Page 10 of Delta Mission (Alpha Tactical Ops)

Wolf

Makenna burst into tears and my heart clenched so tight it hurt. I believed her story, but it was a fucking hard pill to swallow.

A sob burst from her throat. “Say something.”

Her voice broke and her expression contorted with so much sorrow it crushed my resolve.

I stood and dusted my hands on my pants.

She raised her chin, and as tears spilled down her cheeks, I strode to her. My chest was a vice crushing me as I opened my arms.

She collapsed into me. “I’m so sorry.”

Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed.

I curled my hand over her hair and a knot as big as a grenade lodged in my throat.

She pulled back and met my gaze. “I’m sorry. Please, Channing, can you ever forgive me?”

Tears wet her long lashes.

“I’m sorry too.” I thumbed a tear from her cheek. “I should have listened to you. But I was so hurt.”

“I know. And I’d do anything to make it right. To make us right. A million times I wanted to call, but—”

“But what?”

Her eyes were liquid pools in the firelight. “I knew you didn’t want to hear from me. The hurt on your face when you kicked me out of your uncle’s wake . . . you were broken, and I did that to you. Can you accept that what I did was a mistake? That I honestly thought I was with you?”

Talon and I had fooled many people during our lives with our identical appearance. Never once did I think our pranks would hurt anyone, let alone be catastrophic.

“Well, can you?” Her chin dimpled. Tears spilled over her lower lashes.

Her brutal sadness shattered me, melting away the final threads of my anger. “Yes, I understand how and why it happened.”

She sniffed. “But can you forgive me?”

I cupped her cheek, and she leaned into my palm. “Yes, I forgive you.”

She burst into tears and fell into my arms. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Her body trembled and as I clutched her to me, I wanted so desperately to take away her pain.

Wiping tears from her cheeks, she pulled back, and our eyes locked. A delicious heat filled the space between us.

She licked her lips, and my cock twitched.

I missed her. I missed her so fucking much. I was such a fool for not hearing her side of the story.

A swirl of emotions swept across her eyes, but only one stood out . . . lust.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers.

A moan tumbled up her throat as she curled her hand around the back of my neck and pulled me to her. Our kiss was deep and hard, like our kisses were years ago, like we were desperate to taste each other.

I squeezed her breast, feeling her glorious mound in my hand.

She fumbled with the buttons on her shirt, and my cock throbbed to life, a sensation I hadn’t felt in a long time. It had been an eternity since I’d been with a woman.

Maybe, all this time, I’d been waiting for Makenna.

She pulled off her shirt and flicked off her bra. “I want you, Channing. I have only ever wanted you.”

My cock was so hard it hurt. I peeled out of my clothes, dropping them to the floor. She did too, and in a heartbeat we were both naked.

She wrapped her hand around my shaft, and I stepped my feet apart, clutched behind her neck, and kissed her.

Her fingers were like magic cruising up and down my dick, making me so fucking hard I could burst.

I swept my thumb over her nipple and pinched the hardened nub between my fingers until she gasped. I’d always loved how sensitive her breasts were.

Our lips parted, and I trailed kisses down her neck, tasting her salty flesh.

“I’ve missed you,” her hot breath whispered off my ear.

“I’ve missed you too.” I squeezed her boob. Fuck, she felt good.

She moaned and reached between my legs to cup my balls.

“Careful, babe, it’s been a while.”

“Babe,” she whispered, like it was a secret.

“Turn around.”

She did.

“Put your hands on the wall.”

She placed her hands on the rocks and arched her back, offering her glorious ass to me.

I glided my hands over her perfect butt. I was wrong about her. Makenna’s body was better than all those years ago. Standing at her side, I curled my hand over her ass and between her legs, seeking her hot zone.

The sweetest sound crossed her lips as she parted her legs.

Sucking air through my teeth, I ran my finger over her warm folds and pressed her bud.

Gasping, she looked at me over her shoulder. Her lust-filled eyes were loaded with a desire that had my cock ready to burst.

