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Huffing, I shook my head. “No, at least according to how the inquiry concluded, but the confusion allowed our guards to fall. I blamed Maddox. The fault is all mine.”

She shifted, taking the wine from my hand and placing both glasses on the hearth. “You’re hurting. I can’t take that away from you, but you were in the middle of war. You thought you were doing the right thing. You heard noises. Maddox evidently did not. You believe you were following orders. So did he.”

“I don’t know, Juliette. Why would the dreams shade my mind into believing he was to blame?”

“Because that’s what your brain needed to do to handle the horror. But it’s time for you to let the guilt and the anger go.”

“Yeah? How do I do that?”

She lifted my hand, pressing my palm against her lips. I took several deep breaths, horrified I’d almost lost her. The guilt in leaving her alone would also eat at me for a long time.

“You do the only thing you can do. You make contact with Maddox and you talk about what happened. Don’t you think he’s hurting too? You lost men you cared about. Not because of anger or incompetence or insolence in ignoring orders. But because some enemy soldiers played dirty. Until you put your anger to rest, you will never heal. Neither will he.”

As I turned my head, staring into her eyes, I saw such admiration and adoration that I was thrown. “How’d you get so smart, Ms. Carver?”

“It took a lot of practice.”

I gripped her chin with two fingers and lowered my head. There were no words needed. What we both wanted was time spent together, and a peace neither one of us had felt in a long time. There was also no way of expressing adequately the way I craved her touch or her taste.

This time, as I captured her mouth, neither one of us was in a hurry. This wasn’t about laying claim or asserting my authority. This was about being together, untouched by time and unhindered by fear. I swept my tongue inside and she mewed, wrapping her long fingers around my shirt.

Even the way she clutched a part of me, arching her back into the moment of intimacy created an arousal that wouldn’t be denied.I rolled her lips against mine as I tasted her sweetness. Every muscle was already tensed, my cock pressing hard against my jeans. The thought of losing her had enraged a fire, but I was no longer furious, merely falling prey to a rollercoaster of emotions.

Juliette slid one arm around my neck, tangling her fingers in my hair as she moaned into the kiss. I captured every sound, savoring every second of her being in my arms. Our tongues danced together for several seconds until the desire to touch her skin became overwhelming.

I pulled back, offering a sloppy smile before tugging her shirt up and over her head. She did the same with mine, both our actions infused with tenderness. I easily unclasped her bra, slowly tugging the straps down both arms.

After tossing it aside, I cupped both her breasts, rolling my thumbs across her nipples. Both were fully aroused, sensitive to my touch. Her scattered laugh brought another smile to my face. Just seeing the dazzle in her eyes was captivating. I could look at them all night.

We both rose onto our knees and I dropped my head, cupping one breast and sucking on her tender bud.

Sighing, Juliette wrapped one arm around my head. Her chest rose and fell in soft whispered breaths, her long hair dangling across my skin. When she placed her fingertips against my chest, another shudder of extreme heat rushed through me.

I bit down on her nipple before rolling my lips to her other breast, taking my time to swirl the tip of my tongue around her areole several times. Every sound she made kept the fire burning bright.

She crawled her hands to my belt, unfastening the buckle. As soon as she’d unzipped my jeans, I felt her small hand pull my aching cock free of the tight confines.

Every time I’d touched her, I’d felt a sense of possessiveness, but tonight the feeling was even stronger. I was lost in the sweet moment of having her touch me. The softness of her skin was incredible. I bit down on her nipple again before pushing her away gently.

She peered up at me with uncertainty in her eyes. When she dragged her tongue across her bottom lip, I issued a growl, which made her laugh.

“Tough man,” she whispered.

“You have no idea.”

“Oh, I think I do.”

I eased her onto the rug, running my fingers down her leg and tugging off one boot then the other. As I fumbled with the button and zipper on her jeans, she lifted her pelvis. The offer was blatantly delicious. When she was completely naked, her long hair splayed out on either side of her head, I took several deep breaths.

“Goddamn, you’re beautiful.” I rose onto my knees, tugging the thick denim down past my hips.

She bit her lower lip as she watched me, her eyes glazing over as I took my time undressing. “You know how to torture a girl.”

Even the sound of her voice was different tonight, sultry yet so full of strength.

When I was naked, I moved on top of her, grabbing the blanket and throwing it around both of us. Placing my hands on either side of her, I took my time lowering my body. As soon as I did, she wrapped one leg around my thigh.

With our eyes locked together, she slipped her hand between us, guiding the tip of my cock against her wetness. The scent of her desire was powerful. My nostrils flared, the fragrance more intoxicating than ever before. I rolled my hips, slipping the full length of my dick inside. The feel as her muscles clamped around my shaft was incredible, the sensations almost overpowering.