The Sniper

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Nathan wiped at the trickle of sweat beading on his forehead. Central heat and air hadn’t been on his list of priorities when he’d purchased the cabin but he couldn’t bear to field more of Jaci’s questions.

  He stripped his shirt and tossed it to the floor. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, making him feel like a junkie, all edgy and filled with nervous energy. His military training kicked in and he dropped to the floor. Without hesitation he pounded out fifty push-ups and then when he felt he couldn’t do another rep, he pounded out twenty-five more. Sweat poured down his face and he welcomed the pain in his screaming muscles. Pent-up longing and sexual frustration converged and pushed him to spend the excess energy on physical activity. It wasn’t until he’d finished the insane number of push-ups that he realized Jaci was standing in the doorway watching him.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, slightly out of breath. He picked up his T-shirt and mopped his face with it. But as he rose to his feet he saw the look in her eyes and his breath quickened. He knew that look. Good God, he knew that look.

  How many times had he fantasized about seeing that particular look on Jaci’s face again? Too many to count. Too many times he’d woken up in a hot and bothered sweat, his erection springing from his groin as if searching for the woman who was no longer in his bed. “You don’t want this,” he warned as she advanced. “What you’re trying to find is closure. It’s not going to happen if we have sex.”

  Her fingers went to the buttons on her blouse and his breath froze in his chest. “Don’t tell me what I need,” she murmured, her eyes flashing dangerously. “I need you to shut up and stop being so damn bossy.” Her eyes drifted to his jeans. “Now take your pants off.”

  He swallowed, his hands trembling. He didn’t know if he had the strength to refuse her when he wanted her so bad. He was nearly mindless with desire. He took a step back. It was his one shot at doing the right thing and, God help her, she was not making it easy for him. She dropped her blouse to the floor and shimmied out of her jeans. He swallowed a groan. “You’re going to regret this,” he growled, trying to scare her. “This isn’t going to change anything.”

  He stiffened as she stepped into his space, her hands curling up into his hair. His fingers automatically locked around her waist. “You talk too much,” she said, before lifting on her toes and sealing her mouth to his.

  Ah, hell... So much for noble intentions.

  Chapter 9

  Jaci’s veins burned with need, which coursed through her body and chased away all trace of reason and plain good sense. She didn’t want to think or analyze her actions; she wanted to lose herself in the arms of a man who knew her sexual needs far better than she knew her own. She craved the oblivion that could only be found within the embrace of the one man she had no business being with. But then, as of late, being bad seemed to be her thing, so why not add one more mistake to her list?

  She hopped into his arms and he immediately tightened his arms around her behind, hoisting her higher so that the center of her damp heat ground against the rigid muscle of his abdomen. She groaned against his mouth as he gripped her hard, the scent of his male musk surrounding her in a sensual cocoon that ratcheted her desire to another level. “Nathan,” she gasped, allowing her head to drop back to allow him better access to her neck. His lips traveled along her skin, nipping and sucking until her body was racked with shudders of wild abandon.

  She bit her bottom lip as he carried her to the bed and they tumbled to the soft mattress. The cloying heat inside the bedroom immediately slicked their skin with sweat, which somehow made everything seem that much dirtier and sinfully wonderful at the same time. He dragged her to his mouth and somehow her panties and bra joined his jeans and underwear on the floor. Suddenly they were skin against skin, hands touching and exploring as eagerly as their tongues. He pushed her roughly to her back and she thrilled at his savage touch. She felt helpless beneath his strong, firm hands yet she’d never felt safer. Jaci squeezed her eyes shut as he opened her legs and bared her most feminine place to his gaze.

  “Look at me, Jaci,” he demanded, his voice a sensual growl that stole her breath as readily as his touch. “I want you to watch as I touch you and know that it’s me.”

  She held her breath and jerked a short nod, loving this dominant little game between them. He’d always been possessive in the bedroom and it delighted her that he remained so with her now, as if no time at all had passed.

