Page 140 of Deadly Strain

“My everything.”

Grace turned.

Sharp stood ten feet away, dressed in his dusty body armor over a clean uniform of the Biological Rapid Response Team. He had a full duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a shiny new sniper rifle in one hand. “Hey, Max. Everything squared away?”

“More or less.” He nodded to Grace. “He’s all yours. I’ll leave you two to get yourselves sorted out. We’re heading back to Bostick in about six hours to continue the investigation into Akbar and his anthrax strain. Be packed and ready to leave thirty minutes prior.” He walked away, leaving Grace staring at Sharp.

What the hell just happened?

Sharp gestured with his rifle toward her. “Where are your quarters?”

“What?”

“We need to have a conversation.”

He was right, they did need to have a talk. Though she might yell more than speak. She spun on her heel and led the way to her private quarters, which was a prefab room about eight by twelve feet. She’d had zero time to do more than to sleep there. As a result, it looked more like the inside of a deep freeze than a bedroom.

As soon as he was inside and the door closed, she started with the list of questions getting longer and longer in her head. “What happened? Where did you—”

Sharp dropped his bag and rifle on the floor, all while staring at her with eyes that damn near lit her on fire. The words coming out of her mouth halted as the intense need on his face ripped the power of speech from her.

Her diaphragm rose and fell like the bellows of a blacksmith while working steel.

He stepped back, and without taking his eyes from her, locked the door.

A sound escaped her throat, lost and mournful. “I thought you left me.”

A smile promising sin and sex, enough to feed her addiction for his touch, changed him from a stoic soldier into a man who was made to give pleasure. “You’re mine. I’m yours. Not negotiable.”

His words spoke to the primitive part of her, the part who wanted to scream to the world that he was hers as much as she was his.Never negotiable.“Good.”

They launched themselves at each other and somehow ended up on her narrow bed with him on top of her, his hands trying to pull her body armor off, while she attempted the same.

After a couple of seconds, he tore himself away from her and attacked his own body armor. “Take it off,” he ordered her in voice so guttural she barely understood him.

She understood what he wanted, though. What she wanted.

Skin, warm and smooth, over hard muscles.

She got her body armor off and tossed it to one side. Her shirt and bra went next. By the time she got to her pants, Sharp was back, naked, with shaking hands as he took over from her, yanking her pants down and off so hard they tore.

He kissed her everywhere, his mouth seemingly never satisfied, like hers.

She wanted to taste him everywhere, touch him everywhere, all at the same time.

He put his mouth on one breast, sucked in the nipple and lashed it with his tongue. It sent her into overdrive, a deep groan of need rising from her chest. “Sharp, I need...” She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think while his mouth worked her nipple, while his fingers found and circled the sensitive entrance to her body.

“What do you need, sweetheart?” he whispered, kissing his way over to her neglected breast. “Say the word and it’s yours.” His clever fingers dipped inside, then flicked her clit. Back and forth, back and forth, driving her need higher and higher until she felt like she was going to fly apart.

He sucked the nipple in and nipped it lightly with his teeth.

“You!” Good God, she was going to lose her mind. “I need you to fuck me.”

His fingers plunged deep, robbing her of words. She was on the precipice, on the very edge, and if he didn’t shove her over soon, she was going to die.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered, pulling his hand away, pushing her onto her back and making room for himself between her thighs. “I can’t wait, you’re so wet. Tell me it’s okay, Grace.” He put his forehead against her chest and moaned, “Jesus, tell me to stop.”

“No!” If he stopped, she’d fly apart and never find her way home again. “I want you. Please, I need you. I’m yours and you’re mine.” She wrapped her hand around his cock. Christ, it really was as big as she remembered.