by Marie Harte
Red separated her legs and situated himself in between her thighs. His masculine form was suddenly unclothed, revealing his contoured chest. Catori didn’t care how it happened or why. She ran her hands down his biceps, loving how solid his muscles were underneath her touch. His sun-kissed skin seemed to glow and she traced the hard lines of his flat stomach to where a sensual V led into the treasure that she sought.
“Are you ready for me, Cat?”
“Red, I need you now more than ever.” Catori wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to draw him near. He wouldn’t move but instead stared down at her with a caring smile. She wanted to take control and memories flashed through her mind with the battle of wills they used to have, making them laugh like children. There was no laughter now…just intense need. She had to take the lead. “Let me ride you. Let me take control.”
“Even using your claws wouldn’t convince me to let you do that, Cat. Do you remember? Do you recall how we used to wrestle on this bed until the sheets were tangled?” Red gradually lowered himself until Catori felt his cock slowly enter her. He stretched her wide and the slight burn almost caused her to have an orgasm right then and there. “Are your claws out? You know I like it when you scratch my back.”
Pleasure filled every pore of Catori’s body as Red gently thrust in and out of her. He leaned his head down once more and she swore his teeth bit into her nipple like he used to do. A cry of pleasure escaped her lips, and when she tried to hold him in place his gentle laughter filled the air. She wanted to be on top, to take control.
“Claws, Cat. I want to feel your claws.”
Catori felt helpless, for she tried to do what Red said but her fingers couldn’t get a firm hold on him. She looked up and saw the love in his eyes. It overwhelmed her and she wanted this…needed this…to be real. As if her desire for something more triggered a switch, her legs were suddenly on his shoulders, allowing him to sink farther inside of her. He was one with her.
“You will always be mine, Cat.” Red continued to pump in and out of her with a force that took her breath away. “Touch yourself. Show me that you’re mine.”
Catori moved her hand in between them, gathering her cream with her middle finger and rubbing it over her sensitive clit. She cried out at the intensity of her stroke. His blue eyes remained fixated on her, although it felt as if he saw everything that she was doing. He could, couldn’t he?
As if Red was surrounding her, every part of her body felt touched. Her nipples were pulled and her breasts were embraced. His lips brushed against her neck as the heat of his body blanketed her. The throbbing in her clit intensified and she pulled her hand away when it felt like his fingers had replaced hers. Over and over he stroked the engorged flesh until her breath caught in her throat and tingles rained down over her body. Her sheath contracted around his cock as he slowly continued their climb to that ever beautiful precipice.
“Kiss me,” Red whispered, his voice unexpectedly near her ear. “Kiss me goodbye.”
“No,” Catori replied harshly, not wanting this to end. She turned her head to the side, blocking out Red’s attempt at farewell. She wouldn’t let him leave now. “I need more of you.”
“Then don’t let me go…”
Catori awoke with a start and sat straight up, looking frantically for Red. Sunlight streamed into her bedroom window, shining its unwanted rays on the tangled and twisted sheets of reality. He wasn’t here. She’d have sworn differently and could still feel his keen presence. Fuck. He had felt so, so real. She placed her cool hands to her flushed face, trying to bring some sense of sanity back. So much for no nightmares, although she wasn’t so sure she would qualify that dream as one.
Glancing at the clock, Catori cursed at the hour and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She didn’t have time for these nightly hallucinations. All they did was make her more exhausted than she already was. She walked to the bathroom and quickly turned the knob in the shower so that the water spray came out hard enough to take a layer of skin off. She would work herself solid today and maybe join in the drills that Kane Taylor would ultimately have the team do. A difficult physical workout would exorcise the demons that haunted her at night…because he certainly hadn’t been her husband.
Chapter Twelve
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CATORI WALKED INTO the new location of Red Starr HRT, lifting up her sunglasses and using them to pull her hair out of her face. The place wasn’t pretty, but they hadn’t had the time to complete all of the offices and functional areas to her demanding standards quite yet. The large abandoned warehouse facing the pier with an attached hangar had basically started out as a tin L-shaped room of about one hundred and twenty thousand square feet.
Catori had the contractor build three separate reinforced concrete vaults to house the armory and secure the server farm and the operations room. The operations room was a multi-tiered auditorium that resembled a Star Wars command facility with all the large screen displays and banks of computers serving all the cells parsing various incoming intelligence feeds. Inside the armory there were separate areas divided by floor to ceiling cages and racks of weapons, ammo cans, and heavy-duty safes twice the size of an upright freezer. Along the right wall was the team’s gear and enclosed in their own cage were large lockers containing all of their tactical and safety gear. The secure server farm required a satellite uplink and encryption gear to link the Siprnet. The entire suite was served by a four-ton air conditioning system that kept the computers comfortable at a constant sixty-five degrees and, as always, the ubiquitous two separate X08 locks with signature cards on the vault door to ensure two-person integrity.