  His gaze burned a trail straight to her quivering core and she trembled with the force of her need. How had she ever thought anyone else could possibly make love to her the way Nathan did? How many times had she hoped and prayed that someone else would come along to erase the memory of his touch so that she could finally sleep at night without tossing and turning in sexual frustration? Shamefully—too many.

  “Your skin is so soft, so sweet,” he murmured against her flesh, running his tongue along the damp seam of her feminine folds. She quivered at the intimate contact and gasped as his tongue delved deeper, seeking and finding that hot, swollen pleasure nub with unerring accuracy. As his tongue danced and plunged, his finger penetrated her core, pushing her to her limits until her inner thighs began to tremble and shake as her entire body barreled toward an explosive crash. “That’s it, baby...” he said, his tone harsh with lust and desire. “I want to feel you shatter beneath my tongue.”

  Jaci clutched at the soft pillow, crying out with pleasure as he teased in just the right way until she couldn’t stand another moment. Her muscles spasmed and she sucked in a tight breath as every sensation converged on that tightly concentrated area of her body and then radiated outward in a starburst of wonder. “Ohhhh...” She arched and fell back to the bed as Nathan released her, watching her with an approving smile that made her blush.

  She slowly came to her senses but before she could completely recover, Nathan rolled her to her side so that she was twisted with her backside exposed and waiting. His large, strong hands caressed her behind with such open appreciation that there was no hiding that he liked what he saw.

  Suddenly Nathan paused to roll her to her stomach and she gasped when he jerked her hips up so that she was on her knees. She glanced at him over her shoulder and fresh arousal spiked her blood. With Nathan she’d never felt ashamed or fearful no matter the things they’d done together, and being with him again felt as natural as breathing.

  “Oh, Jaci...” he whispered as his tempo became erratic. Her body absorbed the shock of each thrust as her own pleasure began to build. She gripped the quilt, the threading abrading her cheek as the sound of their heavy breathing filled the room. This was heaven, she thought, nearing delirium. She’d accept death at that very moment if it meant she could experience one last second like this. And then as Nathan lost control, Jaci followed a heartbeat later, both shuddering and shaking as they collapsed to the bed, their hearts hammering and their breathing harsh. Had they really just...? Yes. And she still had the slowly receding muscular contractions to prove it.

  Their breathing returned to normal just about the same time as Jaci’s sanity.

  Oh, good gravy...she’d done lost her mind—and her dignity—willfully.

  * * *

  Nathan was stunned. Sex with Jaci had always been exciting but this had been off the charts. He was momentarily speechless. He didn’t want to move—he wasn’t sure he could even if he’d wanted to. He wanted to sleep. But the heat in the room was nearly suffocating now that he’d expended all that pent-up energy. He rolled to his feet and padded to the window, jerking open the blinds to let in the fresh air and hoping for a small breeze. He glanced at Jaci. “Are you okay?” he asked, as she stared at the ceiling, her glorious red hair fanning out around her on the pillow, her rosy-tipped nipples pebbled beautifully on her upturned breasts. He frowned when she didn’t answer and refused to look at him. Instant regret knifed through him as h
e worried how she was feeling about what they’d done. He’d tried to warn her but she hadn’t been willing to listen. “Jaci...I’m s—”

  “When you left me I thought the best way to get over you was to date plenty of other guys.” She cut into his apology, surprising him with her clear, almost reflective tone. She shifted her gaze to him as she sat up, mindless of her nudity. He scowled, not all that interested in hearing how many other men she’d been with since he’d been gone but before he could say anything, she continued, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and climbing to her feet. “But I’ve just realized that method never would’ve worked. There’s just something about us that clicks in a way that defies explanation and you can try to deny it but I felt it in my body and I know you felt it, too.”

  “What’s your point?” he asked, hating that he couldn’t run from the truth. He agreed with her, but knowing that they were probably soul mates only made the pain worse.