Her warmth wrapped around my finger as I brought out the best in her. Tiny mewling sounds left her throat as her breaths grew rapid.

“That’s it, babe. Let it go.”

She closed her eyes and tilted her head, showing off the length of her throat. Her body shuddered and her juices pooled around my fingers as she cried out.

I eased in behind her, and clutching her hips, I took her from behind.

A breath left her throat as she pushed back against me, taking all of me into her. Her warm tightness fitted me like a glove. Fuck, she felt good . I clenched my jaw, savoring every delicious sensation, fighting my release.

Unable to hold back a moment more, I dug my fingers into her flesh and thrust into her again and again.

She shuddered around me, hard and long, and I cried out as I climaxed with her until she sagged in my arms.

Pressing my chest to her back, I cupped her breasts.

She placed her hand over mine. “I love you, Channing.”

The sound of my name on her tongue was raw and captivating.

I turned her around. “Say that again.”

The firelight danced over her eyes as she looked right into my soul. “I love you. I always have.”

The knot in my throat returned as I cupped her cheeks. “I love you, too. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you that.”

Our lips met, and our kiss was everything a kiss should be. . . fucking awesome.

We pulled apart, and a massive smile crossed her lips.

“What?”

“I can’t believe that happened.”

I grinned. “Yeah. Surprised the heck out of me, too.”

She glided her fingers into mine, a move that I’d missed more than I realized. “Thank you.”

I cocked my brow. “For the sex?”

Her molasses eyes softened. “For believing me. For forgiving me. And yes, for the sex.”

I kissed her, deep and hard, crushing her into my soul. We eased apart, and I clutched her to my chest, squeezing her bare flesh to mine. “Welcome back, Goodspeed.”

The cool air teased my neck, reminding me we were in the mountains.

“Get dressed before we get too cold.”

We tugged on our clothes, and she winced. Raising her left hand, her little finger stuck out to the side.

“Shit. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We’ve been busy.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt too much.”

“I have some tape.”

We strolled around the fire to our measly belongings.

I fished out the gaffer tape, and we were both silent as I strapped her little finger to the one beside it, careful not to get too close to the top.

“No wonder you struggled to climb that rope.”

She shook her head. “That wasn’t the problem. My upper body strength is terrible.”

“You could have fooled me.” I finished with the tape. “That should help a bit.”

“I don’t suppose you have any food in your gear. I’m starving.”

“I sure do.” I plucked two protein bars from my kit and handed one to her, along with my water bottle.

“You’re a lifesaver.” She ripped open the packet with her teeth.

I wolfed down the protein bar and after I gave the pillows a good bash, like I’d seen her do, I positioned them at the rear of the cave, as far away from the cool breeze as possible.

“Here’s your bed.” I indicated to the four pillows I’d placed in a row.

Her shoulders seemed to melt. “Amazing. I think I could sleep for a week.”

“We don’t have time for that. But get a good night’s sleep. We still have to figure out how to get out of here.”

She groaned.

“Maybe there’s a rope ladder we missed?” she said, but her expression indicated she didn’t hold out much hope for that miracle.

“Don’t worry about it for now. That’s tomorrow’s problem.”

She repositioned the pillows, so we had two each, and I admired her ass as she crawled onto her pillows and crashed down on her side, facing me with her butt to the wall.

I climbed in beside her and rolled to face the fire, with my back to her, sheltering her from the breeze.

As I stared into the flames, my mind flipped between Makenna’s story, our incredible sex, how the hell we were going to get out of this cave, and my brother.

Ever since our fight at Uncle Henry’s funeral, Talon had never been the same.

I’d always felt that he enjoyed being the reason Makenna and I had broken up, and he never had a good thing to say about her.

And Aunt Betty hated Makenna. Every time she mentioned Uncle Henry, Makenna’s name nearly always followed, along with negative comments.

But when we get out of this mess, I’m bringing Makenna home with me.

So they both needed to snap out of their bullshit.

Provided we make it out of this cave alive, that is.