The security system that she’d had installed would allow for keycard access to most of the training areas and the offices. The high security areas required retina scans and class three NSA approved combination locks to open and keypad sign in and out procedures once those areas were occupied each day. The entire complex, including the pier and hangar, had a twenty-four hour onsite armed security staff monitored and supervised by offsite federal contractors. It looked like security had set aside the lanyards with the small ID tags to disperse to the arriving support staff and the team when they arrived next week.
The bunkhouse was ready to receive the team and the contractors had completed the indoor small arms range. As for the offices, she’d set up six separate ones closer to the training areas for the team members. She doubted they would get much use; however, she wanted them to have an area away from the support staff to do whatever administrative work that might be required.
She placed her travel mug of coffee onto the first desk at the security checkpoint and shrugged out of her lightweight jacket, having worn it to conceal her weapon. She went around the building, turning on the lights and checking in with the master security control room, looking at the video monitors that surveyed the outer perimeter and new security fences that had been added to control sector access.
Catori been called a bitch more times in her life than she could count, but it didn’t change the fact that she didn’t employ very many women. She specifically wouldn’t hire any in the role of tactical operations. She didn’t care what the politically correct congressmen had to say about women warfighters…men acted differently in tactical situations when women got wounded and she wasn’t going to introduce those added complications into her battle plan. Now a tight group of men and their raging testosterone was an entirely different story. When the men got too pent up and needed to let off a little steam, she could send them to the training areas out back to work out their issues.
Movement on one of the multitude of monitors caught Catori’s attention and she smiled tiredly, having known full well that Kane Taylor wouldn’t be able to keep away from seeing their new headquarters. She waited until he was right outside the front Lexan door appearing to study the textured steel before she pressed the buzzer preempting the security guard from asking who their visitor was and what he wanted. The sound of Kane’s security entr
ance activating echoed throughout the foyer and engaged the lock on the interior door. The foyer was simple enough. It was approximately ten foot square with another door opposite the entrance. You couldn’t open the second inside door until the outside entrance was closed and the lock engaged.
“Right on time, Gunny. Give me a second and I’ll make my way down to the security checkpoint. We’ll get you squared away.”
Kane surveyed the area quietly, walking slowly around the foyer before making his way over to where security had set up the stacks of security keycards, having prepared them for their initial issue just behind the checkpoint countertop. Catori appeared around the corner from an interior hallway in denim with her favorite pair of military issued boots and a casual white cotton collared blouse.
“This is definitely a unique area to have this type of business in. I noticed several military checkpoints back up the road and along the quay.” Catori led Kane down the hall after he had checked in and where security logged his retina scan, issuing him access instructions and giving him his ID, keycard, and several sets of keys. She figured she had three minutes before he asked, just about enough time to make it to her new office. “An office complex inside a giant warehouse facing a pier with an odd navy gray ship parked out back? Where the hell am I supposed to train the team? We’re not SEALs.”
“No, we are not,” Catori said in agreement, sipping the coffee she’d made at home. It had cooled somewhat, but it was still drinkable. She’d have to utilize the new coffee pot that was situated in a common area down the hall from her office to keep her energy level up. “Which is why I’ve set up a three story, two thousand square foot gym area in the back of the building as well as an indoor small arms range, a weight training and cardio conditioning room, and a team briefing facility, as well as additional areas to house, feed, and equip them. The entire parameter is fenced in with a soundproof insulated covering on all exterior walls to keep prying eyes and ears out of our territory. We have around a thousand square feet high tech media room with a new generation simulator that can be programmed with various types of hostage incidents. Laser training weapons score hits on simulator projected scenario objects or personnel. The rest is your typical fitness O course, just this side of the new helo pad. As for running, that’s what the beach is for. There are the beginnings of a support staff for communications, intelligence, logistics, supplies, operations, and strategic planning. That is outside of the ship’s crew and flight operations and maintenance crews for the recent arrival of our new Knighthawk.”
“I’m impressed,” Kane said, as Catori escorted him around the extensive facility to make sure he knew where everything was. Once outside the vault door to the armory, she gave him the combo and instructed him on the retina scanning procedure. No sooner had they gotten inside than he was walking towards the weapons cages. He started with the first one, using his new set of keys to access the door leading to the racks containing the long guns, assault weapons, submachine guns, and pistols. He went down the line and surveyed all of the other cages, which ranged from heavy weapons to edged weapons and non-lethal weapon systems. Ammo, magazines and tools for working on the different systems were contained in the secondary lockers. He made sure they were secure before walking back her way. “That’s one hell of an arsenal you have there.”
“We have. Great for domestic jobs, but they won’t do shit for us if we’re in another country without access offshore.” Catori lowered her legs and placed her travel mug down onto her desk. She reached for a keyboard and started typing, eventually pulling a materials list off of the armory’s computer. “Speaking of which, you’ll need to memorize this. These are our suppliers, liaisons, and contacts that I have lined up overseas in various land locked countries where we would need to utilize commercial transportation to enter. Additional files along with supplementary information are on your laptop in your office and I don’t think I need to tell you that every piece of proprietary information stays within these four walls.”