  Her eyes narrowed at his curt retort and he bit his tongue before his sex-addled brain made his mouth blurt out how jaw-droppingly gorgeous she looked with her hair tumbled wild from a serious case of sexy bed head and her cheeks ruddy and flushed. Yeah, stow that. “I told you nothing would change if we had sex.” He tried to focus but Jaci walking around naked was his kryptonite. He made a quick turn and strode to the adjoining bathroom to start the shower, hoping she would take his sudden departure as a sign that he didn’t want to continue the conversation. But she simply followed him. “What are you doing?” he asked, bordering on exasperation.

  “I’m showering with you.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said, flipping the water on and averting his stare from roaming her near-perfect curves. How had one woman managed to turn his world upside down?

  “Oh, it’s a terrible idea,” she agreed, the corners of her mouth lifting in a puzzlingly faint smile. “But tell me something I’ve done in the last two months that remotely resembled a good idea,” she challenged. “Tell me something that I don’t know.”

  “C’mon, Jase,” he said when she stepped into the shower with a determined expression. Damn her, she knew his weakness when it came to her naked body. Almost unbidden, his hands cupped her full breasts as she went under the spray and his manhood awoke, plumping and strengthening with every heartbeat as blood coursed through his arteries until his erection sprang ready and hard to go again. “Damn you, Jaci. You knew this would happen,” he muttered as he descended on her pert nipple, sucking in the tip and pulling her to him. “This is a bad, bad idea,” he said with fatalist certainty. But her moan filled his soul with light even if his brain was screaming that loving each other could end up being their death sentence.

  “I don’t care,” she admitted, clinging to him as if she might fall off the earth if she let go. “I might care later but right now, I don’t. All I know is being with you is the only thing that feels remotely right in a world that has gone completely bananas. So, yeah, I don’t care...” She gazed up at him, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. “Make the world go away, Nathan. Just for a little while.”

  Her soft plea struck at his heart and he responded with a savage yet tender kiss as he poured all the feelings he couldn’t express into that kiss under the spray. He pushed her against the wall, their tongues sliding against one another as he fought a private battle between his heart and mind. Was he wrong for succumbing to the sweetest torture he’d ever known? Probably. And he’d likely end up paying for his pleasure in some horrid way but as he sank into her willing body yet another time, he knew with a certainty that he would’ve shot anyone who dared come between them in that moment. In that moment, the world belonged to them.

  Chapter 10

  Jaci pulled her shirt down and maneuvered her still-wet hair over her shoulder to finger-comb the knots as best she could before joining Nathan downstairs. After the shower Nathan had split and she hadn’t chased him. Sex was fabulous in the moment but under less than ideal circumstances, the afterglow of happy warm fuzzies faded fairly quickly. She sighed knowing she ought to feel guilty but she didn’t. Mostly she felt sad knowing that as great as they were between the sheets, loving each other wasn’t an option. As she descended the stairs, she resolved to shelve anything that didn’t help them stay alive because now was not the time to sort out their lingering issues.

  “Find anything?” she asked when she saw him at his laptop, his expression dark. “Why does my stomach hurt just thinking of what could possibly put that look on your face?”

  Nathan leaned back, frustrated. “I’m hitting a brick wall. I don’t know where to start. I’ve been racking my brain trying to think why someone within my own organization might want me dead, and I’m stumped.”

  “Really?”

  “Why do you find that shocking?” he asked with a faint scowl.

  She shrugged, going for honesty. “You’re not exactly a people person, Nathan. Sometimes you’re surly, prickly and anti-social. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m surprised there aren’t a multitude of people who’d want to put you down like a rabid dog.”

  “Thanks.” He returned his attention back to his laptop and Jaci took a seat beside him. He cast her a short look, saying, “I doubt there’s much you can do to help. Why don’t you read a magazine or something?”

