“Brooke, baby, angel—we don’t have to do this tonight,” he said. “We’ve got forever. You can sleep and I’ll take care of you.”
She pushed back, her baby blues gazing up at him with such heat and need that his heart did a somersault. Daaaamn…
“I love you, Cade. You love me. I almost didn’t get to tell you that, and I almost didn’t get to be with you again. I want you so desperately I hurt. I want you inside me. I want your cock and your tongue, and I want your arms around me. I want to be together in the closest way possible. I need it.”
That was all he needed to hear. Cade went to work doing one of the things he did best. He took total control, willing to give it back if she needed it, but she didn’t. He stripped her naked, dropped to his knees, and licked her pussy until she cried out, shuddering hard as she came on his tongue.
Then he picked her up and took her to the bedroom. Within seconds, he was naked and inside her, thrusting deeply into her body.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” he said.
Her fingers dug into his back. “Not enough,” she said. “Never enough with you.”
He knew exactly what she meant. He fused his mouth to hers and pumped into her harder, taking them both higher and higher. But before he could explode, he rolled with her until she was on top.
Brooke squeaked at the change in position. He held her hips, gazing up at all that hot blond beauty, those lusciously large tits, her narrow waist and wide hips. This woman was built like a wet dream. His wet dream.
“Ride me, angel,” he told her. “I want to watch you come.”
Her hands pressed into his chest, holding her body up as she began to move, rising and sinking on his cock over and over. He made a mental note to get a big standing mirror that he could position to watch them fuck in every conceivable position he could think of.
“That’s it, Brooke,” he said as her tits swayed and she bit her lip and moaned.
For good measure, he put his fingers between them and strummed her clit.
“Oh my God,” she gasped. “I’m going to come…”
He was too. It hit him like a vise to the balls, though a pleasurable one that squeezed everything together before opening the flood gates. As he poured himself into her, he groaned and lifted his head so he could suck one of her sweet nipples deep while his body shook and spent itself in a hot rush.
Slowly she collapsed on him, her skin moist with sweat, the scent of her surrounding him. She rested a palm on his chest. The other hand was a little higher, on his shoulder.
He skimmed the pads of his fingers down her spine, over her ass. His throat tightened for a moment. This woman loved him. Trusted him. After everything she’d been through two years ago—and everything now—she trusted him enough to let herself go like this.
It humbled him. He would never take that trust for granted.
“I love you,” she said against his chest. “I needed that so much.”
“I love you too. And I’m glad you needed it. I did too, but I didn’t want to push you.”
She lifted her head to gaze at him. Her eyes were soft. “You made me whole again, Cade. I know I still have to talk to my therapist, and I will, but you showed me that I am strong and I am capable of living my life without constant and debilitating fear. I’m not miraculously cured—but I love you and trust you and it’s easy to let myself go with you.”
He knew what a gift that was. How hard it had to have been for her to make that leap.
“I’ll always protect you, angel.” But he’d also been thinking, and he needed to say it. “But if you decide this isn’t for you, that you can’t handle my life, I’ll understand. I’ll let you go, though it’ll kill me to do it. I don’t ever want to drag you into something you don’t want. I don’t want you worrying about the danger or about it carrying over to you ever again.”
She frowned. “Do you honestly think my love is that weak? That I’m going to walk away because life is scary and your life is scarier than most?” She shook her head and her hair flew around her face. “No way, Jose. I’m addicted to your eggplant. I’m addicted to you. Am I going to get scared? Yep. Am I going to huddle up with Grace and her kid and be terrified because you’re incommunicado? Yes. But what kind of idiot would I be if I took all this”—she waved a hand up and down their bodies—“and threw it away? Not happening.”
“Amazingly enough, you’re making me hard again.”
“Like you ever stopped? You’re still inside me, and nothing has changed.”
He flipped her over and spread her wide. “Then hold on, angel. I’m about to rock your world.”
“Again?” she asked, one eyebrow arched. “Bring it on, my love. I am so ready.”
* * *
The sun was streaming into the room when Brooke woke and stretched. Her body was sore, some of it due to her captivity, some of it due to Cade. The parts that were due to Cade made her shiver in delight.
They’d made love more times last night than she’d have thought possible. They’d sleep and wake and fuck, and then sleep and wake and fuck some more. It was amazing and beautiful and addictive. No wonder Grace was so happy all the time and had been since Garrett had saved her. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and Brooke finally understood what that felt like.
Even with Gavin, the man she’d thought she’d loved before she found out he had a wife, she’d never had this constant need to touch and get naked that she had with Cade.
“Morning, angel,” Cade said. She pushed herself up on an elbow and watched as he carried a tray into the room. He was wearing his tighty-whities, his entire body simply the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen with its ridges of honed muscle and its long, perfect lines. If she were an artist, she’d sculpt him.