“What did you do? Stay here night and day since we last met?” Kane didn’t peruse the information, but instead he simply closed the program and logged her out. “You look like shit.”
Catori gave a half smile, already liking his candor and spunk. She shook her head as she turned to head back to her office, banking on Schultzy to have gotten her the information she’d requested. She ignored Kane’s quizzical look as she started for the vault door with him in tow.
“You lasted longer than I thought you would.” Catori looked around the reception area outside of her office for a place where they could keep the betting pool. “I’ll bring a glass jug with me tomorrow. Never too early to start making wagers.”
“I figured if you had any information on Sydney you would have told me.” There wasn’t a restless bone in Kane’s appearance and Catori envied that. She knew she had a bad habit of chewing the inside of her cheek when she was lost in thought, so she relaxed her jaw. It was something that Red used to tease her about incessantly. She head for the coffee pot to fire them up some java. “Besides, intelligence on my sister’s unit is not the reason I came to work for you.”
“What?” Catori asked, hitting the brew button. She walked back his way and into her office taking a seat at her desk. “You think I’m charming?”
“There’s a lot of adjectives I could think of to describe you, but charming isn’t one of them.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Catori laughed at his honesty as she pulled up her email. Sure enough, though she had to enter her clearance code to access it, Schulzy had come through for her. Before pressing the envelope icon, she sat back in her chair. “I have the information you wanted. I contemplated looking at it first, but I can relate with you and what you’re going through. Which is why we’ll look at it together. I want your word that you’ll give it six months before you even think of taking action, if any is even warranted. We may find out that it was a random attack on her unit and there was nothing to be done.”
“We might,” Kane conceded, but the brown in his hazel eyes practically glowed in disagreement. He nodded toward her computer as he walked around her desk and placed himself behind her. “I give you my word I’ll wait six months.”
“And you’ll include me in on any decision you make?” Catori was looking intently at her screen and her index finger hovered over the mouse, but she waited to hear his answer. “You’re my responsibility, whether this is a personal mission or not. I’ll use my judgment should you need the use of the team.”
“You just said this was personal.” Kane leaned over her and placed his palm on her desk in his impatience. “I wouldn’t jeopardize the crew.”
“Within six months these men will be like your brothers.” Catori turned her head and met his gaze. She wasn’t willing to let this go. “Where you go, they’ll go. I will be included on any decision you make.”
“Fine, I’ve waited nine months. Six more won’t make a difference,” Kane replied curtly, nodding toward the monitor. “Click on the fucker, will you?”
She pressed the left side of the mouse. Within seconds a document opened and revealed the truth behind Sydney Taylor’s death. Catori felt her stomach sink as she read line after line of what had truly transpired. Her mind whirled with the various options Kane could choose now that the actuality of his sister’s mission had been laid out in front of him. This was a clusterfuck of monumental proportions and completely explained why Schultzy was sharing this information with her. He wanted her team to rescue those young natives still held captive and clean up the mess that one colonel had made with a casual directive.
“Six months?” The fury that forced those words out of Kane’s mouth was vast. His restraint was remarkable. “You making me stick to that?”
“Hell, yes.” Catori sat back in her chair as she digested all of the facts. This wasn’t how she’d pictured Red Starr HRT starting, although the mission they were about to embark on was right up their alley. “We’ll need that lon
g to train the team in order to navigate the terrain in Nigeria. As for the colonel, it’s only a matter of time before they court-martial him. Your sister’s death will not be in vain. Let the justice system do its job.”
“Justice has nothing to do with this,” Kane explained in a voice that was devoid of emotion. “I want vengeance.”
The End
Thank you for joining me on each team member’s journey of Red Starr HRT.
Hearths of Fire (Red Starr, Book 1) is available for pre-order
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Moving forward with his life…
Neal Bauer tried returning home once before and he found that some things aren’t meant to be. When Red Starr HRT, a paramilitary hostage rescue team, offered him a position that would use his specialized skillset that had served him well in the military—he jumped at the chance.
The past has a way of returning…
Charlotte Whitefall has made some really bad decisions in her life…leaving Neal Bauer standing at the alter tops the list. Growing up in Hearth, Missouri has taught her that when someone leaves their small town, they don’t return. She saved Neal from a painful choice by moving on with her life and raising her sister alone.
Coming home…
When a local cult invades the town of Hearth, the citizens do their best to stay clear of the members. Everything changes when Charlotte’s little sister is drawn into their way of life. There is only one man who has the connections to eliminate the dangerous threat. Can Charlotte persuade Neal to come home long enough to rescue her sister? More importantly, can she convince him that she made a terrible mistake all those years ago—and possibly rekindle their smoldering passion?