  “And now you can add me to that list of people who wouldn’t mind seeing you take a bullet,” she quipped with irritation. “Listen, you need a fresh perspective. In my design work, when I can’t get a design right, I take a step back and get someone else’s opinion, mainly James’s because we live together.” Nathan’s jaw hardened and Jaci was secretly thrilled that Nathan was just a bit jealous. Served him right for letting her go. She continued as if she hadn’t noticed his reaction. “And usually with the input from fresh eyes, I can figure it out. That’s what you need. Fresh perspective.”

  “And how do you suppose I get that? It’s not as if I can sit down and chat with a coworker about something like this.”

  “I know I’m not ideal in your mind, but I can try and help. I’m not completely useless, you know.”

  “I know you’re not useless, Jase,” he said. “But—”

  “But nothing. I can take it. You think I’m this fragile woman who will fall apart if I hear something scary about your work and in all fairness, before all this terrible stuff had happened to me, I might’ve. But my world has been torn apart and if I want to have any hope of putting it back together again, I need to stay strong. Which means you have to stop babying me.”

  He regarded her for a long moment and she pressed a little harder. “I can take it, Nathan. I promise. Please let me help in some way. I can’t sit here and do nothing. It will drive me insane and I will take you with me.”

  At that he chuckled wryly and she offered a tentative smile. “Okay. I guess you’re right,” he said with a sigh. “Where do you want to start?”

  “At the beginning,” she answered, shocking him. “I want to know how you got your start in this business, all the way to the point where we’re running for our lives.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “Nathan, we’re broken up. It doesn’t matter what you tell me at this point. The idea is to stay alive, right?” He nodded and she settled in with a deep breath, determined to remain true to her declaration. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  She hoped.

  * * *

  She was ready, but was he? Nathan wasn’t sure how sharing his dirty secrets would help but since he was flummoxed and frustrated by his lack of progress, he was almost desperate.

  “How about the Reader’s Digest version instead of the War and Peace epic saga?” he asked, not relishing the idea of sharing his past. If he could get it over with quickly with the abridged version, that was fine by him. She accepted his request and he started. “My family sucked. Typical family drama—Dad wa
s a mean drunk and Mom was a sloppy drunk. I have a younger brother somewhere but we lost contact when I split the roost. Last I heard he was living in Florida, or something like that.”

  “You have a brother? Why haven’t you tried to stay in touch?”

  “Seemed easier to simply cut ties,” he admitted, remembering his brother’s panicked expression when he’d walked out the door after the latest fight with the old man. He’d been seventeen and Jake had been fifteen. He hated the guilt that dogged him but he’d always told himself that Jake was better off striking out on his own with nothing holding him back, including pissed-off older brothers with something to prove to the world. “Besides, I was hell-bent on joining the Marines. I didn’t want to worry about who I was leaving behind.”

  “Don’t you think that’s kinda harsh?” she asked.

  He cast her a dark look. “How about no passing judgment during Story Hour, okay?” he said and she immediately pretended to zip her lip. “The thing is, I’ve always felt guilty about Jake but in my line of work, having ties is a liability. And I didn’t want to do that to Jakey.”

  “Noble,” she said, forgetting her promise to keep her mouth shut. God love her, he should’ve known that would be impossible for someone like Jaci. “So... Any other siblings you cut from your life in order to protect them?”

  “No,” he answered with a glower. She made him sound like an even bigger ass than he’d been. “I had a sister but she died when she was six.”

  Jaci gasped and her stricken expression made him wish he hadn’t shared. “How awful. What happened?” she asked.

  “It’s not important,” he said, waving off her concern. He definitely didn’t want to talk about Bunny but one look at Jaci’s face and he knew she wouldn’t let it go. He could’ve shut her down forcefully but he supposed there was no need to hide his past now. “My sister Krista—we called her Bunny—died when my drunken mother backed over her with the station wagon we used to own. I was supposed to be watching her but me and Jake were arguing over something stupid and I didn’t see her go outside. All I remember after that is the screaming.”