“Morning,” she said as happiness suffused her. “Did you fix breakfast?”
“Yep. Eggs, bacon, toast. And coffee of course. Sound good?”
“Definitely.” She sat up and he put the tray down on the bed, joining her under the covers and scooting the tray up so they could share the plates. And he’d literally piled eggs and bacon and toast on one big plate. There were two forks and two cups of coffee.
“I can get you a plate of your own if you want. It was easier to carry this way.”
She stabbed her fork into the eggs. “This is fine. I love sharing with you.”
“Max has been fed, and he went out to chase squirrels in the yard.”
Brooke laughed. “He’s going to get so spoiled running around out there.”
“Look, I know it’s too soon to talk about these things, but if you want to stay with me for a while, you and Max are welcome. I’m happy to come stay with you too. Not that we’re moving in together, but when we do, I’m happy to do what makes you happy.”
“You are the perfect man, Cade Rodgers with a D. Hot sex, hot breakfast, and you took care of my dog. I’d be crazy not to spend as much time with you as I can.”
He bit off a piece of bacon and grinned. “You would.”
“I like it here. My job is portable, and quite honestly I don’t think I want to live in my condo anymore. Bad memories there. So maybe I can stay here with you while I work to put my place on the market. After that, we can talk about the next step.”
“Sounds reasonable to me,” he said. “But angel, you need to know something.” His gaze was serious, his gray eyes beautiful and sigh-worthy as he laid all his considerable charm on her. “I’m taking it easy for you, but I’m all in. I’ve been feeling lost for the past few years now, my relationships empty and unfulfilling. I’m tired of sex without commitment and tired of not having someone to plan a future with. You’re my someone, angel. Just so you know, the next step for me will always involve you.”
Her heart was a warm puddle of joy. Her throat was tight. “I’m so glad I texted you that day. I hate to think that none of this would have happened if I hadn’t.”
“It was happening, angel.”
She blinked. “Y
ou can’t be sure of that.”
“Yeah, I can. Because it was meant to be. And meant to be always finds a way.”
“I love you.”
“You do. Because you were meant to. And I was meant to love you.” He shrugged and fed her a forkful of eggs. “Karma, kismet, destiny. I don’t care what you call it. It’s real. You in my bed is proof of it.”
“Marriage, huh?” she asked when she’d swallowed the eggs. “Kids too?”
“If you want them.”
“Do you?”
He reached out and skimmed a finger over her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I think a little girl who looks like her mommy would be amazing.”
“Or a little boy who looks like his hot daddy?”
“That too. Or none at all, if that’s what you want. Or if it’s the card life deals us. Not every couple can have babies.”
“You’d be okay with that?”
“So long as I have you, yes. Besides, there’s always adoption if we wanted to try another way.”
“That’s true. Wow, this is sounding like a serious plan.”
“It is.”
She leaned over and kissed him. He tasted like bacon and coffee. “You know what I think?”
“What?”
“I think life with you is going to be amazing. And I can’t wait to get started.”
He threaded his fingers into her hair, kissed her lazily and long. “It already is amazing, angel. I’m a lucky man—and I plan to show my appreciation every single day.”
“Mmm, I love that plan…”
“I knew you would. Now finish your breakfast so I can have dessert.”
She didn’t have to ask what he was talking about. The twinkle in his eyes told her exactly what he was planning to do.
Lucky girl…
Yes, she was.
Chapter 25
One month later…
* * *
Sky Kelley nursed his beer and let his gaze swing over the gathering at Garrett Spencer’s house. It was another football Sunday, and the guys from Alpha, Echo, and the SEALs were all there. The ones who’d paired up had their women with them, though the women were currently in the kitchen discussing Grace Spencer’s impending baby.
Saint ambled by with a fresh beer, then backed up and flopped down beside Sky.
“You okay, Hack?” he asked, frowning.
Sky didn’t bat an eye. “Sure. Why are you asking?”
“You’ve been quiet lately. Quieter than usual, I mean.”
“Nothing much. Thinking.”
“Yeah, guess you got a lot to think about.”
Sky frowned. What did that mean?
“With the computer stuff and all,” Saint continued. “Don’t know how you do it, but glad you do.”
Sky shrugged. Familiar ground. “We all have our gifts. Understanding how systems work is mine.”
“Yeah, well, if you hadn’t jammed that signal out there in the Columbian jungle…” He shuddered, frowning.
“You’ve thanked me enough, Saint. It’s what we do, right?”
“Yeah.” He sucked in a breath and leaned his head back on the chair he’d sat down in.
“How’s she been?” Sky asked.
