would accept his explanation. “No, I just happened to have hidden talent.”
She didn’t return his smile and pushed herself to her knees. “I see. And, how exactly do I fit into all of this?”
“We suspected you to be a courier for Manuel Diego.”
She sat stoic, her usual control holding her captive. He wanted her to scream, hit him, throw something, cry even.
Instead, she folded her arms across her breasts. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”
Hawke pulled on his jeans. “He has probably a thousand aliases, but he’s the brain behind building nuclear weapons.”
Her eyes never left his. “Assuming I believe you, I still don’t see what that has to do with me.”
“Diego has posed as one of your overseas clients. Plans for building the weapons are shipped to you in a tube of architectural sketches. Someone else retrieves them from your office.”
She left the bed to throw open a bureau drawer and pull on a tank top and shorts. “I never exchange the tubes. They come and go through the mail room on the lower floor of the building.”
“Diego doesn’t expect you to be there, baby. In fact, they prefer you’re not.”
“How on Earth does he smuggle plans like that into my office without my knowledge?”
Jade grabbed the cardboard tube Max had planted there and handed it to her. “He’s a terrorist, honey. This is the one you were supposed to get the day you were shot.”
She accepted his offering. “So, you’re telling me there are plans for a nuclear weapon in here?”
Against his will, he nodded.
Rachel wiggled the plug in the end of the cardboard loose, pulled out the blueprints inside, and unrolled them. “These are my sketches.”
Hawke worked his pocketknife from his jeans pocket and slid the blade down the side of the tube. As soon as he separated the cut, a tiny blue flash drive fell to the floor.
Rachel’s eyes widened. “Oh my God.” Her face paled.
Hawke lowered her to the bed, pushed her head between her legs, and sat beside her. “Deep breaths.”
After a few deep breaths, she lifted her head. “I swear I didn’t know anything about this, Hawke.”
“We know that now.”
“You really thought I was part of a terrorist cell?”
“Afraid so.”
“So this whole charade was a game?”
Although she deserved more, he could only offer short sentences. “Most of it.”
She paused for a brief moment, as if trying to read his mind. “And you and I, that was just part of the plan?”
Acid churned his stomach. “At first.”
“It wasn’t a game to me,” she whispered.
Desperate to make the whole damn mess disappear, he offered the best explanation he could. “I know and I’m sorry. I didn’t plan for things to turn out like this.”
“You used me.”
“I admit I tried, but you haven’t been a very chatty or cooperative informant.”
She didn’t see the humor. “So, who are you? Jaydon Hawke, rock star, or Hawke, undercover Navy SEAL?”
“Both. I’ll always be Jaydon Hawke. I mean, I just can’t quit being a rock star. But I am first and foremost a Navy SEAL, determined to keep this maniac from hurting you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I planned on it. Then you got shot.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” she mumbled.
He bit his lip to keep from grinning at her ability to see humor in the situation. “Look, Rachel, you have to believe me when I say I didn’t make love to you just to get information.”
He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the words he knew she would say. “I don’t know what to believe.”
“I know this is hard for you.” It’s killing me. “But, you’ve got to trust me.”
“Not so sure about that.”
Aggravated to hell at himself, he reached to grasp her shoulder. “Damn it, Rachel. Your life is in danger. Trust me or not, I won’t let Diego have you.”
She tilted her head to the side, heart-wrenching pain evident in her eyes. Hawke fought himself hard and fast to keep from reaching for her.
“Fine,” she said finally.
“You should cancel the photo shoot.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Diego is a cold-hearted son of a bitch, sweetheart. He won’t think twice about killing you.”
“Use me as bait.”
“What?” Hawke shook his head from side to side to make sure he’d heard correctly. “Hell no.”
“Yes.” Rachel knocked his hand from her shoulder and stood from the bed. “You listen to me, Hawke or whoever the hell you are, and you listen well. I’m sick and tired of being used. If luring this jerk out of hiding is what I have to do to get rid of him, then so be it.” Hawke opened his mouth to speak but she barreled right over him. “Then I can go back to being brainy and boring and all of you can go straight to hell.”
Hawke stood deathly still for seconds after Rachel’s outburst. Holy hell.
“Put your shirt on,” she demanded, “I can’t think straight as it is.”
Without argument, Hawke pulled his shirt over his head and took advantage of her silence. “I need to know you understand why I used you.”
“I understand your motives, but I’m madder than hell. Any discussion about our relationship is now off limits. Anything else?”
He shook his head. “I think we’ve covered it.”
“Good.” She threw open the bedroom door. “Let’s go catch a terrorist.”
***
A chill climbed Max’s spine as the doorbell chimed. How in the hell had Rachel managed to talk him into this?
As he stepped to open the front door, he sensed her immediately. The sweet, sexy smell of cotton candy and sunshine. Cameron. Completely Cameron. A smell so sweet that if he inhaled too deeply, his teeth would rot. Still, he couldn’t resist. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
“About time,” she chided.
With a sway of her curvy hips, she slipped past him and made her way to the living room.
&nb
sp; Max closed the door, set the alarm, and followed behind. “How did you get in the gate?”
She frowned while she tossed her bag to the sofa then sat down next to it. “How do you think?”
He crossed his arms and opted for silence.
She looked up and rolled her baby blues. “I know the code, Einstein.” She pulled out a sketchbook and then patted the cushion beside her. “C’mon, Scaredy Cat, I promise it won’t hurt.”
He eased himself down next to her, shamefully aroused. Curse words swam across his brain. Something about fighting this white-hot attraction was just wrong.
“You could see better if you take off your glasses.”
And expose his reaction to her? “No.”
“Suit yourself, Joe Cool.” She shrugged and pushed the book his direction. “Since you’ll be Hawke’s roomie, Rachel wanted you to see the sketches for your bedroom.”
His eyes widened when he looked at her drawings. Palm trees, coconuts, and wild, loud animal prints screamed at him. Hell, there was even a monkey swinging from the palm tree and an alligator at the foot of the bed.
He took a deep breath and shoved the paper back at her. “You’ve never been in the jungle, have you?”
“No, why?”
“If you aimed for a jungle with that drawing, you missed.”
“You don’t like it?”
“No.” Although, he would play Tarzan and Jane with her. Any time. Any place. “I’ve spent enough time in the jungle.”
“It suits your personality.”
He sat quietly behind his glasses and worked hard to keep his face expressionless.
She giggled and handed him another drawing. “Relax, Rambo, this is what I really had in mind.”
Max glanced cautiously at the second sketch and a sense of relief seeped through his skin. This room had more of a techno feel to it, showcasing shiny chrome fixtures and electronic gadgets strategically placed throughout. The colors were bold and reeked of raw masculinity. She’d even covered the furniture in his trademark black leather.
“Better?” she asked.
“Much,” he agreed.
“See?” she chided. “You got your panties in a wad for nothing.”