Brooke Sullivan seemed to have recovered from the ordeal just fine, but you could never tell if there was any lingering damage. Not to mention it hadn’t been the first time she’d been involved on the wrong end of a mission.
“She’s doing great. Occasional nightmare, but nothing lasting. Just accepted an offer on her condo a couple of days ago. We’re moving to a new place, and Brooke is opening up a bakery.”
“Oh man, those donuts you brought into work last week…”
“Yeah, right? Girl can whip up sweets that’ll make a grown man beg.”
Sky snorted. “You don’t say?”
“Mind out of the gutter. That’s my lady.”
Sky clinked his beer bottle with Saint’s. “I know. Just teasing. How’s the Lewis kid, by the way?”
Saint frowned. “She’s good, actually. Making progress. Brooke sees her a couple of times a week.”
“And Bert Lewis?”
“They’ve spoken once. He’s apologetic as hell, but I don’t think she’s going to forgive him anytime soon. Neither will his wife, it seems. He lost his job, he’s under indictment for conspiracy, and his wife left him. Not that he was actually involved in the cartel’s gunrunning, but he covered for their meetings with Scott Lloyd—and erased the footage that proved Lopez was the one who’d pulled the trigger.”
“Guess he should have thought of what might happen before he got involved with the Espinozas. Though trying to take care of his wife… Well, it’s understandable in a way.”
Saint didn’t look convinced. “There has to be other ways. He fucked up, and he nearly got Brooke and his daughter killed in the process.”
“True,” Sky said.
“At least they’re out of business for a while.”
The Espinoza Cartel was suffering from the attack on their stronghold and from the loss of the weapons they’d paid for and never gotten. But they’d be back to strength in a year or so. Maybe sooner.
The information in Scott Lloyd’s digital files had taken down Black Eagle Firearms once and for all. The top-tier management had been indicted, and a few of them were busy trying to make plea deals. Motherfuckers, all of them.
Brooke came sashaying back into the living room, and Saint pulled her down on his lap and nuzzled her neck. She giggled and they shared a few private words that Sky could tell were intense.
He turned away and chugged his beer. Then he stood and they looked up at him, happy faces striking a deep chord within him. A melancholy chord.
What the fuck?
“Got an appointment in the morning,” he said. “So I’m going to get out of here.”
“You got a ride?” Saint asked.
“I Ubered over.”
Saint nodded. “See you later.”
Sky took his leave of the party, dialed an Uber, and headed for the small town house he was renting near the military post. When he got inside, he grabbed another beer from the fridge, then flopped onto the couch and opened his laptop.
The email he hadn’t clicked for days was still there. Still staring at him. He stared back, drinking beer and telling himself there was no way in hell he was going to open it. She wouldn’t know if he read it, but he would know.
And he didn’t want her in his headspace. Not again. She’d done enough damage.
Sky minimized the email, as he had every day since it arrived, and went searching in some of the forums he frequented, seeing what was going on in the world and who was making news. He finished the beer and opened another one.
The email window was still there though, still bugging him. He maximized the window again. And then he clicked the email before he could change his mind. It was going to eat him alive if he didn’t—hell, it had already started.
He stared at the blinking cursor. And then, like ripping off a bandage, he decided to just get it over with. To click the fucker and find out what she could possibly have to say after all this time.
The message opened, taking up his screen. The words seared into his eyeballs.
* * *
Sky, I need to see you. Please. Bliss
* * *
Sky snapped the laptop closed with a growl. He got up, intending to get another beer—and then another and another. Time to get knee-walking drunk.
The doorbell rang. He went over and looked out the peephole, expecting it was Mrs. Ernst wanting a cup of sugar or something. She found an excuse to visit him about once every couple of days. He was used to it by now, even if he wasn’t really prepared to deal with her.
But it wasn’t Mrs. Ernst. His heart stopped in his chest as he stared at the small figure on the other side of the door. Sleek dark hair, full lips, wide-set eyes, an air of innocence that was an absolute fucking lie.
He felt nothing at seeing that
face. Nothing at all.
And then he felt everything. Anger, hot and swift, flooded him. He jerked the door open before he could think better of it.
She smiled tentatively. “Hello, Sky. It’s been a while.”
Rage urged him to slam the door. Curiosity wouldn’t let him.
“What the hell do you want, Bliss?”
She arched an eyebrow and wrapped a mantle of self-righteousness around her shoulders. “Is that any way to talk to your wife?”
* * *
THANK YOU!
Thanks for reading this Hostile Operations Team story! If you want to find out what happens with Sky “Hacker” Kelley and Bliss, then click on the title: HOT SECRETS
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Sky “Hacker” Kelley has secrets in his past—and one of them is Bliss Bennett!
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Also by Lynn Raye Harris
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